《The Game of Life》 Chapter 1 - 1 1 Loading the Game 1 Chapter 1 Loading the Game Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio [A Well-Made Counterfeit Bill] Jiang Feng did not take the money and, with an apologetic smile, said to the burly, bald man with an impatient face in front of him, Im sorry, sir, but I dont have any change left. I cant break a hundred. Cant break it? The customer reluctantly took his money back and handed over a twenty-yuan note to Jiang Feng. After getting his change, he left the shop, still cursing under his breath. Feng, dont we have any small change in the box? hearing themotion in the shop, his mother, Mrs. Wang Xiulian, poked her head out of the kitchen to ask. It was counterfeit money. Jiang Feng expertly cleaned the table and arranged the chairs, ready to close for the day. Counterfeit? Mrs. Wang Xiulians smile disappeared in an instant, and even her double chin tightened into a single one as she said fiercely, Whos that good-for-nothing trying to fool my son? Next time he dares toe, Ill teach him a lesson for you! Indeed, with Mrs. Wang Xiulians stature, even a strong man like the one just now would likely be no match for her. Our son is a university student; he cant possibly be fooled by such people. Mr. Jiang Jiankang, Fengs real father, walked out of the kitchen with a shiny bald head, holding a dish with a big smile on his face and said, Come on, son, your favorite Kung Pao chicken. [A te of Greasy Kung Pao Chicken] Im on a diet. Jiang Feng said expressionlessly, rejecting the offer as he began to ponder how to convince his dear father to install an air conditioner in the kitchenan important mission. Considering Mr. Jiang Jiankangs hefty weight of 240 pounds, working in the less than ten square meters kitchen in this season was indeed tough for him. Why on earth would you diet like other girls? My son could gain another hundred pounds and still not be overweight! The proudest achievement in Mr. Jiang Jiankangs life was having a son who was tall and slim, improving the Jiang familys genes. His father had five sons, plus four grandsons and two granddaughters, and out of all of them, aside from the twin middle school daughters from the youngest son, only his son weighed under two hundred pounds. Jiang Feng suddenly recalled the scene at his grandfathers house during New Years, where arge round table could not fit seven people, and even with a separate table for the women and grandchildren, there still wasnt enough space. He decided to stay silent. Come on, eat some meat! Mr. Jiang Jiankang ced arge piece of meat into Jiang Fengs bowl. Thats right, listen to your father. Does my son need to diet? Mrs. Wang Xiulian echoed. Oh well, for the sake of fatherly love. Jiang Feng resignedly picked up his chopsticks. Dad. Yes? Its too hot these days. You should install an air conditioner in the kitchen. After the meal, the Jiang family of three went on to tidy up the shop and clean the kitchen. Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Mr. Jiang Jiankang remained in the shop to check the ingredients, while Jiang Feng was ushered home to rest. Before leaving, Jiang Feng did not forget to take a nce at their shops sign. [A Worn and Neglected Signboard] With one turn, Jiang Feng could no longer see any hints like the annotations hed seen before. So, it really only shows up in our own shop, huh? After two days of testing, Jiang Feng finally determined the range within which these strange annotations appeared. Ding, congrattions to yer Jiang Feng for activating the game. The game is loading, please wait a moment. A crisp female voice made Jiang Feng jump. Approximately two minutester, the crisp voice sounded again, Loadingplete. Please, yer, check the panel and explore on your own. Strive toplete the tasks. Jiang Feng noticed a small exmation mark appear in the upper right corner. He couldnt help but reach out and click it, and to his surprise, an attribute panel really appeared. yer Name: Jiang Feng Level: 0 (0/100) Remaining Experience: 0 Skills: Appraisal (Basic): You can only obtain some basic information Main Quest: ??? (yers need to explore on their own) Side Quests: None (Activated after choosing a main quest) Achievements: None Titles: None Items: None Evaluation: A rookie just starting out Game Instructions: 1. This game offers a high degree of freedom; yers are encouraged to explore on their own. 2. This game will not interfere with any choices made by yers; yers are encouraged to unlock achievements. 3. All exnations are owned by the game. A game? This attribute panel really does resemble one from a game. Jiang Feng reached out and clicked the exmation mark in the top right corner again, and the panel disappeared. It looked interesting. If he explored on his own Jiang Feng stood at his own doorstep, lost in thought. Before he could sort out his thoughts, he was brought back to reality by Mrs. Wang Xiulians loud voice. Feng, what are you doing standing at the door like a fool? Mrs. Wang Xiulian asked from the stairwell entrance. She and Mr. Jiang Jiankang stood one behind the other at the turn of the small staircase, creating the impression of a blockade that water couldnt even flow through. Forgot my keys, he blurted out a nonsense excuse on impulse. You child, why didnt you call? How long have you been waiting? Mrs. Wang Xiulian stepped forward to open the door, while Jiang Feng quickly stepped aside. Right, Dad, what did you think about what I just mentioned, installing an air conditioner in the kitchen? Jiang Feng let Mr. Jiang Jiankang enter first, closing the door and asking as he did. No need for that, weve been fine all these years without an air conditioner. Your second uncles clinic was demolished, he loaned us seventy thousand, and I bought a shop near your school. Once school starts, your mom and I will go there too, Jiang Jiankang said indifferently, beginning to fantasize about future life, Think about it, if your mom and I move the restaurant there, you wont even need to eat at the cafeteria anymore. Ive heard from your eldest cousin that college cafeterias are terrible now. Tomato stir-fry with mooncakes, is that even fit for human consumption? Your mom and I Jiang Feng didnt even have time to ponder how Mr. Jiang Jiankang managed to buy a shop in such a prime location near the school just by borrowing seventy thousand from his second uncle, or how wealthy his family actually was, or whether he could afford to be azy homebody after collegea matter concerning his future fatewhen he heard a familiar female voice. Ding, a new optional main quest discovered: [Rising Little Store] Make the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant reach a poprity of 100 at UAL University. Their familys small restaurant was currently called Healthy Snacks. Dad, what do you n to name the new shop? Jiang Feng asked. Name? Jiang Jiankang paused for a moment, then said with a chuckle, Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, hows that? Not bad, right! Your mom thinks this name is too in, but thats exactly what we need for a stir-fry shop a name thats straightforward and easy to understand. If we go for something too fancy, customers wont feel inclined to visit. Your uncle helped us find this shop, two floors totaling 180 square meters. We didnt have enough money and didnt want to take out loans, so we thought about looking around some more. But then your second uncles clinics demolition reimbursement came through just in time, lending us seventy thousand and it fit the bill perfectly. How lucky is that? Lucky, incredibly lucky. Jiang Feng even started to suspect that this game had it all nned out. Your second uncle also bought a shop next to our restaurant. Now its great, the five brothers are together in the same city again. Dont worry about the new shop, your uncle is overseeing the renovation and everything! Jiang Fengs few uncles had all worked in this small city, and including Jiang Feng, all four grandsons from the Jiang Family had graduated from the same elementary, middle, and high schools. As a kid, besides Jiang Feng, who had a normal physique, his three cousins were all tall and strong. When the four brothers were together, the local troublemakers never dared to mess with them. Going back further, Jiang Fengs grandfather, Jiang Weiguo, was a cook in a state-owned restaurant before retiring, and even during the times of scarcity, he was the most noticeable among a crowd of thin people the fat man. He raised Jiang Fengs grandmother, his father, and four uncles to be well-known fat individuals in the area, and even the daughters of Jiang Fengs youngest uncle showed signs of the Jiang Familys robust build. Among the Jiang Family five brothers, apart from the third in line, Mr. Jiang Jiankang who took over from Jiang Weiguo, the rest branched out into different upations after the state-owned restaurant closed. The eldest, Jiang Jianguo, became a tailor. Due to the poor business environment in the small city, he moved his tailor shop to n City several years ago and is now thriving. The second brother, Jiang Jiandang, opened a small clinic. The fourth, Jiang Jianye, and the youngest, Jiang Jianshe, jointly owned a pet store in n City. Jiang Feng considered that his uncles, aunts, three male cousins, and two female cousins would likely often visit the family restaurant, and he understood Mr. Jiang Jiankangs earnest reasons for wanting arge premises. In the living room, as Mr. Jiang Jiankang had already started dreaming about his future grandson taking over the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant and expanding it, Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who had finished washing up, came into the living room disapprovingly interrupting him: Go take a shower and get some sleep. You owe your second brother a big debt and youre here boasting with your son! Look at that, how ambitious Mrs. Wang Xiulian is. Back in his room, Jiang Feng opened the attribute panel, which had now changed to yer Name: Jiang Feng Level: 0 (0/100) Remaining Experience: 0 Skills: Appraisal (Basic): You can only get some basic information Main Quests: 1. (Optional) [Rising Little Store] Make the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant reach a poprity of 100 at UAL University[Select: YES/NO] 2. ??? (Please explore on your own) Side Quests: None (Activated after selecting a main quest) Achievements: None Titles: None Items: None Evaluation: A greenhorn just starting out Jiang Feng clicked yes, and the main quest changed to: 1. [Rising Little Store] Make the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant reach a poprity of 100 at UAL University, progress (0/100). Quest Tip: Reputation is key for the development of a new shop, and poprity can only be gained amongst the teachers and students of UAL University. Quest Reward: Unknown Teachers and students, huh Jiang Feng had a profound understanding of Mr. Jiang Jiankangs culinary skills; after all, he was a former state-owned restaurant chef. School at UAL University would start in just a month, and Jiang Feng felt that this main quest was very achievable. As for the invitation to explore on his own, he had a whole month to do just that. Chapter 2 - 2 2: Side Quests 2 Chapter 2: Side Quests Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The next day, Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian got up early to open the family eatery. Originally, Jiankangs Healthy Snacks didnt serve breakfast, but under the enormous pressure of debt, Jiang Jiankang decided to give up sleeping in and work hard to make money, toy a solid foundation for his grandsons future in the culinary business. Although Jiang Fengs cooking skills were not bad, at least as a youngster, he was personally taught by the oldrade Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Jiankang still felt that his own son was not cut out to inherit his mantle just by looking at his slim build. A thin young man might indeed be pleasant to look at in todays aesthetic standards, but certainly not a good choice for a chef. In Jiang Jiankangs opinion, each of his three nephews had what it took to be a chef, but unfortunately, when their talents were added together, they still didnt measure up to Jiang Feng. Feeling a slight regret that Jiang Feng, who could have improved the Jiang Familys tall and plump genes, would not be an outstanding chef, Jiang Jiankang began the days business. As Jiang Jiankangs only son, Jiang Feng had inherited his fondness for sleeping in. At ten oclock, the rm clock went off punctually. Jiang Feng expertly turned it off with his eyes closed but waspletely awakened by a notification sound in his mind. Ding, an optional side quest has appeared, please select through the yers choice. Lying in bed and squinting, he opened the panel, and sure enough, there was a change in the side quest column. Side Quest: (Optional) 1. [Fathers Wish] While Jiang Jiankang is proud of his sons tall and thin figure, he is also worried about his son not being robust enough. Please help fulfill the fathers wish by bing a tall, thin, and strong man. [Select: YES/NO] 2. [Mothers Wish] Wang Xiulian has always hoped to have a gentle, understanding, and slim daughter-inw. Please help fulfill the mothers wish by finding a gentle, understanding, and slim girlfriend. [Select: YES/NO] 3. [Neighbors Wish] Chen Duxius daughter, Chen Xiuxiu, has recently been obsessed with dieting to lose weight. Please help fulfill the neighbors wish by assisting Chen Xiuxiu in returning to a normal diet. [Select: YES/NO] Jiang Feng: He silently chose NO for the first task and YES for the third, rtively normal task, while keeping the second task pending. Although he didnt know why Mrs. Wang Xiulian had such strange requirements for a future daughter-inw, it was undeniable that he needed a girlfriend. If only girlfriends could be assigned in games. Side Quest: (Optional) 1. [Mothers Wish] Wang Xiulian has always hoped to have a gentle, understanding, and slim daughter-inw. Please help fulfill the mothers wish by finding a gentle, understanding, and slim girlfriend. [Select: YES/NO] 2. [Neighbors Wish] Chen Duxius daughter, Chen Xiuxiu, has recently been obsessed with dieting to lose weight. Quest Hint: Due to extreme dieting and induced vomiting, Chen Xiuxiu has begun showing signs of anorexia. Please hurry. Quest Reward: Unknown Chen Xiuxiu was actually showing signs of anorexia from excessive dieting. Jiang Feng frowned slightly and closed the panel. There were two buns left in the pot, saved for his breakfast by Wang Xiulian. Sitting at the dining table, Jiang Feng quietly ate the slightly cool buns while pondering how to get Chen Xiuxiu to resume a normal diet. In a certain sense, Chen Xiuxiu could be considered Jiang Fengs childhood friend. She was a year younger than Jiang Feng and, because she came from a single-parent family and her father was busy with work, she used to get her lunch and dinner at Jiang Fengs family eatery. Under the loving care of Mr. Jiang Jiankang, Chen Xiuxiu had grown up to be tall and plump, a typical characteristic of the Jiang Family. Now that he thought about it, Jiang Feng realized he hadnt seen Chen Xiuxiu for over a year. For neighbors who had known each other for many years, this was certainly abnormal. After finishing breakfast and getting dressed, the clock pointed precisely to ten-forty. Walking to the eatery at eleven oclock was precisely when it was busy and needed extra hands and delivery staff. It was summer vacation, and cheap studentbor was hard toe by, so they had to rely on free familybor. As he pushed open the door to the eatery, the first table he saw was upied by Chen Duxiu and a slightly plump young woman. It was Chen Xiuxiu. Chen Xiuxiu, who used to be mistaken for Jiang Fengs cousin when ying with him and his three elder brothers, now had transformed so drastically that the phrase shedding skin and flesh wouldnt be an exaggeration to describe her. On the table were four dishes, all specialties of Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Seeing Jiang Feng walk in, Chen Xiuxiu nodded slightly toward him, still with an unsmiling face. [A te full of color, aroma, and vor Kung Pao Chicken] [A te of roasted green chilies with perfect fire control] [A te of slightly salty Nine Turns Intestine] [A te of refreshing stir-fried diced lotus root] Mr. Jiang Jiankang could only make Nine Turns Intestines a few times a year, so some imperfections were normal. Xiuxiu, this intestine dish was specially made by your Uncle Jiang just for you. Just try one bite, just one, urged Chen Duxiu. I dont want to eat! Chen Xiuxiu said in a lowered voice, her face filled with impatience, I told you Im on a diet, and you still bring me to Mr. Chens restaurant and order so much food! Are you trying to make me fat to death? Every day you drink in porridge at home and practice yoga. How can your body take it? You were perfectly fine, and ever since you started university, youve been talking about dieting. Youre already thin enough; you dont need to diet! Chen Duxiu continued to urge her with a kind voice. Its so hot these days, its normal not to want to eat greasy food. Seeing that a father-daughter conflict was about to erupt, Jiang Feng stepped in to smooth things over, Have some diced lotus root; Ill go smash some cucumbers for you. Since she was little, Chen Xiuxius dinner always began with a smashed cucumber. They were the only table of customers in the restaurant, so Jiang Feng didnt need to attend to anything else and walked straight into the kitchen where he was greeted by a st of heat. Mrs. Wang Xiulian was washing vegetables and tried to shoo him out when she saw him. What are you doing here? Its so hot. Isnt Xiuxiu outside? You should go and talk some sense into her dad. Its normal for a young girl to want to be beautiful and to diet. Who forces someone to eat? Also, have you seen the dishes your dad cooked? Theyre so oily and greasy; I cant even eat them. The overperforming Mr. Jiang Jiankang: I think Xiuxiu looked good before, even if she was a bit chubby, she appeared much more robust, Jiang Jiankang muttered softly, expressing his nostalgia for the oncerger Chen Xiuxiu. Jiang Feng skillfully took a cucumber washed by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, peeled it, cut it, and then smashed it with the back of the knife. Im smashing a cucumber for her, Jiang Feng exined. He dressed it with vinegar and then added Mr. Jiang Jiankangs special chili oil, carrying the polished and clean te out of the kitchen. [A neat te of smashed cucumber] cing the smashed cucumber in front of Chen Xiuxiu, she continued to sulk with her dad and stubbornly refused to pick up her chopsticks. Child, didnt you love smashed cucumber when you were little? Chen Duxiu started to get anxious when he saw Chen Xiuxiu still refusing to eat. Chen Xiuxiu lowered her head and wouldnt look at him. The stalemate between father and daughter continued for a bit, and the restaurant began to fill up with customers. Jiang Feng started waiting on them, continuously taking menus to the kitchen. Ding, youve gained 3 experience points. Hearing the notification, Jiang Feng instinctively looked at Chen Xiuxiu. She was eating the smashed cucumber. Feng, could you please pack this up for us? Chen Duxiu asked helplessly. Jiang Feng went to get the takeout boxes and saw Chen Xiuxiu picking up another chopstick full of smashed cucumber. Ding, youve gained 3 experience points. One would gain experience points when others ate the food he made. Jiang Feng came to a conclusion in his heart. Chen Duxiu had to leave for something, leaving only Chen Xiuxiu sitting in her ce, helping Jiang Feng pack the dishes into boxes. Its not that I look down on Uncle Jiangs cooking, Chen Xiuxiu asked in a muffled voice, Im just afraid if I start eating, I wont be able to control myself anymore. Dieting by starving yourself is bad for your health, Jiang Feng said, And making yourself vomit is even worse. Chen Xiuxiu didnt say anything, just picked up the takeout box and left. Chapter 3 - 3 3: Smashing Cucumbers 3 Chapter 3: Smashing Cucumbers Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio ` Having discovered a method to gain experience points, Jiang Feng began to covet the position of head chef. However, the kitchen was Mr. Jiang Jiankangs territory, where he reigned supreme as the monarch of the back kitchen. Everything from the peeling knife, boning knife, and fruit knife to the iron pot, chopping board, and gas stove were his subjects. The chance of Jiang Feng staging a coup under his nose was practically nil. It took Jiang Feng an entire day to find a chance to sneak into the back kitchen and cook a bowl of seaweed egg soup. This was only possible because Mr. Jiang Jiankang was swamped with work; otherwise, Jiang Feng wouldnt even have been able to get close to the pot. At ten oclock in the evening, when the store closed, Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian cleaned up the back kitchen and, as usual, sent Jiang Feng home early. Before leaving, Jiang Feng swiped two cucumbers from the back kitchen. A neatlyid out te of smashed cucumbersthat adjective was perhaps too mediocre. Jiang Feng felt that having prepared smashed cucumbers for Chen Xiuxiu since he was young and having practiced this dish for decades, at least the description should be something like having full marks in color, fragrance, and taste, one in a thousand. The smashed cucumbers that Chen Xiuxiu had eaten could have wiped out a whole family of cucumbers in an orchard. Returning home, Jiang Feng stood in the kitchen and examined the two cucumbers he had taken from Wang Xiulians supply. One fat and one thin, one tall and one short, with a rough surface and yellow-green skin scarred from Mrs. Wang Xiulians violent washing. To smash a cucumber how should it be done? Having smashed countless cucumbers, Jiang Feng who had experienced both fat and thin ones fell into confusion. How else to smash a cucumber? Was he supposed to treat it like a martial arts novel, sink his qi to his dantian, use his True Qi to examine the cucumbers inner structure, then take out the legendary knife and with a touch of finesse, twirl the back of the knife while smashing Forget it, he couldnt make this up anymore. He took out the kitchen knife, ced the cucumber on the chopping board, and whack, whack, whack. There was no refreshing fragrance, no attractive color, and it certainly didnt glow. The cucumber was still a cucumber, just smashed. Pour vinegar, add chili oil, and two tes of smashed cucumber were done. The vinegar was made by Mr. Jiang Weiguo himself, and the chili oil was crafted by Mr. Jiang Jiankang. [An ordinary te of smashed cucumbers] [A te of smashed cucumbers with too much vinegar] Jiang Feng: Although he didnt know why he could still see the remarks at home, these twoments were clearly upsetting. After ten minutes, Jiang Feng went next door, holding the te of smashed cucumbers with too much vinegar, and knocked on the door. Five minutes before, Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who had just finished cleaning the back kitchen, had severely criticized Jiang Feng for wasting food by smashing cucumbers sote at night. With her astute judgment, she polished off the te that was just in ordinary and instructed Jiang Feng to take the other te to Chen Xiuxiu next door. Xiuxiu loves smashed cucumbers, doesnt she? When she was little, she would eat all the cucumber you made, no matter how much vinegar you added! Jiang Feng suspected that with Mrs. Wang Xiulians booming voice, Chen Xiuxiu next door had heard everything loud and clear. When Chen Xiuxiu opened the door, she appeared perplexed to see Jiang Feng holding a te of smashed cucumbers. Do you want some? This question hade up countless times in their dialogues. Yes. Chen Xiuxiu answered instinctively. Chen Duxiu wasnt home, but that was usual; ever since Jiang Feng could remember, he was often away on business trips. Jiang Feng ced the smashed cucumbers on the dining table, where a bowl of now cold porridge sat under a fly cover, with no side dishes. And it was a bowl with poor presentation, looking mushy and with a slightly burnt appearance. Jiang Feng furrowed his brow and asked, You havent had dinner? I dont feel like eating. Chen Xiuxiu looked clearly loathsome. Seeing her expression, Jiang Feng said nothing more and went straight into the kitchen. Compared with the Jiang familys kitchen, which was on par with a hotels kitchen, Chen Xiuxius kitchen was much humbler. There were two kitchen knives, a chopping board that was starting to split from moisture, one pot, a salt cer, a small bottle of oil, and, shockingly, no other seasonings to be found. ` Youre going to cook? Chen Xiuxiu didnt stop him, and ironically smiled, My ce has nothing, just a pot, a bag of rice, and some meal recement powder. Indeed, when he opened the refrigerator, it was empty except for beer. Oh, right, and the old mans beer. Chen Xiuxiu looked at him, Your homes groceries must all be at the shop. If I want to eat, just heat up this bowl of porridge for me. These wordsing out of Chen Xiuxius mouth were enough to shock all the street food vendors she had patronized in the past. How could the Chen Xiuxiu who used to be so picky due to Mr. Jiang Jiankangs indulgence possibly eat a bowl of failed, sticky, slightly burnt porridge? Ill cook you some in porridge, Jiang Feng also knew that cooking was out of the question, and his gaze turned to the only edible thing in the kitchen the rice. Chen Xiuxiu just sat in her chair, quietly watching Jiang Feng cook the porridge. The Jiang Family members did not like to drink porridge, and even if they did, it wouldnt be in porridge. It had to be something like fresh shrimp porridge or beef porridge the kind where you could taste the delight of the meat. nd and tasteless in porridge was unlikely to ever appear on the Jiang Familys dining table. The key to cooking porridge lies in getting the rice to water ratio right, mastering the timing of fire control transitions, and stirring evenly to ensure each grain is plump and soft. Of course, Jiang Feng couldnt achieve any of that. He could only cook a bowl of porridge that was just ptable enough not to kill someone from its ndness. We havent seen each other for a long time, have we? Chen Xiuxiu suddenly said. Yes, almost a year. We havent seen each other since you went to college, Jiang Feng recalled carefully. Did you almost not recognize me at noon today? I used to be so fat deformed, like a meatball. As she spoke, Chen Xiuxiu nced at her own arm. You werent that fat before, Jiang Feng said while stirring the pot, at least not in my parents eyes. The Jiang Familys definition of fat was anyone under 200 pounds didnt count as fat but rather sturdy. Chen Xiuxiu chuckled, Thats true, only you guys didnt consider me fat. Dieting and losing weight is harmful to the health; thats what you said, Jiang Feng remarked. Back in high school, every time after school when Chen Xiuxiu came to eat at Jiang Fengs shop, she would always say while eating meat and smiling happily, I know eating too much meat makes people fat, but I just have a big appetite. Dieting and losing weight is so bad for the health! I know. I initially wanted to lose weight by exercising, but it was just too hard. You cant imagine how hard it is for a 170-pound fatty to run ap around the track. Dieting is so much simpler; just buy some emetic drugs, and vomiting eventually leads to weight loss. Then I no longer have to go to specific clothing stores to buy clothes, and no one on the street will look at me with strange eyes. Eventually, I didnt even need the emetic drugs anymore. Seeing greasy and rich meat would naturally make me want to throw up, how great. Jiang Feng couldntment, as the Jiang Family nevercked for overweight members. Each was robust and strong, able to take on ten men, and no one would dare to make irresponsible remarks, nor would anyone give them strange looks on the street. More often, people would just walk around the burly man with a face full of thick flesh. Jiang Feng could only silently continue cooking the porridge. Soon, a pot of ordinary in porridge was ready. [A Bowl of Rtively Tasty in Porridge] This was the highest praise that the game had for the dish Jiang Feng had just cooked. He brought the in porridge to Chen Xiuxiu, whose face was filled with rejection. She didnt want to eat anything, and she was willing never to eat anything ever again. But she couldnt refuse Jiang Fengs kindness. The porridge was still steaming hot, and Chen Xiuxiu picked up her chopsticks, picking up the smallest piece of cucumber. Crunch. Ding, you have gained 10 experience points. Tastes good, Chen Xiuxiu said softly. Jiang Feng: ??? If he remembered correctly, the smacked cucumber had too much vinegar added! Chapter 4 - 4 4 Running 4 Chapter 4 Running Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Chen Xiuxiu ate half a te of smashed cucumbers, and with every bite, Jiang Feng would hear the systems lovely prompt tone. Ding, gained ten experience points. Ding, gained eight experience points. Ding, gained eight experience points. Compared with Mrs. Wang Xiulians miserly 1 experience point, Chen Xiuxiu was akin to a very generous client. The delightful tones kept ringing, prompting Jiang Feng to involuntarily reminisce about the times he spent with Chen Xiuxiu back in high school. Grilled sausages, pan-fried tofu, pan-fried buns, rice noodle rolls, grilled wheat gluten, soup dumplings, buns stuffed with gravy, shumai, pan-fried dumplings Just thinking about it made him a bit hungry. Before he knew it, Chen Xiuxiu drank an entire bowl of porridge. She let out a small burp. This bowl of porridge should feel honored, as only the sauce elbow made by Mr. Jiang Jiankang ever received such treatment. Not good! One moment Chen Xiuxius face was filled with the happy smile of satiety, the next herplexion changed dramatically, Ive gone over my calorie limit for today! Jiang Feng didnt understand how a bowl of in porridge without even a drop of sesame oil could cause her to exceed her calorie intake. Damn it! Chen Xiuxiu clenched her little fist in frustration and mmed the table. Its just a bowl of porridge, no worries, Jiang Feng consoled her. Chen Xiuxiu shook her head. You dont understand, dieting is like this. If you indulge once, therell be a second time, and before you know it, all your previous efforts would have gone to waste. Women are indeed terrifying. Jiang Feng couldnt help but sigh to himself. You could run, Jiang Feng suddenly had a brainwave and suggested, My roommate lost weight by running, its very effective. Youre so light now, it wont be hard for you. I can easily run ten kilometers myself. Really? Chen Xiuxiu looked skeptical, as she had known Jiang Feng could spin a tall tale since they were kids. Of course, Jiang Feng said earnestly. It just so happened that while his roommate did lose weight by running, it was actually him, his running partner, who ended up losing it. Lets meet downstairs at seven tomorrow morning, Jiang Feng decided resolutely. Chen Xiuxiu hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. Speaking of running to lose weight, one cannot fail to mention Jiang Fengs roommate, Wang Hao. Under the nurturing of love, he grew fatter and fatter until he eventually lost his girlfriend. That rtionship left him with nothing but body fat. Aftering to terms with his pain, Wang Hao decided to run to lose weight and, fearing he wouldnt stick to it, dragged Jiang Feng along every day forpany and supervision. He ran alright, but he didnt eat any less. His stomach, pampered by his ex-girlfriends doting, became a bottomless pit after exercising, sessfully turning Wang Hao from a soft-bodied fatty into a robust fatty. His roommates tragic dieting experience served as a warning to Jiang Feng that exercise can greatly increase appetite. Now looking pale and ill, Chen Xiuxiu had resolutely starved her elephant-sized stomach into that of a little birds in just one year, torturing herself to near death. Jiang Feng had to marvel that Mr. Chen was quiteid back about it. If he tried to do the same, Mr. Jiang Jiankang would stuff him like a foie gras duck every single day. Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian had already gone to bed. Jiang Feng quietly finished his washing up and returned to his room to check his attribute panel. (Repeat omitted) 2. [Neighbors Wish] Mr. Chen Duxius daughter, Chen Xiuxiu, has recently be obsessed with dieting. Please help Chen Xiuxiu return to a normal diet to fulfill the neighbors wish. Mission prompt: Chen Xiuxiu is showing signs of anorexia due to excessive dieting and induced vomiting. Please hurry, as time is of the essence. (Chen Xiuxiu has a preference for sour-smacked cucumbers) A new sentence was added to the mission prompt, exining why Chen Xiuxiu received so many experience points for eating the smacked cucumbers that evening. Does it mean the yer must explore on their own? Only by making a discovery will the game provide an exnation. If nothing is found, the game will not point it out. All these years, Jiang Feng only knew that Chen Xiuxiu liked to start her meals with smacked cucumbers and was particrly fond of the ones he prepared. It turns out it wasnt because he had practiced to perfection and made the cucumbers especially delicious. It was just that he always overdid the vinegar. Learning the truth, Jiang Feng almost shed tears. Clicking yes in the level column, he saw that the level and remaining experience points had changed to: Level: 1 (109/200) Remaining experience points: 0 The attribute panel showed no change. Were experience points and levels useless? Jiang Feng felt that couldnt be the case; it was probably just that his level was too low to meet the qualification threshold. Since he had made ns to go for a run with Chen Xiuxiu the next morning, Jiang Feng didnt continue to study the attribute panel and instead set his rm for 6:30 before going straight to bed. The next day, as soon as Jiang Feng, still bleary-eyed, changed into his sportswear and pushed open the door There stood Chen Xiuxiu, dressed in rtively loose-fitting clothes and a pair of running shoes. For the run, she had even tied her hair back into a ponytail. Seeing her made Jiang Feng pause. Why didnt you knock on the door to hurry me up if you were out so early? Chen Xiuxiu nced at her watch, If you hadnte out by seven, I would have knocked. How should we run? Chen Xiuxiu seemed somewhat eager to start. Running in this area would give her a sense of exultation. It was akin to a mystic sense of achievement as if to say, The 120-pound me is back, no longer the 170-pound person I used to be. This feeling wasnt something she could trade for even with three days of fasting to lose two pounds. Lets run to No. 1 Middle School. No. 1 Middle School was the alma mater of both Jiang Feng and Chen Xiuxiu, and the food vendors around the school might not know who the principal was, but they definitely knew Chen Xiuxiu. After all, she was once a notorious foodie in the area. Itll be just right to have breakfast at the back gate, suggested Jiang Feng, as if it was a mere afterthought. Breakfast? Chen Xiuxiu frowned. She had intended todays run to burn offst nights bowl of porridge, so having another meal for breakfast seemed like a loss. The dictionary of someone on a diet did not include the word breakfast. With such intense exercise, youd better eat breakfast or risk passing out, Jiang Feng advised. The distance to No. 1 Middle School was roughly three kilometers, which was a substantial distance for a beginner runner like Chen Xiuxiu even at a jog. Ill just have a cup of soy milk, Chen Xiuxiupromised. Jogging may sound easy, but for running beginners, its far from friendly. It was like Wang Hao, who on his first day of running set an ambitious goal of 10 kilometers, only to end up sneaking off to the cafeteria after just fourps to reward himself with sweet and sour pork. The short distance of three kilometers took them a full hour to run. Chen Xiuxiu was drenched in sweat, sitting in the Shaxian Snacks behind the back gate of No. 1 Middle School, cooling off in front of the electric fan. After slimming down to 120 pounds, she hadnt sweated this much in a long time. Want to eat something? Jiang Fengs voice seemed like the devils whisper to Chen Xiuxiu. Of course, she wanted to eat. She craved the freshly ground soy milk with two spoonfuls of sugar sold by Madam Zhang at the gate of No. 1, the tea eggs stewed until the juice had soaked through in the alley, the zhajiangmian with only cucumbers and green onions, and the steamed dumplings from this Shaxian Snacks franchise. Just a bowl of soy milk will do, without sugar. Chen Xiuxiu almost suspected Jiang Feng had done it on purpose, picking this ce as their runs destination. Miss, dont you want to try our steamed dumplings? Theyre really delicious. There used to be a youngdy from No. 1 who ate several baskets every day! The proprietress, as always, rmended her steamed dumplings to new customers. Jiang Feng, why dont you persuade your girlfriend? Youngdies cant handle exercising and not eating, she said. Madam, this is Chen Xiuxiu, Jiang Feng said with a smile, ordering two baskets of steamed dumplings and a bowl of mung bean soup. Xiuxiu?! The proprietresss voice rivaled that of Mrs. Wang Xiulian. Xiuxius be so pretty! Truly, a young girl changes eighteen times between childhood and womanhood. I couldnt even recognize you. How could youe here and not have steamed dumplings? Come on, have a basket. Dont go starving yourself. If one basket isnt enough, Ive got six more, and if thats still not enough, I can make some fresh for you right now! Under the proprietresss enthusiastic persuasion, Chen Xiuxiu was steadily pushed back, her order of a mere bowl of soy milk turning into a basket of steamed dumplings and a bowl of soy milk. Plucking up a steamed dumpling, Chen Xiuxiu red at Jiang Feng fiercely, You did this on purpose, luring me here to eat. What, their dumplings arent tasty? Jiang Feng feigned innocence, When I was young and didnt know better, I always thought these were the most delicious dumplings in the world. Jiang Feng swallowed a dumpling in one bite, chewed a few times, and then swallowed. Then I went to college, went out and about, and realized that their dumplings really are the best in the world. Chen Xiuxiu couldnt argue back. After exercising, her blood circted vigorously, insulin was secreted, and her empty stomach began to move furiously, lodging protests to her body. Having starved herself for a year, she thought shed be ustomed to hunger. Seeing Chen Xiuxiu abandon the slow and methodical way shed eaten cucumbers the night before and instead hurriedly devour the steamed dumplings, Jiang Feng pressed his advantage, Shall we continue tomorrow? Mmm. Chen Xiuxiu took a big bite of her dumpling. Chapter 5 - 5 5 Nourishing Stomach Porridge 5 Chapter 5 Nourishing Stomach Porridge Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Eating breakfast, Chen Xiuxiu couldnt wait to run home to burn off the calories from that sinful cage of steamed dumplings shed just eaten. You cant do intense exercise after a meal, Jiang Feng refused without a second thought. What should I do then? Chen Xiuxiu, looking at the empty cage on the table, shed a hint of annoyance across her face. She initially nned to eat only two but unconsciously ended up devouring the whole cage. She even regretted listening to Jiang Fengs nonsense abouting to run today. Take a slow walk, how about going to my familys shopter? Jiang Feng suggested. Not going! Her little n had fallen through, but this was within Jiang Fengs expectations. It was easy to trick Chen Xiuxiu once, but harder to continue luring her out for meals. Having walked not too long, Chen Xiuxiu started to feel stomach pain. Because of excessive dieting, stomach aches were amon issue for Chen Xiuxiu, but this time it was severe. Soon, she turned pale and broke into a cold sweat due to the pain. Jiang Feng, my stomach hurts. Can you help me buy some stomach medicine? Ill wait for you here, Chen Xiuxiu couldnt endure the pain any longer, found a tree to support herself, squatted down, and held her stomach. Go to the hospital, Jiang Feng decisively helped Chen Xiuxiu and insisted. There was a private hospital nearby which the local students frequented for minor ailments like headaches or fevers. Jiang Feng knew the doctor on duty that day. Back in high school, Chen Xiuxiu had a stomach of steel, dragging Jiang Feng out to eat and drink recklessly without any issues, while Jiang Feng was the one who often got a stomach ache and became a super VIP customer at Dr. Chens clinic. Dr. Chen clearly remembered Jiang Feng too. Seeing him, she lifted her eyelid: Youve been out eating and drinking recklessly with your little childhood sweetheart again? Doctor, its me. My stomach hurts, Chen Xiuxiu said, holding her stomach. After a checkup, Dr. Chen turned to Jiang Feng and scolded him: What kind of boyfriend are you? Your girlfriend has such a serious stomach condition and you still let her eat like this. Shes eaten too much. Jiang Feng: ??? There was no time to exin that Chen Xiuxiu wasnt his girlfriend, Jiang Feng hurriedly defended himself: She only ate a cage of steamed dumplings and a ss of soy milk. A cage of steamed dumplings? Dr. Chen didnt believe Jiang Fengs words, How big was the cage? Just a normal size cage, Jiang Feng felt it was a case of karma. In high school, it was him who got stomach aches and Chen Xiuxiu who apanied him to the hospital and was scolded by Dr. Chen, and now it was his turn to be scolded. Besides, Dr. Chen, dont you recognize her? Shes Chen Xiuxiu! Jiang Feng felt deeply wronged. How could he have guessed that a cage of steamed dumplings would cause Chen Xiuxiu such stomach pain? Xiuxiu?! Dr. Chen was shocked, then frowned, Have you been dieting to lose weight? Chen Xiuxiu reluctantly nodded her head. Nonsense! Dr. Chens eyebrows knitted together, and Jiang Feng sensed trouble brewing. Sure enough, the next second, Dr. Chenunched into a health education lecture on healthy dieting. During the summer vacation, Dr. Chen didnt have many patients, so when an old client came by, she seized the opportunity to give them a thorough health and mindset education. Drink more porridge at home and return to a normal diet. Its foolish to develop a stomach condition just because of dieting at such a young age. Youll regret it in the future. Half an hourter, Dr. Chen said the only useful phrase, Now, go get the medicine. Take the medicine and eat your meals on schedule. Chen Xiuxiu looked utterly miserable. Jiang Feng guessed she might be reminded of the fear dominated by Dr. Chens nagging in high school. With her stomach condition acting up, exercise was out of the question. Jiang Feng and Chen Xiuxiu took the bus home, and after taking Chen Xiuxiu upstairs, Jiang Feng went to pick up some groceries at the shop. He exined the situation to Wang Xiulian and Mr. Jiang Jiankang and then took a carefully selected bag of vegetables to Chen Xiuxius ce. When Chen Xiuxiu opened the door, she had already changed into new clothes, and a purple yoga mat was spread out in the living room, seemingly prepared to do yoga. Is your stomach not hurting anymore? Jiang Feng ced the groceries in the kitchen and saw the same bowl of cold porridge on the table. He asked, What are you nning to eat for lunch? Medicine. It seemed she was nning to skip eating. Jiang Feng didnt say much and simply started to prepare porridge. Im not eating lunch, Chen Xiuxiu tried to stop him. I just messaged Dr. Chen on WeChat. She only works in the morning, and if you dont eat anything, I will call Dr. Chen right away, Jiang Feng bluntly threatened her with the ultimate weapon, knowing that Dr. Chen lived in their same residentialplex. Perhaps the memories of Dr. Chens high school lectures were too profound and still held sway, she immediately kept silent. Ill only have a small bowl, Chen Xiuxiu emphasized, and curiously asked as she saw Jiang Feng take out japonica rice, glutinous rice, red dates, ck beans, millet, and two small bags of meat from the bag, What porridge are you cooking? Stomach-nourishing porridge. Jiang Fengs stomach had been weak since he was young, and Mr. Jiang Jiankang would cook him this stomach-nourishing porridge every so often. Additionally, the porridge that Mr. Jiang Jiankang cooked carried the Jiang Familys signature style: ham, chicken, shrimp, and beef were all indispensable ingredients. Jiang Feng remembered that as a child, he didnt like to drink the stomach-nourishing porridge, and he would take it to Chen Xiuxiu as soon as Mr. Jiang Jiankang left. I dont eat meat! Knowing full well the richness of the Jiang Familys stomach-nourishing porridge ingredients, Chen Xiuxiu immediately emphasized. Mm. Jiang Feng chose topromise, as for what the stomach-nourishing porridge would turn into without ham, chicken, shrimp, or beef under his less-than-ster cooking skills Anyway, it wasnt him whod be eating it. The porridge was cooking in the pressure cooker, with still a long time until it was done. Jiang Feng nced at the remaining ingredients, pouring the corn kernels, chicken, and ham into the pan to prepare a dish of mixed corn kernels. As for the rest, they could be taken back to the shopter that afternoon. Inside the bag, there was also a plump, yellow-green cucumber with an unbroken skin, which he had meticulously picked out from seven or eight cucumbers and washed himself. As for why he specifically chose a cucumber Perhaps smashing cucumbers was really addictive! Smack smack smack! Chen Xiuxiu, who had initially only wanted to drink a bowl of porridge, was drawn by the sound of smashing cucumbers. She couldnt help herself and picked up a piece with chopsticks to try it at the sight of the smashed cucumbers on the kitchen counter. Ding, youve gained 2 experience points. Its too sour, Chen Xiuxiu said with a look of disgust. Jiang Feng: [A te of cucumbers smothered in way too much vinegar] [A te of mixed corn kernels with incorrect fire control] The Garbage Identification Skill would never be able to tell how much excess vinegar was used! Chen Xiuxiu was uninterested in the te of mixed corn kernels next to the smashed cucumbers: Since when did you like eating corn kernels? Just threw something together, Jiang Feng exined, how could he tell Chen Xiuxiu that he himself didnt dare touch the porridge in the pressure cooker. After waiting another half an hour, Jiang Feng figured the porridge was probably ready, turned off the heat, opened the pressure cooker, and served up a bowl of porridge. [A bowl of weird-tasting stomach-nourishing porridge] Quietly cing the porridge on the table, Jiang Feng began to eat the corn kernels. Youre not drinking? Chen Xiuxiu asked. I wouldnt drink it if you killed me! I dont like drinking porridge. Ding, youve gained 1 experience point. Chen Xiuxiu silently put down the spoon and after quite some time, asked, Did you add salt? Jiang Feng: Eating too much salt is bad for the stomach. Chen Xiuxiu: ??? Out of consideration for her friends hard work in cooking, Chen Xiuxiu managed to swallow down a small bowl of the weird-tasting nourishing porridge. Looking at the pressure cooker on the stove, she asked, Are you really not going to have any? I dont like drinking porridge, Jiang Feng said steadfastly. Then what are we going to do with this pot of porridge? Chen Xiuxiu pointed out this very serious problem. Jiang Feng thought for a moment and came up with a brilliant idea, Ill take it to the store in the afternoon as a freebie. Having said this, he went into the kitchen to cover the pressure cooker. Ding, youve gained 9 experience points. Turning around, Jiang Feng saw only the te of mixed corn kernels on the table, and Chen Xiuxiu was looking down at the empty bowl. Is she sneaking bites? Chapter 6 - 6 6 Strategy 6 Chapter 6 Strategy Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Feng closed the lid of the pressure cooker while wondering why Chen Xiuxiu snuck some corn kernels while he went into the kitchen. If it was because she was too embarrassed In front of him over the years, Chen Xiuxiu had done countless embarrassing thingsthere had to be at least eight hundred if not a thousand of them, so it was unlikely she took such a risk for mere corn kernels. Ding, earned 9 experience points. She snuck another bite! After securing the lid on the pressure cooker, Jiang Feng came out and nced at the corn kernels on the table. There wasnt much change, she must have only snuck one or two kernels. Ill take the dish away, Jiang Feng ventured. Go ahead, Chen Xiuxiu said, unflustered. Dont you want to taste it? Jiang Feng decided to deepen the trap. No! Chen Xiuxiu was resolute. Thats strange. Ill get a bowlter to take the porridge from the kitchen, and Ille back in the evening to cook you a new batch, said Jiang Feng as he picked up the te of assorted corn kernels. Jiang Feng deliberately slowed his steps, pausing at the door, and stealthily nced back. Chen Xiuxiu was looking down at her phone. Hey, dont say, but she actually looks pretty beautiful with her bangs covering her face as she looks down. Walking leisurely, Jiang Feng returned home with the te. No one was at home, so after putting the dish in the fridge, he went straight to his room. Opening the attributes panel, Jiang Feng wanted to see if todays feeding had aggravated Chen Xiuxius stomach ailment, and whether the task had made any progress. (Repeated parts omitted) Task Hint: Reputation is key to developing a new store, fame gains restricted to UAL University. 2. [Neighbors Wish] Chen Duxius daughter, Chen Xiuxiu, has recently be obsessed with dieting to lose weight. Please, yer,plete the neighbors wish and help Chen Xiuxiu return to a normal diet. Task Hint: Chen Xiuxiu has shown signs of anorexia due to excessive diet vomiting. Please, yer, act quickly. (Chen Xiuxiu likes sour-smacked cucumbers, Chen Xiuxiu cannot resist food ced in front of her.) Jiang Feng pped his thigh, just say it earlier! It turns out the reason Chen Xiuxiu only had raw rice at home and no other food was not to diet, but because that was the only way she could lose weight. Just as I thought, nature is hard to change; how could Chen Xiuxiu, who used to conquer all in eating within ten miles, be an ascetic fairy that refrains from food and water in just one year? But, her stomach is going to be a big problem. After all, we grew up together as good friends; I cant just tempt her with big meals every day just toplete the task. Porridge is more suitable for her. Porridge can be categorized into six or seven types ording to ingredients, but if categorized by taste, there are only clear, sweet, and salty porridges. Each ce has its own specialty, and you can eat different porridge every day for two months without repetition. But Jiang Feng only knows how to make in porridge and stomach-consoling porridge. The Jiang familys cooks menu does not include porridge. Jiang Weiguos proudest achievement in life wasnt having four sons, but managing to ensure his family had solid meals when most people drank gruel. Even after reforms and opening up, when the era of inadequate meals passed, porridge never appeared in Comrade Jiang Weiguos recipe book. If not for Jiang Fengs stomach being weak, Comrade Jiang Jiankang would not have gone out of his way to learn how to make stomach-consoling porridge from an old porridge shops master. Jiang Feng regretted that Comrade Jiang Jiankang back then didnt learn a few more types of porridge from the master. If he had done so, he could now tempt Chen Xiuxiu back to a normal diet with his exquisite porridge-cooking skills, but now He just hoped she might have a unique taste and only love in porridge. He also didnt know whether the games requirement for returning to a normal diet meant drinking a small bowl of porridge that could be finished in a few bites, or if it meant therge bowl of porridge that Chen Duxiu bought specially for Xiuxiu to eat her meals from when she was in her senior year of high school. No, more like arge basin. In the afternoon, Jiang Feng took the porridge to the store. Mrs. Wang Xiulian had not yet tasted the porridge cooked by her son and excitedly tried it, then silently put down her spoon. The expression on her face, meaningful as if each piece of fat revealed a resigned sadness. Xiuxiu really endured hardships, Mrs. Wang Xiulian sighed, not sugarcoating just because her own son had cooked the porridge. Jiang Jiankang followed behind and tasted it, nodding in agreement, Xiuxiu has been good-tempered since she was a child, but if I were young and tasted such porridge, I might flip the table and p it on the chefs face. Jiang Feng: Dont you think your son deserves a little encouragement? This porridge cant be given away as a freebie, our shop still has to stay open for another month; what if it scares away the customers! Mrs. Wang Xiulian hammered down a decision, Tonight, lets see if that boy in the blue shirtes to dine, and well give it all to him. Daring to tell me to my face that Im fat as a pig, Ill show him! As she spoke, Mrs. Wang Xiulian gave Jiang Feng a supportive pat on the shoulder with her robust right hand: Well done, son! Jiang Jiankang supported every decision his wife made: Exactly, he should watch his words, even pigs gotta be sold when they reach two hundred pounds. Jiang Feng wasnt sure if the pain was greater on his shoulder or in his heart, but seeing Mrs. Wang Xiulians increasingly dark expression and Mr. Jiang Jiankang chuckling to himself, clueless of the brewing storm, Jiang Feng felt a bit better. Perhaps this bowl of porridge would end up as Comrade Jiang Jiankangs dinner. After cleaning up the shop, wiping down the tables Mrs. Wang Xiulian had left uncleaned, helping wash the dishes, and sorting out some vegetables, Jiang Feng, with the materials for making porridge that evening, returned home. He was going to cook preserved egg and lean meat porridge! But before that, he needed to check Baidu for the method of cooking preserved egg and lean meat porridge. After watching a variety of videos rted to preserved egg and lean meat porridge, Jiang Feng, with his rich cooking experience, felt it shouldnt be a problem and was determined to redeem himself that evening, letting Chen Xiuxiu taste his true porridge-cooking skills. Ding, achieved: Diligent Learning. Achievement! Jiang Feng quickly opened the attributes panel. Achievement: Diligent Learning (no attribute bonuses) Jiang Feng: So stingy! Throw me a Special Level Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge Technique, or even a cooking effect that glows would suffice, but to call it an achievement with no attribute bonuses? Pah! Chapter 7 - 7 7: Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee 7 Chapter 7: Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Compared to Chen Xiuxius modest kitchen, the Jiang familys was much better equipped with kitchen tools and seasonings. Not wanting to poison his friend, Jiang Feng decided to first cook the porridge at home, to see how it turned out before considering whether to bring it over. He chopped up the preserved egg, marinated the lean meat, and after a flurry of activity, Jiang Feng stepped out of the kitchen to wait quietly for the porridge to cook. Taking out his phone, Jiang Feng realized that Wang Hao had sent him a string of messages. Mouse: Feng, which button do I press to cook rice in the rice cooker??!! Mouse: Feng, how much water and how much rice do I need to cook rice??!! Mouse: Feng, what setting should I adjust the voltage stabilizer to??!! Mouse: Feng, save me!!! Jiang Feng: Since when are you still a kid in our Jiang family? Anyone over 150 pounds doesnt count as a child. After remotely guiding Wang Hao on how to use the rice cooker, Jiang Feng browsed through his Moments and then received a reply from Wang Hao. Mouse: Feng, its toote Mouse: Feng, Im begging you toe back! I miss your y pot pork rib rice! Jiang Feng: guna In order to repay his roommates longing, Jiang Feng lifted the pot lid, took a picture of the steaming pot of porridge that wasnt quite done yet, and clicked send. Setting down his phone, he began to stir the porridge in the pot. After stirring for about fifteen minutes, Jiang Feng nced at the clock in the living room. It was 4:40 PM, not yet dinner time. He turned off the heat, covered the pot, and left it to keep warm. Turning on his phone, he inevitably received a series of wails from Wang Hao. Considering the main task at hand, Jiang Feng decided to call Wang Hao to ask about his situation and, at the same time, to ask for his help in promoting the new restaurant that was about to open. Wang Hao may have been unlucky in love and unable to shake off his extra weight, but he was sessful in his business endeavors. He had opened a small shop in the dormitory and was doing great; almost half the dormitory leaders in the male dorms had added him on WeChat. Hello. The call was quickly answered, carrying Wang Haos mournful wail. Feng, youre so uncool, cooking up a storm at home and not caring whether your brother lives or dies, Wang Hao immediately used Jiang Feng. You do know you can eat at the canteen, right? During the summer vacation, the cafeteria just cycles through the same few dishes. Theyre even worse than pig slop, and they dont even turn on the air conditioning. Almost all the restaurants on the food street by the back gate are closed; its like they dont want to give us summer students any means to live, Wang Haoined. This years summer temperature in n City hadnt dropped below 37 degrees Celsius, so it would have been a surprise if any of the shopkeepers stayed open just for a handful of students. So you decided to cook in rice in your dorm? Jiang Feng didnt understand Wang Haos thought process. You dont get it, in rice with spicy sticks is the ultimate summer cooler, Wang Hao sighed. Did you call just to brag about eating and drinking well at home? Lets talk business. Do you know about the new restaurant being renovated on the food street behind the school? Yeah, youre pretty up to date! Its such a big ce with two floors, and they havent even put up their sign yet. Every day I pass by, I see a bunch of brawny guys overseeing the work. That restaurant owner must be loaded! Wang Hao eximed. What do you think theyll sell? An entire security firm cant be setting up right behind our school! Thats my familys new restaurant There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while. Jiang Feng quietly moved the phone away from his ear, and sure enough, Wang Haos shout came through loud and clear. Damn, Feng, you really are my bro, a rich second generation hiding in in sight! Get lost! Im a poor second generation right now. My dad borrowed a big sum of money to open that store, and were now heavily in debt, Jiang Feng said with augh. You have to promote it well on WeChat for me, or else you might see me begging at the bridge. No problem, but Feng, hows Uncles cooking? I have never advertised anything on my Moments, and I dont want to have clients blocking me after my first ad, Wang Hao said cautiously. Stop it, what customers at your little shop? What do you think of my cooking skills? Jiang Feng replied. You wont find a second one like you in the whole male dormitory! Wang Hao praised earnestly. In my dads eyes, most of the dishes I make are pig slop. Wang Hao was immediately fired up. Whenever Jiang Feng cooked pork rib y pot rice in the dormitory, the aroma wafted far and wide, stirring up the whole building. If that was considered pig slop, he was willing to eat it for a lifetime! No problem, Ill rent out my Moments for you to advertise for a whole year! Lets forget about the advertisement fees, how about you cover three meals a day? Wang Hao proposed slyly. I wouldnt forget something for you to eat, Jiang Feng felt he needed to give Wang Hao a heads-up, but you should pay attention to exercising, or youll hit 200 pounds with your horizontal growth. As if Id easily reach 200 pounds. How could it not be easy? Look at our Jiang Family, aside from me, who hasnt effortlessly reached 200 pounds? After chatting with Wang Hao for a few more sentences, Jiang Feng hung up the phone. ncing at his cell phone, it showed 5:15 PM, just the right time, not too early for dinner. Carrying a bowl of warm preserved egg and lean pork congee, Jiang Feng knocked on the door next door. [A bowl of preserved egg and lean pork congee with incorrect ingredient proportions] The proportions might have been off, but Jiang Feng tasted it; it was still alright. It was Chen Duxiu who opened the door; unexpectedly, he was actually at home. Mr. Chen, Ive brought some congee for Xiuxiu, Jiang Feng said. Chen Duxiu seemed surprised: Bringing congee? She had a stomach ailment this morning, Dr. Chen told her to drink congee for a few days, Jiang Feng exined. This child, how did she end up with a stomach ailment? Chen Duxiu muttered as he walked in, Really, its such a bother for you, Feng. Its nothing. Chen Xiuxiu was sitting on the sofa watching TV, with a cup of in water on the coffee table in front of her. Seeing Jiang Fenge in, still holding a bowl of congee, she got up to pour water for him. Preserved egg and lean pork congee? Chen Xiuxiu sniffed the aroma. Jiang Feng nodded. I dont eat meat. Chen Duxiu became anxious and scolded, What are you talking about, child? Feng is kindly making congee for you, and youre here being picky. Its fine, Ive taken out the meat and preserved eggs, Jiang Feng said amodatingly. Mr. Chen, why dont youe to my ce for some congee? Ill stir-fry a few dishes for you. How could I impose? Chen Duxiu was obviously tempted. Its alright, this way you can try my cooking, Jiang Feng said with a smile. The culinary skills of the Jiang Family are certainly unquestionable. Back when your grandfather was the head chef at the state-owned restaurant, the aroma of the dishes would drift over, tantalizing all of us kids. We would pester your father and your uncles just to scrounge a bite to eat. When I was a kid, all those New Year pictures and y figurines went to your dad and your uncle. But your grandfather, his cooking was truly delicious; your dad couldnt match his skills. Chen Duxiu followed Jiang Feng to his house, reminiscing about the past. Comrade Jiang Weiguos culinary talents were indeed superb; every Chinese New Year, when the entire family gathered and Sir cooked, the Jiang Family members were always as happy as if it really was the New Year even though it indeed was. But undoubtedly, Sirs culinary skills were still the pinnacle among the chefs of the Jiang Family. Just as Jiang Feng served two bowls of congee and ced them on the table, he heard the system notification. Ding, received 9 experience points. Ding, received 12 experience points. Ding, received 12 experience points. It seemed that Chen Xiuxiu was very satisfied with this congee. Mr. Chen, you have some congee first, Ill go fry a couple of dishes, Jiang Feng walked into the kitchen in high spirits. Ding, received 2 experience points. Jiang Feng turned around, and there was Chen Duxiu, holding the congee. Tsk. Stingy. Chapter 8 - 8 8 New Skills 8 Chapter 8 New Skills Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Although Chen Duxiu was stingy with the experience points, Jiang Feng still cooked him two dishes. Those who had seen Sirs cooking skills naturally didnt think Jiang Fengs dishes were very good. Throughout the cooking process, the delightful Ding, gained 10 experience points. from the system notifications was asionally apanied by a Ding, gained 1 experience point. Those familiar with Sirs cooking were only lukewarm towards his dishes, and Chen Xiuxiu, who had only ever eaten Mr. Jiang Jiankangs cooking, only reluctantly epted his culinary skills. The beasts in the dorm were as excited every time he made rib rice with that crappy little electric cooker as if theyd found girlfriends. Withoutparison, there is no harm. Jiang Feng felt that it was better to cook for people who didnt know anything about it in the future. You get more experience points that way. Over the next few days, Jiang Feng cooked all themon types of porridge he could find online. Sometimes he cooked too much and gave it all to Mr. Jiang Jiankang as dinner, which Mr. Jiang Jiankang ate with evident relish. However, the results were significant. After eating three normal meals a day for several days, Chen Xiuxiusplexion was no longer as waxy and pale and had partly regained its color. After finishing rtively simple porridges, Jiang Feng started to tackle the more challenging shrimp porridge. For this porridge, he didnt need to look for a tutorial online, as Mr. Jiang Jiankang knew how to make it. Following Mr. Jiang Jiankangs half-hearted remote guidance, the porridge in the pot was beginning to take shape. Ding, achievement gained: Not Ashamed to Ask. Another achievement? He opened the attribute panel and saw the achievements section. Achievements: Diligent Learning (no attribute bonuses) Not Ashamed to Ask (no attribute bonuses) Jiang Feng: Thanks to Chen Xiuxiu, Jiang Feng had leveled up to level 3 in the past few days, yet he hadnt unlocked anything new, and the attribute panel had not changed. Jiang Feng even began to suspect that when hepleted the side quest, the reward would change from unknown to none. Given how stingy the game was, it was capable of such shameless actions. After the shrimp porridge was done, Jiang Feng tasted it first. The vor was okay, but just okay. [A pot of shrimp porridge with incorrect ingredient proportions] Apart from the obviously problematic tasting ones, all the other porridges read as having incorrect ingredient proportions. Whats the correct proportion? As a Jiang Family member with dreams and aspirations, Jiang Feng was baffled. Ding, Skill acquired: Cooking Porridge (Beginner). A skill? Jiang Feng was surprised, he had just been thinking about how to find the right ingredient proportions, and the game had generously given him a skill. Skills: Appraisal (Beginner): You can only gain some basic information Cooking Porridge (Beginner): You can only grasp some correct ingredient proportions The game was indeed interesting, giving whatever you thought of, truly living up to the adage of exploring on ones own. Looking back at the pot of porridge, Jiang Feng subconsciously felt something was not quite right. The shrimp seemed to be too much, a few grams short of salt, and before cooking, he should have added half a fingers worth of water. Is just a beginner skill this useful? If the skill he had gained was not Cooking Porridge (Beginner) but (Advanced) Wouldnt that mean hed be making glowing porridge! Jiang Feng even wanted to pour out this pot of porridge and cook a new one, but considering there wasnt enough time, he had to give up. He had finally gotten Chen Xiuxiu used to drinking porridge every day at 5:30 pm. He couldnt let all the effort go to waste. He had to subject Mr. Jiang Jiankang to another meal of swill, but tomorrow hed let him taste porridge cooked at a whole new level with Cooking Porridge (Beginner). The next day, Jiang Feng decided to start with making the preserved egg and lean meat porridge he had made in the beginning. Chop up the preserved eggs, marinate the lean meat The same steps, but apletely different feeling in the preparation. It seemed as if an invisible pair of hands was helping him measure out each ingredient, and even lighting the fire was more adept than before. Jiang Feng stayed in the kitchen, not daring to ck off for even a moment. There were still a dozen minutes before the dish was ready when someone knocked on the door. Upon opening it, it was Chen Xiuxiu. Jiang Feng, I Oh, are you cooking preserved egg and pork congee today? Chen Xiuxius words reached her lips but were then swallowed back. She had just weighed herself and hadnt lost a single pound in the past few days. She initially wanted to tell Jiang Feng not to bother bringing over congee anymore, but the scent of the preserved egg and pork congee at the door caused her to change her mind on the spot. The congee today seemed a bit different. Just the smell alone made it seem exceptionally delicious. Did Mr. Jiang cook the congee? Chen Xiuxiu couldnt believe Jiang Feng could be this skilled; after all, she knew his culinary abilitiesorck thereoffrom growing up with him. I cooked it, Jiang Feng said proudly. Itll be ready in another ten minutes, how about two bowls? One bowl, Chen Xiuxiu held her ground. What did youe to see me for? asked Jiang Feng. I I I came because of the smell. I thought Mr. Chen was cooking porridge, Chen Xiuxiu did not mention her intention to stop drinking the congee. Jiang Feng: ? Came because of the smell? That was quite like Chen Xiuxius style from the old days. Soon, the congee was ready. A bowl of steaming hot preserved egg and pork congee was served up, its aroma alone being incredibly tempting. [A bowl of preserved egg and pork congee with improper fire control] Jiang Feng: It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling a somewhat smug Jiang Feng to the core, from the epidermis to the dermis to the subcutaneous tissue. This game sure had high expectations. Chen Xiuxiu scooped up a spoonful of congee, blew on it carefully a few times, and then tasted it. Ding, you have earned 37 experience points. Comrade Chen Xiuxiu is such a goodrade! Jiang Feng couldnt help but sigh. The generosity of the experience points aside, she ate at a deliberate pace, making a small bowl of congeest for over twenty sips. In contrast, Mr. Jiang Jiankang granted experience points one by one, and when it came to eating congee, he had the demeanor of someone conquering mountains and rivers, powering through half a pot in just a few gulps. Giving experience points based on the number of mouthfuls, Mr. Jiang Jiankangs approach was nothing short of extravagant waste! With a bowl of congee in her stomach, Chen Xiuxiu felt a warm sensation. How about How about making mushroom chicken congee tomorrow? Jiang Feng asked, recalling that it was the mushroom chicken congee that gave the highest amount of experience points in the past. Okay. Chen Xiuxiu once again swallowed the words You dont have to go through the trouble of making congee for me anymore. Just one more day of indulgence, she resolved. The day after tomorrow, she definitely wouldnt eat as much. Chen Xiuxiu made up her mind. Jiang Feng, oblivious to Chen Xiuxius dilemma, joyfully checked his attribute panel after she went home and levelled up to level 4. Level: 4 (0/500) Remaining experience points: 56 Still no noticeable change. Jiang Feng went back to the kitchen, covered the pot, set it to keep warm, and left it for Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Poor Mr. Jiang Jiankang had been eating terrible swill for days; it was about time to let him enjoy some decent swill. At least the ratio of ingredients was finally correct, wasnt it? Chapter 9 - 9 9 Hidden Tasks 9 Chapter 9 Hidden Tasks Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Jiankang returned home exhausted after a busy day, and his face turned green at the sight of the still warm pot of porridge in the kitchen. During the time his son Jiang Feng became obsessed with cooking porridge, Mr. Jiang Jiankang experienced a mix of pain and pleasure. Jiang Feng had shown no strong interest in cooking for a long time, and since he only seriously started learning culinary skills in the years before junior high, Jiang Jiankang once feared he would be left without a sessor and could only pin his hopes on his future grandson. Jiang Fengs sudden enthusiasm for cooking porridge rekindled his hopes. But why did it have to be porridge? How could a Jiang Family chef take pride in cooking porridge as their specialty dish? Jiang Jiankang had been drinking porridge several days in a row, feeling as if he had finished his lifetime quota of it. He sniffed it. Century egg and lean pork porridge. Well, at least its a meat-based porridge. Jiang Jiankang resigned himself to the situation and picked up a soup spoon to take a scoop. Times had changed; with a mountain of debt and an oblivious son, they had to save wherever possible and not waste food. Huh, todays porridge Jiang Jiankang looked at the pot of porridge with a surprised expression. The quality was almost on par with his older brother, Jiang Jianguo! Although the fire control wasnt perfect, he couldnt find any fault with the mix of ingredients. It was clear that Jiang Feng had figured it out on his own, not simply following some so-called recipes from the inte. In the Jiang Family, culinary skills were strictly categorized. Sir Jiang Weiguo was undoubtedly at the top of the food chain, followed by Mr. Jiang Jiankang, with Jiang Fengs four uncles tied for third rank. Jiang Feng barely made the fourth rank, and the rest of the cousins didnt even qualify to be in the food chain. Todays porridge meant Jiang Feng had finally advanced from deadst to second tost! Bing tied for deadst. His son was finally showing promise! Mr. Jiang Jiankang was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions. Son! Mr. Jiang Jiankang couldnt even wait to drink the porridge and, putting down his soup spoon, he rushed into Jiang Fengs room. Jiang Feng was originally sitting on the bed, checking his attribute panel, when Mr. Jiang Jiankangs sudden entrance scared him so much he nearly fell off the bed. Come on, Dad will teach you how to cook! Mr. Jiang Jiankang announced proudly, as if he couldnt wait to impart all his culinary knowledge to Jiang Feng right then and there. Jiang Feng: ??? Dad, its eleven oclock at night, get a grip! It took some persuasion, but he managed to convince Mr. Jiang Jiankang to go eat porridge first, and Jiang Feng didnt even have time to close his attribute panel. Wrestling with his father, face full of text, Jiang Feng almost ended up with crossed eyes. Mr. Jiang Jiankang, with a satisfied smile, held the pot and slurped the porridge with vigor, causing Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who had been applying a facial mask in her room, toe out and see what was happening. The facial mask was so big it could cover her entire face and was tight against the skin. Mrs. Wang Xiulian looked down slightly, head tilted back, nced at Jiang Jiankang and asked, Whats gotten into your dad thiste at night? He said he wants to teach me cooking, Jiang Feng replied. Wang Xiulian sighed and patted Jiang Fengs head so hard he almost got dazed. We suddenly owe so much money, and your dad is under a lot of stress. Stop cooking porridge, and look at what its pushing your dad tohes getting thinner every day without a decent meal. In the kitchen, Mr. Jiang Jiankang was still his burly self, with a face full of flesh, his neck and chin miraculously merging into one. Wait, there seemed to be a slight hint of a neck. Jiang Feng nodded, sympathizing with how tough it was for his father. Hes really lost a lot of weight! Mom, dont worry, I asked my buddies to promote our familys new store in their social circles. It definitely wont be a loss! Good son! Wang Xiulian was greatly relieved and continued to lie down in her room with her facial mask. Ding, achievement unlocked: Diligent Learning. Ding, exchangeable hidden quest: Transmit and Instruct. The systems prompt sounded, and Jiang Feng hurried back to his room to check. His attributes had changed to Achievements: Diligent Learning (no attribute bonuses) No Shame in Asking (no attribute bonuses) Rapid Learning, Cumtive Effort (no attribute bonuses) Exchangeable hidden quest: Transmit and Instruct [Yes/No] Title: None Item: None Evaluation: A rookie fresh from the thatching. After choosing to exchange, the achievements section was cleared, and a hidden quest was added under the side quests. Hidden Quest: (Triggerable under special circumstances) [Transmit and Instruct]: Jiang Weiguos biggest worry in life is that he had five useless children who couldnt inherit his craft, and those five useless children had four little whelps. Make a dish that earns Jiang Weiguos recognition, quest progress (0/1) Quest Hint: Jiang Weiguo has reached his silver years and urgently needs a sessor to carry on and glorify the Jiang Family Dishes. yers may consult andplete the task under his guidance. Quest Reward: Unknown One of the little whelps, Jiang Feng: He had never known that his grandfather had such lofty ambitions to glorify the Jiang Family Dishes. As for the Jiang Family Dishes, Jiang Feng often heard Sir talk about it when he went to his grandfathers ce to learn cooking during summer and winter vacations as a child. Being a chef was an ancestral upation, and tracing back seven or eight generations, all were chefs, and it was said a few had even be Imperial Chefs, though such details were no longer verifiable. During the golden decade of the Republic of China before the War of Resistance had broken out, Jiang Fengs great-grandfather, Jiang Chengde, truly glorified the Jiang Family Dishes. Prior to Jiang Chengde, the Jiang Family Dishes had always been part of the Shandong cuisine. During the Republic of China era, the owner of the restaurant where Jiang Chengde worked moved the establishment to Beiping. In Beiping City, where the four major cuisines converged, Jiang Chengde drew from the strengths of all andpletely separated the Jiang Family Dishes from the single cuisine of Shandong. He nearly reached the pinnacle that a chef without the title of Imperial Chef could achieve in an era devoid of them. Jiang Weiguo had six older brothers, each with superior culinary skills, and any one of them was a master capable of cooking for a state banquet. But before Jiang Weiguo could fully learn the Jiang Family Dishes, they all died with Jiang Chengde during the War of Resistance. The Jiang Family Dishes could be considered to have lost their lineage. Beforejunior high, Jiang Feng had always thought that the former glory of the Jiang family was just a product of Mr. Jiang Weiguos exaggerations. But then, on his first day of junior high, he ate at the cafeteria. Jiang Feng, who had only ever eaten the dishes made by Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Jiankang, was shocked. What was this swill?! It was even worse than the swill Mr. Jiang Weiguo specifically cooked for the pigs! And yet, his ssmates were happily eating it. It was at that moment Jiang Feng realized how fortunate he was to have been born into the Jiang family. In his heart, Jiang Fengs great-grandfather was practically on par with an immortal. Now, Mr. Jiang Weiguo hopes to find someone divine enough to glorify the partially lost Jiang Family Dishes. Jiang Feng thought, Mr. Jiang Weiguo deserves credit for being a dreamer with ideals and ambitions. However, Mr. Jiang Weiguo is currently engrossed in pig farming in the countryside, aspiring to provide his family with green, pollutant-free porkhardly in a position to fancy tasting the dishes made by his little whelp. Impossible, just impossible. Chapter 10 - 10 10: Truly Delicious 10 Chapter 10: Truly Delicious Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The next morning, Jiang Feng, as usual, was cooking porridge for Chen Xiuxiu in the kitchen. With the basic skills in porridge cooking, making a simple coix seed porridge became very easy for him. The only ingredient was coix seeds, and there was no need to weigh them precisely. He could just grab a handful, and his intuition would tell him how much rice to use with the coix seeds. The once stingy Jiang Feng, whoined about the game, now continually muttered its praises. So good! As the porridge in the pot started to boil and thicken, Jiang Feng began stirring. The door opened, but he didnt pay much attention, guessing it was Mrs. Wang Xiulianing back to fetch something. Cooking porridge? A familiar, old, and serious voice came from behind him. When Jiang Feng turned around, there stood Sir Jiang Weiguo right behind him. Grand Grandpa! Jiang Weiguo snatched therge spoon from Jiang Fengs hand, leaned in to inspect the pot and scolded, What is this slop youre cooking? Pig feed? Jiang Feng could only offer a dryugh in response. As Jiang Weiguo skillfully reduced the heat and steadily stirred the porridge, he scolded, You cant even control the fire properly. Look at this porridge; youve boiled it too thick! And you cant stir properly. How on earth has Jiang Jiankang been teaching you? The old patriarch of the Jiang family was furious, and Jiang Feng could only stand obediently to the side and listen. A whileter, the porridge was ready. [A bowl of decent-tasting coix seed porridge] Sir Jiang Weiguo had only spent about fifteen minutes saving this pot of porridge and turned it into a decent bowl of porridge, leaving Jiang Feng to sigh in amazement as he blew on and sipped at the bowl he was holding. The gap between cooks can truly be wider than the gap between humans and pigs. Just thinking about the pigs raised by Sir Jiang Weiguo, who got to eat the food he personally cooked every day, made Jiang Feng incredibly envious. Jiang Feng took two bowls of porridge and went next door. Two bowls? Chen Xiuxiu, who had decided this would be herst day drinking porridge, looked surprised at the two bowls in front of her. My grandpa came over, and he helped control the fire for this porridge. Its for Mr. Chen to try as well. By the way, is Mr. Chen here? Jiang Feng asked. My dad is sleeping. Chen Xiuxiu had never had the fortune to taste the dishes cooked by Jiang Weiguo, who had been living in the countryside for over a decade. Jiang Feng didnt linger, as he needed to figure out why Sir had suddenly shown up without any notice. Could something have happened in the countryside? Grandpa, why didnt you tell me you wereing? I could have gone to the station to pick you up! Jiang Feng returned to find Sir inspecting the kitchen. Im perfectly healthy; why would I need picking up. Jiang Weiguo finished inspecting the kitchen utensils and started checking the ingredients in the fridge. This pork is hormone-fed, throw it away. Jiang Feng quicklyplied with Sirs instructions and threw away the pork. I also looked at the porridge you just made. Its improved a lot from the cooking even a pig wouldnt touch. You must be in love, Sir Jiang Weiguo said. Jiang Feng: ??? When your eldest uncle was young, he was just like that. Learning to cook from me was like asking for his life, but once he started dating your aunt, he was digging into cooking every day to please her. Jiang Feng sensed that Sir was recounting the past probably to prelude what he was about to say next. Last night, I dreamt of your great-grandfather. He scolded me in the dream for breaking the lineage of Jiang Family Dishes and also berated me for having five unworthy descendants, not one of whom can carry on the legacy of Jiang Family Dishes. Jiang Weiguo sighed, Your fathers cooking will just be so-so this lifetime, better than some but not as good as others. None of your cousins have a talent for cooking, and your two cousin sisters look strong, but cant even toss a spoon properly. I thought about it all night, and among the younger generation, only you have a bit of talent, Jiang Weiguo said, looking at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng: !!! Jiang Feng knew what Sir was implying. As children of the Jiang family, they were sent to Sirs ce to learn cooking every holiday. Sir thought Jiang Feng was too skinny and weak, so he had him just hang on a punching bag for over a year. Training in the harsh heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter was nothing. Just practicing knifework alone took six years, and all the potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, tofu, etc., that he cut were fed to the pigs by Sir. Jiang Feng started working with the wok only in seventh grade. He touched the wok for just one yearnot even half-skilledbefore he started preparing for the high school entrance exams in eighth grade. Afterward, he boarded at high school, which kept him busy with studies. Four years went by without any pursuit of cooking, and he never returned to Sirs ce to learn. Jiang Fengs three elder cousins also walked this path, but none trained in cooking as long as he didthey didnt evenplete their knifework before Sir sent them back. The six years spent learning knifework, upon reflection, felt like a torrent of bitter tears. Sometimes, he would dream of cutting cucumbers. Indeed, what you fear is whates. Isnt your dad preparing to open a new store at your school? That broken Optoelectronics Information thing youre studying obviously wont get you a job, so youll just take over your dads store and carry on the glory of the Jiang Family Dishes, Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Jiankang are truly like father and son, dreaming big dreams. Starting today, youll be learning cooking from me! Huh?!, Jiang Feng envisioned himself from a few years ago, slicing pork every day, Grandpa, I still have to attend sses normally! During winter and summer vacations! After you graduate from university, you train for a dozen more years. Its said diligence canpensate for clumsiness, and I, your grandfather, am in great shape, so teaching you for another dozen years is no problem at all! Jiang Weiguo was brimming with ambition. Jiang Feng: Okay, grandpa, no problem, grandpa, everything you say is right, grandpa. How does the saying go? Elders always like to press their unfulfilled dreams onto their children. Let someone else, like my future kids, aplish such a grand ideal of reviving the Jiang Family Dishes! Kid, your dad believes in you! The arrival of Sir Jiang Weiguo truly sent shockwaves through the entire Jiang Family. Jiang Jiankang stopped worrying about his store; upon receiving Jiang Weiguos instructions, he went to the market to buy groceries. Even Uncle Jiang Jiandang and Aunt Li Mingli arrived upon hearing the news, and Jiang Fengs second cousin, Jiang Shoucheng (Uncle Jiangs child), too bought a high-speed train ticket to return. At lunchtime, four stout and chubby men gathered at the kitchen door, salivating at the aroma. Brother, youre really the lucky one! sighed Jiang Jiandang. I didnt expect Feng to have such good fortune either, sighed Jiang Jiankang, Justst night, I felt that the kid had some talent for cooking, and then our dad shows up. Dads cooking skills have improved again, recalled Jiandang, his mouth watering just from the smell, remembering the happy times when he could eat Sirs cooking every day as a child. This sweet and sour pork is much tastier thanst years New Years. Arent youing in to help? Do you two rascals want to work me to death? Jiang Weiguo, seeing his sons whose cooking couldnt match up to his, couldnt hide his frustration. When your great-grandpa was around, even cabbages were stir-fried to taste like elixir! Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang quickly got into the kitchen, one cutting vegetables, the other washing, clogging the spacious kitchen quite thoroughly. By noon, the table was brimming with eight colorful and aromatic dishes plus a soup. Surrounded by five chubby men, Jiang Feng felt out of ce with the Jiang Family. Thats right. It felt just like celebrating the New Year! Four Joyful Meatballs, Nine Turns Intestine, sweet and sour pork, sour and spicy shredded potatoes, potted meat, crispy double kick, Deluxe Tofu, stir-fried water spinach and a West Lake beef soup even a New Years banquet wasnt asvish! Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Li Mingli, having married into the Jiang family for so many years, hadnt seen such a grand feast before. Dinner time, what are you staring for? Jiang Weiguo disliked seeing their unworldly expressions. Lets eat, lets eat! everyone echoed in agreement. Oh right, Feng, go and call Xiuxiu and Mr. Chen toe eat with us, remembered Jiang Jiankang suddenly, then turned to exin to Jiang Weiguo, They are our old neighbors, you should remember Mr. Chen Duxiu, right? Jiang Weiguo nodded, That kid used toe over to our house to scrounge for meals when he was little. Jiang Feng popped next door where, as it happened, Chen Duxiu was also at home. Mr. Chen, my grandpa has made a feast, and my dad sent me to invite you over, Jiang Feng said. Uncle Jiang is here? Chen Duxiu suddenly got excited, stepping quickly towards the door, just like an olddy rushing for discounted goods at the supermarket, Xiuxiu, hurry to your Uncle Jiangs ce, or youll miss out on the food! Jiang Feng, seeing two freshly washed empty bowls on the table, looked questioningly at Chen Xiuxiu, Didnt you tell Mr. Chen that the porridge this morning was made by my grandpa? Chen Xiuxiu: She slightly turned her head away from Jiang Feng, I forgot. Just as Chen Xiuxiu entered the door and hadnt yet reached the table, she heard the old man say, Feng, your girlfriend is a bit thin! Look at your aunt Li Mingli, thats the kind of blessed woman one should marry! Li Mingli lifted her head proudly. In terms of body mass, Mrs. Wang Xiulian was still slightly behind Li Mingli. Yes, yes, Uncle Jiang is right, Mr. Chen heartily agreed while he devoured the potted meat, Xiuxiu, girls should be a bit chubby to look good. Come on, eat some meat. Two more ce settings had been added to the table. Chen Xiuxiu looked over the table filled with meat dishes and felt her saliva rapidly secreting. So Delicious! Chapter 11 - 11 11 Task Rewards 11 Chapter 11 Task Rewards Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio After a satisfying meal with plenty of drinks, everyone was contentedly rubbing their bellies and half-reclining in their chairs, including Chen Xiuxiu. The eight dishes and one soup on the table were wiped clean, not even a drop of sauce left behind, the tes so clean they looked licked. Had it not been for fear of upsetting Sir, Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang wouldnt have minded licking the tes themselves. As the years passed and Jiang Weiguo grew older, his body was still robust, but his stamina was not what it once was. A bountiful meal like this was rare, even for the New Year. Jiang Jiandang, looking at the empty tes on the table and then thinking about his son, who didnt have a shred of culinary talent and only knew how to eat, suddenly felt frustrated at his ipetence. Jiang Shoucheng, who had sneezed on the high-speed train returning from Metro Medical School, rubbed his nose, wondering why the air conditioning on the train was so excessively strong. From now on, Jiandang, youll go to the morning market every day to buy fresh, natural ingredients, and stay away from those pesticide-sprayed, hormone-filled products, Jiang Weiguo began assigning the daily tasks after Chen Duxiu and Chen Xiuxiu had left. Jiang Jiandang nodded repeatedly, knowing that the quality of the ingredients directly affected the taste of the dishes. Feng, follow me every day to learn cooking. Get the fire control down. If you cant even master the basics, how are you to inherit your fathers restaurant? What on earth was that porridge you made this morning? Jiang Weiguo was obviously dissatisfied with the porridge Jiang Feng had cooked that morning. When you were a kid, you ran off as soon as you finished practicing your knife skills, saying studying was more important. More important my foot! How is studying more important? What good is some optical information degreepared to being a chef? Your great grandfather was the head chef at Taifeng Building, where so many dignitaries couldnt even buy a meal with a fortune, Sir was clearly still troubled by Jiang Fengs refusal to learn cooking under the pretext of studying. Jiang Feng: He truly loved studying back then! If he didnt study, he had to go hang punching bags, chop potatoes, cucumbers, tofuchopping until his hands needed bandaging, and then hed have to keep on chopping. How could he not love studying? Dad, what about me? Jiankang asked, eagerly waiting for his father to assign him a task. Arent you running your business? Jiang Weiguo nced at Jiankang. Yeah, arent you running your business? Mrs. Wang Xiulian chimed in, also giving Jiankang a stern look before turning to Jiang Weiguo with a smile, Sir, I can help with washing the vegetables. Ill wash them every day, theyll be very clean. Washing vegetables at home meant getting freshly cooked dishes from Sir, a deal that was more than worthwhile. Jiankang: Sir nodded slightly in agreement. As Sir got up, Wang Xiulian and Li Mingli almost simultaneously began picking up the bowls and chopsticks, both dered in unison, Ill wash the dishes! Such trivial matters never concerned Sir, who went into the kitchen, took out the cutting board and knife, and from a big bag of potatoes and radishes that Jiankang had bought, picked a few and put them in front of Feng. Cut the potatoes into chunks with a rolling cut and the radishes into slices. Let me see if your knife skills have gotten rusty, Jiang Weiguo said. Of course, Fengs knife skills had indeed be quite rusty. Under the scolding of Sir, Feng was reminded of the days of his youth, when his constantpanions were potatoes, radishes, and cucumbers. In the evening, Jiang Weiguo stir-fried some tolerable potato chunks and radish slices into several small dishes, while the rest he sent to the restaurant for Jiankang to cook and sell to the customers. For the following period, Taifengs healthy snacks involving potatoes and radishes were on special offer every day. Jiang Feng felt like he was a kitchen hand in the restaurants back kitchen, spending his days chopping on the cutting board tap tap tap tap tap, and even the reluctantly cut vegetables were scorned by the head chef. Fortunately, Feng progressed from cutting vegetables to cutting meat. Everyone was finally spared from having to eat minced meat stir-fried with potatoes and radishes or cucumber with mustard sauce every single day. To celebrate Fengs sess atpletely processing a chicken, even though it was a cruelly tortured farmyard chicken during the deboning process, Jiang Weiguo decided to make a dish of deboned stuffed chicken with it. Starting tomorrow, you can finally touch the pots, Jiang Weiguo announced at the dinner table. Jiang Feng, who had spent over ten days reiming his knifework, was moved to tears with joy. During this time, Chen Xiuxiu had gradually shifted from being too embarrassed toe over for meals every day to arriving without invitation at meal times, and then to showing up one or two hours early every day to help Wang Xiulian and Li Mingli,pletely forgetting her previous strict diet and refusal to eat. Both of them set their eyes on the same piece of chicken. When their chopsticks shed, Jiang Feng couldnt help but sigh that this day had finallye. It was a piece of chicken evenly zed with sugar, fried to a golden brown, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and exceptionally appetizing in appearance. Arent you on a diet? The calories in boneless chicken cutlets are too high for you, Jiang Feng tried to persuade. Does Xiuxiu still need to diet? Jiang Shoucheng, who was diligently eating, suddenly looked up with shock written all over his face. Even eating cant shut your mouth! Jiang Weiguo scolded. Jiang Shoucheng immediately bowed his head and continued eating, following his grandfathers teaching to fill his own mouth with food. How can you lose weight without eating enough? Chen Xiuxiu, relying on years of experience in snatching food from Jiang Fengs bowl, skillfully twisted her wrist and flicked her chopsticks, knocking Jiang Fengs chopsticks aside and sessfully iming the chicken cutlet for her te. Ding, side questpleted: [Neighbors Wish]. You have earned the reward: Cooking Porridge (Intermediate). These days, Jiang Feng had been chopping vegetables so absentmindedly that he had nearly forgotten about his task. The Chen Xiuxiu from a year ago was back! Looking at the chicken cutlet in Chen Xiuxius bowl, Jiang Feng wasnt sure whether to feel happy or sad. This afternoon, youll start with learning to fry eggs, the old man began assigning learning tasks to Jiang Feng. Grandpa, how about I cook you some porridge this afternoon? Jiang Feng tried to negotiate, hoping to win over his grandfather with his exquisite Cooking Porridge (Intermediate) skill. Porridge, porridge, porridge. How did our Jiang Family produce someone like you who loves cooking porridge so much? The old mans temper had be increasingly worse these days, You spent so many years practicing your knifework just to end up cooking porridge? Jiang Feng was left speechless by the retort. Jiang Feng guessed that his grandfather regretteding over to teach him culinary skills, only to find that he remained unteachable. If he wanted to make a dish that would earn his grandfathers approval, he would need their great-grandfathers spirit to possess him! After dinner, Wang Xiulian, Li Mingli, and Chen Xiuxiu, as usual, scrambled to wash the dishes, while Jiang Shoucheng was directed by his grandfather to help in the store. Jiang Feng picked up the kitchen knife and continued his ng, ng, ng, ng. He still had to chop the ingredients for cooking in the afternoon by himself. He didnt even have a moment of leisure to check what Cooking Porridge (Intermediate) was all about, as any mistake with the knife would result in a loud and formidable scold from the old man. Jiang Feng, didnt you eat lunch? You cant even chop vegetables properly! At such times, Chen Xiuxiu would stand by, nonchntly munching on a cucumber while watching themotion. Heartless. Ah, women. Chapter 12 - 12 12 Update 12 Chapter 12 Update Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Until Sir left for the countryside, Jiang Feng had not been able to make a single dish that satisfied him. Jiang Weiguo had returned to the countryside earlier, with 3 days left before Jiang Fengs school term started, for a very simple reasonhe was worried about the precious fat pigs he raised. Dad, Mom will take care of the pigs, so just stay with peace of mind! Staying at my third brothers house is ufortable, you cane to my house, Jiang Jiandang tried to persuade at the station, thinking that the good days of eating Sirs cooking every day were about to end, he almost cried. No, no, your mother doesnt know how to cook pig food. I saw the photo she sent me yesterday, shes been feeding them to get skinny, Jiang Weiguo said with distress as he took out his phone to show Jiang Jiandang the photo stuffed with three fat white pigs, Theyre not used to anyone elses cooking but mine. Two streams of tears ran down Jiang Jiandangs meat-packed face. Feng, when you go to school, you better practice well and dont waste it. I saw on the news a while ago that college students like you enjoy cooking in the dorms, right? Learn more, and it wouldnt hurt to chop some vegetables and practice flipping the pan, Jiang Weiguo said and then he picked up a new set of knives and boarded the minibus back to the countryside. Feng, study cooking well and dont let your grandpas teachings go to waste, Jiang Jiandang said, wiping away tears. Jiang Feng: If he dared to fry dishes in the dorm, not to mention anything else, the dorm manager would be the first to cut him up. Probably with the chopping technique, cut him into a dozen or twenty pieces. Chen Xiuxius school started two days earlier than Jiang Fengs, and she had booked her flight for the next day. To express his reluctance about the old neighbor starting school and to more conveniently rack up experience points, Jiang Feng personally made a table of dishes for her farewell meal. Jiang Jiandang and his wife were not interested in the dishes Jiang Feng made; Jiang Jiandangs own cooking skills were probably even better than Jiang Fengs. Having eaten Sirs cooking for over ten days, Mrs. Wang Xiulian also turned up her nose at her sons cooking and went to help at Mr. Jiang Jiankangs busy store instead. When Sir was around, the store didnt seem busy at all, but as soon as he left, the store inexplicably became busy. The only guest to taste Jiang Fengs cooking was Chen Xiuxiu. Five dishes and one soup, all of them homestyle dishes. Stir-fried cauliflower, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, sweet and sour cabbage, cucumber in garlic sauce, seaweed egg soup, and the most difficult one, braised shrimp in oil. It looked not bad because with the remarks given by the game, Jiang Feng knew that among these six dishes, the cucumber in garlic sauce was the best, and he identally put too much salt in the scrambled eggs with tomatoes. After all, his knifework over the past ten days had not been for nothing! Chen Xiuxiu, with her discerning taste, reached for the cucumber in garlic sauce first. She snapped a small piece of cucumber and put it into her mouth. Ding, you have earned 3 experience points. Jiang Feng: Youve changed, you used to give me 9 experience points for just a bite of corn. Spoiled by Jiang Weiguos feeding for over ten days, Chen Xiuxiu had clearly be pickier, giving only one or two points per dish, learning to be stingy like Mr. Jiang Jiankang, and had lost the generosity she once had when she could gain thirty-odd points from just a sip of congee. Chen Xiuxius university was in Sail Provinces Sutton City, where the cost of living was so high that not even n City could match it. Taking into ount the different tastes of the people in Sail Province and the local area, Jiang Feng reluctantly gave her a jar of chili sauce personally pickled by Sir. Chen Xiuxiu joyfully mixed the chili sauce with her white rice and finished the second half of her meal. Jiang Feng, having lost a jar of chili sauce without gaining any experience points, opened the attribute panel with a heavy heart. The meal Chen Xiuxiu just had filled up the remaining experience points needed to level up to level five, and Jiang Feng, as usual, clicked to level up. Ding, congrattions to the yer for reaching level 5 andpleting the Novice Tutorial. Reward: Appraisal (Intermediate). The game is updating; after the update isplete, the game will unlock the skill exploration and skill upgrade features. Updating? This game is pretty up-to-date. Jiang Feng tried again to ess the attribute panel, but all he saw was a single progress bar. Update Progress: 0% Perhaps Earth was a bit too distant, resulting in slow inte speeds. An hour passed, and the update progress had only reached 2%. Jiang Feng: No wonder everyone talks about the global vige, the inte speed in this vige is just slow. Since the game was updating, Jiang Feng simply went to help out at the store. The regr customers all knew that Jiang Fengs family store was moving away, and business had been booming for the past few days. Whether it was mealtime or not, from 6 in the morning to 10 at night, the store was packed with people. One afternoon when Jiang Feng was helping out, he happened to overhear an old customer who had beening for twenty years sigh, We will never find a restaurant as delicious as yours around here again. It wasnt that Zet Citycked skilled chefs, but the only one whose skills surpassed Jiang Jiankangs was the head chef of a thirty-year-old restaurant in the city that had first been a banquet hall before transitioning into a hotel, where the prices were several times more expensive than Jiankangs Snacks. There was a period when it was popr to show off local, obscure yet delectable eateries, and Jiankangs Snacks was one of the most frequently mentioned. During that time, Jiang Feng delivered takeouts daily, tanning several shades, and those unaware might think he had taken on part-time work moving bricks on a construction site. But I digress. Jiang Jiankang felt a sense of loss for these dedicated customers as well. When the state-owned restaurant closed down, Jiang Jiankang lost his job. Losing what had seemed like an iron rice bowl felt as if the sky had fallen. He and Mrs. Wang Xiulian put all their savings into buying this shop and opening this small stir-fry restaurant. If it hadnt been for the support of these customers at the beginning, Jiang Jiankang would have been so poor he could have been begging under a bridge. How else could he have saved up money like now to open another restaurant in n City? Today was Jiankangs Snacksst day of business. The original n was to stay open for two more days, but Sir had returned to his hometown ahead of schedule, so Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian decided to head to n City earlier too. The new restaurant was about to open, and it was time to get ustomed to the new ce. On thest evening of business, Jiang Jiankang invited all of the old customers and neighbors of Jiankangs Snacks to dine. The restaurant couldnt amodate everyone, so tables were set up outside. Nearly every shopkeeper on this street was an old neighbor or acquaintance of Jiang Jiankang, and knowing that this was thest day for Jiankangs Snacks, they all offered the space in front of their shops. Many shopkeepers also lent out their tables, chairs, and benches, and a few even lent out the bowls and dishes from their own shops. Tables and chairs of various colors and sizes filled the whole street. Jiang Jiankang was in the kitchen; from six oclock, he worked non-stop until a quarter past nine, with dish after dish of Shandong cuisine being continuously brought out by Jiang Feng. There were three or four dozen tables of guests, and Jiang Feng remembered almost every one of them. That was when Jiang Feng realized, without being aware of it, Jiankangs Snacks had actually gathered so many regrs. By eleven, even thest table of customers had left. Jiang Jiankang was exhausted, drenched in sweat, with his oversized shirt already soaked. He sat down under the electric fan in the restaurant to cool off. Jiang Feng and Mrs. Wang Xiulian busied themselves cleaning up the tables and dishes. After tidying and washing them, they returned them to their owners with a word of thanks. By the time everything was cleaned up, it was past midnight. Zet City had no nightlife, and other than the streetlights, there was nothing else shining on the streets. Jiang Jiankang stood in front of the store, sighed as he looked at the old, worn-out sign, and took it down. He had no ns to sell or lease the shop; he felt it was good to let it sit there. From then on, there was no longer a Jiankangs Snacks in Zet City. Son! Yeah? Learn well from your grandfather, take on apprentices, start a franchise, and when wee back from n City, well open an even bigger store! A franchise? Ive already thought of a name, itll be called Jiankang Hall! Chapter 13 - 13 13 New Store 13 Chapter 13 New Store Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Feng and his family, carrying bagsrge and small, boarded the high-speed train. Initially, Jiang Jiankang even wanted to take his precious kitchen utensils on the high-speed train, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian could not stop him, but, fortunately, the country did. Thinking of bringing sharp kitchen tools onto the high-speed train? Dream on! At the new restaurant, Jiang Jiankang had partitioned off a small 20-square-meter room on the second floor to live in, and if he wanted to take a shower, he still had to go to the public bath near the school. At first, Jiang Feng suggested renting an apartment near the school or even leasing a faculty apartment on campus, but Mr. Jiang Jiankang was strongly opposed and thus they had to give up the idea. Mr. Jiang Jiankang had a strong sense of territory and did not like living on someone elses property, or in his words, if youre going to live somewhere, it should be in your own house. Jiang Feng did some calctions, and figured their family would probably have to sell their dishes at Michelin three-star prices in order to pay off their debt and buy a house outright before he graduated from university. While on the high-speed train, Jiang Feng used WeChat to inform Wang Hao about their arrival time since they had quite a few things with them and Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian had only been to n City once and were unfamiliar with it, so they needed someone to pick them up. Wang Hao had been eagerly looking forward to Jiang Fengs arrival and very promptly agreed to the task of picking them up. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian sat in the business sspartment, since both the first ss and second ss seats were too cramped and unsuitable for them. Because of this, Mrs. Wang Xiulian had already written many letters ofint to the railway department. The new store had just finished renovation, and Jiang Jiandangs pharmacy next door waspleting its final touches. The pharmacys business license was dyed, and Jiang Jiandang was still haggling over thest bit of demolitionpensation, so he couldnt go to n City for a while. During this period, Jiang Fengs eldest uncle, fourth uncle, and fifth uncle really had a hard time. They were in charge of the renovations for both shops, and the three of them worked outside every day in the scorching heat without even getting a chance to taste any of the dishes Sir had cooked for over half a month. How pitiful! Jiang Feng expressed his deep sympathy for his eldest uncle, fourth uncle, and fifth uncle while he browsed through Wang Haos Moments. Every day, without fail, he would promote the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, effectively turning his own Moments into an advertising rental space. When advertising, he never forgot to mention Jiang Feng, letting everyone know that the restaurant was opened by Jiang Fengs family, who had amassed huge debts for the sake of their dream. What a waste that Wang Hao isnt writing screenys for TV dramas. Jiang Fengs cooking skills might not be known throughout the entire university, but at least within their dorm buildings he had a good reputation. Coupled with Wang Haos deceptive and emotionally-charged advertising slogans, every post on Moments was followed by a string of likes. Under Sirs supervision, Jiang Feng had been learning to cook for over half a month, and he began to suspect that he was cut off from the rest of the world. At first, it was nothing but chopping vegetables and sleeping. Then, it became nothing but flipping the wok and sleeping. Even checking his status panel was something he only did asionally when he found the time. Using his cellphone? That was out of the question. By scrolling through the Moments he hadnt checked for half the month on the high-speed train, time passed quickly. Wang Hao had arrived early at the high-speed train station and, upon seeing Jiang Feng, he excitedly waved his hands like crazy and bounded up to Jiang Feng, showing an amazing agility that belied his weight of 170 pounds in his short dash of fifty meters. Jiang Feng held arge travel bag in his left hand and dragged an extrarge suitcase with the right. Wang Hao promptly took the travel bag from him. The travel bag must have weighed at least fifty pounds, and Wang Hao, not thinking much of it, nearly dropped it to the ground as he took it single-handedly. Heh, misleadingly chunky. Jiang Feng didnt want to inconvenience him and took the travel bag back, Theres a lighter, smaller bag with my mom. Can you go help my mom with it? Im afraid she might have too many things to carry. Wang Hao looked back, craning his neck for a long time without spotting his targets, and then asked, Where are my uncle and aunt? Right behind me! Jiang Feng turned around, and there were Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian, each with a suitcase, and more bags ced on top of them. Wang Hao: They dont seem to look like a family Hello, uncle and aunt! Wang Hao greeted them warmly. Hello, hello, Jiang Jiankang replied with a smile. Feng, is that store really yours? Ever since hearing that the newly renovated two-story store belonged to Jiang Fengs family, Wang Hao had slowed down each time he passed by to take a good look. The more he looked, the more astonishing it was. With that location and that size, Jiang Fengs family must have borrowed millions to buy such arge shop! You might have got it wrong. I see that next to the two-story shop there is a smaller single-level shop also being renovated. Isnt that one actually your familys? Wang Hao whispered. Thats my second uncles ce; he used it to open a pharmacy, Jiang Feng exined. Wang Hao was startled and asked in a mysterious tone, Feng, tell me the truth, are you actually an heir of some huge wealth whos incognito to experience life with us? Jiang Feng: Such talent is wasted not writing TV drama scripts. My second uncle originally ran a small clinic. After it was demolished, he got arge sum of demolitionpensation thats the money he lent to our family, Jiang Feng said. Anyway, Wang Hao liked to let his imagination run wild, and Jiang Feng believed he would concoct aplete version on his own. Sure enough, Wang Hao nodded his head in sudden realization. As for whether his thoughts were true, that was none of Jiang Fengs concern. The trip from UAL University to the train station took nearly two hours. Wang Hao was a local from n City and was good at socializing. He introduced all sorts of news, delicacies, and attractions of n City to Jiang Fengs parents along the way, to the point where Mr. Jiang Jiankang began to feel a bit disheartened. This n City was thepetition in the catering industry so fierce? With a heart full of bumps, Mr. Jiang Jiankang finally arrived at the store. Under the full supervision of Jiang Jianguo, the work on Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had beenpleted a week earlier, with only the sign yet to be hung. The interior design, done by Jiang Fengs cousin Jiang Zaidi (the son of his eldest uncle), suited Mr. Jiang Jiankangs simple and unadorned taste perfectly. All the tables on the first floor were small square ones, mainly for four and six people, with a row of two-person tables by the windows. The colors of the tables and chairs were uniformly grey and white, neatly arranged. The walls were painted green, and several pots of spider nts were ced on the window sills. Wooden menus were hung on the wall, forming a long line that nearly filled half of the wall. The second floor hasrge round tables and private rooms, Jiang Jianguo said cheerfully. I told Zaide to design it well, not toe up with any of those deceptive schemes to fool customers. Third brother, how is it? Everythings done ording to your requirements. How could it be anything but great? This restaurant was ten times, a hundred times better than the state-run restaurant where Mr. Jiang Jiankang had been working! Unable to stop himself, Mr. Jiang Jiankang nodded continuously: Tonight, lets call over the eldest sister-inw, Zaide, and the fourth and fifth brothers families. Ill cook a feast to celebrate! Feng, youe too, Uncle will cook some signature dishes for you. I see, my third sister-inws figure has improvedtely. Third brother, your cooking has improved as well? Jiang Jianguo asked. Mrs. Wang Xiulian, under the pretext of helping to wash vegetables, had been at the forefront of sneaking tastes recently and had gained at least ten more pounds. His cookings the same old, same old. Its Dads cooking that has improved those Four Joyful Meatballs, that roasted chicken, tsk tsk. Speaking of which, Xiulian couldnt help but swallow her saliva. Dad? Jiang Jianguos smile froze. Yes, Dad stayed at our house for half a month teaching Feng how to cook, and fattened up both me and my second brothers whole family, Mr. Jiang Jiankang said nostalgically. Dads cooking has improved a lot sincest Chinese New Year. Jiang Jianguo stood there as if struck by a heavy blow, and tears fell down his face in an instant. Im so unfilial, not even thinking of going back to see Dad, Jiang Jianguo said, wiping away tears. Sir had been cooking for more than half a month, and he hadnt tasted even a single bite. Feng Feng is so fortunate! Jiang Jianguo was speechless for a long time, thinking about his own son who had no talent for cooking and was working as a designer. That disappointing kid of ours, sigh! Big brother, its okay, there will be plenty of opportunities to see Dad. Going to the countryside is inconvenient for you; Dad said he woulde teach Feng how to cook every winter and summer vacation, just like before, Mr. Jiang Jiankang said. Feng! Jiang Jianguo walked over to Jiang Feng, lifted his hefty palm, and patted his shoulder heavily, Learn cooking well from your grandpa! Jiang Feng: Wang Hao: ??? Jiang Jianguo took Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian to look at the decorations upstairs, and Wang Hao took the opportunity to stealthily ask Jiang Feng, Whats up with your eldest uncle? Laughing one moment, crying the next, shedding tears on a whim, its an Oscar-worthy performance. Jiang Feng looked helplessly skyward. If you had tasted my grandpas cooking, youd cry too. Chapter 14 - 14 14: The Straw Raincoat and the Cucumber 14 Chapter 14: The Straw Raincoat and the Cucumber Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The decor andyout of the new store far exceeded Jiang Jiankangs imagination, and he instantly became full of fighting spirit. He left his son behind and dragged Mrs. Wang Xiulian to the nearby farmers market to scout the situation. For a store this big, choosing the right supply of ingredients was crucial. Jiang Feng, who was used to being left behind by his parents, returned to the dorm with Wang Hao first. Feng, I just saw a dish called Clear Soup with Willow Leaf Swallow Vegetable on the menu downstairs. What is that? Wang Hao asked curiously. Thats just one of my dads show-off dishes; he cant actually make it, Jiang Feng said, and seeing Wang Hao looking puzzled, he exined, That dish is supposed to use white birds nest as the main ingredient. My dad only talks the talk, hes never actually made it; only my grandfather, who was once a chef in a state-owned restaurant, ever did. Wang Hao suddenly realized, No wonder your cooking skills are so good; its a family legacy. When they got to the supermarket next to the school, Jiang Feng suddenly stopped in his tracks. Do you want to try cucumber in straw raincoat? He had dried chili and chili oil in his bag. Wang Hao, known for his love of eating, would surely provide a lot of experience points if cooked for. If Jiang Feng waited until after Wang Hao had tried Mr. Jiang Jiankangs cooking tonight, he might not be so easy to impress as before. Of course, Wang Hao knew what cucumber in straw raincoat was. Feng, you even know how to make that? Lets go, they have cucumbers in the supermarket. Ill post it on social media to make those guys next door jealous after you make it. Jiang Fengs eyes lit up, Theyre all at the school? They all came early for the freshman weing. Every single one of those beasts is here. Weve got to keep our door shut tight, Feng. Last time, they caught wind of the spare rib rice and didnt leave a single bite for me, Wang Hao said, chuckling. No worries, Ill cut a few more, and you go ask if they want some, Jiang Feng was weing to allers. To him, these guys were nothing but pure experience points! Since Jiang Feng had said so, Wang Hao took out his phone and asked everyone in the WeChat group. As expected, the boys who had returned to school early responded with great enthusiasm. Jiang Feng bought ten cucumbers. The cucumbers at the school supermarket were not very fresh; they looked like they had been forced to ripen. The quality wasnt good, so he didnt bother picking and just took about ten passable cucumbers, weighed them, and went to the checkout counter to pay. Seeing that he bought ten cucumbers, the cashierdy gave him an extra few nces. Dont buy vegetables at the school. Theyre full of hormones. Perhaps because Jiang Feng was good-looking, thedy couldnt help but give a piece of advice, Behind the wholesale market, theres a small vegetable market where many of them grow their own produce, no pesticides, really fresh. Thank you, Auntie, Jiang Feng sweetly thanked her, then took out his phone to ry the news to Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Wang Hao waited for Jiang Feng at the entrance of the supermarket, and seeing hime out with a big bag of cucumbers, he was startled and asked, Feng, I recall we dont have a kitchen knife in our dorm, do we? There was only a sharp fruit knife in the dorm; this was also why Jiang Feng was usually reluctant to cook in the dorm. Cutting meat with a fruit knife took forever and was a hassle. A fruit knife will do, Jiang Feng said. Cucumber in straw raincoat relied on knifework; the ingredients were secondary. Every family had its own taste, but it would generally not be too bad. As for knifework. Such basic knifework, Jiang Feng had been able to cut aplete cucumber in straw raincoat since the fifth grade of elementary school. The dorm was on the fifth floor, and by the time Jiang Feng, carrying a bag of seasonings and holding a bag of cucumbers, got to the fifth floor, he almost thought he had gone to the wrong building. From the stairs and around to room 501, a crowd had gathered, ranging in height and size. At a quick nce, there were easily a dozen or more. Those who didnt know might think it was a group ready to ambush and start a brawl. Damn, I just mentioned it, and you all actually came, Wang Hao couldnt help but curse at the sight. There were Jiang Fengs ssmates, colleagues from his department, and regrs from Wang Haos small store who often hung around room 501. Were here to support the grand opening of Fengs familys new store! Li Jian from the same ss joked. Our store opens the day after tomorrow, make sure you alle and show support, Jiang Feng said with a smile, as Wang Hao opened the door to the dorm. The fruit knife was on Jiang Fengs desk. He went to the balcony to wash the cucumbers and the fruit knife, while Wang Hao quickly started to wipe the table clean. The stic cutting board had been broken sincest semester and hadnt been reced, so they had to cut the cucumbers on the table. After washing the cucumbers, Jiang Feng picked up the knife and deftly made diagonal and straight cuts, his skilled movements painting the picture of not just wielding a fruit knife but one of the incredible des from the Little Chef shows. Those standing at the door watching couldnt help but stare in awe. Jiang Fengs culinary skills were impressive, but that was rtive to the students at UAL University. In n City, if you stepped into a slightlyrger restaurant, you could easily find a chef with better skills than Jiang Feng. These were all people who had a good rtionship with Jiang Feng; they had seen Wang Haos social media posts and thought that Fengs family was so indebted from opening the new store that they were struggling. They came to support him. They had agreed among themselves to each eat a few bites of cucumber, and then excuse it as payment for the dish, each person contributing five or ten bucks so that Jiang Feng wouldnt have financial difficulty at the start of the school year. The cucumber in straw raincoat really wasnt the point; showing support was. But now, the people at the door couldnt help but fixate on the fruit knife in Jiang Fengs hand. Swish, swish, swish, swish. The movements were as quick as something out of a TV drama. Because 501 often had hot pot in the winter, they had aplete set of dipping sauce dishes. Jiang Feng took out two tes and arranged the sliced cucumbers into a circle, adding salt, sesame oil, sugar, then took out vinegar personally brewed by Sir, sun-dried chili peppers, and homemade chili oil from his bag. Sir had learned vinegar brewing from a Shanxi master in his early years, and in his view, most vinegars sold on the market nowadays were soulless. As soon as the jars containing chili oil and vinegar were opened, the fragrance was released. Do you guys prefer sour or spicy? Jiang Feng asked the few at the door first. Spicy, spicy! Sour, sour is good! Either is fine, either is fine. Four people gave three different answers, at this point they couldnt remember they were here to show support, their eyes were fixated on the two tes of cucumbers. Jiang Feng added a bit more dried chili to one te, and kept the other at a normal ratio. There seemed to be a lot with ten cucumbers, but divided among over a dozen people, there wasnt much left. Wang Hao, having the advantage of proximity, tried to monopolize one cucumber but was strictly denounced by everyone, and three quarters of it was taken away. Sirs chili oil packed a punch, and several students who couldnt handle spicy food almost cried from the heat but still bravely fought in the front lines for food. The entrance of apartment 501 was filled with the scent of sour and spicy. Some had intended to casuallypliment the taste of the cucumbers, but anyone with that idea only found several tes with dried chili floating in vinegar. A student who came down from the sixth floor to take out the trash saw so many people around on the fifth floor and the delicious sour and spicy aroma in the air, and curiously asked, What are you all eating here? Nothing, nothing, were just helping to clean up spilled vinegar, everyone responded in unison, fearing another mouth to feed would be too much to handle. The ten tes of cucumber slices were devoured by the ravenous crowd in no time. Meanwhile, Jiang Feng heard Ding, gained 111 experience points. Ding, gained 167 experience points. Ding, gained 109 experience points. His mood was simply delightful. After the food was gone, everyone started to enthusiastically fight over who would wash the tes. Oh no! a junior from Jiang Fengs department suddenly pped his thigh in an epiphany, Feng, I almost forgot to pay for the cucumber sd. Ill just transfer the money to Mr. Hao by scanning his QR code on his bedside; Mr. Hao, make sure you pass it on to Feng! Oh no, how could I forget! Ah, look at my memory, Hao, Im also transferring the money to you. Everyone seemed to have a moment of realization, but their acting was so poor that Jiang Feng felt embarrassed to expose them. What was even more telling was that everyone left in a hurry after paying, which was too deliberate. Wang Hao was somewhat baffled by the string of notifications for receiving money on his phone. Since when did they start paying for food they mooched? Jiang Feng chuckled and began to tidy up the seasonings. Isnt it because youve been posting fake advertisements on your social media every day? They probably think Im so poor I cant afford to eat. Wang Hao: So what should we do with this money? Keep it for now; well give them discounts when theye to eat at my familys restaurant, Jiang Feng said. After tidying up a bit, Jiang Feng carefully picked out the seasonings and packed them in a bag to take to his shop that evening. After reminiscing about the cucumber sd theyd just eaten, Wang Hao asked, Feng, how does your dads cookingpare to that cucumber sd? After thinking for a moment, Jiang Feng replied seriously, The cucumber sd was delicious because it was made with vinegar and chili oil brewed by my grandpa; its roughly the standard of my dads everyday cooking. My dad is surely preparing his signature dishes tonight. His cooking skills are definitely higher than that cucumber sd. Gulp. Wang Hao couldnt help but swallow saliva. Chapter 15 - 15 15 Publicity 15 Chapter 15 Publicity Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Wang Hao calcted the money everyone gave for the meal, which amounted to more than four hundred bucks. To facilitate future discounts on meal costs for Jiang Feng, Wang Hao even kept a separate notebook recording how much money each person had contributed, the very picture of thoughtfulness. Ding, game updateplete. Jiang Feng turned and entered the bathroom. yer Name: Jiang Feng Level: 5 (0/1000)[Injectable: Yes/No] Remaining Experience Points: 4115 Skills: Appraisal (Intermediate): You can obtain most information. Cooking Porridge (Intermediate): You can only master some correct proportions of ingredients and basic fire control. Knife Skills (Advanced): Your knifework has surpassed the majority of chefs. (Proficiency: 0/100000) Fire Control (Beginner): You can only control some basic fire levels. (Proficiency: 0/1000) Seasoning (Beginner): You can only make it non-lethal. (Proficiency 0/1000) Lies (Intermediate): You can now tell lies without blushing. (Proficiency: 0/10000) Math (Beginner): Your level is only on par with an ordinary freshman. (Proficiency: 0/1000) Physics (Beginner): Your level is equivalent to that of a high school student. (Proficiency 0/1000) English (Intermediate): Its just the level a university student should have. (Proficiency 0/10000) Food Testing (Beginner): A waste of heavenly resources. (Non-upgradable) Note: 1. Please explore skills on your own. 2. Experience points can be converted into proficiency at a 1:1 ratio. [The rest is omitted due to repetition] Jiang Feng: I know Im a poor student, no need to remind me When Jiang Feng came out of the bathroom, he looked a bit off. Feng, whats wrong with you? Wang Hao asked a bit too eagerly. Constipation. That evening, after receiving a call from Mr. Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Feng went to the store with the seasonings and Wang Hao. The uncles and other rtives were already there, the store was open, and the sign was still not hung. Jiang Feng first took the seasonings to Wang Hao in the kitchen, then led him directly upstairs. As soon as Wang Hao stepped onto the second floor, he was taken aback. The room was full of burly men, regardless of gender, age, or size; they all had the same imposing physique, disyed ferocious looks, and even the two plump twin sisters who appeared to be only junior high students showed signs of future dominion. Wang Hao suspected he had mistakenly walked into a gathering of gang bosses. Feng Feng, your family has a tradition of sumo wrestlers? Wang Hao asked nervously, swallowing hard. A tradition of chefs. Jiang Feng led Wang Hao to the family table, with one table for adults and another for the younger generation, very pragmatically arranged. The dishes were served and still steaming hot. As soon as Wang Hao sat down, either Jiang Junlian or Jiang Junqing turned to him with a smile. Jiang Feng had difficulty telling the twin cousins apart as they looked so identical, especially since he did not often interact with them. Four Joyful Meatballs, Lions Head Meatballs, Dongpo Pork, Sweet and Sour Carp, Three Earthly Delights, Kung Pao Chicken, Nine Turns Intestine, Sweet and Sour Yam, Fish Head Tofu Soup, Jiang Feng pointed to the dishes, introducing them one by one to Wang Hao. He nced at the tips and offered a friendly reminder, I advise you not to drink the Fish Head Tofu Soup, my dad isnt too good at that one. [A pot of Fish Head Tofu Soup with too much oil, not enough salt, and incorrect fire control] It seemed Mr. Jiang Jiankang was distracted while cooking the soup. When Wang Hao first came up with Jiang Feng, he was too busy looking around to notice, but now that he sat down and listened to the introduction, his mouth started to water uncontrobly. The scent of meat irresistibly invaded his nose, Jiang Jiankang did not focus much on presentation, but it did not seem off-putting; one whiff was all it took to discern the quality of the food. Wang Hao loved sweet vors, so he grabbed a piece of Sweet and Sour Yam first. The sugar coating was even, the fried yam not as powdery as when steamed but still maintaining a bit of chewiness. The exterior was smooth and crispy while the interior was soft and pleasantly sweet. Immediately, Wang Haos eyes moistened. Feng, youre so lucky to have such a dad, Wang Hao said with immense envy. Jiang Feng silently offered him a piece of Kung Pao Chicken, This is my dads specialty. With an inelegant munch, Wang Hao had not yet swallowed the yam when he stuffed the Kung Pao Chicken into his mouth and mumbled his praise, Delicious, delicious! Jiang Jiankangs Kung Pao Chicken was not spicy but rather on the sweet side, a peculiarity given that Wang Hao was tackling two sweet dishes at the same time. Jiang Jiankangs forte was Kung Pao Chicken, but the star of the dinner table was the Dongpo Pork. Jiang Jiankang loved pork knuckle, whereas Jiang Weiguo did not. This Dongpo Pork was a result of Mr. Jiang Jiankang personally learning from other state-owned restaurants that specialized in pork knuckles, and after years of refinement and careful experimentation, he perfected his own version. Named Dongpo Pork, it had since lost any resemnce to the authentic dish. The pork knuckle had been stewed for at least four hours, rich in soy aroma, easily separating at the touch of chopsticks. It was tender and sweet, fatty without being greasy. Mr. Jiang Jiankangs exceptional cooking somewhat made up for the uncles and aunts regret of not being able to enjoy Sirs cooking. To the Jiang Family Members, spoiled by Sirs culinary skills, this meal was satisfactory but not dazzling. Mr. Jiang Jiankangs extraordinary performance couldntpare to Sirs everyday stir-fry. But Wang Hao was different,cking the opportunity to enjoy Sirs cooking every New Year, and also without the financial means to dine daily at star-rated restaurants, he felt as if he had visited a paradise after being well-fed and watered, almost wanting to take Mr. Jiang Jiankang on the spot as a godfather. Feng, you really are my bro, why didnt Uncle open a store at UAL University earlier! If were short on cash, we could crowdfund it! Wang Hao gazed at the clean empty tes on the table, his tears nearly falling. After such a meal, how would he face the purgatorial meals of the campus cafeteria? With that thought, Wang Hao couldnt help but be overtaken by sadness, pulling out his phone and beginning to furiously type. What are you doing? Jiang Feng saw Wang Haoposing a lengthy message and asked. Advertising, letting everyone taste Uncles cooking skills. Jiang Feng couldnt help but give a side nce. Ding, gained 1 point of fame, quest progress (1/100). Chapter 16 - 16 16 Opening 16 Chapter 16 Opening Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Feng spent a good part of the evening marveling at Wang Haos lengthy infomercial. The over-the-top phrasing and obvious ttery were so cringe-worthy that he felt embarrassed to even like the post. In the end, his hand slipped and he identally liked it. Jiang Jiankang had already secured the suppliers for vegetables and poultry. The original n was to open the day after tomorrow, but everything was going so smoothly that they could start regr business tomorrow noon. After some thought, Jiang Fengposed a post for his Moments. The grand opening of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant on the east side of Food Street tomorrow! UAL University students with empty tes will enjoy a 10% discount on their meals. Turn off phone, go to sleep. Theres a tough battle to fight tomorrow. On the first day of a new stores opening, customer traffic is usually quite high. Jiang Jiankang personally hung up the big red sign, effectively ruining half of Jiang Zaidis interior design. Whether driven by curiosity or the lure of special opening discounts, new customers would step into the new restaurant. Early the next morning, Jiang Feng arrived at the restaurant to help wash and chop vegetables. Knowing the Jiang Family didnt hire any extra help and worried they would be too busy, Wang Hao also came to volunteer his assistance. The cost of living in n City was high, and so were the prices at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Ordinary dishes were about thirty percent more expensive than at surrounding diners, with signature dishes like pork knuckle priced the same as those at regr restaurants. Mr. Jiang Jiankang never expected anyone to order the expensive dishes on the first day. The Jiang Family was bustling about the kitchen, prepping ingredientsmonly used in stir-fried dishes and rice toppings. Mrs. Wang Xiulian washed the vegetables while Wang Hao assisted her; Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang were responsible for chopping. Their division ofbor was orderly and efficient. Chop the leeks into sections, mince the green onions, peel and smash the garlic cloves, shred the carrots, cut the cucumbers into strips, slice the radishes, and mince the green chili peppers Different vegetables required different knives. Vegetables and meats were not to be cut with the same knife, nor were ingredients with shing vors. This was a habitual practice when the Jiang Family Members prepared food. An ordinary chef might be fine with just one or two preferred knives, but Jiang Jiankang had more than a dozen, and Jiang Weiguo even had a special rack of knives. To quote Jiang Fengs grandmother, it was just unnecessary fuss. Indeed, it was uncalled for, but to an outsider like Wang Hao, it exuded the air of master chefs. Jiang Feng took care of the vegetables while Jiang Jiankang handled the meat. The father and son shared a simr knifework lineage; their techniques differed, but to Wang Hao, they both looked the samesteady, urate, and fast. With rhythmic chopping, thump, thump, thump, small mountains of chopped ingredients quickly piled up on the tes beside their chopping boards. Wang Hao took out his phone to record a video and shared it to Moments for one final round of hard-selling promotions before the opening. In Jiang Fengs mind, the sound of a video game notification kept ringing. Ding! Received 1 point in Knifework Proficiency. Ding! Received 1 point in Knifework Proficiency. Ding! Received 1 point in Knifework Proficiency. If this were a game interface, a continuous stream of +1 +1 +1 proficiency points would definitely be floating above Jiang Fengs head right now. At ten oclock, they officially opened for business. Jiang Feng put up a sign at the door: Grand opening of the new store, sweet plum juice on the house for every guest. The sweet plum juice was made by Mr. Jiang Jiankang the night before with the best ingredients: dark plums, hawthorn, dried tangerine peel, licorice, and osmanthus flowers, all of which had been chilled in the fridge overnight, perfect for cooling down and quenching thirst. The first table of guests were Jiang Fengs clubmates. There were only 4 members of the Chess Club who had returned to UAL University early; not one was missing, and 2 of them had even tasted the straw-coat cucumbers Jiang Feng had made the previous day. The four deliberately chose a table near the entrance, so people outside could see there were customers inside. The menu was posted on the wall, with prices listed right after the dish names. As the four looked at the menu and the prices, they all hesitated a bit. The prices were indeed a bit steep. Feng, Qiu Chen, who was closest to Jiang Feng, spoke up without much restraint, even if Uncle and Auntie borrowed quite a bit of money to start this restaurant, setting the prices this high might With Uncle Jiangs skills, these prices are a bargain, Wang Hao interjected as he brought out four cups of sweet plum juice from the kitchen. The juice, just taken out of the fridge, was still emitting a chill. In the transparent ss cups, the sweet plum juice looked intensely brown, utterly tempting just by sight. There were still traces of sweet plum juice at the corner of Wang Haos mouth. Knowing he would likely help himself to some, Jiang Feng asked, How many cups have you had? Not many, just two, Wang Hao said with a grin as he ced the four cups of sweet plum juice on their table. I only intended to taste it, but I couldnt control myself. Drink less, theyve just been taken out of the fridge. Be careful not to upset your stomach, Jiang Feng cautioned. The four patrons all picked up their plum juice and took a sip together. It was cool and refreshing, with a hint of smokiness, perfectly tangy and sweetnot a drop too much or too little. The four gulped it down, and soon the cups were empty. They had been a bit dissatisfied with the prices at first, but as the plum juice slid down their throats and into their stomach, their dissatisfaction evaporated like smoke. If the plum juice, which was only a drink, was this delicious, what about the other dishes? Feng, how much for a cup of this plum juice? I want another cup! Jiang Fengs junior, Liu Zixuan, couldnt wait to ask. 15 a cup. Afraid that he would think it was too expensive, Jiang Feng exined, My dad spent over two hours simmering the plum juicest night, hed feel bad if we sold it too cheap. Not expensive at all. Liu Zixuan shook his head like a bobblehead. The other three, having finished their plum juice, also expressed their desire for a refill. Selling four cups of plum juice at the opening was beyond Jiang Fengs expectations. The four ordered four dishes: aside from Jiang Fengs rmended Kung Pao Chicken, Qiu Chen ordered sweet and sour pork loin, Liu Zixuan went for the patted tofu, and the other two discussed and decided on stir-fried pork with chili peppers. The four dishes totaled 120 yuan, with rice for free, and adding the plum juice, it came to a total of 180 yuanwhich was a steep price near UAL University. With the precious plum juice as a prelude, the four had noints, savoring their drinks in small sips as if they were treasures. Jiang Feng would only sell them two cups each, and they cherished every sip, knowing each one brought them closer to thest. While Jiang Feng went to help in the kitchen, Wang Hao stayed to chat with them, boasting about the previous nights delicious dishes, how vorful the lions head meatballs were, and how tender the braised pork knuckle had been. It made the four drool and regret not ordering more boldly before. Wait, the lions head was sold separately. Qiu Chen rushed to the menu, scanning for the lions head meatballs. 20 yuan each. The four generously added four lions head meatballs to their order. A few minutester, Jiang Feng came out of the kitchen with The Kung Pao Chickena standard Jiang Jiankang creation. All four sets of chopsticks reached for The Kung Pao Chicken at once. Soon, they all abandoned their plum juice and crowned The Kung Pao Chicken as their new favorite. Not long after, a couple who seemed to have wandered in by mistake arrived at the restaurant. When the girl saw the menu, she couldnt help but exim softly, So expensive! The boys expression also turned sour as he whispered, Shall we go? Lets go, lets go, the girl urged, tugging at her boyfriends sleeve to leave. The table of Liu Chen and his friends was near the entrance. As the couple passed by, the boy suddenly caught the scent of the food. It smelled amazing. And slightly sweet. The boy turned his head and saw the four men hungrily devouring a dish. What are you guys eating? the boy asked. Kung Pao Chicken. Qiu Chen, with his mouth full of meat, answered unclearly. Is it good? the boy asked involuntarily as he swallowed. Qiu Chen was too busy eating to respond; with these three guys, every word he wasted meant one less bite for him, so he just nodded nomittally. Actions spoke louder than words. Maybe we should just order a Kung Pao Chicken? the boys resolve was wavering. The girl wasnt interested in Kung Pao Chicken, but seeing her boyfriend wanted to try it, she didnt object and nodded reluctantly. Just then, Jiang Feng came out with the sweet and sour pork loin. The pork loin was fried to a golden crisp, the sauce perfectly sour and sweet, and artistically thickened, with a carefully crafted broth poured over by Jiang Jiankang, creating an enticing aroma. Gulp, the girl swallowed her saliva. Add a sweet and sour pork loin too, the girl said decisively as she took a seat by the window. Chapter 17 - 17 17: Plum Juice 17 Chapter 17: Plum Juice Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio As mealtime rolled around, more people started toe into the restaurant in waves. There were those like Qiu Chen, who came early to support Jiang Feng after catching wind of the news, and then there were couples who simply entered out of pure curiosity. Those who were acquainted with Jiang Feng, no matter how displeased they appeared after ncing at the menu, would stay out of courtesy. After finishing the refreshing and cooling plum drink that alleviated the heat, theyd let go of their discontent and irritation altogether. For the unintentional visitors, like that young couple, only a minority chose to stay. The rest would look around at the customers in the restaurant with surprise, murmur rip-off under their breath, and then quickly leave as if having oil on their feet. How many left? Qiu Chen and his three friends, despite being full, didnt forget their role-ying duties after their meal. Clearly so stuffed that sitting was ufortable, they still remained seated, pretending to be waiting for their dishes. The four tes on the table were so clean they looked as if theyd been licked, with not a drop of sauce wasted it all went into mixing with the rice. The sixth one just left. Li Jian from the Chinese Literature Department meticulously counted, They left even before tasting the plum drink, what a pity. Qiu Chen rubbed his stomach, eyeing the first-floor patrons. It was just twelve oclock, not yet past the typical dining hour, and already more than half of the seats were filled, sparking a slight worry within him. Its not even the start of a new semester yet. With Fengs family restaurant pricing the dishes so high and its almost full already, when school starts, wont we have to fight for seats if we want to eat here? The other three also felt a sense of threat. How about we alsoe to eat in the evening? suggested Liu Zixuan, who was known for his generous spending. Great idea! The proposal was unanimously epted. At this moment, a group appeared at the entrance. Liu Zixuan and Qiu Chens seats faced the door, and they stood up instantly upon seeing the neers. Hello, Professor Wang! Hello, Mr. Li! Hello, Professor Chen! Hello Head of the Department! All nine people in the group were professors from the Physics Department, and four of them had interacted with Liu Zixuan and Qiu Chen before. Professor Wang? Upon hearing themotion, Jiang Feng put down the plum drink he was serving and hurried to the entrance. Hello, professors. Wevee to eat. Professor Wang is treating us. We didnt expect to run into so many students. Jiang Feng, are you working here for the summer job? Professor Chen, the youngest, asked with a smile. Im just helping out in the restaurant, said Jiang Feng. As they walked in, they noticed that the majority of the customers were students from the Physics Department, able to recognize many whom they had taught. Is the Physics Department having a gathering here today? Even the typically serious Professor Wang couldnt help but make a joke upon seeing the scene. This is my familys restaurant opening its doors for the first time today, and everyonese to support me. Professors, please head upstairs; we have private rooms and round tables. Would you like to take a private room? Jiang Feng led the way ahead. No need for a private room, were here to support you too, said Professor Chen cheerfully. There were menus upstairs, and Jiang Feng went downstairs to bring the professors their plum drinks, suggesting they start by looking through the menu to ce their orders. Upon opening the menu, Professor Li said with a smile, Its not easy to find a restaurant near UAL University that offers such aplete selection of Shandong cuisine! For the students, the prices at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant were a bit steep, but the sries of UAL Universitys professors were quite good, making these prices quite reasonable for a menu so extensive. Generally speaking, you dont dare to undertake delicate work unless you have the skill. The professors didnt hesitate to order several vegetable dishes and some main courses, including sweet and sour carp and Dongpo pork. Jiang Feng and Wang Hao brought the plum drinks to the table, and after Jiang Feng took a quick look at the menu and found everything in order, he went to the kitchen to inform Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Jiankang had stewed two hocks with the intention of eating them himself, one for lunch and the other for dinner, but now that the professors had ordered it, Mr. Jiang Jiankang would have to make do with one less. The carp was even more serendipitous. The day before, after Jiang Feng had made a suggestion, Jiankang had gone to the fresh produce market behind the wholesale market. There, he came across two live carps exceptionally fresh and decided to buy them to keep on hand. Who would have thought that one of them would end up in the pot today? Professor Chen took a sip of his plum drink and praised, This plum drink is delicious! You find everything delicious, retorted Professor Li, a true Yanjing local who among all the professors was the most authoritative when it came to plum drinks. Nowadays, most plum drinks are bought from supermarkets made with additives, not like when we were kids when it was stewed with rock sugar. This imperial drink is all about the details traditionally its made with smoked Professor Li picked up his cup, and as soon as he tasted the plum drink, he was struck silent. The subtle smoky vor was just like the ones he remembered from the old mainstay plum drink shops of his childhood. No, perhaps even better. Smoked what? Professor Chen pressed. Dark plums. Professor Li swallowed down his plum drink, Is this ce run by a student of yours? Jiang Feng, theds not good at his major, nearly failedst semester. Professor Chen picked up his cup and took another sip, I think this sour plum drink is quite tasty already. Its the authentic imperial method, slowly simmered with rock sugar. Professor Li seemed a bit distracted, as if recalling something, Ever since those old shops closed down, I havent tasted such genuine sour plum drink in a long time. It seems were quite fortunate today. Everyoneughed and savored their sour plum drinks. In the kitchen, Mr. Jiang Jiankang tearfully offered his own pork knuckles. He scoured all the markets and supermarkets around UAL University to carefully select these two pork knuckles from hundreds. They were soaked in ice water for twelve whole hours just to remove the bloodiness even the pork knuckles served atst nights dinner didnt receive this treatment. Jiankang loved pork knuckles and took special care when preparing each one he would eat. To make the pork knuckles well, he went through great lengths to procure fine Huadiao wine to use as an ingredient. In the kitchen, Jiankang sentimentally poured his cherished Huadiao wine into the pot, muttering, Feng, if it werent for you, Dad wouldnt bring out such good Huadiao wine. Jiang Feng: Whenever a customer ordered pork knuckles, Mr. Jiang Jiankang acted as if it were a matter of life and death, even though he himself had over a hundred bottles of Huadiao wine stashed away. The Huadiao wine he used for customers was always the worst. Finally, Mr. Jiang Jiankang poured adle of broth over the pork knuckles. This was Mr. Jiang Jiankangs cooking habit; he liked to pour adle of broth over everything his kitchen always had a pot of broth simmering away. The broth toned down the sauce on the pork knuckles but also enhanced their umami and fragrance. When Jiang Feng carried out the pork knuckles, nearly all the patrons on the first floor turned to look. It smells so good. People couldnt stop eximing. Even though they were tempted, no one ordered the pork knuckles. Everyone was a student, and few could bear to spend a hundred yuan on a te of pork knuckles. The aroma wafted up to the second floor. Whats that smell? Professor Chen sniffed, his appetite piqued. Dongpo pork knuckles, please enjoy, professors, Jiang Feng said as he ced the pork knuckles on the table. Mr. Chen, Dongpo pork knuckles are a specialty from your area, and you cant recognize it? another young teacher teased. This isnt Dongpo pork knuckles; the ones from my ce arent made this way. Professor Chen shook his head, reaching out his chopsticks to pick up a piece of skin-on pork knuckle, Maybe its just their own version here, but they call it Dongpo pork knuckles. This dish is much more aromatic than the regr Dongpo pork knuckles. The pork knuckle melted in the mouth upon tasting. And much tastier too! Professor Chen added. The others reached out with their chopsticks. The first floor gradually filled with patrons, and Jiang Feng and Wang Hao started to get overwhelmed handling everyone, so Qiu Chen and three others decided to pay and help out a bit. Posting an empty te on social media gets you a 10% discount, Jiang Feng reminded them. A 10% discount for an empty te? The girl from a couple seated not far from Qiu Chen perked up her ears upon hearing this; her own te was as clean as if it had been licked, except for a little water spinach juice left in one dish, and even the sweet and sour porks syrup was gone. She had just lost control and ordered another serving of stir-fried water spinach. Not only had she revealed her big appetite, but she also spent several days worth of food money in one meal, and now sat regretting it at her table. Yes, UAL University students can get a 10% discount by posting an empty te on social media, Jiang Feng nodded. I am from UAL, studying in the Chinese department. Dont believe me? Ive got my student ID! the girl hurriedly said, ncing at the four clean tes on Qiu Chens table. With determination, she picked up her juice-stained te and drank down the residue. Jiang Feng: This girl sure has character. Putting down her te, she took out her phone to snap photos and post on social media. Ding, youve gained 1 point of poprity, task progress (2/100). Chapter 18 - 18 18 Porridge 18 Chapter 18 Porridge Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The girlpleted the payment via WeChat and left with her boyfriend. Jiang Feng quickly cleared the table while Qiu Chen watched in astonishment. Feng, does your familys restaurant have such high expectations for empty tes? Qiu Chen, who was still editing his social media post, was totally shocked by the girls audacious behavior just now. She misunderstood, Jiang Feng exined. Ding, gained 1 point of poprity, task progress (3/100). Feng, lets help you, Liu Zixuan, who had just finished posting on social media, eagerly took over the tes. Jiang Feng didnt stop him, Its just my parents in the kitchen, you can just put the tes in the dishwasher, dont bother asking my mom. Liu Zixuan assured that he knew how to use the dishwasher and carried the tes into the kitchen. Ding, gained 1 point of poprity, task progress (4/100). Ding, gained 1 point of poprity, task progress (5/100). Ding, gained 1 point of poprity, task progress (6/100). The other three also began to help out. They took orders and cleaned tables, simple tasks that, although they werent as adept as Jiang Feng, they couldnt really mess up. Jiang Feng realized his family hadnt considered everything; he always thought the old small restaurant didnt need to hire anyone, but now it seemed they needed to recruit a few student workers. Previously, when he saw small eateries near schools hiring students and offering two meals a day for only a few hundred yuan a month, he thought they were ruthless. Now that he was starting to recruit, he realized student workers were the best choice. Meal times, inexpensivebor, and saving moneytwo birds with one stone. Liu Zixuan spent a long time in the kitchen and came out holding a te of yuxiang shredded pork, a trace of satisfaction at the corner of his mouth. You little rascal, you actually sneaked a bite! Wang Hao instantly noticed the abnormality at the corner of Liu Zixuans mouth and eximed, considering the amount of food theyd just eaten, I cant believe you still have an appetite. Auntie gave me a ss of herbal tea, Liu Zixuan savored contentedly. Upon entering the kitchen, he was surprised at how different Jiang Fengs parents physiques were from his own. After a sip of the herbal tea, his mind was too preupied with the drink to think of anything else. Indeed, Auntie Jiang was an angel-like person, Only a bit on the plumper side. The professors were thest group of customers to leave. When the professors left, Professor Li still smiled warmly at Jiang Feng, leaving Liu Zixuan, who watched from a distance, dumbfounded. Out of them all, only he had taken Professor Lis sses and knew how serious the old man was. He was unsmiling with the students and merciless when failing them at the end of termtruly an older version of a fierce deity. Feng, what did Professor Li just say? After the professors left, Liu Zixuan curiously approached and asked. The professor asked if I was from Yanjing and whether my grandfathers generation was also from there, Jiang Feng said, finding it odd as well. It was just a meal, so why was Professor Li asking these questions? Mr. Jiang Jiankang is skilled in Shandong cuisine, not the Jing-style cuisine from Yanjing. Although the two cuisines share simrities, it wouldnt make one assume Mr. Jiang Jiankang was from Yanjing. Your family mainly does Shandong cuisine, right? Liu Zixuan also had some knowledge about food. Maybe Professor Li had the plum drink and felt it tasted authentically like something from Yanjing, which is why he asked, Jiang Feng suggested. Right, do you guys Jiang Feng was about to ask if they wanted to eat together, but then remembered they had already eaten, so he changed his question to, Do you want to join us for dinner tonight? All four nodded so fast their heads might have reached 20Hz. Qiu Chen and his group each held a ss of herbal tea, leaving gleefully. Despite Wang Hao already sneaking quite a few sips of the plum drink, herbal tea, and mung bean soup, he bravely managed to eat a full meal. Jiang Feng estimated that with his appetite, it wouldnt be long before he could catch up to his big cousin Jiang Zaidis physique. In the afternoon, Jiang Feng wrote a notice for a part-time job and pasted it on the ss outside the restaurant. Hiring: Part-time delivery staff, two meals included, sry negotiable. After putting up the hiring notice, Jiang Feng found a corner inside the restaurant to check his attribute panel. With a morning of cutting vegetables, his knifework proficiency had increased by 326. The main task progress had reached (19/100), which was very encouraging. It looked like maintaining the te-clearing discount for a few more days wouldplete the task. Ding, earned 1 point of poprity, task progress (20/100). To gain a point of poprity just like that! Jiang Feng was momentarily stunned but quickly realized what had happened. It was likely that some customers from lunch rmended Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to their friends, the same principle as posting on social media, which could also increase poprity. So, it seemed the main task could bepleted very soon. After a tiring day, Comrades Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian went up to the second floor to rest. Taking the opportunity, Jiang Feng fired up the stove to cook a few pots of porridge. Since acquiring the Cooking Porridge (Intermediate) skill, he hadnt yet made porridge; this was the perfect chance to see what the taste of intermediate-level porridge was like. Jiang Feng cooked two pots of porridge, one with preserved egg and lean pork, and another with ck rice. One sweet and one savory. Since the plum drink had sold out, he would serve porridge that eveningone small bowl per person, perfect for lining the stomach. Under the guidance of his intermediate Cooking Porridge skill, Jiang Feng could urately sense when to use high heat, when to turn it low, when to stir, and when to add ingredients. It was as if he were possessed by a culinary god. Normally, without decades of experience in cooking porridge, one wouldnt have such sharp instincts. The two pots of porridge were ready. [One pot of reasonably tasty preserved egg and lean pork porridge with not finely crumbled preserved eggs and insufficiently marinated meat] [One pot of reasonably tasty ck rice porridge with not-so-fresh oats] Jiang Feng tasted them and found that the vor could rival that made by Mr. Jiang Jiankang himself. He went to the entrance to change the special offer to include one free bowl of porridge with any meal and prepared to open for business. He then went upstairs to wake Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who were already asleep, and invited them toe down and try the freshly cooked porridge. Mr. Jiang Jiankang sleepily took a sip of the porridge. Ding, earned 9 experience points. Mrs. Wang Xiulian yawned and took a sip of porridge. Ding, earned 11 experience points. Jiang Feng: Conveniently, Wang Hao came to help at the restaurant. Hao,e and try the ck rice porridge I just cooked, Wang Hao had a sweet tooth, so Jiang Feng called him over for the sweet porridge. Ding, earned 31 experience points. Jiang Feng: Hao, you have changed, you werent like this yesterday. Chapter 19 - 19 19: Turnover 19 Chapter 19: Turnover Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio As soon as they opened for business, Qiu Chen and the others came to help. Seeing that there were no customers, the four of them yed the part of actors and pretended to be customers, sitting in the most conspicuous ce. Having witnessed the whole process, Jiang Feng: These four people are really wasting their talents not studying acting. The first customer was the girl from noon who had finished her vegetable juice,ing alone with no sign of her boyfriend. Nine Turns Intestine! the girl sat down as usual by the window seat she had taken at noon, Do you still serve plum juice in the evening? We dont have plum juice in the evening, but we offer a small bowl of porridge, you can choose between preserved egg and lean pork porridge or ck rice porridge, Jiang Feng replied. ck rice porridge, ck rice porridge, and also a bowl of white rice, the girl quickly said. Liu Zixuan, who overheard their conversation, couldnt help but nce sideways. The girl looked quite slim, but she had a big appetite! The girl also noticed Liu Zixuan and leaned over to ask, Are you guys also from UAL University? Liu Zixuan nodded. The girl obviously loved to chat and took the initiative to strike up a conversation, This ce is delicious, but its just too expensive. Not expensive, not expensive at all! Liu Zixuan hastily endorsed the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, This is our Chess Club presidents familys restaurant. They bought the ce and went into a lot of debt to open this restaurant! Your presidents family owns it? Hey, what kind of club are you from? the girl asked curiously. Chess Club, Liu Zixuans eyes lit up, Hey, would you like to join our Chess Club? We recruit from all years, and club members get a get a Get a ten percent discount, Jiang Feng said as he came out with the ck rice porridge, Club members get a discount across the board. The Chess Club, including Jiang Feng, only had eight people, and they had only managed to recruit Liu Zixuan, a new member,st year. The club barely had any activities; at most, they would asionally gather for a meal, and a few chess enthusiasts would get together to y chess. They had never ranked in anypetitions, and were basically a club of loafers. If they couldnt recruit any new members this year, the Chess Club was going to go under. Senior, Im Liu Qian from the Chinese Literature department, can I add you on WeChat? Ille to sign up when the club does its recruitment in a couple of days! Liu Qian said excitedly. Do you know how to y chess? Jiang Feng had to make sure he wasnt recruiting members who couldnt y chess. Yes, yes, I often y chess with my dad at home! Liu Qian imed. Wee to the Chess Club, fellow student, Im the president, Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng said warmly. Im the vice-president, Qiu Chen. Seeing they actually attracted a new member, Qiu Chen hurried over to greet her. Im Liu Zixuan. Zhao Yang. Zhao Yu. Zhao Yu, hurry up and get the club application form for junior Liu Qian to fill out! urged Qiu Chen. Right, right. Zhao Yu quickly took out a stack of club application forms from his bag and even had a pen ready. Liu Qian: What kind of club members carry club application forms with them everywhere? Under the supervision of Qiu Chen, Liu Qian finished filling out the club application form and then turned her attention to the ck rice porridge. She didnt usually drink porridge, choosing the ck rice version only because she had a sweet tooth and didnt know much about porridges. She just thought this bowl looked delicious and pretty, with rice that was thick and sticky, and it smelled wonderfully sweet as well. The first taste was smooth, the temperature just right, the ck rice was thick but stic, the oats added a nice chew, sweet enough but not cloying. President! Liu Qian finished a small bowl of porridge in a few gulps, How much do you sell the ck rice porridge for? Ten yuan a bowl, with a side dish included, Jiang Feng said. Ill take one bowl, no, make that two! Do you still want rice? Jiang Feng asked. Yes! The four people at the table all looked at Liu Qian at the same time. Liu Zixuan cleverly came forward to collect the bowls and took the opportunity to sneak into the kitchen for two sips of porridge. Around 5:30 pm, customers began to trickle in. The promotion of giving away free porridge seemed to attract more neers than the plum drink offer, and revisits like Liu Qiansfrom lunch to dinnerwere rare since the price was obvious; eating here every day would triple ones monthly food expenses at least. With more customers in the restaurant, Qiu Chen and others stopped acting as fill-ins and started helping out, shuttling back and forth between the kitchen and the dining hall, very busy. The evening business was better than at noon. The first floor waspletely full, so guests were directed to therge round tables on the second floor, and it wasnt until 9 pm that they closed up. Everyone has worked hard. Come on, eat up, Mr. Jiang Jiankang called out, I really thank you all. Its the first day our restaurant opened, we werent well-prepared, and we dont have enough staff yet, and it has been such an inconvenience for you guys. Not at all, not at all. Uncle, if you need us, we cane every day! Qiu Chen said joyfully with his mouth full of ribs. Mr. Jiang Jiankang was never one to shortchange himself. The dishes he cooked for customers might have had issues like uneven seasoning or incorrect fire control, but the dishes he made for himself he always thought were his best performances. The professors took away a pork knuckle at midday, and Jiang Jiankang was even more careful with the pork knuckle in the evening, slowly stewing it over low heat for who knows how long until every bit of it was infused with juiciness, tender to the extreme. The group ate with such relish that they wished they could just stay in the restaurant forever. Oh right, stay in the restaurant. Liu Zixuan, who had the quickest mind, asked, Feng, have you guys hired any part-timers yet? No. The job posting had only been out for half a day; how could they have hired anyone so quickly? How about us four? We can do all sorts of chores, even delivery. We dont need to be paid, just provide us with two meals! Ille over right after my sses end, I wont miss the meal times. Having tasted Jiang Jiankangs actual skills, Liu Zixuan felt it would be torture to go back to eating in the cafeteria. The other three nodded in agreement. Okay, youll be covered for three meals, as long as youre willing toe over in the morning, Jiang Feng agreed, Ill find someone else whos long-term and stable since you all have a lot of sses. The Physics department was known for its heavy course load. By the way, Hao, did you check your timetable? Whose ss do we have tomorrow? Jiang Feng asked. Let me see, its Professor Lis from lunch today, Signal and System. We have three back-to-back sses tomorrow morning, Wang Hao checked his phone, Oh no, this Electromaics ss is taught by Dean Zhang. I already failed his ssst year. Im done for, Im definitely done for this year. Wang Hao quickly took a bite of pork knuckle tofort his wounded heart. After dinner, Wang Hao and his friends went back to their dorm first while Jiang Feng stayed to help Mr. Jiang Jiankang clean up the kitchen, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian tallied up the days takings. Oh my goodness, at this rate, well be able to pay off my second brothers debt by the end of the year, eximed Mrs. Wang Xiulian, a trained ountant, as the calctor clicked away. How much did we make? Jiang Jiankang asked curiously. Eleven thousand after costs, Mrs. Wang Xiulian sighed, The big city is really different. In our small ce, it would take several days to earn this kind of revenue! Jiang Feng, who never knew their family restaurant could make so much money: Sir Jiang Weiguo was right after all, studying physics is not as good as learning to cook. Chapter 20 - 20 20: High-Difficulty Side Quest 20 Chapter 20: High-Difficulty Side Quest Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The next morning, everyone gathered early at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, sitting around a six-person table waiting for breakfast. Breakfast was in noodles, with no added ingredients apart from a sprinkle of green onions. The noodles were hand-rolled by Jiang Jiankang, and the broth was his treasured stock. No other ingredients were needed; a bowl of the broth was enough. The noodles were chewy; their vor was fresh. The group devoured theirrge bowls like a whirlwind sweeping away leaves. Feng, youve really had it rough, having to eat pig food with me at UAL University these past couple of years. Wang Hao couldnt help but sigh deeply over the delicious breakfast. Yeah, Feng, your familys restaurant should have opened here earlier. Qiu Chen agreed, then looked at Liu Zixuan and suddenly remembered something, Zixuan, dont you have no sses this morning? Why did you get up so early? I came to the shop to help out. Waking up early is good for your health, Liu Zixuan replied without a change in expression, as if he had never been the person who couldnt get up for club gatherings. There was still some time before sses, so Jiang Feng and Wang Hao walked slowly to the ssrooms together. At the bottom of the academic building, they bumped into Professor Li. Good morning, teacher, Jiang Feng and Wang Hao greeted in unison. Good morning, Professor Li nodded to them and stopped Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng, I have something I want to ask you. Wang Hao tactfully went ahead to the ssroom. Teacher, what is it? Jiang Feng asked. I just wanted to ask; does your father know how to make clear soup with willow leaf-shaped vegetables? I saw it on the menu yesterday but didnt actually see the dish being served, Professor Li inquired. Jiang Feng was startled that Professor Li had looked at the menu. He replied, Im sorry, Professor Li, my dad cant make that dish, only my grandfather can. Hes currently in the countryside, but if youd like, I can call and ask him for you. I see, Professor Li didnt show any disappointment and continued to ask, may I know who your grandfather is? My grandfather is Jiang Weiguo. Sir had some fame as a head chef in the state-owned restaurant back in the day, but Professor Li was from Yanjing, so far away. Chances were he hadnt heard of Sir. Clearly, Professor Li hadnt heard of Jiang Weiguo, so he just said, Then Ill trouble you with this, lets head up together. As they were walking, Professor Li suddenly seemed to recall something, Jiang Weiguo Weiguo Jiang Feng, do you know Jiang Chengde? Jiang Chengde? Hes my great-grandfather, Jiang Feng didnt expect Professor Li to know of Jiang Chengde. ording to Sir, his great-grandfather had passed away during the war. Jiang Feng, I must ask you to please bring your grandfather here, money is no object, nor are the ingredients, I beg you, Professor Li suddenly became animated. It it should be no problem, my grandfather just prefers staying in the countryside, he hasnt stopped cooking, Jiang Feng was somewhat taken aback. I beg you, Professor Li bowed deeply to Jiang Feng. An old teacher bowing to him, Jiang Feng felt helpless and blurted out, Teacher, I need to go to the bathroom first. He fled as if running for his life. Ding, an optional side quest has appeared, please yer choose ordingly. A side quest? In a bathroom stall, Jiang Feng pulled up his character panel. The side quest had changed to Side Quest: (Optional) 1.[Mothers Wish]Wang Xiulian has always hoped to have a gentle, understanding, and slim daughter-inw. Please help her fulfill this wish by finding a girlfriend who is gentle, understanding, and slim.[Choose: Yes/No] 2.[Li Junmings Wish]Li Junmings father, Li Mingyi, wont be in this world for much longer. Born into a prestigious Yanjing family, he never forgot the clear broth willow leaf swallow dish made by Taifeng Buildings head chef, Jiang Chengde, when he was a child. Please help Li Junming fulfill his wish and let Li Mingyi taste the clear broth willow leaf swallow dish from his memory.[Choose: Yes/No] After clicking yes, the task became: [Li Junmings Wish]Li Junmings father, Li Mingyi, wont be in this world for much longer. Born into a prestigious Yanjing family, he never forgot the clear broth willow leaf swallow dish made by Taifeng Buildings head chef, Jiang Chengde, when he was a child. Please help Li Junming fulfill his wish and let Li Mingyi taste the clear broth willow leaf swallow dish from his memory. Task Progress (0/1) Task hint: This task is extremely difficult, yers are advised to explore on their own. Task reward: Unknown Jiang Feng: I thank you for your exploration on your own! He certainly knew the task was difficult. To recreate the legendary Jiang Chengdes clear broth willow leaf swallow dish, even Sir couldnt manage it. Who was Jiang Chengde? In Sirs words, he was once the man for whom the entire Beiping Citys princes and nobles, and the scions of the X Banner, had to queue up for a taste of his cooking. He could pick and choose from the most exotic ingredients; if he wanted dragon meat from the heavens, those food connoisseurs would have managed to get it for him. One was the strongest champion; the other, a stubborn bronze. They werent in the same league at all. The professor sure was a professor; even his wishes were hard to fulfill, tougher than hidden tasks! Jiang Feng went to the professor. Wang Hao had already imed a good spot, the fourth row, not too far forward and not too far back, perfect for listening to the lecture or taking a nap. Feng, what does Mr. Li want with you? Mr. Li was reviewing his notes on the podium while Wang Hao asked out of curiosity. He wants my grandfather to make him a clear broth willow leaf swallow dish, Jiang Feng didnt hide it. Wow, Professor Li must be really rich, Wang Hao sighed. No wonder hes rumored to have a quad in Yanjing. Who knows where he got that gossip from. Is the clear broth willow leaf swallow dish tasty? Wang Hao was most concerned about the vor. Never had it, said Jiang Feng. Their household certainly wouldnt bother with such a luxurious dish. Feng, I heard your familys restaurant just opened. Lets go show our support at lunch! A ssmate from behind chuckled. Do we get a discount? Clear your te and share it on social media for a ten percent discount, Jiang Feng was very principled. Qian Tang, let me tell you, Fengs dads cooking skills are really something Wang Hao never missed a chance to advertise, turning to tell the ssmates behind him about Mr. Jiang Jiankangs culinary talent. As Wang Hao spoke, he even took out his phone to show everyone the picture ofst nights pork knuckle, garnering admiring gasps all around. This pork knuckle is over a hundred bucks! Wang Hao didnt forget to stress the price. If its over a hundred, a few of us can just order one to try! spoke another financially untroubled individual. The pork knuckle needs to be ordered in advance, Jiang Feng turned to say, It takes several hours to stew a pork knuckle; its impossible to do it on the spot. Today, Comrade Jiang Jiankang had only one pork knuckle leftif it got sold, hed be crying while holding the pork knuckle. Chapter 21 - 21 21: Props 21 Chapter 21: Props Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio On the first day of school, the business at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was way beyond Jiang Fengs imagination. From seasoned old-timers to famished neers, everyone seemed to prefer dining out with their well-filled wallets over settling for the university cafeteria on the first day of school. UAL Universitys cafeteria was notoriously capriciouswith the chefs performing well when in good spirits, but fully indulging their whims otherwise. Dishes like seaweed egg drop soup made from rinse water, broth enriched with seasoning powders, pineapple stir-fried with tomatoes, and chili fried with mooncakes attested to their creativity. There was nothing they couldnt whip up, only things you couldnt fathom. The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, situated near UAL University, was considered arge establishment. Despite its slightly higher prices, there were always those who didnt mind splurging on a meal. By the time noon approached, both the first and second floors were packed, and even therge round tables had been filled by individual customers. President, hey, President? Mr. Hao, my teacher held us back today, and Imte! Liu Zixuan, backpack in tow and gasping for breath, rushed into the restaurant, astonished by the sea of people before him. There were not only seated customers; some were even standing and waiting for a table. Is this really not the cafeteria? Even the cafeteria on its special deal days isnt this crowded, right? The ce is too packed, Feng has gone to the kitchen. Go up to the second floor and help your brother Qiu Chen; hes been running up and down the stairs, probably about to break his legs, directed Wang Hao to Liu Zixuan. The lunch rush kept them busy until they finally got a break at 1:30. Feng, where have you been advertising or promoting? Howe there are so many customers today? Wang Hao gulped down his sour plum juice with gusto, reminiscent of Mr. Jiang Jiankangs demeanor. Its the first day of school, and cafeterias one, five, and six are not open for business. Which restaurant wouldnt be crowded? The contractors for the three cafeterias were all the same entity, which typically started operations on the third day of the school term. Thats true, Qiu Chen acknowledged, reminded of the fear that ruled previous first days of school in the battle for food at the cafeteria, Feng, isnt your ce considering doing deliveries? At lunchtime today, Liu Qian asked me when your restaurant is going to join a delivery tform. Didnt you see the notice at the door? Were hiring part-time delivery staff, Wang Hao said, focusing on his meal. Doing deliveries could indeed greatly relieve the pressure on the restaurant from the abundance of patrons. We dont do delivery, stated Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Ive been running restaurants for over twenty years; I never mess with that kind of fluff. Oh please, you just hate the idea of paying amission! Mrs. Wang Xiulian gave Jiang Jiankang an eye roll, Qiu Chen, dear, we wouldnt be able to keep up with deliveries even if we wanted to, what with your uncle being the only chef and all. Weve only ever done deliveries for regr customers who ce their orders directly over the phone. We did n on expanding that service, but lets wait until weve hired more staff; the restaurant is already too busy as it is, Jiang Feng exined. After lunch, those with sses went off to their lectures and those without returned to their dorms. Jiang Feng had no sses in the afternoon, so he stayed to prep the ingredients and took the opportunity to also cook two pots of porridgea skill like Cooking Porridge (Intermediate) surely couldnt go to waste. The lunchtime rush had given Jiang Feng the chance to take the helm in the kitchen. His skills in fire control and seasoning had notably improved. Watching the big pot of porridge bubble away, Jiang Feng pondered a question. If he were to make Clear Broth Orchid and Swallow Vegetable Forget it, forget it. If Mrs. Wang Xiulian ever found out he wasted so much birds nest just to practice one dish, shed probably disown him on the spot. Humming a tune, Jiang Feng sliced cucumbers. On his right, a neat array of dishes contained shredded carrots, radish sticks, julienned potatoes, potato chunks, onion slices, strips of chili, and pumpkin slicesall rich in color and quite pleasing to the eye. It wasnt that Jiang Feng didnt want to cut meat, but Mr. Jiang Jiankang, as a devoted carnivore, held far higher standards for meat than vegetables. Every piece of meat had to be cut and sliced by him personally. How to cut the fatback, how much to use, whether it was for Kung Pao chicken or sweet and sour pork, he took care of all these details. In a way, it was ensuring that every pig and every chicken met its fate with dignity. Ding, youvepleted the main quest [Rising Little Store], and received the reward item: [Take-out Fresh-keeping Box]. Ding, a new optional main quest has been discovered: [Stand Firm]: Gain the recognition of 1000 customers for Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. He opened the quest panel and selected yes next to the main quest. [Stand Firm]: Gain the recognition of 1000 customers for the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Progress (2/1000). Mission Tip: Customer recognition is crucial for a new establishment. Please make Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant the number one restaurant in the hearts of many patrons at UAL University. Bing the top restaurant at UAL University was no easy feat. Within the university town where UAL was located, not to mention the food street, the residential area for teaching staff alone harbored no less than 20 different restaurants. And thats excluding those within the school itself, on the schoolsmercial street and the outermercial street, as well as the shopping malls. There were hundreds of restaurants of various grades and sizes, some of which had been established for twenty or thirty years. For Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, a new yer, to snatch food from the jaws of these established eateries was no small challenge. If it were just like the previous task which only required the approval of a hundred diners, things would be a bit easier. This campus had no more than 10,000 teachers and studentsbined, and the other campus was a full 40 kilometers away. One couldnt really expect the teachers and students from there toe over just to eat, could they? After calcting the daily customer flow at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Jiang Feng decided to put this main quest on hold for a while and let things take their course, beginning to investigate the rewards given by the game forpleting the task. Under the item category, the [Take-out Fresh-keeping Box] indicated that it could be taken out. Jiang Feng clicked to retrieve it, and arge foam box suddenly appeared on the ground. A foam box that looked quite ordinary, with the words take-out written crookedly on the lid. That it wasnt damaged might already be the biggest grace the game had bestowed upon him. It very much resembled the type of foam box that cheap stir-fry restaurants near every school used for take-outs. Jiang Feng stared at the foam box, speechless for a long time. Was this his reward for the main quest? To call it a safe was generous; if the box could retain heat, that would be impressive enoughjust seal it tight with some tape. Never mind, if he ever had to deliver take-outs in the future, he might indeed need it. Jiang Feng silently clicked to retract the item. Hello, is anyone there? Someone was shouting outside. Coming. He walked out from the kitchen and saw a girl with a ponytail standing in front of the recruitment notice. Hello, are you still looking for part-ti Jiang Feng? President? The two of them stared at each other for a while, wide-eyed. Youre working part-time in this shop? Ji Yue was somewhat surprised. President, didnt you go off to prepare for the postgraduate entrance exams? Jiang Feng was even more surprised that Ji Yue, who was supposed to be studying for her postgraduate exams, was looking for a part-time job at this time. Ji Yue was the former president of the Chess Club, a major in graphic design from the fine arts department, who had just graduated. She failed the entrance exams and rented a small apartment nearby to study for them. Something came up at home, and my younger brother still has to go to collegewe cant afford for me to retake the exams for another year. I cant find a decent job, and drawing pictures for others isnt enough to support myself, so I just came out to look for any job, Ji Yue said with a bitter smile. This is my familys restaurant. Its a bit beneath you to be doing odd jobs with your drawing skills, President, Jiang Feng said sincerely. Well, Id like to draw, but nobody wants my drawings, Ji Yue responded casually, familiar with Jiang Feng, I never realized before that you were a rich second-generation. You know my situation. Our schools arts majors are all pretty watered down, and I didnt formally study fine arts. I learned to draw for two years just to get into a good university during the college entrance exams. So how about it, you know what kind of person I am, President. Just give me enough to get by, and I can manage for a while, Ji Yue said nonchntly. 1500 a month, with three meals a day, no days off. Its just busy during meal times. You can work as long as you want, President, and just tell me when youve found another job, Jiang Feng offered. Thank you, Ji Yue heaved a sigh of relief, Im useless in both literature and martial arts. Nobody even wanted me as a tutor for elementary school. If it werent for your chivalrous assistance, I might starve. By the way, hows the cooking here? I made some porridge; do you want to try some first? Sure, sweet or salty porridge? Tell me the truth, President, how many days has it been since youst ate? Chapter 22 - 22 22 Three Sets of Ducks 22 Chapter 22 Three Sets of Ducks Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Ji Yue sipped her ck rice porridge with delight, reluctant to put down her bowl after three hearty servings that left Jiang Feng gaping in amazement. Senior sister, tell me the truth, how many days has it been since youvest eaten? In Jiang Fengs memory, Ji Yues appetite wasnt like this. I had a little money left, but the boss whomissioned the illustrations hasnt paid me yet. Your senior sister has been living on in porridge from Cafeteria 7 for a week. Ji Yue swiftly tidied everything up, washed the dishes, and took the opportunity to clean the kitchen. Cafeteria 7 was a discount canteen, whose meals were very cheap due to subsidies: a bowl of in porridge cost just thirty cents, vegetable dishes were one yuan and twenty cents, and meat dishes two yuan and eighty cents. The corresponding downside was that the taste was hard to swallow. Aside from being simply unptable, there were no other shorings. While Ji Yue cleaned the kitchen and took care of the household waste generated from Jiang Fengs chopping, he continued to chop vegetables. The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant never kept vegetables overnight. Regardless of whether they would be needed, they had to be prepared in advance. Unsold veggies ended up as meals for the local stray cats and dogs. Before long, a rested Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian came downstairs from the second floor. Jiang Feng introduced Ji Yue to them, and Mr. Jiang Jiankang expressed a strong wee. Dont worry, Ji. Although your uncle is broke, I can still provide meals, so feel free to work as long as you want without any psychological burden. Mr. Jiang Jiankang, burdened with enormous debts, could totally rte to Ji Yues current situation. Noticing the styrofoam box in the corner of the kitchen, which was ready to handle meat, his keen eyes caught sight of it immediately. Feng, did you get another delivery box this afternoon? Jiang Jiankang noticed therge Delivery characters on the styrofoam box, poked it a couple of times, tapped it, removed the lid, then ced it back on, appearing very satisfied. This box is good, sturdy! We just happened to have a foam box, so I left it in the kitchen, Jiang Feng lied smoothly. Lets keep it there in case we need it for deliveriester on. Who has that kind of free time for deliveries? By the time the food reaches the customer, itll be cold, and the taste will have changed. Dont do frivolous things like those other shops; we just need to take care of our own store, Jiang Jiankang clearly did not fancy the idea of making deliveries. After inspecting the vegetables Jiang Feng had chopped, there were threerge tes of carrot shreds and tworge tes of carrot slicesprobably because carrots were especially cheap at the market today, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian had bought too many. Well have a special on stir-fried shredded pork with carrots and stir-fried shredded chicken with carrots tonight, Jiankang said. Jiang Feng went outside and attached red special offer stickers behind the signs for stir-fried shredded pork with carrots and stir-fried shredded chicken with carrots. Jiang Feng, doesnt your familys store do deliveries? Ji Yue was quite surprised. Being a technical institute, UAL University was brimming with students who lived off delivered food. Not offering delivery would undoubtedly result in the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant losing arge customer base. My dad doesnt want to lose the tforms cut of the money. When the family didnt have debts, Mr. Jiang Jiankang was already reluctant to let go of that money, let alone now that they were heavily indebted. Jiang Jiankang would certainly not allow the tforms to take advantage of them. You guys could start your own WeChat Official ount or Mini Program! Ji Yue suggested. Our Art Institute has its own WeChat Official ount, and we receive small illustrationmissions through it. Its really simple; you just need to find someone from the Computer Science Department to do it, and it wont cost much. Ding, an optional side quest appears, please choose at your discretion, the game systems notification sound echoed in Jiang Fengs mind, signaling that Ji Yues idea was definitely a good one. He nodded, Ill ask around at the Computer Science Department when I have time. But we dont have an electric bike! Jiang Feng suddenly realized a serious problem. I have one! Extra charge for delivery! Ji Yue said to Jiang Feng with a smile. Jiang Feng went to the second floor and found a corner to open his character panel. Side Quest: (Optional) 1. [Mothers Wish] Wang Xiulian has always hoped for a gentle, understanding, and slender daughter-inw. Please help fulfill mothers wish by finding a gentle, understanding, and slender girlfriend. [Choose: YES/NO] 2. [Li Junmings Wish] Li Junmings father Li Mingyi wont be in this world for much longer. Born into the distinguished Yanjing family, the Liu Ye Swan Dish in clear soup made by Taifeng Buildings head chef Jiang Chengde left an unforgettable taste in his mouth. Please help fulfill Li Junmings wish, allowing Li Mingyi to taste the clear soup Liu Ye Swan Dish from his memory. Task Progress (0/1) Task Tip: This quest is extremely hard; please explore at your own pace. 3. [Keeping Up with the Times] As a restaurant aspiring to dominate among the eateries near UAL University, how could you not keep up with the times by having your own WeChat Official ount? Please help the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to have its own WeChat Official ount and get a hundred people to follow it. [Choose: YES/NO] After clicking YES, the quest became: 3. [Keeping Up with the Times] As a restaurant aspiring to dominate among the eateries near UAL University, how could you not keep up with the times by having your own WeChat Official ount? Please help the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to have its own WeChat Official ount and get a hundred people to follow it. Task Progress: Official ount (0/1) Followers (0/100) Task Reward: Unknown Task Tip: Just spend a little money to start a public ount and get a hundred followersits as easy as pie. It looks like this task is indeed very easy, almost like a beginners benefit. At dinner time, there were still many customers in the restaurant. Perhaps because there was no pressure from napping or rushing to ss, the customers arrived at staggered times, greatly reducing everyones workload. Sister Ji, is the postgraduate entrance exam difficult? Liu Zixuan, after cleaning up a tables dishes, curiously approached and asked. Jiang Feng had already exined to everyone the reason Ji Yue took a part-time job at the store, so naturally no one would be so clueless as toe forward and ask what exactly happened to Ji Yues family. What do you think? I failed it, Ji Yue said with an unchanged expression, clearly indicating that the postgraduate entrance exam was not a pleasant experience for her. If I had passed, I could have at least tutored. Liu Zixuan wisely shut his mouth. Hao, do you know anyone from theputer science college? Wang Hao sneaked into the kitchen to drink some mung bean soup and got caught red-handed by Jiang Feng. Ah, yeah, I know lots of people, Wang Hao hastily finished the soup in his bowl and wiped his mouth. Among the people you know, is there anyone who has the technical skills to help me set up a WeChat public ount? We can negotiate the price. My dad is reluctant to spare the tforms money, but I think that kind of WeChat public ount, the kind that can order takeout, is also pretty good, Jiang Feng said. Oh, Feng, youre quite keeping up with the times! Wang Hao thought for a moment. The one who came for lunch today, bringing his girlfriend, seemed to be called Zhang Wei, right? Wasnt there a buzz in the Momentsst semester about him selling a program and making tens of thousands? I have his WeChat, Ill go ask him. With that, Wang Hao took out his phone. Jiang Feng was called by Mr. Jiang Jiankang to assist him. Today was Ji Yues first day on the job, and Jiang Jiankang had asked Ji Yue where she was from. He nned to make her a table full of Huaiyang cuisine as a wee from Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to the new employee. There were still several ducks and pigeons in the restaurant, all raised by Mr. Jiang Jiankang himself after picking good ones to buy. Although they were not Gaoyou sesame ducks nor wild ducks, it was still passable to make a dish of Three Sets of Duck. Crab meat lions head, a clear-broth variety, was steaming on the stove, and Jiang Jiankang was busy minding the fire control, handling the task of deboning and stuffing the three birds, and nching them in water, which naturally fell to Jiang Feng. Making such aplex dish for the first time, it was fortunate that Jiang Feng had good knifework skills, so deboning a whole duck was no problem. Although he had practiced deboning chickens, deboning ducks and pigeons wasnt much of an issue either. After processing the three birds, he boiled them in water to remove the blood, then inserted the pigeon into the ducks cavity, stuffed it full with mushrooms and ham slices, and then ced the duck into arger duck and nched it again. He took out the Shaoxing wine treasured by Mr. Jiang Jiankang and put the stuffed duck and other ingredients into the pressure cooker. Though it should be slow-cooked for hours, there wasnt enough time. Pressure-cooking it and adding Mr. Jiang Jiankangs broth would ensure it would be just as delicious when served. Feng, what dish are you making? Wang Hao was dazzled by the series of operations. Three Sets of Duck, a famous Huaiyang dish, Jiang Feng exined. The rest, managing the fire control, would be left to Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Sister Ji Yue is really lucky. Thinking that Ji Yue came from the Huaiyang area, Wang Hao sighed genuinely from the heart. Jiang Feng: Given theplexity of Three Sets of Duck, Ji Yue probably hadnt eaten it many times By the way, Zhang Wei just messaged me back. He said this kind of public ount is very simple and can be done in a few days at no cost, just that Just what? He asked if we could deliver takeout to him during the time the public ount isnt ready. He said theirputer science department has so many sses they literally have no time to leave school for meals. He can bring his own food container, Wang Hao said, showing Jiang Feng the chat record on his phone. Jiang Feng: Fine Chapter 23 - 23 23: To Learn Cooking, Go to New East 23 Chapter 23: To Learn Cooking, Go to New East Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The issue with the public ount was smoothly resolved, and Jiang Feng added Zhang Weis WeChat to discuss the details of the delivery for the next few days. Zhang Wei wasnt picky; he told Jiang Feng about a few dishes he didnt eat and let him decide what to deliver, depending on whatever was convenient to cook at the restaurant. Upon meeting such an easy-going customer, Jiang Feng couldnt help but feel a bit shocked. After thest table of customers had left the restaurant, Jiang Jiankang spent another half hour bustling in the kitchen, finally finishing thest dish. Looking at the table set with seven dishes and one soup of Huaiyang cuisine, Jiang Feng nearly wondered if Jiang Jiankang had poured all his lifetimes knowledge into todays preparation. Yangzhou fried rice, three-set duck, clear-braised crabmeat lions head, Wensi tofu, pine nuts with corn, stir-fried mushrooms with greens, sauted shrimp, and mushroom soup. Reading the clues, Jiang Feng could tell that the Yangzhou fried rice was too oily, the fire control for the crystal pork wasnt quite there, the Wensi tofu excelled, the pine nuts with corn were too nd, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian had surely skimped by buying not-so-fresh corn. For Mr. Jiang Jiankang, who wasnt very skilled in Huaiyang cuisine, this meal was yet another milestone in his culinary journey! Ji Yue was dumbfounded by the abundant spread of dishes. Jiang Feng, you never told me your familys three meals a day were thisvish! Ji Yue said, her voice trembling as she observed the feast. Such great meals, I wouldnt trade them for a monthly sry of ten thousand! Eh, why are there two soups? Zhao Yu pointed at the Wensi tofu and asked, Why chop the tofu so finely for tofu soup? Big brother, this is Wensi tofu! Liu Zixuan said, frustrated with his ignorance. But indeed, Mr. Jiang Jiankangs unrestrained ting did make the Wensi tofu resemble more of a tofu soup. Come,e, sit down to eat, Mr. Jiang Jiankang called out, warmly inviting Ji Yue, The Huaiyang dishes I make arent that authentic either, showing off in front of a master. Come on, try this Wensi tofu, and let me know if its authentic or not. Authentic, definitely authentic. Ji Yue nodded repeatedly. She had never seen authentic Wensi tofu before, but with the tofu as fine as silk, if this wasnt authentic, she couldnt imagine what true Wensi tofu would be like. Try this three-set duck as well. Although it doesnt have Gaoyou sesame duck or wild duck, I made it with rich broth, so the taste shouldnt be too far off, Mr. Jiang Jiankang continued. Delicious, delicious! Ji Yue hadnt tasted three-set duck before. The lions head is delicious, Uncle Jiang! Liu Zixuan gave his generous praise without hesitation. Of course! Mr. Jiang Jiankang was immensely proud, Although the crabs arent plump right now, theyre still okay to make do with. Ill cook it for you again when the hairy crabs are in season in a couple of months. Today, Ji Yue has to put up with this inferior dish. Very tasty, very tasty! Ji Yue nodded and smiled almost mechanically. Since when did lions head require the use of crab After a hearty meal and wine, Ji Yue efficiently cleaned up the dishes, wiped down the table, and sanitized the ce, while Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian went to do the ounting and also n tomorrows drinks. Those who didnt feel like returning to the dorm stayed back in the store to help out, meanwhile, indulging in some boasting. Ah, I almost chose a university in the Huaiyang area when I was filling out my college preferences, Zhao Yu reminisced, smacking his lips as if savoring the meal he just had. Yeah, I didnt realize that within our vast China the differences between dishes could be so substantial. Why doesnt our region have any uniquely delicious specialty dishes? Wang Hao agreed wholeheartedly. Ji Yue: I think you guys might have some misunderstandings about my hometown. Ive also eaten many of these dishes for the first time. Not wanting to shatter her juniors aspirations for a good life, Ji Yue decided to keep this secret buried in her heart. After closing the shop, everyone headed back to their dorms. Jiang Feng had a full schedule the next day, not finishing ss until twelve. When he returned to the dorm, he looked at tomorrows textbooks intending to be a good student. After a nce and failing to grasp the material, he joyfully closed the books and climbed into bed to y with his phone. Five minutes before sleep, immense joy was like being in heaven. The next day, having gleefully devoured four custard buns on the way to ss, he discovered that the first thing everyone asked upon meeting was Did you eat yesterday? What, is this some new inte catchphrase? Feng! Qian Tang burst over to Jiang Feng as soon as he saw him, Save the child, please! The expression on a students face when asking the teacher to outline the exam scope couldnt be more vivid. Whawhats wrong? Jiang Feng was startled. We have five sses today, Feng! Qian Tangs face was etched with sorrow, Theres no chance to grab a seat for meals! Jiang Feng wondered internally why it was his problem that the canteen was too crowded to find a seat, as he couldnt find one either. Order takeout! Thats what everyone didst year, just ce an order after the fourth period and specify a delivery time. Feng, doesnt your family do takeout? I checked all the delivery apps, and couldnt find your ce, Jiang Feng thought Qian Tangs acting skills werecking. If it were his uncle here, there would already be two lines of tears streaming down his cheeks. Oh, that, well start doing it in a few days. Wait until I set up a WeChat official ount, then you can order takeout through it, Jiang Feng said, and a few other people gathered around immediately. Feng, how many more days until we can order takeout? Feng, save us chubbies! Feng, does your restaurant charge for the containers in the takeout? Feng As the teacher walked in, he noticed everyone enthusiastically calling Jiang Feng Feng. Originally, Wang Hao had coined the nickname just to coerce Jiang Feng into making extra pork rib rice, but now everyone had picked it up, and no one called him by his real name anymore. Whoa, Jiang Feng got an upgrade to Feng after just one summer vacation. Come on, Feng, did you do the prep work? Ive got a question for you, Mr. Wang had taught Jiang Fengs ssst semester and was a youthful teacher who enjoyed joking around. Jiang Feng: Looking at a line of forme on the ckboard, Jiang Feng felt the systems assessment of him was spot-on; his physics was indeed at a high school level. He couldnt even read the forme written there. Mr. Wang continued to write until half the ckboard was filled. The whole ss stared at each other, dumbfounded. Teacher, youve changed. You used to start every ss by talking for five minutes about the love-hate story between Edison and Te. Jiang Feng quietly bowed his head and opened his attributes panel, allocating experience points to physics, upgrading it from beginner to intermediate. Physics (Intermediate): You can master most of the physics knowledge at the undergraduate level. When he looked up again, the previously iprehensible forme suddenly made sense, and he instinctively knew what they were and how they could be applied to various types of problems. Feng, what were you just tapping on the table? Wang Hao asked. I was opening the game panel to upgrade my skills, Jiang Feng said. Haha, Feng, youre really funny. Come on, Feng, tell me what these eight forms are about? Mr. Wang circled the eight equations on the left. Theyre all Maxwells equations, Jiang Feng said. Not bad, you still remember some ofst years electromaism content. Okay, Li Bin, tell me what these three equations over here are about? We learned Maxwells equations in electromaism? Wang Hao looked utterly perplexed, his attributes as a cker exposed beyond doubt. Maybe, Jiang Feng said with an expressionless face. If only I had known, I wouldve gone to New East. At least then I wouldve had an equal footing with Lanxiang. Chapter 24 - 24 24 Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall 24 Chapter 24 Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Feng, carrying his backpack, arrived at the restaurant at 12:40. Thest sss teacher had lived up to everyones expectations by runningte, sessfully solving the problem of the lunchtime food rush for the students and allowing everyone to enjoy the joy of eating leftovers in the deserted cafeteria. Jiang Feng saw a lunch box on the kitchen counter. A blue, threeyered, costly, very insted lunch box that was verymon in high school but quite rare in college. Senior, is this your lunch box? Jiang Feng asked. He really couldnt think of anyone who would use such a lunch box in college. Its not mine; its Zhang Weis. He has another one; he asked me to put rice in the firstyer, dishes in the second, and soup in the third, Ji Yue exined. Jiang Feng nodded; pretty good, environmentally friendly. It seemed that Zhang Wei was intent on eating their takeaway every day. Worthy of being from a wealthy family who allegedly made a tidy sum from selling software, his monthly food expenses alone could match most students living expenses. Despite the lunch hour having passed, Jiang Jiankang was still busy in the kitchen. He had taken out his precious Shaoxing wine, and there were as many as twenty or thirty tes of various sizes on the cooking table. Shaoxing wine jars? Jiang Feng leaned in and, sure enough,mb shanks, pork stomach, trotter tips, trotter tendons, abalone shark fins, sea cucumbers, scallopsall the essential ingredients for Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall were there. And just by the looks of it, they were not the usual fare youd find in the market, nor did they seem to be something Mr. Jiang Jiankang could gather in such short notice. Their family just ran amon stir-fry restaurant, not having the extensive procurement means of a big hotel. Jiang Jiankang was carving the deer tendon, the scallops were soaking, and on his left was a piece of authentic Jinhua Ham that Sir Jiangs friend had sent a few years ago. By the looks of it, Mr. Jiang Jiankang was going all out. That piece of Jinhua Ham was his treasure, one Jiang Feng had never even tasted. Dad, where did you get all these ingredients? Jiang Feng asked, curious. A customer brought them himself, your professor. The one who came for lunch on opening day, Chen, I think, quite an elderly fellow, Mr. Jiang Jiankang said, pointing at the te of abalone, Go and carve the abalone. Jiang Feng went to grab a knife. The abalone was a four-headed one, of excellent quality. It was unclear how Professor Li managed to get fresh, living four-headed abalone in n City, which wasnt by the sea. Usually, dried abalone was used for Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, due to its richer aroma, but since the customer had brought the ingredients, to each their own. For Mr. Jiang Jiankang, who was adept at making great broth, fresh abalone was more to his liking. Jiang Feng had never tasted Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall. It wasnt because the ingredients were precious; nowadays, you could get a pot of Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall in hotels for just a few hundred yuan. But Sir Jiang was very particr about ingredients, dismissing hormone-treated meat and pesticideced vegetables. If the Jiang Family were to cook Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, they would need the finest ingredients. After all, Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was once a signature dish at Taifeng Building, and Sir Jiang wouldnt stand for his descendants smearing the reputation of the Jiang Familys expert dishes. Eighteen main ingredients, twelve auxiliary ones Jiang Jiankang patiently processed each one. In between, he made everyone a hasty lunch, and even before Jiang Feng left for the ssroom, he had been busy with the soaking of the fish maw. Jiang Jiankang was no longer the head chef of the state-owned restaurant, getting the chance to prepare a grand dish with such fine ingredients was a rare opportunity for him. It was midday, the sun zing, enough to make ones head spin. On his way to the ssroom, Jiang Feng called Sir Jiang. Sir never had the habit of taking afternoon naps; ording to his biological clock, he was supposed to be cooking food for his beloved pigs. An enviable afternoon tea and meal addition. Hello, Feng, whats up? Sir Jiangs robust voice came from the other end. Grandpa, a professor from our school wants to invite you over to make a clear soup with willow leaf-shaped swallows, Jiang Feng got straight to the point. I wont make it, Sir rejected the request quite straightforwardly. Our professor provided his ingredients. He came to the restaurant today to ask Dad to make Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall; he brought his ingredients, and Ive seen them, theyre great, truly rare fine ingredients, Jiang Feng still hoped toplete this side quest. The phrase really great ingredients clearly moved Sir Jiang, who was silent for a moment then spoke, This professor from your school, why go to the trouble of specifically inviting me to make this dish? Thirty years ago, if someone invited Sir Jiang to cook a dish, he wouldnt be surprised. After all, he was once a somewhat famous chef in a state-owned restaurant, having received many who came by his reputation. But now that he had been retired for so many years, and with so many great chefs in the world, they wouldnt miss one like him. Our professors father tasted the clear soup willow leaf-shaped swallows made by Great-Grandfather at Taifeng Building when he was young. He wants his father to taste it again, Jiang Feng exined. Ill go to n City next week, Sir sighed, Its been 70 years, and someone still remembers Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng hung up the phone, and although they only spoke for a few minutes, the phone heated up slightly, making it uncertain whether the heat was from the sun or Xiaomis inherent tendency to overheat. During his afternoon ss, Jiang Feng was somewhat distracted. This was his first time seeing Mr. Jiang Jiankang making Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, and not being able to witness the entire process kept him preupied. Feng, what are you thinking about? Youve looked at your watch three times in thest two minutes, Wang Hao nudged Jiang Feng with his elbow. My dad was making Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall in the kitchen at noon, Jiang Feng said. Ive had Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall before, its avable at Yipin House in our city, 688 yuan for a pot, gone in two bites. Its quite tasty, but not as miraculous as the novels make it out to be, Wang Hao remarked, indicating that he too was worldly. Jiang Feng was familiar with Yipin House whose specialty was Jiangzhe cuisine. Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was not even considered a signature dish there. If you had the one that costs 1888 yuan, you wouldnt think that way. My grandpa once mentioned a restaurant in Fujian where their Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall is so fragrant it wafts for miles, limited to a hundred servings a day, and you couldnt get a reservation even if you waited for three months, Jiang Feng said, pretending to pay attention to the lecture by turning the page of his book in sync with the teacher. Will the one your Uncle makes today be just as effective? Wang Hao began to salivate unconsciously. Definitely not, but it will surely be better than the one for 688 yuan you ate, Jiang Feng said. The former head chef of that restaurant in Fujian could be considered Sir Jiangs half mentor, and Sir Jiangs Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was taught by him. That man now owns a nationally renowned restaurant, while the Jiang Family has a thriving eatery. Theres also a pharmacy thats about to open, a tailor shop thats resigned to fate, a pet store surviving on razor-thin margins, and the old mans beloved three pigs. As soon as the ss ended, Jiang Feng and Wang Hao rushed to the restaurant with their school bags. Mrs. Wang Xiulian was sitting at the counter, one leg propped up, supporting her chin as she watched her dramas; Mr. Jiang Jiankang had moved a chair into the kitchen to keep watch over her Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall. All the chairs in Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant shared one characteristic: they were sturdy. The lotus leaves sealed in all the fragrance, making Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall appear to be just an ordinary wine jar. Son, chop the vegetables, Jiang Jiankang instructed, his gaze not leaving the jar in front of him for a second. Jiang Feng picked up the knife and began chopping vegetables. Starting at five, customers began trickling into the restaurant. Jiang Jiankang handed over full control of cooking to Jiang Feng; although it was slightly cruel to the customers, Jiang Feng hadnt heard the wonderful chime of experience points in a long while. His experience points hadnt seen much increase in two days, and he had used up 1,000 that morning to level up Physics, resulting in a negative growth. Around six oclock, Professor Li and his wife helped an elderly man with a cane into the restaurant. Dad, be careful, Professor Li assisted his father to the nearest table to sit down. Ji Yue went into the kitchen to tell Jiang Jiankang that Professor Li had arrived. Jiang Jiankang carried the entire wine jar out. Lifting the lid, he removed the lotus leaves. The aroma hit them instantly, filling the entire restaurant. The customers, who had been engrossed in their phones, couldnt help but lift their heads, seeking the source of the aroma. What dish is this, it smells amazing! a boy with sses asked. Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, Ji Yue replied thoughtfully. Poverty kept his mouth shut. Mingyi shook his head and, trembling, stood up; Professor Li and his wife rushed to support him, fearing he would fall. Its not this scent, Mingyis voice was extremely hoarse. Sorry, Master Jiang, would you please pack it up? Professor Li said, filled with apology. Its myck of skill. Ji Yue quickly went to find the takeout containers. Mr. Jiang, may I know when your grandfather ising? Professor Li turned his gaze to Jiang Feng. My grandpa said hed be in n City next week, Jiang Feng said. Im so sorry for the trouble, really, thank you, Professor Li said repeatedly. Your Grandpa, is he Jiang Weiguo? Mingyi asked. Yes, Jiang Feng nodded. I remember him, he wasnt as tall as my waist back then. When he served food, Huiqing praised him for being so handsome, Mingyis cloudy eyes sparkled with a hint of light. Then he muttered some incoherent phrases no one could understand and left the restaurant, supported by Professor Li and his wife. Chapter 25 - 25 25 The Last Good Medicine 25 Chapter 25 The Last Good Medicine Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio By the time Ji Yue fetched the stic container Mrs. Wang Xiulian had tucked away in the storeroom corner, Professor Li and his wife had already helped Li Mingyi leave the restaurant. What about the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall? Ji Yue, holding the container, seemed unsure of what to do next. The guests had left, but the dish remained. Shall we try it? Wang Haos mouth had already watered at the smell, and even though the lid was on now, the aroma still lingered in the restaurant, refusing to dissipate. No way! Ji Yue gave Wang Hao a stern look and stepped in front of him to block his path. Hao, I remember you took down Professor Lis phone number in your textbook yesterday morning, see if the Signal and System textbook is still in your bag. Jiang Feng suddenly remembered. Right, right, its in the bag! Wang Hao hurried to get his bag from behind the counter, fished out the textbook on Signal and System from among three or four others, and flipped it open to the first page where Li Junmings number was clearly written: 1xxxxxxxxxx. Its said that each week, UAL Universitys Principle of Marxism professors on average receive over ten calls from shop owners informing them that a student has left a book behind. True enough. Jiang Feng took out his cellphone and dialed the number written on the page. About twenty secondster, the call connected. Hello, Professor Li? This is Jiang Feng, you left your dish behind at the restaurant, said Jiang Feng. So sorry, as I get older, I tend to forget things easily. My wife and I wille get itter, Professor Li apologized, his voice apanied by the sound of an elders cough and the asionally soft, asionally firm tapping of a cane on the ground. Jiang Jiankang silently moved the jar back to the kitchen, Wang Hao felt a bit regretful he couldnt taste the exquisite dish, and helped Ji Yue take out the trash to the garbage station. The next few afternoons would be filled with five straight sses, only surfacing from the sea of knowledge around six oclock. Though it didnt show on his face, Jiang Feng, as his son, keenly noticed that his dad was feeling downcast. Every bit of fat, every ounce of grease, seemed suffused with profound mncholy. Dad, whats wrong? Jiang Feng followed Jiang Jiankang into the kitchen, where he saw his father silently chopping vegetables. He cut extremely slowly, each slice requiring great effort, as if he held a deep animosity against the bell peppers in front of him. Ive ruined something good, Jiang Jiankang said, sounding somewhat disheartened. I think it was quite good, Jiang Feng lied through his teeth. He didnt even want to look at the long remark on the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall order; it listed several issues such as too short a simmering time, too much shark fin, abalone cut too thick, and insufficient soaking time for the fish maws. But theplexity of preparing Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall couldnt be med on Mr. Jiang Jiankang. My poor ham, Jiang Jiankang sniffled. The pork knuckle wasnt stewed today either, he even sounded a bit aggrieved. Jiang Feng: Sorry to have bothered you. The kitchen returned to the endeavor of Mr. Jiang Jiankang, who picked up his spat to join the battle at the frontlines of cooking as the scent of the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall had already attracted many customers. Although everyone had been busy watching themotion and hadnt ced their orders, the first floor was now almost fully seated. Menus fell like snowkes, one after another delivered to the kitchen, and Mr. Jiang Jiankang went back to his wok with renewed vigor. Jiang Feng turned back into a kitchen helper, relegated to washing vegetables, peeling, chopping, and tingtasks that didnt offer any experience points. Before long, four Chess Club members who had imed they wereing to help rushed into the kitchen with their backpacks still on. They took out sour plum and mung bean soups chilled for a day from the fridge. They each gulped down two bowls like hungry wolves before setting their backpacks down to start helping. Seeing these four, Jiang Feng suddenly became worried about next weeks club recruitment. Other clubs either had a lineage of talents or had their own specialties, or at the very least, attractive guys and girls to lure in new members. But the Chess Club had nothing, not even funding. What should they perform for the club recruitment? In previous years, it was just two chess geeks pretending to y serious games. Were they now expected to each chug a pot of sour plum soup like performers? As Jiang Feng worried about the future of the club, he quietly continued to julienne carrots. Are carrots on sale these days? Why does Mrs. Wang Xiulian buy so many every day! After Jiang Feng turned all the carrots into julienned strips, Professor Li and his wife returned to the restaurant. Professor Li held an envelope in one hand and a lunchbox in the other. Truthfully, taking the entire liquor jar would have best preserved the dishs original taste but, not to mention its weight, allowing a customer to walk out carrying arge jar just seemed improper. Ji Yue carefully scooped the dish out of the jar and into the lunchbox. This dish was currently worth more than her annual sry, so it needed to be handled with the utmost care. Jiang Feng, Id like to ask for your help, Professor Li handed an envelope to Jiang Feng. My father haste-stage stomach cancer and has been suffering from a loss of appetite. I was wondering if you could take care of his lunch and dinner. Faced with such an important task, Jiang Feng felt anxious, about to refuse, but then the systems prompt rang in his mind. Ding, an optional side quest has appeared. Please make a choice at your discretion. Another side quest. Jiang Feng was startled, realizing there were now two side quests involving old Mr. Li Mingyi. The game seemed to ce considerable importance on this elderly man to offer two side quests. Curious, Jiang Feng epted the envelope, Actually, you should ask my dad. His cooking skills are much better than mine. It was my father who just now insisted that you be the one toe. He likes you a lot, Professor Li said with a gentle smile. Hes been very happy today. Its been a while since hest felt this joyful. Unconsciously, Jiang Feng touched his own face. He didnt think he had the kind of face that would bring joy to someone on sight. Although he did consider himself quite handsome, surely he wasnt to the extent that everyone would love him at first sight? Please, Professor Li said. Of course, of course, Jiang Feng felt a tinge of awe being treated so gently by the legendary strict Professor Li these past few days. Ji Yue had already packed Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall into the lunchboxes. Professor Lis wife left with him, carrying the lunchboxes, and smiled warmly at Jiang Feng before departing. Your professor seems to really like you, remarked Ji Yue. Ah? He was quite stern when he came at noon, almost like that foreign teacher I had in my freshman year. Ji Yue looked up, seemingly recalling the severe Filipino female teacher she had in her first year of university. That woman, taking advantage of my poor English to scold me every day. Women sure hold grudges. Jiang Feng opened the envelope, which contained several banknotes and a sheet of paper. He took out the paper and unfolded it to reveal a recipe for a nourishing porridge written in powerful, forceful penmanship. The ingredients for the nourishing porridge were almost identical to those Mr. Jiang Jiankang used, but there were some minor changes and an additional ingredientpork liver. Though Mr. Jiang Jiankang had learned how to make porridge from an old master at a porridge shop, the recipe for the nourishing porridge was given to him by Sir Jiang. How did Professor Lie by the Jiang Familys nourishing porridge recipe? Dad, was the nourishing porridge recipe you used to make for me given by Grandpa? Jiang Feng was beginning to question his memory and went to the kitchen to ask Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Passed down from our ancestors, Mr. Jiang Jiankang replied as he was stir-frying. Professor Li was Mo Fang rted to our family? Jiang Fengs mind raced with wild theories. Could it be that his grandfather had six brothers who didnt all perish, and one had survived, changed his name to Li and lived incognito? Wang Hao, if he knew this material, might spin it into an even better story. Heading to the storeroom, Jiang Feng opened his character panel. [The Last Good Medicine]: Li Mingyi is suffering from thete stages of stomach cancer, experiencing loss of appetite and a distaste for food, enduring excruciating pain from prolonged chemotherapy treatments. As a chef, the only thing you can do is provide himfort through food. Please give him The Last Good Medicine. Assist him with regr meals for a period of 15 days. [Choose: Yes/No] He clicked yes. [The Last Good Medicine]: Li Mingyi is suffering fromte stages of stomach cancer, experiencing loss of appetite and a distaste for food, enduring excruciating pain from prolonged chemotherapy treatments. As a chef, the only thing you can do is provide himfort through food. Please give him The Last Good Medicine. Assist him with regr meals for a period of 15 days. Quest Progress (0/15) Quest Tip: You canplete the quest by following the recipe provided by Li Junming. Quest Reward: A fragment of Li Mingyis memory. No wonder Li Mingyi looked unusually frail; Jiang Feng had originally thought it was simply because of old age. And this was the first time the game offered a specific reward for a quest, but the reward was a memory. This memory does it have something to do with Taifeng Building? Chapter 26 - 26 26 Proposal 26 Chapter 26 Proposal Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio In the following days, Jiang Feng would cook the porridge in advance every evening, store it in the freshness box, and have Ji Yue deliver it to Professor Li the next day. Ji Yue was none the wiser, thinking that the porridge was made by Jiang Jiankang. Initially, Jiang Feng didnt trust the games freshness box, which looked just like an ordinary foam box. However, to his surprise, it really did have a magical function to keep things warm and fresh. No matter how long the food was stored inside, it woulde out unchanged, which felt like ck technology. Truly a godsend for the takeout industry. Zhang Weis WeChat official ount was ready, and he taught Jiang Feng hands-on how to operate it. He even posted on his Moments to help promote the ount, but unfortunately, the effect was far from satisfactory. Although Ji Yue would rmend customers to scan and follow the WeChat ount when ordering, and the QR code was posted on the tables, it still didnt gain much traction. The ssmates from his ss were quite supportive, with everyone following the ount and many helping to share and promote it, bing the main force of the takeout service. But after three days, the followers just barely passed the halfway mark. It seemed that every task of Jiang Fengs had hit a bottleneck, with no significant progress. Having a rare free Saturday, and with most UAL University students preferring to stay in their dorms and live on takeout, the business was much slower, giving everyone a bit of leisure. The club recruitment was next week, and the Chess Club, suffering from insufficient membership, hadnt even secured an activity room, with pitifully little funding. Moreover, if they couldnt trick a few new members this year, they feared they would be mercilessly disbanded by the student union. Without an activity room, theyd make one themselves. Since the restaurant wasnt busy on the weekend, all the Chess Club members gathered together at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurants second floor to brainstorm novel ways to attract freshmens attention at the uing club recruitment. Together with Jiang Feng and the newly joined Liu Qian, there were nine people in the Chess Club, not one fewer, all gathered at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Even the former president, Ji Yue, joined the discussion, worried about the clubs future. Since when did our club gain a new member? Which major are you from, ssmate? He Jiahui, a senior student from the fine arts department, should have left the club a long time ago. She stayed only because the club struggled to recruit new members. Im Liu Qian, a sophomore from the Chinese literature department. Liu Qian hadnt joined any club in her freshman year, so this first-time club activity felt fresh to her. He Jiahui, a direct junior under Ji Yue, knew about chess only to the extent of knights move in an L-shape and elephants move diagonally. She waspletely conned into joining the club by Ji Yue back in the day. He, you really dont pay much attention to our clubs affairs, Qiu Chen said, feeling the need to stand up and speak as the vice president. How could you not know about such a big thing as our club getting new members? Didnt I tag everyone in the group chat before? Also, Chen, Zhao, Feng, it must be your first timeing to their familys restaurant, right? Zhao Linling put down her phone when she heard her name mentioned. She and Chen Mengxing were bothw seniors. We wanted to support this ce too, but as seniors with internships, its been hard finding aw firm, and weve been working overtime every day to the point of losing our hair, so theres no time to go out to eat! Zhao Linling couldnt help but protest her innocence. Yeah, Ive been busy looking for internships too! added He Jiahui in her defense. No sooner had He Jiahui finished speaking than Jiang Feng and Ji Yue came up with plum drinks. The drinks were freshly taken out of the fridge and condensed with mist on the sses, looking quite attractive paired with the amber-colored plum drink. He, have you found an internship yet? Jiang Feng offered her a plum drink. Not yet, us art students are unemployed before we even graduate! He Jiahui took the plum drink, took a big gulp, and her eyes lit up, eager to swallow it down. Wow, junior, where do you buy this plum drink from? What brand? Its really good, I want to get some too! My dad made it, said Jiang Feng, as he and Ji Yue handed out the plum drinks to everyone. Thank you, president, Liu Qian said cheerfully as she took the plum drink. Did you alle up with anything? The club will be disbanded if it doesnt reach 12 members, Ji Yue asked. Not yet, dont worry so much, sister! Theres always a way where theres a will. If needed, we could send junior to hustle a couple of newbies from his college. What if he manages to do it? See, we havent even started recruiting and he already hustled Liu, Liu Qian to join! He Jiahui appeared veryissez-faire, finishing her plum drink in a few gulps, Junior, another one please! Dont drink too much chilled stuff, Ji Yue advised, turning his gaze to the more reliable-looking Chen Mengxing, Mengxing, you recruited Jiang Feng and Qiu Chen back then. What should we do for recruitment this year? Theres no more plum drink, how about some mung bean drink? Jiang Feng offered. He Jiahui nodded repeatedly, and Liu Qian quickly added, President, I want some too! Jiang Feng went down to fetch the mung bean drinks for them. We could hand out flyers. If all else fails, like He Jiahui suggested, well pull people from our own departments freshmen. They dont know any better, so if we can deceive one, thats one gained, andter well tell them they can only leave the club after three months, said Chen Mengxing who didnt have many options. Great idea! echoed He Jiahui, Ji Yue, and Zhao Linling in unison. The newbie Liu Qian was dumbstruck. Why cant we use some normal promotional methods, like telling everyone that Chess Club members get a ten percent discount at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, and there are also club benefits, like free plum juice or mung bean soup? asked Liu Qian. How could anyone join a meaningless club that doesnt have funding or contribute to extra credit just for a ten percent discount on food? UAL University stiptes that each person can only join one club, Liu Zixuan retorted. Liu Qian silently looked at him. All of a sudden, Liu Zixuan froze, as if struck by a heavy blow. Zhao Yang and Zhao Yu, who were both in a half-dazed state, simultaneously turned their gazes towards Liu Qian. What whats wrong? He Jiahui was somewhat confused, not understanding why the air had suddenly quieted. Our Liu junior joined the Chess Club just for the food discount! Qiu Chen eximed, pping the table. Is it really that delicious? He Jiahui asked incredulously. It really is that delicious, Ji Yue nodded solemnly. Just at that moment, Jiang Feng arrived with the mung bean soup. Ji Yue, looking at Jiang Feng, wore a face of contentment. Jiang Feng, I knew I hadnt misjudged you. Trusting the Chess Club to you was definitely the right decision! What? Jiang Feng said, looking bewildered. Keep it up, the future of the Chess Club is relying on you! Ji Yue patted Jiang Feng on the shoulder. Qiu Chen ryed Liu Qians suggestion to Jiang Feng. After hearing it, Jiang Feng paused for a moment, then said, Excuse me, I need to use the restroom. Once in the restroom, Jiang Feng opened up his attribute panel to check on the progress of his main quest. Main Quest: 1. Stand Firm: Achieve recognition from 1000 diners for the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, quest progress (34/1000). Quest Hint: Recognition from diners is crucial for a new establishment. Please ensure that the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant bes the number one restaurant in the minds of many diners at UAL University. Quest Reward: Unknown. So far, the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had gained the approval of only 34 customers, with Liu Qian definitely being one of them. But of these 34 customers, how many had never joined a club? And among those not in a club, how many would be willing to join the Chess Club just for a ten percent food discount, like Liu Qian? Liu Qians suggestion was indeed a good method. However, it required a bit of ruthlessness. When Jiang Feng returned to the private room, the group was conversing excitedly. Zhao Linling wasining to everyone about her increasingly thinning hair, which even the legendary King of Hair Products could not save. Lets do as Liu Qian suggested. Well print flyers to promote the club benefits and the ten percent discount on food. However, for the specific design, well need He juniors expertise, Jiang Feng said. No problem, I will design it to be upscale and ssy, so that no one will be able to tell that the Chess Club is a club that cant even secure funding, He Jiahui assured Jiang Feng with an ok gesture. We should still advertise in the freshman group chat, and thats where well need Zhao and Chen, Jiang Feng continued. Zhao Linling and Chen Mengxing also signaled their ok. The rest will require some hard work. The setup, presentation, and distribution of flyers during recruitment days all depend on you guys, Jiang Feng added. Presentation? What kind of presentation? asked Liu Qian. My familys restaurant is new, with not much fame or attraction yet, so naturally, we need to prepare some pastries and drinks for tasting to attract freshmen, exined Jiang Feng. Pastries? Your uncle knows how to make pastries? Liu Zixuan asked curiously. The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant didnt sell pastries. My great-uncle does, Jiang Feng replied with a victorious smile. Despite appearances, Jiang Jianguo was more than just a tailor. In fact, he had inherited at least seventy percent of the skills of the old Sir, Jiang Weiguo. Moreover, to woo Auntie, he had perfected pastries to a magnificent and lifelike degree. The students of UAL University were in for a treat. Chapter 27 - 27 27 Telephone 27 Chapter 27 Telephone Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Under Mr. Jiang Jiankangs enthusiastic persuasion, the members of the Chess Club stayed in the restaurant for dinner. After dinner, Liu Qian stared longingly at the te that had held the pork knuckles, now wiped so clean by her rice that it looked licked, her eyes brimming with tears as she said, When I have money, Im going to eat pork knuckles every day! What a lofty aspiration. That night, Liu Qianpletely let go and showed her true abilities, devouring six bowls of rice without any pretense of courtesy. Qianqian, do you always eat like this at school? He Jiahui asked while rubbing her belly; she had overeaten by half a bowl herself and now felt extremely bloated. No, I usually only eat four bowls, Liu Qian said. The crowd: A good appetite, thats great! Jiang Jiankang said with a heartyugh, praising her. Mrs. Wang Xiulians eyes lit up when she heard Liu Qians words: This girl is wonderful, speaks gently and has a good appetite yet still maintains a fine figure! Jiang Feng: ??? Why did Mrs. Wang Xiulians adjectives sound so familiar? Wait a minute, A Mothers Wish! Mrs. Wang Xiulian, snap out of it! Everyone once again confirmed their tasks. The club recruitment was the day after tomorrow, and everyones tasks were daunting. As it was gettingte, they all headed home. Dad, has Uncle been busytely? Jiang Feng asked as he went to the pantry to get some flour. Your uncle hasnt had any business for two months, what could he be so busy with? Sure enough, true to being brothers, Jiang Jiankang jabbed without hesitation. Jiang Feng nodded and took out his phone to call Mr. Jiang Jianguo. Hey, Feng! Whats up with you calling me out of the blue! The other end of the phone was noisy with the sound of a television, a woman crying, a mean mother-inw yelling; it seemed to be the annual family ethics melodrama that Uncles wife adored. Uncle, hows businesstely? Jiang Feng asked politely. Business is great, you know your uncles skills, right? Top-notch! Ive been so busytely! Jiang Jianguo boasted loudly. Jiang Feng: Its like this, Sir ising to n City next week, since youre busy Ill just ask my fourth uncle instead. Not busy, not busy at all, its only right for me as the eldest to take care of Sir; otherwise, it would look unfilial. No need to trouble your fourth uncle, they run a pet store and are busy cleaning after cats and dogs every day, which isnt sanitary. My ce is big, Sir will feel at ease living here, just tell him, my home wees him anytime! He can stay as long as he wants, better yet not to leave! Jiang Jianguo blurted it all out in one breath. But Uncle, arent you busy with your business? Busy with what? Running the shop isnt as important as taking care of Sir. Ill close the shop tomorrow! Just tell Sir that your uncle wees him to stay anytime at my ce! He can stay as long as he likes, best not to leave! The reason Jiang Feng had to make the contact was because among the culinary talents of the five Jiang brothers, Jiang Jianguo was actually the best. However, his heart wasnt in cooking, and Sir could only let him be a tailor. As a result, Jiang Jianguo rebuffed himself to win over Uncles wife with his pastry skills, performing so magically that Sir, thinking he wanted to return to being a chef, eagerly taught him all he knew. But once Jiang Jianguo won her over, he stopped learning to cook and went back to being a third-rate tailor. This infuriated Sir so much that he swore never to contact Jianguo again unless Jianguo came to him asking for a scolding. Actually, Uncle, theres a favor I want to ask of you, Jiang Feng finally got to the point. What favor? As long as your uncle can help, I definitely will. Hearing that Sir wasing to n City, Jiang Jianguo readily agreed, feeling quite pleased. Being scolded every day didnt matter; with Sirs arrival, it meant the fare would upgrade from swill to a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast overnight. Even if Sir disapproved of him, he couldnt let his third, fourth, fifth brothers and Feng go hungry, could he? The more Jiang Jianguo thought about it, the happier he felt, and even the melodramatic soap opera on TV seemed so thrilling. Look at that woman, how heart-wrenchingly she cried when she was kicked out of the house, her tears run dry to the point of simply wailing. Its no big deal, next Monday our school club is recruiting new members, and Id like to ask Uncle to make some pastries and dim sum to attract freshmen, Jiang Feng said. Thats easy, Ill go to your shop tomorrow to help you make them. Tell me, what kinds do you want? Jiang Jianguo was very generous. About twenty varieties, more than a hundred each. Huh? Jiang Jianguo: ??? Could you say that again??? Jiang Feng quickly hung up the phone and began kneading the dough. Of course, what he had just said was a joke. More than two thousand pieces of pastry, draining all 270 pounds of Mr. Jiang Jianguos beefy stature, wasnt feasible. Jiang Feng decided to first knead twenty pounds of dough, then put it in the preservation box. As much as Jiang Feng detested this preservation box initially, he now appreciated it all the more. Being able to ensure the ingredients remained in perfect condition indefinitely was truly a chefs divine tool. As he kneaded the dough, Jiang Feng hummed a tune. At the recruitment fair on Monday, my Chess Club will leave your Home Economics Club with nobody to recruit and nowhere to go! Thats for not admitting boys in the beginning, gender discrimination. Thinking about it, he couldnt help butugh out loud. Jiang Jianguo stood at the kitchen doorway, watching Jiang Feng alternate between serious and silly grins while he kneaded the dough, and couldnt help but touch his own shiny bald head. What had gotten into his son,ughing and kneading dough in the middle of the night? Could it be that he was hinting that they should have in noodles tomorrow? Chapter 28 - 28 Arrangement Chapter 28: Arrangement Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Early the next morning, Jiang Jianguo was driving his Wuling Hongguang with a cartload of wooden molds to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Not only were there molds, but also severalrge bags of red beans, mung beans, and peas that had been soaked overnight, along with severalrge pots-a whole bunch of stuff all hauled into the back kitchen. Ever since the aunt was diagnosed with the three highs, shes never touched those high-sugar desserts again, leaving Jiang Jianguo with this pile of gear with no use for it. The kitchen was divided in half, one side for Mr. Jiang Jianguo to make pastries, and the other for Mr. Jiang Jiankang to run the business as usual. There werent many customers in the restaurant on weekends, and there were only a few scattered takeout orders; Ji Yue alone was more than capable of handling it, so Jiang Feng sent a message to Qiu Chen and the others not toe in to help today. Mrs. Wang Xiulian and the aunt had an appointment to get facials at the beauty salon and left early in the morning. Feng, I didnt know what kind of pastries you wanted, so I just soaked some beans, Jiang Jianguo said as he poured severalrge bags of beans into basins, filling threerge basins to the brim. Lets deal with these beans first. Ive got several dozen pounds of flour over there, we can make some Cantonese pastriester, Jiang Feng suggested. Now that everything was ready, of course, they were going to make pea cakes, mung bean cakes, and red bean cakes. Jiang Feng started cooking the peas in a pot while Jiang Jianguo put the red beans into a pressure cooker. Afterwards, they both sat next to the basin full of mung beans and began peeling them. Peeling mung beans is a tough job, but if you want to make fresh mung bean cakes and arent willing to buymercial mung bean flour, this is the way to go- Jiang Feng could only help out with this preparatory work; once the beans were cooked and mashed, there wouldnt be much for him to do anymore. As for the proportion of the ingredients and how to mix them, Jiang Jianguo had it all figured out in his head. After toiling away for a good two hours peeling the mung beans, Jiang Fengs own palms were nearly peeled along with them by the time they finished with therge basin of mung beans. He put them into the pressure cooker as well, marking the end of his share of work. Jiang Jianguo was cooking pea paste and, upon seeing Feng finish, he pointed to severalrge dark bags on the ground and said, Feng, look and see what kind of molds you want. Opening the bag, it was filled with wooden molds. Without saying, most were definitely scavenged from Sir Jiang. There were molds in the shapes of animals, flowers, a variety of blossoms, long and wide ones, square, round, heart-shaped, with characters inscribed on themthey had everything. To an outsider, it would seem like they hade upon a mold factory. Jiang Feng picked out a few with nice designs, feeling confident he would sweep the board. With these molds, it would be hard for the Chess Club to not recruit people this year. In order to thank his uncle for his strong support, Feng had sweetened the pot by asking Liu Zixuan to buy some of the popr health teas on the market. Recently, the aunt had be quite obsessed with wellness and hadined several times on social media that she couldnt get her hands on the hot wellness teas. Liu Zixuan, whose family had wide business connections, was sure to delight her with the tea. Who knows, perhaps the amount of pocket money given to the uncle might even double this month. Within the Jiang Family, from top to bottom, its always the wives who manage the money. Sir Jiang wanted to improve the meals for his pet pig still had to get the approval of the olddy. Ji Yue had finished thest of the deliveries and was idly ying with her phone in the restaurant. Seeing Fenge out of the kitchen, she looked up and asked, All done? Not even close, Feng said as he took a seat in a chair. -jiahui finished the flyer; take a look, if theres no issue she can get it printed now, Ji Yue said, handing her phone to Jiang Feng. The flyer was simply designed, with no fancy extrasclearly a product of shortcuts. If it werent for the big printed words Chess Club Recruitment! Jiang Feng would have doubted whether it was an advertisement for Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. There was even a QR code for the public ount in the bottom right corner. Jiang Feng was very satisfied. Just like that, go ahead and print it. Senior, do you remember how much funds our club had left fromst year? Feng asked. Fifty. Lets start with printing 300 copies. Ill front the money for now and get reimbursed after the funds are approved, Jiang Feng said as he took out his phone to transfer money to He Jiahui. Hows it going with securing the venue? Seriously, whos the president here, you or me? I seem to recall Ive already graduated, Ji Yueined a bit. We still have to rely on our former president to sacrifice his charm for the venue. If the Chess Club shuts down this year, Ill skin you alive. The stall for the club recruitment is supposed to be fixed in theory, but thats just theory. If you manage to grab a corner spot and expand from there, the Student Union cant really do anything about it, provided that you can secure a corner spot in the first ce. In the past few years, thergest spots have been taken by the Cooking Club under the pretext of needing space to showcase their equipmentwhich, frankly, is just a bunch of pots and pans, plus some cakes they made. Sugar-coated bullets and eloquent, pretty girls would lure uninformed junior girls into joining. The capable has to work harder, Ji Yue. Youve worked hard. Jiang Feng said with a smile. Theres chilled sour plum juice in the fridge. Should I get you a bowl? Ji Yue solemnly held up two fingers and said seriously, Two bowls! In thete afternoon, it was time for Jiang Feng and the others to take their stuff and set up the recruitment booth. The recruitment was theoretically starting at 7 a.m. the next day. Some of the more casual clubs at UAL University, like the Badminton Club and the Basketball Club, which dont limit their membership, could have a couple of hundred members. Elite clubs have higher barriers to entry because they offer course credits and chances to win decent awards. Clubs like the Chess Club, which are not popr, have no credits to offer, and evenck sufficient funding, are quite rare. Being short-staffed means theres a lot of work to do. By the time Jiang Feng and his team arrived at the venue with tables, props, decorations, banners, and shades, most other clubs had finished setting up. Is everything ready? Jiang Feng asked. All ready. Ive checked. Lets start setting up, Qiu Chen said, beginning work on the sunshade. The others quickly sprang into action as well. Jiang Feng? Jiang Feng was spreading a tablecloth when he looked up and saw Wang Hui, the president of the Home Economics Club, standing in front of him with an armful of decorative fake flowers. I went to the Student Council to request a venue, and they told me this area was already allocated. What does the Chess Club need such arge area for? Wang Hui nced at theiryout. Are you nning to set up a row of chessboards? We are showcasing club benefits, Jiang Feng responded. Yeah right, your clubs total fundsst year were only 400 yuan. What kind of club benefits could you possibly have? Having such a big spot in an out-of-the-way location is useless. Youd be better off asking for a more front-facing spot. I heard that if you cant recruit enough members this year, your club will be dissolved, Wang Hui said. Change the venue. Previously, there werent any major conflicts between the Chess Club and the Home Economics Club, except for the personal grudge from when the former president of the Home Economics Club refused to let Jiang Feng join because he was male. After all, the Home Economics Club was arge club of 200 members, and the Chess Club didnt have the opportunity to have any grudge with them. No change, Jiang Feng tly refused. The front spots are in high demand, and there isnt enough space. What are you going to disy? Wang Hui asked curiously. Its a secret! Tsk, Wang Hui walked away with the fake flowers. Why did Wang Huie over here? Qiu Chen asked. It seems their spot is next to ours. In fact, the Home Economics Clubs spot wasnt small either; Wang Hui was right, this ce was indeed out of the way. Next to ours? Qiu Chen was shocked. What if the freshmen think were the Home Economics Club tomorrow? Jiang Feng: Is it so bad if they fill out our clubs application form by mistake? Chapter 29 - 29 Welcoming the Newcomers Chapter 29: Weing the Neers Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The next day, Jiang Feng didnt attend the clubs wee event. He spent his time either in ss or in the back kitchen helping Jiang Jianguo make pastries. Starting from four or five in the afternoon, the system prompt kept ringing almost nonstop, and the sound was so incessant that it almost made Jiang Fengs head explode. It seemed that the club recruitment had reached a fever pitch. Ding, you havepleted the side quest [Keeping Up with the Times], and have received the reward item: [Promotional Board]. Jiang Feng, delighted, continued to knead the dough as he saw Jiang Jianguo taking the freshly steamed custard buns out of the steamer and said, Uncle, after we finish thisst batch, lets not make any more, okay? Sure thing! Jiang Jianguo felt like he had finished a decades worth of pastries that day. After two days of busy work, they put thest batch of custard buns into the steamer. Jiang Jianguo sat down on a stool in the kitchen, casually fanned himself with something at hand, and asked, Feng, I forgot to ask you yesterday, why did Sir suddenly think ofing to n City? A guest asked Grandpa toe and cook, Jiang Feng replied while cleaning up the kitchen utensils. One of the professors from our school invited Grandpa to make Clear Broth Willow Leaf Swallow Dish. Thats a big dish! Jiang Jianguos eyes lit up. Even your dad never had the chance to make that. Jiang Feng nodded and kept working with his hands, chatting intermittently with Jiang Jianguo. As a father busy with work all day long, running a tailor shop that wasnt doing well, and a wife obsessed with health and family ethics dramas, Jiang Jianguo was a semi-empty nester with a lot to say but no one to talk to. Finally catching a junior, he was naturally eager to get everything off his chest. Just as Jiang Jianguo was talking about Jiang Zaidi, Jiang Fengs eldest cousin, who was working overtime in thepany every day, Jiang Fengs phone rang. He saw that the call was from Wang Hao. Hello, Feng, we have a bit of trouble here. That, that What that that, give me the phone, Jiang Feng, what do you mean? You Chess Club set up all those free pastries and drinks, and our Home Economics Club is right next to youI wont even talk about thatbut whats with that Chen Mengxing from your club? Hes outright deceiving people! Our club had already secured a new member, and he just gave her a bag of pastries and lured her over to your sidewhat kind of behavior is that? Jiang Feng: He could even imagine Wang Hui roaring in front of him. Well, Wang Hui, let me talk to Wang Hao first to find out. Im not there and dont know the situation. Hmph. Hello, Hao, whats going on with this Chen senior stealing people you mentioned? If what Wang Hui said was true, then Chen Mengxing really acted improperly. That junior sister really is a good prospect; she and Liu Qian are from the same high school and recognized each other. She has won the provincial chess championship title. Besides, we didnt steal anyone; that junior sister didnt say she was going to the Home Economics Club, she just took an application form, Wang Hao said in a quiet voice. Jiang Feng: Jiang Feng felt that if Wang Hui knew where he was, she would already be on her way with a kitchen knife in hand. Ahem, by the way, do you still have any plum juice? Give Wang Hui a cup of plum juice to calm her down. Plum juice? That was gone a long time ago; weve given it all away with the applications. Oh, right, I think I saw Liu Qian secretly stash a bottle. Hang on. Junior Sister Qian, hand over the plum juice from your thermos. What plum juice? I didnt bring a thermos! Eh, eh, thats not my thermos; its my roommates, really, she left it with me. Chairwoman Wang, you see, the matter has already Jiang Feng waited on the phone for a moment until Wang Hui took over the call and said, Jiang Feng, you think a cup of plum juice is enough to send me away? She sounded a bit calmer. Hows the plum juice? Jiang Feng asked. Its not bad. You should know that my family has opened a restaurant on Food Street, right? Yes, I know. The promotional flyers you guys made look just like those little restaurant ads. Chess Club members can enjoy a 10 percent discount on meals. You have to fill out a form and scan a QR code to follow the WeChat official ount. Be careful, or Ill report you to the student council! Wang Hui threatened. Ahem Lets do this: We did go a bit overboard with that promotion. Youve also tasted the plum juice, so I believe you have an idea of the skills of our restaurant. From now on, members of your Home Economics Club will receive a 5 percent discount when they eat at our restaurant. Make sure to show your club card! Wang Hui was silent for a moment, Ten percent. No way. Ten percent is the exclusive benefit for our Chess Club. At most, its 6 percent off! Eight percent. Your Home Economics Club has over two hundred people. An 8 percent discount would literally eat through my restaurant. Six percent is the limit! After much haggling, Wang Hui finallypromised, and they settled on a 6 percent discount. Amin, go and change the flyers. Print a new batch, and add that members of our club can enjoy a 6 percent discount at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Jiang Feng: And make sure you add the QR code! That evening, the members of the club, busy with recruiting new members all day, gathered at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. He Jiahui, Zhao Lin, and Chen Mengxing, the three who would alwaysin about being too busy in their senior year to check the group messages, somehow found the time toe for both lunch and dinner. The number of people paying for monthly meals and getting staff discounts at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant grew a bitrger. After a satisfying meal, it was time to showcase todays achievements. Ta-da, ta-da, ta-da! Zhao Yu took out a thick stack of filled membership application forms from his bag and mmed them on the table. The heavy thud resonated, making everyone take notice. 300 forms, all handed out? Ji Yues eyes widened at the sight of the thick stack on the table. All handed out, and we even got off work early, confirmed Zhao Yu with a nod. Everyones gaze fixated on the application forms. What are you standing around for? Split them up and pick people! Ji Yue urged. Only then did the others snap out of their daze. Selecting members, such an unfamiliar term, was now a part of the Chess Clubs reality. They roughly divided the forms and began screening applicants. Wu Minqi, has won two provincialpetitions. Qian, isnt this your schoolmate? Liu Zixuan showed the form to Liu Qian and eximed, Our club is on the rise! In the history of the Chess Club, anyone who had ever won a district-levelpetition was considered talented. After several rounds of selection, they retained 19 applicants who had won awards at the city-level or higher, plus some with ck belts in Taekwondo, national piano awards, expertise in flower arranging, martial arts, and other impressive skills that seemed unrted to chess but counted as special talents. Altogether, the Chess Club expected to recruit 26 new members this year, including Liu Qian. After reviewing the resumes of the new members, the veteran club members felt they had no face to stay in the Chess Club. Ive made up my mind! Ji Yue mmed her hand on the table. Ill be the one to go ask the student council for funding this year. Senior sister, going there might be a bit Jiang Feng wanted to remind her that she had actually already graduated. What are you what about? The president of the student council hasnt changed; cant he recognize me? Thinking about the hardships she faced as club president in the previous years when asking for funding, and then looking at the pile of membership application forms before her, Ji Yue felt that she must shout out the words she had wanted to say for three years to those penny-pinching members of the student council. Chess Club.. Pay up! Chapter 30 - 30 Recognizing Relatives Chapter 30: Recognizing Rtives Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio It wasnt until closing time that Jiang Feng remembered he hadpleted a side quest and the system had given him a prop. When he opened the game panel to check, he found there was an extra [Promotional Board] in his inventory. [Promotional Board]: An ordinary promotional board that can attract the attention of passersby. Jiang Feng took out the board from the inventory and pretended to have just found it in the storage room, cing it at the entrance, he said to Ji Yue, who was tidying up the trash, Senior, I just found a board. If theres any special dish tomorrow, write it on and put it outside. Okay, Ji Yue said, grabbing three stic bags in one hand, You go back first. I remember you have sses on Saturday, too. Jiang Feng looked at the time, it was almost ten oclock, indeedte, so after helping to put the chairs back in ce, he headed back to the dormitory. Weekends, for most happy fatties, are joyful. Except for a few majors that also schedule sses on weekends, most UAL University students prefer to stay in the dorms and be happy fatties. When Jiang Feng went to help at the store, Ji Yue had ridden her electric scooter to deliver takeout. With amission of 40 cents for each delivery and the UAL dorm buildings densely packed, if the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant does well, Ji Yue could quickly be a little rich woman. Though the average of 20 takeout orders a day didnt seem to be enough for her to get rich quick. When Jiang Feng entered the store, he took a special look the board was ced in a conspicuous position at the entrance, with fluorescent pen writing on it: Tomato and Egg Special for 17 Yuan. There werent many customers in the store, and no one else was there except for Liu Zixuan, who was sitting inside ying King of Glory. When he saw Jiang Feng, he looked up and said, Feng, wheres Mr. Hao? Hes gone to stock up on supplies, Jiang Feng replied, ncing at his watch. It was almost one oclock. Have you eaten? I have, theyve all gone back, Liu Zixuan said, his hands constantly moving, Im toozy to go back. Ill head to the libraryter. Just as Jiang Feng was about to go to the kitchen to whip up something for himself, two customers entered the store. Jiang Feng nced at them and thought, Hey, arent those the two roommates who moved out at the start of the semester? The pair were also stunned to see Jiang Feng, looking somewhat bewildered. How did we end up at Jiang Fengs familys restaurant without realizing it? What did I want to eat today? No, wasnt I nning to go to the Sichuan restaurant up front to have Mapo Tofu? Why did I suddenly feel likeing in for Tomato and Egg after seeing the sign at the entrance? At this moment, the thoughts of the two meshed together. Tomato and Egg, they said in unison. The old man had arrived in a hurry and left in a hurry. Without cooking, he had recognized kinship with the Jiang family. The father of Professor Li turned out to be Sirs uncle! Not only were the Jiang Family Members astonished; even Professor Li had been unaware of this fact before. Li Mingyi had been really confused in recent years, lucid at times and muddled at others. During his muddled moments, he would talk about his eldest son, his deceased wife, Beiping City, and Taifeng Building. However, when he was lucid, he would not mention any of it. It was Professor Lis wife who told him that Li Mingyi had been recently muttering about Taifeng Building and clear soup liuye swallow vegetable; thats why he went around asking people to make this dish for Li Mingyi. Before he found Jiang Feng, he had asked many people, but every time Li Mingyi just shook his head, refusing to even taste it. If Sir had not chanced upon Li Mingyis lucid moment during his visit to n City, the two would not have recognized each other. When Jiang Weiguo was young, he fled south with his father and some elder brothers after the fall of Beiping, experiencing man-made disasters, war, floods, and gue along the way. His father and brothers sumbed to illness one after another, and his memories of rtives became very vague. He only vaguely remembered having an aunt who married a wealthy young master in Beiping City. And Li Mingyi, in his youth, was precisely that kind of elegant rich young master. He did not suffer much even during the war years, and with his wife, he had two sons and a daughter, living a happy andplete family life. However, in a tumultuous era, he experienced the pain of losing his sons, daughter, and wife, one after another, until in his fifties, he was left with only his youngest son. The two elders, after more than half a century, met again. All Jiang Feng knew was that he had gone to ss for a day, Sir hade and gone, and his family had gained a new rtive. But there was something Jiang Feng didnt understand. Why didnt Grandpa finish cooking before he left? Sir said it wasnt necessary, Jiang Jiankang exined, Both old men were so happy, whether the dish was made became no longer important.. Chapter 31 - 31 Memory Chapter 31: Memory Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Did Jiang Fengs life change after finding out Professor Li was his rtive? It did. Jiang Feng got many more opportunities to be called on by Professor Li during ss. These opportunities were so frequent that some ssmates began to suspect Jiang Feng had offended Professor Li and was being deliberately targeted. After all, Jiang Fengs image as a poor student was well-known, making it hard for people to imagine Professor Li was keen out of admiration for talent. It had been over half a month since the start of the semester, and Jiang Feng could deftly navigate between honing his culinary skills, helping out at the shop, and bluffing his way through his academics. Ji Yue had sessfully obtained this years club funding from the student council, the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had begun to attract a stable clientele, and thepletion rate of the main quest was slowly but steadily increasing. But Jiang Feng always felt that life, which consisted of chopping in the kitchen, asionally stirring pots, and idling away at the club on weekends, was somewhat too dull. Feng, the porridge seems ready, go deliver it to your uncle, Jiang Jiankang shouted from the back kitchen. Jiang Feng entered the kitchen, lifted the lid of the small pot on the gas stove, and stirred with a spoon; it looked about right. Hedled the porridge into a lunch box and carried it to Professor Lis house. Professor Lis house was less than ten minutes away from Food Street, a 20-year-old faculty apartment allocated by the school. The neighborhood was old with cement on its walls full of pits and holes. Jiang Feng had delivered the porridge on several asions. Once, when he arrived, Li Mingyi was in a daze, grabbed Jiang Fengs hand and shouted, Chengde ah, why have you only just arrived? Huiqin and I have been looking for you for over a decade Despite being a frail and thin old man, Lis grip was unusually strong. Jiang Feng didnt dare to struggle, for fear of hurting him, and could only listen as he rambled on indistinctly about the old days. However, it didnt take long for Li Mingyi to no longer recognize him and to release his hand, searching everywhere for Huiqin. Professor Li hadnte back yet, and it was his wife, Chen Suhua, who opened the door for Jiang Feng. Auntie, how is uncle doing? Jiang Feng asked. Hes quite well, hes lucid right now. Go in and keep your unclepany for a while, Chen Suhua took the lunch box and headed to the kitchen, Hes been clear-headed these past couple of days. I saw some really good dates at the market this morning; Ill wash some for you. Take a seat first. Chen Suhua was the daughter of the vige party secretary whom Professor Li married during his time as an educated youth in the countryside. She wasnt well-educated, having not evenpleted primary school, and despite being in her fifties or sixties, she was always bustling with energy and couldnt stay still. Li Mingyi was sitting on the edge of the bed with reading sses, looking through a photo album. Seeing Jiang Feng enter, he smiled and waved at him. Feng hase to deliver porridge. Li Mingyi called Jiang Feng to sit by his side and pointed to a ck-and-white picture in the album, This is the wedding photo of me and your great-aunt. Its a pity we didnt have color photos back then to capture the colors. Your great-aunts wedding dress was really beautiful. I said we should only take a western-style wedding photo, but she wouldnt have it, refused to wear a wedding dress. In the end, Im in a suit and shes in traditional bridal attire for the wedding photo Dad, its time to eat. Chen Suhua, holding a bowl of porridge in one hand and a te of dates in the other, ced the dates on the bedside table, The porridge is still a bit hot; Ill stir it for you. Oh, and Feng, have some dates, theyre really sweet. No need, Ill do it myself. Li Mingyi slowly put down the album, took the bowl, walked to the desk, and began stirring the porridge with a spoon. Jiang Feng looked at the album spread out on the bed, an old, somewhat yellowed ck-and-white photo. The young man and woman in the photo appeared to be of high school age. The man wore a formal suit with no expression, and the woman had a phoenix crown with a square scarf partly covering her face, a mirror hanging at her chest, all dressed in bridal attire. There was no physical contact between them at all; if not for Li Mingyi saying this was his wedding photo, Jiang Feng really wouldnt have been able to tell. Li Mingyi scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blowing on it gently by his lips. Jiang Feng noticed a short white hair sticking to the photo. Li Mingyi opened his mouth. Jiang Feng reached out his hand. Potage met lips. Hand brushed hair away. Ding, youvepleted the side quest [The Last Good Medicine] and obtained a reward item: [A Piece of Li Mingyis Memory]. Ding, you have acquired [A Piece of Jiang Huiqins Memory]. Eh? The stingy game actually gave two items at once? How generous?! Jiang Feng twisted the strand of hair he pulled out and tossed it into the trash can. Perhaps it was because he had looked at photographs or because he found another younger person to share tales of his youth with, but Li Mingyis spirits were high today, and so was his appetite. After drinking a bowl and a half of porridge, he enthusiastically recounted many stories about his early days with histe wife while pulling along Jiang Feng. The wontons from the stall in the east of the city, Jiang Huiqins wontons, a dress with a hole in it, he reminisced about whatever came to mind. He eventually ran out of energy, as older folks do, and amidst his storytelling, he became sleepy, which is when Jiang Feng left with a bag of dates that Chen Suhua had insisted on giving him. After delivering porridge for over an hour, by the time Jiang Feng got back, Liu Zixuan had already left for the library, and only Ji Yue was sitting at the table, drawing on a digital tablet. The shops closed, and Im watching over it. Uncle and Auntie went to buy groceries; they said they found some great stuff and rushed out, Ji Yue said. You should go get some extra sleep; I can handle things here by myself. After Ji Yues suggestion, Jiang Feng really felt a bit sleepy and in need of a nap, but there was no need to go back to the dormitory; he could just go upstairs to get some rest. He shut his bedroom door and opened his attribute panel, where two new clusters of mist appeared in his inventory. [A Piece of Li Mingyis Memory]: A piece of memory that can be entered repeatedly. [A Piece of Jiang Huiqins Memory]: A piece of memory that can be entered only once. One-time use? Out of curiosity, Jiang Feng clicked on Jiang Huiqins memory, and selected yes when asked if he wanted to enter the memory. The next second, Jiang Feng found himself in adys boudoir. A girl dressed in a Republic of China-style school uniform held a big red jacket tenderly as she carefully embroidered a pattern on the cuff of the sleeve, and to his surprise, her face was that of Jiang Huiqin from the photo Li Mingyi had looked at earlier on that day. However, it seemed Jiang Huiqin couldnt see Jiang Feng; she was focused entirely on the jacket in her arms. Jiang Feng tried to pick up a teacup on the small table beside her, but his hand passed through it like a ghost. He then tried to walk through the wall but was blocked by an invisible barrier; realizing he could only stay by Jiang Huiqins side, he began to observe the room. It was a very cramped room with simple furnishings: a bed, a wooden cab, a small table, a chairthe essentials were all there, albeit in a tiny space. The bed was an ordinary wooden nk bed, covered with a dusty quilt. The cab was as tall as a person, very new, seemingly freshly made, with shiny brass sps, evenly applied paint, and carved decorationsa piece that looked quite expensive. The room was clean, with a Literature textbook lying on the table, and a tin can filled with soil on the windowsill, in which two small green onions were nted. Little sister, little sister! Someone was calling from outside the door. Yes, brother, wait a moment, donte in, Iming out! Jiang Huiqin put the jacket down, opened the door, and walked out. Jiang Feng quickly followed.. Chapter 32 - 32 Old Photos of the Republic of China Chapter 32: Old Photos of the Republic of China (1) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio ¡°Brother,¡± Jiang Huiqin cooed, tugging at the hand of the man at the doorway, ¡°you promised me yesterday, you said you¡¯d teach me!¡± Jiang Feng guessed that the middle-aged man before him, who bore a slight resemnce to himself, was his great-grandfather Jiang Chengde. The huge age gap between the two made them look less like siblings and more like father and daughter. ¡°To think you¡¯re already a grown girl about to be married, yet you still can¡¯t behave properly,¡± Jiang Chengde said affectionately, patting her head. ¡°Are you still embroidering your wedding dress in the room?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all Weijin¡¯s fault, that stinky little creature. I had already finished it, but he tore a corner of it. Tomorrow, I need to go with Mingyi for the wedding photoshoot. When I catch himter, I¡¯m going to give him a good thumping!¡± As she spoke, Jiang Huiqin raised her tiny fists and waved them to demonstrate her resolve to punish her nephew, then she trotted to the front and, seeing Jiang Chengde slowly walking behind her, urged, ¡°Hurry up, hurry up!¡± Jiang Huiqin ran quickly, so Jiang Feng could only jog to keep up; the invisible wall kept bumping against his back and butt as if someone wereshing him with a whip. The Jiang Family¡¯s small quadrangle was very close to Taifeng Building; Jiang Huiqin familiarly slipped in through the back door and finally stopped in the back kitchen, allowing Jiang Feng to catch his breath and rub his poor behind. Not using his talents in long-distance running really was a waste for him as a great-aunt. ¡°Miss Jiang, the head chef just stepped out,¡± a kitchen assistant informed Jiang Huiqin upon seeing her slip in. ¡°Shh, I¡¯m just borrowing the kitchen for a bit, don¡¯t tell the boss,¡± Jiang Huiqin replied. She couldn¡¯t find the ingredients she needed and was growing anxious as Jiang Chengde was still nowhere in sight. After a while, Jiang Chengde finally arrived leisurely. ¡°Brother, hurry up. I¡¯ve got ns with Mingyi to see a movie tonight,e on, faster!¡± Jiang Huiqin urged. Jiang Chengde couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°When will you ever learn to be patient? Remember, I¡¯m only going to teach you this dish once, so pay attention. Don¡¯t mess up; this is a dish ordered by Mr. Zhang.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t move, I promise I won¡¯t!¡± Jiang Chengde walked over to a stove, lifted the lid of arge iron pot, took out a small bowl from inside, and set it down in front of Jiang Huiqin. ¡°Mr. Zhang¡¯s mother likes swiftlet nests; your brother-inw ordered the yellow ones. The method is the same. Go on, pluck out the fuzz inside,¡± Jiang Chengde pushed the bowl towards her. ¡°Once it¡¯s clean, rinse it and soak it in alkaline water.¡± Quite obedient, Jiang Huiqin took a pair of sharp, thin chopsticks and leaned closely over the small bowl, diligently picking out the small ck fuzz and other impurities. Jiang Feng also leaned in curiously. The chopsticks were very fine, but they seemed too thickpared to the small fuzz in the bowl. Jiang Huiqin¡¯s hands were skillful, yet it was clear that it took a lot of effort. ¡°The bird¡¯s nest needs to be rinsed with warm water first and then it needs to be stewed in a pot for an hour and a half. You don¡¯t need me to teach you how to prepare the pigeon eggs with willow leaves, do you?¡± ¡°No, no need,¡± Jiang Huiqin said, her head lowered as she picked out another tiny fuzz. Seeing Jiang Huiqin carefully working, Jiang Chengde did not offer further instructions but went to a table nearby to fetch eight small wooden spoons. He rubbed oil on the inside of each spoon with oilcloth and set them aside. Next, he took a piece of ham from his right. ¡°The ham needs to be marinated first. Oh, I still need to add another two pieces of ham to your dowry. Be careful when slicing it, don¡¯t be careless and cut yourself. After it has soaked in the alkaline water and swelled, wash it with warm water before you tear it into strips. But forget it, just continue plucking for now. No matter how much I say, you won¡¯t remember,¡± Jiang Chengde remarked as he kept working without pause. Therge kitchen knife deftly followed the grain of the ham, and in a few strokes, several slices thin as cicada wings appeared on the cutting board. As soon as Jiang Huiqin heard the word ¡°dowry,¡± she hung her head low and didn¡¯t catch a word of what followed. By the time Jiang Huiqin had finished picking the fuzz and impurities from the bird¡¯s nest and soaking it in the alkaline water, Jiang Chengde had also finished preparing the willow leaf pigeon eggs¡ªsteamed eggs ced over a bed of ham slices and winter vegetable, looking incredibly appetizing. ¡°Brother, how should the bird¡¯s nest look after soaking?¡± Jiang Huiqin couldn¡¯t help but nce at the bowl containing the now fully expanded bird¡¯s nest when she saw the pigeon eggs were steamed. Upon examining it, Jiang Chengde panicked and quickly poured out the alkaline water and rinsed it with warm water, ¡°I told you, you¡¯re forgetful, and you really are! I asked you to take it out once it had softened. How long have you soaked it for? Now hurry and scoop some cold water!¡± Jiang Huiqin rushed to scoop the water. By the time Jiang Huiqin brought the cold water, Jiang Chengde had already torn the bird¡¯s nest apart and rinsed it with the cold water before putting it in the pot. The Jiang Family¡¯s love for soup was indeed passed down from generation to generation. As soon as the bird¡¯s nest hit the pot, scalding clear soup was poured over it. Only then did Jiang Feng notice that the tworge pots on the stove behind them were both filled with soup. By the time Jiang Feng turned around, the bird¡¯s nest had already been scooped out, and only the clear soup that was about to boil, still steaming, remained in the pot. Just as the clear soup was on the verge of boiling, Jiang Chengde added adle of cold soup into it, sprinkled a pinch of salt and finished with a spoonful of Shaoxing wine, before leaving the pot to Jiang Huiqin. ¡°Wait for it to boil, then skim off the foam,¡± he said, and started to arrange the tes. With a task at hand, and a chance to make up for past mistakes, Jiang Huiqin stared unwaveringly at therge pot in front of her. ¡°Aunty, Aunty, Brother Mingyi is looking for you,¡± a little radish head burst into the kitchen. ¡°Weiguo, you should call me ¡®Uncle¡¯ in the future. You can¡¯t mess up our family hierarchy!¡± Jiang Chengde said sternly. ¡°Oh.¡± The smile on the little radish head¡¯s face faded gradually. This was¡ª! Grandfather??! Jiang Feng stared at the little radish head in front of him, his nose still strung with snot, barely able to believe his eyes. Before Jiang Feng could fully take in the child version of Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Huiqin had already run out with a flushed face. Jiang Feng had no choice but to follow; otherwise, his waist and bottom would suffer the consequences. Then Jiang Feng experienced a live dog-feeding session. Who said people in old society were all conservative, that emotions should be expressed within the bounds of propriety¡ªit¡¯s all nonsense! Not a single bit of dog food was spared! Jiang Feng witnessed firsthand his teenage great aunt and the young master being sickeningly sweet at the movies, exchanging plums and sunflower seeds, holding hands tenderly. At the end of the movie, with the tragic death of the heroine, Li Mingyi stole a kiss on Jiang Huiqin¡¯s left cheek. Despite the silent and tragic movie, the two acted as though they had just watched a sweet love story. After the movie, Li Mingyi walked Jiang Huiqin home, with Jiang Feng trailing behind them. After suffering a major blow from the couple in front, Jiang Feng felt it was safer to stay back. ¡°Tomorrow we are going to Jinlikai Photo Studio to take wedding photos,¡± Li Mingyi said, stopping a block away from the Jiang Family¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Mmm.¡± Jiang Huiqin responded softly. ¡°In just 5 days, you¡¯ll be my wife.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Jiang Huiqin¡¯s voice was even softer, her head bowed, her ear tips blushing with shame. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my mother insisting on picking an auspicious day, I swear I would have had you marry me today. I must put out a newspaper announcement, not just in Beiping, but also in Shanghai, in Nanjing, in the Dagong Bao, in the Min Bao¡ªI want it announced everywhere, I want the whole country to know that you are my wife!¡± Li Mingyi embraced Jiang Huiqin, kissed her forehead, and whispered: ¡°Good night, my darling!¡± Jiang Huiqin¡¯s already rosy face turned bright red in an instant, and she wriggled out of his embrace, running home without looking back. Her sudden sprint was hard on Jiang Feng; taken by surprise, he was hit by an invisible wall from behind and knocked to the ground. And it really hurt! When Jiang Feng got up from the ground, he found himself in a room, and it was daytime. Keep in mind, it was night when Jiang Huiqin had run back home just moments ago. ¡°I won¡¯t wear it, I won¡¯t wear it, I won¡¯t wear it!¡± Before Jiang Feng could grasp what was happening, he heard Jiang Huiqin¡¯s angry scream.. Chapter 33 - 33 The Old Republic’s Shadows (Part 2) Chapter 33: The Old Republic¡¯s Shadows (Part 2) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Feng struggled to get up from the ground. This ce looked like a storeroom, probably the backstage of a theater, with dresses and suits, deskmps, telephones, racks, oil paintings, and other old or broken props piled together. Jiang Huiqin was holding a plumply wrapped and tightly secured cloth bundle in her arms. ¡°Huiqin, I really don¡¯t understand what you dislike about that wedding dress. I was trying to surprise you, but you¡¯ve really let me down!¡± ¡°I dislike everything about it, we¡¯re taking wedding photos, it¡¯s pictures of me getting married. What to wear should be my own choice!¡± ¡°You mean to wear that red jacket-like wedding dress of yours? To make our wedding look feudal, ignorant, andughable?¡± Li Mingyi raised his voice, ¡°Me in a suit and you with the phoenix crown, don¡¯t you find it absurd? Huiqin, we both have been educated in the new ways, how can you be as old-fashioned as those old pedants?¡± Ridiculous? You think it¡¯s ridiculous?¡± Jiang Huiqin looked up at him, herposed makeup smeared by tears. She unwrapped the bundle, revealing the neatly folded wedding dress inside. She took out the outer jacket, shook it open, held it up, pointed at it, trembling all over with anger. You find it ridiculous? Li Mingyi, I embroidered for 4 years, this wedding dress took me a full 4 years! My mother had a difficultbor giving birth to me I have no mother, my sister-inw is also dead, no one taught me how to embroider the dress, I figured it out all by myself, ruining so many pieces, only this one turned out well.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s ugly, ridiculous, it¡¯s not as beautiful as the one you found from a tailor in Paris, is it? But I embroidered it myself, a girl should wear the wedding dress she embroidered herself when she gets married! I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t talk to me about being feudal or open-minded, I studied in a girls¡¯ school, I didn¡¯t learn all those advanced physics or chemistry, what we learned was to support the husband, educate the children, and manage domestic affairs, I am feudal, I am conservative.¡± Jiang Huiqin, sobbing, folded the jacket neatly and put it back, picked up the cloth bundle, and hurried out. ¡°Go find some open-minded, liberated woman to take photos and get married with! I¡¯m not taking photos today!¡± Jiang Feng quickly followed her. ¡°Miss Jiang, have you thought it through, are we taking the photo or not?¡± The photographer saw Jiang Huiqining down from the upstairs and hurriedly greeted her with a smile. ¡°No, let him find someone else to take photos with.¡± Jiang Huiqin wiped the tears off her face and left the photo studio straight away. Fortunately, this time Jiang Huiqin wasn¡¯t running away; otherwise, Jiang Feng¡¯s bottom would suffer again. His Aunt had quite the temper, but Li Mingyi deserved it too. Calling his fiancee feudal, stodgy, andughable probably means he no longer wants a wife, right? Walking along, Jiang Huiqin stopped in front of a wonton stall. ¡°A small bowl of wontons, no green onions.¡± Jiang Huiqin found a table to sit down, put the cloth bundle beside her, and handed some coins to the stall owner. The wonton stall was set up at the entrance of an alley, and the owner was a middle-aged man with a slightly hunched back. There were only three small tables at the stall, bumpy and greasy, and the edges of the tables were full of splinters. The stall owner took the money, wiped the table in front of Jiang Huiqin with a greasy and dirty rag in a cursory manner, then casually threw the rag onto the next table. Without washing his hands, he grabbed a small handful of wontons that had been premade from the bamboo basket and threw them into the boiling pot. In a short while, a bowl of wontons was ready. After adding just a couple drops of sesame oil, and nothing else, the stall owner brought the chipped bowl to Jiang Huiqin¡¯s table. The wontons were unappetizing, with thick skins and little filling, not even properly wrapped, with most of theming apart in the bowl. Jiang Huiqin wasn¡¯t thinking about the wontons; she kept looking back but didn¡¯t see the person she wanted to see. On the street paved with bluestone, there were many passersby: gentlemen wearing long robes,borers in short shirts, young men dressed as students, rickshaw drivers, and beautiful women in cheongsams. Li Mingyi was nowhere to be seen. Jiang Huiqin tilted her head, staring nkly at the street, and before long, tears began to fall. After silently shedding tears for a while, she turned her head stubbornly, looked at the now cold wontons in front of her, and tried one. The tears fell even harder. It was so bad that Jiang Feng almost handed her a tissue. Crying and almost desperately upset, Li Mingyi finally arrived. ¡°Huiqin, why did you run here to eat wontons?¡± As soon as Li Mingyi spoke, Jiang Feng wanted to cover his mouth. Falling in love should be a natural talent for a teenager, but for this big brother, it seemed like a congenital deficiency, a talent that hadn¡¯t been awakened. Jiang Huiqin looked at him, her face full of grievance, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to find that liberal, democratic, open-minded life partner of yours? Whye to find someone feudal, stubborn, andughable like me?¡± ¡°Who said I was going to find some liberal, democratic, open-minded person? Huiqin, can we be reasonable please?¡± Oh my lord, I beg you, stop talking! Jiang Feng watched on the sidelines, wishing he could shove the dumplings from the table into his mouth to shut him up. Weren¡¯t those sweet nothings spoken so smoothlyst night? Howe he¡¯s so stubborn today? ¡°Then go find someone else who¡¯s reasonable to talk to!¡± Jiang Huiqin turned her head away and stared at her bowl, asrge teardrops pitter-pattered into the dumpling soup. The two fell silent for a while. Don¡¯t cry,¡± Li Mingyi said, taking out a handkerchief and gently wiping the tears off Jiang Huiqin¡¯s face, his voice soft, ¡°Your eyes will swell up from crying, and then you won¡¯t look good in photoster.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to take photos, you think the clothes I embroidered are ugly, don¡¯t you?¡± Jiang Huiqin whispered. Whatever you wear looks good, in my eyes you are the most beautiful person in the entire world.¡± ¡°Even more beautiful than Ruan Yuling?¡± ¡°A million times more beautiful than Ruan Yuling!¡± ¡°Liar.¡± Jiang Huiqin broke into a smile through her tears. Li Mingyi, holding Jiang Huiqin¡¯s hand, walked toward the photo studio. The girl¡¯s hand clung tightly to the boy¡¯s, as if afraid he would run away. The next second, Jiang Feng was back in his room. He nced at his phone; only five minutes had passed. ¡°Ding, congrattions to the yer for exploring a new feature, the game is about to update.¡± ¡°The game is updating, current progress: o%.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Here it came again, the excruciatingly slow update. However, in the memory of Jiang Huiqin just then, apart from the couple¡¯s sickly sweet disys of affection and their lovey-dovey routine, there was also a dish made by Jiang Chengde. Clear Soup with Willow Leaf Swallow Vegetables! Jiang Feng had watched the entire process of making that dish from all angles, not missing a single detail. It was just too bad that Jiang Huiqin had left early and hadn¡¯t seen the final ting or the pour of the soup. Sitting on the bed, Jiang Feng tried hard to recall the method of making the Clear Soup with Willow Leaf Swallow Vegetables that he had seen in Jiang Huiqin¡¯s memory. It¡¯s no good, too difficult. Having seen it only once, it was easy to discern the ingredients and handling, but mastering Fire Control and Seasoning without having tasted it was just too hard for Jiang Feng. Not to mention capturing the essence of the dish-the clear soup. Jiang Feng had only smelled the aroma and was clueless about the ingredients used in the broth. If he had the talent to determine ingredients by smell alone, he wouldn¡¯t have been smacked on the head with the bottom of a pot by Sir when he was learning to cook as a child. Convinced that he couldn¡¯t master the Clear Soup with Willow Leaf Swallow Vegetables, and finding sleep impossible after reviewing the memory, Jiang Feng simply went downstairs to walk around. Since the start of school, he rarely found leisure time, and it would be a waste to spend it sleeping. Ji Yue was still drawing downstairs. Jiang Feng, having spent the better part of a day in Jiang Huiqin¡¯s memory, had experienced only a few minutes in reality. Seeing Jiang Feng descending the stairs, Ji Yue was somewhat surprised. ¡°Not sleeping anymore?¡± ¡°Not sleeping, going out for a walk.¡± This time was when the food street was at its most deserted. The lingering heat of thete summer made one dizzy andpletely quashed any appetite while walking under the sun. Jiang Feng was mulling over something. Something that, if Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang found out about, might entail a mixed doubles beating, kneeling on the kitchenware rack, and dealing with the high pressure cooker.. Chapter 34 - 34 Recipes Chapter 34: Recipes Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The Physics Department had a heavy coursework load and high difficulty, and Jiang Feng ran back and forth between school and the shop every day. Over time, even an iron body couldn¡¯t take it. What was crucial is that Jiang Feng would definitely inherit the Jiang Family¡¯s generations-old tradition of cooking and be the main chef at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Of course, dropping out was out of the question. That would never happen in this lifetime. After struggling through three years of high school, getting up earlier than chickens, and sleepingter than dogs, he had finally been admitted to UAL University. Only a fool would drop out! UAL University didn¡¯t strictly enforce attendance; as long as the final grades were high, teachers would usually turn a blind eye to low attendance and grant fairly good regr grades. Of course, if you could score full marks in every subject, the professors wouldn¡¯t care even if you never attended ss. Last year, there was a legendary student who never attended sses, and ultimately got kicked out after failing eight courses in one term. If Jiang Feng were to follow in the footsteps of that legendary student, the consequences¡­ Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t bear to imagine what his fate would be under Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s ten-plus-pound heavy p across his face. After pondering for a long time, Jiang Feng felt he should progress gradually. Start with skipping a few sses on a small scale, then move on to missing more on arge scale, and finally achieve skipping all sses except for the final exams. However¡ª Just a few days after the n was implemented, even before he started missing sses on arge scale, Jiang Feng was invited to have a tea chat in the counselor¡¯s office. The counselor was a young teacher new to the job. Except for disseminating school notices in the ss group and holding a ss meeting at the beginning and end of the term, he was virtually nonexistent in daily life. It was Jiang Feng¡¯s first time being invited by a teacher to have a tea chat in the office, and he was a bit nervous. ¡°Jiang Feng, recently, the attendance monitor reported to me that your attendance rate isn¡¯t very high,¡± the counselor began with a smile as soon as Jiang Feng sat down. ¡°Um, that, I¡­¡± ¡°We all know your family has difficulties, which can be resolved together. There are many ways, but neglecting your studies and skipping sses to work, or to help out in the shop, might be penny-wise and pound-foolish.¡± ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°For family hardships, you can apply for schrships; don¡¯t be too proud to ask for help, it¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. You might think what you learn in school is not important, so you skip sses, but if you fail or get expelled like the student in the previous ss, you¡¯ll end up losing far more than you gain. Once you leave school, you¡¯ll realize that what the teachers have taught you is very precious. If you don¡¯t appreciate it now, it will be toote for regretster.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Hardships in life are temporary. Once you graduate, you¡¯ll understand that these weren¡¯t a big deal. If you don¡¯t learn what¡¯s needed now, the future¡­¡± The counselor, true to his political education background, spoke earnestly to Jiang Feng for a long time without giving him a chance to interject. In the end, he finally gave Jiang Feng a chance to speak up: ¡°Say what you want to say.¡± ¡°Teacher, I¡­ I¡­ actually, I¡¯ve already self-studied all of this semester¡¯s courses during the summer vacation, and I felt I was ready, that¡¯s why¡­¡± Jiang Feng had already upgraded his mathematics to intermediate level with experience points before the system update. He was confident that not attending sses wouldn¡¯t be an issue and that he could easily handle the final exams with a few days of studying. ¡°You¡¯ve finished self-studying?¡± The counselor looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile. ¡°If I remember correctly, your grades in electromaism and advanced mathematicsst semester were because the teachers let you pass by being lenient. Self-studying¡ª¡± The counselor didn¡¯t finish his statement in an absolute way. He himself was a product of UAL University, havingpleted his bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s before staying on as faculty. He had seen his fair share of dark horses who suddenly excelled without prior notice. If Jiang Feng could sessfullyplete his studies without attending sses, the counselor had nothing to preach about. Next door, at the School of Economics and Management, there was a student who was an entrepreneur with a worth close to ten million and barely spent any time at school. He failed five courses at the end ofst year, yet the professors just turned a blind eye and let him pass when they went a bit easy on him in the makeup exams. If you want to skip sses, that¡¯s fine, but you need to have the skills to back it up. In the end, the counselor left it up to Jiang Feng to decide for himself. Jiang Feng thanked the counselor and was about to leave the office when he suddenly heard the counselor say leisurely. ¡°Jiang Feng, Professor Li is very concerned about you, so don¡¯t let him down.¡± Turning back, Jiang Feng saw the counselor looking down at his phone, as if the words just spoken hadn¡¯te from him. Jiang Feng was left speechless. Who could have imagined that our counselor was a bit of a drama king? As for Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Mr. Jiang Jiankang, theirbined education didn¡¯t amount to one college degree, so they had no concept of university courses. Their understanding of university life was based on hearsay over the years. The belief that if you study hard in high school, university will be easy and you¡¯ll just y every day without any sses. They didn¡¯t raise any objections to Jiang Feng suddenly having a lot of free time and staying in the shop all day. After being invited for a tea chat by the counselor, Jiang Feng went to exin his situation to Professor Li. After writing a test paper in front of Professor Li, Jiang Feng was given permission to skip sses. He then replicated this approach with other teachers, impressing each one and bypassing therge-scale ss-skipping phase to achieve the aplishment of skipping all sses. Everyone initially thought Jiang Feng was neglecting his studies due to his family¡¯s huge debt, simply skipping sses to help with the family business. However, the young Mr. Wang, while joking with the students, took Jiang Feng as an example and spoke out about his permission to skip sses, making Jiang Feng a well-known figure in the Physics Department. The downside was that Jiang Feng noticed Wang Hao¡¯s gaze bing strange whenever he looked at him. ¡°Cough cough, if you have something to say, just say it.¡± After being stared at by Wang Hao¡¯s odd gaze for four days, Jiang Feng finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and spoke up. ¡°Feng, you¡¯ve been off this semester!¡± Wang Hao said thoughtfully. ¡°Not at all, I think I¡¯m pretty normal!¡± Jiang Fengughed it off. ¡°This semester it¡¯s like you¡¯ve received guidance from a master. You¡¯ve been transformed, going from loser to winner,¡± Wang Hao analyzed calmly. ¡°Family troubles, exquisite cooking skills, academia possessed, achieving fame overnight. You¡¯re practically the temte for a city novel¡¯s protagonist!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡°Those family troubles happened all because of the rumours you spread. Now when I walk outside, people look at me as if they¡¯re looking at an inspirational movie hero. And those stories about me storming in and out of the counselor¡¯s office seven times, dueling with Professor Li, and shing through five sets of papers from professors¡ªare they all something you made up and spread around?¡± Jiang Feng turned the tables and interrogated him. ¡°Artistic license, artistic license,¡± Wang Hao said with a shameless smile, refusing to mention anything about the protagonist temte. ¡°Jiang Feng, your spicy pork over rice is ready!¡± Ji Yue called out from outside. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to chat, I¡¯ve got cooking to do.¡± Jiang Feng put on an apron and grabbed the ingredients. A few days ago, Jiang Jiankang found a meat supplier with exceptionally good quality meat, but the price couldn¡¯t be negotiated down. He and Mrs. Wang Xiulian were running to the breeding base and supplier every day to negotiate, leaving the restaurant¡¯s business in the hands of Jiang Feng. After topping the steaming rice with the freshly stir-fried spicy pork, Wang Hao took the te to serve, and just as Jiang Feng was about to take off his apron, he heard the long-missed system notification sound. ¡°Ding, game updateplete.¡± Jiang Feng was nearly moved to tears. The update had taken over a month; from trading a light jacket for a sweater, and thenyering a cotton-padded coat over that, from sunny skies to howling cold winds, the update progress bar hadn¡¯t budged an inch in its own sweet time. Every time he checked the progress bar for the game update, Jiang Feng wondered if it had gotten stuck, especially in the past few days when it was just a tiny bit shy of being full, only for thepletion to be dragged out to now. Eager to open his attribute panel, he found a new tab for achievements. Achievement: Bitter Tears (slight increase in Seasoning skill when making wontons) Title: None Item: [A Piece of Li Mingyi¡¯s Memory] Recipe: Pure Meat Wontons (click for details) Evaluation: An utterly ordinary novice Pure meat wontons? Bitter tears? What were all these things? When he clicked on the pure meat wontons, Jiang Feng was surprised to find that the recipe even came with pictures¡ªthough the picture he saw wasn¡¯t very promising; it was a bowl of wontons with most of them spilled out, and the bowl itself was chipped and broken. Wait, why does this bowl of wontons look so familiar? [Pure Meat Wontons Grade FJ: Creator: Wang Shitou Details of the dish: Wontons that are terrible in terms of ingredients, cooking techniques, and Seasoning, but they are precious in the memories of Jiang Huiqin; consuming them can invoke the most bitter memories of one¡¯s youth. Can be made 3 times a day. (0/3) Following are the specific instructions for making the wontons,plete with a video tutorial¡ªquite thoughtful indeed. However¡­ Ingredients, technique, and Seasoning all turned out terrible; not to mention, it would evoke the most bitter memories. Serving this to customers could get your restaurant smashed, right? It would take a serious grudge to feed this to someone! Jiang Feng stared at the recipe, Jost in thought. ¡°Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng!¡± Ji Yue called out a few times from outside but got no response, so she ran straight into the kitchen, ¡°Why are you staring into space? I need two servings of fish-fragrant pork slivers, one serving of stir-fried eggs with chives, and three tes of stir-fried noodles with pork slivers. Make the fish-fragrant pork slivers spicier, the chives well-done, and one te of noodles without spring onions; the other two just mildly spicy.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m on it,¡± Jiang Feng snapped out of his daze and went to get the ingredients. Mr. Jiang Jianguo, pleasee back soon¡ªbeing the main cook at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant is really tiring! Jiang Feng bemoaned in his heart after a long day of stir-frying.. Chapter 35 - 35: 35 Chapter Bitter Memories Chapter 35: 35 Chapter Bitter Memories Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Late some time, Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian returned triumphant. Just from their demeanor, you could tell that the negotiation with the pig farm owner had been sessful. ¡°That pig was incredible-fat in all the right ces, lean where it should be. I still remember those two hind legs.¡± Jiang Jiankang was clearly still thinking about the pig he had seen that day. Xiulian nodded in agreement, ¡°Right, we¡¯ll send one back for Dad to make ham, and chop up the other for knuckle.¡± In the midst of their conversation, the couple already had clear ns for both legs of the pig. ¡°Mr Qian really knows how to raise pigs!¡± Jiang Jiankang eximed, eager to share the aplishments of the day. Jiang Feng was cleaning up the kitchen, and Ji Yue was the only one outside. Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Jiankang pulled out his phone and started showing Ji Yue the photos he had taken that day. ¡°Ji Yue, look at this spotted pig. Just one nce and you can tell it¡¯s been fed well, sleeps well, and is active. The meat quality must be firm; it¡¯s perfect for stir-fry. And this sow, look at that fat, and this one, we¡¯ll ughter it in the morning. I¡¯ve reserved its two hind legs, this one¡­¡± Jiang Jiankang kept swiping through his phone, disying the pigs he had set his sights on that day. Ji Yue:¡­ Other than recognizing that these were fat pigs awaiting ughter, she couldn¡¯t discern anything else, whether it was happiness or sadness¡­ ¡°Enough already, stop staring. Your son is still cleaning the kitchen and here you are gawking at pigs. Aren¡¯t you going to help?¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian, seeing Jiang Jiankang lounging in the hall, pped the counter in dissatisfaction, causing the wooden countertop to quiver. Noticing that the day¡¯s revenue was obviously not as good as yesterday¡¯s, Xiulian raised her voice, ¡°Have you paid off your debts? You owe so much to your elder brother, and you¡¯re stillzing around here. Do you expect your son to pay off your debts?¡± Jiang Jiankang slipped away into the kitchen, looking dejected. Jiang Feng had actually finished cleaning up the kitchen and was trying to make pure meat wontons following a recipe from a game. Although it was destined to be a bowl of unptable wontons, Jiang Feng just wanted to taste what they would turn out like. He was especially curious to know what the most bitter memory of his youth was like. The wontons had been boiling in the pot for ten minutes now. Jiang Feng figured that even if the skins were thick, they should be cooked by now, or rather, overcooked. Wang Shitou¡¯s cooking skills were truly terrible. If it hadn¡¯t been for the days of the Republic of China when the toiling massescked food and clothing and weren¡¯t particr about taste, Feng doubted his wonton stand would havested a week. ¡°What are you doing, kid? The wontons are about to turn to mush, and you¡¯re still not taking them out?¡± As soon as Jiankang came in, he saw the wontons tumbling in the pot with the soup and quickly scooped the wontons, now separated from their filling, into a bowl. Jiang Feng added two drops of sesame oil to the bowl. Jiankang tried to add a few slices of seaweed and a handful of tiny shrimp, but Feng sternly refused. Jiang Feng waited for the wontons to cool down a bit. Jiankang eyed the wontons in the bowl, his mouth watering. Today, in the negotiations with the pig farm¡¯s Mr. Qian, he and Xiulian had been out since early in the morning. In the past dozen hours or so, he had only eaten threerge bowls of the shredded pork noodles he made, all before they left in the morning, and he had long since digested them. Though the wontons in the bowl were overcooked and only had two drops of sesame oil, with no enticing aroma, they were, after all, made of meat. Jiankang was a carnivore. ¡°Son, did you make these wontons today?¡± Jiankang asked, knowing full well. Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°I followed an online tutorial to wrap them, just made these few, and cooked them all at once.¡¯ ¡°Let Dad have a taste.¡± jiankang¡¯s movements were as quick as his words. Before the sentence was finished, three wontons had disappeared into his mouth. So disgusting! Jiankang hadn¡¯t expected his son to make such terrible wontons. But the next second, he lost the mood to think about that. He suddenly remembered himself at twenty years old. That year, the state-owned restaurant where he had worked for six years closed down. Since he was a child, he had helped out Jiang Weiguo at the state-owned restaurant, taking over the head chef¡¯s position at 14; at 19, he married Wang Xiulian, who was a textile factory worker at the time, and before he turned 20, he believed he would work at the state-owned restaurant all his life just like his father did, until his son would take over. What awaited him instead was beingid off and a meager 600 yuan inpensation. Half a yearter, Wang Xiulian was alsoid off. The couple borrowed money from all their friends and rtives, scraped together a few tens of thousands of yuan, and opened a small health stir-fry restaurant. Jiang Jiankang remembered those times when business was bad; he would worry all night long, unable to sleep. Wang Xiulian, in an attempt to save money, would pick up discarded and trampled vegetable leaves from the food market to stir-fry. If they sold stir-fried carrots at noon, they would eat the peels of those carrots at night. Because they still hadn¡¯t repaid the money they borrowed from her parents and older maternal uncle, Wang Xiulian dared not visit her parental home for the New Year¡¯s celebration. As he thought about it all, Jiang Jiankang squatted down on the ground and wailed bitterly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what happened here? Feng, why is your dad suddenly crying?¡± Hearing the crying, Wang Xiulian dropped her calctor and rushed into the kitchen, followed closely by Ji Yue. ¡°Xiulian, Xiulian I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault for being useless, making you suffer and put up with hardship following me!¡± Jiang Jiankang sobbed as he hugged Wang Xiulian. Wang Xiulian was hugged with a bewildered look on her face. ¡°What¡¯s happened to your dad?¡± Wang Xiulian was starting to wonder if nagging him daily about the debt owed to his second brother had finally be too much pressure for Jiang Jiankang and caused him to break down. ¡°Dad just had a bite of wonton,¡± Jiang Feng was also somewhat stunned. How bitter must the memories of Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s youth have been for him to cry like this! ¡°Wonton?¡± Wang Xiulian looked at the wonton on the table, clearly unable to understand how just a bite of wonton could lead to this. ¡°Jiankang, I¡¯m just usually a nag, don¡¯t take it to heart. I haven¡¯t suffered or felt wronged, stop crying,e on, be good,¡± Wang Xiulian patted Jiang Jiankang¡¯s back as ifforting a child. As she coaxed him, Wang Xiulian herself started feeling somewhat choked up. She picked up the bowl from the table and took a big gulp of the wonton soup. Because the wontons had been overcooked, a piece of wonton skin was also gulped down. Who made these wontons? They¡¯re awful! Wang Xiulian¡¯s eyes widened, and the next second, her eyes brimmed with tears. The couple clutched their heads and cried together. Jiang Feng and Ji Yue werepletely dumbfounded. Jiang Feng picked up the wonton from the table and silently dumped it into the swill bucket. Disaster, what a disaster! -School sister, you should go back first, I need¡­ I need to talk with my parents,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Ah, yes, oh,¡± Ji Yue answered nkly, and after a while, she realized she could leave work. After Ji Yue left, Jiang Feng put forth all his effort to finally stabilize the emotions of Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian. The next day, the couple¡¯s exnation for the previous night¡¯s incident was remarkably consistent. The wontons were too disgusting, so disgusting they cried! Chapter 36 - 36: Special Era (Part 1) Chapter 36: Special Era (Part 1) Trantor: Larbre Studio I Editor:rbre Studio Afterst night¡¯s lesson, Jiang Feng decided he would not make the mistake of creating Wang Shitou¡¯s pure meat wontons again. Those were not wontons, they were practically biological weapons! Men who ate them would fall silent, women would burst into tears. Thebined sonic assault of Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian fromst night still echoed in his ears, and even now, the memory made Jiang Feng¡¯s heart tremble. After finishing the midday business, Jiang Feng opened his attributes panel to check his task progress; ¡°Stand Firm¡± had reached (700/1000). He hesitated over whether to use the experience points to upgrade his Mathematics, Physics, and English to high level to cope with his studies or to upgrade his level and see if the game would unlock new features. Forget it, I might as well upgrade Mathematics, Physics, and English. If the game goes straight into half a year of updates this time, Jiang Feng would have nowhere to cry. When chopping vegetables, not hearing the system¡¯s proficiency increase notification sound felt like ack of motivation. After upgrading all three subjects to high level, he still had over 30,000 experience points left. The attributes panel changed to: Mathematics (High Level): You have fully mastered all the undergraduate knowledge. (Non-upgradable) Physics (High Level): You have fully mastered all the undergraduate knowledge. (Non-upgradable) English (High Level): You have fully mastered all the undergraduate knowledge. (Non-upgradable) Jiang Feng:¡­ Suddenly bing a top student was really an adjustment. Scrolling down the attributes panel, Jiang Feng noticed the item that looked like a mist in his inventory. What was this again? A piece of Li Mingyi¡¯s memory? Jiang Feng suddenly recalled that one of the rewards for a previous side quest included this, and it was something he could review repeatedly. After viewing Jiang Huiqin¡¯s memory, the game had instantly entered an update phase, and one updatested for more than a month, so long that Jiang Feng had almost forgotten he had this item. He clicked on ¡°A piece of Li Mingyi¡¯s memory¡± and selected ¡°yes¡± from the options. In a daze, Jiang Feng found himself in a dpidated room. Or rather, a rundown shed. A few pieces of wood supported a filthy tarp, made of stic or some other material that was so dirty its true nature was indiscernible, patched up in many ces. The stitches were fine and meticulous, showing the skillful handiwork of the person who had mended them, preventing any wind from whistling through the patchwork despite the harsh cold wind rattling it outside. It was winter now, and the light inside the shed was very weak. Although Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t feel the temperature, he could still figure out the season. Strange, where are the people? The shed was small, cluttered with mounds of garbage that looked like stuff no one wanted anymore, emitting a suffocating stench. The ground wasid with a lot of straw, without any furniture; not even the most basic table or chairs were present. Most crucially, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t see Li Mingyi. With his previous experience in Jiang Huiqin¡¯s memory, Jiang Feng knew Li Mingyi had to be close by. Could he be hiding in the pile of trash? Running from creditors? Surely not. Mingyi, look, look what this is!¡± A hoarse woman¡¯s voice came from the other side of the trash mountain. Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin were hidden on the other side of the garbage mound. Li Mingyiy on a pile of straw, filthy and unkempt, his hair and face covered with mud, and a tattered cotton quilt draped over him. His eyes were dull as he stared nkly at the straw. Jiang Huiqin looked slightly better than Li Mingyi, wrapped inyers of tattered clothes, her hair disheveled and clumping with grime. They had only one quilt between them, and Jiang Huiqin had wrapped herself in straw, curling up, her hands full of frostbite struggling to strike a damp match that was nearly useless. This was a middle-aged version of Jiang Huiqin and Li Mingyi, but they looked like two old people on the brink of death. Jiang Feng could hardly believe that these hands, swollen with frostbite, cracked, bleeding, and oozing pus, struggling to light a match, were Jiang Huiqin¡¯s. Jiang Huiqinboriously struck the match for a few minutes, eventually getting it to light. She carefully shielded the me, expertly pulled out a few pieces of wood from the trash, scraped out a space on the ground, and suddenly there was a fire pit. ¡°Today is your birthday, I¡¯ll make you something tasty,¡± Jiang Huiqin carefully pulled Li Mmgyi closer to the fire, and from under the straw, brought out a clean y pot, ¡°Those thugs turned everything over this morning, they probably thought it was too stinky to bother with this spot, and with the wind blowing like this, he¡¯s not likely toe. Blind Wu from next door said it¡¯s going to snow heavily in a couple of days, I took the chance to pick up our rations before the snow, and with the holidaysing, we can even get a share of the meat.¡± How is Blind Wu doing?¡± Li Mingyi asked weakly. ¡°He¡¯s not faring well, his leg is festering, he hasn¡¯t got long.¡± Jiang Huiqin rummaged through the trash again, and incredibly, she pulled out a piece of treme and a few bird eggs, ¡°I¡¯ll make you a nice feast, so your leg gets better soon. You don¡¯t want to end up like Blind Wu; his wife and kids are gone he has been longing for death. We still have Junming, though. As for that ce¡¯in the northwest, I don¡¯t know how things are there.¡± ¡°Where did you get the treme from?¡± Li Mingyi coughed twice, not directly answering Jiang Huiqin¡¯s words. ¡°Traded it for the gold bracelet.¡± Li Mingyi fell silent. Don¡¯t look so forlorn; treme is so precious these days, it¡¯s worth the gold bracelet. If your leg heals, not to mention a gold bracelet, even trading those two little yellow fish I hid in the well would be worth it,¡± Jiang Huiqin fumbled around, and indeed, she found quite a few valuables in that pile of trash. ¡°You¡¯re still as good at hiding things as ever,¡± Li Mingyi finally showed a hint of vitality on his face. ¡°Of course,¡± said Jiang Huiqin proudly, ¡°Those thugs think they can find where I hide my stuff? Dream on. The bandits during the war never found it, even after they dug up the ground, they couldn¡¯t unearth the silver dors I buried. Them, pshaw.¡± A hint of vitality began to emerge in the dismal shack. Due to the fire, the temperature inside the shack rose. Li Mingyi managed to move slightly, wanting to see what Jiang Huiqin had taken out, but unfortunately his sses had been crushed a long time ago. As he had been malnourished for so long and with the fluctuating light, he couldn¡¯t see clearly at all. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Perhaps because she was in a good mood, Jiang Huiqin even started humming a tune. Li Mingyi chuckled as he watched the mes, but suddenly felt as if it was almost New Year¡¯s. This was the first time he¡¯d felt this way since his eldest son died.. Chapter 37 - 37 Special Era (Part 2) Chapter 37: Special Era (Part 2) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Because of the fire, Jiang Huiqin¡¯s originally stiff and slow movements sped up a bit. She huddled like a squirrel and counted and recounted the treasures she had found in the trash heap, checking them over seven or eight times before she was finally satisfied and slowly got up. Yesterday, they snatched away those two good pieces of wood and were so pleased with themselves, a bunch of fools. I deliberately left them there for the taking. They can¡¯t recognize a good thing when it¡¯s right in front of them.¡± Jiang Huiqin put the treme mushrooms into the y pot, and with difficulty climbed over the mountain of trash, moving as slowly as an olddy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your back?¡± Li Mingyi spotted something amiss and became anxious, ¡°Did they push you and injure you this morning?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an olddy, how could I get hurt just by being pushed? I fellst night when I snuck out to climb trees and snatch bird eggs. How else do you think I got those six eggs, they fell from the sky or what?¡± Jiang Huiqin said nonchntly, rubbing her waist with her right hand, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine after lying down for a while.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about me, you haven¡¯t fully recovered yourself. Why worry about me? Pull the nket up; your feet are uncovered.¡± Jiang Huiqin walked to a stack of damp and rotting wood, kicked it aside with her foot, rummaged through it, and pulled out a few pieces. On those pieces of wood were several extremely plump mushrooms. After picking off a fewrge ones, Jiang Huiqin hid them in the y pot and left the shed. Before long, Jiang Huiqin returned with the y pot filled with water, the cleaned mushrooms, and the treme mushrooms. Because of the water, her already oozing and cracked hands began to bleed. Noticing the bleeding, Jiang Huiqin quietly wiped it on her body when Li Mmgyi wasn¡¯t looking since her clothes were already so dirty that their original color couldn¡¯t be discerned, and a few more smears of blood wouldn¡¯t make any difference. Jiang Huiqin began to cook mushroom soup over the fire. Soon, the aroma of the soup began to waft through the air. Jiang Huiqin begrudgingly added a pinch of salt to the soup, picked up the y pot, and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to trade some mushroom soup with Chen Carpenter for a bowl and a spoon.¡± We have a spoon; I hid it under the wooden frame the day before yesterday,¡± Li Mingyi said, pointing to the wood supporting the shed. Perfect, we can spare him two mushrooms and have one each,¡± Jiang Huiqin said delightedly, thinking they could save two mushrooms. Soon, Jiang Huiqin returned with a half-pot of soup left in the y pot, a wooden bowl, and a pair of wooden chopsticks, with only one lonely mushroom floating in the pot. ¡°There¡¯s nothing tasty about just one mushroom, and I don¡¯t even like them. You don¡¯t know how to use a spoon, and you might spill the good stuff on the ground. Here, eat the mushroom first.¡± Jiang Huiqin ced the y pot back on the fire, picked up the mushroom with chopsticks, and brought it to Li Mingyi¡¯s mouth. Li Mingyi didn¡¯t open his mouth. ¡°Eat it, I don¡¯t like mushrooms,¡± Li Mingyi turned his head away. ¡°If you don¡¯t eat it, I¡¯ll throw it away!¡± Jiang Huiqin threatened. ¡°Mushrooms are nutritious. Eating mushrooms will help your injury heal faster. Your leg has been hurt for over a month now. Eating mushrooms will speed up your recovery.¡± Seeing that Li Mmgyi still refused to eat, Jiang Huiqin stuffed the mushroom into his mouth. It was simple and crude but very effective. Next, she began to cook the treme mushrooms in the mushroom soup, stirring asionally with the chopsticks, until they softened. Then she generously sprinkled a small packet of seasoning into it and added the bird eggs to cook. When thest pot of hodgepodge was finished, Jiang Huiqin ced the treme in the center of the bowl and arranged the peeled bird eggs next to the treme. She then carefully lifted the y pot to pour the soup along the rim of the bowl. Li Mingyi began to realize what kind of odd mix she was concocting. ¡°You¡¯re making a dish like clear soup with willow leaves and swallow vegetables,¡± he said. What dish is that? This is it!¡± Jiang Huiqin then took out a box of luncheon meat, shaking it boastfully in front of Li Mingyi, opened it, and sliced a few thin pieces of meat to wrap around the bird eggs. You must think I¡¯m a fool. I traded Old Fengxiang¡¯s gold bracelet for just a piece of treme, and I also got this, never opened!¡± she said cautiously, wrapping the tin can with cloth and hiding it back in the trash heap. ¡°The rich have their way of eating, the poor have theirs. With the same ingredients, even my brother might not make it as good as I do.¡± ¡°Just keep bragging,¡± Li Mingyiughed. Jiang Huiqin helped Li Mingyi sit up and handed him the bowl as if offering a treasure: ¡°Try it.¡± Li Mmgyi picked up a piece of treme and tried to feed it to Jiang Huiqin. ¡°Why would I eat that on your birthday? There was still some bran left this morning; I¡¯ll boil the branter,¡± Jiang Huiqin said, starting to climb over the trash heap again. In the end, Jiang Huiqin still ate a bird egg. No sooner had she put it in her mouth than her eyes reddened, and being in her forties, she cried just like she had in her teens, the tears falling down instantly. I ve made it really delicious.¡± Jiang Huiqin covered her mouth, trying to wipe away her tears discreetly. Yes, this is the tastiest clear soup willow leaf swan dish I¡¯ve ever had.¡± Li Mingyi said, holding his bowl with reddened eyes as well. Jiang Feng had been watching silently by the side, and his eyes turned red unconsciously. ¡°Cry for what? I¡¯ll make it for you again on your birthday next year.¡± But there was no next year for Jiang Huiqin, who died of illness that winter. Darkness enveloped everything. Jiang Feng sat dazedly in the chair. Li Mingyi¡¯s memory was very short; Jiang Feng had been inside for at most four hours, but it was unbearably oppressive. Even before Jiang Huiqin spoke, the air itself exuded despair. In such a suffocating space, under a desperate atmosphere, Jiang Huiqin could still joke and scold, truly earning Jiang Feng¡¯s genuine admiration. After sitting quietly for a while and calming his emotions, Jiang Feng opened the attribute panel. As expected, a new item had been added to the recipe list. [Clear Soup Willow Leaf Swan Dish (Imitation) E-grade][ImprovableJ: Creator: Jiang Huiqin Dish Details: A dish with poor ingredient pairing and seasoning, yet made precious by Jiang Huiqin¡¯s outstanding culinary skills and a special environment, became a ray of light in the darkest moment of Li Mingyi¡¯s life, sustaining his will to live on. No special bonuses. Can be made once a day. (0/1) Improvable? What does this mean? Does it let me freely enhance the dish during preparation to make it more delicious? Jiang Feng was somewhat unsure. The rating of this dish was about the same as Wang Shitou¡¯s pure meat wontons, but Wang Shitou¡¯s wontons tasted bad because of his ownck of skill, while Jiang Huiqin¡¯s clear soup willow leaf swan dish was limited by the ingredients and the environment, a fundamental difference between the two. If he were to improve it, the possibilities were extensive. If major changes were made, everything could be altered, potentially transforming it into the original version of the clear soup willow leaf swan dish. But Jiang Feng knew that wasn¡¯t what the game intended. How should he improve it? Ingredients? Seasoning? Or fire control? The game¡¯s stiption that he could only make it once a day made Jiang Feng feel it would probably be New Year¡¯s Day by the time he seeded in improving the dish. It could be this New Year¡¯s Day or the next. In the final memory, Li Mingyi said it was the tastiest clear soup willow leaf swan dish he had ever eaten¡ªa hint served on a tter. And talk about a sly game; the task details said it was the clear soup willow leaf swan dish by Taifeng Building¡¯s head chef Jiang Chengde that was unforgettable, yet the task required Li Mingyi to taste the dish from his memory. Without this memory, Jiang Feng would certainly have been misled into trying all means to recreate the original clear soup willow leaf swan dish. Following Jiang Huiqin¡¯s original method was impossible; not to mention anything else, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t have the skill to stuff food into a trash heap, hide it for days, and then cook with it. The old master¡¯s age was advanced, and his stomach couldn¡¯t handle it. Jiang Feng opened the video tutorial that followed and started to study how a credible improvement could be made.. Chapter 38 - 38: Gathering for a Meal Chapter 38: Gathering for a Meal Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Feng spent the entire afternoon tinkering in the kitchen, watching Jiang Huiqin¡¯s cooking videos three or four times, upgrading the ingredients to better quality ones, enriching the seasonings, and following Jiang Huiqin¡¯s steps to make the clear broth lily leaf swallow vegetable dish. Looking at the F-grade improvement rating given by the game, Jiang Feng wore aplex expression as he stared at the dish in front of him. The presentation was very pretty, and he had added a few vegetable leaves to enrich the color. But the taste¡­ It lived up to the F-grade evaluation from the game. Mushroom soup, quail eggs, white fungus, and luncheon meat¡ªa truly deadlybination! That Jiang Huiqin could turn such a deadlybination into an E-grade dish was an indicator of her superior cooking skills. Jiang Feng quietly poured the failed dish into the swill bucket. He simply wasn¡¯t a chef with much of a natural talent. The game had rated his food testing skill as just basic. He¡¯d just grown fussy from being fed by Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Jiankang since childhood, enough to bluff his way through critiquing dishes when among those who didn¡¯t know better. As for those geniuses in novels who are born with extremely high taste sensitivity, who could tell if ingredients were fresh with a nce, distinguish all the ingredients and seasonings with a single taste, and deduce the cooking method after finishing a dish¡ªJiang Feng had never even heard of them. He didn¡¯t believe such people existed in the world. After all, being a chef was mostly about acquired skill¡ªthere were too few who were born to it. Unable to figure it out on his own, Jiang Feng sought advice from Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Mushroom soup, white fungus, quail eggs, luncheon meat?¡± With each ingredient mentioned, Jiang Jiankang¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. After a long while, he looked at Jiang Feng with aplex expression: ¡°Son, let¡¯s just cook honestly, no need to follow those so-called ¡®innovative dishes¡¯ you see online.¡± Clearly, the trauma from the pure meat dumplings from the day before was still fresh. Jiang Feng:¡­ Dad, that¡¯s something you should say to your auntie¡­ After much persuasion and persistence from Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang finally gave in, leaving behind a ¡°I¡¯ll look into it¡± before slipping away to chop vegetables in the back kitchen. Jiang Feng went back to his dorm to change clothes. He had a gathering to attendter. It was the Chess Club¡¯s first gathering of the semester, and also the most formal,rgest and most expensive gathering in the four years of the club¡¯s history! Jiang Feng vaguely rememberedst year¡¯s gathering where theybined the remaining funds, and Ji Yue even contributed her treasured butter hotpot base and pot hidden in her dorm, buying loads of noodles, vermicelli, rice cakes, vegetables, and enokitake as base ingredients and side dishes, with only one fish ball per person and nothing more. Eight people sneaked into a ssroom to steal electricity, gathering furtively for an unconventional meal. This year was different; the Chess Club had more than thirty members and could afford to dine in a restaurant! This was an unprecedented breakthrough for the Chess Club, especially since Ji Yue had never enjoyed the privilege of dining at a restaurant during her three years as club president. For this, Ji Yue even took leave from work and paid out of her own pocket to join the meal. Poor Wang Hao, the only one left to help in the restaurant that day. The group of over thirty people almost filled an entire bus. The gathering was held at a barbecue hotpot buffet not far from the university, priced at 69 yuan per person, with a 15% discount for showing a student ID, making it quite affordable. Because there were so many people, Jiang Feng had reserved seats in advance¡ªtwo rows, four tables in one row and five in the other, all joined together to make it easy for everyone to chat while eating. Although the ingredients weren¡¯t very fresh, clearly made from patched-up and frozen meat, the variety was plentiful. If you couldn¡¯t grill, you could just dip in the broth, and thanks to the individual hot pots, there was a wide range of condiments¡ªsoy sauce, salt, vinegar, garlic paste, minced chili peppers, and various dipping sauces were all avable. Jiang Feng was seated at the same table with Ji Yue, Liu Qian, Liu Zixuan, and the Chess Club¡¯s hopeful future talent, Wu Minqi, who was also Liu Qian¡¯s fellow townsman. Liu Qian carried tworge tes of cooked food back to the table, sat down, set up her phone facing her, and began speaking into the camera: ¡°Hi everyone, I¡¯m Qianqian, and today is our club¡¯s gathering for a barbecue buffet. This¡­¡± ¡°Live streaming?¡± Jiang Feng had just brought back a te of raw meat to grill when he saw Liu Qian speaking to her phone. ¡®Tve been doing it for a week or two. You didn¡¯t notice the phone I have with me every mealtime?¡± Ji Yue said nonchntly,ying chicken wings on the grill paper. Jiang Feng:¡­ He thought Liu Qian was watching a TV drama. ¡°Brush some oil; how can you grill without oil,¡± Jiang Feng reminded. ¡°Their oil isn¡¯t tasty,¡± Ji Yue said as she picked up a plump piece of belly pork and ced it beside the chicken wings. ¡°The oil thates out of grilled belly pork is delicious!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Their chicken wings are marinated and taste especially good. Themb doesn¡¯t have much of a mutton taste, and the tenderloin is just average. Oh right, their finger rice cakes are also tasty¡ªthey¡¯re really chewy when you boil them in the hot pot. Hey Qianqian, why aren¡¯t you grilling anything?¡± Knowing the ingredients of the restaurant like the back of her hand, Ji Yue saw that Liu Qian was only eating marinated duck vicle with dim sum on another te and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to grill. When I went to have all-you-can-eat grill before, it would either be undercooked or burnt. Even if I grilled it, it still wouldn¡¯t taste good. I¡¯ll just wait for the hot pot to be ready and eat boiled dishes,¡± Liu Qian said. ¡°Which tform are you live streaming on, Liu Qian? I¡¯ll follow you,¡± Jiang Feng felt that since one of his club members was live streaming, it was only right for him as the club president to offer a little help. ¡°Some live streaming tform, my stream is called ¡®UAL University Eat and Drink Daily¡¯.¡± Liu Qian was naturally happy to receive Jiang Feng¡¯s follow. Jiang Feng downloaded the live streaming app, entered Liu Qian¡¯s live stream room, and was greeted by her prominent nostrils. There were only 47 people watching, including Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng:¡­ With such a mystifying live stream angle, the remaining 46 were definitely true fans. The live stream room was quiet, with nobody talking. Liu Qian was very zen; after saying a couple of words at the start of the stream, she focused on eating, not caring about the live stream, asionally speaking a few words with Ji Yue as if she had forgotten that she was live streaming. Jiang Feng hit the follow button and quietly exited the live stream room to focus on grilling. Ji Yue was an experienced grill master, specifically choosing marinated fish and meat, along with the sizzling fat from grilled belly pork¡ªit did indeed look very appetizing. Liu Qian watched the chicken wings eagerly; Ji Yue grilled four at a time, giving one to everyone. For someone who normally couldn¡¯t even cook vegetables, Ji Yue¡¯s chicken wings were a resounding sess. ¡°Sister Ji Yue, you¡¯re amazing!¡± As someone who struggled with grilling, Liu Qian looked at her admiringly. Once the chicken wings and belly pork were out, the grill was empty again. Liu Zixuan ced his enoki mushrooms on the grill and boasted as he grilled them, ¡°Not to brag, but my enoki mushrooms are especially tasty, and they¡¯re not far off from Feng¡¯s cooking skills.¡± While saying this, he began sprinkling cumin and chili powder from a jar onto the enoki mushrooms. However, as the jar hadn¡¯t been cleaned out in a long time, the holes were all clogged, and after a long time trying, not a single granule made it out. Liu Zixuan became frantic, took the jar to the edge of the table, and gave it a hard tap before sprinkling it forcefully. A huge clump of bright red chili powdernded on the soft white enoki mushrooms. After a series of suffocating maneuvers, Liu Zixuan, unsurprisingly, crashed and burned. The enoki mushrooms were too spicy, too salty, and also burnt. He even charred the baking paper. Ji Yue brought back a half dish of finger rice cakes, nning to put them into the pot after the meatballs were cooked. ¡°Ah, I really want some spicy stir-fried rice cakes,¡± Liu Qianmented as she looked at the finger rice cakes on the te. ¡°The school¡¯s spicy rice cakes are so bad¡ªnot truly spicy or salty. And the president¡¯s restaurant doesn¡¯t sell them either.¡± Resentment was evident in her tone. Looking at the fresh sheet of baking paper, Jiang Feng had an idea. ¡°How about I make it for you?¡± With the seasoning ingredients avable at this restaurant, making a spicy stir-fried rice cake should be well within his capabilities. Chapter 39 - 39: Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cake (Please Bookmark) Chapter 39: Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cake (Please Bookmark) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio ¡°You¡¯re going to make spicy stir-fried rice cakes on this thing?¡± Ji Yue looked incredulous. It wasn¡¯t just Ji Yue, Liu Qian and Liu Zixuan also had expressions that screamed, ¡®Did I hear that wrong?¡¯. Even in Liu Qian¡¯s live stream, which was as still as dead water, ament drifted by: ¡®I must have heard wrong, the person eating with the host said he could make spicy rice cakes on barbecue paper.¡¯ Unfortunately, Liu Qian wasn¡¯t looking at her phone, focusing instead with a stunned expression on Jiang Feng. Liu Zixuan looked at him admiringly, thinking to himself: ¡®Worthy of being the Chess Club President, he blows his own trumpet so confidently and distinctively.¡¯ ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Liu Qian nodded repeatedly. Jiang Feng went to the seasoning area to get condiments. In addition to the basic salt, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, there were also a variety of chili options in the seasoning area-chopped chili, Xiaomi peppers, garlic chili sauce, chili paste, and chili oil. Since he wasn¡¯t sure about the taste, Jiang Feng took a little of each, picking up a lot of seasonings back and forth, not even skipping seafood sauce and spareribs sauce. Since Ji Yue had already picked up some napa cabbage, there was no need for Jiang Feng to go get some more. There were no onions, but they could make do. First, he tossed the finger rice cakes into his own pot to boil. Ji Yue and the others had already put things in their pots, and Liu Zixuan¡¯s pot was spicy, while only Jiang Feng¡¯s pot was suited for boiling rice cakes, with just a few pieces of green onion and not much salt in a light broth. Then, Jiang Feng began tearing the napa cabbage into small pieces. That¡¯s when Liu Qian remembered that she was live streaming. Still, there were some active viewers in her live stream, intensely curious to hear that Jiang Feng said he would make spicy stir-fried rice cakes. Liu Qian, utterly neglecting her own live stream, hadn¡¯t nced at her phone once, no¡¯ matter how much her audience spammed thements asking to turn the camera towards Jiang Feng. Three or four active viewers created the chat activity of several dozen people. Liu Qian nced at her phone unintentionally and was startled by the sheer number ofments floating across the screen. ¡°Host, could you show us that handsome guy cooking? What¡¯s the point of the camera on you?¡± ¡°Cooking, I want to see the cooking!¡± ¡°Please, host, look at thements, I beg you!¡± ¡°Host, stop being so dazed, check thements, I beg you!!!¡± ¡°Annoying host, unfollowing, unfollowing.¡± ¡°I want to see cooking, not your nostrils(> ¡¯¡õ¡¯)> ?-i______________ l- ¡°Ah, sorry, I didn¡¯t see it just now,¡± Liu Qian was also a bit shocked to find that there were actually live people in her stream, and hurriedly exined to everyone. W goodness, the host finally saw thements.¡± ¡°Quick, film the cooking, I want to see the cooking.¡± Right, film the cooking, I want to see the spicy stir-fried rice cakes made on barbecue paper.¡± ¡°President, the viewers in my live stream say they want to watch you cook, may I film?¡± Liu Qian asked. Jiang Feng had doubted that the 46 people in Liu Qian¡¯s live stream were all system-generated zombie followers; he didn¡¯t expect that there would actually be viewers. Filming wasn¡¯t a big deal, and it¡¯s not like it was some secret family recipe. Jiang Feng nodded his head, ¡°Go ahead, just don¡¯t film my face.¡± The distance between Liu Qian and Jiang Feng was actually quite significant, so filming his face was rather difficult. Liu Qian switched from the front to the rear camera for her live stream, stood up holding her phone with both hands, and started filming Jiang Feng¡¯s hands, effectively going from a host to a camerawoman. Jiang Feng was tasting the seasonings. The chih sauce at this store was too salty, definitely not usable, but surprisingly, the seafood sauce was quite good-homemade, not something bought off the shelves. Using chopsticks, Jiang Feng tasted all the seasonings he¡¯d brought over and began mixing them. Liu Qian, mindful of Jiang Feng¡¯s request not to show his face, kept the phone¡¯s camera fixed on a few bowls of condiments. Viewers could only see Jiang Feng¡¯s hands appear and disappear. ¡°Is he tasting seasonings?¡± ¡°Looks quite professional.¡± Can the host¡¯s hand stop shaking? It¡¯s making me dizzy!¡± The live stream audience certainly became more engaged. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll try not to shake. Our President is tasting the seasonings,¡± Liu Qian responded to thements. ¡°Host, you should change the name of your live stream, no one¡¯s going to watch it with that title.¡± The live streaming room is now called ¡°Club Gathering Routine¡±. Liu Qian thought for a moment, then changed the name to ¡°Cooking Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cake in a Self-service BBQRestaurant¡±. Jiang Feng had already prepared the spicy sauce, and the rice cakes were fished out and ready, he began to stir-fry the cabbage. After brushing ayer of oil on the paper, Jiang Feng used chopsticks to push half of the spicy sauce onto the paper, poured the torn cabbage on top, and thendled a spoonful of soup over it. With a ¡°whoosh¡±, arge amount of white smoke billowed up, quickly disappearing as Jiang Feng rapidly stirred the cabbage with his chopsticks to coat it in the spicy sauce. Everyone¡¯s attention was captivated by the white smoke. ¡°What¡¯s Feng doing?¡± asked a club member sitting quite far away, craning his neck to look towards Jiang Feng¡¯s table. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s stir-frying cabbage, Feng is so 6!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that? Let¡¯s stir-fry cabbage ourselves,ter.¡± Even the waiters came over to watch themotion; having worked in a self-service BBQ restaurant, they had seen their fair share of shy moves. Waiters who¡¯d been there for a long time were unfazed and after a couple of nces, told a neer, ¡°It¡¯s not caught fire, no need to worry.¡± It actually smells pretty good,¡± the new waiter said, taking a deep sniff. Because Liu Qian¡¯s live stream title was quite curious, someizens clicked in, seeing Jiang Feng stir-frying cabbage on the grill paper, and several sent ¡°666- in thements. There were those who had done this before who came to throw cold water on it. ¡°I did this thest time I ate at a self-service BBQ but it ended up burning and sticking to the paper, couldn¡¯t flip it with chopsticks, it was useless and didn¡¯t taste good.¡± But thatment was quickly proven wrong, as Jiang Feng not only was able to flip it, but did so with ease. Even through the smoky live broadcast screen, the cabbage wrapped in spicy sauce on the grill paper still looked mouthwatering. ¡°The cabbage looks so delicious.¡± ¡°Right, now I¡¯m craving spicy cabbage.¡± ¡°The streamer has some great culinary skills, so 6!¡± New viewers who just tuned in thought the cook, Jiang Feng, was the host of the stream. Liu Qian didn¡¯t usually respond to most of thements. Questions like how he seasoned it, how it didn¡¯t stick to the paper-she couldn¡¯t answer, she didn¡¯t even know herself. But now someone had mistaken Jiang Feng for the host and she had to speak up to exin. ¡°The cook is the president of our club, today is our club¡¯s gathering.¡± ¡°Wow, the president is impressive, and there¡¯s even a male president in a cooking club,¡± ament flew by. ¡°We are the Chess Club,¡± Liu Qian rified. The cabbage on the grill paper was almost done. Jiang Feng poured the cooked rice cakes and the remaining half of the spicy sauce in, scooped a spoonful of vinegar, and finally sprinkled some sugar. Still using chopsticks to stir, when every strand of rice cake was covered in the bright red spicy sauce and the cabbage was fully cooked, Jiang Feng pushed them apart with chopsticks and prodded, ¡°Ready to eat.¡± The aroma alone was incredibly tempting. Even the experienced waiters who had walked away were lured back by the fragrance. Be careful, it¡¯s hot,¡± Jiang Feng cautioned. Liu Qian couldn¡¯t pay attention to the live stream anymore; she was the closest, and the longer she smelled it, the longer she endured. If her hands weren¡¯t holding her phone, she would have reached for the cabbage as soon as it was nearly done. She casually ced her phone on the table and grabbed a chopstick full of rice cakes eagerly. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious!¡± Liu Qian eximed while puffing to cool it down. Originally filled with a flood of ¡°666¡±ments, the live stream went dark when Liu Qian casually put down her phone. After a while, ament drifted by leisurely. Streamer, now I have only one thing to say, mmp, unfollow!!¡± Chapter 40 - 40 Challenges from Peers Chapter 40: Challenges from Peers Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Liu Qian had long been eating with such abandon that shepletely forgot about the live stream. Strangely enough, instead of leaving, the audience in the live stream had not only stayed but were sending out even more barragements. The screen was so inundated with rollingments that it gave the impression of a popr streamer¡¯s channel. ¡°Sexy streamer, infuriating viewers online.¡± ¡°Look at your phone, infuriating streamer, please I beg you, check your phone!¡± ¡°Infuriating streamer, followed, I¡¯ve followed.¡± ¡°What the hell is this, wasn¡¯t it spicy stir-fried rice cakes? Why is the screen ck?¡± ¡°Lousy streamer, pah!¡± At that moment, there were about three thousand people in Liu Qian¡¯s live stream, and the number of viewers continued to climb. It wasn¡¯t clear exactly how many were real people, but judging by the quantity and density of thements, there should be quite a few. Although the screen was ck, the sound was there. The voices of the club members who came over to scrounge some rice cakes, the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and the bustling footsteps all mixed together. But the clearest sound was the sizzling of the rice cakes on the grill paper. Who¡¯s to me when Liu Qian ced her phone beside the grill? With a ck screen and only audio, it left much to the imagination. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m getting hungry just from hearing the sounds (? ) As soon as thisment appeared, many who had stayed in the live stream to post ¡°infuriating streamer¡± also started saying they were hungry too, and ¡°I¡¯m starving to death¡± and ¡°infuriating streamer¡± almost dominated the chat. With thirty-something people each nibbling a bit of the rice cake and cabbage, the grill was nearly empty. Ji Yue was about to continue grilling chicken wings when she inadvertently saw Liu Qian¡¯s phone lit up with a ck screen but a flurry ofments. She reminded her. ¡°Qianqian, didn¡¯t you forget to turn off your live stream?¡± Ji Yue said. Liu Qian, who was dipping a spring roll into the spicy sauce left on the grill paper, was reminded by Ji Yue and suddenly remembered that she hadpletely forgotten about the live stream. Liu Qian hurriedly put down her chopsticks, picked up her phone, and saw the screen filled with ¡°infuriating streamer¡± and ¡°I¡¯m starving to death. Turning the camera to the front-facing position and pointing it at herself, Liu Qian apologized to the audience with a look of regret, ¡°Sorry everyone, I only remembered to eat just now and didn¡¯t pay attention to the live stream. The spicy stir-fried rice cakes have been eaten already, I¡¯ll show you guys the grill!¡± The next second, an almost entirely empty grill appeared on the screen, with even the spicy sauce on the grill paperrgely gone. ¡°Infuriating streamer.¡± ¡°Infuriating streamerf*^¡± ¡°Infuriating streamer, I strongly demand another serving! -mmp, seeing this empty grill has actually made me hungrier!¡± Liu Qian looked at Jiang Feng, who was preparing to make hot pot. He had added quite a bit of seasoning to the pot and then put in meatballs, staple foods, and vegetables one by one. Turning the camera towards herself, Liu Qian said, ¡°Our club president is also about to eat, and doesn¡¯t have time to make another serving. I just saw someone saying they got hungry. Everyone, go have your meal first, that¡¯s it for today¡¯s live stream, bye!¡± Liu Qian waved at the camera and turned off the live stream. Before the live stream truly went ck, everyone heard Liu Qian¡¯s unfinished sentence¡ª ¡°Club president, the seasonings you added to the pot are¡­ Thements in the live stream paused briefly, then went wilder. ¡°Infuriating streamer, really infuriating me to death! Y ¡õ Y ¡ªJ???????????? L ¡°Sexy streamer, infuriating offline. ¡°Infuriating streamer, infuriating offline.¡± ¡°Three minutes, I want to know everything about this streamer.¡± ¡°Infuriated for two hours, for just five minutes of streaming.¡± After barraging the chat for a while to vent, the viewers reluctantly but faithfully hit the follow button and left the live stream. Liu Qian had no idea her infuriating behavior had increased her followers significantly. Her livestreaming was just for fun after seeing her dormmate do it and thought it was amusing. It couldn¡¯t even be considered a hobby; she was very nonchnt about the whole followers thing. After getting the seasoning mix from Jiang Feng, Liu Qian had been focusing solely on eating hotpot. Having seen Jiang Feng stir-fry rice cakes on a grilling paper, many others tried to imitate him, all failing without exception. Watching everyone change their grilling papers one by one, Jiang Feng smiled subtly, keeping his skills and reputation understated. ¡°President, are you going to participate in this year¡¯s Good Taste Cooking Competition?¡± After everyone was full and sitting around chatting, Wu Minqi, who had been quiet and didn¡¯t talk much, suddenly asked. ¡°Good Taste, is that the soy sauce brand?¡± Liu Zixuan interjected. n City had a fairly well-known brand of soy sauce called Good Taste, but its poprity was limited to areas around the city. Beyond the province, it didn¡¯t have much fame. ¡öYes, that¡¯s the one sponsoring the event. The winner gets a hundred thousand yuan prize, and the restaurant will be promoted on the cover of Taste magazine. Thepetition is limited to individuals only, and participants must be under 28 years old,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°I want topete.¡± Taste, as a culinary magazine, also has a bit of fame in Huaguo. ¡°You can cook?¡± Liu Zixuan was surprised. What kind of godly club was this ¨C there were more members who could cook than y chess. ¡°Ah, Minqi¡¯s family runs a restaurant, a Michelin one-star, the Wu Family Restaurant; it¡¯s very famous in our area,¡± Liu Qian chimed in, lifting her head. Running a restaurant¡­ Michelin one-star¡­ Restaurant¡­ Jiang Feng felt like a golden, sparkling ¡®belle of wealth¡¯ had infiltrated the humble Chess Club. ¡°You want me to help you as your assistant?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Although thepetition was open only to individuals, having an assistant to chop and prepare ingredients for the main chef should be fine. ¡°I was thinking you could also enter thepetition,¡± said Wu Minqi with a smile. ¡°I tried the pastries you made at the club recruitment event, and since then I really wanted to challenge you.¡± No wonder Wu Minqi never used her club benefits to eat at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant after joining the Chess Club; her intentions weren¡¯t focused on the wine. ¡°Ding, an optional side quest has appeared, please choose at your discretion.¡± Games really love a big spectacle. ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Feng agreed. The sessful club dinner ended, and when everyone returned to school it was already past nine in the evening. Ji Yue had gone to help at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, and after sending a WeChat message to Mrs. Wang Xiulian, Jiang Feng went straight back to the dormitory. As soon as he entered the dorm, he saw Wang Hao sprawled on the bed. ¡°Good business at the shop today?¡± Jiang Feng guessed. ¡°Burstingly good; I¡¯m dead tired,¡± Wang Hao said feebly. ¡¯I¡¯m about to pass out from delivering takeouts.¡± Jiang Feng chuckled; the smell of pork elbows hadn¡¯t even faded from him. It looked like he had managed to recuperate from the toil of delivery during dinner. Stepping into the bathroom, he opened the attribute panel. [Fellow Challenger]: Wu Minqi, as the heir to the Wu Family Restaurant, has shown exceptional culinary talent from a young age and is peerless among her contemporaries, known as the most promising of the Wu Family¡¯s younger generation. A piece of mung bean cake at the UAL club recruitment event captured her interest. As the most promising of the Jiang Family¡¯s younger generation, face Wu Minqi¡¯s challenge and defeat her in the Good Taste Cooking Competition.[Choose: Yes/No] Jiang Feng:¡­ Truth be told, Jiang Jianguo made all the mung bean cakes that day. He clicked yes. [Fellow Challenger]: Wu Minqi, as the heir to the Wu Family Restaurant, has shown exceptional culinary talent from a young age and is peerless among her contemporaries, known as the most promising of the Wu Family¡¯s younger generation. A piece of mung bean cake at the UAL club recruitment event captured her interest. As the most promising of the Jiang Family¡¯s younger generation, face Wu Minqi¡¯s challenge and defeat her in the Good Taste Cooking Competition. Quest progress (0/1) Quest Tip: The difference in skills between the yer and Wu Minqi is considerable; please upgrade your abilities as soon as possible. Quest Reward: A kitchen knife. It¡¯s so realistic. Jiang Feng was speechless and choked up.. Chapter 41 - 41 Annoying Anchor (Please Favorite) Chapter 41: Annoying Anchor (Please Favorite) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The next morning, Jiang Feng went to help open up the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Last night, he had searched online for the Good Taste Cooking Competition. The firstpetition was held in March of this year, a small and unremarkable event with the first prize being 10,000 yuan, the second prize 6,000 yuan, and the third prize 3,000 yuan. The participants were all cooking enthusiasts or young chefs from small diners, and the event didn¡¯t attract much attention, which exins why Jiang Feng knew nothing about it. Perhaps because the firstpetition went well, Good Taste¡¯s secondpetition was much more ambitious. Not only were the prizes significantly richer, but they also advertised heavily on the Good Taste official website. When Jiang Feng searched, he found many news reports promoting the event. Compared with thest edition, thepetition process this time seemed much more formal. Registration began in January, followed by preliminary selections to determine the top 32,16, 8, and then 4 finalists, culminating in the battle for the championship. This time, the promotion wasn¡¯t limited to the area around n City, Good Taste was aiming high and had set up 6 regional selection events across the country, while also having full coverage through television and online streaming. Seeing this, the 100,000 yuan prize for the champion seemed almost trivial. If thepetition truly became popr, it would be an excellent opportunity for talented young chefs to make a name for themselves. No wonder Wu Minqi was eager to sign up. Thepetition was set for March of next year as well, with more than four months to go. The gap between Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t be bridged in just four short months. Jiang Feng absentmindedly chopped vegetables. ¡°By the way, Feng, I¡¯ve been thinking about the question you asked me yesterday. The mushroom vor in the mushroom soup of your dish is too overpowering; it needs to be changed. How about recing it with white radish soup?¡± likewise chopping vegetables, Jiang Jiankang suddenly remembered and suggested. ¡°White radish soup?¡± White radish soup did sound morepatible with the other ingredients, but this would change the basicponents of the dish. However, Jiang Jiankang¡¯s suggestion gave Jiang Feng an idea. Indeed, white radish was a wonderful ingredient, avable all year round, moisturizing for the lungs and phlegm-dispelling, slightly spicy and sweet when raw, and could clear heat and cut greasiness when cooked in soup. Most importantly, it absorbed vors well and was tolerant, capable of melding with other ingredients that had distinct and unique tastes. Making a pot of white radish and mushroom soup as an apaniment seemed like a good choice. Throughout the morning service, Jiang Feng was still contemting what other ingredients to add to the soup. Liu Qian, with her backpack, sat as usual in her regr seat by the window, ordered a dish of plum vegetable chicken feet, a portion of hand-torn cabbage, and a cup of hot milk tea. As the weather had gotten colder, the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant switched from selling cold drinks like plum juice and mung bean soup to warm beverages like soy milk and milk tea. However, the sales of milk tea weren¡¯t very good, as not everyone took to the taste of sugar-free, manually brewed milk tea, especially given that its price was several times that of other milk tea shops. Once the dishes were served, Liu Qian began her livestream as usual, but she was startled by the sudden surge in her number of followers. From a single digit to breaking through the thousand mark. Could it be, am I about to be famous? Liu Qian thought to herself. With her livestream titled ¡°Daily Lunch,¡± Liu Qian waved to her audience of 6 viewers and said, ¡°Hi everyone, I¡¯m Qianqian. Today, as usual, I¡¯m having lunch at the shop owned by our club president. I¡¯ve ordered plum vegetable chicken feet, hand-torn cabbage, and hot milk tea, and now I¡¯m going to start eating!¡± After speaking, she focused on eating without saying another word. The angle of the camera remained the same suffocating nostril-focused one. ¡°Annoying host, hand over the recipe for yesterday¡¯s seasoning!¡± ¡°Right, annoying livestream, give us the recipe for the seasoning already!¡± ¡°Annoying host, online to annoy.¡± ¡°Annoying host is a big spender, huh, having such avish daily lunch.¡± Netizens continued to join in, all of whom had watched the stream the day before and had hit the follow button, moring for Liu Qian to reveal the recipe for the hot pot seasoning she used the previous day. There were also some neers who were curious why everyone was calling her the annoying host and, without leaving the stream, casually asked, ¡°Why do you guys call her annoying host?¡± Yan Xiaoyu, who was one of the most active at typing ¡°annoying host,¡± immediately responded, ¡°Because she¡¯s really annoying!¡± Soon, Liu Qian proved through her actions what it meant to be the annoying host. She didn¡¯t look at her phone at all when she was eating, or rather, she didn¡¯t even think to check it. A few weeks ago, her livestream was usually dead silent, with viewership hovering around thirty or forty people. No one spoke, and she wasn¡¯t in the habit of interacting with the audience. Over time, she barely nced at her phone. The chicken feet from Jiang Jiankang¡¯s Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant were so tender and vorful that they fell off the bone with a slight suck. Liu Qian was a regr customer and a member of Jiang Feng¡¯s society, so thanks to her recognizable face, she always got arger serving than others. As Liu Qian was gleefully spitting out bones, she lifted her head and nced at her phone by chance, only to discover to her surprise that there were actually quite a fewments streaming in. ¡°Annoying livestream, why do you all call me the annoying host?¡± Liu Qian asked with her mouth full. ¡°Because you¡¯re very annoying.¡± Dozens ofments floated up in unison. Seeing that Liu Qian finally paid attention to the livestream, the viewers who were asking for the seasoning mix hurriedly took the opportunity to press her to reveal the recipe. ¡°No, no, yourments are too dense, I can¡¯t really see clearly. Can you slow down a bit?¡± In order to eatfortably, Liu Qian had ced her phone quite far away. It was the first time the audience had seen a host whoined about theirments being too frequent, leaving the viewers a bit stunned for a moment. Still, Yan Xiaoyu quickly sent ament, taking advantage of her quick typing skills. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use two phones, one for the livestream and another to read thements?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work, I don¡¯t have two phones.¡± Liu Qian wasn¡¯t a professional host, so why would she buy another phone just for livestreaming? Everyone began to flood the chat with requests for the seasoning recipe again. Just then, the kitchen had a lull, and Jiang Feng came out to find a chair to take a break. ¡°President,¡± Liu Qian called him out urgently, ¡°my viewers want to know the seasoning mix you added to the hotpot yesterday.¡± Jiang Feng walked over, curiously nced at Liu Qian¡¯s phone, and without intending to, half of his face got into frame. He quickly turned his head away and said, ¡°Salt, sesame oil, chopped green onion, soy sauce, and crushed chili pepper. However, it¡¯s hard for most people to get the proportions right¡ªI suggest you just add a bit of salt to enhance the vor.¡± ¡°Got it! z)_¡± ¡°Looks so professionalz(1 Someone remembered Jiang Feng. ¡°The president has been in the kitchen making soup every day recently, and it has been horrible. The soups that were delivered recently were all made by him, and I think I could make a tastier soup than his. Yesterday¡¯s mushroom, bok choy, and tofu soup was the worst!¡± Liu Qianined indignantly, ¡°It¡¯s surprising because the porridge he cooks is pretty good, but his soup is terrible.¡± ¡°But now that you mention it, I really haven¡¯t seen the president around for a while. He hasn¡¯t attended any club events recently.¡± The screen was flooded withughter. Not long after, Ji Yue came over with the eggnt. Liu Qian took a sniff and eximed, ¡°Smells wonderful.¡± Yan Xiaoyu seized the moment to send a barrage ofments: ¡°Annoyingly cute anchor says everything smells nice.¡± ¡°No, really, today¡¯s eggnt smells different, exceptionally fragrant!¡± Liu Qian said earnestly. Ji Yue presented the eggnt to Liu Qian: ¡°I just saw that Grandpa Feng was the one who fried this eggnt; it smelled particrly good.¡± ¡°I also heard him say that he would cook tonight¡¯s dinner.¡± Liu Qian immediately caught on and indicated that she would stay to help and also take advantage of the free meal. The freshly cooked eggnt with minced meat was still steaming, oily, and appeared very appetizing. -Why do I feel like today¡¯s eggnt looks extra delicious (?.w.?)¡± ¡°This eggnt looks amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so oily, it can¡¯t taste good.¡± ¡°Annoyingly cute anchor¡¯s eyes are glued to it.¡± Liu Qian nced at her phone, picked up a chopstickful of eggnt, and put it in her mouth, eximing, ¡°Oh my god, this is ridiculously delicious!¡± On the other side, Jiang Feng¡¯s clear broth with willow leaf and swallow greens was also ready. ¡°Ding, congrattions to the yer for improving the Clear Broth Willow Leaf Swallow Greens (Pseudo).¡± Jiang Feng opened the attributes panel without caring that Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Jiankang were still handling pork nearby. [Clear Broth Willow Leaf Swallow Greens (Pseudo) D-grade][Improved]: Creator: Jiang Huiqin Improver: Jiang Feng Improvement Evaluation: Returning to simplicity, the ultimate simplicity. Using the simplest ingredients to bring out the original vor. Details of the dish: Even with the poorbination of materials and seasonings, this food appears precious due to Jiang Huiqin¡¯s extraordinary cooking skills and special circumstances. It was a shining light during the darkest moment of Li Mingyi¡¯s life, helping him to survive. No special bonuses. Number of times it can be made per day: 1 time. (1/1) It was improved sessfully? Still D-grade? Jiang Feng was somewhat incredulous and even hesitant to taste it. This simple? How could it be! Chapter 45 - 45: The Dish is Ready (Seeking Recommendations) Chapter 45: The Dish is Ready (Seeking Rmendations) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Weiguo noticed that Jiang Feng¡¯s dishes were ready. ¡°If you¡¯re done,e over and help out. Oh, call your uncle and let them know toe over for dinner tonight. How has your uncle been feelingtely?¡± 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. Thest 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 ssmate helping out; they went to deliver a takeout and haven¡¯te 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 Xiulianined, ¡°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 ount to ce 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 Gardening all this way to n City to eat near UAL University, finishing their meal, adding a WeChat public ount, and then insisting on ordering delivery, what¡¯s wrong with them?¡± Liu Zixuan alsoined. Qiu Chen and Zhao Yang, with faces of utter resignation, expressed no desire toment on the matter. Tianfu Garden could be regarded as the most high-end vi residence area in n City, forcefully carving out a piece ofnd right in the city center, touted in advertisements as an oasis of rxation 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 ced 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 ced 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 toe 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 toe 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 ces. 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 vor 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 dered her readiness. Then Jiang Feng started making the calls again. Professor Li was away from n 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¡¯sing, and he¡¯s telling us to go eat at San¡¯s/Third Brother¡¯s ce! Where has that little rascal gone to fool around/work overtime again?¡± At dinner time, two tables were set up, onerge and one small. Li Mingyi, who was thin and frail, looked particrly isted 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 ced 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 eggnt 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 nces, with a trace moreughter 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 ofrge serving bowls. ¡°This is made by Feng, he¡¯s been working on this recently,¡± Jiang Jiankangined 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 vor of eachponent. Jiang Weiguo, too, picked up a piece of white fungus with his chopsticks. ¡°Ding, hidden mission [Transmit and Instruct]pleted, reward obtained: [A Memory of Jiang Weiguo].¡± Li Mingyi shakily brought the white fungus to his mouth. ¡°Ding, side mission [Li Junming¡¯s Wish]pleted, reward obtained: [Land Deed].¡± Both missionspleted 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 sote, she must have sneaked out again. She caught a cold after falling into the riverst 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 tofort 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. Chapter 46 - 46 Land Deed (2nd Update) Chapter 46: Land Deed (2nd Update) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio This time, Li Mingyi didn¡¯t remain confused for long. After returning home, he searched everywhere for Jiang Huiqin. Following a bit offorting from Chen Suhua and another ss of warm water, he gradually calmed down and became lucid. ¡°Feng, I¡¯m really sorry,¡± said the now clearheaded Li Mingyi, sitting on the sofa and leisurely cing his reading sses on his nose, ¡°Your dish is exactly like the one your great-aunt used to make for me.¡± ¡°To be able to taste it again, I can finally go in peace to join your great-aunt,¡± Li Mingyi said with a smile, picking up the newspaper. ¡°Dad, what nonsense are you talking about? The doctor said you were fine at yourst checkup. What do you mean, ¡®go down¡¯?¡± Chen Suhua brought him a cup of warm water, cing it on the coffee table. ¡°Feng, thank you for your trouble. I can take care of him here, you go back and have your meal.¡± Chen Suhua escorted Jiang Feng to the stairwell, and he still seemed worried, ¡°Great-uncle just didn¡¯t eat much; should I go back and bring some porridge over?¡± Chen Suhua sighed and refused. ¡°No need, your great-uncle¡­ he can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± ¡°These days, he can only drink a small bowl of porridge every day. He went for a checkup at the hospital the day before yesterday, and the doctor said that he¡­¡± ¡°He only has at most half a month left.¡± As she spoke, Chen Suhua¡¯s eyes reddened, and tears streamed straight down from her right eye. Jiang Feng turned his head back, looking at her in shock. Half a month?! On the way back, Jiang Feng felt dazed. Li Mingyi was not only his great-uncle; through his memories, he had also witnessed Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin¡¯s youthful ardor and mutual support through tough times. Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, Li Mingyi held a special ce in his heart. Once Li Mingyi was gone, there would truly be few people left who remembered Jiang Huiqin. It wasn¡¯t until he reached the front door of the restaurant that Jiang Feng snapped back to reality, remembering he had yet to check his task reward. While everyone was still having their meal on the second floor, Jiang Feng went straight to the storage room, opened his attribute panel, and located the item column. [A Memory of Jiang Weiguo]: A memory that can be revisited multiple times. [Land Deed]: Thend deed for Taifeng Building. [imable: Yes/No] Click Yes. Strangely, nond deed appeared out of thin air. But that was normal since Taifeng Building was a restaurant from the time of the Republic of China in Beiping; it probably didn¡¯t exist anymore. And deed from that period wouldn¡¯t be of any use nowadays, at most a collectible item to be kept at home. The stinginess of the game hadn¡¯t changed one bit. Jiang Feng went upstairs and joined everyone for the meal. Seeing Jiang Feng return, Jiang Weiguo asked, ¡°How¡¯s your great-uncle?¡± ¡°He was fine when I left; he hade out of it and was reading the newspaper,¡± Jiang Feng replied, not wishing to tell Sir about the dire news concerning Li Mingyi¡¯s limited time left and unnecessarily saddening him. Jiang Feng returned to his seat to find that the dishes on the table had been nearly cleared, with just a little bit of each left ¨C apparently, they had been deliberately saved for him. ¡°Feng, you weren¡¯t just boasting, your grandfather¡¯s cooking truly is second to none in the world!¡± Wang Hao said, his face full of satisfaction as he drank the pork rib soup, his expression as exaggerated as possible. ¡°Feng, just tell me, does your family also have a Jiang Family Restaurant over there like Wu Minqi¡¯s, with several Michelin stars or something? Just say it; I can handle the truth!¡± Liu Zixuan tried to pick up thest few rice grains soaked in meat juice from his bowl with his chopsticks. ¡°Michelin stars? You mean Michelin tires! I can¡¯t finish all these dishes you left for me. Who wants this Four Joyful Meatballs?¡± Jiang Feng picked up a pair of chopsticks of food. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Liu Qian, you¡¯re still eating after two meals? Eating too much isn¡¯t good for girls, you have to do live streamingter. Let me have it, I¡¯ll have it.¡± ¡°Hao, you¡¯re all muscle already, no more eating for you. I¡¯m skinny, I¡¯ll eat it!¡± ¡°Ha, as if you¡¯re skinnier than me! I didn¡¯t get enough, I¡¯ll have it!¡± ¡°How about we split it evenly?¡± Qiu Chen chimed in jokingly. ¡°As if I¡¯d split it with you!¡± everyone eximed in unison. The group fought over thest Four Joyful Meatball on the te,pletely disregarding their old school friendship, without any more time to pay attention to Jiang Feng. In the following few days, Jiang Weiguo took charge of cooking. Jiang Jiankang was so content that he almost wished he could close the restaurant. Jiang Jianye and Jiang Jianshe made the simplest choice; they closed their pet shop, putting up a sign that the shop owner was otherwise engaged and proceeded to wait hand and foot on Sir at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Jiang Feng guessed that if it weren¡¯t for his eldest uncle Jiang Jianguo worrying that they might drive Sir away with their constant presence, they would have long since brought their bedding and moved into the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. It was clear to everyone that Jiang Weiguo came to n City for Jiang Feng. Every day, Sir praised Jiang Feng so much that he himself started to feel disoriented. With Jiang Weiguo¡¯s arrival in n City, the customers of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant were in for a treat. Sir was someone who could not stay idle; sometimes he personally cooked the dishes that he felt like making. Coupled with Wang Hao being as loud as a megaphone who couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut, he almost made Sir out to be a Food God descended to earth, unrivaled across thend of Hua. For a while, the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant became unmatched in poprity near UAL University, with students flocking to it. During dinner time, even many teachers made their way there, anxious like lottery yers awaiting the draw; no one knew whether their dish would be one prepared by Sir until it was served. In just four short days, the main quest waspleted. ¡°Ding, main quest, [Stand Firm],pleted. You have earned reward item: [Renovation Blueprint].¡± Renovation Blueprint? Jiang Feng was chopping vegetables when he heard the notification and found it strange. Why would they give me a renovation blueprint? His second uncle still had over a hundred thousand in debts unpaid; it was a bad time to talk about renovations, even if he were the biological son of Mrs. Wang Xiulian! Jiang Feng waited for the game to release the new main quest. He waited for five minutes. Ten minutes. Half an hour. Jiang Feng: ??? Where¡¯s the main quest??? What kind of crappy game is this? Not only is there no update for a month, but now they don¡¯t even give you the full main quest to y. This is a scam, right? What exactly is going on in the brain of the person who nned this game? Do Earth yers not have rights? Are they picking on Earth yers for their slow inte connection? Are they bullying people because Earthlings are eating their rice? Jiang Feng cursed the game nner, the main creators, and the operators from head to toe repeatedly in his mind all the way until the evening when he returned to the dorm and still the game hadn¡¯t released a new main quest. The main quest column sessfully turned into ??? Jiang Feng finally realized it. The main quest. Gone! Lousy game, ruining my youth! Chapter 47 - 47 Transfer (3rd Update!) Chapter 47: Transfer (3rd Update!) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The next morning, Jiang Feng arrived at the shop with tworge dark circles under his eyes. He had struggled with the game all night, no customer service, no reporting, noints¡ªthe yers from Earth had no rights in this game without all three. The main quest was still ??? Jiang Feng began to suspect that the game¡¯s developer had racked up a debt of 3.5 billion universal currency from a life of eating, drinking, gambling, and had run off with his mistress. Fortunately, the props obtained in the game could still be used normally. Although there was only one preservation box and one promotional board. In the morning, before the business opened, Jiang Feng was instructed by Jiang Weiguo to simmer soup in the kitchen. Professor Li walked into the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant with a document bag in hand. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯ve returned from your meeting in Beiping, I see,¡± Wang Xiulian, wiping the table, greeted him. Professor Li smiled and nodded at her, asking, ¡°Is Feng here? I have some papers here that I need him to sign.¡± Papers? Wang Xiulian¡¯s smile vanished, her face turned serious, ¡°Did that rascal get into trouble at school again?¡± No.¡± Professor Li chuckled, opened the document bag, and handed a thick stack of papers to Wang Xiulian, ¡°It¡¯s a transfer document for a restaurant property. It¡¯s under my dad¡¯s name; he called me a few nights ago to transfer ownership of this restaurant to Feng.¡± Wang Xiulian took the papers, the dense terms made her head swim, but she could make out the bold characters at the top. Taifeng Building Transfer Agreement What was Taifeng Building? It seemed like something Dad had mentioned before. A sense of foreboding told Wang Xiulian that something major was happening. ¡°Jianguo, Feng, Dad,e out quick! Something¡¯s happened!¡± Wang Xiulian shouted at the top of her lungs. Five minutester. All four of them silently flipped through a copy of the document. ¡°No, no, Junming,¡± said Jiang Weiguo, ¡°this is too valuable; our family can¡¯t ept it. I¡¯ll talk to my uncle. Feng can¡¯t just ept this!¡± Although Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t quite understand things like restaurant transfers or transfers of shares andnd deeds, he¡¯d grown up in Taifeng Building and knew very well its location and size¡­ Even though he hadn¡¯t returned to Beiping since, he would asionally check the news on his phone and knew that an apartment in Beiping¡¯s second ring road was worth tens of millions. How much for Taifeng Building then? Several billion? Tens of billions? Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t have the audacity to let the Jiang Family ept someone else¡¯s property worth tens of billions for nothing. Jiang Feng was also stunned. Though he had never seen the entirety of Taifeng Building, he¡¯d at least been to the kitchen and had some impression of it. It was, after all, a standalone restaurant building in Beiping! And it had actually survived until now! Jiang Jiankang and his wife also knew when to refuse, both expressing that they couldn¡¯t ept it. Professor Li persuaded, ¡°Weiguo, Taifeng Building was originally yours, the Jiang Family¡¯s. My father has been looking for you brothers for half a century. I¡¯m not very clear about what happened back then, but I do know a bit.¡± ¡°This restaurant was bought by my mother in the 37th year of the Republic of China. While she was still alive, she always said Taifeng Building was originally the Jiang Family¡¯s ancestral property. It changed hands because her father squandered the family wealth on opium. Because of the war, they had to move from the Northeast provinces to Beiping. Later on¡­ sigh. My mother had passed away by the time of the political rehabilitation, and the government returned Taifeng Building, which by then had been altered beyond recognition. My father spent a lot of effort restoring it to its former state. Keeping it was always to hope one day we¡¯d find you to continue running Taifeng Building.¡± Our family doesn¡¯t have a knack for business, and I have no children. Feng is my junior; since my father has decided to transfer Taifeng Building to Feng, let¡¯s just go with his wishes.¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t do,¡± Jiang Weiguo insisted resolutely. Didn¡¯t he want Taifeng Building? Of course, he did. Jiang Weiguo still remembered when, during their escape, Jiang Chengde spent thest of their money to buy him a ticket to Magic City. He gave Jiang thest bun, hoping he would make something of himself and, returning gloriously to his hometown, buy back Taifeng Building in Beiping. He desired Taifeng Building, but it had to be something the Jiang Family bought back honorably with real money, not through a rtive¡¯s gift. ¡°How about this,¡± seeing the strong opposition from the Jiang family, Professor Li took a step back, ¡°I was actually nning to have Feng sign the papers and then go with me to Beiping to finalize the procedures. Alternatively, we can modify the text and have a public notary assess the total value of Taifeng Building. We¡¯ll sell it to you, and the payments can be made in installments.¡± Professor Li said this, but he really had no intention of taking any money. Wang Xiulian hesitated. She could see that her father-inw was longing for Taifeng Building. But how much would a restaurant in Beiping cost? At least several billion, right? Just owing 800,000 to her second brother-inw made her scrimped, unwilling to buy the freshest vegetables. To owe several billion at once? Wang Xiulian¡¯s small-town heart could barely stand the pressure. Jiang Weiguo was tempted. His biggest dream as a child was to beat his six brothers to be the future head chef of Taifeng Building. Later, his dream shifted to saving enough money to buy back Taifeng Building in Beiping. Half a century had quickly passed, and he never returned to Beiping. Now, the transfer document for Taifeng Building wasid out brightly before him, the transferee was his grandson; he could hardly find a reason to refuse. ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Weiguo agreed. At the same time, a notification sounded in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. ¡°Ding, a new optional main quest discovered: [Reopening] Let Taifeng Building reopen in Beiping City.¡± ¡°What about you, Feng?¡± Professor Li looked towards Jiang Feng. ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Feng found it impossible to refuse. Tens of billions in debt. His legs felt slightly weak at the thought. But he was very clear that this was not just for fulfilling a game mission but also about fulfilling Sir¡¯s wish. How often Sir used to talk about Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng knew only too well. If Taifeng Building could really shine once more in their hands, Sir might even get so excited that he¡¯d end up taking the head chef role himself. ¡°Feng,e with me to Beiping tomorrow to handle the transfer procedures,¡± Professor Li said, ¡°although the restaurant hasn¡¯t been managed for seven or eight years, there might be some difficulties in reopening.¡± Professor Li gave them a heads-up. After all, histest visit to Beiping for a conference showed him a Taifeng Building that resembled a poorly preserved cultural relic. Renovating it would likely be a substantial expense.. Chapter 48 - 48 Debt Chapter 48: Debt Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The next morning, Jiang Feng took the flight to Beiping with Professor Li. Jiang Feng was almostpletely ignorant about the property transfer procedures, and he didn¡¯t quite understand the information he had looked up on the inte the night before. Professor Li, however, thoughtfully also hired awyer for him. After getting off the ne, he led Jiang Feng around to various ces to sign the necessary documents. After thewyer reviewed the documents agreement and found no issues, which was almost no different from giving it away for half price, Jiang Feng signed the agreement in the presence of both parties¡¯wyers and the notary office after being busy for two whole days. Holding the IOU worth three hundred million in his hand, Jiang Feng had a flood of emotions. The contract did not specify a repayment time, nor did it include any specific repayment requirements; not a word was mentioned about interest. Moreover, over the past few days, Jiang Feng also realized that Professor Li might truly not want him to repay the money because he genuinely didn¡¯t care about the amount, but the money that ought to be repaid must be repaid not to mention that Professor Li had undervalued it by so much. UAL University had many rumors about Professor Li, iming he was the descendant of a distinguished Beiping family, the sole scion of a family for several generations, owning several properties in the capital city, and even a courtyard house. All of this was true. Li Mmgyi¡¯s grandfather was an imperial schr, and his great-grandfather had even held the official title of a third-ranked court official. His father had studied the eight-legged essay and had passed the imperial examinations to be a juren, but after the abolition of the imperial examination system, he received Western-style education, went abroad, returned to open a factory¡¯ and engaged in phnthropy. He was also a renowned figure in his day. Even Li Mingyi himself, after studying at a domestic university, had gone abroad to take refuge during the Sino-Japanese War and had the opportunity to study abroad, while Jiang Huiqin had earned a Bachelor¡¯s degree in finance overseas. After the reform and opening up, the government returned the Li Family¡¯s property. Of course, the factories could not be returned, but the real estate was all returned. Antique items in the houses were long gone, but even withpensation, it was a vast amount of money for an ordinary family. Professor Li told Jiang Feng that their family originally owned six courtyard houses but werepensated with more than a dozen apartments after the demolition, all of which were rented out. Jiang Feng:¡­ Wasn¡¯t his family¡¯s rtionship to this distinguished family a bit too ostentatious? Professor Li led Jiang Feng to Taifeng Building. The area where Taifeng Building was situated had beenpletely transformed into a business district, surrounded byrge shopping malls, with the antique-style restaurant Taifeng Building standing out as the only one of its kind. Over the years, property developers had seen potential in thisnd, but because the Li Family was not short on money, they originally intended to keep Taifeng Building as a memory for Li Mingyi. Now, transferring it to Jiang Feng, they both felt it was a return to its rightful owner and put to good use. When Jiang Feng saw Taifeng Building for the first time, he felt it was somewhat out of cepared to the surrounding architecture. It wasn¡¯t because one was modern and the other was antique-style- Taifeng Building simply looked too old. Jiang Feng even saw two young girls who clearly came from out of town taking photos of Taifeng Building from a distance, posing as if they were photographing a scenic building. Professor Li¡¯s family settled in n City, and although they hired someone to manage the building regrly, they didn¡¯te to Beiping often, so the manager wasn¡¯t very dedicated. The building had suffered from years of weathering, and if it wasn¡¯t renovated, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be suitable to open for business as it was. ¡°Professor, if we were to renovate and refurbish Taifeng Building¡­¡± Jiang Feng asked.??????????????????????????? 6 ¡°I know a construction team, but if we do that, it¡¯ll cost at least a few million ¡± Professor Li said. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t evene up with a few hundred, let alone millions ¨C the Jiang Family was now in debt by three hundred million! Before leaving, Sir Jiang made it very clear to Jiang Feng: since Li Mingyi had insisted on transferring Taifeng Building to Jiang Feng, he ought to take responsibility. Although the older generation could help with Taifeng Building¡¯s affairs, they absolutely could not contribute money. In other words, the cost of the renovations had to be earned by Jiang Feng himself. Moreover, Jiang Feng felt that relying on Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian for millions was hardly realistic. Professor Li originally intended to cover the renovation costs as well since he privately felt his father¡¯s wish was to see Taifeng Building open its doors and continue operating. However, Sir Jiang Weiguo was very adamant, as epting Taifeng Building meant that the Jiang Family already owed the Li Family a great favor. Borrowing more money would make it difficult for him to face the Li Family in the future. Professor Li was also curious as to how Jiang Feng would manage to reopen Taifeng Building. Professor Li led Jiang Feng inside. Taifeng Building wasrger than she had imagined. Three stories, with private rooms andpartments fully equipped, in such a bustling district with such heavy foot traffic, there would undoubtedly be ample clientele as soon as it reopened. Three hundred million. Professor Li really went to great lengths to concoct reasons to discount the building¡¯s price to three hundred million. Not staying long, the two had to catch their flight. Professor Li had taken so many days off, and the backlog of sses was piling up like a mountain. Back in n City, Jiang Feng handed over the property title documents of Taifeng Building to Jiang Weiguo, who treasured them greatly and, for the first time, opened a safety deposit box at the bank. Now, whether it was the Good Taste Culinary Competition, the million needed for renovations, or the daunting three hundred million debt hanging over his head, it all reminded Jiang Feng that it was time to hone his culinary skills. Without honing his culinary skills, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to pay off the debt. Without honing his culinary skills, even if Taifeng Building reopened, it would be a joke. That evening, back in the dormitory, Jiang Feng clicked on his attribute panel and selected ¡®Yes¡¯ under the option ¡°A Memory of Jiang Weiguo¡± in his inventory. The next second, he heard the sound of running water. And¡­ Why is it so wobbly! Before Jiang Feng could get a good look at his surroundings, he fell on his bottom.. Chapter 49 - 49 The Old Days of the Republic of China (III) Chapter 49: The Old Days of the Republic of China (III) Trantor: Larbre Studio | Editor: Larbre Studio Jiang Feng struggled to get up from the ground and took a firm look around. This was¡­ A ship¡¯s cabin? Jiang Feng had never been on a boat, and he could hardly stand steady in the violently rocking ship¡¯s cabin. He stumbled along and eventually embraced a pir. Fortunately, he could hold onto the pir; otherwise, unless the ship stopped, Jiang Feng would have remained sprawled on the ground. The cabin was cramped, dim, and extremely crowded, with only a small, angled window that barely let any light in. The small space was packed with around a hundred people of all sorts: men, women, old, and young. The one thing they all had inmon was their yellowish, emaciated faces with bones poking through their skin, and most of them sat on the ground with lifeless eyes and numb expressions. In such circumstances, Jiang Feng simply couldn¡¯t distinguish which one was Jiang Weiguo. Jiang Feng held onto the pir, not daring to move as an oppressive smell pervaded the entire cabin, worse than the garbage heap that Li Mingyi had once lived near. The mix of sweat, sourness, body odor, urine, and feces was fermenting in the enclosed cabin. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Feng¡¯s prior experience with the close quarters of a garbage heap, he might have fled outside the cabin by now. The people m the cabin also seemed to have gone a long time without bathing or changing clothes. From the terrible conditions and their ragged, filthy attire, Jiang Feng could tell they had no means to bathe, much less clothes to change into. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that everyone in the cabin was Asian, Jiang Feng might have suspected that this was a ve ship transporting African captives. After a long while, the door to the cabin opened. A lean man, moderately clean but also wearing worn-out clothes, walked down the stairs with a look of disgust, stopping midway, clearly not wanting toe into too much contact with the people at the bottom of the cabin. ¡°The cook for the first-ss passengers is ill. Do we have any cooks here?¡± the lean man shouted, ¡°Two steamed buns per meal!¡± As soon as thest sentence was uttered, the previously silent cabin erupted They didn¡¯t care whether the sick cook had been thrown into the river-they were only concerned about those two steamed buns. Men, women, the elderly, and even children around seven or eight years old all desperately cried out, ¡°I am a cook!¡± ¡°I can cook!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need two steamed buns, just one will do!¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for the fear they still had of the lean man, those craving the in white steamed buns would have swarmed and tugged at his clothes. Quiet!¡± the lean man roared, his voice drowning out the mor, ¡°No women, and if you cause trouble, I¡¯ll throw all of you into the river!¡± ¡°I need a cook, a cook for the first-ss passengers, not some worthless trash who can only boil gruel!¡± The lean man scanned the crowd and, seeing that the initially eager people were now showing fear, couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat disappointed. This was a merchant ship that usually shuttled between Southeast Asia and traded goods. There were many ships like theirs at sea: when they had cargo, they carried goods; when there was no cargo, they transported people. Those willing to be cruel would deceive the destitute into spending all their savings on a boat ticket, divide them into different sses, and then sell the prettier or slightly attractive women by weight to San Francisco, the strongborers and women to traffickers, and the children, who weren¡¯t worth much-if there were buyers, they¡¯d be sold; if there were none, they¡¯d be abandoned somewhere or directly thrown into the river. Their masters were considered quite generous; although the tickets were expensive, they at least guaranteed to deliver people to their intended destinations, providing three bowls of watery rice soup daily to those in the ship¡¯s cabins. As for whether those who had spent all their savings on a boat ticket could survive on three bowls of rice soup a day, that was none of their concern. Compared to their peers, their masters were already saints with hearts ofpassion. ¡°Anyone?¡± the lean man called out again, ¡°Satisfy the first-ss passengers, and you¡¯ll get three steamed buns for one meal!¡± No one dared to respond. They were afraid. Cooking poorly and angering the first-ss passengers meant not only missing out on the steamed buns but also jeopardizing their entire families. This year, the northern regions had consecutively suffered from chaos, drought, and epidemics. Rich and poor alike were fleeing south to escape the disaster. Just the cost of steerage tickets for the whole family could deplete the savings of a regr household, and there were many who had to sell daughters or even daughters-inw to raise the fare. The status of the people living in the first-ss cabins was something thesemoners didn¡¯t even dare to dream of. ¡°Can I do it? I was an assistant chef at Taifeng Building.¡± Jiang Weiguo squeezed out from the crowd. At this time, Jiang Weiguo was about eleven or twelve years old. Since he had been an assistant cook for Jiang Chengde from a young age, he was well-nourished; therefore,pared to those suffering from chronic hunger and malnutrition in the ship¡¯s hold, he appeared quite robust. Although his clothes were tattered and filthy, it was apparent that his family had once been in good circumstances. Children from poor families could not possibly grow so strong. Taifeng Building?¡± The gaunt man clearly knew of Taifeng Building, and he didn¡¯t believe that an assistant cook from Taifeng Building would end up in the bottom of a ship, ¡°How old are you? Thirteen? Fourteen?¡± ¡°Eleven,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied. After examining Jiang Weiguo for a moment and seemingly deep in thought, the gaunt man finally agreed, albeit reluctantly, ¡°Come on up.¡± With envious gazes following him, Jiang Weiguo left the hold with the gaunt man. Jiang Feng hurriedly stumbled after them. Upon leaving the hold, the air became much fresher, and one could even feel the breeze; it was quite pleasant. The gaunt man began, ¡°My surname is Wang. From now on, you¡¯ll call me Housekeeper Wang. The passengers in first ss are not to be slighted by the hkes of you or me. If you are impersonating someone, go back now and I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± ¡°My name is Jiang Weiguo.¡± Jiang Weiguo said, extending his hand. It was the hand of a cook. Not rough, devoid of excessive calluses, with visible scars from knife cuts. Housekeeper Wang believed he was a cook. Housekeeper Wang led him into a narrow room and tossed him a clean set of old clothes, ¡°There¡¯s no hot water, wash up with cold water, especially your head. Don¡¯t bring fleas or lice into the kitchen. Change into the clean clothes afterward. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Having said that, he closed the wooden door. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t share the hobby of sneaking peeks at his grandfather washing and changing clothes when he was young and waited by the door just like Housekeeper Wang. Before long, Jiang Weiguo came out. He was in clean clothes, his hands and face were clean, and even the dirt under his nails had been washed away. Housekeeper Wang sized up Jiang Weiguo, nodded in satisfaction, and led him to the kitchen. The kitchen on the ship was small, but it was well stocked. There were several kinds of vegetables, though they were all wilted; there was fresh fish, but no fresh meat, with several strings of dried meat hanging, which Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t identify just by sight. ¡°The gentleman in first ss is surnamed Huang. Mr. Huang doesn¡¯t like fish, doesn¡¯t eat ginger, and the dishes must be ready before eleven this morning-minimum three dishes and a soup. If you steal or take anything, I¡¯ll throw you overboard directly! If Mr. Huang is pleased, he naturally rewards well, but if you don¡¯t do well, weigh the consequences!¡± After delivering a mixture of kindness and severity, Housekeeper Wang was ready to leave. ¡°Oh, the kitchen for second and third ss is next door; if you¡¯re hungry, you can go there to scrape together a couple of bowls of rice paste.¡± Jiang Feng guessed this was some sort of staff benefit. ¡°May I ask Housekeeper Wang, where is Mr. Huang from?¡± Jiang Weiguo inquired. Upon hearing Jiang Weiguo¡¯s question, Housekeeper Wang looked at him with a bit of added interest, ¡°People from Huguang.¡± ¡°Thank you for letting me know, Housekeeper Wang,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°If you need a helper, go find one next door.¡± Whether it was because he took a liking to Jiang Weiguo or for some other reason, Housekeeper Wang added anotherment.. Chapter 50 - 50 The Old Days of the Republic of China (IV) Chapter 50: The Old Days of the Republic of China (IV) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio After confirming all the ingredients, Jiang Weiguo took out two potatoes, carved a small piece of cured meat, and selected three rtively fresh green peppers. Jiang Feng guessed that he was probably going to make shredded potatoes and stir-fried green peppers with cured meat. Eleven-year-old Jiang Weiguo¡¯s culinary skills were not yet as good as Jiang Feng¡¯s. His knifework was decent, probably due to his regr practice assisting Jiang Chengde, but his fire control and seasoning were much less impressive. Jiang Feng could tell that the spicy shredded potatoes were too salty, and the potatoes weren¡¯t very fresh, so the texture certainly wouldn¡¯t be good. Not to mention the stir-fried green peppers with cured meat¡ª the cured meat itself was poorly marinated, and the green peppers were dehydrated and wrinkled, with dried-up seeds inside. One could imagine how that dish would taste. Both dishes were simple home-cooked fare, not difficult to stir-fry. Housekeeper Wang had asked for at least three dishes and a soup, so Jiang Weiguo thought for a moment and took out the only cabbage from the cupboard. The outer leaves of the cabbage had all wilted. Jiang Weiguo had to peel off severalyers before revealing the slightly more moist inner leaves. Although not fresh, they were barely edible. He peeled a few leaves, chopped them up, and stir-fried them. The unappealing stir-fried cabbage was then ready to be served. Jiang Feng thought that if it hadn¡¯t been for Mr. Huang in first ss who didn¡¯t eat fish, his dishes wouldn¡¯t have been so in and simple. The river provided plenty of fish, and Jiang Feng saw at least tworge buckets of fresh fish in the corner, still pping about. The soup was a spicy and sour soup, containing flour, wood ear mushrooms, kelp, cured meat, and thepletely dehydrated cabbage leaves from earlier¡ªall chopped up and thrown into the pot. In addition to salt, chili powder, sesame oil, and soy sauce, Jiang Feng also saw Jiang Weiguo add a small handful of spices into the mix¡ªa hodgepodge of ingredients that was hard to discern, but the aroma was the most outstanding among the few dishes. The soup was thick and steaming. Jiang Weiguo went out to look for Housekeeper Wang and found no one outside; then he remembered Wang¡¯s instruction to ask for help next door, so he turned and went to the adjacent kitchen. The neighboring kitchen was a bitrger than the one Jiang Weiguo was in, probably because it housed tworge pots: one containing a thick porridge, the other a watery rice soup that was likely the staple for those in the steeragepartments three times a day. There were two people inside, a plump auntie with a girl who looked somewhat simr to her, probably her daughter. Upon seeing Jiang Weiguo enter, the auntie looked a bit startled, but she quickly recovered and asked with a smile, ¡°You must be the new chef Housekeeper Wang brought in, right? Wait a moment, I haven¡¯t finished cooking the porridge yet. I¡¯lle help you afterwards.¡± This was the first time since their ordeal that Jiang Weiguo had encountered such a friendly stranger. His tone involuntarily softened, ¡°No, Auntie, I¡¯m just looking for Housekeeper Wang. I¡¯ve finished cooking the dishes.¡± Upon hearing she wouldn¡¯t need to help, the plump auntie¡¯s smile grew even warmer, ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll go find Housekeeper Wang for you.¡± Before long, the plump auntie returned with Housekeeper Wang, followed by two other people. As the plump auntie passed by the small kitchen, she peeked inside and asked Jiang Weiguo, ¡°Little Jiang, what have you made that smells so good?¡± ¡°Nanny Li, don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Housekeeper Wang warned sharply. Nanny Li clearly wasn¡¯t scared of him, she rolled her eyes at him and continued to cook her porridge. Arge pot of porridge, left unattended for ten minutes, Jiang Feng guessed the bottom must have scorched by now. The two men who came with Housekeeper Wang went to the small kitchen to fetch the dishes, while they themselves went to Nanny Li¡¯s kitchen to serve rice. Not sure whether Housekeeper Wang was worried that Mr. Huang might vent his anger on him if Jiang Weiguo¡¯s cooking wasn¡¯t good or for some other reason, Wang instructed Jiang Weiguo to follow along as well. The first-ss cabins were on the third floor, guarded at the entrance. Housekeeper Wang asked Jiang Weiguo to wait outside, while he and the two dish carriers entered, with Jiang Feng curiously following behind Housekeeper Wang. The first-ss cabin was spacious, its standard akin to a presidential suite ofter times, with Mr. Huang¡¯s servants and family all inside. He sat reading a book on the sofa, and his wife was sewing buttons nearby. ¡°Prefect Huang, the original chef on the ship fell ill and died. We have a new one today. I¡¯m not sure if the food will be to your taste,¡± Housekeeper Wang said respectfully. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but scrutinize the official; he initially thought Housekeeper Wang was just being respectful by calling him a great person, but it turned out he really was an official. Thinking that even a prefect had abandoned his post to flee to Shanghai showed just how serious the cmity in the north must be. Prefect Huang appeared to be in his fifties, slightly corpulent, with a beard. Only reluctantly did he nce at Housekeeper Wang after he spoke, ¡°If he¡¯s gone, he¡¯s gone. The food wasn¡¯t good anyway, no loss.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Housekeeper Wang said with an apologetic smile, tactfully retreating to the corner. The maidservant by thedy¡¯s side began serving the dishes. Despite the humble environment with only three dishes and a soup, and just one servant, the disy was quite grand. One would think they were royalty from the extravagance of it all. Mr. Huang first tried the stir-fried cabbage. He didn¡¯t speak, but his expression suggested dissatisfaction. Next, he tasted the shredded potato. ¡°Not bad, better than the previous one,¡± Mr. Huangmented. Mr. Huang clearly preferred the shredded potato, while his wife, who favored lighter vors, had only a few bites of cabbage and rice before iming she was full and ate no more. Perhaps due to the shredded potatoes, or maybe because he was just a big eater, Mr. Huang ate three full bowls of rice before he stopped and signaled for the maid to bring him some soup. The maidservant, quick on her feet, served him a small half bowl of soup and ced it steadily in front of him. Mr. Huang took a sip. ¡°Where did you find this cook?¡± Mr. Huang asked, setting down his bowl. ¡°From Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen help,¡± Housekeeper Wang replied. ¡°What a joke, as if a kitchen helper from Taifeng Building coulde all the way here to cook for you,¡± Mr. Huangughed, showing emotion for the first time. Seeing Mr. Huangugh, Housekeeper Wang¡¯s smile was even more exaggerated, but he spoke in a softer voice, ¡°You have a keen eye, sir. The cook is just a teenager who probably worked at Taifeng Building for a few days and imed to be their kitchen helper. I wonder if Mr. Huang is still satisfied with him?¡± ¡°How many more days until we reach Magic City?¡± Mr. Huang asked. ¡°Five days, at most five days.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll do, his skills are good, reward him,¡± Mr. Huang gestured with his hand and the maid handed Housekeeper Wang two silver dors. This was considered a huge sum. Housekeeper Wang¡¯s face lit up with joy, and he rattled off a string ofpliments at no cost, ¡°Mr. Huang, you are truly kind and generous. I thank you on behalf of the kid. That child must have umted a lot of good fortune in his past life to have the opportunity to cook this meal for you today. It¡¯s an honor for him to cook for you, and now to receive your reward¡ªhe must be so grateful that his ancestors are smiling down from heaven.¡± Mr. Huang, annoyed by Housekeeper Wang¡¯s chatter, told him to leave. Housekeeper Wang stashed the silver dors inside his clothes. Jiang Weiguo still stood at the doorway, now feeling the autumn chill with just a thin garment on, having braced the river winds for nearly half an hour, his hands and feet were somewhat numb. Seeing Housekeeper Wange out, he greeted him. ¡°Your cooking wasn¡¯t bad; Mr. Huang has rewarded you,¡± Housekeeper Wang said, tossing him three copper coins. Jiang Weiguo quickly caught them. Having pocketed two silver dors from Jiang Weiguo¡¯s reward, Housekeeper Wang was in a good mood, and his view of Jiang Weiguo had improved considerably, ¡°You go to Nanny Li¡¯s kitchenter to eat, have as much congee as you like, I¡¯ll add another white flour bun for you, making it four. You can stay in the kitchen during the day, and don¡¯t worry about your stuff being stolen at night, I¡¯ll back you up.¡± ¡°Thank you, Housekeeper Wang,¡± Jiang Weiguo hastily replied, although with his build, he wasn¡¯t worried the scrawny lot back in the cabin could actually rob him. Housekeeper Wang, pleased with his tact, nodded with satisfaction and walked away. Jiang Weiguo hastened towards the kitchen. Chapter 51 - 51 The Old Days of the Republic of Chapter 51: The Old Days of the Republic of China (V) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The rice porridge pot in the kitchen was already empty, and only some congee remained, with Nanny Li and her daughter gnawing on cornmeal steamed buns and eating the congee. The cornmeal was of inconsistent color, clearly ground coarse with the corn cobs, not only unpleasant to eat but also rough on the throat. However,pared to the congee and rice porridge, it was much better, as at least the steamed buns filled their stomachs. In a basket beside themy four slightly yellowed white flour buns, indicating that Housekeeper Wang¡¯s people had arrived before Jiang Weiguo. Seeing Jiang Weiguo arrive, Nanny Li moved a stool for him and handed him a bowl: ¡°Jiang is here,e and eat!¡± Nanny Li¡¯s daughter held a steamed bun in her hand, gazing longingly at the white flour buns in the basket. Before heading south, Jiang Weiguo had lived good days; even after spending almost half a year exposed to the elements, and enduring meager meals on the ship for over ten days, the sight of so much food now made him incredibly hungry, his stomach even felt like it was on fire. He still took a bun from the basket and passed it to Nanny Li¡¯s daughter, saying, ¡°Here you go.¡¯ Nanny Li¡¯s daughter joyously received the bun. Nanny Li fiercely pped her daughter¡¯s hand and scolded, ¡°You glutton, you¡¯re starving her. Now thank your brother at once.¡± ¡°Thank you, brother Jiang,¡± Nanny Li¡¯s daughter whispered. ¡°Jiang, thank you so much. My daughter craves buns; she¡¯s rarely eaten them. Here, take these two steamed buns. I¡¯ll go get you some congee,¡± Nanny Li said as she picked up a bowl to serve Jiang Weiguo some congee. Jiang Weiguo grabbed a bun from the basket and bit off arge chunk. The three modest-sized buns were quickly devoured by him in just a few bites. Seeing how quickly Jiang Weiguo was eating, Nanny Li hurriedly handed him the congee to take a sip: ¡°Slow down, don¡¯t choke. I have some rice soup; I¡¯ll get you a bowl.¡± The rice soup Nanny Li brought was much thicker than the daily rations from the ship¡¯s hold. Jiang Weiguo felt something in his stomach only after finishing three buns, a bowl of congee, and a bowl of rice soup. It had been a long time since he had experienced such a warm and safe feeling. Nanny Li¡¯s daughter carefully tore the bun apart and offered therger half to her mother. Nanny Li took a small bite and handed the bun back to her. Jiang Weiguo began chewing on a steamed bun in silence. Watching him eat, Nanny Li cautiously asked, ¡°Jiang, you used to live in the ship¡¯s hold, right?¡± Jiang Weiguo nodded. ¡°Where are you from? You must be from the north, right? I heard there¡¯s a disaster in the North, and everyone is fleeing south. The previous cook was from the North. He was found to have the guest night, incurable and was thrown overboard.¡± It was evident that, like most aunts her age, Nanny Li couldn¡¯t keep things to herself. ¡°I¡¯m from Beiping,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Beiping City, what a nice ce!¡± Nanny Li eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Beiping. I¡¯ve been working as a cook on this ship for so many years and hardly get to disembark. By the way, Jiang, you look strong. Your family must be in the cooking business, right?¡± Jiang Weiguo tactfully didn¡¯t ask about Nanny Li¡¯s husband. In those times, the ways formon folk to die were all too numerous. Nanny Li must have been left to work as a cook on the ship with her daughter because her husband had passed away early. ¡°My father is a cook,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied, as he went to scoop another bowl of congee. ¡°Are you heading to Magic City?¡± asked Nanny Li. Most people on the ship were bound for Magic City. Jiang Weiguo nodded again. ¡°Don¡¯t go to Magic City. Since the previous cook died, Housekeeper Wang gave you an extra bun; he must see something in you. Go and ask him; maybe he¡¯ll let you stay,¡± Nanny Li advised, exining upon seeing Jiang Weiguo¡¯s puzzled look, ¡°Magic City is expensive; you need money. I¡¯ve heard that even a tiny room there costs One Silver Dor in rent, and it¡¯s hard to find work. Plus, there are lots of concession areas we can¡¯t afford to mess with. You¡¯re young; even if you¡¯re strong, the docks won¡¯t hire you to carry loads. It¡¯s better to stay on the ship, with food and lodging provided, and you can still earn sixty cents a month. Maybe Housekeeper Wang will even give you white flour buns to eat every meal.¡± It was clear that in Nanny Li¡¯s eyes, having white flour buns every meal was a very good life. Jiang Weiguo shook his head: ¡°Before putting me on this ship, my dad told me to make something of myself in Magic City, to go back to Beiping and buy back our ancestral properties.¡± Nanny Li could tell that Jiang Weiguo¡¯s family must have been wealthy once, and she looked at him with pity. Beiping had fallen, and thend wasn¡¯t even ours anymore; there was no talking of buying back ancestral properties. Still, Nanny Li encouraged him, ¡°It¡¯s really good for you to stay. Although Housekeeper Wang is a family retainer and a bit greedy, he¡¯s not bad to us outsiders. At least, he won¡¯t shortchange our rations, and he doesn¡¯t beat or scold us normally.¡± Nanny Li felt that, given Jiang Weiguo¡¯s age, with no family or money, he wouldn¡¯tst long in Magic City. Jiang Weiguo was silent, and he drank several more bowls of porridge. Nanny Li stopped persuading him and gave him an extra steamed bun. After finishing his meal, Jiang Weiguo stayed in Nanny Li¡¯s kitchen because the cabin was too dirty, and he would have to clean himself again before cooking dinner that evening. Nanny Li¡¯s daughter, who had no name and was simply called Flower, grew fond of Jiang Weiguo after eating his steamed bread. She clung to him, asking him what Beiping was like. The kitchen work was leisurely; there was no need to rinse rice or wash vegetables. Not to mention there were no vegetables at all, and having a little dirt in the rice porridge made no difference. Washing it would have only reduced the weight of the rice anyway. Of course, this was only the case for the third-ss passengers. The rice for the second-ss passengers still had to be rinsed, but there weren¡¯t many in second ss, so not much rice needed to be rinsed. After preparing dinner and eating, Jiang Weiguo went back down to the bottom of the ship. Thus, five days passed, and the ship arrived at Magic City. Jiang Feng was a bit dazed as he got off the ship amidst the pushy crowd. He had originally thought that one of the recipes from Sir¡¯s memory would have been among the dishes he prepared over the past few days. He had even considered the rice porridge Nanny Li simmered, the porridge she boiled, and the steamed bread and steamed buns she made, but it turned out none of them were the one. In those five days, Jiang Feng, who didn¡¯t need to sleep, had almost memorized every person¡¯s face in the bottom of the ship. Sometimes he would wander around, listening to their conversations, and he could guess their origins and hometowns. There was a couple who, to gather enough money for their boat tickets, sold their five daughters and clung to their belongings every day, afraid of theft. There were solitary bachelors, widows who had lost their husbands, and young men like Jiang Weiguo, whose entire families had spent their savings to send them on the ship in hopes they would survive. Without exception, they all came from areas severely affected by disasters: people robbing each other, killing each other, even resorting to cannibalism. Natural and man-made disasters had ravaged their homes, sparing maybe one in ten. Those five days gave Jiang Feng a brief understanding of this terrible era. And so, Jiang Weiguo disembarked, taking with him the vegetable buns Nanny Li had stuffed for him and the 20 copper coins that Housekeeper Wang had skimmed who knows how much from before leaving him, along with his old clothes. The vegetable buns were secretly prepared by Nanny Li while she cooked the previous night. Housekeeper Wang knew about them but said nothing. Made with a mix of pickled vegetables, rice paste, and cornmeal, there were six in total, each as big as a fist and very solid. If eaten sparingly, they couldst several days, and all were given to Jiang Weiguo. Jiang Weiguo had been eating his fill these past few days. Though the meals weren¡¯t rich in nutrients, it was still quite good. If he couldn¡¯t find a job in Magic City, with the sustenance from these days, the vegetable buns, and the twenty copper coins from Nanny Li, he should be able to survive for a week or two. Before disembarking, Housekeeper Wang found Jiang Weiguo and told him the ship would leave Magic City in four days. If he wanted toe back as a cook, he could return then. Jiang Weiguo was deeply moved and bowed deeply to thank Housekeeper Wang. However, by the look on his face, Jiang Feng knew he wouldn¡¯t return. The dock was bustling with people, those meeting rtives, human traffickers, businesspersons, and even police officers, making the small dock imprable. Jiang Feng could pass directly through the crowd, but Jiang Weiguo had it tough, having to protect his possessions from pickpockets while also navigating through the vast sea of people to leave the dock. After finally squeezing out of the crowd, Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t know where to go. With no rtives to turn to, he stood somewhat lost at the side of the road. After a while, Jiang Weiguo took out the vegetable buns from his pocket and took a tiny bite. The world around him slowly blurred. Jiang Feng opened his eyes, looking nkly around the dorm room. Was it over? Seeing the modern decor of the dormitory and the railings beside his bed, Jiang Feng even felt a bit unfamiliar. Having stayed on the ship for so long, he found himself missing the swaying and jolting. It took him some time to recall all that he had experienced in the memories, and then Jiang Feng opened his character panel.. Chapter 52 - 52 Pickled Vegetable Dumplings Chapter 52: Pickled Vegetable Dumplings Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio The recipe turned out to be the dumplings Nanny Li had made on herst night. [Pickled Vegetable Dumplings E-grade] Creator: Li Sanya Dish Details: A food that was quite simple in both ingredients and taste, crudely made, was Li Sanya¡¯s self-proimed ¡°most difficult¡± dish. Due to practice makes perfect and the good intentions infused, it had be the first touch of warmth Jiang Weiguo tasted after arriving in Magic City. After eating, it could significantly increase the feeling of fullness. Can be made 10 times a day. (0/10) So, the greatest advantage of the dumplings made by Nanny Li is¡­ they stave off hunger? In terms of quantity, they are indeed substantial. When Nanny Li was making the dumplings, Jiang Weiguo was in the next-door kitchen finishing cooking for Mr. Huang, Jiang Feng was fully focused on Jiang Weiguo, and didn¡¯t see the process of Nanny Li making the dumplings at all. Open the video tutorial, Jiang Feng figured out the specialty of these dumplings. It was proficiency. When she made the dumplings, she did so naturally, her movements seamless, never skipping a beat, just like a pastry chef with decades of experience. The in steamed buns Nanny Li made were small in size; another reason for using less ingredients was because she didn¡¯t leaven the dough well, always making it too dense, creating hard buns, but the steamed cornbread she made was much better than the steamed white buns, despite the poor ingredients affecting the taste. Her steamed cornbread was better than her steamed white buns, her cooked rice paste was better than her rice porridge, and her cooked porridge was better than her rice paste, because she was more familiar with coarse grains than with fine grains. Proficiency made it even more effortless for her. When she used ingredients, she always did so sparingly, same with rice porridge, always adding rice little by little, cringing with each addition, even though the rice she used was not hers, and she wouldn¡¯t get a single grain to eat. Housekeeper Wang didn¡¯t care if Nanny Li and the others sneaked some rice paste and steamed cornbread, but if they dared to steal fine grains, they would certainly be kicked off the boat. The rough cornmeal that would scratch the throat when eaten, became soft, smooth, and delicate under Nanny Li¡¯s hands. Stealing cooked porridge from the pot, she would mix it into the dough little by little, kneading and pounding for close to an hour before she even started adding the pickled vegetables. The way she added pickled vegetables was also quite unique; instead of wrapping the filling inside, she mixed it into the dough. A small spoonful of pickled vegetables was scattered throughout, despite it being time-consuming and strenuous, it was very sparing with the pickles, allowing for a taste of pickled vor in every bite, a frugal characteristic of Nanny Li¡¯s dumplings. After that, it was simple, just put them in a steamer to cook. Furthermore, Jiang Feng noticed, Nanny Li didn¡¯t use leavened dough. Her dumplings were made with unleavened dough. With such a hefty weight, how could they not be filling? Jiang Feng had no ns to make these dumplings, taste aside, the heft of them meant that six would suffice, and Sir wouldn¡¯t have to prepare dinner that night; one dumpling each would keep them full until the morning. His current priority was to hone his cooking skills for next year¡¯spetition while also finding ways to make some extra money. Several million in renovation costs. When Jiang Feng was young, his dream was just to be a millionaire. Who knew he would end up a debtor of hundreds of millions. He closed his eyes, and slept till dawn. Today was Sunday, the day of happiness for homebodies. Jiang Feng woke up at eleven o¡¯clock, and Wang Hao was still sleeping, the entire dormitory quiet as a whisper. Sir didn¡¯t bring enough winter clothes, Jiang Jiankang and his wife had closed their shop today to apany the old man shopping. Mrs. Wang Xiulian had nowpletely let go, with debts of several billion; being in debt didn¡¯t worry her, not earning for one day wouldn¡¯t pay back much anyway. Jiang Feng was wondering if he should go to the library to read some books. Finals were just a month away, and even if his skills were maxed out, he still needed to read books to understand and integrate the knowledge to pass the finals smoothly. Just as he took out some books that hadn¡¯t been touched in a month or two, Jiang Feng received a WeChat message from Liu Qian. ¡°President, why aren¡¯t you opening the store 0o(¡ã>o<0¡ã0¡± Her livestream was always full of emoticons flying all over, and now her messages were also inseparable from emoticons with every sentence she sent. Before he could reply, Liu Qian sent another message. ¡°I¡¯m so hungry. Even if you close the shop, can you make a special meal for a club member( ¡°I want to eat fish-vored shredded pork(?>00o0?)? If you want to stream, I can help you promote!¡ª==Z(((o?w)o¡± It would take him more than a hundred years to save enough money for renovations¡­ ¡°Just asking, wait for me, I¡¯ming over now,¡± Jiang Feng messaged before putting the books down and heading to the restaurant instead. Liu Qian was the only one who, after tasting Sir¡¯s cooking, could still provide him with forty to fifty experience points for every bite of his food. It was worth it for him to make a special dish for her. When Jiang Feng arrived at the entrance of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Liu Qian was squatting on the ground hugging her phone and chatting with her livestream viewers. Seeing Jiang Feng, she jumped up in a trice. ¡°My President is here to make me a special meal, I¡¯ll see you all at dinner time,¡± Liu Qian said as she quit the stream. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°President, can you make an extrarge portion? I haven¡¯t eaten breakfast today,¡± Liu Qian looked at him expectantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make you a serving of vegetable meatballs too, that will definitely fill you up!¡± Jiang Feng said with a slight smile, modest in his skills and reputation. Open the shop, go in, then close it up again.. Chapter 53 - 53: Support Chapter 53: Support Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Braised pork is easy to make, it just takes time. Having known Liu Qian for so long, Jiang Feng knew her stomach was like a bottomless pit connected to a two-dimensional space. Although she couldn¡¯tpete with those food streamers who could eat ten pounds in one sitting, her advantagey in her endurance¡ªas long as there was food in front of her, she could keep eating indefinitely. During a previous club activity, she nibbled on sunflower seeds for over three hours and polished off a whole 4 pounds! There were no fresh vegetables in the kitchen, as Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Jiankang would never tolerate the use of leftovers, but there were some dried goods, and Jiang Feng also found some preserved and rice left over to make fried rice with eggs. ¡°The braised pork will take half an hour, should I fry you a bowl of egg fried rice first?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°Sure, sure, sure.¡± Liu Qian nodded eagerly, curiously taking in the kitchen. The kitchen wasn¡¯trge, but it was her first time there, so she was particrly curious. After looking around for a while, Jiang Feng¡¯s egg fried rice was almost ready. ¡°By the way, President, Minqi mentioned there¡¯s a volunteer event next week. It seems that each club has to send a certain number of people, are you going?¡± Liu Qian asked. ¡°Are you talking about the one organized by the student council? As for our club, I¡¯ll go, are you going too?¡± Jiang Feng flipped the spat while speaking, ¡°That event is quite exhausting; usually, it involves going to a nearby county¡¯s primary school to serve as volunteer teachers, or to an orphanage to clean and take care of the children, things like that.¡± The student council held this event every year, with each club participating ording to the proportion of its members, and other students also had the option to sign up voluntarily. In the previous two years, the Chess Club had been hovering on the brink of disbandment, and only needed to send one person. Last year, it was Jiang Feng who went. ¡°Minqi wants to go, and I want to check it out.¡± Freshmen are always very enthusiastic about school activities; Jiang Feng had felt the samest year, and ended up sweeping floors at the orphanage all day, in addition to moving things several times. ¡°Sure.¡± With more people in the Chess Club this year, Jiang Feng originally wondered whom to send, but since there were volunteers, he was obviously happy about it. In the midst of their conversation, the egg fried rice was ready to be served. Liu Qian joyfully carried her bowl of egg fried rice out. Braised pork is easy to make; it just requires time to slowly stew, otherwise the fatty meat bes too greasy and unappetizing. Keeping the me low allows the fat to render out slowly, and Jiang Feng started making pickled vegetable dumplings. The corn flour was avable because Sir loved corn bread, and ever since his arrival, there had always been a bag of cornmeal in the kitchen. However, adding distiller¡¯s grains was out of the question. Nanny Li added distiller¡¯s grains and rice bran because they were leftovers from skimming off the top of the guests¡¯ food on the boat¡ªthey were avable because of the skimming, and it had little to do with the food itself. Besides, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t manage to procure such rustic distiller¡¯s grains, let alone rice bran. The pickled vegetables were made by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, and her pickling skills far exceeded those of Jiang Jiankang. Whether it was pickled vegetables, radishes, cucumbers, or chili peppers, her vors were far superior to those sold in markets. However, Mrs. Wang Xiulian was stingy and not enthusiastic about pickling, making only a few jars each year for private consumption, never willing to offer them asplimentary dishes in the store, so the customers never had the chance to taste them. Kneading the pickled vegetables into the dough slowly, as he worked the dough, Jiang Feng also had to check the fire control for the braised pork. He was not as good at kneading dough as Nanny Li. After all, he spent most of his cooking training dedicated to knifework, as Jiang Weiguo hadn¡¯t taught him any white work, and his kneading skills were developed only through the few asions each year when making dumplings, certainly no match for Nanny Li who made corn bread daily. In these days, Jiang Weiguo had not taught him knifework or fire control, but was teaching him about ingredients. Knifework is a chef¡¯s foundation; ingredients are the soul. Literary-minded tofu is tricky to make, and egg fried rice is also not easy. Jiang Feng was not a particrly insightful chef. If he hadn¡¯t obtained the game and needed toplete game tasks, he probably would never have practiced cooking again and, like his cousins, would have graduated from university and found a job unrted to cooking. But he had one advantage: once he started something, he would do it earnestly. When studying, he could put down his chef¡¯s knife and study hard, and now he could also pick up the knife and practice earnestly. The dumplings were ready before the braised pork. Jiang Feng checked the pot, and the cooking time was still not enough; it would probably take another twenty minutes or so. Carrying out the steaming hot cabbage meatballs, Liu Qian had already cleaned her te and was chatting with the audience in her live stream. Not a single grain of rice was left in the bowl; the rim was gleaming with oil. ¡°What is this?¡± Liu Qian asked, sniffing and looking up hesitantly, ¡°Corn¡­ meatballs?¡± Jiang Feng thought that the pickled cabbage meatballs he made looked quite attractive¡ªdelicate, round, and the pickled cabbage was evenly distributed, like stars scattered across the sky. If he sprinkled some powder, poured chocte sauce over them, and changed the te, he reckoned they could even pass for a dessert. ¡°Pickled cabbage meatballs. Take it easy, they¡¯re quite substantial. The braised pork will still take another twenty minutes,¡± said Jiang Feng as he picked a cabbage meatball from the te. A rough estimate ced one at almost half a pound. Once she took a bite, there was a hint of sweetness and the unique fragrance of cornmeal, with the taste of pickled vegetables. Surprisingly, thebination was quite good. Cornmeal is a coarse grain, but these days, businesses wouldn¡¯t possibly sell the pure, throat-scratching cornmeal directly to customers¡ªit was basically mixed with some flour. Liu Qian ced the te in front of the camera boasting, ¡°Our Chess Club President made these especially for me; they look pretty good. President, what¡¯s the filling made of?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no filling,¡± Jiang Feng replied. A stream ofughter (n¡êDq Dq Dq D¡ê) washed over the live chat. Jiang Feng went back to the kitchen to check on the braised pork and took the opportunity to think about how to make some extra money. Twenty minutester, Jiang Feng came out with the braised pork. The tes on the table were already empty. ¡°You ate them all?¡± Jiang Feng eximed. Five meatballs, nearly three pounds, and the most crucial point was that they were made with unleavened dough, which was very filling. Liu Qian, despite her appetite, was just an ordinary person. How could she handle eating so much all at once? ¡°It was just five meatballs,¡± said Liu Qian, not distinguishing between unleavened and leavened dough, ¡°but they did seem a bit heavy. It¡¯s no big deal, I¡¯ve eaten more before without any issues.¡± As she spoke, Liu Qian reached for the braised pork with her chopsticks. She seemed to be fine. Jiang Feng was optimistic for barely two minutes before Liu Qian ran into trouble. ¡°President, I¡ªI feel a bit ufortable in my stomach.¡± Liu Qian was originally eating the braised pork happily, but then she clutched her belly, her face turned pale, and she called over to Jiang Feng, who was looking at part-time job listings on his phone. ¡°My stomach hurts, it feels bloated and painful,¡± Liu Qian said, frowning with cold sweat on her forehead. Jiang Feng guessed right away that she had eaten too much. ¡°Can you walk? We need to go to the hospital,¡± Jiang Feng said decisively. There was a private hospital at the entrance of the school, about a twenty-minute walk away. ¡°Seems like, I can¡¯t.¡± Liu Qian was genuinely in severe pain all of a sudden, and as she shakily stood up and took one step, she lost her bnce and grabbed the table for support. Having no other choice, Jiang Feng first went to open the door, nodded at the owner opposite asking him to help watch the store, then lifted Liu Qian on his back and headed towards the hospital. What he didn¡¯t know was that Liu Qian¡¯s live stream had already exploded.. Chapter 54 - 54’ Hot Searches (Makeup for yesterday’s missed update) Chapter 54:¡¯ Hot Searches (Makeup for yesterday¡¯s missed update) Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio By the time Jiang Feng delivered Liu Qian to the hospital, she was nearly in so much pain that she was about to faint. She was doubled over in agony, covered in cold sweat, barely able to speak clearly. ¡°What¡¯s happened here?¡± The emergency room doctor looked quite young, but was a little light on hair. ¡°Ate too much,¡± Jiang Feng said sinctly. ¡°Overeating shouldn¡¯t cause this. She¡¯s not a child. Could it be food poisoning? You go register while I get Wang to prepare for a stomach wash,¡± the emergency doctor instructed. Jiang Feng obediently went to register, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Liu Qian looked thin but was no lightweight; Jiang Feng had tired himself out carrying her all the way here. This private hospital was quiterge, and there were many people in line to register. By the time Jiang Feng had finished, Liu Qian had already had her stomach washed. She was resting in bed while a middle-aged nurse scolded her. ¡ö¡öYou¡¯re in college for goodness¡¯ sake. You¡¯re not a child anymore; how could you not watch what you eat, six pounds, and so many carbs? Eating like that could kill you,¡± the nurse lectured Liu Qian as if she were her own daughter. Liu Qian listened meekly, not daring to say a word. ¡°President!¡± Seeing Jiang Feng was like seeing a savior for Liu Qian. ¡°Are you her ssmate? This is the bill; pay the fees, and after resting for a few minutes, if there¡¯s nothing wrong, she can leave,¡± the nurse handed the bill to Jiang Feng. The ER was busy, and after scolding Liu Qian, she had to move on to the next patient. ¡°You¡¯re all ssmates. You should have said something about her overeating; six pounds is excessive. What if something had happened?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Six pounds??? He looked at Liu Qian: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast?¡± Liu Qian kept her head down, not daring to look at him, and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t have breakfast. I just had some snacks, just a packet of cookies, a bit of pork jerky, two Holnd pastries, a bottle of milk, and a pickled vegetable bun. I didn¡¯t realize that the bun, though it looked so small, had such a substantial weight.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ He should never have believed Liu Qian¡¯s nonsense about skipping breakfast. After paying the bill, Liu Qian tried to transfer the money to Jiang Feng only to realize she had left her phone at the restaurant. ¡°Oh no!¡± Liu Qian suddenly remembered, ¡°My live stream was on the whole time.¡± Jiang Feng realized the same thing-Liu Qian¡¯s entire meal, her stomach pains, breaking out in a sweat, her pallor, and him carrying her away-all of it was probably broadcast live in front of the camera. Hurriedly, Jiang Feng turned on his mobile phone and entered Liu Qian¡¯s livestream channel. By now, Liu Qian could be considered a somewhat famous streamer in n City, with a good audience because of her unique way of streaming. At the moment, about 40,000 viewers were gathered in Liu Qian¡¯s hvestream room¡ª the majority havinge to watch after Jiang Feng had carried her away. They were raising quite a ruckus in front of the empty screen. ¡°Will the broadcaster be okay? Could it be some kind of sudden illness?¡± ¡°That damn broadcaster better not have food poisoning, right? Or is the restaurant unclean?¡± ¡°These eateries near universities are definitely dirty, and the health bureau never checks. Look, someone almost died!¡± ¡°Yeah, eateries near our school are also dirty. I often get sick from eating there.¡± ¡°For sure the restaurant is dirty, I¡¯m reporting them.¡¯ ¡°What are the health inspectors doing, letting this murderous restaurant stay in business?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be right; I¡¯ve eaten there, and it¡¯s pretty clean. Most people were denouncing the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, with many saying they were going to report it to the health bureau, and some iming they had already made the call. A minority of Liu Qian¡¯s loyal viewers spected whether she just overate, or perhaps it was acute appendicitis or even spection of menstrual cramps. Netizens always love to stir up a good scene, and Jiang Feng noticed that Liu Qian¡¯s livestream channel had even made it to the trending list. After all, it was quite rare for a streamer to suddenly appear to have a medical emergency and be rushed to the hospital during a live broadcast. ¡°How did it go?¡± Liu Qian approached and asked. ¡°They said the food I made for you was dirty and killed you,¡± Jiang Feng concluded. Having live-streamed for so long, Liu Qian knew all too well the level to which someizens could twist right from wrong. Once one person started it, the rest would follow suit, not to mention the streamer wasn¡¯t present. If she didn¡¯t return now to clear things up, by tomorrow there might even be hot search headlines iming ¡®streamer died suddenly while broadcasting. -President, I think I¡¯m fine now, let¡¯s hurry back!¡± Liu Qian sprang out of the hospital bed with the vigor of a dragon or tiger, showing no trace of her previous frailty. Illness came quickly, and it left just as fast. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to be ndered with killing someone with unclean food just because he and Jiang Jiankang had been out for the day, so he hurried back to the restaurant with Liu Qian. The phone was still on the table. Liu Qian adjusted her hair, ensuring she looked healthy, rosy, and vibrant before sitting back in front of the camera. ¡°Annoying host is back!¡± ¡°Annoying host, are you okay?¡± ¡°How did youe back so quickly? Is the hospital nearby?¡± ¡°This must be a performance; it¡¯s so fake. Trash streamer, reported! ¡°I didn¡¯t have food poisoning! There¡¯s nothing wrong with the food from our president¡¯s restaurant. I ate some snacks this morning that I didn¡¯t tell the president about, and then he cooked too much for me, and I overate,¡± Liu Qian hurriedly exined. ¡°I just went to the hospital to get my stomach pumped, and though it was a bit ufortable, I¡¯m totally fine now.¡± ¡°hhhhhh, the Annoying Host sure lives up to the name, managing to overeat.¡± ¡°Are you sure it was just a little snack, Annoying Host, or are you trying to anger the president to death?¡± ¡°Trash streamer, liar, acting, report!!!¡± ¡°Crappy streamer can¡¯t even pretend properly, xxxxx ¡°Trolls, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Haven¡¯t you seen how little the Annoying Host makes in a month? She doesn¡¯t even earn enough to eat properly; do you think she has money to pay actors?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. How could she overeat like that, it must have been food poisoning, she¡¯s covering for her president¡¯s restaurant.¡± ¡°Right, dishonest restaurant!¡± Seeing the barrage ofments veering off course yet again, Liu Qian quickly rified: ¡°No, I really did overeat. The nurse said she pumped more than six pounds of stuff out of my stomach. This morning I ate only a pack of crackers, some pork jerky, two Hostess cakes, a bottle of milk, and a pickled vegetable cake. I didn¡¯t expect the stuffed dish the president made to be so filling. Initially, I didn¡¯t intend to eat it all; I just felt it was quite chewy, sweet, and even though there wasn¡¯t much pickled vegetable, it was still tasty. I couldn¡¯t help myself and ended up eating it all.¡± ¡°This is my first time overeating; I had no experience with it before!¡± Audience:¡­ ¡°Feel sorry for the president, even your Annoying Host makes things hard for you.¡± ¡°Want to know the size of the president¡¯s mental shadow right now.¡± ¡°Six pounds, the host has got a baby in her belly huh (||o_o)¡± ¡°In the end, she still mes those five innocent stuffed dishes.¡± ¡°Am I the only one who noticed that bowl of braised pork on the table, which, though cooled down, still looks very tasty?¡± As Liu Qian exined, room admins began to mute the trolls intentionally stirring up trouble, gradually restoring the chat to normal. Liu Qian also proved with her actions that the Annoying Host can do anything. What Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected was that Liu Qian ended up on the trending searches after all. However, this time it wasn¡¯t any fake news like ¡®streamer suddenly dies during a live broadcast.¡¯ It was #FirstTimeOvereatingNoExperience#. Two hourster, it soared to the top ten of the trending searches, even outperforming news like some third-rate male star¡¯s affair.. Chapter 55 - 55 Morning Wind Primary School Chapter 55: Morning Wind Primary School Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Liu Qian became famous overnight. By the time she found out, everyone in her ss group was already using her emoticons. Clips from her live streams were edited byizens into a variety of emoticons, GIFs, and remix videos, sweeping across the remix section of B-site and stubbornly holding a ce in the top ten trending on Weibo for a week. Even Ji Yue would hesitantly ask her when she was ordering food, ¡°Have you eaten any snacks today?¡± As a result, Jiang Feng and Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant rode the wave of poprity too, with the drama-lovingizens flooding Weibo daily withments like ¡°hahaha,¡± ¡°what did the president do wrong,¡± and ¡°inquiring about the psychological shadow area of the dumpling girl¡± and then @Liu Qian. Speaking of which, Liu Qian¡¯s Weibo followers spiked to over five hundred thousand, and some advertisers reached out to her to post ads on Weibo. Liu Qian had seemingly transformed from an eighteenth-tier broadcaster, barely scraping by and waiting for death, into a third-tier broadcaster with a slight surplus but still awaiting the same end. In the blink of an eye, Volunteer Day arrived. As for which student union president decided on Volunteer Day on a whim, that remained a mystery. Early on Sunday, a groggy group of UAL University students gathered at the school gates at five in the morning and were taken by two buses to Morning Wind Primary School. Wait, Morning Wind Primary School??? When Jiang Feng got off the bus and saw the understated luxury of Morning Wind Primary School¡¯s gates and the row of maple trees nted by the entrance, he thought he was still dreaming, not yet fully awake. Volunteering activities were supposed to involve teaching at countryside schools, helping at orphanages and nursing homes, or at the very least handing out water to street cleaners. What were they doing at Morning Wind Primary School, a prestigious private primary school? As the most famous private primary school in n City, Jiang Feng feltpared to them, the volunteers were more likely the ones in need of help. ¡°Did we make a mistake, howe we ended up at Morning Wind Primary School?¡± Jiang Feng asked Liu Qian, having slept through whatever the student council members had said on the bus. ¡°President Liu said that today, the senior students of Morning Wind are volunteering to help lonely elderly people, and we are going to join them,¡± Liu Qian replied. Jiang Feng instantly understood, they would be helping lonely elderly people while also helping the primary school students help them. It seemed this year¡¯s volunteer activity was especially challenging. The student council members were assigning tasks to everyone. ¡°This volunteer event consists of three activities: helping in the kitchen to prepare meals for the day, cleaning up the campus, and performing for the lonely elderly. The kitchen work is quite demanding. Are there any students who believe they have decent cooking skills and would like to help out?¡± Jiang Feng, Liu Qian, and Wu Minqi raised their hands in unison. The student council member¡¯s eyes brightened upon seeing this. Oh, Jiang Feng, whose family runs a restaurant, professional! Liu Qian, who does food broadcasts daily, must also be quite skilled. The other girl¡­ seems to be from their Chess Club; being together, they should all have a good standard. ¡°Great, you three then. There are also some teachers and students from Morning Wind Primary School who will help in the kitchen. We need more people for cleaning, would any student like to volunteer for that?¡± Four members of the Home Economics Society: ??? Who exactly are from the Home Economics Society? Hey, student, wake up a bit, those three are from the Chess Club! When Jiang Feng and his group arrived in the kitchen, the teachers and students there were already bustling about. Everything seemed to be in order. A kid, barely as tall as Jiang Feng¡¯s waist, stood on a stool wielding arge metal spoon with seemingly professional finesse, stirring a pot of yet unboiled porridge, while the other dozen or so little creatures bustled around holding various items, with four female teachers cutting vegetables. There was none of the chaos Jiang Feng had imagined. Jiang Feng was impressed by the fact that even a group of ten-year-old kids could be so organized. It befits a school for the privileged, indeed. The next second, the little creature in front of Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t hold onto the spoon and it fell into the pot. Jiang Feng:¡­ The little creature reached out to fish for the spoon, looking as though most of its body was about to topple into the pot. Jiang Feng quickly stepped forward and scooped him up to prevent the impending tragedy of a boiling child. ¡°You don¡¯t need to boil it before opening it, and you children really shouldn¡¯t be ying with fire. Go ask your teachers if there¡¯s anything else you can help with,¡± Jiang Feng said in a gentle and persuasive tone. A look of disappointment filled the child¡¯s eyes, reluctantly staring at the pot. ¡°I came here precisely because my family won¡¯t let me touch the fire.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Do all you kids not involved in mandatory education show off like this? ¡°Liu Chengyin, no touching the pot!¡± A female teacher, who was nearby cutting a pumpkin, put down her knife and shouted at the boy trying to retrieve the spoon. Then she turned and yelled at two girls each holding a small bag of flour: ¡°Xiang Jingwen, Hu Xuehui, put the flour back!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Okay, everything before was just an illusion. The female teacher then turned towards Jiang Feng and the others as Liu Qian already took out her phone and Wu Minqi was beginning to scrutinize the kitchen and the foodid out outside. ¡°You¡¯re volunteers from UAL University, right? My name is Chen, Mr. Chen. The one in the blue is Mr. Wang, the one in the ck coat is Mr. Zhou, and the other is also Mr. Zhou. Could you please help us watch the porridge? The kids like to make trouble, and it might be a bit of a hassle,¡± Mr. Chen said. ¡°Mr. Chen, are you going to cook pumpkin porridge?¡± Wu Minqi noticed that all four teachers were cutting pumpkin. ¡°Yes, we are organizing a volunteer event with the theme of remembering the hard times and cherishing the sweet ones, so the meals are quite simple. Also, our school doesn¡¯t have many people¡ªaltogether around two hundred, including three grades, teachers, and the elderly,¡± Mr. Chen exined. ¡°The pumpkins are all organic, grown in our school¡¯s own cultivation base.¡± Helping the elderly while reminiscing about the hard times and cherishing the sweet moments with them¡­ Jiang Feng had no energy left toment on this bizarre volunteer activity. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of chopping vegetables. The pieces you¡¯ve cut are toorge and won¡¯t cook well,¡± Wu Minqi said as she picked up a kitchen knife without waiting for Mr. Chen to respond. With swift movements of her knife, she quickly mashed the previouslyrge chunks of pumpkin into pulp. ¡°Do you have any sweet potatoes? This pumpkin isn¡¯t sweet; it won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cooked,¡± Wu Minqi inquired. ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Mr. Chen, who had been stunned by Wu Minqi¡¯s chopping, snapped out of it and shouted towards two little girls in the corner ying catch with potatoes: ¡°Chen Xi, Chen Mengqi, stop throwing potatoes! And Wang Hao, bring two bags of sweet potatoes from the back.¡± The students, instructed by their teacher, ran towards the storage room in the back. ¡°Mr. Wang, Mr. Zhou, and the other Mr. Zhou, I can handle the vegetable chopping alone; you don¡¯t have to busy yourselves,¡± Wu Minqi almost said the words ¡°Even if you chop them, they¡¯ll just have to be re-chopped by meter.¡± The other three teachers put down their knives, looking somewhat bewildered. Jiang Feng and Liu Qian were also somewhat bewildered. It seems¡­ there¡¯s nothing left for us to do. The porridge was already in the pot; Wu Minqi was taking care of all the chopping by herself, and the only thing left to do was to wash and peel the sweet potatoes, which one person could finish. While other students were outside, cleaning, performing, chatting with the lonely elderly, and working hard, were we really okay just being idle here? Jiang Feng sank into a deep self-reproach. Then he saw Liu Qian opening a live stream. ??? WTF? Chapter 56 - 56 Sweet Potato Porridge Chapter 56: Sweet Potato Porridge Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio As the president of the Chess Club, Jiang Feng felt he ought to do something. The porridge in these big pots would manage to fill up about two hundred people with a watered-down meal, but it seemed rather mean to make the elderly, who hade specially to be helped by everyone, taste hardship through their meal. ¡°Mr. Chen, do we not have any noodles in the storage?¡± Jiang Feng asked, thinking that making noodles would be a good idea. ¡°Well, our school doesn¡¯t provide breakfast, so¡­¡± Mr. Chen said with an awkward smile, ¡°This volunteer activity was also notified to us at thest minute, and weck experience. We weren¡¯t prepared for this.¡± Jiang Feng could tell that among the four teachers in the kitchen, only Mr. Chen looked like he usually cooked, while the other three cut the pumpkins in a way that was barely worth mentioning. After Wu Minqi took over the task of cutting the vegetables, the other three teachers went to lead the students, leaving only Mr. Chen to wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Mr. Chen¡¯s peeling skills were even worse than Liu Qian¡¯s. The sweet potatoes that passed through her hands were significantly reduced in size. ¡°However, we still have vegetables and meat, and enough eggs. We could provide each person with a boiled egg,¡± Mr. Chen added. Jiang Feng nced at the clock. It was 6:05. ¡°Mr. Chen, what time are we starting the meal?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°7 o¡¯clock, at thetest 7:30,¡± replied Mr. Chen. ¡°There¡¯s still time. Liu Qian, go boil some eggs for egg custard, and ask the student council for the exact number of people dining. We should make extra to ensure it is enough. Mr. Chen, do we have flour in storage?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°You want to make noodles?¡± Wu Minqi looked up at Jiang Feng and sized up his rather frail figure, ¡°You won¡¯t have enough time to make over forty pounds of noodles.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°The elderly and children don¡¯t eat much; just over twenty pounds of noodles will be enough to fill them up.¡± ¡°President, I can¡¯t make 231 bowls of egg custard either!¡± Liu Qian eximed upon seeing the number provided by the student council, ¡°I¡¯ll be doing well if I can manage forty bowls.¡± ¡°Sister, sister, I know how to stir egg liquid!¡± a little girl with pigtails raised her hand and said loudly. ¡°I can do it too!¡± another little girl beside her also shouted. ¡°I can too, I can too, I stir egg liquid at home every day!!¡± a little boy cried out, not to be outdone. The rest of the little creatures also refused to show weakness,bining their small statures and loud voices to create a dozen audio attacks that nearly overturned the entire kitchen. ¡°Quiet, no more shouting!¡± Mr. Zhou feigned anger to calm the boisterous little creatures, who instantly quieted down like chickens. Only then did Mr. Zhou show satisfaction with a smile and kindly said, ¡°Let¡¯s have apetition to see who can stir the fastest and the best. The winner will get a lollipop!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ He vaguely remembered that when he was in primary school, his teachers also lured him with lollipops. Familiar form, familiar taste. Now that the little creatures were helping with the steamed eggs, Liu Qian just had to pay more attention to the fire control. Jiang Feng went to the storeroom to get a big bag of flour for kneading dough, while Wu Minqi, after cutting the pumpkins and sweet potatoes, portioned them into three parts and put them into the pots. Kneading dough needed time, so Jiang Feng started by frying some onions inrd. ¡°Are you making in noodles?¡± Wu Minqi guessed Jiang Feng¡¯s intentions just by seeing him fry onions. ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, identally scooping up half a spoon extrard. ¡°Let me do it,¡± Wu Minqi took the spat from Jiang Feng¡¯s hand, causing him to step aside sheepishly. He had already noticed that Wu Minqi¡¯s knifework was on par with his, and her fire control and seasoning were likely much better. His own knifework had improved quite a bit recently, but they weren¡¯t even on the same level before. In the culinary profession, women are at a natural disadvantage because they generallyck the strength of men, making their practice more arduous and often less effective. Jiang Feng, already quite sturdy among the thin counterparts of his level, was nearly indistinguishable from a weakling in the eyes of Sir, just as Wu Minqi, with her ordinary female physique, had surely endured many times the hardship Jiang Feng had during her culinary studies. Jiang Feng went to check on the porridge. Since his Cooking Porridge skill reached the intermediate level, and with the practice and integration from this period, Jiang Feng¡¯s porridge cooking had be almost unbeatable. Jiang Feng guessed that if his Cooking Porridge skill could advance to a high level, probably all the Cantonese style porridge shops in the countrybined would not match him. Considering that only his Knifework had reached a high level, such a scenario could only happen in his dreams. At least for the moment, Jiang Feng was mysteriously confident in his porridge cooking skills. He lifted the lid and stirred with a spoon. These sweet potatoes¡­ they seemed a bit too sweet. Sweetness was expected in winter sweet potatoes. But the sweet potatoes in this pot were too sweet. Excellent quality, smooth in color, rich in smell, they were definitely top-notch red heart sweet potatoes, yet theypletely overpowered the vor of the pumpkin, even the fragrance of the porridge. Wu Minqi added the sweet potatoes for seasoning, not to dominate the dish. Jiang Feng covered the pot again and went to cut the sweet potatoes. Slice intorge, irregr chunks. ¡°Why are you cutting sweet potatoes?¡± Wu Minqi watched the onions tumbling in the pot and nced at Jiang Feng. ¡°The sweet potato vor in the first pot was too strong, so I decided to cut a few sweet potatoes and cook them directly into sweet potato porridge,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Feng sliced 9 sweet potatoes in total and added them all to the first pot, slowly stirring the porridge with arge iron spoon, skimming the froth off the surface bit by bit. The dough was ready, and the porridge was cooked just right. Jiang Feng nced at his watch, 6:47. ¡°Mr. Chen, we can start delivering the porridge and steamed egg custard. I¡¯m going to start pulling the noodles now,¡± Jiang Feng reminded. Mr. Chen nodded repeatedly, ¡°I¡¯ll call someone.¡± The threerge pots of porridge weren¡¯t something a few female teachers and a dozen little creatures could move. Shortly after, several tall and strong male teachers came in to help carry the pots. The leading male teacher was surprised to see that they also made egg custard, ¡°Mr. Chen, you really went to a lot of trouble, making so much egg custard as well.¡± Mr. Chen didn¡¯t dare take the credit and modestly mentioned the assistants: ¡°These three students helped make it. Noodles will be servedter, so if someone is still hungry, they can have noodles.¡± The male teacher was even more surprised, ¡°These three students¡­ they must be from the Home Economics Club, right? Your A-grade students are indeed impressive!¡± ¡°We are from the Chess Club,¡± the three said in unison. Male teacher: ??? Mr. Chen: ??? Jiang Feng divided the dough. Wu Minqi stared at him. Jiang Feng hesitated. Wu Minqi stared at him. Jiang Feng took a deep breath. Wu Minqi stared at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help distribute the porridge?¡± Jiang Feng suggested kindly, as everyone else had left and now only he and Wu Minqi were in the kitchen. His knife skills were already poor, and his noodle pulling technique was even worse. He couldn¡¯t even match the uncle who pulled noodles in the cafeteria. Wu Minqi staring at him this way put a lot of pressure on him. ¡°I just want to see how you pull noodles,¡± Wu Minqi said frankly. Jiang Feng grabbed the dough and pulled it in two directions. Snap. It broke. Wu Minqi:¡­ She began to doubt whether her taste buds were out of order when she ate the mung bean cake that day. Based on her observations over the past few days, Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking skills were decent among his peers, about the same as her several older male cousins, but far behind whenpared to her. She had even suspected that Jiang Feng specialized in pastry, but judging by the way he just attempted to pull noodles, it seemed he hadn¡¯t really learned pastries either. Why on earth did she mistakenly invite Jiang Feng to a cooking contest? Wu Minqi felt like she was bullying someone. Jiang Feng¡¯s family had just opened a small stir-fry restaurant, and there she was, the heiress of the renowned Wu Family cuisine, picking on the little guy. Wu Minqi even felt a bit guilty. Walking leisurely to the cafeteria, everyone was busy splitting porridge and egg custard into tes. ¡°Minqi, go and scoop out that pot of porridge,¡± Liu Qian was dividing the egg custard. Wu Minqi walked up to the pot and lifted the lid. The sweet and fragrant smell of the sweet potato porridge hit her nostrils. ¡°It smells so good!¡± Liu Qian eximed. Wu Minqi stood there stunned and hurriedly stirred the porridge with a spoon. The rice grains were plump and firm, sticky, and the chopped pumpkin and sweet potatoes mixed together had turned the original white porridge into an orange-yellow color. Large chunks of sweet potatoes were evenly dispersed throughout, dominating the pot of porridge. How¡­. how was this possible! Chapter 57 - 56 Hungry Chapter 57: Chapter 56 Hungry Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Wu Minqi was actually very skilled at cooking porridge. The Xiaomi porridge, which was one of the signature dishes at Wu Family Restaurant, was made by her. The ingredients were simple, but her fire control was precise, creating a porridge that was soft, mushy, fragrant, sweet, and smooth on the pte. She could wlessly restore the original taste of the food bringing out the special qualities of the ingredients. She was even confident enough to say that her skill in cooking Xiaomi porridge could match that of a master who had practiced porridge cooking techniques for twenty to thirty years. But there was a condition to this. She had to watch it closely. She needed to be there to adjust the fire control ording to the progress of the porridge and to decide when to stir based on the fragrance it emitted. Preciseness was required in deciding when to add what, and how much fire to use. To her, cooking a pot of Xiaomi porridge was no less demanding than cooking dishes for an entire day. But Jiang Feng was not like that. She watched as he busied himself with other things, only checking on the pot three times from start to finish. The first time to hold a baby, the second time to add sweet potatoes, and the third time to stir and reduce the heat. With just that, he managed to cook a pot of sweet potato porridge that was wless and excellent. Wu Minqi stared nkly at the sweet potato porridge, her body trembling slightly with excitement. It felt as if a swordsman, seeking a worthy opponent in their dreams, had finally found one. ¡°Minqi, your porridge cooking skills are as good as the president¡¯s!¡± Liu Qian eximed, snatching a spoon from her hand and scooping herself a bowl first. It was full, topped withrge chunks of sweet potato. ¡°The sweet potato porridge wasn¡¯t cooked by me, it was cooked by the president,¡± Wu Minqi was not one to take credit, and seeing the look of realization on Liu Qian¡¯s face, she became curious, ¡°Have you tasted the porridge made by the president?¡± ¡°I have. During the first few days when their stir-fry restaurant just opened, the president¡¯s porridge was even free. The president¡¯s century egg and lean meat porridge was so well cooked! That taste, that aroma, was simply matchless! Especially soft, how does that saying go? Silky and delicious? No, that¡¯s not it¡­ it¡¯s just particrly good!¡± Liu Qian couldn¡¯t quite find the words to describe the porridge made by Jiang Feng, but her yearning expression said it all to Wu Minqi; she could not forget that bowl of porridge. -Why doesn¡¯t he cook it anymore?¡± Wu Minqi asked casually as she took thedle back from Liu Qian to serve the porridge. ¡°The presidentter started to experiment with soups, and honestly, the soups he made were really bad! He would add random ingredients, everything and anything, all kinds of mushrooms, and it was different every day. Now he no longer makes soup, nor does he cook porridge,¡± Liu Qian sighed, ¡°Actually, the president¡¯s cooking skills are pretty good. I¡¯m not criticising him, but his dad and grandpa¡¯s cooking are obviously more delicious. Eating at their restaurant every day is like waiting for a lottery draw, and it would be good if he continued cooking porridge.¡± ¡°Of course, a chef must constantly learn,¡± Wu Minqi still highly endorsed Jiang Feng¡¯s behavior. The two continued to chat. There always seemed to be more to talk about between people from the same hometown studying away at university, not to mention from the same high school. In the course of conversation, the porridge and the egg custard were served, and everyone got a bottle of warm milk too. Although others could ept it, the students assigned to moving and cleaning chores were already starving. Summoned early in the morning and then working physically, anyone would be hungry. Then their hearts sank when they saw the breakfast. A bowl of sweet potato or pumpkin porridge, a 245 millilitre bottle of some brand of warm milk, and a small bowl of student-sized egg custard. The female students who talked with the lonely elderly were okay, but after more than an hour of work, the male students who were naturally more hungry, felt disheartened. ¡°Um, everyone, there will be noodlester too. If you want noodles, please raise your hand,¡± Liu Qian shouted loudly. Almost all of the male students raised their hands, along with some of the teachers, in a manner even more orderly than elementary students answering questions in ss. ¡°Thank goodness there are noodles, or I¡¯d definitely starve to death this morning. Hey, you sneaky kid, you actually brought bread!¡± The student council staff member drafted as muscle saw his colleague silently pulling four small buns out of his pocket, his eyes widening with desire, ¡°Come on, share one with me!¡± -Aren¡¯t there noodles? Just eat more of those,¡± his fellow student was reluctant to part with his treasured stash of bread. -The person who assigned tasks was just making random choices. It¡¯s fine that Jiang Feng can cook, but Liu Qian is practically a mukbang host, and the other girl probably can¡¯t cook that well either. With so many of us, the food will probably alle down to Jiang Feng alone. It would have been better to call on two people from the Home Economics Society. With a bunch of elementary kids messing around in the kitchen, it would be lucky if the noodles are even edible,¡± the student council staff member argued with reason. ¡°Give me one, you have four. I still have to move thingster and I am about to starve,¡± the student council staff member pleaded. His colleague hesitated for a moment, his gaze drawn to arge piece of sweet potato in Jiang Feng¡¯s bowl of porridge, brightly orange and red, appetizing just by looking at it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a piece of sweet potato if you share some of your porridge with me.¡± -Sure!¡± The student council staffer was very straightforward, having no interest in the porridge, he pushed the bowl towards his colleague. The colleague picked up the sweet potato with his chopsticks. The colleague scooped up arge spoonful of porridge. The colleague then scooped up anotherrge spoonful of porridge. The colleague again scooped up arge spoonful of porridge. The colleague yet again scooped up arge spoonful of porridge. The colleague once more scooped up arge spoonful of porridge. The bowl was empty. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± The colleague wiped his mouth somewhat awkwardly, having originally thought that the piece of sweet potato looked tasty. After trying it, he figured the porridge must be good too. Having tasted a spoonful, he thought he might as well have another, and then everything was irreversibly in the current state. ¡°Um, I identally finished it. Let me give you two small rolls of bread instead,¡± his colleague attempted to make amends. ¡°Oh, the sweet potato porridge was that good?¡± The student council staffer happily epted the bread, oblivious to what he had missed. ¡°Not bad, I like sweet potato porridge,¡± his colleague said seriously. When everyone had almost finished eating, Jiang Feng and the teachers helping him came out with a bucket of noodles and a bucket of noodle soup. He had already contacted Wu Minqi by phone to have the bowls and condiments prepared in advance, so all he had to do when he arrived was to distribute the noodles. How to describe these noodles? They were edible, not poison that¡¯s for sure, but rather rough, coarse, broke quite often, irregr in shape, and the texture probably wasn¡¯t much to speak of, likely a bit clumpy. Edible! The noodles were distributed to each person, and everyone started devouring their bowl as if it contained a rare delicacy. Especially those who had sweet potato porridge, who felt even hungrier after the porridge had whetted their appetites. Jiang Feng was astonished at the scene. Could it be¡­ His noodles were actually quite good, his real talent lying in culinary arts, and he had been heading in the wrong direction all these years. He was, in fact, an undiscovered cooking prodigy? ¡°IS what I made¡­ really that delicious?¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help asking aloud. Wu Minqi, who put her bowl down quietly after a single taste, said very frankly, ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re hungry.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Oh.. Chapter 58 - 57 Student Parents Chapter 58: Chapter 57 Student Parents Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Cooking in a big pot is a tiring task. As a famously elite school in n City, Morning Wind Primary School¡¯s kitchen usually maintains a stable staff of around 30, but today there were only three. Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, Liu Qian, and Mr. Chen counted as one, while the other three teachers were tasked with keeping a dozen little creatures from causing trouble in the kitchen, a very reasonable division ofbor. Just dealing with the ingredients was a troublesome affair. Over a hundred primary students, around fifty elderly people, dozens of teachers, and dozens of university student volunteers¡ªall four demographics had different dietary needs. The primary students were picky, the elderly couldn¡¯t handle too much oil and salt, but the teachers and volunteers were easy to please, they had to eat whatever was made. ¡°This morning I noticed that the old folks didn¡¯t drink their milk, Liu Qian suddenly spoke up while humming a selfposed tune and peeling potatoes, ¡°Little pak choi is yellow in the ground, little potatoes also have a yellow pound.¡± ¡°Most elderly people are a bitctose intolerant, drinking it might upset their stomachs,¡± Wu Minqi said, head down slicing potatoes, ¡°1¡¯11 soak some soybeanster and cook soybean pork rib soup. The ribs in the cold storage looked pretty fresh.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like soybeans! I want seaweed egg soup!!¡± protested a little girl who had been taught by Mr. Zhou to quietly watch her older siblings cook. ¡°I want tomato and egg soup!¡± ¡°I want, I want kelp and pork rib soup!¡± ¡°I also want to eat egg custard.¡± I!J II As soon as these words were spoken, the little creatures all began to chime in. With a thousand readerses a thousand Hamlets, and a couple of hundred little creatures call for a couple of hundred soups and four cooks wishing for death. ¡°What¡­ what do we do?¡± Liu Qian was a bit dazed by the children s vocal onught. ¡°Just stew everything,¡± Jiang Feng said nonchntly, not really minding, I just checked, we have plenty of cooking equipment, 9 stoves¡ªseven for soup and two for stir-frying should be enough.¡± ¡°Soybean pork rib soup, radish pork rib soup, kelp pork rib soup, crucian carp tofu soup,¡± Wu Minqi counted the soups that needed to be cooked. ¡°I want Chinese yam pork rib soup,¡± Liu Qian,pletely without the sense of helping in the kitchen, started making requests. ¡°Egg meatball soup, spicy soup, then add seaweed egg soup and tomato egg soup at the end, that should do it,¡± Jiang Feng added, recalling a spicy soup recipe he had seen before in Jiang Weiguo¡¯s memory and after giving it some thought, he managed to make an impressive rendition. ¡°As for the dishes, children like sweet and tangy vors, pineapple sweet and sour pork, fish-fragrant shredded pork, then I¡¯ll make a boiled fish and spicy diced chicken,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Elderly people need rtively light dishes, smooth egg shrimp, stir-fried vegetables, sauteed shredded potatoes, stir-fried three julienne and I¡¯ll also make 60 pickled vegetable dumplings, to remember the bitterness and think of the sweetness,¡± Jiang Feng said, not forgetting the theme of the volunteer event. ¡°9 dishes and 9 soups?¡± Mr. Chen could hardly believe his ears, ¡°Jiang and Wu, isn¡¯t that a bit too much? We probably can¡¯t finish all that.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi said in unison. If the two had anything inmon when it came to cooking, it probably was their speed. Jiang Feng¡¯s family ran a small stir-fry diner, straightforward with a high volume of customers, and Jiang Feng had been helping in the kitchen since a young age, whether it was washing vegetables, cutting, serving dishes or delivering takeouts, the core principle was to be quick. Wu Minqi had also been assisting in the kitchen from a young age, starting as a kitchen hand until now,gging a step could lead to scolding, having been yelled at from when her grandfather was the head chef to when her father took over. Being fast in the kitchen was almost embedded in her bones. ¡°By the way, Mr. Chen, do we have any fresh seasonal vegetables here?¡± Jiang Feng had gone to the storehouse earlier and didn¡¯t see much in the way of green veggies. ¡°Yes, yes, how about sweet potato shoots and vines? There¡¯s off-season sweet potato in the greenhouse behind,¡± Mr. Chen suggested. Jiang Feng: (¡ãJJo=ofl¡ã) Just what divine being is Morning Wind Primary School¡¯s greenhouse that it grows off-season sweet potatoes. Eating sweet potato vines in December, even remembering the bitterness and thinking of the sweetness has its price. ¡°Mr. Zhou, could you please take the kids to pick sweet potato vines and seedlings?¡± Mr. Chen said. These two Mr. Zhous were truly management geniuses. With a flick of the hand, they pulled out a pack of little stickers: ¡°Students, let¡¯s have apetition to pick sweet potato vines and peel sweet potatoes. Once you peel one, stick a sticker on the bottom to see who can be number one, okay?¡± Anyway, the bottom part was going to be cut off. The little creatures immediately got excited and followed the teachers out, howling. Then, the two Mr. Zhous applied the same method to assigning the tasks of washing chives, seaweed, and kelp, soaking soybeans, and beating eggs to the little creatures, greatly lightening the load for Jiang Feng and the others. The most crucial part was that the group of little creatures were having a st working, each more earnest and careful than thest. Wu Minqi excelled at Sichuan cuisine, and Jiang Feng was good at home cooking. The two of them working together were incredibly efficient. By morning, the kitchen was filled with the scent of various dishes, of which the boil-bubbled Sichuan boiled fish was the most domineering. Wu Minqi was very bold with the ingredients, even somewhat whimsical. She had an astonishing chef¡¯s intuition, which undoubtedly made Jiang Feng very envious. Under normal logic, Wu Minqi would be the protagonist of a gourmet novel, young and beautiful, highly talented, from a distinguished family, and enduring hardships. She was practically a domineering CEO¡­ wrong, she¡¯s a woman. s. Jiang Feng sighed, no longer wanting to make an effort and pleading for the game to introduce him to some rich women. In the long iron serving traysy dishes that were already cooked, simply kept warm in hot water and steaming, waiting for the boiled fish and vegetable dumplings to be ready so they could be served. ¡°Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen, there¡¯s been a bit of an emergency.¡± A middle-aged man in a very cool suit and leather shoes ran into the kitchen. He paused when he saw a row of delectable dishes ready, ¡°Some of the students¡¯ parents came to the school, not feeling reassured.¡± ¡°They might, probably, need lunch,¡± the middle-aged man admitted with less conviction, knowing he was somewhat at fault. Mr. Chen furrowed his brows: ¡°Mr. Jiang, we prepared everything in fixed quantities, even the rice was cooked to a fixed amount. Now that you¡¯ve brought some additional parents, what are we supposed to do? It¡¯s already half-past eleven and we have to start serving lunch in 20 minutes.¡± ¡°This, we didn¡¯t anticipate this situation either, but the parents, including Director Han, are here and it¡¯s mealtime. We can¡¯t just not feed them, Mr. Jiang also panicked, his cool head shining brightly with sweat. ¡°I¡¯ll contact some restaurants nearby to see if they can deliver some meals on short notice,¡± Mr. Chen, who was capable of anything, helplessly took out his phone. ¡°How many parents havee?¡± ¡°60 people.¡± ¡°60 people?¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but turn around. What a coincidence?! ¡°Mr. Chen, you don¡¯t need to look for restaurants. Don¡¯t I still have 60 pickled vegetable dumplings for recalling hard times?¡± Jiang Feng lifted the lid of the steamer. The pickled vegetable dumplings that had propelled Liu Qian to trending status on social media a few days before were neatlyid out in the steamer, ¡°I¡¯ll also prepare 60 portions of cucumber, so the student¡¯s parents can experience the spirit of this volunteer activity.¡± Jiang Feng picked up the kitchen knife, its spine reflecting a sh of cold light. Smashing cucumbers, it¡¯s been a while. ¡°This¡­¡± Mr. Jiang hesitated for a moment, finding the idea a good one, ¡°but can one big ball of dough really fill them up?¡± Mr. Jiang even gestured with his hands: ¡°Many of the student¡¯s parents who came are fathers.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, a few days ago I ate too many and ended up in the hospital getting my stomach pumped,¡± Liu Qian hurriedly chimed in supportively. Mr. Jiang looked at Liu Qian, finding her somewhat familiar. ¡°I¡¯m the livestreamer who trended after overeating. The dumplings I ate were these, and they were delicious!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Why do you exin that so fluently? Chapter 59 - 58 Game Update Chapter 59: Chapter 58 Game Update Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio While smacking the cucumbers, Jiang Feng experienced an indescribable joy. If he had to exin it, it might simply be about staying true to his original aspiration. His first experience point was contributed by Chen Xiuxiu when she ate the smashed cucumbers, and many of the subsequent experience points came from her eating the same dish. Although it seemed like experience points weren¡¯t useful at the moment, Jiang Feng was afraid of game updates when leveling up, and considered leveling up skills to be a waste of emotions. Previously, on a whim, Jiang Feng tried adding two thousand experience points to his Fire Control to see if his cooking skills would make a qualitative leap. The game then prompted him that since Fire Control is a major skill, it requires time to convert proficiency; a hundred proficiency can be converted each day, and no additional proficiency would be gained during practice periods. If business was good, Jiang Feng could easily earn more than a hundred points in Fire Control proficiency in a single day! After being tricked by the game once, Jiang Feng no longer easily spent his experience points. ¡°You¡¯ve added too much vinegar,¡± Wu Minqi kindly advised. Jiang Feng quickly gathered his wits. He used to smash cucumbers for Chen Xiuxiu, and this time he had subconsciously prepared it ording to her taste. Speaking of Chen Xiuxiu, among those who had tried Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking, only she remained true to her original appreciation. Ever since Wang Hao and the others tasted Sir Jiang¡¯s cooking, theyplimented his own cooking profusely, but the minimal experience points they gave with each bite told Jiang Feng they were actually somewhat disdainful. Except for Liu Qian, the pure foodie, only Chen Xiuxiu could still gift two or three experience points per bite after mooching off his meals for over a month during the summer holiday. ¡°Ah,¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Ding, the game has received yer feedback and will soon undergo an update and maintenance.¡± ¡°Game update in progress, current progress: o%.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? What feedback, what yer feedback? He¡¯d cursed the damn game many times before without any response, so why did it suddenly start updating now, when he had only grumbled to himself a little? The all too familiar o% update speed made Jiang Feng rather desperate. Jiang Feng¡¯s expression went through confusion, shock, anger, pain, desperation, and loss before settling into calm. Witnessing all this, Wu Minqi quietly stepped back and whispered, ¡°1 was just reminding you¡­ wasn¡¯t it a bit too much?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that something else crossed my mind.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s hand trembled, and he added too much vinegar again. The decor of the Morning Wind Cafeteria was very simple and elegant, more like a coffee shop than a primary school cafeteria. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t noticed the full view at breakfast, but now he saw that the decor was even more exquisite and upscale than the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. The tables were all set for four, covered with tablecloths, and the chairs had cushions. Each table was equipped with a little yellow trash bin. Even the walls were adorned with light green wallpaper, and the windowsills were decorated with hanging spider nts. There even was an aquarium with several fish of unidentifiable breeds swimming inside. The lid on top of the aquarium was sealed shut, obviously the school¡¯s precaution to prevent the kids from sharing their lunches with the fish. If there was anything unsatisfactory, it was that the tables and chairs were made to size for primary school students, leaving Jiang Feng with no ce to put his legs when he sat down. Liu Qian and Wu Minqi had no such trouble, as their one-meter-fifty southern standard height made it easy for them to fit in the seats. Morning Wind Primary School operated on an a carte system, and even had paid ordering, which made the UAL University students who scrambled daily for the cafeteria envious and tearfully happy. Meal serving was handled by dedicated cafeteriadies, as they are more professional. Jiang Feng chose crucian carp tofu soup, spicy chicken cubes, and fish-vored shredded pork, while Wu Minqi chose hot and spicy soup, scrambled eggs with shrimp, and stir-fried vegetables; both of them unspokenly chose each other¡¯s dishes. As for Liu Qian, she surreptitiously saved plenty of food and happily enjoyed it in the kitchen. Compared with the students¡¯ rich menu, the parents¡¯ pickled vegetables, steamed buns, and smashed cucumbers were quite a bittersweet reminder of the past. Deputy Principal Huang even regretted sitting next to Director Han. After all, Director Han¡¯s identity this time was that of a parent. The students of Morning Wind Primary School were either rich or noble. Though in recent years everyone advocated a healthier diet, reducing the amount of meat and fish on the table, a meal so elegantly sparse and almost oil-free was something the parents had not experienced for a long while. Director Han was a middle-aged man in his fifties who started from scratch. He had endured many hardships when he was young, scarcely eating anything better than coarse grains and vegetable leaves. His only child, also the apple of his old age, was the little creature who had expressed a desire to eat steamed egg custard back in the kitchen. His visit to the school was to taste the meals personally prepared by his son. The parents here, apart from the few who had time to pop over to check on things or who were genuinely worried about their kids, were mostly there hoping to taste the dish their kids were making for the first time, having been drafted to help in the kitchen. They even started guessing what role their kids had yed in preparing the cucumber and pickled vegetable dumplings. Did they wash the cucumbers, or did they y with the flour? Was it my kid who poured this vinegar? Did my family member knead this dumpling? Some parents with active imaginations had already begun to envision their kids with faces covered in flour while kneading the dough. Consequently, even the oil-free, firm pickled vegetable dumplings in front of them started looking plump, cute, and shiny. If these dumplings really were kneaded by my child, should I save them? A certain Li-surnamed parent was already considering which container to use for storing the dumplings but then quickly beganining about the school. Why not mark each dumpling, making it easier to identify who made them, preferably including the creator¡¯s name? The same Li-surnamed parent didn¡¯t want to keep a dumpling made by someone else¡¯s child. The Li-surnamed parent expressed some discontent. ¡°Principal Wang, the volunteers won¡¯t just serve our kids this, right? My child has a weak stomach and can¡¯t digest such indigestible food!¡± While the cafeteriadies were still serving, the parents thought everyone was just going to eat that. ¡°Exactly, remembering hardship to appreciate the sweet isn¡¯t supposed to work like this!¡± ¡°My child is already picky with food; how will he handle not eating for a whole day?¡± ¡°Remembering hardship can be on a spiritual level, wouldn¡¯t you agree, Mr. Han?¡± ¡°Principal Wang, say something, will you?¡± What could Deputy Principal Wang say? He had rushed over after hearing that Director Han was there and knew nothing about the kitchen. He could only chuckle awkwardly, ¡°This, the specifics of this matter are Mr. Jiang¡¯s responsibility, if the parents have any concerns, you can discuss with¡­¡± The fragrance of food interrupted Deputy Principal Wang¡¯s speech. The cafeteriadies came out with the serving trolley, and as the parents were on the second floor, the rich aroma of the dishes wafted upwards with the breeze. ¡°Boiled fish¡­¡± ¡°Spicy chicken¡­¡± ¡°Pork rib soup¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hot and spicy soup¡­¡± The parents guessed the dishes by their smell. ¡°I heard Mr. Jiang say these dumplings were originally intended for the kids to taste, to remember the bitterness and appreciate the sweetness, a really thoughtful idea! Sweet first, then bitter, it¡¯s more impactful that way,¡± Director Han praised. ¡°As it should be, as it should be,¡± Deputy Principal Wang, who was oblivious, could only nod repeatedly. ¡°I heard that most of these dishes were prepared by two volunteer students from UAL University?¡± Director Han knew more than Deputy Principal Wang, ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to give them our sincere thanks in a bit.¡± Many parents nodded in agreement. As Director Han spoke, he reached out and picked up a pickled vegetable dumpling. He took a bite. He was taken aback. This vor. Unexpectedly good! Chapter 60 - 59 Han Guishan Chapter 60: Chapter 59 Han Guishan Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio Director Han couldn¡¯t help but nce at the vegetable bun in his hand. It was a very ordinary vegetable bun, prepared with pickled vegetables just like in his childhood¡ªexcept the dough back then was rougher, and they would add bran and rice paste and a bunch of wild vegetables to make a soup, eating it for three meals a day. Most crucially, this vegetable bun reminded him of his mother, long since passed. A cook¡¯s daughter¡¯s best dish in her lifetime turned out to be vegetable buns. ¡°Which student made this pickled vegetable bun?¡± Director Han couldn¡¯t help but ask. The student responsible for the pickled vegetable buns was currently being sent to heaven by the spiciness of diced chicken with chili. Jiang Feng had lost track of how many sses of water he had drunk¡ª essentially one piece of meat, one gulp of water, his eyes watering from the spiciness. Jiang Feng even felt his mouth was swelling. Upon checking, it seemed it really had swollen up. As a native Shu person, Wu Minqi couldn¡¯tprehend how Jiang Feng could be overwhelmed by mere diced chicken with chili. She even cared enough for the primary students who couldn¡¯t handle spice to forgo dried chilies and only used fresh ones, sprinkling just an extra handful of Sichuan peppercorns. During the first twenty years of his life, the spiciest thing Jiang Feng had eaten was the grilledmb skewers that Chen Xiuxiu had him try in an alley during high school, after which they were so dirty he suffered from vomiting and diarrhea and ended up being on an IV drip in the hospital for two days. Butpared to Wu Minqi¡¯s diced chicken, those skewers that had him gasping for air were mild. For the first time, Jiang Feng profoundly realized that he truly couldn¡¯t handle spicy food. Despite his lips swelling like a sausage, Jiang Feng still cleaned his tepletely. ¡°Are we going to cook dinnerter?¡± Wu Minqi asked after eating, perched eagerly in her seat. Unlike Jiang Feng, who could practice at his home¡¯s restaurant every day, she had been able to help in the kitchen only asionally when she went home for breaks since starting university. This was her first time actually cooking in n City. Jiang Feng could tell that Minqi was itching to cook. But he threw cold water on her excitement, ¡®We¡¯re not bothering with dinner.¡± A look of disappointment spread across Minqi¡¯s face. ¡°Club President, you have it good, with your restaurant right by the school, being able to stay in the kitchen whenever you want,¡± Wu Minqi said with undisguised envy. Thinking about the vor of the food he had eaten earlier, Jiang Feng suddenly had an idea. ¡°Do you¡­ have many sses normally?¡± Jiang Feng knew that Minqi was studying food and nutrition science¡ªa field that might seem easy, but actually involved a heavy workload and belonged to the category of engineering. ¡°I don¡¯t really go,¡± Wu Minqi boldly admitted her truancy, ¡°I thought it was about studying ingredients, but it turned out to be all about chemistry.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ As everyone knows, those interested in ingredients should go to a certain oriental ce. ¡°Cough, if you¡¯re¡­ not attending sses much, why don¡¯t youe and help at our restaurant? You can use the kitchen as you wish; we¡¯ve got four stoves in our kitchen,¡± suggested Jiang Feng. And they were also in need of a Sichuan chef. Jiang Jiankang had a sweet tooth; spicy dishes did not exist for him. Finding a spicy dish on the menu meant a loss for the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Minqi¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, ¡°I can use your kitchen just like that?!¡± ¡°Only if a customer orders something.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough!¡± Wu Minqi had been crazing to cook that she was almost going mad. After the National Day holiday this semester, there were no more breaks; before today, Minqi hadn¡¯t touched a kitchen knife or a pot for nearly three months¡ªshe even dreamt of cutting radish threads in her sleep. In some sense, she could be considered obsessed with cooking. ¡°Come by whenever you have time,¡± Jiang Feng mentioned, pointedly ignoring the topic of sry. Minqi waspletely oblivious to the fact that Jiang Feng was essentially inviting her to work as a chef in his restaurant. She was even inwardly grateful to Jiang for providing her with a ce to sharpen her culinary skills, considering that she also wasn¡¯t paid when helping out at the Wu Family Restaurant. Besides, she wasn¡¯t short on money; although Old Sir Wu was stringent about the younger generation¡¯s culinary skills, he was very generous with money. As long as it didn¡¯t involve vice, the funds were there for free spending. Having reached a friendly agreement, the pair began to wander aimlessly. That afternoon, students from the Music and Dance Academy were scheduled to perform for the elderly, and Jiang Feng decided to head over early to secure a good spot. Normally, tickets for activities organized by the academy were snatched up fiercely, and the Chess Club would be lucky to get two seats along the outer edge by the door. Jiang had been once before, where he couldn¡¯t even make out the faces of the dancing girls on stage. This time, Jiang Feng was determined to snag an early seat! Before he could find where the performance hall was, he was whisked away by the omnipotent Mr. Chen, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. ¡°Director Han is looking for you!¡± Mr. Chen dragged Jiang Feng to the performance hall. Would you believe it¡ªDirector Han was at the performance hall. ¡°Who¡¯s Director Han?¡± Jiang Feng waspletely unaware of Morning Wind Primary School¡¯s internal personnel structure. ¡°Director Han is one of our school¡¯s five directors. He would like to talk with you about the vegetable bun you made at lunch,¡± was all Mr. Chen knew. Jiang Feng felt a surge of apprehension. Could it be that nowadays the rich are so fastidious that they could get sick from eating a pickled vegetable bun? It¡¯s all because of the refined foods they eat, not coarse grains! Jiang Feng followed Mr. Chen to the performance hall with unease. Everyone was decorating the venue, which essentially involved a bunch of primary school students cing fresh flowers on seats and sticking decorations made of stic and ribbons to the walls¡ªdecorations that were quite ugly at first nce, clearly handmade by everyone. No signs of UAL University students; they were probably all backstage preparing. Jiang Feng had heard that the students from the Music and Dance Academy had rehearsed for several weeks for this performance, taking it very seriously. Only someone like Jiang Feng, who paid no attention to the event, just learned today that the volunteer location was Morning Wind Primary School; Liu Qian had known three days in advance. Director Han is on the second floor. After leading the visitor upstairs, Mr. Chen discretely left, leaving only Director Han and Jiang Feng alone. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit nervous, but seeing Director Han smiling genially, he didn¡¯t seem to be the type to cause trouble over a bad meal. At the same time, Jiang was puzzled as to why the director of a private noble primary school would seek him out, a student from UAL University. What¡¯s crucial is that Jiang Feng found the Director Han across from him somewhat familiar. It seemed like he had seen the man himself or his photo recently. Could it be¡­ a customer at the restaurant? Had the clientele of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant risen to such lofty ranks? ¡°Mr. Jiang,¡± Director Han began, ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. I havee to ask a favor of you.¡± ¡°Ding.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? What¡¯s with the game¡¯s ¡®ding¡¯??? Speak up, you clearly have customer service but still receive yer feedback; if you have the guts to update, then finish the next sentence! The game had no response. ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Han, have we met before?¡± Jiang Feng felt that referring to Director Han by his title wasn¡¯t quite right as he wasn¡¯t a student at Morning Wind Primary School, but the more he looked at Director Han, the more familiar he became. Director Han paused for a moment, then said with augh, ¡°Mr. Jiang might have seen my photo. I forgot to introduce myself; I am Han Guishan.¡± Han Guishan! The boss of Good Taste! Jiang Feng now knew why Han Guishan looked familiar to him; he had browsed the Good Taste official website that morning when searching for thepetition, and Han¡¯s photo was disyed there. Furthermore¡­ The photo seemed to have been retouchedpared to the real person. The eyes were erged, and there was a liberal use of skin smoothing, whitening, and slimming effects. ¡°May I ask, Mr. Han, what do you need my help with?¡± Jiang Feng asked, doubting that the boss of Good Taste needed his help. ¡°It¡¯s like this, I had the good fortune to taste your pickled vegetable dumplings at lunch today, and I thought the bittersweet sentiment they conveyed was excellent. I¡¯d like to implement an educational activity about recalling the past¡¯s hardships and appreciating the present¡¯s sweetness at mypany. So, I¡¯d like to ask you to make a batch of pickled vegetable dumplings just like the ones today,¡± said Han Guishan. Jiang Feng was somewhat speechless with surprise. The boss of Good Taste sure had unique ideas; even eating a dumpling could inspire him to start an educational activity at hispany. However, since pickled vegetable dumplings were from the game¡¯s recipes, Jiang Feng could only make 60 a day, so he responded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Han, but I can only make 60 of these pickled vegetable dumplings per day at most, which might not meet your needs.¡± ¡°60 is enough. Ten a day will suffice,¡± said Han Guishan, noticing the surprise in Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes and exining, ¡°I intend to introduce this activity gradually, starting with thepany¡¯s upper management.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ This Mr. Han indeed had very original thoughts, his reasoning and thought processes werepletely different from the average person. ¡°Ten a day is not a problem at all. One batch is six, so two batches would be twelve. What do you think?¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Additionally, I have another somewhat inconvenient request. Could I ask Mr. Jiang toe to my house to make these pickled vegetable dumplings?¡± Han Guishan continued. Jiang Feng: ??? What¡¯s up with Mr. Han and his obsession with pickled vegetable dumplings? ¡°It¡¯s like this, I want to learn how to make this dish so I can cook it for my son after some time. That boy has been pampered from a young age; he could use a bit of hardship. Price is not a problem, and I apologize for the inconvenience of asking you to make a trip. How does apensation of a thousand a day sound?¡± asked Han Guishan. A thousand! The millionaire Jiang Feng was stunned on the spot by Han Guishan¡¯s generosity. Though Mr. Han had some unconventional ideas and a unique perspective, he was very generous! Jiang had only thought to ask for six RMB per dumpling, expecting some bargaining, but Han Guishan offered a thousand RMB without hesitation. A thousand RMB for 12 dumplings ¨C there¡¯s no dumpling you couldn¡¯t buy with that. Jiang Feng agreed on the spot. And then he got Han Guishan¡¯s WeChat. As Jiang Feng walked downstairs, he felt as if he were floating. It was as if money was falling from the sky, avoiding everyone else and targeting only Jiang Feng, even the breeze felt like it was fanning with RMB. Just as Jiang Feng reached the door, he was abruptly stopped by an eagle-eyed student council secretary. ¡°Jiang Feng, what were you doing on the second floor? Oh, and your performance? You¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t submitted a performance yet.¡± The student council secretary had a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other. ¡°Performance, what performance?¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s brain, muddled by money, sobered up slightly. ¡°The performance this afternoon. Every club has to submit one. Didn¡¯t the student council text you about itst week? Didn¡¯t you get the message?¡± asked the student council secretary. Jiang Feng took out his phone, searched for a while, and finally found the student council¡¯s notification fromst week in the spam messages. As for why the student council secretary¡¯s number had been blocked¡­ Jiang Feng silently looked to the heavens. ¡°Perform¡­ perform¡­¡± Jiang Feng really couldn¡¯t think of any special skills beyond eating, sleeping, and cooking, so he resignedly dered, ¡°I¡¯ll perform chopping vegetables.¡± ¡°Huh? Chopping vegetables?¡± The student council secretary was taken aback. ¡°Yes, chopping vegetables!¡± Chapter 61 - 61: 60 chapters Radish Flower Chapter 61: 60 chapters Radish Flower Trantor: 549690339 Of course, slicing vegetables can be a performance item. If Jiang Feng could blindfold himself and swiftly slice cucumbers into raincoat-like thinness or carve radish skins as translucent as those in ¡°Little Chinese Chef,¡± not to mention performing for the elderly, he could even scrape together a solid five minutes of solo screen time on a variety show. However, Jiang Feng would like to keep his left handpany into his old age. Jiang Feng was confident he could slice vegetables blindfolded. But as to whether he would cut his hand, or how many fingers he might sever, and whether he would be lucky enough to encounter a Doctor Ling while being rushed to the hospital, Jiang Feng had no assurance. So Jiang Feng chose to carve radish flowers. To fool primary schoolers, surely it¡¯s best to cater to their tastes. Radishes are great, aren¡¯t they? There¡¯s a variety of species, they¡¯re cheap,e in red, white, and purple, and the key is they¡¯re sizable and malleable. It¡¯s quite easy to not only carve radish flowers but also to sculpt little rabbits and chicks, and even Peppa Pig if you really wanted. If the little creatures didn¡¯t mind the color, Minions weren¡¯t out of the question either. Jiang Feng thought that if he truly ran out of ways to make money, carving and selling radishes outside Morning Wind Primary School would be a fine business. The student council staffer went off to find radishes for Jiang Feng. After the initial surprise, he became quite receptive to Jiang Feng¡¯s performance of radish carving. After all, the program list included someone eating a hamburger in one bite, sopared to that guy, Jiang Feng¡¯s act was quite normal. Jiang Feng blissfully took a seat in the middle of the fifth row. He had just inquired and found out that the front four rows were reserved for the elderly, school leadership, and student parents. The fifth row wasn¡¯t bad either; Jiang Feng chose for himself a spot with a clear view and soft chairs, and most importantly, at this distance, with Jiang Feng¡¯s eyesight, he could clearly see the faces of the youngdies on stage. Last time, after great difficulty, he had snatched a ticket to the Music and Dance Academy¡¯s performance from Ji Yue, but he could only discern the color of the skirts the dancing youngdies wore. All he could see were several dancing red mosaics on the stage. The more he said, the sadder it became. Jiang Feng blissfully sat in the unupied audience seats. Sitting in the audience, ying with his phone, a student council staffer even brought two big boxes of radishes over. You¡¯ve got to admit those student council staffers are tough, nearly sweeping clean the storeroom of radishes, not sparing a single one. The performance started at three in the afternoon. To Jiang Feng¡¯s left sat the vice president of the student council, and to his right, the head of the sports department. Those unaware might even assume Jiang Feng was the student council president. As for the real student council president, he was just sent to the school infirmary with a headful of bumps, thanks to his puzzlement over why the box of radishes needed to be on the shelf and his attempt to move it, only to be pummeled by the tumbling radishes. The performance wasn¡¯t much to watch. Jiang Feng even felt a bit disappointed. Aside from the dance by the pretty youngdy and the somewhat impressive solo burger-eating guy, the rest were either singing or performing skits whose content was elusive, with songs ranging from revolutionary tunes to nursery rhymes. Jiang Feng¡¯s act was scheduledst, not with any ulterior motive, but simply because if he ended up shaving radish peels all over the floor, it would be a mess to clean up. When the student council staffer informed Jiang Feng he could get ready backstage, a girl on stage was singing and dancing at the same time, to ¡°Little Jumping Frog¡± no less. The off-tune singing might make Little Jumping Frog cry. The knife and cutting board were all set, the off-tune girl finished her act dripping with sweat, panting heavily as she stepped off the stage. Then the host took the stage to announce the next act. The students below were fed up already. The elderly were still gracefully pping, but the primary schoolers were already fidgety and wanting to leave the boring show. Keeping them here to watch such dull performances must be tough on these sub-ten-year-olds. Seeing that a seemingly interesting act was finally up, the children burst into unprecedented warm apuse. Jiang Feng felt ttered by the reception, and then he pulled out a ¡°Heartwarming Beautiful Radish.¡± Carving radish flowers is a project that sounds fabulous, looks fabulous in process, and results in an even more fabulous oue. You don¡¯t need to say anything; just carve quietly, look skilled, casual, and cool¡ªthat¡¯s enough. In just a few minutes, a beautiful Rose bloomed in Jiang Feng¡¯s hands. ¡°Wow!¡± The crowd burst into admiration, followed by an overwhelming roar of apuse. Jiang Feng picked up the microphone on the table and asked, ¡°Next, I¡¯m going to carve a little animal, what would you kids like?¡± The audience immediately erupted into fervor, with a short-haired little girl in the sixth row leaping up from her chair and screaming, eager to be heard before all the other kids, ¡°Peppa!¡± ¡°George!¡± ¡°Suzy!!¡± ¡°Teletubbies!¡± Even from the first row, a Sir with childlike innocence roared with great vigor, ¡°Monkey King.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Why did he have to run his mouth when he could¡¯ve just carved something himself? Now everyone¡¯s calling out for those vacuum-cleaner-shaped pigs, and they are not easy to carve. In the end, Jiang Feng ignored everyone, pretended he hadn¡¯t heard a thing, and hurriedly carved a cute rabbit, then took his leave. He feared that if he stayed a moment longer, some child would rush up on stage demanding that he carve Peppa Pig. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected to be stopped by a parent as soon as he stepped off the stage. The one who stopped him was the mother of the short-haired girl who was the first to shout for Peppa Pig. Since Jiang Feng¡¯s act was thest, it was normal for everyone to start leaving as the performance hade to an end. Without even pausing to grab her Hermes bag on her seat, the short-haired girl¡¯s mother rushed to the front of the stage to catch Jiang Feng exiting from backstage. ¡°Uhm, could I buy the rabbit you just carved?¡± the parent asked. ¡°Mom, I want Peppa Pig,¡± the girl reiterated, following closely behind. Parent:¡­ ¡°That student, could you please carve a Peppa Pig for my daughter?¡± the parent asked, feeling embarrassed herself. She had watched quite a few episodes of that character that looks like a hairdryer, its weird shape, certainly making it difficult to carve. ¡°One hundred apiece, what do you think?¡± the parent didn¡¯t care about the money at all just to make her daughter happy. Jiang Feng almost stumbled and couldn¡¯t keep his bnce. What¡¯s going on today? Parents from Morning Wind Primary School seemed to be throwing money at him. ¡°Two hundred, I want George!¡± a chubby kid chipped in eagerly. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t take it seriously¡ªit¡¯s normal for kids to randomly shout out prices. The next second, the chubby kid took out his phone, opened Alipay, ¡°Brother, can you do a transfer through Alipay? My WeChat doesn¡¯t have any money.¡± His actions were very practiced. Jiang Feng was stunned on the spot. Hearing that they could actually use money to buy, the rest of the kids began to holler out various figures, causing a disturbance to the market¡¯s average price. ¡°Five hundred, I want Peppa too!¡± ¡°Six hundred, I want Totoro!¡± ¡°Eight hundred, Suzy, I want Suzy!¡± ¡°One thousand, Minion, I want the one with sses!¡± ¡°One thousand one¡­¡± The group of kids even started to outdo each other. As the price was about to reach two thousand, Jiang Feng could soon be the legendary big shot who makes thousands in minutes and face the fate of deceiving minors into legal trouble. Resisting the temptation, he remained true to his original motives. ¡°One hundred for one, one by one.¡± The girl with short hair happily got her Peppa Pig, and Jiang Feng even gave away the first carved radish flower to her mother. Carving Peppa Pigs was entirely a matter of practice. Initially, Jiang Feng took ten minutes to carve one because of its weird hairdryer-like shape, but once he got the hang of it, it took him only three to five minutes. Later when Wu Minqi also joined in to help, they worked even faster. After more than two hours, Jiang Feng¡¯s Alipay bnce sessfully reached five figures. Nearly every student from Morning Wind Primary School had a pig, and there was an especially charitable youngster who bought all four for his family. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi even gave every senior a Zhu Bajie. The Monkey King was too difficult to carve, but Zhu Bajie was enough to make these seniors beam with joy, lovingly holding them in their hands. In the end, Jiang Feng prepared to split the earnings with Wu Minqi. A lot of Georges were carved by Wu Minqi. It was already quite unkind of him to trick Wu Minqi into working as a free chef in his store. To hog all the ill-gotten gains for himself would be too much. ¡°I¡¯m already satisfied with practicing on radishes. No need to share the money with me; I¡¯m not short of it,¡± said Wu Minqi, who genuinely didn¡¯t care about the sum of over ten thousand, ¡°but Jiang Feng, I notice you might be a bit short on cash?¡± ¡°My family recently took on some debt,¡± Jiang Feng said. Not much, just a mere three billion and a few million in renovation costs. Jiang Feng silently bragged to himself. ¡°Do you need me to lend you some?¡± In just one day, Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng¡¯s rtionship had made significant strides. Wu Minqi already saw Jiang Feng as a friend who could match her in culinary skills. She wouldn¡¯t want financial issues to hinder his cooking practice. ¡°I heard your family borrowed a substantial amount to open the store. Though I don¡¯t have much, lending you a hundred thousand or so for an emergency is no problem.¡± Jiang Feng was a little startled by Wu Minqi¡¯s generosity. They were just members of the same club, and now suddenly, they were good friends who could lend each otherrge sums of money. He was not used to it. ¡°No need, no need at all, my family is doing well, it¡¯s not that exaggerated,¡± Jiang Feng insisted. With over thirty thousand earned today, and a renovation shortfall of just over three million, all he had to do was continue to con elementary students at Morning Wind Primary School¡¯s gates for a hundred more days. Then, the day he¡¯d get arrested wouldn¡¯t be far off. The UAL University group boarded the bus to head back. Except for Liu Qian, who had been cking the entire time, the others were exhausted, each spread out and copsed on their seats, barely showing signs of life with their breaths. ¡°Jiang Feng, hey, Jiang Feng,¡± the girl sitting behind him poked his arm. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jiang Feng turned back to ask. ¡°Um, I wanted to ask, could you make that radish flower a bit cheaper? One hundred is a bit expensive. How about 25 for a ssmate?¡± The girl behind him looked at Jiang Feng with hopeful eyes. Jiang Feng:¡­ Sister, do you know how many radishes can be bought and carved for 25 yuan? ¡°Yeah, yeah, Jiang Feng, give us a discount for being ssmates. I want one too, I want a Minion,¡± the girl next to the questioning girl brightened up and chimed in. Jiang Feng:¡­ Seeing Jiang Feng silent, the girl wanting the Minion thought he was unwilling and took a step back, ¡°I know the Minion is a bit difficult, 35, how about 35?¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Alright¡­ alright,¡± after being bombarded with cash all day, Jiang Feng was even getting used to it. Indeed, the easiest money to earn is from women and children.. Chapter 62 - 61 Transitional Chapter Can’t Think of a Name Chapter 62: Chapter 61 Transitional Chapter Can¡¯t Think of a Name Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng got off the bus and somehow closed eight deals. Of the twenty-six seats on the bus, there were only fourteen female students, and more than half of the girls ced orders on the spot. This easily demonstrated how eager women can be to chase after pretty things, and how easily their money is earned. After dinner back at the shop, Jiang Feng returned to the dormitory. Experiencing the workload of a master chef in the cafeteria had left his arms a bit sore-ordinary people really couldn¡¯t handle stirring such arge pot every day. The final exams were just around the corner. Wang Hao was struggling desperately in the library, studyingte into the night as if trying to mend the sky like Nuwa or create characters like Cangjie. Jiang Feng was different. With the convenience of the game, he had leveled several subjects up to high level. He could quickly integrate andprehend the textbook knowledge with just a casual flip through the books. It wasn¡¯t enough for scientific research, but more than sufficient for passing the finals with ease. While the dorm was empty, Jiang Feng opened his attribute panel. Current update progress: 4.7.75%. Eh? Disyed on the update progress bar was a Heartwarming Beautiful Radish crying, having been chopped in half. The artwork was very refined and looked quite adorable. Not only had the update speed increased, but this game even had graphic designers now! Before, the attribute panel had nothing but text, not even a simple frame or bar, and the fonts were all the standard Song typeface. Jiang Feng was confident that with WPS, he could create a better-looking attribute panel than the game. Jiang Feng was somewhat looking forward to seeing what the new attribute panel would look like. The damned game was actually starting to focus on yer experience-it was as if it was raining red from the sky. At this pace, the game would be updated by tomorrow. Jiang Feng happily went to wash up and sleep. ¡°Optional side quest avable, please select.¡± ¡°Ding, game updateplete.¡± At four in the morning, Jiang Feng was awakened by the game¡¯s notification sound. His eyes opened groggily as the mechanical female voice suddenly echoed in his mind. The fact that he didn¡¯t jump straight out of bed was already quite calm of him. Sitting woodenly on the bed and staring nkly out of the pitch-ck window, Jiang Feng quietly calmed down for a bit and, resisting the urge to smash the damned game, he opened the attribute panel. Indeed, the game had hired a graphic designer. Not only had the font changed, but the formatting had also changed. It was much fresher, with bold borders added, and even patterns along the edges. It was aplete overhaul. yer Name: Jiang Feng Level: 9 (26795/5OOOO) Skills: Appraisal (Intermediate): You can obtain most information. Cooking Porridge (Intermediate): You can only grasp the correct proportion of ingredients and the basic fire control. (Proficiency: 1669/10000) Knifework (Advanced): Your knife skills have surpassed those of most chefs. (Proficiency: 65992/100000) Fire Control (Intermediate): You can basically grasp the fire level. (Proficiency: 7899/10000) Seasoning (Intermediate): You can achieve a proper bnce of vors. (Proficiency 8563/10000) Lies (Intermediate): You can now lie without blushing. (Proficiency: 278/10000) Mathematics (High Level): You havepletely mastered all the undergraduate-level knowledge. [Non-upgradable] Physics (High Level): You havepletely mastered all the undergraduate-level knowledge. [Non-upgradable] English (High Level): You havepletely mastered all the undergraduate-level knowledge. [Non-upgradable] Food Testing (Beginner): A bull chewing peonies, a waste of heavenly resources. [Non-upgradable] Note:
  • 1. Please explore the skills on your own.
  • 2. Experience points cannot be converted into proficiency. A new function is unlocked every 10 levels, with automatic game upgrades, and the maximum level is 60.
    • Main Quest:
  • 1. [Reopening] Reopen Taifeng Building in Beiping City. (Quest Progress 0/1)
    • Quest Tip: All you need is money. Quest Reward: Unknown Side Quests: (Optional)
  • 1. [Mother¡¯s Wish] Wang Xiulian has always hoped to have a gentle, understanding, and slender daughter-inw. Please help her fulfill this wish by finding a girlfriend who is gentle, understanding, and has a slim figure. [Choose: YES/NO]
  • 2. [Competitor in the Same Field]: Wu Minqi, as heir to the Wu Family Restaurant, has shown exceptional culinary talent since childhood and is virtually unmatched among her peers, being hailed as the most promising of the younger generation in the Wu Family. A piece of mung bean cake at the UAL University club¡¯s wee event caught her interest. As the most promising of the younger generation in the Jiang Family, please face Wu Minqi¡¯s challenge and defeat her in the Good Taste culinarypetition. Quest progress (0/1)
    • Quest Tip: The yer¡¯s abilities are significantly behind Wu Minqi¡¯s, so please enhance your strength as soon as possible. Quest Reward: A kitchen knife.
    1. 3. [Precious Memories] The dish Han Guishan finds most unforgettable from his childhood is the pickled vegetable dumplings made by his mother, Li Hua. Please make pickled vegetable dumplings that satisfy Han Guishan and remind him of his precious childhood memories. [Choose: YES/NO]
      2. Hidden Quests: None (Can be triggered under special circumstances) Achievements: Bitter Tears (Slight increase in seasoning ability when making wontons) Titles: None Items: Thermal Box [Withdrawn], Promotional Board [Withdrawn], Renovation Blueprint Recipes: (Please click to view details) Evaluation: An utterly unremarkable beginner The game still yed coy, forcing him to click to check the details of the recipes. When Jiang Feng clicked on the recipe section, the interface immediately changed. It was no longer text but icons, a row of dark ck frames, with only three of them lit up. Wang Shitou (1/1), Jiang Huiqin (1/3), Li Sanya (1/1) Clicking on them would bring up the corresponding recipes,plete with pictures and text, very convenient. You could even check the associated memories in the recipes. However (1/3)¡­ Jiang Feng guessed that the game probably meant that Jiang Huiqin had three recipes, but he had only discovered one so far. The game developers had finally shown some conscience by fixing the bug of converting experience points into proficiency, even if their solution to the bug was to simply remove it. Solving the problem at its root. Woken up by the noise, he couldn¡¯t fall asleep anymore. After epting the [Precious Memories] quest, Jiang Feng simply turned on the bedsidemp and studied in bed. The final exams were approaching, and he needed to show the tests a basic level of respect. Wang Hao, half-asleep and half-awake, thought he saw a beam of light, a beam shimmering with the glow of studying. Someone was studying behind his back! Even though Wang Hao was asleep, his dreams hadpletely changed. ¡°You all study behind my back, especially you, Feng¡­¡± ¡°I want to study too; I¡¯ll secretly study behind all your backs.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Jiang Feng, who was reading Signals and Systems:¡­ What on earth was he dreaming about¡­
    Chapter 63 - 62 Grass Dumplings Chapter 63: Chapter 62 Grass Dumplings Trantor: 549690339 | Jiang Feng set off early in the morning to the market to buy radishes, carefully selecting fifty to sixty pounds of various types, even persuading the vendor to lend him a tricycle, which he pedaled to the store. After neatly arranging the radishes in the warehouse, he sent WeChat messages to Han Guishan to enquire about the exact time and address for making pickled vegetable dumplings, and then started happily picking out radishes. 25 yuan, 25 yuan, 35 yuan, 35 yuan¡­ These aren¡¯t just fresh radishes, they¡¯re practically white banknotes! Jiang Feng believed that as long as he persisted in carving radishes every day, earning a thousand a day, in just over eight years, he¡¯d amass more than three million. Sounding truly exhrating indeed. Jiang Jiankang had nothing but approval for Jiang Feng¡¯s business. He had everything nned out: By the time Jiang Feng graduated from college, he would have saved a substantial amount of money. Then, by selling the shopfront of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, they would have enough to refurbish Taifeng Building. With the five brothers working together in unity, Sir Jiang as the head chef and Jiang Feng¡¯s culinary skills improving, they could hire some helpers and cooks. The Jiang Family would not only revive Taifeng Building but also relive the joyous days of their youth eating the dishes cooked by Sir. As for Sir¡¯s im that Taifeng Building belonged to Jiang Feng and that the renovation costs were his own responsibility, Jiang Jiankang didn¡¯t take it to heart at all. He¡¯s Jiang Feng¡¯s father, and a father managing his son, a father helping his son, isn¡¯t that just natural? As for whether Sir would berate him at that time¡­ Jiang Jiankang maintained that a father reprimanding his son was also perfectly natural. By the time Jiang Feng finished carving radish flowers and Minions, Wu Minqi hade to help in the shop. Last night, Jiang Jiankang rushed to get quite a lot of Sichuan cuisine menus made, and now several new rows of menus hung in the shop. Around ten o¡¯clock in the morning, Han Guishan sent over the address, scheduling the meeting for 7 p.m. tonight at Tianfu Garden, Block A, No. 21. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. Worthy of being the owner of Good Taste, the standalone vis in Block A of Tianfu Garden must be over a hundred million each, at least. With Wu Minqi¡¯s help in the kitchen, Jiang Feng hardly had to touch a pot. From spicy boiled beef slices to hot and sour potato strips, she took charge of everything except for Kung Pao chicken, Jiang Jiankang¡¯s specialty, narrowly missing out on dominating the entire kitchen. Jiang Feng decisively focused on his radish carving business, expanding his offerings to include characters like Pikachu and Kumamon. Naturally, the prices rose with the tide, Pikachu for 40, Kumamon for 45, and they sold surprisingly well, with half the radishes in the warehouse gone by the end of the day. Not only that, a girl majoring in art suggested adding watermelon skins for a ssh of color. Typical of an art major, not considering where to find watermelon skins in the middle of winter. At six in the evening, Jiang Feng promptly set off by subway to Tianfu Garden. As it happened, Han Guishan¡¯s mother was the daughter of Li Sanya, the small girl known as Flower in Jiang Weiguo¡¯s memory¡ªthis detail was provided by the task specifics to Jiang Feng. [Precious Memories] The food Han Guishan found most unforgettable from his childhood was the pickled vegetable dumplings made by his mother, Li Hua. The yer is requested to make pickled vegetable dumplings satisfactory to Han Guishan that could evoke his precious childhood memories. Task hint: Li Hua¡¯s pickled vegetable dumplings were taught to her by her mother, Li Sanya. Just follow the recipe to replicate them. Task reward: A piece of Han Guishan¡¯s memory. This task was incredibly easy for Jiang Feng. There was nothing particrly challenging about making pickled vegetable dumplings, and after making them so many times, his dough kneading skills had greatly improved. It was a piece of cake to replicate Li Sanya¡¯s pickled vegetable dumplings, especially since he had also brought along a jar of pickled vegetables personally made by Mrs. Wang Xiulian. He was confident he couldplete this side quest today. Jiang Feng also realized that Han Guishan¡¯s talk of engaging employees in a ¡°bittersweet reflection¡± activity was just a ruse; he simply craved pickled vegetable dumplings! To go to such lengths and expense just for the craving of pickled vegetable dumplings, Jiang Feng could only marvel at how the thought processes of the wealthy differed from ordinary people. The thoughts of the affluent, he simply could notprehend as an average citizen. Lost in thought, Jiang Feng arrived at the entrance of Tianfu Garden. The security guard at the gate checked Jiang Feng¡¯s face several times against a photo, only letting him in after confirming his identity beyond doubt, making Jiang Feng feel slightly guilty as if he were indeed up to no good. Tianfu Garden¡¯s Block A consisted entirely of standalone vis, idyllic and lush with greenery, with plenty of space between residences so that they did not interfere with each other, perfectly embodying the slogan of peace within the bustling city. As Jiang Feng sighed at the benefits of wealth, he followed the navigation to No. 21. Han Guishan was waiting for Jiang Feng at home. Upon seeing Jiang Feng arrive, Han Guishan warmly weed him, showed him the kitchen, and introduced him to the ingredients he had prepared. ¡°You see, Mr. Jiang, I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of flour you prefer, so I had someone buy several types of cornmeal. I don¡¯t really know much about it, but we also have flour, specially-processed first-grade flour, second-grade flour, standard flour, ordinary flour, and gluten flour of various types¡ªall bought a bit of each. Have a look and see if anything¡¯s missing; if so, I¡¯ll send someone to buy it right now,¡± Han Guishan pointed to a row of flour bags on the kitchen floor as he spoke. Jiang Feng:¡­ That¡¯s a bit overkill; he was just going to make a simple batch of non-fermented pickled vegetable dumplings. ¡°It¡¯s more than enough, more than enough, the cornmeal is just fine,¡± Jiang Feng said, as he started looking through the cornmeal Han Guishan had prepared. ¡°And there are some pickles¡ªI¡¯ve bought a dozen varieties, Mr. Jiang, please take a look and see which one you prefer.¡± Han Guishan opened the cab, revealing a row of jars inside. ¡°We don¡¯t need pickles; I brought my own.¡± Jiang Feng took out the jar of pickles from the stic bag to show Han Guishan and began to feel the cornmeal. Whoever bought the groceries must be quite something; they even managed to find pure cornmeal in the 21st century, and it¡¯s the retro version from the ¡¯60s and ¡¯70s that includes crushed corn cobs ground into the meal¡ªtruly the coarsest of grains. Obviously, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t use this kind of cornmeal for the pickle-filled dumplings. Though Han Guishan might miss his grandmother¡¯s pickle dumplings, if they were made to be as authentic as to rip someone¡¯s throat, Han Guishan¡¯s fond memories might turn into terrifying ones. After picking out a kind of cornmeal with a bit of flour added to it for a finer texture, Jiang Feng started kneading the dough. The steps were simple and he was quite skilled, having done it so many times before. While Jiang Feng was making them, Han Guishan watched intently by his side, as focused as a primary school student in a math ss. At seven fifty-three, twelve pickle-filled dumplings were ready. Han Guishan had already sent the payment through WeChat earlier that morning. Jiang Feng neatly arranged the dumplings on tworge tes but couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Um, Mr. Han, have you had dinner?¡± He had arrived early today, around six forty. When he got there, Han Guishan was already home¡ªno chef around, no dishes on the dining table, and not even a hint of cooking in the kitchen. Moreover, in such arge vi, Jiang Feng only saw Han Guishan; his wife and children were nowhere to be found, not even the cleaningdy. Jiang Feng found the whole situation very strange. ¡°The chef is on leave for something, I¡¯ve eaten in thepany cafeteria.¡± Han Guishan said. Jiang Feng left Han Guishan¡¯s house feeling both impressed with how down-to-earth the big boss could be and perplexed by the evening¡¯s oddities. As soon as Jiang Feng left, Han Guishan shouted upstairs, ¡°Wang, tell everyone toe down for dinner.¡± Upstairs, Han Guishan¡¯s wife, Wang Jing, and their son Han Youxin came down. If Jiang Feng had still been there, he would have recognized that Han Youxin was the little chubby boy who had sneakily eaten two bowls of egg custard in the kitchen before. ¡°Dad, why is dinner sote today? I¡¯m starving to death.¡± Han Youxin came bouncing down the stairs, but his enthusiasm dampened at the sight of the twelve pickle dumplings on the table, and he started runningback, yelling, ¡°Mom, mom, dad¡¯s torturing me! He¡¯s making me diet by feeding me grass dumplings!¡± ¡°Nonsense, when has your father ever tortured you?¡± Wang Jing, Han Youxin¡¯s down-to-earth wife, who had started from scratch with him, had cultivated a certain dignified air over the years. She softly scolded her son for his dramaticints and pulled Han Youxin back down the stairs. When she saw the dining table, Wang Jing was also dumbfounded. ¡°Hon¡­ Honey, nothing¡­ nothing bad has happened at thepany recently, right?¡± Wang Jing chose her words carefully, not wanting to upset Han Guishan. Could it be that thepany faced some catastrophe that had impacted Han Guishan¡¯s mental state, especially since he gave the chef such a long break and forbade them froming downstairs this evening? Over the years, Wang Jing had focused on having children and, after Han Youxin was bom, devoted herself entirely to him, no longer involving herself in thepany¡¯s affairs. ¡°What could happen to thepany? Who¡¯s been filling your head with nonsense? It¡¯s doing great. The stock price even went up a lot recently.¡± Han Guishan was preupied with the pickle dumplings, ¡°Yesterday, I met a kid who made pickle dumplings exactly like the ones my mom used to make. I just had hime over and make a dozen, and you¡¯re not even here to eat them!¡± ¡°Dad, you are torturing me!¡± Han Youxin, recognizing the dumplings were made by Jiang Feng, protested loudly, ¡°Jiang Feng¡¯s hot spicy soup, shredded potatoes, shrimp, and Peppa Pig are so much tastier, but you insist he makes these grass dumplings! You¡¯re torturing me!¡± Indeed, Han Youxin had eaten the radish carved into Peppa Pig, worth a hundred dors apiece, as a snack the previous day. ¡°What are you talking about? How can those things be tastier than pickle dumplings? Grass dumplings? This is pickled veggies; it was my favorite thing to eat as a kid. I only had it during New Year¡¯s. Don¡¯t be ignorant of your good fortune!¡± Han Guishan stuffed a pickle dumpling into Han Youxin¡¯s mouth without further debate, ¡°This is whole grain, which is good for you if eaten more. Could I ever really harm you? Eat it up. If you don¡¯t finish, I¡¯ll confiscate your Alipay bnce tomorrow!¡± Han Youxin nibbled on the pickle dumpling begrudgingly, muttering quietly, ¡°Still not as good as Peppa Pig.¡± Raw radish was spicy and quite tasty after all. Wang Jing realized Han Guishan was feeling homesick, reminiscing about his mother who had passed away when he was young. As long as Han Guishan was happy, Wang Jing didn¡¯t care what they ate and cooperated by taking a bite of a pickle dumpling. The taste was surprisingly not bad. Aside from Han Guishan, who had a big appetite and ate three dumplings in one go, Han Youxin and Wang Jing both struggled to finish even one. Seeing the leftover dumplings on the table, Han Guishan pped the table and decided to give the chef an extended holiday. There was no need for the chef toe for lunch, as he would take the leftovers to thepany and Han Youxin ate at school. Han Guishan also kindly asked Wang Jing if she wanted to keep one for her lunch the next day. ¡°I have ns to get a facial with my friends tomorrow,¡± Wang Jing said with a smile. Should she organize a trip abroad with a few close friends for a week or so? Wang Jing pondered the idea, not noticing her son¡¯s increasingly wrinkled chubby face. ¡°Wah, I don¡¯t want to eat grass dumplings every day!¡± Han Youxin burst into loud tears. Chapter 64 - 63 Original Materials Chapter 64: Chapter 63 Original Materials Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng had been waiting for the missionpletion notification ever since he left Han Guishan¡¯s house. Jiang Feng took the subway. Jiang Feng transferred to Line 4- Jiang Feng returned to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Jiang Feng went back to his dormitory. It was the next day. Jiang Feng went to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant again. It was six o¡¯clock in the evening. The game notification Jiang Feng had been waiting for had note. Jiang Feng: ???? Had Han Guishan not eaten? Jiang, filled with doubts, arrived at No. 21, Area A, Tianfu Garden, and rang the doorbell. Han Guishan was waiting for Jiang Feng at home, still looking as enthusiastic as the day before, with no change in attitude and no sign of dissatisfaction. Han watched silently by Jiang¡¯s side as he cooked, just as he had the day before. ¡°Mr. Han, were your employees satisfied with yesterday¡¯s marinated vegetable dumplings?¡± Jiang Feng finally couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Satisfied, of course satisfied. Mr. Jiang, your skills are unquestionably excellent,¡± Han Guishan responded. He had sneakily finished the leftover marinated vegetable dumplings in his office today, afraid of being seen by the other executives, he didn¡¯t even warm them up in the microwave; the vor still lingered in his mouth. Jiang Feng felt there was no need for Han Guishan to lie. There was no reason for him to spend such an exorbitant amount to hire Jiang to make marinated vegetable dumplings and then falsely im satisfaction where there was dissatisfaction. Where exactly was the problem? Jiang truly did not understand. His marinated vegetable dumplings, by all ounts, should have been quite well-made. Why would Han Guishan say they were good when he wasn¡¯t truly satisfied? Jiang Feng kneaded dough while he recalled the details of the mission. Li Hua¡¯s marinated vegetable dumplings were taught to her by her mother, Li Sanya, and he only required to replicate them ording to the recipe. Following the recipe¡­ Jiang Feng¡¯s kneading paused, his disbelief mounting¡­ This Mr. Han, he couldn¡¯t possibly have such strong tastes, could he? If he followed the recipe exactly, it would be low-quality marinated vegetables + coarse-ground cornmeal + rice bran, this deadlybination couldnd a modern person with a refined stomach directly in the hospital! The marinated vegetables in the recipe video werepletely dried out, having lingered on the edge of mold for too long, without a trace of moisture. The cornmeal was so crude it included whole corn cobs ground together,plete withrge chunks ¨C the fighter jet among coarse grains. The rice bran was nothing but crushed husks and hulls boiled together, dubbed rice bran but not containing a single grain of rice. Making marinated vegetable dumplings with these ingredients would indeed be an experience of bittersweet remembrance. A bitterness that prated deep into the soul. Jiang Feng stopped kneading the dough and went straight to the cab to search for the marinated vegetables. Since he had brought his own marinated vegetables, he hadn¡¯t looked at the ones Han Guishan prepared yesterday. Fortunately, among the dozen or so jars of marinated vegetables, there were two with a poor appearance that had been stored for who knows how long. They were akin to the kind shown in the video tutorial. ¡°Mr. Jiang, is there something wrong?¡± Han Guishan asked, noticing the sudden change in Jiang¡¯s expression. ¡°It¡¯s missing something. Mr. Han, do you have any rice bran at home? The kind that¡¯s ground directly from rice husks and bran without any other additives? Jiang Feng asked. Nowadays, everyone pays attention to health and wellness and eats everything, so you can buy rice bran on the market. However, the rice bran avable there is made from fruit peel, seed coat, outer endosperm, glutenyer, and germ, which is entirely different from the rice bran that people used to eat out of poverty andck of food. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll have my assistant buy some, and it can be delivered tomorrow,¡± Han Guishan said before leaving the kitchen to make a call. It was not even two minutes before Han Guishan came back, his face full of emotion. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to know about this kind of rice bran, Mr. Jiang. That¡¯s what I ate as a kid, as a substitute for rice. My mom made it very fine, it used up a lot of firewood, but it was better than cornmeal, that stuff scratches your throat no matter how you cook it. Rice bran is different, though. Back when I was a child, if I could have a bowl of rice porridge, I could brag about it for months. White rice was something I didn¡¯t even dare to dream of,¡± Han Guishan reminisced with a face full of memories of trying times. Jiang Feng:¡­ You say coarse grains scratch your throat, but your body honestly wants to eat the original, throat-scratching version. Without rice bran, it¡¯s toote to recreate the recipe perfectly, let alone that Jiang Feng had already spent a long time kneading the dough. He abandoned the pickles made by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, used an inferior quality of dry pickles instead, and the taste of the pickle buns was much worse than yesterday¡¯s. Because of the dy, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t leave until almost eight o¡¯clock. Han Guishan asked Housekeeper Wang to call Han Youxin down for dinner. ¡°Hasn¡¯t thedy returned yet?¡± Han Guishan asked. ¡°Thedy said she already ate outside and wille back after soaking in the hot spring,¡± Housekeeper Wang replied. ¡°Soaking in hot springs is not as good for your health as eating coarse grains. She¡¯s messing around all day long,¡± Han Guishan muttered under his breath, careful not to say such things in front of Wang Jing. He then stuffed a pickle bun into Han Youxin¡¯s mouth. After crying and making a fuss yesterday, Han Youxin saw that the breakfast was still pickle buns this morning and resigned himself to the fact that his dad was determined to make him knead dough to lose weight. He epted the pickle bun and bit into it fiercely. Even though he had mentally prepared himself for the worst, tears uncontrobly fell from Han Youxin¡¯s eyes the moment he tasted it: ¡°It¡¯s even worse than yesterday¡¯s, wah!¡± The thought of having to eat this going forward, and that it¡¯d get worse each day, Han Youxin couldn¡¯t hold back and started sobbing loudly. Seeing him cry so genuinely, Han Guishan thought that Jiang Feng had an off day and made the pickle buns exceptionally terrible. He quickly took one and put it in his mouth. One bite. This vor¡­ Han Guishan remembered the pickled vegetables his mom used to make, which were always exceptionally salty and dry because pickles were a luxury back then, and salt was expensive. They had to be hidden away and were only brought out during festivals and special asions as a treat. ¡°You little rascal, stop talking nonsense. It¡¯s not bad at all. It¡¯s clearly better than yesterday¡¯s,¡± Han Guishan scolded. ¡°No cheating. Last time Dr. Chen said you¡¯re over-nourished and need to eat more coarse grains. Eat up, and don¡¯t go sneaking snacks upstairs; I confiscated all the snacks under your bed today.¡± Han Youxin, learning that his secret stash of snacks under the bed had been confiscated, cried even louder. Han Guishan ignored Han Youxin¡¯s sobs and sent a WeChat message to Wang Jing, who was blissfully soaking in the hot springs. ¡°Do you want me to save you a pickle bun for ate-night snack? ¡°No need, it¡¯ll make me fat (smile),¡± Wang Jing replied instantly. ¡°How can coarse grains make you fat? Ah, women,¡± Han Guishan grumbled. On the other side, Wang Jing¡¯s friends, who were soaking in the hot springs with her, teased her: ¡°Your husband Han is rushing you toe home, sending you messages just after eight o¡¯clock. ¡°He¡¯s asking if I want him to save me dinner,¡± Wang Jing said with a feigned smile, then dialed Assistant Chen¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Assistant Chen, I¡¯ve looked it over, and the Europe fourteen-day tour looks great. Let¡¯s go with that one. I can leave tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re going to leave your dear son behind and go y for fourteen days?¡± her friends eximed in surprise. ¡°Han is there. He¡¯s beening home early from worktely, staying in every night. It¡¯s a good time for me to go out and rx,¡± Wang Jing said with a smile.. Chapter 65 - 64: Original Flavor Chapter 65: Chapter 64: Original vor Trantor: 549690339 The next afternoon, Han Guishan sent a WeChat message to Jiang Feng, letting him know that the rice bran he had requested was taken care of. Han Guishan¡¯s assistant had rushed overnight to the nearby rural counties after receiving the phone call the day before and purchased several hundred pounds ofte-ripening rice that matured at the end of November from the local vigers. He supervised the milling himself, ensuring that the ten pounds of bran consisted solely of husks and rice skins, without a single grain mixed in. Jiang Feng really wanted to know how much Han Guishan¡¯s assistant was paid monthly to be so dedicated and disciplined. From the photos sent by Han Guishan, it appeared that the assistant had selected rice bran that perfectly met Jiang Feng¡¯s specifications. Jiang Feng felt that tonight was the moment toplete his side mission. Excited all day, Jiang Feng even arrived at Han Guishan¡¯s house earlier than nned, getting there at half-past six and unexpectedly encountering Han Youxin, who was being lectured by Han Guishan for sneaking snacks. When Han Guishan opened the door for Jiang Feng, Han Youxin was already crying with the chocte bar in his mouth. ¡°Still crying? You say you¡¯re a little man, but you cry more than little girls. How many times have you cried these past few days? I¡¯m confiscating your phone for three days. You have the nerve to ditch your driver and buy snacks at the supermarket on your own; do you realize how dangerous it is for a child to be out there alone? Your mother left for the Nethends today, and no one will be around to see you cry! Go upstairs, write your homework, and spit out what¡¯s in your mouth before you go up!¡± Han Guishan finished letting Jiang Feng in and continued scolding Han Youxin, sending him upstairs to write his homework. Han Youxin¡¯s face was still wet with tears, he snorted loudly while reluctantly spitting out the chocte bar, and before going upstairs, he gave Jiang Feng an angry re. His tearful eyes spelled out, ¡°You¡¯re the root cause of all this.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? When had he ever offended this little chubby kid? He didn¡¯t even call him out for sneaking egg custard in the back kitchen of Morning Wind Primary School; it was Mr. Zhou who educated him! ¡°Mr. Jiang, my son is spoiled by his mother and doesn¡¯t know any better. Come, take a look at this rice bran and see if it meets your standards,¡± Han Guishan warmly ushered Jiang Feng into the kitchen. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know much about rice bran. He grabbed a handful to inspect and,bining his observation with knowledge of its production method, it already seemed very natural. If he were to make it more akin to what Han Guishan used to eat back in the day, he could only consider adding some sand, which would surely send someone directly to the hospital after one meal. It¡¯s really quite good,¡± Jiang Feng sincerelyplimented. After exchanging pleasantries for a bit, Jiang Feng began making pickled vegetable dumplings. Having watched Jiang Feng for several days, Han Guishan was already familiar with the production steps by heart. But today was different; Jiang Feng didn¡¯t start by kneading the dough but began by boiling rice paste. This step was exactly like the one Han Guishan¡¯s mother used to do when making pickled vegetable dumplings! Han Guishan was from Shenzhen. Before 1979, Shenzhen was just a poor little fishing vige. His family had many children and could barely support them all. Han Guishan¡¯s father was an only son, with two older brothers above him and seven younger sisters below. With ten children in the house and only about four able-bodied workers if you counted the children and the elderly, the family hardly got by. Due to frequent childbirths and injury from thest delivery, Han Guishan¡¯s mother passed away when he was fourteen. Since the age of six, Han Guishan never ate rice again. Despite his father¡¯s fishing, the family could not even afford a sip of fish soup. They typically subsisted on watery porridge with wild greens, only managing to eat dried food during the New Year. All their grain was exchanged for coarser grains to keep everyone from starving. A single pair of trousers was passed down from the eldest brother to the youngest sister-the epitome of a household stripped bare to the walls. Constant extreme malnutrition eventually led to his father¡¯s premature death from overwork before he reached fifty, and his two older brothers also passed away in their forties without having enjoyed life much. Now, only he and the youngest three sisters were left. Han Guishan remembered every New Year his mother would take out the treasured rice bran to cook a pot of porridge first. Then, when making pickled vegetable dumplings, she would add some of the bran paste, making the cornmeal less dry and easier on the throat. Back then, the aroma of fish filled other homes during the New Year, while their own home only inhaled that scent as they ate pickled vegetable dumplings, allowing them to have something warm in their stomachs until dawn. Watching Jiang Feng make the dumplings, Han Guishan¡¯s thoughts had already drifted, and it was only when he came back to himself that he was surprised by his own nostalgic memories. It had been a long time since he thought about his childhood. Since his father, brothers, and sisters passed away one after another, Han Guishan had been very reticent to recall his days in Shenzhen. To avoid memories of his family when they were alive, Han Guishan moved to n City, cutting off all ties to Shenzhen and never mentioning it, even when he reunited with his sisters. ¡°Mr. Jiang, you¡­ how did you suddenly think to add rice bran?¡± Han Guishan asked. ¡°I asked my grandfather, and he said when he was young he would add rice paste to the cornmeal to prevent the cornmeal from irritating his throat,¡± Jiang Feng replied haphazardly, knowing he couldn¡¯t say that it was your grandmother who did this, so I do it too. Jiang Feng kneaded the dough into equally sized pieces and ced them into the steamer. Due to the poor quality of the cornmeal, even though Jiang Feng had kneaded the dough until it was very smooth and added quite a bit of rice paste, it still felt very rough to the touch. Not to mention eating it, it was sure to scratch the throat and abrade the tongue. As he waited for the pickled vegetable dumplings to be steamed and ready, Jiang Feng was hesitant about whether or not to serve them. In terms of appearance and texture, these twelve pickled vegetable dumplings could be said to be utterlycking. Han Guishan felt as though he had returned to his childhood, when during the New Year, he and his ten siblings, along with their father, grandmother, and mother, would sit together, eagerly awaiting the twelve pickled vegetable dumplings in the pot. Grandma would always share half of her pickled vegetable dumpling with the three boys. At that time, the ninth and tenth sisters were young and could be satisfied with half a dumpling each. Everyone would devour their food, bitingrge mouthfuls, which was the happiest time of the year. Now, it was the same twelve pickled vegetable dumplings. Han Guishan¡¯s eyes turned red. Han Guishan took out his mobile phone and called his younger sister. ¡°Hello, Brother, what¡¯s up calling me at this hour?¡± Han Guishan¡¯s younger sister was considered lucky among the siblings; she had only spent ten poor years in Shenzhen before she went to school and now was a secondary school art teacher. ¡°For the New Year, why don¡¯t we call our ninth and eighth sisters and go back to Shenzhen to see mom and dad, grandpa and grandma, as well as our eldest brother, second brother, and our fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sisters? It¡¯s been so many years, and I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s be of the old family house,¡± Han Guishan said. ¡°Brother¡­ you¡­ okay, it¡¯s been so many years since you went to see them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Dmg, you havepleted the side quest ¡®Precious Memories¡¯ and received the quest reward A Segment of Han Guishan¡¯s Memory¡¯.¡± Jiang Feng did not react. Because Han Guishan cried. A sessful businessman, worth over a billion, over fifty years old, squatted on the ground after hanging up, burying his head in his arms, and wept loudly. Jiang Feng was somewhat stunned. Han Youxin had been upstairs, heard themotion and ran down, only to see his own father crying more bitterly than he had in the past two daysbined; he instantly red angrily at Jiang Feng and yelled, ¡°What have you done to mv dad?¡± Then Han Youxm saw the pickled vegetable dumplings on the table. Having eaten pickled vegetable dumplings for two days, he needed only one look to tell that those on the table were even worse than the ones from the previous two daysbined. Han Youxin felt he had discovered the truth. ¡°It must be because the grass dumplings you made were too horrible, it made my dad cry from how bad they were!¡± said Han Youxin, the chubby boy, with absolute certainty. ¡°You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting now!¡± Han Guishan wasn¡¯t hard of hearing, just too heartbroken, and he choked back sobs as he scolded Han Youxin, ¡°Mr. Jiang, don¡¯t mind it. I just lost myposure for a moment, sorry, let¡¯s not keep this up.¡± ¡°No, not at all,¡± Jiang Feng replied repeatedly, leaving the Han Family in a nearly floating state.. Chapter 66 - 65 The Golden Age (Part 1) [Seeking Recommendations!!] Chapter 66: Chapter 65 The Golden Age (Part 1) [Seeking Rmendations!!] Trantor: 549690339 ! Jiang Feng hesitated for three days. He didn¡¯t quite dare to open Han Guishan¡¯s memories. During these three days, he still went to Han Guishan¡¯s house every day to make pickled vegetable dumplings, and Han Guishan did not lose hisposure again, remaining the usually smiling Good Taste boss, but the painful expression on his face that day was deeply imprinted in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. What sort of tragic recollection could make a middle-aged man who had been through thick and thin cry out loud so uncontrobly? Jiang Feng considered himself not someone who could handle melodrama. If Han Guishan¡¯s memory involved some sort of departure or death, and Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t exit in the middle of experiencing it, he was afraid his heart couldn¡¯t take it. After making mental preparations for a full three days, Jiang Feng took a deep breath and clicked ¡°yes¡± on the selection option. Jiang Feng fell into a mist of white. It was a train station. Jiang Feng followed closely behind Han Guishan, dodging past people. Just as he was making out his surroundings, he found himself squeezed into the crowd. Although he could pass through objects, he couldn¡¯t pass through people, so it was fortunate Han Guishan was in front of him with a sack in each hand. With Han Guishan paving the way, Jiang Feng managed to struggle out of the crowd. Finally out of the train station, Jiang Feng breathed deeply, inhaling and exhaling the hard-won precious fresh air. The air inside the train station was foul, not to mention the people who had been travelling for days without a chance to freshen up were a source of body odor, the smell of sweaty feet, and somewhat spoiled steamed buns and corn stuffed in their bags. Thebination of these odors reminded Jiang Feng of Li Mingyi¡¯s trash heap and Jiang Weiguo¡¯s journey to Shanghai in the ship¡¯s hold. They were both memories of painful experiences he didn¡¯t wish to recall. The twenty-something younger version of Han Guishan, dragging his two huge sacks of goods, appeared somewhat confused at the entrance of the train station. The sacks basically contained his family¡¯s entire belongings. At the beginning of the year, his dad had died from overwork, never waking up after falling asleep. He left behind ten siblings and an elderly grandmother, his dad departing this world with injuries and illnesses. His youngest sister was only 11 years old, and his grandmother was almost sixty. His eldest brother had wiped out the family¡¯s savings to marry his sister-inw, and the second brother was 27 years old and still a bachelor. Shenzhen had developed rapidly in recent years, and people from other ces were desperate to get in, with newspapers reporting daily that there was gold everywhere in Shenzhen. However, Han Guishan hadn¡¯t felt it at all. Six years ago, the production brigade had set up a fishing hook factory with a registered capital of 74 yuan, which was collected from each household in the brigade. Three years ago, a load of rice cost 29 yuan, now 29 yuan could only buy you a load of cornmeal. Their family no longer had to worry about starving to death, no longer had to drink thin porridge every day until they were panicked with hunger, yet they were still poor. His mother was bartered for with two fish during the three years of natural disasters, and now twenty fish wouldn¡¯t be enough to exchange for a wife. Otherwise, he and his second brother would have married long ago. He took all the cash from his family and went around different factories buying up some substandard and defective products-two whole sacks of them-tin frogs, toothbrushes, Sea Soul Shirts, teacups, all sorts of odds and ends. Now, there were only two hundred pounds of cornmeal left at home. If he couldn¡¯t sell these things, repay the money, and bring it back home, his younger sisters might starve to death. Han Guishan gripped the two sacks tightly, his palms sweating from nervousness, but he had no idea where to go. Others went to Shenzhen to pan for gold; he hade to the hintend to do the same. After buying his train ticket, he was left with only twenty-nine cents, not even enough for the ticket home. It was a desperate gamble, blindly buying a ticket to Shu, and now having left the train station, Han Guishan was at aplete loss as to where to go. Jiang Feng had no idea that Han Guishan, standing there nkly in ce, had so many thoughts running through his head. Since Han Guishan was stationary, Jiang Feng just wandered around aimlessly. There were plenty of street vendors at the entrance of the train station, mostly selling tea eggs and boiled corn, some selling drinks, and there was even a newspaper stand. Jiang Feng nced at the date on the newspaper. July 6,1987- ¡°The winds of Reform and Opening have blown over thend¡­¡± The words of Uncle Benshan suddenly came into Jiang Feng¡¯s head. Ah, it was all because he had watched too many spoof videos ordinarily. No wonder Han Guishan was at a train station; he must havee from Shenzhen to the maind to sell goods. Han Guishan observed for a while at the train station entrance and, seeing no one else hauling big bags of goods to sell like he was, decided to use the most straightforward method: acting like a peddler and going from door to door to sell his wares. The result was pretty clear. After a whole day, Han Guishan¡¯s mouth was dry from talking, his shoes were nearly worn through, and he hadn¡¯t sold a thing. To speak frankly, with Han Guishan¡¯s dry selling technique, outright stating his goods were defective and factory rejects, it would¡¯ve been a miracle if he had managed to sell anything. Moreover, this was a provincial capital; Jiang Feng saw from people¡¯s eyes that they had little interest in Han Guishan¡¯s goods. Everyone wanted fashionable items like radios and watches, and Han Guishan¡¯s sack was full of everyday items that provincial capital residents naturally did not covet. Han Guishan sat at the side of the street gasping for breath, seemingly lost in thought. He looked as if he was contemting life. ¡°Hey, hey, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± While Han Guishan was lost in thought, a female employee from a state-owned restaurant across from him stood at the door, calling out to him with a smile. That female employee was Wang Jing, who was also Han Guishan¡¯s future wife. Regrettably, Jiang Feng neither knew nor recognized her. ¡°Where are you from?¡± Wang Jing asked. Now that small privately-owned eateries were popping up everywhere, business for state-owned restaurants wasn¡¯t what it used to be; with no customers, Wang Jing was happily idling, so much so that she even ran out to chat with Han Guishan. ¡°I¡¯m from Shenzhen,¡± Han Guishan answered honestly. ¡°From Shenzhen?¡± Wang Jing clearly didn¡¯t believe him; Han Guishan looked like a country bumpkin on his first trip to the city, nothing like someone from the enviable Shenzhen. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s just say you are from Shenzhen. Were you just selling goods? Wang Jing asked. Han Guishan nodded. ¡°Who sells goods like you do, telling people that what you¡¯re selling is defective and factory-rejected? How could you possibly sell anything that way?¡± Wang Jingughed. Maybe because she found it worrying, or perhaps because she thought Han Guishan was interesting, she asked a few more questions out of curiosity. ¡°What are you selling? Radios?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡­¡± Han Guishan, who usually didn¡¯t interact much with others and only knew people from the production brigade, waspletely caught off guard by Wang Jing¡¯s casual familiarity. ¡°I¡¯m not selling radios. I sell toothbrushes, Sea Soul Shirts, towels, cups.¡± ¡°And iron tin frogs.¡± ¡°How do you sell these things, anyway? The streets are full of Sea Soul Shirts, and people from Shenzhen are selling radios, televisions, tapes, and celebrity portraits. The stuff you¡¯re selling is avable in department stores, and they¡¯re even defective goods-who¡¯s going to buy from you?¡± Wang Jing said. Han Guishan felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. ¡°Right, what did you just mention about iron tin frogs?¡± Wang Jing asked. ¡°It¡¯s, uh, for kids; you wind it up and it jumps. Let me show you.¡± Han Guishan rummaged through the very bottom of his sack and pulled out an iron tin frog. Struggling to rify, he simply demonstrated it for Wang Jing. The iron tin frog was a novelty; Wang Jing wasn¡¯t married but she had a nephew, and she was well-off from her job at the state-owned restaurant: ¡°This thing is great, how much is it?¡± Han Guishan stalled again. Frankly speaking, he was suffering from a bit of social anxiety. He had rushed to Shu on a whim, without giving the rest much thought. After spending the whole day without selling anything, he hadn¡¯t even settled on a price. He didn¡¯t know how to set the price, either. -One yuan and forty cents!¡± Han Guishan cautiously nced at Wang Jing. He had bought them for one yuan and twenty cents each, a total of twenty, figuring that earning twenty cents per frog meant a profit of four yuan on all; Han Guishan thought this was already a huge markup. He was afraid that Wang Jing would find it too expensive. ¡°Or, how about one yuan and thirty-five cents?¡± Han Guishan tentatively asked. Wang Jing burst outughing. ¡°At this rate, you¡¯re going to go broke! You could sell these toys for three yuan each out there, and here you are offering them for one yuan and thirty-five cents,¡± Wang Jing said, ¡°the one yuan and thirty-five cent price was your doing, not mine. Don¡¯t go back on your word after it¡¯s sold.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, no going back,¡± Han Guishan was taken aback by Wang Jing¡¯s suggested price of three yuan each; with that price, twenty frogs would him thirty-six yuan¡ªenough for the bus fare. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t take advantage of you. I¡¯ll buy the iron tin frog for one yuan and thirty-five cents. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight. Master Jiang is in charge of the kitchen¡ªyou¡¯re in for a treat. We¡¯ll have Mapo Tofu and meat buns, which should cost over three yuan in total, so you¡¯ve made a profit!¡± Wang Jing said as she pulled Han Guishan towards the door. Han Guishan was baffled by Wang Jing¡¯s words and followed her dumbfounded, dragging his sack behind him. ¡°Master Jiang, one Mapo Tofu and two meat buns!¡± Wang Jing shouted inside, then turned to exin to Han Guishan, ¡°Master Jiang makes these meat buns big and tasty; don¡¯t you think I¡¯m stingy, they sell for fifty cents each!¡± Han Guishan sat down somewhat awkwardly and asked, ¡°The iron tin frogs, selling for three yuan each, is that true?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Why would I lie to you? You should sell them outside thepound¡ªthese novel toys might even fetch five yuan each.¡± Five yuan! Han Guishan felt like he was about to lose the ability to breathe. He couldn¡¯t even begin to calcte how much he¡¯d earn if he sold each for five yuan. He only had twenty iron tin frogs, but if he had forty, sixty, a hundred, or even two hundred of them, then the money for his older brother¡¯s wedding would be assured, and he might even have enough for his own marriage. If Jiang Feng could see what Han Guishan was thinking at that moment, he would probably dieughing-a future billionaire tycoon in his thirties, whose dream in his twenties was to save enough money to get married and to help his older brother do the same. What a fantasy-filled plotline. ¡°Are you really from Shenzhen?¡± Wang Jing asked again. Han Guishan nodded affirmatively. Wang Jing felt somewhat disillusioned with Shenzhen but persisted, ¡°Is it true that everyone there lives in high-rises, owns TV sets, radios, and the streets are filled with cars?¡± Han Guishan thought for a moment, ¡°There are cars in the streets, but not everyone can live in a high-rise. My family has a radio but no TV set; it was bought by my older brother for his wedding.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Wang Jing said with disappointment, looking at his two big sacks of goods, ¡°What do you n to do with these two big sacks? ¡°I¡¯ll ask door to door; someone is bound to buy them,¡± Han Guishan could only resort to the most primitive method. Wang Jing:¡­ ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s help you all the way through. This is the capital, so your stuff is not precious here, but in the counties, towns, and viges below, these are rare items. Our region is mountainous; there are many county-level towns that buses don¡¯t visit, only essible by foot. If you¡¯re not afraid of getting tired, you can take a bus to County Yalom, then walk to the surrounding rural areas. You¡¯ll definitely be able to sell your goods,¡± Wang Jing advised Han Guishan. Han Guishan nodded thoughtfully. As they were talking, Master Jiang finished preparing the Mapo Tofu. Wang Jing, in a rare act of service, brought the Mapo Tofu and buns up to Han Guishan, along with a bowl of white rice. Having gone hungry all day, Han Guishan wolfed down his food, inhaling what was on the table so fast it was as if the wind had swept the remnants away¡ªprobably without even tasting it. After eating, Han Guishan handed the iron tin frog to Wang Jing, carefully tucked the money into his inner jacket, picked up his belongings, and asked, ¡°How do I get to County Yalom?¡± ¡°There are no buses now, it¡¯s toote. The first one is at seven in the morning,¡± Wang Jing said. ¡°You should find a hostel and rest for the night. ¡°I won¡¯t take the bus; I¡¯ll walk,¡± Han Guishan dered. His brothers and sisters were still at home eating bran and swallowing vegetables, whereas he had just enjoyed white rice and meat buns¡ªhow could he take the bus now? ¡°It¡¯s a full sixty li from here to County Yalom; a bus ticket only costs two yuan.¡± Han Guishan didn¡¯t even have two yuan. Left with no choice, Wang Jing sketched a simple map on the table with water. Han Guishan memorized it after one nce and left the state-owned restaurant. Almost at the same moment Han Guishan left, Master Jiang came out with the food, teasing Wang Jing, ¡°What¡¯s this? Have you taken a fancy to this young man?¡± Jiang Feng turned around, and upon recognizing Master Jiang¡¯s face, he was thunderstruck. That can¡¯t be possible! Chapter 67 - 66 The Golden Age (Part 2) Chapter 67: Chapter 66 The Golden Age (Part 2) Trantor: 549690339 It was a face that resembled the old man¡¯s in his middle age. Jiang Weiguo had six older brothers, so it was self-evident who the Chef Jiang of the state-run restaurant was. Jiang Feng stood there, dumbstruck, as if his feet were rooted to the ground, staring fixedly at Master Jiang, while a storm of shock and disbelief raged in his heart. This appearance, and also surnamed Jiang¡ªit couldn¡¯t be wrong! The old man still had rtives in this world! And he was a chef at a state-run restaurant in the provincial city of Shu in 1987! Master Jiang was holding a te of braised pork, smiling cheerfully, slightly chubby, but much thinner than the old man in middle age. Jiang Feng wanted to take a longer look, but an invisible wall bumped into him, urging him to catch up with Han Guishan. Reluctantly, Jiang Feng memorized the signboard of the state-run restaurant and staggered forward to catch up with Han Guishan. In his youth, Han Guishan was a man who stubbornly stuck to his principles, saying if he would go to County Yalom, he would reach County Yalom. Wang Jing said it was a sixty-li journey, mostly through the mountains, with rough and shoe-wearing paths that were difficult to navigate, not to mention Han Guishan was carrying tworge sacks of goods, which made the journey even tougher. in his memory, Jiang Feng never felt tired, hungry, or thirsty. Aside from the difficult roads posing some obstacle, he felt no sense of the length of the journey. But it was different for Han Guishan. He was truly walking the path, wearing new cloth shoes knitted by his fifth sister. Halfway through, worried the mountain paths would ruin his shoes, he simply took them off. After walking the entire night, as dawn was just breaking, Han Guishan finally arrived at the county town. Compared to the provincial city, County Yalom looked much more decrepit. Han Guishan¡¯s feet, which were already thick with calluses, were still cut and bleeding from the rocks and wild grass along the way. He seemed not to feel it at all, casually brushing the mud off his feet and putting his shoes back on. It was still very early, so Han Guishan sat by the street waiting for the shops to open. He nervously opened and closed the mouths of the sacks over and over again, checking the goods inside. After waiting for who knows how long, people began toe out, and shops started opening. Jiang Feng thought Han Guishan would go door to door at each shop asking around as he did in the provincial city, but instead, he stopped an old granny in ragged clothes. ¡°Granny, may I ask if your family has any wild vegetable buns for sale, could I buy a few?¡± Han Guishan stopped the old granny and asked. The granny was initially stunned, then looked at Han Guishan up and down repeatedly with a wary demeanor. Han Guishan¡¯s attire wasn¡¯t impressive in Shenzhen, but it was considered fashionable in County Yalom. Though he was dusty and disheveled, with two dirty sacks, he looked trustworthy enough to the granny. ¡°We only have cornmeal at home. We don¡¯t have the fine grain of white flour, one for ten cents.¡± The granny quoted an exorbitant price. ¡°That¡¯s fine, that¡¯s fine, I only want cornmeal, I¡¯ll take five.¡± Han Guishan had no money to buy dry food at a restaurant. -My son is at home, so don¡¯t you try anything. Just wait here,¡± the granny warned him. The granny hurried backhome, and before long, she came back carrying a coarsely wrapped package, inside were five small cornmeal wild vegetable buns. After taking the money, the granny quickly took back the cloth and ran off, as if fearful that Han Guishan would change his mind. Han Guishan ate two buns on the spot, nearly choking. He then took out a towel and wrapped the remaining three buns, dragging his sacks deeper into the township. Han Guishan asked many people which nearby vige was the farthest and most remote. He begged a bowl of water from one household and even sold an iron frog at another for three yuan. After inquiring from over a dozen people, Han Guishan chose a vige and set off again. This journey took over two days, even more challenging than the night travels before, as it was almost entirely through mountains and narrow paths, initially, there were some muddy roads, butter on, they all turned into trails trampled by human feet. Along the way, whenever he encountered a river, he would stop to drink some water, eat a corn bun when it got dark, and apart from the deep night when he was too exhausted to proceed and would lean against a tree to sleep a few hours, he hardly rested and kept walking. Jiang Feng began to wonder whether Han Guishan was following the map he had obtained from asking for directions or just going by intuition, as the way seemed to have no trace of human life. He even started to fear that Han Guishan would get lost in the wilderness of the mountains and forests. At that time in Shu, there were still quite a few untamed mountains. And so, Han Guishan walked for another two days. Because he only slept deep into the night, and since they were on the mountain, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t dare to walk too far. Han Guishan slept leaning against a tree, and Jiang Feng just sat beside him, lost in his thoughts. He could hardly guess what Han Guishan was thinking. It was all because of something Wang Jing had said that he had traveled over mountains and through rivers, determined to reach the most remote vige that even peddlers were unwilling to visit. Now Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want to think about anything else; he just hoped that these memories wouldst until Han Guishan returned to the provincial capital, wishing that Han Guishan would visit that state-owned restaurant again so that he could properly identify its location to help him in his search for rtives. On the morning of the third day, after Han Guishan awoke and ate thest dumpling, he continued on his way, carrying the sack. He was silent the entire journey, not speaking or even mumbling to himself, like a silent wooden figure, just knowing to keep moving forward ceaselessly. In the half-afternoon, Jiang Feng finally saw the vige. Such a vige nestled deep in the mountains, inessible even to bicycles, let alone motor vehicles, relied entirely on feet for ess, and outsiders almost never came. At the entrance to the vige, a child was ying with mud. Seeing this, Han Guishan dragged his sack over and asked cheerfully, ¡°Little friend, I am a peddler. May I ask if this is the Production Brigade Anhe?¡± The mud-ying child, hearing the words ¡®peddler¡¯, sprang up and darted back to the vige without answering, shouting as he ran, ¡°The peddler¡¯s here, the peddler¡¯s here!¡± Han Guishan was bewildered by his reaction. After a while, the vige entrance was crowded with people, who surrounded Han Guishan the way they might stare at a panda. No, this is Shu, where a peddler like Han Guishan might be even rarer than a panda. -Where¡¯s the peddler? I am the brigade leader here.¡± The brigade leader, in his fifties but looking older than his actual age, shouted, and the vigers finally made way for him. ¡°Hello, I am the peddler, ah, no, my surname is Han, and I am here to sell goods,¡± Han Guishan hurriedly said when he saw the leader of the production brigade approaching, ¡°May I ask if this is the Production Brigade Anhe?¡± When Han Guishan spoke, the previously quiet crowd exploded like a bomb had been dropped into a pond, immediately in an uproar. ¡°It really is a peddler, how many years has it been since one visited our vige?¡± ¡°What does this peddler sell? Does he have soap? ¡°Mom, I want some candy.¡± ¡°Mr. Anhe¡¯s brigade is even more remote than our vige, what¡¯s he doing going there?¡± ¡°You say¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± The brigade leader coughed loudly, and everyone fell silent. It seemed he had considerable authority among the vigers. ¡°Peddler Han, the Production Brigade Anhe is another ten-odd miles west of here. This is the Barley Production Brigade. Are you here to visit rtives? ¡°No, I¡¯m here to sell goods,¡± Han Guishan said. The crowd stirred again. ¡°Why go to Mr. Anhe¡¯s brigade? It¡¯s so much better to sell here! ¡°Exactly, Mr. Anhe¡¯s brigade is so poor, they can¡¯t afford to buy anything. What is this peddler thinking?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The brigade leader signaled for silence and said to Han Guishan with a smile, ¡°Peddler Han, you may not be familiar with our situation. Mr. Anhe¡¯s brigade had a poor harvestst year, and you might not be able to sell your goods there. What do you think about our brigade?¡± A sharp glint shed in the brigade leader¡¯s eyes. In recent years, the weather had been good, and none of the production brigades had experienced a bad harvest. But in this poor and remote area, with mountainous terrain and some evil spirit seeming to loom over it, there was no supply and marketing cooperative, and it took a whole day and night¡¯s journey to reach the nearest one. Now that an out-of-town peddler had finally arrived, how could he simply let him go on to the Production Brigade Anhe. Standing to the side, Jiang Feng watched as the brigade leader and Han Guishan skirted the real issue in their conversation, both dodging and weaving through the crowd¡¯s scrutiny, and he couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. Han Guishan had trekked through the mountains for two days, and it seemed his mind had be clear, for now, he¡¯d learned to bide his time and hold out for a better deal.. Chapter 68 - 67 Golden Age (3) Chapter 68: Chapter 67 Golden Age (3) Trantor: 549690339 The squad leader warmly invited Han Guishan to stay for dinner and spend the night, and Han Guishan readily epted, with neither of them mentioning the goods in the sack. The vigers who had gathered around saw that the peddler had been invited to stay by the squad leader, so they all dispersed. Those who needed to work in the fields went off to do so, those who had housework returned home, and the children ying in the mud continued their y, while Han Guishan was pulled away by the squad leader for a drink at his home. To call it a drink was something of an understatement¡ªone small cup each, which seemed barely a sip to finish, and on the table was a te of peanuts which you could count on one hand. The squad leader asked his daughter-inw and granddaughter-inw to cook some good dishes in the kitchen, while he took Han Guishan inside for a chat. ¡°Where are you from, Han the peddler?¡± the squad leader asked as he nibbled on a peanut, squinting his eyes blissfully. ¡°I¡¯m from Shenzhen,¡± replied Han Guishan. The squad leader was taken aback, sitting up straight: ¡°Toe to our humble ce from Shenzhen is not easy, not easy at all. Han the peddler, what exactly are you carrying?¡± ¡°Just some trinkets, nothing of real value,¡± said Han Guishan. ¡°Squad leader, I didn¡¯t seem to notice a supply and marketing cooperative in the vige. I came from the provincial city, and there are department stores in the provincial city, and there¡¯s a supply and marketing cooperative in County Yalom, but here¡­¡± ¡°Youe from a big city like Shenzhen; you wouldn¡¯t have been to a backwater like ours. Here we have nothing but mountain paths, difficult even for people to walk on, let alone vehicles. We carry out the yearly grain tax on our backs, and our fields are all terraced¡ªah, exining this to you wouldn¡¯t make it any clearer. The seven or eight neighboring viges don¡¯t have a supply and marketing cooperative. The nearest one is a day¡¯s walk away, and we only send a few youths at several times in the year to buy everything we need all at once. And those cooperatives are often out of stock, ah¡­¡± The squad leader¡¯s expression grew more troubled as he spoke about the roads. ¡°Here in the deep mountains, we won¡¯t starve, but we don¡¯t have money either. Apart from the lean years, girls from other ces are unwilling to marry into our vige, so we just marry among the nearby viges. And my youngest son, ah¡­¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, Han the peddler, how did you get here, from Xason County?¡± ¡°I came here by way of County Yalom,¡± Han Guishan said. ¡°County Yalom? My word, Han the peddler, you must have traveled for two or three days. You¡¯ve really had a tough journey. If you were to go to Mr. Anhe, you¡¯d have to walk for another half day, and that road is even harder to travel. Instead, look¡­ Han the peddler, what are these goods of yours exactly?¡± The squad leader was trying to get to the point. The conversation having reached this stage, Han Guishan didn¡¯t hold back any longer. He opened the sack and showed the squad leader the contents. The sight made the squad leader¡¯s eyes pop; feeling his hands were too dirty, he only dared to sigh repeatedly, ¡°Oh my, this towel is so soft, and this toothbrush from Shenzhen, it mustst at least a decade, this bristle looks very soft. Oh my, this clothing, this is that, what was it¡­¡± ¡°Sea Soul Shirt,¡± said Han Guishan. ¡°Right right right, Sea Soul Shirt! It¡¯s what people from the big cities wear!¡± The squad leader was amazed, ¡°These cups, oh my, and these pants, these pants are¡­¡± ¡°Bell-bottoms.¡± ¡°They must be popr in the big cities, right?¡± The squad leader couldn¡¯t let go of Han Guishan¡¯s merchandise. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re the kind worn by movie stars from Hong Kong City,¡± Han Guishan said, tantly lying. Bell-bottoms had been in fashion a few years back, but were now verymon; even people in provincial cities didn¡¯t fancy them as much anymore, let alone in Shenzhen. Having seen the merchandise, the squad leader was now even more determined not to let Han Guishan leave. The goods Han Guishan carried couldn¡¯t be found at the supply and marketing cooperative, the only items avable being toothbrushes and cups. Han Guishan¡¯s toothbrush bristles were softer than the ones at the cooperative, and his cups were more stylish and appealing than the enamel ones sold there. The enamel cups sold at the cooperative were quite expensive, owned only by households like the squad leader¡¯s and the ountant¡¯s in the vige; vigers would look on enviously when they were used to drink water. The more the squad leaderpared his items with those from the cooperative, the more he liked Han Guishan¡¯s goods, and the more afraid he was to ask for the prices. Could he afford such fine items? The squad leader hesitated. ¡°Um, Han the peddler, this toothbrush, how much for the toothbrush?¡± The squad leader dared not ask about the obviously expensive clothing or cups, but tentatively pointed towards the toothbrush. The squad leader thought, if it was the same price as the cooperative, he would buy one for his youngest son and one for his wife too, because the bristles of the toothbrushes at the cooperative were too hard and often made their mouths bleed from brushing. ¡°Ten cents,¡± said Han Guishan. He had bought the toothbrushes in Shenzhen for less than five cents apiece. The price of toothbrushes was seven cents in the provincial city and eight cents in County Yalom. Han Guishan bet that the cooperative near the remote barley-producing squad would sell them for even more than County Yalom. The squad leader was tempted. Toothbrushes at the cooperative cost twelve cents each. ¡°I¡¯ll take 2¡­ no, I¡¯ll take 12!¡± The squad leader gritted his teeth and decided to buy one for every family member, including his two-year-old grandson. ¡°Towels are four yuan and sixty cents, Sea Soul Shirts cost neen yuan, bell-bottoms are twenty-three yuan, enamel cups are four yuan and seventy cents, tin frogs are three yuan and thirty cents,¡± Han Guishan began to list the prices, based on those at the cooperative in County Yalom. The squad leader felt like he was about to lose his breath; he wanted every item, even the tin frog, which he hadn¡¯t even heard of and didn¡¯t know what it was¡ªhe just wanted it. He didn¡¯t care why a frog would cost three yuan and thirty cents; if it was from Shenzhen, maybe that¡¯s just the asking price! The squad leader felt he needed to discuss it with his wife, as she was always the one in charge of their finances. ¡°Um, Han the peddler, keep eating the peanuts, have the peanuts, I need to step out for a moment,¡± the squad leader chose to make his escape. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t believe that he was really going to thetrine and followed behind him. The team leader closed the door and ran to the kitchen. The team leader¡¯s wife was directing two daughters-inw to wash vegetables and make a fire, with a rare aroma of meating from the pot. Seeing the team leadering, she asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you in the house keeping the peddlerpany? It¡¯s not mealtime yet, right, what does the peddler sell? Brown sugar? Cloth? Does he have scissors?¡± The two daughters-inw pricked up their ears to listen secretly. ¡°What brown sugar and cloth, aren¡¯t those things all avable at the supply and marketing cooperative? You want San to walk a bit further and he could buy them, right? That peddler Han is from Shenzhen, I saw, it¡¯s all good stuff, fashionable in the big cities, like clothes, trousers, even toothbrushes and towels, oh so soft, and enamel mugs, two whole dors cheaper than the cooperative and prettier too!¡± said the team leader in a rush, ¡°Those bell-bottom trousers, fashionable in the big cities! Isn¡¯t San going to high school in the county? Didn¡¯t we say we¡¯d buy him a pair of leather shoes at first? The cooperative¡¯s shoes cost 35, bell-bottom trousers only 23, doesn¡¯t that look a lot fancier than leather shoes. And our youngest, she¡¯s going to talk marriage next year, buy her a Sea Soul Shirt so her inws wouldn¡¯t dare to bully her.¡± ¡°Get an enamel mug for San and Guishan too, and towels, toothbrushes, buy them for the daughters-inw as well,¡± the team leader¡¯s wife said calmly as she nced at the two daughters-inw. ¡°Buy¡­ alright, just like that, he also has some kind of frogs, I¡¯ll go ask what kind of frogs those are. Eh, what¡¯s in this pot?¡± The team leader had originally intended to say that one towel per son¡¯s family would be enough, but he changed his mind as soon as he saw the daughters-inw. ¡°Smoked meat, Guishan¡¯s wife, go kill a chicken! Make sure to take good care of the peddler so hees back next year, preferably with some candles; kerosenemps are too irritating for the eyes. If he could bring a sewing machine, that would be even better.¡± ¡°Sewing machine? The roads here are so bumpy they could shatter iron, how could there be a sewing machine. Don¡¯t worry, once San makes something of himself, we can move to the market town, maybe even to the county, then we¡¯ll be able to buy whatever we want,¡± the team leader consoled. ¡°Dad,¡± the silent eldest daughter-inw spoke up, ¡°could you talk to the peddler and ask him to bring some floral fabric next time hees?¡± ¡°Right, right, right, and a thermos bottle. When I went back to my mom¡¯s house, my sister-inw said that a thermos bottle is very useful,¡± Guishan¡¯s wife chimed in. ¡°Guishan¡¯s wife, go and kill a chicken, and with that thermos bottle, is cold water going to kill you or what, so picky. You, you go keep the peddlerpany. It¡¯s been over a decade since a peddlerst came to our vige, and if hees every year, we won¡¯t need to take a special trip to the town or the county for days on end to buy stuff,¡± the team leader¡¯s wifemanded. With her orders, the team leader returned to the room to continue ying Tai Chi with Han Guishan. As soon as he entered the room, the team leader said with a smile, ¡°Peddler Han, my daughter is going to talk marriage next year, and I¡¯m thinking of buying her a fancy piece of clothing. This Sea Soul Shirt of yours, do you think you could¡­¡± ¡°Team leader, I¡¯m already selling it really cheap, maybe they don¡¯t even have it for sale in the county. This journey of mine¡­¡± ¡°I know, but you see, we are poor here, these 19 dors could buy quite a bit of fabric, you see, could you maybe, this¡­¡± The two started to share their sorrows, engaging in a Tai Chi of bargaining. One trying to haggle, the other firmly refusing to budge. Jiang Feng watched, dumbfounded. Does traveling mountain roads also enlighten the mind? A few days ago in the provincial city, Han Guishan was saying ¡°Ma¡¯am, these are defective goods I got directly from the factory,¡± but now he really did look a bit like an itinerant peddler going from street to street. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help admiring, a boss is a boss; this inhuman learning ability truly isn¡¯t something ordinary people can match. The two continued their tragic tales, interspersed with chit-chat, until dinner time. Finally, Han Guishan relented and agreed to sell the Sea Soul Shirt to the team leader for 18 dors and 20 cents, and would also give him two toothbrushes, but only to the team leader, not to anyone else. The team leader happily invited Han Guishan to dinner. He would never know that these outdated Sea Soul Shirts were bought by Han Guishan for 10 dors and 30 cents. The dinner was quite sumptuous, with white rice, clear stewed hen, potatoes cooked with smoked meat, stir-fried wild vegetables, and taro stewed with sweet potatoes. The performance of the team leader¡¯s two grandsons and granddaughter showed that this was indeed a rare feast. ¡°Peddler Han, what¡¯s Shenzhen like?¡± As soon as the team leader¡¯s eldest son asked, everyone at the table looked at Han Guishan in unison, and the team leader¡¯s six-year-old granddaughter even stopped sneaking bites of smoked meat, pulling her hands back. Han Guishan began to describe Shenzhen to everyone. Differently from his previous stories to Wang Jing, Han Guishan now chose only the positive aspects to talk about. Foreign guest hotels, department stores, cars, elevators, televisions, ships, records, CD posters, and the like, leaving this group of people, who had never left the deep mountains of the county,pletely dumbfounded, all aspiring for more. They stopped eating, listening raptly. Before he even finished, someone came knocking. It was one of the spectators at the vige entrance from this morning. ¡°Team leader, is Peddler Han here?¡± A viger, with hands tucked in his pockets, smiled and leaned in to whisper to the team leader, ¡°Do you know what Peddler Han sells?¡± Jiang Feng noticed that Han Guishan nced at the door and smiled.. Chapter 69 - 68 Golden Age (Part 4) Chapter 69: Chapter 68 Golden Age (Part 4) Trantor: 549690339 Han Guishan pretended not to notice everything happening outside and continued to talk about Shenzhen. His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but it was loud enough for the people outside to hear. ¡°What¡¯s Han the peddler talking about?¡± the vigers stretched their necks curiously. ¡®¡öHe¡¯S talking about his experiences in Shenzhen. Han the peddler came from Shenzhen!¡± the brigade leader said. ¡°Shenzhen? Is that the one near Hong Kong City, the really developed and wealthy one?¡± The vigers were shocked and eximed, ¡°Incredible! What does he sell?¡± -All good stuff, enamel cups that look nicer than the ones at the supply and marketing co-op, and they¡¯re two yuan cheaper too! And the Sea Soul Shirts- didn¡¯t the ountant¡¯s daughter from Shangliang Brigade bring one back from the provincial city? The ones Han the peddler has are even nicer looking than hers,¡± boasted the brigade leader, eager to praise Han Guishan¡¯s merchandise because he got a good deal. ¡ö¡öShe spent over thirty yuan on that Sea Soul Shirt. If I spent thirty on clothes, my family would be left with nothing but the northwest wind this year. Can¡¯tpare,¡± said a viger, full of envy. ¡°You don¡¯t need to spend over thirty, just neen. Plus, there are red pants. Hong Kong stars all wear those, only twenty-three yuan. Isn¡¯t your San getting married at the end of the year? Wearing that would definitely look impressive,¡± the brigade leader said. ¡°That¡¯s too expensive, too expensive. My eldest and second son would definitely have something to say about it,¡± the viger protested, though his eyes betrayed his true desire. The two exchanged a bit of information at the doorway, the viger got the intel he wanted, and after hearing the brigade leader¡¯s nonstop praise for Han Guishan, without even seeing the goods, he already believed they were excellent and rushed home to share the news with his family. When the brigade leader returned, Han Guishan¡¯s story was finished, and everyone¡¯s dinner was done too. The brigade leader pped his forehead, regretting that he missed the story about Shenzhen-after all, that¡¯s Shenzhen, a ce not even some in County Yalom had ever visited! -Hey, Han the peddler, stay here tonight. You can sleep in San¡¯s room. My San is studying in town, he¡¯s doing really well, his grades are excellent. His teachers all say he¡¯s sure to get into the high school in County Yalom!¡± the brigade leader called out, leading Han Guishan to the room. Jiang Feng had already looked around the brigade leader¡¯s house, and it was San¡¯s room that was the best. Even if unupied, it was kept spotlessly clean, and the bedsheets and covers were fairly new. There was also a bookshelf and a desk. Exhausted from a full day, Han Guishan wiped down with some water, soaked his feet, and went to bed. Before sleeping, he didn¡¯t forget to check the doors and windows to prevent any thieves from stealing his sack. The next morning, Han Guishan woke up early, but the vigers were up even earlier, neatly gathered at the brigade leader¡¯s house waiting for him to get up, without a singleint. It was just like the supply and marketing co-op: if it wasn¡¯t open, you had to wait, and if they were out of stock, you¡¯d wait for the next time. Everyone was used to it. Jiang Feng¡¯s range of activities was limited. He had familiarized himself with all the essible ces over the course of the night, and now he listened to the vigers chatting outside. Even though some of them had heavy ents and he couldn¡¯t understand their speech, it didn¡¯t prevent him from enjoying the gossip. Last night, after that viger went home, there was a session of unreserved bragging, and then you¡¯d brag and I¡¯d brag, until the whole vige knew what Han Guishan was selling and for how much, and that Han Guishan came from Shenzhen bringing fancy goods from the big city. The daughters-inw of this production team, mostly from neighboring teams, feared Han Guishan might not visit their parental homes, so they set off early in the morning to go back. After Han Guishan got up, the vigers crowded around to buy his goods. Even though they were prepared, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp in awe as heid out his goods one by one. ¡°Wow, so that¡¯s the Sea Soul Shirt! I saw a salesperson at the supply and marketing co-op wearing onest year!¡± ¡°This towel is so soft!¡± ¡ö¡öBrushes from Shenzhen really are different, so soft. They definitely won¡¯t make your mouth bleed.¡± ¡°Wow, this¡­¡± Everyone had already decided the night before what they wanted to buy; getting a good look was sufficient. Most bought toothbrushes, towels, and enamel cups. Even the poorest families clenched their teeth and bought a toothbrush to experience what a Shenzhen toothbrush felt like. Six Sea Soul Shirts and four pairs of red pants were sold, mostly to families with uing weddings. Han Guishan gifted a free toothbrush to everyone who spent over twenty yuan, and vigers who received the free toothbrushes were all smiles. They didn¡¯t mind spending most of their half-year¡¯s earnings, feeling like they got the deal of a lifetime. All the households had bought what they needed, and Han Guishan was ready to head out to the next production brigade. As soon as he hinted at his intention to leave, he was stopped by a man on his way to his wife¡¯s family home, and after a flurry of exnations in the local dialect, Han Guishan finally understood what they were saying. Seeing that Han Guishan stayed put, the vigers breathed a sigh of relief. There were seven or eight production teams of various sizes in the nearby area, all located in the mountains and quite far apart; if Han Guishan missed any of them that just happened to be where their wives¡¯ families were from, family feuds were likely to erupt in the vige. Han Guishan himself had never thought such a strategy would work: he was a peddler who didn¡¯t need to walk the streets, as the buyers woulde to him, traveling dozens of miles over mountain roads. By evening, people from the production teams that were close by started to arrive. In 1987, the vigers in the Shu mountains, when shopping, were in no way inferior to the girls of the 21st century indulging in retail therapy on Taobao; in just four days, as the nearby production teams¡¯ vigers arrived one after another, Han Guishan¡¯s tworge sacks of goods werepletely sold, even the tin frogs were all gone. He even gave away three tin frogs to the three children of the brigade leader¡ªthe children discarded their mud toys and yed with the tin frogs, bing the kings of children. Han Guishan spent another day tallying the things that vigers from each production brigade wanted and also inquired about the location of some even more remote and further production brigades before leaving. When Han Guishan arrived, he was dragging two sacks, looking bedraggled and disheveled; when he left, he pocketed a full bundle of crisp banknotes of various denominations, heading back to the provincial capital. The brigade leader sent his eldest son to show Han Guishan a shortcut to the town, even though it was in the opposite direction of the provincial capital, but after a whole day¡¯s journey, he could reach the nearest town. Then, by catching lifts on fellow vigers¡¯ tractor rides and changing a few buses, he would get to the provincial capital. It might take more time, but it was less taxing overall. Throughout the trip, Jiang Feng was nearly shaken apart by the tractor. After several days, Han Guishan finally made it back to the provincial capital. He went to the bank and exchanged most of the big bills into smaller twenties and fifties, amounting to several thousand. After changing the money, he finally arrived at the state-owned restaurant that Jiang Feng had been longing for. The restaurant was quiet, and Wang Jing still sat idly inside. ¡°You ¡­ you ¡­¡± Han Guishan tried to greet Wang Jing, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he realized he didn¡¯t even know her name. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Wang Jing saw Han Guishan and stood up abruptly with a swish, seeing that his hands were empty, ¡°You weren¡¯t robbed on the way, were you? Or did you lose your goods in some mountain ravine? Are you hungry, do you want me to get you a bun?¡± ¡°I sold everything,¡± said Han Guishan. ¡°What?¡± Wang Jing was stunned. ¡°I sold everything. I went to the production teams in the mountains under County Yalom, just like you said. Sold it all. Thank you,¡± Han Guishan said, bowing deeply at a precise 90 degrees, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really! Whatever you want to eat, it¡¯s my treat!¡± Han Guishan¡¯s face suddenly turned red. ¡°Master Jiang is working today, and his chopped pepper fish head is the best. Today we have a carp that¡¯s over 4 pounds. Are you really treating me? You¡¯d better think carefully, this dish is over thirty yuan!¡± Wang Jing feigned seriousness. ¡°Whatever you want to eat, it¡¯s my treat, even if it¡¯s three hundred yuan,¡± Han Guishan said. ¡°Master Jiang, chopped pepper fish head, use the biggest one!¡± Wang Jing shouted into the back. Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t interested in the two outside who seemed to be flirting; he was focused solely on Master Jiang. Hearing that Master Jiang was in the kitchen, he hurried inside. In the kitchen, Master Jiang was busy grabbing the biggest carp, over 4 pounds and still alive, from the bucket and cing it on the chopping board. Picking up a mallet, he thudded it down, and the fish was knocked unconscious. Master Jiang put down the mallet and picked up a knife. His arms were clearly very strong. With one swift cut, a perfect fish head was severed. This method of killing the fish without scaling it and gutting it right away was definitely that of a Jiang Family member! Chapter 70 - 69 The Golden Age (Part 5) [Seeking Recommendations!! ] Chapter 70: Chapter 69 The Golden Age (Part 5) [Seeking Rmendations!! ] Trantor: 549690339 Master Jiang skillfully split the fish head open from the back, tore off the ck membrane on the surface, washed it clean, and then rubbed both sides of the fish head with salt and cooking wine before letting it marinate on the cutting board. The fish was absolutely wild, a lively and plump headed carp before its death. These pollution-free wild carps were not easy to find. Along the way, Jiang Feng had seen, except for the deep mountains, that the river water near the cities was particrly polluted. While allowing the fish head to slowly marinate, Master Jiang began preparing the supplementary ingredients such as green onions, ginger, and garlic. The garlic used was tender, sliced; old ginger was minced, and green onions were chopped into flowers and segments. The boiling water in the steamer had long been ready, bubbling and steaming. Master Jiang then poured half a bowl of cold water into it, waited for a moment, flipped the fish head over to feel it, and judged that the marination was about right, just as the water in the pot reached a rolling boil. The prepared supplementary ingredients were spread on a te. He ced the fish head in, topped it with the remaining ingredients, covered it with the lid, and steamed it on high heat. Since the fish head was quiterge, Master Jiang deliberately steamed it for a while longer to infuse vors and reduce the fishiness. After a few minutes, he felt that the time was just about right. He lifted the lid, drained the off-vored water in the dish, poured in most of the homemade chopped chili sauce, covered the dish tightly, and from a distance, all that could be seen was a sea of red. He then sprinkled a generous amount of Sichuan peppercorns, characteristic of Shu, topped with sugar and other seasonings, and finally sprinkled a little minced ginger. The fish head, now tightly surrounded by chopped chili, Sichuan peppercorns, and seasoning, was put back into the steamer for a high-heat steaming session. Though the lid was on, the entire back kitchen was still filled with the spicy aroma of the chopped chili. Master Jiang judged the fire control based on the aroma and deemed the time just about right, then heated up a small pot of oil. He took the fish head out of the steamer, pushed aside the chopped chili topping, sprinkled the green onion segments over it, and poured the sizzling hot oil from the top down, starting at the mouth of the fish. ¡°Shua!¡± The scalding hot oil met with the fresh green onion segments, the steam-cooked and seasoned fish head, and the chopped chili, emitting a sizzling series of sounds. The aroma of the fish head mixed with that of the chopped chili instantly burst forth, visually dominating the entire back kitchen, and continued to disperse outward. The dish was ready! While the oil was still sizzling, Master Jiang waited for half a minute and then carried the chopped chili fish head to the serving window. ¡°Jingjing, the dish is ready,¡± Master Jiang called out loudly. Wang Jing sprang up instantly and dashed to the serving window like a hungry wolf to grab the chopped chili fish head, not forgetting to shout back, ¡°Master Jiang, we still need Mapo tofu, spicy diced chicken, and minced pork with eggnt!¡± ¡°You¡¯re hitting that young man up for too much; you might scare him off,¡± Master Jiang said with a chuckle. Wang Jing went back to the kitchen to serve rice. The hot oil on the chopped chili fish head continued to crackle and pop. Han Guishan had never tasted this dish before and, on a whim, took a bite of the chopped chili. In an instant, his tears came out, though it was unclear whether from the spiciness or the heat. ¡°Hey hey hey, why the hurry, man? You¡¯re from Shenzhen but dare to try chopped chili here in Shu; got burned by the spice, didn¡¯t you? Let me tell you, the fish cheek meat prepared by Master Jiang is the most tender. I guess it¡¯s not that spicy. Here, let me give you a piece,¡± Wang Jing insisted, ignoring Han Guishan¡¯s refusal, and put a tender piece of fish cheek in his bowl. Han Guishan obediently ate it. Jiang Feng was instantly enveloped in a white fog. Emerging from Han Guishan¡¯s memory, Jiang Feng turned off the attribute panel first thing and took out his phone to search for the state-owned restaurant in Shu from 1987. No luck. Though Baidu ims to have all the answers, it¡¯s just a im. Jiang Feng decided to make a special trip to the capital city of Shu after a while, ideally after final exams, maybe even managing to find someone before the Spring Festival to surprise Sir. He remembered the location of that state-owned restaurant clearly; though many years had passed and things had changed, it was not just some small shop but a state-operated one. Someone surely must remember it. Jiang Feng believed that as long as he found the right ce, he would definitely locate that Master Jiang. He had his ns allid out and even booked his ticket in advance before Jiang Feng finally put away his phone contentedly and opened the attribute panel. [Chopped Chili Fish Head B-grade] Producer: Jiang Weiming Dish details: An excellently prepared dish in both ingredient selection and culinary skills, the difficult control of fire being the dish¡¯s most outstanding feature. It is one of the 276 chopped chili fish heads made by Jiang Weiming over his lifetime, remarkable only because it became the dish that sealed Han Guishan¡¯s rtionship with his wife, Wang Jing, making it an unforgettable memory from his younger days. Consuming it grants a 24-hour increase in the chances of a sessful confession. Daily production limit (0/5) Friendly reminder: This dish¡¯s grade exceeds the yer¡¯s cooking level; there¡¯s a high chance of failure during production. Jiang Feng: w(¡±o¡ã)w This dish, it¡¯s magical! What is this miraculous attribute that increases confession sess rate within 24 hours? Love is found within a single thread, and here is a red thread vored with chopped chili fish head! Jiang Weiming, from the name alone, it¡¯s assured he is the elder brother of Sir, there¡¯s no doubt about it! In fact, while watching Jiang Weiming prepare the dish in his memory, Jiang Feng felt it would be difficult for him to pull it off; the chopped chili fish head was undeniably aplex dish, rich in ingredients and with strict demands for both fire control and seasoning. With Jiang Feng¡¯s current skill level, it would be hard to match Jiang Weiming¡¯s expertise. However, having finally added a B-grade dish to the cookbook was a good thing. Although he couldn¡¯t make it at the moment, it served as motivation to keep improving. ¡°Jiang Feng, someone¡¯s looking to buy your Teletubbies!¡± Ji Yue¡¯s shout brought Jiang Feng back to reality. What¡¯s B-grade or A-gradepared to the need to save money? Just the high-speed train ticket had cost hundreds, and earning money diligently was the right path. Jiang Feng wiped his hands and went to the storeroom to pick radishes.. Chapter 71 - 70: The Photo Chapter 71: Chapter 70: The Photo Trantor: 549690339 The day before the final examsmenced, Li Mingyi died. When Jiang Feng received the phone call, he was cramming for his political theory exam in the dormitory, his mind filled with materialism and dialectics. Suddenly, the shocking news left his brain in aplete glitch. Li Mingyi had passed away. This was the first time Jiang Feng had to face the death of a rtive head-on. Even though Chen Suhua had already informed him that Li Mingyi didn¡¯t have much time left, death seemed so surreal and distant to Jiang Feng. As if to defy the doctors, Li Mingyi held on for 16 days, although he was given at most half a month to live, and passed away peacefully at ten o¡¯clock in the morning. The funeral home had already been contacted, and the funeral was scheduled for six dayster, with the Jiang Family helping to manage the affairs. The Li Family was already sparse; there were a few rtives, but they had severed ties during a special period and there was no further contact. Professor Li had no children, few rtives, and even fewer close friends. Plus, with the passing in the family, it all seemed even more deste. After the political theory exam, Jiang Feng went to help at Professor Li¡¯s home. The old man, Jiang Jiankang, along with several of Jiang Feng¡¯s uncles, had gone to the funeral home. Jiang Feng¡¯s other cousins were either out of town or busy with work or school, leaving him alone to help Chen Suhua sort through Li Mingyi¡¯s belongings. They were just some clothes and photographs. The staff at the funeral home had asked Chen Suhua to select some photos from Li Mingyi¡¯s life. As Chen Suhua looked through the old photos, the more she looked, the sadder she became, her eyes reddening until she could not stop crying. She had to sort through the clothes instead, leaving Jiang Feng to pick out the photos. The photos were all in a thick photo album, the one that Li Mingyi loved to browse the most. Most of them were his and Jiang Huiqin¡¯s joint photos. After Jiang Huiqin¡¯s death, apart from family portraits, Li Mingyi took no other photos. ¡°Dad was actually quite spirited yesterday; he even had a small bowl of porridge in the morning. Then he got in the mood and asked me to bring out the album to show him. He was sitting on the sofa flipping through the photos, and as he was flipping, I thought he fell asleep. At noon, I wanted to wake him for lunch but didn¡¯t expect¡­1¡® Chen Suhua choked up again as she spoke and cried for a long time before calming down. ¡°Feng, pick more photos of your great-uncle and great-aunt together. It¡¯ll make your great-uncle happy to see them down below,¡± said Chen Suhua. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know how to respond, nor did he know how to feel about this album. He was too unfamiliar with death to really feel its reality, and even though everyone told him Li Mingyi had died and he had seen the cold body at the funeral home, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t believe he was gone. The room was still filled with his presence, and Jiang Feng remembered clearly his life with Jiang Huiqin. Turning the pages of the album at Chen Suhua¡¯s request, he looked only for the photos of Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin together. ¡°How about this one, Aunt?¡± Jiang Feng found a suitable photo and held up the album for Chen Suhua to see. In the ck-and-white picture, a young Li Mingyi and Chen Suhua stood in front of a Western-style building, both wearing smiles that seemed a bit forced, and they both looked exhausted. ¡°No, your great-uncle didn¡¯t like this one,¡± Chen Suhua rejected it after just a nce. ¡°This photo was taken in San Francisco in front of your great-uncle and great-aunt¡¯s new home during the war. Your great-uncle didn¡¯t like that ce, and neither did your great-aunt.¡± No wonder they both appeared unhappy despite it being an asion for joy. Jiang Feng was about to turn to the next page. As he turned the page, his palm covered the photo. ¡°Ding, you have received an item: [A Piece of Li Mingyi¡¯s Memory].¡± The system¡¯s prompt suddenly rang out. Jiang Feng was stunned. Had he just done something? He quickly realized he had touched the photo with his hand. On a whim, Jiang Feng remembered the previous side quest, ¡°The Last Good Medicine,¡± when the game had given him two memories at once. He had thought the game had suddenly be generous. Now, it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. He seemed to remember touching a wedding photo of Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin at that time. To confirm his guess, Jiang Feng felt every photo in the album from beginning to end and finally received another [A Piece of Li Mingyi¡¯s Memory] from a ck-and-white family portrait. Receiving two memories at once was quite a bountiful harvest. Jiang Feng looked through the album again and selected nine photos that Chen Suhua was satisfied with, including the marriage certificate of Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin. Half of the photos in this album were ck-and-white old photos taken during the Republican era, and many even retained their negatives. It was not easy to have preserved them in good condition until now. Chen Suhua meticulously sorted and stored all the old items and clothes Li Mingyi had used, while Jiang Feng helped on the side. After a whole day of work, they finally got everything sorted out. There was another exam for Jiang Feng the next day, so after bidding farewell to Chen Suhua, he returned to school. The memorial service was very simple. It was a small service with few attendees, most of whom were Professor Li¡¯s old friends. Li Mingyi¡¯s old friends from his time in Beiping had either passed away or could not be contacted, and those still alive couldn¡¯t attend due to health reasons, so their younger rtives came on their behalf. Jiang Feng noticed that Professor Li had aged overnight. The only close rtive he had left in this world was Chen Suhua. Sir had wanted to invite Professor Li to spend the New Year with them in Zet City, but Professor Li refused on the grounds that there was a death in the family, so Sir had to drop the idea. As soon as his final exams were over, Jiang Jiankang closed the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, halted business, and booked the earliest ticket home he could find, eager to return as if he were an overseas Chinese who hadn¡¯t visited his homnd in over a decade. It was for this reason that Jiang Feng¡¯s ticket to Shu was discovered. What awaited him was a tribunal. In the evening, Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was closed for the day. Jiang Jiankang, Wang Xiulian, Jiang Weiguo, three formidable figures, sat in front of Jiang Feng, scrutinizing him under the shadowy gaze of three dark silhouettes, invisible and tangible pressure overwhelming him from all sides. ¡°Speak, son. We are just curious and concerned about you. Why didn¡¯t youe home for the holidays and secretly booked a ticket to Shu without telling us?¡± Jiang Jiankang yed the role of the good cop first. ¡°I just¡­ just think Shu is fun and I¡¯ve never been there, so I want to take advantage of the holiday to have some fun,¡± Jiang Feng began to make up nonsense. Ever since Li Mingyi passed away, Jiang Weiguo had been in low spirits. He was hoping to find someone in Shu to give Sir a surprise and make him happy for the New Year; there was no way he could spill the beans now. A surprise isn¡¯t a surprise unless it¡¯s found. ¡°Why can¡¯t you have fun during the summer break? Running off to have fun right before the New Year? And deliberately keeping it a secret from us, tell me the truth, what are you going to do in Shu!¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian was furious without even trying to be. ¡°It¡¯s too hot during the summer break, isn¡¯t it much cooler during the winter break? Mrs. Wang Xiulian, what are you thinking? I¡¯ve just been too busytely and forgot to mention it. There¡¯s still more than ten days until New Year¡¯s, I was just thinking of having fun for a couple of days before it starts,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°That¡¯s right, it really is too hot in Shu during the summer break. It¡¯s better to go there to have fun during the winter break,¡± Jiang Jiankang was immediately convinced by Jiang Feng¡¯s rhetoric. ¡°You believe that nonsense he¡¯s saying? Don¡¯t you know what your own son is like?¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian gave Jiang Jiankang a fierce look, showing her disdain for such an unreliable ally, ¡°Son, it¡¯s not that your parents are forbidding you from going, but you have to tell the truth. Even if you are twenty, in our eyes, you¡¯re still a child. Running off to Shu without a word and not telling us why, isn¡¯t that making us worry?¡± Jiang Feng was shocked; he hadn¡¯t expected Mrs. Wang Xiulian to so cunningly put him between a rock and a hard ce. ¡°I¡¯m really just going to have fun, Mom, you¡¯re really overthinking it,¡± Jiang Feng insisted adamantly. How could Wang Xiulian possibly believe Jiang Feng¡¯s lies? He wouldn¡¯t talk, so she started guessing, ¡°Son, are you in love?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? How did Mrs. Wang Xiuliane to the conclusion that he might have romantic issues from the fact that he was secretly nning to go to Shu? All he did every day was deal with kitchen knives and pots, so what was he in love with, knives or one of those three pots in the kitchen? ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? I¡¯m with you all day in the kitchen, who would I be in a rtionship with?¡± Jiang Feng said, dumbfounded. ¡°Just because you¡¯re under my eyes all day doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t be in a rtionship. High school students still fall in love even though they¡¯re under their teachers¡¯ watch. Tell the truth, are you going to Shu with your girlfriend?¡± ¡°No, wait, you¡¯re going alone, is your girlfriend from Shu?¡± ¡°Is it Qianqian? She¡¯s from Shu! Is it her?¡± Wang Xiulian stated with conviction, as if she had cracked the case. Jiang Feng: ??? Mrs. Wang Xiulian and her otherworldly logic! For a moment, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even know where to begin his rebuttal. ¡°Qianqian? Even though Qianqian can eat a lot, she doesn¡¯t put on weight. Son, when you pick a girlfriend, it¡¯s better to choose someone sturdier,¡± Jiang Jiankang miraculously followed Wang Xiulian¡¯s line of reasoning. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not! I¡¯m not in a rtionship! I¡¯m just going to have fun, I really am just going there to y! Liu Qian is heading straight back to her hometown at County B in Shu; I¡¯m going to the provincial city, they¡¯re not even the same ce,¡± Jiang Feng eximed loudly, ¡°Mom, Dad, please don¡¯t overthink it. I¡¯m not a high school student, if I were in a rtionship it wouldn¡¯t be early love, why would I hide it from you?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not Qianqian, I remember Wu Minqi is from the provincial city of Shu, right?¡± Jiang Jiankangpletely ignored Jiang Feng¡¯s words. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Impossible, that girl¡¯s family is wealthy, she¡¯s good-looking and has excellent cooking skills ¨C there¡¯s no way she would fancy our son,¡± Wang Xiulian dismissed outright. Jiang Jiankang nodded in agreement. Jiang Feng: ??? Where did I¡­ Well, it does seem that I¡¯m not a match. The couple,pletely disregarding Jiang Feng, went through their own analysis and realized the possibility of Jiang Feng having a secret rtionship behind their backs was actually very slim, and finally dropped the subject. ¡°Alright, we might have wronged you this time. What are you going to do in Shu?¡± Wang Xiulian asked. Jiang Feng:¡­ After going in circles, they were back to this question. ¡°I really am just going there to have fun.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Alright, Feng is grown-up now; there¡¯s no need to worry so much. Let him go wherever he wants, just leave the kid alone if he¡¯s happy,¡± Sir, who had been watching the drama for a while, intervened and cut Mrs. Wang Xiulian off with a final decision, ¡°How many days will you be there?¡± ¡°Five days.¡± Jiang Feng felt that if he couldn¡¯t find any leads in five days, spending more time would just be a waste. ¡°Remember to make up for the practice you miss when you get back,¡± Sir stood up, mentioning it was gettingte, and it was time for him to rest at Jiang Feng¡¯s fifth uncle¡¯s house. After Sir had left, Jiang Jiankang still wasn¡¯t satisfied and pulled Jiang Feng aside to whisper, ¡°Son, just tell Dad, are you really in a rtionship with Qianqian? I¡¯m just asking; I have no objections.¡± ¡°Dad, I really am not!¡± Jiang Feng was on the verge of tears. He was just a twenty-year-old kid; why did he have to suffer through the same New Year¡¯s marriage pressure as his older cousin? Chapter 72 - 71 On the Road [Seeking Recommendations] Chapter 72 - 71 On the Road [Seeking Rmendations] Chapter 72: Chapter 71 On the Road [Seeking Rmendations] Trantor: 549690339 After thest exam ended, Jiang Feng packed his luggage and rushed to the train station. Grandpa Jiang and the others had taken the morning train, leaving early, which left Wang Hao feeling particrly aggrieved, as he thought he could still score a free breakfast. Jiang Feng left him a jar of pickles made by Mrs. Wang Xiulian to console his wounded heart. Jiang Feng¡¯s Uncle, Jiang Jiandang, met them in Zet City, which was odd because the final settlement of the demolitionpensation had been dragging on for nearly half a year without resolution. The pharmacy next to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had already been renovated, but Jiang Jiandang was stuck in Zet City because of thisst payment. Before boarding the bus, Jiang Feng even took the time to send Han Guishan a WeChat message, reminding him that the pickled cabbage dumplings in the freezer could only be kept for up to twelve days. Jiang Feng was heading to Shu today, and for the past few days, he had made 60 pickled cabbage dumplings each day. Han Guishan had even purchased an expensiverge freezer to store them, intending to eat these dumplings until the New Year. During these days, the ie from selling carved radishes and making pickled cabbage dumplings for Han Guishan added up to nearly a hundred thousand RMB. At this rate, Jiang Feng would have enough money saved for renovations before the next New Year. However, neither of these were long-term sources of ie. The number of people seeking his carved radishes had been declining, and the UAL University market was almost saturated. If Jiang Feng wanted to ¡¯ earn another couple of million, he would have to find another way. But Jiang Feng was not in a rush. In just over ten days, the registration for Good Taste would begin, with thepetition starting in March, leaving only two months. There was still a vast gap between his and Wu Minqi¡¯s culinary skills. His immediate priority was to go home for the winter vacation and hone his cooking skills under Sir¡¯s guidance, aiming not to lose too embarrassingly. On the bright side, if he got lucky and managed to defeat Wu Minqi and win first ce, the prize money was a substantial one-hundred thousand RMB, not even considering the reward of a kitchen knife. One hundred thousand! That would cover one-thirtieth of the shortfall for the renovations! Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but feel unenthusiastic about it. After waiting at the station for more than an hour, he finally saw his train approaching. It wasn¡¯t the peak travel season yet, and the colleges in n City had staggered holidays, so the station wasn¡¯t very crowded. Jiang Feng smoothly wheeled his 24-inch suitcase onto the high-speed train without having to jostle through a crowd. After quickly securing his suitcase in the overheadpartment, Jiang Feng checked his ticket to find his seat. His seat was 14F. As he approached, he saw a girl, already seated in 14D, bundled up in a mask, hat, scarf, and down jacket. Jiang Feng tapped the girl¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Excuse me, ssmate, could you let me through?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The girl stood up, looked up at Jiang Feng, and said, ¡°Jiang Feng?¡± After removing her mask and scarf, it turned out to be Wu Minqi. ¡°Wow, look at that, we¡¯re seatmates,¡± Jiang Feng remarked. ¡°Isn¡¯t your family from n City? What are you doing on this train?¡± Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s rtionship had progressed exponentially to close confidantes after a couple of weeks of camaraderie in the kitchen. In other words, a guy best friend. ¡°I¡¯m going to the capital of Shu to meet someone,¡± Jiang Feng replied, stepping into the row, ¡°Did you finish your exams today too?¡± ¡°I finished my exams yesterday. Couldn¡¯t snag a ne ticket and there were no high-speed train tickets for the evening. I just wrote whatever since it all didn¡¯t matter much. If I wasn¡¯t so reluctant, I would¡¯ve just dropped out and gone home,¡± replied Wu Minqi. For her, a diploma truly wasn¡¯t important-after all, she was a winner in life with a skill in hand and a family ¡®mine¡¯. ¡°Who are you looking for in Shu? Someone in the capital? I¡¯m familiar with the capital. Whether it¡¯s a ssmate or teacher, wherever you¡¯re staying, I could take you there,¡± Wu Minqi offered. ¡®Tm looking for a rtive of mine. I recently heard they might be in the capital of Shu, and they used to be a chef at a state-owned restaurant. Do you know where the original state-owned restaurants in the capital of Shu are?¡± Jiang Feng was indeed hoping to ask Wu Minqi for some directions once he arrived in Shu. Wu Minqi shook her head, ¡°There were quite a few state-owned restaurants in the capital, seven or eightrge and small ones. Except for one, the rest have closed down. Do you have any other information, like a surname or name?¡± ¡°His name is Jiang Weiming, and he is likely my grandpa¡¯s elder brother,¡± said Jiang Feng. He had not expected the capital of Shu to have so many state-owned restaurants. Wu Minqi suddenly felt energized. During her time helping in the kitchen of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, she had witnessed Sir¡¯s cooking skills and came to admire him greatly. In her own words, apart from her grandfather and her grandfather¡¯s most senior apprentice, no one else in the Wu Family couldpare to Sir. Now that she was helping her idol find his brother, she was naturally very attentive. Wu Minqi took out some paper from her bag and drew the locations of several state-owned restaurants for Jiang Feng to see if he could recognize which one it might be. Sure enough, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t recognize them. What he knew was the state-owned restaurants from 1987, a time before Wu Minqi was even born. ¡°Once you get to the provincial capital, go to our family¡¯s restaurant first. My grandfather was also a chef at a state-owned restaurant before, the biggest one. If Grandpa Jiang¡¯s brother really was a chef at a state-owned restaurant, my grandfather would definitely remember him. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll definitely be able to find him,¡± Wu Minqi offeredfortingly. ¡°By the way, Jiang Feng, I¡¯ve always wanted to ask, was your family also in the restaurant business before?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Also?¡± Jiang Feng asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°Your family¡¯s model is almost identical to mine: a son inherits his father¡¯s business. My family too. The Wu Family Restaurant has been around since The Northern Song Dynasty era, and now it¡¯s been in my father¡¯s hands for eight hundred years,¡± Wu Minqi said, then thought for a moment and added a qualifying word, ¡°allegedly.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Compared to the Wu Family Restaurant, the Taifeng Building that the Jiang Family was so proud of seemed a bit less significant. ¡°My great-grandfather was the head chef at the Taifeng Building in Beiping during the Republican era,¡± Jiang Feng said. No one knew the history of the Jiang Family any further back than that; when Sir was young, he had never heard Jiang Chengde boast about it, and no one knew whether the Jiang Family were cooks eight hundred years ago. ¡°No wonder,¡± Wu Minqi said in realization, ¡°My grandfather told me that the head chefs at the state-owned restaurants were basically the head chefs from the restaurants during the Republican period.¡± Jiang Feng agreed with this point. At that time, everyone was struggling to get enough to eat. Aside from the few who had been in the cooking profession for generations, no one had the luxury to research culinary arts while hungry. The two of them chatted all the way about various topics, mostly about UAL University, Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, culinary insights, and the like. It was also because of this conversation that Jiang Feng discovered that Wu Minqi was only skilled in Sichuan cuisine. Or rather, the entire Wu Family was only skilled in Sichuan cuisine. The Wu Family Restaurant, apart from Sichuan cuisine, barely sold dishes from other culinary styles. This model was reminiscent of feudal times, when various regions were inessible and there was littlemunication. The Wu Family had stayed in the Shu area for generations, conducting their business solely there. A Michelin one-star restaurant, they didn¡¯t even open branches, sticking to a very traditional business model. They had been studying Sichuan cuisine for generations, with very clear strengths and weaknesses. Jiang Feng seemed to understand why the game had given him the [Challenge of the Same Trade] task. If it were Sichuan cuisine, Wu Minqi could beat ten Jiang Fengs with one hand. But with other cuisines. Winning would be way too easy. A gift of points, really! Chapter 73 - 72 The Small Restaurant Chapter 73 - 72 The Small Restaurant Chapter 73: Chapter 72 The Small Restaurant Trantor: 549690339 After a seven-hour long high-speed train journey, Jiang Feng finally arrived in the provincial city of Shu at eight in the evening. The boxed meals on the high-speed train were too expensive, and they didn¡¯t taste good. Wu Minqi found them unptable, while Jiang Feng was purely short on cash. What¡¯s more, both of them had missed lunch in their hurry to catch the train, and by now, it was way past mealtime, leaving both of them ravenous. As soon as they got off the train, Wu Minqi led Jiang Feng to a small restaurant she rmended. After a few subway stops and several streets, they eventually entered an old-fashioned tube building. The small restaurant was located inside a residential building on the third floor, a ce Jiang Feng would have never found without Wu Minqi leading the way. ¡°This restaurant was opened by another chef from the state-run restaurant where my grandfather used to work. You can call him Master Chen. His son works in our family¡¯s restaurant, and Grandpa Chen simply couldn¡¯t stay idle and opened this little ce, serving only regrs until ten at night.¡± Wu Minqi led Jiang Feng upstairs as she introduced the spot to him. The tube building was very old, with the walls stered with small ads,yer uponyer, thicker than wallpaper, and the units were dpidated, with mottled walls exposed. Wu Minqi walked up to the third floor and knocked on the door to the left. The door was opened by an elderly man, who looked to be over seventy, with gray hair but still sprightly, and wearing an apron. ¡°Qiqi, you¡¯vee to eat at Grandpa¡¯s now that the university is on break, huh? Come in,e in, it¡¯s cold outside. And this is¡­¡± Master Chen looked towards Jiang Feng. ¡°He¡¯s my friend, his name is Jiang Feng, president of my university¡¯s club, and we traveled here together. He¡¯s from Zet City and came here to find someone,¡± Wu Minqi introduced Jiang Feng. ¡°Hello, Master Chen,¡± Jiang Feng said, ncing inside, where there were no customers. ¡°Qiqi¡¯s made friends at university, good for her. Come in,e in, quick, there¡¯s no one here now. Qiqi, you¡¯re in luck today. This morning, I came across a wild grass carp over 13 pounds at the market. The meat is just impable. I couldn¡¯t bear to cook it for the several tables of customers I had today. I was nning to wait for your Mr. Chen to finish work and then make it for him, so the fish stew is still in the pot.¡± Master Chen said cheerfully, as he walked back to the kitchen. The family restaurant was very ordinary, with three tables set up in the living room and two bedrooms converted into private dining rooms. There was no decoration, and the decor was simple. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi casually found a table by the window and sat down. Jiang Feng sneakily nced at the kitchen, which was better furnished than the rest of the ce. ¡°You can¡¯t order dishes here; you have to see what Grandpa Chen bought this morning. Whatever he has, he¡¯ll cook, and we¡¯ll eat whatever he makes. A cleaningdyes in every morning and evening, so it¡¯s very clean.¡± Wu Minqi exined the rules to Jiang Feng, ¡°Later on, we¡¯ll ask Grandpa Chen. He might even know your grandfather¡¯s brother.¡± After about half an hour, Master Chen came out with arge bowl of boiling fish. The fish broth was a brilliant red, floating with heaps of dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and bean sprouts. Underneath, the white flesh of the fish could be glimpsed, and the overwhelming spiciness rushed straight to Jiang Feng¡¯s nose, making him, who rarely ate spicy food, cough uncontrobly. How could the two young people watch an elderly man carry out such a big bowl of food without lifting a finger? While rubbing his nose, Jiang Feng got up and, along with Wu Minqi, they took the boiling fish and ced it on the table. Jiang Feng wondered where Master Chen had found such arge and heavy bowl; he estimated the whole bowl, including the broth and the container itself, must weigh over ten pounds. The two tried to help Master Chen, whoined, ¡°I¡¯m not so old that I can¡¯t carry a thing. You are guests; since when do guests serve the food?¡± ¡°But I am your junior first and foremost. Seniors shouldn¡¯t be serving food to the younger ones,¡± Wu Minqi chuckled. ¡°Grandpa Chen, what else did you hide away? I can smell it.¡± Jiang Feng looked bewildered. Smell what? All he could smell was the Sichuan peppercorn and ck pepper in the boiling fish. Hmm, and liquor¡ªMaster Chen is quite interesting, using erguotou to cook boiling fish. Before he knew it, Jiang Feng blurted it out. Master Chen was taken aback for a moment, then heughed, ¡°Qiqi, your friend has quite the nose! Among all my regrs, only you and he could tell I added a bit of erguotou to my boiling fish.¡± ¡°His family also runs a restaurant, just on a smaller scale, just like my family¡¯s,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Alright, Grandpa Chen, don¡¯t hide it anymore. I can smell it¡ªthe spicy rabbit head. It¡¯s in the kitchen!¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m done with this girl¡¯s nose. Tonight¡¯ste-night snack for your Uncle Chen is gone!¡± Master Chen helplessly went to the kitchen to retrieve the spicy rabbit head for Wu Minqi. A white porcin te held two rabbit headsvished in cumin, Sichuan peppercorn, and dried chilies, the sight somewhat detestable. ¡°Jiang Feng, you are in for a treat today! You won¡¯t find a second spicy rabbit head like the one Grandpa Chen makes in the entire province. Even my grandpa can¡¯tpare. Come on,e on, have a taste!¡± Wu Minqi breezed into the kitchen to get chopsticks and served two bowls of rice, then handed Jiang Feng his pair. Looking at the overwhelming redness, Jiang Feng hesitated. This dish looked like it was seriously spicy. Far spicier than what Wu Minqi had cooked back at Morning Wind Primary School. ¡°No worries, Grandpa Chen¡¯s dishes look spicier than they actually are,¡± Wu Minqi assured him. Jiang Feng tentatively trusted her and gingerly picked up a bean sprout with his chopsticks. Instantly, tears sprang to Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes. A young man of twenty bested by two bean sprouts. He wept profusely on the spot. Wu Minqi was taken aback. As a born and bred Shu person, Wu Minqi had never seen anyone unable to handle spice like Jiang Feng. Before, at the Morning Wind Primary School cafeteria, he had only reached the beginner¡¯s stage of frantic water drinking when spiced, but now just two bean sprouts had left him in tears. Through tear-blurred eyes, Jiang Feng looked at Wu Minqi and wanted to say, I don¡¯t believe you at all! ¡°That exaggerated?¡± Wu Minqi picked up two bean sprouts hesitantly and chewed them, showing no reaction. ¡°It¡¯s fine, not that spicy. Did you identally eat a dried chili?¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ He didn¡¯t want to discuss the spiciness orck thereof with the Shu people right now, thank you! Chapter 74 - 73 Looking for Someone Chapter 74 - 73 Looking for Someone Chapter 74: Chapter 73 Looking for Someone Trantor: 549690339 Spiciness is a sensation of pain, and as is well known, pain is an unpleasant feeling produced by the human brain in response to stimuli that may cause tissue damage or potential loss. It wasn¡¯t until his brain stopped sending signals of pain to Jiang Feng that he began to taste the bean sprouts. If you ignore the spiciness, the boiled fish made with just bean sprouts was quite good. Wiping away the tears that the spiciness had induced, Jiang Feng bravely picked up a slice of fish. The fish slices were of a medium thickness; too thin and they would break apart during cooking, too thick and they wouldn¡¯t absorb the vors well. The flesh of wild grass carp was more tender than that of farm-raised ones, and at thirteen pounds, this one was a rare find, in the prime of its life with plump and tender meat. It was still very spicy, not just spicy but numbingly so. Jiang Feng seldom ate such strong-vored dishes, and despite the preparatoryyer of bean sprouts, tears uncontrobly welled up in his eyes. Jiang Feng deftly pulled out a tissue to dry his eyes before picking up another piece of fish. For a wild grass carp to grow to thirteen pounds was no small feat; it had lived peacefully to maturity before being caught, and then Master Chen, a chef with a keen eye for quality, had purchased it to make this boiled fish. It was all about destiny. The grass carp had striven to grow plump and tender, and Master Chen repaid its efforts with his culinary skills. The fish slices were cut along the grain, seasoned and marinated appropriately, and the fire control was just right. For such a naturally perfect and rare boiled fish dish, Jiang Feng naturally had to appreciate it. Even if he couldn¡¯t handle the spiciness, he had to have a few more bites! So there Jiang Feng was, alternating between a bite of rice and a piece of fish, swiftly going through threerge bowls and feeling overstuffed. All Jiang Feng could do was look longingly at the fish, watching enviously as Wu Minqi happily ate on. ¡°Are you full?¡± Wu Minqi managed to spare a moment to speak to Jiang Feng, ncing at the fish bones by his bowl, ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to eat many pieces of fish, did you?¡± ¡°I had three bowls of rice,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Spicy rabbit head, one for each of us, you have yours first!¡± Wu Minqi said. Jiang Feng quickly shook his head; the boiled fish was just cooked, but the spicy rabbit head was brined using facing heaven peppers and dried chili, which meant the spiciness would permeate every corner of the rabbit head. No matter how delicious it was, Jiang Feng dared not try it. He didn¡¯t have the same kind of disregard for life in the pursuit of delicious food that Liu Qian had. By now, Jiang Feng could feel that his mouth was a bit swollen; if he ate a rabbit head, it would definitely turn into what could only be described as a ¡®sausage mouth¡¯. The thought alone was unimaginable. Being a native of Shu, Wu Minqi feared neither the spiciness nor the numbing sensation. She wasn¡¯t satisfied with the boiled fish alone and even scooped soup to drizzle on her rice. Just watching the soup-a bright red concoction mixed with Sichuan peppercorns-being poured over the rice made Jiang Feng gasp for air, yet Wu Minqi reveled in it. Master Chen exined on the side, ¡°She¡¯s liked eating like this since she was a girl, raised in a jar of chili peppers.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Shu people, can¡¯t afford to provoke, can¡¯t afford to provoke. While Wu Minqi was engrossed in her meal, Jiang Feng took the opportunity to inquire about Jiang Weiming¡¯s whereabouts. Master Chen, I wanted to ask if you knew a chef named Jiang Weiming back when you worked at the state-owned restaurant?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Jiang Weiming? There were several chefs with the surname Jiang at the state-owned restaurant, and some have retired long ago, but I don¡¯t remember a Chef Jiang Weiming,¡± Master Chen said. Could he have changed his name? ¡°It¡¯s possible he changed his name. He was still working there in ¡¯87, probably in his sixties, slightly overweight, specialized in chopped pepper fish head and had a bit of a beard,¡± Jiang Feng said, looking at Master Chen with hopeful anticipation. Master Chen thought for a moment and then slowly said, ¡°The person you¡¯re talking about, I have some impression of him, but his name was Jiang Yuanchao.¡± That was a good, characteristic name of New China. ¡°The state-owned restaurant he worked at closed down in ¡¯93, and then he moved away. I heard he seemed to have moved to County Yalom. After so many years, I¡¯m not sure of his specifics,¡± Master Chen said, indicating that he couldn¡¯t be of much help. Although the lead had gone cold, knowing that Jiang Weiming had changed his name to Jiang Yuanchao was already a significant breakthrough; at least Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t end up blindly searching the world for Jiang Weiming. ¡°Thank you, Master Chen, you¡¯ve been a great help,¡± Jiang Feng sincerely expressed his gratitude. After waiting for about fifteen minutes for Wu Minqi to finish her meal, the two of them paid the bill together and then left. It was quitete by then, but Jiang Feng could still catch thest subway to the hostel he had booked. They said goodbye at the subway station, and Wu Minqi did not forget to make a promise to Jiang Feng, ¡°I¡¯ll ask my grandfather when I get back to see if he knows where Jiang Yuanchao has settled.¡± But Jiang Feng felt that the chances Wu Minqi¡¯s grandfather would know were slim. The state-owned restaurant where Jiang Weiming worked, Number 93 had closed down a long time ago. With so many years gone by, andmunication not being convenient back then, he figured any past acquaintances would have long lost touch. Having sat on the train all day and eaten a poached fish dish in the evening that was beyond the limit of what his tongue could bear, Jiang Feng arrived at the hostel in a daze. After a simple wash, he copsed into bed and slept like the dead. When Jiang Feng woke up the next day, it was already noon. He turned on his phone and saw the WeChat message from Wu Minqi sent earlier, telling him that her grandfather also did not know Jiang Yuanchao¡¯s current address,forting him with a few words. Thest message read, ¡°I¡¯m about to head to the kitchen now and might not be able to respond to messages in time.¡± Heading straight to the kitchen to help out the day after returning home, not even arranging to hang out with her besties for a stroll or catch a movie to continue their ¡®stic sisterhood¡¯ or anything, Jiang Feng could only sigh that Wu Minqi truly was a culinary fanatic. There were high-speed trains from the provincial capital to County Yalom and it only took about fifteen minutes, so Jiang Feng decided to try his luck in County Yalom. In his memory, County Yalom wasn¡¯t that big; by wandering around and asking plenty of people, he might just find him. However, one hourter, when Jiang Feng arrived at County Yalom, he realized his perception of the size of County Yalom was based on the County Yalom of 1987. Thirty years had passed, and County Yalom was no longer the small county town it had been. Thanks to its proximity to the provincial capital, it had developed rapidly, its size now rivaling some third or fourth-tier prefecture-level cities. After leaving the train station in County Yalom, Jiang Feng bought a map, feeling somewhat confused. How was he supposed to find anyone here? With millions of permanent residents in County Yalom, all he had was a name. The odds of randomly finding the person were lower than winning the lottery. Wang Hao sometimes won five or ten yuan from scratch cards. Jiang Feng could only start his search from the most crowdedmercial streets. For the entire day, he asked every shop, ¡°Excuse me, do you know a Mr. Jiang Yuanchao? He should be a man in his nies,¡± and even dominated the WeChat step count among his friends, but to no avail. Jiang Feng felt as though he had been distributing missing person notices all day, but unlike others, he didn¡¯t even have a photograph to go with it-just a name. Finding Jiang Weiming turned out to be much harder than he had imagined. After a day of fruitless inquiries, Jiang Feng could only buy a ticket back to the provincial capital on the high-speed train. He had not initially expected Jiang Weiming to leave the capital, which was why he booked the hostel for five days. Fortunately, County Yalom was not far from the capital, so traveling back and forth didn¡¯t take much time. Back at the hostel, Jiang Feng calmed down and began to rethink his strategy. With the way he was searching, not to mention five days, even five months might not be enough to find someone. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Jiang Feng started to organize the personal rtionships rted to Jiang Weiming he was aware of. Jiang Weiming had been a chef at a state-owned restaurant in the provincial capital in 1987. Han Guishan had seen him there, and the dish of chili fish head they ate was the dish that had cemented his and his wife¡¯s love for each other. Later, the state-owned restaurant had closed down in 1993¡­ Wait, Han Guishan and his wife¡¯s special dish. His wife, wasn¡¯t she the waitress at the state-owned restaurant? Jiang Feng had never seen Han Guishan¡¯s wife, but to be safe, he checked Baidu Encyclopedia. Sure enough, the photo disyed by the search engine was the waitress from the state-owned restaurant where Jiang Weiming had worked, named Wang Jing, no mistake-Jiang Feng still remembered Jiang Weiming ¡¯ calling her Jingjing. Everything matched up! Wang Jing had been a colleague of Jiang Weiming¡¯s, and they seemed to have had a good rtionship; she certainly would know his current address! Jiang Feng felt like pping himself for the day of pointless bustling. He had gone all around only to realize he had missed the most crucial piece of information. Giddy with excitement, he opened WeChat and carefullyposed his words concocting a seemingly usible and coincidental story, and sent a message to Han Guishan inquiring if his wife knew the address of Jiang Weiming. After editing, he sent the message. Feeling delighted, Jiang Feng turned off his phone and went to sleep.. Chapter 75 - 74 Trendy Internet-Famous Store Chapter 75 - 74 Trendy Inte-Famous Store Chapter 75: Chapter 74 Trendy Inte-Famous Store Trantor: 549690339 A night of sweet dreams. When Jiang Feng woke up the next day, he found that Han Guishan¡¯s message had already arrived half an hour earlier. He said that Wang Jing was currently vacationing in Europe and probably hadn¡¯t replied because of the time difference. They had been in touch with Jiang Yuanchao over the past few years, and Jiang Yuanchao had moved from County Yalom to the countryside a few years ago. Wang Jing has Jiang Yuanchao¡¯s phone number, and she will send it to Jiang Feng once she sends it over. Steady! With that, Jiang Feng was in no rush and slowly went downstairs to eat breakfast after freshening up. He had discovered the day before that the intestine noodles and trotter soup made by the Shu people were truly delicious! No matter how small the shop, the technique for intestine noodles was above the national average. The homestay Jiang Feng had booked was inside a residentialplex, and for convenience¡¯s sake, he had eaten a bowl of intestine noodles at the small noodle shop at the entrance of theplex the day before, which turned out to be an amazing surprise. Cleaning intestines is a painstaking task; the fat has to be thoroughly removed; otherwise, there will be an off-putting smell. Everyone has their own preference for braising intestines; as long as the vor of the seasonings and the intestine itself do not sh, it¡¯s considered a sess. The noodle shop at the entrance of theplex sold a bowl of intestine noodles for only 7 RMB. The intestines were finely chopped, and the fat was very cleanly processed, indicating it had been boiled in water at least three times before braising. Thebination of spices was also quite good, with many varieties that didn¡¯t overpower the main dish, in a well-proportioned mix that not only enhanced the aroma of the intestines but also masked their innate gamey smell. The noodles were made from sweet potato, chewy and resilient. Coupled with soybeans, baby bok choy, and a handful of chopped scallions, topped finally with a spoonful of spicy oil ¨C not too hot but aromatic ¨C it was just to Jiang Feng¡¯s liking. Spellbound by the intestine noodles at the gate of theplex, arge bowl left him feeling refreshed and invigorated. After checking his phone and seeing no new messages, he decided to wander around. Teahouses were everywhere in the capital city of Shu, withrger ones even sporting a stage at the entrance to attract customers. With the mindset of a spectator wanting to join in the fun, Jiang Feng watched for a while, not understanding what they were singing or even recognizing the tune. After freeloading for a bit, he slipped away quietly. Having made it all the way to Shu, naturally he wanted to try some of the local specialty snacks. The noodle shop at the entrance to theplex had already made Jiang Feng deeply respect the capability of the Shu people, as he felt they could do no wrong. Around lunchtime, he searched for a nearby snack shop and decided to try out a popr store specializing in Dragon Dumplings. Pure positive reviews ¨Cments like ¡°worthy of a viral sensation,¡± ¡°a great value,¡± and many saying it had authentic Shu characteristics ¨C piqued Jiang Feng¡¯s interest, and he made his way there using GPS. The store lived up to its viral sensation status with fine decoration, and perhaps because it was a weekday, it wasn¡¯t very crowded, so there were quite a few empty seats when Jiang Feng arrived. The waiter was very polite, but the prices were a bit steep; a signature bowl of Dragon Dumplings cost 48 RMB. When the Dragon Dumplings were brought out, Jiang Feng took a careful look ¨C weren¡¯t these just¡­ Wontons? He pulled out his phone to search, and sure enough, they were wontons ¨C another name for them was dumplings. The bowl wasrge and beautiful, the greenish-blue edges adorned with colorful painting. The dumplings were quiterge, but there were only seven or eight of them in total, not to mention quite a bit of garnish visible on the surface, including chopped scallions, coriander, bok choy, peas, soybeans, and minced red chili. The soup was a reddish hue, topped with a thinyer of oil, leading Jiang Feng to suspect that the shop had poured chili oil instead of red oil directly into it. But could you really enjoy a bowl of wontons with so many ingredients? Holding the expectation that a wonton costing several RMB must be exceptionally tasty, Jiang Feng took a bite of a dumpling. It didn¡¯t taste good. The skin was too thick, the meat not fresh, there were too many ingredients, the broth didn¡¯t taste clean, and the spicy oil was hot but not fragrant¡­ Jiang Feng could find a dozen faults with this bowl of dumplings. But the key issue was the price ¨C it was too expensive! 48 RMB for a bowl, he would rather go eat the boxed meal on the high-speed train. Jiang Feng rated his dining experience as extremely poor. The Shu people were not invincible, at least when it came to their viral sensation shops. After struggling to eat two dumplings, he just couldn¡¯t stomach any more, so Jiang Feng paid and left dejected. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, to the point where he even felt that this viral sensation shop was an insult to Shu delicacies. He messaged Wu Minqi on WeChat to vent about this store. The Dragon Dumplings at the xxx ce on xx Road are aplete rip-off!¡± Not satisfied with telling Wu Minqi, Jiang Feng copied and pasted the message and sent it to Liu Qian. Liu Qian replied immediately. ¡°Dragon Dumplings, President, if you want to eat Dragon Dumplings you should go to the xxx store in the xxx ce ( ¨C a>- *)¡± Five minutester. Eh, President, why are you in the capital of Shu QVQ¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ She really was thest to know. He aimlessly strolled the streets for another afternoon before he received a reply from Wu Minqi: ¡°There are very few ces in the capital that make authentic Dragon Dumplings, I¡¯ll make some for you when I have time.¡± Jiang Feng looked at the time: 4:17 p.m. The Wu Family Restaurant was quite busy today, huh. ¡°Any news about your grandfather¡¯s brother?¡± Another message came. Yes, should be able to find him by tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m off to be busy.¡± Jiang Feng put away his phone and continued his leisurely stroll. Dinner was once again settled at the small noodle shop at the entrance of theplex. A bowl of intestine noodles with an additional portion of trotter soup came to 28 RMB, a conscientious businesspared to the viral sensation shop at noon. The trotter soup contained aplete pig¡¯s front trotter and wasplemented only by strips of kelp, a bit small, but cooked until very tender to the point where the skin and meat would separate with a gentle pull, and even the tendons could be slurped out; considerately, the shop provided Jiang Feng with a small bowl of spicy oil for dipping the trotter. The soup was a milky-white color, very fresh, seasoned only with salt and no extra vorings, purely relying on the taste of the ingredients. Arge bowl of intestine noodles and a bowl of trotter soup had Jiang Feng feeling as if he was walking on the clouds. Gently floating back to the homestay, Han Guishan had already obtained the phone number from Wang Jing and sent it to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng dialed the number, and after a wait of about fifteen seconds, the call connected. Taking a deep breath to hide any hint of nervousness, he asked softly, ¡°Hello, may I speak to Jiang Yuanchao?¡± Chapter 76 - 75 Meeting Chapter 76 - 75 Meeting Chapter 76: Chapter 75 Meeting Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Yes, I am. Who¡¯s this?¡± Jiang Weiming asked loudly. ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Feng, I¡­¡± ¡°Kid, you might have the wrong number. I don¡¯t know you, I¡¯m not interested in insurance, real estate, investing in funds or stocks, and I don¡¯t fall for scams. Find someone else!¡± Then Jiang Weiming hung up the call. Jiang Feng: ??? He¡¯d received so many telemarketing calls recently that rejecting them had be second nature. Jiang Feng made another call. This time, it was picked up immediately. ¡°Kid, I told you I¡¯m not interested in those things. I¡¯m just an old man living in the countryside, I have no money!¡± Seeing that Jiang Weiming was about to hang up again, Jiang Feng hurriedly said, ¡°May I ask if you know Jiang Weiguo?¡± There was silence on the other end of the line, a full thirty-four seconds that felt awfully long. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Weiguo¡¯s grandson. I saw a photo of you with another elder at her ce and thought you looked simr, so I asked her for your number. I just wanted to ask,¡± Jiang Feng said his prepared speech, swallowing nervously, his voice trembling, ¡°are you Jiang Weiguo¡¯s brother?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Jiang Feng almost threw his phone in excitement. ¡°I¡¯m his third brother. How¡¯s your grandfather, is he doing well?¡± -My grandfather is fine, in great health. He can eat, drink, sleep, and even cook. May I ask where you are now? Could we find a time to meet? I¡¯m currently in the capital city of Shu province. How about¡­¡± ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to the capital city tomorrow. I¡¯ll contact you then,¡± Jiang Weiming said. ¡°I shoulde to you! It¡¯s not convenient for someone of your age to be running around. Just tell me your address, and I¡¯ll find my way there.¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t let a ny-year-old man take the trouble toe to him. ¡°I¡¯lle to you!¡± Jiang Weiming insisted, not allowing Jiang Feng to refuse, and hung up the phone. As if he was avoiding Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng actually wanted to make another call, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. Jiang Weiming had been in Shu for so many years, probably assuming like the old man that all his brothers had long since passed away. Suddenly hearing news of a rtive after all this time, he¡¯d surely need time to process it. Jiang Feng sent a text message to Jiang Weiming-Granduncle Weiming, I¡¯ll Two minutester, Jiang Weiming replied with the word ¡°okay.¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know that Jiang Weiming, in his nies, clutching his senior-friendly phone, seeing the words ¡°Granduncle Weiming,¡± had trembled as he took a full two minutes to draw the character ¡°okay¡± on the screen. Jiang Feng woke up early the next day; he hadn¡¯t slept well, troubled by bizarre dreams all night. One moment, he was at the station picking up Jiang Weiming, the next moment Jiang Weiming was hitting his head with a spat, scolding him for messing up the ingredients for a fish head with chopped chili. Later, he even dreamt that he made the dish correctly, Wang Hao ate it, seeded in confessing his love to the school beauty, and then hordes of single men and women from the school besieged him, wanting him to make fish head with chopped chili. Jiang Feng was actually woken by the fright. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and checked the time on his phone- 6:55- He got up, washed up, put on a rtively formal set of clothes, ate his usual bowl of chitterlings rice noodles at themunity entrance, and headed straight to the train station. Jiang Weiming hadn¡¯t sent any messages, so Jiang Feng casually waited at an exit gate. He checked the time intermittently, feeling a mix of nervousness and fear, akin to meeting an inte friend. Finally, just after nine o¡¯clock, Jiang Feng received a text from Jiang Weiming. ¡®TH arrive at 9:32.¡± Jiang Weiming would have to travel from the countryside to the town, then from the town to the county. Jiang Feng suspected that Jiang Weiming must have set off well before six o¡¯clock. Actually, Jiang Weiming had started preparing since a little past 4 a.m. The elderly don¡¯t sleep much, and if they sleep early, they wake up early, but Jiang Weiming had barely slept, tossing and turning in bed. From the moment Jiang Feng uttered the name Jiang Weiguost night, Jiang Weiming had no doubts. Years ago, while fleeing turmoil, he had be separated from his father and several brothers. In 1951, he changed his name to Jiang Yuanchao, and even his son didn¡¯t know his original name was Jiang Weiming, let alone the fact that he actually had six brothers. What Jiang Weiming hadn¡¯t expected was that he, now a 97-year-old man on the verge of death, almost eighty yearster, would be found by his younger brother¡¯s grandson, telling him his younger brother was still alive. All night, Jiang Weiming had been restless, pondering what clothes to wear, what gift to bring for his great-nephew, and he had risen early to rummage through his belongings. In the end, he had settled on two jars of pickles, carefully selected from his pickle vat, choosing only the finest. After leaving the station, Jiang Weiming sent a text message to Jiang Feng and then waited in ce with a cloth bag slung over his shoulder for Jiang Feng to arrive. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t spotted Jiang Weiming yet, but Jiang Weiming recognized him at a nce. The reason was simple: Jiang Feng bore a resemnce to Jiang Chengde. The first thought that crossed Jiang Weiming¡¯s mind when he saw Jiang Feng was that his little brother must have adored this grandson, thinking if only he were a little stouter, he¡¯d look even more like their father. Initially, when Jiang Feng looked at the memory of Jiang Chengde, he felt there was a four or five-point resemnce to himself. In Jiang Weiming¡¯s eyes, that resemnce was now magnified to seven or eight. Suppressing his excitement, Jiang Weiming quickly walked over to pat Jiang Feng on the shoulder. When Jiang Feng turned around, he recognized him instantly, ¡°Granduncle Weiming!¡± Compared to Jiang Weiming in ¡¯87, the man standing before Jiang Feng had aged, with more wrinkles, looser skin, many more age spots on his hands and face, not to mention a considerably hunched back, and even his eyes had dimmed. Time truly is a fearsome killer. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Jiang Weiming asked. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected the first thing Jiang Weiming would ask upon seeing him was that. He was slow to respond, and before he could, Jiang Weiming had grabbed him and started pulling him toward the exterior of the station without exnation. ¡°Granduncle Weiming is taking you for breakfast. Granduncle Weiming knows of a ce right next to the train station that makes exceptional fried sweet dough.¡± Jiang Feng was utterly bewildered. just like that, he was dragged by Jiang Weiming into a simply decorated small diner, where he watched him order a serving of wontons, a bowl of porridge, two sticks of fried sweet dough, and then witnessed Jiang Weiming sit across from him and take out two jars of pickles from his bag. He hadn¡¯t expected the story to develop like this. He had imagined it would be, if not the melodramatic tears and hugging of a television reunion, at least a heartfelt acknowledgement of kinship. Yet instead, they ended up at a breakfast diner, indulging in a culinary escapade. Jiang Weiming acted like a long-lost rtive, quite familiar yet unseen for ages, skillfully taking a younger family member out for a meal. ¡°Come, Feng, try the special Shu region sweet fried dough,¡± Jiang Weiming called out, invitingly. All it took was a nce at Jiang Feng¡¯s face for him to be reminded of his own brother Jiang Chengde, and with that memory, all sense of unfamiliarity vanished. ¡°Oh, okay,¡± said Jiang Feng, not knowing what else to say, obediently picking up a stick of sweet fried dough. His first impression of Jiang Weiming was that the old man wasn¡¯t just advanced in age, but also strong-he had been unable to resist when Jiang Weiming pulled him along. Jiang Feng had never tried sweet fried dough before. He had seen it on the streets the previous day, but it wasn¡¯t well made¡ªgreasy and off-putting. The version at this diner, however, seemed appealing, caramel in color, with sesame seeds sprinkled atop the uniformly sized pieces on the skewer. Biting into it revealed a crispy exterior with a soft interior, hollowed out and made from glutinous rice. The outeryer was fried to golden perfection, creating a crispy and fragrant bite, coated with a thinyer of syrup that had a subtle tang, slightly sticky and chewy. Jiang Feng had a newfound respect for this diner. Creating a hollow center in such ingredients is no small feat. When Jiang Feng looked up, he saw Jiang Weiming smiling at him contentedly. ¡°Feng, how has your grandfather been these years?¡± Here ites! That¡¯s the question! Last night, Jiang Feng had rehearsed the expected scenarios of their meeting, considering the various situations that might arise, the questions Jiang Weiming might ask, and what they could talk about, rehearsing until one or two in the morning. Jiang Weiming¡¯s direct invitation for breakfast had caught Jiang Feng off guard, but now they were finally returning to the anticipated storyline! Jiang Feng straightened his posture, cleared his throat, ready to disy the results ofst night¡¯s rehearsal.. Chapter 77 - 76: Reminiscing (3rd Update!) Chapter 77 - 76: Reminiscing (3rd Update!) Chapter 77: Chapter 76: Reminiscing (3rd Update!) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°My grandfather has had a good life over the years; he escaped to Magic City by boat back in the day and, after a series of turns, ended up in Zet City working as a cook for a local wealthy family. After the liberation, he became a chef at a state-owned restaurant, and now he and my grandma have settled in Zet City. Grandpa marriedte, so my uncles are all around their forties and fifties.¡± ¡°My eldest uncle, Jiang Jianguo, is a tailor and has a small tailor shop in n City; his son, my cousin Jiang Zaidi, is a designer. My second uncle, Jiang Jiandang, owns a pharmacy and is nning to move the store to n City; his son, my second cousin Jiang Shoucheng, is studying for his master¡¯s at Metro Medical School. My dad is the third child, named Jiang Jiankang, and he opened a stir-fry pot next door to UAL University. My fourth uncle, Jiang Jianye, and my fifth uncle, Jiang Jianshe, co-own a pet store in n City. My fourth uncle¡¯s son, Jiang Ran, is my third cousin and is studying in Magic City. My fifth uncle has twin daughters, Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, who are still in junior high school.¡± Jiang Feng briefly introduced to Jiang Weiming the current situation of their family. ¡°Good, good,¡± Jiang Weiming nodded repeatedly, ¡°the five brothers are all in one ce, they can help each other, good, that¡¯s really good. ¡°How¡¯s your grandma holding up?¡± Jiang Weiming asked with concern. ¡°My grandma is very healthy; she never gets sick all year round and can still y cards and dance in the square with the olddies in the vige,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Good, good,¡± Jiang Weiming smiled, his eyes unconsciously brimming with tears, ¡°Your Granduncle Weiming¡¯s wife didn¡¯t make it, she fell outside seven years ago and did not pull through, passed away.¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know how to respond. He hadn¡¯t expected such a heavy topic duringst night¡¯s rehearsal. Just at that moment, the Dragon Dumplings were ready, and the server brought over a bowl of Dragon Dumplings to ease the awkwardness. ¡°Feng,e on, eat the dumplings,¡± Jiang Weiming beckoned. This bowl of Dragon Dumplings was different from the ones Jiang Feng had at that popr online store before; they were smaller in size but had thinner skin. Even with twoyers, Jiang Feng could see the color of the meat inside, which could be considered as thin as paper and as fine as silk. Not a single dumpling skin in the bowl was broken during boiling, a testament to the maker¡¯s skill in rolling out the dough. The ingredients were simple: a spoonful of specially made chili oil, a few chopped green onions, andtro, stirring it up so you could still faintly see the original milky white soup. The chili oil was fragrant, giving the dumplings ayer of red color. It was still a bit hot from the pot, so Jiang Feng carefully bit off half. The meat was fresh pork leg, finely minced, and also mixed with eggs to make it tender and juicy. The dumpling skin also contained egg liquid, and one could feel its smooth and delicate texture at the first touch of the tongue. It was, however, a bit spicy. The soup was a rich broth, thick and fragrant. Jiang Feng felt that this bowl of Dragon Dumplings could actually do without the chili oil; adding it introduced more fragrance and spice, but it also increased the pain for someone like him who wasn¡¯t good at handling spicy foods. Suddenly, Jiang Feng felt a tickle in his throat. After coughing twice, the chili oil had gone down the wrong way. Now the situation turned serious, as Jiang Feng immediately had tears streaming down his face and couldn¡¯t stop coughing as if he was about to cough out his lungs. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, is it too spicy? Water, here, drink some water!¡± Jiang Weiming panicked as well, like a good-hearted kid who had just messed up, fumbling as he poured water for Jiang Feng, identally spilling some on his sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, I just choked,¡± Jiang Feng reassured the somewhat flustered Jiang Weiming as he took off his down jacket and wiped the water off his sleeve with a paper towel. On his right wrist, he still had a scar from a recent bum from oil-a chef with knife and burn scars was quite normal, except this scar was a bitrge and new, visible even from a distance. ¡ö¡¯Feng, what¡¯s that on your hand¡­¡± Jiang Weiming also noticed the scar. ¡°It¡¯s just a burn from cooking a while back; it will fade in time, no worries.¡± Jiang Feng casually wiped his hands dry, pulled down his sleeves, and put on his down jacket. ¡°When I don¡¯t have sses, I help out at our family shop at home. All three of my male cousins and I had to go learn cooking from Grandpa when we were kids. I¡¯ve been learning the longest and am still learning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, very good.¡± Jiang Weiming¡¯s affirmation now held more genuine feeling and a touch of pride. ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re stronger than me, keeping the family techniques alive. Unlike me, s.¡± ¡°Granduncle Weiming, I married early; your eldest male cousin is already over sixty. None of my two sons and two daughters carried on my skills, and the younger generation isn¡¯t willing to learn either. Back when I was at the state-owned restaurant, I did take on an apprentice, but he wasn¡¯t gifted, and he¡¯s long since retired, enjoying his leisure at home.¡± Jiang Weiming¡¯s face showed regret. ¡°I thought the Jiang Family Dishes were going to end with me, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­ little brother, you¡¯re stronger than me, so much stronger! Jiang Feng felt awkward to mention that if not for identally bing a gamer, he would have abandoned cooking long ago. ¡°Granduncle, are my eldest male cousin and my female cousins also in Shu?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Both your female cousins married and moved away! One to the south, one to the north, they¡¯re all getting on in years; it¡¯s good if we can see each other once a year. Your eldest male cousin is in Shu, but not in the provincial capital, he lives in Kolton City. Your second male cousin is in Magic City, and the younger ones are scattered all over. Your eldest male cousin wanted to take me over there, but I¡¯ve been here for so many years, I wouldn¡¯t get used to Kolton City, so hees to visit me now and then. I¡¯m good on my own, wouldn¡¯t want to disturb them,¡± Jiang Weiming exined. Listening, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but feel a touch of heartache. ¡°By the way, Feng, where did you see my photo?¡± Jiang Weiming asked. ¡°I saw it at Mr. Han Guishan¡¯s house,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°Jingjing, ah, we only took one group photo together, right before she insisted on marrying that Han fellow and quit her job at our state-owned restaurant. I didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d kept it,¡± Jiang Weiming said with augh. ¡°Fate, really, it¡¯s fate.¡± Jiang Feng breathed a sigh of relief; he nearly forgot that photos were expensive in the past and people rarely took them. Thankfully, there really was a group photo, otherwise he would have been exposed. ¡°Feng, does your grandpa know¡­¡± ¡°My grandpa doesn¡¯t know I came to find you. I wasn¡¯t sure at first and didn t want to get his hopes up for nothing, so I just¡­¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Goodd, such a goodd,¡± Jiang Weiming couldn¡¯t stop marveling. Noticing the Dragon Dumplings were no longer steaming hot, he hurriedly added, ¡°Feng, eat the dumplings first, they taste better hot!¡± The old and the young continued their question-and-answer, with Jiang Weiming asking and Jiang Feng answering everything he knew. Jiang Weiming was happy to hear anything, delighting in whatever story Jiang Feng shared. He had parted from Jiang Weiguo when he was but a child, and after the lengthy passage of time, his memories of Jiang Weiguo were very limited. Now, listening to Jiang Feng¡¯s stories, Jiang Weiming felt as if he were recalling his younger brother¡¯s childhood appearance, remembering their seven brothers, recalling Jiang Chengde, and even his younger aunt, Jiang Huiqin. Those were his most beautiful memories of youth and the most beautiful of his life. The two of them spent the whole morning chatting in the small shop. Jiang Feng thought it was about time to wrap things up. He had said nearly everything he had preparedst night, and now it was time to reveal the most significant news. ¡°Um, Granduncle, do you still remember Jiang Huiqin?¡± Jiang Feng ventured. Chapter 78 - 77: Tofu Box Chapter 78: Chapter 77: Tofu Box Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Jiang Huiqin? She¡¯s your great-aunt, hasn¡¯t your grandfather ever told you?¡± Jiang Weiming asked in return. ¡°No, I mean, he did, but not about it. What I wanted to say was, my great-aunt¡¯s youngest son is one of the teachers at our school. Our two families only just recognized each other recently,¡± Jiang Feng almost got entangled in his own words. Your great-aunt is still alive!¡± Jiang Weiming eximed, nearly rising from his seat in excitement, ¡°How is she now? Where is she? Has she been well these years?¡± ¡°My great-aunt passed away thirty or forty years ago,¡± Jiang Feng doused Jiang Weiming with cold water, ¡°And her husband, my great-uncle, also died of stomach cancer a few days ago. Only Professor Li, the great-aunt¡¯s youngest son, and his wife are left in their family.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Jiang Weiming felt somewhat disheartened, and he thought he was being too fanciful. It was a blessing from heaven that he had been able to live to such an old age; how could he expect every rtive to have the same longevity as he? The mere fact that his younger brother was still alive was already the greatestfort to him. At least he still had blood rtives other than his children alive in this world. ¡°Before he passed away, my great-uncle had Professor Li give me a deed to a property,¡± Jiang Feng spoke cautiously. ¡°If it¡¯s from your great-uncle, then keep it with peace of mind,¡± said Jiang Weiming, not understanding the significance. ¡°It¡¯s Taifeng Building,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°My great-uncle gave me Taifeng Building.¡± Jiang Weiming¡¯s expression froze instantly as if time had stopped. After a long while, he moved his lips with difficulty and asked, ¡°Taifeng Building in¡­ Beiping?¡± Jiang Feng nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes, the original Taifeng Building in Beiping.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t destroyed or demolished?¡± Jiang Weiming trembled, his voice even choking up. ¡°Right, tn the 37th year of the Republic, my great-aunt bought back Taifeng Building. Over these years, my great-uncle has been keeping it and maintaining it. Although a bit rundown, it¡¯s exactly like it used to be,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Weiming didn¡¯t know how to face this news. After all, that was Taifeng Building, lost from his grandfather¡¯s hands, the ce his father had longed for all his life. Even during their escape, his father had never stopped thinking about it. It was the greatest glory of the Jiang family, once famous throughout Beiping and renowned overseas, the culmination of his father¡¯s lifelong efforts, and the ce he and his brothers had thought they would strive for all their lives. For many years, initially due to difficult transportation andter because of old age, he had never returned to Beiping after the city fell. He had never dared to hope that the Jiang family members could buy back Taifeng Building. He had thought that Taifeng Building would be destroyed in the war or, like many old buildings, demolished. He could never have imagined, nor dared to think, that Taifeng Building would have been preserved to this day, and moreover¡­ Taifeng Building had returned; it belonged to the Jiang family again. Jiang Weiming cried, silently, tears streaming down his weathered, wrinkled face. ¡°Granduncle Weiming¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Granduncle Weiming is just happy.¡± Jiang Weiming wiped away his tears and smiled at Jiang Feng, ¡°Feng, you must study hard and manage Taifeng Building well, just like your great-grandfather did back in the day. Let everyone in Beiping, the whole country, and the entire world know Taifeng Building, know that it¡¯s the Jiang family¡¯s Taifeng Building.¡± He looked at Jiang Feng, repeating words simr to those his father had said to them back then. ¡°Come, Granduncle Weiming will cook for you. No more Sichuan food today, I¡¯ll make you Shandong dishes!¡± Jiang Weiming perked up, repacked the pickles into his bag, grabbed his cloth bag, and took Jiang Feng out of the small shop. Jiang Weiming, leading Jiang Feng, hurried off to his apprentice¡¯s home. In the culinary profession, the teacher-student rtionship is held in high esteem. Masters do not take on apprentices lightly, and the craft is often passed down from parent to child, as with the Jiang and Wu families. Taking an apprentice is akin to taking a foster son, and bing an apprentice is almost like acknowledging a second father. Nowadays, this might not be as exaggerated, but when Jiang Weiming took on an apprentice, that was the tradition. His apprentice was named Jiang Weisheng, whose talent was nothing impressive. He had taken him on because of his name which he had already changed to Jiang Yuanchao by then. Jiang Weisheng was a good thirty years younger than Jiang Weiming, younger than Jiang Weiming¡¯s own son, and had retired just a few years ago. Jiang Weiming had brought Jiang Feng to visit Jiang Weisheng¡¯s home. Jiang Weisheng was plump, fitting the stereotype of a stocky, big-headed chef. Even though Jiang Weiming had made an impromptu visit without prior notice, Jiang Weisheng still respectfully weed him in, saying cheerfully, ¡°Master, why did you suddenly think ofing to the provincial city? And who might this be?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my grandnephew, and it¡¯s our first day meeting. I¡¯vee to borrow your kitchen to cook a meal for my grandnephew,¡± Jiang Weiming got straight to the point. ¡°Grandnephew? Congrattions, Master. The kitchen isn¡¯t clean yet, I haven¡¯t tidied it up. Please have a seat and drink some tea while you wait,¡± Jiang Weisheng hollered into a room, ¡°Honey, honey, hurry up, the master¡¯se to use the kitchen, let¡¯s go clean up!¡± Jiang Weisheng¡¯s spouse was as chubby as he was, and they quickly and efficiently cleaned up the kitchen. Jiang Weisheng then solicitously asked, ¡°Master, what dish do you want to make, fish head with chopped chili peppers? Do you want me to go buy a fish head now?¡± ¡°My grandnephew can¡¯t handle spicy. I¡¯ll make him a couple of Shandong dishes,¡± replied Jiang Weiming. Jiang Weisheng became even more excited, ¡°Great, I¡¯ll help you with that.¡± 111 help too, Jiang Feng promptly said, also taking the opportunity to introduce himself to Jiang Weisheng, ¡°Mr. Jiang, hello, my name is Jiang Feng.¡± ¡°Why call me Mr. Jiang, that¡¯s a generation off, just call me Jiang Uncle! Feng, do you cook as well?¡± Jiang Weisheng asked, beaming. ¡°My family runs a small restaurant, and I often help out in the kitchen,¡± Jiang Feng said. On the way there, Jiang Weiming had introduced Jiang Weisheng to Jiang Feng. Although his talent was ordinary, he was passionate about cooking, willing to endure hardships, and eager to learn about all aspects of cuisine. Howevercking the crucial talent for a chef, he had remained only a fairly good cook throughout his life. With Jiang Weiming¡¯s guidance in those years, he could make some progress. But ever since he stopped being under Jiang Weiming¡¯s tutge, he had been marking time. Now Jiang Weiming was about to cook himself, and he was as excited as a new apprentice in the kitchen. Jiang Weisheng¡¯s kitchen was basically asrge as two bedrooms, specially renovated by a decorator, with seasonings and ingredients all veryplete,parable to the back kitchen of a restaurant, and not at all like a typical household kitchen. Jiang Weiming picked out some green peas, ck fungus, and a few pieces of tofu that he could see and asked Jiang Weisheng to fetch pork, chicken, ham, dried shrimp, and dried scallops. Looking at these ingredients, Jiang Feng began to guess what Jiang Weiming wanted to make. He was going to make Tofu Box! This dish had aplicated process, where the ingredients could be very flexible, with each having its own method and distinct vor, with Boshan Tofu Box being the most famous. Jiang Feng remembered that Sir had made it a long time ago, but only once, and his father Jiang Jiankang wouldn¡¯t make it for two reasons: the shop would definitely not sell it, and his father didn¡¯t like tofu. As Jiang Weiming was of an older age, he left the task of washing vegetables and chopping fillings to Jiang Feng and Jiang Weisheng, taking charge of the main steps himself. The tofu was trimmed on three sides, coated with dry starch, and deep-fried in oil that was seventy percent heated; one had to constantly roll the tofu in the fryer until it was golden brown on all sides. Jiang Weiming was frying tofu while Jiang Feng and Jiang Weisheng chopped the meat filling next to him. Chopping the meat was easy, but dealing with the sinews in the meat was not, and Jiang Weisheng was afraid Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t pick them clean, potentially affecting the texture, so he intended to help. However, he discovered that Jiang Feng¡¯s knife skills were even better than his, so heplimented him instead. ¡°Feng, your knifework isn¡¯t bad at all. How old were you when you started learning to cook?¡± ¡°Over four years old,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°That¡¯s quite early,¡± Jiang Weisheng eximed, ¡°I startedte after graduating high school and didn¡¯t have much talent. After all these years, this is all I¡¯ve managed. It doesn¡¯t bother me much, but I feel like I¡¯ve let my master down.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t let anyone down,¡± Jiang Weiming said, ¡°you¡¯re willing to learn and endure hardship, which is better than those who have talent but arezy. Both of my sons aren¡¯t willing to learn, but you are, and that makes you more filial than them. You haven¡¯t brought me shame.¡± Jiang Feng was surprised to find that Jiang Weisheng was actually blushing a It was an unexpected show of shyness. After the tofu was fried, they cut it open while it was still hot, leaving just a thread of skin attached, and scooped out the inside, making it look like a box. Scooping out the tofu was not difficult, but it was a delicate task. Jiang Weiming¡¯s movements were slow, taking more than ten minutes to scoop out three tofu boxes. Then he began to stir-fry the filling,bining the scooped out tofu with the ingredients processed by Jiang Feng and Jiang Weisheng, stir-frying them quickly on high heat and finally stuffing the cooked filling back into the tofu boxes. ¡°Do we have any broth?¡± Jiang Weiming asked. Yes, in the fridge, I¡¯ll get it,¡± Jiang Weisheng went to fetch the broth, arge bowl of it, and brought it over to Jiang Weiming, ¡°Master, will this do?¡± The broth was cold, and Jiang Weiming stirred it with a spoon, nodded, and asked him to heat it up. Jiang Weiming then steamed the filled tofu boxes on high heat in the steamer. He didn¡¯t make a sauce to pour over, so it seemed he nned to use the broth directly. Indeed, once the tofu boxes were steamed, Jiang Weiming took out the now tender tofu, poured adle of the broth over it, and the dish wasplete. Although Jiang Weisheng¡¯s knifework was average, the broth he prepared was quite good. ¡°Come on, Feng, Weisheng, try it while it¡¯s hot. Weisheng, call Zhang Li toe out and eat with us,¡± Jiang Weiming said. ¡°Ah, Master, aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Jiang Weisheng was a little surprised; he had just been about to share his own portion with his wife. Jiang Weiming had only made three. ¡°At my age, I can¡¯t eat such rich food,¡± Jiang Weiming said, ¡°I¡¯ll make some caramel sweet potatoes. Feng, would you like me to cook another bowl of noodles for you?¡± ¡°No need, no need,¡± Jiang Feng hurriedly refused. In just a few hours, he had consumed arge bowl of intestine noodles, a bowl of Dragon Dumplings, and two skewers of sugar deep-fried dough, and if he were to eat a bowl of noodles now, he feared he¡¯d end up like Liu Qian, bloated enough to go to the hospital for a stomach pump. Jiang Weiming returned to the kitchen to continue cooking. Zhang Li, Jiang Weisheng¡¯s wife, was a clever woman. She woulde out to help when needed, and at other times, she¡¯d stay in her room without talking much. When Jiang Weisheng called her to eat, she woulde out happily to dine. Jiang Weiming¡¯s Tofu Box was even more delicious than what Jiang Feng remembered from Sir¡¯s preparation. Having lived in Shu for so many years, Jiang Weiming had always cooked Sichuan cuisine, so much so that even Jiang Weisheng didn¡¯t know that he was originally a bona fide Shandong Chef. Although he hadn¡¯t made Shandong cuisine for many years, Jiang Weiming was still Jiang Weiming, the same person who had been personally trained by Jiang Chengde for over a decade. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Master to be so good at making tofu. Do you know what this dish is called, Feng?¡± asked Jiang Weisheng, after biting into the Tofu Box, his face brimming with satisfaction. ¡°Tofu Box, a famous Shandong dish,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I had no idea the master was also so skilled in Shandong cuisine; I never saw him make it before.¡± Jiang Weisheng looked regretful, feeling that he had missed out on a lot over the years. Jiang Feng:¡­ Truth be told, ever since he arrived in Shu, he had seldom seen restaurants of other cuisines. Even Lanzhou Ramen and Shaxian Snacks, he had onlye across twice. Now that he thought about it, Jiang family dishes leaned towards Shandong cuisine, and Jiang Weiming, having lived in Shu for so many years, had forced himself to be a Sichuan chef. It truly must have been hard for him. *1 am someone who is terrible at chopping, can burn fish while cooking, and whose strongest dish is scrambled eggs with tomatoes. All the dishes I write about are from Baidu, and I basically imagine them since I¡¯ve never eaten them.. So if any readers have eaten or can prepare the dishes but find my descriptions don¡¯t match reality, please ignore themz(;w¡¯J z)_ *[I¡¯m such an idiot, elbows are pork forelegs, Fengjing ding hooves are pork hindlegs, and I can¡¯t tell any finer than that, parallel dishes, parallel dishes(¡®¡ãU)¡ã¡¯ )] Chapter 83 - 82: Kung Pao Chicken Chapter 83: Chapter 82: Kung Pao Chicken Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng suddenly thought of a dish. Gong Bao chicken. Unlike most first-time cooks in China, who typically start with scrambled eggs with tomatoes, Jiang Feng¡¯s first attempt at cooking was Gong Bao chicken. It was during his first year of junior high. Gong Bao chicken is a rather challenging dish for everyday cooking, and when Jiang Feng first tried making it, he tasted it and nearly cried because it was so bad. That te of Gong Bao chicken was secretly disposed of by Jiang Feng, never to be spoken of again. Back then, Sir would not allow him near the wok, but by that time he had already been practicing his knifework for six or seven years and was in his rebellious phase. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s signature dish was Gong Bao chicken, and it was often ordered by health-conscious customers. Although no one had taught Jiang Feng, he learned a bit by watching Jiang Jiankang prepare it every day. The young and conceited junior high version of Jiang Feng thought Gong Bao chicken was nothing special and that with his talent, it would be a breeze. Reality then dealt him a harsh p, sending him obediently back to chopping vegetables. One always remembers their first cooking attempt, and even if Jiang Feng never mentioned it and no one knew, every time he saw Jiang Jiankang preparing Gong Bao chicken in the kitchen during those three years he had given up on cooking in high school, he would subconsciously watch and observe. Upon closer thought, Jiang Feng realized that after that first clueless and haphazard attempt at Gong Bao chicken, he had never made the dish again. Not only because Jiang Jiankang was around and it wasn¡¯t his turn to cook Gong Bao chicken, but also because the one he made was the most disgusting dish he had ever eaten before going to UAL University. The taste was indeed memorable and unforgettable. It was only after going to UAL University that Jiang Feng realized that there¡¯s always someone better, and that if the canteen¡¯s head chef wanted to, he could easily make his Gong Bao chicken a hundred times worse. ¡°Grandpa, is the chicken stewed yet?¡± Jiang Feng suddenly looked up; if the chicken had already been put in the pot, then there would be Gong Bao without chicken cubes. ¡°Not yet, it¡¯s still in the bowl, isn¡¯t it? 1¡¯11 stew it after these two dishes are done,¡± Sir said, as he was busy attending to the pig¡¯s trotters and had no time to deal with the remaining chicken. That was close; otherwise, Grandma would have had to sacrifice another chicken. There was still a gas stove in the kitchen, luckily, since using a wood-burning stove, Jiang Feng would have had trouble controlling the heat. Jiang Feng cut off about two ounces of chicken breast, diced it, coated it with egg liquid, sprinkled a little pepper powder, a moderate amount of cooking wine and starch, massaged the chicken to evenly coat it, and let it marinate in a bowl. When adding ingredients, Jiang Feng felt a bit apprehensive. His utter failure previously was mainly due to two reasons: one was fire control, and the other was haphazardly adding seasonings. Having no clue and no measure, the dish he made was a mnge of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty, and tasteless, certainly not fit for human consumption. After about fifteen minutes, Jiang Feng felt the chicken breast was ready. He heated the wok, added oil, and when it started to smoke, Jiang Feng timed it right and poured the chicken breast in, stir-frying it on high heat until it was cooked before quickly taking it out. He heated another pot of oil, stir-fried the other ingredients, Jiang Jiankang¡¯s Gong Bao chicken was sweet, so naturally, the one Jiang Feng learned to make was also sweet. Worried about spoiling the dish with too much sugar, he added the ingredients gingerly. After stir-frying for a couple of minutes, he added the chicken cubes back in, along with cooking wine, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and salt, again stir-frying over high heat until the chicken had an even color and the aroma was released, then ted the dish. [A mediocre te of Gong Bao chicken] Mediocre? Jiang Feng took a taste with his chopsticks, and it was indeed mediocre. Due to his tentative seasoning, the dish was neither sweet nor salty, not disgusting but just average, akin to a normal school canteen level. Sir¡¯s specialty Fengjing-style pig¡¯s trotters were at a critical moment, and he asked Jiang Jiankang to add wood to the stove to stoke the fire up, to thicken the braising sauce and enhance the vor into the pig¡¯s trotters. Almost at the same time as the pig¡¯s trotters were done, the fish balls were also ready. For a normal family meal, Sir wouldn¡¯t bother ting the food. Just load it on a dish, pour some hot broth over it, and it would taste the same whether it was ted nicely or not. Sir never went to extra lengths for his underachieving grandchildren. But today was different, today¡¯s dishes were not meant for unimpressive descendants like Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Feng, but specially made for Jiang Weiming! In Jiang Family Dishes, ting is also crucial. A good presentation can stir up an appetite from afar without even tasting it ¨C after all, humans are visual creatures. No matter what it is, even vegetables, being good-looking is an advantage. Just look at UAL University canteen¡¯s blueberry juice stir-fried yams. Although its taste isn¡¯t as bad as the students im,pared to other dismal dishes at UAL, it¡¯s actually not bad; yet, because it looks unappetizing, it¡¯s constantly derided as a dismal dish. The meal was ready, but Jiang Jiandang and his wife hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Thick-skinned and giggling, Jiang Jiankang reminded Jiang Weiguo, ¡°Dad, big brother said in the WeChat group that he and my sister-inw are on their way.¡± ¡°What, should I, as the father, have to wait for my son to start eating?¡± Sir nced at Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Of course not, why wait for my big brother and sister-inw? Feng,e on, let¡¯s go serve the rice!¡± Jiang Jiankang quickly rephrased. At the dining table, everyone waited for Jiang Weiming to pick up his chopsticks first. The Fengjing braised pig¡¯s trotters had already been sliced open, and Jiang Weiming picked up a small piece of meat from deep inside, dipped it into a bit of the sauce, and tasted it. ¡°Theyer of oil on the braised sauce isn¡¯tpletely removed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fully steamed, the sauce hasn¡¯t permeated.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have added lily bulbs.¡± Jiang Weiming then picked up a fish ball, bit off a small piece, ¡°The meat isn¡¯t firm enough.¡± ¡°Your old problem has acted up again, you got the timing of adjusting the heat wrong.¡± Jiang Weiming scooped up a spoonful of tofu, ¡°This one is okay, but you used the wrong ham.¡± Indeed, he found quite a few faults. ¡°Only you, San, could taste these issues. These young ones, all they know is eating and nothing else,¡± Jiang Jianguo said, resigned and frustrated. Jiang Feng tasted a bite of the Fengjing braised pig¡¯s trotters. Delicious, with no faults. Taking another taste of the fish balls, also delicious, with no faults. Then eating a piece of tofu, truly delicious, with no faults whatsoever. Finally, tasting his Kung Pao Chicken, hey, now he could find a fault! ¡°This Kung Pao Chicken is made by Feng, right?¡± Jiang Weiming took a happy taste and said with a smile, ¡°Not bad, Feng¡¯s knifework is practiced quite well.¡± ¡°The fire control is all right too, but the seasoning is a bitcking.¡± ¡°Keep practicing.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Alright, Granduncle Weiming¡¯s double standards were quite severe. But through this, Jiang Feng truly acknowledged the culinary talent and foundation of Sir¡¯s generation of the Jiang family. Logically speaking, at Jiang Weiming¡¯s age, his sense of taste should¡¯ve significantly declined, yet he could still pick out so many ws in Weiguo¡¯s dishes with just a taste, while Feng couldn¡¯t discern anything. If he were to evaluate these three dishes, it would be, delicious, truly delicious, and this is way too delicious. The paucity of words was enough to make one cry. To be a top-ss master chef, one must first be a good eater. Sir has been angry with Jianguo for years precisely because he was the one who had the best pte among the brothers. With such an innate talent yet choosing to be a tailor, first giving Sir hope and then disappointing him, indeed there was a sense of seeking one¡¯s own ruin. Jiang Feng sneaked a look at his parents. Great, they were enjoying the Fengjing braised pig¡¯s trotters, and they couldn¡¯t taste the faults either. To express their appreciation for Sir¡¯s efforts in cooking, Jiankang ate 6 bowls of rice and Wang Xiulian ate 4 bowls. If it hadn¡¯t been for Jiandang and his wife arriving in time to clean off thest bit of food and soup, Feng thought his parents could have easily eaten two more bowls. Sir and Weiming went into the room to talk and didn¡¯t seem to care for the second son who hade from far away to freeload a meal. Sir was almost indifferent to all his sons who did not carry on the Jiang family¡¯s cooking tradition. Initially, when he was teaching his sons, he had nned kitchen positions for all of them, little did he know, only one became a cook, while the rest all ran off. One should know that Jiandang had been having a tough time staying in Zet City for the past few months. As Sir was in n City teaching Feng, even though he didn¡¯t care much for the other sons, they, with rather thick skins, would stille for dinner with their families, bringing gifts for Sir like tonics, clothes, tea leaves, and even vegetables bought from the market, iming, ¡°I am justing to visit Dad out of filial piety, and just happened to arrive at mealtime.¡± Sir couldn¡¯t exactly turn them all away. And Sir was typically straightforward in saying he didn¡¯t care for his sons, but whenever he cooked, there were always more than eight dishes, and rice was cooked in buckets, hardly looking like no meal was prepared. Only for Jiandang and his wife, they really hadn¡¯t gotten a single meal, except during summer vacation. As soon as Sir returned, the couple eagerly came to the countryside, only to be sent back on the same day without having acquired even a single meal. Weiming, looking out the window from inside the house, saw Jiankang and his wife chatting with Jiandang and his wife and couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Your two sons really get along well.¡± ¡°Their rtionship is just average; No. 2 gets along best with No. 1, San gets along well with Si, and Si gets along well with everyone,¡± Jianguo understood his sons well. ¡°That¡¯s already not bad,¡± Weiming sighed, thinking of his own two sons, ¡°Much better than those two good-for-nothing brats of mine.¡± Feuding brothers, it was his failure to discipline. ¡°Every family has its own challenges,¡± Weimingmented.. Chapter 84 - 83: Good Legs Chapter 84: Chapter 83: Good Legs Trantor: 549690339 The next day, Jiang Feng started his winter break routine of culinary practice. Jiang Weiming had also be one of the instructors, joining Jiang Weiguo. The two imposing figures stood in the kitchen, watching over Jiang Feng as he practiced controlling the heat. ¡°It¡¯s overcooked, overcooked, the heat is too high, can¡¯t you taste it in your own cooking? How many days has it been since youst cooked, that you can¡¯t even stir-fry vegetables?¡± Jiang Weiguo was an absolute tyrant in the kitchen, barking at Jiang Feng until he barely dared to breathe. ¡°What are you so timid about? Do you think you can cook well like that? Dump it out, start over!¡± This was already the seventeenth te of greens Jiang Feng had thrown away this morning. Wang Xiulian and Li Mingli had washed tworge baskets of greens in the morning, enough for Jiang Feng to stir-fry all day long. The countryside mightck many things, but vegetables were in abundance. Greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, these were all great ingredients for practicing heat control. With the vige close to the town, if the local supply ran out, the town¡¯s vegetable market would surely have enough. If Jiang Feng really could cause a shortage in the vegetable market with his practice, then he wouldn¡¯t be far from bing a master himself. Learning to cook is like learning English; feeling is very important. If there¡¯s no feeling, that¡¯s fine, just practice. Practice and the feeling wille. Take Jiang Weisheng, for example, with his poor talent for cooking. After forty years of practice, the dishes he cooks for Liu Qian are still praised as delicious. ¡°Feng is just like you were when you were young, can¡¯t find the feeling.¡± Jiang Weiming watched Jiang Feng practicing cooking, reflecting on the past. ¡°How old was I then? Not even ten years old, not finding the feeling is normal. But he¡¯s already twenty, having the same problem as I did when I was a child, does that make any sense?¡± Jiang Weiguo huffed discontentedly. ¡°It¡¯s different now. Back in our days, just having a teacher for an hour a day to learn to read was enough. They have to go to school, work, and also be presentable. Our line of work is hard and tough, it¡¯s not as popr as it used to be. If Feng is willing to learn, you should be happy about it,¡± Jiang Weiming said. ¡°It¡¯s not bad at all. The foundation you¡¯veid for him is strong, he won¡¯t disappoint in the future.¡± Jiang Weiguo¡¯s expression softened a lot, his toneced with a touch of satisfaction: ¡°Out of my four grandsons, he¡¯s the only one who persevered through the sandbag training from the beginning. He didn¡¯t miss a single basic skill, practiced diligently for seven whole years without a break. The other three, they look sturdy but they¡¯re no use, alwaysining about pain and fatigue.¡± Meanwhile, Jiang Feng had the me roaring as he concentrated fully on the frying pan, unaware of the old man¡¯s quiet words. Otherwise, he would have known that the old man didn¡¯t force him to train with the sandbag for a year because he was frail and weak, but because, of the four grandchildren, he was the most honest when he was little, while the other brothers and cousins knew how to shirk. ¡°Shall we go for a walk?¡± Jiang Weiguo suggested. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Feng, fry ten more tes, then rest for a while. Your Granduncle and I are going to walk around the vige. Cook well, I¡¯ll check when I¡¯m back!¡± Jiang Weiguo said loudly. ¡°Yes, Grandpa!¡± Jiang Feng turned off the heat and ted the greens. ¡°It¡¯s burnt again, take a look at what you¡¯ve cooked! I could feed it to pigs and they¡¯d still get thin,¡± Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t forget to throw in a couple more criticisms before leaving. After Da Hua was butchered, Mrs. Jiang, worried about the loneliness of the other two pigs in the pen, bought two more piglets. Anyway, with another pig set to be butchered for the New Year, the pigpen would soon be back to its constant trio of pigs. The two new arrivals, having been raised by Mrs. Jiang for a few months, didn¡¯t fare as well under her less skilled pig-rearingpared to Sir. They were nowhere near as splendid as Da Hua, now turned into various pork dishes. The old man¡¯s affection for the four pigs in the pen wasn¡¯t as strong as before; had Da Hua still been around, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have wanted to waste Jiang Feng¡¯s stir-fried greens on it. ¡°Brother, shall we invite your two sons to join us for the New Year¡¯s meal, or should we go to them?¡± Jiang Weiguo wandered aimlessly around the vige with Jiang Weiming. ¡°They¡­ they probably wouldn¡¯t want toe. My youngest son hasn¡¯te to see me for nearly ten years. Going there is even less necessary. I actually forgot to mention it to my eldest son. When I get back, I¡¯ll give him a call and talk to him about it,¡± Jiang Weiming didn¡¯t really want to talk about his children. He didn¡¯t want to discuss it, so Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t ask. The two of them walked leisurely around, and before they knew it, they found themselves at the vige fishpond. The fishpond was collectively contracted by all the vigers, with the costs evenly split. Everyone just needed to manage it asionally, and anyone who wanted fish could simply go and catch some. By the fishpond, Jiang Weiguo recognized two familiar figures. Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang, two agile fat men, each with a fis in hand, squatting by the pond, scooping fish and asionally gesturing inside the water, being picky. Jiang Weiguo felt the veins on his forehead struggling to stay calm. His two sons, nowhere to be found all morning, turned up here, idling around fishing for fun. ¡°You two rascals, what are you fishing for!¡± Jiang Weiguo scolded. Jiang Jiankang, startled by his father¡¯s voice, nearly tumbled into the pond with his brother. ¡°Dad.¡± Jiang Jiankang forced a smile, ¡°My brother and I are trying to catch bighead carp. We didn¡¯t find any good ones at the market, so we wanted to check the pond.¡± ¡°What are you two buying fathead fish for?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°Yesterday Feng said Uncle Weiming would make me chopped chili fish head today. If we don¡¯t have the ingredients at home, of course my second brother and I have to go buy them,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. Jiang Weiguo:¡­ If those two in front of him weren¡¯t his own flesh and blood, he really wanted to kick each one of them into the fish pond. He did indeed favor the eldest a bit in the past, because he was talented, but none of his sons were ever shortchanged when it came to food. Each son grew up plump and healthy, from chubby children to burly adults. How could they think about eating all the time as if they were never full? Jiang Weiguo looked at his two sons with an unfriendly expression. Jiang Weiming chuckled and came out to smooth things over, ¡°Indeed, I did tell Feng on my way here yesterday, Jiandang and Jiankang have been thoughtful.¡± ¡°Brother, they¡¯re just messing around. Just pretend you didn¡¯t hear it,¡± he said. ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll find a time to prepare a table full of Sichuan dishes for you, so you can try and pick them apart,¡± Jiang Weiming said. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t dare pick at your faults, Brother,¡± Jiang Weiguo said and, disregarding his two sons, walked away with Jiang Weiming. After the two elders had gone far away, Jiang Jiankang holding the bag asked, ¡°Second brother, are we still going to catch fathead fish?¡± Jiang Jiandang pondered, ¡°Well, since Dad has already scolded us, let¡¯s go for it. Who knows, we might catch some!¡± Jiang Jiankang thought this made sense, so the two brothers started fishing for fathead fish again. ¡°Don¡¯t always scold them. Your nephews are all grown up and they¡¯re filial, which is great,¡± Jiang Weiming advised. ¡°My two sons aren¡¯t even as filial as my apprentice.¡± ¡°How about finding a time to meet your apprentice?¡± ¡°After the New Year¡¯s over, if you have time, you should also go to Shu territory. I have a few old colleagues there, we haven¡¯t kept in touch for many years. They¡¯re more aplished than I am, with children and grandchildren carrying on the family business, especially Old Mr. Wu¡¯s granddaughter. She has a natural talent for the trade. I¡¯ll introduce you to her,¡± Jiang Weiming said. Jiang Feng finished stir-frying the ten tes of vegetables that Sir had specified and sat down on a kitchen chair to rest. With those ten tes, he had stir-fried twenty-eight tes of vegetables in total, and his hand was numb from all the flipping and tossing. For now, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want to do anything that involved using his hands, including ying with his phone. ¡°Feng, the pigs are oinking, they must be hungry. Go feed the pigs!¡± Mrs. Jiang shouted from the next room. ¡°Okay, Grandma!¡± Feng shouted back responsively. He rubbed his wrists, poured the leftovers from the swill bucket into the pig feed bucket along with the pigweed, mixed it, and carried it to the pigsty to feed the pigs. Two big pigs and two piglets eyed Feng keenly, snorting and roaring at the bucket in his hands. When Feng poured the feed into the trough, the four pigs swarmed over. The names of the pigs were given by Mrs. Jiang. Apart from Da Hua, who had already been ughtered, the names of the two remaining big pigs were Erhua and Sanhua, and the two piglets were named Sihua and Wuhua. They were named ording to their weight, and if Sanhua could surpass the others, its name could be changed to Erhua. But Sanhua probably wouldn¡¯t have that chance. Erhua waszy and loved to eat and sleep, resulting in most of its bulk being fat. Sanhua was different; though not as active as Da Hua, it did exercise now and then and looked quite sturdy. This year¡¯s New Year pig was likely to be Sanhua. Its hind leg would surely make a tasty ham! ¡°Sanhua, what do you think of how I stir-fried these vegetables?¡± Jiang Feng asked, looking at Sanhua. Sanhua buried its head in the feed, kicking Erhua with its strong hind leg for crowding it. That¡¯s one fine leg! Chapter 85 - 84 Father and Son Chapter 85: Chapter 84 Father and Son Trantor: 549690339 , Jiang Feng finished feeding the pigs and then went back to the kitchen to wait for Sir to return. Based on his many years of instruction by Sir, Jiang Feng knew that ¡°resting for a bit¡± meant not going beyond the kitchen area. If he really ran into the room to lie down like a ¡°Happy fatty,¡± he¡¯d have to spend the afternoon hanging from the sandbag in the backyard. So, Jiang Feng sat on the wooden chair in the kitchen and listened to a radio drama on his phone. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but don¡¯t you want to give something to your father¡­¡± ¡°Once with the Red Army, this one going down the mountain, the autumn wind¡­¡± Jiang Feng: ??? What the hell, the BGM for radio dramas is all this red and positive energy now? Then Jiang Feng realized that it was actually Jiang Weiming¡¯s phone ringing; both old gentlemen had gone out for a walk without their phones. The caller ID on the phone screen lit up with three big characters: Jiang Yanlu. It must be Jiang Weiming¡¯s grandson. ¡°Hello, yes?¡± Jiang Feng answered the phone. ¡°Hello, who areyou, where¡¯s my dad?¡± Jiang Yanlu, Jiang Weiming¡¯s eldest son, was so nervous that even his voice was trembling. ¡°I am¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, pyramid schemes are illegal. My dad is 97, and if anything happens to him, you¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Is it just money you want? We can give you money, as long as it¡¯s not too much, we can give it. Just let my dad go.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Why does he feel like he and the person on the other end of the call were not on the same page? He had only said seven words and it had escted from pyramid schemes to kidnapping. If he spoke any more, he reckoned it could directly lead to a death sentence. If exnations don¡¯t work, then don¡¯t bother exining. Anyway, the two Sirs would be back soon, and he could let Jiang Weiming call and talk to him himself. Jiang Feng felt that even if he did exin, the person on the other end probably wouldn¡¯t believe him. ¡°I can¡¯t make you understand, but when Granduncle Weiming gets back he¡¯ll call you back and exin it himself.¡± After Jiang Feng finished speaking, he hung up the phone and went back to listening to the radio drama in his original seat. ¡ã On the other end of the line, Jiang Yanlu felt his heart tum cold. He regretted leaving his father alone in the rural outskirts of the provincial city because of disagreements with his son and daughter-inw. Now something had happened¡ªhis father had been tricked by someone else! Jiang Yanlu stood in front of Jiang Weiming¡¯s rural house, tears streaming down his face with regret. When he thought about who was to me for all this, his anger red unchecked. He called his thirty-something, still leeching off his parents son and started berating him: ¡°You ungrateful thing, are you satisfied now? Your grandpa¡¯s been tricked and taken away by a scammer.¡± Jiang Yanlu¡¯s son, Ming, was ying cards and replied discontentedly ¡°Dad what are you ranting about now? If Grandpa¡¯s been conned by someone because he¡¯s senile, what¡¯s that got to do with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy here; I¡¯m hanging up if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Jiang Yanlu had his call ended by his son and, remembering the purpose of his visit, couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed by grief. He squatted on the ground and cried. It had not been easy; he had saved a few thousand yuan behind his son and daughter-inw¡¯s backs and rented a small apartment in Kolton City. This time, he secretly returned without telling anyone but his spouse, intending to take Jiang Weiming to live together. Once his father was there and the rent was paid, it would be a done deal, no matter how dissatisfied his son and daughter-inw were, and no matter how much they made a fuss. But why, oh why, was it just two days off? When he first arrived and saw the locked gate and no one inside, he thought that hang Weiming had gone to Jiang Weisheng¡¯s home again. But a phone call revealed that his father had already left for Zet City two days prior with some rtive named Feng. His dad had been on his own since his teens, without even a brother, so there were no such things as nephews or grand-nephews. Jiang Yanlu felt his father was getting old and senile, and Jiang Weisheng was also bing foolish from cooking every day, just watching as his father was swindled away by con artists. Jiang Yanlu had been squatting at the doorway crying for nearly ten minutes, until his phone rang again. Once the two old men returned, Jiang Feng immediately talked about the phone call, omitting the part where Jiang Yanlu thought he was a kidnapper. Sir went to find faults in the ten dishes of greens he had stir-fried for Jiang Feng, and Jiang Weiming picked up his mobile phone to call back Jiang Yanlu. Jiang Weiming was feeling somewhat conflicted. Jiang Yanlu was his eldest son, the child he favored most, but also the one who had hurt him the deepest. ¡°Hello.¡± The call connected. Hello, I was telling you¡­ Dad?¡± Jiang Yanlu was startled. ¡°What were you going to tell me?¡± Jiang Weiming walked to the kitchen doorway, ¡°I forgot to mention earlier that the grandson of my younger brother found me a few days ago; I am now in Zet City.¡± ¡°Dad, how could you not tell me about such a big matter? How do you know if the other party is not a scammer?¡± ¡°Scammer?¡± Jiang Weimingughed in annoyance, ¡°What is there to scam from me? What do I have that¡¯s worth scamming? I have no house, no car, barely any pension, I can¡¯t earn money, my son doesn¡¯t acknowledge me, and my grandson loathes me. I¡¯m just a decrepit old man from the countryside with not much longer to live. What¡¯s there to scam?¡± ¡°Dad, how can you say that? We wanted to take you in to live with us before but you refused, didn¡¯t you? Ming, he, he just doesn¡¯t know any better, no one detests you.¡± ¡°Right, he doesn¡¯t know any better. He¡¯s a thirty-year-old man, doesn¡¯t work lives in your home with his wife and kid, freeloading off you, despises me because I¡¯m an old grandpa who¡¯s useless and penniless, can¡¯t even cook a meal, wouldn¡¯t let me live in the house and made me stay in the storage room He¡¯s young, he doesn¡¯t understand; you¡¯re also young, you don¡¯t understand either, crushed under the oppression of your son and daughter-inw, not daring to so much as breathe.¡± Jiang Weiming grew angrier as he spoke, ¡°As a father, I set a poor example, I favored you for thirty years, turning you into this useless wreck, and also hurt your younger brother¡¯s heart so that he hasn¡¯t visited me for many years.¡± ¡°Even during the New Year, you wouldn¡¯te back to celebrate with me making this ny-something-year-old man travel to you instead to spend the holiday.¡± ¡°All of it is the karma I created for myself, the predicament I¡¯m in is the karma I brought upon myself! You dote on your precious son, willing to support him for a lifetime rather than take care of your father. You just stay put in Kolton City and don¡¯t worry about whether I live or die.¡± In a moment of rage, Jiang Weiming hung up the call. On the other end of the phone, Jiang Yanlu was so scolded by Jiang Weiming that he didn¡¯t know what to say. He had always thought that because his younger brother was unfilial, and his two sisters had married far away, his father had always favored him the most, would understand him, forgive him, and wouldn¡¯t me him. But the truth turned out to be that his father was deeply hurt by him; he had just never voiced it out loud. Jiang Yanlu cried, truly and deeply, heartbrokenly cried. At this end of the phone, Jiang Feng and Jiang Weiguo were dumbfounded. Jiang Weiguo had been reprimanding Jiang Feng that out of the ten dishes of greens, only one was passable, and identally overheard Jiang Weiming¡¯s domestic woes, thinking that this was the kind of situation that only happened in TV dramas. Now, the grandfather and grandson duo didn¡¯t dare to speak. Jiang Feng pondered that if he had dared to do what was done to his granduncle, at the age of thirty-refusing to let the old man stay in the house relegating him to the basement¡ª¡­ His parents, uncles, and aunts¡¯ hefty ps weren¡¯t just for show; they could turn Iron Man into the Hulk. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know what to say, and neither did Jiang Weiguo. He wasn¡¯t fond of gossip. Mrs. Jiang enjoyed listening to gossips and watching family drama, having heard a lot, she might have been able to promptlye up Withforting words, but Jiang Weiguo, other than suggesting starting over with a new one, had no idea what to say. ¡°Ah, having you witness such an embarrassment.¡± Jiang Weiming sighed, feeling very disheartened. Jiang Weiguo knew that he had to say something tofort his third brother now. ¡°Third brother, it¡¯s okay.¡± Jiang Weiguo said, ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s better to raise pigs than sons. With pigs, you feed them every day, and they grow meat that you can eat. Sons, you feed them every day, and all they do is eat and eat.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? The Jiang siblings, Jiang Jiandang and Jiang Jiankang, who were excited to have caught a big fish and were carrying it back into the kitchen: ??? They¡­. how did they offend Sir again? Chapter 86 - 85: Feeling Chapter 86: Chapter 85: Feeling Trantor: 549690339 Because they didn¡¯t know where they had offended Sir, Jiang Jiandang and Jiang Jiankang didn¡¯t dare to make a sound and carefully put the freshly caught fathead carp into a basin, thinking of slipping away. Jiang Weiguo, who was neither blind nor deaf, immediately noticed the two sons, each well over two hundred pounds, entering the kitchen. He turned around and caught them in the act. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sir asked. It was a challenge that didn¡¯t have to be voiced for Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang. Jiang Jiandang cautiously said, ¡°Third brother and I just caught these fish, delivering fish.¡¯1 The nearly thirty-pound fathead carp, pping its short tail in a dry basin, struggled and sshed, making the iron basin tter loudly. Such arge fathead carp must have hidden under the pond for a long time to reach this size, living a life of barely scraping by for so many years, only to be unfortunately caught by the two brothers today. Jiang Jiankang couldn¡¯t help drooling just thinking about it. He couldn¡¯t eat spicy food, no problem. Spicy dishes were divided into tasty ones and nasty ones, and the tasty ones Jiang Jiankang could manage to eat if he really tried. Who was Jiang Weiming? He was Sir¡¯s very own younger brother! Sir often said thatpared with his six brothers, he was nothing, not even worth a fart. Sir¡¯s culinary skills were something that Jiang Jiankang and his brothers couldn¡¯t evene close to. Now that the legendary Uncle had reappeared, could his cooking skills be anything less than extraordinary? Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang were looking forward to the chopped chili fish head at noon. Seeing that the fathead carp was indeed of good quality, Sir¡¯s expression softened a bit and he said, ¡°Third brother, I¡¯ll make you a fish head tofu soup for lunch. We¡¯re both so old now, it¡¯s not worth it to get upset over those unfilial children and damage our health.¡± Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang:!!! /)/ ¡°Any objections?¡± Sir asked. ¡°No objections, no objections,¡± they answered in unison, quickly making their exit. Sir went to gut the fish, and the live fathead carp quickly became yet another soul under his knife. Since Jiang Feng had practiced a lot in the morning, Sir didn¡¯t let him help and instead asked him to call Jiang Jiankang in to assist. Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang were chatting in front of the pigpen. ¡°Brother, when we were fishing just now, there was another big one down there, definitely another fathead carp, or maybe a grass carp,¡± Jiang Jiankang analyzed. ¡°I saw it too. Let¡¯s go fishing for it tomorrow. If it¡¯s a fathead carp, we can make chopped chili fish head, and if it¡¯s a grass carp, we can make boiled fish. Both are good. Dad is great at cooking everything, he just doesn¡¯t know how to do spicy food,¡± Jiang Jiandang agreed. ¡°It¡¯s fine to have spicy food asionally. Didn¡¯t sister-inw post in the group a few days ago that eating spicy food regrly is bad for the stomach?¡± Jiang Jiankang said as he saw Jiang Feng approaching, ¡°Son, why are you out here?¡± ¡°Grandpa wants you toe in and help,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Jiankang headed to the kitchen and left Jiang Jiandang alone by the pigpen. ¡°Feng, started dating yet?¡± Jiang Jiandang asked, using the ultimate question elders bust out during the New Year. Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­not yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯re twenty now; it¡¯s time to date. You¡¯re not like your second cousin; he¡¯s in medical school and it¡¯s tough to find a girlfriend with so much hair loss,¡± Jiang Jiandang said. ¡°Actually, us physics majors lose hair too,¡± Jiang Feng felt he had to set the record straight for those studying physics. ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Jiang Jiandang waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Your second uncle is a medical student, I understand. Those studying medicine lose hair quickly. Your dad shaves his head because of the greasy smoke in the kitchen making his hair dirty and hard to wash. Your second uncle¡¯s baldnesses from not having much hair left, so he just shaved it all.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ No more talking; time to offer a candle for my second cousin¡¯s hair. Jiang Jiandang was chatting with Jiang Feng for no more than a couple of minutes when a call came through. It seemed to be about thest installment of the demolitionpensation, and Jiang Jiandang went inside to answer the call, leaving Jiang Feng by the pigpen. There wasn¡¯t much entertainment in the countryside, so Jiang Feng took out his phone to scroll through his social media feed and noticed that Wu Minqi had sent him a message six minutes earlier. ¡°The registration for thepetition starts today, don¡¯t forget,¡± When he checked the official website, it was indeed today. The registration process was quiteplex, requiring name, ce of origin, ID number, address, and there was an optional field for the restaurant one belongs to. Thepetition seemed quite grand¡ªif a restaurant chef ced high, it could serve as promotion for the restaurant. Jiang Feng initially intended to fill in Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, but then after rethinking, he cheekily filled in Taifeng Building instead. After ruefully considering the three-hundred registration fee, Jiang Feng clicked submit. The system disyed ¡°registration sessful¡± and indicated that the specific time of thepetition would be notified by pher on. After ying with his phone for a while, Mrs. Jiang called for dinner, and everyone excitedly scurried to the dining hall. The meal was plentiful, with fish head tofu soup, the chicken stewedst night, stir-fried vegetables, and a small stir-fried pork dish. Although the vegetables were stir-fried by Sir, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t feel like reaching for them upon seeing them. After stir-frying vegetables all morning and likely all afternoon to follow, plus facing them for the next few days, Jiang Feng found it really hard to muster any appetite for stir-fried greens. As expected, Jiang Feng stir-fried vegetables for the next three days straight. Three days of intensive Fire Control practice paid off, as Jiang Feng finally managed to rue thest bit of proficiency needed, and his Fire Control level rose to Advanced. His system panel now disyed: Knife skills (Advanced): Your knifework has surpassed that of most chefs. (Proficiency: 70231/100000) Fire Control (Advanced): Your fire control has surpassed that of most chefs. (Proficiency: 14/100000) Seasoning (Intermediate): You can achieve the proper saltiness. (Proficiency: 9652/10000) Seasoning was still a few hundred points short; stir-frying greens daily added little to his seasoning proficiency. Jiang Feng estimated that by around the New Year, his Seasoning should be close to reaching Advanced. Once Fire Control reached Advanced, the most direct feeling for Jiang Feng was that he had found his touch. Sir had always scolded him forcking feel in his cooking, and Jiang Feng himself didn¡¯t know what ¡®feel¡¯ was supposed to be. But the moment the game indicated his Fire Control had advanced to the next level, Jiang Feng knew, his touch had arrived. It was no longer discovering the fire was off only after the vegetables were overcooked. From the moment his hand touched the wok and spat, and his eyes fell on the vegetables inside, his body¡¯s sensation would tell him how high the mes should be, and when it was time to remove them from the heat. For a genius, the moment his hand touched the wok, his instinct would tell him how to cook the dish. Others could only find that feel through constant practice. Finally, he stir-fried a dish of greens with Advanced level Fire Control, and Sir took a look, then for the first time, picked up a piece with chopsticks to try, saying, ¡°This is eptable, it counts as progress.¡± [Ding, you¡¯ve earned one experience point.] Sir was stingy with his praise, but Jiang Weiming was not. He too tasted it and praised, ¡°Not bad, better than when your grandfather learned at your age.¡± [Ding, you¡¯ve earned one experience point.] Jiang Feng: I feel like you¡¯re fooling me¡­ ¡°When I was twenty, I certainly couldn¡¯t stir-fry vegetables into this sorry state.¡± Sir was not quite satisfied, although he was overall happy, ¡°Alright, take a rest today. No need to stir-fry the rest of the greens, just feed them directly to the pigs. Tomorrow, practice stir-frying potatoes.¡± After eating greens for several days, Jiang Feng felt the pigs were about to turn green themselves. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t have anyone to share the good news that Sir had finally acknowledged him, so he went to the pigsty to share with the pigs that tasted his cooking every day. ¡°Tomorrowyou¡¯ll get to eat stir-fried potatoes, Sanhua, are you excited?¡± Mrs. Jiang intended to see if the pigs were hungry and needed feeding, but then she heard Jiang Feng¡¯s conversation with Sanhua and turned around to enter the kitchen, where she fiercely twisted Jiang Weiguo¡¯s ear. ¡°Making Feng stir- fry vegetables every day without changing it up. I just went to the pigsty and saw Feng talking to Sanhua. My fine grandson is going to go stupid at this rate from learning to cook!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Feng talking to Sanhua? I used to talk to Da Hua every day, too!¡± Jiang Weiguo protested, feeling a bit aggrieved. ¡°I think you¡¯ve also gone stupid from learning!¡± Mrs. Jiang said. Jiang Weiming silently watched the drama without a word.. Chapter 87 - 86 Potatoes Chapter 87: Chapter 86 Potatoes Trantor: 549690339 Potatoes are an almost omnipotent ingredient. Originating from the Andes Mountains in South America, they were introduced to China in the 16th century. As an imported product, they have high yield per acre and are easy to grow. Mrs. Jiang, having nothing better to do, nted half an acre of potatoes, which Jiang Feng could cook however he wanted-steam, boil, bake, fry, saute, cook, deep-fry-you name it, but in the end, they were all for the pigs to eat. Compared to leafy greens, Jiang Feng also preferred potatoes. Leafy greens only required fire control and a bit of seasoning, but it was different with potatoes, not only could he practice generous amounts of knifework and fire control, but he could also use more seasoning than when stir-frying greens. Consequently, Sir Jiang¡¯s ways of scolding him also increased. ¡ö¡öAre those supposed to be potato slices? Why are you cutting them so thin? Are you cooking for immortals? ¡ö¡öAre you stir-frying potatoes or deep-frying them? Can¡¯t even add oil properly. Do you need so much oil for that te of shredded potato? Cut six more shreds, quick! If the oil gets too hot, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ll do!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t eat lunch, huh? How are you flipping the wok? You¡¯re about to flip the vegetables right out of it.¡± ¡°Just praised you the other day and you¡¯ve already be arrogant, huh? Look at those potato slices you fried, don¡¯t you feel you¡¯ve added too much cooking wine?¡± Sir Jiang roared like a tyrant, while Jiang Weiming was the assassin delivering the finishing blows. ¡°You didn¡¯t shake the wok right just now.¡± ¡°Those potato strips are not fried long enough. ¡°You added the thickening too soon.¡± ¡®Your knife veered off just a moment ago. Jiang Feng endured the pain with pleasure. Being taught by two master chefs was an incredibly fortunate thing. Ordinary cooks would be lucky to get pointers from one master, but here he had two. Toin any more would be ungrateful for his good fortune. But, it was truly exhausting. Half an acre of potatoes, over six hundred pounds, Jiang Feng used them all up in less than ten days. The four pigs in the pen ate potatoes every day,ying on the ground with their bellies turned up, especially Erhua, who ate the most. Whatever amount there was, she ate it all, adding yet anotheryer of fat. These days, once out of the kitchen, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want to do anything but lie in bed and sleep. When his eyes were open, he saw potatoes, and when they were closed, he still saw potatoes. His mind was filled with various methods of cooking potatoes, everything he ate tasted like potatoes, and everything he saw looked like potatoes. After stir-frying thest pan of potatoes, Jiang Feng felt as if he had been through an ordeal. What would be next-sweet potatoes, eggnts, or cucumbers? Mrs. Jiang had also nted some cucumbers. Picking them all should be enough for a day s practice. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve been working hard these past few days, Feng. The new year is almost here. Take a couple of days off and go y in the city with your cousins¡± Seeing thest te of sour and spicy shredded potatoes, which was clearly not up to par, Jiang Weiguo not only refrained from scolding him but also gave Jiang Feng a well-deserved break. Jiang Feng: (i¡¯o¡¯)i A holiday? A holiday! He actually got a holiday!! Jiang Feng zipped out of the kitchen so fast, not wanting to linger for a moment longer. Jiang Feng pulled out a sticker that his second cousin often posted in the family group chat from his phone album showing ¡°I¡¯ll look for you guys to hang out once I¡¯m out,¡± and sent it to their little cousin group chat. Studying physics is nice, just can¡¯t understand it: [Image] Studying medicine is nice, except for the cold head: Yo, Fengfeng¡¯s broken out of jail. Designer¡¯s life is good as long as you have a good temperament: Did grandpa say we coulde over for meals again? Your humble servant from business management (third cousin): Shouldn¡¯t youe over to my ce for a meal today, Second Brother? Learning physics is fine; it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t get it: Grandpa has kicked me out~(SVg)/~ After chatting with a few cousins about this and that, Jiang Feng finally felt a bit like he wasing back to life. He had leveled up his seasoning skill to advanced a few days ago, but at that time, he was so numb from frying potatoes he didn¡¯t feel much. Now that he was suddenly ¡®released from prison,¡¯ he thought of checking his attribute panel. Knifework (Advanced): Your knifework has surpassed that of the vast majority of chefs. (Proficiency: 86111/100000) Fire Control (Advanced): Your fire control has surpassed that of the vast majority of chefs. (Proficiency: 7962/100000) Seasoning (Advanced): Your seasoning has surpassed that of the vast majority of chefs. (Proficiency: 4765/100000) in just ten days, he had increased his knifework proficiency by over ten thousand¡ªa truly painful enlightenment. Jiang Feng went back to his room to pack his bags, then dragged his suitcase to town, ready to take a minibus back to n City. He needed a good return to the life of a normal person, or if that didn¡¯t work out, evenzing around at home for a few days would do. Jiang Weiming, hearing the noise of Jiang Feng dragging his suitcase in the kitchen, said helplessly, ¡°Feng hasn¡¯t been in the right state of mind these past two days; he couldn¡¯t even tell light soy sauce from dark soy sauce this morning.¡± ¡°Frying dishes nonstop for ten days would wear anyone down-even if they were made of iron, they¡¯d struggle to tell the difference,¡± Jiang Weiguo, who had been watching Feng¡¯s condition over these days, said with a sigh as he looked at Weiming. ¡°Third brother, you¡¯re too impatient.¡± ¡°You know very well that culinary skills can¡¯t be rushed, and you¡¯ve pushed Feng too hard. If I don¡¯t let him rest for a few days, my olddy is going to have a bone to pick with me.¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s my fault,¡± Jiang Weiming said, looking at a bucket full of water and potatoes. ¡°Feng is a good kid.¡± ¡°Thed really does obey, and with New Year¡¯s just around the corner, let the kids have their fun. Don¡¯t be so impatient; we still have time to teach slowly. There¡¯s not much time left. Jiang Weiming thought to himself but didn¡¯t voice it out loud. Beyond the initial euphoria of recognition, Jiang Weiming became increasingly aware that time was running short. Jiang Feng was still too young; his fundamentals were solid, but many of his skills were not up to snuff. And yet, Weiming himself was getting too old. He possessed exceptional culinary knowledge, but no one to pass it on to. He was afraid that Jiang Feng was learning too slowly; he was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t have enough time to teach. He was all too aware that his younger brother¡¯s techniques in flipping a big spoon and deboning a whole chicken were not yet perfected-what use was his own high level of skill? His body, increasingly failing, and his gging spirits constantly reminded him that he was an old man who could stumble into the gates of death at any moment. The unique culinary skills of the Jiang family-deboning, filleting fish, caramelizing, and making sauce-thickening slurry-were things Jiang Weiming hadn¡¯t fully mastered himself, but he was stronger than Jiang Weiguo, and he knew much more than him. He was really impatient, wishing he could immediately pass on all his life¡¯s knowledge to Jiang Feng. Perhaps, he had been too impatient. Little brother was right; pushing the child like this would only harm him. ¡°Let¡¯s take it slow,¡± Jiang Weiming said, lowering his eyes. That was the only option left. *This chapter is an additional update. If anyone has any opinions about this book, feel free to express them, but please refrain from personal attacks. I generally don¡¯t delete discussions orments from chapters; you can attack the author, but please don¡¯t attack the characters I create in my writing. I like all the characters I write; I¡¯m not good at writing viins, so I don¡¯t write them. [No, please don¡¯t attack the author ] Sir Jiang is a chef, and he is part of that very small top rung of cooks. My setting where he rejects hormone-injected meat because he pursues high-quality ingredients, and my setting where Jiang Family Members all weigh over 200 pounds, are intentional. Whether you mean it or not, whether it¡¯s a joke or not, calling the Jiang family members 200-pound pigs upsets me. I¡¯m upset, I¡¯m really upset, I¡¯m extremely upset! Myparative-level upsetness. They¡¯re all characters 1 created, characters I like, fictional beings of my creation. If someone insults them, I¡¯m supetively upset! Every kind of adjective form of upset!! ¡®(¡¯/?] z)_ Four updates! PS: I got the group number wrong in the content introduction. It can only be changed after a week. The correct group number is: 781556033 Chapter 89 - 88 Sugar Chapter 89 - 88 Sugar Chapter 89: Chapter 88 Sugar Trantor: 549690339 Pan Ling, fuming, went to find the vegetable stall owner and came back with another, evenrger radish that was also a bit moldy. Jiang Feng:¡­ Well, that vendor really has a knack for swindling people relentlessly, a rare sight indeed. Jiang Feng asked Pan Ling to take him to the vegetable stall, and they went to confront the vendor together. ¡°Little girl, why are you back again? Didn¡¯t I give you a bigger radish without charging you extra when youined about the freshness? You agreed to it just then, didn¡¯t you?¡± The stall owner was a middle-aged uncle in his forties or fifties, ring silly videos on his phone with the speaker on. Seeing Pan Linge back, he was clearly irritated. Realizing that this vendor was new and he hadn¡¯t seen him before, Jiang Feng said, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re being a bit unjust this time. Swindling someone once and being caught, then attempting to swindle them again.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, young man?¡± The vendor stood up, trying to intimidate Jiang Feng with his mere 180-pound frame. Jiang Feng was not just anybody; a mere 180-pound strongman was nothing in his eyes. He took out the radish and ced it on the stall: ¡°This radish is moldy too. You see how to deal with it.¡± The vendor fell silent. ¡°Either refund the money or exchange it. My ssmate didn¡¯t know she got ripped off. If she had already taken it home, she would have had to ept it, but since you¡¯ve been caught doing something so underhanded on the spot, you also have to ept it,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Alright, alright, if you¡¯re dissatisfied, then you¡¯re dissatisfied. You¡¯re making a fuss about the radish being moldy. You should umte some virtue with your words at your young age. If you want to exchange it, exchange it yourself,¡± the vendor shouted impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯te back a third time. Are you thinking I¡¯m too good-natured to exploit?¡± Pan Ling was too angry to let it go and wanted to quarrel with the vendor but was stopped by Jiang Feng. They were just there to exchange the radish; there was no need to argue over such a small matter. Among the few radishes on the stall, Jiang Feng picked through them, finding only two good ones. The rest were more or less moldy. He nced at the unfriendly-faced vendor and mentally condemned the vegetable stall. Without a diamond drill, it dared to undertake the work of swindling customers with ceramics; this vegetable stall wouldn¡¯tst long. After exchanging the radish, Jiang Feng went to the meat stall to buy some pork. He had previously bought carrots and, passing by a nearby vegetable stall, saw some decent-looking green peppers, so he bought a few. Now he headed to a meat stall to buy a couple of ounces of pork loin to stir-fry with green peppers and made some stir-fried carrots as well. The three friends would enjoy the hot pot together blissfully. After visiting several meat stalls, either the lean loin meat was sold out, or the cuts of meat were really poor. Left with no choice, Jiang Feng had to settle for a piece of pork belly to take home. Chen Xiuxiu enjoyed eating the pork belly stir-fried with hot peppers. In her words, the alternation of fat and lean meatbined with the spiciness made for a particrly satisfying chew. Once they finished their shopping, from the vegetable stalls to the meat stalls, Chen Xiuxiu was still picking out meatballs by the freezer. ¡°Pan Pan, you¡¯re finally here. Do you think we should get the mushroom balls or the Beef Balls? And what about these crab sticks and fish sticks, not to mention the purple potato balls, should I buy them? For themb, should I get the box that¡¯s 48 yuan or the one that¡¯s 58 yuan?¡± Pan Ling crept up behind Chen Xiuxiu and poked her, but without turning around, Chen Xiuxiu continued examining the meatballs in the freezer. ¡°I¡¯d advise against buying their Beef Balls,¡± said Jiang Feng. The mushroom balls came in bagged packaging from a well-known brand, so they probably wouldn¡¯t taste too bad, but the Beef Balls seemed to be made by the store themselves, and he didn¡¯t have much faith in their quality. Chen Xiuxiu turned around to see Jiang Feng also holding a few bags of vegetables: ¡°Weren¡¯t you out of town? Are Uncle and Auntie back with you?¡± ¡°I came back alone. Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight, at my ce. I¡¯ll cook us a couple more dishes,¡± Jiang Feng stepped closer to look at the meatballs in the freezer. They were all the same, all frozen and not very fresh. ¡°These meatballs are all the same; just pick a few at random. The 48 yuan and 58 yuanmb meat from this store are identical. There¡¯s another store up front where they sell freshmb slices. We can check it out in a bit to see if there¡¯s any left.¡± ¡°Sure, you go ahead and pick,¡± said Chen Xiuxiu, who had great trust in Jiang Feng¡¯s skill in selecting ingredients. Jiang Feng chose a few of each type of meatbail, then led them to a shop in the corner to buy two boxes ofmb. The three friends carried several bags of groceries home. Jiang Feng had already stayed one night at home with Jiang Weiming. Apart from the bedroom and kitchen, which they did not clean, there was a lot of dust umted elsewhere over the dozen or so days they had been away. Jiang Feng went to the kitchen to prepare the groceries while Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling willingly helped mop the floors. After a busy session, Jiang Feng had two dishes cooked and the pot for hot pot was boiling on the table. The pot¡¯s base was a cheap 19.9 yuan hot pot base, which essentially lost its vor once boiled and mixed with other ingredients, which is why Chen Xiuxiu specifically bought two packs, just in case. The three friends gathered around the hot pot, watching the bubbles churning inside the pot and enjoying the pleasant atmosphere. ¡°Eh, howe you stir-fried with pork belly today? You alwaysin about it being too fatty,¡± Chen Xiuxiu eximed in surprise upon seeing the pepper-fried pork. ¡°There was only pork belly avable,¡± replied Jiang Feng. Chen Xiuxiu took a chopstickful to taste. [Ding, you¡¯ve earned 1 experience point.] Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°It¡¯s too fatty; it doesn¡¯t taste as good as when it¡¯s stir-fried with lean meat,¡± added Chen Xiuxiu, frowning. Jiang Feng:¡­ Heh, fickle woman. You didn¡¯t say that a few years ago. ¡°Fat? I think it should be okay, I just saw Jiang Feng seemed to have cut off quite a bit of the fat. Let me try.¡± Pan Ling reached out with her chopsticks. [Ding, you have gained 377 experience points.] Jiang Feng: !!! His look at Pan Ling suddenly changed. She was not just Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s best friend, not just a friend on the surface, Pan Ling was simply an angel, the most generous person Jiang Feng had met so far in giving out experience points! ¡°It¡¯s delicious, super delicious! This is the best spicy pork stir-fry I¡¯ve ever had!¡± Pan Ling praised without thinking, ¡°It tastes way better than what my mom cooks, and even better than our school cafeteria!¡± ¡°Jiang Feng, did you deep-fry this meat?¡± Pan Ling asked curiously, ¡°How did you do it? Teach me, is there a secret recipe or something? I¡¯ll go tell my mom, hercookingis really bad!¡± ¡°If you think your mom¡¯s cooking is bad, why don¡¯t you cook yourself? But yeah, your mom¡¯s cooking is really not good,¡± Chen Xiuxiu remarked sarcastically. ¡°It was actually decent a few years ago, but these past few years she¡¯s been reading all sorts of rubbish articles on WeChat, talking about how using too much salt, soy sauce, and seasoning is bad for health. Every time she cooks, she almost wants to weigh the salt and soy sauce on a scale first¡ªthe taste¡­ sigh!¡± Pan Ling sighed deeply, filled with bitterness and tears. ¡°Jiang Feng has been learning to cook since he was a child; his family runs a restaurant, you know that. Ah, that¡¯s right, you haven¡¯t eaten in their restaurant before, have you? Uncle Jiang¡¯s cooking is even more delicious than his,¡± Chen Xiuxiu bluntly revealed Jiang Feng¡¯s background. Jiang Feng:¡­ Please remove that ¡®even more.¡¯ ¡°My mom doesn¡¯t let me eat outside, she says it¡¯s not clean. Haven¡¯t you seen that I always eat with you guys at the school cafeteria in the evening?¡± Pan Ling said with a wry face, ¡°She only goes on business trips a few days a year, and during that time, I have to seize the chance to eat fried chicken. Who has time to go to Jiang Feng¡¯s family restaurant?¡± Pan Ling said as she grabbed another piece of meat. [Ding, you have gained 392 experience points.] Jiang Feng looked at Pan Ling, feeling as though she was surrounded by a holy light. Chen Xiuxiu took a bite of a carrot. [Ding, you have gained 47 experience points.] ¡°Your stir-fried carrot has improved a lot since the summer,¡± Chen Xiuxiu said, ¡°I remember before I left, you made me that tomato and egg stir-fry, you put so much salt it almost killed me.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ I¡¯m begging you, stop talking, don¡¯t bring up the dark history. ¡°But why did you add sugar when you stir-fried the carrot?¡± Chen Xiuxiu asked. Jiang Feng was stunned. He had indeed added sugar, maybe just sprinkled a dozen granules in because he was distracted at the time. The sugar and salt jars were ced side by side, and he mistook the sugar for salt. But he quickly realized it and a slight shake of his hand had dropped some into the pan. Chen Xiuxiu actually tasted it. ¡°Do you¡­ think it¡¯s sweet?¡± Jiang Feng was astonished. ¡°It¡¯s not particrly sweet, but I tasted the vor of white sugar. I just don¡¯t understand why you would put sugar in a stir-fried carrot. Is this amon practice in n City?¡± Chen Xiuxiu asked curiously. Jiang Feng was truly dumbfounded by her sense of taste. So the legendary tongue really existed. He knew Chen Xiuxiu had a sensitive pte; when they went to eat at street stalls, whether the vendor had added MSG and how much they¡¯d put in, she could tell with just a taste. She was the ultimate street stall lightning rod. But Jiang Feng had not realized Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s taste buds were so incredibly sensitive. At that moment, Jiang Feng really felt like channeling Sir¡¯s tone and patting Chen Xiuxiu on the shoulder saying¡ª You¡¯re a damned waste not bing a chef! Chapter 90 - 89 Arm-Wrestling (First Update) Chapter 90: Chapter 89 Arm-Wrestling (First Update) Trantor: 549690339??????? r 7 In the time that followed, Jiang Feng was passionately rmending dishes for Pan Ling to try. Each bite of meat gave her three to four hundred experience points, a bite of carrot over two hundred, and even a bite of green pepper scored her more than a hundred! Perhaps because the hot pot base wasn¡¯t fried by Jiang Feng himself, even though he attended to everyone diligently, helping them cook in the hotpot, fetching ingredients, and mixing sauces with great enthusiasm, the game did not count the hotpot as his dish, so he gained no experience points from it. By the end of the meal, Jiang Feng¡¯s experience points surged to (49901/50000), just 99 points short of leveling up to 10. If it weren¡¯t for Pan Ling truly being too full to eat, and the fact that there weren¡¯t any good dishes left on the te, just a few slices of chili pepper, Jiang Feng really wanted to persuade Pan Lin to take one more bite of chili pepper to secure thatst 99 experience points. After they finished eating, the table was a mess. Cleaning the pot and dishes after the meal is always the most painful task, but someone has to do it. Pan Ling was a guest, so obviously she wouldn¡¯t be asked to wash the dishes, leaving only Jiang Feng and Chen Xiuxiu to decide who would tackle the chore. Their gazes met, each clearly conveying the same message through their eyes. You do the dishes! ¡°Let¡¯s arm wrestle for it!¡± Jiang Feng, looking at Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s arms, which were slimmer than his own and thinking about how rigorously he had stirred the wok these past few days, felt that his biceps were almost sculpted and that he would surely win an arm wrestling match against the sub-ioo-pound Chen Xiuxiu. ¡°Okay!¡± Chen Xiuxiu agreed readily, took off her coat, and rolled up her sleeves. Revealing her muscr forearms. Jiang Feng silently touched his own forearm. ¡°You¡­ have been working out?¡± Jiang Feng hesitated. ¡°Mhm,¡± Chen Xiuxiu responded, ¡°I thought what you said made sense. Relying on diet alone leads to easy weight rebounding; it¡¯s more sustainable to work out. I got a membership at a gym next to our school and even took personal training sessions. The results are indeed very good.¡± It wasn¡¯t just good, Jiang Feng felt that he didn¡¯t have as much muscle on his arms as Chen Xiuxiu did. However, Jiang Feng, being a guy and someone who worked physically in the kitchen, thought that with Chen Xiuxiu being lighter than him and at a gender disadvantage, even if she was working out, he should be able to win an arm wrestle. This time, he had to reim all the losses from the past decade of arm wrestling in Onego! Come on!¡± Jiang Feng said with determination. With Pan Ling acting as the referee, the two sped their right hands together, and the silent battlemenced. After ten seconds, Jiang Feng was holding his right arm, questioning his life choices. Just like every arm wrestling match for the past decade or so, Jiang Feng was defeated in seconds. Without even a struggle. Jiang Feng felt that Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s strength seemed even greater now. Perhaps he should also go to the gym and train for half a year, thene back during summer vacation to settle the score. Jiang Feng pondered this serious question as he washed the dishes. Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling went back next door, and after Jiang Feng finished the dishes, he washed up early andy on his bed like every other couch potato, sprawled out while ying on his phone. Jiang Feng brushed through the news absentmindedly while pondering what dishes to prepare for the next day, hoping to entice Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling back for more experience points. And if he could trick a few cousins intoing as well, that would be great. Although they wouldn¡¯t provide many points, even a little is still something. While contemting the menu for tomorrow, Jiang Feng suddenly remembered something serious and hastily opened his property panel. After thest game update, a new note appeared stating that every 10 levels a new feature would be unlocked. Unlocking a new feature means a game update right? This just won¡¯t do! If it¡¯s going to be one of those updates thatst for months, Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t be able to use his Appraisal Skill. If the update isn¡¯t finished before the culinarypetition starts, with his current skill level Jiang Feng would have a hard time judging whether his dishes were sessful or not. The intermediate Appraisal Skill is pretty useful in some situations. At least it could roughly tell Jiang Feng what problems were present in his cooking. But he is only short by 99 experience points. Waiting until March clearly isn¡¯t an option, as he still needs to return to his rural hometown to practice cooking. Although most of his creations end up being eaten by Erhua, Sanhua, Sihua, and Wuhua, Sir and Jiang Weiming would asionally get a taste of what they considered passable dishes. A bite for you and one for me, a bite today and another tomorrow, those 99 experience points will surelye by. Jiang Feng always remembered that he still had two segments of memory in his inventory unviewed. Both memories belonged to Li Mingyi, obtained by touching photographs. Now he couldn¡¯t even distinguish which one came from which photo. He casually picked one and clicked yes. As the blurred scenery gradually came into focus, Jiang Feng found himself in a bustling kitchen. It was crowded, with men and women all busily engaged in their work. Jiang Huiqin, who still looked to be only in her teens, stood at the kitchen doorway. Her maidservant was by her side, tugging at her sleeve, preventing her entry while incessantly pleading, ¡°Missus, Missus, you really can¡¯t go in there!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I go in? I usually have free ess to the kitchen, so why can¡¯t I enter today?¡± Jiang Huiqin struggled to free herself from the maidservant¡¯s grasp. ¡°Qin, stop tugging. I¡¯m just going to make granny some syrup zed sweet potatoes, nothing else. It won¡¯t take much time, and granny loves this dish the most.¡± ¡°Missus, today is different, today is New Year¡¯s Eve. All the rtives from far and near, the young misses, young masters, and their wives, have gone to the rear hall to apany Sir. It¡¯s not proper for you to be in the kitchen,¡± Qin firmly held onto Jiang Huiqin¡¯s sleeve, refusing to let go. Jiang Huiqin became anxious, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve that I must make the syrup zed sweet potatoes. Granny was still talking about this dish a few days ago. Yesterday, I went to Taifeng Building especially to get some tips from my brother on frying sugar and pulling syrup. Ah, let go! If you weren t pulling at me, I would have already finished, and granny could be enjoying it by now.¡± ¡°No matter what, you can¡¯t go in today! Those clothes you¡¯re wearing are newly made. Madam had the tailore specially to make them for you. If you dirty them while cooking, Madam will certainly be displeased! Missus, just one dayter, even tomorrow it would still be fine!¡± Qin blocked the doorway with her entire body, standing firmly in front of Jiang Huiqin as if prepared to face the grave consequences. It s not the same!¡± Jiang Huiqin tried to push her way into the kitchen, ¡°Today is different from tomorrow. How can a New Year¡¯s Eve reunion dinner be the same as leftovers from the first day of the New Year?¡± The people inside the kitchen seemed deaf, with not one of them ncing towards the doorway. They continued with their own tasks as if Jiang Huiqin and Qin were not standing at the entrance. ¡°Young master, young master, you finally came. Please persuade the Missus. She insists on cooking for Sir right now,¡± Qin eximed, seeing Li Mingyi walking towards them, as if she had seen a savior. ¡°Mingyi, you have to deal with Qin. She¡¯s just not letting me in to make syrup zed sweet potatoes for granny!¡± Jiang Huiqin alsoined to Li Mingyi. ¡°Today is Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve; Granny would be thrilled to have your syrup zed sweet potatoes. Qin, there¡¯s no need to stop the youngdy. Huiqin, I didn t see you in the rear hall just now, so I guessed you might havee to the kitchen,¡± Li Mingyi said with a smile. ¡°Young master, you don¡¯t understand. This year, the silk shops in the capital are out of stock. The youngdy only has this set of new clothes. If she gets her clothes dirty, especially with sticky sugar that is hard to wash off, she will have to wear old clothes for the New Year. Madam will surely be unhappy, and the youngdy will certainly get scolded,¡± Qinmented. ¡°After all, I¡¯ve also learned from my brother for a few years. I¡¯m not some kitchen apprentice who sshes food all over themselves. How could I possibly dirty myself!¡± Jiang Huiqin coaxed Li Mingyi while holding onto his sleeve, Mingyi, I can¡¯t push Qin aside. You ¡®re stronger, so quickly pull her away!¡± Alright, Qin, move aside. I understand you¡¯re worried the kitchen smoke will dirty the youngdy¡¯s clothes, but I¡¯ll apany her. If we get dirty, we¡¯ll get dirty together, and if we get scolded, we¡¯ll face it together. If Huiqin doesn¡¯t make that syrup zed sweet potatoes today, she won¡¯t be able to sleep,¡± Li Mingyi assured with a grin. Having no other choice, Qin relented and stepped aside. Jiang Huiqin finally got her way, pulling Li Mingyi with her into the kitchen. Chapter 91 - 90 Year Thirty (1) [2nd Update] Chapter 91: Chapter 90 Year Thirty (1) [2nd Update] Trantor: 549690339 | The kitchen was bustling with people. At a nce, Jiang Feng could see at least three chefs frying dishes. Along with the helpers, messengers, and stewards, the spacious kitchen seemed somewhat cramped. ¡°Wang, do you have the cut sweet potatoes ready?¡± Jiang Huiqin stopped a familiar kitchen helper to ask. ¡°Yes, Master Chen just cut them. I will go get them for you, young mistress,¡± Wang answered, putting aside his current task to fetch the cut sweet potatoes for Jiang Huiqin. ¡°Huiqin, do you need any help from me?¡± Li Mingyi seemed eager to try his hand as well. ¡°Just stand over there. Be careful not to get oil on your clothes and dirty them,¡± Jiang Huiqin pointed him to a spot far from the stove. ¡°Last time when I was making sea cucumber and egg custard, I asked you to beat an egg and you ended up sttering it all over yourself, resulting in a good scolding from mother.¡± Li Mingyi gave a sheepish smile and obediently went to the spot Jiang Huiqin pointed out, ¡°That was my first time. If you make one mistake, you can avoid it the next time. If I practice a couple more times, I won¡¯t make a mess, right?¡± ¡°Forget it. Those hands of yours are made for writing, not cooking. You still need to prepare for college next year! It¡¯s already good enough that you can use chopsticks, let alone learning a couple more times. If mother finds out, she¡¯ll ban me from the kitchen!¡± said Jiang Huiqin with augh. Seeing Wanging with the cut sweet potatoes, she turned her attention to them instead of looking at Li Mingyi. Master Chen, the old chef from Taifeng Building, had cut the sweet potatoes into two-centimeter wide chunks with a rolling cut. He had followed Jiang Chengde to Beiping from the Northeast and had only agreed to be the Li Family¡¯s head chef because of Jiang Huiqin. Even though the dynasty had already fallen, there were still plenty of nobles and their descendants in Beiping City. Li Mingyi¡¯s grandfather was only a fifth- rank official, which was nothing special in Beiping. ¡°Master Chen, I¡¯m going to use your sweet potatoes. If you need them, cut some more for yourself!¡± Jiang Huiqin shouted across the distance to Master Chen, who was busy cooking. ¡°Okay,¡± Master Chen acknowledged. Jiang Huiqin added oil to the wok, put in the sweet potato chunks when the oil was still cool, and allowed them to fry slowly. She didn¡¯t stir them, just patiently waited. As soon as the sweet potatoes had turned golden brown and crispy on all sides, she quickly scooped them out to drain the oil. The main event for the candied sweet potatoes was up next: caramelizing and creating sugar strands. Caramelizing and creating sugar strands could be considered one of the supreme skills in Shandong cuisine. Honey ze, frost coating, zed, sugar strands¡ªthe five-part sugar frying symphony is a progressive rtionship of fire control. Jiang Feng could caramelize sugar too. Any person who couldn¡¯t even cook might manage a passable job following a video tutorial, but to sessfullyplete the five stages of sugar frying and then create sugar strands¡ªnow that was difficult. Jiang Huiqin poured sugar and water into the wok and brought it to a boil over high heat. Once the water boiled, she took the spat and continuously stirred in a clockwise direction, watching the pot intently, not daring to ck off even a bit. As the water gradually evaporated and the sugar color darkened, the syrup began to bubble. Jiang Huiqin instructed the helper managing the fire to reduce the heat slightly. She kept stirring steadily at the same speed. By now, the syrup in the pot could just pass for a syrup, beginning to thicken. When the surface showed soft small bubbles, Jiang Huiqin told the helper to add more wood and increase the heat. When a hint of burnt aroma wafted from the pot, she hurried to pour the drained sweet potatoes into it, reminding the helper to turn the heat down again. She rapidly stirred the sweet potatoes in the wok, ensuring every piece was coated with syrup, flipping the wok and serving them out. The sweet potatoes, fried to a golden hue, were each tightly wrapped in a thinyer of syrup, with fine sugar threads stretching from one to another, unbroken as they were pulled. The sugar-coated sweet potatoes in the dish shimmered with a light, emanating a sweet fragrance, golden and crisp. Jiang Huiqin proudly patted her sleeves and upper body, then looked down and twirled in front of Li Mingyi, ¡°See, I didn¡¯t get it on myself, right? My new clothes aren¡¯t dirty, right? Qin is just a worrier. Ironically, her name shares a phic with mine, yet she doesn¡¯t trust me at all.¡± ¡°Absolutely, absolutely, let¡¯s poke fun at her together after the New Year,¡± Li Mingyi agreed with augh, ¡°Don¡¯t you always say that sugar-coated sweet potatoes are best eaten while hot? You better hurry and serve them to grandma in the back hall.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, I need to show Master Chen first,¡± Jiang Huiqin said carefully, carrying the sugar-coated sweet potatoes over to Master Chen. Master Chen was in the middle of deboning a whole chicken. Upon seeing Jiang Huiqin approach, he knew what she wanted to ask, ¡°Your timing in sugar- coating is off, and the temperature wasn¡¯t high enough, it¡¯s far from howyour brother does it.¡± Jiang Huiqin immediately made a face of disappointment. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s much better than yourst attempt. Didn¡¯t you visit Taifeng Building just yesterday? Is your brother thinking that his sister, once married off, is no longer a member of the Jiang Family and is unwilling to teach you the secret of making perfect sugar-coated sweet potatoes?¡± Master Chen, in his forties and having watched Jiang Huiqin grow, appeared quite stern but was actually fond of teasing. ¡°What are you talking about, Master Chen? My brother did teach me, I just haven¡¯t mastered it yet. It¡¯s really hard to handle two pots at the same time, but look at how well I¡¯ve done with the sugar threads. Can¡¯t youpliment me? My brother won¡¯t, and neither will you!¡± Jiang Huiqin felt that her performance that day was actually pretty good. ¡°Okay, okay, mydy, you did an excellent job, much better thanst time. The olddy will love it for sure¡ªnow quickly, take it to her before it cools,¡± Master Chen said, as he continued to busy himself with deboning the chicken, performing somewhat of a cursory praise. Jiang Huiqin packed the dish into a food container and said to Li Mingyi, ¡°Mingyi, don¡¯t give Master Chen a red envelope this New Year. He can¡¯t even spare a few nice words for me during the holiday.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Li Mingyi said with a smile, watching Jiang Huiqin leave the kitchen before turning to Master Chen, ¡°You can rest assured, Master Chen, I¡¯ll definitely give you the biggest red envelope!¡± ¡°Just make sure Huiqin doesn¡¯t find out about it, or she¡¯ll certainly get angry,¡± Master Chen said with a chuckle. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell her, how would she know?¡± Li Mingyi replied cheerfully as he went off to follow Jiang Huiqin. Jiang Feng remembered that this was Li Mingyi¡¯s memory. When he first appeared in the kitchen, Jiang Huiqin and Qin had been tussling at the door for a while before Li Mingyi showed up, which made him think he had a lot of freedom to move around in this memory¡ªso he decided to stay in the kitchen to watch how Master Chen deboned the chicken. But just as Li Mingiy had barely left the kitchen, that invisible wall hit Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng realized Li Mingyi had pretended to have juste in search of Jiang Huiqin, but in fact, he¡¯d been hiding and watching the lively scene for quite some time. Sneaky, really sneaky! Jiang Feng rubbed his poor bottom and hurried to catch up to Li Mingyi¡¯s pace with a quick trot. Chapter 92 - 91 Year Thirty (2) [3rd Update] Chapter 92: Chapter 91 Year Thirty (2) [3rd Update] Trantor: 549690339 | The Li Family had many rtives. Li Mingyi had one legitimate uncle, two illegitimate uncles, and more than a dozen cousins. Even he himself had two full sisters and several half-brothers and half-sisters. It was no longer appropriate to call them ¡°illegitimate¡±; they should be referred to as the children of concubines. Li Mingyi¡¯s several uncles were disappointing, having no abilities of their own and relying entirely on his father for support. The few brothers and male cousins also had nothing notable about them. It was for this reason that although there were many young masters in the Li family, when people outside mentioned a young master of the Li family, they would only think of Li Mingyi alone. Li Mingyi¡¯s eldest sister had divorced her husband a few months ago and moved back in with her daughter. Li Mingyi didn¡¯t think much of it. His brother-inw was proficient in all sorts of vices¡ªeating, drinking, prostituting, gambling, and opium smoking¡ªand had married three or four concubines. Now that it was New China, even if his elder sister got divorced and remarried, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult. However, Li Mingyi¡¯s mother, Liu Xiuzhen, was ady from a traditional feudal family who believed that a daughter¡¯s divorce was equivalent to repudiation¡ªa terribly shameful thing. Even during the New Year¡¯s celebration, she didn¡¯t give her eldest daughter a break. Now, all the women of the family were gathered around the matriarch, trying to lift her spirits for a better start to the New Year. ¡°Xiuzhen, where did my granddaughter-inw go?¡± The olddy liked Jiang Huiqin and asked Liu Xiuzhen when she hadn¡¯t seen her for a while. ¡°He, go find the young mistress, and while you¡¯re at it, look for Mingyi as well. It¡¯s almost time for the New Year¡¯s meal, and I have no idea where those two have run off to,¡± Liu Xiuzhen instructed the maid. The maid had just received her orders and was about to leave when she ran into Jiang Huiqin rushing in with a food container. ¡°Grandma, grandma, guess what I made for you!¡± ¡°I can already smell it, candied sweetpotatoes. Only you remember that I love candied sweet potatoes!¡± the olddy said with a smile. ¡°I did an especially good job today, I doubled the amount of sugar. You¡¯re definitely going to like it. I brought it over as soon as it came out of the pot, it¡¯s still hot. Try it quick!¡± Jiang Huiqin moved aside the tea cup next to the olddy, ced the candied sweet potatoes on it, and handed out a pair of chopsticks to everyone. Jiang Huiqin knew perfectly well how many female rtives were supposed to be by the olddy¡¯s side at this time¡ªthe exact number. There was a pair for everyone, not one pair too many or too few. ¡°Running off to the kitchen during the New Year¡¯s feast, you¡¯re not afraid to get your clothes dirty,¡± Liu Xiuzhen said in a low voice. ¡°And where has Mingyi run off to? I didn¡¯t see him in the front hall just now either.¡± ¡°Mingyi was just with me in the kitchen; he should still be right behind me,¡± Jiang Huiqin said. Liu Xiuzhen grew even angrier: ¡°He actually joined you in your foolishness; that¡¯s really too much.¡± ¡°Enough, Xiuzhen, it¡¯s the New Year¡¯s, don¡¯t scold Huiqin, my granddaughter- inw. She just wanted to bring some joy to this old woman. Huiqin learned her culinary skills from her brother; today, you¡¯re all in for a treat,¡± the olddy told the others with a smile. ¡°It was just a couple of words, how could it be considered scolding?¡± Liu Xiuzhen said. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not quite time for the meal, is it okay to just eat this now?¡± ¡°Candied sweet potatoes should be eaten while they¡¯re hot, or else they¡¯ll cool down and the sugarwon¡¯t pull into strings. It would be a waste of Huiqin¡¯s efforts. I heard from Mingyi a while back that the Westerners have something called a ¡®dessert before the meal.¡¯ We might as well follow their example and try this ¡®dessert before the meal¡¯ first,¡± exined the olddy with augh, picking up a piece of sweet potato. The sugar ze on the surface of the sweet potatoes stretched into long, thin strands. However, Master Chen was right, Jiang Huiqin¡¯s skill in frying sugar and pulling strings was not quite there yet¡ªthe strands were not fine enough and they broke all too quickly. But overall, the taste was still eptable, with the sweet potatoes having a golden hue, a crispy exterior, and a soft and mushy inside. The olddy¡¯s sense of taste had diminished greatly with age, and many richly vored foods seemed nd to her. Jiang Huiqin had made this dish specifically for her, with double the sugar just to her liking. ¡°Not bad, my daughter-inw¡¯s cooking skillshave improved again,¡± the olddy praised with a smile. Li Mingyi had actually been at the doorway for a while, and Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know why he had this habit of standing at the door eavesdropping on the conversations inside. It might also have been because he was afraid of arriving too early and getting scolded by Liu Xiuzhen. Seeing that the time was ripe and the atmosphere was lively enough that Liu Xiuzhen probably wouldn¡¯t scold him, he pretended to have just arrived and came in. ¡°Oh, Mingyi is here. Your mother was just asking where you had gone,¡± the olddy called Mingyi over, taking another bite of the caramelized sweet potato. After chewing slowly, she said, ¡°Your wife¡¯s cooking has improved again.¡± ¡°Absolutely, Grandma, I was just watching in the kitchen. Even Master Chen praised Huiqin for doing well.¡± Li Mingyi lied effortlessly, ¡°I just saw that the kitchen is almost ready, I guess dinner will be served soon.¡± ¡°Come, Xiuzhen, you should also try your daughter-inw¡¯s cooking,¡± said the olddy as she served another piece. Liu Xiuzhen didn¡¯t actually like sweets; she was a Buddhist who preferred light vors and rarely indulged in meat or fish. But since the olddy had spoken, she smiled and took a bite. For Liu Xiuzhen, this special version of caramelized sweet potato with double sugar for the olddy was like a critical hit, but she still maintained herposure and finished her piece before praising, ¡°Not bad.¡± The olddy was even happier to hear Liu Xiuzhen praise the dish, and she invited everyone to eat, not leaving Li Mingyi out. Everyone reached for the dish, unanimously praising its deliciousness, though how many actually found it tasty remained unknown. Li Mingyi took Jiang Huiqin¡¯s chopsticks and grabbed arge piece, but his poker face was not quite perfected, and he almost gave himself away. Thankfully, he cleverly pretended to choke in his haste and coughed a few times, smoothly avoiding suspicion. The olddy was in a good mood, indulging in threerge pieces of the caramelized sweet potato. After chatting with everyone for a while, a maid entered. ¡°Old Madame, Madames, Misses, and the eldest young master is also here, the master has invited a Western photographer to take a family photograph,¡± reported the maid. ¡°AWestern photographer, that¡¯s quite novel. Let¡¯s go,¡± said the olddy with augh, as everyone followed her. ¡°Huiqin, the caramelized sweet potato you made today really is too sweet,¡± Li Mingyi whispered to Jiang Huiqin, deliberately trailing behind the others, voicing hisint softly. ¡°What do you know? Grandma can¡¯t taste vors well because of her age, this sweetness is just right for her,¡± Jiang Huiqin whispered back, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, after the New Year dinner and staying upte are over and everyone goes back to their rooms, I¡¯ll sneak into the kitchen and make another te for you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. If you still taste the sweetness, drink a few more bowls of soupter. I just saw in the kitchen they have matsutake mushrooms from Yunnan that were delivered, and you love matsutake soup, don¡¯t you?¡± Jiang Huiqin urged. The couple, hand in hand, quickly caught up with the group. Chapter 93 - 92 Year Thirty (3) [4th Update!!!] Chapter 93: Chapter 92 Year Thirty (3) [4th Update!!!] Trantor: 549690339 The photograph taken by the Western photographer was the same one Jiang Feng had previously seen in the photo album. After the photograph was taken, the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner was also ready to be served. The Li family had many members and thus threerge tables, with the men at one and the women at two. The dishes were the same, but Jiang Feng could clearly tell that the table with several wives of uncles and rtions who were more distant had noticeably inferior food quality, even the sweet and sour carp was made carelessly. New Year¡¯s Eve dinner was a joyous asion for the family. The younger members would say a few yful words to make the eldersugh, and even Liu Xiuzhen gave her eldest daughter a few approving looks, which quite startled the daughter who had been feeling nervous all along. ¡°Mother, please try this Braised Tofu. This is Master Chen¡¯s specialty, it¡¯s very light, you will definitely like it,¡± Jiang Huiqin dutifully scooped up the softest tofu for Liu Xiuzhen. Jiang Huiqin, sweet-tongued, grew up in Taifeng Building. Having seen all sorts of guests from near and far, she interacted with people of every social stratum. With a clever mouth and the gift of the gab, she could strike up a conversation with anyone. She knew Liu Xiuzhen was previously upset with her for going to the kitchen to cook for the elderly madam, so she constantly ttered Liu Xiuzhen overtly and covertly, pleasing her enough to drop the matter of the kitchen visit. In fact, Liu Xiuzhen did not have any majorints about this daughter-in-w. If the Qing Dynasty were still in power, their family would be a lineage of officials, and naturally, she would not think highly of the sister of a cook. But times had changed, it was now New China. Her husband had be the lowest in the hierarchy of workers, farmers, businessmen, and schrs. Jiang Chengde was a renowned chef in Beiping with extensive connections. Jiang Huiqin had received education and was adept at both cooking and needlework, so Liu Xiuzhen had nothing much to disapprove of. After chatting with other mistresses, Liu Xiuzhen also realized the times had changed. Nowadays everyone touted free marriage, filing for divorce, forsaking husbands or abandoning children, and would even publicly announce it in the newspapers. She could notprehend the thinking of the younger generation and was even somewhat relieved that Jiang Huiqin was not one of those social butterflies who spoke of love and marriage freedom. Liu Xiuzhen always looked down upon such people who spoke of equal love but still eagerly became someone else¡¯s mistress, and yet had the audacity to pose as the legitimate wife in public, proiming themselves as the true love and the official spouse as a relic of feudalism. Thinking this way, Liu Xiuzhen felt that Jiang Huiqin, her daughter-inw, was actually not too bad. ¡°Huiqin has such a sweet mouth,¡± the elderly madam had eaten three pieces of Sweet and Sour Yam earlier and was almost full, thus hardly moving her chopsticks. ¡°Find some time to make it for me again someday; it¡¯s been a long while since I¡¯ve tasted something so vorful.¡± ¡°Grandma, Sweet and Sour Yam is too sweet and constantly eating it isn¡¯t good for your health. On the Lantern Festival, I¡¯ll make you sweet stuffed glutinous rice balls; I guarantee they¡¯ll taste better than today¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam!¡± Jiang Huiqin smiled. ¡°Good, good,¡± the elderly madam agreed repeatedly. ¡°Where¡¯s Fen?¡± Liu Xiuzhen turned to ask her eldest daughter, who was sitting in a corner. ¡°She said she was full, so I let her go outside to y,¡± her eldest daughter whispered. ¡°Suchck of discipline, and you¡¯re her mother. She only had a few bites, how could she possibly be full already? He, go call Fen back now, andter tell the kitchen to make a bowl of steamed egg custard and send it to the eldest miss¡¯s room. Fen will definitely be hungryter,¡± Liu Xiuzhen instructed. ¡°Thank you, Mother,¡± the eldest daughter still kept her head low. On the thirtieth day of the lunar year, during the reunion dinner, no one would deliberately spoil the mood with disheartening words. Even if they were unhappy or harboring troubles, they would put on a smile, say some nice things, and talk about enjoyable topics while eating the reunion dinner and staying up to wee the New Year. In fact, nearly everyone was almost full, but ording to tradition, they had to eat untilte into the night, so they pretended to keep eating. Without the Spring Festival G for entertainment, the group simply chatted among themselves. The elderly madam, being advanced in years, soon could not keep up and retreated to her room. Not long after she left, Fen began to feel sleepy. The eldest daughter, afraid of being scolded by Liu Xiuzhen, didn¡¯t dare to let Fen go back to her room first. Liu Xiuzhen nced at her and said, ¡°Since Fen is sleepy, let her go back to her room first.¡± Jiang Feng discovered that his mother-inw, Jiang Huiqin, was a typical example of someone with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. When the time came, everyone from all the households, men and women, old and young, were too tired to stay up, and the maids and grannies began cleaning up. The rest went back to their rooms. Taking advantage of others¡¯ inattention, Jiang Huiqin pulled Li Mingyi with her and ran to the kitchen. There was no one in the kitchen, and the door was locked. Jiang Huiqin took out a key, unlocked the kitchen door, and after entering, closed it carefully behind her. Like a thief, she secretly lit a fewmps. Li Mingyi, actually feeling a bit sleepy, said, ¡°Huiqin, let¡¯s go back. Actually, I¡¯m not that fond of sweet and sour sweet potatoes.¡± Jiang Huiqin replied, ¡°I know. You like yams, and I¡¯ll make sweet and sour yam for you. I saw some yams here earlier, and since there were no yam dishes on the table today, the yams should still be here.¡± Li Mingyi was stunned, ¡°How did you know I like yams?¡± He had never told anyone about his preferences. Whenever asked, he always said he liked fish. ¡°A few days ago, we had yam stewed with ribs. You said you were full but you ate all the yams in your bowl and didn¡¯t touch the ribs. Last month, you had your favorite sweet and sour carp and stir-fried yam on the table. You only had a couple of bites of the carp, but you ate almost half a te of yam. How could I not notice you like yams?¡± said Jiang Huiqin as she rummaged through a basket, picked up amp, and selected a yam to prepare. ¡°Hold themp for me. It¡¯s not convenient for me to hold it,¡± said Jiang Huiqin as she handed the kerosenemp to Li Mingyi. Li Mingyi, somewhat dazed, took the kerosenemp, clearly distracted and wearing a silly smile on his face. Jiang Huiqin, feeling the lighting was off, looked up and saw Li Mingyi not shining the light on the yam but rather grinning foolishly with themp. She pushed him, ¡°Stop grinning. What are you thinking about? If I can¡¯t see clearly and cut my hand, my mother will really scold me tomorrow.¡± Li Mingyi came back to his senses and obediently held the kerosenemp. The process for making sweet and sour yam was simr to that of sweet and sour sweet potatoes, but this time Jiang Huiqin lit two stoves at once, frying the yams and cooking the sugar syrup simultaneously. The kerosenemp was ced on the stove¡¯s edge, and Jiang Huiqin got both stoves burning well before reminding Li Mingyi, ¡°Mingyi, when I say to reduce the heat on one side, pull out a couple of sticks of wood. If I say to increase it, stuff a handful of straw in there. Don¡¯t pile up the wood because it might put out the fire.¡± Li Mingyi nodded seriously. Cooking on two stoves at the same time was much more difficult than doing them separately, especially at night with poor lighting. Judging the fire control for both frying the yams and cooking the sugar depended on the color. Jiang Huiqin seemed a bit nervous, constantly monitoring both stoves, moving her hands deftly. At such times, a slight misstep could ruin both dishes at once. It came to the most critical step. The yams had juste out of the pot, and the sugar in the other had reached a crucial moment, its surface bubbling softly. Soon, a faint hint of burnt sugar began to waft through the air. Jiang Huiqin poured the still-hot yams into the pot and said to Li Mingyi, ¡°Lower the heat.¡± Li Mingyi hurriedly pulled out some firewood. Jiang Huiqin quickly stir-fried the yams, and Jiang Feng noticed that the syrup on the surface of the yams had started to create strands. With the dish finished, they ted it. The resulting sweet and sour yams were quite beautiful, with thin thread-like strands of sugar wrapping around the slightly yellowed fried yams, topped with a small handful of white sesame seeds. Even the previously not-hungry Li Mingyi began to feel a bit peckish. Just as Li Mingyi picked up his chopsticks, they heard a noise at the door. Both of them jumped in fright, thinking that someone had discovered them up to no good in the kitchen. It was Fen, who entered and seemed not at all just woken up but rather as if she had nned this all along. ¡°Aunt, Uncle, I want some too,¡± Fen stated, eyes glued to the sweet and sour yams on the stove. Jiang Huiqin suddenly remembered that back in the rear hall, Fen had seemed fixated on the bowl of sweet and sour sweet potatoes. She might not have dared to speak up then and missed out, but how could Fen possibly know that they would be in the back kitchen at this time? Li Mingyi lifted Fen into his arms and asked, ¡°You can have some, but first, Fen, tell your uncle howyou knew your aunt and uncle were here?¡± ¡°I heard it. When I was going to get a photo, I heard aunt and uncle whispering behind,¡± Fen replied. Jiang Huiqin couldn¡¯t help butugh; they really hadn¡¯t noticed that Fen had been right in front of them at that time. All children love sweets, and Jiang Huiqin knew that her sister was strict with Fen, rarely even allowing her to eat pastries. It was normal for Fen to crave sweets. Jiang Huiqin picked up a piece of sweet and sour yam for Fen with her chopsticks, pulling the sugar threads so long they measured about a foot, then dipped it into cool boiled water to prevent it from burning the mouth. With an exmation of delight, Fen found herself with a piece of sweet and sour yam stuffed into her mouth. Li Mingyi also took a piece, the threads stretching even longer than those Jiang Huiqin had just pulled. He too dipped it into cool water before taking a bite and finding it crispy, sweet, and refreshing. The surroundings began to blur, and Li Mingyi looked at Jiang Huiqin, his smile sweeter than the sweet and sour yams in his mouth. Sweet, but not cloying. Jiang Feng returned to his room, still lying on the bed, and eagerly opened the attribute panel to look at the recipe. [Sweet and Sour Yam C-level] Creator: Jiang Huiqin Dish Details: Both the choice of ingredients and the cooking technique are excellent. The high-difficulty caramelizing and syrup-drawing skills are the highlights of this dish. What is otherwise quite amon Sweet and Sour Yam bes unforgettable for Li Mingyi due to the love Jiang Huiqin poured into it, enhancing the taste of the dish when created by someone in love. Daily Production Limit (0/6) Friendly Reminder: The skills required for caramelizing and drawing syrup exceed the yer¡¯s current level, and there is a high probability of failure when attempting to make this dish. Jiang Feng: ???? What kind of crappy game is this? Is there a vendetta against single creators? Jiang Feng clicked to view more details about Jiang Huiqin¡¯s cooking process. ¡°Ding, you¡¯ve gained 99 experience points.¡± Jiang Feng: ???? ¡°Ding, the yer has leveled up to level 10. The game is now updating. The encyclopedia function will be avable once the update isplete.¡± The attribute panel immediately changed to the update interface, with the progress at 0%, showing a crying bun with a bite taken out of it. But that wasn¡¯t the main point. The main point was that the Sweet and Sour Yam recipe Jiang Feng had just opened didn¡¯t disappear; it was just that the interface had shrunk a bit. It was still there, hanging together with the update progress bar, and he could even click on it, but he couldn¡¯t exit it. After toggling the attribute panel a few times and finding it the same every time, Jiang Feng came to a conclusion. This crappy game has a bug. Just one minute before, at Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s ce¡ª Chen Xiuxiu eyed Pan Ling and squinted her eyes, saying, ¡°Pan Pan, it looks like there¡¯s a little piece of chili skin stuck on your teeth.¡± Pan Ling licked her teeth all over with her tongue and asked, ¡°Is it gone now?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s gone,¡± Chen Xiuxiu replied. Pan Ling swallowed her saliva, the newly licked-off piece of chili skin going down with it. *1 won¡¯t ever jinx it again. Now we have 6700 favorites. (What a happy jinx.) Today seems to be the Little New Year, so I¡¯ll extend an early greeting. Happy New Year to everyone! And as for Xiaojiu¡¯s reward of 2333 Qidian coins for her hot wine, that¡¯s truly bold (??cro) Chapter 94 - 93 Sheep Soup Chapter 94: Chapter 93 Sheep Soup Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng fell asleep harboring a deep resentment toward the game. Early the next morning, Jiang Feng went downstairs to buy some steamed buns from the bakery at the entrance of the residentialplex for breakfast. On the way, he bumped into Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling, who were returning from buying groceries, each carrying several bags of vegetables-it looked like they were nning to cook for themselves. ¡°Jiang Feng,e eat at our ce today!¡± Pan Ling invited. ¡°Xiuxiu and I watched cooking videos all ofst night, and we¡¯ve just bought some fresh mutton. I¡¯ll stew mutton soup for you!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Should he tell them cooking isn¡¯t as easy as they think, let alone mutton soup, which is a recipe for disaster? Forget it, as long as they¡¯re happy. ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Feng said. Checking WeChat groups in the morning, he saw that Uncle Four¡¯s beef stewed with potatoes had not done well the previous day, leaving leftovers. Today he had bought another three pounds of beef to continue stewing. Jiang Feng felt it would be better not to mooch a meal this time. ¡°Pan Pan, I think braised mutton would be better,¡± Chen Xiuxiu said hesitantly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t mutton soup be too gamey?¡± ¡°Not at all, didn¡¯t the video tutorial yesterday teach us how to make a mutton soup that isn¡¯t gamey? Don¡¯t worry, even the mutton seller said this is grasndmb; it won¡¯tbe gamey,¡± Pan Ling said confidently. ¡°You can do it, I¡¯m going to have breakfast,¡± Jiang Feng encouraged insincerely. Mutton soup can be a nice snack, but there are only a few who can make itpletely free of gamey taste. These are closely guarded family secrets, and unless the quality of the mutton is exceptionally good, even Sir can¡¯t manage to make a mutton soup that¡¯s not gamey. Pan Ling was so confident after just watching a video tutorial¡­ Forget it, the mutton soup she made would be a lesson in humility for him. The bun shop at the entrance of the residentialplex had been open for nearly twenty years, as old as the neighborhood itself. The original owner had retired due to age, and now his daughter had taken over. Actually, her skills were not as good as his, but the residents were ustomed to eating their buns in the morning, and because the buns were clean, they were willing to ept them even if the taste was not as good as the original. Now, with the New Year fast approaching, the prices of vegetables and meat were climbing day by day, and consequently, the price of the buns was also rising. Just now, Jiang Feng had asked the owner and learned that today was thest day of sales; in the afternoon, they would pack up and return to the countryside for the New Year. Well, tomorrow¡¯s breakfast was up in the air again. After breakfast, Jiang Feng took a stroll around the neighborhood. There weren¡¯t many people around; most had gone back to the countryside for the New Year. The few elderly who chose not to return were now engaged in the fierce battle of New Year shopping, having left early in the morning and not returning untilte at night,den with their spoils of war. After wandering for more than an hour, Jiang Feng saw that it was almost ten o¡¯clock, so he didn¡¯t go home but directly to Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s ce. These two, who hardly ever cooked, must be in a state of chaos trying to make a meal out of the blue; Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s kitchen was probably a disaster area by now. Indeed, as soon as Chen Xiuxiu opened the door for Jiang Feng, even before he walked in, he was hit by a suffocating gamey smell. It was a familiar aroma, characteristic of localmb, heavy and intense. Jiang Jiankang also wasn¡¯t great at cookingmb dishes, and consequently, Mrs. Wang Xiulian wasn¡¯ t good at picking mutton either. When Jiang Feng was still in elementary school, Mrs. Wang Xiulian had been swindled by a mutton seller into buying localmb mistaking it for grasndmb. The taste of that braised mutton was etched into Jiang Feng¡¯s memory; it had no other vor, just the gamey taste! With Pan Ling cooking mutton soup, it was sure to unleash all the gammess of themb. Rich, lingering, and even with all the windows in Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s home wide open, the aroma stubbornly refused to dissipate. Chen Xiuxiu looked like she had lost all hope in life. After opening the door, she escaped to the balcony, unwilling to get close to the kitchen. Jiang Feng was also curious to see how Pan Ling managed to stew the soup to such a state and held his breath as he peeked into the kitchen. The kitchen was an utter mess, as tragic as the ridiculous pictures online. The mutton soup was still bubbling on the stove, with the burner on high, the lid on, and the soup dangerously sshing over. Pan Ling still held her phone, utterly baffled by themb soup tutorial video. ¡°You can turn off the heat now, your soup haspletely sttered out,¡± Jiang Feng advised as a friendly reminder. ¡°That won¡¯t do, the soup is too gamey, and I haven¡¯t removed the gamey taste yet. This step isn¡¯t wrong, so why does mine smell so bad?¡± Pan Ling said. The smell in the kitchen was truly overpowering, like stepping into a sheep pen. Jiang Feng had no idea how Pan Ling could stand it-perhaps the fact that she brewed it herself somehow filtered out the smell, leaving her selectively anosmic. But Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t bear it. Themb soup was ruined; he stepped forward to turn off the stove. ¡°Adding anything now is useless. You¡¯re using localmb, which naturally has a strong gamey taste. Even if youpletely remove the blood vessels, you might not get rid of the smell. Just pour it out,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Localmb, great, the shopkeeper conned me again!¡± Pan Ling fumed, ming the failure of hermb souppletely on the meat. Jiang Feng saw the scraps of meat that Pan Ling had cut off and discarded on the chopping board. He picked them up, looked at them, and sighed. ¡°Themb you bought is water-injected, and you didn¡¯t even cut it properly, failing to remove the blood. This soup¡­¡± Jiang Feng sighed again, utterly exasperated, looking at themb soup in the pot covered with scum, ¡°might as well pour it down the toilet. Do you guys have any perfume to spray in there afterward?¡± Pan Ling wasn¡¯t ready to give up since she was the one who made the soup. Clinging to the slim hope that it might just smell bad but taste fine, she scooped up a small spoonful to taste. After a mouthful ofmb soup, Pan Ling¡¯s face turned green as she silently took the pot to pour it out. Pan Ling had turned Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s kitchen into something resembling a bioweaponsb. Cooking there was out of the question. Whatever they made would end up tainted with the smell ofmb. The three of them had to move to Jiang Feng¡¯s kitchen and start lunch from scratch. Pan Ling and Chen Xiuxiu really didn¡¯t know how to shop for groceries. Despite going early, the produce they bought was still not fresh. These two girls were quite something else-buying garlic and ginger but not green onions, getting a bottle of steamed soy sauce without buying any fish, instead, they grabbed a pound of prawns. When asked why, Pan Ling confidently responded, ¡°I¡¯m makingmb soup, and Xiuxiu is cooking garlic prawns.¡± Jiang Feng felt that if Sir hadn¡¯t called her back from the countryside, the two of them would have poisoned themselves with their own cooking. They couldn¡¯t even make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, yet dared to attemptmb soup and garlic prawns¡ªit was more audacious than Jiang Feng attempting to cook kung pao chicken without having perfected his knifework back in the day. Jiang Feng had never cooked prawns before. Zet City was not near the sea, making seafood excessively expensive. When Jiang Feng first started university and heard a ssmate from a coastal area say that abalone could be cooked for just 30 yuan a te, her jaw nearly dropped. But expensive prawns, once bought, had to be cooked. Jiang Feng watched the video on Pan Ling¡¯s phone twice, noting that it didn¡¯t show how to devein the prawns at all. Moreover, it was an edited video with nice music, but many key steps were missing, and Jiang Feng could tell through the screen that the prawns were overcooked in the final product. With no other choice, Jiang Feng called Sir for advice. After getting an earful from Sir while being scolded, she followed his instructions on deveining the prawns. After a series of clumsy maneuvers, a grotesque version of garlic prawns finally emerged from the pot. On the other end, Sir put down the phone, turned to Jiang Weiming with a smile, andined, ¡°This little rascal, barely able to walk before wanting to fly, has his eyes set on the ocean¡¯s catch without even fully understanding what grows onnd.¡± ¡°All right, you¡¯re so pleased you can¡¯t hide it, so stop showing off in front of this old man,¡± Jiang Weimingughed, ¡°Day after tomorrow is Little New Year. Should we wait for a few nephews to return before butchering the pig? ¡°They¡¯ll definitelye back early. We¡¯ll need to prepare breakfast for them, Sir replied, ¡°The night of Little New Year, we¡¯ll ughter Sanhua and start with the blood sausages.¡± ¡°Sanhua? Sanhua might not have enough meat. I think Erhua is pretty good-it has a nice thickyer of fat that can render at least 10 pounds ofrd,¡± Jiang Weiming favored Erhua. ¡°Erhua won¡¯t do; it just eats andzes around. That much fat isn¡¯t good for cooking ¡®butchering day dishes.¡¯ Sanhua is better-its hind leg is firm, suitable to cure into ham. We¡¯ll ughter Erhua around Dragon Boat Festival, let it move around more. Otherwise, the meat willck firmness,¡± Sir murmured, Chapter 95 - 94: Returning Home Chapter 95: Chapter 94: Returning Home Trantor: 549690339 Just like that, Jiang Feng spent two days at home like a salted fish, yet content. Although somewhat bored, scrolling through social media and listening to radio dramas, with no TV dramas to watch and those crappy games fraught with irritating bugs, it was indeed because of those glitches that, aside from listening to radio dramas, Jiang Feng would casually tap on the Sweet and Sour Yam recipe, watching Jiang Huiqin¡¯s cooking videos over and over, perhaps twenty or thirty times, until he knew every step by heart. The actual results were, brain: I got it! Hands: No, you don¡¯t. The more he watched, the itchier his fingers got to try cooking. Disregarding the bullshit setting that falling in love could enhance the taste of dishes, Sweet and Sour Yam itself was a C-level dish. The game only mentioned that his sugar frying and Sweet and Sour technique was subpar, leading to a high chance of failure during cooking, not that the dish¡¯s level exceeded his cooking skill level like thest time with the chopped pepper fish head. This meant¡­ His cooking skill level was sufficient to make C-level dishes! After rounding up, he wasn¡¯t far from the B-level chopped pepper fish head! Jiang Feng himself didn¡¯t really feel it; both Fire Control and Seasoning had naturally leveled up to advanced after maxing out proficiency, with no profound enlightenment as if doused by sudden insight, and besides, during that time, he was stir-frying potatoes so much he was virtually in a trance, not really sensing any significant improvement in his cooking skills. However, these past few days, as he cooked, Jiang Feng felt much more adept, even holding the spat much morefortably. It seemed his cooking skills must have improved considerably. At the end of the summer break, Chen Xiuxiu was only giving experience points in single digits when eating his dishes, maybe ten or so at most. The day before yesterday, just eating a carrot could give over forty experience points. Just by that metric alone, Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking skills had improved fourfold. Four-fold! Jiang Feng even felt a bit inted, thinking that as long as he went back to the countryside to practice sugar frying and Sweet and Sour techniques for a few days, he could easily make Sweet and Sour Yams at Jiang Huiqin¡¯s level. After watching the Sweet and Sour Yam cooking process one more time before bed, Jiang Feng finally fell asleep satisfied. At 4 a.m. the next morning, he was woken up by the ring of an iing call. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Groggily woken from a deep sleep, Jiang Feng answered the phone in a daze, feeling like he was still dreaming. ¡°Feng, pack up your things, we¡¯re going to grandpa¡¯s house for the New Year!¡± Jiang Jianguo said energetically, ¡°Your Auntie and I and Zaide will be downstairs at your ce at 4:20 to pick you up, okay!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Feng thought he was dreaming. ¡°Feng, hurry up. We¡¯ll try to get to grandpa¡¯s house by 6:30 this morning while the roads are clear!¡± Jiang Jianguo hung up the phone. Jiang Feng put down the phone and copsed back into bed, drifting for a few more minutes before suddenly waking up with a start, as if seized by a deathbed realization. Today was the preliminary New Year celebration! They were heading back to the countryside for Sir¡¯s breakfast! Apart from this year when Sir exceptionally cooked many meals himself, the Jiang Family¡¯s annual revelry traditionally began on the preliminary New Year celebration and continued all the way to the Lantern Festival. Since everyone was self-employed, they took days off at their own discretion, and the holiday wouldst as long as Sir was willing to cook. Jiang Feng felt that if Sir was willing to cook for a year, aside from his dad who might have to open shop as usual because he owed Uncle money, the rest of the uncles would readily give themselves a year off. Put inly, apart from his own massive debt, the rest of the Jiang Family wasn¡¯t short of money. And the food during the New Year is really amazing! The once-a-year pork dish couldn¡¯t bepared to the various pork dishes Feng had tasted from Da Hua. How could the pork dishes prepared in batches and stored in the freezer match up to a pot of freshly ughtered pork, cooked all together, organizing the pig from snout to tail? After quickly washing up and packing his things, Feng appeared lively, dragging his suitcase downstairs just ten minutester. As soon as Jianguo¡¯s car arrived, Feng opened the trunk, ced the luggage, closed the trunk, opened the door, got in the car, closed the door ¨C all in one smooth sequence of movements. Within a minute, Jianguo had pressed the gas pedal, and they had set off. The sky was still dark, with a few dim stars hanging in the night sky. Feng turned to look at his eldest cousin, Zaide, who was also sitting in the back seat. He hadn¡¯t seen Zaide in a long time and noticed that there was indeed less hair on his head, dark circles under his eyes, and a sleepiness that made it unclear whether he had just woken up or was about to go to sleep. Seeing Feng looking at him, Zaide exined, ¡°Last night, after eleven, that damn clientined again that my design was too natural and needed a modern touch ¨C abination of nature and fashion that would be striking at first nce. I¡¯ve been revising the design until just now and haven¡¯t slept all night.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve revised that design more than twenty times, and every time they find something new to nitpick about,¡± Zaide said through gritted teeth. ¡°Why not just refuse the job?¡± Feng asked, puzzled. ¡°This job is nearly one hundred thousand.¡± Understood ¨C the money made it worthwhile. At five-thirty, Jiankang sent a message in the WeChat group saying that Sir had already gotten up to start cooking. When Xiulian read the message aloud, Jianguo immediately became anxious and pressed the gas pedal harder, turning the fine SUV into something akin to a bumper car. ¡°From the photo that our younger brother sent yesterday, I saw in the bottom right corner there was brine, and the second brother bought beef again. Dad didn¡¯t cook beefst night. Dad always makes noodles on the day before the New Year¡¯s Eve; this morning, it¡¯s either beef ramen or beef shaved noodles. If we arrivete and it gets cold, the texture won¡¯t be good,¡± Jianguo mused, speeding up even more with the speedometer reaching 130, and not forgetting to tell Xiulian, ¡°Send a message in the group asking the fourth and fifth brothers to hurry up as well.¡± Feng:¡­ His uncle¡¯s keen observation was really wasted on being a tailor. Under Jianguo¡¯s speeding, the group arrived at Sir¡¯s house at 6:20. They found a random spot to park the car, and then almost jogged to the kitchen door. As Jianguo had predicted, the scent of the braised beef wafted from the kitchen. Jiankang and Jiandang, both in their forties, sat on stools about a meter from the kitchen door, waiting for their meal as if they were kids, with Jianguo expertly joining them with his own stool. Xiulian and Mrs. Jiang were washing bed sheets in the backyard, with the aunt joining in to help. After weighing their options of helping or waiting for food, Feng and Zaide each grabbed a stool and joined the waiting ranks. When Weiming returned from pulling a bunch of green onions from the vegetable garden, what he saw was the scene of four heavy-set and one thin man sitting in a row waiting to be fed. Jianguo was quick to react, immediately standing up to greet him: ¡°Hello, Granduncle Weiming, I¡¯m Jiang Jianguo.¡± ¡°Hello, Granduncle Weiming, I¡¯m Jiang Zaide,¡± Zaide also responded in kind. Weiming nodded with a smile, ¡°Big nephew and big grandnephew, right? And Feng, you¡¯ve all arrived really early. Just give it about ten more minutes, and we can start eating.¡± Then he headed towards the kitchen. Before entering, Weiming couldn¡¯t help but size up Jianguo¡¯s build, thinking to himself. No wonder the younger brother once said he was a bit biased towards the oldest nephew. This oldest nephew indeed looks a bit heavier than the second and third nephews. Chapter 96 - 95 Slaughter the Pig Chapter 96 - 95 ughter the Pig Chapter 96: Chapter 95 ughter the Pig Trantor: 549690339 In no time, the kitchen came alive with activity. ¡°Hand-pulled noodles!¡± Jiang Jianguo said with utter certainty, ¡°Dad must be in a good mood today, but I don¡¯t know if he made any ¡®saozi.¡¯ If he could pour a big spoonful of ¡®saozi¡¯ over the noodles and top it with four big pieces of stewed beef, with some fat and tendons, that¡¯d be perfect.¡± ¡°Dad didn¡¯t make ¡®saozi,''¡± Jiang Jiankang interrupted Jiang Jianguo¡¯s daydream. ¡°He didn¡¯t?¡± Jiang Jianguo was a bit disappointed. ¡°Well, even without it, adding some stew sauce will do, along with some pickled long beans.¡± ¡°We finished the pickled long beansst night,¡± Jiang Jiandang threw in another wet nket. ¡°I saw a big bowl of them on top of the photo cab the day before yesterday; how did you finish them so quickly?¡± Jiang Jianguo was annoyed. ¡°Feng came home, and Mom said to feed Sanhua well for the next few days. Dad has been busy boiling pig feed. Last night he stir-fried some vegetables, but other times he just made stomach-friendly congee, which tastes like nothing. We¡¯d slurp down over a dozen bowls of it as if it was water, so we had no choice but to eat pickled long beans,¡± Jiang Jiankang said a bit aggrieved. ¡°This wouldn¡¯t have happened if Feng didn¡¯t leave without a word, otherwise Dad would have at least let us have some solid food.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ He felt like a huge pot had just been ced upside down on his head. Wearing an invisible heavy lid, Jiang Feng maintained an awkward but polite smile all the way until Sir called them to serve the noodles. The three brothers, with a speed inversely proportional to their size and weight, snatched a bowl of noodles each and dashed off to grab the beef, encircling the stewed beef pot so tightly that Jiang Feng and Jiang Zaidi, who were a tad slower, couldn¡¯t squeeze in. By the time Jiang Feng¡¯s fourth and fifth uncles and their families arrived, everyone was already sitting at the doorstep with chairs, belching from fullness. Without wasting time on conversation, theters quickly headed to the kitchen to grab the leftover beef. The Jiang Family¡¯s annual New Year battle for food had officiallymenced. After ten minutes, eight more chairs appeared at the doorway, with Jiang Feng¡¯s twin cousins copsing in them to the left and right, mimicking each other¡¯s slumped posture perfectly. The victoriousrade Jiang Jianguo leisurely asked, ¡°Which pig are we ughtering for the New Year this time?¡± ¡°Probably Sanhua. Dad said he¡¯s doing it this afternoon, and everything with the butcher Wang was arranged yesterday; Old Sir Wang himself will take care of it,¡± Jiang Jiandang replied. ¡°Old Sir Wang? Isn¡¯t he retired and his son Da Hua doing the butchering?¡± Jiang Jianguo perked up immediately. ¡°Wang¡¯s not good enough, how could we let him butcher the New Year pig? His cuts are all wrong, and he doesn¡¯t even blow up the pig properly, it¡¯s got to be Old Sir Wang who does the job,¡± Jiang Jiandang exined. ¡°Hey, Junior, we haven¡¯t seen Sanhua since we got back, right? Let¡¯s go and take a look in the pigpen?¡± Jiang Jianye suggested. ¡°Sure,st time I saw Sanhua it was still just a piglet; I¡¯m curious to see how big it has gotten,¡± Jiang Jianshe stood up, going with Jiang Jianye to the pigpen. Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing hadn¡¯t seen a live pig much, so they also ran to join the excitement. Jiang Feng thought he ought to go and take a look since he had fed Sanhua for over ten days and today it was to be turned into a pork dish. Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng followed suit and headed for the pigpen as well. Seven people surrounded the pigpen so tightly that not even light could get through, leaving Sihua and Wuhua, who were not used to suchmotion, cowering in the corner, squealing in fear. ¡°Hey, Sanhua looks pretty good!¡± Jiang Jiansheplimented, ¡°this wide back, smooth and firm! It would be perfect for making garlic white meat.¡± ¡°The rear is great too, round and full, must be a lot of muscle there. When it¡¯s sliced up for roasting, one portion honey-zed, one spicy with extra cumin¡­¡± Jiang Jianye¡¯s eyes were glistening. ¡°Spine meat for pot-roasted pork. If only Dad would add a bit more white vinegar for a sweet and sour vor and skip thetro, that taste¡­¡± Jiang Jianshe was daydreaming. ¡°It¡¯s alright if we don¡¯t addtro, Dad doesn¡¯t like vinegar, so a touch is the absolute limit. What I can¡¯t predict is how the blood sausage will turn out this year.¡± Jiang Jianye smacked his lips, ¡°Sauerkraut blood sausage stewed with pork, tsk tsk, just unbeatable.¡± As the two brothers critically appraised Sanhua, Mrs. Jiang, who had originally gone to consult with Old Sir Wang about the pig ughtering, stormed back in anger and shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°Jianguo, Jiandang, Jiankang, Jianye, Jianshe, drive Sanhua out nowand take her over to MasterWang¡¯s ce for ughtering!¡± Jiang Jiankang was shocked, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t Dad say we¡¯d do it in the afternoon?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait till the afternoon. Just now, Li Cuihua from next door also went to see Old Wang. With Old Wang¡¯s age, if he ughters their pig, where will he get the energy to deal with Sanhua? Quick, quick, quick, where are those two little twerps? Call them over, and get Sanhua there for me!¡± Mrs. Jiang said as she headed toward the pigsty. Under Mrs. Jiang¡¯smand, the five brothers worked together seamlessly; with Sanhua running in front and the brothers chasing behind, they finally arrived before the pig from the neighboring house did. The father and son from the neighboring house resentfully took their pig back home to wait till the next day, and amidst Sanhua¡¯s several wails, Old Sir Wang used his expert pig-ughtering skills to clearly arrange each part of Sanhua. ¡°Dad, Sanhua is squealing so tragically.¡± Jiang Junqing, who was in junior high, couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The more tragically she squeals, the more delicious the dishes will beter on,¡± Jiang Jianshe consoled. Jiang Feng: ??? After the pig was ughtered, Master Wang left the rest to them. ughtering pigs was tough physical work, and he wasn¡¯t young anymore, so he went inside to change clothes and rest. ¡°Quickly, Zaide, Shoucheng, take the pig¡¯s blood back home for Grandpa to make blood sausage,¡±manded Mrs. Jiang as the overall director. The basin had already been filled with saltwater to prevent the pig¡¯s blood from coagting. Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng picked up therge basin and sprinted home with the speed of a 100-meter dash. ¡°What are you idiots standing around for? Master Wang has already divided everything up. Hurry up and pack it to take home,¡± Mrs. Jiang barked, ¡°And when you go, make sure to pass by Li Cuihua¡¯s front door. She thought she could cut ahead of me, as if she didn¡¯t know her fat pig couldn¡¯t outrun our Sanhua.¡± Whether they could outrun Jiang Feng or not was unknown, but they definitely outran them now, since Sanhua was already in the basin. Even if she had all four hooves, she couldn¡¯t run anymore. The Jiang family wasrge and strong; in one trip, they brought everything home. Once all the goods were gathered, they got busy. Sir made the blood sausage, Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Jiankang took care of the pig¡¯s offal, while everyone else helped chop and distribute the meat. After dealing with all the pork, dumplings were the main dish for the evening. The tedious job of mincing, kneading dough, rolling skins, and preparing dumpling filling had everyone, including the females who didn¡¯t usually cook, bustling non-stop until night fell before they finally could rest. For dinner, they had pork dumplings and sauerkraut stewed with blood sausage and white meat. The blood sausage was freshly cooked, making it the most tender meal of the day. Sir didn¡¯t stint and used the best part of Sanhua¡¯s meat, the fiveyer pork, with a proportion of thirty percent fat to seventy percent lean,bined with sauerkraut, and Sir cooked tworge bowls. Jiang Feng also brought out the pickles Jiang Weiming gave him. Although there was only one dish for the meal, it was lively, almost feeling like New Year¡¯s Eve. ¡°It¡¯s practically New Year,¡± Jiang Weiming sighed. ¡°On New Year¡¯s Eve, I¡¯ll make you chopped pepper fish head,¡± promised Jiang Weiming with a beaming smile. ¡°Great!¡± Jiang Jiankang immediately got excited, ¡°Uncle, the vige head said they would drain the vige pond on New Year¡¯s Eve morning and distribute the fish to the families. After the New Year, they need to clean out the silt at the bottom of the pond. No need to buy fish, there¡¯s a huge carp down there. My second brother and I have been trying to catch it for half a month without any luck!¡± Jiang Weiguo was toozy to scold him and began seriously pondering what to eat on New Year¡¯s Eve. This year there were many happy events in the family, so it was fitting to prepare avish New Year¡¯s Eve dinner to cap off the year. *Beep beep beep, the Jiang family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve menu is hotly under collection! Chapter 97 - 96 Stirring Sugar Color Chapter 97 - 96 Stirring Sugar Color Chapter 97: Chapter 96 Stirring Sugar Color Trantor: 549690339 | The next morning, they ate dumplings, leftovers from the night before, which weren¡¯t enough. Everyone seemed to enjoy this, eating less to save room for a bigger lunch with the pork dishes for the New Year. After breakfast, Sir busied himself in the kitchen, while Mrs. Jiang orchestrated the household, ensuring everyone had a task to keep them spinning in action. Jiang Feng was assigned to handle the front shoulder pork¡ªsimple enough, just washing and cutting it into pieces. Sir had to personally manage the cooking part. During the New Year, not even Jiang Jiankang could intervene in cooking the dishes, let alone Jiang Feng. Being allowed to cut the meat was considered quite an honor among the grandchildren, the others not even permitted to touch the knives and relegated to washing vegetables or cleaning. Throughout the morning, Jiang Feng pondered how to approach Sir about wanting to learn how to make Sweet and Sour Yam. In the end, all his thoughts condensed into one sentence. ¡°Grandpa, I want to learn how to fry sugar and make sweet and sour coating!¡± ¡°Stand aside,¡± Sir replied, too busy braising pork offal to pay him much attention. It was Jiang Weiming, who was marinating meat nearby, that responded with encouragement, ¡°Feng fancies making sweet and sour sweet potatoes?¡± ¡°Sweet and Sour Yam,¡± corrected Jiang Feng. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. He¡¯s full of fleeting whims¡ªjust the day before yesterday he wanted to learn how to cook garlic shrimp. He¡¯s always dreaming about overnight sess,¡± scoffed Jiang Weiguo, his attention focused on the pot. ¡°It¡¯s a bit early for him to cook seafood, but Feng¡¯s fire control is good enough now. He can start learning to fry sugar and make sweet and sour,¡± said Jiang Weiming, massaging the meat in the basin for a moment. Jiang Weiguo fell silent and then conceded, ¡°It is about time indeed, you can learn if you wish. Granduncle Weiming is better at making sweet and sour than I am, go ahead and use the gas stove.¡± ¡°Come here, Granduncle Weiming will teach you,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile, ¡°Little brother,e check on the meat in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Jiankang,e over here and watch this meat. Once it¡¯s marinated, slice it into strips and put it on the steamer,¡± Sir instructed, handing the meat over to Jiang Jiankang. Frying sugar is all about experience, a skill thates with practice. There¡¯s technique to it, but not many surprises tend to ur if you can seize the right moment, and the quality of the final product won¡¯t be too bad. You can use white sugar or rock sugar, it¡¯s really just a matter of texture. Jiang Feng had learned the process by heart from watching video tutorials, but watching was one thing; actually doing it himself was quite another. Frying sugar without pulling threads, and if aiming for a caramel colour, involves constant stirring as the sugar water gradually shifts from light yellow to golden and finally to a jujube hue. At that precise moment, hot water should be added, then simmered gently to even out. The resulting caramel, slightly less sweet but rich in vor, can be used to color and enhance meat and fish dishes, a rather ancient culinary technique for seasoning and coloring meat dishes. Jiang Weiming simply exined the technique without demonstrating, and Jiang Feng, following his instructions, produced a dish. The color was deep, a jujube red tinged with a hint of ck, emitting a rich caramel scent. It seemed like a sess, but Jiang Feng felt something was off. ¡°You added water at the wrong time,¡± Jiang Weiming observed calmly, examining the product. ¡°You were a bitte, but that¡¯s a minor issue. You didn¡¯t get the feel for it, and you didn¡¯t reduce it properly at the end. The caramel colour is essential for rod -cooked fish and braised pork knuckles¡ªyour color is clearly too deep.¡± ¡°Try again.¡± Jiang Feng made one batch after another, yet Jiang Weiming found faults in each one. Frying sugar chiefly involves three stages: pulling threads, soft syrup, and caramel color. If Jiang Feng wanted to learn, he would have to master all three stages, not just pulling threads. He made seven batches that morning, all with simr issues, indicating almost no progress. However, Jiang Weiming remained patient, pointing out his mistakes only after Jiang Feng had finished all attempts. This waspletely opposite to the way Jiang Weiguo taught. If Jiang Feng had made seven mistakes in the seven dishes, that could have been excusable, but he was repeating the same few mistakes over and over without showing any sign of remorse. If it had been Jiang Weiguo standing by Jiang Feng¡¯s side, he probably would have knocked him on the head with the wash basin by now. ¡°No worries, you¡¯ve already made a lot of progress, let¡¯s doit again,¡± Jiang Weiming said. He had taught Jiang Weisheng, whose talent was ten to a hundred times less than Jiang Feng¡¯s, for over a decade, so patience had be second nature to him. To put it another way, even if he had to teach Pan Ling how to simmermb soup, he could remain calm andposed. Moreover, Jiang Weiming truly felt that Jiang Feng was improving. Making candy required time, and having the right feel was crucial. It was obviously Jiang Feng¡¯s first attempt, and his untrained hands managed to produce a quite decent oue, which only someone with a solid grasp of fire control could have achieved. But Jiang Feng was unaware of the subtleplexities involved; although Jiang Weiming was gentle, the pressure he felt from him was far greater than that from the always irritable Jiang Weiguo in the kitchen. He could sense the heavy expectations and the sliver of hidden anxiety in Jiang Weiming¡¯s perpetually kind smile and gentle tone. The expectation and love from an elder always weigh heavily. Jiang Feng was getting anxious. On the eighth attempt, it was aplete disaster, the final product even turned a bit ck. Jiang Weiguo had just finished his work and came over to have a look, mercilessly scolding, ¡°What the hell have you been cooking? It¡¯s almost burnt. Even pigs wouldn¡¯ t eat it if you used it to color their food.¡± To his surprise, Jiang Feng found that being scolded by the old man actually lessened the pressure on him considerably. ¡°Feng did quite well for the first few times. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s hard to maintain concentration over a longer period. Lunch is almost ready; take a break. You don¡¯t have to make caramel this afternoon, just simmer it until it¡¯s a soft sauce,¡± Jiang Weimingforted him, ¡°Tonight, your grandfather is going to make Nine Turns Intestine, so you can simmer the soft sauce for him.¡± Jiang Weiguo looked at the products Jiang Feng had made before, which hadn¡¯t been tossed yet. This time he refrained from criticizing, ¡°Didn¡¯t your dad ever teach you this?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jiang Feng honestly replied. ¡°Never thought you¡¯d have some talent in this area. Granduncle Weiming teaches better than I do,¡± Sir actually praised Jiang Feng a couple of times, ¡°Alright, listen to Granduncle Weiming. Go keep an eye on Mrs. Jiang and don¡¯t let her work. Her rheumatism has been acting up these past two days, and she can¡¯t be near water. Tell her to rest.¡± Mrs. Jiang did have some rheumatism, but it wasn¡¯t serious. Having received instructions from the old man, Jiang Feng took off his apron to take on the role of the overseer. To supervise and prevent Mrs. Jiang from working. Because of this, Jiang Feng ended up being nagged by Mrs. Jiang for a long while. Jiang Feng: q (¡®- ¡® )r *1, devoid of emotion and drafts, the lifeless recluse Alliance Hierarch, owe an additional update for two days, which I will make up as soon as I write it out. I, devoid of culture andmon knowledge, somehow made Taifeng Building one of the famed Eight Buildings in the capital v(¡ãfl¡ã) I apologize to the founder from Shandong Haiyin Sun; this is a parallel universe, with no Ten Halls, Eight Buildings, Eight Houses, or Eight Springs. Yes, that¡¯s how it is(o>m<*o) Chapter 98 - 97 Tender Juice Chapter 98: Chapter 97 Tender Juice Trantor: 549690339 | Lunch was what they nicknamed ¡°butcher¡¯s feast,¡± notplete, but that didn¡¯t matter when Sir¡¯s cooking skills were top-notch. A pot of new sauerkraut with blood sausage and white pork stew, a tter of various well-braised offals, crispy pork slices, hand-torn pork, stir-fried lettuce with garlic, and egg drop soup. Except for the stir-fried lettuce, each dish was served in arge bowl, not only delicious but also in generous portions. Jiang Jianshe adored crispy pork slices, but regretfully, his cooking skills were not up to scratch. He could only enjoy Sir1 s cooking during the Lunar New Year, so naturally, he seized the opportunity and focused solely on the crispy pork slices. The crispy pork slices Sir made had a golden hue and a sweet taste, with just a hint of sourness, but predominantly sweet. The meat itself was golden, and the sauce which was thickened to perfection, was also yellow and transparent. Poured over the already crispy meat, it looked like sparkling, translucent amber from a distance. Plus, this time Sir had leisurely decorated it with two sprigs of tender green onions, making the presentation first-rate. Seeing the crispy pork slices, Jiang Jianshe¡¯s eyes almost popped out, and he kept chewing on them non-stop, like a perpetual motion machine. Half the dish had vanished before he realized it. ¡°Dad, leave some for us!¡± Jiang Junqing was enraged. At the Jiang family dining table, it was always the survival of the fittest, but that only applied between brothers. If the wife, kids, or father had objections, no matter how good one was with hands or mouth, one had to bow down. ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t eat anymore, I¡¯ll eat rice, eat rice!¡± Jiang Jianshe begrudgingly went to eat his rice. The tter of assorted offals wasn¡¯t getting much attention, mainly because the offals hadn¡¯t been braised long enough. They were just there to make up the numbers. Given another couple of days of marinating until the juice thoroughly prated, turning the offals into the color of the marinade, they¡¯d taste just right. Even in the morning, pairing these offals with porridge would let someone slurp joyously without pause. Jiang Feng ate absentmindedly, his mind preupied with the fire control for caramelizing sugar. When he snapped back to his senses and took a closer look, The crispy pork slices, gone. Hand-torn pork, gone. The sauerkraut with blood sausage and white pork stew, the blood sausage, gone. Jiang Feng: ??? Are you guys devils? Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t even finished his first bowl when Jiang Jiankang had already started on his third. Zet City is located in the south, and even though the Jiang family members all have northern stomachs, it¡¯s difficult to find northern bowls there. However, the Jiang family members all love vegetables, and their pursuit of rice is merely to apany vegetables or to fill up when vegetables arecking, so there¡¯s no such scene as everyone refilling their bowls seven or eight times during the Lunar New Year1 s meal. As for whether there is enough food on ordinary days, that depends on the mood of the cook. Jiang Feng looked towards Jiang Jiankang, who had four pieces of blood sausage in his bowl. Jiang Jiankang was happily enjoying his sauerkraut, and instantly felt his son¡¯s gaze He turned around and saw that apart from the in rice, there was nothing else in Jiang Feng¡¯s bowl, and his chopsticks were held in hand without reaching for the food. ¡°My boy, why the daze? Eat some vegetables!¡± Jiang Jiankang said, then nced around the dining table. Umm¡­ ¡°Eat the lettuce, eat the lettuce, isn¡¯t that your favorite?¡± Jiang Jiankang said. Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng continued to stare at the blood sausage in his dad¡¯s bowl without saying a word, strongly implying something. Jiang Jiankang: ? S(¡ãA¡ãIII)I Seeing Jiang Jiankang¡¯s expression, Jiang Feng knew he understood, and spoke up, ¡°Dad, I haven¡¯t even had a taste of the blood sausage Sir made today.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat it yesterday?¡± Jiang Jiankang retorted reflexively. ¡°¡­That¡¯s different, yesterday was yesterday, today is today.¡± Jiang Jiankang fell silent. There was nothing he could do; after all, it was his own son. If his ability to snatch food wasn¡¯t on par, it was his fault as a father for not teaching him well. Heaving a sigh, Jiang Jiankang picked out a piece of blood sausage, broke it in half, then in half again, and picked out the smallest piece to give to Jiang Feng, saying earnestly, ¡°Your grandfather¡¯s blood sausage is quite tasty today.¡± Jiang Feng: ? ¡°Jiankang, give me a piece of blood sausage,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian spoke up. Right on the spot, Jiang Jiankang took the biggest blood sausage from his own bowl and gave it to Wang Xiulian, attentively asking, ¡°Wife, do you want more?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Oh, man! ¡°No need, I¡¯m good after finishing this bowl. Son, do you want some? I can share half with you,¡± Wang Xiulian asked. ¡°¡­Yes, thank you, Mom!¡± Oh, selfish. After dinner, it was the happy couch potato time for everyone; the sense of fullness made nobody want to move, whether flopping down in a room or sprawling out in the yard. ¡°Feng, shall we start simmering the tender sauce now?¡± After resting for about thirty or forty minutes, Jiang Weiming asked. ¡°All right,¡± Jiang Feng stood up. He didn¡¯t know if others were happy, but he certainly hadn¡¯t enjoyed this meal-he had not even eaten a piece of blood sausage and had only tasted a bit of sauce dipped with his chopsticks from the sweet and sour pork. Oh, right, Mr. Jiang Jiankang was also not happy, as therge piece of tender blood sausage he gave to his wife was halved by his unlucky son. The ¡°tender sauce¡± is achieved when, during the sugar-frying process, big yellow bubbles start to form and water is added right after that without further simmering. For Jiang Feng, who always struggled to control the fire just right for the final caramelization stage, making the tender sauce was easier than frying sugar for coloring. But it was only rtively easier. The first batch of tender sauce he made was a bit too orange. Jiang Weiming didn¡¯tment but instead said to Jiang Feng, ¡°You taste it. Jiang Feng dabbed a tiny bit with his chopsticks. Seems¡­ a bit too sweet. Jiang Feng was uncertain and hesitated, ¡°Is it a bit too sweet? ¡°You still haven¡¯t mastered the timing,¡± Jiang Weiming said, ¡°You got anxious and poured the boiling water before the bubbles had fully formed in the pot. The more you fry the sugar, the darker it gets, and the lighter the sweetness bes. Seasoning is one aspect, but coloring is even more important than seasoning. Just look at this tender sauce you made, the color is clearly not right, not dark enough.¡± ¡°Frying sugar is about more than just feeling; it also tests your eyes and tongue. Come on, let me showyou how it¡¯s done. But indeed, your tender sauce is better than the caramel color,¡± Jiang Weiming said, as he started to demonstrate personally. Jiang Feng¡¯s tender sauce was better than the caramel color because he had seen Jiang Jiankang make it before. The authentic Kung Pao chicken uses tender sauce for coloring and seasoning, and although the supermarkets offer alternatives like rock sugar soy sauce and dark soy sauce, to achieve that authentic taste, one must make it from scratch. Of course, when Jiang Jiankang cooked Kung Pao chicken for customers, he used ready-made seasonings, and at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, the Nine Turns Intestine dish was simply cut and rolled pig intestines rather than the premium version that required over a dozen pig intestines to serve. Apart from his own family, Jiang Jiankang was never willing to put in extra effort. Jiang Feng had seen Jiang Jiankang make tender sauce, and in his opinion, it was already quite good. Butpared with what Jiang Weiming made today, it was nowhere close. Jiang Weiming¡¯s movements throughout were as smooth as flowing clouds and water; from the moment the sugar water hit the pan, he had a mental scale, knowing exactly when to stir, when to skim, when to add hot water and finish. There were no hesitations, everything was precise, with swift decisions. The tender sauce had a lighter than orange-red color and was a bit thick, like diluted syrup. Jiang Feng tasted it, and it was still a bit sweet, but not as exaggerated as the batch he made before. Even if Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t tell fine from coarse, he could see that this tender sauce, if used for Nine Turns Intestine, would be excellent. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Jiang Weiming asked. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± Jiang Weiming asked again. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t dare to say he could do it. His brain got it, but sometimes his hands had a mind of their own. ¡°Alright, you try again,¡± Jiang Weiming wasn¡¯t hard on him and handed the pan back to Jiang Feng. *Sweet and sour pork is really delicious, too bad I don¡¯t sell it here¡±¨C I only found out recently through social media that northerners eat a lot. As the number one foodie in my family, I can eat up to 16 dumplings in one sitting 0I Chapter 99 - 98 Jiang Yong Chapter 99: Chapter 98 Jiang Yong Trantor: 549690339 | Jiang Feng spent another afternoon simmering the tender juice. The entire kitchen was filled with the sweet aroma of white sugar, and anyone who didn¡¯t know better might think it was a sugar factory. The result was quite evident, the sugar was gone. White sugar, granted sugar, rock sugar¡ªall depleted. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s stockpiled supplies from the Singles¡¯ Day sale were exhausted by Jiang Feng in just one day. Everyone, including Mrs. Jiang, had no objections to this. After all, to study cooking and practice one¡¯s culinary skills, some wasting of ingredients is necessary, especially during the New Year preparations. If it had been any other time of the year, Jiang Jiankang would have made do with the product of Jiang Feng¡¯s efforts and still could have used it to cook dishes to sell, even if they had to be offered at a discount. For dinner, they had leftovers from lunch along with dumplings, and there was no time to cook the Nine Turns Intestine. Fortunately, the tender juice couldst for a few days, so it wasn¡¯t a waste of Jiang Weiming¡¯s efforts. Sir had been busy in the kitchen all afternoon and it was certainly hard work. Everyone was content with dumplings for dinner, especially when paired with the pickled radish that Jiang Weiming had prepared. The meal was truly enjoyable. After dinner, Sir and Jiang Weiming, as usual, went out for a walk. Everyone else did their own thing¡ªJiang Zaidi returned to his room to revise his draft for the twenty-sixth time. Just yesterday, he was ranting about quitting, but today, after the client paid another installment in addition to the deposit, he obediently started revising despite the risk of going bald. Having simmered sugar all day, Jiang Feng felt a hint of sweetness in everything he smelled. He moved a chair out into the yard to sit by the fire pit and y with his phone when he suddenly heard a familiar ringtoneing from the kitchen. ¡°A group of Red Army soldiers has been sent out¡­¡± Jiang Weiming¡¯s phone was ringing. Jiang Feng went inside and saw the caller ID showed Jiang Yanlu, his troublesome great-uncle. ¡°Hello, this is Jiang Feng. Granduncle Weiming is out for a walk right now. Please call backter,¡± Jiang Feng answered the phone. ¡°I was actually looking for you. I guessed my dad would be out and not carrying his phone, which is why I called,¡± Jiang Yanlu said calmly on the other end. ¡°Looking for me?¡± ¡°Yes, Feng, may I call you that? I need your current address,¡± Jiang Yanlu sounded a bit anxious. ¡°The address?¡± Jiang Feng was even more surprised. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m nning to spend the New Year with my dad,¡± Jiang Yanlu said. ¡°Since my father doesn¡¯t want toe back, we¡¯ll go there. I¡¯ll sort out my own amodation and food. I just want to¡­ be with my dad, at least to see the New Year in together, and preferably to have the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner together.¡± ¡°If you really want toe, you¡¯ll have to figure out your own lodging, but don¡¯t worry about the food. Joining us is just a matter of a few extra bowls and pairs of chopsticks. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do¡ªyou give me your number, and I¡¯ll text you the address,¡± Jiang Feng said. If Jiang Weiming had truly hardened his heart against this son, then they¡¯ll provide just the meal and not concern themselves with the details. ¡°Thankyou,¡± said Jiang Yanlu. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell my dad that I asked for the address.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Feng promised convincingly. As soon as Jiang Weiming returned, Jiang Feng recounted the conversation to him just as it happened, and very tactfully went inside right after. ¡°Brother Weiguo, that¡¯s good news!¡± Jiang Jianguo eximed. ¡°Him? He can¡¯te,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a wry smile. ¡°My eldest son, even if he asked Feng for the address, will not show up.¡± The next day, Jiang Jiankang went to town to buy 30 pounds of white sugar for Jiang Feng, enough for him to simmer to his heart¡¯s content. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t spend all day simmering sugar like the previous day; instead, he practiced for half the day, and by the time the evening came, it was suddenly already the twenty-ninth of the lunar calendar. In these past days, nearly every household¡¯s pigpen in the vige had emptied out, and the air was filled with the spirit of the New Year. Once outside, one was greeted with a sea of red. Rednterns, red couplets, and everyone, both old and young, dressed in red¡ª this vige was made up mostly of people from elsewhere, and their conversations could bring together dialects from seven or eight different provinces. There was no ancestral hall and no special New Year¡¯s traditions; the main purpose of the celebration was simply to enjoy the fun ande together as one big family, doing whatever made them happy. By the twenty-ninth, Jiang Yanlu had not appeared, seemingly confirming Jiang Weiming¡¯s words that even asking for the address, he wouldn¡¯te. These past few days, Jiang Weiming had been somewhat downcast. Jiang Feng could tell that he wanted to see Jiang Yanlu. s, many things don¡¯t turn out the way one wishes. Sir decided that day whose house was ughtering a pig, he¡¯d head there to ask for the pork intestines. Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Jiankang even expanded their business to the neighboring vige, and while they were there, they also took things like pork tails and ears to marinate. They didn¡¯t take them for free, though; sauerkraut with in boiled pork was stewed in a big pot, and once it was ready, just bringing over a bowl was enough. Jiang Jiandang, Jiang Jianshe, and Jiang Jianye headed out early in the morning to scour the town¡¯s market. They wouldn¡¯t let a pig¡¯srge intestine pass by and were determined to gather enough for a dish of Nine Turns Intestine. Sir instructed Jiang Feng to go pull up some spring onions from the vegetable patch. Before he even reached the patch, Jiang Feng was stopped by a schrly-looking middle-aged man in his early fifties. ¡°Young man, hello. May I ask if you know where Jiang Yuanchao lives?¡± the middle-aged man asked. It took Jiang Feng a moment to realize that Jiang Yuanchao was actually Jiang Weiming. He was slightly taken aback. Could it be that Jiang Yanlu actually came? But he didn¡¯t look the right age! ¡± He is my granduncle Weiming and he lives at our house. May I know why you¡¯re looking for him?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°What a coincidence, I am his son, my name is Jiang Yong. I¡¯vee to talk to him about something,¡± Jiang Yong said, surprised by the coincidence. ¡°Would it be too much trouble to ask you to show me the way?¡± ¡°Ah? Sure, just a moment, I¡¯ll go pull up a couple of spring onions.¡± As Jiang Feng went to pull the onions, he pondered¡ªJiang Yanlu said he woulde, but he didn¡¯t, and here was Jiang Weiming¡¯s youngest son, the one from Magic City who hadn¡¯t visited for over a decade due to a heartache, popping up instead. This development¡­ Was quite puzzling! After pulling up the onions, Jiang Feng led Jiang Yong back to the house. Once they reached the doorstep, Jiang Yong stopped. ¡°I¡¯d rather not go in. Could you please just let him know I¡¯m here? If he¡¯s willing toe out, great; if not, please just let me know,¡± Jiang Yong said. Jiang Feng, not fully understanding their family¡¯splex father-son rtionship, went in to pass on the message. When Jiang Weiming heard that Jiang Yong was here, he stood stupefied for a long time before mustering the courage to go outside. Jiang Weiming, looking at his youngest son whom he hadn¡¯t seen in over a decade, felt a mix of emotions. He had thought he would never see Jiang Yong again in his lifetime, but unexpectedly, his son had taken the initiative toe to him. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°My older brother called me a few days ago,¡± Jiang Yong interrupted Jiang Weiming, ¡°He rambled on about many things, about how he had wronged you over the years. I didn¡¯t care to listen and didn¡¯t want to, but he told me you found my Uncle Qi, and I thought as a rtive, I should at leaste and see you.¡± ¡°I am here to tell you that Ran is getting married, the wedding is in May, whether you attend as his grandfather is up to you,¡± Jiang Yong said. It was true that Jiang Yanlu had called him, saying things he foundughable. His father had favored his oldest son all his life, but now that he was old, it ended up the other way around. Jiang Yanlu was getting senile with age. While his son suppressed him froming over, he sent his youngest son, who hadn¡¯t returned home in over a decade, in his stead. Jiang Yong himself didn¡¯t understand why he had actually taken note of the address Jiang Yanlu gave and bought a ne ticket toe here. Jiang Yong didn¡¯t even want to admit to himself that he somewhat wanted to see Jiang Weiming. ¡°I just got off work from the magazine yesterday. I¡¯ll visit Uncle Qi to say hello, and after that, I¡¯ll leave. I need to get back for New Year¡¯s Eve,¡± Jiang Yong said. ¡°When is your flight booked?¡± Jiang Weiming asked. ¡°Today, at dawn,¡± Jiang Yong answered. ¡°No rush, now that you¡¯re here, let me cook a dish for you and then you can go,¡± Jiang Weiming sighed. He walked back into the house leisurely. Jiang Yong, not understanding the situation, still followed him inside. *The group number has changed, everyone forget Demon Fairy Castle! ¡® (¡®~ Chapter 100 - 99: Teflon (Extra for the late Alliance Hierarch!) Chapter 100: Chapter 99: Teflon (Extra for thete Alliance Hierarch!) Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Weiming led Jiang Yong into the kitchen and introduced him to Jiang Weiguo, ¡°This is my second son, Jiang Yong.¡± ¡°Hello, Uncle Qi,¡± greeted Jiang Yong, his tone carrying a hint of estrangement. ¡°No luggage?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked, choosing a rather peculiar point of entry. ¡°He¡¯s not staying. He has a flight tonight; I¡¯m making him a dish. Feng, help me get five eggs and two bags of sugar,¡± said Jiang Weiming, going to wash his hands first. Jiang Weiming took the five egg yolks, added a little more than one bag of sugar, mung bean starch, and water, scattered it, stirred to mix. The mixture of sugar, egg yolks, and starch was hard to mix. Jiang Feng wanted to help, but Jiang Weiming insisted on doing it himself from start to finish. After mixing well, he added some more water and stirred again before straining it twice. He poured it into the pot, heated it, and addedrd, constantly stirring with adle. Thedle must not leave the fire, the fire must not leave thedle, and one cannot be distracted for a moment. Jiang Feng vaguely realized what Jiang Weiming was making. Sanbuchan. Sanbuchan is a famous snack from Anyang, Henan, but is often linked with Northeastern cuisine. It is said that an emperor who favored visiting the South was greatly pleased after eating it, though Jiang Feng had never tasted it. This dish, heavy on oil and sugar, was extremelybor-intensive. Jiankang couldn¡¯t make it, and Sir could but didn¡¯t. Most importantly, to make an authentic Sanbuchan that doesn¡¯t stick to the te, teeth, orchopsticks, required a chef with very high skill in fire control. The surface had to be smooth, even, and rounded. If the fire control was inadequate, it would leak oil and sugar, stick to the pan, and discolour. For Jiang Weiming, a man in his nies, the difficulty of this dish was exponentially greater. The egg mixture in the pot had turned into a pasty consistency, and Jiang Weiming added another spoonful ofrd, continuing to stir. He still had to stir vigorously for seven or eight more minutes, then flip thedle. His hands had to move three or four hundred times to produce a result, and in the meantime, he had to addrd several times and adjust the heat until the Sanbuchan in the pot became smooth, rounded, and well-formed. Jiang Weiming had been stirring for three minutes already. If Jiang Feng had to stir like that for three minutes, with such high-speed and non-stop stirring, he would have been tired too; his arms might even feel sore and numb. Jiang Weiming was obviously feeling the same, as his arm holding the irondle began to tremble, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and the stirring speed noticeably slowed down. ¡°Enough, I¡¯ve eaten Sanbuchan before. Stop, I have a ne to catch. I m leaving,¡± said Jiang Yong, unwilling to watch or wait any longer. ¡°Wait a minute, it¡¯s almost done, just five more minutes, five minutes and it¡¯ll be ready,¡± Jiang Weiming said, looking at the pot, his hands never ceasing to move. Jiang Yong wanted to leave but his feet were as if nailed to the ground, unable to pull away or step forward. Jiang Feng looked at the pot. The Sanbuchan in the pot was nearpletion, and Jiang Weiming was flipping thedle. This wasn¡¯t like flipping thedle a few times to even out the sauce when stir- frying as usual. Making Sanbuchan required continuousdle flipping to ensure even heating, preventing sticking to the pan and achieving a rounded shape without any angles or protrusions. In some ways, Sanbuchan was also a blessing for those with obsessive-pulsive disorder. It was ready toe out of the pot. The formed Sanbuchan slid directly from the pot into the dish, even bouncing slightly uponnding, as if it were frozen. The bounciness of jelly is due to gtin, which is rich in fibrous protein. Sanbuchan, a traditional dessert made entirely of egg yolks, sugar, oil, and mung bean starch, could indeed rival the texture of industrialized jelly. ¡°Give it a try,¡± Jiang Weiming was indeed tired, as this dish was too physically demanding for a chef his age, ¡°Feng, you try it too.¡± Jiang Yong did not move. Seeing that Jiang Yong remained still, Jiang Feng initially didn¡¯t want to take the first scoop either, but then thought it would be awkward for Jiang Weiming if neither of them ate, so he took a spoon and scooped out a small piece. Sanbuchan was like sponge cake, easy to scoop out a small piece with a gentle touch of the spoon. At first bite, the taste was somewhat like jelly ¨C delicate, sweet, smooth, with the fragrance of egg. Even though it was a dessert heavy in sugar and oil, it wasn¡¯t greasy at all. Jiang Weiming had added so much oil, but neither the pot nor the dish could tell; it was all wrapped up in the Sanbuchan. Yet, when eating it, there wasn¡¯t an oily sensation. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Jiang Feng originally wanted to praise the dessert with some sophisticated four-character idiom. But he wasn¡¯t well-educated, so a simple ¡°good¡± had to suffice. Indeed, it didn¡¯t stick to the spoon. A blessing for dishwashers. Jiang Yong looked at the Sanbuchan in the dish, now missing one bite. It was the dish he wanted most before he turned 19. He had known since he was a child that his father yed favorites. His older brother was a full ten years his senior, and his father had already be ustomed to loving him. There was no spare love for Jiang Yong. Because Jiang Weiming was a chef at a state-owned hotel, their home nevercked food supplies, yet sugar still was a raremodity. Jiang Wei loved Sanbuchan, and every year on his birthday, his father would cook it for him ¨C a small portion, and none for Jiang Yong. Every year on his birthday, Jiang Yong would ask for Sanbuchan, not because he had a sweet tooth, but because he just wanted to be treated and loved the same way as his brother. However, his father never took it seriously and never cooked it for him. The year Jiang Yong got into university, his older brother was getting married. The family had no money, so they borrowed a lot. His father only provided his tuition and a train ticket. His living expenses were a mere ten yuan. Jiang Yong found ways to work part-time and save money, eating corn bread for an entire semester; he even refrained from buying pickles so he could afford a ticket home. In the first year of his job, he used nearly half a year¡¯s sry to go to Beiping, to the shop reputed to make the most authentic Sanbuchan. He ate it for half a month until he vomited, until the sight of eggs and sugar made him sick. His father had raised him for 19 years, and he had repaid his father for 19 years. For the past decade and more, they were even. ¡°When you were little, you¡¯d always mor for this dish on your birthday,¡± Jiang Weiming suddenly said. ¡°You loved spicy food, and I always thought you were just trying topete with your brother on purpose, so I never took it to heart.¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m old, I can see just how biased my heart was.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else by it, I just wanted to make it for you while I still had the strength, now that I¡¯ve seen you.¡± Jiang Yong took a bite. It wasn¡¯t the best, but it was what he had wanted. ¡°Dad, when Ran gets married, I¡¯ll bring you over for the wedding. I have to catch¡¯a flight now. I¡¯m leaving,¡± said Jiang Yong, hurriedly leaving. Jiang Weiming smiled. He knew his son would not forgive him. But at least he acknowledged him. And was finally willing to call him ¡°dad¡± again. Chapter 101 - 100 Viewing Physics through the Mist Chapter 101: Chapter 100 Viewing Physics through the Mist Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Yong came in a hurry and left just as quickly. Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t want to make anyments about it. His third brother was the same, cooking whatever his son wanted to eat as long as it was reasonable, and if it was too much, he¡¯d just scold and hit him until he stopped fussing. When Jiang Jianguo was little, he insisted on having boiled cabbage after hearing about it somewhere, causing a fuss for two days until Jiang Weiguo severely beat him and made him chop onions and peppers for two days. The scare tactic worked quite well. Jiang Weiguo was making a superior stock. He started early in the morning, ughtering the fattest old hen raised by Mrs. Jiang, and even handled other ingredients without straying from the pot. Jiang Feng ate another small piece of the ¡°three no touch¡± then went to call everyone else to eat. Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, ran the fastest. Each grabbed tworge spoonfuls and were content, leaving about one quarter for the five Jiang brothers. ¡°Grandpa, this is so delicious, can you make it again tomorrow!¡± Jiang Junqing¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°You can learn how to cook from me, specializing in Fire Control instead of Knifework; in a few years, you can make it yourself,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Jiang Junqing instantly fell silent. Out of all of Jiang Weiguo¡¯s grandchildren, she was the most likely to throw tantrums. The first time she cut vegetables and nicked her hand, she made a huge fuss about not learning anymore before even a few drops of blood came out. Lucky for her, she was Jiang Weiguo¡¯s granddaughter and not his daughter, or else she would definitely have been hung up and spanked. ¡°Alright, alright, get out of the kitchen and stop being in the way.¡± Sir started shooing people out. A bunch of troublesome grandchildren were ushered out just like that. Just as everyone was nning to go to their own rooms and find their moms, Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian stopped their four brothers with pitiful looks. ¡°We can¡¯t do our winter break homework,¡± the two sisters said in unison. Jiang Zaidi shivered and was the first to n his escape, ¡°I can¡¯t help, I work now and have long forgotten junior high material. Go to Cheng, he scored over 660 on his college entrance exam, ranking in the top twenty in the city! He¡¯s the one with good grades! I need to go back to my room and work on design drafts.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it either, even if I scored 660 in high school, I only got 600 in middle school, and I didn¡¯t do well. I¡¯ve forgotten all that; I¡¯m already in my second year of grad school. Go to Ran, he¡¯s the one!¡± Jiang Shoucheng said before vanishing in a sh. Jiang Ran immediately panicked and quickly passed the buck, ¡°I can¡¯t do it either. I got 660 in middle school, but I didn¡¯t even score 600 in high school! If I taught you, I¡¯d lead you astray, wouldn¡¯t I? That would ruin your high school future because you wouldn¡¯t have a strong foundation. Besides, I study finance; I¡¯ve forgotten all that stuff. I¡¯m not the one; you should ask your fourth brother. He studies physics; math and physics go hand in hand. He¡¯ll certainly be able to help! His college entrance exam scores were higher than mine; he¡¯s better!¡± Jiang Feng: ? ¡°Junqing isn¡¯t good at physics, right? Feng specializes in physics, just ask him, it¡¯ll be fine!¡± After a masterful buck-passing, Ran was gone. ¡°Little brother.¡± Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian looked at Jiang Feng in unison. Jiang Feng:¡­ Don¡¯t try to act cute; you almost outweigh me. However, Junqing and Junlian were in theirst year of junior high and at a crucial stage of study. They were facing the middle school exams in June, and since they were eager to learn, Feng naturally couldn¡¯t refuse to teach them. Entering the room with them, Feng saw a familiar book on the desk. It was a blue physics book titled ¡°5-Year Middle School Exams, 3-Year Simtion,¡± with its white and yellow bold words dering its unshakable status among educational materials for so many years. ¡°Little brother, don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s not difficult, just eighth grade questions,¡± said Junqing, reassuring him as she opened the book. Upon hearing that, Feng immediately felt relieved; eighth grade physics was just the basics, very simple. Then he took a closer look.
    1. As shown in the diagram, there is a piece of ice in a beaker filled with water. The bottom of the ice touches the base of the beaker, and the water level is flush with the rim of the beaker. Regarding whether water will overflow when the ice melts, the correct statement among the following is ()
    2. A. If there is pressure from the bottom surface of the ice block against the base of the beaker, then the water will definitely overflow after the ice melts
    3. B. If there is pressure from the bottom surface of the ice block against the base of the beaker, then the water will definitely not overflow after the ice melts
    4. C. Regardless of whether there is pressure from the bottom surface of the ice on the base of the beaker, water will overflow after the ice melts
    5. D. Regardless of whether there is pressure from the bottom surface of the ice on the base of the beaker, water will not overflow after the ice melts
      6. Jiang Feng: ? This diagram feels a bit abstract. Forget it, let¡¯s look at the next question.
      1. As shown in diagram A, a body weighing 80N moves to the right at a constant speed of o.4.m/s on a horizontal surface under the action of a horizontal force Fl of 30N directed to the left. Then, as shown in diagram B, the body is pulled by a pulley system with a horizontal force F2 to the right, moving at the same constant speed on the same horizontal surface for 0.5m to the right (mass of the pulley and rope and friction between them are neglected). The correct statement among the following is ()
      2. A. The magnitude of the friction between the body and the horizontal surface is 15N
      3. B. The power of force F2 is 36W
      4. C. The magnitude of pulling force F2 is 90N
      5. D. The work done by pulling force F2 is 15J
        6. Jiang Feng: Heh, I know this one. Jiang Feng began to exin with full confidence. Five minutester¡ª Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian looked at Jiang Feng with baffled faces. Jiang Feng:¡­ Had he not exined it clearly enough? They couldn¡¯t understand this? ¡°Forget it, little brother, you talk about the previous problem,¡± Jiang Junlian tried to help Jiang Feng out of the awkward situation. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Cough, uh, urn,¡± Jiang Feng tried tough off his embarrassment, ¡°these kinds of problems, they don¡¯t even test in the middle school exams.¡± Jiang Feng received two skeptical looks. ¡°That¡¯s not right, little brother, there were these types of problems on the middle school mock exams we did,¡± Jiang Junqing said unconvinced. ¡°Ah, but they didn¡¯t test this when I took my middle school exams!¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t for the life of him remember what his middle school exams were like; if he didn¡¯t remember them, they might as well not have happened. No problem there. ¡°Well, it¡¯s been several years since I took the middle school exams, maybe they¡¯ve reformed it since then. Let¡¯s switch to another one, how about math, is math good?¡± Jiang Fengughed it off. Jiang Junlian took out a green ¡®Grade Five Three¡¯ math book. The sight of that green color moved Jiang Feng deeply. Junior high school math, he knew it all! Not only did he know it, he exined math better than physics. Back in high school, he used to tutor Chen Xiuxiu in math all the time! After tutoring his two younger cousins in math for an entire morning, Jiang Feng gained a deep appreciation for the struggles his middle school teachers had faced. It felt like, how can you not know this, how can you not be able to do this, how did you even get to ninth grade, I just exined it to you and now you don¡¯t know it again. It turns out, tutoring homework requires keeping a distance; getting too close makes you want to hit them with the book. On second thought, Jiang Feng realized they were two and had the twin telepathy going on; they might actually team up and he wouldn¡¯t be sure he could win, so he had to put the book down. Better to endure for a moment than to get beaten, better to step back than to end up in the hospital. For lunch, they ate dumplings and the leftovers from the day before, knowing that tomorrow there would be the most sumptuous meal of the year. No one minded the lighter meal today, thinking that being a little hungry would make tomorrow¡¯s feast even more delicious. Eat less today, eat more tomorrow, round it up and it¡¯s a gain. Carrying his bowl, Jiang Feng sat down beside Jiang Zaidi toin, ¡°Junqing and Junlian¡¯s basics are too poor. Shouldn¡¯t education in n City be at least better than in Zet City?¡± ¡°Those two have always been used to cking off,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, popping dumplings into his mouth. ¡°We at least used to hang sandbags, hang for a few days beforezing off and refusing to do it, practicing Knifework was also doing some cuts, after cutting for two hoursining of sore hands and cutting themselves, then quitting.¡± ¡°With those two, Junlian is still somewhat better; Junqing quit after cutting herself once and refused to learn further. It¡¯s lucky they were bornter and are younger; grandpa¡¯s temper has softened a lot from back in the day, or they would have already been pped twice. They didn¡¯t suffer like we did when we learned cooking, so they don¡¯t know how good it is to study,¡± Jiang Zaidi added. Jiang Feng: ??? Seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s surprised face, Jiang Zaidi realized, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I forgot, out of all our brothers, you¡¯re the most well-behaved, even when cutting yourself you didn¡¯t scream or cry, just wrapped it up in gauze and kept practicing.¡± ¡°Crying wouldn¡¯t have changed anything, grandpa wouldn¡¯t have cared,¡± Jiang Feng mentioned that he had indeed cried before. ¡°Then you should have kept crying, if you cried long enough, grandpa might have gone soft and asked you to stop training,¡± Jiang Zaidi said. Jiang Feng: ??? So that was an option. ¡°Hey, Feng, no offense, but out of all us brothers, you¡¯re definitely the most honest,¡± Jiang Zaidi said earnestly. Jiang Feng:¡­ Oh. What have we honest people done wrong. We honest people have even upgraded our Lies!
    Chapter 102 - 101: Fishing Out the Fish Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Fishing Out the Fish Trantor: 549690339 | The honest man Jiang Fengunched a fierce counterattack against his three cousins after dinner. Rushing to the kitchen, he yelled, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ming to help!¡± After getting scolded by Sir Jiang, he still stubbornly stayed put and was assigned by Sir Jiang to marinate the meat. With this natural barrier set up by Sir Jiang, the two cousins dared not ask Jiang Feng for help with their homework. They began to single out the other three cousins one by one until all three were defeated in rapid session, surrendering their weapons and resigning themselves to fate, going to help the two cousins with their homework. Each one experienced what it felt like to be attacked from a distance, but overwhelmed up close. It wasn¡¯t untilte evening that the five Jiang brothers returned one after another,den with their haul. The ¡°three no-touch¡± dishes had cooled down and their texture wasn¡¯t as good as before. Jiang Jiankang, with his sweet tooth, finished his portion and still wanted more. He asked the same fatal question as Jiang Junqing, ¡°Dad, are we making this tomorrow night?¡± Sir ignored him and told him to wash the pig¡¯s intestines. Tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve. The ingredients for the evening¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner were mostly prepared, except for the extrarge ¡°fatty¡± fish from the pond that Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang talked about. Early the next morning, everyone in the vige went to the fishpond to drain the water and catch fish. Each family sent one person, armed with a to scoop the fish. The fishpond had been neglected for seven or eight years, likely harboring quite a fewrge fish. On New Year¡¯s Eve, having ¡°fish every year¡± represents a good omen, so each family sent their strongest men. When it came to the Jiang family, however, it was a bit difficult to choose. When it came to size, physique, appearance, and robustness, probably no one couldpare with Jiang Jianguo. But Jiang Jiandang and Jiang Jiankang, in their desire to catch that ¡°fatty¡± fish, had stood guard by the pond for more than half a month and still hadn¡¯t caught it. They were very eager to find the fish themselves. However, the fact that these two had failed to catch a single fish in half a month spoke volumes about their fishing skills. In the end, the chosen one was still Jiang Jianguo. Fishing in the pond during the dead of winter was a physical challenge. Although most of the water in the pond had been drained, stepping into it still felt bone-chillingly cold. Jiang Jianguo changed into his clothes and before he went down, Jiang Jiandang repeatedly reminded him. ¡°Big brother, that ¡°fatty¡± fish weighs at least over 30 pounds, maybe even close to 4.0 pounds. It¡¯s massive! The third brother and I have encountered it several times, but each time it has evaded us. I think it¡¯s almost be cunning. You must find it!¡± Jiang Jiandang said. ¡°If it¡¯s 40 pounds, that¡¯s really big. The flesh might be tough, and the chopped chili fish head might not taste good, right?¡± Jiang Jianguo¡¯s concern was also very practical. ¡°That¡¯s for ordinary ¡°fatties¡±. This one is different,¡± analyzed Jiang Jiankang. ¡°I feel like that fish almost recognizes me and the second brother by now. It might have really turned cunning, so the vor is definitely going to be good!¡± Jiang Jianguo: ??? Had his two brothers turned silly from trying to catch fish? With the entrustment and hopes from his two younger brothers, Jiang Jianguo got into the pond. As the fishpond hadn¡¯t been cleaned for seven or eight years, the varieties of fish were veryplex, mainly because everyone was quite casual about it. You would add some fish fry, I would add some; nobody cared much about whether they lived or died. Carp and grass carp were naturally the most abundant. Yep, the ¡°fatties¡±, or the silver carp, were also plenty, and there were other misceneous small fish. Jiang Feng even saw someone catch shrimp, yellow catfish, loach, and eels, and even turtles hidden in holes and crabs were found. Jiang Jianguo kept searching for that cunning ¡°fatty¡± fish mentioned by his two brothers in the pond. Logically, since the water had almost been drained, such a big fish should be conspicuous, but Jiang Jianguo couldn¡¯t find it after ap around the pond, and neither had anyone else. There were big fish, but they were all grass carps, not the massive ¡°fatties¡± his brothers spoke of. ¡°Big brother, why haven¡¯t you found it yet?¡± Jiang Jiandang was getting a little anxious on the shore. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be, such a big fellow, it should be obvious at first nce!¡± Jiang Jiankang was puzzled as well, ¡°Did it really turn into a spirit and dig a hole to hide in?¡± Suddenly, a cry of astonishment burst from the crowd on the shore. Butcher Wang, the pro at ughtering pigs, scooped up a massive ckfish that weighed a good seven or eight jin, but for some reason, it was injured. Otherwise, even if the pond was drained, it would have been a tough battle to catch it. ¡°My, my, that¡¯s one hefty ckfish,¡± Jiang Jiankang eximed. For a wild ckfish to grow to seven or eight jin, it must have eaten hundreds of jin of other fish in the pond. ¡°Wait, the bighead carp that Second Brother caught couldn¡¯t have been eaten by this one, could it?¡± Jiang Jiankang gasped with rm. ¡°No way, no way, that big fe could probably beat this ckfish,¡± Jiang Jiandang reassured himself. The two brothers stood on the bank analyzing the situation, paying more attention to the ckfish Butcher Wang had scooped up than to Jiang Jianguo in the fish pond. Suddenly, an intense cheer erupted from the crowd. ¡°Well done, Jianguo!¡± ¡°Good boy, you caught such a big fish!¡± ¡°My, my, how many jin does this fish weigh!¡± ¡°Only Zhuangshi Jianguo could haul up such a big fish!¡± Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang swiftly turned around to see Jiang Jianguo head to toe, including mud in his hair from the bottom of the pond, with a basket for carrying fish on his left hand and a for scooping fish on his right. The basket wasn¡¯t full, but clearly visible inside was a turtle trying to climb out, while the held the very bighead carp that haunted the brothers¡¯ dreams. The fish didn¡¯t move, seemingly stunned. The brothers quickly took over the items and helped pull Jiang Jianguo ashore; he had suffered enough treading water for so long. Under the bighead carp, it really seemed to weigh 40 jin. ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother, you¡¯re not wrong to say that this fish might really be a spirit. It actually hid in a hole at the bottom of the pond. If I hadn¡¯t spotted its tail, I would have really missed it,¡± Jiang Jianguo reflected. ¡°It¡¯s really strong. If I hadn¡¯t been quick-eyed and quick-handed and found a rock to stun it, it would have gotten away.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just cookit when we get back. I¡¯ll deliver it to Third Uncle first,¡± Jiang Jiankang said joyfully as he ran off with the fish. Jiang Feng, who had witnessed the entire process: ¡­ No matter how clever and close to bing a spirit you are, what can you do? In the end, you¡¯re still destined to be a dish on the Jiang Family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. ¡°Jianguo, you¡¯re not fishing anymore?¡± someone asked. ¡°Not anymore, not anymore,¡± said Jiang Jianguo, lifting his foot, ¡°I¡¯m going backto take a bath. Caught a big one, and snagged a turtle, that¡¯s enough!¡± ¡± Feng, you go back first and help Uncle draw some water. With this weather, it¡¯s going to take a while before the hot wateres out,¡± said Jiang Jianguo, obviously intending to go back for a shower. ¡°Alright,¡± said Feng, dashing home. *Are you guys devils? I specifically chose a prompt without images, yet you all still solve it cheerfully¡­. I originally nned to write about the Jiang Family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve on New Year¡¯s Eve itself, but¡­ s, it seems my skill at writing duds iscking, I just can¡¯t water it down TAT Chapter 103 - 102 Before the Meal Chapter 103: Chapter 102 Before the Meal Trantor: 549690339 After Jiang Feng prepared the bathwater for Jiang Jianguo, when he returned to the kitchen, the fathead carp that had matched wits with Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jiandang for half a month before being finally caught by Jiang Jianguo had already been beheaded. They weren¡¯t afraid of anything other than it waking up and struggling, making Jiang Weiming unable to hold it down, so they had to let it meet its maker early. The fish was sorge, its tail couldn¡¯t be wasted. Jiang Weiming was processing the head, Jiang Weiguo handled the tail, and Jiang Jiankang was beside them, chopping scallions, ginger, and garlic. The Jiang Family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner generally featured eighteen dishes, six cold tters, and twelve hot dishes. The ingredients for the hot dishes were prepared in advance, while the cold tters were simple and usually ready by the morning. Sir would make the cold tters, though he tended to do so half-heartedly, since he didn¡¯t have the leisure or interest to arrange and carve them as borately as banquet dishes. How half-hearted was it? So much so that the goose in jelly was bought from the town. Although the marinades from the town¡¯s meat shop indeed tasted quite good¡ª a family heritage¡ªif Sir had been willing to marinate the goose himself¡­ No, that¡¯s not right. Jiang Feng had never even seen Sir marinating a goose, which might be why he bought it from the town¡ªhe probably couldn¡¯t make it taste good himself. Out of the six cold dishes, five were already prepared. Marinated goose, tiger-skin peanuts, a tterbining marinated pork offal, shredded pork with mung bean starch sheets, and soy sauce cucumbers. The remaining dish, Jiang Feng could guess, was sure to be crispy fragrant apples. Crispy fragrant apples, a dish from the Manchu Han Imperial Feast, were the only cold dish Sir really cared about. Essentially a fruit sd, but moreplicated¡ªit involved peeling, coring, and cutting the apples, coating them in egg batter, and then deep-frying them, much harder than an ordinary fruit sd, somewhat like an apple pie. Every New Year, Sir was sure to prepare this dish, and not inrge quantities either¡ªjust two apples per te. It was crispy, refreshing, slightly sweet, and fragrant with the distinct aroma of the apples, and it was usually snapped up as soon as it hit the table. As for this year¡¯s twelve hot dishes, Jiang Feng found them somewhat puzzling. Besides the nailed-on dishes like spicy chopped fish head, Nine Turns Intestine, braised prawns, pork knuckle, sweet and sour pork, and preserved vegetables with pork belly, as well as the chicken soup, Jiang Feng had an inkling that the vegetable dish might be stir-fried dragon¡¯s beard vegetable. The dragon¡¯s beard vegetable that Sir had gone to great lengths to bring over from the North was surely not just a kitchen decoration. The rest was beyond Jiang Feng¡¯s guesswork. Sir had been busy for several days, and together with the food ingredients he had prepared, it was probably enough to fill up arge basket. There were also two ducks. Since Sir had decided to make chicken soup, he surely wouldn¡¯t be making duck soup. So, what were the ducks for? Red-braising them was quite unlikely, as these two ducks were Beiping stuffed ducks, brought over with the dragon¡¯s beard vegetable, and it would be a pity to red-braise ducks bred especially for roasting. The two plump ducks were still marinating in a basin. ¡°Grandpa, what are you going to do with these stuffed ducks?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. ¡°Rice-stuffed ducks. Go check if the glutinous rice is soaked yet,¡± Sir instructed. Rice-stuffed duck could also be considered a court dish, no wonder Sir had cleaned and deboned the ducks the night before and had soaked the glutinous rice early. The New Year¡¯s Eve dinner started in the evening, but some dishes had already been stewed a long time before, like the pork knuckle and the soup. That evening, besides the chicken soup, the other pot could be said to have been quite an investment¡ªJiang Feng only saw shark fin, sea cucumber, and shrimp slices in it. The sand pot that had been prepared for soup since this morning was simmering on a low me, and up until now, Jiang Feng still couldn¡¯t guess what kind of soup it was. The most crucial thing was that Jiang Feng did ask, but Sir wouldn¡¯t tell him and even scolded him out of the kitchen. They had no food to eat all day and had to wait until the evening. Whoever couldn¡¯t resist and went to the kitchen to boil dumplings for themselves would lose. Being near the kitchen was truly a torture, with the smell of delicious food making one hungry, and there wasn¡¯t anything interesting on TV. Being captured by two younger female cousins for tutoring was even worse. The moment Jiang Feng was chased out, he slipped back to his room and locked the door. Jiang Ran had already been seized for English tutoring; he definitely didn¡¯t want to be dragged in to tutor physics as well. If he joined forces with Jiang Ran, they might have a chance to win. However, Jiang Ran had recently lost 20 pounds dating, so the hopes were rather slim. As he scrolled through his social media feeds, Jiang Feng suddenly felt that it had been a long time since QQhad popped up a new message. Their Chess Club seemed to have disbanded for the holiday, as silent as a still pond, and Jiang Feng felt that, as the president, although his chess skills were inferior to Wu Minqi¡¯s and his culinary abilities couldn¡¯tpare to Wu Minqi¡¯s, as the president, he should liven up the atmosphere. Jiang Feng (President): [QQRed Envelope] Wishing you wealth and prosperity Ji Yue (Former President) received your red envelope. Liu Qian received your red envelope. Liu Zixuan received your red envelope. Less than half a minuteter, everyone but Wu Minqi had imed the red envelope. Ji Yue (Former President): [Image] Ji Yue (Former President): Jiang Feng, are you asking for trouble? A red envelope averaging 1 cent. Ji Yue (Former President): [Image] Jiang Feng (President): Everyonee out and talk, it¡¯s about a cent! Liu Qian:. Liu Zixuan:. Qiu Chen (Vice President):. Wu Li:. Jiang Feng looked at his phone, utterly confused. Ji Yue (former President): Chatting isn¡¯t free, you¡¯ve used up your penny¡¯s worth of chat, if you want to continue, you need to pay more. Jiang Feng¡­ Forget it, forget it, can¡¯t afford it. Jiang Feng scrolled through the chat history again and noticed something amiss. Liu Qian didn¡¯t even send a dot, she didn¡¯t chat for even a penny, but usually, she¡¯s the most active in flooding the group chat, capable of spamming like a 99+ Gatling gun. Unless she¡¯s live streaming. Jiang Feng was actually quite curious, what kind of family could raise someone like Liu Qian who loved to eat so much, and what they would do for the New Year¡¯s celebration. Exiting QQ Jiang Feng clicked on a streaming tform. As expected, Liu Qian was live streaming. There were quite a few people in the stream, and Liu Qian was holding a spider skimmer, draining oil from the freshly fried crispy meat. ¡°Let me tell you guys, my mom¡¯s fried crispy meat is so delicious, listen to this, it¡¯s so crispy,¡± Liu Qian said, picking up a piece of hot crispy meat, and began crunching away. The sound was very crisp and pleasant. Jiang Feng:¡­ How has no one beaten up a streamer like this yet? However, if one just looked at the crispy meat in the spider skimmer, Liu Qian¡¯s mom, as an ordinary housewife, seemed to have done an outstanding job frying the crispy meat. It might also be due to the live-streaming filter, but the crispy meat in the skimmer looked golden and appeared evenly fried. Furthermore, with Liu Qian continuously snacking on it, crunching away without even letting the oil drain properly, grabbing it to eat with oily lips, she made Jiang Feng feel genuinely hungry. Jiang Feng felt like he could even smell the crispy meat¡¯s aroma through his phone. Maybe he should ask Sir if he can fry some crispy meat right now¡­ Forget it, Jiang Feng felt like Sir might dice him up and throw him into the pot to fry instead. The audience in Liu Qian¡¯s live streaming room was also amusing; while other streams hadments like ¡®666¡¯ or chatted about other stuff, thements in Liu Qian¡¯s stream were all. ¡°Chomp chomp-¡± ¡°Crunch crunch-¡± ¡°Crisp crisp-¡± Very harmonious, but just looking makes one hungry. ¡°Hey, I feel like my mom didn¡¯t use enough marinade this time, it¡¯s not vorful enough.¡± Liu Qianined after eating about half a skimmer of crispy meat. Yuanqi: ¡°Annoying streamer thinks it¡¯s not vorful enough? Try using a Hunanese person next time; they eat chili peppers every day and will definitely add vor.¡± ¡°Hunanese are too spicy, mix in some Hainanese for some salty sea vibe.¡± ¡°Actually, if you want vor, the streamer could just go outside and grab someone from the street.¡± ¡°Speaking of spicy, Jiangxi people aren¡¯t bad either.¡± ¡°Sweet-tasting people from Magic City are also nice.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Is everyone in this live streaming room a devil? *Heehee, I realized I had looked at the calendar wrong before, I wrote about the Jiang Family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve on the right day after all! Chapter 104 - 103 Crispy Apple Chapter 104: Chapter 103 Crispy Apple Trantor: 549690339 Liu Qian was still sneaking bites of crispy pork, while the viewers in her livestream had already started discussing which province¡¯s residents had the tenderest flesh. Eating human livestreaming rooms, too scary to mess with. After exiting Liu Qian¡¯s livestream, Jiang Feng browsed randomly on a livestream tform, curious to see if there were any interesting streams amid the masses of singers, dancers, wilderness explorers, and eating streamers. Surprisingly, he found a breath of fresh air. The stream¡¯s title was ¡°Explode my liver with 20,000 words today, won¡¯t sleep until it¡¯s done!¡± It seemed like it belonged to an online author. One click and he saw only the top of a somewhat thinning head of hair. To the left of the streamer was an open pack of Happy fatty snacks, to the right, a nearly finished bottle of Happy fatty water, and the streamer himself was passed out on the keyboard. There were just two sparsements flitting across the screen. ¡°One more sudden death, next one, next one.¡± ¡°Another author dies, one more excuse for no updates.¡± Jiang Feng noticed that the streamer moved a little. Good, sleeping sweetly. In his dreams, exploding with 20,000 words, won¡¯t wake until they¡¯re finished. Jiang Feng put down his phone and nced out the window, where his two younger female cousins hade out to grab people again. It seemed like Jiang Ran was almost crazy enough to need a sane cousin to rece him. Jiang Feng made sure the door was securely locked. His female cousins shouldn¡¯t be able to break in. With the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner approaching, he didn¡¯t want to fall before the revolutionary victory. Bored out of his mind, he yed with his phone for a few more hours. In between, he couldn¡¯t help but click back into Liu Qian¡¯s livestream, where she had stopped eating crispy pork and started on fried fish. Crispy golden little fish, one bite, crunch crunch, the sound of the skin, flesh, and bones being crunched together, magnified countless times by the phone. ¡°Not bad, but a bit nd,¡± Liu Qianmented as she ate. ¡°Qianqian, where¡¯s the crispy pork, where did you put it?¡± Liu Qian suddenly stopped biting the little fish, turned around with a nk look, and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that stuff supposed to be fried and eaten on the spot?¡± ¡°You little fool, always teasing me, did you eat the whole pound and a half?¡± came the thunderous roar. Then there was a chaotic brawl on the other end, and Liu Qian¡¯s phone had fallen, showing only the ceiling. Good, the streamer gets beaten up by her mother on New Year¡¯s Eve for eating a pound and a half of crispy pork. If the Spring Festival G is boring tonight, Liu Qian will definitely make the hot search. Who cares about the Spring Festival G when you can watch a streamer getting beaten up during the New Year? That¡¯s how Jiang Feng survived the afternoon in the room. Usually, the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner is served half an hour before the Spring Festival G starts. Sir had a liquid crystal TV for the past few years, andst year, Jiang Jianshe even eagerly reced it with something that sounded impressive, a super TV. Unfortunately, this impressive super TV was only useful on New Year¡¯s Eve. Sir and Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯t like to watch TV the rest of the year. Sir enjoyed raising pigs, and Mrs. Jiang preferred ying with her tablet, so the TV was rarely turned on. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready, time for the New Year¡¯s Eve feast. Feng, hurry up ande out!¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang bellowed in the dining room. Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Jiandang were busy moving the liquid crystal TV so that it could be seen from where everyone was eating. Eating New Year¡¯s dinner without watching TV,cks soul. The table was already set with five cold dishes; the eagerly awaited final dish, a crispy apple, was still in the pot, and the braised tter with braised pork offal looked really vorful. Jiang Jianguo reached for a piece of intestine with his chopsticks. It had a deep braised vor, with a chewy exterior skin and no off taste. ¡°The offal is vorful,e and try it, everybody!¡± Jiang Jianguo called out. No one responded, and no one picked up their chopsticks; each person just quietly sat at their own seat. Everyone knew what they truly should be reaching for with their chopsticks¡ª the mixed tter of cooked pork offal was avable every day from New Year¡¯s Eve to the fifteenth day of the New Year, but some dishes, once today was over, would have to wait another year! Take, for example, the crispy apple. As easy as this dish might look, it was actually one from the full Manchu Han Imperial Feast. Easy to make, difficult to perfect! If everyone could make it as well as Sir did, Jiang Jiankang would have been eating apples at home every day. ¡°I think the crispy apple should be about done by now, how about I go check the kitchen and bring it over if it¡¯s ready?¡± Jiang Jiankang suggested slyly. ¡°No way!¡± the four brothers protested in unison. If they really gave Jiang Jiankang that opportunity, he would have eaten half the tter on the way back. ¡°Mom said she¡¯ll bring out the dishes,¡± Jiang Jianguo dered. Mrs. Jiang was the epitome of fairness and impartiality, since her teeth weren¡¯t very good now and she couldn¡¯t eat these fried foods. Soon, everyone heard the familiar sound of footsteps. One fast, one slow. And the aroma of the crispy apple that they¡¯d been dreaming of. All held their breath, invigorated, gripping their chopsticks tightly in hand. Even Jiang Shoucheng, who had the unfortunate task of being dragged by his two sisters to tutor them in math and physics that afternoon, shook off the air of despair worse than that of an exam candidate from earlier and his eyes shone brightly, brimming with renewed vitality. Mrs. Jiang had seen her fair share of grand asions and, without rushing or dawdling, ced the two tes of crispy apples on each of the tables. ¡°Swish!¡± Several pairs of chopsticks simultaneously reached for the crispy apples in the tes, like swords drawn from their sheaths, leaving only a blur in their wake. In the blink of an eye, the tes were empty. Jiang Feng: ??? Was his second cousin a dog? Jiang Shoucheng had bumped him just as he was getting up, which threw off his reach for the chopsticks! Jiang Feng turned his head and, sure enough, the neighboring table was also empty. Upon looking at Mr. Jiang Jiankang, he had two pieces in his bowl and was still chewing on who knows how many more. ¡°Dad!¡± Jiang Feng looked leisurely at Jiang Jiankang. ¡°What?¡± Jiang Jiankang was well prepared this time and quickly popped the two pieces from his bowl into his mouth as one, feigning ignorance, ¡°Son, why are you calling me?¡± And with that, the fragrance of the crispy apple wafted from his mouth. Jiang Feng said resentfully, ¡°Never mind.¡± Wang Xiulian, seeing Jiang Jiankang eat both pieces, became angry: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had one for me? How could you eat them all!¡± Jiang Shoucheng also quite inconsiderately shared his post-meal thoughts with Jiang Feng: ¡°You know, Feng, the crispy apple grandpa made this year is really delicious¡ªcrispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, the apple is sweet as well, and it makes a nice crunchy sound when you bite into it.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Junqing, your brother Cheng just said he¡¯s going to help you with your math homework tomorrow!¡± Junqing shed a smile at Jiang Shoucheng: ¡°Thanks, Brother Cheng.¡± Jiang Shoucheng:.¡¯ ¡® .. Waaaah!! Chapter 105 - 104: Hearing the Dishes Chapter 105: Chapter 104: Hearing the Dishes Trantor: 549690339 After a few bites of crispy apples had gone down the hatch, everyone got a little taste and began to try out the rest of the cold dishes on the table. Jiang Feng was nibbling on tiger-skin peanuts and soy sauce cucumbers but found them nd and unexciting. The hot dishes were still a little while off, everyone had to wait until Sir had finished cooking them all before serving them, and even once they were served, no one could touch their chopsticks until Sir arrived. It was truly agonizing to be able to see and smell the food but not eat it. Distractedly munching on the appetizers and idly chatting, the conversation suddenly caused Jiang Jianguo to tense up. ¡°The pork knuckle is out of the pot!¡± All eyes turned to him, and Jiang Jiankang was the most excited, ¡°Big brother, quick, sniff and tell, what kind of pork knuckle did dad make today?¡± ¡°Hold on, hmm, jujube, goji berries, hmm, and it¡¯s topped with chicken soup, it must be the New Year¡¯s pork knuckle! Three kilograms of Sanhua pork hock, Dad¡¯s definitely made the New Year¡¯s pork knuckle!¡± Jiang Jianguo dered, sure of himself. ¡°For sure, the New Year¡¯s pork knuckle, to bring good luck.¡± Jiang Jiandang nodded in agreement, also taking a sniff, ¡°Seems like Uncle¡¯s fish head with chopped chili is about to be ready too.¡± ¡°Yeah, the lid¡¯sing off,¡± responded Jiang Jianguo. Everyone closed their eyes and sniffed carefully. Because Sir¡¯s Nine Turns Intestine was always made in limited amounts, with not even two pieces per person, and they couldn¡¯t scramble for it like they did with the crispy apples¡ªthe elder was at the table by the time the hot dishes were served¡ªso they had topete in wit instead. Whoever guessed more dishes got to eat more. Want to eat the dishes? Sure, but only if you¡¯ve got the skill! Jiang Feng and the younger generation definitely couldn¡¯t match the older ones in the art of scent-guessing, but who was Jiang Feng? He had cheated earlier in the kitchen! Jiang Feng also pretended to close his eyes and sniff for a while. The fragrant aromas from the kitchen intermingled and were somewhat distant, so he couldn¡¯t make anything out. Though he could detect a bit of the fish head with chopped chili, since the chili fragrance was so overpowering. ¡°Hmm, rice wine-stuffed duck,¡± said Jiang Feng. Jiang Shoucheng, who was sitting to the left of Jiang Feng, suddenly opened his eyes wide with a shocked look, as if his face screamed, ¡®I didn¡¯t expect you, ad with such bushy eyebrows andrge eyes, to betray the cause too!¡¯ ¡°Rice wine-stuffed duck?¡± Jiang Jianguo sniffed more carefully, ¡°It does seem simr, Feng, you¡¯re doing great, you¡¯ve improved quite a bit!¡± ¡°There¡¯s sweet and sour pork,¡± Jiang Jiankang stated confidently. Jiang Jiandang was immediately dissatisfied upon hearing this, arguing on the spot, ¡°San, don¡¯t cheat, sweet and sour pork is too easy to guess! If we¡¯re counting that, then I can smell the pickled vegetable with pork belly and chicken soup too, which Dad makes every year, right?¡± ¡°Exactly, that doesn¡¯t count, and oil-braised prawns don¡¯t count either!¡± echoed the crowd. Jiang Jiankang had no choice but to continue sniffing. ¡°Eight Treasure Tofu, it has to be Eight Treasure Tofu, I can smell it!¡± Jiang Jiankang was excited, ¡°And braised bamboo shoots, too!¡± But truthfully, he hadn¡¯t smelled anything. He was just randomly guessing Eight Treasure Tofu since he remembered seeing tofu in the kitchen earlier and assumed Sir would make it. As for the braised bamboo shoots, that wasplete guesswork. ¡°You guessed two dishes at once, that¡¯s impossible, how could Dad be making two dishes at the same time?¡± Jiang Jianye was confused. ¡°I just did smell them! Maybe Dad already finished them, and the aroma drifted over here just right, I smelled it just now, what about it?¡± Jiang Jiankang insisted shamelessly. ¡°Four Joyful Meatballs,¡± Jiang Jianshe suddenly said. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s lion¡¯s head meatballs,¡± Jiang Jiandang offered a differing opinion. ¡°I feel it¡¯s Four Joyful Meatballs, but I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s the other soup Dad made this year besides chicken soup!¡± grumbled Jiang Jianguo. Lion¡¯s head meatballs have a stronger taste than Four Joyful Meatballs, and when Sir made lion¡¯s head meatballs, he liked using braising sauce, while he preferred clear soup for Four Joyful Meatballs, and the tastes were worlds apart. Jiang Jianye¡¯s skill at scent-guessing was rather poor, failing to guess a single dish, and hecked Jiang Jiankang¡¯s cunning to make wild ims, so he just sat in his spot, eating soy sauce cucumbers. ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡± ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡± Half a te of soy sauce cucumbers had been devoured. Just when everyone had started to chat again, the sound of footsteps was heard. The dining room fell suddenly silent. Sir came out, two tes of braised pork with preserved vegetables in his hands. ¡°Feng, Shoucheng, Zaide, Ran, aren¡¯t you going to help serve the dishes?¡± Mrs. Jiang followed behind, also carrying two tes of braised prawns. Apart from the soup, Sir made every dish in two servings, with amunal pot of soup at the table for anyone who wanted some. Those called upon quickly rushed to the kitchen to get the dishes, while the rest craned their necks, eager to see if their guesses were correct. As soon as Jiang Shoucheng entered the kitchen, he saw two ducks stuffed full with filling and with golden skin, and he eximed in surprise, ¡°Hey, Feng, you really guessed it right, Grandpa did make duck.¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± Jiang Ran and Jiang Zaidi also praised. ¡°Uncle San is amazing, there¡¯s even tofu and bamboo shoots. He got two right this year!¡± Jiang Zaidi eximed. ¡°This must be the Four Joyful Meatballs, ah, my dad guessed wrong again,¡± Jiang Shoucheng sighed. The four of them quickly nced over all the dishes. Not wanting to dy, they carried a te in each hand, and held the duck and soup together with both hands. After two or three trips, all the dishes were on the table. ¡°San, you¡¯re impressive, your skills are really improving, you guessed them all right!¡± Jiang Jianguo admitted defeat upon actually seeing the Eight Treasure Tofu and the braised bamboo shoots. Wang Xiulian patted Jiang Jiankang on the shoulder. Jiang Jiankang immediately got the hint and smiled, ¡°Wife, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll give you those two extra servings of mine!¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s great-aunt and Aunt Five turned to look at their husbands. The smug smiles of Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Jianshe instantly froze. ¡°The extra servings are definitely for the wives, right!¡± The two men hurried to say, one after the other. Then, they shot Jiang Jiankang with death res. Jiang Jiankang pretended that the small piece of marinated goose in his bowl was extremely interesting. ¡°What are they talking about, guessing right?¡± Jiang Weiming didn¡¯t understand a word of what they were saying. ¡°A bunch of stuffed rabbits, trying to guess what I¡¯ve cooked instead of practicing their cooking. Jianguo, turn on the TV and see if the Spring Festival G has started,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Jiang Jianguo hurriedly turned on the TV and nced at the time, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s still sixteen minutes away.¡± They started with the Nine Turns Intestine, a delicacy that Sir personally made with pig intestines, from which twenty pigs could yield only two tes. It was only avable to eat during the New Year. Even though Jiang Jiankang was well acquainted with the ughterhouse owner and could get his hands on a dozen or more pig intestines in a day, he was toozy to process and cook them. You¡¯d be hard-pressed to find anyone in UAL University willing to spend hundreds of RMB for an authentic serving of Nine Turns Intestine. Jiang Jiankang handed Wang Xiulian two pieces of Nine Turns Intestine. Wang Xiulian immediately took the opportunity to offer one piece to Jiang Weiguo, saying, ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve worked hard cooking, have an extra piece!¡± Such a smooth and exquisite brown-nosing maneuver stunned everyone. Sir was very pleased and praised, ¡°Jiankang¡¯s wife really thinks of me.¡± The next second, everyone started offering dishes to Sir, not forgetting to serve Jiang Weiming as well, heaping praise upon them. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve really worked hard these days,e on, eat more of this pork knuckle to replenish yourself!¡± ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve really put in so much effort; look how tired you are!¡± ¡°Here, Uncle San, this tofu is so tender. You¡¯ve worked hard. Eat more vegetables.¡± ¡°Dad, let me get you some soup!¡± Everyone was vying to be the best brown-noser, but in Sir¡¯s eyes, none were as pleasing as Wang Xiulian, the first to act. Jiang Feng quietly looked at the two pieces of Nine Turns Intestine in his bowl. If it weren¡¯t for his diligent assistance in the kitchen these past few days, he wouldn¡¯t have known that there would be sticky rice-stuffed duck for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, nor would he have received this extra piece of Nine Turns Intestine. He took a bite. The texture was tender; sour, sweet, fragrant, spicy, and salty¡ªall the vors were there. When ites to brown-nosing, those who do it until the very end have it all.. Chapter 106 - 105: Clear Soup with All the Trimmings Chapter 106: Chapter 105: Clear Soup with All the Trimmings Trantor: 549690339 During the game update, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t see the dish disy, but his intuition told him that among all the hot dishes on the table, except for the unnamed soup at the old man¡¯s table, it was this ¡°glutinous rice-stuffed duck¡± that was the best. The duck was plump and yellow in color, with a thinyer of oil on the skin, which Jiang Feng guessed was probably melted pork fat, making it look golden and shiny, very appetizing. The duck¡¯s back was split open, and its belly was hollowed out, inside of which were stuffed torn strips of duck meat, glutinous rice, shiitake mushrooms, and winter bamboo shoots. Jiang Feng picked up a piece of the duck meat with his chopsticks. After being stuffed into the duck belly, the meat had been marinated in cooking wine and ginger juice, and soaked in cooked pork fat, giving it a uniform and shiny color. It had been steamed with the mushrooms and bamboo shoots for so long that it was tender and vorful, not overpowered by the mushrooms but instead enhanced by the fresh taste of the bamboo shoots. Jiang Feng chewed carefully for a few bites, his eyes brightened, and he picked up another chopstick-full of duck meat at a leisurely pace, also scooping up a spoonful of glutinous rice, and took a sip of c. Jiang Zaidi saw Jiang Feng eating the duck and casually asked, ¡°Feng, how is the glutinous rice duck Grandpa cooked today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡®glutinous rice-stuffed duck,¡¯ and it¡¯s alright,¡± Jiang Feng said, tasting a bite of the glutinous rice, ¡°The glutinous rice is pretty good.¡± Jiang Feng was well aware that his cousins were meat-lovers and would definitely not be interested in glutinous rice. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Jiang Zaidi lost interest and continued eating the oil-braised prawns on his te, which were not many left. The Spring Festival G hadn¡¯t even started yet, and the pork hock was already gone. Thest bit of sauce had been poured into the bowl by the aunt who was determined to lose weight and soaked her rice in it. The fact that she was willing to eat white rice on New Year¡¯s Eve showed just how firm her resolve to diet was. Continuing in his unhurried pace, Jiang Feng scooped up a spoonful of tofu, picked up a piece of duck meat, a slice of fish head, another piece of duck meat, another spoonful of glutinous rice, and then another spoonful, added a small piece of braised bamboo shoot, and grabbed arge piece of duck meat. Under Jiang Feng¡¯s strategy of creating a diversion and outnking maneuvers, not a soul at the table realized that the ¡®glutinous rice-stuffed duck¡¯ was actually the star dish of the table. Jiang Junqing almost picked up a piece, but before her chopsticks could reach it, Jiang Feng called out to her, ¡°Junqing, you¡¯ve been studying hard recently. Have some fish eyes to brighten your vision.¡± As he spoke, Jiang Feng went to pick up the fish eyes for Jiang Junqing. JiangJunqing, interrupted by Jiang Feng, replied, ¡°Thanks, little brother.¡± And for a moment, she forgot what she had originally intended to pick up. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s preserved vegetable pork belly is good today; the fatty meat has been simmered until tender, it¡¯s not greasy, and the vegetables are soft too. It would go well with rice. Here, Junqing, have a few more pieces of pork belly,¡± Jiang Feng quickly suggested. ¡°I can save the preserved vegetables for rice tomorrow,¡± JiangJunqing, led astray by Jiang Feng, started picking up the preserved vegetable pork belly instead. Jiang Zaidi was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Since when has Feng been so concerned about Junqing? Wasn¡¯t he avoiding the two sisters these past few days?¡± Jiang Ran was solely focused on his food: ¡°He¡¯s just buttering her up so he won¡¯t be dragged into tutoring sessions tomorrow! Here, Junlian, you¡¯ve been studying hard too. Come on, have some fish eyes to brighten your eyes.¡± Jiang Zaidi: ¡­ Heh, a sycophant. ¡°Come on, Junqing, Junlian, have some ¡®Four Joyful Meatballs.¡¯ This piece is good, this one has lots of sauce and is vorful!¡± Jiang Zaidi eagerly served his cousins the meatballs. The Spring Festival G started, and Jiang Junqing was visibly excited. Even the opening hosts¡¯ chatter couldn¡¯t dampen her enthusiasm as she repeatedly eximed, ¡°The very first song is sung by my idol, my idol!¡± Then a group began singing the first song, and nobody knew who Jiang Junqing¡¯s idol was. That song, well¡­ It felt like it had no tune or lyrics; despite a group of handsome guys on the stage singing cheerfully, the Jiang family members watching in front of the TV were just confused. Everyone even forgot to eat and stared nkly at the TV. ¡°What the heck is this they¡¯re singing!¡± Sir was the first to start cursing. Jiang Junqing had noeback. ¡°Let¡¯s stop watching the G. Let¡¯s find something else to watch. Wait a moment, Grandpa, I¡¯ll pick out the video appforyou, and you can choose,¡± Jiang Zaidi came to smooth things over and handed the remote control to the old man. Jiang Feng picked thest piece of duck meat from the belly of the duck. There was not much duck meat in the belly to begin with, but Jiang Feng, with his ruse of diversion, ate quickly and hungrily. Not having as big of an appetite as the others at the table, he was almost full after about twenty minutes into the meal. After two more spoonfuls of glutinous rice, Jiang Feng finished his meal and put down his chopsticks. Wang Xiulian found it odd to see her son put down his chopsticks and asked, ¡°Feng, why have you stopped eating? Tired of eating?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­Mom, I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Full!¡± Wang Xiulian was shocked. She had only just started eating, but after considering her son¡¯s physique, she relented and still ced two more pieces of deep-fried pork on Jiang Feng¡¯s te. ¡°Feng, if you want soup, just askyour dad to scoop it for you. Keep the chicken soup for tomorrow morning to have with noodles, you can skip it now.¡± Jiang Feng had this in mind; after two pieces of deep-fried pork, he really felt full. He passed his bowl to Jiang Jiankang at the next table, saying, ¡°Dad, help me get some soup.¡± ¡°Alright, my boy, are you done eating?¡± Jiang Jiankang took the bowl and lifted the lid of the y pot containing the soup. As soon as he lifted the lid, a rich aroma filled with mountain delicacies and seafood wafted out. Shark fin, shrimp, sea cucumber, Chinese broli, ham, winter bamboo shoots, fish maw, and entire shiitake mushrooms were neatly arranged inside they pot, with a disy of yellow, ck, green, orange, and white¡ªfive colors together¡ªtopped off with a creamy soup that was a feast for the eyes just by looking at it. No one had ever seen this soup. With such precious ingredients, no one had ever tasted it either. ¡°Dad, what, what kind of soup is this?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked. It was just a pot of soup, yet it required luxurious ingredients like shark fin and sea cucumber; and the shark fin wasn¡¯t just shreds but whole fins, and the sea cucumber was of excellent quality, undeniably exquisite. ¡± Dad, isn¡¯ t this sea cucumber the one I got someone to buy foryoutoboost your health in June? Why did you use it to make soup?¡± Jiang Jiandang was startled. ¡°It seems like the shark fin is the one I bought for Dad at the start of the year.¡± Jiang Jianshe recognized it too. ¡°And the ham looks like it was sliced from the Spanish ham I bought for Dad before,¡± Jiang Jianguo said. ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to buy sea cucumber properly. I was afraid the sea cucumber you got would spoil my soup,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°None of you recognize what this is?¡± Nobody made a sound. ¡°Alright, little brother, don¡¯t make it hard for them. Nowadays, even banquets rarely see such dishes; how could they have evere across it?¡± Jiang Weiming said. ¡°This is ¡®Clear Soup Whole Family Blessing.¡¯ It used to be Taifeng¡¯s signature dish for banquets, considered a fine dish back then, made only with the best and most luxurious ingredients. The quality of these sea cucumbers and shark fins could be better, though.¡± Jiang Jiankang wasn¡¯t sure how to scoop the soup now; the ingredients were so expensive, and they were health supplements bought by his brothers for their father, even the ham. After some thought, he just scooped the soup with a slice of winter bamboo shoot. Jiang Feng:¡­ With such a huge pot of soup, couldn¡¯t his dad have given him a couple of shiitake mushrooms and a slice of fish as well? Upon the first sip, freshness was the primary sensation. The winter bamboo shoots were fresh and tender, the ham had its unique salty fragrance, the cogen from the fish maw had seeped into the broth, and the vors of the fish and chicken hadpletely merged into the stock. So many ingredients blended together without any conflicting vors, managed harmoniously instead. The mountain treasures and sea vors, each with their distinct taste, all gathered in this soup, paired with a stock carefully seasoned by Jiang Weiguo all day¡ª ¡®delicious¡¯ was not enough to sum it up. ¡°Does it taste good?¡± Jiang Shoucheng asked. ¡°Delicious, delicious,¡± Jiang Feng nodded repeatedly. Jiang Shoucheng, craving the soup, wanted to try it too. ¡°You can only have soup after finishing your meal,¡± Li Mingli said. Jiang Shoucheng could only stuff his mouth with food in a frenzy. On the other side, Sir had chosen the TV program he wanted to watch. ¡°I support the 358th Regiment; we must win today!¡± While engrossed in the soup, Jiang Feng suddenly looked up to see Comrade Lu Bu on the TV, ying the role of the regimentalmander of the 358th Regiment. Watching a war drama during the Chinese New Year feast¡­ Very¡­ it¡¯s quite an atmosphere! *Ding, an update warning. It¡¯s New Year¡¯s; I need to give New Year¡¯s greetings and collect lucky money (yes, I¡¯m still a child C : ?)), so starting from tomorrow, there will be one update daily (¡®-m-¡®J Chapter 107 - 106 New Year Chapter 107: Chapter 106 New Year Trantor: 549690339 | So everyone inexplicably started watching an Anti-Japanese War drama. They say Anti-Japanese War dramas pair well with the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner right? The remote control was in Sir¡¯s hands, Jiang Feng had already watched this famous Anti-Japanese War drama several times. The famous ¡°Turning Point of World War II¡±-the Battle of Ping¡¯an County-had even swept through Bilibili¡¯s ghostly areas and video editing sections, with Italian cannons sessfully changing the course of history. But Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, hadn¡¯t seen it before; they only knew about the Italian cannons, nothing else. Sir skipped through the drama, and despite not quite understanding the plot, the two of them were enjoying it immensely. ¡°How many more episodes until the battle for the county town?¡± Jiang Shoucheng turned his head to ask Jiang Ran. ¡°Two or three more episodes, I think. Look, Xiuqin has been captured, the vige has been massacred, and Li should be leading his group soon to attack the enemy¡¯s crystal and push forward,¡± Jiang Ran replied. Jiang Junqing turned her head and red at her two cousins. Spoilers should not be spread around the house. By now it was also almost ten o¡¯clock, and everyone had finished eating. Everyone had a bowl of the Clear Soup Happy Family, and the once fullrge casserole had been drunk down to the bottom by everyone. The sea cucumber and shark fin remained untouched-they were left for the elderly to nourish their health. The womenfolk cleaned up the dining table, put away the leftover food in the fridge, and whoever wanted to watch TV could just move a chair over to the front. Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming, inspired by the TV drama, started reminiscing about the days when they had to flee from danger. Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian quietly mumbled to each other, trying to figure out how the drama was rted to Italian cannons, Italian pasta, and Italian madams. Jiang Feng and Granduncle Weiming¡¯s grandsons formed a row, all four of them thoroughly familiar with the plot, only needing to nce at the show casually. ¡°Actually, I think Italian pasta is just so-so,¡± Jiang Shoucheng suddenly said. The ones with tomato aren¡¯t tasty, the meat sauce ones are a bit better,¡± Jiang Zaidi chimed in. The seafood ones are alright too, but Western restaurants are such rip-offs, charging over a hundred just for adding a few shrimps,¡± Jiang Ran joined the conversation. It¡¯s just that your school¡¯s area is too expensive. The ones downstairs from mypany are 68 yuan, but really not tasty. I¡¯d rather have the ten yuan stir- fried noodles,¡± JiangZaidimented. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys think that actually there¡¯s no difference between the pasta in Italian food and the noodles in stir-fry?¡± Jiang Feng joined the discussion. ¡°They do seem simr, but no way is Italian pasta as delicious as stir-fried noodles. Egg stir-fried noodles, pork stir-fried noodles, beef stir-fried noodles, Nine Turns Intestine stir-fried noodles¡­ getting a spicy beef stir-fried noodles without spring onions after work¡ªthat¡¯s the good stuff!¡± Jiang Shoucheng felt a little hungry again. And green pepper pork stir-fried noodles have the best vor. There¡¯s a Changnan stir-fried noodles in our school that¡¯s delicious with a y pot soup!¡± Jiang Ran said, ¡°If only Grandpa knew how to make y pot soup.¡± ¡°Even if he did, you¡¯d be unlikely to taste it,¡± Jiang Zaidi quipped, ¡°Changnan stir-fried noodles are too spicy. Yanshan stir-fried noodles are slightly better; it¡¯s just that the small stalls fry them with too much oil. Last time I was there ¡® on business, I ate stir-fried noodles and rice for a few days and ended up with mouth ulcers.¡± ¡°Spicy is where the vor¡¯s at, you just haven¡¯t been to the authentic ces. Last time I went to Changnan, there was this ce¡­¡± Jiang Shoucheng looked puzzled as he interrupted Jiang Ran, ¡°Aren¡¯t you studying in Magic City? When did you run off to Changnan?¡± My girlfriend is from Changnan. She took me there to hang out for a couple of days, I¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The three uttered in unison. Among these single dogs, a traitor had snuck in. Jiang Ran was removed from the group chat. The three brothers continued their discussion about noodles. But the noodles from Changnan are indeed delicious, both the stir-fried and mixed noodles are good, just way too spicy. I feel like it¡¯s almost the same as Shu cuisine,¡± Jiang Zaidi said. ¡°Shu¡¯s Nine Turns Intestine noodles are tasty,¡± Jiang Feng recalled fondly the Nine Turns Intestine noodles, ¡°Actually, all of Shu¡¯s snacks are good, the spicy boiled fish too, just way too spicy. Ah, I didn¡¯t stay long enoughst time, I should find a chance to eat there for a few more days.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t Granduncle Weiming live in Shu? Let¡¯s just send Granduncle back to Shu for the New Year!¡± Jiang Zaidi suggested. ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea!¡± Jiang Ran attempted to rejoin the conversation. Hey, I¡¯m losing my hair day by day. At 40 yuan per hair follicle, I can¡¯t afford a hair transnt,¡± Jiang Shoucheng abruptly changed the subject. ¡°Heh,¡± Jiang Zaidi casually grabbed a handful of hair and immediately several short strands appeared in his hand. The three men:¡­ ¡°This¡­ De, your hair loss seems pretty severe.¡± Jiang Feng was shocked. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the stress of life!¡± Jiang Zaidi sighed, ¡°Half a year ago, I too was a dashing young man with a full head of hair.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Jiang Shoucheng, not to be outdone, grabbed a handful of his own hair and came away with several strands in his hand. Jiang Feng:¡­ Thepetitive nature of young people nowadays is so intense, they evenpete over hair loss. With that thought, Jiang Feng also grabbed a handful of hair, and one hair appeared in his hand. Jiang Ran:¡­ Jiang Ran was still in the state of being kicked out of the group chat, while the three brothers continued their messy chatter, pulling the conversation this way and that. Finally, on TV, the plot had reached a critical moment. ¡°Companymander, where the hell is your Italian cannon? Bring it up here damn it!¡± The iconic scene had finally arrived, and the brothers perked up, eyes glued to the TV drama. Under the emotional BGM and the excellent acting of the cast, the slow-motion rey was shown three times, and Ping¡¯an County was bombed. They just fired three shots?¡± Jiang Junqing didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°One scene, shown three times. It was just one shot.¡± exined Jiang Ran. ¡°No, they showed the rey for a reason. It must¡¯ve been fired three times.¡± Jiang Junqing didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°It was just once. Look closely, all three times are the same. It¡¯s a rey.¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°No, it was three times. Forget it, I can¡¯t make you understand, can¡¯t even watch TV properly.¡± Jiang Junqing said, and then continued watching the show. Jiang Feng:¡­ This familiar feeling of wanting to hit someone when exining problems to her came back again. A few minutester, it was 12 0 ¡®clock. Quick, quick, quick, Jianguo, go set off the firecrackers!¡± Mrs. Jiang urged. Jiang Jianguo, holding a lighter and firecrackers, ran outside. Apanied by the crackling sound of fireworks, the New Year had arrived. ¡°Happy New Year!¡± Everyone greeted each other with smiling faces and exchanged wishes. Sir turned off the TV, ending the night of staying upte to see in the New Year. Everyone went to their respective rooms to sleep. ¡°Dede, the dish your grandpa made today, the rice-stuffed duck, was truly exquisite. It was almost on par with the clear soup family feast; the duck meat and the sticky rice were so vorful!¡± Jiang Jianguo shared his thoughts on the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner with Jiang Zaidi. Jiang Zaidi: ??? ¡°Rice-stuffed duck?¡± Yeah, didn¡¯t you have any? I saw your table was empty, your grandpa¡¯s cooking has gotten quite good, even better than the Nine Turns Intestine.¡± Jiang Jianguo was perplexed, wondering how his son¡¯s taste had be so picky when he used to praise everything he ate. Jiang Zaidi suddenly understood; Jiang Feng had intentionally said the duck meat was average and only praised the sticky rice, along with his sudden concern for Jiang Junqing. Now it all made sense. Jiang Zaidi was enraged! He had always thought his younger brother was a straightforward guy, but to his surprise, he was ying the same game! Of all his brothers, the most cunning one turned out to be his youngest! *Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! Chapter 108 - 107: Specialties Chapter 108: Chapter 107: Specialties Trantor: 549690339 | The first day of the Lunar New Year, out with the old and in with the new. No one could sleep in because from around four or five in the morning, the sound of firecrackers in the vige was already incessant. The opening barrage of firecrackers left the ground covered in red paper bits, making the streets outside look as though a red carpet had beenid down, creating a festive atmosphere. The Jiang Family didn¡¯t have many rtives to visit for the New Year; Jiang Feng would go to his maternal grandfather¡¯s house on the sixth day of the new year. In the next few days, they would make the rounds in the vige, stopping by each household to have a chat, exchange New Year¡¯s greetings, and when they saw children, they¡¯d hand out handfuls of candy or some homemade pastries. In the morning, they ate dumplings. The four brothers ate very little, just waiting for the opportunity to mooch off others when they went out for the New Year visits. A few families in the vige had some decent pastry-making skills. After all, who didn¡¯t have a skill or two at that time? So among the younger ones, only Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing could barely be considered kids, but it didn¡¯t matter. The Jiang brothers had thick skins and as long as they ate quickly during the visits, the other kids couldn¡¯t beat them to the treats. The first stop was the neighboring house, which happened to be Li Cuihua¡¯s, the one who attempted to poach their pig. Li Cuihua¡¯s husband was an honest and reticent man, previously working for the street office. He didn¡¯t talk much, and since he couldn¡¯t cook, he was even less noticeable in the eyes of the Jiang Family Members. The two families had been neighbors in the city and were still neighbors after moving to the countryside, which meant they had known each other for many years. Li Cuihua had one son and three daughters and had known Mrs. Jiang for many years. The two women were good friends when they were younger but were alwayspeting. At first, it was about getting married. Sir was a chef at a state-owned restaurant, while Li Cuihua¡¯s husband worked at a street office, so they wereparably matched. Then thepetition shifted to having sons, and when Li Cuihua couldn¡¯t win in that regard, theypared who could raise a stronger son, which Li Cuihua also lost. Li Cuihua gave up on her son and instead focused on raising a grandson, finally managing to raise him into a big chubby boy. However, the grandson went off to college, lost weight for love, and negated years of her effort, which extinguished the fire ofpetition between Li Cuihua and Mrs. Jiang in terms of raising children. Li Cuihua¡¯s mother was from Jiangzhe and was skilled at making pastries. Li Cuihua had learned a bit from her mother. Although she couldn¡¯t cook much else, she was superb at making rice cakes, which were on par with those sold in markets. Rice cake was the old term; now they¡¯re called White Elephant Fragrant Cakes. Made from glutinous rice flour, sugar, candied orange peels, sesame, and maltose, the method involved steaming. The finished rice cakes were white as paper, with a sesame filling that tasted sweet but not greasy and had a soft, crumbly texture. The only downside was how easily they fell apart, and in winter, everyone wore thick down jackets which would get covered in crumbs after eating just a couple of pieces. However, among the younger Jiang Family Members, only Jiang Feng faced this problem; the rest could eat one in a single bite, so the crumbs would fall into their mouths instead of on their clothes. Mrs. Jiang took the lead, with Sir staying home in case others came to visit for the New Year. Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯te empty-handed, bringing a bag of dumplings as a gift for her dear frenemy of many years, Li Cuihua. ¡°Mushroom, cabbage, and pork filling, your grandson¡¯s favorite,¡± Mrs. Jiang handed the dumplings to Li Cuihua. Li Cuihua epted the dumplings with a beaming smile, ¡°I¡¯ll cook these for lunch today.¡± ¡°Hey, where are your five chubby boys?¡± Li Cuihua wondered. Her aesthetic preferences hadn¡¯t changed over the years; back when people couldn¡¯t eat their fill, being skinny was the norm, and chubby individuals were treasured. Chubby people had the strength to work hard. Even though chubby people weren¡¯t as popr now as they were back then, Li Cuihua still preferred them. Not to mention, the Jiang Family Members were tall. Only Jiang Feng was short at 1.78 meters; the others were all sturdy men over 1.8 meters tall. Except for the juniors who appeared a bit bby after years of eating without much exercise, the others were solidly built! Even though Jiang Jianguo outwardly worked as a tailor, when he cooked for his oldest uncle, he had to wield the spat. Li Cuihua¡¯s favorite was Jiang Jianguo, for a very simple reason: he was tall, big, chubby, and strong, which clearly marked him as a sturdyborer. ¡°They¡¯ve first gone topay a New Year¡¯s visit to the vige chief¡¯s home, and will be over here shortly,¡± Mrs. Jiang said, ¡°We¡¯ve at least brought dumplings to your ce, you can¡¯t possibly deny us tea just because my eldest hasn¡¯t arrived yet, can you?¡± ¡°Psh, what nonsense you¡¯re talking. If the water wasn¡¯t still heating up, would I not make tea for you? I¡¯ve already steamed the rice cakes, let the kids start with those. We can have a good chat, and once the water is ready, I¡¯ll brew some tea for you, Pu¡¯er, my grandson bought it especially for me when he went to Yungui, my, such a big brick of tea!¡± Li Cuihua boasted. Mrs. Jiang:¡­ Upon hearing Li Cuihua¡¯s words, Jiang Feng and the others rushed into the house to eat the rice cakes, and Zhao Liang (Li Cuihua¡¯s grandson) had already started eating, scattering crumbs all over the floor. Jiang Feng took a good look and saw that Zhao Liang had indeed lost quite a bit of weight! Zhao Liang used to be chubby, and Li Cuihua fed her grandson like she was stuffing a duck, but Zhao Liang wasn¡¯t as tall as the Jiang Family kids, nor was he taught cooking by Sir like they were; he had been bby, all fat and no muscle. But today, he lookedpletely transformed! ¡°My, Liang, how much weight have you lost!¡± Jiang Ran eximed. ¡°Not much, just over ten pounds,¡± Zhao Liang replied with his mouth full, ¡°Exercise made the flesh firm, I just look thinner. Come on,e and eat; it¡¯s so fragrant fresh out of the pot. Once it cools, it won¡¯t taste the same. My grandma also made some with osmanthus jam, but I think it tastes a bit odd.¡± Jiang Zaidi, taking the lead, grabbed a piece with osmanthus jam and chewed it, offering his criticism: ¡°It¡¯s okay, but the osmanthus jam isn¡¯t quite there, can¡¯tpare to the sesame seeds stir-fried by Old Madam Li herself.¡± ¡°Exactly, Old Madam Li¡¯s stir-fried sesame seeds are fragrant. Sprinkling some maltose on them makes it even tastier,¡± Jiang Shoucheng chimed in. ¡°But did you notice the weird look Grandma gave us at the end just now?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked. ¡°It¡¯s all Feng¡¯s fault for not buying any local specialties for Grandma when he went to Shu,¡± Jiang Ran immediately passed the buck. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°I didn¡¯t buy specialties, but I brought Granduncle Weimingback. You didn¡¯t bring anything back for Grandma from Changxi either,¡± Jiang Feng retorted. ¡°Exactly, you could have bought some tea cakes at least, but now Grandma is definitely going to scold us when we go out,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. Jiang Ran: ¡°¡­ Tea cakes are from Xunyang City, not Changxi.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the distance, just a two-hour train ride, right? Feng at least brought Granduncle Weiming back, you didn¡¯t even bring back some stir-fried noodles, you¡¯ll have to apologize to Grandma yourself when we go out,¡± Jiang Zaidi piled on. Zhao Liang, an onlooker enjoying the drama: ??? These days, bringing back local specialties from a trip could involve bringing back a living person? Chapter 109 - 108: New Year’s Visit Chapter 109: Chapter 108: New Year¡¯s Visit Trantor: 549690339 | After leaving the Zhao Family, Mrs. Jiang took her six grandchildren to another house to mooch food and drinks. On this journey, they had eatenntern cakes, fried sugar cakes, cotton seed cake, honey tri-cut, sugar dates, fried dough twists, sticky rice cake, and fried twist dough, managing to suppress their burps while visiting other homes for New Year¡¯s greetings. Mrs. Jiang was much the same, having had seven or eight cups of tea, cracking a couple of sunflower seeds while chatting, and, after having a bowl of dumplings in the morning, she wasn¡¯t even hungry by the time she got home for lunch, settling for a water-filled belly. Back home, it was much the same with Jiang Jianguo and his brothers, all sitting at home and burping, with different vors of burps, sweet, salty, and even spicy ones. ¡°The vige head has some pickled little fish, really vorful but too spicy. Mom, don¡¯t forget to go have a taste this afternoon,¡± Jiang Jianguo said. ¡°So all your New Year¡¯s visits are just for the eating, huh!¡± scolded Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Who wants lunch? If anyone wants lunch, I¡¯ll go make a few bowls of dumplings for you.¡± Only Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming indicated they wanted to have lunch. For the past few days, they either ate leftovers or dumplings; it wouldn¡¯t be until the seventh day of the new year that Sir would restart the fire for cooking rice, as starting from the third day of the new year, the daughters-inwof the Jiang Family would begin taking their husbands and sons to visit their maternal homes. That included Mrs. Jiang, who on the third day would lead everyone to visit her brother¡¯s home. On the first and second days, everyone had mooched a bit here and there, nibbling from the east and west, filling up by mooching food and drinks. On the evening of the second day, Mrs. Jiang rallied the entire family to make dumplings. These dumplings were to be taken to Jiang Feng¡¯s maternal uncle; in recent years, his stomach couldn¡¯t handle much, so he could only eat vegetarian food. Sir had specially prepared a filling of carrots, winter bamboo shoots, winter mushrooms, and cabbage for the dumplings, and the bamboo shoots were even boiled in clear broth to ensure they were utterly delicious. Since it was a visit to Mrs. Jiang¡¯s biological brother, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Jiang Weiming to join, so he stayed at home while Mrs. Jiang, brimming with energy and pride, led her children and grandchildren to her brother¡¯s house in the neighboring vige for New Year¡¯s greetings. Saying it¡¯s the neighboring vige, it still took them nearly half an hour to walk there. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve brought Jianguo, Jiandang, Jiankang, Jianye, and Jianshe to wish you a Happy New Year!¡± Mrs. Jiang hadn¡¯t even reached the entrance of the vige when she bellowed with vigour. Jiang Feng¡¯s maternal grandfather had already been waiting at the vige entrance with his walking stick, chuckling as he responded. As they approached, he grinned broadly, squinting through his severely long-sighted eyes, looking over each of his robust nephews one by one, then contentedly surveyed the younger generations again, before finallyying eyes on Jiang Feng. ¡°Feng, this won¡¯t do. I feel like you¡¯re even thinner thanst year. A fine young man needs to eat more and bulk up, that¡¯s how you get people to like you!¡± the grandfather said. ¡°Of course, maternal grandfather, I¡¯ll eat more when I get back,¡± Jiang Feng replied with sincerity. ¡°No need to wait until you get back. I¡¯ve stewed a meat soup for you today, big pieces of braised meat. Feng, eat a couple more pieces,¡± the grandfather said cheerfully. The grandfather led everyone back home and along the way, the vigers who saw them would remark, ¡°Oh, Mrs. Jiang is leading her kids to pay you a New Year¡¯s visit!¡± At that moment, Jiang Feng¡¯s grandfather stood even straighter than usual. Jiang Feng¡¯s great-grandmother gave birth to six children, with Mrs. Jiang being the fifth. Other than the eldest brother, the rest were all girls. The great-grandmother once doubted her life; in an era where having male members in a family was considered prestigious, shecked confidence when speaking in public. When Jiang Feng was little and his great-grandmother was still alive, he vaguely remembered that whenever they came to pay respects to the maternal grandfather and great-grandmother, they would always be waiting at the vige entrance early on. The great-grandmother was quite elderly by then, thin and petite, but her voice was extraordinarily loud. She would make sure the whole vige knew. My daughter hase with her five big and chubby boys to pay me a New Year¡¯s visit! Jiang Feng¡¯s great-grandmother loved Mrs. Jiang the most for a very simple reason: this one daughter bore five big and chubby boys, each one tall and strong, restoring the face she had lost in the previous decades. Uncle Grandpa really liked everyone from the Jiang Family, including the normally built Jiang Feng, but none of that could change the bitter reality that Uncle Grandpa¡¯s braised meat skills were terrible. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s cooking was still atrocious, possibly a family trait, since Uncle Grandpa¡¯s meat broth was always hard to swallow, not only because it was big pieces of braised meat, but also because it wasrge chunks of fat. It was just vored with green onion, ginger, garlic, and cooking wine to remove the gamey taste,cking even oil-absorbing and greasy-cancelling winter melon or white radish, practically no different from boiled in pork belly. Drop a big chunk of that fat in, and you¡¯d ascend to heaven right there and then. Ever since middle school, Jiang Feng¡¯s Uncle Grandpa had taken to stuffing him with chunks of braised fat, and his acting skills had progressively improved over the years, inextricably linked to Uncle Grandpa¡¯s braised meat. Uncle Grandpa¡¯s family was much less popted than the Jiangs, having just one son whose health was not great, and only one granddaughter, who was already married. She hadn¡¯t been able to buy a ticket back and wouldn¡¯t return until the fifth day of the new year. A few elders were having tea and chatting in the living room while Jiang Feng and the others slipped into the kitchen to scope out the situation, where Aunt Tian Lin was busy washing vegetables, and the big meat was already simmering in the pot. With such arge pot of meat, it was crystal clear whose stomachs it would end up in; their faces all turned a shade of green on the spot, with Jiang Feng¡¯s undoubtedly the greenest. Without a doubt, when the time came, it would be he whom Uncle Grandpa stuffed the most. ¡°Oh boy, what¡¯s going on with Aunt this year, I feel like there¡¯s even more thanst year¡¯s haul,¡± Jiang Zaidi was instantly panicked. ¡°I think I heard my dad say that Uncle Grandpa¡¯s pig this year is especially fat, over four hundred pounds,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said, his voice quivering. ¡°Over four hundred pounds?¡± Jiang Ran let out a cry of rm, ¡°That would eat more than Erhua, that meat must be so fatty!¡± Jiang Ran spoke too loudly and caught Tian Lin¡¯s attention. She looked over, smiled, and said, ¡°Still two hours to dinner, you¡¯re hungry already? Auntie will cook it quicker for you, we are having braised pork belly today too!¡± Braised pork belly! The four brothers felt their fate was sealed here today. Jiang Feng felt that he had to do something to save his own life. ¡°Auntie, look, you must¡¯ve been cooking these past days, and you¡¯ve been hard at it too. Why not let me help you?¡± Jiang Feng suddenly had an idea. ¡°No, no, when youe to our house to pay a New Year¡¯s visit, you¡¯re guests, and it¡¯s not right to have guests cook,¡± Tian Lin felt it was inappropriate. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Auntie, Feng has been practicing at home for a long while just to cook a meal for Uncle Grandpa. It¡¯s a little token of our respect as the younger generation. Please, you should take a rest. Leave the kitchen to us, go rx, have a drink of water in the living room,¡± the three brothers quickly caught on, coaxing and pulling Tian Lin away, leaving the kitchen to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng took off his down jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and tied on an apron. After special training during the winter break, it was time to show everyone the results! *On the first day of the new year, I even post twice, just to loudly tell you all how much I love you!!! Chapter 110 - 109: Braised Pork Chapter 110: Chapter 109: Braised Pork Trantor: 549690339 ) The kitchen spices were simple: just the basic oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Jiang Feng nced at the vegetables Tian Lin had washed earlier, which were just eggnts and Chinese cabbage, along with a purchased soy sauce duck and a few pieces of tofu. Jiang Feng thought for a moment. Dishes that were too difficult could easily go wrong, so he decided to make minced meat with eggnt, stir-fried Chinese cabbage, sauteed tofu, and braised meat. For Sir¡¯s sake, he¡¯d make a special serving of steamed egg with shrimp. That should be about right for lunch. The braised meat had been simmering in the pot for a while now, beyond saving. All Jiang Feng could do was to make sure the braised meat turned out well. Sir just liked to pick meat for the younger ones. If braised meat was meat, how could braised meat not be meat? Tian Lin had previously taken out a piece of meat to thaw. It really was fatty-a handful of thickrd left oily residue on one¡¯s hands, a cut of Wuhua pork from a four-hundred-pound New Year¡¯s pig. The best Wuhua pork was divided into thirty percent fat and seventy percent lean. The cut of Wuhua pork in front of Jiang Feng was almost sixty percent fat. This was partly due to Tian Lin¡¯s subpar meat-cutting skills, but such fatty pork could turn extremely greasy if not cooked carefully. Most people don¡¯t like eating fatty meat, but if they meet a chef who knows how to cook it right, even those who are averse to fat might be willing to give it a try. The Wuhua pork used in many Dongpo pork dishes is nearly fifty percent fat, yet it still has countless fans. Some people dislike fatty meat because it contains a lot of fat, and bile can¡¯t break down all the fat, making it undigestable and unabsorbable in a timely manner. This leads to a greasy feeling and can cause nausea. Conversely, fat is a high-energy substance, and the energy released during its breakdown provides a feeling of fullness that sugar and protein can¡¯tpare to. Eating meat is a pleasure, and eating fatty meat is even more so. Therefore, controlling the intake of fat is the key to making good braised meat. (All of the above is just my nonsense.) Jiang Feng carefully sliced the meat, trimming away the excessrd to render oil, which could then be used for frying eggnts, trying to keep the fat-to-lean ratio of the Wuhua pork within an appropriate range. He marinated the meat, boiled it twice with ginger slices and green onions and garlic to remove scum, then stir-fried it on high heat for a few times. After adding various seasonings, he simmered it on low heat with the hd on. The rest was left to time, to let the fat in the pork slowly break down through the simmering on low heat. The sauce and juices would gradually prate the Wuhua pork. When the meat darkened in color and the rich meaty aroma with a hint of sweetness wafted out, then a high heat was applied to thicken the sauce, and the braised pork would be done. On a single stove with two pots, the fire area was interconnected. Jiang Feng pushed the firewood slightly to the side to avoid the mes getting too high and charring the meat before the fat could render. The rice cooked on this type of wood-burning stove inherently had a woody aroma, making both steamed rice and stir-fry tastier. However, it also meant that controlling the heat was more difficult. If you just wanted to cook something passable, you could either tend the fire yourself or find someone random to do it, but to cook a truly good dish, the person tending the fire had to be in sync with the chef. In ancient times, imperial chefs had specific firewood for every dish. The assistants tending the fire were often apprentices of the imperial chefs themselves, and it was this understanding between master and apprentice that facilitated the cooking of exceptional dishes. Nowadays, chefs don¡¯t have this trouble; they use gas stoves where they can control the heat however they want, cooking as they please. No one was there to manage the fire for Jiang Feng, so he just messed around a bit. With advanced knifework, fire control, and seasoning, his cooking had taken a qualitative leap. As long as he wasn¡¯t distracted, the vor of the dishes wouldn¡¯t disappoint. I started off by making minced meat with eggnt. First, I peeled the eggnt and cut it into thick slices about one and a half fingers wide, then into strips. I chopped the lean meat into mince, trying to get it as fine as possible, almost like a paste, and also minced the green onions, ginger, and garlic. First, I coated the eggnt slices with a light dusting of starch and deep-fried them in hot oil. I fried them until they were just starting to turn slightly yellow and then took them out of the pan. I cooked the minced meat on high heat until it was done, then added various seasonings and a bowl of water. I brought it to a boil over high heat, and once I could smell the aroma, I added the eggnt. I thickened the sauce with starch water, tossing and stirring the pot to mix the eggnt evenly. Once the sauce was evenly distributed, I took it out of the pan and ted it. Jiang Feng tasted it while it was still hot. The eggnt was vorful, fried to the right degree with a slight crispness on the outside but remaining soft on the inside, and the sauce was well bnced, moderately salty. There, this dish would definitely not earn me a scolding from Sir! The earth stove was great for cooking, but cleaning the pot afterward was a hassle. Jiang Feng scooped up adle of water and gave the pot a quick rinse, pretending that it was clean. The minced meat with eggnt dish would be considered a luxury in a college cafeteria, and since the next two dishes I was going to make were both vegetarian, I had to be careful not to mix the vors. The Chinese cabbage was very fresh; since both the minced meat with eggnt and braised meat were salty, I made a sour and spicy Chinese cabbage dish for a change. Cooking the cabbage only took a few minutes. After giving it a try, Jiang Feng realized the high quality of the cabbage really made the dish outstanding. It was fresh, tender, and fragrant, which made it seem as if his cooking skills were quite impressive. The tofu was of average quality, not very tender, probably bought two days ago, which didn¡¯t suit well for making silky tofu. However, Jiang Feng liked to make silky tofu, so he made it ording to his own preference anyway. After cutting the tofu into pieces and slicing the garlic, I knew adding sometro would have been better, but Jiang Jianshe and my two female cousins didn¡¯t eattro. Especially Jiang Junlian; she felt nauseous just smelling it. To quote her, the smell felt liketro was upsetting her stomach directly in her mouth. Because of this,tro was never added to any dish at a Jiang family gathering, even though some dishes were tasteless without it. The steps for making silky tofu are actually quite simple: add hot oil to a heated pan, stir-fry over high heat, andstly, thicken the sauce with starch water. As long as I tossed and stirred evenly, and the sauce soaked into the tofu, the vor wouldn¡¯t fail. It didn¡¯t require much skill in fire control, and I could do it very well even when my fire control was only at an intermediate level. Now, with advanced fire control skills, it was even easier. The tofu absorbed the broth and took on a light yellow hue. After tasting a piece, Jiang Feng thought it was vorful-only the texture of the tofu wasn¡¯t as soft as it could have been, but that was an issue with the tofu itself, and it was still decent. The braised meat in the other pot wasn¡¯t ready yet. I nned to steam the egg foo young once the braised meat was done¡ªthat dish was the easiest to prepare, as long as I strained the egg mixture several times. After steaming, I would sprinkle some sesame oil on top. If I had the means, I¡¯d decorate the dish with some high-quality mushrooms; otherwise, I¡¯d steam it like an ordinary steamed egg. You might say that steamed egg is probably the easiest dish to make after boiled eggs, as long as you can get it cooked, you can eat it. Whether ites out looking like a honeb or a small bowl of steamed egg with enough egg to make it seem like a cake, the taste isn¡¯tpromised. At most, the texture will vary significantly, but altogether, it¡¯s edible. Looking at the three dishes in front of me, Jiang Feng felt today was the day he could hold his head high among his uncles and cousins! After the debacle of frying fish on Lantern Festivalst year, Jiang Feng¡¯s image had taken a hit: ¡®Feng used to be good at cooking when he was little, but not anymore; even frying a fish, he tends to burn it.¡¯ I hadn¡¯t cooked in almost five years when Sir caught me and made me fry fish, leading to an embarrassing flop. Today, I, Jiang Feng, am going to show everyone that I wasn¡¯t just good when was younger. Now having leveled up, I¡¯ve be even better! Chapter 111 - lio I Can’t Think of a Chapter Title Again Chapter 111: Chapter lio I Can¡¯t Think of a Chapter Title Again Trantor: 549690339 Twenty more minutes passed, and Jiang Feng felt that the braised pork was about ready toe out of the pot. The sauce hadpletely prated the fatty pork, most of the fat had been stewed out, and therge chunks of pork in the pot looked shiny and greasy. Although it wasn¡¯t so tender that it would fall apart with a light poke of the chopsticks, it was soft enough to the touch. He picked up a small piece. The ratio of fat to lean meat was just right; the fat seemed to melt away from the lean part in the mouth and could be swallowed easily, sliding down the throat, while the lean meat had also bepletely tender, with distinct strands and fully permeated with vor. Due to the addition of some sugar, a careful chew revealed a slight sweetness. With this dish, Jiang Feng was confident that even Sir wouldn¡¯t be able to find fault with it. Finally came the steamed eggs. Once Jiang Feng ced the bowl with the egg mixture into the pot, he didn¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. Seizing the moment, he sneakily ate a few bites of the dishes. Although the portions wererge, served on extrarge tes, he felt he wouldn¡¯t be able to outdo his uncles and cousins at the dining table. If his Uncle Grandfather noticed he hadn¡¯t eaten his fill, that pot of ¡®death-vored¡¯ braised meat would be his fate. To avoid the braised meat, everyone would surely do their utmost to feed themselves as quickly as possible. As Jiang Feng was merrily having a taste of each dish, both meat and vegetables, Jiang Zaidi walked in and asked, ¡°Feng, it¡¯s almost noon, your dishes¡­ Holy smokes, you¡¯re actually sneaking some food.¡± ¡°What sneaking some food?¡± Jiang Feng quickly swallowed the food in his mouth. After all, with such arge te, no one would notice how much he had eaten. ¡°How can tasting for seasoning be considered sneaking food?¡± ¡°Have you seen me eat a lot? I¡¯ve only had two bites to taste for seasoning!¡± Jiang Feng dered earnestly. As a chef, tasting the seasoning for ten minutes is normal, right? Jiang Zaidi tentatively believed his tall tale, ¡°How is it then? 1 heard Grandpa put you under pressure to learn for several months, you didn¡¯t burn it this time, did you? Eh, let me taste the meat!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Jiang Zaidi proceeded to grab the chopsticks, standing in front of arge basin of braised pork and began to eat. ¡°Hmm, not bad, it¡¯s not burnt.¡± One piece. ¡°Let me check the fatty pieces.¡± Two pieces. ¡°Good, pretty tender, not greasy.¡± Three pieces. Til try a lean one next.¡± Four pieces. ¡°The lean part is fine, too.¡± Five pieces. ¡°Let¡¯s try a big one.¡± Six pieces. ¡°The big piece is a bit under-vored, let me try a smaller one.¡± Seven pieces. ¡°The small piece is good, eh this piece looks like a good mix of fat and lean.¡± Eight pieces. 111 try again¡­¡± Jiang Zaidi was about to grab the ninth piece when Jiang Feng pped the chopsticks out of his hand. Taste any more and there¡¯ll be none left, no more tasting. The steamed egg custard is ready, the dishes are all set, let¡¯s serve them together.¡± Jiang Feng interrupted Jiang Zaidi¡¯s brazen snacking, removed the lid from the pot, and saw the egg custard was done, any further steaming would overcook it. Jiang Zaidi was somewhat disappointed, as the braised pork sneaked before the meal always tasted better than what was grabbed from the table, but he still acknowledged Jiang Feng¡¯s culinary skills, ¡°Feng, you did a decent job on the braised pork, almost as good as your dad. Hey, this egg custard looks not bad, let me help you taste for seasoning.¡± With that, he reached for a spoon. Jiang Feng quickly grabbed the spoon, ¡°This one bowl, I steamed it for Uncle Grandfather.¡± Jiang Zaidi had no choice but to give up and help serve the dishes. The five dishes were served. Although there weren¡¯t many, the portions were generous and they looked good. Uncle Grandfather squinted his eyes, which were seriously affected by presbyopia, and scrutinized the dishes for a while, ¡°Today¡¯s dishes weren¡¯t cooked by my daughter-inw, were they?¡± ¡°It was Feng who cooked them,¡± Tian Lin said with a smile. ¡°Dad, Feng said he practiced for a long time at home just so he could cook this meal for you today. Look at this, braised pork, eggnts, cabbage, and tofu, they all look and smell delicious.¡± ¡°Good boy, specially cooking a meal for Uncle Grandfather, such a good boy!¡± Uncle Grandfather beamed with joy, ¡°Eh, where¡¯s the braised meat? Daughter-inw, go get the braised meat, and give Feng a bowl first.¡± Jiang Feng was about to turn green on the spot, but thankfully, he held back, thanks to the years of honing his acting skills during New Year¡¯s visits to his¡¯ maternal granduncle¡¯s home. He quickly said, ¡°No need, no need for trouble, the braised meat is to be had with the soup at the end. Come on, let¡¯s eat, great-uncle, you should try the dishes first. This steamed egg with egg flower is specially made for you.¡± ¡°Specially made for me, huh? Feng is really thoughtful.¡± The great-uncle was even happier, not mentioning the braised meat issue, ¡°I must have a good taste.¡± After taking a bite, the great-uncle praised, ¡°Not bad, not bad, much tenderer than the steamed eggs your aunt makes, and the vor is good too.¡± Now this uncle is a chef at a state-owned restaurant, Jiankang is also a chef at a state-owned restaurant, and Feng has profound family learning. We can¡¯tpare with that. Come, let¡¯s taste Feng¡¯s cooking skills.¡± Tian Lin was the first to pick up a piece of eggnt with her chopsticks. Everyone began to pick up dishes. ¡°Impressive, Feng has made quite some progress, huh? Last Lantern Festival, he even burned the fish while frying it, and now he¡¯s got this level of skill with red braised pork, not bad at all!¡± Jiang Jiandang eximed in shock, having never tasted Jiang Feng¡¯s previous Jianqin version of the clear soup willow leaf swan vegetables. Jiang Feng:¡­ Only a small piece of the fish skin got burnedst year. Can we please stop talking about that fish? ¡°Not bad, Feng has made progresspared to thest time with the silver ear fungus and quail egg soup,¡± Jiang Jianguo alsoplimented. ¡°Better fire control than the fish-vored shredded pork you made before,¡± Jiang Jiankang said with a satisfied look on his face. Everyone was very supportive, even the usually taciturn and reticent Zhao Tizhuang (the great-uncle¡¯s son) nodded and praised. By the way, Mrs. Jiang s full name is Zhao LanHua. Everyone in their vige has the surname Zhao, but Mrs. Jiang really hated it when people called her by her full name. Jiang Feng was admittedly getting a bit carried away, showered with such dense and frequent praise from so many people. ¡°When you were frying the tofu, the angle for flipping the spat wasn¡¯t enough, the sauce wasn¡¯t evenly distributed.¡± ¡°The red braised pork needed more time for the high-heat sauteing.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re making sweet and sour cabbage, you should tear it by hand.¡± The seasoning for the eggnt was too heavy.¡± Sir realized that Jiang Feng was getting ahead of himself and poured four basins of cold water on him simultaneously, bringing him instantly back to reality. The dinner table fell silent. ¡°However, overall, it¡¯s still okay, a bit better than before the new year,¡± Sir finally added apliment. ¡°That old fellow always measuring Feng by his own standards,¡± Mrs. Jiang said. ¡°It¡¯s only right for uncle to have high standards, being a chef at a state-owned restaurant. Back in the day, he was famous for miles around. Who didn¡¯t know uncle¡¯s name?¡± Tian Lin tried to lighten the mood. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, when LanHua married Weiguo, which girl wasn¡¯t envious?¡± the great-uncle agreed. ¡°With dad¡¯s cooking skills, Feng is far fromparison. That dinner the other night, you couldn¡¯t find anyone in Zet City with better skills than our dad!¡± Wang Xiulian cleverly started praising Sir. ¡®It¡¯s our dad¡¯s skills, which small kid among the neighbors wasn¡¯t envious of us five brothers since we were little?¡± Jiang Jianguo greatly ttered. ¡°Feng definitely can¡¯t match up to dad¡¯s skills, it¡¯s perfectly normal for dad to point out ws!¡± Jiang Jiandang chimed in. ¡®Little brother¡¯s skills are nowhere near grandpa¡¯s,¡± Jiang Junqing also vied to be a suck-up. ¡°Grandpa¡¯s soup yesterday was simply marvelous, I haven¡¯t had such delicious soup in my entire life!¡± Jiang Zaidi dered emphatically. A group of people started to tter Sir non-stop. Jiang Feng: ??? This isn¡¯t right, aren¡¯t you supposed to be praising me? I was the one who made this meal! Chapter 112 - ill: Make You Peel Chapter 112: Chapter ill: Make You Peel Trantor: 549690339 Everyone¡¯s ttery repeated the same few sentiments; their boot-licking skills weren¡¯t quite there, failing to impress with any new tricks, and Sir soon grew tired of it. So, he started looking for something else to talk about. ¡°Hey, Feng, I think your cooking skills are good enough for that ¡®Good Taste Culinary Competition¡¯ I¡¯ve heard about. The prize money seems to be several tens of thousands. You should try it out, maybe you could earn some cash,¡± Jiang Zaidi suddenly remembered the advertisement he had seen at the bus station, ¡°Thepetition looks quite big; they¡¯ve even advertised at bus stops.¡± ¡°¡®Good Taste¡¯? That name sounds too low-ss,¡± Jiang Ranmented. ¡°Isn¡¯t ¡®Good Taste¡¯ that soy sauce brand from n City? Their soy sauce is not bad; I¡¯ve been using it for years,¡± Jiang Jianguo had some impression of Good Taste. ¡°Not just soy sauce, they sell all sorts of condiments. I think they even started selling bean pastest month,¡± Jiang Jiankang added to the conversation. ¡°Feng, Zaidi has a good idea, you should go sign up and try. What if you win? By the way, Zaidi, is there an age limit for thispetition?¡± Jiang Jianshe joined in. Jiang Zaidi took out his phone to check while not forgetting to scoop up another big piece of braised pork: ¡°Let¡¯s see, yes, for young chefs, under thirty years old only. All ingredients are provided by the organizers, and it¡¯s solo participation. Oh, the preliminaries, the selections, and even live online broadcasts. If you make it to the top thirty-two, you could appear on television, provincial TV, Feng! If you reach the top thirty-two, you¡¯ll be on TV!¡± ¡°On TV! Son, go sign up quickly. With your skills, you can definitely make it to the top thirty-two!¡± Jiang Jiankang was very excited, pulling out his phone to look up information, ¡°Oh wow, you can even fill in the name of the restaurant you represent. Hurry up and register; if you get on TV, you even get to advertise our restaurant on provincial TV!¡± ¡°I can advertise?¡± Wang Xiulian suddenly perked up, ¡°Son, go register quickly!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Seeing everyone looking at him with eager eyes, Jiang Feng felt like he may have gone too far and spoke hesitantly, ¡°Well, I¡­ I¡¯ve already signed up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, when my son gets on TV, I am going to raise the prices at our restaurant!¡± Wang Xiulian said excitedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t fill in ¡®Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant¡¯.¡± Jiang Feng said weakly. Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang suddenly froze; Wang Xiulian looked heartbroken: ¡°My goodness, you wasteful kid, such a good advertising opportunity and you didn¡¯t cherish it. Do you know how much one second of airtime costs on provincial TV?¡± ¡°I filled in ¡®Taifeng Building¡¯,¡± Jiang Feng felt like he might be in big trouble today. ¡°Taifeng Building? What¡¯s that?¡± Jiang Ran lookedpletely clueless. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve heard of it before,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, puzzled. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard it too,¡± Jiang Shoucheng was very confused. ¡°What building?¡± Uncle Grandpa was a bit hard of hearing. ¡°Taifeng Building, Dad, it¡¯s Taifeng Building,¡± Tian Lin spoke loudly. Jiang Feng¡¯s parents, uncles, and aunts were shocked. Sir¡¯s expression darkened. Not just a regr dark, but a dark tinted with hints of red, and that wasn¡¯t just any red, it was the red of impending rage, hinting at the festive colors of the Spring Festival. Seeing Sir¡¯s expression, Jiang Feng knew that he might have really screwed up this time. ¡°Heh, so you filled in ¡®Taifeng Building¡¯, huh?¡± Sir was calm, but everyone knew this was the calm before the storm. ¡°I just, identally, filled it in wrong,¡± Jiang Feng said sheepishly. ¡°You filled it out wrong,¡± Sir repeated, ¡°San¡¯s family, when do you n to go back to pay a New Year¡¯s visit?¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, we will go and return the same day, we won¡¯t dy at all!¡± Wang Xiulian hurriedly said. Jiang Feng: ¡ê( o o ¡°Alright, then Feng should start practicing as soon as he gets home tonight, and I will go back with you after school starts. When does thepetition start?¡± Sir asked. ¡°They haven¡¯t set a date yet, but they mentioned it might start in March,¡± Jiang Zaidi gave Jiang Feng a sympathetic look. ¡°Then you should use this time to practice well. If you can¡¯t learn well, don¡¯t disgrace the Taifeng Building¡¯s name. You might as well withdraw from the contest,¡± Sir said. ¡°What did Weiguo just say about a namete?¡± the granduncle asked loudly. ¡°Uncle just said that Feng is going to participate in a cookingpetition!¡± Tian Lin exined loudly. ¡°Apetition is good, Feng is showing promise, being able topete. But the first day of the lunar new year has already passed, how can youpete on the first day?¡± the granduncle asked, confused. ¡°It¡¯s a cookingpetition, not apetition on the first day, it¡¯s about cooking. Feng is going topete with others in cooking,¡± Tian Lin shouted. ¡°Oh, a cookingpetition. Feng, make sure youpete well and don¡¯t lose face for your grandfather!¡± the granduncle said with augh. Jiang Feng:¡­ He just saw Sir¡¯s face turn darker. The granduncle really thrust in a brutal knife with hisstment! Thetter half of the meal was eaten in silence. After the meal, Wang Xiuhan pulled Jiang Jiankang aside to talk in a corner. ¡°Jiankang, what did dad mean by that? If Feng can¡¯t learn to dad¡¯s satisfaction, doesn¡¯t that mean he won¡¯t be able topete?¡± Wang Xiuhan muttered. ¡°Dad surely won¡¯t let Feng, him carrying the name of Taifeng Building. If he doesn¡¯t even make it to the top four or top eight, that would be a major loss of face,¡± Jiang Jiankang said, ¡°But I think the dishes Feng cooked today were not bad, maybe he could even win first ce! ¡°Dreaming? We¡¯ve been cooped up in this small ce too long, thinking we¡¯re so great, but that¡¯s because we haven¡¯t seen what they have in the big cities. The chefs there must be really good! With so many star-rated hotels, they must be better than us. I just looked, it¡¯s not just n City, but a nationalpetition, with so many chefs across the country. Not to mention anything else, Wu is better than Feng in cooking, and Wu is even younger than Feng. Just at UAL University alone, you¡¯ll find someone like Wu, let alone more talented young chefs all over the country!¡± Wang Xiulian said. Jiang Jiankang had always felt that his own skills were decent. From childhood, he would always hear Jiang Weiguo speak of Taifeng Building¡¯s glory days, and deep down, he also believed that his great-grandfather was the number one chef in the world. But now, after Wang Xiulian¡¯s analysis, Jiang Jiankang felt like he was just sheltered and inexperienced in a small city. ¡°Well, the students at UAL seem to like the dishes I make!¡± Jiang Jiankang said this without much confidence. ¡°Our culinary skills seem to be handed down in the family as well. How about when we go back to n City, we try that restaurant in the city center that ims to be the best in the city, topare? ¡°Are you talking about Yipin House?¡± ¡°Not Yipin House, I heard someone say that Yipin House is not as good as another ce, what¡¯s it called¡­ I think it¡¯s Imperial Meal Tavern?¡± Jiang Jiankang was uncertain, ¡°We¡¯ll just order two dishes, just the two of us to taste. Feng surely will be busy learning with dad and won¡¯t have time to go. ¡°That works, no, wait, how expensive must the dishes at Imperial Meal Tavern be? Have you paid off the debt to Second Brother?¡± Wang Xiulian said. ¡°We¡¯ll just taste two dishes, it won¡¯t cost that much. I almost paid off Second Brother¡¯s loan, I paid another hundred thousand before the New Year, I only owe sixty thousand now, Second Brother said there¡¯s no rush,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. After the couple had discussed, Jiang Jiankang went over to pat Jiang Feng¡¯s shoulder and encouraged him, ¡°Son, start learning seriously with grandpa tonight, your mom and I will go back to gather some information for you!¡± Jiang Feng: ? Chapter 113 - 112 White Meat Chapter 113: Chapter 112 White Meat Trantor: 549690339 i *Look, what have you discovered¡ªa random drop update! For the entire afternoon, Jiang Feng was regretting his impulsive behavior. Sir didn¡¯t explode in anger or hit him. He spent the afternoon chatting with Mrs. Jiang and Granduncle Weiming, but the asional nces he threw at Jiang Feng made his scalp tingle. Having apprenticed under Sir for so many years, Jiang Feng was all too aware that if Sir truly wanted to punish you, he didn¡¯t need to lift a finger himself. Hanging sandbags, standing in horse stance, filling a cauldron with sand to practice flipping thedle, chopping onions, cutting chili peppers, cleaning pig offal-just one of these tasks, if given for a full day, could send you to heavenly oblivion, leaving you clueless about your own name and surname. Jiang Feng seemed outwardly calm but was, in reality, panicking inside. By evening, Mrs. Jiang and Granduncle Weiming said their goodbyes. Dinner at the Jiang family usually wasn¡¯t served until seven or eight o¡¯clock, so there was just enough time to go home and cook some dumplings. Granduncle Weiming, holding onto Jiang Feng, somehow remembered the Braised Meat: ¡°Feng, I remember you guys didn¡¯t have any Braised Meat at noon. Come on, have a bowl before you leave. Your aunt specially made it for you all, especially you, Feng. You¡¯re too skinny; girls don¡¯t like that. You should eat at least two bowls.¡± Everyone immediately panicked, thinking they had already moved past the Braised Meat issue, only for Granduncle Weiming to bring it up again just as they were about to leave. ¡°I¡¯m too full, Granduncle Weiming, really. I ate half a basin of braised pork at noon; I really can¡¯t eat anymore. If I eat Braised Meat now, I won¡¯t have room for dinner, and I¡¯ll get hungry in the middle of the night!¡± Jiang Zaidi started to babble. ¡®¡öYeah, yeah, Granduncle Weiming, I also ate half a basin of braised pork-1 can¡¯t eat anymore either,¡± Jiang Shoucheng chimed in, following Jiang Zaidi¡¯s lead. ¡°Granduncle Weiming, eating so much meat in the evening can make you gain weight,¡± Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian said in unison. ¡°The two girls are growing up and starting to care about looking good ¡± Granduncle Weiming said with a smile, ¡°Then, Tian Lin, you just serve Feng and Ran, that¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Granduncle Weiming, I¡¯ll just eat some dumplings when I go home tonight. I still need to practice, and eating too much will scatter my focus. Don¡¯t forget I¡¯ve still got apetition to participate in,¡± Jiang Feng made an excuse, waving his metaphorical g. ¡°Right, right, Jiang Feng still has apetition. Then let Ran eat. Feng, you focus on practicing. When you get a good ranking, give Granduncle Weiming a call,¡± Granduncle Weiming nodded in agreement. ¡°Granduncle Weiming, I¡­¡± Jiang Ran realized all the excuses had been used up, and he couldn¡¯te up with any on the spot, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m on a diet, I¡¯ve been skipping dinner recently.¡± ¡°With a good physique like yours, why the need to diet?¡± Granduncle Weiming¡¯s face turned stem, ¡°I was wondering why you looked slimmer. Young people nowadays really do the silliest things. You¡¯re not a young girl; why are you dieting? A young man like you looks good healthy and strong; no dieting is allowed. You have to eat two bowls today.¡± No sooner had he spoken, Tian Lin came out with tworge bowls brimming with Braised Meat, hardly any soup to speak of. The white color of the meat, the feel of the white meat, and a taste even more horrifying than the appearance of white meat. ¡°Come,e, Feng, Ran, have some Braised Meat,¡± Tian Lin said cheerfully. ¡°All for Ran, Feng needs to practice tonight; thepetition is more important,¡± Granduncle Weiming said. Jiang Ran was caught between a rock and a hard ce. He steeled himself, bit the bullet, took the Braised Meat, and bit down. Jiang Feng, along with the others, couldn¡¯t bear to look. This year¡¯s pig at Granduncle Weiming¡¯s ce was especially fat. The bowl was full ofrge chunks of fat, and Tian Lin didn¡¯t know how to drain the blood from the pork properly; she probably just boiled it with some ginger slices and cooking wine, without marinating it beforehand. The two bowls of Braised Meat were steaming hot. Being close, Jiang Feng could even smell the faint porky odor on the meat. Such meat, purely fatty, one bite¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about it; time to light incense for Jiang Ran. Jiang Ran managed to swallow the first piece, his face almost contorting. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ranran? Is the Braised Meat your aunt cooked not delicious this year?¡± Tian Lin took a bit from the other bowl, her expression natural, ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste any different from before.¡± Jiang Ran: ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s just, the meat is a bit fatty, it¡¯s too greasy.¡± This year¡¯s pig was indeed fat, over four hundred pounds, full ofrd which makes the Braised Meat especially fragrant. Probably you¡¯re not used to it, Ranran. It¡¯s okay, eat the lean parts and leave the fat if you don¡¯t like it,¡± Tian Lin said. Tears nearly came to Jiang Ran¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay, daughter-inw, it¡¯s gettingte, we should head back. Otherwise it¡¯ll be hard to navigate once it¡¯s dark. Ran, are you still eating?¡± Mrs. Jiang intervened. ¡°No more, no more. It¡¯s getting dark, and the road won¡¯t be easy to travel Granduncle Weiming, we¡¯ll be taking our leave now!¡± Jiang Ran quickly put down his chopsticks. ¡°Is it getting dark already?¡± Granduncle Weiming went outside to look and indeed, it was about to get dark. Reluctantly, he said, ¡°Then you all should go ahead, and I¡¯ll walk you to the vige entrance. Next time,e over again for some Braised Meat.¡± ¡°Of course, of course, Granduncle Weiming, we¡¯ll definitelye next time!¡± they hurriedly said, Jiang Ran¡¯s voice the loudest amongst them. ¡°Alright, brother, it¡¯s getting cold at night, no need to send us off. We can walk ourselves,¡± Mrs. Jiang said. As they left the house and were nearing the vige entrance, Mrs. Jiang casually remarked, ¡°Ran, the meat that your granduncle cooked today was indeed a bit worse than before, but you changed your expression too quickly. Luckily, your granduncle¡¯s vision is blurry, or else he would have been very upset.¡± Jiang Ran humbly epted his mistake, reflected seriously, and decided to act less unconvincingly next time and think of a better excuse to avoid the Braised Meat ahead of time. ¡°That won¡¯t do, Ran, back when your uncle¡¯s eyes were better, we could eat a bowl of Braised Meat without a change in expression, praising it as delicious,¡± Jiang Jianguo said. ¡®TH teach him when we get back,¡± Jiang Jianye sighed. When the group got home, it was already seven o¡¯clock. Mrs. Jiang went to the kitchen to cook dumplings, and the rest entered the house, where Jiang Weiming was watching a TV series in the living room. ¡°Forever¡± An American TV series from a few years ago. ¡°Wow, Granduncle Weiming, you still watch American TV shows? Can you even see the subtitles clearly?¡± Jiang Junqing asked. ¡°No worries, if I can¡¯t see, I can understand by listening,¡± Jiang Weiming responded. Jiang Junqing was dumbfounded. ¡°Feng,e with me to the kitchen,¡± Sir said gravely. ¡°He¡¯s juste back, and you¡¯re already sending him to the kitchen. Little brother, let Feng rest a while,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile, trying to mediate. ¡°This little rascal signed up for a culinarypetition under Taifeng Building¡¯s name without permission,¡± Jiang Weiguo said irritably. Oh? Jiang Weiming looked at Jiang Feng with a smile, ¡°Then I¡¯ll join you.¡± ¡°Feng has indeed been cking a bit during the New Year.¡± Jiang Feng shivered. He felt that the smile on Jiang Weiming¡¯s face just now had other emotions mixed in. I am doomed. Chapter 114 - 113 Mahjong Chapter 114: Chapter 113 Mahjong Trantor: 549690339 | That evening, Jiang Feng almost ascended to the heavens with a wok in the kitchen, under the strict supervision and instruction of the two elderly Sirs. He was still stir-frying sugar color and simmering tender sauce. Jiang Weiming would only be strict if Jiang Feng made obvious mistakes while making these before, with most other times he was quite amiable. But times had changed, and it was Jiang Feng¡¯s own doing¡ªsigning up on a whim feels great, but the kitchen is like a crematorium when training. Now, if the sugar color and tender sauce weren¡¯t the perfect ¡°Fire Control¡± to the two Sirs¡¯ satisfaction, he would receive the scathing critique of Jiang Weiguo¡¯s ¡°heavenly justice¡± and Jiang Weiming¡¯s ¡°thorn in soft cotton.¡± Most of the time, the conversation went like this: ¡°Look at this monstrosity you¡¯ve made. Is this how sugar color should be stir-fried? Haven¡¯t I taught you? You¡¯ve practiced for so many days, and now you still stir-fry a color like this. Can this kind of sugar color make the braised elbow look good? Are you cooking for people or for pigs? Even pigs wouldn¡¯t eat this stuff you¡¯ve made!¡± ¡°Alright, little brother, don¡¯t be angry. Even if Feng¡¯s talent isn¡¯t great, there¡¯s a saying that diligence can make up for theck of skill. Just simmer it again, no rush.¡± ¡°Diligence can make up for theck of skill? Even a dumb bird knows to fly early, while this dumb bird just knows how to bezy. He just took a few days off, and now he can¡¯t even stir-fry sugar color. With such skills, he still wants to represent Taifeng Building inpetitions? Who gave you the face, who gave you the guts? You¡¯re really emboldened to make a fool of yourself in front of the entire nation!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that Feng acted a bit rashly on this matter. Feng, don¡¯t stop what you¡¯re doing with your hands, keep going. After all, we two old men sleep less now, so we have time to apany you. Let¡¯s aim to stir-fry the sugar color for the braised elbow and for the green onion braised sea cucumber tonight. The color for the braised elbow needs to be darker, while the color for the onion braised sea cucumber should be lighter. Don¡¯t rush, take your time.¡± Jiang Feng: -|¡ªr_-rnr Just let me die. Jiang Feng stayed in the kitchen untilte into the night, and it wasn¡¯t until about half-past twelve that he finally stir-fried a sugar color for the braised elbow that satisfied both elderly Sirs, and he was allowed to go back to sleep. On the fourth day, the great-aunt and Aunt would pack up their husbands and children to go home for the New Year visits; the fifth was the day for the Second Aunt, and the sixth would be the turn for Jiang Feng and the Second Aunt¡¯s family. Except for Jiang Feng going and returning on the same day, the others would stay for a few days. Since Mrs. Jiang had no daughters and all her sons would visit their mother-inw¡¯s houses, she was happy to have a break, indulging herself in ying mahjong every day. Only during the New Year did rural folks gather, so Mrs. Jiang¡¯s mahjong friends who went to the city to look after grandchildren woulde back. Right after lunchtime, the sound of mahjong tiles cking would start echoing from the Jiang Family domicile. Having learned their lesson from the precedent of Jiang Feng stir-frying potatoes for nearly ten days straight until he was in a daze, the two Sirs decided to bnce work and rest, avoiding overwork and loss of efficiency. Specifically, this meant allocating two hours every afternoon and evening for Jiang Feng to attend to Mrs. Jiang, who was ying cards. It was indeed very effective. Even though Jiang Feng practiced cooking for over eight hours a day, he didn¡¯t exhibit any side effects. The remedy worked wonders. In the blink of an eye, it was the evening of the fifth day. Mrs. Jiang was a person of very regr habits. Even though she wanted to battle it out at the mahjong table until the early hours, her body and mind sensibly made her leave the table promptly at ten o¡¯clock. Jiang Feng¡¯s daily routine was to practice cooking from seven to eight in the evening, serve Mrs. Jiang from eight to ten, and then practice another hour of cooking before he could wash up and go to bed. His life was even more regted than when he was in his senior year of high school. In just two short days, all of Mrs. Jiang¡¯s mahjong friends had gotten to know Jiang Feng. ¡°Feng, go see if there¡¯s any ginger juice left in the kitchen. If there is, make me a ginger milk curd,¡± Mrs. Jiang yed a Red Dragon tile. ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Feng went to the kitchen. If mahjong were just about ying the game, it would be too dull and boring, especially in Mrs. Jiang¡¯s version, which doesn¡¯t involve gambling at all. The elderly react slowly, sometimes hesitating over a tile for two minutes, and without a sweet treat and a hot cup of tea at the table, the game wouldck soul. What Mrs. Jiang aimed for by gathering her good sisters for mahjong at home was prestige! The sisters hadn¡¯t seen each other for a year, and naturally, they sought a reason to get together, to do something while chatting, to show off how well they¡¯d fared over the year, and how their children and grandchildren had turned out, and whether they were filial. Now that their children were middle-aged with little change in their careers, there wasn¡¯t much to boast about. So, naturally, the topic of pride had be their grandchildren. ¡°Lanhua, that Feng of yours is really something, so filial!¡± Madam Xu, Mrs. Jiang¡¯s previous yer, praised, ¡°My grandson just knows how to y his games all day long, that ¡®Chicken¡¯ he won¡¯t eat at home but has to on his phone, and he¡¯s always talking about going to some canyon or some continent. I¡¯d be content if he could be half as good as your Feng.¡± Mrs. Jiang, chuffed with thepliment, shouted into the inside, ¡°Feng, make a serving for your Madam Xu too, if you can.¡± Everyone had a share of the beverage, but not the dessert. ¡°Why bother making anything for me, all that ginger and milk stuff sounds quite troubling,¡± Madam Xu refused. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all, it doesn¡¯t take much longer to make two servings at once,¡± Mrs. Jiang said with augh. It¡¯s well known that Mrs. Jiang is a person of regr habits; she could even end her mahjong games promptly at ten o¡¯clock every evening. Naturally, she had also nned what dessert and beverage would be for each day. Yesterday, it was oolong tea and cupcakes¡ªthe cupcakes were baked by Jiang Feng. They looked quite decent, but the taste was so-so. But was Mrs. Jiang after the taste? No, she yearned for a mboyant faqade. If she really cared about the vor, she surely could havemanded her few sons. Almost everyone in the Jiang Family could make little sweets, but Jiang Feng¡¯s were the most visually appealing. Today¡¯s fare was cranberry flower tea, chilled mango sago cream with pomelo, and ginger milk pudding. Mrs. Jiang wasn¡¯t actually fond of the mango sago cream¡¯s taste, but who could resist a dessert that looked so famous and had such a pleasant-sounding name? Just cing it to the side was enough¡ªit didn¡¯t matter whether it was eaten. Sir had already prepared the ginger milk pudding; in previous years, he was the one who would make these things. This year, it so happened that Jiang Feng had stepped into the role, and since his desserts were also extraordinarily pretty, he had won Mrs. Jiang¡¯s favor. It was likely that he would bear this important task every year into the future. Milk, being sweet and cooling, is said to nourish and strengthen, while ginger, being pungent and slightly warming, is known to expel coldness, warm the stomach, remove phlegm and release gas. This dessert is perfect for warming up in the winter. The method is simple, but the only tricky part is the ginger infusion during the milk curdling¡ªif the ginger taste is too strong, many may find it unptable. Fifteen minutester, Jiang Feng came out with two bowls of ginger milk pudding. Mrs. Jiang skillfully ced her own bowl in a conspicuous ce where the other three could easily see it. Madam Xu immediately tasted a spoonful upon receiving her bowl and said with a smile, ¡°Feng¡¯s culinary skills are truly good, such a warming treat for the winter. Make another bowl for Madam Xu tomorrow.¡± Mrs. Jiang was immediately displeased, feeling a sense of indignation as if to say, ¡°On what grounds are you ordering my grandson around?¡± She didn¡¯t show it on her face but had already decided not to invite Madam Xu to y mahjong again and replied cheerily, ¡°That won¡¯t do; tomorrow Feng has to go and pay respects to his maternal grandparents for the New Year.¡± ¡°Ah, a ¡®bing¡¯, wait, wait, let me see, I¡¯ve won! Straight flush.¡± Mrs. Jiang pushed her tiles forward excitedly. Jiang Feng:¡­ The struggles between these stic sisters in their old age, they¡¯re just too much to handle. *Thank you to Super Loud for creating such a fantastic cover for me¡ªit¡¯s really super good-looking!! Super good-looking, super good-looking, super good-looking!!! **Bang bang bang** ms the table* Chapter 115 - 114: Past Events Chapter 115: Chapter 114: Past Events Trantor: 549690339 1 The next morning, Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang were packed off back to their mother¡¯s family home by Mrs. Wang Xiulian. Jiang Feng had only two uncles, but ever since he could remember, his family was distant with both uncles¡¯ families, the kind of superficial rtives who would smile and greet you, yet turn expressionless the moment they looked away. However, he had a great rtionship with his maternal grandparents. The situation with Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s family was theplete opposite of Mrs. Jiang¡¯s; with a slew of sons, Wang Xiulian had over a dozen male cousins, while she was the only daughter at home, showered with love ever since she was a child. Before she dated Jiankang, she was a regr chubby girl weighing around 170 pounds at 5¡¯7¡å. It was only after giving birth to Jiang Feng that her weight soared to 300 pounds. Having too good a confinement diet also poses a sweet burden. Xiulian¡¯s parental home was in Lin County, inessible by high-speed train or EMUs, so they could only take a shuttle bus for the nearly three-hour trip. Due to the heavy traffic during the holiday season, the family arrived just in time for lunch when they set out early in the morning. When Jiang Feng¡¯s family arrived, the meal was not yet ready. His uncles and aunts were sitting in the dining room, cracking sunflower seeds and chatting away, while a few of his cousins sat together glued to their phones, ignoring each other. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m back!¡± As soon as Wang Xiulian entered, she headed straight for the kitchen,pletely ignoring her two brothers and sisters-inw, with Jiankang following closely behind her. ¡°Hi Uncle, hi Second Uncle, and hello to both Aunties, happy New Year!¡± Jiang Feng greeted his uncles and aunts with a smile, conveniently ignoring his cousins as he walked into the kitchen. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with Xiulian¡¯s family, do they have a problem with us?¡± Second Aunt immediately sounded displeased. ¡°Didn¡¯t Feng just wish you a happy New Year?¡± Second Uncle nced at her as he continued to crack sunflower seeds, ¡°Jiankang hase all this way to cook for us; you should be grateful, not unhappy. You better not eat when the meal¡¯s ready.¡± Second Aunt fell silent. ¡°But in thest few years, Xiulian really has been indifferent to us. Well, it figures, she¡¯s making money now and looks down on us poor rtives.¡± Aunt Li Hong said. ¡°That¡¯s what we deserve, isn¡¯t it? We all know very well what we¡¯ve done,¡± said Uncle casually cracking seeds, as if he hadn¡¯t just included himself in the insult. Li Hong remained silent as well. Although she kept quiet, she was seething inside! If asked who she loathed the most in her life, it would undoubtedly be her sister-inw, Wang Xiulian. When she first married into the family, Xiulian was already working at the textile factory and never contributed her sry to the family expenses. Anything good to eat or drink at home was reserved for her, with Li Hong, the sister-inw, ying second fiddle. Even though Xiulian was as fat as a pig, she was fortunate enough to marry a chef from a state-run hotel. The wedding was spectacr, and the envy of everyone in the neighboring viges. Later, when the textile mill shut down and the state-run hotel closed its doors, turning the once prosperous couple into unemployed refugees asking to borrow money from her in return. Those years were her moment in the limelight, always cutting Xiulian and her husband down to size whenever she saw them, dropping by their house regrly to take whatever she could. Even her husband, usually biased towards his sister, began to listen to Li Hong¡¯s pillow talk, and the inws couldn¡¯t help even if they wanted to, silenced by Li Hong¡¯s influence. Her sister-inw had a sharp tongue but no brains. Without Xiulian to lord over them, Li Hong ruled the roost for a few years. But who could have foreseen, in just a few years, Xiulian would make a triumphanteback? The little rundown shop she opened somehow earned even more than before. She started to treat Li Hong indifferently, the mother-inw would take every chance to insult her, and even her own husband began to harbor some resentment towards her. Li Hong held resentments of her own; had she known Xiulian could make such aeback and eventually go to n City to open a shop and get rich, she would have tolerated her for a few more years. That way, she could have benefited for a few more years. Not like now, displeasing both sides. ¡°I feel like Feng looks a bit sturdier thanst year,¡± Second Uncle said to Uncle. ¡°Seems like he¡¯s gotten a bit bigger,¡± Uncle nodded in agreement. in the kitchen, Jiang Feng¡¯s grandmother was stir-frying while his grandfather was chopping vegetables. As soon as Jiankang entered, he took over the stir-frying, and Jiang Feng naturally assumed the job of chopping vegetables, letting the two elders rest. ¡°Big Sister, Second Sister, you really shouldn¡¯t be making the two of you cook. You both are over seventy!¡± Wang Xiulianined. ¡°Those two? They¡¯re beyond my control now. I can hardly even get my own son to listen to me; how could I daremand my daughters-inw? Your two brothers are spineless, they¡¯re real white-eyed wolves. I saw through them 20 years ago,¡± Grandma said with an annoyed tone. Wang Xiulian knew what her mother was referring to. Twenty years earlier, when she and Jiankang wanted to start a business, Jiang Feng¡¯s uncles were either just starting to work or still in school with no money. They gathered all their family savings to lend to them, which amounted to just 40,000 yuan, still 10,000 short of what was needed to open the store. She went back to her parental home to borrow money from her two brothers and their wives, who demanded a whopping fifty percent interest. Not only that, for the next two years, the two sisters-inw would regrlye to their house to eat and take, always seizing the opportunity to insult them. Later, the money was paid off, and so was the affection of many years. Her rtionship with her two brothers was now even less intimate than with other male cousins. Jiang Feng¡¯s maternal grandparents were getting on in years, and their movements were slow. It took them over an hour to cook just three dishes in the kitchen. After Jiang Jiankang took over, the pace naturally picked up, and lunch was ready in just over half an hour. Eight dishes and one soup, all simple and light homemade fare. There wasn¡¯t much to talk about at the dinner table. It was always Wang Xiulian who chatted with her own parents, that is, Jiang Feng¡¯s maternal grandparents. Every year Wang Xiulian would take Jiang Feng¡¯s grandparents to her home for two months. As for her few brothers, she only saw them once a year; with grudges in her heart, naturally, there wasn¡¯t much to say. Jiang Feng¡¯s two uncles were also quite the characters. When their sister spoke to them, they would respond with smiling faces, and when she didn¡¯t, they contentedly focused on their meal. If Jiang Feng¡¯s aunts openly or covertly took a jab at them, the two men would bluntly retort. Jiang Feng¡¯s two male cousins and one female cousin seemed to be fused with their mobile phones, barely lifting their eyes from the screens throughout the meal. ¡°Xiulian, your son-inw and Feng should stay a few more days this time. Your whole family has moved to n City, and we two old bones can¡¯t run around anymore,¡± the grandmother said with a smile. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. Jiankang and I will stay a few more days, and we¡¯ll let him do the cooking. You and Dad, just take it easy. But Feng can¡¯t stay, he¡¯s got apetition to attend in April, so he has to go back today. I¡¯ll let hime back to spend more time with you during the summer vacation,¡± Wang Xiulian said. ¡°Feng is doing well and can even take part inpetitions? Do well and bring back a good result to tell your grandma!¡± The grandmother didn¡¯t even ask what kind ofpetition it was and cheerfully encouraged. Throughout the meal, Jiang Feng¡¯s cousins did not utter a single word. After the meal, Wang Xiulian went to wash the dishes, while Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang, and Jiang Feng¡¯s two uncles, the four men sat side by side cracking sunflower seeds, an incredibly harmonious scene. ¡°Brother-inw, how¡¯s business this year? Is your shop still busy?¡± Aunt Li Hong started the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s alright; Feng has been helping us out so we don¡¯t get too tired,¡± Jiang Jiankang continued to crack sunflower seeds without pausing and grabbed a handful of peanuts, ¡°Big brother, are you still farming this year?¡¯ ¡°Not anymore, it¡¯s too exhausting,¡± said the elder uncle. To speak of it, Jiang Feng¡¯s elder uncle was quite a character. With little education and an inability to keep up with schooling, he quit just after two years of primary school. But he was a master at farming and raising pigs. With the same seeds and simrnd for crops, his harvest was always 10% higher than others. His vegetables tasted better than those of other households, and the pigs he raised were fatter and of better quality meat than others. If it were a video game, Jiang Feng¡¯s elder uncle would be the one who allocated all his leveling points to farming and raising pigs¡ªa talented individual in these areas. If this were a novel, then Jiang Feng¡¯s elder uncle would be the legendary one who had received the Shennong System, capable of selling a kilogram of cabbage for an astronomical price of 88 yuan. However, a couple of years ago, there was a surplus of spinach, and the six mu of spinach in his uncle¡¯s farm rotted in the fields. Forget 88 yuan per kilogram; no one would buy it for even eight cents. Moreover, what¡¯s the use of having a game system? Look at Jiang Feng; he was still being roughed up by the two old Sirs. By mid-afternoon, Jiang Feng had to head to the town to catch a shuttle bus back. Before his departure, his grandmother stuffed a bag of homemade dried sweet potatoes into his hands. Jiang Feng tried one; it tasted strongly of sweet potato, but it was quite tough on the teeth. He had only eaten one, and his cheeks were already sore from chewing. Carrying his grandmother¡¯s love, Jiang Feng returned home to face the full extent of love from the two old Sirs. On the shuttle bus, Jiang Feng sighed. At twenty years old, he felt so tired.. Chapter 116 - 115 Returning to School Chapter 116: Chapter 115 Returning to School Trantor: 549690339 In the following ten days or so, up until the start of school, Jiang Feng painstakingly yet joyfully honed his cooking skills under the supervision of the two elders. Jiang Weiming originally said he¡¯d return to Shu after the New Year, but because of Jiang Feng¡¯s momentary impulse, he no longer nned to go back. After the start of school, he would instead apany them to n City. After all, Jiang Jianguo¡¯s house had five bedrooms; one more elder wouldn¡¯t make it too crowded to live. And during these short ten-plus days, Jiang Feng¡¯s culinary skills had made qualitative improvements. Perhaps due to his improved knifework, seasoning, and fire control all reaching an advanced level, Jiang Feng seemed as if he had unlocked some hidden potential in a game, learning at more than twice his usual speed. He hadn¡¯t felt it before while stir-frying potatoes, but over these days, he palpably noticed the change, and even the elders saw it too. Jiang Weiguo was somewhat puzzled during this time, wondering if his grandson actually possessed outstanding culinary talent, and that he,cking discernment, had failed to recognize it, allowing Jiang Feng¡¯s skills to remain buried until now. On thest day, Jiang Feng made a Babao tofu dish that satisfied both elders. Jiang Weiming couldn¡¯t hold back and pulled Jiang Weiguo aside to whisper, ¡°Brother, you said Feng¡¯s talent was average, so how good must Jianguo¡¯s talent be?¡± Jiang Weiguo:¡±¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s alright¡­¡± Except for Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian, the other family members were sent away by the elders after the Lantern Festival, not leaving any room for them to freeload, which made Jiang Feng¡¯s unclesment repeatedly, only able topliment Jiankang on having a good son. sses would start the day after tomorrow, and after making thest Babao tofu dish, everyone in the family gave their critique, then began packing up to take a minibus back to Zet City. Before leaving, the elder urged Mrs. Jiang over and over again to ensure she kicked Erhua out more often for exercise, to which Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯t take seriously. ¡°Alright already, those pigs we¡¯ve raised since they were piglets do nothing but eat and fatten up every day, and I see Erhua already weighs over 400 pounds. Come Mid-Autumn, it¡¯ll probably exceed 500 pounds when we butcher it, and you¡¯re worried about it losing weight by moving around?¡± Mrs. Jiang said. ¡°Wuhua likes to move, I¡¯ll take good care of it, and in a few days, I¡¯ll look for some good piglets in town and buy another one to bring back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t raise too many, you can¡¯t take care of them all by yourself,¡± Jiang Weiguo advised. Seeing that everything was almost packed, he ordered, ¡°Jiankang, Jiankang! Where have you run off to again? Grab the luggage, let¡¯s go!¡± Once the hustle and bustle settled and they arrived in Zet City, they wouldn¡¯t return home since the high-speed train to n City was in the afternoon, and they would arrive by evening. So, they headed straight for the train station, with Jiang Jiankang busy making calls to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant¡¯s suppliers. He was a man who couldn¡¯t stay idle; he had to open the restaurant from today to tomorrow. No sooner had Jiang Feng boarded the high-speed train than he received a call from the organizers of the Good Taste Culinary Competition. Good Taste had set up fourpetition zones across the country and, as thepany¡¯s headquarters were in n City, the advertising there was the most aggressive. Subway stations, bus stops, train stations ¡ª basically, wherever there was high foot traffic, there were ads for the Good Taste Culinary Competition, nketing the city. Consequently, among the four national zones, the n City zone had the highest number of participants. Many who registered were not professional chefs but merely culinary enthusiasts who joined in the excitement topete. As a result, this zone¡¯spetition would start the earliest. Jiang Feng was scheduled topete on March 11th at 9 a.m., in the very first round. The selection process was interesting: the organizers provided the ingredients and specified a dish for 100 contestants at a time, with 100 general public judges. These judges consisted of 30 elderly people, 30 children, and 40 middle-aged people. Each person tried 10 dishes, choosing five that they felt were eptable and casting votes, with the top 50 advancing and the bottom 50 eliminated. Not only that, but the preliminaries followed the same format up until the top thirty-two were decided, all of which would have no professional judges and be live-streamed online. The live streaming was exclusively sponsored by Point Live, turning a culinarypetition into something resembling a talent show. Of course, all the seasoning products used in thepetition were exclusively provided by Good Taste Company. Starting from the top thirty-two, viewers could log into Good Taste¡¯s official WeChat ount to vote and support their favorite contestants daily. The contestant with the highest votes and support could win a year-long endorsement deal with Good Taste soy sauce. The entirepetition process was highlymercialized. Good Taste Company ced significant emphasis on this year¡¯spetition. If it caused a sensation and received a massive response, then it could follow the same format every year, creating huge profits from the ensuing unadvertised publicity. After discussing thepetition details with the family, the Jiangs splurged this time, with everyone buying business-ss seats. Upon hearing this, Wang Xiulian¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Son, make sure you¡¯re at your best for thepetition, dress sharp ¡ª the endorsement fee from such a bigpany like Good Taste must be substantial, right?¡± With Wang Xiulian mentioning this, Jiang Feng also realized it, as he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the endorsement initially; after all, it had seemed so far out of his reach. But if he really could be the contestant with the highest votes due to his handsome face, wouldn¡¯t that cover the renovation costs for Taifeng Building? The main mission could then start to be tackled! ¡°Exactly, our son might not have the best cooking skills, and it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯ll win the championship, but our son is good-looking, spirited!¡± Jiang Jiankang thought it was a good idea, ¡°When we get back, I¡¯ll pay for our son to get a stylish haircut, maybe something like that TV guy who sings and dances.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°You overthink things. Just go home, wash your face with facial cleanser, p on a face mask, and you¡¯re done, no need for a 998 hairstyle. Do you even have the money for that, a 998 hairstyle?¡± Wang Xiulian scolded, then turned to Jiang Feng, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to your dad¡¯s nonsense, son. When we get back, just wash your face with my cleanser and use the hydrating face mask I got from the beauty salon.¡± Jiang Feng:¡±¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Jiang Jianguo had arrived early at the train station to pick up the two gentlemen, while Jiang Jiankang and his wife had to go back to the restaurant to tidy things up. Jiang Feng also had to clean up his dormitory first, so the group split up to attend to their own tasks. After a winter break without residents, the dormitory had umted a lot of dust. Wang Hao, although a local from n City, was unwilling to shoulder the task of cleaning the dorm by himself, so he had to wait for Jiang Feng to return. It took them nearly an hour to tidy up the dormitory, make the beds, and go to the cafeteria to eat. Wang Hao, facing a te of braised pork ribs and sweet and sour pork loin, couldn¡¯t hide his frown andined, ¡°Feng, your family has a restaurant on the food street, yet here we are, relegated to eating in the cafeteria. How does that make sense?¡± After tasting Sir¡¯s cooking, Wang Hao could not stand the cafeteria food anymore. He had not eaten at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant for the entire winter vacation, and despite indulging invish meals over the holiday, he managed to lose weight. ¡°The restaurant reopens tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng said. Because school wasn¡¯t starting until the day after tomorrow, the cafeteria wasn¡¯t very crowded. There were a few people in the same uniforms going from table to table with what appeared to be flyers or surveys. Jiang Feng found it odd and asked, ¡°What are they handing out there?¡± Wang Hao looked up, ¡°Those are the staff from the Good Taste Culinary Contest. Looks like they¡¯re organizing a public jury thing, where you taste dishes. They pay pretty well too, a hundred bucks a day. A couple of days ago when I was out shopping with my grandparents, some people handed them flyers.¡± ¡°Oh? Did your grandparents agree?¡± ¡°Of course, they did. They¡¯re at home with nothing to do every day. Just tasting a few dishes and casting a few votes. Grandma loves a good crowd; she would go even if they didn¡¯t pay her. Feng, why don¡¯t you join in the fun too?¡± Wang Hao said disdainfully, yet he ate his braised pork ribs with more gusto than anyone else. ¡°I¡¯ve already signed up topete, the preliminary round is at nine in the morning on the 11th,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Feng, you¡¯re awesome!¡± Wang Hao gave an unreasonably enthusiasticpliment, ¡°If you manage to win the national championship, you¡¯ve got a schrship secured for this year!¡± Jiang Feng: ? Seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s puzzled face, Wang Hao exined, ¡°You forgot, if someone from our college wins a nationalpetition, they add five points to ourprehensive evaluation score!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ This move. ¡°¡®Our college¡¯ probably refers to officialpetitions though, doesn¡¯t it? This culinary contest seems to be privately organized,¡± Jiang Feng realized. ¡°Private contests should count too, it¡¯s still a nationalpetition after all. Such arge-scale event would definitely earn you some points from the college; even if not five points, they¡¯d throw you a bone with two or three just to show some goodwill,¡± Wang Hao said. Jiang Feng: That doesn¡¯t seem wrong. But why does it feel so strange¡­ Chapter 117 - 116: Pre-match Routine Chapter 117: Chapter 116: Pre-match Routine Trantor: 549690339 The next day, which was the first day of the new term for Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Jiang Feng almost died of sudden exhaustion in the back kitchen. Even though the new term hadn¡¯t officially started, business at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was surprisingly booming. It wasn¡¯t just during meal times, from morning to night, each and every moment, the restaurant was filled with eager customers as if no one had indulged in feasts during the Chinese New Year at home but had starved for a whole month instead. In the restaurant there were only Wang Hao and Liu Zixuan, the rest hadn¡¯t returned to school yet, and it was impossibly hectic. Jiang Feng turned off the WeChat delivery service, and those UAL University students, who originally wanted to stay at home, made journeys to the restaurant to pick up their orders. Later, the waiting students really couldn¡¯t stand just watching, and started helping out voluntarily, cleaning tables and collecting dishes, offering themselves a self-service dining experience. For Jiang Feng, the exhaustion from that single day surpassed that of the previous ten days learning to cook. Jiang Jiankang was also wiped out, dinner was made casually, just cobbled together enough to be edible. The two elderly men were dragged out by Jiang Jianshe for clothes shopping since the weather would soon warm up and it was time to buy some new spring outfits. ¡°Feng, I didn¡¯t realize how delicious your dad¡¯s tofu wasst semester, but today I suddenly discovered that your dad¡¯s tofu is really great!¡± Wang Hao, with tears in his eyes, ate as if this meal was his New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I also think today¡¯s tofu is exceptionally tasty!¡± Liu Zixuan echoed, ¡°This eight-treasure tofu is even better than what I had on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± ¡°Your mom knows how to make this?¡± Wang Hao was amazed. ¡°No, my mom can¡¯t cook, we ate at a hotel for New Year¡¯s Eve,¡± Liu Zixuan said, ¡°But no offense, the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner at Yipin House was so perfunctory. It didn¡¯t taste as good as before.¡± ¡°I cooked this tofu, not my dad,¡± Jiang Feng said leisurely. Wang Hao was instantly shocked and after a pause, he didn¡¯t forget to pick up some braised pork, saying, ¡°Feng, your culinary skills have undergone a transformation!¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a different person!¡± Liu Zixuan eximed. Although they wereplimenting him, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t feel happy, ¡°Was my cooking really that bad before?¡± ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t bad tasting, but it wasn¡¯t exceptionally delicious either, just a bit better than the cafeteria,¡± Liu Zixuan was extremely honest, ¡°Feng, your main thing is that your dishes look good. Plus, the rib rice dish smelled great, and it was really impressive when posting it on friends¡¯ circles.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ But Liu Zixuan was right, Jiang Feng was indeed the one in the Jiang Family who liked to te his dishes the most. During his freshman year, even when he cooked tomato and egg noodles in the dormitory, he made sure to arrange them beautifully to create an appealing design between the tomato and the egg- ¡°You know, Feng, something¡¯s not right,¡± Wang Hao suddenly put on a thoughtful expression, even miming scratching his chin, ¡°I still feel like you¡¯re like a character with a protagonist¡¯s temte from a novel.¡± ¡°Look, facing a family crisis, owing a huge debt, suddenly bing a top student, excelling academically, taking a trip back home, culinary skills improving, about topete, and then instantly win the championship. You¡¯re just short of a grandpa in a ring or a system falling from the sky, and a few reclusive masters passing on their skills to you. Then you¡¯d have luxury cars and beauties throwing themselves at you, corporate families at your disposal, hidden sects encountering troubles, a global shift with the revival of spiritual energy, and an earth crisis with an alien invasion¡­¡± Wang Hao¡¯s first few sentences made Jiang Feng feel a bit sheepish, but the more he listened to thetter part, the stranger it sounded. It seemed like he had blended all the novels he had read together. ¡°Alright, alright, Mr. Hao, stop rambling. Why don¡¯t you also say Feng was bitten by a spider and got superpowers, met with Lighting Hero and Captain China, and then defended the world from an alien invasion with theirbined forces,¡± Liu Zixuan also began to talk nonsense. ¡°Why the Lighting Hero and not a Maoshan Taoist priest?¡± Jiang Jiankang, now cleaning the table, suddenly asked. Jiang Feng:¡­ Dad, be normal, I¡¯m scared. However, Wang Hao hadn¡¯t mentioned the system from the sky, which was fine, but once he did, Jiang Feng remembered that damn game of his, with poor inte connection, unreachable customer service, and minor issues like game glitches. Recently, he had finally managed to update the progress bar to 60%, but for some bizarre reason, the next day he saw it had dropped back down to 20%. What,work connection failed, please update again? Then the game continued the update from 20%, slower than before, and even a bit capricious, making it impossible for Jiang Feng to find any pattern. Sometimes it rose by 6% in one day, sometimes by 0.3%, and now it had barely crested over 70%; inte speed in the global vige was frustratingly unstable. Today, with more customers in the restaurant, there was more garbage and cleaning up was even more troublesome. Wang Hao and Liu Zixuan stayed to help clean up, and the group kept busy until ten o¡¯clock before they were all utterly exhausted and returned to their dorms to rest. Jiang Feng still had to attend sses the first two days before school started because, after all, he had to go through the motions. Although, as of now, his name in the Physics Department was already universally known. Last semester, Professor Li made the Signal and System final exam excruciatingly difficult, and the grades turned out to be ruthlessly poor with a fail rate as high as 40%. Jiang Feng, because of his game cheats and being ustomed to the difficulty, identally scored in the nies, with the second-highest score merely 82. It certainly made a ssh and scared him enough to consider being more low-key this year, making sure to leave at least two major questions nk on every test, ensuring he¡¯d never score above 80. In the following few days, Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was extraordinarily busy, though it was more manageable with the help of Wu Minqi in the kitchen. Poor Ji Yue, the only one paid as a part-time jack-of-all-trades, was so exhausted each day that she didn¡¯t even feel like drawing anymore, posting ¡°Gugu gugu¡± in her friends circle everyday. By the way, Mrs. Wang Xiulian finally had a stroke of conscience and gave Ji Yue a raise, no longer exploiting student workers for cheapbor at 1500 a month, but increasing it to 2000 a month. With an extra 500 a month, Ji Yue could draw a few fewer illustrations and procrastinate a bit more. This bustling trend continued until the 9th, when the students who hadn¡¯t eaten at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant over the winter break finally regained their senses, recognized the constraints of their wallets, and returned to the cafeteria. Strangely enough, it was also from the 9th that Liu Qian stoppeding to the restaurant for meals.. Chapter 118 - 117: The Competition Begins Chapter 118: Chapter 117: The Competition Begins Trantor: 549690339 On the first day Liu Qian didn¡¯te for dinner, Mrs. Wang Xiulian missed her. On the second day Liu Qian didn¡¯te for dinner, Mr. Jiang Jiankang missed her. On the third day Liu Qian didn¡¯te for dinner,rade Jiang Feng- No, that¡¯s not right, the third day was the nth, and Jiang Feng had to get ready for thepetition. Besides, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t miss Liu Qian. Liu Qian and Wu Minqi had both brought pickles from home when they returned to school. Wu Minqi had brought arge jar, pickled by her grandfather, rivaling the pickles made by Jiang Weiming in vor and distinctiveness. Liu Qian brought a small jar, filled with tender ginger, carrots, cowpeas, and so on. No one knew what it tasted like because she couldn¡¯t resist snacking on it while waiting for the food. ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡± By the time Jiang Feng came out carrying the dish, the fate of that jar of pickles was just like the crispy meat her mother had fried over New Year; only a shallowyer of pickle juice remained. At that moment, Liu Qian watched Jiang Feng¡¯s expression of panic and it was exactly the same as when she heard her mother asking for the crispy meat during the live broadcast. By the way, even though Liu Qian didn¡¯t make it onto the Weibo hot search list on the first day of the New Year, her memes did go viral. Even the ss group chat Jing Feng was in used Liu Qian¡¯s memes for emoji battles. Aside from Wang Hao, only Wu Minqi and Ji Yue knew about Jiang Feng talcing part in the Good Taste Cooking Competition. Ji Yue was so swamped with work from lying around like a salted fish during the New Year vacation that she was practically going bald. Wang Hao had sses, and Wu Minqi was preparing for the auditions the day after tomorrow, whereas Jiang Feng¡¯s parents had decided to close their shop for a day to support their son¡¯s participation in thepetition. The couple went to indulge themselves at Imperial Meal Tavern. Good Taste Company had secured arge plot ofnd on the outskirts for the preliminary selection site, which wasn¡¯t essible by metro. With a heavy heart, Jiang Feng set off alone, carrying an empty backpack, his pockets containing nothing but his ID card and phone. He embarked early in the morning and after a series of transfers from the metro to the bus, bus to another bus, and bus to a shared bicycle, and after more than an hour of travel, he finally arrived at the venue as informed by the organizers. From afar, Jiang Feng could see the very prominent banner of the Good Taste Cooking Competition. The location was in the suburbs, surrounded by fields; a few more kilometers aheady the authentic countryside. For these preliminaries, the organizers had indeed put much thought into securing such a vast outdoor venue for a hundred participants per session. Despite its remote location, the ce was bustling with activity, crowded enough to justify the description of ¡°a sea of people.¡± There were not only contestants but also friends and rtives who hade to cheer them on, plus a hundred public judges and dozens of staff members¡ªamounting to several hundred people in total. The crowd buzzed, and the noise was deafening. ¡°Contestants, please enter through the entrance on the right. Families, please don¡¯te this way anymore. Contestants, head to the entrance on the right and show your ID!¡± a few staff members, almost hoarse from shouting into megaphones, announced exhaustively within the crowd. Following the staff¡¯s instructions, Jiang Feng found the entrance on the right to enter the venue. There were noplex checks; one simply had to show the ID to the staff for aputer-verified match, after which they would receive a randomly assigned contestant number and were ready to prepare for thepetition. Jiang Feng¡¯s contestant number was 13, quite an early number. Thepetition area was vast, with ten cooking stations to a row and ten rows in total, forming a very standard square. There was also substantial space between each station; Jiang Feng estimated that with such spacing, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to inadvertently affect others unless it was done on purpose. The cooking station wasn¡¯trge, but it was spotless. Althoughpact, it had all necessary equipment, and the variety of kitchen tools was quiteplete. There was just one stove, and the entire range of Good Taste seasoning products was neatly arranged on the counter¡ªJiang Feng even felt that the oil in the oil pot was shimmering. The ingredients wereid out on tes: two tomatoes, two eggs, a handful of scallions, a clove of garlic, and a piece of tender ginger. Jiang Feng also stole nces at other cooking stations, finding the quality of the tomatoes consistently high; at a nce, they seemed nearly identical in size. In this scene, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but think of Han Guishan¡¯s ever-diligent assistant who exhausted himself in service. Jiang Feng wondered how much Good Taste Company must be paying on average to inspire such wholehearted dedication from their staff. Apart from the contestants and staff within thepetition venue, some local livestreamers from a certain tform were also present, with four carrying selfie sticks. Each was dolled up nicely, walking around the area. With more than twenty minutes before thepetition was to begin and many contestants still not present, Jiang Feng wondered why the livestreaming tform didn¡¯t choose a more auspicious number than four. In the midst of thinking about their peculiar choice, he saw Liu Qian crawling out from under a cooking station in the first row. Jiang Feng:¡­ All right, he knew where she had been these past few days. It was just that her method of making an appearance was a bit unique. ¡°Okay, I believe everyone has had a good look at the structure under the cooking station just now. Now let¡¯s take the opportunity, before thepetition starts, to fulfill our advertising duties. As usual, let¡¯s give a demonstration of the seasoning products provided by Good Taste!¡± Liu Qian, rarely holding a selfie stick, had applied light makeup. However, while thepetition¡¯s cooking stations were clean, the floor wasn¡¯t. It was unclear how long Liu Qian had been under a cooking station, but her pants and shirt were covered in dust, and her hair was somewhat disheveled. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the oil. This is specially provided by Good Taste Company: extra-virgin olive oil from olives grown in Andalusia, Spain. As everyone knows, Andalusia is synonymous with the top-grade extra-virgin olive oil. Good Taste Company¡¯s extra-virgin olive oil contains a high amount of unsaturated fatty acids, a rich variety of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, F, and carotenoids, as well as antioxidants, and it¡¯s cholesterol-free with a very high human digestive absorption rate. It¡¯s suitable for all ages¡ª nutritious, healthy, and delicious,¡± Liu Qian advertised with a sincere face. Jiang Feng could no longer bear to listen and casually remarked from behind her, ¡°That¡¯s rapeseed oil.¡± Olive oil is generally used for frying, grilling, or as a dressing for cold dishes, and it¡¯s not typically used for stir-frying. Liu Qian was making up stories in front of the camera, and a single search on the inte by her audience members would reveal her fabrications. ¡°Ah, rapeseed oil, you¡­¡± Liu Qian turned around, stunned, and then her expression changed to delight, ¡°Wow, Club President, you signed up for thepetition too! Minqi has also signed up; her turn is the day after tomorrow at four in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. Are you live streaming here?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Mhm, I have to live stream from here these days. A thousand a day, but the food they serve is a bit hard to swallow¡ªtoo greasy in the boxed meals,¡± Liu Qian said. If Liu Qian said it was bad, then it must be pretty bad. ¡°By the way, Club President, I¡¯ll let you in on a secret: today¡¯spetition is about making scrambled eggs with tomatoes!¡± Liu Qian said. Jiang Feng:¡­ He felt that probably everyone here had already figured that out¡­ *AU politically rtedments will be permanently banned ?? *Please upload only your original character fan art, don¡¯t infringe on others¡¯ rights. Thanks! Chapter 119 - 118: Tomato Scrambled Eggs Chapter 119: Chapter 118: Tomato Scrambled Eggs Trantor: 549690339????????? ¡ã¡ã Tomato scrambled eggs is a dish almost every person in China has eaten and every cook has made, a dish well-known in every household. Tomatoes originated in South America and are considered true exotics. Initially grown as ornamental nts due to their vibrant colors, they were dubbed ¡°the fruit of the fox,¡± making people wary of them. Thanks to the unnamed brave soul who first dared to eat ¡°the fruit of the fox,¡± we were spared a dull world in the juice and sauce industry without tomatoes. From a nutritional science perspective, tomatoes be significantly richer in lycopene and other antioxidants when cooked, reducing the risk of heart disease andbating aging. From a chef¡¯s perspective, tomatoes are plump and juicy, cool in nature with a pleasantly sour and slightly sweet taste, impable in vor, and visually striking, making them perfect for ting and coloring. A good cook can make a te of tomato scrambled eggs that¡¯s exquisite in color, aroma, and taste. An inexperienced cook, as long as they don¡¯t burn it or recklessly add spices, can still make decent tomato scrambled eggs, even without adding salt. Of course, if you happen to encounter the few who dislike tomatoes or absolutely detest eggs, that¡¯s a different story. The organizers of Good Taste chose tomato scrambled eggs as the preliminaries theme, which was very considerate and catered to the toomon judges. If they had chosen a slightly more difficult dish and happened to attract contestants who can¡¯t really cook but registered just for fun, the judges who won the chance to taste would have had a hard time. At 9 o¡¯clock sharp, thepetition officially started. Not all of the 100 contestants showed up, with more than a dozen no-shows. There was plenty of time for thepetition, a full hour, enough even to carve the tomatoes into flowers if one wished to. There are myriad ways to make tomato scrambled eggs, some add sugar, some skip the salt, some throw in green onions, others add minced ginger and garlic; each has their own method and taste preference. Jiang Feng, having gotten used to cooking at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, normally didn¡¯t add minced scallions, ginger, or garlic in his dishes, and rarely used ingredients like celery or coriander because too many students avoided those. Wash the tomatoes and chop them up, beat the eggs- the secret to tomato scrambled eggs is tender tomatoes, soft eggs, and plenty of sauce. As for the ratio of ingredients and seasonings, it¡¯s entirely up to the cook¡¯s preference and taste. Take Jiankang, for instance, he serves customers with two tomatoes for one egg, but when eating alone, he uses one tomato for two eggs. The tomatoes provided by the organizers wererge and attractive butcked scent; frankly, they didn¡¯ t taste much like tomatoes at all. Jiang Feng chopped both tomatoes, tasted a small piece of each, and found that, in keeping with most market-avable, easy-to-store, big and visually appealing tomatoes, their aroma and vor fell far below the passable standard for tomatoes. Choosing the juicier parts for a dish, he decided to let the eggspensate for the tomatoes¡¯ck of quality. He heated up the pan, poured in cold oil, waited about fifteen seconds for the oil to reach the right temperature, then poured in the beaten eggs, gently pushing them around with a spat. Once the eggs set, he quickly scooped them out into a bowl. Then he tossed the tomatoes into the pan over high heat until they released their juices, then turned down the heat, added salt and sugar, and finally stirred the eggs back in. Because the tomatoes themselves were subpar, Jiang Fengpensated by adding more sugar to enhance the vor. Although it¡¯s okay for the tomatoes to be nd in a mixed vegetarian and meat dish, the eggs had to be vorful, tender, and evenly coated with sauce. To evenly coat them with sauce, the chef¡¯s spoon-flipping skills are critical. This winter break, Jiang Feng practiced his cooking day and night, using the flipping technique for almost every dish. Except for the challenging grand flip of the Shandong cuisine, he had mastered the small flip, assisting flip, suspended flip, shaking flip, turning flip, and hand flip-coating eggs with sauce was a piece of cake for him. When the tomato scrambled eggs were ready to serve, the tomatoes were red, the eggs yellow, and the sauce a light color. Jiang Feng used chopsticks to nudge the egg pieces in the center of the te before slowly spreading them out. He then arranged the tomatoes neatly around the edge and on top of the eggs, creating an artistic design that looked like a colorful bud ready to bloom from afar. The pieces of egg in the dish were tender, evenly zed with a light red sauce. In his heart, Jiang Feng awarded his tomato scrambled eggs with nine points, leaving one point for modesty. Jiang Feng raised his hand to signal the staff that he had finished. While most people would casually scramble the eggs with the tomatoes for just three to five minutes, Jiang Feng spent more time cooking them than others, plus an additional five or six minutes for ting. By the time he finished, most of the contestants had alreadypleted their dishes. The dishes were uniformly stored in warming boxes, shuffled randomly, each with a numberedbel on the bottom, to be served at random to themon judgester. The girl behind Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t finished yet. He looked back and saw a clearly burned te of tomato scrambled eggs on her cooking table. It seemed she was too nervous and had used too little oil with too much heat, resulting in a burnt dish. Fortunately, she had only used one tomato and one egg, giving her a second chance to cook another batch. If the ingredients were all used up, the organizers would not provide more. True enough, the girl behind Jiang Feng was thest to finish in the end. The contestants couldn¡¯t leave the site yet. They had to wait for the staff to randomly group the dishes, for themon judges to taste and vote, after which the staff would announce directly who advanced to the next round. It didn¡¯t take long, only about five or six minutes, for the too public judges to sample the dishes-ten tastings in total. None of them were professional food critics, so their opinions were straightforward and to the point. A staff member handed a card to Jiang Feng and said, ¡°Congrattions to contestant number 13, Jiang Feng, on advancing to the next round. You¡¯ve received ten votes. Here¡¯s your entry card for the nextpetition. If it gets lost, please call to notify the organizers as soon as possible. We will inform you of the specificpetition dateter.¡± Jiang Feng took the card and examined it. He hadn¡¯t expected thepetition to be so serious, with such fancy things as entry cards. The card only had ¡®Good Taste Culinary Competition¡¯ printed on it along with a logo and didn¡¯t have a number, resembling a meal card. Just as Jiang Feng put the card in his pocket, he heard a cheer from a girl behind him. ¡°Ah, I advanced!¡± The girl, who seemed quite demure and had delicate features, reacted with surprising vigor, even jumping in excitement. Realizing that she had drawn attention to herself with her overexcitement, the girl quickly lowered her head, clutched the entry card tightly in her right hand, and hurried away. Jiang Feng checked the time. It was not even 10 a.m. yet. Going back to UAL University now would be perfect timing for lunch, and he might even beat the crowd if he left before everyone else. Perhaps he could even snag the shared bike he had ridden there. Luckily, Jiang Feng was quick. He wondered who else would ride shared bikes way out here in the wilderness. There had been a long line of them when he arrived, but only a few remained now. Riding the bike to the bus station, Jiang Feng saw the girl who had been behind him during thepetition. The girl saw Jiang Feng too and offered a polite smile. The bus arrived, and they got on together, got off together, then boarded the same subsequent bus and took the same subway ride. On the subway, the two exchanged silent nces. What a coincidence, fellow student¡ªyou also attend UAL University?¡± Jiang Feng said, feeling the answer was already apparent. Yes, it¡¯s such a surprise!¡± The girl seemed quite happy to have met a fellow student. ¡°Hello senior, I¡¯m a freshman in the Foreign Languages Department. My name is An Ling.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Feng, a junior in the Physics Department,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Jiang Feng, did you advance?¡± An Ling asked. Jiang Feng nodded. That s great! If we¡¯re in the same preliminary round, we can go together,¡± said An Ling, delighted. ¡°Jiang Feng, I know of a restaurant on the university¡¯s food street that¡¯s really good. Shall we go there for lunchter?¡± Oh, I heard that restaurant is owned by someone from the Physics Department. Members of the Chess Club even get a 10% discount. I signed up for the Chess Clubst semester but got cut,¡± An Ling continued. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Sure, that restaurant is indeed delicious,¡± Jiang Feng replied, thickening his skin and smiling in response. *Dmg ding, your reserved cannon fodder at Half-Moon Tower has been delivered. Please sign to ept. ¡°¡öNovels, you know-each to their own taste. No need for quarrels over preferences. Besides, my mom is still into those overbearing CEO romances with pregnancy plot twists or themes like ¡®abandoned a decade ago, now I¡¯m back for revenge¡¯ in that old-school style of romance novels t_t Not only is she into them, but she also has me recharge her ount on some weird apps to read thenK (~v¡ª¡°) r *1 feel like my brain¡¯s been stuck since the New Year. I¡¯ve got the following scenes all nned out, but just can¡¯t seem to get a few thousand transition words out for the life of me(¡®g)UHg) ¡® ) Chapter 120 - 219: He Really Can Drink Chapter 120: Chapter 219: He Really Can Drink Trantor: 549690339 An Ling led Jiang Feng to the entrance of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. The door was not closed, but the signboard read: ¡°The owner is out for personal matters at noon and will not be open for business.¡± The characters were crooked and skewed, clearly handwritten by Mr. Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s closed,¡± An Ling said with a hint of disappointment, turning to Jiang Feng, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Senior Jiang Feng, this restaurant is closed. If we meet again in the nextpetition, I¡¯ll bring you here to eat.¡± ¡°What did you want to eat?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Spicy pork stir-fry!¡± An Ling replied, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Senior Jiang Feng, their stir-fried pork is really delicious! All the meat dishes here are amazing. Last semester, when our dorm came here for a meal, their sweet and sour pork fillet and Kung Pao chicken were the best I¡¯ve ever had!¡± ¡°Do you like sweets?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°Not really, I like both sweet and spicy, as long as the dish isn¡¯t too salty,¡± An Ling thought for a moment before adding, ¡°I like all kinds of meat, actually. Never mind, Senior Jiang Feng, let¡¯s go to the Northeast dumpling restaurant up ahead. Their mushroom and chicken stuffed dumplings are also not bad.¡± Had An Ling desired arge dish or something that was Jiang Jiankang¡¯s specialty like Kung Pao chicken, Jiang Feng probably would have been helpless. But spicy pork stir-fry was manageable. The door was unlocked, and Jiang Feng could see Ji Yue at the counter working on a tablet to meet a deadline. He pushed the door and walked in. ¡°It¡¯s okay,e on in, this is my family¡¯s restaurant,¡± Jiang Feng said. An Ling was shocked. ¡°Oh, Jiang Feng, you¡¯re back! How was thepetition?¡± Ji Yue greeted him, and upon seeing An Ling at the door, she told her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ssmate, the owner is out today, and we are not open at noon. You cane back in the evening.¡± ¡°She was sitting behind me in today¡¯spetition and is also from our school. She just wants a te of spicy pork stir-fry, which I can cook,¡± Jiang Feng said. An Ling stepped inside, her face still in disbelief, thinking she had somehow made the ridiculous mistake of leading Jiang Feng to his own family restaurant. Feeling somewhat embarrassed and with a flushed face, she said to Ji Yue, ¡°Hello, senior, my name is An Ling, a freshman from the foreignnguages department.¡± ¡°Hello there, my name is Ji Yue, and I¡¯m from the fine arts department,¡± dered Ji Yue, who was already a graduated and somewhat past-her-prime senior. ¡°Oh, right, Jiang Feng.¡± Ji Yue stopped Jiang Feng as he was about to head to the kitchen, ¡°Your grandfather came by at around eight and asked me to tell you to make 10 tes of¡­ something for Sweet and Sour Yam using some kind of, you know, sugar oil or something. Ah, what¡¯s that oil thing called?¡± ¡°Bottom sediment sugar oil?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s the one,¡± affirmed Ji Yue. ¡°Hmm, your grandfather said to take a picture and record a video for each te you finish and send it to him on WeChat. Oh, and I want Eight Treasure Tofu.¡± As a seasoned tofu lover who had be addicted to Eight Treasure Tofu ever since discovering that Jiang Feng had learned to make it during the winter break, Ji Yue had been indulging in it for seven straight days. Although Jiang Jiankang and his wife were dining at the Imperial Meal Room, they had prepared everything that needed washing and prepping before leaving. An Ling wanted spicy pork stir-fry, Ji Yue wanted Eight Treasure Tofu, and he decided to make another dish, minced pork with eggnt. The rice could be cooked now, and everything would be ready in half an hour. Jiang Feng went out to inform An Ling, who had no objections, her eyes ceaselessly ncing towards the liquor cab. Jiang Feng was already busy in the kitchen. The menu didn¡¯t list prices for drinks, so An Ling estimated her New Year¡¯s money and living expenses before asking, ¡°Excuse me, Senior Ji Yue, how much for a bottle of that 53-degree Erguotou on the counter?¡± Ji Yue looked up, somewhat surprised. She wouldn¡¯t have pegged An Ling, who seemed meek and demure, as someone who enjoyed drinking strong liquor, and replied, ¡°Ten yuan a cup.¡± You see, in restaurants, alcohol is always marked up heavily. However, because it was located near a school, white liquor didn¡¯t sell much, and the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant usually sold it by the cup. As n City was in the south, the male studentsing in for meals would be nearly down for the count after just one cup of Erguotou. ¡°And for a bottle?¡± An Ling asked. Ji Yue was even more astonished and reminded her, ¡°A bottle is one jin.¡± ¡°I know,¡± An Ling said. Ji Yue had never sold it by the bottle before, so she made a call to Wang Xiulian and then told An Ling the price, ¡°98.¡± So expensive! An Ling eximed inwardly. Her family was in the brewing business, and almost all the households in her area made a living from brewing. She grew up drinking high-proof spirits, and to use her brother¡¯s words, she was practically raised in a vat of liquor. The supermarkets around her school sold baijiu, including bottled Erguotou, but not only was it expensive, the quality was extremely poor. If it wasn¡¯t for the New Year money she had received, she¡¯d never be willing to spend 98 yuan on a bottle of liquor; back home, a jin of bulk baijiu cost just over ten yuan. An Ling paid the money, and Ji Yue opened the bottle and gave her a cup, not forgetting to caution her, ¡°This is 53-degree Erguotou, so take it easy.¡± Although Wang Xiulian was quite ruthless in pricing, she was conscientious when it came to selecting liquor; the beer and baijiu the shop sold had all been tasted by her and found to be eptable, with none of the vors being bad. An Ling poured herself arge half-cup and began to drink slowly. There were many distilleries in her area and thepetition was fierce; those that had survived up to now all produced liquor of excellent quality. The bottle in front of her was better than most of the Erguotou on the market, but it was nothingpared to the liquor from her home distilleries. For some reason, An Ling found this particr bottle exceptionally delightful to drink. Possibly because of the 98-yuan price tag empowering it. By the time Jiang Feng called Ji Yue into the kitchen to help serve dishes and rice, An Ling had drunk more than half the bottle. No flushed face, no dizzy head, eyes clear, and her speech was articte; she could even walk in a straight line. An Ling took the te of dishes and the bowl of rice, trying a bite of meat first. Tender, full-vored, and very spicy. ¡°Ji Yue, can you open another bottle for me?¡± An Ling excitedly said. She was genuinely happy today. She had signed up on a whim to participate in the preliminary round, even burned the dish she was cooking, but unexpectedly still advanced to the next stage. She had nned to buy a dozen or so beers to drink slowly back at the dorm that night, but on a whim, she had wanted to drink white liquor instead. Since she had started drinking, she wanted to drink to her heart¡¯s content. ¡°She drank that whole half bottle just now?¡± Jiang Feng was astonished. ¡°Seems¡­seems like it.¡± Ji Yue was seeing such a heavy-drinking girl for the first time. Drinking half a jin of baijiu was nothing special, but An Ling had done so and still seemedpletely fine, her capacity for alcohol was simply terrifying. With just one te of spicy stir-fried pork and a bowl of rice, An Ling had downed two jin of baijiu. An Ling stood up, and Jiang Feng and Ji Yue watched her nervously, fearing she would copse in the next second. The situation they were worried about did not ur; An Ling left as she hade, with only a slight flush on her cheeks, after paying for the meal. Jiang Feng and Ji Yue exchanged nces and eximed in unison, ¡°She sure can drink!¡± Chapter 121 - 120: Oil Bottom Sinking Sugar (Extra for the deceased Alliance Hierarch Zhai) Chapter 121: Chapter 120: Oil Bottom Sinking Sugar (Extra for the deceased Alliance Hierarch Zhai) Trantor: 549690339 After having lunch, Ji Yue continued to rush her draft, while Jiang Feng went upstairs for a nap. By the time Jiang Feng woke up and came downstairs, Ji Yue was still on deadline. Art students, can¡¯t mess with them. Heading to the kitchen, Jiang Feng found the yams that Mrs. Wang Xiulian had bought that morning, washed, peeled, and cut them into chunks ¨C enough to make ten tes¡¯ worth ¨C and then dug out some loose granted sugar from the pantry, getting the prep work done. Shandong Chefs¡¯ signature technique is sediments of sugar at the bottom of the oil. They fry the main ingredients on top while caramelizing the sugar below. The ingredients are fried and candied at the same time, requiring great skill in fire control from the chef. Previously, Jiang Huiqin¡¯s method of making Sweet and Sour Yam involved using two pots simultaneously, which interestingly shared simrities with the technique of sugar sediments in oil. After learning about thetter, Jiang Feng once suspected that Jiang Huiqin resorted to using two pots because she didn¡¯t master the other technique. As the reigning champion of candied dishes, Sweet and Sour Yam was legendary, with ims that could fit all sorts. The most reliable was found in ¡°Summary of Vegetarian Dishes¡±: peel the yams, cut into angr chunks, fry in oil, then add rock sugar dissolved in water and bring to a boil to create long threads. But if the sugar is pan-fried, no threads will form. Chefs in the capital favor this dish. When eaten hot, the sugar threads could stretch over ten feet ¨C more than three meters. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t imagine what sort of Sweet and Sour Yam could produce strands over three meters long; his own attempts could only reach twenty centimeters at most. And using the sugar sediments method often resulted in failures. With his current level in fire control, mastering the sugar sediments technique was too difficult. Both Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming knew how to do it: Jiang Weiguo developed his method based on childhood memories and his own exploration¡ªunorthodox, while Jiang Weiming was taught hand-in-hand by Jiang Chengde himself, authentic Jiang Family Dishes technique. Jiang Feng was taught by Jiang Weiming, and this could be considered the most high-end technique he had learned so far. The problem was that he was lousy at it, often botching the job; out of ten tes of Sweet and Sour Yam, it was considered a sess if threads formed on two tes. Jiang Feng recalled all of the advice from Jiang Weiming before starting the process: lighting the fire, pouring the oil, adding sugar, and frying the yams. After a series of haphazard operations, four tes were sessfully candied with threads. One of them was an exceptional performance, with evenly coated sugar and delicate threads. As instructed by Sir, Jiang Feng took photos and videos of each te, with the most sessful one being recorded in a two-minute video. He used chopsticks to pick up a piece to showcase the candying. Jiang Feng ced the other nine tes of finished Sweet and Sour Yam in the delivery box, carrying the most sessful te out for Ji Yue to try. Ji Yue was still in the same spot, rushing her draft. Jiang Feng suspected she hadn¡¯t moved for hours. He tapped her shoulder and said, ¡°Try the Sweet and Sour Yam, remember to dip it in water.¡± ¡°Ah? Oh.¡± Ji Yue looked dazed, as if waking from a long dream. She numbly picked up a piece of the yam with the chopsticks and put it in her mouth ¨C and the next second, she jumped up. ¡°Holy shit, it¡¯s burning me.¡± Ji Yue immediately spat out the Sweet and Sour Yam. Jiang Feng helplessly said, ¡°It just came out of the hot oil; how could it not be hot? I told you to dip it in water. By the way, how many drafts do you still owe from over the New Year?¡± ¡°Not many, just over a dozen.¡± The burn seemed to shock Ji Yue awake. She grabbed a rag to deal with the Sweet and Sour Yam she¡¯d just spit out. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll definitely finish them before the submission date.¡± ¡°When do you need to submit them?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ There¡¯s no hope, you¡¯re doomed. Procrastination in its terminal stage. After cleaning up her mess, Ji Yue sat back down and picked up another piece of yam with her chopsticks. The still-hot yam instantly formed long sugar threads, causing Ji Yue to exim in surprise, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s really candied with threads!¡± ¡°This is¡­ Sweet and Sour Yam¡­¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I know that.¡± Ji Yue replied, stuffing the yam into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully before praising, ¡°Not bad at all, much better than the candied sweet potatoes I had at a restaurant back home during the winter break.¡± This was thepliment Jiang Feng was waiting for; he also thought this te of Sweet and Sour Yam turned out well. ¡°You mean you never had candied dishes with actual threads before?¡± ¡°A 28-yuan portion of candied sweet potatoes with no threads.¡± Ji Yue continued, ¡°An 88-yuan pizza won¡¯t give you threads unless you opt for double cheese to get any stretch.¡± Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen and brought out a te where the fire control was off, resulting in a failed candied sweet potato with no threads, and asked, ¡°Like this te?¡± After tasting with her chopsticks, Ji Yue replied, ¡°Worse than your te. But the restaurant I went to mainly soldmb, so maybe their chef wasn¡¯t good at making candied sweet potatoes. The one I had there, not to mention threads, the sweet potatoes were all stuck together, with a thickyer of sugar just like sugared haws. It¡¯s slightly better to suck on it without chewing; biting into it was unbearably sweet. Though it looked nice, orange-red, and the sweet potatoes on their own were quite sweet.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°That chef definitely isn¡¯t good at making sweet and sour sweet potatoes.¡± There wasn¡¯t much sweet and sour yam on the te, and between Jiang Feng and Ji Yue taking turns, the te was quickly emptied. Ji Yue hadn¡¯t had sweets in a while and wasn¡¯t satisfied after eating most of the dish, so she moved the failed dish Jiang Fengter brought out in front of her to continue eating. There were still 8 tes left in the delivery box, and making them with the method of cooking sugar in oil was both a waste of sugar and oil. Mrs. Wang Xiulian would definitely feel pained if they were thrown away. Jiang Feng wiped off the writing on the sign at the door and changed it to: Sweet and Sour Yam (Special Price) 19 Yuan!!! He looked at his phone, it was already four o¡¯clock, and business was about to start. Jiang Jiankang was still nowhere to be seen, so Jiang Feng called him, but the call was cut off right after the first beep. ¡°I¡¯m watching a movie with your mom, will be backter, you hold down the fort in the back kitchen first.¡± Jiang Jiankang sent a message to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng:¡­ His intuition told him that this ¡°moment¡± might just be the entire dinner service. Wu Minqi arrived on time at four-thirty. There were a few customers scattered around the restaurant. After Wu Minqi greeted Ji Yue, she went into the kitchen, put up her hair, put on her hat, tied her apron and asked, ¡°What dishes can I cook?¡± Jiang Feng nced at the order list: ¡°Two servings of fish-fragrant pork over rice for delivery, one serving of spicy pork, one serving of mapo tofu. My parents probably won¡¯t be back untilte tonight, and my grandpa won¡¯t being either. It¡¯s just the two of us in the kitchen.¡± Wu Minqi nodded, said little, and got straight to work. The special sweet and sour yam sold out early, and Ji Yue even helped Jiang Feng to check customer feedback. The response was quite good. Although not all positive, there were no ring negative reviews. Just as Jiang Feng predicted, Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian didn¡¯t return until after nine at night. Jiang Jiankang, carrying severalrge bags of Wang Xiulian¡¯s shopping spoils, slumped tiredly into the restaurant. By then, there were no customers left in the restaurant. Ji Yue went off to deliver thest few orders, Jiang Feng was wiping tables, and Wu Minqi had already left. ¡°Son, how did thepetition go today?¡± Wang Xiulian asked, her spirits were quite high. ¡°All votes advanced, the specific time for the nextpetition hasn¡¯t been notified yet,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Good job, you really are my son. Here, this face wash is specially bought for you!¡± Wang Xiulian rummaged through a bag and pulled out a small tube of face wash that cost a few tens of yuan, and said to Jiang Jiankang, ¡°Get your new chopping board out of here, didn¡¯t I buy it for you? And why do you still look so down?¡± ¡°What I wanted wasn¡¯t a chopping board. That set of knives was really good, thest set left. Who knows when someone else might buy it,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. ¡°A set of knives costs over twenty thousand, and you only earn so much a day?¡± Wang Xiulian frowned. ¡°I can make about that much in a day too,¡± Jiang Jiankang muttered under his breath. ¡°What did you say?¡± Wang Xiulian was angry. ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± Jiang Jiankang said quickly, his mind still on that set of knives he had seen earlier. ¡°Dad, Mom, have you eaten dinner?¡± Jiang Feng asked, knowing his own dad too well. If his dad was eyeing those knives, he might end up buying them tomorrow with his little stash of money. ¡°We have eaten,¡± Wang Xiulian said, moving to Jiang Feng¡¯s side to take the cleaning rag from his hand, ¡°That¡¯s enough, son. You¡¯ve worked hard all day. Go rest, and let your dad take care of the remaining cleanup.¡± Jiang Jiankang, who had spent the day apanying his wife shopping: ??? Jiang Feng, of course, was happy to not have to work. He gave his dad a sympathetic look and quickly slipped off to the dormitory. There was no one in the dorm. Wang Hao was still at the library clinging on to ¡°Signals and Systems,¡± grappling with death. His makeup exam was the day after tomorrow, and with theprehensive exam cancelled, if he failed the makeup again, he would have to retake the ss. Thesest few days, he bravely skipped sses, wishing he could live and eat in the library. Back in the dorm, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t idle, opening hisputer to look up information rted to the Good Taste Cooking Competition. *Last chapter saved, my drafts box passed away peacefully.. Chapter 122 - 121 Information Chapter 122: Chapter 121 Information Trantor: 549690339 ording to the data provided by the officials, a total of 12,129 people registered for the Good Taste Cooking Contest across four regions. For a cooking contest, this number of contestants is terrifying indeed, but there¡¯s also a significant amount of fluff. Many people just signed up for fun, like An Ling did. The first round of selections was expected to weed out half of them, and Jiang Feng guessed that the preliminary rounds would be even more ruthless in thinning the crowd. Organizers had set up a special forum, which Jiang Feng browsed for a bit, but it wasn¡¯t very interesting. Some wereining that the dishes for the tryouts were too simple to show their real skills, while others were grumbling that the contest rules were not strict enough. Common judges with no taste, they imed, were the reason they got eliminated. Onement led to another, and half the posts on the forum ended up in arguments. In the official announcement, the number of votes for the contestants advancing from each region and every match was listed. Scanning through it briefly, Jiang Feng noticed there were quite a few people who had passed with just 10 votes, and the sheer number ofpetitors was overwhelming. Without any detailed information, it wasn¡¯t very helpful as a reference. Finding nothing substantial on the official forum, Jiang Feng decided to check out the online forums. Compared to the shes of titans on the official forum, the online forums were much more entertaining. There were various gossips, both true and false. Rumors that the tryouts were rigged, that a rtive of a high-level executive at Good Taste Company had also entered the contest, and that a certain culinary genius had signed up and was recognized in one of the regions. Everyone on the forums was talented at spinning a yarn. Their stories, whether about insider scoops or fiction, were like reading a novel. There were motivational tales straight out of a youth magazine, love stories for the female audience, and mostly male-oriented ¡®power-up¡¯ stories. Dramatic plot twists in each post, the braggadocio and face-pping moments were on point, tugging at the heartstrings with tales of love and hate. Forum users yed along, leaving a flurry ofments. ¡°666,1¡¯ll chip in five yuan for the poster to keep the story going!¡± ¡°I like this story better than the one next door, I¡¯ll contribute one yuan!¡± ¡°I¡¯m down for ten yuan if the poster could kindly kill off that XXX.¡± Jiang Feng was reading with relish when he stumbled upon the hottest thread in the entire forum. ¡°My Roommate Who Got the Pig¡¯s Feet Script¡± The post was made just after noon today. Jiang Feng was very familiar with the style and tone of the writing. The poster single-handedly built over a hundred floors of discussion, summarizing an inspirational story of an average university student who suddenly strives for sess after his family falls on hard times. It included familiar tales of opening a shop to pursue his dreams despite the family¡¯s debts, seven visits to a professor¡¯s office making his name known across the department, as well as events Jiang Feng wasn¡¯ t familiar with. A particr dish attracted a local heavyweight, confrontations with a rich schoolmate, skepticism about final grades from teachers and ssmates followed by face-pping when retaking the exam in front of everyone, and enduring insults while being ¡®kept¡¯ by a domineering CEO named Wu. Jiang Feng:¡­:) He didn¡¯t bother flipping through the next seven or eight pages of posts, fearing the headlines the next day would read, ¡°Shocking! The Real Reason Behind a College Student¡¯s Murder of His Roommate Revealed!¡± Heading straight to thest page, he saw the poster was still updating, with thetest addition from 20 minutes ago. Eight hours of review, and seven hours of browsing forums. Jiang Feng figured there was no hope, might as well wait for death or get ready to retake the course! Without realizing it, he had spent over an hour on the forums. ncing at the time, it was 10:40. The library closed at 10:30, so if Wang Hao hadn¡¯t gone out for barbecue, he¡¯d be back at the dorm within 10 minutes at most. Twenty minutester, Wang Hao walked through the dormitory door, carrying books and a bag of barbecue. ¡°Feng, how was thepetition today? Reading all day has practically killed me,¡± Wang Hao said as he plunked the takeout barbecue onto the table. ¡°The barbecue ce behind us has raised their prices again, themb skewers now cost 4 yuan each, and it¡¯s not even realmb, why so expensive!¡± ¡°Reading all day?¡± Jiang Feng chuckled emotionlessly. ¡°Howe ¡®My Roommate Who Got the Pig¡¯s Feet Script¡¯ was still updating forty minutes ago?¡± Wang Hao froze on the spot. His face filled with horror. Five minutester, Wang Hao sacrificed the barbecue he had purchased for a hefty sum and promised to delete the plot where the male protagonist was kept by a domineering president surnamed Wu from his posts, and after agreeing to add 1,000 words of physical description to extol the male protagonist¡¯s handsomeness from all angles, the matter wasid to rest. ¡°Oh right, Feng, speaking of which, it¡¯s quite funny, I got a private message this afternoon asking if I was interested in writing stories for some small, broken-down website,¡± Wang Hao said while offering all the barbecue to Jiang Feng as an apology, but his body honestly reached for themb skewers and started to nibble on them conscientiously. ¡°They even said that my story could definitely be a hit if it was further developed and expanded.¡± As the pork leg of Wang Hao¡¯s fabricated stories, Jiang Feng preferred to make noment. ¡°But there was a post that was actually real, did you see it?¡± Wang Hao suddenly became serious, grabbing another skewer of potatoes. ¡°It¡¯s about that cooking prodigy from the Beiping division.¡± ¡°Which cooking prodigy?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. There were so many posts about cooking prodigies in the forum that it was almost to the point of making dishes that glowed in the dark. Wang Hao pulled out his phone; he had bookmarked the post and quickly showed it to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng recognized which post it was just from the beginning. It hadn¡¯t received much attention because the writing wasn¡¯t overly sensational, nor was the author¡¯s prose particrly good, but it was one of the few posts on the forum that got the cooking techniques right. ¡°Is this for real?¡± Jiang Feng reread the post. If there were no exaggerations, the protagonist of this post was indeed a bona fide genius, even more so than Wu Minqi. Gifted with extra sensory perception, a divine pte, exceptional knifework capable of slicing meat on silk, the prodigy was of Chinese-French descent with a rich culinary heritage. His father, a master of French cuisine, mentored him in Beiping since childhood. After turning 19, he returned to France to study Western cuisine with his father. Not even novels dared to write this. ¡°It¡¯s true. I checked on Baidu, and there really is such a person. Although the post is a bit exaggerated, he is indeed a genius, hailed by the French media as a culinary prodigy that appears once in a century,¡± Wang Hao dered, grabbing another skewer of enoki mushrooms. Jiang Feng continued looking at Wang Hao¡¯s phone and at the same time pulled out his own to look up Zhang Guanghang. Sure enough, he existed, but he was better known by his French name, Abel Durand,uded as a once-in-a-century culinary talent by the French media, 27 years old with aundry basket full of awards from various culinarypetitions, many of which were highly prestigious. ¡°He definitely is impressive, and quite handsome too,¡± Jiang Feng remarked impartially and objectively. When he put down the phone and looked up, he saw that Wang Hao had already finished all the barbecue on the table. Wang Hao was conscientiously wiping the table, adding, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s really handsome. It says in his biography that he¡¯s 1.92 meters tall, just like a model.¡± Jiang Feng silently observed Wang Hao. Completely oblivious, Wang Hao finished cleaning the table and spread open ¡®Signalsand Systems,¡¯ pointing to a problem and asking, ¡°Feng, exin this one to me, will you? It¡¯s about the Fourier series.¡± Jiang Feng: guna Chapter 123 - 122: Cranberry Juice Chapter 123: Chapter 122: Cranberry Juice Trantor: 549690339 In the following two days, Jiang Feng witnessed firsthand how the procrastination master Ji Yue yed deaf and dumb in front of his creditors after failing to fill the relentless sea with pebbles, postponing as long as he could, even if it was just for one more second, making full use of the art of dragging things out until he finally just turned off his phone and pretended to post a fake message on his socials and in his friend circles, iming he lost his phone and to leave a message if something came up. Armed with this shameless spirit, Ji Yue sessfully put off his creditors for another five days, only turning his phone back on after he hadpleted all his overdue drawings. Then he posted another insincere message in his socials and friend circles thanking the kind person who found and returned his phone, a message that reflected the true love and kindness of humanity, aligning with the core socialist values, before finally getting back to each and every creditor who had been ¡°chasing debts¡± over the past few days. ¡°Dear dear, I¡¯m so sorry. I lost my phone thesest few days and was busy looking for it, so I didn¡¯t check my messages, but I¡¯ve finished the drawings. Have a look and see if they¡¯re okay, and if not, I can make changes [smiley face].¡± Jiang Feng watched this clever maneuvering with utter amazement. The preliminary round of the Good Taste Culinary Competition ended on the 18th n City¡¯s division was the earliest to start and thest to finish. On the final day at noon, Liu Qian didn¡¯t even bother with the lunch provided by the organizers and rushed to Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant for a feast instead. For the past ten days, Liu Qian had suffered through the overly greasy and salty boxed lunches and, in one go, ordered Kung Pao chicken cubes, sweet and sour fish pieces, Yu Xiang pork shreds, spicy diced chicken, and Guo Bao meat five dishes, plus a milk tea and a rose cranberry drink. The cranberry series of drinks was something Jiang Feng had rolled out in the past few days, originally because Ji Yue, while rushing to finish his drawings, casually mentioned that he felt like drinking cranberry juice. Jiang Feng decided to give it a try, and it turned out quite sessful. The main ingredient was cranberry juice, which would then bebined with yogurt or milk tea and various fruits ording to different preferences. To date, they had introduced rose, strawberry, blueberry, banana, and apple vors, all of which could be made into a yoghurt float series. Because the cranberry juice was freshly made, and even the yogurt was homemade by Jiang Feng, who would add sugar ording to the customer¡¯s taste preference, the taste was significantly better than what was offered at other milk tea shops. Added to this was Jiang Feng¡¯s knack for presentation his yogurt floats were a sight to behold. Once introduced, they received rave reviews, and in these few days, Jiang Feng was making hand over fist just from selling these juices. Thest pot of milk tea was sold out, and a new pot was still brewing, so Jiang Feng first prepared Liu Qian¡¯s rose cranberry drink, especially made in an extrarge size. The cement of the rose petals in the cup was carefully designed by Jiang Feng, with five or six petals sinking to the bottom and two floating on top, creating a gradient of rose red from the bottom to the top in the transparent cup. Unfortunately, Liu Qian didn¡¯t notice Jiang Feng¡¯s meticulous design. As soon as Ji Yue brought the cranberry juice to her, before her live stream audience could get a good look, Liu Qian ignored the straw in the cup, took it up, and guzzled down more than half of it in one go. After chugging more than half a cup of cranberry juice, Liu Qian felt as if her tongue, tortured by boxed lunches these past few days, had finally been redeemed. She sighed, ¡°Ah, making money is so exhausting.¡± Live stream audience:¡­ Liu Qian had taken ten days off, feasting and drinking every day with transportation provided by the organizer, without a cut in her sry for random advertising she did along the way. They really couldn¡¯t see where the exhaustion came in. After chatting with the live stream viewers for two minutes, Liu Qian finished the extrarge cup of the custom-made cranberry juice Jiang Feng made for her. ¡°ji Yue senior, I want another cup of cranberry juice, with a strawberry yogurt float!¡± Liu Qian said, still not satisfied. ¡°No way, not selling!¡± Ji ¡ö Sherlock ¡ö Yue tly refused, ¡°You ordered five dishes and two drinks, and there are still cookie crumbs on your clothes, which means you definitely snacked beforeing here. I¡¯m not selling. Liu Qian had no choice but to give up. Back in the kitchen, there was only Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Feng, and Wu Minqi. Sirs Jiang Weiming and Jiang Weiguo had been mysteriously absent these past few days, and even the practice tasks assigned to Jiang Feng were checked via WeChat. Jiang Jiankang was happily stir-frying Kung Pao chicken for Liu Qian, flipping the spoon more times than when cooking for others, ¡°Qianqian, it¡¯s been almost ten days since youst came to the restaurant to eat, right?¡± ¡°Exactly ten days,¡± said Jiang Feng, eyes fixed on the pot. ¡°Jiang Feng, have the organizers notified you about the time for the pre-selection?¡± Wu Minqi suddenly blurted out. ¡°No.¡± Jiang Feng dished out the stir-fried pork with chili peppers, ¡°The open selection ended today, so the time for the pre-selection should be in the next few days. They should notify us by tomorrow at thetest.¡± ¡°Three servings of stir-fried pork with chili peppers over rice, one te of mei caikou rou, and one te of hand-torn cabbage.¡± Ji Yue came in and interrupted their conversation, sticking the order slip on the wall. By the time Jiang Feng and the others finished and came out of the kitchen, Liu Qian had already left, and the tes on the table were empty, the sauce all used to soak the rice. ording to Ji Yue, she had eaten four bowls of rice and probably would have gone for a fifth if she hadn¡¯t been stopped. Her appetite had grown after not seeing her for ten days. Ji Yue was cleaning up the tes when she saw Jiang Fenge out, ¡°Liu Qian said she sent you a message before she left, something about the pre-selection. She told you to show the message to Minqi as well.¡± Jiang Feng took out his phone from his pocket, a string of messages from Liu Qian. Stripping away the phrases ¡°I heard,¡± ¡°I got the news from a certain streamer,¡± ¡°I heard it from the staff while I was eating,¡± and the emoticons at the end of every sentence, Jiang Feng conveyed the rumors Liu Qian had heard to Wu Minqi. ¡°Liu Qian says she heard that because our district has too many contestants, the organizers changed the format. The number of people advancing will be determined by the proportion of contestants in each district, and there will only be two rounds of pre-selections,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Only two rounds?¡± Wu Minqi frowned, ¡°ording to the official data, our district ounts for half of the total number of registrants, so that means only 16 will advance. Nearly three thousand contestants will be eliminated in two rounds.¡± ¡°If Liu Qian¡¯s message is correct, each stage of the pre-selection will eliminate over ny percent of the contestants,¡± Jiang Feng said, worried. With such a high elimination rate, if several strong contestants were unluckily put in the same group¡­ It would be a hell of a battle! Just after eating, both old gentlemen came over to personally supervise Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking practice. Seeing this, Wu Minqi took it as her cue to leave. As someone hopeless in cooking, she had always coveted Jiang Feng¡¯s opportunity to be personally mentored by two elders with superb culinary skills. But it was the Jiang Family¡¯s familial craft, and she couldn¡¯t possibly learn it with them, so she adopted the self-deceptive tactic of ¡°if I don¡¯t see it with my own eyes, it didn¡¯t happen¡± and made her escape first. ¡°Grandpa, what have you two been up totely?¡± Jiang Feng asked while he was deboning the live chicken that Sir had brought. Mastering caramelizing sugar at the bottom of the pot was still beyond his current skill level. Jiang Weiming just gave him the basics without expecting him to excel at it and then moved on to teaching him knifework and fire control. ¡°We ran into an old friend. Why are you deboning like that? Yourst cut was crooked-don¡¯t talk, focus! You¡¯re getting distracted even while deboning a chicken!¡± Sir scolded. Jiang Feng dared not get distracted any longer. This chicken was the one that Jiang Weiming would useter to teach him how to make Texas chicken, which was likely to be tonight¡¯s or tomorrow¡¯s dinner. He could not afford to be careless while deboning it. This was for their own meal! Chapter 124 - 123 Four Family Letters (Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!) Chapter 124: Chapter 123 Four Family Letters (Happy Valentine¡¯s Day everyone!!) Trantor: 549690339 Huiqin, my beloved wife: I don¡¯t know if all is well in Jinling. Father and I have arrived in San Francisco a few days ago. The sights and sounds along the way are not convenient to detail in a letter, but I deeply feel my own insignificance and impotence. The ship I boarded set out from Guangdong Province, passing through Hong Kong. Yet the majority of Chinese on board were human traffickers and the young girls they had tricked. Upon arriving in San Francisco, people were weighed and sold like livestock, a heartbreaking sight that left me feeling powerless. I had thoughts of abandoning my pen and taking up arms, but I could only hate my own weakness and inability. By the time you receive this letter, you should be setting out for Guangdong Province. Father asks that you take good care of Mother and Elder Sister. Second Sister has passed away, and Fen is missing. After boarding the ship, you must keep a watchful eye on them, and don¡¯t let them wander about and be upset upon seeing the abducted girls. Mingqing may be a man, but he is timid and indecisive, and Mingzhe is prone to ludicrous antics. In the face of significant matters, they still need your careful attention. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s news of Uncle yet, but you need not worry too much. Father has already arranged for people in Jinling to respond, and I believe you will be reunited soon. In these past months, I often find myself thinking on the deck at night, as the ship cuts through the waves and the sound of the sea against the vessel¡¯s heavy hull seems like mourning to me. In these months, only the thought of you brings me joy. The horizon is vast at sea, and looking up, I can see a sky full of stars, but none shine as brightly as you. I miss you more with each passing day, and my love for you grows stronger. I¡¯ve bought a pot of your favorite Chinese roses, awaiting only the thawing of winter¡¯s snow and the blossoming of spring, ready to bloom for you upon your arrival. Li Mingyi, December 17th * Huiqin, my love: Last week youined in your letter about Mingzhe causing trouble and displeasing Mother, so I¡¯ve written to scold him. He meant well. Ever since Father¡¯s passing, Mother has been in low spirits. Although Mingzhe often behaves foolishly, his intentions are always good. I took the initiative to sell the property in Cloud High, as the situation back home is now very promising. Together with a few friends, I¡¯ve donated two hundred thousand dors to aid the war effort. These days, life at home may be more difficult; I hope you¡¯ll forgive me. The climate here in Cloud High is pleasant, with cool summers despite the cold winters, and although there are many Caucasians, they are not as unfriendly to Asians as in San Francisco. I¡¯ve mentioned it many times to Mother, but she has always been reluctant toe. Now that you¡¯vepleted your studies, I hope you can join me in persuading Mother, for the climate in San Francisco is truly unsuitable for her. Oh, I have another piece of good news. I¡¯ve obtained the contact details of Margaret Mitchell, whom you¡¯ve always admired. I¡¯ve written to her and believe it won¡¯t be long before I receive a response. Today is the Qixi Festival, but s, I cannot be by your side. These years we have been like the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid, only able to meet once a year. I¡¯ve nted many flowers, a pity you cannot see them. If only these flowers could, like the magpies, form a bridge to take me to your side, I would nt flowers every day and do nothing else. Regrettably, I can¡¯t express my yearning for you in person and can only write it in a letter. Every time I look at the Chinese roses I¡¯ve nted, I feel as if I am seeing you. Huiqin, in this life, you are the only one I cherish. Do you know that? Li Mingyi, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month * My husband Mingyi: Today is the Qixi Festival, and if Mother hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed that more than ten days have passed since we parted. During this time, numerous matters have intermingled, keeping me so busy that I¡¯ve hardly noticed the passage of time. Recently, I heard that the situation back home is improving, and everyone is encouraged. After discussing with Mother, I decided to donate all the extra money from our home, hoping you won¡¯t me me. I¡¯ve found a new job. The pay is not much, but it¡¯s enough to get by. You don¡¯t have to send more money, and please don¡¯t tire yourself out. Take good care of your health. Mother¡¯s health has been poortely. She often wakes up coughing in the middle of the night and frequently mourns Elder Sister. Whenever she mentions Elder Sister¡¯s suicide, she can¡¯t help but weep bitterly. Mingzhe has finally matured, asionally trying to cheer up Mother without causing any more trouble. Although it¡¯s not always effective, it eases my mind somewhat. Time always flies by especially fast when you¡¯re not here. I wanted to tell you how much I miss you, but when my pen touches the paper, I find myself unable to write. Perhaps I¡¯m not good at writing, and only when you are in front of me can I speak out. You¡¯ll be back soon, I dearly miss you. Liu Agu from Chinatown is returning to China. Her youngest son died in the war, and she wants to retrieve his body, saying she cannot let him be a lonely wandering ghost without a tomb. I too wish to return home. The ashes of Elder Sister and Father are still in the house, waiting for us to bury them back home. I still have no news about my older brother and seven nephews. Even though I fear we may never meet again in this life, I still hold on to hope. I often think, if they are still alive, how could they ever find me across the vast Pacific Ocean? I only wish for the war to end soon, God bless China! PS: I love you. Jiang Huiqin, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month * Mingyi: Mother is gone. Ever since you leftst month, Mother¡¯s health has been declining. Dr. Cao said it was homesickness that had be a serious condition, beyond the help of medicine. I wanted to write to you, asking you toe back, but Mother refused. She snatched my letter and burned it, not willing to worry you. Mingqing is in Europe, Mingzhe is in New York, and you are in Cloud High. The house is no longer filled withughter, leaving me alone with an extra urn. Before she passed, Mother always talked about wanting to go home, to return to Beiping. I too long for Beiping. ording to the newspapers, Japan is about to surrender. The war is finallying to an end, and we can finally go home. If only Mother had held on a little longer, she could have seen Beiping City with her own eyes. Before she left, she instructed us to bury her ashes in the yard of our old house, if the house is still there. Let¡¯s go home. Jiang Huiqin, December 5th *This chapter serves as an extra, having taken me over 4 hours to write. I¡¯m balding o|¡ª|_ Chapter 125 - 124 Texas Chicken Shredding Chapter 125: Chapter 124 Texas Chicken Shredding Trantor: 549690339 | *By the time I found out that Dezhou braised chicken wasn¡¯t supposed to be deboned, this chapter was already written_(3Jz)_ Parallel world, parallel world! Dezhou braised chicken is a ssic Shandong cuisine that, during the Qing Dynasty, served as tribute for the emperor, empress, and royal family. It is now famous both nationally and internationally, known as the ¡°world¡¯s number one chicken.¡± The preparation has since spawned various methods, and during the Republican era, more than a dozen restaurants in Beiping each had their own unique recipes, leading to the curious sight of them secretly learning from each other. Jiang Weiming¡¯s method was the old way from Taifeng Building, involving more than twenty kinds of Chinese herbal medicines and seventeen seasonings. From coloring to deep-frying, every step was meticulous, not to mention the final simmering in soup, which Jiang Weiguo would start slow-cooking on the stove a day in advance. Jiang Feng¡¯s seasoning skills and experience were not sufficient yet to learn how to prepare various high-quality broths. This afternoon, the only hands-on task Jiang Feng needed to do was debone the whole chicken, while the rest of the time he could just watch and learn. In learning to cook, the ability to observe is crucial. Like Jiang Weiguo, he learned many dishes by watching in the back kitchen of restaurants¡ªwatching to grasp sixty to seventy percent of the process, then going back to slowly figure out the rest. Those with talent could learn it quite well. Jiang Feng was quite adept at observing. He may have been slow to learn caramelization and how to make tenderizing sauces, but he picked up making sweet and sour syrup quite quickly, all because of a game bug that had him watching Jiang Huiqin make Sweet and Sour Yam every day! After watching for an afternoon, an inted Jiang Feng dered, I¡¯ve got it! ¡°Got it?¡± Jiang Weiming asked with a smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± Jiang Feng nodded proudly. ¡°Then tomorrow, Feng, you give it a try and let me see how well you¡¯ve learned,¡± Jiang Weiming said. Jiang Feng: ( fl #) The next day, as expected, Jiang Feng¡¯s attempt was a spectacr failure. The steps to making Dezhou braised chicken aren¡¯tplicated in theory, but doing it well is a true test of a chef¡¯s knifework and seasoning. The best choice is to use a small rooster of about two jin, or an unegg-bearing hen, ughter and pluck it, debone the whole chicken without breaking its skin, especially the skin covering the spine and the tail. After removing the bones and inner organs, the chicken skin should be turned inside out, while maintaining its overall shape. Deboning a whole chicken isn¡¯t too difficult¡ªJiang Feng knew how at junior high school age, but often ended up mangling the meat and tearing the skin apart. To maintain the overall shape after turning the skin inside out was hoping for too much¡ª it was good enough if the chicken didn¡¯t fall apart after deboning. The fatter the chicken, the harder it is to debone. The chickens Jiang Feng practiced on during junior high were Mrs. Jiang¡¯s fat old hens, each one plumper than thest. Each finished product would earn a scolding from Sir, and the poor chickens could only be chopped and used for sauteing instead of braised chicken. But today was different. Jiang Feng handled the deboning process quite adeptly. Although his speed was still slow, the quality was much improved. Unlike before, when the chicken was almost falling apart after deboning, this time although he identally cut the skin on the back, overall the deboning was quite well done. Jiang Feng believed that with a few months of practice deboning whole chickens, his speed might not match the two Sirs, but the quality certainly could. ¡°Not bad, Feng, your knifework has improved. The leg meat on this chicken is thick, you were too rough when removing the tendons and cut into the meat. The skin on the back is tight; you peeled it too quickly, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t have torn,¡± Jiang Weimingplimented, his expression one of satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s decent, much better than at the start of the year,¡± Jiang Weiguo rarely praised. Jiang Feng soaked the deboned chicken in cold water to remove the blood, not idle even while soaking it, as he started to caramelize the sugar. He was now quite adept with caramelizing sugar. Just as the color seemed about right and he was about to turn off the heat, Jiang Weiguo stopped him. ¡°You can deepen the sugar color for the deboned chicken a bit more, wait another twenty seconds.¡± About ten secondster, Jiang Feng felt the sugar color in the pot was already good enough, so he turned off the heat. This time Jiang Weiguo did not say anything, but instead wore a smile. Jiang Weiming turned to Jiang Weiguo and whispered, ¡°Feng is capable, has his own ideas, and didn¡¯t just copy what you said.¡± Jiang Weiguo nodded and watched Jiang Feng¡¯s movements closely. Having removed all the blood from the deboned chicken, Jiang Feng followed Jiang Weiming¡¯s method from yesterday, shaping the chicken into a mandarin duck ying in the water. He then evenly applied the sugar color over the chicken body, hung it up to dry. After drying, he lit the fire, heated the oil to about seventy percent hot, fried the deboned chicken in the oil until it turned golden and its skin was somewhat shiny. It looked dazzlingly gold before he removed it to drain the oil. All the above steps, Jiang Fengpleted quite impressively, and both sirs were very satisfied. It looked like he was about to achieve a great sess, just one step away from victory¡ªthe final step of boiling in soup. But just as he was getting carried away, Jiang Feng began to mess up royally. It wasn¡¯t entirely Feng¡¯s fault for getting carried away; mainly, his strength wasn¡¯t up to par, his seasoning couldn¡¯t match his knifework. He had what the game rated as beginner-level Food Testing skill that couldn¡¯t be upgraded, and seasoning had always been his weak point. Even though Jiang Weiming had prepared the old soup for him, shown him the ingredients and ratios for the spice bag yesterday, and he knew all about how each seasoning should be added, it still couldn¡¯t stop him from messing up. With Jiang Feng¡¯s current seasoning skills, trying to master the cooking of up to forty kinds of seasonings at once certainly posed a great difficulty. Both sirs were also prepared for Jiang Feng to mess up, and Jiang Feng himself had an inkling. He just didn¡¯t expect¡­ The chicken that had been stewed for nearly 6 hours could taste so awful! Six hours, the chicken had thoroughly absorbed Jiang Feng¡¯s terrible seasoning ratio. Jiang Feng only tasted a mouthful and nearly questioned his entire existence, even beginning to ponder whether he should give up his culinary pursuits. Jiang Weiming fearlessly tried a mouthful as well, silently put down his chopsticks, and began to reflect, ¡°Indeed I shouldn¡¯t have forced growth. Feng, your seasoning¡­ you should start from thebeginning¡­ simmering soup first.¡± The chicken made by Jiang Feng looked quite appealing. The mandarin ducks ying in water shape, the golden color with a hint of red, the reflective skin¡ª it somewhat resembled roast duck from a distance, looking plump and delicious, enough to whet someone¡¯s appetite. But the taste¡­ Made one want to have a serious talk with the chef about life aspirations and certain things that don¡¯t conform to socialist core values. Like, for instance. Chopping him. While Jiang Feng was doubting his life choices, a staff member from the cookingpetition called and informed him that he was to participate in the first round of preliminaries tomorrow at 4 PM, needing only to bring his ID card and entry ticket. They mentioned nothing about thepetition format¡ª it was all rather secretive. Jiang Feng messaged Wu Minqi to ask if she had received a call from the organizers. Forty minutester, she replied that she was also in the first round of preliminaries tomorrow at 4 PM, but the location was different from Jiang Feng¡¯s. Could it be¡­ that the organizers wanted all three thousand contestants who passed the initial selection topete at the same time? That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s a bit thrilling! *Why am I writing a side story today, because it¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day! V Shall I write an alternate story of Jiang Feng and Da Hua? With Da Hua¡¯s star value so high, you all are really devils. Chapter 126 - 125 Eggplant and Green Bean Stew (Extra for Alliance Hierarch Youming Zhiyu) Chapter 126: Chapter 125 Eggnt and Green Bean Stew (Extra for Alliance Hierarch Youming Zhiyu) Trantor: 549690339 The preliminarypetition was once again held in the suburbs, but the venue was better than the open audition¡¯s¡ªit was inside a warehouse. Due to the warehouse size, the preliminaries were divided into groups of fifty, totaling nearly three thousandpetitors spread across exactly sixty groups. Thest group had twenty-seven, and Jiang Feng was in that group, still number thirteen. Because there were only twenty-seven cooking stations, the warehouse seemed somewhat empty. The air was filled with floating dust, and those with a more sensitive sense of smell could even detect a faint, lingering odor from thest batch of goods. Thepetitors all arrived quite early, with no absences. Seeing that everyone was present, the organizingmittee¡¯s staff decided to announce thepetition rules ahead of schedule. ¡°Contestants, for this round of preliminaries, each group will have ten public judges and one professional food critic as judges. The critic for this group is Professor Ye Shi from the Architecture Department of Capital University, who is also a special correspondent for the ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine. The public judges will taste and score in the order ofpletion, based on the three cards I hold in my hand¡ªred signifies excellent, yellow signifies passable, and green signifies dissatisfaction. A dish that obtains eight or more red cards will be tasted and scored by Professor Ye, whose scores will mainly determine the final rankings.¡± ¡°As you have seen, the ingredients for thispetition are not themed, hence all the ingredients on the table are avable for use. Since there are fewer contestants in this group, only one contestant will advance to the second round of preliminaries. There is no time limit for this round, but it is restricted to a single dish. There are seven minutes until the start of thepetition. If you have any questions, you may ask them now,¡± said the staff member with a smile, lifting the megaphone. ¡°It¡¯s not fair that only one person out of twenty-seven can advance in our group!¡± a girl in the front row voiced the concerns of most of those present. ¡°Contestant, the number of advancement spots is calcted based on the proportion of participants in eachpetition area. The advancement rate for the first round of preliminaries in this area is 4%, and in other venues, only two people perpetition can advance,¡± the staff member replied. The crowd burst into an uproar. For a moment, the atmosphere became as tense as if swords were drawn and bows were bent. Those present, whether by luck or by skill, had all passed the auditions, which eliminated only 50% of the participants. No one expected that the first round of preliminaries would cut down 96% of contestants, and even though most knew that they would likely be eliminated before the national top 32 after several rounds of preliminaries, they did not anticipate the eliminations toe so soon. ¡°Do any contestants have any other questions?¡± the staff member asked. ¡°The ten public judges have to taste twenty-seven dishes. If they have even a slightly small appetite, won¡¯t they be¡­ full by the time they taste thest ones?¡± a bespectacled boy in the middle asked. ¡°That is correct, what this contestant has mentioned is true. This round of preliminarypetition not only tests your culinary skills but also tests your speed,¡± the staff member replied. ¡°Any other questions?¡± The crowd waspletely silent. ¡°There are five more minutes until the start of thepetition. Please, contestants, do not start early, or you will be disqualified,¡± the staff member announced before putting down the megaphone. Jiang Feng felt a bit panicked. Actually, his mental fortitude was quite good, but the atmosphere in the venue was particrly heavy, and this type of groupedpetition, with only the top 4% advancing, was quite dependent on luck. If a group was full of weak yers, it all came down to which one had a bit more luck. If a group was full of strong contenders, the intensepetition could absolutelypare to a battlefield. But no matter how you slice it¡­ Luck is also part of one¡¯s strength. Jiang Feng nced at the ingredients provided by the organizers. One eggnt, two eggs, a loofah, three pieces of white tofu, and a handful of long beans. Everything one needed for seasoning was readily avable- onions, ginger, garlic, they had it all, there was even a small basket oftro. Cntro was definitely off the table, and he couldn¡¯t mince onions, ginger, or garlic either. The public judges were ordinary people; encountering even one or two with food aversions would result in a green card warning. As Jiang Feng was considering what dish to make that was both quick and popr with the public, the staff member picked up the megaphone again. ¡°Thepetition begins.¡± In the blink of an eye, an idea for a dish surfaced in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. If he was going to do it, he had to stick with what he knew well. Eggnt braised with long beans! Eggnt, as a native nt of Huaguo, ys a pivotal role among vegetables as can be seen from its pricing in university cafeterias. Eggnt is the ¡°flower among vegetables!¡± The vegetables were all washed, Jiang Feng snapped the green beans into sections, sliced the eggnt into strips, and cut the garlic into chunks. Actually, smashing the garlic into a paste would bring out its aroma better, but Jiang Feng knew some people were averse to garlic, so he cut it into chunks to prevent idental consumption. With skilled knifework, Jiang Feng processed the ingredients quickly. The oil was already in the wok while most people were still pondering what to make. He heated the oil to about sixty percent hot and poured in the eggnt, constantly turning it with chopsticks in the wok, not daring to ck off for even a moment. As he was doing that, someone raised a hand to signal they had finished. The person was right in front of Jiang Feng on the right. He nced over, Scallion Fried Eggs. Jiang Feng:¡­ Well, you¡¯re quite the clever one, aren¡¯t you? Jiang Feng even felt a little annoyed that he hadn¡¯t thought of Scallion Fried Eggs himself. Not only is the dish easy to make, but it¡¯s also delicious when done right, and even those who aren¡¯t fond of scallions can enjoy it. Once you¡¯ve started, there¡¯s no turning back. Being the first to make a dish is clever, but the second is just following the trend. Jiang Feng continued to tend to the eggnt in the wok, waiting for its surface to turn golden brown and soft before swiftly removing it to drain off the oil. Without turning off the heat, he poured the green beans in to deep-fry; deep-fried green beans aren¡¯t just more fragrant, they have a better texture, and it¡¯s easier for them to absorb vors when stir-friedter on. After frying the green beans, it was time for the main event. Leaving some oil in the wok and heating it up, he sauteed the garlic until it was fragrant, then added both the eggnt and green beans into the wok for a high-heat stir-fry, continuously tossing and stirring, adding salt, sugar, and other seasonings. He finished off with a touch of dark soy sauce for color, constantly stirring and tossing to ensure the green beans and eggnt heated evenly and absorbed the vors. The dish was ready, out of the wok. Because they had been deep-fried, the green beans¡¯ skins looked wrinkled and glossy, making them appear very fresh and tender. The eggnt¡¯s skin was a deep purple, also glossed with oil, its flesh a pale yellow. All of the sauce had been absorbed by the eggnt and green beans, leaving the te clean. Jiang Feng quickly arranged the dish, burying the eggnt under the green beans to create a small mound. The deep purple skin and the pale yellow flesh were subtly visible. Although it didn¡¯t achieve the ¡°hand covering half the lute¡± effect Jiang Feng wanted, it was still pretty good. He ced two sprigs oftro at the top right corner of the te as a garnish, then raised his hand to indicate he had finished. The judges were seated at the front, and the staff took the dish up and told him that he could go to the rest area to wait. The rest area was a small partition in a warehouse, with a dozen or so chairs. When Jiang Feng entered, there were only three people inside. One girl and two guys, one of whom was the clever sprite who made the Scallion Fried Eggs. ¡°I¡¯m the fourth to finish?¡± Jiang Feng found it hard to believe. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re thinking too much, you¡¯re the seventeenth,¡± another guy with sses spoke up. ¡°The few before you didn¡¯t even get eight red cards, got no score at all, no chance of advancing so they left early.¡± ¡°Do all three of you have the same score?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Not exactly, the girl and I both have eight red cards, but this guy is awesome. He managed to get nine red cards with Scallion Fried Eggs, and the score isn¡¯t out yet. The organizers are keeping us in suspense until the very end to announce the scores,¡± said the guy with sses. ¡°By the way, my name is Zhang Luyu, I¡¯m from UAL University. You seem about my age, which university are you from?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also from UAL University, Jiang Feng,¡± Jiang Feng said. Coming across a schoolmate, the conversation naturally grew lively. Zhang Luyu was the restless and eloquent type, and he quickly spilled all his beans. A sophomore majoring in Animation, from Hebei, he usually cooked at home, and it was sheer luck that he made a steamed egg dish that got him eight red cards. He hadn¡¯t really expected to advance and was just curious to see how many points Professor Ye would give him. Since Jiang had walked in, the other two hadn¡¯t said a word, quite aloof. Just as the two were chatting, staff entered. ¡°Who is contestant number 13, Jiang Feng?¡± Jiang Feng raised his hand. ¡°Congrattions, ten red cards. We¡¯ll announce the judges¡¯ scores at the end, please wait patiently,¡± the staff member said. ¡°Damn, bro, you¡¯re freaking awesome, you¡¯re on fire!¡± Zhang Luyu couldn¡¯t help but curse in his excitement. *Beep beep, a 1/4 chance, what a tricky nickname, your requested cameo has arrived, please check it out. Please leave a five-star review, thanks. Chapter 127 - 126: Promotion Chapter 127: Chapter 126: Promotion Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Dude, what dish did you cook to get ten red cards? That¡¯s awesome!¡± Zhang Luyu eximed. ¡°Eggnt with green beans, just a simple home-cooked dish,¡± Jiang Feng said. He, too, hadn¡¯t expected to get ten red cards. It seemed that all ten of they judges had good taste! After Jiang Feng, there was only a married office worker named He Ling who had received eight red cards. Zhang Luyu could talk, and he was especially sociable. At first, Jiang Feng thought Zhang Luyu spoke so much because they were alumni, but then he realized that Zhang Luyu was talkative with everyone. If someone engaged him, he could find topics to chat about, and it was as if he saw everyone as an old ssmate he hadn¡¯t met in years. He could seamlessly switch topics and casually call people ¡®dude,¡¯ ¡®girl,¡¯ or ¡®sister¡¯ after just a couple of sentences. He Ling¡¯s dish was stir-fried luffa with eggs, her specialty. She said it was her husband¡¯s favorite dish. Like Zhang Luyu, she was a casual contestant and hadn¡¯t thought about advancing to the next round. Another girl, who had been silent until then, couldn¡¯t help but join in the conversation between Zhang Luyu and He Ling and introduced herself. Her name was Wang Suli, a student at the teacher¡¯s college. Her dish was somewhat simr to He Ling¡¯s-an omelet with luffa soup. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m actually not very good at cooking, I was just lucky, often cooking luffa and egg soup for my mom at home. I didn¡¯t speak earlier because I¡­ because I¡¯m not from the same school as you guys, so I felt a little embarrassed, I¡­ just¡­ I¡­¡± Wang Suli spoke with an increasing stutter. Jiang Feng could tell that this girl was a bit socially anxious. ¡°Girl, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about! Although your teacher¡¯s college is far¡¯from our school, we¡¯re still ssmates. It¡¯sboring just waiting here, so let¡¯s chat together. Dude, don¡¯t you think?¡± Zhang Luyu helped ease the situation. ¡°Let¡¯s chat together. I guess we¡¯ll have to wait a bit longer since seven people haven¡¯t finished yet. Always looking at our phones is so dull,¡± Jiang Feng agreed. The three of them were chatting away enthusiastically when the few people who came inter did not receive eight red cards, and they left after knowing their results. However, the guy who got nine red cards for his scallion omelet remained aloof, silent throughout, and just quietly sat on a chair, not looking at his phone but staring at the wall as if there were a painting on it. ¡°Thatst one is really slow, huh? It¡¯s been an hour already, right?¡± Zhang Luyu checked his phone. ¡°An hour and twenty minutes now. What kind of dish is she cooking that¡¯s taking so long?¡± ¡°There are only 27 people in our group; even thest judge wouldn¡¯t be full. There¡¯s no need to rush,¡± He Ling said. ¡°But it¡¯s annoying, waiting for over an hour. Other groups might have finished theirpetition already. If it were me, I¡¯d be frustrated for sure. If someone was this slow, I¡¯d definitely give a green card,¡± Zhang Luyu said. In fact, what he said made some sense. The public judges, inly speaking, were just temporary workers paid a hundred yuan for a day¡¯s work, without strong professionalism. Having to wait doing nothing for over an hour would probably make the majority somewhat impatient. ¡°Ah, the organizers too-they don¡¯t set a time, but the audition was supposed to bepleted within an hour!¡± Zhang Luyuined. As soon as his words fell, the door opened. ¡°Hello, my surname is Guo, and my name is Guo Mengting.¡± It was rare for someone to introduce themselves as soon as they came in; almost everyone else had passively introduced themselves after being prompted by Zhang Luyu. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m a bit slow at cooking. Since there was no time limit set for thepetition, I simply slowed down, so I¡¯m sorry for makingyou wait,¡¯¡¯ Guo Mengting said with an apologetic smile. ¡°I cooked eggnt pot, and since there was no meat, I wrapped the eggnt in egg and fried it in oil, which is quite troublesome and time-consuming. I like cooking at home, and my culinary skills are not bad¡ªmy husband and child both enjoy my cooking. ¡°You already have a child?¡± He Ling couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Yes, my child is already in elementary school. You couldn¡¯t tell, right? I m only 28 this year, and I take good care of myself. I don¡¯t really use skincare products; with good skin, you don¡¯t need those things,¡± Guo Mengting emanated an aura of confidence. Three people: ¡­ Actually¡­ it¡¯s pretty obvious. A staff member pushed the door open, interrupting Guo Mengting¡¯s speech, and announced, ¡°Contestant number 21, Guo Mengting, are you here? Congrattions, you¡¯ve received 8 red cards. Please wait a moment, everyone; we will announce the scores shortly.¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but take a new look at this excessively confident Guo Mengting. She was thest one to finish, but getting 8 red cards proved that her culinary skills were indeed not bad. If she had finished a bit faster, perhaps she could have obtained nine or even ten red cards. ¡°Dude, I have a feeling we might be in for a surprise. It¡¯s possible that this sister here might snatch away the qualification spot,¡± Zhang Luyu whispered to Jiang Feng. ¡°The results areing out soon; we¡¯ll know who advances very quickly,¡± Jiang Feng replied. No one spoke. Guo Mengting exuded confidence, as if the qualification spot was already in her pocket. The guy who made scallion pancake still maintained his cool demeanor, sticking to his corner. He Ling, Wang Suli, and Zhang Luyu seemed resigned, already regarding themselves as mere spectators. Around Jiang Feng¡­ He didn¡¯t exude any particr aura; he was replying to Wu Minqi¡¯s message. Wu Minqi had already advanced, and she was asking him about his situation. He was actually a bit anxious because when Guo Mengting was talking, he sneakily observed the cool guy. The callouses on his hands and the scars from oil sshes suggested that he should be a chef. He didn¡¯t know about his professionalism, but his skill level seemed quite good. If he were to crash out in the first round of the preliminaries, Jiang Feng feared he might be in trouble when he got back. A few minutes passed, and the door was pushed open again, still by the previous staff member, who held a small slip of paper and said with a bright smile: ¡°Jiang Feng: 8.9 points, Lan Ning: 8.4 points, Guo Mengting: 8.2 points, He Ling: 7.8 points, Wang Suli: 7-5 points, Zhang Luyu: 6.2 points. Contestant Jiang Feng, congrattions on advancing. This is the card for the second round of the preliminaries; please keep it safe. We will notify you of the specific time of the contest by phone.¡± Jiang Feng epted the card and nced at it, noting it was no different from the previous one. ¡°Wow, I passed!¡± Zhang Luyu was excited rather than sad or disappointed despite rankingst. ¡°That¡¯s it? There¡¯s no standard for the scoring, and I don¡¯t even know what he made. You just dere him the next round? This is ridiculous!¡± Guo Mengting was not convinced. She might not be a professional chef, but she was confident that the eggnt dish she made today was exceptionally delicious. Moreover, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t look like a professional chef. He probably was a student, barely in his twenties. Why on earth did he score a full 0.7 points higher than her! ¡°Please don¡¯t be hasty, contestant. I haven¡¯t finished yet. The dishes of all contestants are still in the warming boxes, and Professor Ye is just outside. Everyone can evaluate each other¡¯s dishes. If there are any disagreements, you can raise them,¡± the staff member said. Guo Mengting was the first to walk out. The teny judges had already left, but Professor Ye was still sitting in his original ce. Six dishes were in the warming box, each with a name tag of the creator in front. Almost everyone headed towards Jiang Feng¡¯s eggnt with green beans to taste the dish cooked by the first-ce winner, while only Jiang Feng approached Lan bling1 s scallion pancake. Chapter 128 - 127: Invitation Chapter 128: Chapter 127: Invitation Trantor: 549690339 | The scallion fried egg on the te looks quite appealing, not too much green onion, and the egg is fried to a golden brown with a hint of char. You can still make out that it was once a beautiful round omelet. Even though it¡¯s a bit cold, the texture is still nice-the egg is smooth and tender, and the fragrance of the scallion is present. The only w is a slight eggy smell. Jiang Feng believes that if eaten hot right off the stove, the aroma of the eggs and scallions would be enough to mask the faint eggy smell, and the taste and texture would be even better. It is a te of scallion fried egg that far surpasses the skills of an average person. But Jiang Feng is confident he can do even better. Feeling slightly proud of himself, Jiang Feng went to try Guo Mengting¡¯s eggnt y pot dish. As an ordinary housewife, her culinary skills were indeed not bad, but the ws were apparent-her fire control and knifework weren¡¯t perfect, and it was a bit too strongly vored. Perhaps because she seldom specifically fries eggnt at home, as it¡¯s quite oil-intensive, the eggnt in the dish was clearly over-fried. It wouldn¡¯t have been an issue under normal circumstances since the seasoning was actually alright, but whenpared to the eggnt dish made by Jiang Feng, it obviously fell short. Actually, she was just lucky. If her eggnt y pot dish was served after Jiang Feng¡¯s, with such a striking contrast between the two eggnt dishes, she certainly wouldn¡¯t have received eight red cards. After tasting the eggnt with green beans dish Jiang Feng made, Lan Ning, as usual, didn¡¯t say a word and left the scene, appearing very aloof. ¡°Ding.¡± The game suddenly revived, making a sound. Jiang Feng:¡­ If this damned game had aint window, he would definitelyin eight hundred times a day! Zhang Luyu couldn¡¯t squeeze in at first, but after Lan Ning left, he grabbed a mouthful of the eggnt with his chopsticks and was astounded, ¡°Dude, your cooking skills are way too good, they could rival a restaurant s! Jiang Feng found it strange, since Zhang Luyu wasn¡¯t a freshman at UAL; his family¡¯s Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant pretty much dominated the mam campus, so how was it that he acted as if he had never tasted their dishes? ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever eaten at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. ¡°What is that? A new ce that just opened?¡± Zhang Luyu seemed puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s my family¡¯s restaurant, on the food street. Don¡¯t you usually eat there¡¯¡± Jiang Feng felt that Mr. Jiang Jiankang definitely needed to reflect on his cooking, as there were actually students at UAL who didn¡¯t know about Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, which was a real letdown. And there he was, bragging about his progress in cooking skills to Sirst night. ¡°I don¡¯t really go out to eat much; I usually order takeout. Does your family¡¯s restaurant not cater to delivery?¡± Zhang Luyu instantly revealed his homebody nature. ¡°You mean that restaurant in UAL whose dishes are a bit pricey, and can only be ordered via WeChat for delivery, which doesn¡¯t extend to Capital University anymore?¡± Wang Suli tentatively asked. ¡°Sister Wang, you know about it?¡± Zhang Luyu was shocked; he was starting to doubt whether he really was a part of UAL. Wang Suli nodded, ¡°A friend from UAL took me there once. At first, they delivered to Capital University, but then they stopped, and I haven¡¯t been there since it¡¯s not convenient to go to UAL anymore.¡± ¡°Ex-boyfriend.¡± Wang Suli added. ¡°You¡¯ve got culinary talent in your family, buddy. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯lle by your restaurantter and you make me a couple of your specialties to try,¡± Zhang Luyu said excitedly. ¡°My dad¡¯s cooking skills are better than mine,¡± Jiang Feng reminded him. ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble your uncle to make me a couple of his specialties,¡± Zhang Luyu promptly corrected himself. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Heh. ¡°Can I join too? I took the day off today, and I would like to go,¡± Wang Suh asked timidly. ¡°You want toe to my family¡¯s restaurant? I¡¯d be more than happy. Of course, you can go, you¡¯re wee anytime,¡± Jiang Feng replied with a smile. These three were having a delightful conversation, but Guo Mengting on the other side wasn¡¯t feeling quite as cheerful. Since her taste buds were fine, she could tell that Jiang Feng¡¯s eggnt was superior to hers, and it bothered her since she had been a bit overconfident earlier; realizing that someone was better was a bit of a blow to her pride. And for some reason, she felt as if she were the viin in a city novel who just got a humiliatingeuppance. Even though she was a 28-year-old married woman with a child in elementary school, she was once an avid novel enthusiast, unafraid to delve into both male-oriented and female-oriented genres and had perused a wide range of books, leaving her mark on various novel websites. She was thoroughly familiar with all kinds of novel cliches. ¡°Are you a chef?¡± Guo Mengting asked, feelingplex emotions about turning into a viin. ¡°Sort of,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I join you?¡± Guo Mengyun asked, ¡°I want to try the cooking at your ce too.¡± ¡°Of course, He Ling, would you like toe along?¡± Jiang Feng invited He Ling. ¡°No, no, I have to go back to work overtime. I skipped two hours this afternoon, so I need to make them up tonight,¡± He Ling said with augh, ¡°Cheer up, once you¡¯re into the national top 32, I¡¯ll vote foryou using WeChat.¡± After saying that, He Ling hurried back to herpany to work overtime. ¡°It seems there are no problems or opinions from everyone,¡± Professor Ye asked, receiving affirmative answers. He stood up but did not leave. ¡°Would you all mind if this judge joined your dinner gathering?¡± Professor Ye asked with a smile. Jiang Feng was surprised and was just about to respond when Zhang Luyu cut in: ¡°We¡¯d love to, we¡¯d be more than willing!¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Jiang Feng said, still feeling surprised. And so, five of them headed to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant for dinner. The journey was still a bit of a hassle, switching from the bus to the subway. Zhang Luyu couldn¡¯t stop talking and was very curious as to why Professor Ye, a judge, would join their impromptu dinner. She kept chatting up Professor Ye the whole way. ¡°Professor Ye, I actually really admire Capital University. I wanted to apply there initially, but unfortunately, my scores weren¡¯t high enough. If they had been, maybe you would¡¯ve been my teacher,¡± Zhang Luyu began to boast. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re from the architecture department?¡± Professor Ye showed interest. Zhang Luyu: ¡°¡­I majored in animation¡­¡± ¡°But Professor Ye, I actually wanted to study architecture. It¡¯s just that my scores weren¡¯t enough, right? The architecture department at UAL University also requires high grades. And there¡¯s also the physics department, which I wanted to apply to, but again, not enough scores,¡± Zhang Luyu tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, ¡°Hey, by the way, Wang Meizi, Jiang Feng, what are your majors?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the English Education program,¡± Wang Suli said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m from the Physics department,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Impressive, you Physics majors not only need high scores but also can cook delicious food,¡± Zhang Luyu said. Jiang Feng: ¡­. Actually, those specializing in Food and Nutrition typically make better cooks. And they also need high scores. *As it turns out, single dogs that insist on celebrating Valentine¡¯s Day out and about will indeed face retribution. A severe cold, a headache, slept for a whole day. I owe two chapters to the two Alliance Hierarchs; I apologize as I probably can only update once for the next two days o(T_T)o Chapter 129 - 128 Casual Conversation Chapter 129: Chapter 128 Casual Conversation Trantor: 549690339 Professor Ye Shi¡¯s personality is as pleasant as his appearance, gentle like a soft spring rain, making it difficult for anyone to feel any resistance. His face always carried a smile, and even his white streaks of hair seemed to emit a kindly aura. After chatting for about twenty minutes, Wang Suli mustered enough courage to ask, ¡°Professor Ye, why did you think of joining us for a meal at Jiang Feng¡¯s family restaurant?¡± As soon as she said this, everyone turned to look at Ye Shi, including Guo Mengting, who had been drifting on the fringes of the conversation. Everyone was quite curious. ¡°Because Jiang Feng here is a talented cook,¡± Ye Shi said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m here on a business trip, and the organizers contacted me yesterday, asking me to step in as ast-minute jury member, so I came. I¡¯m heading back the day after tomorrow. I¡¯ve been to nearly all the well-known restaurants in n City, and since Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking skills are so outstanding, of course, I want to try out your family¡¯s restaurant.¡± At these words, Jiang Feng was genuinely ttered. Just as he was about to say something, Mr. Jiang Jiankang gave him a call. ¡°Hello, Dad, what¡¯s up?¡± Jiang Feng answered the phone. ¡°Son, why haven¡¯t youe back yet? How did thepetition go? Were you eliminated? Don¡¯t be sad, my boy. Your grandpa and Granduncle Weiming are both at the restaurant. If you¡¯re eliminated, just go hide somewhere for a bit. Minqi is already back, and the restaurant is bustling with business. Oh, I can¡¯t talk now ¨C your grandpa ising out. Go hide somewhere, and I¡¯ll call you after he and the others have left.¡± ¡°Dad, I¡­¡± ¡°Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep¡­¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Mr. Jiang Jiankang is really something else for a father. ¡°What did your dad want?¡± asked Zhang Luyu casually. ¡°He wants me to go back to the restaurant to help out,¡± replied Jiang Feng. ¡°Your family¡¯s restaurant seems really busy!¡± Zhang Luyu eximed. ¡°It¡¯s not too bad at night, but lunchtimes are pretty hectic because we¡¯re really strapped for time,¡± Jiang Feng replied seriously, ncing at his phone. It was already six o¡¯clock, and they had at most half an hour before they could reach the ce. By six-thirty, there probably wouldn¡¯t be a table free. He called Ji Yue and asked her to hold a table for them. It took over twenty seconds for her to answer, indicating the restaurant was indeed very busy. ¡°Hello, Jiang Feng. Have you finished yourpetition? Wu Minqi was back ages ago; why aren¡¯t you here yet? The ce is going crazy,¡±ined Ji Yue. ¡°Business is that good today?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised. Itwasn¡¯t a holiday or anything. What was going on today? ¡°Did you forget? This morning, your dad cooked five Dezhou braised chickens, right? They all sold out before 5 p.m., with people going mad lining up to reserve them. I even saw that damn old Filipinady again. Some olddies are reserving two or three chickens at a time. The pot¡¯s only so big; how many can we make in a day? The line¡¯s stretched out to a month from now ¨C my hand¡¯s sore from taking down all the orders,¡± Ji Yueined. Of course, Jiang Feng knew. The spices for the failed batch he had been handling were dumped, but the ones Jiang Weiming mixed were still there. Jiang Jiankang thought it was a waste not to use such good spices, so that morning, they had prepared six chickens ¨C one boneless for the family and five others that could be boiled for three to four hours before they were ready. Mrs. Wang Xiulian boldly priced them aggressively at 198 yuan each, and to their surprise, they sold like hotcakes. ¡°Sorry for the trouble. Eat up tonight,¡± Jiang Feng said sheepishly. ¡°Are there any tables left? Can you reserve a table for six? I just finished thepetition, and some friends I met want toe to the restaurant to eat. I¡¯ll be there soon, in half an hour tops.¡± ¡°Yeah, hurry back. Okay, so the reservations for Dezhou braised chicken are now a month out, right? One chicken, is it? Alright, please wait while I take note of that. I can¡¯t talk more now; youe back quickly,¡± hurriedly said Ji Yue as she hung up. When Jiang Feng finished his call and tried to rejoin their conversation, he found that the topic had shifted to the recent hit TV series. Ever since he got saddled with this lousy game, Jiang Feng had been cut off from the usual college student entertainment: anime, TV dramas, games, and music were virtually untouched by him now. Only asionally would he pick up some gossip from the ss group chat or social media. Jiang Feng listened for a bit, but couldn¡¯t understand the conversation and had no way to chime in. So, he simply yed the listener. They talked about one TV drama¡¯s soaring viewership, another¡¯s dismal failure, a female lead¡¯s botched nose job, a male star being cklisted, and someone¡¯s crumbling public persona. When it came to gossip, even though Zhang Luyu was a good talker, he couldn¡¯t outpace Wang Suli and Guo Mengting. Jiang Feng found their stories utterly captivating, devouring one juicy piece of news after another. The brief twenty minutes passed quickly, and Jiang Feng led them to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Ji Yue had reserved a table for them. Jiang Feng asked them to order first, while he went to help in the kitchen. The wall was stered with a menu consisting of seventy or eighty dishes ¨C enough selection to throw someone with decision paralysis into half an hour of dithering over just what to eat. Upon entering the kitchen, Jiang Feng saw the two elder gentlemen engrossed in their selection of spices, with Jiang Weiming sniffing a piece of cinnamon intently. ¡°My boy, what brings you back?¡± Jiang Jiankang was surprised to see Jiang Feng walk in. Jiang Weiguo nced at him, his face a canvas of resignation seemingly concluding his son was a lost cause. He then turned to Jiang Feng, asking, ¡°Did you advance to the next round?¡± ¡°I advanced,¡± said Jiang Feng, donning an apron to start helpingout. Jiang Weiguo nodded, continuing to sift through the spices. ¡°Dad, why are grandpa and Granduncle Weiming picking out spices?¡± Jiang Feng nced at the orders, preparing to make fish-fragrant eggnts. ¡°Our Dezhou braised chicken sold extremely well today. Your mom and I are nning to add two more stoves in the kitchen just for cooking those chickens,¡± Jiang Jiankang exined excitedly. ¡°Son, why didn¡¯t you tell me you advanced when I called you? You had me worried for nothing.¡± ¡°Dad, you hung up too quickly. I was about to tell you,¡± replied Jiang Feng, sizing up the kitchen that already housed six stoves and could indeed amodate two more. ¡°What did you make today?¡± asked Wu Minqi. ¡°Eggnt and green beans in garlic sauce,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Mapo tofu,¡± Wu Minqi answered, lifting her wok off the stove with a frown. ¡°They only gave me eight red cards, and I barely used a handful of Sichuan peppercorns.¡± Jiang Feng nced at Wu Minqi¡¯s fiery red wok. Giving you eight red cards was already quite generous. The way you¡¯re throwing in chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, who could handle that? Chapter 130 - 129: Unexpected Operation Chapter 130: Chapter 129: Unexpected Operation Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng had finished the order in his hand, and Ji Yue came in with a new order, posting it directly on the wall in front of Jiang Feng, saying, ¡°The order from the table you brought in, Banana Cranberry, room temperature Sour Plum Drink, two cups of milk tea. Eight Treasure Tofu, Fish-vored Shredded Pork, Braised Prawns, Marinated Deli tter, and White Fungus and Lotus Seed Soup.¡± ¡°You brought in the guests?¡± Wu Minqi looked up, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the Fish-vored Shredded Pork, and there¡¯s ready-made White Fungus and Lotus Seed Soup in the pot with the blue sticker.¡± ¡°I just met them during thepetition. Since when have we had a deli tter?¡± Jiang Feng was astonished, feeling somehow that Wu Minqi now had more control over the kitchen than he did. ¡°Selling on behalf of the marinated food store next door. Your mom negotiated the deal; we take a 20% cut,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. Jiang Feng:¡­ Mrs. Wang Xiulian was truly a business prodigy. Jiang Feng first went to make the juice. The Banana Cranberry needed to be made with yogurt, mixed with a bit of cream, blending the banana, yogurt, cream, and cranberry juice together. The final product was a milky white color dotted with the distinctive rose hue of the cranberry juice. Because of the banana, it was quite thick, the unique sour-sweetness of the cranberry juice coupled with the sweet fragrance of the banana, and the cream acting as a smooth interlude¡ªthe taste and texture were both quite remarkable. Ji Yue carried four drinks out, and when she arrived at Zhang Luyu¡¯s table, she felt the atmosphere was a bit strange. A moment ago, the group had been chatting happily, but now they were as silent as chickens, and a boy at the next table kept ncing over. ¡°Here are your drinks.¡± Ji Yue ced the Banana Cranberry in front of Wang Suli, the Sour Plum Drink to Zhang Luyu, and the two milk teas for Guo Mengting and Ye Shi respectively. Just as she was about to leave, Wang Suli called her over softly. ¡°Sister, could we move to another table?¡± Wang Suli asked. Ji Yue smiled, ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t have any other free tables right now. Is there a problem with this one?¡± ¡°No, no, I was just asking,¡± Wang Suli said, lowering her head. Ji Yue had just walked away when Zhang Luyu couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer, turning to the boy who was staring at their table and said, ¡°Hey, buddy, could you stop staring at us? You¡¯re kind of giving me the chills.¡± The boy gave Zhang Luyu aplicated look and shifted his gaze away. ¡°What¡¯s with this guy?¡± Zhang Luyu muttered. ¡°That¡­ he¡¯s my ex-boyfriend,¡± Wang Suli said with mixed emotions. Zhang Luyu:¡­ ¡°He¡­ seems to have misunderstood something¡­¡± Zhang Luyu:¡­ ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t know him anyway.¡± Zhang Luyu, nonchnt, took a big sip of the Sour Plum Drink. ¡°Damn, this is delicious. This Sour Plum Drink is way better than the ones you buy at the supermarket!¡± Zhang Luyu eximed. ¡°They make their own Sour Plum Drink here. I used to drink it often and loved it. It¡¯s even better chilled on a hot day,¡± said Wang Suli, taking a small sip of the Banana Cranberry and looking satisfied. Ye Shi tasted the milk tea andughed, ¡°The milk tea is probably homemade too, no sharin added. It tastes pure.¡± ¡°My daughter loves those messy milk teas they sell outside; it¡¯s all sharin, but no matter what I say, she won¡¯t listen,¡± Guo Mengtingined, not touching the milk tea. She hardly drank store-bought beverages after getting married and had only ordered the milk tea because she saw many others in the restaurant ordering it. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Wu Minqi had finished making the Fish-vored Shredded Pork, and Jiang Feng caught a glimpse and inwardly cursed. Wu Minqi had finely chopped the scallions, ginger, and garlic for the aroma, and Jiang Feng remembered hearing Wang Suli on the subway saying she didn¡¯t eat ginger. The dish was evenly stir-fried, with the ginger and garlic clinging to the surface of the carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and pork loin. Wang Suli definitely couldn¡¯t eat it. ¡°Minqi, could you stir-fry another serving but don¡¯t mince the ginger this time? I forgot to remind you that someone at that table doesn¡¯t eat ginger. Leave this te here for now,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Minqi went to fetch ingredients to fry another dish. Wu Minqi was quick at cooking, and by the time she finished the second dish, Jiang Feng¡¯s Eight Treasures Tofu was just out of the pan. Jiang Feng carried both dishes out, where Ye Shi was exining the key points of West Lake Vinegar Fish. ¡°The genuine West Lake Vinegar Fish is rare now, and the sauce many stores mix is not right. In Hang City, only a few old stores have not changed their vor.¡± Jiang Feng ced the dishes on the table and casually asked, ¡°Professor Ye, are you from Hang City?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been over a decade since I left home, so I can only be considered half a Hang City local,¡± Professor Ye said with augh. The braised snacks tter and the white fungus and lotus seed soup were already on the table. Jiang Feng said, ¡°My dad is still making the Braised Prawns in Soy Sauce. This Eight Treasures Tofu is my work; I believe it¡¯s what you ordered, Professor Ye, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I ordered, so I must have a proper taste,¡± Ye Shi said, scooping up a spoonful. The Eight Treasures Tofu Jiang Feng made today consisted of delicate tofu, egg white, lily bulbs, lotus seeds, chicken, winter bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and diced ham sausage as ingredients. Its color was mainly white, the tofu was cut into small cubes, and the mushrooms and ham sausage were buried beneath the tofu and bamboo shoots, which looked even more tender after being thickened with cornstarch. The taste of the entire dish was just as it appeared, very light, delicate, and refreshing. In stark contrast was the spicy Fish-vored Shredded Pork that Wu Minqi cooked. She made a spicy version, adding pickled chili peppers she had brought specially from Shu¡ªit was definitely a unique take amid the predominantly sweet versions of Fish-vored Shredded Pork at UAL University. The dish looked spicy, with red chili oil staining the shredded pork and wood ear mushrooms, and the sauce underneath waspletely dyed red, packing a powerful punch. Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t dare to try it. ¡°Ah, I forgot to say no ginger,¡± said Wang Suli, noticing the Fish-vored Shredded Pork and feeling annoyed. ¡°You mentioned in the subway you don¡¯t eat ginger; I remember that. The ginger I added was in slices, not shreds. Oh, and this Fish-vored Shredded Pork might be too spicy; be careful when you eat it. I have to go now; several more delivery orders just came in.¡± After speaking briefly, Jiang Feng went back to the kitchen. ¡°Professor Ye, how is Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking? Is it authentic?¡± Zhang Luyu had a taste of the pork in the Eight Treasures Tofu and found it quite delicious, but since he preferred strong vors like braised pork, he wasn¡¯t too interested in these light, almost medicinal, dishes. ¡°There¡¯s no authentic standard for Eight Treasures Tofu; each restaurant has its own way of preparing it. It¡¯s authentic as long as you think it¡¯s delicious,¡± Ye Shi was very satisfied with the Eight Treasures Tofu, scooping up three spoonfuls in a row. ¡°Sss, this Fish-vored Shredded Pork is really spicy. I¡¯ve never eaten anything this spicy before,¡± Guo Mengting took a deep breath and hurriedly drank arge sip of milk tea, ¡°Hey, their milk tea is quite good too, very rich in taste.¡± The group was feasting on the various dishes on the table when Wang Suli¡¯s ex-boyfriend at the next table seemed to get restless. He started ncing over from time to time, looking hesitant and wanting to speak. Zhang Luyu, who was sitting beside Wang Suli, was feeling quite ufortable and could barely eat. He couldn¡¯t help himself and said, ¡°Buddy, if you have something to say, just say it. I¡¯m not her boyfriend. We just met in apetition and came out to eat together. Can you stop staring at us? It¡¯s making it hard for me to eat.¡± Wang Suli¡¯s ex-boyfriend had aplicated expression and finally spoke, ¡°Susu.¡± ¡°Call me by my full name,¡± Wang Suli said coldly. ¡°Wang Suli, do you¡­ know the owner of this ce?¡± her ex-boyfriend asked tentatively. Wang Suli¡¯s face remained cold. ¡°Can you ask the owner to move my reservation for Dezhou Braised Chicken to an earlier date?¡± Everyone:¡­ Wang Suli:¡­ ¡°Get lost.¡± ?? Chapter 131 - 130: Chicken Soup Chapter 131: Chapter 130: Chicken Soup Trantor: 549690339 By the time the kitchen crew was done, Zhang Luyu and her group had already left, and Guo Mengting packed up a portion of pine nut corn to take back for her daughter. Jiang Feng stretched his limbs as he came out from the kitchen and heard Mrs. Wang Xiulian on the phone with the poultry supplier, asking them to prepare a few more live chickens. As Ji Yue sat ying with her phone on a chair, she saw Jiang Fenge out and asked, ¡°When do we eat?¡± ¡°The shrimp just went into the pot, ten more minutes, I guess.¡± Jiang Feng went to the counter to get his phone and called Wang Hao, telling him to stop cking off under the guise of delivering orders and hurry back for the meal. This term was generally heavy with coursework, aside from Wang Hao and Liu Zixuan, the others hardly came to help out at the shop anymore. Xiulian had wanted to find another low-cost student worker, and even posted the part-time job information in the UAL University group, but then realized it wasn¡¯t necessary. One Ji Yue was worth two workers¡¯. After surviving a fierce battle with deadlines, it was as if Ji Yue had evolved. Not only had her drawing speed increased, but she also got faster at clearing tables and serving dishes. In fact, she made people question her professional background-it didn¡¯t seem like she was majoring in graphic design but rather in hotel service management. ¡°Oh right, weren¡¯t there a lot of people eliminated in yourpetition this afternoon?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°A 96% elimination rate, why do you ask?¡± Jiang Feng responded, knowing that Ji Yue wasn¡¯t really interested in the cooking contest. ¡°This afternoon, just before five, An Ling, the girl who can really hold her liquor, seemed to have been eliminated. She bought some kelp shreds next door and drank 3 bottles of erguotou in the shop.¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Was she drunk?¡± ¡°Drunk, she cried while she drank. I almost thought she had gone through a breakup. I was worried she wouldn¡¯t be able to walk back, so I apanied her to the bottom of her dorm building before returning.¡± Ji Yue shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not even her major, and it¡¯s just apetition, why take it so hard?¡± Jiang Feng was stunned. He suddenly remembered that he had once said the same thing to Chen Xiuxiu. Chen Xiuxiu had studied piano for seven years, mostly pushed by her father, simr to how Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking lessons were in his childhood. She wasn¡¯t interested in the piano, yed hooky for five out of seven years, and was always mediocre. In junior high, there was a local pianopetition in Zet City. She entered on a whim and made it to the top thirty before being brutally eliminated. The day she was eliminated, Chen Xiuxiu cried all afternoon. Jiang Feng had said back then, ¡°You were just an amateur, why take a mere contest so seriously?¡± What was Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s reply again? ¡°You¡¯ve been cooking for nearly ten years, and you consider yourself an amateur. If you were eliminated from a cookingpetition now, wouldn¡¯t you be upset? Who would learn something for so many years if they didn¡¯t like it?¡± Back then, Jiang Feng had confidently answered that he definitely wouldn¡¯t be upset; he felt like he would never be involved in cooking again in his life and didn¡¯t have much affection for learning how to cook either. Wu Minqi came out of the kitchen with dishes: ¡°Mr. Jiang said eat in five minutes.¡± ¡°Minqi, do you like cooking?¡± Jiang Feng asked out of nowhere. ¡°I do.¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°Since you were a child?¡± ¡°Not really. As a kid, I was forced by my dad and grandfather. Who likes being locked in the kitchen practicing knifework as a child? Did you like it as a child?¡± Wu Minqi smiled nostalgically, ¡°As a kid, of course I preferred ying. I was especially envious of my ssmates who didn¡¯t have to be cooped up in the kitchen learning how to cook. I remember my cousin and I once pretended to be sick with the same excuse, and when my grandfather found out, he beat us good. After that, we never dared again and earnestly learned cooking in the kitchen.¡± ¡°And then?¡± Ji Yue¡¯s interest was piqued, ¡°Is your cousin as good a cook as you?¡± ¡°He studied for a few years but stopped after starting junior high. He didn¡¯t really have a talent for it. Only my third cousin and I were the ones with talent in my family. My third cousin didn¡¯t go to college and now works as an assistant to my father in the shop.¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°I only started to like culinary arts after my dad asked me to help out in the store when I was in middle school,¡¯ ¡°Huh?¡± Ji Yue didn¡¯t understand. ¡°I didn¡¯t like learning cooking, but I loved hearing customers praise my dishes,¡± Wu Minqi said, ¡°My grandfather told me when I first started learning that receivingpliments from customers is the greatest honor for a chef. Back then, I was preparing cold dishes, which were essentially just ting, and I felt as if they were my own creations. I¡¯d go up to the customers and ask if they liked the cold dishes I made. It¡¯s quite funny thinking about it now. I insisted on asking each of them if it was good, and I wouldn¡¯t stop until everyone said it was delicious. Later on, my grandfather scolded me well for that.¡± ¡°You were that vain in middle school?¡± Ji Yue couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because my father and grandfather rarely praised me when I was learning to cook. I just wanted some praise back then,¡± Wu Minqi admitted, somewhat embarrassed, ¡°Actually, my grandfather was right. A chef¡¯s greatest glory is indeed the praise of the customers. I like cooking because I like being praised by others, whether I can hear it or not, it always makes me happy.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll praise you every day from now on,¡± Ji Yue said with a smile, ¡°Jiang Feng, what about you? You must have also started cooking from a young age.¡± ¡°Pretty much. Originally, my grandfather forced me to learn, but then I stopped to focus on the middle school exams,¡± Jiang Feng said. If it hadn¡¯t been for the game, he would have been just helping out with cleaning, collecting money, and setting tables in the store, rather than helping out in the kitchen as he is now. ¡°Did you also like being praised by others like Minqi?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°I¡­¡± Jiang Feng was about to say he wasn¡¯t like that, but the words got stuck as they reached his lips. ¡°Feng, dinner¡¯s ready, go help your mom with serving the rice!¡± Jiang Jiankang came out of the kitchen, carrying a dish of braised prawns. Wang Hao arrived just in time for dinner, a look of relief on his face: ¡°Ah, I made it, I made it!¡± He said this as he took the delivery box to the kitchen. As Jiang Feng was serving the rice, he was a bit distracted; he had just realized that he did like being praised by others. Whether it was making smashed cucumbers for Chen Xiuxiu or cooking y pot pork rib rice in his dormitory during his freshman and sophomore years, he was seeking praise from others. Making a y pot pork rib rice in the dormitory was such a hassle, with buying groceries, washing vegetables, prepping the meat; it took a long time, especially since it was usually Wang Hao who wanted it, not him. What he liked was the pride he felt from being praised and the satisfaction of having his cooking acknowledged by others, wasn¡¯t it? Jiang Feng suddenly realized that he did enjoy being a chef. He loathed the grueling process of practicing his cooking skills, but he relished the results of that hard work. He had spent ten years learning to cook, aiming for the praise of customers, not the satisfaction of Sir. Jiang Feng carried three bowls of rice over to the table and sat down to eat with ease. ¡°What made you suddenly think to ask that just now?¡± Wu Minqi, sitting beside him, inquired. ¡°Nothing much, I just realized that I actually quite like culinary arts,¡± Jiang Feng replied. Wu Minqi gave him a look: ¡°Of course, you like it, ¡°If you didn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have learned it so well..¡¯ Chapter 133 - 132 Egg with Greens Chapter 133: Chapter 132 Egg with Greens Trantor: 549690339 Shanshui za could be considered thergest za in n City, and every evening it was upied by square-dancing aunties. The spacious area allowed these aunties from different regions of the za to belong to various factions, forming distinct formations. An unsuspecting passerby walking from one end of the za to the other would hear at least five different tunes¡ªfrom the traditional old song ¡°Above the Moon¡± to the once-popr ¡°The morous Ethnic Style¡± and the recently rising hit ¡°The Winding Road of Love.¡± n City¡¯s square dance enthusiasts could all find a spot here to call their own. At other times, it was rtively quiet. asionally, the city would organize events, or businesses would rent the space for singing and dancingpetitions. With 119 contestants in the second round of the preliminaries, the organizers, intending to finish in one go, found Shanshui za to be an excellent venue for the event. Jiang Feng was also relieved that thepetition venue was finally not in the suburbs. UAL University¡¯s location was already quite remote, and for the previous two rounds, he had to travel from one remote suburb to another. It took three hours on the road for a one-hourpetition; half the day was spent just in transit. Shanshui za, on the other hand, was much closer¡ªessible directly by subway, without the need to transfer, and just about twenty minutes away. Traveling light, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even carry a bag. He simply pocketed his ID card and entry pass and set off with Wu Minqi. By the time they arrived, Shanshui za was already buzzing with excitement, crowded with a sea of people. Aside from contestants and their families, everyone else was there for the spectacle. Being a weekday, the onlookers were mostly elderly men and women. It was a stroke of genius for the organizers to choose a weekday for thepetition, otherwise, the number of spectators would have multiplied several times over, and contestants wouldn¡¯t even be able to squeeze in. The event staff, a youngdy, stood directly on a table by the entrance, holding an electronic megaphone with an amplifier, and shouted, ¡°Competitors, please enter here! Everyone else, please do not block the entrance. Let thepetitors in first. Contestants must enter before eight-thirty! Competitors, please enter here! Other people, please do not block the entrance. Contestants please¡­¡± Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi:¡­ ¡°It seems¡­ we can¡¯t get in.¡± Jiang Fengmented. It was all elderly men and women. He didn¡¯t dare to push through them. ¡°Young man, are you here to watch thepetition too?¡± asked an elderly gentleman with strong teeth, holding a stale but seemingly golden, crispy, and tantalizing fried dough stick from the ditch oil vendor, as he curiously inquired of Jiang Feng, who lingered on the outskirts of the crowd. ¡°¡­I, I¡¯m here topete.¡± ¡°Compete?¡± The old man perked up instantly, mustering all his energy, he yelled at those ahead, ¡°Make way, make way! Don¡¯t dy this young man¡¯spetition. Let the young contestant in first!¡± Hearing this, an auntie in front immediately pulled her husband aside, ¡°Did you hear that? Let the contestant in first, what crowd are you joining? Can you even see anything?¡± As her husband was dragged out of the way, he also raised his voice and shouted to those in front, ¡°Stop pushing, let the young contestants in first!¡± ¡°Stop pushing, make way, make way!¡± ¡°Let the contestants in first!¡± ¡°People in the front, make way!¡± In just one short minute, the onlookers¡ªeager to watch the excitement¡ªopened up a path to the entrance for Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. Not only was Jiang Feng, who was not so worldly, taken aback, even the seasoned Wu Minqi was a bit stunned. This kind of preferential treatment, typically reserved for protagonists, would normally follow a standard script in an idol drama: They would just need to walk with a breeze, strike a cool pose, maintain a distant expression, the camera would pull back and slow down, and the background music would start just in time as the surrounding crowd cheered and screamed. Looking around at the aunties and uncles, Jiang Feng snapped back to reality. ncing at his watch, it was almost twenty past, Jiang Feng said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s almost twenty past.¡± The two of them walked briskly towards the entrance. Walk with a breeze, pose cool, and keep a cold expression on your face. ¡°Look at that young guy, he¡¯s so nervous his face is stiff.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Once they got inside, Jiang Feng was still number 13, Wu Minqi was number 39, and their spots were far apart. Holding his number, Jiang Feng was flooded with emotions, thirteen again, he must have some fate with this number. On the cooking station, there were only spices and seasonings, no ingredients, but there were pen and paper. Most of the participants had already arrived, and outside, a dense crowd had gathered to cheer or just to watch the spectacle, all staring at thepetitors inside. Jiang Feng¡¯s position was at the end of a row with twelve people, so being watched by so many made him a bit nervous. Soon, it was time to close the entrance, and no one waste. The staff somehow managed to bring in plenty of stic chairs for the elders to sit and enjoy the show. The grandpa who was eating a youtiao squeezed to the front and, seeing Jiang Feng, cheerfully shouted, ¡°Young man, go for it!¡± Still full of vigor. ¡°Hey hey, I can hear you, good.¡± The organizer¡¯s equipment had been upgraded too, from loudspeakers to microphones, ¡°Everyone, please, I¡¯d ask the audience outside to quiet down a bit. Thepetition is about to start, and loud noises might affect the performance of the contestants. Please cooperate, thank you.¡± The onlookers outsideplied and quieted down. ¡°Dear contestants, first of all, I would like to congratte you on sessfully advancing to the second round of the preliminaries! As per ourpetition format, sixteen contestants from this round will move on. They will thenpete with contestants who have also made it into the top 32 from the other three regions for the championship of the Good Taste Culinary Contest. Likewise, today¡¯s preliminaries will be exclusively live-streamed by Somewhere Live, and all seasonings are sponsored exclusively by Good Taste.¡± ¡°First off, let me introduce the rules for today¡¯spetition. You have one hour and thirty minutes, and the use of eggs is mandatory, but the rest of the ingredients are unrestricted. Each row has three staff members. Contestants, please write down the ingredients you need on the list and hand it to the staff. However, due to budget constraints, we may not be able to provide some ingredients. We ask for your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask the staff in your row.¡± ¡°There are thirteen judges in total for thispetition. The scoring will be the same as thest round, with ten public judges and three professional judges. I believe some of the contestants will be familiar with these professional judges as they were the same as in thest preliminary round. Please rest assured of their expertise. Due to time constraints, I won¡¯t introduce them one by one. Just like thest time, the judges will taste and score in sequential order.¡± ¡°From now until 9 o¡¯clock is the time for you to list your ingredients; you can start now.¡± The staffdy put down the microphone. Jiang Feng checked his watch, 8:37, leaving him 23 minutes to decide what dish to prepare. From 119 to 16, the elimination rate was still very high. If a contestant was counting on luck and aimed for speed by making something simple like fried or steamed eggs, it would probably be a very ugly defeat. A dish with eggs! Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want to make something too homely like stir-fried eggs with chili. Everyone who had made it this far was basically a professional chef, apart from a few who had lucked through. The rest were quite skilled. What dish should he make? *Jiang Feng: Could everyone please give Feng a little face and stop upvoting Da Hua! 1 1- Chapter 134 - 133: Egg Tofu Chapter 134: Chapter 133: Egg Tofu Trantor: 549690339 Eggs are an indispensable ingredient on the dining tables of the rabbits in China, and they¡¯re also one of the mostmonly consumed foods among humans. High in nutrition, every 100 grams of eggs contains 12.8 grams of protein, including all 8 essential amino acids necessary for the human body, very simr to theposition of human protein. The yolk is rich in lecithin, sterols, vitellin, and also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, and Bplex vitamins, significantly benefiting the nervous system, which is why eggs are also an excellent brain food. Therefore, there¡¯s scientific basis for the mystical perfect-score breakfast of a sausage and two eggs that mothers make for their kids before exams. Jiang Feng knows how to cook a variety of egg dishes, from stir-fried eggs with hot peppers, chives, onions, to an array of world-mix egg stir-fry dishes, various egg drop soups, boiled eggs, steamed eggs, fried eggs, and marinated eggs¡ªhe can make them with ease. But he wanted to prepare a dish that was slightly moreplex, one that would demonstrate difficulty without being too time-consuming. Jiang Feng turned his head to see if Wu Minqi had any clues and found that she had already picked up a pen and started making a list. Then he looked around; some were deep in thought, some held pens but didn¡¯t make any move, and some stopped the staff to ask questions. With sharp ears, Jiang Feng heard the male contestant No. 20 behind him ask the staff. ¡°Would using Japanese tofu count as an egg dish?¡± ¡°Sorry, due to thepetition rules, we didn¡¯t prepare Japanese tofu.¡± Tofu! Jiang Feng instantly perked up. What was histest specialty dish? Babao tofu! It was a sell-out at the restaurant, and he had to make twenty or thirty tes of it every day. Even though they were simplified versions, he could also make theplete version, and most importantly¡ªhe knew how to make egg tofu! Japanese tofu is made from eggs, called tofu, yet fundamentally not tofu because it contains no soy at all. It¡¯s simply a different kind of egg custard. The egg tofu Jiang Feng nned to make relied on steaming, as silky-smooth as tender tofu, just slightly more yellow, with a taste even better than tender tofu. Using it to make Babao tofu would not be out of ce at all. Jiang Feng raised his hand, and a staff member came over upon noticing. ¡°Hello, Mr. Jiang, do you have a question?¡± the staff member asked. ¡°Do you have soaked soybeans?¡± Jiang Feng asked. If the organizers didn¡¯t provide pre-soaked soybeans, his Babao egg tofu would not be possible. ¡°Yes, we do, soaked overnight, is that okay?¡± asked the staff member. ¡°Do you have cling film?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in the cab at your lower left.¡± ¡°Do I need to specify the quantities when listing the ingredients?¡± ¡°No need, we will prepare the ingredients for two servings of the dish, and you can add more if necessary.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, I don¡¯t have any other questions.¡± The staff member smiled, nodded, and left. Jiang Feng began listing the ingredients. Eggs,rge soybeans soaked overnight, dried baby shrimp, green peas, carrot, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, sausage, and chicken thigh meat. After ncing at the list and confirming it, Jiang Feng sighed at his ugly handwriting. If he advanced, won the championship, and acquired little fangirls who asked for his autograph, how on earth could he show his terrible handwriting? With a minor predicament on his mind, he raised his hand again and handed the list to the staff member. The staff member looked at the list and said, ¡°Mr. Jiang, the shrimp we prepared is dried shrimp, is that okay?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Okay, please wait a moment, we will deliver the ingredients to you before 9 o¡¯clock.¡± The staff member handed the list to another colleague. Jiang Feng raised his hand to check his watch, 8:47, thirteen minutes left. He looked around; everyone was starting to make their lists. Many were tense and anxious. Only a few, like him, had finished their lists. He turned around and met Wu Minqi¡¯s gaze. Wu Minqi nodded at him with a slight smile, then lowered her head to smell the seasoning. Jiang Feng:¡­ He thought Wu Minqi¡¯s smile just now was especially official. More official than the staff themselves. Turning his gaze away, Jiang Feng stopped sending off the vibe of a salted fish, as the staff brought over the ingredients he had requested. The quantity was indeed generous. Not just one portion of Babao Tofu, but enough for three was no problem. Thepetition hadn¡¯t started yet, so he couldn¡¯t begin cooking, but looking was allowed. Jiang Feng first grabbed a handful of soybeans, then checked the dried shrimp, examining each ingredient one by one, finally turning to the chicken leg meat. It was genuine traditional feed chicken thigh meat. Luckily, it was chilled, not frozen chicken. The ingredients couldn¡¯t be called top-notch, but they were not bad either. They wouldn¡¯t be the highlight of the dish, but neither would they hold it back. At nine o¡¯clock sharp, thepetition began. Almost instantly, all contestants sprang into action. One hundred and neen participants had to ensure quality while maintaining speed. If anyone harbored thoughts like Guo Mengting¡¯s ¡°If I¡¯m slow, might as well take my time,¡± they would only be greeted by the judges¡¯ burps mixed with various food scents. Jiang Feng had already taken out the kitchen utensils he needed from the cab. He started by filling a steamer with water to boil, while blending the soybeans with water in the soy milk machine to make soy milk. While the soy milk was being made, he cracked two eggs into a bowl, whisked them, and strained them twice. He also strained the soy milk twice, then mixed equal parts of egg and soy milk, and strained again. Straining was the key to achieving a smooth and delicate texture for the egg tofu. Jiang Feng poured the mix, which had been strained several times, into a bowl and covered it with stic wrap. By then, the water in the steamer had boiled. Jiang Feng ced the bowl into the steamer to steam on medium heat and began preparing the other ingredients. Besides the chicken, which needed to be diced in its entirety, the more uniform the dice of the rest of the ingredients, the better. The simr-sized and shaped colorful cubesid out together were like a blessing for anyone with OCD. As a cook with advanced knifework skills, Jiang Feng¡¯s speed in processing the ingredients was incredibly fast. In Wang Hao¡¯s usual writing style, it would be described as Jiang Feng picking up the knife like a swordsman gripping his beloved sword. Before even making a move, a connection had already formed between them, making onlookers suspicious. His grip seemed odd, not like the way amon chef would hold a knife. Indeed, the way Jiang Feng held the knife was the Jiang Family¡¯s secret skill, the legendary culinary mystery long lost to history¡ªJiang¡¯s Star de Skill! And then, he moved. A glint of cold steel was the first to appear, followed by the swift emergence of the de, like a dragon, agile and fluid over the chopping board. His hands moved so fast that onlookers could only see the afterimages, gasping in awe. As the saying goes,ypeople watch the excitement, professionals see the subtleties. Fellowpetitors stopped their work to watch Jiang Feng intently. At that moment, positioned at the edge, he seemed like the center of it all, exuding a confident andmanding presence, dazzlingly brilliant, like the sun or a night sky filled with stars. While the crowd was still in a daze, Jiang Feng had already made his final cut. Faintly, it seemed as though the sounds of dragons and phoenixes were emanating from his knife, with light shining, as if stars were scattering around him. In that moment, he was the center of the universe, and the vast earth paled inparison, more eye-catching than the stars, more radiant than the sun! After a while, someone eximed, ¡°Jiang¡¯s Star de Skill truly lives up to its reputation.¡± Jiang Feng suddenly paused in his chicken cutting. Why had he suddenly thought of Wang Hao¡¯stest update fromst night? Is there some damned magic in those silly novels? He had actually started to see himself as the protagonist, using Jiang¡¯s Star de Skill. Shaking his head, Jiang Feng forced himself to stop thinking about ¡°My Roommate Who Got the Pig¡¯s Feet Script¡± and focused on cutting the vegetables. Jiang¡¯s Star de Skill, huh? Why not go all out and im Lushan Rising Dragon Fist? Chapter 135 - 134: Conscience of the Industry Chapter 135: Chapter 134: Conscience of the Industry Trantor: 549690339 While chopping the chicken meat, Jiang Feng faintly smelled the aroma emanating from the steamer, and upon lifting the lid, indeed, it was almost ready. He poked a row of tiny holes in the stic wrap with a toothpick, then put the lid back on the pot and continued to steam over low heat. Chopping chicken meat into mince requires patience, the finer the better. Though using a food processor to grind it is also feasible, the texture of minced chicken achieved with a knife is naturally better than what is pounded out. The tofu wasn¡¯t ready yet, Jiang Feng still had time. Only twenty minutes had passed and no one had finished; there was no need for Jiang Feng to be overly nervous. After chopping finely for another five minutes, the steamed egg tofu was ready to be taken out of the pot. Jiang Feng set the bowl of tofu aside to cool off, added a little oil to the pan, and began to stir-fry the chicken meat. While stir-frying the chicken, he added green onions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then quickly scooped out the big chunks of ginger and garlic, added the rest of the ingredients into the pot, and stir-fried them on medium heat. He added a little water, covered the pot, and waited for the water to boil on low heat. Jiang Feng saw that someone had already finished. He flipped the bowl upside down onto the cutting board and cut the egg tofu into even cubic chunks, discarding the corners. Jiang Feng ced the pale yellow and somewhat springy egg tofu onto a te, quietly waiting for the pot¡¯s broth to boil. In less than two minutes, the broth in the pot began to boil. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t added much water because too much would turn the eight-treasure tofu into a soup. He poured the egg tofu into the pot, seasoned it, and thickened the sauce all in one go. The dish was out of the pot, and Jiang Feng casually observed that fewer than ten people had finished. He had ample time to arrange the presentation. After twopetitions, Jiang Feng¡¯s ting skills had improved significantly. Besides, when the store wasn¡¯t busy, he would also get bored and practice ting the eight-treasure tofu, so his movements were naturally very skillful. Since it was served in a bowl, the area for ting wasn¡¯t veryrge. He buried all the carrot granules at the bottom, moved all the peas to form a circle around the edge of the bowl, with mushrooms forming a circle inside the peas, ham sausage within the mushrooms, chicken inside the ham sausage, and tofu as the centerpiece, creating a sense of depth. Lastly, he stirred with chopsticks, allowing for a certain degree of blending between the colors. Jiang Feng looked at the bowl of eight-treasure egg tofu with satisfaction andplimented himself. What a work of art! Then he raised his hand to indicate that he had finished. A staff member took the dish to the judges and pointed Jiang Feng in the direction where he should wait for the results. The resting area was behind the square fountain, and because it was blocked by the fountain, thepetition area was not visible. Jiang Feng noticed that the crowd of onlookers outside the venue had greatly diminished. The elder who had been eating the deep-fried dough sticks had already left. After all, cooking, unlike singing and dancing, doesn¡¯t have a high viewership or entertainment value. Without the edits, staging, narration, and passionate background music of a television broadcast, cooking isn¡¯t all that interesting to watch. Wherever one watches, it¡¯s the same as going home and watching one¡¯s own mother cook. Of course, if the chef is particrly handsome like Zhang Guanghang, 1.92 meters tall, with long legs, French-Chinese mixed heritage, young and wealthy, that would be a different story. Watching such a chef¡¯spetition is no different from watching a ¡®Boss¡¯ idol drama; imagining oneself as the female lead makes it even better. Mineral water was avable in the resting area, along with a row of chairs. At first nce, there seemed to be quite a lot¡ªseventy or eighty¡ªbut there were only nine people. Wu Minqi was there too, wearing headphones and seemingly watching TV. Noticing Jiang Feng¡¯s arrival, Wu Minqi put away her phone, took off her headphones, and asked, ¡°What did you make that took so long?¡± ¡°Eight-treasure tofu. The tofu was made on the spot. About how many people finished before me?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Not sure, I just finished too, right before you. The results aren¡¯t out yet.¡± Wu Minqi replied, ¡°I made Dragon Dumplings.¡¯1 ¡°They have dumpling wrappers?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised that Wu Minqi would make Dragon Dumplings. ¡°No, but they provided fermented dough. I originally wanted to make the spicy-oil version, but the prepared chili oil wasn¡¯t good, so I made the clear soup version instead,¡± Wu Minqi exined, ¡°I remember you didn¡¯t get to eat authentic Dragon Dumplings over the winter break. When we go back, I¡¯ll make some for you. The chili oil my mom sent me just arrived.¡± Considering the amount of chili and Sichuan pepper that Wu Minqi usually puts into her cooking, Jiang Feng roughly estimated the spiciness and numbness level of her family¡¯s chili oil, and very prudently declined, ¡°No, thanks, I¡¯ve been having some stomach issues recently and can¡¯t handle anything too spicy.¡± ¡°The oil-sshed hot sauce from my house isn¡¯t spicy,¡± Minqi dered. Jiang Feng certainly didn¡¯t believe her nonsense, she had described the boiled fish that made him cry from spice in the same wayst time, he didn¡¯t believe a punctuation mark of the Shu people¡¯s nonsense about spiciness! Jiang Feng maintained a serious expression, his attitude firm, ¡°Even if it¡¯s not spicy, I think it¡¯s better for me to eat less spicy foodtely.¡± Seeing his resolve, Wu Minqi could only give up, ¡°Then I¡¯ll make it for you when your stomach feels better.¡± After saying that, she took out her phone, put in her earphones, and continued watching her TV drama. ¡°Is contestant number 39, Wu Minqi, here?¡± A staff member came over, smiling, and after Minqi raised her hand, walked over to her and congratted her warmly, ¡°Congrattions, ten red cards, please wait patiently for your score.¡± The few people in the rest area all looked toward Wu Minqi, she nodded to the staff member and said thanks, then went back to watching her drama. Jiang Feng sat next to her browsing forums and overheard her mutter, ¡°These Dragon Dumplings are not as good as Mapo Tofu.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Wang Hao had updated again; his posting frequency was already higher than that of many online writers, and he had a considerable reader base, with incessant activity in his posts every day, he even had fan groups. Jiang Feng, wanting to read thetest update, could only click to view the posts by the author in reverse order, he quickly skimmed thetest post, which was about the protagonist making fried golden eggnts in the preliminaries. Leave the eggnts alone, they¡¯re just purple children, Wang Hao¡¯s writing had turned the eggnts into a different color altogether. Jiang Feng read thetest update with feigned disapproval but genuine interest, it wasn¡¯t much, and he finished in two minutes, right as the staff member came in: ¡°Is contestant number 13, Jiang Feng, here?¡± Jiang Feng raised his hand. ¡°Congrattions, nine red cards, please wait patiently for your score,¡± the staff member said. Nine red cards was actually a good result, Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t expecting first ce, just hoping to advance, but there was a question on his mind for several minutes now, and he really wanted to ask the staff member. ¡°Hello, could you tell me how you selected these ten public judges?¡± Jiang Feng asked. The audiences in the first two contests were mixed with both young and old, but this time they were all young people, he didn¡¯t believe the organizers picked them randomly. The staff member didn¡¯t expect Jiang Feng to ask this and answered with a smile, ¡°Quite simple, the requirements are high, they can eat, and they¡¯re not picky eaters.¡± Jiang Feng was at a loss for words. The organizers were really considerate, huh! They actually went out of their way to find ten people with hearty appetites. A paragon of integrity in the industry! *As an author with such integrity in the industry, how dare you use me of fluff Chapter 136 - 135: Top 32 (Extra for the Alliance Hierarch of That Stealing Moon Night!) Chapter 136: Chapter 135: Top 32 (Extra for the Alliance Hierarch of That Stealing Moon Night!) Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng continued browsing the forum. Most of the story-weaving posts weren¡¯t updated anymore, for two reasons:ck of poprity, and the protagonists of the stories had been eliminated, rendering the continuation unnecessary. Posts like Wang Hao¡¯s, spinning an oundish tale with elements fused from various thrilling novels and the protagonist yet not eliminated, were unique. Jiang Feng even saw a thread exclusively dedicated to analyzing who the male lead in ¡°My Roommate Who Got the Pig¡¯s Feet Script¡± actually was. Fortunately, Wang Hao¡¯s writing was bizarre and far-fetched enough that most people thought the poster was just making things up, the protagonist either already eliminated or never existing; the author was simply looking for a ce to write fiction. Jiang Feng read these posts with relief, donning an alternate ount to join the fray and steer the conversation. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I also think that the poster of that thread is just fabricating stories.¡± ¡®Tm really looking forward to what the second round of the prelims will be like!¡± ¡°Do you think a rich sidekick of the protagonist will appear to clear away those who try to trip him up?¡± After a series of clever maniptions, the direction of the thread waspletely diverted, turning from analysis to a discussion on potential plots. During the time Jiang Feng was scheming to set the rhythm, numerous contestants had trickled into the lounge, many directly eliminated. About thirty people remained here; thepetition had already been going on for over fifty minutes. Jiang Feng had no idea how many contestants were stillpeting, but considering so much time had passed, whether the remaining participants could secure eight or more red cards depended on just how much the ten ordinary judges could eat. The newly arrived had mostly eight red cards, only three people had nine, and none had ten. Wu Minqi, the ten-card honcho, was all along intently watching the TV, oblivious to what was happening outside and barely moving at all. The lounge was very quiet; without social butterflies like Zhang Luyu, there wasn¡¯t much interaction among the contestants. Apart from Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, no one was seated together, with at least one seat separating each person. Jiang Feng could even read the huge ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE BOTHER ME¡± written on their faces. ¡°Sigh,¡± Jiang Feng heaved a deep sigh. He actually wanted to watch that domineering CEO romance drama, but he didn¡¯t have a VIP pass, so he could only endure. The drama updated two episodes at midnight every day, andst night¡¯s plot left off exactly when the female lead was confessed to by a male colleague from her ownpany, only to be caught on the spot by the domineering CEO male lead. A brewing storm wasing, and the screenwriter¡¯s break at this cliffhanger was perfect. ¡°You, troubled by something?¡± Wu Minqi, having finished watching the TV drama, tilted her head to ask. ¡°No, I was just thinking about the plot of a drama I saw yesterday. I want to know how the male and female leads ended up,¡± Jiang Feng found it embarrassing to admit that he, a grown man, secretly enjoyed watching sharine and melodramatic CEO romances behind closed doors. ¡°Mr. Zou gets drunkte at night and is photographed by a third-rate female model stirring up a scandal, a bloody mess,¡± Wu Minqi said. Jiang Feng: (O))) ¡°I have VIP, do you want to watch on my phone?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°Actually, I only watch it with Ji Yue when I¡¯m free. I don¡¯t really watch this kind of drama, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m too bored now with nothing else to do,¡± Jiang Feng tried desperately to flounder. Wu Minqi quietly observed him. Jiang Feng understood the meaning in her eyes. Do you think I¡¯d believe that? After Jiang Feng finished an episode, there were still people who hadn¡¯tpleted their contest entries. People in the lounge started to get impatient, constantly going out to look at thepetition area from afar while incessantlyining. ¡°What¡¯s going on, how many people are left?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t see clearly, looks like about a dozen.¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s almost been an hour and a half, right? What¡¯s the point of dragging out thesest few minutes?¡± There were now a total of 34 contestants in the lounge, and everyone was clear that a few minutes remained before thepetition ended. Those left on the field were certainly out of luck, and the 16 advancing contestants would be born from their midst. It was just that they were too wound up at the moment and needed an excuse to vent andin. Three minutes left. The restless contestants in the lounge could no longer sit still and began pacing back and forth anxiously; those who were seated were also tense. ¡°Hey, can you stop pacing around? Your movement in front of me is so annoying!¡± A woman who looked to be about 25 or 26 years old snapped first. ¡°Big sister, your annoyance is your problem, why me me?¡± The 20-year-old young man she addressed now also had a short temper. ¡°Who are you calling big sister? Can¡¯t you speak properly?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s you who can¡¯t speak properly. You snap at people for no reason, have I offended you in any way?¡± The two were on the verge of arguing when they heard the sound of the microphone. ¡°The time for thepetition has ended. Could those who have not yetpleted their tasks please stop and leave the venue? We regret to inform you that you have been eliminated.¡± The air in the resting area seemed to be sucked out in an instant; the two who were about to quarrel were both choked up and suddenly went quiet. Those who were anxiously pacing around found ces to sit, though their restless hands and constantly moving feet revealed their tension. Judging by their expressions alone, everyone appeared calm. Jiang Feng was genuinely calm; he couldn¡¯t care less about thepetition scores at the moment. He was quite confident that advancing to the next round was almost certain for him. His only concern now was how that stupid screenwriter was going to develop the plot next; he felt as ufortable as a cat¡¯s paw scratching his heart for not having seen thest episode. Wu Minqi, as the only contestant to have received 10 red cards in thepetition, emitted the aura of a grandmaster at all times. With an expressionless face, and taciturn, she remained veryposed, not the least bit flustered. A staff member came by with a smile and said, ¡°Contestants, please join me in returning to thepetition area where we will announce the list of those advancing and their scores.¡± By this time, the number of onlookers had grown since thepetition results were about to be announced. For the audience who barely understood the contestants¡¯ operations, this was the main event. They perked up, eyeing the staff and contestants intently. ¡°After a tense, fierce, and longpetition, the slots for advancement from this round will now be revealed. I¡¯ll repeat, thepetition has been exclusively live-streamed by a certain tform, and all seasonings were exclusively sponsored by Good Taste,¡± the staff member never forgot their original intention to promote. ¡°The 16 contestants advancing this round will be part of the national top 32 and willpete for the ultimate championship with contestants from three other regions starting in April. At that time, you can support your favorite contestants by giving them calls and likes through the WeChat official ount. The contestant with the highest votes will win a yearlong endorsement deal for Good Taste soy sauce!¡± ¡°Whoa-¡± The onlookers were impressed yet somewhat clueless. ¡°Alright, now I will announce the list of those who have advanced.¡± ¡°Number 39, Wu Minqi: 9.3 points; number 78, Chu Peng: 8.9 points; number 13, Jiang Feng: 8.8 points; number 66, Duan Zhiming: 8.5 points¡­¡± ¡°Number 112, Zhang Xi: 7.6 points; these are the contestants advancing to the national top 32. Our staff will contact you by phone for the subsequentpetitions. All thepleted entries have been ced in heat preservation boxes for the audience to taste. If there are no objections from the contestants, you may now leave the venue.¡± At once, the 34 contestants either rejoiced or were sorrowful. A girl who seemed only to be in high school squealed as she ran towards the exit and plunged into the crowd to hug her mother who hade with her, excitedly shouting, ¡°Mom, mom, I¡¯ve advanced, I¡¯m going to be on TV! I¡¯m going to be on TV.¡± ¡°Bro, not bad, top 32 in the nation!¡± ¡°Son, well done!¡± ¡°Husband, it¡¯s okay, losing is losing. There are only 32 spots nationwide; the neighbors all say our shop does a good job, that¡¯s what matters.¡± ¡°Stop sulking. You¡¯re a grown man, and your daughter is watching; aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at by her?¡± Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi exchanged a silent look. It seemed like they were the only two without anypany¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go; it¡¯s almost eleven, and Mr. Jiang will be swamped soon,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡± Jiang Feng followed Wu Minqi. ¡°By the way, will your familye for thepetition in April?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°If I make it to the top 4, my mom mighte to have a look. Why do you ask?¡± Wu Minqi inquired. ¡°I was thinking maybe we should form a cheer squad to cheer us on; we could make it a Chess Club activity. After all, we¡¯re close to forty people strong!¡± Chapter 137 - 136 "Taste Chapter 137: Chapter 136 ¡°Taste Trantor: 549690339 | That night, Good Taste officially announced the list of the top 32 contestants nationwide. At ten in the evening, with a can of ice-cold diet soda in his left hand and a roast chicken leg bought from the dormitory building underneath in his right, Wang Hao munched on the chicken leg and sipped his drink, craning his neck¡¯ to look at the list published on the official forum alongside Jiang Feng. Feng, look, the first ce in the Beiping division is indeed that Zhang Guanghang. The first ce in the Guangdong Province division is Ji Xue, only neen, my God, even two years younger than me, and the first in Hang City division is Gu Li. This dude looks so-so; he¡¯s probably gonna have a tough time,¡± Wang Hao said with a mouthful of roast chicken vor. What¡¯s the point of looking at someone¡¯s appearance? If judging by appearance alone, just give Zhang Guanghang the first ce,¡± Jiang Feng continued to read down the list. Wait a minute, speaking of skill, Zhang Guanghang should indeed be the first¡­ Ah, this world always has someone who is handsomer than you, taller than you,es from a better family, and has superior culinary skills than you. When God closes a door on you, he somehow manages to seal the windows too. ¡°Hey, this Gu Li is a chef from Taste House, right? Their dishes are pretty tasty. I ate therest summer when I went to Hang City on vacation with my parents,¡± Wang Hao remarked. Look at this,¡± Jiang Feng pointed at theputer screen, ¡°Zhang Xi, 16 years old.¡± This girl was thest ce in Jiang Feng¡¯s division, the high school student who had screamed and rushed into her mother¡¯s arms that morning. ¡°From n City¡¯s First High School, a real academic achiever, tough to get into. I had to pull some strings and buy my way in, but she¡¯s in thest ce, nothing worth focusing on. Feng, look at this: the third ce in the Beiping division, Zhao Shan, a chef from Eight-treasure House, a famous restaurant!¡± Wang Hao eximed. Beiping City is full of famous restaurants, but look at this Sun Jikai, fourth ce in the Guangdong Province division, a chef from Jubao Building, the restaurant I mentioned to you before that sells Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall for 1888 yuan per pot,¡± said Jiang Feng, ¡°My grandfather knows the previous head chef of that restaurant, also surnamed Sun; this Sun Jikai is definitely his junior.¡± ¡°What a gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers! Feng, you¡¯re going to be famous!¡± Wang Hao couldn¡¯t help but marvel upon hearing Jiang Feng, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Good Taste culinarypetition just a non-governmental contest? Howe there are so many professional chefs participating?¡± Go check what the prize for the champion is,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wang Hao clicked on another official post and stared at it for a long time without figuring it out, ¡°100,000 yuan in prize money and a cover feature in Taste magazine, and the top 32 will be broadcast live in the form of a reality show, nothing special¡­ right?¡± ¡°Taste was founded by Xu Cheng,¡± Jiang Feng said as he took out his phone and showed Wang Hao the encyclopedia information for Taste. Initially, Jiang Feng had also thought that Taste was just an ordinary food review magazine, but it wasn¡¯t until Wu Minqi exined to him that he understood just how prestigious this magazine was within the global culinary circle. Xu Cheng could also be considered a celebrity, of Chinese descent from Singapore. His father had once made it into the top five on the Forbes Asia list. Undoubtedly a rich heir born with a golden spoon. Xu Cheng loved to eat and knew how to appreciate good food, having traveled the world and published several books evaluating gastronomy, from starred restaurants to street corners. As long as he liked something, he would not refuse it, enjoying a great reputation among gourmets. Any restaurant or dish he rmended would have gourmets from all nations flocking to it. Xu Cheng was over fifty now. Taste magazine had been established for almost a decade, going from an initial monthly release to an annual publication. Xu Cheng¡¯s taste had be increasingly refined and strict. Last year, Taste only released one issue, with only one of the 27 food reviews personally written by him, and for the past three years, no restaurant had made it onto the cover of Taste magazine. On the other side was the so-called Michelin restaurant rating, which was never too friendly to China and mostly irrelevant to most Chinese people, many of whom didn¡¯t care or even know about it. Take Liu Qian for example; she thought that Wu Family Restaurant owned by Wu Minqi¡¯s family had a Michelin star, but in reality, the restaurant only had a sous-chef who hade from a one-star Michelin restaurant in Hong Kong City, purely a move for reputation and supposedly sharing ingenious simrities with an 800-year-old tradition. Currently, there is not a single Michelin-starred restaurant on the maind. Michelin restaurants don¡¯t cater to the maind crowd, and so the maind doesn¡¯t y along with them. For those who truly appreciate food, rather than concern themselves with Michelin selections that don¡¯t match their tastes and that they cannot even experience, they¡¯d be better off perusing the past years¡¯ food reviews in ¡°Taste¡± magazine, which is far more trustworthy than so-called online food rmendations. Hence, one can see just how tempting the champion¡¯s reward of the Good Taste Culinary Competition is in the eyes of chefs from these prestigious restaurants. Jiang Feng guessed that Han Guishan must have quite a good personal rtionship with Xu Cheng, otherwise, with his fortune, it would be unlikely he had the clout to convince Xu Cheng to hand over the cover of ¡°Taste.¡± Wang Hao spent over ten minutes reading the encyclopedia section of ¡°Taste¡± magazine, asionally looking up information that he didn¡¯t quite understand, impressed. After reading two reviews personally written by Xu Cheng, he looked at the cheap grilled chicken legs in his hand, costing 5 yuan each, and suddenly found them tasteless. Even the chilled soda, which was supposed to bring happiness to any homebody, failed to cheer him up. ¡°Feng, if you win the championship, you¡¯re going to be famous all over the world,¡± Wang Hao sighed. ¡°When one man achieves enlightenment, all those around him ascend to heaven. If you reach wealth and rank, don¡¯t forget about the rest of us!¡± ¡°I think it should be the cover of the China region edition,¡± Jiang Feng analytically said. ¡°Taste¡± magazine is divided into the China region, Southeast Asia region, Central Asia region, Europe region, and America region. Except for the reviews written by Xu Cheng, which are published in all editions, other reviews are specially tailored ording to the local regions. There might be some ovep, but it¡¯s not very likely.¡± Jiang Feng had even seen online discussions about how much money Xu Cheng loses with each issue of ¡°Taste¡± magazine he publishes. Having the cover in the China region is pretty impressive too. No wonder such awesome people lower themselves to participate in thepetition. Sigh, enough talk, I¡¯m off to write something. Feng, you keep reading,¡± said Wang Hao as if he had discovered a new world and went back to his desk to create. Jiang Feng:¡­ He had an inkling that something bad was about to happen. He felt that ¡°Taste¡± magazine was going to suffer. Meanwhile, Xu Cheng had justnded in n City. Han Guishan was there to receive him at the airport. Jiang Feng¡¯s guess was not wrong; Han Guishan and Xu Cheng were old friends for over a decade, with a very close private rtionship. During thepetition, Xu Cheng would serve as a judge in the final round. Before that, he would watch thepetition from the audience seats as a spectator. ¡°Han Guishan, you¡¯ve done quite a good job with thispetition. I see that on the advancement list are Old Sir Wu¡¯s granddaughter, Grandpa Sun¡¯s grandson, and Abel Durand-you must have drawn them all over. Yourpany¡¯s stock ¡® price is probably going to rise quite a bit, huh?¡± ¡°Mr. Xu, you¡¯re being too modest. You don¡¯t need to y dumb about why they came. Haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? So, where shall we go?¡± Han Guishan said with a smile. ¡°Imperial Meal Tavern. That¡¯s about the only ce here where the food is still worth eating,¡± replied Xu Cheng. Han Guishan¡¯s assistant opened the car doors for the two bosses and instructed the driver in front: ¡°To Imperial Meal Tavern.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still open thiste?¡± questioned Xu Cheng. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t have the influence, but it¡¯s different for you, Mr. Xu. Even if you were to go at two o¡¯clock in the morning, Chef Zhang at Imperial Meal Tavern would fire up the stove for you,¡± said Han Guishan, stopping his teasing to take a briefcase his assistant handed to him. He pulled out a few documents and handed them to Xu Cheng. ¡°These are the profiles of the judges we¡¯ve booked. Have a look and see if there¡¯s anything amiss.¡± Xu Cheng took the documents and started to examine them closely.. Chapter 138 - 137 Sun Guanyun Chapter 138: Chapter 137 Sun Guanyun Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Ten judges? That¡¯s too many, five will suffice, and what about this guy, his reputation has long been tarnished in the industry, paid for writing positive reviews, have you contacted him?¡± Xu Cheng frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the judges Han Guishan had picked. ¡°Not yet, for now, I¡¯ve only invited Tong Deyan. Oh, and Grandpa Sun also came by recently, should we invite him?¡± Han Guishan said. ¡°With his grandson in thepetition, inviting him to be a judge is bound to invite criticism. Tong Deyan¡­ Never mind, let¡¯s not talk about that, lest you use me of favoritism. I¡¯ll look it over slowly after dinner at the hotel and give you an answer tomorrow.¡± Xu Cheng said, turning off the car¡¯s interior light as the vehicle started. ¡°Okay, this is thepetition format, I¡¯m not as knowledgeable as you in this area, so have a look when you can.¡± Han Guishan handed the document bag to Xu Cheng. Xu Cheng took the document bag. The next day, Jiang Weiguo enlisted outside help for Jiang Feng. Jiang Jiankang had gone to the storeroom to look for something, and Jiang Feng was in the kitchen cutting vegetables. The three old masters stealthily moved in like guerri fighters, with Jiang Feng so focused on cutting vegetables that he didn¡¯t notice at all. ¡°Your grandson¡¯s knifework is quite impressive!¡± An unfamiliar voice came from behind, causing Jiang Feng to nearly jump, almost cutting his own left hand with the knife. A severed four fingers was a matter of mere fractions of a second. Jiang Feng turned his head and saw a very unfamiliar elderly man, with grizzled hair, a lean physique, but looking spry, probably around seventy years old. Jiang Feng was certain he had never seen this old man before. ¡°Grandpa, this¡­¡± Jiang Feng looked to Jiang Weiguo for help. ¡°He is my junior brother, Sun Guanyun,¡± the old man said. ¡°Bullshit, Jiang Weiguo you old bastard, stop taking advantage of me. My father only taught you two dishes and never took you as an apprentice!¡± Sun Guanyun had a fiery temper, and heunched into mockery, ¡°You also don¡¯t look at what you¡¯ve be over these years, always talking about going back to Beiping to buy back your family¡¯s tavern, and now you¡¯re holed up in this college town running a small stir-fry shop, still having the nerve to im as my senior brother. Aren¡¯t you ashamed, given your age?¡± Jiang Weiguo wore a proud expression: ¡°Taifeng Building is still in the Jiang family¡¯s name, it belongs to my grandson now!¡± Sun Guanyun was taken aback: ¡°You really bought it back? Jiang Weiguo did not exaggerate: ¡°My aunt bought it in the thirty-seventh year of the Republic, her son is Feng¡¯s college professor. They recognized each other as family and transferred Taifeng Building to Feng.¡± Faced with such an incredible story, Sun Guanyun could only click his tongue in wonder: ¡°You old man, you kept it quite tight, not saying a word for so many days. You really did stumble upon a stroke of good fortune, it¡¯s like red rain from the sky.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to brag about, it wasn¡¯t like I earned it by my own abilities, Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Pedantic.¡± Sun Guanyun snorted coldly. Jiang Feng waspletely dumbfounded. ording to normal analysis, Sun Guanyun was the old friend the old man had mentioned a few days ago. With such aplicated rtionship, it was a bit convoluted! ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not waste time. You asked me toe to give pointers to your grandson on seasoning, right? Let¡¯s get started now.¡± Sun Guanyun wasn¡¯t just quick-tempered; he was also very eager to begin. ¡°Feng, pay close attention. Although Sir Sun has a bit of a temper, he can begrudgingly be considered a master of Guangdong cuisine,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Jiang Feng nodded but was also a bit confused. Wasn¡¯t Sun Jikai, from Jubao Building, Sun Guanyun¡¯s grandson? Otherwise, why would hee to n City instead of staying in Guangdong Province to guide Sun Jikai¡¯s culinary skills, especially with thepetitioning up? Jiang Weiguo used the word ¡°reluctantly,¡± but Sun Guanyun didn¡¯t argue back and began to select vegetables and spices. Cantonese cuisine is different from Shandong cuisine, which tends to be stronger in vor and in the use of high heat, often involving stir-frying, with salty and umami as the main tastes. Cantonese cuisine emphasizes quality and taste, using a variety of ingeniously matched ingredients andparatively lighter vors, striving for freshness in delicacy and beauty in lightness. Moreover, the most crucial aspect is that Sun Guanyun is better at teaching than Jiang Weiguo. Having spent decades as a chef at Jubao Building, Sun Guanyun might not have fulfilled his father¡¯s wish to expand Jubao Building¡¯s fame nationwide, but during his years as head chef, he didn¡¯t tarnish the restaurant¡¯s reputation and even trained arge number of apprentices. ¡°Sun Guanyun, not to criticize you, but you¡¯ve taken on more than a dozen apprentices, howe you haven¡¯t managed to train your two sons?¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Neither have you brought up your five sons,¡± Sun Guanyun retorted on the spot. ¡°If kids are unwilling, can you force them with a knife to their necks? Bing a chef depends on talent. My father had six sons, yet only I took over Jubao Building. Do you think everyone has talent like all seven brothers in your family?¡± While Sun Guanyun spoke, his hands didn¡¯t stop moving. He crushed the spices and mixed them with various seasonings, turning them into a small pile of variegated granules, and had Jiang Feng take a whiff. ¡°Tell me what you smell¡­¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ This kind of deja vu after an entrance exam. Jiang Feng closed his eyes, concentrated, and began to smell attentively, ¡°Nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, um¡­ um¡­¡± ¡°Taste it.¡± Jiang Feng dabbed a bit with his finger to taste. The mixture of various spices and seasonings was incredibly tart and refreshing. After another taste, he said, ¡°Salt, Sichuan peppercorns, MSG.¡± Sun Guanyun nodded, ¡°Not bad, but not as good as my eldest grandson. You didn¡¯t taste the angelica or the anise and licorice.¡± Sun Guanyun¡¯s teaching method was also very simple. Thinking about secret techniques was out of the question-those were family heirlooms not taught even to apprentices. The first thing he taught was the dipping sauce for white-cut chicken. The cooking method of white-cut chicken is quite straightforward, with the essence lying in the dipping sauce. Without the sauce, it¡¯s just in boiled chicken, tasteless. The types of sauces vary greatly. In Guangdong Province, a hundred shops selling white-cut chicken could have a hundred different sauce recipes. There¡¯s no such thing as the only authentic one; as long as it s delicious, it¡¯s authentic. From the original four major cuisines to the current eight, society has been developing, and dishes have been evolving day by day. Which famous dish hasn¡¯t improved through modifications? With the richness of ingredients and seasonings, many dishes¡¯ methods have long changed, and even the same dish can have different methods and vors in different ces. There is no debate over what¡¯s authentic, only whether it¡¯s delicious or not. What¡¯s not tasty will be eliminated by time, and what remains, a hundred yearster, will be the most authentic method. If one were to categorize the dipping sauces for white-cut chicken, they¡¯d include: ginger-scallion-garlic seasoning, sand-ginger-garlic seasoning, scallion oil seasoning, mashed garlictro seasoning, and mashed garlic sauce seasoning. So many kinds of seasonings can meet different people¡¯s taste preferences. ¡°I¡¯ll mix one for you first, then you follow my recipe, and make a seasoning sauce with a simr taste,¡± Sun Guanyun said. Jiang Feng nodded. The five vors of seasonings were all just simple sauce mixes, requiring no additional processing, and the demonstration was finished in just one minute. Not very challenging; after tasting each one, Jiang Feng sessfully mixed sauces with simr vors. ¡°Good job,¡± Sun Guanyunmended, nodding. ¡°Now, imagine a customer who doesn¡¯t eattro or ginger, prefers strong tastes and doesn¡¯t like sourness, how would you mix a sauce for him? Jiang Feng:¡­ What the hell is this picky eater doing with white-cut chicken! *Because the plot requires itter in this text, it is temporarily decided that the Michelin rating system has not entered maind China. (Though it actually did a few years ago) Alternate world (?¡¯ L¡° ¡®?) Chapter 139 - 138 White Boiled Shrimp Chapter 139: Chapter 138 White Boiled Shrimp Trantor: 549690339 The soul of white cut chicken sauce is ginger juice, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce, and now two of those are gone. ¡°Does he eat spicy food?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°The customer only mentioned what he doesn¡¯t eat,¡± replied Sun Guanyun. Jiang Feng:¡­ Jiang Feng stared at the seasoning on the cooking station and began to contemte. Having a strong preference, add extra light soy sauce, make it spicy, add cumin, skip the ginger juice and add garlic paste, no vinegar andtro either¡ªno matter how Jiang Feng pondered, it just didn¡¯t feel right; it seemed more like a spicy sauce. Were braised chicken, roasted chicken, y chicken, stewed chicken, and smoked chicken not tasty? Why insist on white cut chicken? ¡°Ah, Dad, Uncle, you¡¯re here! Oh, and who might this be?¡± Jiang Jiankang¡¯s surprised shout scattered the few remaining thoughts Jiang Feng had. ¡°Just call him Uncle Sun; he¡¯s here to guide Feng,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Go cut vegetables.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jiankang obediently went to cut vegetables. After much hesitation, Jiang Feng finally began to work. He started with a generous addition of light soy sauce and garlic paste, followed by threerge slices of ginger, chili, cumin, the white parts of green onions, ck pepper, white sugar, and sesame oil. Jiang Feng tasted the seasoning after adding each ingredient, and although the final taste wasn¡¯t particrly good, it was edible. ¡°Done,¡± Jiang Feng quietly moved the dish in front of Sun Guanyun. Sun Guanyun tasted it: ¡°Barely eptable.¡± Just as Jiang Feng breathed a sigh of relief, Sun Guanyun continued, ¡°Now there¡¯s another customer who likes sour and doesn¡¯t eat green onions, ginger, garlic ortro, and still has a strong preference for vor.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ (The aforementioned seasonings are all made up by me; please don¡¯t try them. I¡¯m afraid they might poison you.) In just one morning, Jiang Feng ¡°met¡± all kinds of strange and peculiar customers. Preferences for light vors, not sweet. Dislikes salt, craves spicy like life depends on it, lovestro, hates garlic. Loves sweet, hates ginger and garlic, lovestro. Dislikes sesame oil, loves strong vors. They all had one thing inmon: they all insisted on eating white cut chicken! Jiang Feng felt like he was even developing a phobia of white cut chicken. For lunch, the three elderly gentlemen stayed in the restaurant, and Jiang Weiguo helped cook for about ten minutes until Wu Minqi arrived, then went upstairs to rest. The students peering into the restaurant were quite disappointed; Schrodinger¡¯s dishes were no more, and some even called their roommates directly. ¡°Hello, Liuzi, Grandpa Jiang is not cooking anymore, he came out of the kitchen. Do you still want the sweet and sour pork loin? Hey boss, have you made the sweet and sour pork loin? If not, I don¡¯t want it!¡± Ji Yue:¡­ In the kitchen, there were still several dishes of sauce on the counter, which Wu Minqi noticed and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m practicing my seasoning; I¡¯ll dispose of it in a bit,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Your seasoning could use some improvement,¡± Wu Minqi nodded. Jiang Feng:¡­ Unable to speak. ¡°Wu Minqi murmured, ¡°It smells quite like the sauce for poached chicken. I haven¡¯t had poached chicken in a while, I kind of miss it.¡± Jiang Feng: No, you don¡¯t! After a busy morning, during lunch Wu Minqi was taken aback when she saw Sun Guanyun, ¡°Sir Sun?¡± Sun Guanyun was also surprised to see Wu Minqi, ¡°Jiang Weiguo, you¡¯re quite something, snagging Old Wu¡¯s precious granddaughter to work in your tiny rundown shop. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Old Wu wille all the way from Shu to chop you up with a knife?¡± ¡°What Old Wu, you might know me but I don¡¯t recognize you. I¡¯m just a Special Grade II chef, nowhere near your Special Grade I chefs,¡± said Jiang Weiguo. The chef grading system had started back in the sixties, and at that time the exams didn¡¯t differentiate between pastries and hot dishes. Jiang Weiguo had passed his Special Grade II exam early on and never took another one, while Jiang Weiming, Sun Guanyun, as well as Wu Minqi¡¯s grandfather and father were all Special Grade I chefs. However, the system has since been updated and there are no longer Special Grade I or II titles, now called Technician and Senior Technician. There are countless Special Grade I chefs across the country. While it may sound like a lot, it¡¯s really not that many; most of the time, people refer to the representative figures of various cuisines. It¡¯s rather rigid to purely ssify chefs by their grades. Every chef has one or two special skills up their sleeves. If you really tried to determine who was better, you could argue for three days and nights and still not reach a conclusion. Take Sun Guanyun for example¡ªhe had a rather rough time. When ites to Cantonese cuisine, many would say that Jubao Building is authentic, but when discussing master Cantonese chefs, he doesn¡¯t make the cut. The current recognized master of Cantonese cuisine is his junior, Sun Maocai, the adopted son of his father who branched out on his own. When Wu Minqi learned that Sun Guanyun was specifically there to guide Jiang Feng, she looked at Jiang Feng with a deep and gloomy gaze. That look, envious with a touch of jealousy, and mixed within the jealousy, a hint of resentment. In the afternoon, Sun Guanyun stopped having Jiang Feng prepare the sauce for poached chicken and switched to poached shrimp instead. Poached shrimp, like poached chicken, is one of the representative dishes of Cantonese cuisine; it relies on the sauce for seasoning. Poaching refers to cooking the raw and natural ingredients directly in boiling water; poached shrimp is done this way to preserve the shrimp¡¯s fresh, sweet, and tender vors, which are then dipped into sauce ording to individual taste. If the sauce for poached chicken can still be categorized into several main types, the sauce for poached shrimp is entirely up to one¡¯s creativity, with no restrictions. As long as the customer likes it, it does not matter if it¡¯s dipped in chili oil, balsamic vinegar, spiced oil, or even white liquor. The restaurant had live shrimp, either king prawns or regr prawns,monly known as giant shrimp, bought by Wang Xiulian a few days ago. Nobody here farms shrimp, so the live ones are either served up or go bad. Usually, those on the brink are turned into dinner or midnight snacks for the staff, and fresh ones are purchased the next day. This batch of shrimp, for instance, was supposed tost until tomorrow attest. But today, since Jiang Feng needed to practice making the sauce for poached shrimp, these would meet an early end. After washing the fresh shrimp, just throw them into the pot, and the rest doesn¡¯t need attention. Two minutester, once they¡¯re cooked, just lift them out. There¡¯s no need for salt, as the soul lies within the sauce. ¡°The first customer prefers nd tastes, doesn¡¯t eat onion, ginger, or garlic, dislikes spicy food, and usually eats vegetarian.¡± ¡°The second customer loves spicy, with no dietary restrictions except for ginger.¡± ¡°The third customer dislikes sweet and sour, but lovestro.¡± ¡°The fourth customer likes numbing vors but doesn¡¯t enjoy spicy, and likes ginger and garlic.¡± ¡°The fifth customer can¡¯t specify their preferences, but they have an extremely heavy pte.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s vigorously writing hand suddenly paused; it¡¯s one thing for a customer not to be able to specify preferences. Having memorized all the preferences of the five imaginary customers and set them on the table, Jiang Feng began to ponder with his head down. The second and fourth customers were easy to handle. The fifth customer, who couldn¡¯t specify their preferences was a mystery, and without real customers, Jiang Feng had no idea where to begin. ¡°Master Sun¡­ Sir Sun, without real customers, it¡¯s hard to make a matching sauce!¡± Jiang Feng directly voiced his hesitation. Hearing Jiang Feng say this, Sun Guanyun fell silent for a moment and then said, ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s difficult to judge.¡± ¡°Now go out on the street and bring in customers to sample the dish,¡± Sun Guanyun suggested. ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°This is a university town, with arge flow of customers. Offer free samples, meet the different requirements of different customers, and have them rate you,¡± Sun Guanyun looked at the shrimp and thought about the cost, then added, ¡°One shrimp per person should suffice.¡± Jiang Feng swallowed instinctively, feeling a bit nervous. But somehow, it seemed like it could work. Chapter 140 - 139: Customize Your Exclusive Delicacies Chapter 140: Chapter 139: Customize Your Exclusive Delicacies Trantor: 549690339 There was no need to hit the streets and drag in customers; the Promotional Board, which was buffed with a visibility-increasing effect from the game rewards, was quite effective. Ji Yue, who had the best handwriting in the restaurant, was asked to write a line of promotional copy. Jiang Feng then ced the Promotional Board directly in the middle of the road. It was not only obstructive, but also highly conspicuous! The Promotional Board disyed just two lines: Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant¡ªnched Shrimp Tasting! (Limited to one per person) Create your exclusive delicacy! The slogan was also Ji Yue¡¯s idea, and after Jiang Feng had ced the Promotional Board in the middle of the road and went back inside, Ji Yue was still smugly proud of her brilliant advertising copy. ¡°If I had studied graphic advertising design, imagine where I¡¯d be now!¡± Ji Yue began her usual daydreaming. A dreamy girl¡¯s procrastination skills are usually not too bad. Not two minutester, Master Huang from the opposite noodle shop popped in to inquire about the tasting event. ¡°Um, Ji Yue,¡± Master Huang rubbed his hands together curiously as he asked, ¡°I saw your sign out there about the nched Shrimp Tasting, what¡¯s the deal with that?¡± He had run his noodle shop for 20 years next to UAL University, starting from a stall andter renting a storefront, and hadn¡¯t seen this kind of tasting event before. ¡°Give me a sec, Master Huang. Jiang Feng, Jiang Feng! Master Huang is here for the tasting,e out quick!¡± Ji Yue shouted towards the kitchen. ¡°Coming,ing!¡± Jiang Feng came out promptly with a notepad and pen, smiling as he asked, ¡°Master Huang, do you like to eat nched shrimp?¡± ¡°Never had it.¡± Master Huang was honest. ¡°¡­Then, what are your taste preferences? What do you like and what don¡¯t you like?¡± Jiang Feng continued to ask. ¡°Taste preferences?¡± Master Huang pondered and hesitated, ¡°Well, not too salty, a bit of spiciness is good, not too strong on the ginger, not too sour, sometimes a bit sweet is fine, I don¡¯t eat beef, grilled is okay, but recently my teeth aren¡¯t in great shape, shreds of meat always get stuck¡­¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Please wait a moment, Master Huang.¡± Jiang Feng tore off the sticky note he had just used to jot down Master Huang¡¯s taste preferences and handed it to Ji Yue, ¡°If more peopleeter, could you help me to take note of their preferences, and the feedback too, please?¡± Ji Yue first gave Jiang Feng a ¡®2¡¯ sign, meaning she wanted two sses of cranberry juice, then quickly switched to an ¡®ok¡¯ gesture when he nodded, and went back to watching TV. Just as Jiang Feng stepped into the kitchen, Mr. Luo, the boss of the neighboring braised food shop, arrived. Seeing Master Huang seated inside, he greeted him warmly with a chuckle: ¡°Master Huang is here too. I got curious when I saw Jiang Feng setting up the board, so I came over to see how this tasting works.¡± ¡°Mr. Luo, have a seat, just tell me your taste preferences and I¡¯ll take note for Jiang Feng to prepare,¡± said Ji Yue. Mr. Luo smoothly pulled up a chair and sat to Master Huang¡¯s right, the two men lined up: ¡°Oh, how could I trouble you to make something special for me? See, that¡¯s too much fuss. I was just curious and came to ask.¡± ¡°I like sour vors, more vinegar, leave out the dark soy sauce for light soy sauce, it¡¯s better with a bit of sugar, add some Xiaomi peppers, notro, a little bit of green onion is fine, garlic is okay too, best not to add ginger, and sesame oil, whatever, and then that other thing¡­¡± Ji Yue:¡±¡­¡± Three minutester, Jiang Feng came out from the kitchen nervously, holding a single shrimp in one hand and a dish of dipping sauce in the other, only to find the restaurant had already seated quite a few customers. The boss of the neighboring braised food shop, Mr. Zhang, the grandmother of thedy who runs Shaxian Snacks holding her grandson, Dongsi from Dongsi Dumpling House, the boss of the Hunan rice noodle shop, the stationery storedy and the student who worked part-time at the milk tea shop across the street. It could be said that everyone from nearby businesses who had seen the Promotional Board on the street hade to Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. ¡°Here.¡± Ji Yue handed a stack of sticky notes to Jiang Feng, shooting him a look that said, ¡®You¡¯re on your own, buddy.¡¯ Jiang Feng was puzzled and began flipping through the sticky notes. ¡°So, Jiang Feng, we can eat now, right?¡± Master Huang felt a bit uneasy being the first one to taste, while all eyes were on him, ¡°Is there anything special I should do?¡± ¡°Nothing special, just eat the shrimp the way you usually do, dip it in the sauce, better after peeling it,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for your feedback.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Master Huang picked up the shrimp directly with his hand ¨C it was clear he wasn¡¯t ustomed to eating shrimp, as he was slow at peeling and a lot of meat came off with the tail end. He dunked the shrimp meat into the sauce dish until it was covered, then popped it into his mouth. ¡°How is it?¡± Jiang Feng eagerly awaited his response. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s pretty good. I don¡¯t usually eat shrimp, but it¡¯s tasty,¡± said Master Huang indistinctly. ¡°Anything else? Such as the sauce, anything you¡¯re not happy with?¡± Jiang Feng persisted. ¡°It¡¯s good overall, just a little salty, I guess. Maybe I just dipped a bit too much.¡± Master Huang stood up, ¡°So, that¡¯s it, right? I¡¯ll head back. I¡¯ll call my wife over.¡± ¡°All right, take your time leaving,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, ncing at the speed-writing expert Ji Yue, who had already finished taking down Master Huang¡¯s evaluation. ¡°Please wait a moment, everyone, I¡¯ll be done very quickly,¡± Jiang Feng said as he took the sticky notes and went into the kitchen. Sun Guanyun was waiting in the kitchen for Jiang Feng toe back. ¡°You¡¯ve used too much light soy sauce; you shouldn¡¯t use just light soy sauce, you should mix in some dark soy sauce,¡± Sun Guanyun said. Jiang Feng was a bit surprised: ¡°Master Huang said he wanted light soy sauce, not dark soy sauce, and he also mentioned it was a bit too salty.¡± ¡°Customer opinions can be taken into ount, but not fully trusted,¡± Sun Guanyun replied. ¡°You are the head chef; the final say on the taste is in your hands. Most customers only think they know what they like, but in reality, even they don¡¯t understand their own preferences.¡± Jiang Feng nodded, feeling that Sun Guanyun made sense, and started flipping through the sticky notes again. The fourth one, from Granny Qian of Shaxian Snacks: Doesn¡¯t like shrimp, grandson allergic to shrimp. Jiang Feng:¡­ Granny Qian really is¡­ unique. Seven or eight minutester, Jiang Feng brought out the newly adjusted six servings of sauce, and noticed that more people had arrived in the restaurant. There were familiar faces from other bosses of the food street stores, as well as students from UAL University who came to buy milk tea/snacks/stationery but ended uping in after seeing the Promotional Board as if led by some ghostly presence. While watching TV, Ji Yue, without shifting her gaze from the screen, tore off a small stack of sticky notes and handed them to Jiang Feng. ¡°There are four more who went to the opposite side to buy milk tea, they wille over soon.¡± Jiang Feng brought the shrimp and the dipping dishes to the respective customers, waiting for their feedback. All the feedback was positive. Even Granny Qian, who imed not to like shrimp, gave a ¡°not bad¡± rating, perhaps because it was free, everyone was quite forgiving. But if Jiang Feng insisted, they could probably find something dissatisfactory to say. Taking the dishes and sticky notes back to the kitchen, Jiang Feng decided to make them in batches of five, as a tray could just nicely fit and was easy to handle. He flipped to one of the sticky notes that stood out with especially long and numerous characters. No green onions, ginger, garlic, vinegar, Sichuan pepper, MSG, star anise, cinnamon, not too salty, can be slightly spicy, no sesame oil or fragrant oil, can¡¯t eat brown sugar or granted sugar, the rest is whatever. What a ¡°whatever¡±! This client¡¯s list of requirements was even longer than the hypothetical client Sun Guanyun had previously mentioned. Eventually, the tasting event ended due to an emergency with the shrimp at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Many people expressed that if there was another tasting event tomorrow, they woulde again, not just for a single shrimp, but because having a chef who could customize sauces ording to the customer¡¯s taste was a very good feeling. Many said that having been customers for so many years, it was the first time they felt like gods. Serving these ¡®gods,¡¯ Jiang Feng also felt great. He rarely asked others directly how his cooking tasted; most often, the person he asked was Sir, from whom he¡¯d usually get a good scolding. Today, being praised in various ways by so many different people, Jiang Feng felt truly ted. He now understood why when Wu Minqi was young, she used to run around asking customers for their feedback. Being praised by so many people, even getting scolded in the end was worth it! After a day¡¯s practice, Wang Xiulian said they could get fresh shrimp early the next morning. Although she was always frugal, she never scrimped on Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking practice, embodying the spirit of parents not skimping on their children¡¯s education no matter how poor they are. ¡°Tonight,e up with three sauces, align them, and no matter what the customers say their preferences are, use these three sauces,¡± Sun Guanyun left Jiang Feng with this homework and departed. Three sauces. Jiang Feng pondered, it didn¡¯t seem quite enough.. Chapter 141 - 140 Bitter Thoughts Chapter 141: Chapter 140 Bitter Thoughts Trantor: 549690339 ¡ã Jiang Feng had concocted at least twenty different types of sauces just in the afternoon. Everyone has different tastes, simr but never identical, so Sun Guanyun only let Jiang Feng prepare three sauces, which meant he had to choose the types very carefully. While cooking in the kitchen, Jiang Feng was distracted, with his mind filled with the sauces he had mixed that afternoon. Soy sauce, salt, MSG, vinegar, garlic paste, chili, sesame oil, chili oil, Sichuan pepper oil, and a host of other seasonings were spinning in his head, as if he had a virtual kitchen in his brain with small dishes lined up¡ªtwo spoonfuls of soy sauce here, a spoonful of vinegar there, and a couple of drops of sesame oil in another. Jiang Feng was mentally matching sauces while stir-frying vegetables, multitasking to the extreme, and then he almost had a disaster. Wu Minqi grabbed Jiang Feng¡¯s hand that was about to scoop up some salt: ¡°You¡¯ve already added salt.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Jiang Feng pulled his hand back, thinking about adding sesame oil to Dish No. 1. ¡°No, the taste of prickly ash oil is a bit overpowering, should add a couple more drops of vinegar,¡± Jiang Feng murmured. Wu Minqi nced at the stir-fried cauliflower in Jiang Feng¡¯s wok: ? ¡°Mr. Jiang, do we still have shrimp for the oil-braised prawns?¡± Ji Yue shouted from the kitchen doorway. ¡°No more, anything with shrimp is off sales!¡± Jiang Jiankang shouted back. ¡°One spoon of soy sauce, a slice of ginger,tro¡­ no, can¡¯t usetro, its strong vor will overshadow the original taste of the shrimp.¡± Jiang Feng continued bustling around, his hands moving non-stop, ting dishes, setting them on the table at the kitchen door, ¡°Stir-fried cauliflower is ready!¡± Then he turned and walked slowly back, picked up a te of sliced winter melon, grabbed a handful of minced meat, and returned to his wok. ¡°Add some garlic paste, a drop of sesame oil, no wait, better with chili oil, no, sesame oil is more fitting,¡± Jiang Feng said as he picked up the oil jug to start pouring. Jiang Jiankang looked at Jiang Feng with aplex expression. This familiar feeling, thest time Jiang Feng was like obsessed with brewing mushroom soup, it was the same. But- Jiang Jiankang sprinkled a handful of young onion into his wok, beginning to stir-fry. The mushroom soup that tasted so awful before, he had tasted every batch as his son¡¯s father. Yet when cooking nc shrimp this afternoon, he, while prepping in the back kitchen, thought it smelled delicious, but his son had not thought of him. Unfilial son! Jiang Jiankang tossed his wok vigorously, as if he had an irreconcble grudge against it. He really wanted to see if Jiang Feng would think of him, his father, tomorrow! Wu Minqi finished her Mapo Tofu and nced at Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang. She always felt that both Jiang Feng and Mr. Jiang were acting odd tonight, the atmosphere very subtle. Fighting? Not understanding the matters between this father and son, Wu Minqi ced the Mapo Tofu on the table and called out for Ji Yue, then went back to continue cooking. After the busy work in the kitchen was done, having had dinner and helping to clean up, Jiang Feng headed back to the dormitory. He had gone through all the sauces he mixed in the afternoon in his mind and started mixing new ones while tidying up the kitchen. ¡°Half a spoonful of vinegar, no, that¡¯s a bit too much, just a quarter of a spoon then, plus one spoon of light soy sauce and half a spoon of dark soy¡­¡± Jiang Feng murmured to himself on his way back to the dorm, passing by the sports field, he happened upon Wang Hao who had just finished a night run. No, it was Wang Hao who, having finished a night run, was secretly indulging in barbecue. Wang Hao quickly stuffed thest skewer ofmb into his mouth and greeted nonchntly as if nothing had happened: ¡°Hey, Feng, what a coincidence, you closed up shop early today!¡± Jiang Feng was in the middle of adding a tiny bit of Xiaomi pepper to a dish: ¡°They¡¯re selling barbecue at the sports field now?¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s a delivery I ordered, no, someone else ordered it and I just mooched a bit, only had one skewer,¡± Wang Hao wiped the grease from his mouth. The lights at the sports field were broken again, dieters were night running, and lovey-dovey couples sat in the middle of the field cooing and cuddling. With the dim view, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t notice the grease on Wang Hao¡¯s mouth and took his fib for reality. In his mind, he added the final two drops of sesame oil, and a virtual stack of salty and sour sauces was ready. ¡°Do you usually eat boiled shrimp?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°White-boiled shrimp, what shrimp?¡± Wang Hao was confused. ¡°It¡¯s just shrimp boiled in in water and eaten with dipping sauce. What vor of sauce do you like?¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Ah, I thought it was something special. Isn¡¯t that just the shrimp served at banquet halls in hotels? You make it sound soplicated with that ¡®white-boiled¡¯ stuff; I thought it was grilled. As for the sauce, isn¡¯t it just soy sauce with a bit of vinegar? It¡¯s not tasty. Might as well just eat the shrimp.¡± Wang Hao said. Jiang Feng: His view was difficult to deal with, leaving no room for response. Jiang Feng continued to brainstorm new sauce recipes in his head. The rest of the journey was silent. Wang Hao was looking at his phone the whole way and didn¡¯t notice Jiang Feng¡¯s odd behavior. It was only when they arrived at the dormitory entrance that he spoke up, ¡°Hey, Feng, the selfie of the second-ce winner from the Hang Citypetition is actually pretty. The organizers are so unfair, putting up such an ugly picture.¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t respond to him, urately speaking, he didn¡¯t hear him. He was preupied with whether to add minced garlic or garlic paste. Wang Hao called out again, but Jiang Feng still didn¡¯t hear him. Wang Hao looked up and saw Jiang Feng¡¯s obviously distracted expression and his heart skipped a beat. This state was all too familiar to him. Those days of mushroom soup were a nightmare Wang Hao couldn¡¯t shake off. ¡°Err, Feng, have you been¡­¡± Wang Hao patted Jiang Feng to get his attention and then said, ¡°Have you been researching any dishestely?¡± A smile tinged with bitterness. ¡°Not researching dishes, I¡¯m just thinking about how to make a sauce for white-boiled shrimp.¡± Jiang Feng said. Wang Hao silently took out his phone and sent a string of ¡±coo coo coo¡± to Ji Yue. Ji Yue, who was happily drawing in her rented studio: ??? This Wang Hao, learning to be a pigeon spirit like herself? The next day, Jiang Feng went to the restaurant early. Breakfast was noodle topping, a name Jiang Jiankang came up with, usingst night¡¯s leftovers tossed together as a topping for noodles, an effective way to ensure no leftovers for lunch. The leftovers from the day before were eggnt without minced meat, scrambled eggs without ham, and half a te of green beans. Jiang Jiankang gave most of the eggs and eggnt to Wang Xiulian, reserving the rest for himself, and gave all the green beans to Jiang Feng, to express his dissatisfaction with being excluded from the food testing. Normally, he would at least give Jiang Feng a piece or two of meat! s, Jiang Feng entirely missed the point, ate his breakfast as usual, and started to experiment with sauces. The three Sirs arrived early, showing up before eight o¡¯clock. Jiang Weiguo, dressed in Valentino¡¯s spring collection, boasted at the store entrance to Sun Guanyun, ¡°My grandson¡¯s talent for food testing might not be great, but his understanding is top-notch. Be mentally prepared, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be too ashamed to show your face afterwards.¡± Sun Guanyun, in a Versace new piece, retorted with a cold snort, ¡°Let¡¯s talk after your grandson gets it. An old man like you bragging isn¡¯t ashamed.¡± Jiang Weiming, wearingst year¡¯s discounted Uniqlo, yed the peacemaker in the middle, ¡°Alright, alright. There¡¯s no need for you two to fight over Feng¡¯s seasoning. If he doesn¡¯t do well, we¡¯ll just penalize him.¡± Jiang Feng was in the kitchen, deveining shrimp with a toothpick, when he looked up to see the three old gentlemen with smiles on their faces. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s smile had a hint of menace. Sun Guanyun¡¯s smile was challenging. Jiang Weiming¡¯s smile was that of a spectator watching a y. Jiang Feng: ? Why did he feel like something was not quite right? Chapter 142 - 141: Explosive Chapter 141: Explosive Trantor: 549690339 The atmosphere between Jiang Weiguo and Sun Guanyun was subtle, filled with the smell of gunpowder. Jiang Weiming faced the situation with a smile, like a spectator who remains calmly watching from a fishing tform. Jiang Feng looked confused and was soon to be the innocent fish that gets caught up in the trouble. ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Sun Guanyun asked in a deep voice. ¡°I have,¡± Jiang Feng replied seriously, ¡°and the shrimp is washed too.¡± Sun Guanyun nodded, ¡°You start mixing them.¡± Jiang Feng had been thinking about the three sauces until two or three in the morningst night. In his opinion, the primary vors of sauces are sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. Among them, sour is quite unique; it can be paired with salty and spicy at will. Most dipping sauces for in chicken and nched shrimp include some vinegar. Vinegar can stimte the appetite and enhance people¡¯s desire to eat. It is one of the simplest seasoning methods, and thus, the three sauces Jiang Feng chose all included varying amounts of vinegar. After mentally trying out manyplicated sauces, Jiang Feng¡¯s final three selections turned out to be surprisingly simple. Salty vor, spicy with a touch of sour, and sour-salty vor. Shrimp has a natural slight sweetness; using a sweet-tasting sauce would be counterproductive. The sauce is meant toplement, not cover, the natural taste of shrimp. Under the watchful eyes of the three elders, Jiang Feng finished mixing the sauces. He was a bit nervous, mainly because of the overpowering gazes of the elders, particrly Jiang Weiguo¡¯s, which was almost identical to that of a high school headteacher who would always watch you from the back door. ¡°Okay¡­ it¡¯s ready,¡± Jiang Feng tried to glean something from Jiang Weiguo¡¯s expression. He couldn¡¯t make anything out. ¡°Are the signs set up properly?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°They are,¡± Jiang Feng had barely finished speaking when Ji Yue called out from outside. ¡°Jiang Feng, the taste testers are here, are you ready?¡± The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant didn¡¯t operate during breakfast. The three girls, likely roommates, had just eaten breakfast across the street at the noodle shop and came in after seeing the sign. They hadn¡¯t seen a sign outside the door yesterday and were participating in their first tasting at a ce near UAL University, appearing somewhat uneasy. ¡°What does ¡®customized¡¯ mean on the sign outside?¡± the girl with short ck hair asked. ¡°Are we required to give feedback during the tasting?¡± inquired the girl with short blonde hair. ¡°Tell me your preferences, what you like and what you avoid. I¡¯ll prepare the sauces for you,¡± Jiang Feng responded, taking a Post-it note to jot things down. ¡°Hmm, no ginger, no garlic, notro, not too salty, not too spicy, not too sweet, and not too sour,¡± the short blonde-haired girl requested. Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Stronger vor, no sesame oil, it can be a bit spicy, but not too salty,¡± the only long-haired girlmented. ¡°I¡¯m not fussy, just not too spicy is fine,¡± the girl with short ck hair said. After tearing off the Post-it note, Jiang Feng reminded Ji Yue that people had arrived and asked her to take down their preferences before he headed to the kitchen to boil the shrimp. Jiang Feng was skilled at deveining shrimp using a toothpick without having to twist off the heads or tails to get it clean. The shrimp vein is the digestive tract, which can affect the shrimp¡¯s texture, especially during boiling. Dropping a couple dozen shrimp into the pot at once, Jiang Feng began to consider dipping sauces based on the three girls¡¯ tastes. The three dipping sauces each had varying amounts of garlic. The girl with short blonde hair asked for most of the restrictions, but everything she said after that was discarded as worthless. Jiang Feng decided to give her the third sauce, which was the most traditional sour-salty one with a bit of garlic. Naturally, the long-haired girl received the second type, spicy with a touch of sour, and thest girl also got the third type. Two minutester, the shrimp in the pot turned red, perfectly cooked with tender meat. Jiang Feng turned off the heat, scooped the shrimp out of the pot with a slotted spoon, and ced three shrimps on each te using chopsticks. With four tes on a tray, Jiang Feng carried it out with both hands. After finishing their meal, the three girls unanimously gave positive reviews. ¡°Not bad, pretty good.¡± ¡°Delicious.¡± ¡°Not too shabby.¡± The short blonde-haired girl, who had said she didn¡¯t eat onions, garlic, ortro, seemed satisfied even though there was garlic in the dipping sauce. ¡°Any dissatisfaction?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Just a bit of garlic, but the taste isn¡¯t strong, I can hardly tell, so it¡¯s okay, maybe a tad salty?¡± the short blonde-haired girl stated. ¡°Hmm, nothing wrong, I think it¡¯s pretty good, would it be even better with some sesame oil?¡± the girl with short ck hair pondered. ¡°It¡¯s good, could be spicier though,¡± the long-haired woman said. ¡°That¡¯s it, right?¡± the three said in unison. Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± After the three girls left, they couldn¡¯t help but start discussing among themselves. ¡°Hey,e to think of it, I didn¡¯t even eat shrimp over the New Year.¡± ¡°Yeah, I want shrimp now too. Do they sell it here at lunch?¡± ¡°They probably don¡¯t sell it. Didn¡¯t you see the tasting sign at the door? They must be waiting for the tasting to end before selling it.¡± ¡°s, I¡¯ll probably lose the craving in a couple of days.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the canteen sell shrimp, though? It¡¯s a bit bad and not too fresh. If you want, you can go eat shrimp in the canteen at noon.¡± ¡°The canteen¡¯s is just too¡­¡± Jiang Feng was clearing tes and wiping tables when he suddenly heard Ji Yue, who was holding a digital tablet, blurt out. ¡°Why do I feel the sauce you gave those two short-haired girls was the same?¡± Jiang Feng was startled. The two girls who were eating hadn¡¯t noticed, but Ji Yue, who was drawing on the side, somehow did. ¡°You noticed?¡± ¡°Smelled it. I¡¯m at your restaurant every day dealing with food; I¡¯ve got that level of skill.¡± Ji Yue kept her focus on the digital tablet, not looking up, ¡°What¡¯s with the gimmicks today? Since it¡¯s all the same, why bother asking them about their taste preferences.¡± ¡°Just consider it a test question, but don¡¯t tell the customers, okay!¡± Jiang Feng reminded. ¡°Oh.¡± The tasting eventsted until ten-thirty, and after that, people starteding in for lunch. The flow of customers wasn¡¯t as heavy as the previous afternoon; very few students could drag themselves out of bed to eat breakfast when there were no early morning sses. Around thirty people came to taste, giving feedback simr to that of the previous afternoon. It was all positive reviews, and amazingly, the suggestions were nearly the same as the day before. It was either a bit too salty, not spicy enough, or just needed a bit more vinegar. Jiang Weiguo was in a very good mood, helping to cook quite a few dishes at noon. Jiang Weiming and Sun Guanyun saw Jiang Weiguo in action and got excited themselves, itching to cook and snatching Jiang Feng¡¯s work, sending him up front to help serve dishes and wipe tables. Jiang Weiming, being the eldest, took a break after cooking just a couple of dishes, but it was Sun Guanyun who found the same feeling he had back when he was head chef at Jubao Building, cooking beside Jiang Weiguo from start to finish. The students who caught wind of what was happening were going crazy, especially those from Guangdong Province. They almost cried with joy when they heard they could order Cantonese dishes, treasuring a portion of stir-fried beef ho fun as if it were a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast. It wasn¡¯t even noon yet, only half-past eleven, and the wave of students who¡¯d finish sses at noon hadn¡¯t started their assault on the various cafeterias and restaurants. Yet the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was already full to the brim with patrons. Six people squeezed together at a four-person table, and it was no big deal to share a meal with strangers. There were those eating inside the restaurant, outside the restaurant, and some even stood in front of the neighboring stew shop to eat. Take-away food might cool down and not taste as good, so many preferred to stand by the road with their tes rather than pack their meals to eat at the dormitoryter. Ji Yue¡¯s shouts had be: ¡°Fellow students, please eat a little faster. Those who are eating rice bowls, try to stand while eating, and give up your seats to those who are ordering dishes!¡± ¡°Hey, excuse me, let me through, let those sitting down there scoot over so I can deliver the food.¡± ¡°Sorry, there¡¯s no time to wipe the table, would you mind¡ªoh, great, thank you!¡± Jiang Feng even doubted whether there would be enough dishes for everyone if the back kitchen didn¡¯t have such arge supply of bowls and tes. ¡°Jiang Feng, what are you spacing out for? Didn¡¯t you see that the table over there has finished eating? Go clear the table!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Picking up the cloth, Jiang Feng made his way over, ¡°Excuse me, let me through, careful not to spill your food, empty tes, see the table by the window? Put it there!¡± The online delivery orders from the WeChat mini-program were about to explode. Liu Zixuan and Wang Hao were supposed to take the day off, but Jiang Feng called themst minute to deliver orders. Liu Zixuan didn¡¯t have morning sses and had beenfortably being a happy fatty at his dormitory, but was shocked upon seeing so many people in the restaurant. ¡°Feng, what¡¯s the asion today, are we doing a promotion? Fifty percent off?¡± Liu Zixuan thought only the train stations during the Spring Festival couldpare to this scene. ¡°My grandpa, Granduncle Weiming, and the former head chef from Jubao Building are all in the back kitchen,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°The FJ Jubao Building?¡± Liu Zixuan eximed, someone who had seen his fair share of the world. Jiang Feng nodded. ¡°Awesome, truly awesome. I¡¯ll eat here at noon!¡± For a moment, Liu Zixuan didn¡¯t know what else to say and went off to deliver the orders. ¡°Jiang Feng, why are you standing there? Clear the table by the window, it¡¯s finished!¡± Chiefmander Ji Yue was issuing orders again, yelling at the top of her lungs towards the second floor, ¡°Mrs. Wang, can we add more seats upstairs?¡± The congestion at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant ended with the generosity of the neighboring stew shop, Shaxian Snacks, and the ramen shop across the street. With so many customers at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, the other shops were quiet byparison. Everyone got along well on regr days, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian, a clever businesswoman, had already sessfully negotiated deals to sell stew in coboration with the stew shop, Shaxian Snacks to sell y pot soups, and with the ramen shop across the street to sell braised beef. With their own businesses being quiet, the owners of these three shops generously offered up their spare tables and chairs, allowing AUL University students with no seats to bring their food from Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant into their establishments to eat. Though the crowd in the restaurant dispersed, Jiang Feng¡¯s heart was still hanging in the air. Because the ordinary-looking student in front of him had already eaten 3 tes of stir-fried beef ho fun, threerge tes! And now he was working on the fourth. ¡°Zhang Zhiyuan, are you okay?¡± His roommate who came with him was somewhat rmed. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really fine,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan responded, ¡°This stir-fried beef ho fun is really good. It tastes just like what we have back home, the same feeling. My grandmother used to make this for me, it¡¯s¡ªwow¡ªjust this vor.¡± As he spoke, with a mouthful of stir-fried beef ho fun, Zhang Zhiyuan started to cry. ¡°When my grandma was still around, it tasted just like this. I haven¡¯t had this vor in so many years, it¡¯s exactly the same.¡± Sobbing, Zhang Zhiyuan lifted his te and shoveled the stir-fried beef ho fun into his mouth. Large tears fell straight down into hisp and onto the table. After finishing the fourth te, Zhang Zhiyuan decided not to eat anymore. He wiped his tears, paid the bill, and asked, ¡°ssmate, will your restaurant continue to sell this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably just for this afternoon,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Then pack one for me.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan took out his phone again to scan and pay. ¡°Are you insane? You want to burst?¡± His roommate tried to stop him. ¡°I¡¯m taking it back for dinner tonight!¡± As Jiang Feng cleared the tes and wiped the table, his palm brushed across the still-wet tears on the table¡¯s surface. ¡°Drip.¡± Jiang Feng: ? Another stupid game¡¯s resurrection? Chapter 143 - 142 Difficult to Please Everyone Chapter 142 Difficult to Please Everyone Trantor: 549690339 | After a busy noon, everyone was pretty tired, except for the three old gentlemen. Jiang Weiguo immediately startedparing his skills with Sun Guanyun in the kitchen, while Jiang Weiming enjoyed watching the fun, happily munching on melon seeds. The battle of the immortals was a boon for the diners, even the lunch menu was exceptionally rich. Liu Zixuan and Wang Hao ate with greasy mouths, spouting praises as if they didn¡¯t cost a dime. ¡°Weren¡¯t you two just ¡®gugu-ing¡¯?¡± Ji Yueined. ¡°What ¡®gugu-ing¡¯? It¡¯s just a greeting, a way of saying hello,¡± Wang Hao said with a straight face, his expression serious, making it seem as though that was truly the case. ¡°Heh,¡± Ji Yue scoffed as she picked up another steamed garlic prawn with vermicelli, also grabbing a chopstick full of sauce-soaked vermicelli. This dish was one of Sun Guanyun¡¯s specialties. First of all, the presentation was beautiful. The prawns weren¡¯t butterflied, decapitated, and simrly sized, plump ones were arranged into a hollow circle over ayer of vermicelli, the width of which matched the prawns¡¯ color. Underneath the small inner circle, there was ayer of minced garlic, topped with shredded spring onions in a vibrant green, creating the shape of an empty bird¡¯s nest. The essencey in the vermicelli at the bottom, which had absorbed all the savory juices from the steaming prawn, the aromatic garlic, and the rich sauce. Since vermicelli absorbs vor well, the tastier it is, the better. Consequently, as the vermicelli soaked up much of the sauce, the prawns retained their original freshness and sweetness, with just a hint of the sauce¡¯s vor, making it a dish both those who favor bold and those who prefer light vors could enjoy. If the prawns weren¡¯t vorful enough for someone, there was a dipping sauce dish on the table. ¡°The vermicelli is really delicious today, especially the bottomyer, it¡¯s just superb,¡± Wang Hao also picked up some vermicelli with his chopsticks and praised. Sun Guanyun immediately showed a proud smile. Jiang Feng, seeing the situation turning south, hastily ttered Jiang Weiguo. ¡°The braised prawns are also tasty today, so vorful, they¡¯re super delicious!¡± he eximed exaggeratedly. Wang Hao caught the hint from Jiang Feng¡¯s nce and began to praise the braised prawns as well, ¡°Yeah, yeah, the braised prawns are tasty too.¡± Jiang Weiguo¡¯s proud smile returned. Today, the two old gentlemen were really at it. Sun Guanyun made steamed garlic prawns with vermicelli, pork rib with garlic and fish-vored eggnt pot, while Jiang Weiguo prepared braised prawns, sweet and sour ribs, and fish-vored eggnt strips. Being full leads to drowsiness, and since the afternoon was indeed exhausting, Wang Hao, with no sses, went back to the dorm to nap. Liu Zixuan had to go to ss feeling tired and miserable. Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian also went upstairs to sleep, and Ji Yue, not bothering to return to her rented room, went to find afortable chair on the second floor to sleep on. With everyone off to sleep, Jiang Feng sat quietly waiting for directions from the three old men, with Jiang Weiguo being the first to unleash his taunting skills. ¡°Sun Guanyun, stop being stubborn and just admit defeat,¡± he said. ¡°We haven¡¯t even asked yet, don¡¯t start feeling smug too early,¡± Sun Guanyun retorted. As Jiang Feng wondered what the old gentlemen had bet on, Jiang Weiming, attempting to stay neutral but with a slight bias, finally spoke up, ¡°Feng, what do you think is the most suitable sauce for boiled shrimp?¡± All three old men stared intently at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng was a bit nervous. Wasn¡¯t this a practical lesson? How had it turned into a culture lesson all of a sudden without any notice? ¡°Just, just, just because it tastes good, it¡¯s suitable, I guess?¡± Jiang Feng was not too sure. ¡°Oh? How so?¡± Jiang Weiming¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yesterday, Sir Sun had me tailor different sauces to each person¡¯s taste. Today, I prepared the sauces first and then divided them ording to each person¡¯s taste. There were many differences, yet the feedback I received was almost the same,¡± Jiang Feng said, and then heughed, ¡°Aside from the absolute dislikes, there¡¯s really., nothing much to pick on.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as not liking or liking something. There¡¯s only whether it tastes good or not. Many people think they dislike something not because they truly do; tastes change. Except for the rare few who genuinely detest something, most of the time they just haven¡¯t had the chance to try something made to their liking. When we cook, we need to consider the customers¡¯ tastes, but more importantly, we should focus on what we¡¯re best at,¡± Jiang Feng thought for a moment and then added, ¡°After all, it¡¯s hard to please everyone.¡± Sun Guanyunughed, expressing his admiration, ¡°Jiang Weiguo, you are not wrong. Your grandson has good understanding.¡± ¡°My father used to take apprentices not by talent but made those who wanted to learn do the same sauce exercise you¡¯ve been doing these past two days, asked them the same questions.¡± Sun Guanyun smiled self-deprecatingly, ¡°Your grandfather gave a better answer than what you just said, which is why, even though he was unwilling to apprentice, my father still passed the recipe for Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall to him. It¡¯s amon saying that it¡¯s hard to please everyone, but how many people can really do it?¡± ¡°Who can really ignore others¡¯ opinions, yet who can truly win everyone¡¯s praise? Haven¡¯t I lost my whole life because it¡¯s hard to please everyone?¡± ¡°You call me stubborn, but who¡¯s more stubborn than you? Wasting over a decade because of a moment¡¯s anger, did you win? Pouring over ten years into a dish, wasting so many years, did you really win? Look at yourself. You¡¯ve only been fighting with Sun Maochai over that one dish; did you manage to beat him? You might be better at that one dish, but he is recognized as the Cantonese cuisine master, not you. Over the years, you haven¡¯t sessfully taught your son, and when ites to teaching disciples, always holding back. If not for your eldest grandson having some talent, were you really nning on letting your master¡¯s legacy end with you?¡± Jiang Weiguo rebuked. ¡°I didn¡¯t ept you, sodon¡¯t try to bargain with me by calling me ¡®master¡¯.¡± Sun Guanyun replied irritably, ¡°I lost the bet and wasted over a decade; even so, isn¡¯t it your grandson who benefits now?¡± ¡°Ding.¡± Jiang Feng: ? What kind of crap game is this, always faking a shutdown? Dare to finish updating! ¡°It¡¯s my grandson¡¯s destiny with this dish,¡± said Jiang Weiguo. ¡°Pfft, whether I¡¯m willing to teach also depends on whether he is capable of learning. Do you think just anyone can learn the dish I¡¯ve been perfecting for over a dozen years? I¡¯ll only teach for one week; whether or not he can learn is up to his fate,¡± Sun Guanyun dered, then looked at Jiang Feng, ¡°Feng, I¡¯ll teach for just seven days with no secrets held back. It¡¯s up to you how much you can learn.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for today, Feng. I¡¯ll bring the ingredients over tomorrow.¡± Saying that, Sun Guanyun left alone. Jiang Feng actually didn¡¯t understand anything and tentatively looked at Jiang Weiguo, asking, ¡°Grandpa, Sir Sun will only teach for seven days, but what will he teach?¡± ¡°The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, his true mastery,¡± Jiang Weiguo said solemnly. ¡°This old man never lies. When he says no secrets will be held back, he means it. You learn well; whatever you can learn is beneficial.¡± Jiang Feng nodded, not fully grasping but impressed nheless. *Parallel world, purely fictional, do not take it too seriously, thank you for your cooperation! Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon = Treasure Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, if interested, you can go on Baidu, but in the end, the recipes will all be my own creation. Chapter 144 - 143 A Good Troublemaker Chapter 143 A Good Troublemaker Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng never fought an unprepared battle. Since he wanted to learn the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, he had to study the origins of this dish. Without researching, he wouldn¡¯t have known; once he did, not only did he find out the origins of the dish, but he also uncovered the love and hatred behind it. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is a new dish improved by Sun Guanyun from the traditional Chaozhou dish Pigeon Swallows Swallow. It was once the signature dish of Jubao Building. The first edition of ¡°Taste¡± featured a gourmet review of Jubao Building¡¯s Eight-Treasures Chestnut Aromatic Chicken, which was personally written by Xu Cheng. As for why it was once the signature dish, it¡¯s because Sun Guanyun liked to hold back when teaching disciples; he wanted to keep the true craft within his own family. As a result, not a single one of his numerous disciples mastered the authentic version of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and the imitation versions did not satisfy connoisseurs who came with high expectations. Gradually, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was no longer the signature dish of Jubao Building, and it became just a nourishing dish that tasted alright. The origin of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was even more bizarre. Sun Guanyun¡¯s father was once an undisputed leading figure in the Guangdong culinary world, respected by many. He had four disciples who weren¡¯t rtives and quite a few ¡°disciples registered in the name¡± like Jiang Weiguo. In hister years, he took a godson, who was Sun Guanyun¡¯s junior disciple Sun Maochai, a young man of startling talent and intelligence with a natural gift for cooking that made everyone tremble with awe. Sun Maochai was a full twenty years younger than Sun Guanyun, but his cooking skills were on par with him. After Sun Guanyun¡¯s father died, Sun Guanyun had topete with Sun Maochai in a culinary contest in front of many connoisseurs for the position of head chef at Jubao Building, the winner would be the new head chef. And that memorable final battle was over the dish Pigeon Swallows Swallow. Sun Maochai won the contest but had no intention to fight with his senior brother. He left Jubao Building, and Sun Guanyun got the position of head chef but lost a chef¡¯s confidence. Sun Maochai first went to Guangdong Province and then to Hong Kong City, catching the rapid development phase of Guangdong cuisine for over a decade. He absorbed the strengths of various major China cuisines and international cuisines, innovating and advancing, bing an undisputed master of Guangdong cuisine. Sun Guanyun got the position of head chef, but Pigeon Swallows Swallow became his lingering obsession. After toiling in seclusion for many years, he finally created the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon yet missed the golden era of Guangdong cuisine¡¯s development. He may have ovee Sun Maochai in Pigeon Swallows Swallow, but he had long been left behind in terms of cooking skills. After looking at the history of Jubao Building, Jiang Feng felt that Sun Guanyun truly had bad luck. The restaurant was opened by Sun Guanyun¡¯s father, and Sun Guanyun¡¯s brothers received other inheritances from their father, so this restaurant was supposed to be passed down to Sun Guanyun by rights, and moreover, Sun Maochai had no intention of contending for it. It was Sun Guanyun¡¯s eldest disciple, driven by greed and seeing that his teacher had died and Sun Guanyun was easy to bully, who conspired with Sun Guanyun¡¯s second brother to seize the restaurant. The eldest disciple thought he was a better chef than Sun Guanyun and that a culinarypetition would be a just and founded approach to taking over the restaurant, he was confident of his sess. However, what he didn¡¯t expect was that Sun Guanyun¡¯s father also held back when teaching his disciples; he only passed on the true secrets to his own son, not even to the godson, and naturally, he was turned away disgraced in thepetition. This troublemaker forced Sun Maochai out of Jubao Building and inflicted Sun Guanyun with a perpetual demon, reducing what could have been an even greater Jubao Building into its current state of decline and empty fame. Such troublemaking ability could indeed be considered a shining pearl in the realm of troublemaking. If it weren¡¯t for this troublemaker, Jiang Feng believed that if Sun Maochai and Sun Guanyun, the two disciple brothers, managed Jubao Building together, not only would they have made Jubao Building flourish, but Guangdong cuisine would have also shined even more. Unfortunately, there are no ¡®ifs¡¯. Having ingested such an enthralling and substantial scoop, Jiang Feng was originally going to look up the recipes of Pigeon Swallows Swallow and the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, but he inadvertently came across another juicy piece rted to Jubao Building. [Brotherly Feud?! Jubao Building May Face Its Greatest Crisis! ] With the curiosity of someone who enjoys watching drama, Jiang Feng silently clicked to read more. A very cliche TV show plot, and all of it is based on hearsay. It¡¯s said that because Sun Jikai, the grandson of Sun Guanyun¡¯s eldest son, has a great talent for cooking, Sun Guanyun intends to pass Jubao Building onto his eldest son, which caused dissatisfaction in his second son. ¡°ording to insiders, the internal management of Jubao Building is currently very messy. Sun Guanyun left FJ in a rage to clear his mind and has not been heard from since. The editor guesses that he may have met with an ident, just why the contents of the will remain a secret is unknown.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ He silently reported the fake news and closed the article. Jiang Feng started to look at the recipes for Pigeon Swallows Swallow and the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Pigeon Swallows Swallow is a traditional delicacy from the Chaoshan region, with the key ingredients being squab and well-prepared bird¡¯s nest, belonging to the ss of nourishing treasures, it is highly sought after by the rich and powerful for its rarity and nutritional value. The preparation of this dish lived up to the adoration of nobles and officials, requiring the full pigeon to be deboned and then stuffed with official bird¡¯s nest into its belly. Yet Sun Guanyun¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon involved deboning the squab entirely, stuffing it with a variety of ingredients, slow-cooking it over a gentle me, and finally thickening the sauce. The essence of the whole dishy in that final act of sauce thickening, from the blending of the sauce to the temperature when thickening, all of which directly determined the ultimate vor of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. One could say, the sauce thickening was the soul of this dish. Putting aside the tricky part of sauce thickening, even the task of deboning a whole pigeon was quite challenging to begin with. In theory, the principle behind deboning any poultry is the same as deboning a whole chicken. However, with pigeons being small, with thin skin and thin meat, the difficulty of deboning increased significantly¡ªany slight mishap could ruin the shape of the entire pigeon. Most crucially, Jiang Feng had never deboned a pigeon before. The technique of stuffing various ingredients into the belly of an animal dated back to the Zhou dynasty, with one of the ¡°Eight Treasures¡± back then being roasted pig¡ªan early example where a piglet was killed, its insides removed, and its belly stuffed with dates. Nowadays, roasted pig is still considered a highly challenging and grand dish, with even moreplex preparations and a greater variety of ingredients stuffed inside. Whether it was the knockoff ¡°Three Layered Duck¡± that Jiang Jiankang had made, the glutinous rice-stuffed duck from the new year¡¯s eve dinner, or Sun Guanyun¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, they were all variations of that ancient Zhou dynasty roasted pig technique. This method had one characteristic inmon¡ªdifficult! The more varieties of ingredients there were, and the smaller the animal to be filled, the more challenging it became. Just in terms of production difficulty, Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was even harder than the authentic Three Layered Duck. The more Jiang Feng read and analyzed, the more he felt that it was simply impossible to learn this dish in a mere seven days. Never mind achieving perfection, if he could even manage to produce a version of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon that was ny percent urate, he could pin that 1.92-meter-tall, bilingual, wealthy young heartthrob¡ªI mean Zhang Guanghang¡ªto the ground and rub him into it. And rub him repeatedly. As Jiang Feng pondered, he began to visualize the scenario. ¡°Feng, what are you thinking about? You¡¯ve been zoning out and smiling foolishly for a while,¡± Wang Hao asked puzzledly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jiang Feng stopped daydreaming, ¡°I was just thinking about rubbing someone into the ground.¡± Wang Hao was taken aback, thinking, Could it be that he discovered the new story I¡¯ve been secretly writing online? ¡°That person¡­who are they?¡± ¡°Zhang Guanghang,¡± Jiang Feng replied honestly. There was nothing to hide; probably 31 out of the top 32 contestants nationwide wanted to rub him into the ground. Wang Hao cautiously asked, ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be¡­ like¡­ even though¡­ Feng, you know¡­ this kind of thing¡­ are you sure you¡¯re not¡­¡± Jiang Feng silently reached into a cupboard for a rolling pin, smiling as he looked at Wang Hao. ¡°Have you been visiting those weird websites too muchtely to mess your head up?¡± ¡°Dog Thief Watch the Stick!¡± ¡°I was wrong, Feng! I didn¡¯t think that at all, it was a misunderstanding on your part!¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Chapter 145 - 144: Deboning the Entire Pigeon Chapter 144: Deboning the Entire Pigeon Trantor: 549690339 Early in the morning, while Jiang Feng was still brushing his teeth on the balcony, he received a call from Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Hello?¡± Jiang Feng spoke with white foam still in his mouth, his words unclear. -son, you need toe to the restaurant fast. Your Sir Sun arrived early this morning, ha-ha-ha, he brought quite a lot of stuff, coo-coo-coo, quack-quack-quack, I can¡¯t exin, just hurry over and help.¡± From the noise on Jiang Jiankang¡¯s side, it seemed that the ducks had already started fighting with the pigeons. Anxious, Jiang Feng swallowed a mouthful of foam. That sour taste was unbelievable. After quickly finishing brushing and washing his face, Jiang Feng dashed downstairs and managed to snatch thest shared electric scooter. Under the regretful and annoyed gazes of another guy, he rode away, reaching Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant in less than three minutes. The kitchen was in chaos with pigeons flying and ducks hopping around. Sun Guanyun had gotten up before 4 a.m. left the hotel, visited various live poultry markets around n City, and bought more than twenty pigeons and eight live ducks, hiring someone to deliver them. The person who tied up the ducks didn¡¯t do it tightly enough, and one particrly strong and clever duck managed to escape its bindings while Jiang Jiankang and Sun Guanyun were ughtering the other ducks in an attempt to flee. The escapee was spotted on the spot by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who was at the door doing the ounting. In the process of capturing the traitor, the strongest and fattest duck knocked over a pigeon cage, leading to the scene that Jiang Feng now beheld. It took about fifteen minutes to quell the rebellion. Jiang Jiankang handed Jiang Feng a knife to go kill the squabs. Mrs. Wang Xiulian was actually quite skilled at ughtering, but her technique wasn¡¯t refined, she was slow, and most critically she didn¡¯t clean the blood well. If the blood isn¡¯t drained properly from poultry, the meat will have a faint fishy taste, particrly noticeable when stewing or steaming. ¡°Don¡¯t touch this duck blood. I¡¯ll have Qiqi make Duck Blood and Offalter, don¡¯t spill any and be careful when bleeding it,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian gave verbal instructions to Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Jiang Feng silently nced at Mrs. Wang Xiulian. Usually, she calls Minqi by her name, but when she wants to eat Duck Blood and Offal, she calls her Qiqi. ¡°We can¡¯t make all of it into Duck Blood and Offal; I¡¯ll make you Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup, I¡¯ve just learned it recently,¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang said. ¡°No!¡± Jiang Feng and Mrs. Wang Xiulian eximed in unison. ¡°I just love Duck Blood and Offal!¡± That was from the wife. ¡°1 don¡¯t like Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup.¡± That was from the son. Mr. Jiang Jiankang, doubly negated but not affirmed, was sadly beside himself. Jiang Feng, meanwhile, felt a sense of relief. Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup simply could not even match the knockoff version in the cafeteria! With more than twenty pigeons and eight ducks to deal with, it took quite some time. They started at seven o¡¯clock, and it wasn¡¯t until nine that everything was finally ready, with the big and small naked ducks and pigeons neatly arranged on the prep table. Jiang Feng rubbed his wrists and asked, ¡°Sir Sun, what are we doing with so many ducks?¡± ¡°Eight Treasure Stuffed Duck,¡± Sun Guanyun replied. ¡°Did you look it up online yesterday?¡± Jiang Feng nodded, the recipe took ten minutes, the gossip an hour. ¡°The inte didn¡¯t mention ducks!¡± ¡°The key to Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is in the stuffing. If I start you off with pigeons, you definitely won¡¯t manage. Start with ducks; the same ingredients, once you get the duck right, the pigeon will be easy.¡± Sun Guanyun exined, pointing to the previously rebellious lead rebel, ¡°Do you know how to debone?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Jiang Feng said confidently. Sun Guanyun didn¡¯t buy it: ¡°Show me by deboning it¡± The steps for deboning chicken and duck are the same. Ducks arerger than chickens, and especially this one was big, robust and fat. Its meat quality was undoubtedly good, but the difficulty of deboning was proportionate. Deboning isn¡¯t something you master on the first try, but by the second you start getting used to it. Jiang Feng was the one in the restaurant who performed deboning whenever boneless dishes were on offer, having achieved a consistent deboning time of under eight minutes. Jiang Feng also discovered that the actions during deboning, especially the satisfying tearing when pulling out most of the skeleton and the bones from the wings, were very thrilling. Sometimes, he even thought he could spend an entire day just deboning whole chickens and ducks. This duck was rather fat, so the movements were rtively slow, taking a full ten minutes toplete the deboning. The finished product was perfect, and no one could find fault with it. Sun Guanyun examined the deboned duck from head to toe for a long time before reluctantly managing to say two words: ¡°Not bad. ¡°I originally thought about having you practice deboning for a couple of days, but it seems unnecessary now. You don¡¯t have to worry about these ducks anymore, go debone the pigeons. Pigeon skin is thin, so be careful with your hands. I¡¯ll have my assistant send over the ingredients,¡± Sun Guanyun said. Jiang Feng went to pick out pigeons. Sun Guanyun bought all squabs, smaller than average pigeons, only the size of a hand, not suitable for a knife, only scissors could be used. Jiang Feng had never deboned a squab before, let alone with scissors. Despite carefully selecting a rtivelyrger one, it was still a strenuous task. He feared that with a little carelessness, one snip might cut the squab in half. Using scissors to debone looked quite bloody. From a distance, it appeared as though Jiang Feng was holding a small piece of pitiful meat, snipping here and pulling something out, snipping there and pulling out another piece. It¡¯s no wonder that there¡¯s the mentality of ¡®a gentleman stays far from the kitchen,¡¯ out of sight, out of mind. While Jiang Feng was engaged in a death struggle with the small squab in his hand, pigeon expert Ji Yue came along with a group of colleagues to ck off work early and sneak into the kitchen for some mung bean soup. Upon entering the kitchen, she saw three rows of squab carcasses on the counter. Coo, coo, coo. Familiar sounds rang in Ji Yue¡¯s head. What a massacre! As Ji Yue walked to the pot of mung bean soup, she caught sight of the squab in Jiang Feng¡¯s hand that had been torn beyond recognition. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ji Yue asked, starting todle out the mung bean soup. ¡°Deboning a whole squab,¡± Jiang Feng said. Ji Yue continued, ¡°Debone a squab? There¡¯s barely two ounces of meat to begin with, would it still have anything left after deboning? Are we eating squab for lunch today?¡± Jiang Feng had no answer. ¡°Yes,¡± said Sun Guanyun, who was looking at his phone, ¡°we¡¯re eating Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.¡± Although Ji Yue didn¡¯t know what Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was, she knew Sun Guanyun was a good cook, andparing him to Jiang Weiguo, he was just as skilled. She happily took a bowl and went out to draw. Jiang Feng, not being careful, snipped with the scissors. Sun Guanyun nced sideways at the unsalvageable squab in his hand and said, ¡°This one¡¯s for soup; get another.¡± Jiang Feng continued to struggle with the next squab. Another slip, and there was another snip with the scissors. Before Sun Guanyun could say anything, Jiang Feng obediently switched to another squab. By the time Jiang Feng had moved on to the sixth squab, Sun Guanyun was getting impatient and started to call his assistant. ¡°Hey, Zhang, why haven¡¯t the ingredients I need been delivered yet?¡± On the other end, Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant was overwhelmed, ¡°Boss, sorry, I¡¯ve been to several farm markets but couldn¡¯t find squab eggs that meet the requirements, and no qualified gingko nuts either. I just got in touch with Mr. Han¡¯s assistant, and they will be able to send them over soon.¡± ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t take too long.¡± ¡°Okay, boss, I¡¯ll be as quick as I can, boss, don¡¯t worry, boss!¡± After hanging up the phone, Sun Guanyun continued to watch Jiang Feng handle the squabs. ¡°Be a little more delicate with your hands, pull off the wing bones quickly, turn it over, flip the skin over and cut,¡± Sun Guanyun began to instruct Jiang Feng. Meanwhile, Han Guishan¡¯s versatile assistant had already found squab eggs and gingko nuts that met Sun Guanyun¡¯s criteria. After making arrangements with Assistant Wang to pick up the items, he informed Han Guishan of the progress. Han Guishan was discussingpetition rules with Xu Cheng when he mentioned this casually after hanging up. ¡°It¡¯s quite hrious how Master Sun¡¯s assistant couldn¡¯t find squab eggs and asked my assistant for help,¡± Han Guishan said with augh. ¡°Squab eggs?¡± Xu Cheng asked alertly, lifting his head and shifting his gaze from the papers, ¡°Where are they being delivered?¡± ¡°Let me check,¡± said Han Guishan as he texted his assistant, who replied instantly, ¡°UAL University¡¯s food street.¡± Xu Cheng organized his papers, ¡°Tell your assistant to let Imperial Meal Tavern¡¯s Chef Zhang know we won¡¯t being for lunch.¡± ¡°Not going? If we¡¯re not going to Imperial Meal Tavern, what are we eating for lunch? Has your Taste reviewer discovered a new ce at my establishmenttely?¡± Han Guishan asked, somewhat puzzled. ¡°Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon..¡± Chapter 146 - 145 Chapter 145 ¡°Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon! Master Sun is going to make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon!¡± Han Guishan perked up instantly. Although he wasn¡¯t like Xu Cheng, who dedicated his life to the pursuit of true gourmet food, after many years of friendship with Xu Cheng, Han Guishan had developed quite a discerning pte under his influence. Ten years ago, he even had the fortune to taste the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon personally made by Sun Guanyun. That taste was indeed memorable for many years. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it been almost seven or eight years since Master Sunst made this dish?¡± Han Guishan smacked his lips, ¡°If his disciples could inherit even seventy percent of his skills, Jewel Building wouldn¡¯t have ended up like it is today.¡± ¡°Eight years,¡± Xu Cheng said, ¡°In the past few years, I begged him countless times to make this dish, without sess. I never expected I would be so lucky today. Does Master Sun have old friends at UAL University?¡± ¡°Not sure,¡± replied Han Guishan, ¡°I¡¯ll have my assistant check. Oh, I forgot to tell you. There¡¯s this young talent I¡¯m quite fond of. Uh, this, Jiang Feng, a student from UAL University. I think he has a good chance of making it to the top four.¡± Xu Cheng didn¡¯t recall Jiang Feng, so he picked up his file to take a look: ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any noteworthy chefs with the surname Jiang from Zet City, but in the Shu region, I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a Chef Jiang whose Spicy Fish Head is unparalleled. It¡¯s a pity that when I went to find him, he had been retired for many years, and I couldn¡¯t get any news. Have you tried his cooking?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t tried anything else, but the pickled vegetable dumplings made by this young friend tasted just like the ones my mom used to make for me when I was a child, not a bit different, that taste. Sigh, it¡¯s a pity Dr. Cao says I can¡¯t eat a lot of coarse grains now, and Wang Jing won¡¯t allow me to eat them either. Sigh, too bad, otherwise you could have a taste,¡± Han Guishan smacked his lips. Xu Cheng:¡±¡­¡± He continued to read Jiang Feng¡¯s file. ¡°Are you sure the info is right, that he¡¯s from Zet City?¡± Xu Cheng asked. ¡°I¡¯ve chatted with him, he¡¯s from Zet City, what¡¯s up?¡± Han Guishan asked. ¡°Nothing, I was just overthinking,¡± Xu Cheng put down the file. His thoughts had just wandered to the Taifeng Building in Beiping, a restaurant that had been abandoned by the Li Family for half a century already. It seems that old age really does lead one to overthink. Just a coincidence of names. Meanwhile, in the kitchen of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Jiang Feng was also getting gradually familiar with the anatomy of the squab. Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant had just delivered fresh ingredients, carried in almost by the sackful, even the least numerous squab eggs amounted to hundreds. Seeing such a generous disy left the impoverished Jiang Feng in awe. Now, he even buys pen refills by the box, having to haggle with the store owner for a couple of extra refills each time. So far, sixteen pigeons had been ruined in his hands, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian had even had Ji Yue write up a special offer for Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon on the Promotional Board at the door. The seventeenth squab¡¯s deboning went smoothly. ¡°Yes, cut that, pull, do it now, quickly pull it out!¡± Sun Guanyun was also satisfied, achieving this level of skill after only a dozen or so attempts showed that Jiang Feng¡¯s knifework foundation was solid. Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming had already arrived, but neither spoke up. They rarely deboned squab on a regr basis and weren¡¯t as skilled as Sun Guanyun, so they offered nomentary. Jiang Feng pulled out the wing bone with force, and it was done. He turned the skin of the deboned squab inside out and ced it in the dish. Although it looked a bit unsightly, one could still make out the shape of a squab, now resembling a deted balloon, lying t in the dish. ¡°That¡¯s good, keep practicing, there¡¯s no issue with the deboning,¡± Sun Guanyun said, picking up a squab to start deboning. In terms of knifework, Sun Guanyun might only be slightly better than Jiang Feng, but he had been perfecting this dish for over a decade, with countless squabs meeting their end at his hands. When ites to familiarity with the anatomy of pigeons, Sun Guanyun surpassed even the experienced pig killer¡¯s knowledge of a pig¡¯s anatomy. A small pair of scissors in Sun Guanyun¡¯s hands worked magically, his movements extremely fast, more than twice as quick as Jiang Feng¡¯s. Within minutes, a t, fully deboned squab appeared on the te. ¡°Have you made a simr dish before?¡± Sun Guanyun asked. Jiang Feng honestly shook his head.
  • I ll demonstrate for you once, you taste it, and then use a squab for practice. If it doesn¡¯t work with squab, use a duck instead,¡± Sun Guanyun said, ncing at Jiang Weiguo.
    • Alright, alright, stop looking at me. I never said I wouldn¡¯t teach. If your grandson loses to mine, I¡¯ll teach him how to cook sugar base,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Pah.¡± Sun Guanyun was about to curse, but considering that the target of his vitriol was Jiang Feng, he swallowed his words. ¡°The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is a nourishing dish. The pigeon meat itself can strengthen the liver and kidneys, benefit qi, and enrich blood-it is very nourishing. The vegetarian stuffing can absorb the pigeon¡¯s fat, ensuring the taste is not nd. So except for the squab egg, there is no need to add any additional meat. Watch how I do it first, then you try it yourself following my method and give it a try.¡± Sun Guanyun finished speaking and started to work. Sun Guanyun minced chestnuts, lotus seeds, lilies, and mushrooms among several other ingredients, then added seasoning to make a vegetarian stuffing, constantly stirring with a spoon to ensure thorough mixing. He then ced the cooked squab egg into the pigeon¡¯s cavity and spooned in the vegetarian stuffing. After de-boning, the pigeon¡¯s flesh was thin, but once the stuffing was in, the pigeon puffed up once more. Then it was time to ¡°fly¡± the squab, which meant repeatedly boiling it in a strainer in boiling water. During the boiling process, it was necessary to prick holes through the pigeon, also known as loosening the meat. ¡°The squab¡¯s skin is thin, and the flesh is even thinner. If we used thick-fleshed meat, it would toughen during the steaming process,¡± Sun Guanyun exined. If we don¡¯t prick holes, the pigeon would burst.¡± After that, it was time to add seasonings and ce it in the steamer for a slow steam on low heat, which would take a little over an hour. Sun Guanyun had indeed shared everything he knew, holding nothing back. Although he didn¡¯t verbalize every detail of the ingredients and ratios, his every move was practical and real. Jiang Feng might not be able to remember everything the first time, but Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming were observing right beside him. With those two seniors present, the recipe couldn¡¯t be hidden. ¡°You try.¡± Sun Guanyun said. Jiang Feng took his own de-boned squab and, trying to replicate what Sun Guanyun had just done, made his attempt. ¡°There¡¯s not enough lily, add a bit more.¡± That piece of mushroom is cut toorge, take it out.¡± ¡°Stir it a bit more evenly.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve overfilled it, scoop out half a spoonful, otherwise the squab will burst before you can even loosen the meat.¡± Right, that¡¯s how to roll it, give it a couple more pricks.¡± ¡°Too many bay leaves, remove one, your squab is small.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, put it in the steamer.¡± After nearly an hour of hard work, the pigeon that Sun Guanyun had cooked was almost ready toe out of the pot. ¡°Mr. Jiang, do we still have ham and egg stir-fry?¡± Customers had started arriving at the restaurant, and Ji Yue called out from outside. ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Jiankang shouted back. ¡°Go ahead with your work. I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s time to thicken the sauce,¡± Sun Guanyun spoke, while Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming stood by without any intention of helping. If these three special-ss chefs stayed in the kitchen every day, they would drive the neighboring small restaurants out of business, and their rtionships wouldn¡¯t be as good as they were now. Working one day and taking five off was a schedule Jiang Weiguo had devised. The squab in the pot still needed a while, so Jiang Feng returned to stir-frying dishes. A few minutester, Wu Minqi arrived, spotting the duck and squab on the counter. She went to her own station, checked the orders first, got all the ingredients into the pot, and then asked, ¡°What are you learning today?¡± ¡°Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.¡± Wu Minqi paused in her actions, took a deep breath, and nced at Jiang Feng. Full of envy and jealousy. ¡°You really are lucky,¡± Wu Minqi sighed after a while. Jiang Feng:¡­ Well, it¡¯s okay, I guess.. Chapter 147 - 146: Coming Uninvited Chapter 146: Coming Uninvited Trantor: 549690339 Ten minutester, the steamed pigeon was ready toe out of the pot. The most crucial step of thickening the sauce had arrived, which was also the most important part of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Guanyun¡¯s technique for thickening the sauce was different from the ordinary method; he used pigeon broth, which was made from the bones removed from th>s very pigeon. The longer the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon had een in preparation, the longer the pigeon broth for the sauce had simmered First, he tasted the soup to ensure it was good enough and then beckoned Jiang Feng to taste it as well. Wu Minqi, standing by the side, was the picture of envy, like a child denied candy while her ymate had a whole basket full, making it impossible not to be envious. Guanyun couldn¡¯t help butugh; he had long heard that Old Mr. Wu¡¯s precious granddaughter was obsessed with cooking, and her reputation was indeed well-deserved. He wasn¡¯t worried about teaching her how to thicken the sauce because he was confident that Jiang Fengcked the skill to learn it. Neither did Minqi. ¡°Wu,e and try it too,¡± Guanyun said with a smile. Minqi was delighted and, abandoning the few orders she¡¯d managed to pilfer quickly made her way to Jiang Feng¡¯s side to taste the pigeon broth. ¡°Once the broth has simmered to this consistency, it¡¯s time to begin thickening the sauce,¡± Guanyun exined, his hands constantly moving, rapidly shaking thedle, and quickly the sauce was ready. ¡°The sauce ensures the pigeon remains at the correct temperature. The texture of this dish entirely depends on the temperature; you need to find the perfect temperature of the sauce to pour over the pigeon to make this dish perfectly ¡± Guanyun continued, ¡°This is something I can¡¯t teach you. It¡¯s something you¡¯ have toprehend on your own-it¡¯s a sense, and it¡¯s also a talent. Later when you¡¯re thickening the sauce yourself, I can give you some tips, but the key part is still up to you.¡± Guanyun watched the sauce in the pot silently, the pigeon having been removed from the steamer and now gradually cooling. Suddenly, he scooped adleful of sauce and slowly drizzled it over the pigeon, spoonful by spoonful his movements slow and focused. After the final spoonful of sauce had been poured, Guanyun set aside thedle. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was ready. ¡°In one minute, it will be at its prime for tasting,¡± Guanyun said. The small pigeon, with its plump belly,y in the dish, a faint brown in color. Guanyun took it and slowly slit the pigeon¡¯s belly open, and the vegetarian stuffing immediately spilled out, a tempting mix of white and yellow. The world¡¯s delicacies pale inparison. ¡°When you eat, dip it in some sauce,¡± Guanyun instructed. Jiang Feng scooped a little and dipped it in the sauce beneath. With just that many people in the restaurant, a bite each and the small Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon would be gone. Upon tasting it, the pigeon¡¯s rich, natural vors were fully expressed, with the vegetarian stuffing absorbing the taste of the meat perfectly. The various vegetablesplemented each other, having soaked up the pigeon¡¯s fat they were anything but nd. The smooth chestnuts and the powdery lotus seeds blended together, creating an exquisitebination of texture and taste that made Jiang Feng exim without thinking: ¡°Holy shit.¡± Guanyun had truly perfected this dish to the utmost. Jiang Feng rushed to the kitchen doorway and shouted outside, ¡°Mom Ji Yuee quickly and eat the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, it¡¯s not ¡¯ good when it gets cold! ? Han Guishan and Xu Cheng, who had just entered the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, exchanged smiles. ¡°You¡¯re indeed the best,¡± Guishan said. ¡°I told you the timing was just right, but you had to argue it was too early Come on, we¡¯re going to miss the perfect taste,¡± Xu Cheng said with augh. Xu Cheng walked ahead of Guishan, and just as he was about to enter the back kitchen, he was stopped by Jiang Feng, still licking the spoon. -Hello, we can¡¯t allow¡­. Mr. Han?¡± Jiang Feng saw him about to enter the kitchen and wanted to stop him when he noticed Han Guishan behind him. Xu Cheng took the opportunity to slip into the kitchen, dodging in an S-shape and left behind a message, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Master Sun.¡± ¡°JiangXiaoyou!¡± Han Guishan was also a bit surprised to see Jiang Feng, but time waits for no one, a step slow and a secondte, and the taste of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon would change. Though he spoke, his feet didn¡¯t stop moving, ¡°What a coincidence, you know Master Sun too.¡± Jiang Feng still had a spoon in his hand and what he had just eaten was self-evident. Just as Jiang Feng called out, Ji Yue had already entered the kitchen, a step ahead of Xu Cheng, and now she was already eating, while savoring she eximed, ¡°Oh my god, this is so delicious, what is this? How can pigeon meat be made this tasty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s chestnuts, lilies, lotus seeds, and some vegetables, there¡¯s no pigeon meat.¡± Wu Minqi kindly pointed out. ¡°Oh my god, this is simply the most delicious chestnuts, lilies, and lotus seeds I¡¯ve ever eaten!¡± Ji Yue immediately corrected herself, turned around, and upon seeing Xu Cheng, put on a professional fake smile, ¡°Sir, this is the back¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to find Master Sun.¡± Xu Cheng smiled and nodded at Ji Yue then turned to Sun Guanyun and said, ¡°Master Sun, quite the coincidence¡¯ You¡¯re really in high spirits today to be making Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon here. It¡¯s been eight years since youst made it, hasn¡¯t it? Truly a rare treat!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re looking for Sir Sun.¡± Once Ji Yue saw Xu Cheng knew Sun Guanyun she didn¡¯t interfere further and devoted herself to tasting the Eight Treasures ¡¯ Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in her spoon. Sun Guanyun stared at Xu Cheng as if he¡¯d seen a ghost, and then, also noticing Han Guishan behind him, he understood the situation and gruffly said, ¡°You really do turn up everywhere, don¡¯t you? You can even guess from some pigeon eggs. Well, since you¡¯re here, try it and see if my skills have deteriorated.¡± XU Cheng had been waiting for just that, so he scooped up a half spoonful from the side and wisely dipped it into the soup at the bottom. Han Guishan, clueless about such refinement, also scooped up a half spoonful and ate it dry. ¡°Master Sun, not only have your skills not regressed over the years, but they have even improved. This dish is even better than the one I had eight years ago,¡± Xu Cheng sincerely praised. ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± echoed Han Guishan. Jiang Feng, standing at the door, realized btedly and waited until Wang Xiuhan finished wiping tables outside and came in before recalling that the person with Han Guishan earlier was Xu Cheng, no wonder he looked so familiar. Howe both of them ended up here? Wang Xiulian had grown ustomed to the kitchen of her restaurant being visned by some unfamiliar faces, so she too scooped up half a spoonful, leaving thest half spoonful for Jiang Jiankang, who was still cooking. When Jiang Jiankang had eaten thest half spoonful, there was some soup left in the te along with the pigeon skin and a bit of meat, but with outsiders present, everyone was somewhat reserved, and Ji Yue, thick-skinned, took this to her advantage. She scooped up thest bit and went upstairs to lick the te clean. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not disturb the business in someone else¡¯s kitchen- if there¡¯s something to discuss, we can talk outside,¡± Master Sun finally announced. ¡°We can go to the second floor; there are no guests there now,¡± Wang Xiulian said, as she went out to attend to the customers. Everyone went back to their own duties, the three masters along with Xu Cheng and Han Guishan headed to the second floor, while Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi returned to continue cooking. ¡°How much of the thickening technique did you catch just now?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°About two percent, after all, it¡¯s a special skill, not something one can learn just by watching once,¡± Wu Minqi replied. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°And you?¡± ¡°About¡­ about the same.¡± He too was at two percent, but his was out of a hundred.. Chapter 148 - 147 Lotus Seed Paste (1 More Update) Chapter 147 Lotus Seed Paste (1 More Update) Trantor: 549690339 Xu Cheng was a pure food connoisseur, while Sun Guanyun was a pure chef; their rtionship was limited to just that. After exchanging a few courtesies, Xu Cheng once again proposed a date for Sun Guanyun to make him the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and was once again turned down. He left with a smile on his face, still in high spirits despite the rejection. Upon stepping out of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Xu Cheng took a deep look at the restaurant¡¯s bold red sign with its rustic charm and sighed, ¡°Indeed, the real masters are in themon folk!¡± Han Guishan couldn¡¯t deny this, but at the moment, he was more concerned about another issue: he nced at his watch; it was still eleven o¡¯clock. ¡°What do we eat next?¡± ¡°Eat?¡± said Xu Cheng, surprised, ¡°Didn¡¯t we just have a meal? Aren¡¯t you full? Why don¡¯t we pack some food from this restaurant to take away? Han Guishan: You, Xu Cheng, really deserve to suffer from gastritis! Having just tasted the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, Han Guishan couldn¡¯t bring himself to eat any other ordinary dish. He said, ¡°Never mind, the driver is waiting at the intersection, and I asked my assistant to arrange a meeting with Director Qian at two in the afternoon to discuss the live broadcasting of thepetition.¡± ¡°You discuss it. I¡¯d better stay out of these affairs,¡± said Xu Cheng, and they headed together toward the intersection. Upstairs in the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Sun Guanyun watched Jiang Weiguo with a hint of pride. Being sought after by Xu Cheng wasn¡¯t exactly a good thing, but it certainly was something to boast about. ¡°Jiang Weiguo, do you see that? This is prestige! Even if I step down from the head chef¡¯s position, there will still be people like Xu Cheng seeking me out. Can you say the same?¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Jiang Weiguo coldly snorted with disdain, ¡°Who is Xu Cheng? Sun Guanyun:¡±¡­¡± ¡°You old fellow, you¡¯re doing this on purpose, right? How can you not know who Xu Cheng is?¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± Jiang Weiming didn¡¯t know either. For all these years, the two brothers had stayed in the countryside, away from the limelight, not watching TV or buying magazines, let alone purchasing books written by Xu Cheng years ago. Naturally, they had no clue who Xu Cheng was. Sun Guanyun felt like he was making eyes at a blind man, unable to get angry at all, and could only dismiss it, saying weakly, ¡°Forget I said anything.¡± The three elderly gentlemen sat upstairs drinking tea. Ji Yue had long since finished licking the te and gone downstairs to get busy. After chatting for a while, Sun Guanyun, feeling it was about time, got up and went downstairs. Jiang Feng in the kitchen had also been anxiously minding the pot with the squabs, having stopped what he was doing two minutes prior to stand by the steamer. Strangely enough, when Sun Guanyun¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon just came out of the pot, there was only the aroma of the pigeon meat; the vors of the fillings inside the pigeon belly were tightly locked in, only revealing their fragrance when the belly was cut open. However, the squab Jiang Feng was steaming emitted a faint aroma of the vegetarian stuffing even while it was still in the pot. When Sun Guanyun arrived, Jiang Feng asked, ¡°Sir Sun, can ite out of the pot now?¡± ¡°You make the call.¡± Jiang Feng hesitated. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon required very strict fire control, as a slight misstep or a difference in temperature could affect the entire dish¡¯s vor and texture. For his first attempt, he had no experience and, feeling that the fire control was about right, hesitated for a dozen seconds before deciding to turn off the heat. It wasn¡¯t time to take it out yet; he had to thicken the sauce first. Following the method previously shown by Sun Guanyun and with his guidance by his side, Jiang Feng¡¯s sauce thickening seemed quite decent. The squab was taken out of the pot, waiting for the right moment. Jiang Feng¡¯s squab didn¡¯t look as good as the one Sun Guanyun had made before. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by Sun Guanyun had a round and full belly with a warm and even color, at first nce appearing as a small, bloated squab lying in the te. Jiang Feng¡¯s squab, though bloated, wasn¡¯t as full, and the unevenness was magnified several times on the tiny bird¡¯s body. The aroma of the stuffing wafted out the moment it was taken out of the pot. The squab failed to contain the vegetarian stuffing inside, allowing the fragrance to leak out prematurely, which led to a significant loss of vor. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jiang Feng was somewhat puzzled. His squab looked no different from Sun Guanyun1 s before it went into the steamer. ¡°Your deboning technique isn¡¯t mature; the squab skin already had tears, and you were too greedy when stuffing it, adding a bit too much. You weren¡¯t quick enough in sealing the holes, leaving the needle holes toorge,¡± Sun Guanyun exined. ¡°See? These are all minor issues, but there can¡¯t be any problems when making this dish. Any small defect will be greatly magnified after being steamed for over an hour. One mistake, and the whole dish is ruined.¡± ¡°To make this dish, the knifework must be outstanding, the fire control just right and the seasoning precise. Most importantly, each step must be executed perfectly without error; otherwise, it¡¯s not the best Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Sun Guanyun said. ¡°Your grandfather always said I kept secrets and didn¡¯t teach the most crucial step of thickening to my apprentices, leading to no one other than me being able to make this dish correctly. But the most difficult part of the dish isn¡¯t the thickening; it¡¯s perfecting every step beforehand. I taught you for seven days, and you still can¡¯t learn or master it. This dish can¡¯t possibly be mastered without a year or two of hard practice. ¡°You just tried making it, so you must be aware of the difficulty. You can choose to learn this dish, and T11 teach you the technique for the sauce, or you can choose to learn something else. Seven days is enough time for you to learn. Whether it¡¯s Buddha¡¯s Hand Spare Ribs, Peony Pan-Fried Stuffed Snake Fillet, or any other Cantonese dish you want to learn, I can teach you. One was out of reach; the other was within easy reach. Jiang Feng nced unconsciously at the two elders. Jiang Weiguo was expressionless, while Jiang Weiming smiled at him. Obviously, they were leaving the choice to him. ¡°I choose the thickening sauce,¡± Jiang Feng said. If there¡¯s a best, why settle for anything less? ¡°Ding.¡± The crappy game rose from the dead again. Jiang Feng:¡­ Really, one day he would find a way toin about this crappy game. ¡°Good,¡± Sun Guanyun scooped up a spoonful of the thickening sauce Jiang Feng had made. ¡°This thickening sauce isn¡¯t the right color; I¡¯ll give you pointers on it tomorrow. Pay attention now; it¡¯s about time.¡± Sun Guanyun slowly drizzled the sauce over the squab. One spoonful, then another. ¡°What do you notice?¡± Sun Guanyun asked. ¡°The color, the color seems to change a bit as the thickening sauce is poured on,¡± Jiang Feng was uncertain; he suspected his eyes were ying tricks on him. ¡°That¡¯s right, the color. When poured at just the right temperature, the color of the sauce will change slightly, so you must drizzle it slowly like dripping water, starting from the belly, finishing with the wings,¡± Sun Guanyun stopped. ¡°Now, try what you made.¡± Using a knife, Jiang Feng cut open the squab and scooped up a small spoonful. The taste was good, butpared with what Sun Guanyun had made earlier, it was like night and day. The three elders also tasted it but offered noments. Jiang Feng called for Wang Xiulian and Ji Yue toe and try as well. ¡°Not as good as the previous one,¡± Wang Xiulianmented. ¡°Mediocre,¡± Ji Yue assessed. Jiang Feng asked Wu Minqi if she would like to try, but Wu Minqi politely declined. In the end, Jiang Feng turned his gaze to Jiang Jiankang, who had managed to stir-fry a serving of Kung Pao Chicken into the equivalent of two servings1 worth of time: ¡°Dad, do you want to try?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Jiang Jiankang beamed, the Kung Pao Chicken flying out of the wok in an instant. Chapter 149 - 148: Conscientious Shop (2nd Update) Chapter 148: Conscientious Shop (2nd Update) Trantor: 549690339 In the following days, Jiang Feng devoted himself to practicing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. He cycled through practice with squab and duck repeatedly, barely noticing the passage of time, and seven days flew by in an instant. Sun Guanyun said to teach for seven days, so he did exactly that, teaching not a day more. As soon as the time was up, he disappeared without a trace. Now, Jiang Feng had mastered the art of deboning a whole pigeon, and Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming, the two seniors, had also gotten a good grasp of it, being able to offer a tip or two on everything except the thickening sauce. These days, countless squabs and ducks met their end at Jiang Feng¡¯s hands. The duck didn11 taste as good as the squab and was sold off by Wang Xiulian as a discount dish, which turned out to be very popr. The squab, on the other hand, was consumed internally. Now, every staff member at the Healthy Stir- fry Restaurant could gobble down two to three squabs a day on average, and Wang Hao had such a perpetual pigeon scent that everyone joked he had turned into a pigeon himself, the aroma never quite dissipating. At 3:37 p.m. on March 30th, Jiang Feng perfectly deboned another squab. He had be a true Pigeon Assassin, devoid of sentiment and of profit. Just as he was about to put the trimmed bones into the pot to make soup, Ji Yue came in with his phone. ¡°Jiang Feng, your call.¡± Ji Yue handed him the phone. ¡°Hello,¡± Jiang Feng said, wiping his hands. ¡°Hello, may I speak to Mr. Jiang Feng? I am a staff member from the Good Taste Cooking Competition. Are you avable tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this: since ourpetition broadcasts live on TV starting from the top 32 and willter be edited for exclusive online streaming on a certain video tform, we need you to help us record a short VCR segment for prepetition promotion.¡± ¡°VCR?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just about a minute long, and you can say anything you want, like a prepetition deration or a brief ount of your cooking practice, as long as there¡¯s no advertising involved. It won¡¯t take much of your time. Tomorrow morning at nine, on the 7th floor of the provincial station, our staff will be waiting for you at the elevator entrance.¡± After thinking it over, Jiang Feng figured a one-minute video shouldn¡¯t be too hard and agreed. After hanging up, Jiang Feng became somewhat distracted. Should he put on a facial mask tonight? He finished stuffing the squab, nched it, inserted needles, then ced it in the steamer to steam. At the moment, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t see any mistakes, and he would only be able to tell once the squab was out of the steamer in an hour. After washing his hands clean, Jiang Feng went to Mrs. Wang Xiulian to ask for a facial mask. Wang Xiulian was busy tallying ounts at the counter. Since the Healthy Stir- fry Restaurant had expanded its operations, the ounting had be moreplicated. Every day, Mrs. Wang Xiulian was either crunching numbers or en route to do so, meticulously making sure not to miss a single figure and give partners an unintended discount. ¡°Mom, do you have a facial mask? I could use one,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wang Xiulian didn¡¯t even look up at him, toozy to lift her eyelids, keeping her focus on the calctor, dismissively replied, ¡°What does a boy need a facial mask for, go back to your ducks!¡± ¡°Oh right, the price of squabs has gone up recently, so practice with ducks more and squabs less. Eating squab every day is too nourishing ¨C even someone my age has gotten a pimple,¡± Wang Xiulian said, involuntarily touching the fresh, shiny pimple on her forehead with her left hand, while her right continued to tap away at the calctor. ¡°You could just sell the pigeons as well, mark them at a discount ¨C they won¡¯t know the original price,¡± said Jiang Feng, knowing well that practicing with ducks was not nearly as effective as with squabs. ¡°A squab is so tiny and sells for dozens of yuan, you think our ce is a fancy restaurant?¡± Wang Xiulian finally looked up at Jiang Feng with a gaze that said you don¡¯t know the cost of living because you don¡¯t run the household, ¡°They won¡¯t sell, son. Go back to the kitchen, I need to finish the ounts, don¡¯t bother me. Have you seen your father, where has he gone off to this time?¡± ¡°He went to settle the ounts with Shaxian Snacks,¡± Jiang Feng said, ready to head back to the kitchen when he realized that Mrs. Wang Xiulian had sidetracked him ¨C he was there to get a facial mask. ¡°No, Mom, the organizer¡¯s staff called earlier asking me to go to the provincial station tomorrow and record a VCR short as prepetition promotion,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you said before? To put on a facial mask before appearing on TV to look more presentable.¡± Only then did Wang Xiulian take it seriously, stopping what she was doing and asked earnestly, ¡°That VR short, will it be aired on TV?¡± ¡°Should be,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say early, applying a mask, huh? Mom supports you, tonight your dad will bring one down from upstairs. I thought you and Ji Yue were watching those crappy TV shows of Mr. Zou and wanted to learn from those young idols how to use facial masks for skincare. Son, let me tell you, it¡¯s unnecessary. These things don¡¯t do jack, it¡¯s just a waste of money!¡± Wang Xiulian said, ¡°Let me tell you, the hydrating mask that the beauty salon gave us works really well, much better than those you buy outside for dozens of yuan!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­Okay, I got it, Mom.¡± ¡°Right, after applying the mask, you still need to do skincare. Seriously, where¡¯s your dad? He¡¯s been tying up that money for so long, he must be cking off somewhere again. Every single day, he¡¯s only diligent in hiding his private money. Yesterday, I found thirty thousand of his, and he wasn¡¯t even upset, definitely has more stashed away,¡± Wang Xiulian said indignantly. Jiang Feng:¡­ Better not say anything more, better light a candle for Jiang Jiankang¡¯s poor acting, his little bank is surely doomed. A blissfully unaware Jiang Jiankang happily walked in eating a tea egg gifted by the Shaxian Snacks owner and saw Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t in the kitchen, ¡°Son, taking a break, huh!¡± ¡°Your kid needs to go to the provincial station tomorrow to record some VR thing, tonight go upstairs and get him a face mask, and bring my set of skincare from the bedside to him too. Take the face mask that the beauty salon gave, not the ones I bought from Hong Kong Cityst year,¡± Wang Xiulian instructed. ¡°Sure thing!¡± That evening, Jiang Feng carried a bag full of Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s skincare products back to his dorm, inspected each item after taking them all out, but then he had trouble. Most of Wang Xiulian¡¯s skincare products were from the same brand, probably given by the beauty salon. The bottles all had things like RADICAL NEW AGE, FACIAL TREATMENT REPAIR C on them. Jiang Feng could understand the English part ¨C serum, toner, cream, eye cream, etc. ¨C but the descriptions in Japanese on the back stumped him. As a straight male who had been single since birth, his limit in skincare was basically Dabao. ¡°Feng, what are you looking at?¡± Wang Hao saw Jiang Feng fiddling with the various bottles and jars and asked. ¡°My mom¡¯s lending me her skincare products for the night, but I don¡¯t know how to use this stuff!¡± Jiang Feng replied, ¡°You don¡¯t say, her beauty salon is pretty westernized; it¡¯s all in English and Japanese.¡± ¡°They all do that, anything not in Chinese gets sold for more.¡± Wang Hao picked up a bright red bottle, couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it, and gave up, pulling out his phone, ¡°Let¡¯s ask Baidu, Feng, can you understand the English on it?¡± ¡°That bottle you¡¯re holding is face cream,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Let me see, before applying the mask you should p on some toner, no wait, this one says you don¡¯t need to, no wait, this one says you do. Never mind, never mind, you should just p on some toner first, Feng. Is this bottle toner?¡± Wang Hao said, holding up a bottle, as confused as if he was reading Signals and Systems. Jiang Feng felt like Wang Hao was spitballing random words so he took the phone himself. He couldn¡¯t understand it either. ¡°It¡¯s probably best to just p on some toner before the mask, Feng. This bottle is toner, right?¡± Wang Hao said, picking up a bottle. ¡°I feel like, shouldn¡¯t you wash your face with a cleanser first?¡± Jiang Feng suggested, drawing on his scarce experience with skincare. Finally, after a series of haphazard operations, Jiang Feng managed toplete his skincare routine, marveling at how troublesome women¡¯s daily lives are, then began to tidy up the bottles and jars on the table. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a cebo effect or not, but he felt like his skin really did look brighter and whiter. Seeing Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s generosity, the face mask and skincare products given by the beauty salon weren¡¯t bad at all. Wang Hao, holding the bottle of toner that Jiang Feng had identally wasted earlier, remarked, ¡°Feng, you¡¯re not wrong, your mom¡¯s beauty salon has a pretty fancy name, it¡¯s even called SK-II.¡± ¡°Yeah, itworks pretty well,¡± Jiang Feng sighed, ¡°Such a conscientious store!¡± Chapter 150 - 149 Ji Xue (Third Update) Chapter 149 Ji Xue (Third Update) Trantor: 549690339 | On the morning of the 31st, Jiang Feng woke up early. After a thorough routine of washing his face, brushing his teeth, and applying skincare, he slipped intost year¡¯s Versace shirt, coat, pants, and knock-off sneakers that looked like a 668-yuan pair but actually cost just 68 yuan. Jiang Feng looked at himself in the spotty, low-definition mirror of the bathroom and actually felt that he was glowing, like a movie star from a skincare ad. Jiang Feng even had the illusion that he was about to debut that day. SK¡ªII! Jiang Feng made a mental note of this beauty salon¡¯s name, deciding to look it up on Taobao when he had the chance and buy a set for his secret use. As soon as he stepped out of the dormitory building, a breeze blew past, making Jiang Feng shiver slightly. What a bustling wind today. The provincial station was actually quite close to UAL University, just a subway transfer and a total of four stops away. Jiang Feng, carrying his skincare products, headed to Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to grab breakfast before going to the station, but he discovered that the door was still closed upon arrival. The promotional board was ced outside the entrance. On it was Jiang Jiankang¡¯s scrawled handwriting: The owner is away for a week due to personal matters; business is temporarily suspended. Jiang Feng: ??? Master Huang from the noodle shop across the street was making noodles at the entrance, so Jiang Feng went over to ask him. ¡°Master Huang, do you know where my parents went?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Oh, Feng, you didn¡¯t go with your parents? They¡¯ve gone to Hong Kong for a trip! They left early today, just after five in the morning. I ran into them when I just opened up. Your dad said they were catching a flight. Your dad is quite a character, heading on a vacation but with a long face,¡± Master Huang said. Jiang Feng had a sinking feeling that something was wrong and took out his phone to search what exactly SK-II was. Face masks from an ex-boyfriend, miracle water, big red bottles¡­ Familiar names, familiar appearances, familiar images followed by unfamiliar prices. In that moment, Jiang Feng understood. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s secret stash¡­ was gone! Jiang Feng caressed his face and realized that he had thought the most valuable thing on him was the pants he was wearing, but it turned out to be his handsome face with a touch of dashing charm. Since it was just past seven and there was plenty of time, Jiang Feng said to Master Huang, ¡°Master Huang, arge bowl of beef noodles, please. No chili, but extra green onions.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Master Huang replied cheerfully. Jiang Feng opened the shop door and took the expensive skincare set that belonged to Wang Xiulian upstairs. This little bag was worth tens of thousands, and any damage might incur the wrath of Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who might then serve him a hefty p he¡¯d rather avoid. Master Huang had been making noodles for over twenty years¡ªordinary in taste but firm in texture, his noodle-making skills well surpassed that of Jiang Jiankang. Jiang Feng¡¯s beef noodles were a special order, with four thick slices of seasoned beef, heaps of green onion, and a spoonful of sauce¡ªslurp by slurp therge bowl of beef noodles was gone. After belching contently, redolent with the taste of seasoned beef, Jiang Feng set off for the provincial station. n City, as a provincial capital, had property prices that were skyrocketing, leaving the provincial station relegated to the more remote suburbs; they dared not even dream of building it in a slightly more bustling area. As Jiang Feng exited the subway station, he saw the TV station building. He asked at the front desk and indeed found the staff of the Good Taste Culinary Competition by an elevator entrance to the left. Ady wearing a suit, her work badge still hanging around her neck, was cking off and ying with her phone. ¡°Hello,¡± Jiang Feng stepped forward to greet her. ¡°Hello, may I ask¡­ Mr. Jiang Feng, right?¡± The professionalism of the staffdy was quite high; she recognized Jiang Feng at a nce. She subconsciously nced at her phone and smiled professionally, ¡°The previous contestant went up just 6 minutes ago, so you might need to wait a while. I hope you don¡¯t mind. The 7th floor, turn right out of the elevator, it¡¯s the second room.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Jiang Feng knew he was early. It was not even 9 o¡¯clock yet, still over half an hour away from the time he was told on the phone yesterday. The staffdy pressed the elevator button for Jiang Feng and nodded with a smile, ¡°I wish you a pleasant life.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Could thisdy have been a telephone customer service representative? Following her directions, Jiang Feng easily found the room for filming the VCR. Inside the small studio, there was also a small makeup room. The staff brought Jiang Feng a cup of water to wait because the previous contestant was still getting their makeup done. Holding the cup of water, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t sit down but wandered around, curiously inspecting the small studio. The decor was simple; the walls were just casually painted, there was a green screen, and only one camera, but there were quite a few staff members around. Jiang Feng also took a sneak peek at the makeup room¡ªit was quite small, and he could only see the back of the contestant sitting there, who seemed to be a woman. ¡°Excuse me, contestant, could you please move aside? You¡¯re blocking the camera,¡± said the staff member who had just given Jiang Feng water. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Jiang Feng retreated to a corner. Perhaps because the girl inside was ready to start shooting, everyone outside started to bustle about. The same staff member found Jiang Feng in the corner, wiping sweat from her face, and said, ¡°Contestant Jiang Feng, why don¡¯t you get your makeup done now? That way, we can start shooting as soon as possible without any dy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Feng, with his cup of water, entered the makeup room. The makeup artist was a woman who looked to be in her thirties, sitting with her legs cross, engrossed in her phone. The staff pushed Jiang Feng in front of her and said, ¡°Zhao, the next contestant is here; give him a makeup session first.¡± And hurriedly left. Zhao put down her phone and signaled for Jiang Feng to sit down, examining his face. ¡°Did you especially take care of your skin this morning before leaving? You¡¯re doing better than that girl just now. She hadn¡¯t applied anything on her face, and even when told to wash her face with cleanser, she didn¡¯t do it properly. Here, close your eyes,¡± Zhao said. Jiang Feng obediently closed his eyes and let Zhao do her work on his face. A few minutester, Zhao said, ¡°There, take a look. I¡¯ve just applied a foundation for you¡ªnot too heavy. Your lip color is fine; you don¡¯t need lipstick. What do you think?¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t have any opinions. Other than the makeup he got during a school performance in elementary school, where he was painted like a face from a New Year picture, this was only his second time wearing makeup. He looked in the mirror and felt just a bit paler, a bit brighter, not much different from before. ¡°It looks good, thank you, Zhao,¡± Jiang Feng said. He took his cup of water and went to find a corner to stay in and observe how the previous contestant shot the VCR. Jiang Feng thought the girl standing in front of the green screen looked familiar and, after thinking for a bit, remembered she seemed to be Ji Xue from Guangdong Province, two years younger than himself, with sharp and efficient short hair, and an expressionless face. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was her usual demeanor or if she was just too nervous in front of the camera. ¡°Okay, the lighting is fine. Now, Ji Xue, look at the camera. Good, that¡¯s the angle. Don¡¯t be nervous, smile a little. Don¡¯t be afraid, the photographer will capture your best shots. Rx your expression a bit, yes, a bit more natural. Alright, we can start,¡± the director announced the beginning. ¡°My name is Ji Xue, I¡¯m 19 years old, from Guangdong Province.¡± Ji Xue looked into the camera with not too much expression and paused. Jiang Feng casually snacked on seeds and started to drink water. ¡°I¡¯m not here for the championship this time; I¡¯m just looking for a high-tech job rted to cooking, with a monthly sry over 20,000, meals and amodations included, and I¡¯m avable to work more than 12 hours a day,¡± Ji Xue nced at the director and said, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Jiang Feng nearly choked to death on a sip of water. What a showstopper this girl was! Chapter 151 - 150 Progress Bar (4th Update) Chapter 150 Progress Bar (4th Update) Trantor: 549690339 | ¡°Cut,¡± the director poked his head out from behind the monitor, his face calm, ¡°Next.¡± He was clearly someone who had weathered great storms. ¡°May I leave now?¡± Ji Xue asked. ¡°Yes, you may.¡± Ji Xue silently left, leaving behind a solitary and dashing figure to everyone. Jiang Feng:¡­ Are all the contestants on this show so full of character? Thinking about his own cliched self-introduction he had prepared all night, lines like ¡°I¡¯ve loved cooking since I was young, I feel very honored to make it to the top 32 in thispetition, and I¡¯m very aspire to be the champion,¡± seemed nutrition-lesspared to Ji Xue¡¯s blunt job-seeking deration. Compared to Ji Xue¡¯s 20 seconds of a smooth take, Jiang Feng¡¯s minute and a half of cliched introduction took a good five or six takes. But nobody was in a hurry, the director wasposed throughout, mainly because there was plenty of time, even after Jiang Feng finished recording his VCR, the next contestant had yet to arrive. After the recording ended, Jiang Feng checked his phone, it wasn¡¯t even half-past nine. ¡°Director Hu, we¡¯re moving through the recording quite fast!¡± the assistant director eximed. The well-experienced Director Hu nodded and said to the only crew member who had paid any attention to Jiang Feng, ¡°Wang, get in touch with the contestants who are scheduled for this afternoon and try to finish recording today.¡± ¡°Okay, Director Hu,¡± the busy Wang hurried off to continue his busyness. Jiang Feng silently left. Mrs. Wang Xiulian dragged Jiankang off to splurge in Hong Kong, so with the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant closed, Jiang Feng had nothing to do. He sent a WeChat message to Wu Minqi with this sad news and then decided to do something meaningful. Like checking how the lousy game update was progressing. Back at the dorm, Wang Hao had gone to ss, and no one else was present; Jiang Feng could randomly click in the air without anyone thinking he was a lunatic. Opening the game panel, the familiar bugs were still there, and the interface for Sweet and Sour Yam hung on the update screen as stubbornly as a small web pop-up. The progress bar read: 99.7%. Jiang Feng almost cried tears of joy. Such a perfectly timed update rate, could it be that he was really the protagonist of those urban culinary novels, where the game that always disconnects miraculouslyes online just at the critical moment? Just like the tv show where the protagonist¡¯s assistant only appears at the most critical times. Jiang Feng was invigorated, opened his phone, and started reading Wang Hao¡¯s updates from the past few days. After umting for over a week, Jiang Feng took a bit over an hour to finish reading, and even after he was done, he felt unsatisfied and checked the time of thetest update. Thirteen minutes ago. He then checked today¡¯s ss schedule. Optical Information Processing. He found the textbook that had been issued a month ago but was still brand new, without even a name written on it, and flipped to the table of contents, the first chapter. Two-dimensional Fourier analysis. Great. Wang Hao¡¯s understanding of Fourier series in ¡°Signals and Systems¡± was so terrible, and this ss was even more difficult than ¡°Signals and Systems.¡± He still dared to goof off, y with his phone, and write stories; it looked like another course would be added to next year¡¯s retake list. With time on his hands, Jiang Feng started reading ¡°Theory and Application of Information Optics¡± in the dormitory. By studying now, he could avoid it during finals, and since there were no ces to practice cooking, he might as well study. After swimming in the sea of knowledge for a day, calling for takeout twice, Jiang Feng finally dragged himself ashore at ten in the evening, ready to wash up and sleep. Before going to sleep, he nced at the game panel. 99.7%. Jiang Feng believed that tomorrow would definitely be a brand-new day with the game updatepleted. He truly was the destined protagonist! The next morning, 99.7%. The next evening, 99.7%. The morning of the third day, 99.7%. The morning of the fourth day, 99.7%. The morning of the fifth day, 99.8%. Jiang Feng almost cried tears of joy when he saw the progress bar had only increased by 0.1% in five days, a change that was virtually imperceptible to the naked eye. What kind of inte speed must it be to only rise by 0.1% in five days? In those five days, Jiang Feng had finished reading all the textbooks for his courses. Although the game had no art design, no customer service, was shoddily made, and riddled with bugs, the cheat it came with worked pretty well. Jiang Feng said he would definitely give it a one-star rave review if there was a rating system. Tomorrow is Qingming Festival, and although barely anyone from UAL University would actually go home specifically to tend to family graves, it is still an official public holiday that deserves to be celebrated. For instance, Wang Haounched a Qingming Festival special, offering a free bottle of regr temperature c with any single person purchase over 30! Having a room for two but living alone greatly benefited Wang Hao; he could bring in loads of stock and store them however he liked. Slip the dorm supervisor some cigarettes and fruits periodically, and the old man would turn a blind eye during inspections. Jiang Feng borrowed Wu Minqi¡¯s VIP ount and logged in on hisputer with a QR code to binge-watch shows. The shop¡¯s closure these past few days meant that he wasn¡¯t able to keep up with Ji Yue watching series together, and he¡¯d fallen behind by quite some episodes. Today, he was finally able to catch up in one go, which was immensely satisfying. Engrossed in melodramatic romance dramas until noon, Jiang Feng was about to order takeout when he received a WeChat message from Jiang Jiankang, informing him that Mrs. Wang Xiulian had thoroughly enjoyed her spending spree and decided to return early. After switching to an even more upscale skincare range and pricier facial masks, Xiulian felt so good that she even bought a new pair of leather shoes for Jiankang and a new hat for Jiang Feng, feeling that there was nothing much left to enjoy in Hong Kong City. After all, having visited once a year, it no longer felt fresh to her. She booked a ticket for the afternoon flight and could reach n City by evening. ¡°Don¡¯t mention anything about SK-II to your mom, and make sure to hide the previous set well. The facial masks are under the bedside table drawer; take those and hide them too.¡± Thirty seconds after sending this message, Jiankang quickly retracted it. Xuilian was not only fickle but also could hold a grudge. Jiankang had sacrificed his own little treasury to upgrade Xiulian¡¯s skincare products, and by doing so, Jiang Feng also got his share at a bargain. Jiang Feng hurried back to Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, moved all the skincare products and facial masks back to his dorm, and was momentarily at a loss with his sudden windfall. Last time he applied the skincare products, Jiang Feng just thered them on any old way. Now with the full set including facial masks all to himself, he decided it was time to seriously research proper skincare techniques. He didn¡¯t have that many female friends to begin with. Xiuxiu was the first to be ruled out¡ªas if she wouldugh for a whole year if she found out he was using facial masks. Minqi was quite casual with skincare, pping on expensive products with the confidence of someone who had money. Liu Qian actually had quite some insights on beauty and skincare since bing a streamer, but she didn¡¯t respond to his messages promptly, likely busy with alive stream. That left only one option¡ªJi Yue. Though Ji Yue was poor, procrastinated, dyed her work, grew increasingly gluttonous, gained ten pounds over the New Year, and failed her postgraduate entrance exams, she was a good girl. As an unqualified art student, she was well-versed in all kinds of makeup and skincare techniques, and her response to messages was always especially prompt when she was procrastinating on her drawings. Sure enough, Ji Yue replied instantly as soon as Jiang Feng sent her a message. ¡°What skincare products? Send me a photo to see.¡± Jiang Feng sent a photo over. Then there was silence. Ten minutester, Ji Yue updated her Moments. ¡°What is going on with guys these days? They¡¯re richer than you, more refined than you, and even their skincare products are ten times more expensive than yours!!! No more procrastinating, I¡¯m taking orders!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Chapter 152 - 151 Tong Deyan (5 th Update) Chapter 151 Tong Deyan (5 th Update) Trantor: 549690339 Not getting a response from Ji Yue, Jiang Feng could only ask Wu Minqi. Wu Minqi replied with ¡°Wait a moment¡± and then there was no further word Jiang Feng waited for over ten minutes, staring at his phone without receiving reply. Feeling embarrassed to urge her, he decided to let the matter go for now and continued happily watching TV. ¡°Do you think just because you have money you can do whatever you want? Do you think because you¡¯re rich you can easily control everything about me? You have so much money, but are you happy?¡± The female protagonist yelled heart-wrenchingly in the night rain before finally kneeling by the roadside and crying bitterly. Jiang Feng felt no inner turmoil, he even somewhat envied the happiness of the wealthy. Do you think this is the happiness of the wealthy? No, you can11 even begin to imagine the joys of being rich. The more he watched the more he felt the drama was pointless. It lost its original silliness and became increasingly melodramatic. A silly drama without its silliness is like mapo tofu without Sichuan pepper or beef noodles without beef ¨C the formercks soul and thetter deceives the consumer. Jiang Feng now felt as though he was the consumer who¡¯d been deceived, even though he hadn¡¯t spent a cent since the VIP ount was Wu Minqi¡¯s and he was merely using another consumer¡¯s ount. But this did not stop Jiang Feng from giving the drama two stars using Wu Minqi¡¯s ount before closing the webpage angrily. Picking up his phone, Jiang Feng wanted to have a good rant with Ji Yue about the bizarre recent episodes, when he saw the message Wu Minqi had sent a few minutes ago. It was just one message, but very long, probably about a thousand words, detailing various skincare application techniques and usage times, along with allergic symptoms. Jiang Feng painstakingly read through it for a good seven or eight minutes. I get it! Jiang Feng had an epiphany. So, skincare is about doing this and that, then that and this and that again! He nced at the row of skincare products on the table. Forget it. I might as well just p it on randomly. After all, it¡¯s all going on mv face. y Jiang Feng checked the game panel, which was still at 99.8%. It seemed like thest 0.2% would take an eternity to update. With nothing better to do, Jiang Feng continued browsing the official forum of Good Taste to see if there was any juicy gossip to devour. And indeed, he stumbled upon a huge scandal concerning the only judge announced by the organizers so far, Tong Deyan. ording to the organizers, Tong Deyan is the head chef of Zhengde Building m Beiping, a well-known chef in the city, 47 years old, skilled in Shandong cuisine, Beijing-style cuisine, Tan Family Cuisine, and imperial cuisine. Zhengde Building is a famous establishment, and Tong Deyan, being its head chef, was definitely qualified to be a judge. But now, someone on the official forum had dug up Tong Deyan¡¯s past, iming he started as an assistant chef in a restaurant in Magic City and was driven out by his mentor for dishonest behavior. A professional judge of Good Taste who used to be a thief ¨C what explosive news, what a colossal piece of gossip. The post had been up for less than two hours and had already climbed to over a thousandments. Then, a series of unrted smaller scandals-some having nothing to do with Tong Deyan¡ªalso surfaced, such as ims that he suppressed his colleagues while at Zhengde Building, that he had an explosive temper, and even publicly scolded customers. Others dered it was all fabricated rumors meant to smear the Good Taste culinarypetition. People began to question the professionalism of the official Good Taste culinarypetition, with a mix of bystanders, paid posters, haters, haters posing as bystanders, and paid posters posing as bystanders, all showing their skills and creating a chaotic mess under the post, providing quite a spectacle. The fire even spread to the contestants themselves, and Jiang Feng saw a post where someone imed with conviction as if they had seen it with their own eyes that Ji Xue from Guangdong Province was not clean either ¨C that as a teenager working as a kitchen hand, she was also fired for stealing. After browsing the forum, finding half the posts swooning over Zhang Guanghang¡¯s looks and digressing into arguments, and the other half simply starting off with arguments, bing more and more fierce, Jiang Feng found it all quite dull. He was about to switch to a different forum to check if Wang Hao had updated when his phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, may I speak with contestant Jiang Feng? I am a staff member of the Good Taste culinarypetition.¡± The staff member¡¯s voice had such a child-like tone that Jiang Feng almost threw his phone in fright. ¡°Speaking.¡± ¡°It¡¯5 hke this, since the top 32petition will start at 8 o¡¯clock tomorrow evening and will be live broadcasted by the provincial station, we need you to arrive at the station before 4 p.m. for prepetition preparations. As thepetition will be broadcasted live, our staff will exin some matters you need to pay attention to beforehand. If you are unable to arrive on time, we will regretfully have to inform you that yourpetition eligibility will be cancelled.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a live broadcast, there will also be an audience which might cause some disturbances during yourpetition. Please make sure to ovee these challenges. Each contestant has 5 tickets, which we believe you¡¯ve already received, so you can invite your friends and family to watch.¡± ¡®Do you have any other questions?¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Are you from Taiwan? Why is your Taiwanese ent so perfect? ¡°I don¡¯t have any tickets on hand right now, how can I invite them?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the tickets? Oh, that might be because our staff made a mistake on the day we shot the VCR. They forgot to give the tickets to you, and we¡¯re truly sorry for that. May I ask where you are right now? Our staff can deliver the tickets to you right away.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Just send it to the publicity office at UAL University and let me know. I will go and collect them. By the way, does your ticket mention the time of thepetition?¡± ¡°Of course it does.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ So it turns out, among the top 32 in the nation, everyone except him knew thepetition was tomorrow. Only he was blissfully unaware, happily watching TV the day before thepetition. Do you have any other questions?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll wish you sess in advance with yourpetition, and I apologize again for our staff¡¯s oversight. We¡¯ll make sure the tickets are delivered to you before tonight.¡± ¡°Thank¡­ Thank you.¡± He¡¯d been cking off for several days, but it was fine, no big deal, because he igured he probably wouldn¡¯t win the championship anyway. Jiang Feng gave himself a good mental pep talk and started studying skin care products. Thepetition was tomorrow, and it was going to be televised live, so naturally, he should be somewhat formal. Jiang Feng opened WeChat, scrolled to the long list of skincare tips Wu Minqi had sent him, and began to study Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s skincare products one by one. ¡°First use the facial cleanser, then pat on the toner, apply a face mask for 15-20 minutes, after removing the mask¡­ it¡¯s best not to use masks that contain alcohol? They put that stuff in masks?¡± Jiang Feng muttered, taking out a face mask and beginning to read the ingredients list. Water-Gctomyces ferment filtrate (from cow¡¯s milk)-BG¡­ I¡¯m sorry to interrupt. Around five in the afternoon, the capable staff from the Good Taste Cooking Competition had already delivered the tickets. Jiang Feng gave one to Wang Hao and was going to give one to Ji Yue, but Ji Yue told him that Wu Minqi had given her one a few days ago, and Liu Qian had hers too, sent by some streaming service. The remaining four tickets were just enough for Jiang Jiankang, Wang Xiulian, and the two Sirs. After distributing the tickets, Jiang Feng went to the airport to pick up Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian. Mrs. Wang Xiulian could say she hit the jackpot this time, going with one suitcase anding back with three, effectively blowing Jiang Jiankang¡¯s long-hidden stash of money. ¡°Son, son, don¡¯t you think I look dashing in this outfit? Your mom bought it for me!¡± Jiang Jiankang did a full 360-degree turn to show off his new clothes to Jiang Feng without a blind spot. Even in the 8 degrees chilly night, apanied by a gentle breeze, Jiang Jiankang didn¡¯t feel the slightest cold. Just thinking that Mrs. Wang Xiulian had specifically picked out this shirt for him afterparing two made him feel warm inside. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t bring himself to remind him that Mrs. Wang Xiulian had spent his secret savings on it. ¡°Looks great, looks great.¡± Jiang Feng replied indifferently as he went to get the suitcases, one in each hand, ¡°Mom, did you buy this suitcase in Hong Kong City too?¡± 5 B ¡°Yes, it was 50% off, such a bargain, and it evenes with a custom lock!¡± Wang Xiulian said. ¡°Oh, by the way, dad, mom, the top 32petition is tomorrow evening. I have four more tickets, which have the studio address and start time on them. Each of you take one, and the other two are for Grandpa and Granduncle Weiming. I ve already spoken to them about it, remember to go tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng said. 5 ¡°Which row are they in?¡± Wang Xiulian asked. ¡°Second row, you¡¯ll have a clear view.¡± ¡°Great, do you have the tickets with you? Give them to me first.¡± WangXiulian said. The tickets were right in the pocket of Jiang Feng¡¯s jacket. He took them out and handed them to Wang Xiulian, who happily received them, took out her phone, and clicked a photo to send to her elementary school friends group. ¡°Do you guys know about the Good Taste Cooking Competition? My son has made it to the top 32, and I¡¯ve got tickets! Second row, so close, we¡¯ll have a crystal-clear view when the timees!¡± Wang Xiulian began to send voice messages. Jiang Feng:¡­ Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s fake Magic City ent was quite convincing. Those years of watching dramas truly weren¡¯t in vain. Chapter 154 - 153 Game Launch (7th Update) (Extra update for my insomnia) Chapter 153 Game Launch (7th Update) (Extra update for my insomnia) Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng, feeling uneasy, continued to sit in the corner and silently eat his boxed lunch, while Zhang Guanghang sat on one of the only two sofas in the resting area, surrounded by women staff members of various ages. Longan, cherry, freshly squeezed juice, exquisite fruit tes¡­ Jiang Feng looked at the basic boxed lunch with two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish in his hands and the bottle of now cold boiled water at his feet. What a stark contrast, what a vast disparity. Jiang Feng immediately turned his head away, not looking anymore, not looking anymore; indeed,parisons to others can really kill one¡¯s spirit. At around 7:40, staff members came to call the contestants to take their ces at thepetition site. The audience was already seated, and the judges had settled in their seats. Jiang Feng knew nothing about lighting and cameras-those were for the experts to handle¡ªhe just needed to stand quietly in front of the cooking station and wait for thepetition to start. Han Guishan sat leisurely in the judges¡¯ area, eyeing each contestant with interest, and sometimes Jiang Feng really wondered where this strangely-styled boss found the time to not attend to his proper business every day. Jiang Feng looked towards the audience, and as expected of a provincial channel, even the seating for the audience was spacious. Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian stood out notably in the second row, with Jiang Jiankang excitedly waving at Jiang Feng. Mrs. Wang Xiulian, looking disdainful, pped away his waving left hand with a pia. Jiang Weiming smiled at him while Jiang Weiguo was looking elsewhere, not seeing Jiang Feng at all. What was more coincidental was that Sun Guanyun was sitting right next to Jiang Weiguo. On the cooking stations, there were no pots, only cutting boards and knives, along with a bowl of some mysterious substance that seemed to be a mix of¡¯ various spices and seasonings and a cup of strangely colored juice. It seemed Wu Minqi guessed right, thepetition was indeed about knifework. The lighting and camera equipment were all in ce, and as soon as it hit 8 o¡¯clock, the live broadcast promptly began. The female host melodiously delivered an opening speech¡ªmatters that nobody cared about-but after a few sentences giving a brief introduction to the Good Taste Culinary Competition and mentioning the sponsor, she quickly got to the point and introduced the judges. All the contestants were surprised to find that the host¡¯s introduction of the judges was exactly the same script they had been told earlier, word for word. ¡°Now, let me announce the rules for this round of the 32-to-i6 knockoutpetition.¡± Finally, it was getting to the point. ¡°The theme of thispetition is, ¡®vor and Minced Delicacy.¡±¡® As soon as the host¡¯s voice fell, the characters for ¡®vor and Minced Delicacy¡¯ appeared on the screen behind her. ¡°As everyone knows, knifework and seasoning are the basic skills of a chef. In thispetition, what we will examine is the contestants¡¯ basic skills.¡± ¡°On each cooking station, there is a bowl of mixed substance ground from sixteen different spices and seasonings. Contestants can only smell but not taste, if anyone vites this rule, they will be disqualified immediately. The cup of vegetable juice on the right side of the cooking station is made from twelve different cooked vegetables blended together, which contestants may taste freely. You have half an hour for observation and answering. Whiteboards are under the cooking stations, each correct answer scores one point, each wrong deducts one. Please, contestants, do not be overoptimistic and try to guess your way through.¡± The eight contestants with the lowest scores will be eliminated on the spot.¡± There are 3 minutes left before the start of thepetition, when the countdown on the screen ends, contestants may begin.¡± A clock counting down appeared on the screen. Jiang Feng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, feeling his chances cooling. ncing around in a panic, everyone else¡¯s faces were filled with calmness and nonchnce, as if the problem was not big, a piece of cake, so simple. They wore an air of ease, as if the championship was already in their pocket. Jiang Feng felt like a clueless chicken wandering into a gathering of big shots. ¡°Dad, what do we do? Feng¡¯s sense of smell and taste aren¡¯t good!¡± Jiang Jiankang was also starting to panic in the audience, hurriedly seeking help from Jiang Weiguo, ¡°That Texas grilled chicken he madest time¡­ how is he supposed topete!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Jiang Weiguo snapped impatiently. ¡°Oh, is your grandson about to be eliminated?¡± Sun Guanyun added fuel to the fire. ¡°If my grandson is getting eliminated, yours isn¡¯t far off either,¡± Jiang Weiguo retorted sharply. ¡°Heh.¡± Feigningposure on the surface but frantic inside, Jiang Feng watched the finely ground spices in the bowl like the person next to him, quite calmly. It really was powder; from what Jiang Feng could see, even slightlyrger grains were invisible, indicating a very fine grind that left no loophole to exploit. With each tick of the three-minute countdown, Jiang Feng grew more tense, as if there was a guillotine over his neck, slowly descending with each second, promising death when thepetition ended. With both elders seated in the audience, if Jiang Feng got eliminated, he doubted he would make it out of the studio alive. ¡°Drip, drip, drip, thepetition begins,¡± announced the mechanical voice. Jiang Feng took a deep breath, consoling himself. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay, they are all pretending. They are also uneasy-who can be sure with such anti-human topics? He grabbed a small pinch of the powder into his palm, rubbed it open, and brought it to his nose with closed eyes to sniff carefully. First to hit were the unmistakable scents of star anise and angelica, very easy to distinguish. Sixteen different spices and seasonings, all mixed together, and only permitted to be smelled, not tasted-some almost indistinguishable in aroma and others faint in scent but strong in vor. Jiang Feng closed his eyes and remained motionless, smelling quietly for a long time, so long that one might wonder if he had fallen asleep. That¡¯s what Jiang Jiankang thought. Not daring to bother Jiang Weiguo, he could only annoy Wang Xiulian. ¡°What¡¯s going on with our son? Why isn¡¯t he moving at all?¡± ¡°Could he have fallen asleep?¡± ¡°He was told to rest well and not to y on his phone until the middle of the night, but he doesn¡¯t listen. Look, at the crucial moment, he feels sleepy.¡± ¡°What are we going to do? What are we going to do? Others have started writing, why isn¡¯t he moving yet?¡± Wang Xiulian was nervous too. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s incessant chatter made her even more anxious, and she scolded, ¡°Shut your mouth, old fool, sleep your head!¡± Jiang Jiankang shut his mouth, feeling wronged. After a while, Wang Xiulian asked, ¡°Is this smelling task difficult?¡± ¡°Difficult,¡± Jiang Jiankang replied bluntly, ¡°Smelling spices is harder than tasting vegetable juice; the sense of smell really tests natural talent.¡± Elsewhere, Sun Guanyun mumbled to himself, ¡°This weird task of smelling spices must be Xu Cheng¡¯s doing.¡± Eight minutes passed, and finally, Jiang Feng opened his eyes. He had identified seven spices. Star anise, angelica, ck pepper powder, lemongrass, Sichuan pepper, mint, and cumin. There were also cinnamon twigs and cinnamon bark; he vaguely smelled them but couldn¡¯t determine which it was. He could only be sure of seven spices, and he truly felt uncertain. Subconsciously, he nced around, and most people had already started tasting the vegetable juice. Jiang Feng first wrote the seven spices he was certain of on the whiteboard, then picked up the vegetable juice. The strange color, a mix of twelve vegetables; Jiang Feng sipped a little and almost cried. I understand the reason, but why did you have to put in facing heaven chilies? Are you happy with this torment? With the first sip, Jiang Feng tasted the facing heaven chili. Desperately, he picked up the cup and tasted a second time. Tomato, pumpkin, white radish. With the third sip, onion and some kind of mushroom. The fourth sip, carrot, luffa. The fifth sip, Chinese cabbage. With the sixth sip, Jiang Feng felt confident, based on his experience of simmering mushroom soup for a month, that the mushroom in it was hericium mushroom. The seventh sip, kale. The eighth sip, potato. The ninth sip, he couldn¡¯t taste anything. The tenth sip, still couldn¡¯t taste anything. The eleventh sip. Jiang Feng felt a bit full. Having consumed over half a cup of vegetable juice, on top of the boxed meal he hadn¡¯t digested earlier, Jiang Feng feared he might burp in front of everyone. He couldn¡¯t taste thest vegetable. Jiang Feng began to write down the names of the vegetables on the whiteboard. In the audience, Wang Xiulian noticed Jiang Feng¡¯s current state at a nce and turned her head to say to Jiang Jiankang, ¡°Son, he¡¯s full.¡± Jiang Jiankang:¡±¡­¡± Why was his son so honest? Everyone else tasted little by little, but he was drinking it in gulps. Therge cup was about to be finished in his presence. Seven spices, eleven vegetables, Jiang Feng was confident he could score eighteen points. Before he could feel proud, he looked around and saw everyone¡¯s faces filled with confidence. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t drink any more vegetable juice; if he did, he would be too full, and even drinking all of it, he probably couldn¡¯t discern thest two kinds. He turned his attention to the spices. With more than ten minutes to go, if he tried hard enough, maybe he could discern whether it was cinnamon bark or cinnamon twigs. Picking up the bowl of spices, Jiang Feng nned to sniff it all at once. He aligned the rim of the bowl with the tip of his nose. ¡°Ding, game updateplete.¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t have time to be happy; the next second¡ª ¡°Optional side quest avable, please¡­¡± ¡°Optional side¡­¡± ¡°Avable¡­¡± ¡°Earned 97 experience points¡­¡± ¡°Earned 6¡­¡± ¡°Earned¡­¡± ¡°Earned¡­¡± ¡°Acquired: Appraisal (High Level).¡± ¡°Information unlocked¡­¡± ¡°Earned 1¡­¡± Thousands of different game notifications simultaneously exploded in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind like cannonballs, detonating inside his head. ¡°Duang.¡± Jian Feng, holding the bowl of spices, copsed straight to the ground. ¡°Son!¡± Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang screamed from the audience. The two sirs sprang to their feet instantly. ¡°Jiang Feng!¡± Wu Minqi dropped her cup and ran toward him. ¡°This contestant!¡± ¡°Contestant Jiang Feng!¡± Chaos ensued both on stage and in the audience. Chapter 155 - 154: Dimples Chapter 154: Dimples Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Sorry, everyone, as one of the contestants is currently experiencing some health issues, we¡¯ll need to pause the contest,¡± the host quickly picked up the microphone to handle the situation. Meanwhile, the live broadcast of thepetition paused, temporarily switching tomercials. The countdown on the background screen froze at 13 minutes and 57 seconds. Wu Minqi was half-kneeling on the ground, asking Jiang Feng if he could stand up again, while staff members were asking in the audience whether anyone was a doctor. Standing right behind Jiang Feng, Zhang Xi was also somewhat stunned by the sudden turn of events. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t actually fainted; thousands of system prompts were sounding off in his mind at the same time. He couldn¡¯t make out anything clearly, only hearing a massive jumble of noise, like winding lightning crackling explosively through his brain while a muffled thunder reverberated beside his ear. ¡°No, no problem, just a little dizzy, my eyes are a bit blurry, I¡¯ll be fine after sitting for a while,¡± Jiang Feng struggled to prop himself up and sit on the ground, feeling as if someone had delivered a heavy punch to his head, now seeing the world upside down, his ears ringing nonstop. This damn game, he¡¯din about it one day! ¡°Son, son, how are you?¡± Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang ran over from the audience. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine. I just got a bit dizzy all of a sudden and got disoriented when I fell, it¡¯s no big deal, I just need some rest,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Ding, congrattions yer on obtaining: ¡®Lies (Advanced)¡¯.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Was it his illusion, or did this ridiculous game seem even more rampant after the update?! ¡°Son, you scared us to death!¡± Jiang Jiankang said, still shaken. At the same time, the staff managed to find an emergency doctor in the audience. After a cursory check, the doctor couldn¡¯t find anything obviously wrong with Jiang Feng, and without making any definitive statements, suggested that if they were concerned, they could go to the hospital for a more thorough checkup. ¡°No need, no need, I¡¯ll be fine in a couple of minutes.¡± Jiang Feng actually no longer felt dizzy and the ringing in his ears had stopped. He got up from the ground, dusting off the spice and seasoning powder that had sprinkled onto him. He had spilled the entire bowl earlier, so Jiang Feng asked the staff to bring him another one. A few minutester, seeing that Jiang Feng was indeed alright, everyone dispersed to return to their stations, and the contest continued. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, wee back. Due to an unexpected incident just now, thepetition was paused for a few minutes, but now it will resume,¡± announced the host. Jiang Feng quietly looked at the new bowl of spice and seasoning powder in front of him, as well as the limited vegetable juice left. [A mixture made of star anise, angelica, pepper, lemongrass, Sichuan pepper, mint, cumin, cassia twig, licorice, peri, ck cardamom, cubeb, gngal, dried orange peel, gromwell, and salt] [A cup of vegetable juice mixed with facing heaven peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin, white radish, onions, carrots, loofah, Chinese cabbage, lion¡¯s mane mushrooms, cabbage, potatoes, and zhini] That long-lost feeling of cheating¡­ Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes moistened. He was indeed the destined lead! The champion foreordained by fate! The crap game might bete, but it would never be absent! Like a student who faces mostly nk pages during an exam only to suddenly receive a cheat sheet from a top student, Jiang Feng pretended to sniff at the powder in front of him. Indeed, it¡¯s the smell of cassia twig! Yes, cubeb and gngal! And he could even smell the dried orange peel! It was like writing an exam with the answer sheet right in front of you, too awesome for words. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Feng added cassia twig, gngal, dried orange peel, and salt to the whiteboard. With the addition of these four seasonings, he scored 22 points; advancement was a certainty. He nced back at the monitor behind him, two minutes left. But the organizer was really cheeky. At the beginning, the host said that it was a mixture of spices and seasonings, and Jiang Feng thought the seasoning referred to pepper powder, but it actually turned out to be salt. Salt is something you could never smell, leftpletely to guesswork. Everyone could identify a white granr powder, but few would dare to guess whether it was salt or something else, after all, a wrong answer carried the penalty of losing a point, with risks far outweighing rewards. Two minutester, the host announced the end of thepetition. The staff collected the whiteboards, and the five judges began scoring like teachers grading papers. Jiang Feng noticed that the originally calm and unruffledpetitors were beginning to show signs of tension on their faces. On the contrary, it was him, who had been nervous from start to finish, who was now rxed andposed. This crap game is really handy! The studio was climate-controlled; everyone was dressed in shirts, wearing long sleeves that theoretically shouldn¡¯t make anyone feel hot, but the guy to Jiang Feng¡¯s right began to sweat profusely from his forehead once the whiteboard was taken away, his sweat pouring down like rain. His face spelled panic, but in reality, it was panic indeed. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but admire silently, ¡°Buddy, your acting is quite something; you almost had me fooled.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, are you alright?¡± Zhang Xi whispered from behind. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just felt a sudden bout of dizziness that made me fall,¡± Jiang Feng replied, looking back. ¡°Ding, you¡¯ve earned 1 point in ¡®Lies¡¯ proficiency.¡± Shut up! ¡°That¡¯s good, I was scared to death when you took that fall just now,¡± Zhang Xi said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you in thestpetition.¡± ¡°My name is Jiang Feng, a student at UAL University,¡± Jiang Feng introduced himself. ¡°My name is Zhang Xi, a student at the city¡¯s number one high school,¡± Zhang Xi said. Neither of them were good at making conversation, and the sudden silence made the atmosphere very awkward. Zhang Xi and Jiang Feng looked at each other, both with awkward smiles on their faces. Before two minutes of awkwardness had passed, the results came out. Jiang Feng noticed that the guy next to him had his shirt cor soaked with sweat. ¡°Next, I will announce the scores of the contestants in the ¡®vor¡¯ segment in descending order.¡± ¡°Zhang Guanghang: 26 points.¡± ¡°Jiang Feng: 22 points.¡± ¡°Zhang Xi: 21 points.¡± ¡°Wu Minqi: 20 points.¡± ¡°Ji Xue: 18 points.¡± ¡°Sun Jikai: 18 points.¡± ¡°Zhang Guang: 11 points.¡± ¡°Nan Qi: 11 points.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the contestants ranked in thest eight have been eliminated,¡± the host said. Jiang Feng was shocked. He¡­ Was he really that good? Even without thest 4 points from cheating, he would have scored 18 points, which would ce him in joint fourth ce. Round it up and that¡¯s the champion! After the host read out the scores, everyone¡¯s white boards were projected onto the screen behind them, and everyone turned to look, the first that caught their eye was naturally Zhang Guanghang¡¯s board. He had actually gotten 27 right, but because he got one wrong, he was docked a point and ended up with 26 points. The first few ces had Jiang Feng¡¯s writing as the ugliest. It was ugly without any distinctive features; itcked soul. Zhang Xi, true to her reputation as a top student from the city¡¯s number one high school, had neat handwriting, evidently practiced on copybooks. ¡°Does your family also run a restaurant?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Zhang Xi got all the vegetables and nine spices right. Even if her sense of taste and smell were extraordinarily sensitive, an average high school girl shouldn¡¯t have had so many opportunities to encounter such a variety of spices. ¡°My father is the head chef at Imperial Meal Tavern,¡± Zhang Xi revealed. Jiang Feng:¡­ Sorry to have bothered you. Thest eight contestants were directly eliminated and left the stage, and the guy next to Jiang Feng was one of them. ¡°I have a question for contestants Zhang Guanghang and Jiang Feng,¡± Tong Deyan took the microphone, ¡°You both wrote ¡®salt¡¯. Was it a guess or did you figure it out?¡± The staff hurriedly handed the microphone over to Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang. ¡°It was a guess,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Ding, you¡¯ve gained 1 point in ¡®Lies¡¯ proficiency.¡± ¡°Half guess, half analysis,¡± Zhang Guanghang spoke in standard Mandarin with a hint of a Beijing ent, ¡°The pepper in there was ground into powder, not pre-ground pepper, so I guess what the host meant by seasoning did not refer to pre-ground pepper.¡± Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that the lighting on Zhang Guanghang was a bit brighter than on the others. ¡°I have no more questions,¡± Tong Deyan put the microphone down. ¡°Luck is also part of strength,¡± the host said with a smile, ¡°So next, we will bepeting in slicing sashimi.¡± ¡°Sashimi, which originated during the Former Qin period,ter spread to ces like Japan and the Korean penins and represents the pinnacle of knifework.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s difficult to provide contestants with fish of uniform quality, you¡¯ll be picking out the salmon yourselves ording to your ranks in the previous round,¡± the host exined, signaling the staff to push up carts loaded withrge chunks of salmon. ¡°This round has a ten-minute time limit. Please slice five pieces of sashimi within the time frame. Going over time means forfeiting and immediate elimination.¡± ¡°Now, Zhang Guanghang cane up and choose the ingredients,¡± the host gave Zhang Guanghang a sweet smile. Two little dimples, just perfect.. Chapter 156 - 155: Sliced Delicacy Chapter 155: Sliced Delicacy Trantor: 549690339 Zhang Guanghang stepped out from behind the cooking station. Gasps of amazement erupted from the audience. At 1.92 meters, his long legs were impossible to ignore, striding the short distance with the poise of a catwalk model. Zhang Guanghang chose his ingredients quickly, taking only a few seconds to pick out the salmon he wanted from the 24 pieces avable, before carrying his te back to his cooking station. Jiang Feng walked over. At a nce, they all looked simr, presumably freshly killed a few hours ago and drained of blood for peak freshness. He picked a slightly fattier piece, then Jiang Feng too returned to his station with his te. He had never made sashimi, and most chefs present likely hadn¡¯t either. As someone who detested raw foods, Jiang Feng never ordered sashimi at Japanese restaurants¡ªmainly because it was expensive and most chefs¡¯ knifework wasn¡¯t up to par. But Jiang Feng still knew the basic theory: when slicing sashimi, cut along the grain, the thinner the better, and a more orange hue in the flesh was preferable. The piece he chose, for example, was away from the tail towards the belly, where the meat was delicate and the fat evenly distributed. Choosing early had its advantages, especially for sashimi, which showcases the raw vors and quality of the ingredients to the fullest. The better the ingredient quality, the tastier the raw fish. As the 24petitors all obtained their pieces of salmon, Jiang Feng had thoroughly examined his. He¡¯d familiarized himself with the grain, texture, and distribution of fat. To slice a piece of sashimi only took a second. The organizers had provided each contestant with such arge piece of salmon and ten minutes¡ªa generous amount of time¡ªfor them to slice the five pieces of sashimi they were most satisfied with for the judges to taste. ¡°Thepetition starts,¡± the host announced, and the countdown appeared on the screen once again. Jiang Feng held his kitchen knife, concentrating intently on the fish in front of him. One cut. [A passable piece of sashimi] And passable wasn¡¯t a satisfying description when it came topetition. Knifework was Jiang Feng¡¯s forte¡ªhe wanted to win. He wanted to win like never before. Another cut. [A passable piece of sashimi] After adjusting the salmon¡¯s direction and position, Jiang Feng made another cut along the grain of the fish. [A passable piece of sashimi] Jiang Feng stopped his movements to examine the three pieces of sashimi he¡¯d just sliced. They were thin, but not thin enough. Jiang Feng ate the three pieces he¡¯d just sliced. Tasting directly was different from just looking. Having chosen a portion with rtively more fat, Jiang Feng divided therge piece of salmon into two and again cut along the grain. Not good enough. Jiang Feng ate that piece too. He sliced again. Still not good enough. Jiang Feng ate a piece with each cut he made. Jiang Jiankang and the two sirs could tell he was doing it to judge the quality of his own sashimi, butypeople wouldn¡¯t think of that. Other contestants also tasted their first few slices of sashimi, but no one did so with each piece like Jiang Feng. ¡°That guy who just fell must be here for a buffet!¡± a girl in the front rowsughed. ¡°Look, I feel like he¡¯s almost full,¡± herpanion pointed at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng was more than full; he was stuffed. ¡°Burp,¡± he let out a quiet belch, but he still hadn¡¯t sliced a piece of sashimi he was satisfied with. It was either passable or the taste was merely eptable, none of which pleased Jiang Feng. Adjusting the position of the salmon once more, he made another cut. [A piece of sashimi with excellent vor] Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes shone. This was it, the rhythm of a champion! Capitalizing on his sess, Jiang Feng seized the opportunity to slice several more pieces. [A piece of sashimi with eptable vor] [A piece of sashimi with eptable vor] The rest were all of eptable vor, with an asional passable piece mixed in. Turning the salmon in another direction, Jiang Feng continued to focus on slicing the fish. Until the time was up, he hadn¡¯t managed to slice another piece with excellent vor. After selecting five pieces of sashimi to ce in a small dish for the staff, Jiang Feng¡¯s gaze followed the employee carrying the dish, watching intently as it was delivered right in front of Han Guishan. Jiang Feng:¡­ I¡¯m so frustrated! The order of tasting was determined by the order in which they chose their pieces of salmon, with the judges tasting the sashimi prepared by Zhang Guanghang first. Without any dipping sauce, Tong Deyan was the first to pick up a piece of sashimi from the dish, examining its thickness, grain, cut, and then tasted it. Han Guishan followed suit, picked up a piece to examine it, then tasted it. Hmm, delicious. Han Guishan nodded his head. The rest of the four judges began scoring. Han Guishan initially wanted to sneak a peek at Zhu Chang¡¯s score next to him, only to see nothing with a quick nce, and he worried that a second look might be too conspicuous, so he had to rely on himself. It¡¯s all or nothing now, forget it, ten points, full marks! The five judges revealed their scores. Scoring on the spot could definitely be described as thrilling. 9.3 points, an absolute high score. The second dish was Jiang Feng¡¯s. This time Han Guishan had experience. He mimicked the motions, picking up a piece to inspect it, checking the distribution of fat on the fish and its thickness. Only after the other judges had started tasting did he take a bite. Huh? Why does it feel even tastier than the previous one? Han Guishan began to doubt his own taste. Forget it, continue with ten points. The five judges showed their scores, 8.8 points. Han Guishan: ??? ¡°Mr. Han, is something wrong?¡± asked Zhu Chang upon noticing Han Guishan¡¯s expression. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± said Han Guishan. Is my taste really that different from the professionals? The third dish belonged to Zhang Xi, whose knifework wasn¡¯t very good, earning only 8.1 points, but Han Guishan still gave it ten. For each subsequent dish, Han Guishan continued to give ten points,pletely letting go, demonstrating to everyone that though he might not be a professional gourmet, he had a professional heart, treating all equally with a philosophy of absolute fairness in scoring. As one score after another was announced, some contestants¡¯ faces began to look very grim. At this stage, everyone had an idea in their minds about the possibility of elimination. With thest contestant¡¯s score announced, thispetition hade to an end. ¡°Regrettably, the eight contestants with the lowest rankings have been eliminated,¡± the host announced. ¡°Congrattions to the remaining 16 contestants, you¡¯ve advanced to the national top 16. Thepetition from 16 to 8 will start in three days at the same time. We invite our audience to watch on time!¡± ¡°We would also like to thank Good Taste, Somepoint Live and Somepoint Video for their strong support. Our audience friends can take out your mobile phones, log in to WeChat, follow the official public ount of the Good Taste Cooking Competition, and cheer for your favorite contestants every day. The contestant with the highest number of votes will receive a year¡¯s endorsement for Good Taste soy sauce.¡± ¡°That concludes today¡¯spetition. Thank you all for watching.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really amazing!¡± eximed Zhang Xi to Jiang Feng. ¡°You were second in both rounds. Maybe you¡¯ll end up in second ce too!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ I don¡¯t like hearing that. Can¡¯t I beat someone like Zhang Guanghang? Jiang Feng turned to look at Zhang Guanghang, who stood out like a crane among chickens with an air of a champion. ¡°Borrowing your good luck then!¡± Backstage, the staff gathered everyone to announce the details of thepetition in three days. ¡°The theme for the round from 16 to 8 is chicken,¡± the staff member said straightforwardly. Everyone was stunned for a moment, as the organizers usually kept the theme a secret until thest minute, but this time they were generous, disclosing it in advance. ¡°Contestants may bring their own cutting tools. Please inform us of your required ingredients at least 8 hours before thepetition. The phone number is on your entry card. Our phone line will be open 24 hours during these few days.¡± ¡°Any ingredients?¡± asked a contestant. ¡°Any ingredients, as long as we can find them in a short time, we will do our best to provide,¡± the staff member replied with a smile. ¡°What about pastries? Can I use chicken in pastry?¡± Zhao Shan from Eight-treasure House asked. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°What about chicken soup?¡± ¡°Can I use just the chicken offal?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Everyone began to ask their questions all at once, and someone like Jiang Feng, who had no questions, naturally got squeezed to the side. He casually asked a staff member if it was okay to leave now if he had no other questions, and after getting a clear answer, he was ready to go. ¡°Leaving?¡± Jiang Feng asked Wu Minqi. ¡°You go ahead. My mom went to the restroom; I need to wait for her,¡± said Wu Minqi. Jiang Feng was surprised: ¡°Both your parents came?¡± ¡°No, just my mom. My dad and grandfather couldn¡¯t get away,¡± said Wu Minqi, texting on her phone with her head down. ¡°I saw Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Wang in the audience just now. Will you open the shop tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay, see you tomorrow.¡± As Jiang Feng prepared to leave, he took out his phone to message Jiang Jiankang to let him know he wasing out. ¡°By the way,¡± Wu Minqi looked up, ¡°you did very well today.¡± A smile. Jiang Feng: (Oflfi) Why did he feel that Wu Minqi¡¯s smile just now was so simr to the female lead in that silly domineering boss drama? Chapter 157 - 156: Unkillable Chapter 156: Unkible Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang had agreed to meet in front of the Provincial TV Building, and upon their arrival, they found that Jiang Jianguo, Jiang Jianshe, and Jiang Jianye¡¯s entire families were already there. Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, were even wearing their school uniforms and excitedly sprinted towards Jiang Feng as soon as they saw him. ¡°Big brother, you were amazing! You absolutely have to advance to the finals, then we can skip out on 4 physics makeup sses!¡± the sisters said in unison. Jiang Feng:¡­ Indeed, they were his real cousins. Jiang Feng was pulled along by his two cousins, one on either side, towards the others. ¡°Not bad at all, Feng brought glory to our family!¡± Jiang Jianguo said cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ve booked a table at Imperial Meal Tavern. We won¡¯t be cooking today. Let¡¯s go for a feast.¡± Hearing about a big feast, Jiang Feng subconsciously felt like burping. ¡°Yes, not bad.¡± Jiang Weiguo was also very pleased with Jiang Feng¡¯s performance today, and Jiang Weiming smiled gently on the side. Everyone had driven there, and though it was a tight squeeze, they managed to fit everyone into the cars. Jiang Feng, Jiang Junqing, Jiang Junlian, and Jiang Zaidi were crammed into the back seat of one car, with Jiang Feng sitting on Jiang Zaidi¡¯sp, feeling like he couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°De, you really should think about losing some weight.¡± Jiang Feng said in despair, his face pressed against the back of the front seat. Jiang Zaidi¡¯s office-bound belly had truly grown fatter every day. ¡°Give me some time, some time. I¡¯ve already signed up for a gym membership,¡± Jiang Zaidi scratched his now sparser-than-New-Year¡¯s hair, smiling. ¡°Once this order is finished, I¡¯ll hit the gym downstairs from thepany.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you said the year beforest.¡± Jiang Junqing mercilessly exposed her older cousin¡¯s lies. ¡°Is Imperial Meal Tavern still open at almost ten o¡¯clock?¡± Jiang Feng asked, struggling to shift his position. ¡°The renovation blueprint for Imperial Meal Roomst year was my work, I know their boss. They seem to have some VIPs tonight, it¡¯s still open!¡± Jiang Zaidi said. Jiang Feng instantly understood, a backdoor entry. ¡°Is Chef Zhang the head chef at Imperial Meal Tavern?¡± Jiang Feng asked, figuring he might run into Zhang Xi there. ¡°Yo, little bro, you know about Chef Zhang too!¡± Jiang Zaidi looked at Jiang Feng with newfound respect. ¡°Chef Zhang¡¯s cooking is really something, even a bit better than Uncle San¡¯s, especially the soups, tsk tsk. Ah, it was there that I gained all this weightst year.¡± ¡°Big brother, when you fell earlier, was it because the vegetable juice was so nasty it confused you?¡± Jiang Junlian asked. ¡°It must be because big brother belched and the taste came back up!¡± Jiang Junqing analyzed calmly. Amidst the incessant chatter of his two cousins and the asional hair falling from Jiang Zaidi¡¯s head, they soon arrived at Imperial Meal Tavern. The Jiang Family rarely dined out on such arge scale; they would usually shamelessly stick to eating at home, where the dishes cooked by Sir were better than anything else. They didn¡¯t see Zhang Xi in the lobby, and a waiter led them to a private room with an oversized round table that was just big enough for everyone. The craftsmanship of Chef Zhang was indeed excellent, and the table full of dishes was fragrant and vorful, better than Jiang Jiankang¡¯s, except¡ª ¡°Burp.¡± Jiang Feng looked at the table of dishes and involuntarily burped. Damn, he should have never eaten that sinful boxed meal backstage. ¡°Eh, big bro, are you full?¡± Jiang Junlian, sitting next to Jiang Feng, raised her head from the bowl of braised pork with preserved vegetables upon hearing his burp. ¡°Right, you ate quite a bit during thepetition. Let me help you with your braised pork!¡± ¡°Big bro, let me have your grilledmb strips!¡± Jiang Junqing offered eagerly. Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­Burp.¡± Oh no, the taste of vegetable juice ising back up! ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Jiang Feng put down his chopsticks and ran to the restroom. After rinsing his mouth to clear the taste, Jiang Feng thought since he was already here, he might as well find a ce to see what the crappy game looked like after the update. Opening the attributes panel, Jiang Feng was instantly attracted to therge settings icon in the top left corner. Settings! The lousy game had actually updated with such an advanced feature! He clicked to see: Disable proficiency sound alerts (Yes/No) Disable alerts for experiences under 100 points (Yes/No) For the sake of his own life, Jiang Feng quickly selected ¡®Yes¡¯ and then started to look at the newly added side-quests and hidden tasks. After a quick nce, he thought they all seemed achievable, so he epted them all. The attributes panel now showed: (repetitive parts omitted) Name: Jiang Feng Level: 20 (65379/200,000) Skills: Appraisal (High Level): You can obtain all the information you want. Knife Skills (Master Level): Your knifework has reached the level of a top chef. (Proficiency: 11214/1,000,000) Lies (High Level): Your lies can convince most people. (Proficiency: 3/100,000) Food Testing (Intermediate Level): Distinguish the ingredients, and that¡¯s it. (Not upgradable) Side-Quests: (Optional)
    1. 3. ¡°Turn Enemies into Friends¡±: Apetitor can be a friend or even a colleague; turning enemies into friends is the correct path to sess. Please recruit 5 chefs from the ¡®Good Taste¡¯ Cooking Competition¡¯s Top 32 to work for Taifeng Building andy a solid foundation for Taifeng Building¡¯s reopening. Progress (0/5)
      2. Task Hint: Zhang Guanghang and Ji Xue are good choices. Task Reward: Taifeng Building ordering program.
      1. 4. ¡°Sun Guanyun¡¯s Approval¡±: Gaining the recognition of your peers is a chef¡¯s glory. Please prepare the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to Sun Guanyun¡¯s satisfaction and earn his approval. Progress (0/1)
        2. Task Hint: This task is difficult. Please practice diligently. Reward for Quest: A segment of Sun Guanyun¡¯s memories. Hidden Quest:
      2. ¡°Jiang Weiguo¡¯s Pride¡±: As an elderly man in his advanced years, the achievements of his children and grandchildren are his greatest bragging rights among old friends. To satisfy Jiang Weiguo¡¯s vanity, please advance to the final round in the Good Taste Culinary Competition and defeat Sun Jikai. Quest progress: Defeat Sun Jikai (0/1), Advance to the final round (0/1)
        3. Quest Hint: yers are encouraged to make full use of avable resources. Reward for Quest: A segment of Jiang Weiguo¡¯s memories. Items: Thermal Box [Retrieved], Promotional Board [Retrieved], Renovation Blueprint, A segment of Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s memories, A segment of Li Mingyi¡¯s memories Recipes: (Please click to view details) Evaluation: A somewhat famous novice chef Jiang Feng:¡­. There are so many gripes, he can¡¯t even figure out where to start venting. He once thought ¡°advanced¡± was the game¡¯s ultimate level, but now the game is telling him there¡¯s a level above that called ¡°master level¡±¡­ Could it be that above master level there¡¯s ¡°grandmaster level,¡± and beyond that, ¡°chef king,¡± ¡°chef emperor,¡± ¡°chef god,¡± and eventually he could even transcend the realms and ascend to immortality? With the loow experience points requirement for master level knife skills, Jiang Feng felt it would be difficult to level up his knife skills without another three to five years of effort. When Jiang Feng opened up the recipe book, he found the game to be quite up-to-date. The number of recipes for chopped pepper fish head in the details section had increased from 276 to 277, and the friendly tip had been updated to indicate that the dish¡¯s level was slightly above the yer¡¯s cooking level, with a certain chance of failure during cooking, while the friendly tip for sweet and sour yam disappeared entirely. After perusing his attribute panel from top to bottom, Jiang Feng still felt that something was off, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. After looking over it two more times, he still found nothing. A misconception? ¡°Son, your grandma is video-calling, hurry up!¡± Jiang Jiankang shouted from outside the toilet. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Jiang Feng shouted back, raising his hand to close the attribute panel. Level: 20 (65379/2OW) Wait a minute! Wasn¡¯t thest update because of leveling up from 9 to 10? How did it suddenly jump to level 20! Jiang Feng began to suspect that there was something wrong with his memory. The amount of practice he had put in over the winter break was indeed significant, but there hadn¡¯t been much food actually entering people¡¯s stomachs. Given the stingy nature of his parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, where a single bite only yielded a few experience points, it would have been good to earn one or two thousand experience points over the winter break. To level up from 10 to 20 would require at least a million experience points. Could all those experience points have fallen from the sky? A bold idea formed in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. During the winter break, who ate the most of the food he made? And who could eat, from morning till night, every day, amassing over a million experience points in such a short period of time? The answer was ready to burst forth. Erhua! It had to be it! A glutton and a sleeper, most of Jiang Feng¡¯s practice dishes had gone into its belly. It never refused any food, whether vegetarian or meat, never being picky and eating everything given to it, regardless of the amount. Even when it was so full it couldn¡¯t walk andy on its back grunting, it would still eagerly eat whenever Jiang Feng fed it next. It had to be Erhua! ¡°Ding, optional hidden quest discovered,¡± the game notification chimed once more. Jiang Feng clicked on the attribute panel. ¡°The Awakening of Da Hua¡±: As a pig born on June 5, adept at eating, sleeping, and fattening up, Da Hua¡¯s life (formerly known as Erhua) was always carefree until it witnessed the departure of Sanhua. It was then that Da Hua developed an unprecedented sense of crisis for a pig and desired to die a natural death. Please fulfill Da Hua¡¯s wish so it can die a natural death. [Choose: Yes/No] Jiang Feng:¡­. Right, Erhua with such weight should indeed be promoted to Da Hua. However, he hadn¡¯t expected that it would be such a thoughtful pig, with such an admirable ambition. A pig so unique that it could generate experience points from eating shouldn¡¯t be surprising after all. After clicking yes Quest Hint: Simply don¡¯t kill it for cooking. Reward: The Achievement ¡°Da Hua¡¯s Gratitude¡± Deeply shocked, Jiang Feng exited the bathroom and returned to the private room, still unable to settle his emotions. ¡°Son,e quickly, your grandma wants to video chat with you!¡± Jiang Jiankang, holding a phone, gestured for Jiang Feng toe over. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s uniquely loud voice, only present during video calls and phone calls, emanated from the phone: ¡°Feng! Your mom¡¯s uncle just called to praise you, said you¡¯re doing great, and he also said he¡¯s going to vote or something for you with those thingamajigs!¡± ¡°Grandma.¡± Jiang Feng took the phone from Jiang Jiankang and realized that Mrs. Jiang seemed to be outside, the view was so dim that he couldn¡¯t see her clearly. ¡°Grandma, why are you going out sote at night?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Master Wang. You fell during thepetition today, didn¡¯t you? You must have had low blood sugar from studying too hardtely, right? You need to eat well. I¡¯m off to see Master Wang so he can butcher Da Hua tomorrow. It has been disdainful of the pig feed you made it for New Year and now it¡¯s even turning its nose up at my cooking. It¡¯s lost over ten pounds this month. Better to butcher it early ¨C fattening it any longer would only mean more weight loss. Once it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll send Da Hua over to nourish you!¡± Mrs. Jiang said loudly. ¡°Wow, Erhua is called Da Hua now!¡± Jiang Jiankang eximed in surprise. Jiang Feng immediately panicked. ¡°You can¡¯t kill it, Grandma! Da Hua can¡¯t be killed!¡± Spare the pig beneath the knife!!!
    Chapter 158 - 157: In a Foreign Land (Part One) Chapter 157: In a Foreign Land (Part One) Trantor: 549690339 All eyes converged on Jiang Feng, each gaze asking the same question. Why can¡¯t it be killed? Da Hua is so delicious, why can¡¯t it be killed? ¡°How can it possibly not be killed?¡± Mrs. Jiang asked. ¡°Just, just, just because I developed feelings for Da Hua by feeding it every day during New Year¡¯s.¡± ¡°You child, what nonsense are you spouting about feelings? You think this is like keeping a cat or a dog. Stop making a fuss. Da Hua has lost weight recently; it¡¯s better to kill it sooner. In a few days when the meat arrives, let your grandpa cook the pork dish for you. By the way, do you still have pickled vegetables? Do you want me to send some over?¡± Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯t take Jiang Feng¡¯s words to heart. ¡°Really, Grandma, it mustn¡¯t be killed, it absolutely mustn¡¯t! I truly developed feelings for Da Hua, just like how people bond with cats and dogs. Look, how adorable Da Hua is, isn¡¯t it much cuter than the other cats and dogs?¡± Jiang Feng spoke with sincerity and fervent emotion, and under the influence of his advanced lies, Mrs. Jiang hesitated. ¡°Feng, you, you can¡¯t keep a pig as a pet.¡± ¡°Did Little Brother hit his head and turn silly after that fall?¡± Jiang Junlian whispered to Jiang Junqing. ¡ö¡öMight be, we didn¡¯t see the angle he fell from since the camera didn¡¯t catch him. But how is a pig adorable? It¡¯s just tasty, and the sadder they squeal, the tastier they are,¡± Jiang Junqing said. Jiang Junlian didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡ö¡¯Dad did. Sanhua squealed pathetically, and the pork from the thirtieth of the year was especially delicious.¡± Jiang Junqing spoke convincingly. On the other side, eyes brimming with tears, Jiang Feng recounted to Mrs. Jiang how he grew a deep bond with Da Hua while feeding it during the winter break. Da Hua had be an inseparable part of his life; he would go back every holiday to cook pig food for Da Hua himself. So, Da Hua couldn¡¯t be killed! Mrs. Jiang was dumbfounded. Under the influence of his advanced lies, she felt Jiang Feng¡¯s words made sense on one hand, while on the other, she thought her grandson might be ruined. A twenty-year-oldd, gone crazy out of the blue. ¡°Wife, just listen to Feng. If he likes it, let him keep it,¡± Sir spoke up. -But Da Hua loses weight when we keep it!¡± Mrs. Jiang, aspiring to be a master pig-raiser, was reluctant. ¡°Grandma!¡± Jiang Feng cried out so emotionally. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m going now. If you want to keep it, then keep it! You child, of all the things to keep, why insist on keeping a pig? Others sleep hugging a dog and you want to sleep hugging a pig? Coming up with a different idea every day, not afraid that Da Hua might roll over and squash you to death. Give the phone to your dad, I want to talk to him,¡± Mrs. Jiang said. Jiang Feng handed the phone back to Jiang Jiankang, who anxiously took it: ¡°Mom, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Take Feng to the hospital to get checked when you have the time, see if he got hurt from the fall tonight, you as a father should be more concerned.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ I can hear you over the speakerphone, thank you. Sitting back down, Jiang Feng picked up his chopsticks and managed to eat a couple of bites but couldn¡¯t eat any more and began to space out, pondering a serious question. Who is Zhang Zhiyuan? Why are there memories of him in the props section? After much thought, Jiang Feng barely dug up this person¡¯s memory from the depths of his mind. The brother who had eaten 4 big tes of stir-fried beef ho fun in one go, crying while eating thest te, seemed to bear this name. But where did this memorye from? Jiang Feng continued to try to recall and finally remembered that when he was cleaning the table, the crappy game seemed to have made a dripping sound. A random memory drop? How exciting! ¡°Young man, do you need to go to the bathroom?¡± Jiang Junlian asked. Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­shut up.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Jiang Junlian made a funny face at him, and mouthed to Jiang Junqing ¨C Little brother might have really knocked himself silly! Jiang Feng:¡­ I¡¯ll just stand between you two so I can see, thank you. Dinnersted until past eleven o¡¯clock, and by the time Jiang Feng arrived at the dormitory building it was already twenty past midnight, the dorm supervisor had already locked the doors. After confirming that the students from the acquainted dorm on the first floor were still awake, Jiang Feng sessfully climbed in through the balcony with his adept wall-climbing skills and returned to his own dorm. Wang Hao was already asleep, and by this time the hot water had been turned off. Jiang Feng gingerly washed up, climbed into bed, and turned on the game panel. Before thest update, he had wanted to finish watching both of Li Mingyi¡¯s memories, but the damn game suddenly updated, disrupting Jiang Feng¡¯s ns. There was no better time than the present; today was just right. He opened the inventory, found Li Mingyi¡¯s memory, clicked confirm, and Jiang Feng was instantly engulfed in a thick fog. ¡°Okay, the two of you please stand a bit closer, good, now a bit of a smile, smile again, alright.¡± The first voice Jiang Feng heard was unexpectedly English. When the mist finally dissipated, Jiang Feng could see clearly the surroundings and found himself standing on an unmaintained, overgrownwn, with Jiang Huiqin and Li Mingyi taking pictures in front of him. Right behind them was the house that Jiang Feng had seen earlier in the photograph. Today was a day of moving to a new home, yet Li Mingyi and his wife had only wry smiles on their faces. ¡°Mother still doesn¡¯t want toe over?¡± Li Mingyi asked. Jiang Huiqin shook her head with a bitter smile, ¡°Mother has been holding onto my older sister¡¯s urn and staring into space the whole morning. It¡¯s my fault, I didn¡¯t look after elder sister properly, and let her see those kidnapped children when she got off the ship. If it weren¡¯t for that, elder sister wouldn¡¯t have¡­ sigh.¡± ¡°Those secret brothels are all in Chinatown, it¡¯s impossible to hide them.¡± Li Mingyi sighed, ¡°When fatheres back from California, I¡¯ll ask him to persuade mother. Mother always listens to father.¡± The husband and wife exchanged a silent look, nced at their new home but didn¡¯t enter, and walked side by side slowly, in utter silence. Jiang Feng followed behind them. He could distinctly feel that Jiang Huiqin had changed. Gone was the innocence of a young girl, a trace of sorrow now lined her brows. Looking at them, it hadn¡¯t been many years since the New Year¡¯s Eve that Jiang Feng had previously witnessed, yet Jiang Huiqin and Li Mingyi had already transformed from carefree youths into ¡°adults¡±den with responsibilities. Without a word, the two slowly made their way back to the apartment they had been living in. Liu Xiuzhen held an urn in her hands, standing by the bed and staring out the window in a daze. Her hair was almostpletely white, her eyes hollow and lifeless, her whole being seemed to have been drained of vitality, standing there woodenly, like a mannequin. ¡°Ma, it¡¯s noon, let¡¯s go eat,¡± Li Mingyi said. It tookhalf a minute for Liu Xiuzhen to respond, she said softly, ¡°You go, I have no appetite.¡± ¡°Mother, you haven¡¯t eaten this morning, you must eat something at noon. Come and have lunch with us,¡± Jiang Huiqin also urged. ¡°I won¡¯t go,¡± Liu Xiuzhen shook her head, ¡°I have no appetite, and can¡¯t eat. Where are Mingzhe and Mingqing? Where did they go again?¡± ¡°Mingzhe and Mingqing went to school today, it¡¯s inconvenient as they have to take the tram so they won¡¯t be back until tonight,¡± Jiang Huiqin exined. Liu Xiuzhen numbly nodded, ¡°You two go have a good meal, today is a big day, even if your father isn¡¯t here, you should celebrate.¡± ¡ö¡¯Ma, don¡¯t stand anymore, your legs are not good, sit down. This house is too damp, how about we move to the other one in the afternoon?¡± Li Mingyi brought a chair over to Liu Xiuzhen. Liu Xiuzhen slowly sat down, staring vacantly, without speaking. ¡°Ma.¡± ¡öYou move. I won¡¯t,¡± Liu Xiuzhen said stubbornly, ¡°That¡¯s not my home, my home isn¡¯t here.¡± -Your elder sister died in this house; it is too far from home, separated by the sea. She can¡¯t find her way back, she will eventually return, and I need to be here to guard her spirit, to stop her from getting lost when shees back looking for her mother.¡± A tear fell, hitting the ground.. Chapter 159 - 158: In a Foreign Land (Part Two) Chapter 158: In a Foreign Land (Part Two) Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Mother,¡± Jiang Huiqin said softly, her eyes reddening. Liu Xiuzhen appeared as if she hadn¡¯t heard at all, staring out the window nkly, her right hand gently stroking the urn as if patting a child who had just fallen asleep. ¡°Let¡¯s go,ter we¡¯ll bring some sweet porridge back for mother,¡± Li Mingyi said helplessly. ¡°Huiqin, after you move, you, Mingzhe, and Mingqing should all go to school together,¡± Liu Xiuzhen suddenly spoke up. Jiang Huiqin and Li Mingyi were both stunned at the same time. ¡°Zhen¡¯er (the eldest sister) has been gone for two months, and I have been thinking for two months, it¡¯s better for girls to get some education,¡± Liu Xiuzhen¡¯s eyes showed a faint, dim light, ¡°These days, I keep thinking, if I had sent her to a girls¡¯ school back then, even if just to learn a few English phrases, would her personality have be as bright as yours? If, when choosing her husband, I had thought more and not just considered his family background, and if I had scolded her less over these years, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t have ended up this way.¡± ¡°My whole life has been lived for others, and Zhen¡¯er¡¯s whole life was the same, she no longer wanted to live, but I still have to. When Mingyi first started at the academy, he would often tell me that education could enlighten one¡¯s mind and intelligence, and he urged me to send Zhen¡¯er and Chun¡¯er (the second sister) to girls¡¯ school. I didn¡¯t believe and didn¡¯t listen, it¡¯s my fault, all my fault,¡± Liu Xiuzhenmented, clutching the urn and walking into the room. On a table in the roomy a lone picture frame. The photo inside was a family portrait taken on New Year¡¯s Eve: a ck and white image where everyone wore a smile, with the eldest sister standing in the corner holding Fen, and Fen smiling sweetly at the camera. Things remain, but people change. Chinatown was like a decrepit andplex maze, with randomly arranged small houses and low buildings; street vendors carried baskets on poles, and various shops featured signs that were either old or even older, with wooden, stone, or mud walls that were mottled or even more so. The deeper inside one went, the more dpidated and dark it became. Jiang Huiqin and Li Mingyi stopped in front of a shop without a sign, the door half-open. In front of the doory a dust-covered wooden nk with crooked Chinese characters written on it: New merchandise 7 yuan per pound. ¡°Mrs. Chen,¡± Jiang Huiqin called from outside. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± a middle-aged woman with disheveled hair and a draped garment pushed the door open, clearly just awoken and speaking in ented Mandarin, ¡°Mrs. Li, oh and Mr. Li too, I heard you bought a ce up on the high ground, are you moving there?¡± ¡°We¡¯re preparing to move. I heard you came back yesterday. Did you find her?¡± Jiang Huiqin got straight to the point. ¡°It¡¯s extremely difficult. Everywhere is at war now, and I¡¯ve called in quite a few favors. It¡¯s not that I took your money and didn¡¯t do the work; the whole north has erupted in conflict. Before I boarded the ship, I heard even the south might start fighting soon, it¡¯s chaos! You only gave me a few photos, I¡¯ve asked so many people, none of them remember her. Your brother and your nephews are all males, luckily, but your Fen, with her good looks¡­ well,¡± Mrs. Chen hesitated for a moment, then spoke, disying a troubled expression. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for speaking unpleasantly, but I know nearly all the traffickers of some repute, and not one of them remembers Fen. With her looks, she¡¯d be a primemodity in our line of work. I¡¯m afraid your Fen¡­ is gone. And in these times, a pretty young girl like her, alone outside¡­ it¡¯s better to be dead than alive,¡± Mrs. Chen said. Jiang Huiqin found herself at a loss for words. ¡°Then, could you trouble someone to keep looking?¡± Li Mingyi sighed and asked. Mrs. Chen was thergest trafficker in San Francisco, nearly every woman sold there passed through her hands. She didn¡¯t run a brothel, just sold people, trafficking women who couldn¡¯t survive in China and were either deceived or voluntarily signed contracts to be sold to bachelors here who could not find wives. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to go for the next few months, it¡¯s too chaotic everywhere with fighting. I¡¯ll have to wait at least until next year¡­ Ah, you should prepare yourselves,¡± Mrs. Chen said before going back inside, her voice rising to a screech, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon and you¡¯re all not up working yet, pigs are more hardworking than you, who would want to buy azy sow as a wife¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, it¡¯s better for Fen to be dead than alive,¡± Jiang Huiqin murmured softly, taking a deep look at the wooden sign at the door. 7 yuan per pound. Li Mingyi took Jiang Huiqin¡¯s hand and led her outside, ¡°Death may end it all, but only by living can we wait for hope.¡± The two entered a very simple restaurant, with only four or five small tables, where an elderly person with graying hair sat peeling garlic. ¡°Liu Agu.¡± Jiang Huiqin greeted her with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re here, all the ingredients are prepared for you in the kitchen,¡± Liu Agu said. Li Mingyi was taken aback and asked, ¡°What are you going to make?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Jiang Huiqin wouldn¡¯t let him enter the kitchen, ¡°Today is a good day; I recently learned a new dish. I wanted to make my mother happy by having her try it, but since she doesn¡¯t want toe, you¡¯ll have to eat it for her.¡± ¡°Your mother still doesn¡¯t want to go out?¡± Liu Agu suddenly asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Ah, she¡¯ll get used to it. When my second child just died, I was the same. It gets better slowly,¡± Liu Agu said as she leisurely peeled the garlic. Jiang Feng followed Jiang Huiqin into the kitchen. The kitchen was ready with all the ingredients: soaked sea cucumber, cooked chicken meat, cooked ham, oil-soaked fish maw, soaked squid, soaked fu zhu (dried beancurd sticks), egg yolk cake, pigeon eggs, clean fish meat, soaked magnolia tablets, soaked shiitake mushrooms, cooked pork stomach, dried scallops, spinach stems, and cooked salted egg yolks. There were quite a lot of ingredients, so if they were just for one dish, the taste must be very rich. Jiang Huiqin first cut the sea cucumber, fish maw, magnolia tablets, fu zhu, pork stomach, chicken meat, and some of the ham into strips of equal length and width, then shredded the rest of the chicken meat and ham, and boiled the pigeon eggs in cold water. The prepared ingredients were neatly arranged on a te by Jiang Huiqin, in five colors, very orderly. On a stove beside her, there was a pot of chicken soup still simmering on low heat. Jiang Huiqin uncovered it, and the rich aroma instantly wafted out. The chicken oil had beenpletely stewed into the soup, making it pure yellow and fragrant. After skimming off the surface grease, Jiang Huiqin scooped out arge bowl of chicken soup. Chinese grand dishes typically use chicken soup to stew and concoct vors in order to bring out the deliciousness of the ingredients, and Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall is also prepared this way. Jiang Huiqin put all the sliced ingredients into the pot withrge chunks of green onion and ginger slices, poured in the chicken soup and added seasonings, then removed the green onions and ginger slices with chopsticks after stewing the vors together. After the dish was ready, Jiang Huiqin picked out a nice-looking porcin bowl from the cupboard, ck with a white rim and blue flower patterns¡ªa type of porcin bowl notmonly seen in San Francisco. After rinsing the bowl, she picked out the shiitake mushrooms and ced them at the bottom of the bowl, then stacked the other ingredients on top of each other in a neatly arranged circle by color,yer byyer. Just arranging these ingredients took dozens of minutes. In the end, she poured the remaining small pieces on top, added the original soup, and ced it in the steamer. Jiang Feng thought that Jiang Huiqin¡¯s ting was not up to par. The chicken meat and pork stomach were clearly supposed to be ced alternately, but she put them on adjacentyers. Jiang Feng, who had been ting professionally for many years, thought this color design was not good. Moreover, stacking them like petals would be much prettier. Jiang Huiqin¡¯s ting was bound to be turned upside down upon serving, and the way it was stacked would make it spread out more attractively when flipped. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t guarantee that his version of the dish would taste better than Jiang Huiqin¡¯s, but it would definitely look better! After ten minutes, it was ready. The porcin bowl was turned upside down in a soup basin, surrounded by a ring of pigeon eggs, with ham shreds and cooked chicken shreds ced across the mushrooms. The soup from the pot was boiled, thickened with rice soup, poured into hotrd, immediately releasing a delightful fragrance, and then poured over the hodgepodge. Finally, a cooked salty duck egg yolk was ced on top of the shiitake mushrooms, with spinach stems inserted upside down on top. The dish wasplete! All the ingredients soaked in the bright yellow chicken soup, blended with the fragrant hotrd, were plentiful and rich, colorful and bright, delicious and mellow without being greasy. A fullrge soup basin was enough for two people to eat, no need for any staple food. Carrying the soup basin out, just as a customer walked in. ¡°Oh, Li Hongzhang hodgepodge? Liu Agu, your family business is really quite something even selling this dish,¡± the customer eximed in surprise. ¡°I just prepared the ingredients; they made it themselves. I don¡¯t have that level of skill. Chicken soup wonton noodles?¡± Liu Agu put down the garlic in her hands. ¡°The usual, you know,¡± the customer found a table and sat down casually. This big bowl of Li Hongzhang hodgepodge on the table exuded an alluring fragrance, a famous dish from Huizhou that Mingyi had tasted before, but not prepared in this way. Jiang Huiqin went to get bowls and chopsticks, and as Mingyi received his own pair, he asked, ¡°Why do I remember my brother-inw made it differently before?¡± ¡°This is a new method improved by Chinatown; it¡¯s tastier than just using sesame oil for crispy frying followed by slow simmering on low heat,¡± Jiang Huiqin said as she picked up a mushroom with her chopsticks, then paused, ¡°If my brother knew there was such a method, he would definitely be excited and study it for days.¡± ¡°After the war is over, we¡¯ll return home. A talented person like your brother-inw can make it anywhere. You learn well, so when we return, you can teach him yourself,¡± Mingyi consoled her. ¡°Right, when I return home, I¡¯ll teach my brother,¡± she said. ¡°Chicken soup wonton noodles are ready,¡± Liu Agu said as she brought out a bowl of wonton noodles from the kitchen and ced it in front of the customer, then continued to peel garlic. ¡°Hey, Liu Agu, where¡¯s your man gone? I feel like I haven¡¯t seen him for a while.¡± ¡°Oh, he went back to Beiping to get married!¡± ¡°Why go all the way back there to marry? Just buy one from Mrs. Chen! Are not all her girls clean? It¡¯s such a hassle to go back, with months of trouble and danger. I heard there¡¯s fighting everywhere. Aren¡¯t they fighting in Beiping too?¡± the customer chatted idly while eating his noodles. ¡°I don¡¯t know; it was arranged by a matchmaker,¡± Liu Agu said. ¡°Mrs. Chen¡¯s girls are indeed clean, but they¡¯re too expensive now, up to seven dors a pound. Buying a girl weighing sixty or seventy pounds would surely be too much to support, and I can¡¯t afford the more expensive ones. Ganzi is already 37; he can¡¯t wait any longer. It¡¯s cheaper to get married back home. Actually, I¡¯m also worried about him going to Beiping, but the matchmaker said she was there, and by now he should already be on the ship back. That boy, not even sending a letter, really doesn¡¯t give me peace of mind.¡± ¡°You all heard about Beiping?¡± a new customer asked as he entered. ¡°What about it?¡± both replied in unison. ¡°My son told me some news he read in the papers that Beiping has fallen.¡± A tter, Jiang Huiqin¡¯s chopsticks fell. ¡°Beiping has fallen? When?¡± Jiang Huiqin abruptly stood up. ¡°Mrs. Li, oh, Mr. Li¡¯s here too. I heard you bought a hignd property and you¡¯re still eating here?¡± the neer said with surprise, ¡°Just a few days ago, I guess. My son told me after reading the newspaper at school. Don¡¯t you read the papers too, Mr. Li? Didn¡¯t you see the news?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright, Ganzi must be on the ship by now,¡± Liu Aguforted herself, though her voice was trembling. ¡°Huiqin, please sit down,¡± Mingyi¡¯s voice could not hide its shake, ¡°I have not dared to tell you and father.¡± ¡°Beiping has fallen?¡± Jiang Huiqin slowly sat down, her entire body shaking, ¡°Beiping has fallen, my sister and Master Chen are still there, where are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all gone,¡± Mingyi lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Jiang Huiqin, ¡°Uncle Fu sent a telegram four days ago; my sister¡¯s husband and Master Chen¡¯s son were killed because they were hiding wounded soldiers in the cer, and my sister and Master Chen¡­ theymitted suicide by setting their house on fire.¡± Jiang Huiqin was silent. When Mingyi looked up again, she was already in tears. Wiping away tears, Jiang Huiqin choked up, ¡°We can¡¯t tell Mother.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± Jiang Huiqin took another pair of chopsticks and picked up a piece of mushroom. She tasted it. ¡°It¡¯s not as good as the one my brother made,¡± Jiang Huiqin blinked, and tears fell into her bowl. Mingyi also picked up a piece of mushroom. He tasted it. ¡°Still, it¡¯s not as good as what big brother-inw made,¡± he said. Salty tears dripped onto his hand. This was the first time in four days since receiving the news that he had cried in front of others. Jiang Feng sat enveloped in a fog. Sitting nkly on the bed inplete darkness, Jiang Feng touched the corners of his eyes which felt moist. After sitting quietly for a while to calm his emotions, Jiang Feng opened the game panel. [Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge C-level] Creator: Jiang Huiqin Dish Details: A renowned Huizhou dish known both domestically and abroad, its selection of ingredients and cooking techniques are quite fitting. Due to the limitations of the creator¡¯s own abilities, the dish falls somewhat short of its fame. Originally a Li Hongzhang hodgepodge that was slightly less than perfect, it has be a dish Mingyi could not forget in his lifetime, filled with the desire to cry evoked by his sorrowful moment and the hatred for his country¡¯s and family¡¯s plight, consuming it induces an overwhelming urge to cry and release negative emotions for 20 minutes. Number of times it can be made per day (0/1) Jiang Feng:¡­ If everyone in the restaurant had a bite of this big bowl, the whole ce would be in tears. The thought was somewhat moving. All three of Jiang Huiqin¡¯s dishes were now highlighted in the recipe column: Clear Soup Willow Leaf Swallow Dish (Fake), Sweet and Sour Yam, and Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge. Three dishes, the entirety of Jiang Huiqin¡¯s life. In the item column was a memory fragment from Zhang Zhiyuan; Jiang Feng considered, then decided not to impulsively click and watch it now. If it was another depression-inducing memory, he might end up with insomnia until morning. Just as hey down and turned off his phone, ready to sleep, hearing Wang Hao¡¯s thunderous sleep-talking even before his eyes had closed for a second. ¡°Come out, god-tier golden fried rice!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Has he been writing novels so intensely that he¡¯s even battling fried rice in his dreams? ¡°Die, two-dimensional Fourier analysis! Forward, golden fried rice!1 Chapter 160 - 159 Chapter 159 Trantor: 549690339 | That night, Jiang Feng had a bizarre dream. He seeded in making Li Hongzhang¡¯s hodgepodge, and after Wang Hao tasted it, he hugged him and cried bitterly, saying that the Fourier stuff was too difficult and that he had failed ¡°Optical Information Processing¡± again. The dream ended with Wang Hao¡¯s crying throughout. So much so that when Jiang Feng saw Wang Hao brushing his teeth on the balcony the next morning, he felt a bit guilty. The image of Wang Hao sobbing and calling ¡°Daddy, teach me Fourier analysis!¡± while hugging his own thighs was still fresh in his mind. ¡°Feng, when did youe backst night?¡± Wang Hao asked while brushing his teeth. ¡°A little after midnight, you were already asleep. Our family went out to dinner with my uncle and fourth and fifth uncles,¡± Jiang Feng replied, turning on his phone to begin the new day with checking Wang Hao¡¯s updates on the forum. Huh, no updates? ¡°Feng, thepetitionst night was awesome, except for the fall, you were like a male god. I¡¯m ready to¡­ I really admire you deep down in my heart, seriously, my idol. If you win the championship, you¡¯ll bring honor to our physics department, even get banners up at our alma mater!¡± Wang Hao almost let something slip, but quickly diverted the topic. Jiang Feng imagined the banner in Wang Hao¡¯s words: Congrattions to our physics department¡¯s famous alumnus, Chef Jiang Feng, on visiting his alma mater! A shiver ran down his spine, and Jiang Feng asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you update yesterday?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not writing novels anymore, it¡¯s a waste of time,¡± Wang Hao said earnestly, ¡°I have too many sses this semester, and writing novels has seriously affected my studies. I¡¯ve decided to turn over a new leaf and be a better person. Study hard and progress every day! Jiang Feng didn¡¯t expect Wang Hao to have such resolve and instantly held him in higher regard. After washing up, Jiang Feng went to the restaurant. This morning, he had a Jiang Jiankang special-sized ultra-deluxe sandwich with extra ingredients-lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, beef loin, chicken fillets, and pork cutlets-all stuffed between two ordinary slices of fresh toast bought from a street bakery. Even Jiang Jiankang couldn¡¯t finish it in three bites, showing how generously filled the sandwich was. Finding it difficult to bite through fouryers of meat plus oneyer of vegetables and two slices of bread, Jiang Feng ate the sandwich in small bites while eyeing the dozen or so live chickens delivered by the supplier that morning. ¡°Mom, can you leave me a few chickens today?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°What do you want chickens for?¡± Wang Xiulian immediately became wary; those chickens were meant for Texas-style roasted chicken, and each one represented a hefty profit. -The theme for the 16 to 8 round of thepetition is chicken, and I want to try if I can use the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon method to make an Eight Treasures Chicken,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Since it was apetition, he wanted to do something he was good at. In theory, the method for making Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was applicable to all poultry, but it required adjustments to the filling ingredients and proportions. Jiang Feng felt that with guidance from the two Sirs around mid-morning, this dish would be possible. ¡°If you¡¯re making chicken, sonny, why not make Dingqiao Eight Treasures Chicken?¡± Jiang Jiankang suggested, ¡°It¡¯s all vegetarian stuffing. When your grandpa and Granduncle Weimingeter, have them teach you the right proportions for the stuffing. You¡¯ll pick it up quickly.¡± ¡°Are Eight Treasures Chickens easy to sell?¡± Wang Xiulian was more concerned about this issue. ¡°Easy to sell, definitely,¡± Jiang Jiankang affirmed, thinking of Jiang Feng¡¯s usual unreliability and tendency to mess up on the first try, he added, ¡°Of course, if they¡¯re made well!¡± ¡°Alright, son, go pick out a few,¡± Wang Xiulian said generously, ¡®Til contact the supplier tomorrow to deliver a few more.¡± -Pick the tender young hens, the ones with tender meat!¡± Jiang Jiankang reminded. Jiang Feng quickly finished the sandwich in his hand, wiped his hands, and went to the kitchen to select chickens. Amidst a cacophony of clucks, he checked over all the tied-up young hens, chose three of the tenderest, and took them to be ughtered first, saving the deboned whole chickens forter, and continued to prep other ingredients in the kitchen while waiting for the two Sirs to provide field guidance. Ji Yue arrived before the two Sirs, having worked hard on her drafts for two days. Now exuding an air of a wealthy matron, she had grown so pompous that she no longer brought her drawing tablet to the shop. upon entering the restaurant, she headed straight for the kitchen and excitedly said to Jiang Feng, who was chopping vegetables, ¡°Jiang Feng, you¡¯re on fire!¡± I¡¯m on fire?! Jiang Feng looked up sharply. Could it be that his real talenty not in cooking but in the entertainment industry, considering he had be famous after his first TV appearance? ¡°Oh, how so?¡± Jiang Feng asked, feigning calm and detachment to show his disinterest in fame. ¡°Trending searches! Oh, I forgot you don¡¯t use Weibo. Hang on a sec!¡± Ji Yue took out her phone, scrolled to the Weibo trending searches, and handed her phone to Jiang Feng. When Jiang Feng nced at the phone: #ZhangGuanghang# #ZhangGuanghang¡¯sFather# #ZhangGuanghang¡¯sNationality# #TheHandsomestChefInHistory# #BestActressRecountsFirstLove# #TraveledThroughTimeAfterThatIncident# # ZhangGuanghangGraduationPhoto # Jiang Feng: ??? He saw his screen full of Zhang Guanghang, without even a hint of the character ¡°Jiang.¡± How did he end up on the trending search??? ¡°There¡¯S nothing about me!¡± Jiang Feng stated, feeling wronged. ¡°How can there not be?¡± Ji Yue took back her phone, pointing at the tag #TraveledThroughTimeAfterThatIncident#, ¡°Isn¡¯t this it?¡± Jiang Feng was utterly bewildered. ¡°Everyone on Weibo is saying that after you took that fall, you were reborn. Some even wrote fanfiction, lots of jokes-I spent all morning reading and diedughing. You¡¯re on fire, just slightly less than Zhang Guanghang.¡± Ji Yue continued scrolling through her phone, ¡°Look, this blogger! The fanfiction they wrote is wicked good!¡± Jiang Feng took a look. Did you Fourier transform today? Wang Hao¡¯s alternate ount. And that talk in the morning about studying hard and aspiring to improve every day, pah! -I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. You¡¯ve got apetitioning up in a few days, best of luck!¡± Ji Yue said, ¡°Oh, right, are you close with Zhang Guanghang? Invite him for a casual meal!¡± Women, huh. ¡°Yeah, pretty close,¡± Jiang Feng replied without batting an eye. After Ji Yue left, Jiang Feng continued to chop vegetables-slicing cucumbers, slicing carrots, slicing winter melon¡ªsoon enough, there was a small mountain of vegetable strips by the cutting board. As he chopped, Jiang Feng muttered to himself: ¡°Writing novels, always writing novels.¡± ¡°Have you mastered Fourier transforms? Do you still remember Lace? Have you learned convolutions? Can you recall matrices? Do you understand two-dimensional Fourier analysis¡­¡± He pulled out a thick, roughly-skinned white radish, clearly scrubbed forcefully by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, and cut it in half with one swift stroke. ¡°Pff, trash,¡± Jiang Feng chuckled to himself. At the kitchen doorway, having watched for five minutes, Jiang Weiguo & Jiang Weiming:¡­ ¡°Hey, the kids these days aren¡¯t like we were back then, they haven¡¯t had it as hard, their ability to withstand pressure isn¡¯t as good. Let¡¯s not push him too far,¡± Jiang Weiming sighed. Jiang Weiguo:¡­ With that, he sighed and walked outside.. Chapter 161 - Eight Treasure Chicken Eight Treasure Chicken Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng contentedly finished slicing a te of thin radish pieces and put down his knife to stretch his muscles. When he turned around, he saw Jiang Weiming standing at the door. ¡°Ah, Granduncle Weiming, you¡¯re here. Where¡¯s my grandfather?¡± Jiang Feng asked. He s outside on the phone,¡± said Jiang Weiming with a smile. ¡°What are you up ¡°Preparing ingredients for lunch and dinner. By the way, Granduncle, the theme for the day after tomorrow¡¯s top 16 is chicken, and I¡¯m thinking of making Eight-treasure Chestnut Aromatic Chicken, using the same method as for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. What do you think?¡± Jiang Feng asked. I think it¡¯s pretty good,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile on his face. Not two minutester Jiang Weiguo also came in, and Jiang Feng repeated the question. Jiang Weiguo was silent for a moment, then a feigned smile appeared on his face, and he said, ¡°Your idea is very good; go try making it.¡± Jiang Feng went to get the already deboned tender hen, but couldn¡¯t help turning around to nce at the two elders. He felt something about them was odd and not quite right. Following the method for the stuffing of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, Jiang Feng made an ¡°Eight-treasure Chestnut Aromatic Chicken.¡± The thickened sauce was also made from soup cooked with chicken bones. Other than substituting chicken for pigeon, nothing about the method had changed. After tasting the finished product, Jiang Feng felt it was hard to put into words. How to say this ¨C it wasn¡¯t bad, but it was very discordant. After tasting it, both Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming fell silent. It was a consensus that Jiang Feng¡¯s first attempts at a dish would almost always fail. He was scolded so much by Sir in the kitchen that it greatly expanded Sir¡¯s vocabry and methods of cursing, as well as his use of metaphors. Jiang Feng held his breath, watching Sir¡¯s slightly unfriendly expression, knowing he was about to be scolded. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s expression changed. He dropped the displeasure and dissatisfaction, adopting a forced and hollow smile, and said amiably, ¡°This dish does have some thought behind it.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°The production technique is very mature, which ismendable. But chicken is different from pigeon. Chicken meat is thicker; there¡¯s absolutely no need for tenderizing. It¡¯s fine to fill a tender hen with vegetarian filling, but your filling is not fresh enough. You need to add some bamboo shoots and dried scallops. When steaming, you should add Shaoxing wine for voring, and this¡­¡± Jiang Feng was shocked. This was not the Sir he knew! If it were any other day, Sir wouldn¡¯t even think about smiling; even keeping a straight face was considered polite. He was an absolute tyrant in the kitchen, intolerant of anything he deemed unsuitable. How could he be so calm andposed today, his words so measured? They would definitely have been: Open your eyes wide and look at the monstrosity you¡¯ve made. Is this even fit to be eaten, and you have the face to serve this to customers for money? Can¡¯t you tell the difference between chicken and pigeon? You¡¯re no longer clear on what chicken and pigeon meat look like, only thinking about cutting vegetables all day long. What else can you do besides cutting vegetables? What¡¯s the use of making it look nice if it doesn¡¯t taste good? You might as well not cook at all! Look at your stuffing; what have you concocted? Can¡¯t you use your brain a little? Have I been teaching you for so many years just to turn your brain to mush, you¡­¡± I think some ham should be added,¡± Jiang Weiming¡¯s words brought Jiang Feng back to reality. The two elders discussed for half a day and finally came up with a preliminary form for the chestnut aromatic stuffing, allowing Jiang Feng to estimate the proportions and try making it again. As the second Eight-treasure Chicken went into the steamer, Wu Minqi also came to the back kitchen to help. It was almost time for meals, and takeaway orders were increasing. ¡°You¡¯re trending on social media,¡± said Wu Minqi, tying on her apron. Jiang Feng nearly choked on a mouthful of water, eximed, ¡°How do you know about it?¡± ¡°Just scrolled through Weibo and saw it,¡± Wu Minqi began to check the takeaway orders. ¡°What are you nning to do for the nextpetition?¡± ¡°Make Eight-treasure Chestnut Aromatic Chicken the same way as Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Jiang Feng said as he dumped the eggnt into the pan. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Kung Pao Chicken. Zhang Guanghang is making French red wine braised chicken,¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I added him on WeChatst night,¡± she said. Jiang Feng suddenly felt wronged. I think you are all isting me! ¡°You left too early yesterday, he wanted to add you too. Shall I share his contact card with you?¡± Wu Minqi said as she started to pour ingredients into the hot oil in the pot. ¡°Sizzle.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Although there weren¡¯t particrly many customers at lunch today, many from the physics department who recognized Jiang Feng came by, curious to see this physics whiz who had made it into the national top sixteen with his cooking skills. During the lunch break, Ji Yue switched to another ridiculous soap opera to watch. She had already abandoned the previous one and was now giddily infatuated with the new male lead. Both Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi watched with her. After a few minutes, Jiang Feng found it boring and went to the kitchen to practice making the Eight-treasure Chestnut Aromatic Chicken. Wu Minqi watched for another two minutes before she also got up to leave. ¡°You¡¯re not watching anymore?¡± Ji Yue pressed pause and turned her head to ask. ¡°No more, I don¡¯t like these kinds of shows,¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°You were quite serious about watching Mr. Zou¡¯s series before, and even asked me about the plot,¡± Ji Yue said, puzzled. She nced at the phone screen, ¡°Aren¡¯t these two series pretty simr?¡± ¡°That series is different. I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Wu Minqi said and then walked away. Ji Yue looked at the screen in confusion, resumed ying, and muttered to herself, ¡°The filters are the same, where¡¯s the difference?¡± Just after nine in the evening, the kitchen finally closed. The rtively sessful Eight-treasure Chestnut Aromatic Chicken that Jiang Feng had madest was all in the stomach of Jiang Jiankang, who only had two bowls of rice for dinner. Jiang Jiankang burped, praising, ¡°Son, not bad, this chicken is well made, the vor is deep, but it¡¯s a bit too fatty, the fat is slightly thick.¡± ¡°Burp, add less ham next time, no problem,¡± he advised. The two elderly sirs had left around eight o¡¯clock, and after helping clear the tables, Jiang Feng headed back to the dorm. Wang Hao was sitting at his desk, furiously typing on the WPS document. Hearing noises at the door, he quickly saved and exited, switching to a video on optical information theory, pretending to study intently. Jiang Feng entered. Yo, Feng¡¯s back!¡± eximed Wang Hao, standing up. ¡°Agh, it¡¯s already past nine. Time for a bath, bath. Studying all day has worn me out.¡± Jiang Feng saw the lecture video on Wang Hao¡¯sputer and the draft papers on the desk, his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he truly turned over a new leaf and started studying in earnest? Could it be that ¡°Have you Fourier transformed today?¡± wasn¡¯t actually his alternate ount? ¡°Have you been on Weibo recently?¡± Jiang Feng asked casually. ¡°Today Ji Yue told me I was trending.¡± You actually made it to the trending list, Feng, awesome!¡± Wang Hao looked genuinely surprised, with an expression that didn¡¯t seem feigned at all. ¡°Just the mention of Weibo annoys me. You know I had two alternate Weibo ounts? They both got banned. I have no idea who the hell reported them; it pissed me off! Those were the ounts I used to vote for my goddess!¡± Jiang Feng felt he had misunderstood Wang Hao, a twinge of guilt in his heart: ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, you still have your main ount, right? I¡¯ll lend you my Weibo ount to help your goddess. I think I haven¡¯t logged in for over a year.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± said Wang Hao, grabbing his clothes and a basin and heading into the bathroom. He unlocked his phone, checked the likes and private messages on Weibo, and silently changed the ount name ¡°Have you Fourier transformed today?¡± to ¡°Did you study today?¡± Merely a hotment was far too easy! Chapter 162 - 161 Because of Love (Part 1) Chapter 161 Because of Love (Part 1) Trantor: 549690339 | Wang Hao had gone to bed early, and after Jiang Feng finished washing up, he too turned off the lights and went to bed, opened his attribute panel, and checked the recipe for Li Hongzhang¡¯s Hodgepodge twice. If it weren¡¯t for thepetition he was preparing for, Jiang Feng would definitely have practiced the dish right away. This was exactly the kind of famous dish with endless ting possibilities, beautiful and delicious, and famously challenging, that Jiang Feng adored. Having happily read over the preparation process twice, Jiang Feng reluctantly closed the recipe and opened his inventory. A segment of Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s memory. Jiang Feng felt he could hardly control his own hand. How he wanted to click! After heartily clicking ¡®yes,¡¯ Jiang Feng found himself in amon household. It was clear that although the inhabitants weren¡¯t wealthy, they cherished their home; the warm furnishings were testament to this. The yellow flowers blooming in a stic pot on the windowsill, the green Hanging Heart nt on the cupboard, the old but clean carpet, the wooden floor with its smattering of scuffs and scratches, toys scattered across it, and the children¡¯s bedtime storybook on the coffee table, as well as the one-legged toy figure on the couch, all indicated that at least one child lived in this home. Jiang Feng could move freely with the ability to walk through walls and doors and after surveying the ce, he surprisingly found no one. No one? Jiang Feng was startled. What kind of peculiar memory was this¡ªa memory of a house with no people in it? After wandering around the house a bit more and still seeing no one, not even hearing a sound, Jiang Feng was puzzled just when he heard the sound of the door opening. An old grandmother in her sixties, with slightly graying hair, came in carrying groceries and called out as she entered: ¡°Zhiyuan, Zhiyuan, Grandma¡¯s back!¡± No response. Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s grandmother ced the tworge bags of groceries in the kitchen and began searching from room to room. ¡°Zhiyuan, Zhiyuan, Grandma will make you chicken for lunch. How about some braised chestnut chicken, sound good?¡± Jiang Feng followed Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s grandmother and found a young version of Zhang Zhiyuan curled up under the bed like a caterpir, stubbornly silent and refusing to speak. ¡°Zhiyuan, don¡¯t lie there under the bed, the floor is so cold. If you get sick, Grandma will have to take you to the hospital, and the nurse will turn your butt into a sieve with their needle,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s grandmother threatened. The threat of a butt turned into a sieve was clearly effective; Zhang Zhiyuan wriggled out from under the bed, not even as tall as Jiang Feng¡¯s waist, but trying to look stern and said indignantly, ¡°Comrade Cao Guixiang, I am very disappointed in you.¡± Underneath the bed was all dust, which clung to Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s clothes, hands, and face. Cao Guixiang picked him up and said with a smile, ¡°Cao Guixiang epts the instructions of Comrade Zhang Zhiyuan.¡± But Cao Guixiang did not give Zhang Zhiyuan a chance to give any instructions, instead carrying him to the washroom to clean his hands and face with a towel, and even changing him into a new set of clothes. Jiang Feng thought to himself, a kid with only underpants on, tsk tsk. Newly dressed but unaware that Jiang Feng had seen everything, Zhang Zhiyuan continued to puff up in outrage as he used Cao Guixiang. ¡°Comrade Cao Guixiang, the day before yesterday I said I didn¡¯t want to eat dry-fried beef ho fun, yet you still made it for me yesterday morning. I said it against night, and you still made dry-fried beef ho fun this morning. You clearly agreed to take me out for dim sum!¡± His words were forceful and backed by reason. ¡°It¡¯s because your grandpa insisted on having dry-fried beef ho fun. Wait till your grandpaes back and you can give him a piece of your mind,¡± Cao Guixiang deflected the me sessfully, turned and went to the kitchen to start cooking, with Zhang Zhiyuan following behind like a little tail, bouncing along. ¡°Mommy, Mommy, I want to eat General Tso¡¯s Chicken!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan made his request. Cao Guixiang¡¯s hand paused while washing the vegetables and she asked, ¡°Comrade Zhang Zhiyuan, what made you want to eat that today?¡± ¡°I just saw it on the TV, it looked so good, like amber, all shiny, and it looked delicious!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan lifted his head proudly, expecting praise, ¡°The TV said that foreigners love it, so it must be good!¡± ¡°General Tso¡¯s Chicken is sweet and sour with a spicy kick, even spicier than the chips you ate yesterday. How about I make you some braised chestnut chicken?¡± asked Cao Guixiang. Zhang Zhiyuan hesitated but insisted, ¡°Why can¡¯t you just make me a non-spicy version?¡± ¡°Then it wouldn¡¯t be General Tso¡¯s Chicken,¡± said Cao Guixiang. ¡°No, no, I want to eat General Tso¡¯s Chicken!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan was almost brought to tears by this teasing, and seeing that Cao Guixiang was focused on washing the vegetables and ignoring him, he tentatively tugged at her apron, looking like they shoulde to an arrangement. ¡°Just a bit of spice, okay? Just a little bit of spice, like this tiny bit.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan stretched out his little hand, trying hard to show just how little he meant. Cao Guixiang shook the washed leeks to get rid of the water and took out a chicken that had been prepared. ¡°Okay, just a tiny bit of spice. Comrade Zhang Zhiyuan, now please go help Comrade Cao Guixiang fetch a bag of starch, and then pick these green beans.¡± ¡°Comrade Zhang Zhiyuan epts the instructions!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan was sessfully sent away by Cao Guixiang. General Tso¡¯s chicken, also known as General Tso¡¯s rooster, General¡¯s chicken, and Zuo chicken, is a famous Han Chinese dish among Hunanese cuisine, primarily made with chicken and one of the most famous China cuisines in Americans¡¯ perception. Although it is named after the famous southern Hunan general Zuo Zongtang, it¡¯s in fact not closely rted to him personally. The dish presented as Hunanese cuisine on the surface is fundamentally Huaiyang cuisine by nature, coupled with the cooking techniques from Lingnan, and the originator¡¯s own thoughts and creativity. If really counted, it could even be considered Tan Family Cuisine. The main ingredient for General Tso¡¯s chicken is chicken thigh meat. Cao Guixiang ced the chicken on the cutting board, chopped off the two legs with two swift cuts, peeled the skin, removed the bones, tendons, and blood vessels with an incredibly smooth, fluent knifework that was a pleasure to watch. Once done with deboning, sheid out the chicken meat to soak in water, allowing any remaining blood water in the meat to be leeched out. Cao Guixiang didn¡¯t attend to it immediately, instead focusing on other parts of the chicken body. After everything was processed, she nced at the chicken thighs in the bowl, changed the water, and turned to cut the vegetables. To dice, to chop, to cut into segments, to slice¡ªCao Guixiang¡¯s handling of various ingredients was highly professional, clean, and decisive, inly indicating a master chef¡¯s expertise. If every housewife could cook like Cao Guixiang, the chefs in the kitchens of restaurants nationwide would probably be squeezed out by the moms and grandmas at home, left with no meals to eat. ¡°Mama, mama, I finished picking them.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan ran into the kitchen carrying a basin of unevenly picked green beans. ¡°Yunyun, you did great!¡± Cao Guixiang praised, handing over the rice cooker pot. ¡°Now, help mama wash the rice, fill it four and a half containers.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan obediently grabbed the pot with both hands and went off to wash the rice. After prepping the vegetables, Cao Guixiang set them aside and took the chicken thighs, which had soaked long enough to get rid of all blood water, to the cutting board. She cut shallow diagonal lines on them, then chopped them into uniform pieces. She cracked some eggs, keeping only the whites, and used salt, egg whites, and starch to marinate the chicken thighs lightly to vor them. In the meantime, Cao Guixiang started making a chestnut chicken stew. Chestnut chicken stew is amon homestyle dish. As soon as she started heating oil in the pot, Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s grandfather returned home. A man in his sixties or seventies with a very barren scalp tried to cover it all with an obstinate few strands of hair slicked with mousse onto his skin. Slightly overweight, with a quite prominent beer belly, he wore a ck checkered shirt, cotton mid-length trousers, and sauntered into the house with an easygoing expression. ¡°Oh, Yunyun is helping mama wash the rice!¡± Grandpa Zhang Zhiyuan eximed in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re being so obedient today. It seems your mama is making you something delicious.¡± ¡°Comrade Zhang Chu, I am now formally informing you that tomorrow mama and I are going out for morning tea, and you won¡¯t have any stir-fried beef ho fun!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan said solemnly while holding the pot. ¡°Alright, alright, Grandpa will go out to eat stir-fried beef ho fun,¡± Zhang Chu said as he rummaged through a cab for a woodenb simr to a brush and beganbing the few hairs on his head. ¡°Brush, brush, brush.¡± He made his way to the kitchen while brushing. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re having chestnut chicken stew today!¡± Zhang Chu poked his head in the kitchen to see what was being cooked. ¡°Howe there¡¯s still some meat not put in yet?¡± ¡°Yunyun wants to eat General Tso¡¯s chicken,¡± Cao Guixiang turned around, seeing Zhang Chu againbing his hair with thatb, and said disdainfully. ¡°All you know isb, really thinking those two strands of hair on your head wille out!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useful, see, didn¡¯t a few sprout out?¡± Zhang Chu bowed his head with the top of his scalp facing Cao Guixiang. ¡°Look, a few have grown out, right? It¡¯s still the daughter who cares for Dad, theb she bought me actually promotes hair growth.¡± ¡°Enough already. I think she¡¯s just like you, always blindly wasting money. Spending over a hundred on ab and actually buying it for you. You don¡¯t even see if those few hairs on your head are worth the price. Don¡¯t linger around if you¡¯re not going to help, just getting in the way,¡± Cao Guixiang said, ushering him out. Zhang Chu stayed in the kitchen with a yful grin, refusing to leave, and began boasting to Cao Guixiang about his achievements of the day. ¡°Today in the park, I battled Old Mr. Zheng for three hundred rounds, such a crowd spectating! Guess what happened in the end? Haha, Old Mr. Zheng was still checkmated by me. A defeated foe remains a defeated foe, no chance to turn the tables!¡± ¡°Two old chess nuts,¡± Cao Guixiang chuckled, starting to stew the chestnut chicken in a casserole dish. ¡°Go wash that pot.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Zhang Chu obediently began to wash the pot. As Cao Guixiang began mixing the seasoning for General Tso¡¯s chicken, Zhang Chu watched while washing the pot and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t General Tso¡¯s chicken your mentor¡¯s signature dish? You know how to make it too?¡± ¡°No,¡± Cao Guixiang added a spoonful of white vinegar, ¡°Have you forgotten when we left Beiping? How could I possibly know how to make it?¡± ¡°Then how are you going to make it?¡± Zhang Chu became curious. ¡°Just wing it. Yunyun can¡¯t tell the difference with the authentic taste,¡± Cao Guixiang said. ¡°Besides, the original dish is spicy, which he can¡¯t eat. As long as it looks somewhat simr and tastes sweet and sour, it¡¯ll do. Make sure to clean the pot better, keep an eye on it, and don¡¯t let the water run so high, water isn¡¯t free, you know. If it¡¯s not cleaned properly, it will affect the vorter.¡± Jiang Feng, witnessing all this:¡­ The phrase ¡°Just wing it¡± that Cao Guixiang said earlier reminded him of so much. Back then, Mr. Jiang Jiankang did the same thing to trick him! Chapter 163 - 162: Because of Love (Part 2) (Extra for Alliance Hierarch Rushs reward!) Chapter 162: Because of Love (Part 2) (Extra for Alliance Hierarch Rush¡¯s reward!) Trantor: 549690339 Cao Guixiang indeed cooked casually, heating the oil before frying the chicken pieces until they were done. There was no issue with that process, but she had scored a crosshatch pattern on the chicken pieces before frying them. One could say she did whatever she felt like. ¡°Why did you score the chicken pieces?¡± cooking theory master Zhang Chu asked. ¡°It¡¯S so the cornstarch sticks better and gets more vorful. Otherwise, Zhiyuan would lick the sauce off the surface and then spit out the meat,¡± cooking practice master Cao Guixiang answered. After the chicken pieces were fried and drained, she left a small amount of oil in the pan, added ingredients, fried the chicken pieces together until evenly coated, then removed them from the heat, thickened the sauce with cornstarch, and drizzled sesame oil over the top. While the process seemed simple, it required a high level of mastery over the ingredients and fire control. The result, a faux General Tso¡¯s chicken, looked no different from the authentic dish. The pieces of chicken were consistent in size, and due to the scoring, they all deformed slightly during frying, gaining a translucent, amber-like appearance once coated with the sauce, bright red and shining through, with the sweet and sour aroma tantalizing the pte. ¡°Wow, this looks delicious, I¡¯ll try a piece first!¡¯1 cooking theory master Zhang Chu instantly became a tasting theory master, picked a small piece, and bit into it. The sauce was sweet and sour, the skin crispy, and the inside juicy. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a bit hot. Very good, very good. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, sweet and tart,¡± Zhang Chumented ostentatiously, poking his head out to call for Zhang Zhiyuan, ¡°Zhiyuan,e eat the General Tso¡¯s chicken your mom made for you.¡± ¡°Call himter, aren¡¯t you afraid the fresh-out-of-the-pan chicken will scald Zhiyuan¡¯s mouth? You think everyone¡¯s skin is as thick as yours. Go check if the rice is ready¡­¡± Cao Guixiang turned around, only to see the rice cooker empty, without the inner pot. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s all your fault, old man,ing in here and making a mess, and I forgot to cook the rice!¡± Cao Guixiang¡¯s face turned pale as she darted into the living room. indeed, Zhang Zhiyuan was lying on the carpet, having a grand time ying with the rice that had been soaking in the inner pot for nearly half an hour. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve washed the rice!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan, oblivious to the fact that he had been cking off, got up and proudly took credit. Cao Guixiang forced a smile, ¡°Zhiyuan, you¡¯re so clever. Come, give the inner pot to Mom.¡± Taking the inner pot, Cao Guixiang¡¯s expression changed instantly as she turned around and mmed the pot down on the kitchen counter with a loud ¡°ng.¡± Zhang Chu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Ahem, Guixiang, kids like to y, don¡¯t be mad at him!¡± Zhang Chu said, trying to cate her. ¡°The rice has been soaking for half an hour now, Chiyuan and his wife will be home from work in ten minutes, the chestnut chicken will be ready soon, and I could finish the remaining three vegetable dishes in ten minutes. Now, the dishes are ready but there¡¯s no rice-tell me, what should we do?¡± Cao Guixiang said with a frown. ¡°Well, haha, that, haha, it¡¯s just that I won again against Old Zhao, got too excited! A little ident, you see, we have plenty of dishes today, even without rice we could¡­ haha¡­¡± Zhang Chuughed weakly. Cao Guixiang gave him a look, poured out the milky water from the rice, and put in fresh water. She opened the lid of the y pot on the stove to taste a chestnut, confirming that it was vored properly, then took out another y pot from the cab and poured all the rice and water from the inner pot into it. ¡°Bring over the chestnut chicken to the table. We¡¯re having porridge for lunch today; a high heat can boil the porridge in ten minutes.¡± Zhang Chu asked uncertainly as he carried over the y pot, ¡°Won¡¯t ten minutes of boiling be too quick for the porridge to cook properly?¡± Cao Guixiang nced at him sharply, and Zhang Chu immediately shut his mouth and obediently got to work. Porridge boiled furiously on the high me, while Cao Guixiang fired up another burner and began to stir-fry the vegetables. Her movements were swift, and as thest dish of stir-fried carrots left the pan and was ted, Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s parents arrived home from work. ¡°Wow, what delicious dish did mom make today?¡± Zhang Chiyuan exaggeratedly inhaled, ¡°Chestnut chicken. ¡®¡öWrong, it¡¯s General Tso¡¯s chicken!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan loudly contradicted his own father. ¡°General Tso¡¯s chicken?¡± Zhang Chiyuan walked into the living room, scooped up Zhang Zhiyuan, and yfully pinched his ear, ¡°Zhiyuan, you demanded your mom make it again, huh?¡± ¡°Lla!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan made faces at Zhang Chiyuan. Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s mom set down her bag, rolled up her sleeves, and walked into the kitchen, ¡°Mom, let me help you.¡± ¡°No need, everything is all set, you must be tired from working all morning. The porridge is on the stove, go and help yourself to some,¡± Cao Guixiang said as she brought out a dish, ¡°Chiyuan, stop teasing Zhiyuan ande eat.¡± Zhang Chiyuan put down Zhang Zhiyuan, contentedly seated himself at the table, and waited for his wife to serve him food. Seeing that he was actually served porridge, he expressed his surprise, ¡°Huh, we¡¯re having porridge today!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just like your dad, all take and no give, too demanding, you can¡¯t even pick up a pair of chopsticks by yourself, just sitting there waiting to be fed. When I get old and can no longer cook, you¡¯ll just starve to death. Your dad is the same, you two are truly father and son!¡± Cao Guixiang scolded and turned back inside to get the chopsticks. Zhang Chiyuan silently lifted the lid off the y pot, ncing at Zhang Chu. Zhang Chu gave him a helpless look. Zhang Zhiyuan gazed longingly at the General Tso¡¯s chicken on the table. With a ¡°crack,¡± the ster on the ceiling suddenly split, and a big piece fell down, with half still hanging there, half-detached, which made one really want to climb up on a chair and tear it off. Everyone¡¯s attention converged on that stubbornly clinging piece of ster. ¡°It¡¯s been cracked for three or four days now, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Zhang Zhu said with a sigh. ¡°Right, it finally fell off. Ah, it¡¯s too damp in the south, and our home is on a lower floor. The walls are always shedding. I¡¯ll find a sterer tomorrow to redo the ceiling,¡± Zhang Chiyuan said. Cao Guixiang came out with a pair of chopsticks, instantly drawn to the bit of ster still hanging, and holding chopsticks for everyone, she said to Zhang Chiyuan, ¡°Chiyuan, get in touch with a decorator tomorrow to do over our ceiling. ster is always king off, and I can¡¯t keep up with the sweeping.¡± ¡°I was just talking to dad about this,¡± Zhang Chiyuan said and started on the chestnut roasted chicken. Zhang Zhiyuan picked up arge chunk of General Tso¡¯s chicken, filling his mouth to the brim, with sauce smeared all around his lips. After finishing the roasted chicken, Zhang Chiyuan remarked, ¡°Mom, you really should have continued being a chef. Your cooking skills are better than those of the chefs in the big restaurants outside.¡± ¡ö¡öThe restaurant your mom worked at back in the day was way better than these outside ces. It was me who had the skill to woo your mom, made her so devoted she even gave up being a chef,¡± Zhang Chu boasted proudly, puffing out his beer belly. ¡°Psh, keep dreaming,¡± Cao Guixiang sat down and began to eat. Zhang Zhiyuan struggled to swallow the meat in his mouth and asked, ¡°Mom, why did you stop working at the restaurant?¡± ¡°Your mom did it to take care of you,¡± Zhang Chiyuan deflects the question and framed his own son. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re lying, it must have been because you were naughty as a kid, and mom had to take care of you!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan immediately exposed his father¡¯s lie on the spot. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from others that General Tso¡¯s chicken is supposed to be sweet, sour, and a bit spicy, but this isn¡¯t spicy at all?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s mother asked. ¡°Because this isn¡¯t General Tso¡¯s chicken at all,¡± Zhang Chu couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. Zhang Zhiyuan was instantly upset and started to fuss, ¡°Ah! Mom, you lied to me again, you bad person, you¡¯re always tricking kids!¡¯ ¡°So, are you going to eat it or not?¡± Cao Guixiang asked with a stern face. ¡°I¡¯ll eat.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan continued to nibble on the chicken pieces in his bowl. After a while, he couldn¡¯t sit still again and started to ask questions. -Mom, you still haven¡¯t told me, why did you stop working at the restaurant?¡± Cao Guixiang took a sip of porridge and thought for a moment. ¡°Because of love.¡± Chapter 164 - 163 (1/9) Chapter 163 (1/9) Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng was abruptly ejected from his memory. Yes, ejected-with no warning at all, not even a hint of mist. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even realize what had happened before he found himself back in the dormitory. Thest bite of that dog food was utterly unexpected. Without any sign, just after stuffing Jiang Feng with it, he was ejected from the memory. He opened the game panel, wanting to see if the recipe he gained this time was a counterfeit version of Cao Guixiang¡¯s General Tso¡¯s Chicken. One more recipe was highlighted in the recipe column. Cao Guixiang (1/9) III (1/9)??! Jiang Feng simply couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. What divine being was Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s grandmother to have 9 dishes to her name, especially considering Jiang Weiming only had (1/5)- He opened the recipe. [Zhang Zhiyuan Chicken A-grade] Creator: Cao Guixiang Dish Details: A brilliant original dish created identally, featuring precise fire control and excellent seasoning that adds a lot to the dish. As a master chef of Tan Family Cuisine who created this dish for her grandson and named it after him, it wouldn¡¯t be considered Cao Guixiang¡¯s best among all the dishes she made in her lifetime. Nevertheless, due to the love for her grandson encapsted within, it became a sweet and sour delicious memory from Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s childhood. Consuming it can recall affectionate moments spent with family within 5 minutes. Number of times it can be made per day (0/6) Friendly Reminder: The difficulty of this dish far exceeds the current culinary level of the yer, and there¡¯s a 100% chance of failure when making it. Jiang Feng: ¨C1¨C S¡¯n¡¯)-¡® What the hell, a 100% chance of failure? Who are you looking down upon! Angered, Jiang Feng closed the attribute panel,y down, turned off hisputer, and went to sleep. Ha, I¡¯ll cook this dish tomorrow and show this crappy game what real skill is! The next day, 8 AM, Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant¡ª Jiang Feng stared at the Zhang Zhiyuan Chicken in front of him, questioning his life choices. Why, even though it looked so simple, was it full of pitfalls when he actually made it? Why could Cao Guixiang casually whip up an A-grade original dish for her grandson, and yet he, with all his efforts and dedication, had such a disastrous attempt? Tears fell before he had the chance to speak. After finishing breakfast and a post-meal snack, Jiang Jiankang walked into the kitchen and saw the botched dish on the table. ¡°Yo, son, trying out a new dish!¡± Seeing that the dish was still warm, Jiang Jiankang went outside to grab a pair of chopsticks, came back, and picked up the biggest piece. He took a bite. Seven minutester, Jiang Jiankang returned with an empty te, a hint of red sauce still on it. ¡°Son, hie, the way you made this lychee pork is wrong. Hie, even if you don¡¯t have water chestnuts, you can¡¯t just use chicken meat. Although it tastes fine, hie, you shouldn¡¯t misuse ingredients, hie-¡± Jiang Jiankang kept hupping, unclear how much of therge te he had eaten. ¡°I didn¡¯t make lychee pork, I just made whatever.¡± Jiang Feng felt like crying when he thought about the evaluation the game had given him. [Zhang Zhiyuan Chicken (Failed) C-grade] Jiang Feng decided to just go practice making Eight-treasure Chestnut Aromatic Chicken honestly. After all, thepetition was more important-it was about a hidden task. And so Jiang Feng spent his time in the back kitchen, chopping and stirring, steaming and thickening sauces. He butchered several tender hens and after two days of research with two elderly gentlemen, he finally figured out a pretty good stuffing proportion. He then called the organizers within the deadline to notify them of the ingredients he needed. March 5th, ready for action. Today was the day for the 16 to 8 rounds of thepetition. At noon, under the personal guidance of Mrs. Wang Xiulian, Jiang Feng used her newly purchased skincare products for a full facial treatment, leaving his skin glowing as he took the subway to the provincial station. Jiang Feng even saw advertisements for the Good Taste Cooking Contest at the subway station. After arriving at the provincial station, Jiang Feng confidently went backstage; this time, he didn¡¯t need to swipe a card-a facial scan was enough. He had just found a chair to sit on when a staff member escorted him to check the prepared ingredients. All the contestants¡¯ ingredients were ced together. Jiang Feng nced over them, noticing only a few live chickens; most were already processed chicken meat. Jiang Feng paid close attention to his chicken¡ªit was of the right age and clearly free-range. It was a much higher quality than the chickens Mrs. Wang Xiulian purchased. The quality of the other ingredients was also very good. After looking around, he found no issues and was very satisfied. ¡°Pretty good,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡ö¡öAs long as you¡¯re satisfied, that¡¯s good. There are still a few hours before thepetition starts. I¡¯ll take you back to the rest area to rest,¡± the staff member said with a smile. When Jiang Feng returned to the rest area, thepetitors who had already arrived were chatting in small groups; they all seemed very familiar with each other. No one paid any attention to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng: He felt as though he was being isted. You¡¯re all forming little cliques and not including me! After scanning the room, Wu Minqi wasn¡¯t there, neither was Zhang Xi. The only two people he knew were absent, and Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want to strike up awkward conversations with strangers, so he silently moved a chair to the corner to y with his phone. In the corner, he spotted Ji Xue, who was also hiding away. Remembering the hint from the side mission, a thought shed through Jiang Feng¡¯s mind, and he approached her for a chat. ¡°Hi!¡± An awkward opener. Ji Xue nced at Jiang Feng and nodded in acknowledgment, ¡°Hello. Silence. ¡°So, the day I was recording my VCR, I was right behind you. I heard you¡¯re looking for a job,¡± Jiang Feng got straight to the point. Ji Xue¡¯s eyes lit up as she asked, ¡°You want to refer me for a job?¡± ¡°Yeah, I, no, I mean¡­¡± Jiang Feng nearly got tangled by Ji Xue¡¯s direct approach and organized his words, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, my family owns a restaurant in Helping, but it¡¯s not open yet. However, it will be soon, and we¡¯re hiring chefs. You¡­¡± ¡°Does it include board and lodging?¡± Ji Xue asked directly, ¡°Living in Beiping is too expensive; it must include board and lodging. The sry can¡¯t be less than twenty thousand per month. I can work overtime and do any kind of job-assistant work, misceneous tasks, prep work, even cooking. I¡¯m qualified for all that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡öTve studied cooking for eight years, specializing in Cantonese and Fujian cuisines. I know a bit of Western cuisine and local Shanghai dishes too. By the way, I¡¯m very good at handling seafood, cooking porridge, and making soups. What kind of chefs are you hiring? If you need a Western cuisine chef, I can start as an apprentice. I can also do front desk work, carry tes, clean, and other misceneous tasks. When can I interview?¡± Ji Xue didn¡¯t care that Jiang Feng was one of herpetitors in the contest; sheid all her cards on the table. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even get a chance to interrupt, thinking to himself no wonder the mission hint said Ji Xue was a good choice; this girl is really desperate for a job! But for someone who¡¯s just 19 and just started college why is she in such a hurry to find work? ¡°You¡­ are you really short on money?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I¡¯m very short on money,¡± Ji Xue responded frankly. ¡°It¡¯s not gambling debts; it¡¯s medical expenses. I won¡¯t cause any trouble for the restaurant. I need money, very desperately. If your restaurant is about to open, please contact me. Oh, and let¡¯s add each other on WeChat.¡± Ji Xue took out her phone, which was an old knockoff domestic brand, likely quite old, and spent a good two or three minutes just opening WeChat due to its slow response. ¡°This phone is a second-hand one I bought, so it¡¯s a bit slow. Sorry for the inconvenience, please wait a moment.¡± Ji Xue was used to the dy. It took her another minute just to get to her contact card before Jiang Feng could scan it to add her as a friend. It took another two minutes for the friend request to be epted. ¡°Also, what was said in the forum is true.¡± Ji Xue suddenly said. ¡°What forum?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t catch on immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I overheard them talking about me just now. I was indeed expelled from the previous restaurant for stealing, the owner called the police, and it was recorded in my file. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve not been able to find a job,¡± Ji Xue exined. Jiang Feng:¡±¡­ What did you steal? ¡°A rotten yellow croaker.¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know what to say and could only reply, ¡°When the restaurant is ready to open, I¡¯ll contact you.¡± ¡°Will you really contact me?¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ji Xue sat back down and quietly stared into space in the corner. A cheap second-hand knockoff phone, clothes purchased from street stalls, bleach-washed inexpensive jeans, an un-moisturized face, and slightly yellowed hair. A life far from being inexpensive.. Chapter 165 - 164: The Almighty De Chapter 164: The Almighty De Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng returned to his familiar corner with a look of being ostracized on his face. Under the lights, there was joy andughter, while the corner was cold and quiet. Jiang Feng looked at Ji Xue, who was simrly isted in another corner. Emmm, her expression seemed to indicate she was ostracizing everyone else present. Jiang Feng seldom browsed Weibo, but sitting in a dark corner, isted with no one to talk to, was really boring. Adding to the boredom, he had trended on Weibo yesterday, so he opened his Weibo app, which had been dormant for a year, and started scrolling through feeds. Have you studied today: Overestimating oneself = Don¡¯t try to self-learn quantum physics [Sobbing][Sobbing][Sobbing][Picture][Picture] Below were two photos of draft papers covered in equations. Feeling pity, Jiang Feng silently liked the post. He looked at the Weibo trending list, and out of the top ten, three were rted to Zhang Guanghang, while the rest were about celebrity scandals and wealthy disputes. Jiang Feng scrolled through and found it boring, then suddenly remembered the blogger ¡°Did you Fourier today?¡± who wrote fanfiction, and searched for, and clicked on, their page. Did you Fourier today : My new book ¡°A Prodigal¡¯s Self-Cultivation¡± is now serializing on a certain Chinese web novel site, and I wee everyone to read and provide feedback- [Link]. A new book? Out of curiosity, Jiang Feng searched for it and found that the book was written in the first person: The first sentence read: My name is Nan Zhe, and I am an excellent prodigal son. First person? Jiang Feng, who had read his share of inte novels like Wang Hao¡¯s goofy stories, considered himself somewhat discerning. Such a messy writing style, rubbish. Five minutester. Jiang Feng was clutching his phone, alternating between stupid giggles and even more foolishughter, blissfully unaware of the outside world. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hi there,¡± Jiang Feng looked up to find Zhang Guanghang¡¯s handsome face, stunning from every angle, right before his eyes. Immediately suppressing his goofy smile, Jiang Feng adopted a serious expression, as if facing a great enemy, held his breath, tightened the corners of his mouth, and tried to exude an air of royalty. ¡°A few days ago, I added Wu Minqi on WeChat. I wanted to add you as well, but you left too early. Is it okay to add you on WeChat now?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°No problem,¡± Jiang Feng did not mention that he had tried to add Zhang Guanghang on WeChat the day before but had not been approved. ¡°May I sit here?¡± asked Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Of course,¡± Jiang Feng replied, ttered. Is he¡­ bing friends with a big shot?! Zhang Guanghang went to grab a chair and sat next to Jiang Feng. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Jiang Feng unconsciously sat up straight. Zhang Guanghang ranked first, and he was second. Zhang Guanghang trended on Weibo, and so did he. The two of them sitting together made perfect sense, right? No problem! ¡°You¡¯re very strong,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. ¡°Not at all,¡± Jiang Feng replied hastily. What was strong about him? He was scolded by Sir just like a grandson, though he was indeed Sir¡¯s grandson. ¡ö¡öI¡¯m not ttering you, you really are strong. In thestpetition, the fish sashimi you sliced was thinner than mine, as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing. My knifework is not as good as yours,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. ¡°That was your first time slicing sashimi, right?¡± Jiang Feng nodded. ¡°No wonder, your knifework is good, but you sliced the wrong part.¡± ¡°Did you study it specifically?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. ¡°I studied under Master Xuecun in Japan for two monthsst year,¡± Zhang Guanghang replied. Jiang Feng was shocked. He had originally thought that Zhang Guanghang was only versed in Chinese and French cuisine, but it turned out he had mastered Japanese as well. Once the conversation started flowing, it couldn¡¯t be stopped. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Chinese was excellent, and he even had a grasp of various local dialects. Coupled with his pleasant personality and objective meticulousness, and their shared passion, the conversation quickly turned to a culinary arts exchange. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought my dad is too much of a stickler for rules, opposed to new dishes¡­¡± As they chatted, Wu Minqi joined the group chat. The three sat down to form a triangle, Wu Minqi talking about Sichuan cuisine, Zhang Guanghang about French food, and Jiang Feng stirring up the waters, the trio sessfully isting the other smaller groups. Time always flies when exchanging ideas, and just as they were in the thick of discussion, the staff came to notify all contestants to gather and reiterated the details before thepetition. ¡°Thepetition is limited to two hours. You¡¯ve all seen the ingredients in advance, and they cannot be changed now. Plus, I believe that after thest live broadcast, everyone has experience now. If you have any sudden health issues or simr emergencies, please notify our staff immediately, and don¡¯t force yourself. In just a moment, please go to the stage to get ready. Thepetition will start on time at eight o¡¯clock.¡± -The host will exin some details about thepetition to the audience, and the contestants do not need to pay attention. To ensure the taste of the dishes, oncepleted, please signal the staff by raising your hand. The one who finishes first will present their dish to the judges, who will score it and announce the results on the spot, until thest one is done or the time is up.¡± ¡°Do any of you have any questions?¡± No one had questions. ¡°Alright, please go up to the stage now to prepare. There are twenty minutes left before thepetition starts.¡± Immediate scoring and results announcement. Jiang Feng took a deep breath to calm his nerves; after all, he was someone who had been through great trials and tribtions in his memory, a merepetition didn¡¯t make him nervous at all. It was just a case of the shakes from muscle tension. As soon as Jiang Feng got on stage, he saw the Jiang family¡¯s cheering squad in the third row. Thirteen people, except for Jiang Weiming, who was a bit thin, the other twelve were big and fat, each taking the space of two. Thirteen of them sitting in a row exerted an invisible pressure on the rows before and behind them. Especially for those in the row behind, who looked so helpless and pitiable. ¡°Little brother, go for it! You definitely have to advance to the finals,¡± Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian shouted from the bottom of their hearts. Jiang Feng gave them a resolute look. ¡°Zaide is really something, managing to get so many tickets all at once,¡± Jiang Jiankang praised. ¡°No big deal, I epted a design job for the provincial TV station director¡¯s son¡¯s new house before the New Year. Made a few connections, and it was easy,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, wearily slumping into a big chair, with a faint smile, hiding his capabilities and achievements. ¡°Hey, right, San, if Feng gets that whatsit ¡®best poprity¡¯ or whatever, Taifeng Building can start up, right?¡± Jiang Jianguo suddenly got excited, ¡°Then we need to start preparing! For such a big restaurant, inventory, management, kitchen ¨C well need to hire quite a few people, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still in the air, let¡¯s talk about it when it happens,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. ¡°Why not just pay for votes? I see those celebrities on the inte doing it all the time. Dede, you should see if you¡¯ve got any clients who specialize in this sort of thing, get them to help out Feng. And then management, headhunting, and using other channels or contacts in Beiping, look around for clients who can help out; didn¡¯t you take some jobs in Beiping a few years ago? Make an effort to find connections, Taifeng Building is after all part of our Jiang family,¡± Jiang Jianguo suggested and made a gesture with his mouth when he said the word ¡°pay¡± but made no sound. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll look into it when I get back. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s reliable, I¡¯ll find someone in media to promote Feng a bit,¡± Jiang Zaidi felt this was unreliable. ¡°We need a professional,¡± Jiang Jianguo said with an air of expertise. ¡°Zaide, didn¡¯t you take a jobst year designing the new teaching building for the first middle school¡¯s junior high section? Do you know any decent teachers you could introduce to me so they can tutor your two cousins, especially in physics and math? The middle school exams areing, and their grades are still so bad,¡± Jiang Jianshe said. ¡°No problem, Hl call and ask as soon as I get back,¡± Jiang Zaidi assured, the all-purpose Zaide at your service. ¡°Brother De, preferably a young and handsome male teacher,¡± Jiang Junlian asked for more. ¡°That might be difficult, all the good science teachers are bald,¡± Jiang Zaidi scratched his head and a single stubborn hair fell out. Aunt Wuhua immediately began scolding Jiang Junlian, ¡°It¡¯s good enough to have a teacher willing to tutor you, and you¡¯re still picking; you child¡­ While they were immersed in their lively conversation, Jiang Jiankang also began to probe Sir¡¯s intentions. ¡°Dad, if Feng cane up with the money for the decoration, the rest of us could chip in and help, right?¡± ¡°Do as you will,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, watching Jiang Feng on the field. Jiang Feng was intently watching the tender hen on the table, so fear-stricken that it didn¡¯t even dare to cry, pondering how to slit its throat swiftly and cleanly once thepetition began. ¡°At least now, he won¡¯t disgrace our Jiang family..¡± Chapter 166 - 165: During the Competition Chapter 165: During the Competition Trantor: 549690339 | At 8 o¡¯clock, thepetition started on time. The sweet voice of the female host had already been automatically blocked out by the contestants; each one sprang into action, racing against time, and the atmosphere turned tense in an instant. Jiang Feng untied the little hen from the farm on his cooking station. The hen was quite bewildered, and before it could stretch its wings to limber up, he grabbed it, his hand rose, and the knife fell, killing it with one swift cut. This fine hen, which had only been in the world for two months, left behind only an ambiguous ¡°cluck¡± as it met its end. Jiang Feng expertly bled and plucked the hen, then deboned it with practiced skill and quick movements. In no time, he had the chicken neatly prepared. Nowadays he could debone an entire chicken in less than seven minutes without any special practice¡ªa very impressive feat indeed. To facilitate the audience¡¯s viewing, the huge screen behind the stage was divided into 16 equal squares to broadcast the progress of the 16 contestants. The five judges also watched the contestants¡¯ fine maniptions through therge screen at the back. ¡°Isn¡¯t that contestant number 13 the one who got knocked outst round?¡± Tong Deyan leaned over and asked Pei Shenghua sitting next to him, ¡°His chicken deboning skills are pretty good.¡± ¡°Yes, he probably has the best knife skills among these contestants,¡± Pei Shenghua agreed with a nod. ¡°He has the best knife skills? But you only gave him 8 pointsst round,¡± Han Guishan eximed in shock. After thestpetition, he had gone home and doubted himself for a long time, feeling that all the delicacies he had eaten over the years had been in vain. Now Pei Shenghua was saying that Jiang Feng had the best knife skills. ¡°Mr. Han, knife skills and taste don¡¯t equate,¡± Pei Shenghua said, still very patient when facing the sponsor. ¡°Although his knifework is outstanding, it¡¯s obvious he doesn¡¯t knowhow to ¡®slice fish alive¡¯.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s thepetition format that¡¯s not good enough. The bespectacled contestant who got eliminatedst round actually had decent knife skills too, it¡¯s just that the finished product, well¡­¡± Zhu Chang joined the conversation, ¡°If we¡¯re just testing knife skills, I think it would be better to have a directpetition with ¡®Wensi Tofu.¡¯ ¡®¡±WensiTofu1 won¡¯t do, that Gu Li is a White Chef. Isn¡¯t it like bullying topete with him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying, Red Chefs and White Chefs shouldpete separately.¡± ¡°Right, Red Chefs¡­¡± The conversation among the judges began to veer off its original course, while Jiang Feng¡¯s Eight-Treasure Chicken was officially on track. The stuffing, which he had practiced mixing a hundred times, consisted of chestnuts, winter bamboo shoots, ham, shiitake mushrooms, lilies, and other ingredients, which Jiang Feng cut into chunks, strips, and shreds, before mixing them with seasoning. Chicken bones and giblets were put in the pot to make broth, the vegetarian stuffing was filled into the chicken cavity, secured with a knot, and then ced into the steamer to steam. Now, all that was left was the waiting. Jiang Feng began carving radish flowers. As an excellent ting artist, how could he call it ting without some beautiful garnishes? The atmosphere gradually became more rxed. ¡°Feng¡¯s performance is good today; his speed at deboning the chicken is very fast,¡± Jiang Weimingmented with a smile. ¡°He¡¯s still got the mood to carve radish flowers, always into these shy tricks,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°The Kung Pao chicken in the bottom right corner isn¡¯t quite right with the fire control; even the flipping of the wok is off,¡± Jiang Jiankang, a top-level Kung Pao chicken chef, couldn¡¯t stand seeing such mediocrity. ¡°The second row¡¯s Kung Pao chicken isn¡¯t good either; it¡¯s okay that he wanted to add cucumber cubes, but he added too many,¡± Jiang Jianguo also felt it wasn¡¯t up to par. The young man sitting in front of Jiang Jiankang felt he had reached the limit of his patience. He really wanted to turn around and rebuke the row of nitpickers behind him. If you¡¯re so good, why don¡¯t youe up here and cook? Sitting in the audience and babbling, do you think you¡¯re so great? He moved, turning his head in anger. And he saw the row of imposing big guys behind him. ¡°What¡¯s up, young man?¡± Jiang Jiankang saw the man in front of him turn around to look at him and asked. ¡°No, nothing, my neck just felt a bit stiff, needed to stretch it,¡± the young man replied, his face adorned with an awkward, forced smile as he mechanically turned back, sweating profusely in just a few seconds. Quiet as a chicken. Jiang Feng continued to leisurely carve radish flowers on stage. Not only radish flowers, but he also carved radish chickens, radish rabbits, Peppa Pig, chick emoticons¡ªthere was a wide variety of styles, and he found himself recalling the days when he sold radish carvings at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Business wasn¡¯t booming now, and the impulsive girls had regained their senses, so radish carvings didn¡¯t sell anymore. It had been a long time since he had the opportunity to carve so many things at once. Wu Minqi¡¯s Kung Pao chicken was the first toe out of the wok. ¡°Number 6¡¯s Kung Pao chicken is ready,¡± Pei Shenghua announced. ¡°There are many contestants making Kung Pao chicken this round; is it a very simple dish?¡± Han Guishan wondered, ¡°There are full seven of them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dish for chef certification exams, quick but challenging; going for Kung Pao chicken is naturally ying it safe,¡± Pei Shenghua exined. Han Guishan: ¡­ Oh. Wu Minqi, without the same passion for ting as Jiang Feng, simply arranged her Kung Pao chicken on the te and then raised her hand to signal to the staff that she was finished. Wu Minqi¡¯s Kung Pao chicken was very traditional, with only chicken and peanuts as the main ingredients, heavily seasoned, with dry chili peppers visible on the surface and Sichuan peppercorns hidden in the crevices, the sauce looking like bright red chili oil. As soon it reached the judges¡¯ table, Han Guishan eximed, ¡°Wow, authentic.¡± ¡°Has Mr. Han ever been to Shu?¡± Zhu Chang asked. ¡°Back in my youth, I was a peddler around Shu,¡± Han Guishan started first, ¡°It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve seen gong bao chicken like this. Here in n City, it¡¯s mostly sweet and sour,pletelycking that initial numbing, followed by spicy and then sweet sensation.¡± Gong bao chicken connoisseur Han Guishan dered this dish perfect. The other four judges tried a peanut and a piece of chicken and then put down their chopsticks to score the dish. It was clear they were there to judge. After Han Guishan finished scoring, seeing that the others had stopped eating, he directly moved the te in front of himself and continued to eat. Obviously, he was there to eat. But he wasn¡¯t worried, since he was the sponsor, even if the cameras caught him, the director wouldn¡¯t dare to cut to his shot. The scores were quickly announced ¨C 8.6 points, a rather impressive score, and Han Guishan, as always, gave a perfect 10. The square belonging to Wu Minqi now showed her score, and the female host timely reported Wu Minqi¡¯s points. ¡°The first contestant to finish, contestant number 6, Wu Minqi, has received a score of 8.6 points, congrattions to you.¡± Soon, the other contestants who also made gong bao chicken had their dishes ready one after another. After Han Guishan tasted them, he said this one was no good, that one no good, this other one still no good, and another yet no good. But because he feared that arbitrary scoring would affect the fairness of thepetition, he reluctantly continued to give 10s. Feeling that none were satisfactory, Han Guishan continued to eat the gong bao chicken Wu Minqi had stir-fried. ¡°Mr. Han, there¡¯s still half of the contestants¡¯ dishes that haven¡¯te out yet, save some room in your stomach,¡± Zhu Chang reminded him with friendly advice, seeing Han Guishan eating with great enjoyment. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, I can eat a lot. This big meatbail, my wife would be full after just one, but I can eat three!¡± Han Guishan raised his fist to indicate the meatballs were as big as his fist. The other four judges, unable toprehend how filling Jiang Feng¡¯s buff- added meatballs were, could only offer a sycophanticugh to the sponsor and said in unison, ¡°Mrs. Han really eats very little.¡± Han Guishan could obviously hear what they meant but could only prove it to them with actions: ¡°Those meatballs do fill you up, but never mind, you¡¯ll know in a moment.¡± As they talked, several more contestants finished their dishes. Simple stir-frying, starting from careful preparation, could be smoothly served within 20 to 30 minutes. Including Jiang Feng, there were still six contestants who hadn¡¯t finished on the stage. Jiang Feng was still engrossed in carving radishes, an odd sight to behold. Gu Li was stirring the chicken soup in the pot, gauging the time. Ji Xue was intently watching the y pot in front of her. Sun Jikai had just finished soaking the chicken and was now slicing the soaked Wenchang chicken on the chopping board. Zhang Guanghang was using chopsticks to pick out all the pieces of chicken from the pot that had been stewing bacon, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, and chicken. ¡°What is that youngdy making?¡± Zhu Chang couldn¡¯t quite see through the dish Ji Yue was creating. ¡°I saw her seem to smear something on the chicken before.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t tell,¡± Pei Shenghua was also at a loss. Tong Deyan, observing Ji Yue¡¯s movements and based on the ingredients on her cooking station, guessed, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be y pot flower carving chicken.¡± ¡°y pot flower carving chicken?!¡± Zhu Chang, Pei Shenghua, and even the always silent Zang Mu eximed in unison, their faces nearly spilling over with surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t that dish get lost after Sir Tan passed away?¡± Zhu Chang watched Ji Yue, ¡°Goodness, if that¡¯s really y pot flower carving chicken, those who make Cantonese cuisine are going to go crazy.¡± ¡°I had the dish once seven years ago, but whether the method was authentic or not, I don¡¯t know, and I barely remember the taste. Grandpa Sun is right there in the audience, we can ask himter,¡± Tong Deyan said, swiftly changing the subject. ¡°Zhang Guanghang¡¯s red wine braised chicken is about ready.¡± ¡°I was also fortunate to have it twice. Yes, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s is nearly done, and Gu Li¡¯s dish must be chicken noodle soup, there will be some waiting,¡± Zang Mu, who had been paying close attention to Gu Li, said. ¡°A good dish is worth the wait, only afraid the wait is for nothing,¡± Pei Shenghua wasn¡¯t optimistic about Gu Li, ¡°Although he is a disciple of Master Fu, his talent really is a bit¡­ never mind, let¡¯s not talk about it. But the number 13 contestant should be making eight treasure chicken, that too will take a while.¡± ¡°I heard about him too, his talent really isn¡¯t that great,¡± Zhu Chang remarked. ¡°Diligence canpensate forck of skill,¡± Tong Deyan said. ¡°The ingredients for number 13¡¯s eight treasure chicken are interesting, with chestnuts as the main stuffing,¡± Pei Shenghua chuckled, ¡°He has also been carving radishes for about 20 minutes now.¡± ¡°His chicken should taste fine; it¡¯s Grandpa Sun¡¯s grandson who might have a problem. He didn¡¯t slice the chicken well earlier, and now that it¡¯s steaming, I bet it won¡¯t retain its original shape when served,¡± Zhu Chang said. ¡°Then his Cantonese-style Wenchang chicken is ruined,¡± Tong Deyanmented without mincing words. Han Guishan, who had finished off Wu Minqi¡¯s te of gong bao chicken without any rice, listened nkly to the four professional judges chatting. What¡¯s this y pot flower carving chicken? Who¡¯s Sir Tan? What¡¯s this Gu Li? What do they mean when they say his talent isn¡¯t great? What¡¯s about getting it back into shape? He understood every word they said, but why couldn¡¯t he understand when they were all strung together? He, who was usually so talkative, found himself unable to join their conversation at this moment. Han Guishan suddenly felt like Jiang Feng had before. You are all isting me! Chapter 167 - 166 Chapter 166 Trantor: 549690339 Zhang Guanghang¡¯s wine-braised chicken was at its final step. He slowly poured the thick, correctly colored sauce over the chicken on the te, sprinkled a little ck pepper and salt on the surface, carefully wiped away the sshed sauce, and then ced the decorative broli on top. The scent of the wine was rich and aromatic, with a savory and mellow taste. Zhang Guanghang gestured with his hand to signal he was done. The most beautiful staff member, wearing a smart uniform and walking in 6- centimeter stiletto heels, had a smile on her face that belonged only to those victorious in conflict. She stood tall with her chest out and stomach in, slightly tilting her head down in aposed manner, and gracefully picked up the te of wine-braised chicken from the table. ¡°The dish you¡¯ve made smells amazing,¡± her voice sweet, her smile even sweeter. ¡°Thankyou for thepliment,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, continuing to tidy up his cooking station. The wine-braised chicken was then presented to the panel of five judges. Due to the addition of a generous amount of red wine, the sauce glowed with a hint of wine-red color,rge chunks of potato mixed with chicken, and slices of onion floating on top, with ck pepper and salt granules scattered on the surface like faint stars. The intense fragrance emitted by the red wine, potatoes, chicken, and onions, after being stewed for a long time, whipped up the judges¡¯appetites. This was especially true for Han Guishan, who hadn¡¯t found a dish that suited his taste since Wu Minqi¡¯s Kung Pao chicken. His feeling was akin to going out for a meal, having his appetite whetted by the first dish but then being unable to enjoy the following dishes-hungry, aggrieved, and aggrieved, with anger mixed in. Now that such a tempting dish had been served, Han Guishan excitedly picked up a spoon. ¡°Do I use a spoon for this dish? I don¡¯t need a knife and fork, do I?¡± Han Guishan needed to confirm. Zhu Chang nodded. Han Guishan took the lead and scooped up a generous spoonful. A piece of potato, a chunk of chicken, along with a small slice of onion-such a scoop was rare even in university canteens. Han Guishan devoured it in one bite. Salty but rich in vor, withyeredplexity and a slight aftertaste of sweetness. ¡°Delicious!¡± Han Guishan¡¯s eyes shone with the light of someone whose sole purpose was to eat, and he went for another spoonful. He took a second spoonful. And a third. And a fourth. Mr. Han, it¡¯s time to score,¡± Zhu Chang quietly reminded. Although Han Guishan¡¯s score carried no real significance, the formality had to be observed. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Han Guishan carelessly wrote down a ten and continued to eat his wine-braised chicken. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s wine-braised chicken scored 8.8 points and was currently in the lead. He¡¯d made quite a heaping serving of it, and as Han Guishan had nearly finished a quarter of the te in the blink of an eye, Zhu Chang once again quietly reminded him, ¡°Mr. Han, the braised chicken and Wenchang chicken will be ready soon.¡± Zhu Chang then nced at the screen, and the braised chicken from a contestant who had long been overlooked didn¡¯ t look very appetizing, but he added, ¡°The braised chicken doesn¡¯t seem very good, but the Wenchang chicken is still worth looking forward to. The eight treasures chicken made by contestant number 13 is also a whole chicken. Gu Li¡¯s chicken noodle soup will probably best, but it¡¯s a main dish.¡± The subtext being that the dishes from the other contestants might also be quite good, so maybe don¡¯t eat so much right now! Understanding the hint, Han Guishan swapped therge chunk of potato in his spoon for a piece of chicken. Jiang Feng was still engrossed in carving carrots. He had no choice; the Eight Treasures Chicken took longer to steam than a Pigeon, and during that time he couldn¡¯t lift the lid to make any adjustments, so all he could do was wait. Why not make the most of it and do something meaningful? So far he had carved out Peppa Pig, George, Daddy Pig, Mummy Pig, Suzy Sheep, Reba Rabbit, and Polly Parrot. Now he was working on Emily Elephant, determined to carve out the entire cast of the ¡°Peppa Pig¡± animation while waiting. As he whittled away at Emily Elephant, Jiang Feng approached the steamer to sniff carefully¡ªthere was still plenty of time. So he confidently continued to carve. While Jiang Feng¡¯s work had a leisurely and rxed atmosphere, Sun Jikai was in a state of frenzy. He discovered that the Wenchang chicken he was preparing was bing increasingly difficult to shape like a chicken. For various reasons, the Wenchang chicken, which was simmered over a gentle me until cooked and then drained, could no longer be arranged in its usual fish-scale pattern on the te, with pieces of chicken meat, ham, and chicken liver interleaved, along with the chicken head, wings, and tail-making it impossible to form the shape of a chicken. The charm of the Guangdong-style Wenchang chicken lies in its ability to be reassembled into the shape of a whole, spread-winged chicken after slicing. It was novel and visually appealing, yet Sun Jikai had already lost this advantage with his dish. After finishing the thickening with cornstarch, hepleted the dish by drizzling sesame oil and cooked porkrd over the chicken. Even though he had finished, Sun Jikai didn¡¯t raise his hand. He was very anxious, extremely anxious. He knew that his dish was a failure the way it had turned out, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint where exactly he had gone wrong. In his opinion, he felt there was nothing wrong with his technique. After hesitating for a long time, Sun Jikai finally raised his hand. The Guangdong-style Wenchang chicken was served to the judges. His mindset has copsed,¡± Tong Deyanmented without even picking up his chopsticks. r Indeed, thest step wasn¡¯t done right, ruining everything,¡± Pei Shenghua also felt it was a pity. Although Han Guishan came from Guangdong Province, he couldn¡¯t afford to eat such food when he was there. Later, when he could afford it, he never returned to Guangdong. He hadn¡¯t eaten Guangdong-style Wenchang chicken in many years and had long forgotten what it tasted like. He took a bite with his chopsticks. Han Guishan chose the red wine braised chicken. The score came out, 7.8 points. The screen assigned to Sun Jikai disyed 7.8 points. That was okay, at least the audience didn¡¯t see his face crumble in an instant. Sun Jikai looked towards Jiang Feng. His dish, Elephant Emily, had already entered the final stage. He nced at the contestant making the braised chicken who seemed invisible the judges were unwilling toment on him. It was terrible, and he could almost be certain of his elimination. Looking towards Ji Xue, since Sun Jikai had also slightly messed up in thepetition advancing to the national top 32, finishing only in fourth ce, he actually looked down on Ji Xue who had secured the first ce. Later, after hearing other contestants say Ji Xue had stolen something in a restaurant before, his disdain for her grew even more. Sun Jikai, at 24, was still a chuunibyou teenager. No, a chuunibyou young adult. Also hailing from Guangdong Province, he couldn¡¯t make out what Ji Xue was cooking. He was close enough to Ji Xue to clearly see the movements of her hands. Just now, she lifted the pot¡¯s lid to add green onion, ginger, Huadiao wine, and seasoning. Sun Jikai was so close, yet he didn¡¯t catch the slightest aroma. Ji Xue had now turned the high heat down to a simmer, slowly stewing the pot on the stove, signaling that the dish was nearly ready to be served. Sun Jikai finally looked towards Gu Li. His chicken broth wasn¡¯t ready yet, and the chicken noodles would have to wait. ording to the current scores, Zhang Guanghang was first with 8.8 points, Wu Minqi second with 8.6 points, Zhang Xi and Zhao Shan tied for third with 8.4 points, Chu Peng fifth with 8.0 points, and Sun Jikai sixth with 7.8 points. There were still four contestants left to finish. Jiang Feng had performed well in the previous round, and Sun Jikai had heard his grandfather mention him; he was sure to get over 8 points. He couldn¡¯t see through Ji Xue¡¯s dish, but relying on a chef¡¯s intuition, Sun Jikai could tell that it must be an excellent dish. The unknown braised chicken contestant would be directly out. The only unknown factor was Gu Li. Gu Li, within the younger generation of chefs, had a bit of notoriety, typically as a cautionary tale. A direct disciple of the Master White Chef Sir Tan,cking talent, the adage ¡°diligence canpensate forck of skill¡± was of no use. Even his ce in Taste House was owed to Sir Tan¡¯s connections before he passed away. After working at Taste House for seven years, he hadn¡¯t made a name for himself. Whenever people mentioned him, they would sigh and say that Sir Tan¡¯s vision was not the best in hister years, taking in such an unremarkable direct disciple, vastly inferior to his senior brothers and sisters. All was stable now. Sun Jikai consoled himself in his mind. Even if his cooking had went off course this time, what he had made was still Guangdong-style Wenchang chicken, and there was no way it could be worse than the chicken noodles Gu Li was preparing. Although cing eighth was disappointing, at least he could advance, and he could always make up for the loss of face in the next round. Small issue, no need to panic. Chapter 168 - 167: Clay Pot Shaoxing Wine Chicken Chapter 167: y Pot Shaoxing Wine Chicken Trantor: 549690339 After carving thest fox Freddie, Jiang Feng put down the radish and knife. Every character from Peppa Pig was neatly arranged on the cutting board, not one missing. An hour and a half had passed in thepetition, and steaming; chicken takes much longer than a pigeon. Jiang Feng leaned close to the steaming pot and inhaled, feeling it was about ready. He lit the me to make a sauce with the chicken broth. Three minutester, the Eight Treasures Chicken was out of the pot, thickening the sauce. Its color was in and light; the skin of the Eight Treasures Chicken was slightly yellow, its belly round and plump, with a tightly sealed aroma that was unassuming in appearance. Jiang Feng ced the first carved radish flowers he made on the rim of the basin for decoration. There wasn¡¯t room for the full set of Peppa Pig animal radish carvings, so he ced them on another te and signaled the staff. ¡°Could you please bring this te up as well?¡± Jiang Feng pointed to the te of radish carvings, ¡°Do you have a knife at the judges¡¯ table? This dish requires cutting open the chicken¡¯s belly before eating.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the staff responded with a nonchnt smile, ¡°thepetition rules state that each contestant can only make one dish.¡± ¡°These are extra decorations that couldn¡¯t fit.¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°Consider it a little gift for the judges.¡± Staff: ??? The staff still brought Jiang Feng¡¯s radish carvings up, reasoning that the quite wealthy panel of five judges didn¡¯t seem like the type to rig thepetition over a few pigs. As soon as the dish was served, Han Guishan eximed with delight, ¡°I know how to eat this kind of dish, just cut open the chicken belly and eat the stuffing inside!¡± Then Han Guishan looked at the other four judges. Experts in Huaiyang cuisine, renowned chefs, owners of famous restaurants. He chose to keep quiet. Tong Deyan cut open the Eight Treasures Chicken¡¯s belly. The stuffing rolled out like pearls, with chestnuts, dried scallops, ham, and shiitake mushroom piecesing out first, scattering over the chicken and the sauce. The fat of the tender young chicken was not too thick but perfectly coated the vegetarian stuffing, carrying the unique fragrance of chicken mixed with the fresh scent of the various vegetarian stuffings. It was a strong visual and gustatory impact that immediately added a lot of appeal to the dish. ¡°Vegetarian stuffing,¡± Han Guishan was very satisfied, as he had just had enough of eating so much chicken meat and needed something vegetarian to cut through the richness. ¡°The vors are locked in tightly!¡± Tong Deyan marveled. ¡°Yes, the basic skills are quite solid,¡± Zhu Changmented while poking the chicken with her chopsticks, ¡°The technique for boning the whole chicken is quite mature and skilled, the body of the chicken is very intact.¡± ¡°These radish carvings are quite interesting, what is this pig?¡± Pei Shenghua picked up Peppa Pig. ¡°Peppa Pig,¡± said Han Guishan, ¡°My son loves this, watches it every day, he really enjoys it.¡± ¡°Hey, I should be able to take this with me, right? I¡¯ll bring it home for my son to eat, he hasn¡¯t had vegetables in a while, it¡¯s about time he had some radish to cleanse the stomach.¡± Pei Shenghua: ??? Once the belly of the chicken is cut open, it must be eaten while hot, everyone takes a spoonful. Han Guishan was thest to start, only realizing after seeing the actions of others that the sauce on the outside wasn¡¯t just for decoration but to be dipped. Hidden beneath the vegetarian stuffing were pigeon eggs, ¡¯ which, tucked away at the bottom, absorbed the vors of various ingredients and, along with their inherent savoriness, were especially delicious. Unfortunately, Han Guishan wasn¡¯t a connoisseur and mistook the pigeon eggs for quail eggs, taking no interest. He only scooped up the chestnuts, dried scallops, lilies, and shiitake mushrooms. He had a piece of ham initially, but it slipped into the sauce with a skew of his spoon. Upon tasting, the fluffy fragrance of chestnuts, the freshness of dried scallops, the tenderness of shiitake mushrooms, the lightness of lilies, the mild sweetness of the chicken, and the vorful sauce all intermingled. Though it couldn¡¯t be said that all five vors were present, it definitely deserved acim for its taste. Jiang Feng¡¯s dish proved reliable without any mishaps. ¡°Not bad, this vor reminds me a bit of Master Sun¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon!¡± Han Guishan sighed before scooping another spoonful. ¡°Mr. Han has also tasted Master Sun¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡± Pei Shenghua asked, intrigued. ¡® Yes, back¡­ ten years ago, I had the fortune to eat it at Jubao Building,¡± Han Guishan revealed without mentioning that Sun Guanyun had made Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant before. With a flourish, Han Guishan wrote down a score of ten and continued to enjoy the Eight Treasures Chicken made by Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng¡¯s final score, 8.6 points, tied for second ce with Wu Minqi. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s red wine-braised chicken had grown somewhat cold, and the texture was nowhere near as good as before. Han Guishan, who is always looking for the new and gets tired of the old quickly, discarded it without hesitation, and concentrated on eating the Eight Treasures Chicken. When he got to the pigeon eggs hidden at the bottom, he couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Wow, these pigeon eggs are delicious!¡± No one paid attention to him, as everyone¡¯s eyes were on Ji Xue¡¯s movements. The y pot Huadiao chicken she was making was about to be done. Crouching down, Ji Xue¡¯s nose was level with the lid of the y pot, as she closed her eyes and sniffed closely beside the pot. Once the Huadiao wine was added to the y pot Huadiao chicken, the lid could no longer be opened, so she had to rely on close smelling to judge the fire control, which would be indiscernible to anyonecking the skill. With her eyes closed, Ji Xue didn¡¯t move an inch; time seemed to stand still Her screen looked no different from a still image, leaving the uninformed audience to wonder if the screen had frozen. At this critical moment, a contestant who was not important enough to be named and whose braised chicken was nothing special inappropriately raised his hand, forcefully drawing the camera¡¯s attention to himself. The four judges, adhering to the principle of fair scoring, took a few dozen seconds to taste his dish and, after unanimously giving it a low score, continued to watch the screen showing Ji Xue. Ji Xue opened her eyes. She turned off the heat, waited a moment, and then signaled with her hand. All judges except Han Guishan, who was engrossed in eating the Eight Treasures Chicken, were excited. They had all tasted the authentic y pot Huadiao chicken before. Sir Tan, who was over seventy, still made this dish himself in the restaurant. One reason was that his children and grandchildren were notpetent, and the other was that this was his signature dish just like Sun Guanyun¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, it could only be done justice by him. A year ago, as Sir Tan passed away, the y pot Huadiao chicken, a dish that had astonished the various Chinese cuisine circles for half a century also fell into oblivion. The many gourmands no longer had the chance to taste this dish. Tan Family Small Restaurant, once renowned in Guangdong Province, plunged into decline overnight. The past bustle and fame were no more, and the glory of having reservations scheduled a year in advance faded away. The regr customers stopped visiting the restaurant with regrets. Without Sir Tan, Tan Family Small Restaurant was no different from any ordinary street-side eatery. It had been said before that the y pot Huadiao chicken pioneered the technique of using wine to enhance the fragrance and vor of chicken in whole chicken cooking, giving the chicken a unique taste and aroma. Huadiao wine has a special property: it isn¡¯t fragrant when cool, but bes especially aromatic upon heating. When chicken is braised with Huadiao wine ethanol in the wine reacts with the fatty acids in the chicken fat to produce aromatic esters-a distinctive fragrance. The difficulty of replicating y pot Huadiao chickenes from the fact that the moment the lid is lifted, diners immediately know whether it is the real deal or not. A staff member wanted to lift the lid, but was stopped by Tong Deyan. ¡°Let me do it,¡± Tong Deyan rose to his feet. If this really was the y pot Huadiao chicken, this would be a day recorded in the annals of Chinese culinary history, and they would be its witnesses. The difficulty of perpetuating a signature dish and masterful technique is only truly understood by chefs, who know the bitterness at heart. Upon lifting the lid, the aroma filled the air. ¡°This is the scent, exactly the scent!¡± Pei Shenghua eximed with excitement, ¡°This is exactly the fragrance when Sir Tan used to lift the lid off his y pot Huadiao chicken, not a bit different, unmistakable. The poem goes, ¡®With golden winds and dewdrops¡¯ gift, this soul of scent is set adrift, its texture as snow, unparalleled in taste. Inspired by the chefs of Shunde, the Huadiao feast ¡ªa tribute to Xuanyuan.¡¯ Han Guishan looked up in surprise, smelling the delicious aroma. However, he couldn¡¯t fathom why Pei Shenghua became so stirred up that he even started reciting poetry. The chicken was coated with honey, its golden, zing exterior enticing ¨C the meat was tender and sweetly aromatic. After tasting the y pot Huadiao chicken, Han Guishan instantly abandoned Jiang Feng¡¯s Eight Treasures Chicken, relegating it to the cold pce alongside Zhang Guanghang¡¯s red wine-braised chicken. Han Guishan, whocked culture, could only use his limited vocabry to describe Ji Xue¡¯s y pot Huadiao chicken: ¡°Delicious, this dish is delicious!¡± All thoughts of having eaten too much chicken and needing something nd to counter the richness-such foolish talk-were tossed aside by him. Getting tired of chicken? He scoffed at the notion; how could anyone get tired of something as delicious as chicken! With his appetite now fully opened, Han Guishan dered he could eat ten! The score came swiftly: 9.5 points, an unprecedentedly high score. A wave of astonishment swept across the venue. The clueless and ill-informed spectators could only open their mouths wide and exaggeratedly ¡°wow~¡± to express their amazement. ¡°Dad, what did that girl cook?¡± Jiang Jiankang, who had not seen much of the world, asked, poking his head forward. ¡°y pot Huadiao chicken,¡± replied Jiang Weiguo, who had spent some time in Guangdong Province. Having lived in the countryside for a long time, he was not very concerned with the major events in the culinary world and was out of touch with much of the information, unaware of Sir Tan¡¯s passing and the loss of the y pot Huadiao chicken, ¡°I tasted that dish forty years ago, it¡¯s delicious, sure, and it¡¯s Master Tan¡¯s signature dish, but it doesn¡¯t seem to warrant such a high score.¡± ¡°Master Tan passed awayst year, and that dish has been lost,¡± said Sun Guanyun, who was sitting next to Jiang Weiming but had always refused to join the group chat. Since Sun Jikai¡¯s blunder, Sun Guanyun¡¯s mood had been off, switching from busy to offline, refusing to receive any messages from anyone with the surname Jiang. ¡°I never heard that Master Tan had taken on a disciple. His son was blinded and heartless due to money, guarding against everyone like against a thief, fearing that someone would steal Master Tan¡¯s secret technique, foolish andzy and short-sighted to boot,¡± Sun Guanyun said through clenched teeth, not so much speaking of Master Tan¡¯s son but rather as if he was scolding his own son. ¡°Just wait. If he sees this girl can make y pot Huadiao chicken, that mad dog will have plenty to bark about..¡± Chapter 169 - 168: Dont You All Hit Children? Chapter 168: Don¡¯t You All Hit Children? Trantor: 549690339 Gu Li was the only one left in the venue who hadn¡¯tpleted his dish. His disy screen was the only one still lit, drawing the attention of the entire room to him. Yet he remained oblivious, unhurried and calm. There were twenty minutes left. The noodles were already in the pot. His bowl of noodles pushed the use of chicken to its limits. The chicken bones, chicken fat, and other parts were stewed to make the broth, while the meat from the chicken legs and breast were thinly sliced and marinated, then stir-fried with other ingredients. The noodles were freshly rolled and cut, then they were boiled, first in hot water, then in cold, before finally being cooked with the prepared chicken broth. The finished dish was unassuming in appearance, but it required a great deal of effort and thought. Unlike Jiang Feng, who spent his time carving radishes into fish shapes while waiting for his eight-treasure chicken to steam, Gu Li¡¯s hands never stopped moving. He was always busy, never idle for a moment. Gu Li served up five bowls of chicken noodle soup and raised his hand to signal he was done. One hour, 55 minutes, and 37 seconds-the timer on the screen froze at that moment. Sun Jikai felt an unexpected surge of nervousness as he watched Gu Li, who maintained a neutral expression, revealing no sign of emotional turbulence. Gu Li had always been like that, whether it was back when he first learned cooking from his master orter at Taste House. Themon critique was that his reactions were slow, and he appeared rather dull. His culinary talent was described the same way. It seemed that the word ¡°dull¡± was tied to him in a knot that couldn¡¯t be undone. Gu Li¡¯s only advantage was his solid foundation. Remarkably solid-he¡¯d been learning from Master Tan, a Master White Chef, since childhood. It took others five years to practice the basics; he did it for eight. Where others practiced for eight hours a day, he put in twelve. Day in and day out, year after year, a in White Chef like him managed to stay at a prestigious establishment like Taste House for eight years. While his master¡¯s reputation yed a part, his own hard work and dedication were equally crucial. A ¡°genius¡± chef like Sun Jikai could look down on Gu Li¡¯s talent but could not ignore his effort. The chicken noodle soup was brought before the five judges. It was thest dish. Even Han Guishan momentarily set aside the Huadiao chicken in the y pot in front of him and shifted the chicken noodle soup closer. The noodles seemed utterly ordinary at first nce. The broth was fragrant and rich, but with such exceptional dishes before it, they did not seem particrly outstanding. -Oh, chicken noodle soup, eh? That¡¯s good. Whenever I eat out, I always finish with a bowl of noodles,¡± Han Guishan slurped eagerly. The other four judges:¡­ Never mind, he was the boss, the financier, the one who paid. As long as he was happy, that was all that mattered. Tong Deyan took a sip and sighed, ¡°Master Sun¡¯s grandson has met his downfall this time.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Zhu Chang with a nod. Score: 8.2 points. Thepetition was over. The most interesting aspect of the Good Taste Culinary Competition was that the judges never critiqued on site. Instead, they gathered in a small room after thepetition to discuss each performance. These critiques would be featured in the edited variety show broadcastter, serving as a selling point for subsequent episodes. Otherwise, if everyone already knew the results and there was nothing fresh, then no one would watch the exclusive variety program on a particr video tform. The host announced the list of those advancing. The contestants moving on to the national top eight headed backstage to receive details from the staff about thepetition taking ce in a few days. The eliminated contestants were free to leave, exiting together with the audience. Sun Jikai had been in a daze since he saw Gu Li¡¯s score. Gu Li had scored 0.4 points higher than him, ranking not eighth, but seventh. Since childhood, Gu Li had been the butt of jokes among the children of the Culinary Aristocracy. Also born into a family of culinary heritage, his father a renowned Suzhou cuisine chef and student of Master White Chef Tan Han, he had no apparent talent yet stubbornly pursued cooking. Like a wooden block, he never turned back even after hitting a wall. As a child, Sun Jikai,cking understanding, mocked Gu Li for overestimating himself, and growing up hadn¡¯t changed his disregard for him. Sun Jikai took pride in his own talent, yet still lost to Gu Li. Even if it was due to a major mistake, he couldn¡¯t understand why he had faltered at the crucial moment. He had made the Cantonese Wenchang chicken before, under his master¡¯s guidance in the restaurant, and had done very well. Sun Guanyun was waiting for him at the exit. Seeing Sun Guanyun, Sun Jikai felt ashamed for letting his grandfather down and didn¡¯t dare to meet his eyes. ¡°Do you know why you couldn¡¯t make aeback?¡± asked Sun Guanyun, his tone calm and even. ¡°Why?¡± Sun Jikai had always been puzzled, feeling that he hadn¡¯t made any significant mistakes, yet the final product was far from satisfying. ¡°Because your foundation isn¡¯t solid,¡± Sun Guanyun didn¡¯t give Sun Jikai a chance to argue, shooting his words at him like a volley of sharp arrows, -You¡¯ve been arrogant since you were a child, believing practicing the basics was a waste of time. Thinking you were smart, you aimed for instant sess. When helping out in the restaurant, you never wanted to do mundane tasks like chopping vegetables. How many times have I scolded you? How many times have the old chefs in the restaurant reminded you? Have you ever taken it to heart?¡± ¡°The basics¡­Jiang Feng practiced for seven years, Wu for six years, Zhang Guanghang for four and a half, and you? Only three years. You find being a chef too tough, too tedious,cking in status and mour. What were you doing when I wasn¡¯t in FJ? You and your money-grubbing father schemed together to turn Jubao Building from a restaurant into a hotel, to get financing for an IPO, to drive out your uncle¡¯s family so they wouldn¡¯t dispute the family fortune with you. I¡¯m not even dead yet!¡± Sun Guanyun looked at his eldest grandson, disappointment in his eyes, ¡°I used tough at Sir Tan for not knowing how to raise a child. I didn¡¯t expect that I would be the biggest joke.¡± ¡°Grandfather.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me grandfather. When you figure out why you lost today, you can call me that again,¡± Sun Guanyun didn¡¯t look back at the disheartened Sun Jikai as he left, shakily. Jiang Weiguo, who came out from the bathroomte and overheard everything around the corner:¡­ Jiang Weiguo was puzzled. These old guys were all fine when they were young. Why had they all suddenly started acting out family dramas as they got older? Third Brother, Sir Tan, and Sun Guanyun, one after another, why were their families all filled with unworthy descendants? Didn¡¯t they discipline their children when they were younger? Chapter 170 - 169: New Competition Format Chapter 170: Chapter 169: New Competition Format Trantor: 549690339 Contestants who advanced to the national top eight gathered backstage. Jiang Feng had just made an excuse to go to the bathroom and check his attribute panel. The hidden mission ¡°Jiang Weiguo¡¯s Pride¡± of defeating Sun Jikai was alreadyplete; now, all that was left was to advance to the finals. The mission prompt still asked the yer to make full use of resources around them, which was somewhat puzzling. No matter how you look at it, this kind of mission seems to be encouraging him to cut corners, but what resources could he take advantage of? Maybe cook 60 meatbail dishes for Han Guishan and ask for a backdoor favor? That¡¯s just too far-fetched! Throughout thepetition, everyone had been standing without much movement and didn¡¯t go to the bathroom¡ªaside from Jiang Feng, who pretended to, and those who genuinely needed to go. There were also those who sat down to rest and rehydrate at leisure. The staff gave everyone ten minutes to rest and adjust before announcing the rules of the next round. Once thest contestant, Zhang Xi, returned from the bathroom, the staff gathered everyone to announce thepetition rules. ¡°From the top eight to the top four, ourpetition format will change to one-on-one. Shortly, please draw lots. Contestants drawing the same number will face each other in the same group. Each group will have a different theme: the first group is sweet and sour, the second sweet porridge, the third savory, the fourth spicy. Now, contestants can start drawing lots; the lottery box is on your right side, the red one.¡± The staff pointed to the red lottery box ced on a chair to the right. One-on-one? A bold idea suddenly popped into Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. If he drew the same group as Ji Xue, could he offer her a guaranteed sry of thirty thousand a month to throw the match and withdraw? It only took 20 seconds for Jiang Feng to sober up¡ªhe didn¡¯t have the money. The lottery box was a bit worn, likely left over from a variety show on the provincial station, dusted off and reused for this asion. Zhao Shan went first since he was at the far right, reaching in and drawing a red ball with the number 1 on it. Wu Minqi followed closely behind and drew number 4. Jiang Feng could only pray that he wouldn¡¯t draw a 4 as well¡ªspicy dishes were somewhat of a showdown for anyone facing Wu Minqi. After Zhang Xi, who was in front of Jiang Feng, drew a 2, Jiang Feng also pulled out a red ball marked 2. The two looked at each other. ¡°What a coincidence, you got number 2 as well,¡± Jiang Feng said with a sheepish grin. ¡°Yeah, looks like I¡¯ll be eliminated,¡± Zhang Xi said to Jiang Feng with a smile. Jiang Feng:¡­ You didn¡¯t even leave me any room to be modest, so I can¡¯t follow up on that. ¡°Not at all, I thought the mushroom chicken porridge you made was pretty good,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I¡¯m only slightly better at cooking porridge and soup.¡± In fact, drawing sweet porridge was very advantageous for Zhang Xi. Her sense of taste and smell were frighteningly sensitive, but because of her physiological shorings and not having trained as hard as Wu Minqi, her knifework and stirring were quite poor. With her talent, if it hasn¡¯t been for Jiang Feng, she had a good chance of winning in the sweet porridge round. Unfortunately, she met Jiang Feng, who seemed like a Red Chef but was secretly exceptional at cooking porridge. In less than a minute, the grouping results were out: Zhang Guanghang with Zhao Shan in the first group, Jiang Feng and Zhang Xi in the second, Gu Li and Chu Peng in the third, and Wu Minqi with Ji Xue in the fourth. Instantly, all eyes turned to Wu Minqi and Ji Xue. What a battlefield that group was! Zhao Shan, who practically had no presence, looked utterly relieved, suddenly free from the weight of pursuing fame. Since he was going to lose anyway, why not lose with a bit more ir, freedom, or even with a pendulum swing from thirty years east of the river to thirty years west, losing in a way that would make him seem more like the protagonist? But no one paid attention to Zhao Shan; everyone wanted to glean something from Wu Minqi and Ji Xue. Even though both were deadpan and seemingly drawn swords and crossed des in private, locked in a fierce struggle, their faces remained as calm as still water, courteous and amicable. ¡°We believe all contestants have now understood their groupings and themes for the next match. This match¡¯s format is quite special. We will proceed ording to the group sequence, with 40 minutes allowed for each group. Contestants must prepare the same dish, so we need all contestants to consult with each other and decide on the menu as soon as possible,¡± the staff sister said with a sweet smile, ¡°The top eight to four matches will start promptly at 8 pm on April 11. Please ensure you arrive in the preparation room before 3 pm and inform us of the necessary ingredients before 9 pm on the 10th.¡± ¡°Does anyone have any questions?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t 40 minutes too short?¡± ¡°May I bring my own broth?¡± ¡°That¡­ um¡­¡± Adhering to his philosophy of go with the flow, everything¡¯s fine, no problem, I can handle it, better slip away quietly, Jiang Feng was all set to leave. ¡°Jiang Feng.¡± Zhang Xi suddenly called out to him, ¡°Can we make Eight Treasures Porridge?¡± ¡°Make Eight Treasures Porridge?¡± Jiang Feng was actually indifferent about what kind of porridge to make since he had prepared pretty much everymon varietyst summer for Chen Xiuxiu. There wasn¡¯t one he couldn¡¯t make. ¡°Yes, Eight Treasures Porridge,¡± Zhang Xi said, ¡°The nth is my mother¡¯s birthday, and she loves Eight Treasures Porridge. Even if I lose, I still want to make her favorite.¡± ¡°Your mom¡¯s birthday is quite close to mine; I¡¯m born on the 16th,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Wu Minqi, who was about to leave after exchanging WeChat contacts with Ji Xue, stopped in her tracks at Jiang Feng¡¯s words and asked, ¡°Your birthday is April 16?¡± ¡°Yeah, but at this age, I don¡¯t celebrate it much anymore. Usually, my dad just cooks me a bowl of noodles with pork knuckle and adds a couple of eggs in the morning,¡± Jiang Feng shared. Zhang Xi: ??? Noodles with pork knuckle? ¡°And you?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°October eighth,¡± Wu Minqi said, telling a feeble joke, ¡°The school never takes a break.¡± As Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi walked out together, he asked her, ¡°Have you and Ji Xue decided on the dish yet?¡± ¡°Not yet, she basically can¡¯t cook spicy food, we will discuss it again tomorrow,¡± Wu Minqi said. Jiang Jiankang, Wang Xiulian, Jiang Weiguo, and Jiang Weiming were waiting at the door for Jiang Feng, the rest had already gone back. There was no group dinner arranged for today, and the sisters Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian left feeling somewhat disappointed. ¡°Mom!¡± Wu Minqi called out to a well-maintained middle-aged woman wearing a red coat standing not far from a trash bin. ¡°Qjqi.¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s mother smiled and walked over. Upon seeing Jiang Feng, she said, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Wu Minqi¡¯s mother, you must be Jiang Feng; I always hear Qiqi mention you.¡± ¡°Okay, mom, it¡¯ste, let¡¯s go,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Goodbye, auntie,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Goodbye,¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s mother said with a smile, then turned to Wu Minqi and remarked, ¡°Your ssmate is quite polite and good-looking too, does he have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°You say that about everyone you see.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Mrs. Wu says the nicest things! Jiang Feng headed over to Jiang Jiankang and the others. ¡°Son, what¡¯s the nextpetition about?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked. ¡°Eight Treasure Porridge,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Compete well,¡± Jiang Jiankang patted Jiang Feng¡¯s shoulder and whispered into his ear, ¡°Have you noticed anything odd about your grandfather?¡± Jiang Feng looked at Jiang Weiguo. He did seem a bit odd. That puzzled and perplexed expression was almost identical to the one he had when he used to watch the annual family ethics melodramas with Mrs. Jiang. ¡°What did grandpa do?¡± Jiang Feng asked in a low voice. ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything. He just came out of the bathroom looking like that,¡± Jiang Jiankang was also puzzled. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Could it be¡­ that the provincial station¡¯s bathroom has a TV? Jiang Zaidi left behind his seven-seater business van he boughtst October in the parking lot so Jiang Jiankang could drive home. Jiang Jiankang first dropped off the two old gentlemen at Jiang Jianguo¡¯s ce, then headed back to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. The round trip took quite a detour, and by the time Jiang Feng got to the school it was already past eleven o¡¯clock. As usual, he climbed in through the balcony on the first floor. Wang Hao wasn¡¯t asleep yet, and after quickly washing up, Jiang Feng went to bed. He was exhausted from a busy day and his nerves had been on edge during thepetition; Jiang Feng felt as if he could fall asleep the moment he closed his eyes. Wang Hao was watching a detective drama with tense and thrilling scenes, the volume on loudspeaker. ¡°Hey, at twenty, I¡¯m so sleepy,¡± Jiang Feng hinted strongly. ¡°Midlife crisis?¡± Wang Hao picked up on thement. Jiang Feng: ??? After a while, it was half past eleven, and Wang Hao said, ¡°Feng, just let out a squeak if you want to sleep.¡± ¡°Squeak.¡± ¡°Hey, what did you just say? I didn¡¯t hear it.¡± ¡°Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, Feng, there¡¯s a mouse in the dorm!¡± Jiang Feng silently got out of bed. ¡°Hey, Feng, why did you get out of bed?¡± Wang Hao nced back at him and continued watching his show. Jiang Feng silently took out a rolling pin from the drawer. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep now, beating someone up is more important.¡± ¡°Dog Thief Watch the Stick!¡± Chapter 171 - 170 Eight Treasure Porridge Chapter 171: Chapter 170 Eight Treasure Porridge Trantor: 549690339 | Eight Treasure Porridge, also known as Laba Porridge, is a traditional festive food of the Zhou family, made from various ingredients during the Laba Festival. ¡°Old Stories of Martial World¡± from the Southern Song Dynasty once recorded, ¡°Making porridge with walnuts, pine nuts, milk vetch, persimmons, chestnuts, and the like, is called Laba Porridge.¡± The Eight Treasure Porridge of today is no longer limited to just eight different ingredients. Last summer vacation, Jiang Feng made a pot for Chen Xiuxiu with ck sticky rice as the main ingredient, supplemented with mung beans, adzuki beans, lentils, white lentils, red dates, peach kernels, peanuts, lotus seeds, longan, pine nuts, Chinese yam, lilies, goji berries, coix seeds, job¡¯s tears, and other various ingredients. People from different regions have different tastes. Some use simple ingredients while others use even moreplex recipes than Jiang Feng, including traditional Chinese medicine and cured meat, truly making it a versatile dish. Zhang Xi, as a minor who doesn¡¯t like to use WeChat, became friends with Jiang Feng on Q.Q. After they exchanged countless emoticon sticker battles, they finalized the ingredients needed. The Eight Treasure Porridge Zhang Xi made used traditional ingredients, including coix seeds, job¡¯s tears, white lentils, lotus flesh, Chinese yam, red dates, longan, lilies, and japonica rice, and it also needed honey. The number of ingredients was much fewer than what Jiang Feng was nning to use, and the taste was set to be sweeter. Thepetition time was only forty minutes, which inevitably meant that they couldn¡¯t use low heat to simmer slowly and had to boil vigorously on high heat. Timing himself at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Jiang Feng practiced once without counting the soaking time of the ingredients. Forty minutes, adding extra water, boiling on high heat, simmering on medium heat, and then a few minutes of slow cooking on low heat, he barely made it. Although his Cooking Porridge skills were only intermediate, that was based on having master-level Knifework, advanced Fire Control, and Seasoning skills. With his current level of porridge cooking, Jiang Feng could easily hold his own in a decades-old porridge shop. Jiang Weiguo was truly puzzled, as Jiang Feng would mess up anything he learned, except when it came to Cooking Porridge, where he had an epiphany. Anything he looked at he would understand, casually experimenting a bit and he could make a good pot of porridge without needing anyone¡¯s guidance. Gazing at the Eight Treasure Porridge on the table, Jiang Weiguo sighed. Gazing at the Eight Treasure Porridge on the table, Jiang Feng also sighed. ¡°A Pot of Delicious Eight Treasure Porridge¡± What a great description. If only it could appear on other dishes, it would be so nice. However, it had to be on the Eight Treasure Porridge he made for practice; Jiang Feng just couldn¡¯t be pleased. Jiang Jiankang enthusiastically drank arge bowl, offering high praise, ¡°Son, your porridge is really well made.¡¯1 ¡°Wife, wife,e and have some porridge!¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian, upon smelling the aroma, entered the kitchen. She nced at the Eight Treasure Porridge, which didn¡¯t have a hint of meat or fish, and her interest wasn¡¯t piqued. She took a polite sip and asked, ¡°Are you making porridge again today, kiddo?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Feng said resolutely. Mrs. Wang Xiulian decisively put down her bowl and walked out. She addressed Ji Yue, who was idling outside and watching dramas, ¡°Yueyue, add a note on the standing sign: ¡®Special price for Eight Treasure Porridge, 5 yuan.¡± Ji Yue got up and very experiencedly said to Jiang Feng, ¡°Wait until you¡¯ve made three pots before calling me to drink.¡± Ji Yue had already mastered Jiang Feng¡¯s patterns of culinary disasters. Jiang Feng continued cooking Eight Treasure Porridge. The transition between high heat, medium heat, and low heat still needed some fine-tuning. Thest pot of porridge took 39 minutes, just making it within the 40-minute deadline for serving. A slight error during thepetition could lead to a total mess. Jiang Feng had to reduce the time, aiming to control it around 35 minutes for safety. After cooking five pots of porridge in the morning, Mrs. Wang Xiulian watched the amount of porridge left and had Ji Yue change the special price to 4 yuan. In the afternoon, Jiang Feng returned to the normal business of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it was an illusion, but he felt Wu Minqi was particrly heavy-handed with the chili today. Sprinkling handfuls of dried chilies without considering the customers¡¯ tongues. ¡°Jiang Feng, four sses of Rose and Cranberry!¡± Ji Yue called out from outside. Consequentially, Jiang Feng¡¯s juice business picked up as well. After the midday rush was over, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity, ¡°Did you use too much seasoning today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to get a feel for the amount of ingredients,¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°Have you and Ji Xue figured out the result? What are you going to make?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°No, she can¡¯t cook spicy foods at all. They don¡¯t eat spicy food in Guangdong Province, and her family prefers light vors. She said she needs to mull it over for a while, so I¡¯m practicing on other dishes,¡± Wu Minqi said. Practicing on other dishes¡­ Jiang Feng thought about the sales of cranberry juice at noon. Practice is good, practice is great! Wu Minqi¡¯s practice made him an extra 1000 yuan this afternoon. That¡¯s one three-thousandth of the renovation cost! Round it up, and Taifeng Building can open for business! Of the five pots of porridge cooked in the morning, two pots hadn¡¯t been sold yet, and in the kitchen, there were onlyrge sand pots avable. The properly cooked Eight Treasure Porridge had all been transferred by Mrs. Wang Xiulian into arge iron pot to keep warm. After resting for an hour at noon, Jiang Feng sat outside browsing Weibo and enjoying ¡°A Profligate¡¯s Self-cultivation,¡±ughing like a kid under two hundred pounds and listening to Ji Yue gossip about thetest news. ¡°The variety show of yourpetition will be broadcast at 8 pm tonight on a certain video tform,¡± Ji Yue said while scrolling through the news. ¡°Oh my goodness, the preview featuring Zhang Guanghang they released is just too handsome!¡± ¡°He¡¯s even more handsome in person,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°He¡¯s not photogenic.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh,¡± Ji Yue felt like she was suffocating, ¡°It¡¯s all because I¡¯m nearsighted and didn¡¯t wear sses. I couldn¡¯t see clearly who was on stage from the audience seats, and I¡¯m sure the provincial station didn¡¯t do justice to my Zhang Guanghang!¡± Jiang Feng felt that Ji Yue was exhibiting ssic fan-filteryers. The provincial station¡¯s screens were fine, and the cameras all had filters. He thought he looked quite handsome on screen, just a bit less so than Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Jiang Feng, seriously, find some time to invite Zhang Guanghang out for a meal. Just ask him directly toe to our restaurant,¡± Ji Yue wasn¡¯t just interested in wine. Jiang Feng thought it made sense; the game hints indicated that Zhang Guanghang was a key target for poaching, so it would be good to invite him for a meal to chat and bond. Rtionships among the people from the Chinamunity are all forged through meals. If you¡¯re not close, it just means you haven¡¯t eaten enough together; a few more meals and you¡¯ll be friends. Zhang Guanghang, being of Chinese-French descent, should appreciate a fusion of Chinese and French cuisine. When the break ended, Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen to continue making porridge. By the afternoon, seven more pots of Eight Treasure Porridge had umted in the kitchen. Mrs. Wang Xiulian, looking at the Eight Treasure Porridge, felt a headacheing on. Having a son who squanders family resources is truly worrisome. She estimated the amount of porridge and then turned to Ji Yue, ¡°Yueyue, change the price of the Eight Treasure Porridge at the door to 3 yuan.¡± This was probably the biggest promotion the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had ever offered, an unprecedentedly low price. A te of their cucumber sd (also made by Jiang Feng) sold for eight yuan, so a bowl of Eight Treasure Porridge for 3 yuan was an unimaginably low price. So when dinner time came, regardless of whether the customers liked porridge or even wanted to have porridge, they couldn¡¯t help but order a bowl of it. By closing time, there were only enough portions left for two bowls of Eight Treasure Porridge in the kitchen. Wang Xiulian packed the remaining porridge into a big bowl and stashed it in the fridge. She turned to Jiang Feng, ¡°Son, you¡¯ll have porridge for breakfast tomorrow. It¡¯s good for your health.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­Okay, Mom.¡± After toiling over porridge for a whole day, Jiang Feng reeked of Eight Treasure Porridge, like a human embodiment of the dish, spreading the scent wherever he went, all the way back to his dormitory. Wang Hao was furiously typing away at hisputer keyboard, his face etched with indignation. ¡°What are you writing?¡± Jiang Feng casually asked. ¡°A denunciation!¡± Wang Hao responded with righteous wrath, ¡°Those guys who nitpick at my¡­ favorite book, act all high and mighty, criticize everything, rant and rave, and put on the ugly face of ¡®I am your daddy¡¯¡ªI¡¯m going to formally dere war on them.¡± Eager for some drama, Jiang Feng excitedly went over to watch. Wang Hao¡¯s WPS document was filled with an impressive array of idioms as if he¡¯d utilized his entire linguistic arsenal. ¡°Are you taking this fight public with your main ount? Which book is it?¡± ¡°How could I? I¡¯m definitely using a throwaway ount! It¡¯s just some crappy little book¡ªyou wouldn¡¯t like it, Brother Feng.¡± Wang Hao continued his fervent battle before the screen, looking as if he wished he could crawl through the inte cable with his bby and muscr arms, ready for a fight to the death with those he denounced. After enjoying a bit of gossip, Jiang Feng went to wash up. The next day, upon waking up, Jiang Feng turned on his phone to check for updates on ¡°A Prodigal¡¯s Self-Cultivation¡± but instead stumbled upon the denunciation Wang Hao had written the night before. It must be a special fate that brings us together- Jiang Feng spent a minute getting that song out of his head, got dressed quietly, and managed to leave the dorm for the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant before Wang Hao woke up. The breakfast was extremely rich today, as Jiang Jiankang had gotten up early to make steamed buns with pickled cabbage and pork. The pickled cabbage was sent over by Mrs. Jiang a couple of days ago via express delivery. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s only regret was that the meat inside today¡¯s buns wasn¡¯t from Da Hua; her superbly plump figure would have made for a delicious filling for pickled cabbage pork buns. Jiang Jiankang seldom made buns, but that had nothing to do with Jiang Feng, whose breakfast consisted of the Eight Treasure Porridge, left in the fridge to cool overnight and then heated up carelessly on the stove. Parents always pity their children. Seeing Jiang Feng sip the thin sweet porridge, Wang Xiulian asked with concern, ¡°Son, would you like some bun filling?¡± Jiang Feng was moved and replied, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Jiang Jiankang, give some of your bun filling to your son,¡± Wang Xiulian instructed. Following his wife¡¯smand, Jiang Jiankang used his chopsticks to scrape a little pickled cabbage for Jiang Feng, but there was only a tiny amount of meat in it, almost negligible. ¡°Dad,¡± Jiang Feng looked at Jiang Jiankang. Jiang Jiankang scraped over a bit more pickled cabbage, still with no meat. Jiang Feng sighed as he looked at the pickled cabbage in his bowl mixed with Eight Treasure Porridge. Ah, the love of parents is often too burdensome to bear. ¡°Dad, can you give me some meat, please?¡± ¡°Son, the pickled cabbage is the tasty part. Eat your porridge with it¡ªit¡¯s the perfect apaniment.¡± ¡°Dad, if I boil eight pots this afternoon and they don¡¯t sell, both of us will have to eat porridge tomorrow.¡± ¡°Eh, son, I just remembered, there¡¯s still a bun in the pot! Hang on, I¡¯ll go get it for you!¡± Suddenly remembering, Jiang Jiankang jumped to his feet. Jiang Feng watched Jiang Jiankang. Men, huh.. Chapter 172 - 171: A Nearly Perfect Eight Treasure Chapter 172: Chapter 171: A Nearly Perfect Eight Treasure Porridge Trantor: 549690339 [A Nearly Perfect Eight-Treasure Porridge] Looking at the pot of porridge in front of him, Jiang Feng could hardly believe his own eyes. Nearly perfect! This was the highest praise Jiang Feng had ever received from the game appraisals. He scooped up a spoonful of the piping hot eight-treasure porridge, blew on it ¡ªafter all, Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t particrly bothered by the heat¡ª and took a bite. The aroma of sweet osmanthus sugar was quite singr, but surprisingly matched the ingredients in the pot of porridge very well. It was sweet and fragrant without being cloying. To someone who enjoyed that vor, one spoonful could be savored slowly for a long time. That afternoon, while boiling the porridge, Jiang Feng remembered that Zhang Xi¡¯s eight-treasure porridge was made with honey, so he wanted to try the difference between honey and white sugar in porridge. While searching for honey, he unexpectedly found the sweet osmanthus sugar which Jiang Jiankang had bought from somewhere. Its taste was a bit special, different from themon sweet osmanthus sugar found on the market, with both aroma and sweetness being superior, so he also tried a bit of that. One pot with honey, one pot with sweet osmanthus sugar, and the result was this pot of eight-treasure porridge rated as nearly perfect. ¡°Mom, Ji Yue,e taste this porridge,¡± Jiang Feng called out. Wang Xiulian and Ji Yue, being women, were naturally avid lovers of sweets. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the eight-treasure porridge was sweet, Mrs. Wang Xiulian wouldn¡¯t have deigned to drink a small bowl of it yesterday; she usually disliked drinking porridge. Ji Yue was the first toe in, asking, ¡°What¡¯s up? Did you make a particrly good batch this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s absolutely the best porridge you have ever tasted in your life,¡± Jiang Feng boasted proudly. ¡°Keep tooting your own horn,¡± Ji Yue said skeptically, reaching for a bowl and chopsticks. She was afraid of scalding her tongue, so she stirred the small bowl of porridge for a while, blowing on it repeatedly, letting the porridge slide off the edges of the spoon inrge clumps as she stirred. This went on until Wang Xiulian leisurely walked in. Only then did Ji Yue scoop up half a spoonful, blew on it a few times, and put it in her mouth. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Ji Yue eximed unculturedly. She was someone who loved drinking porridge. During her toughest times, she could even tolerate the cafeteria¡¯s cheapest porridge at three mao a bowl, which tasted slightly burnt and came without any side dishes. Althoughrgely because she was poor, this did not affect her fundamental judgment of good food. Ji Yue felt that Jiang Feng was right. This was indeed the tastiest porridge she had ever had. Sweet, fragrant, glutinous, smooth, and many other sensations she simply couldn¡¯t describe with her high school Chinese exam score of 79. In short, it was two words. Delicious! Incredibly, exceedingly, and quite delicious! Ji Yue slurped down the porridge in her bowl in a few gulps, filled another full bowl, and eximed, ¡°You really hit the jackpot, this porridge is too delicious!¡± ¡°Is it that good?¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian was somewhat doubtful, very graciously filling a small half bowl, blew on it, and, like Jiang Feng, unafraid of the heat, took a mouthful. She swallowed. Mrs. Wang Xiulian picked up the bowl again, put it down, and it was empty. Without many words, she went to get herself arge serving bowl. After gulping down another big bowl, Mrs. Wang Xiulian belched contentedly and praised, ¡°Feng, this porridge of yours, it¡¯s getting better and better.¡± Jiang Feng said he could ept any and allpliments that were eptable. Feel free to praise, he could take praise in any form. When Jiang Jiankang came back from the next room after settling the bill and entered the kitchen, seeing Wang Xiulian and Ji Yue each holding a bowl suitable for their size and drinking Eight Treasures Porridge, he almost thought he was hallucinating. ¡°Dad,e and try this pot of Eight Treasures Porridge I¡¯ve made, it¡¯s cooked with osmanthus sugar,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Jiankang took a spoonful and his eyes lit up. ¡°Not bad, son, the vor of the osmanthus sugar goes well with the ingredients in the porridge,¡± Jiang Jiankang praised. ¡°Dad, what brand of osmanthus sugar did you buy?¡± Jiang Feng asked. The osmanthus sugar had been transferred into a jar by Jiang Jiankang, and there was no brand on it. ¡°What brand?¡± Jiang Jiankang frowned, ¡°It¡¯s brandless, just bought from a roadside stall. Remember when I went shopping with your mom at the beginning of your semester? It was on the pedestrian street east of the Finance and Economics University gate. An elderly man was selling it at his stall. It seemed to be homemade, so I bought two jars because it looked good.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ He didn¡¯t know if the organizers would allow contestants to bring their own ingredients. Well, sneaking ingredients in feels good for the moment, but it could spell disaster before thepetition. Jiang Feng remembered that someone had asked a simr question the day before yesterday, but he had slipped away without hearing the answer. He went outside to call the organizers¡¯ staff member and got straight to the point: ¡°Hello, this is contestant Jiang Feng. I¡¯d like to know if it¡¯s possible to bring our own ingredients for the top 8petition?¡± ¡°Ah, contestant Jiang Feng, I¡¯m sorry, but for the fairness of thepetition, theoretically, contestants are not allowed to bring their own ingredients. If you have any special needs, please let us know and our staff will do their best to amodate you,¡± replied the staff member. There was a moment of silence from Jiang Feng, who then said, ¡°I would need to add osmanthus sugar to the ingredients list¡ªnot the kind produced on the assembly line, but the osmanthus sugar sold on February 27th at the pedestrian street next to the east gate of Finance and Economics University by an elderly man. It¡¯s likely homemade and different from the osmanthus sugarmercially avable. Judging from the quality of the sugar, it must have been made aroundst October and sealed until now. I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s any left¡­¡± The staff sister: ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯ve taken note of your request, and we will do our best to find it. I wish you a pleasant life.¡± Jiang Feng felt that herst sentence seemed a bit through gritted teeth. When Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen, half of the pot of Eight Treasures Porridge had already been consumed by Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang. Ji Yue,cking the stamina, was still not using a sea bowl, just a regr Southern rice bowl, and had gotten full after three bowls. ¡°Mrs. Wang, are we selling this pot of porridge?¡± Ji Yue asked. Wang Xiulian swallowed the porridge she had in her mouth and said in between breaths, ¡°No, we¡¯re not selling it; we¡¯ll keep it for ourselves to drink tonight. Jiankang, just stir-fry a few ordinary meat dishes tonight, and we¡¯ll have porridge. Our sister-inw has just said on her circle of friends that drinking porridge detoxifies and is good for theplexion and the intestines and the body.¡± Jiang Jiankang nodded repeatedly: ¡°How about calling over our oldest brother, fourth brother, and fifth brother¡¯s families, too? Let Feng cook a few more pots. Dad and third uncle went to the park, and we haven¡¯t had a gathering to drink porridge together yet!¡± ¡°Okay, Feng, cook a few more potster, just this kind,¡± Wang Xiulian agreed and then remembered something, holding her bowl as she asked, ¡°Is second brother¡¯s demolitionpensation settled? The drugstore next door has long been renovated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled, it¡¯s settled,¡± said Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Second brother was saying just the other day that it would be soon, probably by the end of May at thetest.¡± Ji Yue rubbed her stomach with a resigned and defeated expression, putting down her bowl: ¡°No more, no more, I really can¡¯t drink another drop. I¡¯m going to take a walk outside to digest. I¡¯m so full I could burst.¡± Jiang Feng, who was worried the organizers wouldn¡¯t find the osmanthus sugar Jiang Jiankang had bought, asked when he saw Ji Yue leaving, ¡°Do you know if there¡¯s a supermarket nearby that sells osmanthus sugar?¡± ¡°Osmanthus sugar? What kind of sugar is that?¡± Ji Yue looked puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a new China Resources Vanguard store at the end of the street? You can try looking for it there, they should have sugar, I guess.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look.¡± Jiang Feng pocketed his phone and headed for the supermarket. Chapter 174 - 173: Chef 101 Chapter 174: Chapter 173: Chef 101 Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi brought tworge bowls of eight-treasure porridge to the table, where everyone was waiting to start eating, especially Jiang Zaidi, who was eyeing the braised shrimp, his eyes turning green. Jiang Feng put down the casserole without sitting down himself and began todle out porridge for everyone with great diligence. ¡°Grandpa, I really nailed the porridge today!¡± ¡°Granduncle, here, try the eight-treasure porridge I made.¡± ¡°De, my mom even said it was good after she tried it.¡± ¡°Uncle, here, this bowl¡¯s for you. Aunt, have a bit more!¡± ¡°Fourth uncle, fourth aunt, no no no, let me do it, let me do it. Fifth uncle, here, this bowl is for you. Aunt, you love lotus seeds, so I scooped lots of them for you. Junlian, ah, oops, my mistake, Junqing, howe your hairbands are the same color today,e on,e on¡­¡± Jiang Feng ced thest bowl of eight-treasure porridge right in front of Wu Minqi, with utmost care. Jiang Zaidi looked at the full bowl of eight-treasure porridge in front of him, not only were his eyes gleaming green, now his face also began to turn a shade of green. He had been sequestered revising his manuscript since yesterday, having gone 29 hours without food, and oh how he longed for the juicy, aromatic braised shrimp on the table! If only he could dip into the sauce for a taste! Looking at the thick eight-treasure porridge in front of him, rich with ingredients; many of which had almost melted into the ck rice, the sweet fragrance infused with the scent of osmanthus sugar made it look rather delicious. But¡­ Jiang Zaidi sighed internally. As good as the porridge might be, itcked meat! After famishing for 29 hours, every gram of fat in his body was moring for meat, but he couldn¡¯t refuse the porridge, his little brother¡¯s token of affection. Grandpa had not cooked and called the entire family over for a long time. It had been nearly ten days since theirst gathering like this, and it was thoughtful of his younger brother toe up with having a meal like this to get Grandpa cooking. Jiang Zaidi stirred the porridge in front of him and slurped a big spoonful. Hey, is it true that everything tastes better when you haven¡¯t eaten for a long time? Jiang Zaidi actually found the bowl of porridge in front of him extremely delicious at that moment: sweet and smooth, and even without any side dishes or his favorite crispy pork fat, it was irresistible. ¡°Slurp, slurp, slurp¡­¡± Suddenly, the sound of everyone hungrily enjoying their porridge filled the dining table. Jiang Junlian picked up a stuffed tofu pocket, reveling in a bite of tofu pocket followed by a spoonful of porridge. Inspired, Jiang Zaidi followed suit, alternating bites of braised shrimp, crisp-fried meat, pork knuckle, and shreds of pork cooked with hot pepper with sips of porridge. Exquisite! For the first time in his life, Jiang Zaidi found his mom¡¯s recent obsession with health food made sense, finding joy in eating porridge! The sweetness, the smooth texture, the slightly hot porridge warming up his stomach¡ªit was entrancing. It wasn¡¯t that Jiang Zaidi disliked porridge; it was just that the pork, chicken, beef, or mixed-meat porridge his dad used to make was terrible! Jiang Zaidi looked at Jiang Feng, his eyes moist. Grandpa was right; of all the brothers, the youngest truly had the most promise. As long as little brother maintained the level of this pot of porridge whenpeting in ¡°Good Taste Chef King Contest,¡± Jiang Zaidi wouldn¡¯t have to worry about going hungry in the future! He had already nned it out: buy a house right next to his little brother¡¯s, pop over every now and then for breakfast, catch a lunch, snag a dinner, someday bring a girlfriend along, and when kidse into the picture, bring them too. Whether it¡¯s decorating a new house, nning a wedding, registering household and school cement, tutoring, high school choices, college entrance exam applications, he, the big cousin, could take care of it all, ensuring his brother wouldn¡¯t be disturbed by mundane affairs and could focus on honing his culinary skills. Jiang Feng, silently gnawing on salt and pepper ribs, felt a chill run down his spine. De, why are you looking at me like that? ¡°Hey, little bro, why aren¡¯t you eating the tofu pockets? Don¡¯t you like them? Let me eat them for you,¡± Jiang Junlian offered, not with the best intentions. Jiang Feng quickly snatched away thest tofu pocket from the te with his chopsticks: ¡°No trouble at all, I¡¯ll endure the hardship and eat it myself.¡± When he looked towards Jiang Zaidi again, he had already buried his head in his third bowl, slurping down the porridge. The dinner ended with everyone full and happy, everyst bit of porridge and dishes on the table had been devoured. Wu Minqi left first as she had been staying in a rented apartment near UAL University with her mother these past few days. ording to the gossip master Ji Yue, Wu Minqi¡¯s dormitory rtions were pretty sour¡ªan epitome of the hellish women¡¯s dorm with mini-cliques within a four-person room and five chat groups for one dorm, and Wu Minqi had recently asked Ji Yue about any long-term apartments for rent near the school. Ji Yue and Wang Xiulian went down to clean the first floor, and Jiang Feng¡¯s grandaunts, Aunt 4 and Aunt 5, also went down to help when they saw this. The men and the younger generation stayed on the second floor to brag. Leading the Jiang Family realm of idle boasting, Jiang Jianguo was the first to start the conversation, ¡°This spring everyone wants new clothes, and my tailor shop is so busy it¡¯s unbelievable, busy every day.¡± ¡°Being too busy is good, isn¡¯t it? You can earn more money for Zaide to buy a house in Beiping in the future. Once Third Brother¡¯s shop opens up, we all have to go to Beiping,¡± Jiang Jianshe said. ¡°It¡¯d be best to buy next to Taifeng Building. Hey, Feng, in which area is Taifeng Building located again?¡± Jiang Jianye asked. ¡°Second Ring.¡± ¡°Might as well buy a courtyard house; our big family can live together,¡± Jiang Jiankang also joined in the boasting. ¡°One might not be enough; buy two,¡± Jiang Jianguo boasted more skillfully. ¡°Zaide and Feng will have to get married in the future. We¡¯ve to buy the courtyard houses, and also the wedding homes,¡± Jiang Jianshe remarked, since bragging didn¡¯t cost a thing. While the four brothers were boasting, Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, the two sisters, went to bother Jiang Zaidi, who was yawning after having had his fill and just wanting to sleep. Jiang Junlian was the most egregious, grabbing Jiang Zaidi¡¯s hand and pleading, ¡°De, please find us another tutor. The current one isn¡¯t handsome at all; we have no motivation to study.¡± Jiang Zaidi was drowsy and listlessly replied, ¡°What kind do you want?¡± ¡°Taller than 1.8 meters, with a nice voice, good-looking, good-tempered, and gentle,¡± Jiang Junlian couldn¡¯t wait to reply. Jiang Feng: ??? Are you looking for a teacher or a husband? Jiang Zaidi yawned again: ¡°There¡¯s no such teacher in this world.¡± ¡°De, you¡¯re lying¡ªthere must be; you just haven¡¯t searched with your heart!¡± the two teenage girls chorused. Jiang Weiming watched everyone with a chuckle, enjoying seeing these youngsters chat andugh, as he himself was one of the main characters in a family ethical drama. Jiang Weiguo, however, was different; he was serious all day, as if deep in thought. And he indeed was deep in thought. With the predecessors like Jiang Weiming, Sun Guanyun, and Sir Tan, he now watched each grandchild, pondering whether they had the potential to be unworthy descendants. Sun Guanyun had only two sons and already there was such drama. He had five sons; if they ever started feuding in the future, whether it was one against four or two against three, the scene wouldn¡¯t be pretty. ¡°Jiang Junqing, Jiang Junlian!¡± Jiang Weiguo suddenly spoke up. Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, with their not-so-delicate figures, startled and tried to hide themselves to no avail. They could only reveal their most deceivingly sweet, innocent, and cute smiles and said sweetly in unison, ¡°Grandpa, what is it?¡± ¡°After your middle school exams are over,e to my ce to practice cooking,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. The two sisters suddenly panicked. ¡°Grandpa, we need to study!¡± they protested. ¡°Yes, yes, the high school curriculum is very intense; we need to pre-study.¡± ¡°Study what? I¡¯m well aware of your lousy grades, far worse than your four cousins. It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t learn to cook when you were younger. Don¡¯t give me excuses. Jianshe, send both of them to me during the summer vacation,¡± Jiang Weiguo had been mulling over it for two days, deciding that the reason for potentially unworthy descendants was because they hadn¡¯t been taught to cook when young. Without suffering and tempering their will, without learning to cherish, they were bound to grow up crooked. Jiang Weiguo felt that his two granddaughters had the most potential to be unworthy descendants in the entire Jiang family. ¡°Dad,¡± the two sisters looked pleadingly at Jiang Jianshe. ¡°Learning to cook with Grandpa is great. It¡¯s precisely because we studied culinary arts that our academic results were so good,¡± Jiang Zaide delivered the final blow. Back in the day, in order to avoid being dragged back to the countryside to learn cooking, which one of them didn¡¯t study desperately hard? Jiang Zaide was in the top ten citywide in the college entrance exam, Jiang Shoucheng was the city¡¯s top schr, Jiang Ran was in the top twenty, and Jiang Feng was in the top thirty. Their achievements, all thanks to Grandpa¡¯s good education! Jiang Feng was pleased to see his two female cousins finally setting foot on the same path their brothers had taken. After the boasting session ended, everyone dispersed, and Jiang Feng cleaned up the kitchen before heading back to his dorm. Wang Hao had no idea what a great meal he had missed, as he was happily chatting with his goddess on the phone, and it seemed like his date that evening had gone very smoothly. Jiang Feng took a shower to wash off the scent of the eight-treasure porridge from his body and went to bed, syncing his routine with that of the elderly at his young age. Wang Hao also went to bed with his phone, and only the white light at the head of his bed shone in the darkness, reflecting the silly smile on his face. Jiang Feng fell asleep peacefully, but Good Taste¡¯s staff couldn¡¯t. At eleven at night, the project manager personally called and scolded his direct subordinates bloody. The moment the subordinates were scolded, they, in turn, called to scold their own subordinates, and the scolding cascaded down to the customer service girl who had taken Jiang Feng¡¯s call. The poor customer service girl, who only got off work at ten and went to bed at midnight after her skincare routine, was abruptly awakened at 1:26 am by her boss¡¯s call. She set the phone to speaker and let it lie on the bed while her boss ranted into thin air. Meanwhile, she sat at her vanity, watching for any new fine lines that might have appeared at the corners of her eyes because of the call. After ten minutes of yelling into the void with no response¡ªa punch hitting cotton, making the boss even angrier¡ªhe shouted over the phone, ¡°Qiu Bing, do you realize how serious the problem you caused this time is!¡± ¡°Boss, the request for osmanthus sugar was made by contestant Jiang Feng himself. I was just honestly reporting it. Contestant Jiang Feng is someone Mr. Han circled and named to be given special attention, so of course I dared not fail to report his request!¡± Qiu Bing reapplied her eye cream. ¡°What osmanthus sugar?¡± the boss was confused. ¡°It¡¯s not osmanthus sugar?¡± Qiu Bing was also confused. ¡°Have you been listening to me at all? I¡¯m talking about you damaging the machine today. Why are you bringing up osmanthus sugar? I¡¯m telling you, that machine contained important data, the project manager is already personally looking into this matter, and Director Sang just called me. The nature of this incident is very serious, don¡¯t give me¡­¡± ¡°Wait, hold on, boss, I was randomly selected to go be a customer service rep at the culinarypetition today; it wasn¡¯t my shift!¡± ¡°Not your shift? Then who was on duty today?¡± ¡°Chen Qi!¡± ¡°Cough, you should get some rest,¡± the boss quickly hung up. Qiu Bing:¡­ Stricken with unjust usation, Qiu Bing couldn¡¯t get back to sleep, and even felt a bit of schadenfreude looking forward to watching Chen Qi¡¯s drama unfold the next morning. Unable to sleep, she sat in bed scrolling through her WeChat moments and hadn¡¯t swiped through two pages before she stumbled upon her trendy grandpa insisting on being a microbusiness in the moments even after eleven at night. ¡°Home-made osmanthus sugar, traditional craftsmanship, quality guaranteed, pure color, green and pollution-free, 89 yuan a jar, friends who have bought it all say it¡¯s good!!! [Thumbs Up][Thumbs Up][Thumbs Up]¡± Below that was a picture, probably taken a month ago, of a bald, muscr man in a thin cotton jacket holding two jars of osmanthus sugar. As a lousy graduate who spent four years at Finance and Economics University, Qiu Bing recognized at a nce that the picture was taken on the pedestrian street next to Finance and Economics University. Her grandpa even went to set up a stall at Finance and Economics University?! As she hesitated over whether or not to like the post, Qiu Bing suddenly remembered the osmanthus sugar that Jiang Feng requested. February 27th. The pedestrian street next to the east gate of Finance and Economics University. An old grandpa setting up a stall. Could it be¡­ such a coincidence¡­ Qiu Bing liked her grandpa¡¯s WeChat post and decided to report this matter the next day. What if it really is for a 1000-yuan prize! Last time, Little Zhang from the maintenance department brought in three free-range chickens all the way from his hometown, and thepany rewarded him with a full 3000 yuan! Qiu Bing, feeling thrilled at the prospect of the windfall 1000 yuaning her way, pondered whether she should use it to pay off her Huabei or buy a bottle of eye cream, theny down to sleep again. In the following days, Jiang Feng tirelessly made eight-treasure porridge every day, experimenting with various types of sugar: white sugar, brown sugar, ck sugar, maple sugar, rock sugar, maltose, and osmanthus sugar were all thoroughly tested. The kitchen of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had turned into a mini candy factory, churning out eight-treasure porridges that were sometimes failures, sometimes normal, with vors ranging from ordinary to weird or even weirder. Jiang Jiankang was bitter from all the tasting, Wang Xiulian kept her distance, and Ji Yue questioned her life choices. Even the eight-treasure porridge, which used to cost three yuan per bowl, was now being given away for free. This familiar yet strange and frightening vor reminded the customers of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant of the fear once dominated by mushroom soup. Still, by 9 pm on April 10th, Jiang Feng had not found a better sugar. Actually, there was a maple sugar that wasn¡¯t bad, quite a bit better than the others, but it was the kind that Jiang Jiandang had given to Jiang Jiankangst year, and it came in an unbranded jar. Jiang Feng had called Jiang Jiandang, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had bought that maple sugar, so Jiang Feng had to give up. The contest was tomorrow, and Jiang Feng returned to the dormitory at 9 pm only to be surprised to find Wang Hao watching ¡°Good Taste Chef King Contest¡±¡ªthe live broadcast of the Good Taste foodpetition that had been turned into a variety show. The name was quite dumb, but the viewership was incredibly high, breaking 10 million on the first day, and now it had over 30 million views. Jiang Feng believed these numbers were genuine, because Ji Yue herself watched it multiple times a day, only for the segments featuring Zhang Guanghang. Schoolgirls in love with faces and some exhausted fangirls like Ji Yue treated the show like a culinary version of Produce 101, madly voting and chanting support for Zhang Guanghang. ording to Ji Yue, the fan clubs had even been established. Currently, Zhang Guanghang was in the lead with 110,000 votes, followed by Wu Minqi with 60,000 votes, and Jiang Feng in third ce with 10,000 votes, which he suspected were inted. Even thinking about it brought tears. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t watched ¡°Good Taste Chef King Contest¡± yet, nning to save it to watch while waiting backstage tomorrow. But since Wang Hao was watching it, he curiously took a peek. The screen was flooded withments¡ª ¡°Zhang Guanghang is so handsome!¡± ¡°Guanghang, I want to have your babies!!¡± ¡°My Guanghang is number one, no one can argue with that!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to worship Guanghang¡¯s incredible beauty-¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ What is this, Idol Chef Birth? ¡°Feng, you¡¯re going to be famous; we¡¯re all using your memes tomunicate in the ss group,¡± Wang Hao turned and said to Jiang Feng, ¡°It¡¯s in the ss group chat, have you seen it?¡± When Jiang Feng opened the ss group chat, he saw a screenshot of himself lying on the ground with the caption ¡°I am fragile and cannot take care of myself.¡± Such a rough meme, Jiang Feng could guess who made it using his toes. Jiang Feng silently opened the drawer. The rolling pin was gone. Wang Hao wore a triumphant smile on his face. Jiang Feng silently picked up a water cup. ¡°You cur, get ready for the cup!¡± Chapter 175 - 174: Abel Don Don Chapter 175: Chapter 174: Abel Don Don Trantor: 549690339 April 11th, fully prepared. With Ji Xue withdrawing from thepetition, Wu Minqi advanced directly to the national top four. Transitioning from a contestant to a spectator, the organizers kindly arranged for her an excellent front-row seat tofortably watch the drama unfold, taking great care of the experience for the yer with a bye. As usual, Jiang Feng arrived at the provincial studio early, and the staff took him to see the prepared ingredients. Upon entering the temperature-controlled room housing the ingredients, Jiang Feng immediately spotted the osmanthus syrup. The familiar jar, the familiar color, the familiar appearance-Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes became moist. Moving closer, he twisted open the jar, took a taste, and it was the exact vor! A unique fragrance, a pure taste of osmanthus syrup! The employees of the Good Taste Company really are all-around talents as the legends say! ¡°Where did you buy this osmanthus syrup from? Can you tell me the address?¡± Jiang Feng asked eagerly. ¡°It was provided by an employee of the Good Taste Company. If you¡¯d like to know, I can get in touch with her for you,¡± the staff member said with a smile, naturally able to amodate such a small request for a contestant specifically mentioned by Mr. Han for additional attention. Jiang Feng examined the rest of the ingredients, which all disyed excellent qualities¡ªhigh grade and fresh, with the ck rice soaked long enough, much better than what was avable at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. On the left, there were the lively prawns, and on the right, the dough for making noodles, vermicelli, and some vegetables. The ingredients for three groups were all quite simple, suggesting that due to the 40-minute time limit, no one wanted to prepareplex dishes. Returning backstage, Jiang Feng found his usual dimly lit corner to sit in and started watching the ¡°Good Taste Chef King Contest.¡± He had to admit, there was a reason why this variety show surpassed 30 million views in just a few days-whether it was the editing, post-production special effects, filming techniques, or the background music, everything highlighted Zhang Guanghang¡¯s handsomeness from every angle. Even in a wide shot, Zhang Guanghang was the most outstanding and noticeable among the 36 contestants on stage-tall, with long legs, exuding an aura as if he was radiating light. Jiang Feng even suspected that the post-production team added special glowing effects to him. Apart from a brief minute when Jiang Feng fell and momentarily stole Zhang Guanghang¡¯s thunder, after watching the one and a half hours of the show, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t recall what the contestants he wasn¡¯t familiar with looked like. He only remembered Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face. And his 1.92 meters of height with those long legs. Being handsome really lets you do whatever you want. Jiang Feng sighed helplessly inwardly. Turning off the video on a certain site, Jiang Feng opened a reading app and started reading ¡°A Profligate¡¯s Self-cultivation,¡±ughing uncontrobly as he sat in his shady nook. ¡°Has Wu Minqi not arrived yet? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen Ji Xue either, what happened to them?¡± Jiang Feng was deeply engrossed in his novel when he heard Zhang Guanghang¡¯s voice from behind. Turning his head, it was indeed Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Ji Xue quit thepetition, and Wu Minqi is in the audience today,¡± Jiang Feng put away his phone, his face solemn as if the person shaking withughter just a moment ago wasn¡¯t him. Zhang Guanghang casually sat down and asked, ¡°She quit?¡± ¡°Yeah, something came up at home, and she didn¡¯t think she had much chance of winning, so she withdrew,¡± Jiang Feng said, looking for some topic to maintain his superficial friendship with the prominent figure. ¡°What are you cooking this round?¡± ¡°Tomato sauce prawns,¡± Zhang Guanghang replied. Tomato sauce prawns, a famous dish from Guangdong Province, tangy and sweet, fitting the theme, quick to prepare, and great for ting. It¡¯s the perfect choice for this round of thepetition. ¡°You know how to cook Cantonese cuisine?¡± Jiang Feng asked, surprised He wasn¡¯t quite sure who the famous chef from Beiping was that Zhang Guanghang had apprenticed under, but it likely wasn¡¯t a Cantonese chef-there weren¡¯t many Cantonese cuisine masters in Beiping. Zhang Guanghang looked a bit puzzled, ¡°Aren¡¯t tomato sauce prawns a prettymon Cantonese dish?¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ No problem, he knows how to make that dish too. Ha¡­ hahaha,¡± Jiang Fengughed awkwardly, ¡°just kidding.¡± The two of them looked at each other without saying a word, the atmosphere tense and awkward. Jiang Feng wondered if he should start a new conversation with Cantonese cuisine as the theme, discussing the characteristics of various cuisines or the methods of making certain dishes. But without Wu Minqi in front to shield him, he was afraid that his pretense of being a know-it-all would soon be exposed by the big shot, who would discover he was actually a pseudo-schr and then kick him out of the chat group. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve noticed you for quite some time,¡± Zhang Guanghang suddenly said. Jiang Feng was startled, wondering if he had what legends called the main character¡¯s aura that caught the attention of a big shot like Zhang Guanghang so early on. ¡°Why?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I saw your profile, Taifeng Building, yourst name is Jiang, and furthermore, Taifeng Building changed handsst year. The only person who could make Mr Li willingly hand over Taifeng Building, I guess, is a descendant of Jiang Chengde,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. Jiang Feng was shocked. Frozen in ce, speechless for a long time. Isn¡¯t Zhang Guanghang half Chinese, half French? Isn¡¯t his French name Abel Durand? Didn¡¯t he go back to France to study Western cuisine with his father at the age of 19? & Isn¡¯t he a fusion of Chinese, French, and Japanese cultures? How does he know so much about what happened at Taifeng Building back then, and how does he know about the connection between Li Mingyi and the Jiang Family? If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Feng¡¯s own memory that he had read, even he wouldn¡¯t know. Where did Zhang Guanghang learn about all these intricate details? Right now, Jiang Feng felt that he shouldn¡¯t call him Abel Durand, but rather Abel Holmes or Abel Ton ¨C ton-what kind of script was he holding? How did he know everything? ¡°My master is Xia Mushi, who was a student of Chen Qiusheng, the former deputy chef of Taifeng Building,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, ¡°For decades, my master has wished to reopen Taifeng Building, but since Mr. Li always refused to hand it over to anyone other than the Jiang Family Members, he had to give up. Last year he found out that Taifeng Building was transferred, so he guessed Mr. Li had found the Jiang Family Members. Because he was too old and powerless, he sent me back to Beiping to fulfill his wish.¡± ¡°Revitalizing Taifeng Building.¡± Jiang Feng guessed who Chen Qiusheng that Zhang Guanghang mentioned was the Master Chen that Jiang Huiqin called, the one who perfunctorily praised Jiang Huiqin¡¯s sugar-coated sweet potatoes on New Year¡¯s Eve with a smile the Master Chen who set himself on fire due to his son¡¯s death. Suddenly, Jiang Feng felt that the world was a circle centered around Taifeng Building, and everyone he met was rted to it. The restaurant, abandoned for half a century, lingered in countless people¡¯s dreams, unforgettable. This¡­ Jiang Feng was at a loss for words on how to begin exining, ¡°You¡¯re right, I am the great-grandson of Jiang Chengde, and Professor Li did indeed transfer Taifeng Building to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m out of money right now.¡± Zhang Guanghang: ? ¡°No money for renovations, unable to open for business,¡± Jiang Feng admitted. ¡°I thought that if I won the ¡®most popr¡¯ award for my call, the endorsement fee could be used for the renovations, but as you can see, the situation is different now-you are ahead of me by a hundred thousand votes,¡± Jiang Feng said with a wry smile. ¡°Taifeng Building, perhaps, can¡¯t open anytime soon. Zhang Guanghang: ??? Chapter 176 - 175 Tomato Sauce Prawns Chapter 176: Chapter 175 Tomato Sauce Prawns Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng at this moment particrly wanted to say to Zhang Guanghang, ¡°You¡¯re already a seasoned contestant, now give everyone a demonstration of droppingout!¡± His will to survive made him hold back. ¡°Are you short of money?¡± Zhang Guanghang was somewhat surprised. ¡°Due to some special reasons, I¡¯m short of renovation funds,¡± Jiang Feng said. Their family definitely wasn¡¯t short of money, and they didn¡¯t need any aunts and uncles to bail them out. If they sold the facade of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant and gritted their teeth, they could probably scrape together ten million or so. Reopening Taifeng Building wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all. However, the operations upon reopening, as well as the recruitment and management of kitchen and hall staff, were filled with problems. The first and foremost issue was the renovation funds. Without Sir¡¯s nod, nobody could dream of reopening Taifeng Building. Suddenly, the air became quiet. ¡°Do you need me to lend you some?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°I have a trust fund. It¡¯s not a lot, but it should be enough for the renovation costs.¡± Jiang Feng felt that among the people he knew, besides Ji Yue and Ji Xue, he himself was the poorest. After declining Zhang Guanghang¡¯s offer, Jiang Feng quickly changed the subject and began to inquire about Xia Mushi. It was strange to say that when Jiang Feng searched for Zhang Guanghang¡¯s information online a while back, everything was detailed, except for his master, Xia Mushi. There was no information found, only that he was a famous chef from Beiping. ¡°My master is a very entric person who is rarely happy and never gives anyone a smile,¡± exined Zhang Guanghang. ¡°He always speaks harshly and has offended many people. Just because he is elderly, senior, a good chef, and hot-tempered, nobody dares to offend him to his face. He¡­¡± Zhang Guanghang slowly recounted what he knew about Xia Mushi. Xia Mushi was not only Chen Qiusheng¡¯s disciple but also his adopted son, having been bought from a trafficker by Chen Qiusheng. Chen Qiusheng was Xia Mushi¡¯s master, his benefactor, his father, and Taifeng Building was his dream, his obsession, and his home. Before the fall of Beiping, many people had heard the news and fled south early. Chen Qiusheng did not leave Beiping because his only son was too ill and frail for a long journey, so he entrusted the barely twenty-year-old Xia Mushi to the care of a friend to have someone look out for him on the road. Unfortunately, the person Chen Qiusheng entrusted was not trustworthy. On the way, his friend absconded with all the money, leaving Xia Mushi to be a beggar. In his life, he had been a beggar, a bandit, a soldier, and he had fought in wars. His hands had held kitchen knives, broadswords, and guns. He had no wife or children, not many friends, only Zhang Guanghang as his sole direct disciple. He had mastered all of Chen Qiusheng¡¯s knowledge, was entric, valued money as if it was his life, and was a famous chef in Beiping. However, he was not highly esteemed and many criticized him privately. Now, this legendary old man was gravely ill, with not much time left. ¡°The doctor said he¡¯s just hanging on by a thread now. Whenever that thread breaks, it would be about time for him,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. ¡°I wanted him to see Taifeng Building reopen before he leaves, so I decided to join this cookingpetition. It was just a coincidence because thepetition for the top 32 and onwards is in n City, which is why I enrolled. I was nning toe here to find Mr. Li. I did not expect to see you in the contestant¡¯s information,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. ¡°So, I ask for your help.¡± Jiang Feng could understand Zhang Guanghang¡¯s feelings since there were also two elderly people in his own family who were deeply attached to Taifeng Building. However, the matter of money wasn¡¯t something that could be solved by sheer effort. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll try,¡± Jiang Feng thought, considering discussing with Sir when he got back, to collectively raise some money and crowdfund for the reopening for the sake of Xia Mushi. After chatting for a bit more, the staff came to notify the contestants to gather. With only six contestants left, those unaware were discussing what could have happened to cause two of them to be missing. ¡°Contestants, please quiet down. Because of Ji Xue from Group Four withdrawing from thepetition due to a family emergency, Wu Minqi is advancing directly. I believe everyone is clear about the rules, so there¡¯s no need to repeat them,¡± the staff member announced. ¡°During thepetition, we will announce the time every five minutes. There is a rest area on the floor where you can sit and watch the otherspete. Also, our judges will providementary on the spot. Thepetition will start in half an hour, and if there are no issues, you can now go to the front desk to familiarize yourself with the venue. If you are unsatisfied with any of the kitchen equipment, you can have it changed on the spot.¡± No one had any objections, and Jiang Feng noticed that Zhang Xi was wearing a very girly and pink outfit today. ¡°Ready to lose?¡± Jiang Feng joked. ¡°I¡¯m ready. After I lose, my dad and I will go celebrate my mom¡¯s birthday. My dad even took the night off work to cook a big meal for her when we get home,¡± Zhang Xi said, her face full of excitement. Other contestants: ??? The number of young women in the audience had obviously increased, and when Zhang Guanghang took the stage, Jiang Feng even heard soft gasps. Ji Yue sat in the fourth row, amidst a group of girls at the flower of their youth, wearing round sses, staring unblinkingly at Zhang Guanghang, her face dering her willingness to marry him on the spot. The Jiang Family members sat in the second row, still the most conspicuous row of burly men in the crowd, each wearing an expression ofposure and calm. Jiang Zaidi had shaken off his usual lethargy and was invigorated. Over the past few days, he had analyzed all the residential areas around Taifeng Building and finally identified a high-end residential area that was convenient in terms of transportation, well-equipped with facilities, had a high green space percentage, and guaranteed security. After checking real estate prices and his savings, and calcting his average annual sry over the years, Jiang Zaidi¡¯s fighting spirit was rekindled. He decided to work hard and sacrifice his hair if necessary, aiming to pay in full for the house he had set his sights on within five years. He epted two astounding orders, effectively pushing himself to the brink. ¡°Come on, bro!¡± Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, Jiang Feng¡¯s loyal support team, cheered from their seats. At eight o¡¯clock, thepetition began punctually. Zhang Guanghang and Zhao Shan went to their respective culinary stations. The screen behind was split in two, disyingrge and clear images that allowed everyone to see the contestants¡¯ hand motions clearly. The shrimp were washed, de-antennaed, and de-veined. It must be said that whether in terms of technique, speed, proficiency, or even looks, height, and poprity, Zhao Shan was no match for Zhang Guanghang. This was apetition whose oue could be seen from the beginning. The fresh shrimp were quickly deep-fried on high heat. ¡°Not bad, they both have good control of the fire and timing,¡± PeiShenghua, the judge who spoke the most, praised. Leaving a small amount of oil in the pan, ginger and garlic minced with tomato sauce were added, along with therge shrimp. ¡°Zhao Shan didn¡¯t press down on the shrimp heads,¡± Pei Shenghua noted. ¡°Press down on the shrimp heads?¡± Han Guishan, who didn¡¯t understand anything, was puzzled. ¡°Pressing the heads lets the shrimp roe flow out,¡± Pei Shenghua exined. ¡°Their restaurant¡¯s tomato shrimp is just for show anyway,¡± Tong Deyan snorted coldly. ¡°It¡¯s all like that. The ¡®Spicy Dual Crisp¡¯ in our restaurant is just for show too,¡± said Pei Shenghua, ¡°Customers like it that way.¡± ¡°Did Zhang Guanghang specifically study Cantonese cuisine? His tomato shrimp with eggnt looks very authentic!¡± Zhu Chang noticed something. ¡°He visited Sun Maochai in Hong Kong City a few years ago, he must have learned a few tricks. With Zhao Shan choosing this dish, it¡¯s likely he¡¯ll lose quite badly,¡± Tong Deyan remarked, having not so good rtions with Eight-treasure House. ¡°Zhao Shan chose it?¡± Pei Shenghua said with a smile, ¡°Cleverness misapplied, huh.¡± During the conversation, the tomato shrimp dishes from bothpetitors were ready. Chapter 177 - 176: Look at this pot, so black and round Chapter 177: Chapter 176: Look at this pot, so ck and round Trantor: 549690339 The two people had different ting methods. Zhao Shan chose a Nordic rectangr dish, with five shrimps lined up in the same direction, forming a straight line. The sauce was thick, its color leaning towards red, as tomato sauce¡¯s redness cast an unusual hue over the shrimp. The sprinkle of chopped green onions on top seemed fine at a nce, with no issues in fooling those who were less knowledgeable. For example, Han Guishan, he waspletely fooled. Zhao Shan¡¯s eggnt shrimp was the first to be served, and upon seeing it, he eximed, ¡°It looks quite tasty!¡± The other four experts just smiled without saying a word. ¡°This is Guangdong cuisine,¡± Zhu Chang reminded. ¡°Guangdong cuisine?¡± Han Guishan, a pretend Guangdong Province man, was stunned, then came to a realization. Hedidn¡¯t know what tomato sauce was when he left Guangdong Province¡ªit must be a new dish, definitely a new one. Comforting himself, Han Guishan picked up a shrimp covered in eggnt sauce. The sauce was too thick, dripping down the shrimp. The moment he tasted it, the vor of tomato sauce was incredibly strong, even overwhelming the shrimp¡¯s own vor. After finishing his portion of shrimp, Han Guishan felt puzzled. Were Guangdong cuisines like this now? His son might like this dish, considering Han Youxin, the chubby kid, wouldn¡¯t turn down anything and could gulp down a whole bottle of tomato sauce. But Han Guishan, as a middle-aged entrepreneur in his fifties, found it hard to ept such an intense tomato sauce vor. He nced at the other judges, unable to read their expressions. Han Guishan hesitated, but still gave his score. The score came out: 8.1 points. It was underwhelming. Zhao Shan faked a smile, indicating he was in a good state of mind and could lose gracefully. The empty te was cleared away, and Zhang Guanghang¡¯s eggnt sauce shrimp was served. The staff, Miss, wore a standard smile and ced the dish steadily in front of the judges. Zhang Guanghang used a traditional round te, arranging the shrimps in a blooming circle. The sauce was thin, lightly coating the shrimp in a ring, leaving the te clean. Thanks to using the spat to press down on the shrimp heads during deep-frying, the color of the shrimp was both red and bright. ¡°Why do their eggnt sauce shrimp look so different?¡± Zhang Xi asked, puzzled, from the rest area. ¡°Their methods are different,¡± Jiang Feng exined, ¡°Zhao Shan removed the shrimp veins by cutting the back, relying entirely on the tomato sauce for color since he didn¡¯t press down on the shrimp heads. Zhang Guanghang used a toothpick to devein, he cut the shrimp bellies open, used thinly applied sauce, so the appearance is quite different.¡± Zhang Guanghang made eight shrimps. ¡°Not bad,¡± Pei Shenghua praised. ¡°Indeed not bad,¡± Zhu Chang agreed. ¡°Quite not bad,¡± Han Guishan followed suit, pleased since Zhang Guanghang had made eight shrimps, and he could have four to himself. Compared to Zhao Shan¡¯s shrimp in eggnt sauce with its strong tomato taste, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s shrimp in eggnt sauce used tomato sauce as a standard seasoning to enhance vors, not overpowering the shrimp¡¯s natural sweetness. The green leavesplemented the red flowers. ¡°Is Zhao Shan not skilled at making shrimp in eggnt sauce? Why would two Shandong chefspete in this?¡± Jianguo couldn¡¯t grasp the rationale behind this move. ¡°Maybe he thinks he¡¯s quite skilled at it? There aren¡¯t many Guangdong cuisine restaurants in Beiping, right?¡± Jiankang guessed. ¡°Shrimp in eggnt sauce is a specialty of Eight-treasure House,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, recalling the good old days, ¡°At least it was 5 years ago. Back then, I went to Eight-treasure House with my ex-girlfriend when we visited Beiping. It was all tomato sauce vor, but she liked it.¡± Everyone was surprised. Jiang Zaidi, the fattest among the younger generation of the Jiang Family, had never revealed that he once had a girlfriend. ¡°Back then, I was only 203 pounds, and I went to the gym every day; of course, I had a girlfriend!¡± Jiang Zaidi dered, his neck stiffening, ¡°I even met her at the gym!¡± ¡°What happened then? Why did you break up?¡± Aunt inquired curiously. ¡°Later, I hit 240 pounds, and she sessfully slimmed down to 110 pounds, so we broke up,¡± Jiang Zaidi said expressionlessly. On stage, Han Guishan began eating thest shrimp. He was still longing for more as if he wished for another ten more. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s score was also revealed, a 9.2 points, setting off apuse, cheers, and screams that didn¡¯t even try to hide their indifference to Zhao Shan¡¯s feelings,parable to arge-scale concert venue. Finally, it was time for the thrilling moment of the judges¡¯mentary. The five judges each had their own unique traits. Tong Deyan was clear about what he liked and disliked, spoke frankly, and was straightforward. Zang Mu seldom spoke; his entire demeanor exuded an air of disinterest that said it was none of my business, none of your business, none of anybody¡¯s business. As the peacemaker, Zhu Chang sat next to Han Guishan, responsible for exining variousmon sense questions to the financier father. Pei Shenghua was the most talkative, a typical chatterbox who felt the need toment on everything, even when there was nothing to say. Han Guishan, the financier father, understood nothing about cooking; he was just there to eat. The conciliatory Zhu Chang was the first to speak, ¡°Both contestants¡¯ tomato sauce prawns are quite good; each has its own vor, and the ting is exquisite. The cooking techniques are also very clean and swift. However, whenpared, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s tomato sauce prawns have the edge, with better fire control and vor.¡± ¡°From a professional chef¡¯s perspective, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s tomato sauce prawns are certainly superior, with evenly thickened sauce, and the prawns are more vorful due to the deep cuts. I observed your cooking process, and both of you did quite well. Zhao Shan, your fire control was also very good, but you added too much tomato sauce, which almost overshadowed the natural taste of the prawns. Of course, they were still very good; both of you were very good to make it to the national top eight. You¡¯re incredibly talented young chefs to have such culinary skills in your twenties. The future holds no limits for you,¡± said Pei Shenghua with a smile. ¡°You chose the wrong dish,¡± stated Zang Mu, not as friendly as the others. ¡°Tomato sauce prawns don¡¯t suit you, especially Zhao Shan¡ªit¡¯s neither here nor there.¡± Zhao Shan¡¯s forced smile became even more strained. ¡°Both of you underperformed today, especially Zhao Shan. Your tomato sauce prawns made me doubt how you made it to the national top eight. It¡¯s obvious none of you are skilled at this dish. I thought today¡¯spetition would be exciting, but I¡¯m a bit disappointed,¡± Tong Deyan was unsparingin hisments, and since he didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with Eight-treasure House, he didn¡¯t feel inclined to be gracious. Zhao Shan struggled to keep a smile. ¡°Hmm, it all tasted pretty good; I just prefer the one in the back,¡± Han Guishan chortled. The female host interjected cheerfully to smooth things over, ¡°As everyone can see, some of our judges are quite strict. They point out every tiny mistake made by our contestants¡ªan eye for detail truly befitting of masters in the industry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s congratte Zhang Guanghang once again for advancing to the national top four!¡± The audience erupted with thunderous apuse. ¡°Next, the second pair of contestants is Jiang Feng and Zhang Xi. Their drawn theme is sweet porridge, and thepetition¡¯s dish is eight-treasure porridge. Our staff have already cleaned up the cooking stations, and both contestants may now approach the stage to prepare. Thepetition starts in three minutes.¡± Zhang Guanghang and Zhao Shan walked toward the rest area. Zhao Shan had adjusted his attitude, smiling serenely andposedly, looking utterly unruffled. He only had to wait until he was back in the rest area for someone to console him, then he could casually and humbly respond with, ¡°The better chef won, it¡¯s my loss,¡± showing Zhang Guanghang that he was not preupied with winning or losing. Such a perfect positive image was thus established! Zhao Shan walked forward calmly and unhurriedly. The four crossed paths. ¡°Good luck,¡± Zhang Guanghang said with a smile to Jiang Feng. The camera swiftly switched to them, eliciting screams from the audience. ¡°Good luck to you too!¡± Zhang Xi also smiled at Jiang Feng. ¡°What if I don¡¯t lose?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s both do our best,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. ¡°But you¡¯re definitely losing.¡± ¡°Bleh.¡± Zhang Xi made a face at Jiang Feng before they split and headed toward their respective cooking stations. ¡°These two contestants seem to get along very well!¡± Pei Shenghuaughed. ¡°Indeed they do,¡± Tong Deyan¡¯s expression softened considerably. ¡°Young people, they get along when they can y together.¡± Zhu Chang noted, ¡°That young girl is the youngest in the top 32, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°16 years old, the daughter of Chef Zhang from Imperial Meal Room,¡± Pei Shenghua said. ¡°No wonder, I was wondering why he came to sit in the audience today. It turns out he¡¯s here to support his daughter.¡± Zhu Chang also knew Chef Zhang from the Imperial Meal Room, ¡°Old Tong, try to be a little more polite with your wordter, don¡¯t make the youngdy cry.¡± Tong Deyan ignored him. ¡°Here it goes,¡± Pei Shenghua prompted. ¡°The second round of thepetition now begins, with forty minutes remaining.¡± ¡°Forty minutes to make porridge is quite tight,¡± eximed Han Guishan. ¡°Who came up with this challenge?¡± All four turned to look at him. Han Guishan:¡­ It was my idea, I forgot. ¡°Those people under me are really unreliable; I¡¯ll have a word with my assistantter!¡± Chapter 178 - 177 Porridge King Makes an Entrance Chapter 178: Chapter 177 Porridge King Makes an Entrance Trantor: 549690339 When it came to cooking porridge, Jiang Feng really wasn¡¯t afraid. Although he had had a few failed attempts these past few days, those were all experiments, so failures were normal. The all-capable Good Taste employees could even get the osmanthus sugar that Jiang Jiankang bought while shopping, so what could stop him from advancing to the top four? Top four? Apiece of cake! Jiang Feng was feeling more inted with confidence than ever before. He had prepared all the ingredients beforehand; they went straight into the y pot, water was added, and the me turned up to the maximum¡ªa rolling boil. Zhang Xi followed a simr process, except her selection of ingredients wasn¡¯t as varied as Jiang Feng¡¯s. She used a standard-sized y pot suitable for a family congee, which would just be enough for three bowls: one per person. Jiang Feng, however, used an extrarge y pot, the kind that weighs several pounds on its own, and that too was for a family of three¡¯s breakfast¡ªJiang Jiankang would consume half a pot, Wang Xiulian the other half, and he would eat yesterday¡¯s leftovers. Jiang Feng¡¯s y pot attracted the attention of the entire venue. Many people might be seeing such arge y pot for the first time. ¡°This Jiang Feng, quite the character! Using such arge pot with only forty minutes, that¡¯s not easy,¡± Pei Shenghua chuckled. ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s used to it. He probably uses this size normally; his family might run a restaurant,¡± Zhu Chang analyzed calmly. ¡°His family owns a diner near UAL University,¡± Han Guishan said. ¡°Mr. Han knows him?¡± Zhu Chang asked curiously, not expecting there to be hidden connections. ¡°My son has done volunteer activities with him, and he really liked the way he carved carrots. Last time, my son ate up all the ones I brought home in one night,¡± Han Guishan mused. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask him to carve a few more for meter; my son recently stopped watching Peppa and switched to Boonie Bears, so I need him to carve a couple of Xionger for me. I¡¯m just not sure if he could carve Bald Qiang, though.¡± The other four judges: ??? Jiang Feng¡¯s y pot wasrge, and so were the quantity of ingredients and water he added. He kept the heat on maximum, continuously stirring the porridge inside the pot. While Zhang Xi had already turned down the heat to a simmer and covered her pot, Jiang Feng was still stirring non-stop. ¡°Time remaining, twenty minutes.¡± Jiang Feng kept stirring. ¡°Time remaining, fifteen minutes.¡± Jiang Feng switched to his left hand when his right grew tired. ¡°Time remaining, ten minutes.¡± Zhang Xi¡¯s eight-treasure porridge was already tender, thickened, and she had added a spoon and a half of honey, turning the me down to low. Jiang Feng turned down the heat to medium and continued to stir. ¡°Time remaining, five minutes.¡± Zhang Xi¡¯s eight-treasure porridge was ready, while the porridge in front of Jiang Feng had also be very thick. He turned down the heat further and opened the jar containing the osmanthus sugar syrup. One spoonful, two spoonfuls, three spoonfuls. Zhang Xi used a small teaspoon, while Jiang Feng used an iron tablespoon. The two had been on different wavelengths right from the start. In thest minute, Jiang Feng¡¯s eight-treasure porridge was ready. [A pot of near-perfect eight-treasure porridge] Brilliant, just brilliant! This round is in the bag, an absolute win! Jiang Feng mentally hyped himself up, not showing it outwardly, but inwardly he was bubbling with joy and bursting with confidence. The staffdy, wearing heat-resistant gloves, delivered Zhang Xi¡¯s eight-treasure porridge to the judges¡¯ table first. The ingredients like gorgon fruit, Job¡¯s tears, white lentils, and Chinese yam were all cooked to a very thick consistency. Honey, with its floral aroma, intense sweetness, andsting aftertaste, can add a special vor to porridge when used appropriately. Although Zhang Xi only added one and a half teaspoons, the sweetness was sufficient due to the small portion she cooked. There wererge irondles on the table for serving the porridge, and each of the five judges took onedle each. Han Guishan also modestly only scooped onedle for himself. Even though the idea of sweet porridge was his, it was from many days ago when he craved sweet porridge, but he no longer did. After just having had tomato sauce prawns, Han Guishan expressed that he didn¡¯t want porridge, he wanted meat. If not that, yuxiang eggnt would also be eptable; nd porridge just wasn¡¯t his dish. Taking a bite. Not bad, just a bit hot. After wolfing down the contents of his bowl in a few gulps, Han Guishan thought for a moment and then scooped anotherdleful. For a 16-year-old girl, everyone was rather lenient; Han Guishan, as usual, gave a score of ten and the others were somewhat merciful with their scoring, giving 8.5 points, which wasn¡¯t bad at all. The staff went to get Jiang Feng¡¯s Babao Porridge. Put some effort. It wouldn¡¯t budge. Try harder. Still, it wouldn¡¯t move an inch. Sinking his breath to his dantian and holding in a breath, he gripped the y pot¡¯s rim with both hands and heaved upwards. It moved! Two secondster, his energy was drained. The staffdy silently looked at Jiang Feng, her smileden with murderous intent. ¡°Emmm, let me handle this. Give me the gloves,¡± Jiang Feng said. The pot of Babao porridge, along with the y pot, weighed at least twenty pounds, and from the cooking station to the judges¡¯ table was about six or seven meters¡ªa task a bit too cruel for ady in high heels who normally didn¡¯t do heavy lifting and was only responsible for feigning smiles and looking pretty. The staffdy quietly handed her gloves to Jiang Feng and walked away without looking back. Jiang Feng carried the y pot steadily to the judges¡¯ table, ced it down with a thud, and then returned to the cooking station. As the y pot was set on the table, the table shook, seeming to sag down a few millimeters. ¡°He looks skinny, but he¡¯s quite strong. That must be at least twenty pounds, and he carried it so effortlessly!¡± Han Guishan eximed. ¡°Chefs have strong arms,¡± Zhu Chang said. Once the lid was lifted, the aroma of the Babao Porridge wafted out. The scent of the ingredients mingled with the osmanthus sugar, creating a richyered aroma. ¡°Osmanthus sugar?¡± Pei Shenghua immediately noticed, ¡°That smells really good!¡± Han Guishan thought the same, so he scooped twodles for himself. A little hot, he blew on it and then took a bite. !!! Who knew there could be such a transcendent and stunning Babao Porridge in this world! As someone from Guangdong Province, who drooled at the thought of porridgete at night when there wasn¡¯t enough money at home to afford anything but gruel, who sobbed into the night from eating porridge meal after meal in his teens, and who, despite his wealthter in life, was forced to secretly order takeout while his wife obsessed over health food and made the chef prepare porridge constantly, Han Guishan could proudly say that no one present had more extensive experience drinking porridge than he did. His tragic history with porridge could make a whole book. But he had never tasted porridge like this before, rich, sweet, thick, and smooth, with every ingredient melting in the mouth as if they could slide straight down the throat without even needing to swallow. The warm sensation extended from the esophagus all the way down to the stomach; the aftertaste of osmanthus sugar lingered in the mouth, with its fragrance spreading through the nostrils. This was not just a bowl of eight-treasure porridge; it was a work of art. ¡°Hululu, hululu.¡± Han Guishan slurped the porridge down inrge gulps, chewing as if he were devouring peonies and scored a perfect ten before promptly scooping up another full bowl. With a few quick stirs, he continued slurping down the porridge. The other four judges also broke precedent by finishing their bowls and going for a second serving, though not as much as Han Guishan had scooped. They had about half a bowl each and savored it slowly, spoonful by spoonful. Only after Han Guishan had finished his third bowl did the scores from the other four judges emerge. 9.6 points. Pei Shenghua awarded Jiang Feng full marks. The highest score in history, even higher than the score for Ji Xue¡¯s jar-cooked Shaoxing wine chicken. The whole ce was astounded. ¡°Wow, Feng scored so high!¡± Jiang Jianguo eximed in surprise, chuckling, ¡°Looks like Feng is going to take the championship!¡± ¡°His eight-treasure porridge is cooked better than what a few porridge masters in the country can achieve, no wonder,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, ncing at Sun Guanyun. Sun Guanyun refused to acknowledge the message Jiang Weiguo was sending his way. Only when the audience had quieted down did Zhu Chang pick up the microphone and speak, ¡°I¡¯m amazed that I could taste such a bowl of porridge, and even more astonished that ites from the hands of a 20-year-old. The young are indeed to be feared. It¡¯s truly remarkable. Both contestants are extremely talented. The young girl is only 16 but has already mastered fire control and seasoning. Female chefs are rare in our line of work, not to mention a master chef, and I look forward to seeing your name in Taste magazine¡¯s list of famous chefs in the future.¡± ¡°What is the list of famous chefs?¡± Han Guishan asked quietly. He was friends with Xu Cheng, but he didn¡¯t read Taste. ¡°It¡¯s a listing that sums up outstanding chefs internationally, even more reliable than the Michelin selections,¡± Zhu Chang exined. Han Guishan nodded, pretending to understand. ¡°I scored a ten, and I feel that the pot of eight-treasure porridge Jiang Feng cooked deserves this score. It¡¯s a kind of eight-treasure porridge that¡¯s hard to describe in words. This porridge will make many experienced chefs who pride themselves on their porridge cooking skills feel ashamed, myself included. It¡¯s just like the saying by the poet Lu You, ¡®Once I acquired the simple technique of Wanchou, I could turn porridge into an offering for immortals.¡¯ To cook porridge requires patience and experience. I can¡¯t even imagine what the porridge you brew will taste like in ten years, when you are my age. Perhaps it¡¯ll truly turn into an offering for immortals,¡± Pei Shenghua recited in excitement, ¡°On the Laba Festival, I also make porridge at home, butpared to the eight-treasure porridge cooked by contestant Jiang Feng today, it seems like an apprentice in the presence of a master. This eight-treasure porridge, I can¡¯t even find a fault with it. If I have to say something, it¡¯s that the cooking time for thispetition is too short. If this pot of porridge could be simmered on low heat for four hours, I believe it would be wless.¡± ¡°Two exceptional young contestants, I look forward to your future,¡± Zang Mu said, as concise as ever. ¡°Pei has already said all the words of praise. Any furtherpliments from me would seem cliche. I was a bit disappointedst round, but this round, I¡¯m only filled with surprises. Both Zhang Xi and Jiang Feng have given me plenty of surprises. All I can say is, youngdy, losing to him in this round is no injustice whatsoever,¡± Tong Deyan said, taking the opportunity to diss Zhao Shan. Han Guishan, who was already on his fifth bowl, spared a moment for a perfunctoryment, ¡°Delicious, *burp*.¡± The audienceughed good-naturedly. ¡°There¡¯s quite a bit of porridge left in the pot; it¡¯d be a waste to leave it here. Let¡¯s share some with the audience and let the contestants try it too,¡± suggested Han Guishan, who was nearly full. The other four judges thought it was a good idea. The audience, their necks craned in anticipation, hoped the staff would choose them as the lucky ones to try this unparalleled eight-treasure porridge that had been so highly praised by the judges. Indeed, the pot cooked by Jiang Feng had plenty of porridge left, and for some reason, the organizers had prepared many bowls and spoons. Given the number of people in the audience wasn¡¯t extremelyrge, everyone could get a taste with just a little in their bowls. ¡°Leave some for me; I¡¯ll take it home and heat it up for my wife and son to try,¡± said Han Guishan, not forgetting to take some porridge home even after having his fill. When ites to priority, the boss is always top, and just as it happened, thedy scooping the porridge saved a bit at the bottom of the pot¡ªenough to scrape together two bowls¡¯ worth. For a while, no one had time to watch Zhang Guanghang; everyone was focused on the porridge in their bowls. Sun Guanyun, holding his bowl, wore a look of disdain. But as soon as the warm eight-treasure porridge touched his lips, his expression changed. Sun Guanyun looked at Jiang Weiguo, his face asking why he hadn¡¯t been told his grandson was a professional porridge cooker. Jiang Weiguo was smugly triumphant. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect this, did you? My grandson is a porridge cooking pro!¡± The entire venue was filled with all kinds of exmations and friendships/rtionships breaking down. ¡°Damn, this is really freaking delicious!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too good to betrue!¡± ¡°What kind of porridge is this, has the taste of Eight Treasure Porridge? What the heck do they even sell in porridge shops then?¡± ¡°Darling, do you love me?¡± ¡°If you love me, give me a spoonful of the porridge from your bowl.¡± ¡°Honey, give me a sip of yours please!¡± ¡°Are we still friends?¡± ¡°Nope, beat it.¡± The hostess stood at the edge of the stage, still savoring the taste of the Eight Treasure Porridge she had just tried. The cameraman was filled with envy. That damn assistant director was sipping it right next to him, the tempting aroma making him want to drink it badly, but he had to quickly adjust the camera angle to capture the audience¡¯s expressions. Guishan sat among the judges, burping away, only wishing he had four stomachs like a cow. Jiang Feng and Zhang Xi both conscientiously returned to the resting area. Only then did the hostesse out other reverie and sweetly said, ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone has just tried contestant Jiang Feng¡¯s porridge. It was truly delicious and unforgettable. It absolutely deserves the high score of 9.6.¡± ¡°Our crew has finished cleaning up the cooking station, and now I¡¯d like to invite the third group of contestants, Gu Li and Chu Peng. Their theme is savory fresh, and the dish they need to cook is vegetable rolls. Pleasee up on stage and prepare; the contest will begin in 3 minutes.¡± The hostess said with a smile, her expression as sweet as osmanthus sugar. ¡°What vor is your Eight Treasure Porridge? I really want to try it!¡± Zhang Xi was the most pitiful one, as she lost the contest and didn¡¯t get to taste the porridge. No one remembered there was another poor contestant at the cooking station who hadn¡¯t gotten to drink it. ¡°Do you have sses on the weekend?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°You cane to my family¡¯s restaurant this weekend, and I will cook a special portion for you. Although the ingredients might not be as good as today¡¯s, I¡¯ll cook it a bit longer to bring out the vor of the rice, so it won¡¯t taste bad.¡± ¡°Great, I don¡¯t have sses on Sunday except for the evening self-study. I have a full schedule on Saturday but no evening self-study, so Saturday night and Sunday noon are both fine!¡± Zhang Xi replied excitedly. It had been a long time since Jiang Feng had to study, and he couldn¡¯t help thinking to himself how tough high school life was. No wonder teachers could get away with the lie that university life would be easier, deceiving one cohort after another. ¡°Let¡¯s do Saturday then. I¡¯ll start cooking in the afternoon. What time do you finish school? It would be best if you coulde around 7 o¡¯clock,¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°I get off at 6:20. Where¡¯s your family¡¯s restaurant located? Can I bring my mom with me?¡± Zhang Xi asked excitedly. ¡°Sure, what kind of vors does your mom like? Send me a messageter and I¡¯ll let you know. My family¡¯s restaurant is on UAL University¡¯s food street. I¡¯ll send you the location tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng responded with a smile. ¡°Do you mind if I join in?¡± Zhang Guanghang chimed in on the group chat. ¡°No problem, it would be an honor. I¡¯ll send you the location tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng said, looking at Zhao Shan and thinking it might not be nice to leave him out and form a small group of three, so he invited him as well. ¡°Would you like toe along?¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± Zhao Shan forced a smile. After being relentlessly dissed, he didn¡¯t want to be seen in the same frame as Zhang Guanghang ever again. Suddenly, Jiang Feng felt a bit ufortable, as if he was being watched by a sharp and somewhat hostile gaze. Coming from the audience seats. Turning toward the audience, Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes met with Wu Minqi¡¯s. Wu Minqi smiled at Jiang Feng and mouthed a congrattions. Jiang Feng also returned a sincere smile to her. The uneasy feeling disappeared. Chapter 179 - 178: Veggie Dumplings Chapter 179: Chapter 178: Veggie Dumplings Trantor: 549690339 | The vegetable roll is a local snack, proposed by Chu Peng, who not only showcased his own specialty dish but also considered that Gu Li was a White Chef, achieving a win-win situation with great thoughtfulness. Chu Peng and Jiang Feng were in the samepetition area, and when advancing to the top 32, his score was 0.1 points higher than Jiang¡¯s. At 29 years old, he wasn¡¯t a chef from a famous restaurant. Instead, his family ran a small restaurant passed down from his father, located across from the city¡¯s first middle school¡ªan old establishment. Like Gu Li, he wasn¡¯t much of a talker and didn¡¯t have much presence. Even though he had made it to the national top 8, Jiang Feng hardly had any impression of him. If Gu Li, who alsocked presence, at least had the boost from being a chef at Taste House and the reputation of a well-known master, then Chu Peng, without any sort of boost, was like the ¡°Hidetoshi Dekisugi¡± of the Good Taste culinarypetition¡ªalthough he was there at the venue, he somehow remained invisible to others. The dough was ready-made, firm dough, that is, dumpling dough. It seemed that Chu Peng and Gu Li had consulted with each other, as the fillings for their vegetable rolls were quite simr: Chinese cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, and vermicelli as the main ingredients, with Gu Li adding crushed eggs. ¡°Ah, I remember now, that Chu Peng is the owner of that old establishment across from our school!¡± Zhang Xi eximed, as if awakening from a dream. Jiang Feng: ??? I¡¯m someone who only searches thepetitors¡¯ basic information online for prepetition strategy, and yet I know this, but you, a student from the city¡¯s first middle school, are only realizing it now! ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t go to their restaurant often?¡± Jiang Feng hazarded a guess, recalling that during his high school days, thanks to Chen Xiuxiu, there wasn¡¯t a restaurant owner in the area he didn¡¯t know¡ªeven the small stall holders were clearly distinguished and recognized! ¡°I often eat dinner there, but Chu, the owner, usually doesn¡¯te out from the back kitchen. It¡¯s usually thedy boss at the front collecting money. I realized who he was when I saw the vegetable rolls he made,¡± Zhang Xi exined. ¡°Are their vegetable rolls very famous?¡± Jiang Feng pursued further. ¡°Extremely famous, with a purely vegetarian filling that¡¯s very fresh. The dough, though firm, is exceptionally chewy. They don¡¯t use MSG in their restaurant; they use dried shrimp to enhance the vor. There are two vors of vegetable rolls, one with Chinese chives, eggs, and vermicelli, and the other with Chinese cabbage, carrots, and vermicelli. Each costs only 4 yuan, and just one is enough for breakfast to fill you up,¡± said Zhang Xi, ¡°I can taste the seasonings used, but when I try to make them at home, I just can¡¯t replicate the same vor.¡± ¡°Especially the ones with the Chinese cabbage filling he¡¯s making now, they¡¯re extremely, extremely, extremely fresh!¡± Zhang Xi emphasized her appreciation for Chu Peng¡¯s vegetable rolls using several ¡°extremelys.¡± Chu Peng had already prepared the filling and started rolling out the dough. For vegetable rolls, naturally, the thinner the dough, the better. Once steamed, the dough bes white and translucent; the thinner it is, the more it reveals the color of the filling inside. Since the roll is made by rolling up, the thinner the dough, the more vor it absorbs, resulting in a richer taste upon biting into it. Of course, it shouldn¡¯t be too thin¡ªthe right thickness is something the chef must judge. Vegetable rolls were the signature dish of Chu Peng¡¯s restaurant, one he had perfected over many years of practice. A lump of dough under his hands would quickly turn into arge thin sheet, upon which he evenly spread the filling, rolled it into a long roll, and ced it in the steamer. The steps were simple, just amon homemade snack that ordinary people could make at home. The filling, however, was of utmost importance, a secret recipe not to be shared. Zhang Xi, with her keen sense of taste, still couldn¡¯t replicate the rolls exactly even after eating them for so long. Gu Li was only slightly slower than Chu Peng; as a professional White Chef, he made his dough even thinner and more evenly shaped. Soon, his vegetable rolls too were ced in the steamer. All that was left was to wait. Han Guishan, while savoring the taste of the Eight-Treasure Porridge that Jiang Feng had cooked, regretted not having the staff save him a couple more bowls to enjoy while he waited for the rolls. Now, seeing the dishes these two contestants were preparing, he felt even more regretful. He knew about vegetable rolls and had eaten them before; paired with porridge, they made a meal. It would have been wonderful to have a bowl of Eight- Treasure Porridge to go with the rolls he would eat soon. Unfortunately, the remaining two bowls were for Wang Jing and Han Youxin, his wife and son¡ªhe dared not entertain the thought of taking theirs. No, it seemed that he might indeed entertain the thought regarding his son¡¯s share¡ªEight-Treasure Porridge was sweet, and Han Youxin needed to cut down on sweets, being overweight. ¡°How long do these vegetable rolls need to steam?¡± Han Guishan inquired. ¡°About ten minutes or so, very quick,¡± Zhu Chang responded. Han Guishan gestured to a nearby staff member. Upon receiving the summons from the boss, the staffdy immediately walked over to the judges¡¯ booth. ¡°Go heat up half a bowl of Eight Treasures Porridge for me and bring it over in ten minutes,¡± Han Guishan said, embezzling half a bowl of Eight Treasures Porridge from Han Youxin to help him lose weight¡ªit made perfect sense! ¡°Old Tong, who do you think will win this time?¡± chatterbox Pei Shenghua started making small talk. ¡°Gu Li,¡± Tong Deyan said. ¡°I also think it¡¯s Gu Li,¡± Zhu Chang, another potential chatterbox, joined the group chat. ¡°Gu Li,¡± Zang Mu said, speaking up for once. Pei Shenghuaughed and said, ¡°So you all think it¡¯s Gu Li, eh? I also believe Gu Li has a greater chance of winning.¡± ¡°Why? I heard that this Gu Li contestant is famouslycking in talent, isn¡¯t he?¡± Han Guishan, the crowd-loving spectator, joined the group chat. ¡°Lacking in talent is all rtive. After all, he is Master Tan¡¯sst disciple, and his talent is not as bad as the juniors make it out to be. Sure, he was a bit slow as a child, but not as bad as they say, it¡¯s just an exaggeration,¡± Zhu Chang exined. ¡°Many White Chefs are the ones who umte knowledge slowly before a sudden burst of skill. Just from his chicken soup noodles in thest round, it¡¯s clear his culinary skills have been honed nicely over the years.¡± Han Guishan nodded in semi-understanding. ¡°But he¡¯ll probably only make it to the semifinals,¡± Pei Shenghua said. ¡°Yeah, advancing to the finals is a bit difficult,¡± Zhu Chang agreed. ¡°The finals will probably see Zhang Guanghang and the Wu girl,¡± Tong Deyan began making bold predictions. ¡°The Wu girl? I think that Jiang Feng isn¡¯t bad either,¡± Pei Shenghua preferred Jiang Feng. ¡°I think Gu Li has a chance,¡± Zang Mu clearly had high hopes for Gu Li. ¡°It depends on the pairing. If Zhang Guanghang goes against Gu Li, and Jiang Feng against the Wu girl, the chances are Zhang Guanghang and the Wu girl will advance. Jiang Feng is still a bit weak in some areas. Mr. Han, there won¡¯t be any porridge cooking in the semifinals, right?¡± Zhu Chang asked with a smile. ¡°Ah?¡± Han Guishan tried hard to recall. That¡¯s not right, it seems I didn¡¯t set the topic for the semifinals. It seems like from the semifinals onwards, I¡¯m not even a judge anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t set the topic,¡± Han Guishan answered vaguely, his thoughts already drifting far away. This won¡¯t do, I need to work something out¡ªif I¡¯m not a judge, there¡¯s no meal ticket for me! While the other four judges started guessing the finalists, Han Guishan was quietly contemting how to rig the system so he could sneak his way into being a judge for both the semifinals and the finals. For a moment, no one paid attention to the two contestants onstage. Not until Mr. Chu¡¯s meatbail dish was out of the pot, sliced, and the staff brought the meatballs to the judges¡¯ booth did everyone refocus on thepetition. Five equally sized portions of vegetable rollsy quietly in the te. With ck, white, and orange colors alternating, they were certainly pleasing to the eye. Chapter 180 - 179: Top 4 Chapter 180: Chapter 179: Top 4 Trantor: 549690339 | The sliced vegetable tolls clearly disyed theiryers inside, alternating between stuffing and dough, shimmering like scattered crystals, with the cut edges of the translucent wrappers sparkling enticingly. An attendant brought over a steaming half-bowl of Eight-Treasure Porridge to Han Guishan, who took the first bite. Upon tasting, it was exceptionally savory. The stuffing, mixed with cooking and sesame oils, was probably seasoned with dried shrimp or some special blend of spices. Apanied by the Eight- Treasure Porridge, Guishan gobbled up the nearly six-centimeter-long roll in just a few bites. ¡°Burp.¡± Eighty percent full. The other judges weren¡¯t as forthright as Guishan, sampling just a couple of bites before setting it down to start scoring. 8.4 points. In fact, that wasn¡¯t too bad, at least better than Zhao Shan, who was severely criticized by Tong Deyan. ¡°Only 8.4. points?¡± Zhang Xi was somewhat disappointed, ¡°I think the vegetable rolls made by Mr. Chu were really tasty.¡± ¡°Look at Gu Li¡¯s vegetable rolls,¡± Jiang Feng said. Gu Li¡¯s vegetable rolls were served to the judges; while the fillings seemed simr, the difference in the dough was immediately apparent. It wasn¡¯t noticeable before steaming, but once cooked, the dough was pure white and shiny. The slicedyers looked as thin as cicada¡¯s wings from the side. Such thin dough,yered with stuffing and cut neatly, appeared more like a delicate delicacy reserved for ancient princes and nobles rather than amon homemade snack. ¡°Wow, this one looks pretty good,¡± Han Guishan eximed. There was still some Eight-Treasure Porridge left in the bowl, perfect for continuing his meal. Gu Li¡¯s vegetable rolls contained eggs, giving the dough more resilience and a richer texture, though not as fresh-tasting as Chu Peng¡¯s. Han Guishan felt that both types of vegetable rolls were almost equal in quality and deliciousness, but if he had to choose, he¡¯d go for Gu Li¡¯s, which included egg and a slight meatiness that suited his pte better. The score came out quickly: 8.6 points. They were neck and neck. The audience didn¡¯t react much, offering a perfunctory round of apuse as they awaited the judges¡¯ments. Most people were there to see Zhang Guanghang, a visual spectacle; Gu Li¡¯s vegetable rolls looked great, so a 0.2- point lead made sense. ¡°Actually, both contestants made very good vegetable rolls, and the quality was neck and neck. Let me start with Chu Peng¡¯s roll¡ªit was incredibly savory and the choice of raw materials was excellent. Its shorings were also clear: the dough was slightly thick andckedplexity. However, the ws didn¡¯t overshadow its merits. Gu Li¡¯s roll, on the other hand, had very prominent strengths, possibly due to the White Chef¡¯s advantage. The dough was thin without being too much so, it was resilient, translucent and the stuffing, although not as experienced as Chu Peng¡¯s, was very well-executed overall,¡± Zhu Chang praised both participants¡¯ rolls. Following Zhu Chang, Pei Shenghua continued, ¡°Zhu Chang has already mentioned everything in great detail, so I¡¯ll just add my personal impressions. The stuffing in Chu Peng¡¯s vegetable rolls was extremely fresh, an ultimate freshness. I¡¯ve rarely encountered a chef who could make a purely vegetarian roll taste so delicious, it¡¯s simply stunning.¡± ¡°Of course, the drawbacks are evident, as Zhu Chang already pointed out. Inparison, Gu Li¡¯s rolls might not have any standout aspects, but every detail was well-executed, from the stuffing to the dough, cuts, and overall shape, which is why his score is slightly higher.¡± ¡°These are two dishes that I¡¯m quite satisfied with. In these rolls, I saw the strengths and performances of both contestants, not some misguided self- challenge. Although the scores aren¡¯t very high, they¡¯re both quite good,¡± Tong Deyan took the opportunity to diss Zhao Shan. Zhao Shan¡¯s face had frozen into a smile. The director was considerate enough not to have the camera pan over to him. ¡°All very good,¡± Zang Mumented curtly with barely a four-word review. Now fully satiated, Han Guishan was very pleased with today¡¯spetition, sitting upright as he delivered the day¡¯s most normal evaluation, ¡°Chu Peng¡¯s dish was all-vegetarian, very fresh but somewhat nd, whereas Gu Li¡¯s included egg, and I feel the overall taste was a bit better.¡± Another polite round of apuse followed. The host proceeded with the customary closing remarks, and the audience prepared to leave in an orderly fashion, guided by the staff. Zhang Xi stood up and waved to her parents in the audience, mouthing them to wait for her at the exit. Then, she turned to Jiang Feng and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯lle to your store again on Saturday, don¡¯t forget to send me the location.¡± ¡°Don¡¯tworry, I won¡¯t forget,¡± Jiang Feng smiled. As the advancing contestants still needed to go backstage, Wu Minqi took the staff side passage from the audience seats to the backstage first, and by the time Jiang Feng and the others arrived, she had already drunk half a ss of water. ¡°Contestants, first of all, I still want to congratte you on entering the national top four. Our semifinalpetition will be held on April 16, still in the format of one-on-one duels. The draw box is on the right. There are no specific themes for the semifinals, so all of you can y to your strengths. However, you cannot have any repeats or simr dishes from before. For example, since Jiang Feng already cooked eight-treasure porridge, you cannot make any porridge dishes in the semifinals. Now, please go and draw your lots,¡± the staff sister exined. Jiang Feng:¡­ Looking at the other three, Jiang Feng felt he was pretty much doomed. Not allowing porridge, what suspense could there be in thispetition? Except for a desperate struggle against Gu Li, facing Zhang Guanghang and Wu Minqi would just be varying degrees of coldness. The difference between being seven degrees cold and ten degrees cold. Gu Li was the closest to the draw box, he stepped forward and drew. Number one. Jiang Feng walked over and drew. Number two. Chilled. Totally chilled. Jiang Feng could already picture it: getting eliminated on his birthday, failing the mission, the old man raging, a torrent of scolding, being kicked out of the house. A bitter smile flickered at the corners of Jiang Feng¡¯s mouth. Thinking about it, it really was quite an extraordinary twenty-first birthday! Zhang Guanghang stepped up to the draw box and drew. Number one. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi looked at each other. ¡°What a coincidence¡­¡± Jiang Feng said with a wry smile. Wu Minqi went through the motions and drew the number two ball from the box, her emotions unreadable as she said to Jiang Feng, ¡°Quite a coincidence indeed.¡± ¡°It looks like the groups are set. Please inform our staff of the ingredients you need by 9 p.m. on April 15, and arrive at the provincial station before 4 p.m. on the 16th, otherwise, you will be considered to have forfeited,¡± the staff said. ¡°Do the four of you have any questions?¡± No questions; everyone had been through so many rounds already, all the questions that could be asked had been asked. ¡°Then I wish all four of you good luck in thepetition.¡± The four people silently left the provincial station, all pondering what to cook for the semifinals. Without a prescribed theme and with each contestant free to y to their strengths, it was both an advantage and a disadvantage. The strong get stronger, the weak show their ws. Reaching the exit, everyone was so silent that not a word was exchanged. Gu Li and theother three weren¡¯t familiar with each other; he nodded slightly and then silently left. ¡°Remember to send me the location, I¡¯lle to your restaurant for porridge on Saturday,¡± Zhang Guanghang said and then walked straight ahead. ¡°Porridge? What porridge?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°He and Zhang Xi areing to my ce for porridge on Saturday night. ZhangXi didn¡¯t get to drink any today, so I¡¯m making a special batch for her,¡± Jiang Feng said. Seeing WuMinqi¡¯s mother standing under a tree ahead, he told her, ¡°Isn¡¯t that your mother standing under the tree?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be going now, ¡°Wu Minqi said, offering a smile, ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Good luck.¡± Chapter 181 - 180 The Single Dog Chapter 181: Chapter 180 The Single Dog Trantor: 549690339 Before heading out in the morning, Jiang Jiankang and the others had arranged to meet Jiang Feng at the parking lot. After parting ways with Wu Minqi, Jiang Feng walked towards the parking lot and immediately saw the familiar seven- seater business van, with Jiang Jiankang excitedly waving from the driver¡¯s seat. Opening the door and getting on, Jiang Feng silently took a seat in thest row. ¡°Son, what are youpeting in for the semifinals? Who are youpeting against?¡± After watching today¡¯spetition, Jiang Jiankang was more confident than ever and even believed his son could win the championship. ¡°Wu Minqi, freestyle, I can¡¯t make any dish I¡¯ve made before,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided what to make yet.¡± ¡°The odds are not great,¡± Jiang Weiming said bluntly. ¡°There isn¡¯t much of a chance,¡± agreed Jiang Weiguo, but he rarely offered encouragement, ¡°Give it your all, and if you lose, do so without any regrets.¡± Jiang Feng nodded solemnly, thought for a moment, and organized his words to roughly exin the situation with Xia Mushi. Both elder gentlemen fell silent. After a while, Jiang Weiming finally eximed, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect he would still be around.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not exactly his match,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, then turned to Jiang Feng, ¡°Do you want to reopen Taifeng Building?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Jiang Feng began, but found himself at a loss for words. Of course, he wanted to reopen it. It was Xia Mushi¡¯s lifelong obsession, the two old men¡¯s regret and dream, Jiang Huiqin¡¯s youth and childhood, and Li Mingyi¡¯s longing and memories of histe wife. It was also the persistence of several generations of the Jiang Family. But doing business all over again with a restaurant that had been derelict for half a century wasn¡¯t just about wanting it. ¡°I do want to,¡± Jiang Feng said. Ever since he epted the transfer of Taifeng Building from Li Mingyi, it had been his responsibility. It was his duty, and even more so, his mission. ¡°If you want to, then reopen it,¡± Jiang Weiguo said with a look of satisfaction, ¡°Work hard, and don¡¯t let me and your Granduncle Weiming be disappointed.¡± Having just heard about Xia Mushi from Jiang Feng, he suddenly had an epiphany. They were all old men, Xia Mushi stubbornly refused to cross over even at death¡¯s door, and he and Jiang Weiming were also one foot into the afterlife. Over the years, they had lost too much and had too many regrets. At their age, there was nothing left to lose. Being scared and hesitant about reopening Taifeng Building because of fear made no sense at all. This era no longer belonged to him; the future was for the younger generations. Rather than looking back and hesitating, it was better to let go and give it their all. Jiang Jiankang drove the two old men to the bottom of Jiang Jianguo¡¯s building, and Jiang Feng moved up to sit in the second row. Downstairs, Jiang Weiming smiled at Jiang Weiguo, asking, ¡°Have you figured it out?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°As long as you¡¯ve figured it out, that¡¯s fine. The children and grandchildren have their own fortune. Feng is a good kid. We¡¯ll do what we can; leave the future to them,¡± Jiang Weiming said, patting Jiang Weiguo¡¯s shoulder as they both went upstairs together. Meanwhile, no sooner had Jiang Feng taken his seat in the second row than the hitherto silent Wang Xiulian asked, ¡°Son, do you really stand no chance against Qiqi?¡± ¡°Basically no chance,¡± Jiang Feng replied honestly. If Wu Minqi were not allowed to cook Sichuan cuisine, Jiang Feng would win easily. But if they each prepared their specialty dishes and he couldn¡¯t cook porridge, the gap between him and Wu Minqi was clear. Unless Wu Minqipletely messed up like Sun Jikai had, with a total mental breakdown, Jiang Feng basically stood no chance. ¡°Ah, I had been thinking that if you made it to the finals, I could set up a sign at the restaurant entrance to advertise,¡±mented Wang Xiulian, the business genius, utterly disappointed. ¡°Qjqi is also from our restaurant. Wouldn¡¯t it be just as effective to advertise with her sess in the finals?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked. ¡°True,¡± Wang Xiulian realized instantly, ¡°No matter, son, just focus on thepetition. What if you win?¡± Then Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang started to talk about the purchase of goods. Wang Xiulian harshly criticized the poultry supplier for trying to pass off inferior products, even after being caught red-handed, and they discussed recing the supplier. She didn¡¯t stop talking all the way, and Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise. The car stopped right in front of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, and Jiang Feng walked back to his dormitory. Thepetition ended early today, and it wasn¡¯t veryte, so he didn¡¯t have to climb back onto the balcony. He could enter through the front door right in front of the dormitory supervisor, which was a nice change. Wang Hao had just returned from his nightly run and was showering in the bathroom. Since the progress he made with his goddess over dinnerst time, he had been even more conscious of his physique, insisting on morning runs and evening jogs, along with a light and regr diet. In the restaurant, he always grabbed veggies and tofu dishes. He believed that soon he would be able to reinvent himself and move from being single to being part of a couple again. Spring had arrived, once again the season of love. As Wang Hao was showering in the bathroom, Jiang Feng took the opportunity to sit down on a chair and open the attribute panel to check his current recipes, looking for inspiration to decide on a dish for the semifinals. Wontons. No way, not only are they unappetizing, but the heartbreaking sobs of Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian fromst time were still echoing in Jiang Feng¡¯s ears. If he made that, all the judges might end up weeping together. Liu Ye Yan Cai (Fake) could be made, but even with improvements, it was still a D-grade dish. With that foundation, facing Wu Minqi in the semifinals and choosing this dish would be like walking a dead-end street. There weren¡¯t many dishes in the recipe column to begin with. Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge was actually a good choice, but Jiang Feng had neither practiced it before nor was the dish¡¯s buff any different from wontons in its unusual effects. Serving it up and having everyone on the judges¡¯ panel cry a river might be a powerful scene, but the scores would surely be even more memorable¡ªin a bad way. After sorting through everything, only Sweet and Sour Yam and Duo Jiao Fish Head seemed suitable. Duo Jiao Fish Head was a B-grade dish. The game still showed it was slightly above the yer¡¯s cooking skill level, so giving it a try might actually work. But the problem now was that Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know how to make spicy dishes. Because he didn¡¯t eat spicy food, Jiang Feng rarely cooked spicy dishes, only capable of making simple stir-fries like stir-fried pork with chili or scrambled eggs with chili. Even though he had reviewed the process of making Duo Jiao Fish Head many times and was quite familiar with every step, he was confident he could quickly get the hang of this dish, but it still didn¡¯t feel quite secure. After some indecision, Jiang Feng settled on Sweet and Sour Yam. This dish meant for couples, a single dog chef with no rights and no buffs, radiated deep malice to all the singles from start to finish. Jiang Huiqin made this dish a C-grade because she couldn¡¯t do the caramelization with oil, and had to run two pots at the same time. But Jiang Feng could do the caramelization, and he was confident he could do it better than Jiang Huiqin. Since hisst attempt at making Yun Chicken ended up as a C-grade, coupled with the game¡¯s description of Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge, Jiang Feng had an idea he had been waiting to put into practice. If things went smoothly, he could confirm his hypothesis in the morning. Whether the game¡¯s assigned dish grades represented their maximum potential or just the passing standard. The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and Jiang Feng closed the attribute panel. He grabbed some clothes and prepared to take a shower, waiting for Wang Hao to exit the bathroom. ¡°Feng, how did today¡¯spetition go? Did you advance?¡± Wang Hao came out of the bathroom, lugging his bucket of clothes. ¡°You didn¡¯t watch?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised. Wang Hao had always been a loyal viewer of Good Taste Culinary Master¡¯s live streams. ¡°I went to the library with Zhenzhen tonight.¡± Wang Hao said with a sweet expression. ¡°Oh.¡± Jiang Feng indifferently took his clothes and walked into the bathroom. Wang Hao happily texted sweet nothings to Zhenzhen on his phone, looking ecstatic to the point of bubbling over, with the tart smell of love permeating the air. ¡°You¡¯ve never been in a rtionship, Feng; you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Wang Hao couldn¡¯t resist the urge to twist the knife. Jiang Feng suddenly remembered the time in his freshman year when, naive and clueless, he saw someone asking on the school¡¯s confession wall what it was like to be the only one in a dorm room in a rtionship. At the time, he innocently thought that thements under the confession wall were disyed in chronological order, so he casually replied, ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to be the only single person in a dorm.¡± Little did he know, the confession wall prioritized showingments from friends. The next day, the whole ss knew Jiang Feng was the only single dog in his dorm. ?? sad. Chapter 182 - 181: Passing Line Chapter 182: Chapter 181: Passing Line Trantor: 549690339 The next morning, when Jiang Feng went to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, he was surprised to find Mr. Jiang Jiankang making vegetable rolls, the same kind that Gu Li and Chu Peng had made in thepetition yesterday¡ªnot a bit different, stuffed with vegetables! Vegetable stuffed breakfast appearing early on the Jiang Family¡¯s dining table was unusual indeed. ¡°Dad, what made you decide to make these today?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s because your mom insisted on having them,¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang sighed. ¡°I was going to make herzy dragon rolls, but she insisted on these vegetable rolls. I mean, they¡¯re just wood ear mushrooms, vermicelli, carrots¡ªwhat¡¯s so tasty about these? The method is almost the same, and they¡¯re not as good aszy dragon rolls.¡± Jiang Feng thought that Mrs. Wang Xiulian probably wanted to eat them because she had seen them in the audience the day before and would definitely regret itter, questioning Mr. Jiang Jiankang why he didn¡¯t makezy dragons instead. However, it was just fine that Mr. Jiang Jiankang made the vegetable rolls since there was some leftover dough that could be used to roll out wonton wrappers. ¡°Dad, are you done with this leftover dough?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Not using it anymore; I made too much dough this morning. Just wrap anything in itter and boil as a snack,¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang said. ¡°Give me some; I¡¯ll wrap a fewwontons,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Wontons?¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang immediately became alert. He nearly cried from Jiang Feng¡¯s impromptu wontonsst time¡ªhe still couldn¡¯t understand why just one bite of a wonton made him so sad. In the end, he could only assume it was so bad it brought back memories of the hard times. Now that Jiang Feng wanted to make wontons again, Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s mental rm bells started ringing. ¡°Right, just two wontons to practice. I still haven¡¯t decided what to make for the semifinals and just want to try making something,¡± Jiang Feng said, bolstered by a usibly crafted fib, which Mr. Jiang Jiankang grudgingly chose to believe. Wang Shitou¡¯s pure meat wontons had very strict ingredient requirements: wonton wrappers, pure meat filling, and two drops of sesame oil. Last time, Jiang Feng had followed the recipe¡¯s video steps precisely, including Wang Shitou¡¯s rough techniques, to make an urate, yet unpleasantly true-to-taste version. This time, Jiang Feng decided to rely on his own methods, aside from faithfully replicating the recipe¡¯ s ingredients and steps,toseeifhislimited culinary skills could salvage these pure meat wontons that were bound to evoke the most bitter memories of someone¡¯s younger years. Rolling the dough, chopping the filling, seasoning, wrapping them into wontons, cooking them until done, adding a drop of sesame oil¡ªa series of actions that took no more than ten minutes. While Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s vegetable rolls were still steaming, Jiang Feng¡¯s pure meat wontons were ready. Jiang Feng looked at the bowl in front of him with the overcooked wontons, the skin and meat starting to separate. [Pure Meat Wontons Grade E] Although it was still difficult to eat due to the raw materials and overcooking, with a little more effort in rolling the dough and seasoning, the F-grade pure meat wontons from the recipe could be promoted to E-grade. The grades in the recipe were actually the benchmarks for the dishes. Jiang Huiqin¡¯s sweet and sour yam recipe was a simplified version of the deep sugar base method; Jiang Feng needed to try Jiang Huiqin¡¯s method to determine what grade his sweet and sour yam would be, then practice making it with the deep sugar base method. Although he knew how to do the deep sugar base method, he couldn¡¯t say he was skilled at it. Mishaps did ur asionally, and he managed to keep it in check only with Jiang Weiming¡¯s intermittent reviews and guidance. Otherwise, with his focus shifted to thepetition dishes these days, he would have long since forgotten the deep sugar base technique. If he was still prone to mistakes before thepetition, using Jiang Huiqin¡¯s method as a backup n for the sweet and sour yam might not be a bad idea for the sake of certainty during thepetition. The pure meat wontons in front of him were still steaming hot. Jiang Feng¡¯s self-destructive curiosity was stirring again. He was genuinely curious about what the most bitter memory of his younger years could be. He was only 21; even considering the present, he could be called young. Pondering the topic of bitter memories, he thought of many things: being scolded by Sir for messing up the sandbag as a kid, getting reprimanded for slicing tofu, for practicing the rolling cut, for the first time he touched the wok, and the first time he cooked a meat dish. On reflection, it seemed all his memories were of being scolded by Sir. And Sir scolded with such cadence and subtlety, without repeating a word. Afterwards, there wasn¡¯t much else that was bitter. The high school years that seemed tough and painful in the eyes of most students seemed trivial to the Jiang Family youngsterspared to their culinary training. Jiang Feng could no longer contain his right hand. He quietly picked up the wonton bowl and headed to the storage room. ¡°Son, where are you going?¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang asked, ¡°The vegetable rolls will be ready soon. Are you still going to eat them?¡± ¡°Eat, I¡¯ll find something in the storage room.¡± Jiang Feng lied without batting an eyelid. ¡°This kid, going to look for something while still holding a bowl of wontons.¡± Jiang Jiankang shook his head, then focused on the steamer in front of him. Jiang Feng walked into the storage room and quietly closed the door behind him. He scooped up a wonton and put it in his mouth. It didn¡¯t taste good. But soon, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t have the energy to focus on the taste anymore, as his vision gradually blurred and his eyes filled with tears. His 10th birthday fell on a Saturday. Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian had originally nned to take him to the aquarium for fun, but that morning his grandmother had taken a fall down the stairs. Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian had rushed to the hospital to see his grandmother, leaving him alone at home. Jiang Feng had thought about going next door to y with Chen Xiuxiu, but found that no one was home. A few of his male cousins were either in ss or had gone out to y with friends. He was the only one who spent his birthday alone at home. No birthday cake, no feast, no aquarium, and no one to talk to him. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t watch TV; he just sat quietly on the floor all day long, staring at it. That was the first time he felt loneliness. It waste when Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian returned home from the county hospital, their faces weary. Wang Xiulian apologized and said they would take him to the aquarium the next day. The aquarium on weekends was packed with visitors; they had to queue up early even though it opened at 9 a.m. It took nearly half an hour by car from Jiang Feng¡¯s home to the aquarium, and it would be tough on Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian to take him there the next day after a tiring day. The 10-year-old Jiang Feng smiled and said, ¡°No need, I yed with Xiuxiu all day today, just watched several episodes of cartoons and had cream bread at her ce for lunch. I¡¯m so happy, we don¡¯t need to go to the aquarium tomorrow.¡± That was the first time he lied. And the first time he wanted to cry but didn¡¯t dare to. He had long forgotten it. Yet it was the most bitter memory of his youth. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Jiang Feng silently walked out of the storage room, into the bathroom, and dumped the wontons in the toilet. It¡¯s better not to throw this stuff into the pig slop bucket; even pigs wouldn¡¯t grow fat from eating it. Now that he thought about it, it seemed like nothing much, just an insignificant incident from his younger days. But eating those wontons Just now made him relive his 10-year-old self¡¯s bitterness and brought him close to tears. Not only that, but Jiang Feng also remembered that Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Mr. Jiang Jiankang had never taken him to the aquarium, not even once. Every nned visit had been canceled for various reasons, as if under a curse. By the time Jiang Feng came out of the bathroom with his bowl, Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian had already started eating. ¡°Thrown it away?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked. ¡°Yeah, too disgusting.¡± Jiang Feng nodded, washed his hands, and went to pick up a spring roll. ¡°Ah, son, you really don¡¯t have any talent for making wontons. Better leave it to others from nowon.¡± Jiang Jiankang sighed, thest bite of wonton had left a deep impression on him. ¡°Dad,¡± Jiang Feng looked at Jiang Jiankang intently, ¡°find some time this year to take me to the aquarium, will you?¡± Jiang Jiankang: ??? Had his son gone crazy from eating wontons? ¡°Sure, when we have time.¡± Jiang Jiankang humored his silly son, ¡°Have you figured out what dish to make for the semifinals? Need me to help you brainstorm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided, I¡¯ll make the Sweet and Sour Yam,¡± said Jiang Feng, taking a bite of his spring roll. Mediocre. Mr. Jiang Jiankang indeedcked the talent for making vegetarian dishes. Chapter 183 - 182: Sweet and Sour Yam Chapter 183: Chapter 182: Sweet and Sour Yam Trantor: 549690339 To be fair, Jiang Feng thought the pancake roll Jiang Jiankang made today wasn¡¯t as tasty as the leftover noodles from other days, itcked vor, and it tasted pretty much the same as the filling in the steamed dumplings from Shaxian Snacks next door. Leftovers, when reheated, still had their aroma, and coupled with the hand-pulled noodles made with Jiang Jiankang¡¯s exquisite skill, leftover noodles were actually quite delicious. After breakfast, Jiang Feng helped chop vegetables, and then he prepared to practice making Sweet and Sour Yam. During the game¡¯s bug-ridden update phase, having nothing better to do, he looked up the method of making Sweet and Sour Yam, and since he had been using yam and sweet potato for practice after the new year, he had learned quite a bit about this dish; as long as he didn¡¯t let the sugar settle at the bottom of the oil, there was virtually no chance of failure. The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant¡¯s kitchen might not have much, but it had many stoves, which were also closely ced. Sometimes, while stir-frying at noon, Jiang Jiankang¡¯s vigorous tossing could cause Jiang Feng, with a mere turn, to bump into his right hand actively tossing the wok. The yams were fresh, just delivered by the supplier that morning. After washing, peeling, and cutting them into pieces, two woks were lit at the same time, one for frying the yam pieces and the other for stir-frying the sugar ¨C a truly clever method for those unfamiliar with the technique of letting sugar settle at the bottom of the oil. Jiang Jiankang was chopping meat at the cooking counter, as a teacher from UAL University had reserved a table of dishes the day before, many of which were borate like pork knuckle, sweet and sour carp, double crispy stir-fry, and crispy chicken, which were time-consuming and needed to be prepared ¡¯ well in advance. The live carp in the water tank blew bubbles not knowing what they would undergo in the afternoon. Jiang Feng fried the yams while keeping his eye on the wok with the sugar, his divided attention still allowing him to chat with Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Didn¡¯t Granduncle Weiming teach you how to let sugar settle at the bottom of the oil?¡± Jiang Jiankang knew a simr technique, but Jiang Weiguo had not taught him how to do it, and he had tried all sorts of strange methods when making sweet dishes. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s own sugar-settling technique was half-baked and self-taught a typical knock-off. ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with it; I wanted to try a more reliable method,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I think the sugar-settling method is better, that Sweet and Sour Yam Granduncle Weiming made for you, that vor ¨C tsk tsk.¡± Jiang Jiankang longed for the Sweet and Sour Yam Jiang Weiming made while demonstrating the sugar-settling technique. Crispy, soft, sweet, and delicately golden like freshly fried potato chunks, crunchy, with sugar threads as fine as hair that could continue indefinitely without dipping in cold water. The Sweet and Sour Yam they made using other methods paled inparison to the one Jiang Weiming had made before. In the middle of their conversation, the yam was already fried. If it was taken out of the wok too early and the timing wasn¡¯t right, the temperature of the yam would gradually drop. By the time the other wok was ready for pulling sugar threads, the temperature wouldn¡¯t be ideal, and neither the texture of the yam nor the quality of the sugar threads would be as good as those made with the sugar-settling technique. Jiang Jiankang, who was chopping meat on the side, also noticed and said, ¡°You fried the yam too early.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Jiang Feng stared at the other wok, where the syrup surface had begun to form soft bubbles, indicating that the right moment for pulling sugar threads was near, ¡°Two minutes too early.¡± The yam goes into the wok: stir-fry quickly, flip the spoon, mix evenly, and serve. [Sweet and Sour Yam Grade C] [An ordinary Sweet and Sour Yam with no buff enhancements] The shitty game indeed shows whatever it wants to see. Jiang Feng picked up a piece; the sugar threads were quite long but not fine enough, far from the standard set by Jiang Weiming¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam. Dip in water, then take a bite. It was slightly scalding, the syrup a tad thick, the yam too soft andcking the crispy sweet texture ¨C truly mediocre. He didn¡¯t like sweets, and had originally nned to offer it to Mrs. Wang Xiulian asfort for her injured stomach after not having met this morning. Just as he was about to serve the dish, Ji Yue, who hade to work, slipped into the kitchen. Jiang Feng, do you have any beans¡­ oh, Sweet and Sour Yam.¡± Ji Yue, a sweet-toothed aficionado, brightened at the sight of Sweet and Sour Yam; she would dly take any of Jiang Feng¡¯s failed experiments. Having something so sweet early in the morning is a sin,¡± Ji Yue said, feigning repentance in her words but not in her heart. She skillfully grabbed a pair of chopsticks, took arge chunk, and instantly dismissed her initial intention of sneaking in to snatch a cup of soy milk. ¡°Not bad, by the way, where¡¯s Mrs. Wang? I didn¡¯t see her outside just now, and there¡¯s no one upstairs,¡± Ji Yue asked. My mom¡¯s not m the shop?¡± Jiang Feng fired up the stove to make another batch of Sweet and Sour Yam, ¡°She might have gone to buy scallion pancakes the new fried chicken ce that opened a few days ago makes a tasty one, and my mom¡¯s bought it several times. Oh, and remember to write ¡®Special on Sweet and Sour Yam¡¯ on the stand-up board at the entrance.¡± Ji Yue was already very familiar with Jiang Feng¡¯s routine of offering specials on whatever dish he was practicing. While eating a second piece, she asked unclearly, ¡°Are you going to make Sweet and Sour Yam for the semifinals? Right, who are you up against? Not Zhang Guanghang, I hope?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m up against Wu Minqi,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°Yo-ho, that¡¯s exciting.¡± Ji Yue, a typical onlooker who loves a good show, honestly took a jab at Jiang Feng, ¡°You¡¯re in trouble.¡± Ji Yue hung around the kitchen, eating and watching Jiang Feng make Sweet and Sour Yam, asionally raisingmon spectator questions. ¡°Why are you using two woks at the same time?¡± ¡°Actually, these pieces of yam kind of look like chunks of potato.¡± ¡°Eh, the sugar¡¯s starting to bubble.¡± ¡°Sweet and Sour Yam is stir-fried?!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Hey, this¡­¡± ¡°Finished eating?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Finished.¡± Ji Yue was chatty because she had nothing else to do after finishing her meal. Jiang Feng brought over the newly cooked Sweet and Sour Yam to Ji Yue, ¡°Have another te.¡± [Sweet and Sour Yam C-level] When Ji Yue had eaten a quarter of the second te of Sweet and Sour Yam, Mrs. Wang Xiulian came into the kitchen, eating a hand-grabbed pancake. The ultimate version with added pork chop, bacon, ham, shredded meat and egg- judging by the time Mrs. Wang Xiulian was out of sight, she must have eaten more than one pancake ¨C the rest had probably already found their way into her stomach. ¡°Sweet and Sour Yam?¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian eyed the Sweet and Sour Yam in front of her, wanting a piece but hesitated and decided against it; eating something sweet and then the pancake would mix vors, ¡°Son, when will the dish in your pan be ready?¡± ¡°Five more minutes,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have the next one, this dish is best eaten hot,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian said as she took a big bite of the pancake in her hand. After finishing two tes of Sweet and Sour Yam and worrying about her calorie intake, Ji Yue kept muttering ¡°sinful, sinful¡± and decided out of sight out of mind. She went to the dining hall, fearing that if she saw the third te, she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist continuing to eat. Throughout the morning, Jiang Feng made over a dozen servings of Sweet and Sour Yam, consumed five tes in-house, gave a few to neighboring businesses, and stored the rest in a warmer. Even though Jiang Feng felt quite pleased with himself, convinced that each dish was better than thest, not one received a game rating higher than C-level. He decided to try a new method in the afternoon, using oil to sink the sugar, to see if the taste would improve. Wu Minqi arrivedte today, not showing up until after noon. She put on her apron and got straight to work. ¡°Did you have a full schedule this morning?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. If he remembered correctly, Wu Minqi only had two sses this morning, including an early one at eight o¡¯clock. ¡°My dad arrived today. My mom and I went to pick him up from the airport,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°Where are your parents now?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°In the restaurant, ordering food.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? What are they ordering? They should stay for lunch with us; it¡¯ll be less busy after this half hour,¡± Jiang Jiankang said cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯ll be a good chance to meet, as today Jiang Feng¡¯s grandfather and Granduncle Weiming are alsoing over.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go out and tell them,¡± Wu Minqi thought it was a good idea and put down the vegetable she was holding to go out. After a while, Wu Minqi came back into the kitchen with her dad. Wu Minqi¡¯s dad was an average-looking middle-aged man, who appeared somewhat schrly with sses, not like a chef but more like a teacher. He was slightly overweight and looked quite serious with little expression. ¡°My dad says he will also help out,¡± Wu Minqi announced. No sooner had she finished speaking than Mrs. Wang Xiulian stuck her head into the kitchen and asked loudly, ¡°Jiankang, where did you put the temporary menu? I can¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Jiankang was confused. ¡°Mrs. Wang, I found it! What should I write?¡± Ji Yue called from outside. ¡°Right, Qiqi, what were those dishes you mentioned just now?¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian inquired. Chestnut Chicken, Ants Climbing a Tree, Sichuan-style Cold Noodles. But Mrs. Wang, we don¡¯t have cold noodles in the restaurant, do we?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°No worries, the shop behind us has them. I¡¯ll buy them in a bit,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian said nonchntly. ¡°Mr. Wu, you can just join us for meals these few days.¡± With that, she went out to the dining hall. Mr. Wu:¡­ Why are you all so practiced¡­ Is this restaurantmonly visited by random guest chefs whoe to cook? Chapter 184 - 183 Yun Chicken Chapter 184: Chapter 183 Yun Chicken Trantor: 549690339 | Wu Minqi had worked at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant for quite some time without taking a single penny in wages; she was just provided with meals Mainly because she hadn¡¯t even realized that she needed to be paid, since in her view, whether it was at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant or at Wu Family Restaurant, it was all about honing her culinary skills. She was there to practice, not for a part-time job. Wu Minqi, while showing her dad around the kitchen, introduced him to itsyout ¨C where the vegetables were, where the seasonings were, where the tes were, how the stoves were assigned and so on. Finally, she took him to the storeroom and told him where the various seasonings were kept and that he coulde over to get more whenever they ran out. Dad, how much money do you make a month from working here?¡± Wu Hanxue¡ªWu Minqi¡¯s dad-asked. ¡°Working?¡± Wu Minqi took out a bag of sugar from the cab. The kitchen¡¯s sugar had all been used up by Jiang Feng in the morning, and she had actuallye looking for sugar, ¡°I¡¯m just borrowing their kitchen for practice, not working.¡± Wu Hanxue:¡­ His daughter must have be a bit foolish from studying cooking all these years. ¡°Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Wang are very nice. If I want to experiment with a dish in the kitchen, I can use it at any time, and I don¡¯t even need to buy my own ingredients. When Jiang Feng and I practice cooking, the dishes are sold as specials, just listed on the signboard at the entrance,¡± Wu Minqi said, ¡°This cab is full of sugar, the dried goods are over there, then there¡¯s the oil, flour is in the yellow cab, and the white cab has¡­¡± Seeing how familiar Wu Minqi was with everything in the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant and putting it together with his wife¡¯s spection, Wu Hanxue couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Indeed, his daughter was quite the extrovert. After Wu Minqi finished introducing everything to Wu Hanxue and took the sugar back to the kitchen, Jiang Feng was still working on the Sweet and Sour Yam, cooking it in the method where sugar is settled at the bottom of the oil. Wu Minqi nced at the sugar container-it couldn¡¯t be emptier. ^1¡¯11 pour in the sugar, and you cane and get itter,¡± Wu Minqi told Jiang ¡®Okay,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, continuing to watch the pot. Wu Minqi started working on the orders, leaving Wu Hanxue with nothing to do but stand next to Jiang Feng and watch him make the Sweet and Sour Yam. Two ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯, three Sichuan-style cold noodles. Aunt Wang went to the shop in the back to buy more, and she¡¯ll bring it over soon,¡± Ji Yue came in with a sticky note. Wu Hanxue rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work. It was time to show off his professional expertise as a five-star hotel head chef, just like his daughter¡¯s ssmate and the ssmate¡¯s father did. Mrs. Wang Xiulian was highly efficient. She bought out all the cold noodles from the shop in the back, a whole big basin of it. With a Duang, she ced it on the cooking table and then left to busy herself elsewhere. No sooner than ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯ left the stove, Ji Yue came in with a sticky note, ¡°Two ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯ for here, one for takeout, six Sichuan- style cold noodles, two Kung Pao chicken, one shredded potato over rice, two shredded pork with garlic sauce over rice, one scrambled eggs with tomato.¡± After a little while, Ji Yue came in again. Three ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯, one Chestnut Chicken, one Sweet and Sour Yam, four Sichuan-style cold noodles, three Kung Pao chicken for delivery.¡± In less than two minutes, Ji Yue was back again. ¡°One ¡¯Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯, three Chestnut Chicken, three Sichuan-style cold noodles for here, five for takeout.¡± Around 12 o¡¯clock, just when the small restaurants around the school were filled to the brim, the UAL students, with a bit of money in their pockets and no afternoon sses, who wouldn¡¯t want to reward themselves with a good meal at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant after a morning of sses? After all, they had no afternoon sses, so they didn¡¯t mind waiting. The regr customers of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had even gotten the hangof Jiang Weiguo¡¯s routine appearances in the kitchen. And after Sun Guanyun¡¯s Cantonese cuisine bombardmentst time, the alert customers had sensed that the kitchen might have randomly gained a new chef the moment they saw Mrs. Wang putting up the menu on the wall. The first guy to sample the ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯ was so excited he was almost licking his te clean. A Sichuan cuisine master had randomly appeared in the kitchen of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant! Students from Shu who caught wind of this nearly burst the doors of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant-Wu Minqi¡¯s Sichuan dishes were also good, but far from as good as her father¡¯s. The ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯ made by Wu Hanxue: the minced meat hugged the vermicelli; the vermicelli shone with oil, was soft and smooth; the gluten was deliciously crispy; the taste was unique, light, and delicate-it was easily a delicacy among vegetarian dishes. This was a signature dish at Wu Family Restaurant, selling at three times the price therepared to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. The more knowledgeable UAL students knew exactly what this ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯ entailed after just one taste. Miss this today, and you might wait another year! No, it might not even happen again in a year. Having learned from the previous Cantonese cuisine explosion, Shaxian Snacks and the noodle shop across the street naturally surrendered their tables and chairs. Jiang Feng was also naturally stripped of his qualification to cook in the kitchen and banished to cleaning tables in the hall. The customers were naturally frenzied about ordering ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯, Chestnut Chicken, and Sichuan-style cold noodles. Everything was natural. Only Wu Hanxue felt it was unnatural. From the moment he made the first ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯, he hadn¡¯t stopped -Ji Yue kept bringing in orders, mainly those few dishes. ¡®Three ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree1, four Sichuan-style cold noodles for takeout two Chestnut Chicken, one Kung Pao chicken, two fish-fragrant shredded pork rice dishes for delivery.¡± ¡°One stir-fried pork with peppers for delivery, two scrambled eggs with tomato over rice for takeout, two ¡®Di San Xian¡¯ for delivery, five Sichuan-style cold noodles for takeout.¡± ¡°One onion scrambled eggs over rice, three Sichuan-style cold noodles one ¡®Ants Climbing a Tree¡¯.¡± ¡°Sichuan-style cold noodles¡­¡± Wu Minqi even had time to help with packaging. Wu Hanxue began to doubt his life choices. He understood the theory, but why did this seemingly ordinary little diner do such good business? The Wu Family Restaurant was no better. Wu Hanxue, questioning his life, continued to cook. On the other side, Jiang Feng once again saw Zhang Zhiyuan in the lobby. He had an exceptionally deep impression of Zhang Zhiyuan, all thanks to Cao Guixiang, who had nine dishes in the game¡¯s cookbook. He was eager to befriend Zhang Zhiyuan. Maybe one day, issuing a side quest would be a memory, shaking hands with Zhang Zhiyuan would be a memory, and making a dish for Zhang Zhiyuan would be a memory. This might be a walking human-shaped memory bank! Zhang Zhiyuan was there to apany his roommate to dine. Since the day he had tasted Sun Guanyun¡¯s dry-fried beef ho fun, all other food tasted nd to him, and he had lost several kilograms in just over ten days. His roommate was the same person who hade with him to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurantst time, a Shu person who was so thrilled by a te of ¡°Ants Climbing a Tree¡± that he couldn¡¯t contain himself. ¡®Si, you must try this, I tell you, there are not many restaurants in Shu that can make this vor, I¡¯ve only tasted it at Wu Family Restaurant, which is our most famous five-star restaurant in Shu, the dish prices are three times this one¡±¡® Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s roommate believed that finding good food was a win and excitedly said to Jiang Feng, ¡°Please pack another portion of Ants Climbing a Zhang Zhiyuan took a bite. It s okay, not as good as the dishes my grandma used to make.¡± ¡°Yeah, right,¡± his roommate said, not believing him. Zhang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t exin; his grandmother had been gone for many years, but in his memory, Cao Guixiang¡¯s culinary skills were the best, unmatched even by chefs at outside hotels. Unnoticed, Cao Guixiang had disappeared from his life for many years, and even the taste of those dishes he was beginning to slowly forget. Jiang Feng told Ji Yue to add another portion of Ants Climbing a Tree for takeaway and then walked up to Zhang Zhiyuan, smiling, ¡°This guest, I see you only ordered this one dish of cold noodles. We have a new dish in our restaurant, would you like to help us try it out?¡± ¡°Try out a dish?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Sure.¡± Jiang Feng entered the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s up, son, is it not busy out front?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked. A customer ordered sweet and sour chicken,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Sweet and sour chicken?¡± Jiang Jiankang frowned, ¡°I remember you¡¯ve made something simr before. I really can¡¯t understand these students these days. Last time someone even asked if we could do something like deep-fried air-I couldn¡¯t even understand it.¡± What Cao Guixiang made was an A-grade Yun Chicken, while Jiang Feng¡¯s C- grade failed attempt could barely pass for sweet and sour chicken. But Jiang Feng¡¯s failed attempt looked very simr to Cao Guixiang¡¯s sessful dish; without tasting it, you couldn¡¯t tell the difference. Yun Chicken looked a bit like lychee meat, except the sauce color was different and the texture was worlds apart. The chicken in the kitchen was already marinated; just by making cross cuts and frying, the dish was ready in a few minutes. [Yun Chicken (Failed) C-grade] A hundred percent failure rate really wasn¡¯t for nothing. Jiang Feng brought the failed dish to Zhang Zhiyuan, who was stunned when he saw the te of Yun Chicken. ¡°Hey, why does this dish look so strange?¡± his roommate asked curiously. The chicken looks like this after it¡¯s fried with cross cuts,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan exined, turning to Jiang Feng, ¡°This new dish at your restaurant, it reminds me of a dish my grandma used to make for me.¡± He picked up a piece and tasted it. It wasn¡¯t the vor he remembered, but it made Zhang Zhiyuan think of it. ¡°How is it?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s okay, but I think the one my grandma made was tastier. The sauce she made, ah, I don¡¯t know how to make it and can¡¯t describe it. My mom tried learning it too, but it wasn¡¯t the same vor. I¡¯m not saying this dish isn¡¯t good, just that it seems to be missing something.¡± zhang Zhiyuan said apologetically with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s the name of this dish?¡± I haven¡¯t thought of a name yet; I¡¯m still working on the dish. Let¡¯s add each other on WeChat; we can talk about it, and you can give me some suggestions,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Ah? Okay, sure. I¡¯ll ask my momter; my grandma taught her.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan nodded and added Jiang Feng on WeChat. Even though it wasn¡¯t the vor of his memory, Zhang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t help but taste it a few more times. Curious, his roommate also took a bite with his chopsticks. ¡°It¡¯s sweet and sour, ah, I don¡¯t really like this kind of dish,¡± his roommate stated, disappointed, ¡°By the way, you just said your grandma made something very simr; what did your grandma call it?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan fell silent. It was called Yun Chicken. Actually, 1 wanted to eat General Tso¡¯s Chicken at the time, but my grandma didn¡¯t know how to make it, so she just made up a dish to deceive me, saying it was specially made for me, so it was called Yun Chicken.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan remembered the time when he was very young and mored to eat General Tso¡¯s Chicken. ¡°Ah Ma, you¡¯re lying!¡± ¡°Ah Ma, will you make me General Tso¡¯s Chicken tomorrow, please?¡± ¡°Ah Ma, Ah Ma, I just want to eat General Tso¡¯s Chicken!¡± ¡°Yun Yun, do you know what this dish is called?¡± ¡°What is it called?¡± ¡°This is specifically made for you by Ah Ma; it¡¯s called Zhang Zhiyuan Chicken. This is a dish cooked just for Yun Yun; you can call it whatever you want. Ah Ma doesn¡¯t know how to make General Tso¡¯s Chicken, so from now on, is it okay to make this for you instead?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Si, Si, what¡¯s wrong with you? What are you thinking about, eat your meal!¡± his roommate pulled the daydreaming Zhang Zhiyuan back to reality. It s nothing.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan picked up his chopsticks again, ¡°I was just thinking about my Ah Ma.¡± Something he had always missed a lot. Chapter 185 - 184: Kimchi Chapter 185: Chapter 184: Kimchi Trantor: 549690339 The two sirs timed their arrival perfectly for mealtime, which, based on past customer traffic, would mean that the lunch service at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was winding down. Jiang Jiankang had already cooked half of the dishes, and with the addition of two more signature dishes from the two sirs in the kitchen, today¡¯s meals would end on a high note. But today was different. It was almost one o¡¯clock now, and Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was still bustling with customers, and Jiang Feng had even been dispatched to wipe down tables in the dining hall. Jiang Weiguo sensed an unusual atmosphere. Jiang Feng, who was wiping down the table near the entrance, was the first to notice the two sirs. ¡°Grandpa, Granduncle Weiming,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°my dad just started cooking, so we¡¯ll probably have to wait a bit longer.¡± Jiang Weiming, seeing the Ants Climbing a Tree and Sichuan-style cold noodles on a customer¡¯s table, asked with a smile, ¡°Did Wu whip up some new dishes today?¡± ¡°Not her, it¡¯s her dad. He¡¯s helping in the kitchen,¡± Jiang Feng exined while swiftly clearing empty tes from the table and wiping it clean. Jiang Weiming thought for a moment and then said to Jiang Weiguo, ¡°Wu¡¯s dad should be Wu Hanxue, Old Mr. Wu¡¯s eldest son. I¡¯ve told you about him before ¡ªhe¡¯s talented, and by now, he should be the head chef at Wu Family Restaurant. Let¡¯s go take a look; it¡¯s been over a decade since I¡¯ve seen him.¡± Wu Hanxue was still busy making Ants Climbing a Tree. He couldn¡¯t remember which batch this was¡ªeven at Wu Family Restaurant, he rarely had such a busy time, nor did he have to make the same few dishes so repeatedly and intensely. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Wu Hanxue ted the Ants Climbing a Tree and took it off the stove. ¡°Qiqi, how many dishes are left?¡± Wu Hanxue asked. Wu Minqi nced at the notes, ¡°3 servings of Sichuan-style cold noodles, 1 serving of braised chicken with chestnuts.¡± Jiang Jiankang had already started snacking on a cucumber. ¡°Dad, Uncle Three!¡± Seeing the two sirs, Jiang Jiankang hurried over to update them on his cooking progress, ¡°I¡¯ve made a dish of Di San Xian, a dish of Kung Pao chicken, and a dish of braised codfish, take a look¡ª ¡± Jiang Weiguo nced at the prep station and, seeing the ingredients for Oil Exploded Crispy Meat ready to go, said, ¡°Since we have guests, I¡¯ll make a couple of extra good dishes.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Jiang Jiankang beamed with joy. Jiang Weiming approached Wu Hanxue and said, ¡°You can take a break; I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Young man, save the Oil Exploded Crispy Meat for me to make at the end.¡± In terms of Shandong cuisine, Jiang Weiguo wasn¡¯t as skilled as Jiang Weiming. ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied. Finally getting a chance to catch his breath, Wu Hanxue took a paper towel from Wu Minqi to wipe his sweat, and made polite conversation with Jiang Weiming, ¡°Uncle Jiang, my dad heard about you from Qiqi after the New Year and has been saying he wants to meet you.¡± ¡°I bet his exact words weren¡¯t so polite. How¡¯s he doing these days?¡± Jiang Weiming asked with a smile. Back then, in Shu province¡¯s capital, Jiang Weiming and Wu Xiujun (Wu Minqi¡¯s grandfather) were the two most renowned chefs, their culinary skills on par with each other. Jiang Weiming¡¯s best dish wasn¡¯t Chopped Chili Fish Head, but Chicken Broth Tofu Pudding. It only became his signature because foreign guests had praised it, outshining Wu Xiujun¡¯s. Because of that, their rtionship wasn¡¯t exactly harmonious. Jiang Weiming had a good temper, but Wu Xiujun was hot-headed, much like Jiang Weiguo, often speaking curtly to Jiang Weiming. Now, so many yearster, looking back, there was a sense of nostalgia. ¡°What are you talking about? After so many years, can my dad still be the same as before? He¡¯s in good health, and still asionally takes charge in the kitchen,¡± Wu Hanxue replied after taking a drink of water. ¡°He said that the next time he sees you, he wants to have a cooking contest with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably the only true statement. His temperament really hasn¡¯t changed. I¡¯m too old now, can¡¯tpete anymore. I get tired just making Chopped Chili Fish Head; I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t even make Boiled Cabbage in Broth anymore, have been outssed by him for a long time,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a bitter smile. ¡°Granduncle, you can make Boiled Cabbage in Broth?¡± Jiankang¡¯s eyes lit up. Once, Jianguo had even been punished over this dish, and its impression on the brothers was profound. ¡°I lived in Shu for most of my life, of course, I can. But I¡¯m not as good as Wu Minqi¡¯s grandfather¡ªhis Boiled Cabbage in Broth is the best in all of Shu. By the way, is that dish still a signature at your ce?¡± Jiang Weiming inquired. ¡°My dad hasn¡¯t made it much in recent years. He makes it only a few times in a whole year; it hasn¡¯t been our signature dish for a long time,¡± Wu Hanxue said. During their conversation, another batch of Ants Climbing a Tree was finished. It obviously looked a notch better than the batches made by Wu Hanxue. ¡°Your culinary skills have improved even further,¡± Wu Hanxueplimented. Wu Hanxue chatted casually with Jiang Weiming, Jiang Weiguo was determined to showcase his skills for the customers, Wu Minqi and Jiang Jiankang were onlookers in the kitchen, and Jiang Feng was scrambling around in the dining hall. When all the dishes were ready to serve and the hall had quieted down, with only a few customers left eating, it was finally time for their own meal. The dishes weren¡¯t many, but they were all specialties of Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming. Jiang Feng, tired from a whole afternoon of work, focused only on burying his head and eating voraciously, without the time for chatting or paying attention to anything else. Wu Hanxue and Jiang Weiming would exchange pleasantries from time to time, whereas Wu Minqi¡¯s mother turned out to be unexpectedly talkative, chatting with Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian on a variety of topics. As the conversation gradually veered towards skincare, Mr. Jiang Jiankang was ruthlessly kicked out of the group chat. Unprecedentedly, Jiang Feng ate two and a half bowls of rice and put down his chopsticks contentedly. ¡°Are you going to make sugar-coated sweet potatoes for the semifinals?¡± Wu Minqi asked, seeing that Jiang Feng had finished eating. ¡°Yeah.¡± Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Pork belly with mustard greens.¡± ¡°Mustard greens?¡± Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t heard of this dish before. ¡°It¡¯s a type of pickled vegetable from our area, a bit like preserved mustard greens, but spicier. The cooking method is actually quite simr to pork with preserved mustard greens,¡± Wu Minqi exined. Jiang Feng was skeptical about Wu Minqi¡¯s definition of ¡°a bit spicy.¡± ¡°Have you notified the organizers about the ingredients? It might be hard to find mustard greens around here. What if the quality isn¡¯t up to par?¡± Jiang Feng began to worry for hispetitor. ¡°I called the organizers about itst night. I know there¡¯s an old shop in our area that sells high-quality mustard greens, so I gave them the address as well. The staff from Good Taste called me this morning to say that they had already set out for Shu,¡± Wu Minqi said. Jiang Feng:¡­ He had forgotten that the staff of Good Taste were capable of anything. ¡°By the way, Mr. Jiang, can I use the kitchen this afternoon to practice?¡± Wu Minqi looked towards Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Feel free to use it. Let your uncle know if you need anything; I¡¯ll go buy it for you,¡± Jiang Jiankang replied quite generously. ¡°Thankyou so much for the trouble,¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s mother said. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, just a small thing. My son needs to practice too; the kitchen is always avable for these kids in the afternoon. Mrs. Wu, what was the name of that skincare brand you were talking about just now?¡± Wang Xiulian steered the topic back to skincare. ¡°It¡¯s a rtively niche brand that I saw in Japan, but it¡¯s really effective, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Jiang Jiankang continued to be excluded from the group chat. ¡°Dad, how many jars of mustard greens did you bring?¡± Wu Minqi asked again. ¡°Two jars.¡± ¡°What about kimchi?¡± ¡°Brought it.¡± ¡°Kimchi? Do you also use kimchi for the pork belly dish?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised. ¡°No, it¡¯s not for the pork belly. It¡¯s for you all to eat,¡± Wu Minqi rified. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my family¡¯s pickled red-skin white radish and cowpeas were delicious? So I had my dad bring along two jars,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Oh¡­ I feel so embarrassed.¡± Instantly, Jiang Feng remembered the pickles he had eaten at the start of term, and his mouth watered. Pickles from Shu, so tasty! Even the spicy peppers are delicious! ¡°It¡¯s just two jars of pickles, nothing much.¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s mother nced at Wu Minqi and smiled subtly. ¡°Mrs. Wu, how about we go shopping tomorrow? There¡¯s a store downtown that seems to be getting new stock tomorrow,¡± Wang Xiulian felt that she and Wu Minqi¡¯s mother hit it off immediately, the more they talked, the better they got along. ¡°Sure,¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s mother replied with a smile. Chapter 186 - 185: Braised Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens Chapter 186: Chapter 185: Braised Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens Trantor: 549690339 The pickled vegetable pork belly is a very famous home-cooked dish in Shu, made by almost every household; it¡¯s also the most popr and convenient delicacy for Shu people when dining out, featuring glossy soy-braised pork belly paired with the perfectly seasoned Yibin pickled vegetables. Fatty without being greasy, it leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth. This was the most artistic description Jiang Feng could give for the te of pickled vegetable pork belly that Wu Minqi had just taken out of the pot. Indeed it was mildly spicy, with the heat barely detectable, and chewing slowly revealed the sweetness of the honey that had been spread on the pork skin before frying. Theyered pork belly had a rich texture, and the pickled vegetables, which were sted with star anise, Sichuan pepper, ginger, and garlic after nching, had an even better taste, enticingly aromatic. Jiang Feng looked at his own batch of sweet and sour yam that had juste out of the pot, scornfully pushed aside by Mrs. Wang Xiulian to cool, and which no longer pulled into strings, and sighed deeply. Because he wasn¡¯t skilled with the sugar syrup base, the sweet and sour yam he made wasn¡¯t even as good as it had been at its peak that morning. At its peak, the sweet and sour yam hadn¡¯t achieved a B grade, and having just tasted a piece of Wu Minqi¡¯s pickled vegetable pork belly, Jiang Feng estimated it to be at least a B grade, even though he couldn¡¯t see the disy. ¡°Girl Wu, your pickled vegetable pork belly was removed from the pot a bit early; steaming for a full two hours would make it more vorful. The essence of pork bellyes from strong vors; the stronger the vor, the more delicious it is,¡± Jiang Weiming, who was getting older and couldn¡¯t eat such greasy dishes too often,mented after having just a small taste. Jiang Feng¡¯s mentor had also be hispetitor. ¡°Feng, keep practicing. You just need more practice. You¡¯re not yet used to it and haven¡¯t found the feeling,¡± said Jiang Weiming, turning to Jiang Feng. ¡°Alright, Granduncle Weiming.¡± All afternoon, the back kitchen of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was filled with the sauce fragrance of pickled vegetable pork belly and the sweet scent of sweet and sour yam. Wu Minqi¡¯s pickled vegetable pork belly got better and better, each batch more tempting and tender than thest. Jiang Feng also started to get back in the groove, visibly improving at a rapid pace. Wu Hanxue was guiding Wu Minqi in the kitchen, while Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming provided nonpartisan guidance to Jiang Feng, asionally giving tips to Wu Minqi as well. Jiang Weiming was a man of few words, but everyment he made was pointed and weighty, touching upon the critical aspects. After an afternoon ofbat with yams and sugar, Wu Minqi, on her own, benefited from the guidance of two specially ranked first-grade chefs and one specially ranked second-grade chef, while Jiang Jiankang was busy at the culinary station preparing ingredients for the evening service. Ji Yue and Wang Xiulian, who were indulging in the eats, saw the afternoon¡¯s practice dishes turn into special deals for the evening, tranting into crisp cash floating into WangXiulian¡¯s pockets. Wang Xiulian might be the biggest winner. This situation continued until Saturday. The 16th was next Monday, leaving only two days before the semifinals. These days, Jiang Feng had been making sweet and sour yams using Jiang Huiqin¡¯s method every morning, and practicing sugar syrup base under the guidance of the two elders in the afternoon, gradually regaining his touch and making some progress. However, with an outstanding example before him, anyone with a normal sense of taste could tell that Wu Minqi¡¯s pickled vegetable pork belly was superior, and no one could look him in the eye and lie, encouraging him that he could win the contest. On Friday, the organizers phoned Wu Minqi to let her know that Good Taste¡¯s procurement staff had sessfullypleted their purchasing mission and returned full load, assuring her there was no need to worry about ingredient issues. Good Taste¡¯s omnipotent staff were adding the finishing touches to Wu Minqi¡¯s victory. Wu Hanxue¡¯s menu in the back kitchen had expanded beyond chestnut chicken, ants climbing a tree, and Sichuan cold noodles, it now included dishes like Mapo tofu, boiled fish fillets, strange-vored chicken chunks, dry-fried beef strips, and whatever they could make with avable ingredients and seasonings. For a time, Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was almost conquered by students from Shu; the back kitchen was on the verge of bing a dominion of Sichuan cuisine. Saturday was the day Jiang Feng, Zhang Xi, and Zhang Guanghang had agreed to meet for porridge. To wee Zhang Guanghang¡¯s arrival, Ji Yue cleaned up the lobby after the midday rush until it was spotless, dust free, and even took time off to change into her cherished Burberry trench coat. Even though the highest temperature was only 14 degrees Celsius today, apanied by gentle winds and light rain, nothing could stop her determination to look stylish despite the cold. Ji Yue took more than an hour to change her clothes,pleting a full set of beauty treatments, which made Jiang Feng somewhat suspect she was preparing for a blind date with Zhang Guanghang tonight. Eight treasure congee was already simmering on the stove, Wu Hanxue¡¯s two cans of pickled vegetables had just sold out, and the kitchen practice fanatic Wu Minqi had also stopped her exercises, taking a break and waiting for Jiang Feng, who was slowly catching up in the back. ¡°When will they arrive?¡± Wu Minqi asked, shifting from practicing pickled vegetable pork belly to cooking ginger chicken. Ginger chicken had been particrly poprtely; it had always been made by Wu Hanxue until today, when he was pulled away by Jiang Jiankang to visit Mr. Qian¡¯s pig farm, leaving Wu Minqi to take over. Mr. Qian had several good pigs to sell tomorrow, and Jiang Jiankang, unsure of his own judgment, took the expert Wu Hanxue for advice, not expecting to return until five or six o¡¯clock. Wang Xiulian and Wu Minqi¡¯s mother had gone shopping together. Once two women with simr interests and well-filled wallets got together, the resulting chemistry could be quite fearsome. They had left first thing in the morning, and Jiang Feng doubted they would return even after mealtime. The two old masters weren¡¯t in the store, and the kitchen had only Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi each working on their own dishes. Ji Yue had nothing to do and was aimlessly wandering around the kitchen in her Burberry coat, which she had bought two years ago when her family was still affluent. ¡°You¡¯ll be serving dishester, aren¡¯t you afraid of getting stters on your coat?¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help butment while keeping an eye on the yams in the pot. Ji Yue felt like she had been struck by a blow. After thinking for a few minutes and weighing up beauty and money, looks and living hand-to-mouth, Ji Yue went back to change into normal clothes that favored warmth over style. ¡°Why would Zhang Guanghang think ofing here for porridge?¡± Wu Minqi, who had been busy making sauce, suddenly asked. Jiang Feng thought about it and said uncertainly, ¡°Maybe because¡­ he wants to establish a good rtionship in advance, since they will be colleagues in the future.¡± ¡°Colleagues?¡± Wu Minqi didn¡¯t know about the connection between Zhang Guanghang, the Jiang Family, and Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng took the time it took to half-cook the sweet and sour yam to exin the background of the situation to her. ¡°Sometimes I feel like this world is really small; wherever you go, you run into people with connections,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Does that mean Taifeng Building will be opening soon?¡± asked Wu Minqi. ¡°At least not until the summer holidays. My eldest cousin has already been in touch with the construction team. I also asked Professor Li a few days ago, and he said he could help connect us with a reputable team. I have the renovation blueprint right here. As soon as the work starts, the opening day won¡¯t be far,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°What about the staff?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just have to hire normally. I¡¯m not worried about the service staff, but finding chefs is difficult. Taifeng Building is quiterge, but there¡¯s still time,¡± Jiang Feng said with his usual ability to take things in stride. Wu Minqi kept working, peeling ginger and chopping it fine to juice, and after waiting a while to see if Jiang Feng had anything more to say, she spoke up. ¡°What do you think about me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean, what if I apply for a job at Taifeng Building? What do you think?¡± asked Wu Minqi. ¡°Great, that¡¯s great, of course, that¡¯s great. You, you, you applying to Taifeng Building, I would definitely wee, wee it,¡± Jiang Feng stammered in surprise, having been bombarded by pie from the sky these past few days, each piece hitting him squarely, leaving himpletely flustered. First it was Zhang Guanghang a few days ago, and now Wu Minqi. Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Gu Li ran up to him the day after tomorrow and said, ¡°Coach, I think¡­¡± No, it would be ¡°Boss, I want to work with you!¡± That wouldn¡¯t surprise Jiang Feng at all. ¡°Why, why would you want toe to Taifeng Building? Doesn¡¯t your family, that is¡­¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t understand why Wu Minqi would leave her well- established Wu Family Restaurant to join Taifeng Building whose opening date wasn¡¯t even set. ¡°Because we¡¯re friends,¡± said Wu Minqi. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Just kidding. Our Wu Family Restaurant specializes only in Sichuan cuisine, and over these years, my grandfather has also recognized its limitations and wanted me to learn from masters of other cuisines for a few years. Taifeng Building is in Beiping, and Beiping has a collection of masters from various cuisines. It would be a great opportunity for me to improve myself by studying there for a few years,¡± Wu Minqi exined. Jiang Feng felt he had nothing to say but to cheer for the big shot with a chant of¡¯666¡ä. Look at Wu Minqi¡¯s vision and foresight, then look at himself. Then look back at the pot. Oh no, he had overdone the fire control. Jiang Feng was miserably capsized. Jiang Jiankang and Wu Hanxue came back before the evening rush, and with the shared experience of looking at pigs, the rtionship between Jiang Jiankang and Wu Hanxue advanced by leaps and bounds in just an afternoon. Perhaps finding simr interests in pigs made them feel like they had discovered a like-minded buddy, and they even made a pact in the kitchen to sneak out without their wives to the mall to look at kitchen knives tomorrow. Jiang Feng:¡­ He sneaked over to Wu Minqi and asked in a low voice, ¡°Does your dad also like to buy kitchen knives?¡± Wu Minqi nodded and responded, ¡°Mr. Jiang, you really like buying kitchen knives?¡± Jiang Feng nodded solemnly. All the private stash of money that Jiang Jiankang had been saving up was used to buy kitchen knives, which Mrs. Wang Xiulian discovered batch after batch, more prolific than leeks ¨C they thrive despite being repeatedly cut down. Zhang Guanghang arrived at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant right at seven o¡¯clock, and his presence at the entrance instantly became a spectacle. The part-time sis at the milk tea shop across the street was so enchanted that she instantly forgot she had a boyfriend. ¡°Hello, may I¡­¡± Zhang Guanghang had not yet finished speaking when Ji Yue eagerly cut in. ¡°Yes, yes, Jiang Feng is in the kitchen, and Zhang Xi hasn¡¯t arrived yet. He asked you to go upstairs first, let me take you there!¡± Ji Yue revealed her sweetest smile. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Zhang Guanghang smiled. A floor below, a collective gasp ensued. ¡°Oh my god, if my boyfriend had a face that handsome, even if he were a total straight-edge, I¡¯d still be down,¡± sighed a good-looking girl. ¡°What about your boyfriend?¡± her decidedly iner singleton friend at the same table inquired. ¡°He¡­ugh, let¡¯s not talk about it, I get angry just mentioning. We just had a fight yesterday, forgetit, let¡¯s eat,¡± said the beautiful girl, lowering her head to her meal. At the neighboring Shaxian Snacks, the boyfriend who had just been dissed by the aforementioned beauty was venting to a colleague, ¡°How can she be like this? She¡¯s not a kid anymore. She wants everything she sees, like a kindergarten child. Even an elementary student is more mature than her.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did she want you to buy her?¡± the melon-eating onlookers gossiped with curiosity. ¡°We were walking just fine yesterday, and her shoce came undone. She insisted I tie it for her even though she wasn¡¯t carrying anything. It¡¯s all because she watches too many idol dramas.¡± ¡°Just tie it for her and it¡¯s done,¡± a melon-eating onlooker said. ¡°No, you can¡¯t tie! You can¡¯t start that precedent! Last time, she saw someone bringing their girlfriend lunch, and she wanted me to do the same. She has her hands and feet; she¡¯s fully capable of ordering takeout. She just insisted I bring it, and it infuriated me so much that we had a big fight!¡± The melon-eating onlookers: ¡°??? Isn¡¯t bringing lunch asionally a romantic gesture?¡± ¡°No way!¡± the boyfriend stated emphatically, ¡°You can¡¯t start that habit. The first time, it¡¯s charming; the second time, it¡¯s gratitude; the third time, it bes an expectation; the fourth time you don¡¯t do it, and suddenly you¡¯re at fault. Absolutely not, you can¡¯t even start once!¡± The melon-eating onlookers:¡­ Jiang Jiankang, who happened to overhear the whole conversation while paying at Shaxian Snacks:¡­ The young people today just don¡¯t get it. Back in his dating days, he used to rack up those talent points, sending ice pops in the summer and hot soup in the winter ¨C such people¡­ No, wait, if that kind of person can get a girlfriend, why is his son still single? Jiang Jiankang was lost in thought. At a quarter past seven, Zhang Xi entered Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant with a heavy backpack on her shoulders. Zhang Xi, wearing a sporty school uniform that could remind every UAL University student of their high school days, and carrying a backpack stuffed with tutoring books and exam papers, just happened to bump into Jiang Feng,ing from the kitchen with a bowl of Eight Treasures Porridge, and Wu Minqi carrying a te of pickled vegetables and crispy pork fat. ¡°What a coincidence,e on up,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Zhang Xi had taken the subway here right after school, and because the teachers¡¯ extended lectures dyed her, she arrived a bitte. Arrivingte was better than arriving early, as the Eight Treasures Porridge was just ready, and Zhang Xi didn¡¯t miss the best time to enjoy it. The pickled vegetables were specially brought from the Shu region by Wu Hanxue. Wu Minqi selected some red-skinned white radishes, while Jiang Feng had just fried the pork fat until it was still hot, fragrant and inviting. Crispy pork fat, white radish, and Eight Treasures Porridge, crunching and slurping¡ªthe food of gods wouldn¡¯t trade for a day like this. After a day of sses, Zhang Xi gulped down two bowls of Eight Treasures Porridge, put down her bowl, and exhaled a long breath, sincerely eximing, ¡°This is really the best Eight Treasures Porridge I¡¯ve ever had in my life!¡± ¡°Jiang Feng¡¯s porridge cooking skills are indeed exquisite,¡± Zhang Guanghang admitted. Unlike Zhang Xi, who simply came to enjoy the porridge, Zhang Guanghang was here for a serious reason. After finishing most of his porridge, he finally spoke, ¡°About the opening of Taifeng Building, how are your nsing along?¡± ¡°My granduncle has finally agreed. My elder cousin is contacting headhunters and construction teams. Once the renovation is done, we can open. If all goes well, we could open in August,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°If there are any financial issues, I can cover them for now. I can also help connect you with staff and signage. I just hope¡­ that Taifeng Building can open as soon as possible.¡± Seeing Zhang Guanghang¡¯s urgent manner, Jiang Feng asked, ¡°Is it you¡­¡± ¡°Yesterday, my master¡¯s primary physician called me and told me he probably doesn¡¯t have much time left,¡± Zhang Guanghang sighed. ¡°I just want him to leave without any regrets.¡± The topic was a bit heavy, and Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want to dwell on it, ¡°We will do it as quickly as we can.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Zhang Xi, part of the porridge-eating crowd, didn¡¯t understand any of this and asked somewhat nkly, ¡°Taifeng Building?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a restaurant that Jiang Feng¡¯s family owns in Beiping,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°It¡¯s about to open.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± ZhangXi eximed in admiration, unaware of the specifics, ¡°That¡¯s so cool, I¡¯ve always wanted to be a chef at a restaurant in Beiping.¡± ¡°Thene to Taifeng Building,¡± Jiang Feng said with augh. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Zhang Xiughed out loud. After having their fill and finishing their business, Zhang Xi and Zhang Guanghang took their leave. Ji Yue also took the opportunity to say goodbye to Zhang Guanghang, getting a smile in return and thrilling her for half the day. After closing time, Jiang Feng returned to his dorm. Wang Hao had been hot and heavy with his beloved Zhenzhen these past days .almost fusing with his phone in constant chat. When Jiang Feng got back, he was still talking with Zhenzhen. After a simple wash-up, he turned off the lights and went to bed. Sitting on the bed, as usual, he checked his attribute panel before going to sleep. His experience in fire control had increased quite a bit, while his knifework and seasoning hadn¡¯t changed much. Scrolling down¡ª [Turn Enemies into Friends]Mission Progress (4/5) Huh? Was Zhang Xi serious?! Another mission progress had just fallen from the sky! Jiang Feng instantly felt ted. I, indeed, am the chosen protagonist! Chapter 187 - 186: Beef Noodles Chapter 187: Chapter 186: Beef Noodles Trantor: 549690339 April 16th, suitable for building houses, weddings, settling disputes, travel, medical treatment, praying for blessings, taking up new posts, umting wealth, seeking progeny, bed cement, contract signing, engagement, nting, opening granaries, mourning, granting amnesty, sacrificial offerings, tomb maintenance, school enrollment, drilling, and bringing in sons-inw. Jiang Feng stared at the ancient almanac in front of him, which Wang Hao had somehow acquiredst year. It was a bit curled at the edges, the pages were yellowed, and it was filled with old superstitious beliefs. After studying the almanac all morning, Jiang Feng still couldn¡¯t find any evidence within it that suggested he would make a miraculouseback on his birthday and advance to the finals. ¡°Eh, Feng, where did you dig this thing up from? I searched for so longst year.¡± Wang Hao came runningback, drenched in sweat, and immediately looked for clothes to take a shower in the bathroom. ¡°Under your bed.¡± Jiang Feng continued his research. Wang Hao leaned over to take a look: ¡°Why are you looking atst year¡¯s almanac?¡± Upon closer inspection, it indeed was fromst year, no wonder it seemed a bit off. After returning the outdated almanac to where it belonged, Jiang Feng put on his coat and prepared to leave. Wang Hao, carrying a bucket, was ready to enter the bathroom and shouted at the door, ¡°Feng, good luck in the contest!¡± Jiang Feng gave an OK sign with his hand. In the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Jiang Jiankang had already prepared Jiang Feng¡¯s birthday meal for this year. This year¡¯s birthday meal was definitely a luxurious special edition. The dish was beef noodles, not only featuringrge chunks of beef cooked overnight until incredibly tender and breaking apart at the slightest touch, but also bright green garlic shoots and spicy sauce borrowed from the noodle shop across the street. Two eggs were nestled in, soaked in the beef juices beneath, cooked to a perfect soft boil that would burst with a gentle poke, leaving a runny yolk. Beef noodles are appreciated for their ¡®one clear, two white, three red, four green¡¯ attributes: a clear soup, white noodles, added with spicy sauce and garlic shoots ¨C making the bowl of beef noodles Jiang Jiankang made quite authentic. ¡°Sone on over, the noodles have juste off the stove, and the pork knuckle is still heating up in the kitchen. I¡¯ll bring it out for you now,¡± Jiang Jiankang said cheerily, suspicious sauce stains at theer of his mouth. Jiang Feng¡¯s favorite were the soft-boiled eggs; he could envelop one entirely in his mouth. The egg white was smooth and tender, and the warm yolk would burst in his mouth with just a light bite ¨C a true moment of happiness for an egg enthusiast like Jiang Feng. After swallowing down the two eggs, Jiang Feng was still a bit unsatisfied, so he ate a piece of beef, then contentedly started on the noodles. The noodles were chewy and the broth was savory with a hint of saltiness. The spicy sauce from the noodle shop across the street was Master Huang¡¯s own recipe, not overly spicy but nicely salted, which made the noodles taste especially good when mixed in. By the time Jiang Feng had slurped down half a bowl of beef noodles, Jiang Jiankang brought out the rock sugar pork knuckle that had been slowly steamed overnight from the back kitchen. The knuckle was a fresh delivery from Mr. Qian¡¯s pig farm yesterday, and although it couldn¡¯tpare to a knuckle from a pig raised by their own hands, it was still better than most of what could be bought on the market. Rock sugar pork knuckle is a signature dish of the Tan Family Cuisine, one of the three famous knuckles of Jinan. What Jiang Jiankang made was called the crown rock sugar knuckle, akin to Dongpo knuckle, both in name only, having little to do with the authentic version. Still, even as an imitation, after a night s worth of steaming, the knuckle¡¯s skin gleamed a bright red, the meat was tender and crumbled easily with a prod of the chopsticks, the savory and sweet vors mingled harmoniously, and the sauce had prated fully into the meat. It could be said to be the most meticulously cooked knuckle by Jiang Jiankang this year. The serving of beef noodles was no small portion, and the knuckle was sizeable too. Having finished the noodles and eaten half of the knuckle, Jiang Feng could only gaze at the rest of the meat and sigh. He burped, hand covering mouth, half afraid that the noodles woulde right up with the burp. ¡°Son, are you full?¡± Jiang Jiankang held the beef noodles and eyed therge leftover portion of knuckle in front of Jiang Feng, ready to move in at any moment. ¡°Full, burp, yes.¡± Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t felt so stuffed in a long time. ¡°I¡¯ll go out for a walk, burp, to digest.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Wang Xiulian said, carrying a bowl of beef noodles that had so much beef you couldn¡¯t see the noodles underneath. Shedled a spoonful of broth from the pot of stewed beef onto the meat. ¡°And pick up a couple of bags of paper napkins from the supermarket on your way back. We¡¯re almost out in the restaurant.¡± After wandering around the food court twice, Jiang Feng headed to China Resources Vanguard and bought two big bags of paper towels. Feeling less stuffed, he walked back carrying his purchases. Ji Yue was already in the lobby, with a bowl of beef noodles in hand, chanting to herself, ¡°Fating beef won¡¯t make you fat, eating beef won¡¯t make you fat, eating beef won¡¯t make you fat¡­¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Ever since Jiang Feng started high school, birthdays hadn¡¯t been anything special. As a child, they would buy a cream birthday cake to appease the little ones, but as he grew up, even a birthday cake became unnecessary. Jiang Jiankang would prepare a bowl of noodles with two eggs and a portion of pork knuckle. Wang Xiulian would buy Jiang Feng a pair of shoes or a piece of clothing. Inviting friends out for a meal wasn¡¯t as good as a feast at home. A perfect ending to a perfect birthday. Heading to the kitchen at thest minute to practice making Sweet and Sour Yam, adhering to the principle of ¡°better to sharpen your weapons at the eleventh hour than to go to battle unarmed,¡± Jiang Feng procrastinated until after 12 p.m. After quickly eating a bit of lunch, he set out for the provincial TV station with Wu Minqi. This time everyone arrived quite early. When Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi got there, Gu Li was already backstage, and had finished checking the ingredients. When the staff took Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi to the small room where the ingredients were kept, Zhang Guanghang happened to walk backstage, and the three of them met in the small room. The ingredients Jiang Feng needed weren¡¯t much to look at-just yams, oil, and sugar. Wu Minqi paid close attention to the sprouts and Wuhua pork, nodding in satisfaction. Over by another refrigerated cab, Jiang Feng spotted pig maw and chicken gizzards. As a Shandong Chef with outstanding Cooking Porridge skills, he instantly realized that Zhang Guanghang was nning to make a dish called ¡®Fried Crispy Double Delight.¡¯ Stepping out of the small room, Jiang Feng asked, ¡°Are you making ¡®Fried Crispy Double Delight¡¯?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Zhang Guanghang nodded. Jiang Feng took a sharp breath, admiring Zhang Guanghang¡¯s courage and skill in his heart. As one of the most difficult dishes to create in Chinese cuisine, ¡®Fried Crispy Double Delight¡¯ had been astonishingly popr since its inception, coveted by nobility and high officials. To dare to make such a dish, with its almost pathologically stringent fire control requirements, in front of esteemed master judges, was a bold move that left Jiang Feng struggling to find words other than ¡°masterful¡± and ¡°bold.¡± Jiang Jiankang had been a chef for many years and still had asional failures when making ¡®Fried Crispy Double Delight.¡¯ However, the diners at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant usually couldn¡¯t tell-the non-experts were easy to deceive with no problem at all. The three of them chatted together. Gu Li silently checked his phone, enduring the long and tedious wait. Jiang Feng felt a bit panicked, thinking he was most likely doomed this time, yet he harbored a sliver of hope. What if he turned out to be a contestant who only performed well during thepetition? Amidst anxiety and unease, time slowly passed. Jiang Feng checked his phone, 6:20 p.m. Thepetition was due to start in an hour and forty minutes. He nced at Gu Li a few times; he was expressionless, not speaking, veryposed, impossible to tell whether he was confident or resigned. Actually the contestant at the biggest disadvantage in the semi-finals wasn¡¯t Jiang Feng, who couldn¡¯t make porridge, but Gu Li, a White Chef who couldn¡¯t make noodles. Jiang Feng felt even more nervous. As he grew more anxious, time ticked by and the staff called everyone together for the prepetition briefing. ¡°To the four contestants, first, I would like to congratte you on making it to the national semifinals. There¡¯s only twenty minutes left before thepetition starts. I believe you are all familiar with the rules and there¡¯s no need for me to repeat them. There will be some changes in the panel of judges for this round. Judge Han Guishan has be a special guest-he will taste but not score. Our new judge is someone you all know, the founder of ¡®Taste,¡¯ Mr. Xu Cheng.¡± ¡°Please proceed to the rest area on stage and take your seats. Thepetition will begin shortly.¡± Chapter 188 - 187: Crispy Fried in Oil Double Crunch and Ruyi Rolls Chapter 188: Chapter 187: Crispy Fried in Oil Double Crunch and Ruyi Rolls Trantor: 549690339 The stir-fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard, belonging to Shandong cuisine, originated in the middle period of the Qing Dynasty and requires a dish that is rich in color, aroma, taste, and shape, mainly using the method of quick stir- frying in hot oil. The authentic preparation of stir-fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard is extremely difficult, with very strict demands on fire control: one second under and it¡¯s undercooked, one second over and it¡¯s no longer crispy. The stir-fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard was initially called ¡®exploded double slices,¡¯ but because customers praised the dish as being both crisp and tender, it was renamed stir-fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard. The term ¡®crispy¡¯ alsoes from the fact that the dish is made with pig tripe and chicken gizzards, both of which contain a significant amount of water, earning the dish its name for being exquisitely tender and crisp. In ¡®Records of Garden Cuisine¡¯, it is recorded, ¡°Clean the pig tripe and take the thickest part, removing the skin from both sides, using only the middle, cut into dice-sized pieces, stir-fry in hot oil, add seasoning and remove from the heat when extremely crispy. This is the northern method.¡± This was the rudimentary form of stir-fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard. After the hostess introduced the newly joined judges and Han Guishan, who had transitioned from a judge to a special guest, she looked at the rest area with a smile and said sweetly, ¡°The first group of contestants are Zhang Guanghang and Gu Li, with Zhang Guanghang¡¯spetition dish being stir-fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard, and Gu Li¡¯spetition dish being Ruyi Rolls. Thepetition will start in three minutes, please have both contestantse on stage to prepare.¡± ¡°Stir-fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard? That¡¯s something.¡± Xu Cheng, who had be more demanding with age, was somewhat more lenient toward young chefs, but only just so. Hearing that Zhang Guanghang dared to attempt stir-fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard, his anticipation grew. ¡°Didn¡¯t you look at the information I gave you?¡± Han Guishan asked. He had already thoroughly researched the four contestants¡¯petition dishes: stir- fried crispy pork and chicken gizzard as a renowned dish, Ruyi Rolls that could just pass as a main dish, Sweet and Sour Yam for dessert, and sprouts with braised pork as the grand finale. This tasting order was quite delightful. If there were just a few bowls of eight-treasure porridge, Han Guishan expressed some regret. ¡°Knowing ahead of time isn¡¯t interesting; the surprisees from finding out on the spot,¡± Xu Cheng said. The other four judges had varied expressions, all of them looking at Gu Li withplex looks on their faces, remaining silent. Even Pei Shenghua, normally talkative, didn¡¯t speak up. ¡°What about Ruyi Rolls¡­¡± Xu Cheng had just started speaking when he realized, looking towards Gu Li, ¡°It¡¯s actually Ruyi Rolls.¡± ¡°What about Ruyi Rolls?¡± Now, Han Guishan was the only one who was still confused among the judges. ¡°Ruyi Rolls are a type of pastry from the Manchu Han Imperial Feast, specifically from the Mongolian nobility feasts, which had been lost for some time. They wereter restored by Master Tan ording to ancient texts and were one of Master Tan¡¯s signature pastries before his death,¡± exined Xu Cheng. ¡°Are they difficult?¡± Han Guishan still didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°Very. After Master Tan passed away, no one could reproduce that taste,¡± Xu Cheng said with regret. It had been nine years since Master Tan¡¯s death, and in all that time, he had never again tasted Ruyi Rolls that satisfied him. ¡°Actually, Cai Bo, Gu Li¡¯s senior fellow apprentice, also achieved eight-tenths of Master Tan¡¯s skill in making Ruyi Rolls,¡± Pei Shenghua remarked. ¡°Only eight-tenths,¡± Xu Cheng was a demanding connoisseur. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see how much of Sir Tan¡¯s true skill he has attained,¡± Tong Deyan observed Gu Li. In the rest area, Wu Minqi was also shocked that Gu Li was actually going to make Ruyi Rolls, and after exining the origins of Ruyi Rolls to Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi remarked, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t make them well, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± What awaited him would be even more severe cold ridicule and mockery. They wouldugh at his overestimation of his abilities, mock him for disgracing his mentor, and scorn him for tarnishing the reputation of histe master. For no apparent reason, Jiang Feng thought of Jiang Weisheng. ¡°Actually, his abilities are not bad.¡± Jiang Feng, as an observer who was unfamiliar with Gu Li¡¯s past training experiences, expressed his rtively objective opinion, ¡°His foundational skills are very solid, steady and sure. He will be an excellent White Chef.¡± ¡°He will,¡± Wu Minqi agreed. ¡°My grandfather said a long time ago that he would be an even better Master White Chef than Master Tan.¡± For over a decade, Gu Li, amidst the mockery and contempt from his peers, persisted in learning and practicing his culinary arts day after day, year after year, never once speaking of giving up, never showing a hint of negligence. Heaven never fails those who are willing to work hard and keep their feet on the ground; if Jiang Weisheng, with such poor talent, could still be a qualified Red Chef, Gu Li¡¯s talent really wasn¡¯t bad. He would only get better and better, reaching heights far beyond those who had once followed suit in mocking him. Upon careful reflection, Jiang Feng suddenly realized that Gu Li was the one following the protagonist¡¯s temte. Widely recognized as a failure, the disgrace of a master, born into a Culinary Aristocracy, he moved forward step by step under the weight of ridicule, a spitting image of a male protagonist in an inspirational novel. Now he was just short of a turning point, like astounding everyone by defeating a recognized genius, the underdog overturning expectations, a culinarypetition, winning the championship in one fell swoop, former enemies¡­ beneath his feet. He was just missing a system that fell from the sky or a grandfather sleeping in a kitchen knife. Jiang Feng¡¯s expression gradually grewplex. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wu Minqi noticed the change in Jiang Feng¡¯s expression. ¡°Nothing¡­ nothing at all.¡± On thepetition ground, Zhang Guanghang had already peeled off the fat and tough tendons from the pork stomach tips, washed them, scored them with a crisscross pattern of knifework, and mixed them with salt and wet starch. The actual stir-frying of the ¡®Double Crunch¡¯ in oil only takes a few minutes, sess or failure decided in the blink of an eye, but the preparatory work is very tedious. Chicken gizzards must be cleaned, stripped of their inner and outer sinews and scored with cross-cuts only two millimeters apart, simr to the pork stomach tips, then mixed with salt and wet starch. Each pork stomach tip can only be cut into six pieces, demanding high standards for the ingredients. The thickening sauce requires clear broth, Shaoxing wine, monosodium glutamate, fine salt, wet starch to be mixed together. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s knifework was exquisite, and he processed the ingredients quickly, which seemed even faster when contrasted with Gu Li¡¯sparatively slow movements. The making of Ruyi Rolls was equally meticulous: minced pork was chopped into fine paste, then green onions, ginger, Sichuan pepper, Shaoxing wine, fine salt, monosodium glutamate, wet starch, sesame oil, and white meat broth were added and stirred to form the filling. The meat filling was wrapped with egg crepes to form moderately thick and long rolls, coated with flour, and wrapped into the shape of cloud patterns to create Ruyi Rolls. The rolls were ttened into a round shape and then sliced into thick pieces before being fried. The preparation method wasn¡¯t a secret; one could find it online. The hardest part was to shape them ording to the Ruyi and ensure each slice of meat had a clear cloud pattern on the cross-section. The Ruyi Rolls made by Master Tan years ago had a golden and crisp exterior with tender meat inside. Eating it with Sichuan pepper salt as the old texts documented offered a unique vor. Having tasted Master Tan¡¯s Ruyi Rolls, one always found others¡¯cking in vor. Gu Li¡¯s movements were slow and meticulous, seeking stability in slowness, error-free, having his own rhythm, and not getting flustered. The oil in Zhang Guanghang¡¯s wok was already heated to seventy percent, the decisive moment was imminent, while Gu Li was still slowly rolling the Ruyi Rolls, unhurried,pletely indifferent to his opponent¡¯s progress. Pork and chicken gizzards were added to the wok, quickly stirred apart with chopsticks, and strained through ader to drain the oil. Leaving just a little oil in the wok, green onions, ginger, and garlic were not yet fragrant when poured back in along with the chicken gizzards and pork, the thickening sauce was added, the wok was tossed twice, and in a matter of moments, the dish was done. Double Crunch, out of the wok! Chapter 189 - 188: 7000 Times Chapter 189: Chapter 188: 7000 Times Trantor: 549690339 Because the pig stomach tips and chicken gizzards were both scored with a cross pattern, the resulting deep-fried crispy duo was quite beautiful. Zhang Guanghang was particrly skilled at ting, and from afar, it looked like a phoenix spreading its wings. Right after being removed from the wok, the deep-fried crispy duo was steadily ced in front of the judges by the staff member. ¡°Just missed the perfect fire control,¡± Xu Cheng wasn¡¯tpletely satisfied with Zhang Guanghang¡¯s deep-fried crispy duo, ¡°It falls far shortpared to what his master could do.¡± In Xu Cheng¡¯s eyes, there were only two possibilities for this dish: perfection or failure. Whether it was cooked a second too long or too short, it was a case of a miss being as good as a mile. Xia Mushi had a bad temper and an unpleasant character, with few friends, and he was as frugal as his life depended on it. He was often criticized behind his back, but there was no question that he was an outstanding master of Lu cuisine, absolutely devoted to culinary arts. He had mastered all of Chen Qiusheng¡¯s lifetime skills and had spent his own life further perfecting and promoting them. He was not a pure person, but he was indeed a pure chef. Back when Xia Mushi wasn¡¯t besieged by serious illness and could still handle a wok and run his business, Xu Cheng was a regr customer of his. Having tasted the deep-fried crispy duo prepared by Xia Mushi, it was hard for Xu Cheng to offer any praise for the dish currently in front of him. After tasting just one bite, he set down his chopsticks, thought it over briefly, and gave a score of 8 points. Neither high nor low. Han Guishan, as the boss of the Good Taste group and the chief sponsor of thispetition, always gave the impression that he was just there to eat, but indeed, he was also a seasoned businessman with a fortune of over a hundred million. The deep-fried crispy duo, a famous dish, had already spread to Beiping, the Northeast, and Su Province by thete Qjng Dynasty. As a tycoon with hundreds of millions, Han Guishan had tasted plenty of good stuff through his business and social interactions. He too had tasted the deep-fried crispy duo made by Xia Mushi. Although Xia Mushi¡¯s reputation among chefs wasn¡¯t good, in circles of the wealthy like theirs, his reputation was first-rate. Operating the most famous private restaurant in Beiping, he had no particr requirements, no masterful airs, and didn¡¯t indulge in tricks like having to book several days in advance, limit the number of tables per day, or not cooking if the ingredients weren¡¯t fresh. As long as the payment was right, everything else was negotiable. ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright,¡± Han Guishan offered his opinion after tasting a piece of the pig stomach tip. Then he tasted a piece of chicken gizzard. Then another piece of pig stomach tip. ¡°Alright, quite crispy,¡± Han Guishan¡¯s mouth was busy, but he felt something was missing. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Pei Shenghua said. ¡°Indeed, alright,¡± Zhu Chang echoed. ¡°That¡¯s about all you can say for it,¡± Tong Deyan added. Han Guishan was surprised. What was happening today? Why did every professional judge¡¯s assessment seem so simr to his own? Could it be that after these few rounds of critiques, he had developed the professional qualities expected of a professional judge? When the final scores were announced, 8.4 points. It was simply alright. Gu Li was still unhurriedly making Ruyi Rolls, seemingly untouched by the host¡¯s announcement of Zhang Guanghang¡¯s score; his expression remained unaltered, and his hands didn¡¯t skip a beat. He was immersed in his own world, in the sensation of connecting andmunicating with the Ruyi Rolls at his fingertips. Everyone watched Gu Li, all eyes in the auditorium were on him, as they observed him calmly shaping the Ruyi Rolls in his hands, as he cut them into slices with steady cuts, as he used chopsticks to flip the rolls in the pot, watching them slowly turn golden and crisp. Seeing foode to life from someone else¡¯s hands was a wonderful thing. Finally, the Ruyi Rolls were ready. Everyone present felt a strong sense, perhaps unbelievable or beyond their own expectations, but they felt that Gu Li was going to win. The Ruyi Rolls were brought to the judges¡¯ table. They appeared to be exactly alike to those made by Master Tan years ago, as if carved from the same mold. When Master Tan was alive, Ruyi Rolls were the signature dessert of their shop, not particrly expensive, and attracted many toe and try a piece or two, never disappointing in taste. Master Tan was a modest, gentle, and steady man, held in high esteem. Apart from being a bit reticent, Gu Li¡¯s character was quite simr to his master¡¯s. The Ruyi Rolls were not just Master Tan¡¯s signature dessert; they were precious memories for many people. Including the five judges sitting at the table. Zang Mu had a very good personal rtionship with Master Tan, and he had been instrumental in getting Gu Li a position at Taste House behind the scenes. Seeing the Ruyi Rolls in front of him, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°The fact that he can make it look like this shows his dedication.¡± Xu Cheng picked up a piece. After a long while, he started, ¡°This is the taste.¡± ¡°Master Tan didn¡¯t ept him as a disciple in vain. It¡¯s the exact same vor, not a bit off,¡± Pei Shenghua kept expressing his admiration, ¡°Sir Tan had such good judgment.¡± Han Guishan didn¡¯t join in their chat because he couldn¡¯t really chime in. He was just a wealthy patron with neither the wealth nor the pte of Xu Cheng. He didn¡¯t care about the ins and outs of the chef circles; all he knew was that he found Gu Li¡¯s Ruyi Rolls delicious. Apart from Jiang Feng¡¯s Eight Treasures Porridge, it was Gu Li¡¯s Ruyi Rolls that tasted the best. Thinking of Jiang Feng¡¯s Eight Treasures Porridge again, Han Guishan was taken aback. Jiang Feng¡¯s WeChat contact stilly among his listed contacts; it had been a long time since they hadmunicated. He ought to find time to invite him over for a pot of porridge. What reason should he use? Han Guishan became lost in thought. Soon, Gu Li¡¯s score was announced. 8.9 points. A stunning upset, the biggest dark horse in the history of thepetition, unexpectedly yet somehow predictably, everyone felt like they should be surprised but found themselves unable to be. ¡°This is what a protagonist¡¯s script looks like!¡± Jiang Feng eximed in the resting area. ¡°What script?¡± Wu Minqi didn¡¯t hear clearly. ¡°Nothing much, just didn¡¯t expect the biggest dark horse of thepetition to actually be him,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Zhang Guanghang shouldn¡¯t have made the Sweet and Sour Crispy Duo; all the judges here are masters, and this dish is too difficult, prone to errors, and even the slightest mistake can be magnified indefinitely,¡± Wu Minqi hit the nail on the head. ¡°Gu Li got an 8.9. No matter what, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s chances of winning aren¡¯t great,¡± Jiang Feng said. Throughout so manypetitions, dishes scoring over 9 had only happened twice: once with Ji Xue¡¯s Jar-Preserved Hua Diao Chicken, and another time with his own Eight-Treasure Porridge. Gu Li pulled off such a big move even after his noodles were banned; Jiang Feng began to suspect that he had always been ying possum. Born a genius, yet oppressed, talent unrecognized, silently enduring, ying possum, he shocked everyone, achieving instant fame. A perfect protagonist¡¯s script, indeed! ¡°Hey, does this count as a surprise upset?¡± Jiang Jiankang btedly realized in the audience. ¡°It does,¡± Jiang Jianguo replied. ¡°Wife, do you think our son might also pull off an upset and advance?¡± Jiang Jiankang started to daydream. Mrs. Wang Xiulian didn¡¯t want to deal with him and gave him an eye roll. Amidst the audience¡¯s whispered discussions, Zhu Chang, as usual, was the first to pick up the microphone and said, ¡°This result is actually surprising to all of us, including myself. After all, at the beginning, I also thought that Zhang Guanghang would be the strongest contender for the championship, but if we talk only about today¡¯s dishes, I¡¯m not surprised at all that Gu Li advanced. Without a doubt, Zhang Guanghang is a very excellent and outstanding young chef, and the fact that he dared to make Sweet and Sour Crispy Duo has already proven his level. We are all familiar with this dish; it is famous and difficult, and his execution was not bad, but that¡¯s just it¡ªnot bad. Gu Li, on the other hand, made a perfect Ruyi Roll without any ws or imperfections, and he deserved towin.¡± Pei Shenghua, who usually had a lot to say and could speak off the cuff, organized his wording this time before taking the microphone from Zhu Chang and said, ¡°Let me tell you all about the Ruyi Roll. This dish was a signature dish of thete Master White Chef Tan Wenyan, originally a delicacy in the Mongol feudal lords¡¯ banquet of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast, butter it was lost to time. Master Tan Wenyan painstakingly researched it for years before managing to recreate it 30 years ago. And Master Tan Wenyan was Gu Li¡¯s mentor.¡± ¡°The fact that he dared to make this dish today surprised us all; no one has been able to make a perfect Ruyi Roll since Master Tan Wenyan passed away nine years ago. But today¡¯s Ruyi Roll, whether it¡¯s the appearance, the cloud patterns from the cross-section, the vor, or the fire control during frying, is incredibly perfect in every aspect. The preparation process was meticulous and smooth, without a single error. I can only say that Master Tan did not make a mistake in selecting his disciple. You have proven with your skills that Master Tan¡¯s judgment has always been good, and that you will be an outstanding White Chef. You are going to go further than many others.¡± Gu Li still had no expression, showing no sign of emotional disturbance, quietly standing behind the cooking station, his thoughts unknown. ¡°The previous two judges have talked about the Ruyi Roll, and I don¡¯t have much else to add. Let¡¯s talk about Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Sweet and Sour Crispy Duo,¡± Tong Deyan also uncharacteristically spoke politely and at length, ¡°Brave, inventive, daring to make it, and his fire control and technique are also okay. If you were drawn against the other two contestants, I believe advancing to the finals wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. Considering your age, to achieve this level is already quite excellent, but just looking at this dish, it wasn¡¯t good enough. Your fire control wasn¡¯t precise enough; this is a dish that must strive for perfection. Since you didn¡¯t achieve it, it¡¯s imperfect, and that¡¯s not satisfactory.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Wu Minqi: ¡­ They seemed to understand why Tong Deyan wasn¡¯t too good at maintaining rtionships. Only Zang Mu, true to himself, remained concise, never verbose, using the fewest words while earning just as much of an appearance fee. ¡°You did well, I believe you will give us a pleasant surprise in the finals.¡± Lastly, Xu Cheng picked up the microphone. Xu Cheng, as a tycoon in the business world and a renowned gourmet critic, who became more exacting with age, had everyone wondering what he would say. ¡°I only have one question for you,¡± Xu Cheng looked at Gu Li. ¡°How did you do it?¡± The director timely switched the camera to the audience while staff members hurried up to the cooking station to hand Gu Li a microphone. ¡°Practice,¡± Gu Li said. ¡°Master taught me this dish twelve years ago. At that time, I wasn¡¯t skilled enough and didn¡¯t learn it. In the nine years since Master left us, I¡¯ve beening to work one hour early and leaving one hourte, making a batch of Golden Silk Shaomai and Ruyi Rolls each morning and evening, twice a day, 730 times a year. Over these nine years, I¡¯ve made them nearly seven thousand times.¡± ¡°This is a pastry that Master went to great lengths to restore. I didn¡¯t want to let it be lost to time.¡± There are no geniuses in this world, only sweat. The entire audience responded with the warmest round of apuse. Tong Deyan, noting Pei Shenghua¡¯s face, which was full of satisfaction and envy, said, ¡°What, are you jealous?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you jealous?¡± Pei Shenghua retorted. Tong Deyan didn¡¯t answer him, but murmured, ¡°Sir Tan took on a good apprentice.¡± Although the hostess felt some regret that Zhang Guanghang had been eliminated and they wouldn¡¯t see him in the next round, she still wore a sweet smile as she stepped on stage and said, ¡°Up next are the second group of contestants, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. Jiang Feng¡¯s contest dish is Sweet and Sour Yam, and WuMinqi¡¯s is Sprout and Pork Belly. The cooking station is ready, pleasee up to the stage now. The contest will start in three minutes.¡± Zhang Guanghang and Gu Li headed toward the resting area. Zhang Guanghang, following behind Gu Li, whispered, ¡°You¡¯re very strong.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jiang Feng stood up, took a deep breath, feeling as if he were going to the gallows. He had just sat pondering for a long time and finally decided it would be safer to use Jiang Huiqin¡¯s method to make the Sweet and Sour Yam. After all, the instability of sugar at the bottom of a pan was too high; a mishap could lead to unthinkable consequences. For a yer like him who always insisted on lurking until the end in a game of ¡®chicken¡¯, eager to avoid confrontation, it was always safety first, then everything else. The pair made their way to the cooking station together. About to part ways. ¡°Jiang Feng,¡± Wu Minqi suddenly said. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Hike you.¡± Chapter 190 - 189: Sweet and Sour Yam Grade A Chapter 190: Chapter 189: Sweet and Sour Yam Grade A Trantor: 549690339 ¡°I like you,¡± Wu Minqi said in a voice so soft that Jiang Feng almost questioned if he was hallucinating. She walked away quickly, not giving Jiang Feng any time to react or respond. By the time Jiang Feng snapped out of his daze, Wu Minqi was already two meters away. ¡°Contestant Jiang Feng, do you have a problem? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Due to Jiang Feng already being a contestant that Han Guishan had marked for special attention and based on a previous incident, staff members thought something unexpected had happened to him when he suddenly stopped moving. They were very anxious as they called out loudly from below the stage. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Jiang Feng turned his head and mouthed to the staff below, then quickly walked towards the cooking station. With each step he took, his heart thumped several times in his chest, faster and faster faster and faster. Jiang Feng could clearly feel his heart pounding, ¡°thump, thump, thump,¡± ¡°thump, thump, thump,¡± as if everything else was silent, leaving only this persistently beating heart. Wu Minqi had confessed her feelings to him. It wasn¡¯t his imagination, it was a genuine confession. Jiang Feng stood behind the cooking station calming down for two minutes before he reluctantly epted this fact. Jiang Feng had been alive for a full twenty-one years, and this was the first time a girl had confessed to him. And it was on his birthday. Jiang Feng felt like he was almost unable to breathe. Should he breathe through his mouth or his nose? Breathing through his mouth seemed too conspicuous, but his nose felt somewhat obstructed. Jiang Feng¡¯s mind was a tangled mess. If it weren¡¯t for Wu Minqi¡¯s skills far surpassing his, he would have wondered if this was a seductive strategy she was using to disrupt his focus. The contest had already started and Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t even noticed. Thinking back on the recent events, he felt it should be¡ª Wu Minqi suddenly turned around, her thin lips parted, her voice cool: ¡°I like you.¡± Jiang Feng was stunned, unable to believe his ears, wanting to speak but only able to see Wu Minqi¡¯s retreating figure. In that moment, time seemed frozen; all he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat. His heart raced wildly. The usual domineering boss¡¯s little¡­ No, no, that¡¯s not right, the plot¡¯s all wrong! Jiang Feng looked at the yam in front of him, trying hard to stay clear-headed and normal, picking up a yam to wash, peel, and cut into pieces. If he thought about it, as the chosen protagonist of a game, it wasn¡¯t strange to have one or two girls, whether morous or sweet, or aloof, or domineering, or a mix of morous, aloof, and domineering, harboring a secret crush on him, right? This was how to properly start a contemporary urban fiction story. Totally normal, nothing wrong here! Besides being poor, not quite six feet tall, unable to beat his two cousins, constantly getting scolded by Sir, having an unreliable game system, and being turned into a foolish character in Wang Hao¡¯s novels, he didn¡¯t really have any ws. Round up, and he was practically a perfect man. Indeed, the reason why no girls with vision to recognize his worth had confessed to him during the first twenty-one years of his life was because he was too outstanding, and it caused them to feel inferior. This had led to his first ever confession taking ce during the semi-finals of a cookingpetition. In the future, this would be quite the story to tell his kids! Should his first child be a daughter or a son? Jiang Feng nced over at Wu Minqi, who was focused on preparing the pork belly and hadn¡¯t looked up at all. Huh, women, they confess their feelings and then they act like they don¡¯t know you. Jiang Feng poured oil into the pan and started to make the caramel. A son for the first child would be better, then a daughter for the second, so the older brother could take care of his younger sister. The son would learn Shandong cuisine from him, and the daughter would learn Sichuan cuisine from her mother. As he pondered, a silly, content smile appeared on Jiang Feng¡¯s face. In the audience, Jiang Jiankang looked at Jiang Feng and felt like his son had been acting oddly since he entered the stage. ¡°Wife, do you feel like our son has been acting strange since just now?¡± Jiang Jiankang remarked thoughtfully. ¡°It is a bit odd, he¡¯s been smiling foolishly ever since he started cutting the yams. Did you say something to him before we left? I told you he definitely can¡¯t win, so don11 put pressure on him!¡± Wang Xiulian said angrily. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, and I know my son definitely can¡¯t win. Plus, he was fine before, it was only after he went on stage that he got like this,¡± Jiang Jiankang protested his innocence. Wang Fuermo Xiulian furrowed her brows, realizing that things were not so simple. After pondering for a moment, she pinpointed the crux of the matter, ¡°Did Minqi just turn her head and speak to my son? ¡°Ah? No, right?¡± Jiang Jiankang looked perplexed. Wang Xiulian turned around and asked Mrs. Wu sitting right behind her, ¡°Mrs. Wu, did you notice Minqi turning her head and saying something to my Feng before they went on stage?¡± Mrs. Wu leaned forward slightly, showing an appropriately surprised and somewhat puzzled expression, ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t notice that. ¡°Not at all?¡± Wang Xiulian began to doubt whether she had seen incorrectly. ¡°What happened?¡± Mrs. Wu asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just feel that my Feng is acting a bit strange,¡± Wang Xiulian said. Mrs. Wu smiled slightly, offeringfort, ¡°Feng, that kid, is probably just nervous. Look, my Minqi is also a bit nervous, staring at the cooking station without daring to look up.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Wang Xiulian was instantly convinced. Mrs. Wu sat up straight and saw Wu Hanxue with a stern face. She nudged him lightly and whispered, ¡°Put that expression away, be nice to Feng after the ,petition ends, don¡¯t scare him. If you ruin my daughter¡¯s chance, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Wu Hanxue huffed, unconvinced. ¡°What¡¯s with that hmph? Let me tell you, this is Feng¡¯s first time. I asked Jiang¡¯s mother a few days ago; he¡¯s never had a girlfriend, a good kid,¡± Mrs. Wu said with a smile as she eyed Jiang Feng on the stage. ¡°You believe that too? A twenty-year-old guy who¡¯s never dated either is lying to his family or has some issues,¡± Wu Hanxue said with a stern face. ¡°What issues? Minqi¡¯s almost twenty and hasn¡¯t dated either. I think they two are the most suitable. Put that awful expression away from your face and be nice to Fengter. If you don¡¯t want to talk, just shut up and smile,¡± Mrs. Wu scolded in a low voice. Wu Hanxue reluctantly stowed his expression away and put on a stiff smile. ¡°That¡¯s the expression, smile a bit more naturally. Tomorrow I¡¯ll talk to Jiang¡¯s mother about getting the two of them to go watch a movie. I¡¯ve already picked out the movie and the showtime,¡± Mrs. Wu wore a victorious smile. Jiang Feng felt that he did particrly well with the Sweet and Sour Yam today. As the saying goes, good spiritse with festive asions, and being confessed to is roughly equivalent to one of life¡¯s four greatest joys-the wedding night. Such great happiness naturally led to an exceptional performance. His left hand was frying yams; his right hand was cooking sugar, timing the process perfectly. Almost as soon as the yams were done, the sugar reached the ideal consistency for making threads. Jiang Feng quickly poured the freshly scooped yams into the pan, stirring rapidly, watching as the syrup coated the yams evenly and thinly, pulling fine threads of sugar between the pieces in the process. Two minutester, the Sweet and Sour Yam was ready. The slightly golden yams were coated with a thinyer of sugar, with delicate threads connecting each piece. No need for ting; a sprinkle of sesame oil at the bottom of the te, coupled with a bowl of room temperature water, made for an excellent Sweet and Sour Yam dish. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t raise his hand. The prime time to enjoy a dish like Sweet and Sour Yam is very short. It¡¯s best eaten straight out of the pan; once it cools, it no longer pulls into threads, and the soul of the dish is lost. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? Is there a problem with the dish?¡± Pei Shenghua wondered why Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t raising his hand and asked curiously. The staff in charge of serving dishes were all ready, waiting below the stage. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it looks fine to me,¡± Tong Deyan said. Jiang Feng raised his hand. The staff member went over to serve the dish. Jiang Feng¡¯s expression was still a bit dazed. Not for any other reason, but because the disy for the dish showed ¨C [Sweet and Sour Yam A-grade (Pseudo)] A-grade! Chapter 191 - 190 The Taste of Love Chapter 191: Chapter 190 The Taste of Love Trantor: 549690339 Even when the Sweet and Sour Yam was brought to the judges¡¯ table, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. It was actually an A-grade dish; he actually managed to create an A-grade dish. Could it be that he was really about to turn his luck around, marry a powerful CEO, and reach the pinnacle of his life? The next second, the disy on the Sweet and Sour Yam changed. [A perfect Sweet and Sour Yam (First Love Buff: 100% increase in all attributes)] Jiang Feng:¡­ He felt his face flush, as though there was a fire burning on his cheeks. Even though only he could see the disy, it felt like a public execution. This damned game disy was actually tarnishing his innocence ¨C what first love, what buff, what 100% increase in all attributes ¨C it was utter nonsense! Had he epted it? No, he hadn¡¯t even spoken a word. How could it be considered eptance? How could it be called a first love? He wondered if he should ask Wu Minqi to watch a movie tomorrow? Should his first time asking a girl out start with a movie, or should they have dinner first? Or maybe start with coffee, or buy some snacks? Should he dress in a more sunny style or just keep it casual? And for the movie, should it be a horror film, a romance, aedy, or an inspirational one? Jiang Feng¡¯s thoughts had already drifted far away; he felt that he couldn¡¯t handle this on his own, and had to go back and ask Wang Hao for advice. The absent-minded Jiang Fengpletely failed to notice that Han Guishan at the judges¡¯ table had already started eating. Actually, Han Guishan didn¡¯t like sweets. Nobody would believe that though ¨C after all, he had consumed the most Eight-Treasure Porridgest time, but he truly didn¡¯t have much of a sweet tooth. As the showpiece dessert of the table, just like the famous Shandong dish, the ¡°Double Crisp Explosion,¡± the Sweet and Sour Yam has a long history and ranks much higher in culinary pedigree. Next to the Sweet and Sour Yam was a bowl of in cold water, mainly to prevent scalding of the mouth. Han Guishan seldom indulged, and as a typical Southerner, his enjoyment of Sweet and Sour dishes was more about novelty than anything else. In the past, upon encountering Sweet and Sour dishes at the dinner table, all he had to do was to pull the long sugar strands amidst the others¡¯ exmations of ¡°wow,¡± and that was enough to consider the dish eaten. Now that it was his turn to pull the sugar strands, Han Guishan was somewhat excited. A piece of yam could, if one desired, be stretched into strands over ten feet long. Reminded by Xu Cheng, Han Guishan dipped the yam in the cold water, avoiding the risk of scalding his tongue. Upon tasting it, he found it sweet. Sweet but not cloying, with the crisp sugared crust yielding to tender, soft, and savory yam underneath ¨C it was a dessert that could sweeten its way into one¡¯s heart. Han Guishan thought of Wang Jing. He remembered many moments from many years ago with Wang Jing. The pickled pepper fish head in the state-run restaurant that had him in tears from the spiciness, the cool in porridge in the rental apartment, Wang Jing¡¯s first attempt at cooking green beans that ended up half-raw, the shaky beginnings of thepany when he would fret and lose clumps of hair only to find a warm bowl of soup on the table at the right time every night. Having weathered through the years with Wang Jing, he had too many fond memories associated with food. And it all came back to him while eating the Sweet and Sour Yam. Compared to Han Guishan¡¯s hearty gobbling, Xu Cheng was much more refined. By the time Han Guishan finished his third piece, Xu Cheng had only just finished his first. Holding his chopsticks, he was speechless, filled with a myriad of emotions. It had been a long time since he felt this way. In his younger days, he loved to eat and relished good food, where tasting a delicious dish could bring him boundless joy, sometimes even evoking many happy memories. However, as he aged and his culinary experiences broadened, his pte became more selective. The dishes that used to amaze him could rarely satisfy him anymore; it had been nearly a decade since he encountered a dish that resonated with him. This dish, he tasted the vor of love. ¡°He, has he fallen in love recently?¡± Xu Cheng asked. ¡°In love?¡± Han Guishan, btedly catching on, suddenly felt Xu Cheng had a point. The sweetness of the Sweet and Sour Yam did indeed carry a hint of the sweetness found in love. ¡°Yeah.¡± Tong Deyan said as he started on his second piece. ¡°Huh?¡± The others chorused in unison, all turning to look at Tong as well. Even Zang Mu, who typically adopted an attitude of indifference towards external affairs, had a face full of confusion¡ªthe kind that betrayed the curiosity of someone who loves to join in on the gossip. Why did you secretly enjoy the drama without telling the rest of us? ¡°Didn¡¯t you see?¡± Tong Deyan asked. ¡°See what?¡± Pei Shenghua asked eagerly. Not only was he known for being talkative, but he was also famous in the culinary circles for loving to y matchmaker ¨C the type who gets restless if he doesn¡¯t set up at least one couple a year. ¡°When they came on stage, Wu Minqi told Jiang Feng ¡®I like you.¡±1 Tong Deyan casually mentioned, using his sharp eyesight and adept lip-reading skills. Xu Cheng: ??? Zang Mu: ?!?! Zhu Chang: ?!! HanGuishan:!!! Pei Shenghua: ???!!! Pei Shenghua looked intently at Tong Deyan, ¡°I never expected that you, Old Tong, could understand lip reading.¡± ¡°After being cursed behind my back so many times, naturally, I picked it up.¡± Tong Deyan let out a coldugh, clearly, those who had badmouthed him had all been duly noted in his little book. ¡°Then this dish is truly a rarity.¡± Zhu Changughed. ¡°Indeed.¡± Pei Shenghua picked up another piece, ¡°Let¡¯s eat it while it¡¯s hot. A dish as rare as this might onlye along once in a lifetime.¡± The Sweet and Sour Yam, infused with love, was absolutely the fighter jet of desserts. Han Guishan did not speak, focusing instead on eating. There weren¡¯t many pieces of Sweet and Sour Yam on the te, and they had to be shared with five people. Xu Cheng looked casual but began to eat faster than everyone else after his second piece. The sweet fragrance of Sweet and Sour Yam filled Han Guishan¡¯s mouth; too busy eating to speak, he could only keep eximing in his mind, how delicious, truly delicious! Sweet, so sweet! The judges were slow in scoring, mainly because sweet-and-sour dishes are best eaten hot. Spending an extra minute on scoring meant the Sweet and Sour Yam would cool down even more. It wasn¡¯t until the te waspletely empty that everyone started to give their scores one after another. Han Guishan was still the strongest eater, eating the fastest and the most, though it seemed like his tongue had been scalded, as he kept drawing in air. ¡°This scoring is taking way too long!¡± Jiang Jiankang was very anxious as he waited. ¡°The dish is already finished, the score definitely won¡¯t be low. You saw all of Feng¡¯s steps just now, he performed above his level, no problem at all,¡± Jiang Jianguo assured. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Feng is going to win?¡± Wang Xiulian eximed in surprise. ¡°Dad?¡± Jiang Jiankang looked to Jiang Weiguo for support. ¡°Quiet down,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, his face, however, with a hint of a smile. This grandson of his really brought surprises every time. Another five minutes passed before the scores finally came out, mainly because Xu Cheng hesitated for a long time, holding his pen and not giving a score. 9.7 points. The highest score in the room, unprecedented, 0.1 point higher than the previous Eight Treasures Porridge. This was nearly a perfect score. Most importantly, like Pei Shenghua, Xu Cheng gave Jiang Feng a full score. How strict Xu Cheng was could be seen by anyone who might not have heard of him based on his previous scores for Zhang Guanghang and Gu Li, single-handedly bringing down the average was no joke. When Jiang Feng heard the score, he came back to reality from the difficult decision between watching a horror movie or a romance. After half a day, he finally realized it was his Sweet and Sour Yam that had gotten 9.7 points. 9.7 points! And that included two full scores! Han Guishan hadn¡¯t even given his score yet! He was really about to make a grandeback, to be the protagonist turning the tables! Subconsciously, Jiang Feng looked towards Wu Minqi. Wu Minqi also happened to look up and met Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes, giving him a smile. ¡°Look, how outstanding our future son-inw is, 9.7 points, Qiqi has really good taste,¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s mother whispered in admiration. ¡°What future son-inw, the ink of his name is not even dry, 9.7 points, tsk,¡± Wu Hanxue said stubbornly, watching Jiang Feng on stage, ¡°Seems like he¡¯s okay, Qiqi does have good taste.¡± ¡°Be polite when you speakter, and keep a natural expression, do you hear me?¡± ¡°Got it, got it, I¡¯ll just keep my mouth shutter.¡± Chapter 192 - 1911 Like You Chapter 192: Chapter 1911 Like You Trantor: 549690339 ¡°9.7 points?!¡± Jiang Junlian nearly jumped up in the audience seats, her face unable to hide the wild joy, ¡°Could little brother be advancing to the finals now!¡± We can skip another physics makeup ss! Because her real mother was sitting right beside her, Jiang Junlian, with a strong will to survive, didn¡¯t voice thetter sentence. Jiang Junqing¡¯s focus waspletely different from Jiang Junlian¡¯s, she stared at the empty te on the judges¡¯ table and murmured, ¡°That Sweet and Sour Yam must be really delicious!¡± Her words struck like a bell, startling everyone; as soon as Jiang Junqing spoke, all the Jiang Family Members were taken aback. Indeed, if Jiang Feng¡¯s eight-treasure porridge, which was so well-made, only scored 9.6 points, the Sweet and Sour Yam, which scored 9.7, must be exceptionally tasty. Just how delicious could it be! Amongst everyone, the most excited was Jiang Zaidi. He deeply felt that the hair he had lost these past few days was worth it. As a former top student, he knew all too well how difficult it was to attain such elite scores. He and Jiang Shoucheng took the college entrance exams at the same time. He ranked fourth in the city with a score of 693, and Jiang Shoucheng was the city¡¯s top schr with 712 points. He studied design; Jiang Shoucheng studied medicine. He lost hair; Jiang Shoucheng also lost hair. He had been working in the industry for five years, referred by a teacher since his junior year of college, and the more orders he took, the more hair he lost. Jiang Shoucheng, on the other hand, could faintly be seen to have theposure of a chief physician by the time he was in his second year of postgraduate studies. It could be said that if you fail to catch up in one step, you¡¯ll fall behind every step. Jiang Shoucheng had already begun to research which hair transnt hospital was the best, while he was still considering whether to switch to hair growth tonic or continue with anti-hair loss shampoo. Looking at Jiang Feng on stage with his thick head of hair, Jiang Zaidi¡¯s mind was flooded with thoughts. He really wanted to drink the eight-treasure porridge, and even more so to eat the Sweet and Sour Yam his little brother made. He was little brother¡¯s eldest cousin, after all, and had yet to taste even one Sweet and Sour Yam! ¡°Uncle,¡± Jiang Zaidi began, ¡°since little brother is likely to move up a round, how about we get together for a meal tomorrow to celebrate?¡± It would be best to have little brother make two pots of porridge, a few tes of Sweet and Sour Yam, uncle can make a tter of hocks, grandpa can stir-fry a couple of good dishes, and Granduncle Weiming can prepare a few tofu boxes. To be able to enjoy such a meal would be wonderful and splendid indeed. ¡°Yeah, yeah, sure,¡± Jiang Jiankang chuckled happily, thinking that his nephew¡¯s idea was a great one, ¡°It deserves a proper celebration if Feng advances to the finals.¡± Jiang Jiankang spoke a bit too loudly, so Wang Xiulian nudged him with her elbow to signal for him to keep it down a bit¡ªWu Minqi¡¯s parents were sitting right behind them. ¡°Mrs. Wu, my apologies, he¡¯s just the type who speaks without thinking,¡± Wang Xiulian turned around to exin, her face carrying an apologetic smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s a good thing if Feng advances. It doesn¡¯t matter which one of them moves forward; they¡¯re both our kids,¡± replied Minqi¡¯s mother with a warm smile. ¡°Exactly, exactly,¡± Wang Xiulian echoed, then turned her head and whispered to Jiang Jiankang, ¡°See how nice Mrs. Wu is. Be more enthusiastic and smile more when we head out.¡± Mrs. Wu also turned her head and said to Wu Hanxue, ¡°Look how pleasant Jiang¡¯s mother is; be polite to them when we go out, and smile more.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± from Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Heh,¡± from Wu Hanxue. On stage, Wu Minqi¡¯s braised pork had already started frying in the pot. The pressure cooker was ready on the cooking station; while steaming the pork thoroughly in a regr steamer would take two full hours to be vorful, the pressure cooker would significantly reduce the time needed. Minqi had been practicing with a pressure cooker in the back kitchen of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant these past few days. This was a subtle hint from the organizers; it¡¯s easy to imagine the watchability of the show if they streamed braised pork being steamed for two hours without any presenter cracking jokes in between. Good Taste¡¯s staff had specially gone to Shu to purchase the sprouts Minqi needed, so naturally, she had to scratch their back in return. Soon, the braised pork and the nched, stir-fried sprouts were ced into the pressure cooker, and all that was left was to wait. Then Wu Minqi picked up a radish from the cooking station and began carving Peppa Pig. ¡°Heh, the girl can carve radishes too!¡± Han Guishan was surprised to see Wu Minqi starting on a radish carving and then looked at her more closely, feeling that she seemed familiar. With a p on his thigh, he remembered. Wasn¡¯t this the same girl who carved radishes with Jiang Feng at Morning Wind Primary School? And he seemed to have seen her before in the back kitchen of the Healthy Stir- fry Restaurant too! No wonder they made a pair; they had this kind of rtionship as well. Han Guishan felt as though he had uncovered everything. The waiting time was too boring; even the judges needed to chat about something interesting to kill time, and now there was a ready-made topic. Talkative champion Pei Shenghua was the first to open his mouth. ¡°Tong, what did Jiang Feng say when Wu Minqi confessed to him?¡± asked Pei Shenghua. ¡°What could be said in just those two steps?¡± Tong Deyan nced at Pei Shenghua, who had the look of a matchmaker on his face, ¡°What are you up to now?¡± ¡°So, they haven¡¯t made it official yet. You know how thin-skinned young people are these days. We need to give them a little push from behind. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t it be a pity if it didn¡¯t work out?¡± Pei Shenghua revealed his match-making smile. He hasn¡¯t even opened for business this year, and Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s visit could be considered a kickstart to a good start. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking? Do I really need to give it a push?¡± Tong Deyan didn¡¯t want to deal with Pei Shenghua and gave him an eye-roll. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, old Tong. It¡¯s precisely these situations, clear as day yet unspoken, that need people like us on the outside to give them a little shove,¡± Pei Shenghua was already contemting how he would y matchmakerter. ¡°That¡¯s old Pei for you. If he wants to give it a shove, let him. If these two really be a couple in a few years, he¡¯ll probably go around boasting about how it¡¯s all because of his matchmaking,¡± Zhu Chang said with augh. Pei Shenghua had actually done this kind of thing before, creating matches out of thin air, and it was deadly effective. ¡°Brother, why do you keep looking at Sister Wu?¡± Jiang Junlian asked perceptively. ¡°Who else would I look at if not her? Aren¡¯t you looking at her too?¡± Jiang Zaidi yawned, exuding the aura of a single dog. ¡°Dede, did you stay upte against night?¡± the aunt asked with concern. ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom, I just stayed up all night. I¡¯ll definitely go to sleep early today,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, his spirits lifted by the thought of a brighter future. About an hourter, Wu Minqi¡¯s pickled vegetable pork belly was finally ready. It was a dish of normal caliber, nearly identical to what she had cooked in the back kitchen of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant a few days ago. Had it not been for Jiang Feng¡¯s exceptional performance today, along with the boost from the ¡°First Love Buff,¡± Wu Minqi would have been the one advancing. The scores were quickly announced: 8.7 points. The judges rated swiftly, as the result had almost been decided the moment Jiang Feng¡¯s score had been revealed. Now, more than thepetition, everyone was eager to indulge in some juicy gossip. Zhu Chang picked up the microphone, gave Pei Shenghua a look that said, ¡°keep your act together,¡± and slowly began, ¡°I have to say, Jiang Feng really is a contestant full of surprises.¡± ¡°We were already wowed by his eight-treasure porridgest time, but today, he has given us an even greater surprise. I can say that this is the most perfect and excellent sweet and sour yam I have ever eaten in my life. The sugar coating, the stretchiness of the strands, the crispiness, and the vor are all exceptional, and you can also taste something else. As witnesses, we are very honored,¡± Zhu Chang¡¯s face revealed the matchmaker¡¯s grin akin to Pei Shenghua¡¯s, ¡°Of course, contestant Wu Minqi¡¯s pickled vegetable pork belly was also excellent. There were some minor issues, but this is an undoubtedly good dish. I am delighted to have seen such remarkable dishes from these talented chefs, and I look forward to the surprises Jiang Feng and Gu Li will bring us in the finals.¡± Then Zhu Chang passed the microphone directly to Tong Deyan. Tong nced at Pei Shenghua, whose expression clearly showed he was still brewing something, and said, ¡°This is a day worthmemorating with a dish that¡¯s unforgettable. I believe we will all remember this day.¡± Zang Mu took the microphone and blurted out, ¡°I wish you happiness.¡± The audience: ??? Xu Cheng took the mic and spoke slowly, ¡°It has been many years since I¡¯ve tasted a dish that resonated with me like this. A chef¡¯s state of mind greatly influences the vor of an outstanding dish, and I feel honored to have had such a dish. I hope this is not the only time but just a beginning.¡± The audience was mostly baffled¡ªthey suspected they were not on the same wavelength as the judges and were not watching the samepetition. Why was it that apart from Zhu Chang¡¯sments, they couldn¡¯t understand anything the other judges said? Jiang Jiankang sat in the audience, looking perplexed, while Wang Xiulian, with a woman¡¯s intuition, sensed something unusual in the air. ¡°Wife¡­¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± Wang Xiulian was carefully observing Jiang Feng; she felt something was very off with her son. After brewing for a while, the fully prepared Pei Shenghua stood up, took the microphone, faced the audience, and smilingly said, ¡°I believe many in the audience didn¡¯t quite understand what the other judges meant just now. It¡¯s not that we are being intentionally enigmatic, but today, the sweet and sour yam made by contestant Jiang Feng is very intriguing, allowing us to taste some unusual vors and special emotions. It¡¯s a very beautiful, very pure emotion, quite fitting for the asion and matching the vor of the dish. However, some things should not be said by outsiders like us, so I¡¯d like to hear from contestant Jiang Feng about the mood with which you made this sweet and sour yam today.¡± His smile deepened. Jiang Feng:¡­ What kind of show is this? Isn¡¯t this a cookingpetition? Why does he feel like every judge¡¯s face is written with ¡°I¡¯m here for If You Are the One.¡± Jiang Feng looked toward Wu Minqi, who was also looking at him. Staff had already handed him the microphone. With the arrow on the string, he had to let it fly. The director, next to the camera operator, roared madly, ¡°Switch the shot, switch the shot, get a close-up, his close-up!¡± He had a hunch that whether he could get a promotion, a raise, and a ratings spike all depended on Jiang Feng¡¯s next sentence. ¡°I¡­¡± Suddenly bing the center of attention, Jiang Feng found it hard to speak. Taking a deep breath, Jiang Feng spoke again, ¡°Today is indeed a somewhat special day, not only is it my birthday, but also, also¡­¡± ¡°And I discovered that I¡¯ve fallen for someone.¡± ¡°Wu Minqi, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?¡± Chapter 193 - 192: The Proposal Ring Chapter 193: Chapter 192: The Proposal Ring Trantor: 549690339 The audience unleashed uncontroble gasps and quiet shrieks and murmurs, if they had any sense left and remembered that this was a cookingpetrtton and not a dating show, they might have erupted into unanimous apuse shouting ¡°Together, together, together!¡± or ¡°I approve of this marriage. Whether they came for Zhang Guanghang or not, all the beautiful and not-so-beautiful girls held their breath, barely daring to exhale as they watched Wu Minqi, as if they themselves were the ones being confesse to, with Zhang Guanghang as the subject of affection. They wished they could step into Wu Minqi¡¯s shoes and ept the confession on her behalf. The male lead of this confession had experienced aplete system shutdown. If the thoughts in his mind could turn into visible rolling subtitles across Jiang Feng¡¯s face, the scene would undoubtedly be spectacr, and the subtitles would be scrolling at double speed. Jiang Feng felt like he was going insane; what was he doing just now? Wasn¡¯t it Wu Minqi who confessed first? Why did it seem like he suddenly took the reins, switching from a passive to an active role, his mind impulsively deciding to confess to someone during a live broadcast? He was just an unadulterated, pollution-free single dog with 21 years of bachelorhood under his belt, having never dated. How did the story develop like this? The director below the stage was overwhelmed with excitement; at that moment, he felt he was not just a director of a variety show, but that he had be the director of an idol drama, filming the most thrilling and climactic confession scene. ¡°Close-up, close-up, give me a close-up of Wu Minqi! Yes, right this shot this angle, now switch to the wide view, right, the one that frames the two of them together.¡± The cameraman thought the director might have lost his mind. ¡°Alright,¡± Wu Minqi picked up the microphone, smiling as she spoke. Jiang Feng looked up, their eyes meeting. Wu Minqi shed him a sweet smile, sweeter than ever before, sweeter than Sweet and Sour Yam, sweetness that reached deep into the heart. ¡°I¡¯m thrilled to be your girlfriend, happy birthday, dear.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s face turned a sudden shade of red. ft was as if fireworks were exploding in his brain; he hadn¡¯t felt this way when he impulsively took control and confessed moments ago; but now, it was as i his soul had left his body. His brain couldn¡¯t control his movements, everything felt mechanical, unreal, and ethereal. He floated down from the stage as if he was walking on clouds, each stepcking the sensation of solid ground beneath his feet. The six judges spectating revealed matchmaker-like smiles, and even Zhang Guanghang and the always taciturn and indifferent Gu Li congratted him with a smile. Turning his head, he saw Wu Minqi smiling radiantly behind him. His soul returned to his body, and he stepped back onto solid ground. ¡°I¡­¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I¡¯m very happy,¡± Wu Minqi looked at him, grabbing his hand. ¡°I¡¯m really happy to be your girlfriend.¡± Pei Shenghua had been sneakily ncing at the couple¡¯s movements in the resting area, feeling over the moon inside, yet bragging outwardly, ¡°Look at Old Tong, isn¡¯t it all thanks to the push I gave? This window paper needed to be punctured, and it¡¯s done. Young people these days-some are too open, some are too shy. It¡¯s still up to us!¡± With that attitude, he could boast about this for a year. some blessing-like concluding remarks, and to leave. Mrs. Wu forcefully dragged Wu Hanxue The host took the stage to give the audience began to prepare away. ¡°Let me tell you, when we get out and meet Jiang¡¯s mother and Jiang¡¯s father, smile naturally. Don¡¯t make a sour face, making it seem as if our cabbage was destroyed by pigs; who pursued whom, you know very well, don¡¯t you. Jiang Feng is a good kid, look how romantic his public confession was, how much face it gave our Minqi. Don¡¯t scare him with a sour face,¡± Mrs. Wu instructe and warned as she pulled Wu Hanxue along. ¡°At first I wasn¡¯t in favor of Minqi confessing in public. Though it¡¯s said ¡®a girl chasing a boy is separated by merely a veil,¡¯ it sort of lowers her value. Look how good it turned out now, the situation has reversed, now it looks as thoug Jiang Feng is chasing our Minqi,¡± Mrs. Wu kept rambling, ¡°Oh right, when are you going back, when is your flight booked? Does Minqi still have another round in thepetition, will they decide a third and fourth ce. ¡ö¡öYou might as well go back in a couple of days, is the business at the restaurant busy? Even though Dad¡¯s looking after it, he¡¯s too old for that sort of work, Mrs. Wu inquired. ¡ö¡öNO worries, with my younger and second brothers there,¡± Wu Hanxue couldn¡¯t possibly leave at such a critical time. He was annoyed whenever he saw Jiang Feng and couldn¡¯t stop the feeling, ¡°I¡¯ll go back after Minqi finishes thepetition.¡± The departing audience wasrgely discussing the sudden confession they had just witnessed. ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s so romantic; when my boyfriend was pursuing me, eh, when my boyfriend confessed to me, it was quite romantic too,¡± sighed a pretty youngdy. ¡°Come off it, don¡¯t show off. When your boyfriend confessed to you with that big bunch of roses, it was super romantic, okay? We talked about it for a week,¡¯ another prettypanion said, ¡°My boyfriend confessed to me while I was eating, almost choked me to death.¡± ¡ö¡öForget it, at least your boyfriend confessed to you. My boyfriend, that blockhead, when I asked him out to a movie, he actually told me he???????????????????????????????? 1 nt i e that movie and he wanted to y video games,¡± another not-so-prettydyined, ¡°It was me who confessed, do you know how nervous and awkward I was that night? Not taking any initiative, even though it was almost a done deal, he just wouldn¡¯t make a move!¡¯ ¡ö You know your boyfriend¡¯s personality, always slow to react. He¡¯s a prime stock, and you managed to snag himpletely, and still, you¡¯re hereining to us,¡± they teased. The group leftughing and chatting. Ji Yue, who had always mingled among couples:¡­ So, in the end, only she is without a boyfriend, right? Jiang Feng, this perennial bachelor, has found someone, yet she remains a lone wolf. At the exit, singleton Ji Yue gazed up at the bleak night sky devoid of stars and sighed deeply. Forget it, better to go back and work on my designs. When you¡¯re poor, you fend for yourself; when you¡¯re rich, you keep a toy boy. A spinster and former senior like her won¡¯t get a confession from anybody. Falling in love is out of the question; it¡¯s just not going to happen in this lifetime. She can only get by watching idol dramas. The audience had gradually left, while the Jiang Family was still reeling from the shock of their little piggy rooting for cabbage. Mrs Wang Xiulian, who had quickly picked up on the clues, was the fastest to ept it. She pped Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s thigh, and he let out a yelp. ¡ö¡öOur boy¡­ has grown up,¡± she uttered, filled with emotion. ¡ö¡öYeah he¡¯s learned to root for cabbage.¡± Just days ago, Jiang Jiankang was worried about why Jiang Feng still didn¡¯t have a girlfriend. Now, he was even doubting if everything that just happened was real. ¡°And he¡¯s rooting for the cabbage right by his side.¡± Wang Xiulian didn¡¯t expect her son to have such skills. She turned around abruptly, but Wu Minqi s mother and Wu Hanxue had already left. ¡°When you go outter, if you see Mrs. Wu, be sure to smile more warmly, got it? We need to be friendly; this was initiated by our Feng, and if Mr. Wu isn t pleasedter, you¡¯ll have to say some nice words!¡± Wang Xiulian instructe . Jiang Jiankang nodded repeatedly, wishing he could jot everything down in a notebook. Jiang Weiming patted Jiang Weiguo. The old patriarch was still shocked by Jiang Feng¡¯s recent move and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Feng has grown up.¡± Everyone began to shake off their daze. ¡°Oh my gosh, Feng was so romantic just now. I want to find a boyfriend like that too,¡± Jiang Junlian began to daydream. Jiang Zaidi nced at his cousin and felt that if she maintained that standard for finding boyfriends, she might stay single for life. Getting up, Jiang Zaidi wondered if, as Jiang Feng¡¯s elder cousin and someone who had once had a girlfriend too, he should offer his wisdom to Jiang Feng and ensure his romantic journey could be sustainably developed. This girlfriend was a great catch. Having had his fill of sweet and sour dishes, something spicy might not be bad either. The four of them were going backstage, as the nextpetition would still feature the four of them, only now it had turned into the Jiang Feng-Gu i championship match and Wu Minqi-Zhang Guanghang third-ce yoff. The day¡¯s two matches had been totally unpredictable, with Zhang Guanghang and wu Minqi, who were strong contenders for the championship, getting ousted. The clear favorite for the title had now be impossible to predict. The four waited backstage, but the staff members who usually briefed them on the pre-match rules andmentary had yet to show. Instead, the chatterbox judge Pei Shenghua emerged from some doorway. ¡°Master Pei, good day,¡± the four greeted him in unison. -I¡¯m no master. I¡¯m just here to exin the pre-match rules,¡± Pei Shenghua said with a smile. ¡°The theme for the finals is quite simple, with no restrictions on ingredients. The topic is ¡¯Original Intention.¡¯¡± ¡°Original Intention?¡± ¡°Yes, Original Intention. Apart from not being able to make a dish that¡¯s exactly the same as any you¡¯ve done before, there are no limitations. All of you have the same topic. Today¡¯s match is just a glimpse of your performance an doesn¡¯t set your skills in stone. You all are exceptional young chefs with boundless futures, and no one can predict your prospects. So, I hope you¡¯ll adjust your mindset and embrace the finals,¡± Pei Shenghua continued, ¡°This topices fromjudge Xu Cheng, and if you ask me for more details, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t offer any exnations. Thepetition is three hours long, giving yo plenty of time to show off your skills and create dishes you want to make. Don¡¯t worry about any constraints or think about the show¡¯s effect. Do what you want to do, show your best ability, and the finals will be on next Friday, m very much looking forward to your results.¡± Pei Shenghua then turned his gaze to Jiang Feng and said kindly, ¡°It¡¯s rare in our industry to see colleagues together like this. Young man, cherish it.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ For a moment, he felt his face was hot enough to fry an egg. Pei Shenghua left quietly, his face carrying a subtle triumph and smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go, our parents are waiting outside,¡± Wu Minqi said. Upon hearing ¡°our parents,¡± Jiang Feng panicked so much he almost couldn¡¯t speak. He was just a 21-year-old kid; why did he have to go through the hell of meeting the parents just as he started dating? Walking along, Jiang Feng took Wu Minqi¡¯s hand. ¡°Min¡­ Qiqi, can I ask you a question?¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Hmm?¡± -Why do you like me?¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t understand. How could Wu Minqi a ¡ödaughter of heaven¡¯, winner in life, and a boss character, fall for someone like him, an utterly ordinary college student? ¡ö¡öWhy do you like me?¡± Wu Minqi countered. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡ö¡öI don¡¯t know either,¡± Wu Minqi said, ¡°My mom told me, liking someone doesn¡¯t need a reason, mutual affection doesn¡¯t need a reason. If you like someone, you just do; why ask why?¡± Wu Minqi looked at Jiang Feng: ¡±1 like you, and there¡¯s no reason.¡± Looking at Wu Minqi, Jiang Feng suddenly realized how silly his question had been. Having such a girl like him, who wouldn¡¯t be pleased, who wouldn¡¯t like it? ¡°Right, I like you, and there¡¯s no reason.¡± Jiang Feng held Wu Minqi¡¯s hand tightly as they both headed towards the exit. At the exit, Mrs. Wang Xiulian was having a delightful conversation with Mrs. Wu. ¡ö¡öYes Mrs Wu, I feel the same way. The kids have been so tired from thepetition these past days. They really should go out and y tomorrow maybe do some shopping to unwind,¡± Wang Xiulian felt that she and Mrs. Wu really hit it off at first sight; Mrs. Wu was so gentle, considerate, and understanding. With Qiqi being such a good child, she must take after her mother! ¡°I heard there¡¯s a romantic movie that¡¯s very popr recently. How about we let those two watch the movie and do some shopping tomorrow? Then they could go out to eat. If they don¡¯t find the food outside to their liking, they coue back here. Let Wu make the food, and you can rest at Jiang s. Mrs. u said with a smile. ¡ö¡öNo no no. How can we let your Wu do it? It should definitely be Jiankang who cooks. Jiang Jiankang, make a good table of dishes tomorrow. Let¡¯s have a drink with¡­ Mrs. wu and Mr. Wu and chat,¡± Wang Xiulianmanded. ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Jiang Jiankang said enthusiastically. ¡°Oh my, the kids areing out!¡± Mrs. Wu said, tugging at Wu Hanxue and giving him a re. Wu Hanxue¡¯s smile became even more forced. When Jiang Feng approached Mrs. Wu and Wu Hanxue, he felt so awkward he didn¡¯t know where to put his hands. ¡°Mrs. Wu¡­ good evening, and to you too, Uncle,¡± Jiang Feng greeted. ¡°Ah, what a good boy,¡± Mrs. Wu said with a smile. Wu Hanxue nodded stiffly in acknowledgment. -Feng, tomorrow you and Qiqi don¡¯t need toe help at the store. Your dad can manage it. You two should go out, have some fun, watch a movie. Oh, right, Mrs Wu was just telling me about a romantic movie that¡¯s really good. Wang Xiulian had clearly mapped out tomorrow¡¯s agenda for the two with Mrs. Wu earlier. ¡°You¡­¡± Jiang Feng turned his head to look at Wu Minqi. ¡°Watching a movie asionally isn¡¯t bad either,¡± she implied. ¡°Then, see you tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. All the way home, Mrs. Wang Xiulian earnestly briefed Jiang Feng on what to do for a first date, using Mr. Jiang Jiankang as a negative example by listing all of his crude behaviors and poor performance during their first date. She advised Jiang Feng not to repeat the same mistakes, to make sure he prepared thoroughly with a step-by-step n, and to have contingency strategies for any unexpected situations. Jiang Feng listened intently, almost wishing to go back and write a summary report. Parting at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant entrance, Wang Xiulian patted Jiang Feng on the shoulder, speaking earnestly, ¡°Make sure you dress smartly tomorrow, and don¡¯t you dare bete. Jiang Feng nodded solemnly. Back at the dormitory, standing at the door, Jiang Feng took out his phone wanting to send Wu Minqi a goodnight message on WeChat, only to see a stream of messages from her already disying. ¡ö¡öI don¡¯t know when I started liking you. Maybe it was during the conversation we had in the high-speed trainst semester, or maybe even before.¡± ¡°At first, I thought it was just a whim, and I asked Ji Yue to dig up everything about you. The more I knew, the more I liked you.¡± ¡°Today is your birthday, and I couldn¡¯t figure out for the life of me what to get you as a birthday gift.¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving myself to you, do you like your gift? ¡°Darling, good night.¡± Jiang Feng stood at the dormitory door, his face adorned with an uncontroble goofy smile. He read those five messages over and over again, standing at the doorway, smiling like a 21-year-old big fool. It was a while before Jiang Feng responded. ¡°Goodnight, darling.¡± Wang Hao, alert to someone grinning foolishly at the door, opened it to find Jiang Feng standing there smiling stupidly, holding his phone,ughing more openly with every nce. ¡ö¡öFeng, what are you looking at to be smiling like that?¡± Wang Hao¡¯s phone screen was still open to his chat with his sweetheart, Zhenzhen. ¡°Looking at the goodnight message from my wife,¡± Jiang Feng walked into the dormitory, preparing to wash up. Wang Hao: ??? ??? ??? Wife??? Had Feng gone mad after losing the match??? Wang Hao felt like he had missed out on something big after chatting with Zhenzhen all night. He tapped into the ss group chat to ask others, only to see that the whole group was abuzz with discussions about Jiang Feng s pu i confession to Wu Minqi that evening. Wang Hao:!!! Public confession!!! By the time Wang Hao caught up with the real story and was ready to speak, Jiang Feng had already gone into the bathroom. In the bathroom, Jiang Feng opened his attribute panel. [Mother¡¯s Wish]Wang Xiulian has always hoped her son would find a gentle, understanding, and slim daughter-inw. Please fulfill your mother¡¯s wish and find such a girlfriend.[Choice; Yes/No] Who expected that the day woulde, so suddenly, so unexpectedly? He clicked yes. ¡ö¡öDing! You havepleted the side quest [Mother¡¯s Wish], and you have received: [Engagement Ring] as a reward.¡± Huh? Engagement ring?! This game¡­ how did it turn so sympathetic all of a sudden! in the inventory,y a dazzling, eye-catching, brilliant engagement ring, silent. [Engagement Ring]: Using this ring to propose ensures a 100¡±/o sess rate for your proposal. It can only be used once and can be worn forever. This game, such an angel! Angel! Chapter 194:193 Chapter: Date Chapter 194:193 Chapter: Date Trantor: 549690339 By the time Jiang Feng emerged from the bathroom, before Wang Hao had a chance to thoroughly interrogate him, Jiang Feng had already taken the initiative to ask, ¡°What¡¯s a good activity for a first date with someone?¡± This question hit the mark, and Wang Hao instantly forgot the million questions he had been pondering earlier. He drew on his expertise as a seasoned lover, having had a girlfriend since his first year at UAL University, and began to analyze the situation for Jiang Feng. He didn¡¯t reply to Zhenzhen¡¯s messages for now, simply texting her, ¡°My roommate needs me for something, well talk tomorrow, my dear muah, go to sleep early, goodnight.¡± Wang Hao then resumed his role as the adviser, formting a dating strategy for Jiang Feng¡¯s date the next day. Helping others with their romance was much more fun than being in a rtionship himself. ¡®First off, Feng, you¡¯ve got to dress to impress, bring out an energy like never before, aim for a refreshing transformation. Be sure to arrive early, and bring a cup of milk tea for your sister-inw-no, scratch that, milk tea¡¯s calorie count is too high and could backfire, bring her some juice instead. Feng, do you know what kind of juice she likes?¡± Mr. Wang¡¯s dating masterss was in session. ¡°Lemon red tea, I¡¯ve seen her drink it a few times,¡± Jiang Feng diligently took notes. ¡°Lemon red tea is a great choice, lower in calories than milk tea, let¡¯s go with that, get it warm. Where are you meeting her?¡± ¡°At the shop.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the weather like tomorrow?¡± Sunny turns to partly cloudy, 7 to 16 degrees Celsius, with a level 2 westerly wind.¡± Girls tend to sacrifice warmth for fashion on first dates, so she will definitely be a bit cold when she meets you tomorrow morning. You need to buy a warm cup of red tea and hand it to her at the right moment, casually mentioning that you bought it especially for her.¡± Jiang Feng nodded, suddenly enlightened. ¡°Feng, do you and your sister-inw have anything nned for tomorrow? Watching a movie, going to an amusement park, or an aquarium?¡± Wang Hao continued to inquire. ¡°Watching a movie, a romance film. It was my mom¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°Romance films are good, when the movie gets to the lovey-dovey part, it¡¯s the perfect time for you guys to, hmm, cough cough, Feng, you¡¯ll have to gauge this for yourself,¡± Wang Hao¡¯s smirk grew increasingly sly. Jiang Feng:¡­ He was already wondering where his water cup was. ¡°Seriously though, does your sister-inw eat popcorn?¡± Wang Hao swiftly turned serious. ¡°No.¡± Jiang Feng was quite familiar with Wu Minqi¡¯s tastes, ¡°But she will eat snacks like preserved plums.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t bother with popcorn, go buy her some small snacks to have on hand. Present them during the movie for a pleasant surprise. And things like wet wipes, napkins, an umbre-you¡¯ve got to be ready for anything.¡± ¡°Also, when ites to conversation topics, you should subtly lead with a hint of guidance¡­¡± Compared to the dating minefield manual summarized by Wang Xiulian from her 20-year-old love experiences from a female perspective during the car ride earlier, Wang Hao¡¯s adviser suggestions were moreprehensive, more specific, more practical, and more aligned with the times. Jiang Feng, who had taken several pages of notes, climbed into bed with a mixture of nervousness and freshly minted pointers. From today onwards, Jiang Feng too was evolving from a single dog into a couple dog, a higher breed of canine! A dreamless night. The next morning, Jiang Feng awoke early. Wang Hao even skipped his morning run and only sent a quick ¡°Good morning¡± to his dear Zhenzhen, as he continued to fulfil his duties as the adviser, strategizing Jiang Feng¡¯s outfit for the day. Although Wang Hao wasn¡¯t reliable in many aspects, his Talent Skills in romance were truly maxed out. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have managed to stand out among all the engineering guys and seed in snatching one of the few girls at UAL University, especially within the male-dominated and highlypetitive Department of Physics. Even though the oue wasn¡¯t as hoped for, the beginning and journey were quite exceptional. With Wang Hao¡¯s help, Jiang Feng, carrying a cross-body bag generously sponsored by Wang Hao, filled with all kinds of contingency supplies, set off glowing and reborn. Arriving an hour early at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang were ready at a moment¡¯s notice, stuffing Jiang Feng with two buns and beginning their final admonishments. ¡®You mustn¡¯t let the girl pay a cent on the first date, be nimble on your feet and sweet with your words, and also¡­¡± ¡°Right, have you booked your ride?¡± Wang Xiulian babbled on for nearly half an hour before getting to the key question. ¡°Booked it, I reserved itst night. Mom, I¡¯m going to buy Qiqi a cup of red tea,¡± Jiang Feng said, checking his phone and seeing that there were still 20 minutes till the agreed time. Wu Minqi arrived early, wearing a tea-colored thin sweater, a ck knee-length skirt, leggings, small leather shoes, with her bangs and hair ends curled. ¡°Am Ite? How long have you been here?¡± Wu Minqi was a bit nervous. ¡°No, I just got here. I bought you lemon red tea, it¡¯s still warm,¡± Jiang Feng handed over the lemon red tea that he¡¯d kept warm for not too long, to avoid burning her. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Jiang Feng pretended to be nonchnt as he took Wu Minqi¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°When does the movie start?¡± ¡°We still have time, an hour to go.¡± Jiang Jiankang watched the young couple walk away from inside the store, his face filled with content, ¡°Wife, I told you it would be fine. Our son is all grown up now, and dating is just a little thing. Boys will be boys.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Wang Xiulian looked at Jiang Jiankang, reminded of many unpleasant memories from her first date. ¡°Cough cough, ah, I still haven¡¯t prepped the vegetables for today, I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and chop them up,¡± hurried away Jiang Jiankang. The movie started on time at 10:30. Since it was a morning session, there weren¡¯t many people in the theater. There were only two girls sitting in the row in front of Jiang Feng. The hour and a half long movie ended right at noon, lunchtime. The theater was on the top floor of the mall, so one could simply head downstairs to eat. After eating, one could continue to stroll through the mall, and right next to the mall was an aquarium. Wang Xiulian¡¯s careful nning of all this could be described as perfect. This theater had been rmended to Wang Xiulian by Mrs. Wu while they were shopping some time ago. As the movie started, Jiang Feng silently took out a packet of dried plums and offered them to Wu Minqi, ¡°Want some?¡± Wu Minqi took the dried plums. The movie yed on, and the male and female lead moved in together. Jiang Feng: ??? Progressing this fast? He stealthily nced at Wu Minqi. She was engrossed in watching the movie. The movie yed on, they were cohabiting but not dating. Jiang Feng: ??? What¡¯s this new trend? The movie continued, and the male lead contracted a terminal illness and was about to die, so he told the female lead to find a good man. The female lead really went out and found a handsome, wealthy man who had been cheated on by his girlfriend without his knowledge. The two started a rtionship, got engaged, and were about to marry. The female lead still lived with the original male lead, and the handsome, wealthy man who had been cheated on and was now aware, very naturally epted theplicated rtionship between the male and female leads. The two got married. Jiang Feng: ??? Wait, who¡¯s the actual male lead in this movie? In the end, the truth came out. The male lead died, and the female lead died of a broken heart. Jiang Feng:¡­ Wu Minqi:¡­ This twist¡­ The two girls in the row before them, one was crying a river, the other wasughing like she was watching aedy. It highlighted the rich diversity of the movie. So now the question arises, what did the second male lead do wrong? Jiang Feng thought about it, recalling the reviews he had searched for the night before, praising it as this year¡¯s best, heart-wrenchingly touching, a romance film not to be missed this year¡­ he felt¡­ ¡°Cough cough, this movie, I¡­ let¡¯s go eat!¡± Jiand Feng¡¯s n and the strategy he had prepared the night before didn¡¯t include that today¡¯s movie would have this plot. He had checked reviews all night and listed several good restaurants with various cuisines, ready to meet whatever Wu Minqi was in the mood for at the time. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Not hungry.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s not go eat for now, I¡¯ll take you to a ce..¡± Chapter 195 - 194 Dragon Dumplings Chapter 195: Chapter 194 Dragon Dumplings Trantor: 549690339 ¡ã Wu Minqi led Jiang Feng away from the shopping mall, across several intersections, and down a few side streets until they arrived at a small produce market. It was indeed a small market, one that Jiang Feng had never seen on Gaode Maps, hidden within the alleys of residential buildings. At first nce, he estimated that there were no more than 20 stalls with only three selling meat. The sole fish stall was nearly sold out, only a few listless, mixed fish remained in the tank, belly-up. With so few stalls and less-than-fresh produce, the meat stalls mainly had unwanted scraps of bones and less desirable cuts of meat. Wu Minqi had to settle for a piece of pork that was a passable mix of fat and lean. Then, Wu Minqi, carrying the small bag of pork, led Jiang Feng to the adjoining grain and oil store. She was very familiar with the area, knowing every stall, the structure of the residential buildings, and the surrounding shops like the back of her hand. The grain and oil shop was small, and Wu Minqi bought two eggs and a bag of premium flour. Jiang Feng conveniently took over the flour, along with the eggs and pork, saying, ¡°Flour can be quite heavy, let me carry it.¡± Wu Minqi nodded and led him towards the residential buildings. ¡®Where are we going?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. This area must be part of n City¡¯s oid district, with buildings over a decade old, low floors and a rtively dpidated appearance. Along the way, Jiang Feng saw many elderly men and women out for walks, and the two young people clearly stood out among them. A guesthouse,¡± Wu Minqi said, clutching her crossbody bag tightly at her waist, lips pursed. Wu Minqi confidently led Jiang Feng to a 5-story residential building. They went upstairs to the 5th floor, which had a coded door. She entered the code and with a ¡°beep,¡± the door unlocked. True to her word, it was an ordinary guesthouse that was somewhat worn. The space wasn¡¯trge, around 100 square meters, and it was fully furnished, including a pool table in the living room and stairs leading directly to the rooftop. Jiang Feng had heard of such guesthouses, but this was his first visit. They were typically rented out for parties, with a rooftop suitable for barbecues, rooms with karaoke setups, and kitchens for cooking. There might even be other entertainment facilities that Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t noticed. Compared to regr guesthouses, the daily rent for this one was not cheap. Some clubs from UAL University with fewer members and more funds would rent such guesthouses for activities, but they wouldn¡¯t choose one this small. As an infamously impoverished club, the Chess Club naturally had no connection with such high-end leisure activities. ¡°Are you going to¡­ cook?¡± Jiang Feng guessed. ¡°Yes, before I started helping out at your store, I used toe here on weekends to cook for myself,¡± Wu Minqi said as she opened her crossbody bag, which held nothing but her phone and arge water bottle, aside from her wallet. She unscrewed the water bottle, revealing arge cup of clear broth inside. Arge cup of clear broth, coupled with the pork, eggs, and premium flour Wu Minqi had just bought, made Jiang Feng hesitate before asking, ¡°Dragon Dumplings?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wu Minqi confirmed as she started kneading dough in the kitchen. ¡°I know you can¡¯t handle spicy food well, so I prepared the broth for the dumplingsst night. Today, I¡¯ll make you the clear soup version,¡± Wu Minqi exined. I know it might be a bit strange to cook for you on our first date, but it¡¯s the only thing I could think of doing for you. Whether it¡¯s watching movies, having coffee, or shopping, I¡¯d be happy with any of it. But the thing that makes me the happiest is making something you want to eat for someone I like,¡± she said. Jiang Feng hadined during the winter break about how the popr Dragon Dumplings restaurant was terrible. She had remembered his words, quietly noting them in her heart. ¡±1¡­ I¡¯m really happy too,¡± Jiang Feng admitted, feeling like his face was hot enough to fry a steak on. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go help you mince the filling,¡± Jiang Feng offered, taking the pork and rushing into the kitchen. After a moment of rinsing sounds, he asked, ¡°How should the pork be chopped?¡± ¡°Water for the filling, use the back of the knife to pound out the sinew, finely chop it into a paste,¡± Wu Minqi said. She was reminded of her childhood when her parents did the same. Back then, even though Wu Family Restaurant was doing well, it wasn¡¯t as busy as it is now, and her grandfather was still the head chef. Sometimes, on Mondays, Wu Hanxue would sneak home to make Dragon Dumplings, Mrs. Wu¡¯s favorite. Mrs. Wu might not have known how to cook, but she couldn¡¯t sit still. Unable to knead dough, she would go chop the filling, which turned out quite poorly every time, with the sinew not properly removed. Wu Hanxue would have to re-chop the filling after Mrs. Wu was done. Nheless, both enjoyed it immensely. Wu Minqi looked towards the kitchen where Jiang Feng was earnestly picking out meat sinews. A smile she could hardly conceal gradually spread across her lips, lighting up even her eyes. Dragon Dumplings, as one of the many variations of wonton, have been the pride of the snack industry since ancient times. Whether it¡¯s the predecessor wonton or Dragon Dumplings, or Pork Dumplings and Chicken Filling Dumplings, the method always stays true to the original, just as the Yunlintang Dietary Code Collection records. ¡°Finely slice the meat filling, mix with diced bamboo shoots or wild rice stems, chives, or daylilies, add a touch of Sichuan pepper almond sauce, mix evenly and wrap. The dough should be slightly thick, cut into squares, then rolled thin with starch. When boiling in soup, stir with boiling water without covering. Wait till they float then remove from the pot, do not stir again. The filling must not include Chinese cardamom, as it causes belching.¡± The Dragon Dumplings that Wu Minqi made focused on clear broth and finely minced filling. To achieve an even smoother filling, it would typically be water-kneaded pure meat. Kneading dough required skill, while chopping the filling was a matter of strength. Because Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t eat spicy food, she had to make a clear soup dumpling, with the essence and soul of the whole dish resting in the clear soup. The clear soup she brought today had been simmered by her since early yesterday morning. Using parts from chicken, duck, and pork, she stewed and slow-cooked from 6 AM until 11 AM, a full 5 hours, skimming off the foam to leave a clear and fragrant broth. It was only after the clear soup was ready that Wu Minqi casually went to Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to join Jiang Feng and head to the provincialpetition. A good Dragon Dumpling must have dough thin as paper, fine as silk ¨C picking it up and holding it to the light, it appeared like a sheet of translucent rice paper. Once Jiang Feng had the meat filling chopped to the required consistency, Wu Minqi¡¯s dumpling wrappers were also rolled out. Season the filling, wrap the dumplings. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t participate in this step, his limit was wrapping dumplings, and his dumplings often were criticized by Mrs. Wang Xiulian for not being round and plump enough. Unable to join in, Jiang Feng sat by watching Wu Minqi wrap the dumplings. She was deft and skilled, quickly forming a diamond-shaped dumpling wrapper in her hand. Jiang Feng watched quietly, admiring her agile wrists, petite and graceful hands, round fingertips, and fair, delicate skin. Then, looking at her, with her eyes curving and a charming smile on her face. ¡¯ Beauty lies in the lover¡¯s eyes, truly the ancients did not deceive me! In that moment, Jiang Feng thought Wu Minqi was the most beautiful girl in the world and would ept no arguments to the contrary. Any words of description seemed inadequate; her every frown and smile was captivating, even wrapping dumplings was so beautiful. Wang Hao, the so-called adviser, was no good after all. Winning toys, wandering through aquariums, sweet nothings in cafes ¨C none of these couldpare to the fun and romance of making dumplings in a guesthouse. Into the pot they went, and soon the dumplings were ready, with the clear soup heated and waiting. Two bowls of Dragon Dumplings served in clear broth sent forth an enticing aroma. ¡°Try it,¡± Wu Minqi said with anticipation. One bite. vorsome, sweet to the heart. ¡°Delicious!¡± Jiang Feng eximed sincerely. ¡°As long as it¡¯s delicious.¡± Wu Minqi smiled, her eyes sparkling like stars, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll make you something else.¡± She learned a new dish every week, making an old one for Jiang Feng ¨C with something new and something old, she could cook for a lifetime.. Chapter 196 - 195 Aquarium Chapter 196: Chapter 195 Aquarium Trantor: 549690339 By the time they finished eating the dumplings, it was already past 3 PM, and Jiang Feng had mostly forgotten the notes he¡¯d takenst night, the ¡°100 Must-Win Strategies for a First Date¡± that Wang Hao had passed on to him, after downing a bowl of dumplings. What a joke, the Jiang Family men had always relied on their natural talent when it came to dating, never needing any sort of love manuals or external help. Hey, what did Wang Hao say they should do after lunch yesterday evening? Jiang Feng¡¯s first date encountered an unprecedented crisis. Worse than the crappy movie they watched this morning. Jiang Feng kept hisposure as he continued to wash dishes and clear the table, while the innerputer in his brain rapidly searched through all the strategies he had nnedst night. Aquarium? Shopping mall? Coffee? w machine? In the end, Jiang Feng followed his heart and chose the aquarium, mainly because he wanted to go. He had never sessfully visited an aquarium his whole life, and today was the day to break this curse! After putting the washed dishes back into the cab, Jiang Feng shook the water off his hands, and turned to Wu Minqi, who was busy messaging someone, ¡°It¡¯s only 3 o¡¯clock now, how about we go to the aquarium? There¡¯s a seal show at 5 PM, we can just make it.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Wu Minqi put away her phone and said with a smile. The aquarium was just opposite the east entrance of the mall, freshly builtst year, and it could be considered thergest one in n City, far superior to that old one in Zet City which Jiang Feng had always longed to visit as a kid. Anyone who had ever watched a domestic idol drama knew what an aquarium looked like, as it was a sacred dating spot for the male and female leads in those dramas ¡ª confessions, meals, encounters, love at first sight, and the viin¡¯s machinations could all take ce here. Directors and naive sweet leadingdies could use a variety of beautiful shots to show the audience just how beautiful, deep blue, and mysterious an aquarium could be. And expensive. Since it was the weekend, and the weather was bright and springlike, it was the perfect time for kids to ask to go out and y, for couples to date, and for the aquarium to fleece visitors. Jiang Feng, who had never been out ying before, had brought a bag of misceneous items just in case, but forgot to bring something as critical as his student ID which offered half-price admission. Yet there were still quite a few people visiting the aquarium in the afternoon. After queuing for a few minutes, Jiang Feng sessfully bought two tickets. Wu Minqi had been waiting for him at the entrance, holding a cup of milk tea. ¡°For you, caramel mhiato, 70% sugar, room temperature.¡± Wu Minqi handed the milk tea to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng took the milk tea, took a sip, and the sweet caramel mhiato traveled through his mouth, down his esophagus, and into his stomach, sweetening his heart all the way. The two held hands and walked inside together. Most of the sea fish and tropical fish inside the aquarium tanks were unfamiliar to Jiang Feng; he generally only recognized fish that could end up on the dining table. There was no need to recognize those doomed never to appear on the Jiang Family¡¯s table. The inside of the aquarium mostly consisted of long corridors with dim lighting, lit predominantly with cool blue lights. Couples could be found everywhere, huddled in corners cooing at each other, paying no heed to the fish, the girl usually holding a cup of milk tea, eyes sparkling withughter. Jiang Feng nced at the milk tea in his hand. An incredibly ugly octopus was sprawled against the ss tank, its suction-cupped tentacles facing Jiang Feng. What a great octopus, it would taste amazing in takoyaki. ¡°It stopped right in front of you, it must really like you,¡± Wu Minqi said with augh. ¡°Someone already liked me first, so it has to line up behind,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°What about dinner? Should we eat here or go out? I read in the reviews that the restaurant in this aquarium is quite interesting.¡± ¡°Either is fine,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. The two quietly observed the big octopus in front of them, Jiang Feng¡¯s mind filled with different ways to cook takoyaki. ¡°Oh, the fish in the aquarium look so pitiful, all locked up here and unable to go home,¡± a girl from a young couple nearbymented in a whiny tone. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this, a loach?¡± Wu Minqi pointed to the bottom of the tank. Jiang Feng was instantly drawn to it and looked closely; indeed, it was a loach. ¡°They must be for feeding the other fish,¡± Jiang Feng guessed, as the recipe for fried loach in his head suddenly turned into deep-fried small loach. ¡°Once these finger-length loaches are purged of mud and de-slimed, just pop them into the oil to fry; the taste is incredible.¡± ¡°A little bigger and you could make loach hotpot,¡± Wu Minqi agreed. ¡°And there¡¯s sauteed loach; as long as they¡¯re not too big it¡¯s fine, stewing them in sauce isn¡¯t bad either,¡± Jiang Feng began pondering too different ways to cook loach. ¡°I remember my dad once made loach stewed with tofu that was really tasty.¡± ¡°Loach stewed with tofu? I¡¯ve never had that. When I was a kid, I only had red date loach soup that my aunt made. You nch the loaches to death with boiling water, add red dates, white peony, Angelica sinensis, goji berries, Chinese yam, and red glutinous rice wine, and it¡¯s done in half an hour. Next week I could make this dish for you,¡± Wu Minqi suggested. ¡°Handling loaches is too much trouble, waiting for them to spit out the sand and lose their fishiness takes a long time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a hassle,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t the sea lion performance about to start? Let¡¯s head over now, or we won¡¯t get good seats if we¡¯re toote,¡± Jiang Feng suggested naturally, taking Wu Minqi¡¯s hand. ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them walked away hand in hand. The young couple standing beside them questioned their life choices. The whiny girlfriend watched their retreating figures and swallowed hard, then suggested to her boyfriend, ¡°How about we have loach for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Sounds good, let¡¯s have loach hotpot!¡± ¡°Not loach hotpot, we¡¯ve definitely got to have deep-fried small loach!¡± After watching the sea lion performance, the two continued their visit to the aquarium, focusing on critiquing the tunas, pomfrets, eels, codfish, and hairtails, though it was unclear why hairtail ended up there; perhaps just to make up the numbers, since it¡¯s also a sea fish. Undeniably, the visit to the aquarium was a great sess. Jiang Feng dered that the Jiang Family members were naturally talented when it came to dating! Dinner was at a restaurant inside the aquarium, a themed restaurant where the cuisine was mainly fish. Having just seen them, now to eat them, offered the ultimate pleasure of both seeing and eating simultaneously. Quite coincidentally, Jiang Feng noticed that the couple at the next table was the same ¡®Ying Ying Ying¡¯ lovebirds. They had arrived earlier than Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi and were already being served. On the table was a te of deep-fried loaches, which looked to be well- cooked with excellent fire control. Leaving the ordering entirely to Wu Minqi, she chose a portion of deep-fried loaches, braised cod, and takoyaki. ¡°Have you thought about your dish for the final round?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Not yet.¡± The thought gave Jiang Feng a bit of a headache. It was easier toe up with something based on ingredients, but he was at a loss for what to make based on the theme of ¡®original intention¡¯. ¡°Gu Li will definitely make golden-thread shumai. That dish is also part of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast. I once ate the one personally made by Master Tan when he was alive. If he really can recreate Master Tan¡¯s taste, then in the final round, you might¡­¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s face showed difficulty, as she didn¡¯t want to dampen Jiang Feng¡¯s spirits. ¡°With his skills, I won¡¯t feel wronged losing to him,¡± Jiang Feng said nonchntly, admitting he wouldn¡¯t have made it to the finals without the confidence boost from Wu Minqi¡¯s prepetition confession. ¡°I¡¯ll decide on the dish in the next couple of days. I still need to think about what to make. By the way, what are you nning to cook?¡± ¡°Ants Climbing a Tree.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the server brought the deep-fried loaches to their table. The freshly cooked deep-fried loaches were steaming, crispy on both sides, and only sprinkled with a hint of salt to enhance the natural vor of the loaches. They were crispy and delicious; the bones were fried to a crisp, allowing one to swallow a small loach in two or three bites. The quality of the ingredients was so good that simple salt seasoning brought out their freshness, making it hard to stop eating one after another. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect their loaches to be so fresh,¡± Jiang Feng remarked. ¡°Why did you think of making Ants Climbing a Tree? It seems you don¡¯t usually make this dish.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually make it, mainly because it¡¯s my dad¡¯s specialty, and I rarely cook it in our Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, so I¡¯m not in the habit of making it.¡± Wu Minqi picked up a loach and examined it, ¡°The salt is a bit heavy-handed.¡± ¡°But the theme of thepetition is original intention, right? This is the first dish my dad taught me, and also the only one. Cooking lessons for the younger members of our family were usually my grandfather¡¯s responsibility. When I heard the theme, my first thought was this dish,¡± Wu Minqi exined. Jiang Feng nodded thoughtfully. Actually, when he heard the theme ¡®original intention¡¯, his first thought was of the preserved egg and pork congee he¡¯d made during the summer holidays. Looking back, that pot wasn¡¯t particrly impressive; he made the congee following recipes and videos from the inte. Yet, it was the first dish he¡¯d seriously attempted in the kitchen since his third year in junior high, earnestly researching and cooking it. In a way, that truly was his original intention. Back then, he simply wanted to make a decent-tasting preserved egg and pork congee, so Chen Xiuxiu would have a few more sips, not only to aplish a task but also to stop her from using suicidal dieting methods to lose weight. Speaking of aplishing tasks, one couldn¡¯t avoid mentioning this game that often had bugs. Yesterday, Jiang Feng had been giddy from the sudden confession, his mind full of exmations: ¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m in love,¡± ¡°Holy shit, I have a girlfriend,¡± and ¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m no longer single,¡±pletely overlooking the most fundamental bug in the game. Despite facing Wu Minqi head-on and defeating her in a one on one battle, the [Challenge of the Same Trade] mission still hadn¡¯t shown aspleted; the progress remained (0/1). Jiang Feng was starting to wonder if the game had taken off with the promised kitchen knife as a reward. It was just a kitchen knife, was it really worth it? Just yesterday, Jiang Feng had praised the game as an Angel, but today he felt like filing aint against it. They gave the engagement ring so readily, yet dragged their feet over a simple kitchen knife, preferring to let the game bug out rather than handing it over. Jiang Feng was genuinely beginning to doubt whether this game was more about cooking or about rtionship development. The three dishes were served quickly, and the chef¡¯s skills were pretty decent, the ingredients especially fresh. Jiang Feng even suspected they were fished on the spot from therge ss tank, as the count of edible sea fish seemed a little high. After dinner, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t call for a ride and instead, the two of them took the subway back to UAL University together. Taking a cab to the mall in the morning was to show how much he valued her. Taking the subway back in the evening was for the pleasure of holding hands while squeezing through the crowd. ¨C by Wang Hao Around eight o¡¯clock at night, the two parted ways at the university¡¯s gate, each heading home to report the day¡¯s dating oues to their respective parents. Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang were restless sitting at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Jiang Jiankang especially so. He was terrified that Jiang Feng might follow in his embarrassing footsteps during his first date. ¡°Son!¡± Seeing Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang sprang up, ¡°How was it today? What did you guys do?¡± After some thought, Jiang Feng summarized, ¡°Pretty good. After the movie, we visited the vegetable market. Minqi made me Dragon Dumplings, bought me a 70% sugar-warm brown sugar mhiato, we spent the afternoon at the aquarium, the dry-fried loach was a bit too salty, but the octopus in the takoyaki was quite fresh, and the braised cod was cooked just right.¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian smiled and said, ¡°Look how considerate Minqi is, even knowingyou like your brown sugar mhiato with 70% sugar.¡± On the other side, Wu Minqi was also summarizing the day to her mother. ¡°Jiang Feng bought me a warm lemon red tea, took me to the aquarium, the dry-fried loach was a bit too salty but he didn¡¯t seem to notice, the braised cod had a bit too much seasoning, but the fish was quite fresh, must have been freshly killed¡­¡± ¡°Oh my, look how thoughtful Feng is, knowing you like lemon red tea,¡± Mrs. Wu said with a smiling face. ¡°Heh.¡± Wu Hanxue did not want to speak. ¡°Oh right, Auntie, do you still remember the proportions for that red date loach soup you made?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Are you making it for that stinky boy?¡± Wu Hanxue¡¯s expression soured even more. ¡°What stinky boy, go look at your WeChat and don¡¯t talk. I¡¯m chatting with my daughter,¡± Mrs. Wu gave Wu Hanxue a ¡°friendly¡± smile, ¡°No worries, Minqi, I¡¯ll ask your aunt for the recipe tomorrow. I¡¯ll also find out where to get the freshest loaches around here. The soup is really good, it¡¯s very nourishing!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wu Minqi smiled slightly. At the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Jiang Feng, helping Ji Yue with the tables and chairs, seemed to remember something and turned to ask Jiang Jiankang, ¡°Dad, can you find some time in the next few days to teach me how to make loach stew with tofu?¡± ¡°Loach stew with tofu?¡± Jiang Jiankang scratched his head, ¡°Sure, why all of a sudden do you want to make that dish?¡± ¡°No reason, just suddenly felt like learning.¡± The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant closed up early that day. Jiang Feng and Ji Yue each carried four bags of trash in both hands to the nearby waste station. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that you want to learn loach stew with tofu, but a certain someone wants to eat it, right?¡± Ji Yue said with a smile that read, ¡®though I¡¯m single, I understand these things,¡¯ ¡°By the way, how was the movie you watched this morning? I¡¯m nning to see it tomorrow afternoon.¡± Jiang Feng immediately recalled the unbearable memory of the morning, how his values had been shattered along with the movie. ¡°It was excellent, extremely moving, definitely a must-watch, the best of the year!¡± Jiang Feng said sincerely, ¡°The girl sitting in front of me cried!¡± ¡°Ding, gained 66 points in proficiency in Lies.¡± Shut up! Chapter 197 - 196: The Mystery of Century Egg and Pork Congee Chapter 197: Chapter 196: The Mystery of Century Egg and Pork Congee Trantor: 549690339 After a public disy of affection that met everyone¡¯s expectations, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s life began to settle into a normal routine. Early the next morning, Jiang Feng went to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant as usual, and breakfast was still leftover vegetables mixed with noodles, without the pine nuts for Pine Nut Corn and without ribs for the Radish and Rib Soup. After breakfast, Jiang Feng got busy in the kitchen. As the king of savory porridges, the Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge was the gship dish of porridge shops and a favorite among countless porridge lovers, famous for its thick texture, smooth taste, rich fragrance, simple ingredients, and quick cooking method. But precisely because it was famous and simple to make, making it stand out was difficult. There were many restaurants selling porridge near UAL University, but only a handful could really make good Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge. At the end of the food street, there was a Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop, an old establishment that had been around for over twenty years, specializing in various dim sums and porridges. Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop was a family business run by two brothers, with Fang Yu handling the dim sum and Fang Zheng in charge of the porridge, while their wives managed the front of the house. Before the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant moved into the food street, Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop had always been the unchallenged leader, attracting countless UAL University students. Fang Yu and Fang Zheng, the two brothers, were indeed skilled White Chefs. Wang Xiulian was very fond of Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop¡¯s barbecue pork buns and had been pondering for a while about negotiating with them to coborate and sell dim sum. The negotiations hadn¡¯t been going smoothly. As the former food street overlord, Fang Yu from Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop always harbored a hint of hostility towards the new king. However, Fang Zheng, enchanted by Jiang Jiankang¡¯s Kung Pao Chicken, quickly defected and became an advocate, joining Wang Xiulian in a roundabout effort to persuade Fang Yu. After breakfast, Wang Xiulian headed to Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop. Jiang Feng figured it wouldn¡¯t be long before Fang Zheng would nod his agreement. With a few more visits from Wang Xiulian and a few more rounds of advocacy from Fang Yu, he guessed Fang Zheng would probably give in. With no preserved eggs left in the store, Jiang Feng went to the nearby supermarket to buy a few for emergencies. The rice had already been rinsed and was ready in the kitchen. The quality of preserved eggs in the small supermarket next door was subpar, and after much deliberation, Jiang Feng managed to select a few decent ones, even though they were thest few left and weren¡¯t easy to peel due to the tight adhesion of the shell, indicating that they weren¡¯t of the highest quality. As Jiang Feng neatly diced the preserved eggs with his knife, he thought about heading to the small vegetable market behind the school in the afternoon to buy a few of better quality. First, the lean meat was shredded, then diced, just like the preserved eggs, and marinated with sauce in a bowl. He took out therge y pot specially used for Cooking Porridge from the cupboard, brought the water to a boil over high heat, then poured in the soaked rice and switched to medium heat. He nched the marinated meat and skimmed off the scum before setting it aside. Now all that was left was a quiet wait. Jiang Feng had plenty of experience with this, and he began to cut carrot strips at a leisurely pace while still keeping an eye on the fire control of the porridge in the pot, multitasking with ease. After counting the inventory in the storage room, Jiang Jiankang returned to the kitchen to start preparing the vegetables. Seeing the porridge still simmering on the stove and noticing the tes of preserved eggs and lean meat on the countertop, he became excited. ¡°Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge?¡± My son is finally making meat porridge, Jiang Jiankang thought as he nearly cried tears of joy. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m nning to make this for the finals, so I¡¯m practicing these days,¡± Jiang Feng replied as he finished cutting two tes of carrot strips and began slicing cucumber strips. ¡°Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge is good, really good!¡± Jiang Jiankang couldn¡¯t stop eximing, whether about the porridge or the lean meat, he couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°The day before yesterday, Zaide said that to celebrate your advancement to the finals, we should get together, and I thought, why not do it tonight? Cook a few more pots of porridge, invite Qiqi¡¯s family over, and let our two families get to know each other.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Jiang Feng agreed with a nod, estimating that the food intake of Wu Minqi¡¯s three-member family could probably match that of Jiang Zaide alone. De¡¯s appetite really had grown over the years. The father and son continued to chop vegetables in silence. With time, the white porridge in the y pot gradually thickened, bubbling quietly and skimming off the froth. Jiang Feng added the preserved eggs and the lean meat, seasoned with a little salt, and turned the heat to low. Leaving the vegetable cutting to Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Feng stayed by the pot, slowly stirring the Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge as it became thicker and more viscous, with the preserved eggs and the lean meat blending into the white porridge, with a rich and distinctive fragrance spreading through the kitchen. He scooped a spoonful of the porridge and poured it back into the pot slowly, with the fire control just right, and the consistency excellent ¨C it was ready to be served. Jiang Jiankang had drifted from the prep table to the stove, bowl in hand, spoon at the ready. Seeing Jiang Feng turn off the heat, he eagerly asked, ¡°Is it ready?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡± [A pot of exceptionally tasty Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge] With a positive response, Jiang Jiankangdled a generous bowlful of the porridge for himself. The piping hot porridge was still steaming, and as he stirred it with his spoon and blew on it to cool it down, Jiang Jiankang started eating in his usual fashion, gulping down the porridgerge mouthful after mouthful. Savory, thick, smooth ¨C the preserved egg and the well-marinated lean meat achieved a remarkable harmony in vor, with the taste of the meat filling every corner of the mouth. It¡¯s meat porridge, my son has finally made meat porridge! Jiang Jiankang almost wept with joy. After devouring arge bowl, as his initial thrill of tasting the meat porridge faded, Jiang Jiankang noticed something in the taste. Hedled another bowl, and the more he drank, the more something seemed off. He felt that this porridge wasn¡¯t as delicious as the Eight Treasure Porridge that Jiang Feng had made before. The Eight Treasure Porridge was a sensation, but this bowl was simply tasty. Could it be that his son really didn¡¯t have the talent for making meat porridge? Now, was he supposed to still focus on Eight Treasure Porridge or switch to meat porridge? Cradling the bowl, Jiang Jiankang sank into thought. ¡°Dad, Dad, how is it?¡± Jiang Feng, hoping for some advice, looked expectantly at Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Not bad,¡± Jiang Jiankang smacked his lips, taking another big gulp, ¡°but it feels like it¡¯s not as good as the eight-treasure porridge you madest time,cking a bit of vor.¡± However, Jiang Jiankang couldn¡¯t specify what exactly was missing. Both father and son stared at each other in the kitchen, with big eyes facing small eyes, arge face opposite a small one, when 1.87 meters faced off against 1.78 meters, Wang Xiulian walked in with Fang Zheng, the second inmand from Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop. Under the joint pressure from Wang Xiulian and Fang Zheng, Fang Yu finally gave in and sent Fang Zheng to negotiate the details of the cooperation at the restaurant. ¡°Jiankang, Jiang Jiankang,e out¡ªeh, Feng is cooking porridge?¡± Wang Xiulian darted into the kitchen, skillfully reached for bowls and spoons, and didn¡¯t forget to grab a set for Fang Zheng as well. Fang Zheng, not understanding why, followed closely behind. ¡°Come on, Fang, have a couple of sips of porridge first before we talk business,¡± Wang Xiulian begandling out some porridge. Fang Zheng was a year younger than Wang Xiulian, so calling him Little Fang wasn¡¯t taking advantage of him. One bowl down the hatch. ¡°Not as good as the eight-treasure porridge,¡± WangXiulian started to pick faults, but considering it was a meat porridge, she served herself another bowl and began to slurp away at the second bowl of preserved egg and lean meat porridge. Unlike Wang Xiulian, who was unafraid of the heat and could just blow on her spoonful and start drinking, Fang Zheng blew on his spoonful again and again before cautiously taking a sip. As soon as he tasted it, his eyes lit up. He had already thought the porridge smelled and stirred nicely, and as a chef with over twenty years of experience in cooking porridge, he could assert that there were not many porridge chefs in n City who could make a bowl of preserved egg and lean meat porridge like this. Of course, it was still slightly less perfect than his own, as Fang Zheng was known as the best porridge chef in the whole city! Known as. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Master Jiang¡¯s preserved egg and lean meat porridge to be this good,¡± Fang Zheng began the mutual business ttery. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who cooked it, it was my son,¡± Jiang Jiankang stated with immense pride. Raise a son for a thousand days, show off for a moment! Fang Zheng was genuinely surprised this time; ignorant of the Good Taste Culinary Competition, he didn¡¯t know about Jiang Feng¡¯s skill in making porridge and sincerely praised, ¡°Master Jiang, you truly have a fine son! At such a young age, his skill in cooking porridge is so impressive. It looks like he¡¯ll definitely be able to inherit your mantle, ¡®the student outshining the master!¡¯ ¡± ¡°He¡¯s just good at cooking porridge, he still has a lot to learn,¡± Jiang Jiankang modestly deflected, ¡°Shall we talk outside?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside, we don¡¯t want to disturb the kid¡¯s cooking practice,¡± Fang Zheng said, beaming with joy. ¡°Ding, an optional side quest has appeared.¡± Once the three of them went out, Jiang Feng opened the attribute panel.
    1. [Fang Zheng¡¯s Appreciation]: As a porridge chef with 27 years of experience, Fang Zheng¡¯s skill in cooking porridge is nationally recognized. As an excellent chef, Fang Zheng actually has a keen eye for talent. yers are tasked to make a stunning porridge dish that will capture Fang Zheng¡¯s appreciation. [ept: Yes/No]
      2. Reward: Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge Recipe Jiang Feng didn¡¯t hesitate and chose Yes. Quest tip: Use your highest skill to conquer him! Progress(0/1) Jiang Feng stepped out of the kitchen with a friendly and enthusiastic smile, ¡°Master Fang, would you like to have lunch at our restaurant? I¡¯ll cook a pot of eight-treasure porridge and would like you to help me critique it.¡± ¡°For lunch?¡± Fang Zheng was tempted; he wanted to eat the Kung Pao chicken prepared by Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Little Master Fang, my son¡¯s eight-treasure porridge is especially good; you muste to taste it at noon. It¡¯s best if you bring everyone from your porridge shop over!¡± Jiang Jiankang invited warmly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and talk to my brother,¡± Fang Zheng readily agreed, ¡°but it might bete, as the business at the shop is busy and we can¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Got it, got it; you¡¯re wee anytime, our restaurant is open as long as the doors are open,¡± Jiang Jiankangughed, ¡°Take a look at this char siu bao and custard bun distribution¡­¡± The two of them continued talking business. Jiang Feng went back to the kitchen and scooped up a small spoonful of the preserved egg and lean meat porridge to taste. Seeing what the game disyed was one thing, but actually tasting it was another. Regardless of what the disy showed, it was the taste on the tongue that revealed the true vor. The eight-treasure porridge had received near-perfect praise due to his fortuitous discovery of the osmanthus sugar that paired perfectly with it. He wondered to what extent the side quest reward, the Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge Recipe, could improve the porridge. Near perfect? Or perfect? Jiang Feng began to look forward to it.
    Chapter 198 - 1971 panic and even chop myself Chapter 198: Chapter 1971 panic and even chop myself Trantor: 549690339 | With so many days of practice behind him, cooking Eight Treasures Porridge was a small case for Jiang Feng, multitasking was no problem at all. He continued to chop ingredients at the cooking station, letting the Eight Treasures Porridge slowly simmer in the y pot, and soon it was 10:30 in the morning. Wu Hanxue had arrived at the back kitchen of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Jiang Feng¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Lately, Wu Hanxue showed up punctually every day to clock in and cook at the back kitchen of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, making many UAL University students think that the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had hired a Sichuan chef, and everyone had grown ustomed to his presence. But today was different. In the past, Wu Hanxue¡¯s identity was that of a friend¡¯s father, now he was the father of his girlfriend, rounded up, that made him the future father-inw. Any slip-up could lead to identally calling him dad. Now was the season for bamboo shoots, and the restaurant¡¯s sauteed bamboo shoots with meat or pickled vegetables with bamboo shoots were selling hot. Jiang Feng was chopping bamboo shoots when he saw Wu Hanxue walk into the back kitchen with Wu Minqi following behind. Jiang Feng¡¯s mind raced, thinking what he should call out. Should he call him Uncle Wu, or just uncle? No, that¡¯s not right ¨C who¡¯s older between Wu Hanxue and Jiang Jiankang, and how should he address him? Could it be¡ª Dad? Wouldn¡¯t calling him dad directly be moving too fast? But should he call him uncle or uncle Wu? He had always been calling him Uncle Wu and had never been corrected, but Wu Hanxue didn¡¯t seem much older than Jiang Jiankang. Calling him the wrong title would be embarrassing and might cost him impression points, yet not addressing him at all would seem very impolite. Not good, Wu Hanxue was already looking over in his direction. In his panic, Jiang Feng¡¯s knife slipped and he cut his left hand instead of the bamboo shoots. ¡°Ouch,¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s hand at the base of his thumb immediately started bleeding profusely. ¡°What happened to you, child? How could you cut your hand while slicing bamboo shoots!¡± Jiang Jiankang immediately panicked, seeing the severity of the bleeding on Jiang Feng¡¯s left hand. The shop had an emergency first aid kit that contained iodine, gauze, and cotton swabs. Ji Yue had used it once before when she got a cut on her hand while moving a table, so Wu Minqi knew where it was and hurriedly fetched it. Wang Xiulian came back with her. ¡°What happened? What happened? Who ¨C oh dear, my goodness, Feng, what happened to your hand? Did you cut yourself with the knife? How deep is the wound, do you need to go to the hospital? Is your hand alright? Don¡¯t you have apetition next week, what are we going to do now? Should we just forfeit?¡± Wang Xiulian burst in and immediately saw Jiang Feng¡¯s bleeding hand, bombarding him with a string of questions. Wu Minqi opened the first aid kit, Wang Xiulian took out the gauze, cotton swabs, and iodine, and skillfully started cleaning and bandaging Jiang Feng¡¯s wound, all the while muttering, ¡°This won¡¯t do, how could you cut yourself at the base of the thumb like this? What were you aiming at with that knife? That wound looks quite wide, maybe we should go to the hospital, what if it gets infected!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, mom, it¡¯s not deep,¡± Jiang Feng said, able to judge the severity of his own cut from the moment it happened ¨C after all, practicing cooking since young, his left hand had been cut by himself countless times. It was just a bit of a severe cut this time. ¡°That¡¯s it, you won¡¯t cut or cook for the next few days, let your dad do the cutting and the stir-frying, and you just focus on cooking your porridge,¡± Wang Xiulian instructed as she finished bandaging him up. ¡°How could you be so careless,¡± Wu Minqi looked at Jiang Feng¡¯s bandaged left hand with some distress, ¡°After so many years of learning to cook, you still cut your hand while chopping, it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re nning to cook porridge for the finals, otherwise, we really would¡¯ve had to forfeit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt, it just looks scary, it will heal in a couple of days,¡± Jiang Feng reassured. Stripped of his rights to chop vegetables, Jiang Feng settled down next to the stove to keep an eye on the Eight Treasures Porridge. Simmering it on a low heat, it would take at least another two hours before it was ready. Even though Wu Hanxue was extremely displeased with Jiang Feng at the moment, disliking him even if he had cut himself, he had to admit that Jiang Feng¡¯s porridge cooking skills were truly top-notch. He even felt inferior to him. If only Jiang Feng were a Master White Chef, the Wu Family Restaurant was just now looking to expand that area of the business. As Wu Hanxue tied on his apron and grabbed a kitchen knife to help Jiang Jiankang with the food prep, he thought to himself. Because he had cut his own left hand, Jiang Feng was not only deprived of his right to chop vegetables but also of his right to cook, and consequently ¨C because he could only use one hand ¨C he was also stripped of his duties to carry dishes, collect tes, and clean the dining hall. During the busy lunch service, everyone was running off their feet, but Jiang Feng was more leisurely than any of the diners, diligently tending to the critical pot of Eight Treasures Porridge by the stove. After the rush, Fang Zheng quietly arrived. Although the two establishments had agreed to cooperate, Fang Yu, the boss of the once dominant Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop on the gourmet street, still refused to dine at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant that had usurped his throne; only Fang Zheng, the second-inmand who, for the sake of his appetite, instantly turned traitor and even became a spy and lobbyist, came alone. Jiang Feng cooked arge y pot of Eight-Treasure Porridge, which was quite a lot. If Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian didn¡¯t perform above their level, they would probably not be able to finish it. When Fang Zheng saw Jiang Feng with a bandaged left hand, he was a bit stunned, thinking to himself that he was fine when he came in the morning, how did he manage to get hurt by noon. Did he burn himself while cooking porridge? ¡°Kids are careless when they work. He was distracted while chopping vegetables this morning and cut his hand, scared his mother and me to death,¡± Jiang Jiankang exined as he enthusiastically served Fang Zheng some porridge. ¡°You can¡¯t be distracted while chopping vegetables. My wife used to often cut her hand when she was distracted, so much so that I was afraid to let her chop vegetables,¡± Fang Zheng said, epting the porridge. The temperature was just right, perfect for eating. ¡°Ding! Side quest [Fang Zheng¡¯s Appreciation]pleted. Quest reward item: Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge Recipe obtained. Please ask Fang Zheng for the recipe.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? If I have to get the quest reward myself, what¡¯s the damned use of this lousy game! Jiang Feng hesitated, how should he ask? Master Fang, may I ask if there¡¯s a trick to making Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge? Master Fang, could you teach me how to make a good Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge? Master Fang, I ran into some problems when I was cooking Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge this morning, could you please give me some advice? Jiang Feng was rehearsing in his mind, but Fang Zheng spoke first. ¡°Little Feng, I¡¯m not callingyou incorrectly, am I? That should be your name.¡± After receiving a nod of confirmation from Jiang Feng, Fang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Emmm, I wanted to ask, what brand of osmanthus sugar did you use in the Eight-Treasure Porridge?¡± As expected of a master chef with over 20 years of porridge-cooking experience, he could tell right away that the osmanthus sugar in the Eight- Treasure Porridge was different from what¡¯s sold on the market. Fang Zheng felt embarrassed right after he asked. He could taste that this batch of Eight-Treasure Porridge was exceptionally delicious, not just because of Jiang Feng¡¯s excellent porridge-cooking skills, but also because of the addition of osmanthus sugar. However, such ingredients are usually a closely guarded secret in others¡¯ porridge recipes, and his sudden inquiry was somewhat impolite. It even carried a hint of taking advantage of Jiang Feng¡¯s youth and inexperience. ¡°If it¡¯s inconvenient, you don¡¯t have to mention it. I just asked out of curiosity, it¡¯s not that I must know,¡± Fang Zheng quickly tried to remedy the situation, not wanting to put Jiang Feng in a spot. ¡°It¡¯s nothing inconvenient. My dad bought it from themercial street next to UAL University. It¡¯s made by an old man at home, and I have his WeChat. He also sells osmanthus sugar on WeChat. If Master Fang needs it, I can give it to you,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s also a jar of osmanthus sugar in the fridge. Do you need it, Master Fang?¡± ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate that,¡± Fang Zheng said with joy. Jiang Feng led Fang Zheng to the back kitchen to get the osmanthus sugar, thinking about how to ask for the secret of cooking Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge as they walked. Would it be impolite to ask outright? But he just shared the secrets of cooking Eight-Treasure Porridge with Fang Zheng; that should be considered an exchange of courtesies, right? Jiang Feng was internally conflicted. ¡°The Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge you cooked this morning¡ª ¡± Before Jiang Feng had settled on how to ask, Fang Zheng handed it to him on a silver tter. ¡°Hmm?¡± Happiness came too suddenly. ¡°When you turn off the heat, just add a few drops of sesame oil, let it sit covered for three minutes, and then stir it well. The vor will be much better,¡± Fang Zheng said. This had been Fang Zheng¡¯s secret for making Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge for many years, one he rarely shared with others. Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes lit up, eager to try it out right there and then. ¡°You can try it this afternoon. If there are any issues,e find me at Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop,¡± Fang Zheng said. His face bore a smile of a proud mentor. Preserved Egg and Lean Meat Porridge Recipe, get! Chapter 199 - 198: Youre Going to Be Famous Chapter 199: Chapter 198: You¡¯re Going to Be Famous Trantor: 549690339 As soon as Fang Zheng left, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t wait to try out the new method of making century egg and lean pork porridge. Even with only one hand, making the process quite arduous, Jiang Feng still persisted with unwavering dedication, moving between the cooking station and the stove all afternoon. After failing a few times due to not getting the sesame oil quantity and timing right, he finally managed to cook a pot of highly praised century egg and lean pork porridge before the evening service began. [A pot of nearly perfect century egg and lean pork porridge] This was the highest-rated porridge that Jiang Feng could cook with his current porridge-making skills. The porridge was still piping hot. Jiang Feng scooped a small spoonful, blew on it twice, and tasted it. Frowning slightly, Jiang Feng felt that this pot of porridge was somewhat less than satisfactory. The vor was good, better than all the previous century egg and lean pork porridges he had made, but it wasn¡¯t as delicious as he had imagined. It seemed that the vor of this porridge didn¡¯t quite live up to the four words ¡°nearly perfect.¡± When Jiang Feng first tasted his own creation of the Osmanthus sugar-vored Eight Treasures Porridge, he was astounded, unable to believe he could reach such a level. That feeling, as if he were the king of the world, was something Jiang Feng still couldn¡¯t forget to this day. But this century egg and lean pork porridge didn¡¯t give him that feeling. [A portion of century egg and lean pork porridge with subpar quality preserved eggs, good quality meat that was well-marinated, and two less drops of sesame oil¡ªbarely nearly perfect] Indeed, this century egg and lean pork porridge just wasn¡¯t as good as the previous Eight Treasures Porridge, only barely nearly perfect. Jiang Feng rested his chin in his right hand, staring at the disy the game provided, deep in thought. If he were to add just two more drops of sesame oil and use higher quality preserved eggs, would this century egg and lean pork porridge ascend from nearly perfect to perfect? What does a perfect porridge even look like? Is there truly such a thing as a perfect dish in this world? As a young chef whose skills could be considered quite good among his peers, Jiang Feng seriously doubted whether anyone could make a dish perfect and what that perfect dish would look like. Like making a dish that glows like it¡¯s been sprinkled with phosphorescent powder, as Liu Angxing did? A dish that moves people to tears and makes them bow down to call him big brother? ¡°Jiang Feng, you scammer, I trusted you and went to see that crap movie!¡± Ji Yue¡¯s roar, akin to that of a female tyrannosaurus, jerked Jiang Feng back from the anime unfolding in his mind to reality. Turning his head, Jiang Feng saw Ji Yueing towards him furiously, followed by Liu Qian, who had in fact been eating at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant these days but did not have a designated name nor any lines in the story. ¡°You actually tricked me, saying it was deeply moving, the best of the year, a must-see, and yet they acted out such crappy stuff!¡± With an enraged face, just thinking about how she wasted two hours and 9 yuan and 90 cents on that movie¡ªeven if it was a discounted ticket-Ji Yue couldn¡¯t forgive the film. And even less so, the person who tricked her into watching it! ¡°Cough cough.¡± So, this thing was indeed somewhat hical, but Jiang Feng almost couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, ¡°I didn¡¯t knowyou wouldn¡¯t like the movie, I thought all you girls liked that kind of thing. I actually saw a girl in front of me cry while watching it.¡± ¡°Heh heh.¡± Ji Yue let out a sarcasticugh. ¡°Come on, have some porridge.¡± Jiang Feng, with a face full of eagerness to please, brought Ji Yue a bowl¡ªsince he only had one hand, he couldn¡¯t hold a bowl anddle porridge at the same time. Ji Yue had tried Jiang Feng¡¯s porridge at noon and felt it wasn¡¯t as delicious as the Eight Treasures Porridge he made before. It wasn¡¯t the sweet porridge she loved, so she wasn¡¯t very interested and only scooped herself a small half bowl. ¡°Why are you making century egg and lean pork porridge? Your Eight Treasures Porridge is so tasty, just make that!¡± Ji Yue was no longer the poor Ji Yue of the past, who could be satisfied with a 40-cent bowl of in porridge from a cheap cafeteria. Although she was still poor, she had started to be as picky and discerning as Mrs. Wang Xiulian. ¡°Century egg and lean pork porridge?¡± Liu Qian, who hadn¡¯t had any lines for a long time, brightened at the mention. These days, with Wu Hanxue cooking in the back kitchen, Liu Qian frequented the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant more diligently than attending sses,e rain or shine, eating more with each meal. ¡°This pot is better than the one this morning, all of you try it.¡± Jiang Feng also passed a bowl to Liu Qian. Liu Qian very graciously scooped a full bowl, stirred it for a while, slurped it down, and eagerly helped herself to another. ¡°Chairperson, the porridge you¡¯ve cooked is even tastier thanst year¡¯s!¡¯ Liu Qian¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°It¡¯s just that this century egg isn¡¯t very fresh.¡± ¡°The century egg isn¡¯t fresh?¡± Ji Yue turned her head and asked. ¡°It tastes better than this morning¡¯s, but I think the Eight Treasure Porridge is a bit tastier.¡± ¡°Right, and the century egg was cut a bit toorge,¡± Liu Qian added. ¡°Toorge?¡± Ji Yue felt that she and Liu Qian might not have been eating from the same pot of porridge. ¡°Qianqian, I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve be much more professional since you became a food critic,¡± Ji Yue began to find a way to save face for her inability to taste the difference. ¡°A food critic?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°You know, that Some-App live stream, where they organized some sort of local delicacy awards. They buy snacks from stores and those on Taobao, have their outdoor food livestreamers taste them and sing their praises, sort of like advertising. n City has got only Qianqian as a food critic, and the event has been quite a hittely. You haven¡¯t been watching her streams for a while, have you? She went to that ce yesterday, what¡¯s it called, Chu something? The one where youpeted together, ah, what¡¯s it called?¡± Ji Yue, though young, had somehow developed a rather forgetful memory. ¡°Chu Peng.¡± Liu Qian took a moment from her porridge to supply the name. ¡°Right, Chu Peng. His restaurant is now an inte sensation. Some-App is just riding the wave of poprity, so they had Qianqian go there yesterday to eat those vegetable rolls,¡± Ji Yue exined. ¡°I lined up for two hours,¡± Liu Qian added. ¡°Two hours!¡± Jiang Feng was genuinely shocked. Didn¡¯t these people have jobs or school? So much free time to stand in line for hours just for a vegetable roll. He even felt a bit envious. ¡°Chairperson, I bet next week Some-App live will feature a special judging on your restaurant. I probably won¡¯t even be able to join the queue by then, so you must save me a spot,¡± Liu Qian implored insistently. ¡°How did Chu Peng¡¯s restaurant be popr so suddenly?¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t understand. Chu Peng was eliminated during the top eight, and it had been a while. ¡°The variety show only updated to the top 8 a few days ago!¡± Ji Yue couldn¡¯t believe Jiang Feng was so out of the loop with the ¡°Good Taste Chef King Contest.¡± She began to enlighten him, ¡°Besides, the top eight episode is split into two parts, and they re-edited it. They first broadcasted Gu Li and Chu Peng¡¯s part, cutting it off right at the most suspenseful point while the judges werementing on Zhang Guanghang and that other person. Your part with Zhang Xi hasn¡¯t been broadcast yet; it will air tomorrow night. You¡¯re going to be famous too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be famous?¡± Jiang Feng was slow to catch on. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you remember? You cooked the Eight Treasure Porridge during the top eight! Everyone in the audience was going crazy for it, the couple next to me almost started fighting over thest two bites,¡± Ji Yue recalled the scene with a shiver, ¡°I bet our restaurant is going to be swamped the day after tomorrow¡¯s broadcast. No, no, I have to talk to Mrs. Wang about this; we need to hire a couple of temporary workers. Oops, I have to go out and talk to Mrs. Wang about this.¡± Having said that, Ji Yue put down her bowl and went to find Wang Xiulian. ¡°Chairperson, the Eight Treasure Porridge you made was really tasty?¡± Liu Qian asked, curious. ¡°You haven¡¯t tried it?¡± Jiang Feng had just asked when he realized, these past few days, while Liu Qian hardly yed any role, even though she came to the restaurant to eat every day, he always subconsciously ignored her. It seemed that Wang Hao hadn¡¯t tried it either. Thinking about this, Jiang Feng felt it really wasn¡¯t right. Contemting the timing of the finals, Jiang Feng said, ¡°How about this, next Friday is the final, so let¡¯s gather next Saturday. I¡¯ll cook a pot of Eight Treasure Porridge and make a few dishes. We can have it as the Chess Club¡¯s core staff¡¯s first gathering of the semester?¡± ¡°That sounds great.¡± Liu Qian nodded eagerly. Jiang Feng had Liu Qian help him ce two y pots on the stove to continue Cooking Porridge with century egg and lean pork. They had an internal Jiang Family gathering tonight, so he had to make sure there was enough. It was time to show everyone the real skills of making century egg and lean pork porridge. Chapter 200 - 199: Settling on a Renovation Team Chapter 200: Chapter 199: Settling on a Renovation Team Trantor: 549690339 At 8 p.m,, all the Jiang Family members and Wu Minqi¡¯s family of three gathered on the second floor of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, basking in joy andughter. Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, the sisters, were the happiest and most excited of all because they had sessfully skipped their chemistry tutoring again tonight. Ever since Jiang Jianshe began to seriously pay attention to their academic performance, he was astounded to find that apart from Chinese, they needed tutoring in everything. Hence, Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlianmenced their delightful life of attending tutoring sessions eight times a week, seven days a week. Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang were keeping watch over two pots of porridge in the kitchen. Most of the dishes were already on the table. Although Wu Hanxue was not fond of Jiang Feng, to support his daughter, he nearly used all his lifetime cooking skills for today¡¯s meal. Boiled beef in spicy sauce, twice-cooked pork, ants climbing a tree, Mapo tofu, Kung Pao chicken, Mao blood wang, and chicken stewed with gingko. There were only nine dishes on the table, seven of which were prepared by Wu Hanxue. The remaining two were Jiang Jiankang¡¯s Dongpo pork knuckle and Jiang Weiming¡¯s tofu box. Had circumstances allowed, Wu Hanxue could have also made butterfly sea cucumbers, Hundred-Flowers Jiang Group, and Crystal Duck Square. These were the highest standard banquet dishes of the Wu Family Restaurant. Over the years, as Old Sir Wu gradually stopped being the chef, these banquet dishes were all entrusted to Wu Hanxue. As Jiang Weiming had often made tofu boxes recently, garnering unanimous praise each time, he spent time researching the filling proportions. Each time, he made it with different vors. Today, to match the porridge-eating ambiance, he made vegetarian fillings. Shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tomatoes, cucumbers, wood ear mushrooms, and green peas, with a bit of minced meat in the middle, offered a variety of colors and a delicate texture. The season¡¯s bamboo shoots were tender and juicy, making the vegetarian filling of the tofu boxes extremely delicious. ¡°Wow, what a big spread of dishes, our thanks to Mr. Wu for his hard work!¡± Jiang Zaidi said, eyes shining at the sight of the spread. Jiang Weiguo was good at many things, but Sichuan cuisine was not one of them. The Jiang Family rarely had the chance to enjoy Sichuan dishes like this. ¡°Yes, yes, Mr. Wu really did put in a lot of effort cooking such a big spread, certainly tiring. Ah yes, the porridge is ready too. I¡¯ll serve some for Mr. Wu.¡± In terms of ttering skills, perhaps no one could surpass Jiang Junlian in the Jiang Family. Jiang Jiankang, carrying a big y pot of preserved egg and lean pork porridge, led the way, followed by Jiang Feng with a te of side dishes. These weren¡¯t the pickles brought over by Wu Hanxue from thend of Shu but dried radishes and pickled long beans from Fang Zheng¡¯s porridge shop, perfect forplementing porridge. After putting the preserved egg and lean pork porridge and side dishes on the table, they went back down to continue carrying the remaining porridge and a te of porkrd crisps that had not been brought up. Jiang Zaidi, who was closest to the preserved egg and lean pork porridge, lifted the lid. A fragrant aroma filled the air. Wu Hanxue was startled and found it strange. The porridge Jiang Feng cooked at noon didn¡¯t have such a tantalizing aroma when he uncovered it. Judging from the smell alone, the current pot of porridge was on a higher level than the one from noon. What sort of magic pill had this kid taken? His porridge-cooking skills had improved so much in just one afternoon. ¡°Yo, I didn¡¯t expect Feng¡¯s preserved egg and lean pork porridge to smell so good too!¡± Jiang Jianguo praised. With the preserved egg and lean pork porridge served, it meant it was time to start the meal. Everyone stopped the mutual ttery and burrowed into their bowls, slurping porridge and munching on dishes. A spoonful of preserved egg and lean pork porridge, a bite of side dish, and then a spoonful of the boiled beef in spicy sauce. Delightful! Wouldn¡¯t exchange this even for a fairy¡¯s life! Jiang Zaidi instantly cast aside his resolve made yesterday to exercise for an hour daily, stick to vegetable sds and chicken breast for three meals, and aim to shed weight this year in hopes to sessfully find a partner. His mind was consumed by thoughts of preserved egg and lean pork porridge and the boiled beef. And not to forget the twice-cooked pork, Mao blood wang, and chicken stewed with gingko. Jiang Zaidi dered that, weight loss? What weight loss? It would never happen in this lifetime. Only by mooching off his little brother could he sustain such a life. After a satisfying meal, it was time for the usual bragging session. However, today¡¯s bragging needed to be postponed because there was serious business to discuss. The renovation team Jiang Feng had asked Jiang Zaidi to find had responded. After an initial screening, Jiang Zaidi had narrowed it down to three potential teams. He had printed out their detailed information and brought it along. All that was needed was for Jiang Feng and Sir to give the nod and for Jiang Jianguo to negotiate the price, then the renovation of Taifeng Building could be scheduled. The scheduling of the renovation meant that the opening of the business was not far off. ¡°Little brother, you mentioned that you had the Renovation Blueprint taken care of. Do you still have them?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re on myputer,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°If we have the blueprints, we can start work immediately after negotiating a good price. I¡¯ve inquired around, and if we¡¯re fast, the refurbishment and renovation can be done within three months,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, taking out the thick profiles of three decorationpanies from his briefcase, with two copies each, one for Jiang Feng and one for Jiang Weiguo. Jiang Weiguo took the profiles, looked over them briefly without understanding, and felt a headacheing on. So, he tossed them to Jiang Jianguo. Jiang Jianguo had already seen them and tossed them to Jiang Jianshe. Jiang Jianshe also didn¡¯t understand them and handed them casually to Jiang Jianye. Jiang Jianye, who had just epted them, forcefully passed them on to Jiang Jiankang. The stack of profiles did a full round of the table and ended up back with Sir. Actually, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t really understand them either. After all, everyone has their specialization; his was cooking porridge, not studying these things. Besides, as a physics student, how could he possiblyprehend whether a renovation team was good or bad? ¡°Would it be alright if I took a look?¡± Wu Hanxue spoke up. Jiang Jiankang, more than happy to have someone help him with the stack of information he couldn¡¯t understand, enthusiastically passed it to Wu Hanxue. Taking the materials, Wu Hanxue started to scrutinize them carefully. Wu Hanxue expressed that although he didn¡¯t understand why his daughter, a young and beautiful girl with extraordinary talent, wit, intelligence, gentleness, thoughtfulness, generosity, well-educated, empathetic, respectful to teachers, friendly with ssmates, kind to animals, benevolent to people,w-abiding, and with a healthy and positive outlook, would fall for someone like Jiang Feng, who seemed to be good for nothing except cooking porridge, it was, after all, his daughter¡¯s choice. The Jiang Family had business with Taifeng Building in Beiping, something he had heard of and had a slight knowledge of. As the future inw, he naturally had to lend a hand. ¡°This Chengju Decoration Company¡­¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s that Chengju¡­¡± Wu Hanxue and Jiang Zaidi almost spoke at the same time. ¡°Mr. Wu, you¡¯re familiar with this as well?¡± Jiang Zaidi was somewhat surprised. ¡°Actually, all three decorationpanies are very good. If we go by their track record, Meiyi is clearly the best, but I think Chengju would be more suitable for the renovation of Taifeng Building.¡± ¡°Yes, Chengju Decoration Company has a lot of experience renovating antique-style restaurants like yours. I haven¡¯t dealt with them, but I¡¯ve heard that they did the renovation of Eight-treasure House in Beiping three years ago,¡± said Wu Hanxue. ¡°Yes, this decorationpany¡¯s designers are also amazing and very famous in our industry. I just don¡¯t know what your brother¡¯s renovation blueprint looks like. If it¡¯s not satisfactory, we can actually ask their designers to redesign for us. It¡¯s just that the price will be quite high, and it will take a lot of time,¡± said Jiang Zaidi. ¡°The renovation blueprint I got as a game reward is pretty good. I¡¯ll make a copy for you tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng had already looked over the blueprint, and although he didn¡¯t understand it, he felt it should be quite good. This game¡¯s rewards in all non-culinary aspects were very reliable. ¡°No need, I¡¯lle pick it up tomorrow during dinner,¡± Jiang Zaidi schemed to sponge another meal. ¡°If we decide on thispany, I¡¯ll contact them tonight. However, they are quite expensive. I estimate the full renovation will cost at least to million,¡± said Jiang Zaidi. ¡°10 million?!¡± Jiang Feng felt his imagination was limited by poverty. Professor Li had mentioned it would be 3 million! ¡°With Taifeng Building¡¯srge footprint and three stories, along with its heritage from the Republican era which wasn¡¯t well-preserved over the years, everything needs to be refurbished, inside and out, on top of the new decorations. Over 10 million is actually a low estimate,¡± Jiang Zaidi exined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, little brother. You don¡¯t need to fret about money. We can easilye up with over 10 million.¡± ¡°Right, right, Feng, don¡¯t you worry about the money,¡± Jiang Jianshe nodded in agreement. ¡°If the renovation is settled, we should also start preparing for staff recruitment. I will get in touch with a headhunter. For now, you just focus on preparing for thepetition. If you win the championship, given the poprity of the rted variety shows, the advertising effect will be more beneficial than anything else,¡± Jiang Zaidi helped Jiang Feng analyze. Jiang Feng nodded solemnly. With the serious discussions over, it was time for the enjoyable session of bragging. Everyone had a good memory and could pick right back up from where they had left offst time. ¡°Now that Taifeng Building is opening, I say all of us brothers should go to Beiping!¡± Jiang Jianguo, the leader in bragging among the Jiang Family, kicked off the conversation. ¡°Right, right, we should all go,¡± agreed Jiang Jiankang. ¡°We need to buy property first.¡± ¡°Get a fully furnished ce, too much hassle decorating a bare-shell apartment.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so troublesome about decorating a bare-shell apartment? Just get little De to do the design! We should buy an entireplex. Upstairs, downstairs, we could even eat together.¡± ¡°Right, right, we have to buy in the sameplex. Dad, I already have aplex in mind, the environment is really good.¡± ¡°Is that so? Little De is really thinking ahead, which one is it¡­¡± Wu Hanxue, who had wandered into this, was baffled: ??? Mrs. Wu, who was used to their way of boasting and reacted quickly, calmly drank her water. Wu Minqi, who was ustomed to these things, kept her head down and busily exchanged texts with Jiang Feng. Wu Hanxue nced at his wife and child and saw that they looked unperturbed, which made him even more puzzled. What did these Jiang Family members do for a living, talking so casually about tens and hundreds of millions? What kind of people were they? Was it an issue on his part? Did everyone now have the ability to buy property within the second ring road of Beiping? What exactly did they do for a living? Why were they so proficient at this? Chapter 201 - 200: Red Dates and Loach Soup Chapter 201: Chapter 200: Red Dates and Loach Soup Trantor: 549(590999 i r 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, exining 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. ording to the school¡¯s n, they needed to move out of the teachers¡¯ apartments by next week at thetest. 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 rtionship, 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 sses. Since Li Mingyi¡¯s passing, he had visibly aged a lot, and his eyesight had even begun to blur¡ªa problem he never had before since he never used to wear reading sses. ¡°Little Feng hase.¡± Professor Li took off his sses while walking toward him. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching the live broadcasts of yourpetition these past few days. Tomorrow is the finals, right?¡± ¡°These past evenings, he has been glued to the TV watching yourpetition live. Even if I need him to get something, he won¡¯t budge,¡±ughed 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 decorationpanies, 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,¡± exined Jiang Feng. ¡°Chengju Decoration Company?¡± Professor Li pondered, then replied with a nod, ¡°I have some recollection. Is that thepany 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 toe 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 seemedrge by Beiping¡¯s standards back then, but ced in today¡¯s context, it was definitely a luxurious quadrangle dwelling¡ªand 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 ce, so we can easily stop by to see how you¡¯re doing.¡± With this rification 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 nced at the time on his phone and realized it was gettingte, 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 vige for so long, and after a lot of hard work, reached max level and left the vige 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 ce, 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 nned 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 thepetition.¡± ¡°You get some good rest too, good luck with thepetition,¡± 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-inw made for you!¡± Wang Hao urged, ¡°Come on, open it up and let me see what kind of soup your sister-inw 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 vor 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!¡± Chapter 202 - 201 The Finals Begin Chapter 202: Chapter 201 The Finals Begin Trantor: 549690339 In the end, Wang Hao still managed to scrounge up two spoonfuls of soup. There was no negotiating the loaches, only four small ones, so soft and mushy you couldn¡¯t tell how long Wu Minqi had stewed them. Without loaches, though, Jiang Feng could still afford to share some jujubes and goji berries with him. After happily savoring the two spoonfuls of soup, smacking his lips, he spat out the date pits and eximed, ¡°Sister-inw¡¯s cooking skills are truly impable¡ªfits the hall as well as the kitchen. I should learn how to cook this soup tomorrow and make it for my Zhenzhen.¡± Jiang Feng: Hah, bootlicker. It was time to remind Mr. Jiang Jiankang to keep a close eye on the local market for suitable loaches soon, as loach stewed tofu needed to be scheduled. The two joked and chatted about all sorts of things, causing a ruckus for a while. Seeing that it was indeed gettingte, they cleaned the thermal sk and left it on the table. Jiang Feng went to the bathroom to wash up, while Wang Hao climbed into bed to continue chatting with Zhenzhen. A night of sweet dreams. The next day was the day of the finals. Jiang Feng carried a blue thermal sk to the shop, makingst-minute adjustments and cooked a pot of porridge¡ªstandard level, consistently approaching perfection, barely satisfactory. Wu Minqi left with him. When she went to the shop to look for him, she saw Jiang Feng tasting the preserved egg and lean pork congee and asked, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Just the usual level, probably can¡¯t be better.¡± Always unable to achieve the same standard as eight-treasure porridge, Jiang Feng felt somewhat disappointed. But a fortuitous coincidence like the one with osmanthus sugar where the ingredients matched so perfectly is something hard toe by. ¡°Stop overthinking it, let¡¯s go,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. The two headed towards the provincial station. The ratings for the live broadcasts of the past few contests weren¡¯t high among concurrent shows, only picking up slightly during Jiang Feng¡¯s confessionst time, and even then, it was just a slight increase, not even enough to trend on Weibo. Cookingpetitions were too lengthy for most audiences ustomed to fast- paced variety shows, who, despite knowing the oue, preferred to watch the edited ¡°Good Taste Chef King Contest.¡± If it weren¡¯t for Han Guishan, the moneybags patron with real wealth, and Xu Cheng, the even wealthier and more influential behind-the-scenes patron, the live broadcast would probably have been cut during the top eight. But today was different, today was the final, and it was a direct PK between four contestants. The vast majority of the audience, who had only watched variety shows or heard of the names, were willing to take a look to see what the finals were really about? The fierce and thrillingpetition between the two dark horses vying for the championship was indeed nerve-racking! Zhang Guanghang, the national heartthrob, faced his Waterloo and could onlypete for third ce, a result that many malepatriots enjoyed watching! The most excited person had to be the hostess; she had misunderstood thepetition formatst time, thinking that once Zhang Guanghang was eliminated, she wouldn¡¯t see him again, only to be able to watch him for another two hours. For today¡¯s match, she specially chose a dress a size smaller than her usual, starved herself for the day, held her stomach in throughout, all to showcase a svelte waistline that didn¡¯t exist to everyone else. Jiang Feng and the others waited backstage; they had inspected the ingredients, which were as usual of good quality. Nothing was wrong with the ingredients¡ª if a dish had issues, it would be a reflection of the chef¡¯s skills. If someone unfortunately made a mistake in today¡¯spetition, that would truly be an embarrassment in front of the entire country. Jiang Feng¡¯s old issue of getting nervous before apetition struck again; looking around at the others, Wu Minqi was expressionless, Zhang Guanghang was expressionless, Gu Li was expressionless. ¡°Ah.¡± Jiang Feng sighed deeply, truly envying these poker-faced people. Seated on the sofa, holding onto the lukewarm tap water in his hands, he felt restless, sensing as if there was a ticking clock in his heart, ¡°tick-tock-tick- tock-tick-tock,¡± incessantly moving, each ¡°tick-tock¡± bringing him a step closer to the gallows. ¡°Tick-tock- tick-tock-tick-tock.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s mind was filled with the ¡°tick-tock¡± of that non-existent clock. Wu Minqi¡¯s left hand covered Jiang Feng¡¯s right hand, tookhis hand and consoled him, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be nervous. Everyone has seen your skill, whether you win or lose, Grandpa Jiang won¡¯t me you.¡± Zhang Guanghang and Gu Li quietly turned their heads away, feeling as if there was a slight sparkle about them. ¡°Contestants, thepetition will start in 15 minutes, and I believe everyone is well-acquainted with the rules by now. You may all take the stage, where your name tags are attached to the cooking stations. Please go up and start to prepare in advance¡ªthepetition will begin as soon as it strikes eight. The staff miss is wearing an all-embracing 365-degree smile, ¡°If there are any concerns now, please voice them, and we will do our best to amodate your requirements.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± Wu Minqi let go of Jiang Feng¡¯s hand, and they walked toward the stage together. Today¡¯s lights seemed particrly dazzling. The assistant director was ready for action below the stage, as if preparing for a fierce battle. The cameraman¡¯s expression suggested he probably thought the assistant director was a fool. Jiang Feng noticed that the first row of the audience was upied by the other 28 contestants who had been eliminated, including Ji Xue from Guangdong Province, who had already returned home. She sat quietly below the stage in her old washed-out white jeans. ¡°Go for it, boss,¡± Ji Xue mouthed to Jiang Feng and then looked at Wu Minqi, ¡°Good luck, boss¡¯s wife.¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s cheeks flushed imperceptibly. Chu Peng sat in the first row, beaming with the look of a sessful person. His snack bar should now be considered the number one popr store in n City, with real-life cases of customers from the news reports queuing for n hours, a non-stop stream of patrons, and tourists from other provinces willing to line up for a whole day just to taste the food. Just yesterday, Ji Yue gossiped with Jiang Feng that the average wait time for Chu Peng¡¯s snackbar¡¯s stuffed crepes was three hours. The price had gone up from four yuan to five yuan each, and they hadn¡¯t been swayed by quick profits to open abranch store, remaining down-to-earth as a small family business. It was the students from the central school, led by Zhang Xi, whoined because they simply couldn¡¯t outwait those patrons willing to queue for hours. It looked like they wouldn¡¯t get to eat the stuffed crepes at least until April. At eight o¡¯clock sharp, thepetition started on time. All contestants got moving and tuned out the host¡¯s ther, with the female host wearing a dress one size too small, sucking in her stomach as she spoke with a strong diaphragm, her voice crisp and sweet. ¡°To all the audience here and those watching on TV, wee to the finale of the Good Taste Chef King Contest. Today, Jiang Feng, Gu Li, Zhang Guanghang, and Wu Minqi, four contestants, willpete on the same stage to determine the top three of this culinarypetition. The champion will emerge between Jiang Feng and Gu Li, while the third ce will be decided between Zhang Guanghang and Wu Minqi. Now, all four contestants have started their dish preparations.¡± ¡°The theme of thispetition is ¡®Original Intention,¡¯ with Gu Li¡¯s entry being golden-threaded siu mai, Jiang Feng¡¯s entry being preserved egg and lean pork porridge, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s entry being taohuafan, and Wu Minqi¡¯s entry being ants climbing a tree. Let¡¯s look forward to the performance of the four contestants and anticipate what surprises they will bring us.¡± The host walked off the stage from the side. ¡°Preserved egg and lean pork porridge? Thed is Cooking Porridge again,¡± Xu Chengughed, with a surge of expectation. ¡°Of course he¡¯d choose Cooking Porridge since he¡¯s good at it. It¡¯s actually Mr. Xu¡¯s topic that poses a problem; we might have to ask why they made this dish before we can judge,¡± Pei Shenghua smiled. ¡°What¡¯s there to ask? Whether it¡¯s original intention or not, won¡¯t we know with just one taste?¡± Xu Cheng remarked. ¡°Does that taohua fan need a sauce to be poured on when it¡¯s servedter?¡± Han Guishan had also done quite a bit of homework and preparation for today¡¯spetition. The moment he saw the menu passed up from below, he decided not to eat anything before thepetition. You¡¯ve got to be kidding,st time he missed out on two bowls of eight-treasure porridge and regretted it for days. He absolutely couldn¡¯t miss out on the preserved egg and lean pork porridge today! Preserved egg and lean pork porridge with golden-threaded siu mai¡ªwhat a perfect mealbination; both contestants indeed are considerate. ¡°Yes, a sauce will be poured over it. It¡¯s a crispy rice dish, and pouring the sauce is when the skill really shows,¡± Pei Shenghua said and suddenly remembered something,¡± I recall this dish was something Old Sir Xia used many years ago specifically to impress foreign guests.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one, a dish bold enough to charge over a hundred yuan more than a decade ago. Only his private restaurant had the gall to set such a price, specially designed to impress foreign guests,¡± Tong Deyanmented. ¡°It¡¯s not really swindling though, as it¡¯s all about willing buyer, willing seller. In all of Beiping, he was the one who made it the best,¡± Xu Cheng gave a fair assessment, ¡°let¡¯s see how much he has learned.¡± On the stage, Zhang Guanghang was sprinkling cornstarch over rice, mixing it into granules. This dish represented his original intention, his original sentiment towards Chinese cuisine. Chapter 203 - 202 We Are Not Familiar Chapter 203: Chapter 202 We Are Not Familiar Trantor: 549690339 Zhang Guanghang still remembers the shock he felt when he first tasted Peach Blossom Fanfare 20 years ago. His mother, Zhang Mengxuan, was a pianist who had lived in Europe since childhood and could barely speak Chinese. The piano was the most important thing in her life; she was an artist who lived for her art, noble, elegant, and out of touch with worldly concerns. Her emotions were so tepid that her husband and son were almost inconsequentialpared to the art she adored and dedicated her life to. His father, Bono Durand, was a serious, stubborn, and even dogmatic man. Bono Durand was exceedingly arrogant, believing that French cuisine was the most perfect, excellent, and noblest in the world, rejecting fusion, exchange, and innovation. Over the years, he even seemed to have trapped himself in his own world. The connection with his parents was frail; he barelymunicated with his mother, and his interactions with his father were practically confined to the kitchen. Zhang Guanghang spent his childhood living with his maternal grandfather. Before his first trip to Beiping at the age of seven, he could hardly speak Chinese; the few basic phrases he knew were taught to him by his grandfather. The reason he went to Beiping with his mother and grandfather was that his grandfather was in thete stages of lung cancer, hoping to return to his homnd onest time before he died. Xia Musht¡¯s private restaurant was where his grandfather took them, and Peach Blossom Fanfare was the first real Chinese dish he ever ate. When Xia Mushi poured the sauce over the dish, the rice crust burst with the steaming hot broth. With a ¡°boom,¡± it wasn¡¯t just the rice crust that exploded, but also the longing in his heart. He wanted to learn this dish, he wanted to take this chef as his master, he wanted to know why his grandfather had yearned for this ce for decades. Although his mother had always been engrossed in her art and hardly paid any attention to her family, she respected his decision, even though he was just a seven-year-old child at the time. His mother and grandfather went back to France, and he, at seven years old, stayed in Beiping to apprentice under Xia Mushi. From the age of seven until neen, for twelve full years, he learned not just about cooking, but also about culture, tradition, and spirit. Now, at twenty-seven, he could understand why his grandfather, despite being gravely ill and suffering sleepless nights, was determined to return to Beiping for onest look, and why Xia Mushi spent his lifetime trying to restore a tavern that had changed beyond recognition. Now, Xia Mushi was in the same condition as his grandfather had been, with a serious illness and not long to live. His grandfather had died without regrets, smiling. As Xia Mushi¡¯s disciple, it was natural for him to help his master fulfill hisst wish. Zhang Guanghang looked at Jiang Feng, whose left hand was still wrapped in a thin bandage, making his movements somewhat inconvenient. Jiang Feng was intently focused on the y pot, adding ingredients to it. Zhang Guanghang trimmed the pork tenderloin, removing the sinew and slicing it into thin pieces. That Taifeng Building had such an heir must have delighted his master. With four peoplepeting, if nothing unexpected happened, Wu Minqi was sure to finish first. Ants Climbing a Tree, after all, is just minced meat on ss noodles¡ªa standard Shu home dish that¡¯s hard to perfect, testing a chef¡¯s fundamentals. But in fact, it doesn¡¯t take much effort, especially when all the ingredients are already prepared; it could be ready in a maximum of 20 minutes. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Peach Blossom Fanfare was still at the ingredient preparation stage, with shrimp and pork slices being marinated, and winter bamboo shoots and tomatoes already diced into pieces nearly the size of green peas. Gu Li was still maintaining his snail-like pace, kneading the dough, pinching off round pieces and ttening them in preparation to roll out the skins for shumai. Jiang Feng¡¯s preserved egg and pork congee was already simmering in the y pot, and he started on the magnificent task of carving radishes, aiming to carve out all the characters from Peppa Pig during the Cooking Porridge so that an animated show¡¯s characters could all be neatly assembled together. Wu Minqi s Ants Climbing a Tree was almost ready to serve. It wasn¡¯t as good as what Wu Hanxue had been making these days at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, but it was still quite satisfactory. The minced meat, carrot dices, chopped green onion and ginger, and bean paste were evenly clinging to the ss noodles, shining with an enticing red luster. The dish was ready to serve. Wu Minqi raised her hand. Gu Li continued to knead the dough at a leisurely pace. Zhang Guanghang grabbed the marinated shrimp and pork slices to check their readiness. Jiang Feng was intently carving the first Peppa Pig. The Ants Climbing a Tree¡± dish was presented to the judges¡¯ panel. Han Guishan was all too familiar with this dish. During the years he spent as a peddler in Shu, he had tasted all kinds of variations. Nowadays, you could randomly walk into any eatery on the street and find it, each with its unique taste and appearance. It looks pretty good,¡± said Han Guishan as he picked up some with his chopsticks. ¡°It is good, very authentic,¡± Zhu Chang expressed his agreement. ¡°Ants Climbing a Tree is Wu Hanxue¡¯s specialty. If her daughter said it wasn¡¯t authentic, that would be a loss of face for him,¡± Tong Deyanmented after also taking a bite. It s a shame about Old Sir Wu¡¯s Boiled Cabbage with in Water, though. No one has his level of skill anymore, and now that he¡¯s aged, he hardly ever makes it,¡± Xu Cheng remarked with a hint of regret. ¡°Speaking of Boiled Cabbage with in Water, I recall that in Shu, Chicken Juice Tofu is more famous and even harder to execute,¡± Pei Shenghua joined the group discussion. Chicken Juice Tofu? Is that the dish where chicken meat is fashioned to look hke tofu, seems like tofu to the eye, but tastes of chicken?¡± Han Guishan inquired. Oh, Mr. Han, you¡¯ve had it too?¡± Pei Shenghua perked up, ¡°Nowadays with MSG, most cooks are reluctant to learn how to make Chicken Juice Tofu or Boiled Cabbage with in Water. You can still find authentic Boiled Cabbage with in Water at state banquets, but genuine Chicken Juice Tofu is really rare. I remember, decades ago in Shu, there was an old master whose Chicken Juice Tofu was exceptional-eating chicken without seeing it, eating meat without seeing it. Too bad I never had the chance to try it, though my senior did. Eh, what was that old master¡¯s name again? I can¡¯t quite recall, but I think he had the surname Jiang.¡± ¡°MSG, huh.¡± Xu Cheng sneered, ¡°Even with MSG, they couldn¡¯t recreate the taste of Boiled Cabbage with in Water or Chicken Juice Tofu. Just excuses.¡± ¡°The old master from Shu you mentioned, is he the one from the state-owned restaurant in the provincial capital of Shu? The one known for his Chopped Pepper Fish Head, who specialized in serving foreign guests?¡± asked Zhu Chang. Yes, that¡¯s the one! He only had one apprentice who was particrly untalented and learned nothing. But there¡¯s been no news of him for many years; he might have passed away by now. Mr. Xu, with your extensive knowledge and connections, you should know, right?¡± Pei Shenghua inquired. I¡¯ve only heard about him. The roads in that area of Shu are difficult, and by the time I went looking, the old master had already left the provincial capital many years ago, and no news remained,¡± Xu Cheng responded with evident disappointment. Sitting nearby, Han Guishan was munching on ¡°Ants Climbing a Tree¡± while listening to their conversation, feeling something amiss. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the exceedingly mythical old master from Shu they were talking about was Jiang Yuanchao. ¡°Is the old master you¡¯re talking about named Jiang Yuanchao?¡± Han Guishan asked. ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s him!¡± Pei Shenghua pped his thigh, ¡°Mr. Han, having done business in Shu for so many years, you must be familiar with the old master.¡± He s not deceased. Jiang Yuanchao is the granduncle of contestant Jiang Feng,¡± Han Guishan exined while stuffing another bite of ¡°Ants Climbing a Tree into his mouth and looking towards the audience, pointing at Jiang Weiming in the third row, ¡°See there? The thin old gentleman in the third row. My wife used to work as a waitress at that state-owned restaurant.¡± The other five judges: ??? ill ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?¡± Xu Cheng couldn¡¯t believe that after going in circles, the Master Jiang he had been pondering over was right in front of him, ¡°Remember, I even mentioned this to you recently.¡± ¡°How would I know you were talking about this Master Jiang? Back in the day, there were plenty of chefs surnamed Jiang in the provincial capital of Shu. Besides, you saw him thest time at the store, didn¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t recognize him either!¡± Han Guishan began deflecting me, ¡°I even greeted him at the time; you just didn¡¯t pay attention.¡± Xu Cheng¡¯s expression grew increasingly hostile. ¡°Besides, I really don¡¯t know him that well; he¡¯s been a longtime colleague of my wife¡¯s, not mine. We haven¡¯t been in contact for years,¡± said Han Guishan, trying to appease Xu Cheng, ¡°However, it¡¯s still possible to get in touch now. In fact, over the years, my wife does call him from time to time during the holidays.¡± Pei Shenghua:¡­ ¡°Who would have thought, contestant Jiang Feng alsoes from a lineage of culinary expertise,¡± Pei Shenghua remarked admiringly. This mention of a culinary heritage reminded Xu Cheng of Taifeng Building he hade across before in the materials, which he had nced at and then dismissed. The reward for first ce is a special feature interview with ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine, right?¡± Xu Cheng asked. Han Guishan: ??? Wasn¡¯t it just a cover feature? When was there also a special feature interview? ¡°I believe so,¡± answered Han Guishan, as if to say whatever makes you happy. ¡°I think, given the very high level of culinary skill among thesepetitors, we should create a special feature interview just for them,¡± suggested Xu Cheng, smiling, ¡°It looks like this year, we might produce two editions for the Asian region.¡± Chapter 204 - 203 Blooming Peach Blossoms Chapter 204: Chapter 203 Blooming Peach Blossoms Trantor: 549690339 Xu Cheng looked at the four contestants on stage. He felt that the most correct thing he had done over the years was to blindly get involved and hold thispetition with Han Guishan. He had discovered five pearls, exceptionally brilliant and dazzling, perhaps once clouded with dust, but they were destined to shine brightly, illuminating the entire China¡¯s culinary arts circle. Below the stage, Ji Xue still wore an expressionless face, concentrating intently on watching thepetition. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any issues with the Tan Family in Guangdong Province, have there?¡± Xu Cheng asked. Han Guishan had also been paying attention to this matter: ¡°Master Tan¡¯s son wanted to make a fuss, but Master Sun had already returned to Guangdong Province ahead of time to suppress it, not a ripple of disturbance was caused.¡± ¡°Oh? It looks like the Jubao Building is about to gain another outstanding young chef,¡± Xu Cheng said with a smile. ¡°Master Sun was rejected,¡± Pei Shenghua said with augh that carried a hint of schadenfreude about the widely known incident, ¡°that girl Ji Xue, I don¡¯t know which astute person recognized her talent and snagged her early on. She¡¯s stubborn, says that since her boss has already given her an advance on her sry she couldn¡¯t switch jobs. Even though Master Sun knew she was in need of money and offered her a monthly sry of 100,000, she still wasn¡¯t willing to go to the Jubao Building.¡± ¡°Oh, so Master Sun was actually outmaneuvered?¡± Xu Cheng¡¯s interest was piqued, ¡°That¡¯s really rare. Who could be this remarkable person who outmaneuvered him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but when you see which restaurant that girl ends up in, then I will know who took her from him,¡± Pei Shenghua replied. While the judges seriously digressed with their topics, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s ¡°Peach Blossom Fan¡± had entered a critical moment. He stirred in sugar and vinegar sauce, cooked diced tomatoes until soft, and added winter bamboo shoots. He then added chicken broth and brought it to a boil, put in the green peas, and the sauce in the pot turned a very pretty tomato red. Once the green peas were cooked, he added shrimp and slices of meat, vored it with a few drops of honey, and the dish wasplete after drizzling the sauce. It was sufficiently thick, no need to thicken it with starch. In another pot, the crispy rice crust was almost dry and taking shape. This type of rice crust, evenly spread over the bottom of the pot and sprayed lightly with water to let it slowly steam and dry until it formed, only needed to have hot oil heated to about 70% hot poured over it once water dried up, and the golden, crispy rice crust would take shape amid the sizzling sound of hot oil. Zhang Guanghang served out the sauce, quickly cleaned the pot, and from his adept pot-scrubbing moves, one could tell that he had spent years scrubbing pots while learning to cook from Xia Mushi. He heated the oil to about 70% hot, scooped up a spoonful, and poured it over the rice crust, which instantly took shape and was ready to be removed from the pot. He waited for a moment, let the rice crust cool down slightly, and then broke it into moderately sized pieces with his hands, putting them into another pot of continuously boiling hot oil for quick deep frying before ting. The poised staff member, with her elegant small steps, approached Zhang Guanghang. Zhang Guanghang smiled and waved his hand at her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± The most crucial step of this dish was pouring the sauce, and it had to be done by him personally. With the rice crust in his left hand and the sauce in his right, Zhang Guanghang, striding with his long legs, walked amid the suppressed gasps of both single and non-single, unmarried and married women to the judges¡¯ table. Everyone was fixated on the movements in his hands. ¡°sh.¡± ¡°Crack.¡± The scalding hot, tomato-colored sauce met the rice crust, bursting like thunder on the in, the loudest moment followed by continuous crackling sounds. The original name of the dish was actually more apt than its current name. Although ¡°Peach Blossom Fan¡± reflected the scene of human faces and peach blossoms reflecting each other¡¯s redness, which matched the color of the dish and sounded pleasant, it seemed that ¡°Thunder on the in¡± was more fitting for the dish¡¯s current state. ¡°Not bad, it¡¯s quite interesting,¡± Xu Cheng was very satisfied. The red shrimp curled up, the green peas vibrant, the rice crust golden, the winter bamboo shoots tender, and the green onions a garnish, all topped with the tomato-colored sauce, as beautiful as a painting. At the same cest year, human faces and peach blossoms reflected each other¡¯s redness. The human face is gone without a trace, but the peach blossoms stillugh in the spring breeze. Jiang Feng even temporarily put aside his carving work on the littlemb Suzy, staring at the crackling ¡°Peach Blossom Fan¡± at the judges¡¯ table. The only person in the entire arena not attracted by Zhang Guanghang¡¯s dish was Gu Li, who was focused on making golden silk siu mai. After serving the dish, Zhang Guanghang returned to his cooking station. Although the staff sister didn¡¯t get to serve a dish, she received a smile from Zhang Guanghang and a three-word phrase that was enough to make her swoon and incite jealousy among the other staff sisters who had not seeded. Peach Blossom Overflowing was sour and sweet, rich in ingredients, with a crispy rice crust that Han Guishan couldn¡¯t stop eating, all the while he kept eximing admiringly. ¡°Not bad, this dish is really good, quite delicious!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it has a bit of a beginner¡¯s taste,¡± Xu Cheng agreed. ¡°Wu is still a bitcking in fire controlpared to him,¡± Pei Shenghua said. ¡°They are nearly 10 years apart, of course there¡¯s a difference in fire control,¡± Tong Deyan said. ¡°Ten years? Wu isn¡¯t even twenty?¡± Zhu Chang asked. ¡°She¡¯s not even 19 yet,¡± Tong Deyan said. ¡°I remember she¡¯s three years younger than my apprentice, and isn¡¯t my apprentice 22 this year?¡± ¡°Yo-ho,¡± Pei Shenghua¡¯s smile gradually turned wretched. Since it was the finals, naturally, some suspense had to be maintained. Even though everyone had a score in mind and had made a decision about their rankings, they couldn¡¯t reveal anything. They all had to wait until the end to give theirments and reveal the results together. ¡°However,¡± Pei Shenghua suddenly hesitated, ¡°the topics of thepetition for the top four are exactly the same, and if Zhang Guanghang¡¯s score is higher than the previous two, there will likely be quite a controversy online!¡± ¡°Let there be controversy, there¡¯s no need to dock his points,¡± Xu Cheng said. ¡°This is just a temporary victory or defeat; the road ahead is still long. Anything can be faked, but culinary skills can¡¯t; good is good, and bad is bad.¡± ¡°Old Pei, you¡¯re just over thinking,¡± Zhu Chang chimed in. ¡°What¡¯s there to argue about? Competitions are like this, there are winners and losers, sometimes you go with the flow and sometimes you go against it. My biggest fear is giving in to the moment and yet opposing it in your heart for a lifetime.¡± Han Guishan couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about, or even who they were talking about, but he was used to it. He had finished the rice crust on his te and turned to eating the shrimp and meat slices. The dishes of Jiang Feng and Gu Li both took a significant amount of time. Gu Li was slow, still wrapping siu mai, carefully pinching each pleat one by one, with the egg skin already cut into fine threads ced in a dish beside him. Jiang Feng continued to carve radishes. He had finished the Peppa Pig series, with three different versions of George the Porcupine. Lately, the grandson of the family from Shaxian Snacks next door had been watching ¡°Boonie Bears¡± every day, filling Jiang Feng¡¯s head with thoughts of Bear Boss and Xionger. After pondering for a while, Jiang Feng started to carve Bear Boss. As soon as Han Guishan saw a bear¡¯s head, he recognized that it was Bear Boss carved by Jiang Feng¡¯s hand and was immediately energized. ¡°He¡¯s carving Bear Boss!¡± Han Guishan eximed with excitement. ¡°My son has been particrly fond of eating Bear Bosstely!¡± The other five judges: ??? After finishing the Bear Boss he was working on, Jiang Feng nced at the y pot and sniffed the aroma, feeling it needed more time. He could still carve an Xionger and a Bald Qiang toplete the Boonie Bears cast. Turning the heat down further, Jiang Feng picked up his knife to continue carving Xionger. Gu Li finally finished wrapping 10 siu mai, tying a knot at the opening of each with the finely cut egg skin strings, his movements gentle and unhurried, filled withposure. Jiang Feng, having finished with the Boonie Bears cast, ced it together with the Peppa Pig cast, creating an exceptionally harmonious disy. Gu Li ced the 10 golden silk siu mai into the steamer basket and began to steam them. Jiang Feng lifted the lid; the fire control was perfect. Gu Li stood quietly beside the steamer. Jiang Feng raised his hand. The eyes of the entire crowd were fixed on Jiang Feng¡¯s raised hand, which still had a bandage wrapped around it. Everyone knew the moment that would decide the winner had arrived.. Chapter 205 - 204 Champion Chapter 205: Chapter 204 Champion Trantor: 549690339 The staff sister walked up to Jiang Feng, the same one asst time, wearing high heels and showing off her arms which she had tirelessly trained at the gym for two weeks, though it seemed without much sess, her smile filled with a murderous aura. Today, she would redeem her embarrassment in front of Jiang Feng and show him that her two weeks of gym efforts hadn¡¯t been for nothing! She gathered her qi at her dantian and channeled strength into her arms. Arge pot of century egg and lean pork congee was steadily presented by the staff sister. Five secondster, it all fell apart. The staff sister stared at the full pot of century egg and lean pork congee in front of her, her face a mix of frustration and anger. Why, after two weeks, can¡¯t I carry your brother¡¯s eight-treasure porridge, and still can¡¯t carry your damn century egg and lean pork congee? The staff sister felt like the private gym sses she attended over thest two weeks were all in vain; the instructor was neither tall nor handsome nor muscr, not even 1.92 meters tall, without long legs, and not even a tenth as good as Zhang Guanghang. Jiang Feng really wanted to help her, but his spirit was willing, and his flesh was weak, given that he was now practically handicapped. The gauze on his left hand hadn¡¯t been removed yet, and the wound on his palm was still not fully healed. If he tried to carry this pot of century egg and lean pork congee today, he might just add his left hand to the casualty list. The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. Wu Minqi, who had kept a continuous watch on Jiang Feng, came over and said to the staff sister, who was doubting her life choices, ¡°This pot of porridge is indeed a bit heavy; let me help you with it.¡± In that moment, the staff sister thought Wu Minqi was an angel, radiating holy light. Such a pure and beautiful woman, how did Jiang Feng deserve to be her boyfriend! ¡°Thank you,¡± said the staff sister sweetly, giving Jiang Feng a re in return. Jiang Feng:¡­ Why do I feel like her re just now was kinda like looking at a love rival? Wu Minqi carried the heavy pot of century egg and lean pork congee to the judges¡¯ seat, set it down, and the table trembled with the weight. Han Guishan¡¯s eyes lit up, this portion was definitely more generous than thest eight-treasure porridge! Smelling the rich aroma of the century egg and lean pork congee, Pei Shenghua¡¯s talkative nature kicked in: ¡°This contestant, Jiang Feng, really does have a special talent for porridge. The sweet porridge was great, and the savory one doesn¡¯t fall short either.¡± ¡°It might be a natural gift,¡± Zhu Chang didn¡¯t have a better exnation for how a 20-year-old could cook porridge with such expertise, better than those who had been cooking it for twenty or thirty years. ¡°It¡¯s a shame he¡¯s not a white chef,¡± Xu Cheng sighed. ¡°Nothing to be sorry about,¡± Tong Deyan started to dish out the porridge, ¡°his skills with the red chef¡¯s dishes are not bad either.¡± Han Guishan was already drinking. Compared to the eight-treasure porridge, he naturally preferred century egg and lean pork porridge-it was less sweet, thicker, salty, rich, and the key was how the lean pork and century egg melted together in the mouth, always a texture he adored. Gulping it down, one bowl after another, he couldn¡¯t stop. This was the sensation, this was the vor, the one he craved in his dreams¡¯ Although he had never actually tasted it before, it seemed strangely familiar as if from a dream. ¡°It¡¯s not as good as hisst eight-treasure porridge,¡± Xu Cheng was slightly disappointed. ¡°You¡¯re expecting too much; how can each dish be just as outstanding?¡± Han Guishan defended his idol in between mouthfuls of porridge. ¡°Actually, it is really good, top-level,¡± Pei Shenghua said, as he took another small bowl, ¡°given his age, being able to cook such porridge leaves little to be nitpicked.¡± Cooking Porridge requires both time and experience; generally, the more experienced the porridge chef, the better the porridge. Jiang Feng was an exception. Because he was a show-off. ¡°How much longer for Gu Li¡¯s golden siu mai?¡± Han Guishan inquired. They chatted leisurely andfortably while drinking porridge, appearing not so much like judges of a food show but rather guests at a casual tea party. ¡°About 20 minutes, they steam quite fast,¡± Pei Shenghua said. Seeing there was still plenty of porridge left in the pot, he asked, ¡°Mr. Han, how about we share some with the audience to taste?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Han Guishan gave his assistant a meaningful look, and the assistant, catching his drift, went to fetch bowls and spoons to distribute the porridge. The assistant personally took charge of serving the porridge, ensuring that every audience member got a taste, after Han Guishan had his fill and set aside some for his wife and child. The experienced audience members, upon seeing the staff carrying bowls and utensils, knew what wasing. Everyone craned their necks, eagerly fixing their gaze on the pot of porridge at the judges¡¯ table. ¡°Dear, do you love me?¡± ¡°Ah, what did you just say? I was looking at my phone and didn¡¯t hear, what did you say?¡± ¡°Ji Jun, I remember you don¡¯t like to eat porridge, right?¡± ¡°Who said I don¡¯t like porridge? Who is spreading rumors about me? I love porridge, especially century egg and lean pork congee!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Hey, look, they¡¯re bringing out the bowls and spoons!¡± II II The young man sitting beside Ji Yue clearly took an interest in her. Seeing that Ji Yue hade alone with nopany, he thought this would be a good opportunity. ¡°Hey, beauty, I don¡¯t like porridge, so why don¡¯t you drink my share for me?¡± The young man decided to sacrifice his sensory pleasures for a sudden shot at love. Ji Yue nced at him-nothing like Zhang Guanghang¡¯s handsomeness, nor as tall, and from her estimate, his legs weren¡¯t as long as Zhang Guanghang¡¯s either. Seems like not even on par with Jiang Feng in looks. ¡°No need, I don¡¯t like porridge either,¡± Ji Yue said. The ¡®lil bro to Ji Yue¡¯s right couldn¡¯t help but nce at her, and his girlfriend, upon seeing Ji Yue¡¯s face, felt rm bells ringing, sensing a formidable opponent. ¡°Eh, you don¡¯t like porridge? How about I drink it for you?¡± the lil bro¡¯s girlfriend said with ill intent. Ji Yue gave her a look, not as fair-skinned, not a nose as high, not as pretty, and not as skilled at makeup as herself. Even in terms of acting delicate and artificial, she couldn¡¯tpare. Not worth mentioning. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m actually on a diet,¡± Ji Yue replied with a smile. The lil bro¡¯s girlfriend was dumbfounded. Ji Yue rested her chin on her hands, looking at the stage. What she really wanted to taste was the dish personally cooked by her idol, Zhang Guanghang. This Jiang Feng, always sockluster, concerned only with dating and not caring a whit about her, his old school senior¡¯s welfare. It took a whole week just to get Zhang Guanghang¡¯s WeChat from him, and the worst part was, he had forgotten to give it amidst all the romance. Han Guishan¡¯s all-purpose assistant was diligently serving porridge while Han Guishan himself sipped on the porridge, his eyes fixed on the steamer in front of Gu Li on stage, calcting how to adjust his porridge-drinking speed in order to save enough stomach space to eat dumplings and drink porridge simultaneously. The assistants and staff were quick, and within minutes, all the spectators had tasted the preserved egg and lean pork porridge cooked by Jiang Feng that day. ¡°Delicious!¡± ¡°Oh my, how can porridge be this tasty!¡± ¡°Honey, you should learn to cook porridge too!¡± ¡°Stop joking, dear. You should be the one to learn!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness¡­¡± The same scenario kept repeating itself. Tong Deyan, however, had a unique perspective. He looked at the audience for a while and asked, ¡°Is that whole row in the third row all rtives of contestant Jiang Feng?¡± Indeed, the stature of the Jiang family members were the most dazzling and eye-catching amongst the audience. ¡°Seems like it,¡± Han Guishan nced over and said, ¡°He has quite a lot of rtives.¡± Pei Shenghua also curiously nced over: ¡°His family members¡­ seem to be quite blessed.¡± ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t the one in the fourth row Wu Hanxue? He¡¯s seated right behind Jiang Feng¡¯s rtives, and that seems to be his partner next to him!¡± Pei Shenghua noticed Wu Hanxue with sharp eyes. ¡°Looks like both families have met each other already!¡± The atmosphere gradually turned gossipy. The judges¡¯ table, led by Queen of Gossip Pei Shenghua, gradually shifted focus as Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang on the stage watched Gu Li, mainly because there was really no one else to look at, and judging by the time, Gu Li¡¯s golden-thread dumplings should be ready soon. Sure enough, two minutester, Gu Li turned off the heat, and the golden-thread dumplings were ready. The yellow egg wrapper tied at the top of the dumplings stood out, making them exceptionally noticeable. The cute and rounded dumplings looked like little bags of fortune from a distance, both delicate and adorable. The hallmark of golden-thread dumplings is their rich filling and thin wrapper, savory and delicious. They might look like ordinary dumplings with an added egg wrapper, but these were after all part of the imperial Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, far superior in vor to regr dumplings sold on the market. Gu Li spent nearly 20 minutes preparing the filling alone; these dumplings could be anything but ordinary. A basket of ten, each one perfect. The five judges each took one, and Han Guishan took five. After eating the five dumplings with the final bowl of preserved egg and lean pork porridge, he was 90% full, just perfect. ¡°Burp.¡± Han Guishan let out a burp of satisfaction. The scores from the five judges were in, and the staff were calcting the average. It would only be two minutes before the winner would be revealed. ¡°Who do you think will win thispetition?¡± Pei Shenghua asked. ¡°Gu Li,¡± Zang Mu answered. ¡°Gu Li,¡± Tong Deyan replied. ¡°Gu Li,¡± Zhu Chang said. ¡°Gu Li,¡± Xu Cheng echoed. ¡°Gu Li?¡± Han Guishan was a bit surprised but soon came to terms with it. Recalling the taste of the porridge and the dumplings he just had, it seemed the dumplings did taste a bit better indeed. Feeling a bit regretful that his own idol couldn¡¯t win the championship, Han Guishan expressed some disappointment. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, our staff has tallied the scores for the four contestants and calcted the averages. Now, I will announce the winners of the second Good Taste Cooking Contest ¡ª the champion, the runner-up, and the second runner-up,¡± the hostess stepped back onto the stage, and the entire venue fell silent. ¡°Wu Minqi 8.8 points, Zhang Guanghang 9.2 points, Jiang Feng 9.2 points, Gu Li 9.3 points. Let¡¯s congratte contestant Gu Li for winning the championship, contestant Jiang Feng for the runner-up, and contestant Zhang Guanghang for second runner-up. On a side note, the voting for the Most Popr Award is still ongoing. The voting period ends on April 30th at 9 p.m. Until then, you can log into our WeChat public ount and vote for your favorite contestant,¡± Gu Li was the champion. Missing the title by a hair, Jiang Feng inevitably felt some regret, especially since he lost by merely 0.1 point. ¡°Congrattions,¡± Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang turned to Gu Li and said in unison. But regardless, it was a well-deserved victory for him. ¡°Now let¡¯s pass the mic to our five judges to hear their insights on the dishes of these four contestants,¡± the hostess said sweetly. Zhu Chang picked up the microphone. Chapter 206 - 205: The Dust Settles Chapter 206: Chapter 205: The Dust Settles Trantor: 549690339 | ¡°Today¡¯spetition theme is quite unique; it¡¯s no longer focused on ingredients, but rather a theme proposed by Mr. Xu Cheng,¡± Zhu Chang said, ¡± ¡®Foundational passion¡¯ is an interesting concept, and we can taste a hint of it in the dishes of the four contestants to varying degrees. Wu Minqi¡¯s dish, Ants Climbing a Tree, is quite exceptional in terms of vor, fire control, and even presentation. However,pared to the other three contestants¡¯ dishes, itcks a certain soul. I personally feel that this dish doesn¡¯t represent your foundational passion. May I ask why you chose it?¡± There was a microphone at the far end of the cooking station. Wu Minqi was suddenly called out and seemed a bit lost for a moment before she picked up the microphone. ¡°My grandfather taught me how to cook; to be precise, he taught all the younger members of our family. The only exception is this Ants Climbing a Tree. It¡¯s my father¡¯s specialty and the only dish he has ever taught me. As a child, what I envied the most was that whenever my father had time, he would personally cook an entire table of dishes for my mother. I also wanted to be that kind of person, with great culinary skills to cook a table full of dishes loved by the people I care for,¡± Wu Minqi said, ¡°I think that is my foundational passion.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your foundational passion,¡± Zhu Chang said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t taste any special attachment to this dish in your cooking, but I did taste very special emotions in the dishes of the other three contestants. Jiang Feng¡¯s Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee may be a bitcking, but the passion is strong. Indeed, discussing the foundational passion in cooking is difficult for younger contestants like you, but this isn¡¯t it. You will understand eventually.¡± Wu Minqi was taken aback and looked somewhat confused. Watching from the stage with a unique perspective, Mrs. Wu turned her head and asked Wu Hanxue, ¡°Did you really only teach our daughter this one dish?¡± ¡°There¡¯s never been much opportunity,¡± Wu Hanxue said sheepishly. ¡°Then what do you think is our daughter¡¯s foundational passion?¡± Mrs. Wu looked at Wu Minqi on stage. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Wu Hanxue said, ¡°If she hasn¡¯t figured it out herself, how could we possibly know?¡± ¡°I know,¡± Mrs. Wu said with a smile. Zhu Chang onlymented on Wu Minqi¡¯s Ants Climbing a Tree before passing the microphone to Pei Shenghua. ¡°Actually, Zhu Chang didn¡¯t mean any harm in hisments. Wu Minqi¡¯s dish does indeed fall a bit shortpared to the others, although it¡¯s also quite good. I gave Jiang Feng¡¯s Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee a 9.6, so let me focus on that,¡± Pei Shenghua began his lengthyments. ¡°Jiang Feng is a contestant who always brings me a lot of surprises. Since the top eight, his Eight Treasure Congee was stunning, Sweet and Sour Yam was a surprise, and today¡¯s Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee isforting. He is a chef with clear strengths and weaknesses. His knife skills are extraordinary, probably the best among all the contestants here, and he has solid fundamentals. He surely went through a lot of hardships when he was learning to cook. However, his seasoning indeedcks a bit in fire control. Even though he has a sensitive pte, for some reason his seasoning doesn¡¯t quite match his sense of taste. But what¡¯s more surprising is that your congee-making skills are exceptional.¡± ¡°Today, you lost to Gu Li by a mere 0.1 point, which might be regrettable, but don¡¯t be discouraged. You are young, with endless possibilities. All four contestants today have a bright future ahead. I look forward to your future achievements and hope you continue on a path that broadens and extends ever onward.¡± Polite apuse rippled through the audience. ¡°You didn¡¯ t really talk about his Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee,¡± Zhu Chang reminded him helpfully. ¡°Ah?¡± Pei Shenghua recalled, realizing his mistake. It couldn¡¯t be helped; he was a chatterbox, and once he started speaking, he tended to get off track, eventually forgetting what he was initially talking about. Pei Shenghua passed the microphone to Tong Deyan. ¡°Since the two previous judges each onlymented on one contestant, I will do the same,¡± Tong Deyan said with a charm that made people want to hit him as soon as he spoke, ¡°The dish Peach Blossom Shrimp stunned everyone from the moment it was served, especially the sound as the sauce poured over, which he did very well. I can guess a bit about why you chose this dish. From any perspective, it¡¯s quite good, with practically nine tenths of your master¡¯s finesse. Not bad.¡± ¡°Does Old Tong have some beef with Old Sir Xia?¡± Pei Shenghua turned and quietly discussed with Zhu Chang. ¡°He doesn¡¯t get along with anyone,¡± Zhu Chang said. ¡°lean hear you,¡± Tong Deyan said, expressionless. ¡°I know. Just pretend you didn¡¯t,¡± Pei Shenghua continued discussing with Zhu Chang. Tong Deyan:¡­ Zang Mu picked up the microphone, uncharacteristically talkative, ¡°Each of us knows a child like this, one who is diligent and hardworking, down-to-earth, practicing day in and day out, yet without much to show for it, appearing dull whenpared to naturally gifted children. As a result, other children who are neither smart nor as hardworking mock their efforts, as if this mockery can provide them with a sense of superiority. Then, these kids either give up on their hard work and be mediocre, blending in with everyone else, or they ignore the ridicule and scorn of others, persisting day after day in what they want to do, bing who they want to be, despite beingbeled fools.¡± ¡°GuLi is thetter.¡± Zang Mu looked towards the audience, his sharp gaze sweeping over each contestant in the first row, his nce serving as a silent rebuke. Sun Jikai, Zhao Shan, and the other simrly eliminated contestants from Culinary Aristocracy who had participated in the pointless derision of Gu Li felt used by Zang Mu¡¯s words. Swearing was absent, yet every word struck home. ¡°He¡¯s indeed not a chef of outstanding natural talent. He¡¯s the oldest among the top 32 contestants. Today he has won the championship, but maybe in a few years, he will be surpassed by these three contestants on the stage. However, this does not mean he¡¯s mediocre.¡± ¡°To be a good chef, you definitely need talent. You have talent, you¡¯ll be a good chef, and you might even be a great master. I can taste your sincerity in your gold-threaded siu mai. If I¡¯m not mistaken, this should be the first dim sum dish that Master Tan taught you. I believe you must have made it more than 7,000 times, and there will be many more sets of 7,000 toe in the future.¡± ¡°Heaven rewards the diligent.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with Zang Mu today? Why so talkative?¡± Pei Shenghua asked curiously. ¡°Have you forgotten? He was also known in our circle for having no talent,¡± Zhu Chang said with a smile. ¡°But his temper was not as good as Gu Li¡¯s. Back then, he was so hot-headed, he was just short of stomping those guy¡¯s face into the ground.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Han Guishan hadn¡¯t expected toe across such juicy gossip. Zang Mu nced over in their direction, and the about-to-speak Pei Shenghua suddenly fell silent. Mr. Xu Cheng slowly picked up the microphone. ¡°I am a foodie. For years, I have firmly believed that only dishes imbued with the emotions and convictions of the chef can be considered excellent and up to standard, and only chefs who can instill emotions and convictions into their dishes can be masters. The four young chefs here today all have the potential to be masters,¡± Xu Cheng said, ¡°I want to offer you four an exclusive interview with ¡®Taste.¡¯ ¡®Taste¡¯ is my life¡¯s work. Over the past decade, it has gone from a monthly publication to an annual one. It¡¯s getting harder and harder to discover outstanding dishes and talented chefs. You¡¯ve given me a pleasant surprise and hope. I very much hope that ¡®Taste¡¯ can return to its original monthly schedule, and that your future can continue to surprise me.¡± The faces of the young chefs below twisted with envy. An exclusive interview with ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine!!! Even the masters of major cuisines find it hard to get one!!! What on earth did those four guys do to deserve this!!! Even though they really are a bit stronger than me, a bit better-looking than me, and a bit more talented than me¡­ but why them!!! A top 32 chef, neither handsome nor tall, with neither strong abilities nor great talent, screamed jealously in his heart. ¡°Now, let¡¯s have our staff present the awards to the top three contestants,¡± the hostess said with a cheerful smile. Gu Li receives a golden trophy, Jiang Feng receives a smaller silver trophy, and Zhang Guanghang receives an even smaller bronze trophy. Just looking at the trophies, you can tell that the organizers made them with care. Jiang Feng noticed that the base of his silver trophy was engraved with ¡°2nd ce in the 2nd Good Taste Culinary Competition.¡± ¡°Ding, side mission [Challenge of the Same Trade]pleted. Mission reward: [One Kitchen Knife].¡± ¡°Ding, hidden mission [Jiang Weiguo¡¯s Pride]pleted. Mission reward: [A Memory of Jiang Weiguo].¡± The moment Jiang Feng stepped down from the award podium, the familiar system prompt sounded in his mind after a long absence. So, this game actually waits until thepetition is over to settle the results. Thepetition was over, and everyone was preparing to leave from backstage when a staff member stopped them. ¡°Sorry, sorry, could you four please record another VCR? Just to answer a few questions, it will be broadcast during the variety show,¡± a provincial station staff member came over and asked. It was just a few questions, and all four nodded in agreement. Prior to thepetition, everyone had experience recording VCRs, and with so many episodes filmed, they weren¡¯t camera shy. They recorded one after another, really just a few simple quick questions. Zhang Guanghang, as the face of thepetition, was naturally the first to record a VCR. ¡°May I ask why you chose ¡®Peach Blossom Dish¡¯ as your final entry?¡± the assistant director asked, holding a small notebook. ¡°Peach Blossom Dish is the first real Chinese dish I ever ate, and the first I learned to cook. Because of this dish, I stayed in Beiping, where I learned Chinese, studied history, read poetry and historical texts. I discovered an entirely different cuisine, a different people, and a different culture. This dish might not have been my original passion for cooking, but it was for Chinese cuisine,¡± ZhangGuanghang said. ¡°Do you n on staying in China for your career, or will you go back to France?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be working in Beiping for the next few years, but I can¡¯t say for sure about anything beyond that.¡± ¡°Thest question, highly anticipated byizens, is: if you were to look for a girlfriend, what type would you choose?¡± the assistant director asked with a gossip-hungry grin. ¡°Pretty,¡± he replied, a bit too honestly. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all the questions, thank you for your cooperation.¡± The second person was Jiang Feng. ¡°The old question again, why did you choose Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee as your final entry?¡± ¡°Actually, my family¡¯s situation is a bit like Wu Minqi¡¯s. My cousins and I were taught cooking by our grandfather from a young age, but I never liked it,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I can say with certainty that untilst summer, I never enjoyed learning cooking. I gave it up when I was in ninth grade and didn¡¯t pick it up for many years. That changedst summer when I found out that my neighbor had fallen gravely ill due to excessive dieting.¡± ¡°At first, I just wanted to help her return to a normal diet, so I started Cooking Porridge, different kinds every day. They were all terrible. Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee was a starting point; from there, I began to think about how to make a pot of congee taste better. After that, I picked up the knife again and continued practicing my culinary skills.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s all the questions, thankyou for your cooperation.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Zhang Guanghang got asked three questions, and I only got one. This tant favoritism! Do I really look like a guy with no story? The third person was Wu Minqi. ¡°You got fourth ce, are you disappointed?¡± ¡°I am disappointed, but I did try my best,¡± she said. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been focusing on Sichuan cuisine these years. Do you n to learn other cuisines in the future?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wu Minqi answered sinctly. ¡°The third question might be a bit personal, and you can choose not to answer. How has your life changed after falling in love, or what impact did it have on today¡¯s final?¡± ¡°It has changed. I feel like everything in the world has be more beautiful, more vibrant, and richer,¡± Wu Minqi answered with a smile. ¡°Alright, thankyou for your cooperation.¡± Thest one was Gu Li; after winning the champion, his stoic expression no longer registered as slow-witted to others but rather, the aura of a champion. ¡°Are you surprised that you won the championship today?¡± ¡°Surprised.¡± ¡°¡­ Then, do you have any ns of changing jobs in the future? ording to our research, you seem to be undervalued at Taste House.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay, thankyou for your cooperation.¡± After the VCR recordings were done, Jiang Feng and the others had to totally say goodbye to the Good Taste Culinary Competition. Thispetitionsted nearly a month, and suddenly it was over; Jiang Feng actually felt a bit reluctant to leave. ¡°How¡¯s the renovation at Taifeng Building going?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°We have settled on a renovationpany and are currently discussing details. We should be starting renovations soon,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°I¡¯m returning to Beiping tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tomorrow? What time tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised that Zhang Guanghang was so eager to leave. ¡°Tomorrow night¡¯s flight. My master doesn¡¯t have much time left, and I want to go back and spend time with him. If Taifeng Building runs into any problems during the opening, feel free to contact me. I¡¯ll be in Beiping and can help you sort things out,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. Jiang Feng nodded, at this point not inclined to pretense: ¡°How about youe to my family¡¯s restaurant for lunch tomorrow? I¡¯ve already had the design ns drawn up; you could help me take a look.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Zhang Guanghang agreed without hesitation, ¡°and remember, ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine interview is a great opportunity for promotion. It could be used to publicize Taifeng Building.¡± Jiang Feng also thought about it: ¡°Yeah, just don¡¯t know when they¡¯ll start the interview.¡± ¡°They probably won¡¯t do it anytime soon. Usually, ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine issues a new edition between June and August. As long as Taifeng Building opens around June or July, it should be in time for the magazine¡¯s promotion period,¡± Zhang Guanghang exined, ¡°We can talk more about it at lunch tomorrow. It looks like your family is waiting for you over there.¡± Since thepetition ended early today, Jiang Jianguo and the others were waiting at the entrance for Jiang Feng, evidently nning to have a meal together, with Wu Hanxue and Mrs. Wu also present. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi walked towards them, smiles on everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Mrs. Wuforted Wu Minqi, who had a tough day on stage and didn¡¯t even clinch a trophy. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom,¡± Wu Minqi reassured her in return. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat, I¡¯ve booked a big private room at Imperial Meal Tavern!¡± Jiang Jianguo said excitedly. With more people than cars, they had to split up. Jiang Feng, Jiang Junlian, Jiang Junqing, and Jiang Zaidi all squeezed into the back seat of a standard sedan, with the rest managing to find space as well. ¡°Brother, you really need to lose some weight; your arm is poking me,¡± Jiang Junlian said with disdain. Jiang Feng: ??? Trapped in the cramped space, his facial expression almost warped, barely able to breathe, he struggled to look at Jiang Junlian¡¯s arm. With a good 150 pounds to your name, shouldn¡¯t you know better who¡¯s being poked? ¡°Little brother, your bones do poke a bit,¡± said Jiang Zaidi. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Oh.¡± Chapter 207 - 206: The Pristine Elegance of Early Chapter 207: Chapter 206: The Pristine Elegance of Early Spring Trantor: 549690339 The father of Zhang Xi managed to be the head chef at the Imperial Meal Room, naturally possessing some impressive family skills. The signature dish of the Imperial Meal Tavern is called ¡°Spring Dawn and White Snow,¡± which is actually a stewed dish. The main ingredients are shredded tofu, green vegetables, and minced fish meat. The green vegetables are the essence of the whole dish, which must be cooked by being doused spoonful by spoonful with broth. The whole vegetable looks like a piece of jade in the te, tender and dripping with freshness, soaked thoroughly inside and out with the broth¡¯s juice, an extremelybor-intensive process. Xu Cheng was willing to visit the Imperial Meal Tavern every day just for this ¡°Spring Dawn and White Snow.¡± For ordinary diners, without some connections, even if they could afford the expensive price of this dish, it was very hard to wait for Chef Zhang himself to cook this dish. If another chef were to make it, even if the ingredients and methods were the same, the taste would be worlds apart. The technique of pouring broth over the greens was unique to Chef Zhang: a secret recipe, never shared with others. There were only eight pieces of green vegetables in one ¡°Spring Dawn and White Snow,¡± and with 17 people around therge round table, there was not enough to go around. In fact, Jiang Zaidi wanted to order two servings of ¡°Spring Dawn and White Snow,¡± but even if he wanted to order, the Imperial Meal Tavern wouldn11 sell it. There¡¯s an explicit rule that each table is limited to one serving of ¡°Spring Dawn and White Snow,¡± even if provincial leaders came¡­ They would decide what to do when provincial leaders actually came. As the junior who took charge of the situation, Jiang Zaidi was given the important task of dividing the green vegetables. ¡°Come,e, Mr. Wu, Mrs. Wu, this ¡®Spring Dawn and White Snow¡¯ is the signature dish of the Imperial Meal Tavern, and it¡¯s personally made by their head chef. You should try it,¡± Jiang Zaidi warmly urged. As guests arrive, two pieces go away, and six remain. ¡°Grandpa, Granduncle Weiming, you are the elders, please eat first.¡± The two most important things in the world are the grand elders, and with two more pieces gone, only four remain. ¡°Here, little bro, Minqi, you¡¯ve worked hard in thepetition, you should have some too.¡± After two more pieces were taken, only two remained. The remaining 11 people stared collectively at thest two pieces of green vegetable. Jiang Zaidi silently took out a small knife. Just kidding, who is he, he¡¯s De! How could he possibly fail at something like this? Everyone was happy with the meal. In the middle of the meal, Mrs. Jiang made a video call, still in the boastful state she had been in earlier with her friends and the senior women¡¯s group, full of vitality and even speaking louder than usual, praising Jiang Feng once again with thepliments she had heard from her uncle and then praising Jiang Feng from beginning to end with the same words. At the end of the video call, Da Hua made a brief appearance. In the darkness of the pigsty, Jiang Feng could faintly make out that it really was much thinner than before, barely recognizable as a pig. How haggard! Everyone sadlymented how Da Hua had be so thin, and when they remembered that because of Jiang Feng¡¯s illness, Da Hua had to be kept alive and not ughtered, they felt even more regretful, and even the pork dishes they were eating lost their vor. What a great pig Da Hua was, and now it couldn¡¯t be ughtered for food. Jiang Jiankang sadly gnawed on his sauce elbow. After the meal, everyone went their separate ways. When Jiang Feng returned to his dorm, he was just about to check the rewards from the game and see how the quality of the knife was, wondering if it was indeed a legendary dark iron knife capable of cutting iron like mud and severing hair blown upon it, when he received a WeChat message from Wu Minqi. She asked him to check the Chess Club¡¯s QQ.group¡ªJiang Feng was the kind of person who could go ten days or half a month without ncing at QQ.once. In the QQgroup, the members of the Chess Club were discussing the details of a gathering the following day. Since the Chess Club was no longer in danger of being disbanded like in the past, everyone¡¯s rtionships had somewhat cooled. Jiang Feng, as the club president, didn¡¯t really recognize all the faces anymore. Tomorrow¡¯s gathering was partly to celebrate the current president and outstanding members¡¯ second and fourth-ce finishes at the Good Taste culinarypetition, and another reason was to announce the handover of the club president while everyone was together. The new president would be Liu Zixuan, a well-liked and outgoing fellow who got along well with the newer members and was widely epted as the sessor. The Chess Club was no longer like before, where due to a shortage of members, seniors wouldn¡¯t leave the club for fear of it being disbanded. Next semester Jiang Feng would be a senior, so ording to convention, he should hand over the presidency and prepare to leave the club this semester. Ji Yue would soon go from being the former president to two terms removed. He Jiahui was now interning at aic magazine and working overtime until she was out of her mind, Zhao Lin had sessfully stayed at thew firm to umte experience under her seniors and became so busy her hair was falling out, and Chen Mengxing chose to return to Beiping to tackle harder challenges. But it wasn¡¯t too hard for him; his family owned property in the inner city due to being relocated residents. The old members of the Chess Club, except for Liu Zixuan, were all about to leave. Tomorrow night would be the farewell dinner. Looking at the chat history in the QQ.group, Jiang Feng suddenly felt a bit lost. Then Jiang Feng received a bank transfer notification. Counting the zeros, Jiang Feng felt a bit relieved. In this cold world, only money still held some warmth. It was gettingte, Wang Hao had already sent a voice message wishing Zhenzhen good night and had gone to bed to continue ying on his phone with the lights off. In the darkness, Jiang Feng quietly opened his attribute panel. Looking at the kitchen knife in his item slot, Jiang Feng really wanted to take it out and hold it in his hand to feel what this game ¨C awarded knife was really like. But it waste, the lights were off, and moonlight streamed through the window onto the bed. A roommate holding a kitchen knife in bed, with its tip glinting coldly, was a scary sight indeed. Considering that Wang Hao had not yet fallen asleep, Jiang Feng decided against it. He closed the attribute panel,y down, turned over, and went to sleep. The Good Taste culinarypetition was over, and the newbie vige instance had been officially cleared. Now, his journeyy among the stars. Daydreams filled the day, and at night, dreams came. Jiang Feng even dreamed of Chef Wang. Do you want my recipes? I left them all in¡­ Cough cough. Early the next morning, Jiang Feng arrived at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant and saw the banner that Mrs. Wang Xiulian had put up. ¡°To celebrate my son Jiang Feng¡¯s second-ce victory in the Good Taste Culinary Competition, all specified dishes at our restaurant are 50% off.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Before the lunch service began, Professor Li meandered into the Healthy Stir- fry Restaurant. He was there to see Jiang Feng. ¡± I¡¯ve asked a friend in Beiping to pull some strings. The renovation cost for Taifeng Building can be negotiated down to 13 million,¡± Professor Li got straight to the point. ¡°13 million?¡± Jiang Feng was shocked. Previously, Jiang Zaidi had also used his connections to negotiate with Chengju Decoration Company, but they refused to budge from 20 million. Professor Li had managed to reduce it by 7 million with just one discussion. ¡°Leave the renovation to me. Are the blueprints all set and good to go? I heard that you specifically had a designer draft them. Can you trust this designer?¡± Professor Li said, ¡°If you can¡¯t provide the full amount right away, you can start with a 6 million down payment and slowly pay the rest. If it¡¯s really too difficult, I can front the money for you. It¡¯s not a small sum, and it is indeed challenging toe with that quickly.¡± Jiang Jiankang started to calcte how much money each family needed to gather the moment he heard the price of 13 million. His mental abacus was clicking away fervently, and so was Wang Xiulian¡¯s. ¡°No need, no need, Professor Li. How could we let you front such money? We¡¯ll figure it out ande up with it ourselves,¡± Jiang Jiankang said repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with design, but my cousin looked at the blueprints and said there were no issues. The blueprints are upstairs; if you¡¯re not assured, I can bring them down for you to see,¡± Jiang Feng said, now lying through his teeth as he rushed upstairs to retrieve the Renovation Blueprint from his attribute panel. A minuteter, Jiang Feng came back down with a thick stack of Renovation Blueprints and ced them before Professor Li. Professor Li knew a bit about the field and after a cursory nce, asked, ¡°Which designer drafted these?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure myself, Mr. Han rmended them,¡± Jiang Feng shifted the responsibility to Han Guishan, as many knew he had spent a long time cooking at Han Guishan¡¯s homest semester. ¡°Mr. Han is really considerate. Since Zaide says there¡¯s no problem, then there must not be any issues. I¡¯ll ask my friends in Beiping to pay extra attention to the materials and construction period as well. Since you guys aren¡¯t there, you can¡¯t tend to many matters. If everything goes smoothly, work can start soon,¡± Professor Li said, ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯m going to retire due to illness after this semester, so I can witness the reopening of Taifeng Building with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Then we really have to trouble you,¡± Jiang Feng knew that Professor Li must have umted a lot of favors for this. ¡°By the way, Jiankang, when you and your family move there, have you found a ce to stay?¡± Professor Li asked seemingly casually. ¡°Not yet. My brother and I n to rent several adjacent apartments in the same neighborhood, just to have a ce to live for now,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. Though they boasted at the dinner table every day about each buying a house or courtyard in Beiping to live joyfully together, everyone knew the realities of their family¡¯s finances and the housing prices in Beiping. Boasting was one thing, but they had to be realistic about the actual situation. ¡°I know a real estate agent; let me handle this matter as well,¡± Professor Li offered. ¡°How could we? That¡¯s too much trouble. We already feel bad asking you to deal with the renovation,¡± Jiang Jiankang tried to decline. ¡°It¡¯s no bother at all. We are rtives after all, and helping each other out is only natural. Plus, my teaching load is lighter this semester. I¡¯m not busy, so let me take care of it for you. It¡¯ll be less hassle for you all when you move,¡± Professor Li said with a smile, ¡°My wife is waiting for me to buy her some mung beans. I should be going.¡± Having said that, he took his leave. ¡°We really do have such great rtives,¡± Jiang Jiankang remarked with feeling. ¡°We¡¯ve gained some good rtives indeed. Jiankang, remember this when we go to Beiping. We must keep in touch more often. When it¡¯s time for dinner, invite them over. If they don¡¯t want toe, send Feng over to deliver some food,¡± Wang Xiulian said. ¡°Exactly, we must invite them over for dinner.¡± Once up at the Jiang family¡¯s dinner table, everyone bes one family. ¡°Why are you still standing there like a fool? Go to the kitchen! Have you finished cutting the vegetables? Is the meat marinated? Are you going to open for business at noon or not? What about the 13 million for the renovation? Do you really have the nerve to askyour brother for arge amount?¡± Wang Xiulian suddenly snapped. ¡°Oh, right, Feng. Isn¡¯t there also some sort of Most Popr Award in thatpetition of yours? I remember that award being quite lucrative,¡± Wang Xiulian quickly calcted in her head. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t looked at the Most Popr Award for a long time, since there was such a big gap between him and Zhang Guanghang¡¯s votes; there was no hope for him. ¡°Mom, I think that¡¯s pretty unlikely, but let me check it out.¡± Jiang Feng pulled out his phone to check the voting on the official ount. First ce, Zhang Guanghang: 230,000 votes. Second ce, Jiang Feng, 120,000 votes. Third ce, Wu Minqi, 90,000 votes. Hey, he was actually in second ce with 120,000 votes? Jiang Feng himself didn¡¯t expect to have such high poprity. At Han Guishan¡¯s home¡ª ¡°When does the top 4petition air?¡± Han Guishan asked, ncing over the report on the cumtive progress of the Good Taste Culinary Competition brought by his department, when he suddenly remembered the variety show. ¡°Next Sunday,¡± his assistant replied. ¡°How are Jiang Feng¡¯s votes? ¡°He¡¯s already at 120,000 votes. Our digital teams on Weibo, WeChat, and the official ount haven¡¯t encountered any issues, and no one has noticed that our people are rigging the votes.¡± ¡°Good. After the top 4petition is broadcast, you take care of it. Make sure to boost Jiang Feng¡¯s vote count to the first ce before 9 p.m. on the 30th,¡± Han Guishan plotted in his mind. The n was to approach Jiang Feng for a sponsorship deal after he won the Most Popr Award, show his face to establish rapport, bring Wang Jing along for a visit to Jiang Yuanchao, and maybe have a meal together, share a porridge, reminisce a little, lead into meeting Xu Cheng, have a chat, cook a few dishes. Brilliant, simply brilliant. One arrow, three targets¡ªnot just two. Han Guishan was pleased with himself as he looked over the report and the increased revenue for thepany this month. Such an outstanding boss like himself was indeed a rare find nowadays. Chapter 208 - 207 Manga Artist Chapter 208: Chapter 207 Manga Artist Trantor: 549690339 | Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang were chased back into the kitchen by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, diligently chopping vegetables and mincing meat as they were supposed to. ¡°By the way, son, your mom and I n to sell the restaurant in the first half of the year.¡± In fact, the decision to sell the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had already been discussed at length by Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian, and today Jiang Jiankang was just informing Jiang Feng. The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant is currently the top bustling shop on the gourmet street, a hot property with a good location and spacious area. Wang Xiulian had only let out a hint of the news yesterday, and that very night she had received numerous phone calls. It was estimated that once the restaurant was sold, the Jiang Family could make a neat profit. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t surprised and began to worry about other matters, ¡°Dad, since Taifeng Building is preparing for renovation and will soon open for business, I visited itst year with Professor Li. The restaurant covers a vast area, and I guess that recruitment and management would need considerable attention¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about these things, your uncle and I have got it covered. If need be, we can seek advice from Minqi and her family. We¡¯ve been in the business for so many years, whether it¡¯s small or big, there¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t handle. You just focus on learning cooking from your grandfather and Granduncle Weiming. For us who run restaurants, excellent culinary skills are more important than anything else.¡± ¡°Your mom means that after finishing this semester, we can sell the restaurant and still earn money for a few more months. Once it¡¯s sold, we¡¯ll have enough for the renovation costs. Then, biting the bullet, we¡¯ll gather more funds, ask your uncles for a loan, and once Taifeng Building opens, everything will be on the right track.¡± ¡°What worried your mom and me most was that you, a young man in your twenties, had never dated anyone. Now, that¡¯s not a concern anymore. After you two graduate, you can get engaged and then marry in a couple of years. After marriage, you can have a son for me and your mom can retire and help take care of the child. In a few more years, I might even be able to teach your son cooking just like your grandfather did, ensuring the fundamentals are strong from a young age, so that he can carry on our legacy, and then¡­¡± Jiang Jiankang began to chatter endlessly. Jiang Feng had never imagined that even though he had started relearning how to cook, his father still hadn¡¯t given up on the idea of him getting married soon and training his grandson to be a culinary king. Even though his major skills were not wasted, why was Jiang Jiankang so fixated on training up the minor ones? Jiang Feng silently chopped vegetables while trying to figure it out. Because there were many customers at noon, Jiang Feng was once again assigned to wait tables and clean them in the hall. Although the gauze on his left hand had not been removed, it didn¡¯t affect everyday life; carrying dishes and cleaning were still manageable. Wu Hanxue and Mrs. Wu had booked the flight for this morning and were probably already in Shu by now. With the unexpected departure of the skilled Sichuan chef, the students of UAL University were filled with regret, cursing themselves for not taking more advantage of the opportunity to eat a few more times. With regret in their hearts, the students of UAL University turned their sadness into appetite, deciding to take full advantage of the people in front of them and today¡¯s 50% discount on special dishes. And Jiang Feng, the main character of this discount event, the runner-up of the Good Taste cooking contest, and a rising star in the culinary world, was getting an earful from Ji Yue for cing a te in the wrong spot. ¡°How many times have I told you, do not put the cutlery there! With the restaurant so packed, people are squeezing through everywhere. What if it falls on the floor or hits a customer? I tell you to put it inside, inside, inside! How many times do I have to repeat it before you understand?¡± Ji Yue, the unchallenged ruler of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant¡¯s hall and a versatile waiter earning a monthly sry of 2000, was furious after Jiang Feng misced the cutlery again. ¡°You¡¯re wearing gauze on your left hand, do not carry two tes at a time. If you¡¯re not steady and they flip over, or your wound reopens, you¡ªyou have to be careful. You¡¯re a chef, so of course you should take care of your hands. Being careless like this makes us all worried about you.¡± Ji Yue suddenly changed her tone, bing soft, gentle, understanding, magnanimous, even slightly shy like a young maiden. Jiang Feng: ??? Then he saw Zhang Guanghang walk in through the entrance. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Ah, women. ¡°Is there a table avable in the restaurant?¡± Jiang Feng, who had suddenly been transferred to the hall, was overwhelmed for a moment and had even forgotten to reserve a spot for Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Yes, of course, there are avable private rooms on the second floor.¡± Ji Yue smiled enchantingly. ¡°No need, I¡¯m alone, so I won¡¯t use a private room. I see the table next to me is about to be vacated, I¡¯ll wait a moment,¡± said Zhang Guanghang with a smile. A chorus of excited gasps rose from the female customers in the restaurant. ¡°Zhang Guanghang!¡± ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s Zhang Guanghang!¡± ¡°My heavens, he¡¯s even more handsome in person than on TV!¡± ¡°Your restaurant seems pretty busy,¡±mented Zhang Guanghang. ¡°In a university town, lunchtime is always like this,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in the kitchen?¡± Zhang Guanghang felt it a waste to have a chef of Jiang Feng¡¯s caliber doing odd jobs in the lobby. ¡°It¡¯s too busy out front, so I came out to help,¡± he replied. ¡°Jiang Feng, two rose cranberry to-gos,¡± Ji Yue shouted from a corner. Jiang Feng rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work. ¡°Let me help you, I know how to make those drinks,¡± offered Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Oh, sure, everything is in the yellow cab against the wall in the back kitchen; if you can¡¯t find it, ask Wu Minqi, she¡¯s back there,¡± Jiang Feng agreed dly. Overhearing the conversation between Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang, the six girls at the neighboring table lit up and chimed in unison, ¡°We want one too!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have one!¡± ¡°Get me one too, no, make it two!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you on a diet and not drinking milk tea?¡± ¡°Roll on, that¡¯s cranberry juice, not milk tea, it won¡¯t make me fat!¡± Before his employment at Taifeng Building, Zhang Guanghang inexplicably became one of the random drop-in chefs at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. That afternoon, Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant¡¯s beverages sold extraordinarily well, so much so that the milk tea shop across the street didn¡¯t manage to make even one sale. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s original n was to just have a meal and chat with Jiang Feng; he had only impulsively decided to help mix a couple of juices. But once he started, he never stopped. In the end, Zhang Guanghang had a staff meal with the employees of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Afterward, the two of them chatted about other topics, naturally revolving around Taifeng Building; Jiang Feng also inquired about Xia Mushi¡¯s health condition. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s father was a renowned French chef and their family-owned restaurant boasted three Michelin stars. He knew much more about the management and operation of high-end restaurants than the Jiang Family members did and gave suggestions about promotional considerations before opening, to Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang. Finally, Zhang Guanghang suggested, ¡°In recent years, in order to appeal to the public, my family¡¯s restaurant has been posting rted four-panelics on Instagram. You could register a Weibo ount for Taifeng Building and post someics; it could y a certain role in promotion.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s just my advice; this method might not suit every restaurant, but you still need to do the necessary promotions before opening. Arrange for reporters to write news articles, and build good rtionships with editors of various food magazines and journals, or even TV stations; positive publicity is very important,¡± Zhang Guanghang advised. ¡°If it¡¯s about four-panelics, I can draw them for you!¡± Ji Yue, who had been eavesdropping and eagerly looking to join in the conversation, finally found an opening. ¡°She¡¯s my senior, Ji Yue,¡± Jiang Feng took the opportunity to introduce her to Zhang Guanghang, ¡°specializing in fine arts.¡± ¡°Hello, my name is Ji Yue, and I¡¯m aic artist,¡± said Ji Yue, her smile curving into the sweetest angle. Jiang Feng: ??? Comic artist??? You produce only a few pieces a month and still ¡®hmm¡¯ and ¡®haw,¡¯ yet you have the nerve to call yourself aic artist??? Drawingics is a dead end! So is writing novels. Chapter 209 - 208: Loach with Tofu Chapter 209: Chapter 208: Loach with Tofu Trantor: 549690339 | The club¡¯s evening farewell dinner featured all the hot dishes personally cooked by Jiang Feng. With over 30 members in the Chess Club, excluding a few who couldn¡¯t make it, there were a total of 27 people present. Tworge round tables were packed full. Jiang Feng had prepared all afternoon, getting a taste of what it¡¯s like to be a head chef at a restaurant. The mam dish was eight-treasure porridge, with a pot for each table, brimming to the top. Because of the unpredictable factor that was Liu Qian, Jiang Feng even specially simmered an extra pot in the back kitchen, ensuring there would be no issue with not having enough to eat. There were four cold dishes: a pickled vegetable tter, tiger skin peanuts, cold kelp strips, and smashed cucumbers. The eight hot dishes were respectively: chives scrambled with eggs, vermicelli with roast meat, ¡°three-fresh¡± from the earth (abination of potato, pepper, and eggnt), Kung Pao chicken, eight-treasure chicken, eight-treasure tofu, caramelized sweet potatoes, and eel stewed with tofu. The Sweet and Sour Yam had to be eaten hot, so Jiang Feng waited for everyone to arrive before heading to the kitchen to make this dish. After all, it was a farewell meal, and it was only right to put in serious effort. Since confirming his rtionship with Wu Minqi, Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t made this ¡°dog-food¡± dish again-now was the time to let the members of the Chess Club taste the vor of love. Especially for someone like Qiu Chen, who hadn¡¯t managed to escape singlehood in three years. The pickled vegetables in the tter included some from the neighboring marinated food shop, but the majority were brought by Wu Hanxue from Shu-sp and delicious. They made a satisfying crunch when bitten into, the perfect match for porridge. A small te of pickles made the adjacent cold kelp strips seem dull and colorless byparison. Eight-treasure chicken, eight-treasure tofu, and Sweet and Sour Yam were dishes Jiang Feng had made during thepetition. Although Jiang Feng, the club president, didn¡¯t interact much with the members and was usually too busy honing his culinary skills to chat in the group, he was still the president of the Chess Club. His and Wu Minqi¡¯s battles through the Good Taste cookingpetition, oveing every challenge, had given their fellow club members bragging rights when they went out, and everyone had been following thepetition. The dishes on the table were a feast for the eyes and the pte. While Jiang Feng was still m the back kitchen making the Sweet and Sour Yam, everyone stared at the dishes on the table, saliva filling their mouths without picking up their chopsticks, waiting for the ¡®main character¡¯ to appear before they could start eating. ¡°Isn¡¯t this chicken the same one that the president made during thepetition? The one where once you cut into it, tons of ingredients would tumble out?¡± A nameless, low-ranking club member asked curiously. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s the one, I think it¡¯s called eight-treasure chicken. The president made it during thepetition. Didn¡¯t you just watch the variety show the other week? Do you watch it too?¡± Another nameless, low-ranking member joined the conversation. ¡°Of course, I watch it. We¡¯ve got to watch the variety show where our president and Wu Minqi appeared!¡± ¡°I watched it too; Zhang Guanghang is really handsome!¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s so handsome. Oh my god, a true male god!¡± ¡°How can someone be so good-looking!¡± ¡°The way he cooks¡­ oh, my god, I¡¯ve already changed my phone wallpaper to his picture!¡± ¡°I changed it too, I changed it too! Which picture are you using? Share it, please. A couple of days ago, I found a casual photo of him in a shirt-my god, such a face, he¡¯s literally divine!¡± ¡®You mean the one on Weibo? I saw that one too!¡± ¡°I previously¡­¡± By the time Jiang Feng came upstairs with two tes of Sweet and Sour Yam, he heard them discussing how handsome Zhang Guanghang was. Jiang Feng: ??? Hold on, big bro, although I don¡¯t know your name, you¡¯re a guy, aren¡¯t you? Why are you discussing how handsome Zhang Guanghang is with a bunch of girls? The Sweet and Sour Yam should be eaten hot. Before you eat, dip it in some cool boiled water to avoid burning your mouth,¡± Jiang Feng reminded them as he ced the Sweet and Sour Yam on the table. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, President!¡± a girl sweetly said. ¡°Yes, yes, the president worked so hard!¡± the rest echoed. Eating is the most important thing of all; bootlicking and dog-licking behavior should be saved for after the meal. The dog-food Sweet and Sour Yam, sweet to the heart and soul. As a lovestruck young man freshly promoted to the ranks of coupled ¡°dogs,¡± Wang Hao found eating this dish particrly moving, even reminiscing about his first love-the girl who fattened him up with her own hands and then dumped him for being overweight. Zhenzhen is so much better! Wang Hao thought to himself, quickly snatching another bite of Sweet and Sour Yam with his chopsticks. Compared to the boys who could onlyugh foolishly, the girls were a bit more sentimental, able to reminisce not only about their first love boyfriends but also about the boys they once had crushes on. Even without a first love boyfriend, they could dream up one in their fantasies. For a while, both round tables were filled with the rosy air of romance. Feng, your cooking skills have improved so much they¡¯re truly beyond recognition. One might say ¡®A day apart seems like three years of separation¡¯,¡± Liu Zixuan, who had already been selected as the next president of the Chess Club through some backdoor deals, began his ttery, which resonated as though it came from a physics major who struggled with idioms. Enough with that, what kind of idioms are those?¡± Wang Hao, who¡¯d been secretly writing novels, sidling over from the Physics to the Chinese Literature department these days, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, ¡°Feng, what you have is called ¡®no longer the simpleton at the foot of Mount Wu¡¯!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? So you think your Chinese is particrly good, huh? ¡°Recalling the olden days, the sound of a flutementing, returning to my hometown feels like bing an ancient recluse?¡± Liu Qian suddenly blurted out. Jiang Feng:¡­ Please, just stop talking! The ttery over, it was time to get to the real business. Carving the chicken. The two professionals, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, each with a cleaver in hand cut cleanly through the belly of the chicken. The ingredients stuffed inside the eight-treasure chicken tumbled out like rolling beads. Theirnding was noisy and messy, likerge and small pearls falling on a jade te. After Liu Qian¡¯s sudden burst of poetry, Jiang Feng felt like no matter what he saw, he waspelled to recite a verse or two of unrted poetry. ¡°Wow!¡± The members of the Chess Club, unustomed to such sights, collectively expressed their astonishment. Everyone started eating. The eels in today¡¯s eel stew with tofu had been secured by Jiang Jiankang after staking out the market for several days, catching fresh, wild little eels, all 20- odd pounds in one go, now served up at the table, while their closer and distant rtives and the rtives by marriage were all still swimming in the back kitchen¡¯s water tank. These two servings of loach stewed with tofu were alsopleted by Jiang Feng under the oral guidance of Jiang Jiankang. No need for too many seasonings, ginger, scallions, vegetable oil, and a bit of salt would suffice. Fresh wild small loaches paired with tender tofu are delicious enough; using too many seasonings would be superfluous. Unlike Wu Minqi¡¯s red date loach soup, the loaches in the tofu stew needed to be fried in hot oil until golden before adding water and boiling over high heat, then tofu is added when the soup turns milky white. This way, the loach stewed with tofu is tender, fragrant, and with a better-looking soup color. Of course, the highest level dish on this table was the eight-treasure porridge. Sweet and Sour Yam was so delicious due to the First Love Buff boost, but the eight-treasure porridge was something Jiang Feng managed to cook on his own strength, even the crucial osmanthus sugar was his own discovery. ¡®Come on, Qiqi, have some loach stewed with tofu; these loaches were bought from the market this morning, they are wild small loaches.¡± Jiang Fengdled a bowl of loach stewed with tofu for Wu Minqi. Oh- oh oh- ¡± The crowd began to jeer, eager to stir up trouble. They were quickly suppressed by the delicious food. Liu Qian, these days, because she was doing various local food appraisals on live streams, had to allocate a good part of her appetite to eating foods she didn¡¯t like but had to smile and praise as ¡°especially delicious, worth rmending, everyone must go buy it!¡±, which caused her to eat less normally. At this meal, she rediscovered the feeling of fighting at the table at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant! Jiang Feng¡¯s premonition was right; excluding Liu Qian, the two pots of porridge were enough for the other club members to enjoy, but with her included, another pot had to be added. Liu Qian hadn¡¯t eaten so happily in a long time, not having to fake a smile for the camera, force herself to eat things she didn¡¯t like, or order the same dishes for the show¡¯s effect only to end up eating them cold. It was this feeling, to eat however much she wanted, whatever she liked! Liu Qian even began to consider giving up this lousy live streaming altogether. Ah, life is tough,¡± Liu Qian sighed after downing her 16th bowl of eight-treasure porridge. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Qianqian, you eat so many messy things every day; doing live streams like this is really harmful to your health,¡± Ji Yue expressed with concern. Messy things?¡± Jiang Feng had the impression of Liu Qian¡¯s live streaming from the days she dined at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant daily. Their so-called food appraisals are just messing around. At first, it might have been somewhat legitimate, but now it¡¯s all sorts of random stuff, plus some eating contest gimmicks, eating dozens of portions of the same thing at once ¡± Ji Yue exined. ¡°That¡¯s just messing around!¡± Liu Zixuan frowned. ¡°It¡¯s just for these few days; the food appraisal event should end soon, and then it won¡¯t be like this anymore,¡± Liu Qian said, ¡°If it¡¯s not feasible, I¡¯ll just quit.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s always going to be like this, better quit sooner thanter. Nothing is worth more than your health,¡± Ji Yue advised and then remembered something,ughing, ¡°And plus, Jiang Feng¡¯s family is moving their restaurant to Beipingter this year, so you¡¯ll lose your fixed live-streaming spot, too.¡± ¡°Moving to Beiping?!¡± Liu Qian eximed in shock. The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was her regr dining hall; how would she survive if it moved! ¡°Wow, Feng, your family is getting rich, moving to Beiping!¡± Liu Zixuan eximed. In debt, in debt,¡± Jiang Feng humbly corrected. ¡°But, Ji Yue, what are you going to do if the Chess Club president¡¯s family restaurant moves to Beiping?¡± Liu Qian asked. ¡°I¡¯m going with them, of course!¡± Ji Yue replied as if it were obvious. Jiang Feng: ??? Could it be that Ji Yue had really gotten addicted to working as a waiter and forgotten that she was actually majoring in fine arts, not hotel management? Seeing the look of shock on Jiang Feng¡¯s face, Ji Yue said, ¡°What, you don¡¯t want your old employee anymore? Mrs. Wang told me that Ji Xue is also going to work at the store in Beiping, and you¡¯ve agreed to provide food and amodation. Mrs. Wang said I could live with her, so I¡¯ll have food and amodation covered too.¡± No, it¡¯s nothing, nothing,¡± Jiang Feng started to doubt whether Ji Yue might have be a lobby manager at a five-star hotel if she had found the right direction in life and studied hotel management. The farewell dinner ended amidst everyone¡¯sughter, teasing, and chatting, ending with the announcement by Jiang Feng that the next Chess Club president would be Liu Zixuan, which no one objected to, and the decision was apuded and agreed upon unanimously. After the host and guests had enjoyed themselves, everyone started to leave. Ji Yue, Liu Zixuan, Wang Hao, and Liu Qian cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, while Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi went to clean up the kitchen. ¡°What about me?¡± Wu Minqi suddenly asked. Jiang Feng, still arranging the seasonings, didn¡¯t catch on and responded ¡°What?¡± ¡°If Ji Yue and Ji Xue are staying in the staff dormitory, what about me?¡± Wu Minqi inquired. ¡°You, aren¡¯t you staying in n City for school?¡± Jiang Feng hesitated. He was about to be a senior next semester, and even if he went to Beiping, it wouldn¡¯t pose a big problem. Everyone would begin to frantically look for¡¯jobs or internships, and whether or not to stay at school wasn¡¯t that important anymore. I m nning to apply to drop out after this semester,¡± Wu Minqi revealed. Drop out?¡± In Jiang Feng¡¯s mind, obtaining a university degree was still important, especially since to his parents, Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian, a diploma from a key university was quite valuable and a source of pride. ¡°You don¡¯t have to drop out because of me¡­¡± It¡¯s not because the Taifeng Building is about to open. I had already discussed with my parents before the newyear; my major isn¡¯t helping my culinary skills at all and is just wasting my time to practice cooking. I was originally nning to drop out after the Good Taste Culinary Competition ended and then go back home to help at the Wu Family Restaurant. Now, it¡¯s just a matter of going to Beiping instead,¡± Wu Minqi conveyed, ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question yet. If Ji Xue and Ji Yue are staying in the staff dorm, where do I stay?¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s survival instinct as a straightforward man told him that this could be a life-or-death question if not answered correctly. ¡±You¡­ of course, you¡¯ll¡­ stay at my ce!¡± Jiang Feng dered with certainty, ¡°My parents and some uncles are nning to rent residential ts in the same¡¯ building; we can just rent an extra one for the two of us to live alone.¡± Jiang Feng had a girlfriend and forgot all about his parents. ¡°Okay,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. Chapter 210 - 209: Master of a Single Dish (Part 1) Chapter 210: Chapter 209: Master of a Single Dish (Part 1) Trantor: 549690339 | After tidying up the kitchen and closing the shop for the day, Jiang Feng returned to the dormitory. When he arrived, he found Wang Hao had already finished washing up and was lying on his bed, reflecting on life. He wasn¡¯t even chatting with Zhenzhen on his phone, his face etched with a sense of dejection and loss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I just suddenly realized that I have to retake ¡®Signals and Systems.¡¯ It doesn¡¯t seem to be Professor Li¡¯s fault,¡± Wang Hao stared at the ceiling. ¡°You¡¯ll retake it next semester. Study hard during the summer break, and you should be fine,¡± Jiang Feng consoled. ¡°Next semester, the vice dean is teaching ¡®Signals and Systems.''¡± Wang Hao was now on the verge of tears. Jiang Feng: The vice dean was a notorious figure in UAL University¡¯s physics department, holding the highest record for fail rates to this day, with an average of over 65%. Ordinary students who barely scraped by would tremble at the sight of him, often preferring to walk away rather than cross paths. With such a mythic teacher, known for the big ¡°XXX¡± failed sign above head, teaching next term¡¯s ¡®Signals and Systems,¡¯ Wang Hao was doomed. After washing up and turning off the lights, Jiang Feng left Wang Hao alone in the dark, sinking into his despondent thoughts. Jiang Feng could even asionally hear sighs of deep yearning and wistful longinging from across the room. His perfectly sane roommate had gone mad. Wang Hao¡¯smentations sounded as though he were heartbroken. No, even during his breakups, he had never experienced such emotional turbulence. Disturbed by Wang Hao¡¯s sighing, Jiang Feng, unable to sleep, decisively opened his attribute panel to see if there were any tasks that seemed doable. Completing the main quest was just a matter of time, while for the side quests, only ¡°Turn Enemies into Friends¡± and ¡°Sun Guanyun¡¯s Approval¡± remained, plus a hidden quest, ¡°The Awakening of Da Hua.¡± ¡°The Awakening of Da Hua¡± also required time; after all, waiting for a pig to pass away naturally could take at least 10 years to aplish. Initially, for ¡°Turn Enemies into Friends,¡± Jiang Feng had thought about recruiting Gu Li to form a team of five. But Gu Li had made it clear during theirst conversation that he had no intention of switching sides. As for the remaining top 32petitors, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know any of them well enough, so he had to put that quest on hold and wait for the right person. However, ¡°Sun Guanyun¡¯s Approval¡± was a task worth striving for. Now that thepetition was over, Jiang Feng had plenty of time to practice cooking. If three months weren¡¯t enough, then half a year; if half a year wasn¡¯t enough, then one year; and if one year wasn¡¯t enough, then two. With the backing of two venerable elders, creating an Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon that would satisfy Sun Guanyun was not an illusion. But Jiang Feng didn¡¯t n to make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon these days. He had been wanting to make Li Hongzhang hodgepodge for a long time. Even if he couldn¡¯t practice with exceptionally good and expensive ingredients, it would still be possible to make do with ones of slightly inferior quality. Continuing to scroll down, he reached his inventory. Jiang Feng had already taken out the kitchen knife for a spin and felt nothing special. It didn¡¯t seem like the kind of de that could slice through metal as though it was mud, but it did feel quitefortable in hand. Since he hadn¡¯t used it to cut vegetables yet, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t tell if it would make any difference. He nned to find an opportunity to go shopping in a couple of days and bring the knife back, iming it as his own purchase. Finally, Jiang Feng¡¯s gaze settled on the only memory in his inventory. [A Memory of Jiang Weiguo] Experiencing old Sir¡¯s memories, Jiang Feng had a very strange feeling. In other people¡¯s memories, including Jiang Huiqin and Li Mingyi¡¯s, he felt like a passerby. But with Jiang Weiguo¡¯s memories, he felt a strong impulse to observe everything around him. He could only experience thetter half of Jiang Weiguo¡¯s life. The Jiang Weiguo he understood was an elderly and one-sided man; he had no knowledge of his youth, his past, his once-upon-a-time. But he could in these memories. Seeing apletely different side of a person he knew well in these genuine memories was truly a miraculous feeling. Real yet surreal. Jiang Feng chose [A Memory of Jiang Weiguo] and clicked yes. A dense fog. ¡°ng ng, ng ng.¡± Before the fog could even lift, Jiang Feng first heard the sound of train wheels rolling. Is this on a train? Indeed, once the thick fog cleared, Jiang Feng realized he was standing on a train surrounded by people of all kinds, men and women, old and young alike. To his left was a woman holding a child, cradling the child in her right arm and gently coaxing the child to sleep, while her left hand clung tightly to her luggage andrge bags, ears alert and eyes scanning in all directions, fearing some inattentive thief might target her while her husband was away to the restroom. The train was an old-fashioned green one, not very stable, swaying constantly. For modern youth like Jiang Feng, who were ustomed to riding high-speed trains whizzing by at two or three hundred kilometers per hour, the speed of this green train was painfully slow. Jiang Feng scanned around and found Jiang Weiguo sitting in the veryst row, in the innermost seat. This was a youthful Jiang Weiguo, who looked about 20 years old with a thin face, a bit more robust than Jiang Feng, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes that exuded the vigor of youth, though he seemed somewhat listless, perhaps due to the long train journey. Judgingby Jiang Weiguo¡¯s age at the time, Jiang Feng concluded that he probably wasn¡¯t married yet. Mrs. Jiang was a full 11 years younger than him, still a little girl at this time. If the old man hadn¡¯t had a few romantic pursuits that came to nothing when he was young, he would likely still be single at this point. Sitting opposite Jiang Weiguo was a round-faced middle-aged man who didn¡¯t seem very old, in his thirties, with a ruddyplexion and very excited. He pointed out the window and said to Jiang Weiguo, ¡°Xiao Jiang, do you think that could be the sea?¡± Jiang Weiguo nced outside and replied, ¡°Master Huang, that¡¯s just ake. We still have half a day before we arrive at FZ.¡± Master Huang? Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but look at this Master Huang. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this Master Huang was the former head chef of the state-owned restaurant where Jiang Weiguo worked, and their rtionship had always been both as mentor and friend. Jiang Feng had seen this Grandpa Huang when he was a kid, and the two families had maintained good contact up until Chef Huang passed away nine years ago, ending their interactions. As they were speaking, Jiang Weiguo yawned; he had been sitting on the train for more than two days and felt like his entire skeleton was about to fall apart. ¡°I¡¯m just too excited, unlike you. You¡¯re so young and you¡¯ve been everywhere already. This is my first time leaving the province,¡± Master Huang excitedly looked out the window, seemingly unable to get enough of the view. ¡°Hey,rade, where are you folks from?¡± a young man nearby asked. ¡°We¡¯re from Zet City. We¡¯re both chefs at a state-owned restaurant. We¡¯ve been sent to Fujian to buy some seafood,¡± Master Huang replied cheerily. He wasn¡¯t afraid the young man next to him had any malicious intent, and even if he did, Jiang Weiguo would not be so easily fooled. ¡°What a coincidence, I am from a neighboring city to yours. I never imagined the two of you were chefs from a state-owned restaurant. I¡¯ll have to try your cooking if I get the chance,¡± the young man said with a smile. ¡°Young brother, what do you do?¡± Master Huang asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯m just a lumberyard purchasing agent. I travel all over the ce, spending more than half the year on trains,¡± the young man said. ¡°My surname is Wang. Just call me Xiao Wang. And you two¡ª¡± ¡°My surname¡¯s Huang, and his is Jiang,¡± Master Huang said. ¡°Do you know Fujian well, Mr. Wang? It¡¯s our first time here, and without any familiarity with the ce, we wouldn¡¯t know where to buy seafood. Could you point us in the right direction?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about ces for seafood, but if you¡¯re looking to buy fabrics, pastries, or foreign goods, I can still give you some suggestions,¡± said the purchasing agent. ¡°By the way, since it¡¯s your first time in Fujian Province, I assume you¡¯re heading to FZ, right? The most famous restaurant there, Jubao Building, has a chef who is taking in apprentices these days. If we¡¯re lucky, we might even be able to catch some excitement there.¡± ¡°Wow, is the Jubao Building also a state-owned restaurant?¡± Master Huang eximed naively. ¡°It should be, isn¡¯t everything public-private partnership now?¡± the purchasing agent replied uncertainly. ¡°Xiao Jiang, shall we go take a look? It¡¯s not every day we get out like this, and we¡¯ve been given so much time by the higher-ups. Let¡¯s immerse ourselves in the experience and then tell them all about it when we get back,¡± Master Huang looked at Jiang Weiguo, hopeful. Jiang Weiguo nodded and continued to lean against the window, letting the breeze blow on him. ¡°Mr. Wang, tell me more about FZ. Oh, and here, have some pastries,¡± Master Huang said. ¡°This pastry is made by my wife. Try some of these t cakes.¡± Master Huang was a chatterbox, and having been bored on the train trip since Jiang Weiguo was feeling unwell and was not up for much conversation, he felt terribly stifled. Now that he finally caught a neighboring city¡¯s purchasing agent who clearly had seen the world, Master Huang wished he could talk with him for three days and nights. After listening, he would have some great stories to boast about back home! Jiang Feng listened from the side to the two men chatting. He could tell that despite the purchasing agent Wang not having been a purchaser for very long or traveled extensively, Master Huang¡¯sck of exposure to the world made their conversation quite lively as they exchanged stories with enthusiasm. Chapter 211 - 210: Master of a Single Dish (Part 2) Chapter 211: Chapter 210: Master of a Single Dish (Part 2) Trantor: 549690339 I ¡ã ¡® ¡® Compared to therge and small bags of the other passengers on the train, Master Huang and Jiang Weiguo had very few belongings between them, just one small fabric bag containing a change of clothes, various documents, and money. The bag was with Jiang Weiguo, who had never lived in peace since the fall of Beiping. Throughout the war, he had been disced until settling in Zet City in the previous years. To him, pickpockets and robbers on the train were hardly worth a nce. Master Huang, having always lived in a small city like Zet City and never experiencing war, was a simple and ordinary person who had gone through poverty, hunger, and hardship. Compared to Jiang Weiguo, he was practically a naive sweetheart. The environment in the trainpartment wasn¡¯t great either, with a mix of various smells, a crowded throng of people, the chatter of adults, and the wails of children, all mixing together to create a headache-inducing cacophony But for Jiang Feng,pared to the ship cabins and tractors he remembered from other memories, this trainpartment was practically VIP first-ss. Master Huang chatted with purchasing agent Wang for a few hours, not running out of things to say nor showing signs of fatigue, only stopping when Mr. Wang had an urgent need to use the restroom. ¡°Jiang, you aren¡¯t young anymore; you¡¯re almost 30 and settled down. How about, once we return, I have your sister-inw set you up with someone?¡± Master Huang began to y matchmaker. 30??? Jiang Feng could hardly believe his eyes; Jiang Weiguo¡¯s face looked like that of a man in his early twenties, but in Master Huang¡¯s words, he was almost 30 years old! It turned out the old man was so deep and unfathomable in his youth. Considering this, his parents¡¯ meeting, dining together, and rushed marriage must have happened around this time. Matchmaking?¡± Jiang Weiguo opened his eyes wide. ¡°Yes, your sister-inw¡¯s neighbor in the next vige has a girl, very pretty, 17 years old, just has too many elder sisters, which is why she hasn¡¯t found a match yet despite her age. Their family has five daughters but is reasonably well-off-no one is starving to death,¡± Master Huang said, excited to see Jiang Weiguo responding to him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the girl; she¡¯s hardworking and good at managing household tasks. Bringing her home as a bride would definitely be a good deal!¡± ¡°How about after we finish buying the stuff, I speak to your sister-inw to arrange a time for the two of you to meet?¡± Master Huang was practically rubbing his hands together in anticipation. ¡°Sure.¡± Jiang Weiguo agreed, realizing he was indeed not getting any younger and it was time to consider marriage and starting a family. Once we get off the train, let¡¯s first go to the guesthouse with Mr. Wang and get familiar with the surrounding area before we set out to find the ce to buy goods.¡± Master Huang made purchasing ns, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that we¡¯re not going to Magic City this time; the time before when Chef Liu from the next- door restaurant went to Magic City on a business trip, the goods he brought back made us all envious!¡± In Master Huang¡¯s view, the two biggest cities in the country were Beiping and Magic City, and one had only truly been to the city if they had visited them. ¡°I know where to buy the sea goods; we need to get dry goods, and for that, we have to go to the county town below,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°To the county town below?¡± Master Huang was a little confused. ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied. ¡°I know a ce; once we¡¯ve bought everything we can head back.¡± ¡°Then¡­ do we still go to that Jewel Building to look for apprentices or whatever?¡± Master Huang couldn¡¯t bear the thought; it was his first business trip, and he didn¡¯t want to return after just two days. ¡°We¡¯ll go,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Master Huang cheered up again. The train kept moving slowly, stopping at one station where some passengers disembarked. It wasn¡¯t until the evening was upon them that they finally reached the terminal station. Purchasing agent Wang led them to the guesthouse, where the server, with a disdainful and indifferent demeanor, asked for the introduction letter and collected the fees before finally leading them upstairs after processing their paperwork. ¡°If you need boiling water, it¡¯s two cents per pot. If you break the pot, you have to pay for it. Make sure to request it before 8 p.m., otherwise there won¡¯t be any,¡± the server said as he led them to their room and then left. ¡°Huang,rade Jiang, if there¡¯s anything you need,e find me tomorrow night. I¡¯ll be out and about during the day, busy running around. I reckon I¡¯ll be staying here for three or four days, so feel free toe find me anytime,¡± purchasing agent Wang said enthusiastically. ¡°Sure thing, thank you, Comrade Xiao Wang,¡± Master Huang replied with a smile. The two entered the room. After several days of train travel, their clothes were unbearably sweaty and stinky. Master Huang, needing to save money for his family, didn¡¯t want to spend the two cents for the hot water and intended to make do with a wipe-down using cold water. Jiang Weiguo, without saying a word, went down and spent four cents to buy two pots of hot water, handing one to Master Huang. ¡°Ay, Xiao Jiang, why did you buy this? It¡¯s too expensive at two cents a pot. Tomorrow morning I¡¯ll treat you to buns. Let¡¯s also try the taste of the buns from this coastal region,¡± Master Huang said cheerfully. After freshening up he fell asleep, dreaming about the vor of the coastal region¡¯s buns. Snores soon filled the room, loud enough to rattle the heavens, but somehow Jiang Weiguo managed to fall asleep too. Both of them were asleep, and since Jiang Feng didn¡¯t need to sleep, he wandered within the limits he could move around. The guesthouse seemed newly built, with fairly new facilities, and everything including the sheets and bedding, was very clean-purchasing agent Wang truly knew how to pick a ce. The next morning, the two woke up early, packed up, took their money devoured a big meat bun each, and after asking for directions, they took a minibus to Lin County. The ride on the minibus was bumpy, almost on par with a tractor, shaking Master Huang almost beyond endurance. He asked loudly, ¡°Xiao Jiang, how much longer until we get there? ¡± ¡°Not far. I just asked; it¡¯s about an hour¡¯s ride,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied. Indeed, a little over an hourter, the two arrived at their destination Jiang Weiguo asked about thest bus back, then led Master Huang, continuing to ask for directions as they went in search of their target location. After following the guidance of several people, through twists and turns, they ended up in a shabby little shop. It sold seafood, all dried, but the quality was genuinely good. Master Huang was a typical ind resident, who had never seen the sea, nor knew what the seafood looked like or how to choose it. His reason for being on this business trip with Jiang Weiguo was solely because they got along well. Jiang Weiguo took charge of selecting the goods since he was also the one who would be cooking them. From his childhood spent in Taifeng Building, he had seen his fair share of delicacies-abalone, shark fin, sea cucumber-he had handled them all, and always the top-quality ones at that. ¡°Hey, Xiao Jiang, since we¡¯re here in the coastal region, we¡¯ve got to eat something nice. How about we go to that ce tomorrow and have a big meal?¡± Master Huang, who was hesitant to buy even two cents¡¯ worth of hot water the night before, now aspired to dine at the most famous restaurant in all of Guangdong Province. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Jiang Weiguo answered, focusing intently on selecting dried scallops. He was someone who didn¡¯tck money, living in the dorm, earning and spending for himself, not burdened with supporting a family, and asionally taking on private side jobs. Compared to Master Huang, he was practically rolling in wealth. ¡°I just wonder what this seafood tastes like. I mean, since they call it seafood and the name includes the word ¡®fresh,¡¯ it must be especially delicious!¡± Master Huang began to muse to himself. ¡°Are you two youngrades going to Jubao Building tomorrow?¡± The shop owner, an old man, asked with a smile. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Jubao Building!¡± Master Huang finally remembered the name of Jubao Building. ¡°That¡¯s a famous store around here. If you go there tomorrow, you¡¯re in for a treat. Tomorrow is thest day for Chef Sun to take on apprentices, and he¡¯ll definitely be in the restaurant. You might even get to eat a dish he¡¯s made!¡± said the shop owner. ¡°Hearingyou talk, you both must be chefs, right? If you¡¯re interested, you might want to sign up tomorrow. Even if Chef Sun doesn¡¯t take you as apprentices, getting a few pointers from him would be beneficial. ¡± We re just visitors from out of town, here to see the sights,¡± Master Huang said, having no interest in kowtowing to others as a disciple. ¡°Excuse me senior, do you know what signature dishes Jubao Building has to rmend?¡± ¡°Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall.¡± Jiang Weiguo and the shopkeeper said in unison. ¡°Oh, this youngrade is also aware of Jubao Building¡¯s famous dish?¡± the shopkeeper asked with interest. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. After all, Jubao Building has a big reputation, and Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall is their signature dish,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°What¡¯s Buddhas Jumping Over the Wail?¡± Master Huang asked, his face a picture of ignorance of the ways of the world. ¡°When the aroma from the meaty stew spreads, even the Buddha would abandon contemtion and jump over the wall toe. The original name of this dish was ¡®Fortune and Longevity All,¡¯ but it got renamed to Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall because of this poem. Comrade, do you still have those dried shrimp here?¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Yes, yes, they¡¯re in the back. I¡¯ll take you to take a look,¡± the shopkeeper led Jiang Weiguo to the rear, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to taste Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall; this dish is always in high demand and also really expensive. It¡¯s not something usmon folks can afford. If you have some extra money, you might want to try the lobster steamed in superior soup, it¡¯s another one of Chef Sun¡¯s specialties.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a Cantonese dish?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°What Cantonese dish?¡± The shopkeeper couldn¡¯t differentiate between Cantonese, Minnan, and other odd categories of cuisine, ¡°Are you talking about the dishes from Guangdong Province? Chef Sun studied there in his early years.¡± Jiang Weiguo picked and chose through the small shop, directlypleting the procurement task listed above, each of them carrying thirty to forty pounds of dried goods, ready to head back. Taking the minibus back to the provincial city, the two carried the scent of the sea back to the guest house. After setting down their things, Master Huang gulped down several mouthfuls of cold water and said, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve finished shopping, I¡¯ll buy our return tickets after we eat tomorrow.¡± Jiang Weiguo nodded. It was alreadyte in the day, and their round trip to Lin County had taken quite a while. They had only eaten a single bun that day, and now that they were at rest, their stomachs were growling with hunger. ¡°Master Huang, let¡¯s check the items and if all is correct, let¡¯s go eat. I overheard from the people sitting in front of us on the bus that there¡¯s a restaurant nearby with good skills,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Master Huang: ??? Did I just ride on a fake bus? Or do I have a pair of fake ears? The two of them checked over their items, verified them against the list nothing was missing; they stored their goods properly and took their money, ready to go out and enjoy a meal. Usually, as the head chef of a state-run hotel, others came to dine in his ce Now the roles were reversed, and it was truly a different experience. Jiang Weiguo had a good memory and never forgot a route once he¡¯d walked it Leading Master Huang as if he were a local, they easily found a small restaurant. The real feast was reserved for tomorrow. Although they were dining out now, the dishes they ordered were quite ordinary. A bowl of marinated noodles, a te of spring rolls, and a dish of oyster omelette for each. The restaurant owner was from Minnan, and the spring rolls were made in the Minnan style. Bamboo shoots, peas, bean sprouts, dried tofu, egg shreds, fish, shrimp, diced pork, oysters, and carrots-all these rich ingredients wrapped in a thin skin were beyond imagination, golden and crispy, showcasing coastal characteristics. The marinated noodles were not ordinary either. The toppings were very rich, including lean meat, mushrooms, dried shrimp, scallops, oysters, razor ms leeks, and red mushrooms. The noodle broth was slow-cooked pork bone stock and the noodles were chewy. The soup was thick and fragrant. Even Jiang Feng was surprised at the owner¡¯s generous servings. When they ordered, Master Huang had felt a pinch in his wallet, thinking that nearly three yuan for just two bowls of noodles, one te of spring rolls, and an unidentified item was steep. But as soon as they started eating, Master Huang immediately felt it was worth every penny. Forget three yuan, he couldn¡¯t make this taste even for thirteen yuan. The chef at this restaurant had real skill. ¡°This ce really is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons, to think that a small restaurant¡¯s chef could be so formidable!¡± Master Huang eximed, ¡°In our area, this level of skill would definitely qualify one as a head chef.¡± ¡°Live off the mountains, live off the sea. The chefs here naturally excel at cooking seafoodpared to us,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, continuing to eat his noodles. The two slurped their noodles, emptying theirrge bowls in no time. The oyster omelette was servedst. This dish was a special snack from the Minnan region, which Jiang Weiguo had only heard of but never seen. The freshly cooked oyster omelette was still steaming. The eggs surrounded the oysters, preserving their original vor while masking their fishiness. Neither of them had tasted anything like this before and were just trying it out for novelty. Jiang Feng, too, was seeing this dish for the first time. He found it intriguing and thought about taking a trip to the Minnan region during the summer holiday to try more and broaden his horizons. If only this restaurant were still around. Amused by his own thoughts, Jiang Fengughed to himself. After eating their fill, Jiang Weiguo and Master Huang returned to the guest house. Before leaving, they asked the owner about the location of Jubao Building, to avoid aimlessly searching for it like headless flies the next day. Jiang Feng knew that Chef Sun of Jubao Building had once taught Sir Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, making Chef Sun one of Sir¡¯s culinary mentors. It must be this time, and perhaps the recipe in his memory was for Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall. 6 Sun Guanyun was more than a decade younger than Sir, and at this time, he should still be a teenager. Perhaps they would meet him the next day. Just thinking about it made Jiang Feng look forward to tomorrow¡¯s events at Jubao Building all the more. It waste, and Jiang Weiguo and Master Huang had had a busy and tiring day just like the day before. After a simple wash, they went to bed early. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t stay in the room, since Master Huang¡¯s thunderous snoring was not exactly music to the ears. Jiang Feng sat outside the guest house, gazing quietly at the moon and stars in the sky-stars that would be hard to see 50 yearster. Listening to the sound of the insects was quitefortable. What will happen tomorrow? Chapter 212 - 211: Master of a Single Dish (Part 3) Chapter 212: Chapter 211: Master of a Single Dish (Part 3) Trantor: 549690339 | Armed with the experience from his memory of Han Guishan, Jiang Feng spent the night staring at the night sky without getting bored. As soon as dawn broke, he returned to his room to wait for Jiang Weiguo and Master Huang to wake up. Both of them had been through quite the journey over the past few days and yet woke up early, probably a habit formed from their time working at state-owned restaurants. Not long after Jiang Feng entered the room, Jiang Weiguo woke up, followed shortly by Master Huang. They changed into clean, presentable old clothes, after all, they were going to have a big meal and need to look decent for the asion. Upon leaving the guest house, the two headed straight for the same little eatery as the day before, each ordering a bowl of lu noodles. The bowl was filled to the brim with ingredients, even more so than the previous night¡¯s, with firm noodles and a rich broth that swiftly disappeared with slurps and gulps. Within minutes, not a drop of soup was left. ¡°If I could eat a bowl of noodles like this every day, that would be living the life of the gods!¡± Master Huang eximed. ¡°A bowl of noodles for one and a half cents,¡± Jiang Weiguo reminded him kindly, alluding to the fact that Master Huang¡¯s monthly sry would probably only suffice for his noodle indulgence. Master Huang fell silent at once, staring at the empty bowl andmenting, ¡°If only my wife could taste this too. She¡¯s never even left our city, let alone enjoyed such fine food.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make it for sister-inw when I return, but I might only be able to replicate fifty to sixty percent of the taste,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. He had eaten there twice and had almost figured out the ingredients and the method, but without ess to the variety of raw materials avable in Zet City, he didn¡¯t dare over-promise. The restaurant owner, who was also the chef and the ountant tallying the revenue at the front desk, overheard their conversation but didn¡¯t take it to heart, assuming they were just boasting. Would someone that skilled really be eating lu noodles at his small establishment? Chef Sun at Jubao Building was taking on apprentices now. Whichpetent chef wouldn¡¯t want to try their luck there? The owner shook his head, chuckling inwardly at the braggart who was speaking without a filter. After finishing their noodles and feeling satiated, Jiang Weiguo, the master of directions, guessed their way and led Master Huang towards Jubao Building. The guest house was situated in a remote area, while Jubao Building was located in the central city district¡ªor rather, wherever it stood became the central district. They asked for directions a few times and, since there was no faster way to travel, they ended up walking for a good three to four hours before reaching Jubao Building. Throughout the journey, Master Huang wished he had four eyes, marveling at everything as though he had been trapped in the mountains for decades and was seeing the city for the first time. He took mental notes of everything different from Zet City, nning to brag about itter, and in doing so, collected quite a bit of material for his stories. Jubao Building, just like Taifeng Building, was a standalone restaurant bustling with activity, rivalling the star-rated hotels of future generations, not to mention in this era¡ªit was no wonder it was called the number one restaurant in FJ. Two cars were parked in front of Jubao Building where a table was also set up, attracting a crowd of onlookers. Master Huang went to look at the cars while Jiang Weiguo examined the table. ¡°Comrade, what¡¯s this table for?¡± Master Huang asked, pushing through the crowd to join Jiang Weiguo after inspecting the cars. ¡°This is part of the entrance examination for Chef Sun¡¯s apprentices!¡± someone who was also watching themotion exined, ncing at Master Huang and asking, ¡°From out of town?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard Chef Sun was taking on apprentices and came especially to see. How many has Chef Sun taken on?¡± Master Huang inquired. ¡°Don¡¯t get me started¡ªnot a single one. It¡¯s been over a week, and the deadline is the day after tomorrow. Chef Sun hasn¡¯t been impressed by anyone,¡± the onlooker reported. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s pretty strict!¡± Master Huang eximed in surprise. ¡°You can say that again,¡± the onlooker said proudly, ¡°Chef Sun is not just any chef; he¡¯s a master of Fujian and Guangdong cuisines. Many chefs from neighboring Guangdong Province havee here hoping to be his apprentice!¡± ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t he taken a fancy to anyone?¡± Master Huang asked, ying along. ¡°Chef Sun sets high standards! You see,rade, this is only the first challenge: to cut a radish thinly and quickly enough to pass. In the past few days, lots of chefs have passed this test. But the second challenge is much tougher. Chef Sun prepares a dish, and the others must replicate the same dish after being shown only once. If Chef Sun is satisfied, he¡¯ll take them as an apprentice. So far, no one has met his expectations,¡± the onlooker exined. ¡°Oh dear, then those chefs from out of town havee all this way for nothing!¡± The two bantered back and forth like aedy duo. ¡°How can you say it¡¯s for nothing? Even though Chef Sun didn¡¯t take them on as apprentices, he gave them some advice. Do you know who Chef Sun is? Just those couple of pointers he gives are enough to make those chefs over the moon. They all left beaming,¡± the spectator shared. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s pretty impressive!¡± Master Huang¡¯s eyes lit up as he stared at the cutting board on the table inside, then turned to Jiang Weiguo and said, ¡°Jiang, why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± ¡°Oh, is thisrade also a chef?¡± The onlookers suddenly got excited, ¡°Comrade, since there¡¯s no one else right now, why don¡¯t you have a go? If you¡¯re lucky, Chef Sun might take you on as his apprentice, and you¡¯d be set for life!¡± Jiang Weiguo shook his head and looked up at the sign of Jubao Building, saying, ¡°My skills are limited; I¡¯d rather not make a fool of myself.¡± Master Huang guessed what Jiang Weiguo was thinking, pulled him away from the crowd, and said, ¡°Jiang, stop thinking about that ce in Beiping. It¡¯s been so many years; it¡¯s questionable whether it¡¯s still there or not. Even if it is, it has merged with the state enterprises and no longer belongs to you.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about it,¡± Jiang Weiguo stubbornly denied. The two of them walked into Jubao Building. The air was filled with a rich fragrance, akin to the aroma of wine yet mixed with other scents, tickling the taste buds and wafting throughout, making one salivate just by smelling it. Because Jiang Jiankang had previously attempted to make Buddha¡¯s Jumping Over the Wall at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, albeit unsessfully, Jiang Feng could tell that the aroma was indeed from Buddha¡¯s Jumping Over the Wall. Deep down, he marveled at the Jubao Building from the days when Chef Sun was still alive; the mere scent inspired longing. Even Master Huang seemed captivated, his expression made one think he hadn¡¯t eaten for three days. The waiter led them to the counter, where a menu hung on the wall behind it. The waiter asked, ¡°What would you tworades like to eat?¡± ¡°Comrade, what¡¯s the dish with this scent?¡± Master Huang inquired. ¡°Buddha¡¯s Jumping Over the Wall, but it¡¯s already sold out. Yourades cane back tonight,¡± replied the waiter. Master Huang felt both regret and relief¡ªthe regret of not being able to taste the delicacy and the relief that his wallet had dodged a bullet. Looking at the menu for a long time and being utterly clueless about Cantonese and Fujian cuisines, Master Huang, feeling overwhelmed, handed the task of ordering to Jiang Weiguo: ¡°Jiang, you order!¡± Jiang Weiguo said, ¡°Let¡¯s have the Superior Soup Lobster, two orders of Marinated Noodles, Lychee Pork, and Gold Thread Tofu Skin.¡± ¡°That will be 65 yuan and 68 cents,¡± the waiter said. Jiang Weiguo paid swiftly and decisively. Master Huang waspletely dumbfounded. One meal had cost him two months¡¯ wages, far exceeding his expectations. What could they possibly be using to cook, Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow? ¡°Master Huang, this meal¡¯s on me. You¡¯ve helped me a lot these past few years; consider this a token of my gratitude,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. The waiter took the money and directed them to a table to sit down. ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± Master Huang felt the care he had given Jiang Weiguo over the past two years was not worth this sixty-plus yuan meal. Yet his reason told him that if he really paid for this meal, his wife would chase him with a knife for at least three streets when he got back home. ¡°When I return, I¡¯ll ask your sister-inw to do some digging and carefully select, to introduce you to a nice girl!¡± All his many thoughts condensed to a single offer to help him find a match. The table Jiang Weiguo sat at was right next to the kitchen, so Jiang Feng slipped right into the back kitchen to see what it was like in Jubao Building¡¯s kitchen. Jiang Feng¡¯s first impression upon entering was that it was bustling. Very bustling. There were many people, but no chaos; everyone was well-organized and focused on their tasks. At the center, revered by all like the moon surrounded by stars, was presumably Chef Sun. Standing next to Chef Sun was a teenager with a slight resemnce to him, probably Sun Guanyun. ¡°What kind of lobster do you need for baked lobster in broth?¡± Chef Sun asked. ¡°Spotted lobster.¡± ¡°You said a couple of days ago that you wanted to learn this dish. Bit off more than you could chew, so I didn¡¯t teach you. Just now, a customer ordered it. I¡¯ll do it once, and you watch. See how much you can learn, and go pick a lobster first,¡± Chef Sun instructed. The water tank was just in the corner of the kitchen, Jiang Feng thought about going over to see, but due to the distance, he couldn¡¯t. He could only watch from afar as Sun Guanyun went over to choose a lobster, and soon after, he came back with a fresh, lively spotted lobster, brandishing its ws with a spirited look and agile eyes. Chef Sun took the lobster, and after two swift cuts, it expired on the spot. It was not easy to enter the kitchen of Jubao Building. Even a kitchen helper washing vegetables had to possess certain skills and talent. Chef Sun was not one to keep secrets and was willing to teach anyone willing to learn. The lobster was cleaned, its head removed, entrails scooped out, the vein discarded, and the tail cut intorge chunks and coated with ayer of starch. This was Jiang Feng¡¯s first time seeing such arge spotted lobster, so he treated it as a new experience. The steps to process the lobster weren¡¯tplex¡ªcontrol the oil temperature, deep-fry the lobster until it was 70% done, then lift it out of the oil. During frying, it was necessary to drizzle the oil over the surface of the lobster flesh so it would shrink and set in shape. After that, the cooked lobster and butter were stir-fried together, then broth and other seasonings were added. Once it was out of the wok, it went straight to the te. The essence of the whole dish was in the broth. Cooking a pot of proper broth was key to this dish. There was another way to enjoy the dish. After eating the lobster, you could mix in some Yee Mein noodles to let them absorb the lobster¡¯s broth, creating a different kind of deliciousness. The broth was ready-made, and just by watching, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t discern any special techniques. The dish wasn¡¯t hard to make, and Jiang Feng reckoned he could manage a presentable version if he had ready-made broth. The only problem was his unfamiliarity with lobster. He guessed he would encounter some issues when it came time to chop it up. It couldn¡¯t be helped; Zet City, as an ind city, had seafood that was way too expensive. ¡°Dad, this dish doesn¡¯t look too difficult,¡± Sun Guanyun didn¡¯t think the dish was that hard. ¡°It may not look difficult, but you¡¯ll know once you try to make it yourself,¡± Chef Sun said. ¡°No dish is hard to make; the real challenge is making it well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the next dish?¡± Chef Sun asked. ¡°Lychee Pork. Master, let me do this one,¡± a plump young man said. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. The customers who ordered the lobster didn¡¯t order Yee Mein, which probably means they¡¯re from out of town. It¡¯s not easy to travel all this way. They came to our restaurant specifically, which is an honor for us. I¡¯ll serve them a portion of Yee Mein afterward,¡± Chef Sun decided. ¡°Lucky break,¡± muttered Sun Guanyun under his breath. It was unclear whether the stroke of luck he referred to was theplimentary Yee Mein or the chance to have Chef Sun prepare two dishes for them personally. Jiang Feng knew how to make Lychee Pork. Although he was eager to watch Chef Sun cook, he was more curious about Sir¡¯s reaction to the baked lobster in broth. Jiang Feng felt this memory was still growing. Sir had yet to participate in the vegetable cutting selection outside, and he would have plenty of opportunities to watch Chef Sun cook. Taking a shortcut through the wall, he returned to Sir¡¯s side, where Master Huang was excitedly rubbing his hands, looking around. ¡°Jiang, you wouldn¡¯t believe it, but it¡¯s no wonder the dishes here are so pricey. Look at this decor, it¡¯s way better than our state-owned restaurant!¡± Master Huang firmly believed that since Jubao Building¡¯s dishes were expensive, everything must be top-notch, even the chopsticks were superior to those at their state-owned restaurant. ¡°Jubao Building is an old establishment from the past. They spent a lot of money on the decor back in the day,¡± Weiguomented while looking at the interior of Jubao Building, as if seeing Taifeng Building in Beiping. ¡°Baked Lobster in Broth,¡± the waiter announced as he set the dish on the table. ¡°Chef Sun said to serve you a portion of Yee Meinter. Mix it in after you finish the lobster.¡± ¡°Thank you,rade, thank you so much!¡± Master Huang was overjoyed to hear about the additional serving of noodles, as if he had stumbled upon a great deal. The presentation of the Baked Lobster in Broth was stunning. The lobster¡¯s head was raised proudly, its tail slightly curled, and the flesh in the center was balled up, smothered in sauce, with a half-inch of broth at the bottom of the te, contrasting beautifully with the color of the lobster¡¯s shell. ¡°Wow, do all fancy restaurants te dishes this way?¡± Master Wang couldn¡¯t help but admire, reaching out with his chopsticks to take a piece of the lobster meat. ¡°Delicious, really delicious! Better than the ones you make, Jiang!¡± Master Huang eximed with his limited vocabry in praise of the dish in front of him. One piece, two pieces. Master Huang was about to reach for a third piece but, seeing there wasn¡¯t much lobster meat left on the te and remembering that Weiguo was treating, he restrained his chopsticks. ¡°Jiang, you eat, have some! I had too much noodles this morning and I¡¯m still full. I¡¯ll save room for the other dishes,¡± Master Huang said, avoiding looking at the lobster. Weiguo picked up his chopsticks and nabbed a piece of the lobster meat. He took a bite, chewed twice, and then stopped. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it particrly tasty? I¡¯ve never had such delicious food in my life!¡± Master Huang asked. ¡°Delicious,¡± Weiguo said, looking at the lobster in front of him. ¡°Master Huang, let¡¯s stay a couple more days,¡± he said. ¡°Huh? That sounds good. What, you have other business here?¡± Master Huang asked. ¡°There¡¯s something,¡± Weiguo said, ¡°I want to learn a dish.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Master Huang didn¡¯t catch on before Weiguo had already stood up. ¡°Jiang, where are you going? The dishes aren¡¯t all served yet!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take part in the entrance exam.¡± ¡°What?¡± The next second, Jiang Feng was kicked out of the memory. Jiang Feng sat up in bed: ??? You¡¯re showing me this just as I¡¯m getting undressed??? It was like watching a movie and just as it gets to the most exciting part, the browser alerts him that, due to not being a premium member, he can¡¯t continue watching. What kind of crap game is this? So you want money, huh? You want VIP status, huh? Just tell me how much. How much do I need to pay to finish watching this memory? I could consider anything under 20 bucks! Right now, Jiang Feng was furious, his desire toin about this lousy game stronger than ever. He didn¡¯t even want to check the recipe he got; he just shut off the attribute panel andy down to sleep. It¡¯s definitely not Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall! Chapter 213 - 212 Ready for Everything Chapter 213: Chapter 212 Ready for Everything Trantor: 549690339 J b The next morning, Jiang Feng woke up with his head full of the phrase he had seen in his memory the previous night, ¡°Go take the entry-level assessment.¡± Such a bombastic line, coupled with the right BGM, would make the ratings of a newly updated TV show explode! Seriously! The pam of reaching a climactic moment in a novel and then finding the author has suddenly stopped writing¡ªwho understands this agony, who?! Jiang Feng originally thought that after a night of cooling down, he would be able to calmly face this crappy game today and serenely click open his attributes panel. But now he just wanted to chop someone. Grin and bear it and you only get angrier, step back and you¡¯ll feel more cheated. Wang Hao had gone out for a morning run and had not yet returned. Jiang Feng got out of bed to wash up and calm himself, then sat silently at the desk and clicked open the attributes panel. Sun Zheran (1/9) [A-ss Lobster Soup] Creator: Sun Zheran Dish Details: A superb dish where neither the choice of original ingredients nor the cooking techniques can be faulted. The soup that perfectlyplements the lobster is the brightest highlight of the dish. As a master chef of his generation, Sun Zheran shows equal respect to all diners and pours his whole heart into every dish. Although this was but an ordinary dish among the many he cooked in his lifetime, it became a significant turning point in Jiang Weiguo¡¯s culinary career, leaving an unforgettable mark and granting a 24- hour double efficiency buff upon consumption. Number of times it can be prepared per day (o/i) Friendly Reminder: The difficulty of making the soup for this dish exceeds the yer¡¯s current cooking skill level, resulting in a 100% chance of failure. Due to the rarity of the original ingredients, using other slightly inferior ingredients could still yield the same level of dish, but the double efficiency buff would be lost. Jiang Feng:¡­ This game is surprisingly considerate, even preparing a backup n for when you can¡¯t find particrly high-quality lobster. He clicked open the recipe, which had two memory options. One was the lobster processing method he had seen before, and the other was the method for simmering the soup. The technique of simmering rich soup has always been a closely guarded secret of top restaurants. Jiang Feng not only got his hands on the method for making Lobster Soup, but also the process of making the soup itself-it was absolutely a windfall. And such a huge one at that! In the following months, there were some events that urred, none too big nor too small. First, Jiang Feng finally realized what set the game¡¯s reward chef knife apart from ordinary ones-it was as if the knife had been custom-made for him Cutting vegetables with it felt more like an extension of his hand. Although it didn¡¯t produce the exaggerated special effect of glowing ingredients, it significantly improved his knife skills. In martial arts novels, it¡¯s said that the most important things for a swordsman are his sword and how well it fits him. As a chef, Jiang Feng, having obtained a chef knife tailored just for him, naturally felt like he had been given wings. Then there was the follow-up to the Good Taste Culinary Competition. After the broadcast of the semi-finals, business at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant exploded. Jiang Feng even made it onto the Weibo hot search a few times. Just going to the market to buy vegetables, he would be recognized by vendors as the guy who publicly confessed to his girlfriend during the Good Taste Culinary Competition. Also, the number of votes Jiang Feng received on his WeChat official ount where he called for support, surged like a rocket. Three days after the broadcast, he overtook Zhang Guanghang and ultimately won the prize for most popr contestant in a stunning upset. The staff from Good Taste only took a few days to finalize an endorsement deal with Jiang Feng. A one-year advertising endorsement fee of 2.6 million yuan greatly alleviated the financial crisis the Jiang Family was facing. In May, Jiang Feng felt like a fool after shooting an extremely awkwardmercial. He also realized that he had no talent for acting, which dashed any hopes of a career in the entertainment industry. Of course, it wasn¡¯t over yet, because thatmercial would eventually be aired on satellite TV. Every time Jiang Feng turned on the TV, he had the chance to see himself in that foolishmercial. And in themercial, with a tone as solemn as swearing an oath under a national g, he dered, ¡°For soy sauce, choose Good Taste. Good Taste Soy Sauce, providing you with a different culinary experience!¡± Due to the endorsement discussions, the Jiang Family¡¯s interactions with Mr. Han Guishan and his wife, Wang Jing, suddenly increased. Han Guishan and Wang Jing even personally visited Jiang Weiming. However, during the visit, Jiang Feng was stuck in the studio shootingmercials and didn¡¯t know the details. The end result was that the two families got along well. Wang Jing would asionally bring some fruits to see Jiang Weiming, and Han Guishan sometimes woulde to eat at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, where Jiang Fengter got into the habit of steaming six veggie buns for him every day. To be honest, it¡¯s rare to see a bossy CEO like Mr. Han who enjoys eating as much as he does. Latterly, Han Guishan started treating the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant as if it were hispany¡¯s canteen, arriving on time for lunch and dinner every day sometimes even bringing the little chubby Han Youxin for dinner. During that period, Xu Cheng also came to mooch meals, but he had a particr pte. Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang¡¯s dishes hardly ever met his standards, requiring the personal intervention of the two Sirs whenever Xu Cheng visited. Xu Cheng, the owner of the Taste magazine and a leading figure in the world of procrastination, a chronic procrastinator in thete stages of the disease, still managed to remain calm andposed despite owing Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi one feature interview each, acting as if he were just an ordinary patron without discussing business affairs, which said a lot about his level of procrastination and state of mind. Taste magazine generally releases a new issue between June and August Xu Cheng, as the big boss of Taste and also the most important contributor to the magazine, could still be freeloading at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant in mid- June like any ordinary diner, without mentioning the special interviews or showing any intention of going out to find gourmet food. Given the situation, this year¡¯s Taste magazine was likely to be dyed until August. Thanks to the Good Taste Culinary Competition show, the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant could now be considered the number one trending restaurant in n City. Bored tourists continuously flocked there for a visit, staying open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a perpetual queue of customers. Because of the sudden surge in customers, Wang Xiulian not only gave Ji Yue a raise but also hired three dexterous student workers as waitstaff. Sometimes, if the restaurant got too busy, Jiang Jianguo woulde over and lend a hand by chopping vegetables or stir-frying a dish. Sincete April, Jiang Feng had been getting up earlier than the chickens and going to bedter than the dogs. While ensuring the restaurant¡¯s normal operation, he also had to find time to practice making dishes. Over the months, Jiang Feng¡¯s right arm had grown significantly more muscr, even giving him the illusion that he could take on ten Jiang Junlians single-handedly. The most unfortunate person had to be Jiang Jiandang. Just when he had finished dealing with thepensation for demolition from Zet City and arrived, he heard that Taifeng Building was going to open in mid-July. Before he even had the chance to open his newly decorated pharmacy, he had to start looking for someone to take over. He was already a stepteing to n City; he couldn¡¯t afford to dy any longer to go to Beiping. On June 29, the students of UAL University were studying for their final exams as if their lives depended on it-burning the midnight oil, studying desperately, holing up in the library, battling on the verge of death, and heavily cramming, as if they were mending the heavens or creating the writtennguage. Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant has officially closed its doors. The one taking over is none other than Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop. The once king of UAL University¡¯s gourmet street is set to reign supreme once again. Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had already posted a notice outside two days ago, stating that the shop would close on June 29th. Mr. Han Guishan, who always focused on eating and paid no attention to anything else, didn¡¯t even notice the notice posted on the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant¡¯s door two days ago. Having learned from his assistant that the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had closed and even taken down its sign, Mr. Han Guishan, who had nned to go there for a happy lunch of fried pork in scoop and di san xian, waspletely dumbfounded. Mr. Han Guishan, clueless, thought that the Jiang Family had encountered a financial crisis and had to transfer the business. After dealing with his affairs, he drove to the gourmet street. Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian were moving their luggage. They were nning to stay at Jiang Jianshe¡¯s ce for the next couple of days. The renovation of Taifeng Building in Beiping was nearingpletion, and Jiang Zaidi had almost finished handling the recruitment and other matters. Everything was about to get on track. Professor Li¡¯s friend was very reliable, and had rented 7 apartments in two adjacent buildings in a mid-range neighborhood close to Taifeng Building, ranging from one-bedroom to two- bedroom apartments, which was enough to amodate therge Jiang Family and two employees. When Mr. Han Guishan arrived, he saw Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian chatting andughing, not at all looking like they were in the midst of a crisis. ¡®Mr. Han, oh dear, didn¡¯t you see the notice we posted outside our restaurant two days ago? We¡¯re not running the shop anymore; we¡¯re preparing to move,¡± Jiang Jiankang thought Mr. Han Guishan hade to eat and felt somewhat apologetic. ¡°Moving?¡± Mr. Han Guishan couldn¡¯t understand. Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant was already n City¡¯s number one inte-famous store; where could it possibly move? ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t Feng tell you? I thought you knew already,¡± Jiang Jiankang said cheerfully, ¡°Our family has a shop in Beiping, it¡¯s almost ready to open, and we¡¯re all preparing to move there!¡± Beiping? That¡¯s amazing! What¡¯s the name? Is it still called Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant?¡± Mr. Han Guishan asked. ¡°Taifeng Building. If you have time, Mr. Han,e and support us on the opening day!¡± Mr. Han Guishan:¡­ ??? !!! Even Mr. Han Guishan, who was outside the restaurant industry, had heard about Taifeng Building¡¯s renovation. In recent days, countless eyes had been on Taifeng Building, but the buyer behind it remained a mystery, and despite the renovations nearly beingplete, they had yet to make an appearance. Everyone knew that Sir Li previously owned Taifeng Building. Over the years, with Beiping¡¯s rapid development, real estate prices had soared, and since Taifeng Building was located in the most bustlingmercial district, many had coveted it. People had offered astronomical sums for it, and some even had shady thoughts, but Sir Li was immovable and would not relent. Last year, Sir Li passed away, and Mr. Han Guishan heard that many were eager to get their hands on that piece ofnd. Later, he heard that Taifeng Building had changed hands before Sir Li¡¯s death. He had thought it was a smoke screen put out by the Li Family to divert attention. He never expected it to be true. And it was bought by the Jiang Family Members whom he knew well! ¡°Mr> Han, we¡¯re going to my elder brother¡¯s house for dinnerter; would you like to join us? My father will be cooking,¡¯1 Jiang Jiankang invited. How could 1 impose,¡± Mr. Han Guishan replied politely, ¡°Let¡¯s take my car!¡± After lunch, Mr. Han Guishan felt he couldn¡¯t be the only one shocked and sent a WeChat message to Xu Cheng informing him that Taifeng Building had been purchased by the Jiang Family. A few minutester, Xu Cheng replied. Xu Cheng: I¡¯ve known for a while. Mr. Han Guishan: ??? [covering face] Mr. Han Guishan: How did you know? Xu Cheng: The previous head chef of Taifeng Building was Jiang Chengde. Sir Li¡¯s wife was his younger sister, Jiang Huiqin. The Jiang Family attended Sir Li¡¯s funeralst year. Xu Cheng didn¡¯t borate further, having made his point, and Mr. Han Guishan immediately understood. Mr. Han Guishan put down his phone and thought for a moment before calling his assistant. ¡ã ¡°When Taifeng Building in Beiping opens in mid-July, send two flower baskets over in the name of ourpany.¡± ¡°Understood, boss.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on the news from over there regrly and inform me immediately if there are any issues.¡± ¡°No problem, boss.¡± Mr. Han Guishan set down his phone and looked at the report in front of him, his thoughts wandering far away. Beiping, huh? It looks like things are about to heat up. Chapter 214 - 213: Arriving in Beiping Chapter 214: Chapter 213: Arriving in Beiping Trantor: 549690339 On July 4, Jiang Feng finished his final exams, and the members of the Jiang family headed for Beiping. Ji Yue and Wu Minqi didn¡¯t go with them; they had to return home first and would go to Beiping after the Taifeng Building¡¯s official opening. Originally, everyone nned to splurge on a ne trip, but due to the average weight limit of the Jiang family, flying wasn¡¯t quite practical, so they opted for the even pricier business seats on the high-speed train. More expensive, slower, but morefortable. Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, the two sisters, were excited like little fat pigs released from their pen, chattering incessantly and pulling Jiang Feng along the whole way. Since the end of their middle school exams, these two sisters hadn¡¯t had a single good day. They didn¡¯t even need to go back to the countryside but were pressed by Sir to go to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to chop cucumbers, radishes, tofu, and potatoes, swing sandbags, and stand in horse stance ¨C everything their brothers had practiced back in the day, they caught up with. There were results, too. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know if their cooking had improved, but the sisters did indeed slim down. They slimmed down so much that their inner folded eyelids almost turned into double eyelids. ¡°Bro, bro, did you eat roast duck thest time you went to Beiping?¡± Jiang Junlian asked excitedly. ¡°I did.¡± Jiang Feng said Professor Li indeed took him to an old restaurant in Beiping for roast duck. The chef¡¯s skill at slicing duck was so good it greatly impressed this southerner who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. ¡°Was it delicious?¡± Jiang Junlian pressed. ¡°Really delicious!¡± Jiang Feng confirmed assertively. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go eat roast duck tonight!¡± Jiang Junlian turned her head and shouted to the back, ¡°I¡¯ve never had authentic roast duck before!¡± ¡°What roast duck tonight? Once we get there, we still have to move and clean. There¡¯s a lot to do today, I won¡¯t have time to go eat roast duck with you. We can go tomorrow!¡± Aunt said. ¡°Son, has Zaide sent you any messages?¡± Jiang Jiankang stuck his head out from the back seat. Jiang Zaidi had already gone ahead, having switched jobs to Beiping over a month ago, always keeping an eye on the renovation progress of the Taifeng Building as a representative of the Jiang family. ¡°Not yet, Dad, we still have four hours before we arrive. De probably is still at work.¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Jiankang, heading to a new ce, felt unsettled, needing to repeatedly confirm everything: ¡°What aboutst night, the thing Zhang told you, did you tell him when we¡¯ll be arriving?¡± ¡°I did, I sent him a WeChat messagest night. Didn¡¯t we discuss it already? Grandfather, Granduncle Weiming, and I will first visit Old Sir Xia¡¯s home, and the rest of you will go to the ce we¡¯re staying. Zhang Guanghang has already booked our dinner ce.¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. When you go to Old Sir Xia¡¯s home, make sure you¡¯re proactive and buy some fruit. Your grandfather and Granduncle Weiming haven¡¯t returned to Beiping in many years, and when the old folks meet, they¡¯re likely to get nostalgic, so you need to be on the ball.¡± Jiang Jiankang began to prattle, ¡°We have a lot of work ahead, finding new suppliers, hiring waitstaff, and getting kitchen utensils, among other things. You¡¯re still young, so you don¡¯t have to worry about these details, but you should also start learning a bit, and there¡¯s also¡­¡± Jiang Jiankang had repeated these statements at least ten times over the past few days, and Jiang Feng could almost recite them from memory. Jiang Junlian, however, was focused on an entirely different concern. She nced around and asked, ¡°Bro, where are we going to eat dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Tongde House.¡± Jiang Feng said. Tongde House was also one of Beiping¡¯s famous eateries, with a reputation on par with that of the Eight-treasure House, but its chefs were considerably more skilled. When ites to debates, several of Beiping¡¯s old restaurants were very strong, and not only Eight-treasure House, which had be increasinglymercialized over the years, but also Tongde House, Yonghe House, Ruyi House, and Shunhe Building had a group of veteran chefs in residence, with reputations well established. Yonghe House was even older than Taifeng Building, a bona fide restaurant passed down since thete Qing Dynasty, never breaking the line of session. In addition to these old restaurants, there were also new forces in recent years ¡ªCantonese, Zhejiang, Benbang cuisine, and restaurants from various other countries that were gradually eating into Beiping¡¯s vast catering market. New restaurants were opening every day, and old ones were closing down. No wonder Jiang Jiankang was so nervous, he had done his homework these past few months. The more he understood, the more rmed he grew, fearing that the reputation of Taifeng Building would be ruined on his watch, and he¡¯d have no face to meet his ancestors underground. He wouldn¡¯t need to wait to meet his ancestors underground¡ªif the reputation of Taifeng Building was ruined, Sir would be the first to chop him up. ¡°What are we eating tonight? Does Tongde House sell roast duck? If Tongde House sells roast duck, can we go eat roast duck tonight?¡± Jiang Junlian had an inexplicable obsession with roast duck. Jiang Feng was about to answer when his cellphone started to vibrate like crazy, and when he checked it, he saw a bunch of messages from Jiang Shoucheng in their brothers¡¯ group chat. Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: Fengfeng, when will you guys arrive? Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: Should Ie to pick you up? Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: How about we all have dinner together tonight! Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: When is Taifeng Building opening? Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: The hospital where I¡¯m interning is really close to Taifeng Building, just half an hour by subway, so I can eat with you every day! Jiang Feng:¡­ What got into Second Elder Brother, acting so crazy? Learning physics is good except can¡¯t understand it: I¡¯ll arrive at 436 p.m., do you not have to work at the hospital, Second Brother? A house within five years: Big Brother, I¡¯ll pick them up. Didn¡¯t you pull an all- nighterst night? Go to sleep. Learning management is good except I failed the final: De, can you change your name back? You don¡¯t match at all with the three of us! Jiang Shoucheng touched his cool and breathable scalp and wanted to scream at the sky. Over the years, outsiders had only seen his shiny appearance and sturdy figure, with no one knowing the suffering in his heart. He seemed to be a top-scoring college entrance examinee, a distinguished student from Metro Medical School, the pride of his parents, the most beloved student of his mentor, and the most outstanding among his fellow interns. Except for theck of a partner and hair, he was practically wless. But in reality- in reality, it was indeed so. But he hadn¡¯t tasted Sir¡¯s cooking with his own hands for over four months! He thought that this would be his life, only able to eat Sir¡¯s cooking when he went back home for Chinese New Year, reminiscing about his lost youth. But who would have thought, things would take such a turn, and the Jiang Family was going to open a restaurant in Beiping! A restaurant that was only a half hour subway ride from the hospital! Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s eyes were moist as he hugged his cellphone in the hospital¡¯s rest room, overwhelmed with a flood of emotions. ¡°Dr. Jiang, Dr. Jiang, it¡¯s bad, that patient¡¯s family is causing trouble again, you better go quickly!¡± a young nurse shouted as she pushed the door open, her face etched with urgency. ¡°What?¡± Jiang Shoucheng mmed his hand on the desk and stood up, his face dark with anger, rare for a day when he didn¡¯t have toperform surgery. If there really was a patient¡¯s family making trouble, his afternoon rest would be gone. ¡°The one in Bed 6?¡± ¡°Exactly, Bed 6. Dr. Cheng can¡¯t even stop them,¡± said the young nurse. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Jiang Shoucheng rolled up his sleeves, revealing his sturdy arms. No one could stop him from having dinner with his family tonight, no one could stop him from bonding with the old man tonight. No one! Meanwhile, on the high-speed train, Jiang Feng saw that Jiang Shoucheng hadn¡¯t responded to his messages for a while and thought he must be busy again, so he closed the group chat and asked Zhang Guanghang and Xia Mushi what Old Sir Xia liked, hoping to please him when they visitedter. Two minutester, Zhang Guanghang replied to his message. ¡°Money.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ He had forgotten that Old Sir Xia was just that straightforward and unpretentious. ¡°By the way, little brother, did you get to see Tiananmen when you went to Beiping?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°The Forbidden Pce?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°The Great Wall?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t go.¡± Jiang Junlian: ¡°¡­Then what did you do in Beiping?¡± Her voice was full of disdain. Jiang Feng: ??? I had serious business when I went to Beiping, okay? ¡°I went to have Peking duck,¡± said Jiang Feng with a slight smile. Jiang Junlian twisted with envy. Instant kill. Shut down! Sitting next to Jiang Feng was Jiang Junlian, who chattered the whole way so it wasn¡¯t boring at all. The high-speed train rushed along the tracks, and Jiang Feng chatted with Jiang Zaidi on his phone while intermittently answering Jiang Junlian¡¯s various odd questions, making time fly by. At 436 PM, the high-speed train arrived promptly at the station. The Jiang family, a group of more than a dozen people, luggingrge and small bags, made their resplendent exit from the station, the most dazzling stars among the crowd. Zhang Guanghang and Jiang Zaidi were waiting for them at the exit, chatting. As soon as they saw the Jiang Family Members approach, they hurried to greet them. ¡°Dad, Mom, over here!¡± Jiang Zaidi called out as he waved his hands. ¡°Jiandang, long time no see, you¡¯re looking well!¡± Jiang Weiguoughed, leading the way. ¡°Uncle, Shoucheng called earlier to tell me there¡¯s some trouble at the hospital, but he should be able to handle it quickly and join us for dinner,¡± said Jiang Zaidi. ¡°Shoucheng has really made something of himself, bing a doctor!¡± In Jiang Jiankang¡¯s view, anyone who worked in a hospital was a doctor. ¡°Uncle Jiang,¡± greeted Zhang Guanghang with a smile at Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Zhang¡¯s here too, great, Feng, give me the luggage, I¡¯ll carry it. You take both granduncles to see Old Sir Xia first,¡± Jiang Jiankang took the luggage from Jiang Feng¡¯s hands. ¡°Little brother, you guys head straight to Tongde Houseter,¡± Jiang Zaidi said. ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Feng responded. Jiang Feng, Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Weiming, and Zhang Guanghang left first. ¡°Let¡¯s take the subway. It¡¯s almost rush hour, and it¡¯ll be slower than the subway if we take a taxi,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, leading them toward the subway station. ¡°Is there a flower shop or a fruit shop near Old Sir Xia¡¯s home? It¡¯s our first visit, so we should bring something,¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°There¡¯s one near the hospital. I¡¯ll take you thereter,¡± Zhang Guanghang replied. ¡°The hospital?¡± ¡°My master was hospitalizedst week; his condition isn¡¯t very good,¡± Jiang Feng noticed for the first time a hint of unperceivable fatigue and loss in Zhang Guanghang¡¯s eyes, ¡°I guess he doesn¡¯t have much time left. Seeing you today will probably make him a bit happier, which is good for him.¡± ¡°We¡¯re at that age now; we should be more philosophical about life and death,¡± Jiang Weiming said, offeringfort. ¡°Yes,¡± ZhangGuanghang sighed. Jiang Feng knew this to be true, but although it¡¯s easy to say, few truly understand it. Even with a clear mind, it¡¯s hard toprehend. Life and death are the most inscrutable, the hardest to understand, and the most difficult to exin things in this world. Chapter 215 - 214 Xia Mushi Chapter 215: Chapter 214 Xia Mushi Trantor: 549690339 | Jiang Feng, carrying a fruit basket, followed Zhang Guanghang into the inpatient department. The fruit basket he had just bought from a small shop outside the hospital cost 268 yuan, while the flower basket was 288 yuan. Flower baskets are for looking only, wilting after a couple of days, but fruit baskets can be both admired and eaten; they can be finished in a day. Considering Xia Mushi was a pure and unpretentious realist who loved money for its own sake, Jiang Feng weighed his options for a dozen seconds and chose the fruit basket that appeared heaviest. The two sirs just watched on the side-in their view, buying these things was pointless. It was far more practical to go to the market and buy a couple jin of fish maw and big prawns. Xia Mushi¡¯s hospital room was on the 19th floor. Zhang Guanghang had been running to the hospital every day these past few days and was now very familiar with itsyout. He adeptly led Jiang Feng and two others to the elevator and waited. One minuteter, the elevator doors opened. A man with a very distinctive Jiang Family build, nearly 1.9 meters tall and brawny, d in an oversized whiteb coat and wearing a mask with thinning hair that made him look like an attending physician, carried a 1.8 meters tall Zhuangshi man out of the elevator as easily as if he were carrying a small chicken. Jiang Feng and the group, including Zhang Guanghang, stood frozen at the elevator entrance. Doctors these days¡­ have this style? The brawny man set down the chicken, and like one who¡¯d narrowly escaped death, the chicken gasped for air. Meanwhile, with a shaking voice that betrayed hisck of confidence, he threatened, ¡°I¡¯m tellingyou, this is illegal. I¡¯m going to make aint, I¡¯m going to call the police. You ¡®re violently abusing a patient¡¯s family member, I¡¯m going to find a reporter, I¡¯m going to expose your shady hospital!¡± Violence? Illegal?¡± The brawny man smacked the wall with his hand, creating a dull thud, ¡°Sir, you were making a ruckus in the patient¡¯s room just now, seriously disturbing the recovery and rest of other patients. I merely politely asked you to step out. You can check the surveince footage, you can file aint against me, but¡ª¡± The brawny man ¡°gently¡± patted the chicken on the left shoulder, causing him to shiver. Please first go settle your father¡¯s hospitalization fee.¡± The brawny man pped the chicken¡¯s left shoulder again. The chicken, having endured two unbearable blows, nearly stumbled to the ground, but he stood strong as he had more pressing matters to attend to. ¡°What¡¯s my old man¡¯s hospital bill got to do with me? You quacks just think about money all day, sucking themon people¡¯s hard-earned money dry. My dad was fine when he came in and now you¡¯ve treated him into this state and you still want me to pay? Pah!¡± In his urgency, the chicken forgot his earlier cowardice, filled with righteous indignation and utterly frustrated. ¡°Brother Weiming?¡± After watching the scene at the elevator for a while, Jiang Feng called out uncertainly. This is¡ªlittle brother? Granduncle Weiming? GRANDUNCLE!!¡± Jiang Shoucheng was pleasantly surprised, momentarily overlooking the chicken who could¡¯ve starred in a medical drama, ¡°You guys actually came specially to see me!¡± Jiang Shoucheng selectively ignored the fruit basket in Jiang Feng¡¯s hand. We came to see Old Sir Xia.¡± Jiang Feng said, silently marveling at how his second cousin had be even more Zhuangshi in the few months since he¡¯dst seen him. It was no small feat to find time for fitness activities while interning at a hospital. ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll join you once I¡¯m done with this. Which room is Sir Xia in? Let¡¯s go have dinner togetherter, granduncle. I¡¯m off tonight and can take you around Beiping City.¡± In truth, Jiang Shoucheng had no idea who Old Sir Xia was but didn¡¯t care much; ttering was always the right move. ¡°1901,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. Having spotted the two elderly gentlemen, Jiang Shoucheng lost his patience with the chicken. He dragged him away as easily as one would drag a suitcase: I was just reminding you about the payment. I see you¡¯ve been talking so much your throat must be dry, I¡¯ll take you for some tea.¡± Such a heartwarming doctor-patient rtionship! Jiang Weiguo nced at the chicken being dragged away, entered the elevator, and mumbled, ¡°Another good-for-nothing offspring.¡± Jiang Feng: ? Another? Xia Mushi¡¯s room was a double, sharing with a 67-year-old Mr. Zhao. His daughter was peeling an apple for him at his bedside, while Xia Mushi had an attendant sitting beside his bed doing the same. The hospital room was well-equipped, with both older gentlemen watching TV. ¡°Master,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. Xia Mushi turned to look at them. Standing behind Zhang Guanghang, Jiang Feng was startled by Xia Mushi¡¯s appearance but didn¡¯t show it and said, ¡°Hello, Sir Xia.¡± Xia Mushi was so emaciated he hardly looked human; his skin was loose, his hands covered in liver spots, and his face so creased it was impossible to count the furrows. His cheeks were sunken, but his gaze was as sharp as a tiger in the twilight of its days. He truly looked like he was halfway through the gates of hell. ¡°You go make tea for them,¡± Xia Mushi told his attendant. The attendant ced the half-peeled apple down and went to make tea, while Zhang Guanghang deftly continued peeling the apple. In silence, Jiang Feng ced the fruit basket aside, making room for the two elderly men. There wasn¡¯t much on the bedside table next to Xia Mushi¡¯s bed, just a transparent ss bowl and a ck jar. The two elderly men approached Xia Mushi, and for a moment, no one spoke, the atmosphere turning somewhat somber. ¡°Third Young Master, Seventh Young Master, I¡¯m truly sorry. When you returned to Beiping, not only could I not receive you, but you¡¯ve also been troubled toe see me,¡± Xia Mushi said, his voice hoarse. The father and daughter in the next bed couldn¡¯t help but look over, the term Young Master¡± really was too much like something out of a TV drama. ¡°Xia Sheng, what are you talking about,¡± Jiang Weiming couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°we¡¯re all old now.¡± Xia Sheng was Xia Mushi¡¯s original name, he was bought from human traffickers by Chen Qiusheng, and Xia Mushi was the name given to him by Chen Qiushengter. At first, Xia Mushi wasn¡¯t used to the three-character name, always forgetting it; whenever someone asked him his name, he just said he was called Xia Sheng. Xia Mushi was sold to human traffickers by his biological parents when he was 7 years old, and by that time he could already remember things. Xia Mushi remembered that he had five older sisters, he was the son his parents had prayed to the gods and buddhas for, cherished as a treasure. He was named Xia Sheng in hopes that he would grow as robustly as nts and live a healthy life. He still remembered that his parents knelt down and kowtowed to the traffickers, pleading for them to take him without payment, just to feed him so he could survive. When he was sold, the five older sisters who weren¡¯t married had all starved to death, and the fate of those who had married was unknown; his grandparents hung themselves with a rope to leave him food, and his mother was nearly dead from starvation too. While delivering him to the traffickers, his mother kept speaking to him with a weak voice, telling him to be obedient and to survive. He didn¡¯t know where his hometown was, before Chen Qiusheng bought him, every day he just followed the group, constantly walking. They received one cake each day, and could not fall behind; if someone did, they would be abandoned without even a cake, left to die of hunger. Before Chen Qiusheng bought him, his life was only darkness. At first, Chen Qiusheng bought Xia Mushi just to find an older boy to apany his only son in his studies. Xia Mushi addressed Chen Qjusheng¡¯s only son as ¡°Young Master¡±, as well as the seven sons of Jiang Chengde. Even after Chen Qiusheng grew fond of Xia Mushi and discovered his culinary talent, adopting him as a foster son and apprentice, Xia Mushi never changed the way¡¯ he addressed Jiang Weiguo and the others. Xia Mushi originally thought that he had forgotten many things, and Taifeng Building only existed in the first twenty years of his life. Those times were too wonderful, one of the rare periods of colorful brightness in his life, so splendid they even seemed a bit blurry. But when he saw Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming, the memories he thought were blurry became clear again. The people from his era, the ones he loved, the ones he hated, most of them were already buried underground; Lord Yama had even started to send minions to capture him, yet he was still stubbornly clinging to this world, not ready to depart. To see old acquaintances before his death, it was worthit! ¡°You¡¯re old,¡± Jiang Weiguo sighed. ¡°I surely am old. If I don¡¯t age, I¡¯d be a monster if I don¡¯t die,¡± Xia Mushi said, looking at Jiang Feng, ¡°Is that your grandson?¡± Yes, out of my four grandsons, only he amounts to something,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. I watched hispetition, a good kid, a good kid,¡± Xia Mushi didn¡¯t look anything like the grumpy old man Zhang Guanghang described but more like a warm and kind-hearted elder. ¡°Taifeng Building¡­ when will it open?¡± Xia Mushi asked, his eyes shining with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s going to be sometime soon. You must hold on and not die; Third Uncle and I are still waiting for you to join us for the ribbon-cutting,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Jiang Weiming just smiled helplessly. I will definitely hold on. Even if Lord Yama himselfes, he won¡¯t be able to drag me away!¡± The caregiver came back with a kettle of hot water, poured a cup of tea for everyone, and then said to Xia Mushi, ¡°Sir Xia, I won¡¯t disturb you and your friend reminiscing. I¡¯ll sit outside.¡± Xia Mushi nodded. Zhang Guanghang ced the cored apple segments into a ss bowl, took a toothpick from the cab, and said, ¡°Master, I¡¯m going to wash the fruits.¡± Go ahead, also move that jar over there, otherwise, it might get knocked overter,¡± Xia Mushi said. 111 do it,¡± Jiang Feng offered, reaching for the jar. ¡°Ding, obtainedlA Segment of Xia Mushi¡¯s Memory],¡± Huh? Jiang Feng instinctively took another look at the jar in his hand, reminiscent of the urn Liu Xiuzhen was holding in his memory. After cing the jar safely onto the shelf and making sure it wouldn¡¯t fall, Jiang Feng said, ¡°I¡¯ll go wash the fruits too.¡± The three elderly gentlemen were catching up, so it was best not to disturb them as the younger generation. As soon as Zhang Guanghang stepped out with the apples, an enthusiastic nurse approached asking if he needed help washing the fruits,pletely ignoring Jiang Feng behind him. ¡°No need, I¡¯ll wash them with my friend,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. The nurse smiled sweetly, ¡°Mr. Zhang is so thoughtful, even personally washing the fruits!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Is that considered thoughtful? I can even eat it by myself! ¡°By the way, what was inside that ck jar just now?¡± Jiang Feng asked casually. ¡°Ashes.¡± Jiang Feng paused, his guess was right, and he pressed on, ¡°Whose?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know; for years, my master has kept that jar of ashes by his bedside. It must be from a very important person who has passed away.¡± Chapter 216 - 215 Little Notebook Chapter 216: Chapter 215 Little Notebook Trantor: 549690339 | Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang finished washing the fruits and then stood at the entrance of the ward chatting, looking like a pair of door gods. ¡°How long has Old Sir Xia been hospitalized?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It¡¯s been 4 days, his condition suddenly worsened a few days ago and the doctors have issued a critical condition notice. Now, he can only hang on in the hospital, taking each day as ites,¡± Zhang Guanghang said with a mncholic face, ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged everything with the funeral parlor, and even picked out a cemetery plot. Yesterday, he was so mad he said there¡¯s no need for any funeral ceremony, just burn him and bury the ashes.¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know how tofort Zhang Guanghang. Although birth, old age, sickness, and death are natural, who doesn¡¯t wish to defy nature and have their loved ones live safe and sound, to a ripe old age? ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. I¡¯ve been at the hospital recently and haven¡¯t paid much attention to Taifeng Building. Is the refurbishment done?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°Thepletion is expected the day after tomorrow, and the recruitment of regr staff is also done. My eldest male cousin and the second have both passed the initial rounds; we just need to do one more screening to finalize the selections,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°As for other matters, I¡¯m not very familiar nor knowledgeable about them; my parents are the ones handling it. If all goes well, we should definitely be able to open by mid-July.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a few reporters to write some articles, and they¡¯ll be published in theing days. Do you have Mr. Xu Cheng¡¯s contact details? If we can invite him to attend the opening ceremony of Taifeng Building, the initial business operations will go very smoothly,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. ¡°I have his WeChat,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°I¡¯ll send him a messageter tonight to ask about his willingness; he¡¯s probably not in Beiping at the moment.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still time, and I can help you guys brainstorm the guest list for the opening when ites,¡± Zhang Guanghang offered with considerable expertise. ¡°Alright, tomorrow my mom and a few of my aunts will be interviewing service staff, and my dad along with a few of my uncles will be interviewing kitchen staff. If you¡¯re free, you could join us,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°Also¡ª¡± ¡°Little brother!¡± As soon as the elevator door opened, Jiang Shoucheng appeared in front of Jiang Feng with a sh. ¡°He¡¯s my second cousin, Jiang Shoucheng, and this is Zhang Guanghang, one of the future chefs at our ce.¡± The shocking manner of Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s earlier appearance at the elevator had made Jiang Feng even forget to introduce him to Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Hello, hello!¡± Jiang Shoucheng greeted warmly, discreetly sizing up Zhang Guanghang. Wow, a foreigner! About as tall as himself, with half his bulk. ¡°Dr. Jiang, are you off work?¡± a passing nurse said, ¡°Mr. Zhang, you¡¯re here to visit Old Sir Xia again, you¡¯re so devoted!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m off work,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. Zhang Guanghang also nodded with a smile. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected his second male cousin to be so popr at the hospital, even ranking ahead of Zhang Guanghang when it came to the nurses¡¯ greetings! ¡°Second brother, you¡¯re quite popr at the hospital!¡± Jiang Feng remarked. ¡°It¡¯s okay; I¡¯m the one they call for when the inpatient department can¡¯t handle troublemakers,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said casually, implying such matters were trivial. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°By the way, why are you guys standing outside? Come in!¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. ¡°Grandpa and Granduncle Weiming are reminiscing with Old Sir Xia; we wouldn¡¯t want to disturb them,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Speaking of which, second brother, you¡¯re off work, soe have dinner with us in a bit!¡± Jiang Shoucheng had been waiting for just that invitation and instantly brightened up: ¡°Why stand around at the door like fools? Go sit over there; I¡¯ve got something to talk to you about anyway!¡± Jiang Shoucheng led the two to some nearby chairs. Four chairs in a row were just right; half for Jiang Feng, one for Zhang Guanghang, and two and a half for Jiang Shoucheng, half of which was Jiang Feng¡¯s. Jiang Shoucheng took out a notebook from his pants pocket, and upon opening the first page, one could clearly see his powerful, bold handwriting, characteristic of a top scorer in national exams. ¡°I heard from De that Taifeng Building wants to invite people from the news media for the opening to help with publicity, so I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on patients from that fieldtely, getting their contact details,¡± Jiang Shoucheng showed Jiang Feng the notebook. ¡°Take a look at this Reporter Qian; he¡¯s from the Daily News. He was hospitalizedst week due to a car ident and a broken leg. I¡¯m in charge of his care, and we can ask him to write a piece for us.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s this Reporter Zhu, from Beiping Evening News, he¡¯s a bit pricey; hospitalized for a perforated stomach.¡± ¡°This Editor Xiao is the editor of a culinary travel magazine. His mother was hospitalized for a stroke half a month ago.¡± ¡°And this one, Zhu the pig farmer, he¡¯s something else. Got hospitalized due to a fracture after being bumped by one of his own pigs; still on the 14th floor! The pork from his farm is really top-notch. His son ughtered the pig that caused the ident and shared some of the meat with us medical staff recently, and the quality is genuinely good!¡± Jiang Shoucheng couldn¡¯t forget the pork from Zhu the pig farmer¡¯s farm. Jiang Feng:¡­ Jiang Shoucheng seemed less like a hospital intern and more like someone involved in espionage and intelligence work. ¡°Second brother, do you usually have to cook for yourself while working?¡± ¡°Who has time to cook for themselves? We sent it to the cafeteria and had the master chef cook for us. Not to boast, but everything about our hospital is good, the benefits are decent, it¡¯s just that the chef¡¯s skills in the cafeteria really don¡¯t cut it. They use too much sauce,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said with regret, ¡°If only Grandpa could cook for us.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be better in the future, just half an hour away by subway and we can eat at the restaurant for all three meals,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said with a look of bliss. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be at work, Second Brother?¡± ¡°No problem, just ducking out of work, it¡¯s pretty normal,¡± Jiang Shoucheng waved his hand, ¡°We take turns eating meals, I can bring food for them.¡± The two brothers sat outside and started to banter, while Zhang Guanghang, who was caught up in his thoughts, did not join their discussion. After a while, as it was nearly 6 o¡¯clock, Zhang Guanghang led the two inside. Xia Mushi saw the two enter, followed by a muscr man; looking at the time, which was gettingte, he started to hustle people along. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t die in the next moment, there¡¯s plenty of time to catch up. Hasn¡¯t Xiaohang booked a table at Tongde House? Who is the head chef at Tongde House now?¡± Xia Mushi asked. ¡°Wu Ke,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. ¡°He¡¯s decent, his jarred pork is not bad,¡± said Xia Mushi. Zhang Guanghang led the group to Tongde House. Along the way, Jiang Shoucheng looked after the two older gentlemen with every possible care, warming their hearts with genuine kindness, moving and astonishing the passersby. Such dutiful grandsons still exist in the world! Zhang Guanghang had reserved a private room with two tables, and the dishes had already been ordered, including the roasted duck that Jiang Junlian had been longing for. Because the two elderly gentlemen and Xia Mushi spent quite a long time reminiscing, they ended up being thest to arrive. Most of the dishes had already been served, with Jiang Junlian eyeing the jarred pork on the table with a glint in her eye, like a hungry wolf out of its cage. Being identical twins, Jiang Junqing was far more restrained. She merely eyed the lion¡¯s head meatballs with a glint in her eye. Once everyone had arrived, they could start eating. In an instant, the dining table turned into a battlefield, with shes of knives and swords, and a frenzy of chopsticks shing. Though Jiang Shoucheng had not had the chance to partake in such a familiar family battle in a long time, he had not lost his touch. He was fast, precise, and ruthless, grabbing food quickly and eating quickly, securing the top spot among the younger generation. ¡°Brother Zhang, when is the roast ducking?¡± Jiang Junlian asked with feigned innocence and drama. ¡°Probable we have to wait a bit longer, the duck slicing master must still be slicing,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi were busy eating; as one of Beiping¡¯s old- established restaurants, Tongde House¡¯s strengths were undeniable. Having not had the chance to eat the dishes made by the old master for a long time, and being perpetually caught up in work, overwork, then more overwork, their hair thinning from stress, eating such a feast today made them overwhelmingly happy. By the time the roast duck was served, Jiang Feng had already eaten three pieces of jarred pork in a row. No wonder Xia Mushi specifically mentioned that the jarred pork at Tongde House was well-made, indeed it was impable. The fire control and seasoning were faultless, with a richly aromatic sauce, fatty but not greasy, melting upon entry. The big pieces of Wuhua meat, with a reddish-brown hue and a hint of charcoal fragrance, had a tender texture without falling apart. Jiang Feng normally wouldn¡¯t eat a lot of Wuhua meat consecutively, but today was an exception. While deftly grabbing dishes, Auntmented sadly, ¡°s, another day of skyrocketing calories.¡± Indeed, Aunt had been on a diet for a year now, and she had gained 10 pounds. A song suddenly popped into Jiang Feng¡¯s head. ¡°Take away all that you want, I¡¯ll bear the calories. Leave our flesh untouched, no matter¡­¡± Before the roast duck was served, the jarred pork was the queen of the table; after the roast duck arrived, it instantly became the concubine. The Jiang family¡¯s infatuation for the new love was instantaneous, as they all embraced the roast duck, indulged in the fragrant and crispy meat, and savored the harmony of the crispy skin, duck meat, green onions, cucumber, and sweet bean sauce. After the meal, with everyone full and happy, they all departed in high spirits. ¡°I want to eat roast duck again tomorrow, the most authentic one!¡± Jiang Junlian yearned for roast duck with a loud cry. ¡°Eat what?¡± Aunt sshed a bucket of cold water on her, extinguishing the mes in her heart, ¡°We¡¯re all busy tomorrow, and you need toe over and help!¡± Chapter 217 - 216: 30 Years in Hedong, 30 Years in Chapter 217: Chapter 216: 30 Years in Hedong, 30 Years in Hexi Trantor: 549690339 Professor Li¡¯s friend helped the Jiang Family Members rent apartments that were fully furnished and veryfortable, the kind you could move into with just your bags. Ji Yue and Ji Xue¡¯s staff dorms were initially given to the sisters Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian to live in. When the rental was first arranged, it did not include them, as they didn¡¯t have Beiping residency and could only attend high school back in n City, where Aunt would go back to take care of them. After a day of high-speed rail travel, even without doing much, one could be utterly exhausted. Jiang Feng initially nned to watch a segment of memory as a bedtime movie before sleeping, but after washing up, as soon as hey down and his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep. By the time he regained consciousness, it was already the next morning. Iron body, maic bed; the new bed was so soft andfortable that Jiang Feng, who had always had the good habit of lingering in bed, didn¡¯t want to get up even after waking up naturally. Looking out the window, the sunlight was just right. Today was good weather. ¡°Brother, brother, get up already!¡± Jiang Junlian was frantically knocking outside, her DuangDuangDuang knocks could lead one to think she was smashing the door, ¡°It¡¯s time to eat, and Zhang is here too!¡± Jiang Feng was jolted awake in an instant, the thought ofzing in bed scattered without a trace, and he sprang up with a carp flip, quickly changing clothes and brushing teeth. Five minutester, a Jiang Feng indistinguishable from his usual self appeared at the door. The breakfast was rather perfunctory, just steamed buns from the convenience store downstairs. The ones in Jiang Feng¡¯s hands were filled with curry beef, not very fresh and the taste was mediocre. Having just moved, there were many things they hadn¡¯t had the chance to buy. Afterst night¡¯s dinner, they discussed again, and under Zhang Guanghang¡¯s suggestion, the interview for the new employees of Taifeng Building was set to be held in Xia Mushi¡¯s private restaurant. Xia Mushi¡¯s private restaurant had not been in business for a long time, but someone cleaned it every day, the kitchen equipment was fully furnished, and it was most suitable as an interview venue. The regr suppliers were still in contact, and if all went well, these suppliers would be Taifeng Building¡¯s suppliers in the future. The interview was scheduled for the afternoon. The morning was shopping time; anything the house was missing or needed had to be sorted out this morning. Zhang Guanghang came over early to give the keys to the Jiang Family Members and also to guide them around the area. Although Zhang Guanghang was of Chinese-French descent, sporting a standard handsome foreigner¡¯s face, height, and legs, he had lived in Beiping for many years, speaking with a Beiping ent and knowing they of thend extremely well. On their way to Xia Mushi¡¯s private restaurant, he also introduced them to nearby malls and entertainment facilities, and he emphasized the location of the nearest IKEA to the apartment. The Jiang Family men forgot everything as soon as they heard it, but thedies listened intently, almost wishing they could take out pen and paper on the spot and make a note of it all. ¡°So, Zhang, is there a gym nearby?¡± The determined-to-lose-weight great aunt already treated Zhang Guanghang as one of their own. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a big gym on the fifth floor of the mall next to Taifeng Building. I heard that their personal trainers aren¡¯t bad,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Then¡­¡± After taking the Jiang Family Members to check out the private restaurant, the two elders were unwilling to go shopping, so they stayed at the private restaurant. Zhang Guanghang went to the hospital to apany Xia Mushi. Jiang Shoucheng had his day off today, and Jiang Zaidi had justpleted a job a few days earlier and was currently resting. Both were excellent at carrying heavy items, each worth four Jiang Fengs. Coupled with several of Jiang Feng¡¯s uncles, there were plenty of able-bodied men for carrying shopping bags, fully capable of satisfying the shopping needs of thedies. Jiang Feng rarely went shopping. Even after his rtionship with Wu Minqi started, they didn¡¯t browse through malls; to them, shopping at a mall wasn¡¯t nearly as interesting as visiting a vegetable market. Shopping at IKEA today was a difficult battle. ¡°Mom, look at thatmp; it¡¯s so pretty, let¡¯s buy two!¡± said Jiang Junlian, her too-plus pounds body housing a 200-pound girl¡¯s soul. ¡°Mom, that doll looks so cute, let¡¯s buy a doll!¡± ¡°Mom, this bowl is big, we can use it to eat from now on!¡± ¡°Mom, this te is big too!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Mom!!!¡± ¡°Do you live here?¡± Aunt ragefully realized that her daughter wanted to buy even more things than she did. Jiang Junlian:¡­ ¡°Mom, look at that nket, it would look so nice in the living room!¡± Jiang Junqing eximed, pointing at a nket ahead. ¡°Where, where, what nket? What color is it¡ªwow, it¡¯s purple, definitely pretty, really matches our furniture!¡± Aunt was instantly attracted by the nket and turned to call someone, ¡°Jianshe,e here and get this nket for me, the purple one!¡± ¡°Sure thing, wife!¡± Jiang Jianshe pushed the shopping cart over. Jiang Junlian realized her mother didn¡¯t love her anymore, unwilling to buy her even simple little things. ¡°Brother,¡± Jiang Junlian looked at Jiang Feng with puppy eyes, pouting and deploying her coquettish charm. Jiang Feng:¡­ You can¡¯t look at me like that; it¡¯s really scary when a nearly 150-pound person acts coquettishly toward you. ¡°Brother,¡± Jiang Junlian continued to look at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t push a cart but carried a basket containing various items that Mrs. Wang Xiulian wanted but didn¡¯t actually need. ¡°How about we buy a bowl?¡± Jiang Feng tentatively suggested, noting that the bowl Jiang Junlian admired earlier wasn¡¯t bad¡ªit was big, seemingly of good quality, durable, and would save a few scoops during meals. Jiang Junlian continued to look at him with hopeful eyes. ¡°Two?¡± Jiang Junlian still fixed him with that hopeful gaze. ¡°And add a te?¡± ¡°I want thatmp,¡± Jiang Junlian revealed her trump card. ¡°Noway!¡± Jiang Feng stood his ground, knowing Jiang Junlian would not live here and buying thatmp would be totally useless. ¡°You buy it for me, and I¡¯ll help you choose Minqi¡¯s birthday gift this year,¡± Jiang Junliannded a firm punch, convinced she held the upper hand. Jiang Junlian¡¯s chosen birthday gifts were always the best, with a deep understanding of a woman¡¯s heart. ¡°Okay, okay, okay, which color do you want? Pink, yellow, or purple?¡± Jiang Feng instantly broke through his own bottom line. Two hourster, all the women of the Jiang Family hadpleted their satisfying shopping spree, walking out with nothing in their hands and feeling light and rxed, leaving their husbands and sons to push the fully loaded shopping carts to the front for checkout. With a shopping basket in hand, Jiang Feng already stood out. Add to that a princess tablemp in an incredibly girly pink on top of the basket, and he looked even more distinctive. ¡°Little brother, what is this¡­¡± Jiang Zaidi was dumbfounded when he saw themp. ¡°Junlian, what are you doing? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to buy thismp? Put it back! Don¡¯t put it in your little brother¡¯s basket,¡± Aunt frowned and said. ¡°Mom, this isn¡¯t for me, it¡¯s little brother who wants to buy it,¡± Jiang Junlian said. Everyone turned to look at Jiang Feng, their eyes clearly saying¡ªwhat, you actually have this kind of taste! ¡°I picked it out forQiqi,¡± Jiang Feng used an advanced lie, feeling he had a significant advantage. ¡°Qiqi likes¡­ this type?¡± Wang Xiulian found it somewhat hard to ept. ¡°Auntie, we girls all like this kind of thing!¡± Jiang Junlian pulled off a master-level lie. Wang Xiulian was convinced on the spot. Jiang Feng nced at the time; it was already past 11 a.m. By the time they moved everything home and put it away, it would be 12 p.m. They casually dealt with lunch at a nearby fast-food restaurant, not forgetting to pack two portions for the two Sirs. When they left, the restaurant owner enthusiastically told them toe back soon, prompting the Jiang Family Members to sigh at how warm-hearted the Beiping people were. There was no time to rest either, as the interview was scheduled for 2 p.m. They needed to leave for the private restaurant right after eating, or the meals they packed for the Sirs would get cold. Some of the applicants arrived very early, around 1 p.m., appearing quite tense and nervous. Those who passed Jiang Zaidi¡¯s screening all had decent abilities, most with work experience, but had left their previous jobs for various reasons. What the Jiang Family didn¡¯t know was that since the remodeling day, Taifeng Building had be a household name across the entire Beiping restaurant industry. Everyone muddles through life, aiming for higher ground and flowing down with the tide. Whether in the service or chef industries, it¡¯s tough to make a living¡ªlow wages, long working hours, no holidays, and physically demanding work. Everyone wants to work in a good establishment to earn higher wages, so when they go home for the holidays, they can have a bit more confidence when facing rtives. The interview venue was chosen to be at Xia Mushi¡¯s private restaurant, which, to the applicants, resembled an examination. Xia Mushi¡¯s private restaurant, even in Beiping City, was a top-notch establishment frequented by either the rich or powerful. The dishes were expensive, and the culinary skills were exceptional. The applicants were immediately intimidated upon arrival. They were uniformly muscr, except for one normally built young man and two slightly overweight elderly men. The rest, regardless of gender, were the perfect material for being enforcers in the underworld. Jiang Shoucheng was registering at the door, directing those applying for the kitchen to the kitchen area and those for the hall to the courtyard. ¡°What position are you applying for?¡± Jiang Shoucheng asked proficiently, as if he were routinely inquiring about a patient¡¯s feelings. Arriving person: ¡­ He felt like he was seeing a doctor. ¡°Ca-cashier.¡± ¡°For the cashier, go straight inside, give me your resume. Next, what position are you applying for?¡± Jiang Shoucheng registered the name and the applied position. ¡°Hall attendant.¡± ¡°Give me your resume, go straight inside and turn right to the courtyard. Next.¡± ¡°Kitchen apprentice cook.¡± ¡°You got a resume? Turn left directly; that red door is the entrance to the back kitchen. Next.¡± ¡°Chef,¡± said Sun Jikai, with mixed feelings. He, Sun Jikai, the future heir to Jubao Building, an outstanding management graduate from Wharton Business School, a genius chef, was thrown out of his home after his credit cards, trusts, and bank ounts were frozen. Before being kicked out, Sun Guanyun had spoken up and instructed him to apply for a chef position at Taifeng Building in Beiping and onlye back when he had made a name for himself based on his abilities. With Sun Jikai¡¯s pride, of course, he was unwilling. Who was he? A prodigy! Whether in cooking, academics,works, or socializing, he was the deserved pride of the heavens, the object of everyone¡¯s envy. But even heroes fall hard when penniless, and he was out of money. If he didn¡¯t find a job, he wouldn¡¯t be able to pay rent next month. Over the years, his well-to-do friends were warned by their elders: as long as he didn¡¯t starve to death, they weren¡¯t allowed to lend him a penny. Just like in soap operas, Sun Jikai felt like he was the male lead. He would make his mark in Beiping and return to Jubao Building with glory and apuse, driving out his treacherous and cunning second uncle¡¯s family, bringing Jubao Building to greater heights, and bing the pride of the Sun Family. The pride of the Sun Family was nowpeting with people he usually looked down upon for a chef position. ¡°Red Chef, White Chef, or Sd?¡± asked Jiang Shoucheng. ¡°Red Chef,¡± said Sun Jikai. ¡°Resume, next,¡± Jiang Shoucheng casually nced at the resume, and was instantly struck. A graduate in management from Wharton Business School? Applying for a position as a Red Chef? Since when did Wharton Business School start taking jobs from New East? As Sun Jikai walked forward, he muttered, ¡°Fortune changes every thirty years; don¡¯t bully the young when they¡¯re poor. I will definitely make aeback!¡± With good hearing, Jiang Shoucheng overheard everything:¡­ It¡¯s been 60 years; you¡¯re already old, how could you possibly still be a poor young man? He seemed not young anymore yet still acting like a teenager. Jiang Shoucheng shookhishead and said, ¡°Next.¡± In the back kitchen, tasks had already been assigned. For example, Jiang Feng, with his exceptional ting skills, was assigned to interview as a kitchen apprentice cook. ¡°Ding,pleted side mission [Turn Enemies into Friends], reward received: Taifeng Building Ordering Program.¡± Eh? Chapter 218 - 217: Red in the Middle Chapter 218: Chapter 217: Red in the Middle Trantor: 549690339 | ¡°Son, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jiang Jiankang noticed Jiang Feng¡¯s peculiar expression and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, we¡¯re just starting out.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ If you could keep your tongue straight, I might even believe you a bit more. Nobody had experience with interviews at big restaurants; when Jiang Weiming and Jiang Weiguo were still working in Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen, there was nothing like today¡¯s strict division ofbor. There were only three titles: head chef, sous chef, and kitchen assistant. You just did whatever the master chef told you to do, at most dividing the tasks into Red Chef and White Chef. Who would have imagined such a variety as nowadays, ranging from head chef stove chef, presentation chef, vegetable chef, kitchen apprentice cook, to the chef responsible for rough processing, and all the different kinds of cold dishes and pastries? Thisplex division of staff roles gave Jiang Jiankang, who had spent more than a decade shouldering every chef responsibility in the small stir-fry restaurant, a serious headache. Had it not been for Zhang Guanghang¡¯s help, today¡¯s chef recruitment definitely wouldn¡¯t have gone smoothly. Last night, after returning, Zhang Guanghang helped Jiang Family Members organize a detailed recruitment outline for the chefs and sent it to Jiang Feng via WeChat. Today, their interviews were quite straightforward, targeting seven types of positions. The cold dishes position, as its name suggests, focuses solely on cold dishes. They were hiring only two chefs for this position, with stringent requirements on seasoning skills, which would be judged by the taste-sensitive Jiang Jianguo. The pastry position, also the sole White Chef position, would likewise be interviewed by the pastry-proficient Jiang Jianguo. The seafood position, responsible for the ughter and cleaning of fish and seafood, would be overseen by Jiang Weiguo. The stove position, in charge of the direct cooking of dishes, would have Jiang Weiguo and the older gentleman Jiang Weiming as interviewers. Nobody was really expecting to hire any particrly outstanding chefs for this; it was enough to find an apprentice with talent who was well-behaved and honest. When it came to chefs, Taifeng Building itself was already well-staffed. They had full-time chefs like Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang, Ji Xue, Zhang Guanghang and Wu Minqi, plus two part-time chefs who would drop in randomly, Jiang ¡¯ Weiguo and Jiang Weiming. The cutting board position, in charge of chopping and marinating the raw materials, required only knife skills and would also be personally interviewed by the two older gentlemen. The assistant chef position, supporting the stove chefs with pre-cooking tasks, passing ingredients, and ting the dishes, would be overseen by Jiang Feng, ¡¯ who, after years of being an experienced assistant at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant and the only one in the Jiang Family with a natural talent for ting, became the sole interviewer. The specialty dishes position, responsible for crafting dishes that require simmering, stewing, and soaking dry ingredients like abalone and sea cucumbers, would be conducted by the Jiang Family¡¯s broth trio: Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Weiguo, and Jiang Weiming. A standard Chinese kitchen normally has seven major chef positions including roast meats, focusing on barbecue, marinated meats, and cured vors, but the seniors felt there was no need to hire a specific roast meats chef since Taifeng Building did not initially offer such dishes. As for the management position, Jiang Zaidi had already found someone through a headhunter with a good CV and plenty of experience, and they would meet in the next few days for a detailed discussion. Even though Jiang Zaidi had already filtered through applicants once, there were still many who showed up for the interview, mainly because the sry offered by the Jiang Family was quite attractive. The standard base pay included meals,missions, five insurances and one housing fund, bonus for holidays, andprehensive employee benefits, which,pared to KFC and MacDonald¡¯s practice of deceiving students for ten yuan an hour, made them seem like a truly conscientious business. The kitchen was stocked with fresh ingredients delivered by suppliers at Zhang Guanghang¡¯s behest the day before. The back-of-house staff interviews were indeed straightforward; they only had to demonstrate their skills directly, and as long as the speed and quality were up to standard, they would be hired. As everyone waited on the side, Jiang Shoucheng was still registering people outside. Once he finished categorizing the applicants and handed over their resumes, the interviews could begin. As Jiang Feng looked around listlessly at the aspiring chefs, he caught sight of Sun Jikai, his face etched with the words ¡®Don¡¯t underestimate the determination of the youth.¡¯ Why is he here? Why would hee to apply at Taifeng Building when he could inherit the top restaurant in FJ? A corporate spy? Rich family strife? An imposter? A tragic love story? Could it be that twenty years ago, on a rainy night in the hospital, two babies were swapped. Lives interchanged, emotional entanglements, gratitude towards birth parents versus adoptive parents, the true scion of a rich family facing off against the usurper in his nest, familial love versus¡­ In a mere few seconds, Jiang Feng¡¯s mind raced through numerous possibilities. ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t that young man look just like the one from the previouspetition?¡± Jiang Jiankang pointed at Sun Jikai. ¡°That¡¯s him, Sir Sun¡¯s grandson,¡± Jiang Feng stated with absolute certainty. ¡°Wow, our shop must be impressive to have attracted him to apply,¡± Jiang Jiankang didn¡¯t have as wild an imagination as Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng:¡­ While the Jiang Family Members surveyed the applicants, the applicants were also sizing up the interviewers. After scanning around, the same thought urred to everyone. That skinniest one looks like he¡¯d be the easiest to fool. A few minutester, the highly efficient Jiang Shoucheng came into the kitchen with the organized resumes and handed them out to everyone. ¡°Those with a red check are the decent resumes that we can consider prioritizing, and there¡¯s an older individual who went to the restroom and will be joining us shortly,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said before he went to deliver the resumes to Wang Xiulian and the others. Jiang Feng got five candidates, all quite young, with two of them even younger than himself-one 18 and the other 19. The 19-year-old at least had a high school diploma, while the 18-year-old had onlypleted nine years ofpulsory education. Han Yigu, Sang Ming,¡± Jiang Feng called the two youngest, pointing to the tes and cut fruit on the table, ¡°Two minutes, arrange a fruit te.¡± It seemed they knew each other as they exchanged a nce, washed their hands at the sink, and got to work. ting is an art, as humans are visual creatures, naturally drawn to and pursuing things that are appealing to the eye; an outstanding presentation of a dish is definitely a bonus. At the very least, it makes for an impressive post in your social circle. Arranging a fruit te is entry-level, and Jiang Feng prepared a variety of fruits: mangoes, apples, cantaloupes, watermelons, pineapples, peaches, kiwis, blueberries, bananas, and cherry tomatoes-some sliced and some whole, providing plenty of options for the two candidates to express their creativity. While Han Yigu and Sang Ming were fully focused on their ting, Jiang Feng reviewed their resumes. Han Yigu, 18 years old, started drifting to Beiping after middle school graduation, with work experience in the back kitchens of three restaurants in Beiping, all of which had closed down¡ªone each year over three years. Jiang Feng:¡­ Sang Ming, 19 years old, had no work experience. His resume was so clean it was almost pitiful; even including his League of Legends rank didn¡¯t make it as rich as Han Yigu¡¯s. The only reason he got through the first round of interviews was because there were few applicants for the Kitchen Apprentice Cook position. The two minutes flew by quickly. Han Yigu¡¯s ting was extremely beautiful, using kiwi, mango, blueberries, and strawberries on arge, t white ceramic te. Four vibrant colors-green, yellow, red, and purple-each took up a quarter of the te with very neat demarcations. Such a skillful fruit te would sell for at least 168 yuan in a KTV lounge. Sang Ming, on the other hand¡­ Let s just say he was a very creative young man. He arranged a Mahjong tile. The Red Dragon. He even managed to arrange the frame. To be able to arrange a Red Dragon in just two minutes, with the characters even somewhat resembling the real thing, Jiang Feng could onlypliment him on his profound love for ying Mahjong. A passion for the national pastime deserved praise. Han Yigu, with his extensive experience as a Kitchen Apprentice Cook, was dumbfounded by Sang Ming¡¯s fruit te. The 18-year-old¡¯s worldview had been massively shaken. He had never imagined that ting could be done like this! Forget about flowers blossoming and richesing forth, phoenixes soaring through the heavens, or fairies under the moon-nothing couldpete with the glorious 14.4 tiles of Chinese Mahjong. Jiang Feng felt that Sang Ming was undoubtedly talented, just that his talent was misspent; he should be in the Sparrow Saint Crew rather than aspiring to be a Food God. Dad, Jiang Feng called out to Jiang Jiankang, who was busy noting the understanding levels of the chefs for various ingredients for the job positions. What s up?¡± Jiang Jiankang turned his head and was taken aback. What did he see, a Red Dragon?! Jiang Jiankang expressed his helplessness. Jiang Feng thought for a moment and said, ¡°Please sit over there for now and wait for a bit. There will be other tests soon.¡± ¡°Dude, how did youe up with the idea to do a Red Dragon?¡± Han Yigu asked, thoroughly impressed. ¡°I originally wanted to do the Wan character tile, but there weren¡¯t any ck fruits,¡± Sang Ming said, somewhat disappointed. Jiang Feng:¡­ Ou Yang, Luo Yu, Yin Xuan, all three of youe here,¡± Jiang Feng said. Chapter 219 - 218: Jiang Weisheng Runs Away from Chapter 219: Chapter 218: Jiang Weisheng Runs Away from Home Trantor: 549690339 The ting skills of the other three weren¡¯t as good as Han Yigu¡¯s, but kitchen apprentice cooks didn¡¯t have particrly high requirements for ting. What mattered most was speed. Besides Sang Ming, the mahjong expert, whom Jiang Feng found difficult to decide about, the other four were all qualified. Jiang Feng nced at the stove interview being conducted by the two Sirs. Sun Jikai hadn¡¯t started yet, and the ones currently cooking were two young men in their twenties. One of them clearly wasn¡¯t up to par, with incorrect flipping techniques, making one wonder which chef had taught him. Jiang Feng walked over for a closer look. They were cooking Kung Pao chicken. The ingredients for Kung Pao chicken had been cut at the chopping board interview. The two Sirs were managing both ends, working simultaneously. To Jiang Feng¡¯s surprise, the one chopping now was a female cook. Among the six chefs applying for pastry, four were women, but among the dozen or so chefs applying for chopping and stove work, there was only this one female chef. ¡°What are you doing over here?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°Waiting for your finished dish so I can take it to my side for ting.¡± Jiang Feng said as he made efficient use of every resource around him, then turned to go back and notify the five chefs waiting on the other side. ¡°They¡¯re frying Kung Pao chicken at the stove. Just like before, one te per person, 40 seconds each.¡± Jiang Feng picked up a stopwatch from the table. Although the job of a kitchen apprentice cook is called ting, in reality, they have to do everything: transferring ingredients, pre-processing, and basically all sorts of misceneous tasks in the kitchen. Moreover, the pay is low, and it¡¯s hard to learn anything. A kitchen apprentice cook is like a brick, moved wherever needed. The key is to be fast. Restaurants always have a shortage of kitchen apprentice cooks, which is why some unscrupulous restaurants post part-time job ads in university groups, offering 10 to 20 yuan per hour, deceiving people for as long as they can, especially during holidays, swindling whoever they can. The same goes for waiters. Restaurants like Taifeng Building, offering such high wages withmissions for kitchen apprentice cooks and waiters, are rare to find throughout Beiping. Soon, the Kung Pao chicken from the stove was ready. Jiang Feng timed Han Yigu and Sang Ming with the stopwatch; both moved quickly and efficiently. After 40 seconds¡ª Han Yigu¡¯s ting was faultless, above-average, while Sang Ming¡¯s wasn¡¯t ugly, but it didn¡¯t quite look like Kung Pao chicken. It was circr withyers of colors, aesthetically pleasing, and yet it invoked a familiar feeling, as though it wasn¡¯t just any circle, but a well-known one. ¡°What was your thought process for the ting?¡± Jiang Feng couldn tprehend Sang Ming¡¯s train of thought. ¡°A pie,¡± said Sang Ming. Jiang Feng: ??? Young man, you¡¯re on the wrong set; the mahjong prodigy should be next door. If that doesn¡¯t work, there¡¯s always the girl mahjong genius on the other side of that. You could try cross-dressing. Jiang Feng took the two tes of Kung Pao chicken to Sir to taste, and everyone was stunned by Sang Ming¡¯s exquisite ting. ¡°This¡­¡± Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming had been in the kitchen for decades and had never seen Kung Pao chicken like this before. It was fine when he carried it over, but it seemed to have turned into a different dish when it came back. ¡°Cough cough, one person had quite an imaginative ting,¡± said Jiang Feng. Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming each took a pair of chopsticks and tasted the two tes of Kung Pao chicken in front of them. They nced at each other and both looked helpless. ¡°Zhang Weiyu,¡± Jiang Weiming smiled at one of the young men wearing sses, ¡°would you like to try the chopping board?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Zhang Weiyu was somewhat startled, not expecting that Jiang Weiming would make such a suggestion, ¡°Yes¡­ yes, sure!¡± The applicant at the chopping board passed the knife to Zhang Weiyu, who took the cleaver, wiggled his fingers, and began chopping. Slicing pork, dicing carrots, fast speed, stable knife skills, urate execution, his basic skills were very solid and practiced. Jiang Weiming watched with a hint of a smile in his eyes. ¡°Not bad,¡± said Jiang Weiguo. The stove interview was momentarily interrupted. Oblivious that Jiang Weiming had taken an interest in him, Zhang Weiyu sat to the side, mumbling to himself, uncertain what he was muttering about. The interview continued; two new chefs began cooking Kung Pao chicken. As an examination dish for chef grading, Kung Pao chicken was essential for every professional chef to master, making it the perfect dish for an interview. ¡°That¡­¡± Zhang Weiyu approached Jiang Feng with an awkward smile, ¡°what s the sry like for the chopping board position?¡± Jiang Feng recalled for a moment and said, ¡°The base sry was 8500 plusmission two months ago, and after two months we could gradually consider a raise.¡± ¡°What¡¯smission?¡± Zhang Weiyu asked. ¡°The more you chop, the moremission you get. You can think of it as a bonus,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°The more you work, the more you earn; the less you work, the less you get.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡± Zhang Weiyu let out a sigh of relief and went back to his seat. Jiang Feng continued to wait for his food, when suddenly he felt the urge to go to the bathroom¡ªit was one of the three urgent needs that couldn¡¯t be held back, and he needed to take care of it. ¡°Sang Ming.¡± Jiang Feng walked over to Sang Ming, handing him the stopwatch, ¡°I need to step out for a bit. If the food is ready on that side, help me stop the timer.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sang Ming said earnestly. Xia Mushi1 s private restaurant was quite spacious and the decor was very serene. Aftering out of the bathroom, Jiang Feng identally walked into the yard where the server interviews were taking ce. Wang Xiuhan and several of Jiang Feng¡¯s aunts-a total of fivedy bosses-were presiding over the interviews, and anyone trying to sneak through would not escape their discerning eyes. ¡°Feng, what are you doing here?¡± his aunt spotted Jiang Feng immediately, ¡°You took a wrong turn, didn¡¯t you? Right, someone else took a wrong turn earlier; they were supposed to go to your side for an interview. Did they make it?¡± ¡°Was it an older person?¡± Jiang Feng asked, recalling Jiang Shoucheng had mentioned it, but the person hadn¡¯t yet appeared. ¡°Should be a few years older than me,¡± his aunt considered, ¡°Still okay, quite young.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go lookoutside.¡± Jiang Feng said. He probably got lost and couldn¡¯t find the right ce. If he identally walked out, it would be even harder to find his way back, as Xia Mushi s private restaurant had a side door. No sooner had Jiang Feng left the yard to look for the person than the person showed up on his own. ¡°Young man, that back¡­ eh, Feng? Is that you, Feng?¡± Jiang Weisheng, who had traveled all the way from Shu to Beiping for the interview, was delightfully surprised. Jiang Feng was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re here for an interview too? What a coincidence! What position are you interviewing for? How¡¯s my master beentely? He hasn¡¯t returned to Shu recently, and we haven¡¯t spoken on the phone for almost two weeks. Oh well, I should give him a call tonight,¡± Jiang Weisheng babbled excitedly, thrilled to meet an old friend in a foreign ce. Jiang Feng:¡­ No need to make a call now. You¡¯ll see your master in a moment. ¡°Pretty much,¡± Jiang Feng replied, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the kitchen, Mr. Jiang. What position are you applying for?¡± By age, Jiang Feng should call Jiang Weisheng Grandpa, but by seniority, it should be Uncle. In order not to confuse rtionships, Jiang Feng thought it was better to address him as Uncle. ¡°Me? I can do anything. It would be best if they need me at the stove, otherwise I can work at the chopping board. If that¡¯s not possible, the sink, and if not the sink, then as a kitchen apprentice cook, or even a learning apprentice,¡± Jiang Weisheng cheerfully said, ¡°Feng, you must seize the opportunity. I¡¯ve inquired about it, and this Taifeng Building is a major restaurant, an old one that¡¯s been around since the Republic era. Great location, spacious, and I¡¯ve heard the owner behind it is wealthy and well-connected. Once it opens, business will surely boom. Such opportunities to join a major restaurant at its opening are rare. These big restaurants don¡¯t recruit often, we must grab the chance, or we¡¯ll lose it!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Wealthy and well-connected, and me being the person in question, howe I don¡¯t know I am that impressive? ¡°Mr. Jiang,ing all the way here, where is Mrs. Jiang?¡± Jiang Feng asked, as Jiang Weisheng was, after all, over sixty years old. How could his family agree to let him do such a high-intensity job in a hotel kitchen? Especially traveling from Shu to Beiping, Jiang Feng even started to suspect that Jiang Weisheng had sneaked out. ¡°Cough, well, Feng, you mustn¡¯t tell Granduncle Weiming about this. I ran away without telling my son and daughter-inw. I was originally nning to save up some retirement funds to start my own business, but my son found out,¡± Jiang Weisheng said, looking a bit sheepish, ¡°I arrivedst week, almost missed the recruitment.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ So, you¡¯re actually a runaway at the grand old age of over sixty??? ¡°You really mustn¡¯t tell Granduncle Weiming!¡± Jiang Weisheng reiterated. Jiang Feng:¡­ Silently pushing open the back door of the kitchen, Jiang Feng stepped aside to let Jiang Weisheng go in first and followed behind. ¡°Um, Mr. Jiang, it seems a bitte for that. You should talk to Granduncle Weiming yourself.¡± Chapter 220 - 219 My Master is Very Awesome Chapter 220: Chapter 219 My Master is Very Awesome Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Weisheng, clueless, walked in. And then¡­ Jiang Weisheng: (¡ã-¡ã//) X¡ãA¡ã¡¯S (;W) Jiang Weisheng was shaking in his boots, nearly ready to flee the scene, as he vividly reenacted the panic of a high school student caught ying with a cellphone in ss by the teacher peeking through the back window and the soul-shocking experience of a high school couple bumping into the disciplinary teacher while holding hands on campus. ¡°Little boss, the ting for Ou Yang and Luo Yu is ready. Since you weren¡¯t back, the other boss had a look already,¡± Sang Ming felt that no matter whether he¡¯d be hired in the end, it was always right to address him as the boss. One nce at these people, and it was clear they were all family, all bosses! Jiang Jiankang nodded at Jiang Feng, signaling that the two individuals just now were epted. Feng, the person next to you is¡­¡± Jiang Jiankang noticed Jiang Weisheng¡¯s unusual expression. Following his gaze, filled with shock mingled with a trace of horror, horror mixed with a touch of surprise, surprise with a dash of fright, and the fright containing many ambiguous emotions, he realized that Jiang Weisheng was actually making eye contact with Jiang Weiming. ¡°Weisheng.¡± Jiang Weiming said helplessly with a hint of amusement in his voice. ¡°Ah,¡± Jiang Weisheng chuckled sheepishly, his brain, no longer nimble, racing to concoct an excellent reason for his presence here within a mere dozen seconds. Wait, that¡¯s not right. Why is my master here? Could it be that my master is also applying for a job? ¡°You¡¯ve run away from home again,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile, shaking his head helplessly, just like he had over 40 years ago. Jiang Weisheng was an only child with no talent for academics. His parents were set on him getting an education to make something of himself. He spent 5 years in junior high alone, struggling to make it into high school. He thought he¡¯d just coast through three years and graduate, but then he faced the newly reinstated college entrance examination during his senior year. Following the failure of his college entrance exams, his parents gave him two choices: retake the exams or break his legs and then retake them. Jiang Weisheng chose a third option, to pursue cooking, even if it meant being chased all over town by his parents. During his school days, he only ate at the state-owned restaurant twice: once as a reward from his parents for getting into high school, and the other time as encouragement before the college entrance exams. Both meals were prepared by Jiang Weiming personally. That summer, everyone in the capital of Shu never forgot the sight of Jiang Weisheng¡¯s parents chasing him through the streets with a rolling pin. Later, withoutpromise from his parents, he ran away from home to Jiang Weiming s ce to ask to be an apprentice. After being brought back home by his parents, he ran away again and went back to Jiang Weiming¡¯s ce to ask to be an apprentice once more. Caught again by his parents, he continued to run away, persistently returning to Jiang Weiming¡¯s ce to ask to be an apprentice. With no other options left, Jiang Weisheng¡¯s parents brought gifts and pleaded with Jiang Weiming to take in their foolish son, hoping he¡¯d learn the hardships of kitchen work ande to appreciate the value of education. Nobody expected that Jiang Weisheng would stick with it for 40 years. He worked at the fish-cleaning station, reeking of fish, to the point where the smell on himself would wake him up at night. At the chopping board, his hands were always covered with new injuries over old ones. Once, he half-severed his finger with a knife; blood was everywhere. Even though he was rushed to the hospital, that finger ended up crooked. He worked at the stove, flipping the wok, his arms covered with scars from oil sshes and burns. He practiced flipping the wok until he realized his arms were swollen at night and went back to the state-owned restaurant the next day to continue practicing. His parents thought he would give up soon, but he kept at it year after year. When he chopped off half his finger, his mother cried in the hospital, holding his hand and saying amid her tears, ¡°Son, your father and I won¡¯t force you to go back to school anymore. Stop this ande home with us. You can do whatever you want in the future.¡± Jiang Weisheng just foolishly passed his mother a handkerchief, saying, ¡°Mom, I just want to be a chef.¡± On his fourth year of doing odd jobs at the state-owned restaurant, Jiang Weiming took him in as an apprentice. That kind of formal disciple ceremony with tea-offering and kowtowing. Since then, chefs throughout the province knew that Jiang, the chef whose skills matched Chef Wu and who had been praised by foreign guests and leaders, had taken on an apprentice who wasn¡¯t particrly talented but very obedient. Later, the state-owned restaurant closed down. Privately-owned restaurants sprang up like mushrooms after a rain throughout the provincial city. Under Jiang Weiming¡¯s rmendation, Jiang Weisheng got a job at a decent restaurant, worked as a head chef, and stayed on until his retirement. If that was where his working life had drawn to a close, then he would have enjoyed a leisurely andfortable retirement, helping his son and daughter-inw with the grandchildren, taking walks with his spouse, gardening, sipping tea in the teahouses, and watching operas. His life would be peaceful and prosperous. But this wasn¡¯t what Jiang Weisheng wanted. He was the apprentice of Jiang Weiming, his master¡¯s only apprentice. He wanted to be his master¡¯s glory, his master¡¯s pride, so when people mentioned him they wouldn¡¯t say, ¡°Oh, that Jiang Weisheng, he¡¯s the very obedient and filial apprentice of Master Jiang,¡± but instead, ¡°Oh, that Jiang Weisheng, he¡¯s Master Jiang¡¯s really filial and incredible apprentice.¡± The 6o-year-old Jiang Weisheng was no different from when he was 20 years old. At 20, he could climb through a window in the middle of the night and squat all night outside Jiang Weiming¡¯s door to ask to be his disciple; at 60, he could sneak to Beiping behind his son¡¯s back after discussing it with his wife to apply for a chef¡¯s position. ¡°Familiar?¡± Jiang Weiguo felt like the name Jiang Weisheng rang a bell. ¡°My apprentice,¡± stated Jiang Weiming. Jiang Weiguo: ??? Jiang Jiankang:!!! Jiang Weisheng smiled at everyone, his expression even bearing some resemnce to Jiang Weiming, and said, ¡°My name is Jiang Weisheng, a chef.¡± Jiang Weiming was flipping through resumes; he and Jiang Weiguo were assessing candidates in the order set by Jiang Shoucheng, and he hadn¡¯t looked at theter ones yet. Jiang Weisheng¡¯s resume was tucked in underneath. Name: Jiang Weisheng Age: 63 Ethnicity: Han Education: High school Job Intention: Cook Jiang Weisheng¡¯s handwritten resume was filled with a dense list of the skills and work experience he possessed. Jiang Weiming¡¯s eyes sped over the page, going straight to thest sentence: My master, Jiang Yuanchao, was a great chef at Shu State-Owned Restaurant, very skilled. Although I¡¯m not as good as him, I¡¯m also quite impressive. ¡°His master is really impressive, I know. Let¡¯s hire him directly,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile. Jiang Feng & Jiang Weiguo & Jiang Jiankang: ??? Come help out,¡± stated Jiang Weiming. ¡°Sure thing,¡± Jiang Weisheng eximed excitedly. Joking aside, he was Jiang Weisheng, his master¡¯s only direct disciple! With just a lift of Jiang Weiming¡¯s hand, he knew exactly what needed to be passed. Jiang Weiming lifted his hand. Jiang Weisheng passed over the te. ¡°The one beside it,¡± Jiang Weiming said. Jiang Weisheng handed over the te next to it. ¡°I meant the cup of water.¡± Everyone:¡­ This teacher-disciple pair¡­ their understanding doesn¡¯t seem to be that great.. Chapter 221 - 220 Ordering System Chapter 221: Chapter 220 Ordering System Trantor: 549690339 | Jiang Feng¡¯s group was the first to conclude their interviews. Kitchen apprentice cooks are always in demand, and the five people they found were decent in skills and speed. Excluding Sang Ming, whose unusual passion for mahjong was puzzling, the others could be quitepetent chefs if they were willing to dedicate a few years to training at Taifeng Building. ¡°Taifeng Building will be opening soon, and the exact date will be announcedter. We¡¯ll draft the contracts in the next few days, and if there are no issues from your end, then we¡¯ll finalize everything,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°You may leave for now.¡± The candidates were thrilled and left without lingering. The recruitment process went smoothly. To ensure that shifts could be covered, four bakers were hired, and one or two extra individuals were recruited for each of the other positions. In addition to Zhang Weiyu, whom Jiang Weiming was particrly fond of, there were twopetent chefs ¨C Tang Tang and Wei Shiheng ¨C who applied for the chopping board positions. Sun Jikai was the best among the furnace chefs, but Sir wasn¡¯t too fond of him, casually mentioning on the way back that his basics weren¡¯t strong. Recruitment took the entire afternoon. Dinner was again at the fast-food restaurant they went to for lunch; Jiang Jiankang particrly enjoyed their braised meat. Seeing the Jiang Family Members, the fast-food restaurant¡¯s owner smiled as if they were old friends he hadn¡¯t seen in years and warmly mentioned that their establishment could offer delivery services without a fee forrge orders. After dinner, a representative from each household gathered back at home to discuss who would be responsible for what in the uing days while Jiang Feng retreated to his room to check out the Ordering System provided by the system. In the props section, it appeared to be a box, and when he took it out, it indeed was a box. Inside the box were tablets, bearing no brand name as they were without any logo; it contained only tablets and their respective chargers. It seemed that the game knew Jiang Feng was too poor, so it even prepared the tablets for him. Jiang Feng counted ¨C there were two more tablets than the number of tables and chairs nned on the Renovation Blueprint. At the bottom, there was also a USB drive, which likely contained the relevant software. The software was quite interesting, divided into customer and staff interfaces. The ordering interface not only allowed customers to choose dishes but also the chefs preparing them, with different chefsmanding different prices, and each dish came with a corresponding queue time. The staff interface showed the prep, kitchen apprentice cook, and furnace chef for each dish, though customers would only see the final chef on their end. Jiang Feng knew of restaurants that used tablets for ordering, but he had never seen an Ordering System with such detailed division ofbor. He clicked through every feature, testing everything from start to finish, immensely enjoying himself. Stowing everything back in the box and into the props section, Jiang Feng needed toe up with a usible exnation for their appearance in front of everyone. After stealthily observing from the entrance for about fifteen minutes, he finally heard the sounds from outside and the voices of Wang Xiulian and his great-aunt, faintly making out that they were nning to go shopping. Jiang Feng decided to confront the situation head-on. ¡°Xiaofeng, your great-aunt and I are going shopping, do you want to join us?¡± Wang Xiulian seized the opportunity to look for helping hands. ¡°Mom, I have a delivery to pick up, I¡¯m going to get a parcel,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°What parcel?¡± Wang Xiulian asked involuntarily. ¡°It¡¯s a tablet I bought; I had someone develop an ordering program,¡± Jiang Feng said as he closed the door and ran downstairs. The elevator was under repair, and fortunately, the floor they rented wasn¡¯t too high, or climbing up more than ten flights of stairs would have been unbearable. ¡°What program?¡± Wang Xiulian asked her sister-inw, somewhat puzzled. ¡°I think it¡¯s¡­ an ordering program?¡± her sister-inwsaid uncertainly. ¡°Shall we wait for Xiaofeng to bring it up and take a look before heading out?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s see what it is first!¡± They both agreed. Almost 20 minutester, Jiang Feng climbed back to the 8th floor, out of breath, with a box full of tablets. To enhance the authenticity, he truly climbed from the 1st floor with the box. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go upstairs to the 10th floor and show it to Grandpa and the others.¡± Jiang Feng felt he might have been too earnest and should have started carrying from the 5th floor as the heavy box left him breathless, just as it would have been on any other floor. A few minutester, each member of the Jiang Family was holding a tablet and tapping away chaotically. Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Feng, true father and son, even resembled each other when using the tablets. ¡°This is great, it¡¯s convenient and saves trouble!¡± Jiang Jiankang praised. Wang Xiulian also nodded in satisfaction, thinking it was a good device. With her years of experience as a restaurateur and waitress, she recognized the time-saving potential of the gadget. After enjoying the bustling scene, Wang Xiulian extended another invitation, ¡°Feng, do you want to go shopping at the mall?¡± ¡°No, no, I still have to video call Qiqiter,¡± Jiang Feng executed a perfect ¡°slip-away¡± tactic. Wang Xiulian weighed the choice between using her son as hardbor and giving him space tomunicate with his girlfriend, and chose thetter. ¡°Tell Qiqi toe over earlier, and you can show her around Beiping City,¡± Wang Xiulian said. It wasn¡¯t easy to find a ¡°cabbage¡± willing to throw itself into the mouth of her ¡°silly pig¡± of a son, and she certainly didn¡¯t want to let this opportunity slip away. Of course, Jiang Feng was not actually nning to go back to his room to video chat with Wu Minqi; at this time, Wu Minqi was still busy helping out in the kitchen at Wu Family Restaurant. Their time for romance usually happened after ten o¡¯clock at night. He was now returning to view Xia Mushi¡¯s memories. He had already nearly mastered the game¡¯s recipes that he could explore. Jiang Feng was now able to make the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge even better than Jiang Huiqin¡¯s version, and he had also managed to produce a tolerable failure of the notoriously impossible-to-sessfully-make Yun Chicken. He had also practiced making chopped chili fish head, and with the guidance of Jiang Weiming, the sess rate was quite high. As for how many lucky students at UAL University sessfully confessed their feelings after trying this dish, that remains a mystery. The steamed lobster in superior soup had eluded him due to financial restraints ¨C not only was lobster out of reach, but the superior soup too, in part due to some technical difficulties. The Fire Control in Jiang Feng¡¯s seasoning was indeedcking a bit. To directly practice Sun Zheran¡¯s version of the superior soup was a bit too ambitious; Sir had intended to teach him properly how to make superior soup during the summer holiday. He was nning to start practicing after that. What he urgently needed now was a new dish he had never made before, and Xia Mushi¡¯s memories offered a great opportunity. With that, Jiang Feng returned to his room and opened the prop menu, selecting yes. His surroundings were instantly shrouded in mist. The first thing to reach him was the sound of rain, and it was heavy, pattering against the ground like a barrage of drumbeats. When the dense fog finally lifted, Jiang Feng easily found Xia Mushi because he was the only person around. The Xia Mushi that Jiang Feng saw was critically ill, his life hanging by a thread, looking gaunt, feeble, more ghost than human. But the current Xia Mushi was even more frightening. His hands, body, and face were all covered in wounds, with rainwater, yellow mud, and other unidentifiable things all over him. His clothes were torn as if shed by knives or some other sharp weapon, and his old coat was soaked in blood ¨C it was unclear if the blood was his own or someone else¡¯s. His hair was filthy and disheveled, a mess like a chicken¡¯s nest, glued together in clumps. Jiang Feng even suspected there were no less than ten lice or fleas hidden within his hair. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t make out his features, only feeling worried that his wounds might be infected in this state. Xia Mushi, clutching two heavy-looking bundles, kept walking hurriedly forward. This ce seemed quite remote, without even a path; underfoot was nothing but yellow mud and weeds. Xia Mushi didn¡¯t seem to want to find shelter from the rain, instead silently walking on, just moving forward with the bundles in his arms. The rain grew heavier, and the sight of therge raindrops pattering against Xia Mushi made Jiang Feng wince in empathy, especially when they hit the wounds, causing him to involuntarily gasp in pain just by watching. Atst, Xia Mushi found arge tree and started digging a hole at its base. In such a stormy thunderous weather out in the wilderness, it was rather unscientific for Xia Mushi to dig a hole at the base of a tree without getting struck by lightning, making him quite fortunate indeed. Jiang Feng guessed that the two bundles probably contained silver dors or gold bars. He had forgotten who had onceined to him, saying thatndlords always liked to bury their treasures by digging a hole under a big tree. After burying the items, Xia Mushi noticed that his outer garment was covered in blood. He removed it promptly, tossed it aside without any attachment, and continued on in another direction. He seemed quite familiar with this area. And so, Jiang Feng followed him until they reached a dpidated temple. Chapter 222 - 221: The Love of My Life (Part 1) Chapter 222: Chapter 221: The Love of My Life (Part 1) Trantor: 549690339 | It was a very dpidated and small Mountain God Temple, which seemed to have been long forgotten, with no incense burnt for quite a while. Now, as nightfall approached, the rain hadn¡¯t stopped, and there seemed to be a trend of it getting heavier. Choosing the Mountain God Temple as a shelter at this time was undoubtedly a good decision, and Xia Mushi entered the temple. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± There was someone inside the Mountain God Temple, a young woman¡¯s voice, nervous and cautious. ¡°Just seeking shelter from the rain,¡± Xia Mushi said. There was no sound from inside. Half of the Mountain God Temple had copsed, and where Xia Mushi stood, there was a slight leak, and the ground was wet. He noticed a pile of hay a bit further inside, so he walked over and sat down on it. It seemed he was nning to spend the night there. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± The woman inside tensed up at the sound of movement outside, ¡°My brother has gone into the city, he¡¯ll be back soon, so, so don¡¯t even think about doing anything else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just avoiding the rain; I will leave when it stops,¡± Xia Mushi said,id down on the hay pile, and closed his eyes to sleep. He was indeed tired, and fell asleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes. Soon, light snoring could be heard, and the woman inside let out a sigh of relief, staying quiet still. Jiang Feng was curious and walked inside to have a look. The Mountain God Temple wasn¡¯t veryrge; Xia Mushi and the woman inside were less than two meters apart. If it hadn¡¯t been dark inside and the lighting dim, Xia Mushi guessed he might have been able to see her when he entered. Perhaps it was not right to call her a woman; she was just a young girl. The light was too dim for Jiang Feng to see her facial features clearly, but he guessed that she must be rather pretty from the feeling. She was lying in the hay pile, covered with a thin nket, her face and hands very clean, but there was a bad smelling from her. Next to her was a water jar with adle very close by, close enough to reach out and scoop water. The young girl wasn¡¯t asleep, staring nkly outside, although it was hard to tell what she could see in the dark. She just kept her eyes open, like a wooden figure, asionally blinking until dawn. Jiang Feng, equally bored, watched her space out until morning. The rain continued intermittently throughout the night, and when morning came, it was still raining, leaving the sky just as dark. Xia Mushi woke up. Sensing the person outside was awake, the young girl immediately became alert. ¡°It¡¯s daylight now; you should leave quickly!¡± The young girl began to urge him to leave, ¡°My brother didn¡¯t returnst night because of the rain, but now that it¡¯s daylight, he will be back soon.¡± ¡°The rain hasn¡¯t stopped,¡± Xia Mushi said, feeling refreshed after a night¡¯s sleep. He got up to stretch his limbs, and when he turned around, he saw the girl inside. ¡°I will leave when the rain stops,¡± Xia Mushi said and turned back around. It seemed fate wanted to y a prank on the two of them, with the rain continuing to drizzle on and on, not stopping even by noon. Meanwhile, Xia Mushi stood up and sauntered around a few times, causing the girl inside to be extremely nervous each time, fearing he had ill intentions, as she sped something tightly under the hay. By noon, the girl inside was unbearably hungry. She stealthily took out a biscuit from under the hay, took a bite, put it back, and slowly chewed, then took another bite, putting it back to chew slowly, like a thief in the act. And then she was spotted by Xia Mushi. The girl inside became immediately nervous, now worried that Xia Mushi might not only have designs on her but also on the biscuit in her hand. She quickly ate half the biscuit in two or three bites and mumbled unclearly, ¡°This is the only one I have left. My brother will be back soon, don¡¯te over here!¡± Xia Mushi chuckled; he had no interest in stealing from others and was just about to turn away when the girl inside relented. ¡°I¡¯ll give you half if you stay away,¡± she said, throwing the biscuit towards him. One should never refuse free food, and a biscuit already bitten by someone was no issue; Xia Mushi had previously even fought with dogs over food. He picked it up from the hay and finished it in two or three bites. Throwing the biscuit was perhaps the most significant interaction between the two of them all morning. Jiang Feng had expected at least a brief exchange of words, but silence followed. Xia Mushi continued to wait for the rain to stop, and the young girl kept an anxious eye on him. In thete afternoon, the rain finally stopped. Xia Mushi looked back at the young girl for a moment, then left; the girl breathed a long sigh of relief. Jiang Feng followed Xia Mushi, tracing his steps back to therge tree where they had buried something before, watching as he dug up the hole, pulled out a bundle, and opened it. Inside was all money and small goldfish-shaped coins; two bundles full of them was definitely a fortune. Coupling this with the blood on Xia Mushi¡¯s body from before, Jiang Feng began to suspect he might have robbed some wealthy household. Xia Mushi took out a few coins and put them into his inner garment then reburied the bundle, leaving no trace as before. Xia Mushi entered the city. Like a scene from a TV show, Jiang Feng followed Xia Mushi with the curiosity of a country boy who had never entered the city before; everything was novel to him. Wooden houses, brick and tile houses, dirt roads, stone-paved streets, passersby who seemed toe from different eras, some wearing long robes, others in jackets or short shirts, western suits, dresses, cheongsams, perm hairstyles, hair buns¡ªpeople of all kinds were there. Before, Jiang Feng thought this was a remote countryside ce, but upon entering the city, he discovered it was quite bustling, not like an ordinary county town. Xia Mushi walked into an inn. Along the way Jiang Feng had seen many hotels and inns, but this one was thergest. The tea waiter at the door saw Xia Mushi and said with disdain, ¡°This is an inn, go beg elsewhere. Don¡¯t dirty the entrance, or I¡¯ll not be polite to you!¡± Speaking in the Hunan dialect indicated that Xia Mushi was now in Hunan Province. Xia Mushi in his current state indeed didn¡¯t look much different from a beggar. ¡°I want to stay,¡± Xia Mushi didn¡¯t get angry and walked into the inn. ¡°First-ss rooms are three silver dors, second-ss rooms are one silver dor. The third and fourth-ss rooms are full. We don¡¯t ept banknotes or paper money, only silver dors. If you don¡¯t have money, better leave early!¡± The tea waiter was in a bad mood, refraining from driving Xia Mushi away by hand only because he was worried Xia Mushi indeed had money. The tea waiter felt that their boss was simply muddleheaded. In other inns of the same scale as theirs, they all followed that Portuguese merchant in doing the very lucrative business ¨C the first floor was an inn, the second floor catered to prostitutes, the third floor was for opium. Even the tea waiters in those inns were making a fortune, unlike their own business which was still the same as before, only dealing withundry, barbering, chair carrying, carriage renting, ticket purchasing for vehicles and boats, running Jingguang Grocery, and serving as an exchange. These businesses didn¡¯t bring in much profit. He used to introduce the girls under Mrs. Chen to the gentlemen needing first- ss rooms to earn some extra money. Now, other inns were doing this business openly, and even thisst source of extra ie was gone. ¡°Second-ss room for two days.¡± Xia Mushi took out three silver dors from inside his clothes and put them on the table, ¡°Go buy me two new sets of clothes and ask around if there are any tickets to Beiping.¡± ¡°Right away, Mr. Rest assured, there¡¯s nothing here in Xingcheng that I, Wen Er, can¡¯t do. I¡¯ll take you to your room to rest first, and your clothes will be brought to you immediately!¡± Wen Er¡¯s face lit up with joy. The deal he had made today earned him much more than setting up deals for those government officials in the past. Indeed, one should never judge by appearances. ¡°Do you have hot water?¡± Xia Mushi asked. ¡°Yes, the second-ss room has hot water provided for you all day. Just let me know if you need anything, I will go fetch the hot water for you right away. Also, you need to register. If it¡¯s inconvenient, you don¡¯t have to,¡± Wen Er said enthusiastically, ¡°May I know your honored surname?¡± ¡°Xia, just jot down whatever,¡± Xia Mushi said. ¡°Alright, if there¡¯s anything you need, just call. If you don¡¯t want to go out and want to eat something, just tell me, and I¡¯ll go buy it for you. I¡¯ll ensure it¡¯s still hot when it arrives, so you won¡¯t need to run the errand yourself,¡± Wen Er courteously took Xia Mushi to his room and quickly brought him several buckets of hot water, including cold water as well. Jiang Feng took a look at the second-ss room. He didn¡¯t know how much a silver dor was worth at that time, but it must have been quite valuable. This second-ss room could even pass as a luxury suite in a star-rated hotel during the Republic of China era. It wasn¡¯t small, with bed canopies, bedding, and all other facilitiesplete and nicely decorated. The bed was very clean and tidy, and the walls and other areas were also clean. Tea and snacks were even ced on the table. Once Wen Er brought the hot water, Xia Mushi prepared to take a bath. Jiang Feng went to peek in the next room through the wall, only to be stunned by what he saw there. He had never imagined that an inn from the time of the Republic of China could be decorated sovishly. The suite that Mr. Huang stayed in on the ship before was no different, and the decor here was even more luxurious. Porcin vases, wind chimes, screens, canopies ¨C each item was exquisitely beautiful, and the room was muchrger than Xia Mushi¡¯s second-ss one. No wonder the first-ss room was three silver dors a night; neither a presidential suite in a star-rated hotel nor this room couldpare. Jiang Feng, like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, looked through all the facilities in the first-ss room, sighing in admiration at each one. So rich! Really, truly so very rich! When Jiang Feng returned to Xia Mushi¡¯s room after looking at everything new, Wen Er had already delivered the clothes, and Xia Mushi had changed into them. It could be said that Wen Er had some real skills to be the tea waiter in such a big inn; the clothes he bought fitted Xia Mushi very well. They were clean and new and while the cotton wasfortable, it didn¡¯t look ostentatious. Xia Mushi still had four silver dors and some copper coins on him. He didn¡¯t feel secure leaving them in the inn and kept them close to his body instead. After freshening up, he drank a couple of sips of tea, ate two snacks, and was ready to go out. Wen Er was still at the inn entrance; seeing Xia Mushie out, he immediately greeted with a smile, ¡°Mr. Xia, is there something you need?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out for a stroll. When can you find out about the tickets?¡± Xia Mushi inquired. ¡°Rest assured, I will definitely find out about the tickets for you by tonight!¡± Wen Er said, ¡°Xingcheng is a thousand-year-old ancient city. Do you need me to find a guide to apany you on your outing?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Xia Mushi left after speaking. Xia Mushi said he was going out for a stroll, and he did just that, strolling around the city after buying a few buns along the way. He didn¡¯t return to the inn until the evening. ¡°Mr. Xia, I¡¯ve found everything out for you!¡± Wen Er approached Xia Mushi as soon as he saw him, ¡°About the tickets to Beiping, there are none left. Beiping has fallen, so naturally, you can¡¯t buy tickets anymore. If you really want to go to Beiping, you can only buy one to the next provincial city. From there, you¡¯ll have to hire a car or take the water route.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be nosy, but everywhere up north is in such a state with everyone running to the south, I advise you not to go that way,¡± Wen Er said. Xia Mushi took out another two silver dors and said, ¡°Try your best to get them. Whatever destination you can buy, buy that one.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Wen Er quickly pocketed the silver dors. Chapter 223 - 222: The Love of My Life (Part 2) Chapter 223: Chapter 222: The Love of My Life (Part 2) Trantor: 549690339 I ¡® ¡® Xia Mushi had been staying at the inn for four days, and on the third day, Wen Er bought him a train ticket for the following week, so he still had a few more days to spend in Xingcheng. During those days, Xia Mushi had been wandering around Xingcheng without going to restaurants. When he was hungry, he would just buy some steamed buns or stuffed buns with a few copper coins. Despite this, some ill-fated thieves had set their sights on him. In the dark, wind-swept alley, several thieves with faces that clearly read ¡®I¡¯m not a good person, I¡¯m ferocious, hand over your money to big brother if you know what¡¯s good for you,1 surrounded Xia Mushi. Then, Jiang Feng witnessed Xia Mushi¡¯s spectacr one-against-five action sequence. Blowsnded with a thud, his moves were extremely ruthless, and instead of being robbed, the five thieves were robbed themselves. Left lying on the ground, barely alive and gasping for air, Xia Mushi still had the energy and time to tidy up his sleeves and search the thieves, emptying their pockets of any money before he walked away with a stride. On the fourth day, Xia Mushi had no money left except for a few copper coins. He needed to dig out his bundle under the big tree to take out some silver coins. Before leaving the city, he passed by a bun shop, and seeming to remember something, he stopped, buying five meat buns. A meat bun cost two copper coins, and for buying five, the vendor gifted Xia Mushi with an oiled paper to wrap them in. Xia Mushi left the city with the meat buns. Instead of going to the big tree where he had buried his belongings, he headed straight to the Mountain God Temple where he had taken shelter from the rain before. The Mountain God Temple was still as before, with half of it copsed, extremely dpidated, no incense burning, and from the outside, one could hardly tell that someone was living inside. As soon as he stepped into the temple, Jiang Feng caught a thick, nauseating smell. 5 It was like the stench of feces and urine mixed in a cesspit for several days and then left to ferment; don¡¯t ask how he knew-when Jiang Feng was a child, the vige still had those old-fashioned toilets, and he once fell into one while¡¯ using it. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The young girl was still inside, but her voice had be very weak, listless. It s me,¡± Xia Mushi said as he entered. The smell inside was even more intense, clearly emanating from the young girl. Jiang Feng suspected she hadn¡¯t moved from her spot for several days. The young girl¡¯s face was pale, and shey limp on a pile of dry grass, looking as if she hadn¡¯t eaten for several days. The young girl recognized Xia Mushi. This time, she wasn¡¯t scared and just asked, ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± Xia Mushi asked, tossing the oiled paper package a meter away onto the straw pile, ¡°A few days ago, you gave me half of your cake; I¡¯m returning the favor with five buns.¡± Ravenous, the young girl no longer mentioned her brother. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the oiled paper package, and she swallowed her saliva. ¡°Could you please throw it over here?¡± the young girl asked. He picked up the oiled paper package and threw it next to her hand. The young girl eagerly opened the paper and grabbed the still-warm buns, shoving them into her mouth, devouring them hungrily. Xia Mushi watched her eat quietly, not leaving. After the young girl finished two buns, she looked up to see Xia Mushi still there and instinctively said, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet? My brother will be back soon¡­¡± She paused, suddenly freezing. She knew all too well that her brother wasn¡¯ting back. Xia Mushi wasn¡¯t a man of many words, but he found the girl interesting; it was remarkable how she had managed to survive until today despite her fears. ¡°If your brother is noting back, are you just nning to stay here and starve to death?¡± Xia Mushi asked. The young girl didn¡¯t look at him, focusing on eating her buns instead. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten in days; eating so much at once could kill you,¡± Xia Mushi said. ¡°I¡¯m going to die anyway, I might as well die full,¡± the younggirl replied, putting down the bun in her hands. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left? You can see I have nothing here. You can afford meat buns for me, so you must not be short of money. I¡¯m paralyzed; even if you sold me, I¡¯d fetch no price and would just waste your food,¡± the young girl said. Paralyzed? Jiang Feng suddenly understood why the girl, close to starving, refused to leave the ruined temple and why there was such a foul smelling from her. She was paralyzed, could not move, and without anyone to care for her, she could only wait for death. Xia Mushi did not leave. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet? Do you really want to sell me?¡± the young woman said, ¡°I told you I won¡¯t fetch a good price, if I could, Mrs. Chen would have sold me long ago.¡± ¡°You look a bit like someone I know,¡± Xia Mushi said. Jiang Feng:¡­ This familiar opening to a romantic drama¡­ The young woman suddenlyughed, her tone dripping with irony, ¡°Then you must have seen me at Hongxiuge.¡± In the past few days, Xia Mushi had been strolling around Xingcheng, and Jiang Feng, who had been following him, had seen Hongxiuge more than once. That was the most upscale brothel in all of Xingcheng. A ce where fortunes were squandered. Xia Mushi turned and walked away, ending the conversation. Jiang Feng really couldn¡¯t understand what Xia Mushi was trying to do; after delivering buns to the young woman and engaging in awkward conversation as if some exciting plot was about to unfold, he abruptly left, as if the awkward talk had been purely for the sake of talking. Xia Mushi returned to the big tree, dug up the hole again, took out a dozen or so silver dors and a small yellow croaker, then reburied the bundle. He didn¡¯t enter the city but went back to the Mountain God Temple. When the young woman saw Xia Mushi, she reacted as if she had seen a ghost, ¡°Why have youe back?¡± Xia Mushi walked straight to her and lifted her in his arms, ¡°You need to see a doctor.¡± The young woman initially struggled, but when she heard his words, she stopped, her voice very low, ¡°How did you know.¡± ¡°If you keep staying here, you will die.¡± ¡°So what if I die, aren¡¯t there enough people dying these days? I don¡¯t have money, I don¡¯t have family; I deserve to die.¡± ¡°I have money.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Xia Mushi, holding the young woman, entered the city without drawing anyone¡¯s attention, for in this world, anything goes, even if someone were to kill a man in the street, no one would interfere. ¡°Mr. Xia, this¡­¡± Wen Er approached with a smiling face, unsure how to address the sight of Xia Mushi holding a woman. Bring two buckets of hot water, get her some clothes, and call a doctor,¡± Xia Mushi said. ¡°Got it. Do you want a Western doctor?¡± Wen Er asked. Although traditional Chinese medicine was being suppressed and newspapers were ranting daily that it was nothing but feudal superstition, when ordinary people had a headache or were seriously ill, they still needed to see a doctor, and they couldn¡¯t afford Western hospitals. ¡°I don¡¯t want a Western doctor,¡± the young woman said. Xia Mushi held her and returned to their room, cing her on the bed. You re not afraid that I, with my filthy body, will dirty your bed,¡± the young woman said, ¡°What are you really after? I have no money, I¡¯m a cripple, even if you sell me to the lowest Secret Brothel, those madams wouldn¡¯t want me. You spending money on me is like throwing it into the water; if you¡¯re doing this to repay me for that half bun, those five buns from earlier were already enough. To exchange a half bun for five buns, everyone in Xingcheng would line up to trade with you.¡± ¡°You look very much like someone I know,¡± Xia Mushi said. ¡°Probably someone you¡¯re fond of,¡± the young woman said. ¡°Yes, someone I¡¯m fond of,¡± Xia Mushi said. The young woman burst intoughter, ¡°I think you¡¯ve watched too many ys, you¡¯ve even gone foolish from it.¡± What¡¯s your name?¡± the young woman asked. ¡°Xia Mushi.¡± ¡°My name isYanzhi.¡± Chapter 227 - 226: Expert in Pig Farming Chapter 227: Chapter 226: Expert in Pig Farming Trantor: 549690339 Jiang Feng had plenty of experience receiving guests. Picking up his grandfather, his grandmother, two cousins, his parents, weing freshmen during the orientation, and receiving external guests for school events¡ªhowever, picking up a pig was truly a first for him. Beiping City¡¯s traffic had always been problematic; even if the subway system looped round and round, it was still better than driving. Setting off from home at 8 a.m. to meet friends for lunch over the weekend was no joke. With the location Jiang Jiankang had sent, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi took the subway, switched to the bus, and then walked for over 40 minutes before they finally arrived at the destination. There was arge truck parked by the road. Jiang Feng was startled at first sight, thinking to himself, could Da Hua have gained that much weight? That they needed such arge truck just for her. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi walked toward the truck, and the driver, excited to see them approaching, jumped out as soon as he opened the door. ¡°You¡¯re here for the pig, right? Where exactly is your ce? My GPS can¡¯t locate it at all. I still have other deliveries to make and can¡¯t afford to waste too much time,¡± said the truck driver, showing his phone to them. Jiang Feng:¡­ Silently he took out his phone, opened the second location Jiang Jiankang had sent him, and passed his phone to the truck driver to see. ¡°Hey, how did you manage to get the location right? That¡¯s strange, what kind of lousy phone do I have?¡± the truck driverined. ¡°Come on up, my truck can seat three people just fine. You can put your luggage and bags in the back with the cargo. The stuff I¡¯m hauling isn¡¯t dirty, you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Wu Minqi said. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, both slender, found the truck cab spacious enough for three. The driver followed the GPS navigation while chatting casually with them. ¡°Traffic in Beiping is really terrible, I¡¯ve been stuck here since six this morning,¡± said the driver. ¡°Maybe,¡± replied Jiang Feng, who wasn¡¯t a local Beiping resident and typically just took the subway or the bus when he went out; he didn¡¯t feel qualified toment. ¡°Well, back to what we were talking about, why are you transporting a pig here? I heard that olddy say you¡¯re nning to raise it, right?¡± The driver, naturally chatty, seized the opportunity to talk when he had someone to converse with. ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°As a pet?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°You can raise pigs in Beiping?¡± The driver grew interested. ¡°Should be¡­ okay, I guess. There¡¯s no rule that says you can¡¯t,¡± Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t quite sure. A pet pig was still a pig, and a domestic pig was also a pig. There seemed to be no reason you could keep a pet pig but not a domestic pig. That would be discrimination against pets! ¡°But won¡¯t the strong smell of a pig bother the neighbors?¡± the driver asked, curious. ¡°Your house must be quiterge if you can keep a pig.¡± ¡°We n to keep it in the courtyard, if we clean regrly the neighbors probably won¡¯t smell anything,¡± Jiang Feng said. Driver: ??? ??? Are you kidding me? The driver prided himself on having passed the English Level 4 exam. Guided by the GPS, the truck stopped at the entrance to the courtyard house. Once out of the truck, all three of them were astonished. Jiang Feng still vividly remembered what Chen Suhua had said at Professor Li¡¯s house that day. ¡°The old house is actually a small courtyard house that my father rebuilt on the original site after he returned to the country.¡± A small courtyard house. Small! This area was basically full of courtyard houses, and only thanks to the driving skills of the master could they navigate through these alleys. The area was inhabited by the discreetly wealthy, and Jiang Feng had seen a good number of old men walking back with bird cages in hand. Thanks to an elective course he took, Jiang Feng knew a bit about courtyard houses. They varied ording to the local conditions without a fixed size. A standard courtyard house is north-facing with a northern room that has three main and two wing rooms, making up five rooms in total. Both the eastern and western rooms each have three rooms. The southern building, not including the main gate, has four rooms. Together with the gatehouse and the decorative arch gate, there are 17 rooms in total, covering an area of about 400 square meters. This was a single entry courtyard, and the typical three-entrance quadrangle courtyards are generally around a thousand square meters. Jiang Feng had looked up a bunch of courtyardyouts for an elective course assignment, and it was clear at a nce that the Li family old house was arge three-entrance quadrangle. Indeed, a woman¡¯s mouth, a deceiver¡¯s ghost. The taxi driver was basically dumbfounded; he stopped the car at the front gate, somewhat uncertain: ¡°Young man, are you sure it¡¯s this ce?¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ I¡¯m not sure either. The three of them got out of the car and stared at the quadrangle courtyard, looking at each other in bewilderment. Before Jiang Feng could call Jiang Jiankang to confirm, the gate opened, and a middle-aged man wearing sses came out, smiling and asking, ¡°May I ask if you are Mr. Jiang Feng?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I am Mr. Li¡¯s manager. Mr. Li asked me toe to pick you up. Myst name is Zhong; just call me Zhong,¡± Manager Zhong said. ¡°Thankyou, Uncle Zhong,¡± Jiang Feng said, then turned to the taxi driver, ¡°Brother driver, I¡¯ll need your help to get Da Hua down.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± The driver opened the cargo box, set up the ramp, took out Wu Minqi¡¯s luggage first, and then dragged out Da Hua, who was wrapped in a bup sack with all four limbs tied up and only her head sticking out. Jiang Feng: ¡°Pff.¡± He couldn¡¯t help bursting outughing at the moment, mainly because Da Hua¡¯s getup was just too funny. ¡°Young man, your pig hasn¡¯t eaten for over a day. Remember to feed it some pig food,¡± the driver reminded, ¡°And deal with the sack too. I wrapped it up to prevent it from pooping in my cargo box; I have other goods, and it wouldn¡¯t be nice if they got dirty.¡± ¡°Right on.¡± ¡°Is your pig obedient? If it is, I¡¯ll untie it and you can herd it inside. If not, I¡¯ll help you drag it in.¡± The driver was still quite kind-hearted. ¡°She¡¯s very obedient,¡± Jiang Feng said while trying to contain hisughter, watching Da Hua lying on the ground grunting. Herding Da Hua into the quadrangle courtyard, she, having not eaten for over a day, wanted to nibble on anything she saw. Wu Minqi, who grew up in the provincial capital of Shu, has seen many a ughtered pig but this was her first encounter with a live one; everything Da Hua did was novel to her. Manager Zhong led them to the newly set up pigsty and exined, ¡°This ce was originally a pet room, intended for cats and dogs. Because Mr. Li instructed to raise pigs, I had someonee to remodel it a bit.¡± Jiang Feng looked at the pigsty before him:¡­ Bigger than my room A Then he looked at Da Hua, still trying to root something edible out of the ground. ¡°Uncle Zhong, is there a vegetable market nearby? I need to cook some pig food for her and earn some experience points,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Mr. Li has already made arrangements; the vegetables are in the kitchen. I¡¯ll take you there. This is a spare key; Mr. Li asked me to give you one,¡± Manager Zhong handed the key to Jiang Feng, along with a business card, ¡°This is my card. Contact me anytime if you need anything.¡± Jiang Feng nced at the business card, Zhong Sheng, contact number Bxxxxxxxxx. After Zhong Sheng left, Jiang Feng looked around the kitchen and noticed that he bought quite a lot of vegetables¡ªa good variety of them, from potatoes, cabbages, spinach, water spinach, baby bok choy, and othermon vegetables, even a bag oftro. ¡°How do you cook pig food?¡± Wu Minqi was eager to try; she had never cooked pig food before, ¡°Do you add seasoning, or do you cook it like porridge? Does it need to have taste? What vegetables does Da Hua like to eat?¡± Jiang Feng thought for a moment and said, ¡°Da Hua likes stir-fried dishes.¡± Wu Minqi: ??? ¡°You mean stir-fry it like you do for people?¡± Wu Minqi doubted she heard correctly. ¡°Yes, the same way you would for people,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°I¡¯m going to check the bathroom to see if there¡¯s hot water.¡± ¡°Hot water? Does Da Hua like drinking hot water?¡± Wu Minqi was shocked; this was indeed a pig that marched to its own drum. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to use hot water to mix with cold water and wash herdown first, then scrub her with a brush.¡± Jiang Feng took a stic bucket from the kitchen and headed to the bathroom, preparing to give Da Hua a bath. Cooking pig food, feeding the pig, cleaning the pigsty, bathing the pig¡ªJiang Feng was familiar with all these tasks. And it wasn¡¯t just Jiang Feng; Jiang Zaidi, Jiang Shoucheng, and Jiang Ran were also familiar with them. When it came to raising pigs, every man of the Jiang family was a masterful hand! Chapter 228 - 227 Pig-Shaped Experience Chapter 228: Chapter 227 Pig-Shaped Experience Manufacturing Machine Trantor: 549690339 By the time Jiang Feng had finished washing the pig and returned to the kitchen, Wu Minqi had already chopped most of the vegetables, arranging them on tes, except she was having trouble with the potatoes. ¡°Does Da Hua prefer potato cubes, slices, or shreds?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Jiang Feng:¡­ That was indeed a problem. After some thought, Jiang Feng said, ¡°Just cut them into cubes. It¡¯s quicker that way. Besides, once my grandma arrives this evening, we still need to go out for dinner. Let¡¯s just prepare one meal for it for both lunch and dinner.¡± Wu Minqi nodded and started cutting the potatoes. Jiang Feng fired up the wok to cook. He hadn¡¯t fed Da Hua since winter break and didn¡¯t know how many experience points he would receive from a single bite; he was only level 21 now needing 210,000 experience points to level up. In the three months since thest game update, Jiang Feng had scraped together just over 300,000 experience points. The main reason was that the patrons of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had be spoiled by the random drops of the chef¡¯s nurturing and were getting harder to fool, which meant his experience was umting slower and slower. Once the Taifeng Building opened and Jiang Feng became the chef on the first floor, one could only imagine how slow his experience rual would be He would have to rely on Da Hua to level up. In just one winter break, Da Hua had managed to gobble up nearly a million experience points. Surely it was a very easy-to-please pig! After Wu Minqi finished chopping, she joined Jiang Feng in cooking, attempting to split the experience points that were about to fall into Jiang Feng¡¯sp. Although it pained him, seeing how eager she was, Jiang Feng let her share. One day¡¯s worth of experience points wouldn¡¯t be missed too much. Zhong Sheng had even prepared the bucket for the pig¡¯s feed, along with three extras for easy washing. The dishes cooked separately by Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were ced in their respective buckets. Both were skilled workers, and in less than half an hour, Da Hua¡¯s meal for the day was ready to go. ¡°May I feed the pig?¡± Wu Minqi asked excitedly. She had never fed an animal before; Wu Family Restaurant sometimes prepared ive animals, but since they were always meant to be killed, she was never allowed to feed them. ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± said Jiang Feng, lifting the bucket in front of him, while Wu Minqi picked up the other bucket and they headed towards the pigpen. Da Hua, now squeaky clean, was grunting hungrily in the pigpen. Jiang Feng lifted his bucket to show Wu Minqi, ¡°Just do as I do, pour the feed into the trough, Da Hua will eat on its own.¡± Wu Minqi nodded. While Wu Minqi was on tiptoes trying to get a better look at the pig, Jiang Feng turned his back to open the attributes panel and enable the experience value notification sound. ¡°Dir|g, gained 99 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 132 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 92 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding¡­¡± The dense game notification sounds started ringing in his head. Jiang Feng was moved to tears, looking at Da Hua in the pigpen who kept burying its head in the feed, so low-key, so simple, so silently giving. Da Hua was a goodrade! Although the experience points given each time weren¡¯t much, the sheer volume made up for it! After feeding the pig, the bond between Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi grew a little deeper. The Li Mansion was a bit far from the smallmunity where the Jiang Family rented their house. Jiang Feng checked the traffic conditions, which were pretty good, so he decided to call a car. The driver was quite a talker. Seeing Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, two young people with luggage in tow, he mistook them for tourists and kept introducing them to interesting ces in Beiping. By the way, did you see that restaurant we just passed?¡± the driver asked. There was only one very noticeable restaurant they had just passed, Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng asked, ¡°Is it that Taifeng Building we passed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± the driver said, a mysterious gleam in his eyes. ¡°The person behind it is no ordinary fellow.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Feng was puzzled. ¡°You know where we are, right?¡± the driver asked. ¡°The second ring road.¡± ¡°This is themercial area of the second ring, where thend prices are sky- high. That restaurant has been abandoned for many years, and in recent times many people took pictures there, treating it like a historicalndmark Suddenly, out of nowhere, it started undergoing renovations, and it¡¯s about to open soon. You tell me, doesn¡¯t that imply the owner behind it is someone big? the driver articted his logic wlessly. Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­¡± He actually couldn¡¯t refute it. ¡°Pfft,¡± Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t help butugh. Hey, beautiful, what are youughing at?¡± the driver asked. ¡°Nothing much, I just read a joke,¡± Wu Minqi said with augh, looking at Jiang Feng. ¡ã Bringing Wu Minqi home, Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, who had stayed in the house, immediately became excited. Aunt thought the two sisters were too young to go out alone, and with Jiang Feng out to pick up guests for several hours, the sisters were feeling cooped up. ¡°Feng, Wu, let¡¯s go out and have fun!¡± Jiang Junlian was ready to rebel. Jiang Feng nced at the time, saw that it was almost four o¡¯clock, and tly refused. ¡°Mrs. Jiang will be here for dinner, we are definitely eating together tonight; there¡¯s no time to go out and y.¡± The two sisters were on the verge of tears. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s flight was arriving at six o¡¯clock. Jianguo went to pick her up, while Zaidi had booked a private room at Yonghe House, which was another chance for the Jiang Family to have a big meal to wee Mrs. Jiang. Jiang Feng even doubted whether they could eat their way through all the old restaurants in Beiping before the opening. Poor Jiang Shoucheng had duty today, missing out on the feast. It was Mrs. Jiang¡¯s first time flying, and she had no difort; she even had the leisure and elegance to post photos on her social circle to show off, which triggered her senior sisters group to like andment. ¡°That must be Feng¡¯s girlfriend, she¡¯s really pretty!¡± Mrs. Jiang was seeing Wu Minqi for the first time and spoke with beaming approval, then turned her head and saw her eldest grandson Jiang Zaidi facing the menu with a troubled look. Because the roasted leg ofmb was sold out, Zaidi was agonizing over whether to order beef shank or five-spice roasted chicken. He wanted to eat both, but was unsure how authentic the sweet and sour mandarin fish was at this restaurant, though the picture was enticing. Ah, he wanted all three. Only kids do multiple choices, he had money, he¡¯d take them all! Waiter, rece the roasted leg ofmb with beef shank; also, I¡¯ll have the five-spice roasted chicken and the sweet-and-sour mandarin fish,¡± Zaidi handed the menu to the waiter. Waiter: ??? ¡°Sir, which dish do you want to rece?¡± the waiter asked. ¡°I want all three dishes, remember to serve two portions of each, we have two tables,¡± Zaidi reminded. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve already ordered fifteen dishes, and these three are main courses that¡¯s a lot-¡± the waiter nced around the private room at the Jiang Family members and immediately changed his tune, ¡°Alright, all three it is. Would you like to order anything else?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Zaidi said, his mother was trying to lose weight; she needed to eat less at dinner. Mrs. Jiang looked towards Zaidi. ¡°Zaidi, you¡¯re not young anymore. Feng has a girlfriend now, howe we¡¯ve heard no news on your end? Your dad had you at your age, you¡­ really¡­¡± What was supposed to be a pleasant dinner suddenly turned into arge-scale marriage pressure event. Even the arrival of the dishes wasn¡¯t enough to stop Mrs. Jiang¡¯s mouth. The dishes at Yonghe House were still excellent, made by an experienced chef with deep skills, especially the sliced braisedmb. Thin and tender slices evenly coated with sauce, the right bnce of fat and lean, and the steamedmb didn¡¯t even have that gamey smell, definitely the work of an experienced chef. After dinner, sisters Junlian and Junqing excitedly discussed where they would go tomorrow; Jiang Feng didn¡¯t have the heart to tell them they¡¯re not going anywhere. & Zaide sat to Jiang Feng¡¯s right during dinner and told him that the renovationpany called this afternoon to notify that Taifeng Building would be finished by tomorrow morning. This meant it was time to start taste-testing the dishes. The two sisters were also going to be drafted by the Sir to practice cooking, bing free and unqualified kitchen hands. Since the opening was approaching, the menu needed to be finalized. During dinner, Jiang Feng sent a WeChat message to Ji Xue and Ji Yue asking them toe over in the next few days, especially Ji Xue. After returning, Jiang Feng showed the tablet to Wu Minqi so she could get familiar with the Ordering System. Like every member of the Jiang Family, Wu Minqi held the tablet and randomly pressed away; after a long time, she eximed, ¡°This ordering program is quite interesting.¡± ¡°By the way, I just heard De mention that the construction will bepleted tomorrow. When are we going to start tasting the dishes?¡± Minqi asked. ¡°It should be in these next few days. The kitchen staff need to get in sync first. Zhang Guanghang, De, and Cheng have contacted quite a few media reporters food critics, and famous food lovers. We absolutely can¡¯t have any mess-ups on the opening day,¡± Feng said. ¡°Is the opening date set?¡± Minqi asked. ¡°Yes, July 12th. My mom checked the almanac; it¡¯s a lucky day,¡± Feng said. July 12th is suitable for weddings, lighting fires, demolition, sacrifices, prayers for blessings, consecrations, logging, earthworks, starting construction work, trading, issuing certificates, moving in, moving house, setting the bed, buying livestock, and funerals. Chapter 229 - 228: The Holy Grail of Weight Loss Chapter 229: Chapter 228: The Holy Grail of Weight Loss Trantor SdQRQmQQ?????????? 0 The most important task for the kitchen before opening was the taste testing, where all the staff gathered together, including Ji Xue, who rarely indulged in¡¯ the luxury of taking the high-speed train. Not a single person was missing. The Furnace Chefs had to submit their proposed signature dishes to Jiang Weiguo, the nominative Head Chef, so that other kitchen positions could prepare the necessary ingredients in advance. For this reason, the two sirs had even made a point of preparing the broth a day earlier. Taste testing is hard work; it could take a day or two to finalize the menu. It was only after the menu was set that the quantity of ingredients needed for purchase and the specific work allocation of other staff in the kitchen could be determined. Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen was spacious with plenty of stoves, which made taste testing convenient as multiple people could work at the same time. Jiang Weiguo had received the menus from all the Furnace Chefs early on. Everyone¡¯s was normal, except for Jiang Feng¡¯s. Pure meat wontons, pickled vegetable dumplings, Sweet and Sour Yam, preserved egg and lean meat congee, eight-treasure porridge, Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, chopped pepper fish head, and eight-treasure tofu. The stuffed chicken wasn¡¯t ready yet; he guessed that in a couple of days, once it was learned, it could be added to the menu as well. Jiang Weiguo looked at the menu Jiang Feng had submitted and sneered. He hadn¡¯t expected his grandson to be an all-rounder who had dabbled in so many cuisines, even quietly mastering dishes famous in Chinatown. ¡°Let¡¯s start the testing, one by one. Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, Zhang Guanghang, Ji Xue, Sun Jikai, and Zhou Shi, you guys go first,¡± called Jiang Weiguo, ¡°The rest of you, prepare the ingredients.¡± Following the order of the submitted menus, Jiang Feng¡¯s first dish was the pure meat wontons. Since the dough station also needed to taste test, they already had dough ready, so he could just roll out the wonton wrappers. At first, Jiang Feng hesitated about this dish, as from the cooking technique to the seasoning to the added buffs, it was undoubtedly a candidate for dark cuisine. But, after all, it was a dish with a game recipe bonus, and there were only nine dishes in the cookbook: two were too difficult to make, one he hadn¡¯t had the time to learn yet, and one had no bonus buff. Excluding these four, there were only five left. Jiang Feng believed there would always be someone fated to fancy these wontons and fall in love with them. The chef at the cutting board worked quickly. While Jiang Feng was rolling the wrappers, the meat filling was chopped and seasoned, wrapped casually, and then cooked just as casually. When the wontons were ready, Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t even want to lift his eyes to look at them. Jiang Jiankang, still traumatized by Jiang Feng¡¯s wontons, refused to taste them, and the two sirs crossed it off their list without sampling as well. Only the other unsuspecting chefs in the kitchen naively picked up their spoons. The next second, the kitchen was filled with cries. Jiang Weiguo & Jiang Weiming: ??? The other five chefs still cooking: ??? ¡°Grandpa, even though this dish doesn¡¯t taste good, I think it¡¯s very distinctive. It¡¯s always like this;st time my dad felt the same,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Maybe there will be customers who like it.¡± ¡°I cried because it was so disgusting,¡± retorted Jiang Jiankang stubbornly, feeling that his son¡¯s idea was very dangerous. Jiang Weiming patted Zhang Weiyu, who was curled up, squatting, and holding himself as he cried, and asked, ¡°What does the wonton taste like?¡± Disgusting,¡± Zhang Weiyu replied before burying his head again in distress. Jiang Weiguo had not expected Jiang Feng¡¯s bowl of wontons to make so many cry with its bad taste. Initially nning to dismiss the wontons from the menu, he now hesitated, wondering if perhaps the wonton¡¯s notoriety could be a draw. ¡°Let¡¯s see, we¡¯ll decideter. You make the next dish, the pickled vegetable dumplings. Didn¡¯t you make these for Mr. Han?¡± inquired Jiang Weiguo, remembering the dish somewhat. ¡®Yes, those pickled vegetable dumplings were the ones I made for Mr. Han,¡± confirmed Jiang Feng and got to work. With most of the chopping chefs in tears and unable to work, it didn¡¯t much matter; Jiang Feng knew how to knead the dough and was familiar with the dish, having prepared it every few days over the past few months for Han Guishan. By the time the other five¡¯s dishes were ready, those in anguish had mostly finished crying and could resume working while sniffling, asionally letting a few tears fall into the food without issue. Wu Minqi made Sichuan wontons, which were a delicacypared to what Jiang Feng had made previously. After tasting, the two sirs nodded in approval. The wontons could be wrapped in advance in the morning, and the broth prepared ahead of time, saving time-a splendid main dish. Zhang Guanghang crafted the Four Joyful Meatballs. With his many years of study under Xia Mushi, his Shandong cuisine skills were solid, and he received unanimous praise from everyone. Ji Xue and Sun Jikai both made Cantonese dishes; Ji Xue made sweet and sour pork with pineapple, while Sun Jikai made white boiled shrimp. Both were decent. Zhou Shi was bold and skillful, makingmb stir-fry, which received unanimous poor reviews from everyone. Especially Jiang Jiankang, who had just eatenmb stir-fry at Yonghe House two days earlier, deeply felt that Taifeng Building should not sell this dish. It was a total embarrassment. Ji Xue only submitted three dishes, including the sweet and sour pork satay beef, and y pot chicken with Huadiao wine. Sun Jikai, on the other hand, submitted a plethora of dishes. Whether trying to redeem himself or to prove his determination to turn things around after a long period of disadvantage, his menu included not only Cantonese dishes but also Fujian cuisine. White boiled shrimp, Cantonese Wenchang chicken, crispy roast suckling pig, boiled chicken, steamed East Star grouper, Buddha¡¯s Delight, braised squab, ¡¯ pot-cooked chicken with pigs¡¯ stomach, lychee pork, and satay noodles. Although Sun Jikai was eliminated early in thepetition, he knew a lot of specialty dishes! His menu was equivalent to one Jiang Feng plus one Ji Xue. Since the pickled vegetable meatballs required more time to steam, others had mostly started their third dish, while Jiang Feng¡¯s pickled vegetable meatballs were still steaming. However, he didn¡¯t waste anytime; while the meatballs steamed, he prepared both the preserved egg and lean meat congee and eight treasures congee, slow-cooking them on the stove. He made two big pots, considering them as the first staff meal for everyone at Taifeng Building. Soon, the pickled vegetable meatballs were ready. The kitchen staff, who had the unfortunate experience of trying the wontons, were still haunted by Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking, finding it ironic that someone who looked so sunny-faced could create something so dark. Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Weiming knew all too well about Jiang Feng¡¯s culinary skills and had no intention of eating, instead gathering together to discuss how to price Ji Xue¡¯s sweet and sour pork with pineapple. To encourage his son, Jiang Jiankang grabbed a pickled vegetable meatball and started eating with a natural expression, showing no sign of difort. Zhang Weiyu, seeing that Jiang Jiankang was fine, bravely became the second person to try it. ¡®How is it?¡± Sang Ming asked curiously. ¡°Not bad,¡± Zhang Weiyu felt that, although the pickled vegetable meatball didn¡¯t look like much, it was pretty exciting to eat, getting better with each bite. It tasted average at first, but after eating half of it, there was an unexpectedly unique vor. Sang Ming and Han Yigu exchanged nces. Half each? Alright, half each it is! The others also started to share the pickled vegetable meatballs, some taking half, some taking a quarter. Perhaps their expectations had been lowered to rock bottom by the prior wonton experience, but they found the in-looking pickled vegetable meatballs without any oil or filling surprisingly tasty. ¡°Burp,¡± Zhang Weiyu belched. ¡°Dude, you ate quite a lot this morning, huh? You are already full,¡± Sang Mingmented while chewing on a pickled vegetable meatbail. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything. I¡¯ve been in the store since early in the morning,¡± Zhang Weiyu was also bewildered. Sang Ming¡¯s gaze toward him changed instantly, eyeing the sturdy, tall man, wondering how he could be full from just one meatbail. ¡°Grandfather, look, this pickled vegetable meatbail might seem in, but it¡¯s filling. Mr. Han used to love it a lot. It¡¯s made with cornmeal, no filling, no oil low in calories, green and healthy, practically an essential dish for modern women on a diet!¡± Jiang Feng exined with fervor and emotion. Jiang Weiguo: ??? Has his grandson be foolish from love??? Chapter 230 - 229 Sweet and Sour Yam Chapter 230: Chapter 229 Sweet and Sour Yam Trantor: 549690339 | In the following hours, the staff in the kitchen experienced the full spectrum of vors: sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy. Jiang Feng¡¯s next dish was Sweet and Sour Yam, and the new employees in the kitchen had not yet witnessed Jiang Feng¡¯s remarkable culinary skills after his ¡°game-changer,¡± therefore they still harbored doubts about the freshly made Sweet and Sour Yam. Zhang Weiyu, who couldn¡¯t stop burping after eating pickled vegetable dumplings and barely managed to suppress it with two big sses of water, had the courage and the spirit to try, but his stomach simply wouldn¡¯t allow it. He would soon realize what he had missed. Taking advantage of everyone¡¯s hesitation, Jiang Jiankang swiftly grabbed a rge piece. After eating it without any expression, he said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to try it? The Sweet and Sour Yam will change vor once it cools.¡± Having finished, he took another piece. Sang Ming hesitated for a moment, reasoning that Jiang Feng was not only the young boss but also his interviewer, who had the insightful vision to recognize his natural talent in arranging mahjong tiles, consequently extending him an opportunity for employment. With resolve, he also took a piece. The just-cooked Sweet and Sour Yam, though no longer scalding after a quick dip in cold water, was still piping hot inside the sugaryyer. Sang Ming sucked in air as he bit off and swallowed half of it. That vor! Sang Ming was stunned. He had never tasted Sweet and Sour Yam so delicious! Sang Ming was uneducated, having attended a worthless high school where he never scored over 300 points on monthly exams. Even with an above-average performance on the college entrance exam, he only just broke the 300 mark, which was still over a hundred points short of the undergraduate cutoff line. A year at vocational school cost tens of thousands, and with a younger sister who had good grades and was about to enter high school, he couldn¡¯t waste his family¡¯s money. Instead, he needed to save for his sister¡¯s university education. Rather than throwing away cash on a pointless vocational school, he figured he might as well try his luck drifting to Beiping with some fellow townsmen and see if he could make something of himself. Without any special talents, asionally praised for being handy, his only im to fame was his skill at ying mahjong, and his prowess at the game was so renowned in his area that no one wanted to y with him during the New Year celebrations anymore. He decided to apply for the kitchen apprentice cook position because he heard it was just odd jobs. Given a choice between 7500 yuan a month with meals included and 5000 yuan a month with meals and amodation, he naturally chose the former, as he shared a basement apartment with some townsmen and a few strangers for just 500 yuan a month. If he could save 6500 yuan a month, that would be 78,000 yuan a year. The boss had mentioned triple pay during holidays and a year-end bonus. There might even be the possibility of a gradual sry increase, which could mean he¡¯d save up at least eighty or ny thousand yuan a year, maybe even more. With that amount of money, he could send his sister to a good high school in the city. She was a promising student and shouldn¡¯t waste her days in a town high school. If she could get into a good university and find a decent job, she might even marry into a good family. His sister wasn¡¯t like him, savvy, nor good at manual tasks, and wasn¡¯t attractive either. How did that saying go? If you are ugly, you should study harder. His sister had no real advantages-t-nosed, dark-skinned, always with pimples on her face, not even skilled at mahjong. If she didn¡¯t study, she would indeed struggle to find a husbandter on. Sang Ming¡¯s thoughts were in a whirl, and down went a piece of Sweet and Sour Yam. He also thought of the girl from the ss next door in high school, the math teacher¡¯s daughter, who was beautiful, with fair skin and big eyes, theplete opposite of his sister. If only his sister could look like that, she wouldn¡¯t need to study; just a stroke of good luck couldnd her a good marriage. But he had digressed. Sang Ming worried about his sister so much, he found a way to connect everything back to her. The girl next door really was pretty, and excellent at math. Sang Ming had a crush on her once, but unfortunately, though he was great at counting cards in mahjong, he was terrible at math; his luck only stretched to guessing single digits. After high school, the girl went off to a university in the provincial capital, while Sang Ming drifted to Beiping, having never exchanged a word during his two years of secret affection. Speaking of which, although his sister couldn¡¯t y mahjong well-she couldn¡¯t even count cards-her math was exceptionally good, always scoring full marks on exams. Wait, how did he end up thinking about his sister again? Just a couple of days ago, she had called to tell him she finished first in her grade, and on impulse, he had sent her a 15-yuan red envelope. Sigh, he had been swindled out of a day¡¯s meal money by his sister. ¡°Sang Ming, Sang Ming, what are you thinking about? I¡¯ve called you several times but you didn¡¯t hear, is the Sweet and Sour Yam good?¡± Han Yigu asked. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s really tasty, no, I mean it¡¯s delicious, really delicious!¡± Sang Ming replied. Others reached for their chopsticks one after another, all bing engrossed in the sweet taste of the sweet and sour pet food. In the end, it was the two Sirs who mmed down their verdict on the pricing of the dishes. The involvement of other chefs was mainly to let them understand the abilities of the respective furnace chefs and to give the furnace chefs a reality check regarding their own skills. Take Zhou Shi for instance. At first, he thought that although he was younger, he was at least better than Jiang Feng, but after Jiang Feng finished the sweet and sour yam, he deeply realized that he was indeed just the younger brother. After tasting the sweet and sour yam, the entire kitchen staff looked at Jiang Feng with newfound respect. Jiang Feng, unruffled by praise or criticism, began preparing the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. Li Hongzhang hodgepodge is aplicated and borate dish, which ordingly, if it could be put on the menu, would also be priced rtively high. Ji Xue was still concentrating on her pot-roasted chicken in Shaoxing wine; the two Sirs were also looking forward to it. If Ji Xue could maintain her standard from thepetition, just this dish alone could carve a bloody path for Taifeng Building in Beiping City. The two Sirs were well aware of Jiang Feng¡¯s level, and the only dish they were prepared to taste personally was this Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. ¡°When did Feng learn this dish?¡± Jiang Weiguo had only one thing he couldn¡¯t figure out¡ª who taught Jiang Feng this dish. This famous Chinatown dish, neither he nor Jiang Weiming knew how to make it, so where had Jiang Feng learned it from? ¡ö¡¯I remember in these past few months he¡¯s always been tinkering with all sorts of bizarre things in the kitchen. Maybe he¡¯s blindly figured it out from some online recipe,¡± Jiang Weiming guessed. For the past few months, Jiang Feng had been working on perfecting the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, Yun Chicken, and Superior Soup. To outsiders, it indeed seemed like blind tinkering. Zhou Shi essentially fell out of the running, stumbling on three consecutive dishes. He didn¡¯t deserve to have a dish named after him in the specialty menu. Zhang Guanghang had several standard French dishes in addition to his Shandong cuisine; changing the dish¡¯s name and the te could easily disguise it as Chinese food. For instance, the French spinach pile with sauce, rename it to Prosperity Tops The Waves or simply call it Spinach Pile, and few would identify it as French cuisine. There¡¯s also the French Rosemary Roast Lamb Chops-remove ¡®French,¡¯ and eighty percent of the customers would simply think it¡¯s roastmb chops. Just add the word ¡®French,¡¯ and the price could double. Sun Jikai was somewhat stronger than Zhou Shi; his steamed East Star Grouper was directly struck out. Other than pricey, the dish had no distinct advantages. His crispy roast suckling pig was also out; his skills were not enough to make such arge dish well. However, the crispy roast suckling pig gave Jiang Weiming a bit of inspiration. After all, when it came to roasting a whole pig, Shandong cuisine is the originator, with the Roasted Pig being one of the Eight Delicacies from the Zhou Dynasty, followed by countless variations. Jiang Weiming knew quite a few of these. Using such a ¡°hard¡± dish as the showstopper for the opening day couldn¡¯t be more appropriate. With Zhou Shi out of the picture, another furnace chef took his ce while Ji Xue¡¯s pot-roasted chicken in Shaoxing wine still needed more time. Jiang Feng¡¯s Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, however, was almost ready toe out of the pot, reaching the step where it¡¯s to be arranged on a tter before being steamed. ¡°Sang Ming, Han Yigu, Ou Yang, Luo Yu, Yin Xuan,e over and watch how I te this,¡± Jiang Feng called his colleagues. If his Li Hongzhang hodgepodge could score a perfect hundred, thirty points would be due to the ting alone, highlighting the significant impact of excellent presentation on the dish. Observing Jiang Feng¡¯s hand movements, Sang Ming had an epiphany. ¡°This is a way of ting a cake! And it¡¯s three-dimensional,¡± Sang Ming remarked. The rest: ??? Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng¡¯s hand movements halted as he took a closer look. Upon Sang Ming¡¯sment, it did look somewhat simr. Even with a significant inner turmoil, Jiang Feng did not reveal it on his face and continued with his hand movements, saying, ¡°Just stack ityer byyer like this, then pour the broken bits and the original broth over it, and it¡¯s ready to steam.¡± Even if the ¡®buff¡¯ can only be done once a day, making such a good dish just once a day would be wasteful. It definitely needs to be priced higher and made more often, preferably taught to the other furnace chefs for mass production. About ten minutester, the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge was ready toe out of the pot.. Chapter 231 - 230: Rainbow Farts Chapter 231: Chapter 230: Rainbow Farts Trantor: 549690339 Everyone¡¯s first reaction to this dish was that it was beautiful. Really beautiful! Layer uponyer, rich in color, just like andscape painting. The two Sirs were also surprised; they had not expected Jiang Feng to be sopetent in his presentation, and they began sampling the dish with avid interest. The next second, the kitchen of Taifeng Building was awash with tears again. Sun Jikai, who couldn¡¯t resist sampling it with his chopsticks, also cried, the whole kitchen resonated with sobbing, tears intermingled, each person more miserable than thest. ¡°Third¡­ third brother, why are you too¡­¡± Jiang Weiguo felt as if the whole world had changed the moment he put down his chopsticks, even Jiang Weiming was crying, though silently, his tears were tumultuous. Jiang Weiming had hidden too many negative emotions over the years, disappointment in his eldest son, guilt towards his youngest, including his current hopes for Jiang Feng. Although he always appeared cheerful, never prone to anger, the burden in his heart grew heavier each day. From the moment the food touched his tongue, he had an impulse to indulge in a robust cry, to vent out all the pressures within his heart. He did just that, and even though he was crying, he felt much better. Some weren¡¯t just crying, they were also talking. Sang Ming, pulling Han Yigu along and crying, said, ¡°Look at my sister, she¡¯s dark, short, not clever, not diligent, can¡¯t even y mahjong, not pretty and our family has no money. Apart from being good at studying, she has no merits. What will she do if she doesn¡¯t get into a good university?¡± Han Yigu cried even harder, ¡°Brother, why do I feel like you¡¯re insulting me? I¡¯m not even good at studying.¡± The two hugged their heads and wept together. Zhang Weiyu, who was on the side eating melon seeds, was dumbfounded. He nudged the person next to him and asked, ¡°Is the dish that bad?¡± Why is everyone crying even harder than when they ate wontons before? ¡°It¡¯s not bad, actually quite delicious, just feel like crying,¡± the person replied, and then continued sobbing with his head down. Jiang Weiguo looked at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng looked at Jiang Weiguo. Jiang Weiguo thought his little grandson must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, wondering what on earth kind of dishes he was making. Over the years, he had seen many dishes that delighted people, but this was the first time he had seen dishes that made people cry as they ate. Jiang Feng was also bewildered. Why hadn¡¯t Grandpa cried? He had been looking forward to seeing the old Sir burst into tears. Jiang Feng recalled the details of the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge: consumption triggers an intense desire to cry within twenty minutes, releasing negative emotions. No way, Sir has such a sunny disposition that he harbors no negative emotions at all? ¡°Why are you crying again, what did you just make?¡± Wu Minqi took the chrysanthemum fish out of the pot, saw that the Kitchen Apprentice Cooks were crying and nobody was doing the ting, so she spontaneously ted it herself. The fish head pointing upwards, the fried flower cuts resembling several blooming chrysanthemums, the fish meat ced in the middle, and the tail pressed down to show just a pointed tip. Not to mention, the upward-facing fish head did carry a bit of the feel of the famous British dish ¡°Fish Gazing at the Stars,¡± with the dead fish¡¯s eyes wide open. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ve been under too much stresstely, and got moved by my cooking to the point that they needed to release it,¡± Jiang Feng said blithely. Jiang Feng pondered over the dishes Wu Minqi had made and found it strange: ¡°You haven¡¯t really made any spicy dishes!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t have much choice, the people here in Beiping don¡¯t eat much spicy food, even the hot pot is mixed with sesame sauce. I was worried that making those spicy dishes might affect the business,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°Wu, don¡¯t worry so much, just go for it,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Wu Minqi paused for a moment, then smiled: ¡°Okay.¡± Then she went to fetch chopped chili and Sichuan peppercorns to prepare for the next dish. Jiang Feng:¡­ He had the nagging feeling that Wu Minqi had just unsealed something. Once the buff from the twenty minutes passed, everyone gradually stopped crying, except for Han Yigu who was still in torrents of tears, inconsble. ¡°Brother, stop crying, think about my sister, she¡¯s dark and¡­¡± Sang Ming tried tofort him. ¡°Shut up!¡± Han Yigu grew even more distraught. Aside from a few unavoidable minor mishaps, today¡¯s trial cooking session was quite sessful. Both Sirs had made up their minds: they had tried the specialty dishes today and would try the standard dishes tomorrow. After finalizing the menu and allowing the kitchen staff a couple more days to integrate, it would be time to open for business. Everything was going smoothly for Mrs. Wang Xiulian and the senior aunt too, despite some small issues that were not too serious. They were all professional proprietresses, and with the help of the professional hotel lobby managers, as well as Ji Yue, whose Talent Skills in hotel management were maxed out, there were no major problems, all things considered quite smooth. The service manager at Taifeng Building was named Fan Mei, 31 years old, who used to lead teams at Michelin restaurants in New York for a few years before moving back to Magic City after getting married to work at star-rated hotels for a while. She was headhunted for this position. She was kind-hearted and experienced, knew when to be soft and when to be strict, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian liked her very much. Ji Yue, on the other hand, was a supervisor, but her work hours and sry were quite flexible. In her words, she was a manga artist, and serving was just a way to find inspiration for her drawings. ¡°Ji Yue, are we getting dinner provided tonight?¡± In just one afternoon, Ji Yue had gained a little shadow. That shadow was named Qi Rou, 18 years old, who, like Sang Ming, had moved to the city after high school graduation, following fellow vigers. She was timid and indecisive; moving to the city was the boldest thing she had ever done in her life. If she had note to Beiping, she would have stayed in her hometown and, arranged by her parents, married a man of simr age, then started having children. Many of her elementary and junior high schoolmates were already mothers of at least one child. She did not want that kind of life. She felt that if she were to marry, she should have earned a bit of money first, so that she would have some confidence when she got married. ¡°Brown-noser,¡± Qi Rou¡¯s fellow viger said with a sideways nce. ¡°Today the kitchen had a trial run, so dinner¡¯s definitely on,¡± Ji Yue said, casting a stealthy nce at Qi Rou¡¯ s fellow viger. Fan Mei frowned. It was hard to recruit service staff, even harder to recruit those with high quality. The Jiang Family had no experience in recruitment, and although they offered high wages, the short recruitment period led to inconsistent quality among the hires. They could only wait until after opening to recruit more slowly or to train employees with potential. Fan Mei nned to bring this up a littleter with the proprietresses. Ji Yue leisurely made her way to the kitchen. Everything was in order, except everyone had slightly red eyes and a few had tear stains on their faces. Ji Yue, with her rich experience of being experimented on by Jiang Feng, guessed right away that Jiang Feng had made Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. ¡°You¡¯re really nning to sell this dish?¡± Ji Yue couldn¡¯t believe it. Although the dish tasted good, its side effects were dramatic¡ªit made people cry, and after crying, one felt relieved. Back in May, under the pressure of deadlines and not daring to procrastinate, she had to eat the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge and cry every two days to rx. During that time, Mrs. Wang Xiulian spoke to her withforting tones, thinking she was being moody because of a heartbreak. At that time, Mrs. Wang Xiulian didn¡¯t realize that Ji Yue had been single for one or two years without even a chance of experiencing a heartbreak. ¡°This dish is a signature one, it¡¯s famous and can fetch a high price, of course we¡¯ll sell it!¡± Jiang Feng believed he had a bit of a business brain. Ji Yue:¡­ Well, as long as you¡¯re happy. The main course for dinner was two pots of porridge boiled by Jiang Feng,plemented by the remaining dishes from the kitchen staff¡¯s trials¡ªwhich simply needed reheating since they had cooled. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t dare serve the leftover Li Hongzhang hodgepodge since he feared it would make the new employees at Taifeng Building cry and leave. Qi Rou was thrilled to see such a rich assortment of dishes for dinner, but her fellow viger frowned, muttering softly, ¡°Capitalists, just trying to woo us with these leftover dishes and in porridge.¡± She thought she was speaking softly, but Ji Yue, who was three people away, heard her. Ji Yue couldn¡¯t help but take another look at the young woman with a in appearance and a face that seemed to suggest she was owed eight hundred million, puzzled about how Mrs. Wang had recruited her. Changing her train of thought, Ji Yue figured it was none of her business; anyway, if there were issues with her work, she would surely be let go. ¡°Jiang Feng, which dish was made by Zhang Guanghang?¡± Ji Yue whispered to Jiang Feng as she approached him. ¡°That spinach pile, the Four Joyful Meatballs at the front, and themb chops next to you, and also¡­¡± Jiang Feng proceeded to list everything he saw until Ji Yue cut him off. ¡°Enough, enough,¡± Ji Yue said, swiftly grabbing a piece ofmb chop. ¡°Actually, Ji Xue¡¯s y pot rice wine chicken tastes the best, but it wasn¡¯t brought out to the kitchen. Do you want to go in and try it?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°No rush, no rush. We¡¯ve got plenty of days ahead. What kind ofmb chop is this, what¡¯s the full name?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°French Rosemary Roasted Lamb Chops,¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t understand why Ji Yue was asking this. The next second, he got it. ¡°My goodness, these French Rosemary Roasted Lamb Chops are incredibly delicious, absolutely exquisite! Juicy and savory, a treat for the eyes and the pte, Jade te Delicacy pales inparison!¡± Ji Yue said with much enthusiasm,vishing praise. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve gone over the top,¡± Jiang Feng murmured quietly. Quickly adjusting her expression to seem a tad more sincere, Ji Yue said, ¡°I got too excited, couldn¡¯t quite control my expression.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Heh, women. Chapter 232 - 231: Flower Basket Chapter 232: Chapter 231: Flower Basket Trantor: 549690339 July 12th was a big day for the catering industry in Beiping. It was rumored that the powerful and wealthy owner with endless resources and a mysterious background had decided to open Taifeng Building on July 12th. These past few days, no member of the Jiang Family had rested; the kitchen staff were practicing and coordinating under themand of the two sirs, the lobby staff were strict and ready under the guidance of Fan Mei, and Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng were practically throwing money around. As soon as the people of Beiping opened their phones to check the news, they were bombarded with updates about Taifeng Building¡¯s opening on July 12th, with a barrage of strange headlines and content that seemed to be written by editors who were paid yet still used their feet to write. Just casually browsing the news these past few days, Jiang Feng had seen plenty of it. ¡°The Top-level Restaurant in Beiping That You Don¡¯t Know¡± ¡°Mysterious Restaurant About to Open¡± ¡°Shocking, the Man Behind Taifeng Building is Actually Him!¡± ¡°The Struggle of the Six Emperors, Who Will Reign Supreme?¡± Jiang Feng really wondered if those editors all had a temte, into which they could fit any piece of news by just changing the title to create an entirely new article. Even the sisters, Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, weren¡¯t idle; since the busy kitchen kept them from ruining radishes and potatoes, they were given a couple of days off to wander around Taifeng Building. These two drama queens, ying the tourists, spent the days asking passerby in nearby shops and malls: ¡°I see that restaurant over there is quite busy, is it about to open?¡± Everyone was ready, aiming for the grand opening. Taifeng Building was to open at 11:08 a.m., a time set by Wang Xiulian. ording to her, she had specifically sought a famous fortune teller to calcte this auspicious time for the opening, promising that business would surely thrive if they started at this moment. Everyone knew she was spouting nonsense. The only time Wang Xiulian ever indulged in feudal superstition was when she sought a fairly well-known fortune teller in Z city for Jiang Feng before his college entrance examination. The fortune teller had said Jiang Feng was inherentlyzy and would have a difficult time bing very rich, his exam results would be mediocre, there would be a romantic encounter between ages 18 and 24, and a romantic cmity after 25, which would cost another 800 yuan to resolve. If he wanted to improve his grades quickly, he could buy a talisman for just 150 yuan each. Later, with the eptance letter from Jiang Feng¡¯s college entrance exam in hand, Wang Xiulian and her fourth sister-inw nearly tore the fortune teller¡¯s door off its hinges. If there was anyone in the Jiang Family who despised feudal superstition the most, it was surely the fourth sister-inw, mainly because she went with Wang Xiulian to see that fortune teller. While Wang Xiulian inquired about Jiang Feng, the fourth sister-inw asked about Jiang Ran, and ended up buying three 150-yuan talismans because the fortune teller suggested that having three might give a chance to be the top scorer on the exam. Who could¡¯ve known the fortune teller¡¯s idea of ¡°chance¡± was zero? Though women might asionally fall for odd things and pay what¡¯s known as a ¡°stupidity tax,¡± it was still rare to see someone like the fourth sister-inw do so with a fortune teller. July 12th, 9 a.m. Two hours before the opening, the entire Taifeng Building was bustling about; the kitchen staff had arrived early, preparing and organizing everything with precision. Under the supervision of Fan Mei and Ji Yue, the waitstaff double-checked the decorations in the lobby, the cleanliness of the floor, and the neatness of the tablecloths without any wrinkles, making sure everything was repeatedly inspected for perfection. Fan Mei tirelessly reiterated to everyone: ¡°Remember, always greet each guest with a smile. The guests in Area C are VIPs invited specifically for the opening by the boss, many of whom are reporters, so maintain a good image. Area A has tables for groups of four; manage the seating properly, don¡¯t just lead customers to any empty table, and be proactive when guests need assistance, don¡¯t stand idly by like a block of wood. And when you see guests with children¡­¡± Today¡¯s opening banquet invited many prominent guests. Due to Xu Cheng epting Jiang Feng¡¯s invitation, a lot of gourmands and professional gastronomy critics came, drawn to the venue like sharks to blood, enclosing Taifeng Buildingpletely. Not only did Jiang Feng invite Xu Cheng, but also the other judges from the Good Taste culinarypetition, including Han Guishan. Except for Han Guishan, who couldn¡¯t leave because of business matters, everyone else dly epted the invitation. Pei Shenghua even brought a few friends from the culinary circle to join, bolstering the event for Jiang Feng. The old Sir had also invited Sun Guanyun, but apparently, some trouble had arisen at Jubao Building and Sun Guanyun couldn¡¯t leave, so while the floral baskets arrived, the person did not. Regardless, the array of floral baskets at the entrance of Taifeng Building was quite impressive¡ªonly thergest and most expensive ones, and many were from people the Jiang Family didn¡¯t even know, who were simply following the trend. It all started with Han Guishan; seeing him send two baskets, Xu Cheng followed suit with one of his own. The other judges, noticing Xu Cheng and Han Guishan had sent baskets, did the same. But the key point was that Xu Cheng and Han Guishan weren¡¯t just customers; they each controlledpanies worth billions and even tens of billions. Bandwagoners, those seeking favor, acquaintances, and incidental contributors made the line of floral baskets in front of Taifeng Building quite long. Passersby, out of curiosity, would take a nce and exim in surprise to theirpanions, ¡°My, the owner of this restaurant must really be something extraordinary. Look at these floral baskets¡ªeach one is from somepany or group.¡± Hispanion nced at the well-decorated Taifeng Building and couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated. He said, ¡°Forget about it, the dishes are definitely expensive in a ce like this. Let¡¯s just go back and eat fried noodles at the entrance of ourmunity.¡± Passersby reluctantly took another look at the sign and suggested, ¡°How about we splurge here once I get paid? You can tell the food is good just by looking at the decorations.¡± Companion: ??? Because the two had lingered at the entrance for too long, they caught the attention of the hostess greeting guests at the door, who was Qi Rou. Because of her pleasant appearance, Qi Rou was assigned to the entrance by Fan Mei. ¡°Gentlemen, our restaurant opens at 11:08 am, and it hasn¡¯t reached opening time yet. If you would like to dine with us, you will need to wait a little longer. There are still 26 minutes before we open,¡± Qi Rou said in a gentle voice. ¡°We¡¯re just looking around, not eating, not eating,¡± thepanion said, fearing they might be lured in and suffer a wallet catastrophe. ¡°Sir, since our restaurant is newly opening, there will be a lottery event shortly with eight vouchers, each worth a thousand yuan, given away. If you¡¯re interested, you can join in,¡± Qi Rou offered. ¡°Are there any conditions for participating in the lottery?¡± the passerby¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°There are no conditions, but each person can only participate once,¡± replied Qi Rou. For a moment, she forgot the closing phrase Fan Mei had reminded her to say after speaking with guests and, on a whim, added, ¡°I wish you a pleasant life.¡± The two: ??? ¡°Shall we wait?¡± the passerby asked hispanion. ¡°Let¡¯s wait,¡± thepanion checked his phone, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s Saturday and we¡¯re not busy, and it¡¯s only 20 minutes. What if we win?¡± So, the two of them listlessly began their wait by the side of the road. As they waited, passersby grew curious. The restaurant wasn¡¯t even open yet, so why were people already waiting outside? Could it be that the food here was that good? ¡°Hey, buddy, can I ask what you two are waiting for?¡± a young man in casual clothes asked. ¡°Waiting for the lottery. This restaurant is new and will give away vouchers worth a thousand yuan to eight people soon,¡± said thepanion. The young man¡¯s eyes shone, and he joined the waiting queue. After a while, a curious elderlydy passed by and inquired. The elderlydy also joined the waiting queue. A family of three came over to ask. The family of three joined the queue. More and more people gathered in front of Taifeng Building, making it an intimidating sight and stirring various different thoughts in people¡¯s minds. Could the news they saw these past days be true, that the backers of this restaurant are really powerful? Could the news they saw these days be true, that the chef behind this restaurant is indeed the top-secret chef who never shows his face? Could the news they saw these days be true, that this restaurant¡­ At eleven o¡¯clock, the journalists invited under the financial influence of Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi arrived one after another; some were quite professional, with a whole team and even carrying equipment. But no matter how professional or not, as soon as everyone got out of their cars and saw the crowd of people waiting in front of Taifeng Building, they were all stunned. ¡°Tang, quick, quick, start filming from that angle over there,¡± a certain Mr. Hu, a professional journalist, said excitedly. Chapter 233 - 232 Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring Chapter 233: Chapter 232 Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring Trantor: 549690339 | At 11:08 AM, precisely on time, Taifeng Building opened for business. Firecrackers weren¡¯t allowed in the city district, which subtracted from the festive atmosphere of the opening. Since the two sirs disliked ceremonies like ribbon-cutting, considering them frivolous, Taifeng Building simply opened its doors to wee guests. This presented a challenge for the journalists looking to write their press releases, as theck of a ribbon-cutting ceremony meant they were short of material that could easily fill 500 words. The specially invited guests had all arrived one after another and were being led to their predetermined seats by the waitstaff. The seating arrangements had been meticulously nned. Who would sit with whom, who should be seated next to whom, who must not sit next to each other, who should not share a table, and who would be best if they couldn¡¯t even see each other¡ªall of these considerations had been taken into ount. Take Tong Deyan, for example. His seating was the most difficult to arrange. Although Xia Mushi had offended many, he was of a higher generation, older in age and, most critically, he was seriously ill with not many days to live. Even if one harbored a million grievances against him, upon meeting him, one still had to greet him with a smile, had to keep smiling even without receiving a pleasant demeanor in return, and had to keep smiling even if scolded by him. In short, when one saw Xia Mushi, the right response was to smile. The menu for the guests in Section C had been set well in advance, and the kitchen was mostly prepared. Zhang Guanghang went to the hospital to fetch Xia Mushi, who in his current state of health could barely eat a few bites. He had endured his suffering for so long just for this day; he wanted to witness Taifeng Building¡¯s grand opening with his own eyes, to see the guests flock to its doors, to see it bustling with activity. Only after he had seen it with his own eyes would he be able to die content. The opening was at 11:08 AM, and the banquet began at 11:28 AM. In addition to the invited guests, there were quite a few walk-ins, and the bustling scene was certainly indicative of a thriving business. The crowd gathered at the entrance for the raffle had gradually dispersed, and the eight lucky winners who received a 1,000 yuan voucher entered Taifeng Building pompously with friends in tow. As most people left, a few hesitated but eventually chose to dine there, along with some who stumbled in by ident, those who came specifically after seeing the news, making the number of walk-in customers quite substantial. All the guests in Section C have arrived, should we start serving the dishes?¡± Ji Yue approached the serving window to ask. ¡°Serve the dishes, Feng, you start making the Sweet and Sour Yam now.¡± Jiang Weiguo nodded and gave themand, and Ji Yue instructed the staff to begin by serving the appetizer cold dishes. Upon receiving the directive, Jiang Feng lit the stove and prepared to make Sweet and Sour Yam. Most guests were still deliberating over what to order based on their stomach capacity and wallet size, so the kitchen wasn¡¯t too busy yet. It was the waitstaff in the main hall who were busier, as they had to answer all sorts of strange questions from the customers. The six cold dishes included: Spicy Oil Bean Curd Skin with Bamboo Shoots, Smashed Cucumber, Shredded Potato Sd, Tiger Skin Peanuts, Splendid ¡¯ Chickens Singing to Spring, and Seaweed Sd. Among them, Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring, a colorfully arranged cold dish tter created with braised beef, raw fish slices, broli, shrimp, cucumber strands, and various kinds of shredded radishes, was currently Taifeng Building¡¯s most expensive cold appetizer tter. It was not sold a carte but only used for banquets. Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring was personally crafted by Jiang Weiming. The two cold-dish chefs at Taifeng Building could at best assemble a mixed cold tter; the intricately arranged ones demanded knife skills and artistic ability that ordinary cold-dish chefs simply could not achieve. Even Sang Ming, after perfecting his knife skills, could only manage to piece together a minimalist chicken design at best. The busiest table in Section C was undoubtedly the press table; even before the dishes were served, they had already begun their work. asionally, upon recognizing one or two familiar tycoons at the adjacent tables, they would mentally startle and rewrite their draft articles. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mr. Xu Cheng over there?¡± A journalist with a sharp eye recognized Xu Cheng. ¡°It seems like it, and the person sitting next to Mr. Xu looks like Xia Mushi.¡± Two journalists from gourmet magazines began discussing. ¡°Who is Xia Mushi?¡± another journalist asked. ¡°Do you know Fen Garden? It¡¯s the most expensive private kitchen in Beiping, and it¡¯s run by Xia Mushi. However, he has a bad temper so it¡¯s best not to provoke him.¡± How did hee here? I heard his illness worsenedst week to the point where he was hospitalized.¡± ¡°Was it justst week that he was admitted? Hasn¡¯t Fen Garden been closed for over a year now?¡± A few informed journalists from gourmet magazines exchanged information with each other. And there were those who were indifferent to these gossips. ¡°Tang, go take a photo of the decoration I just pointed out, get a close-up of that screen, andter when there are more people in the hall, take a group shot,¡± Reporter Hu began giving instructions to the cameraman, Tang. ¡°Reporter Hu, I just heard them mention that the guests at those other tables are well-known gourmets and food critics, should we go over and do some interviewster?¡± Tang asked. ¡°We¡¯re not from a gourmet magazine, our focus is on the opening. Later, you just need to find out which famous guests are at those tables,¡± Reporter Hu started nning his overall strategy. ¡°Then, when the dishes are served, make sure you take ttering shots of the dishes, and leave the rest of the writing to me.¡± Tang nodded solemnly. The journalists were bustling around incessantly, while the guests at the other tables in section C were leisurely indeed. The food and chef circles were intertwined, and with themunity not being veryrge, everyone knew each other. It was rare to gather together like this. Besides most of them having a poor rtionship with Xia Mushi, and about half of them not getting along with Tong Deyan either, they were still getting along quite well. ¡°They sure invited quite a few journalists, huh? I think those two tables over there are full of journalists, nearly 20 of them. Oh, the food ising.¡± Pei Shenghua¡¯s eyes were the sharpest, and from afar, he saw the waiter carrying dishes and said to Tong Deyan beside him. ¡°What brings Sir Xia here?¡± Tong Deyan didn¡¯t care about the serving of dishes at all, instead focusing on Xia Mushi, who was sitting at the next table among a group of gourmets and food critics, ¡°Didn¡¯t he just get admitted to the hospitalst week?¡± ¡°Sir Xia has been wanting to buy this ce over a decade ago, this isn¡¯t surprising. I¡¯ve heard the owner behind this restaurant has quite the connections. Isn¡¯t this restaurant opened by Jiang Feng¡¯s family?¡± Pei Shenghua craned his neck to see the dish in the waiter¡¯s hand, his attention captured by Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring, ¡°That cold dish seems interesting.¡± Most likely rumors, have we not seen enough of such cases?¡± Tong Deyan quietly sipped his tea, letting out a coldugh, ¡°Howe Ling Guangzhao is here too, did their Eight-treasure House go bankrupt?¡± Ling Guangzhao was the young proprietor of Eight-treasure House, his status simr to Sun Jikai¡¯s at Jubao Building, only that he hadn¡¯t learned culinary arts but specialized in business management instead. The decision to fullymercialize Eight-treasure House came from him, and though the turnover had been increasing over the years, the fine reputation of Eight-treasure House had almost beenpletely tarnished. It was no longer the first choice of loyal patrons, and the gap with the other four long-standing restaurants was bing more apparent. Tong Deyan had infamous disputes with Eight-treasure House. As for why, nobody could really say. Perhaps it was because Tong Deyan once caught an Eight-treasure House chef badmouthing him to his face. Ling Guangzhao didn¡¯t have any ill intentions. He simply heard that the owner behind Taifeng Building had a significant background. Since they were all in the same industry, he managed to get a spot through his connections to scout out thepetition and to make friends if possible, or at least avoid making more enemies. Excuse me, sir, could you please move to the side? I need to serve the dishes now, ¡± the waiter said softly to Pei Shenghua, who happened to be sitting where the dishes were being served. Spicy Tofu Skin with Bamboo Shoots, Smashed Cucumbers, Spicy Shredded Potatoes, Tiger-skin Peanuts, Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring, and Cold Seaweed Sd. Please enjoy.¡± ¡°Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring, this dish is something special. The chef here who does the cold dishes is really talented! Where did they scout him from?¡± said a chef at the same table. He was the head chef of a famous restaurant in Magic City and a good friend of Pei Shenghua¡¯s, who¡¯d been invited to show support for the event. I haven t heard of any notable cold dish chefs changing jobs recently,¡± another chefmented. It must be Master Jiang¡¯s personal work, the one from Shu, Master Jiang,¡± Pei Shenghua spected. Shu? A famous chef named Jiang from Shu? I only remember Master Wu from Wu Family Restaurant being really good. Which restaurant does Master Jiange from?¡± Pei Shenghua¡¯s friend inquired. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not talking about that Master Jiang, are you?¡± Another chef at the table realized who he was referring to. ¡°Yes, that Master Jiang,¡± Pei Shenghua nodded. ¡°I know that Master Jiang too,¡± said another chef, who had been immersed in drinking tea, setting down his teacup. ¡°Which Master Jiang?¡± Pei Shenghua¡¯s friend was baffled. ¡°That Master Jiang!¡± the three said in unison. Pei Shenghua¡¯s friend: ??? After the three at the table had exined to their friend which Master Jiang they were referring to in an excited chatter, Tong Deyan had quietly tasted all six cold dishes on the table. Tiger-skin Peanuts aren¡¯t bad, the bamboo shoots are alright too, and the shrimp in Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring are very good,¡± Tong Deyanmented. ¡°Oh my. Old Tong, how could you start eating? I haven¡¯t even taken photos yet! Pei Shenghua pped his thigh in regret. Tong Deyan gave him a contemptuous look and didn¡¯t bother with him. Chapter 234 - 233 Ordering Dishes Chapter 234: Chapter 233 Ordering Dishes Trantor: 549690339 | ¡°Waiter,¡± Zhuang Li called over. Zhuang Li was one of the first bystanders at the door and became one of the eight lucky winners who drew a 1000 Yuan voucher. Because of his luck, he also gained a name for himself. ¡°Hello, sir, what can I do for you?¡± Fan Mei, the attendant nearest to Zhuang Li, came over and asked. ¡°I¡¯m a bit confused by your ordering system. Why are the prices different for the same dish? Look at this, for the same ¡®Three Earthly Delights,1 Jiang Jiankang¡¯s version is 48 Yuan, Jiang Feng¡¯s is 36 Yuan, Zhou Shi¡¯s is 32 Yuan, Shen Yi¡¯s is 28 Yuan, Jiang Weiguo¡¯s 66 Yuan, and Jiang Weiming¡¯s is actually 88 Yuan7¡± Zhuang Li could hardly believe his eyes, ¡°And this, the Marriage Combo abination of Spicy Fish Head and Chicken with Vegetable Bundles priced at 188 Yuan, even the name is odd, and it¡¯s limited to 6 servings. And this one, Diet Rmendation, Stress Relief Choice, why is the same ¡®Ll Hongzhang Hodgepodge¡¯ sold for 688 Yuan and limited to one serving while ? the one below is only 566 Yuan and not limited? Your menu is a bit confusing.¡± Fan Mei smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s because the culinary skill levels of our chefs vary, sir. To offer you the best dining experience, the prices for the same dishes prepared by different chefs are different. Limited dishes are special in their preparation methods, so to guarantee quality we must limit the quantity. Furthermore, every month our restaurant will re-evaluate the dishes, update the menu, and set new prices. If you have any dissatisfaction with a dish, you may click on the tablet before the bill to leave a review or suggestions, either by voice or text. If your review is sensible and useful, we will give you a random value voucher.¡± Zhuang Li suddenly realized and said, ¡°Ah, if you had exined earlier, I ? wouldn¡¯t have spent so much time with my friend figuring out the menu. Fan Mei looked apologetic and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. This was a negligence on our part, wasting your time. How about I send you a jar of plum drinkter as apensation? Could you remember which server brought you in?¡± ¡°I remember their hair was kind of blond, ah, that one!¡± Zhuang Li spanion pointed to Qi Rou¡¯s fellow townsman. ¡°All right, I¡¯m very sorry for taking up your time. I¡¯ll go get your plum drinks now,¡± Fan Mei said as she left, mentally crossing off Qi Rou¡¯s fellow townsman. As useless as a lump of mud. ¡°Hurry, hurry, checkhow much the plum drink costs!¡± Getting a free jar of plum drink made Zhuang Li¡¯spanion even happier than getting a girlfriend. After all, a girlfriend is imaginary, but the plum drink was about to arrive. ¡± 88, my gosh, everything is so expensive in this ce!¡± Zhuang Li eximed. ¡°You should look at the location. Even that lousy shop next door in the mall can bring you a piece of raw beef with fries in a spicy hot pot and dare to call it a ssic Frenchbo for 168 Yuan a serving. Ah, forget it, the more I talk, the angrier I get. Let¡¯s see what else is on the menu. Hey, there are Cantonese dishes too, let¡¯s order one!¡± thepanion joined in choosing dishes, ¡°Last time I was on a business trip in Guangdong Province, their stir-fried t rice noodles with beef were so delicious. Let¡¯s get that, Sun Jikai¡¯s, it¡¯s cheaper at 28.¡± ¡°No worries, we¡¯ve got the voucher, we¡¯re not short of money. Let¡¯s order the expensive one, this 36 Yuan one, and the waiting time is only 17 minutes anyway,¡± Zhuang Li dered boldly. Apart from a few tables like Zhuang Li¡¯s that encountered problems with their orders due to an irresponsible server, the dining experience of most guests was very positive, with many enjoying the Ordering System for at least ten minutes. Although there was a section specifically for those with decision-making difficulties, such as ¡®Today¡¯s Rmendation,¡¯ any qualified and serious indecisive diner would ponder over each dish before eventually ordering from ¡®Today¡¯ s Rmendation.''¡± There were no ordering issues in section C. The cold dishes were followed by hot dishes being served in session, each at a precise interval, orderly, one after the other. The quantity of the dishes wasn¡¯t high, with only eight hot dishes in total, among which Jiang Weiming¡¯s Roasted Pig and Ji Xue¡¯s y Pot Chicken with Rice Wine were showstopping main courses, and Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam served as the dessert, ced fifth in the order. Quality over quantity, each table in section C amodated only ten guests, too many dishes wouldn¡¯t be finished anyway. Xia Mushi didn¡¯t reach for his chopsticks the whole time, just silently observing the other diners around him. ¡°Master Xia, the food is quite good, especially this jar meat, evenparable to Yonghe House¡¯s, you¡­ oh, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot,¡± the diner familiar with Xia Mushi, seated next to him, initially wanted to invite him to try some jar meat but suddenly remembered that Xia Mushi¡¯s health probably wouldn¡¯t allow him to eat such greasy food, and smacked his own head. ¡°Look at my memory. I just heard the server say that the next dish is nched choi sum. You can have a good taste of that, Master Xia.¡± nched choi sum is a Cantonese dish, and the quality of the choi sum is very important. The control of Fire Control when cooking choi sum is also critical, as it affects the texture, while the sauce determines the vor. Sun Jikai may not have strong fundamentals and therefore disdained by Sir, but after all, he is the cherished eldest grandson personally taught by Sun Guanyun, and his sauce for the nched choi sum is quite good. For this dish, Jiang Weiming was in charge of the nching part, while Sun Jikai prepared the sauce. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Just as the diner familiar with Xia Mushi had finished speaking, the nched choi sum was served. The choi sum was a vibrant green, like a jade carving crafted by a skilled master, gleaming with light and stacked on the te to form a small green mountain. ¡°Wow, this dish looks great. Tong, you can¡¯t start eating until I¡¯ve finished taking pictures,¡± Pei Shenghua suddenly got excited. ¡°Heh.¡± Tong Deyan was considering whether to block this guy from his social circle. Every night at midnight on the dot, he¡¯d post pictures of the food he¡¯d taken that day. Even though nearly all of his friends were chefs, this was still unbearable. Considering that Pei Shenghua was one of his few friends, Tong Deyan waited for him to find a good angle and finish taking photos before picking up a piece with his chopsticks. The vegetable hearts were crisp and tender, refreshing without losing vor. It¡¯s just that the sauce seemed a bit mismatched with the skill of ¡®nched¡¯ cooking the dish,cking a certain something. ¡°This vegetable heart is good; the fire control is quite nice. Tong, you re not up to par. The nched vegetable heart I had from youst time was not as good as this,¡± Pei Shenghua said while eating the nched vegetable heart. ¡°What I madest time was garlic vegetable heart,¡± Tong Deyan said. Pei Shenghua: ¡°¡­ It¡¯s pretty much the same. They¡¯re both vegetable hearts, but you didn¡¯t manage the fire control as well as this one.¡± Tong Deyan ignored him and gave him a look of disdain. At another table, Xia Mushi took a bite of the vegetable heart and then set down his chopsticks, feeling considerably better, though it didn¡¯t show on his face. Xu Cheng, who was sitting at the same table, noticed that Xia Mushi wasn¡¯t eating much and raised his hand to summon a waiter. Ji Yue was standing by in area C. She recognized Xu Cheng and walked over with a smile, asking, ¡°Mr. Xu, may I help you with anything?¡± Xu Cheng also recognized Ji Yue. After all, he had eaten quite a few meals at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant in the past few months. He was a bit surprised for a moment, not expecting that the Jiang family had moved the entire restaurant, including the waitstaff, without losing a single employee. ¡°Can I order a dish?¡± Xu Cheng asked. ¡°Of course.¡± Ji Yue went to get a tablet for Xu Cheng, immediately drawing attention from others. ¡°What is Mr. Xu going to do?¡± ¡°Seems like he¡¯s going to order a dish.¡± ¡°You can still order?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, when has it ever been impossible to order at a restaurant?¡± ¡°Should we also check out the menu?¡± Some people just went ahead and did it. ¡°Waiter, I¡¯d like to ce an order!¡± PS: (The word count is done, no charge) From the title of thest chapter, you can tell that I¡¯ve been out of it recently due to mid-term revision. I have myst exam next Wednesday, and I¡¯ll be back to posting two chapters a day by Thursday. The end. Chapter 235 - 234: The Best Dessert Chapter 235: Chapter 234: The Best Dessert Trantor: 549690339 Journalists at a table began to notice themotion nearby and started to discuss it. ¡°What¡¯s happening over there?¡± ¡°It seems Mr. Xu Cheng is ordering food.¡± ¡°Ordering food? The dishes aren¡¯t to Mr. Xu Cheng¡¯s liking? This is big news, write it down! Who will go over there to take a look and ask around?¡± One journalist, who loved to fan the mes, saw the opportunity to stoke the fire and couldn¡¯t resist the urge. A colleague from the same magazine tugged at his clothes and gave him a hint with a meaningful nce. We were paid by this ce, and the price was quite high! The journalist immediately caught on and changed the subject, ¡°I just saw that this restaurant uses tablets for ordering, which is quite interesting. Old Wang, let¡¯s ask a server for a tablet to check out the menu. Wang, his colleague, thought it was a good idea and went to ask a server for a tablet. Eventually, Ji Yue came over with a stack of tablets, followed by two young, beautiful, professional waitresses who came over to exin. Two minutester, the customers in area C, like all the other guests, were engrossed in their tablets and couldn¡¯t put them down. How should I put it, this ordering system is actually quite fun. Initially, Xu Cheng just wanted to order a bowl of porridge for Xia Mushi, remembering that Jiang Feng¡¯s mixed grains porridge was exceptionally good. But once he got the tablet, it was like a woman opening Taobao; he couldn¡¯t stop scrolling down. The more he looked, the more intrigued he became. The Jiang family really had something going; three of the final four chefs in the Good Taste culinarypetition were now employees at Taifeng Building, and even Ji Xue and Sun Jikai were there. It turned out that his and Han Guishan¡¯s cookingpetition had inadvertently be a recruitment drive for Chefs at Taifeng. There were many dishes he wanted to try, in particr, Jiang Weiming¡¯s chicken broth tofu, but today was not the day. He had already nned to stay in Beiping for a while longer; there would be plenty of time to slowly enjoy the cooking of the two chefs from the Jiang Family at Taifeng, especially those dishes he had never had at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. ¡°Jiang Feng¡¯s restaurant is really impressive now; guess who they¡¯ve recruited as chefs?¡± Pei Shenghua said to Tong Deyan with a grin. Tong Deyan focused on his meal and ignored him. ¡°Wu Minqi?¡± Zhu Chang asked. ¡°Not just her. There¡¯s more, someone we all know.¡± Pei Shenghua smiled mysteriously. ¡°Someone we all know? I heard Yao Xingsheng from Ruyi House is emigrating to be with his son; they didn¡¯t recruit him, did they?¡± Zhu Chang¡¯s imagination ran wild. ¡°Where did you get that from? Yao Xingsheng was still posting in his Moments about cooking lunch for his son yesterday. We know Yao Xingsheng but Zang Mu doesn¡¯t; guess again!¡± Pei Shenghua looked smug, as if he were in on some secret. ¡°The dishes are here, Sweet and Sour Yam,¡± Tong Deyan said. Pei Shenghua immediately stopped ying the guessing game and passed the tablet to Zhu Chang instead, whipped out his phone, and didn¡¯t forget to warn Tong Deyan, ¡°Let me take a picture first.¡± Zhu Chang looked at the tablet and was surprised, ¡°Wow, so it¡¯s Jiang Feng who persuaded Master Sun to retire, and his grandson is here too. Good thing Master Sun didn¡¯te today or he¡¯d really be hopping mad.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Tong Deyan¡¯s interest was piqued, and he leaned over for a look, ¡°Zhang Guanghang is here too, no wonder Old Sir Xia came today. ¡°Who¡¯s Zhang Guanghang? Is he rted to Old Sir Xia?¡± another chef at the table asked curiously. ¡°Abel Durand, the genius chef from France, don¡¯t you know? He¡¯s Sir Xia¡¯s apprentice. Remember the foodpetition I judged a while ago, the one Tong Deyan, Zhu Chang, and Zang Mu also judged, and that was broadcast on TV? My appearance was so dashing, it¡¯s outrageous that you didn¡¯t watch it. That online show had hundreds of millions of views, and my Weibo followers are now in the hundreds of thousands. Zhang Guanghang was the third-ce winner in thatpetition,¡± Pei Shenghua, after taking the photo, unleashed his gift of the gab. ¡°He¡¯s actually Old Sir Xia¡¯s apprentice! Hasn¡¯t he won many international awards? I remember seeing a report on him recently. He only ced third? Then who¡¯s the first?¡± The chef sitting at the same table was a friend of Pei Shenghua and was skilled at quickly extracting key information from his barrage of nonsense. ¡°You haven¡¯t told us why you didn¡¯t watch that show. Why didn¡¯t you even watch the variety shows? Didn¡¯t I post about it on my social circle? Didn¡¯t you see my post?¡± Pei Shenghua continued his gift of the gab. ¡°This Sweet and Sour Yam must have been made by Jiang Feng, the runner-up in our contest. It¡¯s quite good. You should try it while it¡¯s hot,¡± Zhu Chang suggested, effectively tuning out Pei Shenghua. The chef at the same table picked up a piece of the Sweet and Sour Yam with his chopsticks and took a small bite; the yam inside was still steaming. Just one bite was enough to amaze. ¡°Not bad, this Sweet and Sour Yam is really good. Who is this Jiang Feng, though? Howe I never heard of him before?¡± the chef¡¯s eyes lit up, and he too tuned out Pei Shenghua. ¡°He¡¯s the young owner of this restaurant. I hadn¡¯t heard of him before either. All I knew was that their family used to run a restaurant near UAL University, which was quite famous. We were also taken aback when we suddenly heard that the Taifeng Building was opened by their family,¡± Pei Shenghua attempted to rejoin the conversation. ¡°Eat up, the Sweet and Sour Yam will be cold soon.¡± Tong Deyan really couldn¡¯t understand how Pei Shenghua had spent most of his life talking nonsense and where he found the time to perfect his culinary skills. Spoken from experience? At the journalists¡¯ table, the photographers were looking for the best angles to make the Sweet and Sour Yam look even more delicious, and no one was reaching for their chopsticks. In this profession, that¡¯s just how it goes- the food that makes it to your mouth is always cold, except for those food magazine journalists who asionally get to eat hot food during interviews. Most of the time, they¡¯re just photographing hot food. ¡°Tang, take a close-up of the sugar strings,¡± Reporter Hu instructed as he picked up a piece of the Sweet and Sour Yam with his chopsticks. The sugar threads were delicate, transparent, and clearly defined. After Tang finished taking the picture, Reporter Hu forgot to dip them in water, pulling out an excessively long sugar string. He flustered for a moment and, with a reminder from the reporter next to him, managed to dip it in water to break off the strings. ¡°Reporter Hu, have you never eaten Sweet and Sour Yam before?¡± The reporter next to him worked for a food magazine. Although it wasn¡¯t as well-known as Taste, it also had a bit of a status within the food circle. ¡°I¡¯m from Chun City. Ever since I came to Beiping for work, I¡¯ve been so busy with overtime that I¡¯ve had no time to eat out. We don¡¯t have this kind of dish back home,¡± Reporter Hu exined, preparing to try the Sweet and Sour Yam. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be careful with this. The sugar coating might be cool on the outside, but the yam inside can still be scalding. Be careful not to burn your mouth,¡± the reporter kindly advised. ¡°Chun City is a nice ce ¨C the environment is good, and there isn¡¯t much work pressure. Life isid-back there.¡± Reporter Hu smiled faintly, thinking that of course life wasid-back without money. If it weren¡¯t for the financial need to provide a better life for his family, who would leave thefort of home and travel a thousand miles to drift about uncertainly in Beiping? He took a bite. Sweet, crispy, soft, and an indescribable taste-not the sweetness of food nor the sweetness of syrup, but rather like the honey smeared on the lips during a romance, sweet in the depths of one¡¯s heart, full of excitement, joy, sincerity, and happiness. Reporter Hu thought of the girl from high school, the one who had always sat behind him with heavy bangs covering half her face as she looked down, silent and seemingly insignificant. After the final exam, she had handed him a note as they reviewed their answers: ¡°Wishing to be like the stars to your moon, shining brightly each night in unison.¡± s, the final oue was: This sentiment could have been a fond memory, but at the time it just felt lost. He was in Beiping, drifting aimlessly like duckweed, while she was in Chun City, in the prime of her life. ¡°Reporter Hu, how is it?¡± the food magazine reporter asked with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, the best dessert I¡¯ve ever had,¡± Reporter Hu replied with a smile. Chapter 236 - 235: Such a Big Pot Chapter 236: Chapter 235: Such a Big Pot Trantor: 549690339 In the kitchen, the tablet hanging on the wall let out a ¡°ding,¡± indicating that a customer had ced an order. Jiang Weisheng had always been assisting Jiang Weiming, and now that Jiang Weiming had turned his attention to the roasted pig, he moved over to the chopping board to cut vegetables, as it was closest to the tablet. He squinted at the screen. ¡°Table 3 in area C ordered arge serving of Eight Treasure Porridge,¡± Jiang Weisheng shouted. ¡°Table 3? Which one¡¯s Table 3?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked alertly, raising his head. He waved at Luo Yu, who was getting scolded for breaking a dish while serving, signaling him to get back to work before continuing the scolding. With a face smeared in dust, Luo Yu returned to the service area and asked Han Yigu, ¡°How much is deducted for breaking a dish?¡± ¡°Thirty per dish,¡± Han Yigu replied without lifting his head, continuing his work. ¡°Table 3 is my master¡¯s table.¡± Zhang Guanghang, who had arranged the seating for the customers in area C and knew them best, exined, ¡°It¡¯s probably because my master can¡¯t eat much and wants some porridge; it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than Ji Yue arrived at the kitchen entrance and caught hold of a cold dish chef, saying, ¡°The Eight Treasure Porridge for table 3 in area C was ordered by Xu Cheng, probably for the elderly gentleman at their table. Please pass on the message to them.¡± The cold dish chef quickly ryed Ji Yue¡¯s exact words. ¡°Han Yigu, go scoop the porridge,¡± Jiang Weiguo ordered. ¡°Hold on a second,¡± Jiang Feng suddenly spoke up, ¡°I made the Eight Treasure Porridge a bit nd today, and it¡¯s too in to serve just a serving of porridge. I¡¯ll make a chicken wrapped in cabbage leaves, and we can send it over together.¡± The ingredients were already prepared, and those that needed marinating had been done so in advance, making the chicken wrapped in cabbage leaves would only take a few minutes. Jiang Feng thought that Xia Mushi might like this dish. Jiang Weiguo said nothing, essentially giving his consent. ¡°My master doesn¡¯t like chicken wrapped in cabbage leaves,¡± Zhang Guanghang offered a friendly reminder, ¡°He never eats this dish; he even refuses to make it if guests ask for it.¡± ¡°Consider it a gesture; I¡¯ve just learned how to make this dish recently. Do you want to¡ªI¡¯ll show you howto do it?¡± Jiang Feng said, remembering the special effect of the chicken wrapped in cabbage leaves and promptly changing the subject. If Zhang Guanghang really did have someone he liked and was the type too shy to confess, the buff might just heat up his brain enough to make him dere his feelings. With his looks, family background, and cooking skills, he¡¯d be out of the singles market in no time. By then, Ji Yue might be so heartbroken she couldn¡¯te to work, and Taifeng Building would lose an excellent front house manager on its opening day. ¡°Huh?¡± Zhang Guanghang was taken aback, not expecting Jiang Feng¡¯s train of thought to be so peculiar. He promptly refused, ¡°No thanks, I already know how to make that dish.¡± nch the cabbage leaves, wrap the pre-marinated chicken fillets inside, coat them with egg white batter, and deep-fry them. Take them out, turn up the heat, re-fry them, and then remove from the oil. While ting the sweet and sour carp for Jiang Jiankang, Sang Ming muttered to Han Yigu beside him, ¡°This dish seems easy, I feel like I could make it too. I¡¯m quite good at frying crispy meat, every New Year at home I¡¯m the one who fries it.¡± Having spent a few years in Beiping and seen the world, Han Yigu exined, ¡°This is amon family dish around here; many people know how to make it, just like how your ce has crispy meat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Sang Ming protested, ¡°My sister can¡¯t fry crispy meat; she only knows how to eat. When I¡¯m cooking in the kitchen, all she does is wait with her chopsticks to eat. She doesn¡¯t even know how to coat it with flour. Honestly, speaking of my sister, she¡¯s not pretty, and she¡¯s also¡­¡± Sang Ming could always turn the conversation to his sister. Within just a few short days, Sang Ming¡¯s legendary soon-to-be high-schooler sister had gained a reputation for being unattractive with a face full of e, chubby, clumsy, and inept at chores, an image that had be deeply ingrained in everyone¡¯s mind. Randomly ask anyone in the kitchen about Sang Ming and they might not immediately recall, but ask them about his sister and everyone could respond on the spot. Their descriptions could be identical. ¡°Sang Ming, focus on the ting,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Alrighty then,¡± Sang Ming finally let go of his sister. With three Chicken-enveloped dishes, Sang Ming incorporated the triple pancake design concept into the ting, cing them diagonally in a row, wiped and outlined the soup at the bottom of the te, added some decorative garnishes that didn¡¯t really mean much, and swiftly delivered both the Chicken-enveloped dishes and the Eight Treasures Porridge to the serving window. The porridge came from arge pot, a pot familiar to the judges of the Good Taste Culinary Competition, a pot with the distinctive Jiang Family characteristic, a pot that instilled fear and trembling in young servers who were inexperienced and new to the world. ¡°Fan, I¡­ I can¡¯t carry that pot of porridge,¡± the young and beautiful server could only seek help from Fan Mei. Fan Mei was walking back and forth in the main hall, checking for any mishaps when she heard this, frowning, ¡°Can¡¯t carry it? How can you not?¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t, it¡¯s just too¡­ too heavy,¡± the young and beautiful server was on the verge of tears, ¡°Brother Zhao and the others are on the second floor, I came to find you because I was afraid of dying things.¡± Fan Mei felt that the girls these days reallycked strength; everyone was engaged in physicalbor, but they couldn¡¯t even carry a pot of porridge. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll have a look, and you should pay attention to exercising your hand strength regrly; otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to carry the dishes steadily.¡± Then, Fan Mei saw the porridge at the serving window. Fan Mei began to question her life. Fan Mei stepped forward, sunk her qi to her dantian, lowered her center of gravity, and exerted force with both arms. The porridge was carried steadily, but she quickly put it back down. She could lift it but wasn¡¯t sure she could bring it all the way over, and she never attempted things she wasn¡¯t confident about. ¡°Go upstairs and get a guy toe down,¡± Fan Mei told the young and beautiful server. Before the young and beautiful server had a chance to head upstairs, Ji Yue noticed that the two of them had been hovering around the Sichuan cuisine window for a while and came over to see what was going on, only to find them puzzled by a familiar-looking pot of porridge. ¡°Fan, what¡¯s the matter, is there a problem with the dish?¡± asked Ji Yue. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the porridge ordered by section C? I remember they ordered an extrarge portion of Eight Treasures Porridge.¡± ¡°The porridge is a bit heavy, and I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be steady carrying it over. I¡¯ve asked Xiaoling to go upstairs and call a male server to bring it,¡± Fan Mei replied. ¡°No need to trouble yourself, I can carry it over, Xiaoling, you take this te of Chicken-enveloped dishes,¡± Ji Yue said with a smile, easily lifting the Eight Treasures Porridge and striding forward confidently. Fan Mei: ??? Xiaoling:!!! With admiration on her face, Xiaoling watched Ji Yue and spat contemptuously in her heart at Qi Rou¡¯s fellow townsman. That person had been speaking ill of Ji Yue behind her back recently, saying Ji Yue was arrogant and looked down on others, acting like she was better than everyone else just because she graduated from a famous university, yet she was still just a server like them. Then, saying what was Ji Yue good for to be a team leader as if she could take over as team leader if Ji Yue wasn¡¯t one. That person was nothing butzy when it came to working; Xiaoling had seen it several times. Fan Mei repeatedly stressed the importance of exining the Ordering System thoroughly to guests before letting them use the tablet, which everyone took to heart except for Qi Rou¡¯s fellow townsman, who cut corners and sometimes didn¡¯t exin anything at all and would find a corner to ck off at every opportunity, even scoffing at others for working diligently without extra pay. Xiaoling coldly sneered in her heart, thinking that damn fool really believed others were fools and only she was smart. If she could make it through the probation period without getting fired, Xiaoling would read her own name backward! ¡°Hello, this is your Chicken-enveloped dish, please enjoy. Ites with a specialrge portion of Eight Treasures Porridge,¡± Lin Ling said with a smile. No one reacted much, so everyone¡¯s gaze was drawn to the Eight Treasures Porridge that Ji Yue had just ced on the table. The same thought crossed everyone¡¯s minds. Such a big pot! Chapter 237 - 236 Roast Peppa Chapter 237: Chapter 236 Roast Peppa Trantor: 549690339 Xu Cheng was stunned. When he had just ordered, he saw the price of the extrarge Eight-Treasure Porridge was in the three digits but didn¡¯t think much of it, assuming it was just an ordinaryrge portion. In his opinion, Jiang Feng¡¯s skill was worth far more than the price listed on the menu. By the next year, when he made it onto the list of renowned chefs, if his ranking was anything impressive, his dish prices could climb several times over. The list of renowned chefs in ¡°Taste¡± was reevaluated every five years, selecting the top 50 chefs globally for ranking. Although it couldn¡¯t be entirely fair and objective, it was the most just selection process imaginable for the public. The next round of evaluations would be in July of next year. Zhang Guanghang had made a name for himself in thest round, and although he was at the bottom of the list, it was sensational enough that several feature articles about this rising star of the French culinary world appeared in French gourmet magazines. The culinary circles of China were probably going to experience a celebration like never before next year at the ranking of renowned chefs. And it would be an unprecedented celebration. ¡°This y pot¡­¡± a fellow food lover at the table couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°This is actually my first time seeing a y pot this big.¡± Cooks at the neighboring chef¡¯s table also came over to join in the fun; after all, pots thisrge weren¡¯t seen just anywhere. ¡°My goodness, Liang, does your shop have such big y pots?¡± one chef asked the person beside him. ¡°Not sure, I¡¯ve never used such a big pot for porridge. A y pot this size is probably custom-made,¡± Liang admitted, indicating that this was also new to him. ¡°Director Xu, would you mind if I scrounged a bowl of porridge?¡± Pei Shenghua knew from the scent alone that the Eight-Treasure Porridge was made by Jiang Feng. If he hadn¡¯t seen or smelled it, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered, but now that it was right in front of him, with the taste of the porridge he had during thepetition seemingly returning to his mouth¡ªhis taste buds reviving the smooth texture and sweet fragrance¡ªPei Shenghua couldn¡¯t find the same astonishing sensation in the porridge made by any familiar porridge masters after thepetition as he did with Jiang Feng¡¯s during thepetition. ¡°Help yourself,¡± Xu Cheng said with a smile. ¡°Everyone, try some. This porridge will surprise you.¡± Xu Cheng rarely praised food so highly, and everyone was very curious. Whether out of curiosity or to give face to Xu Cheng, everyone scooped themselves a bowl of porridge. With over thirty people having a bowl each, the extrarge y pot was soon empty, and the attendant standing by quickly took it away. ¡°Master Xia, have some porridge,¡± Xu Cheng said to Xia Mushi. ¡°Sure.¡± Xia Mushi shifted his gaze from the Bagged Chicken and scooped a spoonful of porridge. Upon tasting it, he was shocked. He had never had such a version of Eight-Treasure Porridge before¡ªevery ingredient seemed perfectly matched, as if meant to be together, and everything was just right. Xia Mushi¡¯s taste buds had severely deteriorated, almost to the point where everything was tasteless, but he could smell, could see, could feel. Even in this cruel, tasteless world, this porridge provided a rare and delightful sensation. ¡°Did you want to eat some Bagged Chicken?¡± The diner seated by the Bagged Chicken had noticed Xia Mushi staring at it from the beginning and now pushed it towards him. Subconsciously, Xia Mushi wanted to refuse. Since Li Fen¡¯s death, he hadn¡¯t cooked or eaten this dish, and those who knew him thought he despised it intensely. But looking at the Bagged Chicken in front of him, he found it hard to refuse. He picked up a piece, took a bite, and couldn¡¯t taste or feel anything. ¡°Not to your liking?¡± Xu Cheng asked. He thought the Bagged Chicken on the te seemed alright. ¡°My teeth aren¡¯t what they used to be,¡± Xia Mushi said. Everyone was quietly eating the Eight-Treasure Porridge, and even the talkative Pei Shenghua was too preupied with his porridge to speak. The reporters¡¯ table was intrigued and debated whether to order some porridge as well. ¡°Reporter Hu, shall we each get a bowl of porridge to fill our stomachs after we wrap up here?¡± Photographer Tang asked. The dishes on the table would be cold by the time they got to eat, and only Reporter Hu had tried a piece of the Sweet and Sour Yam; no leftovers, however abundant, could match thefort of a bowl of hot porridge. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see, the main dish hasn¡¯t been served yet. We should be able to enjoy a couple bites while it¡¯s hot,¡± said Reporter Hu, although his heart was rejecting it. He had just nced at the menu¡ªa bowl of porridge cost dozens of yuan, not as worth it as going back for the pickled vegetable fried rice downstairs, which was only ten yuan and filling. While everyone was still sipping on their porridge, Jiang Weiming¡¯s Roasted Pig was brought to the table. A ten-pound suckling pig had been ughtered and gutted, then filled with dates, and coated with ayer of grass and mud before being put into a roaring fire to roast. If it were made ording to Western Zhou dynasty methods, after the intense fire, the outer shell would be removed, and the thin membrane on the skin would be wiped off. The suckling pig¡¯s surface would then be coated with rice flour paste and fried inrd. After that, the roasted pig, along with seasonings, would be ced in a small pot inside arger pot, soup would be added, and then it would be cooked for three days and nights before it was done. Such aplicated method of making Roasted Pig almost counted as the pinnacle of chefs¡¯ creativity and imagination during the Western Zhou period, a time when ingredients, seasonings, and cooking techniques were all extremely scarce. After a thousand years, using this method to make Roasted Pig would seem somewhat disrespectful to one of the Western Zhou¡¯s eight treasured dishes. What Jiang Weiming followed was a simplified version of Jiang Chengde¡¯s method from years past, where it was the ingredients, not the steps, that were simplified. Back then, the Roasted Pig could be considered one of Taifeng Building¡¯s signature dishes, and serving such a dish during a banquet was absolutely prestigious. At that time, Taifeng Building was the number one restaurant in Beiping City. Along with the foodies who came for its reputation, there were also extravagant dignitaries who wanted not just vors but also prestige. The Roasted Pig, which could infinitely unt wealth, naturally got yed out. Whatever was expensive was stuffed inside; any spice that was costly was added to the Roasted Pig, making it worth its weight in gold. Jiang Weiming vaguely remembered that there was a period when the young dandies of Beiping City didn¡¯tpete over who had the most expensive concubines or who sponsored the most popr actors. Instead, theypeted over who had the most expensive Roasted Pig, who used or found the most exotic ingredients. It really must have been difficult for Jiang Chengde, having to use so many unusual ingredients and spices to make a Roasted Pig that still tasted good. The Roasted Pig that Jiang Weiming made today followed the same method taught to him by Jiang Chengde. The suckling pig was stuffed with dates and mud before being roasted in a fierce fire. After removing the dates from its belly, he filled it with fresh bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, duck meat, pigeon meat, glutinous rice, and other varieties of ingredients. He wiped off the thin membrane on the skin, stewed it in broth, and then finally brushed it with sauce and roasted it over high heat. The Roasted Pig that came out of the stove was just as Jia Sixie described in ¡°Qi Min Yao Shu¡±: ¡°Its color is like amber, akin to true gold, dissolves upon entry and is majestic as a snowstorm, with the richness of a creamy sauce, truly exceptional beyond the ordinary.¡± Each server carried a portion of the Roasted Pig, and not only did the pig itself grab attention, but the aroma it emitted also made it hard to ignore. The family of three, who had joined the queue for the raffle earlier and ultimately missed out on a 1000 yuan voucher because of their unlucky draw, and who had entered the restaurant out of their own pocket because their daughter wanted to eat there, were particrly caught by the sight. The daughter, seeing the Roasted Pig held by the server, jumped up excitedly, tugging at her father¡¯s sleeve, shouting incessantly. ¡°Roasted Peppa, daddy, look, it¡¯s Roasted Peppa!¡± The daughter was as excited as if she had seen the real Peppa Pig. ¡°Wenwen, lower your voice. Other uncles and aunties are eating,¡± her mother quietly warned, her eyes conveying a stern message¡ªthat if Wenwen didn¡¯t stop, there would be severe consequences. Wenwen could only speak in a hushed voice, tugging at her father¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Daddy, I want to eat Roasted Peppa too!¡± Wenwen¡¯s father: ¡°¡­But don¡¯t you really like Peppa? Isn¡¯t Peppa your friend? How could Wenwen eat her friend?¡± ¡°But Roasted Peppa smells so good,¡± Wenwen said in a way that left no room for argument. Wenwen¡¯s father: ¡­ Resigned, he picked up the tablet and saw the Roasted Pig, no, the Roasted Peppa, and felt a chill in his heart. What kind of roasted suckling pig was this? Were they roasting Peppa Pig? It was even more expensive than the mcm bag his wife had her eye on! Upon seeing the note on the menu that it required advance reservation, Wenwen¡¯s father let out a sigh of relief and showed the tablet to Wenwen, who was already in the first grade and could guess words, ¡°See, Roasted Peppa needs to be reserved in advance, so we can¡¯t eat it now.¡± Wenwen epted her fate sadly. Wenwen¡¯s father breathed a sigh of relief. He was thankful to the restaurant that the Roasted Pig, no, the Roasted Peppa, required a reservation. If only the Mapo tofu could have less Sichuan pepper, Wenwen¡¯s father thought, his mouthpletely numb. Chapter 238 - 237: Who Will Cut? Chapter 238: Chapter 237: Who Will Cut? Trantor: 549690339 | ¡°Wow, roasted suckling pig!¡± Pei Shenghua always managed to express his amazement before everyone else. ¡°Roasted Pig, here is the dipping sauce, please enjoy everyone.¡± the server said, ¡°Do you need help cutting it?¡± ¡°No need, we can do it ourselves.¡± Pei Shenghua chuckled dismissively. At their tables were either professional chefs or seasoned foodies. To have someone else cut the Roasted Pig would be aughingstock if word got out. The waiter ced the iron tray with knives on the table as well. Pei Shenghua handed a knife to Tong Deyan and picked up another one, saying, ¡°Master Tong, shall we cut together?¡± ¡°Save it, have you ever eaten Roasted Pig? Don¡¯t just hack at it blindly, I¡¯ll do the cutting.¡± Tong Deyan said, standing up, he positioned the knife at the belly of the pig and sliced it open with a clean and neat cut. The pig¡¯s belly was stuffed with rich ingredients, having absorbed the essences of both the broth and the suckling pig¡¯s fat, emanating a tantalizing aroma. Tong Deyan made several cuts at different parts of the pig, separating the meat from each section. As he cut, the pork sizzled enticingly, crispy on the outside and tender inside, the sounds alone were extremely tempting. ¡°You¡¯re a real connoisseur, Master Tong, it seems you haven¡¯t skimped on your share!¡± Pei Shenghua eximed in admiration. Tong Deyan¡¯s gaze shifted to Xu Cheng¡¯s table. Except for Xia Mushi, the diners at that table surely couldn¡¯t match Tong Deyan in professional skill when it came to cutting Roasted Pig. ¡°Need a hand?¡± Tong Deyan asked. ¡°We would appreciate Master Tong¡¯s help.¡± a diner said with a smile. When it came to treating guests, Tong Deyan and Xia Mushi were quite simr. Chefs didn¡¯t need to be given face, but diners were guests and deserved good treatment. Just like before, Tong Deyan¡¯s hands moved quickly. In a few swift cuts, the Roasted Pig on the table was neatly divided. After dealing with the Roasted Pig, Tong Deyan sat back to his original spot, nonchntly picking up his food as if nothing happened, all the while able to heartily praise with Pei Shenghua how well Jiang Weiming had handled the ingredients and the fire control for the Roasted Pig. The other table of chefs:¡­ They all knew deep down, somehow they must have offended Tong Deyan, and a few were utterly puzzled. They¡¯d only spoken ill of him behind his back, yet it seemed like Tong Deyan knew everything. The two chefs at the next table wielding knives already had looks of difficulty on their faces, exchanging hesitant, undecided nces. As the saying goes, it¡¯s not scary to wear the same dress, but it¡¯s embarrassing for the one who looks uglier. Losers inparison suffer more, and goods are discarded if they can¡¯t match up. Unfortunately, these two chefs were in a position that was humiliating, disheartening, and made them feel like throwing themselves away all at once. With Tong Deyan¡¯s demonstration preceding them, their attempt to cut the Roasted Pig now seemed pretentious. The guests were either chefs or gourmet critics ¡ª a misstep could lead to major embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t tell me you both look down on the restaurant¡¯s Roasted Pig so much that you¡¯re unwilling to even make a cut?¡± Tong Deyan began to provoke. Pei Shenghua sat eating his pork, watching the drama unfold with relish, a picture of utter contentment. With no choice but to act, the two chefs, tense and with gritted teeth, began to make the cuts. Their skills were actually quite good, but whenpared to Tong Deyan, they seemed rather amateurish. ¡°This Roasted Pig is quite interesting. The filling inside is really vorful, the duck must have been roasted beforehand, the pigeon meat brushed with honey, and when mixed with the pork, there¡¯s even a hint of date voryou can taste. Wonderful!¡± one guest praised. ¡°It must be an old technique to stuff the dates inside the pig¡¯s belly during the initial roasting before filling it with the other ingredients,¡± Xu Cheng analyzed, ¡°This is my first time encountering this method, and it truly has been enlightening.¡± ¡°This is my first experience too. I never imagined dates could pair so well with suckling pig. I wonder which master chef created this, as I¡¯ve never seen this technique before,¡± the diner echoed. ¡°This is a traditional Taifeng Building method, a closely guarded family secret,¡± Xia Mushi said. ¡°Old method? Master Xia, do you mean, the owner of this ce is Mrs. Li¡¯s¡­¡± some guests knew of Xia Mushi¡¯s past with Taifeng Building and the rtionship between Jiang Huiqin and Taifeng Building. ¡°The property has returned to its rightful owner,¡± Xia Mushi said. The guest had an epiphany. ¡°What do you mean ¡®the property has returned to its rightful owner¡¯?¡± someone nearby asked. The diner exined the intricate rtionships in a low voice to him. ¡°What are you all talking about over there?¡± Pei Shenghua asked, while happily enjoying the pork and the show. Tong Deyan ignored him, holding his chopsticks mid-air, his eyes fixed ahead. Pei Shenghua followed his gaze and saw five waiters, each carrying a covered y pot, so tight that not a whiff escaped. ¡°Good heavens, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s what I think it is?¡± Pei Shenghua murmured softly, ¡°Five at once, such luxury.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Zhu Chang looked up, saw the y pots in the hands of the five servers, and paused, ¡°It seems to be exactly what you¡¯re thinking.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± the other chefs asked curiously. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± Zhu Chang said. The reporters¡¯ table over there was also drawn to these five sandpots, mainly because these sandpots looked quiterge. Associating them with the enormous sandpot of eight-treasure porridge served earlier, the reporters, whose livelihoods revolve around storytelling, couldn¡¯t help but let their imaginations run wild. ¡°Could thest dish be porridge?¡± spected a reporter working at a news website famous for storytelling. ¡°If it¡¯s porridge, that would be far too perfunctory.¡± ¡°Perhaps porridge is the specialty of this restaurant. The eight-treasure porridge Mr. Xu ordered just now looked pretty good.¡± ¡°True, it makes sense to have some porridge after the roasted pig to cleanse the pte.¡± The sandpots were brought to the table. ¡°Watan ypot Flower Carving Chicken, please enjoy,¡± the waiter announced, lifting the lid. The faces of most people present changed¡ªfrom surprise and disbelief to a dawning realization, and finally to an ecstasy. Some of the less informed reporters did not understand the significance of the dish and eagerly prepared to take photos with their cameras and camcorders. ¡°No need to take pictures of this dish; it¡¯s best if everyone sits down and enjoys it,¡± said the food magazine reporter who had spoken to Reporter Hu earlier. He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of Flower Carving Chicken, and took a bite, reveling in the vor. ¡°Reporter Fu, what do you mean by that? What¡¯s special about this dish?¡± asked Reporter Zhu, who had previously been hospitalized with a gastric perforation and was swayed by Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s ultimate technique, Money Strategy. ¡°Reporter Fu is right; just mentioning the name of the dish is sensational enough. This is the authentic vor, no mistake about it. Everyone should sit down and enjoy the meal. I¡¯m afraid if we miss this chance, we might never get to experience it again,¡± said Editor Xiao, who had contact with Jiang Shoucheng due to his elderly mother¡¯s hospitalization but still ended up influenced by the Money Strategy. He too reached for his chopsticks, sat down, and carefully savored a piece of the Flower Carving Chicken like an ordinary diner. The other reporters, somewhat perplexed, sat down and picked up their chopsticks. Thinking to try a piece first, then use their phones to look up what was so extraordinary about this ypot Flower Carving Chicken that its name alone was enough to cause a sensation. The moment the dish touched their pte, everyone forgot their previous random thoughts. Phones, data¡ªeverything was cast aside. Their minds were filled only with Flower Carving Chicken, only with the glistening golden, enticing pieces of chicken in the sandpot. All the reporters screamed inwardly. Holy shit, it¡¯s really freaking delicious! This Flower Carving Chicken is sinfully delightful! There actually exists such a transcendent, stunning Flower Carving Chicken in the world! Perfect bnce of fat and lean, rich and tender in taste, invitingly sweet and aromatic, infused with that special fragrance. As it enters your mouth and etches into your heart, the marvelous vor, the perfect blend of wine fragrance and chicken, the juicy delicacy, is just like Jade te Delicacy. Previously, the reporters didn¡¯ t get to eat any of the dishes while they were hot. In their view, Taifeng Building was just a newly opened upscale establishment ¡ªnot a big deal whether they ate there or not. But after tasting the ypot Flower Carving Chicken, they regretted it. Seeing the table full of half-cooled dishes, their hearts felt as chilled as the food in front of them. Why, why did they have to miss out on the whole table of delicious food for the sake of that final panoramic shot of the feast? What had they been doing just moments ago? Taking photos. Shooting the decor. Thinking of article ideas. Talking gossip. The videographer Tang shed silent tears inwardly. Reporter Hu looked at the roasted pig on the table, tears welling up before words could form. Wait, the roasted pig, the roasted pigwasn¡¯t cut yet; it should still be hot inside! Reporter Hu had a moment of rity, ecstatic, he shot up from his seat. ¡°Does anyone here know how to carve the roasted pig?¡± Reporter Hu inquired. In an instant, all eyes were drawn to the roasted pig at the center of the table. Its hue was like amber, akin to genuine gold. It looked delicious just by sight! Chapter 239 - 238: Membership Card Chapter 239: Chapter 238: Membership Card Trantor: 549690339 Who would cut the Roasted Pig? That was the big question. All those seated were journalists, experts at concocting stories, churning out gossip, fabricating tales out of thin air, and forcibly padding out their word counts. Most of them couldn¡¯t tell dark soy sauce from light, let alone Knifework; as long as they could cut through, that was considered good Knifework. Reporter Hu looked around; no one dared to volunteer. ¡°Let¡¯s just get a waiter to do it,¡± one of the journalists proposed. Everyone agreed, and Reporter Hu raised his hand, calling over to Ji Yue, ¡°Waiter, could you please cut the Roasted Pig for us?¡± There were two tables of journalists. Ji Yue came over and asked, ¡°Would you like both portions of the Roasted Pig to be cut?¡± Reporter Hu looked at the other table; seeing no objections from the other journalists, he nodded, ¡°Yes, both, please.¡± ¡°Alright, please make some room.¡± Ji Yue picked up the knife, slicing open the pig¡¯s belly in a series of steps almost identical to Tong Deyan¡¯s, her movements clean and decisive, the knife¡¯s descent swift, without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Ji Yue had cut the Roasted Pig that Jiang Weiming was trialing these past few days and, having tasted it herself, she knew exactly which part of the meat was the juiciest, which was the most delicate, and which part was the most vorful. Her actions flowed like clouds and water, and in no time at all, she had portioned out the entire Roasted Pig. Ji Yue¡¯s actions caught the attention of some chefs who were eating stewed chicken with Huadiao wine in y pots, yet found the time toment to the person next to them, ¡°That waiter¡¯s Knifework isn¡¯t bad at all¡ªit seems to be the one who served the porridge with such strength.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± The other person quickly nabbed a juicy piece of thigh meat from the hot pot before looking up. ¡°Oh, that one. She cut the Roasted Pig for that table? The Knifework is pretty good. It would be a waste if she didn¡¯t cook.¡± The news that Ji Xue could cook the y pot chicken with Huadiao wine had reached the ears of those present, but it was only hearsay. No one believed it until they saw it with their own eyes. After all, even Master Tan¡¯s granddaughter hadn¡¯t mastered this dish. When this obscure girl suddenly emerged at a gourmetpetition and cooked it once, most people, who only believe what they see, dismissed it as a rumor with augh. Now, seeing it for themselves, many of Master Tan¡¯s loyal patrons were nearly moved to tears. Pei Shenghua, however, was quite smug: ¡°I told you guys long ago; I met a girl who could cook the y pot chicken with Huadiao wine when I was judging thepetition. I even posted it on my Friends Circle, but you all acted like you didn¡¯t see it!¡± The others nodded nomittally. Zhu Chang couldn¡¯t bear to tell him that practically everyone present had blocked his Friends Circle updates, who could me them when he incessantly posted nonsense and liked to pollute the inte with trash talkte at night. It seemed that only Tong Deyan hadn¡¯t blocked him. Old Tong really is a stand-up guy! After they were sated with food and drink, everyone came to their senses and checked the time, only to realize it was already past 1 PM. It had been a long time since they¡¯d all dined so peacefully together, chatting with old friends while savoring delicious food, eating without drinking, leisurely and attentively, not too many dishes, but just right. ¡°Time to leave; I still can catchmy 3 PM flight!¡± said one gourmand with a smile, ¡°Indeed, Mr. Xu has a keen eye; following his lead is never wrong when ites to dining.¡± ¡°Xu Lun, what¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s rare for us to get together, and I was thinking of taking you to my ce tonight to show you a bottle from my wine collection,¡± called another gourmand after him. ¡°Some other time. I have to pick up my grandson after his interest ss this afternoon; kids these days have it tough, attending math sses even on the weekend. Next week I¡¯lle over and savoryour treasured wine!¡±ughed Xu Lun. ¡°Next week?¡± Xu Lun had already left, as he was in a hurry, but he didn¡¯t head toward the exit. Instead, he approached the waiter, Ji Yue, who was apparently the lead among the service staff during the mealtime. ¡°Are there any special requirements for booking your restaurant¡¯s y pot chicken with Huadiao wine or Roasted Pig?¡± Xu Lun inquired. ¡°No special requirements. The Roasted Pig must be ordered 3 days in advance, and the y pot chicken 1 day in advance. Our restaurant only epts bookings within 7 days, with priority given to members,¡± Ji Yue replied cheerfully as she guided Xu Lun to the cashier. ¡°Oh? How does one be a member?¡± Xu Lun had ample experience with memberships. ¡°A recharge of 1,000 yuan grants you regr membership, while 30,000 yuan grants you VIP status. Currently, with our new store opening, the more you top-up, the more bonuses we offer. You can check out the specific benefits up front. Regr members enjoy privileges like special birthday dishes and a 10% discount on drinks. VIP members enjoy the same, plus an additional 10% discount on drinks, priority ess to new products, preference in reservations, and priority booking of dishes,¡± exined Ji Yue. Xu Lun confidently took out his bank card: ¡°Let¡¯s start with a VIP membership. Book a private room for ten on next Friday, with one portion of y pot chicken with Huadiao wine and one Roasted Pig.¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± Before the diners at Xu Lun¡¯s table could react, they saw him talking with Ji Yue, looking puzzled; ¡°Wasn¡¯t Xu Lun rushing for a flight? That sneaky old rascal, damn it!¡± The gourmand hastily stood up and headed to the cashier. ¡°Why¡¯s he in such a fuss too, making a scene¡­ damn it!¡± The person next to them hurried after. ¡°Both of these guys too¡­ these two rascals!¡± another one realized. Those who caught on hurried to be members and make their reservations. ¡°Mr. Xu, you¡¯re not making a reservation?¡± Pei Shenghua was also ready to leave when he saw Xu Cheng still sitting and drinking tea, so he asked out of curiosity. ¡°I made a reservation a long time ago.¡± Xu Cheng sipped his tea silently, keeping a low profile. Membership cards, he and Han Guishan had got those taken care of a long time ago. As Xu Cheng drank his tea, he calcted in his mind to find some time in the next few days toplete Gu Li¡¯s feature interview in Hang City; it had been a while since hest visited Hang City, and he quite missed the local dishes. Hand-torn red y chicken, West Lake vinegar fish, Dongpo pork, Hangzhou chrysanthemum chicken shreds, Hangzhou triple delights, Dragon Well shrimp¡­ Ah, I¡¯m getting older and can¡¯t eat too greasy food; I should have less Dongpo pork, maybe just two pieces. ¡°Master Xia, I¡¯m going to take my leave now,¡± Xu Cheng said. Xia Mushi gave him a slight nod. Seeing Zhang Guanghanging out, he supported himself on the edge of the table to stand and said, ¡°I should be leaving too.¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯ll take you back to the hospital,¡± Zhang Guanghang assisted Xia Mushi. ¡°Not the hospital, back to Fen Garden. Have Xiao Hou pack up my things and send them to Fen Garden. Be careful with the jar, don¡¯t bump it,¡± Xia Mushi instructed, then turned his head and saw two untouched chicken buns in a te and pointed at them, ¡°Pack that up as well.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t catch on right away. ¡°Okay.¡± Zhang Guanghang saw the chicken bun in Xia Mushi¡¯s te that had only been bitten once, ¡°I¡¯ll go get a takeout box.¡± As Zhang Guanghang went to get a takeout box, it stirred up exmations along the way. ¡°Oh my god, is he the chef of this restaurant?¡± ¡°Seems like it. Look, he¡¯s still in a chef¡¯s uniform!¡± ¡°Goodness, what nationality is he? Is he mixed? He¡¯s so handsome. Oh my, look at his nose, look at his eyes; I can hardly breathe. How can someone be this attractive!¡± ¡°Yanzi, quick, look at that hottie!¡± Not just the ordinary customers, even the seasoned journalists were stunned by Zhang Guanghang¡¯s handsome face, height, and long legs. For a moment, they felt like they weren¡¯t writing about the opening of a restaurant, but rather the debut news of a Hollywood heartthrob. ¡°Is he a chef from Taifeng Building?¡± a curious reporter asked. ¡°Looks like it.¡± The others were not certain either. ¡°Reporter Hu, if we put his photo on the front page, this piece is definitely going to be a hit!¡± Photographer Tang was excited, clinging to his camera ready for action, ¡°No matter the headline, it¡¯s sure to get a lot of clicks!¡± Photographer Tang initially worked for a gossip magazine that waster forced to close down and reform after being sued by numerous celebrities for spreading too many rumors; that¡¯s when Tang started to look for other opportunities and followed Reporter Hu to chase news stories. Manager Fan came over to give the reporters red envelopes, hoping they would write favorable articles when the time came, not expecting to encounter such a scene. Everyone was staring at Zhang Guanghang like hunters eyeing their prey as he calmly packed up the chicken bun. ¡°Reporter Hu, thank you so much for your hard work today; it¡¯ll trouble you to focus a bit more on the article when you get back,¡± Manager Fan said with a smile as she handed the red envelope to Reporter Hu, who epted it with practiced ease. ¡°Editor Xiao, thank you foring in person today. It¡¯s been a lot to ask of you!¡± ¡°Reporter Fu, I¡¯m so grateful you coulde. This is a small token of appreciation, and I still need to trouble you with¡­¡± ¡°Reporter Huang, we just metst time, at¡­¡± Manager Fan had the professional skills that matched her sry, adept at social graces, able to name each journalist, with red envelopes already given away, yet the journalists were in no hurry to leave. ¡°The thing is, Manager Fan, we think since Taifeng Building is a new restaurant opening, shouldn¡¯t we also mention the chefs in the kitchen? We were wondering if that would be convenient,¡± Editor Xiao took the lead to ask. Manager Fan nced at Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face and instantly got it. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s convenient, but our Chef Zhang needs to escort Sir Xia back first. It might take a while for him to return. I wonder if that will be an issue for you all time-wise¡­¡± ¡°No problem with time at all!¡± ¡°This chef surnamed Zhang, isn¡¯t he the one mentioned on the menu, Chef Zhang Guanghang?¡± ¡°Manager Fan, why don¡¯t you tell us more about Chef Zhang? Just by appearance, he doesn¡¯t seem¡­¡± Chapter 240 - 239 Capital University Chapter 240: Chapter 239 Capital University Trantor: 549690339? J Jiang Feng was somewhat surprised to hear that reporters were actually going to interview the kitchen staff. The kitchen was busy at noon today, functioning like a high-speed, interconnected machine. The lunch rush had passed, and as soon as the business opened, the game notification sound had already echoed in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind, reminding him that the main quest had beenpleted, with the task reward being the Taifeng Building Employee Management System. The kitchen staff had already taken a break, and the tray and water stage chefs were cleaning up the kitchen. Jiang Feng was about to slip away to check out the task reward and what the next main quest was, when Fan Mei informed him that the reporters wanted to interview the kitchen staff of Taifeng Building. The interview took ce in a private room on the second floor. Since everyone there was paid to write articles and there was nopetition, the rtionship between the reporters was very harmonious, and they even asionally exchanged information with each other. All were like men more interested in the game than the wine-they were actually more interested in interviewing Zhang Guanghang, or rather, they just wanted photos of Zhang Guanghang. Now that Zhang Guanghang had taken Xia Mushi back to Fen Garden, the others casually interviewed whoever was avable, leaving no one out, from the furnace chef to the tray chef to the water stage chef, everyone had their turn, all living beings were equal. The reporters never expected that the interview would actually turn up some interesting findings. ¡°Would it be possible to disclose your educational backgrounds, or your experiences in learning how to cook?¡± Reporter Hu casually asked. ¡°Middle school.¡± ¡°I¡¯m middle school too.¡± ¡°Highschool.¡± ¡°Wharton Business School.¡± ¡°UAL University.¡± ¡°UAL University.¡± ¡°Capital University.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Almost everyone turned to look at Zhang Weiyu, their eyes full of disbelief as they thought, ¡°This kid looks like the stereotype of a poor student, yet turns out he¡¯s a graduate of Capital University!¡± Reporter Hu: ??? All the reporters: ??? The reporters in the private room began to doubt their lives. What kind of restaurant was this, and what were the people in the kitchen like¡ªUAL University, Capital University, Wharton Business School, all giving up their bright futures to be chefs? At that moment, almost everyone thought of the advertising slogan: ¡°Chef, a high-paying profession! Chef, never unemployed!¡± The reporters asked some random questions, but not all were nonsense. For instance, Editor Xiao asked some very nutritious and somewhat professional questions, which could only be answered by Sun Jikai, while the rest didn¡¯t have a clue. Jiang Feng had already seen that these reporters were running out of questions to ask. But why did they insist on staying? Who exactly were they waiting for? As he pondered, Zhang Guanghang pushed open the door and came in. The reporters who had been wracking their brains for questions stopped trying and swarmed around Zhang Guanghang, like gossip journalists at an airport who had spent over a dozen hours lying in wait and had only caught glimpse of some obscure i8th-tier celebrities, ready to head home in disappointment, only for a top-tier superstar to suddenly appear from the boarding gate. Jiang Feng:¡­ Okay, he knew who they had been waiting for. The important person had shown up, so the rest of the extras could leave. But now, everyone was very concerned about one question. Sang Ming and Han Yigu, along with a few other youngds who had been getting along well with Zhang Weiyu in recent days, surrounded him with smiles and said, ¡°We didn¡¯t expect you to be a graduate of Capital University!¡± ¡°Ah, the hero does not mention the valor of his past,¡± Zhang Weiyu responded with feigned nonchnce. ¡°Zhang Weiyu, which major were you in?¡± Jiang Feng was also very curious. Zhang Weiyu had not written his educational background on his resume when he applied, and since he had good knifework and solid basic skills, they had always assumed Zhang Weiyu was like Han Yigu, who after finishing middle school, had not continued with his education and had been learning to cook ever since. ¡°I studied finance,¡± said Zhang Weiyu with a worried look, ¡°You have no idea how hard it is for undergrads with a major in finance to find jobs these days. If I hadn t failed to receive an offer from every singlepany I applied to, I wouldn¡¯tbehere applying to be a chef.¡± Zhang Weiyu¡¯s face was written with the need for money. Everyone:¡­ ¡°Is it hard for Capital University grads too?¡± Sang Ming, incredulous and as someone who had only scored 300 on the college entrance exam, thought Capital University graduates were capable of anything. Of course it¡¯s hard. Look at Sun Jikai; he graduated from Wharton Business School and he¡¯s ended up just like me, bing a chef,¡± said Zhang Weiyu. Sun Jikai:¡­ ¡°What kind of school is Wharton Business School? Is it like one of those specialized vocational schools? But that one specifically teaches business, which city is Wharton in?¡± Sang Ming asked. Zhang Weiyu & Sun Jikai:¡­ To Sang Ming, there might be no difference between Wharton Business School and Beiping Advanced Vocational and Technical School. Sun Jikai had a myriad of thoughts bottled up in his chest that he wanted to express; he wanted to loudly tell everyone present that he and Zhang Weiyu, who had stumbled into applying for a job at Taifeng Building because they ¡¯ couldn¡¯t find work, were different. He, Sun Jikai, the favored child of heaven, had been learning to cook since childhood, the heir to FJ¡¯s number one restaurant, the envy of others¡¯ parents an outstanding graduate of Wharton Business School. ¡°Thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi,¡± despite currently being at the low point of his life, but¡­ ¡¯ But now it seemed like there was no difference between him and Zhang Weiyu. ¡°Close enough, just think of Wharton as a city in America,¡± Sun Jikai said expressionlessly, giving up on exining to Sang Ming. ¡°America, huh? You¡¯ve been abroad? Should¡¯ve said so earlier. Do they y Mahjong over there?¡± Sang Ming asked. Everyone: ¡­ Alright, there¡¯s still some time; everyone should rest for a bit before we start prepping for the evening¡¯s business at 4:30,¡± Jiang Feng said. Everyone had been busy all afternoon and were tired; if they didn¡¯t rest now they would be drowsy at night. Then, as they went downstairs, they happened upon Wang Xiulian, Fan Mei, and Ji Yue murmuring among themselves, apparently discussing something. Seeing Jiang Feng, Wang Xiulian called him over and asked him to buy a packet of lemon slices from the convenience store next door; she wanted to make a lemon water infusion. Having received the instruction, Jiang Feng went to the changing room to switch back into his own clothes. On his way past the kitchen, he nced inside and sure enough, saw Wu Minqi and Ji Xue. The two were struck with inspiration and were researching a new dish, constantly staying in the kitchen. ¡°Qiqi, I¡¯m going to the convenience store to buy lemon slices. Do you want something to drink?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Lemon ck tea.¡± Jiang Feng turned to Ji Xue, asking, ¡°What about you, Ji Xue?¡± ¡°in water is fine for me,¡± Ji Xue replied. ¡°Employee benefits.¡± After a thought, Ji Xue said, ¡°Can I have pearl milk tea?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Jiang Feng affirmed. After buying lemon slices for Wang Xiulian from the nearby 24-hour convenience store, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t head for the bubble tea shop but instead found an empty seat in the store, sat down, and opened his attribute panel to im the new main quest and quest rewards. This main quest had been going on for so long that if it weren¡¯t for the game¡¯s reminder today, he would have forgotten about it. [Main Quest]
  • [Loyal Customers] To be a famous establishment, a massive customer base is essential, as well as having loyal customers. Please secure 10 loyal customers forTaifeng Building. Quest progress: (0/10)
    • Friendly reminder: Make Taifeng Building the number one restaurant in the hearts of customers toplete. Jiang Feng:¡­ Number one restaurant in the world. This descriptor was a bit chuunibyou and embarrassing, and the difficulty was not small either. There is no first in schrly pursuits, and no second in martial arts; the same is true for chefs. The tastes and preferences of diners all vary greatly, and it¡¯s hard to please everyone. If you were to say which restaurant¡¯s food is delicious, you could give reasons, but if you were to say which one is the best, many people wouldn¡¯t have a clue, not to mention the number one restaurant in the world. Oh well, it¡¯s just a quest. When fate arrives, it will naturally bepleted, just like the [Turn Enemies into Friends] one before. Even though Jiang Feng did nothing, the five chefs came to him one after the other, and the quest was mysteriouslypleted very smoothly. Jiang Feng believed that as long as Taifeng Building and the diners were fated, those diners would naturally consider Taifeng Building the number one restaurant in the world. Flipping to the item column, Jiang Feng saw the [Taifeng Building Employee Management System], When he first heard the game notification, he thought it was a tablet like the Ordering System he had been rewarded with before, but now it seemed he might have thought wrong. [Taifeng Building Employee Management System]: Choose to activate at any time, no need to update the game. Jiang Feng clicked to activate. There was no change in the attribute panel. Jiang Feng: ??? Exiting the attribute panel, Jiang Feng noticed that in the lower right corner of his vision, there was a new circle containing a question mark. Jiang Feng quietly clicked on that question mark. Chapter 241 - 240 Employee Information Chapter 241: Chapter 240 Employee Information When Jiang Feng heard the notification sound, he thought the employee management system was just like the Ordering System, where a tablet would disy each employee¡¯s information, including their scheduling, attendance, sry, and bonuses, solely for the convenience of management. He was wrong, seriously wrong. This game, besides unreliable rewards in the culinary aspect, was incredibly reliable in other areas, whether it be romance or career. Clicking on the question mark, the employee information interface was very simr to the attribute panel, with clean formatting and fonts that werefortable to look at. The first thing he saw was a row of names, with portraits in front of them that he could click on to view detailed information. The names were arranged in alphabetical order, and the names of all the staff at Taifeng Building were listed. Since Jiang Feng was not familiar with many of them, and there were even more names he didn¡¯t recognize at all, he just flipped through casually to start with the ones he knew. Name: Ji Yue Age: 23 Position: Captain (Lobby) Loyalty: 99 Skills: Lies (Master Level) Drawing (Advanced) Affinity (Advanced) Fast Walking (Advanced) Heavy Loading (Advanced) Management (Intermediate Level) Prestige (Lobby) (Management Position Disy): 10 Employee Rating: A Note: Only work-rted skills are disyed, red indicates non-upgradable, blue indicates special skills. Jiang Feng:¡­ Ji Yue¡¯s drawing skill was highlighted in blue, no red, which, upon review, confirmed she indeed was a hospitality talent dyed by art. Looking at Ji Yue¡¯s employee information, Jiang Feng began to doubt whether this game was a card game, featuring things like loyalty, skills, and employee ratings. What was key, though, was that Ji Yue¡¯s skills were odd in name, and although they seemed indeed essential for a good waiter upon further thought, their names were rather awkward. Especially that Heavy Loading, when they ran a serious restaurant! It¡¯s just that their y pots were a bit toorge. None of Ji Yue¡¯s skills were highlighted in red, which meant they all had the potential to be upgraded, signifying her as a growth-type deity, at least an SR. Jiang Feng selected the next profile. Name: Jiang Weisheng Age: 63 Position: Cutting Board (Kitchen) Loyalty: 95 Skills: Knife Skills (Advanced) Fire Control (Advanced) Seasoning (Intermediate Level) Employee Rating: C Jiang Feng:¡­ Jiang Weisheng was truly unfortunate, his three skills were not only mediocre, but they were also all red. Jiang Feng then randomly flipped through and clicked on the next one. Name: Fan Mei Age: 37 Position: Lobby Manager (Lobby) Loyalty: 76 Skills: Lies (Master Level) Management (Master Level) Affinity (Advanced) Fast Walking (Advanced) Heavy Loading (Intermediate Level) Prestige (Lobby) (Management Position Disy): 60 Employee Rating: A Fan Mei¡¯s Management and Affinity skills were both red, and her prestige was high. Considering her loyalty as a recently promoted employee, it was also quite decent, making her a solid SR. Jiang Feng continued scrolling down without pausing, opening the next profile. Name: Sang Ming Age: 19 Position: Tray (Kitchen) Loyalty: 70 Skills: Mahjong (Master Level) ting (Advanced) Knife Skills (Intermediate Level) Seasoning (Beginner Level) Fire Control (Beginner Level) Employee Rating: C Jiang Feng:¡­ Not a single one is red, even Mahjong isn¡¯t red. Mahjong at a master level¡­ Indeed, talent abounds¡ªthere are endless professions, and anyone can be a chef, whether they¡¯re from Wharton, Capital University, or UAL University; regardless of whether they studied finance, management, or photonics, eventually, they all end up as colleagues in the same kitchen. Name: Sun Jikai Age: 24 Position: Furnace Chef (Kitchen) Loyalty: 60 Skills: Management (Advanced) Knife Skills (Advanced) Seasoning (Advanced) Fire Control (Advanced) Employee Rating: B Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected it, but Sun Jikai, even with his daily appearance of a constrained dragon awaiting the tide, had a passing loyalty score. Jiang Feng suddenly saw Sun Jikai in a new light. Name: Wu Minqi Age: 19 Position: Furnace Chef (Kitchen) Loyalty: 100 Skills: Knife Skills (Master Level) Seasoning (Advanced) Fire Control (Advanced) Employee Rating: A She truly lives up to being my wife! Jiang Feng was bubbling with pride inside as he immediately opened Zhang Guanghang¡¯s information. Name: Zhang Guanghang Age: 27 Position: Furnace Chef Loyalty: 95 Skills: Center of Attention (Master Level) Knife Skills (Master Level) Seasoning (Master Level) Fire Control (Advanced) Employee Rating: A Jiang Feng: ¡­ Center of Attention is still a blue special skill; it¡¯d be best to appear less frequently in the same frame as Zhang Guanghang in the future. Name: Ji Xue Age: 19 Position: Furnace Chef Loyalty: 100 Skills: Seasoning (Master Level) Overload Work (Advanced) Knife Skills (Advanced) Fire Control (Advanced) Employee Rating: A Overload Work in blue looks so heart-wrenching. Name: Zhang Weiyu Age: 24 Position: Tray (Kitchen) Loyalty: 76 Skills: Ironing (Advanced) Knife Skills (Advanced) Fire Control (Intermediate Level) Seasoning (Low Level) Employee Rating: B Jiang Feng: ??? ??? Ironing ??? They teach that at Capital University ??? Name: Jiang Jiankang Age: 49 Position: Furnace Chef Loyalty: 100 Skills: Knife Skills (Master Level) Seasoning (Master Level) Fire Control (Master Level) Employee Rating: A Jiang Feng felt a pang of heartache looking at the three bright red skills in his own dad¡¯s skill column. Next to Jiang Jiankang¡¯s name were the two sirs, and Jiang Feng¡¯s own name. Name: Jiang Weiguo Age: 84 Position: Chef (Kitchen) Loyalty: 100 Skills: Knife Skills (Grandmaster Level) Fire Control (Master Level) Seasoning (Master Level) Mentoring (Intermediate Level) Management (Intermediate Level) Prestige (Kitchen) (Disyed with management position): 80 Employee Rating: A Name: Jiang Weiming Age: 98 Position: Chef (Kitchen) Loyalty: 100 Skills: Knife Skills (Grandmaster Level) Fire Control (Grandmaster Level) Seasoning (Grandmaster Level) Mentoring (Master Level) Management (Advanced) Prestige (Kitchen) (Disyed with management position): 85 Employee Rating: S Jiang Feng waspletely stunned in his seat, not because of the almost terrifying skill levels of the two sirs, but because only their Mentoring and Management skills were red, which indicated that the other skills still had the potential to be bumped up. Beginner requires 1,000 proficiency, intermediate requires 10,000 proficiency, advanced requires 100,000 proficiency, master level requires 1,000,000 proficiency, and so on¡ªhow much does grandmaster require? 10,000,000? Whates after grandmaster? Great Grandmaster? And above the Great Grandmaster? Culinary Emperor? Jiang Feng felt that even 1,000,000 proficiency was unreachable, let alone 10,000,000 or 100,000,000. He even doubted if he could ever umte hundreds of millions of proficiency even if he practiced in the kitchen for a hundred years. ¡°Ding, a new optional main quest has been detected. Please select at your discretion.¡± Huh? Main quest? Chapter 242 - 241: The Second Main Quest Chapter 242: Chapter 241: The Second Main Quest Jiang Feng had not expected the game to actually introduce a second main quest. He was just about to exit the employee information and check the quest in the attribute panel. When he exited Jiang Weiming¡¯s information, he saw his own name and thought that the quest wouldn¡¯t grow legs and run away, so he decided to open his own information panel first. Name: Jiang Feng Age: 21 Position: Boss Loyalty: 100 Skills: Knife Skills (Master Level), Lies (High Level), Fire Control (High Level), Seasoning (High Level), Management (Low Level) Prestige (entire restaurant): 0 Employee Rating: B Jiang Feng:¡­ As the true owner of Taifeng Building, whom many people were unaware of, he was not at all surprised by his current sorry state. But after all, he was the boss. Couldn¡¯t the game give him some credit and upgrade his employee rating to an A? Jiang Feng exited the employee management system with an indignant face and opened the attribute panel. He was shocked to see the second mam quest. Although the game did not rate him highly, it seemed to have high expectations for him-the second main quest was actually to take on a disciple, and judging by the title, it seemed to be a series of quests. Jiang Feng thought about it. It wasn¡¯t a difficult task. If he could really get to the point where he could take on disciples, it would mean that his cooking skills had somewhat matured, so he decisively epted the quest.
    1. ¡°A Garden Full of Disciples 1¡±: Inheritance is an important part of culinary arts Having a good disciple is crucial for a chef. Please sessfully obtain a disciple who genuinely loves cooking and is willing to take you as their master.
    Quest Progress (0/1) Friendly reminder: The disciple-taking function will be unlocked at level 30. Please work hard to level up. Jiang Feng nced silently at his current level, 21. With Da Hua¡¯s help, Jiang Feng¡¯s experience points had indeed increased much faster recently, but he was still a long way from level 30. Since Taifeng Building had opened, he could only cook pig feed for Da Hua in the mornings and evenings. The Jiang Family fed the pig four times a day, and Jiang Feng could only manage the morning and evening feeds. Mrs. Jiang personally cooked the pig feed for the other two meals. Moreover, every time the game updated, it would freeze, and the update speed was as slow as the inte speed when the school¡¯s construction team identally cut the campus fiber-optic cable-the kind where you can¡¯t even load pictures on Taobao. By the time Jiang Feng reached level 30 and unlocked the feature to take disciples, he might have already repaid all his debts. Level 30 was too far off, so Jiang Feng looked at the other quests again. In fact, there were only ¡°Sun Guanyun¡¯s Approval¡± and ¡°The Awakening of Da Hua- left. After reevaluating these four quests: the first main quest was up to fate, ? the second main quest was currently impossible, ¡°The Awakening of Da Hua¡± required a long wait, and only ¡°Sun Guanyun¡¯s Approval¡± seemed feasible. Jiang Feng had been practicing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon for several months now. Though the taste was far from Sun Guanyun¡¯s, it was passable. Now, he just needed Sun Guanyun toe to him voluntarily and have a taste disorder toplete the quest. He nced around, seeing no customers; it was safe to browse through the employee information for a bit. Jiang Feng spent more than twenty minutes skimming through all the employee data, memorizing some particrly notable individuals, before leaving the convenience store to buy milk tea for Wu Minqi and Ji Xue. Jiang Feng had some impressions of the kitchen staff, but for the lobby, aside from Fan Mei and Ji Yue, he didn¡¯t know anyone. But from looking at the employee information just now, Jiang Feng was impressed by two people: one was Qi Rou, who had master-level affinity, and was the only one in the lobby staff with such a high level. Her loyalty also passed the mark, at 66. Another person is Yang Li, who didn¡¯t have high values in any category, except for her loyalty which was startlingly a 1. This was the only single-digit loyalty score Jiang Feng had ever seen. Although everyone¡¯s loyalty varied, after all, it was a newly opened restaurant and, besides Ji Yue, all employees were recently recruited so it was normal not to have much sense of belonging. Still, even the lowest among others were above 40, and Sun Jikai, as the heir of Jubao Building, had a score of 60. Only Yang Lt had a mere 1, making Jiang Feng even suspect she might be a mole from a rival restaurant. After buying milk tea for Wu Minqi and Ji Xue from the bubble tea shop, Jiang Feng strolled back to Taifeng Building leisurely. Wang Xiulian was sitting near the entrance, busily cking away on her favorite calctor while calcting ounts and waiting for him. As soon as she saw him returning, she immediately startedining. ¡°I just asked you to buy a bag of dried lemon slices, and it took you an hour toe back. You always dawdle like this when you do things,¡± said Wang Xiulian as she grabbed her cup, ready to make lemon water. ¡°It felt a bit stuffy in the shop so I took a walk outside. Mom, why did you suddenly think of drinking lemon water?¡± Jiang Feng remembered that Wang Xiulian did not like sour things. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the article your aunt shared in the family group chat yesterday? Drinking lemon water is good for skin whitening and beauty. Didn¡¯t you notice your mom has be haggard with all the work recently?¡± Wang Xiulian said with a sorrowful face. Jiang Feng: ¡­ He really hadn¡¯t noticed; she had seemed quite radiant while doing the ounts just then. Ji Yue was munching on something and happened to overhear Wang Xiulian¡¯sment. She casually remarked, ¡°Mrs. Wang, lemon water should be drunk at night. Exposing yourself to light after drinking lemon water will darken your skin.¡± Wang Xiulian paused, taken aback. ¡°Really? ¡°Really!¡± Ji Yue said with absolute certainty. Wang Xiulian hesitated between trusting her sister-inw and Ji Yue, then decided to go with the inte. She patted her pocket and got up to search around. ¡°Eh, where¡¯s my phone? Where did I put my phone? Has anyone seen my phone?¡± Wang Xiulian went off in search of her phone. ¡°Drinking lemon water during the day turns your skin darker?¡± Jiang Feng held the lemon ck tea in his hand, feeling conflicted. Wu Minqi loved lemon ck tea, and she hadn¡¯t turned any darker because of it. ¡°I just heard it from someone else. I don¡¯t drink lemon water myself,¡± Ji Yue said with the smug expression of someone enjoying gossip, noticing the two cups of milk tea in Jiang Feng¡¯s hand. She asked, ¡°One¡¯s for your Qiqi, but who¡¯s the other one for?¡± ¡°Ji Xue¡¯s. She¡¯s been busy all afternoon and deserves some relief,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Ah, Xue likes milk tea too? I¡¯ve been living with her for days and thought she had no hobbies other than work. Just before opening, she was busy until eleven or twelve at night and left early every morning. Howe there¡¯s so much to do in the kitchen that a girl not even twenty years old has to be so busy?¡± Ji Yue began to voice her concerns for Ji Xue, ¡°She¡¯s like an iron woman, working nonstop every day as if she never gets tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll speak to herter and tell her not to stay busy for so long every day. By the way, do you know a waitress named Yang Li?¡± Jiang Feng shifted to the main topic, feeling that keeping a waitress with loyalty as low as 1 in Taifeng Building wasn¡¯t a good thing. ¡°Even you¡¯ve heard about her? She was caught cking and giving half-hearted service to guests by Manager Fan today, and when she was confronted, she had the nerve to argue. I had overheard her spouting all sorts of nonsense a few days ago, and today it seemed like a good time to settle both old and new ounts. Just before, Mrs. Wang, Manager Fan, and I were talking about making an example of her tonight,¡± Ji Yue shared, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Wang has everything under control in the lobby. We won¡¯t have any trouble.¡± ¡°By the way, Qiqi and Xue made some sort of sweet and sour dragon fish in the kitchen. It¡¯s quite tasty, hurry and try it. I¡¯m exhausted from this afternoon; I¡¯m never wearing such high heels again. I¡¯m going upstairs to find a spot to nap for a bit. See youter.¡± After sneaking some food from the kitchen, Ji Yue found herself sleepy and went to the second floor to find a ce to nap. Dragon fish? Jiang Feng carried the milk tea and made his way to the kitchen; when he had left earlier, Wu Minqi and Ji Xue were clearly making meatballs. How had it turned into dragon fish? Chapter 243 - 242 Killing the Chicken Chapter 243: Chapter 242 Killing the Chicken At first, the two were indeed making meatballs, or to be more precise, fishballs. Wu Minqi had spent years in Shu, and the Wu Family Restaurant rarely needed to use sea fish for their dishes, so she seldom cooked fish. But Ji Xue was different; since she was young, she had been dealing with all kinds of seafood, selling vegetables at the market, working as a helper in restaurant kitchens, ¡¯ and even offered barbecue and beer at night markets. Both were keen on exploring culinary arts, so when they came together, it was a perfect match, and they wanted to try making fishballs using the methods for making meatballs. When Jiang Feng entered the kitchen with two cups of iced milk tea, the two were still handling the dragonfish. ¡°Just now, we fried it for too long, and I think just a few drops of lemon juice would have been enough, there was no need to brush on honey,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°Brushing honey wasn¡¯t necessary, but I think we could marinate it with honey first,¡± Wu Minqi contemted. Jiang Feng stepped forward to hand them the milk teas, smiling, ¡°Thinking the kitchen isn t hot enough? Go out and get some fresh air.¡± Wu Minqi picked up a piece of fish and fed it to Jiang Feng, ¡°Try this, we both think something about the taste is a bit off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit odd,¡± Jiang Feng smacked his lips, ¡°Weren¡¯t we researching fishballs just before? How did it turn into fried fish?¡± ¡°Just messing around.¡± Wu Minqi took a sip of her lemon red tea, turned to Ji Xue with a smile, and said, ¡°Xue, there¡¯s still more than an hour to go before the afternoon shift. Go find a ce to rest. I heard from Mr. Jiang that you came early this morning, and it¡¯s our first day opening, so we¡¯ll be busy tonight.¡± Yeah, Ji Yue said you¡¯ve been leaving early and returningte these past few days. Today¡¯s your first official day of work, so go back early and rest well. We can¡¯t afford to pay you overtime with the new restaurant¡¯s tight budget,¡± Jiang Feng chuckled in agreement. Ji Xue was momentarily startled; ever since she started working at 14 after dropping out of school, apart from her parents and younger sister urging her to rest well and not overexert herself, few others would remind her to take a break. She had been in Beiping for just a week. Ji Yue, with whom she shared a living space, would advise her to rest more. Wu Minqi would send her to rest. Jiang Feng would caution her to work less overtime and go home early to rest. Jiang Jiankang, seeing her as the first one in the kitchen every day, would tell her to sleep in ande inter. The two old men in the evening would send her home early instead of letting her busy herself in the kitchen until dawn. Even Sang Ming, who she¡¯d known for just a few days and had barely exchanged words with, a mere colleague, would see her tidying up the kitchen at night and tell her to stop, saying it wasn¡¯t a job for a furnace chef. ¡°Alright,¡± Ji Xue responded to Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi with a slight smile. She liked this ce. Very much so. She wanted to work here her whole life. The evening business went smoothly. Since it was the first day of opening, all staff at Taifeng Building needed to work without any scheduled shifts, but Manager Fan had already prepared a shift schedule early in the morning. Apart from the Jiang Family and Wu Minqi and Ji Xue, who volunteered to work without any days off throughout the year, other staff had one day off after six workdays, ten days of paid leave per year (with annual leave calcted separately), four times the sry for public holidays, and included work meals; it was undoubtedly a great job that was hard toe by even if you were to look for it with antern. Despite that, there were still those who felt dissatisfied. Yang Li, who had finally gotten her name after being made an example before this point, and was Qi Rou¡¯s fellow townsfolk,ined to Qi Rou after the peak of the evening business ended. ¡°Qi Rou, do you think that old woman Fan Mei is sick or something? This afternoon, I just didn¡¯t introduce that stupid Ordering System to the customers, right? It¡¯s such a small matter. Only an idiot wouldn¡¯t understand it without us introducing it. It was totally her looking for trouble. And she even confronted me in front of so many people. Who does she think she is?¡± Yang Li was full of resentment and obviously held a grudge against Fan Mei. ¡°She is the manager,¡± Qi Rou replied. Stumped by Qi Rou¡¯s four words, Yang Li couldn¡¯t speak for a moment and suddenly became angry, ¡°Whose side are you on? Qi Rou, don¡¯t forget, if it weren¡¯t for me taking you out, you¡¯d be stuck in that rundown ce getting married. Do you have no conscience? I never expected you to be this kind of turncoat! So what if she¡¯s a manager? So what if she studied at that crappy University of Surrey in Ennd? I think she¡¯s just someone who failed the college entrance exam, relied on her family¡¯s money to go abroad and study at some no-name university, and now unts it every day. What a joke!¡± Ji Yue had been looking everywhere for the chicken that was supposed to be ughtered tonight. She hadn¡¯t expected not only to find the person she was searching for but also to witness such a scene. Since she wasn¡¯t in a hurry, she stood silently in the corner, curious to see what else shocking Yang Li could say and how Qi Rou, who always trailed behind her like a little tail, would react. ¡°Manager is from the University of Surrey,¡± Qi Rou said. ¡°What are you implying, Qi Rou?¡± Yang Li raised her voice. ¡°Are you saying now that you¡¯re siding with that old woman, Fan Mei? Don¡¯t forget who brought you out here. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you¡¯d still be stuck in that backwater town, arranged by your parents to meet suitors and waiting to get married! It was because of me that you came to Beiping! Now I see your true colors; you¡¯re ungrateful! From day one, you were like a littlepdog, always pandering to Ji Yue, and nowyou thinkyou don¡¯t need me because you¡¯ve cozied up to her, with that smug and underhanded look on your face. You two really are birds of a feather! Then fine, don¡¯t live with me anymore, get out today!¡± ¡°First off, Yang Li, we onlye from the same vige. It was Yanyan who persuaded my parents to let mee to Beiping, and they¡¯re the ones who bought my train ticket. My brother secretly gave me some money; it had nothing to do with you. Secondly, the rent was paid by Yanyan and me; you didn¡¯t contribute a cent. If you have anyints about me, feel free to move out anytime. I don¡¯t owe you anything, nor do I need your incessant nagging about every aspect of my life. I have the right to choose my friends and I¡¯m capable of deciding whom to befriend,¡± Qi Rou replied calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t like you; we are merely fellow vigers, so whatever you say won¡¯t affect me. But I do like Sister Ji Yue, so please watch yournguage when talking about her.¡± After saying this, Qi Rou stopped looking at Yang Li and turned to leave. She bumped right into Ji Yue, who had been eavesdropping in the corner. Even though Ji Yue got caught listening in, she didn¡¯t feel any embarrassment. Smiling, she emerged from the corner as if she hadn¡¯t noticed Yang Li¡¯s sudden change of expression and said, ¡°Manager Fan is looking for you.¡± Yang Li red at Qi Rou bitterly, convinced that Qi Rou had known all along that Ji Yue was listening and had intentionally provoked her to say those things. ¡°Be careful in the future, Qi Rou, or you might get struck by lightning one of these days,¡± Ji Yue said after having enjoyed the show and having gained a devoted admirer. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat. Today¡¯s dishes were cooked by Jiang Feng; they¡¯re not as tasty as the ones Mr. Jiang cooked yesterday. I¡¯ll call you over when he makes Sweet and Sour Yam another day.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Qi Rou followed Ji Yue like a little tail. You just said you really like me. Why do you like me?¡± Ji Yue asked. She couldn¡¯t recall doing anything special for Qi Rou, nor had she ever gone out of her way to look after her. ¡°Because 1 saw the painting Sister Ji Yue did the other day,¡± Qi Rou said softly, nervous in front of her idol. ¡°I love painting too, and I think you paint exceptionally well, whichis why I really like you, Sister Ji Yue.¡± Ji Yue suddenly understood. She had indeed been painting in the restaurant a few days ago, the four-panelics of Taifeng Building that Zhang Guanghang had mentioned before. She had casually drawn a few sketches on paper and brought them for Jiang Feng and the others to see. ¡°Have you studied it?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Where do you live?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°What?¡± Startled, Qi Rou provided an address. It was a remote suburb with very cheap rent, the kind of ce she could afford. ¡°We both have the next Wednesday off. You cane to my ce, and I¡¯ll teach you,¡± Ji Yue offered. ¡°Okay!¡± The kitchen wasn¡¯t busy anymore, and the staff could take turns eating. Zhang Weiyu, who had just returned from eating, was tidying up while talking to Jiang Feng. Something¡¯s going on in the hall; no one hase to eat. I just saw them all gathered together as if they were having a meeting,¡± said Zhang Weiyu. ¡°ughtering the chicken,¡± replied Jiang Feng. Zhang Weiyu: ??? ughter the chicken??? Chapter 244 - 243 Manga Chapter 244: Chapter 243 Manga Ever since the incident with Yang Li, Jiang Feng found, to his surprise, that the loyalty of the staff in the lobby actually increased a bit, especially for Qi Rou, whose loyalty jumped from 66 to 79 in no time. The speed of this change even made Jiang Feng wonder if she had a deep grudge against Yang Li. The grand opening of Taifeng Building didn¡¯t cause much of a stir among the ordinary citizens of Beiping, but it created quite a sensation in the culinary world, primarily because of Ji Xue¡¯s wine-soaked chicken in a y jar. In just one day, a week¡¯s supply was fully booked, and those who didn¡¯t manage to reserve one beat their chests and stamped their feet, cursing their slow responses. Consequently, quite a few premium membership cards were also issued, leaving Wang Xiulian beaming with joy every day as she calcted the revenue, with the restaurant operating smoothly. Xia Mushi fulfilled his life¡¯s greatest wish, moving back to Fen Garden. On the first night back, not only Zhang Guanghang, but Jiang Feng and the others were a bit worried that the excitement might be too much and that he might pass away. Luckily, what they feared did not happen. Xia Mushi was in good spirits and even had the energy to curse someone out. ording to the caregivers, he was on the phone scolding someone early in the morning. They weren¡¯t sure who he was scolding, but his voice was so loud it could be heard through the door, full of vitality. Having the mood to specifically call someone just to scold them indicated that he was indeed in good shape. During the lunch break, when Zhang Guanghang shared this with Jiang Feng, he was dumbfounded. There was a moment when Jiang Feng thought of the old master. ¡°It seems that Old Sir Xia is really in high spirits!¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even know how to describe it. Today was the third day since the opening, and the business was just as good as the previous two days. The reporters who were invited to the opening had their stories published quickly, and advertising space was bought on various group ¨C buying and review websites, creating a favorable advertising effect that attracted many new customers. It was up to Taifeng Building¡¯s capabilities whether they could retain those customers or not. Judging by the increase in the number of general membership cards issued over the past few days, the retention rate of customers was quite good. ¡°My master is just like that, straightforward and unyielding, not giving face to anyone, a sharp tongue with a soft heart, always speaking his mind, not hoping to please anyone,¡± Zhang Guanghang said with augh. ¡°Is he like that with you too?¡± Jiang Feng curiously asked. He hadn¡¯t had much interaction with Xia Mushi, only having met him a few times, but Xia Mushi¡¯s attitude towards him was quite cordial, unlike the cranky old man described by Zhang Guanghang and others. ¡°It¡¯s different with you all,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, as if recalling something. ¡°Taifeng Building is also part of his memories, and so are you. Memories are always precious, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Jiang Feng agreed with a nod. Sun Jikai was off today, supposedly moving house. He had been staying in a hotel and was now moving to a rented apartment. Coincidentally, the apartment was in the sameplex as the one rented by the Jiang Family Members, making it possible for them tomute together in the future. Jiang Feng was just about to discuss with Zhang Guanghang their ns to visit Xia Mushi at Fen Garden that evening when a phone call came from Xia Mushi¡¯s caregiver. The conversation was cut short as Zhang Guanghang answered the phone first. The caregiver spoke loudly enough that Jiang Feng, sitting next to Zhang Guanghang, could clearly hear what was being said. ¡°Mr. Zhang, Sir Xia wants you toe over right now,¡± the caregiver said loudly on the other end of the line. ¡°Is anything wrong with my master?¡± Zhang Guanghang immediately grew anxious. ¡°Sir Xia is fine. He was still on the phone when I left his room. He just wants you toe over now. Twowyers visited him this morning, but I¡¯m not sure what it was about,¡± the caregiver exined. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head over now,¡± said Zhang Guanghang as he hung up the phone. ¡°Go ahead, and if you¡¯re busyter, don¡¯t worry abouting back. We can just take your menu off the rack,¡± Jiang Feng said. Zhang Guanghang nodded, grabbed his phone, and left. Ji Yue was sitting at a table not far from them, drawing a draft and admiring Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face up close. Seeing him leave so suddenly, she put down her brush and walked over to Jiang Feng. ¡°Why did Zhang Guanghang leave? Is he only working half a day today?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°Old Sir Xia needs him for something so he¡¯s gone to Fen Garden,¡± Jiang Feng noticed Ji Yue drawing next to them and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using a digital tablet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not amissioned piece, it¡¯s aic for Taifeng Building,¡± Ji Yue exined. ¡°I showed it to you before, remember? I think it was Zhang Guanghang who suggested it. I did some research, and apparently some restaurants abroad do this kind of promotion. Theics they create are quite good-looking, and some ces even produce merchandise and mascots. I¡¯m taking a break frommissions this month, so I¡¯m just tinkering with it.¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t expect Ji Yue to be so invested in the project and got curious, ¡°How is it going? Got any ideas yet?¡± Ji Yue shook her head, looking just like she did when she was rushing deadlines. ¡°No, I have no clue what to draw or even what style to use. Mainly because I¡¯ve never doneics, so I can¡¯t think of a plot. I¡¯m just drawing aimlessly, maybe one day I¡¯lle up with a brilliant storyline,¡± Ji Yue started to daydream as she spoke, ¡°Then myic will be popr, get picked up by publishers, sweep across the globe, earning me millions a year, and I¡¯ll be a famous femaleic artist, marry a rich and handsome guy, and reach the pinnacle of life!¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Ji Yue¡¯s penchant for daydreaming does seem quite fitting for aic artist. ¡°What kind of storyline do you want? Do you need me to brainstorm with you?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°You? No thanks, it would be different if Wang Hao brainstormed with me. Besides, I don¡¯t know what kind of plot to have, but it has to be rted to Taifeng Building, right? This restaurant has been passed down since the Republic era; are there any exciting love stories or tales of intrigue and power struggles you could share with me?¡± Ji Yue¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Taifeng Building must have had its share of stories over all the years it¡¯s been open, right? Do you know any interesting stories?¡± Jiang Feng was taken aback. Seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s expression, Ji Yue immediately got excited, ¡°Did you think of something?¡± ¡°I did think of something, but it¡¯s not a story about Taifeng Building,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the story of a dish.¡± ¡°A dish?¡± Ji Yue thought for a moment, ¡°We¡¯re creating a promotionalic for the restaurant, so it doesn¡¯t seem wrong to draw about dishes, but can a dish have a story? I don¡¯t know how to cook, so if I were to draw aic about you guys cooking or learning recipes, I doubt anyone would read it.¡± Ji Yue wasn¡¯t lying; she had worked at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant for almost a year and had only learned how to eat and recognize ingredients, theoretical Mount Everest but practical Tarim Basin. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it can be made into aic, but let me just tell you about it. It¡¯s the story of that wonton soup you said tasted so bad, it made you cry the moment you tasted it,¡± Jiang Feng recalled the memory he first had of Jiang Huiqin and Li Mingyi, organizing his thoughts. ¡°My great-aunt, her name was Jiang Huiqin¡­¡± Chapter 245 - 245-’ Chapter 244 Mourning Chapter 245-¡® Chapter 244 Mourning As Jiang Feng was telling Ji Yue the story between Jiang Huiqin and Li Mingyi, on the other side, Zhang Guanghang, who was hastening to Fen Garden, roughly guessed the reason Xia Mushi had sought him out. It must have been the will. Due to Xia Mushi¡¯s image these past years as both avaricious and somewhat stingy having deeply ingrained in people¡¯s minds, the impression he gave was that aside from his good cooking skills, he was short of money. Although no one could figure out where exactly he wascking funds, everyone felt he was in need. Zhang Guanghang, as Xia Mushi¡¯s only disciple, was very familiar with Xia Mushi¡¯s financial situation. Xia Mushi was very wealthy because he had lived through wars and had witnessed thest few years of the Republic when currency had dramatically devalued. As a result, Xia Mushi had very little trust in currency, leading him to buy many gold items and real estate to preserve value over the years. Fen Garden, for instance-a nice traditional courtyard upying a vast area, which Xia Mushi had converted into a private restaurant-was one of the properties under Xia Mushi¡¯s name. He didn¡¯t have much cash on hand, but the valuation of his entire assets was frighteningly high. When Zhang Guanghang arrived at Fen Garden, Xia Mushi was still on the phone, more urately, he was berating someone. Seeing Zhang Guanghang arrive, Xia Mushi signaled him with a look to wait a moment, to wait until he had finished telling off the person before they talked. Zhang Guanghang noticed that the water ss on Xia Mushi¡¯s bedside table was empty, so he went out to pour him a ss of warm water. Berating someone is exhausting, and after getting worked up, one needs a sip of water to rest. ¡°Old Sir Xia has been making phone calls the entire day,¡± the caregiver said to Zhang Guanghang. ¡°The whole day?¡± ¡°Yes, except for a short break this morning when those twowyers came, he¡¯s been on the phone the rest of the time, starting fromst night. When I brought Old Sir Xia his medicine this afternoon, I saw him flipping through the phone book,¡± the caregiver said, reaching for the takeout box on the living room dining table. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhang Guanghang felt the takeout box in the caregiver¡¯s hand looked familiar. ¡°This is the dish that you brought back with Old Sir Xia the day before yesterday, seems like it¡¯s Chicken Wrapped in Leaves. I don¡¯t know what Old Sir Xia was thinking; he wouldn¡¯t let me put it in the fridge, nor would he eat it, he just left it on the table. Just now, he asked me to bring it in for him,¡± the caregiver said, picking up the water ss, ¡°I¡¯ll take the ss.¡± Zhang Guanghang and the caregiver entered the room together, where Xia Mushi was flipping through the phone book. Seeing theme in, he said, ¡°Just put the things on the cab, I have something to discuss with Xiaohang.¡± The caregiver set the items down and left, closing the door behind him.please visit ¡± sitestorys(.)c0m ¡± maybe y0u will enj0y the captivating sh0rt st0ries. Xia Mushi was indeed a bit thirsty from making phone calls; he took the cup and drank two mouthfuls of warm water before casually cing the phone book on the bed. Zhang Guanghang nced at it and concluded that this was the phone book for chefs¡¯ contact information. Xia Mushi had two phone books, one for customers and one for chefs. The one for chefs mainly contained the names of those who had a poor rtionship with Xia Mushi; to be precise, he didn¡¯t have many colleagues with whom he was on good terms. He usually had no contact with them at all, and Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t understand why Xia Mushi suddenly decided to call his ¡°enemies¡± from the past. Though calling it berating might not be urate. It¡¯s not exact to call it berating, as Xia Mushi never swore nor made baseless usations when he did so; his words were biting and pointed, yet to those involved, it sounded no different from scolding. ¡°This is my will, take a look,¡± Xia Mushi handed the will he was holding to Zhang Guanghang casually, as if it were just a menu. ¡°Master, you¡­¡± ¡°This is a copy, the will is with Lawyer Zhuang, and it will take effect as soon as I die. Look it over to see if I¡¯ve missed anything,¡± Xia Mushi exined hisst wishes, ¡°I¡¯ve already purchased a public grave, just bury me with this urn after cremation when I pass away. She, her name is Li Fen, just remember to bring her a bouquet of flowers each time you pay respects. She liked magnolias.¡± Master¡­¡± Seeing Xia Mushi like this, Zhang Guanghang felt nothing but unease and panic. Thest time he had this feeling was twenty years ago when he parted with his maternal grandfather at the airport. Even as a child recognized for his precocity, he then couldn¡¯t grasp the finality of life and death, thinking that lung cancer, like amon cold, would go away with some medication. Nor did he realize that their parting meant forever. In Zhang Guanghang¡¯s life, there were only two important people; one was his maternal grandfather, and the other was Xia Mushi. His mother was engrossed in the arts, his father was obsessed with cooking; both were extremely fanatical and single-minded individuals. Zhang Guanghang sometimes even suspected that they had married only because they saw a reflection of themselves in each other. Before he was seven, Zhang Guanghang was cared for by his maternal grandfather, who taught him to read and understand principles, allowing him to grow up healthily and normally in the absence of parental love. After he turned seven, Xia Mushi took over his grandfather¡¯s role-taking him as a disciple and educating him just as Chen Qiusheng had educated him in the past. Xia Mushi was not a paragon of virtue, nor could he be considered a good person, but he was a good master. Xia Mushi had a bad temper, was strict, and often spoke harshly. He frequently showed no kindness to Zhang Guanghang yet he remembered Zhang Guanghang¡¯s birthday, his preferences, his dietary¡¯ restrictions, closed his shop to care for him when he was sick, and even told bed-time stories to him before he was ten. All the things Zhang Guanghang¡¯s parents failed to do, Xia Mushi did. Zhang Guanghang still remembered how the new vendors at the market would always be surprised to see that Xia Mushi¡¯s grandson had a Westerner¡¯s face when Xia Mushi took him grocery shopping. Xia Mushi was Zhang Guanghang¡¯s master, but even more so, he was his rtive, his most beloved kin. It¡¯s just that now, it seemed he was on the verge of losing his most beloved rtive. Zhang Guanghang absentmindedly looked at the will, which was one that 99% of the world would covet. Xia Mushi had left everything he owned to Zhang Guanghang. ¡°You are my disciple, and when I first took you in, I did so with selfish intentions.¡± ¡°I have no wife or children, not even friends, no attachments at all, old and afraid, seeking someone to care for me in my old age.¡± ¡°I know I have a bad temper, and you have endured many undeserved hardships over the years. You are a filial child,ing back to the country with just one phone call from me, willing to work in Taifeng Building as an ordinary chef, and you have been taking care of me all this time. To have a disciple like you is the greatest fortune I, Xia Mushi, could have had.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much to give you, you don¡¯tck money, and now at the end, all I have left is money, I can¡¯t even find anything with sentimental value.¡± ¡°Master, don¡¯t say anymore.¡± Zhang Guanghang tried to stop what was about to happen, but he knew he could not. It was the natural order of things, beyond anyone¡¯s power to stop or change. ¡°For my funeral, invite the people listed in this book here. Those who are willing shoulde, and those who are not, let them be.¡± Xia Mushi pointed to the address book and then nced at the chicken in the takeout box. Due to the heat, and after being in the box for two days, the chicken was probably spoiled by now. Open the lunch box.¡± Xia Mushimanded. Zhang Guanghang silently opened the lunch box and handed it to Xia Mushi. The chicken inside was indeed spoiled, but Xia Mushi seemed not to notice, grabbing a piece with his hand and taking a bite. He could not taste anything, but it was the feeling that mattered. How wonderful. ¡°How has Taifeng Building been doing these past few days?¡± asked Xia Mushi. ¡°The business is good, the customers are happy, noints, all positive feedback,¡± ZhangGuanghang replied. Xia Mushi nodded with satisfaction and smiled. He thought of Yanzhi, and finally, he was going to see her. How wonderful. Taifeng Building would be the best restaurant in the world. It certainly would. On the other side, Jiang Feng, who was discussing with Ji Yue how to turn the story of wontons into aic, suddenly received a game notification sound. Ding, received acknowledgment from a customer, quest progress (1/10).¡± Jiang Feng had not yet realized how the game came back to life or why he received customer acknowledgment outside of business hours when he received a phone call from Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Hello? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°My master just passed away.¡± Jiang Feng was stunned in ce. What happened?¡± Ji Yue, seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s reaction, asked. Jiang Feng came to his senses, and said nkly, ¡°Old Sir Xia just passed away.¡± My master passed peacefully, and I will need to take care of his affairs for the next few days, so I am calling to ask for a few days off,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. Jiang Feng, unsure of how to console Zhang Guanghang, managed to clumsily and haltingly find the words: ¡°Please, ept my condolences, and if there¡¯s anything we can do to help, just let us know.¡± ¡°I can handle it, thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you forunching Taifeng Building, allowing my master to leave without any regrets.¡± ¡°I am very grateful.¡± Chapter 246 - 245 Funeral Chapter 246: Chapter 245 Funeral Zhang Guanghang had disappeared for several days, and by the time Jiang Feng heard from him again, it was already three dayster. On July 18th, Xia Mushi¡¯s body was cremated and buried. He had chosen his own public cemetery, and even made arrangements with the funeral home beforehand. He had long since sorted out all matters for before and after his death, simply waiting for Taifeng Building to open sessfully before calmly facing his end. Zhang Guanghang invited Jiang Feng, Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Weiming, and Jiang Shoucheng¡ªwho had only met Xia Mushi once-to attend the funeral, which was to be held at the funeral home Xia Mushi had arranged prior to his death. This was Xia Mushi¡¯s final stop in the world of the living-hereafter, he would turn to dust and rest eternally underground. Since both the old gentlemen, Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang, were not around, everyone discussed and decided to close the restaurant for a day, as business wouldn¡¯t suffer from a single day¡¯s closure. Thus, the ordinary folk of Beiping City who nned to dine out on July 18th were surprised to find that Taifeng Building, having just opened for a few days, had suddenly suspended operations for rest, as had Eight-treasure House, Tongde House, Yonghe House, Ruyi House, and Shunhe Building, for reasons unknown to them. And when they considered going to other well-established Chinese restaurants, they were astonished to discover that most of those establishments were also taking a day off. The reason for the restaurants¡¯ closures was the same-they were paying their respects at the funeral of a senior figure from the culinarymunity, making it impossible to continue normal operations. Jiang Feng and the two senior gentlemen went to the funeral home with wreaths and elegiac couplets. Jiang Shoucheng couldn¡¯t attend due to his hospital shift. Jiang Feng wore the same dark, solemn suit he wore to Li Mingyi¡¯s funeral and saw Zhang Guanghang standing at the entrance of the funeral home from a distance. Zhang Guanghang was dressed in a ck suit with a white flower pinned to his chest. Upon seeing them, he walked over. ¡±I¡¯ll take you in,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, looking somewhat tired and dispirited, clearly having had very little sleep these past few days. There were funeral home staff at the entrance handing out white flowers, which Jiang Feng and hispanions each took before heading inside. To Jiang Feng¡¯s surprise, quite a number of people had turned up-the spacious hall was nearly full, mostly with middle-aged folks, some elderly, along with a few faces familiar to Jiang Feng. He might have been the youngest person there. Jiang Feng noticed there were a few empty seats beside Tong Deyan and led the two senior gentlemen over to him. ¡°Mr. Tong,¡± Jiang Feng greeted Tong Deyan. Tong Deyan had been one of Jiang Feng¡¯s judges, and although not in the manner of a teacher leading a student in other variety shows, it wasn¡¯t wrong for Jiang Feng to call him ¡°teacher.¡± Tong Deyan wasn¡¯t ustomed to being called ¡°teacher;¡± it felt awkward, but since Jiang Feng was a junior he respected, and who had never spoken ill of him or offended him, Tong could only nod awkwardly in response. Jiang Feng looked around and roughly estimated the number of people who hade to Xia Mushi¡¯s funeral¡ªnearly a hundred. This was an astoundinglyrge number, especially considering that over the years, Xia Mushi had managed to offend almost every peer he could, and even created asions to do so with those beyond his immediate circle. Jiang Feng had thought that most of the attendees would be customers, but from the conversations he overheard on his way in, it seemed that the vast majority were chefs rather than patrons. After sitting quietly for about fifteen minutes, the funeral began. Mournful music yed. Everyone stood solemnly, paying their respects and offering wreaths. Eulogies were read. Final farewells were made to the body. The mortuary makeup artist was skilled, as Xia Mushi, a man who was always serious, gloomy, and seldom seen smiling, wouldn¡¯t normally be associated with gentle kindness in people¡¯s memories. But when Jiang Feng saw Xia Mushi¡¯s body, he thought of him as just an ordinary man nearing a hundred years old-kind, affable, like the always- smiling elderly characters on TV. The only difference was that this kindly Xia Mushi was lying inside a coffin. As soon as the memorial service ended, Xia Mushi¡¯s body would be taken for cremation. The nearly one-thousand-degree heat would consume everything-hair, skin, fat, bones-all would be turned to ash and be cremains, confined to a small urn. His past, his memories, his emotions, his loves and hatreds would also be sealed within this small urn. This urn held thest earthly remains of Xia Mushi. The funeral was over, but the attendees did not leave. Jiang Feng saw Xu Cheng and prepared to greet him and also inform him that the reservation for the y pot Hua Diao chicken at Taifeng had to be postponed by a day due to the closure. Wang Xiulian, Ji Yue, and Fan Mei would each make phone calls to notify, but Jiang Feng felt it was better to say it in person since he had seen Xu Cheng. As a public figure, Xu Cheng, known in both the business and culinary worlds, was surrounded by many people engaging in polite small talk, and Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t squeeze through. He decided to wait on the side instead. ¡°Mr. Xu, I didn¡¯t expect you to attend Sir Xia¡¯s funeral, Ling Guangzhao, as the young owner of the Eight-treasure House and both a business and culinary figure, had led an almost entirely smooth and sessful life except for the setback with Tong Deyan. Ling Guangzhao was adept in social situations, able to strike up a conversation with almost anyone except Tong Deyan. Seeing Xu Cheng, he immediately came over to greet him and took the opportunity to invite him to try the new dishes prepared by their chefs at the Eight-treasure House. Xu Cheng declined with a smile and shook his head inwardly. Ling Guangzhao knew how to socialize and to conduct business but not the restaurant business. Since the retirement of the two master chefs from the Eight-treasure House, it had been removed from Xu Cheng¡¯s dining list. Jiang Feng had been waiting to join the conversation but couldn¡¯t find an opportunity, until Xu Cheng saw him and took the initiative to go over. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect both of the Old Master Jiangs toe as well,¡± Xu Cheng said. ¡°My grandfather and Granduncle Weiming knew Sir Xia Mushi well; we came here today to see him off on his final journey,¡± Jiang Feng said, feeling a bit uneasy as Ling Guangzhao stared at him intently. Xu Cheng suddenly remembered the connection between Sir Xia Mushi and the Taifeng Building and couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Indeed, I forgot about that, they really were old acquaintances.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Xu, since Taifeng Building is temporarily closed today, the table you reserved will have to be pushed back by one day, would that be convenient for you?¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± Xu Cheng said. After speaking, Jiang Feng was about to leave when Ling Guangzhao, who had been waiting for his chance, stopped him. Ling Guangzhao smiled radiantly, acting like an old and close friend of Jiang Feng¡¯s, handing over a business card even before speaking. Jiang Feng took the card and saw, wow, it was actually the owner of the Eight-treasure House. The owner of the contestant Zhao Shan from the Good Taste Cooking Competition, who had been miserably dissed by Tong Deyan. ¡°Mr. Jiang Feng, right? I¡¯m Ling Guangzhao, the current person in charge of the Eight-treasure House,¡± Ling Guangzhao¡¯s ability to call out Jiang Feng¡¯s name already surprised him greatly. ¡°Hello,¡± Jiang Feng had no idea why Ling Guangzhao was being so enthusiastic towards him. ¡°I was fortunate to taste the Sweet and Sour Yam made by Mr. Jiang Feng on the opening day of Taifeng Building. It was truly a heavenly creation, and the Sweet and Sour Yam made by Mr. Jiang Feng is the best and most exquisite I¡¯ve ever had in my life. When I heard about Mr. Jiang Feng¡¯s age a couple of days ago, I could hardly believe he was so young. Seeing you today, you are indeed a rising star!¡± Ling Guangzhao praised him earnestly. Jiang Feng:¡­ He really should have Ji Yue and Ling Guangzhao here learn what to hit the nail on the head with ttery. This is what you call hitting the nail on the head! ¡°You¡­ exaggerate, you exaggerate, that¡¯s the only dish that I do quite well,¡± Jiang Feng was very cautious, not sure what Ling Guangzhao was getting at with all the ttery. ¡°Mr. Jiang Feng is too modest. I was nning to visit you in a couple of days but didn¡¯t expect to meet you today, what a coincidence!¡± Ling Guangzhao said with a full smile. ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re looking for me?¡± Jiang Feng inquired tentatively, feeling as though he was in a corporate drama, exchanging pleasantries with apetitor. Jiang Feng was actually the owner of Taifeng Building; Ling Guangzhao was the owner of the Eight-treasure House, and in reality, they werepetitors. ¡°It¡¯s like this, I wonder if Mr. Jiang Feng has any intentions of changing jobs?¡± Ling Guangzhao said confidently. ¡°Ah?¡± Jiang Feng was stunned. ¡°Our Eight-treasure House always seeks talents eagerly, plus we¡¯re a renowned spot in Beiping City with a group of excellent master chefs. Should you be willing toe, I can give you the best sry and benefits,¡± he proimed. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Mr. Jiang Feng, you can think it over. Your Taifeng Building may have a good location but it¡¯s a new establishment. When ites to running a restaurant in Beiping, heritage is valuable, and our Eight-treasure House is definitely an excellent choice!¡± Having said that, and not to disturb Jiang Feng¡¯s thoughts, Ling Guangzhao left with a smile. Jiang Feng:¡­ ??? What¡­ was that all about? Headhunting someone, right up to the owner??? Chapter 247 - 246: Muddy Mess Chapter 247: Chapter 246: Muddy Mess Jiang Feng, at the age of 21, had suffered a tremendous shock, but the expression on his face now looked to Ling Guangzhao like the pleasant surprise brought about by the sudden offer from Eight-treasure House. Calcting in his mind, Ling Guangzhao decided that the next one to poach should be Zhang Guanghang who had also put in quite an effort for Sir Xia¡¯s funeral these past few days. In a few days, he would pay a visit; Zhang Guanghang should give him this much face. No matter how influential the backer of Taifeng Building might be, in the culinary circle they were still neers, and Zhang Guanghang could easily decide which one was the better choice. Only, it was a pity for Ji Xue, Jiang Weiguo, and Jiang Yuanchao. That Ji Xue wouldn¡¯t budge an inch; even when he offered such a high sry, she didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment before refusing. He really didn¡¯t know what kind of spell the owner of Taifeng Building had cast on her. Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Yuanchao were both too old. Ling Guangzhao had never considered poaching these two sirs. He couldn¡¯t understand what the owner of Taifeng Building was thinking, hiring two such elderly gentlemen as head chefs. Lost in thought, Ling Guangzhao wasn¡¯t paying attention to where he was walking and inadvertently ended up right in front of Tong Deyan. As Ling Guangzhao looked up and saw Tong Deyan, he muttered an expletive under his breath and turned to leave. Unfortunately, Tong Deyan had recently been spending more time with Pei Shenghua and was quicker with words than Ling was with his feet. ¡°Mr. Ling is out and about poaching again, not even sparing the newly opened Taifeng building. His dedication truly moves people!¡± The moment Tong Deyan opened his mouth, the people around him wanted to scatter in all directions. At this time, everyone nearby was thinking the same thing: Here we go again, here we go again. How could Ling Guangzhao be so careless as to wander close to Tong Deyan? Everyone in the culinary circle knew that Tong Deyan and Ling Guangzhao were at odds, always squabbling when they met, their conversationsced with innuendo so potent that bystanders might suspect they¡¯de to blows the next second. Yet every time, it ended with verbal sparring and not physical conflict, typically with Ling Guangzhao in retreat. ¡°I was just having a word with Master Jiang. How it turned into poaching in Master Tong¡¯s mouth is beyond me,¡± said Ling, unruffled. ¡°With your history, Mr. Ling, as soon as you speak, people assume it¡¯s poaching,¡± Tong Deyan replied with a sneer. ¡°Even during Sir Xia¡¯s funeral, you didn¡¯t forget your true calling. Your work ethic is indeed admirable, Mr. Ling.¡± Ling took a deep breath, ready to demonstrate the skills he had been practicing diligently these days, in order to talk back to Tong Deyan and regain the ground he had lost before. Tong Deyan didn¡¯t give him another look and turned to walk away. Ling Guangzhao: ??? Why aren¡¯t you following the script this time??? ¡°They didn¡¯t get into it this time,¡± remarked a member of the informed melon-eating crowd, feeling a bit disappointed. ¡°That was still not getting into it?¡± asked a member of the uninformed melon-eating crowd in shock. ¡°You didn¡¯t see them at an event in Magic City. For some reason, the organizers arranged for Ling Guangzhao and Tong Deyan to sit next to each other; the two of them bickered for the entire two hours of the event,¡± said a member of the informed melon-eating crowd. The uninformed melon-eating crowd: (g)¡ãq¡ãg>) Jiang Feng, a melon-eating member of the crowd who only caught half of the story as he passed by: ??? ¡°Why do they always squabble when they meet?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. The informed melon-eating crowd member didn¡¯t recognize Jiang Feng, but that didn¡¯t stop him from sharing the juicy gossip that everyone in the culinary circle knew: ¡°Tong Deyan used to be a chef at Eight-treasure House.¡± Jiang Feng:!!! He hadn¡¯t expected that his casual inquiry would reveal such a big piece of gossip. ¡°Later, there was some unpleasantness between the two of them. I heard it was because Master Tong was dissatisfied with Ling Guangzhao¡¯s cuts in the budget for food supplies. Anyway, the result was that Master Tong paid arge sum in breach of contract fees and resigned, and that¡¯s how their feud started,¡± a well-informed gossip exined. An uninformed gossip objected, ¡°What I heard was that Master Tong resigned due to Ling Guangzhao¡¯s management style.¡± ¡°Ling Guangzhao¡¯s management style does have its problems. He¡¯s made plenty of money, but he nearly wrecked the reputation of Eight-treasure House.¡± ¡°As long as money was made, what¡¯s the issue? Nowadays, how many stores don¡¯t have their reputation ruined? Lu Chen, I see that your store¡¯s reputation is almost wrecked too.¡± The uninformed gossip, who obviously didn¡¯t have a great rtionship with Master Tong either, sneered, ¡°Master Tong offended so many people, I think he just couldn¡¯t mix in with Eight-treasure House anymore, so he put on a show and resigned.¡± Lu Chen felt slightly annoyed upon hearing this, his brow furrowing imperceptibly as he asked, ¡°I remember you don¡¯t have much of a rtionship with Sir Xia either, so why did youe here today?¡± ¡°Our head chef came, and the restaurant was closed, so I just tagged along. Hey, doesn¡¯t Bai Zishi always have a bad rtionship with Sir Xia? I remember Sir Xia publicly embarrassed him a few years back, yet he also came.¡± The uninformed gossip eximed in surprise, ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s gettingte, I should leave now, why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Sir Xia¡¯s cremation to be done so I can escort him to the cemetery,¡± Lu Chen said. Most of those who had stayed behind had the same intention. ¡°You really have time on your hands, going all the way to the cemetery. I¡¯m leaving first,¡± said the uninformed gossip and then left. Another gossip who had been silent suddenly spoke up, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Sir Xia to not even bother scolding him.¡± ¡°Maybe he thought he was beyond help, his heart was crooked and couldn¡¯t be straightened anymore,¡± Lu Chen replied without looking at him, instead turning to someone nearby, ¡°What did Sir Xia berate you over on the phone?¡± ¡°He scolded me for everything. At first, I was confused. I hadn¡¯t been in touch with him while he was hospitalized, so when he suddenly called and chewed me out, criticising everything about me yet giving me pointers on my cooking, it felt like he was leaving hisst words.¡± The person next to him was full of emotion, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to actually be hisst words.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s unexpected how life can be snuffed out so suddenly. He sounded so vigorous on the phone too,¡± Lu Chen also expressed with regret. ¡°What did Sir Xia say to you?¡± The person asked with curiosity. ¡°What else could he have said? He gave me an earful as well, scolding me because I didn¡¯t even know that lotus seed pod tofu requires ayer of cookedrd in the pot before anything else.¡± Lu Chen gave a wry smile, ¡°Sir Xia really cared.¡± ¡°Yeah, he did care.¡± ¡°By the way, which restaurant¡¯s chef are you? I don¡¯t recall having seen you before,¡± Lu Chen turned and asked Jiang Feng. ¡°I¡¯m a colleague of Zhang Guanghang, a chef at Taifeng Building,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°Oh, Taifeng Building, no wonder I haven¡¯t seen you before,¡± Lu Chen nodded and continued chatting with the others. Jiang Feng listened to their conversation and looked at the people who stayed, some whose faces and names he knew, like Master Tong, Zhao Shan, Wu Ke, and others whose names he couldn¡¯t recall despite their familiar faces. There were also many other chefs he didn¡¯t know at all. They stayed to see Xia Mushi on his final journey for the same reason. Xia Mushi, on his deathbed, had called them, scolding them fiercely but also awkwardly pushing their culinary skills to the limit with his advice. All these people were his juniors, and at the end of his life, he fulfilled the duty of an elder by guiding them. Everyone must die, but some depart as weighty as Mount Tai, others as light as a feather. Xia Mushi might not have been a mentor universally praised, but he was a good mentor.. Chapter 248 - 247 Being Handsome Really Means Chapter 248: Chapter 247 Being Handsome Really Means You Can Do Whatever You Want Xia Mushi¡¯s passing had hit Zhang Guanghang hard, and even though he was back at work normally two days after the funeral, everyone could tell he was out of sorts, his spirits low. A mncholic yet filial mixed-race French-Chinese hunk, standing at 1.92 meters tall, with deep-set eyes, a pronounced nose bridge, delicate features, a slim waist, and long legs in perfect proportion, how could anyone not want to offerfort to such a radiant figure. During a very ordinary lunch break, Ji Yue was very ordinarily propping up her head to closely admire Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, my dear Hang Hang is so down; what if it affects his health over time? Ji Yue said with a sorrowful expression. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Had it not been for Wu Minqi feeling unwell due to her period and staying home instead ofing to work, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen to the point of gazing at Zhang Guanghang together with Ji Yue. Pfft, that is, discussing how tofort Zhang Guanghang. As Zhang Guanghang¡¯s colleague, good friend, and, in theory, his boss, Jiang Feng believed that caring for an employee¡¯s mental state was every not-willing-to-give-a-raise good boss¡¯s duty. ¡°Stop looking, it¡¯s no use. He¡¯s been like this for days, even in the kitchen; he¡¯s always absent-minded. Today at noon, he even broke two tes,¡± Jiang Feng said, while texting Wu Minqi on his phone to ask how she felt and if she needed him to buy a pack of brown sugar from the convenience store for her. ¡°Broke? What dialect is that? I¡¯ve noticed that since you arrived in Beiping, your speech alternates between northern and southern ents,¡± Ji Yuemented. Jiang Feng thought about it and wasn¡¯t sure to which dialect it belonged. His college ssmates were from all over, and after living together for a few years, he¡¯d picked up a word or two from various dialects. ¡°Ji Xue said you¡¯ve been drawingte into the night every day recently. Have you taken on more work? Didn¡¯t you say you would rest this month and not take on any high-priced jobs?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Not taken on any work. It¡¯s just that story about potstickers you told me the other day; I¡¯ve been working on that these past few days and have already drawn a few concept sketches,¡± Ji Yue replied. Jiang Feng suspected there was a problem with his ears. ¡°You said you¡¯d drawn a few concept sketches these past few days?¡± Jiang Feng asked, dumbfounded. ¡°Yeah, that feeling I had when I did my graduation project has returned. Ah, if I had been as dedicated back then as I am now, I reckon the title of ¡®Outstanding Graduate¡¯ would¡¯ve been mine, and 1 might¡¯ve even brandished that certificate to bluff my way into a job,¡± Ji Yue said with a hint of regret, turning to look at Jiang Feng. ¡°Here I am, contributing to thepany without a penny to my name. As a vile capitalist, shouldn¡¯t you have a shred ofpassion to reward a selflessly devoted employee?¡± Jiang Feng immediately became vignt, his face screaming poverty. Though Ji Yue might y the procrastinator-daring to dy any assignment regardless of the pay, refusing to lift a pen until the veryst moment, and even then pondering before starting-it was undeniable that her drawing skills were decent. Especially since in May, when Jiang Feng found out how much Ji Yue earned per job and then considered the time it took her toplete a drawing, he deeply realized Ji Yue¡¯s poverty was entirely due to her reluctance to draw. Now she was proactively drawing, and what¡¯s more, she was drawing out of passion without financial reward. Jiang Feng could hardly believe the person in front of him was Ji Yue. ¡°The family assets are still in the negative nine figures, so if you¡¯re talking about a bonus, you¡¯ll have to discuss that with my mom,¡± Jiang Feng said, his face full of poverty. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re broke? Of all of us, you¡¯re the poorest. Even Sun Jikai, kicked out by his grandfather, still wears Burberry. If I recall correctly, the only Versace shirt you have was a birthday gift from Mrs. Wang, Ji Yue quipped. Jiang Feng:¡­ My dad even wears Seven Brand! With eyes that could spot brands as if they were a built-in detector, Ji Yue scanned Jiang Feng up and down, ¡°These shoes were a gift from Qiqi, right?¡± Jiang Feng was startled, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡öYour grandpa likes Valentino; Mrs. Wang usually buys you Versace. Mr. Jiang is more likely to buy you a kitchen knife than shoes. The only person in your family who would buy shoes and likes Dior would be Qiqi. Isn¡¯t that easy to guess?¡± Ji Yue analyzed coolly. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not right! Now we¡¯re getting sidetracked! Let¡¯s get back on topic. I¡¯m drawing theseics for free; you¡¯ve got to make some nice food to reward me, right?¡± Ji Yue pressed the point. ¡°Nice food? What do you want to eat? I made porridge yesterday, and you¡¯ve had sweet and sour yam often enough. I think I also made an ¡®eight treasures¡¯ tofu dish the day before yesterday. And today¡¯s staff meal is prepared by my grandpa; doesn¡¯t that satisfy you?¡± Jiang Feng pondered, ¡°How about this evening I¡¯ll bring a casserole home and have Ji Xue make you a special pot of y pot chicken with Huadiao wine? ¡°I had that chicken dish with Huadiao wine the first day I moved in with Xue. I want to eat the braised pigeon you make,¡± Ji Yue said, ¡°It¡¯s that one with the eight treasures, what pigeon was it again?¡± ¡°Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.¡± ¡°Right, right, right, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon!¡± Ji Yue pped her thigh, ¡°It¡¯s been so hottely, I just want to eat braised pigeon. ¡°I¡¯ll make it for you tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng promised immediately. He had already nned to continue practicing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in the days toe, practicing during the gap between lunch and dinner business, and the finished products could also be sold as special-priced dishes or as employee benefits, killing two birds with one stone and not wasting anything. Business at Taifeng Building had been going smoothly, although it wasn¡¯t packed every day-given the size of Taifeng Building-but the upancy rate was still very high, which was quite impressive for an upscale restaurant with expensive dishes. However, to date, besides the Sweet and Sour Yam, Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t sold a single specialty dish. Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, no one ordered. Matchmaker set meal, no one ordered. Weight loss special meal-pickled vegetable dumplings, no one ordered. Even the purely meat dumplings, priced at 6 yuan per serving andbeled ¡°Exquisite taste, order with caution!¡± with a daily limit of three servings, didn¡¯t attract a single customer to try out of curiosity. Before opening, Jiang Feng¡¯s grand ambition to expand the matchmaker business and turn upside down all of Beiping¡¯s marriage agencies was strangled in the cradle. Ji Yue¡¯sics were an opportunity. Taifeng Building had registered its own Weibo and WeChat public ounts, and handed them over to a professional operation team. If Ji Yue could finish the story about the dumplings without procrastination and post it on Weibo and WeChat, Jiang Feng believed there would definitely be rookie volunteers willing to try the purely meat dumplings. Jiang Jianshe was in charge of procuring the ingredients, and Jiang Feng called him in his spare time, asking him to prepare some pigeons and pigeon eggs from the poultry supplier for practice. Jiang Jianshe readily agreed, indicating it was no big deal. ¡°Hey,¡± Ji Yue sighed again, ¡°what can I do to cheer up his spirits? ¡°If he¡¯s always in a bad mood, how will he have the time to date me? Jiang Feng had just made the call and came back to see Ji Yue daydreaming: ??? Sleepwalking??? ¡°Are you joking or are you serious? Do you really want to pursue Zhang Guanghang?¡± Jiang Feng was somewhat unable to grasp Ji Yue¡¯s thoughts. She was always frivolous and had no serious intentions, and half of the handsome guys in the entertainment circle were her ¡°husbands,¡± even including those from the European and Japanese circles. At first, Jiang Feng thought Ji Yue¡¯s attitude towards Zhang Guanghang was the same as her attitude towards her ¡°husbands¡± in the entertainment circle, but now it seemed a bit more serious. Ji Yue had even prepared the character design just because of a suggestion from Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m serious. Any single man I set my sights on, as long as he¡¯s willing to date me, I can get him,¡± Ji Yue said confidently. ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve only dated one guy¡­¡± Jiang Feng vaguely remembered that Ji Yue used to have a boyfriend who was a year ahead of her and had sessfully passed his postgraduate exams. ¡°Don¡¯t mention that guy. Not only was he straight, but he also cheated on me. I really was blind to chase him just because he was handsome,¡± Ji Yue said with a look of irreconcble bitterness in her past. ¡°Straight?¡± Jiang Feng remembered that Ji Yue was obsessed with looks, and her boyfriend was quite handsome, a tall guy at 1.88 meters. ¡°Straighter than you!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Am I straight??? ¡°The day he finished his postgraduate exams, he sent me a message after thest test asking if I was free,¡± Ji Yue said with aplicated expression. ¡°What happened? What did you reply to him? You weren¡¯t free?¡± Jiang Feng asked, curious as a spectator. ¡°Of course, I replied that I was free! As soon as I got his message, I put on makeup in the dormitory. I spent more than two hours applying makeup, changing my eyebrow shapes two or three times. When I finished and asked him where he was, guess what he said?¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the inte cafe to rx, take a good rest,¡± Ji Yue said with a smile. Jiang Feng:¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhang Guanghang, and nced back at the now vague memory of Ji Yue¡¯s ex-boyfriend¡¯s face, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Being handsome really allows one to do whatever they wish.. Chapter 249 - 248 Practice Again Chapter 249: Chapter 248 Practice Again Jiang Feng had not made the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon for nearly a month, and now, restarting the practice, he felt a bit rusty while deboning the first pigeon. To create an excellent Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, the steps from deboning the whole pigeon, stuffing, tying, steaming, to the final thickening of the sauce must all be executed without a single error. But even if he managed not to make a single mistake from start to finish, Jiang Feng¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon still fell short of Sun Guanyun¡¯s vor. There were gaps in culinary skills, as well as in instinct andprehension. The two sirs had also once, on a whim, attempted to make the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. They had been present when Sun Guanyun provided a demonstration to Jiang Feng with no reservations. Logically, with the two sirs¡¯prehension and culinary levels, it should not have been difficult to produce a pigeon dishparable to Sun Guanyun¡¯s, but the oue was till not quite satisfactory. The taste was good, but it was not the same. This dish was Sun Guanyun¡¯s original creation, and no one but him could reproduce that particr vor. As Jiang Feng deboned the pigeon with scissors, Sang Ming and Jiang Weisheng watched by his side. It wasn¡¯t surprising for Jiang Weisheng to stand by; he would watch anyone practicing in the kitchen as long as the person didn¡¯t mind his presence. He never spoke; he just watched, silent and invisible. Jiang Weisheng¡¯s thirst for culinary knowledge had not waned with age. On the contrary, it increased day by day, like a sponge that never stopped absorbing water, taking in everything it encountered first and asking questionster. Regrettably, his sponge was rather leaky. That Sang Ming would stay to watch and learn was indeed surprising, given what everyone had learned about him over time. Perhaps Sang Ming¡¯s sister really was as he described-unattractive, a bit overweight, quitezy, not helpful, yet academically adept. But it was clear that Sang Ming was a devoted brother. A young man of 18 or 19, who would rather skip rest periods, not boast, not y video games, not flirt with pretty waitresses, but instead chat with his sister on his phone whenever he had the chance. The entire kitchen staff could recite the scores she received on her end-of-term exams for every subject. That such a brother-centric man would skip chatting with his sister during lunch break to watch Jiang Feng practice preparing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was definitely odd! In a moment of carelessness, Jiang Feng snipped, and the skin tore. Having ruined a pigeon, Jiang Feng tossed it into a bowl beside him with practiced ease, reserving it forter to stew in Gastrodia and red date pigeon soup. Wu Minqi wasn¡¯t feeling well today; he would make her the soup tonight to help her recover. ¡°So it can¡¯t be used anymore?¡± asked Sang Ming, who thought the mishap with the scissors wasn¡¯t such a big deal. ¡°Pigeon skin is thin. A single tear can ruin its whole shape, and the vor won¡¯t be locked in,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Seeing Sang Ming pay close attention, he asked, ¡°Howe you¡¯re not chatting with your sister?¡± ¡°No more chatting, she¡¯sing to Beiping in a couple of days to visit me,¡± Sang Ming said. ¡°I feel like my knife skills have improved a lot these past few days. If I learn a bit from you, boss, maybe I could make it onto the cutting board.¡± There s more money on the chopping board. Sang Ming actually had a natural talent for knifework. He never had systematic training or deliberate practice; just helping his parents cut vegetables at home had brought him to an intermediate level. If he was willing to learn and practice, he would be a chef with excellent knife skills in just a few years. ¡°Young Sang, if you practice well, you might even be a furnace chef in the future,¡± Jiang Weisheng encouraged. ¡°The furnace chef makes only three thousand more than the chopping board- It¡¯s too hard. The cutting board is good enough for me,¡± Sang Ming reasoned ¡¯ convincingly. ¡°The furnace chef getsmissions,¡± Jiang Feng reminded out of friendship, so as not to give the staff the wrong impression that Taifeng Building¡¯s furnace chefs earned low sries, ¡°Each person¡¯s percentage is different. Ji Xue gets 8% for her y pot rice wine chicken.¡± ¡°That much!¡± Sang Ming¡¯s eyes instantly widened in envy, and he began to calcte in his head how much Ji Xue would earn just from the y pot rice wine chicken this month. Five minutes went by. He couldn¡¯t figure it out¡­ While Sang Ming was absorbed in calctions, Jiang Feng had already sessfullypleted the deboning of the second pigeon and started on the third. After watching so long, Jiang Weisheng realized that deboning a whole pigeon required such high knife skills, he could not discern any particr technique. Without saying a word, he went to the side and started chopping vegetables. ¡°Master Jiang, why are you cutting vegetables?¡± Sang Ming asked, looking up to find the person beside him gone. Can you understand what you¡¯re seeing?¡± Jiang Weisheng asked. Sang Ming:¡­ I¡¯ll also chop vegetables.¡± Sang Ming¡¯s enthusiasm to be a top-notch cutting board chef was undiminished. Jiang Weisheng, meticulously taught by Jiang Weiming for many years had very solid basic skills and had also learned a thing or two about mentoring from Jiang Weiming. As Sang Ming chopped vegetables beside him, Jiang Weisheng was willing to offer guidance. The way you¡¯re holding the knife is wrong, move your hand a bit to the side, forward a bit, there, grab it like that. Now you can chop faster. The way you ¡¯ were doing it before made it too easy to cut yourself. I used to hold the knife like that too and couldn¡¯t correct it until¡­¡± Jiang Weisheng said, demonstrating as he spoke. ¡°How did you change itter?¡± Sang Ming asked. ¡°Well, one time I was chopping vegetables and got distracted, and I cut off half a finger. That¡¯s when I changed it.¡± Jiang Weisheng replied. Sang Ming:!!! His look towards Jiang Weisheng immediately changed; a mix of fear and a hint of admiration. ¡°Getting distracted while chopping is the most dangerous. Jiang Feng once got distracted while cutting and shed a long cut in the web of his hand. The blood scared the hell out of everyone. Later, during the finals, his hand was still wrapped in gauze.¡± Ji Yue had drifted into the kitchen at some point, munching on a cucumber. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised to see Ji Yue. Logically, she should have been in the hall trying to get a close-up look at Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face. ¡°Sun Jikai¡¯s cufflink seems to have fallen in the kitchen. He called me just now to ask me to look for it.¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Where does he usually hang out?¡± ¡°Over that way. See if it¡¯s fallen into some corner,¡± Jiang Feng pointed indifferently. Sun Jikai had the night off and had gone home after his shift that afternoon. He had already prepared three pigeons and was now ready to start cutting ingredients and seasoning. Chestnuts, lotus seeds, lilies, shiitake mushrooms, and various other ingredients were chopped finely by Jiang Feng, seasoned, stuffed, and continuously stirred with a spoon. Under Jiang Weisheng¡¯s direction, Sang Ming was julienning green peppers, while Ji Yue scurried from under one cab to another, her bending and twisting enough to make one wonder if she was a dancer. ¡°Sun Jikai only hung around this spot today?¡± Ji Yue asked, twisting her neck. Just this spot,¡± Jiang Feng confirmed. ¡°Damn, what is it, did his cufflink grow wings and fly away?¡± Ji Yue pulled out her phone to call Sun Jikai. ¡°Hello, Sun Jikai, I¡¯ve looked everywhere and haven¡¯t seen your cufflink.¡± ¡°Right, it¡¯s not here. I¡¯ve checked under the cabs, around the table corners it¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°Okay, youe look for it yourself then. Ah, bubble tea? I don¡¯t drink bubble tea, I¡¯m on a diet. What? From that ce? I¡¯ll have a jasmine roasted milk tea add two portions of pearls. Hurry up ande.¡± Ji Yue hung up and noticed ¡¯ Jiang Feng¡¯s gaze on her seemed a bit strange. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Since when did you and Sun Jikai get so close?¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s smile was that of a gossip-hungry onlooker, and he stopped what he was doing. ¡°We¡¯ve be familiar over thest few days eating barbecue at night. He lives in the same neighborhood, right? We eat at the same barbecue shop every night,¡± Ji Yue exined, her thoughts drifting to the barbecue, ¡°That ce at the eastern gate is really good. The one behind UAL University can¡¯t evenpare.¡± ¡°How about we go together tonight? Let¡¯s call Qiqi too. Aren¡¯t your two cousins still here? Let¡¯s invite them as well!¡± Ji Yue suggested enthusiastically. ¡°Eh, by the way, your family is always so busy, don¡¯t your two cousins get bored staying at home all day?¡± ¡°Not at all, they have things to do every day, even busier than me,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile that was increasingly mischievous. Li Mansion¡ª ¡°Sis, have you finished cutting the potatoes? Can you help me cut some? I really can¡¯t finish all these!¡± Jiang Junlian was close to tears from chopping potatoes. ¡°You only have one basket left to chop, right? I still have a whole basket to do; I don¡¯t have time to help you. Stop cking off-the old man ising to inspect soon. Hurry up!¡± Jiang Junqing urged her. Jiang Junlian felt like crying. ¡°How can Da Hua eat so much¡­¡± Jiang Junlian sighed to the heavens.. Chapter 250 - 249 Let’s Do It Together Chapter 250: Chapter 249 Let¡¯s Do It Together By the time Sun Jikai returned to Taifeng Building to look for his cufflinks, Jiang Feng¡¯s first batch of three Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons was almost ready toe out of the pot. The second batch of three had also been deboned and was being prepared for stuffing. As soon as Sun Jikai entered the kitchen, he saw the three deboned pigeons lying t on the tes like deted balloons. Sun Jikai was aware that Sun Guanyun had taught Jiang Feng how to make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, but he had never taken it seriously and didn¡¯t believe that Jiang Feng could learn it after being taught just once. If it were that easy to learn, he would have mastered it long ago. However, seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s work today, Sun Jikai realized his knifework was actually quite good, even better than he had expected. ¡°Here, there, and over there, I¡¯ve already looked and your cufflinks aren¡¯t there. You should look again yourself, or think about whether you may have dropped them somewhere else.¡± Ji Yue, holding a juicy, sweet-and-sour tomato she had bitten into twice with her right hand, took the milk tea from Sun Jikai with her left hand, and gestured with her eyes to the ces where she looked, ¡°Ah, I forgot to tell you to get less sugar for me, I¡¯ve been dieting recently!¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but nce at her, expressing his amusement with a ¡°hehe.¡± Ever since Ji Yue had entered the kitchen, she hadn¡¯t stopped eating. Cucumbers, tomatoes, white radishes, and leftovers from the cold dish counter like sliced watermelon, pineapple, and other fruits¡ªshe didn¡¯t miss a single one. Mrs. Wang Xiulian also came in and helped her by eating two slices of watermelon, four pieces of pineapple, and seven cherry tomatoes. The two justified their actions by insisting that eating fruits wouldn¡¯t lead to weight gain, but they never skipped a meal. Sun Jikai searched all the ces again where Ji Yue had looked, but still found nothing. While Sun Jikai was looking for the cufflinks, Jiang Feng had finished mixing his filling, and the first batch of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was almost ready toe out of the pot. After setting aside the mixed filling, Jiang Feng went to check on the broth made from pigeon bones in another pot, which was also nearly done¡ªit was time to start preparing the starch mixture for thickening. This was a crucial step in making the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, Sun Jikai originally wanted to check the changing room in case he had knocked the cufflinks off there, but seeing Jiang Feng preparing the starch mixture, he stopped to watch his technique. ¡°That¡¯s not right, my grandfather¡¯s starch mixture wasn¡¯t that thick. His looked thick but when scooped with a spoon, it would flow down like water,¡± Sun Jikai said. Looked thick? Jiang Feng thought for a moment and realized he couldn¡¯t remember clearly. Sun Guanyun had only made it once, and unlike studying a game¡¯s recipe, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t watch the preparation process over and over, so he had forgotten many details that Sun Guanyun hadn¡¯t even mentioned. Jiang Feng hesitated for a moment, his movements slowing. But the starch mixture in the pot was already like this, and there was no way to fix it; he had to serve it as it was. Sun Jikai stood by, watching in silence, until Jiang Feng finished the dish and served the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Only then did his expression change. It was a mix of regret and relief; regret that Jiang Feng had not mastered the essence of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and relief that he hadn¡¯t. Ji Yue looked at the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in front of her andpared it with the ones Jiang Feng had made before, finally assessing her stomach capacity and making up her mind. ¡°I¡¯m going to get Qi Rou to have a taste,¡± Ji Yue said, expressing her role as Qj Rou¡¯s boss. Naturally, she should look after her little brother and get him some delicious food. Qi Rou, who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world, was astonished after one bite, eximing, ¡°This is so delicious! Feng, are you testing out a new dish?¡± ¡°Sort of,¡± Jiang Feng said, beginning to make the next batch of starch mixture. Because there were so many chefs named Jiang in the kitchen, everyone differentiated their titles by age; those younger than Jiang Feng called him Feng, those older called him Master Jiang, Jiang Jiankang was referred to as Master Jiang, and the two elders were collectively known as Head Chef or Old Master Jiang. Sun Jikai seemed spellbound,pletely forgetting he was there to look for his cufflinks and continued to observe Jiang Feng¡¯s movements. ¡°It¡¯s still not right,¡± Sun Jikai said. ¡°I know, but¡­ I can¡¯t make that kind of starch mixture,¡± Jiang Feng said, stepping aside and pointing to thest pot of pigeon broth, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try,¡± Sun Jikai responded and went to the dressing room to change. Then, he saw his cufflinks under his own locker. Sun Jikai had changed his clothes and found his cufflinks, yet he didn¡¯t move, standing in front of his locker, deep in thought. It had been a long time since he had made Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. When was thest time? Three years ago? Was it four years ago? Before going abroad to study, he had spent some time learning to make the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon under the mentorship of Sun Guanyun. After going abroad to focus on his studies, his parents also kept hinting through phone calls that his second uncle¡¯s family had ill intentions, telling him to study hard and return to help run Jubao Building. In those years at Wharton, Sun Jikai barely even touched a kitchen knife. After his return as a graduate, Sun Guanyun pushed him to practice for two years, putting a lot of effort into guiding his culinary skills. But by then, Sun Jikai1 s mind was no longer on cooking; he was obsessed with overturning his second uncle¡¯s family and exposing his uncle¡¯s hypocritical nature. Upon reflection, going to Wharton seemed like a dividing line. Before Wharton, Sun Jikai¡¯s focus in life was on cooking; after Wharton, his focus shifted to defeating his second uncle¡¯s family, with the plot turning from an inspiring and delicious ¡°Little Chinese Chef¡± to a melodramatic and vulgar battle for family assets. Sun Jikai returned to the kitchen. Jiang Feng was preparing the second batch of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, while Ji Yue had already started eating it with a spoon. Sun Jikai was suited up and ready to go, his eyes resolute. After reflecting for so long in the changing room, he had made up his mind. Today was the day he, Sun Jikai, would return to being himself, the day he would emerge from the lowest point of his life, the day he would prove himself, the day he would go from thirty years in Hedong to thirty years in Hexi! Three minutester¡ª Sun Jikai gloriously crashed and burned. Looking at the sauce Sun Jikai had made, Jiang Feng had only one thought. You talk a good game, but howe what you make isn¡¯t even as good as mine? A king¡¯s face, but the rank is still bronze. ¡°This¡­¡± Sun Jikai felt somewhat embarrassed. ¡°You¡­¡± Jiang Feng felt that Sun Jikai was somewhat embarrassed. ¡°You two¡­¡± Ji Yue had already finished a portion of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and sensed that the atmosphere between Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai was somewhat awkward. ¡°You two might as well cook together, I remember a few days ago Qiqi and Xue from your family were also studying dishes together. I think both of your cooking are¡­¡± Not that great. Chickens pecking at each other. The bronze struggle. Jiang Feng agreed with Ji Yue; Sun Jikai was a theoretical master, and it was clear from the way he made the sauce that he hadn¡¯t made the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon for a long time, his practical skills falling short of Jiang Feng¡¯s. But having seen Sun Guanyun personally make it numerous times, if they can¡¯t do it with their hands, their mouths could suggest improvements. If the two of them could study together, maybe they really could make a breakthrough. Now it was up to Sun Jikai to decide whether he was willing or not. This was their Jubao Building¡¯s dish, and the creator was his grandfather; it was a dish of the Sun family. Even if he was unwilling to share, it would be understandable. Sun Jikai hesitated. If it were anyone else, he certainly would not agree, he wouldn¡¯t even speak up when he saw them cooking, not a single word. But the Jiang family members were different, or it could be said, Taifeng Building and Jubao Building were different. The chefs at Jubao Building each had their own secret skills, with everyone liking to keep one hand hidden, even from their own apprentices. They worked on their dishes as if defending against thieves. This was quitemon; no one wanted their craft learned by others and risk losing their livelihood, though under Sun Guanyun¡¯s leadership this trend was particrly prevalent at Jubao Building. But Taifeng Building was different. The two elderly gentlemen never held back, whether it was Jiang Weiming teaching Jiang Weisheng, or their guidance to Jiang Feng, they did not mind others watching by the side. They also didn¡¯t hesitate to coach other chefs. Even for unique skills like deep-frying in caramelized oil, which was a signature of the Jiang family, Jiang Weiming did not mind others learning it. It was as if they were afraid that others wouldn¡¯t learn, afraid they wouldn¡¯t have time to teach, afraid that time was slipping away too quickly for them to pass on their lifelong knowledge to the next generation. It was a utopia-like restaurant, so ideal that it even seemed a bit fantastical, making everything that seemed unreasonable at Jubao Building appear reasonable here. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s do it together,¡± Sun Jikai said. Chapter 251 - 250: The Highest Realm of Working Overtime Chapter 251: Chapter 250: The Highest Realm of Working Overtime ¡°Alright,¡± Sun Jikai agreed, so Jiang Feng had no reason not to. The two amateurs in cooking Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon really started to seriously consider how to make a proper and excellent dish of it. Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai were in charge of cooking, Ji Yue was responsible for eating, Sang Ming took care of chopping vegetables while mooching food, and Jiang Weisheng supervised Sang Ming¡¯s chopping and mooched as well. The scene was very harmonious for a while. Eventually, Ji Yue, burping, holding a half-consumed milk tea, went out to change clothes and prepare for work. As soon as Jiang Jiankang, who had gone home for a nap to improve his work quality, walked into the kitchen, he saw Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai huddled together researching how to perfect the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. ¡°Sun Jikai, I thought you had the night off today, why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked. Sun Jikai:¡­ That¡¯s right, he was only scheduled for half a shift today; he had juste to look for a cufflink, so how did he end up researching Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon with Jiang Feng? How had the plot developed to this point? Where did the problem start? Sun Jikai felt there was something off with his memory, he couldn¡¯t remember why his search for cufflinks had turned into a cooking research session. The sequence of events seemed so strange, yet before Jiang Jiankang voiced his concerns, Sun Jikai had taken it all as natural. Sun Jikai felt it was time for him to leave. As the young proprietor of Jubao Building, working overtime without extra pay was not his style. ¡°Ah, since you¡¯re already here, Sun Jikai, why not just continue working through the evening? Next time I¡¯ll find a way to make up for it with a full day off. Half a day off doesn¡¯t really count for much,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. ¡°1 need to find some time to discuss with Manager Fan and readjust the schedule for days off.¡± Hearing Jiang Jiankang propose this, Sun Jikai again felt there was sense to it. Since he was already here and had already stayed for overtime, why not just go all in and turn it into a regr shift? ¡°I think the problem was with your loosening technique. My grandfather was really fast when he made Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Sun Jikai decided tomit to the overtime. ¡°The speed of my loosening is already fast. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the issue; it¡¯s the slurry that¡¯s not right. The timing of the final thickening wasn¡¯t ideal either,¡± Jiang Feng raised an objection. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s mainly the slurry that¡¯s the issue,¡± Sun Jikai agreed, turning his head to check on the pigeon soup in the pot, ¡°Let¡¯s try again once this soup is done.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you call your grandfather?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°My grandfather cklisted my phone number and WeChat,¡± Sun Jikai said expressionlessly. Jiang Feng:¡­ Indeed, being kicked out of the house was not an exaggeration at all. Jiang Feng nced at the time, it was 4 pm. The kitchen always started its evening service before the lobby, so once they finished this batch of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, it was time to tidy up the stove and prepare for the night. ¡°Let¡¯s finish up thesest two pigeons, then we can clean up the stove,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Okay,¡± Sun Jikai agreed. In just two short hours, the rtionship between Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai had evolved from mere colleagues to stic brothers, a rapid progress second only to Jiang Jiankang roping someone into visiting the pig farm. ¡°By the way, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wanting to say for a long time,¡± Sun Jikai suddenly said. Jiang Feng¡¯s hand paused as he was cleaning the cooking station, startled, wondering if their rtionship had progressed to a point where they could confide deeply and share personal matters. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Why is Ji Xue¡¯s stir-fried beef ho fun priced 8 yuan more than mine? The stir- fried beef ho fun at Jubao Building is sold for 48, and your pricing is way too cheap,¡± Sun Jikai said. ¡°Your stir-fried noodles are that expensive?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s stir-fried beef ho fun,¡± Sun Jikai felt he needed to restore some dignity to stir-fried beef ho fun, ¡°Stir-fried beef ho fun and stir-fried noodles arepletely different!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my mom about this tonight and see if we can change your stir-fned beef ho fun back to 48. She¡¯s the one who sets the prices for our restaurant s main dishes,¡± Jiang Feng said, implying that we¡¯re all good brothers, and I¡¯ll definitely take care of this little issue for you. And casually change Ji Xue¡¯s stir-fried beef ho fun to 56. The evening business went smoothly, aside from Jiang Feng still not being able to sell any wontons, pickled vegetable dumplings, Marriage Set Meals, or Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, there were no unpleasant incidents. With Ji Xue¡¯s y pot Hua Diao Chicken as assurance, Taifeng Building¡¯s private room upancy stayed high. After a day¡¯s business, Ji Yue floated into the back kitchen from the lobby. Having gorged on three Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons that afternoon, Ji Yue felt guilty and decided to punish herself by skipping dinner and opting for barbecue as ate-night snack instead. ¡°Hey, you two head chefs, let¡¯s go. It¡¯s half past nine now, and by the time we get to the barbecue ce by the East Gate, it¡¯ll be around ten. I just called Qiqi to ask her toe downstairs at 9:45- We¡¯ll probably finish the barbecue around eleven, and then I¡¯ll go back to draw for three hours and sleep at two, just perfect,¡± Ji Yue nned everything out clearly. ¡°Sleep at two, are you cultivating?¡± Ever since Jiang Feng resumed his normal culinary work and became as tired as a dog every day, he never knew the sensation of cultivation again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that, what¡¯s its name, I don¡¯t remember who said it either, but you shouldn¡¯t eat three hours before bed. If we finish barbecue at eleven, it¡¯s perfectly fine for me to go to bed at two. It¡¯s very reasonable!¡± Ji Yue said with an air of obviousness, clearly a logical genius. Jiang Feng:¡­ Women are terrifying when they deceive themselves. ¡°Xue, we¡¯re going to have barbecue now, do you want to join us?¡± Ji Yue saw Ji Xue, who was helping to clean up the kitchen, and invited her. Ji Xue shook her head: ¡°I don¡¯t like that kind of food, I won¡¯t go. You guys go ahead.¡± Jiang Feng secretly gave Ji Yue a look, reminding her of Ji Xue¡¯s difficult financial situation. Ji Yue suddenly came to her senses, cursing herself for eating pigeons today and stuffing her brain silly. ¡°Mr. Jiang, can I take these not-so-fresh vegetables home to practice at night?¡± Ji Xue asked, pointing to the leftover vegetables. ¡°Take whatever you want, don¡¯t be shy. Our restaurant gets fresh supplies every day, and you can take these if you want, just make sure to record it,¡± Jiang Jiankang agreed readily, ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s not much leftover each day, justkeep a record.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ji Xue immediately perked up, rummaging through the pile of leftover vegetables as if she was shopping at a vegetable market. ¡°Xue, don¡¯t just take vegetables, you can also take some meat if you want, just remember to record it. Our restaurant¡¯s furnace chefs are allotted a certain amount of practice ingredients, so feel free to practice without worries,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. Ji Yue shifted her gaze from Ji Xue, turned her head to Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, you two. Get changed quickly, we¡¯re off to skewers.¡± ¡°Right, since there¡¯s a crowd for skewers tonight, why don¡¯t we drink some beer?¡± Ji Yue suggested. ¡°Don¡¯t drink.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drink.¡± Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai both refused at once. ¡± Just some beer with the skewers, it¡¯s no fun without beer! Unmoved, Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai walked into the changing room, ignoring her. Chapter 252 - 251: Barbecue (Additional update for Chapter 252: Chapter 251: Barbecue (Additional update for Alliance Hierarch Lamp-light reflecting sorrow on the river!) Skewering and grilling is a source of joy for most young and even middle-aged people during the summer. Whether it¡¯s the office workers enved by the 996 work system, the college students juggling studies with their love lives, or the young girls who chant about dieting but haven¡¯t lost an ounce, none can resist the temptation of skewers. Barbecue, one of the most primitive cooking methods, involves heating food in dry, hot air near the heat source. Meat, vegetables, seafood, insects, and even other strange foods can all be barbecued. There¡¯s a rich variety of ingredients to choose from, a dazzling buffet of options. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t had barbecue for a long time, and his impression of it still revolved around the smoky charcoal-grilled stage, but due to the excessive smoke produced when grilling meat, most of the barbecue stands in Beiping used smokeless electric grills or smokeless charcoal. The electric grills and smokeless charcoal barbecue, having lost the soulful presence of smoke, could only make up for it with the chef¡¯s excellent skills. For instance, the barbecue chef at the shop by the east gate of Jiang Feng¡¯smunity was quite skilled. Jiang Feng¡¯s barbecue level was at a beginner stage ¨C skeweredmb, beef, prawns, sliced potatoes, lotus root, green beans, topped with an eggnt. Theck of variety was a bit pitiable. Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t eat such stimting food due to specific health reasons. ¡°Right, Jiang Feng, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you and Mr. Jiang do barbecue. Can you guys grill?¡± Ji Yue was still chastising herself for having eaten three Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons that afternoon, and as self-punishment, she decided to only eat vegetables for this barbecue meal. ¡°No, our family just runs a restaurant, how could we possibly know how to barbecue?¡± Jiang Feng grabbed a skewer ofmb and took a big bite. Themb skewers here weren¡¯t cheap, which corresponded to the high quality of the ingredients. The skewers were made ofmb leg, with the meat connected by tendons, perfect for marinating. Themb was tender, high in protein, and low in fat. After a period of grilling, the fat melted into the leg meat, and with seasonings like cumin sprinkled on top, it was fragrant without being greasy or gamey. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it was mildly spicy and deliciously savory. Love it. ¡°Is it good?¡± Ji Yue chewed on a piece of lotus root but her gaze kept sticking to Jiang Feng¡¯smb skewer, with eyes almost popping out. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good,¡± Jiang Feng said and ate another skewer. ¡°I feel like the barbecue here in Beiping is different from back in my hometown.¡± In an effort to not look at Jiang Feng¡¯smb skewer, Ji Yue tried to shift the topic. ¡°It is different. The barbecue in my hometown of Z city isn¡¯t like here either. Themb skewers rarely use actualmb. Although I don¡¯t know exactly what meat they use, it¡¯s pretty delicious.¡± Jiang Feng spoke with his mouth full ofmb, his words slightly muffled. After swallowing a couple of bites ofmb, he continued, ¡°When I was in middle school, there was a mobile barbecue stall at the entrance of my neighborhood every night. Themb skewers were one yuan each, and I¡¯ve been eating them for years without any problems. I think our local barbecue is pretty normal, nothing particrly novel or exciting. There¡¯s definitely no such thing as grilled silkworm pupae.¡± Jiang Feng felt that grilled silkworm pupae was the darkest barbecue dish he had ever encountered, bar none. ¡°We don¡¯t have grilled silkworm pupae back home either, but I remember the barbecue stand outside my mom¡¯s workce had especially delicious grilled leeks, super tender, not tough at all! But are you really not going to try the grilled silkworm pupae? I think they¡¯re quite tasty, theyjust look scary but are actually good!¡± Ji Yue enthusiastically rmended the grilled silkworm pupae, ¡°Why don¡¯t we order a couple of portions then?¡± ¡°No, thanks, no, thanks,¡± Jiang Feng shook his head like a rattle drum. ¡°The barbecue from my ce is pretty different too,¡± Wu Minqi said thoughtfully after taking a sip of c, ¡°quite a lot of differences.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Ji Yue pressed on. ¡°Take Yibin, for instance; there, the barbecue doesn¡¯t involve pre-marinating. You just brush on the sauce, grilling and brushing simultaneously. You have to thoroughly cook it over an open me, using thin bamboo skewers. When grilling, you keep turning the skewers to ensure that the food is charred outside and tender inside. After sprinkling on the spices, you can also pair it with dipping sauces,¡± Wu Minqi exined. Ji Yue and Jiang Feng were already getting a vivid picture. ¡°Then there¡¯s the variety at our barbecues; I¡¯m not sure if you have pig snouts where you¡¯re from, but grilled brain, which is quite famous, can also be considered part of the barbecue, right?¡± Wu Minqi was somewhat uncertain. ¡°Is grilled brain delicious?¡± Ji Yue asked, as if she¡¯d never seen such a thing before. ¡°It depends on the skill of the grill master, and whether the brain is fresh or not.¡± Looking at the grilled potato slices on her te, Ji Yue suddenly felt that these crispy, golden brown, slightly spicy, and subtly sweet slices weren¡¯t quite as tasty anymore. ¡°I heard that where you¡¯re from, they also grill crayfish, is that true?¡± Ji Yue inquired. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s notmon. Many traditional barbecue spots don¡¯t serve it, but some of the new ces looking to innovate have made quite a name for themselves with it,¡± Wu Minqi nodded. Ji Yue gulped down a skewer of yellow throat. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say you were sticking to vegetables and not eating meat tonight?¡± Jiang Feng keenly spotted Ji Yue¡¯s attempt to divert from her stated n. ¡°This is yellow throat, pig¡¯s heart tube, how can you call it meat!¡± Ji Yue argued back, swiftly changing the subject, ¡°Hey, I also want to eat grilled crayfish, no, just crayfish. Hey, does this ce sell crayfish?¡± Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi & Sun Jikai:¡­ ¡°Excuse me, do you have crayfish here?¡± Ji Yue was someone who acted on her desires immediately. ¡°Yes, we sell it by the pound. How many pounds would you like?¡± the owner asked. ¡°Four pounds!¡± ¡°I just had my fill; I¡¯m not eating anymore.¡± Wu Minqi hade down just to apany Jiang Feng for the barbecue. She had finished half an eggnt, two skewers of Chinese leek, one of enoki mushroom bacon rolls, and one of tofu before calling it a day. Ever since their chat began, she¡¯d been drinking water constantly. ¡°Qiqi, you¡¯re not eating crayfish? Then never mind, owner, make it three and a half pounds!¡± ¡°Alrighty!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng felt that their barbecue gathering that evening had veered off onto an unpredictable path. What was once a pure and simple barbecue got mixed up with spicy, savory, bright red and shiny crayfish. As an invasive species that ended up being cultivated by humans, the crayfish¡¯s status and deliciousness on dining tables was evident. On a summer night at a barbecue stand, where skewers, crayfish, electric fans, and a gentle breeze intermingled, if you didn¡¯t pair it with a few sses of ice- cold refreshing beer, it was simply one of life¡¯s great regrets. Once adamant about not drinking, Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai eventually sumbed and joined in the heavenly summer life of skewers, beer, and crayfish; air conditioning, WiFi, and watermelon. Jiang Feng had said he didn¡¯t drink for fear of identally overindulging and suffering a headache the next morning. As for Sun Jikai, it was probably because his alcohol tolerance was just too low. Everyone could see it ¨C after just one beer, he seemed to be drunk. Chapter 253 - 252 Worth It (Added for Alliance Hierarch Feng Xiaogou!) Chapter 253: Chapter 252 Worth It (Added for Alliance Hierarch Feng Xiaogou!) Sun Jikai was a man who never said more than necessary to people he wasn¡¯t familiar with. As for how familiar he was with someone, he had his own unique set of criteria. Take Wu Minqi, for example. Sun Jikai had known Wu Minqi since they were very young, but even now, though they cooked side by side across the stove every day, theyjustweren¡¯tclose. Then there was Ji Yue. They had never had any contact before, and they had nothing to do with each other at work, but just because they had often eaten barbecue together thesest few nights, they had be quite close. Another example was Jiang Feng. They were colleagues as well as boss and employee, seeing each other daily, but until before noon today, they weren¡¯t on familiar terms. It wasn¡¯t until that afternoon, when they made a breakthrough together while researching the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, that they suddenly went from strangers to somewhat close. Of course, the Sun Jikai who never said an extra word to those he wasn¡¯t familiar with was the sober Sun Jikai. The drunk Sun Jikai was apletely different person. When drunk, Sun Jikai was practically Pei Shenghua¡¯s double, talkative, not just talkative but rambling on and on, even if no one paid him any attention. Most drunkards like to tell stories after they get drunk, true ones, false ones, made-up ones, ones they¡¯ve heard¡ªthere¡¯s no story they can¡¯te up with. And Sun Jikai just so happened to be at a phase of life rich with stories. Once the heir to a wealthy family, he was schemed against by his uncle¡¯s family, cast out of his grandparents¡¯ house, his bank cards and credit cards frozen, with no friends or rtives daring to help him. He used to wear Burberry, sporting custom-made cufflinks worth tens of thousands, and now here he was, sitting with Jiang Feng, who only had four Versace shirts in his closet, eating grilled potato slices that cost three yuan each. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why Ji Xue¡¯s stir-fried beef rice noodles are eight yuan more expensive than mine,¡± Sun Jikai mumbled, slightly inebriated. ¡°Why is it that Zhang Guanghang¡¯s tomato sauce prawns cost sixteen yuan more than mine?¡± ¡°Zhang Guanghang is one thing; he¡¯s got great culinary skills, and Sun Maochai even gave him guidance. I ept that his dishes are priced higher than mine. But you¡¯re clearly a Shandong chef¡ªwhy is your lychee pork six yuan more expensive than mine?¡± Sun Jikai pointed at Jiang Feng, his face full of sorrow and anger. ¡°Why? All I did was lose onepetition, so why did my grandfather suddenly throw me out without a word, leaving me penniless and jobless, my girlfriend even dumping me, and Ie to Beiping to work as a chef, my stir-fried beef rice noodles are eight yuan cheaper than everyone else¡¯s!¡± ¡°Why!¡± Sun Jikai¡¯s speech was full of highs and lows, resounding with intensity, deeply sad, enough to bring listeners to tears. Such a tragedy! Ji Yue, who was peeling crayfish, paused. Comparing her situation with Sun Jikai¡¯s made it seem like she was living pretty well. All she experienced was getting cheated on by her boyfriend, failing her postgraduate entrance exams, her family¡¯s fortunes waning, suddenly bing broke, unable to find a job, gaining 10 kilograms, unable to control her eating¡ªnot nearly as harrowing as everything Sun Jikai had endured recently. Her past year and more seemed quite happy and satisfying inparison. As she had stopped peeling the crayfish midway, the red and spicy soup seeped out from the crevices of the crayfish meat, dripping down Ji Yue¡¯s palm. She hurriedly wiped the soup off her hand with a piece of paper, while trying to piece together words in her mind tofort Sun Jikai. ¡°Sir Sun probably just wanted you to go out and gain some experience,¡± Wu Minqi had a better understanding of Sun Jikai¡¯s family situation. ¡°That¡¯s not it. Your family situation is not like mine, all of your situations are different from mine, you wouldn¡¯t understand. It must be my uncle who said something to my grandfather again. Otherwise, my grandfather wouldn¡¯t have thrown me out without saying anything,¡± Sun Jikai mentioned his soft spot, drowning his sorrows in drink, and took arge gulp of cold beer. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re overthinking it,¡± Ji Yue tried to console him with augh, not familiar with the situation. ¡°I¡¯m not overthinking it; it¡¯s definitely my uncle. He always puts on a good guy act, but what he really thinks, only he himself knows.¡± Sun Jikai took another big gulp of cold beer, finishing his second ss. ¡°Jiang Feng, I envy you. You have two grandpas, one more than me, two uncles, two more than me, and two more aunts than me,¡± Sun Jikai all but copsed onto the table, ¡°You have so many rtives, and they¡¯re all so good, not like me with just one uncle who¡¯s nothing but trouble.¡± ¡°My dad is no good, my mom is no good, I¡¯m no good, andmy uncle¡ªhe¡¯s nothing at all, our entire family¡­ none of us are any good¡­¡± Sun Jikai¡¯s voice grew quieter and quieter, until he fell asleep. Jiang Feng and his twopanions:¡­ They had seen plenty of people who cursed others when they were drunk, but it wasn¡¯t often that they encountered someone who cursed themselves as well. When Sun Jikai went down, the fun of drinking ice-cold beer and eating crayfish immediately halved. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he actually¡­ actually¡­¡± Jiang Feng was at a loss for words on how to describe Sun Jikai. Normally, he had the aura of a domineering CEO with thirty years in both Hedong and Hexi¡ªcold and aloof on the outside but a proud tsundere at heart, seemingly with a bit of social anxiety, and when he was drunk and babbling, there was even a hint of a Cantonese ent. ¡°Jiang Feng, are you still going to eat the crayfish?¡± Ji Yue removed her gloves, signaling the end of the battle. Jiang Feng nced at the basin, estimating there was still more than a pound left, but eating so many spicy foodste in the night was really too much for his stomach. Shaking his head, Jiang Feng declined, ¡°No more, if I eat too much, I¡¯ll have diarrhea tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go and pay. Hey, do you remember what Sun Jikai ordered? It seems these three oysters were all his, right?¡± Ji Yue had dined at this restaurant several times and was familiar with the prices, ¡°I¡¯ll put down half a pound of crayfish for you. You and Qiqi can transfer your share to me on Alipayter, I¡¯ll go and settle the bill now to make sure they didn¡¯t overcharge.¡± After Ji Yue left to pay the bill, Jiang Feng looked at the slumped Sun Jikai on the table with a headache, then turned to Wu Minqi and asked, ¡°What should we do with him?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to take him home,¡± Wu Minqi chuckled. ¡°But where does he live?¡± Jiang Feng was stumped. He pushed Sun Jikai, trying to wake him up, but the drunk was sleeping like a log, utterly unmoved. Left with no other choice, Jiang Feng had to rummage through all of Sun Jikai¡¯s pockets until he found a keychain with a house number on it. With Wu Minqi¡¯s help, Jiang Feng hoisted Sun Jikai and noted that even though Sun Jikai wasn¡¯t particrly tall or burly, he was unexpectedly heavy. ¡°I¡¯ll take him home first; Qiqi, you gobackwith Ji Yueter,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Okay,¡± Wu Minqi smiled and nodded. Jiang Feng, tugging and dragging, set off to take Sun Jikai home. After Ji Yue finished paying, she still held a takeout box, noting that Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai had already left. ¡°Qiqi, your man has taken Sun Jikai home. Does he even know where Sun Jikai lives?¡± Ji Yue began to pack up the remaining crayfish. ¡°Sun Jikai¡¯s keychain has his apartment number,¡± Wu Minqi exined. Seeing that Ji Yue wasn¡¯t just putting crayfish into the takeout box but also scooping in a couple ofdles of broth, it seemed she was nning to continue feasting at home. ¡°Are you going to eat more when you get back?¡± Wu Minqi was somewhat astonished by Ji Yue¡¯s appetite¡ªit initially seemed that she was aligning with the Jiang Family¡¯s eating habits, but now it appeared she was closing in on Liu Qian¡¯s level. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten so much tonight; how could I possibly eat anymore? I¡¯m packing it for Xue. When we left today, I saw Xue grabbing some ingredients from the kitchen to practice with; she¡¯s probably not asleep yet.¡± Ji Yue said, carefully picking out the garlic leaves and ginger slices from the crayfish. ¡°Xue actually really likes this kind of food. The other day, Jiang Feng bought her bubble tea, and she couldn¡¯t bear to finish it all, sipping it until evening. She even ate everyst tapioca pearl one by one, just like a child.¡± Ji Yue secured the lid of the takeout box and ced it inside a stic bag. ¡°You¡¯re always so thoughtful,¡± Wu Minqi said, ¡°But how can you eat crayfish without drinking c? I¡¯ll go buy you a bottle.¡± Some people are worth all this care,¡± Ji Yue smiled. Chapter 254 - 253: Vegetable Tofu Soup (Extra for Chapter 254: Chapter 253: Vegetable Tofu Soup (Extra for Alliance Hierarch, the Cat Who Can¡¯t Code!) Because Sun Jtkai passed out drunk early, the kebab dinner party ended sooner than expected, and when Ji Yue returned home with the takeout crawdads, it was only 10:40 PM. As she had predicted, Ji Xue wasn¡¯t asleep yet and was still busy in the kitchen, but she wasn¡¯t frying food; it looked like she was making soup. Approaching the kitchen, Ji Yue caught the scent of a vegetable tofu soup. You¡¯re back!¡± Ji Xue eximed, her apron still on. ¡°Come and taste the vegetable tofu soup I made.¡± Vegetable tofu soup?¡± Ji Yue ced the crawdads on the dining table and went to look inside the kitchen. Indeed, it was a vegetable tofu soup-not only with greens but also peas, lettuce, leafy greens, baby bok choy, cabbage, and white cabbage. Ji Xue had thrown all the vegetables she brought back from the kitchen into this pot of soup. It wasn¡¯t just a vegetable tofu soup; it was also a huge green hodgepodge. Because of the tofu, the soup was slightly off-white. The vegetables were all chopped and mixed, snuggled between the blocks of soft white tofu, making for a light and in elegance. It was Ji Yue¡¯s first time seeing so many different vegetables and tofu mixed together to make soup. ¡°Xue, how did youe up with this soup?¡± Ji Yue asked, leaning in for a sniff. It smelled good; it should be quite tasty too. She had just eaten so much greasy barbecue and had polished off a pound of crawdads. The burps on her way home had even tasted slightly oily and fishy. Ji Xue¡¯s pot of light, greasy-cleansing, green, and healthy vegetable tofu soup was exactly what Ji Yue needed. ¡°We often make this soup at home; my sister loves it. It¡¯s just that peas have always been a bit pricey, so we usually don¡¯t add peas when we make this soup at home,¡± JiXue exined. ¡°I knew you¡¯ve been frustrated these days because you couldn¡¯t finish your draft and went to East Gate for the barbecue to unwind, but eating like that every day is not good for your stomach. Drinking this light soup is perfect for cutting through the grease.¡± ¡°Ah, Xue, I love you so much!¡± Ji Yue gave Ji Xue an affectionate bear hug and excitedly went to get a bowl todle out some soup. The vegetable tofu soup tasted very light; Ji Yue guessed Ji Xue hadn¡¯t added anything besides salt, not even a drop of sesame oil, yet the vor was surprisingly good. If the barbecue and crawdads she ate that night could bepared to a rich and colorful, stunning yet heavy oil painting, then Ji Xue¡¯s vegetable tofu soup was like a gentle and in, clean, and delicate ink wash painting. ¡°Delicious! Super delicious!¡± Ji Yue was not stingy with her praise. ¡°Actually drinking this after eating barbecue would simply be amazing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Ji Xue also appeared delighted. ¡°We had suggestions from customers that the restaurant doesn¡¯t have light soups, so I was thinking about whether to add this soup to the menu.¡± Definitely, this soup is certainly light enough and tastes really good too, certainly no problem!¡± Ji Yue encouraged Ji Xue. ¡°I¡¯ll make it a few more times to see if other vegetables will taste better. We have a taste test at the restaurant on the 27th, and there¡¯s still more than a week to go.¡± Ji Xue turned back to tidying up the kitchen trash. With a bowl of soup in hand, Ji Yue stood in the kitchen drinking while Ji Xue cleaned up efficiently, ready to take out the trash bag downstairs when Ji Yue stopped her. ¡°Oh no, I was so fixated on the soup I forgot about the important stuff. Xue, don¡¯t throw out the trash yet. There on the table are the crawdads I brought back for you. You should eat them first; there¡¯s still broth inside, and I¡¯ve already picked out the garlic leaves and ginger slices for you. You¡¯d better eat it now; it might not taste good by tomorrow and lose its vor.¡± Ji Yue put down her soup bowl and took the takeout box from the table, opened it, and continued, ¡°Their garlic crawdads are especially delicious. It¡¯s aromatic without any garlicky taste; you¡¯ll definitely like it.¡± I¡­¡± Ji Xue hesitated momentarily. ¡°What ¡®I¡¯? I¡¯ve been eating so much of your cooking these days I¡¯m going to get fat! You have to eat some too. However many pounds I put on, you need to put on too. Eat up; it¡¯s still warm! It won¡¯t taste good once it gets cold,¡± Ji Yue urged. ¡°Alright¡­¡± With Ji Yue¡¯s prodding, Ji Xue walked to the dining table, put on gloves, and began to peel the crawdads slowly and somewhat clumsily. The crayfish in her hand was still warm, its fragrance tempting, and juice plentiful. The crayfish were quiterge, with deep red shells that were slightly ckened, and very hard, which presented quite a challenge to a novice at peeling shrimp like Ji Xue. It took Ji Xue a good two to three minutes to peel the first crayfish, and the already not so firm flesh ended up being shredded by her efforts. This barbecue restaurant by the east gate also had a knack for cooking crayfish; each one was slit open on the back, allowing the juices to seep into the flesh turning the originally white crayfish meat a pale pink, salty, and spicy. Ji Xue hadn¡¯t had crayfish for many years. Her father was a chef, not highly skilled, but the small family restaurant they once ran did make for a prosperous life. Ji Xue, growing up surrounded by the family business of preparing and serving food, could be considered to have inherited some expertise. It was for this reason that after a series of misfortunes befell her family, Ji Xue chose to drop out of school and work in the restaurant. Her happy childhood came to an end when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of seven. By the time her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, it was already at an intermediate stage; after enduring a long year of painful and desperate chemotherapy, a mastectomy was the only option. Soon after, her father was diagnosed with diabetes. At that time, Ji Xue¡¯s mother was still undergoing chemotherapy, and his own illness was left unattended as he was too busy running the restaurant and taking care of her mother, which led to a rapid deterioration of his condition, eventually causing blindness due toplications. By the time Ji Xue was thirteen, the family was deep in debt, her father¡¯s diabetes was worsening, advancing towards uremia, and his blindness resulting from theplications showed no signs of improving. It was also that year when she chose to drop out of school and be an apprentice in the back kitchen of the Tan Family Small Restaurant, with meals included but no lodging, and a monthly wage of 800. Her reason for choosing the Tan Family Small Restaurant was simple: she was not yet fourteen, and no other shops would dare to take her, only the owner of the Tan Family Small Restaurant, who was also the son of Master Tan, was willing to ept her. The willingness was straightforward; she was young, cheap, without a contract, easy to exploit, doing no less work than anyone¡¯else, and was a vulnerable, low-costbor force. Now at neen, life hadn¡¯t treated her much better; her mother¡¯s breast cancer was cured, but her father¡¯s diabetes had turned into uremia, and even if there were a kidney avable for transnt, her family couldn¡¯t afford the surgery. She continued to live frugally as before, not daring to eat well, dress well, rest or stop. The good things she tasted during her childhood, those snacks that exist only in her memory like crayfish, milk tea, lollipops, chips, and barbecue, had all faded from her world, bing dreams she couldn¡¯t touch. But now, it was as if she was living in a dream. Her boss was a good person, her colleagues were good people, her friends were good people, and her roommates were good people. The touch on her hand was real, the taste in her mouth was real. ¡°Xue, I see you¡¯re tired today, and it¡¯s almost eleven o¡¯clock, you should eat and go wash up for bed. I¡¯ll clean up here since I need to drawter, I still have some soup to drink,¡± Ji Yue said from the kitchen. ¡°Okay.¡± Ji Xue remembered a poem her mother taught her when she was little. Give me a papaya, in return, I present a precious ruyi. It¡¯s not just to repay you, it¡¯s to cherish forever! Give me a peach, in return, I present a precious jade ornament. It¡¯s not just to repay you, it¡¯s to cherish forever! Give me a plum, in return, I present a precious jade bead. It¡¯s not just to repay you, it¡¯s to cherish forever! Chapter 255 - 254 The Legendary Sister Chapter 255: Chapter 254 The Legendary Sister The next day, Sun Jikai was still able toe to work normally, and Jiang Feng, Ji Yue, and Wu Minqi were all moved by his spirit of perseverance. The fact he could get up early at 8 a.m., head to the kitchen, even after getting drunk the night before, speaks volumes about his determination! Today, Sun Jikai was still trying to maintain his image of a cool and domineering CEO. ¡°What nonsense did I spout when I was drunkst night?¡± Sun Jikai sneaked over to Jiang Feng before the lunch rush started and asked quietly. ¡°A lot.¡± ¡°How much is a lot?¡± ¡°Your second uncle¡¯s family is smiling tigers, you were kicked out of your grandfather¡¯s house, dumped by your girlfriend, your credit card was frozen, you won¡¯t be able to pay your rent next month, the stir-fried beef hor fun is 8 yuan cheaper than Ji Xue¡¯s, the tomato shrimp is 16 yuan cheaper than Zhang Guanghang¡¯s, the lychee pork¡­¡± Jiang Feng started to enumerate everything Sun Jikai had said the previous night. ¡°Alright, stop talking,¡± Sun Jikai was already considering the specifics of resigning. ¡°Actually, all of that is not so important. Mainly, when I was taking you hometer on, you kept mumbling one phrase,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°What phrase?¡± ¡°Thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi, don¡¯t bully the young when they¡¯re poor.¡± Sun Jikai:¡­ ¡°Honestly, you should read fewer novels. These tropes are from several years ago and aren¡¯t even popr anymore,¡± Jiang Feng earnestly advised, ¡°I have a friend who likes novels just like you; he doesn¡¯t just read them, he writes them, too. As a result, he has to retake ¡®Signals and Systems¡¯ because he failed, and he¡¯s probably going to fail ¡®Optical Information Processing¡¯ this term and have to retake it too. By the time we graduate, he¡¯ll likely have to stay back an extra year.¡± ¡°You see, writing novels is a dead end!¡± Jiang Feng had more to say, but he didn¡¯t mention that Wang Hao was the bloody lesson. Sun Jikai:¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t read novels.¡± Sun Jikai stubbornly denied, ¡°How could I possibly have time to read novels.¡± ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not what I initially wanted to talk to you about. Last night, I discussed with Qiqi, and I think for the thickening sauce of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, we could start with high heat, then switch to low, and at the end turn up the heat again,¡± Jiang Feng changed the subject, swiftly transitioning the conversation to serious culinary research. ¡°High heat first, then low heat, and back to high heat?¡± Sun Jikai thought for a moment. It seemed that his grandfather didn¡¯t do it this way, but Jiang Feng¡¯s method sounded quite usible. ¡°Let¡¯s try it this noon.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Jiang Feng nodded, they would try it at noon. ¡°Wait, you just said you discussed it with Wu Minqi, does she also know how to make this dish?¡± Sun Jikai began to question his life. Wasn¡¯t this a secret recipe of the Sun Family? When had it be somon? ¡°Qjqi was there watching when your grandfather demonstrated it for me, and he agreed. Although she doesn¡¯t know the finer details, she¡¯s quite clear on the basic steps,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Sun Jikai thought about it and then suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we study it together with Wu Minqi this noon?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°This idea came from her, so having her join us will make the process go much more smoothly,¡± Sun Jikai, having spilled all his secrets to Wu Minqi while drunk the day before, now clearly regarded her as one of his own. The research on the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon by Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai, with the addition of Wu Minqi, did not make any breakthrough progress, or more urately, they made no progress at all. Days flew by in the blink of an eye, and tomorrow was the 27th, the day for their dish trial, but the three of them were still at a standstill. Although the date wasn¡¯t directly rted to them, as they had no new dishes to trial, it was still an important day, because after the 27th Sun Jikai could raise the price of his stir- fried beef hor fun to 48 yuan. In the past few days, Mrs. Wang Xiulian had gone undercover in several Chaozhou beef hotpot restaurants in Beiping, dined with her aunt and great- aunts, and investigated the price of their stir-fried beef hor fun, discovering that it was indeed priced differently from fried rice noodles. Stir-fried beef hor fun was more expensive than fried rice noodles! During these days, Ji Yue, who had been suffering from ack of inspiration, suddenly experienced a burst of creativity. Her drafting speed surged. It could have been because of Ji Xue¡¯s vegetable tofu soup, or perhaps from eating barbeque for several days, that her blocked creativity suddenly gushed forth. Even when working until three or four in the morning, she didn¡¯t feel tired. Ji Yue even forgot who she initially started drawing drafts for, and used her lunch breaks to sleep at her desk, no longer concerned with seeing Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face. To get back on track, Jiang Feng and hisrades¡¯ progress on the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was far from satisfactory. If they were back at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, a te of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, which tasted alright butcked authenticity and soul, could be renamed and added to the menu without issue. But now, they were no longer at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, but at Taifeng Building, a high-end restaurant that had opened in Beiping, where their clientele was not just students from UAL University but the entire society, including many gourmands who came specifically for their food. This cheap knockoff version of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon would only bring shame to Taifeng Building if we were to put it on the menu. Therefore, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon they practiced making was used as a staff reward, given as an extra meal to the well-performing employees of Taifeng Building on that day. Due to menu testing on the 27th, Taifeng Building would close right after the lunch service, and apart from the furnace chefs who needed to stay for the menu practice, almost all other employees could leave work early, almost like taking a half-day off. There are basically no days off when working in a restaurant; all the national holidays are irrelevant to those in the service industry, and the busier the holiday, the more thepany shows you that getting four times the sry is not at all easy. Although the holiday on the 27th was only half a day, it was enough to keep everyone excited for a long time. The lunch service hadn¡¯t even started yet when some of the young chefs in the kitchen could no longer contain their excitement, chattering about what they were going to do with the half-day off. ¡°Tang Tang, a roommate of mine told me about a ce where the clothes are incredibly cheap, I asked her to send me the address, let¡¯s go check it out in the afternoon!¡± one of the female chefs from the cold dish section invited Tang Tang. ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t make it, you find someone else. I have ns to go swimming with my boyfriend this afternoon,¡± Tang Tang declined politely. ¡°Sang Ming, want to go hike the Great Wall this afternoon? I remember you said you wanted to go, Zhang Weiyu, Wei Shiheng, and I are also going,¡± Ou Yang invited, as Sang Ming was usually the most lively in the kitchen and had the best rapport with everyone. Wei Shiheng, who usuallycked a sense of presence, gave a slight smile to Sang Ming. Sang Ming was too busy talking to Ou Yang to see it. Wei Shiheng, used to being ignored, bent his head down and kept on chopping vegetables. ¡°I can¡¯t do it, I¡¯m not free today, my sister hase and I need to take her out,¡± Sang Ming said. ¡°Your sister hase?!¡± almost all the chefs in the kitchen eximed in unison. Even the two elderly gentlemen who generally didn¡¯t join in the conversation couldn¡¯t help but look at Sang Ming. ¡°When did your sister arrive?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°She¡¯s already here, I told her to wait for me at Taifeng Building, oh right, I need to tell Manager Fan, see if I can find a corner for her to sit and wait for me,¡± Sang Ming said, then turned to look at the two elderly gentlemen. ¡°Chef Jiang, I¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile. Sang Ming went out to find Fan Mei. ¡°Do you think Sang Ming¡¯s sister will be pretty?¡± Ou Yang asked Zhang Weiyu. ¡°Hasn¡¯t he already said his sister is not good-looking? But isn¡¯t his sister just in her second year of junior high? It¡¯s quite surprising that her parents would let such a young girle to Beijing all by herself,¡± Zhang Weiyu¡¯s attention was peculiarly focused. ¡°His sister started schoolte, she was unhealthy in elementary school and even took a year off, she is 16 this year,¡± Han Yigu was quite familiar with the situation of Sang Ming¡¯s sister. ¡°I think his sister must be pretty, Sang Ming is just fond of disparaging her,¡± Luo Yu asserted confidently. ¡°That can¡¯t be right, I feel Sang Ming really likes his sister, maybe she really isn¡¯t good-looking,¡± Zhou Shi said. ¡°I also think his sister might not be pretty.¡± ¡°But I reckon his sister could be quite pretty, Sang Ming himself isn¡¯t bad- looking.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s probably alright too.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Suddenly Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen was split into two groups: those who thought Sang Ming¡¯s sister was pretty and those who thought she wasn¡¯t. ¡°Alright, stop the chit-chat, we¡¯ve got more than a dozen banquet tables reserved for the lunch today and we¡¯ll be busy. Han Yigu, go help out at the cold dish counter. Zhou Shi, go check if that braised meat is ready,¡± Jiang Feng said, ending the discussion that would soon see its verdict. Chapter 256 - 255 Mulberry Chapter 256: Chapter 255 Mulberry Whether Sang Ming¡¯s sister is really as pretty as the historical issue suggests was of interest to everyone in the Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen staff. Even Sun Jikai, who had a disdainful smirk about other people¡¯s spections, was actually very curious about whether Sang Ming¡¯s sister was indeed beautiful. After all, this is Sang Ming¡¯s sister, the legendary one who was rumored to be not so pretty, rather chubby, quitezy, inept at work, unable to y mahjong, only good at studying, theplete antonym of Sang Ming in legend! Now they were just a wall away from this legendary person, someone inside the wall wanting toe out, while those outside were ying on their smartphones. The most excited of them all was Sang Ming, whose work efficiency kept climbing, moving back and forth between the range station and the cold dish station, and also asionally helping out by slicing some strips at the chopping board. One man doing the work of three, both his work efficiency and dedication were touching. Because there was a banquet at noon, a centenarian banquet no less, the banquet was quite high-grade and the kitchen was busier than usual, endingter than usual too. Today¡¯ s staff meal was made by Zhou Shi, with Jiang Weisheng assisting, and everyone was not in high spirits, their enthusiasm for eating reduced. Because Ji Yue had gained 4 pounds from eating too much recently, she started a self-punishing diet fromst night. She only ate lettuce without sd dressing, and for every extra bite, she¡¯d p herself harshly, as if the cheek she hit was not her own. By the time the lunch service ended, it was nearly 2 p.m. Everyone was cleaning and tidying up the kitchen, when Jiang Jiankang saw Sang Ming looking excited and a bit anxious, and said to him, ¡°Sang Ming, why don¡¯t you go first? Your sister has been waiting for hours.¡± ¡°No worries, she must be sitting and ying with her phone, she¡¯s not been working anyway, just a few hours of waiting!¡± Assuming his sister couldn t hear, Sang Ming was arrogantly overbearing. Jiang Feng watched Sang Ming¡¯s ugly face that suggested his sister listened to him and found it oh so familiar. When Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing couldn¡¯t hear, he would put on the same act outside. One attitude in front of his sister, another behind her back. ¡°Qiqi, take a break. I¡¯ll clean up for you,¡± Jiang Feng offered, taking over Wu Minqi¡¯s work. Sun Jikai turned his head slightly, feeling a bit dazzled. Wu Minqi stopped what she was doing and asked, ¡°Is Zhang Guanghanging over to test the dish this afternoon?¡± ¡°He should be, or should I send him a WeChat message to ask?¡± Jiang Feng replied. Since Zhang Guanghang was off today, even the beautiful young waitresses who woulde to the kitchen to ry messages did it less frequently. ¡°Are you guys done in the kitchen, can wee in now? Outsidersing in¡­ oh, you¡¯re still cleaning up but we cane in, right? Sang Ming is not done yet, okay, I¡¯ll go call her.¡± Jiang Feng thought he vaguely heard Ji Yue¡¯s voice and couldn¡¯t help but look towards the door. Not just Jiang Feng, everyone involuntarily looked towards the door. Ayoung girl¡¯s figure appeared in the doorway. Slightly plump, not tall, with a ponytail and bangs, before Jiang Feng could make out the face of Sang Ming¡¯s sister with his 125-degree slightly nearsighted eyes, she vanished, pouncing on Sang Ming in a blink. ¡°Sang the handsome big brother!¡± Sang Ming¡¯s sister hugged her brother, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for nearly two months, with great excitement. ¡°Sang the beautiful little sister.¡± Sang Ming smiled brilliantly, skillfully catching his sister¡¯s bear hug. Well, a sisterplex. The look everyone gave Sang Ming suddenly contained a bit of contempt, do you still remember what you just said? ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Mulberry,¡± Mulberry greeted everyone with a smile, veryfortable and not shy at all, quite extroverted. Upon closer inspection, everyone found that Sang Ming didn¡¯t exaggerate a bit about his sister¡¯s appearance, nor did he insult or withholdments. Indeed she wasn¡¯t particrly beautiful, nor was she ugly, slightly chubby with a possibly baby-fat round face, small eyes due to single eyelids, ordinary features that weren¡¯t fine, and indeed there were pimples on her face, mostly hidden beneath the bangs on her forehead but still somewhat visible. It was just uncertain whether she truly couldn¡¯t worker y mahjong¡­ ¡°Sang Ming, why don¡¯t you let your sister stay and eat with us? It¡¯s almost 2 o¡¯clock and she must be starving,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°No need, she came all the way to Beiping to find me, she¡¯s treating me to lunch,¡± Sang Ming replied. ¡°Sang, have you no shame? Making a minor travel all this way to treat you to a meal, clearly you should be treating me to the meal!¡± Mulberry red at Sang Ming angrily. ¡°Youe to see me, you¡¯re definitely treating me to a meal!¡± ¡°Ie to see you, you¡¯re definitely treating me to a meal!¡± The sibling war was on the verge of breaking out. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll treat you. Just by looking at you, I can tell you have no money. I got a national silver medal in math, and mom gave me five hundred bucks as a reward, so mom¡¯s paying,¡± Mulberry gave in. ¡°No, I¡¯ll treat you. When you came to Beiping, dad transferred five hundred to me to make sure you have a good time, so dad¡¯s paying,¡± Sang Ming also relented. ¡°I¡¯m treating, mom¡¯s paying!¡± ¡°I¡¯m treating, dad¡¯s paying!¡± As the two were about to argue again, Sang Ming suddenly changed his tune, ¡°Alright, you can treat.¡± Mulberry felt like she had been tricked, ¡°No, it¡¯s still your treat!¡± Everyone:¡­ ¡°How about this¡ªtoday dad pays, tomorrow mom pays?¡± Sang Ming suggested. ¡°Great!¡± Mulberry thought it was a good n. The crowd was already dumbfounded by the siblings¡¯ clever tactics. ¡°Handsome Sang, aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to your colleagues?¡± Mulberry noticed everyone¡¯s gaze and smiled at the crowd, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, am I interrupting your work?¡± ¡°No, not at all, we¡¯re all off work now.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, we were just about to leave.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not interrupting, not at all.¡± Sang Ming started introducing his colleagues to Mulberry, making a special point when he got to Jiang Feng. ¡°This is Jiang Feng, a junior boss, and this is Wu Minqi, also a junior boss. They both graduated from UAL University, furnace chefs who can earn tens of thousands a month. You really have to study hard. If you¡¯re going to be a chef, be a furnace chef!¡± Sang Ming advised earnestly. Mulberry: ??? ¡°His name is Sun Jikai, from that what¡¯s-it-called ton, seems like he graduated from I-ton Business School, an American school, pretty impressive, also a furnace chef,¡± Sang Ming said. ¡°You mean Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, right?¡± Mulberry knew of Wharton Business School, but she didn¡¯t understand why a Wharton graduate would want to be a chef. Sun Jikai: <(?¡¯V ?)/~ Ever since he arrived at Taifeng Building, there weren¡¯t many who could even mention Wharton¡¯s name. When Mulberry directly said ¡®University of Pennsylvania,¡¯ he was so moved that he almost burst into tears of joy. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you for some delicious food!¡± Sang Ming led Mulberry away. ¡°I want to eat fried chicken!¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I want to eat barbeque!¡± ¡°Noway.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were taking me for something delicious?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to have roast duck, you idiot. We¡¯re in Beiping; what the hell do we need fried chicken or BBQ.for?¡± The simrly well-educated from Taifeng Building, Zhang Weiyu: ??? ¡°Why didn¡¯t he mention my academic background just now?¡± Zhang Weiyu felt like he might have been snubbed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because¡­ you¡¯re just a cutting board chef, it¡¯s not educational,¡± Jiang Feng guessed. Zhang Weiyu: Chapter 257 - 256: Hundred Flavor Soup Chapter 257: Chapter 256: Hundred vor Soup The afternoon tasting session ended quite early, aside from Ji Xue¡¯s vegetable tofu soup, Jiang Weisheng also prepared a Hundred-vor Soup. Jiang Weisheng¡¯s Hundred-vor Soup shared a simrly ingenious concept with Ji Xue¡¯s vegetable tofu soup, but the ingredients in the Hundred-vor Soup were even more diverse and random. Basically, whatever was avable could be added, whether fruits, vegetables, meat, or seafood, as long as they were suitable. The seasoning was also very casual, entirely up to the chef¡¯s improvisation. True to its name, the soup could be made in thousands of ways, hence it was called Hundred-vor Soup. This soup was originally created by Jiang Weiming. Back in the day, whenever Jiang Weiming was working, this soup would appear on the state-owned restaurant¡¯s menu. The reason Jiang Weiming could create this soup was due to the scarcity of ingredients at the time, so he worked with what was avable. The soup, initially whipped up on the spot to increase the number of dishes served to foreign guests, unexpectedly gained high praise and subsequently became a fixture on the state-owned restaurant¡¯s menu. As Jiang Weiming¡¯s apprentice, Jiang Weisheng naturally knew how to make the Hundred-vor Soup. The key to Hundred-vor Soup lies in the pairing of ingredients that vary with the season as well as the seasonings, which makes its preparation quite flexible and its sess a true test of a chef¡¯s skill. What taste it finally presents and whether the taste is good or bad depends entirely on the individual chef. Jiang Weisheng had been making Hundred-vor Soup for nearly 30 years. After the state-owned restaurant closed, he went on to work at a privately- owned restaurant through Jiang Weiming¡¯s rmendation, where the Hundred-vor Soup once became the restaurant¡¯s signature dish. Over those 30 years, Jiang Weisheng also devised some techniques for making the soup. Now, at the turn of July and August, there is an abundant variety of seasonal vegetables, which means the flexibility and variability of Hundred-vor Soup increase considerably. Having begun preparing for the Hundred-vor Soup since the day of his job application, and with so many years of experience, Jiang Weisheng was definitely full of confidence and determined to seed at this tasting. Jiang Weisheng and Ji Xue both prepared soups, and they were ready at about the same time. Ji Xue had spent several days studying the vegetable tofu soup, recing the asparagus lettuce with two new types of vegetables and still keeping the seasoning very minimal. The soup tasted very pure ¡ª even though the addition of tofu gave it a slightly milky hue, it still looked very refreshing and pleasant. In stark contrast, Jiang Weisheng¡¯s Hundred-vor Soup included aniseed, kohlrabi, pumpkin, corn, beetroot, radish, red cabbage, mushrooms, zhini, onions, pork tenderloin, beef strips, and dried scallops ¡ª upon looking, one could see it was a great hodgepodge. Not only were there many ingredients, but the seasonings were also quite heavy; it was even thickened at the end, making the soup appear very thick and somewhat reminiscent of West Lake beef soup. Ji Xue¡¯s soup was light, fresh, and the tofu was soft and white, with vegetables that were crisp and smooth, leaving one feeling refreshed all night long, as if encapsting the entirety of early spring in the mouth. Jiang Weisheng¡¯s soup was rich andprised of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty vors all at once. At first taste, it struck one as unusually savory, yet it was addictive, hearty, and full-bodied, much like the scorching, dazzling sunlight of midsummer. Besides Sir¡¯s Nine Turns Intestine, this was the first time Jiang Feng had ever tasted a dish with such aplete blend of vors, and it was in the form of a soup no less. ¡°Master, what do you think about my soup¡­¡± Jiang Weisheng looked at Jiang Weiming with an eager face. ¡°Did you figure out this recipe yourself?¡± Jiang Weiming asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The soup is good, but this is not the Hundred-vor Soup; the Hundred- vor Soup has no recipe,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve tasted plenty of my Hundred-vor Soup in the past, but have you ever tasted one that was the same?¡± Jiang Weisheng was taken aback. ¡°This soup is good and can be added to the menu, but it¡¯s not the Hundred- vor Soup. It¡¯s a soup you¡¯ve concocted on your own. You should give it a name,¡± Jiang Weiming said. ¡°I¡­ I should name it?¡± Jiang Weisheng was initially disheartened, but became excited at Jiang Weiming¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ll name it, I¡¯ll name it, what should I name it? The soup is my creation, what should I name it?¡± Jiang Weisheng, no longer concerned about the pot of soup, went to a corner to mutter to himself and ponder earnestly over what to name his creation. ¡°San¡¯s wife, think over the pricing of these two soups when you get back. We will discuss it together tonight,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. At Taifeng Building, the pricing of dishes was mostly set by Wang Xiulian, a wily businessperson with an uncanny intuitiveness when it came to money matters. ¡°Alright, dad, don¡¯t worry. Also, Fan Mei and I have discussed and analyzed thest two days; since our restaurant has been open only half a month, we will temporarily remove those dishes with poor sales from the menu. Next month, we¡¯ll lower their prices to see if we can boost their sales. If sales still don¡¯t pick up after the price reduction, then those dishes will have to be taken off the menu,¡± Wang Xiulian said earnestly, putting down her bowl and getting down to business. Jiang Feng: ¡­ He felt his mother was talking about him, her eyes fixedly staring at him as she spoke. ¡°Of course, there are also dishes that sell very well and are in high demand, as well as dishes that were initially mispriced because of ourck of awareness. We are nning to slightly increase the prices of these dishes next month to observe the impact on sales,¡± WangXiulian continued. Sun Jikai lifted his head. ¡°Now I¡¯ll talk to everyone about the specific changes in menu prices, starting with the ones that have gone down.¡± ¡°Jiang Feng¡¯s Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge was 488 yuan, Jiang Feng¡¯s Marriage Combo was 168 yuan, Jiang Feng¡¯s Pickled Vegetable Dumplings were 6 yuan each, Zhou Shi¡¯s Braised Chicken in Brown Sauce¡­¡± ¡°Now onto the dishes that have increased in price, Sun Jikai¡¯s Dry-Fried Beef Ho Fun is 48 yuan, Ji Xue¡¯s Dry-Fried Beef Ho Fun is 56 yuan, Jiang Feng¡¯s¡­¡± Sun Jikai: ??? ??? ??? Sun Jikai looked at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng looked down at the ground. Sun Jikai continued to stare at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng kept his gaze fixed on the ground. Sun Jikai relentlessly kept his eyes on Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng gave in, turned his head to Sun Jikai, and revealed an apologetic smile. ¡°I just mentioned to my mom about raising the price of your Dry-Fried Beef Ho Fun to 48 yuan, I had no idea she¡¯d go ahead and raise Ji Xue¡¯s price too,¡± Jiang Feng quietly moved beside Sun Jikai and exined softly. Sun Jikai showed disbelief in this damned capitalist¡¯s nonsense. ¡°Really, look, my mom even dropped the price of my dishes, anything in our family is negotiable, only money isn¡¯t negotiable,¡± Jiang Feng said with sincere emotion and earnest words. Sun Jikai was skeptical but intrigued. ¡°Do you remember the shirt I wore today? It¡¯s a special coboration shirt from Uniqlo for just 36 yuan a piece,¡± Jiang Feng began to present facts and argue his case. Sun Jikai fell for his BS. Jiang Feng breathed a sigh of relief. What Sun Jikai wouldn¡¯t know was that although the shirt he was wearing today was indeed only worth 36 yuan at Uniqlo, he really loved that anime when he was a child. Forget 36, he would have bought it for 3,600. Having sessfully deceived yet another person, Jiang Feng was in high spirits. He took out his cellphone to check the time; it was just past 4 p.m. There was still time to take a walk with Qiqi, arrange a date, and have a stroll in the market. Jiang Feng quietly sneaked back to Wu Minqi¡¯s side. ¡°Shall we head to the marketter?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I heard from my fourth uncle that there¡¯s a new seafood stall at the North Suburb market that¡¯s really fresh. After we finish dinner at Master Tong¡¯s private restaurant, we could go check it out.¡± ¡°But howe I heard that Master Tong¡¯s private restaurant needs reservations two weeks in advance?¡± Jiang Feng always referred to Tong Deyan as Master Tong, inadvertently leading Wu Minqi off track as well; she used to call him Master Tong. ¡°I had heard the same, but when I messaged Master Tongst night to ask if there was a table avable today, he replied that there indeed was a table for two,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°What a coincidence?¡± Wu Minqi was very surprised. ¡°That¡¯sjusthow it is.¡± Chapter 258 - 257 Opportunity Chapter 258: Chapter 257 Opportunity Jiang Feng had thought that since the prices of dishes had been lowered, his buff dishes would have started selling. Yet, 10 days had passed, and the sales were still at zero. In this day and age, the people of Beiping were not so easily fooled. Even discounted dishes failed to catch their attention or stimte their consumption. On the auspicious date of August 8, Jiang Feng still hadn¡¯t sold a single buff dish. After the evening¡¯s business ended, Jiang Feng asked Wu Minqi to head back first, while he himself stayed behind in the kitchen to ponder over the sauce of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Today, Sun Jikai had the day off, and the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon research team, without their adviser, made no progress. Despite their constant attempts and efforts over these days to master the deboning of the whole pigeon, the blending of the stuffing, the water soaking of pine needles, and the steaming time, they had it all down pat except for the sauce. The sauce, as Sun Jikai remembered it-seemingly thick yet pouring like water when scooped with a spoon-remained a figment of his discourse. Recently, Jiang Feng had be almost obsessed with the sauce, waking up and falling asleep with thoughts of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon¡¯s sauce filling his head, battling it out every night in the kitchen of Taifeng Building, staying eventer than Ji Xue. At 10:24 PM, Jiang Feng¡¯s phone vibrated. It was a WeChat message. Jiang Feng thought it might be Wu Minqi messaging him to hurry back, so he washed his hands, shook off the water, picked up the phone, and was surprised to see that it was a message from Zhang Zhiyuan. Since Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯ste grandmother, Cao Guixiang, was an inheritor of Tan Family Cuisine with nine dishes, Jiang Feng initially interacted with Zhang Zhiyuan with not-so-pure intentions, which, as their conversations grew, almost turned into pure friendship. The reason it was only ¡®almost¡¯ was that ever since the end-of-term exams started and all the members of the Jiang Family moved to Beiping, busy as dogs, the two stopped chatting, and their ¡®stic brotherhood¡¯ faded. Zhang Zhiyuan: Senior, are you there? Jiang Feng: I am. Zhang Zhiyuan: Senior, I saw in your Moments that your family¡¯s restaurant seems to have moved to Beiping. Could you please help me check which hotels are well located and have convenient transportation? I¡¯ve been looking at maps all day and can¡¯t make sense of them. Zhang Zhiyuan ising to Beiping to visit? Helping to check out hotels was a small favor, and Jiang Feng readily agreed, then couldn¡¯t help adding another question. Jiang Feng: Are youing to Beiping for a trip? Zhang Zhiyuan: Yes, I¡¯ming with my family. Family! Jiang Feng was instantly excited. It had been many years since Cao Guixiang¡¯s passing, and the only ways to ess her memories were an indefinable side quest that might pop up at any time or by touching objects imbued with a person¡¯s memories. After such a long time, Jiang Feng had figured out some patterns. Xia Mushl¡¯s memory came after he touched the urn that held Li Fen¡¯s ashes, Li Mingyi¡¯s and Jiang Huiqin¡¯s memories came from touching photographs, and thest memory he received from Zhang Zhiyuan was most likely due to identally touching Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s tears. This family trip of Zhang Zhiyuan to Beiping might be his opportunity. Jiang Feng thought for a moment and then sent a message: When will you arrive in Beiping? Zhang Zhiyuan: On the 10th. My parents and I are nning to take my grandfather to Beiping for a week¡¯s visit, Senior. You just need to help us with the hotel; I¡¯ll handle the room reservations myself. Thanks in advance, Senior. Jiang Feng: No problem at all, it¡¯s a small matter. What time will you arrive? Zhang Zhiyuan: The ne willnd at noon on the 10th. Jiang Feng: I¡¯ll pick you up. Zhang Zhiyuan, who was watching a melodramatic romance drama with his mother at home: ??? ¡°Zhiyuan, what did your senior say?¡± Zhang Chiyuan didn¡¯t want to watch the melodramatic romance drama with his wife and was constantly paying attention to Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s movements. ¡°The senior said he¡¯s going to pick us up at the airport.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan was a bit confused, trying to recall when her rtionship with Jiang Feng had gotten this good. But wait, she and Jiang Feng weren¡¯t that close, were they? ¡°Your senior is so hospitable!¡± Zhang Chiyuan eximed in surprise. Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s mother, who had been focused on the TV drama all along, also turned her head and said, ¡°Zhiyuan, it¡¯s not appropriate for your senior to pick us up since the whole family is going on the trip. ¡°I also think it¡¯s not quite right.¡± No sooner had Zhang Zhiyuan finished speaking than she saw the new message from Jiang Feng on WeChat. ¡°The senior said he¡¯ll pickus up on the day we arrive, invite us to their family restaurant for a meal, then take us to the hotel, and he can also rmend , some fun ces in Beijing.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan was overwhelmed by Jiang Feng¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°That won¡¯t do, dear. We already troubled your senior by asking him to help us choose a hotel, how can we let him buy us a meal too.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s mother said it wasn¡¯t eptable. ¡°Yes, yes, your mom is right. I remember you said your senior¡¯s family restaurant serves delicious food, and the stir-fried beef noodles taste just like how your grandmother used to make them, and that was your grandfather¡¯s favorite dish. We¡¯ll go to your senior¡¯s restaurant the day we arrive. We can¡¯t let him treat us¡ªwe¡¯ll pay our own way, and we can support your senior¡¯s family business at the same time,¡± said Zhang Chiyuan. Zhang Zhiyuan thought her father¡¯s suggestion made sense and started replying to Jiang Feng¡¯s message. ¡°Oh, wifey, let¡¯s not watch this drama anymore, let¡¯s change it. I remember thest medical drama you watched was very good. Let¡¯s watch that one,¡± Zhang Chiyuan seized the opportunity to ask for a change of TV shows. ¡°Don¡¯t talk, if you don¡¯t want to watch you can go to sleep.¡± Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s mother expressed her annoyance. ZhangChiyuan: Cs(-j-_t)3 After settling things with Zhang Zhiyuan, Jiang Feng put down his phone and continued making the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, although his mind had long since drifted away from the kitchen. In the blink of an eye, the 10th arrived. Jiang Feng had informed everyone the day before that he would skip two hours of work today to pick people up at the airport. Everyone was so excited for him, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that Zhang Zhiyuan was a male, they would suspect Jiang Feng might be about to cheat on Wu Minqi. He had also picked out a hotel for the Zhang Zhiyuan family early on-located in Chaoyang District, close to a subway entrance, with a good location, convenient transportation, and full hotel facilities. It had a good reputation and reviews; the only issue was that it was quite expensive. Having only been in Beiping for a month, it was Jiang Feng¡¯s second time picking someone up at the airport. He had long since be an expert at airport pickups. It normally took five minutes to get to the airport, and after only waiting for ten minutes or so, he saw Zhang Zhiyuan, who looked like a headless fly, wandering around with two huge suitcases. Following him were a middle-aged couple who appeared to be his parents, with Zhang Chiyuan dragging a slightly smaller suitcase and Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s mother carrying a big bag. The most rxed was Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s grandfather, Zhang Chu, strolling at the back, fanning himself with arge fan, very fashionably wearing ck sunsses as if he was out for a leisurely walk after a meal. ¡°Zhiyuan, send a message on that what¡¯s-it-called Feixin to ask your senior where he is. If he hasn¡¯t arrived, we¡¯ll just go on our own,¡± yelled Zhang Chu from behind. ¡°Grandpa, my senior sent a WeChat ten minutes ago saying he was here, oh look, there he is, waving at us!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan, dragging two suitcases, was a bit flustered. ¡°Senior!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan waved back at Jiang Feng, running over to him with the two suitcases, ¡°You¡¯ve really gone out of your way toe pick us up.¡± ¡°What senior? Don¡¯t be so formal,¡± said Jiang Feng with a weing expression. Zhang Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°Thanks a lot, Feng. Jiang Feng: ??? Chapter 260 - 259= Scholar Syndrome (Extra for Alliance Hierarch "PSSgandyFlP"!) Chapter 260: Chapter 259= Schr Syndrome (Extra for Alliance Hierarch ¡°PSSgandyFlP¡±!) Jiang Feng stood still between the siblings and Zhang Chu, not moving. Xue Shaoheng clearly had significant issues with expressivenguage. He could only blurt out a word or a phrase at a time, and even his sister could not understand what he meant. Zhang Chu was quite elderly; if Xue Shaoheng got excited all of a sudden and started to gesticte, he might identally knock into, bump, orpush Zhang Chu, which wouldn¡¯t be good at all. ¡°Miss, your brother might have mistaken me for someone else. I just came over from Guangdong Province and just got off the ne. It¡¯s impossible for your brother to have seen me before,¡± Zhang Chu said. ¡°Large Dendrobium, Large Dendrobium!¡± Xue Shaoheng insisted, pointing at Zhang Chu excitedly, pulling on his sister, trying to get closer to him. ¡°Guangdong Province?¡± Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister paused, ¡°Could you please think carefully, did you meet my brother over 20 years ago?¡± ¡°My brother has an exceptional memory. He never forgets a face; he must have seen you.¡± ¡°Large Dendrobium, Large Dendrobium!¡± Xue Shaoheng, seeing that his sister wasn¡¯t paying attention to him, was so anxious that he started hoppmg. ¡°Over 20 years ago?¡± Zhang Chu was troubled. His memory was not as good due to his age, and the matter was from 20 years ago. Judging by age, Xue Shaoheng would have been a child or a young teenager back then, which made it even more difficult for Zhang Chu to recall. ¡°Large Dendrobium, Large Dendrobium!¡± Xue Shaoheng looked at Zhang Chu, seemed to recall something, and struggled to say, ¡°Park, Large Dendrobium, park, Large Dendrobium!¡± ¡°Dad, did you really sell Dendrobium in the park over 20 years ago?¡± Zhang Chiyuan was also confused. ¡°What nonsense! A costly thing like Dendrobium, could you even buy that in a park over 20 years ago? The only thing was¡­¡± Zhang Chu hesitated, squinting at Xue Shaoheng, ¡°This seems to be the kid I picked up and brought home for a meal 20 years ago!¡± ¡± Picked up and brought home for a meal?¡± Zhang Chiyuan felt as if he had run away from home over 20 years ago; he had no recollection of this incident. ¡°How can your memory be worse than mine? It was during the year of your middle school entrance exams when your mom made you Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber for your birthday. That dish cost me two months¡¯ sry, and you gobbled it up faster than a pig.¡± Zhang Chu, seeing that Zhang Chiyuan still hadn¡¯t remembered, continued to remind him, ¡°It was the time your momined that the sea cucumber I bought wasn¡¯t good enough. After shopping, I went for a walk in the park and picked up a kid who couldn¡¯t speak clearly.¡± Zhang Chiyuan seemed to remember, chiming in, ¡°I do recall something like that. I remember that day when you came back from thepark, you broughtakid a few years younger than me, which shocked my mom. She even thought you had switched careers to be a human trafficker.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one!¡± Zhang Chu pped his hands, solving the mystery, ¡°That kid kept saying he wanted to go home, go home, and we couldn¡¯t stop him from walking out. Your mom was worried and followed him for a while until he got home.¡± Zhang Chu said to Jiang Feng, ¡°AU right, Mr. Jiang, don¡¯t stop them anymore. They haven¡¯t mistaken me; indeed, we have met before. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this kid to have such a good memory. I¡¯ve be an old man, and he can still recognize me at a nce,¡± Zhang Chu said, looking at Xue Shaoheng with amazement. Listening to Zhang Chu, Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister nowknew who they were, ¡°So it wasyour wife who brought mybrother back then. I am so grateful. My brother has difficulty speaking clearly, and your wife left rather quickly, so I never even saw her face, and I always didn¡¯t know whom to thank. I can¡¯t believe we would meet here today.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t had dinner yet, have you? Let me treat you to a meal as a way to express my gratitude,¡± Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister said. ¡°No need, no need; it was just a helping hand at the time,¡± Zhang Chu declined. ¡°I insist on treating you. This meal is something I should have offered over 20 years ago. It¡¯s been dyed until now, but since we¡¯ve fortuitously met here today it must happen,¡± Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister said gratefully, ¡°Mybrother really likes you. He doesn¡¯t usually get this excited. Eating a meal with you would make him very happy.¡± Xue Shaoheng nodded obediently. Zhang Chu hesitated. ¡°Let me be the one to treat for this meal. Excuse me, waiter, do you still have private rooms avable?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve reserved a private room for them; it¡¯s number 306,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Waiter, could you please pack up the dishes on this table and hold them at the front desk for now? I¡¯lle to pick them up after we eat,¡± Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister said as she pulled Xue Shaoheng up the stairs. Xue Shaoheng seemed to really like Jiang Feng and, while going upstairs, grabbed Jiang Feng and pulled him along. ¡°My brother really likes you. When he likes someone, he¡¯ll drag them to where he wants to go,¡± said Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister with a smile. Jiang Feng was pleasantly surprised. When they arrived at Private Room 306, Jiang Feng sat to the left of Xue Shaoheng, with Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister on his right, Zhang Zhiyuan sitting next to Jiang Feng, Zhang Chu sitting across from Xue Shaoheng, and the couple, Zhang Chiyuan, both seated to the right of Zhang Chu. Itwasrge round table,and although there were notmany people,they were seated very evenly. Jiang Feng and Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister introduced the ordering system to Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s family. Without a second word, Zhang Zhiyuan ordered the most expensive dish, Ji Xue¡¯s dry-fried beef ho fun, while Zhang Chu immediately followed by ordering Sun Jikai¡¯s cheaper eight-yuan dry-fried beef ho fun. It seemed that Xue Shaoheng¡¯s sister was a regr customer at Taifeng Building, as the dishes she rmended to Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s family were all specialties of the chefs. During the short time just now, Zhang Chu remembered some more about Xue Shaoheng. It was not that he had a good memory; it was mainly because the impression Xue Shaoheng had left on him back then was far too deep, allowing him to recall a lot as soon as he remembered a little. ¡°Oh right I was a bit too excited earlier and forgot to introduce myself. My name is Xue Hua, and my younger brother is Xue Shaoheng. He¡¯s not a fool; his behavior just now is because he has acquired savant syndrome, which presents certain expressive barriers. However, he has no problems listening to you talk and can understand everythingyou say,¡± Xue Hua exined. The names of this brother and sister didn¡¯t match at all. ¡°What is acquired savant syndrome?¡± Zhang Chu admitted he had never heard this term before. Everyone curiously looked towards Xue Hua, as they hadn¡¯t heard the term either. ¡°Savant syndrome refers to someone who has cognitive disabilities but possesses abilities far beyond the average person in certain areas,¡± Xue Hua exined, as she had rified what savant syndrome was to others more than once and was very practiced at it, ¡°Acquired savant syndrome refers to people who develop savant syndrometer in life. Mybrother, when he was seven, fell and hit his head on a rockwhile ying. Since then, he¡¯s been an acquired savant.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s why he speaks unclearly. I remember his drawings were quite good, eerily lifelike,¡± Zhang Chu realized suddenly. ¡°Drawing?¡± ¡°When I came across him in the park that day, I saw him wandering around. Noting his young age and clean appearance, I thought he might have been separated from his family. I approached him, but he couldn¡¯t speak clearly and just kept saying he was hungry, so I took him home for a meal,¡± Zhang Chu began recalling how he picked up Xue Shaoheng and brought him home. ¡°After bringing himhome, we just had ameal, and after we finished, he saw my son¡¯s pens and paper on the table and started drawing. It was either a vase or a teacup from our house-I don¡¯t remember exactly-but it was so well-done and lifelike. My son had taken drawing lessons for a year or two and still wasn¡¯t as good as him,¡± Zhang Chu said, ¡°By the way, what does he work as now?¡± ¡°My brother now works as a librarian at the city library. He has an excellent memory and never forgets anything he reads, so he sorts books very quickly,¡± Xue Hua proudly stated, ¡°He also asionally paints, gaining some fame, and some of his paintings sell at a good price.¡± ¡± Amazing, he¡¯s an artist!¡± eximed Zhang Chu. Xue Shaoheng smiled happily. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. Before that, I couldn¡¯t afford to buy him pens and paper, so he never painted. After we went back that time, he kept tugging at me saying ¡®paint, paint,¡¯ which made me go out and buy him pens and paper, and that¡¯s when I discovered how well he could paint.¡± Feeling a sense of pride in having identally yed the role of a discerning discoverer, Zhang Chu was somewhat smug. ¡°Food, food,¡± Xue Shaoheng suddenly spoke up. ¡°My brother¡¯s hungry. He saw you just as we sat down to eat,¡± exined Xue Hua. Jiang nced at the tablet: ¡°The dry-fried beef ho fun will be ready in one minute, it will be served very soon.¡± Xue Shaoheng immediately quieted down. He indeed understood what others were saying; he just couldn¡¯t express it himself. Xue Hua was right; he was not a fool. On the contrary, he was a genius. Chapter 261 - 260 Eat Chapter 261: Chapter 260 Eat A table of seven people ordered five dishes, a soup, and two main courses. Chrysanthemum Fish, Crispy Duo Fried in Oil, Four Joyful Meatballs, Sauteed Liver Tips, Stir-Fried Lotus Root Dice, Strange vor Soup, and two portions of Dry-Fried Beef Ho Fun. ¡°There¡¯s a chef named Jiang Feng in this restaurant whose Sweet and Sour Yam is especially delicious, with a daily limit of six servings my brother particrly likes. But it seems that chef is off today, and his dish isn¡¯t on the menu,¡± Xue Hua said. Zhang Zhiyuan almost choked to death on a fishbone. ¡°How about I go to the kitchen now and make a portion for him?¡± Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected to have loyal customers, and his affection for Xue Shaoheng soared. ¡°Hmm?¡± Xue Hua didn¡¯t catch on. m Jiang Feng,¡± Jiang said. ¡°Yams, yams,¡± Xue Shaoheng tugged at Jiang Feng¡¯s clothes. Xue Hua hadn¡¯t realized the chef she was talking about was sitting right next to her. She bent down to soothe Xue Shaoheng and whispered, ¡°Master Jiang is going to have dinner with us now. We¡¯lle early tonight, and I¡¯ll make sure Shaoheng gets to eat the Sweet and Sour Yam, okay?¡± ¡°The day before yesterday, I was held up by something and arrivedte; the Sweet and Sour Yam was already sold out. Shaoheng was unhappy all day long,¡± Xue Hua exined. ¡°Yams, hodgepodge, wontons, fish heads, chicken wrapped in vegetables, dumplings!¡± Xue Shaoheng started to blurt out word by word. Xue Hua was somewhat at a loss for what he meant, even though she ate at Taifeng Building with Xue Shaoheng every day, but that didn¡¯t mean she could remember all the dishes on the menu. ¡°Dumplings? Hodgepodge? Wontons? Shaoheng, do you want to eat wontons?¡± Xue Hua asked. Xue Shaoheng shook his head; saying so much at once was still difficult for him, and he continued to pop out words one by one, ¡°Yams, hodgepodge, wontons, fish heads, chicken wrapped in vegetables, dumplings!¡± ¡°What he¡¯s saying must be, the limited dishes on my section of the menu,¡± Jiang Feng realized what Xue Shaoheng was trying to say. ¡°Eat, eat,¡± Xue Shaoheng continued. Now Xue Hua understood what he meant and said, ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Shaoheng, we can¡¯t order that many dishes when it¡¯s just the two of us for dinner.¡± ¡°Eat, eat!¡± Xue Shaohengbecame anxious. ¡°How about we order them over several days?¡± Xue Hua suggested to him. ¡°Eat, eat! Miss, him, miss!¡± Xue Shaoheng pointed at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng was stunned; he felt like he finally understood what Xue Shaoheng was trying to say. But how did Xue Shaoheng know that these dishes were seriously not selling well and that he desperately wanted to sell them? ¡°He might just want to help me sell these dishes,¡± Jiang said, feeling a bit embarrassed, ¡°My dishes¡­ don¡¯t sell much. You saw it just now, there are many dishes on the menu, and mine are hidden in the middle below, probably not very appealing. Some dishes are also quite expensive.¡± ¡°He could see that too? That¡¯s amazing, almost miraculous!¡± Zhang Zhiyuan eximed in surprise as he ate the Dry-Fried Beef Ho Fun, looking at Xue Shaoheng. ¡°Sometimes he really can tell what other people are thinking,¡± Xue Hua said. ¡°Whether it¡¯s happiness, joy, depression, or sadness, he¡¯s extremely sensitive to changes in others¡¯ emotions, and sometimes he can even tell what people are thinking. I can hardly keep anything from him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s truly remarkable!¡± Zhang Chu marveled, ¡°He¡¯s simply a genius!¡± ¡°Have you been taking care of him all these years?¡± Zhang Chiyuan asked curiously. Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s mother silently kicked him, signaling that not even food could shut his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve been taking care of him all along; my brother is very smart. He understands everything you say; even if you don¡¯t speak, he can tell. But he can¡¯t express himself, whether he¡¯s sad or happy, and can¡¯t voice if he¡¯s wronged. I can¡¯t trust someone else to care for him,¡± Xue Hua said. ¡°I only learned about the ¡®schr syndrome¡¯ a few years ago. The doctor said his memory, arithmetic, and logical reasoning are far above average. I¡¯m the one who has held him back all these years; otherwise, he might already be a mathematician.¡± Xue Shaoheng shook his head at Xue Hua. ¡°Eat, eat.¡± Xue Shaoheng hadn¡¯t forgotten about Jiang Feng¡¯s buff dish. ¡°Shaoheng, I told you, the two of us can¡¯t finish that many dishes,¡± Xue Hua gently persuaded. ¡°Eat, eat!¡± Xue Shaoheng was very stubborn. ¡°How about this, tonight let¡¯s invite your friends over for dinner and order all these dishes,¡± Xue Hua suggested. Only then did Xue Shaoheng calm down and seem to agree. Xue Shaoheng¡¯s movements while eating were big; he couldn¡¯t pick up the food steadily, and basically relied on Xue Hua to ce the food into his bowl, which he then ate with a spoon. Because he ate slowly, everyone else ate slowly too, mainly because they couldn¡¯t help wanting to watch him. They didn¡¯t mean any harm; they just couldn¡¯t control themselves and wanted to look at him. A 30-year-old middle-aged man with a baby face appeared quite young, dressed neatly, his hair well-groomed with a bit of a natural curl, his eyes wide open and his movements while eating like a child¡¯s, asionally looking up to give everyone a smile. It was really¡­ kind of cute. Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s family schedule was arranged; they were going to visit Nanluoguxiang that afternoon. Xue Hua had to take Xue Shaoheng to his job at the library, so they left their phone number and departed after paying the bill. ¡°Mr. Jiang, I just searched online and didn¡¯t quite understand; how does Yonghe House handle reservations?¡± Zhang Chu asked Jiang Feng while holding his phone. ¡°When do you n to go to Yonghe House for a meal? Yonghe House reservations require a membership; I can help you make a reservation,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Then I will have to trouble you again, let it be tomorrow night,¡± Zhang Chu said. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, just a small favor,¡± Jiang Feng replied with a smile. Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s family went back to the hotel to rest, and Jiang Feng went to the changing room to change his clothes before joining Sun Jikai and Wu Minqi in the kitchen to contribute to the research on the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. To Jiang Feng¡¯s surprise, Zhang Guanghang was also there. Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t know much about the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and had never tasted Sun Guanyun¡¯s authentic version of it. He was simply discussing the method of making the gravy based on his own understanding, along with Sun Jikai and Wu Minqi. Jiang Feng thought that if they continued like this without making progress on the gravy, Taifeng Building could start a special research topic on the correct way to make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon gravy. ¡°Jiang Feng, you take over deboning these pigeons,¡± said Sun Jikai when he saw Jiang Feng arrive, pointing to the pigeons on the prep table. Although Wu Minqi¡¯s knife skills were roughly on par with Jiang Feng¡¯s, hard to distinguish in superiority, Jiang Feng had deboned whole pigeons more frequently and was more skilled, with a smaller chance of messing it up, resulting in a higher quality deboned pigeon. ¡°I¡¯ll debone themter; I need to first prepare the ingredients for Li Hongzhang hodgepodge,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Li Hongzhang hodgepodge?¡± Sun Jikai remembered the fear he had experienced in the kitchen because of Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. ¡°Did Zhang Zhiyuan order it?¡± Wu Minqi was a bit worried that after tasting Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, Zhang Zhiyuan might sever ties with Jiang Feng. ¡°No, it¡¯s another guest,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°A very interesting guest.¡± Chapter 262 - 261 Big Friends Gathering Chapter 262: Chapter 261 Big Friends Gathering Xue Shaoheng¡¯s friends were all sufferers of Schr¡¯s syndrome too. There were a total of four friends, three males and one female, of varying ages, all of whom had met while receiving treatment at the hospital. They were friends as well as fellow patients. The only female among the four, a young woman in her twenties, named Huang Yiting, had acquired schr¡¯s syndrome after an ident that impacted her left brain, just like Xue Shaoheng, while the others were born with the condition. Most people with Schr¡¯s syndrome have trouble receiving proper care and education,rgely because the majority of parentsck even basic knowledge about the condition, equating Schr¡¯s syndrome with idiocy. Xue Shaoheng, thanks to the great care provided by Xue Hua this year, had be one of those Schr¡¯s syndrome patients who couldmunicate fairly normally with the outside world. He was still able to express what he wanted to say with a single word or a few phrases, and althoughmunication was very challenging, at least it was possible. Among his four friends, aside from Huang Yiting, who was diagnosed with acquired Schr¡¯s syndrome after the brain injury, and whose parents and family provided proper care and education under the right guidance of the doctors, allowing her tomunicate her thoughts and intentions with a few words or phrases like Xue Shaoheng, the other three had been locked in closed rooms by their parents for years before being diagnosed, and had lost even their basguage skills. Xue Hua would host such a dinner party for Xue Shaoheng and his friends once a month. Most people with Schr¡¯s syndrome struggle to find a suitable job throughout their lives. Theyck the ability to live independently, need someone¡¯s meticulous care for a lifetime, and can¡¯tmunicate properly, even though their brains might be filled with knowledge as vast and shining as the stars. Each of them was like the purest child, capable of only the most basic and simple emotions, unable to grasp theplexities of human nature. Their world consisted only of a few simple colors, their emotions manifesting openly on the surface. Aside from the five special ¡°big friends,¡± this dinner party was apanied only by Huang Yiting¡¯s mother and Xue Hua, as the family members of the other three schr¡¯s syndrome sufferers were only willing to provide money, notpany. Xue Hua had wanted to book a private room, but Xue Shaoheng was not keen on the idea. He was a person who liked liveliness, especially when gathering with friends, and enjoyed being in crowded ces. The five big friends had their own way ofmunicating, chatting with each other using sounds and murmurs that only they could understand. The two parents exchanged caregiving tips on the side. ¡°Recently, Shaoheng has been especially fond of eating at this restaurant. He always wants the Sweet and Sour Yam. I¡¯m a little worried that he might get cavities, ¡°Xue Hua said. ¡°It¡¯s good that Shaoheng likes to eat it. Yiting used to love mutton, but ever since she fell down the stairs, look, it¡¯s been so many years, and she¡¯s hardly had a bite of it,¡± Huang Yiting¡¯s mother said. ¡°By the way, I heard that Shaoheng is going to have a Drawing exhibition next month?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even certain yet, where did you hear that?¡± ¡°From the group, Xu¡¯s mother told me,¡± replied Huang Yiting¡¯s mother with envy. ¡°Among our dozen or so individuals, your Shaoheng is the only one who relieves my worries. Not only can he draw, but he can also work as a librarian.¡± I heard that Yiting has recently been working on sculpture?¡± asked Xue Hua. Upon mentioning this, Huang Yiting¡¯s mother suddenly brightened. ¡°Yes, her father and I had her try so many things-mathematics, physics, drawing,¡¯ piano, and others-but she didn¡¯t like anything. It was unexpected that she suddenly grew fond of sculpture.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t work with others as a librarian like your Shaoheng. I don¡¯t expect her to be a famous sculptor. I just hope she will have a skill to support herself and survive well in this world after her father and I are gone,¡± Huang Yiting¡¯s mother said, her eyes glistening with tears. Huang Yiting quietly tugged at her mother¡¯s clothes. Alright, alright, I won¡¯t talk about it anymore. Haven¡¯t you been wanting to hang out with Shaoheng? Mom and Sister Shaoheng will chat, and you can talk to Shaoheng,¡± Huang Yiting¡¯s mother said with a smile. Huang Yiting turned to look at Xue Shaoheng. ¡°Yam, sss-¡± Xue Shaoheng gestured with his hands, mimicking the process of eating Sweet and Sour Yam. ¡°Sss-¡± Huang Yiting echoed, imitating Xue Shaoheng¡¯s hand movements. ¡°Sss-¡± The other three began to mimic Xue Shaoheng¡¯s gestures as well. While the five were having fun, the waiter began to serve the dishes. ¡°Enjoy your Sweet and Sour Yam, please take your time.¡± The Sweet and Sour Yam was brought to the table. Xue Shaoheng tried picking up the Sweet and Sour Yam with chopsticks but was barely able to hold them steady, much less pick up the food. ¡°Give me the chopsticks, Shaoheng, I¡¯ll help you all pick it up,¡± Xue Hua took over the chopsticks, knowing what Xue Shaoheng wanted to show everyone, and picked up a piece of Sweet and Sour Yam, stretching out a long string. ¡°Ah''¡± aU fow big friends widened their eyes at the sight of the strings being pulled from the Sweet and Sour Yam. ¡°Sss-¡± Huang Yiting became excited. ¡°Sss-¡± The other three were excited too. Sss- ¡± Xue Shaoheng caught on slowly, seemingly realizing he should be excited too. Xue Hua and Huang Yiting¡¯s mother helped them pick the Sweet and Sour Yam, and to avoid them burning their mouths, Xue Hua specifically cautioned them. ¡¯ ¡°You need to nibble it gently, or you¡¯ll burn your tongue!¡± The five big friends nodded solemnly. Everyone started to eat the Sweet and Sour Yam happily with spoons. Within two minutes, the waiter served more dishes. Here we have the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, chicken wrapped in cabbage, and chopped pepper fish head. Please enjoy your meal.¡± Because Xue Hua had spoken to Jiang Feng at noon, their table¡¯s order was considered a pre-order and was ready early. ¡°This restaurant serves dishes quite quickly!¡± Huang Yiting¡¯s mother eximed, seeing Huang Yiting staring intently at the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, she smiled and said, ¡°Tingting always loves these pretty things. Let me get you a bowl.¡± Huang Yiting shook her head steadily. ¡°Not eating?¡± Huang Yiting nodded. ¡°It seems Tingting might not like this dish,¡± said Xue Hua, as she reached out to pick up Xue Shaoheng¡¯s bowl to scoop some Li Hongzhang hodgepodge for him. Xue Shaoheng took his bowl and hid it behind him, not letting Xue Hua get it, seemingly he didn¡¯t want to eat the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge either. ¡°Shaoheng, this is the dish you wanted to order and now you¡¯re not eating,¡± Xue Hua said helplessly, looking at the spicy fish head on the table that looked quite tempting, and reached out with her chopsticks to pick some up. Before she could reach out, Xue Shaoheng grabbed her chopsticks, looking as if he didn¡¯t want her to eat either. Huang Yiting¡¯s mother tried to scoop herself a bowl of the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, but Huang Yiting snatched away the bowl, not letting her eat it too. ¡°What¡¯s with these kids today?¡± Huang Yiting¡¯s mother wondered. Xue Shaoheng and Huang Yiting were looking around, when suddenly Huang Yiting tugged at Xue Shaoheng¡¯s arm, pointing towards a lone office worker sitting in a corner. Xue Shaoheng instantly became excited, grabbing a spoon to start scooping Li Hongzhang hodgepodge into his bowl. Xue Hua, not daring to let him scoop the dish himself in case he spilled it on himself-which would be a minor issue-but the real concern would be if he got burned, quickly took the bowl and helped him scoop a generous serving of Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. Xue Shaoheng ran off with the bowl. Xue Hua was immediately anxious and hurried after him. Huang Yiting¡¯s mother sat still, not daring to move since there were four other adults at the table, and if she also ran after Xue Shaoheng, there would be no one to look after them. Xue Shaoheng ran up to the office worker with the bowl and set it on his table. The office worker, who was originally looking down at his phone, got a start when a bowl of food suddenly appeared and looked up to see Xue Shaoheng, who was smiling at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, so sorry,¡± Xue Hua quickly apologized, following behind. Xue Hua tried to take the bowl away, but Xue Shaoheng wouldn¡¯t let her. Xue Shaoheng pointed first at the bowl, then at the office worker, back to the bowl, then again at the office worker, moving his finger back and forth between the two. The message was clear; he wanted to give the bowl of Li Hongzhang hodgepodge to the office worker in front of him. The office worker also noticed that Xue Shaoheng might be somewhat unusual, but seeing no malice from him, he turned to Xue Hua and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, if he ¡¯ wants to leave it here, let it stay here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry; my brother, he¡­ he just wanted to give you this dish to eat. It¡¯s the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge we just ordered and it was just brought to the table. He means no harm,¡± Xue Hua exined for Xue Shaoheng. Xue Shaoheng stared with big eyes at the office worker. ¡°No problem, just make sure to take good care of him and stop him from running around, it¡¯s very dangerous for him to run around like this,¡± the office worker expressed understanding. Xue Shaoheng was pulled back to their original spot by Xue Hua, and the office worker looked at the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge in front of him, feeling somewhat moved. He had an utterly rotten day, having missed the subway in the morning leading to beingte and scolded by his boss. Then, during work, he fell into a pit set by a colleague and was scolded bloody by his boss again, looking like his uing promotion was also gone. He had wanted to invite his girlfriend out for dinner in the evening, but instead received a breakup text in the afternoon. Throughout the whole day, he felt a strong malice from the world towards him and had no way to vent because he still had to work overtime in the evening. The only act of kindness he experienced today, surprisingly, came from someone who seemed to be not quite normal. The office worker looked at the bowl of Li Hongzhang hodgepodge in front of him, thinking it probably tasted quite good. Steaming and still hot. He had seen this dish on the menu; even with the special price of 488 yuan, he couldn¡¯t afford it. The office worker inwardlymented his bad luck while he moved the bowl with Li Hongzhang hodgepodge in front of himself. He picked up a piece of pork stomach with his chopsticks. Into his mouth. Damn. He really felt like crying. Chapter 263 - 262: Deliver Vegetables (Request for Monthly Pass) Chapter 263: Chapter 262: Deliver Vegetables (Request for Monthly Pass) Jiang Feng was in the back kitchen steaming marinated vegetable dumplings, while Wu Minqi had just finished cooking Mapo Tofu and turned around to grab ingredients to start on the next dish. ¡°Are you sure there won¡¯t be any problems with your Magnolia Tablets hodgepodge?¡± Wu Minqi was still a little worried. The destructive power of Jiang Feng¡¯s Magnolia Tablets hodgepodge could be attested by all the staff in the back kitchen, everyone who tasted it praised it, and everyone who ate it ended up crying, except for Jiang Weiguo. ¡°There won¡¯t be any problems, remember how everyone felt much relieved after cryingst time?¡± Jiang Feng thought there shouldn¡¯t be any big issue, probably no stress needing to be released either. Hardly had his voice faded when a waitress rushed into the back kitchen in a panic. ¡°Master Jiang, a customer who ate your Magnolia Tablets hodgepodge is now¡­ now crying uncontrobly, and no one can calm them down, not even Qi Rou. You¡¯d better go take a look!¡± Jiang Feng: He felt as if he had been pped hard in the face. ¡°Qiqi, can you keep an eye on the dumplings for me?¡± Wearing his chef¡¯s uniform, Jiang Feng followed the waitress out. The customer who couldn¡¯t be calmed down by Qi Rou and was sobbing over the table was the same office worker who had an especially bad day today. Xue Hua was standing beside Xue Shaoheng, looking somewhat concerned; it had been Xue Shaoheng who had insisted on giving the dish to the person, and now that the office worker was crying like this, Xue Hua was worried that there might have been something wrong with the dish. ¡°Mr. Jiang, pleasee and see what¡¯s going on here!¡± Xue Hua was slightly panicking. The customers at the surrounding tables were all sitting still watching themotion. ¡°This is a normal reaction; it¡¯smon to cry when eating this dish,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Xue Hua: ??? Waitress: ??? ¡°Cry, cry!¡± Xue Shaoheng suddenly spoke, pointing at the office worker in front of him. ¡°That¡¯s right, Shaoheng, he¡¯s crying, but don¡¯t point at people like that with your hand; it¡¯s rude,¡± Xue Hua said. ¡°Cry, cry!¡± Xue Shaoheng pointed again at the bowl of Magnolia Tablets hodgepodge in front of the office worker. ¡°Are you trying to say he started crying after eating this? I¡¯ve just exined it to Mr. Jiang,¡± Xue Hua tried to understand Xue Shaoheng¡¯s point. Xue Shaoheng shook his head, pointed once at the Magnolia Tablets hodgepodge, then at the office worker, and finally back at the hodgepodge. ¡°Cry, cry!¡± Xue Shaoheng kept repeating the two words. ¡°Cry!¡± Sitting in her seat, Huang Yiting pointed at therge pot of Magnolia Tablets hodgepodge and said to her mom. ¡°I know, Yiting, you mean to say someone cried after eating this, right?¡± Huang Yiting¡¯s mother understood it the same way as Xue Hua. Huang Yiting, who didn¡¯t have the same patience as Xue Shaoheng, became anxious when her mother failed to understand her, and pulled her mother toward the table where the office worker sat. ¡°Cry, cry!¡± Huang Yiting pointed at the bowl of Magnolia Tablets hodgepodge in front of the office worker and then turned back to point at the hodgepodge at their own table. Seeing the gestures of Huang Yiting and Xue Shaoheng match so exactly, Jiang Feng seemed to grasp their actual meaning. But he couldn¡¯t say it out loud. Jiang Feng could tell that both Huang Yiting and Xue Shaoheng had what seemed to be a schr¡¯s syndrome; they both meant the same thing. The Magnolia Tablets hodgepodge can make people cry, or rather, it allows people to release stress. They could see the buffs on these dishes. Huang Yiting¡¯smother, not feelingfortable leaving the other three adult friends at the table by themselves, asked Xue Hua to take good care of Huang Yiting before returning to look after the other three and ensure they didn¡¯t run around. ¡°I understand what you mean, you¡¯re saying this dish has made him cry,¡± Jiang Feng said to Huang Yiting and Xue Shaoheng. Xue Shaoheng and Huang Yiting nodded. ¡°You two kids, what¡¯s the difference whether he¡¯s crying because he ate this dish or this dish made him cry?¡± Xue Hua said somewhat helplessly. Xue Hua would never know the difference between the two, and neither would the vast majority of people in this world. Perhaps it was the pressure of so many onlookers, but the office worker¡¯s crying gradually ceased, and he sobbed, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve just been under too much pressuretely and suddenly felt like crying.¡± Since the person involved hade out to exin that he was fine, everyone else assumed that he had truly experienced a mental breakdown from excessive stress, which led to him bursting into tears after eating a dish, and they prepared to disperse. The office worker took a napkin to dry the tears on his face, turned to Xue Shaoheng, and said, ¡°Thanks, man.¡± Then he picked up a piece of Magnolia Tablets with his chopsticks and continued to cry. Everyone:¡­ Jiang Feng:¡­ This guy really had character, pausing his crying only to pick it up again. Xue Hua, along with Xue Shaoheng and Huang Yiting, returned to their original seats and began to exin the situation to Huang Yiting¡¯s mother. Unnoticed by the others, Xue Shaoheng and Huang Yiting were up to something again. Xue Shaoheng held a spoon in his left hand and a bowl in his right, which was Huang Yiting¡¯s bowl since his own was currently at the office worker¡¯s table. By the time Xue Hua noticed, Xue Shaoheng had already, with the help of three other adults, transferred the hodgepodge chicken into his own bowl. ¡°Shaoheng, your sister is just talking to Yiting¡¯s mother. If you want to eat something, just tell your sister, and she¡¯ll help you,¡± Xue Hua said. Xue Shaoheng pointed to the chopped chili fish head. Xue Hua added a piece of fish meat to his bowl. Xue Shaoheng continued to point at the chopped chili fish head. Xue Hua gave him another piece of fish. Xue Shaoheng¡¯s finger remained fixed on the chopped chili fish head. Xue Hua hesitated for a moment and picked up thest piece of fish for him, saying, ¡°This chopped chili fish head is too spicy. You can¡¯t handle it.¡± Seeing that Xue Hua wasn¡¯t going to give him any more, Xue Shaoheng took his bowl and ran off. Xue Hua: ?? Xue Shaoheng, bowl in hand, ran up to a table with four young men who looked to be students, possibly roommates from a dormitory. ¡°San, I think you should just muster up the courage to confess your feelings, hey, who is he?¡± one of them asked, pointing at Xue Shaoheng. Xue Shaoheng silently moved his bowl in front of San. ¡°Shaoheng, how could you¡­¡± Xue Hua started, slightly irritated to see Xue Shaoheng offering dishes to others again. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my younger brother has run off again. This dish, well, just leave it here for now, sorry about that,¡± Xue Hua apologized to the four while pulling Xue Shaoheng back to their seat. ¡°Shaoheng, if you keep this up, I won¡¯t bring you here to eat Sweet and Sour Yam tomorrow!¡± Xue Hua said sternly. Xue Shaoheng looked hurt. But he couldn¡¯t express it and could only tug at Xue Hua¡¯s clothes, hoping she wouldn¡¯t be angry anymore. Xue Hua resignedly took his hand and said, ¡°Shaoheng, you can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± ¡°This can be a bother to others.¡± ¡°This ¡­¡± San, suddenly presented with a bowl of food by Xue Shaoheng, was somewhat befuddled. ¡°That guy probably has some intellectual disabilities. I thought I saw him running around with a bowl earlier,¡± one of his tablemates said. ¡°It¡¯s fine, just leave it here. San, you just move the bowl aside,¡± another person chimed in, ¡°Back to the matter at hand, San, you really ought to muster the courage to confess. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even have a ce to cry when you regret itter.¡± The group didn¡¯t dwell on this interruption and, after San moved the bowl aside, they continued with their previous discussion. Chapter 264 - 263 Cupid’s Arrow (Request for Chapter 264: Chapter 263 Cupid¡¯s Arrow (Request for Monthly Pass) ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± San was also very conflicted, ¡°Let me think about it for another two days, just give me that much time.¡± What is there to think about, just call her now, how long do you n to think? Till graduation next year? By then the daylilies will have withered!¡± ¡°No, no, I need to think it over, calling her suddenly now would be too hasty.¡± San insisted it was not okay. ¡°Oh,e on, enough talk, let¡¯s get two bottles of beer and pour them down San¡¯s throat. Alcohol emboldens the cowardly, after two bottles San will have the guts.¡± ¡°No, no, I won¡¯t drink; you guys drink.¡± San kept refusing. A table of three people was urging him to seize the moment to confess, warning that there would be no second chance after missing out this time, but San was still hesitating. Just as they were strongly persuading him, Xue Hua came over with a te of chopped chili fish head and cabbage-stuffed chicken. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just my brother, he must really like you guys, insisting I bring these two dishes over to you.¡± Xue Hua said apologetically. ¡°We haven¡¯t touched these dishes at all, they were just served; ah, I really am sorry, sometimes when my brother makes a fuss, I can¡¯t calm him down.¡± Xue Hua didn¡¯t know how to exin this situation to them, she found it quite unbelievable herself. Although Xue Shaoheng could be stubborn about doing certain things, he never did anything this unreasonable. ¡°It¡¯s alright, just leave them here.¡± the eldest said, ¡°No trouble at all.¡± ^Thankyou so much, I truly am sorry for the bother.¡± Xue Hua kept thanking Having a brother like that can be worrisome.¡± San sighed. ¡°San, don¡¯t change the subject, we¡¯re talking about you. Really, today is a good opportunity, it¡¯s her birthday, what a great surprise for her, right?¡± the eldest encouraged. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid it won¡¯t turn out to be a birthday surprise, more like a birthday scare.¡± San looked downcast. ¡°Oh, my temper, I really want to push you to confess face to face. Hey, I remember, I think there¡¯s a ¡®fated couple¡¯ set meal or something on the menu, let s order that for San!¡± the eldest mmed the table. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t this that ¡®fated couple¡¯ set meal?¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems so, quick, Si, check the tablet, is the ¡®fated couple¡¯ set meal the chopped chili fish head and cabbage-stuffed chicken?¡± the eldest¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Hold on, let me check, where¡¯s that ¡®fated couple¡¯ set meal? It seems to be in the specials section.¡± Si was scrolling furiously through the tablet and finally found the set meal and showed it to the other three. ¡°It¡¯s this cabbage-stuffed chicken and chopped chili fish head! Look, limited to 5 portions, one less must be this one!¡± the eldest became excited, ¡°San this is the ¡®fated couple¡¯ set meal that fell from the sky,e on, take a bite, finish it and go confess to your Nuannuan!¡± San was a bit stunned, never having expected the world to be filled with such coincidences. ¡°Yes, yes, San, this is fate, this is destiny. It is decided by heaven that you confess today!¡± Si was extremely excited too. ¡°This is someone else¡¯s dish, what does it mean if I eat it?¡± San was still reluctant. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what thatdy said? Her brother insisted on sending it over to us, maybe her brother is your Cupid, and these two dishes are the arrows he shot for you. The arrow has been shot over to you, now hurry and catch it!¡± the eldest started blurting fiction like truth, quite convincingly. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Right, San, have a taste, and then go make the call.¡± ¡°Yes, have a bite of each, then make the call!¡± Influenced by his friends, San hesitated for a moment, picked up some chopped chili fish head with his chopsticks, and took a bite of the cabbage-stuffed chicken. Suddenly, a desire arose within him; he wanted to confess his love for Su Nuan, whom he had secretly loved for two years. In fact, he had always wanted to, but never had he felt such a strong urge as he did at this moment. Today was Su Nuan¡¯s birthday, andst year on her birthday, he had wanted to confess his love to her, but missed the chance. If he missed it again this year, he wouldn¡¯t be able to wait till her next birthday, as Su Nuan would be graduating next year.???? ¡ã The four roommates had stayed in Beiping for their internships over the summer break and had gathered together for a meal today just to encourage San to confess to Su Nuan. ¡°I¡­ I want to confess to Su Nuan!¡± San finally mustered the courage. ¡°Holy crap, does this dish really work?¡± the eldest was shocked. ¡°It must be a psychological effect.¡± With newfound bravery, San took out his phone and called Su Nuan. As soon as he dialed, the call connected within two seconds. Hello?¡± Su Nuan¡¯s voice came from the phone, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Duan Xuanan? Duan Xuanan? Duan Xuanan, are you there? Can you hear me speaking?¡± ¡°I can, I can hear you.¡± Duan Xuanan¡¯s face was tense, and his hand holding the phone was shaking. ¡°Is something the matter? I¡¯m outside eating with my friends, and it¡¯s a bit noisy here,¡± Su Nuan said. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with you today? If you have something to say, just say it,¡± came the loud voice from the other end of Su Nuan¡¯s phone. ¡°It¡¯s just that, just that there¡¯s something I want to tell you,¡± Duan Xuanan swallowed hard. ¡°What is it? You¡¯re making it all so mysterious.¡± It s just, just, just that I wanted to say, happy birthday to you.¡± The elder diner at the same table looked at Duan Xuanan with a you-could-be- better expression, wishing he could pour the chopped pepper fish head onto his head to wake him up a bit. ¡°Ah, oh, thanks, I didn¡¯t expect you to call just for that,¡± Su Nuan said somewhat surprised. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to hang up.¡± ¡¯ No, I have something else, I have one more thing,¡± Duan Xuanan said, his face tense. ¡°What is it? You¡¯re really acting strangely today, why are you hesitating so much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I want to ask if you would be my girlfriend?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± The biggest guy across the table from Duan Xuanan was even more excited, hugging his roommate beside him, happier than when he himself had sessfully confessed. There was silence on the other end of the phone. Duan Xuanan felt a bit disappointed; as expected, it was just his own wishful thinking, a momentary impulse. ¡°Okay then,¡± Su Nuan said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was just wondering if it was only me having one-sided feelings, getting carried away.¡± ¡°Duan Xuanan, I¡¯ve been waiting for this question for a year now.¡± Only then did Duan Xuanan start to taste the chopped pepper fish head he had eaten earlier. Fresh, spicy, tingly. It was the taste of love. The call ended. He was no longer single. ¡°How did it go, San? What did Su Nuan say?¡± Si pressed eagerly, seeing Duan Xuanan looking spaced out and thinking he had been rejected and was devastated, he quickly tried tofort him. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal if you got rejected; Su Nuan doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend, right? That means there¡¯s still a chance!¡± ¡°She agreed,¡± Duan Xuanan said, finally feeling a sense of reality. ¡°She agreed!¡± Duan Xuanan was ecstatic. Involuntarily, Duan Xuanan looked towards Xue Shaoheng; sensing his gaze, Xue Shaoheng turned and gave him a smile. Suddenly, Duan Xuanan felt that maybe Si was right after all, this man who seemed a bit brain-challenged and acted like a child could really be Cupid, bringing the arrow of love. ¡°San, this ¡®predestined rtionship¡¯ meal is amazing! Quick quick quick, Si you should take a few bites too, who knows, after eating you might be single no more!¡± ¡°Bullshit, I don¡¯t even have someone I like, what¡¯s there to be single from.¡± Right now, Duan Xuanan found everything beautiful, even the way Si swore just now sounded so pleasant. This restaurant was simply too great, absolutely the best in the world. ¡°Ding, gained the recognition of a customer, mission progress (2/10).¡± Jiang Feng: ??? What was Xue Shaoheng doing outside? Wait, why did he feel like it was ¡®again¡¯? Chapter 265 - 264: The World in His Eyes (An extra chapter for Alliance Hierarch Pei Qian!) Chapter 265: Chapter 264: The World in His Eyes (An extra chapter for Alliance Hierarch Pei Qian!) Although Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know what Xue Shaoheng had been up to outside, he figured that given Xue¡¯s straightforward and no-nonsense way of doing things, he might have even directly stuffed the dish into the hands of a customer. The pickled vegetable dumplings had long been taken out of the pot and served, and the pure meat wontons had just been finished and ced on the serving window. Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t busy with any orders at the moment, looking around to see where he could lend a hand. ¡°Sang Ming, have the pure meat wontons been taken away?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I just saw Ji Yue sister take them away,¡± responded Sang Ming, whose position was close to the serving window, allowing him to clearly see the movements there. Feng, table C7 ordered arge portion of preserved egg and pork congee.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Jiang Feng said, picking up a soup bowl todle out the congee. It wasn¡¯t until he had finisheddling out the congee and ced it on the serving window that he realized that table C7 seemed to be Xue Shaoheng¡¯s table. Meanwhile, in the dining hall, after Xue Shaoheng had given away the entire portions of chopped chili fish head and vegetable stuffed chicken, he realized that he could actually give the dishes directly to others and ended up persuading Xue Hua to offer the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge to some office workers. After crying a good deal, the office worker had released all the negative emotions pent up inside and felt much better. Although he didn¡¯t know why he had suddenly burst into tears, he vaguely felt it might have something to do with the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge he had just eaten. When Xue Shaoheng offered him the hodgepodge, he happily epted but insisted on transferring the money to Xue Hua. Having sessfully expressed his feelings, Duan Xuanan, who viewed Xue Shaoheng as Cupid, realized after seeing the office worker transfer money to Xue Hua that he had freeloaded two dishes and hurriedly transferred money to Xue Hua as well. Originally, they had ordered arge table of dishes, but with Xue Shaoheng giving them away one by one, the sweet and sour yam had already been finished, and only a te of pickled vegetable dumplings remained on the table, with the wontons still in Ji Yue¡¯s hands. Xue Shaoheng and his friends didn¡¯t mind the issue with the dishes in the slightest; they were engrossed in their ownnguage, muttering to each other and having a great time, showing no interest in eating. Having no other choice, Xue Hua and Huang Yiting¡¯s mother each stuffed a pickled vegetable dumpling into their hands for them to nibble on slowly. Huang Yiting¡¯s mother ate the remaining dumpling. The two of them hade mainly to look after and apany these five adult friends; eating was just a secondary concern, so Xue Hua had casually ordered a preserved egg and pork congee after scanning the menu. Most individuals with Schr Syndrome aren¡¯t picky about food and tend to eat whatever is given to them. The five adult friends were engaged in a game known only to them while slowly nibbling on the pickled vegetable dumplings in their hands. ¡°Enjoy your meal with the pure meat wontons,¡± Ji Yue said, cing the pure meat wontons firmly on the table. ¡°You ordered wontons too?¡± Huang Yiting¡¯s mother asked, surprised. She found it a bit surprising that Taifeng Building, such a high-end restaurant, would sell this kind of ordinary street-side wonton. ¡°I didn¡¯t order them. These dishes were all ordered by Shaoheng. I don¡¯t know what he was thinking. He orders without eating, and he¡¯s been giving them away, but luckily no one seems to mind. They even seem to like them,¡± Xue Hua exined, ¡°I wonder if he will eat the wontons he ordered.¡± Xue Shaoheng showed by his actions that he would eat the wontons he ordered. Temporarily stepping away from the game with his friends, Xue Shaoheng moved the wontons in front of him and ced the pickled vegetable dumpling back on the te. He scooped up a wonton and blew on it repeatedly. After the wonton had cooled down, Xue Shaoheng opened his mouth wide and engulfed it in one bite. With the first wonton down, Xue Shaoheng¡¯s expression turned to one of pain. He was feeling very ufortable because the pure meat wontons reminded him of some unhappy memories. He then scooped up the second wonton. The third, the fourth. The more Xue Shaoheng ate, the more ufortable he felt; and the more difort he felt, the more he ate. Soon, a bowl of wontons was finished. Xue Hua, who had been busy talking to Huang Yiting¡¯s mother, didn¡¯t pay much attention to Xue Shaoheng¡¯s expression. By the time he noticed something was off, Xue Shaoheng had already finished eating the pure meat wontons. ¡°Shaoheng, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Does your stomach hurt? If your stomach hurts, just nod your head. Point to where it hurts for sister to see,¡± Xue Hua said urgently. Wrapped up in his painful memories, Xue Shaoheng didn¡¯t hear Xue Hua and gave no response. Xue Hua panicked. ¡°Could this be acute appendicitis? You should take him to the hospital quickly; some conditions can¡¯t be dyed. Leave this to me; I¡¯ll take them hometer,¡± Huang Yiting¡¯s mother hurriedly said. ¡°Thanks for that, I¡¯ll give you the money tonight. I need to take Shaoheng to the hospital now,¡± Xue Hua said, hastily pulling Xue Shaoheng out of Taifeng Building and catching a taxi to the hospital. Before reaching the hospital, while still in the cab, Xue Shaoheng returned to his normal self, no longer looking pained. Xue Hua breathed a sigh of relief, keeping a close eye on Xue Shaoheng¡¯s condition, and asked softly, ¡°Shaoheng, do you feel a little better now? Don¡¯t be afraid, sister is taking you to the hospital right now, and we¡¯ll be all right after the checkup.¡± Xue Shaoheng shook his head, indicating that he was fine. ¡°Mom.¡± Xue Shaoheng said. Xue Hua was stunned. She thought that Xue Shaoheng didn¡¯t remember their mother. Their father had passed away early, and the vige¡¯s preference for boys over girls was extremely severe. Her mother had four daughters in a row before finally giving birth to their only son. All daughters except her were given away. Xue Shaoheng had once been her mother¡¯s only hope. Later, Xue Shaoheng took a fall and hit his head on a rock, suffering a severe blow to the left side of his brain, bing what everyone at the time considered an imbecile. His mother couldn¡¯t bear such a blow, nor could she stand other people¡¯s disdainful nces and gossip. She took all the family¡¯s money and left without returning, abandoning the two children. Ever since Xue Shaoheng developed acquired savant syndrome, he never uttered the word ¡°mom¡± again. Even though the current Xue Shaoheng had a photographic memory, Xue Hua always thought that he didn¡¯t remember their mother because he was so young at the time. ¡°Shaoheng, are you missing mom? But sister doesn¡¯t know where mom is either.¡± Xue Hua¡¯s voice choked up. Xue Shaoheng shook his head. He had so many things he wanted to tell Xue Hua, but he simply couldn¡¯t express them, and he knew that Xue Hua couldn¡¯t understand him at all. He wanted to tell Xue Hua that the reason he had only ever painted objects and not people all these years was not because he didn¡¯t want to paint people or because he couldn¡¯t, but because he couldn¡¯t paint people. Ever since he fell at the age of seven, his perception of the world had changed. It had be dull and colorless, every color appeared monotonous to him. He could only see a few colors in his eyes, devoid of luster, not bright at all, even the sunlight seemed somewhat dim. Even the faces he looked at were distorted; in his eyes, everyone¡¯s face appeared twisted and deformed. His world was different from the world others saw. The reason some people coveted Xue Shaoheng¡¯s paintings was that they found the colors in his paintings remarkably unique. But what they didn¡¯t know was that Xue Shaoheng was painting the world as he truly saw it. But just now, as he ate that bowl of wontons, the memories that came to mind represented the real world. His mother¡¯s face was a real face, normal, with rich colors and clear contours, not the twisted and deformed faces he usually saw. And there was his sister¡¯s face, his mother¡¯s and sister¡¯s clothes, the cab, table, chairs, doors, even the dirt on the ground and the bugs on the wall, they all looked normal. They were rich in color, the sunlight dazzling and bright. ¡°Mom, sister, clothes, cab.¡± Xue Shaoheng struggled to describe to Xue Hua everything he had just seen. The taxi stopped, they had arrived at the hospital. Xue Hua paid the fare, not quite catching the words Xue Shaoheng had just whispered. Xue Hua took Xue Shaoheng¡¯s hand, leading him out of the taxi and into the hospital. ¡°Shaoheng, we¡¯re going to have a checkup now. You need to be good and listen to the doctor,¡± Xue Hua instructed Xue Shaoheng. Xue Shaoheng nodded. Xue Shaoheng looked at the peopleing and going in the hospital, a world of distortions. But what he had just recalled was the real world. That bowl of wontons was truly great. Taifeng Building is the best restaurant in this world. Xue Shaoheng thought. ¡°Ding, a customer¡¯s approval obtained, task progress (3/10).¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Xue Shaoheng¡­ what has he done again? He couldn¡¯t possibly be an angel, could he? Chapter 266 - 265: A Debt of Gratitude for a Meal Chapter 266: Chapter 265: A Debt of Gratitude for a Meal (Part One) (Xue Shaoheng Version for Prudence) PS: (Doesn¡¯t involve money) AAAHH, I mistyped the title, it should be ¡°Proceed with Caution,¡± but I can¡¯t change it now. < (-fl¡±)/¡± To celebrate a substantial breakthrough in the main mission and the sale of several buff dishes, Jiang Feng decided not to stay behind in the kitchen to practice making Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon tonight. He nned to return home on time and take a look at Xue Shaoheng¡¯s memory to learn a new dish. When Wu Minqi saw that Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t staying back to practice tonight, she decided to go back with him. It wasn¡¯t until they reached the downstairs of the building that Wu Minqi remembered Ji Yue mentioning at noon that her mother had sent several pounds of preserved vegetables and asked Wu Minqi to pick some up from her ce in the evening. ¡°Ji Yue¡¯s mom sent over some preserved vegetables, and she asked me to pick some up. I¡¯m going to her ce to get them, you go on home,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, and they parted ways in the elevator. By the way, the property management finally fixed the elevator. Upon returning home, Jiang Feng casually poured himself a ss of water, carried it into his room, closed the door, and sat down in the chair to turn on the attribute panel. He clicked ¡°Yes¡± on ¡°[Xue Shaoheng¡¯s Memory Segment].¡± The next second, Jiang Feng found himself in a run-down rental room. The small room was very cramped, containing only a bed and a small cab; no other furniture could fit, not even a chair. The walls were mottled and even moldy in some ces. There was only one small window in the room, allowing in just a sliver of light. The bed was tidy, and the cab was clean, indicating that the person living there took good care of the space. Xue Hua and Xue Shaoheng were both in this room, wearing clean but slightly worn clothes. Xue Shaoheng sat quietly on the bed watching Xue Huab her hair in front of the mirror. ¡°Shaoheng, your sister is going to work now. You need to stay here and be good, don¡¯t run around. If you need to use the bathroom, go by yourself. I¡¯ll bring you something tasty when Ie back at noon,¡± the 15-year-old Xue Hua instructed the 8-year-old Xue Shaoheng. Xue Shaoheng obediently nodded his head. He looked no different from a normal child, except for a slight tilt in his head and a slow response. Just as Xue Hua was leaving, she ran into the auntie from the room across the hall. ¡°Xue Hua, you¡¯re also going to work this Sunday? By the way, did you find a school for your brother?¡± The auntie saw Xue Shaoheng inside the room and asked. ¡°Working an extra day means extra pay. I haven¡¯t found a school yet; no school is willing to ept Shaoheng. I n to ask around again next Sunday,¡± Xue Hua replied. ¡°Your brother isn¡¯t that young anymore; even with his condition, he should at least go to primary school. There¡¯s a family two streets over, their son also damaged his brain from a fall, but he finished primary school just the same. You shouldwork more, ask around; there¡¯s someone¡¯s sister at that little workshop you work at who is a teacher at the nearby primary school, you should inquire there,¡± the aunt suggested. ¡°Thankyou, Aunt Liu, I¡¯ll try to find some connections. And please watch over Shaoheng a bit forme,¡± Xue Hua said with a wry smile, readying to leave for work. ¡°Your Shaoheng is very obedient and won¡¯t run around, you head to work now.¡± She couldn¡¯t exin to others, nor did she want to tell them the real reason those primary schools refused to take Xue Shaoheng. Xue Shaoheng couldn¡¯tmunicate normally with others; when he wanted to express himself, he could only do so through actions or pointing at things. Sometimes, if not watched closely, he¡¯d run off out of sight, even running out of the ssroom during a lesson. At first, there were schools willing to ept Xue Shaoheng, but after a few weeks, teachers woulde to her door, asking her to take Xue Shaoheng back home. After switching two schools, no other school was willing to take him. But Xue Hua always felt that her brother was different from others whose brains were damaged by a fall. Her brother could understand others when they spoke and could grasp what they meant, but he just seemed unable to speak himself. Xue Shaoheng listened well to Xue Hua, sitting quietly in the room, lost in thought. Jiang Feng phased through the wall to check out the surrounding environment. It was crowded and narrow. The different rooms, big and small, housed various people; Xue Shaoheng and Xue Hua lived on the third floor. The whole building shared one kitchen, toilet, and bathing room, and there were children ying outside. ¡°Xue Shaoheng, Xue Shaoheng,e out and y!¡± Some children outside called for Xue Shaoheng; they seemed about his age. Xue Shaoheng opened the door and poked his head out, shaking it at them. ¡°Your sister¡¯s gone out, what are you afraid of? Come out and y. Juste back before she returns,¡± a little boy in white clothes said. ¡°Forget it, Xue Shaoheng always listens to his sister. Let¡¯s stop calling him and go y,¡± a little girl said loudly, pulling the person next to her to leave. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. My mom took me to the park yesterday, and I saw a really beautiful purple flower there. When my mom takes me to the park tonight, I¡¯ll pick that flower and show it to you,¡± said the little girl. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Xue Shaoheng evere out and y with us? He doesn¡¯t even go to school,¡± a boy asked. ¡°My dad says it¡¯s because he¡¯s an idiot, and the schools don¡¯t want him,¡± said the boy in white clothes. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Xue Shaoheng isn¡¯t stupid at all. It¡¯s the adults who are stupid. He can solve math problems in a sh,¡± the little girl retorted. ¡°Right, he remembers everything he has ever seen. He could put together the thousand-piece puzzle my dad bought me in no time!¡± ¡°He can weave grass into locusts, and they look just like the real thing.¡± ¡°Then why does my dad say he¡¯s an idiot?¡± the boy began to question his life. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? It¡¯s the adults who are the idiots, they can¡¯t do math as quickly as Xue Shaoheng!¡± The group of children walked away. Xue Shaoheng, the center of their topic, showed no reaction. After shutting the door, he continued to sit on his bed, but with a bit more sparkle in his eyes. After a while, Xue Shaoheng suddenly stood up and murmured, ¡°Flower, flower.¡± Then he opened the door, closed it, descended the stairs, and ran off in one fell swoop. Jiang Feng followed behind him, all the way to the park. On the way, Jiang Feng could only sigh at how lucky it was that people generally weren¡¯t wealthy then; riding a bicycle was considered extremely cool, and cars were almost nowhere to be seen. Otherwise, if it were modern times, Xue Shaoheng¡¯s way of dashing across the streets and crossing several roads in session would have led him either to the hospital or the police station. Xue Shaoheng lingered in the park, walking slowly, his eyes eagerly scanning every flowerbed. He was looking for the purple flower the little girl had mentioned. Xue Shaoheng went all over the park, but he didn¡¯t see the purple flower. He searched a second time, then a third. To no avail. As time passed, the sun climbed higher, and by the time Xue Shaoheng was on his fourth search for the little girl¡¯s purple flower, it was almost lunchtime. There were barely any people left in the park: whether the old men and women walking or ying chess, or the children ying, everyone had gone home for lunch. Only Xue Shaoheng was still searching for the purple flower he wanted. It was then that Jiang Feng noticed Zhang Chu, preparing to head home, in his middle age. Zhang Chu had seen Xue Shaoheng long before. He had noticed Xue Shaoheng when he passed through the park early in the morning to buy Large Dendrobium, when he came for a walk, and now, after finishing his stroll and ready to go home, he saw Xue Shaoheng again. Zhang Chu¡¯s intuition told him that this child was probably lost. Xue Shaoheng was still staring intently at the flowers, unaware that Zhang Chu was approaching him. Chapter 267 - 266: A Meal’s Favor (Part 2) Chapter 267: Chapter 266: A Meal¡¯s Favor (Part 2) ¡°Kid, where are your mom and dad?¡± As soon as Zhang Chu said this, Jiang Feng felt like he was a child trafficker. Even though he knew Zhang Chu meant well, based on his appearance and the words he had just spoken, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Zhang Chu had the aura of a child trafficker. Xue Shaoheng looked up at him, shook his head, and continued searching for flowers. Seeing that Xue Shaoheng ignored him, Zhang Chu added anotherment, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now, you should go home for dinner.¡¯ After Zhang Chu finished speaking, he prepared to leave. Reminded by Zhang Chu, Xue Shaoheng remembered that he should go home to have dinner with his sister. But he hadn¡¯t found the flower yet, and he wanted to find the purple flower to pick and bring back to his sister. ¡°Dinner,¡± Xue Shaoheng said. ¡°Flower,¡± Xue Shaoheng looked towards the flowerbed. ¡°Dinner.¡± ¡°Flower.¡± ¡°Dinner.¡± Zhang Chu heard Xue Shaoheng¡¯s words and looked at him with a bit of surprise. Xue Shaoheng vacited between dinner and flowers, spinning in ce, and anyone unaware of the situation could easily think he was lost. ¡°Kid, are you lost? Do you know where your home is?¡± Zhang Chu asked again. ¡°Dinner.¡± ¡°Did your mom and dad bring you here?¡± ¡°Flower.¡± Zhang Chu:¡­ Zhang Chu hesitated. He could tell that the kid before him probably had some issues and was definitely separated from his family; that¡¯s why he was wandering alone in the park. ¡°Kid, are you hungry?¡± Zhang Chu didn¡¯t hear the word ¡°flower,¡± he only heard ¡°dinner.¡± ¡°Hungry,¡± Xue Shaoheng repeated Zhang Chu¡¯s words, ¡°Dinner. Zhang Chu thought for a moment; if he hadn¡¯t seen the boy, he could have ignored the situation, but now that he had, he couldn¡¯t just leave it be. Letting such a kid, who could hardly speak clearly, alone in the park ¨C and a boy at that ¨C was certain to attract the attention of child traffickers. ¡°Kid, how about Uncle takes you to his home for dinner? After we eat, Uncle will take you to the police station so the police can help you find your mom and dad,¡± ZhangChu offered. Jiang Feng, having witnessed all of this:¡­ Although he didn¡¯t know what Zhang Chu was thinking, he truly believed Zhang Chu had a talent for being a child trafficker. It was like a natural gift, effortless and innate. Xue Shaoheng was still hesitating between finding a flower and eating dinner. His biological clock and habits told him it was time to eat, but he also really wanted to find the purple flower first. ¡°Dinner.¡± Taking that as an agreement, Zhang Chu took Xue Shaoheng¡¯s hand and led him towards his home. Xue Shaoheng could feel Zhang Chu¡¯s kindness and obediently followed him. At that moment, Zhang Chu¡¯s home, as seenter in Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s memories, had not much difference from its current state. Theyout and general decor were the same, only the furniture had changed. The furniture and the color TV in Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s memories were more numerous, while the current house had no television, just a radio on the table. ¡°Why are you back sote, Yuan has alreadye home and you-¡± Cao Guixiang still had her apron untied when, hearing the door open, she walked out of the kitchen. Seeing Zhang Chu leading a child, she froze. ¡°Zhang Chu, if you went to the park for a stroll, you went for a stroll. But you even brought back a child? Have you quit carpentry to be a child trafficker?¡± Cao Guixiang said angrily. ¡°Whose child is this that you just lead home, the parents are going to be frantic.¡± ¡°This child seems to have some issues and got lost in the park. I bumped into him, and since it¡¯s dinner time, I brought him back to have a meal before taking him to the police station,¡± Zhang Chu exined. ¡°Dinner,¡± Xue Shaoheng said. Cao Guixiang wiped her hands on her apron to dry them, walked up to Xue Shaoheng, and squatted down in front of him to be at his eye level. She smiled and asked him, ¡°Kid, can you tell auntie your name?¡± ¡°Shaoheng,¡± Xue Shaoheng said. ¡°Shaoheng? Are you surnamed Shaoheng?¡± Zhang Chu began to guess wildly. Xue Shaoheng shook his head, struggling to say, ¡°Shaoheng.¡± He hadn¡¯t yet received any professional training or guidance, and most of the time, he could only blurt out words one by one. Sometimes he could say a whole word, and other times just a letter, but most of the time, he couldn¡¯t say anything at all. ¡°Mom, is Dad back? Let¡¯s start dinner. You¡¯re¡ª Who is this?¡± Zhang Chiyuan walked out of the room and saw Xue Shaoheng. ¡°Your dad picked up a little brother for you from the park,¡± Cao Guixiang said with a smirk, looking at Zhang Chu. ¡°Sister,¡± Xue Shaoheng said, looking at Zhang Chiyuan. ZhangChiyuan: ??? ¡°Don¡¯t listen to your mom¡¯s nonsense. It seems like this kid got separated from his family. I brought him back to have a meal, and we¡¯ll take him to the police station afterwards,¡± Zhang Chu exined Xue Shaoheng¡¯s situation to Zhang Chiyuan. ¡°By the way, honey, is dinner ready?¡± Zhang Chu asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you toe back. I almost thought you lost someone on your walk. The braised big ck sea cucumber is still in the pot. I didn¡¯t dare to rotate the pan and thicken the sauce because you weren¡¯t back,¡± Cao Guixiang said angrily, ncing at Zhang Chu, ¡°Come in and give me a hand.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Zhang Chu cheerfully followed her and didn¡¯t forget to remind Zhang Chiyuan, ¡°Yuan, take care of this little brother, will you?¡± ¡°Sister,¡± Xue Shaoheng said again. ZhangChiyuan:??? Zhang Chiyuan couldn¡¯t figure out why Xue Shaoheng would think he was a girl, considering he was a tall and strong sports star at school, who even received love letters secretly stashed in his desk by girls, although he hadn¡¯t yet grown to his full height, he surely would in the future. ¡°I¡¯m your brother, call me ¡®brother¡¯,¡± Zhang Chiyuan decided to uphold his dignity as a ¡®seven-foot man1. Xue Shaoheng said nothing. Zhang Chiyuan was at a loss; he simply had no idea how to take care of little kids. Although he had a younger sister, Zhang Siyu, who was only two years younger, the age difference wasn¡¯t significant. ¡°Mom, Siyu went out early in the morning, why isn¡¯t she back yet?¡± Zhang Chiyuan had no choice but to hope Zhang Siyu woulde back to keep Xue Shaohengpany. He hadn¡¯t finished his art homework, nor his math; he had a pile of things to do and it was giving him a headache. ¡°Siyu went out to y with her ssmates and won¡¯t be back until evening,¡± Cao Guixiang said, and didn¡¯t miss the chance to chide Zhang Chu, ¡°It¡¯s all because you spoil her rotten. I told her not to go out today since it¡¯s Yuan¡¯s birthday, but she insisted on going.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all your spoiling. If you hadn¡¯t saved her a portion and eaten all the good food, she definitely wouldn¡¯t go out next time and would eat at home every meal,¡± Zhang Chu started to deflect the me. Jiang Feng just stood at the entrance of the kitchen, in a strategic location- able to keep an eye on Cao Guixiang¡¯s actions in the kitchen and also see what Zhang Chiyuan and Xue Shaoheng were up to in the living room. In the tradition of top-level Chinese banquets, there must be a representative of the delicacies from the mountain and the sea¡ªsea cucumber. Since the fishermen offered sea cucumbers to Emperor Qin after he unified the six states, iming they had the power to prolong life, sea cucumbers became an important delicacy in the royal court. Before the Song period, the smooth sea cucumbers from the south were the most sought after until people discovered the spiny sea cucumber from the north. The flesh of the spiny sea cucumber was even more plump, tender, and tasty than that of the smooth sea cucumber, which then overshadowed thetter. Steamed sea cucumber is a type of smooth sea cucumber. Since the nutritional value of smooth sea cucumbers is lower than spiny sea cucumbers, and their price is rtively cheaper, restaurants generally use smooth sea cucumbers for their dishes. The braised big ck sea cucumber is a famous dish from Tan Family Cuisine, an extremelyplicated and intricate cooking method, belonging to one of the more difficult sses of sea cucumber dishes. The big ck sea cucumber itself is one of the harder varieties to cook; just the initial preparation can be quite a hassle. The ck outer skin of the big ck sea cucumber has a tannic and numbing taste and must be properly processed and rehydrated before cooking, otherwise, it¡¯s too tough to swallow. If today weren¡¯t Zhang Chiyuan s birthday, Cao Guixiang wouldn¡¯t bother with such aplex dish. Just preparing the sea cucumber and other ingredients took her nearly an hour, plus slow cooking on a low heat for another two hours, meaning she had spent almost the entire morning on this one dish. ¡°Wife, hasn¡¯t the sea cucumber been stewing for over two hours already? Isn¡¯t it time to take it out?¡± Zhang Chu asked. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been two hours. I haven¡¯t cooked in a while so my hands are a little rusty, which took some extra time,¡± Cao Guixiang said, ncing at the y pot in front of her and lifting the lid. Inside the pot, besides a ck and glossy sea cucumber, there was a whole old hen, Jinhua ham, and dried scallops wrapped in a small cloth bag. Almost simultaneously with the lifting of the lid, a delicious aroma wafted out. ¡°I told you to buy a sea cucumber that weighed three pounds, and this one is just over two,¡± Cao Guixiang said as she removed the other ingredients from the y pot, transferring the broth and sea cucumber into a pan to reduce the sauce over low heat. ¡°Wife, you really can¡¯t me me for this. I went early in the morning and there were no sea cucumbers weighing three pounds avable. How was I supposed to buy one?¡± Zhang Chu protested. ¡°Chop up that chicken into small pieces. I¡¯m going to stir-fry it with the hamter; it¡¯ll be another dish,¡± Cao Guixiangmanded. ¡°Alright,¡± Zhang Chu picked up the cleaver and started chopping the chicken. Cao Guixiang stopped talking, focusing all her attention on the pot in front of her, carefully controlling the fire, ready to reduce the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Chapter 268 - 267 A Meal’s Favor (Three) Chapter 268: Chapter 267 A Meal¡¯s Favor (Three) Thickening the sauce with a slurry is a technical skill. Cao Guixiang first added some seasonings to the pot, then simmered the steamed sea cucumber with the broth over low heat. After ten minutes, she dished out the sea cucumber onto a te, thickened the remaining broth with dissolved cornstarch to make a thin slurry, drizzled it with chicken fat, and finally poured it all over the sea cucumber. The sauce looked thick, but when poured over the sea cucumber, it flowed smoothly like a waterfall. Jiang Feng was stunned. Watching Cao Guixiang¡¯s movements, he thought of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. The sauce for Sun Guanyun¡¯s dish was also made from broth. Although it seemed different from Cao Guixiang¡¯s method, the result was simrly ingenious. The Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber was ready. Jiang Feng estimated the sea cucumber on the te was about a foot long. It was a reddish-brown color from the sauce, unlike sashimi with its sharp spines, and was smooth all over with ck stripes on its skin. Combined with itsrge size, it looked quite impressive and dignified, befitting the main dish of a banquet. ¡°Chiyuan, Shao¡­ Shao, little buddy, time to eat!¡± Zhang Chu brought the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber to the table. There were three dishes on the table: Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber, bi-color prawns, and steamed bass. For Jiang Feng during his junior year, these would all qualify as a sumptuous feast, let alone for Zhang Chiyuan during his. Zhang Chiyuan¡¯s eyes were fixated on the dishes. ¡°Dad, have you struck it rich, or did you win the lottery? Why are we eating so well today?¡± Zhang Chiyuan felt he might be on the way to bing a second- generation rich kid. His dad must have won a massive lottery to afford all these delicacies. ¡°After this meal, our family will be broke. This table of dishes has cost your father more than two months¡¯ sry. From now on, we¡¯ll be eating vegetarian every day. If you fail to get into high school, you¡¯ll be eating vegetarian forever, not even fatty intestines for you.¡± Zhang Chu went to serve rice while seeing Cao Guixiang was still busy in the kitchen, he said, ¡°Honey, haven¡¯t you finished cooking? Leave the chicken and ham forter, let¡¯s eat first. The prawns will get cold.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like prawns, you and Chiyuan go ahead. There was some of that sauce left, so I fried it with the rest.¡± Cao Guixiang said. Zhang Chu ced four bowls of rice on the table, taking three pairs of chopsticks and a spoon, only giving Shao, Shao, little buddy, half a bowl of rice because he was still a child. ¡°You start with the prawns and give one to Shao, Shao, as well. Wait for your mom to join us before eating the rice,¡± Zhang Chu instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t eat them all, leave some foryour sister.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits.¡± Zhang Chiyuan had already started eating. The bi-color prawns were also a signature dish of Tan Family Cuisine. Each prawn was served in two ways: the heads were bright red, and the bodies were golden yellow. Zhang Chiyuan enjoyed them immensely, crunch-crunch, leaving an aromatic aftertaste. After eating two prawns, Zhang Chiyuan remembered Shao, Shao. Shao just stood beside watching the dishes on the table, not moving to use chopsticks or hands, just staring intently at the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber and the bi-color prawns. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t use chopsticks, just grab with your hands, we¡¯re not formal here,¡± Zhang Chiyuan said. Shao still didn¡¯t move. ¡°Don¡¯t you like prawns? Howe you¡¯re like my mom? They¡¯re so delicious, especially the bi-color prawns my mom makes, crispy and fragrant, with added pork fat and water chestnuts, simply delectable,¡± Zhang Chiyuan began to praise Cao Guixiang¡¯s cooking. ¡°The versions at restaurants outside aren¡¯t nearly as good as the ones my mom makes!¡± Shao still didn¡¯t move. ¡°Nevermind, just eat the bass and the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumberter. My mom has made the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber only twice before, once for my tenth birthday and another time for my sister¡¯s birthday. The taste is so delicate and tender, you can¡¯t imagine. You¡¯ve never had such delicious food,¡± Shao might have been silent, but this didn¡¯t stop Zhang Chiyuan from talking. ¡°Big¡­¡± Shao looked at the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber. ¡°What big? It¡¯s Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber,¡± Zhang Chiyuan corrected. ¡°Large Dendrobium,¡± Shao said. ¡°Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber,¡± Zhang Chiyuan insisted. ¡°Large Dendrobium,¡± Shao repeated. ¡°Forget it, forget it, it¡¯s good enough, Large Dendrobium is just fine. Mom, what are you stir-frying? It smells so good.¡± Zhang Chiyuan began to dart toward the kitchen. ¡°Get out, get out, everything is cooked now, what are you doing in here? Ham and Yun Chicken, with so many dishes this afternoon you definitely won¡¯t eat this one, hurry up and go eat, or all the food will get cold.¡± Cao Guixiang came out with the Ham and Yun Chicken, which also included dried scallops mixed in. Jiang Feng, who had witnessed the entire cooking process of the Yun Chicken, thought that it might not be a coincidence that Cao Guixiang could casually cook an A-grade dish like Yun Chicken, as the middle-aged version of Cao Guixiang was already very good at randomly cooking dishes. Chicken, ham, dried scallops, and the remaining thick sauce ¡ª such a strangebination made the Ham and Yun Chicken smell so enticing that even Jiang Feng wanted to drool. It wasn¡¯t just Jiang Feng who wanted to drool, Zhang Chiyuan also found Cao Guixiang¡¯s Ham and Yun Chicken very tempting. ¡°Mom, this Ham and Yun Chicken smells really good, let me taste a piece!¡± Zhang Chiyuan followed Cao Guixiang back to the dining table, impatiently picking up a piece of chicken meat. ¡°Mmm, delicious!¡± Zhang Chiyuan eximed with an exaggerated expression. ¡°Always thinking about eating, has Shao had any?¡± Cao Guixiang also used Zhang Chu¡¯s way of calling Xue Shaoheng, calling him Shao. ¡°I told him to eat, but he didn¡¯t. I guess he doesn¡¯t like shrimp,¡± Zhang Chiyuan said. Everyone sat down and started to eat. Xue Shaoheng just yed with his rice with a spoon the whole time, not eating any of the dishes. Whenever Cao Guixiang tried to give him some food, he quietly moved his bowl to the side, not epting. ¡°Howe this child only eats rice and not the dishes?¡± Cao Guixiang wondered. ¡°Could it be that he¡¯s too shy? Or is he afraid of strangers?¡± Zhang Chu guessed. ¡°Maybe he can¡¯t eat it. I heard from my ssmate that some people can¡¯t eat vegetables; they would die if they did!¡± Zhang Chiyuan began to believe and spread rumors. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯ve only heard of people starving to death, never of anyone dying from eating vegetables. Instead of studying properly, you listen to other people¡¯s nonsense all day long.¡± Cao Guixiang took out a handkerchief from the cupboard, wrapped a few shrimps in it, and stuffed the handkerchief into Xue Shaoheng¡¯s pocket. ¡°Your father might be right, it looks like the kid is just shy.¡± Cao Guixiang said. Zhang Chiyuan didn¡¯t pay attention, grabbing a chopstick full of Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber: ¡°Mom, I think the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber this time isn¡¯t as good as thest time.¡± ¡°The sea cucumber was bought by your father; he didn¡¯t pick a good one, go talk to him,¡± Cao Guixiang started to shift the me, ¡°You should eat more sea cucumber, I made it especially for you. Sea cucumber is nutritious, you¡¯re about to take your middle school exams, eat more to nourish your brain, score a few more points.¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s walnuts that nourish the brain.¡± ¡°Then go eat walnuts.¡± In the midst ofughter and joking, the Zhang family finished their lunch. Throughout the meal, Xue Shaoheng had only eaten white rice and had not tried a single dish. After the meal, Zhang Chu went to wash the dishes, nning to take Xue Shaoheng to the nearby police station afterwards. Cao Guixiang saw the art homework that Zhang Chiyuan had casually thrown on the table, picked it up, and saw a sheet of paper with a poorly drawn deformed cup. Seeing Cao Guixiang¡¯s disdainful face, Zhang Chiyuan defended himself unconvincingly, ¡°My drawing is already very good, ordinary people can¡¯t draw like this.¡± ¡°Yeah right, any random kid can drawbetter than you,¡± Cao Guixiang didn¡¯t believe Zhang Chiyuan¡¯s nonsense. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense, Shao, you draw,¡± Zhang Chiyuan pushed the pencil toward Xue Shaoheng. Xue Shaoheng looked at the drawing paper on the table. Cao Guixiang smiled helplessly. Xue Shaoheng picked up the pencil and drew a stroke on the paper. Two strokes, three strokes. The lines were straight and smooth, with not a hint of hesitation. Cao Guixiang and Zhang Chiyuan paid little mind, but Jiang Feng watched with wide eyes. Every engineering student who has ever learned mechanical drafting knows how difficult manual drawing is. No matter how you measure with the set square or draw with thepass, errors are inevitable. The final strokes never connect, one mistake leads to another, and a single ne drawing can take an entire day, only to find it¡¯s full of errors. Please start over, young hero. The teacup that Xue Shaoheng was now drawing appeared to Jiang Feng to be an unconventional three-view drawing. To the naked eye, it practically looked like a 1:1 replica. Whatever was ced on the table, he replicated on paper: the same size, the same design, the same pattern. It was nothing short of divine. Cao Guixiang and Zhang Chiyuan didn¡¯t realize how special Xue Shaoheng¡¯s drawing was, they were just admiring it as he drew. ¡°It really does look like it,¡± eximed Cao Guixiang in admiration. Zhang Chiyuan was at a loss for words. ¡°What looks so real?¡± Zhang Chu came out of the kitchen, washing dishes. ¡°Come take a look, this drawing, it¡¯s exactly like our family¡¯s teacup!¡± Cao Guixiang called Zhang Chu over to behold the prodigy. Zhang Chu leaned in for a closer look and was stunned: ¡°It really does, it¡¯s exactly the same. This kid could be a painter in the future!¡± A teacup wasn¡¯t tooplicated, and Xue Shaoheng had finished drawing and put his pen down. ¡°Shao, how about Uncle takes you to find your mom and dad to take you home?¡± Zhang Chu took Xue Shaoheng by the hand. ¡°Home,¡± Xue Shaoheng murmured, walking towards the door, trying to open it. ¡°Home.¡± Xue Shaoheng wanted to go home; otherwise, his sister would be worried sick. Zhang Chu looked at Xue Shaoheng with some confusion, boldly guessing, ¡°Does he remember the way home?¡± ¡°Home.¡± ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°Home.¡± Xue Shaoheng became a bit agitated; the door at Zhang Chu¡¯s ce was different from his, and he couldn¡¯t open it. ¡°It seems he really does. You, always acting without thinking, now you¡¯ve brought someone else¡¯s child back home and soon his parents will be frantic.¡± Cao Guixiang stood up from the couch abruptly, saying, ¡°Stay at home, you¡¯re really unreliable. I¡¯ll follow him.¡± Zhang Chu was aware of his own unreliability, ¡°Then be careful. If he can¡¯t find the way, take him to the police station up front.¡± ¡°Like I need you to tell me that.¡± Cao Guixiang opened the door and led Xue Shaoheng outside. Following Cao Guixiang¡¯s lead, Xue Shaoheng started walking towards his own home, first returning to the park, then through it towards his house. Cao Guixiang walked with Xue Shaoheng all the way to the bottom of his apartment building. Aunt Liu, who lived across from Xue Shaoheng, was downstairs and upon seeing him, she called out loudly, ¡°Xue Hua, Xue Hua, stop searching and no need to go to the police station, your brother hase back.¡± ¡°Do you know this child?¡± Cao Guixiang asked. ¡°Yes, he lives right across from my ce,¡± said Aunt Liu. ¡°Was it you who¡­¡± ¡°Shaoheng, Shaoheng!¡± Before Aunt Liu could finish speaking, Xue Hua¡¯s shriek echoed from upstairs. Seeing that Xue Shaoheng had indeed made it home and his family hade down, Cao Guixiang left with peace of mind. Xue Hua rushed downstairs, her household registration book in hand, and upon seeing Xue Shaoheng, she was both joyful and angry, wanting to scold him but at a loss for words. ¡°Where did you run off to? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to wander off? It¡¯s very dangerous outside!¡± Xue Hua was almost in tears. ¡°Now thatyou¡¯re back, it¡¯s all good. Shaoheng, there¡¯s no point in scoldingyou. A kind-hearted person just brought you back, from¡­. Eh, where did she go? Shaohengwasbroughtbackby a woman about my age. It¡¯s so strange; Shaoheng can¡¯t even speak clearly, how did that person manage to bring him back?¡± Aunt Liu turned around only to find Cao Guixiang was already gone. ¡°Hua,¡± saidXueShaoheng. ¡°Does Shaoheng want flowers?¡± Xue Hua asked. Xue Shaoheng nodded and then shookhishead: ¡°Hua.¡± Seeing that Xue Hua still didn¡¯t understand, Xue Shaoheng simply gave up on telling her what he had been doing. He took the handkerchief Cao Guixiang had stuffed into his pocket during the meal and offered it to Xue Hua. Xue Hua received the handkerchief, opened it, and inside were two multi-colored prawns. Two prawn heads, two prawn bodies. ¡°Did the person who just brought you back give you these?¡± Xue Hua asked. ¡°Eat,¡± Xue Shaoheng urged Xue Hua to eat the prawns. ¡°Sister doesn¡¯t like shrimp. Shaoheng, eat,¡± Xue Hua said. ¡°Eat.¡± ¡°Large Dendrobium.¡± ¡°Large Dendrobium?¡± ¡°Large Dendrobium.¡± Xue Hua smiled, tookXue Shaoheng¡¯s hand, and led him upstairs. ¡°Shaoheng, you can¡¯t run off like that anymore. How did youe back today? Did you tell the auntie who brought you back where we live?¡± Xue Hua asked. ¡°Large Dendrobium,¡± Xue Shaoheng persevered, repeating the three words of Large Dendrobium. Xue Hua could roughly understand Xue Shaoheng¡¯s intention for her to eat the shrimp, and said, ¡°Sister won¡¯t eat it. Come on, Shaoheng, open your mouth and Sister will feed you.¡± Xue Shaoheng obediently opened his mouth. Down went a prawn body. Jiang Feng left the memory. Chapter 269 - 268 Soup with Chinese Caterpillar Fungus and Pigeon Chapter 269: Chapter 268 Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon Jiang Feng left his memories behind, his mind full of Cao Guixiang¡¯s techniques for making gravy. He watched as the diluted starch mixed with the broth in the pot to make a thin slurry, and after drizzling with chicken fat, the final consistency was surprisingly thick. Chicken fat¡­ Jiang Feng fell into deep thought. He felt this might be a method, and apletely new one at that, different from Sun Guanyun¡¯s approach, but it might yield the same or even better results. He couldn¡¯t wait to try it out. Jiang Feng took out his phone and called Wu Minqi. ¡°Hello, Qiqi, I¡¯ve thought of a way to make the gravy for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, where are you now? Have youe back? If you have, let¡¯s discuss it together,¡± he said eagerly as soon as the call connected. ¡°I¡¯m still at Ji Yue¡¯s ce, she¡¯s gone out to get a package and hasn¡¯t returned yet,¡± replied Wu Minqi. ¡°What method have you thought of?¡± ¡°First use the starch to make a thin slurry, then drizzle chicken fat into it,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Chicken fat?¡± ¡°Yes, chicken fat.¡± There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment before Wu Minqi asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the chicken fat disrupt the overall vor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to discuss it with you, we¡¯ve never tried using chicken fat before, and we don¡¯t know what it would taste like,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°It¡¯s a pity it¡¯s toote now, and we don¡¯t have any on hand, huh? Xue, did you say you have pigeons here?¡± Jiang Feng heard Ji Xue¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone, ¡°But they aren¡¯t squab, Ji Yue bought them from the market yesterday morning. She was nning to not eat meals and just have Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon yesterday, but she ended up going out to eat, so she never made it. The pigeons are still on the balcony, alive.¡± Ji Yue got the rather unttering nickname ¡°Sister Yue¡± because she was considered older among the young and beautiful service staff around 20 years old. Those younger than Ji Yue in the kitchen also followed suit in calling her that. ¡°But we don¡¯t have chicken fat either,¡± said Wu Minqi. ¡°My uncle¡¯s house might have some; I¡¯ll go check and call you backter,¡± after finishing his sentence, Jiang Feng headed straight to Jiang Jianguo¡¯s house. There were a few unanimously acknowledged mysteries in the Jiang Family, such as, when would Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, improve their grades? When could Jiang Feng¡¯s physique reach the family¡¯s average level? Who had less hair, Jiang Zaidi or Jiang Shoucheng? What exactly was in the aunt¡¯s fridge? Jiang Feng¡¯s aunt was a rather mysterious figure. As the Jiang family¡¯s eldest daughter-inw, she was an absolutelypetent sister-inw and daughter-inw, filial to the old folks, harmonious with her peers, and faultless in her dealings with others. Other than her obsession with health and weight loss, which caused Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Zaidi no small amount of distress, she was undoubtedly an exceptional person. She was obsessed with losing weight, and every year she imed she didn¡¯t slim down but instead gained weight; yet every year, everyone felt she looked no different, wondering where exactly she had put on the weight. She loved health preservation, always the top rank in the number of articles shared in her social circle. It was also because of her passion for health that their family¡¯s refrigerator was always stocked with everything¡ªvarious vegetables, meats, medicinal materials, spices, fruits, spanning sea,nd, and air, all-epassing. Whether it wasrd, chicken fat, peanut oil, olive oil, soybean oil, vegetable oil, corn oil, or sesame oil, the aunt had them all. There was nothing you could think of that she didn¡¯t already have. Jiang Jianguo¡¯s house was on the floor below, and when Jiang Feng knocked on the door, Jiang Jianguo was preparing a slimming meal for the aunt. ¡°Feng, what¡¯s up?¡± asked the aunt from inside the house, dressed in sportswear as if she was ready to exercise in the fitness room. ¡°Aunt, I¡¯vee to borrow some chicken fat,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Oh, help yourself to it in the kitchen. It¡¯s in the white square container on the second shelf of the fridge,¡± said the aunt, who was preparing to leave and looking for her shoes. In the kitchen, Jiang Jianguo was meticulously weighing ingredients for the aunt¡¯s slimming meal with a precision scale¡ªchicken breast, chicken breast, and more chicken breast. ¡°Feng, what do you need the chicken fat for?¡± asked Jiang Jianguo. ¡°I want to try using it to make the gravy for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, to see whether it works,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Chicken fat?¡± Jiang Jianguo pondered a moment. He had not heard of using chicken fat for making gravy before, ¡°Chicken fat with pigeon? It might just work.¡± Jiang Feng opened the refrigerator and quickly found the white square box his great-aunt had mentioned. He took out the box and was ready to leave. ¡°Great Uncle, Great Aunt, I¡¯m leaving now!¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Jiang Jianguo said cheerfully, shouting loudly, ¡°Wife, are you really not going to eat? Isn¡¯t it bad to eat just chicken breast and fruit?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not eating!¡± The staff dormitory where Ji Yue and Ji Xue lived was two floors below Jiang Jianguo¡¯s ce, Jiang Feng took the stairs and hurried down in a minute. Ji Yue hadn¡¯t returned from picking up a delivery, and Ji Xue had already caught the pigeon on the balcony and was holding it in the kitchen, waiting for Jiang Feng to arrive. ¡°Do we kill it now?¡± Ji Xue asked. ¡°I¡¯ll do it; this pigeon needs to be deboned entirely. We have to use its bones to make broth,¡± Jiang Feng said, taking the pigeon from Ji Xue¡¯s hands. A swift end with one strike. He plucked the feathers skillfully, deboned the pigeon in no time, and soon enough, there was a ttened pigeon and the fine bones Jiang Feng had just removed on the cutting board. ¡°Should we call Sun Jikai over?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Jiang Feng snapped out of his daze. He had felt from the beginning that someone was missing but couldn¡¯t put his finger on who. It wasn¡¯t until Wu Minqi¡¯s reminder that he realized they had forgotten to tell Sun Jikai. Jiang Feng nodded, and Wu Minqi called Sun Jikai toe over. The pigeon soup in the pot needed time to simmer; looking at the pigeon on the cutting board, Jiang Feng asked Ji Xue, ¡°Since the pigeon is already killed, how about we just stew the Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon?¡± Ji Xue couldn¡¯t make the decision for Ji Yue: ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Sister Yue toe back; I don¡¯t know if she wants to drink the Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon tonight.¡± ¡°When did she go to get the delivery?¡± Ji Xue thought for a moment and nced at the clock on the wall: ¡°About half an hour ago, I think.¡± Jiang Feng found it strange¡ªthe delivery point wasn¡¯t far from their building, and a round trip took at most 20 minutes. Ji Yue had been gone for half an hour and hadn¡¯t returned. If it weren¡¯t for her unmatched determination to lose weight this time, he would have suspected that Ji Yue had sneaked off to the east gate for barbecue. Speak of the devil; as Jiang Feng considered whether to call Ji Yue, she arrived at the door. ¡°Xue, open the door! I¡¯m almost dead; I can¡¯t open the door, hurry up!¡± Ji Yue gasped from outside. When the door opened, there were two big boxes at the entrance. ¡°Help me with this, Qiqi¡ªoh, Jiang Feng is here too; please help me. I really can¡¯t carry it anymore; I¡¯m going to die; I almost died on the way here,¡± Ji Yue was so tired her speech was bing incoherent. Jiang Feng lifted the boxes, which were indeed quite heavy, and felt bad for Ji Yue having to carry them so far from the delivery point. ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s so heavy,¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°My mom sent peaches; one box is 20 pounds, two boxes make 40.1 almost lost my life carrying them all the way here,¡± Ji Yue said, gasping for air as she sat on the couch, ¡°My delicate hands, used for painting, almost broke under the weight of these two boxes of peaches.¡± ¡°You should take some peaches back with you too. The peaches from my ce are really tasty; my mom bought them on the street,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t grow them; my mom definitely bought them from the street,¡± Ji Yue said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even though my mom buys them from the street, she buys the tastiest ones.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you guys cooking?¡± Ji Yue smelled something from the kitchen. Ever since she started dieting, her sense of smell had be exceptionally sharp; she could smell whatever others were eating. ¡°Oh, right. I just thought of a new recipe for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, so I borrowed the pigeon you bought yesterday. Do you want to eat now? If you do, I¡¯ll stew it with the fungus and the pigeon. If not, I¡¯ll make you a fresh Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon some other day,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon, eh.¡± Ji Yue pursed her lips, clearly longing for it, but the rationality of her diet triumphed over the desire to eat the dish. ¡°No eating, no eating, you don¡¯t have to give me back the pigeon either; just take it and stew it yourself. I¡¯ll also give you the caterpir fungus I bought yesterday,¡± Ji Yue decisively refused. PS: (Free of charge) A reader exchange group for life-simtion games, number: 781556033. Anyone reading this book can join; those who want to join the full subscription group can privately message the admin in the group.. Chapter 270 - 269 Lotus Seed Paste Chapter 270: Chapter 269 Lotus Seed Paste ¡°Come on, everyone, have some peaches. They¡¯re the crisp kind, not the soft ones, so they won¡¯t leave your hands all juicy,¡± Ji Yue began to unwrap the delivery for everyone. Ji Yue took out a key and slid it across the box, performing the task in one fluid motion¡ªclearly the mark of an experienced hand at unpacking. ¡°I¡¯ll go peel the peaches for you,¡± Ji Xue said, taking the peaches to the kitchen. When Sun Jikai arrived, he saw everyone each holding a peach, munching away happily, crunching, the peaches crisp and tasty. ¡°Weren¡¯t we going to make starch juice?¡± Sun Jikai asked in confusion. He had abandoned his ex-girlfriend Lisa, who was hoping to rekindle their past rtionship, ande here to discuss making starch juice, only to find this group sitting on the couch eating peaches. ¡°These are peaches my mom sent over, Sun Jikai, doyou want one?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Yue picked a perfectly ripe peach from the box and tossed it to Sun Jikai, ¡°Peel it yourself, fruit knife¡¯s in the kitchen.¡± ¡°The pigeon soup isn¡¯t ready yet, let¡¯s eat peaches in the meantime,¡± Jiang Feng said, biting into the peach in his hand. The peaches that Ji Yue¡¯s mom bought from the market were quite delicious indeed. After Sun Jikai finished peeling his peach, he joined the peach-eating brigade. ¡°Does your family grow peaches?¡± Sun Jikai asked. ¡°No, these were bought by my mom from the market,¡± Ji Yue replied. Sun Jikai: ??? It suddenly urred to Sun Jikai that ever since his grandfather froze his credit cards, kicked him out of the house, and forbade others from giving him any help, his mom hadn¡¯t contacted him at all. His dad would still send him some clothes and shoes on the sly, slipping in some money to help him out. Even his cousin, whom he wasn¡¯t particrly close to and even had some issues with, had sent him zongzi with money inside for the Dragon Boat Festival. But his own mother, she truly lived up to Sun Guanyun¡¯s words. Not only did she not provide any help, but she also forbade Sun Jikai¡¯s father from helping him. Sun Jikai¡¯s father had to send clothes covertly. Ji Yue¡¯s mom would send peaches all the way from their hometown to Ji Yue, yet his own mother wouldn¡¯t even bother to send a message. His Dragon Boat Festival message to his mother via WeChat still hadn¡¯t received a reply. Sun Jikai sighed. Even though he was used to his mother¡¯s cold attitude towards him, it still made him a bit sad. Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi & Ji Yue & Ji Xue: ??? ¡°Is he getting sentimental over peaches?¡± Ji Yue whispered. ¡°Maybe, or maybe it¡¯s because his ex-girlfriend likes peaches,¡± Jiang Feng guessed in a whisper. ¡°His ex-girlfriend Lisa is British; she probably doesn¡¯t eat peaches,¡± Wu Minqi said. Sun Jikai: ¡°¡­I can hear you.¡± By the time Sun Jikai had finished his peach, the pigeon soup in the kitchen was almost ready. The five of them crowded in the kitchen, ten eyes fixed intently on the pigeon soup and chicken fat on the stove. Even Ji Yue, who knew nothing about cooking, stared with feigned understanding. ¡°Are you sure adding chicken fat will work?¡± Sun Jikai expressed his doubt. ¡°Not sure, that¡¯s why we¡¯re testing it now, right?¡± Jiang Feng responded, then proceeded with the task. He mixed the starch with water and began to thicken the soup with the resulting slurry. ¡°When do we add the chicken fat?¡± Sun Jikai inquired, watching the small me on the stove. ¡°No idea,¡± Jiang Feng replied honestly, ¡°that¡¯s exactly why I asked you toe over and help test.¡± Sun Jikai:¡­ He felt like he had boarded a pirate ship. ¡°It¡¯s bubbling, pour it now,¡± Wu Minqi instructed. Jiang Feng heated and melted the chicken fat, then poured it in. He turned up the heat slightly, stirred the thickening mixture slowly, and once it appeared to be the right consistency, he turned off the stove. Now was the moment of truth. Jiang Feng took a spoonful of the starch juice. He poured it out slowly. The starch juice flowed gently from the spoon. Although it didn¡¯t cascade down like water, it was indeed flowing. It was much better than their previous attempts, which had dripped down likerge droplets. All three were instantly exhrated. ¡°It works, it really works!¡± Jiang Feng almost burst into tears with excitement. After so many days and nights, so many failures, so much dejection, they finally witnessed a small sess using Cao Guixiang¡¯s method. Even though the method wasn¡¯t his, nor was the idea, the fact that it worked was all that mattered! ¡°It does seem to work a bit,¡± Sun Jikai, scrutinizing the chicken fat on the cooking station, fell into contemtion, ¡°How did you think of adding chicken fat?¡± ¡°It just came to me all of a sudden¡ªjust now,¡± Jiang Feng said. After saying that, he took a pair of chopsticks, dipped them into the starch juice, and tasted it. ¡°How does it taste?¡± Sun Jikai was a bit anxious; if the addition of chicken oil ruined the overall vor, the recent breakthrough would have been for nothing. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything jarring. You guys should try it,¡± Jiang Feng stepped aside, knowing that his sense of taste wasn¡¯t as acute as Wu Minqi¡¯s and Sun Jikai¡¯s. Wu Minqi and Sun Jikai each picked up a pair of chopsticks to sample the sauce. ¡°I think there¡¯s no problem,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°No problem, it can be used.¡± Sun Jikai, having eaten Sun Guanyun¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon the most, had the most authority to speak on the matter. ¡°Then let¡¯s use this method to try it out tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng decided conclusively. Ji Yue, seeing that the three of them looked ready to disperse, asked, ¡°Are we done?¡± ¡°We¡¯re done,¡± Jiang Feng replied, preparing to wash the pots and clear the cooking bench. ¡°That¡¯s it? What about that pigeon? You take it home and stew it; the Chinese caterpir fungus is in the fridge, I¡¯ll get it for you in a bit.¡± Ji Yue said, moving toward the fridge to fetch the Chinese caterpir fungus. She dared not leave such prepared ingredients at home. Otherwise, she might get up in the middle of the night to paint, walk past the kitchen, see the pigeon, and just so happen to put it in a pot, add water, caterpir fungus, and seasonings, and just so happen to stew a pot of Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon, and just so happen to eat it all up; all her dieting these past few days would be in vain. ¡°I heard Mrs. Wang say she wanted stewed pigeon this noon, take it back tonight and make it for Mrs. Wang, I¡¯ll deliver it to her,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Right, right, take it to Mrs. Wang. She¡¯s been losing weight recently; she needs to eat more to regain some strength,¡± Ji Yue added. Mrs. Wang Xiulian had indeed grown much thinnertely, making her great- aunt green with envy. The sauce for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon achieved a breakthrough for the first time, and everyone was extremely excited. Each person carried a bag of peaches home, with Jiang Feng taking a few extra bags, considering all the residents in the building were members of the Jiang Family. When Sun Jikai got home, he set down his bag of peaches, sat on the sofa to think, and felt that the breakthrough in the sauce for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon might be an opportunity for him to return to Jubao Building. After some thought and consideration, Sun Jikai sent a WeChat message to his dad. Sun Jikai: Dad, are you there, is it convenient to talk on the phone? Sun Changping, Sun Jikai¡¯s dad, replied instantly: It¡¯s convenient. Sun Jikai made a call. ¡°Hello, son, what¡¯s up? You need money? Your mom went to your uncle¡¯s these past two days, it¡¯s a good chance for me to send you some summer clothes,¡± Sun Changping said. Sun Jikai:¡­ ¡°Dad, I have enough money; I found a job. Is grandpa at home?¡± ¡°At home?¡± ¡°How has he been feeling recently?¡± ¡°Not too good.¡± Sun Jikai thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Could you find a moment to tell grandpa that I¡¯ve been working with Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi on the sauce of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and we¡¯ve found a better method. I¡¯d like to invite him to try it at Taifeng Building in Beiping if he has the chance.¡± ¡°The sauce for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡± Sun Changping had little understanding of cooking. ¡°Yes, just tell grandpa that,¡± Sun Jikai said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll find a time to tell your grandpa in the next few days,¡± Sun Changping said. ¡°Also, Jikai, don¡¯t be mad at your mom for not contacting you. Lately, your second uncle has been causing trouble non-stop, and your grandpa has been letting it happen. Your mom is worried that contacting you would anger your grandpa.¡± ¡°I know, you should rest early,¡± Sun Jikai said before hanging up the phone. He always knew his mother didn¡¯t love him. His cousin Sun Zhengqing was sickly and unremarkable, yet his aunt and uncle doted on him. Sun Jikai grew up healthy and intelligent, yet his mother didn¡¯t love him at all. Now, he understood that not all mothers loved their children. His mother had too many loves: her brother, her nephew, money, status, vanity. She simply didn¡¯t have the time or the energy to love him. He once loved his mother, but she didn¡¯t love him back, just as his father deeply loved her, yet she didn¡¯t love his father. Sun Jikai had gotten used to it a long time ago. He just couldn¡¯t help but hope. Elsewhere, Jiang Feng distributed the peaches and then, using the excuse of needing to pee, slipped into the bathroom. He opened his attribute panel, eager to review the method for the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber sauce in preparation for tomorrow¡¯s practice. He found Cao Guixiang, whose disy had changed to (2/9), and clicked. [Two-Toned Prawns A-grade] Creator: Cao Guixiang Dish Details: This is a remarkable Tan Family Cuisine dish that excels in every aspect, crafted to perfection with outstanding culinary skill, making it a high- ss delicacy with excellent color, aroma, and taste. Its significance lies not only in its vor but also in the love for family infused by Cao Guixiang. It became Xue Shaoheng¡¯s first unforgettable memory of delicious food, inspiring a yearning for loved ones after consumption,sting for 10 minutes. Number of times it can be made per day (0/5) Jiang Feng: ??? Two-Toned Prawns??? What about my Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber? PS: The first public group is full, the second group number: 1001738429 Chapter 271 - 270 Two-colored Prawns Chapter 271: Chapter 270 Two-colored Prawns Jiang Feng originally wanted to see the recipe for Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber with thick sauce, but the recipe he received this time turned out not to be for Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber. Xue Shaoheng had memorized the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber recipe for over twenty years, yet the recipe in his memory turned out not to be for Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber. However, Jiang Feng soon realized something. Xue Shaoheng had not actually eaten the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber back then. What he ate were Two-Color Prawns that Cao Guixiang had wrapped in a handkerchief and stuffed into his pocket. The reason he remembered the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber was that Zhang Chiyuan had only introduced it to him, and he had no idea what the Two-Color Prawns were. Having gained a new recipe and also getting the inspiration for the thick sauce of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, Jiang Feng made a profit. After figuring it out, Jiang Feng began to watch the instructional video for Two-Color Prawns. As a signature dish of Tan Family Cuisine, Two-Color Prawns is actually made by cooking the prawns in two different methods. The prawns were divided into two parts at the head and thorax, with the head and thorax stewed in the shell to turn red. The shrimp body was shelled to take only the shrimp meat, wrapped in fat, and fried until golden. That¡¯s why Jiang Feng saw the prawns with bright red heads and golden bodies. The most difficult part of this dish was that both cooking processes had to start and end at the same time. The prawns were fresh and live,rge and full of energy. Even in a basin without water, the prawns continued to struggle, attempting to escape. Cao Guixiang swiftly clipped off the prawn¡¯s feelers and legs, used a toothpick to remove the intestinal tract, made an incision, and divided the prawn into two sections. Her movements were sharp and fast, revealing her experience as a veteran chef. The head and thorax were sauteed on low heat, adding shredded green onions, ginger, sugar, salt, wine, and chicken stock for seasoning, then covered with a lid to let the chicken stock¡¯s vor slowly stew into it on low heat. The shrimp body was shelled leaving the meat. Part of it was sliced open on the back, spread t, and cross-cut with a knife before being smeared with seasoning and coated with cornstarch. The rest of the shrimp meat was chopped with fatty meat and water chestnuts into a paste, mixed with salt, wine, and egg white to create a filling. Cao Guixiang¡¯s hands moved without any pause or hesitation, not even sparing a nce for the prawn heads in the pot. She ced the shrimp filling on the cut open shrimp body, sprinkled it with ck sesame seeds, and gently pressed it into shape, looking like a t shrimp ball. Immediately afterward, Cao Guixiang deep-fried the prepared shrimp until golden and then drained the oil. At that moment, the prawn heads in the pot were also done. Cao Guixiang turned off the heat, served the prawn heads on a te, and as the shrimp bodies were drained of oil, ted them as well. tingpleted, the Two-Color Prawns were done. Started at the same time, finished at the same time. Cao Guixiang¡¯s control over timing and fire control was so precise it was frightening. After watching the process of making Two-Color Prawns, Jiang Feng felt that even if one day he managed to make Yun Chicken, he still might not be able to make Two-Color Prawns. He suspected that the reason this dish was rated A was because that was the maximum rating in this game. Just like the reason why the top student scores 100 points is that the test paper only has 100 points. Indeed, Tan Family Cuisine lived up to its reputation of ultimate luxury and show-stopping official mansion cuisine. Another high-difficulty dish that seemed out of reach, but this one could also be practiced on a regr basis. The ingredients for Two-Color Prawns weren¡¯t particrly expensive nor was the cost too high, so if practiced more frequently on normal days, even if Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t reach Cao Guixiang¡¯s level, he could still greatly improve his own fire control and seasoning. Putting these misceneous thoughts aside, Jiang Feng nced at the time and realized it was gettingte, so he began to wash up. Aftering out of the bathroom, Jiang Feng found that Wu Minqi was stewing Soup with Chinese Caterpir Fungus and Pigeon in the kitchen. ¡°Minqi, it¡¯s already 10 o¡¯clock, will my mom drink this soup?¡± Jiang Feng faintly remembered that during this period, Wang Xiulian had also gone to the gym with their aunt a few times. ¡°I just called Mrs. Wang, and she said she¡¯ll have a bowl of soup tonight, and tomorrow morning she¡¯ll eat the leftover Gastrodia ta stewed pigeon for breakfast,¡± said Wu Minqi as she handed the kitchen over to Jiang Feng, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower, you keep an eye on the soup.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Feng took over. Gastrodia ta stewed pigeon wasn¡¯t difficult to make; one only needed to put the ingredients and seasonings together, add water, adjust the fire control right, and the rest was left to time. Jiang Feng stood by the Gastrodia ta stewed pigeon, but his entire mind was upied by thoughts of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Once the Gastrodia ta stewed pigeon was ready, he delivered it to Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who had started herst pre-sleep preparation¡ªapplying a facial mask. After removing the mask and drinking a bowl of Gastrodia ta pigeon soup, which represented the care of her son and future daughter-inw, Mrs. Wang Xiulian began her nightly conversation. ¡°The guests you brought for lunch today were your ssmates and their family, weren¡¯t they?¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t expect Mrs. Wang Xiulian to actually take an interest in this. ¡°We¡¯ve moved to Beiping now, and you¡¯ll be a senior next term and won¡¯t stay at school. But your ssmates have helped our shop a lot before and have provided much assistance. You should invite them to Beiping when you have a chance; don¡¯t let the rtionship fade,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian said. ¡°Like your roommate Wang Hao, and your club members Liu Zixuan and Qiu Chen, they¡¯ve all helped our family a lot. Since it¡¯s summer vacation now, invite them to visit; don¡¯t let the rtionship grow cold, the way it happened with your high school ssmates, who stopped keeping in touch after graduation.¡± ¡°Oh, and your Sir Li has finished his retirement procedures; he should be able to move back to Beiping next week.¡± ¡°Professor Li will being to Beiping next week? Should we find a new ce for Da Hua then?¡± asked Jiang Feng, feeling it might not be appropriate to raise a pig at someone else¡¯s house. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that; Grandma Chen is considering buying two more piglets to keep Da Huapany, so don¡¯t worry about these things. Sir Li is your professor and, in terms of seniority, also your grandfather. Once he¡¯s back in Beiping, visit the Li Mansion whenever you¡¯re free. And not just thinking about feeding Da Hua, remember to bring something for both of them; it¡¯s a form of respect from the younger generation,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian reminded. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I know,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°It¡¯s almost midnight; are you nning to¡­¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian suddenly remembered she was someone who needed her beauty sleep. ¡°You, talking to you made me forget the time. You should go back now,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian started urging him out. Jiang Feng went back to sleep. He had many things to take care of tomorrow¡ªworking as usual, preparing the sauce for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and personally escorting the Zhang Zhiyuan family to Yonghe House for a meal. It wasn¡¯t for any special reason, but because Yonghe House, an old establishment, was somewhat hidden, and that area was under construction recently. The map navigation was notoriously unreliable, and the Zhang Zhiyuan family weren¡¯t good with directions¡ªfollowing the navigation would likely have them waste a lot of time. That night, Jiang Feng dreamed he was making two-colored prawns. In the dream, his culinary skills were exceptional, almost on par with Cao Guixiang. Dream Jiang Feng was adept with his hands, quick at processing prawns¡ªpeeling, scoring, marinating¡ªall flowed seamlessly. The dream was so vivid that upon waking, Jiang Feng doubted whether he might have truly learned to make two-colored prawns before. Or perhaps he had an extraordinary talent for this dish? Jiang Feng began to daydream.. Chapter 272 - 271: Zhang Chu’s Confusion Chapter 272: Chapter 271: Zhang Chu¡¯s Confusion Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t sure if he had a talent for making the two-tone shrimp, but he was certain that the entire Zhang Zhiyuan familycked a knack for finding their way. Already directionally challenged, under the whimsical guidance of some navigation app, they hadpletely lost their way in the vast expanse of Beiping City. On August nth, at 4:36 p.m., the evening business of Taifeng Building was about to start, and Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t received a call from Zhang Zhiyuan. During lunch the previous day, the two had made ns. Today, Zhang Zhiyuan and his family were going to visit Prince Gong¡¯s Mansion and expected to finish their tour and return to the hotel by three o¡¯clock, after which Jiang Feng would take them to Yonghe House. Now it was already half-past four, and Jiang Feng had received no news. Jiang Feng had apanied Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian to Prince Gong¡¯s Mansion before andter went again with Wu Minqi. Logically, a morning should be enough to see everything. Wu Minqi also noticed it was gettingte and asked, ¡°Aren11 you supposed to take Zhang Zhiyuan and his family to Yonghe House tonight? It¡¯s already past 4:30 p.m. Didn¡¯t you book for six?¡± ¡°I booked for six, but I haven¡¯t heard from Zhang Zhiyuan yet,¡± replied Jiang Feng as he took out his phone to call Zhang Zhiyuan. The call connected quickly, and it was noisy on Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s end. The sound of car horns suggested he was by the roadside. ¡°Hello, Feng, sorry I forgot to tell you that my parents, grandpa, and I are already in a taxi on our way to Yonghe House,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan said loudly. ¡°A taxi?¡± ¡°Yeah, we were nning to head back after leaving Prince Gong¡¯s Mansion. But I don¡¯t know what¡¯s with that map navigation; it kept failing to find the subway entrance. We were directed here and there until it took us into a residential area. By the time we looked it was already four, so we simply decided to take a cab to Yonghe House,¡± exined Zhang Zhiyuan. ¡°It¡¯s about to be rush hour, aren¡¯t you guys stuck in traffic?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, what, driver, you¡¯re saying we¡¯re stuck in a jam up ahead?¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Where are you guys now?¡± asked Jiang Feng. Zhang Zhiyuan turned to ask the taxi driver and gave Jiang Feng an address. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Feng said, ¡°Tell the driver to stop at the subway station up ahead, and you guys get off. I¡¯m on my way to pick you up.¡± ¡°Feng, you don¡¯t need toe here. I can just follow the navigation,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan replied, not wanting to trouble Jiang Feng any further. ¡°Do you know your way around Beiping¡¯s subway stations?¡± Jiang Feng volleyed a soul-searching question. Zhang Zhiyuan: ¡­ ¡°Yonghe House has a lot of road construction nearby, and many roads are blocked. After exiting the subway station, can you find where Yonghe House is?¡± Jiang Feng shot another soul-searching question. Zhang Zhiyuan: ¡­ ¡°Sorry to trouble you, Feng.¡± It was truly heartfelt. ¡°I¡¯m heading out,¡± Jiang Feng told Wu Minqi. ¡°Okay,¡± Wu Minqi nodded. The business model of Yonghe House was very simr to that of Taifeng Building, passed down through generations, and it had not ceased even during the joint public-private ownership period. The current owner of Yonghe House, Lu Sheng, who was ten years older than Jiang Feng, was not a great chef, but he was kind and operated the restaurant well. He managed to keep Yonghe House¡¯s longtime chefs from defecting, ensured a continuous line of young chefs, and wielded considerable influence. He was quite familiar with Jiang Feng on WeChat. The chefs of Beiping¡¯s old-established Chinese restaurants had a WeChat group. Given the current special circumstances, with the high-end dining market in Beiping gradually being eroded by foreign cuisines, traditional Chinese restaurants were slowly declining. During this time, everyone was firm in their resolve, united in their external stance; even Tong Deyan and Ling Guangzhao wouldn¡¯t quarrel in the WeChat group. A while back, Zhang Guanghang had pulled Jiang Feng and the others into the WeChat group. During their spare time, they would chat and hang out in the group. Even though Jiang Feng had never met Lu Sheng, or might not recognize him even if he had, they were indeed quite chummy via WeChat. Jiang Feng had made the reservation for Zhang Chu directly with Lu Sheng. Jiang Feng asked Zhang Zhiyuan and his family to wait for him at the subway station. He went to find them and then took them to Yonghe House, but going back and forth took some time. By the time they all arrived at Yonghe House, they were more than half an hour overdue. Fortunately, Lu Sheng still held their spots for them. In therge hall on the second floor, at a small round table by the window, Jiang Feng decided to stay and have dinner with them, with a faint hint of ying hooky from work. Zhang Chu began scrutinizing the entire restaurant, from top to bottom, inside and out, the moment heid eyes on the Yonghe House sign. He was peering around even as he ascended the stairs. ¡°The decor hasn¡¯t changed much; it¡¯s still the old style. But the ce has expanded a lot. Yonghe House wasn¡¯t this big before. The front section used to be a silk shop,¡± Zhang Chu sighed as he sat in a chair. ¡°Nowadays, these old restaurants in Beiping, even if they get renovated, are just slightly altered on the original basis, hardly changing at all,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Grandpa, did grandma and grandpa really used to work in this ce?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan asked in disbelief. ¡°More than that, your grandma was even on the payroll back then,¡± said Zhang Chu. ¡°A full-time employee at 17, while her senior brothers only became full- time employees at the age of 20.¡± ¡°Dad, aren¡¯t you a carpenter? How did you meet my mom back then?¡± Zhang Chiyuan asked curiously. Everyone looked intently at Zhang Chu, all very eager to hear the love story of their grandparents¡¯ generation. Zhang Chu supported his head with his hand and began to reminisce about his youthful days. ¡°How else could it have happened? My master took me to Yonghe House to fix something. I remember it was the summer, and that summer was unbearably hot. What was it we were fixing? I can¡¯t remember what it was, but I do remember sitting by the window to rest, probably on the second floor; your grandma brought me a bowl of zhajiang noodles,¡± Zhang Chu recounted. ¡°That bowl of zhajiang noodles had so many ingredients. I had never eaten zhajiang noodles with that many toppings before¡ªthe sauce was fragrant and the noodles were chewy.¡± ¡°And then you fell for my mom?¡± Zhang Chiyuan asked. ¡°How could that be possible? Back then, I was a famously handsome and skilled young man. When your mom was young, she was just average-looking; how could I have fallen for her at first sight?¡± Zhang Chu began to boast. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right; it¡¯s strange. What was I fixing at the time? Why can¡¯t I remember?¡± ¡°Grandpa, were you fixing a chair?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan asked. ¡°No, my master was a renowned carpenter in Beiping City back then; he wouldn¡¯t have been called over just to fix a chair. What exactly were we fixing?¡± Zhang Chu was perplexed. ¡°Alright Dad, stop thinking about it. It was so many years ago, how could you possibly remember?¡± Zhang Chiyuan handed the menu to Zhang Chu, ¡°Junlian ordered a jar of meat, I ordered eggnt with garlic sauce, take a look at what you want to eat. And Mr. Jiang, what would you like to eat?¡± ¡°Jingjiang pork strips from Yonghe House are very famous,¡± Jiang Feng rmended. ¡°Triple delight sharks¡¯ fin, crab roe sharks¡¯ fin, casserole sharks¡¯ fin¡­¡± Zhang Chu mumbled as he flipped through the menu, ¡°oyster sauce abalone, Buddha¡¯s delight prawns, sunflower duck, white fungus and vegetables stew¡­¡± Suddenly, Zhang Chu lifted his head and asked a nearby waiter, ¡°Excuse me, is Qin Guisheng still a chef in your restaurant?¡± The waiter paused for a moment before answering, ¡°Master Qin retired a few years ago and went to the United States, but rest assured, several of his apprentices are still working here, so the taste of these dishes won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Bicoloured prawns, white fungus and vegetables stew, and stir-fried broli,¡± ZhangChu ordered. ¡°Okay, a jar of meat, eggnt with garlic sauce, Jingjiang pork strips, bicoloured prawns, white fungus and vegetables stew, and stir-fried broli, is that correct? Please wait a moment,¡± the waiter said as he left. ¡°Grandpa, who is Qin Guisheng?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan asked. ¡°Your grandma¡¯s second senior brother. We didn¡¯t have much contact or rtionship with him; I just suddenly thought of him and asked,¡± Zhang Chu replied. ¡°Strange, what was it that we were fixing?¡± Zhang Chu was still tangled up with what he and his master had fixed at Yonghe House back then. ¡°Ding, optional side quest discovered,¡± the system alert suddenly sounded. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°I¡¯m going to use the restroom,¡± Jiang Feng decided as an excuse to step away. Fortunately, the men¡¯s room wasn¡¯t crowded, and Jiang Feng entered a stall. He opened his attributes panel and epted the quest.
    1. [ZhangChu¡¯s Dilemma]: Decadeter, ZhangChu returns to Yonghe House, where he had fallen in love at first sight with his future wife, only to find that he can¡¯t recall the specifics of their first encounter. Help Zhang Chu recover his lost memory and allow him to relive the old dream. Quest progress (0/1)
      2. Quest tips: Simply find the object Zhang Chu fixed back then and confirm it with him, or help him clearly recall what it was. Quest reward: A segment of Zhang Chu¡¯s memory. Jiang Feng: ??? Is Old Sir Zhang really so fixated on what he fixed back then? Truly befitting of a carpenter.
    Chapter 273 - 272 Lushan Cloud Mist Tea Chapter 273: Chapter 272 Lushan Cloud Mist Tea So now the question arises, what exactly did Zhang Chu repair back then? When Jiang Feng came out of the restroom, he happened to run into Lu Sheng, who hade out first and was washing his hands. A historic meeting took ce at the washbasin by the men¡¯s restroom door at Yonghe House between the behind-the-scenes owner of a new restaurant in Beiping and the owner of an established restaurant. They looked each other in the eye, gazes intertwining. ¡°Jiang Feng?¡± ¡°Lu Sheng.¡± This was the first meeting between Jiang Feng and Lu Sheng, or perhaps not the first, but they didn¡¯t know each other at the time of Xia Mushi¡¯s funeral, so even if they had seen each other then, there was no impression left. Previously, Jiang Feng had only seen photos of Lu Sheng on his social media, and now seeing the man in person, Jiang Feng was surprised to find that Lu Sheng was really an honest fellow. The photos posted on social media were taken with an original camera, the person looked exactly as they did in the photos, which made them easy to recognize. ¡°You get here and don¡¯t even call me, what, chefs from Taifeng Building have to sneak around when they eat at Yonghe House?¡± Lu Sheng said with a smile. Jiang Feng instantly found that feeling of chatting and joking in a WeChat group,ughing, ¡°Of course I have to be sneaky about it, wouldn¡¯t it be bad to get caught?¡± ¡°Well then, I should thank you for bringing Yonghe House extra business. It¡¯s just a pity that I was busy during Taifeng Building¡¯s opening and missed out on your Sweet and Sour Yam,¡± Lu Sheng said. In Beiping¡¯s circle of chefs, Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam was far more famous than he was himself. Mention Jiang Feng and not everyone might know who you¡¯re talking about, but mention the Sweet and Sour Yam that Taifeng Building limits to six servings each day, and everyone knows it. ¡°Next time you¡¯re free,e to Taifeng Building, I¡¯ll definitely save a serving for you,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I remember you came here with your friend for a meal, what dishes did you order? Let me, the owner, give you some personal rmendations. Oh, and I¡¯ve recently gotten hold of a box of fine tea leaves. I¡¯ll go brew you a pot of tea, it¡¯ll be a good chance for your friend to sample our Yonghe House tea,¡± Lu Sheng said, grabbing Jiang Feng and leading him to see the newly acquired tea leaves. ¡°Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce, Pot-Stewed Meat, Oil-Poached Eggnt, Bicolored Prawns, Vegetarian Stewed White Fungus, and Stir-Fried Broli.¡± Jiang Feng began to list the dishes. ¡°Quite the connoisseur, I didn¡¯t expect you to actually know about our¡­¡± Lu Sheng was astonished. ¡°I know, Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce¡­¡± ¡°The really special dish in our restaurant is the Vegetarian Stewed White Fungus.¡± Lu Sheng: ??? Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°The Vegetarian Stewed White Fungus wasn¡¯t what you ordered?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce your restaurant¡¯s specialty dish?¡± The two stared at each other, dumbfounded. Lu Sheng took Jiang Feng to the surveince room, which was also his office, exining as they walked. ¡°Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce is a popr dish for the masses, but Vegetarian Stewed White Fungus is our real specialty. It¡¯s like your Taifeng Building¡¯s Chicken in Wine and Roasted Pig; our Tan Family Cuisine is banquet food, normally it¡¯s not avable unless you reserve it in advance,¡± Lu Sheng said, ¡°I¡¯d specifically instructed our waiter to bring the VIP menu to your table.¡± ¡°VIP menu?¡± ¡°How could those old restaurants in Beiping have an Ordering System asprehensive as yours at Taifeng Building? Aren¡¯t we all just handing over menus for customers to order from, and under normal circumstances, Tan Family dishes wouldn¡¯t be included in the regr menu,¡± Lu Sheng exined, ¡°That Ordering System of yours wasn¡¯t cheap, was it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as expensive as you think,¡± Jiang Feng said with augh. Lu Sheng loved tea, which wasmon knowledge. His social media was always filled with various types of tea leaves, from green to ck, white, yellow, and oolong, his collection had it all. Yonghe House¡¯s tea was also famous, and many gourmets liked to meet up with a few friends there, ordering a table full of dishes and a pot of tea. Lu Sheng took out a can of tea leaves from the cab and introduced it to Jiang Feng, ¡°This is Lushan Cloud Mist Tea. I¡¯ve been looking for it for years and couldn¡¯t find any. It was Mr. Xu who recently managed to get a box. He doesn¡¯t drink green tea, so he passed it on to me.¡± Jiang Feng nodded as if he understood, though he only knew about Lushan Cloud Mist Tea because he visited Mount Lu a few summers ago. Jiang Jiankang had bought two cans for Jiang Weiguo. They seemed to be of the kind from the lower mount, but he couldn¡¯t really tell the quality. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t drink tea and had no research on it. As for tea beverages, he had drunk plenty, such as iced ck tea and lemon tea during his junior and senior high school days. Lu Sheng wasn¡¯t just a connoisseur; he also studied the art of making tea, but Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t understand any of it. The type of water used, the brewing method, the amount of tea, the number of rinses ¨C it all looked the same to him. As Jiang Feng watched Lu Sheng make tea, he pondered what exactly Zhang Chu had restored. His seeming distraction didn¡¯t escape Lu Sheng¡¯s notice. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Thinking about new dishes?¡± Lu Sheng asked. ¡°Not really, just curious about all the retro decor in Yonghe House and wondering how many of the items are relics from the previous dynasty,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°Not many. Over 30 years ago, a fire started in the kitchen and burned all those antiques. I think I had just been born around that time. The fire almostpletely destroyed the first floor, and the second floor lost many things too. Everything here now has been refurbished to look like before, but none of the old screens, paintings, or anything else survived,¡± Lu Sheng exined. ¡°The entire first floor was burned? And the stairs too?¡± Jiang Feng asked in shock. ¡°All gone. Back then, everything inside Yonghe House was wooden and easily caught fire. It¡¯s a shame about the screens, cabs, and stairs. My dad told me that the screens and stairs in Yonghe House were handcrafted by a master carpenter named Jin. His unique craftsmanship is now hard to find,¡± said Lu Sheng. Jiang Feng had originally guessed that Zhang Chu and his master might havee to repair major items like screens, railings, or staircases. But having just learned from Lu Sheng that all those items were destroyed in a fire 30 years ago, he felt uncertain. The mission prompt suggested finding the object Zhang Chu had restored and getting his confirmation or remembering what exactly he had worked on would suffice. Since the prompt mentioned finding it, Jiang Feng believed the object Zhang Chu worked on must still be inside Yonghe House. But what could it be? Zhang Chu mentioned his master was a famous carpenter in Beiping City. Jin, the carpenter mentioned by Lu Sheng, might just be Zhang Chu¡¯s master. Thirty years ago, the first floor of Yonghe House waspletely destroyed by fire, and the second floor also suffered severe damage, leaving no old items untouched. What wooden items remained on the second floor worth a famous carpenter taking his apprentice to repair in person? At that moment, Jiang Feng felt as if he had picked up the wrong script. Logically, he was supposed to be in an inspiring film about reviving his family¡¯s restaurant, or a business drama full of scheming and intrigue, or a lighthearted and hearty food show. So why did his script seem more like ¡®Detective Conan¡¯? ¡°Tea¡¯s ready, care to have a taste?¡± Lu Sheng inquired. ¡°No thanks, I prefer cold tea,¡± Jiang Feng politely declined. ¡°Lushan Cloud Mist Tea boasts six exceptional qualities: bold and thick leaves, vibrant and lush, clear tea color, tender and even leaves, lingering aroma, rich and sweet vor. To drink it cold would be a travesty, don¡¯t you think?¡± Lu Sheng said, his literary ir emerging whenever tea was the subject. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate tea; drinking such fine tea would be a waste on me,¡± Jiang Feng said helplessly, ¡°There¡¯s an old gentleman at our table; I¡¯ll take the tea to someone who appreciates it.¡± ¡°Remember to drink it warm, don¡¯t let it get cold,¡± Lu Sheng reminded him. Jiang Feng picked up the teapot and walked over to the table where Zhang Zhiyuan was sitting. Chapter 274 - 273: Vegetarian Stewed Silver Ear Chapter 274: Chapter 273: Vegetarian Stewed Silver Ear Mushrooms Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s family was puzzled ¨C Jiang Feng had been in the bathroom for nearly half an hour, and they hadn¡¯t seen him return even though the eggnt with garlic sauce and Beijing shredded pork were already on the table. Zhang Zhiyuan was about to go to find him when he saw Jiang Fenging over with a pot of tea. ¡°Feng, did you order a pot of tea?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan asked. ¡°I just ran into the owner of Yonghe House. He brewed a pot of tea for me as a gift, and I remember you telling me that Sir Zhang enjoys drinking tea, so I brought it over for Sir Zhang to taste,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Zhang Zhiyuan certainly hadn¡¯t told Jiang Feng that Zhang Chu liked to drink tea, but from the two memories rted to the Zhang family that Jiang Feng had, he had seen tea canisters on the shelf and guessed that Zhang Chu must drink tea normally. ¡°You kid, of all the things you could have talked about, you told Mr. Jiang I like to drink tea.¡± Zhang Chu said cheerfully. Zhang Zhiyuan: ??? He didn¡¯t remember ever saying that. Lushan Cloud Mist Tea, it¡¯s still the mist from the mountains,¡± Jiang Feng said, handing the teapot to Zhang Chu and sitting down. ¡°The mist from the mountains, that¡¯s amazing, I am indeed fortunate today,¡± Zhang Chu said excitedly, picking up the pot and pouring himself a small cup of hot tea, then savored a sip. ¡°The tea leaves have absorbed the fragrance of the dragon¡¯s fat, the tea soup is clear, the vor is mellow, sweet, and rich, truly worthy of being called the mist rom the mountains,¡± Zhang Chu praised, then began pouring tea for everyone at the table, ¡°This is a rare quality tea, mountain mist that money can¡¯t buy you all should taste it.¡± Jiang Feng said he preferred cold tea because even the beverages he bought would not be hot; chilled Vita Lemon Tea and iced ck tea tasted better. He wouldn¡¯t drink tea even when clients came home and tea was served; unexpectedly, he found himself drinking tea at Yonghe House today. It tasted bitter upon the first sip. Trying again, still bitter. It wasn¡¯t mellow or sweet, just bitter, and more bitterness. Jiang Feng turned to see Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression, figuring his tea-tasting skills were probably no better than his own. ¡°Wasting a treasure on someone who can¡¯t appreciate it,¡± this phrase couldn¡¯t be more suitable to describe the two of them. Most of the Beijing shredded pork on the table was gone, but after everyone tried a piece of the eggnt with garlic sauce, no one touched it again The chef at Yonghe House made it mediocre at best, or perhaps it was the chef who specialized in this dish that was mediocre. It was passable, but a bit too greasy. Jiang Feng tried a bite of the eggnt with garlic sauce and immediately lost interest. ¡°Dad, your way of ordering dishes is really bad. You never get it right ¡± Zhang Zhiyuan criticized. Zhang Chiyuan:¡­ ¡°Exactly, Zhiyuan is right. If you can¡¯t order properly, then don¡¯t blindly pick dishes anymore, look at what you¡¯ve chosen,¡± Mrs. Zhang was obviously not satisfied with the eggnt dish either. ZhangChiyuan:¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t order next time,¡± Zhang Chiyuan conceded defeat. ¡°Where are you nning to go tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t decided yet. We were thinking ofclimbing Fragrant Hills tomorrow, but it¡¯s too hot. Even visiting Prince Gong¡¯s Mansion today was unbearably hot. Climbing in this weather would be too much for my grandfather to handle,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan said, involuntarily fanning himself with his hand, ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll go to an art gallery or a museum, somewhere indoors with air conditioning.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s too hot. Nobody can handle being outside in this heat, I can¡¯t take it either,¡± Zhang Chiyuan agreed. While they were talking, the server brought in more dishes. It was pot-stewed meat. ¡°The pot-stewed meat from Yonghe House is exceptionally delicious. Last time we came here, we ordered this dish. It¡¯s braised with firewood, very authentic ¡± Jiang Feng highly rmended the pot-stewed meat from Yonghe House. The quality of the pot-stewed meat this time was still outstanding. Therge chunks of pork belly shone with oil, their brownish-red color indicating a good mix of fat and lean meat, which somehow did not seem as greasy as the aforementioned eggnt dish, but rather tempting. The men present, all carnivores at heart, eagerly reached for the meat and enjoyed it. This dish is delicious,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan said in praise, already on his third piece. ¡°No matter how delicious, can itpare to the dishes cooked by your grandmother?¡± Zhang Chu, now old, couldn11 eat too many greasy dishes. After tasting a bite, he simply nibbled and turned to tea tasting. ¡°Compared to grandmother¡¯s cooking, it¡¯s definitely stillcking a bit,¡± said Zhang Zhiyuan, but in fact, he had nearly forgotten what Cao Guixiang¡¯s cooking tasted like. Cao Guixiang had only stayed briefly in his life for 16 years, arge part of which was a childhood and infancy he had almostpletely forgotten. In recent years, apart from Sun Guanyun¡¯s stir-fried beef with rice noodles and Jiang Feng¡¯s failed Yun Chicken, he could seldom recall the vors of Cao Guixiang¡¯s meals. ¡°Your silver fungus and vegetable stew, please enjoy.¡± The server ced the silver fungus and vegetable stew on the table. This was a very beautiful dish, with white silver fungus, ck hair moss, orange-red carrots, green lettuce stems, and brown-yellow fresh mushrooms a riot of colors. The silver fungus was rounded into a ball like a flower and ced in the very center, while the carrots and lettuce stems were peeled and cut into shapes resembling fresh mushrooms, arranged symmetrically and neatly around the silver fungus, along with the balled hair moss and small mushrooms. The whole dish was circr, with a rich, fragrant yellow chicken broth as its base, looking like a blooming flower. This was the first time Jiang Feng had seen silver fungus and vegetable stew with his own eyes; before this, he had only heard of it, knowing it was a famous mutual dish, a vegetarian dish, from Tan Family Cuisine. Jiang Feng picked up a piece of carrot with his chopsticks. The chef¡¯s knife skills were superb; the carrots were cut into small, cute rounds, simr in size each one smooth and uniform. Upon tasting, there was the natural sweetness of the carrot, and also the salty vor of the sauce made with chicken oil and the original broth-very light and delicious. It was indeed no wonder that Yonghe House was privately acimed as Beiping¡¯s number one restaurant by quite a few people. Previously when Jiang Family members came to dine, Jiang Feng thought nothing special of it, considering that although the chefs at Yonghe House were skilled, their own cooking was notcking either. Now having tasted this silver fungus and vegetable stew, Jiang Feng could only sigh that the well-established restaurants of Beiping really had some serious skills. If the disciple of Cao Guixiang¡¯s second eldest apprentice could cook to such a standard, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t begin to imagine what vor Cao Guixiang¡¯s version of the dish would have been. When Jiang Feng reached out to pick up some hair moss, he noticed that no one at the table was moving their chopsticks. Looking up in astonishment at the others, Jiang Feng saw their eyes were red. Seeing Jiang Feng looking at him, Zhang Zhiyuan awkwardly wiped away tears that were about to fall from his eyes. ¡°The vor of this dish is very simr to what my grandmother used to make ¡± Zhang Zhiyuan exined, ¡°It¡¯s not as good as what my grandmother made for me on my 10th birthday, but it really is very simr.¡± Sometimes people feel they have forgotten many things, that their minds no longer hold those memories, yet their bodies honestly retain them. The eyes remember, the nose remembers, and the tongue remembers. The tongue will help you remember the taste of a dish, the sensation while eating it, and the emotions towards the person who prepared the meal. These are memories for a lifetime, never to be forgotten. ¡°Although this is a vegetable dish, it¡¯s actually quite tricky to make. The silver fungus needs to be soaked ahead of time, and after soaking, it has to be cooked in clear soup for an hour. The carrots and lettuce stems have to be peeled, which is a waste, and the thickening sauce is made from the original soup, also using chicken oil-best if it¡¯s from an old hen for that aromatic vor,¡± said Zhang Chu, as he looked at the silver fungus and vegetable stew on the table, as if seeing through it to the person who once made this dish for him. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know what to say and could only remain silent. ¡°What¡¯s going on today? It¡¯s been many years since I¡¯ve thought of your grandmother, yet a bite of this dish brings it all back,¡± Zhang Chu said with a chuckle. Suddenly, the surrounding area dimmed. Jiang Feng looked up to find the lights had gone out. All the lights on the second floor hall were off, causing a stir among the guests. ¡°Dear guests, we are very sorry for the inconvenience. It seems that the power cable was identally cut due to road work nearby, resulting in an emergency power outage. Our restaurant does have a backup power supply. Please remain calm; power will be restored shortly. We sincerely apologize for the trouble caused,¡± the lobby manager came out to loudly exin to everyone. In the summer, it gets hot, and in Beiping, it grows darkte. Not until 8 o¡¯clock does it be dark. Although it¡¯s already 7 o¡¯clock, it¡¯s still incredibly hot, and as soon as the air conditioning stops, the heat bes noticeable. ¡°Yunyun, open the window, it¡¯s too stuffy without air conditioning,¡± Zhang Chiyuan, already feeling some heat, needed to open the window for some air. ¡°Let me do it,¡± said Jiang Feng, whose seat was closer to the window, as he stood up to open it. Chapter 275 - 274 Mission Accomplished Chapter 275: Chapter 274 Mission Aplished Approaching the window, Jiang Feng noticed that the wooden window of Yonghe House was quite attractive, with even some carved flowers in ces. There were no nails at the junction of the window and the frame. Jiang Feng gave it a try and lightly pushed; the window swung open easily. Once open, the wind came in. Although it was a hot wind and not really cool, it was still better than staying in the stuffy and airless room. Leaning against the window to catch the breeze, Jiang Feng was soon joined by other guests who, seeing the window opened, opened nearby windows one after another to gather in groups and enjoy the wind. ¡°Feng, move over a bit, let me feel the breeze too,¡± said Zhang Zhiyuan, who disliked the heat and already had fine beads of sweat covering his forehead after just a short while. ¡°Come over here, this is where the breeze is,¡± Jiang Feng made room for Zhang Zhiyuan, turning his body to lean his hand on the window frame. ¡°Ding, you have obtained a fragment of Cao Guixiang¡¯s memory,¡± the system alert suddenly sounded. Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng shifted his gaze to the window frame below his hand¡ªit was just an ordinary frame, made of wood, seemingly mundane without even a carved flower. But the fact that the frame held a fragment of Cao Guixiang¡¯s memory meant that the fire at Yonghe House thirty years ago hadn¡¯t reached the ce by the window. Scanning the surroundings, Jiang Feng saw that aside from the wooden tables and chairs, only these windows were made of wood. So, was it actually the windows that Zhang Chu repaired back then? Jiang Feng examined the window carefully¡ªfront and back, left and right, up and down, inside and out¡ªwithout finding any trace of repairs. ¡°Feng, what are you looking at?¡± asked Zhang Zhiyuan curiously. ¡°I find this window interesting. There¡¯s not a single nail in sight.¡± By now, Jiang Feng could lie without missing a beat. ¡°The work of any skilled carpenter doesn¡¯t show nails. They use wooden pegs that arepletely concealed. My grandfather can do that. I remember, as a kid, someone asked my grandfather to fix a broken window at their house. I even went to see it. Not a single nail was used. The broken parts were all connected by wood, and after the repair, you couldn¡¯t see any signs of it being mended,¡± exined Zhang Zhiyuan. ¡°Sir Zhang is that skilled!¡± Jiang Feng eximed in admiration. ¡°Indeed, my grandfather is quite a renowned carpenter back home,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan said with pride. ¡°So, can Sir Zhang repair screens or otherrge items?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°Large items?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan thought for a moment, unsure, ¡°He might be able to, though I¡¯ve never seen him repair such things. I only remember him making cabs, and I think he had once made a bed for someone, but that was a coboration with several other carpenters.¡± ¡°But my grandfather has made me many wooden toys, like little horses and pigs. Oh right, he even made me a Pikachu out of wood once. It looked so much like one after being painted, but sadly, it¡¯s nowhere to be found now,¡± recalled Zhang Zhiyuan. As they spoke, the electricity came back on. ¡°The power¡¯s back so soon,¡± Zhang Zhiyuan said, surprised. ¡°The hotel usually has a small diesel generator. Now that the power is back, let¡¯s close the window,¡± Jiang Feng said as he closed the window and sat back down with Zhang Zhiyuan. The waitstaff brought each table a jug of fresh watermelon juice and two discount coupons aspensation for the inconvenience caused by the unexpected power outage. It wasn¡¯t Yonghe House¡¯s fault, and since the outage had onlysted for about ten minutes before the power was restored, everyone epted the gesture gracefully without furtherint. Jiang Feng and his table were only waiting for the stir-fried broli and the two-colored prawns to be served; Zhang Chu and Mrs. Zhang had already stopped using their chopsticks and were quietly sipping tea. Only Jiang Feng, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Zhang Chiyuan were still battling on the front line of eating. ¡°Strange, what exactly did I fix back then?¡± Zhang Chu was still mulling over the old question, talking to himself. ¡°Dad, stop thinking about it, you hardly ate anything. It¡¯s hot and you don¡¯t have an appetite for meat dishes. Have some more of this silver fungus with vegetables, it¡¯s vegetarian,¡± urged Zhang Chiyuan, trying to get Zhang Chu to eat more. ¡°Sir Zhang, was it a window frame that you fixed?¡± Jiang Feng took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Just now, Zhang Zhiyuan mentioned to me that you did an especially good job on the window frame, and there are no visible signs of repair.¡± ¡°Right, grandpa, was it the window that you fixed?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan echoed. ¡°Window?¡± Zhang Chu was startled, tilting his head to recall, then turned to look at the window behind him as if he vaguely remembered something. ¡°Yes, the window! I remember now, it seems to be this very window! Back then, looking down through this window, I could see the storytelling stall set up by the Storytelling Sir across the street. Every time I left my mentor¡¯s house, I would listen to a bit of storytelling here before heading home,¡± Zhang Chu recalled with a prompt from Jiang Feng and Zhang Zhiyuan. ¡°Grandpa, did you used to live here?¡± Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. His family used to own an apartment within the second ring road of Beijing as well. ¡°I didn¡¯t live here; my ce was far from here. My mentor lived around this area, but those old alleys are gone now. If you asked me to find it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to,¡± exined Zhang Chu. Zhang Chu had now remembered, but Jiang Feng had yet to receive the game notification forpleting the side quest. Could it be a mistake? ¡°Sir Zhang, how do you usually repair wooden windows?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It depends on the situation; some are broken, and some have wood that wasn¡¯t treated against rot or moisture and decayed over time. A break is easy to handle; just finding a simr piece of wood to join it is enough. Though the work is delicate and costly, it could be more expensive than making a new window altogether,¡± said Zhang Chu as he stood up to examine the window next to him. Zhang Chu looked over the window for a while and proudly said, ¡°It¡¯s this window. Come and see, this spot is where I joined it all those years ago, and it hasn¡¯t failed yet!¡± Zhang Chu stood by the window, gazing out. Everything outside the window had changed: the road, the houses, the shops, and even the person standing at the window. From a spirited teenager, he had turned into an old man. He remembered, he remembered it all. What he had been fixating on wasn¡¯t what he had repaired but what he saw after the repair as he stood by the window, catching the breeze and sweating profusely. The Storytelling Sir, as always, stood on the street corner, with his stall surrounded by children, articting clearly and with great inflection, his voice so loud it carried up to the second floor of Yonghe House, where he could hear every word of the tale. That day, he told the story of ¡°Generals of the Yang Family¡± about the execution at the camp gate. Yang Zongbao and Mu Guiying fell in love at first sight and married. After their betrayal, the sixth brother was furious and wanted to behead Yang Zongbao at the camp to show the people. Mu Guiying, anxious to save her husband, presented the Dragon Descend Wood needed to break the array, and together with Yang Zongbao, they went into battle and broke through Heaven¡¯s Gate Array. That day, the Storytelling Sir vividly described to a bunch of older children about Yang Zongbao and Mu Guiying falling in love at first sight, while he, by the window, fell in love with Cao Guixiang at first sight. ¡°Ding, side quest [Zhang Chu¡¯s Dilemma]pleted. Reward received: a segment of Zhang Chu¡¯s memory.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s intuition told him, this memory would certainly be overwhelming.. Chapter 276 - 275: Youthful and Green Onions (Parti) Chapter 276: Chapter 275: Youthful and Green Onions (Parti) After dinner, Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s family regained their spirits, ready to go shopping, while Jiang Feng parted ways with them at the subway station, reminding them to take a taxi back if they got lost again, as the traffic in Beiping City shouldn¡¯t be too bad except during the rush hour. By the time Jiang Feng got home, it was already past 8 o¡¯clock, and the house was empty; Wu Minqi hadn¡¯t returned yet. Earlier, when Jiang Feng was downstairs, he saw that the lights in the floors above were all off, except for Uncle Wu¡¯s ce. It seemed that Taifeng Building was doing good business today, as Auntie usually would have returned by this time. Even though there was no one home, Jiang Feng still made his usual detour to the bathroom. Only inside the bathroom did he feel at ease-someone might break into the bedroom, but it was less likely they would break into the bathroom. Jiang Feng opened the attribute panel and flipped to the item tab, hesitating between Zhang Chu¡¯s memory and Cao Guixiang¡¯s memory, then chose thetter. He could guess the plot twists of Zhang Chu¡¯s memories and the dishes would surely be Zhajiang noodles; there was no sense of mystery or novelty to them. On the other hand, Cao Guixiang¡¯s memory, which he had touched on the window frame, was very mysterious. Clicking yes¡± on [A Segment of Cao Guixiang¡¯s Memory], Jiang Feng was instantly enveloped in a mist. ¡°Guixiang, are the fish killed yet? Once they¡¯re killed, slice them into small pieces at an angle and marinate them with the seasonings. This carp is for the five-spice fish we¡¯re preparing for lunch today.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± When Jiang Feng could finally see clearly again, he found himself in a kitchen. It must be the kitchen of Yonghe House; there were quite a few chefs, all busy, wearing short sleeves ¨C it was presumably summer. Even though they hadn¡¯t started the stoves, and everyone was still in the prep phase, many were already sweating profusely. Cao Guixiang was easy to recognize because she was the only girl in the whole kitchen, with everyone else being either older men or youngds. At that time, Cao Guixiang looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, also wearing short sleeves, with fine sweat beads on her forehead, and in her hands, she held a carp, descaled, beheaded, finned, gutted, and cleaned. Jiang Feng originally thought that the young Cao Guixiang, having captivated Zhang Chu at first sight, would be quite beautiful. But now that he saw her, he could only describe her look as average, barely delicate-the kind he might not even spot in a crowd at a nce. Only her eyes were truly lively, twinkling like stars. Cao Guixiang, not even 20 years old, already had quite remarkable knife skills. Cao Guixiang picked up the knife and swiftly bisected the fish along the spine from head to tail, then rapidly switched to angled cuts to carve the fish into small blocks. Her knife movements were fast, and in the blink of an eye, evenly-sized fish chunks appeared on the cutting board. Then Cao Guixiang put the fish chunks into a small bowl, adding salt, green onions, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, and cooking wine to marinate for vor. ¡°Master, the fish is ready,¡± said Cao Guixiang. Cao Guixiang¡¯s master was a slightly plump middle-aged man with an expressionless face, arge mole on his right cheek, making him look somewhat stern and intimidating. ¡°Leave it there, go find your second senior brother; I haven¡¯t seen him since a while ago,¡± instructed Cao Guixiang¡¯s master. Yes, Master. Cao Guixiang washed her hands clean with a scoop of water from the bucket in the corner before going out to look for him. Zhang Chu was right, the present Yonghe House was not asrge as it would beter on, withndscape paintings hanging on the walls and tables and chairs that clearly showed top-notch wood and craftsmanship, befitting an established and reputable restaurant. Manager Zhang, have you seen my second senior brother, Qin Guisheng?¡± Cao Guixiang approached Manager Zhang who was tallying ounts at the cashier¡¯s counter. Manager Zhang, a man in his forties wearing formal attire, was still dressed in long sleeves and trousers despite the heat, appearing genteel. ¡°Qin Guisheng? He seems to have gone up to the second floor; I just saw him heading up. By the way, Guixiang, remember to remind your master that our restaurant is participating in themunity service organized by the street office. Tomorrow we need to deliver herbal tea to the elderly over 70 in the alleys, tell him not to forget,¡± said Manager Zhang. Manager Zhang is the public affairs manager, and whenever there¡¯s an event at the Street Office, he¡¯s the one attending the meetings. ¡°Alright, Manager Zhang, rest assured,¡± Cao Guixiang said as she was about to go upstairs. ¡°Hold on, don¡¯t go yet, I have something else to tell you,¡± Manager Zhang stopped Cao Guixiang and whispered to her, ¡°Didn¡¯t I go to a meeting at the Street Office yesterday? Mrs. Zheng told me you could be a regr employee by next month at thetest.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Cao Guixiang eximed with surprise on her face. ¡°How could it be false? When has Mrs. Zheng ever been wrong? And why would I lie to you for no reason? Don¡¯t bezy, even if you be a regr, you have to work hard.¡± Manager Zhang said, a hint of a smile appearing in the corner of his eyes, ¡°You¡¯re about to be the youngest regr employee at Yonghe House, so you must be diligent in your work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when have I ever cked off? Once I¡¯m promoted, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal, I¡¯ll cook for you myself, make your favorite steamed chicken with straw mushrooms!¡± Cao Guixiang said joyfully as she ran upstairs to find Qin Guisheng. Manager Zhang stood there, smiling helplessly and muttered to himself, ¡°Steamed chicken with straw mushrooms, that¡¯ll cost you half a month¡¯s sry.¡± It wasn¡¯t mealtime yet, so there were no customers in Yonghe House, and only Qin Guisheng was on the second floor, sitting by the window catching the breeze. The decoration on the second floor was even better than the first, with more decorative items. There were more trinkets, and the space between tables had screens for privacy. Even the teapots on the tables looked more exquisite than those on the first floor. ¡°Second Senior Brother, you¡¯re cking off again-Master is looking for you. He sent me to call you.¡± Cao Guixiang shouted at Qjn Guisheng. ¡°How can you call this cking off? Master asked me to butcher a chicken, and I¡¯vee up here to catch a breeze and cool off after finishing the job. It¡¯s so hot today; surely there won¡¯t be many customers this noon,¡± Qin Guisheng said, lounging on the chair. ¡°How can there not be customers? I¡¯ve butchered fish, First Senior Brother is handling a duck, and I saw Master preparing ham; he must be nning to make Sunflower Duck. He also told me he¡¯s going to make Five-Spice Fish, so there must be a banquet this noon,¡± Cao Guixiang said. ¡°A banquet this noon? Master is preparing Sunflower Duck?¡± Qin Guisheng jumped to his feet. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? I should go down and help Master.¡± Cao Guixiangughed lightly, ¡°You say that, but I think you just want to learn how to make Sunflower Duck. First Senior Brother is still processing the duck; it¡¯s still early before mealtime, Master won¡¯t start cooking now.¡± Hearing what Cao Guixiang said, Qin Guisheng didn¡¯t hurry down and continued to loaf around, going back to the window to enjoy the breeze. Cao Guixiang stared out of the window and was so engrossed that she stood on her tiptoes. ¡°Little Junior Sister, what do you always look at from the second-floor window? You¡¯ve been staring out this window for over half a month now,¡± Qin Guisheng said. ¡°I¡¯m watching to see if Mr. Che ising out to tell stories,¡± Cao Guixiang said. Mr. Che tells those stale tales every day, if it¡¯s not about the Three Kingdoms, it s about the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and asionally stories about Yue Fei. We¡¯ve heard them for so many years; aren¡¯t you tired of them yet?¡± Qin Guisheng said, unable to understand, ¡°It¡¯s only the kids who¡¯ve never heard them before that enjoy gathering around.¡± Cao Guixiang gave him a disdainful look, ¡°That¡¯s old news you¡¯re talking about. The stories now are about the Generals of the Yang Family.¡± ¡°You should have heard the stories about the Generals of the Yang Family long ago.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I like!¡± ¡°All right, all right, you like it. Manager Zhang said that tomorrow we¡¯re to deliver herbal tea to the elders over 70 in the alley, and I think you should make some for Mr. Che too, seeing as you¡¯ve listened to his storytelling for so long,¡± Qin Guisheng said, ¡°Besides, if you want to listen to storytelling, you can do it at the first-floor entrance; Manager Zhang won¡¯t say anything. What¡¯s the point of listening from the second floor? Can you even hear clearly?¡± ¡°My ears are just fine, I can hear perfectly. The view from the second floor is so much nicer. What¡¯s the fun in listening from the first floor?¡± Cao Guixiang said and pulled Qin Guisheng, getting ready to head downstairs. ¡°Enough with the break; Master is looking for you. If he scolds me too, it¡¯ll be your fault!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, go easy, you¡¯re pinching me. Let go, let go, I¡¯lle down with you.¡± Chapter 277 - 276 Youthful Vibrance (Part Two) Chapter 277: Chapter 276 Youthful Vibrance (Part Two) Qin Guisheng was dragged into the kitchen by Cao Guixiang, all the way Qin Guisheng was shouting exaggeratedly, and the rest of the people who saw them had an unsurprised expression on their faces. ¡°Master, just now second senior brother was wiping tables on the 2nd floor,¡± Cao Guixiang covered for Qin Guisheng. ¡°Would he ever be that diligent?¡± Master Cao Guixiang obviously didn¡¯t believe their ghost stories, ¡°A body full ofziness, he would never stand if he could lie down, sooner orter someone has to deal with you. Come here, you vezed around enough, you and your junior sister go and handle the honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, sophora flowers, kudzu, and kapok flowers. ¡°Didn¡¯t Manager Zhang say he would deliver the herbal tea tomorrow? Qin Guisheng asked. ¡°My distant uncle is sick, I have to visit him at the hospital tomorrow, I won¡¯t have time, so let¡¯s prepare the herbal tea today and keep it aside. It¡¯s hot today anyway, after brewing the herbal tea you all can drink a couple of cups to cool off,¡± Master Cao Guixiang said, then looked up to another middle-aged chef a short distance away, ¡°Master Wang, I¡¯ll have to trouble you tomorrow.¡± ¡°No trouble at all, no trouble at all,¡± Master Wang replied cheerfully, continuing to chop vegetables. Master Cao Guixiang was slicing ham, very slowly and carefully, ensuring each slice was the same size; the ham was cut so thinly it seemed almost translucent. Given the superb quality of the ham, one could tell it was top-grade Jinhua Ham, and Jiang Feng could imagine the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the ham slices from Master Cao Guixiang. Master Cao Guixiang focused on slicing the ham and didn¡¯t bother checking if Qin Guisheng was cking off again; having been given a task, Qin obediently went to work, going with Cao Guixiang to find the ingredients. The herbal tea made with honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, sophora flowers, kudzu, and kapok was naturally Five Flowers Tea. Five Flowers Tea is one of the herbal teasmonly consumed by the people of Guangdong Province, and back in elementary school, Jiang Weiguo would at times brew herbal teas. Since Mrs. Jiang loved fruit teas, Sir usually made teas like watermelon rind tea, tangerine tea, or fruity appetite-inducing teas. There was just one summer, it was so hot that even a thin person like Jiang Feng could sweat profusely by just sitting indoors without doing anything. To remove internal heat and clear liver fire, Sir made Five Flowers Tea then. On a scorching summer day, drinking a cup of heat-clearing herbal tea was more effective than eating a hundred slices of iced watermelon. It¡¯s just that the Five Flowers Tea Sir made used frangipani instead of kudzu because kudzu was too expensive. When Jiang Feng saw Qin Guisheng and Cao Guixiang take out a handful of top- quality kudzu from the bag, he immediately felt a rich aroma filling the air. What kind of family conditions must one have to use such top-quality kudzu to brew Five Flowers Tea, and to give it away as well. Brewing herbal tea is actually very simple ¨C soak the Five Flowers Tea in water, ce it in a soup pot, bring it to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. While rinsing the sophora flowers, Qin Guisheng chatted with Cao Guixiang: ¡°I think to brew the best Five Flowers Tea, you should add some monk fruit and a bit of brown sugar to give it some vor.¡± ¡°If you want to add, just add, the master won¡¯t care what you¡¯ve put in, as long as the final product is good,¡± Cao Guixiang said. While Qin Guisheng was handling the Five Flowers Tea ingredients, he tilted his head to see what his master was doing, and as he looked, he saw his eldest senior brother was torching something. It was sea cucumber, his eldest senior brother was burning the sea cucumber, charring its exterior. ¡°My goodness, who ising for lunch today that they even ordered sea cucumber,¡± Qin Guisheng eximed, ¡°They must be really wealthy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with wealth? If customers don¡¯t order, the master won¡¯t make it and you wouldn¡¯t get to learn at all,¡± Cao Guixiang continued with her work. Jiang Feng had no time to pay attention to what Cao Guixiang and Qin Guisheng were doing anymore. He wished he had the ability to clone himself, or to have an extra pair of eyes ¨C one pair to watch Master Cao Guixiang slicing ham, and another pair to watch Cao Guixiang¡¯s eldest senior brother preparing the sea cucumber. Whether it was Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber or Kuei Hua Duck, both were highlyplex banquet dishes in Tan Family Cuisine. To witness the preparation was to strike it rich. Ever since the game update, which fixed old bugs and introduced new ones, memory could no longer be reviewed repeatedly. Now, memories could only be reviewed in the segment concerning the recipes, so if these dishes weren t in the recipe section, Jiang Feng could only watch this once. After Cao Guixiang¡¯s eldest senior brother finished torching the sea cucumber and scraping off the charred skin, he used a small knife to make a slit in the sea cucumber to remove the innards. After slicing the ham, Master Cao Guixiang walked over to a steaming pot and took out the steamed duck, quickly deboning it and slicing the duck diagonally into pieces. ¡°Master, the sea cucumber has been prepped,¡± the eldest apprentice announced. ¡°Once it¡¯s ready, put it in the pot to cook. Guixiang, go help your senior brother,¡± Master Cao Guixiang ordered. ¡°Okay!¡± Cao Guixiang excitedly washed and dried her hands, decisively leaving Qin Guisheng behind to assist her senior brother. Being able to participate in the preparation of such aplex dish was more useful than watching the master do it a hundred times. ¡°Guixiang, start by chopping the green onions and ginger,¡± her senior brother instructed. As Cao Guixiang chopped the green onions and ginger, the senior brother began to ce bamboo chopsticks in the enamel pot, thenid a bamboo mat on top, followed by the soakedrge sea cucumber, and covered it with another mat. By then, Cao Guixiang had finished chopping the green onions and ginger, and together they began adding the old hen, Jinhua ham, dried scallops, along with the chopped ingredients into the enamel pot. They filled it with water, covered it with a lid, and put it on the stove to boil vigorously. After the pot began to boil, they reduced the heat to simmer it gently. Master Cao Guixiang nced over and said, ¡°The me is too high, turn it down a bit more.¡± Senior brother turned the heat down slightly. Only then did Master Cao Guixiang nod in approval. By now, he had already sliced the duck, shiitake mushrooms, and ham with uniform thickness and size, arranging them neatly on a te to be steamedter. However, steaming them would likely have to wait for a few hours more. Seeing the master taking a break, Qin Guisheng approached with a grin and asked, ¡°Master, who are the guests for lunch today? You¡¯ve ordered so many good dishes.¡± Master Cao Guixiang¡¯s face was stern as he scolded, ¡°What business is it of yours who the guests are? We¡¯re chefs; our job is to cook, not to be nosy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking. It¡¯s not a holiday or anything, is it someone¡¯s daughter getting married or a wedding happening?¡± Qin Guisheng wasn¡¯t fazed by his master¡¯s scolding. Upon hearing Qin Guisheng¡¯s question, both Cao Guixiang and her senior brother became curious and turned to look at their master. ¡°It¡¯s Manager Yin from the silk store next door,¡± Master Cao Guixiang revealed. ¡°Her daughter will be getting married in a few years. She wants to have the Golden Carpenter make a Qian Gong Bed for her daughter. Today¡¯s meal is for inviting the Golden Carpenter and his apprentices. ¡°A Qian Gong Bed?! Manager Yin really has money. How much does it cost to have one made?¡± Qin Guisheng asked, astonished. ¡°Of course, Manager Yin has money; she came from the South. I heard her father was a particrly well-known silk merchant there. The dowry she brought when she got married included a Qian Gong Bed, created by the best craftsman there. They say it cost quite a few yellow croakers,¡± Master Wang couldn¡¯t resist joining the gossip. ¡°Several yellow croakers?!¡± another kitchen helper gasped in shock. ¡°That¡¯s an exaggeration. Would she be sleeping on a bed or on money? I bet it¡¯s an overblown rumor,¡± Qin Guisheng doubted, his poverty capping his imagination. ¡°Who knows? We¡¯ve never slept on such an expensive bed,¡± Master Wang shook his head. Cao Guixiang had a different focus: ¡°Who is this Golden Carpenter?¡± ¡°That cab on our restaurant¡¯s second floor was made by the Golden Carpenter,¡± the senior brother exined. ¡°He also camest month to fix the staircase handrail, but you were probably in the kitchen and didn¡¯t see him.¡¯ ¡°Right, master, that cab on the second floor is broken again. Since the Golden Carpenter ising today, why don¡¯t we ask him to fix it too? the senior brother suggested. ¡°Manager Zhang has already asked the Golden Carpenter, he wille to fix it tomorrow,¡± Master Cao Guixiang stated. Chapter 278 - 277 Youthful and Green (Part Three) Chapter 278: Chapter 277 Youthful and Green (Part Three) The back kitchen of Yonghe House wasn¡¯t very busy, probably because it wasn¡¯t mealtime yet. People gathered in small groups, chatting and working at the same time, seeming very rxed. ¡°I remember Manager Yin¡¯s daughter is a couple of years younger than me, still in junior high I think. Is there such a hurry to prepare her dowry?¡± Cao Guixiang appeared to be close to Qin Guisheng, always hanging around him whenever she had the chance. ¡°Manager Yin is nning for a Qian Gong Bed, which requires a top carpenter¡¯s 1000 hours of work. Even if she only hires Golden Carpenter and his two apprentices help out, just this bed would take several years toplete,¡± Qin Guisheng exined to Cao Guixiang. ¡°That long!¡± Cao Guixiang eximed, as if she had never seen such a thing. ¡°Golden Carpenter is the best carpenter in Beiping City, and Manager Yin always wants the best. She definitely hired only Golden Carpenter, which means she has to start preparing now,¡± Qin Guisheng said, ncing at Cao Guixiang and suddenly remembering that his younger apprentice sister also seemed to be at the age for talking about marriage. Cao Guixiang was still mentally shocked that wealthy families yed this way when suddenly, she looked up and saw Qin Guisheng looking at her with a smile that was not quite a smile, obviously up to no good. ¡°Little apprentice sister, you¡¯re not so young yourself. I remember your sister got married at your age, haven¡¯t your parents urged you yet?¡± Qin Guisheng asked. ¡°What are you talking about, my sister had a love marriage, they naturally got married when the time came,¡± Cao Guixiang retorted, lowering her voice, ¡°I¡¯m about to be a formal worker, my parents won¡¯t rush me.¡± ¡°Congrattions, little apprentice sister,¡± Qin Guishengughed. As they were talking, a middle-aged woman dressed in an embroidered cheongsam, with curly hair, lipstick on, and light makeup, walked into the back kitchen. Although she was middle-aged, she looked quite young. Her skin was well cared for, making her look very lively, and she was carrying a bag. ¡°Manager Yin?¡± Cao Guixiang¡¯s master was somewhat surprised to see Manager Yin and wondered what she was doing in the back kitchen. ¡°Master Peng, busy?¡± Manager Yin greeted him with a smile, ¡°I was wondering about the dish I mentioned to you yesterday¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯S all ready, no problem,¡± Master Peng thought she hade to check because she was worried. ¡öTm well aware of your skills, how could there be any problem. The reason for my visit this time is that I have another favor to ask of you,¡± Manager Yin said with a smile, cing the bag on the culinary table. Jiang Feng noticed that there might be something alive in the bag, because he saw something moving inside. ¡°I heard that Golden Carpenter¡¯s favorite dish is crab stuffed in oranges, and it has to be made using the ancient techniques from the Song Period. As you know, it¡¯s very difficult to find crabs and oranges this season. I had someone look for it, but the person didn¡¯t send me any notice. I thought they couldn¡¯t find it and thus didn¡¯t inform you. Turned out the person was unreliable, he found them but didn¡¯t notify me until this morning, so I must trouble you again¡­¡± Manager Yin said apologetically, her attitude sincere and earnest. ¡°I know it¡¯s inappropriate for me toe to you at thest minute, but crabs and oranges are hard to find at this time, and I¡¯m someone who doesn¡¯t understand the culinary arts, so these fine ingredients would be wasted in my hands. I¡¯m aware of your culinary skills, who else couldpare to you except Taifeng Building¡¯s former head chef, Jiang Chengde? If I were to cook, it would be a waste; if you do it, it¡¯ll be an honor for the ingredients,¡± Manager Yin¡¯s ttery left Master Peng in high spirits, and after a bit of thought, he agreed. ¡°How many do you need?¡± Master Peng asked. ¡°Three will do, Golden Carpenter is bringing his young apprentice over today at noon. That youngd is quite handsome; the first time my daughter saw him, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him. I¡¯ll leave it to you, I should get back,¡± Manager Yin said with a smile as she left. ¡°Can¡¯t take her eyes off him, really that exaggerated?¡± Qin Guisheng, who considered himself a handsome youth, couldn¡¯t help but feel skeptical hearing Manager Yin say so. ¡°Whether it¡¯s that exaggerated or not, you¡¯ll see for yourself this noon,¡± Cao Guixiang said, her eyes fixed on the bag Manager Yin had brought. To find crabs and oranges this season, even if they aren¡¯t of the best quality, is quite rare and precious indeed. Master Peng saw Cao Guixiang fixated on the bag and knew what she was thinking, ¡°Guixiang, steam the crabs. Later, you¡¯ll pick the crabmeat.¡± ¡°Okay, Master!¡± Cao Guixiang said with a delighted face as she started to work. ¡°Guisheng, don¡¯t ck off, go help your eldest senior brother with the shrimp.¡± Once assigned the task, Qin Guisheng had no choice but to do it obediently. Crab Stuffed Oranges, a dish that dates back to the Song period, has evolved into many variations over time, yet the original ancient method has not been abandoned. In ¡°Mountain Cleansing,¡± a cookbook by Lin Hong, it is recorded: ¡°Forrge oranges, cut off the top, remove the segments, leave a little juice, fill the inside with crab roe and meat, cover it again with the stem end, steam in a small steaming basket with wine, vinegar, water, add bitter wine and salt to serve, fragrant and fresh, it brings to mind the delight of new wine and chrysanthemums, with the scent of oranges and the taste of crab.¡± This famous dish made of crabmeat blended with orange flesh, apanied by rice vinegar and Shaoxing Xiangxue Wine, is not extremely difficult to make but is quite intricate and time-consuming. Cao Guixiang went to steam the crab while Master Peng started processing the oranges. It wasn¡¯t the season for oranges, and the quality of the oranges Manager Yin had procured was not the best. They were neitherrge nor full, making them quite difficult to handle. Master Peng cut the top 1/4 of the oranges, carefully snipped the membranes and pith with scissors, then meticulously scooped out the flesh with a small spoon, leaving none behind, only a bit of orange juice. This process was very lengthy, time-consuming, andborious. By the time Master Peng had emptied out the insides, Cao Guixiang had already started picking crabmeat. Picking crabmeat was another meticulous andbor-intensive task- separating the creamy yellow crab roe and the snow-white, strip-like crab meat, cing them in a small bowl forter use. After handling three oranges, Master Peng saw that Cao Guixiang was still picking meat from the second crab and began to cut the fat and water chestnuts into dices. He beat the eggs into egg liquid and added them to the ingredients with minced ginger, wine, vinegar, salt, and other seasonings, all into the hollowed orange, which was left with a bit of orange juice. ¡°Guixiang, is the crabmeat ready?¡± asked Master Peng. ¡°Almost there.¡± Master Peng nced at the bowl filled with crabmeat and crab roe in front of Cao Guixiang and felt there should be enough. He said, ¡°That should be enough, bring it here.¡± Cao Guixiang handed the small bowl to Master Peng, who then filled the oranges with crabmeat and roe before sealing the tops. Cao Guixiang continued to pick crabmeat. Once the three oranges were sealed, Master Peng checked the crabmeat Cao Guixiang had picked and said, ¡°There are two more oranges in the bag ¨C use the remaining crabmeat to practice on your ownter.¡± ¡°Alright, Master.¡± That was precisely what Cao Guixiang had been waiting to hear. Master Peng had spent a fair amount of time on the Crab Stuffed Oranges, so he walked over to the steaming pot for Steamed Sea Cucumber to check the fire control. He then said to his eldest senior brother, ¡°Changping, go outside and check what time it is.¡± The eldest senior brother went outside to check the time; there was a clock hanging behind the counter on the first floor. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s 10:20 now,¡± Peng Changping returned in just a few seconds. Only then did Jiang Feng notice that Peng Changping really did resemble Master Peng; he just hadn¡¯t noticed before because his attention had never been on their faces. Master Peng began to process the sunflower duck. As a representative dish of Tan Family Cuisine that showcases knifework, Jiang Feng had already gotten a taste of the knifework part. What Master Peng was about to do was the most challenging part beyond knifework, the soul of the dish. Seasoning.. Chapter 279 - 278 Youthful and Verdant (Part 4) Chapter 279: Chapter 278 Youthful and Verdant (Part 4) Having eagerly waited by the side, Qin Guisheng hurried over as soon as he saw his master was finally going to make Sunflower Duck, watching and learning up close. In the culinary world, it¡¯s often said that the South prefers sweet while the North favors salty. Tan Family Cuisine, being an official¡¯s cuisine, theoretically belongs to the Northern style. However, Tan Family Cuisine often uses equal parts sugar and salt in its cooking, using sweetness to enhance umami and saltiness to enrich the fragrance. The resulting dishes have a moderate vor that is weed in both the North and the South. The founder of Tan Family Cuisine was an imperial exam runner-up during the thirteenth year of the Tongzhi Emperor, whoter entered the Hanlin Academy to serve as an official. Hence, Tan Family Cuisine is also known as Runner-Up Cuisine. It is a fusion of Canton and Beijing cuisines, featuring careful selection of ingredients, meticulous knifework, and a signature clear soup that¡¯s exquisite¡ªclear as water, pale as tea. The seasoning is also meticulously crafted. Master Peng selected a good piece of ingredient and steamed it until done, then rearranged it on the te. When serving, the duck meat was ced skin-side down, with ham and winter mushrooms alternately arranged in a circr form in the middle, slightly raised, showcasing a tricolor pattern reminiscent of a sunflower. After arranging, chicken broth, salt, soy sauce, and white sugar were added for seasoning before the dish was steamed again in the steamer until the vors were fully infused. While the Sunflower Duck was steaming, Master Peng went to check on the fire control for Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber, turning the heat down slightly. Next, Master Peng fried the fish that Cao Guixiang had marinated earlier. He heated the oil until it was 80-90% hot, added the fish to the wok, and fried it until golden brown before removing it. Almost the moment the fish was out of the wok, the Sunflower Duck on the other side was also nearly done steaming. Master Peng asked Peng Changping to stir-fry the fried Five-Spiced Fish while he made the sauce for Sunflower Duck. The sauce for Sunflower Duck was somewhat simr to Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, both made with the original stock, thickened with starch mixed with white water, and then poured over the Sunflower Duck alongside the steaming juices. Finally, Master Peng did something very interesting. He cut cooked carrots into small rectangr pieces, seasoned them with salt, wine, and chicken fat, and then arranged them crosswise into an ¡®X¡¯ shape around the Sunflower Duck on the te. This made the dish indeed resemble a sunflower. ¡°Master, why are you seasoning the carrots if they¡¯re just for decoration?¡± Qin Guisheng asked, puzzled. ¡°Anything that¡¯s served to the guests is not just for decoration. The carrots have been mixed with chicken fat and wine, and they¡¯ll taste just right with the Sunflower Duck,¡± exined Master Peng. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, there are oranges over there. Go practice with your sister. It just so happens there¡¯s one for each of you; you can taste what you make,¡± Master Peng instructed. Qin Guisheng had no interest in Stuffed Orange with Crab. He neither liked eating it nor cared for making it. He always preferred not to learn dishes that were time-consuming,bor-intensive, and not profitable. ¡°I remember Manager Zhang saying he wanted to move that cab downstairs. I¡¯ll go help him move it. I¡¯lle back when there are guests,¡± said Qin Guisheng, making a quick escape. ¡°What azybones,¡± Master Peng shook his head helplessly. Cao Guixiang was wholeheartedly preparing the oranges. Hearing her master¡¯s words, she looked up and spoke in defense of Qin Guisheng. ¡°Master, aren¡¯t you aware? My second senior brother has never liked making such dishes. If it were Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, he¡¯d be willing to do even the most troublesome tasks. But for these kinds of dishes, he¡¯d rather not bother,¡± Cao Guixiang said. ¡°If I asked him to make Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, does he have the skill? Always aiming too high, he¡¯s bound to have a great fall sooner orter,¡± sighed Master Peng as he went to handle the Steamed Sea Cucumber. The way Master Peng prepared the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber was exactly the same as Jiang Feng had seen in Xue Shaoheng¡¯s memories. He could only marvel that Cao Guixiang had truly inherited her master¡¯s craft without any difference. Compared to Sunflower Duck and Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber, Stuffed Orange with Crab was not difficult at all; it was just that the process was a bit tedious. Cao Guixiang had plenty of patience and was doing it properly, virtually indistinguishable from how Master Peng made it. While Master Peng was focussed on the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber, Peng Changping¡¯s Five-Spiced Fish was almost ready toe out of the wok. Cao Guixiang went to check on the Five Flowers Tea, and the rest of the chefs and assistants were busy with their own tasks, making the kitchen very quiet. ¡°Master Peng, Manager Yin and his group have arrived, they said the dishes can be served now,¡± Manager Zhang came in and said. ¡°Alright, the dishes will be served immediately,¡± Master Peng replied, pouring the sauce over the big ck sea cucumber as Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber was taken out of the wok. Without needing further instruction, Peng Changping carried the dishes out. Jiang Feng followed Peng Changping out, curious to see if the handsome young apprentice from Golden Carpenter was indeed Zhang Chu, as he suspected. Before they had even reached the dining area, from behind the screen, Jiang Feng heard Manager Yin¡¯s voice. ¡°Master Jin, I heard you enjoy Stuffed Orange with Crab. We¡¯ve especially arranged for oranges and crabs, and Master Peng has personally prepared it. It will soon be served,¡± Manager Yin said enthusiastically. ¡°I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Manager Yin,¡± responded Master Jin withposure. ¡°As long as you like it, that¡¯s good. Come on, Zhang, don¡¯t be shy, take a seat! You¡¯ve grown even more handsome in the time since Ist saw you,¡± Manager Yin said. Jiang Feng passed through the screen and saw the youthful Zhang Chu. Manager Yin had not exaggerated at all; the young Zhang Chu was truly handsome, and his handsomeness bore the distinct traits of the era. With an air of integrity and a visage that easily conveyed his good nature. Fair-skinned, with thick eyebrows andrge eyes, his features were deep and distinct,pelling onlookers to exim in surprise, Wow, he is so handsome. The Zhang Chu seated on the second floor now was youthful and handsome, with an air of elegance and a dashing spirit. In memory, Jiang Feng had seen Zhang Chu as middle-aged with a fuller figure, thinning hair, and signs that hinted at a future balding pattern. Time indeed was like a rolling pin, sometimes rolling sideways, sometimes lengthwise. ¡°Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber,¡± Peng Changping announced as he ced the dish on the table. ¡°Master Peng Changping, if the dishes are ready, please serve them all together,¡± Manager Yin said. ¡°Okay,¡± Peng Changping nodded and went downstairs. Jiang Feng stayed upstairs, listening to the conversation among the three. Manager Yin had a favor to ask of Golden Carpenter, wishing for him to craft a fine Qian Gong Bed for his daughter. He was exceedingly enthusiastic, continually offering food to Golden Carpenter and also remembering to serve Zhang Chu a couple of chopstickfuls. Before long, Peng Changping returned with a tray, on whichy sunflower duck, five-spice fish, and three stuffed orange crabs. Cao Guixiang followed behind absently, carrying a tray with chilled tea, her mind seemingly elsewhere. ¡°Ah, Master Peng has already prepared the stuffed orange crabs. He truly lives up to his reputation!¡± Manager Yin helped Peng Changping ce the dishes on the table, ¡°Since we don¡¯t have many people, I didn¡¯t order too much. These are all Master Peng¡¯s specialties. Come on, Zhang, eat up.¡± ¡°Thank you, Manager Yin,¡± Zhang Chu said, a bit reserved, eating with his head down. ¡°Manager Yin, this Five Flowers Tea has just been brewed and it¡¯s still warm. It¡¯s hot today, so my master sent me to bring you three cups of Five Flowers Tea to cool down,¡± said Cao Guixiang, setting the chilled tea on the table. ¡°Well, that¡¯s very kind of Master Peng, he¡¯s so thoughtful,¡± said Manager Yin. As she turned her head, she caught sight of Zhang Chu. Cao Guixiang halted her movements abruptly. In just a few short seconds, Jiang Feng observed the rapid y of shock, confusion, joy, shyness, and panic across her face. During this flurry of expressions, Cao Guixiang¡¯s gaze never left Zhang Chu¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s the least I can do,¡± Cao Guixiang picked up the tray and slipped away as if greased on the soles of her shoes. After taking only a few steps, she couldn¡¯t help but turn back for another nce. Zhang Chu kept his head down and continued eating, never once lifting his head or looking at her. Cao Guixiang turned her head back somewhat disappointedly, walked a couple of steps forward, yet again couldn¡¯t resist turning back for another look at Zhang Chu before continuing on. Zhang Chu was still immersed in his meal. ¡°Golden Carpenter, how is young Zhang doing with his craftsmanship these days?¡± asked Manager Yin. ¡°Him? He¡¯s just a beginner. He learned how to repair window frames recently but hasn¡¯t had a chance to practice. I¡¯ve been worried about it. Manager Yin, if you hear of anyone needing their window frames repaired, let me know. I won¡¯t charge¡ªyoung Zhang can get some practice on the job,¡± replied Golden Carpenter. ¡°You can count on me to keep an eye out for you,¡± Manager Yin quickly promised. Cao Guixiang stood as if frozen in ce. Even though she couldn¡¯t see Zhang Chu behind the screen, she¡¯d rather stare at the screen than go downstairs. ¡°Little sister, what are you doing standing around foolishly? I thought you got lost. We have guests, master is calling you,¡± said Qin Guisheng at the first floor stairway. ¡°Oh, right,¡± Cao Guixiang snapped out of her reverie and went downstairs. ¡°Second Senior Brother, do you know the name of Golden Carpenter¡¯s apprentice?¡± asked Cao Guixiang. ¡°How would I know? I don¡¯t even know him, and I don¡¯t even know Golden Carpenter¡¯s real name,¡± Qin Guisheng replied, clearly confused, ¡°Why are you asking about that boy? Let me tell you, these good-looking kids are no good!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s no good!¡± Cao Guixiang retorted, angry, and turned to enter the kitchen. ¡°Master, you wanted to see me?¡± ¡°You girl, I sent you to deliver some chilled tea and you disappeared¡ªdid you learn that from your second senior brother?¡± Master Peng said helplessly, ¡°Do you still remember you have stuffed orange crabs steaming in the pot?¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± Cao Guixiang gasped, realizing she¡¯d forgotten all about it, and hurriedly went to check on the stuffed orange crabs in the pot. ¡°Master, why are you ming herziness on me?¡± Qin Guisheng startedining once again, ¡°What do you mean she learned it from me? She¡¯s definitely self-taught!¡± Cao Guixiang fumbled as she hastily took the stuffed orange crabs out of the pot; she made two, one for herself and one for Qin Guisheng. ¡°Here, for you,¡± she said, handing a stuffed orange crab to Qin Guisheng. Qin Guisheng looked pleasantly surprised, ¡°Being so nice to me? You must need something.¡± She pulled Qin Guisheng aside and whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t need anything, but now I do.¡± ¡°What do you need? Borrow money? You know I don¡¯t have any money, right? I spent all my sryst month on a dress for Amin,¡± he said, guarded. ¡°Have some shame. The money you used to buy Amin¡¯s dressst month, part of it was even borrowed from me,¡± Cao Guixiang red at him, ¡°Can you help me figure out which window frame in our shop would be the best to break?¡± Qin Guisheng: ??? Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Break? Our shop¡¯s windows are in good condition, all made by Master Qiu from the Southern City. You know that. What are you up to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not up to anything. I just think, you see, it rained cats and dogsst month, there should be at least a couple broken, right? If not two, then at least one needs to be broken, it should happen today,¡± insisted Cao Guixiang, urging Qin Guisheng, ¡°Please help me out, Second Senior Brother, help me break one.¡± Qin Guisheng felt as if the stuffed orange crab in his hand weighed a ton. ¡°Eat, eat, this thing won¡¯t taste good if it gets cold,¡± Qin Guisheng changed the subject. Cao Guixiang scooped up a small spoonful of the stuffed orange crab and tasted it. She smiled like a cat that had just snatched a taste of fish. Joy was evident on her brows.. Chapter 280 - 279 Sudden Enlightenment Chapter 280: Chapter 279 Sudden Enlightenment Jiang Feng left his memories with his head full of ¡°what the fuck¡± moments. Zhang Chu thought he had fallen in love with Cao Guixiang at first sight and then pursued her, leading him to marry hister wife. But in reality, Cao Guixiang had set her sights on him a long time ago, even going so far as to break the window frames of Yonghe House. Luckily for Zhang Chu, he had fallen for Cao Guixiang at first sight, otherwise, who knows how many times the window frames of Yonghe House would have been broken. Mentally eximing a few times that Cao Guixiang was indeed a she-wolf, Jiang Feng silently opened the attribute panel to check the dish he had just acquired. [Crab stuffed oranges, C Level] Creator: Cao Guixiang Dish Details: This is a traditional and famous dish known throughout history for itsplicated and meticulous cooking process and its rich and unique vor. Although there were some mistakes made during the making of this dish which led to a final taste that wasn¡¯t quite satisfactory, because of the special mood of the person eating the dish, it became one of the unforgettable dishes of Cao Guixiang¡¯s life, and when used inbination with the special dish Zhajiangmian, it could greatly enhance the vor. Number of times it can be cooked in a day (0/10) Jiang Feng:¡­ This game, knowing that he had already guessed the dish from Zhang Chu¡¯s memory, actually spoiled it by telling him straight up that the next dish in the memory sequence was Zhajiangmian. It really seemed like it was on a rampage of resignation. Crab stuffed oranges weren¡¯t really difficult, it¡¯s just that oranges and crabs weren¡¯t in season yet, so the earliest he could practice making this dish would be around October. Jiang Feng was more interested in the Sunflower Duck and Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber made by Master Peng. This time, he had seen theplete first half of Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber in his memory, and he had previously watched Cao Guixiang make thetter half and now had seen Master Peng do it too. Maybe because Cao Guixiang and Master Peng had made it look so smooth, Jiang Feng had begun to illusion himself into thinking, ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it twice, I could do it too.¡± If all else failed, and if he botched the dish, he could still ask the two old sirs for advice. Jiang Feng¡¯s mind was rapidly turning over his clever little ns, and he decided to find a time in the next few days to try making the dish. Compared to the Spiny Sea Cucumber, the price of Steamed Sea Cucumber was much more affordable, so using it for practice wouldn¡¯t cause Mrs. Wang Xiulian any distress. It shouldn¡¯t cause any distress. Initially, Jiang Feng was all set to finish both memories in one go, but now, having finished Cao Guixiang¡¯s, he found he wasn¡¯t all that interested in Zhang Chu¡¯s anymore. Cao Guixiang¡¯s memory wasn¡¯t long, not even a full day, but watching Master Peng and the others make all those dishes, and learning as he watched, had taken a lot of energy, so he decided to set aside Zhang Chu¡¯s memory for the time being ande back to it tomorrow or the day after. Jiang Feng decided to happily watch some stupid TV drama to rx. Time always flies when watching stupid TV dramas. The male and female leads were being silly in the show, and Jiang Feng was chatting nonsense with Wang Hao on WeChat as he sat on the couch. In the blink of an eye, it was 10 o¡¯clock. Remembering what Mrs. Wang Xiulian had told him, Jiang Feng had wanted to invite Wang Hao toe to Beiping for a couple of days, but since Wang Hao was busy showing affection to his girlfriend and didn¡¯t have time to care about their superficial roommate rtionship, Wang Hao said he woulde over during the National Day holiday when he had free time. Yes, Wang Hao had confirmed his rtionship with Zhenzhen, and in the short span of a few months, he had lost another 20 pounds, sessfullypleting the perfect transition from fatso to a man of ordinary appearance. After chatting with Wang Hao, Jiang Feng went to take a shower. By the time he was out of the shower, it was already half-past ten, and Wu Minqi had still not returned. Feeling it strange, Jiang Feng called her to find out where she was. ¡°Hello, Qiqi, have youe back yet? Where are you? Do you want me toe pick you up?¡± Jiang Feng said as soon as the call went through. ¡°I¡¯m not back yet; I¡¯m still at Taifeng Building,¡± Wu Minqi replied, ¡°Sun Jikai is with me. He¡¯s had some new ideas about the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon¡¯s sauce. Do you want toe over?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there,¡± Jiang Feng said, hanging up the phone, grabbing his keys, and heading out the door. The sauce for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon wasn¡¯t the point, the point was Sun Jikai. This guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes who didn¡¯t look like good news, who liked to flirt with young girls, was now alone in a room with his wife at 10:30 at night. Especially since this guy had just been dumped by his girlfriend recently and was in a healing period from a bruised heart. What if Sun Jikai suddenly lost his wits, remembering the green days when he and Wu Minqi were young and barely spoke, having ill intentions? Then wouldn¡¯t Jiang Feng have to change his name to Jiang Green? The crap idol drama he had just watched was filmed exactly like this, and when he turned off the TV, he felt like the male secondary character¡¯s hair looked a bit green. Jiang Feng arrived at Taifeng Building close to 11 PM, the front door was already closed, and he entered the kitchen directly through the back door. The hall was pitch-dark, while the kitchen was brightly lit. Sun Jikai and Wu Minqi, a man and a woman alone together, were in the room, with a line of deboned pigeons lying on the cooking station. With this number, they wouldn¡¯t be able to finish them all until one or two in the morning. Every stove was lit, simmering pigeon soup, and many tes of thepleted Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon were ced next to Sun Jikai. Jiang Feng was somewhat taken aback by the quantity of pigeons and turned to ask Wu Minqi, ¡°Did he make all of these?¡± Wu Minqi nodded helplessly, ¡°I just helped with deboning. He did the rest, and he hasn¡¯t stopped at all for the past few hours.¡± Sun Jikai must be obsessed, he¡¯s really taking on the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon head-on. Sun Jikai was making the thickening sauce, following the steps they had researched earlier, which were simr to the steps Jiang Feng remembered seeing Cao Guixiang and Master Peng perform, but the sauce did not flow down like a waterfall. Just like before, something was always missing. Jiang Feng took a small taste with a spoon, and the vor was far from what Sun Guanyun had made before. His intuition told him that the difference between their Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and Sun Guanyun¡¯s might not just be the sauce. There was something else, something crucial, and they had no idea about it. Jiang Feng began to recall every word Sun Guanyun had said when he taught him how to make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon months ago, but he couldn¡¯t remember much. He remembered that the thickening sauce was crucial, for Sun Guanyun had said it could maintain the pigeon¡¯s temperature, and the texture of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon depended on the temperature. Only by finding the perfect temperature could the dish be perfected. ¡°Sun Jikai, did your grandfather ever tell you that the key to this dish is the temperature?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Temperature?¡± Sun Jikai was stunned, clueless. ¡°My grandfather only ever told me that the key to this dish was the sauce.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Sun Jikai: ??? The two looked at each other, feeling like they had learned a counterfeit Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. ¡°You must have remembered wrong,¡± they said in unison. Jiang Feng could only turn his attention to Wu Minqi, who had also been present during the teaching that day. ¡°Sir Sun indeed said that the key to this dish is the temperature, which can determine the texture of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Wu Minqi said. Sun Jikai felt even more lost, as if he could be a counterfeit himself, for he didn¡¯t recall Sun Guanyun ever saying anything of the sort. Seeing Sun Jikai¡¯s life-questioning expression, Jiang Feng seemed to have realized something and asked, ¡°When was thest time your grandfather taught you this dish?¡± ¡°More than a year ago, almost two years,¡± Sun Jikai replied. Jiang Feng felt like he understood. What Sun Jikai had learned was not wrong, and neither was what he had learned. It was just that Sun Guanyun had further refined the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in the year since. Or rather, Sun Guanyun had discovered a better way to make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Temperature was just as important as the sauce. The sauce could enrich the vor of the stuffing in the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, while the temperature could ensure the vor of the pigeon itself. Jiang Feng finally understood what was amiss. In Cao Guixiang¡¯s memory, Master Peng vored the decorative carrots when making sunflower ducks because anything served at the table was intended to be eaten, regardless of whether it was for decoration. They often only ate the stuffing and not the pigeon when consuming Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon because it was well-known that the stuffing was the essence. But just as Master Peng had said, anything served at the table was intended to be eaten, and as chefs, they must ensure not only the taste of the stuffing but also the vor of the pigeon itself. Jiang Feng felt like he knew how to make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon now. ¡®Sun Jikai, let me give it a try,¡± Jiang Feng said. Chapter 281 - 280: The Secret Technique - Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon Chapter 281: Chapter 280: The Secret Technique ¨C Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon ¡°What have you thought of now?¡± Sun Jikai said, then paused, realizing the oddity of his own words¡ªwhy did he use ¡°again¡±? ¡°I¡¯ve had a bit of inspiration, now I need to verify it,¡± Jiang Feng said. Sun Jikai stepped aside, leaving the wok to him. Sun Jikai had made significant progress in the initial preparation of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon over the past two days. It was clear lie had been practicing a lot on his own. Jiang Feng approached the stove, ready to start making the sauce. The sauce for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was meant not only to enrich the vor of the stuffing but also to enhance the taste of the pigeon itself, while also maintaining an appropriate temperature to ensure the pigeon was at the optimal serving heat. Taste, temperature. Jiang Feng thought of Cao Guixiang¡¯s method of preparing and pouring the sauce when making Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber. A small spoonful of sauce, poured from the center of the sea cucumber, forming a line, then spreading out, the sauce was thick yet flowed down like water. Just two spoonfuls were enough to coat the entire sea cucumber, like a membrane that clung steadily to its surface. He then recalled how Guanyun had done the same with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, the small spoon moving over the whole pigeon, the dribbles of sauce touching the pigeon and spreading out fast, like water droplets in a pond creating ripples around them. Using the original pigeon broth to make the sauce was to highlight the inherent freshness of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. The thickness of the sauce was for the taste. Its water-like cascading was to thinly cling to the pigeon, sealing in the heat. This was the true purpose of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon sauce¡ªit was not a show of skill, nor for aesthetics, but for the sake of the food itself. Jiang Feng sprung into action, like a protagonist in a martial arts novel who had suddenly attained enlightenment, dispelling millennia of confusion with an epiphany. High heat to reduce the pigeon broth into a thick soup. Cornstarch to thicken. Add chicken fat. Turn off the heat. Lift the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon from the steaming pot and wait. The exact temperature that¡¯s best for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is something only the chef¡¯s experience and understanding can determine¡ªno one can say for sure, it¡¯s all about feeling. Fortunately, Jiang Feng had practiced the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon enough. His sense of it might not be remarkably keen, but it was certainly there to some extent. Wu Minqi and Sun Jikai watched silently as Jiang Fengdled a small spoon of sauce. He poured it over. The sauce spread over the surface of the pigeon, enveloping it entirely. As the sauce fell, it wasn¡¯t very smooth¡ªthere was a slight tackiness, a sign of the technical gap that couldn¡¯t be bridged in a short time. The dish wasplete. Looking at the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in front of him, Sun Jikai¡¯s heart raced uncontrobly and his breathing quickened. His instinct told him that the dish Jiang Feng had made might truly seed. ¡°Want to try?¡± Jiang Feng offered the spoon to Sun Jikai, confident. Sun Jikai sliced open the pigeon¡¯s belly, scooped up a spoonful of the vegetable filling, and dipped it in some sauce. He tasted it. His eyes lit up. That was the vor, that was the sensation. He had been eating the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by Sun Guanyun since he was young; the taste was etched onto his tongue, and he recognized it immediately. ¡°Jiang Feng, can you¡­ can you tell me how you did it?¡± Sun Jikai looked at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°This dish was taught to me by your Grandpa, and now that I¡¯ve learned it, of course, I should teach you,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°It¡¯s not the same, this is something you figured out on your own,¡± Sun Jikai shook his head, ¡°My grandpa¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon isn¡¯t as good as yours.¡± ¡°Not as good?¡± Wu Minqi hadn¡¯t put down her spoon yet and said in surprise, ¡°The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon that I tasted from Sir Sun the other day was better than what Jiang Feng made.¡± Sun Jikai: ??? Could it be that I¡¯m a fake Sun Jikai??? Sun Jikai began to doubt his life. ¡°Qjqi is right, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon that Sir Sun made the other day was indeed much better than the one I made today,¡± Jiang Feng agreed. Sun Jikai couldn¡¯tprehend this world anymore; the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in his memory seemed different from the one Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had tasted. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Sir Sun improved the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon over the past year or so,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Improved?¡± ¡°Yes, improved. Sir Sun hadn¡¯t realized at the time he taught you that temperature is the key to making Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Actually, temperature is just as important as the sauce, because it ensures the vor of the pigeon itself,¡± exined Jiang Feng. ¡°The pigeon? But it¡¯s the stuffing inside the pigeon¡¯s belly that you eat!¡± Sun Jikai couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°That¡¯s how I understood it at first too, so I never realized why temperature could be the key to this dish. But just now, I suddenly remembered what my grandpa once told me: as soon as a dish is served, it¡¯s meant for the guests to eat, and naturally that includes the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.¡± Jiang Feng silently apologized to Master Peng in his heart. Sun Jikai fell silent. ¡°The key to this dish is indeed the sauce, but it¡¯s not just the vor and method of making the sauce, it¡¯s also about the timing of pouring the sauce onto the pigeon. As for when to pour the sauce, that¡¯s up to your own judgment,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Sun Jikai remained silent for a long while before finally eximing, ¡°Grandpa Jiang is truly a master.¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ This¡­ That¡­ Forget it, that¡¯s right, my grandpa is indeed a real master! Jiang Feng smiled somewhat sheepishly. It was almost midnight, and there were still quite a few pigeons left to be processed in the kitchen. Sun Jikai nced at his phone and realized it was gettingte, so he urged Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi to head back. ¡°You guys go ahead first. I¡¯ll finish up these pigeons and then head back. I¡¯ll stay to clean up and lock up,¡± Sun Jikai said. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were not in the habit of stayingte in the kitchen to practice, after all, getting enough sleep was the key to staying energized for the next day. The two left first, leaving Sun Jikai alone to practice in the kitchen. On the way home, Jiang Feng was considering whether to continue practicing Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon on the back of his sess or try making Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber. Wu Minqi, noticing Jiang Feng deep in thought, asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°I was nning to try learning how to make Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber these next few days, but the feeling I got from making Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon just now was so good, I¡¯m hesitating whether I should continue practicing it,¡± Jiang Feng said, conflicted. Learning dishes, especially famous and difficult ones, should not be done half-heartedly. ¡°Go with Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t decide, so Wu Minqi made the decision for him, ¡°The feeling you get from cooking is very important. Besides, you¡¯ve never cooked sea cucumber dishes before. I suggest you familiarize yourself with sea cucumbers before trying to make those dishes. Moreover, Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber is extremely difficult. Even the two Grandpa Jiangs probably wouldn¡¯t knowhow to make that dish, so why do you want to attempt it?¡± After Wu Minqi put it that way, Jiang Feng also felt that he was being somewhat overambitious. Sea cucumber dishes are inherently difficult to prepare, and Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber sits at the pinnacle of sea cucumber dishes. His desire to attempt Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber as someone who had never dealt with sea cucumbers was indeed rather lofty. ¡°You¡¯re right, I was getting ahead of myself,¡± Jiang Fengughed, suddenly enlightened. Side by side, hand in hand, they walked toward home, their shadows stretching long, so long that they dazzled the eyes of the single dogs returning from overtime. At dawn, the deste streets were filled with the scent of joyful couples in love. Chapter 282 - 281 The Organization Has Decided That You Will Take the Blame Chapter 282: Chapter 281 The Organization Has Decided That You Will Take the me Because he¡¯d gone to bedte the night before, Jiang Feng also got upte the next morning. His arrival at Taifeng Building was over half an hourter than usual. As soon as he stepped through the door, he heard Ji Yue¡¯s screams, sounding like a pig being ughtered. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Mrs. Wang, please be gentler, I beg you, stop pressing, don¡¯t press, don¡¯t rub it, ah, it¡¯s so painful, Mrs. Wang, go easy!¡± Ji Yue sat in a chair, her right foot grasped by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who was applying an ice patch to it. Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s palm pressed down on the ice patch,pletely ignoring Ji Yue¡¯s shrieks of pain. ¡°Now you know it hurts. What were you doing earlier? You didn¡¯t say anything when you first twisted it, only when we noticed. A sprain needs to be treated in time. If you had iced your instep earlier, it wouldn¡¯t have swollen up like an egg.¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian, after years as thedy boss, had abundant experience in treating all sorts of sprains, cuts, burns, and scalds. ¡°Mrs. Wang, it¡¯s my first time spraining my ankle. How was I supposed to know it was this bad? I just didn¡¯t have the experience,¡± Ji Yue¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°Gentler, please, I¡¯m begging you to stop pressing, ah!¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t bear to look at her. ¡°Stop rubbing? How will the bruise dissipate if I don¡¯t? If I don¡¯t, tomorrow your foot will swell up like a steamed bun, then you¡¯ll really be in pain,¡± threatened Mrs. Wang Xiulian. ¡°We¡¯ll ice it today, but if it¡¯s more swollen or painful tomorrow, you¡¯re going to the hospital. Take care not to damage the bone. Injuries to muscles and bones take a hundred days to heal. None of you young folks give me peace of mind. My own little rabbit at home is just the same, even cutting vegetables can end up slicing his own hand.¡± Suddenly cued, Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Mom, that was ages ago, it was just an ident, why do you keep bringing it up?¡± Jiang Feng said, embarrassed. ¡°What happened to Ji Yue? How did she sprain her foot like that?¡± Jiang Feng said, looking at Ji Yue¡¯s foot, thinking that she had managed quite a skillful sprain. Most people swell around the ankle when they sprain it, but Ji Yue was different¡ªit was her instep that was swollen, bulging with arge bump that was particrly conspicuous. ¡°You ask her; I have no idea how she did it. Her foot had swollen up like this, yet she was acting as if nothing was wrong. If Qi Rou hadn¡¯t noticed her limping while walking, in no time we would¡¯ve been calling an ambnce,¡± said Mrs. Wang Xiulian. Ji Yue¡¯s face, contorted with pain, now also showed a hint of embarrassment as she slowly exined, ¡°It¡¯s like this, I¡¯ve been on a diet recently, right? So, I¡¯ve been taking the stairs. Thenst night I didn¡¯t eat much, and this morning I was really hungry. So, in my rush to get downstairs, I just¡­ kind of twisted my foot a little, and tumbled down the stairs.¡± Qi Rou, Ji Yue¡¯s admiring little fan and underling who was bringing a box of ice cubes, gasped upon hearing that she had fallen down the stairs. She rushed over and gave Ji Yue a thorough checkup from head to toe, finally rxing once she was sure there were no tears in her clothes, no scrapes on her hands or body, and her face was unharmed. Ji Yue, how many stairs did you fall down? Are you alright?¡± Qi Rou said, her face full of concern. I m fine, I¡¯m fine. It was probably around four or five steps. Just scraped my elbow a bit,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°You tumbled down four or five stairs and didn¡¯t take leave to go to the hospital, but came to work?¡± Jiang Feng was shocked; he hadn¡¯t realized that their restaurant had such dedicated employees. ¡°And then? You went to work afterward?¡± ¡°No, after that, I went to buy breakfast,¡± said Ji Yue. Jiang Feng & Mrs. Wang Xiulian & Qi Rou: ??? The green bean buns from the steamed bun shop, the third one from the left at the entrance of ourmunity, are especially delicious. I was runningte this morning and nearly missed out on them. I picked myself up, grabbed my phone, and ran to the bun shop. They had just two left, and I managed to snatch them. Good thing I ran, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have had green bean buns this morning!¡± Ji Yue exined. Jiang Feng: ??? Friend, do you remember your foot¡¯s almost as swollen as a green bean bun? ¡°Then, while paying, I realized that my phone¡¯s front camera was smashed and it couldn¡¯t scan the code at all. Lucky for me, thedy boss is nice and knows me, she said I could put it on a tab,¡± Ji Yue continued. ¡°Doesn¡¯t your foot hurt?¡± Jiang Feng asked, looking at Ji Yue¡¯s swollen trotter, which seemed even more engorged than before. After taking a tumble and twisting her ankle, she trotted off to buy buns and then walked for over ten minutes to get to Taifeng Building, chatting andughing as if nothing was wrong, walking everywhere¡ªit seemed Ji Yue didn¡¯t care much for her right foot anymore. I really didn¡¯t feel it was that painful at the time. Isn¡¯t it normal to feel a little pain after a fall? I didn¡¯t pay it much attention,¡± Ji Yue convincingly argued. Jiang Feng:¡­ As the atmosphere fell into an inexplicable silence, Sun Jikai, dressed in his work uniform, came out from the kitchen looking haggard, his face weary, hair messy and greasy, clearly having not slept all night. ¡°Jiang Feng, you¡¯re here! I think I¡¯m getting close to something. Wu Minqi just tasted it and said it¡¯s decent. Have a taste and see if there¡¯s anything wrong with it,¡± Sun Jikai said, yawning. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you stayed in the kitchen all night practicing?¡± Jiang Feng asked. If that was indeed the case, then Sun Jikai¡¯s condition seemed a bit risky¡ªit was like the prelude to obsession. ¡°No, I went home at three in the morning to catch some sleep, then came over at just past five. I¡¯ll just nap for a couple of hourster; I used to do the same thing at Wharton when working on my papers,¡± Sun Jikai replied. ¡°By the way, Mrs. Wang, deduct the extra pigeon portions I¡¯ve used this period from my sry,¡± he added. ¡°We¡¯ve never had a policy of deducting the cost of practice ingredients from the chef¡¯s sry,¡± although Mrs. Wang Xiulian loved money, she knew what was important. ¡°Even if you tried your hardest, how much money could you use in a month? Just use whatever you need, it¡¯s okay. Jiang Feng wasted God knows how many good ingredients learning to cook when he was little. Isn¡¯t that how all you chefs started out? I understand.¡± Sun Jikai was taken aback. Pigeons were not cheap, and he had been prepared to have arge portion of his sry docked for the month. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Wang,¡± he said. ¡°How many Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons did you make?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Just finished two portions,¡± Sun Jikai replied. ¡°Ji Yue, do you want one to make up for it?¡± Jiang Feng felt that among all the people present, Ji Yue was the one who most needed an Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Like cures like, Ji Gezi needed to eat more of her own kind¡¯s feet to heal faster. Ji Yue¡¯s heart stirred, and she silently swallowed a gulp of saliva. She thought about the hard-earned and arduous efforts she¡¯d made to lose weight recently, about the surprise or disappointment each time she stepped on the scale. She had worked so hard to lose weight for so long-plus, her foot had gotten injured today¡ªit was time to treat herself well. Besides, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon had a vegetarian filling, and eating vegetarian wouldn¡¯t lead to weight gain. ¡°Yes!¡± Ji Yue nodded fervently. Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai went to the kitchen to get her the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Sun Jikai was previously oblivious to what was happening around him, engrossed in preparing pigeons without knowing about Ji Yue¡¯s heroic episode that morning. ¡°What happened to Ji Yue¡¯s foot? Why is it so swollen?¡± Sun Jikai asked. ¡°She rolled down the stairs today,¡± Jiang Feng said. That serious? Shouldn¡¯t she eat some pork feet to recover?¡± Sun Jikai, too, thought of like curing like, but his idea of like wasn¡¯t the same as Jiang Feng¡¯s, ¡°Serve that one on the right.¡± Jiang Feng took a knife to slice open the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon on the right, picked up a spoon, and carried the te over. ¡°Pork feet? Clear-stewed pork feet?¡± Jiang Feng asked, ¡°We seem to have pork feet in the restaurant, but I don¡¯t really know how to cook them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it. 1 know how to make Braised Pork Feet in Red Fermented Tofu,¡± Sun Jikai said. ¡°Braised Pork Feet in Red Fermented Tofu?¡± Jiang Feng remembered the dish- it seemed to be one of Jubao Building¡¯s signature dishes, very famous, and one of the Sun Family¡¯s exclusive recipes. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid we¡¯ll steal the recipe by making it here in Taifeng Building?¡± Jiang Feng asked with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re wee to try,¡± Sun Jikai replied with a smile. He was very willing for them to learn from such an almost magnificent restaurant. Jiang Feng went to serve Ji Yue the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and Sun Jikai followed closely behind, eager to hear her evaluation of the dish. On her first taste, Ji Yue pretended to scoop up only the vegetarian filling, but on her next, she couldn¡¯t wait to engulf a whole pigeon wing. Through her actions, she proved that there are indeed people in the world who ate the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon for the pigeon as well. ¡°Mmm, you guys did much better this time around!¡± Ji Yue praised. ¡°What¡¯s better?¡± Sun Jikai asked. ¡°The pigeon¡¯s better. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon you made before only had edible vegetarian filling, with pigeon meat that was utterly tasteless. This time, not only is the vegetarian filling more delicious than before, but the pigeon meat is also tastier than previously,¡± Ji Yue smacked her lips, ¡°But it¡¯s still not as delicious as the one I had at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. Although I only had a mouthful of vegetarian filling then, I ate all of the pigeon, and the meat was particrly vorful and tender.¡± After another bite of the vegetarian filling, Ji Yue looked up only to find Jiang Feng and Sun Jikai giving her strange looks. Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes conveyed mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, while Sun Jikai¡¯s eyes explicitly told Ji Yue that sadness outweighed happiness for him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± they both eximed in unison, with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy. ¡°If you had told us earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have gone through so many wrong turns,¡± Sun Jikaimented. ¡°If you had told us earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have wasted so many pigeons,¡± Jiang Feng bemoaned. Ji Yue: ??? Although she didn¡¯t grasp what they meant, her instincts told her they seemed to be trying to pass the buck to her. ¡°Sigh.¡± Jiang Feng let out a breath. ¡°Sigh.¡± Sun Jikai did the same. The two walked away, looking utterly dejected. Ji Yue: ??? So was the me being dumped on her after all? ??? Chapter 283 - 282: Stumbling by Mistake Chapter 283: Chapter 282: Stumbling by Mistake Braised Pork Feet in Red Fermented Tofu is a famous Cantonese dish, and is also currently one of the signature dishes at Jubao Building. Unlike the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, several apprentices of Sun Guanyun make Braised Pork Feet in Red Fermented Tofu quite well, and it¡¯s very famous nationwide. Red fermented tofu is made by fermenting with red yeast rice. This type of fermented tofu contains not only arge amount of high-quality protein and various amino acids required by the human body but also has a unique wine fragrance. Because Braised Pork Feet in Red Fermented Tofu has a rich aroma and mellow taste, it ismonly found in tea restaurants and is often eaten with noodles and vermicelli. A good portion of Braised Pork Feet in Red Fermented Tofu has a reddish color, a savory taste, tender and well-vored, and most importantly, doesn¡¯t require added salt. The kitchen at Taifeng Building definitely has pig¡¯s feet in stock, after all, Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s fried pig¡¯s feet and cured pig¡¯s feet sell quite well. The pig¡¯s feet are ready, cleaned, and have been soaked in clean water overnight. Sun Jikai picked one that was rtively small and stewed it with scallions, ginger, and other spices over gentle heat. While stewing the pig¡¯s feet, he didn¡¯t stay idle, continuing to practice the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, tackling both tasks at once. Wu Minqi seldom participated in the practice of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon before, basically just watching them do it. At most, she helped Sun Jikai with whole-pigeon deboning when Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t around; after all, Sun Jikai¡¯s knife skills were not up to par, and his status on the staff disy panel was still only senior. But this doesn¡¯t mean that she is inferior to Sun Jikai in making Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Among the three, she has the strongest foundation; she has watched the most, and with some¡¯ practice, she could quickly go from unustomed to proficient. Fromst night¡¯s epiphany to today¡¯s practice, Jiang Feng suddenly felt vaguely that he seemed to have found some feeling. The three of them quickly finished preparing a pigeon each, nearly at the same time, with only about two minutes difference between them. Tasting each other¡¯s dishes, Sun Jikai sadly found that he was the one who had performed the worst. Why?! Sun Jikai shouted internally. It was fine that Jiang Feng did better than him since Jiang Feng practiced more and was the first to find the knack and method, but why did Wu Minqi, who never lifted a finger and only watched, also do better than him? Isn¡¯t Wu Minqi just slightly better than him in knife skills, seasoning, and fire control¡­ Alright, thinking about it this way, it seems Wu Minqi is stronger than him in every aspect. He was actually the worst of them all. Sun Jikai couldn¡¯t ept it. Tears welled up before he could speak. Jiang Feng, on the other hand, didn¡¯t notice that Sun Jikai¡¯s inner drama was so rich; they were still just tasting the filling, and as they ate, he felt¡­ The vor seemed to be much better than the original. It wasn¡¯t just because of the chicken fat, but Jiang Feng didn¡¯t understand the specific reason. He felt like they had identally stimted some other qualities of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. The vor of the vegetarian filling had clearly changed, bing richer and also carrying a hint of pigeon¡¯s fresh aroma. Compared to the previous ones, the taste had improved not just a little. With more practice to improve their¡¯ culinary skills, they would soon catch up with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by Master Sun. Qiqi, do you feel that the taste of the vegetarian filling is a bit different from before?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It¡¯s different. When I had the portion made by Sun Jikai before, I only vaguely sensed a difference, but the one you made now is clearly different,¡± Wu Minqi said with certainty. ¡°The one you made is already very close to what Sir Sun made before.¡± But what exactly is the reason? Jiang Feng¡¯s epiphanyst night was that the pigeon meat of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon should also ensure its texture and vor, but why did the vor of the filling also be better? ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± Zhang Guanghang walked into the kitchen and saw the three of them huddled together. Zhang Guanghang usually arrivedter because he lived far away. The work hours in Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen were somewhat flexible, especially for furnace chefs. As long as they didn¡¯t arriveter than 1030 AM, it was fine. If youe early, you leave early; if you arrivete, you leavete; as long as the required hours are fulfilled, it¡¯s okay. Recently, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s presence in the kitchen had been quite low-key. Jiang Feng barely noticed him, partly because Zhang had taken a long leave, but more so because Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Sun Jikai had formed a small group that isted him. Jiang Feng reflected on his own bad behavior of isting Zhang Guanghang and felt a little thrilled about it. Isting a 1.92-meter tall, long-legged, Franco-Chinese mixed-race, wealthy young man with a spotlight-grabbing special skill (master level) feels really amazing¡ªtry it to know it. Whether Zhang Guanghang had noticed that he was being isted, or whether they really had isted Zhang Guanghang, was another matter. ¡°Want a taste?¡± Jiang Feng made room within their small group, allowing Zhang Guanghang to join in. Zhang Guanghang picked up a small spoon from the table and took a scoop of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon that Jiang Feng had made. After tasting it, he praised, ¡°Not bad at all. Any problems?¡± ¡°The problem is we don¡¯t know why it suddenly became so good,¡± Jiang Feng said. Zhang Guanghang: ??? The three of them chattered away, each adding their bits as they exined their research progress on the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to Zhang Guanghang. After listening, Zhang Guanghang fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking. ¡°Although I haven¡¯t tasted the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by Master Sun, I know that he innovated this dish inspired by ¡®Pigeon Swallowing Swallow¡¯s Nest.¡¯ That dish involves stuffing swallow¡¯s nest inside the pigeon and braising both wrapped in gauze paper. The pigeon is not only the container but also the key to ensuring its special vor,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, ¡°So I think the same principle applies to the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. The temperature ensures the vor and texture of the pigeon, while the pigeon in turn ensures the filling¡¯s vor and texture. The two are inherentlyplementary. By improving the vor of the pigeon, you naturally enhanced the vor of the filling as well.¡± This was Zhang Guanghang¡¯s guess and understanding. ¡°That seems reasonable,¡± Jiang Feng thought they might have stumbled upon the correct method by ident. ¡°It must be so,¡± Sun Jikai nodded in agreement. ¡°Shall we try making it again?¡± ¡°Make what again? Aren¡¯t your braised pork feet almost ready?¡± Jiang Feng said. Oh, the pork feet,¡± Sun Jikai hadpletely forgotten about the pork feet. ¡°Pork feet?¡± Jiang Feng then gave Zhang Guanghang a detailed and exaggerated ount of how Ji Yue had sprained her foot that morning, twisting it into a ¡®pork trotter¡¯ while trying to grab two beans buns. ¡°Mom asked me to take her to the hospital after the lunch rush. Her foot swelled up pretty badly after just a short while, and it¡¯s the top of her foot that¡¯s swollen, not the ankle. It¡¯s likely she injured the bone,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Sprains can be dangerous. How about I go with you this afternoon? I¡¯m quite familiar with the hospital,¡± Zhang Guanghang offered. Jiang Feng was about to say that he nned to take Ji Yue to the hospital where Jiang Shoucheng did his residency training, but he recalled that Xia Mushi had also stayed at the same hospital. Given Zhang Guanghang¡¯s reputation, he¡¯d probably be well acquainted with all the nurses there. Jiang Feng just wasn¡¯t sure which department Jiang Shoucheng had transferred to. Sun Jikai went to tend to the pork feet, cutting them into small pieces and frying them in a pot with some green onion, ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon, and angelica dahurica in a bit of oil for fragrance. He then added the pork feet to the pot along with dark soy sauce, rock sugar, and a little bit of chicken bouillon, and stir-fried everything together. Jiang Feng watched for a while from the side, feeling that it didn¡¯t seem all that difficult. The dish truly paled inparison to the difficulty of Sir¡¯s Fengjing Pig¡¯s Trotters or Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s Dongpo Pork Knuckle. After watching for a bit, he went to attend to his own tasks. Everyone was diligently working on their own responsibilities, except for the two elderly Sirs who were observing from a corner. ¡°This morning, watching them make the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, I thought that Feng, the no-ount, finally had a breakthrough. Turns out it was just a fluke,¡± Jiang Weiguo said from the corner. ¡°Even if it was a fluke, it must mean he¡¯s had a breakthrough to have stumbled upon it. I¡¯ve said before that Feng is a talented kid. To have improved so much in his cooking skills in just half a year, he¡¯s already far better than we were back in our day,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile. Upon hearing this, Jiang Weiguo also felt somewhat puzzled. ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s odd. This kid has made such rapid advancements in culinary skills over the past year, as if he¡¯s taken some sort of elixir. I never thought he had such high potential. Could it be that I¡¯m not teaching right?¡± Jiang Weiming:¡­ If he may be so bold, he thought his younger brother really didn¡¯t know how to teach apprentices. ¡°Third brother, even Master Sun Guanyun himself called to ask us to teach them how to make the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. He spilled all his years of secret recipes to us, yet you still insist on not letting me tell them,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®A master leads you to the door, but learning is up to you.¡¯ When daddy was teaching us cooking, when did he ever hold our hands through everything? These kids are not dumb; there¡¯s no need to tell them everything. Some things are better figured out on their own than being taught,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a beaming smile. ¡°That¡¯s true. Discovering things by oneself is definitely better than being taught hand-m-hand,¡± agreed Jiang Weiguo, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll call that old manter and have him take his grandson back.¡± ¡°Take him back?¡± Jiang Weiming was somewhat perplexed. He said to call him once his grandson learned to make the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and he would take his grandson back. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking,¡± said Jiang Weiguo. ¡°But before that, we need to teach Sun Jikai how to stew sugar in oil, so that old man can¡¯t use me of breaking my word.¡± ¡°After all, we profited greatly from their secret Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and both Feng and Qiqi have learned it. It¡¯s only right that we teach Sun Jikai how to stew sugar in oil,¡± said Jiang Weiming, nodding in agreement. Looking at Jiang Feng, his eyes filled with satisfaction, ¡°Starting tomorrow, I¡¯ll teach Feng how to make Sea Cucumber Dish.¡± ¡°Starting tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, starting tomorrow. It¡¯s time,¡± said Jiang Weiming. If they didn t start now, it would be toote.. Chapter 284: 283: Making Trouble By the time the noon business ended, Ji Yue¡¯s foot had swollen even more than before. It had gone from a small pig¡¯s trotter to arge one, with the entire top of her foot swelling up, and she would let out a cry like a pig being ughtered with every step she took. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but wonder, had she really just twisted her foot, or had she actually smashed it with a stone? Ji Yue¡¯s little leather shoes could no longer contain her big pig¡¯s trotter, and even the experienced Mrs. Wang Xiulian did not dare to act rashly, only allowing her to sit with her bare right foot propped up on a chair. ¡°Yueyue¡¯s foot must have injured the bone, Feng, go call a car and carry Yueyue over,¡± said Wang Xiulian. Jiang Feng nodded and took out his phone to book a ride. ¡°No need to call a car, I drove here. I¡¯ll take Ji Yue to the hospital,¡± said Zhang Guanghang, who had changed his clothing and emerged from the dressing room, giving off an illusion of glowing with a shimmery highlight under the lights. ¡°Alright then, Zhang, you go start the car. Feng, you carry Yueyue out,¡± Wang Xiulian began to coordinate the n. With Wang Xiulian¡¯s help, Ji Yue clung onto Jiang Feng¡¯s back like a loo-pound octopus, nearly causing him to fall t on his face. Ji Yue was heavier than Liu Qian! Jiang Feng realized this critical information immediately, since he didn¡¯t struggle this muchst time he carried Liu Qian.
    ¡°Did you really seed in losing weight?¡± Jiang Feng asked doubtfully. ¡°Half-sessful,¡± Ji Yue retorted stubbornly. ¡°How much do you weigh now?¡± Jiang Feng took a few steps forward, certain that Ji Yue was not the 90 pounds she had previously imed. ¡°After lunch, 89!¡± Ji Yue warned Jiang Feng with her eyes. Jiang Feng:¡­ He could guarantee, with his many years of experience in chopping and weighing meat, that Ji Yue was definitely over 95 pounds. Well, given that she twisted her ankle and it was swollen like a pig¡¯s trotter, let¡¯s just assume that the trotter weighed 6 pounds for now. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s car was parked in the underground parking garage of the neighboring mall. By the time Jiang Feng carried Ji Yue to the entrance of the Taifeng Building, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s car had just arrived at the entrance. What Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected was that underneath Zhang Guanghang¡¯s seemingly aloof exterior, there was such a showy heart. His car was actually a sapphire blue Bentley. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know the model, as he had no particr fondness for cars and was not very knowledgeable about them. Recognizing the logo was about as far as his interest extended, and his current total assets didn¡¯t allow for researching cars at the Bentley¡¯s price range¡ªif we¡¯re talking worth, he couldn¡¯t even afford a second-hand Alto. Zhang Guanghang opened the car door, took Ji Yue from Jiang Feng¡¯s back, settled her in the back seat, and Jiang Feng sat in the front seat. ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off at the entrance of the emergency building; there should be a wheelchair there. Have Ji Yue sit in the wheelchair and you push her in. After I park, I¡¯ll go register; I¡¯m familiar with the registration and payment procedures. You just wait for me in the emergency,¡± suggested Zhang Guanghang. Jiang Feng could only nod. It wasn¡¯t rush hour and traffic was good. The hospital wasn¡¯t too far from the Taifeng Building, and it took Zhang Guanghang just over 20 minutes to drive there. The emergency room was packed with patients. There were quite a few people gathered around the entrance, creating a noisy scene like a dispute was happening. Afraid of being bumped into, Jiang Feng had to constantly weave through the crowd, keeping an eye out for a wheelchair. ¡°Your damned corrupt hospital, letting those rubbish doctors operate on my dad and charging such exorbitant surgery fees! Now after the surgery is done, they say some post-surgery infection and want more money. It¡¯s just preying on our ignorance, definitely your doctors¡¯ fault for botching the surgery. Howe only my dad is in trouble when there¡¯s so many in a room? It¡¯s all your fault, and you still have the nerve to ask me for money, I¡¯ll trash your damn hospital!¡± a brawny middle-aged man yelled while waving a stick, his expression highly agitated as two security guards could only stand by, not daring to approach. ¡°Dr. Jiang, Dr. Jiang, it¡¯s him!¡± a nurse pulled Jiang Shoucheng out to the scene.
    ¡°Cheng ge!¡± Jiang Feng spotted his older brother, Jiang Shoucheng, wearing an oversized white coat, at once. ¡°Little brother?¡± Jiang Shoucheng ignored themotion and turned his attention to Jiang Feng and Ji Yue on his back, his gaze then captured by Ji Yue¡¯s pig¡¯s trotter. He squeezed in meals at the Taifeng Building when he had time, and was somewhat acquainted with Ji Yue. ¡°How did Ji Yue¡¯s foot get so swollen? Hui, fetch a wheelchair for this patient and let Dr. Cao have a look. I¡¯ll take care of this little trouble first,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said.
    The young nurse who had pulled him over quickly went to get a wheelchair for Ji Yue. The two security guards could only stop the middle-aged man from entering but didn¡¯t dare to grab the wooden stick from him. His expression was crazed, waving the thick stick tirelessly as if he never knew exhaustion, his eyes bloodshot, looking somewhat terrifying. ¡°Sir, this is a hospital; please put down the stick in your hand,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. ¡°You ck-hearted hospital, I¡¯m going to smash you all!¡± the middle-aged man continued to swing his stick. Jiang Shoucheng stepped forward, and the man swung the stick at him. Jiang Shoucheng firmly grabbed the stick, and no matter how hard the man tried, the stick wouldn¡¯t budge. Then, Jiang Shoucheng snatched the stick from his hands and casually snapped it. With a ¡°crack,¡± the stick broke in two. The spectators were stunned. The security guards were stunned too. ¡°Dr. Jiang is so cool!¡± a nurse nearby eximed. ¡°Yeah, he seems so safe!¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t refute them because he also thought Cheng looked incredibly cool just now!
    Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s height, Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s weight, the amount of hair on Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s head rivaling that of an attending physician, the muscles wrapped in fat on Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s body, at that moment, appeared so majestic, so reassuring to the onlookers. Even though the stick was broken, the middle-aged man was not at all scared and still wanted to rush up and fight Jiang Shoucheng. Jiang Shoucheng quickly restrained him, the two security guards rushed to help hold him, and Jiang Shoucheng released his grip. Seeing that Nurse Hui had already brought the wheelchair, he called out to her. ¡°He seems a bit off, go ask Director Wang to have a look,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said, taking the wheelchair from her and pushing it next to Jiang Feng, helping to lift Ji Yue onto it. With no more excitement to watch, the onlookers dispersed. ¡°That didn¡¯t seem like a healthcare disturbance!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so either. Maybe that man has a mental problem, and he was having an episode?¡± ¡°Possible, he did look like he was having an episode.¡± Though everyone was ustomed to disturbances in the hospital, it was their first time seeing someone daring to take on a brawny man like Jiang Shoucheng in a 1V1 real-life fight. Combining this with what Jiang Shoucheng had said, the spectators all believed that the middle-aged man probably was having an episode. ¡°Big brother, you also handle this kind of thing?¡± Jiang Feng asked while pushing the wheelchair, Ji Yue also looked curiously at Jiang Shoucheng. ¡°I can¡¯t help it, our residency program is like a brick, moved wherever it¡¯s needed,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said, touching his hair. A strand of hair slipped through his fingers. ¡°Ah, my Tony has left me as well,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said with a sad face.
    ¡°Tony?¡± Ji Yue looked puzzled. ¡°Because I have so few hairs, each one has a name. Last night during the night shift, Jack, Jason, Mary all left me,¡± Jiang Shouchengmented, ¡°Sigh.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? There¡¯s such an operation? Chapter 285: 284: Orthopedic Cafeteria Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t distinguish between the various positions at the hospital, whether it was residency, internship, or any other official medical position, ¡¯ they all looked the same in white coats, so he just called them doctors. Dr. Cao was a middle-aged doctor, the bruise under his eyes attested to him staying awake for more than a whole day and night. Yawning and squinting, he listlessly looked down at Ji Yue¡¯s swollen foot. ¡°How did your foot get like this? What smashed it?¡± Dr. Cao asked. ¡°I twisted it on the stairs,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Twisted?¡± Dr. Cao suddenly became alert, a swelling this bad from a twist was unusual, ¡°When did you twist it? Did you use hot or coldpress afterwards?¡± ¡°This morning just after 8 o¡¯clock, I used coldpress after twisting it,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°8 o¡¯clock? That¡¯s just a few hours ago, how did it swell up so much?¡± murmured Dr. Cao, ¡°How did you twist it? What did you do after you twisted it? Tell me in detail.¡± It was this morning when going downstairs, the heels of my shoes were probably a bit high, I identally twisted it, and then I rolled down the stairs, probably five or six steps,¡± Ji Yue narrated. ¡°How high are the heels?¡± Dr. Cao inquired. ¡°4-5 centimeters, the ones I¡¯m wearing,¡± Ji Yue lifted her left foot, took off the shoe and held it with the heel facing up to show Dr. Cao. Ji Yue¡¯s right foot was as swollen as a pig¡¯s trotter, unrecognizable, and now that Dr. Cao saw Ji Yue¡¯s left foot, he noticed she had t feet. ¡°You have t feet. Do you often twist your ankle when walking?¡± Dr. Cao inquired.
    ¡°Yes, pretty easily,¡± Ji Yue replied. ¡°It¡¯s likely due to ligamentxity, you still need to apply ice, Zhang, prepare the ice for her, you need to ice it for 24 hours after a sprain, and continue to do so when you go back. Did you ice it immediately after twisting it?¡± Dr. Cao continued. ¡°No, after twisting it, I went downstairs to buy two green bean buns, then I went to work, helped move a cab, carried two baskets of vegetables, one basket of meat, and only started icing it around 930,¡± Ji Yue exined.¡¯ Dr. Cao: ??? Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± Dr. Cao echoed Jiang Feng¡¯s thoughts. It¡¯s okay, just a little pain, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re quite tolerant.¡± Ji Yue: ??? ¡°80% chance it¡¯s a bone injury, maybe even a fracture, let¡¯s take an image to check it out, and if you¡¯re unlucky, you might even need a minor surgery, Jiang, she¡¯s someone you know, you handle this,¡± Dr. Cao said. ¡°Alright, Dr. Cao,¡± Jiang Shoucheng appeared very docile in front of his superior. ¡°Dr. Cao, Dr. Cao,e quick and look at this patient!¡± a few nurses rushed in a patient whose chest was stained with blood, with a pair of scissors sticking out of it. & ¡°What happened here?¡± Dr. Cao hurried over. A couple fighting, in a fit of anger the wife stabbed him in the chest with the scissors. He was still conscious in the ambnce,¡± the nurse said. ¡°Call the thoracic surgery down for a consultation, the location of this scissors stab isn¡¯t good.¡± Jiang Feng: S(¡ãA¡®,|||)| Ji Yue: !!!j(¡ãfl¡ãZ)/ Crazy times in the emergency room¡­ Why is it so thrilling??? ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a pair of scissors, it¡¯s not too deep but the location is tricky. If it were a kitchen knife at this location, that would be troublesome. Yesterday, a patient came in with a knife sticking out of his head, even came in by himself scared the nurses and other patients half to death.¡± Jiang Shoucheng, having ¡¯ seen a lot in his time, was pushing Ji Yue¡¯s wheelchair to go get the imaging done, ¡°Kid, you go register and pay the fees.¡± ¡®Til take him to get the imaging done, I have another colleague who came with us, he¡¯s already taking care of the fees. You get back to your work, older brother,¡± Jiang Feng said.
    ¡°No worries, no worries, I¡¯m pretty familiar with the imaging department, but since you¡¯re free, how about you go to the orthopedic canteen and cook a meal for me?¡± Jiang Shoucheng gave a genuine and simple smile. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°The Orthopedics cafeteria?¡± Jiang Feng was bewildered. ¡°Yeah, kid, you don¡¯t know, ever since I started rotating in the emergency departmentst week, I haven¡¯t had a bite of hot food, it¡¯s been instant noodles meal after meal, I¡¯m about to turn into instant noodles!¡± Jiang Shouchengined bitterly.
    ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s damn strange, every time it¡¯s mealtime, the emergency department inexplicably gets really busy. Today at lunchtime, a whole family suffering from gas poisoning was brought in. Last night at dinner time, a few cases of food poisoning, and yesterday at lunchtime some people who almost drowned while swimming in the wild. The day before was even more incredible, a series of car idents, during the morning rush hour there was a nine-car pile-up on the second ring road, a total mess, I was busy from morning till night, only ate 5 pieces of bread, and each was only as big as a fist.¡± Jiang Shoucheng looked dejected, ¡°The hospital cafeteria is no better, they stop serving after mealtime is over, don¡¯t they know we in the emergency department are busy!¡± ¡°Seems like there are small restaurants at the hospital entrance.¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Kid, do you know how much we resident trainees make in a month?¡± Jiang Shoucheng asked. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°2400, and with the master¡¯s degree supplement, it¡¯s just 3000.¡± Jiang Feng fell silent, not expecting that Jiang Shoucheng had fared worse than even Ji Yue. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not just about the sry, after all, we get other allowances and the dormitory doesn¡¯t cost anything, we could still afford takeout, but the main issue is the takeout from those restaurants nearby tastes terrible, even worse than the cafeteria food! And what¡¯s more outrageous is they¡¯ve stered their ads and menus with their takeout phone numbers all over the offices. You can see them at the entrance of any department, charging 28 for a serving of braised pork rice, like they¡¯ve gone mad. One meal for me needs 4 servings, I¡¯d go bankrupt eating like that!¡± ¡°Dr. Jiang, there¡¯s someone here who has cut their hand while chopping vegetables, could youe and stitch it up?¡± a nurse called out. Alnghty.¡± Jiang Shoucheng is like a wandering brick, heading wherever he¡¯s needed, ¡°I¡¯ll go stitch the hand real quick and I¡¯ll be back. You just wait here for me, kid, and I¡¯ll show you how to get to the Orthopedics cafeteria in a bit.¡± Ji Yue, sitting in a wheelchair, sighed, ¡°I thought doctors made good money. I didn¡¯t expect they make less than I do.¡± ¡°They mainly rely on theter stages, the early stages are all about growth.¡± Jiang Feng analyzed calmly. No more than two minutester, Jiang Shoucheng came back after finishing the stitching and gestured to Jiang Feng how to find the Orthopedics cafeteria. Lastly, he reminded him that if he still couldn¡¯t find it, just grab any nurse and ask, everyone knows where the Orthopedics cafeteria is because it serves the best food. ¡°Can outsiderse in to cook in the hospital¡¯s cafeteria?¡± Jiang Feng expressed great puzzlement and disbelief. ¡°Only at the Orthopedics cafeteria they can, it¡¯s close to the inpatient department, and behind the cafeteria there¡¯s a dedicated area full of stoves, and they have all the pots, too. They charge based on the stove used, and if¡¯ you¡¯re making soup, they charge based on the pot size, they have all different kinds. It¡¯s for the families of inpatients to cook meals.¡± Jiang Shoucheng exined, ¡°Next to the Orthopedics cafeteria is a small market where you can buy vegetables, meat, rice, and all sorts of stuff, you don¡¯t have to bother steaming rice, I¡¯ll just order delivery.¡±
    ¡®Alright, big brother, what do you fancy eating?¡± Jiang Feng readily agreed, after listening to Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s description, he felt that his brother had suffered enoughtely. It was time to eat more meat and replenish. Only having four bread pieces as big as fists per day is pure torment! Jiang Shoucheng smacked his lips, his mind filled with images of braised pork, Dongpo¡¯s pork elbow, West Lake vinegar fish, sweet and sour pork, Nine Turns Intestine, roastedmb chops, potatoes stewed with beef, eight treasure duck, and braised chicken. He could almost smell the aromas. ¡°Just make whatever, I haven¡¯t eaten meat in several days already¡± Jiang Shoucheng said politely, ¡°The braised beef noodle soup doesn¡¯t have any meat vor at all.¡± ¡°Do they sell any meat in the market next to the cafeteria?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°They should have chicken, duck, and pork, I heard they brought in fresh beef this morning, it should not be sold out yet.¡± Jiang Shoucheng strongly hinted. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Jiang Feng turned and left. Jiang Shoucheng, pushing Ji Yue, went to get an X-ray, thanks to his good rtionship with the radiology department and the bonus of Ji Yue¡¯s Wheelchair, they quickly got the X-ray done and he wheeled Ji Yue back to the emergency department. ¡°Jiang, are you up for lunch? Let¡¯s order delivery. Call Tan Family and get their braised beef, Beijing sauce shredded pork, and marinated pig trotters.¡± A resident trainee about the same age as Jiang Shoucheng lit up at the mention of food. ¡°Have the gas poisoning cases been transferred out?¡± Jiang Shoucheng asked. ¡°Yeah, they just left. We wouldn¡¯t have time to eat otherwise.¡± The trainee said, ¡°Mr. Zhong said he¡¯s craving the marinated pig trotters from Tan¡¯s. You¡¯ve been eating Zhao¡¯s braised pork for the past few days. How about you change it up today and have lunch with us from Tan¡¯s? Their spicy pig trotter and braised beef are really good!¡± ¡°Why eat Tan¡¯s when my kid brother is here? I¡¯ve asked him to cook for me over at the Orthopedics cafeteria, you guys should hold off on ordering too, save your appetites for the feastter. You know Taifeng Building, right? Last month I brought food for you guys from there, my kid brother is a chef at Taifeng Building!¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. ¡°Braised pork?¡± Ji Yue looked at Jiang Shoucheng in astonishment.
    Didn¡¯t he just say he hadn¡¯t had meat in days? iming to survive on instant noodles andining that braised beef noodle soupcked any meaty taste, he made it sound so tragically sad, it was enough to bring tears to one¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ji Yue, you don¡¯t understand, my kid brother has a soft heart. If you give him a sob story, he¡¯ll definitely go cook for you.¡± Jiang Shoucheng grinned, ¡°No matter how tasty the food from those ces at the hospital entrance is, how could itpare to my kid brother¡¯s cooking skills!¡± Jiang Shoucheng smacked his lips again, as if he could already taste the food Jiang Feng was going to make, ¡°I just don¡¯t know if there¡¯s still any beef left at the market. I heard this morning¡¯s beef was really fresh..¡± Chapter 286: 285: Side Quest in the Small Kitchen Jiang Feng followed the route Jiang Shoucheng had given him and quickly found the Orthopedic Department¡¯s Canteen Kitchen and the small market next to the canteen. The so-called small market was actually a small bungalow with a limited space, yet it featured aplete variety of vegetables. The sales method was interesting, too; aside from selling by weight, they also sold in meal sets. Such as braised pork belly meal set, beer duck meal set, scallions with tofu meal set, and kung pao chicken meal set ¡ª they sold all the raw materials, already portioned out. When Jiang Feng entered, there was ady picking vegetables. He saw there were chicken, duck, and pork avable, and he even spotted several live fish in a tank. However, he didn¡¯t see the beef that Jiang Shoucheng had mentioned, which probably meant it was sold out. There were plenty of vegetable varieties, with all the seasonal vegetables on the market, as well as various grains and cereals. Jiang Feng mentally drafted a menu, making preliminary decisions on what to cook. Braised pork belly was a must-have, asrge pieces of braised Wuhua pork with some sugar was Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s favorite. Having seen the lively carps in the water tank, having sweet and sour carp was a definite part of the n. He decided to prepare two more main dishes, braised chicken and beer duck. On the shelf, Jiang Feng noticed salted duck eggs that could be used to make steamed lion¡¯s head meatballs with egg yolks; then, he¡¯d casually whip up two vegetarian dishes such as ¡°earth three fresh¡± and eight treasure tofu for the sake of health. He had alreadypleted the six therapeutic Sweet and Sour Yams, but now Jiang Feng¡¯s skill in making Sweet and Sour Yam was quite good, and even without the special effects, they tasted great. With dessert, vegetarian dishes, and meat dishes all ready, he¡¯d also cook a pot of preserved egg and lean meat porridge; that way, Jiang Shoucheng could have something to fill his stomach when working the night shift.
    Eight dishes and one soup ¡ª Jiang Feng had just seen in the emergency room that the doctors and nurses were all quite busy and probably hadn¡¯t had time to eat. He decided to cook the eight dishes and one soup in the portions the Jiang Family usually had ¡ªrge, extrarge! Enough to feed all the doctors and nurses in the emergency room. Having decided what to cook, Jiang Feng began to pick out the ingredients. Wuhua pork, two big strips. Chicken, two please. And two ducks as well. He needed to cut a pound of lean meat and grab a few more preserved eggs; he¡¯d also need to weigh more rice. The kind-hearteddy beside him, who was also picking vegetables, was almost stupefied when she saw Jiang Feng grabbing so much food; her face showed her surprise, ¡°Young man, do you have that many family members in the hospital?¡± After saying this, thedy felt that something about her question was off, but she wasn¡¯t sure how to correct it. ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m not a family member. My cousin is an intern in the emergency room, and I¡¯ve noticed they didn¡¯t have lunch. I¡¯m nning to cook a meal for the doctors and nurses there,¡± said Jiang Feng. Upon hearing this, the market owner became interested, as this was quite a novel idea. The owner of the market, a woman in her thirties, asked, ¡°Young man, which doctor is your brother?¡± ¡°Jiang Shoucheng,¡± replied Jiang Feng. ¡°Dr. Jiang, I see. So he¡¯s been rotating in the emergency room, no wonder I haven¡¯t seen him in the canteen for quite a few days,¡± the market owner realized suddenly, ¡°our Chinese cabbages are very fresh today, take a couple more, I¡¯ll give them to you.¡± It seemed that Jiang Shoucheng was indeed quite popr here; the market owner was willing to give away two Chinese cabbages for free. ¡°The person in charge of the small kitchen over there is my husband. I¡¯ll talk to himter and tell him not to charge you for using the stove, how can we charge someone cooking for our hospital¡¯s doctors?¡± The market owner smiled faintly, keeping her connection to the insider low-key. Thedy who had joined the conversation btedly reacted, ¡°Is it that particrly strong Dr. Jiang?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one, the Dr. Jiang who pried the elevator doors open by hand when there was a malfunction,¡± said the market owner.
    Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Shoucheng had such heroic feats??? ¡°Oh my, so it¡¯s for Dr. Jiang! He really helped us out a lot before. Young man, I have a pot of beef stewing over there; I¡¯ll give you a pound of it!¡± said thedy. ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile as he expressed his gratitude.
    Once Jiang Feng finished buying the ingredients and carried severalrge bags, the market owner enthusiastically led the way to the small kitchen hidden inside the Orthopedic Department¡¯s Canteen. It truly was a small kitchen, with about a dozen stoves, four of which had pots stewing something on them. The stoves were very close to each other, and there was a small cooking station in the corner with two sinks beside it; the cooking station was equipped with several chopping boards for preparing food for others. Although the kitchen was small, it was fully equipped. The market owner and her husband learned about Jiang Feng¡¯s situation, and her husband said cheerfully, ¡°Young man, we have all sorts of pots and our seasoning selection is veryplete here, feel free to cook whatever you want, and if you need help, just ask me.¡± Seeing the amount of vegetables Jiang Feng bought, he also asked, ¡°What are you nning to make?¡± ¡°Red braised meat, red-braised chicken, beer duck, eight-treasure tofu, di san xian, crab meat lion¡¯s head, sweet and sour carp, sweet and sour yam, and lean meat and preserved egg porridge,¡± Jiang Feng reeled off a list of dishes without hesitation. Everyone around was stupefied. The reason why the Orthopedic Department¡¯s Canteen Kitchen had specially set aside this small kitchen for patients¡¯ families to cook in was because the canteen was close to the hospital ward, with the hospital building right next door, and because the canteen had limited meal supply times, it was simpler for the families of the patients to cook themselves. But most family members only came here to stew a soup or cook a porridge; at most, stir-frying a couple of small dishes was the limit. Jiang Feng was the first to use this small kitchen as if it were the back kitchen of a restaurant. ¡°Young man¡­ Seems very professional,¡± the market owner¡¯s husband didn¡¯t quite know what to say at the moment. ¡°I am a chef,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°No wonder, the pots are in the cab, take what you need, and if you don¡¯t understand something,e find me.¡± Saying so, he stepped out, the small kitchen was cramped and not well-ventted, and with the mes burning on the stove, it was tremendously stuffy. Now, only Jiang Feng and thedy who had just bought vegetables were left in the small kitchen.
    ¡°Young man, if you need help with anything, just tell this old woman. My beef still needs to stew for a while longer,¡± thedy said eagerly as she walked over to the pot where she was stewing beef to check on it. Jiang Feng smelled that it was beef stew with carrots, and judging by the scent and the look of the beef in the pot from afar, thedy¡¯s culinary skills seemed somewhatcking. ¡°Eh, why does the beef still look like this after stewing for so long?¡± Thedy expressed a question typical of a cooking novice. Jiang Feng stepped forward, looked in the pot, and forwardly analyzed, ¡°Auntie, you added too few seasonings.¡± ¡°Did you stir-fry the beef before stewing it?¡± ¡°The beef needs to be stir-fried?¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Moreover, when making beef stew with carrots, you should add the carrots at the end, not put them in from the start,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Ah, is there still hope for this dish?¡± It seemed that the olddy was somewhat self-aware, knowing that her dish was probably beyond saving. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to make the beef tender, but we can still salvage the taste a bit. Auntie, turn off the heat for now and take out the carrots; they¡¯re already overcooked. Where are the seasonings?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Over here, they¡¯re all in this cab.¡± Thedy went to get Jiang Feng the seasonings. ¡°Ding, a new optional side quest has been discovered, please yer choose at your discretion.¡± Eh?
    Another side quest has appeared. ¡°Auntie, by the way, where is the toilet?¡± Jiang Feng decided to put aside the task of the beef for now since it was practically a lost cause. ¡°Do you see that building over there? That¡¯s the hospital ward. On the first floor, take a right and keep going; the men¡¯s restroom is at the very end,¡± thedy said. Jiang Feng sprinted toward the men¡¯s restroom. He hastily picked a stall, locked the door, and opened the attributes panel to ept the quest. [Famous Doctor]: The Orthopedic Department¡¯s Canteen Kitchen has received much acim since its establishment, but due to the limited culinary skills of the patients¡¯ families, it has never truly fulfilled its purpose. Please help the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s hospital ward patients¡¯ familiesplete 100 dishes, ensuring the Orthopedic Department¡¯s Canteen Kitchen is put to full use. Quest progress(0/100) Quest hint: This mission is quite simple, no hint needed. Quest reward: Slight increase in the poprity of Taifeng Building. This side quest seems a bit too simple. Jiang Feng had not taken on such an easy side quest in a long time. Jiang Feng thought, Auntie, leave that beef stew with carrots to me! I will definitely bring it back to life!
    Chapter 287: 286: Beef Stew with Carrots Benevolent Doctor initially set up a small kitchen in the orthopedic canteen just to ensure that the patients received better care. The vegetables from the small market were sold at market price, the stove fee was symbolically a few yuan depending on the size of the pot, and condiments such as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar were provided for free, with cleaning also being the responsibility of Benevolent Doctor. Many patient¡¯s family members would share a portion of the soup or porridge they made with the medical staff, and even some of the financially embarrassed resident doctors would run to the small kitchen to cook during their rest times. When the small kitchen first started two years ago, it was highly praised and weed, even requiring a waitlist to use, truly making it Benevolent Doctor¡¯s popr kitchen. But as time shifted, the novelty of the small kitchen gradually faded, and more and more people realized their culinary skills were actually not that great. In the small kitchen, enduring the heat, noise, and murky air, the food they managed to make wasn¡¯t even as good as the hospital canteen¡¯s, nor did itpare to the small restaurants at the hospital¡¯s entrance. The resident doctors also found that after enduring long hours of draining work, eating a meal they cooked themselves was simply unbearable. Nowadays, the small canteen that was specially established to provide better care for the patients is mostly used by a few persistentdies who fry a few simple dishes, while others just asionallye to make soup, setting the timer and letting it cook on the stove. By the time Jiang Feng finished washing his hands and returned to the small kitchen, Mrs. Qjan had already picked out the carrots from the y pot and was helping Jiang Feng wash the vegetables. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re back. I saw you had a lot of vegetables, so I helped you wash some,¡± Mrs. Qian said warmly. ¡°Thankyou, Mrs. Qian,¡± smiled Jiang Feng.
    Jiang Feng turned his attention to the beef on the stove. If the beef had just been put in the pot, the chances of remedying it were still quite high. But now, judging by the looks of it, the beef had been boiling for over an hour; Jiang Feng poked the meat with chopsticks and his first feeling was that it was hard. Chewing such meat would tire your jaw muscles before it got tender. Add to that the fact that not enough seasoning was used, the color wasn¡¯t even right¡ªit was definitely a new contender in the dark cuisine category. The only praiseworthy aspect of this pot of beef was probably the knifework, which Mrs. Qian handled decently, cutting along the grain of the meat. Unfortunately, the onlymendable aspect was also the mistake; beef should be cut against the grain, not along it. ¡°What is your surname, Mrs. Qian?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°My name is Qian. What¡¯s yourst name, young man?¡± Mrs. Qjan was washing mushrooms and corn, ¡°Do you want me to shuck the corn kernels for you?¡± ¡°My surname is Jiang, please, Mrs. Qian,¡± Jiang Feng replied unreservedly. With someone helping to prepare the food, the process could be much faster. Although Mrs. Qian¡¯s cooking skills weren¡¯t great, her food preparation skills were decent. Jiang Feng picked therge pieces of beef out of the y pot, rinsed them, cut them into smaller pieces, added more seasoning to the pot, brought it to a boil over high heat, then simmered it on low heat. ¡°Mrs. Qian, when making carrot and beef stew, you need to nch the beef in boiling water first, then stir-fry it with green onions, ginger, and garlic. If you¡¯re not sure about the quantity, cutrge pieces and use more of them. After stir-frying, add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, and oyster sauce, and keep stir-frying until the beef is colored. Use about onedle of light soy sauce, a little less for dark soy sauce, it¡¯s okay to add a bit more cooking wine- twodles are fine, and oyster sauce can be added freely¡ªits quantity doesn¡¯t matter much,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Then switch to a y pot, add water for slow cooking until it covers the beef in the pot, and put in spices such as bay leaves, Chinese cardamoms, and Sichuan peppercorns. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low heat for about two hours with this kind of pot. In thest twenty minutes, add the carrots, then sprinkle some salt and sugar; when it¡¯s stewed, it¡¯s ready to serve,¡± Jiang Feng instructed Mrs. Qian on how to make carrot and beef stew. ¡°Also, Mrs. Qian, you shouldn¡¯t cut beef along the grain; you have to slice it across the grain, just like I did just now.¡± Mrs. Qian looked baffled and after a while said, ¡°Jiang, you said so much, I can¡¯t remember it all at once¡­¡± Jiang Feng:¡­ Well, it made sense; Mrs. Qian was a novice in cooking, and trying her hand at something like carrot and beef stew was really asking too much of her. Jiang Feng went to the kitchen counter to prepare the pork belly. Braised pork also needed to be simmered slowly, which took the most time and needed to be started first. Mrs. Qian stood by his side, helping him peel the corn kernels. ¡°Mrs. Qian, do you cook often?¡± Jiang Feng asked as he cut the meat. ¡°I don¡¯t usually cook at home, just help out a bit. It used to be my father-inw who cooked, nowit¡¯s my husband,¡± Mrs. Qian replied with a sigh. ¡°My husband loves stewed beef with carrots the most. My father-inw made it very well, and from when he was young, he never got tired of it. Later, when he started cooking, he made this dish every couple of days, and my daughter loves it too.¡± ¡°Did you specifically make this dish for your husband?¡±
    ¡°Not only for my husband, but also for my father-inw and my daughter,¡± Mrs. Qian said. Jiang Feng stopped cutting, looking astonished. Seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s expression, Mrs. Qian smiled, ¡°When you¡¯re out of luck, even water gets stuck in your teeth. My husband was driving, picking up my father-inw and my daughter, when they got rear-ended and crashed into the truck in front.¡± ¡°Thankfully, the ambnce arrived just in time, and all three of them were saved. My mother-inw is now at the hospital ward taking care of them. She always feels the care is not as good as when we do it ourselves, and insists on being there all the time.¡±
    ¡°My father-inw and daughter were fortunate, their surgeries went well, and they¡¯ll be discharged soon. But my husband, he¡¯s the worst off, his recovery the slowest. Even though he¡¯s barely in his fifties, not very old, he keeps having setbacks. Yesterday, the doctor called me in, asked me to prepare for the worst mentally.¡± ¡°The doctor said if we¡¯re lucky, he might pull through, but my husband has never had good luck over the years. Driving safely on the road, he got sandwiched in a pile-up, he¡¯s never won another bottle from buying drinks, not even a constion prize at thepany raffle. With years of bad luck on his back, I just hope this time his luck turns for the better.¡± ¡°This morning I asked what he wanted to eat, and he said he wanted the stewed beef with carrots I make. He said that after making it for me so many years, it was time I made it for him.¡± ¡°Just look at him, wanting to eat anything but that, and to think he¡¯s craving my stewed beef with carrots, which is barely eatable! I can¡¯t even properly stir- fry vegetables.¡± Mrs. Qian managed to keep a smile on her face, even as her eyes unconsciously reddened. ¡°Jiang, thank you, without your help this beef would¡¯ve been ruined; my husband is definitely going to tease me about itter.¡± Jiang Feng looked at the beef stewing on the stove and suddenly felt it wasn¡¯t right for him to directly help Mrs. Qian with stewing the beef with carrots. This dish should not be made by him. ¡°Mrs. Qian, try making it again tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This dish isn¡¯t hard. I¡¯ll still being over tomorrow to help my cousin cook. I¡¯ll guide you, I talk, you do the work. You make it,¡± Jiang Feng said. Mrs. Qian was stunned for a moment, then replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll be troubling you.¡± ¡°No trouble at all, it¡¯s just a gesture of help.¡± For some people, the value of a meal isn¡¯t in its taste, but in the person who made it. ¡°Jiang, I¡¯ll help you process this duck.¡±
    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Qian.¡± ¡°By the way, Jiang, could you go over the steps for the stewed beef with carrots with me againter? I want to write it down on paper and think it over tonight,¡± Mrs. Qian requested. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll go over it with you again in a bit,¡± Jiang Feng readily agreed. Deep down, Mrs. Qian really wanted to make a good batch of stewed beef with carrots by herself. To make it with her own hands for her beloved. Chapter 288: 287: Preparing for Dinner (Requesting Monthly Pass!) With the help of Mrs. Qian, Jiang Feng quickly finished prepping each ingredient, chopping what needed to be chopped, marinating what needed to be marinated¡ªthe cooking station was neatly organized with clearly arranged chicken, duck, pork, and fish. It was not until after he had nched the diced Wuhua pork that he suddenly realized he had apparently forgotten something. Right, Zhang Guanghang! In just the past hour, Jiang Feng had witnessed Jiang Shoucheng break a wooden stick with his bare hands, dealt with a husband who got scissors stuck in his chest after arguing with his wife and was sent to the emergency room, was sweet-talked by Jiang Shoucheng himself into cooking in the canteen with just a few words, received a side quest from the system, and experienced Mrs. Qian¡¯s heartfelt expression. The plot waspact, with setups, developments, turns, and resolutions, joy and sorrow, separation and reunion¡ªhe had all but forgotten about Zhang Guanghang, who had gone to park in the underground parking lot. He had also cast Ji Yue to the back of his mind, as if his only reason foring to the hospital was to simply cook a meal for Jiang Shoucheng. After contemting whether to call Zhang Guanghang or Ji Yue, Jiang Feng hesitated for a moment but decided to call Ji Yue. ¡°Hello?¡± Ji Yue answered instantly. ¡°Ji Yue, how¡¯s your foot? Has Zhang Guanghang left?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It¡¯s the same, got an ice pack on it. Zhang Guanghang and I are over at radiology waiting for the X-rays, which should be ready soon. The emergency room was too busy and overcrowded, so we moved here,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Dr. Cao said if it¡¯s just a fracture, it¡¯s not a big deal; she will prescribe me two boxes of sters, and I can go home and rest. If it¡¯s more serious, she will arrange for hospitalization. Don¡¯t worry about me; you do your thing. Zhang Guanghang is here with me. I¡¯m going to hang up now; my phone¡¯s about to die,¡± Ji Yue ended the call decisively and turned off her phone screen, which showed 79% battery left.
    ¡°What did Jiang Feng say?¡± Zhang Guanghang, who was leaning against the wall next to Ji Yue¡¯s wheelchair, looking at his phone, asked. ¡°He asked how my foot was doing, said everything was going smoothly on his side, and mentioned he might return hometer in the evening. He said we should go ahead and leave if we finish up here,¡± Ji Yue replied. Zhang Guanghang nodded and asked, ¡°How do you feel now? Does your foot still hurt?¡± Ji Yue¡¯s foot didn¡¯t hurt at all; in fact, it felt somewhat sweet. ¡°Much better, not painful at all,¡± Ji Yue said, turning to give Zhang Guanghang a smile that made her face look very small from that angle. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ji Yue inquired. ¡°Readingics,¡± Zhang Guanghang replied, showing his phone to Ji Yue, ¡°I actually wanted to be aic artist when I was younger.¡± Ji Yue¡¯s smile brightened even more: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you could create a four- panelic for promoting Taifeng Building? Jiang Feng told me a story about a particrly awful-tasting wonton dish he made, and I¡¯ve been adapting it into aic recently. I¡¯ve already done nearly half of it; do you want to take a look? I have a backup on my phone!¡± ¡°I thought your phone was about to die?¡± Ji Yue: ¡­ ¡°Hahaha, yeah, I forgot about that,¡± Ji Yue¡¯s smile gradually became awkward. Jiang Feng, who had been hung up on at the other end: ¡­ He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that leaving Ji Yue and Zhang Guanghang alone together, even with others nearby, might be a bit risky for Zhang Guanghang. Jiang Feng sighed. Ah, when young boys are out and about, they must protect themselves, especially someone like Zhang Guanghang, 1.92 meters tall, handsome and dashing, young and wealthy, who could afford a Bentley, and was of Chinese-French descent. Jiang Feng continued making the braised pork, starting with frying sugar until all the rock sugar melted and small yellow bubbles began to appear at the bottom of the pot. He then poured the Wuhua pork into the wok, stirring quickly on medium heat. After each piece of pork was coated with an even caramelization, he added ginger slices and continued to stir-fry. Finally, he added soy sauce, stirred to mix well, poured in hot water, added the rest of the seasonings, brought it to a boil on high heat, then switched to low heat to simmer slowly. Once the fatty oil from the Wuhua pork had been rendered out and every piece of meat gleamed with it, it was time to reduce the sauce and take it off the heat. With the lid on the pot, Jiang Feng entrusted everything to time and started making braised chicken. The braised chicken also needed to be stewed in the y pot to soak up the vors, and as Jiang Feng had recently gotten used to making Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, he instinctively deboned both the chicken and the duck as soon as he saw them.
    Deboning was actually a good thing, as it made eating more convenient and the vors prated more easily when cooking. The century egg and lean pork congee was already on the stove, cooking in thergest y pot from the small kitchen. It was still a bit smaller than those at Taifeng Building, but it was already quiterge. Most households couldn¡¯t find such a big y pot, and Jiang Feng was quite satisfied with it. After estimating the time it would take to finish the remaining dishes, Jiang Feng felt that by the time he was done, it would be just about dinner time. He decided to give Jiang Shoucheng a call to remind him to eat something to tide him over if he was hungry. The phone rang for a long time before it was answered, and there was a lot of noise on Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s end, sounding like he was outdoors rather than in the emergency department.
    ¡°Hey, little brother, I¡¯m not at the hospital right now. Is something going on over there? If you need help, I¡¯ll call someone else for you,¡± Jiang Shoucheng shouted. ¡°Mr. Zhong, this patient has lost consciousness and is in aa.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ah, it¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to let you know that I¡¯ve made a lot of food, and it might be after five o¡¯clock before we can have dinner,¡± Jiang Feng said, somewhat stunned. Why was their emergency department so thrilling? It was like a scene right out of a TV drama. ¡°Five o¡¯clock, huh? That¡¯s perfect. Little brother, take your time cooking; it¡¯s best to wait until around 6 or 7. It¡¯s okay if the dishes cool down. We can eat cold or hot, and we won¡¯t be able to finish up here until past six,¡± Jiang Shoucheng yelled. ¡°There was a bus that flipped over on the main road near the hospital. Over twenty people were injured, some of them seriously. Almost all of us in the emergency department are out here. If you can make more, just fry up a couple more dishes, even just several tes of cabbage will do. Nearly ten of us haven¡¯t eaten all day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, big brother. I guarantee there will be enough food,¡± Jiang Feng said confidently. When the Jiang Family Members cooked, quantity was always sufficient. Jiang Shoucheng hung up the phone. ¡°Jiang,e over and help hold up this hunk of metal. The fire department is working on the front; there are still people inside,¡± a resident doctor said. Jiang Shoucheng hurriedly went to assist. With Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s help, the resident doctor finally got a chance to rest and said, ¡°This piece of metal is really heavy. I almost broke my back just now. Jiang, what time do you think we¡¯ll be done with all this? I didn¡¯t even have lunch, just two buns in the morning, and now I¡¯m so hungry my stomach is sticking to my back.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, maybe a little after six,¡± Jiang Shoucheng replied. ¡°After six, huh? Then we can still go and grab a meal at the orthopedic canteen! I heard they¡¯re serving beef today. I just don¡¯t know if it will be sold out by after six,¡± the resident doctor said. As soon as beef was mentioned, Jiang Shoucheng remembered that he had forgotten to ask Jiang Feng if he had managed to buy any beef when they had spoken on the phone earlier. ¡°Why bother with the orthopedic canteen? Didn¡¯t I tell you? My little brother is making us a feast at the small cafeteria!¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. ¡°A real feast?¡± the resident doctor asked skeptically.
    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? My little brother is a chef at Taifeng Building. Taifeng Building! You were the one who ate the most of the food I brought backst time. Tonight, bring along Dr. Cao, Mr. Zhong, Dr. Lu, Dr. Wei, Xu, and Zhou,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. ¡°And let¡¯s also invite Huihui,¡± the resident doctor said with a shy smile. ¡°Tssk.¡± ¡°Ouch, it¡¯s open, hurry, hurry, grab something! Mr. Zhong, it¡¯s open!¡± The resident doctor got back to work. Chapter 289: 288 Sweet and Sour Carp Upon learning that there was no rush for time, Jiang Feng called Mrs. Wang Xiulian to tell her that he wouldn¡¯t being home that evening as he would stay at Benevolent Doctor to cook for Jiang Shoucheng. After the call, he was ready to roll up his sleeves and get down to business. The chicken and duck were already stewing in the pot; it was time to make the yolk-stuffed lion¡¯s head meatballs. These meatballs needed to be fried, and right out of the fryer, while still hot, they were already incredibly delicious. With their fragrant and crispy exteriors, they brought a unique vor to the table, reminiscent of the meatballs fried at home during the New Year festivities. Jiang Feng had already minced and marinated the meat, to which he added a small amount of wheat starch. Then, he took the salted egg yolks, wrapped each entirely with the meat mixture to the size of a fist¡ªsubstantial and filling. Mixing minced and diced meat to make the lion¡¯s head meatballs ensured a better texture. The quality of the salted eggs was surprisingly good; Jiang Feng was amazed when he peeled the first one and found a golden, oily yolk inside. The golden-orange yolks dazzled with glistening oil that seemed to burst forth with the slightest pressure, making anyone¡¯s mouth water at the sight. Apart from the salted duck eggs that Mrs. Jiang personally pickled every year, this was the first time Jiang Feng had bought salted duck eggs of such quality that oozed oil when opened. With such exceptional salted duck eggs, it would be a waste not to use the whites. Jiang Feng pondered for a moment before turning his attention to the two cabbages gifted by the market owner. The fresh napa cabbage looked incredibly vibrant, perfect for a quick stir-fry or a soup. Since Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t nned on making a soup earlier, using the leftover egg whites with tofu and napa cabbage to cook a salted egg white, tofu, and napa cabbage soup couldn¡¯t be more suitable¡ªclearing heat and countering greasiness, with the egg whites adding an extrayer of vor.
    Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t intended to make lion¡¯s head meatballs initially because making them required wheat starch to set the shapes and absorb moisture. He hadn¡¯t expected such a finicky ingredient, which involved refining flour to remove gluten and otherponents, typically sold only inrge supermarkets, to be avable in a small market adjacent to a hospital cafeteria. In light of the salted duck eggs he¡¯d just peeled, Jiang Feng could only say that the small cafeteria and market at Benevolent Doctor were both rather miraculous ces. He poured oil into the pot, heated it until it was about 60-70% hot, then carefully fried the fist-sized lion¡¯s head meatballs until they turned golden brown before taking them out. There are generally two ways to cook lion¡¯s head meatballs: one is to steam them, and the other is to braise them. The yolk-stuffed lion¡¯s head follows the braised method. After frying, the meatballs were returned to the pot; he stir-fried some spring onions and ginger, added a 1:1 ratio of soy sauce and sugar, then topped it off with cooking wine, salt, water, star anise, and a touch of cinnamon. He brought it to a boil over high heat, then let it simmer on low heat, covering the pot to let the vors meld slowly. Normal lion¡¯s head meatballs would stew for 40 minutes to an hour, but the ones Jiang Feng made this time were particrlyrge and required at least an hour and a half, if not longer. After dealing with the meatballs, Jiang Feng began to cook the Eight Treasure Tofu. This dish, which he had been preparing since the winter vacation, he had made for over half a year now and was highly proficient at¡ªthere was no chance of failing. With a couple more years of practice, it might well be his signature dish. Finally, Jiang Feng turned his gaze to the lively carp that, an hour earlier, was still flipping and pping energetically on the cutting board, but nowy opened up with its flesh diagonally scored, marinated and ready. Sugar vinegar carp is a famous dish in Shandong cuisine, which has both simple andplex methods of preparation. Regardless of the method, the finished dish is golden in color, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, with both the head and tail of the fish curved upward, as though the carp is leaping through the Dragon Gate. Legend has it that sugar vinegar carp originated in Luokou Town, a major town along the Yellow River, where the carp are not only known for their pure taste and sulent flesh, but also for their golden scales and red tail, which have long made them a delicacy at feasts. The ¡°Book of Songs¡± once recorded, ¡°How can one not eat the fish, it must be the carp of the river.¡± Carp from the Yellow River have been a popr delicacy for over 3,000 years, and Jin Province, sitting by the Yellow River and famed for producing various renowned vinegars, provided the perfect conditions for the birth of sugar vinegar carp, a Shandong cuisine ssic, also hailed as a Jin Province specialty. Such a dish with a long history is very difficult to perfect, whether the preparation method is simple or intricate. With his current skill level, Jiang Feng was not able to make an excellent sugar vinegar carp. However, since he was cooking for Jiang Shoucheng, the requirements weren¡¯t so high. If it had been for the two elder gentlemen, Jiang Feng¡¯s current level of sugar vinegar carp cooking would certainly have incurred a severe scolding. Jiang Shoucheng was quite easy to please; he was even less fussy than Jiang Zaidi. Ever since he had transferred to the emergency department, just having the time to open his mouth to eat was already pretty good, leaving him with neither the leisure nor the inclination to fault the food¡¯s vor. Jiang Feng nced at his mobile phone; it was almost five o¡¯clock. Mrs. Qjan¡¯s braised beef with carrots should be ready. He approached, lifted the lid to check, poked a few times with chopsticks to make sure the Fire Control was right, then turned off the heat and went out of the small kitchen to call Mrs. Qian, who was currently enjoying the electric fan in the orthopedics cafeteria. Mrs. Qian was sitting in the orthopedics cafeteria talking to the kitchen¡¯s manager. It wasn¡¯t dinner service time yet, so only some patient family members were waiting for their meals. ¡°Mrs. Qian, your braised beef with carrots should be ready, go have a taste,¡± said Jiang Feng. Mrs. Qjan immediately stood up and said, ¡°Thank you, Jiang. You must be exhausted from working in the small kitchen all afternoon,e sit here and take a break.¡± ¡°I still have a few dishes left to cook; I¡¯ll rest after they¡¯re done,¡± Jiang Feng replied.
    ¡°You haven¡¯t finished cooking yet? Oh right, your dishes are the main courses; if I were to cook them, a single dish would probably take me all afternoon,¡± Mrs. Qian said with augh as she headed toward the small kitchen. ¡°Ding, one dishpleted, task progress (1/100).¡± When Jiang Feng just stepped out of the small kitchen, he saw a sign posted outside that read Orthopedics Small Kitchen Manager: Qiu Yuan. Unless Benevolent Doctor pulled a stunt like UAL University, where a sign could hang for years without being changed even as people came and went, this Qiu Yuan must be the handsome middle-aged man currently standing before him. Is it that anyone involved with hospital work is prone to balding?
    Qiu Yuan is clearly in charge of the small kitchen, so why is his hair so sparse on top? ¡°Brother Qiu, I cooked quite a few dishes and even made some preserved egg and lean pork porridge. I¡¯ll save you and your spouse some dishes and two bowls of porridgeter, so you can also taste my cooking,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, knowing that he would be frequenting the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s small kitchen over the next few days and needing to maintain a good rtionship with the manager. Qiu Yuan didn¡¯t expect Jiang Feng to be so considerate and smiled as he epted, ¡°Well, thanks a lot.¡± ¡°I should be the one thanking you,¡± Jiang Feng said, then turned around and went back. At the entrance of the small kitchen, Jiang Feng happened to run into Mrs. Qian, who was getting ready to take a casserole to the inpatient department. ¡°Jiang, I left a te of beef on the table for you. Remember to eat it while it¡¯s hot. It¡¯s almost mealtime. I¡¯m just about to take the beef to my husband, my daughter, and my inws,¡± Mrs. Qian said. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Qian.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be thankingyou. I just had a bite and it¡¯s much better than what I made before, nearly as good as what they sell in restaurants!¡± Mrs. Qian said cheerily as she left with the casserole. Jiang Feng went to the small market to buy some vegetables, nning to make tomato with scrambled eggs, dry-fried green beans, and eggnts with garlic sauce. The sweet and sour carp could wait. He was going to use a simple method. Just sprinkle some wet starch on the cuts, fry it in oil until the skin hardened, then simmer fry for three minutes on low heat, and finally deep fry on high heat until golden brown. te it and drizzle with sauce and it¡¯s ready to eat. This dish should be eaten hot, so Jiang Feng decided to wait for Jiang Shoucheng to call him, telling him they were finished and on their way back, before he started making this dish. He decided to cook the vegetarian dishes like the ¡°earthly three freshness¡± first. The small kitchen was warm, and once the dishes were done, he could cover them with a lid. Even if they cooled down a bit, the taste wouldn¡¯t be too far off. On the other hand, Mrs. Qian took the beef to the ward, but her husband couldn¡¯ t really eat much of the big casserole of beef stew with carrots. That was just their usual way of cooking¡ªmaking a big pot at a time to eat over several days. She cooked this dish out of habit too. Mrs. Qian¡¯s husband, her daughter, and her father-inw were in two adjacent wards. Now that Mrs. Qian had returned, her mother-inw went to the next ward to take care of her daughter and father-inw, taking a bowl of the beef with her.
    ¡°Is this beef okay to eat?¡± Mrs. Qian¡¯s mother-inw was a bit worried; she had some idea of her daughter-inw¡¯s culinary skills. ¡°Mom, I ran into a professional chef in the small kitchen today. He guided me. It¡¯s edible, and it tastes great. Try it if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Mrs. Qian said. Reassured by what Mrs. Qian said, her mother-inw left with the beef. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Dr. Guo. He said you can eat some beef now, but don¡¯t have too much, just a couple of pieces will do,¡± Mrs. Qian said as she picked out two especially tender pieces of beef and a few pieces of carrot for her husband and prepared to feed him by his bedside. ¡°I can move my hands just fine, why are you treating me like a child and feeding me?¡± her husband chuckled wryly. ¡°You¡¯ve been having issues with your wound healing over and over. The doctor said you should move less. If you can stay still, then stay still. Now, open up.¡± Her husband obediently opened his mouth. He chewed the beef for a few moments. ¡°Not bad at all, you made the beef quite decently. Seems like you¡¯ve learned a bit of my craft!¡± ¡°You wish, what does that have to do with you? Today, I met a young man with the surname Jiang in the small kitchen, a very warm-hearted professional chef. He helped¡­ guided me. He said he¡¯d teach me again tomorrow, and whatever I make will definitely be better than today¡¯s,¡± Mrs. Qian identally let slip. Her husband, who had keen ears, caught every word Mrs. Qian mistakenly revealed andughed, ¡°I was wondering, you can even overcook vegetables, how could you possibly cook well. Turns out you called in some reinforcement for the beef stew with carrots.¡± ¡°What reinforcement? My talent for cooking is great. That young man even praised my knife skills today. I¡¯ 11 cook for you again tomorrow, and I¡¯ 11 do it all by myself, not letting anyone else touch it. You¡¯ll taste it tomorrow, and it will definitely be better than today¡¯s!¡± Mrs. Qian said. ¡°Oh, who knew my wife was a cooking genius!¡± ¡°Just you wait. From nowon, I¡¯ll cook. I¡¯ll cook for you everyday.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯ll eat what you cook every day.¡±
    ¡°Stop fooling around all day. Have another bite of carrot. After you finish, I¡¯ll go to the cafeteria and buy you some porridge. You need to heal properly. You¡¯re not an old man in your seventies or eighties. Dad had surgery the same day as you and he¡¯s recovering just fine, isn¡¯t he? You¡¯re only in your fifties and still robust. Once you get out of the hospital, whatever you want to eat, I¡¯ll make it for you,¡± Mrs. Qian said, her eyes reddening as she talked. She looked down and picked at the carrots in the bowl, not wanting to look at her husband. ¡°Lijuan, I actually have a feeling.¡± ¡°What feeling? You haven¡¯t been right about anything in all these years!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll stop talking. Don¡¯t cry,¡± he hastened to say. ¡°Cry? You saw wrong,¡± Qian Lijuan put down the bowl, stood up, and turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m going to get your porridge.¡± After finishing the vegetarian dishes, Jiang Feng began to wait for the call. Little did he expect to wait until past 7 p.m. ¡°Hey, lil¡¯ bro, we¡¯re done here and there aren¡¯t many people in the emergency department now. How are the dishesing along on your end?¡± Jiang Shoucheng soundedpletely spent as he spoke from his office. ¡°Brother, the dishes are almost ready, but where should I send them to, the orthopedic cafeteria?¡± Jiang Feng asked. As soon as he heard the dishes were ready, Jiang Shoucheng perked up instantly. His back stopped aching, his legs weren¡¯t sore anymore, he didn¡¯t feel sleepy from being up all night the day before, and he even deluded himself into feeling like he could handle three more night shifts in a row. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, we¡¯lle and get them ourselves, just bring them to our office. Quick, quick, quick, Xu, Zhou, clear the table, it¡¯s time to eat! Forget it, Sun, you clear the table. Xu and Zhong, let¡¯s go get the food!¡± Jiang Feng could feel the chaos on Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s end of the phone line. ¡°Lil1 bro, we¡¯reing now, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± After hanging up the phone, Jiang Feng got the oil hot and put the carp in the pan. After working for so long, it was finally time to eat.
    Chapter 290: 289: Time to Eat! Chapter 290: Chapter 289: Time to Eat! Jiang Shoucheng, with Xu and Zhou, rushed towards the orthopedics cafeteria kitchen with the same speed they usually reserved for scrambles to get their meals. When they arrived, Jiang Feng¡¯s sweet and sour carp was just ready, and they watched as he drizzled the prepared sauce over the fried carp, which was curling up at both ends. The tangy and fragrant aroma exploded as the golden-brown, freshly fried carp, scorching hot, met the equally hot sauce, creating a sizzling sound and sending delicious scents wafting through the air. ¡°Gulp.¡± Xu, quite embarrassingly, swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Director Zhong from the emergency department was his mentor, and Xu had spent the longest time there. He was also the most reliable of the new doctors in the emergency department, called upon for both significant tasks and trivial ones, by nurses and doctors alike, making him the busiest resident physician. Although he hadn¡¯t worked the night shift yesterday, he had arrived at the emergency department at just after 5 a.m. For breakfast at 5, he had eaten two radish buns, one ¡°three delicacies¡± bun, and a cup of hot soy milk from the earliest-opening breakfast stall near the school. From 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., for a total of 14 hours, aside from two buns passed to him by Director Zhong, he had only had two cups of water, and by now he was ravenously hungry. Not to mention a freshly cooked aromatic sweet and sour carp like this, even a lukewarmrge pork bun in front of him at this moment would probably make him drool with craving. Zhou wasn¡¯t much better off. Unlike Xu and Jiang Shoucheng, who were specialized residents from prestigious universities, Zhou had graduated from a second-tier medical school and hade to further his skills after passing an exam at a local hospital. He had a basic sry that wasn¡¯t high, and little in the way of allowances; he was older than Xu and Jiang Shoucheng, and he had a fiancee with whom he had been in a long-term rtionship and was about to marry. The overwhelming financial pressure made him frugal in his daily life: only buying clothes from Uniqlo¡¯s sale section and daring only to order cheap vegetarian boxed meals like stir-fried cabbage or sweet and sour shredded potatoes when ordering takeout. Such a main dish as sweet and sour carp was something he only got to enjoy when he went home for the New Year or when his parents or fiancee asionally visited him in Beiping. Jiang Shoucheng only became familiar with Zhou after rotating to the emergency department. There were just too many interns from Benevolent Doctor, residents, and yearly visiting doctors; it was impossible to know everyone as new faces arrived and old ones left each year.
    ¡°Brother, the other dishes are ready, and I¡¯ve also cooked some preserved egg and lean meat porridge. These dishes are all inrge portions, so please bring a few more tes. There¡¯s also sweet and sour yam that needs to be made on the spot. I¡¯ll start on it now,¡± Jiang Feng said as he uncovered the braised pork, braised chicken, and beer duck on the stove. The three men, still in their white coats, had their eyes light up upon seeing the dishes on the stove, with one word in their minds. Meat! This is meat! All meat! Big, tempting, fragrant, shiny, greasy meat! Zhou felt his stomach, ustomed to being filled with cabbage and potatoes, start to churn wildly, and every cell in his body seemed to be frantically screaming, ¡°I want to eat meat, big chunks of tasty meat.¡± The braised pork dish was thergest in quantity. Jiang Shoucheng picked up the braised pork, Zhou took the braised chicken, and Xu took the beer duck; with their ample experience in carrying stretchers, handling these three dishes was a piece of cake. The three of them ran back and forth three times, and by thest trip, the sweet and sour yam was just ready. Jiang Feng, with the sweet and sour yam in his left hand and the braised beef with carrots given to him by Qjan Lijuan in his right, watched as Jiang Shoucheng carried a big pot of preserved egg and lean meat porridge with a Herculean effort. Jiang Feng had already portioned out and delivered the porridge and dishes meant for Qiu Yuan and his wife in advance; they were probably already eating by now. Following Jiang Shoucheng into the office, Jiang Feng saw several doctors in white coats moving about with bowls and chopsticks. As they entered, they were greeted with exmations, ¡°Here they are, here they are. Mr. Zhong, stop looking at medical records, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± The Mr. Zhong they were talking about was a white-haired old man wearing sses, always carrying a smile on his face, looking very kind. Mr. Zhong had worked in the emergency department for most of his life, and he had taught many students. He took good care of the younger doctors, earning great respect from them. In the middle of the office there was a makeshift dining table made of four desks pushed together, featuring identical stic bowls. The chopsticks, on the other hand, were a motley collection¡ªwooden ones, bamboo ones, expensive ones bought from boutique stores for more than ten yuan a pair, and disposable ones left over from takeout, you name it. ¡°The supermarket by our hospital¡¯s entrance was having a promotion, those big packs of instant noodles, you get a stic bowl with each pack, now our department is full of these stic bowls,¡± Jiang Shoucheng exined. ¡°I¡¯ve seen doctors on TV shows always eating from instant noodle buckets,¡± Jiang Feng asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t those more convenient?¡± ¡°Convenient, yes, but bucket ones are expensive. Instant noodles aren¡¯t healthy to begin with. Eating one or two buckets isn¡¯t filling, and eating seven or eight buckets might as well be reced with a boxed meal,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said, cing the congee steadily at the center of the table, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat, today my bro is cooking, my treat.¡± ¡°Send me the billter,¡± Jiang Shoucheng whispered, turning his head. Jiang Feng gave him an OK gesture.
    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the Sweet and Sour Yam, it doesn¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold,¡± Jiang Feng said. Everyone began reaching for the Sweet and Sour Yam, and soon the table was filled with stretched sugar threads. ¡°My goodness, this Sweet and Sour Yam is even more authentic than the one made by the banquet chef in our vige!¡± Bing excited, Xu¡¯s Northeastern ent started to burst out. ¡°Xu, you¡¯re actually from the Northeast!¡± Jiang Shoucheng eximed in shock; Xu always spoke Standard Mandarin so well that everyone thought he was from the South.
    ¡°I went to college in the South. Back in our school, you would get bonus points for passing the Mandarin exam. During that period, my roommate wouldn¡¯t even let me talk, afraid I¡¯d mislead them. I wanted to chat with them, but they wouldn¡¯t talk to me, soter I started to practice Mandarin diligently,¡± Xu exined. ¡°That¡¯s too much, it¡¯s just a Mandarin test. Why couldn¡¯t they chat with you?¡± Zhou protested indignantly. Zhou was dumbstruck. He was from the South. ¡°You see,¡± Xu said with a helpless expression. The room was filled withughter. ¡°This is a salted egg yolk lion¡¯s head meatbail; it has a salted egg yolk inside. The soup is a salty egg white tofu bok choy soup, which is good to cut through the grease. The congee might be a bit hot because it¡¯s fresh from the pot. The sweet and sour carp is also just out of the pot, best eaten while hot. These vegetarian dishes have been sitting for a while, so they might be cool,¡± Jiang Feng began introducing the dishes on the table. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Jiang. You really have!¡± Dr. Cao kept eximing. ¡°It¡¯s not hard work; I¡¯m originally a chef. I do these things in the restaurant normally. You guys are the ones doing the hard work, saving lives and helping the injured,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Mr. Zhong, an elderly man, preferred lighter dishes and didn¡¯t have much interest in rich, meaty cuisine, so he scooped up a spoonful of Eight-Treasure Tofu. Dr. Cao had been on the night shift yesterday and had even done two consecutive night shifts. All he had eaten today were two small bread rolls, which he had shamelessly scrounged from a nurse. Although Dr. Cao could stillugh and talk, the dark circles under his eyes, the greasy hair, and his withered appearance made him look even more like a patient than 80% of the ones in Benevolent Doctor. Justing from an intense resuscitation, Dr. Cao now felt as if he were floating on a cloud and needed to drink a couple of sips of porridge to calm down.
    Dr. Lu was in better spirits since he hadn¡¯t been on a night shift and had had a hearty breakfast. He was like a breath of fresh air among the emergency room doctors. Being a local, his home was right next to Benevolent Doctor. He came from a wealthy family, his parents were healthy, his wife was beautiful, and he had a pair of twin boy and girl who were currently in primary school. He was one of those who seemed to be winning at life. He loved eating, and knew how to enjoy good food. Whenever he had a day off, he would take his entire family to old, established restaurants in Beiping or to various international cuisine restaurants to dine out. He even had a premium membership card from Yonghe House. Next week, he had a day off and nned to treat his wife, kids, and parents to a meal at the newly opened Taifeng Building. Dr. Lu, the gourmet among the ER doctors, picked up a piece of sweet and sour carp with his chopsticks. Dr. Wei was only slightly better off than Dr. Cao. He had worked the previous night¡¯s shift and had the misfortune of encountering cases from food poisoning at a night market, drunken brawls in a bar, and fights in a KTV lounge¡ªall through the night, non-stop¡ªand he had to endure a bunch of drunken hooligans making a ruckus in the ER. He hadn¡¯t even recovered from hisst shift¡¯s dinner. After being busy all day today, and only having had a bowl of tomato and egg noodle soup with an extra fried egg in the morning, Dr. Wei was now craving meat. Braised pork, chicken, fish, duck, and beef. After contemting for three seconds using the process of elimination, Dr. Wei resolutely reached for arge piece of braised pork with his chopsticks. Xu went for the beer duck that was closest to him. Zhou, with the hunger for meat that had built over several months, stretched his chopsticks towards the braised chicken. Sun, with a heart broken by Huihui¡¯s rejection and a stomach rumbling from hunger, picked up a piece of sweet and sour carp with his chopsticks. Jiang Shoucheng excitedlyunched an attack on the beef that he had been craving. ¡°Ding, gained 371 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 772 experience points.¡±
    ¡°Ding, gained 299 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 699 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 522 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 611 experience points.¡± Ever since Jiang Feng had set up notifications to alert only for substantial experience gains, it had been a while since he heard such frequent bursts of experience notifications. These angels in white coats were truly angelic. Wait a second, it seemed like there was a notification missing? Jiang Feng looked around at everyone. Mr. Zhong was still smiling, but Jiang Feng could tell from the subtle changes in his expression before and after that he was satisfied with the Eight-Treasure Tofu. Dr. Cao held his bowl of porridge, drinking it in the same manner as the first time Jiang Family members tried the Eight-Treasure Porridge made by Jiang Feng. Dr. Lu looked satisfied. Dr. Wei had his mouth full of braised pork.
    Xu, Zhou, and Sun were all devouring their food like hungry wolves. Jiang Feng turned his gaze to Jiang Shoucheng. In that moment, Jiang Feng even felt a pang of distress. Everyone was so cooperative, so pristine in their white coats, so angelic, so magnanimous, so generous. Why was it that only his dear second brother was so stingy? Jiang Shoucheng looked at the beef in his bowl with aplicated expression. Wait a second, Jiang Shoucheng had just picked up some beef. Jiang Feng:¡­ ¡°Ahem, second brother, thatbeef isn¡¯t made by me, it was a gift from an auntie in the small kitchen.¡± Jiang Feng began to pass the buck. Jiang Shoucheng: t_t PS: (Free of charge) A drink of ¡°Shipborne Super-heavy Soldiers,¡± featuring a protagonist who¡¯s a 200-pound fatty from the Jiang family (?>€> Mr. Zhong was undoubtedly at the top of the food chain; although he only picked at vegetarian dishes like eight treasures tofu, stir-fried three earthy treasures, and tomato scrambled eggs, his bowl was never short of meat. Dr. Cao would serve two pieces of braised pork for every piece he took for himself, one always for Mr. Zhong; Dr. Lu would rmend the tenderest- looking piece of tofu to Mr. Zhong from the perspective of a food connoisseur; and Xu, being Mr. Zhong¡¯s direct disciple, his chopsticks were an extension of Mr. Zhong¡¯s will, reaching wherever Mr. Zhong¡¯s gaze fell. For someone like Zhou, an intern at the bottom of the emergency department¡¯s food hierarchy, he didn¡¯t even have the privilege to serve Mr. Zhong. Jiang Feng initially thought that with all the dishes he had prepared, some of which were quite borate, along with arge pot of preserved egg and lean pork porridge he made, there would be leftovers from the nine people including himself for that night¡¯s on-call doctors. What he hadn¡¯t anticipated was the astonishingbat power of emergency doctors who had been starving for 14 hours. Included were Dr. Cao who had been on call for two nights, Zhou who hadn¡¯t had meat for months, Jiang Shoucheng who consistently weighed over 200 pounds, and Sun, who had just been jilted (unrequited love) and converted his sorrow into appetite. The eleven dishes, one soup, and one porridge on the table werepletely devoured in just half an hour. If it hadn¡¯t been for Dr. Cao going out to stitch up a patient, Jiang Shoucheng and Xu lifting stretchers twice, Zhou cleaning wounds for two casualties, and Director Zhong checking on a car ident victim with a broken leg during the meal, they might have finished even faster. Jiang Shoucheng, who had thest te, scraped the pot of porridge clean with a metal spoon as if it had just been washed. In the te that previously held the sweet and sour carp, only a perfect skeleton remained. Jiang Feng even suspected that if he hadn¡¯t deboned the chicken and duck, the bones that remained would have been as clean as freshly shaven ones. People arezy after a full meal, especially emergency doctors who, after starving for over a dozen hours, suddenly indulged in a feast and now slumped in their chairs, not wanting to move, not even willing to organize patient records. There¡¯s nothing morefortable than chatting and boasting after a hearty meal. Dr. Lu, well-informed and sensing Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking was not that of an ordinary small restaurant chef, curiously asked, ¡°Jiang, which restaurant are you a chef at?¡± ¡°Taifeng Building,¡± Jiang Shoucheng answered quickly, his speech as swift as when he ate. Dr. Lu¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°That¡¯s really fortunate. I have next Saturday off and was nning to take my wife, kid, and parents to Taifeng Building for a meal.¡± Those at the bottom of the emergency food chain like Xu, Zhou, and Sun could only look on enviously at Dr. Lu. Winners in life like him, who owned property in the second ring of Beijing, had a beautiful wife, children, high education, and even less hair loss, having a head start of thousands of steps from birth, were nning to dine at a restaurant that those at the bottom earning less than 3000 a month could never afford. Zhou, still savoring the taste of the braised pork, braised chicken, beer duck, and sweet and sour carp he had just eaten, not to mention the lingering aftertaste of the preserved egg and lean pork porridge, firmly believed it to be the most delicious meal he had ever had since he could remember. Though to a great extent, it was because he hadn¡¯t had meat for months, and any meat tasted good to him. ¡°Is Taifeng Building close to our hospital?¡± Zhou timidly asked. ¡°It¡¯s quite close, you can get there directly by subway,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Is the food expensive?¡± Zhou¡¯s voice grew even weaker.
    After thinking for a moment, Jiang Feng honestly replied, ¡°It¡¯s not cheap, the least expensive dry-fried beef ho fun is 48.¡± Zhou felt a twinge in his heart. ¡°A pot of preserved egg and lean pork congee costs over too, and I¡¯m the one who cooks all the congee in our shop,¡± Jiang Feng continued. Zhou¡¯s heart twinged twice more.
    His fiancee wasing to Beiping next month, and he wanted to take her out for a good meal. Not just any random restaurant on the street, but a truly good meal at one of those venerable eateries, and order the most expensive signature dishes they had. He had been gnawing on radishes, cabbage, and steamed buns for so many months, not even buying discounted instant noodles or mooching others for Lao Gan Ma ¨C all to save money to treat his fiancee and parents to a fine meal. There were nock of time-honored restaurants in Beiping, plus various high- end dining options from international cuisines. Zhou had so many choices that his head grew heavy with all the nning, yet he had never been to any of these ces. Now, having tasted Jiang Feng¡¯s culinary skills, he felt that if Jiang Feng was this impressive at such a young age, the other chefs at Taifeng Building must be even better. He hade from a local hospital to the Benevolent Doctor for further training, which was a one-year program, and he had two months left. He wasn¡¯t particrly talented, and had graduated from a second-tier medical school with mediocre grades. It was sheer luck that allowed him to perform exceptionally well and be admitted to the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s training program. With his current abilities, he was bound to return to the county hospital uponpleting the program, without a chance to stay. Once his training was over, he probably wouldn¡¯t have another opportunity to visit Beiping. Next month his fiancee was visiting, and the following month his parents woulde. Even if he didn¡¯t have time to take them to climb the Great Wall or visit the Forbidden Pce, Zhou wanted to treat them to a good meal, not just go to the orthopedic canteen likest time and order a serving of braised pork. It wouldn¡¯t do for him to return to the county hospital after his training, and when asked about Beijing, only to tell people that the braised pork in the canteen at Benevolent Doctor was especially delicious. Sun was filled with myriad thoughts, a whirlwind of worries and sorrows. Jiang Shoucheng had previously told Jiang Feng that these doctors¡¯ basic sry during the training period was very low, and he could tell that Sun was financially embarrassed. ¡°But our restaurant does trial dishes for the new menu, and all the trial dishes are offered at a special price, and they all taste pretty good,¡± Jiang Feng said. The special-priced dishes were my own creations that didn¡¯t sell. ¡°Special-priced dishes!¡± Sun¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Will there be special-priced dishes next month too?¡± In a world filled with lie-spewing heavyweights, Jiang Feng, who was struggling to survive, rarely encountered someone as honest as Sun and suddenly felt a bit guilty for trying to coax him into ordering his own dishes. ¡°Next month, it should be Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t lie; the trial run of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon had gone smoothly, and it would definitely make the menu next month. ¡°Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡±
    ¡°Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon!¡± Dr. Lu suddenly perked up, ¡°Your restaurant has a chef who can make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡± I am that humble person. ¡°Yes, Master Sun Guanyun¡¯s grandson, Sun Jikai, happens to work in our restaurant,¡± Jiang Feng said with a slight smile. Chapter 293: 292 Expensive Pigeon Chapter 293: Chapter 292 Expensive Pigeon On the second day, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi arrived at Taifeng Building early in the morning, joined by Sun Jikai who had gotten there even earlier. The three of them became the most enthusiastic workers to arrive at the office. To ensure that the emergency department doctors could enjoy fresh and hot Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, Jiang Feng specifically took out the insted box he had stowed in his inventory after closing up at Healthy Stir- fry Restaurant. When Jiang Feng went to the warehouse under the pretense of looking for something, and eventually came out holding the familiar foam insted box with two sloppily written characters for ¡°takeout¡± on it, Wu Minqi was shocked. ¡°You even brought the takeout box with you to Beiping?¡± Wu Minqi stared at the familiar box, certain it was the very same one, because it was rare for anyone to write the characters for ¡°takeout¡± so hideously. ¡°It was shipped over along with other stuff,¡± Jiang Feng attempted to convince Wu Minqi with this tant lie. ¡°What takeout box?¡± Sun Jikai inquired. ¡°Didn¡¯t my family have a shop next to UAL University? This is the box we used for delivering takeout. See this foam? See this clear tape used for sealing? The quality of this insted box is particrly good, and it retains heat exceptionally well?¡± Jiang Feng started bragging about the insted box with utmost earnestness. Sun Jikai: ??? ¡°This is an old item from our family¡¯s restaurant, so of course we had to bring it!¡± Jiang Feng pped his hands, feelingas though he was performing aic monologue. Sun Jikai: ¡­
    ¡°Are you nning to pack the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in this takeout box to take overter?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jiang Feng put the box in a corner, ¡°I n to take everything we maketer over with me.¡± ¡°You n to carry this foam box on the subway for over 20 minutes all the way to the hospital?¡± Sun Jikai was also surprised. In Sun Jikai¡¯s view, Jiang Feng was destined to be a well-known chef, and he should at least pay some attention to his image. Jiang Feng had already anticipated this issue the previous night and had even conducted an experiment. He found out that even if the insted box was filled with food, it could still be stored in the game inventory without any problems. But of course, he couldn¡¯t say that. ¡°No problem, it¡¯s just over 20 minutes. I can manage,¡± Jiang Feng said. Sun Jikai: ??? Sun Jikai gave Wu Minqi a look, which clearly meant to quickly persuade your man because I suspect there1 s something wrong with his brain. Wu Minqi, catching Sun Jikai¡¯s hint, said, ¡°It will be too troublesome if you don¡¯ t get a seat on the subway and have to stand the whole way with the foam box. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Sun Jikai: ??? ??? ¡°No need, I expect to stay at Benevolent Doctor for quite a long time today and won¡¯t be back until the evening. I can go by myself,¡± Jiang Feng said, pointing to the ingredients on the cooking station, ¡°We¡¯re short on lilies; I¡¯m going to get some.¡± As soon as Jiang Feng left, Sun Jikai said, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you girls really lose all principles once you¡¯re in love.¡± Wu Minqi nced at him, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re single.¡± Sun Jikai: ??? (> ?¡õ¡¯)> L I, Sun Jikai, have only just been dumped by my ex-girlfriend. I was an early bloomer, having a puppy love with my deskmate at the age of 15, and even got my parents called in by the headteacher, alright?
    At 9 in the morning, Jiang Feng left Taifeng Building carrying an insted box filled with 11 servings of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. He was about to find a secluded corner to discreetly stow away the box when he ran into Zhang Guanghang, who was driving up in a sapphire blue Bentley. The car stopped, the window rolled down, and beneath the dark tinted ss was the handsome face of Zhang Guanghang. Outside the window was a bewildered Jiang Feng holding a foam box with the two crooked characters for ¡°takeout¡±.
    The 9 a.m. sunlight fell at just the right angle on Zhang Guanghang¡¯s sharp- featured face, making it shine brilliantly. Jiang Feng bet, based on the numerous silly domestic youth idol dramas he had watched with Ji Yue over the past year, that such an epic slow-motion scene is definitely how the male and female leads in an idol drama meet¡­ Wait, the male and female protagonists meet¡­ ¡°Going to Benevolent Doctor?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°Ah, yes, going to Benevolent Doctor to deliver Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to my second brother,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°Get in the car; I¡¯ll take you there. Taking the subway is inconvenient,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. Jiang Feng got in the car. It wasn¡¯t rush hour in Beiping, and traffic was smooth all the way. In just over ten minutes, Zhang Guanghang had dropped off Jiang Feng at Benevolent Doctor. ¡°Are you nning toe here and cook for your second cousin in theing days?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°Mmm, yesterday I promised that aunty to teach her how to make beef stew with carrots, so naturally, I have to teach her well,¡± Jiang Feng muttered, indirectly passing the buck to Qian Lijuan. ¡°A promise made is a debt unpaid,¡± Zhang Guanghang admired Jiang Feng¡¯s actions, ¡°I¡¯ll head back to work now.¡± ¡°Have a good trip,¡± Jiang Feng, holding the delivery box, walked through the emergency department¡¯s doors. Maybe because the word ¡°delivery¡± was too conspicuous on the box, a nurse nced at him, then shouted inside, ¡°Who ordered delivery? It¡¯s not even lunchtime yet; what kind of delivery are you ordering at this hour!¡±
    ¡°I¡¯m not here to deliver food; I¡¯vee to bring food to my second cousin,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°You¡¯re using such a big¡­ oh, you¡¯re Dr. Jiang¡¯s cousin, right? Dr. Jiang has gone to Orthopedics; wait a moment, I¡¯ll give him a call for you,¡± the nurse cheerily said. Before she could make the call, Sun emerged from inside. ¡°Huihui, we don¡¯t have anyone here¡ªoh, isn¡¯t this Jiang?¡± Sun said. ¡°Dr. Sun is also working today,¡± Jiang Feng said politely. ¡°Yes, yes, we usually work every day. You¡¯re here looking for Jiang, right? He¡¯s gone to Orthopedics to deliver something,¡± Sun exined. ¡°By the way, I called my mother yesterday to buy some salted duck eggs. They¡¯re definitely the best in our area, and they should arrive in a couple of days. I¡¯ll call you when they do, or I¡¯ll have Jiang bring them to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really kind of you; I haven¡¯t tasted authentic Gaoyou salted duck eggs for many years. Remember the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon I mentioned yesterday? Our restaurant is trialing dishes, and we made a lot of them. This dish is nourishing, so I thought I¡¯d bring some over for a supplement for you all. Everything in this box is for you, one for each person, and the leftovers are for my brother,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know what to say; havingyou deliver it especially for us¡­ we really shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Sun was somewhat flustered by Jiang Feng¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t really be bringing over stuff from your restaurant like this; if your boss finds out, it won¡¯t be good. These pigeons must also be quite expensive; why don¡¯t you¡­ take them back?¡± Sun was conflicted. ¡°There¡¯s no problem. Taifeng Building is owned by my family. You are all my second brother¡¯s colleagues; it¡¯s just food, there¡¯s no issue. I have to get going now. Please, Dr. Sun, could you help me distribute these?¡± Jiang Feng left the delivery box in the emergency department and headed toward the small kitchen in Orthopedics. Sun, left standing there:¡­ No wonder, no wonder Jiang Shoucheng could afford to eat four servings of braised pork for every meal with the same subsidy as him. He was a Dr. Lu hidden among the rotating, interning, and further studying doctors! Sun quietly opened the foam box in front of him.
    Inside were 11 portions of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in the delivery boxes, still warm to the touch. ¡°Is this pigeon?¡± Huihui peeked over curiously. Sun remembered how, just before leaving work yesterday, Dr. Lu had casually mentioned the price of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon he ate at Jubao Building. ¡°No, these are very expensive pigeons,¡± Sun said seriously. More expensive than the little CKI gave youst month. Even though that CK was bought on Taobao. Later, Jiang Shoucheng told him that the CK he bought at that price was definitely fake. Wait, he seemed to realize why he was rejected by Huihui. ¡°Huihui, listen to me, I really didn¡¯t know about that little¡­¡± ¡°Beat it!¡± Chapter 294: 293: Mission Progress (2/100) (Requesting Monthly Tickets!) Chapter 294: Chapter 293: Mission Progress (2/100) (Requesting Monthly Tickets!) On his way to the Orthopedic Department¡¯s Canteen Kitchen, Jiang Feng¡¯s mind was filled with the continuous dings of game notifications, sounding like a beautiful sequence of musical notes forming a melodious movement. ¡°Ding, gained 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding¡­¡± A smile gradually deepened on Jiang Feng¡¯s face. What did he say? Doctors are angels! Whether they were medical students, standardized training doctors, interns, visiting schrs, attending physicians, department heads, associate senior titles or others that Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t quite distinguish, they were all angels! They were angels that directly maxed out his experience with a single bite! When Jiang Feng arrived at the entrance of the small kitchen, Qiu Yuan was sitting on a small stool by the door, fanning himself to enjoy the cool breeze. ¡°Yo, Jiang, are youing to cook for Dr. Jiang again?¡± Having tasted Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking skills the day before, Qiu Yuan was much more enthusiastic in his attitude toward him.
    ¡°Yes, I have some free time these days,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. The weather today was still very hot, even more stifling than the day before. Everyone could feel a storm brewing, but it seemed like it was stuck on the second ring road, threatening to rain for several days without a drop actually falling. In the small kitchen, Qian Lijuan was cutting beef. Seeing Jiang Fenge in, Qian Lijuan put down the knife in her hand: ¡°Jiang,e and see, did Mrs. Qian cut the beef correctly this time?¡± Jiang Feng walked over to the chopping board and carefully examined the beef that Qian Lijuan just cut. Qian Lijuan had definitely done her homework the night before, although Jiang Feng had told her not to cut beef along the grain, but horizontally, he hadn¡¯t instructed her on the many other details. The beef on the chopping board had its outer fascia removed, and the cuts of beef were very even, not the uneven kind where it¡¯s thin on top and thick on the bottom. ¡°Last night I asked my husband, and he told me to press down on the beef with my left hand and use a push-pull cutting technique with my right hand. How is it, Jiang, did I cut it okay?¡± Qian Lijuan asked nervously, looking at Jiang Feng, afraid that she had made a mistake again. ¡°No problem, you cut it very well, just like this,¡± Jiang Feng affirmed Qian Lijuan¡¯s knife skills. Every teacher likes a student who is obedient, sensible, progressive, conscientious, and who reviews earnestly and prepares in advance, and without a doubt, Qian Lijuan was one of these legendary good students. ¡°Mrs. Qian, do you know how to make roll-cut chunks?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°What are roll-cut chunks?¡± Qian Lijuan inquired. ¡°It¡¯s when you roll the radish after each cut and angle the knife as you slice,¡± exined Jiang Feng. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a tryter,¡± said Qian Lijuan. Qian Lijuan¡¯s first attempt at roll-cut chunks was very sessful, thanks to her extensive experience in chopping vegetables. Jiang Feng stood by her side, watching her, just as he had said the day before: he would only instruct verbally, not lifting a finger and overseeing the process, while all the practical work was done by Qian Lijuan alone. ¡°Right, that¡¯s good. nche it in water and then take it out, remove all of it.¡± ¡°Two spats of soy sauce, if you are stir-frying, then turn the heat up a bit more.¡± ¡°Is this color okay?¡± Qian Lijuan looked at the beef in the pot with some hesitation. ¡°This color is not dark enough, don¡¯t be afraid to add seasoning, you must be bold. Continue stir-frying, the beef isn¡¯t evenly colored yet.¡± ¡°Now the color is fine. Add water, enough to cover the beef.¡±
    ¡°Right, that¡¯s good, now pour the beef and the sauce into the y pot to simmer slowly. The heat is too high, turn it down a bit.¡± Under Jiang Feng¡¯s verbal guidance, Qian Lijuan¡¯s beef stew with carrots wasing along smoothly. During the time Jiang Feng was instructing Qian Lijuan, another middle-aged woman and a young man came into the small kitchen, both to cook porridge. ¡°Hey, Jiang, aren¡¯t you here to make food for Dr. Jiang? Why didn¡¯t I see you bringing any ingredients?¡± Qian Lijuan finally noticed that Jiang Feng hade empty-handed.
    Jiang Feng:¡­ Had Qian Lijuan not mentioned it, he would have forgotten that he was actually there to cook for Jiang Shoucheng. ¡°No rush, it¡¯s fine to just stir-fry a couple of dishes for my brother at noon and make some fried pork with sauce. I haven¡¯t bought the ingredients yet,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Wait for the beef to finish, and Mrs. Qian will share half with you,¡± Qian Lijuan said with augh, ¡°You better go buy the ingredients first. Today the tomatoes at the small market are very fresh, you could even eat them raw without cooking. Go now, before others buy them all up.¡± Speaking of tomatoes reminded Jiang Feng suddenly of the Borscht Soup he loved so much. On the cutting board, there were some beef trimmings abandoned for having too much tendon, and Jiang Feng instantly set his sights on them. ¡°Mrs. Qian, are you going to use those pieces of meat?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Those pieces of meat? We don¡¯t need them. My husband and the others can hardly eat a few pieces, and both my mother-inw and I have bad teeth¡ªwe can¡¯t chew the ones with tendons at all.¡± Qian Lijuan said. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have forgotten about them. I¡¯ll clear them up and throw them into the trash bin right now.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m nning to make some Borscht for my second elder brother at lunch. If you¡¯re not using them, could you please give them to me?¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°All yours, oh and by the way, I¡¯ve also got some particrly sweet apples. Just wait a moment, I¡¯ll go and get them for you,¡± Qian Lijuan said as she left the small kitchen. Jiang Feng also went to the small market to buy vegetables. Borscht Soup is a thick vegetable soup that originated in Ukraine, and its main ingredient is usually beets, but the Borscht Soup Jiang Feng drank was typically made with tomatoes as the main ingredient. Jiang Feng¡¯s love for Borscht Soup started in high school at the grand opening of a steakhouse in a shopping mall in Z city. The steak from that steakhouse tasted awful, but the side dishes that came with the steak were unlimited. At that time, Chen Xiuxiu was still the 200-pound Chen Xiuxiu. She particrly loved the steakhouse¡¯s cake and milk-covered tea, dragging Jiang Feng to the steakhouse almost every weekend.
    Even though the steakhouse closed down not long after, it made Jiang Feng fall deeply in love with Borscht Soup. Neither Sir nor Jiang Jiankang knew how to make Borscht Soup, so Jiang Feng taught himself through online resources and quickly mastered the essence of Borscht Soup. A casual mix of ingredients, haphazardly thickening the broth. This freestyle method of making Borscht Soup turned out to be strangely delicious. By the time Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen from the small market with potatoes, pork, onions, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, and flour, Qian Lijuan had already peeled and sliced the apples, sticking toothpicks in them and bringing them over in a lunchbox. It¡¯s said there might not be a more considerate market than the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s small market in this world, where they sell flour by the gram. ¡°Here, Jiang, have an apple. These apples are really sweet,¡± Qian Lijuan handed the lunchbox to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng took the lunchbox and speared a piece of apple with a toothpick, tasting it. The apple was crisp with a crunchy texture, sweet and tart, truly good. Such good apples, it would be a waste not to make Crispy Sweet Apples. What a pity Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know how to make Crispy Sweet Apples. After quickly finishing the apples in the lunchbox, Jiang Feng started washing his hands and began preparing to make Borscht Soup. ¡°Um, excuse me, could you take a look at my porridge and tell me what¡¯s wrong with it?¡± the young guy who looked about Jiang Feng¡¯s age suddenly spoke up in the small kitchen.
    ¡°Of course, I can.¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. He had realized right from the start that the youngster had no idea how to cook, boiling the porridge on high heat, which meant either the rice was undercooked or the porridge was scorched. If the young man hadn¡¯t spoken up, Jiang Feng would have found it hard to resist going over to help him out. ¡°Porridge isn¡¯t cooked like that. Are you in a hurry?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Ah, no, not in a hurry,¡± the young man seemed a bit nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, young man. Jiang is very warm-hearted. Jiang is a professional chef, highly skilled,¡± Qian Lijuan began to praise Jiang Feng unabashedly. ¡°For porridge, you should soak the rice in water for over ten minutes. How many servings are you making?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Just one serving, I¡¯m making it for my dad,¡± the young man said. ¡°For one serving, you¡¯ve added too much rice, and the bottom of your pot is almost burnt while the top is still raw. It¡¯s pretty much unsalvageable; you should just throw it out.¡± ¡°You should¡­¡± The Porridge King began instructing the novice cook on how to properly make a perfect serving of white porridge. Half an hourter, the young man¡¯s white porridge was ready. ¡°Ding, a dish ispleted, task progress (2/100).¡±
    Jiang Feng smiled subtly, keeping his skills as quiet as his fame. PS: (Routine plea for monthly votes) I need monthly votes! (Because there are only two updates, I¡¯ll whisper my plea today!) Chapter 295: 294: Epic-Level Dishes Chapter 295: Chapter 294: Epic-Level Dishes Jiang Feng¡¯s Borscht Soup wasn¡¯t technically Borscht Soup anymore. The traditional way to make Borscht Soup should be: add water to the pot, and after the water boils, add beef, bay leaves, green onions, ginger, and cook over medium heat for an hour. Once the beef is tender, take it out to cool and dice into thumb-sized pieces, then fry the flour in the pot until it¡¯s slightly yellow and aromatic. Afterwards, add butter to the pan, heat until melted, and saute onions, ginger, garlic, and bay leaves until fragrant. Then, add ketchup, beef, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and water and bring to a boil. Finally, add a small amount of flour and various seasonings; when the sauce thickens, the soup is ready to serve. But Jiang Feng¡¯s method was to toss all the ingredients into the pot and stir-fry them over high heat before stewing them together. So, Jiang Feng¡¯s Borscht Soup could actually be renamed Ukrainian Mixed Stew. Jiang Feng¡¯s Ukrainian Mixed Stew took more time than the authentic Borscht Soup, because after all, the focus was on the stewing part. The young man had already taken his white porridge back because of the sultry weather, and there weren¡¯t many people in the small kitchen. Jiang Feng had encountered just a handful of people. Besides the young man, the rest of the people in the kitchen were veterans in cooking porridge or making soups and didn¡¯t give Jiang Feng the opportunity to proactively help them. Only when Mrs. Qian¡¯s Beef Stew with Carrots was almost ready and Jiang Feng¡¯s Borscht Soup was about to be served, and the fried pork with sauce had been cooked and ted, did Jiang Feng fail to find a third ¡°victim¡±¡­ Taste, to help out.
    Seeing that Mrs. Qian¡¯s Beef Stew with Carrots was about to be done, Jiang Feng called Jiang Shoucheng. ¡°Hey, Second Brother, are you free right now? I made Borscht Soup and fried pork with sauce. If you have time, I can bring it to you now,¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Ah, Little Brother, you¡¯re still at the hospital?¡± Jiang Shoucheng was so shocked he even stopped chewing on his cured pig¡¯s trotter. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you yesterday? The shop is quite quiet these days, so I¡¯lle over to cook for you, right?¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Ah, did you say that? You didn¡¯t, did you? No worries, I haven¡¯t eaten yet. I just had some appetizers before I bring over the meal, we¡¯re just hanging out here,¡± Jiang Shoucheng ignored the four servings of cured pig¡¯s trotters and four servings of rice on the table and lied through his teeth. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring it over now,¡± Jiang Feng hung up the phone. ¡°Mrs. Qian, the beef should be ready by now. Please take the lid off and check,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Sure.¡± Qian Lijuan, who had been guarding the beef in the small kitchen as if afraid something might go wrong, excitedly lifted the lid. As the lid was lifted, the fragrance of Beef Stew with Carrots filled the small kitchen. The beef was tender, and the carrots cut with a rolling knife were sweet and vorful. Picking up the beef with chopsticks, one could feel it trembling as if about to copse under its own weight. ¡°Is this done?¡± Qian Lijuan couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. This Beef Stew with Carrots, which looked so delicious, had actually been made by her own hands! ¡°It¡¯s done, turn off the heat,¡± Jiang Feng smiled. Qian Lijuan turned off the heat and tasted a piece of the beef with chopsticks. ¡°Jiang, you¡¯re amazing. This dish tastes as good as the one my husband makes!¡± ¡°Ding! One dishpleted, task progress (3/100).¡± ¡°Ding! Congrattions, yer has acquired Qian Lijuan¡¯s recipe: Beef Stew with Carrots.¡± Acquired the recipe?! You can get recipes like this without reading them, just by learning through doing?! Jiang Feng looked at Qian Lijuan, who was brimming with joy and about to carry the y pot outside, and for a moment, he was filled with mixed emotions. Had he just witnessed the birth of a recipe? When Qian Lijuan left, there was only Jiang Feng left in the small kitchen. Without any hesitation, he directly opened his attributes panel. Another name was now highlighted in the recipe section.
    Qian Lijuan (1/1) [Beef Stew with Carrots D Grade] Creator: Qian Lijuan Details of the dish: This is a very famous home-cooked dish, often found on family dinner tables, and holds beautiful memories for many. This dish should originally be called Carrot Beef Stew but has always been known as Beef Stew with Carrots due to Qian Lijuan¡¯s family¡¯s special name. Under Jiang Feng¡¯s guidance, Qian Lijuan independently finished this dish that far exceeded her culinary skill level. Filled with love and concern for Zhuang Lin, along with other indescribableplex emotions, it has be an unforgettable dish in her life. Eating it grants the best luck for seven days within a year.
    Number of times it can be made within 100 days (1/1) Jiang Feng was speechless. The number of times it could be made had been used up, indicating that the game acknowledged the dishes Qian Lijuan made under Jiang Feng¡¯s verbal guidance also benefited from buff effects. Such a divine dish that directly granted a luck buff, let alone being restricted to once every 100 days, even once a year would be enough to make people yearn. Qian Lijuan said her husband had terrible luck, and it hadn¡¯t been good for 50 years. Eating this dish would be the luckiest moment he had in those 50 years. Zhuang Lin, who was very lucky, had no idea he was about to eat the dish that would change his life. Qian Lijuan carried the beef into the hospital room, where her mother-inw was still there, peeling apples for Zhuang Lin. ¡°Mom, did you give all of yesterdays¡¯ beef to the doctors and nurses?¡± Qian Lijuan asked. ¡°All of it. You made so much again today, oh, and I have something to tell you,e out for a sec,¡± her mother-inw called her out. Qian Lijuan followed her out of the room and made sure to close the door behind her. ¡°Lijuan, tell me the truth, how is my son really doing?¡± Qian Lijuan¡¯s mother-inw asked. Qian Lijuan¡¯s gaze shifted evasively, ¡°Mom, why are you suddenly asking this? Isn¡¯t Zhuang Lin just recovering slowly?¡±
    ¡°I just heard outside, the doctor was telling the patient in the next bed that his condition is very pessimistic, something about an infection of the wound or whatever; I didn¡¯t really understand. He came in after Zhuang Lin, and he¡¯s recovering better than Zhuang Lin. If his situation is so pessimistic, what about Zhuang Lin?¡± ¡°Lijuan, tell me the truth. I¡¯ve been psychologically prepared since the three of them had that car ident. I am his mother; even if my son is going to pass away, I should know in advance,¡± Qian Lijuan¡¯s mother-inw¡¯s voice choked. ¡°The doctor said whether Zhuang Lin can make it through these few days. As long as the infection doesn¡¯t worsen in the next few days, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°What if it worsens?¡± ¡°If it worsens, we¡¯ll have to prepare for his funeral. It¡¯s all up to his luck,¡± Qian Lijuan said softly. Qian Lijuan¡¯s mother-inw wiped away tears, ¡°I¡¯ll go next door. You should wipe your tears, wash your face, and don¡¯t let him see.¡± Following her mother-inw¡¯s advice, Qian Lijuan washed her face and went back into the hospital room. Zhuang Lin was already holding the bowl and had begun to eat by himself. Qian Lijuan got anxious as soon as she saw him and scolded, ¡°I told you, don¡¯t move, don¡¯t move. How many pieces have you eaten?¡± ¡°Just two pieces of carrot.¡± Looking into his bowl, she indeed saw only carrots, no meat. She snatched the bowl and chopsticks from his hands and picked out two very tender pieces of beef from the y pot. ¡°Did you make this Beef Stew with Carrots by yourself today?¡± Zhuang Lin asked. ¡°Yes, I did it all by myself. Jiang only gave me a few verbal pointers on the side!¡±
    ¡°Then this Jiang you¡¯re talking about must be a very skilled chef, just a few pointers and this Beef Stew with Carrots is almost on par with mine,¡± Zhuang Lin said with augh. ¡°Have you had your porridge?¡± Qian Lijuan asked. ¡°Yes, Mom went to the cafeteria and bought some for me over half an hour ago. Darling, you make porridge for me tomorrow; the in porridge from the cafeteria has no taste.¡± ¡°My in porridge has taste? Cheeky! Fine, I¡¯ll make it for you tomorrow,¡± a smile yed at the corner of Qian Lijuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Excuse me, Mrs. Qian, may I ask about this Jiang you mentioned, is he your nephew or something?¡± A family member from the next bed inquired. The patient in the next bed was surnamed Qin, who everyone called Qin. His daughter, a working professional, rarely had time to visit him, leaving him mostly in the care of a nurse. His daughter had a pretty name, Qin Weiwei. ¡°He¡¯s Dr. Jiang¡¯s cousin, the very robust Dr. Jiang. Jiang is a professional chef; it seems he¡¯s off these days, so he came to cook for Dr. Jiang,¡± Qian Lijuan said. ¡°Could you, perhaps, ask him to give me some guidance as well?¡± Qin Weiwei asked shyly, ¡°I can¡¯t cook, and seeing you make that Beef Stew with Carrots for Uncle Zhuang these past days, he got a bit jealous. He acts like a child when he¡¯s ill, so I also want to cook something for him.¡± Qian Lijuan thought about what her mother-inw had said just outside the door; she could guess that Qin Weiwei wanting to cook for Qin wasn¡¯t because of Qin throwing a tantrum, but because she knew Qin might not have much time left. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take you to him tonight. If you¡¯re too shy to ask, I¡¯ll ask Jiang for you. He should be there this evening,¡± Qian Lijuan said. ¡°Thankyou, Mrs. Qian!¡± ¡°Oh, and can your dad eat beef? If so, I can also get some for your dad. The Beef Stew with Carrots I made today is really delicious, right, old Zhuang?¡± Qian Lijuan said. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, very delicious, just like what Uncle Zhuang would make!¡± Zhuang Lin enthusiastically agreed. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Qian,¡± Weiwei said as she went to get some beef in her bowl..
    Chapter 296: 2951 Love You Chapter 296: Chapter 2951 Love You Jiang Feng carried a tray from the orthopedic canteen with sauce-burst pork, Ukrainian stew, and the epic level carrot and beef stew shared by Qian Lijuan to the emergency department just when everyone was gathering to eat takeout. Since Mr. Zhong wanted to eat Tan Family¡¯s smoked pig trotters, and ordering from Tan Family came with discounts forrge orders, including a reduction and a free fresh-pressed iced watermelon juice, everyone decided to order takeout from Tan Family together. The entire office was filled with the aroma of smoked pig trotters and braised beef. Only Zhou remained steadfast, continuing to eat his hot and sour Chinese cabbage. After tasting the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in the morning, he had searched the price of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon from Jubao Building online and was even more determined to stick to cabbage all month so he could treat his fiancee to a nice meal at Taifeng Building next month. He was going to Taifeng Building, even if Dr. Lu could lend him the premium membership card from Yonghe House for a discount. ¡°Old Jiang, why are you just eating smoked pig trotters? This braised beef from Tan Family is also exceptional. Don¡¯t you love beef the most?¡± Sun, who ordered braised spare ribs takeout, came to Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s ce to mooch some pig trotters. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating beeftely.¡± Jiang Shoucheng had been deeply hurt by
    Qian Lijuan¡¯s beef the day before. ¡°But Old Jiang, eating meat every day is no good either. You should eat some vegetables, or else you¡¯ll be too unhealthy.¡± Sun began to mooch pig trotters. Jiang Shoucheng knocked his chopsticks away with one of his own, ¡°Who says I haven¡¯t been eating vegetables? Didn¡¯t I have a ¡®Three Delicacies¡¯ bun this morning? There was half a mushroom in that bun! Someone like Zhou, gnawing on cabbage every day, that¡¯s what¡¯s truly unhealthy. I think his face is about to turn green.¡± Suddenly cued, Zhou silently grabbed a big chunk of smoked pig trotter from Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s takeout box. Jiang Shoucheng:¡­ ¡°But eating braised meat every day really isn¡¯t okay. I definitely need to¡­¡± Jiang Shoucheng was speaking when he suddenly felt a chill on his back. He turned his head and saw Jiang Feng standing behind him. ¡°Eating braised meat every day?¡± Jiang Shoucheng gave Jiang Feng a simple and honest smile. Jiang Feng shared the dishes he brought with everyone, including the lucky buff beef, as all present were excellent experience grinding machines, except for Dr. Lu. When Jiang Feng saw the deluxe takeout box in front of Dr. Lu, he was stunned. What kind of family background do you have that even your takeout feels like a deluxe family bento? Wait, that looks exactly like a bento box. Dr. Lu, seeing Jiang Feng staring intently at the super deluxe 5-tier bento box in front of him, exined, ¡°My wife came backst night. She made this bento for me.¡± The office was suddenly filled with an air of joyful fulfillment. Jiang Feng consoled himself silently, my wife can also cook for me, and it¡¯s tastier and more beautiful than what Dr. Lu s wife makes. After lunch, Jiang Feng returned to the orthopedic canteen, where there was air conditioning; only the small kitchen was quite hot.
    Helping finish only two dishes today, Jiang Feng deeply felt that this task was not as simple as it seemed on the surface. He had to find a way to meet more Mrs. Qians and help themplete dishes. Before Jiang Feng coulde up with a n, Mrs. Qian came looking for him with Qin Weiwei in tow. Qin Weiwei wanted to cook a dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and radish rib soup for her father. Qin Weiwei¡¯s culinary skills were far below Mrs. Qian¡¯s; Mrs. Qian had been helping in the kitchen for decades, at least able to chop some vegetables and assist. Qin Weiwei, on the other hand, was a typical ¡®fingers not stained by spring water¡¯ type, who couldn¡¯t even cut through cabbage and managed to pour both rice and water into the sink when washing rice.
    Qin Weiwei needed to pressure cook the radish rib soup quickly because she had taken leave from work during the day and had to return to herpany to work overtime to make up for it, so she was in a real rush. Jiang Feng, after learning that Jiang Shoucheng had deceived his feelings, decided not to cook any meat dishes for him these next few days, suggesting that eating more vegetables to cleanse the intestines would be better for health. After making a boiled broli for Jiang Shoucheng in the evening, the kind without any salt, Jiang Feng returned to Taifeng Building. He nned to go back early today to brew Five Flowers Tea for Wu Minqi; tonight, he would make it and put it in the refrigerator to chill overnight, so Wu Minqi could have a cold drink of the herbal tea when she woke up the next morning. A new day should start with a cup of cooling herbal tea. Jiang Feng returned to Taifeng Building just in time to catch the tail end of the evening business and, after getting busy and cleaning up the kitchen with everyone, the two old men showed no signs of wanting to leave. ¡°Sun Jikai,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile as he approached Sun Jikai, ¡°want to learn how to make the sugar base with oil?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sun Jikai was taken aback. The sugar base with oil is both a secret technique of Shandong cuisine and a speciality of Jiang Family Dishes. Jiang Feng now makes the Sweet and Sour Yam using the method of the sugar base with oil, which led Sun Jikai to believe that the deliciousness of Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam was because of this technique. ¡°Do you want to learn it?¡± asked Jiang Weiming. ¡°Yes!¡± Sun Jikai was very honest. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you for a week, starting tonight until 10 PM. Come early tomorrow morning, you must be in the kitchen by 6 AM. After a week, your grandfather wille to pickyou up, whether you can master it all depends on you now,¡± Jiang Weiming said. ¡°Go get the ingredients.¡± Sun Jikai was a bit dumbfounded, very slow to pick up the ingredients, and it took him a long time to realize: ¡°My Grandpa ising to pick me up?¡± ¡°Your grandpa called and told me yesterday that he¡¯sing over next week to bring you back,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, revealing what he thought was his most amiable smile in consideration of Sun Jikai¡¯s dedicated and diligent overtime work at Taifeng Building over the past days. ¡°Learn well.¡±
    Sun Jikai felt slightly ted. Jiang Weisheng was looking at Jiang Weiming with hopeful eyes while holding his apron. Although he didn¡¯t know what the sugar base with oil was, his intuition also told him he probably couldn¡¯t learn it. But he wanted to learn anything new. Jiang Weiming noticed Jiang Weisheng¡¯s eager eyes and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°You, too,e early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± At 11 PM, Jiang Feng was brewing Five Flowers Tea in the kitchen for Wu Minqi. Wu Minqi had set her rm for 6 AM the next morning; she nned to rise early to make a pear and lean pork soup for Jiang Feng. Sun Jikai returned to his rented apartment, scrolled to Sun Guanyun¡¯s contact on his phone, but hesitated to make the call. Lights were out in the hospital room. Qian Lijuan, gazing at Zhuang Lin, who had fallen asleep on the bed, couldn¡¯t see his face in the dark but felt she could never look enough. Qin Weiwei was still working overtime at the office and received a WeChat message from her dad asking if she had gone to bed yet. Qin Weiwei nced at the document on theputer that she hadn¡¯t finished, then picked up her phone to reply to her dad. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve just finished showering and I¡¯m getting ready to go to bed. You should go to sleep early too and not y with your phone. The doctor said you need more rest for a faster recovery.¡±
    Jiang Weisheng was engaged in his nightly routine of calling his spouse, Zhang Li. ¡°Today, two more customers gave thumbs up for my Special vor Soup on the Ordering System, wife. Remember to jot that down in my diary,¡± Jiang Weisheng said with glee. ¡°I got it; I¡¯ll note it down,¡± Zhang Li yawned, ¡°was the shop very busy today? Why did you call sote?¡± ¡°Today my master taught me the sugar base with oil!¡± Jiang Weisheng said proudly, ¡°This is a unique skill. Once I learn it, I will make you Sweet and Sour dishes after Ie back for National Day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te back for National Day. Your son said that he and your daughter- inw have time off during National Day, so we¡¯ll all go to visit you. You old man, you keep making us worry as you age, now even your son has to indulge you. What am I going to do with you¡­¡± Zhang Li began her long-winded scolding of Jiang Weisheng. Jiang Feng¡¯s Five Flowers Tea was ready. He calcted the amount to see if there would be any leftovers to bring to Jiang Shoucheng after distributing the tea to the families the next day. Wu Minqi had already drifted into light sleep when she suddenly awoke, remembering she had not sent a WeChat message to say goodnight to Wu Hanxue and Mrs. Wu. Sun Jikai hesitated for a long time before finally setting down the phone. Qian Lijuan kept her eyes open, watching Zhuang Lin until tears streamed down her face. Qin Weiwei, who had been writing her document, suddenly burst into tears on her office desk. Jiang Weisheng patiently listened to Zhang Li¡¯s scolding until she stopped, then he said cheerfully, ¡°Wife, I love you.¡± Some people choose to speak, some to act, whatever the method, it alles down to ¡°Hove you.¡± Chapter 297: 296 Luck (For Alliance Hierarch who Chapter 297: Chapter 296 Luck (For Alliance Hierarch who also needs to cheer up today, an extra chapter!) The second day Jiang Feng was awakened not by an rm clock, but by love¡­ Pah, it was pear and lean meat soup. A small bowl of pear and lean meat soup, you could tell what was in it at a nce. Six slices of pear, a piece of lean meat, two red dates, eight goji berries, three longans, two slices of ginger, one sincere heart, full of love and affection. Simmered from 6 a.m. to 730 a.m., a full hour and a half of slow cooking turned the soup a light yellow color, the sweetness of the pears and red dates blending into the soup and into the heart of the person drinking it. Jiang Feng said that there was no point in watching others unt their affection in his memory all the time; unting one¡¯s own affection was the real skill! Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi drank Five Flowers Tea and ate pear and lean meat soup together, chatting idly about some ordinary little things. Wu Minqi didn¡¯t talk much on regr days; in fact, it was because she wasn¡¯t good with words. Most of the time they spent together, it was Jiang Feng talking and her listening. She was better at expressing her feelings through actions than words.
    Jiang Feng reserved one and a half cups of the chilled Five Flowers Tea from the fridge to distribute to each house. Looking at thest two cups of Five Flowers Tea, Jiang Feng thought about it and decided not to bring them to Jiang Shoucheng. He was someone who ate four portions of braised pork takeout every meal; he wouldn¡¯t miss this little bit of cool tea. On the other hand, Ji Gezi, who had been having difficulty moving these past few days, seemed particrly pitiful, relying entirely on the meals Ji Xue brought her. As the boss, it was time for Jiang Feng to treat his excellent and injured employees with two cups of cool tea. He wasn¡¯t sure if Ji Gezi was awake yet, so Jiang Feng decided to deliver the Five Flowers Tea to them first; if Ji Gezi wasn¡¯t awake, at least Ji Xue should be. Jiang Feng rang the doorbell, and sure enough, it was Ji Xue who opened the door. ¡°I made Five Flowers Teast night and chilled it in the fridge overnight. Drink it while it¡¯s still cool,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Thanks, Boss!¡± Ji Xue had be much livelier after staying in Taifeng Building for a month. ¡°I made some sweet rice wine balls, do you want toe in and have some?¡± Jiang Feng entered, ¡°Is Ji Yue awake?¡± Not going to work yet waking up before 8 a.m. was not Ji Gezi¡¯s style. ¡°She didn¡¯t sleep at all,¡± Ji Xue said helplessly, pointing to the side, ¡°she¡¯s over on the couch.¡± Only then did Jiang Feng notice that the lump on the couch was actually a person. Ji Yue had her legs stretched out, lying on the drawing tablet in an extremely twisted posture. Disheveled and greasy-haired, looking even greasier than the emergency department doctors Jiang Feng had seen before. ¡°Ji Yue?¡±
    Hearing someone calling her, Ji Yue looked up. Spiritless, with half-closed eyes, she had the look of someone ready to ride the wind away, on the verge of bing an immortal. ¡°Drink tea, drink tea,¡± Jiang Feng said quietly, setting the Five Flowers Tea on the coffee table.
    If Ji Yue¡¯s former clients saw her like this while working on her drafts, they¡¯d probably cry from being moved. ¡°Has she been like this since yesterday?¡± Jiang Feng was beginning to doubt whether Ji Yue had been possessed. ¡°She¡¯s been like this since she came back from the hospital,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°She ims her inspiration hit her and she wants to finish thatic about wontons or something in the next few days. I don¡¯t understand these things, so I didn¡¯t dare to persuade her. I was afraid I would interrupt and she¡¯d lose her inspiration.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Ji Yue is a goodrade indeed! After scrounging some rice wine glutinous rice balls from Ji Xue, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi went to Li Mansion to make breakfast for Da Hua before heading to Taifeng Building. For four consecutive days, Jiang Feng alternated between Taifeng Building, Benevolent Doctor, home, and Li Mansion, even making a trip to the airport to pick up Professor Li and his wife. Chen Suhua took a liking to Da Hua and personally made it a meal of pig food. Jiang Feng was heartbroken, as he had lost out on the experience of making a meal. Chen Suhua prepared breakfast, which was always Jiang Feng¡¯s task when it came to Da Hua. During these four days, the progress at Benevolent Doctor¡¯s cafeteria slowly continued, barely reaching (32/100), with 9 of the 32 dishes contributed by Qian Lijuan and 6 by Qin Weiwei. The only good news might be that Zhuang Lin¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t as bad as Qian Lijuan had said; he used the best of his luck for the year to sessfully pull his feet back from the brink of death. The wounds on Zhuang Lin and Qin didn¡¯t worsen, the new antibiotics finally started to work, and their conditions improved day by day.
    Both Qian Lijuan and Qin Weiwei felt that it might have been because they ate the dishes they prepared themselves, their moods improved, and miracles happened. Therefore, they insisted on cooking daily, bing regrs in the small kitchen. Besides Qian Lijuan and Qin Weiwei, the most frequent visitor was the young man who previously couldn¡¯t even boil rice porridge. He cooked porridge twice a day, each time needing Jiang Feng1 s verbal guidance. The young man¡¯s name was Fang Zhuoyue, a student from the mathematics department of Capital University, a high achiever and an undeniable academic prodigy. Fang Zhuoyue and Jiang Feng were of simr age; they would chat when in the small kitchen, one studying physics and one mathematics, both from prestigious schools, with plenty to discuss. After shuttling to Benevolent Doctor for six days, Jiang Feng felt the task couldn¡¯t be rushed, so he decided to slow down, visiting Benevolent Doctor every other day. Jiang Shoucheng had been eating boiled broli for five days straight. Without giving him a couple of days off, Jiang Feng was afraid he would literally turn green from eating it. The only thing that puzzled Jiang Feng was that Qian Lijuan¡¯s Carrot Braised Beef¡¯s lucky buff seemed to work on everyone except himself. Zhuang Lin reimed his life. Sun, after much reflection and an extra 200 yuan for a genuine little CK, seeded in confessing to Huihui for the second time. Zhou won a mobile phone in a Weibo retweet lottery and had already sent it back to his fiancee. Mr. Zhong felt Dr. Cao was too exhausted and sessfully applied for a two- day leave for him at the hospital. Mr. Zhong¡¯s yogurt purchase came with a promotion for one yuan each, and his family had already consumed over a dozen bottles. Dr. Lu won 2,000 yuan in a scratch card game.
    Dr. Wei¡¯s wife was pregnant. Xu had his paper published. Yesterday, when Jiang Shoucheng was on night shift, his Itchy Mouse soul power surged, and he got a full set of 271-speed Fortune. Only Jiang Feng felt like life hadn¡¯t given him anything. The lucky buff seemed to have failed on him. As the lucky buff was about to end in just over two days, Jiang Feng began to doubt just how unlucky he was, not even stumbling upon the good fortune of finding money on the road. Perhaps he should log into his Itchy Mouse ount, which he hadn¡¯t essed for over 200 days, to strengthen his soul and see if his lucky buff was real. Wait, he remembered he didn¡¯t have a ¡°starter.1 It was because he couldn¡¯t win at the cockfight and couldn¡¯t get a starter that he quit the game. Until just before the lunch service started, Jiang Feng was puzzled, was he really that unlucky, unable to umte even one lucky incident for the year? Could it be that he had already spent all of this year¡¯s luck in advance on Wu Minqi confessing to him? ¡°Feng, two Sweet and Sour Yams,¡± someone ordered as the lunch service began. ¡°Alrighty,¡± Jiang Feng stopped pondering and got to work. Chapter 298: 297 Mission Accomplished (Requesting Monthly Pass!) Chapter 298: Chapter 297 Mission Aplished (Requesting Monthly Pass!) Before I knew it, the midday business on August 18th had ended. On such a festive day, Jiang Feng still hadn¡¯t sold any of his special dishes, aside from the Sweet and Sour Yam. Jiang Feng even began to miss Xue Shaoheng. Jiang Feng had been frequenting the Benevolent Doctor in recent days, leading many regrs at the Taifeng Building to think he was taking time off, and it had been several days since Xue Shaoheng and Xue Hua hade in for a meal. Jiang Feng vaguely recalled how, until the previous few days, Xue Shaoheng would visit the restaurant daily and order a serving of meat-only dumplings. Although Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t fathom why Xue Shaoheng still had a soft spot for the meat dumplings despite being able to see the buffs on the special dishes, this didn¡¯t stop him from considering Xue Shaoheng a goodrade. Unfortunately, the goodrade hadn¡¯t shown up at the restaurant for three days. Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s family had finished their trip to Beiping and were taking the afternoon flight back home. Through Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s social media updates, Jiang Feng could see that Zhang Chu had bought quite a few gifts to take back and show off to old friends. Reflecting now, life had be more colorful ever since Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s family visited Beiping. If it was a novel, it would have been enough material for thirty-nine chapters. That said, this wasn¡¯t much; Jiang Feng had recently read a medical-themed book where a mere three days of events were stretched into over a hundred chapters, and only after catching up did he realize that the author was also just a pigeon spirit. Wait, why had he used the word ¡°also¡±? Jiang Feng shook his head, casting these messy thoughts out of his mind as he continued practicing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.
    Since he didn¡¯t know when the lucky buff from the beef stewed with carrots would manifest in his life, Jiang Feng grasped at the tail end of that luck, practicing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in hopes of a stroke of fortune to create a near-perfect dish. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons Jiang Feng had made recently were all of high quality, yet none were near perfect. The issues, identified by evaluation, alwaysy in the technicalities like fire control, timing, and temperature¡ªissues he knew he couldn¡¯t rectify in a short period. Jiang Feng was mixing the sauce. Wu Minqi was on the phone outside with Mrs. Wu; Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin was getting engaged next month, and she was discussing with her mother whether to bring Jiang Feng along to the event. Sun Jikai was still pondering the sugar sedimentation in the oil, having grasped a few tricks of the trade within a few days. Objectively speaking, Sun Jikai¡¯s talent in cooking was indeed not bad. If Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t been cheating, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have been a match for him. It was just a pity¡­ Sun Jikai had sessively run into the game-cheating Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi with her romance-novel-boss story arc, the life-achiever Zhang Guanghang, and the ignorant Taifeng Building crowd who had not heard of Wharton. Thinking about it, his plight was quite sad. ¡°Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡± A husky, unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar voice came from behind Jiang Feng. ¡°Hmm.¡± Jiang Feng turned his head and froze. Standing behind him was Sun Guanyun. Sun Jikai was stunned, forgetting about the oil in the pan that was close to boiling over. The roar of the extractor fan continued, and the high-powered electric fan whirred ceaselessly, unable to reduce the temperature in the kitchen. Sun Jikai and Sun Guanyun looked at each other. Jiang Feng looked at both of them, feeling as if time stood still, like a slow motion scene from a movie. ¡°Grandfather.¡± Sun Jikai spoke up. ¡°How¡¯s your learninging along?¡± Sun Guanyun asked. ¡°It¡¯s going okay,¡± Sun Jikai replied. ¡°What did you learn?¡± ¡°The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.¡±
    The oil in the pot began to boil, and smoke rose from it¡ªyet before the smoke could drift too far, it was sucked away by the vent hood. ¡°Do you want to learn cooking?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡± Do you want to go back? ¡±
    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you want the Jubao Building?¡± Sun Jikai was taken aback. ¡°Do you want it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Good,¡± Sun Guanyun smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my grandson.¡± Jiang Feng could no longer follow the conversation between the grandfather and grandson. Perhaps this was just the way of the wealthy¡ªwith inscrutable conversations. Sun Guanyun said nothing more; Sun Jikai silently turned off the stove¡¯s me, went to the cage holding the pigeons, and selected one that had the right proportion of fat to lean meat. Before the small pigeon could let out a ¡°coo,¡± Sun Jikai had swiftly ended its life with one clean cut, the bird falling victim to his de. Jiang Feng: ??? Had he missed a part of the plot? The two of them had only locked eyes, and suddenly, Sun Jikai inexplicably started preparing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Jiang Feng had long forgotten about the sauce in the pot.
    He watched as Sun Jikai carefully, though without Jiang Feng¡¯s knifework proficiency, deboned the pigeon, meticulously prepared the stuffing, and deftly water-nched the bird. When Jiang Feng came back to his senses, the pigeon broth he was preparing for the thickening sauce had already boiled dry. However, it was no big deal. He had made three, so if one batch of pigeon broth was ruined, he still had two more. Suddenly, Jiang Feng realized something. His side task¡­ Seemed to havee to him on its own. Sun Guanyun was fully absorbed in watching Sun Jikai, without any spare attention or energy to give to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng swallowed hard, realizing that this was an opportunity. If the lucky buff from the beef stew with carrots really worked, he couldplete the side task ¡°Sun Guanyun¡¯s Approval¡± today. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon that Sun Guanyun was making had already gone into the steamer, so Jiang Feng began re-making the thickening sauce. Fully focused, he couldn¡¯t afford to make a mistake. Simmer the pigeon broth. Add the starch to thicken.
    Add chicken fat. Turn the high heat to low. Turn off the heat. Take it out of the pan. Jiang Feng looked at the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon on the table, scooped up a spoonful of thickening sauce, without technique, without fancy movements, all based on feeling, the experience and intuition he had umted from countless times making the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. It was time! Drizzle the thickening sauce. The sauce cascaded down like water, yet it was still not perfect. The sauce spread out on the surface of the squab, thinly coating it, yet it was still not perfect. Take it out of the pan. ¡°A batch of superbly vored Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon¡± Better than high-quality ones, but not the result Jiang Feng wanted. Jiang Feng sighed.
    Even at such a critical moment, the lucky buff couldn¡¯t help him make an almost perfect Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Some things can be gained through luck, like a lottery or a set of ¡°271 Speed Fortune Attraction¡± suit, but some things can only be achieved through strength, like the superbly vored Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in front of him. No amount of luck could make it an almost perfect Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Jiang Feng¡¯s sigh caught Sun Guanyun¡¯s attention. Sun Guanyun saw the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon Jiang Feng had finished and then nced over at Sun Jikai¡¯s progress. ¡°Where¡¯s the knife?¡± Sun Guanyun asked. ¡°I¡¯ll get it for you,¡± said Jiang Feng, offering to fetch the knife for Sun Guanyun and help him slice open the pigeon¡¯s belly, but Sun Guanyun stopped him. ¡°Let me do it,¡± Sun Guanyun took the knife from Jiang Feng¡¯s hand. With a very precise cut, he sliced steadily into the rotund belly of the pigeon, making an incision. The vegetarian stuffing tried to spill out eagerly. Like beads falling onto a jade te. Sun Guanyun picked up a small spoon, scooped up some of the stuffing, and dipped it into a little bit of the thickening sauce. He tasted it. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but sigh again. ¡°Ding! Side taskpleted ¡®Sun Guanyun¡¯s Approval¡¯. You have obtained a reward: A piece of Sun Guanyun¡¯s memory.¡± s, he knew that such a version of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon couldn¡¯t possibly¡­ Wait, what? The task waspleted?! Jiang Feng looked up incredulously. Sun Guanyun nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Not bad.¡± Jiang Feng could hardly believe his eyes and ears. Was this the same Sun Guanyun who was more hot-tempered than Sir, whose standards were even more stringent than Sir¡¯s? His luck¡­ Had it arrived? Chapter 299: 298: Life Not Long For This World (Seeking Monthly Pass!) Chapter 299: Chapter 298: Life Not Long For This World (Seeking Monthly Pass!) After receiving praise from Sun Guanyun, Sun Jikai seemed a bit nervous. He was well aware thatparisons are often made between people. For instance, during the middle school exams, he scored a perfect 120 in math, and others didn¡¯t consider it anything special. But oncepared to the city average of 56, people would exim, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so good at math!¡± Simrly, in the culinary field, his stir-fried beef ho fun could sell for 48 yuan, while Ji Xue¡¯s would go for 56 yuan. With thatparison, one could tell¡­ Pah, thatparison just shows there¡¯s a problem with the pricing set by the boss. In summary, people are known throughparison, especially by the elders who always like topare their own children with others¡¯, otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be so many annoying ¡®other people¡¯s children.¡¯ The difference in pricing for the stir-fried beef ho fun, but the disparity in Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was absolutely a matter of culinary skills. Sun Jikai knew clearly that during the top 16 of the cookingpetition, his and Jiang Feng¡¯s culinary skills were almost equal; his skills were even slightly better than Jiang Feng¡¯s. But since the semi-finals when Jiang Feng made Sweet and Sour Yam, it seemed as if he had a breakthrough. His culinary prowess advanced by leaps and bounds. It was hard to say about fire control and seasoning, but his knifework was already superior to Jikai¡¯s. Sun Jikai understood in his heart that his Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was not as good as Jiang Feng¡¯s.
    He was worried that Sun Guanyun, after tasting the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by Jiang Feng, or his own dish, would be disappointed. The exact same steps. Simmering the pigeon soup. Thickening with starch. Adding chicken oil. Switching from high to low heat. Turning off the heat. ting. But at the moment of ting, Sun Jikai knew his dish of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was inferior to Jiang Feng¡¯s. Sun Guanyun didn¡¯t make a sound, watching Sun Jikai¡¯s step-by-step thickening of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. As it was ted, he, just as before, cut open the pigeon¡¯s belly with a small knife. He scooped up a spoonful of the vegetable filling and tasted it quietly. ¡°I never taught you guys this thickening method. Who did you learn it from?¡± Sun Guanyun asked. ¡°It was Jiang Feng¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°It was Sun Jikai who proposed it.¡± Both of them spoke of the other simultaneously. Sun Jikai said, ¡°I remember when you made it the sauce for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was thick, but when you poured it, it flowed like water.¡± ¡°But I no longer remember what the sauce was like. I only remember you telling me temperature was key,¡± Jiang Feng said. Continuing, Sun Jikai said, ¡°I remember the consistency of the sauce, and he remembers its temperature, but the critical idea was Jiang Feng¡¯s; I didn¡¯t help at all.¡± As he spoke, Sun Jikai lowered his head in a bit of shame, for he was the one who held the key to sess, yet it was Jiang Feng who ended up unlocking the door. Sun Guanyun, however, seemed quite pleased, ¡°So, this dish was a coborative effort between you two.¡±
    ¡°And Wu Minqi, Zhang Guanghang also helped,¡± Sun Jikai said. He had always been like this, iming what was his without ever taking undue credit. ¡°Good, good,¡± Sun Guanyun said, repeating the word twice, ¡°All of you are good kids.¡± Jiang Feng seemed to faintly understand why Sun Guanyun was satisfied with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon he just made. What pleased him was not the taste, but rather the spirit and persistence of continuous exploration and research behind this dish.
    The objects of his satisfaction were not Jiang Feng, but Sun Jikai. He was pleased that Sun Jikai was willing to spend time and put in the effort to coborate with others to perfect a dish. He was pleased that Sun Jikai finally picked up the kitchen knife, settled his mind, and quietly concentrated on what a chef should do. He was pleased that his eldest grandson was not a schemer just plotting for the family wealth, but a chef who truly loved the culinary arts. Sun Guanyun came to pick up Sun Jikai and take him home. Sun Jikai hadn¡¯tpletely mastered the art of caramelizing sugar in oil, and the time Jiang Weiming had promised had not yet passed, but none of this mattered. All of that was less important than Sun Guanyun¡¯s willingness to acknowledge him and take him home. Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant had been waiting at the door, standing by the ck sedan. Although Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant was not as versatile as those from Good Taste Company, and sometimes even left much to be desired, he was the person Sun Guanyun trusted the most, for he had been by Sun Guanyun¡¯s side the longest. He had been Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant for 26 years; he had even personally managed the funeral of Sun Guanyun¡¯s wife over a decade ago. Many things that even Sun Changping and Sun Jikai didn¡¯t know, he was aware of. He was not only the most trusted person by Sun Guanyun but also the one who understood him the best. Therefore, he was very much aware that his boss¡¯s time was running short. Even Sun Changping and Sun Guanyun¡¯s second uncle, Sun Chang¡¯an, did not know why Sun Guanyun had suddenly changed his temperament and driven Sun Jikai out of the house, but Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant knew. He stood outside Taifeng Building, feeling somewhat anxious.
    As Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant and Sun Jikai¡¯s elder, he had watched Sun Jikai grow up, watched Sun Guanyun ce high hopes on him. He had also watched Sun Jikai being led further astray by his mother, heading down the wrong path, wasting his culinary talents, and getting involved in meaningless family struggles. Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant felt his feet were a bit numb. How long had he been standing outside? 20 minutes? 30 minutes? 40 minutes? Or even longer? He just stood still outside, standing until his feet grew numb, without seeing Sun Guanyun and Sun Jikai. Could something have gone wrong between the grandfather and grandson? Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant started to worry. Should he go in and check? Yet, if there had indeed been some dispute, he was just an assistant; he would not be able to offer much in critical moments like these. Moreover, this was a family matter between them, and as an outsider, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to interfere. It wasn¡¯t easy for President Sun to decide toe to Beiping and take Sun Jikai back; it would be a shame if something unexpected happened right now. Should he go in? Sun Guanyun¡¯s assistant was even more hesitant. He took a slight step forward with his left foot, and his right foot followed. After thinking it over, his right foot took a step back, and his left foot followed. By the way, his surname was Wang,monly referred to as Assistant Wang. The driver, sitting in the car, watched Assistant Wang and started to wonder if Assistant Wang had been standing so long that his legs were cramping. Indeed, standing motionless for over 40 minutes would likely cause one¡¯s legs to cramp. Incidentally, the driver worked for Good Taste Company, and the vehicle also belonged to Good Taste. Both the driver and the car had been borrowed by Assistant Wang through contacting Han Guishan¡¯s assistant.
    Thanks to the Good Taste Culinary Competition, thepany¡¯s fame had been rising day by day, and over the past few months, Han Guishan had been expanding the market in preparation to move the headquarters to Beiping City soon. When Jiang Feng had left the beginner¡¯s vige and arrived at Beiping City in the Cosmic Center, Han Guishan couldn¡¯t afford to fall behind. The driver was contemting one thing, Assistant Wang was considering another, and as their thoughts drifted further and further, almost reaching the Siberian ins, Sun Guanyun emerged with Sun Jikai. Assistant Wang heaved a sigh of relief, opened the doors for the two of them, and then got into the car himself. ¡°To the hospital,¡± Sun Guanyun said. ¡°The hospital? Grandfather, are you not feeling well?¡± asked Sun Jikai. Sun Guanyun looked at him and said, ¡°Jikai, your grandfather is going to die.¡± His voice sounded more aged than ever before. Sun Jikai was stunned. Chapter 300: 299: The True Pigeon King Chapter 300: Chapter 299: The True Pigeon King ¡°Grandpa, what are you talking about?¡± Sun Jikai wanted tough, but couldn¡¯t muster it. He really wanted to ask if this was a joke, but he knew very well that Master Sun was not a person who joked around. Neither Master Sun nor Assistant Wang had expressions that looked like they were joking. Sun Jikai felt his lips were heavy, so heavy that he couldn¡¯t open them. His tongue tasted bitter, too bitter to move. He felt the air growing oppressive, suffocating him. Master Sun sighed and said to Assistant Wang, ¡°You tell him.¡± Assistant Wang handed a document bag to Sun Jikai. ¡°Master Sun started feeling unwell before the New Year, but there were so many things to do that he didn¡¯t pay attention to it and didn¡¯t go to the hospital for a check-up. After the Good Taste Culinary Competition finished, Master Sun felt a constant pain in his chest and had difficulty breathing, which led him to finally undergo a medical check-up, and the results¡­¡± Sun Jikai opened the document bag. Inside were Master Sun¡¯s medical records and test reports, filled with professional terms he couldn¡¯t understand, and he hadn¡¯t even heard of the diagnosed illness. ¡°The doctor said that there are lesions in Master Sun¡¯s liver and lungs. His lungs are riddled with holes, the lung function only 20% of a normal person¡¯s, and it has reached a point where he can hardly expel carbon dioxide. The liver lesions can be surgically removed, but given Master Sun¡¯s age, the doctors say it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯ll be able to withstand a full surgery, and even if¡­¡±
    ¡°And even if the liver lesions can be surgically removed, there¡¯s no cure for the lungs,¡± Sun Jikai looked at the medical reports in his hands. Master Sun¡¯s body was now like an old machine whose parts were increasingly failing. Fixing one part would be followed by the breakdown of another, some even damaged beyond repair. Repairing it wouldn¡¯t bring health, only pain. Surgery could prolong life, but that extended life would be one of suffering. So he had chosen medical treatment and was quietly waiting for death. ¡°Yes, just like that,¡± Assistant Wang swallowed hard. ¡°The doctor said if he¡¯s lucky, Master Sun might make it past the New Year.¡± Sun Jikai had never detested the word ¡°luck¡± so much. ¡°Jikai, don¡¯t be too sad, life and death are predestined, and these are all naturalws,¡± Master Sun in turnforted Sun Jikai. ¡°Grandfather has half a year left. Study well, and I will teach well. The future of Jubao Building will rest on you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sun Jikai never felt that a simple word could feel so heavy, like a thousand pounds. Master Sun exhaled a deep breath. Before his days were numbered, he had never stopped to look at the people around him. He wasn¡¯t a good father, nor was he a good grandfather. He had missed nearly all of his two sons¡¯ childhood and adolescence, and couldn¡¯t even recall what they looked like as young boys. He favored the healthy, lively, intelligent, and extraordinarily talented eldest grandson, Sun Jikai, and always overlooked his younger grandson, Sun Zhengqing, who was frail, shy, inactive, and not good at socializing since childhood. He knew his eldest daughter-inw was a greedy and short-sighted fool but habitually ignored her without offering guidance. He once thought he had plenty of time, that he could first use his time and energy to stabilize the declining reputation of Jubao Building. He thought he could first sort out the family-run restaurant before dealing with family affairs. But he was wrong. He had no more time. He wasn¡¯t a superhero, nor was he immortal; he couldn¡¯t do everything. On the contrary, trying to take care of both, he ended up neglecting both ends. Only when he stopped and looked back did he realize.
    The status of Jubao Building as the number one restaurant in FJ was in peril, and the eldest grandson, who he favored and doted on for over twenty years, had been led astray by his foolish daughter-inw. His eldest son was as ever indecisive and weak, but his younger son turned out to be unexpectedly upright and kind-hearted. What frightened Master Sun the most was that when he finally stopped to spend hisst days with his family, attempting to start understanding them, he was terrified to find out. His younger son didn¡¯t seem as kind-hearted, honest, and pitiable as he appeared on the surface.
    On the contrary, the continuous subtle maneuvers behind the scenes and the stark contrast to the oppressed image presented to the world by the eldest son were an act so convincing it was frightening. So, he made a decision. He hardened his heart and drove Sun Jikai out of the house, forbidding anyone to aid him. He sent him to Beiping, to Taifeng Building. He had to administer a drastic remedy; he had to straighten out his grandson before he died, so that he could hand over Jubao Building to him with peace of mind. Fortunately, Sun Jikai was back on the right track. Master Sun knew he owed Jiang Weiguo another favor. It¡¯s just a pity he was dying, he had too many things left undone, and he could only wait until the next life to repay this debt. ¡°When you go back, keep your distance from those cousins; you¡¯re not a child anymore, you¡¯ve had your own experiences, there are some people and things you should see clearly,¡± said Master Sun. ¡°Mmm,¡± Sun Jikai¡¯s mood remained low. ¡°Zhengqing is a good kid, he¡¯s been very concerned about you these days.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Sun Jikai thought of the zongzi Sun Zhengqing had sent him for the Dragon Boat Festival. He was very clear in his heart that his mother was not a good person, his father always listened to her, his uncle and aunt were not good people, and neither was he. It seemed that in their Sun Family, only their cousin Sun Zhengqing was a decent person. Yet knowing that his mother¡¯s words and actions were full of selfish desires, why had he always listened to her?
    ¡°` Maybe I was possessed back then. Sun Jikai couldn¡¯t think of any other exnation. The hospital had arrived. Sun Jikai helped Sun Guanyun out of the car. He loved his grandfather, because he knew his grandfather loved him. He didn¡¯t hate his mother, because he knew his mother didn¡¯t love him. On the other hand, inside the Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng was regretting the loss of an excellent employee who was willing to work overtime without asking for extra pay or anything in return. A pure and goodrade like Sun Jikai was not easy to find these days. The menu at Taifeng Building was about to have many dishes discontinued, and permanently at that. Jiang Feng let out a deep sigh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Sun Jikai is going back to the Jubao Building, and I was thinking if we should organize a farewell party or something,¡± Jiang Feng said.
    ¡°A farewell party?¡± Wu Minqi thought for a moment, ¡°But he is leaving tonight.¡± ¡°Tonight? How do you know?¡± Wu Minqi took out her phone, opened WeChat, scrolled to Moments, and the first post was from Sun Jikai. ¡°Heading home.¡± Below it were three pictures of ne tickets, with the time showing 7:20 tonight. Jiang Feng usually didn¡¯t check WeChat Moments during the day, only scrolling through it before sleep. As the two were talking, the two old men came in. Jiang Weiguo, seeing Sun Jikai wasn¡¯t in the kitchen, asked, ¡°Did old man Sun take Sun Jikai away?¡± ¡°Yeah, about an hour ago,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°That was quick action. What¡¯s the hurry with that old guy?¡± Jiang Weiguo muttered. ¡°His voice on the phone also seemed strange. What is he plotting?¡± When Jiang Feng heard Jiang Weiguo say this, he suddenly also remembered what had felt off to him before. Sun Guanyun¡¯s voice was not right. To be more urate, the state of his voice was not right.
    It was aged, hoarse, andcked a strong breath. Sun Guanyun had coughed at least seven or eight times within a short half-hour. Sick? ¡°Right, the people from ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine just called, saying they¡¯lle for an interview tomorrow, so prepare yourselves. Zhang Guanghang has the day off, so call himter to let him know,¡± Jiang Weiguo continued. Jiang Feng immediately put Sun Guanyun out of his mind. If ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine, or to be more urate, if Xu Cheng kept king like this, Jiang Feng was going to forget that ¡®Taste¡¯ still owed Taifeng Building a cover feature, and him, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang a personal interview each. Xu Cheng, as the king of kers, no matter how he ked, others would always find it normal. Even if he ked on this issue of ¡®Taste,¡¯ nobody would think it odd. He had done such a thing before. Back when ¡®Taste¡¯ was still a monthly, he frequently ked on an entire month¡¯s publication. Jiang Feng took a deep breath, stood tall and proud, and internally eximed: the day had finallye. After the Good Taste Cooking Competition, he had flipped through ten years of ¡®Taste¡¯ magazines from start to finish, paying special attention to the feature interviews with various famous chefs. The feature wasn¡¯t just about the food; it also dedicated a significant portion to the chefs and the restaurants where they worked. The content was a hodgepodge, written ording to the unique traits of each chef, but the theme was the same: dishes. ¡°What time tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°After the noon service I guess, Xu Cheng has booked a private room and ordered dishes that belong to you three,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Jiang Feng¡¯s smile gradually stiffened. ¡°All of them?¡± ¡°Yeah, even those unseble dishes of yours have been ordered,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Jiang Feng¡¯s smile disappeared entirely. ¡°Won tons won¡¯t do, they have all been reserved, ordered by Xue Shaoheng,¡± Jiang Feng quickly shifted the me to Xue Shaoheng. Li Hongzhang¡¯s hodgepodge is fine, but purely meat-filled won tons are absolutely non-negotiable. Purely meat-filled won tons are my final bottom line! ¡°` Chapter 301: 300 Important Matters Before the New Year Chapter 301: Chapter 300 Important Matters Before the New Year The exclusive interview with ¡°Taste¡± magazine was a big deal. Ever since Xu Cheng¡¯s demands had be higher and his taste even more discriminating, ¡°Taste¡± rarely interviewed chefs anymore. Chefs who had once been featured in ¡°Taste¡± were mostly now masters in the industry, with exquisite culinary skills, respected and admired by many. This gave many people the illusion that everyone interviewed by ¡°Taste¡± was a master. But now, Jiang Feng felt a bit flustered. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected Xu Cheng toe to Taifeng Building every so often for meals, to the point where even the private room¡¯s service staff recognized him, and yet he still had the spirit of discovery to order every single one of his buff dishes. The dishes were no problem, but the special effects were! If the interview was going well and suddenly everyone started crying their eyes out after one bite of Li Hongzhang¡¯s hodgepodge, wouldn¡¯t that make for a very unusual interview? Thinking about it made it seem kind of exciting. Sun Jikai had gone back with Sun Guanyun, and the kitchen was down one person. Taifeng¡¯s group of high-educated employees also lost their most highly educated talent, making everyone feel a bit ufortable. After the evening service was over, Jiang Feng habitually began practicing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. As he was deboning the fourth pigeon, Jiang Feng suddenly realized the side quest for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon had beenpleted. He no longer needed to continue practicing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.
    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wu Minqi saw Jiang Feng¡¯s hands suddenly stop. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No problem, just got a bit distracted,¡± Jiang Feng continued to debone. If he had been doing it solely for the sake ofpleting the task, he would¡¯ve already given up on cooking and continued his studies, just as he had done before. He, like Sun Jikai, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang, truly loved cooking, and they were passionate about their careers. As usual, they practiced until 10:30 PM, and then Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi walked home hand in hand. ¡°By the way, Fengfeng,¡± Wu Minqi suddenly said, ¡°today my mom called to tell me my third cousin will get engaged before the end of the year. Do you want to¡­ attend too?¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s third cousin was the only one among the younger generation of the Wu Family who, like Wu Minqi, persisted in studying cooking and now worked at the Wu Family Restaurant. Jiang Feng frowned, sensing there was more to it than that. ¡°Before the end of the year,¡± was a very sensitive phrase. After all, the New Year followed right after. Jiang Feng began frantically searching through the TV dramas and novels he had watchedtely, looking for a simr scene to see how the male lead, the male supporting character, or any other character had made their decision. After a minute, Jiang Feng realized there were no simr plots. All these lousy TV dramas and novels went on with all sorts of nonsense but never dealt with the important stuff. Wu Minqi watched Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng knew it was time for him to respond. ¡°Before the end of the year, huh?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you and your third cousin close?¡± ¡°Pretty close. In the end, it was just the two of us who continued to learn cooking from my grandpa,¡± Wu Minqi said.
    ¡°Are all your family members there?¡± ¡°Yeah, all my family members are in Shu. No one works outside.¡± The Wu Family, like the Jiang Family, was also arge n. ¡°Of course, I must go. Your third cousin¡¯s engagement is such an important event, it¡¯s a must!¡± Jiang Feng said decisively. ¡°That¡¯s great, my grandpa has always wanted to meet you,¡± Wu Minqi said happily.
    Jiang Feng¡¯s legs went weak, and he nearly fell to his knees on the spot. ¡°Ha¡­ Really? That¡¯s just so great. I¡¯ve always wanted to meet your grandpa too,¡± Jiang Feng continued to smile. If he hadn¡¯t misremembered, Wu Minqi was the only girl among the younger generation of the Wu Family. If he hadn¡¯t misremembered, Wu Minqi¡¯s grandfather seemed to have a rather bad temper. If he hadn¡¯t misremembered, Wu Minqi¡¯s grandfather¡¯s rtionship with Jiang Weiming also didn¡¯t seem too good. Ha¡­ ha. When she got home, Wu Minqi went to take a shower first. Her hair wasn¡¯t very long, just shoulder-length, and because she spent every day in the kitchen where the air was filled with grease, her hair would be oily very fast and she had to wash it every day; otherwise, she would start losing hair quickly. Jiang Feng had learned from Jiang Jiankang¡¯s lesson and insisted on washing his hair daily to ensure a decent amount of hair. With Wu Minqi in the bathroom taking a shower and no one else at home, Jiang Fengfortably sat on the sofa and directly opened the attribute panel without any reservations. Thanks to his rigorous practice during this period and the countless squabs that had died by his hand, Jiang Feng had managed to achieve more experience in seasoning than in fire control for the first time. The attribute panel clearly disyed: Name: Jiang Feng
    Level: 22 (173,251/220,000) Knife Skills (Master Level): Your knifework has reached the level of a top chef. (Proficiency: 377,963/1,000,000) Fire Control (Advanced): Your fire control has surpassed the vast majority of chefs. (Proficiency: 93,651/100,000) Seasoning (Advanced): Your seasoning has surpassed the vast majority of chefs. (Proficiency: 99,962/100,000) Lies (Advanced): Your lies can convince most people. (Proficiency: 9,963/100,000) Jiang Feng: ¡­ He really wanted to know how many lies Ji Yue and Fan Mei had told since childhood to reach the heights of master-level lies. It¡¯s understandable for Fan Mei, after all, at 37, it¡¯s inevitable to spout some falsehoods when socializing, but what about Ji Yue? In these past days, Jiang Feng had been lying almost every day with ease, yet the proficiency in his lying hadn¡¯t even reached 10,000. Yet, right from the start, Ji Yue was at master level. Indeed, a woman¡¯s mouth, a liar¡¯s mouth. Looking at fire control and seasoning nearing the master-level proficiency, Jiang Feng still felt a bit excited. He was very aware of how big the gap between master level and advanced level was, a hurdle many chefs struggled to ovee in their lifetimes, like Jiang Weisheng. With his current skills, even making a B-level dish like chopped chili fish head had a certain failure rate, and he was very much looking forward to the possibility of challenging an A-level dish once both his fire control and seasoning reached master level.
    After all, there were currently two A-level dishes lying in his recipe collection. Whether it was the Yun Chicken or the Two-Colored Prawns, he was eagerly anticipating what they would taste like once he made them. As he browsed, Jiang Feng stumbled upon the item column. [A Piece of Zhang Chu¡¯s Memory] [A Piece of Sun Guanyun¡¯s Memory] Jiang Feng had put off looking at Zhang Chu¡¯s memory for so many days, mainly because in the past few days he had been squatting at Benevolent Doctor, trying toplete the side mission for the small canteen quickly, and hadpletely forgotten about Zhang Chu¡¯s memory. Now that he had Sun Grandpa¡¯s memory as well, Jiang Feng felt it was time to watch a memory to ease his tense mood. He skimmed past Zhang Chu¡¯s memory, after all, he had no interest in spicy bean sauce noodles or watching others unt their rtionship. The amount of affection he disyed on regr days was already enough; he had no interest in seeing others do the same. Jiang Feng moved his hand to [A Piece of Sun Guanyun¡¯s Memory] and clicked Yes. Jiang Feng was once again enveloped by the mist. Chapter 302: 301: Battle of the Century (Part 1) Chapter 302: Chapter 301: Battle of the Century (Part 1) This was the first time that Jiang Feng heard no sound amidst the mist. He had grown ustomed to voices that reached him before their owners in his memories, so the sudden silence made him rather ufortable. As the mist cleared, Jiang Feng realized he seemed to be at the scene of a culinarypetition. Thepetition area was outdoors, surrounded by buildings that looked like they were part of a factory area ¨C it was quite simple, without even a shed erected, and the onlooking crowd stood behind a white line drawn with lime, without a single chair to sit on; everyone was standing to watch the excitement. If Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t guessed that this memory was from the culinary final between Sun Guanyun and Sun Maochai themed around ¡°Swallowing Doves Whole,¡± he might have thought he was witnessing a vige F4 sh between Wang Er and Zhang San. Jiang Feng stood beside the middle-aged Sun Guanyun, who was in front of a makeshift culinary station, quite rudimentary. Not far behind him was another culinary station, also makeshift, with a young man of about 20 standing behind it. This young man was Sun Maochai, Sun Guanyun¡¯s junior brother, and the future master of Cantonese cuisine. The young Sun Maochai was somewhat handsome, with a sturdy build, thick eyebrows, andrge eyes; he was a bit dark-skinned, looking like a very healthy athletic type of man. Sun Guanyun wasn¡¯t quite the same, the middle-aged man had put on some weight, and Jiang Feng could just make out his belly. Between the two of them, there was a space that appeared to be a vacuum, no people, no animals, no sound ¨C not even the wind.
    There were quite a few people present, men and women, young and old, all dressed in a hodgepodge of styles and colors. Some wore Lenin suits, others wore thetest fashions from Hong Kong City, some had crew cuts, some sported trendy permed hair, some were dressed very schrly, some worerge sunsses, looking like they were just a couple of gold chains short of going out to collect protection money. They gathered together, circled around, silent and undisturbed, engrossed in watching, because they knew they were about to witness a culinary showdown. Jiang Feng knew too, but he knew far more than the spectating crowd on site. He knew that at this time, Sun Guanyun was 46, and Sun Maochai was 26. Not long ago, Sun Guanyun¡¯s father had passed away, and before his death, he had bought back the Jubao Building, dubbed the number one restaurant in FJ. He also knew that thepetition was for ¡°Swallowing Doves Whole,¡± and in the end, Sun Maochai won thepetition, while Sun Guanyun got the restaurant. Sun Maochai took advantage of the tide of economic reform and opening up to leave for Hong Kong City, absorbing the strengths of various nations¡¯ cuisines to push Cantonese cuisine to new heights, rightfully bing a grand Cantonese cuisine master. However, thispetition became Sun Guanyun¡¯s eternal demon ¨C he gained the restaurant but lost his confidence. Jiang Feng remembered that the article he had read earlier was written with all the techniques of a true Hong Kong City journalist, and it referred to thispetition as ¡ª The Battle of the Century. And now, he was about to witness this Battle of the Century with his own eyes. At this moment, Sun Guanyun was very nervous. It was natural for him to be, given he wasn¡¯t someone who had travelled from the future and didn¡¯t know that Sun Maochai would eventually give up the Jubao Building so easily. For him, this was an ultimate battle concerning his family legacy. Sun Guanyun was so nervous that his hands shook as he processed the squab, but fortunately, he was too tense to show any expression on his face. With a deadpan look and the audience far away, no one could tell he was nervous; they might even think it was a disy of his calmposure. The Sun Maochai behind him looked much more natural, systematically handling the pigeon in his hands. The boning technique for the whole bird was very smooth and fluid, considering his age, and the onlookers looked at him with admiration. ¡°Swallowing Doves Whole¡± belongs to the Chaozhou cuisine within Cantonese cuisine, a luxury dishparable to chicken stuffed with shark¡¯s fin in terms of nourishment. As for chicken stuffed with shark¡¯s fin, Jiang Feng had also searched it up online ¨C a nourishing dish made with chicken and shark¡¯s fin as the main ingredients; just like ¡°Swallowing Doves Whole,¡± it exudes an air of affluence as soon as it¡¯s brought to the table. The Pigeon Swallowing the Swallow dish emphasizes a delicate, fresh, and sweet vor, which requires extremely high standards for the preparation of ingredients. To properly expand the bird¡¯s nest, the soaking and baking method is used, and it must be fully expanded. Picking out the down and impurities must be done carefully and cautiously, with absolutely no room for any mistakes. Sun Maochai finished processing the squab a step ahead of Sun Guanyun, and he also began picking the down and impurities from the bird¡¯s nest a step ahead. This meticulous task requires absolute concentration and stillness, without any disruption from others or any external interference, which is why the onlookers all maintained their silence without uttering a word. Sun Guanyun couldn¡¯t see Sun Maochai¡¯s movements, nor did he know that Sun Maochai had already finished deboning the squab one step ahead of him. Holding his scissors, he maneuvered them carefully, weaving through the inside of the squab. The Pigeon Swallowing the Swallow also sets high standards for the squab. The whole pigeon must be intact, meaning it cannot have any punctures, and the cuts must not extend past the neck. Of course, this standard is high only rtive to other dishes of this era. The requirements for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon are even stricter, so their method of processing the squab didn¡¯t seem like much to Jiang Feng.
    Several more minutes passed, and Sun Guanyun finally finished the entire deboning of the squab and began processing the bird¡¯s nest. This type of fine work easily calms the mind. Jiang Feng stood right beside Sun Guanyun and could clearly feel Sun Guanyun¡¯s tension subsiding as time went on. He began to settle down, ignoring the tedious trifles that he would have to deal with after thepetition and immersing himself fully in the dish. After the bird¡¯s nest has been soaked and expanded, it then needs to be simmered. Once again, Sun Maochai took the lead. He ced the fully expanded bird¡¯s nest into boiling water for about two minutes, scooped it out with a strainer, drained off the water, added stock, cooking wine, and a small amount of salt, and continued to simmer it to enhance the fragrance and remove any off-vors.
    Simmering takes time, but the oue could already be discerned from the steps mentioned above. Sun Maochai was clearly a notch above, not that Sun Guanyun was inadequate¡ªhis knife skills, his technique in processing the bird¡¯s nest, and his control of the heat during simmering were allmendable. Unfortunately, Sun Maochai¡¯s technique could be described as perfect. For Sun Maochai, at the age of 26, to possess such knife skills and heat control, he truly is a prodigy. The simmered bird¡¯s nest needs to have its moisture absorbed with a clean towel. The following steps are somewhat simr to those of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Mix the bird¡¯s nest with finely chopped ham, stuff it into the cavity of the squab, secure the opening and tie it closed, ce it into boiling water, apply pine needles, then rinse with clean water, and finally ce it into arge stewing pot. Add rough chunks of ham, Shaoxing wine, and ingredients like ginger and spring onions for seasoning, and steam it in a bamboo steamer. With that, the Pigeon Swallowing the Swallow is essentiallyplete. All that¡¯s left is to wait 90 minutes, skim off any fat from the surface of the soup, adjust the seasoning, cover, and continue to stew for another half hour to allow the squab to be submerged halfway in the soup. Then, the Pigeon Swallowing the Swallow will be ready toe out of the pot. As Sun Guanyun ced the Pigeon Swallowing the Swallow into the bamboo steamer, the crowd began to whisper among themselves. Finally, Jiang Feng heard the voices of people again. From the moment he entered this memory until just now, the silence could really be described by the phrase ¡°not even the dropping of a pin could be heard¡±¡ªone could hear even the dropping of a grain of rice, let alone a pin. Jiang Feng even felt as if he was watching a pantomime. There was nothing much left to see at Sun Guanyun and Sun Maochai¡¯s station. All they could do now was wait; the Pigeon Swallowing the Swallow had already been put into the steamer, and it was toote for any remedy. Jiang Feng walked towards the crowd, wanting to hear if there were any freshly made traditional snacks avable for tasting.
    Chapter 303: 302: Battle of the Century (Part Two) (Requesting Monthly Tickets!) Chapter 303: Chapter 302: Battle of the Century (Part Two) (Requesting Monthly Tickets!) Jiang Feng weaved through the crowd, listening to the onlookers discuss some insubstantial and baseless gossip. In the midst of the chaos, Jiang Feng stopped in his tracks. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, he thought he saw the old man as a middle-aged person! Jiang Feng hurried forward and in just a few steps, confronted the middle-aged man who looked like Jiang Weiguo. He scrutinized him carefully and confirmed that this middle-aged man, with sunsses on, lurking in the corner, looking robust, not mingling with others, and who a few years ago probably would have been invited for tea due to his strange behavior, was indeed Jiang Weiguo. Looking at the old man¡¯s get-up, Jiang Feng found it increasingly amusing. It wasn¡¯t that his outfit was bizarre orical; there were plenty in the crowd wearing even more bizarre andical attire. After all, at this time, anyone dressed even slightly fashionably looked like a scene stealer. Jiang Weiguo, with his sunsses hiding his face and tucked away in a corner, had to stand on his toes, craning his neck just to nce at the culinary stage in the middle. Clearly, he was trying to avoid others, not wanting to be seen, and even if spotted, he hoped not to be recognized. ¡°By the looks of it, Sun Guanyun is going to lose,¡± said an onlooker next to Jiang Weiguo to the person beside him. ¡°He¡¯s bound to lose. He didn¡¯t handle the deboning of the pigeon well, and the pigeon wasn¡¯t plump enough when sealed,¡± another person in the crowd agreed. The onlookers were either well-known gourmets or famous chefs within the industry¡ªthey were experts, and they could tell who was superior between Sun Guanyun and Sun Maochai. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity. Master Sun¡¯s body isn¡¯t even cold yet, and Jubao Building is about to change hands.¡±
    ¡°Having Jubao Building under Sun Maochai is still better than ending up with Zhang Kun, that ungrateful wretch,¡± an onlooker with the same type of sunsses as Jiang Weiguomented, clearly someone who knew the inside story. ¡°Hey, where did you buy those sunsses? Howe they look different from the pair I boughtst month?¡± one of the onlookers changed the subject. ¡°Last month¡¯s model? That¡¯s outdated already. I bought these sses at Wang Liu¡¯s ce near the train station, and these are thetest models from Hong Kong City,¡± the sunss-wearing onlooker said proudly, and even though no one could see his eyes, they knew he was smug. ¡°Forget about the sunsses for a moment. You just mentioned Zhang Kun. What does thispetition have to do with him, wasn¡¯t he eliminated by Sun Guanyun in the first round?¡± another person asked. As this question was posed, everybody curiously turned to look at the sunss-wearing onlooker. Jiang Weiguo also couldn¡¯t help but nce over and listened intently. ¡°You don¡¯t know? On the surface, thispetition seems to be Sun Guanyun¡¯s plot to seize Jubao Building, but in reality, it was Zhang Kun who stirred things up from behind, only to be eliminated by Sun Guanyun in the first round. All of Master Sun¡¯s disciples came today except for Zhang Kun, the eldest apprentice. He tried to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to get by in our area after this,¡± the sunss-wearing onlooker exined. ¡°Not just around here, I think he won¡¯t be able to get by anywhere in the south. Which chef in the provinces around us hasn¡¯t received guidance from Master Sun?¡± someone chimed in. Jiang Weiguo was listening by the side, and though Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t see his expression, he could feel that Jiang Weiguo was not in a good mood. ¡°So where is Zhang Kun now?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°Who knows? Maybe he¡¯s hiding at home or packing up to skip town,¡± the sunss-wearing onlooker said, noticing Jiang Weiguo¡¯s interest, ¡°Hey, did you also get your sunsses from Wang Liu at the train station?¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± Jiang Weiguo appeared not interested in further conversation. ¡°This brother looks unfamiliar. Which restaurant are you from? I don¡¯t seem to remember seeing you around these past few days,¡± another person inquired. ¡°I am a disciple registered in the name of Master Sun, I just got off the trainst night,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, uneasily adjusting his sunsses. ¡°A disciple registered in the name?¡± Someone else wanted to ask more questions, but Jiang Weiguo had already turned his head and no longer wished to deal with them. ¡°This person is so strange.¡± ¡°I also think it¡¯s odd; if he¡¯s really a disciple registered in the name of Master Sun, why would he stand at such a corner?¡± ¡°Could he havee to seek revenge on Zhang Kun?¡± someone wildly spected. ¡°How could that be; I¡¯ve never heard of Zhang Kun having any enemies in his daily life.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Look at how honest and always smiling he is normally; who would have thought that right after Master Sun¡¯s death he would do such lowly things? Maybe he offended someone outside, or owed money, or eloped with someone¡¯s daughter!¡±
    The onlookers, now detectives in their minds, began to wildly specte about the origins of Jiang Weiguo. ¡°What are you all talking about?¡± Qi Zhongkai, the second disciple of Sun Zheran, came over when he heard the loud discussion, thinking something had happened. ¡°Mr. Qi, you¡¯re just in time; there¡¯s this guy who says he¡¯s a disciple registered in the name of Master Sun,e and have a look,¡± said one of the onlookers with sunsses, pointing at Jiang Weiguo. Qi Zhongkai followed where he was pointing and immediately recognized Jiang Weiguo.
    ¡°Disciple Jiang!¡± Qi Zhongkai appeared to be very happy, as he hadn¡¯t seen Jiang Weiguo for many years. The onlookers who had been guessing whether Jiang Weiguo hade to seek revenge on Zhang Kun were all stunned. Jiang Weiguo clearly didn¡¯t want to attract attention and pulled Qi Zhongkai to another corner where there were no people. ¡°When is Master¡¯s funeral?¡± Jiang Weiguo removed his sunsses and asked. ¡°He was buried a week ago; since you¡¯re here you must know. We also didn¡¯t expect that right when Master¡¯s body was not yet cold, our eldest senior brother¡­ would do such a thing,¡± Qi Zhongkai said, his emotions sinking as he spoke about the disgraceful things Zhang Kun had done. ¡°Sun Guanyun is bound to lose today¡¯spetition,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Yes, the fifth junior brother practically has no chance of winning. The youngest junior brother said he doesn¡¯t want Jubao Building; if he wins the contest, he¡¯ll leave here for Hong Kong City,¡± Qi Zhongkai said, ¡°Right now we¡¯re just worried that Guanyun will be obsessed.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why continue thepetition?¡± Jiang Weiguo had rushed here after receiving news of Sun Zheran¡¯s death and was unaware of the reason for this contest. ¡°Guanyun and Maochai have been cornered. Zhang Kun and Sun Guanyun are both determined to take over Jubao Building. Even if the two of them are now like chickens that fail to steal and lose the rice they have, their scheming has turned into an empty basket of water¡ªa joke. But for the reputation of Jubao Building, once thepetition starts, it can¡¯t end without deciding a champion,¡± Qi Zhongkai sighed, ¡°It¡¯s said that Maochai intentionally threw the match, and with Guanyun¡¯s prideful nature, he would definitely take it even harder.¡± Jiang Weiguo knew Sun Guanyun¡¯s temperament very well; at one time, because he wouldn¡¯t acknowledge Sun Zheran as his master, Guanyun believed he was looking down on the Sun Family and treated him coldly for a long time. If Maochai intentionally threw the match in such a publicpetition, such a stolen victory would hurt Sun Guanyun more than if he had been killed. ¡°Where is Zhang Kun now?¡± Jiang Weiguo cut to the chase, not wasting any words. ¡°He should¡¯ve been hiding at home. I heard that he¡¯s been trying to contact restaurants in Guangdong Province, but no ce wants him. He might be thinking of running off to Hong Kong City,¡± said Qi Zhongkai. ¡°Where does his family live?¡± asked Jiang Weiguo with an I¡¯m-going-to-beat-him-to-a-pulp look on his face.
    At once, Qi Zhongkai became wary, looking at Jiang Weiguo as if he were seeing a young man about to stray onto the wrong path. Although Jiang Weiguo was no longer of that young age, a middle-aged man in his fifties, especially Jiang Weiguo, was far more terrifying than a rash youngster. An average youngster wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Jiang Weiguo, who could take on at least three single-handedly. ¡°Brother Jiang, things have been pretty stricttely. You really can¡¯t act on impulse,¡± Qi Zhongkai tried to persuade Jiang Weiguo to put down the butcher¡¯s knife and turn back from the edge. ¡°I know my limits,¡± said Jiang Weiguo. Seeing Qi Zhongkai¡¯s expression remained the same, he added, ¡°Those 5 kids of mine are tough skinned, I haven¡¯t spared the rod, but I know my limits.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for Jiang Jianguo. ording to his own father, Jiang Jiankang, the old man loved deeply and disciplined ordingly. The one he cherished the most was Jiang Jianguo, so he was also the one who got beaten up the most. Qi Zhongkai: ??? ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Maybe he has already run off. When did you get here? I¡¯ll take you to pay respects to Master¡¯s grave and burn incense for him shortly,¡± said Qi Zhongkai, attempting to change the subject. ¡°I got off the train this morning. I went to Jubao Building and found no one there. I only learned about thepetition here after I asked around, so I came over,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Qi Zhongkai was curious, ¡°How did you get in then? I remember there were people stopping outsiders at the entrance. No one unrted to the event is allowed in.¡± Jiang Weiguo: ¡­ He couldn¡¯t possibly say that he had climbed over the wall when people weren¡¯t looking, and that the security guards outside were still looking for him. ¡°I just walked in,¡± said Jiang Weiguo.
    Qi Zhongkai: ??? His intuition told him that Jiang Weiguo was lying. ¡°What about the others?¡± Jiang Weiguo quickly shifted the topic. ¡°They are with Mr. Fan and Mr. Chen. The two of them, along with Chef Hu, are the judges for the finals,¡± said Qi Zhongkai. He was about to lead Jiang Weiguo to the best spot for viewing when he suddenly stopped. His gaze changed. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s expression changed too, as he stared at thepetition area. Jiang Feng also turned around abruptly. Sun Maochai¡¯s pigeon stuffed with swallow¡¯s nest was out of the pot. Lifting the lid. A plump pigeony peacefully inside the casserole, and as Qi Zhongkai had just mentioned, the three judges approached the culinary station, with Jiang Feng hurrying over as well. With a knife, they sliced open the pigeon¡¯s belly, revealing the crystal-clear swallow¡¯s nest nestled within the tender pigeon meat. Saturated with broth, the snow-white swallow¡¯s nest was pure and alluring, free from any impurities; the soup too was clear and bright, exuding the unique fragrance of the pigeon. Sun Guanyun¡¯s pigeon stuffed with swallow¡¯s nest was still steaming in the bamboo steamer, but he had already approached Sun Maochai to observe the dish he had prepared. After the three judges tasted Sun Maochai¡¯s dish, all of them showed an expression of amazement. They looked at Sun Guanyun with a mix of awkwardness and helplessness.
    They knew Sun Guanyun¡¯s capabilities. Even if he performed beyond his usual level, he couldn¡¯t create a dish of pigeon stuffed with swallow¡¯s nest more delicious than Sun Maochai¡¯s. The oue of thepetition was as good as decided. ¡°May I have a taste?¡± Sun Guanyun uttered the first sentence Jiang Feng had heard him speak since entering this memory. ¡°Guanyun, ah.¡± One of the judges wanted to say something but hesitated. Sun Guanyun took a taste. Just one. ¡°I¡¯ve lost.¡± Sun Guanyun set down his spoon, not caring about his own dish that hasn¡¯t been served yet, and left straightaway. No one dared to follow him. They just watched him go. Jiang Feng, walking by his side, saw the 46-year-old Sun Guanyunugh as he walked. Tears streaked down from his eyes. Jiang Feng was enveloped in a thick fog, and within it, he could still hear Sun Guanyun¡¯s voice, sounding both sorrowful and joyful. ¡°I¡¯ve lost.¡± . PS: I want monthly tickets!!! Chapter 305: 304: The Pigeon Kings Schedule (Seeking Monthly Votes!) Chapter 305: Chapter 304: The Pigeon King¡¯s Schedule (Seeking Monthly Votes!) Because of the shockingments Zhang Weiyu made in the WeChat groupst night, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but stare at the sses on his nose while he was in the kitchen the next day. Zhang Weiyu was cutting potatoes. Jiang Feng stared at his sses. Zhang Weiyu was cutting radishes. Jiang Feng stared at his sses. Zhang Weiyu was cutting chili peppers. Jiang Feng stared at his sses. Zhang Weiyu was¡­ Zhang Weiyu couldn¡¯t continue cutting because he was being stared at by Jiang Feng. In exasperation, he said, ¡°Just ask whatever you want to ask.¡± All the people in the kitchen turned to look at Zhang Weiyu in unison.
    ¡°Your sses¡­¡± ¡°I got myself a new pair afterwards,¡± Zhang Weiyu said. ¡°How could I possibly continue to wear the sses that fell into¡­ whatever it was, on my nose? Am I crazy?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Sang Ming asked, puzzled. ¡°Just wash them, wipe them, soak them, and aren¡¯t they good as new?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Everyone: ??? ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Han Yigu silently moved two steps to the side, trying to distance himself from Sang Ming. ¡°That body lotion was over 600 yuan; it wasn¡¯t even opened. I mailed it to my sister this morning,¡± Sang Ming said. Jiang Feng: ??? I hope your sister never finds out what that bottle of body lotion went through. Otherwise, she might take a high-speed train toe and hit you. Jiang Feng was very busy this morning. Before the opening of Taifeng Building, he had many grand ambitions. For example, he nned to defeat all the matchmaking agencies in Beiping City within three years and to make Li Hongzhang¡¯s hodgepodge bigger and stronger, turning it into a high-profit signature dish. The harsh reality told him that he was daydreaming. It¡¯s not easy for a high-end Chinese restaurant to establish itself in Beiping City, the cosmic center. The customers are always picky and shrewd. They are busy and yet idle at the same time. They might be too busy to eat a proper meal, to the point of munching on a couple of bread loaves just to fill their stomachs, yet they also have the leisure to queue for hours to buy an expensive cup of milk tea just for a photograph to post on social media. In Beiping City, even a century-old restaurant with a great reputation would be abandoned by the fussy customers if the chef¡¯s skills declined, in favor of new eateries with better vors and more value for their money. The main quest has been quiet since the day Xue Shaoheng ordered a table full of buff dishes, stuck at (3/10), with the remaining seven destined guests yet to appear. Jiang Feng also noticed that Taifeng Building had regr customers and its reputation was good both online and offline, but that doesn¡¯t mean those customers thought Taifeng Building was the best restaurant in the world.
    Toplete the main quest, he still had to rely on buff dishes. This type of quest with second-year syndrome hues must naturally bepleted with simrly styled buff dishes. With Jiang Feng¡¯s current cooking skill level, it¡¯s difficult to conquer customers with taste alone. Without enough expertise, he had to resort to publicity stunts. If Xu Cheng even mentions a word about it in ¡°Taste¡±, arge number of loyal followers of the magazine would swarm to taste Jiang Feng¡¯s buff dishes. Among these customers, if seven were touched by the buff dishes and felt that Taifeng Building was the best restaurant in the world, then the quest would be aplished.
    This was the time when the importance of publicity came to the foreground. It couldn¡¯t be the promotion by ordinary tabloids or those third-rate food magazines, it had to be the publicity by first-rate, even top food magazines. For example¡ª ¡°Taste¡± Jiang Feng continued to chop the ingredients in his hands without looking up. ¡­ Xu Cheng was writing articles at home. He had just returned from Hang City and was now rewriting the interview piece with Gu Li. He had originally finished writing the article about the special interview with Gu Li while he was in Hang City, but upon returning home, he felt dissatisfied and decided to rewrite it. As a well-known ¡°Pigeon King¡± in the industry, Xu Cheng¡¯s work efficiency increased the longer he dyed hismitments. He had nned to go to Hang City two days after the opening of Taifeng Building toplete the interview with Gu Li, and then to return to Beiping to finish interviews with Jiang Feng, Zhang Guanghang, and Wu Minqi in one go. Additionally, he intended to interview Ji Xue and the two Sir Jiang, so he couldplete all articles by July, allowing ¡°Taste¡± to be released on time in early August, evolving from an annual publication to a semi-annual one this year. But that was just a n, and the reason it¡¯s always just a n is that changes happen faster than schedules. On the third day of Taifeng Building¡¯s grand opening, Sun Maochai introduced a new dish. Xu Cheng immediately canceled his ns to go to Hang City to interview Gu Li and instead detoured to Hong Kong City. After tasting Sun Maochai¡¯s new dish, he even stayed in Hong Kong City to write the article.
    While writing the article, Xu Cheng also took the opportunity to discuss some business matters; after all, he was a businessman with a family fortune of tens of billions to manage. Then, he made a side trip to Jubao Building to pay a visit to Sun Guanyun. He had wanted to try his luck at scoring a serving of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, having been turned away many times before, so he didn¡¯t hold much hope this time either. Unexpectedly, Sun Guanyun was surprisingly amodating this time¡ªhe didn¡¯t just score one serving; he scored three! For three consecutive days, each day he indulged in a serving,pletely satisfying his discerning pte. Previously, at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, he felt that Sun Guanyun¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was somewhat different from before, but because he only had a bite at that time and it had been many years since hest ate the dish personally made by Sun Guanyun, he was only suspicious but not certain. After eating it for three days in a row, Xu Cheng became certain of his thoughts¡ªSun Guanyun had improved the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, returning to basics and reaching new heights. So, Xu Cheng stayed in FJ to finish writing the article on the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon before returning to Beiping. Of course, it was still July when he returned to Beiping. And he had not gone to Hang City to interview Gu Li. After neglecting his duties and abandoning his original n to go to Hong Kong City and Jubao Building to write two unrted articles, Xu Cheng felt he had worked very hard and decided to reward himself by continuing to skip deadlines. Xu Cheng rewarded himself by eating around at various famous restaurants in Beiping for most of the month. Eventually, he managed to find time to sort out the interview with Gu Li in Hang City, which is why he¡¯s now at home rewriting the article. By the way, Xu Cheng loved buying houses. Everywhere in the country and around the world known for its cuisine, he had a house. Each time after he finished sampling a dish and decided to feature it in Taste magazine, he¡¯d return to his own home and not leave until the article waspleted. After all, he was the king of procrastination¡ªif he didn¡¯t push himself, Taste magazine might permanently miss its publication dates.
    It¡¯s not easy running a gourmet magazine these days. There are only a few well-known food critics, and most of them, like Xu Cheng, are wealthy, carefree winners in life who write only when they¡¯re in the mood. If magazines truly relied on these food critics for content, they would have gone bankrupt long ago. Nowadays, a gourmet magazine isn¡¯t considered one unless it includes little stories rted to food, delves into the tears and hardships behind the food, the happiness and fulfillment, or showcases a city¡¯s culture and historical depth through its cuisine, history, and urbanndscape. There was a time when Xu Cheng scorned these gourmet magazines. Taste was famously hardcore, focusing solely on food and ignoring everything else. That was until Taste went from a monthly to a quarterly, then to a bi-annual, and finally to an annual publication. Xu Cheng realized that the writing methods he had once disdained were actually quite effective for padding word counts. So, Xu Cheng changed; he began to uncover the stories behind the food. But this time¡¯s article was particrly tough to write, mainly because Gu Li was not good with words. Even the most exciting, inspirational, and touching stories that would be perfect for TV dramas seemed unremarkable andcklustering from him, and there seemed to be nothing notable to write about his background. That¡¯s why Xu Cheng nned to rewrite the article. Xu Cheng felt troubled. He was considering skipping the deadline again. A knock sounded at the door. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Mr. Xu, Editor Jiang asked when you n to go to Taifeng Building; everything on their end is ready,¡± Xu Cheng¡¯s assistant said. ¡°What time is it now?¡±
    ¡°11:09 am. Our appointment is at 12:30 pm,¡± the assistant replied. Xu Cheng tossed his pen aside, nced at the few lines he¡¯d written, and thought¡ª Forget it; the original draft is good enough, no need to rewrite. Rewriting is such a waste of time; might as well go eat. ¡°Who¡¯s with Editor Jiang?¡± Xu Cheng asked. ¡°There are nine people in total: three photographers, two photographer assistants, Editor Jiang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang, Professor Ye Shi from Capital University, and one intern,¡± the assistant said. ¡°An intern? Who brought the intern along?¡± Xu Cheng wasn¡¯t angry but just found it strange. He was very clear about his staff; they were all extremely capable and didn¡¯t mix personal with professional. If the intern was brought along, there must have been a reason. ¡°Editor Jiang brought the intern specially from Magic City. Didn¡¯t you say a few years ago that you wanted to train a food critic to take over your role? He brought this intern specifically for you to meet. This intern has a very keen sense of taste and is an excellent prospect as a food critic,¡± the assistant exined. Xu Cheng nodded, ¡°Tell Editor Jiang to set off now, and call Mr. Han to leave in five minutes.¡± Xu Cheng couldn¡¯t keep writing for Taste forever. As he got older, he preferred not to travel so much. He had built Taste from scratch and didn¡¯t want the magazine to shut down or be ruined. Therefore, he was preparing to train new, talented critics who could attain his level of expertise. Food critics of Taste. He just hoped that the intern Editor Jiang brought this time wouldn¡¯t disappoint him. To cultivate an outstanding food critic, one needs time, a lot of manpower, material, and financial resources¡ªnone of which werecking for Xu Cheng. What hecked were talented individuals with the potential to be food critics. Even if the people he cultivated didn¡¯t end up as exclusive critics for Taste, he¡¯d be willing. The circle and life of top food critics were too lonely. He needed some neers to break that solitude. Otherwise, it would be a shame if the world were full of potential, but there were not enough true connoisseurs to recognize it. Chapter 306: 305 Chen Xiuxius Confusion Chapter 306: Chapter 305 Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s Confusion Han Guishan was thrilled when he received the message from Xu Cheng telling him to set off. He excitedly said to Wang Jing, who was still tidying up the room, ¡°Wife, let¡¯s go, time for dinner!¡± ¡°Dinner time!¡± Han Youxin, who had already slimmed down and could no longer be called a chubby kid, leaped up from the sofa, cheering. ¡°Dad, I want to eat Beiping roast duck!¡± Han Youxin loudly expressed his deepest craving. ¡°There¡¯s no Beijing roast duck,¡± Han Guishan said, expressionless. ¡°Youxin¡¯s mattress in his room needs to be changed; he¡¯s still growing and can¡¯t sleep on such a soft mattress.¡± Wang Jing emerged from Han Youxin¡¯s room. ¡°There are still many things we need to buy for the house, like kitchenware. The tablemp, the cupboard, and all that need to be reced with new ones. The walk-in closet has to be redone just like our old one, and as for the study, you see to it yourself, I¡¯m not handling your study.¡± Han Guishan and his family had justndedst night, and their new home in Beijing still required Wang Jing¡¯s attentive redecoration and cleaning. In this regard, she never counted on Han Guishan or Han Youxin; if those two didn¡¯t make a mess for her, she would consider it a huge blessing. ¡°Oh, where are we going to eat?¡± Wang Jing asked. ¡°Taifeng Building, the one that the Jiang Family runs. Xu Cheng booked a table, and it¡¯s all delicious dishes!¡± Han Guishan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I want to eat Beiping roast duck, roast duck!¡± Han Youxin stood on the sofa and yelled loudly, wanting to assert his presence. ¡°Han Youxin, get down from there! Who climbs on the sofa with shoes on? And forget about the roast duck¡ªif you keep this up, I won¡¯t give you not just roast duck, but even pickled vegetable dumplings!¡± Wang Jing was furious.
    Women who have just finished cleaning always tend to have particrly bad tempers. Han Youxin: (¡ä¨i¦Ø¨i`) My mom doesn¡¯t love me anymore. Given that there were eight people on Editor Jiang¡¯s side, and they also had a lot of camera equipment, they split into two cars to drive to Taifeng Building. Editor Jiang, along with the intern he had high hopes for and one camera assistant with the equipment, took one car, while Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang took three camera operators and another camera assistant in another car. Professor Ye Shi went there by himself. Editor Jiang, while driving, didn¡¯t forget to remind the intern he favored. ¡°Xiuxiu, don¡¯t be scared or nervous when you meet the boss this time, just perform to your normal standard. Enjoy the food and drink when you¡¯re there. After all, your job is essentially to eat. Oh, by the way, did you finish reading those books and magazines I asked you to? How is your writinging along now?¡± Editor Jiang inquired. The person sitting in the passenger seat was none other than Chen Xiuxiu. She attended university in Sail Province, which is rtively close to Magic City. She was studying finance and didn¡¯t want to take the postgraduate entrance exam, so she got an internship in the finance department of the ¡°Taste¡± magazine during the summer holiday, thanks to her boyfriend¡¯s introduction. Incidentally, the headquarters of ¡°Taste¡± magazine is in Magic City. ¡°I¡¯ve read them all, and even made notes and excerpts,¡± Chen Xiuxiu said. ¡°Good to hear. Write me two pieces after dinner to let me see what you¡¯re capable of,¡± Editor Jiang said, nodding with satisfaction. Chen Xiuxiu always felt like she might have boarded a pirate ship. Although she loved to eat, she never bothered with gourmet magazines or food rmendations. After all, she didn¡¯t need to rely on online reviews of which many are half truths. Who knew which reviews were paid for and which were genuine? Her own taste was much more reliable than those reviews. She didn¡¯t browse Weibo, and scrolling through news on a browser was about as far as she went. So when Editor Jiang mentioned that the boss of ¡°Taste¡± was Xu Cheng, she didn¡¯t really react, since she didn¡¯t know who Xu Cheng was. Later, Chen Xiuxiu looked him up online and found that he seemed to be a very famous entrepreneur and gourmet critic, wealthy and with a lot of free time on his hands. Since Chen Xiuxiu got hooked on fitness, her life became very fulfilling. Fitness, academics, normal social interactions, and asionally sneaking out for a date with her boyfriend¡ªher life was packed with these activities. Even watching dramas and variety shows was reserved for ncing at while eating. Her days were full and busy. Although ¡°Taste¡± magazine is an annual publication, because of Xu Cheng¡¯s high standards for article quality, often more than 16 proposals are rejected for each issue. Plus, editions for China, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Europe, and America all go through the Magic City headquarters, which means the actual workload for the staff of ¡°Taste¡± magazine is quite substantial. When Chen Xiuxiu first started her internship, the work was overwhelming. Her daily routine was filled with budgets and reports, piles of which could stack up like a mountain on her desk. As an intern unfamiliar with her duties, shecked the skills of other seasoned staff in the office. She worked so much overtime that she had no time left to meet her boyfriend or to go to the gym; she might as well have lived in the office. By the way, her boyfriend happens to be the nameless camera assistant sitting in the back seat of the car they were in, Shen Yao. Chen Xiuxiu decided to lose weight because of him. The busy period for Chen Xiuxiu ended with a team-building event.
    The team-building activities at ¡°Taste¡± magazine were quite interesting¡ªthey weren¡¯t about hiking or picking, but a tastingpetition. Eating, guessing the ingredients and seasonings¡ªthe top three winners would receive a substantial cash prize. After Chen Xiuxiu dominated and won the championship, the very next day, she was transferred from the finance department to¡­ a miraculous department she didn¡¯t even know existed. Since then, Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s daily routine involved going to various restaurants in Magic City with photographers, led by Editor Jiang, to eat and then write articles. If her writing wasn¡¯t good enough, she had to rewrite it. Later, she was simply told to read books¡ªvarious gourmet magazines and essays by famous authors¡ªas well as to take notes and excerpts.
    And now, she was directly on a business trip to Beiping for a meal. Sitting in the passenger seat, Chen Xiuxiu began to doubt her life choices. How has ¡°Taste¡± magazine been able to keep this up for ten years? ¡°Editor Jiang, why have wee all the way from Magic City to Beiping anyway?¡± Shen Yao asked. ¡°Mr. Xu wants to do a feature interview with the three chefs from Taifeng Building. Last time Mr. Xu went to Hang City to interview Gu Li and it was Deputy Editor-in-Chief Liu who took a team there. This time in Beiping there are more people to interview and more things to do, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have had the chance toe,¡± Editor Jiang said. ¡°Thank you for the opportunity, Editor Jiang,¡± Shen Yao said. Chen Xiuxiu: ¡­ So¡­ what can she help with? Guess the recipes of the dishes? As a seasoned driver with more than a decade of experience, Editor Jiang drove quickly and steadily, soon arriving at the parking lot next to Taifeng Building with Chen Xiuxiu, Shen Yao, and a carload of photography equipment. ¡°Come on, Shen Yao, let¡¯s move some stuff. We¡¯ll carry it over in two trips, and Xiuxiu, you can just take these document bags,¡± Editor Jiang got out of the car, ready to move things. Shen Yao struggled to carry the heaviest piece of equipment out of the car. Chen Xiuxiu took the equipment from his hands and easily carried it with her right hand¡¯s fingers still holding the document strap.
    ¡°Editor Jiang, let me help. We can carry it over in one trip. Shen Yao, give me that smaller one too,¡± Chen Xiuxiu said. Editor Jiang: ¡­ He had forgotten that Chen Xiuxiu was probably the strongest of the three of them. After distributing the gear among themselves, Editor Jiang led the way to the entrance of Taifeng Building. Looking at the name, the sign, and the features, Chen Xiuxiu felt everything looked familiar. It felt like she had seen it somewhere in Jiang Feng¡¯s circle of friends. ¡°Editor Jiang, who are we interviewing this time?¡± Chen Xiuxiu asked. ¡°I remember it¡¯s Zhang Guanghang, Wu Minqi, and Jiang Feng, the top 4 from the ¡®Good Taste¡¯ culinarypetition. You know ¡®Good Taste¡¯, right? The cookingpetition that was held in n City along with a variety show, it was quite popr, you young people should have seen it,¡± Editor Jiang said. Chen Xiuxiu: ¡­ She hadn¡¯t seen it, but she knew who Jiang Feng was. Speak of the devil, my childhood crush. Because the three of them were quite noticeable, Qi Rou, who was at the door to wee guests, immediately figured out that they must be from the ¡°Taste¡± magazine and hurried up to them. ¡°Sir, let me help you with that,¡± Qi Rou said. ¡°No need, these things are quite¡­¡± Before Editor Jiang could finish his sentence, he noticed that Qi Rou seemed to carry the equipment more easily than he did.
    And Qi Rou was wearing high heels. In her efforts to emte her idol, Qi Rou had been working out quite a bit these days. Editor Jiang: ??? What¡¯s with all these young girls nowadays? Howe they all seem to have so much strength? ¡°Are you three the guests for the private room reserved by Mr. Xu?¡± Qi Rou asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please follow me, watch your step on the stairs,¡± Qi Rou said, leading the way. Chen Xiuxiu and Shen Yao followed behind. Shen Yao noticed something was off with Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°Xiuxiu, do you have a stomachache? Do you want me to carry something for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve suddenly realized the person we¡¯re interviewing today seems to be my neighbor,¡± Chen Xiuxiu said. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that neighbor I told you about, the one I used to have a crush on.¡± Shen Yao: ???
    !!! (¨‹¤Ø¨‹¥á) Chapter 307: 306: A Wave of Crying Chapter 307: Chapter 306: A Wave of Crying Shen Yao¡¯s demeanor changed abruptly. He was Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s boyfriend and also her senior in school, who knew her even before she started her weight loss journey, nning to visit Chen Duxiu with Chen Xiuxiu during the National Day holidays this year. Of course, that was only his n, Chen Xiuxiu didn¡¯t yet know about it. As for why he only started dating Chen Xiuxiu after she lost weight¡­ There¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡°Begin with looks, fall for talent, stay for character.¡± You have to start with looks; without them, talent and character mean nothing. He was all about the appearance, and the slimmed-down Chen Xiuxiu was pretty. If everything went smoothly, they would get engaged after Chen Xiuxiu graduated from college, and after a few years of working and establishing a financial foundation, they¡¯d get married and then have one or two adorable children. As the kids grew up, he could look forward to losing his hair while smoothly entering a mid-life crisis. There might be twists and turns in their rtionship, possibly even crises. But he hadn¡¯t expected a crisis toe so quickly, so abruptly. .
    Jiang Feng sneezed in the kitchen. ¡°Did you catch a chillst night?¡± Wu Minqi asked with concern. ¡°Nope.¡± Jiang Feng rubbed his nose and went to wash his hands, ¡°Probably just an itchy nose.¡± ¡°Feng, Little Qian just said Mr. Xu has arrived.¡± Sang Ming was, for some reason, always by the window. The sneeze forgotten, Jiang Feng focused on prepping the dishes. Xu Cheng ordered 12 dishes. There were Jiang Feng¡¯s Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, Chopped Pepper Fish Head, Vegetable-stuffed Chicken, and Pickled Vegetable Meatballs, Wu Minqi¡¯s Chrysanthemum Fish, Ants Climbing the Tree, and Pure Meat Shao Mai, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s French Sauce Spinach Pile, French Rosemary Roast Lamb Chops, French Red Wine Baked Mutton, and Strawberry Cucumber. Ever since Zhang Guanghang came to Taifeng Building, his cooking style hadpletely deviated, and every dish in the menu that contained the word ¡°French¡± was actually based on the authentic Shandong cuisine. French Sauce Spinach Pile was simply spinach with thickened sauce poured over it, and if you removed ¡°French¡± from the Rosemary Roast Lamb Chops, no diner would ever guess it was French. French Red Wine Baked Mutton was simply red wine stewedmb with potatoes, and the least French-looking dish among his four, the Strawberry Cucumber, was the authentic French dish. The dishes Xu Cheng chose this time were odd. Jiang Feng¡¯s most popr Sweet and Sour Yam and Eight-Treasure Porridge weren¡¯t on the list, Wu Minqi¡¯s signature dishes like Mapo Tofu, Boiled Fish, and Spicy Boiled Beef weren¡¯t ordered either, not to mention Sichuan cuisine examination dishes like Kung Pao Chicken and Twice-cooked Pork, which test the chef¡¯s skills the most. As for Zhang Guanghang, there¡¯s no need to mention that not a single Shandong dish was ordered. Why Xu Cheng would order such dishes was a mystery to Jiang Feng, and Xu¡¯s assistant couldn¡¯t figure it out either. ¡°Mr. Xu, howe you ordered dishes today that you¡¯ve never ordered before?¡± The assistant confirmed the order with the Taifeng Building¡¯s staff so they could prepare to serve. ¡°Got tired of those dishes, just wanted a change of taste,¡± Xu Cheng said. Assistant: ??? ¡°Give Han a call and ask where they are,¡± Xu Cheng said. The assistant took out his phone to make a call and right then, Han Guishan, along with his wife and child, entered ¡ª uh, pushed the door and came in. ¡°You finally made it, if you were anyter, the dishes would be on the table,¡± Xu Cheng said, calmly sipping tea. ¡°The menu is over there, if there¡¯s anything you want to add, just add it.¡± ¡°Mr. Han, they are all staff from Taste, and this is Professor Ye Shi from Capital University, our special guest reviewer for Taste,¡± Xu¡¯s assistant introduced Han Guishan to everyone and vice versa, ¡°This is Mr. Han Guishan, the founder of Good Taste and the man behind the Good Taste Culinary Contest. His wife is Wang Jing, his son is Han Youxin. Mr. Han and his family just arrived in Beiping yesterday, and since today¡¯s interview features the finalists of the Good Taste contest, Mr. Xu has invited them to dine together.¡± Han Guishan instantly understood; everyone was here for a free meal. In the end, Xu would be the one writing the articles, so everyone else¡¯s job was just to eat.
    After exchanging a few niceties, Han Guishan sat down and started happily exploring the tablet like every new diner. Han Youxin recognized Xu Cheng and trotted over to him, putting on an adorably naive face, ¡°Uncle Xu, can I have Beiping roast duck?¡± Han Youxin was still preupied with the Beiping roast duck he wanted to eat. ¡°We don¡¯t have Beiping roast duck here,¡± said Xu Cheng with a beaming smile.
    Han Youxin: T^T Looking at the dishes Xu Cheng ordered, Han Guishan got so excited he pped his thigh, ¡°Xu, you really get me, you actually ordered the Pickled Vegetable Meatballs!¡± Han Youxin: ??? ¡Æ(¡ã§¥¡ã) Han Youxin didn¡¯t even have time to change his expression when the servers brought in the dishes. ¡°Pickled Vegetable Meatballs, please enjoy.¡± ¡°Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, please enjoy.¡± Xu Cheng ordered two portions of Pickled Vegetable Meatballs, with Li Hongzhang hodgepodge served between them, looking as appealing as flowers framed by green leaves, making everyone¡¯s mouth water. One epitomized luxury, the other simplicity. One had a golden cornmeal base sprinkled with bits of pickled vegetables, the other a delicate bowl filled with ingredients blooming like flowers. Even Han Youxin, not yet ten years old, knew what to choose. Han Youxin made his move. Han Youxin felt he had a significant advantage.
    Han Youxin picked up his chopsticks. Han Youxin realized he might not be able to reach the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. Han Guishan ced Pickled Vegetable Meatballs into Han Youxin¡¯s bowl. Han Youxin admitted defeat. KO. ¡°Long time no eat pickled vegetable dumplings, I¡¯ve missed it so much, it¡¯s just the taste! Wife, do you want one too?¡± Han Guishan started eating first. Wang Jing nced at him and silently served Han Youxin the quail egg ced on top in the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. Han Youxin bit into a pickled vegetable dumpling fiercely, and when he saw Wang Jing serving him a quail egg, he was moved to tears. Indeed, his mom still loved him. Han Youxin ate the quail egg of love. He really cried. ¡°Wuu¡­ wuu¡­ I don¡¯t want to eat pickled vegetable dumplings.¡± Han Youxin shed tears of sorrow, feeling a bit better inside. Han Guishan: ???
    Wang Jing: ??? The others: ??? Shen Yao could only silentlyment in his heart that the affairs between the wealthy are indeed beyond the imagination of us ordinary folks. Han Youxin seemed to be a golden boy born with a silver spoon, but unexpectedly, he suffered such inhuman treatment behind closed doors¡ªthe son of a billionaire, reduced to eating pickled vegetable dumplings. Behind the pickled vegetable dumplings, what is it that¡¯s really lost¡ªthe essence of humanity or the degradation of morality¡­ Ah, he forgot that he¡¯s now a photographer¡¯s assistant, not an editor. ¡°You made pickled vegetable dumplings at home by yourself?¡± Xu Cheng was also stunned by Han Youxin¡¯s tears. ¡°No, after Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant closed down, this kid of mine hasn¡¯t eaten pickled vegetable dumplings, and he¡¯s not as chubby as before. Yesterday, his mom even took him out for sashimi, so I haven¡¯t mistreated him.¡± Han Guishan was somewhat perplexed as well. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just throwing a tantrum.¡± Wang Jing snagged a chopstick-full of quail eggs for herself and served Han Guishan a chopstick-full of squid, ¡°Eat up, don¡¯t mind him; he¡¯ll get over it soon enough.¡± ¡°Xiuxiu, let me serve you some food.¡± Shen Yao was very attentive. ¡°Editor Jiang, have some pork stomach; I¡¯ve had this Li Hongzhang hodgepodge before, and the pork stomach has the strongest vor.¡± ¡°Mr. Xu, try the pork stomach; it¡¯s the most vorful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, Professor Ye, the rest of the dishes areing, try this one first.¡± Xu Cheng said with a smile. Wang Jing gulped down the quail egg.
    Han Guishan nibbled on a piece of squid. Editor Jiang picked up a slice of pork stomach. Chen Xiuxiu put into her mouth the Magnolia Tablets that Shen Yao had just served her. Shen Yao also tasted a piece of Magnolia Tablets. Xu Cheng reached for the sea cucumber with his chopsticks. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang¡­ ¡­ A chorus of crying filled the private room. Chen Xiuxiu looked dumbfounded at everyone. Why suddenly everyone started crying? Xu Cheng cried with restraint; he actually didn¡¯t want to cry, but every time he remembered he had to rewrite Gu Li¡¯s manuscript and there were three more pieces to write, the tears came. Editor Jiang cried the hardest; even after everyone else stopped, Editor Jiang continued to shed silent tears. The waiters carrying in the dishes were all stunned. ¡°Good day, please enjoy the chopped pepper fish head slowly.¡± ¡°Enjoy the steamed chicken with vegetables.¡± ¡°Enjoy the chrysanthemum fish.¡± ¡°Enjoy the French rosemary roastedmb chops.¡± Wang Jing wiped her tears with a napkin andughed, ¡°This food is really strange, after eating it, it made me remember some upsetting things, but I felt much better after crying.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang agreed, ¡°It¡¯s quite odd, not sure what¡¯s been added, but it apparently has this effect.¡± ¡°Many years ago, I had noodles made by an olddy in Hang City, and after eating them, many customers including myself started thinking about their loved ones. I heard her daughter went missing; her daughter loved eating noodles the most, so the olddy set up a stall at the ce her daughter disappeared, hoping she woulde back,¡± Professor Ye shared. ¡°A good chef can infuse their own feelings into the dishes, so the diners can taste them; this is my first time tasting such an emotion that makes people cry,¡± Xu Cheng said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s really too much for me to take in.¡± Chen Xiuxiu listened to their conversation feeling somewhat bewildered. Are we really eating the same dish? Why don¡¯t I feel like crying at all? Chen Xiuxiu took another chopstick-full of Magnolia Tablets. Upon tasting it¡­ Salt, cooking wine, shredded ginger, Shaoxing wine. Too much Shaoxing wine. It was made by Jiang Feng. Chapter 308: 307 This dish is really good Chapter 308: Chapter 307 This dish is really good Four dishes were served at once, and if one were to judge by looks alone, Wu Minqi¡¯s chrysanthemum fish certainly took the prize for being the most beautiful. The thick sauce was evenly poured over, clearly hinting at a sweet and sour vor, and it was deep-fried too, golden and crispy¡ªjust the thing to win a child¡¯s heart, like Han Youxin for example. ¡°Mommy, I want to eat that fish!¡± Han Youxin pointed at the chrysanthemum fish. Wang Jing picked up a piece of chrysanthemum fish for him but her eyes were fixed on the chopped pepper fish head. ¡°Han, don¡¯t you think this chopped pepper fish head is somewhat simr to Mr. Jiang¡¯s style? Starting from the fish¡¯s mouth and then pouring the oil,¡± Wang Jingmented. ¡°This dish was made by Jiang Feng, it must be something Master Jiang taught him,¡± Han Guishan noted, having looked over the menu previously. ¡°Oh right, silly me. I kept thinking Mr. Jiang was still in Shu,¡± Wang Jing eximed as she smacked her forehead. ¡°Mrs. Han is from Shu? What a coincidence, Editor Jiang is also from Shu!¡± Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang, sitting beside Wang Jing, chimed in. ¡°Is that so? May I ask which part of Shu Editor Jiang is from?¡± Wang Jing turned to Editor Jiang. ¡°I¡¯m from the provincial city, but ever since I went to work in Magic City, I haven¡¯t really gone back to Shu. It¡¯s been many years since myst visit,¡± Editor Jiang finally stopped crying and started eating other dishes with his head down.
    ¡°What a coincidence, I¡¯m also from the provincial city. I used to work as a waitress in a state hotel there andter went into business with my husband Han. It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve been back as well,¡± Wang Jing sighed; since the death of her parents, she hadn¡¯t often returned to Shu. Having finished crying, Editor Jiang got down to business and rmended Chen Xiuxiu to Xu Cheng. ¡°Mr. Xu, this is the intern I mentioned to you before, with a remarkably keen sense of taste. I think she¡¯s worth training,¡± Editor Jiang said. Xu Cheng, having just tasted the chopped pepper fish head and found it quite pleasing, was in a good mood. He casually asked Chen Xiuxiu, ¡°What did you taste in this Li Hongzhang hodgepodge?¡± ¡°The Shaoxing wine is a bit strong,¡± Chen Xiuxiu replied. Xu Cheng nodded, having tasted it himself: ¡°What year is the Shaoxing wine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a five-year vintage,¡± Chen Xiuxiu answered smoothly. Of course, she was guessing. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s Shaoxing wine was basically all five years old; he would never bring out anything over five years for Jiang Feng to use. Xu Cheng: ??? Editor Jiang: ??? The others: ??? Xu Cheng was dumbfounded himself; he had simply thrown out the question not expecting Chen Xiuxiu toe up with an answer. Xu Cheng then picked up a piece of pig¡¯s stomach from the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, but he couldn¡¯t discern the year of the Shaoxing wine either. This time there were no tears; the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge served as a vent for his inner pressure. Once the pressure was vented, he naturally couldn¡¯t cry anymore. Shen Yao, impressed yet clueless, followed the lead and picked up a piece of pig¡¯s stomach. He hadn¡¯t even identified the taste of Shaoxing wine¡ªin fact, he didn¡¯t even know what Shaoxing wine tasted like. Editor Jiang also reached for the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, picking up a piece of Magnolia Tablets and tasting it. That feeling came over him again, that urge to cry.
    Editor Jiang then bent over the table and started crying, this time with experience; he buried his head in his sleeve, with a couple of tissues tucked underneath for good measure. Encouraged by the conversation, Xu Cheng then asked several more questions, such as the ingredient ratios for the chopped pepper fish head, and the fire control for frying the chrysanthemum fish. Chen Xiuxiu answered effortlessly and urately. By then, Editor Jiang¡¯s second round of crying had ended, and Xu Cheng had mostly finished his inquiries. He couldn¡¯t help but lean towards Editor Jiang and praise him, ¡°You¡¯ve really found me a great talent!¡± While crying, Editor Jiang nodded and managed a smile.
    There were only three stuffed chicken buns left, and Xu Cheng was not particrly interested in them. Han Youxin, never having seen them before, ate one; Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang, whose children were of marriageable age, ate another; and a married photographer, who wasn¡¯t named because he had no part in the story, ate thest one. The other dishes arrived in quick session. As a child, Han Youxin had a fondness for sweet and sour dishes or grilled meats, so he favored Wu Minqi¡¯s chrysanthemum fish and Zhang Guanghang¡¯s French-style rosemarymb chops the most and kept asking Wang Jing to serve him. Mid-meal, Han Youxin suddenly looked up and said, ¡°Mommy, I love you the most!¡± Han Guishan: ??? ¡°What about me?¡± Han Guishan eagerly vied for affection. After some serious thought, Han Youxin said, ¡°If Daddy lets me eat pickled vegetable dumplings, then I¡¯ll love Daddy.¡± Han Guishan: ??? Did I actually have a fake son? Why do I suddenly feel like hitting him? Seeing Wang Jing beaming with joy and remembering how he had inadvertently messed up the room she tidied that morning without yet settling the score, Han Guishan suppressed the urge to go home and whack Han Youxin. ¡°Eating more coarse grains is good for your health.¡± Han Guishan silently served Han Youxin a pickled vegetable dumpling. Han Youxin: ??? Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang was touched by the family dynamics of the Han trio, and the married photographer beside him, noticing his gaze fixed on Han Youxin, knew what he was thinking. ¡°Your grandson will be that age in a few years, won¡¯t he?¡± the married photographer joked.
    ¡°That¡¯s still a way off. For now, he¡¯s just a little fluff ball to hold in the hands. My wife spends all day coddling and revolving around him, hardly finding time for herself,¡± Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang said, his pride and joy hardly containable, ¡°Ah, all of a sudden I miss him. I was so busy yesterday I didn¡¯t even video call him. Excuse me for a moment.¡± As he spoke, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang made a swift exit. The married photographer couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. This wasn¡¯t slipping out to use the restroom; he clearly went out to make a video call. But speaking of which, he too was starting to miss his wife. However, at this time, she should be taking her nap. Well, might as well send a WeChat message to say hi. The married photographer took out his phone and started to send a WeChat message. After Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang left, he found a quiet corner with no one around. He felt his pocket and realized he didn¡¯t have his earphones, but decided to make the video call anyway. It connected quickly, and the face of his wife came into view. ¡°You old thing, why are you calling now? I just got the baby to sleep,¡± Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang¡¯s wife red at him from the other end of the call. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang could only offer a sheepish grin, whispering, ¡°Didn¡¯t I miss seeing the baby yesterday when we didn¡¯t video call? I just missed him.¡± ¡°Just him?¡± ¡°How could that be? I definitely missed you, too, my wife!¡± Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang¡¯s words were as sweet as honey, showering his wife withpliments as if they cost him nothing, going on tovish her with praise. After a series of rainbow farts, his wife contentedly shifted the phone camera towards their grandson.
    In the cradley the grandson, not yet a year old, who had just had his head shaved a couple of days ago. He was sleeping sweetly with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he smiled, as if he had dreamed of something delightful. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang also smiled along. Looking at his little grandson on the phone, it was as if he was seeing his son from several decades ago. He looked so simr, with his tiny nose, tiny mouth, and tiny eyes on his tiny face. When he was just born, his skin was red and wrinkly, as ugly as a little monkey. His wife back then knew nothing, and even though others told her all babies are like that at birth, she still worried a lot. She¡¯d wake him up in the middle of the night, all tense, and tell him, ¡°Our son is so ugly, what if he can¡¯t find a wifeter on?¡± Later on, he watched his son, whom his wife worried would be too ugly to find a wife, grow up bit by bit. His facial features became more distinct, he learned to run, to jump, tough, to cry, he became a man, got married, had children, and went from being a son to a father, bing the pir of a new family. And now this tiny grandson, small enough to hold in his arms, will also grow up gradually, bing a stand-tall man. Like his father and grandfather, he will marry and have children, taking on the responsibility of a family. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang let out a sigh. It¡¯s just that he wonders if he¡¯ll live to see the birth of his great-grandson. Even if he does, by that time, he reckons he¡¯ll be too old to walk anymore, only able to sit in a wheelchair and watch him run, watch him jump, but unable to help him up when he falls. ¡°Why the sigh all of a sudden? Is your work in Beiping not going well?¡± Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang¡¯s wife moved the phone back to herself. ¡°Everything¡¯s going smoothly. We were just eating; I stepped out to give you a call,¡± Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang said.
    ¡°When can¡¯t you make a call? Go back and enjoy your meal. You haven¡¯t finished your interviews yet, right? Callter in the evening; I have to go eat as well, let¡¯s hang up,¡± said Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang¡¯s wife. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one more thing?¡± Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang said. ¡°What is it? Did you forget to bring something? Do you need me to send it over to you? How many days will you be in Beiping?¡± ¡°Wife, I love you.¡± The video call ended. 6 minutes 39 seconds. Suddenly, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang felt that the chicken wrapped in lotus leaves he had just eaten really tasted quite good. Although the taste wasn¡¯t particrly excellent, it had a unique charm. He nned to look up the recipe onler in the evening and try making it for his wife, son, and daughter-inw when he got back. The little grandson still didn¡¯t have a full set of teeth, so he definitely couldn¡¯t eat that. This restaurant was really good, iming it was the world¡¯s best wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement. ¡°Ding, received recognition from a customer, task progress (4/10).¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s smile deepened. Wu Minqi cast a curious nce at him. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Jiang Feng quietly moved closer to Sang Ming and asked softly, ¡°Did you notice Qiqi gave me a strange look just now?¡± Sang Ming nodded. ¡°Do you know why?¡± Sang Ming looked troubled. ¡°Do you want the truth?¡± ¡°Speak!¡± ¡°Feng, yourugh just now was a bit creepy.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Chapter 309: 308: Seeing Jiang Yong Again Chapter 309: Chapter 308: Seeing Jiang Yong Again It wasn¡¯t until Xu Cheng and his group had finished their meal and were ready to start the interview that Jiang Feng pondered a serious question. Did he really look lecherous when heughed? How lecherous? What kind of lecherous look? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Taste¡¯s photographers had already arrived in the kitchen to take pictures, Jiang Feng would have wanted to find a mirror to study how to smile without looking lecherous. Jiang Feng stood in front of the chopping board, pretending to chop vegetables as the photographer had instructed. Jiang Feng twitched the corners of his mouth, initially wanting to smile, but recalling Sang Ming¡¯sment about his lecherous smile made him too self-conscious to do it, so he kept a serious face. There were three photographers, one for each subject, and two photographer¡¯s assistants who were there to assist and learn. Zhang Guanghang was handsome, and no matter what action or pose he took, it always looked good on camera. He was the first to finish shooting and went up to the third floor to be interviewed by Xu Cheng. ¡°Good, very good, just like that. That serious expression is great. Yes, keep staring at the radish, maintain that look, very good!¡± the photographer was very satisfied with Jiang Feng¡¯s solemn expression.
    ¡°Could you please make a cut? Ah, right, like that, don¡¯t move, hold it there. Move the knife up a bit, very good, keep that pose, don¡¯t move, hold on just a bit longer!¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s knife hovered above a radish, with a slice as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing beneath the de. The pose and gestures were fine, but Jiang Feng always felt that someone was staring at him, and the gaze didn¡¯t seem friendly; it sent chills down his spine, making his scalp tingle. The one staring at Jiang Feng with an unfriendly gaze was naturally Shen Yao. After seeing the three of them, it took Shen Yao only a fraction of a second to determine that Jiang Feng was Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s childhood sweetheart. Wu Minqi was a woman, so it couldn¡¯t be her, and Zhang Guanghang was clearly not of pure Chinese descent, making him unlikely as well. The only option left was Jiang Feng, who wasn¡¯t very tall, strong, or handsome, looked mediocre, and seemed even less impressive than himself¡ªat least in Shen Yao¡¯s biased view. Xu Cheng liked to be alone with the person he was interviewing when he did features. Back when he wasn¡¯t writing stories, he enjoyed watching the chefs he interviewed cook, casually asking them some questions rted to the dishes while observing their preparation. After he realized that he could pad his word count with stories behind the dishes, Xu Cheng¡¯s interviews evolved into one-on-one conversations in a private room, simr to a talk show format. They used a voice recorder to capture the conversation, which Editor Jiang wouldter organize and hand over to Xu Cheng to write the article. After one round of shooting, Jiang Feng cleaned up the ingredients used for the photo props, cutting what needed to be cut, and throwing away what should be discarded, tidying up the kitchen station thoroughly. ¡°Excuse me, are we done with the shooting now?¡± After cleaning up the kitchen station, Jiang Feng asked, a newbie¡¯s uncertainty in his voice. ¡°Done? It¡¯s still early; we¡¯ve just begun. The shoot will continue for a few more days,¡± the photographer said. ¡°A few more days?!¡± Jiang Feng looked surprised. How could the magazine include so many photos? Even if Xu Cheng wanted to fill space, he didn¡¯t need to go to such lengths, did he? Seeing the surprise and shock on Jiang Feng¡¯s face, the photographer exined: ¡°The photos we took today might not all be used. We¡¯ll go back and sort them out and then present them to Mr. Xu for approval. Only after he gives the nod will they be formatted and published in the magazine. We¡¯ve only shot your cooking process today. We still need to take full-body shots of you and close-ups of the dishes. If Mr. Xu wants additional photoster on, we will have to continue shooting.¡± The photographer shooting Jiang Feng was an old hand at Taste, very familiar with Xu Cheng¡¯s interview process and habits, and he took the opportunity to enlighten Jiang Feng. ¡°Mr. Xu¡¯s interviews typically take 3 to 4 days toplete. He will sample all of your dishes, eating them over several days before selecting the ones he wants to write about. My name is Chu, and this is my apprentice, Shen Yao. I¡¯ll be in charge of your photoshoot, and we¡¯ll be seeing each other over the next few days,¡± Photographer Chu said warmly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be in your care, Brother Chu,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, and he also nodded with a smile at Shen Yao. Shen Yao returned a very insincere smile.
    Jiang Feng: ??? He couldn¡¯t help but feel that smile was a bit off. Xu Cheng was still interviewing Zhang Guanghang. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s shooting had also ended. Both felt a bit nervous, so they sat in the outside lobby chatting quietly to calm their nerves. The five photographers sat not far from Jiang Feng, chatting casually among themselves, with Photographer Chu being the most talkative.
    Since they were sitting close by, Jiang Feng could faintly hear their conversation. ¡°If you ask me, the best job at our magazine is following Mr. Xu on feature interviews¡ªpaid travel and gourmet meals,¡± Photographer Chu said. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just that Mr. Xu doesn¡¯t do features more than twice a year, and every time the spots for these trips are so coveted they could break your head. This time, you two kids got lucky, interviewing three chefs at once, needing more photographers and even taking you two assistants along,¡± another photographer agreed with a nod. ¡°Master, do we get many opportunities to travel for work at our magazine?¡± another assistant photographer asked, eager. ¡°Plenty. If you want, you could be traveling every day, lugging your equipment for over ten hours on the go, exhausting yourself to death!¡± another photographer said, ¡°There¡¯s an assignment next month in Central Asia, and no one really wants to go. You go, experience what it¡¯s like to carry your gear and run around for ten-plus hours a day in a foreign country.¡± ¡°No, no, I think it¡¯s pretty good to stay in the country,¡± the assistant photographer hastily declined, ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t mind following Mr. Xu on a feature trip abroad.¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯d get a chance to go abroad for an exclusive interview before your master? Even I don¡¯t get that chance. Around here, the only one who might is probably Old Chu,¡± the photographer said. ¡°Mr. Xu used to go overseas for interviews a few years ago, but nowadays, he seldom goes abroad,¡± Photographer Chu sighed with some regret, ¡°The trip 8 years ago to interview Masters Peng Changping and Qin Guisheng in the United States, that was a truly grand feast. Those two masters are old now and don¡¯t cook anymore, you can¡¯t even taste their cooking if you wanted to. It¡¯s just a pity that back then I was still an assistant photographer, couldn¡¯t make the cut to go. I remember Editor Jiang went along on that trip; back then he was still an associate editor.¡± The others could only nod along with respect, unable to imagine the grandeur of the ¡®feast¡¯ Photographer Chu described. Jiang Feng heard them mention Cao Guixiang¡¯s two martial brothers, Peng Changgui and Qin Guisheng, and couldn¡¯t help but turn to listen, curious about what Photographer Chu would say next. However, the topic quickly shifted and they stopped discussing Peng Changping and Qin Guisheng. ¡°But speaking of which, I remember Editor Jiang mentioning that his son was getting married in May. It¡¯s August now and there¡¯s still no news; did the wedding fall through?¡± asked another photographer. ¡°You don¡¯t know? You¡¯d better not bring this up in front of Editor Jiang, he¡¯s been in a foul mood. Haven¡¯t you noticed him fretting these past few months?¡± Photographer Chu reminded them.
    ¡°What happened? Did the marriage fall through?¡± ¡°More than just falling through, I heard they were already engaged, but then his son¡¯s fianc¨¦e had an affair and got pregnant. At first, they didn¡¯t know about the affair and thought it was double the happiness, until during a prenatal visit, they realized the timing was off. The month she got pregnant, his son was on a business trip, and the two hadn¡¯t seen each other at all. He nearly became a cuckold.¡± Photographer Chu gossiped with enthusiasm, his tone full of ebbs and flows, as if transporting listeners right into the thick of the drama. ¡°That¡¯s terrible!¡± someone eximed, voicing what Jiang Feng felt. ¡°Indeed, didn¡¯t you see how heartbroken Editor Jiang was at lunch today? I guess he was really venting. Don¡¯t mention anything to do with marriage in front of Editor Jiang, nothing at all!¡± Photographer Chu warned everyone. Just as they were discussing this, Editor Jiang came downstairs along with Zhang Guanghang, and immediately the crowd went silent as chickens. Mr. Xu¡¯s exclusive interviews are sometimes conducted in several stages, and Editor Jiang was discussing with Zhang Guanghang some of the things he needed to prepare and sort out when he returned that day. ¡°May I ask Wu¡­¡± Editor Jiang hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he caught sight of Jiang Feng and was taken aback. Jiang Feng also froze, even more stunned than Editor Jiang. The man in front of him was Editor Jiang, Jiang Yong, the younger son of Jiang Weiming. ¡°Is it my turn?¡± Wu Minqi stood up. ¡°Ah, yes, I¡­ Photographer Chu, please apany Miss Wu Minqi upstairs,¡± Jiang Yong said, looking at Jiang Feng withplicated emotions, not knowing what to say or how to face his nephew. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°My name is Jiang Feng. Our family owns Taifeng Building,¡± Jiang Feng said, his own feelings equallyplex.
    They had only seen each other hurriedly during the New Year, and Jiang Feng remembered that he hadn¡¯t introduced himself to Jiang Yong, who naturally did not know his name. At that time, Jiang Yong told Jiang Weiming about going to his son¡¯s wedding in May, but after that, there was no further news. They all thought it was because Jiang Yong was still holding a grudge against Jiang Weiming and had changed his mind, leaving Jiang Weiming in dejection for a long time. But the truth turned out to be that his son had been cheated on, and the fianc¨¦e was gone. Without the wedding, thus there was no news. Jiang Yong also hadn¡¯t expected that during the New Year, the rtive he had acknowledged was so prestigious; Taifeng Building was actually owned by Jiang Feng¡¯s family. ¡°And my father¡­¡± Jiang Yong was distraught over thest few months with his son¡¯s situation of being cheated on, and didn¡¯t know how to exin the scandal of his grandson being cheated on and the wedding being called off to an elderly father he had only contacted once in decades. So, he simply didn¡¯t reach out to Jiang Weiming. Then, with all the work at the magazine, time slipped by and he gradually forgot about the matter. Now, seeing Jiang Feng, he didn¡¯t know how to exin. Jiang Feng also wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Should he tell him that he had just heard gossip about his poor cousin being cheated on, so the wedding was canceled, and that he didn¡¯t intentionally avoid contacting his father, his Granduncle Weiming? ¡°Granduncle Weiming and my grandfather are at the teahouse at the end of the street, drinking tea. Do you want to go see them?¡± Jiang Feng decided to give Jiang Yong the choice. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Jiang Feng led Jiang Yong out of Taifeng Building. The teahouse at the end of the street not only served good tea, but also hadfortable loungers. Recently, the two elderly gentlemen had enjoyed going there after lunchtime to sip tea and doze off in the loungers. ¡°How¡¯s my father been recently health-wise?¡± Jiang Yong asked.
    ¡°Granduncle Weiming is quite well; he¡¯s also very spirited. Next month, I am nning to take him for a full health check-up during Taifeng¡¯s employee medical examinations,¡± Jiang Feng responded. Jiang Yong could only nod: ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The two quickly arrived at the teahouse. Jiang Feng stopped in front of the teahouse, ¡°They should be on the 3rd floor, I won¡¯t go up. I¡¯ll head back first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Yong hesitated at the entrance, then walked into the teahouse. This was a moment for the father and son, and Jiang Feng knew he didn¡¯t need to intrude. Even Jiang Yong himself hadn¡¯t realized that he might neverpletely forgive Jiang Weiming for the neglect and preferential treatment towards his older brother, but the few times he addressed Jiang Weiming as ¡®Dad¡¯ during his conversation with Jiang Feng just now were more natural than they had been at the beginning of the year. Not forgiving him didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t loved him. Chapter 310: 309: Childhood Memories Chapter 310: Chapter 309: Childhood Memories ¡°` After Jiang Feng returned to the Taifeng Building¡¯s lobby, he found that all the photographers were looking at him with a gossipy, inquisitive gaze, even Zhang Guanghang had the expression of someone enjoying the spectacle with a slice of watermelon. ¡°You know Editor Jiang?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°He is my¡­¡± Jiang Feng suddenly realized he had no idea how old Jiang Yong was; by appearances, he seemed to be about the same age as Mr. Jiang Jiankang, making it impossible to determine whether Jiang Yong was his uncle or his granduncle. ¡°He is Granduncle Weiming¡¯s youngest son,¡± Jiang Feng said. Zhang Guanghang was surprised and eximed, ¡°No wonder he can be the editor of ¡®Taste.¡¯ It¡¯s all in the family.¡± As the issues between Jiang Yong and Jiang Weiming were family matters, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want to delve into it and quickly changed the subject, ¡°What was Mr. Xu¡¯s interview like?¡± ¡°He asked me what stories there were behind those dishes,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. Jiang Feng: ??? Stories???
    If it was stories we¡¯re talking about, then Jiang Feng had way too many. Behind every buff dish he created was a corresponding story, and they were all real stories, epassing various types, plots, and romance¡ªeverything you could think of; whatever kind you wanted, he could tell. ¡°Is that all he asked about?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°There were other things, such as views on cuisines from different countries, the differences between Chinese and French dishes, some insights into cooking, and such,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, thought for a moment, hesitated, but still mentioned, ¡°There was also a very interesting question.¡± ¡°Mr. Xu said he noticed that in recent years I¡¯ve been very fond of cooking traditional French dishes using Chinese methods. He asked me why I did that,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Why?¡± Jiang Feng felt like he had be the host of an interview show. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many whys,¡± said Zhang Guanghang, ¡°This is just a cooking philosophy I¡¯ve adopted over the years. I believe that Chinese and French cuisines have many simrities. Chinese cuisine started with four major styles and now has eight, French cuisine has three main factions, just the Shandong cuisine in China has more than a dozen cooking methods, and French cuisine includes all the cooking techniques of Western food.¡± ¡°Ding, an optional side quest has been detected,¡± the system notification tone suddenly rang out. Jiang Feng looked at Zhang Guanghang. His instincts and the task notification tone told him that Zhang Guanghang wasn¡¯t telling the full truth. Jiang Feng excused himself to go to the restroom under the guise of needing to take a leak and, once inside, opened the familiar panel and epted the quest. 2.[Childhood Memory]: On his 11th birthday, Zhang Guanghang tasted the Shafu Roast Chicken personally cooked for him by Xia Mushi, which sparked his interest in cooking traditional French dishes using Chinese methods. After Xia Mushi passed away, Zhang Guanghang tried multiple times to replicate the dish but always failed to recreate the taste from his memory. The yer is asked to help Zhang Guanghangplete the Shafu Roast Chicken from his childhood memory and find the long-lost vor. Quest progress (0/1) Quest Tip: A crispy apple makes a good choice. Quest Reward: A piece of Zhang Guanghang¡¯s memory. So the reason Zhang Guanghang cherished cooking French food with Chinese methods was because of Xia Mushi. Jiang Feng stared at the quest prompt,pletely baffled. The quest hint had absolutely nothing to do with Shafu Roast Chicken, and it was utterly confusing. Crispy apple. Shafu Roast Chicken. How did the game link these two dishes together, by using the method for making a crispy apple to make Shafu Roast Chicken? The resulting Shafu Roast Chicken would be such a culinary disaster, it¡¯d be like gazing into the abyss.
    ¡°` Jiang Feng had already left the bathroom, looking up the recipe for Shafu Roast Chicken on his phone. Shafu Roast Chicken is a ssic French dish that Jiang Feng had seen in pictures but had never tasted and didn¡¯t know how to make. Naturally, to help Zhang Guanghang recreate the taste of the Shafu Roast Chicken that Xia Mushi made for him when he was eleven, Jiang Feng had to look into how Shafu Roast Chicken was prepared. When Jiang Feng reached the lobby, Zhang Guanghang was looking at his phone. Seeing hime over, Zhang handed over his phone and said, ¡°Ji Yue¡¯sic is almost done. She just sent it to me, take a look.¡±
    Jiang Feng took the phone and was surprised. Ji Yue had sprained and fractured her foot, so Wang Xiulian had given her a week off, and her leave wasn¡¯t over yet, but heric was already finished. Could it be that these past few days she had really been working away at her craft with unwavering focus, not reading novels, not watching TV series, not following variety shows, not engaging in fan voting? What kind of dedication was that! This woman who judged by looks was really capable of doing anything to chase after Zhang Guanghang. She hadn¡¯t even started pursuing him yet, and she was already this dedicated. If she really set her mind to start the pursuit, then who knows what would happen. Ji Yue¡¯sic was indeed almost finished; the plot was exactly as Jiang Feng had described it, without any changes, and the art style was her usual one as well. Overall, it looked very good, as it was done with care. Some background details and costume details hadn¡¯t been drawn yet, and the bridal gown was only sketched out roughly. However, given Ji Yue¡¯s current terrifying speed, she could probably finish the entireic within another week at most. The only thing that Jiang Feng found strange was that she hadn¡¯t drawn any wontons. Theic was meant to promote wontons, yet Ji Yue hadn¡¯t drawn any. The page that should have featured a close-up of wontons was left nk, and all scenes rted to wontons had only been sketched with a rough outline of a bowl. ¡°She really worked hard to get it to this stage in such a short time,¡± Jiang Feng remarked with admiration. ¡°Is that speed considered fast?¡± Despite aspiring to be aic book artist as a child, Zhang Guanghang was only a reader and didn¡¯t have much of an understanding of drawing. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t really understand the actual pace at whichic artists worked either; he had mostly seen Ji Yue procrastinating while rushing her drafts, and it wasn¡¯t that she drew slowly.
    ¡°It should be¡­ considered fast, I guess. I feel like drawing a single picture takes quite a while,¡± Jiang Feng said, handing the phone back to Zhang Guanghang. Zhang Guanghang took the phone and sent a message to Ji Yue. It seemed like he had been in contact with Ji Yue quite frequentlytely. Jiang Feng, thinking about the task he had just undertaken, tentatively asked, ¡°I see you¡¯ve been researching new dishestely. What are you working on?¡± Zhang Guanghang put down his phone, not expecting Jiang Feng to notice his culinary research since he conducted it at Fen Garden, not Taifeng Building. ¡°How did you know?¡± Zhang Guanghang was genuinely curious this time. ¡°Just a guess, you¡¯ve been standing around lost in thoughttely, and you like to stare at spices and ingredients. It¡¯s a lot like how I was when I was researching Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Jiang Feng convincingly lied. ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve been trying to recreate a dish I ate as a child, but it¡¯s been so long I can¡¯t quite remember how it¡¯s made. Every time I make it, it doesn¡¯t taste like what I had back then,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. ¡°What dish?¡± Zhang Guanghang hesitated for a moment, ¡°Shafu Roast Chicken, a very special Shafu Roast Chicken.¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± Jiang Feng smiled, ¡°You helped us perfect the method for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, so it¡¯s only right to repay the favor. Don¡¯t be shy if you need assistance.¡± ¡°I will, just not for the time being,¡± Zhang Guanghang politely declined. Chapter 311: 310: Im Sorry for Making You Worry Chapter 311: Chapter 310: I¡¯m Sorry for Making You Worry Soon, it was Jiang Feng¡¯s turn for the special interview. Owing to Jiang Yong¡¯s departure to the teahouse for a father-son conversation with Jiang Weiming, the one apanying Wu Minqi this time was Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang found it strange why Jiang Yong dropped off Zhang Guanghang and then disappeared, only sending a WeChat message that he had something urgent and would leave temporarily before going silent. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang sent several messages to Jiang Yong without reply, which made him somewhat worried that something unexpected might have happened to Jiang Yong. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang led Jiang Feng to the door of the private room. The locations of Xu Cheng¡¯s interviews were always quirky, the kitchen, his home, pavilions, backyards, observatories, private rooms, halls, and sometimes even on the street, strolling and asking questions, deciding on the spot and just going with the flow. The private room was already an exception as it was a rtively normal ce for the interview. Jiang Feng pushed the door open and entered, while Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang stayed at the door, turning around to organize the recordings of Wu Minqi¡¯s interview in the adjacent room after Jiang Feng had gone in. Upon entering the private room, Jiang found Xu Cheng, who had just finished speaking at length and was now drinking tea. Beside Xu Cheng, there was a young girl with her head down, her bangs covering her face making it hard to see clearly, writing something in her notebook. Jiang felt that this young girl looked familiar, though her face wasn¡¯t clear. The way she sat with her head down, her face hidden by her bangs, was very recognizable.
    How did the saying go? This youngdy seems so familiar, as if an old acquaintance. Chen Xiuxiu looked up. ¡°Xiuxiu?¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t quite believe his eyes. What was Chen Xiuxiu doing here? Shouldn¡¯t she be in Magic City now? Back in July, Jiang Feng heard from Mrs. Wang Xiulian that Chen Xiuxiu secured an internship at a decentpany in Magic City, and Chen Duxiu even boasted about it on his social circle. ¡°Long time no see,¡± Xiuxiu said, continuing to write in her notebook. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± Xu Cheng¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°She¡¯s/He¡¯s my neighbor,¡± Jiang Feng and Chen Xiuxiu said simultaneously. ¡°A neighbor for over a decade,¡± Jiang Feng added. Xu Cheng was taken aback for a moment but quickly epted this coincidence, ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite the coincidence. Master Jiang, don¡¯t just stand there, please have a seat.¡± Xu Cheng¡¯s interviews never included outsiders; even the chief and deputy editors of ¡°Taste¡± had to stay in the next room. Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s presence here was mainly to see how much potential she had to be an outstanding food critic. To be an excellent food critic, having a sensitive pte wasn¡¯t enough. She needed to know how to taste and to appreciate. It wasn¡¯t just about spotting the virtues of a dish; she also had to identify its ws. Where it excelled, where it fell short, what ingredients, and what cooking methods were used. This was something talent alone could not fulfill; it requiredyers uponyers of culinary experiences, which meant time. inly put, it needed money; splurging on food over a long period. Taste is cultivated with money. Only by experiencing the best can one discern where others fall short. Xu Cheng informed Chen Xiuxiu about who made each dish at lunch today, asking her to stay and observe how he conducted the interview, and then to ask questions. Xu Cheng didn¡¯t expect Chen Xiuxiu to ask very high-level questions; he was more like a tutor who needed to understand the student¡¯s progress before determining how to guide. Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s capability surprised him. The questions she asked were professional and insightful, pointing out the faults in the dishes prepared by Zhang Guanghang and Wu Minqi with precision. Her discernment and taste level were exceptionally high. This wasn¡¯t something you would expect from a girl of ordinary family background. Initially, Xu Cheng thought it was because one of her parents was a great cook, which is why she developed such a refined pte and taste buds.
    But now it seemed that all this might be attributed to Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Since everyone is acquainted, there¡¯s no need for introductions. Chen Xiuxiu is an intern at ¡®Taste.¡¯ Since you two have known each other for many years, let¡¯s have Xiuxiu start with the questions,¡± Xu Cheng said, noticing that Jiang was somewhat nervous, so he allowed Xiuxiu, someone familiar to Jiang, to ask the first questions. Over the past month, following Jiang Yong around for meals and asional interviews, Xiuxiu had started to look a bit like a reporter herself, sitting straight with poise, flipping her notebook to a fresh nk page, and cing her pen in the middle of the open notebook. ¡°You, like Wu Minqi and Zhang Guanghang, started learning from a young age, but unlike them, you gave it up halfway. Why did you suddenly pick it up again after quitting?¡± Chen Xiuxiu asked.
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ We¡¯re all good friends here; I know how many bowls of rice you used to eat. Is it really necessary to start with such a provocative question? ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, and don¡¯t rush, you can answer slowly,¡± said Xu Cheng. ¡°If there are some questions you don¡¯t want to answer, there¡¯s no need to force it.¡± Jiang Feng thought for a moment, organized his thoughts, and spoke slowly: ¡°Because of you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Xiuxiu was stunned. ¡°Do you remember what you looked likest summer vacation?¡± asked Jiang Feng. Chen Xiuxiu thought for a moment: ¡°120 pounds, a bit overweight.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not talking about weight, but your condition. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you that day when you and Mr. Chen were eating at my family¡¯s restaurant, not just because you had lost weight,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed? At that time, you had the look of illness on your face.¡± ¡°A look of illness?¡± Chen Xiuxiu was stunned again, back then she had been in the midst of her craziest dieting period, starting from eating two meals a day to one meal a day plus some fruit,ter it became just fruit, and ultimately, just a bowl of porridge. At that time, all she cared about were the numbers on the scale decreasing, she had no appetite, didn¡¯t want to eat anything, and even when starving and stomach aching, she had no desire to eat. She had no energy, didn¡¯t want to walk, was always pale, the color of her lips turned white, and at night she often experienced ringing in her ears, mental fatigue, and looking like a female ghost with disheveled hair, wearing pajamas. But Chen Xiuxiu thought all of that was normal, since how could anyone have energy without eating, and stomach aches from irregr meals over a long period were also normal. To her, anything was worth it as long as she could lose weight. She had experienced being overweight and did not want to go back to that time, she had too much pent-up negative emotion with no outlet, those negative emotions nearly engulfed her. She could only continue to starve herself, as hunger was the only thing that reminded her that she was overweight.
    Lately, she resumed a normal diet and realized her previous behavior was akin to suicide. She began to exercise, channeling her negative emotions through extensive workouts at the gym each day. Her life gradually improved, she was able to fit into dress sizes that she could not have imagined before. She confessed her feelings to the boy she liked and seeded. She joined a renowned magazine as an intern, surprisingly favored by the editor-in-chief. Chen Xiuxiu believed that all of this was brought on by her dieting, even if her stomach problems persisted and despite having severely damaged her own body, she had no regrets. Given another choice, she would rather be a listless skinny person than a lively, happy overweight one. ¡°Perhaps a little,¡± said Chen Xiuxiu. ¡°At the time, we were all very worried about you,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Mr. Chen was worried about you, my parents were worried about you, I was worried about you too. Although you had lost a lot of weight, you seemed utterly lifeless, with a world-weary expression, Mr. Chen even worried you might jump out of a window in a moment of despair and so he locked your windows tightly.¡± ¡°The day after you ate at my family¡¯s restaurant, I overheard my mom saying to my dad that even though you were thinner, you didn¡¯t look as good as before, the vitality was gone,¡± Jiang Feng continued. ¡°We were all very worried about you, just in different ways. Mr. Chen took you to eat at our restaurant, my dad cooked your favorite Nine Turns Intestine for you, my mom sent Mr. Chen some pickles, hoping you¡¯d at least drink more porridge, even just a few more bowls.¡± ¡°That jar of pickles was from Mrs. Wang¡­¡± Chen Xiuxiu was stunned again. She had thought that jar of pickles was bought by Chen Duxiu, especially since at that time Chen Duxiu had been nagging her incessantly to eat more, so, irritated and in a rage, she threw the jar away. How could she have done such a thing? She remembered now, due to excessive dieting and prolonged hunger, her temper had be very vtile. Her father had only been home for just over a week, and they had fought more than a dozen times, her negative emotions, which she dared not vent at outsiders, could only be taken out on her own family.
    ¡°I decided to start practicing my cooking skills again because at that time I was wondering if it was because the porridge I made was too bad that you didn¡¯t want to drink it. I began to research Cooking Porridge, and you know what happened after that, my grandfather came, and by a twist of fate, naturally, I started learning to cook again,¡± said Jiang Feng. Thinking about it now, the first pot of porridge I made was indeed hard to swallow; I really put Chen Xiuxiu through a lot. Chen Xiuxiu was silent. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m sorry for making you all worry.¡± Xu Cheng: ??? Even though I¡¯m the one who is supposed to conduct an interview with Jiang Feng, why can¡¯t I get a word in? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be my show??? . PS: The weather is too hot, everything feels lifeless, including the novel I¡¯m writing. Due to the inability to leavements on the 5th and 6th, sending blessings to Da Hua can only start from the 7th, please remember to send blessings to Da Hua on the 7th~ Chapter 312: 311 Overturning (Vote for monthly ticket!) Chapter 312: Chapter 311 Overturning (Vote for monthly ticket!) Chen Xiuxiu had prepared many questions, but now she decided not to ask them anymore. She realized that she might have misunderstood some things about the future. Her life used to be filled with negative emotions: the pressure of studying, conflicts with roommates, the unpleasantness of trivial matters, obesity, mockery, and unspoken crushes. These worries and troubles that never appeared in her life before college came crashing down on her after she started university, leaving her feeling suffocated. She attributed all of this to her weight, feeling that if she could just lose weight, everything would get better. Until just moments ago, she believed her thoughts were correct. But now, having calmed down and thinking objectively, if it hadn¡¯t been for Jiang Feng stopping her from almost suicidal dieting to lose weight, her end seemed to have been nothing but self-destruction. Compared to her obese self, the irrational, crazed dieting version of herself seemed even more terrifying and unreasonable. Chen Xiuxiu fell silent, deep in thought, with a pen in hand, staring at the notebook but unable to write a single word. Xu Cheng took back control of the interview and followed up on Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s questions, ¡°So, you started practicing cooking again for the sake of a friend¡¯s health?¡± Xu Cheng really liked the topic Chen Xiuxiu and Jiang Feng had discussed earlier; it was a great start and suitable for filling up the word count.
    Xu Cheng thought that he could write at least 300 words based on the start of the story that Chen Xiuxiu and Jiang Feng had just recounted. ¡°You could say that,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°At first, I just wanted to improve my Cooking Porridge skills, but then my grandfather came, and under his guidance, I began practicing cooking again. As I practiced, it became a habit, and everything naturally fell into ce.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried every dish from your Taifeng Building¡¯s menu these past few days, and I was surprised that the Sweet and Sour Yam still maintained the same standard as on thepetition day. But what truly amazed me was the Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge I tasted today at noon. I¡¯ve had dishes where the chef¡¯s emotions blend into the food, allowing diners to taste it, but it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve encountered a dish like your Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge that made me feel like crying. Could you share the reason behind it, or the cooking technique, or perhaps a rted story?¡± Xu Cheng asked. Jiang Feng immediately perked up; this was the question he had been waiting for. ¡°This dish was taught to me by my grand-uncle, or more precisely, he dictated the ingredients and method to me, and I figured out the actual cooking process on my own. The dish was originally made by my grand-aunt for my grand-uncle in San Francisco. He remembered it for many years, and he never forgot it¡­¡± Jiang Feng began telling Xu Cheng the story of Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin as he remembered it. ¡°¡­Actually, I only discovered after I made the dish that it¡¯s easy to make people cry with it. Maybe it¡¯s because every time I make it, I think of the story my grand-uncle told me. It must be a coincidence; I¡¯m not entirely sure of the exact reason,¡± Jiang Feng said. Ever since Zhang Guanghang told Jiang Feng that Xu Cheng had asked if there was a story behind his dishes, Jiang Feng had thought about which dish¡¯s story he should tell. Since Jiang Feng looked a lot like Jiang Chengde, when Li Mingyi was still alive, he would mistake Jiang Feng for Jiang Chengde whenever he became confused, babbling incoherently and even talking about past events in a logically jumbled manner, most of which were rted to Jiang Huiqin. During thest days of Li Mingyi¡¯s life, Jiang Feng often visited him; Li Mingyi liked Jiang Feng very much whether he was lucid or confused, always wanting to talk with him in the room. That¡¯s when Chen Suhua would go out to do something else, leaving Li Mingyi to Jiang Feng¡¯spany without a worry. So as long as Jiang Feng insisted that these stories were told to him by Li Mingyi, no one would doubt or question anything. He wasn¡¯t lying; the story was indeed told to him by Li Mingyi, just not directly but through the memories he had witnessed. The story of the Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge wasn¡¯t a happy one; on the contrary, it was sad and poignant, making one feel how insignificant and powerless an individual can be under the wheels of history. Xu Cheng sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that Ms. Jiang passed away so early, and I never had the chance to meet her.¡± ¡°By the way, when we were sorting through my grand-uncle¡¯s belongings, we found some letters he had kept,¡± Jiang Feng suddenly remembered, ¡°Some of these letters were recipes recorded by my grand-aunt. The only thing that¡¯s a pity is that some of her recordings were vague and hard to replicate.¡± Back when Jiang Huiqin was in the United States, whenever she encountered unfamiliar or differently prepared dishes, she would learn to make them. Some she mastered, others not. After learning, she would write to Jiang Chengde, describing the methods in her letters, turning the letters into recipes; after finishing, she arranged them neatly and kept them safe, thinking that she¡¯d send all of them when she heard from Jiang Chengde. Unfortunately, she never got to send any of those letters in her lifetime. The recipes recorded in Jiang Huiqin¡¯s letters were somewhat unclear, with quantities and certain terminologies that were puzzling. It was difficult for Jiang Feng to replicate them at his current skill level, and even the two Sirs couldn¡¯t reach that level. Perhaps the recipes that Jiang Huiqin left for Jiang Chengde could only be mastered by Jiang Chengde himself. Jiang Feng and Xu Cheng¡¯s conversation drifted further and further off-topic, eventually strayingpletely from the main theme, and they ended up forgetting that this was supposed to be a culinary interview, turning it into a story session instead.
    Chen Xiuxiu, on the other hand, was like an audience member at a storytelling session, listening intently to the stories. It wasn¡¯t until Xu Cheng¡¯s assistant came in to remind him that he had a video conference to attend and that the interview needed to be temporarily concluded that they realized the topic had strayed this far. ¡°` Jiang Yong had already returned, organizing the content of the previous interviews next door with Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang. The off-topic nature of Jiang Feng and Xu Cheng¡¯s interview was so severe that it would probably add quite a bit of work to their evening¡¯s editing.
    Xu Cheng, after finishing the video conference, nned to go dine at Yonghe House, and his itinerary was packed. The other employees of ¡°Taste¡± also had their own things to do. Not only did they have to join Xu Cheng at Yonghe House for a free meal, but the photographers had to go back and sort through the photos they took today, and Chen Xiuxiu had to write up an article based on the interview content for Xu Cheng to review tomorrow. As for why Professor Ye Shi came for lunch today, it was, of course, to mooch a meal. He was a friend of Xu Cheng¡¯s, and they had a pretty good rtionship. All of Xu Cheng¡¯s friends who were close to him knew one thing: if Xu Cheng came to their ce for an interview, they had to follow him for a meal. Xu Cheng loved making friends and didn¡¯t mind at all when they came over to grab a bite. On the contrary, he weed it, which was why he had friends all over the world. Dining with Xu Cheng was an incrediblyfortable affair; you didn¡¯t need to think about where to eat or what dishes to order. Just follow Xu Cheng¡¯s lead, and he¡¯d never make a mistake in choosing the dishes. Xu Cheng, when going downstairs, roughly agreed with Jiang Feng on the time for shooting and a follow-up interview tomorrow. It was just a preliminary arrangement, and whether he would actually show up depended on Xu Cheng¡¯s own situation. It was gettingte, and Taifeng Building was getting ready for the evening business. Wang Xiulian was surprised to see Chen Xiuxiu and couldn¡¯t help but chat with her for a moment. Jiang Feng still felt that Shen Yao¡¯s gaze was strange, but he couldn¡¯t figure out what he had done to offend him. Just like on the way there, the return trip was again with Jiang Yong, Chen Xiuxiu, Shen Yao, and a load of equipment in one vehicle. ¡°You¡¯re in a bad mood,¡± Chen Xiuxiu keenly observed that something was off with Shen Yao¡¯s emotions. Shen Yao indeed was not in a great mood; he had just searched Jiang Feng¡¯s background and found that his hidden rival was a bit more impressive than he had expected. Yes, Jiang Feng even had his own Wikipedia page. ¡°I had a crush on him in high school, but then he went off to n City for university, and my crush ended with that. Isn¡¯t that how all high school crushes go?¡± Chen Xiuxiu said. ¡°Who knows what that guy thought back in high school,¡± Shen Yao said sourly.
    ¡°I was over 180 pounds in high school.¡± Shen Yao: ¡­ ¡°Besides, he¡¯s already got a girlfriend. That Wu Minqi, interviewed by Boss Xu, she¡¯s his girlfriend. They probably started dating around April. I remember he even posted about it on his social circle; I teased him about finally escaping 21 years of singledom,¡±ughed Chen Xiuxiu. Suddenly, Shen Yao felt like maybe he could be friends with Jiang Feng. From the moment I knew you weren¡¯t single, I decided you¡¯re going to be my friend for sure! ¡°Do you know why I suddenly brought this up?¡± Chen Xiuxiu asked with a mischievous smile. Shen Yao suddenly had a bad premonition. ¡°A few days ago, a girl iming to be your high school ex-girlfriend sent me a message through QQ. Didn¡¯t you say I was your first love?¡± Chen Xiuxiu looked at Shen Yao. Shen Yao nervously swallowed; he knew very well that if he and Chen Xiuxiu came to blows, he definitely would not win against her. ¡°How many did you date back in high school?¡± ¡°2¡­ 2 of them, just in my freshman year. It was a rebellious phase, you know. While others rebelled by going to inte cafes to y games, I rebelled¡­ by being in puppy love.¡± Shen Yao expressed his current regret, a deep regret, for why he had been possessed to tell Chen Xiuxiu that she was his first love back then. ¡°What about now?¡± ¡°Long over, ages ago. It was just adolescent folly back then, making eternal vows in the QQ space, plus writing thousand-word derations like middle schoolers do these days, and then breaking up and deleting each other from friends lists a few dayster.¡± Shen Yao confessed, hoping for leniency. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect anyone to bring that up now; I¡¯ve lost contact with them long ago. We deleted each other as friends after breaking up back then.¡±
    Chen Xiuxiu couldn¡¯t hold back and burst outughing. As Jiang Yong drove, he shook his head helplessly. The young people these days¡­ sigh, back in his days, he would never flip-flop¡­ ahem, would never lie to his wife. ¡°` Chapter 313: 312 The Rookie with a Big Appetite Chapter 313: Chapter 312 The Rookie with a Big Appetite By the time the evening business was over, Jiang Feng could clearly sense that Jiang Weiming¡¯s mood had improved a lot. Jiang Feng decided to finish work as usual today and go home to delve into the specific ways to prepare Shafu Roast Chicken. Tomorrow¡¯s interviews and filming were scheduled for the afternoon, and Xu Cheng had booked dinner at Taifeng Building, suggesting he nned to eat there for the next few days until the feature was over. Jiang Feng nned to visit the Benevolent Doctor the next morning to see if there were any new ¡°rookies¡± to help dial up his cafeteria task progress, whip up a pot of ¡°Love¡¯s Boiled Broli¡± for lunch for Jiang Shoucheng, and then head back to Taifeng Building for the interviews and filming in the afternoon. The itinerary was packed. He believed that Jiang Shoucheng would be moved when he tasted that pot of boiled broli tomorrow. After getting home, Jiang Feng slumped on the sofa, went online on his phone to check the recipe for Shafu Roast Chicken, and then fell into deep thought. He had assumed that since the game¡¯s hint was that a crispy apple would be a good choice, apples must y a crucial, yet subtly pivotal, role in Shafu Roast Chicken, potentially being the crowning touch. But after researching, Jiang Feng realized that apples had virtually no presence in the dish; they were simply cut into small pieces, lightly fried in a butter pan, and then ted, ying an even smaller role than the nched vegetables tossed in butter for decoration. At least the vegetables were arranged artistically, with attention to color coordination, folded to resemble a flower, whereas apples were just casually mixed into the chicken after cooking, shapeless. So what exactly was the link between Shafu Roast Chicken and crispy apples? Jiang Fengy curled up in deep thought on the sofa, like a contemtive husky.
    Eyes wide open, brows furrowed. When Wu Minqi brought in the herbal tea to the living room, this was the scene she encountered. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Wu Minqi ced the herbal tea on the coffee table and moved it in front of Jiang Feng. The herbal tea was delivered by Ji Xue in the morning; as a person from Guangdong Province, she brewed herbal tea that was far superior to Jiang Feng¡¯s Five Flowers Tea. Jiang Feng¡¯s Five Flowers Tea was somewhat sweet because he added monk fruit, whereas Ji Xue¡¯s had ingredients like honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, astragalus, and licorice that brewed into a tea that cleared heat, quenched thirst, and even had a subtly sweet aftertaste. Ji Xue¡¯s herbal tea was a heat-clearing detoxifier, suited for those with internal heat and fiery tempers, making it an optimal drink during the stuffy and irritating hot season. The herbal tea had been chilled in the refrigerator for a day and then left out by Wu Minqi for over half an hour; it was slightly cool and exactly the right temperature upon drinking. ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out the connection between Shafu Roast Chicken and crispy apples,¡± Jiang Feng said, shifting into a morefortable slouch. ¡°Shafu Roast Chicken? Isn¡¯t that a French dish? What could it have to do with crispy apples?¡± Wu Minqi asked back, picking up the remote to turn on the TV. ¡°I can¡¯t figure it out either, but I feel like there might be some connection between the two,¡± Jiang Feng replied as he quickly stopped her, ¡°I watched that seriesst week, and it¡¯s not good. The male lead gets cheated on in the second episode, and the female lead appears in the seventh.¡± Wu Minqi exited the TV show¡¯s screen and switched to a new series. The two happily watched a night of silly domestic idol romance dramas. Early the next day, Wu Minqi went out to snag the green bean buns from the bakery at the entrance of theirplex, while Jiang Feng slept in a little longer before heading to the Benevolent Doctor to try his luck with potential ¡°rookie¡± mice for his task progress. After Ji Yue had heroically paid a painful price for two bunsst time but didn¡¯t regret it, everyone became curious about the green bean buns sold at the bakery at theplex entrance and fell in love with it after trying. With Mrs. Wang Xiulian, the great-aunt, the second aunt, the fourth aunt, and Aunt Wuhua joining the ranks of early risers vying for green bean buns, sales were hot, and lining up for buns became the norm. Unemployed passersby who didn¡¯t seem to have jobs or anything better to do were intrigued by the need to queue at a breakfast shop and joined in, turning the bakery into a famous local breakfast spot, even trending on Weibo. Wu Minqi had the important mission of buying green bean buns for Mrs. Wang Xiulian, so she got up especially early, earlier than her high school morning runs. By the time Jiang Feng got up, Mrs. Wang Xiulian had already finished her green bean buns and posted about it on social media. After getting ready, Jiang Feng left home and took the subway to the Benevolent Doctor. Upon arrival, he headed straight to the market next to the small cafeteria, bought three pounds of broli without a word, then took a picture and sent it to Jiang Shoucheng to tell him he¡¯d being over to cook lunch for him today. Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s hands trembled slightly as he held his phone, hisplexion pale as if he had just finished two consecutive night shifts at the hospital.
    By the time he saw his lunch today, his face would probably turn green. Could Jiang Feng really do such an inhuman thing to his own dear second cousin, who, working as a resident doctor in the hospital, had to take night shifts, suffered from poor diet and sleep, and at times even had to act as a security guard, his weight now surpassed by Jiang Zaidi? Jiang Feng was an honest person whose lies were only sophisticated. How could he possibly treat his beloved second cousin this way? Jiang Feng, carrying three pounds of broli, went to the small kitchen and, sure enough, encountered Qian Lijuan, who was cooking soup, and Fang Zhuoyue, who was tirelessly struggling with cooking porridge.
    Zhuang Lin had narrowly escaped death and was now in the convalescence period. Since her triumphant sess with the carrot and beef stew, Qian Lijuan had fallen deeply in love with cooking, creating a variety of soups for Zhuang Lin every day, which were not at all tasty, and some even hard to swallow. Fang Zhuoyue was a local whose father had just had minor surgery a few days ago and could only eat liquid foods, which was why Fang Zhuoyue insisted on struggling with cooking porridge every day. As soon as Fang Zhuoyue saw Jiang Feng, he saw him as a savior and quickly asked for help. ¡°Jiang Feng,e and take a look. The porridge I¡¯ve cooked these days looks normal and doesn¡¯t seem burnt. But when my dad drinks it, he always says there¡¯s a burnt taste, and I tasted it, and there was a burnt taste too. What do you think is the problem?¡± Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s culinary skills were inversely proportional to his mathematical talent. ¡°A burnt taste? How did you cook it?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Just like you taught me, I¡¯ve been continuously stirring the porridge,¡± Fang Zhuoyue replied, ¡°It looks quite normal, but it tastes burnt when you drink it.¡± After thinking for a moment, Jiang Feng guessed, ¡°It must be that the heat was too high and the bottom got burnt, but because you kept stirring, you mixed the burnt bottom throughout, so you can¡¯t see it, but the whole pot tastes burnt as a result.¡± Fang Zhuoyue looked baffled. ¡°Wait a bit, I¡¯ll help you check the fire control. Let me leave the broli here for you to watch; I have to go to the supermarket next to the hospital to buy some stuff,¡± said Jiang Feng, cing the broli on the table. ¡°No problem, you go ahead,¡± Fang Zhuoyue agreed without hesitation. Jiang Feng left the small cafeteria. There was arge supermarket near Benevolent Doctor, abundant in food materials and all kinds of seasonings, even imported ones. The only downside was that it was too expensive. Jiang Feng was going to buy butter.
    Boiling broli might have a nice crunchy texture, but even with added salt, it was nd, and asking Jiang Shoucheng to eat three pounds of it in one sitting was even more painful than making him learn cooking from Sir. Jiang Feng nned to cook the three pounds of broli in two ways. The first method was inspired by the process he saw yesterday when making Shafu Roast Chicken. To fry it in butter. Then add some other seasonings to help enrich the taste of the broli, hoping it might suit Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s pte. The second method was to try preparing the broli in the same way as crispy apples. After watching a TV drama the previous night, Jiang Feng thought about it all night and couldn¡¯t figure out what crispy apples had to do with Shafu Roast Chicken, so he decided to just go for broke and see if he could use the method for other dishes. He had never actually made crispy apples before; he had only seen Sir make them, so he needed to experiment and find a guinea pig to test his attempt. Jiang Shoucheng was that guinea pig. A guinea pig with a very big appetite. Chapter 314: 313: Crispy and Fragrant Broccoli Chapter 314: Chapter 313: Crispy and Fragrant Broli Beef tallow refers to the fatty portion of the fat from inside a cow¡¯s stomach, which is a type of body fat. Simr tord, its fat particles are rtively coarse and need to be rendered to extract the oil. The beef tallow used in hotpot restaurants is this type of oil, refined fromyers of cow fat. However, in Western dishes, ¡°butter¡± mostly refers to the product extracted from cow milk, which is cream. Most of the butter sold in supermarkets nowadays is extracted from cow milk, and only a very small portion have added beef tallow extracted from cow fat. The only way to differentiate them is by checking the ingredients list. Jiang Feng spent quite some time looking for the right kind of beef tallow. Beef tallow extracted from cow fat has a unique aroma and a slight gamey scent that¡¯s particrly suitable for cooking, stir-frying, baking, hotpot, and brewing oil tea; all excellent choices. Good quality beef tallow, though withrger fat particles, has a fine texture and a pale yellow color. Jiang Feng had to thoroughly search through the supermarket¡¯s selection before he reluctantly picked one that satisfied him. After finding satisfactory beef tallow, Jiang Feng also purchased a small bottle of olive oil, a bit of low-gluten flour, and two eggs. Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality and finest ss of olive oil with an acidity of no more than 1%, exuding a unique and subtle fragrance that¡¯s distinct to vegetable oils. Olive oil is especially good for frying; when frying with it, the food emits an enticing aroma that can be smelled from afar, making an otherwise ordinary dish appear very appetizing. Although the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s Food Canteen provides oil, it¡¯s only soybean oil and peanut oil, and the quality is not very good. It might not make a difference when stir-frying, but once used for frying, the results fall short, which Jiang Feng had already noticed when he made Sweet and Sour Yamst time. By the time Jiang Feng returned to the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s Food Canteen with his purchases, it was almost 10 o¡¯clock. Perhaps because of the recent cooler weather due to the rain, there were more people cooking than usual¡ªabout five or six¡ªmaking the canteen livelier with the sound of frying and chatting. Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s in porridge was already on the stove, and he was stirring it continuously, looking quite professional, not at all like someone who would burn the porridge.
    ¡°Your me is too high; it will surely scorch at the bottom if it cooks for too long,¡± said Jiang Feng as he stepped forward to lower the me slightly, ¡°When cooking porridge, you should start with a high heat to bring it to a boil, and if you can¡¯t judge the fire control, it¡¯s better to turn it down a notch. If you constantly stir the porridge like this and cook it long enough, you can even bring out the aroma of the rice.¡± Fang Zhuoyue nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Jiang,e and taste this for me; do you think the soup tastes a bit off?¡± Qian Lijuan started seeking help from outside the kitchen. Jiang Feng went over and took a sip with a small spoon; the expression on his face was somewhat hard to describe. Zhuang Lin has to drink the soup Qian Lijuan makes every day; he really has it tough. ¡°Mrs. Qian, did you nch the ribs before putting them into the water?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°You need to nch the ribs? Don¡¯t you just put them directly into the soup to cook?¡± Mrs. Qian asked in shock. ¡°When stewing ribs, you must always nch them first to remove the blood water, which will get rid of the gamey taste. If you don¡¯t nch them, it will turn out like this. Look, the color of this soup is very muddy, and there¡¯s foam at the edges, all because of the blood surging up,¡± Jiang exined. He felt that while his task progress at the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s canteen hadn¡¯t advanced much, his teaching skills had significantly improved. ¡°What about now? What do I do now?¡± Mrs. Qian asked. ¡°To remove the gamey taste, you could add more ginger and cooking wine, but it¡¯s impossible topletely remove it now since the ribs have been simmered this way. You can skim the foam offter, but the final color of the soup will not look good, and the vor might not be ideal,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Next time before you stew rib soup, make sure to first put the ribs in cold water and heat it up, stirring asionally. This way, even the blood inside the ribs can be removed.¡± Mrs. Qian nodded her head and began taking notes in a notebook. Jiang Feng cut severalrge slices of ginger and threw them into Mrs. Qian¡¯s rib soup, adding some more cooking wine. Anotherdy cooking soup next to Mrs. Qian noticed Jiang Feng¡¯s professionalism and enthusiasm and asked, ¡°Young man, can you help me check my soup too? I think it tastes odd as well.¡± Jiang Feng happily moved on to the next ¡°guinea pig.¡± In a single morning, Jiang Feng managed toplete four more tasks, bringing his progress up to (36/100), still far frompletion. After helping others, it was time to get busy with his own tasks. Jiang Feng carefully washed the broli, cutting it into small pieces and dividing it into two portions. Broli with beef tallow is actually very easy to make, with virtually no technical difficulty. After nching the broli until it¡¯s half-cooked, take it out and stir-fry it over low heat with the beef tallow. The beef tallow melts upon heating. Stir-frying requires some skill to ensure the beef tallow coats the broli evenly. Finally, sprinkle a little salt and ck pepper for seasoning, and the dish is done.
    The Crispy Broli is slightly moreplicated. Jiang Feng followed the same process as for crispy apples, without making any changes. The eggs were beaten and added to the low-gluten flour, then mixed with enough water to create an even batter. He evenly coated the small broli pieces with this egg mixture before frying. Concerned that the broli might not cook through in one go, Jiang Feng decided to dip them in the egg mixture twice and fry them twice, each time controlling the heat differently. With twoyers of fried egg coating on the broli, the outside would be crispy and the inside tender. Even if the taste might not be perfect, the texture was guaranteed to be very good. Jiang Feng worked on two pots at once, one pot for boiling water and the other for frying, managing both without any dy, which looked quite impressive to the onlookers. Those who were in the small kitchen cooking porridge or soup couldn¡¯t help but nce over at Jiang Feng.
    Not for any other reason, but because the olive oil used for frying was simply too aromatic. Even though he was frying a vegetarian ingredient like broli, it was enough to make everyone salivate and eager to dig in. ¡°Jiang, why does your frying smell so delicious? What did you add?¡± asked Mrs. Qian, voicing everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°This is what happens when you fry with olive oil; it smells good and tastes good,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Mrs. Qian swallowed involuntarily. ¡°Olive oil, huh? In a few days I¡¯ll also buy a bottle of olive oil and fry meatballs for my daughter. She¡¯s almost recovered and should be able to eat those things,¡± Mrs. Qian muttered to herself. Jiang Feng:¡­ Given Mrs. Qian¡¯s current cooking skill and her natural talent for cooking, Jiang Feng doubted that even if she fried meatballs in olive oil, the end result would likely be not so much the unique fragrance of olive oil, but Mrs. Qian¡¯s signature burnt vor. ¡°Olive oil? That oil is too expensive; using it to fry things is too extravagant. It¡¯s okay to use it for frying during holidays, but it¡¯s just too costly for everyday cooking,¡± anotherdy said. ¡°Expensive?¡± Mrs. Qian, who previously never cooked, wasn¡¯t quite clear on the prices of groceries. ¡°My daughter buys this kind of olive oil to put on her face, iming it¡¯s for skincare. I really don¡¯t understand her thinking, stering oil directly onto her face. It seems it¡¯s the same kind this young man uses, a tiny bottle for over 200 yuan. If you fry meatballs with it, that bottle will be gone,¡± anotherdy exined to Mrs. Qian. Jiang Feng was dumbfounded¡ªolive oil could be used for skincare? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be used for cooking? ¡°Applying olive oil to the face can clear dark spots and cleanse dirt from pores; it can also eliminate wrinkles and moisturize the skin; its effects are even better than many hydrating and spot-fading products,¡± Fang Zhuoyue said.
    Jiang Feng:??? Aren¡¯t you a single dog? How do you know so much? Seeing Jiang Feng looking at him, Fang Zhuoyue exined, ¡°I saw a junior high school ssmate mention it on their social feed.¡± ¡°If you want to fry meatballs, Mrs. Qian, you don¡¯t need to buy my extra-virgin olive oil; just buying virgin or refined olive oil is fine, much cheaper,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Mrs. Qian nodded, indicating she had taken note. Although he was talking, Jiang Feng¡¯s hands were never idle, and he quickly finished making the crispy broli. Tworge bowls of broli¡ªone gleaming with butter and the other wrapped with egg and fried until fragrant¡ªtruly the aristocrats of broli, with a kind of golden buff enhancement. Jiang Feng carried the tworge bowls of broli towards the emergency department. Today was not particrly busy in the emergency department, and they did not encounter the strange phenomenon of getting insanely busy at meal times as had happened a few days ago; everyone was starting to discuss in pairs and groups which takeout to order. Even Zhou was seriously pondering whether to have the spicy sour Chinese cabbage or the sweet and sour shredded potatoes. The spicy sour Chinese cabbage is one yuan cheaper. Zhou decided to order the spicy sour Chinese cabbage. Sun found it odd that Jiang Shoucheng wasn¡¯t actively engaging in today¡¯s serious discussion about which takeout to order and asked, ¡°Jiang, it¡¯s time for lunch, what takeout are you nning to order?¡± ¡°I heard from Qu at internal medicine that the chef at the new ce that opened the day before yesterday isn¡¯t bad, and they¡¯re offering discounts these days, why don¡¯t we order from there?¡± Sun suggested.
    ¡°You guys order; my little brother made lunch for me,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said, feeling his face grow greener as lunchtime approached. ¡°Ah, your little bro is so kind. Even my own brother wouldn¡¯t be willing to cook for me,¡± Sun sighed, ¡°except I don¡¯t have a brother.¡± ¡°Ha, haha,¡± Jiang Shoucheng gave a bitterugh. (¡ä¨i¦Ø¨i`) Jiang Shoucheng began to miss the Jiang Feng of the past. The little brother of the past was so simple, so naive, so easy to deceive. He would only cook meat dishes and would never bother with heretical things like broli. He didn¡¯t know who the vile person was who recently sowed discord between them, leading his little brother to act this way towards him. He stopped bringing Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, stopped cooking meat dishes, and Jiang couldn¡¯t even see mince anymore. His brother would just show up with boiled broli, not even adding salt. As he thought more and more about it, Jiang Shoucheng couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of sadness wash over him. Jiang Shoucheng sniffled, feeling tears about to fall. Eh, what¡¯s this smell? Jiang Shoucheng sniffed more vigorously. It smells divine! Jiang Shoucheng saw Jiang Feng, the delicious fragrance was emanating from the bow of vegetables he was holding.
    He just knew, his little brother loved him! ©d(????)?~ Chapter 315: 314: Master Level Chapter 315: Chapter 314: Master Level Jiang Shoucheng watched with anticipation as Jiang Feng brought over tworge bowls in his hands. He froze in an instant. Before him, all he could see was broli. Although one bowl of broli looked like it had been coated in flour and fried, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that it was still broli. ¡°What is this? Why does it smell so good?¡± Sun curiously looked over, ¡°Fried broli? And it smells this amazing!¡± ¡°Right, it¡¯s fried broli. I coated the broli with flour and egg, and then fried it twice in olive oil. This is how it turned out.¡± Jiang Feng said. Sun could only click his tongue in astonishment, silently admiring Jiang Feng, who, as a chef from a big restaurant, was so meticulous even when cooking broli. Jiang Shoucheng passed Jiang Feng a pair of chopsticks: ¡°Little brother, you eat too!¡± He had vain hopes that Jiang Feng would eat more broli so that he himself could eat less, thus preserving some stomach space for ordering takeoutter. Jiang Feng took the chopsticks with a slight smile, ¡°Big brother, you eat first. I made it specially for you.¡±
    Jiang Feng was somewhat confident in his cooking skills, yet he knew that whenever he tried a new dish for the first time, nine times out of ten, it was destined to be a disaster. No matter how fragrant it smelled or how nice it looked, wasn¡¯t his Texas-style chicken just the same? The taste of that dish was something Jiang Feng still couldn¡¯t forget. Theb rat Jiang Shoucheng reached out with his chopsticks. He hesitated between the two servings of broli but then decisively reached for the crispy one. He took a bite, and it was crispy. Because Jiang Feng had coated it twice in egg and fried it twice, the crispy outeryer and fragrant inner part filled Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s mouth without instantly producing the crunchy ¡°crack¡± that sound so appealing. ¡°Hey, this is unexpectedly delicious,¡± Jiang Shoucheng spoke, his mouth full of the unique vor created by thebination of egg and olive oil. ¡°I¡¯ll try some too.¡± Sun couldn¡¯t wait any longer, reaching out with his chopsticks to grab a piece of the crispy broli. ¡°My goodness, this is way too delicious. Is this really just fried broli?¡± Sun¡¯s expression now resembled that of Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, as if he had never before tasted Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, Sweet and Sour Yam, braised chicken, beer duck, or any other dish Jiang Feng had made. ¡°Is it that delicious?¡± Xu got interested and stealthily moved next to Jiang Shoucheng, quickly and decisively reaching for a piece of the crispy broli in the bowl. Xu too was immersed in the crisp and tender broli. ¡°Zhou, do you want to try some too?¡± Jiang Shoucheng warmly invited. Zhou also came over with his chopsticks, very cautiously taking a small piece. After one bite, Zhou was even more determined to save up money to take his girlfriend and parents to dine at Taifeng Building. ¡°Crack.¡± ¡°Crack, crack.¡± For a moment, everyone was silent, and the only sound was the crackling of crispy broli. Jiang Feng found their reactions so intense and exaggeratedly strange; he recalled that they did not react this wayst time when they ate Sweet and Sour Yam, which, after all, was his signature dish and im to fame. Could it be that he had an exceptional talent for making crispy broli?
    Jiang Feng reached out with his chopsticks. He picked a piece that was evenly coated in egg and perfectly fried. He took a bite. ¡°Crack.¡±
    Jiang Feng was enraptured. For the first time, he felt sincerely that his cooking skills were truly exquisite. If he hadn¡¯t made and brought the crispy broli himself, he would have doubted whether it was switched by someone else along the way. How could his own crispy broli taste so good? It was beyond words delicious! As delicious as his Sweet and Sour Yam! It was just that he had made Sweet and Sour Yam so often and eaten it so much that it no longer made a big impression on him, whereas this was the first time he had made and tasted broli like this, so it seemed especially delicious. As Jiang Shoucheng devoured the crispy broli, he suddenly remembered the words Jiang Zaidi had said to him some days before. ¡°Little brother has the most culinary talent among all of us; Taifeng Building will rely on our little brother in the future, and our Jiang family¡¯s culinary heritage too. That¡¯s why we brothers need to work hard to earn money and buy houses in the samemunity, preferably as neighbors or at least in the same building, so we can look out for each other during meals.¡± Earn money well! A fighting spirit ignited in Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s heart. He was determined to earn money well and aimed to pay off his mortgage before the age of 45, striving for awards, honors, advancements, and reaching the pinnacle of life! Jiang Shoucheng channeled his enthusiasm for his work into his appetite for broli, eating it with the zest one would for braised meat.
    ¡°Big brother, you can try this bowl too. This is broli mixed with butter,¡± Jiang Feng suggested. Jiang Shoucheng stuffed his mouth full of crispy broli, unable to speak and could only continuously nod, stretching his chopsticks towards the buttered broli. Oil and fat symbolize mankind¡¯s primal craving for meat. In a famous Japanese drama, there once appeared a dish of rice mixed with butter. A small cube of butter ced on hot steaming rice, melted by the heat of the rice, and with just a little soy sauce added, it was enough to make an adult forget all worries. The buttered broli made by Jiang Feng was even more enticing than the buttered rice. The broli, nched to fifty percent done, oozed with sulence. The subsequent stir-frying with butter did not alter its texture or color, and its crispness was even more refreshing than diced radish and tender lotus root. The aroma of butter, the crispness of broli, their wonderfulbination plus a touch of salt and pepper seasoning, light yet rich, could definitely be considered a delicacy. Jiang Shoucheng was already intoxicated in the sea of broli. He had never imagined broli could be made so delicious, and both styles of the broli dishes were equally delectable. How could there be broli this delicious in the world! It shouldn¡¯t be said that broli could be made this tasty! Eating and eating, Jiang Shoucheng couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of regret. His little brother managed to make the in and tasteless broli so vorful, if he had made a meat dish today, what would that taste like. ¡°Little brother, I think your cooking skills have grown again,¡± Jiang Shoucheng started ttering.
    ¡°Your level is almost catching up to Third Uncle!¡± His genuine, convincing tone. Jiang Feng himself also felt his cooking skills had grown. ¡°What are you eating?¡± Director Zhong and Dr. Lu, who had just returned from a meeting, saw everyone gathered together with a delicious smell wafting through the air. ¡°Broli, Mr. Zhong, Dr. Lu, the broli my little brother made is delicious!¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. Zhou, Sun, and Xu, who were originally hanging around the two big bowls of broli to scrounge for food, stepped aside to make way for Director Zhong and Dr. Lu. ¡°Broli is good, high in vitamin C and mineral content, contains sulforaphane and ascorbic acid, and it¡¯s a high-fiber vegetable that can lower blood sugar. You guys stay upte and have irregr meals, never wanting to eat in the cafeteria, always ordering greasy, sugary takeout, eating more broli is good for your health,¡± Director Zhong said with a smile. That was until he saw the two bowls of broli in front of him. Deep-fried broli, it seemed anything but healthy. ¡°You guys,¡± Director Zhong said, shaking his head with resignation. As Director Zhong¡¯s direct disciple, Xu diligently passed over the chopsticks to his teacher and didn¡¯t forget to grab a pair for Dr. Lu as well, all disposable ones, left over from ordering takeout. Dr. Lu picked up a piece with his chopsticks. After it entered his mouth, he was left speechless for a long time. ¡°Mr. Zhong, although this deep-fried broli isn¡¯t healthy, it¡¯s delicious,¡± Dr. Lu said with a smile.
    Director Zhong was left speechless. Director Zhong couldn¡¯t help but shake his head; he was older now and couldn¡¯t eat these fried foods, it would be too much for his body to handle. However, broli is healthy food, eating a little more wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Director Zhong reached out with his chopsticks for the crispy broli. ¡°Ding, gained 573 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 666 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, gained 605 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, ¡­¡± Jiang Feng, listening to the continuous notification sounds in his mind, thought the group of white-coated angels in front of him were bing cuter and cuter. They had eaten his cooking more than once, and they were still so generous with their experience points, even more generous than the first time. Wait, how could they be more generous than the first time. Jiang Feng seemed to realize something. ¡°Big brother, where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Go straight ahead and turn right, then at the very end turn left,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said indistinctly, his mouth full of broli, gesturing to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng slipped into the bathroom again and opened the attribute panel. Name: Jiang Feng Level: 22 (180921/22w) Knife Skills (Master Level): Your knife skills have reached the level of a top chef. (Proficiency: 379999/100w) Fire Control (Master Level): Your fire control has reached the level of a top chef. (Proficiency: 7/100w) Seasoning (Master Level): Your seasoning has reached the level of a top chef. (Proficiency: 354/100w) ¡­ Indeed, the reason his buttered broli and crispy broli were exceptionally delicious was not because he had an extraordinary talent for this ingredient but because his fire control and seasoning had leveled up to master level. Master level in fire control and seasoning, indeed terrifying. Chapter 316: 315: One After Another Flip over Chapter 316: Chapter 315: One After Another Flip over ¡°` Jiang Feng scrolled down the attribute panel and quickly reached the menu section. He opened it, found Cao Guixiang, and clicked in. The friendly tips below Yun Chicken and Bicolor Shrimp turned into: The difficulty of this dish exceeds the yer¡¯s current culinary level, and there is a high chance of failure in making it. Jiang Feng then found Jiang Weiming¡¯s chopped chili fish head, and the friendly tip that originally indicated a certain chance of failure had disappeared. It seemed that his current culinary skills were sufficient for making B-level dishes without any issues, yet A-level dishes still seemed out of reach. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t stay long at Benevolent Doctor. After having a satisfying lunch at the orthopedics canteen, which was rumored to serve the best food, he returned to Taifeng Building. He had managed toplete four tasks in just one morning, which was quite productive. There was an interview scheduled for the afternoon, but before that, he wanted to test how the master-level seasoning and fire control could enhance his dishes. When Jiang Feng got back to Taifeng Building, the lunch service had just ended. Wu Minqi was practicing knife skills on a carved fruit tter. She had been cutting less recently and felt her knife skills were falling behind, so she decided to focus on training them for a while. To Jiang Feng¡¯s surprise, Zhang Guanghang was also in the kitchen, practicing a dish. It was well-known that Zhang Guanghang never practiced dishes in front of them.
    Compared to the monotonous lives of Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, who were constantly revolving around the kitchen, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s life was much more colorful. He kept to a regr work schedule, practiced dishes at Fen Garden, and had a rich life outside of work¡ªying basketball, hiking, climbing mountains, visiting the Great Wall, watching movies, and even asionally heading to the bar for a drink or two to rx. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s lifestyle was entirely different from that of Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s life was like a romantic drama, while Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s were more like an inspirational movie. Zhang Guanghang was processing a whole chicken. He had already removed the wings, feet, neck, and corbone; now, the remaining chicken was chopped into four pieces. He was tapping the back of his knife against the drumstick bones to break them, preparing to extract the leg bones and cartge. He was making Shafu Roast Chicken. ¡°What are you cooking?¡± Jiang Feng asked knowingly. ¡°Shafu Roast Chicken,¡± Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t conceal it, ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to try it for the past few days. I¡¯ve made it several times, but it never turned out ideal, so I¡¯m practicing some more.¡± ¡°Shafu Roast Chicken?¡± ¡°Yes, a ssic French dish. I had it as a kid made by¡­ an elder of mine. The Shafu Roast Chicken he made had a very special vor, so I want to see if I can recreate the same taste,¡± exined Zhang Guanghang, swiftly continuing to extract the broken chicken drumstick bones. ¡°Once I finish, I¡¯d be grateful if you could taste it and give me some feedback,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. ¡°I¡¯d be honored,¡± Jiang Feng smiled and went to look for chicken. He had read the recipe for Yun Chicken many times and knew it by heart. Despite numerous attempts that all ended in failure, driven by discontent, the steps were wless. The chicken was cut with a cross pattern and fried in oil. Jiang Feng watched as the pieces gradually cooked in the oil, began to deform, and then were scooped out. He left the oil in the pan, quickly added the ingredients, stir-fried them, thickened with starch, and drizzled sesame oil¡ªdoing all of this in one go. Jiang Feng felt that sess was within reach. He, Jiang Feng, was finally about to wlessly make an A-level dish without any cheats. The dish was ready. The Yun Chicken, gleaming like amber on the te, exuded a tempting sweet aroma that would have surely made a child like Han Youxin cheer and pounce on it.
    [Yun Chicken (Failed) B-level] Jiang Feng: ??? I did everything so smoothly; I felt like the chosen one. And you¡¯re telling me this is a failure?! Jiang Feng tasted the failed B-level Yun Chicken in a state of sorrow and indignation.
    The vor was actually quite good, much better than the C-level Yun Chicken he had made before, sweet and sour¡ªa perfect treat for kids. But it was a failure nheless. Whether it¡¯s a 50 or a 59, regardless of how close it is to passing, it can¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s a failed dish. However, after having failed so many times before, Jiang Feng, who had rich experience with setbacks, was ustomed to his failures. He gathered his spirits and decided to try once more. Twenty minutester¡ª [Yun Chicken (Failed) B-level] ¡°` Jiang Feng: ¡­ No worries, no worries. Victory and defeat aremon affairs in the art of war. Please start again from the beginning. Jiang Feng consoled himself inwardly. Another twenty minutester¡ª¡ª [Yun Chicken (Failed) B-level] Jiang Feng: ¡­
    No problem, no problem. A-level dishes can fail, that¡¯s normal. As the saying goes, third time¡¯s the charm, the third attempt will surely seed. Another twenty minutester¡ª¡ª [Yun Chicken (Failed) B-level] Jiang Feng: ¡­ Yet another twenty minutester¡ª¡ª [Yun Chicken (Failed) B-level] Jiang Feng: ??? Still another twenty minutester¡ª¡ª [Yun Chicken (Failed) B-level] Jiang Feng: (¨s¨F¡õ¡ä)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß What the hell kind of dish is this? Is it really just highly likely to fail? Does ¡°highly likely¡± mean 99.99%?! After six flips, Jiang Feng¡¯s mentality copsed. Jiang Feng fell into deep thought.
    The six tes of food in front of him all indicated that both fire control and seasoning were not up to par¡ªinly speaking, it was hisck of skills. But if his skills weren¡¯t up to the task, then why did the game still indicate a high chance of failure? ¡°High chance of failure¡± signifies there¡¯s a tiny chance of sess, doesn¡¯t it? Jiang Feng really suspected that this game had no customer service because the previous representatives had been beaten to death by irate yers. Just as Jiang Feng was doubting his life choices, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Chinese-style Shafu Roast Chicken was ready. He had prepared this Shafu Roast Chicken very cautiously, taking more than an hour. It certainly qualified as meticulously crafted. The presentation was also beautiful, with green leaves as a base, carved radish flowers, chicken pieces arranged as if a bouquet, and apples resembling buds awaiting to bloom. Zhang Guanghang tasted every ingredient on the te, not even sparing the decorative vegetables and apples. Unfortunately, despite his meticulous effort, the Shafu Roast Chicken still disappointed him; it was not the vor he remembered. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi also reached out with their chopsticks to taste. They had never eaten Shafu Roast Chicken before either, so they didn¡¯t know its original vor. But Jiang Feng thought that the Shafu Roast Chicken Zhang Guanghang made tasted quite good, much better than the six consecutive Yun Chicken fails he had just experienced. The chicken was first fried, then roasted, crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, with its juices perfectly locked within the meat. There was a slight tartness to it, probably due to the addition of fragrant vinegar. Jiang Feng picked up another piece of apple. It was decent, nothing special¡ªjust more vorful after being stir-fried with butter. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good,¡± Jiang Feng said.
    ¡°It¡¯s not the right vor, something¡¯s missing,¡± Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face showed a hint of perplexity. Although he also felt there wasn¡¯t much wrong with the taste, it was different from what he had in his childhood. The first time he had this dish prepared by Xia Mushi during his childhood, he was amazed from the first bite. That sensation was something he¡¯d never forget for the rest of his life. But as he grew up, Xia Mushi stopped making the dish, and even when he wanted to learn, Xia Mushi wouldn¡¯t teach him. What could it be? Zhang Guanghang looked at the Shafu Roast Chicken in front of him, which seemed to have no issues, yet he felt something was amiss. Chapter 317: 316: Mapo Tofu Chapter 317: Chapter 316: Mapo Tofu ¡°What were you doing before this?¡± Wu Minqi asked after tasting Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Shafu Roast Chicken and casually trying a bite of Jiang Feng¡¯stest Sweet and Sour Yam. With one bite, Wu Minqi frowned, ¡°It¡¯s a bit sweet.¡± How could it not be sweet? This dish was originally made by Cao Guixiang to coax her grandson. Little kids like sweet and sour dishes, and the sweetness had to be strong. Cao Guixiang¡¯s seasoning skills were so high that even though the Yun Chicken was sweet, it still tasted good. However, since Jiang Feng¡¯s culinary skills were not as advanced as Cao Guixiang¡¯s, what he made naturally seemed a bit odd. ¡°Are you making a children¡¯s meal?¡± Wu Minqi asked, having also guessed that the dish was probably made specifically for children. ¡°The method for this dish was told to me by Zhang Zhiyuan. Do you remember Zhang Zhiyuan? He¡¯s the junior from UAL University who visited Beiping a few days ago,¡± Jiang Feng passed the buck to Zhang Zhiyuan. ¡°The one from Guangdong Province?¡± Wu Minqi remembered Zhang Zhiyuan. ¡°That¡¯s right. His grandparents are from Beiping. His grandmother used to be a chef at Yonghe House. He told me several months ago about a dish his grandmother made for him when he was a child¡ªthis dish I¡¯m making now, called Yun Chicken. I thought it was quite interesting and wanted to give it a try,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not skilled enough, but it always tastes a bit off to me.¡± ¡°It is a bit strange. Although it¡¯s supposed to be sweet and sour, it doesn¡¯t quite taste that way, too sweet,¡± Wu Minqi said and then went back to carving the watermelon. Just as Jiang Feng was preparing to start his seventh Sweet and Sour Yam, Xu Cheng arrived with the photographer from the ¡°Taste¡± magazine. This time, Xu Cheng chose the kitchen as the interview location.
    After yesterday¡¯s interview, Xu Cheng had realized that no matter how rxed Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi pretended to be on the surface in a rtively formal or unfamiliar environment, in reality, they both felt nervous inside. Only Zhang Guanghang, perhaps due to his good looks and early fame, had experienced being chased and cornered by French journalists for interviews 10 years ago. Having seen the big storms, a mere exclusive interview didn¡¯t make him nervous at all. Xu Cheng thought that interviewing in the kitchen would make Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi rx, and also it would be perfect to taste dishes fresh out of the pan, allowing the photographers to capture them as well. Three birds with one stone. Xu Cheng let the three of them cook their specialty dishes while he asked questions from time to time, essentially interviewing all three at once. As for Chen Xiuxiu, the article she wrote the day before was not up to standard, so now she was rewriting it in the hotel. In the past, Editor Jiang had often diplomatically expressed disdain for Xu Cheng¡¯s poorly written articles, and now it was finally his turn to be the one disdaining someone else¡¯s work. Editor Jiang and Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wang were also in the hotel, as they had more to do than Chen Xiuxiu. Not only did they have to finish organizing the interview recordings fromst night, but they also had to polish Xu Cheng¡¯s previous articles and do proofreading on the side. Having the magazine¡¯s editor and deputy editor personally proofread¡ªthe kind of clout that Xu Cheng, the boss, had. Jiang Feng¡¯s specialty dish was naturally the Sweet and Sour Yam, and he hadn¡¯t used up today¡¯s bonus for the Sweet and Sour Yam. Wu Minqi chose Mapo Tofu. As a chef with a preference for strong vors from Shu, her best culinary skills were usually hidden between the Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s choice was red wine braisedmb, a dish he was truly skilled at making, even though he used red wine that cost only 15 yuan per bottle. With the help of master-level fire control and seasoning, Jiang Feng felt that the Sweet and Sour Yam he made today was extraordinarily smooth. He also understood why the Yun Chicken he had just made turned out so smoothly yet ended up a failure¡ªit was because he was in good form with whatever he made today. Whether it was a sess or not, everything was smooth during the cooking process. Xu Cheng was beside Wu Minqi, watching her sprinkling Sichuan pepper and chili powder and felt his own stomach ache. ¡°I notice you tend to use heavy seasonings when you cook. Is it because of your personal taste?¡± Xu Cheng asked. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°I believe such dishes need strong seasonings to give diners a sense of exhration.¡± ¡°You¡¯re proficient in Sichuan cuisine, but actually, arge part of Sichuan cuisine isn¡¯t spicy. Do you find it challenging when cooking those dishes?¡± Xu Cheng pressed on.
    ¡°A little, so I¡¯m currently learning,¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°Have you thought about changing your current cooking style? Like not using such heavy seasonings.¡± ¡°No.¡± Xu Cheng walked up to Jiang Feng.
    Jiang Feng was now using the method of frying sugar in oil for the Sweet and Sour Yam, allowing the yam to reach the perfect stringiness at the most suitable temperature and fire control, which tasted and felt significantly better than the method Jiang Huiqin had used, which was more about cutting corners. This technique of frying sugar in oil, one of the unique skills of Shandong cuisine, was something Xu Cheng had heard of but never witnessed before. It was the Jiang Family¡¯s secret technique, and he would not ask too many questions. ¡°The main specialty of Taifeng Building is Shandong cuisine, right?¡± Xu Cheng asked. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Then why do I rarely see sea cucumber dishes on the menu? From the perspective of managing a high-end restaurant, shouldn¡¯t sea cucumber dishes, which have a high profit margin, be the specialty?¡± ¡°Because we can¡¯t do them well,¡± Jiang Feng replied honestly. ¡°My grandfather and Granduncle Weiming said that dishes that aren¡¯t up to standard have no right to be on the menu. Once a dish is on the menu, it should be ountable to the customers.¡± Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Jiang Jiankang could not cook sea cucumber dishes. Zhang Guanghang knew a little, but his skills weren¡¯t good enough either. Several furnace chefs recruited from outside could cook sea cucumber dishes, but only the rtively easy ones. Therefore, there were very few sea cucumber dishes on Taifeng Building¡¯s menu. Xu Cheng then moseyed over to Zhang Guanghang. That¡¯s how Xu Cheng wandered around the kitchen, with the three photographers taking shots from all sorts of strange angles and bizarre poses, capturing people, dishes, and people cooking dishes. Wu Minqi¡¯s Sichuan Tofu was the first toe out of the wok, followed closely by Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam. The piping hot Sichuan Tofu, with its aggressive spiciness and tingling Sichuan pepper aroma, was intimidating just to look at, yet it made one¡¯s mouth water uncontrobly. Jiang Feng knew all too well the Sichuan Tofu that Wu Minqi made without holding back ¨C it was tempting, with its red broth and white tofu, and the lingering spiciness and numbing sensation that could leave anyone who couldn¡¯t handle spicy food with an unforgettable experience.
    The photographers hurried to take a close-up shot of the freshly cooked Sichuan Tofu on the table. Xu Cheng scooped up a spoonful of Sichuan Tofu and took a bite. Over the years, he had eaten many strange things, both delicious and disgusting, even raw pork dipped in mustard, but those were the days of his youth. After eating this mouthful of Sichuan Tofu, Xu Cheng deeply felt that he was getting old, and his stomach could no longer withstand such torment. ¡°Water.¡± Xu Cheng didn¡¯t dare to speak, in case the spicy oil choked him. After drinking a cup of water, Xu Cheng felt himselfe round. The spiciness was washed down by the water, but the numbing sensation still lingered in his mouth. Xu Cheng savored it a bit and actually thought it wasn¡¯t bad. Even though it was a bit too spicy and numb, but with a little reflection, one could experience the exhrating pleasure that Wu Minqi spoke of. ¡°Would you like to try some?¡± Xu Cheng invited the others. The photographers shook their heads like rattle-drums; they had no desire to court death. Xu Cheng scooped up another spoonful of Sichuan Tofu. Into his mouth.
    Ah, that¡¯s the feeling, spicy and numbing. ¡°Water, water!¡± Chapter 318: 317 Sweet and Sour Yam A+ Grade (Extra for Alliance Hierarch doraemons!) Chapter 318: Chapter 317 Sweet and Sour Yam A+ Grade (Extra for Alliance Hierarch doraemons!) Xu Cheng finished his second ss of water just as Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam was ready. The Sweet and Sour Yam must be eaten hot. Xu Cheng had just broken into a sweat from the spiciness of two bites of Mapo Tofu and now he needed to eat something sweet to relieve it. Even though eating something sweet doesn¡¯t actually alleviate the spiciness, what does that have to do with him, Xu Cheng? He just felt like having something sweet. The Sweet and Sour Yam made by Jiang Feng was all too familiar to Xu Cheng. He had witnessed the beginning of this dish and once thought that its inception was its peak. With a stretch of his chopsticks, he pulled out thin threads of sugar. Xu Cheng liked this pulling sensation; it felt as if eating Sweet and Sour Yam any other way wouldck soul, only considering it Sweet and Sour Yam if he could see the fine threads stretching from the yam clutched between his chopsticks. He took a bite. Xu Cheng realized he was wrong. The Sweet and Sour Yam that Jiang Feng made in the Good Taste cookingpetition wasn¡¯t the peak but merely the beginning.
    Even though his taste buds were still numb and the lingering effects of the Mapo Tofu might have affected his judgment on the delicacy, it didn¡¯t prevent him from recognizing that Jiang Feng had improved his Sweet and Sour Yam. For the first time, Xu Cheng began to doubt his own tongue. He suspected that the numbing spiciness from the Mapo Tofu hadn¡¯t fully dissipated, causing his tongue to malfunction, making him think that the Sweet and Sour Yam he had just tasted could be considered a masterpiece. Xu Cheng put down his chopsticks and went to rinse his mouth. He rinsed his mouth very seriously, wanting to wash away all the vors in his mouth, including the numbness, so that he could thoroughly and carefully appreciate Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam. After rinsing, Xu Cheng picked up his chopsticks again, took another piece of Sweet and Sour Yam, and watched as it pulled into long threads. Crispy, fragrant, sweet, soft. This dish almost epassed all the strengths of Chinese desserts. It might even have no ws. Xu Cheng had tried simr dishes before. Eight years ago, when he took the staff of ¡°Taste¡± to the United States to interview Peng Changgui, he thought that the meal Peng Changgui personally cooked for him represented the pinnacle of contemporary Chinese cuisine. That year, Peng Changgui was almost 80. Peng Changgui started learning the art of cooking from his father at the age of 6 and spent over 70 years without taking a single day off from wielding the kitchen knife. Even though he had moved to America and hadn¡¯t set foot in a kitchen for years, he still undisputedly stood as a great master of Chinese cuisine. Even someone as astonishingly brilliant as Sun Maochai, a figure who made the entire culinary world marvel, Xu Cheng didn¡¯t believe he could surpass Peng Changgui. But now, Xu Cheng actually thought that Jiang Feng could reach the same heights as Peng Changgui, or even go further. Some people work as chefs their entire lives, and even when revered as top chefs, they can¡¯t be called masters. But with just this Sweet and Sour Yam, Jiang Feng could be called a master. A 21-year-old master, so young it was intimidating. Xu Cheng once thought it impossible to differentiate between chefs, given the different cuisines and specialties. With such aplex and variable profession, how could one determine who was first or second? But now, he felt that perhaps chefs could indeed be ranked.
    With the likes of Wu Minqi, Zhang Guanghang, and Jiang Feng, these three promising young chefs at Taifeng Building, it could truly be the number one restaurant in the world. ¡°Ding, acknowledgment from a customer obtained, task progress (5/10).¡± A game notification sounded. Jiang Feng could barely conceal his surprise. From the moment the dish was ready, he knew it would satisfy Xu Cheng, but he didn¡¯t expect that Xu Cheng would be so pleased that he regarded Taifeng Building as the world¡¯s number one restaurant based solely on this dish.
    Jiang Feng looked at the Sweet and Sour Yam in front of him. [Sweet and Sour Yam A+ Grade (Pseudo)] A new level, higher than A grade. After that, Jiang Feng felt like he was floating on air. For a chef, there¡¯s no greater praise than the approval of a top gourmet. Even though the real reason behind that approval was the game giving him a cheat, Jiang Feng still felt ted. Jiang Feng floated through the end of today¡¯s interview, floated through the evening business, and floated back home. Before going to sleep, Jiang Feng still felt as if he was floating in the clouds. Tomorrow he would definitely seed in making the A-grade Yun Chicken! Jiang Feng floated as he dreamed. The next morning, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi bought green bean buns from the breakfast store at themunity entrance and then headed for Taifeng Building. An entire morning passed, with nine unsessful attempts. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t experienced such a brutal series of failures in a long time.
    Wu Minqi, who tasted all nine of Jiang Feng¡¯s failed attempts at the Yun Chicken, was puzzled. ¡°There¡¯s no difference in the few tes of Yun Chicken that you¡¯ve made,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°You keep saying something¡¯s off, but what exactly is off?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know what was off either since he¡¯d never eaten real Yun Chicken. ¡°It just feels off, it¡¯s a feeling. I always think the taste of this dish should be better than this,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t understand his logic and continued carving watermelons. Since she started carving watermelons the afternoon of the previous day, Wu Minqi had fallen deeply in love with the activity, obsessed with it. No matter howplex the shapes or patterns, she tackled them eagerly and then sent her creations to Mrs. Wang Xiulian as a pre-meal/post-meal fruit. Jiang Feng¡¯s series of failures continued until the special interview was over. With enough failed attempts, you eventually get used to it. In the meantime, Jiang Feng had repeatedly studied Cao Guixiang¡¯s tutorial videos on making the Yun Chicken, convinced that there was nothing wrong with his method. He even recruited many taste testers like Wu Minqi, Zhang Guanghang, Ji Xue, Zhang Weiyu, Sang Ming, Han Yigu, and Tang Tang¡ªall excellent chefs from the Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen. He didn¡¯t even spare Jiang Jiankang, Wang Xiulian, the two respected elders, and Chen Xiuxiu, who had finally submitted a satisfactory article to Xu Cheng and came to dine at Taifeng Building. They all asked him the same question. ¡°What kind of vor are you trying to achieve?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know what kind of vor he was aiming for. He had no clue what Yun Chicken was supposed to taste like. The creator of Yun Chicken, Cao Guixiang, had passed away, and those who knew the taste of Yun Chicken couldn¡¯t describe it.
    Jiang Feng had messaged Zhang Zhiyuan, but even Zhang Zhiyuan couldn¡¯t describe what Yun Chicken was really supposed to taste like. Yun Chicken was the taste of Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s childhood, and now he was a young man. For thest few days, Jiang Feng had stayed at Taifeng Building, battling it out with the Yun Chicken deep into the night. Wu Minqi, because of her addiction to carving watermelons, didn¡¯t stay with him at Taifeng Building but instead went home to carve. After all, Mrs. Wang Xiulian, the one who enjoyed the watermelons, kept regr hours. The one who stayed upte every night at Taifeng Building, fighting the battle alongside Jiang Feng, was Zhang Guanghang. He had also gotten into a struggle with the chicken. Zhang Guanghang faced the same difficulty in cooking as Jiang Feng ¡ª a bottleneck. Jiang Feng¡¯s bottleneck was someone else¡¯s taste of childhood, whereas Zhang Guanghang¡¯s bottleneck was his own taste of childhood. In thest few days, Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen staff ate chicken until they burped, and every breath they took was either the vor of Yun Chicken or Shafu Roast Chicken. After several days of meaningless struggle, Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang realized that their efforts were in vain and would yield no results or effects. The two decided to take a day off to rx, clear their minds, and refresh their thinking, which might lead to new discoveries. Zhang Guanghang chose to go hiking, while Jiang Feng went to the Benevolent Doctor. It had been several days since he checked in on the tasks of the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s small kitchen; it was time to explore some new ¡°guinea pigs.¡±
    Chapter 321: 320 Soybean Participation Chapter 321: Chapter 320 Soybean Participation Jiang Feng seemed to understand why Pei Shenghua enjoyed matchmaking so much. Matchmaking was even more joyful than getting married oneself! Although he had never been married. And had never sessfully made a match. But that didn¡¯t stop him from feeling very happy. Jiang Feng happily took a deep breath, indeed, the air felt different when one was happy, oh wait, why did the air also have a hint of a burnt smell? ¡°Oh no, your porridge!¡± Jiang Feng eximed in shock. ¡°Oh no, my porridge!¡± Fang Zhuoyue hurried to salvage the situation, but it was already toote. Mr. Fang would be revisiting the sensation of burnt-tasting porridge at noon today. By the time Jiang Feng brought the wontons and lotus egg custard to the emergency room, Jiang Zaidi had finished his IV and was sitting on a small chair in the emergency room waiting for the results.
    Since the y pot for cooking the eight-treasure porridge was quiterge, Jiang Feng nned to carry it over in two trips, first taking two servings of wontons and lotus egg custard, then going back for the eight-treasure porridge. Seeing his lunch, Jiang Zaidi felt a hint of destion in his heart. In this cold hospital, only the meat-filled wontons could bring him a bit of warmth. Jiang Shoucheng also felt deste looking at his lunch. This morning, he had heard from Sun that his little brother had originallye over today specifically to cook for him, preparing to make spicy dishes, but now all the water-boiled fish, water-boiled meat slices, water-boiled beef, and spicy diced chicken were gone, and he could only order takeouts like braised pork, braised fish, braised pig¡¯s trotters, braisedmb to sustain life in such a way. It was bad enough that he didn¡¯t get any wontons, but there was also no lotus egg custard for him. Jiang Shoucheng sadly swallowed the braisedmb in his mouth. This restaurant didn¡¯t cook themb well, cklist it, and never order from them again! Jiang Zaidi picked up a wonton and swallowed it in one big gulp. Jiang Feng was just a beginner at making wontons, so they weren¡¯t very well done, and Jiang Zaidi thought they were just ordinary. He quickly finished the bowl of pure meat wontons and slurped the chicken soup from the bowl until it was all gone, then turned his attention to the lotus egg custard. When no one waspeting for food, Jiang Zaidi liked to save the tastiest forst. As a piece of custard entered his mouth, Jiang Zaidi¡¯s eyes lit up. Little brother¡¯s culinary skills had advanced again! The custard was smooth and fragrant, melting on the tongue as if it would slide down the throat without the need to swallow. Jiang Zaidi remembered when he was very little, before Jiang Feng was born, Mrs. Jiang once fell ill and didn¡¯t want to eat anything but craved custard, so, Sir made it for her for several days in a row. At that time, Jiang Zaidi was learning to cook from Sir in the countryside and also ate custard for several days. It was this feeling, this smooth taste, this sensation as if it could melt on the tip of one¡¯s tongue. Although it wasn¡¯t the same as the vor he had in his childhood, the pleasure of deliciousness was exactly the same. Having devoured arge bowl of custard, Jiang Zaidi felt that his recent hardships were not in vain. His efforts were not wasted!
    Little brother truly was the culinary master among the younger generation of the Jiang family. He must buy the apartment above his little brother¡¯s ce, no, if he was going to buy, he should buy the one right across! ¡°` Pay in full, no, get a mortgage for a house and strive to pay off the loan within 10 years¡ªafter all, life is precious. Jiang Zaidi wiped his mouth and saw Jiang Feng carrying arge y pot of Eight Treasures Porridge towards him.
    ¡°De, how are you feeling now?¡± Jiang Feng asked as he set down the Eight Treasures Porridge. ¡°Pretty good,¡± Jiang Zaidi licked his lower lip to indicate that if he could get a serving of Four Joyful Meatballs right now, he could be discharged immediately. ¡°De, just wait a moment, I¡¯ll go get you a¡­¡± Jiang Feng was about to say he¡¯d go get a bowl when he saw the one next to Jiang Zaidi that had originally held wontons, now looking shiny and new, borrowed from the orthopedic canteen. ¡°Help yourself to some porridge first. I¡¯ll go get that bowl,¡± Jiang Feng quickly corrected. The moment he heard it was Eight Treasures Porridge Jiang Feng had cooked, Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s spirits lifted. He no longer cared for the braised pork, braised fish, braised pig¡¯s trotters, and braisedmb in front of him and followed Jiang Feng to the break room. Thanks to the small supermarket near Benevolent Doctor that always had a discount on instant noodles with a free bowl, the ER break room was never short of bowls. Jiang Feng had been frequently visiting the ER these days, and there was even a bowl assigned just for him in the break room. Xu and Sun were gathering in the break room, soaking instant noodles. They had recently been tempted by the expiring discounted bagged noodles and were now tiptoeing around the expiration date, determined to finish off a dozen or so bags of instant noodles within their shelf life. Today, Sun was having a pickled pepper beef-vored bowl, while Xu was enjoying the old altar pickled vegetable vor. As soon as Jiang Feng opened the door, the smell of instant noodles hit him. ¡°Hey, Jiang¡¯s here! I haven¡¯t seen you for a while,¡± Xu hurried to his feet upon seeing Jiang Feng. ¡°I was offst time you came. The salted duck eggs from Gaoyou my mother sent me have arrived. I brought them today, I¡¯ll go get them for you.¡± As he spoke, Xu went to the cab to fetch the salted duck eggs for Jiang Feng. A big bag of salted duck eggs held about fifty, rather heavy to lift. ¡°Why are you eating instant noodles?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    ¡°The noodles we stocked up on are about to expire; it would be a waste not to eat them,¡± Xu replied, picking up his bowl to continue slurping his noodles. ¡°You can¡¯t just eat instant noodles. I made some Eight Treasures Porridge; it¡¯s out there. You guys should also go and have a couple of bowls!¡± Jiang Feng invited. Xu and Sun hesitated for less than three seconds between wasting instant noodles and having some Eight Treasures Porridge before they made their decision, grabbing new bowls from the shelf to wash. ¡°Brother, Xu¡¯s salted duck eggs are really delicious! We had some the other day. The yolks are runny; you poke them with chopsticks, and the oil just drips down your hand, incredibly fragrant. It¡¯s just that the egg whites are a bit too salty. I had to drink three bowls of in porridge with one salted duck egg,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said to Jiang Feng as they went out to scoop porridge, and unexpectedly ran into Zhou who was returning with takeaway fried onions. ¡°Dr. Zhou, I¡¯ve cooked some Eight Treasures Porridge. Would you like to join us for some?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Ah? Thank you,¡± Zhou was still as reserved as ever. Dr. Zhou went into the break room to put down his takeaway and fetch a bowl. When he came out, as if remembering something, he approached Jiang Feng and asked, ¡°By the way, Jiang, these past few days I¡¯ve been eating quite a bit of your cooking and I¡¯ve felt a bit embarrassed. It just so happens that yesterday my grandpa sent me some bean ginseng he made himself. I¡¯ll bring you a couple of bags tomorrow.¡± ¡°Bean ginseng?¡± Jiang Feng was puzzled before expressing his surprise, ¡°Duchang Bean Ginseng?!¡± ¡°You know of it?¡± Zhou was astonished. ¡°My grandpa is from Duchang. Every year, he makes bean ginseng, and it¡¯s considered one of the best in their area. If you like it, I can bring you more.¡± ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Jiang Feng said. A few years back, when Chen Duxiu had gone on a business trip out of town, he brought back some Duchang Bean Ginseng. Chen Xiuxiu used it to make hotpot. The texture was quite unique, and Jiang Feng and Chen Xiuxiu had always longed for it. Later, under Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s strong insistence, Chen Duxiu made a special trip to buy the bean ginseng, but the taste and texture didn¡¯tpare to the first time they had it. As the saying goes, the flowers you intend to bloom may not flourish, but the willows you nt without intent may grow into shade. Jiang Feng and Chen Xiuxiu had coveted the Duchang Bean Ginseng for so long without finding a good source, and Jiang Feng had nearly forgotten about it. Now the bean ginseng wasing to him on its own. What should I make with the bean ginseng? Hotpot, maybe?
    Jiang Feng made up his mind¡ªhotpot for tomorrow night. ¡°` Chapter 322: 321 Siberian Husky Chapter 322: Chapter 321 Siberian Husky In the afternoon, Jiang Feng and Jiang Zaidi left Benevolent Doctor at the same time. The results from Jiang Zaidi¡¯s cardiac echocardiogram and brain CT hade out and there were no issues. His fainting episode was simply due to staying upte and a mild case of low blood sugar. Just now at noon, Jiang Zaidi¡¯s boss had called him, telling him to take a good rest, and if he wanted to take a few days off, he could, even two weeks if necessary. His boss also mentioned on the phone that the client was very satisfied with the design drawings that he had rushed to finish these past few days, and there was no need for further revisions. The client for the project he was currently handling was not in a hurry either, so it could be put on hold for the moment, and if necessary, someone else could take over his work. Jiang Zaidi nned to rest well for a few days and stay with his parents during this time, eating well. The two parted ways at the subway station; Jiang Zaidi needed to stop by his office to grab some things, as his USB drive, notebook, and some important items were still left at his desk. ¡°By the way, De, I¡¯m nning to cook hot pot at home tomorrow night. Given your current situation, can you eat hot pot?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Of course! Why not? I¡¯m in good health, aren¡¯t I? A mere hot pot is no problem¡ªjust make sure to buy lots of beef tripe and yellow throat!¡± Jiang Zaidi almost wished he could lift weights on the spot to demonstrate his robust health. Jiang Feng nodded, indicating he¡¯d remember, and parted ways with Jiang Zaidi at the subway station. By the time Jiang Feng got back to Taifeng Building, the evening business hadn¡¯t started yet, but it was approaching. Both elderly gentlemen had already arrived, and the seafood supplier for Taifeng Building was there as well, chatting with them. Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, had gone to their grandmother¡¯s house a few days ago. With school starting early for military training in a few days, Jiang Feng figured he wouldn¡¯t see the sisters until before the national holiday.
    In the absence of the two sisters these past days, Da Hua¡¯s meals were taken care of by Chen Suhua and Mrs. Jiang. Jiang Feng had been so engrossed in preparing Yun Chicken that he hadn¡¯t had time to make breakfast and dinner for Da Hua every day and had entrusted Da Hua¡¯s mealspletely to Chen Suhua and Mrs. Jiang. Mrs. Jiang was infamously inept at raising pigs, mainly because there were too many girls in her family and she was put at the end of the line for such advanced tasks. She usually just took care of feeding chickens and ducks and had no experience in pig-rearing. Chen Suhua was different; she was the eldest daughter, tall and strong, and had always been the main worker at home. Before moving to the city with Professor Li, Chen Suhua had been the vige¡¯s expert in pig farming. Having not raised pigs for many years and now being older and retired, Chen Suhua found it very pleasant to raise pigs in the courtyard of her home. She even thought one pig was not enough for her to raise and wanted to buy two more piglets to put in the pen to apany Da Hua. Chen Suhua approached pig farming as a career. The conversation between the two elderly gentlemen and the supplier seemed to be wrapping up. Jiang Weiming caught sight of Jiang Feng motioning to him, ¡°What are you holding in your hand?¡± ¡°Salted duck eggs given by Dr. Sun, his family is from Gaoyou. These salted duck eggs were sent especially by his mother from Gaoyou,¡± Jiang Feng said. The two elder statesmen couldn¡¯t help but give a few more nces at the salted duck eggs in the stic bag Jiang Feng was holding. ¡°Salted duck eggs from Gaoyou are a fine delicacy; it¡¯s difficult to get good ones these days,¡± the supplier said with a smile, getting up to leave, ¡°This quantity is settled for now, but feel free to call anytime if you need more.¡± Jiang Weiguo nodded, standing up, ¡°I¡¯ll see you out.¡± ¡°Granduncle Weiming, what were you discussing?¡± Jiang Feng asked casually. ¡°We¡¯ve adjusted the amount of the seafood supply. Sun Jikai has already returned to Jubao Building, and many seafood dishes have been taken off the menu, so there¡¯s no need to stock up anymore,¡± said Jiang Weiming, ¡°Feng, would you like to learn how to make sea cucumber dishes?¡± ¡°I would,¡± responded Jiang Feng. ¡°Starting tomorrow, Grandfather and I will teach you how to prepare sea cucumber dishes,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a beaming smile, ¡°People outside say our Taifeng Building doesn¡¯t have show-worthy sea cucumber dishes; you must learn well to regain our reputation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Granduncle Weiming, I will,¡± Jiang Feng promised readily. . Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s university operated on a trimester system and had started in early August. While most college students across the country were still enjoying azy, indulgent summer break, Fang Zhuoyue had already been attending sses for a week. Fang Zhuoyue had just finished his third ss of the day, packing up slowly, dawdling as he pondered whether or not he should visit Taifeng Building tonight.
    It¡¯s not that he was a conspiracy theorist, but just a few days ago, some idiot at the neighboring school got scammed out of 8,000 yuan. Another fool got tricked into bing a legal representative. The instructors were spamming the WeChat group and ss group with rted messages every day, brainwashing everyone with constant alerts. In this kind of environment, he always felt that Jiang Feng¡¯s sudden invitation to dinner had some ulterior motive. ¡°San, hurry up, I¡¯ve been hungry since the first ss. You can just throw those two books into your bag and go. Come on, let¡¯s go to the cafeteria, I¡¯m starving!¡± His roommate urged him. ¡°I have dinner ns with someone tonight. If you¡¯re hungry, go ahead and eat without me.¡± Fang Zhuoyue thought for a moment, then decided to honor the appointment.
    After all, he had promised Jiang Feng at noon, and besides, Jiang Feng looked honest and straightforward, and he even had a girlfriend. He probably wasn¡¯t a bad guy. ¡°A dinner date on a Friday, San? Sounds like you¡¯ve got something going on,¡± his roommate said with a lecherous grin. Fang Zhuoyue, preupied with his own thoughts, had no interest in ying along with his roommate¡¯s joke and exined, ¡°It¡¯s a guy, a friend I met recently.¡± Seeing that Fang Zhuoyue was not in the mood for jokes, his roommate dropped the teasing grin and asked, ¡°Where are you guys eating?¡± ¡°Taifeng Building.¡± ¡°Taifeng Building? Isn¡¯t that the new ce that openedst month? I¡¯ve heard their prices are quite steep, but the vor should be good too. Get back early, we have that killer ss tomorrow morning.¡± After saying this, his roommate grabbed his bag and left. Fang Zhuoyue put his books back in the dorm and saw that it was already five o¡¯clock. He sent a WeChat message to Jiang Feng telling him he was about to leave. Jiang Feng usually didn¡¯t carry his phone with him in the kitchen, so he never saw the WeChat message from Fang Zhuoyue. The fish head with chopped chili was already in the pot, just sprinkled with the spicy topping, looking bright red and very attractive. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the Benevolent Doctor to clear your mind today? Howe you¡¯re back this afternoon?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°I have important things to do tonight; I had toe back,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. ¡°Important things?¡± ¡°Right, tonight I¡¯m acting as a matchmaker for a friend,¡± Jiang Feng said, his smile growing more presumptuous. ¡°ying matchmaker? For whom?¡± Wu Minqi asked.
    ¡°A friend I met at the Benevolent Doctor. Whether he gets lucky tonight depends on the dish in this pot,¡± Jiang Feng replied. Wu Minqi looked at the fish head with chopped chili in Jiang Feng¡¯s pot. A match made by the taste of chopped chili fish head? Unable to understand Jiang Feng¡¯s train of thought, Wu Minqi shook her head and prepared to start cooking another dish. Once Jiang Feng poured the hot oil over it, the fish head with chopped chili was ready to be served. Jiang Feng handed the finished dish to Sang Ming for ting, and then he quietly asked, ¡°Sang Ming, do I still look¡­ you know?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look ¡®you know¡¯ anymore,¡± Sang Ming honestly replied. ¡°How¡¯s my smile now? Normal?¡± Jiang Feng shed a smile. ¡°Feng, do you want the truth?¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Right now, you¡¯re smiling like a Husky.¡± Jiang Feng: ???
    Chapter 323: 322: The Red String of Fate Chapter 323: Chapter 322: The Red String of Fate Fang Zhuoyue arrived at the entrance of the Taifeng Building. As a single young man who grew up systematically in a socialist environment, this was his first time dining in such a high-end restaurant with friends. Entering Taifeng Building, the door staff quickly came forward and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you by yourself, sir?¡± ¡°I have a friend meeting me here, a chef from your restaurant named Jiang Feng,¡± Fang Zhuoyue answered. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Mr. Fang. Master Jiang has already notified us about you. I¡¯ll take you there. The dishes are prepared, would you like to serve them now?¡± the waiter led the way. ¡°Serve them now,¡± Fang Zhuoyue said, following the waiter to his seat and sitting down. Once seated, Fang Zhuoyue began to observe the hall of Taifeng Building. The decor of Taifeng Building was exquisite, maintaining an antique charm throughout that was veryforting to look at. The dining hall was nearly at full capacity, evidence of their booming business. ¡°Daddy, I want to eat roasted Peppa!¡± a little girl at the next table to Fang Zhuoyue eximed, her voice high-pitched yet not too loud. ¡°Wenwen, didn¡¯t Daddy ask the waitressst time? The roasted Peppa here needs to be pre-ordered. We can¡¯t have it now,¡± Wenwen¡¯s father exined with great patience.
    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Daddy pre-order it?¡± Wenwen fired a pointed question. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ um¡­¡± Wenwen¡¯s father found himself at a loss for words, unable to speak for a long time. ¡°Well¡­ You know Daddy has a bad memory, right? It¡¯s normal for me to forget things now that I¡¯m getting older. I forgot about it,¡± Wenwen¡¯s father finally said. ¡°Now that Daddy remembers, go and make a reservation now, and we cane to eat another day,¡± Wenwen suggested. Wenwen¡¯s father was speechless¡­ How could this child not follow the script? Fang Zhuoyue, who had been watching the interaction between the father and daughter, found it amusing. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he pulled out his phone and opened WeChat. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he put it down again. Fang Zhuoyue sighed. In the end, he just didn¡¯t have the courage to take that step. ¡°Hello, the Destiny Combo has been served fully. Enjoy your meal,¡± the waiter said, presenting the chopped pepper fish head and vegetable bun chicken. Destiny Combo? Fang Zhuoyue looked at the chopped pepper fish head and the vegetable bun chicken in front of him, puzzled as to why these two dishes were named the Destiny Combo. If they really wanted to create a Destiny Combo to bring good luck, shouldn¡¯t they have shaped the dishes like Cupid¡¯s arrows or the red strings of marriage gods? What kind of Destiny Combo is a red chopped pepper fish head paired with a yellow-green vegetable bun chicken? Red paired with green? Fang Zhuoyue picked up his chopsticks and tried some of the chopped pepper fish head. Fresh, tender, spicy. The vor was good, worthy of a big restaurant. Jiang Feng, having finished making the dish of stir-fried vegetables in the kitchen, nned to go to the dressing room to change his clothes and join Fang Zhuoyue for dinner; he was the one inviting, so he couldn¡¯t let his guest wait while he lingered in the kitchen. Jiang Jiankang was stir-frying his signature Kung Pao chicken at the stove, his spat dancing over the wok. Despite a high-powered electric fan blowing on him,rge beads of sweat kept forming on his forehead.
    Jiang Feng suddenly remembered the hint he saw the day the game was activated about the Kung Pao chicken his dad made. [A te of Kung Pao chicken mixed with sweat] Staring at the beads of sweat on Jiang Jiankang¡¯s cheeks, Jiang Feng felt this scene might rey itself. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s too hot in here. After you finish this dish, go take a break in the cold dish room!¡± Jiang Feng called out loudly.
    ¡°It¡¯s not hot, not hot, don¡¯t worry about your dad, I¡¯m used to it. Aren¡¯t you going to eat dinner with a friend? Go ahead, don¡¯t keep your friend waiting,¡± Master Jiang cheerfully said. ¡°Mr. Jiang, I carved a watermelon this afternoon in the cold dish room, would you like to have some after you finish cooking?¡± Wu Minqi suddenly turned her head to ask. ¡°Watermelon!¡± Jiang Jiankang was tempted. ¡°It¡¯s even chilled,¡± Wu Minqi added. ¡°Great idea, I¡¯ll go over there and enjoy it after I finish this Kung Pao chicken,¡± Jiang Jiankang felt as if he could already taste the ice-cold, sweet watermelon, ¡°and Qiqi, you¡¯ve been in the kitchen all day too. Why don¡¯t you take a break, or better yet, you could go out and have dinner with Feng.¡± ¡°Mr. Jiang, I¡¯m not tired; I still have several dishes to prepare,¡± Wu Minqi gave Jiang Feng a look that said everything was under control and urged him to go on without worry. After changing his clothes in the changing room, Jiang Feng found Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s table and sat across from him. The three untouched vegetable bun chickens remained in the te, while a few chops had been taken from the chopped pepper fish head. ¡°Not to your taste?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s quite good, but I just can¡¯t eat much right now,¡± replied Fang Zhuoyue, as his mind was troubled, naturally affecting his appetite. ¡°Why are these two dishes called the Destiny Combo?¡± Fang Zhuoyue asked curiously. ¡°Previously, someone ordered these two dishes here, and after the meal, they sessfully confessed to a girl they had long had a crush on. To seek good fortune, webined these two dishes into abo called the Destiny Combo,¡± Jiang Feng spun a tale, ¡°I invited you over for dinner today to wish you good luck.¡± Fang Zhuoyue forced a smile, ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not as lucky as that customer. I don¡¯t even have the courage to confess.¡±
    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. Try the vegetable bun chicken; it¡¯s not as good when it gets cold,¡± Jiang Feng urged him to eat, cing a piece of vegetable bun chicken on Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s te and watching him eat it. A minute passed, and Fang Zhuoyue tried the chopped pepper fish head again. Two minutes went by, and Fang Zhuoyue checked his phone but did nothing. Three minutester, Fang Zhuoyue opened WeChat and quickly exited. Five minutester, Fang Zhuoyue decisively put away his phone. Jiang Feng: ??? No way, even with the dish¡¯s buff, he still didn¡¯t have the guts to speak out his love, how deeply buried was this love in his heart! Even though the dish¡¯s details imed that after eating, one would feelpelled to express one¡¯s love within two hours, Jiang Feng, having crafted buff dishes for so long, knew they often took immediate effect; at the most, those slightly more oblivious would feel it within a minute or two. Looking at Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s behavior, it was clear the buff wasn¡¯t strong enough yet. He needed to administer an even stronger dose. The matchmaker Jiang dered that he wouldn¡¯t feel content until he aplished this matchmaking today. Actually, Fang Zhuoyue himself felt that he was a bit strange tonight. Just moments ago, he suddenly had a strong urge to confess his feelings to the girl he had been secretly in love with for many years. He had always wanted to, but never had the impulse been as strong as it was just then.
    But in the end, hesitation and fear overcame the impulse, so he tucked his phone away ¨C out of sight, out of mind. Without seeing his phone, he wouldn¡¯t think about confessing his feelings. ¡°Do you drink?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Our restaurant recently got a new batch of blueberry wine, it¡¯s of great quality. Want to try it?¡± In fact, Fang Zhuoyue didn¡¯t drink, even two bottles of beer would knock him out. He also knew what Jiang Feng was up to. After all, alcohol strengthens the coward¡¯s courage. He had already tried this method a few days ago, getting himselfpletely drunk in his dorm but still failed to send that ¡°I like you¡± message. ¡°I¡¯ll drink.¡± Fang Zhuoyue was very clear in his mind, he wanted to confess. After a ss of blueberry wine, Fang Zhuoyue started to feel a bit dizzy. Fang Zhuoyue took out his phone. This time he didn¡¯t open WeChat. His courage suddenly grew, as if the ss of blueberry wine had given him strength, and he opened his contacts. He found Huang Chenxuan. He dialed the number and began to regret it, wanting to hang up, but the call had already connected. ¡°Hello.¡± The voice that Fang Zhuoyue was so familiar with came through the phone. Huang Chenxuan was at home, and her 7-year-old nephew was causing a ruckus beside her. She had been at home for two weeks now, doing nothing but sleeping, watching TV, or listening to music ¨C anything that would help her rx. Her cousin knew her situation, so he got his wife to bring over her favorite nephew every afternoon to keep herpany and make herugh, then take him back in the evening.
    Huang Chenxuan knew she should be happy, but she couldn¡¯t muster the feeling. She liked her little nephew but herughter was hollow and forced. ¡°It¡¯s Fang Zhuoyue, how are you feeling? What are you doing right now?¡± Fang Zhuoyue asked. ¡°I¡¯m watching TV with my nephew,¡± Huang Chenxuan replied. ¡°Is there a reason you called at this time?¡± ¡°Yes, there is.¡± Fang Zhuoyue took a deep breath and paused. ¡°I have something very important I want to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡­I¡­next Saturday is Qixi, the Chinese Valentine¡¯s Day. Would you spend it with me?¡± Huang Chenxuan was stunned on the other end of the line. As Fang Zhuoyue didn¡¯t receive a response for a long time, he thought he had indeed been presumptuous. Trying to sound nonchnt despite his disappointment, he said, ¡°Sorry, I just had a couple of drinks with friends. Just ignore me, talking nonsense.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be willing,¡± said Huang Chenxuan. ¡°Not only am I willing to spend next Saturday¡¯s Qixi with you, but I also want to be your girlfriend.¡± This time, it was Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s turn to be speechless for a long time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You make a confession to me first, and now you¡¯re the one who¡¯s silent?¡± Huang Chenxuanughed, the first genuineugh she had had in a month. ¡°I, I didn¡¯t expect¡­ I thought¡­¡± ¡°Fang Zhuoyue, you even ranked top 30 in the whole city on your college entrance exams. Do you really not understand, or are you just pretending not to understand? Or is it that all you guys don¡¯t get it? Every summer break when you came back, we old ssmates would hang out together, and I always invited you to have tofu pudding with me after. Did you really think it was because the others didn¡¯t like tofu pudding?¡± Huang Chenxuan asked. ¡°I¡­¡± Fang Zhuoyue felt his tongue was suddenly tied in knots. ¡°I¡¯m eating tofu pudding, you¡¯re watching Doudou, don¡¯t you realize that Doudou has always been waiting for you to make the first move?¡± Huang Chenxuan said, her nickname being Doudou. ¡°If you don¡¯t speak up soon, I¡¯m going to get impatient.¡± ¡­ As a confirmed atheist who wouldn¡¯t pray to Conan or forward luck chain messages even before finals, Fang Zhuoyue now felt, perhaps there was something to this destined love meal. As he took another chopstick-full of chopped pepper fish head, Fang Zhuoyue thought it was the most delicious in the whole world. This restaurant was the best restaurant in the world! ¡°Ding, acknowledgment from a customer obtained, mission progress (6/10).¡± The game notification sounded in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. Jiang Feng could tell from the silly smile on Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s face, akin to his own from before, that he had sessfully entered a rtionship and even began to emit the aura of a lovey-dovey couple. Seeing Fang Zhuoyue furiously typing on his phone, Jiang Feng knew that eating was probably thest thing on his mind now. With a bite of chopped pepper fish head and a small sip of blueberry wine, having sessfully yed matchmaker, Jiang Feng felt utterly delighted. ying matchmaker was indeed more joyful than being in love himself! He pulled out his phone and began happily scrolling through his social media. Fang Zhuoyue had updated his status 6 minutes ago¡ª Since the year I was 15 when I stole your bottle of milk, I knew I had to spend a lifetime making it up to you. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help shaking his head and looked across at Fang Zhuoyue. Men in love sure are terrifying. Why hadn¡¯t hee up with such a lovey-dovey social media post himself? Jiang Feng began to reflect, the Jiang family really suffered from ack of culture! PS: This love story is true (with a bit of embellishment), and the ones involved are two of my middle school ssmates. Enough said, I¡¯m off to eat some lemons. Chapter 324: 323 Birthday Chapter 324: Chapter 323 Birthday After dinner, Fang Zhuoyue insisted on paying the bill. The man who had just sessfully confessed and escaped singlehood was in a magical state where everything in the world seemed beautiful, and he was inclined to believe whatever anyone said. Even if Jiang Feng gave Fang Zhuoyue a ring now and told him to propose to Huang Chenxuan with it, and she would definitely say yes, Fang Zhuoyue would believe it. Wait, there actually was such a ring. ¡°Jiang Feng, could I ask if this restaurant epts reservations?¡± Having paid for the meal, Fang Zhuoyue was ready to leave. ¡°Of course, reservations require a membership card, but I can make one for you,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Would you mind helping me reserve this spot for next Saturday?¡± Fang Zhuoyue said, ¡°Chenxuan ising to Beiping to see a doctor next week.¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but marvel; how long had it been since he became un-single? It had been less than an hour, and he was already calling her Chenxuan. The young people these days are indeed not reserved. Fang Zhuoyue left Taifeng Building and returned to school. Although he had drunk a small ss of blueberry wine and felt a bit dizzy, his mind was still clear, and he could walk in a straight line. It was just after 8 p.m., and the sky wasn¡¯tpletely dark yet, so he had no problem walking back to school alone. Taifeng Building both started and ended its evening business early. After returning to the kitchen, Jiang Feng helped out with wrapping up the work and took the chance to discuss the n to have a hotpot dinner tomorrow night with the two senior masters. ¡°Tomorrow night? Let¡¯s make it the day after; Taifeng Building is closed that day as we have a day off. I saw you took quite a few salted duck eggs today, and your grandma wants to eat rice dumplings again. It¡¯s just the season for fresh bamboo leaves to be harvested, so I¡¯ll ask your uncle to get some, and we can make dumplings and have hotpot the day after tomorrow,¡± Jiang Weiguo said.
    ¡°A day off the day after tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised; he only wanted to enjoy the hotpot with the Duchang Bean Ginseng he received, and yet Sir was making such a big deal, going as far as giving all the staff a day off just for a few bags of ginseng. ¡°The day after tomorrow is Granduncle Weiming¡¯s 99th birthday, haven¡¯t I told you about it?¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Dad, you really didn¡¯t tell us, I had no idea,¡± Jiang Jiankang had something to say. Jiang Weiguo: ¡­ Was San not disciplined enough as a child? ¡°Younger brother, there¡¯s no need for this, it¡¯s not a hundredth birthday celebration, it¡¯s just 99, and it¡¯s not even an actual age; why make such a fuss?¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile, ¡°At my age, there¡¯s no point in celebrating birthdays.¡± In recent years, Jiang Weiming had grown ustomed to spending his birthdays alone in the countryside quietly, which was no different from any other day, except that he would cook himself a bowl of longevity noodles in the morning. ¡°It won¡¯t do, Uncle San, business can be done anytime, but a birthday onlyes once a year; it naturally should be celebrated with joy and excitement,¡± Jiang Jiankang said. The birthdays of the younger members of the Jiang Family could be low-key, but not the elders¡¯. Although they didn¡¯t get much to eat on Grandpa Jiang¡¯s birthday and didn¡¯t even get noodles, Jiang Jiankang and his four brothers would still eagerly gather precious and rare ingredients that they suspected Sir might like and deliver them to him in the countryside. In previous years, because Sir stayed in the countryside and Jiang Jiankang and his brothers were not together, coupled with Sir¡¯s disinterest in celebrating non-decade milestone birthdays with a big party, their birthdays were indeed casually marked. But things were different now; everyone was together, and this year there had been one happy event after another. Of course, the elders¡¯ birthdays should not be casually celebrated. ¡°That¡¯s right, Granduncle, how can we be casual with a birthday? The day after tomorrow, each of us will make our best dishes for you, gather together to make dumplings and have hotpot. A 99th birthday should definitely be celebrated with joy and excitement,¡± Jiang Feng chimed in. ¡°Grandpa Jiang, I have been practicing carving watermelon fruit tes recently; I¡¯ll carve a crane for you as a birthday gift the day after tomorrow,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. ¡°Master¡¯s been researching a new spiced soup and has made some progress; I¡¯ll prepare some for you to taste the day after tomorrow!¡± Jiang Weisheng said. ¡°Exactly, Master Jiang, birthdays should indeed be celebrated with joy and excitement. I¡¯ve learned how to make longevity peaches at home, so I can make some for you the day after tomorrow,¡± Zhang Weiyu also joined in. Sang Ming looked at him in surprise: ¡°You know how to make longevity peaches?¡± ¡°I am a chopping board chef after all. Is there a problem with me knowing how to make longevity peaches?¡± Sang Ming: ??? ¡°Master Jiang, I¡¯ll make a festive ¡®Full House of Happiness¡¯ dish for you the day after tomorrow.¡±
    ¡°Master Jiang, I¡­¡± ¡°Master Jiang¡­¡± Everyone took turns speaking, and the entire kitchen buzzed with excitement as if it were already Jiang Weiming¡¯s birthday. Jiang Weiming hadn¡¯t felt this kind of warmth for a long time.
    It had been many years since anyone had celebrated his birthday. It seemed as if no one remembered his birthday since his wife passed away. ¡°All right, let¡¯s do as Feng suggests. We¡¯ll take the day off after tomorrow to make zongzi and eat hotpot. I¡¯ll have a lively birthday for once,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll personally cook the hotpot base.¡± Jiang Feng: ¦²(¡ã¡÷¡ã|||)¦õ After everyone had finished cleaning up the kitchen, they all left, each returning to their own home. Jiang Feng actually got a rare chance to go back with the two elder gentlemen, who usually left earlier and didn¡¯t stay until the very end. ¡°Grandpa, do people usually celebrate their hundredth birthday by their nominal age or their actual age?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°By their nominal age, of course. Why do you ask?¡± Jiang Weiguo looked puzzled. ¡°Then next year, Granduncle Weiming will be having his hundredth birthday celebration. We should throw a grand and lively party,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Weiguo chuckled without much amusement, ¡°Do you really need to tell me that? Who doesn¡¯t host their hundredth birthday party with dozens or hundreds of tables in a grand and lively manner?¡± That reminded Jiang Weiguo, and he turned his head to quietly ask Jiang Weiming, ¡°San, about those two of mine on the day after tomorrow, their birthday¡­¡± Upon mentioning his two sons, Jiang Weiming could only give a wry smile, ¡°If my eldest would grace me with his presence when I die, that would be something. The younger one, well, he¡¯s already gone back. I celebrate my lunar birthday, and how many of the young ones remember lunar dates these days? I reckon he¡¯s long forgotten my birthday.¡± ¡°But the younger one did say, this year he¡¯lle to take me to Magic City to celebrate the New Year with them.¡±
    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Jiang Weiguo remarked. ¡°Yes, it indeed is a good thing.¡± The two elder gentlemen walked down the street, chatting intermittently, while Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang walked behind, looking at their phones. Wu Minqi walked beside Jiang Feng, peering at his phone. Though Jiang Weiguo could use a smartphone, he typed very slowly, so he hardly ever checked messages in the WeChat group or participated in the Jiang family¡¯s chat discussions. The Jiang family¡¯s main WeChat group was now abuzz because of Jiang Weiming¡¯s uing birthday. Even Jiang Shoucheng, who was supposed to be working the night shift, joined the chat to discuss how to give Jiang Weiming a lively, dignified, and memorable ny-ninth birthday. As the conversation went on, everyone noticed one person who hadn¡¯t said a word from the beginning to the end. This person was often offline. He hadn¡¯t visited Beiping for the past two months. This was Jiang Feng¡¯s third cousin, Jiang Ran, who had been so withdrawn he barely made his presence felt, losing weight for love and staying at school for an internship. Jiang Ran was busy, to put it urately, he had been busy all year. He had to lose weight, maintain a rtionship, study for the IELTS, and prepare to study abroad for his master¡¯s degree. He was so stressed that he became thinner by the day, had no time tomunicate with family, uninstalled QQ, blocked WeChat group chats, and was even on the verge of losing his girlfriend. That¡¯s what you get for majoring in International Economics and Trade.
    Jiang Feng sent a WeChat message specifically to Jiang Ran, telling him about Jiang Weiming¡¯s ny-ninth birthday the day after tomorrow, reminding him to book his train ticket to Beiping. Upon receiving the message, Jiang Ran, who was almost dying in front of hisputer, sat up abruptly as if jolted back to life, and responded to Jiang Feng, saying he would definitely be there and began making ns to book his flight. Granduncle Weiming¡¯s chopped chili fish head was so delicious; as a grandnephew, he naturally should attend the birthday celebration. What should he buy for the birthday gift? Jiang Ran nced at the bnce on his bank card. Forget it; he¡¯d better book a train ticket. It was slow, but the price was right. Chapter 325: 324: Little Snacks Chapter 325: Chapter 324: Little Snacks The next morning, Jiang Feng went to Taifeng Building with Wu Minqi. The few remaining radishes and the watermelon had all been carved the previous night, and since Wu Minqi wanted to carve a fine fruit tter featuring cranes for Granduncle Weiming¡¯s birthday, she naturally needed to make the most of the time to practice. As for Jiang Feng, since his knifework was superior to Wu Minqi¡¯s, he was there to guide her. In terms of carving with vegetables and fruits, perhaps no one in the entire Taifeng Building had more experience than Jiang Feng. Back when he was still making a living by selling carved radishes, Jiang Feng could even carve figures such as battleship girls. Although they were chibi versions. But they really sold well, as technical universities are never short of otakus, and sometimes otakus¡¯ money is even easier to con than women¡¯s. While Wu Minqi was carving the crane fruit tter, Jiang Feng continued to practice making Yun Chicken. The first attempt at Yun Chicken had not even been taken out of the pot when Zhang Guanghang actually showed up for work. ¡°Why have youe so early today?¡± Jiang Feng greeted Zhang Guanghang. ¡°I went mountain climbing yesterday, went to bed early, and got up early. Since I didn¡¯t have anything else to do, I came over,¡± Zhang Guanghang replied as he took out ingredients from his bag to start practicing Shafu Roast Chicken.
    Zhang Guanghang might be the only person in Taifeng Building who brought his own ingredients to practice cooking. ¡°Oh, by the way, I think I forgot to tell you, tomorrow is¡­¡± ¡°Ji Yue told mest night, tomorrow is Master Jiang¡¯s birthday,¡± said Zhang Guanghang, ¡°but with such short notice, I can¡¯t think of anything appropriate for a birthday gift.¡± ¡°Granduncle Weiming said he doesn¡¯t want any gifts, and he doesn¡¯t like sweet things like cake. Tomorrow we will all make zongzi together, have hotpot, and in the evening my eldest uncle will cook a bowl of longevity noodles for Granduncle Weiming,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Then tomorrow, I¡¯ll cook a signature dish for Master Jiang as my birthday wish for him,¡± Zhang Guanghang stated. ¡°Did you gain anything from your visit to the Benevolent Doctor yesterday?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jiang Feng said, keeping his eyes on the pot, and when the time came, he took out the chicken. [Yun Chicken (Failed) B Grade] ¡°No gain,¡± Jiang Feng epted the reality, started to clean up the mess he had made, packed the failed Yun Chicken into a takeaway box in preparation to bring itter to the Benevolent Doctor for Jiang Shoucheng as a snack. ¡°I have something to do at the Benevolent Doctor at noon, I¡¯ll be back in the afternoon. I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t forget to tell Zhang Guanghang before he left. ¡°You¡¯ve been visiting the Benevolent Doctor quite oftentely,¡±mented Zhang Guanghang. ¡°I made a few friends there at the Benevolent Doctor, promised to teach them how to cook. Once a promise is made, you can¡¯t go back on your word,¡± Jiang Feng replied with a smile. He certainly couldn¡¯t say it was because he had a side quest at the Benevolent Doctor that he hadn¡¯tpleted yet, so he had to go there to make progress on the quest. Jiang Feng went back to the changing room, changed into his clothes, and set off for the Benevolent Doctor with the newly taken out Yun Chicken. Since there was only one and he didn¡¯t bother to put it into a delivery box, considering it a failed product anyway, and since Taifeng Building wasn¡¯t too far from the Benevolent Doctor, it shouldn¡¯t bepletely cold by the time he arrived. Upon arriving at the Benevolent Doctor, Jiang Feng headed straight for the emergency department. The doctors and nurses in the emergency department mostly knew Jiang Feng, and even the nurses who had never enjoyed his cooking knew him. Seeing him arrive, they showed him the way. ¡°Dr. Jiang is in the break room,¡± said a nurse at the nursing station. ¡°Thank you,¡± Jiang Feng headed straight for the break room. Jiang Shoucheng, along with Sun and Xu, was in the break room, slurping down instant noodles, the entire room filled with the scents of hot chili beef noodles and pickled vegetable noodles. Instant noodles smell delicious, but they¡¯re nothing special to eat. Having them now and then is quite enjoyable, but few could stand eating them every day.
    Sun and Xu just couldn¡¯t take it anymore. They really wanted to toss the noodles away, but poverty wouldn¡¯t allow it. They also wanted to finish them, but their taste buds and stomachs wouldn¡¯t allow it. After much thought, they decided to seek outside help and have Jiang Shoucheng join in to help finish the instant noodles.
    Jiang Shoucheng was more than happy to help with such an easy task that simply required moving his mouth, which led to the scene Jiang Feng walked in on. When Jiang Shoucheng saw Jiang Feng arriving, holding something edible in his hand, he immediately put down his bowl and his eyes lit up, ¡°Little bro, you¡¯re here!¡± Jiang Feng noticed Jiang Shoucheng eating instant noodles and subconsciously nced at his phone; it was not even 10 o¡¯clock, neither breakfast nor lunchtime. ¡°Cheng, didn¡¯t you have breakfast?¡± Jiang Feng handed over the takeout box he was holding, ¡°This is Yun Chicken I just made, it might be a bit cold though.¡± Jiang Shoucheng cheerfully epted the takeout box, opened it, and pushed the bowl of noodles to the side, ¡°Just snacking on something small.¡± Jiang Shoucheng took a bite of the Yun Chicken. After chewing for a moment, Jiang Shoucheng said, ¡°Little bro, this sweet and sour chicken is a bit sweet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still fine-tuning this dish; it¡¯s a new one called Yun Chicken,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Upon hearing it was a new dish Jiang Shoucheng immediately got excited. He admired his little brother¡¯s spirit to constantly innovate and explore new recipes, so he ate a few more pieces. ¡°Little bro, is this dishplicated? If it¡¯s not, how about making another serving for lunch? Just make it less sweet,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said, quite liking the taste of Yun Chicken despite its sweetness not being quite suitable for adults. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading to the small kitchen,¡± Jiang Feng responded. Jiang Feng first went to the market to buy the necessary ingredients. Since today¡¯s main task was to guide Qin Weiwei in cooking, besides buying the ingredients needed for Yun Chicken, he also casually picked up a cabbage and some greens to provide Jiang Shoucheng a healthy lunch with a mix of meat and vegetables. When Jiang Feng arrived at the small kitchen with the ingredients, Qin Weiwei was already there waiting with her ingredients prepared and washed.
    Jiang Feng nced at the ingredients Qin Weiwei had prepared; all vegetables, with no meat. It seemed Qin Weiwei was well aware of her cooking limits, knowing that stirring up vegetables was as far as she could go and it was best not to even think about touching meat. Guiding a kitchen rookie like Qin Weiwei, who wouldn¡¯t normallye into contact with anything kitchen-rted, not even knowing the basics of grains or the difference between light and dark soy sauce, proved to be more difficult than teaching Fang Zhuoyue. Jiang Feng had to do more than just give verbal instructions; he had to stand by, keeping an eye on the pot at all times, ready to jump in and save the day. After several close calls, Qin Weiwei managed toplete her heartwarming four dishes and a soup lunch with great difficulty, and Jiang Feng sessfullypleted five task progressions. It was time to start preparing Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s lunch. Qian Lijuan was still making soup, preparing a tea tree mushroom pork rib soup for today¡¯s lunch. Jiang Feng took a cursory look at Qian Lijuan¡¯s method; although he offered some verbal guidance, the results didn¡¯t seem to be very effective, and Zhuang Lin might suffer again this noon. Fang Zhuoyue was as usual simmering rice porridge, only this time, his posture and mood had changed. While stirring the porridge with his left hand and holding chopsticks, he was texting with his right hand, multitasking between cooking and romance. ¡°Xiao Fang, you seem to be in a good mood today, did you figure out the puzzle?¡± Qian Lijuan asked. ¡°I did, it just came to mest night,¡± Fang Zhuoyue replied with a smile. Last night, after two dishes and a ss of wine, he shattered the whole essence of space and crawled out of the Mobius Strip he¡¯d been trapped in endless loops. Chapter 326: 325: Yun Chicken A-Level Chapter 326: Chapter 325: Yun Chicken A-Level Jiang Feng was making Yun Chicken. After so many days of failure, Jiang Feng had a wealth of experience and unique insights into failed Yun Chicken. As long as you are serious, attentive, and follow Cao Guixiang¡¯s method, the Yun Chicken you make is bound to be a disaster. This time he was somewhat distracted. Jiang Feng was thinking about Jiang Weiming¡¯s 99th birthday, contemting what dish to prepare for him tomorrow. Sweet and Sour Yam would be too clich¨¦, Fish Head with Chopped Chili would be like showing off before experts, and making Yun Chicken was basically just another disaster not fit to be served. When Jiang Feng habitually thought about adding sugar to make the sauce, he suddenly remembered Jiang Shoucheng telling him to use less sugar. Jiang Feng knew Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s tastes very well; he liked sour and sweet vors like a child, so it could be tangy but not too sweet. A few minutester, the Yun Chicken was ready. [Yun Chicken Grade A] Jiang Feng: ??? The Yun Chicken he had carefully and meticulously made had all turned out to be disasters, yet the one he casually made for Jiang Shoucheng turned out to be a sess.
    Could it be because Yun Chicken was originally a dish Cao Guixiang made up on the fly for Zhang Zhiyuan, so it required a nonchnt attitude to seed? Jiang Feng took a bite with his chopsticks. Sweet and sour, appetizing, with a crispy outeryer¡ªit was a taste kids would love. Thinking back on how he had just made the Yun Chicken, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t see any difference. He had simply prepared it ording to Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s taste preference. Could it be that he just got lucky and finally made a Grade A dish? Soon, Jiang Feng stopped wondering whether it was sheer luck or not. His thoughts drifted to the afternoon he was punished by Sir to wash pig intestines. It was a vorful afternoon, but during dinner, Sir made a special dish of Nine Turns Intestine just for him. It was the most delicious Nine Turns Intestine he had ever tasted, made especially for him¡ªneither Jiang Shoucheng nor Jiang Zaide got a share. Having finally made a Grade A Yun Chicken, Jiang Feng felt a bit excited. He stir-fried some green and white vegetables haphazardly, ted them, and, as always, headed to the emergency department with the dishes. At noon, the emergency department was filled with the aroma of takeout. Jiang Shoucheng was sitting on a small stool in the observation room, able to distinguish the scents of many restaurants¡¯ takeout just by the smell. Man Kee¡¯s stewed pork rice, Zhao Family¡¯s Teriyaki Chicken Cutlet, the back gate¡¯s Braised Chicken, the vice-principal¡¯s aunt¡¯s Mapo Tofu, Yonghe House¡¯s¡­ Hey, what¡¯s that? It smells like Yonghe House¡¯s jarred pork. The aroma of jarred pork wafted closer, and Jiang Shoucheng couldn¡¯t help but peer toward the entrance. Sure enough, Dr. Lu¡¯s wife was carrying jarred pork packed from Yonghe House to deliver to her husband¡¯s office. It seemed that today Dr. Lu¡¯s wife was too busy to make him a lunchbox of love, so she had to get a packed meal for him from Yonghe House. Two minutester, Zhou walked out of the break room and returned with a te of minced meat eggnt rice. The bonus had just been distributed yesterday, three months¡¯ worth at once. It looked like Zhou was nning to upgrade his meal today. Jiang Shoucheng looked toward the door with eager anticipation. He was hungry. He had only eaten a bowl of noodles, six buns, and a bowl of wontons for breakfast. In the morning, he also just had two packs of instant noodles and a portion of what tasted like sweet and sour chicken, which he snacked on as Yun Chicken. Now was lunchtime, and the whole emergency department was surrounded by the fragrance of meals. Jiang Shougheng felt he could eat six portions of braised pork rice. ¡°Jiang, haven¡¯t had lunch yet? Let¡¯s have some instant noodles together, have a couple of packs to fill up the stomach,¡± said Xu and Sun, who had quickly finished their instant noodle lunch, as they came out of the break room and warmly invited Jiang Shoucheng to join them. ¡°No thanks, my little brother will bring me lunch soon!¡± Jiang Shoucheng immediately refused. He was quite clear on the distinction between proper meals and snacks.
    As he spoke, Jiang Feng walked in with Yun Chicken and two tes of vegetables. ¡°Second brother, did you order rice for takeout?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°I did, it¡¯s all in the break room,¡± replied Jiang Shoucheng as he put away the stool and couldn¡¯t help but express admiration, ¡°This stool is of really good quality, I¡¯ve got to buy one myself!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­
    Both men pushed open the door to the lounge, where Zhou was sitting and eating minced meat eggnt over rice. Seeing Jiang Fenge in, Zhou quickly put down his disposable chopsticks to fetch Jiang Feng ginseng, two big bags of it, withrge stic bags stuffed full. ¡°There aren¡¯t any specialties from my hometown, but if you like them and want more after you finish these, just let me know, and I¡¯ll have my grandpa send some more,¡± Zhou said, as reserved as ever, before returning to his meal. ¡°Thanks a lot,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Jiang Shoucheng had been hungry for almost half an hour now. The sour and sweet smell of the Yun Chicken was so appetizing, and now that he could finally eat, he eagerly picked up a piece of Yun Chicken and popped it in his mouth in one go. Delicious! Jiang Shoucheng felt that the Yun Chicken he was eating now was much tastier than the one he had in the morning; the earlier one was too sweet and not to his taste, but he could tell this one was specially made for him by his younger brother. My little brother really does love me! Jiang Shoucheng instantly forgot the pain of having to eat unsalted boiled broli in the previous period. Jiang Shoucheng picked up the second piece. He remembered the times he would ck off while practicing cooking at his grandfather¡¯s house as a child, getting caught by Sir, who then severely punished him before assigning him to chop winter melon. Although the punishment hurt, the winter melon soup he ate that evening was really delicious. It was a winter melon soup Sir had specially made for him, perfectly suited to his taste. The soup was usually made with dried shrimp, but Sir used fresh shrimp that time because Jiang Shoucheng was very fond of fresh shrimp during that period.
    The harshest punishment, the tastiest winter melon soup. Jiang Shoucheng picked up the third piece of Yun Chicken. He remembered his 10th birthday when his parents took him to an amusement park in the neighboring city, which was newly built and also featured a water park. Jiang Shoucheng picked up the fourth piece of Yun Chicken. He remembered cking off with De when they were kids and then dumping the responsibility on Jiang Feng. Jiang Shoucheng picked up the fifth piece of Yun Chicken. He recalled when he cked off alone as a child and then dumped the me on Jiang Feng, for which Jiang Feng was punished by Sir and had to wash pig intestines for an entire afternoon. Jiang Shoucheng¡­ Gradually, Jiang Shoucheng fell into his memories, blessed with so many wonderful recollections with his family that spun through his mind like an old movie on loop. Tears welled up in Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s eyes as he eximed, ¡°Little brother, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng reached for another piece of Yun Chicken. He remembered the day of the college entrance examination¡¯s end, how extremely hot it was, with a few steps outside enough to drench one in sweat. The cacophony of cicadas was exceptionally annoying, agitating the mind. When he and his ssmates walked out of the exam hall, Jiang Jiankang was standing at the school gate with a big palm-leaf fan, smiling at him.
    Even though there were cooler ces to rest near the school, Jiang Jiankang insisted on standing at the gate and watching hime out for peace of mind. Jiang Feng remembered how that day Jiang Jiankang was wearing a white tank top,pletely soaked with sweat, his forehead and face dripping, and in his hand, he held a newly opened bottle of ice water, which he handed to him the moment he saw hime out. ¡°Son, how did the exam go? No worries if it wasn¡¯t good, our Jiang family has already produced a number one schr, and we¡¯re not short of one more. We¡¯re not asking for top-notch universities, just make it into a 985 or 211 university, that¡¯ll be fine. Your mom¡¯s gone to buy you some iced watermelon, you¡­¡± Jiang Feng smiled. This really is a warm andforting dish, the vor of home. Chapter 327: 326 Custom Dish Chapter 327: Chapter 326 Custom Dish By the time Jiang Feng returned to Taifeng Building, he unexpectedly found Ji Yue in the lobby, hurriedly working on her digital drawing tablet. This scene was all too familiar, so much that Jiang Feng even wondered if he was still in the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. ¡°Is your foot better?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Not yet, I can walk, but I can¡¯t move around much. I should be able toe to work in a couple of days,¡± Ji Yue said, staring gloomily at the digital tablet in front of her. Jiang Feng noticed that on the digital tablet in front of Ji Yue, there was a drawing of a table and a bowl, which seemed to be a close-up shot of wontons. The table, bowl, and spoon were allpletely drawn, even down to the chip in the bowl, the patterns, and the texture of the spoon¡¯s material, yet the actual wontons in the bowl were notably absent. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you drawn the wontons?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I can¡¯t get them right,¡± Ji Yue sighed deeply and viciously grabbed her hair. ¡°I just can¡¯t do it; I¡¯ve been trying for days. I¡¯ve finished every other part, but I just can¡¯t get your wontons right.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t get the wontons right?¡± Jiang Feng was somewhat baffled. The pure meat wontons he made were just thick-skinned with little meat, falling apart after being cooked, with the skin and meat separated in the bowl, visibly unappetizing. ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s always something missing. What I draw doesn¡¯t look like the wontons you make. The feeling is always the same when you make them, but when I draw them, they¡¯re different. Do you understand what I mean?¡± Jiang Feng shook his head.
    ¡°Never mind you, I don¡¯t even understand what I¡¯m saying. It¡¯s just different, something¡¯s missing,¡± Ji Yue said helplessly. ¡°How about I make you a bowl so you can draw from that, or maybe you take a bite and then continue drawing?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. A look of horror slowly spread across Ji Yue¡¯s face, as if it read, ¡°There¡¯s always some viin out to get me.¡± Anyone who ate Jiang Feng¡¯s wontons knew what they were like. After weighing the options, Ji Yue nodded, agreeing to Jiang Feng¡¯s suggestion. Jiang Feng was about to go to the changing room when he suddenly remembered to ask, ¡°If your foot¡¯s not better, why aren¡¯t you resting at home? Whye to the restaurant?¡± ¡°Mrs. Wang called me over to help,¡± Ji Yue whispered, ¡°you forgot, Taifeng Building has been open for a month, and now it¡¯s time for the first employee evaluation.¡± Jiang Feng suddenly realized. They were going toy people off. Leaving Ji Yue in the lobby to continue her struggle with the tablet, Jiang Feng changed clothes and went to the kitchen to make the buffed-up pure meat wontons. After about ten minutes, Ji Yue swallowed a mouthful of pure meat wonton and then burst into tears on the table. Crying with heart-wrenching sobs, as if in unbearable grief. After the crying fit, she stared at the digital tablet again, her mind nk and at a loss on how to proceed. ¡°Want another bite?¡± Jiang Feng boldly suggested. Ji Yue red angrily at Jiang Feng, her face full of disbelief. Looking at Ji Yue¡¯s expression, it was clear she was thinking: ¡®They say murder doesn¡¯t go beyond the head, we¡¯ve had no past grievances and no recent quarrels, where did I offend you for you to do this to me!¡¯ ¡°Forget I mentioned it, I¡¯ll take the wontons away,¡± said Jiang Feng, reaching out to take the bowl. ¡°Wait,¡± Ji Yue intervened, her face set in grim determination, ¡°Let me have another bite!¡± After the second mouthful of wonton, Ji Yue continued to weep bitterly on the table.
    After that, still without any inspiration, Ji Yue bravely went for her third bite. Watching from the side, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but think: Women really can be ruthless to themselves! Letting Ji Yue alternate between eating a bit and crying a while on her own, Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen to continue practicing the Yun Chicken. Finally seeding once, though he didn¡¯t know exactly why it was sessful, it was a victory nheless. Jiang Feng decided to follow the same method he used for Jiang Weiming at lunch and copy it a few times, trying to discern the pattern of sess.
    Twenty minutester, Jiang Feng¡¯s efforts were gloriously thwarted. [Yun Chicken (Failed) Grade B] Looking at the Yun Chicken in front of him, Jiang Feng fell into deep thought. Apart from being more meticulous and careful this time, the Yun Chicken in front of him was almost identical to the one he had made at noon. He had just tasted it and couldn¡¯t detect any difference in vor, so why did it fail? ¡°What¡¯s wrong this time? Didn¡¯t produce the vor you were aiming for?¡± Wu Minqi, who had been intently carving a watermelon, saw Jiang Feng staring at the freshly cooked Yun Chicken lost in thought and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I think the vor is not the problem, but there is still something off with this dish,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi: ??? She had found that the things her boyfriend had been sayingtely were bing increasingly iprehensible. Maybe all the cooking had scrambled his brains. Wu Minqi set down the half-carved watermelon, washed her hands, picked up a new pair of chopsticks, and tasted the Yun Chicken. ¡°Better than the ones you made before,¡± Wu Minqi remarked. ¡°The ones before were too sweet; this is slightly more normal.¡± Wu Minqi put down her chopsticks and turned to look at Jiang Feng, ¡°So what taste are you actually trying to achieve? Is it for children or for adults?¡± Jiang Feng himself didn¡¯t know.
    He hadn¡¯t figured out why the Yun Chicken at noon had identally turned out sessful, while this batch, which should have been no different, remained a B-rated failure. While Jiang Feng was mulling this over, Jiang Weisheng cheerfully walked into the kitchen. ¡°Feng, has my mastere yet?¡± Jiang Weisheng asked, his demeanor as sly as a thief¡¯s. ¡°No, Granduncle Weiming should still be resting at the teahouse; he¡¯lle in about an hour,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Mr. Jiang, you can go directly to the teahouse.¡± ¡°No need, no need, just asking,¡± said Jiang Weisheng, starting to look for ingredients to prepare his specialty, the bizarre-tasting soup. Ever since Jiang Weisheng¡¯s bizarre-tasting soup had been added to the menu, he had stopped hanging around the kitchen to learn whenever someone was practicing dishes. He was well aware that with his talent, learning too many new dishes would be biting off more than he could chew. It¡¯s just that before, he had no clue what to focus on so he dabbled a little here and there, wanting to learn everything he saw. Ever since his bizarre-tasting soup was on the menu, Jiang Weisheng had found a goal to strive for. He might not have had the skills of Jiang Weiming to turn the ever-changing Hundred-vor Soup into a set-ingredient, set-vor bizarre-tasting soup, but that didn¡¯t stop him from expanding and continually refreshing his own soup. Recently, he had figured out a new vor, which he¡¯d nned to let Jiang Weiming try after some time. But tomorrow was Jiang Weiming¡¯s birthday, and Jiang Weisheng could only work hurriedly as if driven by an emergency to practice more, hoping to surprise Jiang Weiming the next day. ¡°Mr. Jiang, are you preparing to make the bizarre-tasting soup?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yes, I thought of a goodbination recently,¡± Jiang Weisheng replied. ¡°I don¡¯t have my master¡¯s skill in making Hundred-vor Soup to suit each customer¡¯s pte. I can¡¯t even make Hundred-vor Soup with different ingredients and vors, so I can only keep trying some fixed ingredients and seasonings that taste quite nice together.¡± ¡°But my master said that my bizarre-tasting soup is also quite good, not inferior to his Hundred-vor Soup!¡± Jiang Weisheng said proudly¡ªit was one of the few dishes Jiang Weiming had approved of in his life. ¡°Granduncle Weiming can make soups ording to a customer¡¯s taste?¡±
    ¡°Of course. Our state-run restaurant used to have many regr customers. My master used to say that a dish like Hundred-vor Soup, which changes ingredients a lot, is the most suitable type to tailor to a customer¡¯s taste,¡± exined Jiang Weisheng, after some thought. ¡°But actually, we only had those few regrs. Besides our family, we usually didn¡¯t have the leisure to get to know our customers¡¯ tastes that much.¡± Jiang Feng was stunned. He felt like he knew how to make an A-rated Yun Chicken now. Jiang Feng looked at Wu Minqi. He knew her taste well: strong-vored, spicy, but also fond of the sour and sweet snacks most girls liked. She would go to the cake shop for desserts with Ji Yue once a week, mostly choosing Napoleon cake. She liked sweet and sour vors, not too sour and slightly sweet, yet not too sweet. Seeing Jiang Feng staring at her suddenly, Wu Minqi wore a slightly confused expression. Jiang Feng shifted his gaze and started preparing the next Yun Chicken. A Yun Chicken tailored to Wu Minqi¡¯s taste. Twenty minutester, the Yun Chicken came out of the wok. [Yun Chicken A-rated] Just as he thought! Jiang Feng understood that, until his culinary skills reached level A, the Yun Chicken could only be a custom dish.
    A dish exclusively for family and loved ones. The original goal of Cao Guixiang in making this dish was to cater to Zhang Zhiyuan¡¯s taste, to fool him¡ªthe dish existed because of Zhang Zhiyuan and was only for Zhang Zhiyuan. ¡°Qiqi,e and taste this. How is the vor?¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi set aside the watermelon in her hand again, washed her hands, picked up the chopsticks, and grabbed a piece of Yun Chicken. ¡°Delicious,¡± Wu Minqi didn¡¯t skimp on her praise for Jiang Feng, smiling. ¡°As long as it¡¯s delicious.¡± Chapter 328: 327 Wonton Chapter 328: Chapter 327 Wonton ¡°` Wu Minqi held her chopsticks, with the Yun Chicken still in her mouth, she had already sunk into her memories. After a long while, she came back to reality as if from another lifetime, and smiled at Jiang Feng, saying, ¡°This time, it tastes exceptionally good.¡± As she spoke, Wu Minqi took another piece with her chopsticks. Jiang Feng smiled subtly, modestly hiding his skill. Jiang Feng then replicated the process for Wang Xiulian¡¯s taste preference and made a special version of Yun Chicken for her, which indeed turned out to be A-grade. Although he felt regret that this A-grade dish couldn¡¯t yet be added to the menu, Jiang Feng knew that a dish as heartwarming and family-friendly as this was perfect for casual family meals. Carrying the Yun Chicken, Jiang Feng went out looking for Mrs. Wang Xiulian, ready to have his dear mother try thetest creation. The first person Jiang Feng saw when he exited the kitchen was Ji Yue. It was hard not to notice her, as the digital tablet in front of her was quite conspicuous. ¡°Ji Yue, have you seen my mom?¡± Jiang Feng asked, casually cing the Yun Chicken on the table. ¡°Mrs. Wang just stepped out. She probably went to buy scallion pancakes, taro balls, milk tea, fried chicken, or cake,¡± Ji Yue said with an exhausted look.
    The bowl beside her, once filled with pure meat wontons, was now empty. Ji Yue was probably the second person, after Xue Shaoheng, who could finish a bowl of pure meat wontons by herself. The digital tablet in front of Ji Yue was still nk, disying only the bowl, spoon, and table¡ªno wontons in sight. ¡°If you can¡¯t draw it, just forget it,¡± Jiang Feng suggested. He thought it would be better for Ji Yue tounch a direct assault rather than trying to win over Zhang Guanghang gradually through his interests and hobbies. After all, with the time, energy, and effort she spent on drawingics, Ji Yue could have probably pursued Zhang Guanghang sessfully by now. ¡°I can¡¯t just forget it!¡± Ji Yue said that this wasn¡¯t about a man anymore¡ªit was about dignity. ¡°The soul of this story is the bowl of wontons. If I can¡¯t get the wontons right, the wholeic would be ruined. How could I simply forget it?¡± Jiang Feng instantly respected her more, not expecting Ji Yue to be such a persistent and idealistic¡­ Waitress. ¡°So¡­ how are you going to draw it now?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ji Yue replied expressionlessly. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s that dish you just brought out?¡± Ji Yue shifted her gaze to the Yun Chicken on the table. ¡°It¡¯s a new dish I¡¯ve been working on, sweet and sour. Do you want to try it?¡± Jiang Feng moved the Yun Chicken in front of Ji Yue. ¡°Don¡¯t move around with your foot like that, I¡¯ll get you some chopsticks.¡± Jiang Feng handed the chopsticks to Ji Yue, who immediately reached for the smallest piece of Yun Chicken on the te. Ji Yue liked crispy, fried foods, and she favored small portions of this type of pan-fried meat. After a small piece of Yun Chicken, the worry vanished from Ji Yue¡¯s face, and her eyes zed over in thought. Suddenly, she burst intoughter. Coming back to her senses and seeing Jiang Feng watching her, she exined, ¡°I just thought of my younger brother.¡± ¡°When I was in junior high, my brother was in elementary school. My mom wouldn¡¯t let us snack too much, afraid that I wouldn¡¯t grow tall and he would gain weight. She would only buy a little bit for both of us, and once it was gone, that was it.¡± ¡°So we would sneak each other¡¯s snacks whenever the other wasn¡¯t home, and whenever my parents came back, they would find my brother and me fighting. Butter, when I got to high school, my mom stopped worrying about my snacking, and I lost interest in snacks. It seemed that snacks not fought over with my brother just didn¡¯t taste good,¡± Ji Yue said with augh, then, as if struck by inspiration, she picked up the pen and made a stroke on the digital tablet.
    The pen paused on the tablet. Thirty secondster¨D Ji Yue silently erased the stroke she had just made, indicating she still wasn¡¯t inspired. Jiang Feng: ¡­
    Jiang Feng sat in the lobby for over half an hour, and even though the Yun Chicken had cooled, Mrs. Wang Xiulian had not returned. Instead, he was met by Xue Hua and Xue Shaoheng. Xue Shaoheng was dressed very formally today, sporting a suit and meticulouslybed hair despite its natural curl, his big eyes as clear and bright as ever, looking almost like a child dressed in adult clothes. Xue Hua held Xue Shaoheng¡¯s hand while speaking softly in his ear as they walked. Seeing Jiang Feng, who was ying on his phone while waiting in the lobby, Xue Shaoheng got excited and pulled Xue Hua¡¯s hand, pointing at Jiang Feng. ¡°Shaoheng, don¡¯t point at others like that. It¡¯s very impolite,¡± Xue Hua chided him gently before quickly approaching Jiang Feng. ¡°Master Jiang, it¡¯s such a relief to see you. I thought my brother and I were going to make a wasted trip,¡± Xue Hua said. ¡°We came yesterday and at noon today and missed you both times. We only wanted to check and didn¡¯t expect to actually find you here.¡± ¡°` ¡°Looking for me?¡± Jiang Feng was somewhat ttered. ¡°Yes, my brother and I are going to Magic City tonight; his art exhibition is about to begin. Thesest few days, he¡¯s been craving the wontons you make, insisting just now at home that I bring him over. It¡¯s not business hours right now, but could you possibly¡­¡± Jiang Feng immediately stood up: ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll make them for you right now.¡± As an outstanding employee of Taifeng Building, Ji Yue got up at once: ¡°I¡¯ll pour some water for you.¡± Her first step was unsteady; she limped a bit. Xue Hua noticed Ji Yue¡¯s difficulty in walking; she recognized her after all, as she and Xue Shaoheng were also regrs at Taifeng Building. It was already out of business hours, and she couldn¡¯t bear to have Ji Yue pour water for her, so she quickly declined.
    Xue Shaoheng¡¯s attention was drawn to Ji Yue¡¯s digital drawing tablet; he had never used one for his artwork and was seeing it for the first time. ¡°Wonton,¡± Xue Shaoheng pointed at the digital drawing tablet. ¡°Shaoheng, don¡¯t mess with other people¡¯s things,¡± Xue Hua said softly and gently, as she was busy cing an order and settling the bill on her tablet and couldn¡¯t stop Xue Shaoheng from walking up to Ji Yue¡¯s digital drawing tablet right away. ¡°You knew I was going to draw a wonton?¡± Ji Yue was surprised. She had some understanding of Xue Shaoheng¡¯s situation and had just heard Xue Hua mention he was going to Magic City for an art exhibition, so she knew her own artistic skills must be far inferior to Xue Shaoheng¡¯s. Xue Shaoheng didn¡¯t answer and picked up the pressure-sensitive pen, beginning to draw. One stroke, two strokes, done in one go. ¡°Shaoheng, don¡¯t mess with other people¡¯s things! And you shouldn¡¯t touch this sister¡¯s drawing without permission!¡± Xue Hua wanted to stop Xue Shaoheng¡¯s actions. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Ji Yue stopped Xue Hua, her eyes fixed on the pressure-sensitive pen in Xue Shaoheng¡¯s hand. Without any pause or hesitation, Xue Shaoheng drew stroke after stroke, and Ji Yue didn¡¯t dare blink, captivated by the sight. In just a few minutes, a bowl of wontons appeared on the digital drawing tablet. The wontons that had puzzled Ji Yue for several days were drawn by Xue Shaoheng in just a matter of minutes. It was as if he had printed the freshly made wontons from Jiang Feng onto the digital drawing tablet; they were an exact match, not just in appearance, but even the impression they gave was identical. Looking at the wontons drawn by Xue Shaoheng, Ji Yue felt as if she saw that bowl of extremely unptable wontons that made her cry and yet eat again.
    Even the taste of the wontons seemed to emerge in her mouth. ¡°Wonton!¡± Xue Shaoheng pointed at the wontons on the digital drawing tablet, giving Ji Yue a smile. Ji Yue nodded mechanically: ¡°Yes, wonton.¡± Xue Hua also noticed, saying: ¡°Isn¡¯t this the wonton made by Master Jiang? It looks quite simr to me; wontons from other ces don¡¯t look like this.¡± ¡°Right, the wonton I wanted to draw is the one made by Jiang Feng,¡± Ji Yue said, her gaze glued to the digital drawing tablet, unable to move away. Xue Shaoheng put down the pressure-sensitive pen and left Ji Yue¡¯s digital drawing tablet. Xue Hua brought him to a small table to sit down, whispering a warning: ¡°Shaoheng, sister knows you wanted to help this sister draw the wonton, but next time you can¡¯t just take someone¡¯s things without their permission, even if you¡¯re helping. You need to ask for permission, do you understand? This time, this sister was forgiving, but you have to go and apologize to herter, you¡­¡± Xue Hua rambled on into Xue Shaoheng¡¯s ear, and he nodded asionally while his eyes kept wandering elsewhere, it was unclear how much of her words he actually took in. A few minutester, Jiang Feng came out with the wontons, and Xue Hua finally stopped lecturing Xue Shaoheng, who started devouring the wontons. He was not sad, even feeling a bit happy. Xue Shaoheng squinted his eyes, swallowing the wonton in his mouth. He was enamored with the colorful world he saw while eating the wontons: blue sky, white clouds, flowers, birds, doors, home. Compared to these beautiful things, the departure of his mother, who had already faded from his memory, seemed less upsetting. And there was his sister. Xue Shaoheng looked up, showing Xue Hua a smile.
    In his memory, his sister¡¯s face was forever fixed in her teenaged appearance. His sister was the prettiest, the most beautiful girl in the whole world! Ji Yue looked at Xue Shaoheng, nced at the painting on the digital drawing tablet, and then at the bowl of wontons in front of him, and couldn¡¯t help eximing, ¡°Jiang Feng, he is truly a genius.¡± Jiang Feng also saw the wontons drawn on the digital drawing tablet and guessed they were drawn by Xue Shaoheng; Ji Yue¡¯s style was not like this. This made him think of the teacup Xue Shaoheng had drawn in the past with precision as ifid out with apass, agreeing, ¡°He¡¯s always been a genius.¡± Chapter 329: 328: Birthday Cake Chapter 329: Chapter 328: Birthday Cake Jiang Feng had a nightmare that night. It was a terrifying dream, where he dreamed that everyone in the Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen, including himself, inexplicably turned into Shu people. Even Mr. Jiang Jiankang somehow developed a taste for spicy food. As everyone was from Shu, the hot pot they ate on Jiang Weiming¡¯s birthday wasn¡¯t even a yuan-yang pot. The sight of Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers twirling in the red oil made Jiang Feng¡¯s scalp tingle. Everyone kept piling food onto his te, saying, ¡°Jiang Feng, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± ¡°Jiang Feng, eat!¡± ¡°Jiang Feng, this yellow throat fish is really tasty.¡± ¡°Jiang Feng, have some duck intestine!¡± ¡°Jiang Feng¡­¡± Eventually, it was the spiciness that woke Jiang Feng up. He awoke in a cold sweat. Jiang Feng got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. Wu Minqi was already awake, and the millet porridge in the kitchen was bubbling, almost ready to be served.
    On the table, there were two salted duck eggs and a small dish of pickles, the pickles brought over from Shu by Wu Minqi, and the salted duck eggs were Gaoyou salted duck eggs given to Jiang Feng by Xu, significantlyrger than average, resembling goose eggs more than duck eggs. The millet porridge in the kitchen was ready. As Wu Minqi served the porridge, Jiang Feng took the salted duck eggs to the cutting board and sliced them open. When the knife went down, the sandy yolk oozed out, revealing double yolks. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a double-yolked egg!¡± Jiang Feng said with surprise. He had eaten double-yolked chicken eggs before but had never seen a double-yolked salted duck egg. ¡°Double-yolked egg!¡± Wu Minqi also saw a double-yolked salted duck egg for the first time and couldn¡¯t help looking over at the cutting board. Therge salted duck egg was mostly upied by the yolk, orange and oily. Jiang Feng sliced open the other egg, which also had double yolks. ¡°Gaoyou salted duck eggs really live up to their reputation, two in a row both double-yolked,¡± Jiang Feng remarked. ¡°They must have been selected on purpose. I¡¯ve heard thatrger eggs are more likely to be double-yolked,¡± Wu Minqi said as she brought the millet porridge to the table. The two finished their millet porridge with salted duck eggs and pickles. The porridge Wu Minqi made that day was thick with distinct grains of millet, no other ingredients added, golden in appearance, and very light when eaten, pairing well with the sour and spicy pickles and the rtively saltier egg whites. After finishing two bowls of millet porridge, Jiang Feng wiped his mouth and asked, ¡°So, are we going to Taifeng Building now?¡± ¡°Did you forget? Grandpa Jiang is going to Taifeng Building to stir-fry the hot pot base this morning. Mrs. Wang and the others are taking care of the store. Didn¡¯t we agree yesterday that we would go to Fen Garden to help Zhang Guanghang make a birthday cake?¡± Wu Minqi started cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks. ¡°Fen Garden? Oh right, Ipletely forgot.¡± Jiang Feng pped his forehead, the dream fromst night where he couldn¡¯t eat the yuan-yang pot was too vivid and frightening; he had forgotten that he had agreed with Zhang Guanghang to go to Fen Garden today to help him make a birthday cake for Jiang Weiming¡¯s celebration. Yes, Zhang Guanghang was not only versed in Chinese, Japanese, and French cuisines but also hadmendable skills as a pastry chef who dabbled in desserts. If one day, Zhang Guanghang took an interest in learning pastry making, Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all. Who else but Zhang Guanghang could make anything seem reasonable with his handsome looks and talent? By the time Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi arrived at Fen Garden, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s cake was almost finished, just missing the piping and decorations. He invited Jiang Feng over to help, of course, to get his advice on the cake¡¯s design, since Jiang Feng was recognized as Taifeng Building¡¯s master of ting. As for Wu Minqi, it was just a change of scenery for carving watermelons. Carving at home and carving at Fen Garden was all the same to her. Fen Garden was originally a private kitchen run by Xia Mushi. After Xia Mushi¡¯s death, Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t change the interior or structure of Fen Garden, keeping it as it was when it was a private restaurant, even leaving the tables and utensils behind. The birthday cake Zhang Guanghang made for Jiang Weiming was a French-style one, consisting of four different vors: tiramisu, cheesecake, berry mousse, and matcha ganache. The outeryer was sealed with cream, hiding the quadrants which would only be revealed upon cutting into it. Such a cake would cost at least 300 yuan upwards in a pastry shop, if not more.
    If the pastry shop disyed Zhang Guanghang¡¯s photo and allowed onlookers to watch him work, the price could probably exceed a thousand yuan. After all, most people who love cake are girls, and those who pursue exquisite birthday cakes are usually girls as well. Seeing the fruits lined up on the kitchen counter, Jiang Feng asked, ¡°Are you going to make a fruit cake?¡± ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s a birthday at home, we usually make this kind of fruit cake,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. ¡°I just haven¡¯t decided on the design yet. I¡¯m thinking about whether or not to arrange the character ¡®ÊÙ¡¯ on the cake.¡±
    ¡°No need to be so deliberate. The cake is just a surprise. My family doesn¡¯t have the tradition of eating cakes for birthdays; we usually eat noodles, just like Granduncle Weiming.¡± Jiang Feng said, ncing over the fruits on the cooking counter, ¡°How about we keep it simple and just use blueberries and raspberries to create a half-pattern?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± nodded Zhang Guanghang. Since Jiang Feng had said so, they would keep it simple. ¡°By the way, have you made any progress with your Shafu Roast Chicken?¡± Jiang Feng asked casually. ¡°Not much progress, I can¡¯t seem to get the hang of it,¡± Zhang Guanghang began to pick out raspberries. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already figured it out,¡± said Jiang Feng. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s hand, which was selecting raspberries, paused. He was taken aback and looked at Jiang Feng as if he were looking at a monster. For chefs, it was quite normal to be stumped by a dish for ten days, a half-month, several months, several years, or even decades, as inspiration is elusive and cannot just appear or be obtained on demand. Zhang Guanghang was already surprised that Jiang Feng had grasped the essence of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon so quickly. While Sun Jikai and Wu Minqi had assisted with that dish, the Yun Chicken that Jiang Feng was now working on was entirely his own effort. For a chef to contemte and create a satisfying new dish within a mere ten days was nothing short of astonishing, even terrifying in terms of talent. Zhang Guanghang really found it strange this time. Given Jiang Feng¡¯s talent that made him feel admiration and even inferiority, it was surprising that Jiang Weiguo had been willing to let him give up cooking to focus on his studies. Zhang Guanghang also remembered when they had chatted casually, and Jiang Feng had self-deprecatingly said that the old master used to scold him for not having enough talent, iming he was worlds apart from his great-grandfather. If someone with Jiang Feng¡¯s talent could be criticized for not being talented enough, what sort of person was that great-grandfather he spoke of! Were all members of the Jiang Family monsters?
    ¡°It was just a lucky coincidence. I made Yun Chicken for my second brother yesterday at noon, and somehow I stumbled upon the taste I wanted. After that, it all went smoothly. It was just luck,¡± Jiang Feng forced an exnation. ¡°You do have quite some luck,¡± Zhang Guanghangughed. ¡°By the way, do you like Crispy Fragrant Apples?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Crispy Fragrant Apples? What are Crispy Fragrant Apples?¡± Zhang Guanghang responded with a question. ¡°You don¡¯t know Crispy Fragrant Apples? Hasn¡¯t Old Sir Xia ever made them for you?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this dish; is it a dessert?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°My master probably never made it for me, nor did he teach me this dish. I have no recollection of it at all.¡± Zhang Guanghang had never tried Crispy Fragrant Apples! No, rather, Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t even know what Crispy Fragrant Apples were. If that was the case, why would the game¡¯s friendly hint suggest that Crispy Fragrant Apples would be a good choice? After thinking about it, Jiang Feng seemed to know what the Shafu Roast Chicken in Zhang Guanghang¡¯s memory was. Indeed, elders around the world liked to fool their juniors when they were young and unaware. Cao Guixiang did so, his Dad did so, the old master did so, and presumably Xia Mushi did too. ¡°How about after we go to Taifeng Building to wrap rice dumplings, I¡¯ll make you a portion of Crispy Fragrant Apples!¡± Jiang Feng suggested with a smile.
    ¡°This dish is a must on the dinner table during our family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve feast. It¡¯s sweet, crispy, and the kids love it.¡± Zhang Guanghang: ??? Why did he feel¡­ that Jiang Feng¡¯s smile seemed a little strange? It was like the sly grin of an ill-intentioned Husky. Chapter 330: 329: Green Leaf Dumplings Chapter 330: Chapter 329: Green Leaf Dumplings The birthday cake needed to be kept refrigerated, otherwise with the current outdoor temperature in Beiping, it would turn into a creamy mess if left outside for an hour. Zhang Guanghang had finished the birthday cake, Wu Minqi hadpleted carving the crane-shaped longevity peach for Jiang Weiming¡¯s birthday celebration, and Jiang Feng found the breakthrough point forpleting Zhang Guanghang¡¯s side mission. Each of them had their own gains, and after packing up, they prepared to meet at Taifeng Building. The highlight of this morning was making zongzi, a group activity to make rice dumplings that was rare to see in August. In everyone¡¯s conventional image, zongzi is a food only eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. Once the festival is over, zongzi disappears without a trace. It was also Jiang Feng¡¯s first time making zongzi in August. Zhang Guanghang went to get the car, and Jiang Feng waited with Wu Minqi at the entrance of Fen Garden for him. After a while, instead of the familiar Bentley, a silver Maserati appeared. Jiang Feng: ??? Do all you rich and handsome guys get tired of the old that quickly? The beloved Bentley had only been driven for a short period, and you¡¯ve already moved on to a new love interest. However, this new love seemed really dirty, Jiang Feng thought, noticing quite a bit of dust on the car. After getting into the car, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why did you change cars?¡±
    ¡°The previous one was sent for maintenance, this one I bought a few years ago, I don¡¯t drive it much,¡± Zhang Guanghang exined, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since it¡¯s been driven and it got dusty in the garage. I forgot to get it washed yesterday, after you help me take the cake over, I¡¯ll go wash the car.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Feng responded. . Even with zongzi, there are Northern and Southern variations. Beiping zongzi, representing the Northern variety, are quiterge and generally four-cornered or shaped as triangles. The filling is mostly red bean paste with jujubes, with a small portion filled with candied fruit. Southern zongzies in a greater variety, with shapes including diamond, polygonal, cylindrical, and conical. The fillings are also very diverse, with traditional meat zongzi and red bean paste zongzi, as well as the newer mixed and salted egg yolk meat zongzi gaining poprity in recent years. Jiang Feng remembered that when he was still in elementary school, there would often be an olddy pushing a cart selling zongzi made purely from glutinous rice and wrapped in green leaves, without any filling. You could see the tightly wrapped glutinous rice inside the conical green leaf zongzi by peeling the leaves apart, and it became delicious after rolling it in a pile of mixed white sugar and sesame seeds that you¡¯d dip it into with a bamboo skewer. The sweet sticky rice was chewy and firm, with a faint, refreshing scent of the leaves, only one yuan each. Back then, as long as Jiang Shoucheng, Jiang Zaidi, and Jiang Ran had enough money in their wallets, they could devour five or six non-stop. If Chen Xiuxiu was with them, especially on a day they received pocket money, their group could buy out the olddy¡¯s entire stock of zongzi. As Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi progressed to middle school, the scene where the Jiang family¡¯s big and little fat boys surrounded the olddy¡¯s zongzi cart became a rare sight. Somehow, over time, the olddy¡¯s zongzi cart vanished, just like many unremarkable stalls that Jiang Feng visited in his childhood, appearing quietly and disappearing without a trace. The olddy assumed that as the youngest, he didn¡¯t have much pocket money, so could only afford one zongzi. She peeled an additional small zongzi for him, which led to him being so full that he couldn¡¯t eat dinner that evening¡ªa memory still vivid to Jiang Feng, yet it had been nearly 10 years since hest ate a green leaf zongzi. ¡°Sigh,¡± Jiang Feng let out a sigh. Just an hour after getting off the train, Jiang Ran, who had been dragged back home by his parents, disheveled, to wash and change clothes before being reborn, heard Jiang Feng sighing while making zongzi and couldn¡¯t help but look over. ¡°Little brother, what are you sighing about?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked, constantly poking into the zongzi leaves with chopsticks, trying to bury therge piece of meat he just added with glutinous rice. ¡°I want to eat green leaf zongzi,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°the ones sold by the olddy at the entrance of our elementary school.¡± ¡°Green leaf zongzi?¡± Jiang Shoucheng joined the discussion, ¡°You mean the in zongzi that we ate dipped in sugar, without any filling?¡± ¡°Yes, the in zongzi, it feels like it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve eaten them,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°If you want to eat it, just make one without meat. Remember to mark it after you wrap it, so I don¡¯t eat it by mistake,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, continuing to wrestle with the meat inside the zongzi leaves.
    ¡°De, stop messing around, you can¡¯t fit it in, try a smaller piece of meat. You¡¯ve been wrapping that zongzi for five or six minutes now, at your speed, when are we ever going to finish?¡± Jiang Ran couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Jiang Zaidi wasn¡¯t willing to give up the meat he had in hand, struggling desperately, ¡°Who says it can¡¯t fit, give me a few more minutes and I¡¯ll get it in!¡± Jiang Ran shook his head helplessly, tying up an incredibly ugly zongzi. ¡°Your zongzi is so ugly. Look at mine,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said, picking up one he had just made that was as ugly as Jiang Ran¡¯s,ughing at the misfortune of another although he was no better off.
    Jiang Feng ignored the squabbling between his two older cousins, and after hesitating for a few seconds between green leaf and meat zongzi, he decisively grabbed a piece of meat and ced it into the zongzi leaves. Although the green leaf zongzi was a memory from his childhood, he chose the meat zongzi. The materials for today¡¯s zongzi were all personally prepared by Mrs. Jiang. The glutinous rice had been soaked overnight, and the meat was also well-marinatedrge chunks of fresh meat that would be extremely delicious even just grilled on the spot, let alone wrapped in a zongzi. Mrs. Jiang, as the pir of the Jiang family¡¯s zongzi-making realm, had made the zongzi for all 18 members of the family every Dragon Boat Festival, a tradition of over a decade, which is also why the younger generation of the Jiang family, including Jiang Feng, aren¡¯t skilled at making zongzi. Mrs. Jiang has always been a benchmark in the Jiang family¡¯s zongzi-making efforts, meeting few rivals, and even Sir had to admit his inferiority, althoughrgely because Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯t allow Sir to make zongzi. Mrs. Jiang was very apt at eliminating the enemy at its source. But today, she met her match. Chen Suhua. Ever since Professor Li and his wife moved to Beiping, the two of them started living the leisurely life of retired elders. Professor Li spent his days drinking tea, reading the newspaper, ying with his smartphone, walking, and ying chess. asionally, he would also read some papers and pay attention to thetest research trends, feeling fulfilled andfortable each day, appearing much younger than he looked before. Chen Suhua, on the other hand, raised chickens, pigs, and grew vegetables. She cleaned the house, knitted sweaters, and treated the Li family old house as if it were arge countryside courtyard, bing hopelessly addicted to animal husbandry and agriculture. Mrs. Jiang had been getting very close with the Li family these days, spending her days with Chen Suhua raising chickens, growing vegetables, and knitting sweaters. Chen Suhua, influenced by Mrs. Jiang, had also fallen in love with Huangmei opera, and the two had pretty much be old sisters. And what are sisters for if not topare andpete with each other?
    As Mrs. Jiang and Chen Suhua ignited a battle without gunpowder over making rice dumplings, the others in the Jiang family, including Jiang Zaidi, were gradually stripped of their dumpling-making rights and could only give up on the hopeless endeavor and join in idleness. They began spectating Mrs. Jiang and Chen Suhua make rice dumplings. In fact, most of the staff at Taifeng Building couldn¡¯t make rice dumplings. They were just looking for a novelty. Being able to make one like Jiang Ran¡¯s was already considered excellent, as at least the dumplings were tied up and didn¡¯t break apart. Whether they would fall apart while being boiled was another matter, left to fate. Jiang Feng noticed that Ji Yue had begun talking with Zhang Guanghang, showing him theic she had just finished yesterday. The two elders and Professor Li sat at a four-seater table, drinking tea and chatting merrily, while the smile never left Jiang Weiming¡¯s face. Wu Minqi and Ji Xue were nowhere to be seen. Wang Xiulian and Jiang Feng¡¯s great-aunts, second aunts, and the fourth and fifth aunts gathered together, each holding a cucumber, munching away while having tea and a chat. Jiang Jiankang and some of Jiang Feng¡¯s uncles were boasting and bragging. ¡°Ran, I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight recently,¡± Jiang Feng observed closely, guessing that Jiang Ran probably had slimmed down to below 200 pounds. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busytely reviewing all sorts of documents, applications, submitting forms, writing papers¡ªI¡¯m almost writing myself to death, with no time to eat, always ordering takeout. Of course I would lose weight!¡± Jiang Ran remarked. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Why did he feel that Jiang Ran¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t so muchining but carried a hint of pride? ¡°Proper meals and enough rest are necessary. Otherwise, you might end up like Dest time who almost¡­ almost fainted,¡± Jiang Shoucheng quickly steered the conversation, narrowly avoiding a slip of the tongue. Jiang Shoucheng subtly shifted two steps to the side. They were a bit too close to Mrs. Wang Xiulian and her sisters-inw¡¯s chatting area. ¡°What happened to Dest time?¡± Jiang Ran inquired. Jiang Feng & Jiang Shoucheng & Jiang Zaidi: ¡­
    The three of them silently moved two steps to the side together, while Jiang Ran followed suit, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s De¡¯s personal experience, you tell Ran,¡± Jiang Feng passed the mic to Jiang Zaidi. Jiang Zaidi: ¡­ ¡°Aboutst time, sigh, you know how customers are nowadays, tough to deal with. They set high prices and have many demands. I was constantly revising drafts, staying up all night. Consequently, I felt dizzy, which led me to go for a medical check-up. The doctor said it was fortunate I came in time, or I could have just copsed and died from overworking. Now, I¡¯m on leave, right?¡± Jiang Zaidi started to concoct a tall tale. ¡°Shoucheng knows about this. He bumped into me at the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, De was having low blood sugar at that time,¡± Jiang Shoucheng nodded and agreed. ¡°Cheng, weren¡¯t you in emergency?¡± Jiang Ran intimated, even though he didn¡¯t endorse it; he kept up with social media. Jiang Shoucheng: ¡­ ¡°I just recently rotated to emergency care. I wasn¡¯t there before,¡± said Jiang Shoucheng. ¡°Weren¡¯t you in thoracic surgery before?¡± Jiang Ran noted, his memory proving to be quite sharp. Jiang Shoucheng: ¡­ ¡°We just happened to run into each other when I was delivering something to the outpatient department.¡± Jiang Ran, smart as a whip, wanted to keep asking, but was interrupted by Sang Ming who suddenly popped out of nowhere. ¡°Everyone, fancy a game of mahjong?¡± Sang Ming¡¯s face bore a mysterious smile that made Jiang Feng think he wasn¡¯t asking if they wanted to y mahjong, but rather if they wanted some ¡°stuff.¡±
    ¡°Where did Taifeng Building get mahjong tiles?¡± Jiang Feng questioned, mentioning that even their own home didn¡¯t have a set. Only the Li Mansion had one, used asionally when Mrs. Jiang and Chen Suhua joined the olddies from the surrounding quad houses for entertainment. Mrs. Jiang had been doing quite well at Beiping mahjong recently. ¡°I brought two sets of mahjong tiles with me today, just in case we had nothing to doter. See? Now theye in handy,¡± Sang Ming boasted with pride, ¡°It¡¯s just you we¡¯re short of for the Sichuan Mahjong game. Me, Zhang Weiyu, and Qi Rou from Shu are three missing one. Are you in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± ¡°By the way, do you know how to y Sichuan Mahjong, or do you need me to go over the rules?¡± Sang Ming offered. ¡°No need, I¡¯ve yed Sichuan Mahjong before,¡± Jiang Feng assured, hinting that it was time to showcase some real mahjong skills. In his freshman year, while others in his ss were all ying Arena of Valor, meeting up in the Valley of Kings, his ssmates were hooked on QQ Mahjong¡¯s Sichuan version, encountering each other in room number one. Back then, Jiang Feng¡¯s score was unrivaled, often ying on behalf of Wang Hao to boost his scores. He hadn¡¯t spent all these years watching Mrs. Jiang y mahjong for nothing! Chapter 331: 330 Mahjong Chapter 331: Chapter 330 Mahjong As everyone knows, Mahjong is a puzzle game that can prevent senile dementia. ¡ª¡ªby. Mrs. Jiang, who is addicted to ying Mahjong Before attending college, Jiang Feng was only skilled in the variations of Mahjong yed locally in Z city and its surrounding counties. Thanks to Mrs. Jiang¡¯s years of influence, Feng had a bit of understanding of the styles yed in the counties around Z city. Although Z city is located in the south, its Mahjong only has 136 tiles; before attending college, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even know about the existence of the eight additional flower tiles, which include spring, summer, autumn, and winter, as well as plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Jiang Feng¡¯s deeper appreciation for Mahjong began after he went to college and met yers from all over the country, as well as from QQ Games. During his freshman year, Feng was addicted to ruling the Mahjong tables in QQ Games, ranging from national standard to Shu style Mahjong. He won hand after hand everywhere he went, almost failing Advanced Mathematics. Later, Jiang Feng turned over a new leaf and switched from online to real-life Mahjong, asionally slipping over to the next dorm to y a few rounds, aiming to foster closer rtionships with his ssmates. Regrettably, during an unexpected dorm inspection in the second year¡¯s first semester, three decks of ying cards, a set of Mahjong tiles, two cases of white liquor, and everything from Jiang Feng¡¯s dorm such as the electric rice cooker, kitchen knife, rolling pin, sticky board, and various seasoning ingredients were all confiscated in one fell swoop. After that, the next-door dorm restocked a case of white liquor and three decks of ying cards, but never reced the set of Mahjong tiles. Since then, Jiang Feng had never yed in real life again, only watching Mrs. Jiang y Mahjong during the New Year celebrations. Before starting the game, Qi Rou carefully exined to everyone the rules for winning in their version of the game. Shu style Mahjong is just a general term; there are slight variations in the way it¡¯s yed in different ces. Jiang Feng, Sang Ming, and Zhang Weiyu each took a moment to digest Qi Rou¡¯s exnation, and then the game began. Shu-style Mahjong, also known as ¡®Blood Battle Mahjong¡¯, only includes dots, bamboo, and characters, the three suits, thus totaling only 108 tiles and not ending when one yer wins. When someone wins, the remaining three yers continue the game until three of the four yers have won or the remaining yer has no tiles left to draw, resulting in a draw. This also means that the one who wins first is not necessarily the final winner, but thest loser is definitely the most tragic one.
    Jiang Feng was now a bit nervous. The hand he was currently ying had reached a critical point. He was just one nine of dots away from self-drawing the winning seven pairs hand, and no nine of dots had been yed on the table yet, giving him a great advantage. Feng took a deep breath and reached out. In this moment, he felt as if the gods and saints of Mahjong, along with the king of gamblers, had all possessed him. This tile was going to be¡ª¡ª An eight of characters. Jiang Feng: ??? No one had yed any eight of characters on the table either. Feng hesitated for a moment but decided to stick with the nine of dots. ¡°Eight of characters,¡± Jiang Feng said expressionlessly as he yed the eight of characters he held. Sang Ming¡¯s eyes lit up, and he shouted with glee, ¡°Kong!¡± With a sweep of his hand, he pushed out three eight of characters. Feng breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, he had stuck with the nine of dots. Sang Ming drew a tile, and like the male prodigy from the neighboring Neon Country in the anime ¡®Genius Mahjong Girl¡¯, he pushed the hand of tiles in front of him forward with another loud shout: ¡°Kong on the rise, I win!¡± The tile that Sang Ming just drew was the nine of dots; all three of the nine of dots that Jiang Feng had been coveting were neatly lying at Sang Ming¡¯s side, making up a hand of ¡®Kong on the rise¡¯¡ªa move Feng had only seen in the anime ¡®Genius Mahjong Girl¡¯ next door and never encountered in real life. Jiang Feng: ??? Prodigy Mahjong boy Sang Ming was the first to win and temporarily withdrew from the game to join the audience. Having witnessed this human tragedy, Jiang Shoucheng couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, turning to Jiang Zaidi and whispering, ¡°Little bro is having some tough luck today.¡± Zaidi nodded in agreement, ¡°Bad luck is thest thing you want in a game; if you¡¯re going to lose, you might as well keep losing.¡± ¡°Exactly, I had a night like that the year beforest during New Year¡¯s,¡± Jiang Ran chimed in with a sense of understanding, inadvertently uttering a venomous curse.
    Sang Ming, seated next to Feng, had just won with a ¡®Kong on the rise.¡¯ After Sang Ming¡¯s win, Zhang Weiyu yed a nine of characters without any change in expression, followed by Qi Rou, who yed the same tile. Jiang Feng drew a tile. Four of dots. With no four of dots discarded yet, Jiang Feng felt a significant advantage and nonchntly yed the nine of dots that had once carried his hopes.
    Zhang Weiyu was about to draw a card. ¡°Wait.¡± Qi Rou stopped Zhang Weiyu¡¯s action with her voice, looking at the nine of dots Feng had just yed with a mix of surprise and disbelief before pushing forward her own tiles. ¡°I win with a pure suit!¡± Qi Rou couldn¡¯t help but double-check, her face contorting with the ugliness of victory, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I won!¡± A full flush of dot tilesy before her, including the three four of dots Feng had longed for. Jiang Feng: ¡­ The four of dots he had just drawn was now useless. Their table seemed to be drawing some divine tiles, with Sang Ming winning with a ¡®Kong on the rise¡¯ and Qi Rou with a pure suit. Despite the setbacks with his seven pairs, Jiang Feng still felt his chances of winning were substantial. Zhang Weiyu remained expressionless, calmly drawing his tile. The game had reached a fever pitch. Jiang Feng and Zhang Weiyu took turns drawing tiles, neither iming discarded ones to win, nor drawing winning tiles on their own. As the number on the table dwindled to thest half round, Jiang Feng was starting to feel anxious, while Zhang Weiyu remained calm andposed. Jiang Feng had even considered breaking up his seven pairs to go for a Pung hand, but with victory so close, he couldn¡¯t bear to, thus remaining in a deadlock that now seemed irreversible. Jiang Feng let out a sigh and discarded the Four of Bamboos he had just drawn. Only two tiles were left to draw from the table, and it seemed the game was about to end in this way. ¡°Four of Bamboos,¡± Jiang Feng said.
    Zhang Weiyu pushed his sses up and dered, ¡°I win.¡± Chicken hand, one fan. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°You must have been aiming for seven pairs. What a pity,¡± said Zhang Weiyu, feigning sympathy for Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Another round!¡± Jiang Feng struggled desperately, unwilling to give up. Ten minutester¡ª Jiang Feng: ¡°Seven of Characters.¡± Sang Ming pushed his tiles forward: ¡°I win!¡± . Jiang Feng: ¡°One of Characters.¡± Qi Rou¡¯s face lit up with surprise: ¡°Eh, I win again!¡± .
    Jiang Feng: ¡°Six of Dots.¡± Zhang Weiyu smiled slightly: ¡°Sorry, I win too.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Another round!¡± Jiang Feng felt a pain in his kidney. ¡­ After three rounds of mahjong, Jiang Feng felt as if he had lost a kidney. He himself was puzzled by his extraordinary bad luck. Losing at mahjong was normal, but losing consistently from start to finish, without giving anyone else the chance to win off his discards, was not. Thest round ended with a simultaneous win from three yers; one with a Flush hand, one with Terminal Tiles, and one with a Chicken hand. He had managed to achieve a mahjong record worthy of the history books. Why was his luck so terrible, almost rivalling the former Zhuang Lin¡¯s? He wondered if Zhuang Lin yed mahjong at all. Wait a minute, Zhuang Lin, luck. Jiang Feng¡¯s hands stopped shuffling the tiles.
    Jiang Feng remembered the beef stew with carrots he had eaten recently. The buff from the beef stew with carrots promised the best luck for one week within a year, and since he¡¯d already used up his best luck, ording to thew of conservation of mass, which states that mass in an isted system is neither created nor destroyed by chemical reactions or physical transformations, his current losing streak at mahjong made sense. As for whether something as abstract as luck would abide by thew of conservation of mass, what did that have to do with him, Jiang Feng? Of course, his recent bad luck had nothing to do with it, no, it must be because of that beef stew with carrots. The reason for his devastating loss today was entirely due to bad luck and had nothing to do with his skills at the game. ¡°What are you all crowding around here for? Has Ran seen Feng? I brought some zongzi¡­ Eh, someone even brought mahjong.¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s arrival saved Jiang Feng¡¯s kidney. If the game continued at this rate, he wouldn¡¯t be able to save his kidneys. ¡°What kind of mahjong are you ying? Beiping mahjong or Guangdong mahjong?¡± Mrs. Jiang was intrigued. ¡°Grandma, they¡¯re ying Shu region mahjong,¡± replied Jiang Ran. ¡°Shu region mahjong?¡± Mrs. Jiang pondered. ¡°I know how to y that. I yed a few rounds at the mahjong parlor downstairs the other day, it was quite interesting with only 108 tiles. Feng, go check on the zongzi in the kitchen, I¡¯ll y a round for you.¡± ¡°Sure, Grandma!¡± This was exactly what Jiang Feng had been waiting for; he knew Mrs. Jiang would not disappoint him. Jiang Feng immediately stood up and gave his seat to Mrs. Jiang, leaving without any reluctance or longing, not looking back as he headed for the kitchen. Chapter 332: 331 Bean Medley Soup Chapter 332: Chapter 331 Bean Medley Soup Since making zongzi wasn¡¯t a task that involved a lot of cooking fumes, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t bother changing into his work clothes and went straight into the kitchen in his casual wear. Once in the kitchen, he discovered that Wu Minqi and Ji Xue, who had been previously unseen, were each sitting on a small stool in the back kitchen, processing beans. At a casual nce, there were 9 small bags ced by Wu Minqi and Ji Xue; the quantity didn¡¯t seem much, butbined, it was quite substantial, and each bag appeared to contain a different type of bean. Wu Minqi was peeling soybeans while Ji Xue was shelling broad beans. Peeling beans was a delicate task; the two of them just sat there quietly without a word or sound, eyes fixed on the beans in their hands, only their fingers nimbly dancing. ¡°What are you doing shelling beans here?¡± Jiang Feng asked, curious. ¡°Xue said she wanted to make a Longevity Soup for Grandpa Jiang. It was too slow for her to shell the beans alone, so I came to help her,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°Longevity Soup?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a Mixed Bean Soup, a traditional soup that must be drunk on the birthdays of people over 90 in my mother¡¯s family. The Longevity Soup requires 9 different kinds of beans, and for each year of the elderly¡¯s age, that¡¯s how many beans you put in, originally it was nameless, butter everyone started calling it Longevity Soup for a blessing,¡± Ji Xue exined. ¡°Only beans and nothing else added?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Just beans, just add a bit of salt,¡± said Ji Xue. Nine types of beans, just add salt¡­
    Jiang Feng pondered, then asked a soul-searching question, ¡°Does the soup made this way¡­ taste good?¡± Ji Xue fell silent, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to swallow.¡± Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi: ¡­ The motions of Wu Minqi, who was shelling broad beans, paused for a moment; she was now somewhat regretful for having boarded Ji Xue¡¯s ¡®ship of thieves¡¯ to help her shell beans. ¡°If it¡¯s difficult to swallow, then why has it been passed down to the present and be a custom?¡± Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t understand. As ismonly known, all kinds of stories and snacks associated with emperors who loved the South that have been passed down to this day survive because they are delicious. Food is the simplest thing in the world; itpetes only on vor. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the origin of the soup, I heard it from my grandmother. She said that many years ago, there was an old woman in their vige who loved beans, but her family was so poor that they could only count the beans they ate. When the old woman got older and lost all her teeth and couldn¡¯t chew the beans anymore, her children and grandchildren made her bean soup,¡± Ji Xue wasn¡¯t very good at telling stories, her narration was always pause and go, stop and think, organizing her thoughts before continuing. ¡°On the old woman¡¯s 91st birthday, her grandson made her a small bowl of Mixed Bean Soup with 9 different kinds of beans, and because they were poor, he only put one of each kind. Then on her 92nd birthday, her grandson repeated the process and made her a bowl with two of each kind of bean.¡± ¡°Until after the old woman¡¯s 99th birthday, their family suddenly became prosperous. So, on her 100th birthday, her grandson cooked tenrge pots of the Mixed Bean Soup with 10 different beans, 100 of each kind, and invited the whole vige to share. The vigers all thought that it was because the old woman drank the Mixed Bean Soup her grandson made that she lived so long; hence, whenever there was someone who was over 90 in a family, in hopes of a blessing, they would make Mixed Bean Soup for them on their birthday.¡± ¡°And because everybody¡¯s living conditions have improved, they no longer count beans as they did in the past, so when making Mixed Bean Soup, they put as many beans in as the age of the elder. Everyone thought the name Mixed Bean Soup didn¡¯t sound very nice, so now they all call it Longevity Soup,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°Then what happened?¡± Jiang Feng inquired, feeling that the story wasn¡¯tplete. ¡°What ¡®then what¡¯?¡± Ji Xue was somewhat puzzled. ¡°On the old woman¡¯s 100th birthday, her grandson made her Mixed Bean Soup with 10 different types of beans, but what about her 101st birthday, and the story afterward?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know either; it¡¯s just something that¡¯s said. I don¡¯t even know from when that grandma lived. It¡¯s a story my grandmother told me when I was little. It¡¯s what everyone says and does, and whether it¡¯s true or not, nobody knows,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°Also, the tradition in our family from the South is that once an elder reaches a hundred years, they shouldn¡¯t celebrate their birthday, and they need to keep their age a secret to live a long life. Maybe that grandma stopped celebrating her birthdays after she turned a hundred, so her grandson stopped making her the mixed bean soup.¡± Jiang Feng immediately felt relieved. Legends are always full of people¡¯s various wonderful fantasies and desires, with no need for logic, just somewhere to ce their wishes. The origin of the celebratory soup that Ji Xue talked about was already very convincing among the many strange and curious legends. Jiang Feng vaguely remembered the variety of customs and legends from the vige that Grandma Jiang told him about when he was little, mostly rted to ghosts and spirits. Stuff like a long time ago, a child from a family was possessed, or a wife from a family was possessed, or an elder from a family was possessed. Or even earlier, a youngdy from a big family in the city eloped, or a greedyndlord was punished by a fairy ¨C the kind of stories you¡¯d find in ¡®Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio¡¯ that scared Jiang Feng silly when he was young. It seemed as if without possessions, elopements, or fairies seeking revenge, you couldn¡¯t have a legend.
    Jiang Feng went to check on the zongzi in the pot; there was still some time before they were ready toe out. Since no one needed to watch over the zongzi as they cooked, Jiang Feng went to help Ji Xue shell beans, sitting in a row with Wu Minqi, shelling broad beans. The shells of broad beans are tough. Originally, boiling the beans with salt in hot water before cooling them would make shelling much easier. But Ji Xue told Jiang Feng that since the celebratory soup was a representation of grandchildren¡¯s filial piety towards their elders, the harder it was to shell the beans, the better. It was said that the harder you worked shelling the beans, the longer the elderly would live. A strange custom, but with a good intention. It was only when Wu Minqi had finished dealing with the red beans, green beans, and soybeans that Jiang Feng and Ji Xue just barely managed to finish shelling 99 broad beans.
    It had been a long time since Jiang Feng had intently and continuously focused on something so small for such a long time without moving. After finishing the broad beans and lifting his head, the whole sky seemed to have brightened, even though it was the ceiling light that was shining. ¡°By the way, have you ever had this celebratory soup?¡± Jiang Feng asked, twisting his neck. He felt he was not far from getting cervical spondylosis. ¡°I have, when I was very little, at a grandma¡¯s hundred-year banquet,¡± Ji Xue said with an expression that spoke volumes. ¡°Although it didn¡¯t taste very good, my grandmother said it was a blessing. Everyone had to drink a bowl to share the old person¡¯s blessings.¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s said that the original batch of mixed bean soup at that grandma¡¯s hundred-year banquet was very delicious, but why it has be so hard to swallow now, I don¡¯t know,¡± Ji Xue added. Jiang Feng nodded, understanding that during times of scarcity, even boiled pork slices could be considered a delicacy, let alone a celebratory soup inteced with people¡¯s good wishes and blessings for their elders. It was normal to talk it up a little. When shelling beans, it was hard to notice the passage of time, which stretched out interminably, much like how physics sses felt in high school. Jiang Feng nced at the pot of zongzi and said, ¡°Ji Xue, Qiqi, stop shelling. The zongzi are almost done. Let¡¯s peel them and eat first.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Wu Minqi said, standing up anding over to help Jiang Feng peel the zongzi. ¡°Go out and tell them,¡± Ji Xue ced the beans she had just shelled into arge bowl, cleaned up the mess they had made, restored everything to its ce, and stood up to go outside and inform everyone that the zongzi were ready to eat. Jiang Feng picked up a zongzi with a string and lifted it out of the pot, not forgetting to tell Wu Minqi, ¡°Qiqi, wait for it to cool down a bit before you peel it. It¡¯s too hot right now, sss.¡± He had inadvertently touched the zongzi leaf and retracted his hand after getting scalded. ¡°Okay,¡± Wu Minqiughed.
    Her boyfriend was just too cute. Chapter 333: 332: The Honest Zongzi Chapter 333: Chapter 332: The Honest Zongzi ¡°` Since the zongzi were already out of the pot and Jiang Feng had peeled the leaves and ced them on a te, it was naturally time for the salted duck eggs to be served. When Jiang Feng carried the zongzi out, Mrs. Jiang had alreadypleted a round at the mahjong table, her face carrying the smile of a victor. There was a noticeable change at the mahjong table, with Zhang Weiyu and Qi Rou having bowed out of the game. Newly joined were Chen Suhua and Jiang Weiming. It was uncertain whether Sang Ming felt pressured sandwiched between three yers whose ages together exceeded 200 years. Spotting Jiang Feng emerging with two tes of zongzi, the others, also very discerning, went to the kitchen one after another to help bring out the zongzi. Zongzi of various shapes, some looking nothing like zongzi but rather like sticky rice balls, were ced on the table. Cut in half, the golden, oily salted duck eggs followed closely behind, and all those who had been watching the mahjong or trying to find an opportunity for romance were now reaching out with chopsticks to dig in heartily. Ji Yue picked up a pair of chopsticks and casually jabbed at one of the ugliest zongzi closest to her. As Ji Yue bit into it, Jiang Feng, seated right beside her, acutely noticed that she had bitten into a piece of meat. Although the zongzi was ugly, it had a significantlyrge chunk of meat inside. Jiang Feng surmised that this zongzi was likely wrapped by Jiang Zaidi. The beauty contrast among the zongzi on the table was stark, with only those made by Mrs. Jiang and Chen Suhua meeting the aesthetic expectations of the average person. The two women¡¯s zongzi were quite different¡ªChen Suhua, a northerner, made her zongzi small and delicate, shaped into little triangles. Mrs. Jiang, a southerner, made hers twice as big as Chen Suhua¡¯s, in a long triangle shape, big enough to serve as a meal for an average university girl. Wu Minqi did not know how to wrap zongzi. She had attempted it at the start, but after realizing she couldn¡¯t get the hang of it, she gave up andter went to help Ji Xue shell beans. Not having seen Mrs. Jiang and Chen Suhua wrap the zongzi, Wu Minqi simply reached for the long triangle-shaped zongzi wrapped by Mrs. Jiang closest to her, driven purely by her love for beautiful things. ¡°Qiqi, eat this one. I peeled it first, so it should be cool by now,¡± Jiang Feng said, poking a zongzi made by Chen Suhua with his chopsticks and cing it in Wu Minqi¡¯s bowl.
    Wu Minqi was somewhat puzzled¡ªshe remembered that the first few zongzi Jiang Feng had peeled were therger ones, with the small ones peeledst. ¡°That zongzi is wrapped by my grandma. My grandma¡¯s zongzi are¡­ rather¡­ substantial,¡± Jiang Feng exined in a low voice. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s zongzi were more than substantial. If they cooled down, they could be eaten directly as sticky rice. When wrapping zongzi, most people go by feel, stopping when it seems about right. Mrs. Jiang, on the other hand, filled them until she could poke with chopsticks, packed them in tightly, added a bit more, poked it again, filled the gaps, and so on. The final product was so dense that it was tougher on the teeth than the average zongzi. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s technique was born from the Jiang Family¡¯s special circumstances. With nearly ten robust eaters, each with a hearty appetite, and a tradition of consuming zongzi for several consecutive days around the Dragon Boat Festival, Mrs. Jiang had to wrap her zongzi tightly or she would spend two to three days just wrapping them. This also resulted in the zongzi, aside from the meat portion, being almost vorless. A single zongzibined the features of both a meat-filled zongzi and a in sticky rice zongzi. While the fragrance of the leaves and the sticky rice was present, it always felt a bit underwhelming after tasting the meaty part. Therefore, to infuse the entire zongzi with meaty vor, the Jiang Family didn¡¯t use in water to cook their zongzi. They used meat broth instead. Before enjoying zongzi, the Jiang Family would have a few meals of slightly greasy braised pork. The leftover broth from those meals became the key to creating Mrs. Jiang¡¯s delicious meat-filled zongzi. Today, without meat broth, Mrs. Jiang¡¯s meat-filled zongzi was as substantial as ever. Jiang Feng scanned their table and noticed that only Qi Rou was eating a zongzi wrapped by Mrs. Jiang. She seemed to be having a hard time biting into it, indicating that despite her youth, her teeth were not in the best condition. After scouring the table for a while, Jiang Feng finally found the unremarkably ugly zongzi he had wrapped with his keen eye and swiftly poked it into his own bowl. He¡¯d been especially careful when selecting the meat as he wrapped his zongzi, choosing pieces with a good ratio of fat to lean. Although ugly, he was certain the taste would be exceptionally good. Ji Yue finished off the zongzi in her bowl in a few bites, savoring the lingering taste of meat and feeling somewhat unsatisfied. But remembering the number on the scale from that morning, she controlled her desire to eat a second one and started chatting with the person next to her to distract herself from thinking about eating more zongzi. ¡°What shall we doter?¡± Ji Yue asked, knowing that the noon zongzi was just a prelude to the evening¡¯s main event¡ªa birthday celebration for Jiang Weiming. And there would be hot pot. ¡°We here in the back will go to the kitchen to cook, and if you don¡¯t mind, you could prepare the ingredients for tonight¡¯s hot pot. Sang Ming didn¡¯t he bring two mahjong sets? You could also y a few rounds of mahjong,¡± Jiang Feng said, biting into a big piece of meat, chewing a few times before swallowing it, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating anymore?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m full,¡± Ji Yue said, trying her best not to look at the zongzi on the table. ¡°Have you tried the salted duck eggs? They¡¯re really good. Look, they¡¯re all double-yolked, but the whites are a bit salty,¡± Jiang Feng warmly rmended the salted duck eggs which were temporarily being ignored by everyone. Ji Yue hesitated for a moment, then decisively reached for half of a cut salted duck egg. He noticed that Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi had already finished off their second zongzi and were scanning the diminishing supply on the table with eyes like hawks in search of prey.
    ¡°De, that zongzi in the middle of the big te is the one you wrapped,¡± Jiang Feng kindly pointed out. Jiang Zaidi was overjoyed as he reached out with his chopsticks to im his ownrge meat zongzi. Wu Minqi also finished the small meat zongzi in her bowl. ¡°Qiqi, do you want another zongzi?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    Wu Minqi nodded, eyeing the remaining nine zongzi on the table. She finally settled on one that was so uniquely unattractive that it didn¡¯t bear the Jiang Family¡¯s trademark, making it hard for Jiang Feng to guess who had made it. ¡°I want that one!¡± Wu Minqi pointed to the zongzi furthest from her in the te, and Jiang Feng stood up to help her get it. Ji Yue silently turned her head away, feeling a sudden sh at her side. Chapter 334: 333: The Belated Crispy Apple Chapter 334: Chapter 333: The Bted Crispy Apple Just as Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi exuded that damned sweet aura of a couple, and Ji Yue inexplicably felt a bit sour while eating the slightly salty duck egg white, a loud ¡°burp¡± disrupted the wonderful atmosphere. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but look simultaneously in Qi Rou¡¯s direction. ¡°Burp~¡± Qi Rou couldn¡¯t hold back and let out another burp. ¡°That zongzi just now was a bit too big,¡± Qi Rou exined weakly. ¡°It was really filling, too.¡± Ji Yue, unflustered while eating her salty duck egg, didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid and considered eating another zongzi. ¡°By the way, Sister Ji Yue, I¡¯ve already finished the line-drawing assignment you gave mest time,¡± Qi Rou said as she took a sip of water from her ss. Ji Yue nodded and asked, ¡°Are you familiar with ComicStudio yet?¡± ¡°Not really¡­¡± ¡°What about Photoshop?¡± ¡°Not very¡­¡±
    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, those things are not urgent. You should first be proficient with line-drawing, then I¡¯ll teach you how to color,¡± Ji Yue didn¡¯t expect Qi Rou to go from beginner to expert in a short time. It was good enough that she could get to grips with the basics. On the side, Jiang Feng, somewhat understanding yet not fully grasping their conversation, watched helplessly as thest zongzi on the table was swiftly imed by Jiang Shoucheng, marking the end of lunch. Mrs. Jiang, Jiang Weiming, Chen Suhua, and Sang Ming continued the card game they hadn¡¯t finished earlier, after all, one needs the energy from a full stomach to y cards. Mahjong requires immense memory, logical reasoning, mental resilience, and calction skills to y perfectly, and it can be very exhausting. Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Ji Xue went back to the kitchen to finish shelling the remaining beans. After a full meal, going back to the tedium of bean shelling felt even more torturous to Jiang Feng than when he was hungry. To make the dreary task of shelling beans more interesting, Jiang Feng started making small talk. ¡°Qiqi, do you n on going home for the National Day holiday?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°National Day? No, I¡¯m not going back. My mom told me that it¡¯s fine as long as Ie back before my cousin¡¯s engagement,¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°Besides, the holiday is so long, the shop will surely be busy then.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ji Xue nodded in agreement, ¡°Feng, during National Day, can we extend the working hours when calcting wages? Like from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°That, you¡¯ll have to ask Manager Fan; I¡¯m not too clear about the sry details.¡± ¡°But speaking of which, Xue, your younger sister¡¯s taking the middle school exams next year, right?¡± Wu Minqi opened up the conversation. ¡°Right, but she is a year older than Sang Ming¡¯s sister because she started schoolte,¡± Ji Xue nodded and seemed very happy when talking about her younger sister. ¡°I just hope she can get into a high school, then go to university, date someone, work, marry, and live a normal life.¡± The life she once dreamt of but found impossible to reach. ¡°The middle school exam is much easier than the college entrance exam. Most people can get into high school, so you don¡¯t have to worry. My two cousins were doing poorly in eighth grade, but they managed to get into a key high school in the city with somest-minute effort,¡± Jiang Feng consoled her, omitting the fact that Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing had barely managed to get into the city¡¯s key high school by spending some money. ¡°My sister is pretty poor in her studies, and since I spend little time at home, my parents don¡¯t have the time or energy to look after her. She doesn¡¯t like studying much. Last year, she almost got expelled from school for fighting. I¡¯m not really sure how well she is doing. I rememberst year, she scored a bit over 280 points on the final exam, and when I asked her teacher, she said getting into a high school might be iffy. I just hope she can buckle down and study,¡± as Ji Xue spoke, a worried expression emerged on her face, and she identally threw an unshelled bean into the trash. She immediately snapped back to reality, then bent over to search through the trash for the forsaken bean and proceeded to wash it clean at the sink. Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi: ¡­ A bit¡­ iffy? Are the middle school examination total scores that low in Guangdong Province? Jiang Feng used to think that since Ji Xue had the script of a domestic motivational movie or an underdog drama heroine, her sister must have the script of a Japanese motivational movie or a youth drama heroine.
    Unexpectedly, her sister¡¯s script might actually be from ¡°True and False Academy.¡± The day just got chatted away. The three of them continued to silently peel beans, and under the shining light from the ceiling, Jiang Feng felt like he was starting to see double from looking at the beans for too long. He had never realized how intense the kitchen lighting was before; it seemed time to discuss with the two elderly gentlemen about changing it to a softer hue.
    Jiang Feng awkwardly twisted his neck, feeling that he had taken another step closer to having cervical spine problems. As he turned his head, he just so happened to catch a glimpse of Zhang Guanghang walking in with ingredients. Upon seeing the bags in Zhang Guanghang¡¯s hands, Jiang Feng immediately perked up. Shafu Roast Chicken! Side quest! A memory of Zhang Guanghang¡¯s! ¡°Prepping to make Shafu Roast Chicken?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zhang Guanghang nodded, ¡°Everyone will being to cook for Master Jiangter, and this dish takes a long time to prepare, so I¡¯m starting early.¡± ¡°Then let me make the crispy apple for you!¡± Jiang Feng was very enthusiastic, as he always was about tasks he was about toplete. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes, right now.¡± Jiang Feng stood up, put down the beans he was holding, and looked apologetically at Ji Xue. ¡°Um, I¡¯ll just¡­¡± ¡°Feng, if you¡¯ve got things to do, go ahead, thanks for helping me peel beans,¡± Ji Xue said, then turned to Wu Minqi, ¡°Qiqi, you¡¯ve been peeling for quite a while too, maybe you should take a break outside.¡± ¡°No need, I often helped my mom pick and peel vegetables at home,¡± Wu Minqi dered herself to be a skilled worker.
    Jiang Feng went to the cold dish counter and picked up two apples for making the fruit te, skillfully peeling and dicing them, then coated them in egg wash and flour. Although he had never made crispy apple before, just a few days ago he had made crispy broli, a dish simr to crispy apple. But since Grandpa Jiang made this dish every New Year, seeing it often enough gave him an impression. By imitating the way Grandpa Jiang made crispy apple, he could also produce a version that would satisfy most customers. Not to mention his fire control and seasoning skills had now reached master level, making this type of dish that tested one¡¯s control of the heat even easier than before. The workstation where Jiang Feng was preparing the apples was not far from Wu Minqi and Ji Xue. As Ji Xue peeled beans, she watched his movements and could vaguely see that he seemed to be about to deep-fry the apple pieces. ¡°Is crispy apple basically deep-fried apple pieces?¡± Ji Xue whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t know, it might be,¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°You don¡¯t know this dish either?¡± Ji Xue had thought it was because she only knew how to cook Guangdong dishes that she was unfamiliar with crispy apple. Wu Minqi ced the freshly peeled beans into a small basket and continued to watch Jiang Feng¡¯s movements, ¡°It¡¯s probably from Shandong cuisine; I am only really good at Sichuan dishes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not from Shandong cuisine; I¡¯ve never heard of this dish either,¡± Zhang Guanghang joined the conversation. ¡°Not from Shandong cuisine?¡± Wu Minqi was surprised and ventured a bold guess, ¡°Could it be a Jiang Family dish? But I haven¡¯t seen Grandpa Jiang or Mr. Jiang make it before.¡± In fact, even Zhang Guanghang himself didn¡¯t understand why Jiang Feng had suddenly asked him this morning if he had ever eaten crispy apple, or why he had suddenly offered to make it for him. What puzzled him even more was why, even though he had never even heard of this dish, watching Jiang Feng¡¯s movements felt so familiar, as if someone had made it for him before. This feeling of encountering an obstacle while solving a problem, with the standard answer right in front of you, yet obscured by a thin veil, unclear and frustratingly out of reach, was just too annoying.
    Chapter 335: 334 [Childhood Memory] Side Quest Completed Chapter 335: Chapter 334 [Childhood Memory] Side Quest Completed The preparation of Jiang Feng¡¯s crispy apple fritters quickly reached the step of deep-frying. Ever since Jiang Feng¡¯s fire control and seasoning had escted to master level, many cooking methods that he had been somewhat clumsy at or unfamiliar with became effortlessly skillful, such as deep-frying. This cooking method, which immerses food in high-temperature fat to rapidly cook and be fragrant and crunchy, is extremely challenging to achieve the critical point where food retains its moisture and yet bes crispy. The difference between sess, excellence, and perfection is just a matter of moments. Once, Jiang Feng could at best achieve sess and was quite far from excellence, but after his fire control and seasoning reached master level, not only did excellence be within reach, but even perfection seemed just a tiptoe and stretch away. The more he practiced, the more he attempted, the clearer Jiang Feng could discern the vast gap between the advanced and master-level ratings in the system. For example, in a percentage-based math exam, the beginner level just requires the student to pass, intermediate demands a score of 80, advanced expects above 90. But at master level, not only is a score of 95 required, the questions shift from high school to higher mathematics. The enormous gap can only be understood by those who experience it. With sizzling noises and sttering oil, the unique aroma of food deep-fried in hot oil began to emanate from the pot. Apples, eggs, flour¡ªthe alluring scent from the Maird reaction took Jiang Feng back to the eve of Chinese New Year¡¯s dinner, to the moment when Mrs. Jiang brought out the crispy apple fritters. It also brought to mind how Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s stand-up caused him to miss out on this year¡¯s crispy apple fritters. The once-a-year crispy apple fritters hand-made by Sir were exclusive to the New Year¡¯s dinner, a winter specialty.
    And all that was lost with Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s hefty bump. Just thinking about it, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but scoop up the apple fritters from the frying pot with a trace of indelible resentment. They¡¯re done! [A serving of exceptionally tasty crispy apple fritters] The evaluations Jiang Feng now received for his cookery were generally ¡°exceptionally tasty,¡± with the asional slip resulting in ¡°quality par excellence.¡± Looking at the crispy apple fritters in front of him, Jiang Feng felt a hint of pride. He must now be the best at making crispy apple fritters in the entire Jiang Family aside from Sir. Mr. Jiang Jiankang, who is at the same culinary level as him but has over twenty years more experience, has been selectively ignored by him. ¡°Try them, crispy apple fritters are best when they¡¯ve juste out of the fryer,¡± Jiang Feng said to Zhang Guanghang. Zhang Guanghang reached for some chopsticks. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯ve never had this dish before?¡± Jiang Feng pressed. Now with the crispy apple fritters inly disyed in front of Zhang Guanghang, Xia Mushi¡¯s culinary skills would surely make them crispy, sweet, and crunchy, beloved by children. It was inconceivable that such a dish, bound to be a synonym for deliciousness and happiness in a child¡¯s memory, left no impression on Zhang Guanghang. ¡°I¡¯ve never had it,¡± Zhang Guanghang said with certainty, ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten a dish like this.¡± With that, Zhang Guanghang picked up a piece of crispy apple fritter with his chopsticks. He took a bite. Jiang Feng stood beside him, clearly sensing the burst of surprise from Zhang Guanghang as he tasted the apple fritter. It was the sort of surprise that a child feels upon finding a long-lost toy, that an adult feels recalling the sweet memories of childhood, that an elder experiences remembering the good old days. Chewing. ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡±
    Zhang Guanghang said nothing, grabbed another piece of crispy apple fritter. ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡± He remained silent like that, one piece after another, one bite following the next, his face devoid of extra expressions, only allowing the constant chewing motion of his mouth to be observed. His eyes glittered as he looked at the crispy apple slices in front of him as if he were gazing upon a dish of rare treasure. ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡±
    ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡± Just like that, in a short time, half a te of crispy apples had been devoured by Zhang Guanghang. He took a deep breath, as if to savor the taste he had just experienced, or perhaps he couldn¡¯t believe that what he had tasted was real. When the vors of childhood hidden deep in one¡¯s memory once again surfaced on one¡¯s taste buds, everyone would feel an unreal sense of hope, even suspecting that something might be wrong with their tongue. ¡°How did you know?¡± Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face was a mix of shock, delight, confusion, relief, and a hint of satisfaction¡ªan expression soplex it could inspire a short essay or readingprehension passage. Zhang Guanghang was no fool; he didn¡¯t believe for a second that Jiang Feng had impulsively or serendipitously decided to make him crispy apples. He was convinced that Jiang Feng must have guessed that the key to the Chinese Shafu Roast Chicken he wanted to recreate was the crispy apples. But he couldn¡¯t figure out how Jiang Feng knew all this, seeing as he, the person involved, didn¡¯t even know¡ªso how could Jiang Feng, an outsider without mind-reading abilities or the power to peer into his memories, know that the key to the Shafu Roast Chicken was actually the crispy apples? ¡°The other day, after I saw you make the Shafu Roast Chicken, I looked up how to make it. These past few days, I¡¯ve watched how you make it and tasted the chicken you made. Although I don¡¯t know the exact taste of the Shafu Roast Chicken you¡¯re after, you¡¯ve been saying you feel like you¡¯re missing something, not that the vor is wrong. So I started thinking, maybe the focus of the vor you¡¯re looking for isn¡¯t on the chicken itself but on the side dishes,¡± Jiang Feng began to exercise his charm of spinning advanced lies, tantly saying nonsense with a straight face. ¡°The side dishes for Shafu Roast Chicken are actually quite simple: just some vegetables and apples mixed with butter. I couldn¡¯t think of any way those vegetables could make anything special, but I knew that apples can be used to make fruit sds or crispy apples. Every year, my family has this dish on our New Year¡¯s Eve dinner table.¡± Jiang Feng spoke slowly, ¡°Crispy apples are a dish from the imperial kitchen, once part of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast¡¯s desserts. My grandfather knew how to make it, so I guessed Old Sir Xia must have known how to make it too.¡± ¡°Actually, this morning I just wanted to ask you, or rather, remind you, but you told me you¡¯ve never eaten crispy apples and you¡¯ve never heard the name. I found that strange at the time. Crispy apples are a distinctive dessert and part of the imperial cuisine; Sir Xia would not have failed to teach you. Just recently, a friend told me, when he wanted to eat something fancy as a kid, his grandmother would make some dishes that looked simr using Chinese methods to deceive him.¡± ¡°So¡­ I just think, and of course this is just what I think, perhaps Old Sir Xia made Shafu Roast Chicken using Chinese methods back in the day and casually used the method for making crispy apples for the dish¡¯s apples to fool you. Sir Xia didn¡¯t want you to find out that he was deceiving you, so he never taught you how to cook it or told you that the apples were actually crispy apples.¡± A crack appeared on Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face. If there had to be one word to describe his feeling at that moment, it would probably be disillusionment. The truth behind the seemingly wonderful childhood memories turned out to be his master deceiving him.
    Zhang Guanghang fell into silence. After a long time, he finally said, ¡°Jiang Feng, can you teach me how to make crispy apples?¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s a simple dish. As long as you¡¯ve mastered fire control, you¡¯ll be able to learn it right away.¡± Jiang Feng had been waiting for this moment. If Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t learn it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recreate the Shafu Roast Chicken from his memory, and without that, he wouldn¡¯t be able toplete his quest. It was a vicious cycle. And so, Jiang Feng began the joyful teaching process. Teaching a true 1.92 meters tall, Franco-Chinese mixed-race, handsome, wealthy young prodigy chef how to cook was an experience only those who have done it could understand. Jiang Feng even felt an illusion that he had reached the pinnacle of his life. Indeed, this was the correct way to y out a protagonist¡¯s story: with just a few words, geniuses across the world would bow their heads in fealty, happy to be minions, exuding an aura of regality in every gesture. Jiang Feng looked somewhat smugly at the te of crispy apples that had enlightened Zhang Guanghang. [A serving of crispy apples with slightly poor quality flour, a bit too thick egg batter, a slightly low frying temperature, and a slightly prolonged frying time, which, despite all that, tastes excellent] Jiang Feng: ¡­ Stupid game, please fold up your overly long appraisal result, thank you. Two hourster¡ª
    ¡°Ding, side quest [Childhood Memory]pleted, reward received: A segment of Zhang Guanghang¡¯s memory.¡± Sess! Chapter 336: 335: Start of the Banquet Chapter 336: Chapter 335: Start of the Banquet ¡°` Looking at the freshly made Shafu Roast Chicken in front of him, which perfectly captured what Zhang Guanghang remembered from his childhood, Jiang Feng could only sigh: The young Zhang Guanghang was much easier to fool than Zhang Zhiyuan. At least the Yun Chicken resembles General Tso¡¯s Chicken in appearance, but this dish of fragrant pan-fried chicken mixed with crispy apples had two apples thrown in, on a small te, with no particr arrangement ¨C the apples were just casually ced on top of the Shafu Roast Chicken. So where exactly does this strange dish, besides its name, resemble Shafu Roast Chicken? How did Zhang Guanghang get duped by Xia Mushi when he was young? Or could it be that Zhang Guanghang was inherently an easy person to please? Jiang Feng fell silent, unable to evene up with a word of praise on the spot. ¡°Sigh, is this a new dish? Zhang, is this the dish you prepared for today?¡± Jiang Weisheng popped out of nowhere, taking great interest in the Chinese-style Shafu Roast Chicken made by Zhang Guanghang, ¡°Is this that innovative dish that¡¯s very popr online now, where they cook fruits and meats together? Didn¡¯t I see somewhere they were making Blueberry Chinese Yam, Pear-braised Tangerines, Chicken Diced with Lychee or something like that?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Mr. Jiang¡­ what you¡¯re talking about might be university canteen food, right?¡± ¡°Canteen food? Maybe so, I¡¯ve never eaten in a university canteen anyway.¡± Jiang Weisheng expressed that he was someone who hadn¡¯t managed to get into university, just like his son, and by extension, his partner and daughter-inw were also in the same boat, allcking university education. Their only hope for a college education, their grandson, was still struggling in primary school.
    Given his grandson¡¯s current academic performance, if it weren¡¯t for the expansion of college enrollments these days, he¡¯d probably end up walking the same path as his father and grandfather had before him. It was better to be born smart than to study hard. ¡°If Tantan manages to get into a university in Beiping, that¡¯d be great. But Beiping¡¯s cuisine isn¡¯t very spicy, and they like to use sesame paste, so I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d get used to it,¡± Jiang Weisheng muttered. Jiang Feng: ??? He felt that the leaps in Jiang Weisheng¡¯s thoughts were getting increasingly difficult toprehend these days. ¡°Mr. Jiang, why aren¡¯t you starting on the cooking yet? It¡¯s gettingte, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jiang Feng asked, ncing at his watch ¨C it was nearing 6 PM. He had just noticed that Jianguo¡¯s hand-pulled longevity noodles were already in the pot, and Sang Ming¡¯s brand-new fruit tter inspired by the Thirteen Orphans Mahjong tiles waspleted 20 minutes ago. Jiang Weisheng¡¯s peculiar-tasting soup took a while to cook, and if he didn¡¯t start now, he might not be ready in time for dinner. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the stove¡­ Oh, Han¡¯s done, I won¡¯t chat anymore, I need to go make the soup,¡± Jiang Weisheng cheerfully went off to prepare his soup. Zhang Guanghang covered the Shafu Roast Chicken to keep it warm and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to make the Yun Chicken yet?¡± ¡°No rush on my dish, the Yun Chicken can be prepared in 20 minutes. Look, Zhang Weiyu¡¯s dish is almost ready; once he¡¯s done, I¡¯ll go and prepare the Yun Chicken,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi was opening the freezer to get her morning-carved crane-adorned longevity watermelon, and Jiang Feng¡¯s thoughts drifted to Zhang Guanghang¡¯s birthday cake that had been prepared in the morning and was still in the fridge. ¡°Should we take out the birthday cake now?¡± Jiang Feng asked, ¡°My uncle¡¯s longevity noodles are already in the pot. I reckon dinner will start before 7, probably around 6:30.¡± ¡°` Zhang Guanghang nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go and get it.¡± The kitchen was bustling with activity, so much so that Jiang Feng, who was waiting for his turn at the stove, seemed rather idle inparison. With nothing to do, Jiang Feng simply wandered out to the front to check on the preparations for the hotpot ingredients. On the threerge round tables in Area C, induction cookers had already been set up. Jiang Feng felt like he could already smell the scents of dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. The mahjong had been put away, leaving no traces of the prior battle. The hall had been cleaned up nicely, and rednterns adorned with the character for longevity hung from the ceiling, havinge from who knows where. Jiang Feng counted them carefully and found there were exactly 99. Jiang Weiming had changed into a freshly tailored, formal Zhongshan suit and sat upright in his seat, looking every bit the image of the elegantly dressed and bookish old gentleman that Jiang Feng remembered seeing in teahouses or restaurants.
    While he imed not to celebrate birthdays or longevity, he had made sure to order new clothes early. Wearing a smile on his face, his eyes frequently turned to examine the rednterns hanging from the rafters. Who wouldn¡¯t like the feeling of being valued and loved? Jiang Feng looked around but couldn¡¯t find Ji Yue. He had intended to casually ask one of the familiar-looking but unnameable waitresses about how the hotpot preparations wereing along when his phone rang. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.
    ¡°Hello?¡± Jiang Feng pressed the answer button. ¡°Hello, may I speak with Mr. Jiang Feng? Your cake delivery has arrived. Pleasee to the entrance of Taifeng Building to pick it up.¡± Cake delivery? Someone had ordered a birthday cake? But why was his phone number listed? Jiang Feng went to the entrance with his phone in hand, feeling puzzled. A delivery person in a yellow uniform stood in front of an electric scooter with a matching yellow delivery box, holding arge birthday cake box. ¡°Are you Mr. Jiang Feng? Here is your birthday cake. Please don¡¯t forget to give us a 5-star rating, thank you!¡± The delivery person said with a smile, handing over the cake to Jiang Feng. ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Jiang Feng took the cake and watched the delivery person ride off on the little scooter, speeding away to the next order. Pondering over who the suspect could be, Jiang Feng carried the cake inside, only to bump into Zhang Guanghanging out of the kitchen with another cake in his hands. The two locked eyes, taken aback. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s gaze fixed on the cake box in Jiang Feng¡¯s hands, his face clearly expressing ¡®You knew I was making a cake, why order another one? Were you worried that one cake wouldn¡¯t be enough for everyone?¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know who ordered it either. That person left my phone number,¡± Jiang Feng exined. At that moment, Ji Yue came downstairs from the second floor, carrying a bunch of celery from who knows where. She saw both Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang each holding a cake and asked in surprise, ¡°Why did you guys get two cakes?¡± ¡°This cake isn¡¯t the one I ordered. I don¡¯t know who ced the order; they left my phone number,¡± Jiang Feng exined for the second time.
    Wu Minqi came out of the kitchen holding a watermelon carving, and seeing another cake in Jiang Feng¡¯s hands, she paused and asked, ¡°Howe you¡¯ve ordered a cake too?¡± ¡°This cake isn¡¯t the one I ordered. The person who ordered the cake left my phone number, and I have no idea who ced the order,¡± Jiang Feng exined for the third time. Jiang Shoucheng, who was just behind Wu Minqi, walked out from the kitchen chewing on something and saw Jiang Feng holding a cake. He asked, ¡°Hey, little brother, did you also order a cake? Why do you have two cakes?¡± ¡°This cake isn¡¯t the one I ordered. It¡¯s¡­¡± Jiang Feng began to exin for the fourth time, trying to put the cake on the table and slip into the kitchen to make Yun Chicken. Before Jiang Feng could put down the cake, Jiang Jiankang came out from the kitchen holding a dish. He was surprised to see Jiang Feng still holding a cake and asked, ¡°Son, why did you also buy a cake?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ So now the question arises, what is the essence of humanity? ¡°I¡¯m going to make Yun Chicken.¡± Jiang Feng put down the cake and slipped away. ¡°This cake?¡± Jiang Jiankang followed up. ¡°The cake wasn¡¯t ordered by Jiang Feng. The person who ordered it left his phone number, and he doesn¡¯t know who it was,¡± Zhang Guanghang, Wu Minqi, Ji Yue, and Jiang Shoucheng said in unison. When Jiang Feng slipped into the kitchen, only Jiang Weisheng was left wrestling with the food on the stove; the others had either finished or were in the final stage of ting. Jiang Jianguo, seeing that Jiang Feng had finally arrived, quickly waved him over: ¡°Feng,e here quick and tell me how to arrange this dough.¡± Jiang Jianguo was struggling with how to perfectly ce the green onions, vegetables, eggs, and noodles to create a beautiful presentation for longevity noodles.
    ¡°You can put the egg in the very center, arrange the vegetables above and below, ce the green onions to the left and right, and spread the noodles a bit tter,¡± Sang Ming suggested. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you¡¯re actually talking about a pizza. ¡°ce the vegetables along the rim of the bowl, spread ayer of green onions underneath, and ce the egg on top,¡± Jiang Feng suggested. Although Jiang Jianguo was a tailor on the surface, over the years, in order to make dim sum and noodles for his great-aunt, he hadn¡¯t fallen behind in his culinary skills at all. There was only one bowl of longevity noodles, the size of a regr soup bowl, not the Jiang family¡¯s specialrge rice bowl, and one single noodle filled the bowl. The noodle was thin and long, hidden in the soup bowl among the eggs, green onions, and vegetables, so that one couldn¡¯t tell that there was actually only one noodle in the bowl. The noodle soup was made from chicken stock, which Jiang Feng guessed must have been prepared by Jiang Jiankang. The soup had little color, merely carrying a milky hue from the noodles themselves, and one couldn¡¯t tell that it was actually made from chicken stock unless they came closer and smelled the rich chicken fragrance. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s chicken stock and Jiang Jianguo¡¯s longevity noodlesbined to make a bowl that could be considered the joint effort of two of the most skilled cooks in the Jiang family¡¯s uncle generation. Leaving Jiang Jianguo to continue studying te arrangement at the culinary station, Jiang Feng went to the stove to make birthday-celebratory Yun Chicken for Jiang Weiming, cooking skillfully as he thought of Jiang Weiming¡¯s taste preferences. Twenty minutester¡ª Jiang Jianguo agonized over the noodles for twenty minutes, even pouring a few moredles of stock over them during that time. Finally, he decided to follow Jiang Feng¡¯s suggestion and created a bowl of longevity noodles that actually looked quite nice. ¡°Feng, is your dish ready? We need to start serving,¡± Jiang Jianguo urged. ¡°It¡¯s ready now; it cane out of the pot,¡± Jiang Feng said, casually picking up a te to serve the dish, and turned to ask Jiang Weisheng, who was two stoves away, ¡°Mr. Jiang, is your soup ready?¡±
    ¡°Two more minutes and it will be ready; you all go ahead and serve the dishes first. My soup isst to be served,¡± Jiang Weisheng focused intently on the soup in the pot, for the soup was being prepared for Master Jiang and could not afford the slightest mishap. ¡°Then let¡¯s take the dishes over first,¡± Jiang Feng said, carrying the Yun Chicken and joining Jiang Jianguo to head out. No sooner had Jiang Feng emerged from the kitchen with the Yun Chicken than he was greeted with a scent so overpowering, spicy, and slightly numbing that it made one¡¯s scalp tingle, limbs stiffen with trepidation, almost as if anticipating the vor of Shu region¡¯s hotpot. The closer he got to Area C, the stronger the hotpot scent became, causing those who liked it to drool just from the aroma, while those who disliked it, or even feared it¡ªlike Jiang Feng¡ªnow felt like running away with the Yun Chicken in tow. When Jiang Feng finally caught sight of the hotpot on the table, he was reminded of that dream. The red oil churned within the pot, crowded with distinct chili and Sichuan peppercorns, plump and rolling, bubbling away. So forceful was its presence that even the nearby clear broth pot fell victim to the infiltrating red oil, tainting its pure color. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but swallow a gulp of fearful saliva. Granduncle Weiming had once been a true Beiping native, yet the hotpot base he fried up was even more authentic than those from the Shu region. ¡°Master Jiang is really amazing, just smelling it, I know it¡¯s very authentic. I bet in my area, there are hardly a few who could make the hotpot base better than Master Jiang!¡± Sang Ming said to Han Yigu beside him. Jiang Feng ced the Yun Chicken on the table, and Jiang Jianguo brought the longevity noodles to Jiang Weiming. ¡°Feng, where¡¯s Weisheng?¡± Jiang Weiming asked. ¡°Mr. Jiang¡¯s soup is the grand finale, naturally ites outst,¡± Jiang Feng replied with a smile. Two minutester, Jiang Weisheng emerged, carrying histest developed novelty-vored weird soup, and ced it confidently on the table. ¡°You¡¯re always the slowest, everyone was waiting for you. You¡¯re always like this, even at your age you don¡¯t change this habit,¡± Jiang Weiming said with augh. ¡°Master, this is a new vor I¡¯ve been developing recently; I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it!¡± Jiang Weisheng was as eager as a child showing off test scores to parents. ¡°Granduncle, shall we begin the feast?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°Everyone must be hungry after waiting so long. Let¡¯s start the feast!¡± Jiang Weiming said happily. As if on cue, everyone took a step closer to Jiang Weiming and together they said, ¡°Happy birthday, Grandpa Jiang/Granduncle Weiming/Uncle Weiming/Granduncle,¡± The voices of many mingled together, culminating in the most lively birthday Jiang Weiming had ever experienced. Chapter 337: 336: Longevity Noodles Chapter 337: Chapter 336: Longevity Noodles ¡°Uncle Weiming,e, you eat the noodles first. I made these noodles, and the broth was prepared by Jiankang,¡± Jiang Jianguo said assiduously, pushing the bowl of noodles closer to Jiang Weiming. In life, there are three kinds of noodles: ¡°First Noodles,¡± ¡°Longevity Noodles,¡± and ¡°Farewell Noodles.¡± First Noodles are eaten at the cleansing ceremony three days after a child¡¯s birth, while Farewell Noodles are consumed three days after an elder¡¯s passing during the mourning feast. One signifies birth, the other death; only the Longevity Noodles are eaten during birthdays, in hopes of praying for a long and healthy life. Theoretically, Longevity Noodles must not be bitten off but eaten in one mouthful, which is why they¡¯re normally served in a small bowl, making it easier for the elderly to finish them in one go. But ording to the Jiang family¡¯s tradition, the longer the noodles, the better; symbolizing a longer life. During eating, it¡¯s customary to stuff a bit more into one¡¯s mouth, and eating a little less is just fine. And so, with everyone watching, Jiang Weiming slowly picked up his chopsticks and found the end of the noodles in the bowl. He began to slurp them up from that point, just like how everyone slurps up noodles on a regr day, bit by bit, mouthful by mouthful, until the noodles that tangled like winding paths in the bowl were all gone. ¡°p, p, p!¡± A waitress from the Jiang family¡¯s side, whose name Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t recall, actually burst into excited apuse as if she had just witnessed something remarkable, her excitement and exhration clearly written across her face. It was only after she finished pping that she realized how odd her behavior was, and she bashfully looked down, whispering, ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s my first time seeing someone eat Longevity Noodles; I got a little excited.¡± The crowd responded with friendlyughter, and then a thunderous round of apuse roared like a tide. Jiang Weiming finished the bowl of noodles in one breath, and because he ate them so quickly and somewhat eagerly, he almost choked. He took a moment to catch his breath before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t all stand there; sit down. The smell of the hot pot has made me hungry.¡± ¡°Granduncle Weiming, we still have to wait for you to blow out the candles and cut the cake, how can we sit down?¡± Jiang Ran said. ¡°Right, Master Jiang, the cake hasn¡¯t been cut yet,¡± everyone chimed in unison.
    Jiang Weimingughed at hispse, ¡°Look at my memory. I¡¯d forgotten that eating cake is part of celebrating a birthday. Come on, let¡¯s cut the cake. Eh, why are there two cakes?¡± ¡°This cake was specially made for you by Zhang Guanghang; that other one still in its delivery box, I don¡¯t know who ordered it, but they left my phone number,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Everyone moved the dishes aside to make room for the two cakes. Zhang Guanghang carefully presented his French-style birthday cake in front of Jiang Weiming. Meanwhile, Jiang Feng began to unwrap the other cake. Inside the boxy a peach-shaped cake, arge one adorned with a big ¡®Shou¡¯ (longevity) character on one side and the number 99 in Arabic numerals on the other. In front of the peach was an icing figurine of a benevolent and amiable old man that came off as somewhat endearing. This cake was clearly very pricey, easily amounting to a four-figure sum at least. Jiang Feng carefully moved the cake out of the box, mindful not to scrape or damage the peach-shaped image. When the cake hadpletelye out of the box, a card that had been ced inside fell out. Jiang Feng picked up the card. It was simple, with only six words written on it. Father: Happy Birthday. Instead of an exmation point, there was a period following ¡°Happy Birthday.¡± Clearly, the cake was ordered by Jiang Yong. He always remembered Jiang Weiming¡¯s lunar birthday. Although he had rushed over from Magic City without a phone call or a message, he had still gone out of his way to order a special cake for Jiang Weiming and even had the bakery staff write a card. The awkward andplex rtionship between father and son could only truly be understood and navigated by the two of them. Jiang Feng passed the card to Jiang Weiming, who took a nce and was stunned, as if he couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes. He read it over and over again, staring at the card as though trying to see right through it. ¡°Good¡­¡± Jiang Weiming muttered, the smile reaching from his eyes to his lips, ¡°Let¡¯s cut the cake then, starting with this peach one.¡± ¡°Granduncle Weiming, would you like to make a wish first?¡± asked Jiang Shoucheng, somewhat puzzled, not understanding why Jiang Weiming had be so happy just by reading the card. Jiang Weiming always wore a smile, ever the kind and affable old man, but anyone who spent enough time with him could easily distinguish the different kinds of smiles he wore. Most of the time, Jiang Weiming¡¯s smile was one of habit, with other smiles generally falling into two categories: contentment and resignation. The smile he wore now, however, clearly represented a joy bordering on ecstasy. He was very happy, and everyone could see it.
    ¡°There¡¯s no need to make a wish, all my wishes have alreadye true,¡± said Jiang Weiming as he took the stic knife handed to him by Jiang Feng and cut the peach-shaped cake in half. Jiang Weiming had finished cutting the cake, only taking a small taste of each before the throng of chefs in the back kitchen invited him to try their dishes, vying for his attention like concubines in a royal harem eager for the emperor¡¯s favor. Among them, Jiang Weisheng, the Senior Consort, was the most attentive, having already scooped the soup for Jiang Weiming. If the soup hadn¡¯t already cooled enough not to require blowing, Jiang Weisheng would probably have held the bowl and used the spoon to stir and gently blow on it. ¡°Granduncle, please try the Kung Pao chicken I made; this time it¡¯s spicy, not sweet!¡±
    ¡°Master Jiang,e taste my dish!¡± ¡°Master Jiang, this dish of mine¡­¡± ¡°Master, the dish I made today¡­¡± Jiang Weiming gave each their due attention, tasting the dishes in the order they were ced before him. After each tasting, he would smile and praise the chef for their recent improvement, then urge them to go have their meal. Thest dish Jiang Weiming tasted was Jiang Feng¡¯s Yun Chicken. There was no helping it; Jiang Feng had arrivedte, so the Yun Chicken was at the very end. As Jiang Weiming reached with his chopsticks for the Yun Chicken, he belched involuntarily. He had started with a bowl of longevity noodles and under Jiang Weisheng¡¯s expectant gaze, had drunk an entire bowl of strange-vored soup. Afterward, he had tasted so many dishes. Although he had only a bite or two of each, the sheer number of them left his aging stomach full. The Yun Chicken had cooled slightly, losing some of its former vor. Jiang Weiming bit into a piece of chicken, but before he could chew much, waves of memory washed over him. He remembered being young, the times spent with his father and six brothers at the Taifeng Building¡ªonce had been his eldest brother¡¯s wedding. They all got thoroughly drunk, even his father and little aunt, while the two youngest brothers, too young for alcohol, could only watch wistfully from the side. Knowing he was almost full, Jiang Weiming couldn¡¯t help but reach for another piece of Yun Chicken, biting down. He remembered again; this time, it was thest New Year¡¯s Eve dinner with his little aunt before her marriage. It had started so lively, but then she suddenly hugged her brothers and began to cry. Faces that had blurred in his memory became crystal clear, and even the scenes of home he thought he¡¯d forgotten came flooding back. Jiang Weiming reached for another small piece of Yun Chicken.
    He thought of the joy he felt on the day his first son was born, how he told his wife that he would raise the boy to take over for him, to be a chef like him, and to surpass his father. He remembered the shock and euphoric surprise when he received a callst winter from Jiang Feng mentioning Jiang Jianguo¡¯s name. His thoughts moved to the unreal and dreamlike excitement when he met his younger brother again. He thought of the lively joy and happiness of spending this year¡¯s New Year with his younger brother¡¯s family. Lost in these memories, Jiang Weiming allowed himself to indulge, forgetting even toment on the Yun Chicken Jiang Feng had made that day. Seeing Jiang Weiming¡¯s absent gaze, Jiang Feng said, ¡°Granduncle, I¡¯m going to eat now,¡± and left, allowing Jiang Weiming to relish the warm moments spent with his family in solitude. When Jiang Weiming came back to his senses, he realized tears were streaming down his face. On reflection, he found that those warm snippets of life wereposed of his youthful days in Beiping, the short years after meeting and starting a family with his wife, and thesest six months since Jiang Feng found him. Compared to his younger brother, his life did seem quite the failure. Jiang Weiming could only offer a wry smile, turning to look at his noisy progeny, just in time to see Jiang Feng awkwardly smiling as he reached out with a bowl to take the duck intestines Wu Minqi handed him from the spicy hot pot. He had thought his life was set¡ªthat he would end his days alone after his parents, brothers, and wife had passed,nguishing in an old country house, keepingpany only with his wife¡¯s portrait, waiting for death, or possibly one day, if he was weary of living, he might end his own life. Who would have thought, as he neared his end, he would still encounter such a twist of fate? Watching Jiang Feng, an unstoppable smile filled his eyes.
    Having this grandnephew made it all worthwhile. Chapter 338: 337: The Gate to the New World Chapter 338: Chapter 337: The Gate to the New World ¡°Jiang Feng, have a piece of yellow throat, it¡¯s especially delicious when cooked in the spicy hot pot!¡± ¡°Do you want to try this Chinese cabbage, Jiang Feng? It¡¯s super vorful after being thoroughly cooked in the spicy pot!¡± ¡°Little brother, how about somemb rolls?¡± ¡°Younger brother, would you like some pork intestine?¡± ¡°Feng, why aren¡¯t you eating? These quail eggs are really tasty, especially when cooked in the spicy pot.¡± ¡°Feng¡­¡± Jiang Feng had never so profoundly realized that being popr could actually be a painful thing. As the bowl in his hands got heavier, and the originally clear soup turned redder, the pungent and thick unique scent of the beef tallow hot pot began to linger at the tip of his nose, refusing to dissipate. Jiang Feng felt as if his every breath tasted of hot pot, every word he spoke tasted of hot pot, his whole being enveloped in the vor of the Shu spicy hot pot. The nightmare he experienced in his dreams looked set to be reality. ¡°Okay, stop teasing, you all know Jiang Feng can¡¯t handle spicy,¡± said Wu Minqi with a helpless smile,ing to Jiang Feng¡¯s rescue. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk,¡± the singletons could only make their widowed tsking sounds.
    Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi added fresh tes of beef andmb into the pot. While the meats were still tumbling in the pot, Jiang Shoucheng, with nothing better to do, set his sights on themb rolls in Jiang Feng¡¯s bowl that were still mixed with Sichuan peppercorn husks. ¡°Little brother, this spicy pot is indeed very hot. Here, let me help you eat thatmb roll,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said with feigned concern. Jiang Feng instantly thought of the crispy apple he had missed out on eating on New Year¡¯s Eve. ¡°No need, Cheng, I can handle a little spice,¡± said Jiang Feng seriously, resolutely picking up amb roll from his bowl and stuffing it into his mouth. Hiss, it really was spicy. Jiang Feng had intended to chew a few times and swallow quickly, but he identally crushed a Sichuan peppercorn. The fragments of peppercorn scattered in his mouth, the numbing sensation spreading from the tip of his tongue all the way to the base, his entire mouth wrapped in a strange numbing and spicy sensation. As everyone knows, spicy is a pain sensation; capsaicin can stimte cells to form a burning-like sensation in the brain. Most people who eat chilies are suffering yet enjoying it, but Jiang Feng only felt the pain and found no pleasure in it. The next second, tears came to Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, little brother?¡± Jiang Shoucheng was rmed, wondering why there were tears while eating. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that thismb roll is so delicious, I¡¯ve never eaten such a tasty one and got a bit emotional,¡± Jiang Feng snuffled, trying to muster a smile. Jiang Shoucheng: ??? This little brother¡¯s lying skills are getting worse by the day. Wu Minqi, watching Jiang Feng¡¯s expression, almost couldn¡¯t hold back herughter. She turned to find some whole milk and poured arge ss for Jiang Feng. ¡°Have some milk, this helps with the spiciness,¡± Wu Minqi handed the ss to Jiang Feng, who took it and gulped down more than half the ss. After a pause, Jiang Feng drank the remaining half ss and only then did he feel as if his mouth had regained sensation. After such a narrow escape, themb roll with intact Sichuan peppercorns was even more lethal than the pickled chilies Jiang Feng had eaten earlier. ¡°Is your man really not able to handle spicy food?¡± Ji Yue whispered to Wu Minqi. ¡°Fengfeng isn¡¯t great with spicy food; he can handle it a little, but the hot pot seasoning Grandpa Jiang made is a bit too spicy,¡± Wu Minqi replied.
    ¡°That¡¯s a pity, he¡¯s missing out on one of life¡¯s great pleasures,¡± Ji Yue shook her head, nimbly grabbing a piece ofmb roll from the bubbling spicy pot, eating it while sucking in breaths from the heat. Wu Minqi: ¡­ You don¡¯t seem to have much room to talk about Jiang Feng. That¡¯s how Ji Yue ate, alternating bites ofmb roll, Chinese cabbage, and enoki mushrooms with sips of soy milk. Wu Minqi, sitting beside her, suddenly felt that something was different from before.
    Her lipstick hadn¡¯t faded despite eating for so long; instead, it seemed to have changed shades, going from Armani 402 to a very dark bean color, as if it hadn¡¯t been properly applied, making her lips look swollen. ¡°Did you just touch up your makeup?¡± asked Wu Minqi. ¡°No, why would I retouch my makeup when eating hot pot? It would just smudge again,¡± replied Ji Yue, clearly confused. ¡°Then it¡¯s because your lips have been spiced into a ¡®sausage mouth,''¡± said Wu Minqi with a wry smile. Ji Yue: !!!¡Æ(¡ã§¥¡ã¥Î)¥Î Ji Yue instinctively covered her mouth, then pulled out her phone to check and saw that her lips had indeed been spiced into a ¡®sausage mouth¡¯ and wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Zhang Guanghang sitting opposite must have seen her ¡®sausage mouth.¡¯ Ji Yue¡¯s internal rm bells went off, and she blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom,¡± before making a quick escape. Jiang Feng sat to the left of Wu Minqi, wavering endlessly between the intimidating but seemingly tasty spicy pot and the mild soup pot he had been eating for over a decade but suddenly found tasteless today. Ever since the taste of themb slices cooked in the spicy pot had faded from his mouth, Jiang Feng found himself missing the somewhat prickly burning sensation, and even the food dipped into the mild soup pot seemed nd andckluster inparison. Should he choose the spicy pot or the mild soup pot? Jiang Feng felt that the spicy pot was like a devil, reaching out its sinful red hand to tightly grasp his heartstrings, making him yearn for it after just one taste. Jiang Feng¡¯s gaze shifted to the quail eggs Sang Ming had enthusiastically given him earlier.
    The quail eggs were the first to be cooked, boiled in the pot for about fifteen minutes, their original white color obscured, the entire egg stained with a hue reminiscent not of the spicy pot but of a marinated egg simmered in sauce. They looked particrly appetizing. Since the quail eggs weren¡¯t cracked, the insides should not be spicy, Jiang Fengforted himself as he stretched his chopsticks towards the now cold quail eggs in his bowl. Fifteen minutes was enough to thoroughly vor the quail eggs without absorbing the spiciness as easily as beef ormb slices would due to the eggs¡¯ properties. Upon tasting, the coolness of the quail eggs was apparent; they would have been even more delicious if eaten hot, straight from the pot, requiring a few blows to cool down before consumption. Spicy but not overwhelming, salty, fragrant, and with the inherent taste of the egg itself¡ªthese were sensations that the mild soup pot and dipping sauces could not provide. Jiang Feng felt as though he had opened the door to a new world. How could there be something as delicious as spicy hot pot in this world? What had he missed in the first 20 years of his life? Mushroom, tomato, seafood, sour cabbage, and bone broth pots¡ªall of thembined couldn¡¯t match a single bite of spicy hot pot! After finishing the quail eggs, Jiang Feng set his sights on the now cold cabbage leaves in his bowl. The cooling had caused the oil to congeal on the leaves, making them look less appealing than the quail eggs; the leaves, softened from cooking, were filled with the color of chili oil, and just looking at them made one expect a spicy assault, potentially hotter than the initialmb slices he had eaten. Jiang Feng hesitated momentarily but still reached out with his chopsticks. Discarding the Sichuan peppercorns on top, he gingerly bit into a cabbage leaf.
    ¡°Hiss,¡± Jiang Feng inhaled sharply¡ªthe cabbage leaf was indeed much spicier than the quail eggs, possibly even spicier than the previousmb slices! The pricking sensation on his tongue was like a protest against Jiang Feng¡¯s daredevil act. But¡­ It was really delicious! The spicy pot-cooked cabbage leaves were truly tastier than those from the mild soup pot! After finishing all the various hot pot ingredients that others had given him and which had long gone cold in his bowl, Jiang Feng finally turned his attention to the boiling spicy pot. He saw a piece ofmb, just right in fat and leanposition, not too small, which must be delicious to eat. Jiang Feng made his move, extending his chopsticks. With a sessful snatch, Jiang Feng secured the piece ofmb in his bowl before Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s chopsticks could reach it. Jiang Shoucheng: ??? Who? Who was it? Who took themb he had his eye on! Angered, Jiang Shoucheng turned his head only to see Jiang Feng giving him a slight smile. Jiang Shoucheng: ???
    ¡°Little brother, didn¡¯t you say you can¡¯t eat spicy?¡± Jiang Shoucheng inquired as if his soul depended on it. Since you grabbed the wrong thing, hurry up and give me back themb I was eyeing! ¡°I just discovered that the spicy pot is really too delicious! Didn¡¯t I tell you, Cheng, that themb slice was so good it moved me to tears?¡± Jiang Feng replied with earnest, swiftly removing the two Sichuan peppercorns nestled in themb slice and stuffing it into his mouth. Hiss, so spicy. But the freshly cookedmb slice was just too delicious! Jiang Shoucheng: ??? Did my little brother not lie to me just now? Chapter 339: 338 Love at First Sight (Part 1) Chapter 339: Chapter 338 Love at First Sight (Part 1) The next morning, as Jiang Feng sat on the toilet, he deeply regretted his impulsive indulgence from the day before. So now the question arose, which hospital in Beiping City had a good proctology department? A moment of spicy delight, a post-meal cremation site. After Jiang Feng had a tough battle in the bathroom with some indescribable matters for dozens of minutes, he emerged physically and mentally drained. The soy milk was finely strained, with a touch of sugar added, giving it a slight sweetness that went well with the taste of the beans. ¡°How about you don¡¯t go to the store today and have it checked out at the hospital instead?¡± Wu Minqi had never seen anyone end up like this after eating hot pot. ¡°No need for the hospital, I just need to rest at home for a bit. If I¡¯m still not feeling better by the afternoon, then I¡¯ll go to the hospital,¡± Jiang Feng said, attempting to sit down. His butt barely touched the chair before he sprang up, ¡°I¡¯ll just stand instead.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need to go to the hospital?¡± Wu Minqi was still worried. ¡°No, no, I have it under control. If it really gets too much, I¡¯ll go to the hospital in the afternoon,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°Alright then, you just rest at home today, don¡¯t worry about the shop. I already called Zhou Shi and worked it out; he¡¯s pushing back his days off by two days, so the kitchen won¡¯t be understaffed,¡± Wu Minqi started to drink her soy milk.
    A few minutester, Wu Minqi finished her simple breakfast, tidied up, and prepared to go to work. ¡°I¡¯m off, make sure to rest up, and send me a WeChat message if you go to the hospital in the afternoon,¡± Wu Minqi reminded him repeatedly before leaving. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry, Minqi, and be careful on the road,¡± Jiang Feng waved goodbye to Wu Minqi from the dining table, just like a wife in a Japanese drama seeing her husband off to work. Wait, wife? ¡­ After Wu Minqi left, Jiang Feng tried various standing activities like mopping the floor, watching television, and ying with his phone. Regardless of the task, however, he couldn¡¯t ignore the aftermath of this morning¡¯s toilet ordeal. Maybe watching a memory could provide some rxation? He was curious to see what Zhang Guanghang looked like as a child and whether someone could truly be handsome from young to old. Or perhaps he had an ordinary appearance as a child, and his current looks were the result of cosmetic surgeries after returning to France. With malicious thoughts, Jiang Feng clicked open the properties panel and flipped to the item tab. [A Piece of Zhang Chu¡¯s Memory] [A Piece of Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Memory] Zhang Chu? Jiang Feng pondered. He remembered that Zhang Chu¡¯s memory was a reward frompleting a side quest. As for why it had been in the item tab for so long without him watching it, to the point ofpletely forgetting about it, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t recall the reason. After all, he was already a 21-year-old on the brink of entering his thirties, his memory surely wasn¡¯t as good as when he was 20. Jiang Feng decided it was best to watch Zhang Chu¡¯s memory first to avoid forgetting again. With this in mind, he moved his finger over [A Piece of Zhang Chu¡¯s Memory] and clicked ¡®yes¡¯, suddenly finding himself enveloped in a fog. The mist dissipated quickly this time, clearing almost the moment Jiang Feng heard the sound. Jiang Feng found himself standing in a small courtyard, the ufortable feeling in his body now gone. Although the yard was small, it was filled with various types of lumber: long, wide, t, big, and small, the material of the wood Jiang Feng could not recognize, but they all looked different. In addition to the logs, there were also many unfinished pieces of furniture, mostly simple things like tables and chairs, all piled together, making the whole yard very crowded. ¡°Chu, how many more nks do you have left to saw?¡± asked the Golden Carpenter, Zhang Chu¡¯s master, as he was busy tallying the lumber in the yard.
    ¡°Twenty-three left,¡± replied Zhang Chu, focusing intently on sawing the nk. ¡°After you finish sawing these nks, go help your senior apprentice brother. Once Iplete the current batch of orders, we will focus on making the Qian Gong Bed that Manager Yin ordered. This time, making the Qian Gong Bed for Manager Yin is a rare opportunity, so you better take it seriously and learn well. Opportunities like this are hard toe by, and if you miss this one, you might never encounter it again in your life,¡± warned the Golden Carpenter. ¡°I understand, Master. I will study diligently and won¡¯t ck off,¡± Zhang Chu said, his thick brows and big eyes exuding sincerity that made one believe every word he said. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Later at noon,e with me to Yonghe House again, the ce where we went for lunch yesterday,¡± the Golden Carpenter added.
    Zhang Chu stopped what he was doing and looked up at the Golden Carpenter, puzzled, ¡°Master, if you¡¯re going to Yonghe House to repair a cab, wouldn¡¯t it be enough to take my senior apprentice brother? What would I be doing there?¡± ¡°Lucky for you, kid, just yesterday at noon I told Manager Yin to inform me if there was any work on window frames to be done, so I could let you try your hand at it. Turns out,st night, for some reason, a window frame on the second floor of Yonghe House suddenly broke. Manager Zhang thinks it may have broken because ofst month¡¯s rain that went on for a whole month, causing it to be damp, but that shouldn¡¯t be the case. The windows of Yonghe House were all made personally by Master Qiu, and it¡¯s not like it rained for a year; one month shouldn¡¯t have caused it to break like that,¡± the Golden Carpenter muttered to himself and became lost in his own world. Zhang Chu was already ustomed to this and kept sawing wood, waiting for his master to snap out of it before continuing the conversation. After a while, the Golden Carpenter regained his focus and continued, ¡°Nevertheless, since the window frame of Yonghe House conveniently broke, you will apany me there after we eat the watermelon. You¡¯ll fix the window frame, and once you¡¯re done,e help me. Your senior apprentice brother will stay here to hurry the rest of the work, as Manager Yin is pressing us. From now on, apart from our regr clients, we won¡¯t ept any other orders, so remember to inform the others about this when the timees.¡± ¡°Understood, Master,¡± Zhang Chu nodded. ¡°Keep on sawing the wood here; I¡¯ll go to the front silk shop and buy some silk for your mistress. Women truly are troublesome;st time it was just the wrong pattern I bought, the color was clearly right, but she still got angry, sigh,¡± the Golden Carpenter sighed deeply and left. Zhang Chu continued to saw the wood in the courtyard, expression unchanged and movements monotonous, utterly dull and tedious. Jiang Feng only watched for a while before wandering off elsewhere. Jiang Feng wandered around within his limits and roughly figured out theyout of the Golden Carpenter¡¯s home. The house wasn¡¯trge, with the front and back courtyards upying half of the area, and only a few rooms, two of which were heaped with misceneous items and lumber. The courtyard where Zhang Chu was working was the backyard, a bit smaller than the front yard. His senior apprentice brother was in the front yard making a cab, looking to be about ten years older than Zhang Chu and much less good-looking. With his ordinary appearance, he seemed very honest and hardworking, fully concentrated on his work, just like Zhang Chu. As time went by and the sun began to engulf the entire city, raising the temperature gradually, Zhang Chu finished sawing the wood in the backyard and went to the front yard to assist his senior apprentice brother. Both were soaked in sweat, needing to take frequent breaks to fan themselves withrge palm-leaf fans and cool off. After some time, which might have been noon with the sun bing more scorching, the Golden Carpenter returned from the silk store with two pieces of silk and arge watermelon. ¡°Aiguo, Chu, you must be tired, stop working for now. Aiguo, go slice the watermelon; let¡¯s eat watermelon first. Chu, after eating, take a short rest, thene with me to Yonghe House,¡± the Golden Carpenter put the silk back in the house and came out with arge palm-leaf fan in hand. ¡°This damned weather, getting hotter by the day, it was betterst month when it rained,¡± the Golden Carpenterined.
    ¡°Master,st month you wereining about the rain causing the wood to be damp,¡± Aiguo retorted while bringing out the sliced watermelon, still teasing. ¡°Off with you, you¡¯re the talkative one. Your mistress has gone back to the countryside to visit rtives today. I¡¯ll take Chu with me to Yonghe Houseter. If you get hungry, just heat up the leftovers from yesterday, don¡¯t wait for us,¡± the Golden Carpenter said. He sat at the doorway fanning himself, not going for the watermelon, watching as his two apprentices devoured the entire watermelon, leaving only the white rind, before standing up. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Chu. Take your things, and we¡¯re off to Yonghe House.¡± Chapter 340: 339: Love at First Sight (Part 2) Chapter 340: Chapter 339: Love at First Sight (Part 2) Yonghe House was a fair distance from Golden Carpenter¡¯s home. Zhang Chu carried arge pack of tools on his back and followed Golden Carpenter through the streets and alleys. The sun outside was scorching, and they couldn¡¯t find much shade along the way. By the time the master and apprentice arrived at Yonghe House, they were drenched in sweat, looking like they¡¯d just been fished out of water. Manager Zhang had been waiting at the door for a while, and hurriedly greeted Golden Carpenter with a smile when he saw him, ¡°Golden Carpenter, it must have been tough walking all the way here in this devilish weather. You must be roasted. Come,e, here¡¯s some cool tea we brewed yesterday, you guys have a drink first.¡± After each had a cup of cool tea, Golden Carpenter and Zhang Chu finally felt revived. ¡°The cab is still on the second floor in the old spot, right?¡± Golden Carpenter asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s still in the same ce. We didn¡¯t dare to move it, fearing we might damage it further,¡± Manager Zhang said. ¡°And the window frame is also on the second floor. Strange to say, it was all fine yesterday, but this morning when Cao came in, he found the window frame was broken and told me. There wasn¡¯t any rainst night, so it¡¯s baffling how it could have just broken like that for no good reason. Could something have crashed into it? It¡¯s truly puzzling.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a broken window frame, repairing it won¡¯t be troublesome,¡± Golden Carpenter said, finishing his cool tea and pouring himself a ss of cold water, gulping it down. ¡°Manager Zhang, could you please find someone to take my apprentice upstairs to look at that window frame? I¡¯ll go fix the cab.¡± ¡°Sure, thank you for your trouble,¡± replied Manager Zhang, turning to look for a strongd and just happened to catch Cao Guixiang sneakily trying to get a peek at Zhang Chu from the kitchen doorway. He waved at her, ¡°Guixiang,e here, take this young Master Zhang upstairs to fix the window frame.¡± Cao Guixiang had initially just wanted to find a concealed spot to watch Zhang Chu, never expecting to be caught red-handed by Manager Zhang. She hurriedly touched her face a few times, then grabbed at her hair as if trying to make it look better, before slowly emerging with her head bowed. ¡°That, uh, young Master Zhang, I¡¯ll take you, upstairs,¡± Cao Guixiang said quietly, her voice sounding a bit strange due to her whisper. ¡°You girl, weren¡¯t you just fine this morning? What happened to your voice to make it sound like that?¡± asked Manager Zhang.
    ¡°Just now, the second brother was frying fish in the kitchen, and I got choked,¡± Cao Guixiang chose to pass the me to Qin Guisheng. This was Zhang Chu¡¯s first time going out to do repair work for someone, and he was just as nervous. He had his head buried in the big bag of tools he¡¯d dragged along, not lifting his head at all, and hadn¡¯t gotten a clear look at Cao Guixiang¡¯s face. Cao Guixiang led the way in front, with Zhang Chu following behind her. Throughout the journey, neither of them spoke a word until they reached the window frame that was more than likely broken by Cao Guixiang¡¯s own hand the night before. ¡°This is it. I discovered it was suddenly broken when I came in this morning,¡± Cao Guixiang outright lied. Zhang Chu stepped forward to inspect it, and saw that the break was clean. Even Jiang Feng could tell it wasn¡¯t naturally broken, and it was highly likely it had been broken by someone either bumping or knocking it. ¡°This break doesn¡¯t look like it was caused by dampness, more like it was broken by something hitting it,¡± Zhang Chu murmured. As an inexperienced newbie who had never repaired a window frame, he dared only to mutter to himself, hesitant to make a definitive judgment. However, Cao Guixiang heard Zhang Chu¡¯s mutterings and thought her little act had been easily exposed. She became somewhat panicked and blurted out without thinking, ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a downpourst month? Maybe it got damp then, and maybest night some bird or something hit it and it just broke on impact. I don¡¯t know, it was already broken when I found it this morning.¡± Cao Guixiang had spoken quickly and softly. Jiang Feng only caught the gist of it. Zhang Chu was still focused on inspecting the break in the window frame, likely pondering how to fix it, and Jiang Feng felt he probably hadn¡¯t heard what Cao Guixiang had just said. Or perhaps, he hadn¡¯t even noticed that Cao Guixiang had spoken at all. After speaking, Cao Guixiang looked at Zhang Chu nervously and expectantly, hoping he would respond, but Zhang Chu kept his gaze on the window frame andpletely ignored her. Cao Guixiang thought Zhang Chu found her too talkative to even offer a polite response and left looking downcast and a little heartbroken. Jiang Feng was curious to see what reaction Zhang Chu would have upon noticing Cao Guixiang¡¯s absence, so he didn¡¯t follow her downstairs but stayed beside Zhang Chu. Zhang Chu scrutinized the break in the window frame for a few minutes, then turned his head and asked, ¡°Comrade, your shop¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Eh, where did thatrade go?¡± Zhang Chu was utterly confused. Unable to find Cao Guixiang, Zhang Chu set about solving the problem by himself, walking over to where Golden Carpenter was and loudly asked, ¡°Master, do you have¡­¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t hear the rest because he had already dashed downstairs to see what Cao Guixiang was up to. When Jiang Feng arrived, he had noticed that there were very few customers at Yonghe House that day. There wasn¡¯t a single table upied on the second floor, and only one table on the first floor had diners. It was supposed to be story-telling time, but he hadn¡¯t seen Mr. Che across the way, probably because the weather was too hot. The heat deterred customers from eating out and likely caused Mr. Che to skip work and stay home to cool off. With no customers, it meant the kitchen staff must be quite idle. Jiang Feng nonchntly walked into the kitchen and saw Cao Guixiang and Qin Guisheng seated side by side on small stools, drinking cool tea. ¡°What should I do? He must think I¡¯m really annoying. Does he not want to see me or talk to me anymore? If our shop breaks a window frame again, would he be willing toe fix it?¡± Cao Guixiang, clutching the tea cup in both hands, wore a worried expression. Qin Guisheng almost spat out his tea when he heard herst sentence; his speech became stammering.
    ¡°Sis¡­Sister¡­Sister apprentice, do our shop¡¯s window frames still need breaking?¡± Qin Guisheng calcted in his mind, if their ndestine activities fromst night were discovered by the master, the master might spare his favorite junior because of his fondness for her, but for him, the master would likely be ruthless and unsparing. He was only in his 20s, just held hands with Amin, and they hadn¡¯t even gotten engaged yet. He couldn¡¯t just die so tragically. ¡°Of course, it must be over!¡± Cao Guixiang said, ¡°I went to ask Manager Yin yesterday, and after Golden Carpenter takes the custom order for the Qian Gong Bed, he won¡¯t take any other jobs. The Qian Gong Bed is being made in a different courtyard that belongs to Manager Yin¡¯s family, which is not even on the same path as ours. After that, he won¡¯t pass by our street, nor will he stay to listen to Mr. Che¡¯s storytelling.¡± ¡°Junior Sister, don¡¯t be impulsive, let your second senior brother think it over for you. When you led him upstairs earlier, did he say anything to you?¡± Qin Guisheng asked.
    ¡°He said exactly 28 characters to me: ¡®This broken end doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s from dampness, rather it looks like it was smashed by something.¡¯ That¡¯s the 28 characters,¡± Cao Guixiang said with a sad face. Qin Guisheng: ??? Are you sure he said that to you and not to himself? ¡°Emmm, that¡¯s,¡± Qin Guisheng suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say, ¡°but no matter what, we can¡¯t continue destroying the window frame. If our shop keeps breaking window frames every now and then, anyone would find it strange. And the way you smash the window frame is way too dangerous, climbing on the external wall to do it. If you fall one day, then I¡¯m done for. Master would skin me alive.¡± ¡°What did you do now? My father would skin you alive?¡± Peng Changping appeared behind them at some point, ¡°What are you so absorbed in talking about that you didn¡¯t even hear the call for lunch?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing, ah, it¡¯s time to eat,e one one on, Junior Sister, let¡¯s hurry and eat,¡± said Qin Guisheng, springing up at once. Perhaps because of the hot weather, the food was quite simple: stir-fried watermelon rind, smashed cucumber, cold tomato sd, scrambled eggs with chili, with in steamed buns as the main dish, no soup, but plenty of iced tea. Cao Guixiang was absentmindedly nibbling on a steamed bun, asionally picking up a chopstick of watermelon rind, her mind clearly elsewhere. ¡°Guixiang, what are you thinking about? You¡¯re not even eating properly,¡± Master Peng tapped the back of her hand with the end of his chopsticks. ¡°Ah, oh, Master, I was thinking that it doesn¡¯t seem quite right for us to eat without inviting Master Jin and Little Zhang to join us. They¡¯re still working upstairs,¡± said Cao Guixiang. ¡°Originally, there was such a custom that when a masteres to work, you have to not only pay but also provide meals. But now the rules have changed. If you pay, meals are not included; otherwise, it would disrupt the rules. The finances of our shop are predetermined, and if we mess around like this, it would be hard to ount for at the end of the month,¡± Manager Zhang exined. ¡°But I remember Little Zhang doesn¡¯t charge for fixing the window frame, right? Since he isn¡¯t taking money, we should at least provide a meal, otherwise wouldn¡¯t that be too inconsiderate?¡± Cao Guixiang said. ¡°That makes sense. How about this, deduct the cost from my sry this month. Guixiang,ter you go make a bowl of zhajiang noodles for Little Zhang and take it up to him,¡± Master Peng nodded.
    Cao Guixiang immediately lit up, finishing the bun in her hand in a few bites before slipping into the kitchen. ¡°Master, I¡¯m going to make zhajiang noodles for Little Zhang!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m full already!¡± Master Peng shook his head helplessly, smiling: ¡°This child, the older she gets, the less proper she bes.¡± Master Wang, however, had noticed something and smiled mysteriously, ¡°I think it¡¯s because Guixiang is growing up, and she¡¯s taken a liking to that Little Zhang upstairs, right?¡± Qin Guisheng nearly choked on a mouthful of bun. ¡°Wow, look at Xiaoguisheng¡¯s reaction. It seems Guixiang really has a thing for him,¡± said Master Wang. ¡°Master Wang, don¡¯t talk nonsense. It wasn¡¯t me who said that, it was you,¡± Qin Guisheng protested. ¡°But if Guixiang really has her sights set on Little Zhang upstairs, that could be quite troublesome. That Little Zhang is known as the handsome bachelor in his neighborhood, and there are a lot of young girls who like him,¡± Master Wang said. Hearing Master Wang talk like that, Qin Guisheng suddenly became unhappy, ¡°Master Wang, listen to how you speak. My junior sister is also¡­ She¡¯s well-known for her beauty at Yonghe House, and besides, my junior sister is still young. In a couple of years, she might even be a regr employee. Zhang Chu is just an apprentice of Golden Carpenter and hasn¡¯t even finished his apprenticeship yet; he doesn¡¯t have any steady ie. In terms of work and appearance, where is my junior sister not a match for this Zhang Chu? It¡¯s Zhang Chu who isn¡¯t worthy of her.¡± Cao Guixiang was the only female employee at Yonghe House. Everyoneughed.
    Chapter 341: 340 Love at First Sight (3) Chapter 341: Chapter 340 Love at First Sight (3) In Beiping City, Zhajiang noodles should be the most iconic specialty food second only to the Peking duck, famous and widespread. In any restaurant throughout the city, you can find Zhajiang noodles for sale, each with its own unique blend of condiments and even varying types of noodles¡ªrolled by hand, pulled, and torn¡ªany of which can be used for Zhajiang noodles. But if you¡¯re seeking a truly traditional experience, the first choice must be pulled noodles, although their preparation tests a chef¡¯s skills considerably, demanding at least three to five years of dedication before mastering them, which exins their rarity. Jiang Feng, newly arrived in Beiping, had the opportunity to apany Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, around various locales and tasted the restaurant¡¯s Zhajiang noodles. Unfortunately, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t choose well that time; the noodles were rolled by hand and cut, served with only a single type of garnish¡ªjulienned cucumber. A single mouthful of the salty Zhajiang noodles nearly did him in. Later, Jiang Feng also consulted Chen Mengxing, who told him that the most authentic Zhajiang noodles would always be those made at home, as those sold outside could neverpete for authenticity. Even in renowned old establishments like Eight-treasure House and Yonghe House, where a serving might cost a hundred or so, the taste, while good, somehow felt lessforting. Zhajiang noodles are a taste of home that naturally cannot be replicated by outside shops. Yonghe House¡¯s kitchen does have prepared Zhajiang ready, suggesting that Zhajiang noodles likely feature on the publicly avable menu on ordinary days. Upon seeing the movements of Cao Guixiang¡¯s hands, Jiang Feng knew she was making pulled noodles. The method for making pulled noodles is somewhat simr to that of hand-pulled noodles, but it can¡¯t be said that pulled noodles are the same as hand-pulled noodles. The technique for making pulled noodles is moreplex, with key steps including kneading, resting, mming, and stretching the dough. The most famous and representative of these pulled noodles are ¡°Dragon Whiskers¡± noodles, which are what Jiang Jianguo made for Jiang Weiming¡¯s 99th birthday longevity noodles. Pulled noodles are made by repeatedly folding and pulling double strands of dough; seven folds makerge pulled noodles, while twelve or more folds create ¡°Dragon Whiskers¡± noodles. However, the culinary industry now defines the minimum standard for Dragon Whiskers noodles as fourteen pulls, which pulls a single dough ball into 16,384 strands. Jiang Feng vaguely remembered that the record for the finest Dragon Whiskers noodles was twenty or more pulls, meaning that millions of strands could be pulled from a single dough ball. Such top-tier pulled noodle skills could be described as nothing less than magical.
    Cao Guixiang took quite some time making the noodles, as she started from scratch with kneading the dough. By the time her bowl of Zhajiang noodles was ready to serve, it was alreadyte afternoon. Jiang Feng carefully counted and Cao Guixiang pulled eleven times. For someone who wasn¡¯t a White Chef, her skill in noodle pulling was certainly superb. It was the first time Jiang Feng had seen such fine noodles used for Zhajiang noodles. After pulling the noodles, Cao Guixiang cooked them in a pot, preparing the garnishes as she waited for the noodles to done. The Zhajiang was ready-made, and the garnishes weren¡¯t fixed but generally depended on the season. Besides cucumber, a constant feature, other ingredients were left to chance. Cao Guixiang hesitated, chopped half a cucumber, added some shredded radish, peeled a couple cloves of garlic, and then prepared no other garnishes. Jiang Feng could roughly guess her intentions; the noodles could be meticulously prepared, as they¡¯d be hidden under the garnishes and Zhajiang anyway, and too borate a disy of garnishes might inadvertently expose the cook¡¯s meticulousness. After preparing the garnishes, Cao Guixiang waited quietly by the pot. Once the noodles were cooked to a clear appearance, she quickly lifted them out, rinsed them with cold water to cool and wash away the surface starch, then drained and put them in a bowl,yering on the Zhajiang and garnishes in turn¡ªthus, a seemingly ordinary bowl of Zhajiang noodles waspleted. Qin Guisheng had been sneakily watching from a distance and, upon seeing the finished Zhajiang noodles, came over to take a look, immediatelyining, ¡°Junior sister, don¡¯t be stingy just because the master is paying. Why did you put so little garnish? You could have added a few more types!¡± Cao Guixiang gave Qin Guisheng a disdainful look and said, ¡°What do you know? Is his window fixed yet?¡± ¡°No idea, I couldn¡¯t tell, but when I went up just now, I saw him still working on it,¡± Qin Guisheng replied. Cao Guixiang took a deep breath and went upstairs with the bowl of Zhajiang noodles. Zhang Chu was still at his usual spot, fixing the window frame, and it seemed the repair was nearlyplete. Cao Guixiang stood behind him with the bowl of Zhajiang noodles for a long while without him turning around. ¡°Um, Master Zhang¡­ Have you had lunch yet?¡± Cao Guixiang finally asked. Hearing someone speaking to him, Zhang Chu turned around and saw Cao Guixiang holding a bowl of Zhajiang noodles. He paused and responded, ¡°Ah, no¡­ ¡± Jiang Feng stood next to Zhang Chu, and from his perspective, Cao Guixiang looked just as beautified as a drama¡¯s lead actress with a beauty filter turned on. The nted afternoon sunlight filtered through the open window and fell on Cao Guixiang, lighting up her silky ck hair and making her fair face stand out. With big, bright, and animated eyes, and a smile on her face that gently lifted the corners of her mouth, her otherwise ordinary features, under the sunlight akin to 20 million soft pixels, suddenly seemed delicately charming. At such a moment, if there was an apt background music, Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t believe it wasn¡¯t a scene where the leads meet for the first time.
    It really seemed like heaven was helping Cao Guixiang, how could the angle of the sunlight be just so perfect. Zhang Chu was stunned. Never had he thought he would be unable to tear his gaze away from a girl upon the very first nce, not even willing to blink. Zhang Chu always felt that storytellers¡¯ tales of love at first sight, heartfelt emotions upon the second nce, and the stories where even family opposition couldn¡¯t keep lovers apart were deceitful, but now he was experiencing the sensation of love at first sight firsthand.
    That feeling where just one look could make you forget how to breathe, how to open your mouth, how to speak. ¡°That, I, I, I made a bowl of zhajiangmian, I think you probably haven¡¯t eaten yet, fixing the window frames, that, you worked hard fixing the window frames, so I¡­ I¡­¡± Cao Guixiang was so nervous being this close to Zhang Chu for the first time that she started speaking incoherently. ¡°My master said, in such hot weather, you helping our store fix the window frames for nothing in return is truly hard work, so he asked me to make a bowl of zhajiangmian to thank you,¡± Cao Guixiang said. Zhang Chu also regained the ability to organize his speech and said, ¡°It was just what I should do, ah, no, I mean, thank you.¡± Zhang Chu took the zhajiangmian from Cao Guixiang¡¯s hands and started eating the noodles. After working all morning and midday, Zhang Chu was indeed hungry. He ate the noodles in big bites, not realizing the hidden mystery within the bowl. Cao Guixiang was too embarrassed to keep staring at Zhang Chu, so she looked out the window instead. Just then, Mr. Che began his storytelling session at his street stall, and Cao Guixiang finally found an entry point for conversation. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve seen you before. I often see you from the second floor when you stop by here during noon or the afternoon to listen to Mr. Che¡¯s storytelling. I also like listening to Mr. Che tell stories, though I usually listen from the second floor,¡± Cao Guixiang said. Zhang Chu swallowed the noodles in his mouth and asked, ¡°You like listening to Mr. Che¡¯s stories too?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Cao Guixiang nodded, ¡°I think Mr. Che tells the Generals of the Yang Family particrly well.¡± ¡°What part was he up to yesterday afternoon? Where should he be at today?¡± Zhang Chu asked. ¡°Today he should be telling the story of the execution at the gate,¡± Cao Guixiang said, sneaking a nce at Zhang Chu. Zhang Chu didn¡¯t know what to say, so he just continued eating the noodles, quickly finishing off the bowl.
    Cao Guixiang hadn¡¯t thought of what to say next to Zhang Chu, so she just stood there, brewing in her own awkwardness. Having finished the bowl of noodles, Zhang Chu looked at the empty bowl and mustered the courage to ask, ¡°Comrade, my name is Zhang Chu, may I know what your name is?¡± ¡°My name is Cao Guixiang, Cao as in Cao Cao, Gui as in osmanthus, Xiang as in fragrance,¡± Cao Guixiang said. ¡°Thank you for the zhajiangmian, it was delicious,¡± Zhang Chu said. ¡°It was my pleasure.¡± Delighted by Zhang Chu¡¯spliment on her noodles, Cao Guixiang cheerfully carried the empty bowl down the stairs. Qin Guisheng had been waiting downstairs early on, and now, seeing Cao Guixiang¡¯s joyous face, he hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something good happen?¡± ¡°He praised the zhajiangmian I made as delicious!¡± Cao Guixiang was so ted she was beside herself with joy. Qin Guisheng: ??? ¡°Second senior brother, do you think I should just go and deliver him a meal tomorrow? I¡¯ll tell him it¡¯s because he did such a good job fixing the window frames that our store wanted to thank him, so specifically asked me to deliver the meal to him.¡± ¡°Junior sister, calm down a bit, the way you are right now is just¡­¡± Jiang Feng was enveloped by a mist of confusion, barely making out thest few words from Qin Guisheng. ¡°Bewitched by beauty!¡±
    Chapter 342: 341: Zhajiang Noodles Chapter 342: Chapter 341: Zhajiang Noodles Jiang Feng emerged from his memory and carefully reflected on the ¡°first encounter¡± between Cao Guixiang and Zhang Chu bathed in sunlight. Jiang Feng could only heave a sigh that love at first sight truly required the right time, ce, and harmony of people and then silently clicked open his attribute panel to view the menu. [Fried Sauce Noodles B-grade] Creator: Cao Guixiang Dish Details: This is originally amon home-style noodle dish, but thanks to the creator¡¯s excellent noodle pulling skills and meticulous noodle boiling process, it stands out significantly. Furthermore, the emotions of a young girl¡¯s longing, fear, and anticipation contained within it made it an unforgettable dish for Zhang Chu, bing the warmest light to illuminate his youthful years. When this dish is used inbination with the special dish Crab-Stuffed Oranges, its vor is greatly enhanced. Friendly Reminder: Since the yer¡¯s skill in noodle making is far lower than the dish requirements, there is a 100% chance of failure in making it. Daily production attempts (0/10) Jiang Feng: ¡­ Are you kidding me? He had actually forgotten that he didn¡¯t know how to pull or press noodles, and he wasn¡¯t even very good at hand-rolled noodles. How could he have thought making fried sauce noodles would be an easy task before?
    Looking at a B-grade dish, the oue was still the same, unable to make it. Filled with grief and indignation, Jiang Feng closed the familiar panel and prepared to go to the balcony to breathe some fresh air. Just as he took a step, a familiar and long-lost piercing pain, spicy yet with a hint of numbness, rapidly climbed up his spine to his scalp. After spending half a day in his memories, he had forgotten his current condition. The sudden impact just now felt rather intense. Jiang Feng stood in ce to recover for a while, feeling that one must face reality. If you¡¯re sick, you need treatment; when it¡¯s time to go to the hospital, you have to go. Jiang Feng remembered that there was amunity hospital near his neighborhood. Aftermath from spicy food wasn¡¯t a big deal, so he took his keys and phone and went downstairs to themunity hospital. Themunity hospital was very quiet that morning, with only an old granny sitting in a chair receiving an IV drip while two nurses sat beside her, chatting. The doctor prescribed Jiang Feng two boxes of medication and advised him not to sit for too long, to watch his diet, and to drink plenty of water. With a few words, he sent Jiang Feng away. Whether it was psychological or not, Jiang Feng felt much better aftering out of themunity hospital without even taking the medicine. With thoughts of fried sauce noodles on his mind, he passed by the noodle shop at the entrance of themunity, his brain heated up, and he walked in. ¡°Boss, a bowl of fried sauce noodles,¡± Jiang Feng said, carefully taking a seat. It didn¡¯t take long for the noodles to be served. It was the familiar recipe, the familiar taste, the familiar hand-rolled noodles, and the familiar julienne cucumber topping. The portion was very generous, a big bowl full of noodles with fried sauce spread across the surface, cucumber strips covering half the bowl, the whole dish exuding a hearty and satisfying air. Jiang Feng picked up his chopsticks to grab some noodles and mix the sauce. As he dug in, the noodles clumped together. After struggling to coat the noodles with the sauce, Jiang Feng stared at therge clump of noodles he had picked up and momentarily didn¡¯t know where to start. After some effort, Jiang Feng finally found an opening, separating a small clump from therge one, and took a bite. Sudden. The end of the text. . Pheh, he settled the bill, paying 17 yuan for the noodles, then slipped into the neighboring 24-hour convenience store and paid 2 yuan for water, totaling a loss of 19 yuan. That was the consequence of a momentary impulse. Up until an hourter, as Jiang Fengy on the bed following the doctor¡¯s instructions after taking his medicine, quietly contemting life while concurrently checking the detailed recipe for fried sauce noodles, he deeply regretted his impulsive decision from an hour before.
    It cost him both money and heartache. In Zhang Chu¡¯s memory, Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t seen the process of making the fried sauce; the sauce in Zhang Chu¡¯s bowl of fried sauce noodles wasn¡¯t made by Cao Guixiang, but by Master Peng that very morning. Even though Master Peng¡¯s process of making fried sauce didn¡¯t appear in the memory Jiang Feng had previously reviewed, it was included in the recipe¡¯s instructional video. The game even divided the video into parts for Jiang Feng, simr to watching segmented videos on a video app, simple and convenient. p1 is for making the noodles, p2 for making the fried sauce.
    Master Peng used pork belly to make the sauce. As an essential part of fried sauce noodles, with Beiping¡¯s method emphasizing plenty of oil and soybean paste, not a drop of water is allowed. The yellow bean and sweet flour sauces are stir-fried over low heat until they are fully cooked, aromatic, and fragrant. Making fried sauce is a long process that must be done in small amounts, oil is a must, and it should be slow-fried on low heat without any water. As a fermented food, the paste always has a certain smell that can only bepletely removed under high temperatures, which also release the sauce¡¯s full aroma and richness. This is also why frying in small amounts is crucial. If there is too much sauce, it¡¯s difficult to reach the right temperature, and the full fragrance can¡¯t be released. The charm of dry frying is allowing the sauce¡¯s vor and aroma to slow-release over time, merging with each other to be an even more delicious creation. Just from watching the video, Jiang Feng could see the slowly jumping and sshing oil in the pan and the fried sauce bubbling like breath, nearly able to smell the fragrance that was almost tangible. ¡°` The blend of soybean paste and sweet flour sauce, seasoned with scallions, ginger, and other spices, while the diced pork belly was the finishing touch. The finished sauce, fragrantly rich with an oily sheen and a sticky luster, appeared moist but epitomized the perfect harmony of oil and water. Jiang Feng had watched Cao Guixiang make fried sauce noodles before without much interest, but now watching Master Peng, he felt hungry. He wanted to eat fried sauce noodles. The fried sauce should be dry, moist, and sweet in just the right proportions, with a proper blend of soybean paste and sweet flour sauce. Clumps don¡¯t stick together when grasped with chopsticks, allowing one to see the distinctly gleaming bits of meat. Just one bite could make one forget all troubles and lingering worries, lost in the taste. The noodles must be finely hand-pulled, soft yet chewy, and after being cooked, they should be rinsed in water for a refreshing and smooth texture that fits the summer vibe. There¡¯s no need for too many toppings ¨C just shredded cucumber, carrot tops, shredded carrots, and bean sprouts are enough. Garlic can be omitted since, although theoretically its spicy fragrance would meld beautifully with the rich vor of the fried sauce, Jiang Feng really couldn¡¯t stand it, finding his limit at the asional pickled garlic eaten during Laba Festival. Just thinking about it made Jiang Feng¡¯s mouth water. He was even tempted to patronize Eight-treasure House for their fried sauce noodles.
    Although Eight-treasure House¡¯s reputation had declined over the years, it seemed their fried sauce noodles were truly exceptional and, despite being pricey, were validated by the ptes of Beiping¡¯s residents. He had been in Beiping for quite a while but had yet to taste a really good bowl of authentic fried sauce noodles. The sauce was easy to handle and not too difficult to master with a bit of practice. However, noodles were a big issue. Jiang Feng knew his limitations in White Chef skills and hadn¡¯t he tasted his own noodles at Morning Wind Primary School? Probably 80% of northern mothers who could make noodles would outss him. Jiang Feng took out his phone and decided to browse his social feed to calm down. Opening the feed, the first thing he saw was his great aunt¡¯s selfie from the gym. The familiar round face, the familiar robust figure, the familiar gym equipment, and the recognizable selfie angle. Jiang Feng did a quick calction ¨C something wasn¡¯t right with the date. His great aunt went to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, did yoga on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and rested on Sundays. ording to theory, today should be a yoga day, and yoga was in the evening. So why was his great aunt at the gym during noon time? Jiang Feng scrolled on and saw his great aunt¡¯s post from the night before. Great Aunt: Happy 99th birthday to granduncle, wishing you good health and a life free from worries! [Photo][Photo][Photo] The three photos were of zongzi, cake, and hotpot respectively. Beneath were rows of likes. Jiang Feng quickly nced over them. De, Cheng, Jiang Ran, Jiang Junlian, Jiang Junqing, even his real parents, uncles, and aunts had liked it, as well as Ji Yue, Ji Xue, Wu Minqi, Zhang Guanghang, and Sang Ming who had, at some point, added the great aunt on WeChat.
    As a result, Jiang Feng, who had not liked the post, seemed like an unfilial descendant. Feeling like an unfilial descendant, Jiang Feng hurriedly hit the like button and even hastily wrote ament. Jiang Feng: Wishing granduncle good health and happiness! [Cheering][Cheering][Cheering] As he browsed his social feed, Jiang Feng suddenly realized ¨C if his great aunt was at the gym today, then by theory, Comrade Jiang Jianguo should be downstairs preparing her post-workout special of chicken breast and lettuce sd. Jiang Jianguo was an excellent hand-pull noodle maker. Judging from the longevity noodles he madest night, his skills were surely above Cao Guixiang. Jiang Feng immediately felt excited, opened his contacts, found Jiang Jianguo, and sent him a message. Jiang Feng: Great uncle, are you there? Jiang Jianguo: Yes [Smart] Jiang Feng: Are you at home right now? I want to learn how to make hand-pulled noodles! Jiang Jianguo, holding his phone: ??? What¡¯s with his nephew and his whims? Just a few days ago he was mulling over how to cook chicken, and now he wanted to learn noodles? However, considering Feng¡¯s natural talent in cooking porridge, perhaps learning how to make pastry woulde easily to him. If Feng discovered his real talent was to be a White Chef, and decided to switch from Red Chef to White Chef, would Sir end up splitting him in two?
    Jiang Jianguo found himself deep in thought. ¡°` Chapter 343: 342 The Taste of Home Chapter 343: Chapter 342 The Taste of Home ¡°` Noodle pulling, to some extent, can be considered as one of the most technically challenging stunts in the world of noodle preparation. It¡¯s not only used in noodle making; the technique of noodle pulling can also be employed to create a variety of pastries, such as clear oil cakes, silver thread rolls, and fragrant pita pastries. These moderately difficult snacks all require the enhancement of noodle pulling techniques, an indispensable part of their creation process. The na?ve Jiang Feng thought that watching Cao Guixiang pull noodles seemed easy, with the thin, long noodles emerging from her hands in just a few minutes, so he believed that noodle pulling should only be a bit harder than hand-rolled noodles and that he would be able to grasp the basics after some serious studying. But in reality, noodle pulling is a skill that truly tests one¡¯s fundamental abilities. For someone like Jiang Feng, who had zero experience with in noodles and was a traditional Red Chef, trying to start with noodle pulling was definitely a path to doom, from learning the ropes to passing away. Indeed, Jiang Jianguo was instructing Jiang Feng ording to the principle of ¡°from learning the ropes to passing away.¡± As a loving uncle who cared for his nephew, Jiang Jianguo did not want to dampen Jiang Feng¡¯s enthusiasm, as his willingness to learn wasmendable. However, on the other hand, as the eldest son who was disdained by Sir and had received the most cold stares and beatings when he was younger, he couldn¡¯t just lead Jiang Feng astray. If he really diverted the hope of the Jiang Family¡¯s future from Red Chef to in noodles, Sir would surely skin him alive. Don¡¯t assume that just because Sir is already eighty and is offered seats on buses and subways, he can¡¯t still be vigorous in disciplining his children. Though his strength may not be what it once was, bolstered by decades of experience, his disciplinary effectiveness was in no way inferior to his younger days. When Wu Minqi got home from work for the day, she saw Jiang Feng sprawled on the couch, a lifeless expression on his face and exuding an air of ¡®I¡¯m so tired, just let me lie here like a salted fish,¡¯ as he watched television. ¡°How was your day, did you go to the hospital, or to the pharmacy? I didn¡¯t receive the message you were supposed to send me.¡± Wu Minqi said, setting her stuff on the couch.
    Only then did Jiang Feng remember that before Wu Minqi left, she had asked him to send her a WeChat message before going to the hospital, but he hadpletely forgotten after immersing himself in Zhang Chu¡¯s memories and finishing his ¡®dog food.¡¯ ¡°Qiqi, I¡¯m really sorry, I forgot. I went to themunity hospital this morning. The doctor gave me some medicine and said there wasn¡¯t a problem and told me to just lie down at home,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°So you justy there all day?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve been downstairs all morning learning how to pull noodles with Uncle and only just came up to lie down,¡± Jiang Feng said, his eyes glued to the television. ¡°Pulling noodles?¡± Wu Minqi, who was also a Red Chef, thought for a moment before realizing what pulling noodles entailed, ¡°Pulling noodles is really difficult, how did you get on today?¡± How did it go¡­ It was probably¡­ Starting with mixing the dough. ¡°Add water, yes, saltwater first, use both hands, with force, don¡¯t leave any dry flour in the bowl, with force!¡± ¡°With force, use more force, keep kneading, add more water, just keep kneading like that, until you achieve the three shines.¡± ¡°This dough isn¡¯t good enough, knead it again, remember the three shines. Do you still remember which three? Hands shine, dough shines, bowl shines!¡± ¡°With force, use some strength! How can you manage with that little strength? Look, you still have dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. What¡¯s wrong with you today, Feng? Why is your strength so limited?¡± ¡°This won¡¯t do, try again!¡± Although he took medication, it was just ordinary Western medicine, not a miracle cure; the effects weren¡¯t immediate. Because of the lingering pain from eating spicy food, Jiang Feng had difficulty exerting his full strength while kneading, and he was too embarrassed to tell Uncle that a certain unmentionable part of his body was temporarily in difort, preventing him from applying full force. So, he had no choice but to persist with the kneading, and that went on for the entire day. Yes, Jiang Feng kneaded dough for a whole day and hadn¡¯t even started to learn how to pull noodles before Jianguo sent him home to rest. That¡¯s also the reason Wu Minqi saw Jiang Feng looking utterly exhausted lying on the sofa when she got home. As for why his expression was one of utter hopelessness, that credit goes to Ji Yue. After kneading dough for a whole day, Jiang Feng felt his body and spirit deeply wounded and decided to lie down on the couch and watch some silly idol dramas to rx. Ji Yue was an absolute expert in silly idol dramas, and with her earnest rmendation, Jiang Feng chose a certain country¡¯s blockbuster that couldn¡¯t be searched onwork television and could only be watched through mobile projection¡ª ¡°Leaf fall of XX¡±! That was the scene Wu Minqi encountered upon returning home.
    ¡°luoha, &£¤@%&*¡­¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s attention was finally caught by the television after realizing that the voicesing from it were neither Chinese, nor English, Japanese, or even Korean. ¡°What drama is this?¡± Wu Minqi asked with interest as she sat down to watch the show with Jiang Feng; she hadn¡¯t been watching many dramastely. Jiang Feng thought for a moment, organizing his words, ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ revenge drama, I guess¡­¡±
    ¡°` ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± ¡°The male lead¡¯s mother was indirectly killed by his own father, so he changed gender and became the female lead to return to the country for revenge,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi: ??? ¡°Is it the revenge part now?¡± ¡°Sort of¡­ yes, she should be taking revenge on her aunt.¡± Wu Minqi: ??? ¡°Her aunt? So, how is she taking revenge now?¡± ¡°Um, well, for now, she¡¯s dating her uncle.¡± Wu Minqi: ??? ??? Her current expression could be photographed and used directly as an emoticon. No need for extra words; anyone would understand what the emoticon meant. Wu Minqi¡¯s view of Jiang Feng changed.
    My boyfriend actually likes this stuff. Didn¡¯t see thating. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, this show is very poprtely, Ji Yue rmended it to me,¡± Jiang Feng quickly rified. ¡°I was just lying down, bored and not knowing what to do, I definitely wouldn¡¯t watch this kind of drama usually!¡± Seeing Jiang Feng like this, Wu Minqi stopped teasing him and said with augh, ¡°I know Ji Yue rmended it to you, I watched it together with her this noon.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? My Qiqi actually likes this stuff?! ¡°The plot is actually mediocre, but the male and female leads are good-looking,¡± Wu Minqi objectivelymented. ¡°But speaking of which, howe you suddenly want to learn noodle pulling?¡± ¡°I wasing back from themunity hospital today and ordered a te of Zhajiang noodles from the noodle house downstairs,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°The noodle house downstairs? Aneng Noodle House, right? Their noodles are so-so. Mrs. Wang has been there,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Not so-so, it was horrible,¡± Jiang Feng said, a look of not wishing to recall the past etched on his face. ¡°Then I suddenly realized, ever since I got to Beiping, I¡¯ve only had Zhajiang noodles twice, and each time, they weren¡¯t authentic, they were even a bit disgusting.¡± Wu Minqi silently watched him, waiting for him to continue. ¡°Do you still remember Chen Mengxing, our senior from the Chess Club who graduated this year, thew senior who didn¡¯te to thest gathering? He¡¯s a Beiping native. When I first arrived at Beiping, I asked him where to get the most authentic and best Zhajiang noodles in Beiping. He told me that all the ones outside are the same, that only the ones made at home are the most authentic and best. Because Zhajiang noodles are the taste of home, everyone¡¯s memory of Zhajiang noodles is the taste of the ones made by family, from childhood to adulthood. So, no matter how delicious the Zhajiang noodles made in restaurants are, they can¡¯tpare to the authenticity of home, they¡¯re not the vor they want to eat or love,¡± Jiang Feng slowly said.
    ¡°So I want to learn. I want to make them myself, for you guys, to make the most authentic Zhajiang noodles.¡± Wu Minqiughed, a shyugh, biting her lip, her eyes curving and sparkling with tears. ¡°Then let¡¯s learn together. I¡¯ll make them for you too, when the timees.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± . PS: Vote for the monthly ticket! (Loudly!) Chapter 344: 343: Birthday Meal (Part 1) Chapter 344: Chapter 343: Birthday Meal (Part 1) In the following time, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi made full use of the sectional sofa, with one lying down and the other sitting, as they enjoyed together the Thai annual family ethics emotional revenge drama in the living room¡ªafter my sex change, I, the king, return for revenge on my scumbag dad. I didn¡¯t do anything, but I took revenge on my aunt because I fell in love with my uncle. Although the values were not conventional, the cast was easy on the eyes. Taking advantage of Wu Minqi¡¯s time in the shower, Jiang Feng decided to check out Zhang Guanghang¡¯s memories to rx a bit. As a good youth grown up under the red g of socialism with unimpeachable integrity, Jiang Feng had never imagined that capitalist countries would actually y out like this. While watching TV, Jiang Feng had also asked Ji Yue about it, who told him that the drama was adapted from a novel, and that the novel was even more thrilling¡ªit wasn¡¯t the uncle but an ¡°uncle.¡± Decadent capitalist countries, what sorts of mythical creatures do they harbor? Jiang Feng quietly opened his attributes, scrolled to the props tab, found ¡°A Segment of Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Memory,¡± and clicked yes. Jiang Feng was instantly surrounded by dense fog, which dissipated very slowly this time. In the fog, he could clearly hear the coughing of elderly people and the sound of children running. ¡°Grand-p¨¨re, tu n¡¯as pas cl¨¦ avec toi!¡± Jiang Feng in the fog: ???
    What aliennguage is this? The fog cleared. Zhang Guanghang, with a face six-tenths simr to his future self, was sprinting with a bunch of keys towards Xia Mushi, who appeared to be in his seventies or eighties. Although Jiang Feng was reluctant to admit it,paring Zhang Guanghang¡¯s current face to his future one, he seemed to have grown less handsome. At this time, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s features weren¡¯t fully developed yet, but his face was still three-dimensional and profound, with exceptionallyrge eyes for his small face. Even with a short buzz cut, he was the kind of kid that would make an entric aunt like Ji Yue repeatedly turn around and whisper with a squeal, ¡°Wow, this kid is so cute, I really want to scoop him up and hug him!¡± while murmuring to people nearby. So what kind of mindset did Xia Mushi have to take Zhang Guanghang to get a buzz cut? Xia Mushi showed an expression that said, ¡°What the hell are you talking about,¡± and echoed Jiang Feng¡¯s thoughts, ¡°Speak Chinese.¡± ¡°Master, you didn¡¯t bring the keys,¡± Zhang Guanghang switched from French to Chinese smoothly. Every time he entered a new scene, Jiang Feng always habitually surveyed his surroundings first. There was no need to look around this time; this was a ce Jiang Feng knew well¡ªFen Garden. The three of them were now right at the entrance of Fen Garden, which looked exactly the same as it did a decadeter. It seemed like Xia Mushi was about to go out. ¡°Master, today is my birthday!¡± Zhang Guanghang said looking up. The younger Zhang Guanghang was clearly more lively than when he was older, which was normal. What kids his age would walk around all day with sullen faces and silent? Back then, there were noputers, no tablets, no smartphones, and even TV time was limited; there was none of the necessary conditions for staying at home without going out. Kids¡¯ entertainment was usually running out and finding a bunch of friends to y with, each more lively and active than the next. ¡°Your 10th birthday?¡± ¡°9 years old.¡± ¡°Around here, we call it 10 years old; you have to include the nominal age.¡± Xia Mushi¡¯s expression clearly showed he had forgotten Zhang Guanghang¡¯s birthday. He had no children, and before taking Zhang Guanghang as his apprentice, he had no experience with kids at all. His experience in taking care of and disciplining children was as good as that of new parents¡ªnonexistent. Zhang Guanghang was precocious, having been raised by his maternal grandfather. His parents basically were in a stage where they were responsible for his birth but not for his upbringing or education, letting the child be as he might, and leaving what he became entirely up to his innate gifts. So, in the year and more since Xia Mushi had taken on Zhang Guanghang as an apprentice, he taught haphazardly, and Zhang Guanghang learned haphazardly. Everything had gone smoothly, and no major mistakes had urred.
    Until today, Xia Mushi suddenly realized that it was time to properly celebrate Zhang Guanghang¡¯s birthday. Traditionally, the 10th birthday was a big deal¡ªback in ancient times, it was called the ing of age¡± ceremony, marking the child¡¯s formal entrance into adolescence. Wealthy families would even throw grand banquets for their children. Last year, on Zhang Guanghang¡¯s birthday, Xia Mushi had casually bought him a sugar-coated hawthorn on a stick and let it pass. This year, it couldn¡¯t be the same. Considering that today was Zhang Guanghang¡¯s special day, Xia Mushi reluctantly mustered what could pass for a benevolent smile and took the keys from him.
    ¡°Want to go grocery shopping?¡± ¡°Want to.¡± Xia Mushi took Zhang Guanghang¡¯s hand, just like any grandfather taking his grandson to the market, and together they left Fen Garden. At this time, Beiping was not yet overrun with the hustle and bustle that woulde a decadeter. The courtyard houses and alleyways near Fen Garden had not beenpletely demolished. Jiang Feng followed behind them, seeing mostly grandfathers and grandmothers with their grandchildren, presumably because the younger people were off at work or school. Unexpectedly, Xia Mushi was quite popr among the locals, receiving waves and greetings from many elderly people along the way, who couldn¡¯t help but inquire when they saw him with Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Oh, Xia, took your grandson grocery shopping, have you?¡± ¡°My apprentice.¡± No matter how enthusiastic the other person, Xia Mushi¡¯s reply remained just as indifferent. ¡°Look at my memory, I always think he¡¯s your grandson. Just yesterday, when I was ying chess with Chen, I was muttering about where you got this foreign grandson from.¡± The old man pped his head and turned to chat with someone else. ¡°Your mom called yesterday. Did she tell you when you¡¯re going back?¡± Xia Mushi asked. ¡°She did.¡± Zhang Guanghang obviously didn¡¯t like the subject, his tone somewhat subdued, ¡°I¡¯ll go back on the 17th of next month, stay for two months, finish the sses, and thene back.¡± Thinking the child was reluctant to study because he was yful, Xia Mushi asked, ¡°Don¡¯t want to go back?¡± ¡°Grandpa¡¯s not there. He wasn¡¯t therest time I went back either. Mrs. Grace said Grandpa had gone on a trip, but he didn¡¯t return for two months. Yesterday, I asked my mom, and she said Grandpa had gone traveling again. I won¡¯t see him when I go back this time either.¡± Zhang Guanghang sighed, speaking in a wless Beijing dialect. Xia Mushi fell silent, not good at deceiving children, ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll see him when you go back next year.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today, what do you want to eat?¡± Xia Mushi tried to change the subject.
    ¡°Candied hawthorns!¡± Zhang Guanghang immediately got excited. Xia Mushi: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a snack, I¡¯ll buy you someter. What do you want for lunch? Peach blossom sail? Crispy double fry? Supreme crisp? Purse tenderloin? Or Huankui apanied by snow plum?¡± Xia Mushi began listing menu items. Zhang Guanghang thought for a moment, ¡°Shafu Roast Chicken.¡± Xia Mushi: ??? Xia Mushi, as a traditional Shandong cuisine chef, felt a great shock to his core. ¡°Alright, Shafu Roast Chicken, it is. Later, you pick out the ingredients, and I¡¯ll cook it for you at noon,¡± Xia Mushi agreed readily. Chapter 345: 344: Birthday Feast (Part 2) Chapter 345: Chapter 344: Birthday Feast (Part 2) Xia Mushi led Zhang Guanghang toward the vegetable market, casually beating around the bush. ¡°Xiaohang, have you seen others make Fortune¡­ Ro¡­ Shafu Roast Chicken before?¡± Xia Mushi asked. ¡°I have. I saw my dad and Uncle Adrien make it before,¡± Zhang Guanghang replied. ¡°Then let¡¯s see if you remember, how is it made?¡± Xia Mushi went straight to the point. It was really hard to create something out of nothing, and he needed some reference information to make up the dish. ¡°I don¡¯t quite remember,¡± Zhang Guanghang shook his head, ¡°It seems like the chicken was fried, and then¡­ then the beef broth was boiled down, and then¡­ then I can¡¯t remember.¡± Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t notice Xia Mushi¡¯s true intention, thinking that Xia Mushi just wanted to test him. Xia Mushi stopped talking, silently walking forward; his expression was that of deep thought, pondering over what kind of strange method it was to fry chicken and then boil it down with beef broth. The pair, one tall and one short, one old and one young, holding hands, made their way to the bustling vegetable market, resembling arge gathering ce. Jiang Feng had seenrger vegetable markets and ones with more variety, but this was his first time seeing one as chaotic as a return to roadside stalls with bothprehensive variety and size. The crowd was not only housewives but also middle-aged men who were clearly chefs and some people who clearly had no experience in buying groceries, all of them picking through the stalls, bargaining, with various voices rising and falling in a cacophony that made a bustling marketce. With such a scale, no wonder Xia Mushi personally came to browse; without some skills, one would indeed have a hard time buying good vegetables here. ¡°Grand-p¨¨re, Plectropomus leopardus!¡± Zhang Guanghang pointed to an East Star Garoupa swimming in a tank.
    Xia Mushi nced at the East Star Garoupa indifferently and answered, ¡°That¡¯s an East Star Garoupa.¡± ¡°East Star Garoupa.¡± Zhang Guanghang repeated, beginning today¡¯s Chinese food ingredient lesson. ¡°Grand-p¨¨re, matsutake.¡± ¡°Ah, matsutake, we¡¯re not buying that today.¡± ¡°Grand-p¨¨re, m¨¦rou!¡± ¡°That is the grouper, eh, Grouper.¡± Xia Mushi was immediately drawn to the grouper, and after negotiating with the vendor, he sessfully acquired the two groupers, one big and one small, from the basin. ¡°Is this your grandson? What kind of mixed blood, American?¡± The vendor, who was new here, didn¡¯t recognize Xia Mushi. ¡°My apprentice, he¡¯s French,¡± Xia Mushi said. ¡°Taking a foreigner as an apprentice, you¡¯re really something. But where is France, next to America?¡± The vendor inquired further, eyes fixed on Zhang Guanghang. Although foreigners could asionally be seen on the main roads, this was his first time seeing a foreign child. Xia Mushi thought, how would I know where France is, and said, ¡°Probably.¡± In such a bustling market with high customer traffic, high density, and people brushing against each other¡¯s shoulders and bumping into heels if not careful, thebination of Xia Mushi and Zhang Guanghang, a Sino-French old-young duo, undoubtedly attracted a lot of attention. Xia Mushi led Zhang Guanghang quickly around the market. Apart from the groupers, he didn¡¯t find any ingredients that caught his eye. Like other restaurants, Fen Garden had its regr suppliers, and Xia Mushi insisted on strolling through the market every day purely to pass time and get some exercise¡ªit was basically a walk. ¡°Grand-p¨¨re, crevette.¡± Zhang Guanghang gently tugged at Xia Mushi¡¯s sleeve, pointing to the live shrimp in a basin in front of a vendor selling seafood. ¡°Want to eat shrimp?¡± Xia Mushi asked. Zhang Guanghang nodded. ¡°What else do you want to eat? It¡¯s your birthday today, you choose the dishes, and as long as your master knows how, I will make it for you,¡± Xia Mushi said with rare generosity and good humor, ¡°How about Ten Thousand Fortune Meat? Today, your master will show off a bit and make you Imperial Pce Ten Thousand Fortune Meat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have it,¡± Zhang Guanghang nodded, ¡°and also candied hawthorn.¡± ¡°I know, I know, I won¡¯t forget your candied hawthorns. I¡¯ll buy some for you when we head back, and that Shafu¡­whatever chicken, you go ahead and pick out the ingredients for that chicken dish first. We¡¯lle back for the shrimpter,¡± Xia Mushi pressed his brow, feeling a headacheing on. He hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to prepare that chicken dish, ¡°Later in the evening, I¡¯ll take you to Tailor Zhao to have some new clothes made. You¡¯re growing too fast; the clothes we madest month are already too short.¡± Listening to Xia Mushi¡¯s grumbling andining, Zhang Guanghang gave him a big smile and loudly said, ¡°Grand-p¨¨re, je t¡¯aime!¡±
    ¡°Keep your voice down; I¡¯m not so old that I can¡¯t hear you. Your words just now¡­ah, forget it. Next month, when you go back, talk to your mom. Don¡¯t just get tutors for math and English¡­ Do you study English? You should also get a Chinese tutor to brush up on your Chinese. I have to guess what you mean when you mix Chinese with French, and I can¡¯t figure it out. I¡¯m too old for this foreign torment,¡± Xia Mushi led Zhang Guanghang to buy the ingredients for Shafu Roast Chicken. Jiang Feng was still standing beside the shrimp vendor¡¯s stall, looking at the flower lobsters on the stall next to it. Because of the ingredients and the difficulty of the cooking technique, Jiang Feng had never tried the steamed lobster with soup, and had never even seen a flower lobster before. Now that he finally saw one alive, despite it being in his memory, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but take a longer look. ¡°That grandfather and grandson seemed really close just now,¡± a schrly looking middle-aged man with sses remarked to the vendor while selecting shrimp.
    ¡°Grandfather and grandson? That kid isn¡¯t his grandson; he¡¯s the apprentice he took onst year. Master Xia is a chef, the one who runs Fen Garden. You know Fen Garden, right? It¡¯s that private restaurant two alleyways forward from here,¡± the shrimp vendor clearly knew Xia Mushi well and was aware that Zhang Guanghang was his apprentice fromst year. ¡°Apprentice?¡± The middle-aged man was taken aback, ¡°But that boy just said ¡®grandfather, I love you¡¯.¡± This time, it was Jiang Feng and the vendor¡¯s turn to be startled. ¡°You understand French? You must have heard wrong, that child is his apprentice, not his grandson,¡± the vendor said. ¡°How could I have heard wrong? The boy said ¡®Grand-p¨¨re,¡¯ which means grandfather, in French, each word only has one¡­¡± Jiang Feng had wanted to stay and listen to the middle-aged man¡¯s exnation, but an invisible wall of air mmed into his back, knocking him to the ground. When he looked up, Zhang Guanghang and Xia Mushi had already walked away. Jiang Feng had to quickly get up and run forward. If he were hit by the wall of air while still on the ground, it would be no different from being tied to a chair and whipped. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t experienced the sensation of being whipped by the wall of air in a long time. Running to catch up with Zhang Guanghang¡¯s pace, by the time Jiang Feng got behind them, Xia Mushi was still talking about the topic he mentioned earlier, where Zhang Guanghang would asionally insert a French phrase into his Chinese sentences. ¡°I keep hearing something about ¡®long something p¨¨re,¡¯ what does that mean?¡± Xia Mushi asked. ¡°grand-p¨¨re?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s it, what does this ¡®piece¡¯ mean?¡± Zhang Guanghang paused for a moment, and then answered, ¡°Master.¡±
    ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It means master,¡± Zhang Guanghang stated firmly. ¡°In the future, just call me master in a way I can understand. How am I supposed to know you¡¯re calling me when you use that ¡®piece¡¯ term?¡± Xia Mushi released Zhang Guanghang¡¯s hand, ¡°Okay, go and pick the vegetables. Point out to the vendor what you want to buy. If you don¡¯t know the name, don¡¯t speak French. I¡¯m going ahead to get a couple of pieces of Wuhua meat. I just saw that the meat at that stall looks fresh, probably ughtered this morning. If there¡¯s an issue, just call for me loudly.¡± After that, Xia Mushi headed to the meat stall in the front. Zhang Guanghang reluctantly nodded his head and puffed his cheeks like a pufferfish. For such a tant deception of his master, Jiang Feng could only observe that Old Sir Xia had suffered from a cultural disadvantage. And it was a very sweet and happy disadvantage at that. Chapter 346: 345: Birthday Dinner (3) Chapter 346: Chapter 345: Birthday Dinner (3) Jiang Feng followed Zhang Guanghang to see how he managed to buy vegetables with gestures and broken sentences, but to his surprise, Jiang Feng discovered that Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Chinese was quite good; he even knew some umon vegetables and could name the colloquial terms for silk gourd and rutabaga. Given the level of Chinese that Zhang Guanghang exhibited while shopping, it was impossible for him not to know the Chinese names for grouper, coral trout, and matsutake mushrooms. Jiang Feng had reason to suspect that Zhang Guanghang¡¯s asional outbursts of French were purely an excuse to call Xia Mushi ¡°grandpa.¡± With a standard European face, speaking fluent Beijing dialect, every vendor, whether they recognized Zhang Guanghang or not, was enthusiastic. Thinking he was too young to pick vegetables, they volunteered to help, giving and delivering along the way, showing the warmth of the Beiping people to a foreign friend. By the time Zhang Guanghang was carrying a load of vegetables in both hands to look for Xia Mushi at the meat stall, Xia Mushi was still carefully choosing and had yet to find the preferred cut of Wuhua pork. Imperial Pce Ten Thousand Fortune Meat hasn¡¯t been around for too long¡ªit was a dish created by an Imperial Chef at the end of the Qing Dynasty to win the favor of the Empress Dowager on her birthday. It required aplicated process involving steaming, boiling, frying, stir-frying, and flipping to create a dish that was pleasing in name and appealing in appearance. Once introduced, it quickly gained the Empress Dowager¡¯s and the concubines¡¯ favor, and as it spread, it was modified by various chefs, leading to quite differences in preparation. As it was an imperial dish, the choice of ingredients naturally came first¡ªall had to be of the highest quality, even the green onion sprinkles used for decoration had to be the tender tips of premium scallions. ¡°Master Xia, don¡¯t give me such a hard time. These two cuts of Wuhua meat are already the best in our section. You usually order meat from us, and you have never had such high standards. Who is visiting today that even you have toe to pick meat and vegetables personally?¡± The butcher speaking to Xia Mushi was his regr meat supplier. ¡°How could it be the same when it¡¯s my apprentice¡¯s birthday today?¡± Xia Mushi nced over and saw Zhang Guanghang, motioning him over. He skillfully took the bag with the whole chicken from his hands, ¡°All right then, I¡¯ll take these two cuts. I want them both.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The butcher quickly weighed the meat, calcted the price, and packed it for Xia Mushi.
    Xia Mushi led Zhang Guanghang back the way they came, stopping at the shrimp stall Zhang Guanghang had taken an interest in earlier to buy several pounds of shrimp, and finally taking him to the old man who sold candied hawthorns daily at the entrance to the vegetable market. So why sell candied hawthorns at the entrance to the vegetable market? Generally speaking, the candied hawthorn season ends in early spring, aroundte March or early April. Winter is the best time to enjoy them. Judging by the attire of the pedestrians on the street, Jiang Feng estimated that it was around March, with temperatures gradually warming and candied hawthorns bing harder to keep. Genuine candied hawthorns have a sugar coating that will melt in high temperatures, and those sold outside in 30-degree summer heat without melting are likely mixed with other substances. The candied hawthorns sold by the old man at the market entrance looked quite appealing. Large hawthorns were strung together, varying in size, but all were coated in sugar. The sugar on the outeryer of the topmost hawthorns had already begun to melt, slowly copsing like a melting iceberg. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one!¡± Zhang Guanghang pointed to a skewer of candied hawthorns whose sugar was not too obviously melted. The old man handed the candied hawthorn to Zhang Guanghang, and Xia Mushi took care of the payment, also taking over the remaining bags from Zhang Guanghang¡¯s hands. ¡°Master Xia, this is myst day selling these, I won¡¯t be selling them after tomorrow. Would you like one too?¡± The seller of candied hawthorns clearly recognized Xia Mushi. ¡°I don¡¯t fancy that stuff. It¡¯s too sweet, sour, and a hassle to pick out the pits. At this time, you can easily end up with sticky syrup dripping all over you,¡± Xia Mushi said disdainfully, ¡°Xiaohang, be careful when you eat, don¡¯t drip it on yourself.¡± ¡°I know, Master,¡± said Zhang Guanghang, who indeed did not drip any on himself¡ªhe smeared it all over his face instead. Xia Mushi thus led a child, whose face was covered in syrup, back home,pletely unaware that Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face was smeared with syrup¡ªa testament to Xia Mushi¡¯s caretaking skills and how Zhang Guanghang¡¯s healthy survival to this day was no small feat. Zhang Guanghang managed to eat his way through a skewer of candied hawthorns while walking, ending up with half his face a sticky mess. It wasn¡¯t until they returned to Fen Garden and entered the kitchen to put down the groceries that Xia Mushi noticed something on Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s that on your face? Go wash upter; I¡¯ll borrow a bowl of beef soup and be right back,¡± Xia Mushi said as casually as if he were borrowing a bowl of vinegar from a neighbor before leaving. Zhang Guanghang went to the sink to wash his face, scrubbing it vigorously as one might scrub mud off in a bathhouse. After washing his face, he started to wash the vegetables conscientiously. Since Master Xia¡¯s private kitchen was so expensive, he generally didn¡¯t serve many tables in a day, so he didn¡¯t hire other staff and did all the work himself. After taking Zhang Guanghang as his apprentice, tasks like washing vegetables, chopping, scrubbing pots, and taking out the trash all fell to Zhang Guanghang. It wasn¡¯t long before Xia Mushi returned, carrying a white porcin bowl. Seeing Zhang Guanghang washing vegetables, he called out, ¡°Xiaohang, stop washing and go enjoy yourself. It¡¯s your birthday today; you¡¯re the birthday star. Just sit and wait for the meal.¡± The best birthday gift Xia Mushi could think of was not having to work and being able to enjoy a feast without lifting a finger. Zhang Guanghang brought a small chair from outside into the kitchen and sat down, watching Xia Mushi cook.
    Xia Mushi took the pork belly he had just bought out of the stic bag, washed it, cut it, and then added spring onions, ginger, and star anise to the water before setting it to simmer on a low heat. To make the Ten Thousand Fortune Meat, the pork belly needs to be cooked for at least 40 minutes, and that requires some waiting. ¡°Master, the chicken needs to be marinated in advance,¡± Zhang Guanghang reminded as he sat on a small stool. With an expressionless nod, Xia Mushi seemed as steady as an old dog but was actually freaking out.
    Great, the Shafu Roast Chicken needed to be marinated in advance, and he had learned something new. Xia Mushi began to check the ingredients that Zhang Guanghang had bought. A whole chicken, pepper, butter, turnips, baby carrots, silk gourd, broli, apples, lemons. Xia Mushi: ¡­ What the hell are these ingredients, and how could they possibly be mixed to make a single dish? Since he didn¡¯t know how to cook Shafu Roast Chicken, Xia Mushi could only rely on intuition to debone and marinate the chicken, and surprisingly, the steps were almost no different from the correct ones. Jiang Feng could only marvel at how terrifying a chef¡¯s intuition could be. ¡°Xiaohang, why did you suddenly want to eat this dish?¡± Xia Mushi asked casually. ¡°Mrs. Grace said it was my dad¡¯s signature dish, but I¡¯ve never tasted my dad¡¯s version. I¡¯ve only had the one Mrs. Grace made. She said my dad was too busy usually, and he would make it for me on my birthday or when he was free, but my dad has always been busy on my birthdays, so I wanted to taste the one made by Master,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. The hand Xia Mushi held the knife with paused. ¡°This dish must be a specialty from your ce, right?¡± Xia Mushi inquired. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Did your grandfather ever teach you the saying ¡®When in Rome, do as the Romans do¡¯?¡± ¡°He did.¡±
    ¡°Do you know what it means?¡± ¡°I do. It means that when you go somewhere, you should follow the customs of that ce.¡± Zhang Guanghang was puzzled, not understanding why the cooking lesson had turned into a Chinesenguage ss. ¡°You should ¡®When in Rome.¡¯ Since you¡¯re here, you should speak Chinese, and the dish should also adapt. That chicken, when in your ce, should be cooked the way you do it, but when it¡¯s in my territory, it should be cooked the Chinese way. Just wait, today, Master will make you a Chinese-style Sha¡­ Shafu Roast Chicken,¡± Xia Mushi eventually managed to remember what the dish was called. Jiang Feng: ??? Is that how you use ¡®When in Rome¡¯? Xia was ying this smart! ¡°Okay.¡± Zhang Guanghang looked at the cooking station with anticipation. Xia Mushi sighed. What¡¯s wrong with the way French people cook? It was bad enough to have a dish with chicken, kohlrabi, carrots, and cauliflower, but to include lemon and apple as well? Whatever, just cook however. As long as it¡¯s edible, that¡¯s fine. After all, ¡®When in Rome.¡¯ Chapter 347: 346: Birthday Dinner (Part 4) Chapter 347: Chapter 346: Birthday Dinner (Part 4) While the chicken was marinating, Xia Mushi neatly diced the rest of the vegetables into equally sized, small squares of varying colors, which looked quite presentable. Then Jiang Feng witnessed the birth of Xia Shafu Roast Chicken. Xia Mushi mixed the chicken with ck pepper and stir-fried it in a wok. Because the chicken was inrge chunks, flipping them with the spoon made the task significantly more difficult. When the chicken was about sixty percent cooked, Xia Mushi turned off the heat, switched to a t-bottomed pan, smeared ayer of oil on the bottom, and cooked the chicken on low heat. Chicken is meant to be pan-fried, a step Zhang Guanghang had mentioned to him before, which he hadn¡¯t forgotten. As the chicken fried in the pan and the heat gently worked its way through, the oily surface began to sizzle, the oil seeping from the inside out. The color deepened, and the aroma of the chicken itself began to take on the vors of the seasoning. Xia Mushi then turned his attention to the pork belly that was already cooked, multitasking with two dishes at the same time. The Imperial Pce Ten Thousand Fortune Meat recipe was intricate andplex, not only because it involved a variety of steps but also because it demanded extremely precise knifework. As a signature imperial dish, Imperial Pce Ten Thousand Fortune Meat showcased the strengths and weaknesses of royal cuisine to a great extent. First, the name had to sound appealing, making one feel rich and pleased just by hearing it, and eager to try the dish. If even Zhu Yuanzhang, who was not yet an emperor, could name a dish of tofu stewed with wilted vegetable leaves ¡°Pearl Jade White Jade Soup¡±, one can only imagine what those indulging in extreme opulence, such as thest emperors, woulde up with. Having a good name was just the first step, choosing expensive ingredients was the second. Whatever was rare was used, and whatever was precious was included. Royal cuisine had very strict requirements for the origin, quality, part, and size of the ingredients. Even the salt used in cooking had to be meticulously picked from thousands of pounds of salt, not to mention the utensils used, which had to be valuable collectibles. Whether ivory iid on chopsticks would be ufortable to use was not a concern for themon folk.
    The budget of ny thousand taels of silver set by a certain Qing Dynasty emperor for a simple street snack from the Internal Affairs Office may not be entirely baseless. Imperial Pce Ten Thousand Fortune Meat was one such example. In terms of ingredient selection, Xia Mushi had done his best. He wasn¡¯t an imperial chef and couldn¡¯t just have all the delicacies of the worldid out before him to choose from. The fact that he could pick the finest pork belly from the limited number of pigs ughtered daily at the market was already the limit of what he could achieve. Xia Mushi nced at the chicken frying in the pan next to him and began slicing the pork. To make Imperial Pce Ten Thousand Fortune Meat, one must first cut the pork belly from a chunk into a long strip and then roll it back into a chunk shape so that the cooked meat would look like a blooming flower and be visually appealing. The process was somewhat simr to peeling an apple; a master at peeling apples could peel off a long, thin, uninterrupted strip of apple skin, and a culinary expert could do the same with a piece of pork belly. Turning the knife at each corner was a test for the chef. Xia Mushi prepared four pieces of pork belly, spending more than ten minutes just on slicing. He even flipped the chicken in the pan during the process, taking multitasking to the extreme. Once the meat was sliced, it was time to cook¡ªnot the meat, but the sauce. Jiang Feng watched as Xia Mushi added various sauces and spices including yellow wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white sugar, scallion pieces, ginger slices, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns to oil in the wok, stir-frying them until they turned a deep color, making it clear that Ten Thousand Fortune Meat was a dish with strong vors. After finishing the sauce, Xia Mushi turned off the neighboring stove, changed the pot, and ced the chicken and some beef broth¡ªborrowed from who knows where¡ªinto the pot for a slow simmer, covered the pot with a lid, and left it to fate. Then Xia Mushi began to fry the Ten Thousand Fortune Meat; the frying time was very short, just tens of seconds, long enough to shape the meat and crisp the skin a bit. Afterwards, he lined the bottom of the bowl with the fried meat, skin facing down, poured the stir-fried sauce and broth into the bowl, and steamed it. The major tasks were handled, leaving only the side tasks remaining. Xia Mushi turned his attention to the diced vegetables he had prepared earlier. Zhang Guanghang had bought butter, but Xia Mushi never used butter in his cooking. However, since it was bought, he couldn¡¯t let it go to waste and decided to stir-fry the remaining vegetables with it, then tossed them, still half-cooked, into the pot with the beef broth to stew with the chicken. Surprisingly, it had a bit of a French cuisine vibe to it. With the vegetables taken care of, all that was left were the lemon and apple. Xia Mushi stared at the apple, lost in thought. To be honest, he knew how to cook with apple, but the dish he knew didn¡¯t seem to have much to do with French cuisine. No matter, he¡¯d figure it out as he cooked. Xia Mushi began slicing the apple. Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes moistened.
    Such a familiar process, Xia Mushi was truly Chen Qiusheng¡¯s apprentice, and Chen Qiusheng was indeed the once second-inmand chef at Taifeng Building. The method of making crispy apple was exactly the same, without the slightest difference! ¡°Xiaohang, it seems like someone hase to the front hall, go check if there are any guests,¡± said Xia Mushi, calling Zhang Guanghang away at a crucial moment when the apple was about to be deep-fried. No wonder Zhang Guanghang had no memory of the crispy apple, it turned out he hadn¡¯t seen how it was made at all. When Zhang Guanghang returned from the front hall, the crispy apple had already been fried and ted.
    ¡°Master, Mr. Chu has ordered an ¡®exceptional crispy pastry¡¯, ¡®double crispy explosion¡¯, ¡®yellow braised shark fin¡¯, and ¡®Su-style elbow¡¯,¡± reported Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Today we don¡¯t have shark fin, you go¡­ just sit down over there, I¡¯ll go talk to him,¡± Xia Mushi remembered the birthday gift of a child not having to work on their birthday. Having said that, Xia Mushi casually ced the freshly fried crispy apple onto a white porcin te and walked out, with Jiang Feng quickly following behind. ¡°Oh, Master Xia, what brings you out here?¡± In the front hall sat three middle-aged men, one of whom promptly stood up upon seeing Xia Mushi appear, ¡°Was there something missing you needed? You could have just sent your apprentice to fetch it.¡± ¡°There is no shark fin today, so I can¡¯t make the braised shark fin, Mr. Chu, you¡¯d better choose another dish,¡± Xia Mushi said. Mr. Chu¡¯s face suddenly showed difficulty, and he said, ¡°No braised shark fin? Master Xia, can¡¯t you think of something? Today we are hosting a big boss from the south, and this braised shark fin is the main event.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do anything without the ingredients, better choose another dish,¡± Xia Mushi said and was about to go inside when he suddenly remembered something, ¡°However, I just bought some fresh pork belly this morning and there¡¯s still some left. How about we switch to Imperial Pce Ten Thousand Fortune Meat?¡± Mr. Chu¡¯s worries turned to joy: ¡°There¡¯s Ten Thousand Fortune Meat today? That¡¯s really kind of you, Master Xia. With the Ten Thousand Fortune Meat, who needs braised shark fin!¡± ¡°By the way, I heard Mr. Chu, you often do business with foreigners?¡± Xia Mushi asked. ¡°What, Master Xia, do you want to get some foreign ingredients?¡± Mr. Chu was interested. ¡°What for, those things aren¡¯t useful. I was wondering if Mr. Chu can speak French?¡± ¡°French? Master Xia, you want to learn French? I don¡¯t speak French, but I can say a couple of words in English. We usually have a trantor with us for business, I just say hello and whatnot.¡± Mr. Chu suddenly recalled that Zhang Guanghang seemed to be French, ¡°Has your apprentice said something that you didn¡¯t understand? Do you need me to find you a French interpreter?¡± After thinking for a while, Xia Mushi said, ¡°No need, English will do. Do you know how to say ¡®happy birthday¡¯ in English?¡±
    Mr. Chu was startled, then had a realization: ¡°So today is your apprentice¡¯s birthday! No wonder you suddenly thought of making Ten Thousand Fortune Meat today. How do you say ¡®happy birthday,¡¯ let me think. It seems to be¡­ ha¡­ happy¡­ ha¡­ something fourth?¡± ¡°Happy birthday, right?¡± Another middle-aged man revealed his knowledge discreetly. ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s it!¡± Mr. Chu became like a wise man after the fact. ¡°Ha¡­ happy what? Say it slowly,¡± Xia Mushi furrowed his brows. ¡°Happy birthday.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ pee¡­ burs¡­ day?¡± ¡°Close enough, Happy birthday.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ pee¡­ burst¡­ day?¡± ¡°Exactly, just about right, you just say it quickly when the timees.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Xia Mushi murmured silently to himself as he walked back to the kitchen. Zhang Guanghang was still sitting on the small chair when he saw Xia Mushie in, he pointed to the pot cooking chicken and said, ¡°Master, I checked the pot just now and the beef soup had dried up so I turned off the heat.¡± Xia Mushi nodded, went to the pot, lifted the lid, and, surprisingly, it still looked rather good. He ted it, sprinkled the crisply fried apples on top, and since he had sliced a couple of lemons and ced them on the side of the dish, he was technically using lemons. The Shafu Roast Chicken wasplete. His memory was limited these days due to his age, and he had to make every second count.
    ¡°Xiaohang, the Shafu Roast Chicken is ready,e and try it,¡± Xia Mushi called over to Zhang Guanghang. Zhang Guanghang obediently came forward to take some chopsticks. In Fen Garden, there were only spoons and chopsticks, no matter what kind of food from which country, one could only eat with spoons and chopsticks. Zhang Guanghang picked up a piece of crispy apple. ¡°Hap¡­ Happy burs¡­ day!¡± Xia Mushi seized the opportunity. Zhang Guanghang was taken aback. Thinking he had said something wrong, Xia Mushi¡¯s face turned red, ¡°I was just saying, you keep eating, keep eating.¡± After he finished speaking, he went to check the steamer with the Ten Thousand Fortune Meat. Zhang Guanghang looked at Xia Mushi and stuffed arge piece of crispy apple into his mouth. His cheeks puffed out slightly as he chewed slowly, bite by bite. ¡°Merci.¡± (Thank you) ¡°Grand-p¨¨re.¡± (Grandfather) A mist clouded Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes.
    ¡°Je t¡¯aime.¡± (I love you) Chapter 348: 347 Shafu Roast Chicken Chapter 348: Chapter 347 Shafu Roast Chicken ¡°` After losing his memory, Jiang Feng¡¯s first reaction was that he still hadn¡¯t seen Xia Mushi finish making Ten Thousand Fortune Meat. It was as if by simply watching Xia Mushiplete the Ten Thousand Fortune Meat, he could learn to make it himself. But then again, when did he be so passionate about cooking? Originally, he watched memories like watching a movie, after all, the stories in the memories were usually very exciting, with plots full of twists and turns, agonizing romances, sweet reunions, overwhelming dog food, and a full range of joys and sorrows¡ªeven some little-known gossip. As for the process of cooking, Jiang Feng usually just nced at it; after all, without the ability to learn it, watching once wouldn¡¯t do any good, but if it was something he could learn, it would appear in the recipe column to watch as many times as needed. With this thought, Jiang Feng this time opened the attribute panel and flipped to the recipe column. Xia Mushi only had four dishes, and half of them were already highlighted. [Shafu Roast Chicken (Imitation) A-grade] Creator: Xia Mushi
    Dish Details: Originally, this was a world-renowned French ssic. By chance, through the hands of Beiping¡¯s famous chef Xia Mushi and Chinese cooking techniques, a new vitality was breathed into it, identally creating this superb dish. Due to the deep affection the elderly chef had for his disciple, hidden in his heart and unspoken, and the special warmth and joy felt by diners when eating this dish, it became an unforgettable memory in Zhang Guanghang¡¯s life. After consumption, for one hour you can obtain: French (Advanced) buff. Times can be made per day (0/3) Friendly Reminder: The difficulty of this dish far exceeds the yer¡¯s current culinary level, with a 100% chance of failure. Jiang Feng: ??? What did he see? A French (Advanced) buff??? This was no different from Zhang Guanghang going on stage and introducing himself: ¡°I am a chef with 20 years of practice from France, specializing in Shandong cuisine, French cuisine, and Japanese cuisine. Today, I bring you a program of French recitations.¡± Selling this dish in front of North Second Foreign Language College would go crazy, wouldn¡¯t it? So from now on, Taifeng Building not only has topete with marriage agencies but also with French tutoring services? Others open English crash courses, I open French taste-and-speak crash courses? Jiang Feng¡¯s thoughts drifted far away. After taking a shower, Wu Minqi came out and saw Jiang Feng lying on the sofa, lost in thought again. ¡°What are you thinking about? Go take a shower, it¡¯s gettingte,¡± said Wu Minqi as she dried her hair. ¡°Minqi, do you want to learn French?¡± Jiang Feng asked earnestly. ¡°French? What for? Is there something you do not understand? If you cannot understand it, just take a picture and ask Zhang Guanghang,¡± Wu Minqi had trouble keeping up with Jiang Feng¡¯s train of thought. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I was just asking casually. I was thinking, if you knew French, we could find a time to go to France for a visit,¡± Jiang Feng found that his lying skills were getting better and better; nonsense came to him effortlessly and without a change of expression or heartbeat. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to specifically learn French for that. Besides, with the store being so busy, when is there time to go out and y? We can find another time for that. Go take a shower quickly. You must be tired from kneading dough all day; the sooner you wash up, the sooner you can sleep,¡± Wu Minqi urged. Jiang Feng obediently went to take a bath and then went to bed. To be honest, lying down always seemed to make his jaw sore. ¡­ When Jiang Feng woke up early the next morning, he found himself as spirited as a dragon and a hero again; the foreign sensation in his back hadpletely disappeared. He could run, jump, and even sit; having no issue going to work as usual.
    Since he woke up rtively early, after freshening up, Jiang Feng went downstairs to buy breakfast. In reality, it was just green bean buns from the inte-famous bun shop at the entrance of the neighborhood. Jiang Feng originally nned to buy in one go for all the Jiang Family Members; after all, under the leadership of Mrs. Wang Xiulian, green bean buns had be an important staple on the Jiang Family¡¯s breakfast table. Who would have thought that the downstairs bun shop actually had a purchase limit: only 10 buns per person before 8:30 AM. Their buns were indeed quiterge, but how could that handle the appetites of Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian? No wondertely Wu Minqi seldom bought breakfast for Mrs. Wang Xiulian. By the time Jiang Feng returned with the buns, Wu Minqi had already gotten up. After they had breakfast, they left early for Taifeng Building. Starting today, Jiang Weiming was going to teach Jiang Feng how to make sea cucumber dishes.
    Due to the unique nature of sea cucumbers as an ingredient, sea cucumber dishes generally are a notch harder than other dishes. Over the years, the methods of preparing sea cucumber dishes have also be increasingly diverse, no longer limited to being matched with soups, stir-fries, roasts, or grills. Many novel methods of making sea cucumber dishes have emerged. If one were to take out just the sea cucumber dishes, there would be enough to fill a book. Considering Jiang Feng¡¯s almost zero knowledge of sea cucumber dishes, learning to make them meant starting with getting familiar with sea cucumbers. ¡°` Commonly known as being a sous-chef. The two elderly gentlemen were already waiting for him in the back kitchen early on. As soon as Jiang Feng arrived, they skipped small talk and got straight into teaching. From that moment on, Jiang Feng began a life immersed in cooking sea cucumbers that felt as intensive as a winter holiday training camp, where he saw steamed sea cucumbers every time he opened his eyes, encountered wild sea cucumbers every time he closed them, and even thought of golden sea cucumbers whenever he spaced out. Having learned from the experience of the previous winter training, the two Sirs knew the importance of bncing work with rest. Considering that Jiang Feng seemed to have no entertainment other than watching silly TV dramas and running to the Famous Benevolent Doctor, they tacitly epted his habit of visiting the doctor every two or three days. In the blink of an eye, it was next Friday. Saturday would be Qixi, a time when countless couples indulged in public disys of affection regardless of time and ce. Both Valentine¡¯s Day on February 14 and Qixi Festival on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month were fixtures for showing off love, offering restaurants grand opportunities to introduce special couples¡¯ sets that were much more expensive than the regr offerings. However, to tell the truth, Qixi was originally the Qiqiao Festival, a time when girls would pray to the Weaver Girl in the heavens for dexterous hands so they could weave better cloth, which sounds like a somewhat motivational festival. Yet, it was forcefully twisted into Valentine¡¯s Day due to the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl¡¯s legend. But this might be for the best, or else Qixi would turn into a merry celebration for clothing stores. Even in the small kitchen of the Benevolent Doctor, Jiang Feng could sense the ambiance of the Qixi Festival.
    The progress of the [Famous Doctor] quest was now at (98/100). Victory was within reach. In the small kitchen, Jiang Feng was cooking his beloved boiled broli for Jiang Shoucheng while pondering where to catch a rookie toplete thest two points of the task. Zhuang Lin had already been discharged and went home to rest, and Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s father had also recovered and left. The two regr newbies, Mrs. Qian and Fang Zhuoyue, weren¡¯ting to the small kitchen anymore, which slowed down Jiang Feng¡¯s quest progress quite a bit. If they had continued visiting the small kitchen of the Benevolent Doctor, he would have finished the task the day before yesterday. ¡°Young man, what do you think about frying it this way? Can it be served now?¡± a newly joined rookie¡ªa neatly dressed, schrly gentleman with meticulouslybed hair and a pair of metallic-framed sses, suggesting he might have OCD¡ªasked. ¡°Pretty much, it can be served like this,¡± Jiang Feng nodded in approval. ¡°If you can¡¯t control the seasoning when cooking, start with less salt. After tasting it, if it¡¯s not salty enough, you can add a bit more. Putting too much in one go can ruin the dish.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you, young man. You¡¯ve really been a great help,¡± the middle-aged man said gratefully. ncing at his watch, Jiang Feng saw it was already past 11 am. If another rookie didn¡¯t show up, he would need to spend the evening in the small kitchen toplete the mission today. Wouldn¡¯t it be a bit cruel to make Cheng eat boiled broli twice in one day? Maybe he should cook a pot of century egg and lean pork congee for him in the evening? ¡°Feng, you¡¯re here!¡± Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s voice, full of surprise, interrupted Jiang Feng¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t your dad get discharged?¡± Jiang Feng was overjoyed to see Fang Zhuoyue, almost ready to suggest he cook a couple of dishes while he was here¡ªI¡¯ll teach you! ¡°My dad came back for a check-up today, he said he wanted to drink the in congee I cook, so I came over. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be here today,¡± Fang Zhuoyue exined. ¡°Can your dad eat other foods now?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°The doctor said he could have anything except seafood and very fatty foods,¡± Fang Zhuoyue said as he skillfully searched for the casseroles.
    ¡°Since your dad can eat normally now, why are you still cooking in congee for him? You should cook him a couple of stir-fries!¡± Jiang Feng suggested. Fang Zhuoyue found his familiar casserole among the many in the cab, took it out, and hesitated, ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­ I only know how to cook in congee and have never stir-fried anything.¡± ¡°Just make a couple of easy home dishes, like scrambled eggs with tomatoes or stir-fried shredded potatoes. They¡¯re easy to make; I can teach you!¡± Jiang Feng confidently offered. ¡°Mrs. Qian¡¯s braised beef with carrots was taught by me.¡± Fang Zhuoyue was persuaded on the spot, ¡°I¡¯ll go buy the ingredients then. Tomatoes, eggs, and potatoes should be enough, right?¡± ¡°Yes, just buy a small amount. Two tomatoes are enough, don¡¯t buy too much,¡± Jiang Feng instructed, watching Fang Zhuoyue leave. The middle-aged man who had been listening to their conversation from the beginning was intrigued and asked Jiang Feng, ¡°Excuse me for interrupting, but I overheard you two talking, and you seem to teach cooking here often.¡± Jiang Feng was often asked this question and responded adeptly, ¡°Yes, my brother is a doctor at this hospital. He¡¯s picky and doesn¡¯t like food made outside. Ie here every now and then to cook him a meal and just so happen to teach people who aren¡¯t very good at cooking. It¡¯s really just giving some tips, since I¡¯d be hanging around the kitchen anyway.¡± ¡°Are you a chef?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a chef at Taifeng Building,¡± Jiang Feng never missed a chance to advertise for Taifeng Building. ¡°Taifeng Building, I¡¯ve heard of it. It¡¯s the new restaurant that opened in July, right? My friends have mentioned it, and the feedback is pretty good. I remember my friend telling me that your restaurant¡¯s ordering system is quite unique. It¡¯s not based on the dish, but on the chef, isn¡¯t it?¡± the middle-aged man inquired. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jiang Feng, surprised to meet someone aware of Taifeng Building¡¯s distinctive ordering system, couldn¡¯t help but chat more, ¡°If you¡¯re free to dine at Taifeng Building, you might try my cooking¡ªassuming you don¡¯t mind, that is. My name is Jiang Feng, ¡®Jiang¡¯ as in river, and ¡®Feng¡¯ as in maple leaf.¡± ¡°Jiang Feng illuminates the river on a sleepless night, a fine name,¡± the middle-aged man smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely try your cooking at Taifeng Building when I get the chance. I should be going now.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Jiang Feng replied with equal courtesy.
    Chapter 349: 348 Mid-Autumn Festival Set Menu Chapter 349: Chapter 348 Mid-Autumn Festival Set Menu ¡°` Fang Zhuoyue came back within minutes, carrying the groceries he had just bought: two tomatoes, an egg, and two small potatoes, buying strictly ording to Jiang Feng¡¯s instructions¡ªno more, no less. It was Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s first time cooking, and just thinking about it excited him a little. ¡°Feng, should I peel the tomatoes?¡± Fang Zhuoyue asked as he took the tomatoes out of the bag. ¡°To peel or not to peel depends on personal preference. Does your family usually peel tomatoes? If you want to peel them, score a cross on the surface of the tomatoes with a knife and boil them for a minute¡ªit will make peeling easier,¡± Jiang Feng said. Fang Zhuoyue decided to let his father eat the tomatoes with the skin on. The vegetables were simple, and so was the preparation: cutting tomatoes into chunks and peeling and shredding potatoes. To Jiang Feng¡¯s surprise, Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s knife skills were actually decent. The shredded potatoes he cut were quite presentable, far better than Qin Weiwei¡¯s. ¡°Have you cut vegetables before?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yes, when I visited my grandparents during the summer and winter breaks, I would help my grandmother with chores. Usually just cutting vegetables and washing them, never touching the stove,¡± Fang Zhuoyue said, then after a brief pause, added, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m pretty good at ting.¡± Jiang Feng was surprised, not expecting to find a kindred spirit.
    ¡°Once you finish cutting the potato shreds, start cooking the porridge. Turn the heat down low¡ªyou don¡¯t need to stir it for the first ten minutes or so,¡± Jiang Feng suggested. Fang Zhuoyue thought it made sense, and after finishing with the potatoes, he started rinsing the rice to cook porridge. With his long-term, stable practice in porridge cooking, Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s skills had improved dramatically. Even Jiang Feng had to praise the nd yet wlessly cooked bowl of porridge. Indeed, his progress in cooking porridge was specific: he no longer burned it, and he got the thickness just right, avoiding the awkward result of it being too watery like rice soup or too thick like soaked rice. Watching Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s smooth actions cooking porridge, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Your porridge cooking skills have improved a lot since before.¡± ¡°Improved a lot? What was I like before?¡± Fang Zhuoyue asked. ¡°Was it something like weighing 100 grams of rice, pouring in 800ml of water, using a 0.8 rotation per second speed to rinse the rice, draining the water, adding 1000ml of water, soaking for 15 minutes, cing the pot on the stove, covering it with a lid at maximum heat until boiling, then turning it to the lowest heat, propping the lid open with chopsticks at a 17.5-degree angle, and continuing to heat for 30 minutes?¡± (Note ¢Ù) ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I forgot where I read that joke before, iming that math majors cook porridge like that. I found it quite amusing so I remembered it,¡± Fang Zhuoyue said. Jiang Feng: ¡­ I don¡¯t know if math majors cook porridge like that, but your hobbies are quite interesting. You remember it so clearly, are you sure you haven¡¯t written this down in a notebook? After Fang Zhuoyue set the y pot on the stove to simmer on low heat, he began to try making scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Since it was his first time cooking, and these two dishes were also thest two tasks Jiang Feng needed toplete, Jiang Feng stood by his stove to assist him throughout the process. ¡°If you put too little oil, add a bit more, yes, yes, yes, that¡¯s enough, stop.¡± ¡°Cooking isn¡¯t about waving the spat through the air in the pan. Stir more often, or the bottom will burn. Right, you should flip the bottomyer to the top.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. See this color? This color means it¡¯s ready to take out of the pan. If you¡¯re still not sure, taste a bit to see if it¡¯s cooked, and for saltiness, you have to judge for yourself. If you¡¯re uncertain, put less seasoning at a time¡ªit¡¯s okay to add it in several goes.¡± ¡°Ah, you added too much soy sauce, now the color is too dark, but it¡¯s not a big deal, keep stir-frying.¡± ¡­ ¡°Alert, you havepleted the side quest [Famous Doctor], reward: A slight increase in Taifeng Building¡¯s poprity. The reward will be delivered within 24 hours, please check to receive it.¡± Under Jiang Feng¡¯s instruction, Fang Zhuoyuepleted his first stir-fry, albeit with some difficulty. Although the presentation wasn¡¯t great, which did not match his skill in ting, the result was still not bad for a beginner. ¡°By the way, tomorrow is Qixi, have you prepared anything for your girlfriend?¡± Jiang Feng had not yet decided what to give Wu Minqi, so he probed for information from the newly un-single Fang Zhuoyue.
    ¡°A gift? Do I need to give a gift?¡± Fang Zhuoyue asked in surprise. ¡°Doudou¡¯s ne arrives in Beiping tonight, and tomorrow we will go out for a meal and a movie. I¡¯ve also booked a table for two at your restaurant. Did you forget about my reservation?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°` ¡°She came all the way to Beiping just to spend the Qixi Festival with you?¡± Jiang Feng was truly surprised this time. What kind of celestial girlfriend was this?
    Though she¡¯s still just a bit inferior to my Qiqi. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly it. Doudou had booked a psychological therapist in Beiping, originally scheduled for the day after tomorrow, but since tomorrow happens to be Qixi, she moved it up two days,¡± Fang Zhuoyue said with a delighted expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell youst time?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Do you really think I¡¯d remember even if you did tell me? ¡°By the way, Feng, I saw the official Weibo for your family¡¯s restaurant announcing the special Qixi Festival dinner sets this morning. Which set is better? Help me pick one out,¡± said Fang Zhuoyue as he took out his phone. ¡°You still use Weibo?¡± Jiang Feng asked. He himself didn¡¯t use Weibo. A few years back, Jiang Feng had followed the trend and set up a Weibo ount, reposted a bunch of random stuff, and then left it there without ever looking at it again, to the point of even forgetting the password. Wu Minqi, as well as a few of his cousins, didn¡¯t use Weibo either. Even Ji Gezi used Weibo solely for taking orders and making money. ¡°I don¡¯t use Weibo, but Doudou does. She asionally posts stuff, so I just check it daily,¡± Fang Zhuoyue said, finding the Weibo post he¡¯d seen that morning and handing his phone to Jiang Feng. Taking the phone, Jiang Feng looked closely and was immediately shocked by the price. He was about to curse, Which restaurant dares to price their dishes so high, such swindlers, when he realized, Oh, it¡¯s ours. There were three sets: a 520 set, a 1314 set, and a limited 6-portion 3344 set, with prices ordingly being 520 yuan, 1314 yuan, and 3344 yuan. All required advance booking. The 520 set includes Mutual Affection Chrysanthemum Fish, Love Stronger than Gold Peach Blossom Froth, Sea Oath Mountain Alliance Trio Delights, Qixi Limited Love Heart Mini Cakes (select one among tiramisu, cheesecake, berry mousse, matcha ganache with an optional heart-shaped candle), two beverages (pick two from honey citron tea, rose cranberry, bubble tea, brown sugar mhiato, monk fruit five flowers tea), plus twoplimentary health staple pickled vegetable dumplings. The 1314 set includes Fistful of Love Diced Pepper Fish Head, Heart-throbbing Moment Crispy Double Delight, Sweet Taste Sweet and Sour Pork, Pure Love Supreme Tofu, Harmonious vors Hodgepodge Soup, Qixi Limited Double-Layer Love Heart Mini Cakes (choose two from tiramisu cheesecake, berry mousse, matcha ganache with a bonus heart-shaped candle and one chocte ring), two beverages (pick two from rose cranberry, bubble tea, brown sugar mhiato, monk fruit five flowers tea, sour plum drink, coconut sago dessert), plus twoplimentary health staple pickled vegetable dumplings. The 3344 set includes Drunken Heart Shaoxing Wine Chicken, vor of Love Sweet and Sour Yam, Passionate Moment Shafu Roast Chicken, Heartwarming Instant Dragon Dumplings, Sincere Words Kung Pao Chicken, Qixi Limited Quartet Love Heart Mini Cakes (with an optional heart-shaped candle and one engraved chocte ring), two beverages (choice of all avable drinks in the store), plus twoplimentary health staple pickled vegetable dumplings, and two portions of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ So many fail points he didn¡¯t know where to startining. Just who was the copywriting genius behind these dish names? ¡°Feng, which set should I choose?¡± Fang Zhuoyue asked. ¡°Are you short on cash?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not short on cash, I¡¯d rmend the 3344 set. That¡¯s the rtively better deal. The Shaoxing Wine Chicken is membership-exclusive and requires advance booking, and the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is a new dish that probably won¡¯t be on the menu until October,¡± Jiang Feng advised earnestly. ¡°However, the set is still too expensive, and it¡¯s definitely too much food for two people. I¡¯d suggest ordering ¨¤ carte.¡± Fang Zhuoyue nodded thoughtfully. ¡°If we order ¨¤ carte, do you have any rmendations?¡± Fang Zhuoyue asked further. Jiang Feng was about to suggest Li Hongzhang¡¯s Hodgepodge but quickly realized that might not be appropriate for Fang Zhuoyue, who was bringing his girlfriend. Bringing the mood down with tears didn¡¯t seem quite right for celebrating Qixi. ¡°Century egg porridge, Eight Treasures Porridge, Crispy Double Delight, Scallion Braised Sea Cucumber, French-style Rosemary Stewed Lamb, Mapo Tofu, Fish-vored Shredded Pork, Chrysanthemum Fish, and Beef Chow Fun are all selling well in our restaurant.¡± Since they were friends, Jiang Feng¡¯s rmendations were honest and without any personal agenda, ¡°Also, the pickled vegetable dumplings are pretty good too, made of cornmeal, something girls who like to keep fit will enjoy.¡± ¡°Pickled vegetable dumplings, huh? I remember Doudou likes flour-based foods. Okay, got it.¡± Fang Zhuoyue was sessfully misled by Jiang Feng.
    . PS: Note¢Ù: Excerpt from a post by sw6767 published on May 27, 2019. Chapter 350: 349: Mistake (Extra for Alliance Hierarch KSMITH!) Chapter 350: Chapter 349: Mistake (Extra for Alliance Hierarch KSMITH!) Fang Zhuoyue¡¯s in congee still needed some time before it was ready, so Jiang Feng first carried over to the emergency room his specially made ¡°love-boiled broli¡± and ¡°love-stir-fried broli¡± for Jiang Shoucheng. Having worked a stressful morning in the ER, where he was also thrice mistaken for a security guard in the main hospital building, Jiang Shoucheng was frightened to almost turn the color of broli when he saw the love-filled lunch delivery from his younger brother. It looked green on first nce, but upon closer inspection there were even some whitish hues. Jiang Shoucheng gulped down the broli with a mixture of misery and resignation, profoundly understanding for the first time how Great Aunt felt eating her sports-special meals every day, and his respect for her grew even further. ¡°Cheng, Granduncle Weiming said I¡¯m going to start learning how to make braised sea cucumber in onion sauce in a few days. After that, I might not have much time toe cook for you anymore,¡± said Jiang Feng, who had justpleted his side quest and was already prepared to abandon the Benevolent Doctor¡¯s little kitchen. On hearing this, Jiang Shoucheng felt overjoyed and even the broli in his mouth suddenly tasted delicious. God only knows what kind of days he¡¯s been living through! Getting up earlier than the chickens and sleepingter than the dogs was an inadequate description for him, as at least they got some sleep; whereas, they often had night shifts followed immediately by daytime shifts without a break. A gang of people must have had a brain-wave a few days ago when they fought with weapons in a bar instead of sleeping at night. The hospital was somehow busier at two or three in the morning than in the afternoon. It wasn¡¯t even his shift, yet he was called in by phone to help with the chaos. Life was already hard enough but the only sce came at meal times with an array of takeout dishes like braised pork, cured pig trotters, lion¡¯s head meatballs, sweet and sour carp, fish-vored shredded pork, braised pork ribs, spicy crayfish, and red braisedmb, among others. Yet, his dear little brother had taken away hisstfort.
    Every other day, he woulde by, and after toiling all morning, it would be okay if there were no meat to eat, but why did his brother, who could make broli so delicious, insist on just boiling or stir-frying it! In just a little over a week, he had lost 12 pounds! Last year¡¯s shirts could finally be buttoned up! ¡°Really? That is just so regrettable,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said with a face full of fake sorrow, a perfect disy of the vulgarity of the adult world. ¡°Oh, right, there¡¯s one more thing. Second Aunt said that once I stop cooking for you, she¡¯lle by every day to deliver your lunch,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°My mom is going to deliver food to me? Why?¡± Jiang Shoucheng was astounded; he had never received such treatment even when he was in high school. ¡°Second Aunt said that ever since your internship started at the hospital, you¡¯ve been unable to restrain yourself from overeating and staying in the hospital without going out, getting fatter than De, and she¡¯s worried you won¡¯t be able to find a girlfriend. But she didn¡¯t want to pressure you to exercise because you¡¯re already working so hard with all the overtime. So Second Aunt recently learned from Granduncle how to make fitness meals, saying she¡¯ll take care of your lunch and dinner from now on so that you don¡¯t need to order takeout anymore,¡± Jiang Feng said, giving Jiang Shoucheng a look of self-reliance and prepared to slip away. ¡°Cheng, take your time eating, I¡¯m heading back now,¡± said Jiang Feng. I¡¯m going back to eat the meaty staff meal. Jiang Shoucheng sat despondently in his original spot, eating the broli. Unbeknownst to him, tworge tes of broli had been consumed. Finally facing reality and knowing whaty ahead, Jiang Shoucheng decisively pulled out his phone and dialed that familiar number. ¡°Hello, is this Tan? Yeah, it¡¯s me. Are you still delivering takeout? You can, right? Make me arge portion of braised pork, poached shrimp, braised beef, red braisedmb, sweet and sour ribs, and steamed pork with rice flour. Hurry up!¡± ¡°Old Jiang, didn¡¯t your brother just leave? Didn¡¯t he cook for you today? Why are you ordering so much?¡± Sun startled upon entering the break room and catching Jiang Shoucheng cing the order. ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said with a forlorn look. ¡°It¡¯s thest time; if I don¡¯t eat now, there won¡¯t be another chance.¡± Sun: ??? Sun was immediately shocked and nched, ¡°Jiang, Jiang what¡¯s happened to you? Don¡¯t scare me; if you¡¯ve encountered any difficulties, we can solve them together. With how advanced medical science is these days, you must trust the doctors at our hospital!¡± ¡°What are you even talking about? Starting today, my mom has been bringing me meals.¡± Jiang Shoucheng nced at Sun, his spirits still low. Sun: ¡­ When Jiang Feng returned to Taifeng Building, the lunch service was not yet over. There were still quite a few customers who hadn¡¯t finished eating, and Ji Yue was already sitting at the front desk tantly ying with her phone.
    ¡°Tsk tsk, caught you ying with your phone on the job.¡± Jiang Feng approached Ji Yue silently. Ji Yue waved her hand dismissively with a look of disgust, ¡°ying with my phone? I¡¯m drawing lots here!¡± ¡°Drawing lots?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of you. The Sweet and Sour Yam is only sold in 6 portions a day, which means tomorrow¡¯s 3344 set meal can only have a limited 6 portions. The reservation phone lines are almost exploding. Forget 6 portions; we wouldn¡¯t have enough even for 60!¡± Ji Yue, frustrated, grabbed her hair like an angry lioness. ¡°This morning, the girl answering the phones didn¡¯t understand and agreed to more than 60 orders of the 3344 set meal in one go. She didn¡¯t even think whether our restaurant had enough empty tables for reservations. I¡¯ve been busy with this all afternoon and it¡¯s driving me mad.¡±
    Jiang Feng immediately became serious, this was a serious mistake. He asked urgently, ¡°So what do we do?¡± ¡°Mrs. Wang and Sister Fan discussed it and decided we can only make it a draw. Then I have to call each one back to exin. For those customers who don¡¯t get chosen, we will offer them a chance to taste the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon ahead of time. You¡¯ll have to work a bit harder these next few days to make more portions of pigeon,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°As for that girl who answered the phones, we¡¯ll deduct 200 yuan and cancel her day off this week. What a mess.¡± Jiang Feng nodded in agreement, ¡°No problem, you carry on; I¡¯ll go check the kitchen.¡± Ji Yue nodded, and just as Jiang Feng had walked a meter or two, she suddenly remembered something and called out to him, ¡°Wait, Jiang Feng, there¡¯s one more thing I almost forgot. Isn¡¯t tomorrow Qixi? I¡¯ve finished drawing myic but I haven¡¯t decided when to post it on the official blog. Since theic is about a love story, why not publish it tonight at midnight?¡± Jiang Feng had no objections, ¡°Posting it on Qixi Festival sounds good. You decide.¡± Ji Yue returned to checking the list, spotting several familiar names. Xu Cheng? He¡¯s still in Beiping, should I rig the draw for him? Han Guishan? Mr. Han hasn¡¯t left yet, should I rig it for him too? Ling Guangzhao¡­ Isn¡¯t he the owner of Eight-treasure House? What¡¯s he doing here, spying on us? Ji Yue fell into thought. ¡°Sister Ji, Sister Ji, tomorrow¡¯s Qixi, do you have any ns for the night?¡± A waitress ran up to Ji Yue, her face full of excitement. ¡°For Qixi tomorrow, our restaurant will extend its business hours until 11:40 PM; are you thinking about any other evening activities?¡± Ji Yue said with a smile. ¡°11:40 PM?¡± The waitress went pale.
    ¡°Get back to work,¡± Ji Yue said, her smile fading as she continued sorting the list. Kidding, Qixi; she¡¯d obviously spend it with Zhang Guanghang. One in the hall, one in the kitchen, rounded up, they¡¯d still count as spending Qixi together. Chapter 352: 351 Report Card Chapter 352: Chapter 351 Report Card After kneading the pickled vegetable dough, Jiang Feng slipped away to a little corner with shelves that no one would notice and began making cornmeal rose flowers in secret. While pinching the leaves, Jiang Feng turned his head and saw the freezer next to him. He really wanted to sneak a peek at the chocte rose Zhang Guanghang had made and see whose initials were carved on it! Jiang Feng¡¯s gossipy heart was itching to act. He stuck his head out, looked around, and saw that Zhang Guanghang was focused on making a cake, safe. Quietly, Jiang Feng opened the freezer. In the corner of the freezer, a chocte rose indeedy silently, with the leaf engraved with initials conveniently facing up, eliminating the need for Jiang Feng to even turn it over. JY. JY? Ji Yue?
    When did those two get together? No, the question should be, when did they start hooking up behind our backs? Was it that time at the hospital? Or when they were readingics? Or some other time when he was unaware? Having stumbled upon a gigantic piece of gossip, Jiang Feng no longer cared about shaping roses and immediately scurried over to Wu Minqi, eager to share the juicy scoop with his ¡°wife.¡± ¡°Qiqi, Zhang Guanghang really ns to confess to a girl,¡± Jiang Feng said with an increasingly gossipy smile. ¡°Ji Yue?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Jiang Feng was taken aback, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Who else could it be, Xue? Or Tang Tang? Zhang Guanghang never dates anyone from the same profession,¡± Wu Minqi said skillfully slicing up the grass carp. After Wu Minqi¡¯sments, Jiang Feng also felt that unless Zhang Guanghang had a secret girlfriend living with him, he didn¡¯t seem to have any other opportunities for a romance. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s social circle was limited and narrow, with work during the day, entertainment at night, and on his days off mountain climbing, hiking, attending concerts, listening to music halls, watching stage ys, fashion shows, and art exhibitions. Currently at Taifeng Building, he was only familiar with Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Ji Yue. The reason he was familiar with Ji Yue was that Ji Yue was sociable with everyone. As for the other staff, even the kitchen crew, their rtionship was the indifferent kind where they barely spoke two words to each other in a day. With that in mind, unless he was involved in an online romance or coveting his friend¡¯s wife, the only suspect was Ji Yue. ¡°Never?¡± Jiang Feng keenly picked up on the emphasis in Wu Minqi¡¯s words. Maybe Wu Minqi knew a lot about Zhang Guanghang¡¯s romantic history¡ªcould it be that my ¡°wife¡± once had a secret crush on Zhang Guanghang? ¡°If I remember correctly, the professions of his past girlfriends include a dancer, a cellist, a screenwriter, a trantor, and also a florist. These five made it into the newspapers. I¡¯m not sure about the others who didn¡¯t make the news. A few years back, when he was in France, many female chefs pursued him, but he turned them all down. Ji Yue drawsics, which fits his dating criteria perfectly,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°However, I heard this from Mr. Pei during a gathering I attended with my grandfather the year beforest, so whether it¡¯s true or not I can¡¯t say for sure. Mr. Pei¡¯s information is usually quite urate.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Pei Shenghua was famously known as the gossip king of the chef world, not only indulging in domestic scoops but also having ess to the freshest international ones. There was no chef-rted gossip that he couldn¡¯t digest, and he wouldn¡¯t deign to touch stale gossip. He felt that Qiqi must have secretly consumed a lot of gossip but just chose not to talk about it. Considering this, Zhang Guanghang¡¯s dating history was indeed rich. There were five that had made the news. ¡°And there¡¯s one odd thing,¡± Wu Minqi said, as if something had just urred to her. ¡°I read in a gourmet magazine that with every girlfriend, Zhang Guanghang was the one to confess first.¡±
    Jiang Feng fell into silence; indeed, that was strange. With Zhang Guanghang¡¯s good looks and the passionate nature of international women, it was surprising that he had always been the one to initiate the confession. ¡°By the way, why aren¡¯t you kneading the dough at the cooking station? Why did you run off to that corner to knead?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Ah, that, well¡­ since we¡¯ll be opening for business soon, the cooking station will be needed by many people, right? Kneading the dough takes up so much space; doing it in the corner is just the same,¡± Jiang Feng began to fabricate an excuse. Wu Minqi wasn¡¯t suspicious and continued to deal with the grass carp.
    Jiang Feng went back to the little corner and continued to mold the roses. The noon service went on as usual, and the number of diners didn¡¯t spike instantly because of the Qixi Festival; everyone knew the main event was in the evening. During the lunch break, Jiang Feng kept his eyes on Zhang Guanghang, waiting for him to take out the chocte rose that he had carved earlier from the refrigerator. But Zhang Guanghang stayed in the kitchen making cakes the whole time, as if he hadpletely forgotten about the rose. The main person to me was Mrs. Wang Xiulian. To make the set meals look less like a rip-off, she insisted on including cake in every set. But Zhang Guanghang was the only one in the entire Taifeng Building who could make cakes, leaving the rest unable to help even if they wanted to. Zhang Guanghang was focused on making cakes in the kitchen, so Jiang Feng decided to go out and see what Ji Yue was up to. By the time Jiang Feng found Ji Yue at the reception, she was frowning at her phone, as if she was looking at something quite serious. ¡°What are you looking at? You seem so serious,¡± Jiang Feng asked casually. ¡°I¡¯m looking at my brother¡¯s report card,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°That little rascal has really gotten bold, hacking into their school¡¯s academic system to change his final grades. And he didn¡¯t even cover his tracks well; the school discovered it yesterday.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Indeed, it was a very serious matter. ¡°Your brother¡¯s grades aren¡¯t good?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Worse than mine back in the day,¡± Ji Yue said, still staring at her phone with furrowed brows. That meant they were really bad. If Ji Yue¡¯s academic grades had been better back then, she wouldn¡¯t have needed to donate aboratory to UAL University just to be admitted.
    But that was all before Ji Yue¡¯s family fortunes had declined. With their current financial condition, it was likely impossible to afford such a donation now. ¡°He only got 60bined in biology and chemistry, and 40 in Chinese. How did he even manage that? Merely writing an essay in Chinese should score more than 40, right?¡± Ji Yue mmed the table with anger, ced her phone down, and looked as though she wanted to rush home and give her brother a beating. Jiang Feng took the opportunity to nce at her brother¡¯s report card and saw that it indeed looked quite dismal, although his English was quite good with 140 points, and math wasn¡¯t bad either with over 130. ¡°At least your brother¡¯s decent in English, and science grades can gradually improve,¡± Jiang Feng said, trying to console her. ¡°He used to go to an international school; if his English weren¡¯t good, my mom would hang him up and flog him,¡± Ji Yuemented. ¡°So why doesn¡¯t he attend anymore?¡± Ji Yue nced at Jiang Feng. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? My dad was swindled by his business partner and racked up a huge debt. We almost had to sell our house. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been so brokest year that I couldn¡¯t even afford food.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Wow, this is like a melodramatic plot twist straight out of a romance novel. ¡°Things are a bit better now. That guy¡¯s been caught and is currently in jail, but that doesn¡¯t help much since he hasn¡¯t repaid much of the money,¡± Ji Yue picked up her phone again to re-examine her brother¡¯s report card. ¡°He¡¯s had it too easy these past few years, hasn¡¯t felt the heavy hammer of socialist education. I might not have been great academically, but when I was studying art, I worked as hard as a coal miner, unlike him, who¡¯s got nothing to do all day and dares to start dating at 14. I didn¡¯t start dating until I was 16. In a bit, I have to call my mom and ask her to hire more tutors for him ¨C Chinese, chemistry, biology, he needs to be tutored in all of them.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s going overboard? What kind of grudge do you have against your brother? ¡°But why didn¡¯t you attend an international school back in the day?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    ¡°Me? Go to an international school? Speaking English all day long would be more torturous than solving math problems,¡± Ji Yue said as she began texting her mother. ¡°What did you need me for?¡± ¡°That show you rmended to mest time, do you have the resources for thetest episode?¡± Ji Yue¡¯s look changed instantly as she grinned mysteriously at Jiang Feng, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were into that. Wait a moment, I¡¯ll share the cloud drive with you.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ _(??¦Ø??¡¹¡Ï)_ Chapter 353: 352 You Are My Sunshine Chapter 353: Chapter 352 You Are My Sunshine The pleasant respite always felt fleeting, and before long it was time for the evening shift. Ji Yue stood at the door, clutching the reservation list and repeatedly instructing the hostesses responsible for weing guests to make sure they didn¡¯t make any mistakes with the reservations¡ªotherwise the consequences would be much more severe than just a 200 yuan fine and the loss of this week¡¯s vacation days. Taifeng Building opened for business at 5 pm, and Xu Cheng arrived precisely on time. Apanying him was the Han Guishan family, who hade to freeload a meal. A Four-person Qixi Festival was indeed out of the ordinary. The hostess was even a bit flustered when she heard Xu Cheng report his reservation name. Arrivals like Xu Cheng, who came this early, were in the minority; most diners didn¡¯t start to show up until after 6 pm. Among them were Fang Zhuoyue and Huang Chenxuan, who had just finished watching a movie and decided toe here for dinner. Although Jiang Feng had told Fang Zhuoyue that the 520 and 1314 set menus were a bit of a rip-off and not rmended, Fang Zhuoyue still wholeheartedly reserved the 520 set menu. Qi Rou was the one who led them to their seats. She had some recollection of Fang Zhuoyue, remembering him as a friend of Jiang Feng, and when she served the drinks, she even intentionally put in fewer ice cubes. Huang Chenxuan wore a beige, over-the-knee Lolita-style dress and a headband, looking a bit overexcited and ceaselessly surveying everything around her as she sat. ¡°You are my sunshine,¡± Huang Chenxuan picked up the heart-shaped card on the table and read the sentence aloud, ¡°The phrases written by this restaurant are quite interesting.¡± Fang Zhuoyue was worried about Huang Chenxuan¡¯s condition and asked, ¡°Are you okay right now? Do you want to take your medication first?¡±
    ¡°No need, I feel quite good right now. I took lithium carbonate before I left this morning,¡± Huang Chenxuan said, ¡°Taking other medications always makes me nauseous and want to vomit. Bipr disorder is just like this, with manic and depressive episodes alternating. I¡¯m just a little bit excited; there¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Hello, here¡¯s your bubble tea. Would you like the cake served before or after the meal?¡± Qi Rou brought the bubble tea to the table. ¡°Let¡¯s have it before the meal, you can bring it now,¡± Huang Chenxuan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You¡¯ve recently be fond of sweets. I remember you didn¡¯t use to eat sweets much,¡± Fang Zhuoyue took a sip of the milk tea. ¡°Because sweets make people feel good,¡± said Huang Chenxuan, ¡°Even though they don¡¯t actually do much, it¡¯s better to believe they might help than not. What if, after eating that cake, my mood really does improve?¡± Fang Zhuoyue suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Fang Zhuoyue, do you understand my condition?¡± Huang Chenxuan looked at him, ¡°If you don¡¯t, I can tell you about it now. It¡¯s not toote to back out.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Fang Zhuoyue deeply felt that Huang Chenxuan needed to take her medication. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Even though bipr disorder doesn¡¯t require lifelong medication, it still prevents me from living a normal life. I¡¯m struggling even with my studies now, and I can¡¯t imagine what I¡¯ll do when it¡¯s time for internships. On weekends, I can sleep for 13, 14 hours at a stretch, and I¡¯m practically never fully awake in my everyday life. Yesterday, before boarding the ne, I took my medication and then felt nauseous, ran to the toilet to vomit, and almost missed my flight while I was at it. Others looked at me as if I were insane,¡± Huang Chenxuan looked up at the ceiling, ¡°For the past year, there¡¯s barely been a time when I felt happy. I moved out of the dormitory, lost normal social interactions, and am left with only one or two friends I can talk to. The thing I do most often is run to the bathroom in the middle of the night to cry and throw up. I didn¡¯t dare to tell you about my condition, and I didn¡¯t even dare to tell my parents. All I could do was to tell them I was fine, there was nothing wrong, and that the doctor said I should just stay put without any pressure.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even see my own future clearly now; I don¡¯t even know what I can do after I graduate. What do you think I can do? As a patient myself, how can I expect a hospital to hire me?¡± Huang Chenxuan bit her lip, her gaze bing a bit vacant. ¡°At least you¡¯re happy today,¡± Fang Zhuoyue looked at her, ¡°You were happy yesterday when you got off the ne, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Huang Chenxuan smiled, ¡°I realized during the New Year¡¯s that as long as I see you, I feel happy.¡± Fang Zhuoyue was stunned, ¡°During New Year¡¯s?¡± ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember much about it, it was during the New Year¡¯s when I asked you toe out with me for tofu pudding. That day I had a big fight with my parents, mmed the door, and went out crying. I rode the yellow bike all the way to the tofu pudding shop. At the crossroads, I saw you waiting for the traffic light to cross the street.¡± ¡°You wore a particrly ugly down jacket that day, with a red hat, hands stuffed in your pockets, and a brown wool scarf wrapped around your face¡ªit looked prettyical. But the moment I saw you, I suddenly felt very relieved. Before going to the tofu pudding shop, I first went to wash my face in the restroom of a mall, so you didn¡¯t notice that I had been crying.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what aboutst semester¡­¡± Fang Zhuoyue suddenly remembered some embarrassing past incidents. ¡°You really think so? You actually believed I was just confused from cramming for finals and that¡¯s why I suddenly came over to ask you how you¡¯d feel if a girl liked your brother?¡± Huang Chenxuan chuckled in disbelief. ¡°Cough¡­ That¡­ I didn¡¯t know, I thought you were just asking casually, how could I have guessed, oh dear, that, at that time, I truly just answered randomly.¡± Fang Zhuoyue had never hated his good memory so much. At the time, he had rattled off a whole bunch of stories about how he had snubbed someone who had liked his brother back in the days.
    ¡°Do you know which sentence of yours almost killed me with anger?¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°You said that when you found out your buddy was no longer single, you felt like throwing a hot water bottle at him,¡± Huang Chenxuan looked at him. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough cough cough¡­ Cough.¡± Fang Zhuoyue almost choked on his own saliva.
    ¡°At that moment, I thought I had fallen for a gay man.¡± ¡°Cough¡­ Cough cough cough¡­ Cough.¡± ¡°Hello, here¡¯s the tiramisu cake. We¡¯re a bit busy with customers, so the service is a bit slow, please forgive us,¡± Qi Rou brought the cake to the table. ¡°Great, thank you, thank you, thank you, just ce it on her side,¡± Fang Zhuoyue expressed his relief. Qi Rou: ??? ¡°The chrysanthemum fish and the ¡®earth three fresh¡¯ will be ready soon. Would you like the pickled vegetable dumplings now orter?¡± Qi Rou asked. ¡°Bring them now,¡± Fang Zhuoyue said, then quickly changed the subject to Huang Chenxuan, ¡°A friend of mine who works in this restaurant rmended those pickled vegetable dumplings to me, saying they are healthy and good for weight loss, and being whole grain, they¡¯re good for the body. Girls will definitely like them.¡± Huang Chenxuan lowered her head and scooped up a spoonful of cake. Sweet. Maybe sweets really can make one¡¯s mood better, she felt quite good at the moment. Huang Chenxuan turned her head to look once more at the heart-shaped card she had ced on the corner of the table. You are my sunshine. ¡°You are my sunshine,¡± Huang Chenxuan said.
    ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I like this card,¡± Huang Chenxuan smiled. You are a beam of light, the only one in my dark life. ¡°Ding, earned the recognition of a customer, task progress (7/10),¡± a game notification rang in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. Jiang Feng: ??? Who ate what again? Chapter 354: 353: View on Love Chapter 354: Chapter 353: View on Love ¡°Jiang Feng, is the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon ready? Mr. Chu¡¯s table is already rushing us,¡± Ji Yue yelled towards the service window. ¡°It¡¯s almost ready, the thickening sauce will be done in a moment,¡± Jiang Feng replied. Due to the special preparation of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, it had to wait until the guests had arrived before the pine needles could be removed, so the wait was usually quite long. ¡°Jin, go tell Mr. Chu that the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon will be ready in five minutes,¡± Ji Yue said, turning to a waitress beside her. Jin immediately turned and left. The clock on the wall showed 6:47 p.m., almost seven, the actual start of the evening rush hour. The lobby of Taifeng Building was already bustling with activity, and not even a few spare rooms were left on the second and third floors. The business was even better than on the opening day. ¡°Ji Yue, how many tables are still vacant now?¡± Fan Mei called out to Ji Yue, who was hastily heading to the front desk. ¡°Aside from the reserved tables, there are four two-person tables and two six-person tables left in the lobby. All therge tables are upied, the second-floor private rooms are fully booked, and there seems to be two private rooms avable on the third floor,¡± Ji Yue replied. Fan Mei frowned, ¡°Are there any no-show customers who had reservations?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. Xiaoling, can you check the front desk for no-shows who had reservations?¡± Ji Yue said, turning to Xiaoling.
    ¡°If there are customers who haven¡¯t arrived past their reservation time, make sure to call them first and emphasize that the deposit is non-refundable to avoid any unnecessary trouble. Today is Qixi so the customer traffic is definitely huge, remain extra vignt to prevent any mishaps. Are the snacks and lemon water for the waiting guests ready?¡± Fan Mei instructed. ¡°Qi Rou is preparing them,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Where is Qi Rou?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s over there,¡± Ji Yue pointed to the northeast direction. ¡°Sister Ji, we¡¯ve run out of cups for the pearl milk tea.¡± ¡°The cups for the pearl milk tea are in that¡­ forget it, I¡¯ll get them. You go busy yourself with something else. Which table ordered the pearl milk tea?¡± Ji Yue felt that as soon as she finished her shift today, she definitely needed to go home, take a shower, and sleep. Only after waking up the next day would she consider how to deal with her brother at home. ¡­ By the time the evening rush hour ended, it was already past ten. The kitchen¡¯s rush hour ended earlier than the dining hall¡¯s. While the waitresses were still shuttling between tables, the chefs could finally take a short breath and start cleaning up the kitchen. Only now, in all the busy chaos of the past few hours, did Jiang Feng realize that he hadn¡¯t steamed his corn flour rose bouquet yet. Not only was it not steamed, but the dough had also dried up, bing somewhat hard and pitiful to look at while still being slightly soft. Touching it, you could even get flour on your hands. Jiang Feng stood in the corner, looking at the six corn flour roses he had shaped in the morning, and fell silent. Should he shape a new bouquet? But if he were to make a new one, not only would there not be enough time, but it would also be quite conspicuous and out of ce to knead the dough while everyone else was taking a break. What should he do now? Should he still give this strange Qixi gift or not? Jiang Feng wanted to sneak a peek at what Wu Minqi was doing, then he realized he couldn¡¯t see her past the rack. Suddenly, Jiang Feng heard footsteps.
    Just like any middle or high school student who sneaks to y with their mobile phone in their room, upon hearing footsteps outside the door, Jiang Feng subconsciously hid the corn flour rose bouquet behind his back and turned to find that it was Zhang Guanghang. He hade to get the chocte roses he left in the freezer. Jiang Feng immediately realized what would happen next and, without caring about the now failed bouquet of corn flour roses, waited for Zhang Guanghang to leave before going over to Wu Minqi by the stove and poking her with his finger. ¡°Hmm?¡± Wu Minqi turned around.
    ¡°Zhang Guanghang is about to confess his feelings to Ji Yue,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi instantly got the message and joined the ranks of the onlookers. Sang Ming, seeing Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang all go out, tapped Han Yigu next to him, ¡°Is there something going on outside? Why did they all go out?¡± ¡°If you want to know, just follow them out and see,¡± Han Yigu said. Finding the reasoning sound, Sang Ming followed suit. Zhang Weiyu, seeing Sang Ming also leave, curiously followed. Han Yigu thought for a moment and followed closely behind. Tang Tang, clueless but curious, also went out. Jiang Jiankang felt there was something suspicious going on and¡­ ¡­ In the blink of an eye, there were only two elders left in the kitchen. ¡°All of them running around in a flurry, what¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°They¡¯re young, who knows what they¡¯re up to,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile.
    Zhang Guanghang had a chocte rose hidden behind his back in his right hand and stopped Ji Yue, who was on her way to the second floor. ¡°Ji Yue, I have something I want to talk to you about, can youe over for a moment?¡± Zhang Guanghang said. ¡°Hmm? Sure. Is there a problem with the picture I sent youst night?¡± Ji Yue, unsuspecting, walked toward Zhang Guanghang, and they both moved to a corner. As he turned around, Zhang Guanghang swiftly moved his right hand to the side, and Ji Yue didn¡¯t see the object he was holding at all. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were the first toe out, finding a perfect spot to spectate, where they could clearly see the people involved, hear some of the conversation without disturbing them. When Jiang Feng turned his head, he found that the ce behind him was packed with people. Jiang Feng: ??? Nani??? ¡°Brother Feng, what are they doing?¡± Sang Ming asked, voicing everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t disturb others who are having a romantic moment,¡± Jiang Feng said softly. Sang Ming: ??? ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Ji Yue asked, leaning against the wall. Zhang Guanghang raised his right hand and presented the chocte rose to Ji Yue.
    ¡°Cest plus belle aubaine que je taie rencontr¨¦. (Meeting you is the luckiest thing that has happened to me.)¡± Ji Yue: ¡­ Although she could roughly guess what Zhang Guanghang meant, she didn¡¯t understand a word he was saying. The crowd of onlookers in the back: ¡­ What did he just say? ¡°Would you like to go out with me?¡± Zhang Guanghang seamlessly switched to Chinese. This time, Ji Yue got it, and although she was a bit surprised, she still wholeheartedly epted the chocte rose from Zhang Guanghang¡¯s hand, her smile blooming like the rose in her hand: ¡°I would love to.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still something to deal with in the lobby, I¡¯ll head over there first.¡± As she left, Ji Yue sent a sharp nce in the direction of Jiang Feng and the others. By the time the evening¡¯s business finally finished, and everyone started to head home one by one, it was nearly midnight. Zhang Guanghang originally nned to escort Ji Yue home, but she graciously declined. When Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi finished packing up and went out the back door, they found Ji Yue waiting for them at the back entrance. ¡°Young man, how did the melon taste tonight?¡± Ji Yue had been waiting at the portal for quite some time. Jiang Feng: ¡­ You just got confessed to by your Prince Charming, and instead of going home with your man, you¡¯re staking out the back door for me.
    ¡°Not bad, not bad.¡± Jiang Feng wore a fake smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve got something serious to talk to you about, let¡¯s walk and talk, Minqi, may I borrow your man for a couple of minutes?¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Feel free,¡± Wu Minqi nodded. ¡°Something serious?¡± Jiang Feng was somewhat puzzled. ¡°I need to take some time off, my pay can be deducted or whatever, but the length of my leave might be quite long, and I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be back,¡± Ji Yue said earnestly, ¡°I only found out after checking my phone when I got off work. Mrs. Wang has already left, so I came straight to you. My irresponsible little brother, didn¡¯t he hack their school¡¯s administration system? Now the school wants to dismiss him. My dad is out of town on business, and my mom is alone at home; she wants me to hurry back.¡± ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°If you approve, I¡¯d like to leave tomorrow afternoon,¡± Ji Yue said, ¡°I casually mentioned it to Sister Fan, and she said she could take care of my work for a while, but somehow I feel bad about leaving her all that work for her to do alone.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped if family matters take precedence. If it gets too busy, I¡¯ll just ask my great-aunt toe over and help,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I can help, too,¡± Wu Minqi offered. ¡°Thanks,¡± Ji Yue sighed, ¡°Why do all these things happen at once, both good and bad?¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Jiang Feng felt that now that the business talk was over, it was time for some gossip, ¡°Comrade Ji Yue, when did you two actually start getting together? You only speak a few words when you meet; you don¡¯t seem to have much to do with each other.¡± ¡°Young man, what era are we in that we need to meet face to face to talk?¡± Ji Yue gave a slight smile towards Jiang Feng and took out her phone, ¡°Of course it¡¯s WeChat, do you think I¡¯m talking to my brother every day until midnight?¡± Jiang Feng indicated his understanding. Online rtionship. ¡°But I was still shocked when he suddenly confessed today,¡± Ji Yue said, ¡°I thought we were at least a month away from that.¡± ¡°No signs at all?¡± Jiang Feng was incredulous. ¡°Were there any signs when you confessed to your Minqi?¡± Ji Yue countered. Wu Minqi was taken aback by the sudden mention of her, and the truth of the matter made her cheeks flush. ¡°If I were to guess the reason, I could think of a few,¡± Ji Yue continued, ¡°When we were chatting, I noticed something. Are his parents not very affectionate with each other? I feel like his views on love and marriage are a bit different from ours.¡± ¡°Different?¡± ¡°He¡¯s more¡­ how should I put it? He¡¯s a non-marriage advocate. He treasures everyone he¡¯s ever liked yet is somewhat afraid of their affection, so he tends to preemptively confess, beating the woman to it. I always felt that what he felt for his ex-girlfriends was more gratitude than love, which is why his view on rtionships is somewhat distorted. Although he¡¯s dated many times, his rtionships always end quickly,¡± Ji Yue instantly became an expert in rtionship analysis. ¡°Then why did you still agree?¡± Wu Minqi was somewhat perplexed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about ack of security?¡± ¡°Security? If we worry about that when in a rtionship, wouldn¡¯t that be too cautionary?¡± Ji Yue said, ¡°I like him, he pursues me, why wouldn¡¯t I agree? As for the rest, who knows if we¡¯re evenpatible before dating? When you¡¯re of age to date, you should date wholeheartedly; otherwise, we might not have the energy when we¡¯re older.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t interrupt your lovey-dovey talk anymore, I¡¯m heading off first, I need to get some rest,¡± Ji Yue walked away quickly. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were left speechless for a moment. ¡°Minqi, do you feel like Ji Yue¡¯s view on love is quite different from ours?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Wu Minqi gave a serious nod. Chapter 355: 354 Bestsellers Chapter 355: Chapter 354 Bestsellers By the time Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi got home, he suddenly remembered that the dried cornmeal rose bouquet had been forgotten on the cab in the back kitchen corner. Jiang Feng nced at the time, 12:19 AM, Qixi had passed, and he still hadn¡¯t given out the Qixi gift. As soon as Wu Minqi got home, the first thing she did was to collect the clothes on the balcony. Seeing Jiang Feng standing dumbfounded in the living room and not going to shower, she urged, ¡°Hurry up and take a shower. It¡¯s alreadyte, go to bed early after you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Jiang Feng obediently went to find clothes for his shower. ¡­ The next day, Jiang Feng went to Taifeng Building bright and early, bing the first person to arrive at the back kitchen. After quickly disposing of the evidence of the failed Qixi gift on the shelf, he started processing sea cucumbers and waited for the two sirs toe over and instruct him on how to make green onion sea cucumber. After practicing green onion sea cucumber for a few days, Jiang Feng could taste green onion in everything he ate. ording to Sang Ming, Jiang Feng was now a walking green onion; you could smell the onion scent on him from a meter or two away. Aside from Ji Yue going home leading to Zhang Guanghang just seeding in confessing and then having a long-distance rtionship with his girlfriend, it was Jiang Feng who suddenly became the most popr chef in the entire Taifeng Building within a few short days. Even though the Ordering System showed that the dishes prepared by Jiang Feng required a wait of over an hour, diners were still willing to wait. The strangest thing was the mysterious surge in sales of Jiang Feng¡¯s pure meat wontons.
    In the past, Jiang Feng¡¯s best-selling dish was the limited edition of six servings of Sweet and Sour Yam a day. Even though the unscrupulous businesswoman Mrs. Wang Xiulian kept raising the price of Sweet and Sour Yam, the price reached 99 yuan per serving, and it would still sell out within twenty minutes of lunch service starting, while other special dishes were sold haphazardly. The haphazard method was this: If Han Guishan came to dine, the pickled vegetable dumplings would sell, but if Han Guishan didn¡¯te, the pickled vegetable dumplings would be ignored. Every few days, a couple of predestined rtionship set meals and Li Hongzhang hodgepodge could also be sold, but they were oftenined about by customers. Those whoined would usuallye back to order the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge again after a few days to a week and rece their previous bad review with a brand new positive one. This led to Jiang Feng bing a chef with a seriously prized reputation in the Taifeng kitchen, receiving the mostints but also not a fewpliments. Since he was one of the young bosses, they couldn¡¯t dock his wages to make him reform or reflect. But this heat with the pure meat wontons was different, there were no bad reviews at all. Even the waitstaff who witnessed the customers eating pure meat wontons said every customer who ate the wontons cried their hearts out. It was as if their teacher had given them the wrong key points for the exam, and when they checked their grades, they all failed and were not allowed to retake it, which meant they had to repeat the year, a sorrowful cry like being single for twenty years right from birth, but the reviews were unanimously positive. Even when the unscrupulous businesswoman Mrs. Wang Xiulian took the opportunity to raise the price of pure meat wontons to 26 yuan a bowl, they still sold out within the first twenty minutes of lunch service each day. This didn¡¯t make sense. Although the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge made people cry, it at least released the pressure in their hearts, and every sried employee who tried it could testify with their bodies what true delight tasted like. But the pure meat wontons were different; they were simply a dish that reminded people of the bitter sorrows of their youth, and yet they still receive everyone¡¯s unanimous praise. Jiang Feng could only sigh that society had changed. It had started to be perverse. He wouldn¡¯t even eat this dish himself, okay? Jiang Feng had once spected whether it was the game rewards taking effect, or Ji Yue¡¯sics bing popr on Weibo. But heter specifically asked Uncle Jiang Jianshe, who was responsible for promotion, about it; everything was normal on Weibo. Although the feedback was good, the numbers for retweets,ments, and likes were all within the normal range, hardly causing much of a stir. There weren¡¯t many people following Taifeng¡¯s official Weibo ount, and given the number of fake followers created by operations just to inte numbers, the real active followers were probably only a few thousand. Therefore, theic¡¯s release didn¡¯t cause much of a fuss either. As for the task reward, Jiang Feng thought it over and felt the game wouldn¡¯t be so generous. The task reward mentioned a slight increase in the fame of Taifeng Building, and whether Taifeng Building¡¯s fame had increased, Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t sure, but his own fame had increased quite a bit. He felt that based on the game¡¯s usual style, it wouldn¡¯t be so generous to him. No matter what the real reason was, thanks to the hot sales of pure meat wontons, there were always some people who had their softest or deepest memories touched while eating them, and the progress of the main task [Loyal Customers] actually went up by two, finally moving to the end stage of (9/10)¡ªvictory was in sight. It was another tranquil afternoon; thete August heatwave, also known as the ¡®Autumn Tiger¡¯, was still fierce. The high temperatures of summerunched onest aggressive assault. The temperature in the back kitchen around noon had reached a level that felt rming. Both sirs unanimously decided it was not suitable for a midday cooking lesson in such adverse conditions, so they continued to meet for tea and listening to stories at the teahouse and let Jiang Feng y wherever he wanted. The troublesome affair at Ji Yue¡¯s home was drawing to a close; Ji Yue¡¯s brother could no longer stay at his original school. With the power of money, the school grudgingly agreed not to expel her brother and allowed him to transfer out of his own ord. Jiang Feng could glean the progress of her brother¡¯s transfer and the frequency with which he was strung up and beaten from Ji Yue¡¯s daily explosive social media rants, thus estimating her leave time and this month¡¯s sry. But why he had suddenly be the most popr chef in Taifeng remained an unsolved mystery that puzzled him. So, taking advantage of this calm afternoon, Jiang Feng sought out a waitress in the lobby to conduct a small investigation. Naturally, the first person he found was Qi Rou. Aside from Fan Mei and Ji Yue, Qi Rou should be the only other employee in the lobby whose name he could remember; he couldn¡¯t even recall the faces of some of the girls, let alone their names. ¡°Qi Rou,¡± Jiang Feng called, stopping her just as she was about to go to the boutique store on the second floor of the neighboring mall for a round of looking without buying, ¡°I have something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Rou¡¯s mind was filled with the crystal ball she had seen the day before.
    ¡°Have you noticed who has been ordering my pure meat wontons these past few days?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Pure meat dumplings?¡± Qi Rou thought carefully, ¡°I have been in charge of weing guests these past few days, I haven¡¯t really served pure meat dumplings to customers, but I remember that the customers who cried in the restaurant were all quite young.¡± Quite young. This was a key piece of information.
    ¡°You should ask Lin Ling, I remember she served pure meat dumplings to two customers today,¡± Qi Rou suggested. ¡°Which one is Lin Ling?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Qi Rou: ¡­ With a ¡®are you really our little boss?¡¯ look, Qi Rou pointed at Lin Ling who was sitting by a table for two, eating a sd and watching a drama alone: ¡°The one eating the leafy greens over there.¡± Jiang Feng turned and walked towards Lin Ling. ¡°Lin Ling? Could I ask you something?¡± Jiang Feng approached her from behind. Lin Ling took off her headphones, put down her chopsticks, stood up, and asked, ¡°What is it, little boss?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ So the lobby staff actually all call me that behind my back. ¡°Do you remember what the customers who ordered the pure meat dumplings looked like this afternoon?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Appearance? Let me think, I roughly remember three customers who ordered dumplings, two of whom were at the same table. Those two from the same table were both guys, looking to be in their twenties, one of them seemed quite disheveled. Another is a youngdy who came to eat with a friend, she was saying to her friend when I served the dish that the dumplings looked just like the ones in aic book,¡± Lin Ling said. If it were just aic book, it couldn¡¯t have attracted so many customers. Jiang Feng nodded as if he understood, ¡°Do you remember who else has served dumplings to customers these days?¡±
    ¡°It would be Hu Li, she just told me yesterday that the customers she served were crying terribly,¡± Lin Ling said. ¡°Thanks, where is Hu Li?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I think I saw her go out just now. How about this, little boss, you go ahead with your work, and I¡¯ll call you when Hu Lies back,¡± Lin Ling proposed. ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Feng nodded. Young people, both men and women, looking quite disheveled, have readics. Jiang Feng felt like he was ying arge-scale puzzle game, needing to ask each NPC for key information and piecing it all together to deduce the oue. What was the reason, after all? Why did pure meat dumplings suddenly be so popr without any warning signs? ¡°What¡¯s the matter, why do you suddenly look so worried?¡± Wu Minqi had juste down from the second floor when she saw Jiang Feng with a frown, deep in thought, staring at a pir. ¡°I¡¯m pondering why my pure meat dumplings have suddenly been selling so well these past few days,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi: ??? Isn¡¯t it good that they¡¯re selling well? Although Jiang Feng was her boyfriend, as a chef, she had to objectively say something.
    Her boyfriend was great at everything except making dumplings. The pure meat dumplings Jiang Feng made were so bad that even pigs would turn their noses up at them if they were dumped into a swill bucket. Chapter 356: 355: Questionnaire Survey (Extra for the adorable Alliance Hierarch who wants a bite!) Chapter 356: Chapter 355: Questionnaire Survey (Extra for the adorable Alliance Hierarch who wants a bite!) After about an hour, Hu Li and a few colleagues returned from shopping outside. Taifeng Building was located in a bustling business district, surrounded by many malls andmercial streets, greatly enriching the entertainment life of Taifeng¡¯s employees during their break time between the lunch and evening shifts, but also adding to the burden on their wallets. ¡°Hu Li, the young boss is looking for you,¡± said Lin Ling, who was sitting at the entrance, as soon as she saw Hu Li. ¡°The young boss is looking for me? Where is he?¡± Hu Li asked. ¡°Seems like he¡¯s on the second floor,¡± Lin Ling replied. No sooner had Hu Li gone upstairs than the female employees who hade with her surrounded Lin Ling and asked with gossipden faces, ¡°Lin Ling, what¡¯s up with Hu Li? Why did the young boss suddenly want to see her?¡± ¡°Did she do something wrong? Or did she make a mistake that got a customer toin about her?¡± ¡°Could it be that she¡¯s going to be fired? The few who were let go during thest settlement, I heard Manager Fan had talked to each of them individually beforehand.¡± ¡°Fired? Getting fired before the end-of-month settlement, that¡¯s really losing face, and she probably won¡¯t even get her bonus,¡± said an average-looking waitress, not hiding her Schadenfreude. Lin Ling: ¡­
    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he might just ask her something trivial,¡± Lin Ling finished speaking and went to tidy up and leave. On the other side, Jiang Feng was studying the attribute panel in the men¡¯s restroom on the second floor. With so many things to do and being busy all the time, he hadn¡¯t had much time to go to Li Mansion to cook pig food for Da Hua to earn experience, and Da Hua¡¯s meals were basically entirely prepared by Chen Suhua. As a result, Da Hua hadn¡¯t eaten stir-fried dishes for a long time. Chen Suhua¡¯s pig food was very traditional. It was always cooked in the simple manner she had used when she was young before she moved to the city with Professor Li, just mixing pigweed with rice bran or sweet potatoes in one pot. It was a slurry that was neither appealing nor vorful, but it smelled good, which was very consistent with everyone¡¯s usual impression of pig food. As for how she managed to buy pigweed within the second ring road, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know. Jiang Feng looked at the attribute panel, and a sense of crisis welled up within him, not for any particr reason other than he was close to leveling up. The recent practice had been extensive, and all the dishes he made were sold as discounted specials. What couldn¡¯t be sold became staff meals, leading to a rapid increase in experience even though Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t deliberately grinding for experience. The numbers on the attribute panel had now changed to: Name: Jiang Feng Level: 24 (205489/240k) Knife Skills (Master Level): Your knifework has reached the level of top chefs. (Proficiency: 419853/1 million) Fire Control (Master Level): Your fire control has reached the level of top chefs. (Proficiency: 58742/1 million) Seasoning (Master Level): Your seasoning has reached the level of top chefs. (Proficiency: 35214/1 million) Lies (Advanced): Your lies can convince most people. (Proficiency: 67785/100k) Food Testing (Intermediate): You can distinguish ingredients, and that¡¯s it. (Non-upgradable) ¡­ Ahem, I¡¯ve been telling quite a few talestely, after all, we¡¯re all adults now, living in the adult world. The stark contrast to the soaring proficiency in various basic attributes, under the special training of the two old masters¡¯ sea cucumber dishes, was thepletely empty task panel. It had been a long time since Jiang Feng had seen such a vacant task panel, with only two main tasks, one of which couldn¡¯t bepleted because the level wasn¡¯t high enough to unlock the disciple recruitment feature, resembling a mascot main task. The other main task was just one step away frompletion. Life without side quests was lonely as snow. Jiang Feng took onest look at the experience column, which was 35k away from leveling up, and silently closed the attribute panel.
    35k experience could be grinded out in just two days of hard work. There was no game in this world that couldn¡¯t be solved with hard grinding. After all, he was once a hardcore gamer. Once I reach the 35,000 experience points beforepleting the main quest, it means that the game will enter another long round of updates, the short onessting a few days, and the long ones several months. During the update, unless the game glitches as it did before, all skills and functions will be unusable. I won¡¯t be able to use the Appraisal Skill to determine the specific problems with the dishes, view the tutorial videos in the recipe column, or settle the newly discovered characters andpleted quests until the update is over.
    In another month, it will be the season when oranges and crabse to market, and Jiang Feng had wanted to take this opportunity to practice cooking crab stuffed oranges. Not just crab stuffed oranges, he also wanted to be the first to know what the rewards for the current main quest were. This main quest was probably the most difficult task he had faced so far, and Jiang Feng had been looking forward to knowing what the specific rewards would be for a long time. Jiang Feng now had the urge to go around asking friends and family, ¡°Which do you think is the number one restaurant in the world?¡± With so many members of the Jiang Family, he couldn¡¯t believe he wouldn¡¯t get Taifeng Building as an answer from at least one of them. Preupied, Jiang Feng left the bathroom. Hu Li had been wandering around the second floor and had looked into each private room without finding Jiang Feng. Just as she was about to go downstairs and ask Lin Ling if she had remembered incorrectly, she ran into Jiang Feng at the staircase. ¡°Boss, I heard from Lin Ling that you were looking for me,¡± Hu Li called out to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng suddenly realized and eximed, ¡°So her name is Hu Li!¡± He only had a vague memory of Hu Li¡¯s face, and no recollection of her name at all. It seemed that her skills weren¡¯t particrly outstanding nor were they particrly poor, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have no memory of her name. ¡°Yes, I wanted to ask you something. Do you remember the customer who ordered the all-meat wontons yesterday?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yesterday¡¯s customer?¡± Hu Li thought for a moment, ¡°The table I was in charge of yesterday did have a customer who ordered all-meat wontons. He came alone and seemed to be a student of fine arts; I saw him carrying a drawing board with him.¡± ¡°Student of fine arts?¡± Jiang Feng asked further. ¡°I think so, or possibly just an amateur enthusiast who nned to sketch after eating. I remember he brought a drawing board,¡± Hu Li replied. Jiang Feng thought for a moment and then came up with an idea.
    ¡°Could I trouble you with something?¡± ¡°Boss, just tell me,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a survey form when I get back home today and print it out. At noon, please distribute these forms to the customers and ask them to fill them out, offering a free juice as a reward. Make sure you give it to the customers who order the all-meat wontons and ensure they fill it out themselves. Please mark their forms and bring them to me tomorrow noon, okay?¡± Jiang Feng proposed. Hu Li immediately agreed. Helping out was an easy way to get noticed by the boss, so why not? ¡°Of course, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Thanks so much.¡± With her task in hand, Hu Li went straight downstairs. Jiang Feng originally wanted to go downstairs and find a spot to catch up on thetest episodes of the annual hit drama that had evolved from a love triangle to a square, but he reconsidered, noting the peculiar nature of the drama¡¯s theme, and instead chose an empty private room on the second floor to watch the show alone. As soon as Hu Li reached the ground floor, her colleagues, with whom she had been shopping, surrounded her with questions. ¡°Li Li, what did the young boss want with you?¡± ¡°Are you okay? Did the young boss pick on you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, the young boss asked me to help with a survey,¡± Hu Li replied. ¡°A survey? Why did he ask you and not us?¡± a waitress with average looks asked. Hu Li nced at her, ¡°Maybe because my section is all two-seater tables. The boss probably wants to survey those sitting at two-seater tables, I guess. I¡¯m going to the changing room to get something.¡±
    With that, Hu Li walked away. ¡°Psh, what¡¯s so great about that? It¡¯s just a survey; anyone can do it.¡± ¡°Exactly, why the pride? It¡¯s not like she got a promotion or a raise.¡± Turning the corner, Hu Li looked back at the group of three behind her and curled her lips into a smile. ¡°Psh.¡± Chapter 357: 356: Questionnaire Chapter 357: Chapter 356: Questionnaire That night Jiang Feng went back and turned on hisputer to start working on the long-overdue spreadsheet. A normal university student, over the course of a semester, would often end up creating seven to ten spreadsheets for all kinds of strange reasons, three or four PowerPoint presentations, and one or two papers with attached giarism reports due to some famous personage. The content of the spreadsheet was actually quite simple, apart from tick-box answers like gender, age range, and upation, there were only a few questions that required writing: How did you find out about Taifeng Building? What was your favorite dish? Why were you satisfied with this dish? Are you satisfied with the service at Taifeng Building? What expectations do you have for our future service? Jiang Feng truly cared only about the first two questions, the rest were all smoke screens. It had been so long since Jiang Feng had made a spreadsheet that he seemed a bit rusty, and while working on it, he suddenly remembered a serious matter and pulled out his phone to send Wang Hao a WeChat message.
    Jiang Feng: Hao, did the counselor mention anything about the thesis before? Last semester Jiang Feng had pretty much just lived on campus and taken the final exam; almost all new rules and requirements were ryed to him by Wang Hao. Wang Hao was likely on his phone, replying almost instantly. Wang Hao: Yeah, he did, other sses who internedst semester started their theses right after the vacation; our ss and the electronic ss will start after the internship ends next semester. Wang Hao: Didn¡¯t the counselor mention it in the group? Feng, didn¡¯t you see it in the chat? Jiang Feng: ¡­ A ss group isn¡¯t that something you¡¯re supposed to mute? Wang Hao: Oh, by the way, everyone has basically found their thesis advisor, everyone¡¯s afraid if they wait too long the professors won¡¯t take students anymore, have you found one, Feng? Jiang Feng: ¡­ And you tell me the most important thingst¡­ Before Jiang Feng had a chance to reply to Wang Hao, Wang Hao made a voice call to him. ¡°Hello,¡± Jiang Feng answered. ¡°Feng, you got a minute?¡± Wang Hao¡¯s familiar sly voice came through the phone. ¡°What is it?¡± Jiang Feng was very wary. ¡°Brother Feng, that reaction really breaks my heart, could I possibly do anything to you?¡± Do anything? In your freshman year, you asked me for money because you were short on dating funds, and in your sophomore year, you borrowed money from me again because you were broke after a breakup. Every start of term you¡¯d borrow money, then pay it back during a vacation. Isn¡¯t it always preceded by a call that starts affectionately with, ¡°Brother Feng, got a minute?¡±
    ¡°I have no money, I¡¯m in a rtionship, my family is drowning in debt right now.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s triple deration of poverty. ¡°Brother Feng, what¡¯s with that talk, have we brothers been reduced to such a cold rtionship based solely on money?¡± Wang Hao retorted with moral righteousness, feigning distress. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I fail my Optical Information Processingst semester? Brother Feng, the makeup exam is at the start of the term, and it¡¯s almost starting, I¡¯ve only reviewed up to the first section of the first chapter!¡± Wang Hao said with feigned desperation.
    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s not called pre-reading?¡± ¡°Brother Feng, save me!¡± Wang Hao wailed, not at all swayed by Jiang Feng¡¯s cold response, ¡°There are a few questions I just can¡¯t crack, please, save me!¡± A few questions? ¡°Then send me the questions,¡± Jiang Feng relented for a moment; if Wang Hao had one more makeup exam to retake, he might really end up dyed in his graduation. ¡°Alright, thanks Feng, I¡¯ll send the document to you now!¡± Wang Hao decisively hung up the phone. Jiang Feng: ??? Document??? Five secondster, Jiang Feng received a 1.2MB document from Wang Hao. Jiang Feng: (¨‹Ãó¨‹#) It¡¯s hopeless, just wait to die, wait for the dyed graduation! ¡­ The next morning, Jiang Feng took the 100 printed questionnaires to Hu Li. A hundred questionnaires aren¡¯t a small number, and Hu Li could tell just by weighing them in her hand, even without knowing the exact total.
    ¡°Boss, do all these surveys need to be handed out by lunch?¡± Hu Li asked. ¡°No need, just give out as many as you can. Make sure to reach the customers who order the pure meat wontons. You can deal with any remaining surveys yourself,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Sure, boss, if you have other things that need help in the future, just ask me anytime. I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Hu Li said as she took the stack of surveys to the changing room to store them in her locker first. When Hu Li entered the changing room, she found it empty except for Lin Ling, who was tidying up things in front of her locker. ¡°Lin Ling, it must have been you who told the boss to find me, right?¡± Hu Li asked, seeing that they were alone in the room. ¡°Told him what?¡± Lin Ling nced at her, continuing to tidy up her locker. ¡°You¡¯re usually sitting directly in the hall at noon. The boss recognizes faces but not people. If he had questions, he would probably ask you. It must have been you who told him to find me, right?¡± Hu Li said. ¡°The day before yesterday, one of the tables you served ordered the pure meat wontons. The boss asked me who else had served pure meat wontons to the customers, and I just answered truthfully,¡± Lin Ling replied. ¡°If I remember correctly, didn¡¯t Xiaojuan¡¯s customers also order pure meat wontons at two tables?¡± Hu Li continued. ¡°Oh? Really? I didn¡¯t notice that,¡± Lin Ling closed her locker. ¡°Is there anything else? If not, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± ¡°Just asking out of curiosity. There¡¯s a dessert shop nearby that makes a really delicious fruit sd, want to go together?¡± Hu Li invited. Lin Ling smiled at her, ¡°I¡¯m on a diet; I only eat sd.¡± ¡°Then, maybe another day when I find a nice sd shop, I¡¯ll invite you to go with me,¡± Hu Li responded with a smile.
    At the entrance of the changing room, Qi Rou, hesitating: ¡­ She felt like she might have overheard something significant. ¡­ After the lunch service ended, Hu Li was the first to hand over the 31pleted surveys to Jiang Feng. The surveys from the five customers who had ordered the pure meat wontons were among them; Hu Li had folded the top-right corner of these surveys to mark them. ¡°Boss, is 31 enough? If not, I can continue handing them out tonight,¡± Hu Li asked. ¡°That¡¯s enough; it¡¯s just a simple survey,¡± Jiang Feng replied, taking the surveys and beginning to look through them. ¡°Okay then, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. Let me know if there¡¯s any problem,¡± Hu Li said with a smile as she left. Although there were only 31 of them, the answers on them were quite varied. Some said they had seen Taifeng Building on a software APP, some had passed by while shopping with friends, others had heard about it from friends, and some had read about it in magazines or news articles. The answers to the favorite dishes question were also diverse: some favored sweet and sour yam, some mentioned mapo tofu, others preferred kung pao chicken, and there were even mentions of red wine braisedmb. It seemed like the back kitchen chefs all got their share of appreciation. However, none of them mentioned the pure meat wontons; it seemed that everyone¡¯s taste buds were fairly normal. At first nce, these surveys didn¡¯t seem to have any issues, but Jiang Feng still found a connection in those five folded surveys. The answers about how they came to know of Taifeng were strikingly simr among these five surveys.
    Three said it was rmended by a teacher, and two said it was introduced by ssmates. Could it be¡­ they were from the same school? Chapter 358: 357: Hu Li Chapter 358: Chapter 357: Hu Li Art student? Jiang Feng¡¯s mind raced with a bold conjecture. With an abundance of universities in Beiping, including prestigious 985 universities making 211 institutions tremble, where a first-tier university can be found at every turn and second-tier universities were scoffed at, if a signboard from a university town were to fall and hit ten people, eight would be university students, and the remaining two would be teachers. If some art academy teacher were to eat a bowl of pure meat wontons at Taifeng Building and had their creative inspiration sparked, then casually mentioned Taifeng Building during a lesson because they didn¡¯t want to teach, all of this would make sense. Jiang Feng reviewed the 31 survey forms in his hands from beginning to end once more and, after counting, found that the people who liked the Sweet and Sour Yam he made were still the majority. Rounding up, he could consider himself the best chef in the Taifeng Building. Putting the survey form down, Jiang Feng began to look for Hu Li. Although he already had a conjecture, he still needed confirmation, and he had onest thing to ask Hu Li for help with. Hu Li had never left at all, although she didn¡¯t know why the young boss would suddenly conduct a survey, she felt that the young boss couldn¡¯t possibly be conducting the survey for its own sake. If she wasn¡¯t there after the young boss finished his busy work and wanted her to handle the next task, wouldn¡¯t all her efforts be wasted? As an ordinary girl from a rural family, with looks that were decent but not outstanding, from a household that favored sons over daughters, and not particrly intelligent, failing to get into a first-tier university and her parents unwilling to support her university education, Hu Li, who hade out to work in the city after high school graduation, was doing quite wellpared to her peers. The girls from her vige with simr looks could only work as waitresses, do odd jobs in small restaurants, or even other more demanding work, but she was able to work as a waitress in a well-known big restaurant like Taifeng Building, with a rtively decent sry. Hu Li naturally had her own ways of survival.
    She was well aware that there were ranks among the wait staff, and these ranks were directly reflected in the sries. She was an Area A waitress, and the waitresses in Area C earned 1000 more than her per month, with considerably highermissions as well. Qi Rou was a greeter, her sweet smile and approachability meant her sry was 1.5 times that of Hu Li¡¯s. The waitresses responsible for the private rooms on the second and third floors not only earned more, but also had lighter work than she did. Not to mention the waitresses in charge of the VIP rooms, each one of them was a top talent with beautiful looks, pleasant voices, and strong business capabilities. Ji Yue was the floor manager, and her sry was three times that of Hu Li¡¯s. Fan Mei was the lobby manager, whose sry was four times and even more, and that¡¯s not to mention other benefits and allowances. Hu Li knew she couldn¡¯tpete with the looks of the VIP room waitresses, her voice was not as sweet as Qi Rou¡¯s, and her education was nowhere near that of the distinguished school graduates like Ji Yue and Fan Mei. She didn¡¯t have Qi Rou¡¯s approachability, Fan Mei¡¯s overall view, Ji Yue¡¯s work efficiency, and she wasn¡¯t even as attractive as most of the waitresses at Taifeng Building. But that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t want to climb higher, it didn¡¯t mean she wanted to be an Area A waitress for life until her youth faded and her once hardly-notable beauty turned aged. Waitresses like her lived off their youth; she couldn¡¯t remain a waitress at a upscale restaurant forever, nor could she expect upscale restaurants to hire a woman in her 30s or 40s as a regr waitress, unless she had a managerial position like Fan Mei and Ji Yue. Being hired by Taifeng Building was the best opportunity she had had since she started drifting in the city. There was no power harassment, no arbitrary deductions from wages or bonuses, even overtime pay was paid promptly and in full; the bosses were strict but had a gentle temper. Most importantly was that here, everyone earned their meals through skill. Looks mattered, but it wasn¡¯t all about looks. Hu Li did not want to be a homewrecker for money like some of her fellow vigers did, nor did she want to drift in the big city rootlessly for seven or eight, maybe ten years, saving up a little money before returning to her hometown to settle down and get married, living a life in the countryside or working as a factory girl in the township¡¯s textile mills, living a muddleheaded existence. If she had never seen what¡¯s out there, it might be fine, but having seen the splendor of the world with her own eyes, how could she willingly return to that? So she drafted a n and set for herself the best life blueprint she could imagine. She wanted to blend with her colleagues, build good rtionships with them, be cordial yet not too intimate, always carry a smile on her face, and speak in a friendly tone, even to someone as reclusive as Lin Ling, she needed to be warm. She had to work diligently, making absolutely no mistakes, especially in front of her superiors; she learned to be as approachable as Qi Rou. On top of ensuring her own work was impable, she closely observed Ji Yue and Fan Mei¡¯s work methods, learning from them to make sure that when opportunities arose, she wouldn¡¯t let them slip away. She was determined to take meticulous care of herself, learn makeup, and ensure her face neither gave her an advantage nor became a disadvantage. In Hu Li¡¯s original life n, her goal for this year was to be a waitress in Area B or Area C. Within three years, to be a private room waitress, and within five years, a VIP private room waitress. Before turning thirty, to find a boyfriend with a stable job and get married to him.
    Promoted to a management position before the age of thirty-three. For now, she had only nned this much for her life; whaty beyond the age of thirty-three was beyond her imagination and rity of nning. But that was just the life n she once had. After Jiang Feng remembered her name and asked for her help, Hu Li stayed up all night to draft a new life n.
    This year, she wanted to be a private room waitress. Lin Ling had already presented her with the chance to make an impression in front of the young boss, and if she failed to seize it, she¡¯d only deserve a life of mediocrity. After all, she was the only person in her ss to get into a university, and although it wasn¡¯t a top-tier university, her exam scores were high enough to rank in the top three at her town¡¯s high school. ¡°Hu Li, you¡¯re here. I have another thing I need you to keep an eye on,¡± Jiang Feng instantly spotted Hu Li sitting near the door. Hu Li quickly stood up, smiling and said, ¡°Just tell me what you need, young boss. I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Keep an eye out for customers who order in meat wontons in theing days. If you see anyone who ces an order two or three times, please make a note of them and let me know. I¡¯d like to have a word with them,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Of course, young boss. I remember the patrons who¡¯ve ordered in meat wontons these past few days, and I¡¯ll inform you immediately,¡± Hu Li responded. ¡°Thanks a lot, you have a good memory,¡± Jiang Fengplimented. ¡°I just happen to be better at remembering people. It makes it easier to chat with regr customers and to rmend dishes,¡± Hu Li said. ¡°You really are thoughtful. I¡¯ll leave you to your break then,¡± Jiang Feng nodded in approval. Chapter 359: 358 Main Quest Completed Chapter 359: Chapter 358 Main Quest Completed Half an hour before the evening business began, Jiang Feng entered the kitchen to start preparing the squab. Due to a previous mistake by a front-desk server, they had nearly 60 more orders of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to give out. Now only three remained, and the final three customers had all booked private rooms for that evening. Two of them were dining together and had reserved the VIP room for 5:40 p.m., so naturally, Jiang Feng had to start early with the squab. On such a hot day, even the hard-working Ji Xue wouldn¡¯te in to work early in the afternoon. In the empty kitchen with Jiang Feng alone, singing to himself didn¡¯t feel awkward at all. As Jiang Feng hummed a tune that he himself couldn¡¯t identify, he skillfully used scissors to debone the pigeon in his hands. Just when he was enjoying his singing, Wu Minqi walked in, phone in hand. ¡°Fengfeng, Ji Yue is calling for you; she rang your phone but no one answered, so she called me directly,¡± Wu Minqi handed the phone to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng took off his gloves, wiped his hands, and epted the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Jiang, trying to reach you is really difficult. I had to call your Minqi to get in touch with you,¡± Ji Yue¡¯s voice on the other end was quite loud, as there was a lot of noise where she was. ¡°I don¡¯t bring my cell phone into the kitchen. By the way, when are youing back? ording to the employee handbook, if you don¡¯te back this month, I¡¯m afraid your sry, performance pay, and bonus will all be deducted. You won¡¯t have much left, not even the base pay.¡± The capitalist Jiang Feng showed his ugly face.
    Ji Yue: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Be a bit more human, Mr. Jiang. You¡¯re switching fromborer to capitalist too quickly. Let¡¯s not talk about that, I have something important to ask you. Did you finish delivering those Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons for the Qixi Festival meal?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°Thest three will be delivered tonight, almost done,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Do you know who is checking the giveaway list now? I just called Mrs. Wang and Fan and neither of them knew. Who told you when to make how many Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡± ¡°Qi Rou told me. Why are you asking about this? Aren¡¯t you on leave?¡± Jiang Feng was a bit puzzled. Ji Yue sighed, ¡°Mr. Jiang, as the boss, you should at least know a bit about the division ofbor in our lobby, right? I am usually in charge of customer feedback and performance assessments. Even if I¡¯m on leave, I still need to submit the reports and summaries at the end of the month.¡± ¡°When do you n toe back?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It depends, if things go well I might be back in a couple of days. It¡¯s not me saying, my little brother reallycks a good socialist thrashing. Do you know what he said to me when I just got home? He actually med their school¡¯s antiquated administrative system for not being updated, making it so easy for him to hack and change the data. He evenined about how bad their school¡¯s administrative system was. He got caught by the school, but doesn¡¯t he realize he should reflect on hiscking skills?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Your way of thinking is a bit off, buddy. ¡°How¡¯s your brother¡¯s transfer going?¡± Jiang Feng continued to ask. ¡°Now that the schools in the city have heard of his ¡®great achievements,¡¯ they¡¯re not too keen to take him. Paying a lot of money is too much of a loss and not worth it. My mom and I got in touch with a school in the county, nning to first send him there for a year to let him suffer a bit; when my dad¡¯s business picks up, we can transfer him back to his original international school,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°If I can get back the day after tomorrow, how much of my sry will be left this month?¡± Jiang Feng did some quick calctions, ¡°Less than half.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hurry back, I¡¯ll call Mrs. Wang and Fan once I know for sure when I¡¯ll return. Ji Qiran, you little rascal, you even dare to climb out the window, when did you sneak out, I¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­¡± Ji Yue hung up. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Indeed, true to the nature of a brat, he has even mastered the advanced skill of climbing through windows. This made Jiang Feng think back to high school when he heard about a legend from their school: someone who would get up punctually at one in the morning, mber out the window, climb down to go to the inte caf¨¦, then at four in the morning, climb back just as punctually, rain or shine, for half a year. It ended the day she got caught climbing the wall by a passerby who mistook her for a burr and called the police, and she was captured by her parents and the local police, making it onto the local newspaper in Z city, thus bing a school legend. Yes, this legend was a girl, and apparently, she lived on the fifth floor. ¡°When is Yueyueing back?¡± Wu Minqi asked.
    ¡°She said she might be back the day after tomorrow at the earliest,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Wu Minqi replied happily, taking back the phone and starting to book a dessert shop online, ¡°I thought she might miss it. This dessert shop isunching a new product next week, apparently a strawberry vor, and it¡¯s supposed to be extremely delicious.¡± Jiang Feng resumed his task of deboning squab as if it were just routine. Come to think of it, he felt that his Minqi had been gaining some weighttely; these past few days, holding hands felt a lot better.
    Girls should be a little bit meatier; holding hands with them feels morefortable, something Jiang Feng just couldn¡¯t understand about Ji Gezi¡¯s mentality, this girl with a height of 1.72 meters, t-chested, weighing just over 100 pounds, who¡¯d frequently diet because she couldn¡¯t fit into certain clothing sizes. If De and Cheng can find clothes to wear, what do these girls worry about every day? Jiang Feng was more concerned that he was still over ten thousand experience points short of leveling up, and the progress on hisst task was not yet in sight. Perhaps tonight¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon would bring some good news. At 5:37 PM, two guests who had reserved a VIP room arrived on time at Taifeng Building. The weing hostess to greet them was Qi Rou, who approached the two somewhat familiar-looking middle-aged men with her characteristically sweet and approachable smile, ¡°Hello, do you have a reservation?¡± ¡°208,¡± one of them said. ¡°Mr. Zhou and Mr. Ouyang, right? Please, follow me upstairs.¡± Qi Rou led the way ahead, and the two men nodded and followed behind her. After showing them to their private room, Qi Rou informed the waiter that these guests had beenpensated with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and then left. The moment Mr. Zhou entered the private room, he skillfully picked up the tablet that stood on the table and began to ce orders. While ordering, he didn¡¯t forget toin to his friend, ¡°Ah, the limited Sweet and Sour Yam is gone again. I told you toe at noon, but you insisted oning in the evening.¡± Mr. Ouyang was long ustomed to hisints, ¡°I¡¯m not here for the Sweet and Sour Yam anyway. If you want to eat it, juste earlier at noon some other day.¡± After speaking, he turned to the beautiful waitress still in the room, ¡°Miss, the rules of your establishment are really unreasonable. We¡¯re senior VIPs and still need toe early to get Sweet and Sour Yam.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass yourments on to our managementter,¡± the waitress said with a smile.
    ¡°Can you eat spicy foodtely?¡± Mr. Zhou asked. ¡°Shall we try the Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge? Have we ordered this dish before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us, the portion for that dish must be quiterge. Let¡¯s order it next time when I bring my wife and kids over,¡± Mr. Ouyang declined, ¡°The weird-tasting soup we hadst time was good, let¡¯s start with that one.¡± As Mr. Zhou continued to focus on ordering, Mr. Ouyang, bored with sitting and waiting, casually asked, ¡°Miss, when can we expect the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to be served?¡± ¡°The kitchen is already preparing it, it will be ready shortly,¡± the waitress replied. After more than ten minutes, Mr. Zhou was still deliberating over what to order, and Mr. Ouyang, getting impatient, directly questioned, ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us and you still haven¡¯t finished ordering? I¡¯vee all the way from Guangdong Province to have dinner with you, and are you really nning to starve me?¡± Without looking up, Mr. Zhou continued his pondering, ¡°Oh please, you flew all the way here from Guangdong Province not for anything but the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Master Sun hasn¡¯t made that dish in ten years, and it¡¯s made you crave it so much, huh? Just yesterday, Zhao mentioned in the group that this ce¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is on par with the ones Master Sun made back in the day, and today you hurriedly flew over from Guangdong Province. How could I not know what you¡¯re after?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be done ordering soon, just wait a bit. Waitress, could you rmend one between the green onion braised sea cucumber and the minced meat sea cucumber?¡± Mr. Zhou asked. ¡°Green onion braised¡­ I¡¯m sorry, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is already being served. I¡¯ll serve this dish for both of you first, and then I¡¯ll make a rmendation,¡± the waitress went to the serving window to get the dishes. Mr. Ouyang immediately perked up, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mr. Zhou, just order the green onion braised sea cucumber.¡± Mr. Zhou took his advice and ordered the green onion braised sea cucumber andpleted the order. The waitress brought two servings of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to Mr. Zhou and Mr. Ouyang. The cover was lifted, revealing the pigeon¡¯s belly, which was carefully slit open with a small knife. The aroma was tantalizing.
    Mr. Ouyang was intoxicated. He even felt a tearful joy. ¡°This is the taste, that old sly Zhao didn¡¯t lie to me, it smells just right, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the one,¡± he said. With an air of resignation, Mr. Zhou shook his head, ¡°You haven¡¯t even tasted it yet. Wait until you¡¯ve eaten before you say that.¡± Mr. Ouyang took a small spoon, carefully scooped up a portion, and didn¡¯t forget to dab it with some thickened sauce. He took a bite. ¡°Ding, you¡¯ve earned 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, main quest [Loyal Customers]pleted, reward received: A memory fragment of Jiang Chengde.¡± In the kitchen, Jiang Feng smiled slightly. It seemed that a certain guest in the VIP room was quite pleased with today¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. However, the game sure was stingy, rewarding another memory fragment. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to give some¡­ Wait, whose memory? Jiang Chengde?!
    Great-grandfather?! Chapter 361 - 358 Main Quest Completed Chapter 359: Chapter 358 Main Quest Completed Half an hour before the evening business began, Jiang Feng entered the kitchen to start preparing the squab. Due to a previous mistake by a front-desk server, they had nearly 60 more orders of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to give out. Now only three remained, and the final three customers had all booked private rooms for that evening. Two of them were dining together and had reserved the VIP room for 5:40 p.m., so naturally, Jiang Feng had to start early with the squab. On such a hot day, even the hard-working Ji Xue wouldn¡¯te in to work early in the afternoon. In the empty kitchen with Jiang Feng alone, singing to himself didn¡¯t feel awkward at all. As Jiang Feng hummed a tune that he himself couldn¡¯t identify, he skillfully used scissors to debone the pigeon in his hands. Just when he was enjoying his singing, Wu Minqi walked in, phone in hand. ¡°Fengfeng, Ji Yue is calling for you; she rang your phone but no one answered, so she called me directly,¡± Wu Minqi handed the phone to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng took off his gloves, wiped his hands, and epted the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Jiang, trying to reach you is really difficult. I had to call your Minqi to get in touch with you,¡± Ji Yue¡¯s voice on the other end was quite loud, as there was a lot of noise where she was. ¡°I don¡¯t bring my cell phone into the kitchen. By the way, when are youing back? ording to the employee handbook, if you don¡¯te back this month, I¡¯m afraid your sry, performance pay, and bonus will all be deducted. You won¡¯t have much left, not even the base pay.¡± The capitalist Jiang Feng showed his ugly face. Ji Yue: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Be a bit more human, Mr. Jiang. You¡¯re switching fromborer to capitalist too quickly. Let¡¯s not talk about that, I have something important to ask you. Did you finish delivering those Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons for the Qixi Festival meal?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°Thest three will be delivered tonight, almost done,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Do you know who is checking the giveaway list now? I just called Mrs. Wang and Fan and neither of them knew. Who told you when to make how many Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡± ¡°Qi Rou told me. Why are you asking about this? Aren¡¯t you on leave?¡± Jiang Feng was a bit puzzled. Ji Yue sighed, ¡°Mr. Jiang, as the boss, you should at least know a bit about the division ofbor in our lobby, right? I am usually in charge of customer feedback and performance assessments. Even if I¡¯m on leave, I still need to submit the reports and summaries at the end of the month.¡± ¡°When do you n toe back?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It depends, if things go well I might be back in a couple of days. It¡¯s not me saying, my little brother reallycks a good socialist thrashing. Do you know what he said to me when I just got home? He actually med their school¡¯s antiquated administrative system for not being updated, making it so easy for him to hack and change the data. He evenined about how bad their school¡¯s administrative system was. He got caught by the school, but doesn¡¯t he realize he should reflect on hiscking skills?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Your way of thinking is a bit off, buddy. ¡°How¡¯s your brother¡¯s transfer going?¡± Jiang Feng continued to ask. ¡°Now that the schools in the city have heard of his ¡®great achievements,¡¯ they¡¯re not too keen to take him. Paying a lot of money is too much of a loss and not worth it. My mom and I got in touch with a school in the county, nning to first send him there for a year to let him suffer a bit; when my dad¡¯s business picks up, we can transfer him back to his original international school,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°If I can get back the day after tomorrow, how much of my sry will be left this month?¡± Jiang Feng did some quick calctions, ¡°Less than half.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hurry back, I¡¯ll call Mrs. Wang and Fan once I know for sure when I¡¯ll return. Ji Qiran, you little rascal, you even dare to climb out the window, when did you sneak out, I¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­ beep¡­¡± Ji Yue hung up. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Indeed, true to the nature of a brat, he has even mastered the advanced skill of climbing through windows. This made Jiang Feng think back to high school when he heard about a legend from their school: someone who would get up punctually at one in the morning, mber out the window, climb down to go to the inte caf¨¦, then at four in the morning, climb back just as punctually, rain or shine, for half a year. It ended the day she got caught climbing the wall by a passerby who mistook her for a burr and called the police, and she was captured by her parents and the local police, making it onto the local newspaper in Z city, thus bing a school legend. Yes, this legend was a girl, and apparently, she lived on the fifth floor. ¡°When is Yueyueing back?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°She said she might be back the day after tomorrow at the earliest,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Wu Minqi replied happily, taking back the phone and starting to book a dessert shop online, ¡°I thought she might miss it. This dessert shop isunching a new product next week, apparently a strawberry vor, and it¡¯s supposed to be extremely delicious.¡± Jiang Feng resumed his task of deboning squab as if it were just routine. Come to think of it, he felt that his Minqi had been gaining some weighttely; these past few days, holding hands felt a lot better. Girls should be a little bit meatier; holding hands with them feels morefortable, something Jiang Feng just couldn¡¯t understand about Ji Gezi¡¯s mentality, this girl with a height of 1.72 meters, t-chested, weighing just over 100 pounds, who¡¯d frequently diet because she couldn¡¯t fit into certain clothing sizes. If De and Cheng can find clothes to wear, what do these girls worry about every day? Jiang Feng was more concerned that he was still over ten thousand experience points short of leveling up, and the progress on hisst task was not yet in sight. Perhaps tonight¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon would bring some good news. At 5:37 PM, two guests who had reserved a VIP room arrived on time at Taifeng Building. The weing hostess to greet them was Qi Rou, who approached the two somewhat familiar-looking middle-aged men with her characteristically sweet and approachable smile, ¡°Hello, do you have a reservation?¡± ¡°208,¡± one of them said. ¡°Mr. Zhou and Mr. Ouyang, right? Please, follow me upstairs.¡± Qi Rou led the way ahead, and the two men nodded and followed behind her. After showing them to their private room, Qi Rou informed the waiter that these guests had beenpensated with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and then left. The moment Mr. Zhou entered the private room, he skillfully picked up the tablet that stood on the table and began to ce orders. While ordering, he didn¡¯t forget toin to his friend, ¡°Ah, the limited Sweet and Sour Yam is gone again. I told you toe at noon, but you insisted oning in the evening.¡± Mr. Ouyang was long ustomed to hisints, ¡°I¡¯m not here for the Sweet and Sour Yam anyway. If you want to eat it, juste earlier at noon some other day.¡± After speaking, he turned to the beautiful waitress still in the room, ¡°Miss, the rules of your establishment are really unreasonable. We¡¯re senior VIPs and still need toe early to get Sweet and Sour Yam.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass yourments on to our managementter,¡± the waitress said with a smile. ¡°Can you eat spicy foodtely?¡± Mr. Zhou asked. ¡°Shall we try the Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge? Have we ordered this dish before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us, the portion for that dish must be quiterge. Let¡¯s order it next time when I bring my wife and kids over,¡± Mr. Ouyang declined, ¡°The weird-tasting soup we hadst time was good, let¡¯s start with that one.¡± As Mr. Zhou continued to focus on ordering, Mr. Ouyang, bored with sitting and waiting, casually asked, ¡°Miss, when can we expect the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to be served?¡± ¡°The kitchen is already preparing it, it will be ready shortly,¡± the waitress replied. After more than ten minutes, Mr. Zhou was still deliberating over what to order, and Mr. Ouyang, getting impatient, directly questioned, ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us and you still haven¡¯t finished ordering? I¡¯vee all the way from Guangdong Province to have dinner with you, and are you really nning to starve me?¡± Without looking up, Mr. Zhou continued his pondering, ¡°Oh please, you flew all the way here from Guangdong Province not for anything but the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Master Sun hasn¡¯t made that dish in ten years, and it¡¯s made you crave it so much, huh? Just yesterday, Zhao mentioned in the group that this ce¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is on par with the ones Master Sun made back in the day, and today you hurriedly flew over from Guangdong Province. How could I not know what you¡¯re after?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be done ordering soon, just wait a bit. Waitress, could you rmend one between the green onion braised sea cucumber and the minced meat sea cucumber?¡± Mr. Zhou asked. ¡°Green onion braised¡­ I¡¯m sorry, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is already being served. I¡¯ll serve this dish for both of you first, and then I¡¯ll make a rmendation,¡± the waitress went to the serving window to get the dishes. Mr. Ouyang immediately perked up, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mr. Zhou, just order the green onion braised sea cucumber.¡± Mr. Zhou took his advice and ordered the green onion braised sea cucumber andpleted the order. The waitress brought two servings of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to Mr. Zhou and Mr. Ouyang. The cover was lifted, revealing the pigeon¡¯s belly, which was carefully slit open with a small knife. The aroma was tantalizing. Mr. Ouyang was intoxicated. He even felt a tearful joy. ¡°This is the taste, that old sly Zhao didn¡¯t lie to me, it smells just right, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the one,¡± he said. With an air of resignation, Mr. Zhou shook his head, ¡°You haven¡¯t even tasted it yet. Wait until you¡¯ve eaten before you say that.¡± Mr. Ouyang took a small spoon, carefully scooped up a portion, and didn¡¯t forget to dab it with some thickened sauce. He took a bite. ¡°Ding, you¡¯ve earned 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, main quest [Loyal Customers]pleted, reward received: A memory fragment of Jiang Chengde.¡± In the kitchen, Jiang Feng smiled slightly. It seemed that a certain guest in the VIP room was quite pleased with today¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. However, the game sure was stingy, rewarding another memory fragment. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to give some¡­ Wait, whose memory? Jiang Chengde?! Great-grandfather?! Chapter 360: 359: Intoxicated Chapter 360: Chapter 359: Intoxicated VIP Ouyang was already immersed in the world of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. As a third-generation heir born and raised in Guangdong Province, Ouyang had been dining at Jubao Building since his childhood, treating it like a canteen. Over the past thirty-plus years, he cherished every chef like family treasures and could even name all the regr waitstaff by heart¡ªhe was a die-hard fan of both Jubao Building and Master Sun Guanyun. He was also a devoted fan of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Since Sun Guanyun stepped down from the kitchen ten years ago, passing the position of head chef to his disciple, Ouyang had never again tasted the authentic Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. He had shamelessly sought out Sun Guanyun, begging him to make an exception and cook for him just once, but if even Xu Cheng couldn¡¯t obtain such a favor, how could he? Without Sun Guanyun, Jubao Building was like a peony show missing its peonies. No matter how vibrant the other flowers, how fresh, how pure and wless, how outstandingly solitary, nonemanded the noble status of the peony. What he craved was the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by Sun Guanyun himself or one that was a true disciple¡¯s rendition, not the inferior versions crafted by disciples who had merely learned to imitate. Ouyang once believed he would never taste the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon from his memories ever again. But today, he did. Though the vor wasn¡¯t as exquisite as in his memories, it was the taste, the very sensation. From the moment his taste buds touched the filling within the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, every cell in Ouyang¡¯s body trembled, roared, shivered, and screamed at him. It was this taste, just this taste¡ªhe couldn¡¯t be wrong. This was the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon! This was the authentic Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon!
    Ouyang was intoxicated. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was just a small one; even filled to bursting when served, it remained only a modest size. Its portion was just right for an adult man as an appetizer or an afternoon tea snack. Ouyang ate carefully yet quickly, his rich experience with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon reminding him that it was most delicious just out of the pot, its vor drastically diminished once cooled. Ouyang chewed the lily bulb in his mouth and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Ding, you have gained 999 experience points.¡± After Ouyang had a small piece of shiitake mushroom, he felt like he was walking on clouds. ¡°Ding, you have gained 999 experience points.¡± Ouyang uncovered the well-hidden pigeon egg, reluctant to gobble it up in one bite, he only bit off a small half. ¡°Ding, you have gained 999 experience points.¡± Ouyang indulged himself for once, taking a full spoonful with chopped shiitake mushroom, lily bulb, chestnuts, and therger remaining half of the pigeon egg¡ªall in one bite. Ouyang felt as though his whole being had been sublimated. ¡°Ding, you have gained 999 experience points.¡± Ouyang¡­ ¡°Ding, you have gained 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, you have gained¡­¡± ¡°Ding¡­¡± Jiang Feng in the kitchen was still dumbfounded. This was the first time he was bombarded by full experience points like this. Pan Ling, who had endured his mother¡¯s dark culinary torment for decades during the New Year, had never contributed such high and intense experience values. The notification in his brain kept ringing non-stop, almost every few seconds. Often, the previous notification had barely finished before the next one sounded, like a loop tape.
    Jiang Feng knew well that the diner racking up experience was most likely the customer who was very satisfied with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Only¡­ How small can this customer¡¯s mouth be? They¡¯ve had so many bites, yet they still haven¡¯t finished a single serving of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Inside the private room, Ouyang¡¯s process of eating the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon finally neared its end.
    Mr. Zhou had been watching beside him, dumbfounded. He himself had finished his Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon minutes ago. Although it was delicious, it didn¡¯t bewitch him as it had Ouyang. To be fair, his three-year-old son could eat faster than Ouyang was eating now. He really wanted to ask Ouyang, can you even taste the pigeon when you eat such tiny bites? ¡°Is there really a need for this?¡± Mr. Zhou watched as Ouyang finished the stuffing and then began on the pigeon itself. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s been ten years. The feeling of eating a dish you¡¯ve had on your mind for ten years is something you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Ouyang said wistfully, turning to ask the waitress, ¡°Miss, when will this dish be added to the menu?¡± ¡°We n to add it to the menu in October,¡± the waitress replied. Ouyang frowned. He wished he could eat Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon for three meals a day for a week straight. It was only the end of August; he would have to wait over a month, which made him incredibly impatient. ¡°You tell your leader that the vor is already very good. Let¡¯s get it on the menu by the end of this month, or early September at thetest. Remember to call me as soon as it¡¯s on the menu, I¡¯ll reserve a table immediately,¡± Ouyang said. ¡°Okay, I will pass on your message to the management. As soon as it¡¯s on the menu, our reception will call you immediately,¡± the waitress answered with a practiced smile, giving a standardized response. Two minutester, Ouyang had polished off the pigeon on his te. Jiang Feng, who was in the kitchen, didn¡¯t hear the game notification sound and assumed the VIP room¡¯s guests had finally finished the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. He breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that tonight¡¯s diners would be like those old gourmets, stingy with experience points¡ªbest if they only gave 1 or 2 points each, like the two ¡®Sirs¡¯. He didn¡¯t want the remaining experience to be used up and the game to level up; he was looking forward to going home after work to see his great-grandfather¡¯s memories. The recipes from his great-grandfather¡¯s memories had to be very precious. They might even be the legendary lost signature dishes of the Jiang Family.
    Whether the Jiang Family had such legendary lost signature dishes was not Jiang Feng¡¯s concern. Jiang Feng, now relieved, continued with his work. Ouyang and Mr. Zhou sat in the private room waiting, and due to the boredom of waiting for their dish, they inevitably started to chat about some gossip. ¡°I heard that the Jubao Building is going through a generational change. You eat there every day and are well acquainted with Master Sun; is there any truth to it?¡± Mr. Zhou inquired. ¡°Yes, it seems like a generational change is happening. Master Sun now brings his grandson Sun Jikai everywhere, I even heard he¡¯s personally teaching him cooking. There¡¯s lots of activity¡ªI think he¡¯s paving the way for his grandson,¡± Ouyang nodded. ¡°With such fiercepetition between the eldest and the second in the Sun Family, wouldn¡¯t the second get nothing if Master Sun really favors Sun Jikai like this?¡± Mr. Zhou asked, intrigued. ¡°Not necessarily. The Sun Family¡¯s second son isn¡¯t someone you should take lightly. Forget about Jubao Building, but he¡¯s likely to get a good share of the other Sun Family businesses. Even if Master Sun is biased towards his eldest grandson, a son is still a son; it¡¯s impossible to leave the second son with nothing,¡± Ouyang surmised. Looking at thest bit of sauce on his te, he felt it was wasteful not to eat it and picked up a small spoon again. He scraped a good half-spoonful of sauce from the te and took a mouthful. Mr. Zhou: ¡­ Buddy, you¡¯re exaggerating just a bit too much. We¡¯re all rich third-generation kids; don¡¯t embarrass us, please. ¡°Ding, you¡¯ve earned 996 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, yer has reached level 25. The game is starting updates, current update progress: 0%.¡±
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ ??? ©¥©ß¦à¨t(¨F¡õ¡ä)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß Chapter 362: 361: Pickles Grand Award Chapter 362: Chapter 361: Pickles Grand Award About half an hourter, the five of them finally sorted out the pickles and various sauces Ji Yue had brought from far away, along with a small portion of homemade dried fruits and vegetables, arranging the assorted bottles and jars neatly on the coffee table or the floor. Jiang Feng, holding a small jar that once contained minced garlic sauce but now was filled with apple jam, opened it and looked at the finely chopped apple jam inside, which bore a resemnce to the color of silver fungus and lotus seed soup, and raved, ¡°Ji Yue, the jams your mom makes all look pretty good!¡± ¡°My mom¡¯s been making jams for many years. I remember she started when I was in primary school. If you like it, you can take more jars. These sauces, Xue and I won¡¯t be able to finish them by next year,¡± Ji Yue indicated to the jars of chopped chili, pickled chili, and chili oil on the coffee table. ¡°Take a couple more jars of these for your Qiqi if she likes them, help yourself. And these pickles made from Shanghai green and potherb mustard are so-so, but the ones made with Chinese cabbage are especially delicious!¡± Ji Yue, like a makeup counter salesperson in a department store, kept pushing her homemade goods, warmly asking passersby if they needed a free eyebrow trim or a light makeup touch-up. ¡°Isn¡¯t Chinese cabbage pickle just the same as kimchi?¡± Jiang Feng, who grew up eating pickles personally made by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, had a lot to say about pickles. ¡°No, it¡¯s not kimchi. Kimchi is like spicy cabbage, but this one is¡­you know, the kind used for stir-frying. An entire cabbage is pickled in a jar, and the jars here are all chopped up by my mom. I specifically brought 5 jars of these pickles for you, Jiang Feng. Take 3 jars, and give some to your parents, grandpa, and uncles¡¯ families. You can eat the rest slowly, but this one needs to be eaten quickly¡ªonce it¡¯s out of the jar, it won¡¯tst. Generally, we make these pickles in the winter, because the temperature is most suitable, but my mom makes them all year round,¡± Ji Yue instructed. ¡°Pickled cabbage stir-fried with bamboo shoots tastes especially good. If there¡¯s no bamboo shoots, stir-frying withrd is fine too, or even just stir-frying pickles with pickles is delicious. My mom makes this kind of pickle perfectly. You can¡¯tpare what they sell outside with this,¡± Ji Yue started tovish praise on the pickles her mother made as if the countless ¡°not rmended for consumption¡± warnings she¡¯d given before were said by someone else. ¡°Gurgle¡­¡± As she spoke, Ji Yue¡¯s stomach growled. Jiang Feng: ??? Is it that delicious?
    ¡°Did you eat on the train?¡± Jiang Feng asked. He was starting to suspect that Ji Yue had forgotten to pack food before boarding the train. Then, embarrassed by her lean wallet and put off by the expensive train meals, she hadn¡¯t eaten at all, leading to her stomach now voicing its protest. ¡°How could I not have eaten?¡± Ji Yue stubbornly insisted. ¡°What did you eat?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Ji Yue: ¡°¡­The egg my mom boiled for me yesterday morning that she stuffed in my bag, and the in-vored Alpenliebe lollipop I snatched from my brother the day before yesterday.¡± Everyone: ¡­ Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi looked simultaneously at Zhang Guanghang, their eyes filled with, ¡°Your girlfriend has fallen on such hard times that when you picked her up, you didn¡¯t even think to take her for a meal first.¡± But then, seeing all the items Ji Yue and Zhang Guanghang had carried over, Jiang Feng felt a bit more understanding¡ªit¡¯s hard to feel hungry when you¡¯re surrounded by all kinds of pickles and jams. ¡°There seems to be a bag of noodles in the kitchen, Yue, I¡¯ll go cook a bowl of noodles for you,¡± Ji Xue stood up. Ji Yue solemnly held up two fingers: ¡°Two bowls.¡± Ji Yue meant to say, is it too much for a weak girl like me, who weighs 99.6 pounds from eating only 1 egg and 1 in lollipop over the past 20-plus hours and is about to break 100 pounds, to have two bowls of noodles for dinner? Thinking of her weight before leaving, measured without her shoes, Ji Yue felt a bit mncholy. Ever since returning home, she had been eating pickles every day, which always made her eat an extra bowl of rice, causing the weight she had struggled to lose recently toe back. ¡°Do you guys want some?¡± Ji Xue asked. They had all been sitting there, smelling the various pickles for half an hour. When Ji Xue asked, Jiang Feng actually felt a bit hungry and said, ¡°Then please cook a bowl for me as well. Thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have one too,¡± Wu Minqi chimed in. ¡°Much appreciated,¡± said Zhang Guanghang. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if one bag of noodles is enough for six bowls. I remember there¡¯s still half a bag of egg noodles in the cupboard. Would anyone like that kind?¡± Ji Xue announced she¡¯d also like a bowl. Everyone agreed they were all fine with it. ¡°Would you like some sauce with your noodles? Let me see, we¡¯ve got chopped peppers, pickled peppers, pickled cucumber strips, pickles, pumpkin sauce, garlic chili sauce, winged beans, pickled green beans, strawberry jam, blueberry jam, apple jam, mushroom sauce¡­ Ah, and this one, I almost forgot it in the other bag. These two are particrly tasty with noodles, let me go get them for you!¡± Ji Yue suddenly remembered she had two more items in another bag and with a spring in her step, she dashed into the room.
    It wasn¡¯t long before she returned, cradling two small ck jars in her arms. These two jars had a different style than the ones on the table. ¡°What are these?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°These are pickled watermelon rind and garlic that my grandma made,¡± Ji Yue said.
    ¡°Labagou garlic?¡± Zhang Guanghang inquired. ¡°No, not Labagou garlic, they¡¯re pickled in vinegar. They have a strong taste but are absolutely perfect with porridge and noodles!¡± Ji Yue opened the jar with the pickled garlic, and instantly, the entire living room was engulfed in a strong vinegar and sour aroma, making the chopped peppers and hot peppers lose all their presence. ¡°They¡¯re just not quite suitable for eating in public,¡± Ji Yue muttered, quickly capping the jar before opening the other one, ¡°You all must try this pickled watermelon rindter. My grandma carefully selected these, they¡¯re really thick. Before pickling, you have to press them with a heavy object overnight to squeeze out the water, then sun-dry them. They¡¯re crunchy and sweet, absolutely the best pickled watermelon rind you¡¯ve ever tasted!¡± Just as Ji Yue was about to further extol her grandmother¡¯s superior pickling skills, Ji Xue walked out of the kitchen with a troubled look, ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry. I remembered wrong¡ªwe only have half a bag of flour left. But there¡¯s some leftover rice and two eggs in the fridge from yesterday. I was nning to make fried rice with eggs for breakfast today, but I overslept. There¡¯s quite a lot of leftover rice, and with the noodles, it should be enough. How about I make some egg fried rice now?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Ji Yue said, indicating it was fine as long as there was food¡ªshe could eat anything right now, especially with all these pickled vegetables at hand. Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang couldn¡¯t help but nce at the pickled vegetables that Ji Yue had enthusiastically rmended earlier. ¡°Just take it easy, Ji Xue. I¡¯ll make the fried rice. Since we have all these pickles, why not make pickle fried rice?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°Huh?¡± Ji Xue blinked, ¡°Better let me do it. You guys just rx.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all chefs here, don¡¯t you trust my cooking?¡± Jiang Feng stood up, ncing at the coffee table, ¡°Which jar has the pickles?¡± Ji Yue handed him one of the jars from her left side, ¡°Use this one for the fried rice!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help out, too,¡± Zhang Guanghang announced, getting up. Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang exchanged nces, their eyes locking in a sh as electric as a storm, des ringing in the air. Suddenly, Jiang Feng felt a sense ofpetition: the young chefs of Taifeng Building were about to face off, and his first culinary duel with Zhang Guanghang was going to be over today¡¯s pickle fried rice.
    Ji Yue, sensing something odd between the two: ¡­ ¡°Qiqi, do you find them a bit strange?¡± Ji Yue asked. After pondering for a moment, Wu Minqi said, ¡°During the time you were at home, Fengfeng¡¯s poprity among customers has been climbing, and he¡¯s currently surpassed Zhang Guanghang in reviews.¡± ¡°Your man¡¯s been doing that well recently?!¡± Ji Yue eximed in surprise. Wu Minqi concealed the fact that it was due to Jiang Feng¡¯s popr pure meat wontons, nodding her head, ¡°So I think, they might be trying to have a contest.¡± ¡°A contest?¡± ¡°Probably. During the Good Taste culinarypetition, in the one-on-one rounds, they were never ced in the same group. The dishes they¡¯re responsible for at Taifeng are different too. I guess this is the first time they¡¯re making the same dish, so it¡¯s a contest,¡± Wu Minqi concluded definitively. Ji Yue shook her head, ¡°Ah, your man is doomed to lose.¡± Wu Minqi replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s your man who¡¯s doomed to lose.¡± Their eyes met, tension filling the air. Ji Xue, the unsuspecting onlooker: ??? Did I miss something???
    Chapter 363: 362: Fried Rice Showdown Chapter 363: Chapter 362: Fried Rice Showdown ¡°` The kitchen just happened to have two stoves, very closely ced¡ªit was the kind of close where an exaggerated flip of the spat could easily bump into the person next to you. The rice was harder than leftover rice from the night before, and the pickles were a mysterious kind, enthusiastically rmended by Ji Yue but whose taste remained unknown to everyone. Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang stood at an impasse in the kitchen, one wearing a blue apron, the other in green, one 1.7 meters tall, the other 1.9 meters. Jiang Feng could only be relieved that Ji Xue and Ji Yue didn¡¯t like pink, or else the two of them facing each other in pink aprons in the kitchen would have been a bit too much for him to handle. The battle in the kitchen was about to erupt, while the war outside the kitchen had already begun. ¡°My Zhang Guanghang makes fried rice that is truly exceptional. His French wild mushroom fried rice gets a lot of positive reviews,¡± Ji Yue said, with a slight smile. ¡°My Fengfeng¡¯s egg fried rice from his UAL University days was also very popr,¡± retorted Wu Minqi, unwilling to be outdone. ¡°Egg fried rice and pickle fried rice arepletely different. Every time your Jiang Feng tries a new dish, it ends in a flop. I think this time is a bit risky,¡± Ji Yue said, feigning concern with a hypocritical expression. ¡°That won¡¯t happen, my Fengfeng knows his pickles well. His pickle dumplings are delicious, so pickle fried rice will definitely not be a problem. On the other hand, your Zhang Guanghang hasn¡¯t been in the country for years and has had rtively little contact with this kind of ingredient. A chef not being familiar with the ingredients is a big taboo in cooking, and I am indeed a bit worried for him,¡± Wu Minqi started to tell some tant lies with her eyes open. Ji Xue: ???
    In the kitchen, Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang had clear divisions ofbor, with Jiang Feng chopping the pickles and Zhang Guanghang separating the rice. As Jiang Feng chopped the pickles, he recognized what kind they were¡ªthey looked a lot like the pickled cabbage from the North, but the texture and taste werepletely different: not sour but crunchier,pletely unlike the traditional Shanghai greens and pickled crimson potherb. They were best enjoyed with food. When pickling, one couldn¡¯t userge jars but only small ones, and they had to be ced in a cool spot, fetching one out whenever desired to eat. But Mrs. Wang Xiulian hadn¡¯t made this type of pickle in a long time, mainly because there weren¡¯t enough jars at home. Each jar could hold at most three cabbages, and they had to be smaller ones. Given the Jiang Family Members¡¯ appetites, they would finish one in two days; after waiting painstakingly for a month or two, a jar would be gone in a week. Such a loss-making pickling method didn¡¯t match Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s style, and besides, these jars took up too much space¡ªif pickled in excess, there¡¯d be no room at home. Jiang Feng chopped the already julienned pickles even finer, while Zhang Guanghang had already portioned out the leftover rice from the refrigerator into two equal parts. ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Zhang Guanghang asked. ¡°No need; a small amount of pickle is enough for this bit of rice¡ªjust chopping them finely will do,¡± Jiang Feng declined. After Jiang Feng finished chopping the pickles, he too divided them into equal portions. The two almost simultaneously ignited the burners and heated the oil in their pans. When frying rice, one mustn¡¯t use too much oil. Although more oil can make the rice smell aromatic, it¡¯s the smell of oil, not rice. If after eating a portion of fried rice there¡¯s ayer of oil left on the bottom of the te, it won¡¯t be fragrant but rather greasy. Moreover, it¡¯s high in calories and not particrly healthy¡ªnot a good strategy at all. Thanks to a famous food anime that has apanied a generation, as soon as most people think of fried rice, their first reaction is egg fried rice. This has led many culinary novels to start off with a master-level golden egg fried rice, like the one Wang Hao previously wrote, a concocted food story based on Jiang Feng. If one were to ask whether there really is the legendary golden egg fried rice in this world, it couldn¡¯t be said that there isn¡¯t. The egg fried rice reportedly favored by Empress Dowager Cixi was exactly that golden egg fried rice, and it was literally golden at that¡ªwhere the chef¡¯s exceptional skills allowed the egg mixture to evenly coat each grain of rice, with every egg-wrapped grain capable of forming threads. Such a dish required the chef¡¯s technique and ingredients to be the finest, even the firewood used for cooking had to be top-quality tributes, worth more than gold¡ªtruly a golden egg fried rice. For most people, enjoying a ten-dor egg fried rice is enough to praise the restaurant owner as honest if they are willing to include a whole egg. Unless you¡¯re dining at a fancy restaurant, it¡¯s almost unthinkable to spend more than twenty dors on a te of fried rice. In the face of such trends in fried rice, if a customer still asked a chef to create a legendary golden egg fried rice, they¡¯d likely get their head knocked with a frying pan and spat. Concerning fried rice, there are many well-known basics, the foremost being that the rice has to be leftover from the previous day. Overnight rice is fully rehydrated, its starch aged, making it the perfect ingredient for fried rice that is tender yet non-sticky, with grains that are distinct yet connected like broken strands of lotus roots. Once the oil in the pan was hot, Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang added the pickles at nearly the same time. In the world of pickle fried rice, although the pickle is mentioned first, the core is still the rice. So, the quantity of pickles can¡¯t be too little or too much¡ªjust enough for people to taste the vor while eating the fried rice, the skill in tossing and stirring being the key. Within a mere ten seconds or so, the tantalizing aroma of the pickles saut¨¦ed in hot oil was released. After the scent permeated, the next step was to add the cold rice to the pan. This action was also nearly synchronized, with both men standing side by side in front of their pans, even their movements somewhat identical. From here on, all the fancy steps of making pickle fried rice wereplete, and what followed was a test of the chef¡¯s real skill¡ªstir-frying. As ismonly known, stir-frying is a manifestation of Fire Control.
    There¡¯s a well-known fact in Taifeng¡¯s back kitchen, and only partially known in the lobby, that Jiang Feng¡¯s Fire Control was not as good as Zhang Guanghang¡¯s. Even though both Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang currently possessed master-level Fire Control, Jiang Feng¡¯s was still slightly inferior. But there was no helping it¡ªhis proficiency in Fire Control was only just under 60,000, barely past 1/20 of the progress bar. Zhang Guanghang was six years older than Jiang Feng, which implied at least six more years of cooking experience¡ªhis being stronger was perfectly normal. Minutester, tworge portions of pickle fried rice were served up from their pans. Neither of them moved a muscle, simultaneously reaching for spoons.
    ¡°` Jiang Feng scooped up a small spoonful of Zhang Guanghang¡¯s pickled vegetable fried rice and was immediately taken aback as it touched his taste buds. Fragrant. The first impression this fried rice gave was its fragrance, not just the rice itself, but the pickles as well. The fried rice wasn¡¯t oily, and upon chewing, the texture of the rice and the crunchiness of the pickles stood out. Moreover, the more he ate, the more fragrant it became, the finer the chew, while the pickles¡¯ slight sourness and spiciness were fully exhibited in the dish. The more Jiang Feng chewed, the more shocked he became; how had he never noticed Zhang Guanghang¡¯s skill in making fried rice before? To be able to make such delicious pickled vegetable fried rice, this young man was truly not to be underestimated and could not be left unchecked. Then Jiang Feng scooped a spoonful of his own fried rice. Fragrant! Delicious! It was just as delicious as Zhang Guanghang¡¯s pickled vegetable fried rice. Equally matchless in taste, it did not conform to his usual level of fried rice. What was going on? Could it be that both of them possessed exceptional fried rice talents that just happened to manifest today? Thus, in silence, the two of them gazed at the fried rice before them, only their cheeks moving as they chewed. From afar, they seemed like a still image. ¡°Orchid¡¯s mom really makes exceptional pickles,¡± Zhang Guanghang eximed after a while.
    Orchid is Ji Yue¡¯s English name, meaning nhua¡± in Chinese. Such an English name, hardly resembling a typical name, objectively andprehensively reflects Ji Yue¡¯s level of English. Jiang Feng nodded in agreement, ¡°Right, truly exceptional.¡± The deliciousness of these two servings of pickled vegetable fried rice was entirely due to the superb pickling skills of Ji Yue¡¯s mom, no wonder Ji Yue had gained weight to 99.6 pounds after just a few days at home. This meal might just tip the scale over a hundred. Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang brought out the pickled vegetable fried rice. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the fried rice,¡± Jiang Feng said. Ji Yue had been starving at the mere scent of the fried rice. She hadn¡¯t felt hungry before because she hadn¡¯t smelled any food, but now that she caught the aroma of the pickled vegetable fried rice, she felt like a homeless person who hadn¡¯t eaten for three days, wanting to bite into anything she saw, almost opening up a jar of pickled garlic to snack on. ¡°This is the taste, the fried rice with my mom¡¯s pickles has this exact taste, my mom¡¯s pickles are so delicious!¡± Ji Yue sat down at the table, scooped up a full spoonful, and stuffed it into her mouth, squinting her eyes in bliss. ¡°Ah, the pickles my mom makes are really too delicious!¡± Wu Minqi: ??? Sister, have you forgotten what we wereparing just a few minutes ago? Wu Minqi picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and gulped it down. ¡°My God, your mom¡¯s pickles are really too delicious,¡± Wu Minqi eximed sincerely.
    Ji Xue, who had been mostly clueless throughout the event, also grabbed a spoon and took a scoop. ¡°Really, these pickles are definitely the best I¡¯ve ever eaten!¡± Ji Xue echoed in utter agreement. Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang also nodded, saying in unison, ¡°Ji Yue¡¯s mom¡¯s pickles are really delicious.¡± The winner of this Taifeng Building young chef¡¯s grandpetition is¡ª Ji Yue¡¯s mom! Let¡¯s give a round of apuse to Ji Yue¡¯s mom, who is at home, figuring out how to brew vinegar. Chapter 364: 363: Second Spring in Career Chapter 364: Chapter 363: Second Spring in Career In the end, everyone left with their hands full of pickles and sauces, even the pumpkin drygoods that Ji Yue repeatedly rmended not to use were portioned out into small bags for each to take home. ording to Ji Yue, though her mom¡¯s pumpkin drygoods may not taste the best, they were still quite enjoyable to chew on, and who knows, maybe someone with a unique pte might actually like them. Zhang Guanghang lived far away, so he left first. The Jiang Family Members who lived on the floor below, Jiang Feng simply took several trips to bring down the pickles and jams to distribute among his uncles. Dividing the goodies required some thought, like knowing that Mrs. Jiang and Aunt enjoyed having sour string beans with their steamed buns, so they got a little extra of that. Having been nurtured by Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s equally superb pickling skills over the years, Mr. Jiang Jiankang surely couldn¡¯t be satisfied with ordinary Shanghai green and pao cai, but Ji Yue¡¯s mom¡¯s cabbage pickle that just received unanimous praise from everyone would definitely win his heart. Although Ji Yue had only allotted three jars to Jiang Feng, after all, Mr. Jiang Jiankang was his own father, a whole jar of pickles for him was a given. The great-aunt was hopelessly addicted to her dieting and probably had little interest in pickles, but Jiang Feng knew she loved jam. Fruit is healthy food, and apples are dieting treasures, so logically, eating apple jam shouldn¡¯t make one fat. On Jiang Feng¡¯s fourth trip to Ji Yue¡¯s home for pickles to deliver to Sir and Mrs. Jiang, Ji Yue chased him out the door with two jars of pickled chilies: ¡°Jiang Feng, you forgot the chilies. Doesn¡¯t your Granduncle Weiming like spicy food?¡± ¡°My granduncle is staying with my Uncle now, and Aunt has already returned to n City to monitor my cousins¡¯ studies. I¡¯ll get the chili next time,¡± Jiang Feng said. Seeing that Ji Yue had almost given away all the pickles and sauces without keeping much for herself, Ji Xue asked in surprise, ¡°Yue, don¡¯t you want to save some for yourself to eat?¡±
    ¡°I did save some, the ones left on the table are for the two of us,¡± Ji Yue pointed to a few jars on the dining table, ¡°My mom makes so much of these things every year, and she made even more this year when she had nothing to do at home. Most of our basement is filled with her pickle jars; it looks just like a pickle workshop. She said to bring some over for you guys to share, and if everyone likes them, she¡¯ll send more. Just tell her what you like, and she¡¯ll ship that, plenty of it!¡± she eximed. As she spoke, Ji Yue¡¯s gaze glued onto the jar containing pickled garlic and couldn¡¯t move away. ¡°Xue, how about we split a garlic clove?¡± Ji Yue offered with a smile, showing her craving for garlic. ¡°Garlic?¡± ¡°My grandma said, one clove of garlic a day, it¡¯s antibacterial and cleanses the intestines,¡± Ji Yue was already eager to try, ¡°Do you eat garlic? The vor of my grandma¡¯s pickled garlic is a bit strong.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Ji Xue was already won over by Ji Yue¡¯s family¡¯s various pickles. Ji Yue twisted open the jar and used chopsticks to fish out a clove of garlic that was thoroughly stained with vinegar. Instantly, the entire room was filled with the scent of garlic. Ji Yue started skillfully peeling the garlic, handed half to Ji Xue, and then popped a peeled clove in her mouth. She bit down. Spicy, hot, sour, pungent. Refreshing! ¡°Ah,¡± Ji Yue let out a sigh of contentment as she sat on the chair. Following Ji Yue¡¯s example, Ji Xue also put a clove of garlic in her mouth and bit down, butcking Ji Yue¡¯s expertise in eating garlic, she was almost brought to tears by the rampaging spiciness in her mouth. But soon enough, Ji Xue adapted and became immersed in the sea of pickled garlic. ¡°Ah,¡± Ji Xue issued the same exmation while sitting in her chair. When Jiang Feng came in again, he saw two human-sized cloves of garlic sitting by the dining table. ¡°You¡¯re eating garlic?¡± Jiang Feng was astonished; this was some kind of night-time ritual that felt like a cult meeting. ¡°Want to try a couple of cloves?¡± Ji Yue invited.
    Jiang Feng¡¯s gaze shifted to the visually appealing pickled garlic on the dining table, and he was tempted. A few secondster, a new clove of garlic appeared on the chair. Jiang Feng, infatuated with eating garlic, no longer wanted to deliver the pickled vegetables and decided to keep Uncle Five and Granduncle Weiming waiting a bit longer; for now, he just wanted to sit quietly on the chair, pretend to be a clove of garlic, and have a chat with the other two cloves of garlic. ¡°Ji Yue, is your family¡¯s pickling craftsmanship handed down from your ancestors, or did your mom learn it on her own, or maybe your grandma taught your mom?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously.
    Pickling techniques are usually passed from mother to daughter, like Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s pickling skills were taught by Jiang Feng¡¯s grandmother, hand by hand. ¡°The pickles my mom makes and the ones my grandma makes are different. My mom¡¯s picklese from my maternal grandmother¡¯s side, and my grandma¡¯se from my hometown. Back then, our ce was famous for pickling. I remember when I was young and visited my grandma¡¯s house, there were pickling workshops everywhere. Both my uncles used to be in the pickle business,¡± Ji Yue reminisced happily, recalling his childhood, ¡°When my grandma was still making pickles, she used to make them by the dozens, if not hundreds of jars. We ate them at home and sold the rest if there were too many.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ And you said your family never sold pickles before. ¡°What happenedter?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Later on, my grandma got older and stopped making them, and my uncles also stopped the pickle business to join my dad in the clothing wholesale. But I remember my mom telling me that it wasn¡¯t that my uncles didn¡¯t want to continue the pickle business, it¡¯s just that it became harder to make a living from it. Although our pickles and preserved vegetables were famous, they were made in small workshops or at home, with norge factories. How could the small workshops¡¯ hand-made productspete with those mass-produced by big factories? Besides, people found it hard to trust products from a small workshop. My uncles struggled for a few years but eventually, they had to switch to the clothing business with my dad,¡± Ji Yue said, squinting her eyes. ¡°How about now?¡± Jiang Feng pressed. ¡°Now? Last year my dad almost went bankrupt, and my uncles were in a simr situation. My eldest aunt t out divorced my uncle, and now all three of them are out doing business. My second aunt is probably making pickles with my mom, as she also enjoys it. I heard, just heard, thatst year my second uncle¡¯s situation was even worse than ours, to the point of selling their house. They rely entirely on what my second aunt makes from selling pickles for their rent money,¡± Ji Yue exined. ¡°Just how many pickles did your family make?¡± Jiang Feng was shocked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how many pickles my second aunt made, but after hearing about my second aunt¡¯s pickle-selling feats, my mom got worried, fearing that my dad might go bankrupt again and we might have to sell our house. So she specially made a huge batch of pickles and learned to make all kinds of jams and sauces, all as a precaution,¡± Ji Yue said. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°I¡¯m not blowing smoke, but when my dad¡¯s clothing wholesale business was at its peak, half the province¡¯s clothing distribution went through him. Anyone in our province in the clothing business has eaten my mom¡¯s pickles. Come wintertime, our house was bustling, almost like a pickle distribution market,¡± Ji Yue imed. Jiang Feng: ¡­
    ¡°So, how is your dad¡¯s business doing now?¡± Ji Xue asked with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, it should be alright, I guess. If it weren¡¯t, my mom and second aunt would probably be out selling pickles together by now,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°But what about all those pickles your mom made before?¡± Ji Xue incisively inquired. ¡°Don¡¯t know, she probably gives them away; she didn¡¯t tell me,¡± Ji Yue pondered. Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes lit up as an idea dawned on him. ¡°How about¡­ we discuss with your mom about selling the pickles to our Taifeng Building?¡± Jiang Feng revealed a capitalist¡¯s smile. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ji Xue, tell me honestly, wouldn¡¯t the pickle fried rice we had tonight be good enough for our menu?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It¡¯s good enough,¡± Ji Xue affirmed, ¡°It¡¯s much tastier than the poorly-selling Yangzhou fried rice at our restaurant.¡± ¡°Right, we already have some supply channels for our restaurant, and delivery is definitely not a problem. Your family¡¯s pickles are great, whether for making fried rice, stir-fried shoots, stir-fried meat, or as side dishes on their own,¡± Jiang Feng pped his hands, ¡°What do you say? You talk to your mom, I¡¯ll talk to mine, and we could have an answer by tomorrow.¡± Ji Yue: ??? Is my mom¡¯s business about to experience a second spring? Is my family destined to sell pickles?
    Chapter 365: 364: Inspired Wontons Chapter 365: Chapter 364: Inspired Wontons Early the next morning, Jiang Feng went downstairs to discuss with Mrs. Wang Xiulian the possibility of introducing Ji Yue¡¯s mom¡¯s pickled vegetables into Taifeng Building¡¯s menu. He arrived just in time for the meal hour. Mr. Jiang Jiankang was using some leftover rice¡ªit must have been from the previous night, as Jiang Feng had mentioned the pickled vegetables being particrly tasty with fried rice¡ªso he probably cooked it up on the spot. Mrs. Wang Xiulian had already started nibbling on a corn cob at the table. Seeing Jiang Feng arrive, Mrs. Wang Xiulian put down the corn: ¡°Son, what brings you here so early?¡± ¡°Mom,st night I discussed with Ji Yue, and now I want to talk to you about whether we can add her mom¡¯s pickled vegetables to our restaurant¡¯s supply list,¡± Jiang Feng got straight to the point. Mrs. Wang Xiulian waved her hand dismissively and nced towards the kitchen: ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we eat.¡± It wasn¡¯t two minutes before the pickled vegetable fried rice was ready. In the matter of frying rice, thebined skills of Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang couldn¡¯t match up to the over 20 years of experience Mr. Jiang Jiankang had in running a healthy snack business; he had fried more rice than Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi had eatenbined. Mr. Jiang Jiankang brought arge bowl of fried rice to the table. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva.
    In preparing the fried rice, Mr. Jiang Jiankang didn¡¯t just add pickled vegetables but also added shrimp and shredded meat. Just on the surface alone, Jiang Feng saw no fewer than seven shrimp, and the shredded meat and pickled vegetables mingled together under the rice, sending out an irresistible aroma. ¡°Son, have you eaten yet? If not, join us. Your mom has been on a diettely and isn¡¯t eating much for breakfast,¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang said. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet,¡± Jiang Feng replied. Jiang Feng deeply felt that Mr. Jiang Jiankang was just outrageous, frying such sinfully delicious rice while knowing Mrs. Wang Xiulian was on a diet! As their son, he just couldn¡¯t stand by and watch! Jiang Feng decided to lead by example, willingly ying the dutiful son, and resolved to help Mrs. Wang Xiulian finish the fried rice. Not only did he eat, but he also called Wu Minqi down to join them. The more they, as the younger generation, ate, the less Mrs. Wang Xiulian would have to eat. The less she ate, the less weight she would gain. Such a moving disy of mother-son affection. A pot of fried rice filled the stomachs of four people. Without any further ado, Mrs. Wang Xiulian went straight past Jiang Feng to ask Ji Yue for her mom¡¯s WeChat and phone number, proving with actions the old adage that children should not meddle in adults¡¯ affairs. Although having such a rich breakfast of fried rice early in the morning did feel somewhat greasy, high in calories, and not quite healthy, the perfect fusion of meat, pickled vegetables, and rice grains lingered in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind, even as he walked to work with Wu Minqi. ¡°Qiqi, how about we cook some extra rice tonight, so we can have fried rice for breakfast tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. Wu Minqi was tempted, but she quickly hesitated, remembering the weight she had secretly checked after Jiang Feng left home that morning. ¡°I don¡¯t really like to eat in the morning. You go ahead,¡± said Wu Minqi. Jiang Feng: ? Since when has Minqi had this habit? How had I never noticed before? ¡°Then forget it. Let¡¯s bring the pickled vegetables to the store tomorrow and try frying them withrd residue to see how it tastes,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Okay,¡± Wu Minqi nodded, her mind already entertaining other ideas. It was time to inquire about that gym Mrs. Wang often visited. ¡­
    Today was Ji Yue¡¯s exhausting first day back at work, and nothing eventful happened. The next day, Jiang Feng brought half a jar of pickled vegetables to Taifeng Building, ready to make a dish of pickled vegetables stir-fried withrd residue after the lunch service to see just how versatile Ji Yue¡¯s mom¡¯s pickled vegetables really were. The introduction of the pickled vegetables progressed swiftly. If this had been two years ago, Ji Yue¡¯s mom wouldn¡¯t have even considered selling pickled vegetables as too minor a business. But times had changed, and Ji Yue¡¯s mom had even prepared to set up a stall with her sister-inw to sell pickled vegetables. Suddenly, she received an offer with a fair price,rge and stable demand, and instantly agreed to it. Mrs. Wang Xiulian took charge of the negotiation regarding the price and supply volume with Ji Yue¡¯s mom, and Ji Yue¡¯s aunt by marriage handled the paperwork and transportation issues. After all, Ji Yue¡¯s two uncles had been in the pickled vegetable business before, and her aunt by marriage had traveled far and wide peddling pickled vegetables, so she was quite experienced in this field.
    Unlike Jiang Feng, who only thought of using the pickled vegetables for fried rice, the professional merchant Mrs. Wang Xiulian had various methods and business ideas for the pickled vegetables in mind as soon as she tasted the fried rice. Not limited to stir-frying, she nned to offer the pickled vegetables as a deluxe VIP membership gift in September, giving each member a small jar. By October, she intended to begin selling the pickled vegetables in limited daily quantities, evidently aiming to expand the business extensively. But these were not matters Jiang Feng needed to worry about. What he was concerned about was the fact that the kitchen seemed to have run out ofrd residue. Would he really have to stay behind in the kitchen in the middle of the day to renderrd residue just for a dish of pickled vegetables? Jiang Feng fell into deep thought. ¡°Feng, I need three orders of the pure meat wontons. No, make it three,¡± a staff member of the indefinable Taifeng Building kitchen called out near the distribution area. ¡°Got it.¡± The daily battle between the pure meat wontons and the Sweet and Sour Yam for lunchtime supremacy was about to start again, but today was a little different. Hu Li had been watching closely for many days and finally spotted at table A11 a customer who had ordered the pure meat wontons before and hade to order them again today. She hurried to the pass-through window at the serving station. The kitchen had only two points of external ess besides the door: the area where cold dishes were prepared and the pass-through window. ¡°Tang Tang, could you please inform the young boss about the customer he asked me to keep an eye on? They are at table A11 right now,¡± Hu Li said, knowing full well that non-essential personnel weren¡¯t allowed to enter the kitchen during operating hours, especially now. ¡°Sure, just give me a second,¡± said Tang Tang, setting down her knife to fetch someone. Hu Li then waited beside the kitchen door. In less than two minutes, Jiang Feng came out.
    ¡°` ¡°Are you sure you saw the customer who ordered the all-meat wontons before?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Positive, at table A11. Two guys came together, and it was him who ordered the all-meat wontonsst time too. He was wearing ck-rimmed sses, had single eyelids, naturally curly hair, a white shirt with ck trim, and ck capri pants. His skin is very pale, and he looks somewhat decadent,¡± Hu Li said. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Girl, you really should be working in intelligence with those observation skills. ¡°Hu Li, could you please help me keep him here? Any reason will do. Or you could just tell him I¡¯m doing some research stats and offer him a drink or a side dish on the house. Have hime to find me after his meal,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Sure thing, boss. Don¡¯t worry, consider it done,¡± Hu Li agreed without hesitation. About half an hourter, Hu Li came to find Jiang Feng again. Jiang Feng entrusted the remaining dishes to Mr. Jiang Jiankang to fry on his behalf, and the prices on the ordering system were higher with Mr. Jiang Jiankang, so the customers were at no loss. Jiang Feng walked to the ordering tablet and pressed the button to pause work next to his name, then went to the lobby in his Taifeng Building kitchen uniform. A chef from the kitchen suddenly showing up in the lobby was not an umon sight at Taifeng Building. The customers had grown used to it, as both Sirs often came out to cool off and enjoy the bustling scene in the lobby. Jiang Feng approached table A11 and quickly identified the customer Hu Li had described. ¡°Hello,¡± Jiang Feng greeted him proactively. ¡°I assume our staff has informed you about the situation?¡±
    ¡°Yes, yes, have a seat,¡± said the customer, who looked as worn-out as someone who had been through several consecutive days of overtime. His eyes were slightly red, as if from prior crying that had not yet fully subsided, but he seemed somewhat excited, ¡°that waitress already told me. I didn¡¯t expect cooking could be so tough that even the good sales of a dish could be questioned. It¡¯s true, it¡¯s not easy in any profession these days.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ What on earth did Hu Li tell him¡­ ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not all that bad,¡± Jiang Feng sat down, ¡°This time, I mainly wanted to ask you a few questions about the dish.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± the young customer seemed eager. ¡°So, how many times have you ordered the all-meat wontons?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°Three times,¡± the young customer replied. ¡°Could you tell me why you ordered that dish? After all, the taste of that dish is¡­ a bit¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I know, you mean it tastes bad, right?¡± The customer¡¯s eyes lit up as he spoke, ¡°Master Jiang, you may not realize, but that dish of yours, although it doesn¡¯t taste that great, is actually very useful.¡± ¡°Useful?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, I forgot you wouldn¡¯t know. Let me start from the beginning,¡± he said. ¡°The thing is, I¡¯m an art student, and I stayed at the school over the summer to prepare for apetition. Our instructor greatly appreciates theic you posted on Taifeng Building¡¯s official blog, particrly the close-up of the wontons, which he described as the soul of the entireic. He even shared it in ourpetition group chat.¡± ¡°We have a senior who is a Master¡¯s student mentored by this professor. He became curious after hearing that your restaurant actually sells these wontons, so he came to have a taste.¡±
    ¡°And then?¡± Jiang Feng pressed. ¡°And then he found, as expected, it tasted awful.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? The young customer realized his slip-up and quickly tried to rectify, ¡°No, I mean, even though the wontons taste bad, they inspired our senior. He had been stuck on a painting for an exhibition without any inspiration for a long time, but after eating your restaurant¡¯s wontons, suddenly he found his muse and went back to lock himself in to paint. He hasn¡¯t evene out of his dorm room yet.¡± ¡°So you guys¡­¡± The young customerughed sheepishly, ¡°It¡¯s just one of those things, you know. Inspiration isn¡¯t something you can just summon on demand. It¡¯s better to believe it could help, even if it doesn¡¯t bring inspiration, than to not believe at all. Even if I didn¡¯t find inspiration, having feelings is still good, so we just¡­ But Master Jiang, your wontons are really something. I didn¡¯t feel much the first time, but after the second time, I really started to feel something. It¡¯s all thanks to you. I feel like my painting will stand out in our academy¡¯spetition!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ The first time he tried the dish, he cried once. Now he¡¯sing back for a second cry in search of inspiration. You artists are truly terrifying. ¡°Congrattions, congrattions! What are you painting for thepetition, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Jiang Feng inquired casually. ¡°Destruction.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng could only cover his embarrassment with a dryugh, now fully aware of the reason behind the sudden poprity of the all-meat wontons. It was just a group of art students trying to find their painting inspiration through superstitions, akin to the belief in jinxes like wearing a Conan O¡¯Brien pin or not, and, astonishingly, it worked for a few of them. Indeed, the price of sess is steep. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ve asked everything I wanted to ask,¡± Jiang Feng stood up. ¡°No problem at all,¡± the young customer replied eagerly, somewhat restrained as he spoke the words he¡¯d longed to say, ¡°Um, Master Jiang, would it be okay¡­ to shake your hand? My left hand, please. I¡¯m a lefty.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I should finish my painting within a week, all thanks to your wontons. I want to shake your hand, maybe get¡­ some more inspiration,¡± the customer¡¯s excitement mirrored that of a fan at an idol¡¯s handshake event. Jiang Feng: ??? What¡¯s with you artists¡­? ¡°` Chapter 366: 365 Cultural Deficit Chapter 366: Chapter 365 Cultural Deficit ¡°` August 27th was the day all the Taifeng Building staff eagerly anticipated¡­ Pah, the test-tasting day. It was an important day when everyone only needed to work half a day yet enjoyed a full day¡¯s pay, urring just once a month. It was also the day Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, Ji Yue, and Zhang Guanghang agreed to go to an art exhibition. It would be Jiang Feng¡¯s first time experiencing what seemed like the highbrow activity of attending an art exhibition, which filled him with a bit of excitement. Since opening over a month ago, Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen had not seen much change. In contrast, there were more personnel changes in the lobby. Mrs. Wang Xiulian took the test-tasting day as an opportunity to announce thetest staff changes in the lobby. Hence, she entrusted Fan Mei with the once significant task of announcing changes in the dish prices. August was destined to be an extraordinary month because the sales of Jiang Feng¡¯s special dishes finally saw a leap in growth after mid-August. The sales of many dishes jumped from zero to single or even double digits, with a very stable customer base. Take Han Guishan for example. He came to eat at Taifeng Building at least five days a week, more punctual than clocking in for work, and always ordered the pickled vegetable dumplings. Mr. Han single-handedly propped up half the sky when it came to the sales of pickled vegetable dumplings. He almost wished to make them his staple food, with the VIP room servers often witnessing Han Youxin¡¯s face turning green upon serving the dish. After all, for a child his age, a pickled vegetable dumpling usually meant there was no room for anything else.
    Li Hongzhang hodgepodge also garnered a loyal consumer group. Due to therge portion size, Jiang Feng heard that the regrs of Li Hongzhang hodgepodge formed a group. They were all office workers under the 996 working system who gathered to eat at Taifeng Building on weekends. Concerned that a table of people crying might affect others, they even reserved private rooms, which was very considerate for the restaurant. Inparison, the sales of the ¡°Romance Package¡± meals were left more to fate, especially since thebination of cabbage-wrapped chicken and chopped chili fish head seemed inexplicable to most. As the sales of Jiang Feng¡¯s special dishes steadily increased, the business-savvy Mrs. Wang Xiulian seized the moment to cancel the discounts on these dishes. Meanwhile, she also took off the menu two dishes by Taifeng¡¯s foundational chef, Zhou Shi, which had salesparable to the ¡°Romance Package¡± meals. If Zhou Shi continues to underperform, it¡¯s only a matter of time until the arrival of a new chef could mean his permanent dismissal from Taifeng Building. With no new dishes in preparation, the kitchen staff finished even earlier than the lobby workers. As Mrs. Wang Xiulian was delivering an important speech to the lobby staff, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Jiang Feng and the others to disturb her, so they sat in a corner waiting for Ji Yue. Wu Minqi had pre-booked tickets for 2:00 P.M., with the art exhibitionsting until 6:00 P.M. Wu Minqi and Ji Yue originally nned to visit the exhibition until 5:00 P.M. and then head home to catch the 7:00 P.M. fried rice made by Jiang Jiankang. Although the pickled vegetable deal hadn¡¯t been fully negotiated and Xiulian¡¯s sister-inw hadn¡¯tpleted all the formalities, Mr. Jiang Jiankang was already scheduling hundreds of ways to make pickled vegetable fried rice. Supporting his research, Ji Yue¡¯s mom even sent a batch of pickles a few days before. So far, popr types of pickled vegetable fried rice included diced meat, shrimp, mixed veggies, cabbage, beef, and even a nd, sea, and air¡± variety. Mr. Jiang Jiankang, deeply engrossed in researching pickled vegetable fried rice recipes ofte, had even developed outrageous versions like cauliflower, Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, and spicy strip pickled vegetable fried rice. Eating them was usually a mix of pain and pleasure. Because before it was served, one could never be sure if they were about to encounter a culinary abomination or a mouthwatering delicacy. Given Taifeng Building¡¯s proximity to home, the Jiang family had beening directly to the restaurant to dine these past few days. Mrs. Jiang usually had a dance or mahjong game with Chen Suhua in the evening and woulde early to eat. Afterward, she¡¯d take two portions to go for Chen Suhua and Professor Li. Today was different however, because everyone was off work. With not enough dining space in the Beiping residence, and since moving up and downstairs was convenient, it was decided that tonight¡¯s fried rice would be consumed in batches. Those at home would eat first, followed by those out and about, and Jiang Zaidi, returning from overtime work, could enjoy the special treatment of being thest to dine alone. Jiang Shoucheng was out of luck. Until he found a girlfriend, his diet was limited to nd yet motherly-made health meals prepared by his own mom. Jiang Feng thought that once his aunt was done with her own diet and suddenly realized her son still didn¡¯t have a girlfriend, that¡¯s when Jiang Zaidi would get to experience this kind of life. After waiting for over ten minutes in their small corner, Wang Xiulian dered the meeting over. By the time Ji Yue changed back into her clothes and they were ready to head to the gallery, Jiang Feng felt his pocket and realized he left his keys in the locker room. He let the other three wait, telling them he¡¯d go retrieve the keys. The men¡¯s and women¡¯s changing rooms at Taifeng Building were adjacent. After Jiang Feng got his keys, he was about to push the door to leave when it opened half way, and he overheard the conversation from outside. ¡°I thought with all her secrecy these days, trying to brownnose the little boss, she¡¯d have pulled off something impressive. Bute the month¡¯s end, she¡¯s still stuck in Area A, barely passing her probation, just like us.¡± ¡°You mean she¡¯s not even pretty with makeup, where else could she be but Area A?¡±
    ¡°I actually thought she¡¯d skyrocket to the upstairs VIP rooms. Seems fawning over the little boss didn¡¯t get her anywhere.¡± ¡°The little boss doesn¡¯t care about us in the lobby, what¡¯s the point of cozying up to him? Qi Rou is the real smart one. Barely a few days into the job and she hooks up with Supervisor Ji,nding a greeter¡¯s role that¡¯s easier and pays more than ours. Enough about them. Do you guys have any ns for the afternoon? I know there¡¯s a cosmetics section in a mall running a promotion, 40% off, you know¡­¡± ¡°` Jiang Feng, who had been hesitating behind the door and didn¡¯t dare toe out: ¡­
    It turns out that what is depicted in TV dramas is actually true; the most widespread gossip in the workce really does take ce in the women¡¯s restroom and locker room. At this moment, Jiang Feng even felt a bit of regret. Why didn¡¯t you guys gossip about me? As Taifeng Building¡¯s mascot and owner, he asionally wanted to hear his employees¡¯ genuine opinions and inner thoughts about himself. To hear how the employees praised him behind his back. With that regret, Jiang Feng and everyone else went to the art museum where the exhibition was held. The art museum was some distance from Taifeng Building; they had to change subway lines twice. Jiang Feng and his group left after 1 PM and arrived near the museum at 2:30 PM. Since it wasn¡¯t the weekend, there weren¡¯t many viewers at the exhibition, and therge venue seemed somewhat deserted. Besides Jiang Feng¡¯s party of four, there was only one other visitor at the entrance; probably inside, there weren¡¯t many people either. It was only after Jiang Feng read the personal introduction and summary of works of the emerging Italian artist holding the exhibition that he realized there were only 17 paintings on disy today. Seventeen paintings; unless the venue wasrge enough, Jiang Feng was confident he could finish today¡¯s visit in under 10 minutes. Speaking of which, the only foreign artists he knew by name were Da Vinci, Picasso, and Van Gogh. Up until the day before yesterday, when he looked it up, he still thought ¡°The Scream¡± was painted by Van Gogh. Wait a second, who painted ¡°The Scream¡± again? After Jiang Feng briefly toured the entire venue and, with hispletely amateurish eye, finished appreciating the 17 paintings, just over 20 minutes had passed. It could only be said that the art museum wasrger than Jiang Feng had anticipated. Then Jiang Feng was surprised to find that Wu Minqi¡¯s way of viewing the exhibition was simr to his, only that Wu Minqi walked slower and would stop for a few minutes in front of the paintings she liked, but she wouldn¡¯t linger for more than two or three minutes. So, by the time Jiang Feng had finished touring the venue, Wu Minqi was only looking at the 11th painting. Ji Yue¡¯s way of viewing the exhibition was quite distinctive; she would skim some paintings with a nce and stop in front of others, staring nkly as she did so.
    Among the four of them, it turned out that only Zhang Guanghang seemed to be genuinely here to view the exhibition. So, after half an hour, the outing of the four had be¡ªJi Yue and Zhang Guanghang watching the exhibition, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi watching them watch the exhibition. As Jiang Feng watched, he noticed that Ji Yue initially was looking at the paintings, but a few seconds before she started to space out, her eyes were fixed on the price tags below the paintings. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t noticed the prices of the paintings before and was stunned the moment he nced at them. 900000. Jiang Feng and Ji Yue stared together at the row of zeros and fell into contemtion. ¡°Ji Yue, what¡¯s the highest price you¡¯ve sold a painting for?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°2700.¡± Ji Yue¡¯s gaze lingered on the string of zeros. Indeed, the difference between a painter and aic artist isn¡¯t just a single word; disregard Ji Yue, a pseudoic artist who is two words off, they are separated by several zeros before the decimal point. The two continued to stare at the zeros and fell into contemtion. Wu Minqi noticed the two of them actually staring at the same painting and spacing out. Curious, she walked up and also saw the price tag. The three of them together stared at the zeros and fell into contemtion. ¡°Qiqi, does your family buy paintings?¡± Jiang Feng started to consider the specifics of raising his future children, one to learn cooking and another to learn painting. ¡°My grandfather bought a painting by Qi Baishi a few years ago, but it waster appraised as a fake,¡± Wu Minqi said.
    ¡°My dad once bought a painting by Tang Bohu, which also turned out to be a fake after appraisal,¡± Ji Yue replied, turning her head to lock eyes with Wu Minqi. Sisters, both our families have suffered a loss in the name of culture. Chapter 367: 366 Undermining Chapter 367: Chapter 366 Undermining ¡°` Even Zhang Guanghang, the only one among the four who hade specifically to see the art exhibition, finished his ¡°battle¡± within an hour and a half. When they left the gallery, Jiang Feng nced at his watch, it was only 4:21 pm, 39 minutes earlier than the scheduled end time. Should he call and consult Mr. Jiang Jiankang to see if, in light of his status as a dutiful son, they could move their fried rice dinner up a bit? After all, they were a slim bunch and wouldn¡¯t take up much space. Jiang Feng took out his phone. Wu Minqi and Ji Yue led them into a beautifully decorated dessert shop near the gallery. Jiang Feng: ??? Dessert shop??? The two maneuvered into the store with ease and found a four-person table by the wall. The lighting was soft and the angle just right; it was an excellent spot for selfies, and you could tell they were regr patrons of this ce. ¡°Would you like something to eat? Their ck Forest cake, yellow peach tart, and in pudding are all very well made. As for drinks, I rmend sparkling water,¡± Ji Yue began to rmend desserts to Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang.
    ¡°I think their sugar-freette is also quite good,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°A sugar-freette has no soul,¡± Ji Yue countered. ¡°Coffee with sugar has no soul,¡± Wu Minqi defended her preference. ¡°Atte is different!¡± ¡°All coffee is the same!¡± Jiang Feng & Zhang Guanghang: ¡­ ¡°I want a sugar-freette,¡± Jiang Feng dered. ¡°I¡¯ll have a half-sugartte,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. Wu Minqi and Ji Yue instantly returned to being the close sisters who hand-in-hand shared desserts and put on weight together. Compared to the deserted gallery, the dessert shop was faring much better. Even though Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t fathom why such a spacious, well-decorated dessert shop would be located next to a gallery, after tasting the ck Forest cake ordered by Wu Minqi, he immediately understood why the two had made a special trip for these treats. The vor was excellent ¨C not only perfect for photos with its delicate size and appearance, but the cream and cake were also matched just right. It melted in the mouth like half-dissolved marshmallow, and he found on his second bite that despite seeming to dissolve with a light touch of the tongue against the teeth, it actually had a nice sticity. The first time he tried it, he couldn¡¯t help but let the cake slide down his throat towards his stomach, and as the sweet-toothed son of Mr. Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Feng¡¯s hidden trait was the asional indulgence in dainty sweets that didn¡¯t fit his tough-guy persona. This dessert shop would definitely make it onto the list! Jiang Feng mentally noted the shop¡¯s name. Next time Qiqi wanted desserts, there was no need to trouble Ji Yue to apany her, as he was Qiqi¡¯s boyfriend. It was better to let him take on this arduous task. At 4:56 pm, after finishing their desserts, the four left the shop to head to the subway station, ready to catch a ride home. Wu Minqi¡¯s nned itinerary had been executed perfectly. Zhang Guanghang, who had specially opted to travel by subway to work this morning in anticipation of the gallery visit, signifying that he would have to ride the subway back home after eating pickled vegetable fried rice, didn¡¯t let the hassle deter him from his pickled vegetable fried rice resolve. Once tasted, the allure of the pickled vegetable fried rice is irresistible to anyone. Not to mention that Mr. Jiang Jiankang was preparing his signaturend-sea-air pickled vegetable fried rice tonight, the best pickled vegetable fried rice he had made thus far, a perfect representation of his two decades of fried rice culinary skills. After more than an hour on the subway, it was their fixed time for casual conversation.
    Jiang Feng, Ji Yue, and Wu Minqi were discussing several hit series from the summer season, with Zhang Guanghang standing beside them pretending to understand the conversation, unable to get a word in. As for Zhang, whosest impression of domestic dramas was from a decade ago, he had no chance of keeping up with the times. As they talked, Jiang Feng suddenly thought of a serious question. ¡°Is Ji Xue joining us for dinner tonight?¡± he asked.
    ¡°Xue? She said she¡¯d just make noodles at home. Her stomach hasn¡¯t been feeling well; eating fried rice every day recently has given her a bit of a stomachache, so she needs a couple days to eat some noodle dishes,¡± Ji Yue responded, then she seemed to remember something too, ¡°Is your kitchen starting to recruit openly in early September?¡± ¡°Open recruitment?¡± the three from the kitchen echoed in unison. ¡°` ¡°You don¡¯t know? Didn¡¯t Mrs. Wang tell you?¡± Ji Yue was somewhat surprised. Jiang Feng thought to himself, how could my mom possibly tell me anything if she had something on her mind? When she and my dad bought that prime piece of real estate near UAL University without uttering a word to me, they never mentioned a thing. ¡°Why the sudden public recruitment? Is the lobby staff beingid off?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Ji Yue nodded, ¡°Fan and Mrs. Wang are nning toy off all the staff who haven¡¯t been made permanent this month.¡± ¡°How many?¡± Wu Minqi asked, somewhat curious. ¡°Around ten, quite a few. They¡¯re either not capable enough or have made mistakes at work, the one who answered the phones is also on the list,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Why suddenlyy off so many people?¡± Zhang Guanghang, who was a bit more knowledgeable about restaurant management than Jiang Feng, asked, ¡°Did something happen? Is there a cash flow problem?¡± Given Taifeng Building¡¯s daily turnover, it didn¡¯t look like it could possibly be running at a loss; if Taifeng Building was losing money, then Eight-treasure House would¡¯ve probably gone bankrupt long ago, relying on selling property just to pay debts. ¡°I also find it very strange, because at first, Mrs. Wang clearly said that those who didn¡¯t pass the probation period in the first month could stay another month for observation. Now suddenly it¡¯s gotten this strict; I¡¯m not sure what the specific reasons are. But I heard that Fan is persuading her former colleagues from the restaurant she worked at in Magic City to switch over to our ce. Since Fan is personally poaching people, there must be something happening. Moreover, I¡¯ve heard from sisters at other restaurants that a lot of the old establishments in Beiping are contacting renovationpanies to redecorate; there seems to be a lot of action recently,¡± Ji Yue articted her analysis very clearly. After hearing Ji Yue¡¯s exnation, Jiang Feng suddenly remembered something he hadn¡¯t paid attention to before. A few days ago, Ling Guangzhao personally went out of town to poach a somewhat famous chef for Eight-treasure House. Ling Guangzhao frequently attempting to poach talents had bemonce, and his efforts usually ended in failure.
    The reason why Ling Guangzhao¡¯stest poaching effort caught Jiang Feng¡¯s attention was that he had traveled by ne to meet the chef in person, and it was rumored that he made an offer that was way above the market rate, making the poaching so smoothly sessful. Ling Guangzhao suddenly offering a high price to poach a chef, many long-standing restaurants in Beiping preparing for renovations simultaneously, Taifeng Building urgently needing to inject fresh blood throughyoffs. This series of events made a certain idiom sh through Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. Before the troops move, the grain and grass go first. Could it be that something big was about to ur in Beiping¡¯s catering industry? This felt like the rhythm of an impending war. Was it because Taifeng Building¡¯s business had be increasingly prosperous since its opening, causing the once ¡°Five Emperors¡±¡ªEight-treasure House, Tongde House, Yonghe House, Ruyi House, and Shunhe Building¡ªto be vignt and wanting to act first to end the conflict for supremacy among the six, dominate the industry in Beiping, andplete the legacy no one before had achieved? Or was it possible that Ling Guangzhao had been ying possum all these years, using the fa?ade of poaching talent everywhere to actually recruit and discover talents? The chef he poached could be the legendary ¡®Little Chinese Chef¡¯ level of master chef that rarely makes public appearances, and other restaurants, sensing Ling Guangzhao¡¯s schemes, decided to band together to counter the evil forces of Eight-treasure House. In just a few short seconds, Jiang Feng thought of many possibilities, the wilder and more fantastical they became, the more he even started adding various over-the-top battle effects in his mind. Come forth, master chef¡­ Cough cough. Jiang Feng admitted that this was entirely because he read too many fantasticalics in his youth. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi exchanged nces and then both looked towards Zhang Guanghang. He always had thetest information. If something big was happening in the world of chefs, he would certainly know about it.
    Zhang Guanghang, who had been too busy with his love lifetely to care about anything else: ¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± said Zhang Guanghang, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard about anything big happening recently.¡± ¡°Neither of you know? I thought you two might have heard something. Never mind, I¡¯ll ask my sister at Eight-treasure House,¡± Ji Yue took out her phone. Jiang Feng¡¯s look at Ji Yue immediately changed. ¡°You actually have a sister at Eight-treasure House?¡± Ji Gezi, your thoughts are really dangerous now, I suspect you of aiding the enemy. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very close with the supervisor over at Eight-treasure House. Us supervisors have our own group just like chefs do, and I ¡®like¡¯ my supervisor friend¡¯s posts in the friends¡¯ circle all the time,¡± Ji Yue imed, while she might not have money, she surely had plenty of friends. ¡°Even if Eight-treasure House¡¯s food isn¡¯t all that great, their service management is really good. I think when Eight-treasure House goes under one day, we could poach their supervisor,¡± Ji Yue said, ¡°She¡¯s a graduate from the Lausanne Hotel Management School in Switzend.¡± Jiang Feng: (?????) Ling Guangzhao, you never imagined, huh? You¡¯re always out there poaching others; now others have their eyes on your corner. ¡°Keep up the good work,¡± Jiang Feng patted Ji Yue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you manage to poach her, I¡¯ll talk to my mom about giving you a raise.¡± Chapter 368: 367: The Good Sisters Duo Chapter 368: Chapter 367: The Good Sisters Duo By the time Jiang Feng and the other three returned home, it was just the time Wu Minqi had estimated for eating stir-fried rice. Mrs. Wang Xiulian had already gone to the gym with the great-aunt, nning to burn off the sinful calories they had just consumed through healthy exercise. How much they managed to burn was not for outsiders to know. As soon as Jiang Feng and hispanions stepped into the living room, they were greeted by the aroma of stir-fried rice that filled the entire house. The central air conditioning was on, and the kitchen door was not fully closed, leaving a gap of about 10 centimeters. The mingling scents of the newly cooked and the already devoured ¡°seand-air¡± stir-fried rice danced around the living room, dining area, and even the bedrooms, intoxicating everyone with its fragrance. Shrimp, beef, minced pork, tuna, eggs, cabbage, and the familiar and beloved pickles¡ªthis was the recipe, this was the ¡°seand-air¡± stir-fried rice everyone loved! Jiang Feng¡¯s spirits were instantly lifted. The fatigue from constantly riding the subway vanished without a trace, as if he had been roused from a deathbed, he rushed into the kitchen and shouted loudly, ¡°Dad, I want a double portion of shrimp in mine!¡± ¡°Got it, just wait outside,¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang cheerfully responded while tossing the food in the wok, asionally rewarding himself with a spoonful of beef sauce. The beef sauce was Ji Yue¡¯s mom¡¯stest creation, made with a brand-new recipe; even Ji Yue hadn¡¯t tasted it beforehand. It was sent along with thest batch of pickles. Since Mrs. Wang Xiulian was not particrly fond of this vor of beef sauce, Mr. Jiang Jiankang boldly embezzled both jars of it, keeping to himself the fact that Ji Yue¡¯s mom had sent beef sauce as well. Ever since the pickle stir-fried rice became popr in the Jiang Family, Ji Yue¡¯s mom¡¯s status in everyone¡¯s heart was second only to the two elders, earning her thebel of being omnipotent. Even the universally acknowledged unptable dried pumpkin, which was advised against eating, ended up beingpletely consumed by the great-aunt, who leisurely nibbled on it like it was dried sweet potatoes during her free time.
    When Jiang Feng came out of the kitchen, Wu Minqi, Ji Yue, and Zhang Guanghang were already sitting in a row by the dining table. ¡°Fengfeng, has Mr. Jiang eaten yet?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°He definitely has; my dad wouldn¡¯t starve himself. Just now when I went in, I saw him eating some sauce. Hey, what kind of sauce was that? I don¡¯t seem to have seen it before. Wait, let me go back in and ask,¡± Jiang Feng said as he turned and re-entered the kitchen. In the brief minute it took for him to go in and out, Mr. Jiang Jiankang had already started eating the freshly made stir-fried rice. Among Sir¡¯s five sons, Mr. Jiang Jiankang was not the tallest, nor the most robust, and not even the one with the best natural talent for cooking, but he was unanimously recognized as the best at sneaking food. Starting from his culinary studies, Mr. Jiang Jiankang had instinctively mastered the skill of sneaking bites and continued to refine it through constant self-learning and practice. If Sir hadn¡¯t exaggerated when scolding his sons, Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s level of sneaking bites was already quite high when his cooking skills were stillcking. He also maintained a good self-assessment ability; before he took over the state-owned chef position from Sir, if he felt particrly good about his cooking, he couldn¡¯t help but sneak in a few bites. Often, he would be full and greasy-mouthed even before noon came around. But how could a chef¡¯s actions be called sneaking food? Taking one bite was to taste the vor; two bites were still to taste the vor, and so were the third and fourth bites. However, Mr. Jiang Jiankang differed from other chefs; while other chefs took small bites to taste, he took big bites. And with the capacity of his mouth, usually two bites could make half a dish disappear. No one knows how many beatings Mr. Jiang Jiankang endured before he overcame his habit of taking big bites while cooking. It¡¯s not urate to say hepletely stopped, but rather, he restrained himself while working in the state-owned restaurant. However, after Mr. Jiang Jiankang opened the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, he continued to love tasting the dishes. After all, with a te of stir-fried meat with peppers, as long as you put enough peppers on top and made the meat pieces visible enough, customers wouldn¡¯t notice how much meat there actually was. ¡°Dad, what kind of sauce were you eating just now? I don¡¯t recall seeing it before,¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°Sauce? What sauce? Oh, the one I just had, yeah, I bought some beef sauce from the supermarket at the door when I came back at noon. It smelled really nice, so I just wanted to taste it to try making beef sauce fried rice tomorrow.¡± Jiang Jiankang started ying dumb and swiftly served out the fried rice from the wok into arge te, handing it to Jiang Feng. ¡°Son, take this out and have some to fill your stomach first, I¡¯m going to fry you a double portion of shrimp now.¡± Jiang Feng left without suspicion, carrying the fried rice away. As he was closing the kitchen door, Jiang Feng thought to himself that he didn¡¯t expect the beef sauce sold at the supermarket downstairs to smell so good; he decided to buy a jar to try it himself tomorrow. Jiang Feng expertly ced the extrarge portion of fried rice on the table with one hand, his movements skilled and his posture professional, just like when he used to work as a waiter at the Healthy Snack Bar and the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant. He was clearly an experienced hand. ¡°I saw my dad eating it when I just went in, and he must have had more than one spoonful, so this te of fried rice should taste pretty good. Let¡¯s eat it while it¡¯s hot,¡± Jiang Feng said. The other three people eagerly started eating. ¡°Ah, delicious!¡± Ji Yue expressed her satisfaction, even switching to English.
    ¡°Mm, ¤ª¤¤¤·¤¤ (delicious),¡± Zhang Guanghang said in Japanese, for some reason. Wu Minqi¡¯s chewing motion suddenly stopped as her brain quickly searched for ways to say delicious in variousnguages. Eventually, she chewed a couple more times and swallowed the mouthful of fried rice. ¡°The taste is quite good.¡± Jiang Feng: ???
    Jiang Feng was momentarily at a loss, not expecting that in this day and age, one couldn¡¯t even enjoy fried rice without knowing a few foreignnguages or dialects. He held his spoon but didn¡¯t dare to reach out; for a moment, he almost regretted not learning a few local phrases from Mrs. Jiang when he was young. Suddenly, Jiang Feng had a brainwave, stretched out his spoon, and took a hearty bite of the fried rice, which included a shiny shrimp. Into his mouth it went, he chewed, then swallowed. ¡°Taste good!¡± Quickly, therge te of fried rice was divided up and polished off by the four people. Any experienced eater knows that with staple foods like noodles, rice, and the like¡ªif they are particrly tasty and you eat to your heart¡¯s content, you¡¯ll feel very satisfied, and you might even feel like it wasn¡¯t all that special due to the fullness. But if there isn¡¯t enough, just enough to fill your belly, making you feel like you¡¯ve only just tasted it and it¡¯s gone, it can leave you wanting more, even bing an unforgettable memory. Right now, the four people, including Jiang Feng, were probably in such an irresistible state. So it goes to show, you shouldn¡¯t eat too much. The next serving of fried rice was still in the wok, so Jiang Feng and the other three could only sit and wait at the dining table, like four chicks eagerly chirping for food. ¡°Do we really not need to call Ji Xue down? I think today¡¯s fried rice tastes especially good!¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re hungry,¡± Ji Yue hit the nail on the head. ¡°Xue¡¯s stomach isn¡¯t great, and she shouldn¡¯t eat too much rice to begin with. Fried rice is too greasy for her definitely.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t eat rice when you have a bad stomach?¡± Jiang Feng asked, looking bewildered. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, that¡¯s what Xue says. She mentioned something about rice being ¡®cold¡¯ or ¡®cooling¡¯ in nature, anyway, it means eat less rice when your stomach¡¯s upset. That¡¯s about what she meant.¡± Ji Yue checked the time on her phone, ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s almost 7 o¡¯clock. She should be in the middle of a video call with her mom right now.¡± ¡°She has a fixed time for video calls with her mom?¡± Wu Minqi asked curiously.
    ¡°Yes, her parents moved to the countryside, and there are only two or three families in their vige that live there year-round, all of them elderly and without inte at home. Xue¡¯s family doesn¡¯t have broadband either. Her mom can only ess the inte at the supermarket when she takes her dad for dialysis at the county hospital, where she has her weekly video call with Xue.¡± Ji Yue exined. ¡°It¡¯s usually once a week, but I¡¯m not exactly sure.¡± ¡°What about her younger sister?¡± Jiang Feng asked, his impression of Ji Xue¡¯s sister, who got the real and fake college scripts, was very strong. ¡°She¡¯s at the middle school in town and boards there. Seems like she didn¡¯t even go home during the summer break but worked at the supermarket in the town instead,¡± Ji Yue said and was about to add something when Mr. Jiang Jiankang came out with the fried rice. ¡°Double shrimp, son, eat up!¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you take a break?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the kitchen for over an hour now, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah, Mr. Jiang, take a rest,¡± Ji Yue chimed in. ¡°Right, Mr. Jiang, why don¡¯t youe and eat with us? You haven¡¯t had your meal yet, have you?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°No need to rest, how many servings have I fried today? Back when I was in Z City, I could sell a hundred and eighty servings of fried rice in a day. I¡¯ll just fry two more servings for you, and then I have to work on that beef sauce fried rice recipe. You go ahead and start eating.¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang was enthusiastic about frying rice; he would fry it even if no one was there to eat it. Everyone began eating their fried rice and Ji Yue forgot what she was about to say. Her mind and heart were filled only with thoughts of fried rice, especially the serving in front of her, which was a double portion of the shrimp that was specially made for Jiang Feng, the deluxebo fried rice with seafood, meat, and pickled vegetables. ¡°Has Mr. Jiang ever made beef sauce fried rice before?¡± Ji Yue asked mid-meal, already concerned about the dish that was not yet made. ¡°Never. My dad only made fried rice with Lao Gan Ma chili sauce before, but the beef sauce smells pretty good; I caught a whiff of it in the kitchen earlier,¡± Jiang Feng replied, aiming his spoon at the shrimp in his te. ¡°Well, then we¡¯ll have you, Mr. Jiang, taste it first and tell us if it¡¯s good,¡± Ji Yue decided to entrust Jiang Feng with this honorable yet arduous task. Half an hourter, the four people concluded their shady fried rice exchange and went their separate ways.
    When Ji Yue got home and opened the door, she saw Ji Xue sitting on the sofa ying with her phone. This was a rare sight; Ji Xue might be the young person least interested in ying with phones that Ji Yue knew. Even Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang, who spent most of their time cooking, would be clinging to their phones the moment they got free. Upon seeing Ji Yue, Ji Xue looked as if she¡¯d seen a savior, and hurriedly said, ¡°Yue,e quickly and help me decide which study guides to buy for my sister.¡± Ji Yue: ??? ¡°Your sister should be starting the ninth grade, right?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°I think so. I just had a video call with my mom, and I feel like she¡¯s worried about my sister¡¯s education. We can¡¯t afford a tutor for her and can¡¯t teach her ourselves, so I thought I¡¯d buy her some study guides to work through on her own,¡± Ji Xue said. Ji Yue: ¡­ Your sister will likely cry tears of joy when she receives this gift of love. ¡°Do you know which ninth-grade practice books are good?¡± Ji Xue asked. ¡°Five Years of Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simtion!¡± Ji Yue blurted out instantly. Ji Xue took note, ¡°What else?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Ji Yue thought the ¡°Five Three¡± sets for all nine subjects would be enough for her sister to work on, but it turned out Ji Xue was preparing to get even more for her. ¡°Let me think¡­ It¡¯s been years since I graduated, and my younger brother never used these books either. I remember I used to do ¡®Tianli 38 Sets,¡¯ ¡®Win Lightly,¡¯ and Wang Houxiong¡¯s, I don¡¯t remember the exact names, but just buy whatever you think is appropriate, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s popr now,¡± Ji Yue confessed she was a senior school graduate out of touch with current trends.
    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Ji Xue said she¡¯d made a note of it all and handed her phone to Ji Yue, ¡°Did I get the names wrong here?¡± Ji Yue took the phone and nodded affirmatively. Ji Xue went back to picking out books. After this conversation with Ji Xue, Ji Yue suddenly remembered that Ji Qiran, the little rascal, had never worked on Wang Houxiong¡¯s books from childhood to adulthood. That was just wrong. As a sessor of socialism raised under the red g, even if Ji Qiran had attended international schools all his life, he shouldn¡¯t have skipped Wang Houxiong. Ji Yue opened her phone, checked her Alipay bnce and her bank ount, and with the mindset that she couldn¡¯t skimp on education, even if it meant taking on jobs next month, she bit the bullet and ordered theplete set of Wang Houxiong for Ji Qiran. With the belief that Wang Houxiong and ¡°Five Three¡± were a perfect match, Ji Yue also purchased a set of ¡°Five Three¡± for Ji Qiran. Ah, I truly am a rare jewel of a big sister. Ji Yue quietly put down her phone, exchanged nces with Ji Xue, and revealed a big sister¡¯s warm smile. Chapter 369: 368 Running Away from Home Chapter 369: Chapter 368 Running Away from Home September 1st marked the nationwide release of the eagerly anticipated disaster film ¡°Start of School.¡± Seniors at UAL University returned to school quitete this year, scheduled for September 6th, so Jiang Feng didn¡¯t need to rush back to n City and still had a few more days to prepare. Professor Li had already resolved the issue of Jiang Feng¡¯s thesis advisor. As a veteran professor in the UAL University Physics Department with over 40 years of teaching experience, Professor Li had mentored many young lecturers and even associate professors who were his direct students. With his intervention, securing a thesis advisor was no trouble at all. It was just a title anyway; the specifics of the thesis would be guided by Professor Li himself. But September 1st was destined to be an extraordinary day, as Ji Qiran, who had transferred from the city high school to the county high school, received a loving gift from his sister on the first day of school. A huge cardboard box, quite heavy; Ji Qiran couldn¡¯t lift it on his first attempt. Initially, Ji Qiran thought his sister was concerned about him doingundry at school and had generously bought him a small washing machine. He felt a touch moved, thinking that although his sister had beaten him up several times during the summer, she truly loved him. ¡°Student, what have you got in this box? It looks really heavy, you sure you can carry it alone? If not, go get some ssmates to help you!¡± The dorm guard was very enthusiastic. The county high school wasn¡¯trge, and the dorm guard¡¯s office was only a few steps away from the dormitory building. Ji Qiran thought about it and realized he would have a hard time moving such a heavy box by himself, so he decided to follow the guard¡¯s advice and go back to the dormitory for reinforcements. It was dinner time when Ji Qiran went to collect the package, and since it was the first day of school and there was no evening self-study, all five of his roommates were in the dorm when he got back. Ji Qiran had only nned to grab two strong men to help him carry the package, but the others were curious about what had been sent on the first day of school. Plus, the dorm guard¡¯s office was so close to the dormitory, the whole group ended up going to check it out together.
    The dorm guard was surprised to see Ji Qiran bring back five strappingds all at once, thinking this unremarkable-looking kid had quite the good connections. ¡°Student, what¡¯s in this box? If it¡¯s possible to carry it separately, you six should split it up. It¡¯ll be difficult to move such a big box without a handle. If you can carry it separately, do that,¡± the dorm guard suggested, eyeing Ji Qiran¡¯srge cardboard box. After the short walk he had just taken, Ji Qiran¡¯s mind had cleared. He seriously considered it and realized that given his sister¡¯s style and current financial situation, she probably wouldn¡¯t suddenly be so generous as to buy him a washing machine. The contents of the big box were most likely unwanted items that Ji Yue no longer needed, which took up space but were too dear to throw away, so she sent them all to him in one go. ¡°Okay, sir, just wait.¡± Ji Qiran pulled out his dorm key and skillfully began opening the package. Upon opening the box, everyone was shocked. A box full of guidebooks! On top was a colorful array of ¡°Five-Year College Entrance Exam Simtions,¡± brand new, smooth, and even shiny, causing the six second-year high school students, including Ji Qiran, to feel weak in the knees. The first thought for everyone, including the dorm guard, was: How many years would it take to finish all these guidebooks? ¡°Your sister sent you¡­ a box of guidebooks?!¡± Ji Qiran¡¯s roommate eximed, his voice cracking on thest two words. ¡°It¡­ It shouldn¡¯t be, right? Maybe there¡¯s just misceneous stuff at the bottom, and only a few guidebooks on top. That¡¯s probably it. My sister wouldn¡¯t send me a whole box of guidebooks, she¡¯s too poor to afford all these, and I heard guidebooks are expensive nowadays,¡± Ji Qiran murmured to himself forfort as he began to remove the guidebooks from the top. The first stack was the full subject set for the first year high school. The second stack, for the second year high school. The third stack, for the third year high school. The fourth stack, the total review set for the college entrance examination from Five Three. The Five Three series was on top, with Wang Houxiong and some test papers in the middle, and at the very bottom were a few Xue Jinxing books that came as free extras from the store where Ji Yue had made bulk purchases. Looking at these familiar books, with names he recognized printed on them, one of Ji Qiran¡¯s roommates couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°I¡¯m d I only have a sister and no elder sibling.¡± Ji Qiran: ¡­ As a second-year high school student who had never written any domestic guidebooks, Ji Qiran¡¯s intuition told him these were no good. Ji Qiran silently pulled out his secretly kept phone and began to bombard Ji Yue with a barrage of emoticons.
    ¡°Are these¡­ easy to do?¡± he asked. ¡°Dude,¡± one of his roommates said with a grave face, pping Ji Qiran on the shoulder as he resolutely picked up a stack of the guidebooks, ¡°Godspeed. We can only help carry them back for you.¡± ¡°Godspeed,¡± the other four echoed in unison. ¡­
    After finishing a day¡¯s work, Ji Xue thought about getting paid on the 3rd and felt a little thrill. She had impulsively bought so many guidebooks for Ji Qiran the other day that she was now in an extremely tight financial spot. When she headed home in the evening and went to buy bottled water at the convenience store, she didn¡¯t dare look at the Yi Bao brand and could only afford the Master Kang brand. Today, Zhang Guanghang was off work, so Ji Xue couldn¡¯t show off her romance and decided to go home with Ji Snow. As soon as Ji Yue got hold of her phone in the changing room, she saw the avnche of emoticons from Ji Qiran and knew that the guidebooks must have arrived. ¡°Xue, did the tutoring books you bought for your sister arrive yet? We bought from the same store, and I checked that the store ships from Guangdong Province. Your sister should have received hers before my brother did, and he got his today,¡± Ji Yue said as she and Ji Xue left Taifeng Building. ¡°My sister doesn¡¯t have a mobile phone, so even if she received them she wouldn¡¯t be able to tell me,¡± Ji Xue replied. ¡°Then whose address and phone number did you provide?¡± Ji Yue pressed on. ¡°The address is her school¡¯s, and the phone number is her ss teacher¡¯s,¡± answered Ji Xue. Ji Yue nced at the time, ¡°It¡¯s only just past 10 p.m., her ss teacher probably hasn¡¯t gone to bed yet. You should give her a call to check. After all, it¡¯s an item worth several hundred, maybe a thousand. If there is any damage or something wrong, you can contact the seller right away to return or exchange the goods, otherwise it will be difficult to handle if too much time passes.¡± Ji Xue thought that made sense, so she took out her phone, found her sister¡¯s ss teacher¡¯s number in her contacts, and dialed. ¡°Hello, may I speak with Mrs. Fan? I am Ji Xia¡¯s older sister, I was just wondering¡­¡± Ji Xue¡¯s words trailed off, and she froze in ce. Ji Yue took a couple of steps and then realized that Ji Xue had stopped and was standing still, her face wearing an expression of utter astonishment. Ji Yue looked at Ji Xue, a bit puzzled. ¡°This can¡¯t be, this¡­¡±
    ¡°Where is she now? Do you have any news of her? I thought she was still in school, studying. She told us she was staying in town to work over the summer, she never came home and still hasn¡¯t returned!¡± Ji Xue grew anxious and extremely agitated, ¡°She didn¡¯t even ask us for high school tuition. She hasn¡¯t asked for living expenses either. I always thought, I¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I appreciate it. Please, if you could contact her ssmates and inform me immediately if you get any news about her.¡± ¡°I understand, this is our responsibility, but our family¡­ thank you for your help, I appreciate it,¡± Ji Xue concluded the call. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ji Yue was a bit stunned. ¡°I¡­ my sister¡­ Mrs. Fan¡­¡± Ji Xue was so frantic she was almost incoherent, on the verge of tears. ¡°Calm down, let¡¯s not stand in the middle of the road, let¡¯s go to the side and talk slowly,¡± Ji Yue pulled Ji Xue aside, ¡°What happened, what¡¯s wrong with your sister?¡± ¡°Mrs. Fan said that my sister has already graduated.¡± Ji Yue: ??? ¨q(¡ãA¡ã`)¨r ¡°Graduated? But isn¡¯t your sister supposed to take the middle school exam next year?¡± Ji Yue was shocked. ¡°I always thought she would take the exam next year, we¡­ my family¡­ I¡¯ve rarely been home these past few years, and she¡¯s always stayed at the school dorm. We actually¡­ there have been so many things at home in recent years, I¡­ when I casually asked her over the New Year, she told me she was taking the middle school exam next year, I¡­¡± Ji Xue found herself unable to finish her sentence. There were always too many things to handle at home, and too many people to worry about. They had be ustomed to neglecting Ji Xia. Neglecting Ji Xia¡¯s life, her grades, her interests, and even her thoughts.
    Ji Xue didn¡¯t even know why Ji Xia had lied to them. Ji Yue tried to organize her thoughts, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that your sister may have run away from home more than two months ago, but you all have never noticed.¡± Ji Xue nodded despondently. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a mobile phone; or rather, she may have one but you wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Ji Xue nodded again. ¡°Does she have an ID card?¡± inquired Ji Yue. ¡°Yes, we got her one when she started junior high. She¡¯s always kept it on her,¡± Ji Xue was close to crying. ¡°You should report this to the police. Quick, call your mom and tell her to go to your local police station and file a report,¡± Ji Yue suggested, as she felt there was no other option. A minor, a junior high girl with an ID card, previously in possession of a script from True-False Academy, has been missing for more than two months; if Ji Xia had enough money, she could have made it all the way from Guangdong to Beiping by now. ¡°Also, tell your mom to get in touch with her ssmates or your rtives. With your sister¡¯s age and her running away from home, even if she was brave and had stealthily saved up some money, she probably wouldn¡¯t dare to do this unless someone was with her or egging her on.¡± Ji Xue could only nod. ¡°Do you need to go home?¡± asked Ji Yue. ¡°Yes!¡±
    ¡°Then you should check for train tickets now and see if you can get one for tomorrow. Mrs. Wang will definitely give you time off if you talk to her, or I can talk to her for you. If you¡¯re short on cash, call me, I¡­ I can ask Jiang Feng to lend some,¡± Ji Yue almost forgot she too was penniless. ¡°Alright,¡± Ji Yue took Ji Xue¡¯s hand and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back and pack, and if you can leave, we¡¯ll leave tomorrow. Don¡¯t panic, panicking won¡¯t help with some things.¡± Chapter 370: 369: Wishing You a Happy Life Chapter 370: Chapter 369: Wishing You a Happy Life That night, Ji Xue and Ji Yue didn¡¯t sleep at all. After Ji Xue had finished calling her mother, packed her luggage, and made sure she had enough money, she just sat alone on the floor of her room, staring at her cell phone. The cell phone she was using was a new one she had bought before going to work at Taifeng Building, secretly purchased for her by her grandmother with money she had saved. Her grandmother was over seventy, living alone in the vige, using a smartphone that was even slower than the old one that took two minutes to open an app, which was passed down from her aunt. But her grandmother took the money she had saved over many years and entrusted someone to pick out a new phone for her, rushing to their house the day before she bought her high-speed rail ticket to leave the county, carrying a small bag in her shaky hands, and without a word, stuffed the bag into her hands. ¡°Xue, I heard from your mom that you¡¯re going to have a formal job in Beiping this time, not like the odd jobs you took on before. You¡¯ll be able to sign a contract and even get social insurances and housing fund; it¡¯s a good job, a good thing. Grandma doesn¡¯t have much more to give you. At New Year¡¯s, didn¡¯t Pingping say your phone was so slow it was unusable? That¡¯s why Grandma got you a new phone. When you get to Beiping, make sure you get along with your new colleagues, make some friends, and if you have time, maybe even fall in love. Buy yourself a couple of new dresses; don¡¯t wear pants all the time. Girls look prettier in dresses,¡± she said. Ji Xue also remembered how, at New Year¡¯s, her grandmother had pulled her aside to slip her 200 yuan, whispering, ¡°Xue, Grandma knows the family has been having a tough couple of years, but even during the New Year, Xiaxia shouldn¡¯t always be wearing the same old clothes. I know you¡¯re sensible, and you should talk to your mom about this too, tell her to put more thought into Xiaxia. I¡¯ve noticed Xiaxia has been very quiet these past two years. Your sisters Huihui and Pingping, they¡¯re always with their phones and don¡¯t talk to anybody, but Xiaxia doesn¡¯t have a phone and still doesn¡¯t talk to anyone. There shouldn¡¯t be a teenage girl who spends her days staring into space in a corner, ignoring everyone. I heard from your aunt that Xiaxia¡¯s grades aren¡¯t very good; it¡¯s okay to have poor grades, but one should at least be cheerful. You¡¯re her older sister, when you have time, you should y with her more. Didn¡¯t Huihui and Pingping always y with you when you were younger?¡± Ji Xue remembered thatter, as she didn¡¯t know what kind of clothes to buy for Ji Xia and feared she wouldn¡¯t like the styles she chose, gave the 200 yuan to Ji Xia to let her buy her own clothes in town. Wait, 200 yuan. Ji Xue suddenly remembered that it was this New Year¡¯s before she left home that she asked Ji Xia which grade she was in.
    At that time, Ji Xia had already made up her mind to run away from home. As she thought about it, Ji Xue harshly pped herself. Suddenly, the phone rang. ¡°Hello, Xue, do you have any recent photos of Xiaxia? I just called your uncle, and he said we need to provide two recent photos to file a report, but I¡¯ve turned the house upside down and can¡¯t find a single photo of your sister,¡± Ji Xue¡¯s mother said, her voice tinged with tears. Ji Xue¡¯s throat felt bitter, and she could hardly say a word, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t panic; I¡¯ll be back tomorrow. It¡¯s toote now; I¡¯ll call Xiaxia¡¯s homeroom teacher in the morning to see if he has any photos of her.¡± ¡°Xue, Xiaxia has been gone for over two months. What if we can¡¯t find her?¡± ¡°How old is she? She hasn¡¯t even finished middle school yet. Who did she learn this from, to just run away from home like this? She¡­¡± Ji Xue¡¯s mother was already sobbing uncontrobly on the phone. ¡°Mom, Xiaxia has already graduated,¡± Ji Xue said. Ji Xue¡¯s mother was stunned. ¡°Do you even remember thest time we celebrated Xiaxia¡¯s birthday? Do you know her favorite food? Do you know who her friends are? We don¡¯t even have a photo of Xiaxia. I don¡¯t even know which school she attended,¡± Ji Xue suddenly became agitated. She was angry at Ji Xia for running away from home and med her parents for neglecting Ji Xia over the years, and hated herself for trying to pass the me onto others at such a critical time. ¡°Mom, this is all our fault; we can¡¯t me her for everything.¡± Ji Xue hung up the phone and pped herself again and again. She sat there on the floor in a daze until dawn. On the other end of the phone, Ji Xue¡¯s mother stood still holding her phone, then suddenly burst into loud sobs. The next morning, Ji Xue and Ji Yue both appeared in the living room with huge dark circles under their eyes for their meeting. While Ji Xue had spent the night in self-reproach and agony, Ji Yue had apletely vibrant night. Ji Yue first called Jiang Feng to inform him of the situation and then, after making sure Mrs. Wang Xiulian hadn¡¯t fallen asleep, called her. Ji Xue taking a leave of absence was a big deal for Taifeng Building, as her y pot chicken with flowers always had reservations fully booked, with customers often venting their frustrations on the receptionist when they missed the chance due to not booking in time. Now with Ji Xue on leave, all reservations for the y pot chicken for a whole week had to be canceled. The night before, Ji Yue had first discussed with Mrs. Wang Xiulian the issue ofpensation for the cancetions, then called Fan Mei to confirm the reservation list, and spent the night sending out text messages.
    There were always those few customers living abroad who, because of the time difference, were the first to read the message and would call to shout abuse. And then there were always those few customers who stayed upte, who received the text message first thing and called to shout abuse. There were still always those few customers who, even though they slept at night, had friends who did not and happened to receive the message, prompting them to inquire and subsequently call to shout abuse. Ji Yue had been scolded all night long.
    Scolded until her phone battery was almost dead, she had to charge it while continuing to be scolded. After a night of abuse, having heard curses in all dialects, a listless Ji Yue waved weakly at Ji Xue to greet her. ¡°Morning, Xue, what time is your train?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°8:45 A.M.,¡± Ji Xue replied, now much moreposed after reflecting all night. She knew that at this point, ming others or herself was useless. She felt much more settled now. Ji Yue nced at her phone; it was only 6:17 A.M. Soon, she thought, the guests would start waking up to check their phones, and then she expected a barrage of calls raining down on her with more verbal berating. Who should I hand over my phone to for answering calls this morning? ¡°That¡¯s not urgent, just head downstairs at 6:30 to buy some buns, get a few extra or pick up two cups of instant noodles at the convenience store to eat on the train,¡± Ji Yue advised, and the next second the phone rang. ¡°Hello, yes, this is¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal with your restaurant? Making a reservation is a huge hassle, and a premium VIP is treated no better than a piece of furniture. It took us so long to book today¡¯s lunch reservation, and now you¡¯re telling me the chef suddenly has issues and can¡¯t cook? Is this how you treat your guests? Do you even care about your customers at all? I could sue you for this; do you understand?¡± A shrill female voice came through the phone. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, dear guest, our chef indeed had an emergency at home, and no other chef can¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®your chef had an emergency at home¡¯? Doesn¡¯t everyone have problems? Only your chef has issues while we don¡¯t, huh? If there¡¯s an emergency, you can just skip work and y games with your customers? Don¡¯t you know that the customer is god? Without us, you¡¯d just be waiting to go broke and get blown away in the northwest wind. Give me your manager, I want to speak with your leader!¡± Ji Yue: ??? ¡°Dear guest, there has indeed been a mistake on our part, so we will certainlypensate you, for instance by offering a 20% discount on the meal or by presenting you with two servings of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon¡­¡±
    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool us with those discounts or freebies. You set the prices, charging over 2000 yuan for a lousy chicken, and now you offer us what? Some Eight Treasures whatever Pigeon as if we¡¯re fools. Let me tell you, my husband booked that whatever lousy chicken to entertain clients, and if his deal falls through because of this, you haven¡¯t heard thest from me. I can¡¯t get through to you ghostly waiters; whatever I say, you probably can¡¯t understand. Give the phone to your manager; I want to speak to them!¡± Ji Yue: ??? ¡°So, you¡¯re opting not to ept the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and would prefer a 20% discount instead?¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°I don¡¯t want your lousy pigeon. Who are you fooling with just a 20% discount? I¡¯m telling you, you better give me at least a 40% discount, or I¡¯ll turn against you. Just try me; I¡¯ll report you!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve taken note of your feedback. It¡¯s still not business hours, but once they begin, I¡¯ll inform our leader. So, do you intend to keep or cancel your reserved private room for today¡¯s noon?¡± Ji Yue continued. ¡°Are you deaf or just in stupid? Didn¡¯t I say my husband is hosting clients for lunch today? I¡¯m telling you, you need to give me at least a 40% discount on the meal cost, or else I¡­¡± ¡°May I know which private room you¡¯ve reserved? Please provide your surname and thest four digits of your phone number.¡± ¡°Private room 207, surname Yang, 7061. I¡¯m telling you, what¡¯s with your attitude? I can have you fired if I make a report, you realize that?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got your request. I have other customers to attend to. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now, have a nice day.¡± Ji Yue decisively hung up the phone, tossed it onto the sofa, picked up a notebook from the coffee table, wrote ¡°20% off¡± after ¡°Yang, private room 207,¡± and then drew a big cross over it. ¡°Yue, I¡¯m really sorry, it¡¯s all my¡­¡± Ji Yue¡¯s hot-tempered female interlocutor had raised her voice, so Ji Xue heard most of it. ¡°No worries, it could have been worse. At least she refrained from using foulnguage,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Everyone understands family emergencies. These kinds of customers are just a minority. In arge forest, there are all kinds of birds. We¡¯ve got a poption of 1.4 billion; it¡¯s impossible not to meet all sorts of people.¡± ¡°You better check if you¡¯ve forgotten anything. Then hurry downstairs to buy buns. Today¡¯s a workday, and you¡¯re carrying a big suitcase. If you run into the morning rush hour and can¡¯t squeeze into the metro, you¡¯ll be done for. Go on, off you go. Ah, herees another call for me; just head down.¡± ¡°Hello, yes, this is¡­¡±
    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m very sorry. It¡¯s mainly because our chef had a personal emergency. If you could be understanding, that would be wonderful.¡± ¡°What? You want two more servings of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon? That request is quite difficult for us, as you know. It¡¯s aplex dish to make, and there¡¯s only one chef in our restaurant who can do it.¡± ¡°You can be assured about the taste. It¡¯s absolutely authentic. Our chef learned how to make the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon directly from Master Sun Guanyun. Yes, rest assured, there will be no problem. Do you know Sun Jikai? That¡¯s Master Sun Guanyun¡¯s eldest grandson. He used to work in our restaurant, so the taste at our ce¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, VIP private room 6, Mr. Cheng, is it? Okay, I¡¯ll convey your feedback to our boss, have a nice day.¡± After hanging up, Ji Yue noticed that Ji Xue was still standing at the entrance without leaving. ¡°What are you spacing out for, Xue? Get going. If you miss the train, crying will be the least of your worries,¡± urged Ji Yue. ¡°Give my thanks to Jiang Feng and Mrs. Wang, and to Sister Fan,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will. If there¡¯s anything back home that you¡¯re unsure about, call us anytime. And if you¡¯re short on cash¡­ I¡¯ll ask Jiang Feng and Old Zhang to lend it to them,¡± Ji Yue chuckled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ji Xue opened the door and left, dragging her suitcase. Ji Yue was just about to head to the restroom to wash her face and put on a face mask when the phone rang again. ¡°Hello, Mr. Cheng, is there anything else I can assist you with?¡± ¡°What happened with our chef¡¯s family? Such matters are quite private, so we generally do not¡­¡± ¡°Your family is from Guangdong Province, right? Your son works in the police force, and your daughter is a hospital employee, correct? That¡¯s great. If you¡¯re willing to lend a hand¡­¡± ¡°Six servings of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is negotiable. I can speak to our boss right now. Alright, you want to add this mobile number on WeChat, correct? Understood, let¡¯s discuss the details over WeChat?¡±
    ¡°Okay, okay, thank you so much. Have a nice day.¡± ¡¤ PS: I need monthly tickets! (Loud and clear!) Chapter 371: 370 Layoff List Chapter 371: Chapter 370 Layoff List Ji Xue boarded the train home, while the work for Ji Yue had not yet ceased. After receiving the text message sent by Ji Yue, most customers¡¯ first reaction was anger; their second, confusion; and their final one, ecstasy. The reservation for the y pot Hua Diao chicken was merely postponed, not cancelled, meaning they could still eat it. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon that Taifeng Building was offering aspensation was a genuine treat they could enjoy, and soon at that. Most called in just like Mr. Cheng, feigning outrage at first, followed by an inquiry about the possibility of adding two more servings of thepensated Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Of course, adding two more servings was out of the question¡ªthe chef was only one person, and though they couldn¡¯t be worked to death¡­ No, wait, if they worked to death¡­ Ji Yue¡¯s thoughts were edging toward dangerous territory. The impact of Ji Xue¡¯s sudden leave was essentially handled, albeit at the expense of Jiang Feng. Although the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was not as difficult to make as the y pot Hua Diao chicken, as long as there were enough stoves for Jiang Feng to cook a dozen or so at once, it wasn¡¯t a problem. Wu Minqi and Zhang Guanghang could help with steps other than the final thickening¡ªyet the sheer quantity was overwhelming. How many Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons Jiang Feng could make in a day and how they would be distributed aspensation to the customers were issues that could be discussed after today. After all, pigeon was not on today¡¯s procurement list, and even if Jiang Feng wanted to, he didn¡¯t have the ingredients. After being bombarded with calls all night, Ji Yue simply wanted a moment of quiet for her phone, then to head to Taifeng Building to pass it on to some sturdyd who could handle the continued barrage of iing calls.
    Initially, Ji Yue nned to apply a facial mask before going out, but after checking her dwindling stockpile, assessing the bnce of her Alipay, WeChat, and bank card, as well as her debts on Huabei, and roughly calcting her forting sry, she promptly opted out. She applied some cream, did a light makeup to cover her dark circles, and left. By the time Ji Yue arrived at Taifeng Building, Fan Mei and Wang Xiulian were already there. Ji Yue, dyed by a few calls on the way, wasparativelyte. ¡°Sorry, Manager Fan, Mrs. Wang, I got held up by some calls on the way, so I¡¯m a bitte,¡± apologized Ji Yue as she entered, heading straight to Fan Mei and Wang Xiulian, who were discussing some forms at the reception. ¡°It¡¯s fine, this was sudden. From the looks of it, you didn¡¯t get any sleepst night, did you? How did the customers react?¡± Fan Mei expressed understanding. ¡°A very few customers are quite dissatisfied, but most are understanding. However, there¡¯s still nearly half who haven¡¯t called in. I¡¯m nning to give each a call myself after 3 p.m. to inquire,¡± replied Ji Yue. ¡°No rush on that. Just hand that task off to some girl, Yueyue. I have other matters to discuss with you and Manager Fan. Once you¡¯ve changed,e find us in the surveince room,¡± Wang Xiulian said, starting to organize the forms. Other matters? Ji Yue blinked in surprise, then nodded in assent. After changing her clothes in the locker room, Ji Yue¡¯s first thought was to find Qi Rou, whose amiable nature and sweet voice were perfectly suited for exining things to customers over the phone. After circling the hall without spotting Qi Rou, Ji Yue found it odd and was about to call and ask for her whereabouts when Hu Li seized the opportunity to approach. ¡°Supervisor Ji, it seems you¡¯re looking for something. Can I help?¡± Hu Li asked with a smile. ¡°Do you know where Qi Rou is? I need her for something,¡± inquired Ji Yue. ¡°She felt a bit sick in her stomach when she came in this morning and has taken leave to get some medicine from the nearby drugstore. She should be back in over half an hour and it won¡¯t dy her work,¡± Hu Li exined. Over half an hour. Ji Yue couldn¡¯t wait that long. Seeing Ji Yue¡¯s troubled face, Hu Li continued, ¡°If you have an urgent matter, I can also help out.¡± Ji Yue didn¡¯t have any particrly strong impression of Hu Li, recalling only that she seemed to be popr, often seening and going with a group of good friends during lunch and after work, able to chat with anyone¡ªa socially skilled person. Being such a social butterfly, she could surely handle a few unweing calls. ¡°That could work. The situation isn¡¯tplicated. Do you know the chef Ji Xue from the kitchen?¡± Ji Yue asked.
    ¡°I do. Our restaurant¡¯s signature dish, the y pot Hua Diao chicken, is her specialty,¡± Hu Li responded. ¡°She had a sudden issue at home yesterday and went back today, so the y pot flower carving chicken that guests had reserved in advance all had to be canceled. I already sent out the messagesst night. Your task before 3 p.m. today is to take my phone and answer calls, you must be polite, confirm the guests¡¯ reserved private rooms, names, as well as thest digits of their cell phone numbers, and¡­¡± Ji Yue began to instruct Hu Li on the matters to attend to while answering calls. ¡°For the guests who haven¡¯t called by 3 o¡¯clock, call them back following the records in my notebook, just like before, make good notes, and whenever you finish, hand the notebook to me. Your job today is to handle this matter. I¡¯ll temporarily assign someone else to take care of Area A, which you¡¯re responsible for at noon. This is a thankless task, if you don¡¯t want to do it, I can give it to somebody else.¡± Ji Yue said. Answering these kinds of calls was always an unpleasant job, and she had only a nodding acquaintance with Hu Li; it seemed rather improper to dump this task on her. ¡°You can rest assured, Supervisor Ji, I¡¯llplete the task well and won¡¯t cause you any trouble,¡± Hu Li agreed at once.
    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you. Come find me if you encounter any problems.¡± Ji Yue smiled and walked towards the monitoring room. Hu Li took the notebook and Ji Yue¡¯s phone to the front desk, sat down, opened the notebook, and began to organize the guest information that Ji Yue had recorded, sorting it again on paper. The surveince room of Taifeng Building was located at the far end of the second-floor private rooms, usually under lock and key. Unless there was a significant matter to discuss, people wouldn¡¯t specificallye here. As soon as Ji Yue pushed the door and entered, she saw a table covered with spreadsheets. What¡¯s this situation? A summer summary? Or was it that they found her spreadsheets wanting, and fetched a pile of excellent examples for her to study and improve? Moving closer and taking a good look, Ji Yue found that these were summaries of the lobby staff¡¯s information. The information of the servers from the first-floor lobby, second-floor private rooms, to VIP private rooms was all there, not a single one missing. ncing over one of the spreadsheets, Ji Yue found the details painstakingly recorded. From the staff¡¯s ce of origin and education to their skills, to their work performance over the past two months, customer reviews,int records¡ªall were there, even the content of the reviews andints was noted down. One stack per person, all already bound, some thick, some thin¡ªthe thin ones had only two or three pages, whereas the thick ones looked to have at least a dozen or so at a cursory nce. Ji Yue was genuinely bewildered now. She was, after all, just a supervisor who hade into the job halfway, and sometimes she still needed to draw for others to maintain a living. She would often toggle between the identities of a cartoonist and Supervisor Ji and had never faced such a grand setup before. ¡°Mrs. Wang, is our restaurant doing¡­ a staff evaluation? It¡¯s not even the end of year, and we¡¯ve only been open for two months, isn¡¯t this a bit early?¡± Ji Yue was a little uncertain. ¡°It¡¯s not a staff evaluation; it¡¯s ayoff.¡± Fan Mei exined.
    ¡°Ayoff? But wasn¡¯t that already determined?¡± Ji Yue was even more puzzled. If she remembered correctly, theyoff list had already been finalized by Fan Mei and Wang Xiulian. ¡°The earlier determined list is far from enough. Wang and I have discussed it¡ªbecause we were too rushed and inexperienced when hiring staff at the start, we weren¡¯t very stringent. Considering that we position Taifeng Building as a high-end restaurant, our requirements for employees should not bex. The list of staff confirmed for full-time positions that was announced previously is provisional. I emphasized this before making the announcement. There¡¯s still over 10 days until the probation period ends, and these days are also thest evaluation period for the others. We don¡¯t need to worry about recruitment as headhunters are handling it. Since you are more familiar with the first-floor staff, I would like to hear your opinion on this matter,¡± Fan Mei said. ¡°Moreover, the primary target for this round ofyoffs is the first-floor staff. The quality of the private room staff is rtively stronger. As long as they don¡¯t make any major mistakes, they are unlikely to be on thisyoff list,¡± Wang Xiulian said, being a shrewd businesswoman with over 20 years of experience, she had gradually been shifting towards bing a qualified businessperson over these two months. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll first take a look at the tables,¡± Ji Yue still felt a bit out of the loop. While looking at the tables, Ji Yue couldn¡¯t help but stealthily nce at Fan Mei and Wang Xiulian, feeling that they wanted something more than just to weed out the undersirable. As she was browsing, Ji Yue came across Hu Li¡¯s spreadsheet. For the spreadsheets of others, she usually skimmed quickly, ten lines at a nce, but when it came to Hu Li, she read more carefully and thoroughly¡ªafter all, Hu Li had just done her a favor. ¡°Manager Fan, what does the red dot at the top-right corner of this sheet mean?¡± Ji Yue pointed at the little red dot on the top-right corner of Hu Li¡¯s spreadsheet. ¡°Tentativeyoff,¡± Fan Mei said. ¡°Tentativeyoff?¡± Ji Yue continued to look at Hu Li¡¯s spreadsheet, scrutinizing it from top to bottom carefully, ¡°Although there are no guest reviews for her and no record ofints, why is she tentatively scheduled foryoff?¡± When Ji Yue put it like that, Fan Mei also leaned over to take a nce at the spreadsheet, then she understood as well, ¡°She¡¯s not outstanding in any aspect, with only a high school education and her English Level 4 exam not passed, her ability tomunicate orally is practically zero. At 25, her age is not young anymore, and she doesn¡¯t have much in the way of prospects or value for training. Even if she isn¡¯tid off this time, she would probably be in line for the next one.¡± Not outstanding in any aspect? As someone who was very adept at making friends, Ji Yue thought Hu Li¡¯s social skills should also be counted as a talent. Forget it, it¡¯s only tentative, and there¡¯s still over 10 days. We¡¯ll see when the timees.
    Ji Yue turned to the next spreadsheet. Chapter 372: 371 English Chapter 372: Chapter 371 English The forms on the table were divided into three categories. The first category was very clean with no marks at all, representing that Wang Sulian and Fan Mei were both very satisfied with the person. The second category was like Hu Li¡¯s form, marked with a red dot in the upper left corner, indicating observation pending, ready for a potentialyoff. The third category had a red circle in the upper left corner and was rather unfortunate; it meant the person was confirmed for dismissal and could pack up and leave after the two-month probation period ended. The number of waiters on the first floor of Taifeng Building and those in the private dining rooms was about the same. In the beginning, due to the Jiang Family Members¡¯ck of experience, the recruitment was announcedte, leading to a mixed quality of staff. This round ofyoffs mainly targeted those who were initially hired just to fill the numbers. Ji Yue calcted there were 13 people confirmed foryoff and 11 on standby. If all these people were dismissed, then the first-floor waiters would essentially undergo aplete change of staff. Ji Yue even had the illusion that once Fan Mei brought over her colleagues from Magic City and she pulled in the headwaiter from Eight-treasure House, she herself could be on theyoff list. After all, she somewhat knew just how high her level of spoken English actually was, whether she had passed the level four test by skill or by luck. ¡°I think there¡¯s no problem,¡± Ji Yue put down the form, ¡°If we really want to carry outrge-scale eliminations, by this standard, they indeed do not have the capability, but¡ª¡± Ji Yue felt she should still argue for Hu Li, as Hu Li had left a good impression on her, and she hadn¡¯tmitted any mistakes during her work period. If she was to be put on theyoff shortlist and became a target for this or the next round ofyoffs, just because she didn¡¯t have a pleasant-enough voice, wasn¡¯t pretty enough, orcked a sufficient educational background without prospects¡ªreasons that weren¡¯t sufficient topletely doom a waiter¡ªJi Yue always felt somewhat uneasy. ¡°Actually, I have a pretty good impression of this Hu Li,¡± Ji Yue pointed to Hu Li¡¯s form, ¡°She¡¯s very enthusiastic, good at socialising, and has a positive work attitude. I think she still has potential for growth.¡± Seeing Ji Yue actually singled out Hu Li, Fan Mei and Mrs. Wang Xiulian couldn¡¯t help but take another look at Hu Li.
    ¡°Right, I¡¯ve assigned her the task of answering phone calls and sorting customer information. We can see how capable she is when she hands over the list to me this afternoon,¡± Ji Yue said. Fan Mei nodded, ¡°That¡¯s workable.¡± The matter of the list was thus put to rest. Fan Mei had a lot of work on her hands. She sorted out the forms quickly and went out. ¡°Yueyue, what exactly is going on with Xue¡¯s family? Give me the specifics,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian said. It wasn¡¯t yet operational hours, and the air conditioning in the surveince room was stronger than outside, making it a pleasant ce for Mrs. Wang Xiulian to stay. Ji Yue shared everything she knew about Ji Xue¡¯s family situation in detail, and after listening, Mrs. Wang Xiulian could only shake her head, at a loss for words. ¡°By the way, Auntie Wang, there was a Mr. Cheng from Guangdong Province this morning who has reserved the ypot flower-carved chicken for the next few days. He said his son works in the public security system over there and can offer us help, but he would like to change thepensation from two portions of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to six portions,¡± Ji Yue said. Mrs. Wang Xiulian agreed on the spot, ¡°It¡¯s just six portions of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, what¡¯s the big deal? Let Feng make a few extra portions, it¡¯s good for practice. Don¡¯t just make those sweet and sour yams and wontons all the time, those dishes don¡¯t sell for much.¡± ¡°Should I go back and confirm over the pher?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°Hmm,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian nodded, and as she drew her head back at that moment, her double chin faintly transformed into a triple chin, not so obvious, signifying that her recent dieting had started to show results. ¡°Also, Feng said he starts school on the 6th, and it seems he booked a ticket back for the evening of the 5th. He can¡¯t cook for those days he¡¯s back in n City, so you¡¯ll need to pay attention to the schedule when nning,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian reminded. ¡°I¡¯m aware of it, Auntie Wang. I¡¯ll ask himter at noon how many days he¡¯ll be gone, and I still need to confirm the shift schedule with Fan today. I¡¯m going to head out,¡± Ji Yue got up and left the surveince room. Once Ji Yue left, Mrs. Wang Xiulian skillfully locked the door from inside, pulled a pillow from beneath the table, plopped it onto the desk, then flopped her head onto the pillow and began to catch up on sleep. Mrs. Wang Xiulian had a small secret known only to Jiang Family Members: she was more sensitive to heat than the average person. When Jiang Jiankang was in Z city, running a small healthy snack shop, the air-conditioning had to be set much lower than in other ces, often leading to customersining of a chill down their backs halfway through their meals. To most people, the air conditioning temperature at Taifeng Building wasfortable, but to Mrs. Wang Xiulian, it felt somewhat high. That¡¯s why she usually retreated to the surveince room where the air conditioning was sufficient to nap and ck off. Often, when she was nowhere to be seen in the restaurant, everyone thought she had gone out to look for food, when in reality, she might simply be snoozing away in the room. The surveince room door being locked from the inside was mostly Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s doing, to prevent anyone from disturbing her sleep. Ji Yue left the surveince room and first went to the kitchen to convey Mr. Cheng¡¯s request, then confirmed with him the number of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon servings they could provide each day. Afterward, she returned to the front desk to retrieve her phone from Hu Li and send a message to Mr. Cheng. ¡°Fengfeng, aren¡¯t youmitting to a bit too many portions of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to prepare each day? With such arge number, you¡¯ll have to stay in the kitchen to handle the squab every afternoon,¡± Wu Minqi expressed her concern that Jiang Feng might overexert himself in the rush to keep up. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just for a few days, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s always going to be like this,¡± Jiang Feng said. In fact, Jiang Feng was quite happy to make Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Although few people enjoy their jobs, just as few students genuinely love studying while in school, Jiang Feng actually found pleasure in cooking.
    The weariness of studying in school and the aversion to work are simply due to ack of motivation and not seeing an end, the feeling of powerlessness thates with the belief that even with great effort and a lot of time spent, it seems like you¡¯ve gained nothing. But cooking was different. Jiang Feng felt that perhaps because of the unreliable game system he possessed, everything about his culinary skills was datafied, including experience points and proficiency, which were affirmations of his efforts. Although the process of practicing cooking was always dull, as a yer who once went bald and burned out his liver ying Itchy Rat, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t mind a boring process as long as the result was satisfying. For dishes like Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, which allowed him to simultaneously improve a lot of knifework, seasoning, and fire control skills, he felt he could happily spend all day making them if conditions allowed. He had been ying the game Earth Online since birth.
    On the other hand, after sending the message to Mr. Cheng and handing the phone back to Hu Li, Ji Yue saw Hu Li re-recording and organizing the guest list. ¡°Haven¡¯t I already noted these names in the notebook? Why are you rewriting the list?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°My handwriting is bigger, and I was afraid of messing up what you had originally noted down if I wrote directly in the notebook, so I rearranged a new copy. It didn¡¯t take much time,¡± Hu Li exined. Ji Yue nced over the newly organized list from Hu Li, which was much clearer than her previous rushed recording. ¡°How¡¯s your English?¡± Ji Yue suddenly asked. Hu Li was taken aback, ¡°Not very good.¡± ¡°How about spoken English?¡± ¡°I¡­ I attended school in a small town, so¡­¡± ¡°If you have the time, try to study English when you can. It¡¯s not necessary to be able to write or to focus too much on grammar, but you should at least be proficient in spoken English. After all, we¡¯re in Beiping, and it can be quite useful to have good English speaking skills,¡± Ji Yue whispered, smiling at Hu Li, ¡°Go on with your work; I won¡¯t disturb you any further.¡± After reminding Hu Li, Ji Yue felt that she should also find time to improve her English, as her proficiency was not reflective of someone who graduated from a 985 university. She just wondered if spoken English sses in Beiping were expensive. Ji Yue admitted to herself that she had be quite poor since buying tutoring books for Ji Qiran. Maybe she should just ask Ji Qiran to tutor her in spoken English. After all, he had been educated in an international school since he was young; all that money spent shouldn¡¯t be for nothing, and she expected to see some results. Happily, Ji Yue made up her mind.
    She would have Ji Qiran tutor her. Chapter 373: 372 Chapter 373: 372 ¡°` In the following days, Jiang Feng reverted to his previous madness of practicing the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon relentlessly. The scents of pigeon and sea cucumber mingled on him, and even after changing clothes in the locker room, the smell hardly dissipated, earning him the kitchen crew¡¯s nickname of ¡°the walking sea cucumber stewed pigeon.¡± Perhaps due to Jiang Feng¡¯s ughter of too many squabs these days, Jiang Jiankang, who was obsessed with researching fried rice, suddenly had an inspiration to develop squab marinated vegetable fried rice. The result was, naturally, self-evident, with a lethalityparable to that of the Stargazer sect from Ennd. The first taste tester, Mrs. Wang Xiulian,mented, ¡°Jiang Jiankang, have you lost your mind? Using pigeon meat for fried rice, why don¡¯t you fry some sea cucumber rice instead?¡± Then Jiang Feng noticed that Jiang Jiankang¡¯s gaze on the sea cucumbers turned odd. Jiang Feng believed his dad was beyond saving, doomed to be beaten to death either by Mrs. Wang Xiulian or by the two Sirs. Everyone must eventually die, whether by a duel or a beating. On the evening of September 5, Jiang Feng parted ways with Wu Minqi at the train station. ¡°Qiqi, I got up this morning and made the dough. If you want to use it for noodles or something else, you should do it tonight. Don¡¯t leave it overnight. If you don¡¯t want to use it, just take it to my uncle; he¡¯ll make noodles out of it,¡± Jiang Feng reminded her.
    ¡°Okay, I know. Be careful on your way, and send me a message when you arrive,¡± Wu Minqi waved to Jiang Feng, watching him check in at the station. Red Chef Jiang Feng, living a monotonous life back and forth between home and Taifeng Building, asionally wanted to rebel a bit and practice the lighter art of making dough to rx and change his mood. Now his dough-making skills were quite impressive,pletely meeting Jiang Jianguo¡¯s standard of ¡°three shines.¡± Jiang Feng nned to find a time after his return to coax Jiang Jianguo into teaching him the art of noodle pulling. By the time the game update wasplete, his noodle-pulling technique would likely be perfected, and then, sauce-fried noodles would be a snap to make. Once the crab and orange season arrived, he would practice making crab-stuffed oranges, and soon, Taifeng Building¡¯s menu would feature a brand new set meal unique to Jiang Feng. As for why crab-stuffed oranges and sauce-fried noodles should be sold as a set meal, Jiang Feng still hadn¡¯te up with a reason. Jiang Feng arrived early to the station, about 40 minutes before checking in. Not wanting to sit idly on the train and waste time, he bought a sleeper ticket on a K-series train for the evening so he could sleep and arrive refreshed. During the tedious wait in the waiting room, Jiang Feng started to banter with Wang Hao over WeChat. Jiang Feng: Hao, have you arrived at the dorm? Have you cleaned it? Wang Hao: Not yet, Feng. I¡¯m waiting for you, aren¡¯t I? We¡¯ll clean together when you get back tomorrow! Jiang Feng: ??? Wang Hao: [Picture] Jiang Feng clicked on the picture. It showed aplete mess, with broken tiles scattered all over the floor, and the remaining tiles bulging, obviously due to moisture causing the damage. Jiang Feng: Whose dorm is that? That¡¯s so unlucky. Cleaning that up must be a nightmare. ?? Wang Hao: It¡¯s our dorm, man. I went home to stay for the night. Let¡¯s clean it together when youe tomorrow, Feng. Jiang Feng: ??? ??? Jiang Feng put down his phone, feeling he should go buy a rolling pin before getting on the train. You must think I can¡¯t tell that those smashed tiles in the picture are by the door. Obviously, you, my boy, smashed them when you opened the door. ¡­
    After a long night on the train, Jiang Feng was disoriented and exhausted. Dragging his suitcase, his hair in a mess like a chicken¡¯s nest, he descended from the train and took the subway back to school. He was lucky enough to find a huge shoe print on the nket of his sleeper bunk. After spending some time fixing up the nket ready for sleep, Jiang Feng was startled to find that the big brother sleeping next to him had a snore that could shake the heavens, and it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to describe it as thunderous. After struggling for an hour to get used to the snores, Jiang Feng was just about to fall asleep when he heard the sound of someone grinding teeth from the upper bunk. Sounds full of longing andint, like weeping and pleading, continued to echo long after they began. That¡¯s how Jiang Feng stayed awake until dawn.
    Back in the dorm, Jiang Feng saw aplete mess, a dusty table, and half a cup of coffee that had naturally evaporated, left by Wang Hao before his departure. Worst of all, the cup was Jiang Feng¡¯s. Jiang Feng dropped his luggage at the door, stood there calmly for a moment, then went to the back door to buy a rolling pin. When Wang Hao returned to school happily after having breakfast at home, he opened the dorm door only to see his beloved and respected Feng, with dark circles under his eyes and a dazed look, hair like a bird¡¯s nest, resembling a murderer, sitting on a chair with a rolling pin in hand, smiling thinly at him. Wang Hao¡¯s legs went weak on the spot. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Feng, listen to me, actually these¡­¡± ¡°Dog Thief Watch the Stick!¡± Half an hourter, after wiping down the table, washing the cups, and tidying up the tiles on the floor, he was standing next to Jiang Feng, grinning even more brightly than the greeters at Taifeng Building, utterly obsequious, with Jiang Feng sitting and him standing. ¡°Feng, are you satisfied with my cleaning?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t think Wang Hao was the kind of person to give in just because of a rolling pin, especially since the new one he had bought was much thinner than the one Wang Hao had hidden away. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Jiang Feng asked, suspicious. ¡°Do you love me?¡±
    ¡°No, get lost, I¡¯m not into that!¡± ¡°Feng, you¡¯ve changed, you¡¯ve forgotten your bros now that you have a wife, you weren¡¯t like this before, you¡¯ve truly broken my heart.¡± Wang Hao struck a melodramatic hand-over-heart pose, feigning extreme distress. ¡°Why do I need brothers when I have a wife?¡± Jiang Feng asked, as if questioning the meaning of life. Wang Hao, upon hearing this, felt it made sense and stopped acting. He shifted a chair and sat down, pulling several test papers from the also-notpletely-cleaned table. ¡°Feng, save the kid, please!¡± ¡°Impersonating a child is illegal.¡± ¡°Feng, save the fatty, please!¡± ¡°In our family, anyone under 200 pounds isn¡¯t called fat.¡± Wang Hao: ¡­ It¡¯s really hard for me to continue the conversation when you¡¯re being so argumentative. Jiang Feng felt that being argumentative is fun momentarily, but always being argumentative is forever fun. Jiang Feng took the test papers from Wang Hao¡¯s hand, nced over them, and realized they were all rted to ¡°Optical Information Processing¡±. ¡°What¡¯s this? Past year papers? Have you finished reading your book that you are already doing these?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    Wang Hao, with an air of mystery, looked around, then stealthily drew the curtains and shut the door as if he were a member of the underground meeting in secret: ¡°Make-up exam papers.¡± Jiang Feng was surprised. Wang Hao had such a skill¡ªnot to mention how many gifts he must¡¯ve given out over the summer break. ¡°6 make-up exam papers?¡± Jiang Feng was skeptical. ¡°It¡¯s inside information, but I think it¡¯s absolutely reliable. It¡¯s said that this year¡¯s make-up exam will be drawn from these 6 papers, with 70% of the original questions. So as long as I can nail these 6 papers within 10 days, I will definitely pass my make-up exam!¡± Wang Hao was full of confidence. Jiang Feng returned the papers to Wang Hao: ¡°Then you better start writing, why give them to me? I¡¯m not the one retaking exams.¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± Wang Hao grinned in a foxy manner, excitedly rubbing his hands together, ¡°Feng, see, I can¡¯t write these, so I¡¯m gonna need you to finish them and exin the steps in detail, so I can memorize them.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Seriously, big brother, why are you even in a science and engineering major instead of studying literature? ¡°I won¡¯t write it.¡± Jiang Feng refused on the spot. ¡°Emperor Father, save your son!¡± Wang Hao grabbed Jiang Feng¡¯s arm, his voice desperate and filled with sorrow. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Honestly, among all the people he knew, Jiang Feng admired Wang Hao the most. When asking favors, Wang Hao could act like a Crown Prince, and the moment he got what he wanted, he¡¯d turn the tables and crown himself emperor. ¡°I¡¯ll only write the essays.¡±
    ¡°Thank you, Emperor Father!¡± Jiang Feng could never have imagined that the first thing he¡¯d do upon returning to school was to help his roommate with test papers. And to do it over a desk that hadn¡¯t even beenpletely cleaned of dust. ¡°` Chapter 374: 373 A Better Master (Added for Alliance Hierarch Lost Cat!) Chapter 374: Chapter 373 A Better Master (Added for Alliance Hierarch Lost Cat!) By the time Jiang Feng finished the major questions on six exam papers, it was past lunchtime. When he looked up, he felt like the day had brightened. Turning his head, Jiang Feng noticed Wang Hao had already fallen into deep slumber, face down on his book, presumably having gone to sleep apanied by knowledge. ording to biological principles, the knowledge from high-concentration knowledge books would flow toward Wang Hao¡¯s brain, which contained a lower concentration of knowledge. Round it up, and it¡¯d appear that Wang Hao was sleeping, but in actuality, he might be learning physics with Dream. ¡°Hao, wake up, I¡¯m done,¡± Jiang Feng violently shook Wang Hao awake. Wang Hao woke up abruptly, his memory still at the moment before his face hit the book, murmuring, ¡°Liquid crystal is a substance that appears liquid and flows at a certain temperature range while simultaneously exhibiting the optical properties of birefringent crystals.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Digital Light Processing DLP technology is utilized¡­ utilized¡­¡± Wang Hao wiped some drool away and slowly regained his senses, realizing he still couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°It uses all-digital technology to process images,¡± Jiang Feng said helplessly, then felt something was amiss. He picked up the book that had been Wang Hao¡¯s pillow under his face. Photoelectric Disy Technology
    Sure enough, Wang Hao had failed more than just one ssst year. ¡°How could you have failed this one? Isn¡¯t this course all about concepts with hardly anything to calcte?¡± Jiang Feng questioned. Wang Hao¡¯s face was crestfallen, giving Jiang Feng a look that pleaded, why don¡¯t you eat the delicacy: ¡°Feng, you didn¡¯t memorize the key points Dean Huang outlined?¡± ¡°You actually memorized the points outlined by Dean Huang? Isn¡¯t he infamous for the key points being only relevant to retests every year?¡± Jiang Feng expressed his confusion, thinking that Wang Hao had gone to memorize the key points Dean Huang had marked. Wang Hao¡¯s face was filled with sorrow, a past too painful to recall: ¡°I thought¡­ there would be some ovep between his final exam and the retest paper, and since there wasn¡¯t enough time to memorize the whole book, I just memorized the key points he outlined.¡± The result was clearly self-evident. Jiang Feng remembered having such naive thoughts in his freshman year, but he was lucky then and barely passed with his regr grades included. With that thought, he empathetically patted Wang Hao on the shoulder tofort him: ¡°No worries, at least you¡¯ll pass the makeup test this time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already forgotten what I memorized for the finals.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Hopeless, wait for death, retake the ss, postpone graduation. Yet, within a few minutes, Wang Hao had forgotten the sorrow his retest brought him and was lively and well once more, starting to n where to eat. ¡°Feng, it¡¯s 3 PM, let¡¯s go have afternoon tea,¡± Wang Hao suggested, having slept for several hours and now feeling hungry. Jiang Feng was of the same mind: ¡°Food street?¡± Wang Hao nodded, the two exchanged a nce, sharing an unspoken understanding, the rapport between roommates evident at this moment. ¡°Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop!¡± ¡°Beef noodles!¡± Jiang Feng & Wang Hao: ??? ¡°Feng, what kind of noodles do you eat for afternoon tea? You¡¯re supposed to drink porridge!¡± Wang Hao said in disbelief. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten all day, how could I possibly go for porridge, I definitely need noodles!¡± Jiang Feng insisted, suggesting that drinking porridge for afternoon tea was heresy.
    Wang Hao had an epiphany, a n formed in his mind: ¡°Feng, if I remember correctly, wasn¡¯t there a noodle shop right across from your family¡¯s old ce? Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop bought your family¡¯s old shop, right? Perfect, I¡¯ll go to Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop to get take-out, and then I¡¯ll join you in the noodle shop. You eat noodles and I¡¯ll drink porridge, a perfect match!¡± Jiang Feng nodded, he brought his phone, while Wang Hao brought money; they left the dormitory to eat at the food street. The first day of the new semester happened to be an afternoon of sses, and Jiang Feng barely saw anyone in school. By senior year, most majors no longer had specific sses, with just one or two optional sses that were mostly just the instructor by themselves, ying with their phones, but there had been a scheduling problem with Jiang Feng¡¯s Photoelectric specialty, leading to having a major ss in the first semester of senior year. At this point, no one was really in the mood for sses. Those preparing for graduate school exams were in thest sprint, cramming intensively. Those looking for jobs had been running around since the summer, and let¡¯s not even mention the looming specter of the graduation thesis hanging over everyone¡¯s head, which thanks to a certain person, had exceptionally strict giarism checks this year.
    Fortunately, the instructor for their major was also thoroughly unambitious, having dered during the summer that everyone only needed to attend the first lecture, and the rest would be at their leisure with a term paper due at the end. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they had to stay for the first ss, Jiang Feng thought that half of their ss would run off after tonight¡¯s ss meeting with the counselor. Passing by the basketball court, witnessing the poor freshmen and sophomores ying basketball happily under the scorching sun, Jiang Feng and Wang Hao couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of schadenfreude. For PE electives, whether it was yoga, taekwondo, aerobics, badminton, or volleyball, all were indoors. Even Tai Chi was indoors, only basketball was yed outside. Back then, Jiang Feng had naively believed Wang Hao¡¯s nonsense ¨C ¡°Real men y basketball¡±, and foolishly chose basketball, almost getting baked alive on the worn-down court. To hell with real men, I choose indoors. Sitting in the dormitory, Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t noticed, but now that he was walking outside with Wang Hao, he suddenly felt that Hao seemed much slimmer than the previous semester. ¡°Hao, did you hit the gym during the summer break? You look like you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight,¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the power of love; Wang Hao had once gained weight for love, and now he had lost weight for it. ¡°I definitely had to lie at home with the air conditioning during the summer. How could I possibly go out to exercise?¡± Wang Hao said with a fat otaku¡¯s expression, ¡°Feng, you don¡¯t know, after getting used to the dishes from your ce, the food my mom makes feels like falling from Mount Everest to the Tarim Basin! I starved myself skinny.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d better get used to it because I bet you won¡¯t be able to eat it anymore.¡± ¡°How could that be? Feng, I¡¯ve already found an internship in Beiping,¡± Wang Hao said proudly. ¡°Oh? Which PVpany?¡± Jiang Feng looked at Wang Hao with new respect. ¡°Cough cough, a copywriter for an advertising agency.¡± Jiang Feng: ???
    ¡°You see, Feng, this way I can continue to eat at your family¡¯s restaurant in the future, how great is that? I¡¯m nning to settle down in Beiping and note back,¡± Wang Hao dered with resolve. In his mind, Jiang Feng estimated the average cost of a meal at Taifeng Building and sincerely said, ¡°I bet you can¡¯t afford it.¡± ¡°How is that possible? I can still afford a meal that costs fifty or sixty bucks,¡± Wang Hao affirmed, implying he was wealthy too. ¡°The Sweet and Sour Yam I make costs 108 a te.¡± Wang Hao: ¡­ Excuse my interruption, I must take my leave. So, the two chatted on and off as they walked to the food street, arriving at the entrance of Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop. This was the first time Jiang Feng had seen Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop since it had moved. If not for the new sign and the two big pots outside, Jiang Feng would have thought it was the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant from before. The d¨¦cor had not changed at all; inside, the tables and chairs, the hanging fern on the windowsill, and even the wooden menu hung on the wall were just like before, only the dishes listed had changed. The only constion was that the main and second owners of Fang¡¯s Porridge Shop had good taste. They didn¡¯t continue with the bright red signboard from before, but changed to a wooden-colored wooden sign that looked quaint and added a touch of history to the porridge shop. ¡°You go pack the porridge, I¡¯ll go order the beef noodles, see you inside,¡± said Jiang Feng as he headed into the shop. The air conditioning inside was strong, causing Jiang Feng to shiver involuntarily as he entered. Master Huang was sitting on the left, squinting as he watched a drama series with its volume turned up high. Jiang Feng could clearly hear a middle-aged man¡¯s powerful voice shouting, ¡°Comrades, charge!¡± Master Huang liked watching war dramas. Seeing a customere in, Master Huang quickly hit pause, stood up, and upon recognizing Jiang Feng, greeted him with great delight, ¡°Feng¡¯s back! How¡¯s the business doing since your family¡¯s restaurant moved to Beiping?¡±
    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, about the same as when it was here,¡± Jiang Feng replied with a smile as he casually took a seat, ¡°Master Huang, arge bowl of beef noodles, mildly spicy with extra green onions.¡± ¡°Oh, Feng now eats spicy food, not bad at all. Beef noodles should indeed be spicy; that¡¯s when they taste best!¡± Master Huang went to prepare Jiang Feng¡¯s noodles. Jiang Feng watched Master Huang¡¯s movements and suddenly realized that Master Huang¡¯s technique wasn¡¯t noodle pulling, but stretching noodles. Previously, Jiang Feng, not knowing much about noodles, thought that all noodles that were folded and stretched repeatedly were hand-pulled noodles. Now he saw that Master Huang¡¯s technique was clearly a more skill-intensive and difficult method of stretching noodles, no wonder he¡¯d always felt that the noodles from Master Huang were tastier than others. ¡°Master Huang, you¡¯re pretty good at stretching noodles!¡± Jiang Fengplimented him. Hearing this, Master Huang was even more pleased, ¡°Feng, you know your noodles, eh? Stretched noodles are delicious and chewy, andbined with the beef broth I¡¯ve simmered all night, there¡¯s not a noodle shop near UAL University that can make a better beef noodle than mine.¡± Watching Master Huang¡¯s skillful noodle stretching, even more proficient than Jiang Jianguo¡¯s, Jiang Feng suddenly realized that he didn¡¯t have to wait to go back to consult with Jiang Jianguo on how to stretch noodles. Wasn¡¯t there already a ready-made, and even better, teacher right here? Chapter 376: 375 Chapter 376: 375 ¡°` The ss of the Nameless Professor, who never had a name, was scheduled for the afternoon of the 9th. Jiang Feng was originally supposed to return to Beiping on the night of the 9th, which meant he had a little over two days but less than three to ask Master Huang for guidance on noodle pulling. ¡°` ¡°` The first day of school at 5 p.m. was the fixed time for the ss meeting, and the young counselor, with a high political awareness, always turned it into a regr session. Combining real-life issues, the counselor liked to revisit certain topics discussed in previous years. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Everyone is already a senior now, and this is yourst year you can spend at UAL University. Of course, if you wish to continue your studies at UAL for graduate school, we wee that too. I won¡¯t say much more; I just hope everyone cherishes their time, whether you n to continue your academic pursuits or to take over the family business. I hope you all have a pleasant final year here. The meeting is adjourned!¡± ¡°` ¡°`
    Immediately, thunderous apuse erupted from the ssroom, all for thosest two words. ¡°` ¡°` Jiang Feng grabbed his phone, ready to head to the supermarket behind the school to buy flour. Before he could stand up and be the first to charge out of the ssroom, the counselor added one more thing. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°By the way, Jiang Feng, please stay behind for a moment.¡± ¡°` ¡°` Jiang Feng¡¯s intuition told him that it was definitely not going to be just ¡°for a moment.¡± ¡°` ¡°` Jiang Feng walked over to the podium, and Wang Hao gestured to him that he would head back to the dorm first. The counselor looked at Jiang Feng with concern. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Jiang Feng, do you know about the graduation thesis?¡± the counselor asked. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Yes, doesn¡¯t our major start the thesis proposal next semester?¡± Jiang Feng replied.
    ¡°` ¡°` The counselor adjusted his sses on the bridge of his nose, ¡°Although it¡¯s true that we start next semester, as far as I know, students in our ss have already found their thesis advisors. Some who are quicker off the mark had started their projectsst year.¡± ¡°`
    ¡°` ¡°I¡¯m also a graduate of UAL. I know a thing or two about graduation theses. If you guys don¡¯t start preparing early, you¡¯ll end up cramming at thest minute, and most likely rely on the data and theses left behind by the upperssmen. While writing your thesis, you¡¯ll gather data for projects, which will then be passed down to the next cohort. But this year, the requirements for graduation theses are higher, the scrutiny from the college is strict, and there have been several meetings already. If you follow the standards of the previous ss, I doubt many of you would pass.¡± ¡°` ¡°` Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°` ¡°` He felt that this kind of conversation should have been with Wang Hao, not him. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°I checked with other teachers, and you are the only one in our ss who hasn¡¯t found a thesis advisor yet. You need to hurry up, especially since you aren¡¯t around school much, please be more cautious when choosing an advisor. It¡¯s just a shame that Professor Li has retired; otherwise, he could have¡­¡± The counselor drifted into yet another endless conversation. ¡°`
    ¡°` Jiang Feng and his ssmates had experienced the counselor¡¯s loquaciousness since their freshman year and knew that despite the young counselor¡¯s many good qualities¡ªresponsibility,mitment¡ªone of his faults was that he talked too much. A single ss meeting of his was equivalent to six sessions by any other counselor, always enduring, never running out of battery. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°You are the first ss that I¡¯ve guided, and also thest. So inevitably, I tend to be more concerned and talkative. You¡¯re all about to graduate soon, and I just hope that each one of you will graduate smoothly. I don¡¯t want any of you to be careless now and find yourselves in a frenzy, desperate and frazzled, while everyone else is taking their graduation photos, receiving their diplomas, and leaving campus joyfully.¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Thest ss?¡± Jiang Feng was shocked. ¡°` ¡°` The counselor wasn¡¯t nning to stay at the school any longer. These days, it was so hard to enter academia. What had happened to the counselor? ¡°` ¡°`
    ¡°Yes,¡± the counselor sighed, somewhat sadly, ¡°This is myst year as a counselor. After this, I won¡¯t be a counselor anymore and will never get to experience what it¡¯s like again.¡± ¡°` ¡°` Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes moistened. In just a few seconds, his mind raced with many thoughts. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°What do you n to do after this?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°I¡¯m going to pursue my Ph.D. After that, I definitely won¡¯t be a counselor anymore,¡± the counselor said. ¡°` ¡°` Jiang Feng: ¡­
    ¡°` He actually forgot that the mentor was an acting pro. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Alright, I just wanted to remind you that you should still keep your graduation thesis in mind, don¡¯t want to take up more of your time. You haven¡¯t eaten dinner yet, right? Go have dinner.¡± The mentor said, picking up her bag and preparing to leave. Jiang Feng looked at his phone, it was already 7:46 PM. Jiang Feng went to Master Huang¡¯s shop and had a bowl of beef noodles with thin noodles, and watched Master Huang pull noodles. When there were no customers, he even tried it himself. He stayed until 9 PM when Master Huang closed the shop, feeling that he had gotten the hang of it, especially when his hands held the ends of the dough and he shook it up and down continuously, twisting the dough into a pretzel shape looked quite skilled. Even Master Huang couldn¡¯t help but praise Jiang Feng for having a real talent for the whiteboard, it would be a pity to learn Red Chef. After Master Huang closed the shop, Jiang Feng went to the neighboring supermarket and bought two ten-pound bags of flour. No matter when or where, there has to be some entertainment before bed, Jiang Feng felt that if he didn¡¯t knead a ball of dough before sleep, his whole body felt uneasy. When Jiang Feng returned to the dormitory with two bags of flour, he found the dormitory empty. In thete evening, Wang Hao was not in the dorm studying, so he must have gone to the track field to be lovey-dovey and throw dog food around with his dear Zhenzhen. Jiang Feng thought about it and sent a WeChat message to Wu Minqi asking if she was home, and after receiving an affirmative answer, he initiated a video call. Then Jiang Feng started to knead dough. After the video call connected, Jiang Feng saw that Wu Minqi was actually holding a piece of dough skin, it looked like she was making dumplings. At this moment, he and his Qiqi were in sync to some degree, he kneading dough and Qiqi making dumplings, even though one was in n City and the other in Beiping, this was what you call a tacit understanding! ¡°Yo, just one day without seeing her man and she already misses you. Jiang Feng, when you have time, check out if the grandma selling rice cakes is still at the school gate, if she is, buy two rice cakes and bring them back for me, I can¡¯t find any ce selling them here in Beiping.¡± Before Jiang Feng could even speak, Ji Yue¡¯s voice came through the phone. Jiang Feng immediatelyughed, ¡°My grandma knows how to make rice cakes, I¡¯ll just bring some for you when she makes them. How did you two end up getting together to make dumplingste at night?¡± Wu Minqi adjusted the direction of the phone, ¡°You left a basin of dough when you left that day, right? I¡¯m not very good at making dough dishes, and we haven¡¯t eaten dumplings in a long time, so I simply called Yue over to make dumplings with me.¡± Wu Minqi kept watching the phone, her hands moving all the while, and a few secondster a delicate dumpling was born in her hands. ¡°Just yesterday, Yue¡¯s mom sent a new batch of pickles, and Yue suggested we use the pickles to make dumplings, with a mushroom pork pickle filling. The dumplings turned out really delicious, Mrs. Wang and the others really liked them, so Yue and I decided to make some every evening for the next few days, store them in the fridge, and eat them slowly until youe back, then I can cook some for you,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°That¡¯s perfect, I was nning to go learn noodle pulling from Master Huang these few days. Do you remember Master Huang? He¡¯s the one who opened the noodle shop opposite our old house. I just found out today that his method of making noodles is actually noodle pulling, when I get the hang of it, I¡¯lle back and make them for you,¡± Jiang Feng said, vigorously kneading the dough. ¡°Good, the noodle pulling made by my Fengfeng must be particrly delicious,¡± Wu Minqiughed. ¡°And the dumplings made by my Qiqi must be particrly delicious as well,¡± Jiang Feng said, boasting that since he¡¯d been in a rtionship, his sweet talk had be much smoother. Sitting right next to Wu Minqi and witnessing the entire process of this couple¡¯s public disy of affection was Ji Yue: ¡­ She felt she couldn¡¯t make dumplings anymore. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom, you guys carry on,¡± Ji Yue said. Ji Yue exited the group chat. Chapter 377: 376 Master Chapter 377: Chapter 376 Master As soon as Wang Hao returned to the dormitory, he saw the basin of dough on Jiang Feng¡¯s desk. The lights were zing in the dormitory, the doors and windows were shut tight, the rolling pin was stored in the cab and hadn¡¯t been taken out, Jiang Feng¡¯s shoes were scattered next to the chair, but the man himself was nowhere to be seen, leaving behind only the mysterious dough on the desk. Only 21 years old but with more than ten years of experience reading novels, and even trying his hand at writing one this year, Wang Hao¡¯s imagination couldn¡¯t help but run wild. Wang Hao remembered that something had been off about Jiang Feng sincest year. Afterst summer¡¯s vacation, Feng had changed. Everyone used to be academic ckers, but Feng secretly became a top student, skipping sses and not worrying about finals, immersing himself in cooking and enjoying making all sorts of strange dishes. If Jiang Feng¡¯s surname wasn¡¯t Jiang but Liu instead, Wang Hao might have suspected that Jiang Feng was in fact the descendant of the legendary Little Chinese Chef, Liu Maoxing. Wang Hao stood in ce, calmly thinking for a moment, then tentatively called out to the dough on the table, ¡°Feng?¡± Jiang Feng, who had just returned from fetching hot water and overheard Wang Hao calling out to the dough, was dumbfounded: ???? Had he be stupid from romance, or from studying? ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wang Hao was startled, quickly turning his head to see Jiang Feng holding a hot water bottle behind him, and he breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°You scared me to death, Feng, you don¡¯t make a sound when you walk.¡±
    Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng, who had long been ustomed to Wang Hao¡¯s various quirky behaviors, silently took the hot water kettle to the chair next to him, sat down, and started to ask a soul-searching question, ¡°Have you memorized your textbook?¡± Wang Hao: ¡­ Feng, you¡¯ve changed. You weren¡¯t like this before. ¡°Feng, why are you kneading doughte at night?¡± Wang Hao tried to change the subject. Jiang Feng sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, the stress from cooking has been too muchtely. Kneading dough at night helps me rx.¡± Wang Hao: o_O??? ¡°So¡­ what about this dough?¡± Wang Hao asked. Jiang Feng fell silent. Indeed, what should be done with this dough? When he kneaded it, he had not thought about what to do with it afterward, the dorm wasn¡¯t home, and with only a rice cooker, even thinking about making dumplings and chopping stuffing was troublesome. ¡°Hao, are you hungry?¡± Jiang Feng asked with a mischievous smile. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°How about I pull some noodles for you?¡± ¡­ In the end, the dough that Jiang Feng had kneaded went to waste, and Wang Hao didn¡¯t manage to taste Jiang Feng¡¯s noodle pulling before Wu Minqi did. The reason was simple, Jiang Feng found out the rice cooker in their dormitory was broken. Indeed, the quality of the 50-yuan rice cooker bought from Taobao couldn¡¯t be trusted. Learning from the night¡¯s lesson, Jiang Feng decided to change his dough-kneading routine, switching to kneading dough in the morning at Master Huang¡¯s shop and taking the two bags of flour he bought to Master Huang¡¯s shop as well. So, on the second morning of the semester, the students who went to eat noodles at Master Huang¡¯s shop were surprised to find that Master Huang seemed to have taken on a new apprentice, who was already kneading dough early in the shop. If these students were from the physics department and had ever eaten at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, they might be even more surprised to discover that the apprentice Master Huang mentioned looked very familiar, as if they had seen him somewhere before. Master Huang appreciated Jiang Feng¡¯s dough-kneading skills. If not for knowing that he was from a family of heritage chefs and that Sir Jiang had a fiery temperament, he might have even wanted to take Jiang Feng on as an apprentice and have him inherit his noodle shop after learning noodle pulling.
    ¡°Ding.¡± The game suddenly sprang back to life. Jiang Feng paused in his kneading, wondering if he had randomly triggered some sort of side quest. He quickly resumed kneading. ¡°Feng, at this stage, you don¡¯t need to work the dough as hard as before. Kneading requires skill, not just strength; otherwise, you¡¯ll wear out the chef.¡± Master Huang took the dough from Jiang Feng¡¯s hands and started to demonstrate personally. The dough in his hands seemed toe alive, effortlessly changing shapes, looking much more rxed than when Jiang Feng was kneading. ¡°Three lights are just a standard, but to truly knead a dough well you need to train hard. It¡¯s about feeling, and once you catch the feeling, everything falls into ce. Practice more, and as you do, the feeling wille,¡± Master Huang said, handing the dough back to Jiang Feng.
    Jiang Feng nodded, thinking that this sort of thing sounded familiar to him, as chefs in Chinese cuisine also prioritize feeling. ¡°Boss, two bowls of beef noodles, arge and a small one, and a bowl of seafood noodles with no green onions, packed for takeout,¡± said a customer who walked in while Jiang Feng was still kneading. When customers arrived, Master Huang couldn¡¯t continue talking to Jiang Feng and went behind the cooking station to start pulling noodles. Unless the customer requested otherwise, Master Huang would just make ordinary-sized noodle strands, pulling them eight times. Ever since the rise of takeout, he didn¡¯t know how many times a day he had to make these noodles¡ªit was done both skillfully and swiftly. As Jiang Feng kneaded dough, he watched Master Huang¡¯s noodle-pulling movements, starting to get the illusion that it didn¡¯t seem particrly difficult after all. Since he started learning to cook with Sir Jiang, this kind of illusion had urred seven or eight times a day. Jiang Feng kneaded dough, and Master Huang pulled noodles. Jiang Feng had all three meals at Master Huang¡¯s restaurant¡ªbeef noodle soup, bone broth noodles, pork intestine noodles, tomato and egg noodles, and seafood noodles¡ªhe switched between these, and days passed like this until the 9th arrived suddenly. Jiang Feng had booked a return ticket to Beiping for the evening of the 9th. Knowing he would leave that night, Master Huang didn¡¯t just have him watch anymore. Whenever there weren¡¯t customers in the shop, he¡¯d let Jiang Feng try his hand at pulling noodles. The results, of course, spoke for themselves. Jiang Feng was famously quick to learn but quick to mess up, with a 99.9% chance of failing any new dish he tried for the first time. The ticket Jiang Feng had booked was for after 11 p.m., still the kind of sleeper where he could doze off and arrive in Beiping. This time he booked a soft sleeper, hoping for good luck and a night of sweet dreams before reaching Beiping. After his 4:30 p.m. ss finished, Jiang Feng felt he had some time, so he went back to the dormitory to pack his bags and then directly took his suitcase to Master Huang¡¯s restaurant. He intended to learn for a fewst hours before heading to the train station. ¡°Yes, pay attention to the motion of your hands, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s lighter or slower. Shake it, let the dough shake.¡± Initially, Jiang Feng only agreed to have Master Huang coach him until he got the hang of noodle pulling, but it had clearly turned into a master-apprentice teaching style, the kind where the master teaches the disciple hands-on, every trick in the book.
    ¡°This won¡¯t do, start over with a new portion, and find the feel for it.¡± ¡°Right, this time your rolling is better than before. The movements should be smooth; the smoother they are, the better the feel. Remember what I told you about noodle pulling, don¡¯t just fix your eyes on the dough. Yes, that¡¯s very good.¡± ¡°No, you see, you just got tense again. You need to stretch it out slowly and gently, don¡¯t rush it.¡± ¡°Breaking is very normal. Who can manage to seed so smoothly from the very start? Even geniuses can¡¯t do that. Try again. The skill of the White Chef is practiced through repetition, even a thousand or ten thousand times if necessary, so that even a fool could be a genius.¡± Master Huang¡¯s instruction for Jiang Feng continued until the shop closed at 9 p.m. Jiang Feng knew that Master Huang had given his all that day, even teaching him the summary of his many years of noodle-pulling experience. ¡°Master Huang, thank you for these past few days.¡± Jiang Feng sincerely expressed his thanks. ¡°If you ever have time,e visit Beiping. I¡¯ll make you my specialty dish, Sweet and Sour Yam.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. I just casually taught a bit. You have a talent for this, don¡¯t waste it,¡± said Master Huang, having not felt the joy of teaching a disciple in many years and genuinely happy. ¡°If I don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯ll miss thest subway. I¡¯m off to the train station. Remember to visit Beiping when you have time. I added you on WeChat a few days ago,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Thinking about Jiang Feng¡¯s rapid progress from zero to proficiency within just a few days, Master Huang suddenly mustered his courage and suggested, ¡°Feng, how about dying your return for a few days and staying to learn noodle pulling from Master Huang? You can go back to Beiping after you¡¯ve learned.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? This sudden keenness to take on a disciple was unexpectedly happening to me! This was the protagonist¡¯s treatment in the legends! Jiang Feng stood stunned on the spot.
    ¡°If your parents and grandfather disagree, I¡¯ll go talk to them. You were meant to be in this profession, and you shouldn¡¯t waste such talent in pastry-making,¡± Master Huang said courageously. Jiang Feng was taken aback, realizing that Master Huang might have misunderstood their family¡¯s culinary structure. He exined, ¡°Master Huang, my grandfather is skilled in pastry-making.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°It was just my dad who only learned the Red Chef style from my grandfather and didn¡¯t learn pastry-making. You remember my uncle, right? The tallest and strongest among my uncles, the one with hair. He¡¯s very good at pastry-making. If I wanted to learn that, my grandfather wouldn¡¯t object,¡± Jiang Feng said. It was just that the two Sirs were currently focused on teaching him sea cucumber dishes and weren¡¯t going to teach him pastry-making at this time. The Jiang Family Dishes were indeed not limited to the Red Chef style; they also explored pastry-making. ¡°Thank you for these past few days, Master,¡± Jiang Feng said. Sir Jiang had taught him from a young age about the many types of masters in the culinary field: those who teach their apprentices for over a decade, as close as fathers, and those who teach only a single dish or for just a few days. Regardless of the type, if they ever taught the apprentice with full dedication, then they are masters, and the apprentice should respect, love, and honor them, for they had once been their teacher. In his life, Jiang Weiguo had many masters, and although he had never formally undergone a disciple initiation ceremony, those masters held a ce in his heart, and he would respect and cherish them, fulfilling the duties of any apprentice. It was just now that Jiang Feng realized Master Huang was his first culinary master outside of his family members. Master Huang was momentarily startled, thenughed, ¡°If you have time toe back, remember to drop by. I¡¯ll make the thirteen-fold pulled noodles for you.¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± Jiang Feng smiled, and left with his suitcase. Master Huang turned back to look at the clean kitchen counter that Jiang Feng had just swept and the table he had wiped carefully, nodding and smiling to himself. ¡°Jiang Jiankang really has a good son, lucky him. Too bad I don¡¯t have that luck,¡± he said.
    ¡°This kid Feng cleans tables pretty well too.¡± Chapter 378: 377: Feng, Come and Learn to Make Noodles with Me! Chapter 378: Chapter 377: Feng, Come and Learn to Make Noodles with Me! On September 10th, at 8:57 AM, Jiang Feng, with a disheveled appearance and an absent-minded expression like he was walking on clouds, dragged his luggage out of the train station. Wu Minqi, who came to pick him up at the exit, hesitated for several seconds before daring to recognize him. ¡°Fengfeng, didn¡¯t you buy a soft sleeper ticket? How did you end up looking like this?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Jiang Feng sighed, ¡°Fate ys tricks on people!¡± This time, everything was fine when he boarded the train: no footprints on the bedsheet and he was the only person in hispartment¡ªa perfect ce to get a good night¡¯s sleep. At that moment, Jiang Feng was somewhat relieved, feeling as if his single ticket purchase had earned him a billion. However, at the next stop, the other three people assigned to hispartment boarded. A couple with two children¡ªthe older one looked to be seven or eight years old, and the younger one was still held in arms. Since the family boarded around midnight, everyone went to sleep and there was no trouble. Until 2 AM, when Jiang Feng was woken up by the crying of the child. Whether it was because the bed on the soft sleeper was ufortable, or the mother¡¯s embrace wasn¡¯t warm enough, the loud cries of the small child happened every few minutes as if to assert his presence. In the enclosedpartment, Jiang Feng endured what he felt to be 3D Blu-ray surround sound crying. If the previous gnashing of teeth could be described with a verse from Su Shi¡¯s ¡°Red Cliff Ode,¡± forst night¡¯s incessant, wave-like, undting, and never-ending crying, Jiang Feng could only liken it to the recent hit Japanese drama with ¡°oh my Julia aaaaa~.¡± ¡°There was a child in thepartment, he didn¡¯t seem to adapt wellst night.¡± Jiang Feng summarized his entirest night¡¯s experience in sixteen words.
    Wu Minqi immediately understood, ¡°Do you need to go back to sleep this morning?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°I just need to take a shower and change clothes. Don¡¯t we have customersing to eat the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon this noon? How about Ji Xue, is there any news?¡± Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng walked into the subway station together, and as they walked, she said, ¡°We haven¡¯t found her yet, but we found her identity card¡¯s ticket purchasing records, now she should be in FZ. Probably she didn¡¯t want to stay in the province for fear of encountering acquaintances, and with not much money on her, she couldn¡¯t go far, so she went to the neighboring province. Ji Xue called yesterday and said that the police were checking the surveince and should be able to find her in the next couple of days. Yue also called Sun Jikai, since he¡¯s in FZ, he should be able to help too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, as long as she can be found,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°No, I left right after kneading dough this morning.¡± Wu Minqi hinted strongly. Jiang Feng got the hint: ¡°Let¡¯s go back and I¡¯ll make you noodle pulling to eat. Master Huang even praised me yesterday for having a special talent for noodle pulling and wanted to keep me in n City to learn it from him.¡± Wu Minqi yed along with a smile, taking Jiang Feng¡¯s boasting at face value. She remembered clearly what the noodles Jiang Feng made at Morning Wind Primary School were like. It was impossible for him to learn noodle pulling in just a few days. By the time Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi got home, it was almost ten o¡¯clock. Jiang Feng quickly took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and went to the kitchen to prepare for noodle pulling. He was familiar with the steps; Wu Minqi had kneaded the dough. Wu Minqi seldom dealt with dough apart from making dumplings, so her kneading skills were average, which was not as good as Jiang Feng¡¯s, who had been instructed by Jiang Jianguo and Master Huang. ¡°Qiqi, when kneading dough in the summer, you should use cold water, but our house has constant temperature and humidity with central air conditioning, so you would be better off using warm water,¡± Jiang Feng reminded, taking a small piece of dough and beginning to prepare for pulling. Pulling noodles is the most visually entertaining part of the process; if it¡¯s a performance, a White Chef can turn the dough into flowers. It was Jiang Feng¡¯s first time pulling noodles in front of Wu Minqi and he was a little nervous, which made his movements a bit stiff, but Jiang Feng¡¯s talent in noodle pulling was undeniable. He quickly adapted. Jiang Feng¡¯s arms extended straight out, pulling and shaking in tandem. The dough stretched down like water rushing over a waterfall. Just as the strip nearly reached the floor, Jiang Feng crossed his wrists with a forceful motion, and the dough intertwined like a twisted rope, in a cycle that looked quite professional, leaving Wu Minqi stunned. Just as Jiang Feng was earnestly pulling noodles, the doorbell rang. They could hear Jianguo¡¯s loud voice from the kitchen: ¡°Feng, Qiqi, are you home?¡± Wu Minqi went to open the door for Jianguo, only to see that he was holding two bowls of bone-broth noodles. ¡°Your mother called me about half an hour ago, saying you hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast before going to the station to pick up Feng, and told me to cook a bowl of noodles for you so you won¡¯t be hungry. I thought maybe Feng didn¡¯t eat either, so I cooked two bowls. The noodles were pulled first, eat them while they¡¯re hot!¡± Jianguo said cheerfully as he walked in and saw Jiang Feng pulling noodles in the kitchen, he couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Wow, Feng can pull noodles now, this¡­¡± Jianguo suddenly fell silent, just holding the two bowls of noodles and watching Jiang Feng pull noodles. Pulling noodles is meant to make them smooth, soft, and stic. Smooth movements are one aspect, but controlling the degree is another. If it¡¯s overdone, it can result in uneven thickness when the noodlese out, which is counterproductive. Jiang Feng noticed Jianguo had arrived, and seeing him standing there with two bowls of noodles staring at him, he felt a little ufortable. He could only smile at Jianguo and said, ¡°Uncle, what are you doing standing? Please, sit down.¡± ¡°Oh, oh.¡± Jianguo finally snapped out of it and ced the noodles on the table, continuing to watch Jiang Feng.
    After pulling once more, Jiang Feng felt the dough was ready, so he ced the evenly pulled thick strip onto the kitchen bench, sprinkled it with flour, and began to pull the noodles. When it came to pulling, Jiang Feng was capable enough; not great, but nothing much you could fault him for. But the real test of skill was in the actual noodle pulling, and that Jiang Feng did not excel in. After six pulls, most of the noodles were already broken, though fortunately the thickness was consistent enough¡ªthey might be coarse but still edible. It wasn¡¯t until Jiang Feng finished pulling noodles that he realized Jianguo had brought bone broth noodles. He had been focused on the dough in front of him and hadn¡¯t paid attention to what Jianguo was saying.
    ¡°Ah, uncle, I didn¡¯t realize you had also made noodles, my¡­¡± Jiang Feng felt that showing his noodle-pulling in front of Jianguo was really like a novice¡¯s attempt to teach an expert. ¡°No worries, Uncle had barely eaten enough just now. You guys go ahead and eat the noodles; I¡¯ll cook these noodles for myself to eat something quickly.¡± Jiang Jianguo looked at the nearly broken-in-half noodles in Jiang Feng¡¯s hands with straightened eyes, stood up, took the noodles from Jiang Feng, and prepared to start cooking them. Wu Minqi who couldn¡¯t eat the first batch of noodles pulled by Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng, who found Uncle a bit odd: ??? They exchanged a look, unsure of what Jiang Jianguo was up to, and since they were hungry too, and given that Jianguo¡¯s noodle-making skills were the best among the Jiang Family uncles, and the bone broth noodles already smelled enticing, they sat down and started eating as it was gettingte and they still had to go to work at Taifeng Building. In the kitchen, Jiang Jianguo held the noodles Jiang Feng had just pulled in his hands, examining them closely both inside and out, not letting a single one escape his scrutiny¡ªthe thickness, the smoothness, the way they broke. As he looked, Jianguo¡¯s eyes grew moist. Jiang Jianguo was very clear about Jiang Feng¡¯s skill level in White Chef role, as he had taught Feng even how to mix the dough. Therefore, he was deeply aware of how much Jiang Feng had improved in pulling noodles these past days. If he remembered correctly, justst week, when Feng asked for his guidance, he couldn¡¯t even pull the strands smoothly and was far from grasping the basics. Yet, just a few dayster, not only had he gotten the hang of it, but he was also actually quite skillful. Feng usually had to work normally at Taifeng Building during the day and practice sea cucumber dishes under the watchful eyes of the two elders, only having time at night to practice White Chef skills, and these past days he had even less time as he went back to school. Despite those difficult conditions, he still could¡­ He still could! Jiang Jianguo¡¯s hands were trembling with excitement. In his eyes, the likes of ¡®studying by the lighting through a hole in the wall¡¯ or ¡®gathering fireflies for light or reading books in the snow¡¯ were nothingpared to what his nephew achieved! Feng¡¯s true calling should be that of a White Chef!
    In just a few minutes, Jiang Jianguo thought of a lot. He remembered the fish that Feng had scorched years ago, the eight-treasure porridge and lean meat porridge with preserved eggs that Feng had made, and even Feng¡¯s pickled vegetable dumplings. Yes, that¡¯s right, Feng¡¯s true talenty in the White Chef domain¡ªforcing him to be a Red Chef was the waste of his real talent! After Jiang Feng quickly finished a bowl of bone broth noodles and brought his bowl to the kitchen to wash it, he found Jiang Jianguo holding the noodles and spacing out, with no apparent intention of cooking them. ¡°Uncle?¡± Jiang Feng asked tentatively. Jiang Jianguo came back to reality and, seeing Jiang Feng, his face lit up with excitement, eximing with a fierceness matching that of Master Huang, ¡°Feng, tell Uncle, do you like White Chef work?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°If you like White Chef, just say so. If you¡¯re afraid to tell Grandpa, Uncle will speak to him for you. Let Grandpa teach you White Chef. Tell Uncle, is it White Chef you want to learn?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Uncle, calm down a bit. You¡¯ve been used to getting hit by Sir since you were young, but I can¡¯t take that much. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s okay, I like both Red Chef and White Chef. Didn¡¯t Grandpa and Granduncle Weiming learn both? It¡¯s just that they focused more on Red Chef, and I think it¡¯s great,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Sigh.¡± Jiang Jianguo let out a sigh of frustration as ifmenting wasted potential, ¡°Such a natural talent gone to waste.¡±
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ Is my talent in Red Chef that bad in your eyes??? ¡°Uncle, Minqi and I will head to the store first. Remember to lock the door when you leave,¡± Jiang Feng decided that discretion was the better part of valor. On the way to Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng still felt something was off. Whether it was Master Huang or Jiang Jianguo, they had both been suddenly encouraging him to focus on White Chef work these past two days. Could it be that his performance in Red Chef work was so uninspiring to them? ¡°Qiqi, what do you think of my talent in Red Chef work?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good,¡± Wu Minqi said, ¡°Among the people I know, other than Zhang Guanghang, it¡¯s you.¡± Jiang Feng nodded, unapologetically epting the praise. So it must be that his talent in White Chef work was simply too exceptional. Ah, being over-talented can sometimes be a burden too. Chapter 379: 378 Marketing Strategy Chapter 379: Chapter 378 Marketing Strategy Jiang Feng had barely stepped into the kitchen of Taifeng Building when he was greeted with a luxury supreme version of pickled vegetables, abalone, and sea cucumber fried rice, filled with Jiang Jiankang¡¯s paternal love. Jiang Feng had been eating Jiang Jiankang¡¯s fried rice for years, but this was the first time he had seen such extravagant fried rice. Although he had already had a big bowl of bone broth noodles just before, Jiang Feng felt that with a little squeezing, he could probably fit in a serving of fried rice into his stomach. After all, in the Jiang Family Members¡¯ theory, the capacity of a stomach is like the water in a sponge¡ªit always has more room when you squeeze it. It wasn¡¯t service time yet, and the prep work had entered its final stage. Jiang Feng, not wanting to be in the way, intentionally moved a small stool to the door to eat his fried rice, where he could also keep an eye on both the kitchen and the dining area, fulfilling his duty as the behind-the-scenes owner of Taifeng Building. People always rx when they eat, and once rxed, they like to chat about some gossip. Zhang Guanghang happened to be picking out tes near the door, and Jiang Feng, having been kept awake by the noise on the trainst night and scrolling through WeChat group messages, casually asked a question. ¡°Old Zhang, I saw everyone in the head chefs¡¯ group chat talking about some mall opening, do you know about this?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Because Ji Yue would always refer to Zhang Guanghang as Old Zhang, it had influenced everyone else to do the same. ¡°Are you talking about SJ?¡± Zhang Guanghang picked up a te with a blue base, looked at it, wasn¡¯t satisfied, and put it back. ¡°That mall is pretty close to us, just about 5 kilometers by car. I pass by there on my way home, and it seems it¡¯s about to open.¡± ¡°Are you guys talking about the mall that¡¯s opening on the 8th of next month?¡± Tang Tang, who was manning the cold dishes station, wanted to join the conversation. ¡°Do you know about that mall?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m very familiar with that area. There used to be a small mall there, not very big and not many shops, so the business was never great. Some boss came out of nowherest year and bought up all thend around it to build a new mall, bigger even than the one next to us. I heard all the brands moving in are luxury ones and upscale restaurants, consumption there must be especially high,¡± Tang Tang exined.
    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that too. Apparently, a Michelin two-star restaurant is going to open a branch there, but it¡¯s going to be just another branch. These past years, quite a few Michelin restaurants have opened branches in Beiping, but they seem to struggle to adapt, so I doubt they¡¯ll affect us much,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, reaching for the highest shelf to pick a te with a yellow border, but withdrawing his hand before touching it. Jiang Feng nodded, as if he had an epiphany, and shoveled another mouthful of fried rice into his mouth. Zhang Guanghang continued to pick tes, unsatisfied with any of the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple, and started looking at the in white tes. Seeing that it was almost time to open, Jiang Feng sped up his eating and swiftly finished off the fried rice on his te. In the end, Zhang Guanghang finished selecting tes, and Jiang Feng finished his fried rice. Still curious, Jiang Feng asked, ¡°Those restaurants that don¡¯t adapt well, what exactly is their problem?¡± Zhang Guanghang thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Maybe because they¡¯re too expensive.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ He found no words to refute. Jiang Feng had a rtively easy shift this afternoon. Considering his exhausting journey and that he hade straight to work, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon preparation, including stuffing and pine needles, had been taken care of by Zhang Guanghang and two sirs, so all he had to do was to adjust the sauce and thicken it at the end. After the midday service ended, Jiang Feng suddenly realized a very serious issue. His Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was recognized as excellent, and since it was not a buffet item, it could be provided without limit; therefore, even though this dish had not yet made it to the menu, it was already recognized by everyone as another signature dish of Taifeng Building, following Ji Xue¡¯s Tile Pot Hua Diao Chicken. Now the question was, Jiang Feng had made quite a few Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons these days, but it seemed they were always given away asplimentary items. ¡°` Giving away premium items didn¡¯t seem quite fitting for the nobility of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Jiang Feng found Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who was ready to sneak into the surveince room for a nap, and brought up this issue. Mrs. Wang Xiulian fell silent. ¡°Yeah, why should it be given away as a premium?¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian, looking at her own son, fell into deep thought. After thinking for a while, she figured it might be because whenever she wanted to give something away, she would involuntarily think of giving away dishes made by Jiang Feng. Just like the pickled vegetable dumplings that were bundled with every Tanabata set meal before, Mrs. Wang Xiulian often neglected the intrinsic value of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Mrs. Wang Xiulian felt that the main reason for this consequence was still Jiang Feng¡¯s fault. Back in the days of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, due to Jiang Feng¡¯s insane practice of making Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon for a period, it resulted in the dish¡¯s constant surplus; everyone got tired of the pigeon taste, as if they had reincarnated from pigeon spirits. Sometimes, even selling it at a discount wouldn¡¯t clear the stock. It was the memory of that period that left a profound impression on the shrewd Mrs. Wang Xiulian, leading her to believe that Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon would always be hard to sell, which is why she would unintentionally want to give it away whenever it was time to hand out freebies.
    But as a loving mother who adores her son, how could Mrs. Wang Xiulian bear to say such a reason out loud? ¡°Son, this is called marketing strategy!¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian said earnestly. ¡°Although your Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons are given as premiums, the recipients are all high-end customers, mostly senior VIPs. Your dish made it onto the menu in October; Mum is helping you build a good reputation among the customers before October to ensure sales volume. Mum wouldn¡¯t harm you, rest assured!¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian said, patting Jiang Feng on the shoulder, ¡°When has Mum ever harmed you? I haven¡¯t even deceived you in all these years!¡± Jiang Feng was convinced on the spot, even a little moved, that Mrs. Wang Xiulian would actually forego making money for his sake.
    ¡°Thank you, Mum.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s for you, my son, Mum doesn¡¯t mind working harder, getting tired, or losing a bit of money.¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian got carried away with her act, almost as if it were really the case; she then abruptly changed the topic, ¡°But son, in this regard, you really should learn from your father.¡± ¡°Look at your dad; even something like pickled vegetable fried rice can be turned into abalone and sea cucumber pickled vegetable fried rice. Dad makes a serving in a few minutes, we price a slightly smaller portion at 168 per serving, and the profit margin is there. Your dishes¡­ I¡¯m not saying they¡¯re not good, your Eight Treasures Porridge is very nice, but even the best tasting porridge is still just Eight Treasures Porridge and can¡¯t be sold at a high price! Aren¡¯t you recently learning sea cucumber dishes from Grandpa? Why don¡¯t you try using sea cucumbers to make porridge? Keep those leftover trimmings from your daily practice and use them to make porridge; it¡¯ll give you more practice.¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s mind was racing with calctions. Jiang Feng: ??? Mum, you¡¯re shifting topics a bit too quickly. Our pure mother-son rtionship, how did it suddenly get tainted with the filthy smell of money? ¡°I¡¯ll work hard,¡± Jiang Feng began to ther. He did want to make dishes that could fetch a good price, whether it was Braised Lobster in Broth or Bi-Color Prawns; irrespective of any special effects buff, which one wouldn¡¯t fetch a good price? It wasn¡¯t because hecked the ability. ¡°` Chapter 380: 379: Greeting Chapter 380: Chapter 379: Greeting By September 12, Jiang Feng had finally repaid all the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon debts. It was also on the same day that Ji Xia, who had run away from home nearly three months ago, was finally caught, no, should rather be said to be found, through the joint efforts of Ji Xue, Ji Xue¡¯s uncle, and the police. Since Ji Xue had always been in one-sided contact with Ji Yue, and Ji Yue happened to be sent out by Mrs. Wang Xiulian to submit documents that day, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even get to hear the second-hand news. He got the third-hand news that was passed from Ji Xue to Ji Yue, and from Ji Yue to Zhang Guanghang, before it finally got to him, not knowing how much of it was still true. Lunch break was the perfect time for everyone to gather and gossip. The big news of Ji Xia running away from home was a hot topic in the back kitchen of Taifeng Buildingtely, mainly because Ji Xue wouldn¡¯t return to her post until Ji Xia was found. Missing one colleague, the kitchen team, which had just about reached a good level of coordination, felt as if it was missing a part, making everything seem a bit off. The folks also felt this way when Sun Jikai first returned to Jubao Building, with the dishwasher and kitchen hands often looking around for him, feeling as if he was still at Taifeng. ¡°So, Ji Xia took the 200 yuan Ji Xue gave her to buy clothes during New Year, bought a ticket to FZ, and then started working in a garment factory,¡± Jiang Feng mused as he enjoyed a slice of watermelon, truly embodying the role of a spectator. The only surprising thing about this piece of gossip to Jiang Feng was that Ji Xia chose to work in a garment factory after running away from home, rather than another location that might evoke more excitement. The humdrum garment factory didn¡¯t seem to fit the image of Ji Xia, a wayward girl with an almost mystical, rebellious nature. ¡°There should be garment factories everywhere, right? Why make a special trip to FZ?¡± Sang Ming expressed his confusion while eating a piece of mango. ¡°Could it be because the garment factories there pay higher wages?¡± Tangtang was led astray by Sang Ming¡¯s thought, pondering with half a piece of cantaloupe in hand.
    ¡°Actually, for a young girl looking to work, I think the wages at a caf¨¦ would be higher. If it¡¯s a bit more upscale, she might even get tips from customers,¡±mented an employee who seemed to know the industry. ¡°ces like that tend to be about looks though; the better-looking you are, the higher the wage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, I have a high school ssmate who studied hotel management. She¡¯s tall and pretty, and while still in university, she worked at a star-rated hotel in Magic City over summer break and made over 30,000 yuan in a month, including tips,¡± Zhang Weiyu nodded in agreement, picking up a slice of apple. ¡°Our servers here also make good money, and some guests give tips too. I reckon the lobby staff can make over 10,000 yuan a month, way higher than our wages,¡±mented one of the pantry staff, sounding a bit sour. ¡°If you were a furnace chef and gotmissions, you¡¯d definitely have a higher sry,¡± Sang Ming retorted on Jiang Feng¡¯s behalf. As the conversation drifted further off track and even started to spark a bit of tension, Jiang Feng quickly steered the talk back: ¡°So, I guess Ji Xia is going to get a beating after getting caught this time, huh?¡± Wu Minqi echoed Jiang Feng¡¯s change in topic: ¡°Definitely deserves a beating, just not sure if Xue has the heart to do it.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she? Running away for over three months, my parents would¡¯ve strung me up and whipped me.¡± ¡°Yeah, she should be punished for making her family worry so much without leaving any message.¡± ¡°With this, Ji Xue should be able toe back in a couple of days, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, I haven¡¯t had stir-fried beef hor fun for so long, I really want it now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not right to make her take care of staff meals so soon after she¡¯s back, even if it¡¯s her turn. Let her have a break first; going out looking for her sister has been nerve-wracking and draining enough. Ji Xue should rest for a couple of days. If you¡¯re craving it, just bear with it, it won¡¯t kill you to wait another two days.¡± Everybody started discussing various things rted to Ji Xue. Seeing that the purpose of this tea party had been reached, and that everyone knew about Ji Xue¡¯s progress in finding her sister and could expect her return soon, Jiang Fengfortably stopped talking and let everyone else chat, quietly enjoying his watermelon. By the time Jiang Feng finished his te of watermelon and Wu Minqi had eaten her apple, inte addict Zhang Guanghang finally tore his gaze from his phone and nced at Jiang Feng, sending him a message. Zhang Guanghang: Orchid is back. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi exchanged looks, knowing they both had received the message from Zhang Guanghang, and they found an opportunity to stealthily slip away. Some less important pieces of gossip were okay to share with everyone, but other, more significant pieces of news had to be kept secret to be savored alone. Novice gossip eater Jiang Feng and professional gossip consumer of 30 years Wu Minqi understood this deeply. Ji Yue had returned drenched in sweat under the harsh sun, having just finished submitting documents and getting them stamped at some out-of-the-way ce. It was early September, the time of year when the ¡®autumn tiger¡¯ shows itsst ferocious burst of summer heat, with a zing sun and high temperatures. Even Ji Yue, wearing her lightest dress, was sweating profusely. As soon as she entered, she ran into the trio of Jiang Feng and the others, who were waiting by the door, eager to gossip.
    ¡°I¡¯ll change clothes and touch up my makeup first; it¡¯s so hot I¡¯ve sweated all my makeup off. You guys go upstairs and find a private room to sit in, I have something to talk to you about,¡± said Ji Yue, implying that she had some news to share with the group. Perhaps due to the extreme heat and because she had been running errands outside, even someone like Jiang Feng, who never dealt with makeup, could tell that Ji Yue¡¯s makeup had worn off. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you upstairs, do you want to drink anything?¡± asked Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Plum juice,¡± Ji Yue hurried toward the changing room, afraid if she were any slower, her sweat would smudge her eyeliner beyond repair.
    Due to financial difficulties over the past year, the new eyeliner she had purchased duringst year¡¯s Singles¡¯ Day sales from a certain treasure tform was cheap and would easily turn her into a panda-eyed mess if she wasn¡¯t careful¡ªa sight Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had witnessed many times. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi ascended the stairs, as Zhang Guanghang went to get plum juice for Ji Yue, while Wu Minqi walked alongside Jiang Feng, pondering Ji Yue¡¯s expression just now. ¡°I felt Ji Yue was quite serious when she said that earlier; could she actually have something important to tell us?¡± Wu Minqi pondered aloud with a thoughtful expression. ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t have any real issues. We¡¯ve found the person we¡¯ve been looking for, and that was the biggest problem, so everything should be fine,¡± Jiang Feng reasoned calmly. Wu Minqi found his logicpelling and didn¡¯t press further. The three of them picked a private room near the staircase, leaving the door open to make it easier for Ji Yue to find them quickly after touching up her makeup. They silently yed with their phones for about 10 minutes in the room until Ji Yue slipped in and closed the door behind her. ¡°How¡¯s Ji Xue doing now?¡± Jiang Feng, as the boss, naturally felt it was his priority to ask about his employee. ¡°She should be okay. I didn¡¯t detect anything unusual when I talked to her on the phone,¡± Ji Yue walked over to the table, took a sip of her plum juice, and sat down, ¡°The main issue is something she wants to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Discuss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about her sister, Ji Xia. You both know she¡¯s not good in her studies, and her scores in the middle school exam weren¡¯t great either. Even if she hadn¡¯t missed the registration deadline, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get into high school. So now what Ji Xia should do has actually be the biggest issue for their family,¡± Ji Yue exined. ¡°Xue¡¯s idea is to bring Ji Xia over to our side to live with me. I don¡¯t have a problem with it, but since we¡¯re currently living in the employee dormitory, we obviously need Mr. Jiang¡¯s approval.¡± ¡°Even if Xue brings her sister over, we all have to work, and there won¡¯t be anyone to take care of her. What will her sister do?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Xue didn¡¯t say, but I feel like she hasn¡¯t really figured it out herself,¡± Ji Yue said with a bitter smile. ¡°But how should I put it¡ªI think this is probably the best solution Xue coulde up with. If Ji Xia is left at home, Xue¡¯s mom has to take care of her dad, and probably won¡¯t be able to spare much attention for Ji Xia. If she finds an opportunity to run away from home again, no one can stop her. Who can truly understand the thoughts of a teenager? Not to mention Xue rarely interacts with Ji Xia, I¡¯ve been fighting with my brother since childhood, and now I still can¡¯t fully grasp what¡¯s on his mind.¡± ¡°Bringing her here is not a problem. I can talk to my parents and grandfather about it; they will certainly agree. But we can¡¯t just keep Ji Xia locked up at home. Whether it¡¯s continuing her studies or learning a trade, we need to find something for her to do,¡± Jiang Feng stated.
    ¡°I can introduce Ji Xue to the tutor I had when I was studying,¡± Zhang Guanghang started to offer an unpopr suggestion. Ji Yue: ¡­. ¡°Seeing Ji Xia¡¯s middle school exam scores, she probably doesn¡¯t want to continue studying. It might be better to let her learn a trade so she can support herself,¡± Ji Yue felt that if Ji Xue actually found a tutor to force Ji Xia into further studies, Ji Xia would probably run away from home again. Besides, the cost of hiring a tutor is so high these days, Ji Xue probably can¡¯t afford it. ¡°We should let Xue decide on such matters; it¡¯s a family issue and not our ce to intervene,¡± Wu Minqi smiled. ¡°I think it¡¯s good for Xue to bring her sister over. It¡¯s better for a young girl to get out into the world than to stay at home.¡± ¡°When is Ji Xueing back?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°The day after tomorrow, I suppose. She said she needs to go home first,¡± Ji Yue mentioned. The gossipping time ended, and the four of them took out their phones to engage in the mostmon contemporary youth entertainment¡ªmeeting without speaking, just bowing their heads to their phones. Even couples, glued to their phones, must do so. ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± Ji Yue suddenly looked up, removed her earphones, and broke away from the TV drama¡¯s plot. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, but I think I should mention it to you,¡± Ji Yue turned to Jiang Feng. ¡°I called Sun Jikai previously to ask for a favor, and these past days, Xue also met with Sun Jikai. She told me that Sun Jikai¡¯s grandfather appears to be sick and hospitalized. I remember you know Sir Sun pretty well, right? Maybe you should send him a WeChat to see how he¡¯s doing?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­. He didn¡¯t have Sun Guanyun¡¯s WeChat.
    He didn¡¯t even know if Sun Guanyun had WeChat. ¡°Sir Sun is hospitalized?¡± Wu Minqi looked up. ¡°Is it serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that; Xue just mentioned it in passing,¡± Ji Yue shook her head. ¡°But it¡¯s normal for the elderly to visit the hospital with a headache or fever, right? Is there a flu going around?¡± ¡°Fengfeng, why don¡¯t you send a WeChat to ask Sun Jikai?¡± Wu Minqi suggested to Jiang Feng. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll send him a WeChatter,¡± Jiang Feng nodded. He felt it was necessary to show concern, even if it was just out of respect for an elder as a younger generation member. Chapter 383: 382 Misunderstanding Chapter 383: Chapter 382 Misunderstanding In the private room, all the dishes had been served except for Jiang Feng¡¯s sweet and sour yam. Since this meal was specifically arranged for Jiang Shoucheng to have his own private feast, Jiang Zaidi was just tagging along, so there weren¡¯t many dishes, just braised pork knuckle, chopped chili fish head, ¡°sea,nd, and air¡± mixed fried rice, mapo tofu, chrysanthemum fish, two small bowls of porridge, and the sweet and sour yam still in the pot. The portions of each dish weren¡¯t particrlyrge; Sir Jiang had deliberately picked a smaller pork knuckle. After the afternoon¡¯s events, Sir Jiang suddenly realized that among his four grandsons, only the ever-under-200-pounds Jiang Feng and the recently slimmed-down due to studies Jiang Ran had girlfriends. It dawned on him that the other two might indeed be too fat to find girlfriends. Nowadays, young people think about nothing but eating. They don¡¯t do physical work and sit around even at their jobs without exercising. These two disappointing grandsonscked any knack for cooking and couldn¡¯t toss around in the kitchen daily like Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang. Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng were puffy and couldn¡¯t bepared to their strong-an built father at all. With their bodies full of fat and b, they¡¯d probably float if they fell into a river, which truly could affect their future prospects of finding wives. In Sir¡¯s heart, these two grandsons might be disappointing, but they couldn¡¯t be so disappointing that they end up not being able to find wives. He even started pondering how to drop a hint to his eldest daughter-inw to get her and the second daughter-inw to start paying attention to their sons¡¯ corpulence. . Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng knew that Ji Xue and Ji Xia would likely join them for the meal soon, so they sat in the private room with reserve, waiting. They used eye contact and brief words to divvy up the pork knuckle on the table, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. Ji Xue, leading Ji Xia, climbed the stairs and entered the private room. She nodded and smiled at Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng, then found a seat and sat down. In fact, Ji Xue had only seen Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi before and had only spoken to them for the first time at the train station that afternoon, so their rtionship was quite distant, and she only retained a vague impression of their faces and built.
    Ji Xue nced at Jiang Shoucheng, who she generally remembered as Jiang Feng¡¯s cousin working in the hospital, and noticed he seemed much thinner. She remembered that thest time Sir Jiang Weiming celebrated his birthday, these two brothers looked about the same build, but now Jiang Shoucheng was visibly slimmer than Jiang Zaidi, and his clothes seemed rather ill-fitting and baggy. ¡°Since everyone is here, let¡¯s eat before the food gets cold. My younger brothers will probablye upter. You guys take turns eating, right? Let¡¯s start eating,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said as he picked up his chopsticks and pointed at the pork knuckle in front of him. Jiang Zaidi, not wanting to be outdone, reached his chopsticks towards the part of the knuckle he¡¯d set his sights on. Ji Xia: ??? From the moment she arrived until she sat down at the dining table, Ji Xia had kept her head down, her back bowed, and was taciturn. Only now did she raise her head, counting the dishes on the table with some disbelief. Everyone¡¯s here? 4 people share 7 dishes and there¡¯s so much staple food? Could it be that¡­ Beiping people all eat this much? Ji Xia, who had lived in the town and vige with no mobile phone, no TV at home, no friends, and seldom any contact with the outside world as if she lived in the mountains, hadn¡¯t changed even after running away from home for almost three months, hiding in a clothing factory that provided room and board, afraid to expose her information. Her interactions with others were practically zero, leading a very sheltered life. Seeing Ji Xia staring nkly at the mixed grain porridge on the table, Ji Xue thought she might want some porridge. In an attempt to mend their previously shattered sisterly bond, caused by Ji Xue violently dragging her home and beating her, Ji Xue proactively picked up a bowl to scoop some porridge for her sister. Actually, Ji Xia didn¡¯t want to drink porridge at all. She craved meat. She couldn¡¯t afford meat at school, didn¡¯t have much opportunity to eat it at home, and only got to enjoy meat when visiting her grandmother¡¯s house during holidays. Even during the three months she ran away from home, she scrimped on her wages, hiding them away instead of spending. The meals at the all-inclusive factory where she workedcked meat, and when meat was avable, it was scraps that were poorly cooked. The sulent and aromatic meat on the table was a world apart from that meat. Even if she was to have porridge, she didn¡¯t want the mixed grain porridge; she wanted the other kind with the visible bits of meat¡ªthe preserved egg and lean pork porridge. But considering her currently fractured rtionship with her sister, Ji Xia stayed quiet, bowed her head, and seemed to acquiesce. Ji Xia picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of mixed grain porridge, and brought it to her mouth, sadly eyeing the meaty dishes on the table. She was well aware that she was only there to freeload a meal, so she resisted the urge to pick up her chopsticks and gulped down the entire spoonful of mixed grain porridge. Sweet. It was still very glutinous.
    Smooth. It tasted much better than the canned eight-treasure porridge Pingping had bought for her from the supermarket during the New Year. Delicious. One bite, two bites.
    One spoonful, two spoonfuls. Ji Xia had never had such delicious eight-treasure porridge before, and she had never imagined that there could be a porridge in the world that tasted better than meat and snacks. It even tasted better than the chicken stew that Grandma made during the New Year. As she ate, Ji Xia was no longer satisfied with slowly scooping with a spoon¡ªdrinking porridge this way was just too inefficient. Ji Xia put down the spoon, picked up the small bowl, and started to gulp down the eight-treasure porridge. However, Ji Xia¡¯s wolfing down the porridge was absolutely refined whenpared to Jiang Shoucheng who had not tasted meat or even the vor of sour and spicy shredded potatoes for half a month at the same table. Ji Xue, who was closely watching Ji Xia¡¯s actions while eating, saw her starting to drink porridge from the bowl and remembered how Ji Xia loved candy as a child, needing to keep a piece in her mouth even while sleeping. Before she even entered primary school, she already had three cavities. Crying and screaming during tooth extraction, Ji Xue thought that Ji Xia must really love Jiang Feng¡¯s eight-treasure porridge. After Ji Xia finished a bowl of eight-treasure porridge, Ji Xue took Ji Xia¡¯s bowl and scooped another bowl for her. Ji Xia was resentful. Indeed, this was the most delicious porridge she had ever tasted, and for the first time, she found a porridge that tasted better than meat, but she really wanted to eat meat. Especially in a situation where the table was full of meat, the various enticing scents of meat infiltrated her nostrils, making her particrly crave meat. That te with the shiny, thick sauce, having beenrgely carved up, and the skin and meat all exposed, was shimmering as it seemed to beckon to Ji Xia¡ªthe pork knuckle looked very delicious. And there was that te of bright red, emanating a spicy aroma, even the soup at the bottom was red, alsorgely divided up, with the white fish meat lying open on the te still steaming¡ªthe chopped chili fish head seemed incredibly tasty without even needing a glimpse, a single whiff was enough to tell. Not to mention the chrysanthemum fish ced in the middle of the table. Although Ji Xia couldn¡¯t tell at all what kind of meat it was from its appearance, such a dish, fried to a golden brown and topped with a sauce, was what truly captivated Ji Xia the most.
    All children love fried foods like fried chicken, and Ji Xia, being just a 16-year-old minor, was no exception. Although she had never had any fried food other than the fried meatballs her Grandma made during the New Year, this innate preference was unchangeable. Sang Ming did the ting for the chrysanthemum fish. Although Ji Xia did not know what he was thinking when ting this time¡ªdefinitely not a fish-like thought process. Not just Ji Xia, even Ji Xue, if she didn¡¯t know the name of the dish was chrysanthemum fish, would not have recognized it as fish flesh with Sang Ming¡¯s peculiar ting style. Ji Xue handed the second bowl of eight-treasure porridge to Ji Xia. Ji Xia looked at the eight-treasure porridge in front of her, her head hung even lower. ¡°If you like it, drink a couple more bowls,¡± Ji Xue said with concern, trying to mend the ruptured sisterly bond. Ji Xia¡¯s body still bore the marks where Ji Xue and their mother hadshed her with bamboo in a fit of anger, and Ji Xue was the kind that would regret right after hitting. She wasn¡¯t good with words, so she could only continually guess at Ji Xia¡¯s thoughts and then take certain actions to try to repair their sisterly rtionship. Ji Xia picked up the bowl and began to drink the porridge. Her sister never understood her, never had! She wanted to eat meat. Chapter 384: 383 Conflict Chapter 384: Chapter 383 Conflict ¡°` When Wu Minqi brought over the Sweet and Sour Yam fresh out of the pot that Jiang Feng had just made, she felt the atmosphere was a bit delicate. Although four people seemed to be eating, Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng were gobbling down their food with gusto, which could be ignored, but the two sisters Ji Yue and Ji Xia, who were both drinking porridge, looked somewhat odd. The two sisters didn¡¯t touch the dishes, they just silently drank their porridge. ¡°Sweet and Sour Yam, just out of the pot. Eat it while it¡¯s hot,¡± Wu Minqi said as she ced the Sweet and Sour Yam on the table and sat down next to Ji Xue. Ji Xue thought her slow eating was holding everyone up, so she hurriedly picked up her bowl to gulp down her Eight Treasure Porridge. ¡°We¡¯ve only just opened for the day and there aren¡¯t many customers, so I came up to eat. Xue, don¡¯t rush, take your time. Do you not like these dishes? I notice your sister hasn¡¯t eaten much,¡± Wu Minqi asked. It wasn¡¯t just that Ji Xia hadn¡¯t eaten much, Wu Minqi didn¡¯t even see any soup or bones in her te, she even suspected that Ji Xia hadn¡¯t touched the dishes at all. ¡°Xiaxia is shy, maybe she¡¯s just embarrassed,¡± Ji Xue said quietly, ncing at the expressionless Ji Xia. ¡°Xiaxia, don¡¯t you love sweet things? Sweet and Sour Yam is sweet, do you want me to get some for you?¡± Ji Xia remained silent.
    Ji Xue took her silence as agreement and carefully picked a piece of Sweet and Sour Yam for Ji Xia, reminding her to be careful not to burn her tongue as she ate. By the time Wu Minqi arrived, Ji Xia was almost full, so she just finished the porridge in her bowl and quickly ate the Sweet and Sour Yam that Ji Xue had given her, then put down her chopsticks and continued to sit silently with her head bowed, lost in thought. Wu Minqi didn¡¯t eat much either, having only half a bowl of Eight Treasure Porridge, since she knew she would have another bowl of Jiang Feng¡¯s Noodle pulling when she got home; a light dinner would suffice. If Ji Xue hadn¡¯te back today, Wu Minqi wouldn¡¯t have even drunk the porridge this evening. ¡°Xue, what about your sisterter? Are you going to send her home first, or let her stay here? Should I go get a tablet for her to y with?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°She¡­¡± ¡°I can help,¡± Ji Xia suddenly raised her head and spoke up loudly, her voice was clear but slightly husky, probably because she hadn¡¯t spoken loudly for a long time. ¡°Help with what?¡± Ji Xue responded. ¡°I can sweep, wipe tables, I can also chop vegetables,¡± said Ji Xia, looking up, allowing Wu Minqi to fully see her face for the first time. Phoenix eyes, willow eyebrows. The first thing that came to Wu Minqi¡¯s mind was ¡°A pair of phoenix eyes, two curved willow eyebrows.¡± But unlike Wang Xifeng, who had a delicate face revealing a spring-like tenderness and a smile that could be sensed even before her lips parted, Ji Xia¡¯s face was wooden, with no expression on her face, not even a flicker in her eyes, like a pool of still water that even a stone thrown into wouldn¡¯t cause more than a few negligible ripples. In Wu Minqi¡¯s opinion, Ji Xia had the kind of appearance she really liked. Well-defined facial features, sharp and even fierce, with hair even longer than the dolls disyed in department store windows, she had an aloof and even cold expression, as if she could slip on a helmet, grab a spear, mount a horse and go to battle the next second, much like a female general from theics. Such a distinct and unique face,bined with Ji Xia¡¯s abysmal academic performance, if she were to get into a couple of school fights and be more unruly, it would quite match the persona of a rebellious teenage girl. ¡°Don¡¯t be wilful anymore, this is a restaurant and everyone has their own tasks. There are others to sweep, to wipe tables, and to chop vegetables. I¡¯m taking you home now,¡± said Ji Xue. ¡°And then what, sit in your room doing nothing just like at school and at home, being useless, eating but not doing anything?¡± Ji Xia looked at Ji Xue. ¡°Then I¡¯ll find a university student to tutor you. If there¡¯s no after-school teacher in town, I¡¯ll look for one here. You stay at home and study well. I¡¯ve asked Mrs. Fan, she said we can find a way for you to take the middle school entrance exam again. You stay home and study, prepare for next year¡¯s exam, get into a good high school, then college, and find a good job. Then you won¡¯t suffer as I do; you can live a steady life,¡± Ji Xue said. Listening to Ji Xue, Ji Xia felt an unprecedented irritation.
    She heard this speech many times a year, from listening to Ji Xue, to their mother, to their grandmother, and even to their aunt. She was tired of hearing them repeat over and over, putting all their hopes, their thoughts, their love onto her shoulders alone. ¡°Xiaxia, in this life, your sister ended up being dragged down by me and your dad. Your parents are worthless, useless people, and because of us burdens, your sister has to live like this. Our family only has you now; your sister works hard and suffers on the outside all for you. You must study hard, go to a good university, get a good job, and make all the years of your sister¡¯s hardship worthwhile,¡± they would say. ¡°Xiaxia, is Xue noting home again for Mid-Autumn Festival this year? Ah, it¡¯s really tough on Xue. Xiaxia, you must study hard, get into a good university and make your grandmother happy. As long as you are fine, that¡¯s all grandma needs to be happy,¡± they would say. ¡°Xiaxia, I heard from your mom that you fought in school and got a disciplinary action? Why are you such a worry, making your sister stress so much? Your uncle went to talk to the teachers at school, and from now on you can¡¯t be like this anymore. Your aunt knows you¡¯re not a bad kid, but you¡¯re old enough to be sensible. We¡¯re all counting on you to go to a good university, don¡¯t disappoint your parents or your sister,¡± they would say.
    ¡°` ¡°Xiaxia¡­¡± ¡°Xiaxia.¡± Ji Xia clenched her fists. It was always the same, forever the same. Her family had long ceased to be normal, and it could never be normal again. But it seemed as if, as long as she lived the way they wanted, following the path they had nned for her, her family would be happy and fulfilled. How could that be possible? How could a normal family be overwhelmed by debts, how could a normal family have a father who could do nothing but lie in bed waiting to die, how could a normal family have a mother whose hair had turned white from constant tears, how could a normal family have a sister who had to go work without even finishing junior high, how could a normal family have a younger sister who was cursed by her own grandmother as a jinx, who should have been abandoned at birth. Her family had long been abnormal, so why did everyone want her to live a normal life? ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± Ji Xia looked at Ji Xue, trying to shake her awake and tell her to stop dreaming. ¡°Do we have money? Barely any students from our town¡¯s high school make it to university each year, not to mention my grades. Do you really think I can get into a university?¡± Ji Xue was stunned. ¡°Xiaxia, as long as you¡­¡± Ji Xue wanted to tell Ji Xia that as long as she worked hard, she would certainly be able to do it.
    But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. It was as if the bubble of fantasy she had been weaving with effort over the years had finally been burst by Ji Xia. Ji Xia had grown up. She had started to have her own ideas. It was time for her to face reality too. Her family had never been just any ordinary family, once it had been, but not since ten years ago. Neither she nor Ji Xia could possibly live the life of ordinary people, at least not for now. Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng had the Sweet and Sour Yam in their mouths for at least half a minute by now. They had thought they were just picking someone up for a meal to improve their diet, but before they had enough to eat, they were already stuffed with melons. Their expressions were nearly identical to those Jiang Feng and Sir had when they tasted the years-old melon at Jiang Weiming¡¯s house during the New Year¡¯s celebrations. They looked impressed but were too afraid to speak. ¡°Sister, stop dreaming. It¡¯s impossible,¡± Ji Xia said as she looked at Ji Xue. ¡°I can¡¯t live a normal person¡¯s life.¡± Wu Minqi, also overwhelmed with melons: ¡­ Although she had indeed consumed a lot of melons in secret over the years, the one suddenly forced into her mouth today was indeed quite awkward to digest.
    ¡°Xue, why don¡¯t you go home first and keep your sisterpany? Have a good talk with her,¡± Wu Minqi suggested. ¡°But I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you go ahead. We can handle the back kitchen,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. ¡°Fengfeng and I wille over after we finish work tonight.¡± Wu Minqi nced at Ji Xia, giving her a gentle smile: ¡°Studying may be the most normal and safest path, but it has never been the only path. I withdrew from university this year because for me, I had better options avable.¡± ¡°But first, you need to know what you want to do. Go back and have a good talk with your sister. Xue might not say it, but she really cares about you. All of us colleagues can see that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get busy now,¡± Wu Minqi waved to the sisters as she left. Chapter 385: 384: Chengs Spring Chapter 385: Chapter 384: Cheng¡¯s Spring ¡°Ding.¡± Jiang Feng was cooking a meal when the game unexpectedly sprang back to life. Out of a defiant mentality that no matter whether he watched the update or not, the speed of the update wouldn¡¯t elerate, Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t checked the progress on the properties panel for almost ten days. How far had the update gotst time he checked? Jiang Feng, holding his spat in his right hand, froze mid-motion, lost in thought. Last time he checked, it seemed like the update was at 19%, which suggested that the game had been updating pretty fast this time. With that thought, Jiang Feng reached out his left hand like a crazy person and opened the properties panel. Current game update progress: 77.89% The progress bar was more than halfplete, and on top of it was an intact bun wielding a spat and energetically hopping up and down. It was clear that the game¡¯s art designer deserved a raise¡ªthe art style was far better than before. ¡°Son, son!¡± Jiang Jiankang saw Jiang Feng zoning out even while stir-frying and thought he was preupied with worrying about the pork knuckle and chopped chili fish head cooked by the two old men,pulsively speaking like a good father, ¡°Are you hungry? Leave the rest of the cooking to Dad, go have you meal first!¡± ¡°Ah? No, I¡¯m not, I¡­¡± Jiang Feng looked down and hastily stirred the vegetables in the wok a few times. ¡°Still saying no? How could Dad not know what you¡¯re thinking? I know it¡¯s been a while since your grandpa and granduncle cooked, it¡¯s normal for you to miss it. It¡¯s fine, go have you meal, Dad can handle this alone.¡± Jiang Jiankang promised, patting his chest.
    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m really not hungry,¡± Jiang Feng insisted, trying to exin with the progress bar in his mind, while the hopping bun sometimes blocked Jiang Jiankang¡¯s chin and sometimes his eyes, making Jiang Feng dizzy looking at his own father¡¯s face. Eventually, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t withstand the avnche of fatherly love that came from Jiang Jiankang and was sent off to eat. Just as he left the back kitchen, Jiang Feng saw Ji Xue and Ji Xia¡¯s retreating figures going out the door, and looking up, Wu Minqi wasing down from the second floor. Jiang Feng approached her and asked, ¡°Qiqi, what¡¯s going on with them?¡± ¡°It seems like there¡¯s a bit of a conflict between the sisters, so I asked Xue to go back and have a good talk with her sister. They haven¡¯t reallymunicated much in a while, and they looked like strangers when I went up there,¡± Wu Minqi said helplessly, ¡°Fengfeng, are you hungry? Go on up, De and Cheng are still eating, and it seems they¡¯ve saved some pork knuckle for you.¡± Jiang Feng was startled, then touched, not expecting De and Cheng to remember to save him some pork knuckle. In the Jiang family¡¯s eating philosophy, it had always been ¡°I, Jiang Zaidi/Jiang Shoucheng/Jiang Ran/Jiang Feng know nothing of youthful folly, only the victor king¡± stance¡ªwhat you get in your bowl and what you eat is what matters. Give way? Impossible! With a hint of warmth in his heart, Jiang Feng trotted upstairs and pushed open the door of the private room. The smokeless battle between Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng was nearing its end, both were close to twelve parts full, now drinking porridge to fill the gaps in their stomach and esophagus. ¡°Little bro, you¡¯re here!¡± Seeing Jiang Feng, Jiang Shoucheng greeted him warmly, burping with satisfaction, ¡°De and I specially saved you some pork knuckle.¡± Jiang Feng looked at the table and indeed, there was some, a clean bone with some sauce and a piece of skin on the meat, shiny and lying on the te. That tiny piece of meat encapsted all the love Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng had for their little brother. ¡°Thanks, bro!¡± Jiang Feng was deeply moved. If only Cheng could have been this considerate during the New Year, Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t have missed out on Sir¡¯s crispy apples. In fact, there wasn¡¯t much food left on the table. The reason Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng had hung around was to wait for Jiang Feng to finish eating so they could take care of the remaining food. ¡°Little bro, how¡¯s your learning about cooking sea cucumber dishes going?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked tentatively, leisurely sipping his porridge. Jiang Shoucheng mimicked Jiang Zaidi¡¯s actions, holding up his bowl to cover part of his face, to avoid giving away his intentions with his expression. ¡°It¡¯s going well, grandpa mainly wants me to get familiar with sea cucumber as an ingredient, but what I¡¯m mainly learning is braised sea cucumber with green onions. There are actually a lot of ways to cook sea cucumber, Granduncle Weiming said those particrly difficult dishes will need to be studied and practiced slowly,¡± replied Jiang Feng.
    Jiang Zaidi finished the porridge in his bowl, and his eyes restlessly settled on the remaining chrysanthemum fish on the te. He convinced himself that his little brother didn¡¯t like fish. Yes, that¡¯s it, the little brother doesn¡¯t like fish, and his hand honestly reached out with the chopsticks. Jiang Shoucheng pped Jiang Zaidi¡¯s chopsticks away with a ¡°snap,¡± red at him, and then turned to Jiang Feng with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve also heard recently¡­ little bro, aren¡¯t you learning to make noodles?¡± Jiang Shoucheng showed off his shiny teeth. Jiang Feng looked up, swallowing his fried rice, ¡°Uncle told you? Who else did Uncle talk to? Did Uncle talk to Grandpa? What did he tell Grandpa?¡±
    ¡°De told me! I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Jiang Shoucheng passed the me to Jiang Zaidi. ¡°My mom told me!¡± Jiang Zaidi shifted the me to his aunt. Jiang Feng sighed with relief, ¡°You two mustn¡¯t tell Grandpa, not a single word!¡± The brothers nodded in unison, showing an expression that said ¡®we get it, don¡¯t worry, our lips are sealed.¡¯ ¡°Little brother, honestly, how has Cheng treated you over the years?¡± Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s expression turned serious all of a sudden. Jiang Feng hesitated a bit: ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Then you should help him out with something he needs now, right?¡± ¡°Not necessar¡­ no¡­ not necessarily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small favor, little brother; you don¡¯t have to be scared. When has Cheng ever harmed you?¡± Jiang Shouchengforted, ¡°It¡¯s just a tiny, insignificant favor, but you¡¯re the only one in our family who can help me out!¡± Jiang Feng: ?(?¡ä??£à)? ¡°If you want something, Cheng, just say it.¡± ¡°Little brother, teach me how to pull noodles!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡±
    A few minutester, after Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s not-so-honest recounting and Jiang Zaidi¡¯s exaggerations, Jiang Feng finally understood the whole story. In short, Jiang Shoucheng had found spring again. These days, under the strict control of his second aunt¡¯s fitness diet, Jiang Shoucheng felt as if life had lost its luster, bing dull and vorless. He grew increasingly haggard and thinner, and at the same time, he also began to realize that the daughter of the owner who delivered his regrly ordered braised pork takeaway was actually quite cute. At first, Jiang Shoucheng thought he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the delivery girl just because he was deeply attracted to the takeaway she held. It wasn¡¯t until he forced Sun and Xu to order braised pork from this ce every day that he realized even when this nameless girl was holding the fragrant braised pork, his eyes stayed on her face rather than the dish she carried. That¡¯s when Jiang Shoucheng confirmed that it was the girl he liked, not the meat. Now, after inquiring around, Jiang Shoucheng had gleaned all he could about the girl. Her name was Yang Rui, an only child, majored in ssical Chinese Literature in college, and after graduating, went back to help in her parents¡¯ shop while also working as a frence writer. Due to being cooped up in the shop for long periods, her daily routine became delivering takeaways every half-hour, turning her into a slightly tanned, slightly chubby young woman. Of course, all this information wasn¡¯t the main point. Jiang Shoucheng also found out that the girl loved noodles. Loved thin noodles. ¡°Little brother, next month! There¡¯s a gathering for emergency next month, and I¡¯ve already suggested to Director Zhong that we should have the meal at that shop, tasty and cheap. At that time, I¡¯ll show off my impressive noodle-pulling skills, pull noodles right in front of Yang Rui; I¡¯ll definitely be the brightest star among the crowd!¡± Jiang Shoucheng dreamed big. Jiang Feng indicated that even if you don¡¯t pull noodles, just by standing among the emergency department doctors, you¡¯re already the brightest star. ¡°Cheng, why don¡¯t you just go learn from Uncle?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°If I went straight to Uncle, my mom would find out. If my mom finds out, that¡¯s the end of the world. Right now, she¡¯s dying to tie some other girl up and drag her home to marry me.¡± Jiang Shoucheng suggested you can never underestimate how scary a mom can be when pushing for marriage. Jiang Feng: ¡­
    Jiang Feng shed Jiang Shoucheng a mischievous smile. ¡°Cheng, say ¡®Master¡¯ and let me hear.¡± ¡°Thump.¡± The table made a dull sound. Jiang Feng¡¯s legs trembled, almost deciding to leave first. He felt he had indeed be too arrogant, forgetting the feeling of being teamed up on by Cheng and De when he was younger. Jiang Feng opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could say anything, Jiang Shoucheng sprang up. ¡°Master, I¡¯m counting on you!¡± Jiang Feng & Jiang Zaidi: ??? The two brothers stood there stunned. After a while, Jiang Feng pondered in his heart: Indeed, faced with both braised pork and the girl, Cheng¡¯s first instinct was to look at the girl. True love indeed! Chapter 386: 385: Ji Xia Research Center Chapter 386: Chapter 385: Ji Xia Research Center When Jiang Feng got home from work in the evening, he discovered that he had been added to a mysterious WeChat group without knowing when. The group chat was named Ji Xia Research Center. Jiang Feng checked the member list, the group owner was Ji Yue, and the only other member was Wu Minqi. The group was called Ji Xia Research Center, but Ji Xue, being Ji Xia¡¯s biological older sister, didn¡¯t even qualify to join the group. Jiang Feng, who had been about to start noodle pulling, put down the basin containing the kneaded dough and, carrying his phone, went to the bedroom to look for Wu Minqi. He saw Wu Minqi, who was preparing to video call Mrs. Wu, also holding her phone with a confused expression. ¡°Qiqi, this group¡­¡± ¡°Fengfeng, this group¡­¡± Both of them started to speak at the same time, then stopped, saying in unison, ¡°You don¡¯t know either?¡± ¡°I just took out my phone and found myself in this group,¡± said Wu Minqi. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Ji Yue out on a date with Zhang? What¡¯s she doing starting this group when she¡¯s got nothing better to do? I need to ask her.¡± As Jiang Feng started to type on his phone, before he could finish his question, Ji Yue sent a message. Beauty Ji: Are you guys free? @Jiang Feng @Wu Minqi
    Beauty Ji: I think there¡¯s going to be a fight here. [Smoking] Beauty Ji: Sisterly showdown imminent, smoke all around, should I go out and hide? [Scared] Beauty Ji: Anyone there? What are you two up to, not using your phoneste at night? [Question] Beauty Ji: Minqi, stop eating noodles. Your man is harming you, eating so many carbste at night makes you gain weight quickly. [Curse] Beauty Ji: No, I can¡¯t stand the atmosphere at home; it¡¯s too awkward. I need toe to your ce and hide. [Scared] Beauty Ji: I¡¯ming down. [Smart] Almost at the same time they received the message, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi heard a knock at the door from inside the house. Jiang Feng went to the living room to open the door, with Wu Minqi following close behind. At the door was Ji Yue, whose eyeliner had smudged from her date and from a distance looked like she was wearing smoky makeup. ¡°Did you see the messages I sent you? I just¡­¡± Ji Yue¡¯s gaze glued onto Jiang Feng¡¯s still-lit phone screen, ¡°If you saw it, why didn¡¯t you reply to me?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Your messages were too fast. I hadn¡¯t figured out how to respond to the first one before the next one came in,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Wu Minqi pointed to her own left eye, signaling to Ji Yue, ¡°Yue, the eyeliner on this eye has run.¡± ¡°I know, I just got home.¡± Ji Yue used her phone as a mirror to check her eyes, ¡°Seems like it¡¯s smudged quite a lot this time. I was nning to remove the makeup as soon as I got home. But when I pushed the door open, do you know what I saw?¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi asked together. Ji Yue walked over to the sofa, sat down on the single seater, lowered her head, propped her forehead with her right hand, shielding her eyes. Thinking it over, she felt this wasn¡¯t right, then she pulled out a tissue from the box on the table, gripped it in her right hand, and resumed the previous position. ¡°This is how I found Ji Xue when I came back, and then there was Ji Xia Research Center.¡± Ji Yue stood at the right side of the coffee table, tore the tissue in her hand, leaving only a small piece, and threw the rest on the floor. She clutched the small piece of tissue in her right hand, thumb of her left hand digging into her right palm, crouched down, staring at the floor, expressionless, biting her lip fiercely. ¡°Ji Xia is just like that,¡± Ji Yue believed she portrayed the scene quite vividly, picking up the tissue she¡¯d just torn up from the floor and throwing it into the trash can. ¡°When I walked in, her lips were all bitten white from nerves. Zhang and I were so scared we didn¡¯t dare to speak. Ji Xia did nce up at us, but it looked like Ji Xue didn¡¯t even notice we were there. Zhang gave me a look and ran off, and after standing at the door for two minutes, I felt like I shouldn¡¯t go in, so I came here instead.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t say anything?¡± Wu Minqi asked.
    ¡°It¡¯d be better if she had said something, but silence is terrifying. You have no idea what the atmosphere was like when I entered, I really thought they woulde to blows any second.¡± Ji Yue paused, ¡°Maybe it was wrong of me to just leave like that, what if they actually started fighting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Ji Xue¡¯s temper wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t finish his sentence when a loud noise came from upstairs. ¡°Damn, they¡¯re not really fighting, are they? Hurry, let¡¯s go up, Ji Yue, do you have the keys?¡± Jiang Feng ran off, with Ji Yue and Wu Minqi following closely behind him. ¡°Got them, got them.¡±
    When the three of them burst through the door upstairs, they didn¡¯t encounter the chaos they had imagined ¨C no shattered battlefield in sight. Instead, everything appeared calm, and there was no clue as to where the loud bang hade from. This time, Ji Xue did notice them, and while wiping the tears from her face, she said, ¡°Why did you alle back together?¡± ¡°Uh, Qiqi and I heard some noise upstairs and thought something had happened,¡± he exined. ¡°Then I ran into them at the door, so we all just came in,¡± Ji Yue spun some story, ¡°Xue, are you okay? Hey, where¡¯s your sister?¡± ¡°I asked Xiaxia to go freshen up. I just had a little fall; the noise might have been a bit loud, but it¡¯s nothing serious,¡± Ji Xue struggled to smile. Jiang Feng and the others exchanged nces, knowing Ji Xue was definitely lying but also knowing they shouldn¡¯t expose her lies. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ji Yue helped Ji Xue to the sofa. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just hurt my knee a bit, and it¡¯s a little sore,¡± Ji Xue only stretched her leg out straight without rolling up her pant leg to check the damage to her knee, overwhelmed by Ji Xia¡¯s earlier usations. ¡°What am I at home? Am I your sister? Am I mom¡¯s daughter? Am I dad¡¯s daughter? Have you ever really cared about me? Aside from grandma, does anyone else in this family care about me?¡± ¡°In fourth grade, while other kids from faraway viges stayed at school, I, who lived close by, also had to board. Other children¡¯s parents would pick them up on weekends, but all I could look forward to was my grandmother or a message from the teacher saying your grandmother is busy, she wille for you tomorrow.¡± ¡°I know you struggled, you sacrificed, you dropped out of school and took jobs to provide for us all on your own. Everyone is sympathetic to you, everyone likes you, and you get a warm wee whenever youe back; everyone praises you. When you aren¡¯t here, all mom talks about and thinks about is you. But what about me? Mom only tells me how hard you work, she only instructs me on what I should and shouldn¡¯t do. She never praises me, no matter if I¡¯m washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, or feeding the chickens. Whether I was 8, 9, 10, or 11, her eyes only had you in them. You were her only good daughter, and I was just a burden to her, just like she was to you.¡± ¡°You all do this, you always just demand of me. Whether or not I meet your expectations, you just keep demanding. Usually you don¡¯t care, you don¡¯t even know what grade I¡¯m in, yet every one of you feels entitled to criticize me. And you still think my favorite food is sweets, but ever since I had cavities as a child and suffered for months, I haven¡¯t really liked sweets.¡± ¡°Sis, I beg you, can¡¯t you just be like mom? After she found out I had run away from home, she worried and feared for a few days, brought me back, scolded me, and now she¡¯s still indifferent, tossing me to you and going back to take care of dad. Isn¡¯t it just like her toin about my running away to everyone, crying about my thoughtlessness and then continuing to be all friendly and concerned with you, ignoring me?¡±
    ¡°She¡¯s always using grandma of favoritism; isn¡¯t her own heart biased? Can¡¯t you just be like her, live your own life, she lives hers, and I continue to be the invisible man who can fend for himself, the robot that only exists to fulfill your demands. When convenient, I can be brought out for a round of me; when not needed, I can be tossed aside and forgotten.¡± ¡°I¡¯m begging you, just leave me alone,¡± she pleaded. ¡­ ¡°Xue, I¡¯m quite familiar with arguments, my brother and I used to fight almost every day, and it could even turn physical. During a fight, people say things without thinking, stuff that¡¯s just exaggerated and nonsense; whatever you heard or said, just let it pass and don¡¯t hold onto it,¡± Ji Yue thought Ji Xue was sitting there stiffly because she had a fight with Ji Xia and wanted to console her. ¡°But¡­¡± Ji Xue looked up and then suddenly hugged Ji Yue and started crying, ¡°But I feel like everything Xiaxia said was true.¡± Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi: !!!¡Æ(¡ã§¥¡ã¥Î)¥Î Being an only child and stumbling into a family drama between sisters, what to do, whom to console, how to console, online now, quite urgent! Chapter 387: 386 Accusation Chapter 387: Chapter 386 usation Ji Xue sobbed for a while but refused to say anything. Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng stood helplessly in ce, awkward in the unique way that only-children can be, exchanging nces, not daring to speak. While Ji Yue tried tofort Ji Xue by patting her on the shoulder, she turned and desperately tried tomunicate with Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi through eye signals and lip movements, but they were too absorbed in their own awkwardness to notice the rich expressions on Ji Yue¡¯s face. Seeing no response from them, Ji Yue had no choice but to fish her phone out of her pocket in a bizarre contortion. Using the skill she had developed in high school of ying with her phone during ss, she kept her face still and her eyes moving, unlocked her phone¡¯s screen, and swiftly typed a message one-handed in WeChat. Beauty Ji: @Jiang Feng @ Wu Minqi, go check if Ji Xia is in the bathroom. Beauty Ji: She¡¯s been gone a long time without a sign. Beauty Ji: Hope she hasn¡¯t climbed out the window and escaped. Because Ji Qiran had set a precedent, Ji Yue always felt that her younger siblings were a species prone to escaping out of windows. Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi: !!! Like awakening from a dream, the two finally found something they could do and ran inside. Theyout and pattern of Ji Yue¡¯s apartment was exactly the same as Jiang Feng¡¯s, even the decorating style was remarkably simr. The bathroom was a sliding door, and the wash basin was not separated from the living room by any door, but due to theyout, one couldn¡¯t see the bathroom from the sofa. The sliding door was made of a material that allowed one to make out if there was anyone inside, making it clear at a nce whether Ji Xia was in the washroom. Jiang Feng walked up to the bathroom entrance, poked half his body inside, nced in, and found no one; Ji Xia wasn¡¯t there.
    Wu Minqi quietly pointed to a partially ajar door nearby, from which there was some noise. Although Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi often visited Ji Yue¡¯s home, they generally only hung around the living room and kitchen and had never entered the bedrooms. They didn¡¯t know which room was Ji Yue¡¯s and which was Ji Xue¡¯s, but since the door was ajar, one could still sneak a peek inside to see what was happening. Jiang Feng tiptoed closer, stuck his head in, and tried to see if Ji Xia was by the window, intending to climb out. Then he saw Ji Xia packing her luggage. Packing luggage was much more serious than just slipping out a window, thetter being sneaky while the former was openly nning to leave. In a surge of panic, Jiang Feng, not paying attention, bumped into the door, swinging it fully open. Ji Xia looked up, saw Jiang Feng, and maintained her expressionless demeanor, while Jiang Feng could only offer an awkward smile. ¡°Uh¡­packing your luggage, huh?¡± Jiang Feng started awkwardly. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ji Xia nodded, continuing her packing. Jiang Feng felt he had to say something, or else, in a few minutes when Ji Xia finished packing and carried her suitcase out, if Ji Xue saw her like that, given her current state of mind, the two sisters would definitely start fighting. Maybe they would evene to blows, and then what were the three of them to do? Should they try to break up the fight, pull them apart, side with Ji Xue against Ji Xia or with Ji Xia against Ji Xue, or simply stand aside and watch the sisters fight until one emerged victorious? Jiang Feng thought the best course of action was to nip this looming battle in the bud. ¡°Uh¡­I¡­I¡¯m Jiang Feng, we met this afternoon,¡± Jiang Feng introduced himself first. Ji Xia looked up at Jiang Feng again, a bit surprised, wondering why he suddenly felt the need to mention this. She was someone who was not skilled at socializing, and ever since she realized that with her face, which seemed naturally cold and even intimidating to her peers, she could discourage conversation by keeping a nk expression and speaking little. ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Ji Xia nodded again. ¡°I heard from Qiqi, I mean, my girlfriend, that you seemed to really like the Eight-Treasure Porridge I made tonight.¡± Jiang Feng felt the pressure mounting, and Wu Minqi naturally stepped out from behind, waiting for Jiang Feng to continue. ¡°So¡­so¡­I just wanted to ask if you really thought the porridge was good tonight?¡± Jiang Feng finished and immediately wished he could bury himself. What on earth had he just said! Ji Xia & Wu Minqi: ??? The two exchanged confused looks at Jiang Feng, momentarily at a loss for words.
    Ji Xia opened her mouth, stunned and standing still,pletely clueless about what she should say. ¡°Right, I just wanted to ask, what do you think of the porridge I made?¡± Jiang Feng gritted his teeth and decided to go all in. Ji Xia: ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s delicious,¡± Ji Xia said. ¡°Very delicious.¡±
    ¡°As long as it¡¯s delicious.¡± Jiang Feng breathed a sigh of relief, feeling he could move on and ask the next question. ¡°Why are you packing your bags sote at night?¡± Ji Xia fell silent. She knew she had to go, that she should leave. Just now, she had blurted out all those words she had kept hidden in her heart for so many years. She felt she had neither the face nor the confidence to confront Ji Xue, to continue living with Ji Xue, sponging off her and depending on her for support. Actually, Ji Xia was very clear in her heart that those words, whether they were sincere or blurted out in a moment of anger, were never meant for Ji Xue, but for her parents. In their nearly twisted family, the one who had sacrificed the most, paid the highest price, was always Ji Xue. Ji Xia could direct herints and criticisms at many people¡ªher father, her mother, fate, life, even herself¡ªbut the one person she could not me was Ji Xue. But she could only me Ji Xue. If she had said those words to her mother at home, all she would have received in return would have been more intenseints, usations, grievances, and tears. Her mother would definitely cry andin to anyone who would listen about how her younger daughter was so thoughtless, inconsiderate, uprehending, and willful. Her mother would only dare toin and me her younger daughter to others. When Ji Xia was in elementary school, there was one thing she never understood: why her mother could tolerate her grandmother¡¯s unreasonableness, nitpicking, criticism, and even verbal abuse, only daring to badmouth her behind her back. She appeared so weak and vulnerable in front of her aunt and little aunty whom she rarely saw. Yet in front of her, her mother could vent all her negative emotions, rightfully bossing her around, doing various tasks while picking out her faults and problems. When needed, she let herself be her mother¡¯s trash bin and wish confessor, but when not needed, she could just be ignored and left to fend for herself. Later on, Ji Xia realized that people tend to bully the weak and fear the strong. Perhaps her mother had not always been like this; maybe she was indeed the radiant, assertive, brave, intelligent, beautiful girl her father described. But life had long since turned her mother into a twisted person. Her mother did not dare to resist anyone stronger than herself; she did not dare to defy her grandmother, life itself, and could not bear to oppose her own interests, so she projected all her misfortune and moroseness onto such a weaker daughter. She was the same. She knew that speaking those words to anyone was useless, because no one would care about her. In this family, the only ones who cared about her were Ji Xue and her grandmother. Not wanting to upset her grandmother, she, like her mother, vented her own negative emotions onto the equally innocent Ji Xue. Ji Xia felt that sometimes she was so repugnant that even she detested herself.
    She didn¡¯t know where to go. She only knew she no longer had the face to confront Ji Xue. She had money on her. The few thousand yuan she earned from working over the past two months without spending a cent of it was all hidden on her person, sewn into the lining of her trousers. After she was found and brought back home, nobody asked or cared about where the money she earned from working went. Perhaps they never realized Ji Xia could live independently enough to earn her own living, nor did they realize she had indeed made money. In everyone¡¯s minds, even subconsciously in Ji Xue¡¯s mind, the family pir was always Ji Xue; only Ji Xue. While packing her bags, Ji Xia even felt the situation wasn¡¯t so bad. She hurt her sister¡¯s heart. If her sister was disappointed in her, she wouldn¡¯t bother with her anymore. ¡°Leaving,¡± Ji Xia said. ¡°Where are you nning to go sote at night?¡± Jiang Feng pressed. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Wu Minqi walked up to Ji Xia, crouched down in front of her, and looked her in the eyes with a smile. ¡°Xiaxia, can I call you that? We won¡¯t meddle in your affairs with your sister, but it¡¯s reallyte now. As a girl walking alone outside without knowing where to go, dragging a suitcase on the street is indeed very dangerous.¡± ¡°As for me, I¡¯ve juste of age, not much older than you. Can you tell me what you n to do in the future?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Chapter 388: 387: Chef Chapter 388: Chapter 387: Chef ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ji Xia drooped her head in a dejected manner, her mouth slightly open as she wanted to speak to Wu Minqi, yet she didn¡¯t know what to call her. ¡°My name is Wu Minqi, you can call me Sister Wu, Minqi, or Qiqi,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile, seeing through Ji Xia¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Sister Wu, can I ask you a question?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°Of course, you can ask anything,¡± Wu Minqi appeared very patient. ¡°What do you think I can do in the future? I failed the college entrance exams and didn¡¯t even pass high school. Before, at FZ, many ces didn¡¯t want me,¡± Ji Xia knelt on the ground, somewhat bewildered, ¡°Do you know of any cotton mills or garment factories in Beiping hiring workers?¡± Wu Minqiughed, ¡°They say among the 360 trades, there¡¯s a master of each. It¡¯s true that a person shouldn¡¯t be confined to the single path of academics, but you shouldn¡¯t just focus on garment or cotton mills either.¡± ¡°Then what can I do?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°What are you good at?¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°I can¡­¡± Ji Xia thought for a moment, ¡°I can sweep floors, feed pigs, raise chickens, hoe, cook, fight¡­¡± Jiang Feng: ???
    Kid Ji Xia, do you have some misunderstanding of the word ¡®can¡¯? Wu Minqi chuckled lightly, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re good at fighting?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ji Xia nodded confidently, ¡°I once fought with four boys in our ss and didn¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°But fighting can¡¯t be a hobby, much less a career. Haven¡¯t you ever thought about your future? Like, what profession you want to pursue? Teacher? Journalist? Painter? Scientist? Astronaut? Writer? Or something else?¡± Wu Minqi started to steer the conversation. True to form, Ji Xia followed Wu Minqi¡¯s lead and began to think further, ¡°I want to be a chef.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng chorused in unison. Ji Xia¡¯s eyes darted down, and she pursed her lips, ¡°I want them to know that if my sister can do it, I naturally can too.¡± At heart, she was still a child full ofpetitive spirit. Wu Minqi didn¡¯t outright dismiss Ji Xia¡¯s words but began to help her n how to be a chef, ¡°So, do you know how to go about bing a chef? Ji Xia looked perplexed, ¡°How? Isn¡¯t being a chef just about cooking? I¡¯ve been able to cook since I was a child.¡± ¡°Chefs are categorized too. The ¡®cooking¡¯ you¡¯re speaking of is from a Red Chef, and there¡¯s also the White Chef, who specializes in pastries and noodles; they are entirely different. Moreover, if you really n to be a chef, do you intend to work in a small eatery or in a proper restaurant? Or in a top-notch hotel as a chef, whether as a Chinese or Western cuisine chef, or even Japanese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, and so on. Even if it¡¯s Chinese cuisine, there are many different schools and styles. Have you thought about what kind of chef you want to be in the future?¡± Ji Xia was dumbfounded. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi both noticed Ji Xia¡¯s bewilderment, even Jiang Feng had been slightly taken aback when Wu Minqi had reeled off her long list of options. ¡°And that¡¯s not all. I¡¯m also a chef, and I can tell you very directly that it¡¯s very difficult for a girl to be an excellent Red Chef. The temperature in the kitchen during the summer is extremely high, it¡¯s like a huge furnace with no air conditioning, and even if the mightiest electric fan is blowing on you at the highest setting, you might still sweat like rain. Wok handling requires strength, which is a particrly tough job for women,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Then why did you choose to be a chef, Sister Wu?¡± ¡°Because I love it. I don¡¯t know why your sister wants to be a chef, but both Jiang Feng and I have been cooking since we were young, learning to hold a kitchen knife before we even learned to write. Our parents were chefs; being a chef is a tradition for us, as well as a duty,¡± Wu Minqi exined. Speaking, Wu Minqi nced at Jiang Feng. ¡°If it¡¯s just topete with your sister, to be driven by the desire to outdo her to choose to be a chef, that can be a Pyrrhic victory. To be a good chef, you need to find a master and learn from him. It could be 5 years, or 10 years, or even more than a decade before you finish your apprenticeship. Learning to cook is a tough and long journey; if you don¡¯t have enough determination and passion, you won¡¯t be able to stick it out,¡± Wu Minqi advised. Ji Xia fell silent.
    After a while, Ji Xia slowly spoke up, ¡°If I don¡¯t be whatever you call a Red Chef, and I just want to learn to make buns, steamed bread, pastries, cakes, and cook porridge, how long would I need to learn?¡± ¡°So, Xiaxia, you want to be a White Chef?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Ji Xia nodded. Having talked with Wu Minqi for so long, she had let her guard down and couldn¡¯t help but reveal her true intentions, ¡°I originally nned to work in a garment factory or somewhere else for a few years, save up money, and then open a breakfast shop in town.¡± Jiang Feng, who had been listening to their conversation, couldn¡¯t help but see Ji Xia in a new light. He had thought Ji Xia¡¯s running away from home was just like most kids, impulsive, with no purpose or nning, but it turned out Ji Xia had clear ns for her future.
    Wu Minqi encouraged her, ¡°That¡¯s great, but why do you want to work for a few years to save money instead of bing an apprentice to a White Chef in a restaurant, where you can earn and learn at the same time?¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible. Even if you can¡¯t be an apprentice, just being a kitchen helper or a vegetable chopper in a restaurant, you can learn a lot just by watching. And why only open a breakfast shop? If you really learn a lot, you canpletely open your own restaurant, porridge shop, or dessert store on your own. You don¡¯t have to stick to the town. You could open one in the county, or even in the city. As long as you¡¯re skilled enough, you could even open a shop in Beiping City,¡± Wu Minqi began to entice Ji Xia with prospects. Ji Xia was tempted by Wu Minqi¡¯s words, but still hesitant, ¡°But will any shop really be willing to take me in?¡± ¡°That depends on what you can do now. Can you cook porridge, make buns or steamed bread? Or do you know how to make other more special things?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°I can do all that you mentioned. I work at the canteen in our school in the morning, and the chefs there taught me,¡± Ji Xia said, ¡°And I can also pull noodles.¡± ¡°You can pull noodles?!¡± Jiang Feng almost shrieked. What kind of a school canteen is this, where not only does the chef know how to pull noodles, but also has the leisure to teach a working student this craft. Is it the legendary New East affiliated middle school? Scared by Jiang Feng¡¯s reaction, Ji Xia hesitated a little, ¡°Noodle¡­ noodle pulling, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Could it be that Beiping people never eat noodles, or do they have some taboo against noodle pulling? ¡°Nothing.¡± Jiang Feng swallowed, ¡°I¡¯m just a bit surprised, actually¡­ actually, noodle pulling is quite difficult. I just didn¡¯t expect a chef who makes breakfast in a town middle school canteen to know how to pull noodles.¡± ¡°I learned it from Master Liang at the noodle shop in front of our school,¡± Ji Xia exined, ¡°I haven¡¯t gone back home to live since junior high, and Master Liang¡¯s noodle shop needed a handyman. So I went to help out, with meals and lodging included; Master Liang even cleared out a storeroom for me to live in and paid me 300 yuan a month. Sometimes I would help out on the weekends too, and Master Liang would provide meals¡ªenough beef noodles and even let me add as much beef as I wanted. I worked there for more than two years, and starting from the second semester of junior high, Master Liang began teaching me how to pull noodles.¡±
    ¡°How many pulls can you do at most now?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Ten pulls.¡± Wu Minqi looked at Jiang Feng, who silently stared at the ceiling. He didn¡¯t believe it. He thought Ji Xia was bragging. A year¡¯s time, and not even every day at that, from beginner to ten pulls, that¡¯s impossible. ¡°We happen to have some dough at home, why don¡¯t youe over and give it a try!¡± Jiang Feng decided to expose Ji Xia¡¯s lies. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I know quite a few restaurant owners in Beiping, if you really can pull ten times, I can help you find a job,¡± Jiang Feng started spouting tant lies. ¡°Okay,¡± Ji Xia believed it to be true. Chapter 389: 388: Accepting a Disciple Chapter 389: Chapter 388: epting a Disciple Ji Xia set down her nearly packed suitcase and followed Jiang Feng out. Ji Yue was in the living room having a heart-to-heart with Ji Xue. As the former club president who had managed to woo a whole group of members to support the entire Chess Club with just her persuasive words, Ji Yue was best at heart-to-hearts and making friends. ¡°Xiaxia.¡± When Ji Xue saw Ji Xiae out, she stood up from the sofa with a start, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking him to my ce to make some noodle pulling, we¡¯ll be back soon, Ji Xue, don¡¯t worry,¡± Jiang Feng exined, leading Ji Xia out the door. Ji Xue & Ji Yue: ??? Wu Minqi stayed behind to exin to Ji Xue and Ji Yue, ¡°I just talked to Ji Xia, and when she said she could do noodle pulling, Fengfeng wanted to test her skills. Xue, you can rx; nothing will happen.¡± ¡°Your sister can do noodle pulling?¡± Ji Yue was shocked. Ji Xue was also rooted to the spot: ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Wu Minqi smiled, ¡°Xiaxia is a good kid, with dreams and ns. Xue, when you have time, you should talk more with her and listen to her ideas. Don¡¯t treat her like a child. I¡¯ll go down first and send Xiaxia back up in a while.¡± Saying that, Wu Minqi also left.
    The dough Jiang Feng had kneaded that morning was still on the living room table. Due to the sudden event, both he and Wu Minqi had hurried upstairs, and the dough had gone somewhat dry without being covered with a cloth. ¡°Can you still make noodles with it?¡± Jiang Feng was uncertain. ¡°It¡¯s doable,¡± Ji Xia said as she began to work. One could tell the quality of someone¡¯s noodle pulling skills from the moment they started. Noodle pulling tests the fundamentals, it¡¯s highly technical, and the first thing needed is stability, a steady hand. The dough Jiang Feng had kneaded that morning wasn¡¯t big, so Ji Xia took all of it, kneaded it into a thick strand with the base of her palm, worked it and tossed it, then began pulling and stretching. Ji Xia was very fast in pulling and tossing, indicating her strength was considerable, at least greater than that of ordinary girls and even boys her age. Her movements were smooth and practiced, clearly that of an experienced hand, fitting with the story Ji Xia told of working in a noodle shop every week. The dough in Ji Xia¡¯s hands was like a familiar toy, whether spiraling or sliding it, her motions were seamless¡ªdescribing them as flowing like clouds and water wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration. ¡°How many servings of noodle pulling do you have to make when you work at the noodle shop?¡± Jiang Feng asked. While spiraling the dough, Ji Xia replied, ¡°Over a hundred portions, I guess.¡± ¡°Over a hundred?¡± Jiang Feng suspected Ji Xia¡¯s math might be off, ¡°Is your noodle shop that busy?¡± ¡°Not every shop is that busy, only Master Liang¡¯s noodle shop is particrly popr,¡± Ji Xia shook therge strand in her hand, folded it on the board, ready to start pulling noodles. ¡°At first when Master Liang didn¡¯t teach me to pull noodles and I was just in charge of collecting bowls and washing dishes, I heard customers say that Master Liang¡¯s noodles were especially tasty, even better than those in the county or city noodle shops,¡± she said with one pull. ¡°I remember Master Liang said he used to have a noodle shop in the city, and only came back to the town because he didn¡¯t want to continue there,¡± two pulls. ¡°Sometimes during summer vacation, Master Liang would go back to his vige for a few days, and then he would leave the business to me. I was responsible for opening up, pulling noodles, cleaning, and tidying the bowls and dishes. As long as Master Liang went back to the vige, he would give me an extra 30 yuan a day,¡± three pulls. ¡°Master Liang even taught you the skills to brew the soup base and braise the beef,¡± Jiang Feng said incredulously, as if Master Liang truly took Ji Xia as an apprentice. ¡°Master Liang taught me how to brew the soup base, but mine isn¡¯t as good as his, customers could tell immediately,¡± four pulls. ¡°Does Master Liang have any other apprentices?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Other apprentices? It was just Master Liang alone in the shop at first. It¡¯s only after I approached him and asked if he needed help that he hired me,¡± five pulls.
    ¡°What about his son and daughter?¡± As Ji Xia sprinkled a handful of flour over the dough, he said, ¡°I haven¡¯t really seen them much. They don¡¯t live in the town usually. I¡¯ve only seen Master Liang¡¯s son oncest winter break.¡± Six times. ¡°Has Master Liang never told you to stay and help out in his shop in the future or something like that?¡± Jiang Feng pressed.
    Ji Xia¡¯s movements paused for a moment as he replied, ¡°He has. Master Liang said he wanted to take me on as an apprentice and to give me the noodle shop in the future. He nned to go back to the vige when he got older, and I would stay in the town to continue running the noodle shop.¡± Seven times. ¡°That sounds pretty good, doesn¡¯t it? There¡¯s not much difference between a noodle shop and a breakfast diner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good. The town is too close to my home vige; it¡¯s just over an hour¡¯s walk away. I want to go somewhere farther from home.¡± Eight times. After being stretched eight times, the noodle dough was very thin. Jiang Feng knew that this was a moment when Ji Xia needed to be very focused, so he stopped asking questions and watched Ji Xia¡¯s movements in silence. Ji Xia sprinkled some flour on the noodles and, with his right hand, grabbed the middle section and flipped it outward to the right, gently stretching and slowly pulling the dough. His movements were slow and steady. Nine times. A small part of the dough had already broken. Ji Xia stopped. If he tried to pull it for the tenth time, probably half of the dough would break, and the noodle pulling would be ruined. ¡°I¡­¡± not having disyed his true ability, Ji Xia wanted to exin to Jiang Feng, ¡°I really can pull it ten times.¡± Jiang Feng of course knew she could do ten pulls, not just ten, but she could also do twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen pulls, or even neen, twenty in the future. She was only 16 years old and had been learning noodle pulling for just a year and a half.
    Although Jiang Feng had also been learning noodle pulling for only a month and could do six pulls, considering that the difficulty of each additional pull in noodle pulling increased exponentially, Jiang Feng estimated it would take him a year to achieve ten pulls. Jiang Feng¡¯s talent in the area of White Chef had already caused Jianguo to seriously consider persuading Sir to let Jiang Feng switch from Red Chef to White Chef. Jiang Feng was already 21 years old, Ji Xia only 16. In some respects, youth is an asset in the profession of cooking. ¡°I know.¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°So, am I skilled enough to work like you guys in a restaurant kitchen?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Feng said confidently. ¡°Can I work in big restaurants like yours?¡± Ji Xia continued. ¡°That¡¯s difficult.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ji Xia asked, puzzled. ¡°To be a White Chef isn¡¯t just about being able to pull noodles. Unless your noodle pulling skills are extremely superb, being able to do sixteen pulls or more. And generally, dragon¡¯s beard noodles are used for desserts. To be a Master White Chef in a big restaurant, you cannot do without dessert-making skills.¡± Jiang Feng exined. Bing a Master White Chef in a big restaurant is difficult, and for big restaurants to find highly skilled White Chefs is even harder. This is why Taifeng Building still doesn¡¯t have any signature White Chef desserts to boast of. ¡°`
    The inferior ones aren¡¯t up to par, and the good ones won¡¯te. ¡°So how can I be a pastry chef who is a White Chef?¡± Ji Xia started to get to the heart of the matter. ¡°My advice is¡­ find a master. The culinary industry ces great importance on heritage, and the master-apprentice rtionship is also taken very seriously. If you can be the apprentice of a good master, your journey in the culinary industry will be much smoother,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Then I want to take you as my master!¡± Ji Xia looked at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°I¡¯m a Red Chef,¡± Jiang Feng no longer understood the thought processes of the modern youth. ¡°But the eight-treasure porridge you made is very delicious.¡± ¡°Porridge isn¡¯t part of White Chef¡¯s specialties.¡± ¡°Then is porridge Red Chef¡¯s?¡± ¡°That¡­ porridge doesn¡¯t really belong to Red Chef either,¡± Jiang Feng realized he couldn¡¯t exin clearly. ¡°Then what does porridge belong to? Didn¡¯t Sister Wu just say that chefs are only divided into Red Chefs and White Chefs?¡± Ji Xue soulfully inquired. ¡°Porridge¡­ porridge is just porridge.¡± ¡°I just want to learn how to cook porridge from you. I can find a way to learn pastry on my ownter on,¡± Ji Xia said.
    ¡°But I¡¯m a Red Chef,¡± Jiang Feng found the conversation had circled back to the beginning. ¡°Then I can also learn Red Chef from you. I¡¯ve learned how to cook from my grandmother, and I¡¯ve been cooking since I was eight,¡± Ji Xia said earnestly. ¡°Why do you insist on learning from me?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Because the eight-treasure porridge you make is very delicious, and the silky yam tonight was also very tasty. Plus, my sister said your cooking skills are higher than hers. I want to learn from you. If I work with you in the future, I want my cooking skills to be even better than my sister¡¯s,¡± Ji Xia quickly revealed her desire topete with Ji Xue. Jiang Feng felt a headacheing on. ¡°Do you know what it means to take a master in the culinary industry?¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ji Xia said, ¡°My grandmother told me about the carpenter from the next vige who took on apprentices. The master is like a second father, the apprentice¡¯s board and lodging are with the master¡¯s family, the master will buy new clothes for the apprentice, and even give the apprentice pocket money during the New Year. The apprentice must obey the master¡¯s words, care for the master in old age, and be filial to the master, clean the master¡¯s house, work for the master, run errands for the master, and even take care of the master¡¯s children. Basically, whatever the master says, the apprentice must do.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ The carpenter from your neighboring vige is pretty harsh with apprentices, having them even look after the children, on par with graduate students walking dogs. ¡°When did that happen?¡± ¡°Grandma said it was when she was a child.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that exaggerated anymore. Nowadays, it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°I can do it,¡± Ji Xia looked at Jiang Feng, ¡°and when you and Sister Wu have children, I can help you take care of them.¡± Jiang Feng nearly choked on Ji Xia¡¯s words. ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­ cough¡­ cough¡­¡± He was somewhat tempted. It¡¯s not easy to find such a gullible apprentice these days, not to mention he still had a main task of taking on an apprentice. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jiang Feng looked at Ji Xia. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°I can be your master, but what you need to do now is go upstairs to sleep, get some good rest,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°What you just said by yourself, the apprentice¡¯s board and lodging are at the master¡¯s house, but right now there¡¯s no room for you here in my house, and since that upstairs apartment is also rented by my family, it counts as my house too,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said that whatever the master says, the apprentice must do? You just said you could do it all, right?¡± Ji Xia hadn¡¯t expected to dig herself into a hole and had no choice but to nod, ¡°What about tomorrow?¡± ¡°Tomorrow, let your master take you shopping for clothes,¡± Wu Minqi chuckled as she watched the drama unfold, ¡°and don¡¯t forget to ask your master for pocket money during the New Year. You have to be cared for by your master before you finish your apprenticeship, and don¡¯t be shy about spending his money.¡± Jiang Feng: (;¡ä??§¥??`) ¡°Right, first thing tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you shopping for clothes, and you need to get your hair cut. Having such long hair in the kitchen is very troublesome,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Okay,¡± Ji Xia nodded. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll just follow me in the kitchen, watch, learn, practice. Of course, apprentices don¡¯t get paid, but you¡¯ll get room and board and clothes, and pocket money during the New Year,¡± Jiang Feng revealed a capitalist¡¯s smile. ¡°I know,¡± Ji Xia nodded, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs now, Master.¡± ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll be heading up,¡± Ji Xia said and then she left for upstairs. ¡°Little friend Ji Xia sure changed her way of addressing you pretty fast,¡± Jiang Feng rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Still little friend Ji Xia? Now she¡¯s your apprentice,¡± Wu Minqiughed, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell Ji Yue about this in the group first, and then have her tell Ji Xue.¡± Jiang Feng thought it made sense and pulled out his phone to start sending messages. Jiang Feng: Got it sorted £Ûsmart£Ý Beauty Ji: £ÛSurprised£Ý Beauty Ji: How did you manage it? Jiang Feng: I took little friend Ji Xia as my apprentice. Wu Minqi: £ÛPicture£Ý Wu Minqi: Just like this Beauty Ji: £ÛPicture£Ý Beauty Ji: ??? Beauty Ji: ???? Beauty Ji: ??????? ¡°` Chapter 390: 389: Become a Disciple Chapter 390: Chapter 389: Be a Disciple That evening, the entire Jiang Family learned of the joyous news that Jiang Feng had gained an apprentice. In the culinary industry, taking an apprentice is an absolute big deal. Gathering a bunch of rtives and friends to throw a banquet and have the disciple bow and offer tea in front of witnesses is not surprising. However, such grandeur is generally reserved for masters. Given that Jiang Feng, the true but unknown owner of Taifeng Building, had only recently gained a bit of fame in the culinary world, it was natural that he could not put on such an extravagant disy. Moreover, Jiang Feng was young. If word got out that he was taking an apprentice, most people would probably take it as a joke or a silly endeavor by someone young and ignorant. Therefore, there was no need to make a big fuss over the apprenticeship¡ªas long as the intention was clear. After discussing with the various uncles in the Jiang Family as well as the two elderly Siirs, everyone decided that the next day, under the witness of the elder members of the Jiang Family, Ji Xia would offer a cup of tea to Jiang Feng in a simple teaching ceremony to fulfill the necessary formalities. Early the next morning, Ji Xia rummaged through her suitcase to find her cleanest, most tidy, and rtively formal clothes. With Ji Xue¡¯s help and guidance, she got dressed and tidied up her appearance before heading downstairs to Jiang Feng¡¯s home. The living room in Jiang Feng¡¯s house had been rearranged. The coffee table and some other obstructing clutter were moved away, the sofa was repositioned, and the small two-bedroom apartment was crammed full of Jiang Family Members. Peripheral spectators of the teaching ceremony like the fours aunts, fives aunts, Jiang Jianshe, and Jiang Jianye could only stand in the dining area, as there was no room left in the living room. Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi not to mention did not even have space in the dining area and had to either go into the kitchen or peer from afar in the bedroom, clinging to the door frame. If they stretched their necks long enough, they might just be able to see something. Ji Xia was stunned by the scene that the Jiang Family Members had prepared. She knew her master had many rtives, and in their vige, there were families with numerous siblings who celebrated festive asions with much hustle and bustle, requiring several tables as one was never enough. Some families with a dozen or so aunts and uncles needed to extend the dinner tables from the living room all the way to the front door when having their reunion dinner, making family meals as lively as wedding banquets. However, what Ji Xia had never imagined was that it wasn¡¯t just the number of her master¡¯s rtives that was impressive, but the amount of space they upied.
    A dozen people standing in the living and dining rooms gave off the impression of a crowd of twenty or thirty people. For today¡¯s teaching ceremony, Mrs. Wang Xiulian had even taken the time to revisit her old craft and, with her not so exquisite and even somewhat haphazard skills, selected an auspicious time. Ji Xia had arrived, and so had the auspicious time. The ancient teaching ceremony had three steps: first was to pay homage to the ancestral masters, second was to perform the teaching ceremony, which involved offering tea, and third, the master would give instructions,ying out the rules, and if necessary, bestow a name. At Jiang Feng¡¯s ce, the teaching ceremony consisted only of the second step, offering tea. It would be fine if they could pay homage to the ancestral masters, but the problem now was that not even Jiang Family Members knew for certain who their ancestral master was. Tracing back from Jiang Chengde, neither Jiang Weiguo nor Jiang Weiming had any idea, and Jiang Chengde wasn¡¯t one to discuss his ancestors¡¯ achievements. Besides, Taifeng Building¡¯s fall was directly attributed to Jiang Chengde¡¯s father, making Jiang Chengde particrly averse to mentioning the Jiang Family¡¯s former glory. The generation that initiated the Jiang Family¡¯s culinary ventures and the true founder of Jiang Family Dishes had long vanished amid the fires and chaos of war, lost to the river of time. And now, everyone was aware that they were about to witness the present-day glory of the Jiang Family. To Transmit and Instruct¡ªthe most honorable and grand thing a chef could conceive¡ªmeant not only that there was a sessor but also that their culinary arts were recognized. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Ji Xia took steps toward Jiang Feng. It had been many years since the Jiang Family had taken an apprentice. The only one present who had done so was Jiang Weiming, but even when he took his apprentice, the teaching ceremony was no longer practiced, and even the offering of tea was done sneakily by Jiang Weisheng at a convenient moment. Thus, nobody in the Jiang Family actually knew if there were other steps in the teaching ceremony besides offering tea, but Ji Xia knew. She remembered her grandmother telling her that when taking an apprentice, the disciple was supposed to kowtow to the master. She had intended to do just that, and had hesitated the previous night over whether it should be one bow or three. But now, with so many people watching, she felt timid. Ji Xia also remembered her grandmother saying that bowing had fallen out of fashion. Jiang Feng, dressed in a long robe, sat in a chair watching Ji Xia approaching him. The robe he wore was made for him by a tailor at the behest of Sir on his 18th birthday. To Sir, although a suit was formal attire, that was Western-style; Chinese-style formal attire was the long robe. Every child in the Jiang Family received a long robe from Sir uponing of age; however, whether it was the three older cousins of Jiang Feng or his several uncles, even including Mr. Jiang Jiankang, their robes could only be buried deep in the closet because they no longer fit. There was a noticeable difference between their appearance at 18 and now. Only Jiang Feng remained the same in stature and height, and not only could he fit into his clothes, but they were a snug fit. Ji Xia walked up to Jiang Feng, knelt before him, picked up the teacup from the table, raised the cup to eyebrow level, bent at the waist, and respectfully presented the tea to Jiang Feng.
    ¡°Master, please drink the tea.¡± Ji Xia was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t stop biting her lower lip. Jiang Feng reached out to take the teacup and suddenly felt that it was very heavy in his hands, as heavy as a thousand catties. Jiang Feng brought the teacup to his lips, took a sip, and then gently ced it down.
    Jiang Feng didn¡¯t drink tea; to him, all tea tasted bitter, regardless of the sweetness or aftertaste others spoke of¡ªhe couldn¡¯t taste any of it. It was as if he was born without the cells for tea-tasting or simply didn¡¯t have a taste for it. But this time, it seemed he tasted something different. He tasted sweetness and he tasted responsibility. He had watched closely as the tea was brewed: the scalding hot water poured into the cup, the tea leaves tumbling and unfurling in the boiling water, swirling, floating, and finally settling¡ªJiang Feng saw it all, even when he took a sip, the tea was still slightly hot. A disciple should regard the master as a parent, and the master should also treat the disciple as their own child. Though Ji Xia¡¯s wish to take Jiang Feng as her master might have seemed like the impulsive words of a child, and Jiang Feng¡¯s agreement to take her on seemed like a jest, now that the master-disciple rtionship was established, they both had to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. Just like Jiang Weiming and Jiang Weisheng, where Jiang Weiming taught everything he knew, and Jiang Weisheng treated him with utmost sincerity. ¡°Apuse.¡± pping filled the living room as the two elder gentlemen smiled at Jiang Feng and Ji Xia, their faces brimming with satisfaction. Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian were even moved to the brink of tears. Ji Xia turned her head and saw Ji Xue at the door, pping and smiling, albeit with red-rimmed eyes. Everyone present felt as if they were witnessing something remarkable indeed. ¡°Get up,¡± Jiang Feng said as he helped Ji Xia to her feet. The ritual of acknowledging the master wasplete.
    ¡°Starting from today, you will be learning to cook seriously with me. There will be no room forints or weariness. Once you¡¯ve drawn the bow, there¡¯s no turning back, so there¡¯s no room for regret once you start down this path,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. ¡°Master, I will work hard,¡± Ji Xia responded. ¡°Mom, you guys head to the shop first. Qiqi and I will take Xiaxia to get her hair cut, and then we¡¯ll go to the shopping mall next to our store to buy her some clothes. We¡¯ll be back by lunchtime for business,¡± Jiang Feng began to report the schedule to Mrs. Wang Xiulian. Mrs. Wang Xiulian, moved and emotional, wiped the tears brimming in the corners of her eyes, as if she had just watched a deeply touching movie. ¡°Buy a few extra outfits for Xiaxia, and make sure to get an expensive haircut. It¡¯s not easy for a girl to grow her hair so long¡ªdon¡¯t get it cut as casually as you did before, settling for a ten-yuan haircut,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian instructed. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Mom, be clear-headed, wasn¡¯t it you who picked out that barbershop I used to go to? ¡°Oh.¡± Chapter 391: 390: A Bowl of Chicken Soup Chapter 391: Chapter 390: A Bowl of Chicken Soup Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi took Ji Xia to a hair salon that Wu Minqi frequented for hair care. Since Wu Minqi regrly visited this salon to treat her hair, the manager recognized both Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng. They were greeted warmly upon their arrival. ¡°Miss Wu, didn¡¯t you just have your hair treated the day before yesterday? Why are you here today¡­¡± ¡°I brought my sister to get a haircut; please give her a nice hairstyle,¡± said Wu Minqi. It was then that the manager turned his attention to Ji Xia, clucking his tongue. ¡°Such long hair must have taken years to grow; it would be a shame to cut it off.¡± As he spoke, the manager leaned in to take a closer look at Ji Xia¡¯s hair. ¡°The hair quality is a bit poor. How about just trimming the ends and then I¡¯ll give it some treatment? A few months of care should improve it.¡± ¡°Cut it short,¡± Ji Xia insisted. ¡°Right, cut it short, just about shoulder length should do,¡± Wu Minqi gestured to her own shoulder. ¡°Just cut it short, to this length,¡± Ji Xia interrupted, pointing to a hair model in the salon sporting a short wig, ¡°just like this style.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to go short?¡± Jiang Feng asked with a hint of surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cut it that short; trimming it to your sister Wu¡¯s length would be fine.¡± Jiang Feng knew at least a bit about how deep a teenage girl¡¯s attachment to long hair could be. In his high school, there was a rather in-looking girl who, forced by her parents to get a haircut on a weekend, ended up with a short cut that didn¡¯t suit her at all¡ªin fact, it looked quite ugly at first sight. After the haircut, she had a breakdown at home, crying uncontrobly for days and missing school.
    When she returned to school, her unattractive haircut inevitably earned her the roaringughter of the whole ss. There¡¯s truth to the saying that it takes three days to get used to a new haircut, especially when going from long to short hair. ¡°Cut it short, short is convenient,¡± reiterated Ji Xia. Half an hourter, thanks to Mr. Tony¡¯s expert hair-cutting skills, a fresh new Ji Xia with short hair emerged. With sharp, profound featuresplemented by a neat and clean short haircut, thisbination did look morefortable and pleasing to the eye than when she had long hair. Moreover, Mr. Tony¡¯s cutting skills were decent, and Ji Xia¡¯s new hairstyle didn¡¯t end up like that disastrous cut he remembered from high school. It avoided the jinx of looking hideous for three days after a cut. So sometimes, you really do have to spend where it¡¯s necessary. Due to a tight schedule, Jiang Feng¡¯s group had to return to Taifeng Building before the start of the noon service. Ji Xia had no time to be familiar with her new short-haired reflection in the mirror before being whisked away by Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi to shop for clothes. Ji Xia¡¯s clothes actually didn¡¯t fit well. It might have been because she was still growing, or perhaps because her rtives didn¡¯t have a clear idea of her size when buying clothes for her since she didn¡¯t oftene home. Ji Xia¡¯s clothes were either too big or too small. For instance, the attire she was wearing now was a bit toorge, looking somewhat loose and baggy on her, yet inexplicably fashionable. Shopping for clothes was never Jiang Feng¡¯s forte. His taste in clothing, especially women¡¯s apparel, was quite peculiar. Anything he judged as looking nice invariably turned out hideous when actually worn. Jiang Feng had three major tactics when it came to apanying someone on shopping trips: praise, follow, carry. These were the simple truths he had distilled from apanying Mrs. Wang Xiulian on shopping trips as a child and from dating Wu Minqi. After countless shopping experiences, he had learned these tricks well. Praise meant he just needed to offerpliments on how well the clothes fit and how nice they looked at the right moment, while keeping silent and withholding any opinion at other times. Follow: it was crucial to match the pace of the shopper, which could involve ying with his phone along the way, but he had to keep up to avoid looking up and losing sight of them. Carry: this generally applied only to shopping with Mrs. Wang Xiulian. She didn¡¯t shop very often, but when she did, it was a spree. She wouldn¡¯t go home until the hands of Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang, and herself were filled and could carry no more. On this shopping trip, Jiang Feng still adhered to these three principles: silent and reticent, offering praise at the right time, ying with his phone during dull moments, and ready to pull out Alipay for payment when necessary. Before they knew it, Wu Minqi and Ji Xia were holding several shopping bags. All the clothes were picked by Wu Minqi, and they were all practical for daily wear. As it was the season for fall fashion releases, the women¡¯s fashion disys in the mall showcased mostly dresses or coats, with few tops or pants. Considering Ji Xia would be apprenticing with Jiang Feng¡ªwho in theory worked without a day off all year¡ªshe likely wouldn¡¯t have the chance to wear dresses, so Wu Minqi refrained from selecting any for her. At 11:11 AM, shopping concluded. As long as they walked fast enough, making it to the morning opening would not be a problem.
    Wu Minqi led them towards the elevator, and in a disy window beside it there was a very pretty dress, pink in color. Its long skirt extended all the way to the ground, and the dress¡¯s wavy, ruffled hem cascaded inyers, angling down from the waist all the way to the end, dreamy like a Disney princess¡¯s gown. It was impractical for everyday wear but incredibly girlish, causing many young girls to slow their steps or even stop to gaze at the dress as they passed by. Ji Xia was one of them. ¡°Like it?¡± Wu Minqi turned back and saw Ji Xia staring dreamily at the dress, and asked with a smile.
    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ji Xia nodded slightly, nced at the price tag next to her, and the five-figure sum shattered her sense of value, making her exim in surprise, ¡°So expensive!¡± ¡°If you study hard with your master, in the future you can buy as many dresses like that as you want, enough to fill a closet, even a whole room,¡± Wu Minqi said cheerfully. Ji Xia was stunned. ¡°Your future is in your hand.¡± Wu Minqi said, ¡°This sentence was especially useful when I was in junior high. It worked for any letter¡¯s ending and guaranteed high scores for Englishpositions.¡± ¡°Your¡­¡± ¡°Your future is in your hand. Your future is in your own hands.¡± Wu Minqi rephrased the sentence with emphasis. ¡°It¡¯s a very useful and versatile sentence, isn¡¯t it?¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile as she took Ji Xia¡¯s hand and headed into the elevator. Jiang Feng followed behind, cheering in his heart for his dear Qiqi. Indeed, my Qiqi knows just how to deliver the perfect dose of chicken soup for the soul at the right moment. When the elevator reached the first floor, Ji Xia followed Wu Minqi towards the shopping mall exit, and suddenly, she turned back to look at Jiang Feng. ¡°Master, what should I do today?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°Wash vegetables,¡± Jiang Feng said, waiting expectantly behind her for her to ask why she was assigned to wash vegetables. Instead, Ji Xia just nodded and kept walking forward with Wu Minqi.
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ Apprentice, not asking such questions really undermines your master¡¯s authority. Even if Ji Xia didn¡¯t ask, Jiang Feng could insist on exining. He cleared his throat and with a face full ofposure began, ¡°Today you start by washing vegetables, get familiar with the various kinds of work at the back of the house. Pay attention to how others work, and most importantly, recognize the ingredients and understand what dishes each person is preparing.¡± Ji Xia, who had spent years in a small town, was more familiar with seafood due to locality, but there were still many ingredients she did not recognize, such as sweet and sour yam, which Ji Xia had trouble reciting the name of even after eating. ¡°Mhm.¡± Ji Xia nodded solemnly. ¡°In the next couple of days, familiarize yourself with the ingredients and seasonings, how each ingredient is handled, as well. Watch and learn as much as you can, and ask if you don¡¯t understand. The day after tomorrow, I will test teach you, and if you pass, you can start practicing knife skills.¡± Jiang Feng was now teaching Ji Xia just as Sir had taught him all those years ago. However, Sir¡¯s teaching level¡­ Jiang Feng suddenly thought of the employee information, where Sir¡¯s mentoring level was intermediate, while Granduncle Weiming¡¯s was master level. It was time to ask Granduncle Weiming for some advice on how to teach an apprentice. Chapter 392: 391: A Memory of Jiang Chengde Chapter 392: Chapter 391: A Memory of Jiang Chengde Several days had passed in the blink of an eye, and Ji Xia got along well with the kitchen staff. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t explicitly say that Ji Xia was her disciple, but she just told everyone that Ji Xia would start learning the craft and helping out in the kitchen from that day on. The kitchen staff assumed this was a job position that Ji Xue had asked Jiang Feng to arrange for Ji Xia, and everyone was happy to have an extra pair of hands to make the work a bit easier. Considering that Ji Xia was Ji Xue¡¯s younger sister and seemed to have a good rtionship with Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, the staff were also willing to help her with any questions or matters she wanted to discuss. As for Ji Xia¡¯s usual reticence, it didn¡¯t stand out in the kitchen. Probably only Sang Ming was talkative in the kitchen; at other times, aside from the necessary calls for dish names, passing items, or serving food, people usually stayed quiet if they could. After all, work was tiring enough, so why not speak less if possible. After a week of training, Ji Xia had be a very qualified kitchen helper. She wasn¡¯t yet taking on the task of chopping on the cutting board, but her daily knife skills practice was indispensable. Jiang Feng pondered and came up with an excellent idea¡ª letting Ji Xia go to the Li family old house every noon to chop pig feed for Da Hua. This was a rite of passage for every Jiang family child. The sessive generations of Da Hua, Erhua, and Sanhua in the Jiang family¡¯s pigsty were all fed with slop born under the knives of one Jiang child after another, either cooked into mush by Mrs. Jiang or personally fried by Sir Jiang. The pig feed was abundant and didn¡¯t care how poorly you chopped it since it would end up in a messy cook anyway. With Mrs. Jiang as a ready-made supervisor, she had watched her 5 sons chop pig feed when she was young, her 4 grandsons when she got older, and recently even her two granddaughters. Now, not only could Mrs. Jiang supervise Ji Xia cutting the feed, but she could also offer advice on how to chop, what techniques to use, and how to improve the chopping. At present, the young Ji Xia¡¯s most ambitious goal was to chop pig feed that would satisfy Mrs. Jiang and make Da Hua happy. After a few days of interaction, Ji Xia had built a deep friendship with Da Hua. She had raised chickens, ducks, geese, dogs, and cats at home but had never had a pig, so she was especially curious about pig farming.
    After hearing that Da Hua was Jiang Feng¡¯s pet, Ji Xia¡¯s regard for Da Hua reached a certain peak. The master¡¯s pet! You must chop the vegetables well! Ji Xia outright ignored that no matter how she chopped or whether the cook was Chen Suhua or Mrs. Jiang, the veggies¡¯ fate was to be turned into mush and poured into the pig trough, followed by Da Hua¡¯s satisfied grunts. On a sunny and breezy afternoon, Ji Xia was chopping potatoes as usual at the Li family old house. Mrs. Jiang had a card game today, so supervising was done by Chen Suhua. However, it was Mrs. Jiang¡¯s turn to cook for Da Hua today, so Chen Suhua would go and take over for Mrs. Jiang after Ji Xia finished chopping. Even when Chen Suhua was supervising, she didn¡¯t idle and took some time to give Da Hua a bath. Although Da Hua was essentially a domestic pig, as a pet, it needed to look like one. After months of meticulous care and asionally hustling Da Hua out into the yard for a walk, Da Hua was no longer as fat as during the New Year due to being sedentary. Instead, it began to resemble the physique of the preceding Da Hua. Plump and sturdy, but strong and healthy. This led Mrs. Jiang to often grumble behind the scenes that her little grandson was good in every way, but sometimes his ideas were baffling. To not butcher such a fine pig or keep it for breeding, but instead to insist on keeping it as a pet seemed like such a waste. ¡°Ji Xia, when you go back today, talk to Feng as well,¡± Chen Suhua said. ¡°I know modern young people are impatient with everything. They start raising pets but end up leaving the responsibilities to their parents. But Da Hua is ultimately the pet he wanted to raise. A few months back, he woulde over every day, eagerly chopping vegetables and frying pig food for it, but now, with him being busy, he doesn¡¯t visit Da Hua for weeks. This can¡¯t go on. Tell him toe and see Da Hua tomorrow or the day after. You can¡¯t neglect a pet¡¯s care.¡± Since Professor Li¡¯s students were the majority of the young people Chen Suhua met, she was ustomed to addressing youngdies and young men with the term ¡®student¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the master when I get back,¡± Ji Xia immediately agreed. ¡°But Feng has been really working hard,¡± Chen Suhua began her daily ramble. ¡°A couple of days ago, I heard from my husband Li that Feng still had to find time for his graduation thesis. No wonder he hasn¡¯t had much time toe overtely¡­¡± Ji Xia was very cooperative, cutting vegetables while listening attentively on the side. ¡­ Jiang Feng was spacing out in the back kitchen. It couldn¡¯t exactly be called spacing out; at first, he was indeed practicing seriously, but as he practiced, his mind wandered to Ji Xia¡¯s training n, and before he knew it, he was lost in thought about who knows what. It was his first time being a mentor, and Jiang Feng was taking it very seriously. Not only did he carefully recall the entire process of learning to cook as a child, but he also earnestly sought advice from Granduncle Weiming on how to properly instruct a disciple, and even developed a training n. This training n was to replicate the process by which Sir Jiang taught him when he was younger and integrate it with Granduncle Weiming¡¯s advice to provide Ji Xia with proper care and encouragement.
    The specific approach was to offer Ji Xia some praise at the end of each day, such as: ¡°Hmm, the potato pieces you cut in the picture today show improvement over yesterday,¡± or ¡°Hmm, you cut the vegetables very quickly today,¡± the kind of insincere praise. Jiang Feng was just thinking about how topliment Ji Xiater, since he doesn¡¯t have a vast repertoire of praise, in contrast to the extensive vocabry of insults he¡¯s umted. He had pretty much exhausted all hisplimentary words these past few days. ¡°Ding, game updateplete.¡±
    ¡°A new optional side quest has been discovered.¡± ¡°A new optional side quest has been discovered.¡± ¡°Ding, a new optional main quest has been discovered. Please choose at your discretion.¡± ¡°Ding, received a new evaluation: A chef who has achieved some sess.¡± ¡°Congrattions to the yer for reaching level 25 and unlocking the new function: Backtracking.¡± A series of system notificationspletely baffled Jiang Feng. There was no time to go to the restroom. Jiang Feng looked around to ensure there was no one in the back kitchen, nced at his watch to gauge that it was an unlikely time for anyone to enter, and then directly opened the familiar panel in front of the cooking station. yer Name: Jiang Feng Level: 25 (97842/25w) ¡°` Skill: Appraisal (High Level): You can obtain all the information you desire. Cooking Porridge (High Level): Your porridge cooking has surpassed the vast majority of chefs. (11111/100,000) Knife Skills (Master Level): Your knifework has reached the level of top chefs. (404,379/1,000,000)
    Fire Control (Master Level): Your fire control has reached the level of top chefs. (39,851/1,000,000) Seasoning (Master Level): Your seasoning has reached the level of top chefs. (31,678/1,000,000) Lies (High Level): Your lies can convince most people. (91,337/100,000) Mathematics (High Level): You havepletely mastered all undergraduate-level knowledge. [Not upgradable] Physics (High Level): You havepletely mastered all undergraduate-level knowledge. [Not upgradable] English (High Level): You havepletely mastered all undergraduate-level knowledge. [Not upgradable] Food Testing (Intermediate): You can differentiate ingredients, and that¡¯s about it. (Not upgradable) Main Quest (Optional) (Skip duplicates): 2. [Improve Yourself]: As the hidden owner of Taifeng Building as well as its future head chef, how could youmand respect without solid skills? Strength is the most powerful weapon to earn respect and recognition from everyone. Pleaseplete 10 different dishes with a rating of A or above. [Choose: Yes/No] Quest Reward: Unknown Side Quest (Optional): 1. [Master Huang¡¯s Appreciation]: As a white chef with nearly 30 years of noodle pulling experience and no sessor, Huang Shi has always wanted to train a chef who could learn his noodle pulling techniques, even a rough understanding would satisfy him. Please produce noodles with a score of 6 knots or above to earn Master Huang¡¯s appreciation. [Choose: Yes/No] Quest Reward: Noodle Pulling (Beginner)
    2. [Ji Xue¡¯s Wish]: The past cannot be changed, what we can do is to make every effort to make the unpredictable future beautiful. Please fulfill Ji Xue¡¯s wish for Ji Xia to find the right path and have a clear n for the future. [Choose: Yes/No] Quest Reward: A piece of Ji Xue¡¯s memory ¡­ Rating: A moderately sessful chef. Three optional quests appeared at once, and Jiang Feng felt that none of them posed a problem. He had even alreadypleted the side quest given by Master Huang, so he epted them all. ¡°Ding. You havepleted the side quest: [Master Huang¡¯s Appreciation], and have received the quest reward: Noodle Pulling (Beginner).¡± ¡°Ding. You havepleted the side quest: [Ji Xue¡¯s Wish], and have obtained the quest reward: A piece of Ji Xue¡¯s memory.¡± What Jiang Feng didn¡¯t expect was that Ji Xue¡¯s wish had been fulfilled, meaning Ji Xia had already made a clear n for the future. Now the question arose, did Ji Xia want to be a white chef or a red chef, or did he want to continue pursuing his dream of opening a breakfast shop back in town? After all, Ji Xia was his, Jiang Feng¡¯s, major disciple, and going back to town to open a breakfast shop seemed tock prestige. Jiang Feng looked back at the main quest. The current progress showed (2/10). Clearly, the game recognized his Sweet and Sour Yam and Yun Chicken as A-rated, with the quest hint being just a simple sentence. Please work hard to improve your cooking skills. Jiang Feng suspected the game was scoffing at him.
    Anyway, the game wasn¡¯t scoffing at him for the first time, and he wasn¡¯t being scoffed at for the first time; after all, the younger generation of the Jiang Family had been scoffed at by Sir Jiang since they were young. Compared to the main quest, the new backtracking function seemed more intriguing to Jiang Feng. That¡¯s because next to the word ¡°Backtracking¡± in the attributes panel, there was a small question mark. As someone who had yed games before, Jiang Feng naturally reached out to the question mark, and sure enough, this question mark exined the backtracking function. [yers can backtrack through the memory associated with any recipe they have acquired. They can go back through the entire memory or choose specific memory segments for backtracking. Only one dish¡¯s memory can be backtracked at a time, and there¡¯s a 7-day cooldown period for each backtracking. Current cooldown time: 0] Seeing this exnation made Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes light up. Initially, when he obtained memories, they were divided into one-time entries and multiple entries, but at the time, multiple entries had no apparent purpose, and this function was soon patched as a bug in the next update. Just because it was useless then, doesn¡¯t mean it is now. As Jiang Feng acquired more and more memories, more and more dishes began to appear in those memories. Whether it was the authentic Clear Soup with Willow Leaf Swallow made by Jiang Chengde in Jiang Huiqin¡¯s memories or the kitchen of Yonghe House filled with all kinds of Tan Family Cuisine dishes from Cao Guixiang¡¯s memories, they were all worth revisiting repeatedly with the backtracking function. Suppressing the urge to use the backtracking feature to return to the kitchen of Yonghe House, Jiang Feng opened the items tab. [A piece of Jiang Chengde¡¯s memory] Ever since hepleted the main quest and acquired this memory, Jiang Feng had not forgotten about it. Although he did not often check the update progress in the attributes panel during the game update, he was still thinking about this piece of memory. After all, it was his great-grandfather¡¯s memory. The legend who could turn cabbage into a delicacy of immortals. Just what kind of divine dish would be memorable to him! With various fantasies in mind, Jiang Feng clicked yes. ¡°` Chapter 393: 392 Life is but a Dish (Part One) Chapter 393: Chapter 392 Life is but a Dish (Part One) As Jiang Feng tapped, he found himself surrounded by dense fog. Secondster, the fog gradually dispersed, and Jiang Feng realized he was in a dark room. Since it was nighttime and nomps were lit inside, he could barely make out the faint moonlight filtering through a small window. Visibility was extremely low; he could hardly see anything. Jiang Feng looked around and could only vaguely see the furniture near the window and a cab very close to him. The rest was invisible, not to mention people. This was his first time entering a memory at night, blind in the pitch darkness, unable to see anything clearly. After a fruitless search around the room, Jiang Feng went straight through the wall to exit. It wasn¡¯t his first time spending the night in a memory; the outside was definitely brighter than inside. Since he couldn¡¯t see anything indoors, he might as well go outside. Once Jiang Feng passed through the wall, the first thing he did was look up for the moon. The moon shone bright with sparse stars; it seemed the next day would bring clear skies. With the help of the moonlight, Jiang Feng could finally see where he was. He was in a residence, and at first nce, it wasn¡¯t small. The room Jiang Feng had just walked through was nked by two side rooms, in front of whichy a wildly overgrown garden. It looked as if the garden had been untended for a long time; the wild grass had grown tall enough to envelop the originally nted flowers, obstructing much of the path. Using the moonlight, Jiang Feng took a closer look at the buildings and confirmed that this was an old house that had not been cared for or repaired in a long time.
    The house was made of wood, the species of which Jiang Feng could not identify. The paint on the wooden door frame and door, symbols of face, had ked and peeled off from prolonged exposure to the elements without anyone bothering to fix them. The papered windows in the side room had torn and were left as they were. Jiang Feng guessed that either the owner of the house didn¡¯t care enough to maintain it or they had run out of money so even the window paper wasn¡¯t reced in time. But why would Great-Grandfather be here? Jiang Feng went back through the wall into the house, which was still pitch-ck. He could not see his hand before his face, except for that table near the window. Everything else was invisible. After staying in the room for a while without hearing any noise, he figured that people must be asleep. As Jiang Feng had no interest in staying inside the dark room, he went back through the wall to find a spot by the door to sit and wait for daylight when he could see things. As Jiang Feng quietly sat by the door, he spected what time it might be. ording to Jiang Feng¡¯s knowledge, Jiang Chengde¡¯s father had lost the family fortune to opium in his youth and sold Taifeng Building to others. Later, Taifeng Building was moved to Beiping City, and Jiang Chengde also took his sister, wife, and children to Beiping. The Jiang Family lived in Beiping for many years until the fall of the city, when they fled south to escape famine, along with the events that followed. Jiang Feng had seen the small siheyuan in Beiping that belonged to the Jiang Family in Jiang Huiqin¡¯s memories before. It had just a tiny courtyard; Jiang Huiqin¡¯s room was very small, so the other rooms likely weren¡¯t much bigger. The house also wasn¡¯t as dpidated as this one. This wasn¡¯t Beiping, and during the southward escape to avoid famine, it was unlikely that Jiang Chengde would have stayed in a ce like this¡ªthat only left Outside the Pass. This was Jiang¡¯s Old House, the true ancestral home. Having figured this out, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but stand up and look around, walking about to see as far as he could go. Jiang Feng¡¯s Travels were limited; at the end of the neglected garden, there was a small gate, but it was locked. Behind this row of houses, there was a small path leading to what seemed like another row of houses. Jiang Feng also saw a wall that appeared to enclose this area. No matter how he looked at it, thisyout did not resemble that of a normal residence, but rather it seemed like a specific area that had been deliberately enclosed. Suddenly, Jiang Feng saw a light. A person carrying antern was walking toward Jiang Feng from the other end of the path. The light from thentern was weak but sufficient to illuminate the way. As the person approached, Jiang Feng realized that the one holding thentern was a pregnant woman, or rather, it would be more fitting to describe her as a young girl, who despite her sizable belly appeared to be only in her teens or around twenty. The girl carrying thentern held it in her right hand, used her left to support her waist, and walked very slowly. Her hair was loose, and she seemed somewhat fatigued, yawning incessantly. Jiang Feng watched as she approached the house, pushed the door open, and walked straight in. Then she carefully closed the door behind her to avoid making too much noise. With a person inside and thentern lit, the interior of the house became visible, and Jiang Feng quickly followed, slipping through the wall to enter. ¡°Chengde, why haven¡¯t you gone to bed?¡± Just as Jiang Feng entered, he realized there had been someone in the room all along. Jiang Chengde had been sitting on a chair in the corridor, so still and silent that Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t noticed anyone was there. Since Jiang Chengde was in the room, the identity of the young pregnant woman before him was evident¡ªshe was Jiang Feng¡¯s great-grandmother, the long-deceaseddy never mentioned by Sir.
    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± Jiang Chengde stood up, helped his wife to the bed, and poured her a cup of tea, ¡°Are Weize and Weijin causing trouble again?¡± Bringing up the children brought a smile to Qin Wan¡¯s (the great-grandmother¡¯s) face: ¡°Weize is at that mischievous age, and Weijin has just started to talk. Huiqin is too young to handle the two boys once they get going. I¡¯m already content that she isn¡¯t joining in their mischief. I let Huiqin go to sleep in the next room first. I calmed down the two boys beforeing back. Having two boys is already quite a handful; I¡¯m hoping that the one in my belly is a girl, otherwise, three boys would really be too much for me to handle.¡± Qin Wan prattled on, then looked up to realize that Jiang Chengde hadn¡¯t been paying close attention to her story, so she nudged him, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°Wanwan, are you giving birth next month?¡± Jiang Chengde asked.
    ¡°Doctor Zhou said it should be around the 10th of next month.¡± Qin Wan looked at Jiang Chengde and saw he was still troubled, thinking he was worried about the baby yet to be born, ¡°Doctor Zhou said my pregnancy looks very good and there won¡¯t be problems.¡± ¡°Today, Mr. Lu spoke to me about something,¡± Jiang Chengde said. The smile on Qin Wan¡¯s face froze, she became nervous, ¡°Wha¡­ What?¡± ¡°He said he wants to move Taifeng Building to Beiping City.¡± Qin Wan let out a sigh of relief, ¡°I thought¡­¡± ¡°What did you think?¡± ¡°I thought Mr. Lu was pressing us¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Lu is not that kind of person,¡± Jiang Chengde said. ¡°I know. When father had to sell the house and Taifeng Building, Mr. Lu bought it and even set this part aside for us to live in. He didn¡¯t rush us to repay the debt and has taken care of us a great deal, treating us beyond what justice and humanity would demand,¡± Qin Wan said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I heard Mr. Lu¡¯s business hasn¡¯t been doing too well recently, so I thought maybe he was short of money and that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Moving to Beiping is a good thing. Beiping is more prosperous than Outside the Pass, and I¡¯ve heard they have schools for girls there. Moving there would be good for Huiqin and the kids,¡± Jiang Chengde said, his expression revealing that in his heart, he didn¡¯t quite feel that way. Qin Wan noticed what Jiang Chengde was worried about. She gently stroked her belly and smiled, ¡°Are you hesitating about whether to take father with us to Beiping?¡± Jiang Chengde remained silent. ¡°Chengde, why don¡¯t you visit father in the hospital tomorrow? If you want, we can go together,¡± Qin Wan said with a smile, ¡°Huiqin and the others haven¡¯t seen father in a long time. Weize and Weijin, those two rascals, don¡¯t really think about it, but even though Huiqin doesn¡¯t say it, I know she¡¯s been missing him.¡±
    ¡°If the doctor agrees, we should bring father home tomorrow. It¡¯s been a long time since our family has had a meal together.¡± Chapter 394: 392 Life is but a Dish (Part Two) Chapter 394: Chapter 392 Life is but a Dish (Part Two) The night had deepened, and Qin Wan, still chattering away with Jiang Chengde about trivial matters, finallyy down to sleep. Jiang Chengde turned off the light, and the room returned to its former darkness. When the eyes can¡¯t see, other senses be unusually sharp. Jiang Feng could hear steady breathing sounds¡ªit must have been Qin Wan. Pregnant women are prone to sleepiness, and despite thete hour, Qin Wan had fallen asleep almost the moment her head touched the pillow. Jiang Chengdey beside Qin Wan, surprisingly making no sound at all, not even his breathing was audible. Jiang Feng¡¯s intuition told him that at this moment, Jiang Chengde must be lying with his eyes open, staring into the darkness. Jiang Feng silently moved through the wall to sit outside. It was a bit brighter there with the moonlight, as he always felt ufortable staying in the pitch-dark room. Earlier, Jiang Chengde and Qin Wan had talked about Jiang Chengde¡¯s father¡ªa man whose name Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even know, but knew he was the entire Jiang Family¡¯s sinner, a character akin to a viin in a novel. The old man had once mentioned Jiang Chengde¡¯s father in passing when he was exining the origins of Jiang Family Dishes to Jiang Feng and his cousins when they were children. Jiang Family Dishes weren¡¯t founded by Jiang Chengde, but they reached their glory in his hands. If they had reached glory, it meant there had been a decline, and the catalyst for the decline of Jiang Family Dishes was Jiang Chengde¡¯s father¡ªthe man unworthy of a name. Whether it was the old man, Jiang Weiming, or the already-deceased Li Mingyi, none seemed to know his name. Such a character, who could be called the sinner of the Jiang Family, was only ever referred to by the elders as ¡°your great-grandfather¡¯s father¡±. ording to what Jiang Feng knew, one of their ancestors who had been an Imperial Chef in the pce for some unknown reason left the Forbidden City and ran back to Outside the Pass, never again daring to step foot in Beiping. This ancestor of the Jiang Family had used his savings to open a restaurant back in his hometown, which was Taifeng Building. Since this ancestor of the Jiang Family was illiterate, he left no written recipes for future generations. It was all taught orally, from father to son or grandfather to father and then to son¡ªsess depended entirely on talent. By the time it had been passed down to Jiang Chengde¡¯s father¡¯s generation, the family had already amassed considerable wealth.
    At that time, the Jiang Family had houses, fertile fields, and businesses, but they couldn¡¯t withstand the prodigal ways of Jiang Chengde¡¯s father. How exactly Jiang Chengde¡¯s father managed to squander all the wealth umted by generations of the Jiang Family in just a few years, Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t sure, but it was said to involve eating, drinking, prostitution, gambling, and opium. Any one of these vices, if indulged in, could deplete even a vast fortune. Jiang Chengde¡¯s father was hollowed out by opium, dying prematurely in his early forties. Sitting outside, Jiang Feng coolly analyzed and concluded that Jiang Chengde¡¯s father must not be far from death at this point. In the context of this era, being seriously ill enough to need hospitalization often meant not having many days left to live. The nights in summer weren¡¯t long, and after sitting quietly outside for a few hours, Jiang Feng saw the first hints of dawn on the horizon. Not long after, he heard movement inside the house. Qin Wan had gotten up. By the time Jiang Feng saw Qin Wan at the doorway, she was already neatly dressed. Due tock of sleep, herplexion was a bit pale. She wore in, simple clothes with her hair casually tied up, looking just like an ordinary housewife. Qin Wan walked slowly towards the room at the back with her left hand braced against her waist. Jiang Feng wanted to follow, but since Jiang Chengde had not awakened, he couldn¡¯t reach the mysterious room at the rear. Jiang Feng waited outside for a while longer, and as the sky began to lighten, Jiang Chengde got up. Compared to Qin Wan¡¯s simple and ordinary outfit, Jiang Chengde was dressed much more formally, in a long robe with the buttons neatly done up. His clothes were smooth without a wrinkle, and his hair wasbed meticulously, as if he was going to meet someone important. Jiang Chengde walked along the path to a row of rooms at the back. Jiang Feng hurried to follow. The row of rooms at the back turned out to be a series of single-story houses that looked rather simple, resembling storerooms more than living quarters. There were two of them, onerge and one small. The smaller one, with its door wide open, was the kitchen where Qin Wan was cooking porridge. Therger one was most likely the children¡¯s bedroom. Despite the tightly closed doors and windows, Jiang Feng could still hear the noise of childrening from inside. Jiang Chengde went straight into the children¡¯s bedroom. Jiang Weize, Jiang Weijin, and Jiang Huiqin were all awake. Jiang Huiqin, who was probably staying in the inner room, ran down from her bed without even putting on shoes to y outside with her two nephews. Judging by their ages, Jiang Huiqin and Jiang Weize seemed to be around two or three years old. They could run, jump, and speak, but their pronunciation was unclear, and they sounded like two children babbling noisily. Jiang Weijin was at the age of learning how to walk and talk, lying on the bed babbling along with the others. The three children were so noisy that Jiang Feng wondered if he had entered a kindergarten. ¡°Brother, cake!¡± Jiang Huiqin saw Jiang Chengdeing and excitedly ran over, pulling at the hem of his clothes, ¡°Cake.¡± ¡°Daddy, cake!¡± Jiang Weize followed suit. ¡°Melon!¡± Jiang Weijin also started to call out nonsensically. The room instantly turned into chaos with a symphony of ¡°daddy,¡± ¡°brother,¡± ¡°cake,¡± and ¡°melon¡± blending together.
    Hearing themotion next door, Qin Wan quickly stopped what she was doing and came over to check. Seeing that it was Jiang Chengde ying with the children, she sighed with relief and asked, ¡°Bohe, why did you wake up so early today? Did I make too much noise when I got up and wake you?¡± ¡°Mr. Lu has something for me this morning; I woke up early because it was on my mind,¡± Jiang Chengde exined. ¡°You take care of the kids here, I¡¯ll go to the kitchen.¡± With that, Jiang Chengde went to the kitchen to make breakfast. The breakfast was simple: porridge and steamed bread. Although Jiang Chengde was only a little over 20 years old, his culinary skills were already quite advanced, and he made the porridge with not much rice very smooth.
    Jiang Huiqin and Jiang Weize were able to eat on their own, slurping their porridge from their little bowls, needing no help. Jiang Weijin still needed Qin Wan to feed him, but he was very obedient, opening his mouth wide and waiting for Qin Wan to spoon the porridge into his mouth, and after each mouthful, he would even ¡°ah¡± to remind his mother to feed him the next bite. After breakfast, Jiang Chengde left the house. Jiang Feng followed him on the street, which was probably so empty due to the early hour. The shops were open without much business, looking quite deste. After about a half-hour¡¯s walk, Jiang Chengde stepped into Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng did not immediately follow him inside but stood outside, examining the Taifeng Building located outside the Pass. The sign was an exact replica; Mr. Lu must have brought the sign with him when he relocated to Beiping. From the outside, it looked very simr to the Taifeng Building in Beiping, although the one in front of him was slightlyrger. After examining it for a while, Jiang Feng entered Taifeng Building and saw Jiang Chengde talking to a middle-aged man with a smiling, friendly face that made him look very approachable. ¡°Bohe, I know that your family¡¯s Qin Wan is due to give birth next month. We can wait for Qin Wan to have the baby and recover before leaving, but we need to move these things over first. Come and see what furniture in the building needs to be moved; I also don¡¯t know about the utensils in the back kitchen. I¡¯ve heard that some tes and jars get better with use. You take a look and make a list, and I¡¯ll start arranging for these things to be sent to Beiping in the next few days,¡± Mr. Lu said. ¡°Beiping is not like the areas Outside the Pass; it is full of nobility and notable restaurant brands. You can¡¯t count them on your fingers, and there are even chefs from Suzhou and Yangzhou.¡± Mr. Lu gestured toward the furniture and benches in the hall, chattering away. He would talk about the kind of wood something was made of and then go on to say how many years another shelf had been in use. Jiang Chengde stood next to Mr. Lu, quietly listening to him talk, then suddenly, as if he had thought of something, turned to look outside and asked, ¡°Mr. Lu, when will we take down the signboard?¡± ¡°The signboard?¡± Mr. Lu also looked toward the door. ¡°In the next few days, I suppose. The signboard needs to be the first thing we send over. It¡¯s the symbol of Taifeng Building, after all, it needs to be¡­¡± Suddenly, as if realizing something, Mr. Lu stopped mid-sentence. ¡°Bohe, when we remove the signboard, should we¡­¡± Mr. Lu looked at Jiang Chengde. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my father,¡± Jiang Chengde replied, looking out the door as if he could see through the door and window to the signboard hanging outside. ¡°He wasn¡¯t here when we sold it, but he should be here when we take down the signboard.¡±
    Chapter 395: 393: A Dish for Life (3) Chapter 395: Chapter 393: A Dish for Life (3) PS: I find that when I¡¯m dizzy, my thoughts flow more freely. It¡¯s like opening the doors to a new world. . Jiang Chengde and Mr. Lu spent the whole morning in Taifeng Building taking inventory of the furniture, fromrge tables, chairs, and ancient shelves to small tea cups, dishes, and wine pots. Mr. Lu wished he could pack everything up and take it all to Beiping; he couldn¡¯t bear to part with this item or that, as if leaving anything behind would cause him unbearable heartache. ¡°We have to take this set of cups with us, I remember 20 years ago, it was this model. This is an antique, we have to take it.¡± ¡°We must take this vase.¡± ¡°This jar¡­¡± ¡°This ancient shelf¡­¡± ¡°Right, the cer, we haven¡¯t inventoried the things in the cer yet!¡±
    Mr. Lu led Jiang Chengde from the main hall to the back kitchen, and then to the cer, meticulously inventorying every item in Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng could see that Mr. Lu and Jiang Chengde had a rather good rtionship, which didn¡¯t seem like that of an employer and employee, or even a debtor and creditor, but more like old friends of many years. Although Mr. Lu was old enough to be Jiang Chengde¡¯s father, he was talkative and always wore a smile, whereas Jiang Chengde was serious, alwaysing across as cold. Standing together, one might feel that Jiang Chengde was the more reliable one. By the time they finished inventorying, it was already noon. Mr. Lu was holding a thick stack of inventory lists, discussing with Jiang Chengde what should be shipped in the first batch and what in the second. ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged everything on the Beiping side. The first batch being shipped will contain the most valuable items, and they will leave with the merchant caravan either tomorrow or the day after. We have to get these items ready tonight¡­¡± Mr. Lu stopped mid-sentence as he remembered an important item he had forgotten. ¡°We also need to take down the signboard and send it over. Bohe, do you think we should take it down tonight or tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take it down tonight, I¡¯ll go pick up my dad from the hospital this afternoon,¡± Jiang Chengde replied. Mr. Lu nodded, ¡°If his condition is good, then take him home to live. It¡¯s not good for him to stay in the hospital all the time. I have another residence in the west of the city; you can move your father there once he¡¯s discharged. Qin Wan is about to give birth, so it would be inconvenient for her to take care of someone. I¡¯ll send a couple of maids over, and next month, we can take your father with us to Beiping.¡± On the subject of his father¡¯s future arrangements, Jiang Chengde fell silent. He bowed to Mr. Lu and said, ¡°Mr. Lu, you are too kind; Bohe is unworthy.¡± Mr. Lu patted Jiang Chengde¡¯s shoulder with enthusiasm: ¡°There¡¯s nothing to feel unworthy about. Our two families have been friends for generations, and I¡¯ve watched you grow up. When I bought Taifeng Building and that old house of your family¡¯s, I told you I was only looking after these things for you temporarily. There¡¯s no question of worthiness between us.¡± ¡°If you have any financial trouble, just let me know. Though the business hasn¡¯t been very good recently, I still have some extra funds at hand. You also don¡¯t need to worry about the hospital. Those morphine powders are shipped from London and are the same as the anti-smoking drugs in Magic City; they¡¯re very pure and effective. Once we get to Beiping, I¡¯ll help you get in touch with the hospitals there, to make sure you get the best medicine,¡± Mr. Lu said cheerfully, his innate smiling face matching the generosity of his words, making him seem like the kindest and most righteous person in the world. Despite his seriousness andposure, Jiang Chengde was only a young man of about 20. Touched by Mr. Lu¡¯s kindness and indebted to him for many favors, he was filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Lu, for these past few years you¡¯ve troubled yourself with many matters on my behalf, and I dare not impose on you any further. Your great kindness, Bohe will surely repay with all his strength.¡± ¡°Bohe, what are you talking about? Why bring up repaying and owing favors between us? I was good friends with your father, and now that he has ended up in such a state, it is only right for me to look after you as my junior¡­¡± Mr. Lu wanted to say more, but his shop assistant ran into the store to call for him. ¡°Manager Lu, the caravan¡¯s Mr. Huang has arrived, wanting to discuss matters of cargo transport with you.¡± Seeing Jiang Chengde also present, the assistant loudly announced from the doorway without entering. ¡°I have matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll be going back, Bohe. Do you need someone to escort you to the hospital?¡± Mr. Lu asked. ¡°No need, I can walk there on my own,¡± Jiang Chengde replied. ¡°Alright then, I won¡¯t send you off. Collect your father from the hospital and bring him over, tonight we¡¯re taking down the sign.¡± Mr. Lu nodded and headed towards the door, with Jiang Chengde following close behind. The two men parted ways at the entrance, one heading east, the other west. Jiang Chengde had only eaten two steamed buns and a bowl of thin porridge in the morning and, after inventorying goods with Mr. Lu all morning, was quite hungry. Conveniently, there was a stall selling baked pastries ten or so steps ahead of Taifeng Building, so he went there to buy a couple of in pastries to fill his stomach. Jiang Feng paused at the entrance of Taifeng Building, looked up at the signboard for a while, and was about to step towards Jiang Chengde when he overheard Mr. Lu¡¯s shop assistant speaking to Mr. Lu. ¡°Manager, are we really moving Taifeng Building to Beiping?¡± This assistant must have been a confidant of Mr. Lu¡¯s, daring to say and ask anything.
    When alone with his assistant, Mr. Lu wasn¡¯t as smiley as he had been when facing Jiang Chengde. He nced at the assistant indifferently, as if annoyed by his verbosity, and his expression seemed somewhat cold. ¡°Otherwise?¡± ¡°Master Jiang¡¯s culinary skills are unparalleled here Outside the Pass, and even in Beiping City, they are not inferior. With so many restaurants in Beiping City, aren¡¯t you afraid that someone might poach him?¡± The assistant naturally sided with the manager. ¡°Poach him?¡± Mr. Lu looked up at the signboard andughed, augh that somehow seemed chillingly sinister, ¡°With this signboard in my hands, who could poach him?¡±
    Jiang Feng stood frozen, incredulous, turning his head to look at Mr. Lu, still bearing that smiling face, but now with a hint of a different meaning. ¡°The daily profits of restaurants in Beiping City can reach more than a dozen silver dors, iparable to ces here Outside the Pass. To leave such overwhelming wealth behind and stay in this ce, I think the Jiang Family¡¯s lineage must have gone mad.¡± ¡°I have to agree, Master Jiang¡¯s father really squandered the family fortune. There are many in Outside the Pass who have depleted their wealth due to opium, but to lose it all in just a few years like he did is truly unprecedented. It¡¯s only because of your kindness that you bought the restaurant, residence, and fields at market price, and even allocated a utility room for them to live in, otherwise Master Jiang and his family would have been homeless long ago.¡± The assistant concurred. ¡°With Bohe¡¯s fine skills, it would be a shame for him to end up homeless. Some things that shouldn¡¯t be said, you better not mention them. Bohe has always been indifferent to what others say, but that doesn¡¯t mean everyone else doesn¡¯t care, especially Master Chen. If he heard what you just said, wouldn¡¯t that cause friction between you two?¡± Jiang Feng wanted to hear more about what Mr. Lu had to say, but Jiang Chengde had already bought his pastries and was stepping forward. Once again, Jiang Feng felt an invisible wall hit him, and despite his reluctance, he had to follow Jiang Chengde, unable to help looking back as he walked. Mr. Lu kept a casual, half-smiling expression, mouthing something in a low voice, sending a chill down Jiang Feng¡¯s spine. Chapter 396: 394: A Dish in Life (Part 4) Chapter 396: Chapter 394: A Dish in Life (Part 4) Jiang Chengde had no idea what had just happened, and grabbed two dry pancakes to eat while walking, swallowing them dry without water, feeling almost choked towards the end. Wearing a long robe in the summer, although the midday sun was not particrly harsh, still, as Jiang Chengde walked, he sweated profusely. Compared to the bustling Beiping, Outside the Pass was indeed much more deste. There were hardly any pedestrians on the road, and the shops had little business, with many not even bothering to open their doors. Street vendors idling by their stands, hiding in the shade to keep cool, didn¡¯t even feel like chatting. In such an environment, Jiang Chengde, in his long robe rushing about, seemed very out of ce. Jiang Feng followed behind Jiang Chengde for what seemed like ages. In an era where the world was measured by footsteps, even short distances felt incredibly far. It wasn¡¯t until Jiang Chengde¡¯s shadow had significantly lengthened that he arrived at the hospital entrance. The entrance to the hospital was probably the liveliest ce Jiang Feng had seen since his arrival. There were women in cheongsams, men in long robes, and rickshaw pullers in short shirts pulling their carts. With its Western architectural style and high archways, Jiang Feng even spotted an ambnce¡ªa white car with a red cross painted on it. Jiang Chengde was not new to the hospital, moving through the crowd straight to the ward, and even some doctors and nurses recognized him, nodding their heads at each other as they passed. Outside the ward, Jiang Feng saw the name of Jiang Chengde¡¯s father¡ªJiang Hengzhong. Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s chief physician was a foreigner, who stopped Jiang Chengde outside the ward and told him in a mix of Chinese and English that Jiang Hengzhong was undergoing treatment and it would be inconvenient to enter now¡ªthe visit or discharge would have to wait a few hours. Jiang Chengde¡¯s English wasn¡¯t good either; he stumbled through a few disjointed words while struggling tomunicate with the chief physician, who could only respond with a mix of Chinese and English gestures. Whether or not the doctor¡¯s message was understood, and to what extent, was simply a matter of luck.
    Jiang Feng, who had been listening by the side, understood their conversation¡ª the chief physician was trying to inform Jiang Chengde that Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s smoking cessation was not going too well, and they had to keep increasing the dosage. The price of morphine sulfate was continuously rising, and the money Jiang Chengde had paid was no longer sufficient. However, Mr. Lu had sent over some medical fees recently, so the previous concerns were no longer an issue. But with Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s current condition, he couldn¡¯t be discharged; though taking him out for a few hours would be fine. The chief physician¡¯s Chinese was as poor as Jiang Chengde¡¯s English, but the words ¡°morphine sulfate¡± and ¡°money¡± were pronounced very clearly, causing Jiang Chengde topletely misunderstand. Jiang Chengde thought the chief physician was reminding him it was time to make a payment, continuously exining to the physician that he was presently under financial strain and might not be able to produce so much money at once, leading to amunication deadlock between the two, with neither understanding the other. As they spoke, a nurse came over with the medication. ¡°Doctor, I¡¯ve brought the morphine sulfate,¡± said the nurse. The chief physician nodded, gesturing for her to go in, and said four articte words in Chinese after ¡°morphine sulfate¡± and ¡°money¡±: ¡°Left arm, injection.¡± The nurse nodded her understanding and carried the medication into the ward. As the nurse walked past Jiang Feng, he casually nced at the tray and was stunned by thebel on the morphine sulfate. Morphine. A drug more toxic and with a higher potential for addiction than opium. It was actually being used as a smoking cessation therapy. Jiang Feng wanted to enter the ward, but then he didn¡¯t have the heart to. Now he realized why Jiang Hengzhong had died so young at only forty. He had first squandered his wealth on opium and then, in an attempt to quit smoking, they used morphine¡ªa case of fighting poison with poison, tantamount to seeking death. After a while, the nurse came out of the ward and informed Jiang Chengde that the patient had been administered the morphine sulfate and needed to rest, advising him to wait outside for an hour or two before entering. The chief physician realized the difficulties inmunicating with Jiang Chengde and asked the nurse to find a doctor who spoke Chinese to talk with Jiang Chengde, then left himself. Before long, the nurse brought over a young doctor to discuss Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s smoking cessation with Jiang Chengde. ¡°` The young doctor first exined to Jiang Chengde the progress of Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s smoking cessation, which was beyond hisprehension. He directly told Jiang Chengde that Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s progress was not ideal and asked if he was willing to try a new, more expensive but more effective medication. ¡°New medication?¡± Jiang Chengde hesitated, ¡°Isn¡¯t morphine powder already considered very effective?¡±
    ¡°Morphine powder is indeed effective, but it varies from person to person. A new drug with better efficacy has been developed abroad, which is more expensive than morphine powder. It has already been used in Magic City and Beiping with good results,¡± the young doctor exined, ¡°Our hospital finds it very difficult to get this new medication, but when Mr. Lu came to make a payment some time ago, he mentioned that your family was moving to Beiping. If you go to a hospital there, you can try this new drug for your father.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the name of this drug?¡± ¡°Heroin.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­
    He knew how Jiang Hengzhong died. When he participated in a drug awarenesspetition, he reviewed many questions, and he clearly remembered that heroin was originally introduced to China as a smoking cessation medicine. He never imagined that this case would literally happen to his own ancestor. With things going like this, it would be hard for Jiang Hengzhong not to die. Just thinking about it, he felt that Jiang Hengzhong was somewhat unlucky. It was his own fault for squandering the family fortune on an opium addiction, but the subsequent morphine and even heroin addiction, followed by his untimely death, seemed like a cruel twist of fate. After chatting with Jiang Chengde for a while, the young doctor left. Jiang Chengde stood quietly at the door for several hours until a nurse went in to check, confirmed there were no issues, helped Jiang Hengzhong change his clothes, and then brought him out. ¡°It¡¯s best to bring him back tonight,¡± the nurse reminded Jiang Chengde. ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Chengde replied. Jiang Hengzhong was very thin. Not ordinarily thin, nor thin due to hunger or malnutrition, but emaciated in a pathological and even somewhat frightening way. From the sleeve peeking out was a hand as thin as a stick, skin and bones, and Jiang Feng could see from the small exposed part of his wrist a dense array of needle marks, indicating the severity of his morphine addiction. Jiang Hengzhong followed Jiang Chengde out of the hospital, looking very dazed. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Jiang Hengzhong asked. He had been quite out of it even before when he was addicted to opium paste, and now after trying to quit smoking, he was even more hazy, sometimes unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. Jiang Chengde looked at Jiang Hengzhong, feeling virtually no emotion inside.
    Jiang Hengzhong had long ceased to be his father. From the time he became addicted to opium paste, frequented the opium dens, spent days lying on the couch enveloped in smoke, squandered the family wealth, indirectly caused his mother¡¯s death, and infuriated his grandfather to the point of death, Jiang Hengzhong was no longer the father who had taught him cooking skills and had helped dress him properly. ¡°Mr. Lu is moving his business to Beiping, and the Taifeng Building will remove its que tonight,¡± Jiang Chengde said. ¡°Mr. Lu?¡± Jiang Hengzhong seemed bewildered. A cold smile appeared on Jiang Chengde¡¯s face, ¡°Have you forgotten? A year ago, wasn¡¯t it you who sold Taifeng Building to Mr. Lu? Along with all of the Jiang Family¡¯s fields and houses, didn¡¯t you sell them all to Mr. Lu to pay off debts?¡± ¡°Paying off debts¡­¡± Jiang Hengzhong narrowed his eyes. In the past few years, he had been weaving in and out of reality and fantasy, constantly in a daze, asionally lucid, in either an opium den or in a hospital, and overall quite mad. When Jiang Chengde saw him like this, he was as if he saw his grandfather on the deathbed and his mother who had passed away after childbirth. He clenched his fists, struggling to restrain himself fromshing out, and without another word, he walked straight ahead. ¡°` Chapter 397: 395 Life is but a Dish (Part Five) Chapter 397: Chapter 395 Life is but a Dish (Part Five) Given Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s health condition, it was simply impossible for him to travel to the Taifeng Building like Jiang Chengde did. Therefore, when Jiang Chengde had been leading him for a few minutes, Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s walking speed began to noticeably slow down, even bing somewhat staggered at times, causing Jiang Chengde to stop and hail a rickshaw for him. Jiang Chengde only called for a rickshaw for Jiang Hengzhong and, not wanting to apany him, paid in advance and let the rickshaw driver take Jiang Hengzhong away while he slowly walked back. Jiang Hengzhong was as thin as a rail, indistinguishable from a paper cutout, lighter than most women. The rickshaw driver, who was ustomed to manualbor and strong-bodied, wore a short-sleeved shirt and was sweating under the sun. He pulled the rickshaw at a brisk pace, and in a few steps, he was out of sight. Jiang Chengde did not immediately start walking towards Taifeng Building; instead, he stood still and quietly watched the rickshaw until it disappeared, his tightly clenched fists gradually rxed, releasing into a long sigh. Jiang Feng stood beside him, watching him. Jiang Chengde, who was of the same age as Jiang Feng, already had a wife, children, and a young sister to support; he even carried debts unimaginable to the average person, and possessed a steadiness umon in young men, having lost the impetuosity typical of youth. Jiang Chengde walked slowly back the way he came and by the time he took him to the entrance of Taifeng Building, it had begun to get dark. It waste in the summer, so the nights drew inte. Jiang Feng guessed it must be after 7 p.m. by now. Although it was still bright, the light was clearly not as strong as before, and along the way, there were some customers sitting in small eateries having dinner. Several carriages were parked outside Taifeng Building, and there were quite a few people standing around. The doors were wide open, and the waiter from noon was at the door, pointing and saying something loudly to others. Jiang Hengzhong was not there. When the waiter saw Jiang Chengdeing, he hurried over and said, ¡°Master Jiang has arrived. Our east host is upstairs talking to your father. Do you need me to go upstairs and inform our east host? You need to be careful with that bottle. Don¡¯t you know how old it is? If you break it, you better be careful, you might be working for nothing this year!¡± The waiter indeed had learned a thing or two about changing faces quickly from Mr. Lu.
    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Jiang Chengde, as he stepped aside to stand by the door, so as not to block the way of the people moving things. Seeing that they were moving fragile items like porcin vases, Jiang Chengde casually asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that the porcin vases were to be moved in the third batch? Why are you starting to pack up now?¡± The waiter immediately revealed a smug look and boasted to Jiang Chengde, ¡°How else would everyone say that our shopkeeper is so capable! Mr. Lu managed to get half a railway freight car this afternoon. Using the train to transport goods is much faster than the caravan. Hence, the shopkeeper said, transport the valuable items first, including the signboard, which is also to be moved in the first batch. Wait a moment, I will go up and call our shopkeeper for you, it¡¯s about time to take down that signboard.¡± With that, the waiter ran upstairs while Jiang Chengde stayed below. Jiang Feng quickly followed and went directly through the wall into the room just as the waiter stopped outside to knock on the door. Mr. Lu and Jiang Hengzhong were inside talking, with two cups of tea on the table. Only half was left in the cup in front of Jiang Hengzhong, while the one in front of Mr. Lu was untouched. ¡°The shopkeeper, Master Jiang is here,¡± the waiter shouted from outside. ¡°I know,¡± replied Mr. Lu. ¡°I¡¯m still dealing with some things here, you go down and let Bohe have a seat first and serve him some good tea.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± The waiter left. ¡°Since Bohe has arrived, I¡¯ll get straight to the point,¡± Mr. Lu looked at Jiang Hengzhong with a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, and I pursue profitable endeavors. I don¡¯t kick a man when he¡¯s down; at most, I¡¯d give a nudge with the current, but I¡¯m not a phnthropist¡ªI¡¯ve never been one to harbor idlers or the incapable.¡± Jiang Hengzhong was highly clear-headed at the moment. Knowing Mr. Lu for many years, he was aware that he was someone not inclined to act without profit, and he knew Mr. Lu wanted to get something from him. However, he also didn¡¯t understand what he possessed that could still be of interest to others. Debt? The debts he owed were all to Mr. Lu. Seeing the look on Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s face, Mr. Lu knew he had understood and picked up his tea cup, only to find that the tea had cooled and set it back down. ¡°I wonder if Bohe has told you about my ns to move Taifeng Building to Beiping.¡± ¡°He has.¡± ¡°Beiping is not Outside the Pass. Your Jiang Family ancestors were Imperial Chefs, originating from Beiping. Here, in our area Outside the Pass, their skills are ranked among the best. But in Beiping City, officials are everywhere; it¡¯s not umon to have ancestors who were Imperial Chefs, and even less so to have masters who were. Bohe has good skills, but he¡¯s not learned the most formidable ones. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you know how to cook the dish that the marshal personally praised back in the day, right?¡± Mr. Lu looked at Jiang Hengzhong. ¡°Is it just for this dish?¡± Mr. Lu suddenlyughed, ¡°Jingxuan, you really have damaged your brain smoking opium in the smoking dens all these years. Don¡¯t you realize times have changed? In Beiping City, a renowned restaurant can earn tens of silver dors a day. Do you remember how much silver you sold Taifeng Building for to mest year? We¡¯ve known each other for so many years, and there is a certain sentiment between us. I know if I asked you to teach your Jiang Family¡¯s unique skills to someone else you would be reluctant; evenst year Mr. Qian offered a high price, and you did not sell the recipe book of Jiang Family Dishes. All I¡¯m asking is for you to teach it to your son, and that¡¯s not much to ask, is it?¡± ¡°As Bohe¡¯s elder, it¡¯s only natural for me to look out for him. Jingxuan, as his father, you wouldn¡¯t want him to end up like you, bing someone without even the value to be used, someone left to just wait for death.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been ustomed to reckless and foolish behavior for years, and it¡¯s always Bohe who has had to follow you and clean up your messes. After all, you¡¯re his biological father, and you ought to leave him something to protect his safety, shouldn¡¯t you?¡±
    Mr. Lu¡¯s words, neither too light nor too heavy, pierced through Jiang Hengzhong like an arrow, stripping away the falseyers of protection he had used to console himself over the years, revealing the bloody truth. ¡°If I may say so, you really are fortunate to have such a filial son who¡¯s willing to support you even after all the absurd messes you¡¯ve created, always cleaning up your messes. I¡¯ve said my piece, Bohe is still waiting downstairs. It¡¯s about time to take down the signboard; let¡¯s go downstairs and have a look together,¡± Mr. Lu said as he stood up and pushed open the door. ¡°Are there ingredients?¡± asked Jiang Hengzhong. ¡°Yes, everything you need is all prepared in the kitchen,¡± Mr. Lu replied with a friendly smile. ¡°See, isn¡¯t this what apassionate father is like?¡±
    Mr. Lu went downstairs first without waiting for Jiang Hengzhong. Jiang Chengde was sitting by the entrance of the great hall. When Mr. Lu saw him, he quickly approached with a smile. ¡°Bohe, sorry to keep you waiting. I haven¡¯t seen your father for some time; it¡¯s natural to have a longer chat when old friends meet,¡± Mr. Lu said. ¡°I see his spirits have lifted quite a bitpared to how he was a few days ago; it seems giving up smoking has had its effects.¡± Jiang Chengde could only nod in agreement. ¡°Just now, Jingxuan was telling me that he feels much better recently and wants to teach you some dishes that you¡¯ve yet to learn. Bohe, a prodigal who returns is more precious than gold. After all, he is your father. He may have been muddled in the past few years, but his heart has always been with you, so try not to start a conflict with him,¡± Mr. Lu said earnestly. Jiang Chengde looked upstairs where Jiang Hengzhong was slowly descending, appearing somewhat downcast and lost. Now that everyone was present, it was time to take down the signboard. There wasn¡¯t any formal ceremony, just setting up adder for someone to climb and remove the signboard that had hung on this building for decades, to be taken away and sent to a new location. All were silent. Something inside Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s heart shattered. He couldn¡¯t remember when exactly he became addicted to opium; after all, everyone else was doing it, so it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. Over the years, he had felt remorse, but it was just that¡ªremorse. Once the cravings hit, he¡¯d forget it all. Forgetting his father¡¯s death, his wife¡¯s passing, his son¡¯s hatred. But now, as he watched the signboard being taken down before his eyes, he truly felt regret.
    Taifeng Building was once the glory of the Jiang Family. Now that glory no longer belonged to the Jiang Family. He, an unworthy son, had destroyed this glory with his own hands. His culinary skills were taught by his father, and Jiang Chengde¡¯s skills were taught by him. But he was not a good father and didn¡¯t even deserve to be one; he only cared about his own pleasure and never took care of his family¡¯s well-being. Thus, his family members had all died, leaving behind only his son, grandson, and young daughter. Jiang Hengzhong cried. Without warning, he suddenly knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrobly, tears falling like rain, his appearance wretched and pitiful, looking from a distance like a madman. Suddenly, Jiang Hengzhong stood up, stopped crying, and grasped Jiang Chengde¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Bohe, I¡¯m going to cook a dish for you.¡± Such a reaction truly seemed no different from that of a madman. Jiang Chengde looked at him with no expression, as if looking at a stranger. Jiang Hengzhong, gripping Jiang Chengde¡¯s hand with fingers so white and tense it was terrifying, led him inside Taifeng Building. ¡°It¡¯s true what they say outside, Master Jiang¡¯s father really is a madman,¡± someone whispered softly.
    Chapter 398: 396: Jiangs Sea Cucumber Soup S-Class Chapter 398: Chapter 396: Jiang¡¯s Sea Cucumber Soup S-ss Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s first task upon entering the kitchen was to wash his hands and face, as he had just been crying disheveled with snot and tears all over his face, hands, and clothes, and naturally needed to clean himself up. The kitchen was spacious, at leastrger than the one in Taifeng Building in Beiping. Perhaps it was because this Taifeng Building itself had arger footprint than the ones in Beiping. The kitchen was roomy and clean,plete with an array of kitchen utensils. Mr. Lu had anticipated that Jiang Hengzhong would surely teach Jiang Chengde cooking and had prepared superior fresh ingredients in the kitchen in advance. Jiang Feng nced around, and on disy were Spiny Sea Cucumbers, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, pork, and live chickens. There were other ingredients and seasonings in the corners and cabs. Given this setup, the dish Mr. Lu mentioned must involve sea cucumber. After all this time learning sea cucumber dishes, Jiang Feng had be extremely familiar with sea cucumbers, capable of recognizing the various kinds at a nce, and adept at various processing methods and techniques. He was no longer a greenhorn, unable to discern the intricacies while watching others cook sea cucumber dishes. After washing his hands and face, Jiang Hengzhong realized his robe was also stained with dirt and simply took off his long coat, standing in his underclothes, and went straight to cutting the meat with a knife. These past few years, opium had hollowed out his body; although he was in his prime, his strength was no greater than that of a frail woman. Using the vegetable knife, hisck of strength made him look like a child wielding a de. Yet his movements were proficient, and his technique mature, mockingly awkward andughable to an outsider¡¯s eyes. Jiang Chengde watched silently from the side, standing at the kitchen door, about two to three meters away from Jiang Hengzhong. Jiang Feng, on the other hand, didn¡¯t possess such distant observing abilities and stood right by Jiang Hengzhong¡¯s side, almost wishing he could lean his head in to watch the movements of his hands. Jiang Hengzhong was an extremely seasoned chef, also a skilled one. Perhaps in recent years, he hade across as a brain-damaged prodigal son or a deadbeat father dragging his son down. But earlier on, before he got addicted to opium, he was the head chef at Taifeng Building, having wielded the kitchen knife for over 20 years.
    Jiang Hengzhong cut the pork¡ªfatty and lean intertwined¡ªintorge chunks, then set down the knife to start a fire, likely due to many years of disuse. It took him only two minutes to cut the meat but five minutes to get the fire going without sess. Jiang Chengde, who had been standing at the kitchen entrance, watched Jiang Hengzhong struggle and walked over silently, taking the iron tongs from his hand, and said, ¡°Let me.¡± Once the fire was lit, Jiang Hengzhong continued to process the pork, while Jiang Chengde crouched at the stove without moving, only asionally ncing up to see what Jiang Hengzhong was doing, helping him control the fire¡¯s intensity. Jiang Hengzhong was making pork soup. He started by simmering on low heat to remove the residual blood and lymph from the pork to rid it of any gamey taste, then covered the pot so therge chunks of pork could slowly stew inside. The longer the simmering time, the more fragrant the pork soup would be. To truly create a rich soup for stewing ingredients with the current conditions, it would be impossible without several hours of simmering. After dealing with the pork, Jiang Hengzhong proceeded to process the chicken, aiming for the same goal¡ªto stew chicken soup. If both the pork and chicken soups had to be stewed from scratch, Jiang Feng suspected that the dish wouldn¡¯t be finished even by the next morning. The Spiny Sea Cucumbers were soaking in water to remove sand, while the pork and chicken soups were simmering on the stove. Jiang Chengde focused on the fire inside the stove, and Jiang Hengzhong watched the Spiny Sea Cucumbers in the basin, alongside two other basins soaking shiitake mushrooms and wood ears. Both had been silent since entering the kitchen, silent while busy, and silent even when idling. ¡°Liaodong produces sea cucumbers, with a dark brown body, tender flesh, and many thorns. Our local sea cucumbers are of good quality; your grandfather and great-grandfather loved using sea cucumbers for cooking,¡± Jiang Hengzhong suddenly spoke up. ¡°This ingredient, sea cucumber, is full of sand and has a strong fishy smell. Like bird¡¯s nest, it is tasteless on its own and relies entirely on other ingredients for vor. It can¡¯t be stewed in clear broth; it must be cooked slowly in beef or chicken stock,¡± he continued. ¡°Our family isn¡¯t good at naming things, not like other restaurants that give their dishes attractive names like ¡®Snow-Seeking Plum Blossoms,¡¯ ¡®Jadeite in White and Green,¡¯ and ¡®Pearl and Jade Lotus Root Balls.¡¯ When your grandfather was alive, this dish was his specialty, but unfortunately, the name wasn¡¯t chosen well. It was called ¡®Jiang¡¯s Sea Cucumber Soup,¡¯ a signature dish of our restaurant that never gained much fame.¡± ¡°The vor must be rich but not greasy, light yet not thin¡­¡± Jiang Hengzhong suddenly began mumbling some irrelevant phrases, sounding mad. ¡°A miss is as good as a mile.¡± ¡°A thousand-li dike is destroyed by an ant¡¯s nest.¡± The chicken and beef broths simmered gently on the low heat of the stove. As time gradually passed, the outside world turned pitch ck. Mr. Lu had entered the kitchen at some point, and seeing the two standing far apart, which was not what he had expected, he was somewhat surprised. ¡°Bohe, it¡¯ste, and the night is deep. Why don¡¯t you go back first? I can arrange to send Jingxuan back to the hospital,¡± Mr. Lu suggested. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Just send my apologies to Wan and tell her I won¡¯t being home tonight,¡± Jiang Chengde replied as he added another log to the stove, ¡°This dish will likely take until tomorrow to finish.¡± Mr. Lu was taken aback, then realized what was happening. He nced at the stove and smiled with delight, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t disturb you then. I¡¯ll let Qin Wan know.¡± Sea cucumber is a luxurious dish; everything used must be of the best quality, even the most ordinary beef and chicken broths must be the best of their kind.
    Without a clock, it was difficult for Jiang Feng to gauge exactly how much time had passed, but it was at least three hours before Jiang Hengzhong finally approached the stove to lift the lid. He removed the meat, leaving only the broth, ced the sea cucumber in for three quick boils, then poured the chicken stock into the beef broth tobine them, and covered the pot to simmer. Stewing sea cucumber to perfect tenderness without a pressure cooker required at least an entire night. As time continued to slip by, and night deepened, even Jiang Chengde couldn¡¯t help but feel sleepy and began to nod off, his hand holding the iron tongs drooping, having long forgotten the fire in the stove. Yet Jiang Hengzhong was very awake, his eyes fixed on the pot lid. Even with it covered, he could still smell the aroma within.
    Jiang Chengde fell asleep, and Jiang Hengzhong picked up another pair of iron tongs and carefully added wood to the stove without touching or waking him. Thus, Jiang Hengzhong moved back and forth between the mouth of the stove and the side of the pot until dawn. After hours of simmering, the fragrance could escape through the gaps of the covered pot, while Jiang Hengzhong, having stayed awake the entire night, watched the pot with a face full of exhaustion. Not until daylight shone through and Jiang Chengde, who might have stiffened his neck sleeping this way, finally woke up from a doze that had turned into deep sleep. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± asked Jiang Hengzhong. Jiang Chengde had just woken up and was still somewhat groggy, barely registering what was happening when Jiang Hengzhong walked over to the pot and lifted the lid. In an instant, the fragrance filled the air. The big pot of soup from before had been reduced to a shallowyer at the bottom, with the sea cucumbers inside stewed thoroughly, swollen with the absorbed soup, resembling small grenades. Jiang Hengzhong lifted the sea cucumber onto a chopping board and sliced it into pieces, then diced it. With every slice, soup oozed out, the exterior ck and the interior orange, plump and juicy¡ªa fine spiny sea cucumber slowly stewed to perfection overnight. Afterward, Jiang Hengzhong mixed the diced sea cucumber with diced bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, pouring them into the remaining chicken soup. Just like before, he simmered them over low heat, then thickened the broth to make a soup. What had once been arge pot, after long stewing, was now reduced to a small serving. This dish required immense patience and incredible judgment of fire control. Just as Jiang Hengzhong had muttered earlier, the vor had to be rich but not greasy, light but not nd. Since sea cucumber itself doesn¡¯t have much taste and is a notoriously difficult ingredient to handle, too strong a vor would overpower, too light would be vapid and tasteless. This slow stewing infused the chef¡¯s hard work, experience, and skill through time into the small pieces of sea cucumber¡ªeach bite soft and tender, each sip of soup, every hint of vor represented a deep understanding of the dish.
    The dish was ready. Jiang Hengzhong brought the finished dish out. ¡°Want to try it?¡± Jiang Hengzhong looked at Jiang Chengde, full of hope. Jiang Chengde fetched a spoon, cleaned it, and scooped up a spoonful of the soup. Thick and smooth. There was a piece of sea cucumber in the spoon, plump, juicy, and appetizing. It was a dish that dazzled the senses. Upon entry, a delicacy of the mortal world. Jiang Feng began to be enveloped by a thick fog, while Jiang Chengde chewed expressionlessly. The small piece of sea cucumber was so tender from stewing that it could slide directly down his throat, yet he kept chewing, and chewing, as if trying to crush it, pulverize it, grind it to bits. Until Jiang Feng could no longer see Jiang Chengde¡¯s face. From beginning to end, he chewed without expression, never swallowing. Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen. On the chef¡¯s countery his familiar sea cucumber, the spiny sea cucumber.
    Thinking of the sea cucumber dish he madepared to the one Jiang Hengzhong had just made, Jiang Feng deeply realized the truth behind the saying, ¡°The Jiang Family¡¯s skill declines with each generation.¡± The gap was indeedrge. With that thought, Jiang Feng very deliberately opened his attribute panel. A new name lit up in the recipe section. Jiang Hengzhong (1/1) [Jiang¡¯s Sea Cucumber Soup S-ss] Creator: Jiang Hengzhong Dish Details: This pinnacle of sea cucumber cuisine is replete with a father¡¯s guilt and repentance for his family in thest moments of his life, yet never garnered forgiveness. Owing to theplex emotions of the consumer while eating this dish, Jiang¡¯s Sea Cucumber Soup became an unforgettable meal for Jiang Chengde, with no attribute benefits. This recipe has no limit on the number of times it can be made. Friendly Reminder: The difficulty of this dish is far beyond the yer¡¯s current culinary skill level, with a 100% chance of failure. Jiang Feng: ¡­ S¡­. S-ss???
    Chapter 399: 397: Borrowing a Crab Chapter 399: Chapter 397: Borrowing a Crab Jiang Feng asionally made errors in his self-awareness, but for the most part, he was very much aware of his abilities. Even now, with fresh spiny sea cucumbers in front of him¡ªsea cucumbers that had been soaked and had spit out all their sand¡ªdespite having meat broth and chicken broth always at the ready in the kitchen, he had no delusions about attempting Jiang¡¯s Sea Cucumber Soup. If Jiang¡¯s Sea Cucumber Soup were an A-grade dish, Jiang Feng might have steeled his resolve and tried it on the spot. At worst, he would waste a pot of chicken broth, a pot of meat broth, plus a few sea cucumbers, garnering a failed soup and Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s affectionate p. He now required tricky methods even to make an A-grade dish; S-grade dishes were far beyond his reach. His immediate priority was to make ten A-grade system dishes toplete his main task. If the game were likened to a banquet, the side tasks would be the garnishing cold dishes, while the main tasks were the sequential main courses served hot, and the hidden tasks were the unpredictable surprise dishes that could be presented at any time. Although cold dishes were delicious, they could not rece the main course. Since Jiang Feng had received this game, every main task had seemed like a pair of hands pushing him forward. Rather than saying these main tasks were tasks assigned by the game, it made more sense to say they provided him with guidance. Mr. Jiang Jiankang had purchased a shop near UAL University to open Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, and the main task then directed him to make the restaurant¡¯s business prosperous. The senior Mr. Li Mingyi wanted to give Taifeng Building to him, and the main task guided him on how to revitalize Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng even wondered if they had chosen to reject that gift and he refused to ept that main task of reopening Taifeng Building, whether the game would have issued him another main task to take Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to the next level. These tasks only provided the direction of choice; the ultimate decision was in his hands. Jiang Feng even began to suspect that this main task issued by the game was not simply due to a disdain for his culinary skills, but rather it seemed like a reminder for him to strive to improve his cooking.
    Thinking this way, Jiang Feng revisited his character panel to review the recipes he had obtained. Only the recipes acquired through memory could disy a grade after being made, which meant Jiang Feng had a very limited range of dishes to practice. Otherwise, his Eight Treasures Porridge would have been categorized as an A-grade dish too. After scanning through his recipe list, he ignored dishes like Superior Soup Braised Lobster and Two-Colored Prawns, which were already A-grade dishes with high difficulty. The game clearly indicated he was bound to fail these dishes, so there was no point in abandoning the ones he could work on to climb these high peaks. Uplifting the dishes originally graded B or C through constant practice to reach A-grade could be a good choice. Jiang Feng set his sights on Crab-Stuffed Oranges. Ever since he saw Mrs. Cao Guixiang making this dish in his memory, he had been very interested in it. Thebination of fruit and crab, a dish that seemed fitting for a cafeteria, was a famous recipe passed down from the Southern Song Dynasty. Compared with robust dishes such as pork knuckle or sweet and sour carp, Crab-Stuffed Oranges seemed somewhat lesser, like a delicate and beautiful young maiden beside the sturdy and vigorous men. This was a dish that couldn¡¯t be achieved through shortcuts but demanded meticulous crafting. Not to mention, it was now the season for crabs to hit the market. Although it wasn¡¯t yet the season for oranges, a few days ago at his uncle¡¯s ce, Jiang Feng had seen the imported oranges his aunt had bought for making fruit sd at the supermarket. The cost was higher, but Jiang Feng felt if he could make one Crab-Stuffed Orange a day, that would be the limit and such a cost spread out daily wouldn¡¯t amount to much. With a goal in mind, Jiang Feng found motivation, clearing all the misceneous thoughts from his head to start practicing sea cucumber dishes in earnest. When the clock hanging in the hall pointed to four, the kitchen staff gradually started to increase in number. Jiang Feng found it odd that Ji Xia hadn¡¯t returned by this time and asked Wu Minqi if she had seen Ji Xia. He had already thought of the words of praise, but the person to be praised hadn¡¯t arrived yet. ¡°Qiqi, have you seen the kid?¡± Since he had taken Ji Xia as his apprentice, Jiang Feng had shortened her designation from ¡°Ji Xia the kid¡± to simply ¡°the kid.¡± ¡°Xiaxia hasn¡¯te back yet?¡± Wu Minqi also found it strange. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her. It¡¯s not early anymore, she¡¯s been gone for almost three hours, right?¡± Jiang Feng felt he had been negligent in some aspects, ¡°If I had known, I would have bought her a mobile phone. Even if not a smartphone, at least one of those senior phones that can receive calls.¡± Not buying Ji Xia a smartphone was a collective decision, given that she¡¯s still in her rebellious phase and has a history of misdemeanors. Everyone was worried she might suddenly go from being a rebellious teenager to an inte-addicted one. Although it seemed Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, Ji Yue, and Zhang Guanghang¡ªthe four people who couldn¡¯t live without their phones¡ªhardly had the right to make such ament. ¡°I was browsing the intest night, and we could get Xiaxia a child phone watch,¡± Wu Minqi said. Jiang Feng: ???
    A child phone watch??? Minqi, are you serious? Why do I feel like you¡¯re actually raising Ji Xia as if she were your daughter? Before Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi could delve deeper into whether Ji Xia should own a smartphone, Ji Xia returned on her own. ¡°Master, my bike got stolen!¡± Ji Xia ran back, gasping for air and drenched in sweat, andined to Jiang Feng as soon as she entered the kitchen. Realizing she probably shouldn¡¯t be in the kitchen in her current state, she quietly stepped back out.
    Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi left the kitchen with her, and Jiang Feng was the first to ask, ¡°Your bike got stolen? Didn¡¯t you lock it?¡± ¡°I did lock it¡ªI even wound the chain around those bars several extra times to make sure it was tight!¡± ¡°Bars?¡± Jiang Feng thought he misheard, ¡°What bars?¡± ¡°The two iron bars that form a triangle, those long iron bars,¡± Ji Xia exined. Jiang Feng: ¡­ The fact that your bike wasn¡¯t stolen sooner with that kind of locking method is quite surprising. Jiang Feng patted Ji Xia¡¯s shoulder helplessly and consoled her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, what¡¯s gone is gone. We¡¯ll deduct the money from your future wages. Next time, I¡¯ll show you how to properly lock a bike.¡± ¡°Also, Grandma Chen asked me to tell you that you haven¡¯t visited Da Hua for a long time. Da Hua misses you and wants you to find time to visit in the next couple of days,¡± Ji Xia began conveying Chen Suhua¡¯s message to Jiang Feng, ¡°Grandma Chen can¡¯t keep a pet for her health anymore, but I think she wants to see you, and that¡¯s why she¡¯s using Da Hua as an excuse. Have you not visited for a long time?¡± Ji Xia had already seen through everything. With Ji Xia¡¯s reminder, Jiang Feng also realized that indeed, he hadn¡¯t visited the Li Mansion for quite some time. He was the one who had initially wanted to keep Da Hua and now had left Da Hua for Chen Suhua and Mrs. Jiang to look after. Raising a pet was already a hassle, and his negligence wasn¡¯t exactly justifiable. ¡°How about this, take the afternoon off tomorrow. There¡¯s no need for you to go¡ªI¡¯ll go,¡± Jiang Feng said and pulled a 100-dor bill out of his pocket, ¡°Go to the supermarket next door first and buy some oranges. The rest is your allowance for this week.¡± ¡°Okay, Master,¡± Ji Xia took the money and ran off to buy oranges.
    ¡°Fengfeng, do you feel like eating oranges?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°I saw a recipe online a while ago. It¡¯s a dish made with oranges called crab-stuffed oranges, and I thought it was quite interesting, so I wanted to give it a try,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°What about the crab? We don¡¯t seem to have crabs in the restaurant now, do we?¡± Wu Minqi pointed out the key issue. ¡°My uncle has crabs. I saw them when I went to borrow sesame oilst night,¡± Jiang Feng said with a slight smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t returned the sesame oil I borrowedst night, have I? I¡¯ll return the sesame oil today, and while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll also borrow a couple of crabs from my uncle.¡± Chapter 400: 398: Crab Stuffed Orange Chapter 400: Chapter 398: Crab Stuffed Orange As everyone knows, Little Ji Xia is a very honest child. Although sometimes she resorts to fists to solve problems when she¡¯s not good with words or just doesn¡¯t want to talk, most of the time describing her as ¡°simple and unpretentious¡± is not an exaggeration at all. So when Ji Xia came back with a big bag of oranges with a price tag of 99.67 yuan attached, Jiang Feng was not at all surprised. ¡°I have already watched your vegetable cutting video today,¡± Jiang Feng said as he took the oranges from Ji Xia and ced them into the cab. ¡°The cucumber slices you cut today are clearly much neater than yesterday¡¯s.¡± With this freshpliment, Ji Xia was very excited and felt full of energy: ¡°Master, what should I do now?¡± ¡°Go to the chopping board and see if there¡¯s anything that needs cutting.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± ¡­ In the evening, Jiang Feng spent a few minutes selecting two of the best-looking oranges from the bag, round and plump with bright color and a faint fruity fragrance when brought close to the nose, deciding to make crab-stuffed oranges with them tonight. One for Minqi and one for himself, noodle pulling could be set aside for now, for Jiang Feng, with his rather inurate intuition, sensed that Minqi seemed not too keen on eating pulled noodlestely.
    In the past few days, every evening when Minqi held her bowl, there was a hint of resistance in her eyes. After picking the oranges, just as Jiang Feng was about to go to the kitchen for sesame oil and borrow crabs from downstairs, he saw Ji Xia holding a freshly washed mop, ready to mop the floor in the room. After bing an apprentice, Little Apprentice Ji Xia profoundly realized what it meant to be ¡®eating from someone else¡¯s hand, and being short on reciprocation.¡¯ Now not only did she eat and carry things every day, but she also epted clothes bought for her by Jiang Feng, as well as hand cream and face cream bought by Wu Minqi. Apprentice Ji Xia deeply felt that what she did every day, just helping out in the kitchen and learning skills, and doing pig feed for Da Hua at the Li Mansion in the afternoon, was not enough to reciprocate her master¡¯s generosity. Thus, Apprentice Ji Xia would clean Jiang Feng¡¯s house every evening. Since she had also lost Jiang Feng¡¯s bike today, she decided not only to mop the floor but also to clean the windows. Time was tight, and the task was heavy; it had to be done quickly and decisively. Jiang Feng looked at Ji Xia, who was actively working, and silently pulled out another orange from the bag. It wasn¡¯t easy for the apprentice toe to cleante at night, so he, as a master, should treat her to something good as a reward. Carrying the sesame oil, Jiang Feng went downstairs and knocked on the door of the Jiang Family home. It was Jiang Jianguo who answered, and Jiang Feng could keenly smell the crab on him. ¡°Uncle, did you eat crab?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yes, an old ssmate sent it to me a couple of days ago, big hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake, especially plump!¡± Jiang Jianguo happily took the sesame oil. ¡°My ssmate sent me dozens at once; they are all kept in the water pond. Wait, Uncle will get a few for you!¡± With that, Jiang Jianguo went to the balcony to get crabs for Jiang Feng. Without Jiang Feng having to ask to borrow them, the crabs were delivered straight to him. The aunt who should have been doing yoga on the mat was sitting by the dining table, holding a crab leg in her hand, with some crab shell, from recently eating a crab, still sticking to her mouth. Jiang Feng and his aunt¡¯s eyes met, and she smiled politely at Jiang Feng, offering, ¡°Feng, there¡¯s another crab left in the pot. Do you want to eat it?¡± ¡°No need, Aunt, you eat it,¡± Jiang Feng replied. The aunt nodded with content and continued to gnaw the crab leg, Crushing the shell and biting out the meat. The violent way to eat a crab. It wasn¡¯t long before Jiang Jianguo came out from the balcony holding a thin red stic bag, and Jiang Feng could clearly see through the stic bag that there were four crabs inside, tied up and subdued, unable to wave their ws around.
    The crabs wererge and meaty; it seemed that Jiang Jianguo had carefully picked them from a pond full of crabs on the balcony. ¡°Come to Uncle¡¯s ce after you finish eating to get more!¡± Jiang Jianguo handed the stic bag to Jiang Feng. ¡°Thank you, Uncle. I will,¡± Jiang Feng responded gratefully, indicating he woulde again tomorrow night to borrow crabs. Carrying the crabs back home, Wu Minqi was still showering, and Ji Xia was mopping the floor of the bedroom while Jiang Feng went to the kitchen to clean the crabs with a brush.
    Jiang Jianguo had given Jiang Feng four female crabs, which was exactly what he wanted, for crab-stuffed oranges needed to be made with both crab meat and crab roe to be delicious. The Jiang Family, who once sold healthy snacks in Z city, sold anything that was in season; spicy crabs when crabs were in season, spicy little crayfish when crayfish were in season. So, Jiang Feng had a lot of experience cleaning crayfish and crabs. He skillfully cleaned three of the female crabs and left the fourth to live for another day; Jiang Feng steamed the three tied crabs directly and then started to deal with the oranges. Jiang Feng had read the recipe for Stuffed Orange with Crab many times already. It wasn¡¯t really that difficult; it was all about the attention to detail, using fine ingredients, and handling the materials with care. Take, for instance, the Shaoxing Xiangxue Wine that¡¯s required for Stuffed Orange with Crab¡ªit¡¯s a type of wine made by substituting distiller¡¯s grains liquor for water and using the method of drizzling over rice to ferment it twice, imparting it with a rich, aromatic vor coupled with a hint of sweetness. It¡¯s called Xiangxue Wine because the distiller¡¯s grains are white as snow. This wine possesses both the strong aroma of liquor and the mellow sweetness of yellow wine, making it one of the most upscale varieties of Shaoxing wine. If it hadn¡¯t been for Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s special fondness for incorporating Shaoxing wine into dishes and his collection of various Shaoxing wines, Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t have been able to obtain this high-quality Shaoxing Xiangxue Wine so easily. This wine has a low alcohol content, high sugar content, and a strong fragrance, making it particrly suitable for culinary use. Jiang Feng imitated Master Peng¡¯s actions that he remembered and cut off the top 1/4 of the orange. He carefully snipped the membranes inside that were connected to the orange flesh, alternating between a small pair of scissors and a small spoon, almost wishing he could stick his head inside the orange and carefully scoop out the pulp bit by bit. Once he had emptied one orange, Jiang Feng felt as if his neck was about to break. Not only was his neck sore, but his head was dizzy too. The feeling reminded him of the time he helped Ji Xue peel beans for Granduncle Weiming¡¯s birthday. It was like being only one bean away from a cervical spine disease. Havingpletely removed the orange pulp, Jiang Feng was left with only a shallowyer of orange juice inside the fruit. Perhaps because he often boned pigeons, Jiang Feng was rather fast at this delicate task. The crabs were still steaming on the stove, but after stretching his neck, Jiang Feng started to scoop out the next orange. Ji Xia had just finished mopping the floors in the rooms, living room, and balcony. Holding the mop and ready to clean the dining room floor, she caught sight of Jiang Feng holding an orange in his left hand and a small spoon in his right, squinting one eye as if he was trying to scoop out something from the orange. When you don¡¯t know, you should ask loudly¡ªthat was the first thing Ji Xia learned in the Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen.
    ¡°Master, what are you doing?¡± asked Ji Xia. ¡°Making Stuffed Orange with Crab,¡± replied Jiang Feng. ¡°Stuffed Orange with Crab?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dish that uses oranges and crab. Wait here after you finish mopping; there¡¯s a share for you too,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Great!¡± Ji Xia said, delighted. Oranges are fruits, and crabs are meat. Both were things she seldom had the chance to eat before. The fruit and meat dish made by her master must be exceptionally delicious. She decided that today she would not only clean the windows but also polish the vases! Ji Xia continued her enthusiastic mopping while Wu Minqi finished her long bath, emerging from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair as usual, and was surprised to see that Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t pulling noodles today. Even a bit relieved. Carbohydrates really are a woman¡¯s nemesis. ¡°Fengfeng, aren¡¯t you making pulled noodles tonight?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Not tonight. I figured you might be getting tired of eating noodles every evening, so we¡¯ll switch it up tonight. I¡¯ll make Stuffed Orange with Crab for you,¡± Jiang Feng said.
    Wu Minqi immediately beamed with a smile and asked, ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Wu Minqi had hit the nail on the head with her offer to help, as Jiang Feng could really use it after scooping out two oranges. He was now feeling dizzy, weak in limbs, and found even looking at a light to be unbearably bright. ¡°Minqi, could you help me pick out the crab meat? I still have one more orange to scoop and can¡¯t manage it all,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°The crabs should be about done too.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Wu Minqi said as she walked towards the kitchen to lift the lid. The crabs were indeed cooked. She used chopsticks to pick up the strings tied around the crabs and ced them onto a te. ¡°Xiaxia, do you want to help me pick crab meat?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Pick crab meat?¡± Ji Xia was a bit confused with her mop in hand. ¡°It means to separate the crab meat and crab roe, which you definitely need to learn. Many dishes require the use of crab meat or crab roe,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°What if I don¡¯t do it well?¡± Ji Xia hesitated, worried about dying Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you. It¡¯s very simple. You just need to be patient and careful,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t mop the floor anymore tonight and learn with your master instead. Learning to cook is like this: most of the time, your master won¡¯t teach you directly. You have to watch and learn on your own, and as you watch, you¡¯ll understand. It was the same in the kitchen. Don¡¯t just stand there cutting vegetables ignorantly; you need to learn more, listen more, and look more. Your master didn¡¯t ce you in the kitchen to be a helper, but to learn the craft from him.¡± And so began another mini-ss with the gold-medal wife, Wu Minqi. ¡°Okay.¡± Ji Xia went to the balcony to put away the mop and made sure to wash her hands clean. She decided she would clean the windows, vases, and the TV cab tomorrow. She had just noticed how dirty it was behind the TV cab when she stooped to mop the floor.
    Chapter 401: 399: The Dove Chapter 401: Chapter 399: The Dove Jiang Feng¡¯s family had two sets of traditional crab-eating tools. Although in most cases Jiang Feng highly regarded his great-aunt¡¯s violent disassembly method of eating crabs, there were a few situations, for instance, when crab meat was needed for cooking, where the traditional crab-eating tools were a good choice. The traditional crab-eating tools were created by skilled craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty, originally consisting of: hammer, chisel, pliers, shovel, spoon, fork, scraper, and needle. Nowadays, they are referred to as: the round waist hammer, small square table, tweezers, long-handle axe, soup spoon, long-handle fork, scraper, and needle. Wu Minqi didn¡¯t need to use theplete set of traditional crab-eating tools to teach Ji Xia how to extract crab meat, since their purpose was to use the flesh inside the crab for cooking, and not to leave a good-looking whole corpse. If they did use theplete set of traditional tools, just positioning the crab on the small square table, cutting off the tworge ws and eight crab legs one by one with round-headed scissors, tapping around the crab shell with the round waist hammer, and splitting the back shell and belly button with the long-handle axe, would take a long time, whereas using hands just took a few seconds. Sometimes violence is still the answer when resolving certain things. Under Wu Minqi¡¯s guidance, Ji Xia meticulously used the tweezers, long-handle fork, scraper, and needle, picking and mping the meat out of the crab in her hands, asionally tapping and knocking, slowly extracting the crab meat and crab roe into a small bowl in front of her. By the time Jiang Feng finished processing three oranges, the small bowl in front of Wu Minqi and Ji Xia was already filled with quite a bit of crab meat and crab roe. The reason Cao Guixiang¡¯s Crab Stuffed Oranges were C Level was because she forgot about the timing and oversteamed the oranges. However, the proportion of orange flesh, crab meat, crab roe, Xiangxue Wine, and rice vinegar had all been ording to Master Peng¡¯s standards before steaming, so as long as Jiang Feng could urately control the timing during steaming, making B Level Crab Stuffed Oranges shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Jiang Feng went into the kitchen to process the crab meat. The kitchen door was left open, so Wu Minqi and Ji Xia could see everything he was doing. Wu Minqi noticed that Jiang Feng¡¯s movements were skilled, and even when choosing ingredients, he didn¡¯t hesitate at all, which didn¡¯t seem like it was his first time doing this after watching an online tutorial, which made her feel a bit strange. ¡°Fengfeng, which tutorial are you following?¡± Wu asked.
    ¡°Just a random one I found online. I thought this dish looked pretty interesting, so I went and asked Mr. Xu,¡± Jiang Feng replied. He wasn¡¯t lying, as he really did send a message to Xu Cheng. The fire control mentioned in the tutorial wasn¡¯t right, so he had to ask someone who knew about and enjoyed food for an estimate of the appropriate fire control. Jiang Feng scooped up a small spoonful of Xiangxue Wine, carefully shaking it into the crab meat twice, feeling that a bit more than half a spoonful was about right, then added white vinegar in the same manner. This way of adding wine and vinegar was his own habit, once criticized by Mrs. Wang Xiulian for looking as if the spoon was too hot to handle. As soon as Xu Cheng was mentioned, Wu Minqi¡¯s attention was immediately diverted¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t be distracted by the famous culinary world¡¯s pigeon king, Mr. Xu Cheng, who had promised an extra issue of ¡°Taste¡± magazine that still hadn¡¯t been published? Considering the second half of the year was already half gone, if Xu Cheng dyed for another two months, he could seamlessly let this issue of the magazine slip by. ¡°Did Mr. Xu Cheng say when ¡®Taste¡¯ will be published?¡± Wu asked. ¡°He said he ns tobine this issue with the one originally scheduled for December into a special double issue, the thick kind,¡± Jiang Feng said. Implicitly saying: Yes, that¡¯s right, I¡¯ve dyed it. Wu Minqi felt no surprise inside and even thought it was pretty normal. ¡°However,¡± Jiang Feng changed the topic, bringing Wu Minqi some good news, ¡°Mr. Han told me that Mr. Xu apparently hasn¡¯t decided yet what to use for the cover of thebined issue. And Mr. Xu has been quite busytely, probably not having time to bother with these things, so¡­¡± ¡°It might use the original cover?¡± Wu Minqi sounded incredulous. After all, the original cover for the issue that got shelved was supposed to feature Taifeng Building. If the special issue¡¯s cover was Taifeng Building, it would be like a giant pie falling from the sky, hitting everyone exceptnding squarely on Jiang Feng¡¯s face. Taste magazine had never used a restaurant for its cover, opting instead for retired famous chefs or even Xu Cheng¡¯s own portrait, which, if photoshopped well, could lead the uninitiated to mistake Taste for a fashion magazine. If the special December issue really had Taifeng Building on the cover, the restaurant would be an overnight sensation worldwide, and anyone involved in the culinary arts would know of its fame. Mrs. Wang Xiulian could demand whatever price she wanted for the dishes, and food connoisseurs from around the globe would arrive in an endless stream. ¡°I think it¡¯s impossible,¡± Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi said in unison. ¡°But they might give it a special column, maybe even a photo feature,¡± Jiang Feng analyzed calmly. ¡°That¡¯s possible,¡± Wu Minqi agreed. After Ji Xia finished with the crab legs in front of her, she looked up at Wu Minqi and then turned to Jiang Feng, not understanding a word they had just said. All this talk about Taste,bined issues, covers, and this or that Mr. So-and-So waspletely beyond her knowledge.
    Suddenly, Ji Xia smelled alcohol. Because of the crab she had been holding, its dominant scent had covered everything else, and it wasn¡¯t until she looked up that she detected the aroma of Xiangxue Wine. ¡°Master, what kind of wine did you add?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°Xiangxue Wine,¡± Jiang Feng replied, then paused to exin to Ji Xia, ¡°It¡¯s a type of double-fermented wine with a strong aroma and the sweetness of yellow wine, so it¡¯s very suitable for cooking.¡±
    ¡°Your master added wine to the Crab stuffed oranges mainly to remove the fishy smell of the crab, just like adding cooking wine when preparing dishes, which is mostly to remove the fishy taste from fish and meat. The Xiangxue Wine he¡¯s using not only removes the fishy smell but also enhances the aroma and sweetness. Chinese cuisine emphasizes the harmony of color, aroma, and taste. Taste is just one aspect. Attractive presentation and enticing smells are very important. Many dishes exude a fragrant aroma when unveiled because of the wine,¡± Wu Minqi exined with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re still practicing the basics, so you won¡¯t be handling the wok. But you can learn a lot from the other aspects, like presentation. Your master is famously good at it.¡± With Wu Minqi exining on his behalf, Jiang Feng felt he didn¡¯t need to speak and continued stuffing the remaining Crab stuffed oranges before steaming them. Jiang Feng figured about 6 minutes would do. The minutes flew by quickly, and Jiang Feng was practically timing it to the second. As soon as the 6 minutes were up, he turned off the heat and lifted the lid, cing the three oranges on the table. Ji Xia had never tried such fruit-based dishes before and was very curious. Seeing that Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi made no move, she felt too embarrassed to be the first to open up the oranges and could only look on eagerly. What Ji Xia didn¡¯t realize was that Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were both waiting for her to make the first move. As everyone knows, the first time Jiang Feng creates a new dish, there¡¯s a high chance it won¡¯t turn out right. Probably Ji Xia was the only one in the entire Taifeng Building who didn¡¯t know this. Facing the crab-stuffed oranges, Jiang Feng was actually uncertain himself, as it was also his first time making a fruit dish, and he was unfamiliar with the ingredients and unsure how long the oranges should be steamed to achieve the proper fire control. Of course, the main reason Jiang Feng was unsure was because the several clear,rge characters on top of the crab-stuffed oranges reminded him that this time, failure was very likely. [Crab stuffed oranges, C Level] Having the skills to make a B-level dish but only seeding in making a C-level dish was indeed a failure. ¡°Cough cough, Xiaxia, don¡¯t you want to try it?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    Since the master had spoken, Ji Xia couldn¡¯t wait to lift the top of the orange and eximed, ¡°Wow¡±. It wasn¡¯t really that astonishing¡ªthe crab meat, crab roe, and orange pulp mixed together, floating on top of the orange juice. Jiang Feng had hollowed out the orange so cleanly that there was no remaining flesh on the skin, and because of the crab roe, the entire inside of the orange looked watery and crystal clear. However, a dish served in an orange was enough to amaze a 16-year-old girl who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. Ji Xia took up the spoon. Jiang Feng held his breath. Wu Minqi stared at Ji Xia. Ji Xia scooped up a full spoonful of the crab-stuffed orange,plete with crab roe, crab meat, orange pulp, and orange juice, apanied by the aroma of wine and vinegar. Swallowed it in one gulp. Without chewing, she swallowed it right down. ¡°Is it good?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It¡¯s good!¡± Ji Xia affirmed. It didn¡¯t seem like she was just putting on an act tofort Jiang Feng. ¡°It¡¯s tangy, with a little bit of sweetness, pretty good,¡± Ji Xia said.
    Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi also took up spoons and began to taste the crab-stuffed oranges in front of them. Upon tasting, Jiang Feng almost couldn¡¯t control his facial expression. As expected, six minutes was a bit too long. He felt like the orange had be a bit overcooked. How did Ji Xia manage to say it was delicious with a straight face and without breaking a sweat? Jiang Feng gazed at the crab-stuffed orange in front of him, deep in thought. Wu Minqi looked at Ji Xia and fell into thought. Ji Xia was burying her head in eating the crab-stuffed orange, bite after bite, apparently finding it truly delicious. Jiang Feng began to wonder if he had taken on a disciple with a wed sense of taste. Suddenly, Wu Minqi pinpointed the key to the problem. ¡°Xiaxia, have you eaten oranges before?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Ji Xia nodded: ¡°Once, one year during New Year¡¯s, my grandma bought oranges, one for each person.¡±
    ¡°And crab?¡± Wu Minqi continued to ask. ¡°I¡¯ve never had it like this; the ones we eat during New Year¡¯s are sea crabs,¡± Ji Xia said. Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng immediately understood¡ªJi Xia hadn¡¯t really eaten oranges much before, so as long as something was an orange, she found it delicious, which really had nothing to do with the crab-stuffed orange. Wu Minqi silently moved the crab-stuffed orange in front of her to Ji Xia and said with a smile, ¡°Since Xiaxia likes it, eat more. Sister Wu¡¯s portion is for you as well.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat, Sister Wu?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like eating crabs,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. Jiang Feng was surprised, not expecting this turn of events. He immediately pushed the orange towards Ji Xia, showing a smile of a loving master cherishing his disciple. ¡°If you like it, then have another. After you finish, go upstairs to rest early. The master still has crabs and oranges here. If you want to eat more, the master can make it himself,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Chapter 402: 400: 100 Ways to Eat Oranges Chapter 402: Chapter 400: 100 Ways to Eat Oranges ¡°` The next night at 10:40 PM, Jiang Feng appeared at Jiang Jianguo¡¯s front door. This time he didn¡¯te empty-handed; he had brought a crab-stuffed orange, a B-level dish made from the only crab left over from the day before! B-level! Last night, as Jiang Feng watched Ji Xia eat the crab-stuffed orange, he realized from the lengthy descriptive adjectives that not only was the steaming time for the three servings of crab-stuffed orange too long, but the selection of white vinegar was also off. Therefore, he made a special trip that afternoon to consult two seniors on which type of white vinegar was more appropriate to use with crab meat and orange flesh. Jiang Weiming lived in Shu all year round and was only very familiar with Sichuan and Shandong cuisine. He had never even heard of crab-stuffed orange. However, Sir had traveled all over the country in his early years, learning all kinds of cuisine though he had only scratched the surface of most and had not delved deeply, his broad experience allowed him to recognize what Jiang Feng intended to make when he asked about it. Sir was already used to his grandson not sticking to his business, not practicing the dishes he should be practicing, and often going off to learn unrted things (such as noodle pulling and crab-stuffed orange). Sir hade to terms with it, reasoning that young people have their rebellious phases, no matter their age. Take Jiang Jianguo, for example. When he was young and directed to learn Red Chef, he refused and insisted on learning White Chef, andter when he was asked to learn White Chef, he refused and wanted to be a tailor. Just thinking about it made Sir feel his long-unused hand itching to hit someone again.
    Though reluctant, Sir supported Jiang Feng¡¯s rebellious behavior and pointed out several types of white vinegar that might be suitable, sending him off to experiment on his own, which led to the B-level crab-stuffed orange that evening. Of course, Jiang Jianguo was unaware of everything that happened today and had no idea his father had been reminiscing about past grievances and wanting to hit him again. Right now, Jiang Jianguo was wondering if Jiang Feng wasing over to borrow sesame oil or green onions this time. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve brought you some dishes,¡± Jiang Feng took the initiative, holding out the crab-stuffed orange to Jiang Jianguo with both hands. Jiang Jianguo was a bit stunned. In his memory, when Jiang Feng made a special trip to bring him dishes, they were always significant dishes or distinctive ones, like Ji Yue¡¯s mom¡¯s pickles. Now, suddenly presenting an orange as a dish left Jiang Jianguo somewhat unable to react. Nheless, the orange did have a pleasant aroma. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to have a hint of wine fragrance. Jiang Jianguo immediately understood that Feng had used the orange to create a new dish and had made a special trip to let him have a taste. ¡°You came all this way sote at night to bring this, really thoughtful of you,¡± Jiang Jianguo warmly weed Jiang Feng into the house, ¡°Your Aunt and I were just making a special fruit juice. Try some!¡± He went off to the kitchen to pour Jiang Feng some juice. The Aunt was sitting on the living room yoga mat doing yoga following a video tutorial, but still managed to give Jiang Feng a smile as he came in. Jiang Feng¡¯s aunt had always been a mysterious woman. Most of the time, everyone could hardly sense her presence. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Feng¡¯s frequent nightly visits to borrow seasoning from Jiang Jianguo, which might result in encounters with his aunt, Jiang Feng would think she was not in Beiping like Aunt Wu¡ª apart from at night, Jiang Feng never saw his aunt, and sometimes even Jiang Jianguo had trouble finding his wife. As the Eldest Daughter-in-Law of the Jiang Family, Aunt had a passion for health, fitness, and sharing health and fitness updates on her social circles. Every time Jiang Feng saw the posts, he felt like he was looking at a WeChat business feed. Aunt always gave the impression that she was on a perpetual diet, yet her weight never actually changed. Even Mrs. Wang Xiulian sometimes got the urge to lose weight, would go all out for a month or two, and manage to fluctuate her weight by a good ten or twenty pounds, but even though Aunt was constantly dieting, her weight remained remarkably stable. Now, this enigmatic woman had taken a great interest in the crab-stuffed orange that Jiang Feng had brought. ¡°Feng, what is this?¡± Aunt asked from her position on the yoga mat. Jiang Feng suddenly felt overwhelmed with surprise. His aunt actually asked him a question.
    His aunt asked him a question! He got asked a question by his aunt!! ¡°This is crab-stuffed orange, a dish made from crab meat and orange flesh,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Crab meat and orange flesh?¡± Aunt¡¯s interest piqued immediately, and she stopped her yoga routine toe and inspect the orange on the table.
    Aunt sat down and lifted the top off. The fragrance hit her senses instantly; she narrowed her eyes and leaned in for a closer smell. Jiang Feng had never seen his aunt show such intense interest in anything before. Jiang Jianguo walked out from the kitchen, a ss of juice in his left hand and a spoon in his right. Observing his wife focused on the crab-stuffed orange, he smoothly handed her the spoon, intuitively understanding her interest. ¡°Here, Feng, try the new fruit juice I concocted today; it¡¯s got fresh squeezed orange juice in it,¡± Jiang Jianguo said as he handed the juice to Jiang Feng. Aunt scooped up a spoonful of the crab-stuffed orange. ¡°` Upon tasting. ¡°Ding, you¡¯ve gained 799 experience points.¡± Jiang Feng was shocked. Although it wasn¡¯t a whopping 999 points of experience, the person receiving these points was his great-aunt! Someone who had been eating Jiang Jianguo¡¯s cooking for decades, someone who had experienced the old man¡¯s skills¡ªhis great-aunt. But it was just a Grade B crab-stuffed orange. That¡¯s not worth so much, is it?
    Looking at the juice in front of him, which clearly had a lot more fresh orange juice added, turning the overall color towards orange, Jiang Feng had a guess. As far as he knew, Jiang Jianguo didn¡¯t like oranges, but he had seen oranges at Jiang Jianguo¡¯s house a few days ago, and it wasn¡¯t even the season for oranges yet, which meant those oranges weren¡¯t bought casually; they were deliberately purchased. Jiang Jianguo¡¯s juice was usually specially prepared for his great-aunt, and the fact that so much orange juice was added to this particr cup indicated his great-aunt liked oranges. His great-aunt liked oranges, so by extension, she also liked crab-stuffed orange. ¡°Ding, optional hidden quest discovered,¡± the game notification tone sounded again. Jiang Feng was a bit at a loss and looked subconsciously towards his great-aunt, only to see her scooping up a second spoonful of crab-stuffed orange with a satisfied look on her face. Upon tasting. ¡°Ding, you¡¯ve gained 721 experience points.¡± It seemed that his great-aunt truly loved oranges. Jiang Feng tried a sip of the juice; it was a bit sour, so he silently set it down. ¡°Jianguo, go pick some crabs for Feng,¡± his great-aunt suddenly spoke up. ¡°Alright.¡± Jiang Jianguo went to the balcony to pick crabs for Jiang Feng. ¡°Great-aunt, how¡¯s the taste? I¡¯ve just learned to make this dish recently,¡± Jiang Feng asked, fully knowing the answer. ¡°Very good,¡± his great-aunt smiled contentedly, ¡°Feng has really grown up, and so has his cooking.¡±
    Then she continued eating the crab-stuffed orange. Before long, Jiang Jianguo came out with a bag of crabs. Jiang Feng was going home fully loaded and didn¡¯t forget to tell his great-aunt that he woulde over the next evening to bring more crab-stuffed oranges. His great-aunt smiled reassuringly and nodded at Jiang Feng, unable to speak with her mouth full. When Jiang Feng got home, he took the crabs from the bag given by Jiang Jianguo and put them in the sink to keep, while Wu Minqi stood by, overwhelmed by the amount of crabs in the bag. ¡°So many!¡± Wu Minqi felt that even for a close uncle, one shouldn¡¯t rob so many at once. One must be sustainable. ¡°Great-aunt loves crab-stuffed oranges,¡± Jiang Feng exined, ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing her enjoy something so much.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because she loves crabs,¡± Wu Minqipletely missed the mark with her answer. After settling the crabs, Jiang Feng immediately went to the bathroom to shower. Once inside, he couldn¡¯t wait to open the mobile phone panel and ept the hidden quest. [Heavenly Surprise]: Mei Yun has cherished oranges since childhood, aspiring to discover a hundred ways to enjoy oranges, but her journey halted at the 17th method. She has made no progress for many years. Today, a crab-stuffed orange made by her nephew Jiang Feng opened the door to a new world for Mei Yun, thrilling her immensely. The yer is tasked with creating a crab-stuffed orange that will amaze Mei Yun, fulfilling her desire. Quest Tip: The dish level must reach Grade A to seed. Quest Reward: Recipe: [Suzhou-Style Mooncake]
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ Who would¡¯ve thought his great-aunt once had such grand ambitions to explore a hundred ways to eat oranges. Jiang Feng felt that in a few more years, his great-aunt could publish a book¡ªthe title he had alreadye up with, ¡°Hundred Ways to Taste Oranges.¡± Honestly, Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t all that interested in Suzhou-style mooncakes. He was more curious about which 17 methods of eating oranges his great-aunt had explored. Being able toe up with 17 different ways to prepare oranges, his great-aunt was quite impressive. Chapter 403: 401 Providing Resources to the Enemy Chapter 403: Chapter 401 Providing Resources to the Enemy ¡°` With stuffed crab and oranges on his mind, Jiang Feng did not forget that he needed to visit Professor Li¡¯s home the next day to see Chen Suhua and to prepare pig food for Da Hua. Once the midday business ended the next day, Jiang Feng hopped into a Didi car headed for Li Mansion. His bicycle had been stolen, and walking there would have taken at least half an hour. Though not tiring, the sun was so intense it was killing him, and without Wu Minqi by his side, Jiang Feng had no excuse to brazenly use a sun umbre. It was only mid-September and not yet the Mid-Autumn Festival, with the high heat continuing unabated and no rain in sight. The midday sun was fiercely scorching, the kind that made it impossible to open one¡¯s eyes if you looked up. Standing outside for too long, one could feel a burning pain on the exposed skin, and walking half an hour without an umbre would peel your skin off, if not kill you. Speaking of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jiang Feng was contemting whether to order a batch of mooncakes and distribute a box to each Taifeng Building staff member as a festival benefit. After all, mooncakese in all shapes and sizes nowadays ¨C ice skin, fresh meat, mixed nuts, chocte, star anise, spicy strip, braised pork, and preserved vegetable and pork belly mooncakes were all avable on the market. Anything you can¡¯t imagine, no bakery would fail to make. Jiang Feng figured that in two more years, any Chinese dish could be stuffed into a mooncake, and perhaps even international dishes could find their way in ¨C like Tom Yum Goong mooncakes, sashimi mooncakes, or ck pepper steak mooncakes. With that in mind, Jiang Feng thought why not Taifeng Building take the lead andunch Kung Pao chicken or pickled vegetable fried rice mooncakes to capture the market early, and if they¡¯re not tasty, just me Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s cooking skills. A half-hour walk only took a few minutes by taxi. The car stopped at the entrance to Li Mansion. Jiang Feng nodded to the driver, promising to remember the 5-star rating, then pushed the car door open and got out.
    Jiang Feng had a key to Li Mansion, as Professor Li had given him one fearing that Jiang Feng mighte over when they weren¡¯t home. Upon entering, Jiang Feng headed straight for the pigsty, only to find that Da Hua was not inside. The pigsty was empty, and the door was closed, so it couldn¡¯t have been Da Hua escaping on her own. It was highly unlikely that Da Hua had figured out how to close the door after leaving the house. But in the scorching midday heat, it would be unreasonable for Chen Suhua to take Da Hua for a walk. If you took a pig out for a walk at this time, you might bring home a roasted pig instead ¡ª perfectly cooked, sizzling hot, the kind that oozes oil when you poke it. Jiang Feng scratched his head, puzzled as he pushed the door to the main hall. Professor Li was sitting on a recliner, reading on his phone with reading sses on, while Da Huay beside him. Seeing Jiang Feng, Professor Li took off his sses, sat up, and greeted him with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re here, Feng.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit busytely, but I had some free time today so I decided toe and see how you and Aunt Chen are doing,¡± Jiang Feng replied with a smile. The rtionship between Jiang Feng¡¯s family and Professor Li¡¯s family was always a bitplicated. Professor Li was first and foremost his teacher, yet by seniority, he was akin to a grandfather. For the past few years, Jiang Feng had addressed Chen Suhua variously as ¡°teacher¡¯s wife¡± or ¡°aunt¡±, and suddenly shifting to ¡°grandma¡± felt like an insult that was hard to utter, as if he aged her substantially for no reason. Chen Suhua and Professor Li didn¡¯t really care about the titles, letting the younger generation call them whatever they preferred. ¡°Suhua, Feng is here. Go cut some fruit for him,¡± Professor Li shouted into the house. ¡°No need, I just came over¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of fruit. With Mid-Autumn Festivaling soon, we¡¯ve had students visit us daily. One brings something, another brings something else. We have so much fruit, mooncakes, and crabs at home we can hardly finish them all. Youing over is great; you¡¯ll help us eat more and save it from going to waste,¡± Professor Li said. ¡°Also, we have crabs. A student brought over several bags yesterday, and I was thinking of finding a time to send some to you. But since you¡¯re here today, take some more with you ¨C your family has more people and eats more quickly. There¡¯s just the two of us here, Aunt Chen and me; it takes us days to eat anything.¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± Professor Li seemed to remember something else. ¡°Suhua, also bring out the Eight-treasure House mooncakes that Zheng brought yesterday for Feng to try.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Chen Suhua responded loudly from inside. ¡°Eight-treasure House sells mooncakes?¡± Jiang Feng was surprised. Eight-treasure House conducted quite the expansive business, not missing a single opportunity, even delving into mooncakes. ¡°It was brought over by a student who visited me yesterday. The vor of the Gusu-style mooncakes is quite good; there are still a few left, you should try them,¡± Professor Li said with a smile, bending down to stroke Da Hua¡¯s back as if petting a cat. Jiang Feng nodded but couldn¡¯t help finding it strange that Da Hua was notying in the pigsty but sprawled in the main hall, asking, ¡°Professor, why not keep Da Hua in the pigsty and instead have her lying here?¡± ¡°The air conditioning in the pigsty is broken, and your Aunt Chen feared she¡¯d be too hot. But Da Hua is well-behaved; having her stay in the room doesn¡¯t cause any problems,¡± exined Professor Li. ¡°She¡¯ll go back to the pigsty when it¡¯s time to eat.¡± Before long, Chen Suhua emerged carrying a tray from the inside.
    ¡°` ¡°` The tray contained two tes, one with jujubes, sliced dragon fruit, and oranges, the other with three Suzhou-style mooncakes. The mooncakes were exquisitely made and stamped with two red seals on top: one indicating the vor and the other bearing the words ¡°Eight-treasure House¡±. ¡°There¡¯s also a box of mooncakes from Eight-treasure House in the house, Feng,¡± said Chen Suhua as she started divvying up what Feng should take with him when he leaves. ¡°There are several bags of crabs in the kitchen. Take them all if you can carry them. There¡¯s also fruit¡ªyou can take some when you leave ¡­¡±
    ¡°Enough, Feng only has two hands. How can he carry so much?¡± Professor Li chuckled. ¡°This is all because those students brought these things overst night. You don¡¯t like to eat crabs because they¡¯re troublesome, and I can¡¯t eat much on my own. It¡¯s a waste to keep them here!¡± Chen Suhua thenined to Professor Li. ¡°If you ask me, you¡¯re just getting old and fussy. It was never like this when you were younger.¡± Professor Li, having noeback, could only smile sheepishly. Feng picked up a mooncake and, based on the stamp, figured it should be pine nut and jujube paste vored. On the first bite, sweet. He tasted the sweetness of sugar and the richness of jujube paste, with a distinct vor of jujubes and a fragrance of osmanthus. Inside, Feng found not only pine nuts but also melon seeds¡ªthe filling was truly generous. Sweet but not cloying, with the filling containing somerd. If it had been freshly baked, it must have been delicious. The Master White Chef who made this mooncake was certainly skilled. How did Eight-treasure Housee upon such an exceptional mooncake chef? Could it be that Ling Guangzhao had poached talent even from Gusu? While Ling Guangzhao might not be good at other things, his ability to headhunt was indeed strong. The scope of his business was extensive, not even sparing Gusu. As Feng stared at the two remaining mooncakes on the te, he fell into thought. ¡°Feng, have two more. Finish off those two on the te,¡± Chen Suhua encouraged warmly. ¡°When they were brought over yesterday evening, they were so delicious that they must have been fresh from the oven¡ªjust so fragrant when you eat them!¡± ¡°Auntie, are these mooncakes sold by Eight-treasure House as Mid-Autumn gift boxes, or are they sold for dine-in?¡± Feng inquired. His question seemed to stump Chen Suhua. After pondering she replied, ¡°They¡¯re probably not sold as gift boxes. Li, when Zheng brought them overst night, they were just in a bag, right? There wasn¡¯t any packaging box?¡±
    ¡°No packaging box, it was just in a bag like they do with roast buns,¡± Professor Li said. Feng appeared thoughtful. He took out his phone. Opened the Ele.me app. Sure enough, Eight-treasure House was delivering. Ling Guangzhao was indeed Ling Guangzhao, never missing a chance to make money. Feng started browsing the menu, and in the special Mid-Autumn section, he found the Suzhou-style mooncakes. One hundred eighty-eight yuan for six, quite pricey. True to Ling Guangzhao¡¯s style. Feng couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration again. Looking at the mooncakes on the table, then back to his phone, Feng felt like he was indirectly supporting the enemy. How could Eight-treasure House¡¯s mooncakes be so delicious? ???
    ¡°` Chapter 404: 402 Chapter 404: 402 After eating the mooncakes, Jiang Feng went to prepare Da Hua¡¯s pig feed in the kitchen. Compared to cooking proper dishes, making pig feed was much quicker. If he felt like practicing his knife skills, he¡¯d carefully chop the ingredients; if not, he¡¯d just roughly dice them up. Mix all sorts of ingredients together, stir-fry with a bit of seasoning¡ªwhether fried, steamed, boiled, or grilled, Da Hua would devour them all and give Jiang Feng a considerable amount of experience in return. So you could say, Da Hua is a goodrade. After preparing Da Hua¡¯s pig feed, Jiang Feng turned his attention to the tworge sacks of crabs that were ced in the corner. Earlier, when outside, Jiang Feng thought that Chen Suhua meant stic bags when she mentioned two bags of crabs, only to learn after entering the kitchen that the bags she referred to were bup sacks. Was Professor Li¡¯s student in the aquaculture business? Jiang Feng figured that with that many crabs, even if the whole Jiang Family mobilized, it¡¯d take two to three days to finish them all. With both crabs and oranges at hand, Jiang Feng felt he should at least make Crab-Stuffed Oranges before leaving; after all, having taken so many crabs from Professor Li, he felt obliged to leave something nice behind. Based on yesterday¡¯s experience of making Grade B Crab-Stuffed Oranges, Jiang Feng deduced that the optimal steaming time for Crab-Stuffed Oranges should be between five and five and a half minutes. As for the exact best timing down to the second, and whether he could urately time it to the second¡ªthat would depend on continual practice and umtion from now on. The preliminary steps were done by Cao Guixiang following Master Peng¡¯s method, and Jiang Feng had confidence in the abilities of both Cao Guixiang and Master Peng. Therefore, the only way to make Grade A Crab-Stuffed Oranges was to figure out the best steaming time.
    Jiang Feng used a stopwatch this time, but after steaming, he always felt something was off¡ªlike the Crab-Stuffed Oranges he made were strange and soulless. Chinese chefs trust their instincts a lot, and right now Jiang Feng¡¯s biggest issue was not being able to find that feeling. He had a good feeling when picking crab meat and prepping the oranges initially, but as soon as the oranges went into the steamer, the feeling disappeared. Practice was still needed. Thinking this, Jiang Feng walked out carrying four Crab-Stuffed Oranges. One for each of them¡ªhimself, Professor Li, Chen Suhua, and Da Hua. As Da Hua¡¯s nominal owner, and not having visited for so long, it was only right topensate with some good food. Professor Li was still lying on the lounge chair, browsing his phone, exemplifying the term ¡®inte-addicted elderly¡¯. Da Hua, who had been chased into the pigsty for a meal earlier, had taken the opportunity to get bathed by Chen Suhua, and nowy clean and tidy on the ground, watching ¡°Peppa Pig¡± on TV with Chen Suhua. Approaching with the Crab-Stuffed Oranges, Jiang Feng could still smell the scent of Da Hua¡¯s body wash¡ªa lime fragrance. For a moment, Jiang Feng thought of lime juice with Roasted Pig. Other than ying Mahjong, Chen Suhua had few hobbies, and unlike Professor Li, who was adept at amusing himself in the digital world, she had no children or grandchildren to entertain and spent her days idly, passing time with Mahjong and housework. Raising Da Hua could be considered her second spring in life. Seeing Chen Suhua seated and Da Hua lying on the ground, both focused on ¡°Peppa Pig¡± on the screen, Jiang Feng actually found the scene very harmonious, even reminiscent of a grandmother peacefully watching cartoons with her grandchild. Considering pigs¡¯ intelligence isparable to a human child of a certain age, and Da Hua was no ordinary pig¡ªhe was a pig who had awakened and could give Jiang Feng experience points for leveling up¡ªrounding up a bit, Da Hua and a child really weren¡¯t all that different. So it was technically urate to say Chen Suhua raising Da Hua was like raising a grandson. By that logic, Chen Suhua watching ¡°Peppa Pig¡± with her grandson was also on point. On TV, Peppa Pig was humming along with her little brother George, while Da Huay motionless outside the TV, as Jiang Feng ced the Crab-Stuffed Oranges on the table and enthusiastically invited Professor Li and Chen Suhua to eat. ¡°This is Crab-Stuffed Orange?¡± Professor Li adjusted his sses. Chen Suhua lifted the top off the orange and confirmed confidently, ¡°It¡¯s Crab-Stuffed Orange alright, the same one your student took us to eat years ago.¡± Professor Li used facts to prove to Jiang Feng the benefits of having a widespread reputation.
    Chen Suhua and Professor Li each picked up a crab-stuffed orange and slowly began to eat. Jiang Feng picked through the te and chose one that was slightly overdone and a bit too broken down, cing it in front of Da Hua. Da Hua, a pig that would never reject food, sniffed the orange in front of him and gradually stood up, gobbling it down in one bite. ¡°Ding, 999 experience points gained.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­
    The pig is a good pig; it just has a ratherrge mouth. After finishing the orange, Jiang Feng continued to chat with Professor Li and Chen Suhua for a while. The conversation went smoothly as Jiang Feng managed to talk about mahjong with Chen Suhua while also discussing humorous incidents from years past at UAL University with Professor Li. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it was gettingte and Jiang Feng needed to rush back to Taifeng Building, the three of them probably could have talked until midnight without pause. The afternoon¡¯s activities concluded sessfully, and Jiang Feng managed to make 4 crab-stuffed oranges and even brought home two sacks full of crabs. Carrying the crabs back to Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng became the most eye-catching figure there; even the kitchen staff and the lobby attendants suspected that Jiang Feng had gone out to procure supplies that afternoon. Jiang Feng gave Mrs. Wang Xiulian a brief exnation of where the crabs came from, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s eyes began to sparkle at the sight of them. After all, free things always looked pleasant, sumptuous, delicious, and made her think of all sorts of crab dishes such as steamed crab, spicy crab, m crab, drunken crab¡­ Jiang Feng suspected that Mrs. Wang Xiulian might already be searching her mind for 17 different ways to cook crab. ¡°Tonight¡¯s staff meal will include a dish of spicy crab¡ªhave your dad make it,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian decided with finality. ¡°Mom,¡± Jiang Feng felt it was time to discuss with Mrs. Wang Xiulian the idea of Taifeng Building regrly stocking up on crabs. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing a new dish recently that requires crabs. What do you think¡­?¡± ¡°What new dish are you practicing now?¡± Wang Xiulian frowned, sensing that the matter wasn¡¯t so straightforward. Her son had been practicing new dishes at a quite frequent rate these past few months, and most crucially, no one knew where Jiang Feng was learning them from¡ªneither of the old men had taught him. ¡°Crab-stuffed orange. Itbines fruit and crab; it¡¯s healthy, beautifying, and nourishing. I¡¯ll deliver it to you tonight after I finish making it,¡± Jiang Feng offered eagerly. Wang Xiulian nodded subconsciously in agreement, then felt she couldn¡¯t indulge her son¡¯s inconsistency¡ªpicking up this and that on a whim. The tasks the two old men had set for him, like mastering sea cucumber dishes, were yet to bepleted, and yet here he was, learning some messy new dishes. ¡°Son, you have to focus in whatever you do, just like your mom¡ªwhen it¡¯s time to diet, I diet; when it¡¯s time to eat, I eat. You can¡¯t just give up learning one thing halfway through. Your task right now is to learn cooking properly with your grandpa and Granduncle Weiming. There¡¯s plenty of time to learn other dishester,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian began her ideological education with Jiang Feng. ¡°That crab-stuffed orange thing should be made earlier, and don¡¯t bother if it gets toote. Eating after half-past ten isn¡¯t good for the body.¡±
    ¡°Alright, Mom, I¡¯ll make sure to deliver it before half-past ten,¡± Jiang Feng responded. Mrs. Wang Xiulian nodded in satisfaction and continued with her affairs. Jiang Feng was about to change clothes and head to the kitchen when he suddenly remembered something very important he hadn¡¯t done yet. He hadn¡¯t ced an order for the mooncakes from Eight-treasure House. Jiang Feng checked¡ªthe Eight-treasure House stopped delivering after nine o¡¯clock, so if he wanted mooncakes, he needed to order early. Taifeng Building wasn¡¯t too far from Eight-treasure House. If the delivery guy was fast enough, the mooncakes should arrive still warm, hardly different from freshly baked. With that in mind, Jiang Feng decisively opened his phone to ce an order, filling in the delivery address of the 24-hour convenience store next door. After all, Jiang Feng was the boss of Taifeng Building; if he were to procure from thepetition, he had to do it secretly. Also, could the boss¡¯s actions really be considered procuring from thepetition? That¡¯s called scouting the enemy. Chapter 405: 403 Fresh Meat Mooncakes Chapter 405: Chapter 403 Fresh Meat Mooncakes Zidi, is itself a Chinese term rich in meaning. The phrase originates from ¡°Yu Li Zi ¡¤ Zhi Tan¡±, with the original text saying, ¡°If I harm one enemy at the cost of harming a hundred of my own men, this is to aid the enemy and greatly harm myself.¡± With profound cultural significance, such ssical Chinese normally appears in middle school Chinese trantion exercises, the kind worth two points each, and are considered giveaway questions. At this moment, Jiang Feng also understood the difficulty and meaning behind this phrase. To aid the enemy, he had ordered takeout, and because he had ordered takeout, he needed to carry his phone. His phone, for some unknown reason, kept overheating. There was just a thinyer of fabric between the phone and his thigh, and he felt like that piece of thigh meat was almost cooked. Jiang Feng was stir-frying absent-mindedly, experiencing the slow roasting sensation of his thigh while also having to keep an eye on the wok. Wu Minqi had long since noticed something was off with Jiang Feng. Her Fengfeng had seemed a bit odd ever since he entered the kitchen. She suspected that Jiang Feng was up to something unspeakable behind her back, but she couldn¡¯t think of anything unspeakable that he could be doing without her knowing. Had he sneaked off to eat Sichuan hotpot?
    ¡°Feng, why did you make seven tes of Sweet and Sour Yam today?¡± Sang Ming was a bit confused to see Jiang Feng pass over yet another te of Sweet and Sour Yam. ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Feng turned to look and counted ¨C indeed, he had been so distracted with his cooking that he identally made an extra te. Thanks to his Appraisal Skill, Jiang Feng could easily identify which te was the surplus one, and he pointed to that te, telling Sang Ming, ¡°Leave that one, wait¡­¡± ¡°Xiaxia.¡± Jiang Feng was about to say to deal with that extra te however he saw fit, when he suddenly remembered how Ji Xia had been dragging mops and wiping windowsst night, even cleaning the hard-to-reach areas behind the TV cab, which was truly hard work. Thus, Jiang Feng decided to reward his apprentice, ¡°Stop cutting, your cucumber strips are shaped all wrong for stir-frying anyway. You need a steady hand when you¡¯re cutting. Come and have a te of Sweet and Sour Yam.¡± Since Ji Xia¡¯s Knife Skills were still in the learning phase, the ingredients she cut were hardly up to standard and were generally used for the staff meals instead. Since Mrs. Wang Xiulian had already given the go-ahead for a delicious spicy crab staff meal that day, Jiang Feng thought they might as well eat something especially nice, and also decided to let Ji Xia stop cutting vegetables and have the Sweet and Sour Yam. After eating, she could go to learn something from the garnish station. Learning te arrangement is also an important step in culinary training. ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Ji Xia said, extremely happy. Not having to cut vegetables and getting dessert instead was like a child not having to go to school and being able to y video games instead. Jiang Feng smiled and nodded at Ji Xia, intending to check the menu and continue with the next dish, when he felt the phone in his pocket vibrate. A call hade in! It must be the takeout. The Suzhou-style mooncakes from Eight-treasure House had arrived! ¡°Dad, I¡¯m going to the restroom, can you stir-fry the dishes after these for me?¡± Jiang Feng shouted across three stoves to Mr. Jiang Jiankang. Jiang Jiankang stretched out his chubby finger and gestured an ¡®OK¡¯ signal to Jiang Feng, showing proficiency in the task. After Jiang Feng hurried away, Wu Minqi nced back at him. Walking through the hall in a chef¡¯s uniform was still quite noticeable, but going back to the locker room to change would be even more conspicuous. Jiang Feng had no choice but to make it quick; as long as he was fast enough, neither the customers nor the waitstaff would spot him. ¡°Jiang Feng, you guys¡­¡± However, before he could make his escape, Jiang Feng hardly stepped out the back door before he was caught red-handed by Ji Yue.
    ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom, we¡¯ll talkter,¡± Jiang Feng said, implying that takeout waits for no one. ¡°Alright, well, you¡­¡± Ji Yue: ??? Didn¡¯t Jiang Feng say he was going to the restroom? Why was he running outside instead of going up to the second floor?
    Could there be a problem with the men¡¯s restroom on the second floor? A malfunctioning restroom is no small issue for a busy restaurant; Ji Yue immediately grabbed a passing server and asked, ¡°Xiao Min, is there a problem with the men¡¯s restroom on the second floor?¡± The server caught off guard by Ji Yue was a bit perplexed and responded after a pause, ¡°No¡­ I think not. I haven¡¯t heard anyints about the restroom being unusable. Do you want me to go check, Sister Yue?¡± ¡°Hurry and check, and if there¡¯s a problem, go find Manager Fan right away, so she can contact maintenance to fix it quickly,¡± instructed Ji Yue. The convenience store next to Taifeng Building was only a couple of meters away, and as soon as Jiang Feng stepped out, he saw the distinctly blue electric scooter parked at the curb and hurried over. ¡°7721,¡± Jiang Feng said, stating thest digits of his phone number, ¡°I couldn¡¯t answer the phone inside just now.¡± Walking out of a restaurant in chef¡¯s attire to pick up takeout felt a bit like a McDonald¡¯s employee wearing their uniform to enter a nearby KFC. But the delivery guy, having been in the business for many years and seen all sorts of things, wouldn¡¯t be fazed at all ¨C not even if Jiang Feng came out of Taifeng Building dressed in a maid outfit¡­ If it were a maid outfit, however, the delivery guy might be slightly surprised. ¡°Here¡¯s your order. Please give a 5-star rating if you can, thank you,¡± the delivery guy said, unfazed, passing the just-received takeout from Eight-treasure House to the chef from Taifeng Building. ¡°Thank you,¡± Jiang Feng said, taking the takeout and immediately entering the neighboring convenience store. Although small in size, spanning just over ten square meters, the convenience store¡¯s owner guards it year-round, and only in the evening does a different employee take over. The store may bepact, but it¡¯s well-equipped. It has everything a typical convenience store should have, and even maintains three small dining booths. There were plenty of issues too: limited product variety, cramped space, and the fact that customers heading for Taifeng Building hardly ever notice the convenience store next door, leading to persistently poor business.
    However, because Mrs. Wang Xiulian was particrly fond of the convenience store¡¯s brown sugar cake, she would often send Jiang Feng over to buy a couple for her to snack on. As time passed, Jiang Feng grew familiar with the store owner and would asionally have a chat. After talking more, Jiang Feng learned why the convenience store was able to persist in such a bustling area despite average business, and even afford to hire an employee. The owner was a second-generation rich kid who, after graduating from college, was quite lost and didn¡¯t know what to do. So, his dad bought him a small storefront to run any kind of store he wanted. It was an opportunity for him to gain some experience and take some time to cool down and n his future. Not having to pay rent, the store was actually making a profit. When the rich second-generation store owner saw Jiang Feng arriving, carrying a takeaway bag he was all too familiar with, he waved and greeted him, ¡°Hey, you ordered takeout from Eight-treasure House, huh?¡± Jiang Feng nodded at him, found a spot to sit down, and opened the bag. The mooncakes were still hot, obviously they had been put into the bag straight from the oven, and as he opened it, the aroma was overwhelming. The scent of renderedrd after high-temperature baking, melting on the surface of the mooncakes, was the most deadly, and also the most enticing. It could arouse the most instinctive desire for meat in humans. Almost simultaneously with smelling the aroma, the convenience store owner realized, abruptly looking up, ¡°You ordered takeout from Eight-treasure House?¡± All over his face was the expression that seemed to say, aren¡¯t you supposed to bepetitors? Could it be that the major Beiping restaurants are more harmonious than I imagined? This was soon reced by, I can¡¯t believe you, a guy who looks so robust, have also betrayed the revolution. ¡°Eight-treasure House has a new Suzhou-style mooncake; I think it tastes pretty good. Want to try?¡± Jiang Feng held up the paper bag.
    The convenience store owner instantly forgot about Jiang Feng betraying the revolution and turned his eyes to the paper bag in Jiang Feng¡¯s hand, ¡°Eight-treasure House is even selling mooncakes now, I¡¯m not lying, the pastries they make are amazing, wow, that looks so good!¡± The convenience store owner casually grabbed a fresh meat mooncake, also the type of Suzhou-style mooncake everyone was most familiar with. The freshly baked mooncake was still hot to the touch; its small size was just enough to fit into Jiang Jiankang¡¯s mouth in one bite, with a ky crust that didn¡¯t crumble. The whole mooncake was golden and shiny, and holding it in hand was like having a megaphone shouting in your ear: Eat it fast! Take a bite! The convenience store owner bit off half of the mooncake in one go, revealing the fresh meat filling inside, and Jiang Feng even caught a glimpse of the juices from the meat that were now slightly oozing out. ¡°Mmm~¡± Jiang Feng felt like he could even hear the wavy lines of satisfaction behind the convenience store owner¡¯s hum. ¡°My God, this mooncake from Eight-treasure House is absolutely fantastic!¡± eximed the convenience store owner, as if he hadn¡¯t been the one just a second ago turning his nose up at Eight-treasure House¡¯s pastries. ¡°I¡¯m going to order takeout too. Is the mooncake sold individually or in a mix?¡± ¡°A bag of six, with six different vors. They don¡¯t sell them individually,¡± Jiang Feng said, picking out a sand sugarrd-vored mooncake from the bag. With one bite, Jiang Feng regretted it. He regretted giving the fresh meat mooncake to the convenience store owner just now. It was the best mooncake he had ever eaten in his life. Jiang Feng even refused to acknowledge that what he held in his hand was a mooncake. How could mooncakes taste so good?
    How could the chefs at Eight-treasure House make mooncakes taste so good! How could a chef who makes mooncakes taste so good be with Eight-treasure House! At that moment, Jiang Feng understood what it meant to cast pearls before swine. Suzhou-style mooncakes that had cooled down overnight and those freshly out of the oven with theirrd not yet solidified really were twopletely different kinds of Suzhou-style mooncakes. The sand sugarrd-vored mooncake was sweet, and Jiang Feng devoured it in a few bites before picking out from the bag a savory hamrd mooncake that looked obviously salty. Jiang Feng found that Eight-treasure House¡¯s white-case chef really liked usingrd as an ingredient; if the vor includedrd, he¡¯d use more of it, while for vors that didn¡¯t includerd, he¡¯d use less. No matter how the other ingredients varied,rd was a constant. However, baking and pan-frying were indeed two cooking methods that could bring out the charm ofrd to the fullest. After finishing the mooncake in his hand, Jiang Feng turned to the owner, ¡°Did you ce the order?¡± ¡°Not yet, I¡¯m debating if I should have shredded pork in Beijing sauce or shredded pork with green pepper.¡± The convenience store owner was lost in Eight-treasure House¡¯s extensive delivery menu. ¡°When you ce the order, order three more servings of mooncakes for me. I¡¯ll transfer the money to youter. Call me when it arrives. I¡¯m heading back now,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you when it arrives. Hey, do you think Eight-treasure House¡¯s sweet and sour pork tenderloin is good?¡± ¡°Not good,¡± Jiang Feng said as he pushed the door open, ¡°Our restaurant¡¯s sweet and sour pork tenderloin tastes better.¡± When he returned to Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng ran into Mrs. Wang Xiulian head-on. ¡°Son, howe you¡­¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian was surprised to see that Jiang Feng was actuallying from outside. ¡°Mom, here are three mooncakes for you to try. I¡¯ve got to get going,¡± Jiang Feng preemptively handed the mooncakes to Wang Xiulian. Wang Xiulian took the mooncakes and instantly forgot what she was about to ask, ripping open the bag and ignoring Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng hurried to the kitchen door, only to be caught again by Ji Yue. ¡°Jiang Feng, we really need to improve this serving window in the kitchen. The tes from our restaurant keep getting bigger, and it¡¯s really hard for us to carry them steadily when we serve from outside,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them. Let them choose smaller tes; it¡¯s Sang Ming¡¯s fault ¨C he said the bigger tes look better for ting,¡± Jiang Feng opted to me Sang Ming, ¡°Don¡¯t eat dinnerter. I ordered mooncakes from Eight-treasure House, and I think you all should try them.¡± After speaking, Jiang Feng went into the kitchen. Ji Yue: ??? Didn¡¯t you go to the bathroom? Chapter 406: 404 Jiang - Unworthy of Nougat - Feng Chapter 406: Chapter 404 Jiang ¨C Unworthy of Nougat ¨C Feng ¡°` After eating the mooncakes from Eight-treasure House, everyone, even Ji Yue¡ªwho didn¡¯t care much about the culinary world and was just waiting for Eight-treasure House to go bankrupt so they could poach its headwaiter, get a promotion and sry raise, and reach the pinnacle of their life¡ªrealized that this Mid-Autumn Festival, Eight-treasure House would be the brightest star among all of Beiping¡¯s restaurants. The very thing Jiang Feng had always worried about had finally happened¡ªthe viinous big boss Ling Guangzhao had shown his ferocious true colors. In response, everyone expressed the same sentiment, They would continue to order mooncake takeout from Eight-treasure House tomorrow. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. There were still plenty of crabs left from the ones Professor Li had sent. Jiang Feng originally nned to divide them among the families. Unexpectedly, the two sirs were not interested in crabs. Mrs. Wang Xiulian and the eldest aunt both insisted that the crabs be left with Jiang Feng so he could make stuffed oranges with crab and bring them over. Jiang Jiandang was quite interested in the crabs. However, the second aunt recently read an article, ¡°Parents are the Best Teachers for Children,¡± and was greatly inspired. She decided to lead by example and from then on, no meat or fish would ever appear on their dining table again. As for Jiang Jianye and Jiang Jianshe, they had recently taken a fancy to a faltering cattery that was for sale and were nning to pick up their old trade, ushering in their second career spring in Beiping, the cosmic center. The second career spring they were about to embrace would also keep Jiang Feng¡¯s fourth aunt busy since, after all, in the past few years, Jiang Jianye and Jiang Jianshe had been dedicated to breeding cats and dogs. The technical work of haggling would have to be left to the fourth aunt. Thus, the crabs ended up back in Jiang Feng¡¯s hands. ¡­
    It was 22:17 Beiping time when Jiang Feng walked into the kitchen to turn off the heat and lift the lid. In the pot were the first batch of stuffed oranges with crab he had made that night, a total of three, prepared for Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian. 2.8 for Mrs. Wang Xiulian, 0.2 for Mr. Jiang Jiankang (one spoonful). As the only dutiful son of Mrs. Wang Xiulian, Jiang Feng always remembered his mother¡¯s habit of not eating after 10:30 pm, so he deliberately divided the stuffed oranges with crab he was making tonight into two batches. There were more oranges in the second batch, which Jiang Feng nned to distribute to each household. With the help of Wu Minqi and Ji Xia, the second batch was just barely half done. Ji Xia had evolved from her initial enthusiastic crab-peeling to a respectful distance-style peeling. Crabs are cold in nature, and the crab meat steamed out has a strong odor, especially after it cools down. Now, Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Ji Xia were no different from walking human-shaped crabs. It was 22:18 when Jiang Feng knocked on the door of his parents¡¯ ce. It was Mr. Jiang Jiankang who opened the door. Mrs. Wang Xiulian was lying on a massage chair getting a massage, wearing an eye massager and looking very much in enjoyment and cultivating her health. The massage chair was a recent purchase by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, a new delight she couldn¡¯t get enough of, unwilling to leave once shey in it each evening. ¡°Did my sone?¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian asked from the depths of the massage chair. ¡°Mom, I came to bring you the stuffed oranges with crab. Come and try them,¡± Jiang Feng said as he set the dish on the table and turned to see several kitchen knivesying on the kitchen counter. Exquisite, sharp, and brand new. Clearly recently purchased. ¡°Dad, did you buy¡­¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s words were cut short as Mr. Jiang Jiankang stuffed his mouth with nougat, his expression both fierce and embarrassed, indicating to Jiang Feng that the money used to buy the knives wasn¡¯t clean, likely embezzled while buying the massage chair for Mrs. Wang Xiulian. Heh, a man short on pocket money. Jiang Feng chewed on the nougat in his mouth, noting the rich creamy taste and the distinct vor of peanuts, very chewy just a bit sticky, a familiar taste. ¡°When did Grandma make the nougat?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Mr. Jiang Jiankang was surprised by Jiang Feng¡¯s reaction and asked back, ¡°Your grandma didn¡¯t give you any?¡±
    ¡°No,¡± Jiang Feng replied, pulling another sticky nougat from the bag and continuing to chew. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s nougats might stick to teeth, but they tasted so good that the children of the Jiang Family had grown up eating them without ever tiring. During the New Year, Jiang Feng and his brothers could eat nougats all day long to the point where they couldn¡¯t even open their mouths to speak. However, in recent years, Mrs. Jiang had be less willing to make them. Out of season, Jiang Feng was pleasantly surprised by the sudden appearance of his grandma¡¯s nougat. ¡°`
    ¡°` ¡°Your fourth aunt said your grandma started making them right after she finished her mahjong game this afternoon. She made several dozen pounds, and delivered them over an hour ago, even sending some to Zaide and Chengcheng. Didn¡¯t she send any to you?¡± The implication was clear: you better reflect on how you might have offended your grandma and go apologize to her promptly. With her hint so unmistakable, Jiang Feng suddenly found the nougat in his mouth hard to chew. How had he offended his grandma? In the past few days, he hadn¡¯t really seen her much, where would he have had the chance to offend her? Didn¡¯t Mrs. Jiang spend every day ying mahjong with Chen Suhua in turns? Fuck, mahjong. It hit Jiang Feng in an instant where he had gone wrong with his grandma. He had forgotten to make a portion of the stuffed oranges for her this afternoon and then to deliver it to her. If Chen Suhua happened to casually mention today¡¯s stuffed oranges during her shift, Jiang Feng would be forever nailed to the pir of shame as the unfilial child of the Jiang Family. Jiang-the-unfilial-grandson-who-doesn¡¯t-deserve-nougat-Feng. Merely by thinking about it, Jiang Feng broke out in a cold sweat. Mrs. Jiang was great in all aspects, except that she loved face, always wanting to show off something to her stic friends, but there wasn¡¯t much to show off at her age, so she could only show off her sons and grandsons. Jiang Feng vaguely remembered a time before the New Year when the flu was rampant, and Mrs. Jiang had unfortunately caught it, having to visit the town¡¯s hospital daily for IV drips.
    Back then, Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t been struck by his gaming obsession and restarted his cooking training, so during the winter holiday with nothing to do, he was recruited by his own father to apany Mrs. Jiang to the hospital for her IV drips every day. Jiang Feng recalled that the town hospital was as lively as a senior citizens¡¯ club that year, with a group of 60-something year-olds convening for IV treatments, greeting anyone who entered with hearty hellos and chatting to each other, boasting and talking about their children. Without poker and mahjong, and with IV bags hanging beside them, it was practically no different from a senior citizens¡¯ club. All the seniors came by themselves, except for Mrs. Jiang who had her grandson¡¯spany. Back then Mrs. Jiang shone the brightest in the whole hospital, not only receiving envious looks from everyone but also heartfelt praise, ¡°Lanhua, your grandson is so filial, apanying you to the hospital. Those little brats of mine won¡¯t budge no matter how much I call them!¡± That day Jiang Feng stayed in the hospital for more than an hour. Aside from the first 40 minutes, where every new arrival would praise him in front of Mrs. Jiang while he was getting his IV, the rest of the time, the seniors were engulfed in their own conversations. Jiang Feng, who lowered the average age of the IV room, could only squat in a corner ying with his phone. There was no seat for Jiang Feng to sit on. Seeing no new arrivals, Mrs. Jiang waved him off, indicating he should stay where he needed to be, warning him the hospital was full of sick people and she didn¡¯t want him to catch the flu. Ever since then, Mrs. Jiang realized her grandson was perfect for showing off. Skinny, and appearing well-behaved; when the other grandsons were brought before others, they would only say, ¡°My, you have raised your grandson to be very sturdy!¡± instead of ¡°My, your grandson is so filial.¡± For a long time, Jiang Feng had been the representative of filial grandsons in the Jiang Family. Now, his spot as the representative might disappear because of a stuffed orange. Realizing the severity of the situation, Jiang Feng instantly became nervous and decided to rush home to make the stuffed orange for Mrs. Jiang and deliver it to her. Time waits for no one, and if he were toote, Mrs. Jiang might already have gone to sleep. It¡¯s quite exhausting ying mahjong all day. ¡°Dad, I haven¡¯t finished cooking my dishes yet; I¡¯ll head back first. You and mom enjoy these stuffed oranges while they¡¯re hot,¡± Jiang Feng slipped away as he spoke.
    Jiang Jianshe nodded and uncovered the top of the stuffed oranges. The aroma was captivating. Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who had been lying in the massage chair, her face a picture of bliss, suddenly sat up straight. ¡°Jiankang, hand me one over,¡± Wang Xiulian said. After speaking, she sank back into the chair. ¡°` Chapter 407: 405 Sweet Sound Chapter 407: Chapter 405 Sweet Sound When Jiang Feng sprinted home at the speed of a hundred-meter dash, Wu Minqi and Ji Xia were peacefully shelling crabs. At that moment, Jiang Feng was reminded of a verse: ¡°Born from the same root, why the urgency to prevail against each other?¡± ¡°Fengfeng, you¡¯re back!¡± Wu Minqi, seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s hurried expression and his slight panting, put down her crab shelling tools and went to pour him a ss of water, ¡°There¡¯s no need to run. Walking slowly would have done. Why the rush?¡± ¡°I had to run; I suddenly remembered that my grandma probably goes to bed before 11 o¡¯clock, and I must get her portion ready and delivered before then,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Otherwise, I might never get to eat her fresh meat zongzi, maltose, nougat, and scallion pancakes ever again.¡± Wu Minqi: ??? Ji Xia: !!! ¡°Master, are Grandma¡¯s fresh meat zongzi delicious? Which tastes better whenpared to today¡¯s fresh meat mooncakes?¡± Carnivore Ji Xia asked. From a chef¡¯s perspective, of course, Jiang Feng thought the fresh meat mooncakes were more delicious. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s fresh meat zongzi and Eight-treasure House¡¯s fresh meat mooncakes were worlds apart, with the only advantage being therge chunks of meat. But as Mrs. Jiang¡¯s dutiful grandson, this was surely the time to stand by his own grandmother¡¯s cooking.
    ¡°The zongzi are delicious; the meat in the zongzi isrge, one piece from my grandma¡¯s zongzi is worth half a fresh meat mooncake,¡± Jiang Feng said. After thinking for a moment, he added, ¡°And, the zongzi are boiled in meat broth.¡± ¡°My grandma usually puts two chunks of meat in each.¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s image in Ji Xia¡¯s mind instantly became resplendent. Jiang Feng nced over the table, then looked at his watch. There were enough crabmeat and oranges. He could steam two crab-stuffed oranges for Sir and Mrs. Jiang first and deliver them. It was already 10:39, and every second counted. Jiang Feng was very familiar with each step of making crab-stuffed oranges, a dish that he had made the most suitable for mass production. The processing of oranges and crabmeat can be delegated to different people to be done simultaneously. Once these two main parts were ready, the remaining steps were rtively quick. Jiang Feng even believed that with enough processed crabmeat and oranges, and a sufficient number of stoves and cooking stations, he could make hundreds of crab-stuffed oranges in an hour. If one crab-stuffed orange sold for 108 yuan, then 100 crab-stuffed oranges would amount to 10,800 yuan. By using less crabmeat and more orange flesh, one crab could make three or four crab-stuffed oranges with ease. Roughly calcting, if Taifeng Building only sold crab-stuffed oranges for a day, the revenue would be¡­ The logic prodigy Jiang Feng was blinded by the money. Of course, if he really did that, he would be crippled by the business prodigy Wang Xiulian, who would break his legs in anger. Since taking Ji Xia as his apprentice, Jiang Feng¡¯s savings had been drastically reduced. At 10:51, two special crab-stuffed oranges were ready. [Crab-Stuffed Orange Grade B] Jiang Feng could tell from a detailed inspection that, since the crabmeat had been shelled for too long and was slightly cold when stuffed into the oranges, it had a stronger fishy smell. Although these two crab-stuffed oranges were also Grade B, their quality was far inferior to those sent earlier to Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang. Jiang Feng felt that with such crab-stuffed oranges, he might be scolded to death by Sir. However, whenpared with the possibility of never again eating his grandmother¡¯s handmade fresh meat zongzi, maltose, nougat, and scallion pancakes, being scolded to death by Sir seemed rather insignificant. After all, if he wasn¡¯t scolded by Sir this time, there would be other times. The opportunity to be scolded was plentiful¡ªit wouldn¡¯t matter if this time was added to the list. Jiang Feng packed the two crab-stuffed oranges into bowls and went downstairs again.
    Meanwhile, Mrs. Jiang was sitting seriously on the living room sofa, ring at the more than ten pounds of nougat on the coffee table with anger. Sir leisurely wandered from the bedroom into the living room to pour tea. Seeing therge bag of nougat on the coffee table unsealed and wide open, he reminded Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Olddy, with so much nougat lying around and the weather being so hot, aren¡¯t you afraid it will spoil? Put it in the fridge,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°The nougat I made, I¡¯ll store it wherever I please. Drink your tea and don¡¯t meddle,¡± Mrs. Jiang red at Jiang Weiguo, taking her anger out on him, and then continued to stew over the nougat in front of her.
    Jiang Weiguo shook his head helplessly. The old woman was getting more childish with age; even Feng was more sensible than her. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping yet, even though it¡¯s sote?¡± Jiang Weiguo continued to ask. ¡°Sleep? What for? It¡¯s not even 11 yet. I just want to see if anyone still remembers this olddy,¡± Mrs. Jiang nced at her phone. Therge font on her senior phone brightly told her it was 10:52 Beiping time. There were 8 minutes left. If that rascal Feng didn¡¯t show up soon, she would give all 13 pounds of this nougat to Chengcheng the next day. Chengcheng was such a filial child. Today, when she went to give him candy, he even worried whether she had dinner and specially ordered her a portion of braised pork to eat at the hospital beforeing back home. Don¡¯t even mention it, the delivery girl was quite pretty, one look and you could tell she was a fortunate soul. Jiang Weiguo had no idea what had happened that afternoon, but having been married to Mrs. Jiang for so many years, he knew that her atypical behavior of making so much nougat to distribute must mean some clueless rascal had irritated her, and this was her way of dering to the world that she was not pleased. Jiang Weiguo shook his head helplessly. Seriously, why nougat? Doesn¡¯t she know that he¡¯s getting old and his teeth aren¡¯t good enough to chew such sticky candy? Much better to have pancakes. Although the olddy¡¯s cooking skills aren¡¯t that great, the pancakes she makes are truly delicious. Scallion pancakes with a sprinkle of sesame seeds right out of the pan. That taste, tsk tsk. ¡­ Jiang Feng stood at Sir¡¯s doorstep.
    He took a deep breath, calmed his racing heart, and in his mind, repeated the speech he had thought of on the way down. Perfect, wless. His future supply of pork dumplings, malt sugar, nougat, and scallion pancakes was secure! Jiang Feng raised his hand and knocked on the door. Sir, hearing someone about to knock, was preparing to open the door when Mrs. Jiang stopped him. ¡°You just stand there, I¡¯ll get the door.¡± Mrs. Jiang stood up and nced at the nougat on the table. The door opened. ¡°Grandma!¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s call was rich with emotion, tearful, and heartfelt. ¡°It¡¯s so good you haven¡¯t slept yet, I specially made crab-stuffed oranges for you to try, it¡¯s still warm!¡± Jiang Feng said as he presented the bowl of crab-stuffed oranges to Mrs. Jiang, ¡°I was a bit off this afternoon when I made them, so the taste wasn¡¯t good enough to bring them to you. But tonight¡¯s batch turned out perfect, I specifically chose the best crabs and oranges. Please try it and see if you like it. If you do, I¡¯ll make this every night and bring it over!¡± Mrs. Jiang looked at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng immediately understood. ¡°Are you still going to y mahjong at the usual ce tomorrow? I¡¯ll definitely bring some to you tomorrow afternoon. Eating just this might be a bit monotonous, would you like something to drink? Just let me know in advance, and I¡¯ll make sure to bring it tomorrow!¡± Jiang Feng said, the epitome of filial piety among the younger generation of the Jiang Family. Jiang Weiguo: ¡­ How had he not realized before that Feng was like this.
    Such exaggerated acting, he hadn¡¯t inherited even 1/10 of his father¡¯s acting skills. But Mrs. Jiang liked this type of over-the-top performance. The severity receded and joy dawned, softening her expression as she looked at Jiang Feng. In this moment, Jiang Feng sessfully defeated Jiang Shoucheng and reimed his position as the most filial grandson in Mrs. Jiang¡¯s heart. ¡°Come in,¡± Mrs. Jiang stepped aside to let Jiang Feng enter, ¡°You child, instead of resting properly at night, you¡¯re still fussing over cooking and making special deliveries. You should have told us in advance. What if your grandpa and I had already gone to sleep? Wouldn¡¯t you have made a wasted trip?¡± Jiang Weiguo: ¡­ ¡°Rest for you and Grandpa is definitely the top priority. If I make a wasted trip, then so be it,¡± Jiang Feng said, cing the crab-stuffed oranges on the dining table. Mrs. Jiang walked over to the coffee table, picked up arge bag of nougat, and walked toward Jiang Feng, cing the nougat on the dining table. The 13 pounds of nougat made a heavy and sweet sound upon contacting the table. ¡°I had some spare time this afternoon and made some nougat, distributed it around, and forgot to bring it to you. I was thinking of giving it to you tomorrow. But since you¡¯vee tonight, take it back with you. This one bag of nougat has peanuts and sesame added. Grandma knows you love sesame nougat,¡± Mrs. Jiang said. Jiang Feng stared at the nougat on the table, his eyes wide. He swore by his years-long experience of eating nougat during New Year¡¯s, when his mouth got so sticky he couldn¡¯t speak, that this bag must contain at least 10 pounds! 10 pounds! He could go two days without talking!
    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll get you a spoon from the kitchen. Please try it while it¡¯s hot. The crab dish won¡¯t taste good once it¡¯s cold.¡± Jiang Feng eagerly went to get Mrs. Jiang a spoon. . PS: It¡¯s the end of the month, ask for monthly tickets~ Chapter 408: 406 Argument Chapter 408: Chapter 406 Argument Jiang Feng came out of the kitchen with a spoon in hand when he saw Mrs. Jiang sitting contently at the dining table, eyeing the stuffed crab oranges, while Sir sat next to her, expressionlessly drinking tea. The tea had just been steeped, and the boiling hot water was slowly releasing steam upwards. Sir, seemingly oblivious, lifted the cup to his lips. The moment the tea touched his lips, Sir silently set the cup back down. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, try this,¡± Jiang Feng eagerly offered his spoon to Sir and Mrs. Jiang, not forgetting to lift the top off the stuffed crab oranges, perfectly ying the part of the attentive server. Sir took the spoon and scooped up a spoonful of the stuffed crab orange. He took a bite. Sir squinted his eyes slightly and his lips moved almost imperceptibly as if he were savoring the stuffed crab orange in his mouth. While Sir was tasting the stuffed crab orange, Mrs. Jiang had already finished her first spoonful and started on her second. She had no strong feelings or reaction to this new dish she¡¯d never heard of or tried before. Ever since Mrs. Jiang had married Sir, she had eaten three meals a day made by him. Back in the days when Sir was a chef at a state-run restaurant, he also cooked manyrge dishes for entertaining leaders and had used quite a few exotic ingredients, which Mrs. Jiang had the chance to sample. In her lifetime, Mrs. Jiang might have left the province only a handful of times, but when it came to food, she could certainly be considered well-versed and experienced.
    If she had toment on the stuffed crab oranges before her, Mrs. Jiang could only say that using fruit to make a dish was quite interesting, but she found the taste of the steamed orange a bit strange and wasn¡¯t used to it. But this dish was made with her grandson¡¯s care; Feng had made it especially for her and brought it overte at night, which showed how much Feng valued her as his grandmother. Even if it was unfamiliar, she would eat it with a smile. Right after Mrs. Jiang¡¯s second bite of the stuffed crab orange, Sir spoke up. ¡°How long did you leave this crab meat out? Can¡¯t you smell how fishy it is?¡± ¡°And the Xiangxue Wine, you just shook it in there, didn¡¯t you? If you can¡¯t handle it properly, don¡¯t show off. Have you ever been able to control the amount you shake in?¡± ¡°Also, this¡­¡± Sir was about to nitpick further when Mrs. Jiang interrupted him with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°Enough, enough, a fewments will do. You¡¯re just getting started. The stuffed crab orange was specially made for me by Feng, not for you; you¡¯re just incidental. If you don¡¯t want to eat it, give it to me; don¡¯t eat it! It¡¯s not a cooking exam; why are you being so serious? Feng simply made two dishes in his spare time and brought them to honor us old folks. You¡¯re criticizing him like a master criticizing an apprentice, intentionally hurting my grandson¡¯s feelings.¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s UZI submachine gun already rattled off at Sir before his M416 was even loaded. ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable, I¡¯m just¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®just¡¯? If it were normal teaching, it would be during the day in the kitchen with you supervising Feng cooking. After Feng finishes, you¡¯d taste it and critique. That¡¯s Feng asking for it. Can tonight be the same? Tonight, Feng made it specially for me to eat, and you as well. Why are you butting in when I haven¡¯t even said a word, and you¡¯re the one talking first. You say I¡¯m being unreasonable, where am I being unreasonable? You¡¯re the one being unreasonable!¡± Mrs. Jiang continued her UZI barrage, even identally giving a friendly fire shot at Jiang Feng. Sir: ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s difficult to raise women and petty men,¡± Sir muttered. Mrs. Jiang, though advanced in age but with ears still sharp, heard Sir¡¯s mutter clearly and shot back, ¡°A gentleman stays away from the kitchen.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Impressive! This is indeed a battle of cultured individuals; they¡¯re hurling insults at each other using lines from the Analects of Confucius found in middle school textbooks. In Jiang Feng¡¯s memory, whenever Sir and Mrs. Jiang argued, Sir never won. It always ended in Mrs. Jiang¡¯s victory. It could be because Sir didn¡¯t know how to argue, or perhaps he didn¡¯t want to argue with Mrs. Jiang, but Jiang Feng thought that most of the time, the core of Mrs. Jiang¡¯s argument was actually aligned with what Sir was thinking. Over the years, the reason for their arguments was invariably rted to their children and grandchildren. Mrs. Jiang generally stayed out of how Sir disciplined their son and grandson, but she would argue with him if she felt he was being excessive. For example, years ago when Sir was angry with Jianguo and wouldn¡¯t let him enter the house during Mid-Autumn Festival, Mrs. Jiang would drive Sir out of the house as well, and the family would go out to eat mooncakes together, forbidding anyone from entering the house. Most of the time, the fights were over trivial matters: Mrs. Jiang felt it was wrong for Sir to make their grandson practice cooking even on the New Year¡¯s; she would asionally overhear Sir scolding their son too harshly; Mrs. Jiang saw Sir punishing their son by making him clean the pigsty and thought if one person couldn¡¯t finish cleaning, two should be punished to do it together, and other small things like that. Like every other time, this fight too passed, and the two continued to peacefully eat the stuffed crab orange. Sir closed his mouth and stopped finding fault with Jiang Feng¡¯s dish.
    However, this time was different from the rest. Jiang Feng really hoped Sir would point out a critical mistake in his stuffed crab oranges, preferably one that could elevate the dish to an ¡®A¡¯ grade right away after being corrected. ¡°Grandpa, what do you think is the biggest problem with my stuffed crab orange?¡± Jiang Feng asked proactively. Sir looked up at Jiang Feng and was surprised that his grandson wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic about learning other dishes, yet was quite active when it came to making these unusual ones, even actively seeking criticism. But considering Mrs. Jiang was watching, Sir knew he should phrase his words carefully and speak more tactfully.
    ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention earlier that the crab meat was left out too long and was too fishy? Your bit of Xiangxue Wine won¡¯t mask that,¡± said Sir. ¡°Next time, be quicker with your movements. Too much Xiangxue Wine changes the vor, and it¡¯s also an issue with the crab meat itself.¡± ¡°What about the rest? Are there any other prominent issues?¡± pursued Jiang Feng, who hadn¡¯t managed to produce an ¡®A¡¯ grade finished product even when he was quick. ¡°Other aspects?¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s question stumped Sir, as he had never eaten Crab Stuffed Oranges before. Though Crab Stuffed Oranges is a famous dish that dates back to the Song Dynasty, it was lost for a long period and the current method is a restoration byter chefs based on ancient recipes. How it was originally made is a mystery to everyone, even Sir was not very clear on the current method. Asking him toment on the quality of a dish when he wasn¡¯t sure of the method and had never tasted it was something Sir was reluctant to do. ¡°Do you think there was an issue with fire control?¡± Jiang Feng began to imply strongly. ¡°Fire control?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but after trying many different steaming times, I still feel like something is off. The best time seems to be just over five minutes, but it doesn¡¯t feel quite right,¡± Jiang Feng said. Hearing Jiang Feng say this, Sir fell silent. He was a chef who greatly trusted his instincts, and Sir had long insisted that a chef¡¯s first impression is more important than anything else. ¡°Come to the store early tomorrow morning and cook this dish in front of me,¡± Sir said. ¡°I need to ponder what the issue might be.¡± Since his grandson was willing to learn, as his grandfather, he naturally had to find a way to teach. ¡°Okay then, thank you, Grandpa.¡± After Jiang Feng left, Sir couldn¡¯t help but boast to Mrs. Jiang with some pride, ¡°You old woman, always worried I talk too much and might hurt Feng¡¯s feelings. Do you think Feng is that kind of person? Let me tell you, you just don¡¯t understand. What we chefs fear the least is criticism¡ª the more criticism, the happier we are. It¡¯s when no one can find fault that we should worry.¡±
    Mrs. Jiang was wiping the table and nodded perfunctorily, ¡°Right, right, right, I was judging the gentleman¡¯s stomach with a petty mind. I, a mere housewife, don¡¯t understand these quirks of you chefs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also because our grandson is filial. Who would be happy being criticized? Only you would think that,¡± Mrs. Jiang said as she finished wiping the table and, still not quite satisfied, moved on to wipe the coffee table in front of the couch. Sir knew that Mrs. Jiang was just being stubborn and didn¡¯t argue further. ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± Mrs. Jiang suddenly straightened up while wiping the coffee table halfway through and turned to ask, ¡°Tomorrow morning I¡¯ll make pancakes for you, do you want ones with young green onions or withrge onions?¡± ¡°Large onions, add more sesame oil, and sprinkle some sesame seeds,¡± Sir replied without hesitation. ¡­ After returning home, Jiang Feng hurried to finish making the rest of the Crab Stuffed Oranges and delivered them door to door. Unfortunately, it was toote and Jiang Weiming had already gone to bed. Jiang Feng could only make some more for Jiang Weiming to eat the next morning. Although Ji Xia was somewhat sick of dismembering crabs, she had no qualms when it came to eating them. She cheerfully finished her two Crab Stuffed Oranges and went upstairs to bed. After a busy evening, Jiang Feng was still concerned as to why he felt there was something off about the fire control. Could it be that he needed to time the steaming down to the very second, or even a fraction of a second, and try each duration one by one, seeking the true perfect steaming time for Crab Stuffed Oranges using a scientifically rigorous method? But that¡¯s not how Chinese cooking works, is it? People usually rely on their senses. Timing with a stopwatch like Jiang Feng did felt like materialism colliding with idealism. Don¡¯t ask Jiang Feng what idealism is¡ªhe only scored a 66 in Marxist Theory by scribbling nonsense, and that pass was thanks to the teacher¡¯s mercy. Before going to bed, Jiang Feng checked Cao Guixiang¡¯s process of making Crab Stuffed Oranges again, but couldn¡¯t see any significant issues, let alone the fact that Cao Guixiang¡¯s steaming time was originally wed. If only he could see Master Peng¡¯s process.
    Wait a second, Master Peng¡¯s process. Jiang Feng quickly scrolled down to the backtracking function on the familiar panel; the cooldown time was still zero. In Cao Guixiang¡¯s memories, there was a full process of Master Peng making Crab Stuffed Oranges. But he could only check once a week; if he still failed to identify the issue this time, Jiang Feng would have to wait until the next week. Quietly closing the attribute panel, Jiang Feng decided to wait until he cooked Crab Stuffed Oranges in front of Sir the next morning before considering whether to use the backtracking function. If Sir couldn¡¯t identify the problem, he would use the backtracking function to review Master Peng¡¯s method one more time. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe by observing a master¡¯s process, he would have a sudden moment of enlightenment. Jiang Fengforted himself, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. He had a good night¡¯s dream. PS: Life is tough, sighing over hardbor. Thanks to the weekend, there¡¯s no work tomorrow~ Asking for monthly passes~ Chapter 409: 407 Chapter 409: 407 Jiang Feng arrived at Taifeng Building early the next day. How early, exactly? It was probably the earliest Jiang Feng had gotten up since graduating high school, where at his school everyone was required to do morning exercises at 6:30 a.m. It was because of this policy that Jiang Feng spent most of his high school years contemting how to nonchntly, without causing a stir, propose a transfer request to Mrs. Wang Xiulian. Until the end of his college entrance exams, he never did figure out a n that wouldn¡¯t get him beaten up. While most office workers on a 996 schedule were still asleep, Jiang Feng was already at Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen, energetically checking the oranges and crabs he had brought over. The oranges he picked were meticulously chosen, round, full, and shiny. Beforeing to Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng had scrubbed the wrinkled orange skin over and over again, cleaning every crevice of dirt. Now, these two oranges were definitely the shiniest ones in the orangemunity. Jiang Feng knew he had arrived early; this was probably the most eager he had ever been about cooking in his life. Even he didn¡¯t know why, perhaps because he felt like the correct answer was within easy reach, the instructor was on the way and would arrive any minute, and as the only lucky contestant, feeling a bit excited was normal. The two seniors hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so Jiang Feng decided to start prepping the oranges. This time, Jiang Feng was especially careful while segmenting the oranges, akin to a surgeon performing an operation. It took Jiang Feng a while topletely trim the flesh from the two oranges into a bowl, leaving behind just a thinyer of orange juice, when the two seniors finally made their bted entrance. Having enjoyed some scallion pancakes made by Mrs. Jiang herself, Sir was in a good mood, humming an off-tune melody as he walked into the kitchen, which Jiang Feng thought sounded a bit like the Huangmei opera that Mrs. Jiang often listened to.
    ¡°Carry on, don¡¯t mind us,¡± Sir said upon noticing Jiang Feng stopping his work to look up at them, instructing Jiang Feng not to be distracted while cooking. All that came out was the aroma of scallions and sesame oil. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Grandma made pancakes? Since the two seniors had arrived, Jiang Feng began to steam the crabs. Steaming crabs took only a few minutes, and in this brief time, Jiang Feng was not idle, gently scraping the inside of the oranges with a small knife to make them smoother and more rounded on the inside for a more pleasant appearance. After steaming the crabs, Jiang Feng began to process them in front of the seniors, from cleaning to making the stuffing and steaming. The two seniors remained silent throughout the entire process. They had never made Crab-Stuffed Orange before, and it was their first time watching Jiang Feng make this dish. They really had no say on Crab-Stuffed Orange and could only offer Jiang Feng some suggestions based on their years of cooking experience after tasting it. Half an hourter, two Crab-Stuffed Oranges were done. Jiang Feng performed very steadily this time, with almost no mistakes, and because he was extra meticulous and dedicated in the preparation, the evaluation was higher than any Crab-Stuffed Orange he had made before. But it was still Grade B. Between Grade A and Grade B dishesy an impassable chasm. Jiang Weiguo did not speak. Although he felt the Crab-Stuffed Orange made by Jiang Feng this time was a bit better than the one from the night before, the dish was simply not to his taste, and he couldn¡¯t understand why Jiang Feng was so enthusiastic about it. In his view, this peculiar dish was nowhere near as good as the scallion pancakes made by Mrs. Jiang. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s scallion pancakes that morning were really delicious; it¡¯s just that there wasn¡¯t enough sesame oil used, even though he had told her to use more. She insisted on using less oil because they were getting older. Don¡¯t think he didn¡¯t know that his wife indulged in sweet, heavy-oil braised porkst night. ¡°Feng, do you think it¡¯s the fire control that¡¯s not right?¡± Jiang Weiming finally spoke up. ¡°Yes, I felt veryfortable with the steps before, but the final product aftering out of the pot always seemed a bit off,¡± Jiang Feng nodded. ¡°Something is indeed off,¡± Jiang Weiming nodded and turned to Jiang Weiguo, ¡°Little brother, what do you think?¡± The Sir, who was still savoring the morning¡¯s scallion pancakes and suddenly got cued: ¡­
    ¡°The final taste is a bit odd; it feels like the orange and crab don¡¯t really go well together,¡± the Sir said. He had never made a simr dish, and didn¡¯t have much authority to speak on using oranges in cooking, but personally, he thought the vors of orange flesh and crab didn¡¯t quite match, making the dish feel like one of those legendary cafeteria foods. Sir, who kept up with news on his phone, often fell for sensational stories, and to this day believed college cafeterias served dishes such as cherry tomatoes stir-fried with cucumbers, blueberries stewed with yams, or strawberries cooked with potatoes ¨C truly, epic dishes. ¡°People in the Song dynasty often used oranges to neutralize the fishiness of crabs; the main use of orange flesh in Crab-Stuffed Orange should also be to ease the crab¡¯s fishiness. Since Xiangxue Wine was chosen to eliminate the fishiness, it implies that the orange flesh should also enhance the vor, but now¡­¡± After calmly analyzing it with Jiang Weiming, he realized he couldn¡¯t continue his analysis.
    The whole kitchen fell silent. Suddenly, Jiang Weiming spoke up again: ¡°Feng, did you just steam on low heat for 5 minutes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t find the feeling?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°Not a single feeling?¡± ¡°None.¡± Jiang Weiming fell silent again and after a long time, he said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you have to trust your own feeling. Since low heat isn¡¯t working, why not try using a very low heat.¡± ¡°Very low heat?¡± Jiang Feng was stunned. ¡°This is just my opinion,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile, ¡°If you don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work, you can disregard it. As a chef, you must trust your own instincts. Our opinions are secondary. The knife is in your hands, and now that you¡¯re a mentor, you should have the confidence of a mentor, you know.¡± ¡°Your grandfather and I are going to take a walk outside, you take your time to think it over here.¡± After saying that, Jiang Weiming put down the crab-stuffed orange in his hand. Sir followed closely behind. Both of the crab-stuffed oranges were empty.
    With both of the elderly gentlemen gone, the kitchen was left with only Jiang Feng quietly contemting the suggestions Jiang Weiming had just made. Very low heat, huh? Jiang Feng felt it was worth a try. Oranges are a delicious fruit, rightly sweet and sour, with a unique, natural fragrance. It is this fragrance that makes crab-stuffed oranges extremely tempting when the cover is removed. But steamed oranges are different, although the vor is roughly the same, theyck a bit of sweetness, gain a touch of sourness, ruining the perfect bnce of sweet and sour, plus there¡¯s an indescribable strange taste. Creativity is good, but the vor is insufficient. Perhaps very low heat could preserve more of the original vor of the orange. Jiang Feng felt as though he had just opened the door to a new world. Meanwhile, the two elderly gentlemen slowly made their way out of Taifeng Building and went their separate ways at the entrance. ¡°Third brother, do you know where the seafood market is?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked, unsure. ¡°I know, Jianye took me there before,¡± Jiang Weiming answered, ¡°You know how to pick oranges, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I know. My olddy loves these fruits. Back when I was in the vige, I had to go to town every day to buy them for her,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied. ¡°Feng doesn¡¯t know how to pick oranges. How can he cook something tasty with those that are neither sour nor sweet?¡± ¡°Little brother, did you bring your bus card?¡± Jiang Weiming asked, concerned.
    Jiang Weiguo took out his bus card from his pocket, and as he was about to leave, suddenly remembered something important, ¡°Third brother, did you bring cash with you?¡± Now it was Jiang Weiming who was momentarily stumped, and upon checking his pockets, he could only produce 16 yuan. 16 yuan, probably enough to buy a couple of crab legs. ¡°Isn¡¯t there that thing, mobile payment? You know how to use it, right? Teach me,¡± Jiang Weiming took out his mobile phone. Jiang Weiguo, in his eighties, began to instruct Jiang Weiming, in his nies, on how to make mobile payments, only to realize that he wasn¡¯t quite sure himself. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just clicking on this payment thing?¡± Jiang Weiming noticed the two big characters on the phone screen. ¡°That¡¯s not right. I saw Feng and the others, they always scan some thing with their phones, then enter the amount, and after that, their password. Isn¡¯t this the, what¡¯s it called? That thing, the code right?¡± Jiang Weiguo became confused. Jiang Weiming was even more confused than Jiang Weiguo. The two elderly gentlemen stood at the entrance of Taifeng Building, staring nkly at the Alipay payment code. A passerby, a 996 worker, hearing their conversation and taking a nce at Jiang Weiming¡¯s old-fashioned cell phone, enthusiastically pointed at the phone and exined to them, ¡°Grandpas, you use this to make the payment. This is the payment code. You just have to scan this at the store, and if you can¡¯t manage, show your phone to the shop staff, and they¡¯ll help you with it.¡± ¡°Young man, thank you so much,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a grateful smile. After the worker left, Jiang Weiguo couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°Ah, we¡¯re really getting old.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re old, what¡¯s wrong with that? We¡¯ve been old for so many years, and only now you¡¯re realizing it? Isn¡¯t your reaction a bit too slow?¡± Jiang Weiming said,ughing.
    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. Third brother, be careful on the road. If you can¡¯t find your way back, call Feng or Jiankang toe and get you.¡± With that, the two elderly gentlemen parted ways. Jiang Weiming walked a few steps forward, but couldn¡¯t help looking back at the signboard of Taifeng Building. He remembered very clearly that his father had told him, the signboard was brought to Beiping from Outside the Pass the year he was born. From Outside the Pass to Beiping, over a hundred years, wherever that signboard hung, that was Taifeng Building. He was old, but the signboard was still young. Forever young. Immortal. Chapter 410: 408 Missed Details Chapter 410: Chapter 408 Missed Details Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know that the two old men had scorned his vegetable picking skills and had gone to buy them personally; otherwise, he would have loudly proimed his innocence. The oranges weren¡¯t his purchase; they were bought by Ji Xia. If one mustin about the selection of oranges, it should be Ji Xia¡¯s poor choice, which had nothing to do with him, Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng himself admitted that he simply didn¡¯t know how to pick fruit. When buying fruit, he just went by looks, choosing the prettiest ones. Shockingly, this superficial method had never resulted in him picking out bad fruit. Thus, he concluded, beauty is justice. Frist, Jiang Feng made a phone call asking Wu Minqi to bring some oranges and crabs when she came, and then he started researching online. Crab stuffed oranges were a famous dish from the Song Period, and Jiang Feng felt that this could be an excellent entry point. He intended to delve into how people from the Song Period ate crabs and oranges; perhaps it would inspire him in the making of crab stuffed oranges. But then Baidu informed Jiang Feng that people from the Song Period poprized eating raw crabs. That is, uncooked crabs. Jiang Feng: ¡­ My ancestors¡¯ taste buds were quite bold, huh. It was recorded in ¡°Crab Strategy,¡± ¡°Historian Huang once wrote: ¡®The crab is slightly marinated and raw.¡¯ Nowadays, people season the crab with salt and wine, mixed with ginger and orange. This is the raw crab, also known as the washed-hands crab.¡±
    The washed-hands crab, popr among ancient elites, used orange juice as a seasoning. Nevertheless, Jiang Feng was convinced that the orange juice was not for seasoning but most likely to remove the fishy smell. The fishy odor left by a cooled, cooked crab was enough to cause nausea, let alone a raw one. The salt, wine, ginger, and orange in the washed-hands crab pointed to the ancients having normal taste and smell senses, as all the ingredients were for removing fishiness. After finishing his research and feeling quite shocked, Jiang Feng firmly thought crab stuffed orange was a very normal dish, at least it was cooked. If Baidu couldn¡¯t inspire him, he had to turn to the game. Jiang Feng decided to rewatch Cao Guixiang¡¯s cooking process, scrutinizing it carefully, intently, without missing a single detail. If he couldn¡¯t find any breakthrough this time, he would have to rely on the backtracking function to see how Master Peng had done it. Jiang Feng once again opened the tutorial video for crab stuffed orange. Watching a tutorial video felt different from essing memories. The tutorial was like any ordinary culinary video; Jiang Feng could only see Cao Guixiang¡¯s hands, not even her face. He could hear quite a bit, but the microphone picked up sound poorly; if the distance was slightly greater, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t hear clearly. He could only understand when the person speaking was very close to Cao Guixiang. He had watched the video so many times that he could recite the script by heart. The advantage was that he could see every move of Cao Guixiang¡¯s hands clearly and wouldn¡¯t miss any detail, as if the game camera was almost poking her hands. ¡°There are two more oranges in the bag; you practice with the remaining crab meatter.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Along with this familiar master-student dialogue that Jiang Feng knew all too well, the instructional video for crab stuffed orange began. As Cao Guixiang sliced off the top of the first orange, Master Peng¡¯s voice rang out again, ¡°Changping, go outside and check the time.¡± Cao Guixiang cut the top off the second orange. Footsteps. Jiang Feng knew Master Peng was going to deal with the sunflower duck at this point. In his memories, he hadn¡¯t paid attention to how Cao Guixiang made the crab stuffed oranges at all; instead, he had gone to watch Master Peng cook the sunflower duck. Jiang Feng continued to watch. He was already very familiar with the steps; seeing what Cao Guixiang did, he knew what she would do next. He even knew exactly when she failed to scrape the orange clean and when she had to go back and scrape it again. Nearly half an hour passed, and Cao Guixiang finished shaving the crab meat only to realize the orange wasn¡¯t scraped clean. She picked up the orange again and started carefully scraping the remaining flesh from the inside.
    ¡°Master, you¡¯re well aware that second senior brother has never liked this kind of dish. If it were ¡®Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall,¡¯ no matter how troublesome, he¡¯d be willing to do it. But for this dish, he wouldn¡¯t want to bother,¡± Cao Guixiang¡¯s voice echoed in the video. Jiang Feng remembered this part, it seemed that at this time, Qin Guisheng found crab stuffed oranges troublesome and didn¡¯t want to do it, he slipped away, and Cao Guixiang was speaking on his behalf. After that, there were hardly any words in this part of the video; the other people were too far away from Cao Guixiang, and she didn¡¯t have the habit of talking to herself. Cao Guixiang finished preparing the oranges and was ready to steam them.
    ¡°Master, should the crab stuffed oranges be served together with the other dishes?¡± asked Cao Guixiang. Master Peng¡¯s reply wasn¡¯t captured. Viewing the video, Jiang Feng was startled. He suddenly noticed a problem he had never realized before. He only knew thatst time Cao Guixiang served dishes to Zhang Chu andter got lost in her thoughts in the corner of the staircase and forgot about the crab stuffed oranges in the pot, which resulted in them being steamed too long, but he never realized that Master Peng¡¯s steaming time was also quite long. Master Peng¡¯s crab stuffed oranges had been steaming since Cao Guixiang started making them. During that time, Master Peng had finished making the sunflower duck and had thickened the sauce for the Braised Big ck Sea Cucumber, which took at least half an hour altogether. How could the crab stuffed oranges have continued steaming for over half an hour without turning to mush? How exactly did Master Peng steam them? Back in their day, they didn¡¯t have gas stoves; they used traditional wood-fired stoves, which made Fire Control much more challenging than today. Jiang Feng had never looked behind the stove to see the size of the fire in it. The instructional video did not show the fire in the stove. Now the question arose, what exactly was the fire in the stove like? What kind of fire would allow the crab stuffed oranges to steam for over half an hour without bing mushy? Jiang Feng knew he had to use the Backtracking function now. He could skip watching anything else, but he had to go behind the stove to see the fire for himself. His intuition told him that this was the key to achieving an A-grade crab stuffed orange.
    If there was anything Jiang Feng was good at, it was his intuition. Jiang Feng quit the instructional video and opened the recovery function to study how to use this brand-new feature thoroughly. Then he discovered that the game was actually quite user-friendly; the Backtracking could review all memory segments or target specific segments for review. Targeting specific memory segments for review was like dragging the progress bar when watching a TV show, you drag it to the part you want to watch and click y. When Jiang Feng chose the memory segment with Cao Guixiang, he found that there indeed appeared to be a progress bar underneath, just like in a video yer. After quietly studying for a while, Jiang Feng found that when dragging the progress bar, the segments he could see were from his perspective in his memory, only blurrier¡ª the quality was infinitely close to 270P standard definition, as if viewed on a 98-inch superrge LCD screen. Looking at it for a while almost felt blinding. After dragging the progress bar for over ten minutes, Jiang Feng finally caught the segment he wanted to see and clicked yes on the choice to backtrack. Jiang Feng once again entered Cao Guixiang¡¯s memory. PS: Vote for monthly tickets~ Chapter 411: 409: Stew Chapter 411: Chapter 409: Stew Jiang Feng chose a segment to backtrack thatsted a little over an hour, from when Master Peng began making the crab stuffed oranges to when Cao Guixiang finished making them. Since the quality of the screenshots was too poor, to be on the safe side, Jiang Feng purposefully took extra screenshots before and after to avoid missing any key content. In the blink of an eye, Jiang Feng once again appeared in the kitchen of Yonghe House. Manager Yin¡¯s bootlicking had reached its final act, and Cao Guixiang was staring intently at the bag brought by Manager Yin, as if she wanted to emzon the words ¡°I want to try this¡± on her face. Jiang Feng focused all his attention on the stoves beside Master Peng, remembering that Master Peng had steamed the crabs on the stove next to him, and there were only two stoves beside Master Peng. As a stand-alone restaurant, Yonghe House upied arger area than Taifeng Building; correspondingly, its kitchen was somewhatrger than that of Taifeng Building, and it had more staff. When it was busy, everyone was busy together; when it was idle, everyone cked off together. Previously, when Jiang Feng was looking at memories, he had focused all his attention on Master Peng, Qin Guisheng, and Cao Guixiang, and hardly paid any attention to Peng Changping, let alone the others, whom he outright ignored as background scenery. Jiang Feng went behind the stoves to check inside and found that no fire had been started in this one, so he waited beside it. Making crab stuffed oranges required steaming crabs. Sure enough, no sooner had Manager Yin left than Master Peng asked Cao Guixiang to steam the crabs. Upon receiving Master Peng¡¯s instructions, Cao Guixiang went to scrub the crabs, and an apprentice whom Jiang Feng had barely remembered upon hearing Master Peng¡¯s words hastily ran to start the fire. A few logs and a handful of dry grass, and in the blink of an eye, a roaring fire was zing in the stove.
    sting heat for steaming crabs, nothing wrong with that. As Master Peng began processing the oranges, Jiang Feng moved closer to watch his technique. Cao Guixiang¡¯s method of preparing the crab stuffed oranges was a direct imitation of Master Peng¡¯s, with basically no difference, except that Master Peng was more skilled and faster, effortlessly navigating theplex structure and crisscrossing membranes inside the oranges. In less than 20 minutes, three oranges had been hollowed out and cleaned neatly, with even the remaining juice inside the oranges being about the same level. ¡°Guixiang, go take out the crabs and pick out the crab meat,¡± Master Peng instructed. Jiang Feng kept a close eye on the stoves, and as Cao Guixiang went to the steamer to take out the crabs, the apprentice who had lit the fire also hurriedly ran to the stove opening to pull out the unburned wood and extinguish it with charcoal ash. Seeing the apprentice¡¯s action, Master Peng said, ¡°Leave a small piece.¡± Leave a small piece? Jiang Feng paused, every word spoken by Master Peng could be key to solving the case, but what did ¡°leave a small piece¡± mean? Jiang Feng didn¡¯t understand, but the apprentice did and knocked off a small unburned section of wood with iron tongs. The wood that had been burning in the stove for over 20 minutes was very fragile, easily breaking into several pieces with a light tap. The apprentice chose a medium-sized piece to leave inside, allowing the small section covered in charcoal ash, white and frail, to lie solitary atop the pile of ash, glowing intermittently with a faint red light. Jiang Feng felt like he knew how Master Peng steamed the crab stuffed oranges. This method of leaving a small piece of wood burning in the stove at the end of cooking was all too familiar to him; Mrs. Jiang loved to do this when simmering rice. Back in the countryside, when Sir cooked, it was Mrs. Jiang who managed the fire. Mrs. Jiang was extremely frugal with firewood; for her, the amount of firewood needed for each meal was calcted precisely, and not even half a stick was allowed to be wasted. In the Jiang Family, if meals were cooked on a wood-burning stove, the rice would definitely be thest to be cooked. They had to wait until all the dishes were stir-fried, and when there was just a little firewood left or none at all, they used the remaining heat in the stove to steam the rice to perfection. The airtightness and instion of a y stove are generally very good; even after the wood inside has burned away, the high temperature in the stove can remain for a long time, enough to fully cook the rice. This method of cooking rice had the advantage of saving firewood. Mrs. Jiang grew up in a household with six children, but only one was a boy, so there was a serious shortage ofbor. Firewood, which the children had to go to the mountains to collect, was a precious asset and had to be used sparingly. This habit, formed due to a severeck ofbor, didn¡¯t change even after Mrs. Jiang had given birth to five robust boys, and it continued to this day. If the crab-filled oranges that Master Peng was preparing were to be steamed, it would indeed retain the sweetness and freshness of the oranges to the utmost degree. Jiang Feng remembered reading a short article in a newspaper when he was in high school; for years, Germans who were determined to measure seasoning to the gram, time to the second, and even fantasized about recing chefs with robots, discovered many years ago that eggs didn¡¯t actually need to be boiled for that long. Boiling them for only two-thirds of the usual time would suffice, after which they could turn off the heat, and the residual temperature and energy were enough to fully cook the eggs. This was a discovery that seemed very practical but that 99% of people wouldn¡¯t do.
    However, Jiang Feng felt he might have to practice this egg-boiling technique in the future. To steam food properly, controlling the remaining heat is crucial. Jiang Feng continued to focus on the stove, paying no attention to Master Peng and Cao Guixiang¡¯s actions. Jiang Feng just watched as the small chunk of firewood in the stove shrank smaller and smaller, slowly merging with the ash beneath it. Even the red glow of the mes grew dimmer and more sporadic, like faint stars twinkling stubbornly in the night sky with barely noticeable light. After watching for a while, Jiang Feng became somewhat dazed, and he started to doubt whether the firewood in the stove hadpletely burned out.
    Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but look up at Master Peng, who had finished dealing with the oranges and was watching Cao Guixiang remove crab meat, talking to her about something, clearly not concerned with what was going on in the stove. Could it be that Master Peng also followed the Let-it-be Cooking Method? Jiang Feng was puzzled, wondering how such a high-level technique of steaming crab-filled oranges could seem less important to Master Peng¡¯s teaching of his apprentice. Was he overthinking it? Could it be that Master Peng didn¡¯t n to steam the crab-filled oranges at all and that leaving a piece of wood in the stove at the end was just a practice of Yonghe House to show off their wealth by demonstrating they didn¡¯t care about the cost of firewood? Jiang Feng watched Master Peng, whose attention was entirely on Cao Guixiang, pointing to a part of the crab and telling her how to quickly remove the meat from there. Not even a nce was given to the stove area. Dozens of secondster, Master Peng looked at the crab meat Cao Guixiang had prepared, nodded, and said to her, ¡°There are two more oranges in the bag, you can practice with the remaining crab meatter.¡± After that, Master Peng walked to the side of the stove, circled behind the stove area, and stood behind Jiang Feng. This was a movement so ordinary that Jiang Feng suddenly became tense, staring into Master Peng¡¯s eyes. Master Peng nced into the stove. It might have been for two seconds, or possibly three, like a casual nce, and he quickly shifted his gaze away, turning to Cao Guixiang and saying, ¡°Guixiang, bring the crab-filled orange over and put it in the steamer.¡± With just one look, he determined that the temperature was right. Jiang Feng stood rooted to the spot.
    This was the first time he had witnessed what a master¡¯s level really meant. He had seen many memories, but none had been as shocking as Master Peng¡¯s with just one look, whether it was Cao Guixiang, Sun Zheran, Jiang Chengde, or Jiang Hengzhong. What Jiang Feng felt needed careful pondering, gradual research, and serious consideration, Master Peng could discern with just one nce. To Jiang Feng, mastering the timing of when the orange stuffed with crab was fully stewed was a major affair that required squatting by the stove and closely monitoring the process, much like cooking porridge, unmoving and undistracted. But for Master Peng, judging the perfect moment when the orange stuffed with crab was done was merely a simple, everyday urrence, not even requiring a fuss, just a casual nce at the stove as if he were simply walking by. In a match between experts, one move can settle the victory. Suddenly, Jiang Feng realized that on the mountain range of culinary arts, he might have only just climbed a small hill, with countless higher peaks still ahead. After Master Peng instructed Cao Guixiang to steam the orange stuffed with crab, he went on to deal with a sunflower duck, leaving Jiang Feng somewhat reluctantly squatting by the stove, trying to discern the secrets of the craft. But other than straining his eyes slightly, he gleaned nothing. Master Peng, who had been cooking with a y stove his whole life, knew exactly when to burn what kind of wood, how much wood to use, how intense the fire should be, and when to draw the wood out. This understanding, this measuring stick in Master Peng¡¯s mind, was beyond the grasp of young ones like Jiang Feng who were ustomed to gas stoves. Seeing nothing enlightening in the stove, Jiang Feng turned his attention to the outside, wondering if the other stoves might also hide great secrets. Indeed, he noticed something fascinating. The woodpile at Yonghe House was arranged with great care.
    Different woods, varying in length and thickness, whether whole or split, whether previously used or not, were all meticulously separated. Jiang Feng also noticed that Yonghe House actually employed two apprentices exclusively for managing the firewood, and they were very professional. From the outside, Yonghe House seemed like just another overcrowded state-owned restaurant, but in reality, each person had their specific job, and the division ofbor was finely detailed, with everyone fulfilling their role proficiently. Crouching tigers, hidden dragons. By the time Jiang Feng came back to his senses, Master Peng¡¯s orange stuffed with crab was already out of the steamer, with Cao Guixiang carefully transferring them onto a tray. Jiang Feng hurried over to take a look. Without lifting the cover, Jiang Feng could tell just by the smell that the three oranges stuffed with crab in front of him were definitely of A-grade quality. Fragrant. Not just ordinarily fragrant, but a rich blend of fruit aroma with the scent of Xiangxue Wine, already exceedingly strong without even lifting the lid. The unique stewing process allowed the wine to evaporate fully, infusing every corner of the orange including the peel, marrying the fruit¡¯s fragrance in a strikingly delightful way. It was not mere novelty, but rather allure. Such an orange stuffed with crab was indeed worthy of being called a delicacy. After Cao Guixiang left with the dish, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t follow her this time but stayed in the kitchen. During his first encounter with this memory, he hadn¡¯t realized that the back kitchen of Yonghe House was a treasure trove. Not only was there a sessor to the Tan Family Cuisine like Master Peng, but all the other chefs, and even the seemingly ordinary assistants, were all extraordinarilypetent entities. Once Cao Guixiang was gone, the initially quiet kitchen suddenly came alive.
    ¡°Old Peng, isn¡¯t it a bit improper to have Guixiang bring the dish over? Master Jin¡¯s apprentice is famously handsome. Be careful, or Guixiang might be charmed and have her soul hooked,¡± teased Master Wang with augh. ¡°Nonsense, there are young ones here. Don¡¯t talk recklessly, or it might spread and tarnish Guixiang¡¯s reputation,¡± Master Peng responded indifferently. Master Wang simply smiled without a word. Qin Guisheng, hearing Master Wang¡¯s jest, was somewhat puzzled and sought rification, ending up leaning closer to Peng Changping. ¡°Eldest senior brother, what did Master Wang mean by that?¡± asked Qin Guisheng curiously. ¡°Take it at face value,¡± responded Peng Changping while calmly wiping his cleaver. Now with no tasks at hand, all he could do was clean his knife. ¡°You don¡¯t think our junior sister really fell for that apprentice of Master Jin, do you? Have you ever seen Master Jin¡¯s apprentice? Is he really as handsome as they say? I don¡¯t believe there is anyone in the world that handsome, someone who could make young girls want to climb through windows. No girls have ever climbed through my windows,¡± Qin Guisheng seemed to be asking Peng Changping, but was really just talking to himself. ¡°What if Master Jin¡¯s apprentice really is that handsome? What are we going to do? Our junior sister is rather superficial and likes to hang around good-looking people like me. Oh no, what if she really falls for him? He¡¯s just an apprentice without an official position or even a sry. How could someone like that¡­¡± Qin Guisheng turned into a chatterbox, casting predictions. Peng Changping continued to wipe his knife indifferently, not even bothering to engage with him. Jiang Feng roamed around the back kitchen of Yonghe House once more, focusing his study on the kitchen¡¯s firewood and stoves, and the time quickly passed. Even Jiang Feng himself hadn¡¯t realized that while he was intently observing the stove and enjoying himself, he was kicked out of the memory, returning to the back kitchen of Taifeng Building. The first thing Jiang Feng did after leaving the memory was to light a fire to boil a pot of water. He wanted to know how much residual heat remained in the water after it was boiled and the fire was turned off. y stoves were different from gas stoves, and Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t just build a y stove in the Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen exclusively for making orange stuffed with crab. y stoves have their ways, and gas stoves have their methods. Jiang Feng already had the key to open the door; now all he needed was the strength to push it. Since he was on the right path, reaching the destination was only a matter of time. Jiang Feng watched the water in the pot; the surface was calm, far from boiling. He too, had a long way to go. Chapter 412: 410 Payment Chapter 412: Chapter 410 Payment When Wu Minqi arrived at the Taifeng Building kitchen carrying crabs and oranges, she saw Jiang Feng staring at a pot, which contained a tomato. It was a half-cooked tomato. Two other stoves beside Jiang Feng also had pots on them, in which the water bubbled asionally, signaling they were close to boiling. ¡°Fengfeng, what are you cooking a tomato for?¡± Wu Minqi asked curiously as she put the crabs and oranges down on the cooking table. ¡°I¡¯m testing how much energy water still has after it has boiled,¡± Jiang Feng replied. As a chef, he knew ingredients best and naturally wanted to experiment with them. Drawn by curiosity, Wu Minqi leaned in closer, finding Jiang Feng¡¯s experiment quite interesting, ¡°Why are you doing this experiment? Is it for your graduation thesis?¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Jiang Feng quickly denied,ughing to himself, imagining that his graduation thesis could be about such an experiment. His thesis was actually on¡­ Hey, what was his thesis topic again? Had he even started it yet?
    It seemed he needed to discuss his thesis with Professor Li soon. ¡°I thought of a new method for steaming crabs and stuffing oranges,¡± Jiang Feng began his spiel of nonsense. ¡°A new method?¡± Wu Minqi trusted her boyfriend Jiang Feng very much and rarely doubted what he said. When she heard that he¡¯d discovered a new method, her first reaction wasn¡¯t to question how Jiang Feng always managed to find breakthroughs in the dishes he researched within just a few days, but rather she asked excitedly, ¡°What new method? Are there other ways to steam?¡± ¡°Stewing,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Stewing?¡± Wu Minqi was a bit slow to react, as she didn¡¯t have a grandmother who was adept at stewing meals on a traditional stove, so a single word didn¡¯t immediately conjure up the method for her. ¡°Do you remember I kept saying there was an issue with fire control? This morning, after I cooked for Grandpa and Granduncle Weiming, they also felt there was a problem with the fire control. The vors of the orange flesh and crab meat weren¡¯t harmonizing well. Then, Granduncle Weiming suggested that I steam it slowly over low heat, and I wondered if there was a gentler way than steaming over low heat. That¡¯s when I thought of stewing, Qiqi, I don¡¯t know if you remember the traditional stoves for burning wood in the countryside. When we cooked in the countryside, stewing rice was always thest step; we¡¯d let the fire go out and use the remaining heat to finish cooking the rice. Usually, my grandma would handle this step.¡± Jiang Feng was bing increasingly adept at lying, inventing all sorts of fabrications on the spot, with nine truths padding a single lie, as long as the key sentence was false, he could craft a perfect lie. Indeed, Wu Minqi waspletely taken in by Jiang Feng¡¯s exnation, listening intently and nodding, ¡°I know that kind of traditional stove; I¡¯ve even used it to cook before. It retains heat very well and could definitely be used for stewing rice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a pity we don¡¯t have a traditional stove here,¡± Jiang Feng sighed, ¡°Our stoves lose heat too quickly; they cool down within a few minutes after turning off the fire.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re testing the heat of boiling water here,¡± Wu Minqi realized, but was still a bit puzzled, ¡°But steamed crab stuffed orange is usually steamed, Fengfeng, why are you boiling a tomato?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Yeah, what was he doing? Shouldn¡¯t he be steaming something like sweet potatoes or corn? ¡°` Perhaps it was because¡­ Jiang Feng cast his gaze toward the pile of tomatoes nearby. He hadn¡¯t had tomato and egg soup for so long that the sight of tomatoes made him irresistibly crave for a bowl of the soup. ¡°But Fengfeng, you¡¯re still amazing. Just Granduncle Weiming suggesting you try low heat and you could think of braising as a method. If it were me, I would have never thought to braise crabs in oranges,¡± Wu Minqi praised with a smile, ¡°My Fengfeng is the best.¡± When it was just the two of them, Wu Minqi¡¯s words were always a little exaggerated. After all, she was a woman who had watched many idol dramas.
    Although Jiang Feng felt rather proud himself, he had to maintain an appearance of modesty. After all, what he had just said was a lie; there¡¯s no way he could have thought of braising on his own. That method was Master Peng¡¯s idea, but Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t praise Master Peng, so he had to credit Mrs. Jiang. ¡°It¡¯s mainly thanks to my grandma¡¯s merit. If it weren¡¯t for my grandma making braised rice for so many years to save on firewood, I wouldn¡¯t have thought to use braising so readily,¡± Jiang Feng said modestly. Jiang Weiguo, who had been back early and eavesdropping just outside the door because the fruit seller¡¯s ce was nearby, thought:¡­ So, the advice and guidance my third brother and I offered you this morning are not as valuable as the braised rice your grandma made to save on firewood?
    Unfilial grandson! Jiang Weiguo, filled with indignation, turned around. Carrying the bag of oranges, he circled twice in the lobby of Taifeng Building under the puzzled gazes of the staff and then, expressionless, he made his way back to the kitchen. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had already taken out the steamer, with Jiang Feng cutting corn and Wu Minqi washing sweet potatoes. ¡°Ahem, ahem.¡± Jiang Weiguo coughed twice. The cough immediately drew the attention of Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. Jiang Feng turned his head and saw Sir holding a bag of oranges and quickly went forward to take them from him. ¡°Grandpa, why did you suddenly go out to buy oranges? We still have so many oranges at home that we haven¡¯t finished. If you want to eat them, I can bring some over for you tonight; you don¡¯t need to buy any,¡± said the dutiful grandson Jiang Feng. ¡°I bought oranges all for the sake of you, such a clueless thing,¡± Jiang Weiguo handed the oranges to Jiang Feng, he was quite tired from carrying the bag around, ¡°Did you even see what kind of oranges you picked? Do you think picking oranges is like a beauty contest, that the good-looking ones are also good-tasting? Whether they¡¯re sweet or sour, can the vor of the crab-stuffed oranges you make be normal with those oranges? Don¡¯t use your oranges for cooking, keep them for yourself to eat. If you¡¯re cooking, use these oranges I bought for you.¡± Jiang Feng was stunned; he hadn¡¯t expected that his grandpa had gone out specifically to buy oranges for him. ¡°Then Granduncle Weiming¡­¡± ¡°Your Granduncle Weiming went to buy crabs for you,¡± Jiang Weiguo said irritably, ¡°Are the crabs you used for today¡¯s crab-stuffed oranges even hairy crabs? Do you think picking crabs is about choosing the fattest, that the fattest are the tastiest?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Isn¡¯t that how it works? ¡°When your dades, I¡¯m going to give him a good scolding. How did he teach you? Can¡¯t even pick crabs and oranges properly. Do you think these two ingredients aren¡¯t needed in the kitchen, so there¡¯s no need to learn? All these years, the braised rice your grandma made for you might as well have been fed to a pig¡¯s stomach.¡± Jiang Feng would never guess the real reason why Sir was scolding him.
    ¡°` After scolding his grandson, Jiang Weiguo felt much better and started to y dumb, ¡°What¡¯s steaming here?¡± Jiang Feng hurriedly repeated to the old man what he had just told Wu Minqi. The elder nodded, ¡°y stove works; gas stoves don¡¯t seal the vors well.¡± ¡°I know, so I was thinking to first braise, then simmer on low heat, and braise again. As long as the temperature inside the pot is maintained at a level that¡¯s neither too high nor too low, I believe that the crab-stuffed oranges should be fully vored,¡± exined Jiang Feng. What he wanted was for the oranges not to be overcooked. Having heard Jiang Feng say this, Jiang Weiguo actually started to see his grandson in a new light, appreciating his ability to learn by analogy and to adapt to circumstances. He certainly wasn¡¯t going to admit that he had never thought of using braising as a method to cook crab-stuffed oranges. Of course, if his wife suddenly got the idea to braise rice in front of him one day, maybe then it would ur to him. Thinking about this, it seemed that Feng¡¯s praise of his wife wasn¡¯t really misced. In the entire Jiang Family, only she would braise rice to save on firewood, and if it weren¡¯t for her insistence on braising rice over the years, nobody would have thought of this cooking method. The old man¡¯s mood suddenly improved a lot, his spirits quite uplifted. Feeling better, his demeanor also softened, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile as he looked at the steamer on the stove, saying, ¡°Well, you keep figuring it out. I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Jiang Feng was pleasantly surprised. The elder was about to leave when Wu Minqi suddenly spoke up.
    ¡°Grandpa Jiang, did you just say that Granduncle Weiming has gone to buy hairy crabs?¡± asked Wu Minqi. The elder nodded. ¡°Did he carry that much cash with him? Won¡¯t it be inconvenient to carry so much cash?¡± she continued. Proudly, the old man said, ¡°No need to carry cash, we can also do that ¡®what¡¯s-its-name¡¯ mobile payment like you young people.¡± Jiang Feng was taken aback; he hadn¡¯t expected both elders to be so trendy. He was just about to chime in with some ttering words when he heard Wu Minqi¡¯s next question. ¡°Is your WeChat and Alipay linked to a bank card?¡± The old man was stunned. ¡°What bank card?¡± Linked to a bank card? Isn¡¯t mobile payment just about scanning or beeping? Then isn¡¯t that just like swiping a card? What¡¯s the point of mobile payment? The old man was profoundly shocked. ¡°How did you pay, Grandpa?¡± Jiang Feng also realized that something seemed off. Confused, the elder pulled out his phone and pointed to WeChat, ¡°I hand my phone to the cashier, she opens this app, and then the payment is made.¡±
    ¡°No need to link a bank card,¡± the elder emphasized. Jiang Feng seemed to understand. Even though the elder had not linked a bank card, his bnce was sizeable. When WeChat first introduced red packets, the Jiang family members, eager to show they were filial sons and grandsons, would often send red packets in the group chat, afterward saying it was for Grandpa or Grandma, letting the elders tap to collect them gradually. Over time, since the elder couple never used mobile payment, their WeChat bnce was more than enough for oranges. For example, even if it were durians, they¡¯d still have surplus funds. But this didn¡¯t mean that Jiang Weiming would have enough bnce in his WeChat and Alipay to buy hairy crabs. Gauging the current prices of hairy crabs and Granduncle Weiming¡¯s speed at snatching red packets, Jiang Feng analyzed coolly and concluded that Granduncle Weiming might just be able to afford eight crab legs. Jiang Feng sighed; he knew it was time for his wallet to take a big hit. Granduncle Weiming buying crabs was all for him; it was indeed fitting that he should pay for them. And Mrs. Wang Xiulian certainly wouldn¡¯t reimburse him for this expense. For some reason, Mrs. Wang Xiulian wasn¡¯t content just raiding her husband¡¯s private stash; she also didn¡¯t spare her son¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Grandpa, I¡¯ll transfer some money to Granduncle, and then he can buy them,¡± said Jiang Feng, taking out his phone and punching in three extra zeros during the transfer. Meanwhile, Jiang Weiming, oblivious to all this, picked out arge bag of hairy crabs, judged by a weight he could manage, and handed his phone to the vendor to do the tapping for payment. After settling the bill, Jiang Weiming made his way back home with the hairy crabs, marveling at how times have indeed changed, for now, even cash isn¡¯t necessary for making payments. Huh, why does he have so much money in his phone? Yeah, where did that money in the phonee from? After Jiang Weiming left, the seafood vendor was still talking to a person nearby, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the wealthiest people in Beiping City are these old men and women. Just look at that old man earlier. He didn¡¯t even blink at over four thousand yuan, as if he was just buying a bottle of water.¡± The person nodded repeatedly. ¡°Mainly because your hairy crabs are expensive.¡± ¡°Hey, listen to you! How are my hairy crabs expensive? The quality of my hairy crabs is good! Look at that old gentleman just now, he didn¡¯t choose any other ce, he specifically came to my stall, not looking for the cheapest but for the best. You understand, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 413: 411 Betrayal of the Revolution Chapter 413: Chapter 411 Betrayal of the Revolution When Jiang Weiming arrived back at Taifeng Building with a big bag of hairy crabs, most of the kitchen staff had already gathered. Everyone saw Jiang Feng treating the cooking process like a scientific experiment, focusing on three steamers at once, each containing corn, corn, and sweet potatoes. Jiang Feng would intermittently start and stop the fire, open and close the lids, and each time he opened a lid, he would poke at the surface of the sweet potatoes and corn with chopsticks to assess their cook. Beside the stove was a small notebook and a pen, into which Jiang Feng would jot down some mysterious numbers after each poke of the corn or sweet potatoes. Jiang Jiankang and Sang Ming both stood next to Jiang Feng, their eyes wide with curiosity as their faces brimmed with it. Even Zhang Weiyu, who was chopping vegetables at a distance, paused his work asionally to crane his neck for a glimpse at Jiang Feng, with everyone wearing a look on their faces that said they wanted to ask but didn¡¯t dare to. Primarily because Jiang Feng¡¯s expression was so serious, unprecedentedly so, like a scientist devoted to research, as depicted on television dramas. Everyone wanted to know what exactly Jiang Feng was up to, yet they feared disrupting his sacred experiment and bing sinners on his path of exploration, so they could only watch eagerly from the sidelines, hoping to discern something. Jiang Weiming put down the bag of hairy crabs and joined the crowd observing Jiang Feng. By the time Jiang Feng realized it, he had be the center of attention in the entire kitchen. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Sang Ming always liked to join a crowd, and it wasn¡¯t surprising to see Granduncle Weiming, a major onlooker, join the spectators as soon as he returned. But Dad and Zhang, what¡¯s going on with you two? Especially you, Zhang Guanghang, don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re standing further away that I can¡¯t notice you¡¯re actually joining Sang Ming and the others in watching themotion. Your height of 1.92 meters and your mixed French-Chinese features can¡¯t be hidden!
    ¡°Dad, if you want to ask something, just ask,¡± Jiang Feng said expressionlessly. Jiang Jiankang immediately perked up, appearing eager to try. Sang Ming, who had been watching with him the whole time, seemed a bit dejected; he felt that he had been more obvious and wondered why Jiang Feng didn¡¯t ask him instead. Zhang Guanghang, who had been pretending to look for dishes on the shelves from afar, silently took a couple of steps forward with his te. ¡°Son, you¡¯re poking the sweet potatoes and then the corn and taking notes¡ªare you doing some experiment?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked curiously, ¡°Are you conducting research for your thesis? I heard you all have to do experiments for your graduation papers. Will Taifeng Building¡¯s name appear on yours when you graduate?¡± Mr. Jiang Jiankang looked as if he was saying, ¡°See, I¡¯m your father, I remember you have to write your graduation thesis this year.¡± Jiang Feng truly admired Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s wonderful imagination and meticulous logical reasoning, however misced those were, as Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s theory was wrong from the start. Anyway, braising wasn¡¯t any secret technique, and Jiang Feng saw no need to hide or conceal it from everyone. He would likely be spending his mornings and afternoons at Taifeng Building studying how to braise, and it was impossible to keep it secret, so he simply repeated what he had told Wu Minqi and Sir that morning. After hearing Jiang Feng¡¯s exnation, Sang Ming was quite clueless; after all, he was just a Kitchen Apprentice Cook who wasn¡¯t even allowed to touch a knife. Zhang Weiyu, too, found it tasteless and lost all interest, being just a Furnace Chef who couldn¡¯t even touch the pots. Jiang Jiankang didn¡¯t react much; he had eaten braised rice made by Mrs. Jiang more often than Jiang Feng had eaten crabs, so he was not unfamiliar with the braising method. Therefore, there was no surprise when Jiang Feng exined it¡ªJiang Jiankang not only didn¡¯t know how crab-stuffed oranges were made but had also eaten only one bite. Three people, however, had stronger reactions. Leading was Jiang Weiming, who felt very gratified, even delighted, looking at Jiang Feng with eyes so tender it was as if they might brim withughter; he kept nodding his head constantly while Jiang Feng spoke, clearly agreeing with his perspective. Zhang Guanghang wasn¡¯t much interested in crab-stuffed oranges, but he was very intrigued by the braising cooking method. He carelessly set his te down somewhere and headed towards Jiang Feng. He prodded a freshly steamed sweet potato and fired off a barrage of questions like a machine gun. ¡°How long did it take you to braise this sweet potato?¡± ¡°How long was it from the first time you lit the fire to the second time?¡± ¡°Do you wait for the water to boil every time you light the fire, or do you go by feel?¡± ¡°Actually, I think if you keep it at a low temperature for a long time¡­¡± Zhang Guanghang¡¯s barrage of questions had Jiang Feng utterly baffled. This was also his first foray; the first time he tried braising with a gas stove. When he was a child, Sir didn¡¯t allow Jiang Feng to touch the pots. Wanting to both touch the pots and finding Mrs. Jiang¡¯s rice braising amusing, Jiang Feng would often beg Mrs. Jiang to let him stay in the kitchen to watch the rice, to get a feel for handling the pots. Once, Mrs. Jiang got so fed up with Jiang Feng¡¯s nagging that she actually let him stay in the kitchen. Feeling that he was already touching the pots, Jiang Feng decided to go all the way and added some firewood. As you might expect, the pot of rice burnedpletely. That thoroughly scorched pot of rice became Jiang Feng¡¯s dinner for the day, and even now, he remembered the angry words Mrs. Jiang had uttered, ¡°The little rascal needs to learn his lesson, one stick wasn¡¯t enough, so he added two!¡±
    Indeed, Mrs. Jiang¡¯s heartache from beginning to end was not for the rice, but for her firewood. While Jiang Feng was in a daze, Zhang Guanghang had already finished asking his questions. Zhang Guanghang looked at Jiang Feng, who felt like an impostor, a failing student pretending to be a top schr, unable to meet Zhang Guanghang¡¯s eyes and shifting his gaze away, pretending to twist his neck a bit. As soon as he turned his head, Jiang Feng noticed something off about Zhou Shi, who was standing in the corner.
    Zhou Shi was a Furnace Chef with a very low presence. Despite being a top-tier Furnace Chef in the food chain of Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen, Zhou Shi had even less presence than Sang Ming, the Kitchen Apprentice Cook. Moreover, Zhou Shi often received criticism, and the customers¡¯ reviews of him were never very high. Although there weren¡¯t many negativements, positive ones were also scarce. In the over two months since Taifeng Building opened, the price of dishes cooked by Zhou Shi continuously dropped; it had never gone up. Add to that the fact Zhou Shi didn¡¯t talk much and wasn¡¯t very sociable, so people often overlooked him. Zhou Shi stood beside the shelf. That shelf was in a corner and quite unassuming, typically holding ingredients that could be stored for a long period but were not yet used up, like sweet potatoes. With Zhou Shi¡¯s presencebined with the location of that shelf, 9.9 out of 10 people in Taifeng Building would ignore him if he stood there. It was normal for Zhou Shi to stand there on any given day, but today, Jiang Feng felt something was very wrong. The shelf was empty; perhaps the two sirs had decided to clear all the ingredients off of it the day before. When Jiang Feng went to look for sweet potatoes earlier, he couldn¡¯t find any there, so he had to search all the shelves in the kitchen and even ran to the storeroom to find two sweet potatoes. Clearly, Zhou Shi stood by an empty shelf, pretending to look for something. Was he cking off? Jiang Feng, an expert in cking off, asserted that if one were to ck off, it shouldn¡¯t be by that shelf, because it wasn¡¯t a blind spot. The other shelf near the freezer, that was a blind spot. Seeing that Jiang Feng was watching him, Zhou Shi appeared nervous, which to Jiang Feng, naturally seemed like the nervousness of someone with a guilty conscience. Zhou Shi looked at Jiang Feng, walked a few steps ahead, and asked loudly, ¡°That¡­ Little Boss, the temperature control for the braised crab stuffed oranges must be quite difficult, right?¡± Jiang Feng was startled; he hadn¡¯t expected Zhou Shi to actually start discussing the matter with him in earnest. ¡°So I¡¯m still figuring it out, but I think this method is feasible. You always have to keep trying with dishes; how would you know if it¡¯s possible without trying?¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s reply was somewhat vague.
    ¡°Are you interested in the crab-stuffed oranges?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°A little,¡± Zhou Shi said with an embarrassed smile, ¡°I heard you guys talking about it yesterday, and because I¡¯d never heard of it, I got curious and looked it up online. I found out it¡¯s a dish that was lost and thenter restored. I¡¯ve always been quite interested in this kind of dish.¡± It served as an exnation for Jiang Feng. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, you should give it a try,¡± Jiang Feng said politely. But he still felt that Zhou Shi was not quite normal; he didn¡¯t remember discussing anything about the crab-stuffed oranges with Minqi in the kitchen yesterday. This was the kind of topic he would normally save for a leisurely chat with Minqi while walking home. Even if they had talked about it, it would have likely been just an offhand remark. So how could Zhou Shi remember it so clearly? And to actually go back and look it up. Unless he had a crush on Minqi. Or a crush on him. Or he was up to something. Jiang Feng used his years of experience watching idol dramas and ying Werewolf to deduce that the truth was probably the third option. In early years when Jiang Feng was still a child and often watched idol dramas on TV withrade Wang Xiulian in the evenings, the idol dramas were not like the pure love stories they are now. Back then, idol dramas often mixed love with business wars, ethics, morals, internal strife, domestic politics, betrayal, and other unspeakable elements, some of which could even be censored. Like, for instance, ¡°If Heaven Has Affection¡±.
    At this moment, Jiang Feng felt like the script in his hands had turned into a business warfare drama. He knew this day was bound toe eventually; after all, he was the hidden boss behind Taifeng Building. How could he fulfill his role as boss without asionally pulling out a script for a corporate drama? To verify his guess, Jiang Feng chose to escape to the restroom. Upon reaching the familiar second-floor men¡¯s room, Jiang Feng silently opened the employee management system. Because he never managed employees on a daily basis, and employee turnover generally urred only in the lobby, Jiang Feng hardly ever essed this interface. He remembered Zhou Shi¡¯s loyalty score seemed to always hover just above 50 but below 60. It wasn¡¯t high, not even passing, but it wasn¡¯t very low, either. After all, everyone was just involved in a normal and dirty financial transaction devoid of personal feelings: You pay money, I do the job. Zhou Shi was not a key figure, so such a high degree of loyalty wasn¡¯t necessary. Moreover, Zhou Shi¡¯s abilities were actually quite good, with advanced skill in knifework and fire control, and even master-level seasoning. But since his heart wasn¡¯t really in his job and nobody knew what he was thinking all day, his performance had always been poor, and he would asionally make minor mistakes while cooking. It took Jiang Feng a while to find Zhou Shi in the list. Name: Zhou Shi Age: 29 Position: Furnace Chef Loyalty: 19 Skills: Knifework (Advanced), Fire Control (Advanced), Seasoning (Master level)
    Employee Rating: B This guy definitely has a problem! At this point, Jiang Feng even wanted to m the desk and loudly praise himself for truly being an excellent behind-the-scenes boss. To be able to discover an employee¡¯s betrayal right away. Brilliant! But why exactly had Zhou Shi betrayed them out of the blue? Wasn¡¯t it better to maintain a dirty but simple financial transaction? Jiang Feng fell into deep thought. He believed there was one person with significant suspicion. Ling Guangzhao. Anyway, no matter who betrayed them, ming Ling Guangzhao was the right move. The guy had a notorious history, and when he got ruthless, he would even poach the opponent¡¯s boss. It wasn¡¯t beyond the realm of possibility for Ling Guangzhao to rashly decide to poach Zhou Shi and have him act as an undercover spy in Taifeng Building. Although everyone in the Beiping catering circle, and even the Taifeng Building staff, believed that Sir Jiang was the real boss of Taifeng, it didn¡¯t stop Jiang Feng from dissing Ling Guangzhao. Just poaching for the sake of poaching, without any persistence. He dropped it as soon as he mentioned itst time, utterly insincere. Definitely him! Chapter 414: 412 Mid-Autumn Chapter 414: Chapter 412 Mid-Autumn Although he knew Zhou Shi was problematic, Jiang Feng had no intention of taking any measures. After all, if anyone was to beid off in the kitchen, it would be Zhou Shi, and Jiang Feng was not afraid of him stealing recipes. The kitchen of Taifeng Building was a ce where secrets were not kept; if someone really wanted to learn, even the dishwashers could pick up quite a bit. There were only three signature dishes at Taifeng Building that were impossible to replicate: Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam, Ji Xue¡¯s y Jar Drunken Chicken, and Jiang Weiming¡¯s Roasted Pig. Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam was a bug¡ªeveryone knew how he made it, but no one could achieve the same effect. Ji Xue¡¯s y Jar Drunken Chicken was a lost recipe unique to this sole location and impossible to find elsewhere in the country. Moreover, this dish could not be learned simply by watching or stealing techniques; one had to be taught by the master chef himself. As for Jiang Weiming¡¯s Roasted Pig, there was no need to mention how iparable it was; even if another restaurant¡¯s head chef personally came to learn from Jiang Feng, he might still worry, but not about Zhou Shi. His skills were indeed decent, his seasoning was at a master level, butpared to Jiang Weiming¡¯s three grandmaster level skills, it still wasn¡¯t enough. Jiang Feng was neither afraid of thieves nor of them coveting his secrets, so he just waited for Zhou Shi to resign or switch jobs. Having realized all this, Jiang Feng quietly closed the staff system and went back to work in the kitchen. Knowing there was something off with Zhou Shi, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but watch him whenever he was in the kitchen, feeling it was a waste not to use the business war script he had acquired. Although the business war script seemed to be of no use, and he couldn¡¯t discern anything else from it. Because he wanted to prove himself a filial grandson in front of Mrs. Jiangst night, very afternoon Jiang Feng not only had to make Crab-Stuffed Oranges at the Li Mansion for Mrs. Jiang but also had to prepare impressively-presentable Rose and Cranberries.
    One advantage of making the Crab-Stuffed Oranges at the Li Mansion was the avability of two kitchens. One was a newly renovated modern kitchen, and the other was a wood-burning stove kitchen that had barely been changed since the rebuild. As a beginner at cooking with y pots, starting with a challenging gas stove was difficult, so practicing on a wood-burning stove was a good approach. Since he was going to the Li Mansion, Jiang Feng decided to treat everyone equally and make Crab-Stuffed Oranges for Professor Li and Chen Suhua as well, and in the process, cook for Da Hua to rack up experience. Of course, Mrs. Jiang remained the most special one, as she was the only one with a dedicated mahjong drink. Thus, Jiang Feng spent his afternoon at the Li Mansion making Crab-Stuffed Oranges on a wood-burning stove, and in the evening, he practiced stewing dishes on a gas stove, and in the blink of an eye, it was almost Mid-Autumn Festival. In the time leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, Eight-treasure House, with its Su style mooncakes, undoubtedly became the most dazzling star in the entire Beiping City food industry. Without personal grudges, just by logging into Ele.me every day to check the takeout sales of the Eight-treasure House¡¯s Su style mooncakes was enough to make Jiang Feng green with envy. Achieving a turnover that put upscale restaurants to shame, Eight-treasure House truly stood out. They were unrivaled. Jiang Feng just didn¡¯t know how much Ling Guangzhao paid the White Chef who made the Su style mooncakes each month, allowing him to work so diligently and maintain high quality in such a short time. The Mid-Autumn Festival was a significant celebration, especially for the Jiang Family, as the patriarch would usually cook a table full of delicious dishes on this family-reunion day. Furthermore, Mid-Autumn Festival being a public holiday, Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, the two high school students, also had a three-day break. Auntie nned an early flight to bring both sisters back, not only in time for lunch but also for dinner. Unfortunately, this year the Jiang Family Members only had one meal together for Mid-Autumn Festival. In previous years, when Jiang Jiankang used to run a health food outlet in Z city, because it was a private establishment, they closed whenever they decided. On any festival such as Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn, Dragon Boat Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, Double Ninth Festival, May Day, or National Day, they would shut down regardless if it was an official public holiday if Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian wished to. But things were different now. The daily turnover of Taifeng Building was equivalent to half a month¡¯s at the health food ce, and with greater ie came higher expenses. Holidays were the busiest times for the food industry, not only making it impossible to close but also requiring overtime to make more money, especially since they still owed Professor Li three hundred million. Hence, this year¡¯s Mid-Autumn, the patriarch decided that both the Jiang and Li families would celebrate together at the Li Mansion. Ji Xia, being Jiang Feng¡¯s apprentice, and Wu Minqi, his girlfriend, were both considered half members of the Jiang Family. Furthermore, both were well-acquainted with Chen Suhua and Professor Li, so celebrating Mid-Autumn together was no issue. Zhang Guanghang and Ji Yue were going to visit Xia Mushi¡¯s grave, while Ji Xue had no special ns and decided to do what she did every year, maybe just eat a couple more mooncakes. ¡­ Jiang Feng was discussing his graduation thesis with Professor Li at the Li Mansion. Jiang Feng had almost forgotten about having to write his thesis, but Professor Li had always remembered for him. Not only did he remember, but he also had chosen a topic for Jiang Feng and even prepared the relevant data. If Jiang Feng really didn¡¯t have time to conduct experiments and write the thesis, Professor Li wouldn¡¯t even mind writing it for him. Tomorrow was Mid-Autumn Festival, and to prepare, Mrs. Jiang decided to not y mahjong for a day and rest at home, enjoying some Huangmei Opera to rx, and look forward to making fragrant green onion pancakes for her eagerly awaiting children and grandchildren the next day.
    With no need to deliver a special mahjong afternoon tea to Mrs. Jiang, Jiang Feng decided to be thoroughlyzy, not making afternoon tea or Crab-Stuffed Oranges, nor even Da Hua¡¯s pig feed; instead, he passed it all to his Apprentice Ji Xia to handle, under the guise of practicing knifework. Ji Xia was diligently cutting pig feed for Da Hua in the kitchen, while Jiang Feng was discussing his graduation thesis topic with Professor Li in the study. Once the discussion was over and the topic settled, an entire afternoon had passed. ¡°Professor Li, did my grandfather mention tomorrow¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival arrangements to you?¡± Having discussed serious matters, Jiang Feng decided to bring up something pleasant to lighten the mood.
    For example, talking about tomorrow¡¯s Mid-Autumn Festival menu with Professor Li. ¡°Your grandfather told me, and both Suhua and I don¡¯t have any problems. Having the meal in the afternoon will be likebining lunch and dinner into one. During the festival, the most important thing is for everyone to gather and have a family reunion,¡± Professor Li said with a smile. ¡°I heard from your grandma that you¡¯re nning to show off your skills tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just helping out, making some small dishes. The main courses still rely on Granduncle Weiming and my grandfather,¡± said Jiang Feng modestly. ¡°Tomorrow, my grandma will also make pancakes. By the way, Professor, have you ever had the pancakes my grandma makes?¡± ¡°Oh, your grandma knows how to make pancakes?¡± Professor Li became interested. ¡°That¡¯s right, my grandma¡¯s pancakes are so delicious, extremely fragrant. My grandfather especially loves them. There used to be a time when Grandma would make them every now and then. She makes them less often now, maybe only a few times a year, and usually just during holidays. Last New Year, she didn¡¯t even make pancakes,¡± Jiang Feng said, feeling a bit regretful. ¡°Tomorrow at noon, Granduncle Weiming and my grandfather wille over early, while my dad and I might arrive a littleter. We¡¯ll have to wait until the lunch business is over before we cane.¡± After a moment of thought, Jiang Feng added, ¡°Aunt and my two female cousins will alsoe over. My cousins might be a bit loud and noisy, but please don¡¯t mind them, Professor, and neither should Aunt. They usually only tease us cousins; they generally wouldn¡¯t bother the elders.¡± Perhaps it was the beauty created by distance, but Jiang Feng, who hadn¡¯t seen his cousins Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian for so long, actually found himself missing them. If they hadn¡¯t asked Jiang Feng to tutor them during the New Year, he might have missed them even more. ¡°The noisier, the better, it¡¯s lively that way. Suhua loves lively atmospheres,¡± said Professor Li, his eyes crinkling with amusement. The two chatted a bit more before Jiang Feng nced at his watch. Seeing it was gettingte, he bid Professor Li farewell and went to the kitchen to find Ji Xia and take her back to Taifeng Building together. Jiang Feng told Ji Xia that even if she finished preparing pig feed for Da Hua, she shouldn¡¯t leave first but wait to go back with him. Knowing Ji Xia¡¯s stubborn nature, Jiang Feng guessed she would definitely wait for him in the kitchen. Sure enough, when Jiang Feng arrived at the kitchen, he saw Ji Xia sitting on a small stool, munching on an apple. The apple wasn¡¯t peeled, and Ji Xia had eaten more than half of it already. It looked crispy and probably quite good.
    ¡°Master, do you want an apple?¡± Ji Xia sprang up from the stool as soon as she saw Jiang Feng, not forgetting to take another bite of her apple. ¡°I don¡¯t want an apple. It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s head back,¡± said Jiang Feng, looking around the kitchen without seeing any apples. ¡°Where did you get the apple?¡± Jiang Feng asked casually. ¡°Grandma Chen gave it to me. She just went out to buy some fruit and it seemed she went out to buy more fruit again,¡± Ji Xia answered honestly, looking at Jiang Feng. ¡°Master, will we eat mooncakes for Mid-Autumn tomorrow?¡± ¡°You¡¯re only thinking about mooncakes when there¡¯s a big feast at noon tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng looked at Ji Xia with a sense of disappointment. It was a festival, and with two elders personally cooking, all Ji Xia could think of was mooncakes. ¡°But you¡¯re supposed to eat mooncakes at Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± Ji Xia¡¯s face spelled out her craving for mooncakes, ¡°In the previous years during Mid-Autumn, my deskmate ate mooncakes with lotus seed paste filling. I¡¯ve never tried it. I have only had red bean paste filling ones, which cost 8 yuan per jin, while the lotus seed paste filling ones are 8 yuan each. Master, can I have a mooncake with lotus seed paste filling tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng fell silent. ¡°Why settle for an 8 yuan mooncake? Tomorrow, your master will get you mooncakes that cost 188 yuan for six!¡± ¡°Do they have egg yolks?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°They have meat.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master!¡±
    Chapter 415: 413 Deal Struck Chapter 415: Chapter 413 Deal Struck ¡°` On the 15th of August in the lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is auspicious to get married, make vehicles, install machinery, offer sacrifices, and pray for blessings; it is inauspicious to engage, form alliances, saddle horses, litigate, or dig channels. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a grand day, equivalent to the New Year for the Jiang family¡¯s reunion dinner. Jiang Feng got up early to check the almanac, but before he could figure anything out, he received a call from Mr. Jiang Jiankang to pick up Aunt, Jiang Junqing, and Jiang Junlian from the airport. As for why Jiang Feng was again chosen for airport pick-up, it might be because of his extensive experience with such tasks. Whenever someone needed to be picked up from the airport, Jiang Feng was the first person everyone thought of. Aunt and her party were arriving on a flight at 9:48 AM. Jiang Feng roughly estimated the time it would take for the ne tond, reach the baggage im area, and wait for the luggage to arrive, sessfully timing his arrival at the airport for pick-up. Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian had lost weight. Since school started, Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian had been studying intensely, hanging beams and piercing thighs with awls, staying upte doing problem sets until the dead of night for fear that during the winter break, Sir would once again use the excuse that since their academic results weren¡¯t good and studying was pointless, they might as welle back to the countryside with him to train in cooking. Aunt often posted photos of Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian studying diligently in the family group chat. At such times, everyone would chime in to tter Sir with sugar-coated praises, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Anyway, since Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian¡¯s cellphones had been confiscated, they couldn¡¯t see what was happening in the chat. Looking at the siblings who were once identically corpulent in xxl size, and now identically reduced to xl size, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the scary power of twin sisters.
    It¡¯s not hard to bulk up to the same extent, but slimming down to the same extent is no small feat. Jiang Feng had always hoped that one day the sisters would vary¡ªone getting fatter, the other slimmer¡ªso it would be easier to tell them apart. Seeing Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, wearing xl-sized shirts and trousers, excitedly dragging their suitcases and rushing over while shouting in unison, ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°What are we having for lunch today?¡± Jiang Junqing asked eagerly. ¡°Are we having roast duck for lunch today?¡± Even after getting roast duck, Jiang Junlian still had an inexplicable obsession with it. Jiang Feng: ¡­ That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the familiar cousins with the familiar form; even though they went from xxl to xl, they were still the same cousins as before. Jiang Feng thought for a moment, ¡°Today for lunch we¡¯ll have Roasted Pig, Crab-Stuffed Oranges, Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, Pickled Vegetables Fried Rice, Crispy Double Delight, Supreme Tofu, Dry Braised Beef Strips, Crab Meat Lion¡¯s Head, Nine Turns Intestine, and Garlic Vegetable Hearts.¡± Taking a breath, Jiang Feng was about to continue reciting the menu when Aunt, hauling an extrarge suitcase, came towards them. ¡°It¡¯s really trouble for you, Feng, toe all the way to pick us up. Are we going to the restaurant first or going home?¡± Aunt asked. Jiang Feng looked at their luggage. Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing each carried a small suitcase, while Aunt was dragging an extrarge suitcase, indicating that they definitely needed to go home to drop off their luggage first. ¡°Aunt, let¡¯s go home to drop off the luggage first. We are only eating once today, at the Li Mansion, with Professor Li and the others. It should start around 3 PM, so there¡¯s no rush. You, Junqing, and Junlian can go back first to get settled. We¡¯ll head over around 2 PM,¡± Jiang Feng said. Hearing the words ¡°Li Mansion,¡± Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian¡¯s expressions visibly changed. The most horrifying and miserable summer of their lives was spent at the Li Mansion, slicing pig feed for Da Hua daily in the dark. Slice too little and they¡¯d get scolded; slice poorly and they¡¯d be chided. While Da Hua had food to eat, they had none, not to mention the scoldings they endured from Sir. Truthfully, Sir was rtively lenient with his granddaughters Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian. Compared to the severity of his training with Jiang Feng, he was a kindly grandfather since their ultimate purposes were different. Sir truly wanted Jiang Feng to inherit the Jiang Family Dishes, whereas training his granddaughters was simply because he thought they needed disciplining. But the difference was Jiang Feng had been raised this way since he was a child and had grown used to it. In contrast, the sisters had beenzy from their youth and had never faced the harsh lessons of socialism. An asional punishment made them feel their lives were exceedingly tragic. When learning to cook, the first time you feel miserable, the second time you think it¡¯s not bad, and by the third time, you¡¯ve gotten used to it. ¡°Brother, can¡­ Da Hua still eat?¡± Jiang Junlian asked tentatively. Jiang Feng: ¡­ His cousin had developed a psychological shadow from slicing pig feed for Da Hua all summer. Seeing Jiang Junlian in this state, Jiang Feng knew that the time for vengeance hade.
    ¡°` Jiang Feng smiled faintly, ¡°She¡¯s been eating quite welltely, Da Hua has grown more robust than before, much sturdier than when you were here during the summer break. I remember during the summer, it was Junlian and Junqing, you two, who chopped up the pig feed for Da Hua, right? Da Hua must miss you both. Why don¡¯t you go to the Li Mansion to see her after you¡¯re done unpacking?¡± Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian¡¯s faces turned green. ¡°No need, actually¡­ actually¡­ actually, we have quite a lot of stuff, it might take a long time to get sorted out, don¡¯t you think, Junlian?¡± Jiang Junqing started to make excuses.
    ¡°Right, right, right, it¡¯s going to take us a long time to unpack, my mom brought over so many mooncakes, it will take us forever to sort them out,¡± Jiang Junlian nodded vigorously. Aunt had seen right through Jiang Feng¡¯s teasing of Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, but she just stood by, smiling without a word. Seeing the strong reaction from Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, Jiang Feng thought it would be wise to drop the subject. After all, he probably wouldn¡¯t be a match for two XL-sized cousins put together. ¡°Auntie, did you actually bring mooncakes over especially?¡± Jiang Feng changed the subject. ¡°Yes, this big box I brought is filled with nothing but mooncakes,¡± Aunt said. ¡°Their uncle, isn¡¯t he a businessman? He somehow came by a bunch of mooncakes, all kinds of weird and wonderful varieties: snow skin mooncakes, abalone mooncakes, bird¡¯s nest mooncakes¡­ I really can¡¯t keep up with all these sorts of mooncakes nowadays. Their uncle¡¯s family couldn¡¯t finish them all, so he sent them to my house. Now we are just three people at home, my two nieces and I, and we can¡¯t possibly finish that many mooncakes. So, I picked out the good ones to bring over¡ªperfect for everyone to enjoy more mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival. You all have to help us finish them. There¡¯s still a lot more at home!¡± Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian knew their uncle Jiang Feng, and if they were to describe him in two words, it would be wealthy. As far back as Jiang Feng could remember, he knew that their uncle was very wealthy. Among his uncles, Auntie¡¯s cooking skills were the worst, yet Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian managed to grow into XXL sizes without eating much of Sir¡¯s food¡ªcredit must be given to their uncle. ¡°Auntie, do you have any egg yolk mooncakes in there?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. Aunt was taken aback, then responded, ¡°Oh, of course, there are egg yolk mooncakes. I specially brought several boxes of double-yolk lotus seed mooncakes. Why, Feng, do you want to eat egg yolk mooncakes?¡± ¡°My apprentice wants to eat them. She mentioned to me just yesterday afternoon that she wanted egg yolk mooncakes. I was nning to find time to buy a box for her this morning, but since you¡¯ve brought some, could you please bring a box to her at noon?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°No problem. Since Feng¡¯s apprentice wants them, I¡¯ll bring her several boxes. I haven¡¯t met your apprentice yet; I¡¯ve only seen a photo. I was thinking about what kind of gift to bring her when I wasing over,¡± Aunt said with a smile. ¡°You don¡¯t need to bring her a wee gift. Just bringing her more boxes of mooncakes or meat floss cakes will make her very happy,¡± Jiang Feng said. Although Ji Xue said Ji Xia liked sweets, Jiang Feng always felt that what Ji Xia truly loved was meat.
    Thest time he went out for fried chicken with Wu Minqi and Ji Xia, Ji Xia¡¯s eyes practically glowed as she stared at the fried chicken. She didn¡¯t even react like that when eating sweet and sour yam, and it¡¯s worth noting that Jiang Feng¡¯s sweet and sour yam is a limited daily special, only six servings a day. Jiang Feng and Aunt walked ahead, while behind them, Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian whispered to each other. ¡°Junlian, you don¡¯t think grandpa will make us go chop up pig feed for Da Hua today, do you?¡± Jiang Junqing was quite worried. ¡°Let¡¯s go overter, just in time for mealtime,¡± Jiang Junlian suggested. ¡°What if grandpa asks us to stay and chop after the meal?¡± Jiang Junlian fell silent. Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped into her head. ¡°What if we take all the mooncakes with us? After all, no one¡¯s going to eat mooncakes during the meal today. We can feed all the mooncakes to Da Hua, then she¡¯ll be full!¡± Jiang Junlian said. The two sisters quickly agreed on the n. Deal struck. Chapter 416: 414: Friendship Chapter 416: Chapter 414: Friendship Jiang Feng hurried to Taifeng Building after sending his aunt and two cousins home, and upon his arrival, the ce was already filled with quite a few customers. The moment Jiang Feng stepped into Taifeng Building, he felt like he was being watched. Not just by one person¡ªit seemed like many eyes were fixed on him the instant he walked in. Jiang Feng stood still, not daring to make any rash movements. Ever since he got the script for the business war drama, he had be extremely cautious, always feeling that some crafty individuals were plotting and scheming to usurp his position. Jiang Feng, why are you standing there?¡± Ji Yue approached Jiang Feng with several forms in hand, ¡°Just now, several customers asked me if you were working today; they are all waiting for your wontons and yams.¡± Today she had applied an intricate makeup: eyeliner, double eyelid stickers, nose shadow, contour, highlight, none were left out, she even curled her bangs and straightened the ends with a t iron before leaving the house; she also packed three lipsticks in her lipstick case for emergencies. Since she was going to visit Sir Xia Mushi¡¯s grave in the afternoon, Ji Yue dressed very simply: a white shirt under her work jacket, even her lipstick was a light shade, the YSL105. Of course, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t notice any of the aforementioned details; he only noticed that Ji Yue was wearing makeup today, her lipstick was a bit pale, and her eyeliner wasn¡¯t smudged. ¡°Ah? Oh.¡± Jiang Feng came back to himself, nodded, and walked towards the changing room.
    More than one table of customers picked up the ordering tablets, faces tensed, ready at any moment. ¡°Has it started?¡± Jiang Feng heard the customers at the table in front of him discuss with theirpanions, ¡°Can we order the wontons now?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on it; we must snatch it this time!¡± ¡°No worries, we have three tables; we¡¯re bound to snag some. We¡¯ll each get a few piecester, and with that, we¡¯re set for the selection this time.¡± ¡°Really? Will it work?¡± ¡°Definitely. Cheng said that his ¡®Destruction¡¯ made it to the finals all thanks to the wontons from this restaurant; it¡¯s got to be useful!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ So, you art school students are all here hunting for inspiration during the holiday. ¡°Ji Yue.¡± Jiang Feng suddenly turned his head, nced at the table of customers he was just observing, ¡°Come here for a sec, I need to talk to you about something.¡± Ji Yue, not knowing why, followed Jiang Feng to a corner. ¡°Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, and it¡¯s not great for business seeing customers crying their hearts out in the main hall. How aboutter, you ask those who ordered pure meat wontons to go to private rooms? After they finish eating and crying, they cane back. Are there any private rooms avable?¡± Jiang Feng said. Ji Yue nced over the hall, recognized quite a few faces who had cried, and understood the situation, nodding in agreement. Having changed his clothes, Jiang Feng then went to the kitchen. Although it was only eleven o¡¯clock, the kitchen was already bustling. Tablets hanging on the walls were constantly beeping, reminding the chefs that customers had ced orders. Ji Xia, who didn¡¯t know what she could do to help, stayed next to the tablet, shouting out loud whatever new dishes customers ordered so she could write them on sticky notes and ce them on the wall in front of each chef. Jiang Feng took a look at Ji Xia who was writing, and to himself, he muttered about how terrible the handwriting was. It was even worse than his own. The handwriting was fitting for Ji Xia¡¯s identity as a delinquent girl with no dedication to studying. ¡°Master, you¡¯re here!¡± Ji Xia looked very excited when she saw Jiang Feng, as if she had found her pir of support, ¡°I punched in for you.¡±
    ¡°Set the sweet and sour yams to only 5 servings,¡± Jiang Feng reminded. Ji Xia nodded, opened the attendance interface on the tablet, and checked Jiang Feng in for work. ¡°Beep beep beep beep beep¡­¡± Almost immediately as Ji Xia marked him in for work, 5 servings of sweet and sour yams and 3 servings of pure meat wontons sold out.
    Just as Jiang Feng was about to get to work, he turned around and saw Ji Xia gazing at him eagerly. Ji Xia had nothing to do. Today being Mid-Autumn Festival, the kitchen was overwhelmed with customers, and from the moment they began work, each person was too busy to even spare a moment to speak to Ji Xia, let alone assign her a task. Ji Xia was also aware that she wasn¡¯t skilled enough, and that she¡¯d only get in the way if she tried to help during the rush, so she had been waiting for Jiang Feng to return and give her something to do. Jiang Feng initially thought about having Ji Xia check the kitchen inventory, but then reconsidered that such a task was too dismissive and didn¡¯t fit his image as a good mentor, and he didn¡¯t want to leave Ji Xia in the kitchen to cause chaos either. He found himself in a dilemma. Suddenly, Jiang Feng thought of Da Hua. Da Hua¡¯s pig feed still needed to be sorted for the day. After the lunch service, everyone was going to Li Mansion to have the Mid-Autumn reunion dinner. Although the Li Mansion had two kitchens, there was no spare staff to make Da Hua¡¯s pig feed, and today being Mid-Autumn Festival, Professor Li and his wife were both rtives and elders; it wouldn¡¯t be right to ask them to work on such a day. It would be better to have Ji Xia go to Li Mansion now to prepare Da Hua¡¯s feed in advance. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal, Xiaxia, Master has a serious task for you. Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, a special day, and I want you to go to Li Mansion and make pig feed for Da Hua. Be careful when chopping vegetables, don¡¯t let it turn mushy, stir-fry it well. Da Hua likes stir-fried dishes, so let¡¯s give it a good meal today. After you¡¯re done chopping and cooking, take a photo with Grandma Chen¡¯s phone as usual, and I¡¯ll check itter,¡± Jiang Feng directed. ¡°Alright, Master,¡± Ji Xia epted the task and was about to leave. ¡°I haven¡¯t bought a new bicycle yet, and it¡¯s hot today, so don¡¯t walk over there. Wait here¡ªI¡¯ll get my phone and call a ride for you. If Grandma Chen has prepared fruits, help her wash them too,¡± Jiang Feng said as he headed to the changing room to fetch his phone. ¡°I will, Master.¡± Ji Xia followed Jiang Feng like a little tail. Jiang Feng had arranged for a car to take Ji Xia to work as an apprentice at the Li Mansion, while he threw himself into his work with all his heart. During holidays, the restaurant bustled like a battlefield, with both the hall and kitchen shrouded in smoke and mor. In the hall, Wang Xiulian and Fang Mei led the charge as twomanding officers, overseeing everything. Fortunately, despite the sudden departure of twomanding officers in the kitchen due to personal reasons, the kitchen¡¯s battlefront was always steady, ensuring no issues arose with their absence. The war continued until 1:40 in the afternoon. Even Wu Minqi, who was experienced in helping out at her family¡¯s restaurant, felt extremely tired, drenched in sweat to the point that even her clothes were soaked. As for Mr. Jiang Jiankang, a major sweat producer, he looked as if he had just been fished out of the water.
    The air conditioning was no savior for Jiang Jiankang, who found a chair to sit in front of a powerful floor fan. He turned it to the highest setting and let it blow directly on him, whooshing loudly. ¡°Son, you go ahead to the Li Mansion first. You have a lot of dishes to prepare; if you¡¯rete, you won¡¯t finish on time.¡± Even though he had turned into a sweating mess, Jiang Jiankang was still concerned about the uing feast, reminding Jiang Feng loudly from in front of the fan. Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang were close by, but his voice still felt somewhat ethereal. ncing at the time, Jiang Feng realized it was indeed gettingte. He decided to freshen up in the changing room and change back into his clothes before heading to the Li Mansion. By the time he would get there, it would probably be past 2:00 PM. With dishes like orange stuffed crab, Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and Sweet and Sour Yam to prepare, there was a tight schedule and a heavy workload waiting for him. It was time to head over. With this thought, Jiang Feng stood up. ¡°Fengfeng, I¡¯ll go over with you. You can¡¯t handle the oranges and crabs all by yourself,¡± Wu Minqi also got up to join him. ¡°Minqi, you should go out and sit for a rest. Isn¡¯t Xiaxia at the Li Mansion? She¡¯s quite fast at processing crabs now. Her help should be enough; have a break here and thene over. Can you call Grandpa for me and ask him to steam the crabs first? I forgot to charge my phone, and it¡¯s almost dead,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Mhm,¡± Wu Minqi nodded. Jiang Feng hailed another car for himself. His Xiaomi phone, after two years of service with a battery that was practically nominal, managed to hold on with 7% battery life until he got out and paid, automatically shutting down before he could even give a five-star rating. The very first thing Jiang Feng did upon entering the Li Mansion was to search for a charger to power up his phone. After finding a charger and plugging his phone in, Jiang Feng headed to the kitchen in the back house, assured. Professor Li had just told him that Ji Xia was chopping vegetables in the old-style kitchen in the back house. Jiang Feng was on his way to recruit little Ji Xia to help him pick crab meat. Just as he reached the doorway, before even entering, Jiang Feng heard the chitter-chatter of Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian.
    ¡°Did your brother really do this to you? You¡¯ve been the one chopping pigs¡¯ food for Da Hua all this time? Plus, you have to cook and stir-fry today?¡± Jiang Feng could clearly distinguish that it was Jiang Junlian who was speaking now. ¡°Yes, Master has been busy recently, so I¡¯ve been the oneing over to make pigs¡¯ food for Da Hua,¡± Ji Xia replied. ¡°That¡¯s too much, how could your brother do this to you!¡± Jiang Junqing eximed indignantly. ¡°Are you going to make pigs¡¯ food for Da Hua again tomorrow?¡± ¡°If Master is too busy, then it will be me whoes over,¡± Ji Xia said. ¡°That¡¯s so¡­¡± Jiang Junqing¡¯s poor vocabry was cut short as Jiang Junlian pulled her hand back, and she quickly caught on. If Ji Xia came over to make pigs¡¯ food for Da Hua every day, then they wouldn¡¯t have to do it! The brother is great! ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Jiang Junqing corrected herself quickly. Ji Xia: ??? ¡°That¡¯s how our family teaches us. Originally, your brother, De, Cheng, and Ran all went through this kind of training. Junlian and I also chopped vegetables for Da Hua all summer long. It¡¯s really effective; this training method is very useful, isn¡¯t it, Junlian?¡± Jiang Junqing passed the proverbial microphone to Jiang Junlian. Jiang Junlian grabbed the conversation and began spouting nonsense: ¡°Right, exactly, making pigs¡¯ food for Da Hua is really useful. It¡¯s our family¡¯s secret recipe!¡± Ji Xia, who had never watched a pce drama, was immediately taken in by their words and genuinely surprised, ¡°Really? Master is so good to me.¡± Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing,pletely devoid of guilt for duping an honest child, nodded firmly and sincerely while speaking insincerely, ¡°Yes, your brother is really too good to you. He¡¯s never that good to us.¡±
    ¡°By the way, do you want to eat some mooncakes? This morning, your brother mentioned you like egg yolk mooncakes. Junqing and I brought lots of them, egg yolk, mixed nuts, chocte, icy-skin, and ham. Which one do you want?¡± Jiang Junlian asked. ¡°I¡­¡± Ji Xia was too embarrassed to admit that she had never heard of any mooncakes other than the egg yolk and mixed nuts ones. ¡°I think the ham ones are tasty,¡± Jiang Junlian, a carnivore, said. ¡°The mixed nuts ones are also okay, but like the icy-skin ones, theyck meat. The ham ones have more meat, and the egg yolk ones are only good if they have double yolks.¡± Ji Xia¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Can I have the ham ones?¡± Anything with meat must be delicious! ¡°Do you also like the ham ones?¡± Jiang Junlian was pleasantly surprised, as Jiang Junqing preferred the icy-skin ones and didn¡¯t like the ham ones. As long as you like ham mooncakes, we¡¯re sworn sisters from different fathers. Jiang Junlian decided she was set on making Ji Xia her sworn sister. The friendship of teenage girls can be just that sudden. ¡°I¡¯ll go get it for you!¡± Jiang Junlian hopped away gleefully and ran into Jiang Feng as she turned around. Jiang Junlian: ¡­ Jiang Feng: ?? Duping my apprentice? Nicely done. Chapter 417: 415 Food Chain Chapter 417: Chapter 415 Food Chain Jiang Feng looked at Jiang Junlian. Jiang Junlian looked at Jiang Feng. As the cousins met each other¡¯s gaze, their eyes locked in a sh of understanding. Jiang Junlian, as if she hadn¡¯t seen her male cousin, stepped past Jiang Feng and continued hopping and skipping forward. Jiang Feng, acting as if he hadn¡¯t seen Jiang Junlian, walked into the kitchen. The superficial sibling bond was unmistakably disyed in this moment. ¡°Xiaxia, go to the front and get the steamed crabs ready for processing,¡± Jiang Feng assigned tasks as soon as he entered the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯lle over after I finish the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.¡± ¡°Okay, Master,¡± Ji Xia put down the kitchen knife and ran to the front. Jiang Feng scanned the kitchen. The pots were used, wood had been burned, and on the chopping boardy unfinished slices of potato¡ªgiven Ji Xia¡¯s current knifework, slicing potatoes was quicker for him; making julienne potatoes was not only uneven in length and thickness but also time-consuming. Da Hua¡¯s daily diet was quite simple, mostly various leafy vegetables mixed with potatoes and sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes were usually boiled, so if it was for a stir-fry, it definitely had to be potatoes. Now there was only a small basket of potatoes left in the entire kitchen, and the stove had clearly been lit; Jiang Feng guessed that Ji Xia must have been cutting and frying simultaneously, when he had enough to fry, he¡¯d do it, and then continue cutting afterwards.
    The kid didn¡¯t show any trouble. Seeing only Jiang Junqing left in the kitchen, Jiang Feng felt a surge of mischief and said, ¡°Junqing, everyone¡¯s too busy to lend a hand right now, help Xiaxia by cutting the potatoes.¡± Although sisters Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing were both of the Mischief Demon King type, Jiang Junqing was rtively better, especially when she was alone. If Jiang Junqing was still XXL sized, Jiang Feng might not dare to speak up, but now that she was an XL and alone, he, Jiang Feng, was a chef capable of tossing a pan, and he could surely handle a lone cousin of XL size. Jiang Junqing looked at the small basket of potatoes, roughly counted them, and asked, ¡°Should I peel them?¡± ¡°No need, just cut them into a size good for frying,¡± replied Jiang Feng, not daring to boss his cousin around too much. Jiang Junqing breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the kitchen knife. Cutting potatoes was something she was proficient in, as she had done it most during the summer vacation. Jiang Junqing started cutting the potatoes, slicing them not only faster than Ji Xia but also better. Although she and Jiang Junlian always shirked their duties when learning to cook from a young age, they were still trained and the Jiang Family¡¯s children after all. Having cut vegetables for most of the summer vacation, her knifework was still decent. Seeing Jiang Junqing so obedient, not only offering no resistance but not evenining, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t quite believe his eyes. Was this really his cousin? Was this the same ruthless and bloodthirsty sister who would catch cousins during the New Year to tutor and discard one after another once they were used up? He¡¯d never have thought that she¡¯d change so much upon starting high school. It seems the educational level in n City¡¯s middle schools is really something! ¡°Junqing, take your time with the cutting; it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t finish. If you feel tired, just go out and have a rest, sit down and eat some fruit,¡± Jiang Feng feigned concern and left. On the way, he encountered Ji Xia carrying tworge tes of crabs and Jiang Junlian excitedly running back clutching three big boxes of mooncakes. By the time Jiang Feng reached the main battlefield, the kitchen was already filled with the aroma of various meats, a whiff of which made one feel as though they¡¯d arrived in paradise, triggering boundless fantasies about the vor and recalling many memories about family gatherings to Jiang Feng. Jiang Weiming had originally nned to have the Roasted Pig prepared at the Taifeng Building and delivered, but since it was inconvenient to do so and the Roasted Pig needed to be served fresh to maintain its taste, Professor Li had arranged a few days in advance to build an oven in the kitchen specially for making Roasted Pig. Jiang Feng could only sigh at the sheer luxury of having a big house.
    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that his own home wasn¡¯trge enough, he¡¯d also like to have an oven capable of making Roasted Pig in his kitchen. The pigeons had already been prepared by the two Sirs; all he had to do was prepare the stuffing, stuff the pigeon, and steam it with pine needles. The hardest part of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was the thickening sauce; Jiang Feng had nowpletely mastered this technique. If he wanted to further improve the taste of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, he could only strive to improve his culinary skills. As anyone who has yed games knows, base attributes determine the cap. If the base attributes meant the score could only reach 99 points at most, even a yer with an SSS luck value couldn¡¯t roll a 100. The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and the stuffed crab in orange were one dish per person, which also meant Jiang Feng had to make 21 portions of both. He didn¡¯t even need to think to know he certainly wouldn¡¯t finish them all.
    If there had to be absences, they had to be chosen wisely. The portions for the two Sirs and Professor Li and his wife definitely couldn¡¯t be skipped, which ounted for 4 portions. Ji Xia loved oranges and meat, so his apprentice¡¯s portion couldn¡¯t be missed. The same was true for Qiqi, his girlfriend; he couldn¡¯t let her down either. You can¡¯t fail your mom, but it¡¯s okay to fail your dad. Two male cousins and two female cousins¡­ never mind, blew them off. Just as Jiang Feng was pondering how to wriggle out of this one, Jiang Weiming spoke up, ¡°Feng, we¡¯re running a little short on time now, just make a few token servings of your Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and Crab-Stuffed Oranges, as long as everyone gets a taste of your cooking, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°I understand, Granduncle Weiming,¡± Jiang Feng nodded. After all, nobody came for the meal today specifically for his dishes. Even he himself didn¡¯te for his own dishes. Jiang Feng and the two elders worked methodically in the kitchen, a picture of calm and harmony. Meanwhile, Jiang Junlian, carrying three boxes of mooncakes bumped into Jiang Feng and then remembered she¡¯d forgotten to pick up another box, she went back, retrieved the forgotten box and camete to the scene with fourrge boxes in tow. By the time Jiang Junlian arrived, Jiang Junqing had already sliced two tters of potatoes.
    Jiang Junlian, mooncakes in arms, walked into the kitchen, and seeing Jiang Junqing slicing potatoes, the motions, the cutting board, the kitchen knife, even the potatoes under the knife, were all so familiar that they brought back some rather unpleasant memories. ¡°Junqing, why are you cutting potatoes? Did grandpa ask us to cut them?¡± Jiang Junlian immediately tensed up. ¡°Brother asked me to cut them,¡± Jiang Junqing said. ¡°He asked you to cut and you just cut? That¡¯s obviously because he doesn¡¯t want to¡­¡± Jiang Junlian nced at Ji Xia who was peeling crabs at the side, and shifted her tone, ¡°Grandpa didn¡¯t ask us to do it, why bother cutting them?¡± ¡°Brother has to cook three dishes this afternoon,¡± Junqing said earnestly. ¡°Sure, the Sweet and Sour Yam, that pigeon thing, and something with an orange, what about them?¡± Junlian didn¡¯t catch on, ¡°Brother¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam is quite delicious.¡± ¡°But today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and usually for this meal as well as New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, grandpa never lets anyone else cook, not even Uncle,¡± Junqing exined. ¡°But today Uncle also¡­¡± Junqing gave Junlian a meaningful look. Junlian caught on. Having been inseparable for so many years, the twins had a connection that was beyond ordinary; oftentimes, a simple look was enough to convey all that needed to be said. Frying rice and preparing dishes are not the same thing. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s decision to let Jiang Feng cook for the Jiang Family¡¯s grand banquet was an affirmation of Feng and also a deration of his status.
    Jiang Feng now had the qualifications and ability to take on the main role. Now was Mid-Autumn, who knows, the next one might be the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. After maintaining the unshakable status of head chef in the Jiang family for decades, Jiang Weiguo¡¯s time for passing the torch finally arrived. As a child of the Jiang Family, Junlian knew a principle all too well. In the Jiang Family, culinary skill is a symbol of status. Their brother, who had been at the bottom of the food chain for years, was slowly climbing to the top. ¡°I¡¯ll help you cut,¡± Junlian went to find a kitchen knife. Ji Xia, who was peeling crabs, looked baffled: ??? She always felt that her twin martial uncles had just had some kind of exchange she did not understand. Before her master arrived, it was the two martial uncles watching her chop vegetables. Once her master arrived, it became her watching the two martial uncles chop. Ji Xia nced at the mooncakes Junlian had brought; they were in gift boxes,rge and exquisitely crafted with rich colors and ornate packaging, clearly expensive at first nce. She wanted to eat mooncakes, just one would do, with meat, or if not, then yolk would suffice.
    And if possible, with two yolks. Chapter 418: 416: You Call This Stewing? Chapter 418: Chapter 416: You Call This Stewing? ¡°` At 3:17 PM, the dishes began to arrive on the table in session. Jiang Weiguo had finished all his dishes, Jiang Weiming¡¯s Roasted Pig was in its final stages, Jiang Jiankang hade in midway to whip up a quick pickle fried rice before leaving, Jiang Feng¡¯s seven orders of Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon had just been served, leaving only the stuffed crab oranges to simmer slowly in the pot. The Sweet and Sour Yam would be the dessert to end the feast, so there was no rush to prepare it. In those days, Jiang Feng had been practising his braising over a wood stove at the Li Mansion in the afternoon and taking notes on a gas stove at home during the evening, gradually improving his braising skills. Although still not great, he had figured out a few things¡ªsome useful experience from the wood stove, but still nothing fruitful from the gas stove. Both the elderly gentlemen had left, and Jiang Weiming needed to change his dirty clothes, believing Jiang Feng could be trusted to watch the Roasted Pig. Consequently, the kitchen was left with Jiang Feng alone, watching his notes on his phone and periodically turning the me on and off on the gas stove. The stuffed crab orange had only been on the stove for five minutes, and Jiang Feng had already turned the me on and off twice. Outside, the younger members of the Jiang Family had all arrived, including Jiang Shoucheng, who was supposed to be on duty at the hospital. He had switched shifts with Old Sun to be able to attend the Mid-Autumn Festival feast, which meant he would have to work three consecutive night shifts next week. Jiang Shoucheng, who had be gaunt eating broli every day for love and was quickly losing weight from his initial 200 pounds, lifted his head with a look of longing and nced at the two antique-looking tables already full of dishes nearby, starting to count the attendees. ¡°Uncle, Granduncle, De, grandfather, Granduncle Weiming, Feng¡­ Feng¡¯s in the kitchen, grandmother, eh, where¡¯s grandmother gone?¡± Jiang Shoucheng was surprised to find Mrs. Jiang was not there.
    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Jiang Zaidi, who had received a mooncake with ice skin from Aunt, began to eat it, consuming half in one bite. The taste was okay, although he regretted it wasn¡¯t from the freezer. Jiang Zaidi said he preferred ice skin mooncakes that had been refrigerated, or better yet, frozen since his teeth could handle it. ¡°De, have you seen grandmother? And hey, where did you get that mooncake?¡± Jiang Shoucheng got distracted by the ice skin mooncake in Jiang Zaidi¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandmother seemed to have gone to the kitchen; isn¡¯t she supposed to be making scallion pancakes today?¡± Jiang Zaidi spoke and stuffed the remaining half of the mooncake into his mouth, swallowing it after a few chews. ¡°Aunt gave it to me, we¡¯re about to eat soon; you should eat less mooncake. I just picked a small one to taste. Aunt brought back a suitcase full of mooncakes this time. If you want some, you can take them to the hospital. However, I don¡¯t think she brought any ham mooncakes this time, I¡¯ve searched all over and haven¡¯t seen a single box of ham mooncakes. It¡¯s possible she didn¡¯t bring any, or maybe they¡¯re all with Junlian; I just saw that she had stacked a lot of mooncakes.¡± The ham mooncakes that Jiang Zaidi couldn¡¯t find were all with Ji Xia. Jiang Junlian loved unpacking things; she had taken fourrge boxes of ham mooncakes over to Ji Xia, which she had already unwrapped, leaving just the individual mooncakes, while the outer packaging had been tossed into the trash. ¡°This is a Yunnan ham mooncake, the ham inside is all lean meat, and I love this brand! My uncle brings me loads of these mooncakes every Mid-Autumn Festival! Also, this brand¡¯s mooncakes might have ugly packaging, but they taste great, stuffed with meat chunks¡ªjust gets a bit salty if you eat too many.¡± Jiang Junlian enthusiastically began introducing her favorite mooncakes to her newly acknowledged best sister, ¡°Try this one, and this one, and this one¡ªyou definitely must eat more of this one.¡± Ji Xia was suddenly overwhelmed with a heap of mooncakes from Jiang Junlian. Ji Xia had never eaten ham mooncakes and didn¡¯t even know that something resembling a in cake could actually be a mooncake. Previously, when Jiang Feng had ordered mooncakes from Eight-treasure House for takeout and given one to Ji Xia, he hadn¡¯t told her it was a mooncake, and she had assumed she had eaten a very delicious sweet, meatless cake that day. Ji Xia opened a mooncake and took a bite. A mouthful of meat. Meat. Salty. Distinct grains of filling, yet all plump, the salty umami of ham permeating every corner of the mouth, contrasting with the ky pastry, the salty and light vors meeting just right in the mouth, the tongue coated with the taste of meat. This feeling of eating meat in big bites was what Ji Xia liked best, and what she enjoyed the most. Ji Xia narrowed her eyes in bliss. Since she had be Jiang Feng¡¯s apprentice, she got to eat many different kinds of meat daily, yet never grew tired of it, whether it was pork, chicken, duck, fish,mb, or any other kind of meat, Ji Xia liked them all. But Ji Xia dared not eat meat continuously, even though she knew that most of her master¡¯s family, like her, were meat enthusiasts, and she had seen firsthand what shes at the dining table, and the knife-like speed of chopsticks could be like. However, she remained somewhat cautious and discreet when eating. Over the years, whether or not she could get meat in her meals at the school cafeteria depended on the mood of the cafeteria auntie. At Master Liang¡¯s noodle shop, she felt embarrassed to scoop up too much beef for her noodles, and at home, it all depended on her mother¡¯s mood¡ªif her mother was in a good mood, Ji Xia could pick up a couple of pieces of meat, but from the third piece onwards, there would be implicit criticism about Ji Xia being inconsiderate for not leaving the good stuff for her father, or how she couldn¡¯tpare to Ji Xue, and other suchmon scoldings. ¡°` Gradually, Ji Xia had developed a habit, when eating, she would only pick up a couple of chopsticks worth of meat at most.
    Only during the New Year could she indulge in eating meat to her heart¡¯s content, but that didn¡¯tst for more than a few days, as Ji Xia couldn¡¯t possibly stay at her grandma¡¯s house for the entire New Year period. For Ji Xia, her grandma was the only person who would pick up some meat for her, encouraging her to eat more. Now there was another person. Jiang Junlian was relentlessly stuffing her with ham mooncakes. Ji Xia had no choice but to eat them one by one, consuming four in one go, one from each of the four different brands. Jiang Junlian ate alongside her; they didn¡¯t just eat¡ªthe elder was eager to share her experiences with the mooncakes she had tasted before.
    ¡°Xiaxia, let me tell you, the year beforest I had a wasabi salmon mooncake, and its taste was simply extraordinary,¡± she said. ¡°As soon as the mooncake touched my mouth, I could feel the crisp crust, and upon biting into it, the subtle heat of the wasabi vor bowled me over. What followed was the salmon¡¯s rich and distinctive fat aroma, chased around the mouth by the taste of seaweed. If you chewed carefully, you¡¯d even discover the middle filled with chewy, sweet fish roe that seemed to ride a wave of seaweed and salmon up onto the shore,¡± Jiang Junlian recounted. ¡°Ah, that vor!¡± Standing nearby, not wanting to eat mooncakes but wanting to start the meal quickly, Jiang Junqing: ¡­ Sister, get a grip, yournguage exam is over, you don¡¯t need to write an essay anymore. Previously, she referred to her as Ji Xia or simply as the apprentice, and now, after sharing just a few mooncakes, she¡¯d started to endearingly call her Xiaxia. Heh, identical twin sister. On the other side, Mrs. Jiang was cooking pancakes in the kitchen. Scallion pancakes, one batch using small green onions and another usingrger ones, the small green onions with sesame seeds sprinkled on top and therge ones without. Jiang Feng and Mrs. Jiang, each with a pot, were in perfect harmony¡ªJiang Feng stewing crab-stuffed oranges, Mrs. Jiang making pancakes. Soon, this harmony was interrupted by a call from the delivery man. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m going to pick up a delivery, can you keep an eye on my pot?¡± Jiang Feng asked for Mrs. Jiang¡¯s help. ¡°What do you have in your pot?¡± Mrs. Jiang had just finished a batch ofrge scallion pancakes, pushed a te toward Jiang Feng, ¡°Take this te of pancakes out too, bring it to your grandpa¡¯s table.¡±
    ¡°I¡¯m stewing crab-stuffed oranges, just keep an eye on it for me, I¡¯ll be back in two minutes,¡± Jiang Feng took the te and dashed off. Mrs. Jiang looked over at Jiang Feng¡¯s pot, observing the gentle me beneath it, and then she recalled how Jiang Feng had kept turning the stove on and off. This is what Feng calls stewing? Stewing? Can this even be called stewing??? . . And there¡¯s more. Chapter 419: 417: Saving Firewood Chapter 419: Chapter 417: Saving Firewood Mrs. Jiang walked over to the steamer of stuffed oranges with crab meat, found a cloth to wrap around her hand, and picked up the steamer. She felt the temperature inside and lifted the lid to check on the oranges stuffed with crab meat. Although she couldn¡¯t see anything specifically amiss, she still couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°This child, what kind of cooking is this? Is this what he calls simmering? If everyone cooked this way, it would be such a waste.¡± Jiang Feng, unaware of the simmering master Mrs. Jiang¡¯s criticism of his cooking method, carried a pancake with scallions to the hall that was arranged with tables and chairs. Carrying the dishes from a distance, as Jiang Feng looked at the hall, he seemed to experience a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, as if he had seen this scene somewhere before. It was in Li Mingyi¡¯s memory! The memory of the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner where he had sweet and sour yam, the dining hall of the Li Family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner looked almost identical to this one, except that there was one less table, and some minor changes to the surrounding scenery; everything else was the same. However, the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner Jiang Feng saw in his memory was held at night, the sky was dark, and the light inside the hall was dim, the hall was brightly lit with everyoneughing and talking, while outside it was pitch ck and destely quiet. What Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know was that the hall he now stood in was the very one he had seen in those memories. The year Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin returned to the country, they saw that the Li Mansion was in disrepair, so they demolished and rebuilt it on the foundation of the original mansion. They discarded most of the side rooms, storage rooms, and servants¡¯ quarters, significantly reducing the footprint of the Li Mansion, but they left this part untouched and didn¡¯t rebuild it. This was the Li Family¡¯s banquet hall. For Li Mingyi, this room held special meaning.
    His oldest sister¡¯s wedding banquet, his second sister¡¯s wedding banquet, his own wedding banquet, even his grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet, and the New Year¡¯s Eve dinners had all been held here, year after year. This ce harbored a plethora of memories andughter for Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin, some genuine, some artificial, some heartfelt, some obligatory. Even for Li Mingyi back then, most of the people who had left him with fond memories here had long passed away, but he couldn¡¯t bear to let this ce disappear. So, he chose to have craftsmen restore it and stored all the tables and chairs in a warehouse. He hoped that one day, it would be as lively as it used to be, even if he was not fortunate enough to witness it again. ¡°When I was little, we used to have our New Year¡¯s Eve dinner in that dining room,¡± Professor Li said, sitting in the living room chatting with the two elderly gents, ¡°Back then, my mom and my brother were still around, and there were just four of us. Eating in such a big dining roomte at night, I always felt it was a bit eerie.¡± ¡°If my dad were still here, he would probably be very happy to see the dining room so lively,¡± murmured Professor Li. ¡°Your uncle would definitely be happy; he always loved a lively atmosphere,¡± said Jiang Weiming, smiling. ¡­ After setting the pancake down on the table, Jiang Feng ran outside to pick up takeout. The delivery guy waited outside on the familiar little blue scooter. Inside arge paper bag were three portions of mooncakes, which were still warm, their in packaging a stark contrast to their boxed price. Jiang Feng, carrying the mooncakes, bumped into Mrs. Wang Xiulian who was eating grapes. ¡°Mom, can you help me arrange these mooncakes on a te and put them on the table? I have more dishes to prepare in the kitchen; remember to save a fresh pork mooncake for Xiaxia,¡± Jiang Feng handed the mooncakes to Mrs. Wang Xiulian. ¡°Got it,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian said as she took the mooncakes, casually taking one out of the bag and popping it into her mouth. Her movements were smooth and effortless. Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen and found that Mrs. Jiang had already turned the burner under his steamer to medium heat. Startled, Jiang Feng quickly turned down the me. ¡°Grandma, why did you turn it to medium heat?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with medium heat if you¡¯re simmering?¡± Mrs. Jiang flipped over a pancake in a pan and turned off the heat. A true master of fuel efficiency, even with a gas stove, even when making pancakes, would finish thest step by simmering. ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Feng was stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t simmering just like this, saving fuel, and only then you turn off the fire?¡± Mrs. Jiang looked puzzled.
    ¡°But I need to maintain a low temperature to simmer.¡± ¡°Then just gradually reduce the heat until you turn it off at the end.¡± When it came to simmering, Mrs. Jiang was the authority. Mrs. Jiang examined the pancake in the pan, flipped it again, and covered it with a lid. ¡°Turning off the heat is called simmering. What you¡¯re doing, turning it on and off, how is that simmering? Don¡¯t tell me lighting the stove doesn¡¯t waste fuel?¡± Mrs. Jiang always believed simmering was about saving fuel, and any method of simmering not aimed at conserving fuel was not true simmering but a counterfeit.
    Jiang Feng was taken aback. He seemed to have grasped the essence of simmering. Saving fuel! Yes, that was it. Simmering was about saving fuel, so naturally, it was whatever conserved fuel the most. A true efficiency expert, in just a few words, could enlighten those who wasted fuel. He wanted low temperature, he wanted time and a lower temperature so that without destroying the natural sweetness of the oranges, he could fuse the fragrance and taste of the oranges with the crab meat. It was entirely possible to first boil the water with high heat, then raise the temperature inside the pot, before cing the stuffed crabs inside, shifting to medium heat, then to low heat, and finally turning it off. Gradually reducing the me, the temperature inside the pot would also drop little by little. There was no need to maintain a low temperature; all that was required was to let it cool down slowly, as one would when simmering rice in a y stove. Jiang Feng even thought about remaking a batch of oranges stuffed with crab meat from the beginning. It was just a pity that time did not allow it. Just as Jiang Feng regretted his actions, Mrs. Jiang¡¯s pancake was ready. ¡°How much longer for your orange stuffed with crab?¡± Mrs. Jiang asked, holding out the pancake. ¡°A few minutes should do it.¡± Jiang Feng had already given up on the pot of orange stuffed with crab in front of him. After being repeatedly heated and re-heated, not to mention a period over medium heat, he estimated that the taste was probably far from ideal. Seven minutester, the orange stuffed with crab was ready, and the Mid-Autumn feast began.
    By the time Jiang Feng brought out the orange stuffed with crab, everyone was already seated at the table, waiting for Jiang Weiming to slice the roasted pig. The roasted pig, made by Jiang Weiming himself, had to be carved by him to truly capture its essence. Actually, the main reason was that Jiang Weiming was the most skilled. With his expert cleaver work, he could precisely separate each part of the pig. The deliciousness of roasted pig sliced by a top chef with sashimi skills was not just slightly enhanced. As Jiang Feng brought the orange stuffed with crab to the table, Jiang Weiming¡¯s knife also made its first cut into the roasted pig. One cut, two cuts, three cuts¡­ Then squeezed a bit of lime juice over it. Soon, two nearly identical portions of roasted pig were ready, with the pig¡¯s head being left for the elders¡¯ table. Jiang Zaidi, as the eldest among the younger generation, eagerly went to carry the roasted pig. If it had been possible, he would have even used his chopsticks to carry it. After all, while he was carrying it, the roasted pig was in his hands; but once it was on the table, it was uncertain whose mouth it would end up in. Ji Xia sat between Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing. In the past, it was always Jiang Feng who sat in this coveted seat between his two cousins. Now it was Ji Xia¡¯s turn, while Jiang Feng could only sit beside Wu Minqi and Jiang Shoucheng, reflecting on how he truly had taken on a good apprentice. A good apprentice who helps alleviate their master¡¯s worries. At the moment, Jiang Feng¡¯s good apprentice was feeling a bit full. Ji Xia had eaten four ham mooncakes, filling her stomach with substantial amounts of meat and pastry, and now she felt about eighty percent full.
    But she could still eat two bites of the roasted pig! Ji Xia eyed the piece of roasted pig in Jiang Zaidi¡¯s hand, already determined which piece she would grabter. She had to be fast when reaching for it, precise in her target, undistracted, and ideally sessful in one try. Ji Xia had mentally rehearsed many times how topete for food with her uncles during a meal. ¡°Here, Xiaxia, have a mooncake. This is a fresh meat mooncake. It¡¯s best eaten while hot.¡± Jiang Feng remembered that Ji Xia wanted to eat mooncakes, so he picked one up for her. Ji Xia took the mooncake, biting into it with arge chunk. Delicious. ky. Meaty. Just a bit too filling. ¡°Burp.¡± Ji Xia let out a burp. Jiang Junlian: ??? ¡°Xiaxia, are you full?¡± Jiang Junlian asked, astonished.
    ¡°Burp, seems like it.¡± Ji Xia bit into the mooncake again, confirming her fullness, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Did you eat something earlier?¡± Jiang Junlian, who had eaten four ham mooncakes with Ji Xia, couldn¡¯t understand why Xiaxia got full so quickly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have lunch?¡± ¡°I only ate those four mooncakes, and then I had breakfast a little after 7 a.m.¡± Ji Xia said, quite curious herself, ¡°Aren¡¯t you full?¡± ¡°How could I be full? It¡¯s just four mooncakes, they¡¯re like a pre-meal snack.¡± Seeing the roasted pig finally served, Jiang Junlian quickly and precisely snatched a good piece for herself, ¡°You probably just ate too quickly. Drink some water and you¡¯ll feel better. Here, I¡¯ll give you this piece of meat.¡± Jiang Junlian generously shared the piece of roasted pig she had just grabbed with Ji Xia, then dove back into the fray, seizing a choice piece from under Jiang Feng¡¯s chopsticks. Jiang Feng, who lost his beloved piece of meat: ??? Didn¡¯t Jiang Junlian just grab herself a piece? Is it gone already? Jiang Feng looked up and saw that the piece of meat Jiang Junlian had initially grabbed had ended up in Ji Xia¡¯s bowl. He was torn between emotions, not sure whether to bemoan the fact that his cousin had grown up and learned to share with others or to grieve that his cousin¡¯s maturity meant the loss of his coveted piece of meat. ¡°When did Junlian and Xiaxia be so close?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°Maybe because they are close in age,¡± Wu Minqi suggested, ¡°Junlian was talking with Xiaxia the whole time earlier. It¡¯s nice for Xiaxia to have someone her age to befriend here, to y with Junlian and the others.¡± Jiang Feng nodded. It would be even better if they didn¡¯t snatch the meat he was eyeing. Chapter 420: 418 Apprentice Goes on Holiday Chapter 420: Chapter 418 Apprentice Goes on Holiday The war over the dinner table had escted to a fever pitch. At a banquet, there are only so many good dishes, even at a Jiang Family feast, even when the dishes are prepared by two esteemed seniors. There are only a few dishes that are truly worth setting aside fraternal bonds topete for. Even the eagerly anticipated Roasted Pig has its best cuts in limited quantities. No matter how superb Jiang Weiming¡¯s culinary skills might be, he couldn¡¯t make different parts, with varying levels of fat, taste equally savory, juicy, tender, and delicious. Therefore, the war over the dinner table from the outset, escting to a fever pitch, and to its conclusion actually spanned just a few minutes. A few minutester, Jiang Feng belched. In the heat of the intense battle, Jiang Feng had forgotten his original n in his haste, consuming two pancakes, five slices of Roasted Pig, and one mooncake. Although he wasn¡¯t full, the sudden stop made him involuntarily belch. Jiang Shoucheng, who was absorbed in his Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, saw Jiang Feng belch and handed over a can of c, ¡°Drink a c to settle it.¡± Jiang Feng took the c and guzzled it down. He let out another carbon dioxide-filled burp and continued eating. Ji Xia, who had witnessed all this, was astonished!!! So drinking water after a meal really works!
    Ji Xia followed suit, opening the c in front of her and poured half the bottle down her throat. ¡°Burp.¡± This was a carbonated, stuffed burp. ¡°Burp.¡± Ji Xia covered her mouth, feeling she couldn¡¯t quite control her burps. Hearing the two consecutive burps, Jiang Junlian turned to look at Ji Xia. Seeing that the piece of Roasted Pig in her bowl hadn¡¯t been touched, she asked, ¡°Are you really full?¡± Ji Xia nodded repeatedly. ¡°Then let me help you eat that piece, don¡¯t let it go to waste.¡± Jiang Junlian took the Roasted Pig back. ¡°Are you still going to eat this Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon? Little brother said it was specially saved for you.¡± Jiang Junlian eyed Ji Xia¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Ji Xia shook her head again and again. Jiang Junlian walked away with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. ¡°How about this orange, still eating it?¡± Ji Xia continued to shake her head. Jiang Junlian took away the crab-stuffed orange once more. Jiang Junlian gave up a prime cut of Roasted Pig, and in return, reimed the piece she had given up, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and a crab-stuffed orange. Jiang Junqing watched all this with a meaningful look at Jiang Junlian. A master indeed. ¡°Sis, share half of that Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon with me!¡± ¡­ The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was lively and bustling.
    Jiang Feng¡¯s table relied entirely on the bickering of sisters Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing; the Jiang sons were all quite mature andposed, focusing solely on eating without the idle time for talking. Jiang Feng¡¯s table was rtively quiet, but the table of elders was quite lively. Led by the eldest aunt, the Jiang daughters-inw group first extolled Mrs. Jiang¡¯s pancakes, then took turns extravagantly praising the dishes prepared by the two senior gentlemen. The sincerity peaked when praising the Roasted Pig, with the eldest aunt using seven idioms in a row to describe it, nearly leaving the second aunt at a loss for words. At the end of the meal, the Jiang daughters-inw group did not forget tovish praise on Professor Li and his wife. Although they were not well-acquainted, it didn¡¯t impede their ttery. After all, praising someone is like writing an essay; as the saying goes, ¡®the world¡¯s essays are greatly giarized¡¯, and the same goes for ttery. Stick to a central point, the rest is all rney; as long as the words are correct, the ttery is deemed sessful. By the end of the dinner party, Chen Suhua had some doubts about her self-perception.
    ¡°My eldest daughter-inw, although she seems indifferent at times, is a good person, especially with her words¡ªshe sure can talk,¡± Mrs. Jiangmented while clearing up the dishes, still looking quite pleased as she spoke to Chen Suhua. Mrs. Jiang was already contemting whether to make pancakes for her eloquent eldest daughter-inw the next morning. ¡°She really has a way with words,¡± Chen Suhua agreed wholeheartedly. ¡°As soon as she opens her mouth, she speaks directly to our hearts.¡± ¡°You can say that again. It¡¯s just too bad I only had five boys and didn¡¯t have a daughter¡­,¡± Mrs. Jiang paused, thought about her two granddaughters who loved to eat, werezy, didn¡¯t do well in school, but had sweet tongues, and suddenly felt that having a daughter might not be so great after all. ¡°How so?¡± Chen Suhua didn¡¯t realize how quickly Mrs. Jiang¡¯s train of thought had shifted and was still on the previous topic. ¡°I would make her study hard and not think about beingzy and slippery with sweet words all day long.¡± Chen Suhua: ??? That¡¯s not what you seemed to mean just now. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s two granddaughters, who were adept at shirking duties and being slippery, were now interacting with Ji Xia. ¡°Xiaxia, have you ever been to the Great Wall?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Been to the Forbidden Pce?¡± ¡°No.¡±
    ¡°Seen the g raising ceremony?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too much, little brother!¡± The sisters cried out in unison, turning their frustration toward Jiang Feng, who was discussing cooking techniques with Wu Minqi, or rather, involved in a romantic talk. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Xiaxia has had Peking Duck,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Twice.¡± Rampage! Considering it was a holiday, even the cruelestndlords would give their apprentices half a day off, and even high school students would get a half-day for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Ji Xia was not an ordinary apprentice; she was a gold-medal apprentice who worked every day of the year with no days off, no sry, and was even responsible for maintaining Jiang Feng¡¯s household cleanliness. On this Mid-Autumn Day, capitalist Jiang Feng decided to be generous. In view of the holiday, he decided to give Ji Xia half a day off to go out and have fun with the sisters Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, also approving a sum of money for their outing. ¡°Xiaxia,¡± Jiang Feng approached Ji Xia with a smile, ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard today. You don¡¯t have to go to the storeter. Go out and have fun with your two mentors.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s great!¡± Jiang Junlian readily agreed on behalf of Ji Xia, her eyes clearly conveying the message ¡®give us money.¡¯ Of course, Jiang Feng had to give them money, especially to Jiang Junlian, since Ji Xia didn¡¯t have a mobile phone and Jiang Feng didn¡¯t carry cash himself. ¡°Eight hundred!¡± Jiang Junlian started with an exorbitant demand. ¡°Eight hundred? What are you nning to do? No more than three hundred!¡± Jiang Feng cut in half and even knocked off one hundred.
    ¡°At least six hundred. We¡¯re taking Xiaxia out for Peking Duck. She deserves better than having had it only twice,¡± Jiang Junlian argued, almost as if to say, ¡®I¡¯m the real victim here, having only had Peking Duck once myself.¡¯ ¡°Three hundred is plenty for three people to have Peking Duck. You think you¡ªoh, six hundred, is it? I¡¯ll transfer it via WeChat,¡± Jiang Feng said, pulling out his phone andpleting the transaction. ¡°Come back early, ideally before nine thirty,¡± Jiang Feng instructed. Jiang Junlian grabbed Ji Xia by the hand and they ran outside, excited like little piglets being let out: ¡°Xiaxia, let me tell you, the Peking Duck at the restaurant I visited before is really delicious. Junqing and I will take you there right now.¡± ¡°But we just finished eating¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can start eating again once we get there. If you can¡¯t finish it, I¡¯ll help you,¡± Jiang Junlian said enthusiastically. ¡°I can help you eat too!¡± Jiang Junqing chimed in, seizing the opportunity. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Jiang Junlian suddenly stopped, took a few steps back, found her own mother, ¡°Mom, when you go backter, can you help us take back the couple of mooncakes we dismantled? The rest are for Sir Li. Make sure to bring those few we opened back, yes! We¡¯re off to have fun with Xiaxia.¡± ¡°I got it. Be careful on the road ande back early,¡± Aunt said with a wry smile, and then turned to Chen Suhua, ¡°My daughters are more mischievous than boys, especially Junlian. Her four brothers weren¡¯t nearly as rambunctious when they were little. Today, they insisted on bringing over so many mooncakes, saying they wanted you to try them. I told her you two elders couldn¡¯t possibly finish so many, and do you know what she said? She said two boxes were for Da Hua. She said Da Hua would feel lonely without mooncakes on Mid-Autumn Festival. Can you imagine, what goes on in her mind all day?¡± ¡°Girls should be lively and full of energy,¡± Chen Suhua said with a chuckle, her eyes inadvertently drifting towards the pigsty. Thoughtful. Chapter 421: 419 Tonight the Moonlight is Beautiful Chapter 421: Chapter 419 Tonight the Moonlight is Beautiful Employees who don¡¯t get paid had the day off, yet the boss had to work; Jiang Feng thought he might be the most considerate and conscientious capitalist boss in the world. The great-aunt and others were still cleaning up the battlefield, Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng were still enjoying their leisure time after dinner, while the active chefs from Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Jiang Jiankang, had to rush back to begin the evening shift. On holidays, evening business at the restaurant is always particrly busy. It might be because he had lunchte enough or dinner early enough, but even when Jiang Feng worked overtime until past ten o¡¯clock, he didn¡¯t feel hungry. On his way home, when he identally ran into a fellow 996 employee who also had to work during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jiang Feng even felt a sense of empathy. The 996 employee thought the same, believing that on this joyous festival where families gather to eat mooncakes, this destined-to-be-deste street would only have him, a dog working overtime¡ª no car, no house, no girlfriend, but with money. Surprisingly, the kid who used to show off his love every day on this street was working overtime just like him on Mid-Autumn Festival, and this time, without his girlfriend by his side. Indeed, who would have a girlfriend willing to wait for a boyfriend who has to work overtime on Mid-Autumn Festival? At that moment, the 996 employee even wanted to approach Jiang Feng and say hello, to chat about life and dreams, and to inquire about the employee benefits in hispany. The 996 employee gave Jiang Feng a smile. Jiang Feng returned the smile to the 996 employee and stopped in his tracks.
    The 996 employee also stopped and was ready to speak, pondering whether to say ¡°hi¡± or ¡°what a coincidence.¡± ¡°Fengfeng,¡± Wu Minqi, who had forgotten her bag and had gone back to get it, ran towards Jiang Feng, ¡°I also brought a bottle of blueberry wine, let¡¯s go to the pavilion downstairster to drink and admire the moon.¡± The smile on the 996 employee¡¯s face suddenly twisted, the goodwill retracted, and his gaze turned cold. He stepped forward as if everything just a moment ago had been Jiang Feng¡¯s illusion. The 996 employee passed by Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi with a cold face. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wu Minqi saw Jiang Feng continuously looking back at the familiar looking office worker who had just passed by and casually asked. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that he seemed to have something to say to me just now,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi also nced at the lonely and deste, yet somewhat forlorn, backdrop of the 996 employee, ¡°Maybe you saw it wrong. Let¡¯s hurry back, we should make the most of our time to enjoy the moon at the pavilion.¡± ¡°Are we really going to drink and admire the moon?¡± Jiang Feng stated that he had grown up observing many Mid-Autumns, eaten countless mooncakes, but never experienced this textbook ancient style of moon appreciation. ¡°The moon is so beautiful tonight, and I¡¯ve never tried drinking and admiring the moon,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s give it a try today,¡± Jiang Feng took Wu Minqi¡¯s hand. On the long street, only the two of them remained, their shadows elongated by the streetlights as if they were as long as the street itself, tightly connected, and walking side by side. jJiang Feng had never understood why, in the precious real estate of Beiping City where every inch ofnd was gold, instead of focusing on greening areas, they built a pavilion that stood out so starkly in a residential area. But when Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi entered the pavilion, found a spot where they could sit and look up at the night sky, Jiang Feng immediately understood the purpose of this pavilion. For romance. The silence, the absence of lights, and the seating avable made it a very suitable ce for romance. But today, Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t there for romance. Romance can happen anywhere, like the kitchen, at home, on the streets, but moon appreciation isn¡¯t the same everywhere. How could something as refined as moon appreciation be defiled by something as vulgar as romance? Wu Minqi didn¡¯t just bring blueberry wine; she also brought two small wine sses. One pink, one blue, shallow, with patterns of peach and plum branches on them, even if filled to the brim they might only hold as much as a small wine cup, which perfectly matched the theme of moon appreciation.
    Wu Minqi poured a small half-cup of wine for herself and Jiang Feng, and they sat side by side to watch the moon. The blueberry wine from Taifeng Building, although a fruit wine, had a high alcohol content, and both Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng had a moderate tolerance to alcohol, so even half a cup made them slightly tipsy. In the sky hung a full moon, shining, full, and without stars. It was a full moon, yet it seemed a bit lonely. A breeze blew by, clearing Jiang Feng¡¯s slightly tipsy head.
    He looked at Wu Minqi, who was looking up at the moon with a smile on her lips, right by his side. Just an arm¡¯s length away, just a tilt of the head was all it took to lean on his shoulder. Jiang Feng knew, it was time. Moon appreciation could happen anytime, but the chance for romance, if missed, might note again. ¡°Qiqi,¡± Jiang Feng looked at Wu Minqi. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°The moonlight tonight is beautiful.¡± Wu Minqi, slow to react because of that small half-cup of blueberry wine, thought the sentence sounded familiar but couldn¡¯t recall where it was from. She was about to ask Jiang Feng what he meant when she noticed his face was very close to hers. Close enough to feel each other¡¯s breath. Jiang Feng leaned in and kissed her. Their lips met. ¡­ Ji Xia followed Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing to the pavilion in the residential area ¨C she didn¡¯t want to go at first. Jiang Feng had told her to be back by nine-thirty, and now it was almost eleven as she wandered around the neighborhood. Like every child who returnste, she was both excited and apprehensive about being scolded by her guardians.
    ¡°Sister, why aren¡¯t we going home? What are we doing at the pavilion?¡± Jiang Junqing didn¡¯t want to go to the pavilion either. She was too tired from going out, having had roast duck, braised meat, Beijing-style pork strips, bone sauce, and duck bone soup. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look; we haven¡¯t visited the pavilion yet.¡± Compared to the listless Jiang Junqing and Ji Xia, Jiang Junlian could definitely be called energetic. ¡°Wait.¡± Ji Xia stopped in her tracks, ¡°There seems to be someone in the pavilion, ah, it¡¯s Master and¡­¡± Ji Xia¡¯s mouth was covered by Jiang Junlian who also muted the microphone. ¡°I suddenly feel like there¡¯s nothing interesting about this pavilion. Let¡¯s go,¡± Jiang Junlian¡¯s survival instincts kicked in as she, together with Jiang Junqing, dragged Ji Xia away. Interrupting others during a romantic encounter could have serious consequences. Ji Xia parted with Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing in the elevator and returned home. Coming home at eleven o¡¯clock is a big deal for a sixteen-year-old girl. Ji Xue was still cooking soup in the kitchen when Ji Xia approached the doorway, feeling somewhat nervous: ¡°Sis¡­ I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Did you have fun?¡± Ji Xue asked. ¡°Fun¡­ yeah.¡± Ji Xia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ji Xue wasn¡¯t questioning why she came back sote, ¡°Um, Sis, could I have my phone? I want to call Grandma.¡± Ji Xue paused for a moment: ¡°It¡¯s sote, Grandma must be asleep by now.¡± ¡°I just want to try and see; the phone¡¯s downstairs so she won¡¯t hear it if she¡¯s asleep.¡± Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother didn¡¯t use a mobile phone because she didn¡¯t know how, so there was only andline at home.
    Ji Xue took out the phone and handed it to Ji Xia, who took it and whispered, ¡°Sis, happy Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± ¡°Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.¡± Ji Xue smiled. Ji Yue was right; unless there is deep hatred, sisters won¡¯t harbor unsolvable grudges against each other. All she had to do was wait for Xiaxia, and Xiaxia would eventually turn back to look for her. She¡¯s forgetful, unable to remember what she shouldn¡¯t remember. Ji Xia went back to her room with the phone and dialed her grandmother¡¯s number. The phone number Ji Xia knew best since childhood was her grandmother¡¯s because she knew that in case of trouble, her mother was of no help, only her grandmother would rush over the moment she received the call. The phone was answered after just one ring. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Grandma.¡± ¡°Is that Xiaxia? Did you eat mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival today?¡± her grandmother¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°I did, I ate lots of mooncakes today, all meat ones. Not just mooncakes, I also had roast duck. Grandma, the roast duck here in Beiping is really delicious; I must bring you here to try it.¡± ¡°Then Grandma will wait for Xiaxia to earn money and take Grandma to eat mooncakes. Xiaxia, have you recently¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡±
    Ji Xia told her grandmother everything that had happened recently, about herself, Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and even Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian whom she had just met today. Ji Xia was afraid that if she ran out of things to talk about, she would have to hang up. Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother just quietly listened, as Ji Xia prattled on about what she ate yesterday, the day before, and the day before that. Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother yawned. ¡°Grandma, are you sleepy? If you¡¯re sleepy, I can call you some other time,¡± Ji Xia was somewhat anxious. ¡°No worries, I¡¯m not sleepy, keep talking, Xiaxia.¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have much else to say,¡± Ji Xia said, dejected. ¡°How about your sister?¡± ¡°She is in the kitchen practicing how to make soup.¡± ¡°Did you have a falling out with your sister?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Still denying it, you definitely had a spat with your sister. You, girl, get along well with your sister, don¡¯t make Grandma worry.¡± Ji Xia fell silent. ¡°Xiaxia.¡± ¡°Xiaxia?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, are you now upset with Grandma?¡± ¡°Grandma, I miss you so much.¡± Ji Xia finally understood the meaning of the verse they studied in Chinese ss. Every festive asion makes you miss your dear family more. She missed Grandma so much. After ending the call, Ji Xia went out to return the phone to Ji Xue. ¡°Sis.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Do you want to eat mooncakes?¡± Chapter 422: 420 Province Chapter 422: Chapter 420 Province The next morning, Jiang Feng woke up feeling clear-headed and refreshed. Due to the personal reasons of a never-been-in-love dog author, a male lead like Jiang Feng who held the scripts for both a cooking show and a business drama, and who also owned a gamepany, only managed to experience holding hands, hugging, kissing, and some indescribable, red-hot romance after six months of dating. Up until then, his love life was as insipid as if he wasn¡¯t an adult. ncing at his phone, Jiang Feng saw it was still early, so he decided to cook a pot of Xiaomi porridge and then go downstairs to buy Wu Minqi the green bean buns she used to love so much. There were also pickles sent over by Ji Yue¡¯s mom justst week in the kitchen, which tasted very good and refreshing, perfect to go with the porridge. After achieving great sess and profit with her Shanghai pickled vegetables, Ji Yue¡¯s mom did not be proud andcent, or limit herself to only making that type of pickle. Instead, she continued to diversify, making pickles, sauces, jams, and even vinegar without a miss. Jiang Feng could even imagine how rich the aroma in Ji Yue¡¯s basement must be. Thanks to Ji Yue¡¯s mom¡¯s persistence, Jiang Feng and the others received a variety of pickles, sauces, and jams from the Huaiyang area (Ji Yue¡¯s home) every week. There were so many different kinds that everyone could always find a few they liked, greatly enriching their porridge-drinking life. Quietly stirring the porridge in the kitchen, Jiang Feng felt the fire control was about right, so he put down the stirring spoon and picked out a small dish of sauce from the pickle jar. Then he turned the me down low to let the Xiaomi porridge slowly simmer on the stove. Pickles with Xiaomi porridge and two steaming hot buns right out of the pot, a wonderful day starts with breakfast. When he was about to leave the house, Jiang Feng peeked into the room and saw Wu Minqi was still asleep. So, he gently closed the door halfway, took his keys and phone, and got ready to leave.
    In a half-asleep state, Wu Minqi faintly sensed some movement outside, closed her eyes again and turned over. Before Jiang Feng could even leave, someone knocked on the door. When he opened the door, it was Mrs. Jiang with the aromatic scent of scallion pancakes. They were super luxurious scallion pancakes sprinkled with double the amount of white sesame and a normal portion of ck sesame. Instantly forgetting about the green bean buns, beef buns, and ss noodle buns, Jiang Feng warmly weed Mrs. Jiang inside. ¡°Oh my, Grandma, you didn¡¯t have to deliver the pancakes yourself, just making them would have been enough. You could have called me, and I¡¯d havee to get them, there was no need for you to take the trouble of riding the elevator to bring them over,¡± Jiang Feng took the te and ced it steadily on the dining table. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve made some Xiaomi porridge, would you like to have a bowl before you leave?¡± Jiang Feng offered, ready to head to the kitchen to serve Mrs. Jiang some porridge. Mrs. Jiang put out her hand to stop her dutiful grandson¡¯s actions. ¡°No need, I simply woke up early today and had nothing better to do, so I just made a pancake. I¡¯m nning to go out for some soybean juiceter,¡± Mrs. Jiang, a standard southern olddy, somehow mutated after arriving in Beiping, fell hopelessly in love with soybean juice, which even the Sirs kept their distance from. She would walk more than half an hour every morning to a small shop a few blocks away to drink soybean juice. Mrs. Jiang had simplye to deliver the pancakes and after speaking a few words with Jiang Feng, she was ready to leave. Before leaving, she looked around and didn¡¯t see Wu Minqi, then asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Qiqi?¡± ¡°Has she gone down to buy buns?¡± Mrs. Jiang often bumped into Wu Minqi buying buns at the entrance of the neighborhood. ¡°Qiqi went to bedtest night; she hasn¡¯t woken up yet,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°You young people these days, clutching your phones all day isn¡¯t enough, you have to hold onto them all night as well. Are phones really that interesting? How many hours a day do you spend on them without getting tired?¡± Mrs. Jiang started to speak at length whenever mobile phones were mentioned, ¡°I just visited your Uncle Five¡¯s ce, and your two cousins haven¡¯t woken up yet. Your Aunt told me they got home after 11st night. Their WeChat shows over a hundred steps even though they haven¡¯t gotten out of bed. Howte did they actually go to sleepst night? They walked over a hundred steps in the middle of the night when they usually aren¡¯t so active.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Such tactics exist? It seems it¡¯s time to turn off the WeChat step counter. Mrs. Jiang, especially when scolding her grandchildren, spoke so loudly when she got excited that the noise woke Wu Minqi up in the room. Wu Minqi heard themotion outside and thought there was a quarrel happening. Sleepy-eyed, confused, and somewhat hurried, she emerged from the room with her hair unkempt and looking a bit listless. When I came out, I saw Mrs. Jiang had arrived, the living room still filled with the aroma of the pancakes she¡¯d made. If you sniffed carefully, you could even detect a generous amount of sesame oil mixed in. Wu Minqi was taken aback for a moment, thinking she was hearing things.
    ¡°Qiqi, you¡¯re up,¡± Mrs. Jiang said with a beaming smile, as if she hadn¡¯t just been criticizing young people for staying upte on their phones and not getting up in the morning. ¡°I made pancakes for you. Go wash up and have some while they¡¯re hot.¡± ¡°Ah, oh, thank you, Grandma,¡± said Wu Minqi, who was slower to respond than usual just after waking up, and she went into the bathroom to wash. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to head over for breakfast too. If I¡¯mte, there won¡¯t be any fried dough twists left,¡± Mrs. Jiang said, truly preparing to leave this time. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out,¡± the ever dutiful grandson Jiang Feng never missing a chance to show his filial piety, even if it was just apanying Mrs. Jiang to take the elevator down.
    Details determine sess or failure! Jiang Feng and Mrs. Jiang entered the elevator together, and he quickly pressed the button for the first floor before Mrs. Jiang could reach for it, watching as the elevator doors slowly closed. Inside the elevator, just the two of them, Jiang Feng suddenly remembered how Mrs. Jiang had turned off the heat at the end of making pancakes yesterday and took this opportunity to ask. ¡°Grandma, why did you turn off the heat at the end of making pancakes yesterday?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Mrs. Jiang was busy with her phone and hadn¡¯t heard a word he said, murmuring to herself, ¡°Strange, why aren¡¯t my WeChat messagesing through?¡± ¡°The signal is bad in the elevator, it¡¯ll be fine once we¡¯re out,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Mrs. Jiang nodded, stubbornly tapping on her phone, attempting to summon thework back by sheer will. ¡°How can I call someone to y mahjong if I¡¯ve got no inte signal? It says three arecking one,¡± Mrs. Jiang said with worry written all over her face. ¡°It¡¯lle back once we¡¯re out,¡± Jiang Feng said. As he spoke, the elevator reached the first floor, and the doors opened. The signal came back too. Mrs. Jiang began rallying her friends in her senior center group chat to set up a mahjong game for the afternoon, stepping out, with Jiang Feng hurrying after her. ¡°That¡¯s enough, you can go back now. Hurry back and eat,¡± Mrs. Jiang pressed Jiang Feng back towards the elevator.
    ¡°Grandma, about making pancakes yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Of course I turned off the gas to save it. If the pancakes are getting done, why keep the gas on? You kids,¡± she said then shifted her attention saying, ¡°Old Chang, are you free this afternoon? We are one short for mahjong!¡± The elevator door closed. Gas saving! A true master of thrift, saving on gas as well as wood. Jiang Feng firmly remembered the principle of saving gas/natural gas and pressed the floor button again. PS: I¡¯ve set up a WeChat public ount named: Starting with a Ton of Dots. I¡¯ll be posting some character side stories, character designs, and other book-rted content there for those interested. ©d(????)?~ Chapter 423: Who will be blacklisted on April 21st? Chapter 423: Who will be cklisted on April 21st? In the following period, Jiang Feng was immersed in figuring out how to braise A-grade crab-stuffed oranges. Throughout the process of researching braising, Jiang Feng constantly focused on the central t: conserve natural gas, always recalling the mantra of saving charcoal. It was less about how to braise the crab-stuffed oranges and more about saving natural gas. In this regard, he truly inherited Mrs. Jiang¡¯s expertise, filling over a dozen pages of notes. Not just writing, Jiang Feng also did the math, using up a stack of scratch paper. The results from the game appraisalsbined with his calcted numbers allowed him to precisely control the braising time. Sometimes, while mopping the floor, Ji Xia would observe Jiang Feng furiously writing forms at the dining table that she couldn¡¯t understand, muttering data she couldn¡¯t grasp, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of rm. Being a Red Chef is too tough! One even needs to learn math. And such difficult math at that! Ji Xia, who had never passed a math exam, decided that she might as well learn some basic skills from her master and save money to open a breakfast shopter on. And so, writing and calcting away, Jiang Feng weed National Day. Golden Week. This seven-day holiday is a genuine golden week for the catering industry, raining gold from the sky. Back when Jiang Jiankang was running a healthy snack shop in Z city, the National Day golden week would tire out Jiang Feng, who was temporarily roped in for deliveries, so much he¡¯d want to be overthrown. Not to mention the current Taifeng Building, where Jiang Feng was relieved that they didn¡¯t offer delivery services like Eight-treasure House; otherwise, they as furnace chefs might be too exhausted to even write the word ¡°death.¡±
    Just thinking about it made Jiang Feng feel sympathy for that White Chef from Eight-treasure House, who had been poached and was especially good at making Suzhou-style mooncakes. The poaching demon Ling Guangzhao had specifically brought in a white chef from Gusu not to only shine during Mid-Autumn Festival, as even long past it, Jiang Feng could still see Suzhou-style mooncakes on Eight-treasure House¡¯s delivery menu on Ele.me, just with sales not as high as during Mid-Autumn. Recently, Eight-treasure Houseunched quite a few pastry products, just like Jiang Feng¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, which was for delivery only, not for sale. Within a mere week, they had built a solid reputation, and Ling Guangzhao probably spent quite a lot of money on hiring fake reviewers for promotion, which Jiang Feng sometimes came across scrolling through his social media feeds. Of course, those posting such messages were basically from Ling Guangzhao¡¯s social circles, and Jiang Feng recently considered blocking him. His nice social media feed was turning into something akin to a marketing ount, and the products being marketed were from his rivals. Right before National Day, Eight-treasure House was shining brightly, but Taifeng had its own trump card for the holiday ¨C Jiang Feng¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon would officially hit Taifeng¡¯s menu on October 1st and need to be reserved a day in advance, just like the Wazan Huadiao Chicken. As the chestnut pigeon had been given to VIP customers a few times before, the news that the Taifeng chef making them was fully inheriting Master Sun¡¯s craft had already spread far and wide. Consequently, when Jiang Jiandang released the announcement of the new October dish on WeChat and Weibo, the entire National Day period¡¯s reservations were filled within a day. This also foretold that Jiang Feng might be the busiest employee in Taifeng during National Day. The heartless merchant Mrs. Wang Xiulian had filled Jiang Feng¡¯s schedule much more than for Ji Xue. For Taifeng employees, National Day was destined to be a flurry of activity, filled with the promise of overtime pay. On September 30th at 10:11 PM, Jiang Feng picked up his phone intending to check WeChat onest time before going to bed. This was already his fourth time picking up the phone. Sleep was the best rest, and being well-rested was key to energetically facing the next day¡¯s grueling work. Knowing this, Jiang Feng had gone to bed at 9:30 PM intending to sleep, but knowing is one thing and doing is another. Just like every school kid knows that studying diligently is the wisest choice, the few that study relentlessly to the point of exhaustion like the Jiang kids are rare, none of them having a grandfather like Jiang Weiguo to aid their sess. Having a good grandfather is so important. Every time Jiang Feng picked up his phone, he would forget his original intention of a quick nce; he¡¯d go from QQ to WeChat to the browser, and even Alipay¡¯s Ant Forest was so interesting. As long as his phone had battery, he could keep browsing endlessly. If his phone ran out of battery, Jiang Feng could continue while charging, and even answer an elementary school Olympiad question. Given that the current battery life is 3%, Jiang Feng uses 2% per minute, and charges 4%, under the condition that he doesn¡¯t y ¡°King of Glory¡± or ¡°PUBG,¡± after how many minutes can he fully charge the phone? On the fourth time picking up his phone, Jiang Feng reminded himself to really go to sleep after checking WeChat this time. But wasn¡¯t it just now that the phone vibrated? Maybe he would already be asleep if it hadn¡¯t. Ah, who could it be, messaging him at 10:11 PM without sleeping ¨C truly troubling. Inhaling deeply, Jiang Feng tapped WeChat open. His phone seemed to have been dropped too many times or used for too long, possibly a bit senile, often vibrating without disying messages, not even showing who sent them, causing Jiang Feng to miss messages sent by others.
    After opening WeChat, the first thing Jiang Feng saw was the chefs¡¯ group chat. Ling Guangzhao was talking in the group. With the mindset of ¡°Let¡¯s see what nonsense you¡¯re spouting besides advertising and headhunting,¡± Jiang Feng entered the group chat. The group was bustling, with Ling Guangzhao alone giving the impression of ten people¡¯s worth of chatter.
    Ling Guangzhao: Tomorrow is National Day, and our Eight-treasure House willunch brand new Suzhou-style pastries. I wee everyone toe and try them out if you have the time, and let¡¯s share our thoughts. [smiley face] Ling Guangzhao: [Image] Ling Guangzhao: [Image] Ling Guangzhao: [Image] Ling Guangzhao: [Image] Ling Guangzhao: [Image] Ling Guangzhao: We¡¯re starting with these pastries at Eight-treasure House. If any of you are interested but can¡¯t find the time, feel free to message me privately, and I can have an employee deliver it to your doorstep. [smiley face] Lu Sheng: Looks really nice [smile] Pei Shenghua: Yo, that does look good. Pei Shenghua: I¡¯ve also taken some pictures of good dishes recently, let me send them over for you guys to see. Pei Shenghua: [Image] Pei Shenghua: [Image] Pei Shenghua: [Image]
    Jiang Feng, who just got bombarded as soon as he opened WeChat: ¡­ Forget it, I might as well block Pei Shenghua for now,pared to him, Ling Guangzhao¡¯s marketing ounts don¡¯t seem too bad. Jiang Feng was about to shut down theputer and go to sleep when he suddenly remembered that he hadn¡¯t checked who had messaged him just now; he scrolled down a bit and saw Wang Hao beneath a bunch of blocked group chats. Wang Hao: Feng bro, Feng bro, are you there? Wang Hao: Feng bro, Feng bro, have you gone to sleep? Wang Hao: Your Majesty, have you retired for the night? Just look at this attitude! Jiang Feng: I have not retired yet. Wang Hao: Your Majesty, save your son, please! Jiang Feng thought for a moment and typed a question mark. Wang Hao: You see, I¡¯m about to start my internship in Beiping soon, right? I¡¯ve got a task right now that can be easily solved with just a tiny bit of your Majesty¡¯s effort. Wang Hao: Ourpany does some advertising, right? Sometimes we get some promotional business, and these minor promotions are thrown to us interns. It¡¯s for a failing author¡¯s public WeChat ount, called: ¡°Starting Point Ton Ton Ton Ton Ton.¡± The author writes about food, and I was thinking, doesn¡¯t your Taifeng Building¡¯s official WeChat and Weibo have a lot of followers? Could you give me a hand and promote it? Jiang Feng: ???
    Normally when I post on moments, you don¡¯t even give me a like, but now you think of me. Ha, roommates. Jiang Feng: I¡¯m not in charge of the official ount and Weibo. Wang Hao: [Image] Wang Hao: Your Majesty, please save your child, it¡¯s two hundred bucks a task! Jiang Feng: Not saving, scram. Jiang Feng waited two minutes holding his phone, but Wang Hao didn¡¯t reply; the screen kept showing that the other party was typing but no message came. After another two minutes, Jiang Feng got a direct WeChat call from Wang Hao. ¡°Hello? Feng bro?¡± The familiar voice of Wang Hao came from the other end of the phone. ¡°What is it?¡± Jiang Feng asked, still immersed in the emperor¡¯s script and not yet out of character. ¡°Well, this, I mean, you see, since I¡¯m interning, right? Ourpany is in Beiping, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve been talking online recently, I wrote some stuff and sent it over, and ourpany is pretty satisfied with it, so after the National Day, I might be going over to your ce in Beiping,¡± Wang Hao said. Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng thought it was good news and rxed his guard, ¡°Do you want me to help you find a ce to live?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an issue, ourpany has employee dormitories. The problem now is that my dad won¡¯t give me my living expenses until the 15th.¡±
    ¡°The tickets to Beiping are just too expensive, I had only 9.67 left after buying the ticket yesterday.¡± ¡°Feng bro, can you cover meals for me until the 15th?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ He felt that blocking Pei Shenghua could wait, blocking Wang Hao was the priority. ¡°What do you call me?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Your Majesty, my most beloved Majesty!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cover meals.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty! Your son takes his leave.¡± Chapter 424: 422 Handsome Chapter 424: Chapter 422 Handsome ¡°` National Day is thest official holiday of the year. After National Day, all working folks and student parties face a long three months of only weekends off, or maybe not even that, bracing a happy yet busy time of work or study. When Jiang Feng was still honestly a student dog, he always felt that National Day was the calm before the storm. A long holiday to let everyone have fun, and then it was time to study like mad and work oneself to the bone, like thest meal before an execution. Regarding this, Jiang Feng just wanted to say, couldn¡¯t Chongyang Festival be given some respect? All traditional festivals, Qingming, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn, not only get holidays, but the malls have sales as well, only Chongyang is the exception, as a traditional festival it¡¯s even less acknowledged than 618. He himself could eat an extra serving of thest meal before execution, since the Jiang Family members have big appetites. On the morning of October 1st, Jiang Feng smelled the scent of National Day. Because he received a WeChat message from Mrs. Wang Xiulian. Mother: Son, the pigeons have already been delivered to the store. If you¡¯re awake, hurry over to deal with the pigeons. Your dad and I are waiting for you at the shop. The message was sent at 5:37 AM. Jiang Feng, who didn¡¯t wake up until the rm went off at 7:30 AM, sincerely praised Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s enthusiasm and vitality towards making money. After quickly washing up, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi left the house before 7:45 AM.
    By the time Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi each rode a blue bike to Taifeng Building, Wang Xiulian was already seated in the lobby, making ns. Upon seeing Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s arrival, Mrs. Wang Xiulian began assigning tasks: ¡°Feng, why are you sote? Didn¡¯t I tell you toe early today? Hurry to the kitchen and deal with your pigeons.¡± ¡°Minqi, go and help your Uncle Jiang in the kitchen too. I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t handle it on his own. Yueyue, are the reservations for the guests and their menus confirmed yet? Call and confirm with the guests again after nine o¡¯clock, the tables in our restaurant are very in demand during National Day, we absolutely can¡¯t afford mistakes in this area!¡± Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi walked towards the changing room. Wu Minqi looked back while walking, noticing that Wang Xiulian was more excited than usual, even louder than normal, totally unlike the usual her who would go to the surveince room and sleep till the afternoon. ¡°I feel like Mrs. Wang is particrly excited today,¡± Wu Minqi whispered. ¡°Normal,¡± said Jiang Feng, ¡°My mom gets very excited about spending and making money, especially during busy periods like National Day. Back when we had a health snack shop in Z city, my mom would go to the ughterhouse at 1 AM just to scramble for meat before National Day.¡± Jiang Feng looked around the hall and noticed that the decorations had indeed changed; all the two-seater, four-seater, and six-seater tables were adorned with festive looking cartoon standees, which he suspected could be reused for New Year if Taifeng Building was open then. Before Jiang Feng even reached the changing room door, he had a close encounter with a waitress who was dragging a promotional standee. At a nce, Jiang Feng could clearly see the bold and striking characters on the tall standee: Wee National Day, Limited-Time Discount! Jiang Feng peeked inside quietly, noticing that none of his dishes were there, all were Zhou Shi¡¯s specialties. It seemed that even Mrs. Wang Xiulian, the least ambitious employee with the lowest loyalty and most likely to resign or defect, wasn¡¯t nning on giving him a break; if sales were poor, discounts would make up for it. ¡°Need a hand?¡± asked Jiang Feng. The standee wasn¡¯t small in size, and it seemed quite heavy. Most importantly, it was awkward to handle, especially to drag, and lifting or carrying it would probably be impossible for the waitress given her stature. ¡°No need, Boss, go on with your work,¡± replied the waitress, a in beauty from Sector A who wouldn¡¯t dare ask Jiang Feng for help, as she contemted her precarious employment status. Jiang Feng nodded and walked off. The in beauty from Sector A continued to drag the standee with difficulty. Jiang Jiankang, loitering at the kitchen entrance: ¡­ How did his son manage to chase after Minqi? ¡°` Jiang Feng quickly changed into his work uniform and entered the kitchen, only to find his own dad squatting by the door cking off, so he reminded him, ¡°Dad, there¡¯s a spot behind that cab where people can¡¯t see you, and there¡¯s even a small stool there.¡±
    Jiang Jiankang immediately got the hint, ¡°Work hard, son. If you¡¯re too busy, just call Dad!¡± All morning, Jiang Feng had been dealing with squab, a task which required high skill to debone the whole bird, a skill only the furnace chefs at Taifeng Building possessed. Due to arge number of tables and private rooms being reserved in advance, many dishes had already been determined, keeping every furnace chef busy. Even if his father, Jiang Jiankang, who had said he would help after cking off, wouldn¡¯t be able to aid unless he grew a third hand or learned the art of cloning after 9 o¡¯clock. Even before opening hours, the kitchen bustled as if it were in full operation. ¡°Are the eggnts sliced already? Are there no more eggnts left?¡±
    ¡°Han, go check the menu to see if we missed anything.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this oven? Zhang Weiyu,e and see what¡¯s up with this oven?¡± ¡°I majored in Finance, not Mechanics, but let me check¡­ it seems like the main switch is the issue. You use another one for now, are the disassembly tools in the warehouse?¡± ¡°Who has seen the te for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon? Does anyone have a te for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡± ¡°This one¡­¡± ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Sang Ming?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± It was as hectic as if the restaurant were about to go out of business. 11:27 AM, lunch service was about to start. Jiang Feng knew that, at this critical moment, as the boss of Taifeng Building, it was time to say something to cement his supreme position as the boss. ¡°Ahem, everyone, quiet down a moment,¡± Jiang Feng pped his hands, and the lively kitchen fell into a brief silence. ¡°Today is the first day of National Day, and lunch service is about to begin in a few minutes. Everyone has done a great job with the preparations, and there have been no mistakes, the ordered dishes are all ready. But I want to emphasize again that these are the holidays of National Day, the customer flow is going to be massive, and so will everyone¡¯s workload, including mine. Not just today, but tomorrow and the following seven days, we cannot afford to make any mistakes in our dishes.¡±
    ¡°National Day is the peak tourism week, and our restaurant might wee a lot of tourists. Many of them will be visiting Taifeng Building for the first time, and it¡¯s crucial that we leave them with a great first impression. It¡¯s very important, so our dishes absolutely cannot have any mistakes. Directints and bad reviews from customers will affect your quarterly and annual bonuses, as you all are aware.¡± ¡°These days, I ask everyone to put in the hard work. Even our two senior chefs are persevering here despite their age. I hope everyone can ovee the hardship. Once National Day is over, I will issue bonuses.¡± ¡°Great!¡± The crowd apuded, mostly for thest three words. ¡°Lunch service is about to start, let¡¯s all get back to work,¡± Jiang Feng dered the meeting over. The kitchen instantly came alive again. ¡°How was it?¡± Jiang Feng asked Wu Minqi, feeling that his speech had been outstanding, even better than expected. ¡°Cool!¡± Wu Minqi gave him face, smiling, ¡°Your side¡¯s pigeon soup should be about ready; it¡¯s time to prepare the thickening sauce.¡± Chapter 425: 423: Things Remain the Same, But People Change Chapter 425: Chapter 423: Things Remain the Same, But People Change 11:30 AM, Taifeng Building officially opened for business. From 11:30 AM, the Ordering System would be activated, and regrs at Taifeng Building who had plenty of time would usually take their seats and choose their dishes before 11:30 AM, especially those aiming for the Sweet and Sour Yam and pure meat wontons. The situation for Li Hongzhang¡¯s hodgepodge was slightly better, with a set number of customers, and asionally it might not even sell out. Today was destined to be a day of particrly fiercepetition for Sweet and Sour Yam and pure meat wontons, and the lunch service had not even started yet. The VIP booths on the third floor had a 70% upancy rate. ¡°Ding ding ding ding ding¡­¡± ¡°Master, six orders of Sweet and Sour Yam and three orders of pure meat wontons!¡± Ji Xia, stationed in front of the tablet, called out hoarsely. ¡°Extend the preparation time by ten minutes, I haven¡¯t even finished thickening the sauce for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Jiang Feng responded just as loudly. National Day was a challenge not only for all the employees of Taifeng Building but also for the patrons. Those kings of the limited dishes who were leisurely but not necessarily wealthy met their Waterloo today; almost as soon as the Ordering System was activated, the waiters in the big hall could hear more than one customer eximing ¡°Damn,¡± ¡°Crap,¡± ¡°What the heck,¡± ¡°Holy shit,¡± and ¡°MMP.¡± In a matter of moments, the whole lobby of Taifeng Building was as noisy as a ssroom distributing summer vacation homework. Unlike the frank and open main hall, the patrons in the private dining rooms were rtively more understated. ¡°How¡¯s it going, how¡¯s it going? Did you get it?¡± Mr. Zhou, a wealthy and leisurely aficionado of Sweet and Sour Yam, anxiously eyed the tablet and kept asking Ouyang, who held the tablet, ¡°Ouyang, did you manage to get it or not? Ah,e on, give me some sign. Just hand me the tablet, and I¡¯ll check.¡± ¡°If you ask me, this restaurant¡¯s Ordering System is tooplicated. It just shows an exmation mark here without telling you if you¡¯ve sessfully ordered or not. Who knows if we got it?¡± Ouyang, who once single-handedly leveled up in a game, handed over the tablet to Mr. Zhou.
    Mr. Zhou took the tablet with a look of despair, ¡°Ouyang, aren¡¯t you so old that you¡¯ve got presbyopia? Didn¡¯t you see the ¡®sold out¡¯ under that exmation point?¡± ¡°I said I should have done the ordering. You insisted on doing it, and you even bragged about how fast you were at helping your son get some sh sale items. Did you manage to snap up any? You probably only win those sh sales with a ten thousand limit!¡± Mr. Zhou, who had missed out on the Sweet and Sour Yam, vented his frustrations at Ouyang. ¡°Gentlemen, sorry to interrupt. Would you like the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon to be served now?¡± A young and beautiful waitress, who had been quietly standing by the door watching the two patrons about to quarrel, joined the fray and broke up the impending fight. ¡°Serve it now.¡± Ouyang was immediately excited and looked at Mr. Zhou, who was still somewhat resentfully, and offered symbolic constion to his old friend, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you know. You can order it tomorrow when youe with your wife and children. Last time you didn¡¯t let me order, I was just curious, so I said I¡¯d try.¡± ¡°No matter how tasty Sweet and Sour Yam is, it¡¯s just a dessert. We¡¯re here for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon today.¡± ¡°When have you ever missed out on eating here?¡± Mr. Zhou decided to shake hands and make peace, changing the subject. Ouyang took a sip of the lemon water on the table, frowned, and turned to the waitress at the door, ¡°Miss, your lemon water isn¡¯t good here. Do you have any tea?¡± ¡°Youe to Taifeng Building and ask for tea? If you want tea, go to Yonghe House. Waiter, bring us two sses of sour plum drink, I forgot to order drinks when I made the reservation,¡± Mr. Zhou said. ¡°What¡¯s there to like about that sour plum drink? It¡¯s too sour to be enjoyable,¡± Ouyang dismissed Mr. Zhou¡¯s choice, though he didn¡¯t refuse it. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, Jubao Building¡¯s herbal tea is the best, especially on a hot day. None of the other ces canpare.¡± Mr. Zhou could only smile helplessly, knowing that Ouyang had grown up on Jubao Building¡¯s food and was a big fan, always insisting that it was the number one restaurant in Guangdong Province, with other establishments paling inparison. Wasn¡¯t he the same? Mr. Zhou was a bona fide Beiping local. His father and Ling Guangzhao¡¯s father were friends, and he had grown up eating the foods of Eight-treasure House. Once upon a time, Eight-treasure House was the number one restaurant in Beiping, in his heart, far surpassing ces like Yonghe House, Tongde House, and Ruyi House. s. Sigh. Though Jubao Building was not what it used to be, it still had its brand name and reputation wasn¡¯t too shoddy, with Grandpa Sun at the helm. Ouyang could shamelessly boast about Jubao Building being the number one restaurant in Guangdong Province all day long. But Eight-treasure House was utterly different. Without the old master chef, the vor of the dishes hadpletely changed, and Mr. Zhou, try as he might, couldn¡¯t find it in him to blindly praise Eight-treasure House like Ouyang did. Ouyang, seeing Mr. Zhou suddenly start sighing for no apparent reason, wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Just then, the waitress came in with two sses of sour plum drink, giving Ouyang an opportunity to praise Jubao Building. ¡°Why the sigh all of a sudden? I think you¡¯re just hot and haven¡¯t had any herbal tea. If you drank herbal tea every day like I do at Jubao Building, you definitely wouldn¡¯t be sighing,¡± he said. Mr. Zhou: ??? Mr. Zhou decided to take a sip of sour plum drink to calm down.
    ¡°Little sister, the sour plum drink is already here, why hasn¡¯t the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon been served yet?¡± Ouyang began to urge the dishes. He had put aside his business and especially returned from Australia just for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. ¡°The Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon needs to be thickened with a sauce aftering out of the pot, it should be served shortly. Please wait a moment longer, I¡¯ll go and hurry them up,¡± the waiter said. After the waiter left, Ouyang genuinely praised, ¡°Professional, even the waiters know the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon needs thickening right aftering out of the pot.¡±
    ¡°Ah,¡± Ouyang, recalling some rumors he had heard before, let out an involuntary sigh. Hearing Ouyang¡¯s sigh, Mr. Zhou couldn¡¯t help butugh, ¡°Yo, have you not been to Jubao House for a drink of herbal tea recently? What¡¯s with sighing just like me? Did the negotiations in Australia not go smoothly? Do you want me to pull some strings for you?¡± Ouyang gave Mr. Zhou a look that said you wouldn¡¯t understand, ¡°There¡¯s no problem with business. If there were, would I have the spare time to run back here to eat? I heard some insider news before, Jubao House might really be splitting up this time.¡± Mr. Zhou immediately sat up straight, serious, ¡°Splitting up? Ouyang, you can¡¯t just say things like that. It¡¯s one thing for others to spread rumors or for tabloid journalists to write nonsense, but it¡¯s differenting from our mouths.¡± ¡°I know, I also thought it was just a baseless rumor at first, but a few days ago I heard something.¡± ¡°What did you hear?¡± Even though they were the only two left in the private room, Ouyang still lowered his voice, ¡°Sun Channing (Sun Jikai¡¯s second uncle) sold all his property outside.¡± ¡°He sold them? For real?¡± Mr. Zhou looked incredulous, thinking that Sun Channing must be off his rocker to sell even the real estate. ¡°There¡¯s an eighty to ny percent chance it¡¯s true. I caught wind of this before the news got out; apparently, the prices were said to be quite lower than the market value, definitely in urgent need of cash. Sun Channing, who for decades stayed away from drugs, gambling, and vice, living like a model student, how could he suddenly be so desperate for money that he would dispose of his real estate at a low price?¡± Ouyang said with a sneer, ¡°This battle between the Sun brothers is making life uneasy for us patrons. You have no idea how much the quality of Jubao House¡¯s dishes has declined recently; their fight affects even us unrted bystanders.¡± Ouyang¡¯s words were full of resentment. ¡°Isn¡¯t Master Sun taking care of it?¡± asked Mr. Zhou. ¡°Master Sun is in the hospital. You know how it is with the old man, once he gets sick it tends toe and go. Master Sun hasn¡¯t fully recovered since hisst hospitalization and barely visits Jubao House anymore, always recuperating. Otherwise, would Sun Channing dare to overtly defy his elder brother and not y his role as the dutiful and filial son and grandson?¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. Master Sun is just in the hospital temporarily and isn¡¯t always unwell. Isn¡¯t Sun Channing afraid that Master Sun will settle scores with him after recovering?¡± Mr. Zhou felt there was more to it.
    ¡°How can he settle scores with his own flesh and blood? Before, when the Huang Family was causing a fuss¡­¡± As the waiter entered with a push of the door, their conversation came to an abrupt halt. ¡°Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, please enjoy,¡± the waitress said as she ced the freshly cooked Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon on the table. ¡°Do you need any assistance in slicing open the pigeon¡¯s belly?¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± Ouyang replied, taking the knife from the waitress¡¯s hand. Looking at the steaming Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in front of him, which, at first nce, appeared no different from the ones made by Sun Guanyun back in the day, Ouyang couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he sliced open the belly. The stuffing tumbled out, scattering across half the te, with the sauce sticking to it. It was as beautiful as a painting, almost too perfect to disturb with a spoon. Just like the first time Ouyang ate the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon at Jubao House. Ouyang scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. Delicate but still vorful, seemingly identical to what he ate back then. Yet it seemed to be missing something; although it was also quite good, it didn¡¯t quite measure up to his memory. Times have changed.
    Chapter 426: 424 Substitute Chapter 426: Chapter 424 Substitute Mr. Zhou and Mr. Ouyang both began to eat the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in silence, no longer talking. With something on his mind, Mr. Ouyang was not eating as slowly as before; instead, he suddenly began to swallow big bites rapidly and urgently, causing Mr. Zhou to frequently look up at him. Though his mood had changed, his taste buds remained honest. ¡°Ding, you have gained 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding, you have gained 999 experience points.¡± ¡°Ding¡­¡± That day, Jiang Feng was reminded of the previous fear he had felt when his screen was flooded with 999 experience points. Despite the surge of tion inside him, Jiang Feng kept a calm expression, his hands moved without hesitation, and his eyes carefully watched as he thickened the sauce on the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. After he had finished thickening the sauce on the three Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons in front of him, Jiang Feng turned to call Ji Xia, ¡°Xiaxia, could you go outside and ask to which private room the first two Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons were delivered?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Wu Minqi turned around to fetch a te of eggnts from the cooking station.
    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just suddenly realized that the timing for thickening the sauce on the first two pigeons may not have been quite right. I¡¯m sending Xiaxia to ask, so if the guests have anyints we can address them promptly,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ording to his deduction, the customer who gained 999 experience points from a single bite must have been from the first batch of two Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons that were served. ¡°Are you too tired? You have been busy all morning, perhaps you need a break?¡± Wu Minqi asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m not tired, I just might have been a bit out of it when I was thickening the sauce just now, but I¡¯m okay now.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s ability to fabricate lies had now caught up with the mainstream level of the Jiang Family. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Wu Minqi nodded and continued cooking. A short whileter, Ji Xia came running back. Whenever Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen got busy, Ji Xia would be out of a job, transitioning from a vegetable cutter to a messenger, seeing but not touching. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve just checked, the first two Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons were ordered by VIP clients in Private Room 888. There are only two guests in that room, both with thest name Zhou¡­ Zhou¡­ Zhou¡­¡± ¡°Master, hold on, I¡¯ll go and ask again,¡± Ji Xia began to run back. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Really, his silly apprentice was beyond help. ¡°Xiaxia¡¯s memory¡­¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t quite know what to say for a moment, ¡°It really doesn¡¯t match her age.¡± ¡°Xiaxia told me before that she hadn¡¯t memorized ¡®The Departure to War,''¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Thest time I quizzed her, she could only recite up to, ¡®The Emperor began his undertaking but halfway the path was cut,''¡± and then she couldn¡¯t continue, not a word more.¡± ¡°Whates after that?¡± Jiang Feng asked, equally puzzled. Wu Minqi: ¡­ Another while passed, and Ji Xia came back with a sticky note. ¡°Master, the names of those two customers are as follows, both are senior VIP clients of our restaurant. Mr. Zhou¡¯s name was too hard, so I¡¯ve copied it down for you,¡± Ji Xia stretched out her hand to show the sticky note to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng was busy thickening sauce and had no time to look: ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ll look in a bit.¡± With nothing to do, Ji Xia held up the sticky note beside Jiang Feng, like a eunuch attending to the Emperor.
    It didn¡¯t take long to finish thickening the sauce for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and in just a couple of minutes, Jiang Feng hadpleted the task for all the remaining pigeons. He then turned his head and finally saw the names on the paper. Ouyang Yang. Zhou¡­ Zhou¡­ What Zhou? What is this character?
    Jiang Feng was also stunned. Seeing Jiang Feng staring at the note with the expression of a student struggling in math ss, Wu Minqi leaned over for a look and said, ¡°Zhou Chang.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Mr. Zhou and Mr. Ouyang,¡± Wu Minqi added. ¡°Do you know these two customers, Qiqi?¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s interest was piqued, and he stopped preparing the Sweet and Sour Yam, opting to goof off instead. The pure pork wontons were already in the pot; boiling them a little longer wouldn¡¯t matter, as the core of this dish was to be hard to eat anyway, all the more beneficial for those art students seeking inspiration, fearless of death. Everything for the sake of the customers! ¡°These two customers are quite famous, especially Mr. Ouyang; he is a loyal fan of Jubao Building, the type who gets mad if anyone says half a bad word about it,¡± Wu Minqi said, and went back to work. With no juicy gossip to satisfy his curiosity, Jiang Feng could only continue making the Sweet and Sour Yam earnestly. Engrossed in the strenuous work, he could push even the juiciest gossip to the back of his mind. In another part of the building, Zhou Chang and Ouyang Yang, having paid their bill and chatted for a while, were getting ready to leave. The waiter at the private room¡¯s entrance opened the door for them, signaling that it was time for the staff outside toe in and clear the table. ¡°Old Zhou, do you know who reserved the y pot beggar¡¯s chicken here?¡± Ouyang Yang had just finished the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and had set his sights on the y pot beggar¡¯s chicken. ¡°Look at you, Ouyang, got addicted to freeloading, huh? Last time you freeloaded my y pot beggar¡¯s chicken and that¡¯s still not enough, now you¡¯re eyeing other people¡¯s tes,¡± Zhou Chang said helplessly, ¡°Forget about it, it¡¯s tough to reserve y pot beggar¡¯s chicken now. Those who do manage to reserve don¡¯t post on social media until after they¡¯ve devoured it to show off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a dish, what¡¯s the big deal?¡± Ouyang Yang said.
    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Didn¡¯t youe all the way back from Australia just for a dish? Is your flight tonight or tomorrow?¡± Zhou Chang asked. ¡°Tonight¡¯s,¡± Ouyang Yang said, ¡°This ce makes a good Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, but it still falls short of Master Sun¡¯s.¡± ¡°Master Sun hasn¡¯t made that dish in so many years, can you still remember the taste of his Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?¡± Zhou Chang was amazed by Ouyang Yang¡¯s die-hard fan level for Jubao Building. Ouyang Yang didn¡¯t answer. Of course, he remembered. Jubao Building wasn¡¯t just a restaurant to him; it was his childhood and his youth, filled with moments spent with his family and memories of fooling around with good buddies. He vividly remembered every vor tinged with those memories. This restaurant¡¯s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was indeed done well, even better than the ones made by Master Sun¡¯s disciples, but it still wasn¡¯t enough. Not good enough. ¡°Let¡¯s go, what shall we eat for dinner?¡± Ouyang Yang said. Unfortunately, he might never again taste the best vor. During the chat before the meal with Zhou Chang, Ouyang Yang hadn¡¯t mentioned the most crucial thing: He had heard a terrifying piece of news, a secret that couldn¡¯t be shared with anyone. Guanyun was not doing well. Jubao Building was not doing well, either. ¡°Ding, found an optional side quest,¡± the system notification suddenly rang out in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind.
    Jiang Feng¡¯s hand, which was salting the food, trembled, nearly causing him to over-salt it. ¡°Xiaxia, go see how many dishes I¡¯ve got left,¡± Jiang Feng felt he was only a few stir-fry dishes away from sudden death. ¡°I just checked, Master. You have two braised lion¡¯s head meatballs and one sweet and sour spare ribs left,¡± Ji Xia reported urately by Jiang Feng¡¯s side. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m going to the bathroom, can you cook thest two braised lion¡¯s head and the sweet and sour spare ribs for me?¡± Jiang Feng shouted, preparing to sneak away under the pretense of a break. Jiang Jiankang pretended not to hear. ¡°Xiaxia, your Shifu might not have heard you, go over there and repeat what I just said to him,¡± Jiang Feng yed his trump card. Receiving the order, Ji Xia ran to Jiang Jiankang. Before she could speak, Jiang Jiankang went from pretending not to hear to pretending to react slowly: ¡°Alright, son, go ahead, ande back quickly.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m getting old, everything¡¯s slow,¡± Jiang Jiankang mumbled to himself, thoroughly ying his part. Jiang Feng put down his spat and bolted. The main hall was still full of customers. It was only the first day of National Day, and Taifeng Building had reached its highest turnover rate in history. It was nearly two o¡¯clock and there were still guests arriving, while the kitchen¡¯s ordering system kept beeping intermittently. Jiang Feng even suspected that the kitchen staff wouldn¡¯tst until he could distribute their bonuses before they all dropped dead. Only now did Jiang Feng realize how essential Sun Jikai truly was. Such a greatbor force! Gone just like that, left without a word.
    The time hade for Taifeng to poach a couple of chefs from elsewhere, like Ling Guangzhao did. Just yesterday, Jiang Feng specially checked Zhou Shi¡¯s loyalty level¡ªit was a very stable 19, the kind that was always ready to jump ship. Once Zhou Shi left, the kitchen would be short of another source of cheapbor, and it would really be impossible to cope during the holidays. With a heavy heart, Jiang Feng entered the second-floor men¡¯s restroom and went into his private stall to check on the task, opening his attribute panel and epting the mission. [Substitute]: In Ouyang Yang¡¯s heart, Jubao Building is irreceable as the number one restaurant, even though it has been facing multiple adversities recently and seems to be on the brink of decline, its ce in Ouyang Yang¡¯s heart remains untouched. For Ouyang Yang, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by chef Jiang Feng is satisfactory, but not the best; the yer is tasked with creating an Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon that will astonish Ouyang Yang and substitute for it. Quest Hint: yers are encouraged to work hard on improving their fire control and seasoning skills. Quest Reward: A piece of Ouyang Yang¡¯s memory. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Jubao Building facing multiple adversities? Could it be that Jubao Building is going to close down? Ling Guangzhao¡¯s Eight-treasure House hasn¡¯t closed down yet, and now Sun Jikai¡¯s Jubao Building is about to close down? PS: Do you want my spin-off? If you do, I can give it to you, go find it! I¡¯ve put everything there¡ªon the public ount! (Start thump thump thump thump thump) Chapter 427: 425 Meet at the Teahouse (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!) Chapter 427: Chapter 425 Meet at the Teahouse (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!) After retrieving the task, Jiang Feng stayed in the bathroom stall to coolly analyze the situation for a while and decided to send a WeChat message to Sun Jikai to show his concern. The game definitely wouldn¡¯t lie; since it said that Jubao Building had recently suffered frequent mishaps and was heading towards decline, it meant that something must have happened there recently. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t received any news, and even the usually well-informed Wu Minqi hadn¡¯t heard anything. He couldn¡¯t just say, ¡°I heard through some grapevine that your ce hasn¡¯t been doing welltely, so I¡¯m sending a WeChat to check in.¡± After thinking it over, Jiang Feng decided to send Sun Jikai a message: ¡°Happy National Day!!¡± To avoid appearing abrupt, Jiang Feng made a special trip back to the changing room to get his phone and sent a ¡°Happy National Day¡± message to everyone except Sun Jikai. Then he sent one specifically to Sun Jikai; everyone else got one exmation mark, but Sun Jikai got two. Unfortunately, the hidden concern in these messages was something Sun Jikai would never notice. Having sent out the group message, Jiang Feng put his phone back in the locker and returned to the kitchen to continue working. The dishes had already been passed on to Mr. Jiang Jiankang to stir-fry, but the kitchen still needed to be cleaned. Jiang Feng just left his phone in the locker and didn¡¯t bother with the follow-up. Those who received the holiday wishes were a bit puzzled about why they were getting festival greetings for National Day now, but they all politely replied with either ¡°Same to you¡± or ¡°Happy National Day.¡± In Jiang Feng¡¯s WeChat list, there were a total of 198 people, most of them flesh and blood. The massive amount of simultaneous messages made Jiang Feng¡¯s phone vibrate crazy in the locker, like a phone call, with the green breathing light shing in the dark locker like a blinking eye in the gloom. Even Jiang Feng¡¯s high school head teacher, who hadn¡¯t been in contact for years and didn¡¯t post on Moments, replied with a ¡°Same to you.¡±
    However, among these response messages, there was none from Wang Hao. Wang Hao, who was sitting on the hard seat of a train, was hesitating about what to reply to his dear Feng, who looked after his meals. Because he had a hard seat ticket, Wang Hao had deliberately taken an early morning train so he could arrive by evening and, if lucky, make it in time for dinner. When he called Jiang Feng, he had 9.67 yuan left on his card. After a simple breakfast, only 6.67 yuan remained. Thankfully, he hadn¡¯t used up the bnce on his subway card, or else he would only have 2.67 yuan left. 2.67 yuan couldn¡¯t even buy a bottle of Nongfu Spring at the train station entrance. It¡¯s not that Wang Hao looked down on Nongfu Spring; it was just that it happened to be a bit cheaper than YiBao. Ever since he discovered the bnce in his card had mysteriously vanished after withdrawing cash once, he would always buy Ice Dew first if he forgot to bring water when out. If he couldn¡¯t find Ice Dew, he would then look for Nongfu Spring or Master Kang. He dared not even consider water brands like YiBao, Runtiancui, or Century Mountain. Wang Hao¡¯s train was due to arrive at 5:39 pm. Upon arrival, he had two options: first, to report to hispany and have them arrange amodation, or second, to head to Taifeng Building and mooch a meal off Jiang Feng. Theirpany operated on a 996 work schedule, which had very reassuring off-duty times. Wang Hao hesitated between settling down in a ce first or eating first. In the end, Wang Hao decided to report to thepany first. There was always time to eat, shameless as he was. After messaging Jiang Feng with an update on his schedule, Wang Hao started to randomly pick a lucky person from the list to borrow money from. 2.67 yuan wasn¡¯t only insufficient to buy water at the train station; it wasn¡¯t even enough for a subway ride. ¡­ Due to the lunch service ending a bitter than usual, by the time Jiang Feng and his colleagues finished cleaning up, it was already 3 pm. The two elder gentlemen were probably already sitting in the tea house, boasting about their exploits. Normally, the first thing Jiang Feng did after work was to rush into the changing room, take out his beloved phone from the locker, and start happily surfing the. But today, he was so tired that he didn¡¯t even feel like surfing the, and all he wanted was to find a cool ce to get some good sleep¡ªif there was a pillow toy his head on, that would be even better. Jiang Feng had his sights set on Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s designated sleeping chamber¡ªthe monitoring room. The monitoring room was not only air-conditioned and had chairs, but also had pillows¡ªthree pillows! ¡°Qiqi, do you want to take a nap in the monitoring room together? My mom left three pillows there.¡± Jiang Feng extended the invitation. Wu Minqi was very tempted and dly agreed. At this moment, Zhang Guanghang had already changed his clothes and left the changing room, ready to go to the tea house that the two elder gentlemen frequently visited. He nned to order a cup of tea, find a corner, and take a nap.
    The secret to the tea house¡¯s ability to remain a hidden gem in the city and still enjoy full patronagey in their especiallyfortable rattan chairs. Once you leaned back in them and lightly closed your eyes, you would swiftly drift into sleep. ¡°Zhang, do you want to go to the monitoring room to sleep?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Zhang Guanghang was startled; he hadn¡¯t expected Jiang Feng to have the same idea as him, to find a ce to sleep. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to the tea house to sleep with me? It¡¯s morefortable to sleep lying down in a rattan chair, and the air conditioning is just right,¡± suggested Zhang Guanghang.
    Jiang Feng was immediately tempted. ¡°Qiqi, how about we¡­¡± ¡°Go to the tea house.¡± Wu Minqi defected on the spot. ¡°Wait a sec, Orchid, she¡¯s changing her shoes,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. The afternoon¡¯s toughest job might have been Ji Yue¡¯s today. Not only did she arrive early for work, but she also became the most useful ¡®brick¡¯ in Taifeng Building, being moved wherever needed. d in high heels, she ran around all over the ce, even carrying four extrarge servings of porridge midway. Soon, Ji Yue walked out of the dressing room in casual wear and a pair of pink sneakers. Perhaps because she had walked too much and stood for too long in the morning and noon, Jiang Feng felt that Ji Yue seemed to limp a little as she walked. Jiang Feng turned and quietly asked Wu Minqi a question that had been bothering him for a long time, ¡°Do your feet hurt when you wear high heels normally?¡± ¡°They hurt,¡± Wu Minqi said, then thought about it and felt that as someone who doesn¡¯t usually wear high heels, she probably couldn¡¯t speak for the majority of women who do. So she added, ¡°I hurt, whether they hurt or not, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, time¡¯s ticking, we¡¯ve got toe back to work around four,¡± Ji Yue said. The four of them headed to the tea house together. Jiang Feng followed behind Ji Yue and after watching her walk a bit, he was sure she was indeed limping slightly. Out of a boss¡¯s concern for an employee, especially since Ji Yue still had to work for the next few days and couldn¡¯t afford to be incapacitated on day one, Jiang Feng asked with concern, ¡°Ji Gezi, is your foot okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just been walking all day. It¡¯ll be fine after a day¡¯s rest,¡± said Ji Yue, ¡°Mrs. Wang asked me to sit at the front desk tonight.¡±
    ¡°Do your feet hurt when you normally wear high heels?¡± Jiang Feng hurried to ask the burning question. ¡°They ache,¡± said Ji Yue. ¡°Is there a way to keep wearing high heels all the time like you do?¡± Wu Minqi asked, for sometimes she too wished to be able to strut in high heels for shopping trips like Ji Yue, as certain dresses simply looked better with them. Ji Yue was silent for a moment as they reached the front of the tea house. As she stepped to enter, Ji Yue said, ¡°Mostly, it¡¯s about enduring.¡± Four individuals, all under the age of 25, walked into the tea house, enough to draw the attention of the elder gentlemen there whose average age was over 60. Even on a holiday, a truly good tea house can ensure an average patron age over 60 years in the afternoon. Since Jiang Feng often visited the tea house to find the two old gentlemen, the waitstaff recognized him and greeted him as he arrived. Although the young waiter was a bit puzzled as to why Jiang Feng would bring three people this time, he showed nothing on his face and as usual, directed Jiang Feng, ¡°Grandpa Jiang is at table 17 on the 3rd floor.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not here to see anyone, we came for tea,¡± Jiang Feng said, then turned to ask the others, ¡°Shall we go to the 2nd floor or the 3rd? The 2nd floor is less crowded.¡± The implication was that fewer people meant better conditions for napping. Everyone caught on and enthusiastically agreed, ¡°The 2nd floor.¡± The young waiter took the lead while asking, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the honorable guests would like to drink. Our shop is famous for Longjing, Pu-erh, Tieguanyin, Chrysanthemum, and Cassia Seed tea, with the Cassia Seed tea being our specialty. You¡¯re wee to try it if interested. Of course, if you¡¯re not ustomed to it, you may have our lemon tea, which is quite tangy and can stimte the appetite.¡± Despite the National Day holiday, the tea house¡¯s business wasn¡¯t much busier than usual. On the second floor, there were nearly twenty tea tables set out, of which only seven or eight were upied. Most of the customers were asleep; only a handful, cradling their tea cups, were slowly savoring their tea, casting surprised nces at Jiang Feng and his group.
    For a tea house where the average age inside is over 60, this was pretty normal, especially since for the tea house¡¯s patrons, National Day was just the same as any other day¡ªthey didn¡¯t have to work anyway. ¡°Here¡¯s our tea house¡¯s menu for your perusal,¡± the waiter said in a hushed voice, considering that many guests were asleep on the 2nd floor. ¡°You may order by the cup or by the pot, and on the back, there are some snacks as well.¡± ¡°Lemon tea,¡± Jiang Feng dered, since he didn¡¯t drink tea anyway, and his purpose foring wasn¡¯t to have tea. He¡¯d rather have something familiar. Although he hadn¡¯t tried tea house lemon tea, he¡¯d had Vita lemon tea! ¡°Lemon tea,¡± said both Ji Yue and Wu Minqi, following suit. Zhang Guanghang had his own opinion. After reviewing the menu once more, he decided, ¡°Lemon tea.¡± ¡°Alright, four lemon teas, is that correct? Please wait a moment; I will bring them shortly,¡± the waiter said before leaving. Jiang Feng, Ji Yue, and Wu Minqi all fixed their gaze on Zhang Guanghang. The three of them hadn¡¯t brought their cell phones on this outing, leaving only Zhang Guanghang with a phone to set the rm. He immediately got the hint, took out his phone, and began to set the rm. Setting the rm seemed like a signal. The moment Zhang Guanghang put down his phone, everyone reclined on the wicker chairs in unison, shut their eyes, and started to sleep. The few awake elders who were curious to see what these young people would do in the tea house were taken aback: ¡­ Do young people these days really know how to have fun? Meeting up during the holidays just to sleep.
    Chapter 428: 426: Has He Gone Mad? Chapter 428: Chapter 426: Has He Gone Mad? In the afternoon, the sunlight was just right. Although the tea house was tucked away in a corner of the market street, the sunlight still spilled through the ss windows, falling squarely on the sleeping Zhang Guanghang¡¯s face as hey on the wicker chair. It shimmered on his cor and in his hair. Combined with his peaceful sleeping face, it just made one feel the tranquility of the passing years. Indeed, in this scene that seemed as if it belonged only in idol dramas or manga, Jiang Feng, Ji Yue, and Wu Minqi, who were sleeping next to Zhang Guanghang and not favored by the sunshine, had no names. They could only be three shadows hidden in the background. If this were a cafe, surrounded by countless petty bourgeois¡ªor those pretending to be, both girls wearing makeup and those whose makeup was almost worn off¡ªwould whip out their phones to snap ten continuous shots of Zhang Guanghang. They would select the best angle, pair it with their countless times retouched photo, post it on their moments with text like: ¡°Met a hunky mixed-race guy at the cafe today. His countenance as he peacefully rests, makes me wish time could stand still.¡±, or something along those lines. It was a pity this was a tea house, not a cafe, surrounded not by young girls but old men. Zhang Guanghang was leaning not on a sofa but a wicker chair, and the audience was none other than the waiter bringing up four cups of lemon tea. ? The waiter looked at the four sleeping people in front of him and slowly formed a question mark in his mind. The waiter deftly ced the lemon tea in front of the sleeping quartet and then tiptoed away. The four slept until Zhang Guanghang¡¯s rm went off, waking them. Still groggy, Jiang Feng suddenly realized Zhang Guanghang¡¯s wishful thinking as he looked at the now cold lemon tea in front of him. To refresh and awaken!
    Jiang Feng picked up his lemon tea and took a big gulp. Almost sprayed it out on the spot. Indeed, it was deserving of the name lemon tea, it was sour. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jiang Feng quietly put down the lemon tea. Zhang Guanghang had already gone to the first floor to pay the bill. Among the four of them, only Zhang Guanghang had brought his phone; thus, the heavy task of settling the bill naturally fell on him. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ji Yue stood up, ncing back wistfully at the wicker chair and sighed, ¡°This tea house¡¯s wicker chairs are reallyfortable to sleep on. After I get my paycheck, I¡¯ll buy the same model on Taobao.¡± The tea house owner would never know what really drew the customers to their ce. Once the group returned to Taifeng Building, they headed straight for the dressing room to change clothes. The first thing Jiang Feng did upon opening his locker was to check his phone to see if the world had undergone any major changes while he hadn¡¯t checked it, because thest time he woke up and checked his phone, a country had just left the EU. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know if the world had undergone any significant events, but he could tell that his WeChat had as he was normally someone with just a few friends, hardly anyone to chat with on WeChat, and all group chats muted. His WeChat had never been this lively. Wang Hao¡¯s message had already been submerged in the revelry of others. ncing at his WeChat for a moment, Jiang Feng put his phone back into the locker, got dressed in his work clothes, and went to work in the kitchen. Even though he felt like he had forgotten something, when he saw the row of squab waiting to be ughtered in the kitchen, he temporarily put aside all thoughts unrted to the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Even if the sky were falling down, it would have to wait until he had dealt with these Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeons. Looking at the row of pigeons in front of him, Jiang Feng thought it was time to seriously cultivate the kitchen¡¯s chopping block chefs because he might otherwise drown in the endless task of deboning whole pigeons. To properly cultivate the chopping block chefs and hand over the task of deboning whole pigeons to them was the only way out! Jiang Feng set his sights on Jiang Weisheng and Zhang Weiyu. There were several chopping block chefs at Taifeng Building, but only these two had names. Jiang Weisheng, as a disciple of Jiang Weiming, asionally took on the role of a Furnace Chef, while Zhang Weiyu had a natural talent and was often advised by the two old Sirs whenever they had time, evidently being nurtured for a Furnace Chef position. ¡°Mr. Jiang,¡± Jiang Feng decided to start with the diligent and eager-to-learn Jiang Weisheng, ¡°would you be interested in learning how to debone whole pigeons?¡± ¡°Debone whole pigeons?¡± Jiang Weisheng, who was busily chopping vegetables, suddenly looked up, stars sparkling in his eyes, the words ¡°I¡¯m willing¡± written all over his face, ¡°You know my level, Feng. I¡¯m slow at learning new things, and I¡¯m afraid I might not do well with such delicate tasks as deboning whole pigeons.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take your time to learn, you¡¯ve been a chef for so many years and your knifework is excellent, don¡¯t be so concerned. You see, I¡¯m obviously too busy to manage by myself, saying you should learn is actually my way of asking for your help,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Helping out is certainly no problem, but I must say the workload for this Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon is too much, the scheduling isn¡¯t reasonable,¡± Jiang Weisheng said, ¡°But your aunt will bring my son, daughter-inw, and grandson to visit me tomorrow, so during this National Day period, I probably won¡¯t be able to learn.¡±
    ¡°No problem, there¡¯s no rush for that, thanks, Mr. Jiang,¡± Jiang Feng replied with a smile. The surge of orders for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon today was actually a mistake by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, a problem Jiang Jiankang addressed with her after the lunch service had ended. But the bookings for National Day had already been taken, so even if they wanted to make adjustments, they would have to wait until after National Day, which meant Jiang Feng still had to endure the workload. Once the first task was done, Jiang Feng turned his attention to the second one. The bespectacled Zhang Weiyu.
    Zhang Weiyu had just overheard Jiang Feng¡¯s conversation with Jiang Weisheng, and knowing what wasing when Jiang Feng started looking at him, took the initiative to ask: ¡°Does ite with a pay raise?¡± Jiang Feng: ??? How can you, a Capital University finance major skilled in ironing, have nothing but money on your mind? ¡°Indeed, a raise,¡± Jiang Feng said, knowing workload increases shoulde with a financial incentive. ¡°I¡¯ll learn,¡± Zhang Weiyu agreed, ¡°after National Day.¡± During National Day, everyone was exhausted to death; even for extra money, he didn¡¯t have the energy to learn something new. Zhou Shi, who had been closely monitoring Jiang Feng¡¯s movements: ¡­ Having worked as a chef for many years and at various restaurants, Zhou Shi knew that while Taifeng Building was known for its peculiar style, he had not expected it to be this quirky. It was a ce where the boss could personally ask each chopping board chef if they wanted to learn how to debone a pigeon. Zhou Shi sighed. If only he could have encountered a ce like this when he first started out as a chef, it would have been great. Unfortunately, as good as the restaurant was, it couldn¡¯t give him what he wanted. Zhou Shi looked at Jiang Feng, who seemed to notice and turned to look back at him. Their eyes met, and Zhou Shi gave him a sincere smile from the heart. Jiang Feng: ???
    Zhou Shi¡¯s sudden friendly smile seemed a bit incongruent with his 19-point loyalty character. Jiang Feng returned to the cooking station, thinking about the friendly smile Zhou Shi had just given him, wondering whether Zhou Shi had been moved by their love and decided not to jump ship but to continue being exploited at Taifeng Building as a furnace chef who would have his bonus deducted every month? Jiang Feng looked around, everyone was busy with their own work, even Zhou Shi was actively prepping ingredients, so he quietly opened the employee management system. As expected, Zhou Shi¡¯s loyalty score had changed, from 19 to 17. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Is the game broken or is Zhou Shi out of his mind? Chapter 429: 428 Chapter 429: 428 A few hourster, Jiang Feng profoundly realized that he didn¡¯t know whether there was something wrong with Zhou Shi¡¯s brain or not, but if he had to maintain such a heavy workload for the seven days of the National Day holiday, he, the boss, would be the first to break down. Because of the National Day holiday, Taifeng Building extended its business hours, and when Jiang Feng finished work, it was already past ten o¡¯clock. For the first time, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t clean up the kitchen, not even his own cooking station¡ªjust clocked out and left. The others all expressed their understanding; Jiang Feng had been the busiest that evening. The reservations for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon were batched by time slots, and Jiang Feng was bustling with work almost every moment. Jiang Feng¡¯s busyness also made everyone deeply realize that it was not easy to be the Crown Prince. Yes, these past few days, Jiang Feng had acquired a new nickname¡ªCrown Prince. Now, Crown Prince Jiang was encountering the famous 996 on the street. Unlike their previous encounters, Crown Prince Jiang had just suffered through the most grueling overtime of his life, while 996 had just enjoyed one of the few vacations of the year. Crown Prince Jiang didn¡¯t have Wu Minqi by his side (she was still cleaning up in the kitchen), whereas 996 had just added a youngdy¡¯s WeChat at the dinner table. 996, feeling like he was walking in the clouds, and Crown Prince Jiang, feeling like he had just crawled out of hell, both noticed each other. 996 instantly recognized that Crown Prince Jiang hade back from overtime. He was all too familiar with the powerlessness, anger, despair, and bewilderment that followed such a work stint, which waspletely different from his own situation of having just added a beautiful youngdy¡¯s WeChat after a gathering. 996 proudly lifted his head.
    996 felt he had a great chance of winning. 996, with a look of disdain, walked past Crown Prince Jiang. Jiang Feng: ??? He felt that ever since Mid-Autumn Festival, this overworked soul he kept running into on the street had be increasingly strange. 996 hadn¡¯t noticed at all that Jiang Feng waspletely oblivious to his show of defiance and victory. After passing Jiang Feng, 996¡¯s thoughts became more jubnt, even more so than when he got the youngdy¡¯s WeChat. While walking and growing more thrilled, 996 slowed his pace and pulled out his phone to send the youngdy a message asking, ¡°Have you gotten home yet?¡± when he saw a message that popped up in a group chat he had joined long ago but in which he had always lurked. 996 quietly opened the group chat named ¡°Stress Relief Group,¡± a mysterious group that a colleague, with whom he had a good rtionship, had rmended to him. 996 had never spoken in it, mainly because he thought everyone in there was a bit off their rocker, behaving almost like cult members, with many of them using the names of dishes for their group aliases¡ªcrazy, if you ask him. Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge: Tomorrow at 11:30 am, second floor of Taifeng Building, private room 17, I¡¯ll be hogging dishes, there¡¯s one more spot, hurry up. Sweet and Sour Yam: Can Sweet and Sour Yam reliably snatch it? Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge: Normally yes, but not on National Day. Kung Pao Chicken: Ah, I didn¡¯t know Hodgepodge was in Beiping, what a pity, I¡¯m traveling with my wife and will miss out. Chili Fish Head: Haha, Chicken, who asked you to go on a trip at this time? With Hodgepodge snagging dishes, tomorrow¡¯s Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge is in the bag! 996: ¡­ He still held on to his opinion that the people in this group seemed to have something wrong with their brains. By the way, that Chili Fish Head was his colleague. But somehow the name Taifeng Building looked familiar. All of a sudden, 996 looked up, and what met his eyes was the signboard of Taifeng Building. He was standing right in front of Taifeng Building, where lights were still on and drawing attention. It was normal that 996 had not noticed it before since on usual days it was closed and dark by the time he returned. 996 was even unsure whether the Taifeng Building he was seeing now was the same one the people in the group chat were talking about. With this thought, 996 asked in the group. Happy Overtime: Is this the Taifeng Building you guys are talking about?
    Happy Overtime: [Photo] Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce: You must be new here, it¡¯s this one. [Smoking] Happy Overtime: Count me in for tomorrow noon. Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge: Okay.
    Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge: The group is full, no beingte, see you tomorrow. 996 set the rm, put away his phone and continued to walk to the shared apartment, cursing himself for being crazy ¨C instead of asking out the girl who had just added him on WeChat, he was nning to have dinner with a bunch of strangers. 996 felt that there might be something wrong with his brain as well. ¡­ After taking a shower once he got home, Jiang Feng¡¯s first action was to run downstairs to im Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s massage chair before she returned. The moment Jiang Feng sat on the massage chair and pressed the start button, he felt as though his life was granted by the massage chair. Massage chair. A splendid invention! The savior of those who work overtime! Comfortably lying in the massage chair, Jiang Feng began to happily y with his phone, checking his WeChat messages one by one and, amidst the general jollity, he discovered the message Wang Hao had sent in the afternoon. Jiang Feng: ¡­ It was over, he hadpletely forgotten that Wang Hao wasing to Beiping. Jiang Feng decided to make a phone call to mend the father-son rtionship between them.
    The phone was quickly answered, and it sounded like Wang Hao was still eating. The sound of his chewing was loud enough to be unmistakable. Jiang Feng¡¯s originally nned sympathetic words instantly turned into, ¡°What are you eating?¡± You were only left with $9.67. How can you still afford to buy something to eat and make it sound so delicious that even I¡¯m getting hungry. ¡°The curry beef bun from the convenience store downstairs, Feng, I¡¯ve discovered that even though these buns from the Beiping convenience stores are expensive, they taste much better than the ones sold in our school¡¯s canteen,¡± extolled Wang Hao enthusiastically about the convenience store¡¯s beef bun before he began to praise the beef rice, ¡°And this curry beef rice is also delicious. Although there¡¯s not much beef, the curry is just amazing. The fragrance, the vor, the curry is especially rich, and it tastes so good mixed with rice! I think I¡¯m falling in love with this convenience store.¡± ¡°Where did you get the money from?¡± Jiang Feng asked. He could believe $9.67 would get a curry beef bun, but curry beef rice seemed a bit far-fetched. ¡°I borrowed two hundred bucks from the ss monitor this afternoon,¡± said Wang Hao. And in the process, he inadvertently found himself another father. After all, the more fathers, the merrier. No harm in acknowledging a few more. ¡°How¡¯s the amodation over there?¡± Jiang Feng decided to show some concern for his roommate. ¡°Not bad, when I was on the train I heard it was a four-person room and thought it would be like our school dorm, but it turned out to be private rooms with a shared kitchen and living room, much better than I expected,¡± said Wang Hao. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe over to see me tonight?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Well, I saw you didn¡¯t reply to my messages, Feng, I was worried you were busy and that I¡¯d be interrupting your family business. I¡¯ve seen how busy your shop can be at school, sometimes not even having a moment to talk. Sorting out dinner at the convenience store downstairs was pretty good for me, and I¡¯lle see you tomorrow. I just asked around, and we interns don¡¯t have to work during the National Day, so I¡¯lle to you tomorrow morning,¡± said Wang Hao. Wang Hao¡¯s considerate behavior touched Jiang Feng deeply and he immediately said, ¡°When youe tomorrow, I¡¯ll let my dad make you pickled vegetable fried rice!¡± Anyway, I don¡¯t feel like cooking.
    ¡°Great, I haven¡¯t tasted Mr. Jiang¡¯s cooking for a long time. Sometimes I feel like the times I ate at your ce were all just a dream,¡± said Wang Hao. As he spoke, the taste of the curry beef bun in his mouth seemed to pale inparison, his appetite waned, and all he could think about were the pork hocks he had eaten before. ¡°Feng, is the shop busy? Should Ie over and help out tomorrow, since I¡¯m free and broke anyway?¡± ¡°No need, no need. But if you really want to help, I can ask my mom to find some clothes that fit you. What size are you wearing now?¡± Jiang Feng revealed his capitalist smile once again. Wang Hao on the other end of the phone: ??? Clothes? Chapter 430: 428 Melon Chapter 430: Chapter 428 Melon Jiang Feng and Wang Hao chatted about some trivial matters, mostly about whether there had been any juicy gossip at the school recently, what kind of person Wang Hao¡¯s newly acknowledged father was, who had finished their graduation thesis, who hadnded a dazzling internship, and who was going abroad¡ªall the kinds of gossip that every college student at the university was eager to gobble up. As the undisputed king of gossip at UAL University, Wang Hao indulged in all of it, not limiting himself to just his own college¡¯s gossip but also nibbling on tidbits from other colleges. As Wang Hao and Jiang Feng animatedly recounted the incident involving a student from the Foreign Languages College who had threatened to jump off a building, Wang Hao suddenly realized he had forgotten to share the most important piece of gossip with Jiang Feng. ¡°Oh right, Feng, not sure if you¡¯ve heard, but you¡¯ve been reported for cheating during an exam,¡± Wang Hao said. Jiang Feng was still immersed in the exquisite love triangle gossip that had led to the jumping threat and was caught off guard when suddenly, he had be the subject of the gossip. ¡°I was reported for cheating on an exam?¡± Jiang Feng was astonished. Wasn¡¯t the story about him passing in and out of the counselor¡¯s office seven times and surviving five trials and six exam papers still vivid in people¡¯s minds? UAL University was extremely strict about handling exam cheating, and once discovered, the consequence was immediate expulsion. During the exams, they conducted mass testing where only test papers from examinees in the same row were identical. Even someone like Wang Hao, who was on the brink of having to repeat a year due to failing grades, didn¡¯t dare cheat, as the choice between repeating the year and expulsion was quite clear. ¡°Who reported me?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Don¡¯t know, the counselor hasn¡¯t made it public. This news actually came from the ss monitor. Feng, have you offended someone?¡± Wang Hao asked. Jiang Feng was somewhat bewildered; he hadn¡¯t been to school for a year, and aside from Wang Hao, he hadn¡¯t seen anyone else¡¯s face to offend anyone. ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s a proverb that says ¡®It¡¯s easier to catch a thief across a thousand miles than to prevent a theft from the same distance.¡¯ We¡¯ll find out eventually,¡± Jiang Feng noted the matter, ¡°So what about that girl? Did she end up jumping?¡±
    Wang Hao: ¡­ Do you think being reported for exam cheating is less important than the juicy love gossip from the Foreign Languages College? It seems it¡¯s not, indeed. ¡°Of course, she didn¡¯t jump. If she had, there wouldn¡¯t be a follow-up story. Let me tell you, I don¡¯t know how many people were crowded underneath the building that day. Our Physics College was even alerted. I saw¡­¡± When Mrs. Wang Xiulian finished her ounts, looking pleased with herself, radiating the scent of money and carrying the joy of making money as she returned home, she saw her precious son sprawled out in her cherished massage chair. For a moment, Mrs. Wang Xiulian was angry. Her treasured massage chair had beenmandeered by her cherished son, which she had been looking forward to rxing in as soon as she got home! But quickly, anger turned into love, tolerance, and relief. Earlier on the way home, Jiang Jiankang had already exaggerated to her about Jiang Feng¡¯s toils of the day, describing him as being a pigeon¡¯s wing away from sudden death. Mrs. Wang Xiulian felt a mixture of distress and guilt¡ªdistressed for Jiang Feng, and guilty over the money. The order count for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was set by her, but behind that numbery countless little earnings. On one side was money, on the other her son. Naturally, Mrs. Wang Xiulian chose her son. ¡°Son, massage slowly. Do you want some juice? I¡¯ll have your dad make it for you,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian said lovingly. ¡°Orange juice.¡± Jiang Feng found that after making too many stuffed crabs, he had developed a fondness for oranges, just like his great-aunt. ¡°Jiankang, why aren¡¯t you making the orange juice for our son yet? He¡¯s exhausted himself today, and you didn¡¯t even offer to help him in the kitchen. You don¡¯t know how to take care of your own child, only thinking about cking off yourself instead of letting our son take a break too. It¡¯s outrageous!¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian raged. Jiang Jiankang: ??? In all fairness, the new way to ck off that he had discovered was actually taught to him by his son! Jiang Jiankang went into the kitchen to make orange juice, while Wang Xiulian stayed in the living room to have a heart-to-heart talk with Jiang Feng. ¡°Son, I know you¡¯ve had a tough day today¡ªit¡¯s your father¡¯s oversight. He didn¡¯t tell me how demanding it would be to prepare so many orders of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon in a single day. But since we¡¯ve already taken the orders for the National Day holiday, there¡¯s no way to cancel them. I¡¯ve thought of a solution though; I just called your granduncle and asked him to help you with the pigeons starting tomorrow. You know how good his knifework is, even faster than your dad at deboning whole chickens. Although he hasn¡¯t dealt much with pigeons, if you teach him, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll pick it up quickly,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian began shifting the me onto Jiang Jiankang.
    ¡°After the holiday, I¡¯ll adjust the ordering quota. Please bear with it for these few days. You know how tough it¡¯s been for our family. The debt to your grandfather keeps me awake at night. I booked so many orders this time because I was hoping we could sell more and earn a little extra to pay off some of that debt by the end of the year. Your original dishes didn¡¯t fetch high prices, and you were only making six servings of the Sweet and Sour Yam a day. Don¡¯t you see how anxious I was? This time I was wrong, and I admit it,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian sincerely reflected. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mom. It¡¯s not that exaggerated. It¡¯s just a bit busier than usual. I can handle the National Day rush,¡± Jiang Feng said, deeply moved, and immediately offered to work overtime. ¡°Good boy, I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me down!¡± Wang Xiulian was veryforted. A touching scene of maternal affection and filial piety unfolded.
    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s your crab-stuffed orangeing along? I noticed you¡¯ve been working on it recently, and the taste seems fine to me. If it¡¯s ready, let¡¯s get it on the menu soon. Crab season onlysts a few months, and we can¡¯t afford to waste time. Once the season is over, the price of crabs will skyrocket, and imported oranges aren¡¯t cheap either. Crab will cost much more,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian advised. ¡°Soon. I think after the National Day rush, another ten days or so of research, and it should be about ready,¡± Jiang Feng replied. Even though he didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d be able to make an A-grade crab-stuffed orange, Mrs. Wang Xiulian was right about the brief crab season. Due to its strong seasonality, this dish was destined to be a limited-time offering. Jiang Feng had nned to add the crab-stuffed orange to the menu in November, but with Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s eagerness, mid-October wasn¡¯t out of the question. A B-grade crab-stuffed orange, a specialty that few could master, couldmand a high price on the menu. Now that Ji Xia¡¯s efficiency and speed in crabmeat picking had improved due to training, Jiang Feng felt it was time to teach her how to prepare the oranges next. It didn¡¯t matter if she was slow, as long as she did it well. For some reason, Jiang Feng felt that the crab-stuffed orange might be the first dish he would teach Ji Xia. It was challenging, and for her, it would be a significant test. Yet, when he saw Ji Xia tirelessly picking crabmeat to the point of disgust yet still working with enthusiasm, it was clear she wasn¡¯t just being pushed by her mentor. She truly loved the dish. She loved not only eating it but also making it. Typical Ji Xia. Always standing out from the crowd. Chapter 431: 429: Why Not Try a Bowl of Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge Chapter 431: Chapter 429: Why Not Try a Bowl of Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge Early the next morning, Wang Hao headed to the Taifeng Building with his most valuable possession at the moment¡ªa smartphone¡ªguided by Baidu Maps. His Alipay ount held the two hundred yuan he had borrowed from his second father (note ¢Ù) the day before, and although it was reduced to a little over one hundred after a long andvish dinner, Wang Hao was unafraid. Because starting today, he was to be looked after by his big father (same note¢Ù)! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the Taifeng Building didn¡¯t do breakfast business, Wang Hao even had the urge to replicate his high school senior year mornings¡ªwaking at five to ride his bike to Taifeng Building. Not having seen Mr. Jiang for a few months, Wang Hao wondered whether his cooking skills had improved. Sitting on the subway, which was not too crowded since it wasn¡¯t quite rush hour yet, Wang Hao had his eyes fixed on the Baidu Map navigation, looking forward to his destination and worrying that he might miss his stop if he wasn¡¯t careful. As for why it was Baidu Maps and not Gaode Maps, ever since Wang Hao had been directed to go straight into a river by Gaode Maps, the app had vanished from his phone for good. Under the guidance of Baidu Maps, Wang Hao did not end up in the river but did leave early and arrivete¡ªhe set out at seven and didn¡¯t get there until ten. The oue was always good, at least he had arrived. Standing at the entrance of the retro, grand Taifeng Building, a standalone structure in the bustlingmercial district that seemed to constantly emit an aroma of ¡®I¡¯m very rich,¡¯ Wang Hao hesitated. He felt that all his previous guesses had been correct.
    Feng must be the sessor of a legendary hidden culinary family¡ªno, a hidden chef family! His previous obscurity was because he hadn¡¯t yet passed the family¡¯s trials, and now that he had, he was surely back to inherit the family business. In the future, Feng would definitely dominate the culinary world, just waiting for him to master the legendary Jiang¡¯s Star de Skill, and he would be able to¡­ Hold on, how could the sessor of a mighty hidden chef family only inherit a single restaurant? Wang Hao calmed down and analyzed for a while, then quickly found a satisfactory exnation. Certainly, Feng hadn¡¯tpletely passed the family trials. Yes, that must be it. Since Feng hadn¡¯t won the championship in the Good Taste culinarypetition, he hadn¡¯t passed the trial, and Taifeng Building was the second trial given by his family. Compared to the first one, the second would definitely be harder¡ªperhaps to make Taifeng Building the number one restaurant in Beiping or something of the sort. Just thinking about it made Wang Hao feel the burden on his shoulders was incredibly heavy. He, Wang Hao, as Feng¡¯s close friend and only roommate, should naturally shoulder the responsibility to help Feng through this difficulty without hesitation. Wang Hao straightened his chest and walked into the Taifeng Building. Ji Yue, looking lively and spirited after a night¡¯s rest and in her stiletto heels navigating through the lobby, caught sight of Wang Hao at first nce. Wang Hao was her old coworker¡ªback at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Wang Hao frequently came to help out, excelling at cleaning and serving dishes, and when necessary, he could even help wash vegetables in the kitchen. He could be considered a capable right-hand man. Jiang Feng had told Ji Yue the night before that Wang Hao wasing back to help today, so Ji Yue was wondering if he had changed his mind to tour around Beiping, seizing the time to have fun instead ofing. Turns out, Wang Hao dide after all. ¡°Wang Hao!¡± Ji Yue ran towards him in her heels, ¡°You finally came; I¡¯ve been waiting for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the route, which caused me a long dy¡ªotherwise, I¡¯d have arrived much earlier.¡± Ji Yue¡¯s reaction further confirmed Wang Hao¡¯s suspicions¡ªhe knew how important he was to Feng! ¡°I¡¯ll go get your uniform, wait here a sec.¡± Ji Yue went to fetch the uniform she had already prepared for Wang Hao from the front desk and handed it to him, saying, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. The male waiter in Room 17 on the second floor fell down the stairsst night while ying with his phone and he¡¯s still in the hospital. We were nning to transfer a waiter from the first floor, but now you¡¯re here.¡± Wang Hao: ??? This storyline was a bit different from what he had imagined. ¡°Why not transfer from the first floor?¡± Wang Hao asked. ¡°It¡¯s not very convenient,¡± Ji Yue said in a hushed voice. ¡°Last week, Mrs. Wang recruited over a dozen hospitality management interns from a university; they all have good credentials but a bit of an ego, looking down on the lobby positions and scrambling for the upstairs private rooms. Even if they are qualified, we can¡¯t let interns take on the private room assignments, especially now during the national holiday when it¡¯s incredibly busy. It¡¯s better to avoid stirring up trouble¡ªif we were to transfer someone directly from the lobby, who knows what might happen. Just help out for a few days, the private room is easy to handle. You just need to be in charge of serving dishes at the door; there¡¯ll be specific waiters to deliver dishes to the window. If there¡¯s any issue, just call me.¡± Wang Hao felt that he had be slightly more important once again. Wang Hao took the uniform to the changing room and got dressed. The newly appointed temporary waiter for Taifeng Building¡¯s second-floor Room 17, Wang Hao, officially started his shift.
    The temporary worker, Wang Hao, was a bit nervous. He had experience being a waiter. As someone who was chronically short of money, Wang Hao often worked part-time during his summer and winter breaks to earn some pocket money. When he couldn¡¯t find a tutoring job, he would take on odd jobs as a waiter at some n City hotels for a day or two, being paid daily, earning more than ten yuan an hour and getting two meals for carrying tes in the lobby. It was his first time being a box room attendant. All thanks to Feng¡¯s blessing!
    Wang Hao eximed. After a moment of reflection, Wang Hao suddenly realized, wait a minute, Feng seemed to only take care of the meals and not the money. Wang Hao decided to eat a bit more at lunch to make up for the money squeezed out of him by the capitalist Jiang Feng. At that moment, the capitalist Jiang Feng was closely observing the fire control for the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge in the kitchen. With Jianguo¡¯s help, Jiang Feng¡¯s day was much easier, and he even managed to find asional opportunities to ck off andpete with his biological father, Jiang Jiankang, for the right to im the cking off sanctuary. If it weren¡¯t for the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge being almost ready, Jiang Feng felt he could ck off a bit longer. Ji Xia was next to Jiang Feng, observing the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge with him. After being fed by the Jiang Family¡¯s food for a while, Ji Xia¡¯s pte had also be a bit spoiled. With broader horizons and more exposure, she no longer solely pursued meat, but started a higher level of pursuit. Ji Xia now started pursuing delicious meat. For instance, the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. Every day Ji Xia could see Jiang Feng making 6 portions of sweet and sour yam and 3 portions of pure meat dumplings as well as many other dishes. Even pickled vegetable dumplings, Jiang Feng could sometimes make several portions in a day, yet there would only be one portion of Li Hongzhang hodgepodge made, and sometimes not even that. Ji Xia really didn¡¯t understand, the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge was so good, ample in portion and good-looking, full of vegetables and meat that seemed very healthy at a nce, and was stewed in chicken soup that smelled delicious. How could such a great dish be overlooked by customers? The master was the same, making such a great dish only once a day. If it was a matter of being troublesome, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and the orange-stuffed crab were much more difficult than the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, yet the master still made many portions of those each day, didn¡¯t he? Ji Xia stared at the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge in front of her, her eyes filled with desire to eat.
    It must be delicious! ¡°Xiaxia, what time did the customer who reserved the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge specify?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Half past eleven,¡± Ji Xia replied. ¡°The time is about right,¡± Jiang Feng said as he turned off the heat and began ting. He taught while ting. ¡°Xiaxia, look, there aren¡¯t any fixed requirements for ting this dish; it¡¯s all based on our feeling. Take this Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, for example, since the ingredients have different colors, if you arrange them ording to color like I do,yer byyer, circle by circle, it will have a sense of hierarchy when overturned. The colors should progress in order, simr to a gradient. Otherwise, it will look abrupt to the diner,¡± Jiang Feng exined while he worked. Ji Xia watched from the side, her mouth watering internally. Arranging the ingredients was a meticulous task, requiring consideration of not just colors but also shapes and sizes of the ingredients. Jiang Fengyered them slowly, like the petals of a rose bloomingyer byyer, eachyer more captivating than thest. It took Jiang Feng almost ten minutes to arrange the food before he topped it with the chopped ingredients, poured on the original broth, and ced it into the steamer. ¡°Many dishes, especially the big ones, require multiple and even repeated processes to be properly vored. So, when cooking, you have to be patient and cannot be annoyed by the trouble it might take. A single misstep could ruin the vor of the entire dish. Good food is worth the wait. To be a good chef, whether Red Chef or White Chef, but especially White Chef, you must first have patience,¡± Jiang Feng said. Ji Xia nodded on the side, showing she had taken note. ¡°Steam this for another ten minutes, and it should be about ready toe out. You watch it from here, see if you can notice anything. I need to go take care of something else,¡± Jiang Feng said, then he went off to deal with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Ji Xia stood by the pot. The lid covered everything, so she couldn¡¯t see much, but she could definitely smell it.
    This dish must be delicious! The closer she got to its aroma, the more delicious it seemed, the chicken soup particrly fragrant! Ten minutester, the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge was ready. Jiang Feng finished hisst ting, then poured over Li Hongzhang¡¯s hodgepodge the thickened sauce prepared with rice broth and original broth, and finally drizzled it with cookedrd, instantly making the dish so aromatic that even within the kitchen it was very eye-catching. Who could have imagined that such a dish, brimming with color, fragrance, and vor, would move everyone who tasted it to tears? ¡°Xiaxia, could you go check if the guests in Room 17 have arrived?¡± Jiang Feng said. The dishes were ready earlier than expected¡ªit was only 11:17 am, and Jiang Feng worried that the guests had not yet arrived. Ji Xia quickly went to inquire. Within two minutes, Ji Xia came back: ¡°Master, they¡¯ve arrived, and it seems quite a few people havee. I¡¯ve already had Sister Hui to ask if we can serve the food.¡± In Room 17, 996 was a bit nervous. He had a strong feeling that something was off about these people. They had agreed to meet at 11:30 am. In a time when being ky wasmon, it was already quite extraordinary to not bete, but not only were these people punctual, they had all arrived so early. He was actually thest to arrive! Bear in mind, he had arrived at 11:15 am!
    And he had arrived early! 996 nervously observed his surroundings. Everyone looked exhausted¡ªjust like him, corporate drones who were probably also suffering from the 996 work schedule, and maybe even worse off. Despite this, they were all excited in an unusual way, not like the excitement of having a day off or getting a raise, more like the thrill of scolding a superior or beating up a customer. 996 nced at the waitress at the door again. She too was different. The other servers at the restaurant were either young and beautifuldies or handsome young men, and even the less stunning ones provided a pleasing view at a nce. Only this one seemed out of ce, with her average looks, a bit of weight, and slightly darkplexion, not fitting in with the other servers at this establishment. 996 thought about a lot of things. He remembered news stories he¡¯d seen before. A man meets up with someone from the inte he¡¯s never met before, and the next day, is found dead in the wilderness. A man meets up with someone from the inte he¡¯s never met before, and the next day, discovers he¡¯s missing a kidney. A man meets up with someone from the inte he¡¯s never met before, and is never heard from again. 996 wanted to leave. Just as he was about to stand up and say, ¡°Ah, my boss just messaged me to fix a bug, I have to work overtime. Sorry guys, I¡¯ll have to leave first,¡± the door opened. A young, beautiful waitress came in and asked, ¡°Sorry to disturb, but is it possible to serve the dishes now? The Li Hongzhang hodgepodge is ready in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Serve the dishes,¡± the organizer of the gathering, Red Chef, said. 996 was horrified to find everyone in the room buzzing with excitement. The private room, to him, no longer held any difference from a scene in a horror movie. Even the bright lights seemed dim in his eyes, the guests¡¯ use of their phones felt like a sign, and every time the waitress at the door lifted her head, it was like a secret signal. 996, trembling, picked up his phone, intending to interrogate his colleagues about just who were these people in the group. The dishes were served. Wang Hao, who had been daydreaming by the door concocting marketing copy, suddenly sprang to life and went to collect the dishes, and boy, they were heavy. It truly lived up to being a dish from Mr. Jiang¡¯s establishment. 996 looked at the dish Wang Hao was holding. Lifting the lid. 996 was stunned. It looked good. And it smelled nice. One look, one sniff, and he knew it was delicious. 996, ustomed to surviving on cafeteria food below hispany¡¯s building, had never tasted such delicious pigeon eggs. Even though he didn¡¯t know they were pigeon eggs, it didn¡¯t stop him from thinking they tasted great. Better than the tea eggs his grandmother used to make! Just as 996 was about to reach for a second helping, tears streamed down his face. Not from sadness, but from release. Crying, yet the man felt extremely relieved as if all the pent-up misery umted over the years was suddenly being expelled through his tears. The bitterness of overtime, coding, fixing bugs, taking me for bugs he didn¡¯t write because he took a leave of absence, not having anyone to pass the buck to when clientse knocking after a colleague leaves. All negative emotions left his body with the tears at that moment. Crying, yet he felt happy. An unprecedented sense of relief. He almost wanted to cry more, to experience this intense, cathartic release a few more times. The entire private room was filled with crying. Everyone cried openly and unabashedly, tears streaming down their faces. The single box of tissues on the dining table was no longer sufficient; the seasoned diners all had their own tissues while 996, new to the scene, had to borrow from someone next to him. Wang Hao was stunned. Were these people¡­ mad? Was Feng¡¯s family restaurant this stirring? . Note¢Ù: The use of ¡°Big Daddy¡± is taken from chapter 428 by bookfriend 2019082193725824. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 432: 430 Chapter 432: 430 The 996 workers werepletely conquered by the Taifeng Building. The bystander Wang Hao was already scared silly by this group of people. Really, even with all his knowledge, he, Wang Hao, couldn¡¯te up with such a bizarre plot. The waiter who was delivering dishes ced the spicy chopped pepper fish head and the vegetable-stuffed chicken at the service window. He had been about to turn away when he suddenly remembered the supervisor¡¯s instructions and added one more thing, ¡°The marriagebo meal.¡± Wang Hao was still immersed in the shock of the recent outburst of crying and suddenly felt inspired to pick up his once abandoned forum serial novel, to step out of the pce and return to his original aspirations. Delivery waiter: ??? Where did the supervisor find such an unprofessional waiter? Is it for free, using such an unprofessional person? ¡°Buddy, buddy!¡± The delivery waiter raised his voice, pulling Wang Hao back from his deep thoughts into reality. ¡°Ah? Oh, the dishes are ready, right?¡± Wang Hao walked over to the small service window, ready to serve the food.
    Upon inspection, hey, isn¡¯t this the spicy chopped pepper fish head made by Feng? During his freshman and sophomore years, Wang Hao had eaten countless rib meals and various noodles made by Jiang Feng, and in the past few months at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, Jiang Feng often insisted on not wasting food by making Wang Hao a guinea pig for his new dishes. Wang Hao could still recognize Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking. Wang Hao stared thoughtfully at the spicy chopped pepper fish head and the vegetable-stuffed chicken in front of him, his thoughts running wild. That dish that seemed to have tear gas hidden in it appeared to be made by Feng as well. He hadn¡¯t expected Feng¡¯s cooking to be not only popr but also to retain its powerful effect; the mushroom soups he used to make only caused people to want to chop up the chef, and now they could actually make people cry. Indeed, it was ssic Feng! ¡°This is the marriagebo meal,¡± instructed the delivery boy as he left. Wang Hao picked up the tray and started serving the food. ¡°Marriagebo meal, please enjoy,¡± Wang Hao said, steadying the dishes on the table. ¡°Hey, hodgepodge, you even snagged the marriagebo meal, when did you grab it?¡± A man at the table, still with tear stains on his face, looked on in surprise. The Li Hongzhang hodgepodge dish required a lot of prep work and was bothplicated and time-consuming. Since it targeted a specific audience, thepetition wasn¡¯t fierce, so it was possible to book it in advance, but the marriagebo meal had to be snatched up. Although most diners didn¡¯t understand the true meaning of this dish, it didn¡¯t stop them from trying to grab it. If they couldn¡¯t secure Jiang Feng¡¯s pure meat wontons or the sweet and sour yam, surely they could get the marriagebo meal? This mindset made Jiang Feng¡¯s marriagebo meals extremely popr on the weekends. ¡°Did you manage to grab the sweet and sour yam?¡± A woman who had been crying particrly loudly earlier was now looking expectantly at the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. ¡°No,¡± the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge shook his head. Everyone immediately looked disappointed. ¡°Sigh, if hodgepodge couldn¡¯t get it, then it must be really hard.¡± ¡°Indeed, the National Day dishes are tough to get. I didn¡¯t expect that even hodgepodge himself couldn¡¯t grab it this time.¡± ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ll be posted down south in a couple of days. I thought I could take this chance to have the sweet and sour yam onest time, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± Aside from rookies like the 996 workers, everyone else in the dpression group was a regr at the Taifeng Building. As regrs, they wouldn¡¯t be content with just a few bites of the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge and a good cry; naturally, they aspired for something better and of a higher standard. Like the sweet and sour yam.
    The group admin of the dpression group, known as Li Hongzhang hodgepodge in the chat and affectionately called hodgepodge by everyone, was the initiator of this gathering and was the person best at securing dishes in the entire group. The onlooking Wang Hao naturally didn¡¯t know any of these insider details; he simply thought that this apparently sessful man had such a weird name, hodgepodge, which sounded like an insult. Now that the dishes were being served, the atmosphere in the private room returned to its convivial state as if the previous crying had never happened. Everyone¡¯s face held a smile as they started chatting quietly with the person next to them. The content of these conversations was nothing more than whether yourpany has been making you work overtimetely? You only stayed until 11 o¡¯clockst week? Notte at all;st week, my boss made us rush on a project, and we worked overtime until one or two o¡¯clock every day.
    Or how about that difficult client of yourstely? Made you revise the work again, up to 98 times now? Sigh, I haven¡¯t had it as tough as you; the most revisions I¡¯ve done for a client is just over 60 times. The talks sounded as if they were describing some kind of earthly hell. Everyone seemed like old friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other in days, gathering to collectivelyin about their bosses and clients, instantly filling the air with a sense of joy. Only the 996 could not blend in with them. The 996 worker felt like there was still something unexpressed inside of him, yearning for another bite of the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. But he didn¡¯t want to spoil everyone¡¯s festive mood by crying alone, so he just sat there, conflicted. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re new here, aren¡¯t you? A programmer?¡± The middle-aged man who had earlier lent him a tissue, sitting beside 996, took the initiative to strike up a conversation. 996 was taken aback, ¡°How did you know?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but use honorifguage. The middle-aged man smiled without saying a word. ¡°Sigh, that young guy over there must be a neer, right? Come on, don¡¯tpete with the rookie for food. Pass the dishes around, leave him a chicken wrapped in leaves.¡± The woman who had asked if anyone got the sweet and sour yam earlier noticed 996. ¡°Exactly, exactly, don¡¯t fight with the neer for food.¡± The others chimed in one after another. The fish head with chopped chili and chicken wrapped in leaves made their way in front of 996. ¡°The fish head with chopped chili in this ¡®Fate Combo¡¯ tastes alright, eat it while it¡¯s hot,¡± the middle-aged man said.
    996 picked up a piece of fish. A thickyer of chopped chili covered the fish, which was exceptionally fragrant due to the hot oil, making the spiciness particrly intense. However, if one just peeled away the outeryer of skin, the fish meat underneath was still snowy white. As 996 didn¡¯t eat spicy food, he didn¡¯t dip it in the soup and just picked a white, tender piece of fish meat. Upon tasting it, it was fresh and delicious, with a hint of spiciness. Then, 996 turned his gaze to the chicken wrapped in leaves next to him. Seeing that there were only three pieces left on the te, he hesitated for a moment: ¡°This¡­doesn¡¯t seem quite right.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? It was the same for us when we came for the first time. We¡¯ve all had these dishes before; it¡¯s fine, just go ahead and help yourself,¡± the woman said. 996 took a piece of the chicken wrapped in leaves. He tasted it. It didn¡¯t make much of an impression. He wasn¡¯t a Beiping person and had no special memories associated with the chicken wrapped in leaves; he hadn¡¯t even heard of it beforeing to Beiping. Moreover, Jiang Feng¡¯s chicken wrapped in leaves was just mediocre, so for 996, it didn¡¯t appeal to him as much as the fish head with chopped chili did. 996 wanted to pick up another piece of fish head with chopped chili, but before he could extend his chopsticks, he remembered the youngdy fromst night who had given him her WeChat ID at dinner. 996 had fallen in love with the youngdy at first sight the previous night, which was why he¡¯d mustered the courage to ask for her WeChat ID. He had expected to be rejected, but to his surprise, the youngdy had given it to him quite readily¡ªa readiness that led 996 to the delusion she might also have a good impression of him. 996 was nning to engage in some awkward chat for a few days before confessing his feelings, but now he felt there was no need to wait.
    996 took out his phone. 996 opened WeChat. 996 sent a message. 996 looked anxious. Unexpectedly, the reply came instantly. A Jing: Yeah, handsome, what¡¯s up? 996 was still pondering how to start the conversation when another message popped up. A Jing: Handsome, you were the one wearing the white shirtst night, right? I remember you, you were the only one drinking tea while everyone else was drinking alcohol. A Jing: Handsome, looking to buy some tea? Xiao Guan Tea, absolutely guaranteed quality. 996¡¯s romance hade to an end. 996 was inconsbly sad. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened? Sigh, don¡¯t talk, just pass the dishes here, pass the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge over.¡± Everyone else was happily eating, but only 996 was sadly crying.
    ¡°This neer seems to really be under a lot of pressure; he¡¯s been crying longer than I did when I first came here.¡± A person at the same table couldn¡¯t help but shake their head and sigh. Wang Hao: ¡­ Why is there crying again? ¡°Kung Pao chicken.¡± The food delivery guy called for Wang Hao from outside, and when Wang Hao showed up, he turned to leave. ¡°Hey, hey, buddy, wait a second, can I ask you something!¡± Wang Hao stopped the delivery guy. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be calling the police or dialing 120 for the customer who has been crying since earlier?¡± Wang Hao asked. ¡°No need, they ordered the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge; it¡¯s normal for them. You didn¡¯t see downstairs¡ªthere are a few crying even harder than this in the lobby. I heard they¡¯re art students looking for inspiration and came here to cry. But it¡¯s okay; they only shed tears without making noise and don¡¯t disturb other customers.¡± The delivery guy exined. Wang Hao: ??? Chapter 434: 432: The Moment at the Third Quarter of the Noon Time Chapter 434: Chapter 432: The Moment at the Third Quarter of the Noon Time After the National Day holiday ended, everything returned to normal. Wang Hao¡¯s internship at the advertisingpany officially began. Every day he served tea, poured water, and bought coffee, buns, fried dough, and soybean juice. From his first day at work, he made an effort to build good rtionships with his colleagues and soon learned where the cheapest meals and most conscientious boxed lunches were avable near thepany and the employee dormitory. Wang Hao also struck up a deep friendship with an older, thirty-year-old single male colleague who lived upstairs and knew how to cook. Whenever he had free time, he would go mooch a meal¡ªthough it wasn¡¯t entirely for nothing, as he lent the colleague his Steam ount. Thanks to his good rtions with the staff, Wang Hao managed to survive on the little over a hundred yuan in his card until the 15th, when he received his living expenses, paid off the installments he owed on Huabei, and started a new cycle of debt. Jiang Weisheng, who during the National Day break had an epiphany on cooking like a character in a martial arts novel oveing a years-long bottleneck, only realized something was off a weekter when he noticed customers¡¯ feedback on his bizarre-tasting soup. He absentmindedly asked Jiang Weiming if his ¡°strange-vored¡± soup had improved since customers suddenly rated it so high, which caused Jiang Weiming tough and curse him several times as a ¡°melon seedling.¡± ¡°I thought you had figured it out long ago, but it turns out you¡¯ve been wasting your time making soup these days. What, you only make soup for your customers to taste and never try it yourself?¡± Jiang Weisheng asked just after lunch service had ended. Only he, Jiang Weiming, Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Ji Xia were left in the kitchen, so Jiang Weiming spoke without controlling his volume. ¡°I have tasted it,¡± Jiang Weisheng still sounded a bit dazed. ¡°Is your tongue just for show? You tasted it but don¡¯t know why? You didn¡¯t notice anything different at all?¡± At this point, Jiang Weiming was both angry and amused, wishing he could crack open Jiang Weisheng¡¯s head to see if it was really made of wood, because how else could one exin his blockheadedness? ¡°Master, that¡¯s not what I mean. I noticed it, the taste is just like the original, but the sensation has changed, it¡¯s like¡­ like the soup you used to make, it¡¯s different when drinking it, but I don¡¯t know why. The steps I took were no different than before,¡± Jiang Weisheng hastily defended himself. Jiang Weiming shook his head resignedly: ¡°Do you still remember why I refused to teach you the Soup of a Hundred vors when you first asked to learn it?¡±
    ¡°You said I wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it,¡± replied Jiang Weisheng. ¡°There¡¯s much you can¡¯t learn: chicken juice tofu, in boiled cabbage, camphor tea duck¡ªwhich of these have you mastered? Have I not taught you every one of them? Let¡¯s not talk about the rest; for years now, you¡¯ve only managed to scrape a passing grade in making water-boiled beef. The Soup of a Hundred vors may be difficult, but it¡¯s just a soup. It doesn¡¯t haveplex processes or require high-level techniques. In my opinion, you¡¯ve learned the Soup of a Hundred vors much better than you ever did water-boiled beef,¡± Jiang Weiming dered. ¡°Then¡­¡± Jiang Weisheng became puzzled. ¡°You¡¯ve remembered wrong. At just over sixty years old, how is your memory worse than this old man¡¯s? I didn¡¯t want to teach you because you weren¡¯t suited to make that dish.¡± ¡°Life has five vors: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. I originally wanted to call it ¡®Soup of Five vors,¡¯ but life holds more than just five vors, so Iter changed its name to ¡®Soup of a Hundred vors.¡¯ What truly tests a chef isn¡¯t their skill level, but the person themselves. Just as a soup has a hundred vors, so does a person. The richer the cook¡¯s experiences, the richer the soup¡¯s vor. The Soup of a Hundred vors is not meant to be nd¡ªit¡¯s robust, aplex mix of various ingredients.¡± ¡°I can make this soup because I¡¯ve experienced sour, bitter, spicy, and salty. Granted, it¡¯s regrettable to have a bit less sweetness, but it¡¯s enough for me. But you can¡¯t, Weisheng, not to be harsh, but you¡¯ve had it too easy in life. You¡¯ve never left home or been away from your parents, except for learning to cook, you¡¯ve never tasted hardship, and even when it came to themon rite of passage of chasing a girl, you seeded on your first try and smoothly lived most of your life as if you were soaked in honey, never even grasping what sweetness is. If it weren¡¯t for your running away from home and taking that first long trip, and if Zhang Li hadn¡¯t brought your son, daughter-inw, and grandson to see you during the National Day, I¡¯d wager you still wouldn¡¯tprehend sweetness,¡± said Jiang Weiming,ughing as he spoke, filled with both satisfaction and envy. ¡°Does that mean, I¡­ I¡­¡± Jiang Weisheng stammered with excitement. ¡°You¡¯re finally getting a hint of it. If you can grasp two vors, you¡¯ll be considered having mastered the Soup of a Hundred vors,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile. Jiang Weisheng¡¯s face flushed with excitement, like a primary schooler rarely praised by a teacher, and he stuttered as he asked, ¡°Then Master, how should Iprehend the other four vors?¡± If Jiang Weiming had pulled out a secret martial arts manual at this moment and told Jiang Weisheng to practice ording to it, he might have believed it. ¡°How toprehend it is your own affair, how could I possibly know,¡± Jiang Weiming said helplessly. ¡°Isn¡¯t there some trick or knack? Master, how did you figure it out when you were learning?¡± Jiang Weisheng pressed on. Jiang Weiming could only shake his head and turn to prepare for his visit to the teahouse for tea and a chat: ¡°As for tricks, there are some. You could try crawling out from a pile of corpses or running into deep forests and mountains like I did back in the day¡ªI promise you¡¯ll grasp the bitter, spicy, and salty vors then. You have grasped sweetness and still aren¡¯t content? Born in an era of peace, and you still feel hard done by? Many people dream of living a life like yours, only knowing sweetness without experiencing the other four vors. Alright, you must be tired from working all morning. Find a ce to rest. I¡¯m off to the teahouse before it gets too crowded.¡± Jiang Weiming left, and Jiang Weisheng stayed in the kitchen to continue practicing the Soup of a Hundred vors. He still needed to ponder the mysteries of the now-sweet Soup of a Hundred vors. Though he made the soup, the profoundness eluded him. ¡°Master, what did the third elder master mean by bitter, spicy, salty, and that ¡®sweet¡¯ thing earlier? Do you really need toprehend the vors yourself? Can¡¯t you just add seasoning?¡± Ji Xia, who had been sitting on the side peeling oranges and listening attentively to the conversation between Jiang Weiming and Jiang Weisheng, voiced his doubts like a student struggling with grades. Lately, Jiang Feng had been practicing stuffed crab in orange cups and had roped in Ji Xia to assist him. Ji Xia had sessfully transitioned from a skillful crab picker to a mediocre orange peeler. It took Jiang Feng only ten minutes to prepare an orange, whereas Ji Xia needed half an hour and often required Jiang Feng to redo the work due to substandard quality, like needing manual welding when machine welding fails. Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­¡± Xiaxia would definitely not score well on readingprehension in Chinese.
    ¡°You¡¯re not there yet. Those with higher skill levels cook with their heart and spirit, while at your level you can¡¯t even properly use seasoning, let alone ponder high-level cooking methods,¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s reply was perfunctory. Ji Xia looked toward Wu Minqi again, feeling that her master was ¡®leading a donkey¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Wu Minqi affirmed. Ji Xia: ???
    Cook with heart? Cook with intention? Ji Xia remembered the story Wang Hao, a friend of her master during the National Day holiday, had told her about Jiang¡¯s Star de Skill, mesmerizing cuisine, cooking with intention, the pinnacle of culinary arts. Ji Xia had always thought Wang Hao was spouting nonsense because Jiang Feng had also told her never to believe a single ghost story that Wang Hao told. But it turned out to be true! There really was cooking with intention! Then Jiang¡¯s Star de Skill must also be true, with all that about a glint of cold light being first to the strike, followed by a dragon-like swipe of the de, naturally protective when unsheathed, making it difficult for others to approach, let alone open their eyes¡ªa de technique that was certainly true! Ji Xia was instantly excited, forgetting about the orange in her hand, ¡°Master, I want to learn the de skill!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Why don¡¯t you say you want to y basketball? ¡°Which de skill? Isn¡¯t that what you practice every day at the Li Mansion? Even now, the knifework you¡¯re practicing with this orange is knifework,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I want to learn Jiang¡¯s Star de Skill!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Wu Minqi: ¡­
    Wu Minqi was so startled that the orange almost slipped from her hand, giving Jiang Feng a look that said ¡®this child must be silly¡¯. Jiang Feng sighed and asked, ¡°Did Wang Hao tell you about it?¡± Ji Xia nodded. ¡°There is no Jiang¡¯s Star de Skill, finish this orange and then head to the Li Mansion,¡± Jiang Feng said, setting down his orange, ¡°I¡¯m going to make a phone call.¡± Jiang Feng went to the changing room, took out his mobile phone from the cupboard, and began to dial, but Wang Hao answered after just one ring. ¡°Hello, Feng, what¡¯s up?¡± Wang Hao asked. ¡°Hao, you haven¡¯t been to the shop for a while, have you? Are you free tomorrow noon? I recently learned from my uncle how to wrap wontons; I¡¯ll make you a bowl!¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s words were incredibly amiable. ¡°Wontons? Feng, I remember your menu has your wontons, howe you¡¯ve recently learned new ones?¡± Wang Hao asked, unsuspecting. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but reveal a false smile: ¡°It¡¯s not the same, my uncle and I learned a new kind of wonton, everyone who tries them says they¡¯re good. What are we if not friends, of course, you¡¯d be the first person I think of. Are you free tomorrow noon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m free, but I mighte a bitter, around one o¡¯clock,¡± Wang Hao said. ¡°Notte at all, that time is perfect,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. The Moment at the Third Quarter of the Noon Time. It was a good time indeed.
    Chapter 435: 433: Father and Son Showdown Chapter 435: Chapter 433: Father and Son Showdown The next day, the extent of Wang Hao¡¯s misery and whether he truly experienced what it meant to have his joy sucked away by a few dishes were left unounted for, but one thing was certain: Jiang Feng thoroughly enjoyed himself. A true chef should take revenge¡­ no, that didn¡¯t sound right¡ªsomething about that was off. In any case, after finishing the pure meat wontons Jiang Feng meticulously prepared for him, Wang Hao deeply understood what it meant when they said ¡°Your Feng is truly your Feng; a bowl of wontons could take your life.¡± After returning, Wang Hao experienced a burst of inspiration, penning down the stymied advertising copy he had been struggling with for days, earning the praise of his superiors, hence embarking on a new chapter in his advertising copy career. Jiang Feng continued to practice stuffing oranges with crab, having told Mrs. Wang Xiulian during the National Day that it would be ready for the menu by mid-October. Now that it was mid-October, he felt it wasn¡¯t quite the right time to add it to the menu yet. The efficiency was too low. While it was a dish that could be prepared by multiple people before the final steaming by him, theck of enough hands meant he had toplete most of the steps himself, which Jiang Feng felt was a colossal waste of time. Ever since the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon was added to the menu, Jiang Feng¡¯s happy, carefree days were gone for good, each day bustlingly busy. If he were to add the stuffed crab oranges, he feared he would truly experience the sensation of it being National Day every day, with every day feeling like a holiday. This rather novel and attractively presented dish that wasn¡¯t particrly delicious was bound to be popr. Jiang Feng knew that besides Ji Xia, he needed to find another helper. Ji Xia¡¯s basic skills weren¡¯t up to snuff; while picking crab was a matter of practice makes perfect, dealing with oranges was too difficult for her. Practice was one thing, but counting on it as work would certainly lead to mistakes. Jiang Feng needed a skilled worker with at least advanced-level knifework and high work efficiency to help him with the oranges.
    There were quite a few chefs at Taifeng with advanced-level knifework, but not many who could help. Wu Minqi was a good choice, but recently, Wu was exploring a new dish she had learned and could only offer help when free¡ªa consistent assistant role was out of the question. Zhang Guanghang was an even less likely option; old Zhang had so much on his te, he hardly had time for love, let alone to serve as Jiang Feng¡¯s sous chef¡ªit was a pipe dream. Jiang Weisheng and Zhang Weiyu were once reasonable options, but only in the past. The meticulous work wasn¡¯t suitable for Jiang Weisheng at his age, and as for Zhang Weiyu¡­ If his sry increased further, it would surpass Jiang Feng¡¯s. Considering this, there was only one possible candidate left. Jiang Jiankang! His own father! As soon as it came to mind, Jiang Feng was determined, and after mentally sifting through everyone, he set his sights on Jiang Jiankang, who was contentedly sipping a Coke at the back kitchen entrance¡ªthe icy kind that would make one burp exactly like in the ads. ¡°Xiaxia, I¡¯ll be out for a moment. Keep your focus on the oranges and don¡¯t get distracted. I¡¯ll check on it when I¡¯m back,¡± Jiang Feng instrcuted. ¡°Hmm,¡± Ji Xia nodded. ¡°Master, when can I start learning to make the stuffed crab oranges?¡± Ji Xia hadpletely forgotten that her initial reason for apprenticing under Jiang Feng was to learn how to cook porridge. Now, her heart and soul were set on the stuffed crab oranges. She genuinely liked the dish and wanted to learn it. ¡°When you canpetently deal with an orange within twenty minutes, that¡¯s when you can start learning the stuffed crab oranges,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°But¡­ Sister Wu said that with my current skill level, I won¡¯t be able to learn it,¡± Ji Xia voiced her dilemma, knowing full well that she might not master it, yet still longing to learn. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t learn it now; just start learning, and with time, you will get it. Right now, it might not work, but once your skills in knifework, seasoning, and fire control improve, you would naturally be able to do it. That¡¯s how it is with learning to cook¡ªas long as you have a solid foundation, learning new dishes is very easy,¡± Jiang Feng reassured. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what your third senior master said to your grandpa the other day? Just because a teacher teaches doesn¡¯t mean a student has to learn.¡± Ji Xia: ??? Did the third senior master say that? After bluffing Ji Xia, Jiang Feng went out to look for Jiang Jiankang, who had just finished a bottle of ice-cold Coca-C and was in a rxed and leisurely state, sitting on a little chair as if lounging in a massage chair, his face the epitome of peaceful times. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Son, fancy a Coke? If so, go grab one from the fridge, and while you¡¯re at it, fetch your dad another Fanta¡ªmake sure it¡¯s grape vor,¡± Jiang Jiankang said.
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°You should drink less soda,¡± Jiang Feng switched into parent mode, ¡°Mom has told you several times to cut down on c. Your blood sugar was already high duringst year¡¯s physical, and here you are, taking advantage of her absence to sip c.¡± ¡°Your mom also sneaks Sprites, and she drinks them ice-cold,¡± Jiang Jiankang muttered under his breath. Jiang Feng: ¡­
    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± Jiang Feng got to the point, but feeling that standing made the conversation too formal, he went over, brought back a chair, and sat down face to face with Jiang Jiankang. ¡°The season for the dish Orange Stuffed with Crab is pretty short, just a few months overall. Mom told me before to seize the time and try to get the dish on the menu by mid-October. The taste is alright now, but the efficiency is just too low. You know this dish; both oranges and crabs are troublesome to handle. I can have Xiaxia deal with the crabs, but she¡¯s not skilled enough to handle the oranges, so¡­ I see you¡¯ve had quite some time on your handstely,¡± Jiang Feng said with a sly smile. After hearing thest sentence, Jiang Jiankang instantly went on high alert and began to whine, ¡°Son, Dad has been tired from making fried ricetely! As you know, making fried rice, you have to toss the wok. Back when you were in primary school, I could stir-fry from morning till night without a break. But not anymore, now that you¡¯ve grown from a little guy to being just one¡­ half a head shorter than your dad. Dad would like to help, but I just can¡¯t take it physically!¡± Jiang Feng might have believed his father¡¯s intive speech, full of genuine emotion and helplessness, if he hadn¡¯t just discovered that morning Jiang Jiankang¡¯s perfect spot for cking behind the shelf. ¡°Dad, we can eat less. From now on, we don¡¯t have to eat fried rice at all, and you can make fewer woks of it. Once Mom wakes up, I¡¯ll talk to her about it. I believe Mom will understand for the sake of getting Orange Stuffed with Crab on the menu!¡± Jiang Feng mustered all his acting skills, his voice full of emotion. ¡°No, no,¡± Jiang Jiankang waved his hands, ¡°Dad can handle the hardship, but I can¡¯t let you kids suffer. Look at our family, working to the bone every day, and to think we couldn¡¯t even enjoy a few bowls of fried rice¡­ what are we working so hard for? Your mom¡¯s had it tough too, crunching numbers tillte at night. She might be happy about it, but it¡¯s exhausting. We can¡¯t let her go without her share of fried rice!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Son!¡± ¡°You really won¡¯t help?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Get me a Fanta.¡± Jiang Feng went to the fridge to fetch a Fanta for Jiang Jiankang, deliberately picking one that had just been put in and wasn¡¯t cold at all.
    After a spectacr father-son performance, Jiang Feng felt utterly drained. Just as he was about to head back to the kitchen to think about who else could be roped into unpaidbor, Zhou Shi, who had never had much of a presence and whose loyalty was now down to 17 points, suddenly popped up from nowhere. He made a beeline for Jiang Feng. ¡°Little boss,¡± Zhou Shi said with a smile, his tone humble. Jiang Feng¡¯s guard went up immediately; thest time Zhou Shi smiled at him, his loyalty had dropped from 19 to 17. With such a friendly smile this time, who knew if there was any loyalty left. ¡°What is it?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I just overheard¡­ purely by ident, I wasing out of the changing room. It seems like you¡¯re looking for someone to help you with the oranges for the Orange Stuffed with Crab. My knifework is still decent; how about me?¡± Zhou Shi inquired. Jiang Feng was taken aback. ¡°You¡¯re willing to help me prep the oranges for the Orange Stuffed with Crab? That¡¯s grunt work,¡± Jiang Feng emphasized. ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡± Jiang Feng felt like he had an epiphany. Zhou Shi wanted to learn how to make Orange Stuffed with Crab. ¡°You want to learn how to make Orange Stuffed with Crab?¡± Jiang Feng asked directly. Caught off guard by Jiang Feng¡¯s directness, Zhou Shi hesitated, then decided to be frank too, ¡°Yes, I want to learn how to make Orange Stuffed with Crab.¡±
    ¡°I want to trade a dish with you, little boss, for the recipe for Orange Stuffed with Crab.¡± Chapter 436: 434 Please Do a Good Job Chapter 436: Chapter 434 Please Do a Good Job ¡°A dish?¡± Jiang Feng was even more surprised. Could it be that Zhou Shi was actually thest descendant of some Culinary Aristocracy, harboring a precious family recipe that he was worried others might discover, hence his prolonged concealment of his skills? Now that Zhou Shi took a liking to the stuffed orange crab, he decided to exchange it for his family¡¯s recipe. No sooner had this thought crossed Jiang Feng¡¯s mind than he dismissed it as absurd; although rare, the stuffed orange crab was not some unmatched delicacy that someone would trade a family recipe for. That¡¯s not right, what era was this, where could so many family recipes evene from? ¡°It¡¯s actually not a grand dish, it¡¯s just that I saw you, Boss, learning to cook sea cucumber with the two head chefs the other day, so my dish happens to be a sea cucumber dish; that¡¯s why I thought of exchanging it with you,¡± Zhou Shi exined, seeing the look on Jiang Feng¡¯s face and realizing that he had overthought it. ¡°A sea cucumber dish?¡± ¡°Yes, cold mixed sea cucumber,¡± said Zhou Shi, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult, but the method is quite fresh and different from the usual way of preparing cold mixed sea cucumber. If it were amon way everyone uses, I wouldn¡¯t have the nerve to ask to exchange it with you for the stuffed orange crab recipe.¡± Jiang Feng was slightly tempted. He had been practicing sea cucumber dishes for some time now, with scallion stewed sea cucumber being what he had practiced the most. He had also tried other methods like trimming, braising, and soup-making, but seldom worked on cold mixed sea cucumber. If Zhou Shi really had a novel way to prepare cold mixed sea cucumber, Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t mind teaching him how to make stuffed orange crab.
    Chefs exchanging and learning from one another was quitemon; as long as it wasn¡¯t a secret technique exclusive to one, there was nothing wrong with learning from each other. ¡°Why do you want to learn stuffed orange crab?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. Zhou Shi was a traditional Shandong cuisine chef; stuffed orange crab neither belonged to Shandong cuisine nor was it a prestigious dish. Zhou Shi¡¯s loyalty had dropped to 17, tantly signaling that he was about to leave, yet he stayed at Taifeng for a mere stuffed orange crab dish¡ªeven when Yueyue docked his pay and the overtime pay during National Day wasn¡¯t enough to make him leave. Surely a single dish of stuffed orange crab couldn¡¯t have such great appeal. Not to mention that Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even cook it particrly well, still unable to achieve an A-grade dish. ¡°Boss, to be frank with you, I¡¯m nning to resign by the end of the year,¡± Zhou Shi said. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Had someone given Zhou Shi a truth serum? Jiang Feng feigned surprise: ¡°Ah? You want to resign? Is there somethingcking in our establishment? If it¡¯s a matter of sry, we can discuss it¡ªthere¡¯s no need to resign. If there are any issues, just bring them up, and we can all work on improving them together!¡± The image of a good boss trying to retain a resigning employee was unmistakable. Zhou Shiughed: ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve noticed I¡¯ve been wanting to resign for a while, haven¡¯t you?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Youngrade, you¡¯re a bit rebellious, aren¡¯t you? Look, there¡¯s no need to wait until the end of the year, you can resign right now if you like. ¡°Ahem.¡± Jiang Feng coughed awkwardly twice, ¡°You¡¯ve noticed, huh? Well, actually, you¡¯ve been acting a bit strangetely. You know, I have a strong sixth sense. Sincest month, I¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve been somewhat distracted and always looking around. I was going to find a time to talk it over with you, but look, it¡¯s been so busy, especially over National Day, and even now we¡¯re all still recovering, so I forgot about it.¡± ¡°Can you share why you want to resign? Is there something wrong with this ce?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°There is nothing wrong with Taifeng Building; it¡¯s my own issue,¡± Zhou Shi said. He was usually quiet and didn¡¯t interact much with others. His daily routine consisted of going to work, then going home, gettingints from customers at the end of the month and having his pay docked, never joining in gatherings, so he didn¡¯t make much of an impression. As a result, people didn¡¯t know much about him. After being colleagues for over three months, no one even knew if he was married. To put it in perspective, even Han Yigu¡¯s past girlfriends had all been dug up by Sang Ming, while the only things known about Zhou Shi were hisst name, his age of 29, and that he was a reclusive man approaching thirty¡ªand nothing else.
    ¡°I came to Beiping at the age of 15 to seek a living, along with my cousin,¡± Zhou Shi suddenly began telling his story. ¡°I started out doing odd jobs in a small restaurant. I was initially a dishwasher, but because of staff shortages, the boss had me assist the kitchen, and that¡¯s how I became a chef. I have worked in many restaurants, both small andrge, from dingy diners to grand hotels, and learned a lot by openly asking and covertly observing. Earlier this year, I heard about a new restaurant looking to open, so I left my previous job to apply.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯ve never formally apprenticed, I consider my skills pretty good. Initially, I thought that Taifeng Building, being new, wouldn¡¯t be able to attract any impressive chefs, and I might have a chance to be the head chef and be in charge. However, I didn¡¯t expect to find so much talent here; not only was I not considered good, I turned out to be the worst among the many Furnace Chefs.¡± ¡°To tell the truth, it¡¯s my own fault. I couldn¡¯t get what I wanted, and so my heart wasn¡¯t really at work; I was often absent-minded and would asionally make mistakes. I was frequentlyined about by customers, and having my sry docked was within reason. So my resignation isn¡¯t because of the restaurant; Taifeng Building is very good, possibly the best I¡¯ve ever worked in, with excellent welfare and treatment, and the bosses, including you, are very nice. But none of these are what I really want.¡±
    ¡°Last month, I heard that a high-end restaurant was going to open early next year, and I was thinking of resigning to apply there. I also wanted to learn something before resigning, so I took an interest in your Stuffed Crab Oranges. At the beginning of this month, I found out that the new restaurant is actually a French diner, which turned out to be a joke on me. But I¡¯ve thought it through; I¡¯m someone who always wants to be the best. Even when I was washing dishes and there were only two of us, I would strive to be number one, let alone now. It¡¯s better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond. I¡¯ve lived in Beiping for so many years and saved up some money. All these years, my heart was set on working in a big restaurant as a head chef. I¡¯m almost thirty and don¡¯t even have a partner, my parents back home are very anxious.¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯ve said so much, there¡¯s nothing I feel embarrassed about. I remember when I applied for the job, the contract didn¡¯t say how soon I couldn¡¯t resign. I¡¯m nning to resign at the end of the year mainly for the year-end bonus. Although the bonus shouldn¡¯t be much for someone with my experience, every little bit counts. I¡¯m nning to go back to my hometown and open a private dining restaurant, so I won¡¯t have to spend all day thinking aboutpeting with others, and trying to learn this and that on the sly.¡± Zhou Shi spoke honestly, and Jiang Feng believed much of it, but he still didn¡¯t understand why Zhou Shi, nning to not job-hop but to open his own private dining restaurant back home, was still hung up on learning Stuffed Crab Oranges. ¡°If you¡¯re not nning to job-hop, why do you still want to learn Stuffed Crab Oranges?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Because I previously wanted to learn Stuffed Crab Oranges, I observed carefully when you were making it, and I¡¯ve also looked up a lot of information about this dish. Stuffed Crab Oranges can even be considered a dessert; the taste is sweet and sour, some people like it, and some don¡¯t. The pte back home happens to prefer this sweet and sour taste. Stuffed Crab Oranges isn¡¯t amon dish, and many patrons may have never even heard of it. If I learn it and go back home, I can make it a signature dish. That¡¯s why I just offered to exchange the Noodle-Pulled Sea Cucumbers recipe for this dish. From every angle, it¡¯s a win for me, but I can understand if you¡¯re unwilling.¡± Once things are said out in the open, there¡¯s nothing to worry about anymore. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t teach you,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°You must all realize that our family¡¯s culinary skills are a heirloom. Jiang Family¡¯s heirloom recipes are unique secrets, naturally not to be casually taught to outsiders. However, Stuffed Crab Oranges, to some extent, is a dish I researched on my own due to personal interest, so there¡¯s no reason not to teach it. If you were an employee of Taifeng Building, and you asked me to teach you, I¡¯d do it. Now you¡¯re nning to resign, if you want to exchange, I¡¯ll exchange.¡± ¡°You might not believe what I am about to say, but we didn¡¯t open the restaurant for the money. Of course, we do it for money too; we owe a lot of debts to run this restaurant and have to pay them off by the end of the year. But this restaurant has a significance for my grandfathers far beyond money. Do you remember what the sign at the entrance looks like? It¡¯s the one my great-grandfather brought over from Outside the Pass. Wherever that sign hangs, there lies Taifeng Building, even if it¡¯s just a dive or a tiny ce. That sign is Taifeng Building.¡± ¡°This building holds extraordinary significance for our family; it represents my grandfathers¡¯ lifelong obsession. They were in their eighties and nies when they finally realized their dream of reopening Taifeng Building. All of us in the Jiang Family hope that the restaurant can thrive. We don¡¯t aim to make a fortune daily, but rather to be renowned, to be that famous restaurant once again praised by all patrons.¡± ¡°The sign at the entrance has been passed down for nearly two hundred years, and there are many stories behind it that even my grandfathers don¡¯t know. You¡¯ve shared so much with me, so I won¡¯t hide anything from you either. My grandfather was not even ten years old when he left Beiping City to flee from wartime chaos. It took over seventy years for him to return this year, all for this restaurant. Taifeng Building was originally our Jiang Family¡¯s ancestral establishment, through many trials and changes of hands, and, by a stroke of luck, it hase back to us. Our whole family, dozens of us, have moved across great distances back to Beiping City, all to revive Taifeng Building, to restore its former glory, and to im a spot in this vast city of Beiping.¡± ¡°After saying so much that might seem useless, I just want to ask you to work hard in thesest few months, to bring out your due level of skill. When we were hiring, besides a few pre-selected chefs, you and Sun Jikai were the only furnace chefs we took on, and my grandfather even thought higher of you than Sun Jikai. I know you must be truly skilled, as you said earlier, but you¡¯ve not been focusing on your cooking. Now that you¡¯re preparing to resign, I suppose you¡¯ll be even less inclined to work seriously.¡± ¡°What you want to learn, as long as we can teach, we will teach. You can see that everyone freely shares their thoughts on dishes, Sun Jikai even discussed his family restaurant¡¯s signature dish with me without holding back. I¡¯m just asking you to work hard, to do it seriously. Although the beginning might not have been ideal, and the middle was less pleasant, at least we can finish things off properly, right?¡± ¡°All right?¡± Jiang Feng looked at Zhou Shi. With great solemnity, Zhou Shi nodded: ¡°Yes!¡±
    ¡°Boss, you can count on me, I¡¯ll definitely work hard in thesest few months!¡± ¡°Good, then today I¡¯ll show you how to make Stuffed Crab Oranges first. After you¡¯ve learned it, there¡¯s no rush to teach me Noodle-Pulled Sea Cucumbers. I¡¯m slow when ites to learning new things, so I¡¯ll be counting on your patience then,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile and headed towards the kitchen. Ji Xia had already prepared the oranges, and now she was holding them, re-checking to see if there were any parts that hadn¡¯t been cleaned properly. ¡°You left too much orange juice, haven¡¯t I told you before? Just leave a shallowyer at the bottom, too many oranges left inside will make the steam vor off,¡± Jiang Feng concluded after inspecting the orange Ji Xia had prepared, ¡°This one can¡¯t be used.¡± Another orange wasted. ¡°You eat the orange segments you just removed yourself,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Then, Master, I¡¯ll go to Grandma Chen¡¯s to cook for Da Hua,¡± Ji Xia said, quickly finishing off the orange segments, ready to get to work. Jiang Feng raised his hand to stop her, ¡°Wait a moment, no rush, I¡¯ll teach you how to make crab-stuffed oranges today. Just watch me and head over after I finish teaching.¡± Ji Xia was a bit puzzled, ¡°Master, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d teach me how to make crab-stuffed oranges only after I got good at preparing the oranges? I¡¯m not prepared; I didn¡¯t bring paper and pen, I¡­ I might not be able to learn.¡± Student Ji Xia was very self-aware. ¡°How did you learn noodle pulling before?¡± Jiang Feng asked her. ¡°I was helping at Master Liang¡¯s ce, watching him pull noodles every day, andter Master Liang said he would teach me, so I learned by practicing,¡± Ji Xia replied. ¡°Just treat making crab-stuffed oranges like noodle pulling. Watch me do it every day, and gradually you¡¯ll pick it up. Move aside so you¡¯re not blocking Zhou Shi¡¯s view; he¡¯s learning with you.¡±
    Zhou Shi nodded to Ji Xia. Ji Xia turned to Zhou Shi, ¡°Chef Zhou, did you also be a disciple of my Master? Should I call you senior brother or junior brother?¡± Zhou Shi: ??? Zhou Shi was momentarily at a loss for words. Jiang Feng threw an orange to Ji Xia, chiding with augh, ¡°What senior brother or junior brother? Your Chef Zhou is here for an exchange and to learn, it¡¯s different from you. Here¡¯s an orange for you to start with; keep working on it while you learn, don¡¯t idle around.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ji Xia obediently went to get a small knife but didn¡¯t forget to wash it first. Chapter 437: 435 Crab-stuffed Oranges A-grade Chapter 437: Chapter 435 Crab-stuffed Oranges A-grade Jiang Feng had made the Crab Stuffed Oranges countless times, and watched Cao Guixiang¡¯s tutorial no less than thirty times, and even reviewed Master Peng¡¯s method three times through memory. Although he hadn¡¯t produced an A Level Crab Stuffed Oranges yet, Jiang Feng was convinced it was just a matter of luck and feel. Learning to cook sometimes depended on practice and repetition¡ªdoing a dish once, a hundred times, a thousand times, and ten thousand times each had different effects. Jiang Feng felt that making Crab Stuffed Oranges was bing like solving problems in high school, where he knew the types of problems, the methods to solve them, and the general thought process like the back of his hand. What varied were the problems themselves, while the patterns remained the same. The Crab Stuffed Oranges was like the second question of thest big problem in an ordinary-level math college entrance exam paper; it wasn¡¯t as daunting as the third question, nor as simple as the first one that seemed like a giveaway. As long as the student was good enough, put in a bit more effort, practiced enough, and had solid fundamental skills, coupled with inspiration and luck, solving it was just a matter of course. Jiang Feng was now that diligent student with solid fundamental skills and plenty of practiced problems, just waiting for the right moment when he could produce an A Level Crab Stuffed Oranges. When teaching others to cook, Jiang Feng copied the ways of Sir, teaching Ji Xia and Zhou Shi just as Sir had taught him. Though it was teaching, it wasn¡¯t much different from his own practice; he just slowed down the pace and organized hisnguage to exin whenever he felt it was necessary. Zhou Shi was quick to catch on, having risen in the field by learning through observation¡ªeven without Jiang Feng¡¯s exnations, just by watching more and then reflecting on it, he could manage to grasp most of it. As for Ji Xia, she was the kind of poor student who couldn¡¯t even figure out the first sub-question of thest major math problem in a college entrance exam, as her fundamentals were at the elementary school level, and suddenly she was expected to tackle college entrance exam problems. She couldn¡¯t even understand the problem, let alone solve it, and waspletely lost throughout the process. ¡°You don¡¯t have to remove all the flesh after peeling the orange; this amount is sufficient. Add the crab meat and crab roe in proportion¡ªthe crab roe should not exceed the crab meat, just enough to bring out the essence.¡± ¡°These fillings need to be lightly stir-fried in a wok over a low heat, not for too long, just a few minutes to help the vors meld and eliminate any fishy taste from the crab.¡± ¡°For the final step, I used braising instead of steaming. I¡¯m not sure if this method is correct, so if you think it¡¯s inappropriate, feel free to steam it, which should take about five minutes. You¡¯ll need to rely on your own judgment for the specifics.¡±
    Once the Crab Stuffed Oranges were set to braise, all that was required was to gradually reduce the heat until it was turned off, and then came the waiting. Since a big crab could make three Crab Stuffed Oranges, Jiang Feng made three all at once¡ªperfect for one each. Ji Xia was already happily eating another orange she had butchered, and Jiang Feng thought that since they had to wait anyway, he might as well chat with Zhou Shi to strengthen their rapport, in case he decided to resign andter be a detractor who, like Tong Deyan, would seize every opportunity to diss their former employer Eight-treasure House. Eight-treasure House had iting! ¡°Zhou Shi, what¡¯s the deal with the new French restaurant you just mentioned? Where is it opening?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Zhou Shi said, surprised, thinking that the young boss was indeed an outsider and was shockingly out of the loop. ¡°It¡¯s opening the day after tomorrow in that newly uing mall not far from our shop,¡± Zhou Shi said. Reminded by Zhou Shi, Jiang Feng had some recollection, though it was of the mall. ¡°To open an upscale French restaurant in Beiping City, that¡¯s quite ambitious,¡± Jiang Feng remarked. Zhou Shi nodded in agreement, ¡°Definitely ambitious. Over the years, Beiping has seen many high-end restaurants featuring foreign cuisines open, and all have failed¡ªsome within half a year, others within one. Not one has survived, all unable to limate. Never mind foreign cuisines; even those from the south have only a few private dining restaurants that have secured a foothold. The high-end restaurant market in Beiping is extremelypetitive and costly, and continuous loss-making operations cannot be sustained for long.¡± Zhou Shi had been working as a chef in Beiping for many years and knew a mix of rumors and gossip¡ªleave aside whether they were true or false, he most definitely had tasted more melons than Jiang Feng had. Seeing Zhou Shi starting to spill the beans like he was a guru of gossip, Jiang Feng¡¯s interest in hearing the juicy stories perked up. He quickly found a couple of stools for him to sit on and share the melons of Beiping City from over the years that Jiang Feng had missed out on. As for Ji Xia, she continued to enjoy her oranges contentedly by herself at the stove. If anything is abundant among chefs, it¡¯s gossip, especially in big restaurants. Although they are busy while working, there is always downtime, and nobody can work around the clock like clockwork without a break. In the hot and noisy backdrop of the kitchen, when feeling irritable, there¡¯s nothing more refreshing than nibbling on some gossip that doesn¡¯t involve oneself. Zhou Shi usually had a low profile, adept at eavesdropping and secretly observing and learning in the corners. Over the past decade or so, the number of gossips he had indulged in was enough to contend with the famous ¡°King of Melons¡± in the culinary world, Pei Shenghua. However, the melons devoured by Pei Shenghua usually came with solid evidence, even testimonies from the people directly involved. In contrast, most of what Zhou Shi feasted on were distorted and exaggerated tales, greatly watered-down second-hand rumors. But whether it¡¯s true gossip or fabricated stories, as long as the patrons enjoy them, they are good melons. Jiang Feng was exactly such a patron of gossip.
    ¡°In recent years, Beiping City has seen a surge in expensive private dining restaurants, mostly opened by famous chefs on their own. The most renowned are thete Xia Mushi, Old Sir Xia¡¯s Fen Garden from a few months ago, and the Nameless Restaurant by Tong Deyan, Chef Tong. As for Fen Garden, there¡¯s no need for me to borate, I¡¯m sure you, the young boss, know more than I do as Zhang Guanghang is a disciple of Old Sir Xia.¡± ¡°Fen Garden is considered the priciest and one of the earliest private dining eateries in Beiping. It¡¯s just unknown whether Sir Xia left behind any descendants and to whom Fen Garden was bequeathed. It seems that Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t inherit it. Indeed, we are no longer in feudal times when a teacher would pass all his possessions to his pupil. It¡¯s likely that some distant rtive has picked up a bargain¡­¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ So the first melon he got to taste was an injected watermelon, Zhou Shi¡¯s stories seemed a bit unreliable.
    ¡°What about the high-end restaurants in Beiping that serve foreign cuisines? How did they fare?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It¡¯s always the same story¡ªoverpriced menus. In truth, the establishments that havee to Beiping are all famous restaurants, well-known enough to be listed in the Michelin Guide. But those restaurants just open a branch here with a few assistants, missing the main chefs with Michelin stars, yet they try to charge Michelin-star prices. Of course, they fail due to the mismatch and ultimately return home,¡± spoke the great prophet Zhou Shi, ¡°I expect this new restaurant to follow the same old pattern and notst long.¡± ¡°Is the appeal because of the head chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants or because of the chefs listed in prestigious cooking rankings?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Definitely the prestigious cooking rankings,¡± Zhou Shi said. ¡°The Michelin system doesn¡¯t even rate Chinese cuisine, and their criteria extend beyond just taste. The list is reassessed every few years with a jury consisting of people from hundreds of countries and regions, with the top twenty being decided after jury voting and then the final say by Mr. Xu Cheng himself. The rankings have been fair over the years. From any perspective, the prestigious cooking rankings have an edge.¡± Zhou Shi expressed some regret at this point: ¡°It¡¯s just a shame that chefs in the top ten of the rankings rarely cook personally anymore. Sir Xia ranked ninth in thest evaluation, and we all thought he would continue advancing, maybe even into the top five. The chefs ranked third, fourth, and seventhst time have passed away, and unexpectedly, Sir Xia also left us too soon. It¡¯s really disappointing.¡± Jiang Feng: ????? Wait a minute, is this prestigious cooking ranking about who is the better chef or who lives longer? ¡°As a matter of fact, the number one in the rankings is still¡­¡± Zhou Shi intended to continue, but Jiang Feng interrupted him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter, the Crab Stuffed Oranges should be ready now.¡± Jiang Feng stood up and walked towards the steamer. ¡°Xiaxia, move aside, you¡¯ve eaten quite a few oranges already; aren¡¯t you afraid of getting a stomachache? The cost of the extra oranges you ate wille out of your future wages. First, go get me three spoons,¡± said capitalist Jiang Feng, never one to pass up a chance to deduct from wages. ¡°Oh, Master, should I get the ones with the long handles or short handles?¡± Ji Xia obediently went to fetch the spoons. With high debtses less worry; Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother had nned a promising future for her, aiming for a stable job with a monthly sry of two thousand, including meals and amodation, and it would be even better if it came with benefits. ording to the wages Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother had hoped for, which she had not yet received and didn¡¯t know when woulde, they were probably already docked by half a year¡¯s worth.
    ¡°Ji Xia particrly loves the Crab Stuffed Oranges, and I bet at her young age, most girls would¡­¡± Jiang Feng spoke with Zhou Shi, then paused, stunned, as he lifted the lid to see the disy on the Crab Stuffed Oranges. [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] They¡¯re done? In the time it took to nibble on a few injected melons, the A-level Crab Stuffed Oranges were ready. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 438: 436: Peng Changping Chapter 438: Chapter 436: Peng Changping Jiang Feng took another careful look at the crab-stuffed oranges in the pot. ¡°The oranges were not chosen well, the peel was a bit thick, 2.7ml too little Xiangxue Wine, slightlycking crab roe, stir-frying time a bit too long; a nearly perfect crab-stuffed orange.¡± ¡°The oranges were not chosen well, the peel was a bit thick, 1.9ml too little Xiangxue Wine, stir-frying time a bit too long; a nearly perfect crab-stuffed orange.¡± ¡°The oranges were not chosen well, the peel was a bit thick, 0.7ml too much Xiangxue Wine, slightly excess crab roe, stir-frying time a bit too long; a nearly perfect crab-stuffed orange.¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯ve brought the spoon,¡± said Ji Xia. Jiang Feng looked at Ji Xia and then Zhou Shi. He silently handed the crab-stuffed orange with more crab roe to Ji Xia, the one with less to Zhou Shi, and kept the best one for himself. ¡°Try it,¡± Jiang Feng said, signaling Ji Xia to pass the spoon to Zhou Shi. Ji Xia had plenty of experience eating crab-stuffed oranges. By now, Wu Minqi barely wanted to eat the crab-stuffed oranges that Jiang Feng had been making for so long, so it was mostly Aunt and Ji Xia who showed support. Fortunately, Aunt had a big appetite; otherwise, Jiang Feng had no idea whom to give all those crab-stuffed oranges he made every day. It was Zhou Shi¡¯s first time trying the crab-stuffed orange. He watched Ji Xia skillfully lift off the top of the orange and did the same, scooping up a small spoonful and tasting it. There were bits of crab and orange flesh, just that the crab roe was a bit scant.
    Zhou Shi had once mentioned that although he was a chef specializing in Shandong cuisine, his family¡¯s preference leaned toward sweet and sour dishes. Zhou Shi grew up savoring sweet and sour dishes, which led to his deftness in preparing vinegar-vored dishes over other types when cooking. Personal taste is hard to change. Although the crab-stuffed orange is not vinegar-vored like sweet and sour pork or sweet and sour carp, its overall taste is still on the sweeter, tangier side, leaving a high impression on Zhou Shi. This time, Jiang Feng was fortunate enough to create an A-level crab-stuffed orange. The astonishment Zhou Shi felt upon tasting this dish for the first time needs no boration. The difference between A-level and B-level is a hurdle many chefs never manage to cross in their lifetime. Good crabs have a fishy smell, but within that smell is the unique fragrance of crab. Crab without that smell isn¡¯t delicious, yet it¡¯s difficult to cook crab meat with that fishy scent into dishes. There are many ways to remove the fishiness from crab meat. A variety of spices and seasonings can be efficacious, but crab meat cannot withstand being mixed with too many of them. In most households, hairy crabs are simply steamed, and at most eaten with a dab of vinegar and no salt at all. The naturally sweet and fresh taste of crab is a delicacy in itself, and excessive condiments would only spoil the vor. Zhou Shi couldn¡¯t help but chew unconsciously. Actually, there was no need to chew when eating crab-stuffed orange, as both the crab and orange flesh are soft and easily dissolve in the mouth. The crab meat crumbled easily, and the orange flesh melted quickly. Combining both, the sweet freshness and the sweet and sour intermingled bursts of wine,pelled Zhou Shi to chew, delving deeper into the vors of the crab-stuffed orange. Zhou Shi thought that all the crab-stuffed oranges made by Jiang Feng were this delicious. He deeply felt he had gotten the better end of the deal, wanting to trade a simple and novel cold sea cucumber recipe for this crab-stuffed orange recipe¡ªa dish that would be a signature in any restaurant¡ªand for the first time, he felt a pang of guilt. Taifeng Building had treated him well, yet he spent his days thinking of switching jobs and stealing recipes, not dedicating himself to creating the most value for his employer. Beside Zhou Shi, Ji Xia was not overwhelmed by such drama; she merely marveled at how tasty her master had made the crab-stuffed orange this time. She had previously only wanted another serving if she had room after finishing one. This time, she harbored the desire, for the first time, to eat ten of them. Eat ten! With crab-stuffed oranges this delicious, Ji Xia felt that she could eat not just ten, but maybe even a hundred if she tried hard enough! A few minutester, the three had finished their crab-stuffed oranges. A small orange didn¡¯t offer many bites when scooped with a spoon. If Wang Xiulian and Jiang Jiankang were to eat it, as long as the spoon was big enough, they would surely finish it in three scoops. ¡°Master, when will I be able to make crab-stuffed oranges as tasty as yours?¡± Ji Xia asked, scraping the leftover bits of crab and orange flesh enthusiastically with her spoon, not wasting any. Jiang Feng had been about to say ¡°in ten years maybe,¡± but then he thought better of it, realizing he shouldn¡¯t dampen his apprentice¡¯s enthusiasm for learning to cook. Even if he was telling the truth, he had to put it more tactfully, ¡°You can start once your cooking skills reach the level of your master¡¯s. Practice more every day, especially your knifework. It¡¯s gettingte, go make food for Da Hua. Be careful when you¡¯re chopping, and make a few more cuts.¡± Ji Xia nodded her head vigorously, full of fighting spirit, ¡°I will, Master!¡±
    ¡°Good apprentice!¡± Jiang Feng said with an approving smile. After sending Ji Xia off with a bit of sweet talk, Jiang Feng turned to Zhou Shi, who still seemed to be savoring the taste of the stuffed crab with orange he¡¯d just had. Jiang Feng felt that if he didn¡¯t seize the moment to show off a little right now, he¡¯d be doing an injustice to the crabs he¡¯d painstakingly cleaned these past few days. It was hard for Jiang Feng to find an opportunity to show off: he couldn¡¯t do it in front of his wife, he had no chance in front of the Jiang family members, and there was no opportunity with Zhang Guanghang either. There used to be Sun Jikai, whom he could show off to once in a while, but not long after, he went back to take over his family business. ¡°How was it? The stuffed crab with orange tasted alright, didn¡¯t it?¡± Jiang Feng asked with a calm and detached smile.
    ¡°It¡¯s more than alright. If this stuffed crab with orange is just ¡®alright,¡¯ then the dishes I make might as well be pig swill,¡± Zhou Shi said with a wry smile. Thinking back, his ambition to be the head chef in this restaurant when he first applied for the job seemed so foolish now. Anyone capable of opening a high-end restaurant in Beiping City, even those from outside, had a few tricks up their sleeve. It¡¯s just that this particr restaurant had too many talented people. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Frankly, the definition of pig swill in our Jiang family is beyond your imagination. ¡°Today was just a stroke of good luck, an exceptional performance. When I make it on other days, it¡¯s not as delicious. Even I was a bit surprised at how tasty it was just now, all thanks to luck,¡± Jiang Feng said modestly, telling the actual truth. ¡°You¡¯re being too modest, young boss. There¡¯s no such thing as luck in culinary skills, it¡¯s all about capability. Without the skill, no amount of luck can create such delicious dishes,¡± Zhou Shi said. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected Zhou Shi, who was usually quiet, to be so skilled at dishing out excessive ttery. That bunch of rainbow praises he just gave was so refreshing it was no wonder Sir liked the aunt so much; being good at ttery really did make one likable. It¡¯s a pity, though, that such a technically skilled person was nning to resign as soon as he got his year-end bonus. ¡°By the way, you didn¡¯t finish what you were saying just now. What about being number one on the Famous Chef Ranking?¡± Jiang Feng asked, wanting to return to the topic they were discussing before he started showing off. ¡°Oh, right. Over the past more than ten years of the Famous Chef Ranking, the top ten have often changed. Either because those masters passed away due to old age, or because there were new talents moving up the ranks, but the number one spot has never changed, always held by Master Peng Changping,¡± Zhou Shi said. ¡°Master Peng Changping, is he the heir to Tan Family Cuisine?¡± Jiang Feng was startled inwardly; he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the Famous Chef Ranking since he couldn¡¯t make it onto the list, but he was aware of who Peng Changping was¡ªthe senior of Cao Guixiang. ¡°So you know about Master Peng too, young boss. Master Peng was originally the head chef at Yonghe House. Later, when his son settled in America and opened a restaurant, he went to the United States. Many people who don¡¯t follow the Famous Chef Ranking have forgotten about him after he¡¯s been abroad for so many years. I heard he came back more than ten years ago, but now that he¡¯s older and cannot endure the travel, he hasn¡¯t returned,¡± Zhou Shi exined, his expression revealing great admiration for Peng Changping. ¡°Master Peng is truly the top figure in Chinese cuisine, having held the number one spot in the Famous Chef Ranking for so many years. If I were lucky enough to meet him once, I¡¯d have no regrets in life.¡±
    Looking at his expression, he was no different from a starstruck young girl. ¡°Does Master Peng have any other junior brothers or sisters?¡± Jiang Feng asked tentatively. ¡°He has a junior brother named Qin Guisheng, also an extremely formidable Tan Family Cuisine sessor, currently ranked 27th in America on the Famous Chef Ranking. I think there was also a junior sister, who might have left the culinary field so she¡¯s not very famous,¡± Zhou Shi said. Even Zhou Shi, a fan of Peng Changping, didn¡¯t know about Cao Guixiang, which made Jiang Feng feel a bit of regret. From what he remembered, Cao Guixiang¡¯s culinary talent was definitely above Qin Guisheng¡¯s. If she were still alive, her ranking on the Famous Chef Ranking might even precede Qin Guisheng¡¯s and possibly break into the top ten. Unfortunately, she chose love and her family, bing a regr housewife, despite also being a master of Tan Family Cuisine, unknown to the outside world. ¡°Master Peng is quite old now, if you want to meet him, you might have to journey across the ocean and find the right time,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. ¡°Yes,¡± Zhou Shi said with a look of regret, ¡°If I knew Master Peng¡¯s address, I¡¯d definitely go across the ocean to visit him. It¡¯s just unfortunate that I don¡¯t have what it takes.¡± In the circle of chefs, even being a fan requires resources. ¡°Keep up the effort, you might meet him one day,¡± Jiang Feng said, offering constion. Chapter 439: 437: Noble Lady Wu Chapter 439: Chapter 437: Noble Lady Wu There¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡°Pretension is like the wind, always by my side.¡± Jiang Feng spent most of his time in a small, airless room, and asionally, he would open a window to let in some fresh air, luxuriating in thefortable breeze on his face. Listening to the sincere ttery from an employee who was about to resign made his mood exceptionally pleasant. As a consequence, Jiang Feng was full of energy for the next few hours. It was obvious he had stumbled upon something delightful. On the way home from work, Jiang Feng even hummed a tune as he walked. Wu Minqi was walking alongside him, listening intently to the theme song of the wayward Little Chinese Chef. ¡°Fengfeng, did something good happen to you today? You¡¯ve been particrly happy since this afternoon,¡± Wu Minqi had been waiting for Jiang Feng to share with her voluntarily, but seeing him happily keeping to himself without any intention of sharing, she asked directly. ¡°This afternoon?¡± Jiang Feng was a bit distracted and didn¡¯t hear Wu Minqi¡¯s earlier words. ¡°Oh, this afternoon Zhou Shi said he¡¯s going to resign at the beginning of next year.¡± Wu Minqi: ??? When did Zhou Shi offend you? ¡°He¡¯s resigning?¡± Wu Minqi tried to look regretful, but since she wasn¡¯t familiar with him and hadn¡¯t practiced acting in a while, her attempt at a regretful expression didn¡¯t look regretful at all. ¡°If Zhou Shi resigns, that would leave us with only five furnace chefs in the kitchen, including Mr. Jiang. We¡¯ll be seriously short-handed,¡± Wu Minqi said with genuine concern, which made her look very sincere.
    Reminded by Wu Minqi, Jiang Feng also realized that the kitchen of Taifeng Building hadn¡¯t conducted a second recruitment since the initial one, although the lobby had gone through several rounds of selection as if breeding gu worms. The two elderly gentlemen had been consciously nurturing back kitchen staff whom they saw as having potential over the past few months, such as Sang Ming and Zhang Weiyu. Zhang Weiyu might have seemed like a chopping board chef, but in reality, he had been doing the work of an assistant chef early in the morning. To see how much work he put in a month, one only needed to nce at his end-of-month paycheck to get an idea. Jiang Feng thought that if Zhang Weiyu was a gamer too, ¡°+1 yuan, +1 yuan, +1 yuan¡± would surely pop up above his head every time he worked. Jiang Feng worked hard to improve his skills, while Zhang Weiyu worked hard just for the money. Jiang Feng sincerely hoped Zhang Weiyu would strive to improve himself and be a furnace chef as soon as possible, so he could legitimately find opportunities to dock his sry. -1 yuan, -1 yuan, -1 yuan¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Mom in a few days and ask her to discuss with my fourth and fifth uncles. Maybe next month or December we can recruit externally and see if we can find any solo chefs,¡± Jiang Feng said. There¡¯s nothing in this world that can¡¯t be solved by talking to Mom. And if there is, then talk to Grandfather. ¡°By the way, Qiqi, do you want some crab-stuffed oranges?¡± Jiang Feng suddenly got excited. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early. I¡¯ll go back and make crab-stuffed oranges for you!¡± Wu Minqi did not understand what Jiang Feng meant by this. Although she had indeed gotten a bit tired of eating crab-stuffed oranges recently, having had them just yesterday afternoon. But seeing Jiang Feng so eager, as if he were about to surprise her, she nodded in agreement. ¡°Did Zhou Shi ever say something he shouldn¡¯t have?¡± Wu Minqi asked tentatively. ¡°Something he shouldn¡¯t have? No way. Qiqi, don¡¯t look at Zhou Shi as a quiet and unsociable person, but he¡¯s actually quite nice and honest. He doesn¡¯t talk much, but when he does, it matters. His cooking skills are also decent, it¡¯s just a shame he doesn¡¯t focus on his work and wants to resign just like that,¡± Jiang Feng expressed his regret over Zhou Shi¡¯s resignation. Wu Minqi: ??? ¡°Qiqi, why are you asking this?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just thought you didn¡¯t like him very much,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°How could that be? I didn¡¯t have much contact with him before. But after talking to him today, I found that we really hit it off. He¡¯s honest, speaks pleasantly, and I even exchanged my crab-stuffed orange recipe for his cold jellyfish recipe. Qiqi, the crab-stuffed oranges I made this afternoon were especially delicious. You¡¯ll seeter¡­¡± The 996 who passed by Jiang Feng: ¡­ Crab-stuffed oranges?
    Crab, oranges. Why does it sound like a dish? Is it delicious? The 996, whose eyes were opened to a new world by Taifeng Building during the national holidays, pondered thoughtfully.
    Returning home, Jiang Feng started to make the crab-stuffed oranges. Ever since he began practicing this dish, there had never been a shortage of hairy crabs and oranges at home, turning the balcony pool into a veritable crab breeding center. Each day, outstanding hairy crabs would leave the balcony for the kitchen, and new recruits would enter the pool, maintaining a delicate bnce. Wu Minqi originally wanted to help, but this time Jiang Feng prepared to showcase his skills in front of his girlfriend, showing her how he could smoothly whip up an A-grade delicious crab-stuffed orange. Jiang Feng invited Wu Minqi to sit on the sofa in the living room, thoughtfully turned on the TV for her, picked out a TV series, poured her some fresh orange juice, and prepared plum candies and watermelon seeds for her. Wu Minqi was holding a ss of orange juice, watching TV, while Jiang Feng was making stuffed crab oranges in the kitchen, and Ji Xia was earnestly and meticulously dragging the mop across every nook and cranny of the living room. Wu Minqi felt like she was a noblewoman, with Chef Jiang in the kitchen preparing her dessert after the meal, and Maid Ji in the living room doing some real cleaning. Wu Minqi took a sip of the orange juice. Yep, she felt even more like a noblewoman now. ¡°Xiaxia,¡± Minqi put down her orange juice and pushed the preserved plums towards Ji Xue, ¡°You mopped the floor yesterday, you don¡¯t have to do it again today. Come have some preserved plums and watch TV with me.¡± Ji Xia grabbed two preserved plums and stuffed them into her mouth, her words muffled with plums, ¡°Master wouldn¡¯t let me pick crabs, so I had nothing to do. I forgot to mop under the sofa yesterday. You go ahead and watch TV, Wu; I¡¯ll finish mopping in no time.¡± Wu Minqi could only continue to watch TV like a noblewoman. By the time Minqi could barely make out who was the male lead, the female lead and the third wheel, Jiang Feng¡¯s stuffed crab oranges were ready. [Stuffed Crab Oranges B-grade]
    Jiang Feng: ??? Jiang Feng stood in the kitchen, reading over the detailed evaluation results several times, then recalled the A-grade stuffed crab oranges from the afternoon and felt there wasn¡¯t much difference. How did it end up and B-grade? Jiang Feng thought about it, the only difference between the two batches of stuffed crab oranges being that he had chatted with Zhou Shi for a while and nibbled on some injected watermelons while cooking in the afternoon; all the other elements were the same, even the crabs and oranges were from the same store. Could it be that A-grade stuffed crab oranges can only be made while chatting with Zhou Shi? Jiang Feng was lost in thought. On the other side, given her rich experience in eating stuffed crab oranges, Ji Xia, who had an unforgettable A-grade stuffed crab orange in the afternoon, guessed it was about time Jiang Feng¡¯s stuffed crab oranges would be ready, so she took the initiative to slip into the kitchen. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve finished mopping!¡± Ji Xue reported her aplishment first, then got to the point, ¡°Is the stuffed crab orange ready? Can I eat it now?¡± Jiang Feng came back to his senses and said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s ready. Eat it while it¡¯s hot; have a few more.¡± Jiang Feng handed the stuffed crab oranges to Ji Xia, watching her as she took the first bite. ¡°How is it?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Delicious!¡± Ji Xia was always the most supportive one, as long as there was meat involved. ¡°How does itpare to the one from the afternoon?¡±
    ¡°The one from the afternoon was tastier!¡± ¡°Where do you think the difference lies?¡± Jiang Feng asked the ultimate and most crucial question. Now Jiang Feng had hit Ji Xia¡¯s zone of ignorance. She was someone who not only couldn¡¯t describe it with idioms but didn¡¯t even know how to curse. Ji Xue thought hard for a long time, her brows furrowed, her face a picture of distress¡ªanyone unaware might think Jiang Feng had asked her to recite ¡°The Departure to War¡± in full. ¡°The difference¡­ lies in¡­ lies in¡­ the fact that it¡¯s not as good as the one from the afternoon,¡± Ji Xia said. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Ji Xue¡¯s idea was correct. This child really needed to ¡°Improve Yourself¡± with some cultural lessons. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I was just asking casually. Have more, Xiaxia. These three are all for you, you¡¯ve worked hard mopping the floor, eat up and replenish your strength,¡± Jiang Feng said helplessly. ¡°Thank you, Master. Isn¡¯t Wu going to eat any?¡± Ji Xia continued to eat the stuffed crab oranges. ¡°Your Sister Wu will eat the next batch. Don¡¯t just sit there, eat and learn. Watch how I make them,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Alright.¡± Ji Xia slowed down her consumption of the stuffed crab oranges. As Jiang Feng went to the balcony to pick out some hairy crabs, passing by the living room, he noticed that Minqi¡¯s ss of orange juice was empty. He helped her pour a ss first, exining, ¡°Qiqi, I had some fire control issues with that batch of stuffed crab oranges. I¡¯ll make three more; you watch TV a little longer and wait.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± responded Wu, the noblewoman, with a nod of her head.
    Jiang Feng: ??? He felt there was something a bit odd about Qiqi¡¯s behavior. Chapter 440: 438: The Sour and Sweet Taste is Just Good Chapter 440: Chapter 438: The Sour and Sweet Taste is Just Good Jiang Feng went out to the balcony and picked out a very active hairy crab. Among its peers just quietly lying in the pool awaiting their fate, this one, desperately trying to escape as though it were breaking out of prison, with 5 of its legs already outside the pool, it stood out from the rest. Jiang Feng was instantly drawn to this energetic hairy crab, ready to send it on its final journey tonight. As Jiang Feng walked through the living room holding the hairy crab, he saw Wu Minqi sitting on the sofa with a ss of orange juice, her dignified demeanor resembling a viinous mother-inw from a family drama instructing her daughter-inw, and he couldn¡¯t help but look twice. In the kitchen, Ji Xia, who had been trying hard to control her eating speed, was now scraping the bottom of her first crab-stuffed orange with a spoon, aiming to enjoy it a little slower. ¡°Did your sis Wu do anything unusual while watching TV just now?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Unusual? No, Wu was just watching TV there, and she even asked me to eat some plum candy with her while we watched,¡± Ji Xia replied. Even though Ji Xia said this, Jiang Feng still felt that Wu Minqi was acting strangely tonight. She was perfectly normal before, but now there was an indefinable disharmony about her. Unable to figure it out, Jiang Feng decided to set the issue aside for now. The most important thing at the moment was to make Crab Stuffed Oranges. Throughout the years, whether in cooking or studying, Jiang Feng had always believed that when the feeling was right, it was crucial to strike while the iron was hot. He didn¡¯t know what exactly clicked during the afternoon, but as long as he followed through with that momentum, that was all that mattered.
    Jiang Feng cleaned the crab and steamed it, then stood by the stove and began to work on the oranges, with Ji Xia watching him eagerly while eating. ¡°Xiaxia, what are the key points I told you about handling oranges?¡± Jiang Feng suddenly asked. ¡°Ah, the key points, there are¡­ there are¡­¡± Ji Xia was like a student called upon suddenly during ss, at a loss for what to do. ¡°When cutting the fibrous strands, the force should be strong, the speed fast, and the cuts decisive,¡± Ji Xia remembered one point. Jiang Feng nodded, taking a pair of small scissors and snipping through the membrane cleanly. ¡°When scooping out the orange flesh, take care not to let the orange juice flow out.¡± Jiang Feng nodded again, scooping out a spoonful of orange flesh smoothly and steadily. ¡°When scraping the orange flesh, the movement should be gentle, so as not to damage the orange peel.¡± Jiang Feng, holding a special knife, carefully started to scrape the orange peel, his movements soft and gentle, like cutting tofu on silk. ¡°The overall speed must be quick, it¡¯s best to finish within¡­¡± What was just an ordinary production of Crab Stuffed Oranges turned into a pop quiz for Ji Xia, who concentrated intensely on every movement of Jiang Feng¡¯s hands, forgetting to eat her own orange. Until the new batch of Crab Stuffed Oranges was ready, the other twoid untouched on the culinary table. Lift the lid. [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] Jiang Feng felt bewildered. By all means, he should have been happy. No matter when, producing an A Level dish verified by the game should be cause for celebration, not to mention that his current main quest was to make 10 A Level dishes, which should have doubled the joy. But this unexpected A Level left him puzzled. Where was the difference? What was the difference between the B just before and the A now?
    ¡°Master?¡± Seeing Jiang Feng¡¯splex expression staring at the Crab Stuffed Oranges in the pot, Ji Xia thought there was some problem with them and asked, ¡°Is¡­ there something wrong with the Crab Stuffed Oranges?¡± Jiang Feng snapped back to reality, saying, ¡°No problem, go ahead and eat. I¡¯m going to call your sis Wu over to join us.¡± As he turned, his eyes once again fell on the two B Level Crab Stuffed Oranges on the culinary table that no one had touched. They were most likely cold by now.
    You can¡¯t eat crab dishes the next day; once cold, the Crab Stuffed Oranges, because of the crab meat and roe inside, would develop a heavy fishy taste that was hard to stomach. Holding a Crab Stuffed Orange in hand, Jiang Feng was ready to throw them away. Ji Xia stopped Jiang Feng, ¡°Master, I can take these two Crab Stuffed Oranges to eatter!¡± ¡°Crab Stuffed Oranges won¡¯t taste good once cold,¡± Jiang Feng reminded her kindly. ¡°They¡¯re delicious,¡± Ji Xia would not waste a single orange or crab. Jiang Feng had no choice but to put the Crab Stuffed Oranges back on the culinary table, reminding her, ¡°Crab dishes can¡¯t be kept overnight. If you don¡¯t eat them today, throw them away.¡± Ji Xia nodded, burying her head in her Crab Stuffed Oranges, each bite bringing a satisfied expression, proving by her actions what it means to say, although I can¡¯t describe it, I can taste the difference between A Level and B Level dishes. Jiang Feng headed to the living room to invite Wu Minqi to have the Crab Stuffed Oranges. Lady Wu nodded in adylike manner, stood up gracefully, and slowly sat down at the table in the same fashion. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Had his Qiqi been possessed? ¡°I¡¯m going to take one to the great-aunt now; she shouldn¡¯t be asleep yet. Qiqi, Xiaxia, you two start without me,¡± Jiang Feng said, sincepleting the task was always the priority. Lady Wu nodded in herdylike manner. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Ji Xia sneakily ate her Crab Stuffed Oranges in a corner of the kitchen, looking as if she was stealing food.
    Although Mid-Autumn Festival had long passed, and receiving a recipe for Suzhou-style mooncakes seemed a bitte, when a game recipe falls from the sky, you don¡¯t turn it down. Who knows, the buff from this Suzhou mooncake recipe might be magical, making one fall in love with eating mooncakes or desire two for one, lusting for two more after eating just one. Jiang Style, two for one. The A Level Crab Stuffed Oranges would surely satisfy great-aunt! With full confidence, Jiang Feng went downstairs with the Crab Stuffed Oranges, while Lady Wu elegantly took a spoon, gracefully uncovering the top of the Crab Stuffed Orange, and daintily scooped a small spoonful. A just-right spoonful, evenly mixed with orange flesh and crab meat with a bit of crab roe nestled inside. The loose orange flesh still seeping a few drops of orange juice into the crabmeat. Snow-white offset by orange-yellow, the tangerine hue of the crab roe veiled yet conspicuous like a veiled woman stepping through the snow in search of plum blossoms. Lady Wu took a bite with refined elegance. I¡¯m out of the game. Wu Minqi had tasted plenty of fine foods; she had experienced too many luxurious foods throughout her life. As a girl who had been groomed to inherit the family restaurant since her childhood due to her sensitive taste buds and exceptional culinary talent, Wu Hanxue and Sir Wu had always paid great attention to the quality of food that entered her mouth when she was young. Taste is innate, but it also requires nurturing in addition to nature¡¯s gift. As a child, Jiang Jianguo would be hung up and beaten by Sir for fussing over wanting to eat in boiled cabbage, whereas Wu Minqi treated in boiled cabbage as just ordinary stir-fried cabbage. It was precisely because she had tasted so many exquisite foods that Wu Minqi could understand more deeply than others just how difficult and arduous a journey it is to reach the pinnacle of culinary excellence, to ascend to the peak of the pyramid. She also understood quite clearly the vast chasm that existed between tasty, delicious, and stunning¡ªthree different adjectives that described the insurmountable gaps in quality when it came to a dish.
    Most mediocre chefs might master a single dish in their lifetime, or perhaps not even one. Jiang Feng would not be the first to surprise her in this way, nor would he be thest. Wu Minqi sighed. If it had been someone else, she might have been jealous, but the man who possessed such an exceptional and almost frightening intuition for cooking was her boyfriend, which just made her feel helpless. It seemed like she had already been left far behind by Jiang Feng. The feeling of being less skilled was truly unpleasant. ¡­ Jiang Feng knocked on the door of the Jiang family home. From his experiences delivering [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] during this time, he expected that his aunt should be lying on the yoga mat in the living room, engaging in some mysterious activity that looked less like yoga and more like sleeping in a contorted pose. Sure enough, it was Jiang Jianguo who opened the door, and his aunt was indeed lying on the yoga mat with her eyes closed. ¡°Jianguo, is it Feng?¡± His aunt proved she wasn¡¯t asleep after all, as she was indeed practicing yoga. ¡°It¡¯s Feng, Feng has brought you the [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level],¡± Jiang Jianguo said. Immediately, his aunt¡¯s eyes snapped open; she sprang up swiftly, like a carp flipping over, and greeted Jiang Feng with a warm and affectionate smile that one elder might give to a younger, ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful to bring the [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] over sote, Feng.¡±
    Jiang Jianguo went to the kitchen to fetch a spoon for his aunt. He had eaten his fair share of [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] these days and had long lost interest in this dish. He did not like oranges, and the [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] had too little meat for his liking; to him, crab meat hardly had any taste at all, which did not align with his usual aesthetic for gourmet food. ¡°Uncle, would you like to try some too?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Jiang Jianguo waved his hand and only took one spoon, ¡°Why should I try it? I won¡¯tpete with your aunt for it, she loves it.¡± Upon hearing this, his aunt immediately became displeased and gave Jiang Jianguo a stern look, ¡°Jiang Jianguo, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by notpeting with me? Are you implying that I usually fight over food with you? Feng is just being kind. You know how much trouble it is to make this dish, and he specifically made it to bring it here as a gesture of respect to us, the elders, and you¡¯re not even appreciative. Just taste it, what¡¯s with all this hesitating!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ He was beginning to understand where Mrs. Wang Xiulian¡¯s ability to argue came from. Having been swiftly metaphorically nailed to the pir of shame by his aunt, Jiang Jianguo quickly attempted to redeem himself, ¡°Feng, your uncle didn¡¯t mean it that way, it¡¯s just that I ate too much for dinner.¡± To prove that he was indeed a good uncle, Jiang Jianguo immediately removed the cover of the [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level], scooped up half a spoonful, and tucked it into his mouth. Jiang Jianguo was taken aback. Hey, why doesn¡¯t it taste like before? Howe today¡¯s [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] is actually quite tasty? Sour and sweet, surprisingly pleasant. Jiang Jianguo chewed reflexively on the [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] that required no chewing at all. The vor spread throughout his mouth. It¡¯s really good! Seeing Jiang Jianguo standing still as if he had been stunned by her earlier rebuke, his aunt shook her head, fetched another spoon from the kitchen herself, and exined to Jiang Feng, ¡°Your uncle has been like this in thest couple of years, getting older, a little slower in his reactions.¡± His aunt picked up the [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level], scooped a spoonful, and tasted it. She closed her eyes in contentment. Observing his aunt¡¯s expression, it seemed that squinting was the highest praise for a dish. After swallowing the [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] in his mouth, Jiang Jianguo finally snapped back to reality. Seeing the dish now in his aunt¡¯s hands and realizing the situation was beyond salvage, he still shamelessly moved closer with a smile. ¡°Ah, darling, I¡¯ve realized I actually quite like this dish. Let me have another bite.¡± His aunt turned away to dodge Jiang Jianguo¡¯s oing spoon, ¡°What now? You were so reluctant just now, and now youe over here? Do you think Feng owes you something? It¡¯s like we have to serve you just for trying a dish, no way!¡± The final two words were spoken with conviction, and Jiang Feng could almost hear the sound of shing armor in them. ¡°Ding, hidden mission [Heavenly Surprise]pleted, reward acquired: Recipe: [Suzhou Mooncake].¡± The mission alert sound echoed in Jiang Feng¡¯s mind. Jiang Feng wore a victorious smile. ¡°Uncle, auntie, it¡¯s gettingte; I¡¯ll be on my way. I¡¯lle by again tomorrow to bring you some dishes,¡± Jiang Feng said, looking every bit themendable nephew of the Jiang family. ¡°Wait, Feng,¡± his aunt called out to him, turning to Jiang Jianguo, ¡°Jianguo, didn¡¯t my father send a spotted lobster over a few days ago? Go give it to Feng to take with him. You don¡¯t know how to handle a lobster; don¡¯t let it go to waste in our house. Let Feng practice with it.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Actually, I don¡¯t know how either. . PS: Also, going hiking was a mistake; I feel like I¡¯ve climbed all the mountains I was supposed to climb in my life in these past two days. The most frequent sentences I¡¯ve said these past two days have been ¡°Wait a moment¡± and ¡°Shall we take a short break?¡± Chapter 441: 439 Advanced Recipes Chapter 441: Chapter 439 Advanced Recipes When Jiang Feng returned home carrying a lively Da Hua lobster and arge bag of special water for lobster cultivation, Ji Xia had already left, not forgetting to take the two crab-stuffed oranges that had long since cooled down before she left. The kitchen had been cleaned up. Wu Minqi was tidying up clothes, preparing for a shower. She was a little surprised to see Jiang Fenging back with a lobster in his hand. ¡°A lobster?¡± ¡°My aunt gave it to me. It¡¯s rare to find such a Da Hua lobster in the market, and even rarer to find one this size. My aunt told me to take it home and practice, but I¡¯ve never cooked a sea lobster before and dare not practice with something so precious,¡± said Jiang Feng helplessly. ¡°Let¡¯s just keep it for now. Tomorrow I¡¯ll consult someone in the kitchen to see who knows how to keep this thing alive without killing it.¡± ¡°But the pool on the balcony is full of crabs. It doesn¡¯t seem good to put the lobster and the crabs together, one from the sea and the other from theke,¡± Wu Minqi said, somewhat unsure. Seafood wasn¡¯t her specialty. ¡°Put it in the bucket. I¡¯ll take it directly to Taifeng Building tomorrow. If it can be kept alive, we¡¯ll keep it, otherwise, we¡¯ll just have to kill it,¡± replied Jiang Feng. ¡°That works, I¡¯m going to take a shower. You can use the blue bucket on the balcony; it¡¯s new and hasn¡¯t been used,¡± Wu Minqi nodded, taking her clothes into the bathroom. After Wu Minqi entered the bathroom to shower, Jiang Feng suddenly realized that his Minqi seemed to have returned to normal. The diforting sense of vignce from before had disappeared. Although he didn¡¯t know why, it was good that things were back to normal. Taking advantage of Wu Minqi¡¯s time in the bathroom, Jiang Feng settled the lobster and then sat on the sofa, unabashedly opening the attribute panel to check the recipes he had just obtained.
    The recipes given by the game were for Suzhou-style mooncakes. It sounded like one recipe, but was actually two. The creator was Jiang Feng¡¯s old acquaintance, Gu Li, the champion of the Good Taste culinarypetition. Speaking of Gu Li, Jiang Feng had lost touch with him after the Good Taste culinarypetition. Jiang Feng was now in Beiping; Gu Li was in Hang City, with a thousand miles between the two cities. Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t as well-informed as Pei Shenghua and the chefs he knew online were all from the capital circle. Now that he thought about it, it seemed that he hadn¡¯t heard anything about Gu Li since the Good Taste culinarypetition ended. However, Gu Li was a White Chef with a deep foundation, hardworking and diligent, having been mentored by a master chef. Destined for sesster in life, he must have been doing well these days. His future journey should not be too bumpy. Jiang Feng had only nced briefly and realized that both recipes were created by Gu Li, which surprised him a bit. After reminiscing about Gu Li¡¯s astonishing performance at the Good Taste culinarypetition, Jiang Feng began to examine the two recipes carefully. [Suzhou-style Mooncake (Pork) B-grade] Creator: Gu Li Dish Details: Suzhou-style mooncakes are divided into sweet, salty, or based on cooking method, either baked or pan-fried. Salty mooncakes are mainly pan-fried, with varieties such as hamrd, scallionrd, fresh pork, and shrimp. The fresh pork mooncake belongs to the salty variety, and yers can rece the filling with hamrd, scallionrd, shrimp, or other fillings for salty mooncakes as they wish, with no special attribute bonuses. (This recipe is an advanced recipe. Once the yer meets the conditions, namely making this recipe more than 10,000 times, with over 100 A-grade products, the recipe will automatically advance. Advancement is automatic and does not require yer action.) Friendly Reminder: The yer¡¯s current White Chef culinary skills are far below the recipe¡¯s level, with a 100% chance of failure. [Suzhou-style Mooncake (Salt and Pepper) B-grade] Creator: Gu Li Dish Details: Suzhou-style mooncakes are divided into sweet, salty, or based on cooking method, either baked or pan-fried. The sweet mooncakes are mainly baked, with varieties such as rose, assorted nuts, salt and pepper, and red bean paste. The salt and pepper mooncake is a sweet variety, and yers can rece the filling with rose, assorted nuts, red bean paste, or other varieties as they wish, with no special attribute bonuses. (This recipe is an advanced recipe. Once the yer meets the conditions, namely making this recipe more than 10,000 times, with over 100 A-grade products, the recipe will automatically advance. Advancement is automatic and does not require yer action.) Friendly Reminder: The yer¡¯s current White Chef culinary skills are far below the recipe¡¯s level, with a 100% chance of failure. Advanced recipes? Jiang Feng had had the game for quite a while, and this was the first time he hade across advanced recipes. A long time ago, when he received the recipe for ¡°Clear Soup Willow Leaf Swallow Dish (Imitation)¡±, it was shown that the recipe could be improved, and now there was an advanced recipe. To understand it literally, this recipe would upgrade itself, advancing to an A-grade or S-grade, but what was the use of that? Having had this game for so long, Jiang Feng had understood some principles about game recipes. Most of the recipes in the game, except for dishes like the ¡°Clear Soup Willow Leaf Swallow Dish (Imitation)¡± or the ¡°Pure Meat Wonton¡± which have a limited potential due to ingredients and cooking techniques, have a potential that keeps increasing with the culinary skills of the creator¡ªespecially those of famous dishes. Take Cao Guixiang¡¯s crab-stuffed oranges for example, although the recipe level is only C-grade, if Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking skills are high enough, making an S-grade dish wouldn¡¯t be a problem.
    With that, regardless of the original rating of the recipe, it had no impact on Jiang Feng, not to mention that this dish itself had no attribute bonuses, and upgrading its level waspletely pointless. Or could it be that advancing a recipe actually meant upgrading it, transforming a rtively easy dish into a rare, high-difficulty dish? But the original recipe was for mooncakes, what more could you upgrade mooncakes to? Even higher difficulty Su-style mooncakes? Could Su-style mooncakes possiblye with their own bloom? Although he couldn¡¯t figure out what the Advanced Recipes truly meant, Jiang Feng¡¯s desire to watch the tutorial video was growing. His finger was even nearly clicking on the video.
    His skills as a White Chef weren¡¯t great, and he probably couldn¡¯t pull noodles six times in a row anymore since he hadn¡¯t practiced for a while. The only thing that Jiang Feng could present with confidence on the White Chef skills was mixing dough. Jiang Jianguo had seen the dough Jiang Feng had mixed and even said it was good. But if you had topliment it, you could only say that Feng had really solid basic skills. In the end, Jiang Feng still resisted the temptation to click on the tutorial video, after all, Wu Minqi was still showering in the bathroom. Wu Minqi could walk out at any moment, towel in hand, wiping her hair as she made her way to the living room. That¡¯s when she would find Jiang Feng sitting on the sofa in the living room, eyes intently staring at thin air, focused, contemtive, looking every bit like an emergency case who needed to call for medical help like a mental patient. Even among the many talents of a psychiatric hospital, Jiang Feng¡¯s symptoms could definitely be considered outstanding, much stronger than those mentioned in the jokes about picking peaches or fishing from the bed. Jiang Feng was learning to cook by staring at the air! Jiang Feng exited the recipe menu, scrolled through the attribute panel, and wanted to check how much longer the cooldown for Retrospection was. He had already learned Crab-Stuffed Oranges, and his great-aunt had conveniently given him a flower lobster. Although it seemed this lobster was most likely going to be wasted, Jiang Feng felt this was some sort of sign from the universe. A sign that it was time for him to learn the long-buried recipe in the cookbook, the one that¡¯s been neglected to the point of nearly growing mold, the Steamed Lobster with Superior Soup. He, Jiang Feng, was finally going to tackle Cantonese cuisine. There were three days left for Retrospection¡¯s cooldown. Jiang Feng nned to pick up noodle pulling again during these three days. While practicing noodle pulling, he would take the time to study the method of Steamed Lobster with Superior Soup several times over, to sufficiently build up his theoretical knowledge. Times had changed. Back when Jiang Feng was practicing threading noodles, he had to do it sneakily if he wanted to consult Jiang Jianguo. Other than weekends, Jiang Jianguo didn¡¯t have much time, busy at night making juice, fruit sd, all sorts of odd tters, nutritional sets, and fitness meals for his great-aunt, immensely fulfilling and busy, often having no time to guide Jiang Feng in noodle pulling.
    As for asking Master Huang, well, Master Huang was far away in n City and couldn¡¯t teach face-to-face. Teaching via WeChat was never as direct and clear as masterly personal instruction. Jiang Feng¡¯s journey in learning to pull noodles was fraught with difficulties. But that was in the past. Now, things were different; he had a disciple! He had a disciple who could pull noodles eleven times. Asking his disciple might sound embarrassing, but Jiang Feng knew well the meaning of ¡°no shame in asking,¡± and he firmly believed that Xiaxia, with her little brain that didn¡¯t even score 300 on her middle school exams, definitely wouldn¡¯t notice that her master was consulting with his disciple. At that time, he would simply need to imply to Xiaxia at the right moment that he wanted to have a little pop quiz during noodle pulling, casually ask a few questions rted to noodle pulling knowledge and skills, and then have Xiaxia demonstrate it for him. That way, a single observation of Xiaxia pulling noodles while answering questions would create a perfect teaching moment. He really was an excellent master. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but exim in his heart, where else could you find a master unashamed to learn from his disciple like him nowadays? Xiaxia was indeed fortunate. Chapter 442: 440: The Most Suitable Mooncake Tutorial Chapter 442: Chapter 440: The Most Suitable Mooncake Tutorial The Suzhou-style mooncake originated in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty, lesser-knownpared to the more famous and widely spread Cantonese-style mooncake, the Suzhou-style mooncake is even unknown in many regions. Take Jiang Feng, for example, before attending university, he only knew of Cantonese-style mooncakes and waspletely unaware that there are in fact many different types of mooncakes; he always thought there was only one kind: the Cantonese-style mooncake. The only difference being whether they contained egg yolks or not. Then there¡¯s Wang Hao, a local from n City, where Suzhou-style mooncakes weren¡¯t sold in earlier years, only in recent years did they be popr in n City. When he first saw a Suzhou-style mooncake, he insisted it was just a baked sesame cake and even argued with the shop owner, ultimately getting himself cklisted from the store. Over the next few years, Wang Hao regretted his impulsive actions back then. That mooncake shopter expanded and opened a branch in n City, bing the best ce in town for Suzhou-style mooncakes, not only selling mooncakes but other pastries as well. It¡¯s said that Wang Hao¡¯s photo was posted at the cashier¡¯s counter. Listeners felt sorrowful, those who heard shed tears. Jiang Feng had forgotten who told him this, probably Wang Hao, since that guy could have developed a love-hate rtionship with the topic. That person said if you were to rank Suzhou-style mooncakes, it would be too unfair to the other mooncakes because they aren¡¯t even mooncakes at all, they are a dish. Most of the time, they are even a meat dish.
    But from any perspective, even from the biased view of someone like Wang Hao, Suzhou-style mooncakes are a high-difficulty White Chef pastry. After taking a shower, Jiang Feng returned to his room, repeatedly checked that the door was closed, then excitedly clicked to open the attribute panel. Finding the recipe for Suzhou-style mooncake, he hesitated for a moment, then chose the fresh meat mooncake and began watching the video tutorial. The tutorial had two parts: the first was making the filling, and the second, making the mooncake itself. The fresh meat mooncake¡¯s filling was quite intricate, requiring everything but the sesame oil to be mixed into the meat, kneaded until sticky, then adding scallion and ginger water in three installments, mixing evenly in a clockwise direction. In the video, what caught the eye was a pair of hands. Long-fingered, fair, with neatly trimmed nails, well-maintained hands. The hands of a White Chef. Throughout the meat filling process, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t once see Gu Li¡¯s face; from start to finish, only his hands appeared in the video, along with the teachings of a mysterious man whose identity was not revealed. If Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t mistaken, the enigmatic man who only spoke and never showed his face was probably Gu Li¡¯s master, thete Master White Chef, Master Tan. After all, dropping a few questions like surprise quizzes while someone is cooking, an act frustrating enough to make one¡¯s hair stand on end, could onlye from the master of the person cooking. At the end of the video, Master Tan asked Gu Li onest question, which seemed less like a question and more like a voice-over narration provided especially for Jiang Feng in the game. ¡°How should you handle the finished meat filling?¡± ¡°Refrigerate overnight to be used as needed.¡± Here concluded the making of the filling. For Jiang Feng, making the filling wasn¡¯t difficult, whether making dumpling, wonton, or helping Wu Minqi make Sichuan dumpling filling, the method was basically the same, with just some small details differing. The real challenge of Suzhou-style mooncakesy in making the pastry skin. To make the pastry skin, you first needed to make the oil dough, mixing all the required ingredients in arge bowl by hand until smooth, then covering it quickly with stic wrap to rest for 20 minutes. Next, you make the oil paste, using the same method as the oil dough, only with different materials. Once the oil dough had rested, Jiang Feng watched as Gu Li slowly rolled it into small balls. The oil paste was also rolled into balls, only much smaller than those made of oil dough, half the size, to be precise. After rolling them out, Gu Li covered them with stic wrap to prevent drying. Then came the pastry skin production, which required water-oil dough for Suzhou-style mooncakes. Water-oil dough is created by mixing water, flour, and oil in certain proportions, then rolling it out, adjusting with sugar and salt for different needs.
    Gu Li usedrd and maltose for his water-oil dough, which had moreplicated steps because he needed to first melt and blend therd with the maltose. Gu Li covered the freshly kneaded dough with stic wrap to let it rise, just like before, but Master Tan spoke up as soon as Gu Li finished covering it. ¡°That¡¯s wrong.¡± Gu Li, who had been corrected by his master, quickly realized his mistake and opened the stic wrap to cover it again.
    This time was different, the previous attempt by Gu Li to cover with stic wrap had been sloppy, but this time he left many gaps. ¡°Why can¡¯t the stic wrap be sealed tightly?¡± Master Tan asked. ¡°Leaving air allows the dough to rx more,¡± Gu Li replied. ¡°Exactly, remember this well, you cannot make such a basic mistake again,¡± Master Tan¡¯s voice became particrly stern. ¡°I¡¯ll remember, Master, I won¡¯t make the same mistake next time,¡± Gu Li said firmly. Jiang Feng watched as Gu Li rolled out the rested water-oil dough into small pieces and slowly wrapped them, observing as each fresh meat mooncake took shape, watching as Gu Li brushed egg wash on the tray, sprinkled sesame seeds, and put the fresh meat mooncakes into the oven. The video ended, and there was no shot of the dish after it came out of the oven. Throughout the entire video, Gu Li never showed his face, and even the part where he was carrying the baking tray with the fresh meat mooncakes to the oven only featured the part below his neck. The winner of the Good Taste Cooking Competition truly has prestige, even the teaching videos don¡¯t show his face. While other people¡¯s faces are not often shown, they at least appear once or twice. Gu Li, let alone a second, didn¡¯t even appear for a single frame. After watching these two tutorial videos, Jiang Feng seemed to vaguely understand why the game chose Gu Li¡¯s tutorials. Gu Li¡¯s video tutorials weren¡¯t the best, but they were definitely the most suitable. Gu Li moved slowly. So slowly that even a beginner could clearly and distinctly understand each of his steps. And in the tutorial videos of Gu Li¡¯s dish, Master Tan, who had been dead for many years, was there guiding him. This meant that Gu Li must have been quite young when he made these fresh meat mooncakes, and his culinary skills weren¡¯t very high either. Nowadays, Gu Li still cooks slowly. It seems that the word ¡°slow¡± has merged into his body, woven into his culinary arts. But the current slowness of Gu Li exudes steadiness, while in the video, his slowness made him seem like a novice.
    Gu Li stepped on every possiblendmine when making fresh meat mooncakes, creating aplete guide to the potential pitfalls. This could also very effectively help and remind Jiang Feng where it was easy to make mistakes, how to avoid them, and where making mistakes would end up like Gu Li¡¯s. Jiang Feng guessed that this was probably why the video did not show the final product. The final product probably wasn¡¯t very good. With so many mistakes made by Gu Li along the way, even though Master Tan was there to promptly instruct Gu Li to rectify them, the final product was likely still not up to satisfaction. So, does this mooncake really have a B-level rating? Jiang Feng had wanted to see how sweet mooncakes were made, but then he thought better of it. After all, one needs to eat meals one bite at a time, and simrly, one has to learn how to make mooncakes one type at a time. If he was going to practice, he should start with fresh meat mooncakes, especially since they contain meat. Even ifrades Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Mr. Jiang Jiankang scorned them and wouldn¡¯t eat them, Ji Xia would certainly eat them. ¡°Ah,¡± Jiang Feng sighed somewhat regretfully. If only Xiaxia had an appetite as big as that of his great-aunt. Then he could just let loose and make fresh meat mooncakes. No matter how unsessful or bad they tasted, at least they wouldn¡¯t go to waste. Xiaxia is a good apprentice.
    Always there to solve problems for her master. Jiang Feng silently praised Ji Xia in his heart, intending to close the attribute panel and go to sleep, but he identally clicked on the item bar below. A certain item that had been hidden deep in the item bar for so long, already forgotten by Jiang Feng, caught his eye: ¡°A Fragment of Ji Xue¡¯s Memory.¡± ¡°A Fragment of Ji Xue¡¯s Memory¡± Where did this memorye from? Jiang Feng was somewhat puzzled; he couldn¡¯t remember ever having acquired this memory, nor did he recallpleting any task to obtain it. At this moment, Jiang Feng felt like a forgetting youth who had prematurely entered old age, not remembering when the teacher assigned the homework at the time it needed to be handed in. Sitting on the bed and pondering for a long time, Jiang Feng finally remembered that it seemed to be connected to some task rted to Ji Xue. Anyway, the task was alreadypleted when he took it. It was another self-sufficient, inspiring task; he realized it andpleted it himself, without any need for Jiang Feng to lift a finger. A good task shouldplete itself, not require the yer to make an effort. Do you hear that, mainline tasks! Jiang Feng shouted in his heart. His progression on the mainline task was only 3/10. Of course, 3/10 is not the focus, but he doesn¡¯t know where the remaining 7/10 are. It doesn¡¯t feel like any dish could easily reach an A-level standard. Most of the special effect dishes in the cookbook are big and famous dishes, and the few simple ones like fried sauce noodles are still outside of Jiang Feng¡¯s abilities.
    So, special effect dishes should have the standard of special effect dishes. Can¡¯t you dishes learn from the previous side tasks and level up to an A by yourselves, without having the yer do it personally? Having the yer do it personallycks soul. You¡¯re special effect dishes; you need to have your own consciousness and opinions! Jiang Feng mentioned that he has weak teeth; the doctor advised him to eat more soft food. Despite his grumbling, Jiang Feng¡¯s fingers moved honestly towards ¡°A Fragment of Ji Xue¡¯s Memory¡± and silently clicked yes. Jiang Feng was instantly surrounded by fog. Chapter 443: 441 Waiting for the Lantern Festival (Part 1) Chapter 443: Chapter 441 Waiting for the Lantern Festival (Part 1) ¡°` ¡°Eat what? You¡¯re a curse, something that should have been strangled at birth, and now you still have the face to sit here eating and eating and eating!¡± Before he fully emerged from the fog, Jiang Feng heard a shrill and somewhat hoarse female voice spouting the kind of harsh and venomous words that seemed only to exist in soap operas, while the faint crying of a child could still be heard beneath the woman¡¯s berating. Who¡¯s cursing a child? And doing so like it¡¯s not even their own kid. Jiang Feng vaguely remembered that when Sir used to scold them, it was at most for being piglets that knew nothing but eating, worse than piglets, telling them it would be better to feed the pigs instead. Worse than pigs. In other ces, this might be an insult, but in the Jiang family, it was an undeniable truth. The fog cleared. Jiang Feng realized he was in a room, a little girl¡¯s room. The decor was simple¡ªa white-walled room, a small square desk, an ordinary deskmp, a short three-tiered bookshelf, and a single bed with pink sheetsposing the entirety of the room. He appeared in front of the bookshelf and couldn¡¯t help but take a second look.
    The shelf was mostly filled with textbooks, ranging from first to sixth grade, interspersed with a magazine or two, as well as some ssic novels that Jiang Feng used to buy at his teachers¡¯ rmendation when he was young. The desk held a stack of first-year middle school textbooks and nothing else besides the deskmp¡ªnot even a pen¡ªmaking the small desk seem empty. The room wasn¡¯trge and could be taken in at a nce. Jiang Feng guessed this must be Ji Xue¡¯s room, judging from the textbooks on the desk, deducing that Ji Xue must now be in her first year of middle school. First year of middle school. Ji Xue¡¯s turning point in life. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know much about Ji Xue¡¯s family situation, but he had a general idea. Their family was typically one brought down by illness, once well-off with some savings but ruined by sessive diseases in the parents, the loss of theirbor force, two young children, exorbitant medical bills, and the indifferent attitude of aunts and uncles, dragging the family down step by step until everyone was pulled into the abyss. Jiang Feng remembered, Ji Xue seemed to have dropped out of school to work at the Tan Family Small Restaurant during middle school. The absence of holiday homework among the textbooks on the desk suggested that Ji Xue must have already decided to drop out and start working at the Tan Family Small Restaurant. But¡­ where is Ji Xue? ¡°Thud.¡± ¡°Crash.¡± Two loud bangs came from outside, as if something had fallen over, followed by the piercing female voice Jiang Feng had heard through the fog. ¡°Cry, cry, cry, do you still have the face to cry? You¡¯re a curse, a blight that kills the entire family, and now you¡¯re crying? Whose death are you mourning during the New Year? Trying to curse your parents to death wasn¡¯t enough, now you want to curse me too, huh? Such an unlucky, damned creature,¡± scolded the voice, by any standard harsh to the ear. Jiang Feng hurriedly ran out; when he was in the fog earlier, he didn¡¯t catch the words distinctly and thought Ji Xue¡¯s neighbor was scolding their child on New Year¡¯s. Now, it was clear the voice wasing from the living room. When Jiang Feng quickly dashed through walls to reach the living room, he found a small figure sitting on the ground¡ªit appeared to be Ji Xia, given the age, with thirteen-year-old Ji Xue squatting beside her amidst a scattering of candies on the floor. A five-year age difference might not seem much among grown sisters, but for the two around ten, it made a vast difference. One could already be called a young girl, while the other looked every bit a child. The candies strewn across the floor were of very low quality, wrapped in transparent stic paper, providing a colorful but cheap assortment. A stic dish that had probably been used for candies was also overturned beside the coffee table. Standing in front of the sofa was a middle-aged woman in her fifties, dressed in a bright red coat, her face full of anger as she pointed at the two girls on the floor, speaking rapidly.
    ¡°What sins have Imitted? I raised a son who never found any good fortune; he can¡¯t even bring me anyfort during the New Year, instead letting me, his old mother, toil to take care of you two money-losing burdens. And one of you is a curse bearer, such bad luck,¡± sheined bitterly. ¡°You and your sick mother really know how to scheme, don¡¯t you? Making it sound so nice, saying she needs to keep your dadpany at the hospital since they have no time to look after you two. What, has she lost the use of her hands, legs or mouth? Will she starve to death at home? I never hear from you when there¡¯s good to be had, but you sure remember me when there¡¯s someone to take care of. What a mess,¡± she berated angrily. ¡°You can¡¯t talk about my mom like that!¡± Ji Xia screamed, sitting on the ground, her eight or nine-year-old voice shrill enough to drown out her grandmother¡¯s cursing. With Ji Xia¡¯s current understanding, she might not grasp that terms like ¡°curse bearer¡± and ¡°bringer of death to the entire family¡± referred to her, but she did understand that ¡°sick mother¡± was an insult against her mom.
    Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother, already extremely reluctant to take care of her granddaughters for half a day, was now furious to see Ji Xia daring to talk back. In rage, she kicked the coffee table in front of her. ¡°` With a loud ¡®bang¡¯, Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother raised her voice, ¡°What did I say wrong? When you were born, I had a fortune teller predict your fate, and they said you were a ¡®heaven¡¯s lone star¡¯ that would doom your husband, mother, and the entire family. I said from the start that we should have thrown you out, but your sickly mother wouldn¡¯t listen. A barren hen that can¡¯t eveny an egg had the nerve to show attitude towards me. If it weren¡¯t for my several sons, your sickly, barren mother would have led our Ji Family to a point of no descendants!¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been so careful over the years, keeping you, the disaster star, away from your cousins and uncles, who knows what disaster you would have brought upon our family. Now look, both your father and mother have been cursed by you. Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Oh, I see now, your mother just wanted you to curse me. I thought so, that sickly ghost never meant well, pretending to be kind, saying she wanted me toe stay for a while, pah! How could anyone live in a hellhole like this?¡± Jiang Feng, dumbfounded by all this, could only think: ??? What is this sexism and feudal superstition all about? It¡¯s the 21st century, yet why are they living as though it¡¯s still feudal times? The more she cursed, the angrier Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother became, kicking the coffee table yet again. Jiang Feng, seeing her expression, felt she might actually want to kick Ji Xia but seemed to be holding back for some reason. Looking down, Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother spotted a small bag of Dove chocte she had kicked aside. A small bag that seemed to contain only about ten pieces of chocte, give to any youngster in the Jiang Family other than Jiang Feng, and it would be gone in 10 minutes. ¡°Well, well, hiding things here now, are you? Getting pretty clever,¡± Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother stepped forward, picked up the bag of chocte, and turned to leave. Ji Xia, who had been sitting on the ground, suddenly stood up and, like a cannonball, charged at her grandmother. Unable to reach the chocte in her hands, she clung desperately to her coat. ¡°Those were bought by my mother-inw for us, you¡¯re not allowed to take them, you¡¯re not allowed!¡± Ji Xia cried out loudly while sobbing.
    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you¡¯re bad luck.¡± Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother shook off Ji Xia. Perhaps because she felt Ji Xia was bad luck, she didn¡¯t want any physical contact with her and quickly left, mming the door behind her. Leaving behind a mess. Ji Xia sat on the ground and cried her heart out. Ji Xue, who had been squatting and silent the whole time, finally moved, slowly standing up. Perhaps because she had been crouching for too long, her legs were numb, and she was a little unsteady. Ji Xue silently picked up the stic tray that had been holding candies and ced it back on the coffee table. Then she slowly collected each scattered candy, not even missing those that had fallen under the couch and the TV cab. In the end, Ji Xue took a green candy to Ji Xia, inserting it into her hand. ¡°Xiaxia, no chocte, but eating candy is just the same,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°They were bought by grandma,¡± Ji Xia whimpered, ¡°They were bought by grandma.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ji Xue said softly. ¡°They were for our New Year¡¯s,¡± Ji Xia continued, as if speaking to Ji Xue, or perhaps to herself. ¡°They were bought by grandma,¡± Ji Xia¡¯s voice grew lower and lower. For a child who had just started third grade and who had always lived in a well-off home, understanding words like breast cancer, diabetes, medical expenses, family decline, and crippling debt was far too difficult. From Ji Xia¡¯s point of view, she just noticed that since she started school, snacks at home had gradually decreased until there were none, her mother¡¯s smile became rarer until it vanished, turning irritable and short-tempered, her father¡¯s time at home grew shorter, but his visits to the hospital became more frequent. Her parents were seldom at home, and the cooking shifted from her father to her sister. Meat started to disappear from their dinner table until it was only seen during festivals.
    Some things couldn¡¯t even be had during festivals, like chocte. The small bag of choctes that had just been taken away by Ji Xia¡¯s grandmother had been specially delivered to their home by their grandmother on the eve of the Lunar New Year. Their grandmother had counted the pieces; Ji Xia and Ji Xue could have one a day from the Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve until the Lantern Festival. Now, six days were left until the Lantern Festival. The choctes were gone, and so was the New Year¡¯s joy. ¡°Xiaxia, can sister tell you something?¡± Ji Xue squatted in front of Ji Xia, looking at her as if she¡¯d made a decision. ¡°Sister has been busy these days and needs to go out. Can you stay at home and be good? In the morning, I¡¯ll leave you two extra buns. You can heat them up for lunch yourself, and I¡¯ll bring dinner for you in the evening. Stay at home alone, don¡¯t go out, and don¡¯t open the door to strangers,¡± Ji Xue instructed. Ji Xia, still unable to recover from the sadness of losing the chocte and the New Year¡¯s celebrations, looked up at Ji Xue: ¡°Sister, are you going out to y?¡± ¡°Yes, sister is going out to y.¡± ¡°When sister is done ying, shall I buy you choctes for the Lantern Festival?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 444: 442 Chapter 444: 442 Ji Xue yed checkers with Ji Xia for a while, ate two pieces of candy, then went to her room to change into a new set of clothes, and let Ji Xia stay in the living room to watch TV. The TV could only receive Channel One and Channel Three of the central station; their family hadn¡¯t renewed the cable TV subscription, so those were the only few channels they could watch. However, Ji Xia still watched with great interest. She was young, and her parents didn¡¯t feelfortable letting her go out to y. There was no TV to watch at home, nor any books suitable for her age to read, or rather, whatever was suitable she had already read through. No one else was at home to apany her, and now Ji Xue was also going out. Jiang Feng took the opportunity of the sisters ying checkers to look around their home¡ªan apartment with three bedrooms, two living rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small balcony, fully furnished with good decoration. Although Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t tell much else, he could see that Ji Xia¡¯s family had good-quality flooring. Both sisters had their own separate small rooms; the apartment was at least 120 square meters or more, and Jiang Feng felt it was evenrger than his own house. Jiang Feng reasonably spected that, when Ji Xia¡¯s father still had the restaurant running, their family business must have been pretty sessful. They surely earned more than his family¡¯s health snack shop used to, especially since the housing prices here were much higher than in Z city. Ji Xue put on a set of dark clothes. These clothes were fromst year. As she was growing taller a size each year, clothes fromst year were now obviously too small for her, looking tight as if she was wearing a body suit. She really couldn¡¯t find any more suitable clothes. The two new pieces she had bought this year were both white, and she had helped out at the family restaurant before, knowing too well how easily white clothes could get dirty in that environment. ¡°Xiaxia, sister has to go out for a bit and will be back in the evening. You stay at home and watch TV, don¡¯t go out,¡± Ji Xue instructed. ¡°Sister, can I read the ¡®Little Princess¡¯ book on your bookshelf again?¡± Ji Xia asked.
    Ji Xue was taken aback for a moment and after some thought, she remembered which book ¡®Little Princess¡¯ was. She found it odd and asked, ¡°Xiaxia, can you understand it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand it,¡± Ji Xia honestly replied, ¡°but I want to be a maid like Sara (the protagonist of ¡®Little Princess¡¯).¡± Ji Xue was utterly stunned, and it took her a long time before she slowly asked, ¡°Why do you want to be a maid, Xiaxia?¡± Jiang Feng was also stunned, curiously staring at Ji Xia. It was unexpected that Ji Xia¡¯s childhood dream was so different from others her age, who wanted to be astronauts, spacemen, scientists; and here was Ji Xia thinking about being a maid. Fortunately,ter on, Ji Xia had changed her ambition to opening a breakfast store, whichpared to being a maid, could indeed be considered a lofty aspiration. ¡°Sara originally had many beautiful dresses, could eat lots of candies and pastries, thenter she had none. She became a maid, but after bing a maid, things were like before. If I also be a maid like her at school, we could also be like before, buying dresses in the summer and going out with mom and dad to buy cakes on weekends,¡± Ji Xia said. ¡®Little Princess¡¯, as a children¡¯s novel not particrly childish, Ji Xia had only grasped the superficial meaning of the book, and she even felt a sense of empathy. Ji Xue didn¡¯t know how to respond to Ji Xia and could only smile and say to her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a maid, Xiaxia, sister can be the maid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. If Ie backte and you get hungry, Xiaxia, just heat up half of this morning¡¯s steamed bun and eat it,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°Mm,¡± Ji Xia nodded, ¡°Sister,e back early.¡± Jiang Feng left the apartment with Ji Xue, actually not quite understanding the meaning of Ji Xia¡¯s words just now, but he could tell that she had definitely misinterpreted the original story. After leaving the apartment, Jiang Feng realized that Ji Xia¡¯s family lived quite high up on the 6th floor without an elevator, which made going up and down rather strenuous. The neighborhood location was good, with a bus stop right at the entrance. Tan Family Small Restaurant was not far from Ji Xue¡¯s home. No transfer was needed by bus, just a 20-minute ride, which was probably why Ji Xue chose to work there. As an expensive private dining restaurant, Tan Family Small Restaurant was not very big in area, and the decor was standardized, really not showing any signs of the typical private kitchens. Ji Xue clearly had been there before to inquire, as the boss¡¯s wife recognized her and showed little reaction when Ji Xue arrived, even seeming somewhat indifferent. Ji Xue went to talk with Master Tan¡¯s daughter-inw, obviously discussing specificpensation; meanwhile, Jiang Feng wandered around the Tan Family Small Restaurant. The Tan Family Small Restaurant was small, with only a few tables. Including the second floor, Jiang Feng counted a total of just six tables, which exined why their Watan Chicken in Hua Diao Wine was so hard toe by in the past, with reservations running several months or even a year in advance. With only six tables, even if Master Tan¡¯s son and daughter-inw wanted to make more money, they couldn¡¯t possibly rush out diners who had just started their meal. Even if they did manage to rush their customers, Master Tan alone couldn¡¯t handle everything, especially with his age. Jiang Feng was surprised to find that there was nobody in the back kitchen of Tan Family Small Restaurant, with only Master Tan¡¯s daughter-inw managing the front; Master Tan himself was probably not there, likely having gone to rest.
    After looking around the Tan Family Small Restaurant from inside out, not missing even the storage where they kept their supplies, Jiang Feng went back to find Ji Xue and discovered that Master Tan¡¯s daughter-inw had already taken her to the back kitchen to start work. ¡°First, I¡¯ve got to make this clear to you, our restaurant doesn¡¯t have the one or two days off a week like others, we¡¯re open all year round without rest, including two days from now during the Lantern Festival; you muste to work, don¡¯t call it quits after working just two days and mess up my business,¡± Master Tan¡¯s daughter-inw emphatically warned Ji Xue. ¡°You¡¯re an apprentice, you know that, right? An apprentice is here to learn. You¡¯re getting 600 yuan a month because you¡¯re young and your family is having a hard time, but other ces only provide meals for their apprentices and no money.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ji Xue said.
    ¡°Good to know. Since you¡¯re here to work, you need to be proactive. Don¡¯t wait to be asked to do something; just go ahead and do it. Whether it¡¯s chopping vegetables, washing dishes, cleaning, or wiping tables, if you can do it, then do it. Only leave after you finish your work. No one is allowed to leave if the kitchen hasn¡¯t been cleaned up, even if you¡¯ve finished eating.¡± ¡°Our Sir is a renowned chef. If you weren¡¯t so young and seemed honest, and not here to steal trade secrets, I wouldn¡¯t have let you into the kitchen to help. When you¡¯re working, keep your eyes to yourself. Don¡¯t be snooping around trying to learn this or that on the sly. You¡¯re an apprentice and will be taught when you should be. No learning things you should not. If I find out you¡¯re trying to learn something on the sly, I¡¯ll have you thrown out right away,¡± Master Tan¡¯s daughter-inw lectured in a long tirade, giving Ji Xue a taste of tough love. ¡°I understand.¡± Ji Xue said. Seeing how obedient Ji Xue was, Master Tan¡¯s daughter-inw nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Then start working. Today¡¯s a trial and there will be no pay, but you¡¯ll get a meal tonight. Those vegetables over there need to be chopped. Looks like they haven¡¯t been washed yet. Wash them first and then chop them. You chopped vegetables in front of me the other day, right? I remember you did an okay job. Anyway, show me when you¡¯re done, in case I remembered wrong.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ji Xue said. Master Tan¡¯s daughter-inw then left the kitchen. Ji Xue began washing the vegetables, and from the way she moved, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t very experienced in doing so and didn¡¯t often wash vegetables. Actually, that was normal. Even if Ji Xue¡¯s family had owned a restaurant before, they wouldn¡¯t have had the boss¡¯ daughter help wash the veggies. Jiang Feng himself rarely washed vegetables since they had an expert in the craft, Mrs. Wang Xiulian, who didn¡¯t leave much opportunity for others to do it. Mrs. Wang Xiulian was proficient in a vigorous vegetable washing method; although the vegetables didn¡¯t look that appealing afterward, they were clean and washed quickly. As Ji Xue washed vegetables in the kitchen, Jiang Feng watched from the side. It was only when Ji Xue had cleaned two basins of vegetables and was halfway through chopping them that the kitchen door opened again. An elderly man with graying hair walked in. He was the founder of the y pot beggar¡¯s chicken and thete Red Chef Master Tan Weizhou. In his lifetime, Tan Weizhou was famous for two things: for his y pot beggar¡¯s chicken and for his unfilial son, Tan Lin.
    In a sense, Tan Weizhou¡¯s money-grubbing, culinary-arts-ignorant unfilial son was even more infamous than his y pot beggar¡¯s chicken. When Jiang Feng first infiltrated the Beiping culinary scene, the old gossip he heard the most from other chefs was about Master Tan and his son. After all these years, while Shandong chefs had been gossiping about Cantonese chefs, one could imagine how widely circted and explosive the gossip about his son had been, and how it had shaken the culinary world. In short, Tan Lin was a poster child for unfilial behavior, leeching off his father until the year before the old man died. Jiang Weiming¡¯s eldest son could be considered a saintpared to Tan Lin. Jiang Feng remembered that Tan Weizhou died when he was just over 70, so Tan Weizhou would now be around 65. Due to overwork, Tan Weizhou looked much older than 65, visibly aged and worn, his white hair being the youngest thing about him. Seeing a young girl cutting vegetables in the kitchen, Tan Weizhou paused, then turned to ask, ¡°Lin¡¯s wife, who¡¯s this young girl in the kitchen?¡± The daughter-inw quickly came over, her face beaming with a warm smile, ¡°Dad, she¡¯s the new apprentice.¡± ¡°An apprentice? Isn¡¯t she a little too young? She¡¯s even younger than Wenwen,¡± said Tan Weizhou with a hint of displeasure. ¡°Dad, this girl has a special situation. Both her parents are seriously ill, and she has a younger sister at home. They¡¯re really struggling, so I couldn¡¯t help but take her in. Don¡¯t let her age fool you¡ªher family used to run a restaurant, and she¡¯s learned quite a bit. She can certainly help out in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and such, no problem at all,¡± the daughter-inw hurriedly exined. ¡°The one before, that Red, she quit because she was tired and found the work bothersome and wouldn¡¯t show up. During the New Year festivities, it¡¯s incredibly difficult to find help. You know how my health is¡ªif I overwork myself, I can¡¯t take it, and thesest few days my shoulders have been sore. Tan Lin? Forget about him helping you in the kitchen; he¡¯s nowhere to be found until meal time. I¡¯m tired too from looking after our big family every day,¡± she said, her use of the word ¡°tired¡± sounding genuinely heartfelt. Tan Weizhou seemed about to say something, but then swallowed his words, exhaling deeply, ¡°Well, let it be then.¡± ¡°Great, Dad, I appreciate it. Be a bit careful when you¡¯re cooking, okay? After all, even though this young girl¡¯s family is pitiable, we don¡¯t know her background well,¡± the daughter-inw said with a smile, then noticing Tan Weizhou seemed a bit unhappy, she quickly changed her tone, ¡°Really, where did that Wenwen scurry off to? I asked her to help in the kitchen and she vanished. I¡¯ll go catch her and bring her back for you!¡±
    And with that, she left. Ji Xue had already put down her knife and was watching Tan Weizhou with some nervousness. ¡°Girl, it¡¯s okay, you¡­ just keep working,¡± Tan Weizhou said, forcing a smile as he walked towards the cooking station with heavy steps. Chapter 445: 443 Waiting for the Lantern Festival (3) Chapter 445: Chapter 443 Waiting for the Lantern Festival (3) ¡°` Tan Weizhou prepared food at a snail¡¯s pace, as if his motions were set to 0.5x speed¡ªslow and leisurely like an elderly person. When Jiang Feng casually strolled through Tan Family Small Restaurant earlier, he nced at the wall clock; it wasn¡¯t even 4 PM yet. Most restaurants start serving around 5, and private kitchens are even more casual, sometimes opening aste as 6 or 7 without anyints from diners. Yet Tan Weizhou had to begin hustling from just after 3 PM because he was the sole chef at Tan Family Small Restaurant. Compared to Ji Xue, who was responsible for washing and cutting vegetables, doing other misceneous tasks, cleaning, and even washing dishes, Tan Weizhou¡¯s workload was actually much heavier. To prevent outsiders from stealing Tan Weizhou¡¯s secret recipe for his y pot flower-carved chicken, Tan Lin and his wife would not allow anyone to be involved in its preparation. They¡¯d rather Tan Weizhou handle every dish,pletely disregarding whether his body could endure the strain at over 60 years of age. Sons like that, better to have given birth to a piece of barbecued pork. Halfway through, Jiang Feng left the kitchen to loiter at the front desk. He said he was going to call over Wenwen¡ªpossibly Tan Weizhou¡¯s daughter-inw, who sat cheerfully watching TV at the front desk, having totally forgotten what she just said. When Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen, Ji Xue had already finished cutting the vegetables and washing the dishes¡ªthe leftover dishes from the restaurant¡¯s lunch service had been piled in the sink unwashed. Jiang Feng wondered what Tan Lin and his wife were thinking; did they expect Tan Weizhou to do the dishes as well? What Jiang Feng didn¡¯t realize was that, of course, Tan Lin wasn¡¯t delusional enough to think his 60-something-year-old father would cook and then wash dishes, but he did have a daughter.
    Ever since the previous helper, Hong, resigned and until the day Ji Xue started working, it had always been Tan Wenwen who washed the dishes. Tan Lin wasn¡¯t just squeezing his father dry; he was exploiting his daughter as well. Ji Xue, finished with the dishes, was unsure what else she could do. Tan Family Small Restaurant had a significant reputation in the city, known to anyone in the catering business; Ji Xue had heard about it long ago. She was somewhat afraid of Tan Lin¡¯s wife and was also a little scared of Tan Weizhou. ¡°Master Tan, what¡­ what should I do now?¡± Ji Xue asked. Tan Weizhou, who had been preupied with the early preparations of the y pot flower-carved chicken, hadn¡¯t paid attention to Ji Xue¡¯s work. Only when she spoke did he look in her direction and saw that Ji Xue had not only cut the vegetables but also washed the dishes. ¡°You really didn¡¯t need to wash the¡­,¡± Tan Weizhou started to say, but something seemed toe to mind, his expression twisting in conflict, ¡°If you want to wash them, wash them, then.¡± ¡°What about now?¡± Ji Xue continued. ¡°Do you know how to slice meat?¡± Tan Weizhou asked. ¡°I do!¡± Ji Xue nodded eagerly. ¡°Slice that beef into strips,¡± Tan Weizhou instructed. Ji Xue started slicing the beef. Engrossed in slicing the beef, Ji Xue didn¡¯t notice that Tan Weizhou actually stopped his work to watch her. After observing for a while and his stern expression easing considerably, he returned to his own tasks. By a little after 5, diners who had made reservations started to arrive at Tan Family Small Restaurant. Tan Lin¡¯s wife popped in a few times to hurry the dishes along but never offered any help, simply leaving after inquiring. Ji Xue served thepleted dishes, effectively juggling the roles of both kitchen staff and waiter but clearly not receiving two sries. Tan Wenwen finally arrived at Tan Family Small Restaurant after 7 o¡¯clock to wash dishes. As soon as she stepped through the door, her mother dragged her into the storeroom for a scolding, then rushed her to the kitchen to help out. Throughout the whole process until dinner time, Tan Wenwen walked around with a sullen expression, with no interaction with Ji Xue. It wasn¡¯t until after 8 PM that Tan Lin arrived for dinner with his son in tow. Tan Lin had just two children; Tan Wenwen was a few years older than Ji Xue, and his son appeared only a few years older than Ji Xia. The age difference between the Tan siblings was likely simr to that of the Ji sisters. Dinner was still prepared by Tan Weizhou, and it was quitevish, featuring a bountiful spread of fish, meat, and seafood, possibly due to the festive season. The dish of boiled shrimp in the center of the table was particrly beautifully arranged. ¡°Why are you sote, and you even brought your son along after going out to mess around,¡± Tan Lin¡¯s wifeined with dissatisfaction. Dinner service wascking hands since Tan Lin arrived sote, and although it was only for six tables, she was still displeased. Despite her discontent with her husband, Tan Lin¡¯s wife faced her son with a big, beaming smile¡ªthe most sincere, most radiant smile Jiang Feng had seen from her all day.
    ¡°Rui Rui, did you have fun with dad at the zoo today?¡± ¡°Fun!¡± Tan Wenwen¡¯s expression darkened a bit as she watched from the side, clearly brooding. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the zoo close at six? Howe you got back sote?¡± The face Tan Lin¡¯s wife turned towards Tan Lin was suddenly transformed.
    ¡°` ¡°It was all because Rui Rui was moring for barbecue, ordered a bunch but then didn¡¯t eat, leaving me to eat it all by myself. Let¡¯s see what there is to eat today. Hey, Dad, why are you cooking this for the New Year? We always have these in boiled shrimp. Can¡¯t youe up with something new for once?¡± Despite not lifting a finger to help, Tan Lin had high demands. Afterining about the selection of dishes on the table, Tan Lin finally noticed Ji Xue. Thest time Ji Xue hade to apply for a job, Tan Lin was also there, so he knew what was going on as soon as he saw her. Without a word, he dragged his wife into the storeroom. The door wasn¡¯t closed properly. ¡°That girl came today?¡± asked Tan Lin. ¡°Yeah, she came this afternoon. What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not happy about it? You never bother to help out in the restaurant anyway. I¡¯m tired to death from running the food and then I have to go to the kitchen to wash and chop vegetables. That Wenwen, I don¡¯t know where she went, only showing up after seven o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s asking you about that? How was she in the kitchen this afternoon?¡± Tan Lin was clearly getting impatient with his wife¡¯s chit-chat. ¡°What do you mean, how was she? How would I know? I wasn¡¯t in the kitchen.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t in the kitchen?¡± Tan Lin¡¯s voice suddenly raised, and people outside could hear even more clearly, ¡°You just let that girl stay in the kitchen with Dad all afternoon? Do you know if she is here to steal a look and learn? Are you really thatfortable leaving her with Dad?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a young girl, what could she possibly learn by stealing?¡± ¡°What could she learn by stealing? The girls these days are so sharp. They look all innocent, but who knows what they¡¯re like behind closed doors. I remember her family runs a restaurant, don¡¯t they? Competitors are natural enemies¡ªdon¡¯t you understand that?¡± ¡°Fine, fine, why are you raising your voice like that? Be careful, people outside might hear. I¡¯ll stay in the kitchen tomorrow, and you manage the restaurant and the front.¡± ¡°What about Wenwen? What do I need to do in the restaurant?¡±
    ¡°¡­¡± The couple were engaged in a lively discussion in the storeroom, oblivious that their colorful conversation had been overheard by everyone outside. Tan Weizhou wore a stern expression, while Ji Xue¡¯s face turned red, whether from shame or anger was unclear. Even Tan Wenwen, who had been grumpy earlier, now seemed a bit embarrassed and didn¡¯t dare to look at Ji Xue, pretending to be captivated by the dish on the table¡ªthe in boiled shrimp she kept staring at. Tan Rui, being young, did not react much and sat at the table waiting for dinner to start. After a while, the couple emerged from the storeroom, looking as if nothing had happened,pletely unaware that their animated conversation had been heard clearly by those outside. ¡°Um, boss, could I please pack some food to take home? My sister is still at home, and it¡¯s gettingte. My parents aren¡¯t there, and I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s scared to be alone,¡± Ji Xue said softly, head lowered. Tan Lin¡¯s wife was a bit displeased and said with an unkind tone, ¡°We¡¯re out of to-go containers.¡± ¡°I have a lunchbox in the kitchen; you can use mine to pack the food and bring it back tomorrow. In the future, if you want to take food home, bring your own container,¡± Tan Wenwen suddenly interjected. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°There are some leftovers from the dishes we made too much of in the kitchen; you can pack those up too,¡± said Tan Weizhou. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Dad, when you cook, why do you make so much extra? It¡¯s a waste. Plus, if you make too much, why don¡¯t you just serve it? Can¡¯t everyone just eat it together?¡± Tan Lin found something else toment on at that moment. Tan Weizhou gave him a look, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who told me not to fob you off with leftovers?¡±
    Tan Lin coughed awkwardly, a bit embarrassed. Tan Wenwen led Ji Xue into the kitchen and took out a pink stic lunchbox from a cupboard. ¡°When I go to school, I use this lunchbox to bring my lunch. My grandfather doesn¡¯t trust the school cafeteria food; he always thinks it¡¯s not clean,¡± Tan Wenwen exined. On the cooking station was a te with some of the extra food Tan Weizhou had cooked. It was actually just some leftovers¡ªodds and ends that tasted the same but were not presentable enough to serve. There was a mix of meat and vegetables, all piled together on the te like a big hodgepodge. Tan Wenwen scooped half a box of rice for Ji Xue and then dumped the te of leftovers into the lunchbox, handing it to her. ¡°You should get back quickly. I didn¡¯t talk to you earlier not because I have something against you, but because I was in a bad mood. Thanks for washing the dishes at noon,¡± Tan Wenwen said. ¡°Thank you,¡± Ji Xue said softly, shing Tan Wenwen a smile. Chapter 446: 444 Waiting for the Lantern Festival (Part 4) Chapter 446: Chapter 444 Waiting for the Lantern Festival (Part 4) When Ji Xue returned home with the lunchbox, there was still only Ji Xia in the house, and an empty te on the table indicated that Ji Xia must have heated and eaten the steamed buns by herself. Ji Xia was watching the news on CCTV-1 after nine o¡¯clock, and on the coffee tabley a copy of ¡°Little Princess¡±. Seeing Ji Xue back, Ji Xia turned her head happily, her sleepy eyes suddenly wide open, ¡°Sister, where did you go to y? Why are you back sote? I was about to fall asleep.¡± ¡°I went to a ssmate¡¯s house and stayed a bit too long. I¡¯m sorry, Xiaxia, for leaving you at home alone for so long,¡± apologized Ji Xue as the first thing she did after returning was to empty the food from the lunchbox into a te and heat it up in the microwave, then she washed the lunchbox in the kitchen. Ji Xia stopped watching TV and eagerly ran to the kitchen door, popping her little head out to watch Ji Xue wash the lunchbox. Ji Xue asked, ¡°Have Mom and Dad note back yet?¡± ¡°Mom came back earlier, picked up some clothes, then went out again. She said Dad has to stay in the hospital for the next couple of days, so she can¡¯te back to stay,¡± exined Ji Xia, pointing to the te on the dining table, ¡°Mom left 50 yuan under the te.¡± The 50 yuan was naturally the living expenses for Ji Xia and Ji Xue for the next few days. Ji Xue nodded her head, ¡°Xiaxia, what did you eat tonight?¡± ¡°I ate four candies and the half a steamed bun left from this morning,¡± said Ji Xia.
    ¡°You must be hungry, Xiaxia. I brought food back for you, and it¡¯s still heating up in the microwave,¡± said Ji Xue as she turned off the water and shook the lunchbox in her hand, ¡°You can¡¯t eat too much candy, no more than six pieces a day, otherwise, Xiaxia will get cavities, and it will hurt a lot.¡± After scaring Ji Xia, the food in the microwave was ready, and the sisters sat down at the dining table to divide the meal. Although it was leftover scraps, with Tan Weizhou¡¯s cooking skills, even the scraps were extremely delicious, and Ji Xia highly praised the meal. ¡°It¡¯s even better than what Dad cooks!¡± Having been busy all day, Ji Xue was tired, and Ji Xia had been sleepy for a while. After eating and washing up, the two sisters each went back to their rooms to sleep. Jiang Feng could only sit on the sofa in the living room and spend the long night in a daze. In the following days, Ji Xue¡¯s daily routine involved buying vegetable buns and steamed buns from the baozi shop downstairs in the morning, waking Ji Xia up, going to work at the Tan Family Small Restaurant, getting off work, packing food to take home, and then starting a new day. On the first day, Tan Lin¡¯s wife lingered in the kitchen for a while, watching Ji Xue to see if she had any intention of learning by stealth. But it onlysted for one day; from the second day on, Tan Lin¡¯s wife didn¡¯t frequent the kitchen much. Despite saying he didn¡¯t trust her, Tan Lin himself was reluctant toe to the restaurant, and his wife naturally didn¡¯t like watching others in the kitchen since she preferred to bezy and cut corners¡ªa visit to the kitchen meant she¡¯d inevitably have some work to do. Over the next few days, Jiang Feng also figured out the personnel structure of the Tan Family Small Restaurant. Tan Lin, aside from mealtimes, was practically an external staff who would not appear at the Tan Family Small Restaurant, the same went for Tan Rui. Tan Lin¡¯s wife was only seen in the restaurant but did no actual work, merely supervising. Tan Weizhou was the sole chef, Ji Xue and Tan Wenwen were both helpers, one paid and one unpaid, and in some respects, Tan Wenwen was truly the most pitiable person in the Tan Family Small Restaurant. In the initial days, whenever Tan Wenwen found a chance, she would slip out, knowing that getting caught would only result in a scolding, as her parents would not actually hit her. After Tan Wenwen got to know Ji Xue better, she realized that every time she slipped away, all the work ended up on Ji Xue. Not just the kitchen work, but even serving dishes, cleaning, and tidying chairs and tables, which were jobs her mother usually did¡ªif her mom didn¡¯t feel like it, these tasks also fell to Ji Xue. Since then, Tan Wenwen reduced her escape attempts significantly; after all, working allowed her to chat with Ji Xue, and sometimes sneaking out to y wasn¡¯t any more interesting than talking to Ji Xue. By the fifth day of Ji Xue¡¯s job at the Tan Family Small Restaurant, the day before Lantern Festival, Tan Wenwen had already started to confide in Ji Xue about anything and everything. Of course, Tan Wenwen mostlyined to Ji Xue about how biased her parents were toward her. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Lantern Festival day, during the lunch break, Tan Lin inexplicably insisted on taking his wife and son shopping, leaving only Tan Wenwen and Ji Xue in the shop. Unable to run back home to watch TV, Tan Wenwen had no choice but to sit at the front desk with Ji Xue,ining about her parents¡¯ favoritism, cracking her mother¡¯s sunflower seeds as if finishing them all would be revenge on her mother. So, she not only cracked them herself but also urged Ji Xue to join in the more, the better, hoping that her mother would have no seeds to crack that evening. ¡°My mom, really, isn¡¯t the Lantern Festival supposed to be a holiday? Why do we still have to open the restaurant? She doesn¡¯t even do the work and dumps it all on us. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to just stay home and watch TV?¡± Tan Wenwen was very dissatisfied with the fact that she couldn¡¯t stay home to watch TV on the Lantern Festival, being dragged to the restaurant to work instead.
    Ji Xue was cracking sunflower seeds, listening to Tan Wenwenin. ¡°Ji Xue, how is your family spending the Lantern Festival tonight?¡± Tan Wenwen asked. ¡°My mom has to take care of my dad in the hospital, so it¡¯s just me and my little sister. I¡¯m nning to buy her some chocte from the supermarket on my way home tonight,¡± Ji Xue said, her mouth working like an invisible seed-cracking machine, continuously popping seeds in and spitting shells out. Tan Wenwen nodded: ¡°So your sister likes chocte, huh? My brother loves that stuff too. I prefer chips, but my mom always remembers to buy chocte for my brother and forgets my chips.¡±
    The truth was, Tan Lin and his wife had never shortchanged Tan Wenwen in terms of food and clothing; it was just that they couldn¡¯t treat their children exactly the same, which caused Tan Wenwen¡¯s grievances. For instance, on weekends and during school breaks, Tan Wenwen had to help in the restaurant washing dishes, cutting vegetables, and doing odd jobs. In contrast, Tan Rui only needed to stay home and happily eat, drink, y, watch TV, and asionally visit aquariums, zoos, and amusement parks¡ªces Tan Lin often forgot to take his daughter to. ¡°I remember you telling me your family also runs a restaurant. Does your dad make you help out regrly?¡± Tan Wenwen asked. ¡°I used to go sometimes. My dad would teach me to cook. My sister also wanted to go, but she¡¯s too young, and my mom wouldn¡¯t let her,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Tan Wenwen said with a look of envy. ¡°My grandpa used to want to teach me to cook, but my dad wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ji Xue didn¡¯t understand. ¡°He¡¯s afraid if I learn the skills, they¡¯ll be someone else¡¯s when I get married. Seriously, he wouldn¡¯t learn either,¡± Tan Wenwen griped about her own father mercilessly, ¡°He doesn¡¯t learn, and he won¡¯t let grandpa teach anyone else. What kind of logic is that?¡± Ji Xue continued to crack sunflower seeds. When Tan Weizhou cooked pot-roast chicken in the back kitchen, he never avoided anyone, just as Ji Xue never avoided anyone while cooking pot-roast chicken in Taifeng Building. This dish couldn¡¯t simply be learned by watching from the side. Unless the master taught you hand by hand, you couldn¡¯t even learn a third of it by sneaking nces. So Jiang Feng found the strict guarding by Tan Lin and his wife to be quiteughable. They must have had no culinarymon sense or no interest in the steps their own father took to cook the pot-roast chicken if they thought Ji Xue could learn to cook it just by looking. ¡°But Ji Xue, you¡¯re actually pretty amazing,¡± Tan Wenwen said. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°At first, our restaurant also hired chefs. We tried several who wished to apprentice under my grandpa, but he didn¡¯t like any of them; he even refused to ept the vegetables they chopped. Later, my parents feared they would steal the trade secrets and stopped hiring chefs, opting for general helpers instead,¡± Tan Wenwen exined. ¡°My grandpa really liked the way you chopped vegetables, though. He even smiled when he saw you chopping beef yesterday.¡±
    Ji Xue could only nod and continue cracking sunflower seeds. As Tan Wenwen talked, she let out a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s a pity you¡¯re only here during the winter break. Once school starts, I¡¯ll have toe back to washing dishes after ss. My mom definitely won¡¯t want to wash dishes and will leave them all for me to do after school.¡± Finally, Ji Xue surfaced from her sea of seed cracking, stopping her hand motions, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be here after school starts, too.¡± ¡°After school starts, too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dropping out of school?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! After school starts, I¡¯lle back after ss to help you, and I¡¯ll bother you to wash the dishes before I get there. I hate washing dishes the most,¡± Tan Wenwen said with a chuckle, still just a ninth-grade student unable to grasp the concept of dropping out. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that not attending school meant working at home, Tan Wenwen would actually quite like the option of not going to school. Ji Xue managed a faint smile at Tan Wenwen. Chapter 447: 445 Waiting for Lantern Festival (Part 5) (Extra for lalala~~~~~ Alliance Hierarch!) Chapter 447: Chapter 445 Waiting for Lantern Festival (Part 5) (Extra forl~~~~~ Alliance Hierarch!) Ji Xue and Tan Wenwen chatted and cracked sunflower seeds together, with Tan Wenwen speaking and Ji Xue listening and cracking seeds, until Tan Weizhou arrived at the restaurant. ¡°Wenwen, where¡¯s your mom?¡± Tan Weizhou asked casually, not seeing his daughter-inw. ¡°My dad took her and my brother out shopping,¡± Tan Wenwen said. She knew that her grandfather¡¯s arrival meant it was time to start working, so she hurriedly cleaned up the sunflower seed shells on the table and put the te back in its ce. As if by doing so, she could pretend that the seeds on the te had disappeared into thin air. ¡°Then you stay outside, Ji,e in with me,¡± Tan Weizhou said. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa,¡± Tan Wenwen said, her face beaming with delight. Ji Xue followed Tan Weizhou into the back kitchen to start preparing the appetizers, and Tan Weizhou, as usual, began with the pot-cooked Huadiao chicken. ¡°Ji, how much have you seen these past few days?¡± Tan Weizhou suddenly asked. Ji Xue got nervous instantly. She remembered what Tan Wenwen had told her that afternoon: Tan Family Small Restaurant had previously hired a few helpers, all of whom were fired for wanting to be disciples of Tan Weizhou.
    She now suspected that Tan Weizhou was setting a trap for her. ¡°I saw¡­ a little bit,¡± Ji Xue said nervously. To say she hadn¡¯t seen anything would be impossible; the back kitchen was only so big, and whether Ji Xue was chopping vegetables, retrieving items, or helping Tan Wenwen with something, she could always catch glimpses, intentional or otherwise, of Tan Weizhou making pot-cooked Huadiao chicken. The same was true for Tan Wenwen. Although she couldn¡¯t make the dish, she was pretty clear on the general steps involved. If she really wanted to learn, Tan Weizhou would undoubtedly teach his own granddaughter, but the truth was that Tan Wenwen didn¡¯t have much passion for cooking and even resented the kitchen a bit because her mother always made her help there. Her feeling of regret was purely because her father didn¡¯t allow her to learn; after all, we always desire what we can¡¯t have. Those who are favored always have a sense of security. ¡°Then today, you should look closer and see clearly,¡± Tan Weizhou said with a smile. Ji Xue was stunned and carefully walked closer to Tan Weizhou. Even though Tan Weizhou had told her to look closer, Ji Xue didn¡¯t dare to get too close, keeping a distance of about one meter, which belonged to the kind that allowed her to see but not see the details. Tan Weizhou didn¡¯t say anything more and continued cooking his dish. Jiang Feng had watched Tan Weizhou make pot-cooked Huadiao chicken dozens of times these past few days. Ji Xue¡¯s technique was exactly like Tan Weizhou¡¯s, down to the smallest detail. Whether the taste was the same, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know, but the technique was definitely learned perfectly. Jiang Feng was well aware that the hardest part of making pot-cooked Huadiao chicken was judging the right moment to take it off the heat. When the pot-cooked Huadiao chicken was on the stove, the entire casserole was in a sealed state, so none of the chicken¡¯s aroma could escape. That¡¯s the nature of Huadiao wine; if the fragrance leaked during cooking, by the time it was served and the lid was lifted, the rich, inviting aroma wouldn¡¯t be there. Without the fragrance of Huadiao wine, pot-cooked Huadiao chicken would lose half its charm. During cooking, the lid couldn¡¯t be lifted; lifting it would dissipate the aroma, and the sealed space inside the casserole was the best environment for cooking the dish. But without seeing the food or smelling the aroma, the chef couldn¡¯t judge the fire control. Under such conditions, how to find the right fire control to take the pot-cooked Huadiao chicken off the heat is a secret known only to Ji Xue and Tan Weizhou. Ji Xue watched Tan Weizhou make the pot-cooked Huadiao chicken in silence. Tan Weizhou¡¯s movements were very slow, especially slow this time, as if he wanted Ji Xue to see everything clearly, to understand it thoroughly. The pot-cooked Huadiao chicken was simmering on the stove, and Ji Xue watched by its side. The back kitchen was very quiet until Tan Weizhou broke the silence. ¡°Ji,e here, closer,¡± he said.
    Ji Xue, not understanding why, took a couple of steps forward. Tan Weizhou lifted the lid of the casserole and quickly added green onions, ginger, Huadiao wine, and sauce. ¡°Did you see that?¡± Tan Weizhou asked. ¡°I saw it,¡± Ji Xue replied.
    Jiang Feng: ??? What did she see? Am I the only one who¡¯s blind here? From the point Huadiao wine was added until serving, the lid of the casserole couldn¡¯t be lifted again. Jiang Feng knew that Tan Weizhou was deliberately trying to teach, or rather provide some guidance to Ji Xue. He also knew that the key part of the dish was deciding when to turn off the heat next. So, Jiang Feng focused intently and moved even closer to the stove than Ji Xue was. After some time, which seemed to be just before the dish was ready toe off the stove, Tan Weizhou spoke again: ¡°Ji,e closer.¡± Ji Xue moved a step forward. ¡°Closer,¡± he said. Finally, Ji Xue moved up to the very front of the casserole. ¡°Do you see it now?¡± ¡°I see it.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? What exactly did you all see?
    Jiang Feng stated he really didn¡¯t see anything, so is there something unusual about this y pot now? Turn off the heat. Lift the lid. The aroma overflows. Even though it wasn¡¯t the first time Jiang Feng had smelled it, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh, Huadiao wine chicken in a y jar is truly a rare dish where the aroma is even more captivating than the vor. The charm of the moment when the lid is lifted is irreceable. ¡°Today is the Lantern Festival, you don¡¯t have to stay here tonight, go back early and celebrate the holiday with your family,¡± Tan Weizhou said as he handed Ji Xue what looked like arge paper bag for storing tbreads, ¡°This chicken is not up to standard, take it with you.¡± Ji Xue nced at the steaming y pot with the chicken that looked like amber due to the thick ze of honey on its skin, then at Tan Weizhou, and said thank you. ¡°Go on, get back early,¡± Tan Weizhou waved his hand, starting to send her off. He thought of teaching Ji Xue today on a whim, feeling sad that during the festival celebration, his own son was only thinking of having fun and never considered his father, yet he also pitied Ji Xue, a teenage girl who still had to do dirty and tiring work during the festive season. Even if he taught her, he did not expect Ji Xue to learn much, let alone master it. Watching Ji Xue carefully putting the y jar Huadiao wine chicken into the paper bag, Tan Weizhou smiled helplessly. Such a great talent, what a pity she wasn¡¯t his granddaughter.
    And luckily she wasn¡¯t, having such a fine girl to be a daughter for his son would have been a real waste. When Ji Xue left with the bag, Tan Wenwen smelled the aroma and saw the bag in Ji Xue¡¯s hands, her eyes lit up, and she asked, ¡°Did Grandpa make you Huadiao wine chicken in a y jar?¡± Ji Xue nodded shyly. ¡°I knew it, it¡¯s the Lantern Festival, Grandpa was sure to make something delicious!¡± Tan Wenwen immediately became excited, even a bit regretful that she had eaten so many sunflower seeds that afternoon, ¡°Grandpa must have told you to go back first, right? You should hurry, Huadiao wine chicken doesn¡¯t taste as good when it gets cold. See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Ji Xue waved at Tan Wenwen. On the way back, Ji Xue didn¡¯t forget to stop by a small supermarket to weigh out 12 pieces of Dove chocte and bought a bag of noodles to take home. Because Ji Xue brought food home every night, the 50 yuan her mother left them for living expenses hadn¡¯t been spent much at all, and there was enough leftover money to buy the 12 pieces of chocte. Tan Wenwen always packed the food containers full when she prepared meals for her, pushing down the rice again and again, enough for Ji Xue and Ji Xia, the two sisters, to eat, and even enough for Ji Xia to reheat it herself for lunch the next day. When Ji Xue arrived home, Ji Xia was watching TV, still tuned to CCTV-1. As today was the Lantern Festival, CCTV-1 had a special evening show, much more interesting than the usual news, and Ji Xia appeared quite spirited. ¡°Sister, you came back from ying so early today?¡± Ji Xia¡¯s first sight was the bag in Ji Xue¡¯s hand with the Dove choctes, and she cheered as she ran toward Ji Xue. ¡°Yes, sister also bought Xiaxia chicken, is it good for us to eat noodles and chicken tonight?¡± Ji Xue said with a smile. ¡°Yes!¡± Ji Xia cheered. Ji Xue handed the chocte to Ji Xia and went to the kitchen to cook the noodles. Unable to wait, Ji Xia opened the bag, dividing the chocte in half; six pieces for her, six for Ji Xue, neatly arranged on the dining table. Then she sat obediently in her chair, waiting for Ji Xue to announce that it was time to eat.
    After a dozen minutes, Ji Xue brought out two bowls of in noodles without any eggs, already slightly cool, and ced the Huadiao wine chicken in a dish. Two steaming bowls of in noodles, six pieces of chocte, and a te of Huadiao wine chicken¡ªthe sisters simultaneously chose the six pieces of chocte. Unwrapping the package, they let the chocte melt in their mouths, one piece after another. As if by finishing these six pieces of chocte, they could make up for the New Year they missed, and their celebration would beplete. After the six pieces of chocte were eaten, the sisters¡¯ lips, teeth, and mouths were filled with chocte. Ji Xia shed a smile at Ji Xue, revealing a mouthful of ck teeth. Even their smiles tasted of chocte. Then, without any agreement, the sisters both reached for the Huadiao wine chicken with their chopsticks. With the taste of chocte still in their mouths, they began to eat the honey-zed Huadiao wine chicken, which was still a bit cool, creating a mix of vors that was imaginable. ¡°Is it delicious, Xiaxia?¡± asked Ji Xue, watching Ji Xia bite into arge chunk of chicken wing. ¡°Delicious, sweet,¡± muttered Ji Xia, unclear whether the sweetness she referred to was from the honey or the chocte. Ji Xue picked up another wing and took a bite. Yes, sweet. The sisters both showed sweet smiles. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but smile as well. Until he could no longer see the smiles on the sisters¡¯ faces. Again enveloped in a thick fog. Chapter 448: 446 Did You See It? Chapter 448: Chapter 446 Did You See It? Jiang Feng left the memory, filled with confusion. Did the bite of Sand Pot Huadiao wine Chicken that Ji Xue ate really have the taste of chicken? What exactly did Ji Xue see? Was it the chocte-vored Sand Pot Huadiao wine Chicken that was delicious, or was it the Sand Pot Huadiao wine Chicken vored chocte that tasted better? I apologize for the off-topic interjection. With a belly full of questions, Jiang Feng opened the attribute panel to check the newly acquired recipe. As expected, this time it was Tan Weizhou¡¯s name that was illuminated. Tan Weizhou (1/2) [Sand Pot Huadiao wine Chicken A+ ss] Creator: Tan Weizhou
    Dish Details: As a renowned Cantonese dish that resonates throughout the culinary world, Sand Pot Huadiao wine Chicken is undoubtedly a dazzling jewel among Cantonese cuisine, the number one chicken dish in the hearts of countless gourmets. Although Tan Weizhou made many mistakes in his life, he never erred in his culinary skills; even when the taste of this dish was somewhat disappointing due to the customers¡¯ own reasons upon tasting, it still opened the door to top-tier cuisine for Ji Xue, leaving an unforgettable mark as the most memorable Lantern Festival delicacy in her life, and also bing her original aspiration on the journey of culinary arts. Within 24 hours after consumption, there is a chance to inspire the diner to explore the original intention behind their chosen career. Number of times it can be made per day: (0/12) Friendly reminder: The difficulty of this dish exceeds the current culinary level of the yer, and there is a high likelihood of failure. (The yer may consult with Ji Xue to increase the chance of sess.) Original intention? Jiang Feng suddenly found this recipe quite interesting. Original intention is something some people can articte easily, while others may find themselves hesitating when they try to speak it, and some cannot express it at all. Take Jiang Feng, for instance; he felt he could easily state why he wanted to be a chef, but when it came to actually speaking, he found he could not. He sincerely believed that he became a chef solely because he obtained this gamest year, yet there was a vague sense that this was not the case. If you asked Jiang Feng what his original intention was when he first put effort into studying, he could tell you¡ªit was to avoid learning cooking. That was the case for every child in the Jiang Family, and Jiang Feng believed this would be true for Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing for the next three years as well. Just look at the essay that Junlian recently wrote; it was so well-written. She didn¡¯t focus on anything other than food, adeptlybining her hobbies and strengths with her studies. Wu Minqi belonged to those who could not articte their original intention at all. It would be false to say she didn¡¯t have a passion for culinary arts. Both the Wu Family and the Jiang Family wererge and thriving. Wu Minqi had more cousins than Jiang Feng, and a good number of them were learning to cook; several were already working in the Wu Family Restaurant for years. There was simply no such thing as the Wu Family depending solely on her to carry on the Wu Family¡¯s culinary arts, as if she were thest seedling and had to learn to cook whether she liked it or not¡ªa situation that would be impossible in the Jiang Family. Under these circumstances, Wu Minqi pursued culinary training from a young age, enduring hardships that ordinary people could not bear. Her skills could be ranked amongst the very best of her peers, yet she could not articte her original intention. Not at all, in fact. Jiang Feng also knew people who could clearly state their original intention; a prime example was Jiang Weisheng. For decades, Jiang Weisheng remained true to his initial resolve, working hard and always keeping in mind the Eight Honors and Eight Shames and the core values of socialism¡ªan exemr in the mid-tier circle of chefs, regretfully hindered only by his modest professionalpetence. Upon suchparison, it seemed that the original intention was not so important after all. Jiang Feng nced at his phone; it was just past eleven, not toote. As a college sophomore dropout who left the endless cycle of painting and battling super demons to preserve his hair and liver, a young man just over twenty years old, he stubbornly resisted sleeping past midnight. Jiang Feng opened the tutorial video, not knowing or caring whether chocte-vored Sand Pot Huadiao wine Chicken was good, but he was determined to figure out the peculiar exchange between Tan Weizhou and Ji Xue in the memory. Without understanding what Ji Xue had seen, he would never be able to learn the Sand Pot Huadiao wine Chicken. He clicked y and focused intently on the tutorial video. Like before, it began with a close-up shot of hands.
    Watching live and watching a tutorial video felt entirely different; each had its own merits. Watching live was more like traditional master-apprentice teaching, offering a heightened sense of immersion, whereas tutorial videos mainly featured close-up shots, breaking down the movements meticulously, hardly missing any detail. Although it was a tutorial video, one couldn¡¯t pause or fast-forward while watching¡ªa less convenient feature than using the Backtracking function. At least when employing the Backtracking function, Jiang Feng could drag the progress bar around on a screen indistinguishable from a mosaic, searching for the specific segment he needed to revisit. The video soon reached the point where Tan Weizhou first asked, ¡°Do you see it?¡± Tan Weizhou in the video lifted the sand pot¡¯s lid, providing a close-up of it.
    Jiang Feng stared fixedly at the Sand Pot Huadiao wine Chicken inside the pot, attempting to discern some hint. ¡°Do you see it?¡± Tan Weizhou asked. Ji Xue: ¡°I saw it.¡± Jiang Feng watching the video: ¡­ What the hell did you both see? Am I really the blind one here? Jiang Feng said that he only saw the chicken in the sand pot, a perfectly normal chicken that was not yet fully cooked with a thickyer of honey zed on its skin. What on earth did you see? When you added the Huadiao wine and the seasoning sauce to the pot, was there some kind of indescribable chemical reaction? Jiang Feng continued watching with a confused face, everything seemed normal. Apart from not seeing what Tan Weizhou wanted Ji Xue to see, what Ji Xue saw but he didn¡¯t, he saw everything else. He even noticed that Tan Weizhou¡¯s little finger seemed to have been nicked by something, bearing a shallow cut but not bleeding. Jiang Feng rallied his spirit, ready to begin his second expedition and discovery. ¡°Ji,e a bit closer.¡±
    Jiang Feng moved his head forward, and the video tutorial also shifted forward. ¡°A bit closer.¡± Jiang Feng stared unblinkingly at the sand pot in the video, not daring to blink his eyes. ¡°Do you see it?¡± ¡°I saw it.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Damn it, what exactly did you see? There¡¯s only one pot here, what kind of riddle are you two trying to y? This time was even worse than thest. At least in the previous attempt, the pot was uncovered, and there was indeed a chicken inside the pot along with seasoning and sauce, lots of elements that could have been missed, which could have been excusable. This time, there was just one pot, even forgetting the kind with a lid, the whole screen was a close-up of this pot, so what was it that he didn¡¯t see but Ji Xue and Tan Weizhou did? Was it the chicken¡¯s soul? Jiang Feng¡¯s patience exploded in an instant, he resolutely clicked the ¡®¡Á¡¯ to exit the video tutorial, and reopened it to watch once more. Twenty minutester, he clicked ¡®¡Á¡¯ again to exit the video tutorial, and reopened it to watch again.
    Another twenty minutester, still clicking ¡®¡Á¡¯¡­ It was 3 a.m. Jiang Feng was like an inte-addicted teenager who insisted on ¡°just one more win before bed,¡± ended up ying until the next day, stubbornly fighting sleep, fueled only by sheer willpower, refusing to rest. ¡°Do you see it?¡± ¡°I saw it.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Forget it, I¡¯ll go to the ophthalmologist tomorrow to get checked out. Jiang Feng admitted defeat, quitting to sleep. If worsees to worst, he¡¯ll just ask Ji Xue directly tomorrow; after all, he¡¯s got no shame. Chapter 449: 447 Chapter 449: 447 Chapter Four Hundred and Forty-Seven: Focus (Forgot to add the title) Jiang Feng had a dream thatsted all night. In the dream, everyone was asking him, ¡°Did you see it?¡± Male voices, female voices, old, young, clear, raspy, high-pitched, and deep. Eventually, Jiang Feng awoke to a soprano singing ¡°Did you see it?¡± as if in an opera,plete with a trace of melody. When he awoke, his mind was filled with ¡°Did you see it?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know if his eyes were blind, but he felt like his ears were going deaf. As Jiang Feng got out of bed, his mind was still echoing with a profound ¡°Did you see it?¡±, feeling as though he were close to attaining enlightenment and ascending to immortality. Groggily, Jiang Feng floated to the bathroom to freshen up and then to the living room in the same daze. Wu Minqi had already prepared breakfast, two cups of sweetened hot soy milk and a te of white sugar cake.
    The breakfast shop selling steamed sponge cake had just openedst week. The buns and steamed bread were mediocre, but the sponge cake was exceptionally delicious. Curiously, the shop didn¡¯t limit the supply of buns and steamed bread but did limit the sponge cake; after 7:30 a.m., it was no longer avable, much to the dismay of the local office workers. That¡¯s what you get when yourpetitors are Mrs. Wang Xiulian and your great-aunt. Seeing that Jiang Feng looked listless, Wu Minqi asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t sleep well?¡± ¡°Had a nightmare all night. I got asked ¡®Did you see it?¡¯ over and over again in the dream,¡± Jiang Feng said, clearly shaken. Wu Minqi: ??? ¡°So, what did you see?¡± Wu Minqi inquired. Jiang Feng: ¡­ He felt that he might have developed an allergy to the phrase ¡°Did you see it?¡± Every time he heard it, his head hurt. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything,¡± Jiang Feng replied, grabbing the hot soy milk and gulping down half a ss to calm his nerves. ¡°Qiqi, how would you rate my eyesight?¡± Although Wu Minqi didn¡¯t understand why her boyfriend was acting oddly first thing in the morning, she still cooperated and said, ¡°Pretty good.¡± Jiang Feng temporarily set aside his n to make an appointment at the ophthalmologist. Learning to cook y pot rice wine chicken wasn¡¯t urgent. It was Ji Xue¡¯s specialty and secret recipe, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for Jiang Feng to ask Ji Xue to teach him. Moreover, suddenly excelling at it without a teacher would be even more suspicious. Currently, Jiang Feng had a bunch of dishes to practice: noodle pulling, Suzhou-style mooncakes, and the top soup baked lobster he was nning to tackle next. Without mastering these three, he simply wouldn¡¯t have time to learn how to cook y pot rice wine chicken. Jiang Feng just wanted to know what exactly Ji Xue had seen. That morning in the back kitchen, Jiang Feng almost asked Ji Xue several times what one could possibly see during the two moments when the lid of the pot for the rice wine chicken is opened, but he eventually held back. He felt it would be unjustified. Directly asking Ji Xue to teach him how to make y pot rice wine chicken was a request Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t bring himself to voice. It would be like if Wang Hao asked him, ¡°Feng, teach me all the Jiang Family¡¯s secret techniques,¡± Jiang Feng would probably tten him with a rolling pin and then grind him into minced meat. Yet, if he didn¡¯t ask directly and tried to be tactful, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t think of an appropriate way to phrase it. He certainly couldn¡¯t just sidle up to her while she was making the dish and casually ask, ¡°Yo, that¡¯s an interesting way to lift the lid. What did you see when you did that?¡± So, for the entire morning, Jiang Feng could only stealthily observe Ji Xue making the y pot rice wine chicken, much like Zhou Shi had surreptitiously watched him in the past.
    As expected, he didn¡¯t figure out anything by the end of the morning. Ji Xue¡¯s method was identical to Tan Weizhou¡¯s, opening the lid twice during the cooking process with quick motions each time. Especially the first time, to Jiang Feng, it seemed like Ji Xue was merely adding some seasoning, giving the chicken only a cursory nce. The second time Ji Xue lifted the lid, she was a bit more serious, starting to attentively watch the y pot a few minutes before opening it. What she saw exactly, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t tell. Every time after Ji Xue had a look, she would either turn off the heat or lower it to a minimum, waiting for the dish to be served. Jiang Feng even began to doubt whether Ji Xue¡¯s eyes were structured differently from his.
    The question of what exactly Ji Xue saw lingered with Jiang Feng. No matter what he was doing, even while eating, he pondered this question. In the afternoon, during his lesson on how to make [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] with Zhou Shi and Ji Xia, he thought about it as well. His spirit seemed utterly absent, reminiscent of a straight-A student engrossed in solving a math problem. This state of mind somewhat resembled those scientists from old TV series who were deeply engrossed in their academic pursuits. ¡°Pour in the right amount of rice wine¡­ Ah, no, Xiangxue Wine. You have to judge the amount of this wine yourself, and it should be roughly the same quantity I¡¯m using,¡± Jiang Feng said, slipping up by adding too much, ¡°You should use a little less than my amount. I just poured it excessively.¡± Zhou Shi and Ji Xia stood silently beside Jiang Feng. Everyone could see that Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t quite himself today, and he exined that he had a bad night and a nightmare, which everyone believed. The dark circles under his eyes confirmed it. Ji Xia simply thought that it was terrifying for a grown man like his master to still have nightmares like a child that scared him to this extent. Zhou Shi thought deeper. He believed Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t slept well, but there must be more to it. Familiar with life¡¯s vicissitudes, Zhou Shi¡¯s first thought was that Jiang Feng might have cheated and got caught, hence his preupied demeanor. It was all pretty normal for someone of the new generation¡ªgetting caught cheating usually just meant a p and a breakup, or the girlfriend might retaliate by cheating as well. However, if the girlfriend was a chef, things could get moreplicated, as the person might get so furious as to pick up whatever was closest and start hitting someone with it. It could be a spat, or even a kitchen knife. ¡°Master, I think these few oranges may no longer be usable,¡± Ji Xia ventured bravely. Jiang Feng was slightly more focused during lunch service, so he didn¡¯t make any mistakes. But now, during the rest time, right after lunch when he was most tired, his attention wandered off, turning a cooking lesson into an educational showcase of how to perfectly set offndmines while making [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level].
    Jiang Feng pulled his thoughts away from the close-up of the y pot in a video tutorial and looked down at the [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] in his hands, realizing they were indeed no longer usable. Jiang Feng decisively prevented the mistake, tossing the Crab Stuffed Oranges into the trash bin, and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night and was a bit out of it just now. I¡¯ll remake them for you.¡± ¡°Master, what were you just thinking about?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°I was wondering what your sister actually saw,¡± Jiang Feng blurted out. Ji Xia: ??? Zhou Shi: !!! ¡°No no no, what I meant was I was wondering what Ni Jie saw, Ni Jie is my college ssmate,¡± Jiang Feng hastily corrected himself. Zhou Shi felt he had uncovered the truth. The truth that couldn¡¯t be voiced, after all, he still wanted his year-end bonus. ¡°I¡¯ll go get some oranges,¡± Zhou Shi said, helping Jiang Feng out of the awkward situation. Distracted by Ji Xia, Jiang Feng no longer felt like pondering what Ji Xue had actually seen. He had watched video tutorials until 3 AM the previous night and still couldn¡¯t figure it out, so trying to guess out of thin air was futile. Jiang Feng began to remake the Crab Stuffed Oranges. This time, Jiang Feng was focused and not distracted by random thoughts, so there were no mistakes. He also didn¡¯t forget to exin the key steps to Ji Xia and Zhou Shi from time to time. When necessary, he would slow down his hands and give them time to observe closely.
    After several minutes, the Crab Stuffed Oranges were ready. [Crab Stuffed Oranges, A Level] Jiang Feng was slightly surprised; he didn¡¯t expect to be able to make A Level Crab Stuffed Oranges in his current condition, reinforcing his previous show-off in front of Zhou Shi and further misleading him about his culinary skills. After the lesson came the time to taste the delicious food. Ji Xia once again had A Level Crab Stuffed Oranges. She wasn¡¯t as excited as the day before, but still very happy. While eating, Ji Xia suddenly remembered something and raised her voice, ¡°Master, I know now!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? What do you know now? Your Jiang Family sisters must have some special abilities. ¡°I know what was missing!¡± Ji Xia said with a look of seeking praise. What was missing? Jiang Feng had no idea what Ji Xia was talking about, but of course, he pretended he understood and asked, ¡°What was missing?¡± ¡°Master, you were very serious just now,st night, and yesterday afternoon,¡± said Ji Xia. ¡°Hm?¡±
    ¡°When you make Crab Stuffed Oranges, um, I mean, not when you¡¯re making them, but when you are¡­ when you¡­¡± Ji Xia¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of her thoughts. Her words came out incoherently as she gestured wildly, leaving herself a bit confused. ¡°When you teach us, it¡¯s different from when you usually make food, you¡¯re especially serious while teaching,¡± Ji Xia finally sorted out her thoughts and said. Jiang Feng finally understood what Ji Xia was saying. For Ji Xia,st night¡¯s events were just that ¨C events of the previous night. But for Jiang Feng, there were six days of memory betweenst night and today. Last night was a very distant time, and it was normal that he couldn¡¯t remember what he had asked Ji Xia. He had asked Ji Xia the previous night what the difference was between A Level and B Level Crab Stuffed Oranges, and at that time, Ji Xia had been unable to answer clearly. Ji Xia must have been dwelling on that question, fearing Jiang Feng would ask again today. She had noticed a stark contrast between his extreme focus now and how he was yesterday, which triggered her realization. Poor Ji Xia didn¡¯t realize that some questions don¡¯t even have known answers to the person asking them. Jiang Feng was instantly enlightened by Ji Xia. Indeed, because he was teaching someone else, he was a bit nervous and would involuntarily concentrate fully, which made him much more serious than when he cooked normally. When he put his all into it, the dishes he made were inevitably better than those on regr days. inly speaking, it was still a matter of insufficient culinary skills; he couldn¡¯t make A Level Crab Stuffed Oranges without giving 100% effort. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s just like that. So, Xiaxia, when you cook in the future, you must be serious too. You can¡¯t make good food if you¡¯re distracted,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. The response of a master level liar is just that quick. Knowing why he could make A Level Crab Stuffed Oranges didn¡¯t make Jiang Feng as happy as he would have expected. This question was something he wanted to know before eleven o¡¯clock the previous night. Now, there was only one thing he wanted to know. What exactly did Ji Xue see? . PS: Did you see it? Vote for the monthly ticket! (With great emphasis) Chapter 450: Four Hundred and Forty-Eight: A Master Indeed Chapter 450: Chapter Four Hundred and Forty-Eight: A Master Indeed Over the next few days, Jiang Feng kept a close watch on how Ji Xue made the pottery jar flower-carved chicken. During this time, stuffed orange with crab was added to the menu, but that wasn¡¯t important. Zhou Shi spent a few days learning the stuffed orange with crab and said he had understood some of it and could teach Jiang Feng how to prepare cold sea cucumber sd. That wasn¡¯t important either. Ji Yue¡¯s younger brother once again demonstrated his skill at climbing walls: he scaled the dormitory building and the school¡¯s perimeter wall, and attempted to escape with money to the train station at night, only to be apprehended by the school authorities and local police at the station¡¯s entrance. Of course, this was¡­ actually a bit important. Even though whatever Ji Xue saw was definitely more important, Ji Yue¡¯s troubles could be indulged on the side as well. As long as the melon doesn¡¯t fall on yourself, it always tastes so crisp and sweet. The only thing Jiang Feng felt was a bit off these days was that Zhou Shi¡¯s gaze had been strange. Especially when Zhou Shi noticed him watching Ji Xue cook, Zhou Shi¡¯s evasive eyes always made him feel uneasy, as if he had caught him in some non-existent act. After the midday rest, Jiang Feng, as usual, finished teaching Zhou Shi and Ji Xia how to make stuffed orange with crab. He checked the time, thought it was about right, and went to the freezer to grab a bottle of ice-cold Coke, then took Ji Xia upstairs to eat melons. Today was the day Ji Yue¡¯s mother went to the school to deal with her brother¡¯s escape, and Ji Yue was somewhat distracted at work in the morning, constantly worried about how her mother would beat her brother. ording to Zhang Guanghang, Ji Yue hadined to him for most of the day about the hundred ways to punish her brother, both psychologically and physically, and Zhang Guanghang had even kindly offered a few suggestions.
    Whoever said women are the most vicious, should look at this woman¡¯s boyfriend. When Jiang Feng arrived, Wu Minqi and Zhang Guanghang were already sitting neatly at the table, and Ji Yue was on the phone with her mother. Of course, they didn¡¯te up specifically to eat melon; they were all friends. How could they be so heartless as to revel in Ji Yue¡¯s family troubles? They came to offer Ji Yue advice and strategies, and Ji Xia was included in this as well. ¡°What, you told the school you¡¯d take Ji Qiran home and then transfer him back to an international school? Mom, he was caught by the police escaping over the school¡¯s wall to the train station. If the police caught him today, they could arrest him tomorrow. You can¡¯t coddle him!¡± Ji Xia, who had also been caught and brought back by the police, even in a cross-province joint capture: ¡­ ¡°Did you figure out where his money came from? How could he have so much money to buy a high-speed train ticket for over a thousand yuan, and even a business ss seat at that? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to give him a penny more than his living expenses?¡± ¡°This time he must learn his lesson. It was bad enough he climbed over the wall at home, but now at school he dares to do it again and even runs to the train station. If you don¡¯t discipline him, even if you bring him back home, he¡¯ll still dare to run away!¡± The louder Ji Yue spoke on the phone, the more agitated she became, and her words seemed to beced with the notion of beating him, not at all like a caring sister. A caring sister would usually do the beating herself, not encourage her mother to do it. However, as Ji Yue¡¯s phone call went on and she seemed itching to buy a ne ticket to rush home and thrash Ji Qiran herself, Jiang Feng was convinced that she was indeed Ji Qiran¡¯s real sister. More than half an hour passed, Ji Yue hung up the phone, and slumped into a chair with an expression full of helplessness and regret. ¡°Sigh,¡± Ji Yue let out a sigh. ¡°How did it go?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Ji Yue nced at Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng instantly switched to a concerned expression, the transition was very natural, and even his tone became extremely caring: ¡°How did it go?¡± Ji Yue: ¡­ Well, he¡¯s the boss now. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, I don¡¯t know what my mom is thinking. She actually¡­ eh, where¡¯s Xue?¡± Ji Yue suddenly realized someone was missing. ¡°You still called Ji Xue?¡± Jiang Feng was shocked.
    Ji Xue, for the past few years due to her insane work ethics, had be like a tool without worldly desires, without friends and not socializing. Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Ji Xue could be considered her closest friends, even though she might only greet them once a day. Ji Xue had almost no social skills and belonged to the type of person who would nod instead of speaking, much like Ji Xia. When Ji Xia first arrived, she was also always expressionless, with a wooden face that looked even more standoffish due to her naturally cool and sharp features. Ji Xia was much better now, after all, she¡¯s just a teenager who¡¯s finished junior high and at heart, hoping for someone to talk to and befriend. But Ji Xue was different, perhaps used to this lifestyle over the years, with not much to say even to family, let alone friends. Usually, when everyone gathered to eat melon, Ji Xue wouldn¡¯t show much expression or reaction, never voicing any opinion, and being a workaholic, she had no interest in gossiping.
    Eventually, when it came to eating melon, everyone didn¡¯t include her much. Typically, it was Ji Yue who encountered some sensational melon, digested it a bit, and then shared it with Ji Xue. ¡°Of course, we had to call Ji Xue, she has experience handling these kinds of situations,¡± Ji Yue said earnestly. Jiang Feng looked at Ji Xia, who showed no change in expression but seemed curious. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you¡­ Oh, right, you went to Jiang Feng¡¯s housest night, I only told your sister,¡± Ji Yue realized, she had brought Ji Xia here to speak from the perspective of someone involved, but forgot this involved party didn¡¯t know about the other party¡¯s deeds. ¡°Two nights ago, my little brother took advantage of the dark, windy night and the sleeping dorm supervisor to climb down from the sixth floor with his bags, scaled the perimeter wall, and made it to the train station. In the end, he was captured in the train station¡¯s waiting room by a joint effort of the police and schoolteachers,¡± Ji Yue exined with colorfulnguage the dramatic ups and downs of Ji Qiran¡¯s life over the past two days. Listening to this, Ji Xia was startled and felt nothing unusual, only that Ji Yue spoke with a rhythm that felt like she could start rapping the next second. To her, fleeing home and being caught by the police didn¡¯t seem like such earth-shattering events; in fact, she even thought Ji Qiran was a bitme for getting caught at the train station. Having already heard about Ji Qiran¡¯s runaway attempt, Jiang Feng instantly spotted a loophole, ¡°Hang on, didn¡¯t your brother scale the wall at night to make a run for it? Shouldn¡¯t he have booked a train for the early morning or evening? How could he be caught by teachers and the police in the train station¡¯s waiting hall, does their school check the dorms in the middle of the night?¡± Ji Yue responded with a schadenfreude grin, ¡°He did have a ticket for the 5 AM high-speed train, but that train was dyed by eight hours due to some reasons. It seems fate determined that he was meant to be caught.¡± ¡°Man proposes, God disposes!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Poor kid, he even felt a bit of sympathy for Ji Qiran at this point.
    ¡°But Yue, where did your brother get the money for a high-speed train ticket? Did your mom give him his allowance?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°My mom only gives him 500 yuan a month for pocket money; he doesn¡¯t even have enough to buy a Coke after lunch. My mom just told me that ording to the teachers¡¯ investigation, he earned the money by ying games for ssmates. Two yuan per star in ¡®Honor of Kings¡¯, and he¡¯d go up to the King rank,¡± Ji Yue exined. ¡°This little rascal didn¡¯t do anything these past few months; he didn¡¯t even touch the study guides I bought for him, he just yed games.¡± ¡°Damn, that¡¯s so cheap,¡± Jiang Feng, whose ¡®Honor of Kings¡¯ rank forever hovered around Gold and sometimes even dropped to Silver, was tempted. Ji Yue: ??? ¡°You should confiscate your brother¡¯s phone. You¡¯ve got to be on guard against this, otherwise he¡¯ll just help ssmates and earn enough to buy a train ticket again,¡± Jiang Feng quickly changed his tune and started suggesting strategies. ¡°That guy is too clever by half; even if you confiscate his phone, he can get himself a new one,¡± Ji Yue shook her head helplessly, then turned to Ji Xia with hopeful eyes as if seeing a savior. ¡°But why did he want to run away, anyway? He wouldn¡¯t be running from the school to the train station just toe home, would he?¡± Wu Minqi still had some questions. ¡°I know why without him saying it. If he had had the money, my mom wouldn¡¯t have dumped him in a strict boarding school in the county where he can onlye home once a week, and she forbids him froming back. He probably couldn¡¯t stay put for a week before running away,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Now, the problem is, my mom¡¯s solution is to bring him home and then transfer him back to the international school.¡± Ji Yue started discussing the serious matter in earnest, ¡°Transferring back to the international school, I have no problem with that. Although my dad hasn¡¯t made aeback yet, my mom has already made her own way. Our original n was to transfer him back to the international school after he finished his first year of high school, but the issue now is, we can¡¯t just let his midnight escape to the train station go without consequence. Otherwise, this little rascal will do it a second time if he did it once. Today he can run off to Xishuangbanna, tomorrow it could be Siberia.¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t notice anything else but thought Ji Yue might really have a knack for rapping. Everyone fell silent, momentarily unsure of what advice to offer that could control a child who was determined to run away from home. Especially a kid resourceful enough to both earn money and scale walls. ¡°Xiaxia, from your perspective, how do you think we should handle this?¡± Ji Yue felt that since some things were beyond her ability to understand, it was better to consult someone who had thought it over.
    ¡°I think he picked the wrong time. Even if he scaled the wall and ran to the train station at midnight, he should not have chosen a time during ss hours. He should have bought a ticket for Saturday or Sunday; then even if the train was dyed, the teachers wouldn¡¯t have found out,¡± Ji Xia advised. ¡°He could easily say he was going home for the weekend; that way, he¡¯d be less likely to be discovered, and he could instantly add a few more days to his time.¡± Ji Yue: ¡­ I must never let Ji Qiran meet Ji Xia. Ji Yue sighed, feeling that consulting these friends was futile and that she needed to talk to Ji Xue about this matter. Only Ji Xue could truly empathize with her. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Xue. You guys keep brainstorming for me,¡± Ji Yue got up and went to look for Ji Xue. Upon Ji Yue¡¯s departure, Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang all turned to stare at Ji Xia, leaving herpletely baffled. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Ji Xia asked hesitantly. Jiang Feng shook his head and sighed. Although his apprentice seemed a bit foolish on the surface, and indeed was a bit foolish, her nature was still that of a bad girl who didn¡¯t like to study and had run away from home. Her perspective on the problem was different from those like us who had never run away from home. A real pro. .
    PS: I haven¡¯t been able to see thements and thoughts on this chapter recently, but if everyone has any brilliantments or ideas, feel free to send me a private message on the official ount. I¡¯d dly copycat some of your witty insights, as my stomach hasn¡¯t been feeling greattely. And¡ª It¡¯s thest day, so please, give me your monthly votes! Chapter 451: 449: Killing to Strike the Heart Chapter 451: Chapter 449: Killing to Strike the Heart About fifteen minutester, Ji Yue returned to the private room and began searching for her cell phone. Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang had spent less than five minutes discussing and unanimously felt that a beating was the best option; even Ji Xia, who had already been thrashed, nodded in agreement. ¡°Does anyone know where Xue usually goes at noon? Doesn¡¯t she stay in the shop? I searched both the private room and the hall but didn¡¯t see her,¡± Ji Yue asked while making a phone call. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she usually nap in one of the private rooms on the third floor? Did you check there?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Of course I did. I¡¯ve looked at every room,¡± Ji Yue said, looking at her phone, ¡°See, she didn¡¯t answer the phone either. If she were napping, she would¡¯ve picked up when the ring sounded.¡± ¡°Could she have gone out to buy something?¡± Wu Minqi, who asionally went out shopping, suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Xue usually stocks up a lot at home, buying things like toilet paper, toothpaste, towels, and toothbrushes from wholesale markets,¡± Ji Yue exined. ¡°Xiaxia, do you have any idea where your sister went off to?¡± Suddenly cued, Ji Xia lowered her head in thought and came up with something, ¡°She might be meeting a friend. I remember she answered a phone call this morning about someoneing to pick her up at a certain time.¡± ¡°A friend?¡± the three of them echoed in unison. Right there and then, Ji Yue couldn¡¯t care less about her brother¡¯s mess; all she wanted to know was what other friends Ji Xue had, apart from them.
    Especially the kind that woulde to pick her up specifically. ¡°Xiaxia, do you know which friend your sister went to meet?¡± Ji Yue asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ji Xia shook his head honestly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, no worries. We can wait for Ji Xue toe back and then ask her,¡± Ji Yue decided to bring the conversation back to the main point, ¡°Gentlemen, have you thought of any good ways to discipline my brother?¡± ¡°Beat him up,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Beat him twice,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Hit him hard,¡± Zhang Guanghang said. Ji Yue: ¡­ ¡°Beating him is useless. This guy remembers the food but not the beating. After a beating, he behaves for three days at most. I need something that will make him terrified, leave a deep impression, fill him with regret,pel him to mend his ways, cleanse his soul, and instill fear in him so that every time he thinks about it, he shudders, his hair stands on end, and his legs tremble, ensuring he never re-offends,¡± Ji Yue used all the idioms she had learned in her life to produce the most idiomatic sentence she had ever spoken. After giving it careful thought, Jiang Feng suggested, ¡°How about feeding him wontons?¡± ¡°Three bowls a day for three consecutive days, and tell him if he messes up again, he¡¯ll have to eat them for a week.¡± Ji Yue shivered deeply and gave Jiang Feng a look: ¡°You¡¯re so cruel.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Please take back that stepmother-from-a-Disney-movie stare. Do you know how much art students envy the privilege of eating three bowls a day for three days? Zhang Guanghang thought seriously for a moment and said, ¡°Orchid, I remember you bought a box of supplementary books for your brother, right?¡± Ji Yue nodded; that box of books had cost her more than a month¡¯s sry¡ªa load many people may never work through in their lifetime. ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s good that your mother wants to take him back home. After all, your brother knows how to scale walls, and he can¡¯t be controlled at school. He might even run away. If your mother keeps an eye on him at home, and the security guard at themunity gate is vignt, the chance of a sessful escape would be much smaller,¡± Zhang Guanghang first analyzed, then put forward his view, consistent with his usual way of doing things. ¡°I remember your family¡¯s original n was to send him back to international school for his junior year of high school next year. Your brother is good at math, physics, and chemistry, so he would definitely have no problem with the independent admissions tests abroad. If you really want him to learn a lesson and taste hardship, why not make him finish that box of supplementary books you bought him? He can only return to international school when he¡¯s done,¡± his words were incisive and hit home hard.
    Zhang Guanghang¡¯s words made the three college students who had gone through more than a decade of severe test-oriented education shiver, recalling the years they were dominated by the fear of Wang Houxiong, Xue Jinxing, and Qu Yixian. ¡°That¡¯s vicious,¡± the three of them couldn¡¯t help but exim. Academic cker Ji Xia: ??? A true academic cker doesn¡¯t even know who Wang Houxiong, Xue Jinxing, and Qu Yixian are.
    ¡°Brilliant, this method is great, I need to call my mom about this!¡± Ji Yue sincerely felt that Zhang Guanghang¡¯s ingenious n would let her brother experience what she called a ¡®socialist thrashing.¡¯ The goad of test-oriented education. Ji Yue went to the next private room to call her mother. Since it was a private call dodging the crowd, it must contain some matters she didn¡¯t want to reveal to everyone. Jiang Feng turned to look at Ji Xia and sincerely remarked, ¡°Xiaxia, it¡¯s a good thing your sister didn¡¯t think of this trick back then.¡± Forget about Wang Houxiong and Qu Yixian, even Xue Jinxing alone might be enough to break Ji Xia down. No, it probably wouldn¡¯t even get to Xue Jinxing; simply flowering sesame seeds would suffice. Ji Xia looked utterly clueless. ¡°By the way, Xiaxia, get ready for tonight. When we get back, I want to test your noodle pulling skills,¡± Jiang Feng said. Ji Xia¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Master, are you going to start teaching me noodle pulling?¡± Jiang Feng: No, you¡¯re going to start teaching me noodle pulling. Jiang Feng nodded and smiled, ¡°As your master, I just want to see if you¡¯ve ckened or regressed. After all, culinary skills can grow rusty without practice, just like sailing against the current: if you don¡¯t advance, you fall back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been busy having you practice basic knife skillstely and have neglected the white chef section. I believe while practicing red chef techniques, you shouldn¡¯t ck off on the white chef skills, which are all about experience and foundational strength and shouldn¡¯t be neglected in daily practice,¡± Jiang Feng said wlessly, leaving no room for fault-finding. Ji Xia nodded, half-understanding.
    Wu Minqi smiled silently. Zhang Guanghang saw through the ruse but kept quiet. Jiang Feng picked up the lukewarm Coke that he had long ignored, which was no longer cold, and gulped down a big swig. ¡°Actually, your level in noodle pulling is already quite good. As long as you practice more and learn a few more things, in a few years, you could go into any restaurant in Beiping and be a specialized noodle chef, a Master White Chef,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°At first, what you wanted to learn from me was Cooking Porridge, which I will teach you slowly in the future. I might not be able to give you much guidance on noodle pulling, only y a supervisory role, but I¡¯m also skilled in making one or two other types of dough-based snacks. For instance, do you remember the Suzhou-style mooncakes from Eight-treasure House that I gave you around Mid-Autumn Festival? It¡¯s those kinds; when you have time and want to learn, I can teach you as well.¡± ¡°So you have to work hard, Xiaxia. Otherwise, ending up like Ji Yue¡¯s little brother, only able to make tutoring books at home, is a very sad oue,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Unnoticed, Ji Yue¡¯s little brother had be an exemry negative role model. Not long ago, Ji Xia herself was the material for a negative role model. She was clearly a well-rounded child, academically and athletically proficient¡ªgood at math, physics, and chemistry, able to scale walls and climb buildings¡ªshe justcked a bit of socialist roughing up. So now the socialist roughing up has arrived. Late, but here. Ji Xia nodded somewhat perfunctorily, her eyes fixed on Jiang Feng¡¯s Coke. ¡°If you want to drink Coke, go get it yourself from downstairs. You can only take one canned drink, and only one can, ha. Drinking too much is bad for your teeth,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Ji Xia excitedly ran out.
    Jiang Feng shook his head helplessly, opened his mouth to say something to Wu Minqi but was preempted by her. ¡°Fengfeng, when did you learn to make Suzhou-style mooncakes?¡± Wu Minqi asked curiously. After all, it¡¯smon knowledge that Jiang Feng¡¯s white chef skills were not that great, only his Cooking Porridge was known to be good. Jiang Feng coughed awkwardly a couple of times, not expecting that Wu Minqi would take his boastful words to Ji Xia so seriously. He even reflected for a moment whether all the random life advice he had been giving Ji Xia these days was taken seriously and remembered by his own Qiqi. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about learning it recently,¡± Jiang Feng said. Wu Minqi & Zhang Guanghang: ¡­ This master-apprentice pair really are bold to teach and bold to learn. The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Just as Jiang Feng was thinking about whether he should stand up and say ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom¡± to break the awkward silence, his phone¡¯s ringtone rang at the perfect moment, dissolving the tension. Since Jiang Feng could answer the phone now, Wu Minqi and Zhang Guanghang could continue to feel awkward if they wished. The iing call was from Ji Xue. This was a rare urrence, Ji Xue rarely made phone calls to save on phone bills. ¡°Hello,¡± he pressed the answer button.
    ¡°Hello, this is Ji Xue,¡± Ji Xue¡¯s voice came through the phone, sounding somewhat anxious, ¡°Umm, Jiang Feng, could I get your help to reserve a ce for me tonight in the main hall or a private room?¡± ¡°Of course you can,¡± Jiang Feng said. He initially thought from Ji Xue¡¯s anxious voice that something had happened, but it turned out to be just a request for reserving a ce. ¡°There¡¯s another thing,¡± Ji Xue paused. ¡°I¡­ I have a friending over today, and I want to make her y pot rice wine chicken, but she hasn¡¯t booked. I can start working on it early and make extra so she can start eating early. Is that okay?¡± Ji Xue asked. ¡°Of course, as long as it doesn¡¯t affect the overall process, why wouldn¡¯t I agree if you¡¯re willing to make more? I¡¯ll talk to my mom so she doesn¡¯t get confusedter. Will you and your friende together?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Not together. She needs to stop by the hotel to drop off some things first, and I¡¯lle back first,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°Then leave me your friend¡¯s surname and phone number. For one person, a 4-person table should be fine, right? A 2-person table might be a bit small if you want her to try several special dishes, they might not fit,¡± Jiang Feng signaled to Wu Minqi, who instantly understood, opened her phone¡¯s note app, and handed the phone to Jiang Feng. Ji Yue quietly asked her friend¡¯s phone number on the other end, then told Jiang Feng, ¡°The number is 137xxxxxxxx, my friend¡¯s surname is Tan, Tan Wenwen.¡± ¡°Okay, Tan Wenwen it is, so then¡­¡± Jiang Feng was typing the number and name into Wu Minqi¡¯s phone when he suddenly paused. Tan Wenwen? Tan Wenwen?! Could it be the Tan Wenwen he was thinking of? ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Ji Xue asked cautiously, sensing that Jiang Feng had suddenly gone silent. ¡°No problem, I was just jotting down the phone number; please repeat it for me to confirm,¡± Jiang Feng said,ing back to his senses. Ji Xue repeated the phone number, thanked him, and ended the call. ¡°Is there something wrong with Tan Wenwen? Do you know Ji Xue¡¯s friend?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Jiang Feng thought to himself that ¡°know¡± was an understatement; he had seen her justst night, though it was the her from several years ago when they were still in junior high school. Not only did I know her name was Tan Wenwen, but I also knew she hated doing dishes, and most crucially, she was the granddaughter of Tan Weizhou. Her parents were the children-inw of Tan Weizhou¡ªthe famous duo who called the police over a stinky yellow croaker andnded Ji Xue with a criminal record. What Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected was that Ji Xue and Tan Wenwen had maintained their friendship all this time, and were even so close. ¡°No, I don¡¯t; I just misheard and thought it was Tan Weiwei at first,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Wu Minqi: ¡­ You just clearly uttered Tan Wenwen yourself. Ah, men. Chapter 452: 450: Zhajiang (Happy 70th Birthday to the Motherland!) Chapter 452: Chapter 450: Zhajiang (Happy 70th Birthday to the Mothend!) Jiang Feng knew that the excuse he had just made up was prettyme, so he quickly changed the subject, adhering to the principle that if he switched topics fast enough, no one would be able to point out how weak his excuse was, and started making awkward conversation with Zhang Guanghang. ¡°Hey Zhang, do you have any new dishes nned for the 23rd of this month? The taste-test day ising up soon, and I haven¡¯t seen you practicing any particr dishtely,¡± Jiang Feng said, turning to Zhang Guanghang. Zhang Guanghang, who had been focused on his cell phone, put it down and showed a handsome man¡¯s surprise: ¡°Actually, I do practice from time to time, but I don¡¯t have any inspiration or ideas, so there¡¯s no specific direction for practice and nothing in particr I want to learn, so¡­ not really.¡± Zhang Guanghang looked back down at his phone, clearly unable to forget theic he had been engrossed in just moments before, then nced up at Jiang Feng again: ¡°This is normal, you know. You¡¯re the odd one, wanting to learn a new dish every few days. You make a bit of progress each time, but really¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not normal.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ All right, I¡¯m cheating here, so shut up. Zhang Guanghang, in order to return to hisics, quickly ended the conversation. Wu Minqi didn¡¯t relentlessly pursue the poor lie Jiang Feng had just told either, instead she started ying with her phone. In today¡¯s society, there¡¯s nothing more captivating than a cell phone. Sometimes you even want to murder your boyfriend, but you¡¯d never want to kill your phone, as it only ¡®suicides.¡¯ Today, since Ji Xia didn¡¯t have to go to the Li Mansion to help out and could stay in the Taifeng Building the whole day, Jiang Feng was a bit worried about leaving her alone with the cooler. It was like letting a mouse into a grain storage, and he suspected that by now, Ji Xia had probably already drunk the second or third bottle of Coke.
    Chen Suhua, as Da Hua¡¯s actual caretaker, had already established a deep bond with Da Hua. Buttely, Jiang Feng and Ji Xia had taken over the responsibility of cooking the staple food, resulting in Chen Suhua not having prepared Da Hua¡¯s pig food by hand for a long time. This gave her a sense of crisis, feeling that her most intimate position with Da Hua was about to be usurped by Ji Xia. Now, when Da Hua saw Ji Xia, she would grunt and call out twice, a privilege that used to be Chen Suhua¡¯s alone, and one that even Jiang Feng didn¡¯t have. Da Hua never called out when she saw him. So, Chen Suhua decided that from Monday to Friday, Jiang Feng and Ji Xia would take care of Da Hua¡¯s meals, but she would prepare the weekend meals herself. She was determined to reim her position as the primary caregiver. Consequently, Ji Xia became unemployed. Look, even cooking food for a pig has be apetitive job nowadays. After telling Wu Minqi, Jiang Feng went downstairs, where Ji Xia was holding a can of grape Fanta. Jiang Feng nced at the nearby trash bin, which already contained a c can and a Sprite can. ¡°Xiaxia, didn¡¯t I say you could only have one can of soda? Drinking too much carbonated drink is bad for your teeth, and getting a tooth filled is very expensive these days!¡± Jiang Feng tried to scare Ji Xia with money. ¡°Master, you said I could only have one can of Coke, and I did only have one can of Coke,¡± Ji Xia said with an unchanging expression, continuing to gulp down the grape Fanta as if she was racing against time. Jiang Feng: ¡­ If you used that brilliant little brain of yours for studying, you wouldn¡¯t just finish high school; you could even attend Wharton. Jiang Feng snatched the can of Coke from Ji Xia¡¯s hand and shook it, estimating there were only about two or three sips left: ¡°No more carbonated drinks for you tomorrow, okay? Look how much you¡¯ve already drunk these past few days. You can only have freshly squeezed juice, and if you want it, you¡¯ll have to make it yourself.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± replied Ji Xia. ¡°Master, can I have orange juice?¡± ¡°Make it yourself,¡± said Jiang Feng with an expressionless face, as cold as a parent supervising a child¡¯s homework. ¡°Your sister has a friending over to eatter, and they might arrive early before the greeters are on duty. After your sister gets here, just stand at the entrance. They¡¯re surnamed Tan, table 37, just take them over,¡± Jiang Feng assigned Ji Xia her task. ¡°Okay,¡± nodded Ji Xia. Seeing Ji Xia like this, Jiang Feng thought she might actually not know Tan Wenwen or might know but not remember her. People tend to forget childhood memories very quickly; Jiang Feng himself couldn¡¯t remember many of his elementary school ssmates, and he had forgotten many middle school ssmates as well. He remembered that during those few days in his memory, all the meals Ji Xue brought home every night were packed by Tan Wenwen. Had it not been for Tan Wenwen pressing the food so tightly and arranging the dishes so neatly, that small lunchbox definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to contain enough food for two kids to feel full.
    Regardless of whether Ji Xia knew or not, and whether Tan Wenwen did it intentionally or not, since Tan Wenwen hade to Beijing to see Ji Xue, it was only proper to say thank you. Ji Xia was not aware of this, so it was natural for Jiang Feng, as her master, to lend a helping hand. ¡°Xiaxia, would you like to learn how to make zhajiangmian?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Zhajiangmian? What¡¯s that?¡± Ji Xia had no idea what zhajiangmian was; her hometown¡¯s small town didn¡¯t sell it, Taifeng Building didn¡¯t have it, and no one had taken her to try it since arriving in Beiping.
    ¡°It¡¯s a type of noodle dish, except ites with vegetable pieces and fried sauce that contains meat,¡± exined Jiang Feng. ¡°I do,¡± Ji Xia replied with invigorating enthusiasm. ¡°I learn noodles very fast, Master Liang has praised me before, saying that I learn noodle-making quickly!¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ You might not believe this, but what I want to teach you is how to make fried bean sauce. Preparing fried bean sauce takes a certain amount of time. Jiang Feng nced at his phone and saw it was just a little past 3 PM. If everything went smoothly, he could finish making a small bowl of fried bean sauce around 4 PM. When Jiang Feng was practicing noodle pulling, he would asionally make some fried bean sauce as well. Making the sauce wasn¡¯t difficult, but he hadn¡¯t done it many times, mainly because he wasn¡¯t very good at pulling noodles. Every time he made fried bean sauce noodles, the rating was always unimpressive, either a D or an E, which was hard for Jiang Feng to ept since he was ustomed to seeing B or A grades. It was a significant blow to his self-esteem. So he chose to avoid it. As long as I don¡¯t make fried bean sauce noodles, there won¡¯t be any D grades. Ji Xia followed Jiang Feng into the kitchen, washed his hands thoroughly with him, then stood by with a small spoon, watching intently how Jiang Feng made the sauce. ¡°For fried bean sauce noodles, the noodles don¡¯t need to be pulled too finely. You can have both thin and thick noodles, but most people prefer the thicker ones. Xiaxia, your noodle pulling skills are more than sufficient, so there isn¡¯t much for me to teach in that regard. Today, the main goal is for you to watch how the sauce is fried,¡± announced Jiang Feng as his mini lecture began. Ji Xia listened with focused attention, spoon in hand. ¡°First off, we need to use pork belly for frying the sauce. I¡¯ve taught you about pork belly before, what¡¯s the best type of pork belly to choose under normal circumstances?¡± Jiang Feng started with a question.
    When it came to meat, Ji Xia was never at a loss: ¡°Three parts fat to seven parts lean.¡± ¡°Right, that¡¯s correct. But it¡¯s also okay if you prefer to use slightly fattier meat,¡± Jiang Feng said as he picked a moderately-sized piece of pork belly, quickly skinned it with a knife, separated the fat from the lean, and chopped them into evenly sized cubes. ¡°When chopping the pork into cubes, it¡¯s best to separate the fat and the lean. This way, the finished sauce will have fat that¡¯s rich without being greasy and lean that¡¯s both lean and fragrantly crisp,¡± Jiang Feng said. Lately, he¡¯d seen plenty of essays written by Jiang Junlian posted by Aunt in the family group chat, and he had unconsciously adopted Junlian¡¯s habitual descriptive style in his speech¡ªusing numerous idioms. Sometimes Jiang Feng wondered if Junlian was writing essays while flipping through an idiom dictionary, all that effort just to fill up 800 words. ¡°Chop the white part of the green onions into chunks¨Cnot too small, or they¡¯ll burn easily.¡± This lesson was learned from Jiang Feng¡¯s bitter experience with E-grade fried bean sauce noodles, ¡°Then mince some ginger and that¡¯s all the ingredients you¡¯ll need aside from the sauce itself.¡± ¡°As for the sauce, we¡¯ll mix soybean paste with sweet bean sauce. Here, you should taste these two sauces to get a sense of their vors,¡± Jiang Feng said as he pushed the soybean paste and sweet bean sauce towards Ji Xia. Ji Xia tasted their vors in turn. ¡°Xiaxia, remember this, cooking and tasting are inseparable. A good chef must have a discerning pte, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t be a good chef without one; it¡¯ll just be more challenging. When you start learning, you¡¯ll inevitably face many problems. You haven¡¯t even begun to cook by yourself yet. Once you do, you¡¯ll find that the results may not be what you imagined they¡¯d be. But how will you identify the problems? You have to taste it¡ªthe vor of the ingredients, the vor of the sauces, the taste of the seasonings. You have to taste and smell. But the crucial part is to use your tongue to sense the vors. Without employing your tongue to differentiate, it¡¯s hard to discover what the truly delicious taste is like,¡± Jiang Feng exined enthusiastically when Ji Xue suddenly walked in. Ji Xue didn¡¯te in empty-handed; she was carrying arge y pot. The pot looked familiar to Jiang Feng, roughly the same shape and diameter as the ones she used to cook jar-cooked chicken. It even looked a bit like the pots Tan Weizhou used at Tan Family Small Restaurant for jar-cooked chicken. The pots Tan Weizhou used for jar-cooked chicken were limited edition, left over from decades ago, impossible to find on the market now. ¡°Sister, what pot is that you¡¯re carrying?¡± Ji Xia¡¯s attention was drawn by the y pot in Ji Xue¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s the pot for cooking jar-cooked chicken,¡± replied Ji Xue. Realizing that Jiang Feng seemed to be instructing Ji Xia on cooking, she asked an additional question, ¡°What are you learning today, Xiaxia?¡± ¡°How to make the fried bean sauce for fried bean sauce noodles!¡± answered Ji Xia eagerly. ¡°Xiaxia can already learn to make fried bean sauce noodles? That¡¯s really impressive. Learn well from your master,¡± Ji Xue said with a smile, approaching the stove with the y pot.
    Ji Yue had previously given her a specialized lecture on how to educate her younger siblings: when severity was required, don¡¯t be soft-hearted with the stick; but when it was time for leniency and praise, don¡¯t be stingy. Otherwise, all stick and no carrot could lead to estrangement between siblings. Ji Xue took Ji Yue¡¯s teachings to heart and put them into practice after their rtionship thawed on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Since then, the sisters¡¯ rtionship had developed rapidly, returning to the closeness they shared as children when they split choctes equally. ¡°With fried bean sauce, you need lots of oil and a generous amount of sauce. You have to simmer it over low heat until the sauce dries uppletely; you can¡¯t add water. The sauce needs to be fried thoroughly, deeply and fragrantly. At that time, you can¡¯t rely on sight, you must use your nose to smell, and also¡­¡± Jiang Feng was about to continue but suddenly remembered he hadn¡¯t asked Ji Xue when Tan Wenwen would arrive. After all, he had just told Ji Xue not too long ago to go and greet Tan Wenwen at the entrance and lead her to her seat, though the next second he changed his mind, saying he was going to teach Ji Xia how to make fried bean sauce noodles. Changing one¡¯s mind by the evening is something every master should do. ¡°Xiaxia, hold on for a moment, I need to ask your sister a question. Stay here and taste the soybean paste and sweet bean sauce,¡± Jiang Feng said as he walked towards Ji Xue. Ji Xia obediently began tasting the soybean paste and sweet bean sauce, delightfully enjoying the taste of thetter. Chapter 453: 451 Honey (Vote for Monthly Tickets!) Chapter 453: Chapter 451 Honey (Vote for Monthly Tickets!) Ji Xue was dealing with her newly acquired y pot, which clearly had seen some years. Not only did it appear worn on the outside, but the color inside hadpletely changed as well. Evidently, it had been frequently used, much like those dedicated purple y pots that had boiled medicine for many years. Ji Xue was handling small chunks of honey, which Taifeng Building stocked in abundance, as they were needed for making y pot roast chicken with Huadiao wine. The outeryer of the y pot roast chicken with Huadiao wine was thick with honey, much thicker than the usual practice of brushing ayer on other dishes. This was because, in addition to brushing ayer of liquid honey on the exterior, chunks of honey needed to be kneaded into small pieces and stuck on the surface. The chunky honey would melt when heated, and because of its slow melting rate, it would gradually adhere to the surface of the chicken. The two different types of honey, melting together, would form a thick honey crust that securely enveloped the y pot roast chicken¡ªthis technique was something only the old master Tan Weizhou could envision. The y pot roast chicken with Huadiao wine required high-quality honey, and the two kinds Taifeng Building currently used were chosen by Ji Xue after repeated experimentation. But now, Ji Xue wasn¡¯t handling the chicken; she hadn¡¯t even taken it out, with only an empty y pot in front of her. ¡°What are you doing with honey now? We haven¡¯t even started on the chicken. If your hands get dirty, do you want me to help bring the chicken over?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Around what time will your friend being? I¡¯m worried the staff might not yet be on duty, so maybe Xiaxia could go to the door to meet her.¡± ¡°She¡­ she should be here soon. She just went to the hotel to drop off her luggage and take care of a few things, maybe twenty or thirty minutes,¡± Ji Xue said uncertainly, not pausing in her task. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll have Xiaxia go to the door to meet her in about twenty minutes,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, preparing to return to his cooking station to continue teaching Ji Xia how to make fried sauce noodles. ¡°Just in time¡ªtoday I¡¯m teaching Xiaxia how to make fried sauce noodles. When your friend arrives, Xiaxia can make her a bowl too, showing off your sister¡¯s culinary skills to your friend.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Ji Xue smiled and nodded. She held the y pot¡¯s lid steady with her left hand and spread the chunky honey she had just processed in a position slightly closer to the edge of the lid.
    Jiang Feng: !!! Why was Ji Xue smearing honey on the lid of the y pot? Did all the y pot lids used for the roast chicken with Huadiao wine have honey on them? Jiang Feng thought hard about the video tutorials he had seen, with no recollection of such a detail, but it might indeed exist. The y pots used by Tan Weizhou were very old, their inner surfaces deeply stained with years of seasoning, lids included, just like this one. If only a little honey was applied to the lid, Jiang Feng might truly have missed it. Could it be that Ji Xue had noticed this detail the first time she saw it? What kind of eyesight did one have to have to notice such an inconspicuous thing on the lid at a nce? Jiang Feng felt as if he had grasped the essence of the y pot roast chicken with Huadiao wine. All he needed to do was to watch the video tutorial again and pay extra attention to the inside of the lid to discern its secrets. ncing back at Ji Xue, he saw that she seemed unsatisfied with the honey she had just applied, wiping it off and starting to process the honey again. Jiang Feng returned to his own cooking station, and Ji Xia, following his instructions, had tasted both the soybean paste and the sweet bean sauce, clearly preferring thetter. Jiang Feng could tell that the amounts of these sauces had reduced in the two bowls in front of her. ¡°Xiaxia, you really should eat less of this; it¡¯s fine to eat more meals, but it¡¯s best to avoid snacking,¡± Jiang Feng said earnestly, genuinely concerned Xiaxia might grow in a direction simr to his two cousins from the Jiang Family. Not that it was much of an issue. Jiang Feng was not prejudice against people who were overweight; within the Jiang Family, it was he who was the outlier. His main concern was that Xiaxia, already a delinquent girl capable of fighting, might be as heavy as Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing. Jiang Feng worried that if there were disagreements in future lessons, he might not be able to win against her. Ji Xia looked at Jiang Feng in confusion, then back at the sweet bean sauce before her. Snacks? So that¡¯s what they call it in Beiping. Jiang Feng got back on track and continued with his unfinished teaching task. He added more sweet bean sauce to the bowl, mixing it with the previously prepared ingredients before frying it in the pan. Making fried sauce was actually quite a hassle. Although it called for a small bowl dry-fry method, it also required a low fire, meaning the cooking time was quite significant. Moreover, it demanded constant attention, indeed a true test of the chef¡¯s patience and focus.
    Jiang Feng fried the sauce while keeping an eye on the time. He felt that there wasn¡¯t much he could teach Ji Xia during the frying since it was something that required personal involvement, practice, and feeling once it got to the pan. One could learn from failure, yet there were those who seeded brilliantly on the first attempt, without the chance to fail or the need to learn from failure. Since there wasn¡¯t much to exin, the process of frying the sauce became even more boring. With nothing to eat or learn, Ji Xia could only watch the sauce slowly dry out in the pan, not daring to speak out and disturb Jiang Feng, fearing it might affect the frying. She felt as if she were back in a ssroom at school. When the 20 minutes were up, Jiang Feng said to Ji Xia, ¡°Your sister¡¯s friend should be arriving soon, Xiaxia, go to the door to wee her. This sauce needs to fry a bit longer. Once you have brought her here,e back. You might still make it in time to see the sauce taken off the stove, and I¡¯ll show you what point it needs to reach before it¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°Alright, Master!¡± Ji Xia, like a student finally released from a 45-minute math ss, cheerfully ran out of the kitchen.
    Jiang Feng continued to guard the boring pot of frying sauce. He understood Ji Xia¡¯s feelings, believing it would be far more interesting to greet guests outside than watching the frying sauce. At least by standing at the entrance, one could see the street outside where the movement of cars was more significant than that of the sauce in the pot. The first time he fried sauce, hisck of experience led him to add too much, and he nearly exhausted himself in front of that pot. Ji Xia was gone for over 20 minutes, and Jiang Feng felt the fire control for the sauce in the pot was almost perfect. Any longer and it would be too dry, yet she hadn¡¯t returned. Jiang Feng was regretting that Xiaxia would miss the opportunity to see the sauce done incorrectly, losing a chance. Next time, she would still have to follow him through theplete process, idly watching the sauce in the pot until it reached the proper fire control before she had another opportunity to see the sauce finish, when Ji Xia came back. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve shown her to her seat,¡± said Ji Xia when she returned, holding something in her hand. ¡°What are you holding there?¡± asked Jiang Feng. Ji Xia opened her hand to reveal a piece of Dove chocte. ¡°That sister just now gave it to me,¡± Ji Xia exined. Jiang Feng smiled and told Ji Xia to put the chocte far away. If it was too close to the pot where the temperature was high, it would turn into chocte sauce. A few secondster, Jiang Feng felt the time was right, turned off the heat, and stirred the frying sauce in the pot. ¡°Can you smell that? When it smells roughly like this, it¡¯s ready toe off the heat. Judging the frying sauce solely by sight is useless; you must also use your nose. When the eyes can¡¯t discern, the nose can still sniff out certain things,¡± said Jiang Feng. Ji Xia leaned in to smell and thought the noodles with the fried sauce would surely be delicious, considering the sauce smelled so good.
    Ji Xue had already started to make the y pot rice wine chicken. Estimating that it would still be some time before Ji Xue¡¯s dish was ready, Jiang Feng did not ask Ji Xia to start pulling noodles right away because it couldn¡¯t upstage the main dish. Jiang Feng walked towards Ji Xue. ¡°Ji Xue, the menu isn¡¯t open yet, so your friend can¡¯t order dishes. How about I make a few random dishes for her to try some of Taifeng Building¡¯s signature dishes?¡± Jiang Feng shamelessly boasted, as if he were the one who made all the signature dishes at Taifeng Building. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to such trouble; she¡¯s just one person. Actually, I¡¯m making her a portion of y pot rice wine chicken. Afterwards, Xiaxia can make her a small bowl of fried sauce noodles, which will be plenty; she might not even finish it,¡± Ji Xue declined. Jiang Feng listened and thought it made sense. ¡°How about this, then? I¡¯ll make a stuffed crab orange for her. Once you¡¯ve finished your dish, go out and eat with her. It¡¯s not nice to leave your friend alone at the table. I¡¯ll make three stuffed crab oranges at once, one each for the two of you and one for Xiaxia. This dish is seasonal, and it won¡¯t be avable after a while. Since your friend hase to Taifeng Building, she should try several specialty dishes. You are our head chef, and you can¡¯t let our reputation falter,¡± he suggested. ¡°Thank you,¡± Ji Xue expressed her gratitude. Returning to the cooking station, Jiang Feng said to Ji Xia, ¡°Xiaxia, go pick three oranges for me, and I¡¯ll teach you how to make stuffed crab orange again.¡± ¡°Master, aren¡¯t we supposed to be making fried sauce noodles now?¡± asked Ji Xia. ¡°There¡¯s no rush for the fried sauce noodles. Let¡¯s make the stuffed crab oranges first, and we¡¯ll make the noodles after that,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°Oh,¡± Ji Xia obediently went to select oranges but still couldn¡¯t help mumbling to herself. Master was great in every way, but his ideas changed too fast. One second he said one thing, the next second he changed his mind. Master was indeed a fickle person.
    Chapter 454: 452 Ganzhou Navel Oranges Chapter 454: Chapter 452 Ganzhou Navel Oranges Ever since Jiang Feng discovered that his spirit would be highly concentrated when teaching others to cook and that the crab-stuffed oranges he made were foolproof, Ji Xia became an essential part of making crab-stuffed oranges. As long as Ji Xia was in Taifeng Building when Jiang Feng was making crab-stuffed oranges, he would have her stand by his side to help pick crabmeat and such. Jiang Feng felt that by mid-November, when the Ganzhou Navel Oranges came to market, Ji Xia would be able to start trying to make crab-stuffed oranges on her own. In September, when Jiang Feng practised making crab-stuffed oranges, he always used Australian oranges, but now he had switched to using locally produced oranges. However, in his heart, the type of oranges best suited for making crab-stuffed oranges was always the Ganzhou Navel Oranges. Sour, sweet, juicy,rge, and plump¡ªthey were simply the best choice for making crab-stuffed oranges. The Ganzhou Navel Oranges were famous, but Jiang Feng had never eaten a particrly authentic one before going to college. He had always thought that descriptions likerge, perfectly shaped, brightly colored, with an edible rate of 85%, crisp and tender flesh, dregs-free, rich, sweet aroma, and containing more than 55% juice were all made up by fruit shops to deceive students like him who didn¡¯t know how to pick fruit. After all, Ganzhou Navel Oranges were much more expensive than other locally grown oranges. After going to college, Jiang Feng realized that he had been too narrow-minded. One of Jiang Feng¡¯s college ssmates came from Ganzhou and had an orchard at home. In their freshman year, this ssmate¡¯s mother sent him two boxes of oranges to the school, and he shared one with each of his ssmates. After Jiang Feng tasted the authentic Ganzhou orchard-produced Ganzhou Navel Oranges for the first time, he was astounded. He quickly sent a private message on WeChat and found that the price was even more heavenly, being only half of what the fruit shops charged, and he thus became a long-term, stable customer of their orchard.
    While other ssmates ordered 20 pounds at a time, Jiang Feng¡¯s orders were always in increments of 200 pounds. The 200 pounds were just the norm; by the end of the year, when the express delivery was about to stop for the holiday, Jiang Feng¡¯sst order was usually sorge that it made others suspect he was in the fruit wholesale business. During the New Year, they could enjoy the grand meals personally cooked by Sir every day, mainly consisting of big and hearty dishes. After a meal full of fats and carbohydrates, eating two oranges that were sweet and tangy would help the Jiang Family members better wee the next meal. ¡°Master, the crab meat is all picked clean,¡± Ji Xia¡¯s words pulled Jiang Feng out of his reminiscence of Ganzhou Navel Oranges. Looking at the orange in his hand, Jiang Feng even felt a bit picky. Last year, because the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had just opened and Sir had gone to n City, allowing everyone to frequently taste Sir¡¯s cooking, all Jiang Family members but the great-aunt were somewhat neglectful of the navel oranges. This year, with the unique dish of crab-stuffed oranges making its appearance, Ganzhou Navel Oranges were sure to shine once again on the Jiang Family¡¯s dining table. While exining to Ji Xia, Jiang Feng proceeded to make crab-stuffed oranges, but because he was initially distracted thinking about Ganzhou Navel Oranges, the final product did not achieve an A grade and was somewhat disappointing. It was definitely toote to start over, and Jiang Feng saw that Ji Xue had already started to focus intently on the pottery jar Hua Diao Chicken, which was obviously about to be ready. If it¡¯s grade B, then let it be grade B. It wasn¡¯t too much of a letdown. Thinking this, Jiang Feng re-covered the steamer lid to ensure the temperature inside would keep the crab-stuffed oranges from cooling down in the meantime. ¡°Xiaxia, start the noodle pulling,¡± Jiang Feng said. The dough was ready-made, and after kneading it again, Ji Xia took out a small portion and began to pull noodles. Ji Xia looked different while pulling noodlespared to her usual self. Though her appearance was more mature than other children her age, and she was tall with healthy dark skin, the first impression she gave was still that of a child. At first, she was a shy child who didn¡¯t dare to talk much, thereforeing off as aloof; now, she was a child known for her uncontroble snack cravings and love for carbonated drinks. But when she was pulling noodles, she seemed to grow up in an instant. Focused, serious, and even devout. People who are serious about their work always seem to exude a maturity beyond their years.
    Ji Xue¡¯s noodle pulling movements were beautiful, her hands steady, slip-stretch-mming the dough in one smooth sequence as if tracing the flow of clouds and water. Her gestures were grand, opening and closing like a dancer, the noodles bing the ribbon in her hands, obedient andpliant. If Ji Xia insisted on opening a breakfast shop back in her small town or countyter, she might as well sell noodles too. The way she pulled noodles alone was enough to draw a crowd of kids into her shop. Within a short period, the noodles were ready, and just as Jiang Feng was cooking them in the pot, Ji Xue¡¯s y pot chicken with Huadiao wine was also done. The y pot was heavy with a whole chicken inside; it was unstable to carry on a tray, and Ji Xue, who wasn¡¯t used to serving dishes, tried several times but couldn¡¯t find the right bnce.
    ¡°Ji Xue, don¡¯t worry about this one, I¡¯ll serve it. You¡¯re probably not used to serving. Xiaxia¡¯s noodles will be ready shortly; you can carry the Zhajiang noodles and the Crab Stuffed Oranges then,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Mm,¡± Ji Xue nodded, heading towards Jiang Feng. There weren¡¯t many noodles in the pot, and after Jiang Feng took them out, he divided them into two small bowls, each looking like it only had two bites worth of noodles¡ªminiature bowls intended to let Ji Xue and Tan Wenwen taste Ji Xia¡¯s skills. Jiang Feng dressed the in noodles in the two bowls with toppings and drizzled them with the fried sauce. With his superb presentation skills, two exquisite and beautiful bowls of Zhajiang noodles were quickly ready. They were rich in color and well-coordinated; green cucumber strips alternated with brightly colored carrot strips, and the fried sauce, like a little round cake, sat centered on the noodles, which were uniformly thick and looked very resilient. Those two bowls of Zhajiang noodles looked even more appealing than the carefully photoshopped images on the Eight-treasure House menu. [Zhajiang Noodles Grade C] Jiang Feng stared at the Zhajiang noodles, slightly dazed. These noodles were clearly not made by him. He only prepared the sauce and toppings; the mainponent, the noodles, was pulled by Ji Xia. But somehow, he could still see the disy on the Zhajiang noodles. Could it be that he was considered to have made a dish just by participating in some parts of it, without having to do the main part? ¡°Can we serve the Crab Stuffed Oranges now?¡± Ji Xue asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, handing over the Crab Stuffed Oranges and Zhajiang noodles to Ji Xue, then went to serve the y pot chicken with Huadiao wine. Tan Wenwen was sitting at table 37, waiting for her meal¡ªa pretty good spot, since it was by the window and had excellent natural light. Tan Wenwen sat calmly at her table without ying with her phone, smiling and waving to Ji Xue as she approached. Compared with the Tan Wenwen Jiang Feng remembered from junior high, the current Tan Wenwen was transformed, having shed all vestiges of immaturity.
    Her makeup was subtle; her hair tied back in a single ponytail, and her lipstick shade soft. Her outfit was simple yet trendy. The current Tan Wenwen reminded Jiang Feng of the extremely astute and capable vice president of the student council who had a significant conflict with Ji Yue, simply because she refused to fund the Chess Club¡¯s activities. She was indeed a frighteningly strict woman with herself and others, whom one couldn¡¯t easily dislike, and even held a certain sense of fear towards. Jiang Feng ced the y pot chicken on the table and said to Ji Xue, ¡°You go ahead and dine with your friend; take your time. If time is up, I will have Ji Xiae out to call you.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± Ji Xue nodded, sitting opposite Tan Wenwen. Tan Wenwen also smiled and nodded at Jiang Feng as a way of acknowledgement. Jiang Feng nced at the table. [Crab Stuffed Oranges Grade A (pseudo)] [Zhajiang Noodles Grade B (pseudo)] It seemed the time hade to introduce a limited set meal of Zhajiang noodles and Crab Stuffed Oranges. Chapter 455: 453 Im Doing Quite Well Now (4000 words, asking for monthly pass!) Chapter 455: Chapter 453 I¡¯m Doing Quite Well Now (4000 words, asking for monthly pass!) After Jiang Feng left, Ji Xue and Tan Wenwen faced each other, and neither spoke. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment. What Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know was that Ji Xue and Tan Wenwen had also been out of touch for many years. It was only two days ago, when Ji Xue suddenly received a call from Manager Fan Mei, who said a woman iming to be her friend named Tan Wenwen wanted to contact her, that she reconnected with Tan Wenwen. Feeling both surprised and nervous about the visit of an old friend, Ji Xue didn¡¯t say much when she went to pick up Tan Wenwen from the train station, only exchanging simple greetings. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Can I lift the lid now?¡± Tan Wenwen asked. ¡°Of course.¡± Ji Xue nodded. When Tan Wenwen lifted the lid, the rich and dominant aroma unique to y pot Huadiao chicken, with its strong scent of Huadiao wine, wafted out. It quickly took over the area and spread rapidly in all directions. The waitresses who were returning to Taifeng Building couldn¡¯t help but look towards table 37, wondering why y pot Huadiao chicken was being served so early. Wasn¡¯t it still before opening hours? Where did these customerse from? Tan Wenwen¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed in a moment of intoxication upon smelling the aroma and soon opened again. Looking at the y pot Huadiao chicken, her face showed nostalgia.
    ¡°I haven¡¯t smelled this for many years.¡± ¡°Then¡­ how about¡­ you try some?¡± Ji Xue asked nervously and cautiously as she looked at Tan Wenwen. Tan Wenwen picked up her chopsticks and expertly chose a piece of chicken with great texture, firm meat, and glossy skin, shining particrly bright because of the honey that had been applied. Upon tasting, her eyebrows curved into a smile. ¡°Delicious, but still not quite as good as how grandfather made it,¡± Tan Wenwen said with a smile. Hearing Tan Wenwen say this, Ji Xue breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°I don¡¯t have Master Tan¡¯s skill.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s already very good,¡± said Tan Wenwen, looking pleased. Ji Xue, somewhat nervous, bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. ¡°Wenwen, don¡¯t you find it strange? Why I would know how to make this dish.¡± ¡°You think¡­¡± ¡°What? That you learned it by sneaking a peek while you were an apprentice in our family¡¯s kitchen?¡± Tan Wenwen was very direct. Ji Xue fell silent. ¡°You were an apprentice; there¡¯s nothing wrong with learning.¡± Tan Wenwen suddenly remembered something, lifted her head, and looked around Taifeng Building anew. ¡°During grandpa¡¯sst days, I was the one taking care of him in the hospital. He kept telling me he regretted it, that he should have taken you on as his apprentice and taught you how to make the y pot Huadiao chicken properly. He said you had a great talent for cooking but were so clumsy and dull. He would often intentionally make you work by his side so that you could see clearly how the Huadiao chicken was made in the evening, but you always kept your head down and didn¡¯t look around.¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t it wonderful? Everyone is happy. You learned how to make the y pot Huadiao chicken, and grandpa¡¯s recipe hasn¡¯t been lost. He must be very pleased down below.¡± Ji Xue, looking at Tan Wenwen, became a little emotional, ¡°But¡­ but it¡¯s your family¡¯s dish, I¡¯m just a¡­¡± ¡°Fat Fat, what are you so worried about?¡±ughed Tan Wenwen. ¡°If we really get down to it, it¡¯s our family who owes you. Why do you act like you have a guilty conscience?¡± The nickname ¡°Fat Fat¡± smoothed away Ji Xue¡¯s nervous fear. It had been a long time since anyone had called her by that nickname. As a child, Ji Xue loved all things round¡ªround pandas, round cats, round dogs, or even birds fed to roundness¡ªshe adored them all. She had even attempted to fatten up her little sister Ji Xia when they were young, always stuffing her with snacks. That¡¯s how she acquired the nickname ¡°Fat Fat,¡± which didn¡¯t really match her appearance or figure.
    ¡°Do you know how I suddenly managed to contact you?¡± Tan Wenwen asked. ¡°How did you find me?¡± Ji Xue was curious, too. ¡°It¡¯s quite a coincidence. I¡¯m a senior this year, you see. Since starting college, I haven¡¯t been back home. I used loans to pay for tuition and worked part-time jobs to cover living expenses. I was always so busy that I never had time for variety shows or anything else. During the summer vacation this year, I got an internship at a decentpany, which was more stable. I wanted to rx and watch some shows during the National Day holiday, so my roommate rmended the cookingpetition show you were in.¡± ¡°I initially tuned in for Zhang Guanghang, but ended up seeing you in the program. I called the Good Taste Company that organized thepetition, but they said they couldn¡¯t reveal contestant information. I thought I was out of options, then it urred to me that you had made the y pot Huadiao chicken on the show, and might now be working in some restaurant. So, I looked up the dish online, and that¡¯s how I found Taifeng Building.¡± Tan Wenwen continued with augh, ¡°At first, I tried contacting Taifeng¡¯s official microblog, but their staff didn¡¯t even bother with me. Before calling your front desk, I was thinking if they didn¡¯t entertain my inquiry, I¡¯d just travel to Beiping and wait for you at the entrance of Taifeng Building¡ªI was certain I couldn¡¯t fail to find you.¡±
    Tan Wenwen made it sound like Ji Xue was some kind of unfaithful scoundrel. Ji Xue burst intoughter, ¡°And you weren¡¯t afraid of waiting in vain and getting arrested by the police?¡± ¡°I was just waiting at the door, not causing any trouble inside. Why would the police arrest me?¡± Tan Wenwen widened her eyes. After theughter and teasing, the atmosphere between the two became much lighter, almost like it was back when they were younger. ¡°Fat Fat, do you remember thest time we met?¡± Tan Wenwen propped her head, looking at the earthen jar of Huadiao wine chicken. ¡°Actually, it was two years ago,¡± Ji Xue said. ¡°I attended the funeral of Master Tan, but I didn¡¯t dare enter, only dared to watch from the door. I saw you, but your parents were by your side, and I didn¡¯t dare toe over to greet you.¡± Ji Xue remembered very clearly that Tan Weizhou¡¯s funeral was a grand affair, even shy. She easily learned the time of the funeral and hurried over early, yet only dared to watch from a distance, afraid of being recognized by Mr. and Mrs. Tan Lin. That day, Mr. and Mrs. Tan Lin, Tan Wenwen, and Tan Rui all stood at the entrance. Even from a distance, she could clearly see their expressions. Only Tan Wenwen and Tan Rui were truly grieving; what Mr. Tan Lin was grieving over, only he himself knew. She hid outside throughout the entire funeral that day, not daring to enter, even her tribute was done stealthily¡ªwaiting until everyone had left before daring to go to the cemetery and ce a bunch of flowers by Tan Weizhou¡¯s grave. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve also tried looking for you afterward,¡± Tan Wenwen said. ¡°After I got my college admission notice upon graduating from senior year, I went to look for you at your house, but after ringing the doorbell, the people living there told me your family had sold the house a long time ago,¡± Tan Wenwen said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know where you moved to and didn¡¯t have your phone number. We didn¡¯t even have each other on QQ.¡± Ji Xue was stunned, having not expected that after she left Tan Family Small Restaurant, Tan Wenwen would actually take the trouble to find her at her house. Once she started, she couldn¡¯t hold the words in any longer. Tan Wenwen had so many things to say that she didn¡¯t dare speak out when she disembarked from the train; but now that she had started, she naturally wanted to pour out her heart. ¡°The truth is, when my mother reported to the police that you stole the tuna, she was framing you, and I¡¯ve always been very clear about that in my heart. At that time, I really wanted to tell the police that my mother was lying, but after she red at me, I didn¡¯t dare speak up,¡± Tan Wenwen said with a bitter smile.
    ¡°Tuna?¡± ¡°You really didn¡¯t know. How could the police possiblye out for a yellow croaker? When my mother filed the report, she imed you had stolen a bluefin tuna from our restaurant,¡± Tan Wenwen exined. ¡°Actually, I saw it that day my mother went into the kitchen at night, threw a yellow croaker on the cooking bench, and said we didn¡¯t need it and to throw it away. Afterward, I saw you take it home.¡± ¡°When my mother called the police, I originally wanted to tell the truth to them. But she was watching me, and I didn¡¯t dare. She deceived you with her words; she asked if you had stolen a fish, and there you were, naively admitting it in front of the police. Later, when you seemed to be fine, I deceived myself forfort, thinking that you were only expelled by my mother, who wanted to dismiss you ever since my grandfather showed an inclination to take you as an apprentice.¡± ¡°But I never imagined they would go so far!¡± Tan Wenwen¡¯s voice grew agitated, her tone even edged with anger, ¡°They made you have a criminal record at the police station, they even initially wanted to pursue the case, to have you sentenced and jailed. If it weren¡¯t for my grandfather putting his foot down and making a scene at home, she might have¡­¡± Ji Xue held Tan Wenwen¡¯s hand,forting her, ¡°I can understand why you didn¡¯t dare to speak up back then, and I¡¯ve never med you. Although I never stole any bluefin tuna, it¡¯s true that I took the yellow croaker.¡± ¡°What kind of truth is that? She said herself that she didn¡¯t want that yellow croaker, and you taking it was with my acquiescence. If that¡¯s called stealing, then what isn¡¯t!¡± Tan Wenwen eximed furiously. Tan Wenwen calmed herself down, ¡°Back then I didn¡¯t dare to speak up, but after going to high school and learning more, I understood how terrible it is for a person to have a criminal record, and I¡¯ve always felt guilty. I really wanted to go to your house to apologize to you, to take you to my grandfather and say you actually didn¡¯t steal anything, to retract your confession at the police station, but I still didn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°After you left the restaurant, my grandfather was actually angry for many years, thinking you really had stolen that fish. In the summer of my senior year, I was in a really bad mood after going to your house and finding out you¡¯d moved. When I helped out at the restaurant, my mother still liked bringing up that incident, telling my grandfather how he had poor judgment in wanting to take you, someone of questionable character, as an apprentice. One day I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and argued with my mother in front of my grandfather, saying that you never stole the tuna¡ªit was my mother who made the false report to frame you.¡± ¡°My grandfather was so furious he wanted to take the case to the police to have it overturned, but then my parents knelt down and begged him, saying that if my grandfather went through with it, they would be prosecuted and go to jail for making a false report and framing someone. Thus, the argument went on for several days, and my father angered my grandfather so much that he fell ill. He was hospitalized ever since and never recovered until he passed away.¡± ¡°The idea to frame you by calling the police was devised by my dad. He was afraid Grandpa would take you as an apprentice and pass on the recipe for the Huadiao chicken in the y jar. He came up with that trick. At that time, my grandpa called him a wolf-hearted and dog-lunged beast, whose heart if discarded was utterly ck.¡± As Tan Wenwen spoke, she became agitated again, ¡°My grandpa didn¡¯t curse him without reason¡ªmy dad is worse than a beast. After Grandpa fell ill and Tan Family Small Restaurant was without a head chef, my mom even hired another chef, but the business declined significantly. My dad hated me, dering he¡¯d cut me off without a penny. If it wasn¡¯t for my brother sneaking me all the New Year¡¯s money and pocket money he had saved up over the years, I might have really starved to death outside.¡± ¡°Afterward, he stopped visiting Grandpa in the hospital. It was mainly my brother who went. Near the end, I took leave from school to apany and care for Grandpa in the hospital for more than two weeks until he passed away.¡± ¡°Fat Fat, I never believed in what they say about karma and divine retribution, but now it seems that karma is real and it does not lie. If youmit too many sins, you are asking to be struck by lightning.¡± Tan Wenwen spoke with a sense of vindication, but her expression revealed that she was actually not very happy.
    ¡°After Grandpa died, Tan Family Small Restaurant went downhill. Eventually, even the restaurant was sold. All the odds and ends inside that couldn¡¯t be sold were thrown away. I had my brother secretly keep a y pot I wanted for keepsake, never expecting that it woulde in handy now. I remember Grandpa saying that the older the y pot used for making Huadiao chicken, the better the chicken would turn out. It¡¯s like the teapot used for brewing herbal medicine¡ªthe older it is, the better the effect.¡± Tan Wenwen said andughed, ¡°I just wanted to keep it as a memory, but it looks like I was right to do so.¡± ¡°How is your family doing now?¡± Ji Xue asked tentatively. ¡°Not great. My dad has always been extravagant and lives like a prodigal son. Without any real skills, the money from selling the restaurant is almost gone after two years. Now life is tight, and he quarrels with my mom every day at home. It¡¯s just sad for my brother, who is still in high school and must stay at home. It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve gone back, not even for the New Year. I just bring my brother over during the holidays.¡± Tan Wenwen said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about these unhappy things. How about you? How have you been these years?¡± ¡°Pretty good,¡± Ji Xue smiled, ¡°My mom¡¯s breast cancer has healed, and although my dad is still sick, at least he¡¯s alive. Work was pretty unstable before, constantly changing and doing odd jobs here and there. Since July this year, I started working at this restaurant. The one who helped me serve the dishes earlier is my boss; he also works in the kitchen. Their culinary art is ancestral.¡± ¡°Xiaxia is apprenticing under him, learning the trade alongside him now. I live and eat here, and the sry is high. The boss and colleagues are all very nice. Everything¡¯s going well.¡± Ji Xue did not want to tell Tan Wenwen about the past few years because she knew it would only make Tan Wenwen feel more guilty. Not every fourteen or fifteen-year-old child has the courage to defy their parents, even if they know their parents are wrong. They only dare to bury that righteousness deep in their hearts. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Tan Wenwen smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s eat before the food gets cold. We¡¯ve been talking for so long. This dish is called Crab-Stuffed Oranges, a specialty of my boss. This bowl of Zhajiang noodles is Xiaxia¡¯s creation,¡± Ji Xue introduced. ¡°Oh my, you should have said so sooner. You should have told me right from the start to eat the noodles Xiaxia made. After sitting this long, they must have all clumped together,¡± Tan Wenwen pretended to be angry, the previous unpleasantness brought up by their conversation instantly vanishing. ¡°The one who met me at the door just now, that was Xiaxia, right? I recognized her, but she didn¡¯t recognize me at all! To think I stuffed her with so many Dove choctes back then, what an ungrateful kid,¡± Tan Wenwenughed and scolded. ¡°You were giving Xiaxia choctes when she was not even 10 years old. So many years have passed, there¡¯s no way Xiaxia would remember that,¡± Ji Xue naturally defended Xiaxia. ¡°Alright, you win. Let¡¯s eat, the noodles are clumping together indeed,¡±
    A scene filled withughter and cheerful voices. Chapter 456: 454 I Saw It Chapter 456: Chapter 454 I Saw It ¡°` Tan Wenwen talked a lot with Ji Xue. It was mostly about herself, the happy things, the unhappy things, every little detail. She started with her senior year in high school, talking about teachers, ssmates, herself, the part-time jobs she did during the summer break, the differences she noticed between university and high school, and whether the leftover bread from the bakery was better than the fast food from the convenience store. When Tan Wenwen got to the part about working in a bakery during her sophomore summer break, and how she ate leftover bread the whole vacation to the point where she felt nauseous at the smell of bread now, Jiang Feng came out. Jiang Feng timed his entrance, spotting Tan Wenwen and Ji Xue engaged in a lively chat from afar. Ji Xue would nod silently while eating her meal, and Tan Wenwen talked nonstop, just like in the memories of their past interactions, making it difficult to interrupt them. But he had to interrupt, for if Ji Xue didn¡¯t return to the kitchen soon, they wouldn¡¯t be able to serve the y pot chicken on time. ¡°Ji Xue, it¡¯s about time,¡± Jiang Feng reminded her. Tan Wenwen reacted faster than Ji Xue and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t bother you with your work anymore. Contact me when youe back home for the New Year¡¯s break.¡± With that, Tan Wenwen got up to leave. The dishes on the table were all finished, with only an empty chicken carcass left in the y pot; all the meat had been picked clean by Ji Xue and Tan Wenwen. Jiang Feng truly admired their skill in eating the meat and leaving the bones neatly in the bowl, which made it very convenient for the staff wiping the tables.
    ¡°Yeah, see you New Year,¡± Ji Xue nodded, following Jiang Feng toward the kitchen. ¡°When is your friend leaving?¡± Jiang Feng casually asked. ¡°Tomorrow morning. She works in Guangdong Province, so it¡¯s pretty far,¡± Ji Xue replied. ¡°Wait, wait a second!¡± Jiang Feng turned his head and saw Tan Wenwen, who should have been at the door by now, rushing back toward them. From the look in her eyes, she wasn¡¯ting back for Ji Xue but for Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng stopped walking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, may I ask if you are the person in charge of this restaurant?¡± Tan Wenwen inquired. ¡°Sort of,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°My name is Tan Wenwen, the granddaughter of Tan Weizhou, the founder of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon,¡± Tan Wenwen said. Ji Xue also stopped, looking at Tan Wenwen perplexingly, wondering why she suddenly needed to stop Jiang Feng to say this. ¡°Since you have employed Ji Xue, you must be aware of the theft recorded in her file, and that the amount involved was substantial. I came all the way here from Guangdong Province just to rify this matter,¡± Tan Wenwen continued, ¡°I am very grateful that you do not mind the theft record in her file, but I must clear her name. The full story involves some private family issues that are hard to discuss; however, her character is beyond reproach!¡± ¡°I just heard from Ji Xue that, like my family¡¯s, your restaurant has a legacy of professional skills passed down through generations. I know that these ancestral skills are generally guarded against outsiders. Ji Xue was my grandfather¡¯s apprentice¡ªthough she didn¡¯t go through the formal ceremony of apprenticeship, my grandfather taught her everything she had to know. If anyone, maybe my parents, attempts to disparage her by using the theft in her file or questioning the integrity of her skills, please contact me immediately. Ji Xue has my number, and I can step in to clear things up,¡± Tan Wenwen dered. ¡°Wenwen¡­¡± Ji Xue looked at Tan Wenwen. Tan Wenwen looked back at Ji Xue, giving her an encouraging smile, ¡°Just because I didn¡¯t dare to speak up back then, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do it now. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Jiang Feng looked at Tan Wenwen and felt an age-incongruous sense of satisfaction surge within him. The once timid girl who would only dare toin to Ji Xue about her parents¡¯ partiality, and who even envied Ji Xue for earning 500 yuan a month for the same chores while she didn¡¯t receive a dime, resorting to childish acts like eating sunflower seeds in secret as a form of payback, had grown into an independent, assertive, and mature woman in just a few short years. Tan Wenwen had left. Jiang Feng eximed, ¡°It seems that you really are great friends!¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s my best friend,¡± Ji Xue replied.
    ¡°` Her eyes curved into a smile. That evening, after Jiang Feng had ¡°supervised¡± Jingjing in noodle pulling, Jiang Feng deeply felt that what he really should have taught Ji Xia was not culinary skills, but rather, how to be an effective and proper temporary mentor. Jiang Feng¡¯s cooking skills were imparted to him by Sir, and Jiang Feng considered his own teaching abilities to be somewhat better than Sir¡¯s. Ji Xia¡¯s cooking skills were taught by Jiang Feng, and although it seemed to have little effect for now, apart from noodle pulling, Ji Xia didn¡¯t really have any cooking skills to speak of.
    But Ji Xia¡¯s teaching abilities were truly somewhatcking, even worse than Sir¡¯s. At least Sir knew to use special means ¡ª the stick-and-carrot approach ¡ª to urge his descendants to learn cooking well, whereas Ji Xia didn¡¯t even have that. Although she was good at fighting, that didn¡¯t mean she would dare to hit Jiang Feng. In the deep of the quiet night, Jiang Feng reopened the familiar interface and found the video tutorial for y pot flower-carved chicken, and he clicked to start ying it. In the past, when Jiang Feng watched video tutorials, his attention was either on the y pot¡¯s chicken or on Tan Weizhou¡¯s hands. This time, he decided to watch the video from apletely new perspective; he was going to fixate on ¡ª the y pot lid ¡ª the entire time. The y pot lid was almost constantly in the frame throughout the entire video, from every angle; wherever there was a y pot, there was the y pot lid. Because Jiang Feng was intentionally staring at the y pot lid, he noticed something from the very beginning of the video. When Tan Weizhou put the chicken and some other seasoning ingredients into the y pot, a small cluster of honey could be seen at the edge of the lid when it was lifted. It was probably only as big as a fingernail and was very inconspicuous on the lid, which had been stained by various seasoning colors. It was such a tiny cluster that nine out of ten people would probably ignore it entirely. The exception would be Ji Xue. Seeing this, Jiang Feng felt as though he understood something. He had spent so many days in Ji Xue¡¯s memories and had never seen Tan Weizhou smear honey on the y pot lid; if he had, such a conspicuous action would definitely have been remembered.
    If the honey on the y pot lid was truly the secret to the perfect y pot flower-carved chicken, then some things that Jiang Feng had once found abnormal could now be exined. Tan Weizhou was always the first to arrive at Tan Family Small Restaurant, even earlier than Ji Xue. Jiang Feng initially thought it was because the elderly man couldn¡¯t sleep and thus went over early, but now it seemed he must have gone early to smear the honey beforehand. Every day at noon, when Tan Wenwen and Ji Xue washed dishes, only the y pot was there, not the lid. Jiang Feng first thought this was because the lid didn¡¯t need to be washed meticulously and a quick rinse would do, but now it seemed that the lid required separate treatment. This habit of Tan Weizhou¡¯s of keeping a trick up his sleeve was something Jiang Feng could understand. In Tan Weizhou¡¯s era, masters would habitually keep a trick hidden when teaching their apprentices, usually only passing on their true expertise to someone they truly approved of at the very end. Or like Sun Zheran, who, even when facing his most beloved little apprentice, didn¡¯t pass on everything, instead entrusting his true expertise to his own son, Sun Guanyun. It was the same with Sun Guanyun, who had many disciples but not a single one truly mastered the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. Jiang Feng¡¯s own mastery came with the help of cheats and assistance from Sun Jikai, and only then did hee to realize it. Without a doubt, Sun Guanyun was also holding back his true expertise, waiting for when Sun Jikai¡¯s culinary skills were solid enough to pass them on to him. Jiang Feng continued to watch the tutorial video; he already knew the first line ¡°Do you see it?¡± was Tan Weizhou asking Ji Xue if she had noticed the honey on the y pot lid. So what was the second ¡°Do you see it?¡± Jiang Feng quietly waited; the video quickly came to a closeup of the whole y pot, which also meant that the second ¡°Do you see it?¡± would soon follow. Jiang Feng focused on the y pot lid, especially on the side smeared with honey, and he really did notice something. At the edge where the lid met the pot, Jiang Feng saw a faint trace, the honey that had seeped out a little, mixing with the water vapor to form a very pale color, barely poking through. The patch of honey on the lid had melted. Jiang Feng finally saw it.
    Chapter 457: 455 New Atmosphere Chapter 457: Chapter 455 New Atmosphere In the blink of an eye, the end of the year hade. Winter in Beiping was much colder than in n City and City Z, with the heating turned on early, ensuring the indoors was as warm as spring. In stark contrast, the outside was bitterly cold, making themute to work all the more difficult. The down jacket that had apanied Jiang Feng through the long winter of the past two years was no longer sufficient, so Mrs. Wang Xiulian had spent a considerable amount on a Valentino down jacket for Jiang Feng, the same brand worn by the old man, notwithstanding Jiang Feng¡¯s preference for the neighboring Versace. Since the onset of winter, every evening on his way home, whenever Jiang Feng saw someone in a Versace down jacket working 996, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Those wearing the Versace often wondered why Jiang Feng was donning a Valentino that seemed so incongruous with his age. They would often exchange nces on the road, wondering about each other¡¯s professions. In November, Ji Xia¡¯s Zhajiang noodles and Zhou Shi¡¯s cold sea cucumber officially made their debut in Taifeng Building¡¯s menu, but since Ji Xia¡¯s Zhajiang noodles were only ssified as C-grade when she made them alone, they were sold in abo meal with Jiang Feng¡¯s crab-filled oranges. A single serving of crab-filled oranges was priced at 188 yuan, and abo meal at 388 yuan apiece. Anyone who had studied mathematics and had a bit of interest could easily calcte that a bowl of Zhajiang noodles was valued at 200 yuan. The Zhajiang noodles at Eight-treasure House were only sold for 88 yuan per bowl. Such exorbitant prices initially made some of the more adventurous eaters hesitant. But it quickly became apparent that the crab-filled oranges in thebo meal were far tastier than the standalone version, offering a vor that was not even on the same level.
    Those who frequented Taifeng Building were not short on cash, and those who came once or twice would do their homework and learn that the signature dishes at Taifeng were mostly limited edition or reserved. Consequently, after a few days of dismal sales, the orange and noodlebo became as coveted as sweet and sour yam, transforming into another of Taifeng¡¯s signature dishes albeit seasonally. As a result, Ji Xia¡¯s bank ount grew considerably. Furnace chefs received bonuses for their dishes, and although Ji Xia had no base sry, she still received bonuses. Ji Xia requested that Jiang Feng save up her bonuses for now and give them to her just before the end-of-year vacation. It looked like she was nning to buy some things to take home during the holiday. Jiang Feng did not ask directly, but he could guess what she wanted to buy¡ªit was probably food and clothing. The game entered another update phase in mid-November, this time with an unprecedentedly slow progress. For the first three days, the progress bar stayed at 0%, making Jiang Feng suspect that the gamepany had gone bankrupt, the boss had absconded, and the servers had stopped updating due to a shutdown. Now it was the end of December, and tomorrow would be New Year¡¯s Day, yet the progress bar had only just reached 27%, indicating an update that seemed destined to take an eternity. During these two months, Jiang Feng had been practicing noodle pulling, making mooncakes, and preparing sea cucumbers. Because of his continuous practice with pastry work, his knifework hadn¡¯t improved much, but his seasoning and fire control skills had significantly advanced. He had attempted to make lobster with superior broth once, but after achieving only a D-grade, he abandoned the idea andmented the waste of a fine lobster. Jiang Feng had little experience with seafood and wasn¡¯t adept at handling it, so challenging himself with such a difficult Cantonese dish was somewhat unrealistic. Rather than starting from scratch to learn how to make lobster with superior broth, he figured it made more sense to stick to practicing noodle pulling to see if he could make a decent bowl of Zhajiang noodles. He didn¡¯t need it to be A or B-grade¡ªthe buff from thebination with crab-filled oranges would automatically elevate the Zhajiang noodles to A-grade. Of course, these were all minor matters, just like Jiang Shoucheng sessfully slimming down to below 200 pounds but still failing to win over the girl he loved, or noting to learn noodle pulling from Jiang Feng, another trivial issue. Jiang Shoucheng not only didn¡¯t learn noodle pulling, he even canceled their department¡¯s group meal. It was initially just postponed, as there always seemed to be someone who had to work overtime, preventing the meal from taking ce smoothly. It was pushed back until a date in mid-November when everyone was finally avable. On the day of the meal, however, a series of car idents urred near the Benevolent Doctor Hospital, requiring the entire emergency department to be dispatched for rescue operations. After a full day of busyness, dinner was delivered by Jiang Feng, who brought his homemade Zhajiang noodles and mooncakes, along with Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s lovingly made fried rice. The recipients of the food were not just the busy doctors in the emergency room but also the firefighters involved in the rescue. Exhausted from the whole day¡¯s efforts, everyone was starving, and Jiang Feng seized the opportunity to rack up a substantial amount of experience. It was also for this reason that his game leveled up. Given another chance, Jiang Feng would choose to let Mr. Jiang Jiankang single-handedly fry rice for everyone. But all these matters paled inparison to the release of Taste Magazine. Indeed, Mr. Xu Cheng, the famed pigeon gourmet of the culinary world, who had missed out on many an opportunity¡ªincluding a special issue¡ªwas presumed to miss the annual publication as well, until Taste Magazine finally announced its release date. January 1st.
    New Year¡¯s Day. Mr. Xu Cheng ultimately bailed onst year¡¯s magazine issue. But that was all unimportant, as the online version of the ¡°Taste¡± magazine cover revealed a close-up of Taifeng Building, with its signboard clearly visible. Although it was only the cover of the Asian edition that featured Taifeng Building, the mere fact was enough to send Jiang Feng into an ecstatic frenzy. Mr. Xu Cheng indeed did not disappoint him¡ªhe really didn¡¯t have the time or energy toe up with a brand new magazine cover.
    Taifeng Building was set to take off. Ever since ¡°Taste¡± magazine announced the cover at the end of December, long lines had formed outside Taifeng Building, a sight once only seen during the National Day holidays, but now even ordinary Mondays through Fridays saw the building swamped with people, indistinguishable from those popr viral eateries. After all, ¡°Taste¡± magazine was truly the weather vane of the food circle, far more reliable than any so-called viral check-in ces. Nowadays, many people keep a collection of ¡°Taste¡± issues at home, flipping through the magazine for dining rmendations whenever they travel to a new city. It had been several years since ¡°Taste¡± magazine had directly featured a restaurant on its cover, and every restaurant that had graced the cover was one with excellent word-of-mouth, where countless fans flocked. Overnight, Taifeng Building became renowned within the industry. Until now, Taifeng Building¡¯s fame had been confined to Beiping and its surrounding areas; after all, food is not like other products¡ªit needs to be tasted to be understood. People talk about famous restaurants in a particr ce, not about nationwide renowned restaurants. To this day, domestic gourmets have not been able to select a number one restaurant that satisfies the pte of all the nation¡¯s eateries¡ªeach region has its own tastes and preferences, and no one would be content with any selection. Not to mention, the battle for the top spot in Beiping hadn¡¯t even been settled as the sudden rise of Taifeng Building turned the struggle among the four emperors into a battle of five. Many people at home and abroad buy several versions of ¡°Taste¡± magazine at once, let alone that this time the interview about Taifeng Building was written personally by Mr. Xu Cheng, and would appear in every edition. Many gourmets, who weren¡¯t short on cash to begin with, treated the magazine like a cookbook, seeking to dine on the dishes featured within its pages, with an enthusiasm that rivaled even the most ardent fan bases. Mrs. Wang Xiulian, a business genius, immediately started calcting how much to raise the prices. Jiang Feng promptly dissuaded her. It would be overly capitalistic and unsightly to raise prices the moment they rose to fame; they could easily wait until after the New Year¡¯s celebrations were over. Raising prices after the New Year was a perfectly normal move¡ªnew year, new prices. Jiang Feng believed that Taifeng Building¡¯s patrons, both new and old, would understand. After all, there wasn¡¯t much time until after New Year¡¯s, with the early celebrations this year and the Small New Year falling in mid-January. The tradition of the Jiang Family was that once the Small New Year arrived, it was considered the New Year, and there was no need for work as everyone should close shop, go home for the holidays, and look forward to enjoying the dishes cooked by Sir.
    This year would be no different. No matter how good business was or how high the profit margins from the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, Taifeng Building would not engage in business over the festive period. In this world, there¡¯s nothing more intoxicating and blissful than returning home for the New Year to feast on the dishes prepared by Sir for more than ten consecutive days. Let¡¯s set aside the future for now, as everyone in the culinary circle and those following ¡°Taste¡± magazine were awaiting the January 1st release of the thickened issue to see what this restaurant, which had made it onto the cover of ¡°Taste,¡± truly was like and what Mr. Xu Cheng¡¯s assessment of it would be. While the outside world was highly anticipating the January 1st release of ¡°Taste¡± magazine, the staff in Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen were disinterested in the matter. Everyone collectively pleaded with Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang, and the two Sirs. Please, hire two more chefs for the kitchen! We really can¡¯t handle 996 anymore. No matter how high the overtime pay, the high intensity of work is unsustainable. Although they might handle it for ten days or half a month, if it went on for half a year to a year, they feared they¡¯d end up earning money without a life to spend it. Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang actively embraced everyone¡¯s suggestions, mainly because they too were nearly at their limits. The recent recruitment drive for chefs had been quite sessful, attracting many applicants for the positions. With the New Year bringing a new atmosphere, after discussion, it was decided that Taifeng Building would hold its second recruitment for the kitchen staff at Fen Garden at 3 PM on January 1st. It was time for Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen to bring in some fresh faces. Chapter 458: 456 Thoughts on Magazines (4000 words) Chapter 458: Chapter 456 Thoughts on Magazines (4000 words) January 1, New Year¡¯s Day. Jiang Feng got up early, originally nning to make Wu Minqi a bowl of egg noodles and head out early to the newsstand to buy today¡¯s issue of ¡°Taste,¡± but he didn¡¯t expect Wu Minqi was also up, preparing to make him a bowl of Xiaomi porridge. The two bumped into each other in the bathroom, and Wu Minqi was a bit surprised to see Jiang Feng, since he rarely got up early¡ªprobably about once a month. Jiang Feng had already risen early on Christmas Eve, prompted by a phone call from Mrs. Wang Xiulian. That day, the store was having a promotion, and she wanted to press-gang help without paying overtime, so Jiang Feng, as cheapbor, was snagged. It was buy one, get one free¡ªsince Christmas Eve fell on a weekend, and Wang Hao didn¡¯t have to work, Jiang Feng dragged him along too, to serve asbor. New Year¡¯s Day was a public holiday, and Jiang Feng nned to wait until after 8 a.m. to call and invite Wang Hao over, not to press-gang, but to join everyone for two meals at Taifeng Building¡¯s staff canteen. After all, you can never have enough hands on a holiday, and Wang Hao was always very willing toe to Taifeng Building tobor and frequently volunteered. Whenever he ran out of ideas and couldn¡¯t write his copy, he would find a weekend to spend the whole day as a private room attendant at Taifeng Building, and by the next day, he would be brimming with ideas, writing an excellent ad copy and receiving praise from his boss on the third day. The current Wang Hao was no longer what he used to be, having be an outstanding private room attendant, adept, and courteous in answering all kinds of odd questions from guests, and when necessary, pretending to be deaf and dumb. For some reason, Jiang Feng¡¯s friends seemed to have a particr potential for being waiters, and Jiang Feng thought that next time, he might try inviting Chen Xiuxiu to Beiping to try their Taifeng Building¡¯s staff meal.
    Maybe while eating, she would discover what career really suited her. Lost in his thoughts, Jiang Feng noticed that Wu Minqi had almost finished her skincare routine and was applying her moisturizer. ¡°Fengfeng, you cane and wash your face now,¡± Wu Minqi said, stepping aside to make room for Jiang Feng at the sink. ¡°Qiqi, I just remembered there might still be some of yesterday¡¯s fried sauce in the fridge. How about I make you some fried sauce noodles this morning?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Wu Minqi¡¯s hand paused in the act of applying the moisturizer, and she let out an almost imperceptible sigh. As expected, Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t noticed that she had gained weightst month. Although Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t noticed, Wu Minqi felt she couldn¡¯t just ignore it any longer. Since dating Jiang Feng, in just over half a year, Wu Minqi¡¯s weight had been on the rise. Sometimes it increased linearly, other times quadratically, and sometimes even exponentially. Wu Minqi¡¯s weight gain chart over the past six months could definitely be a veryplexposite function problem. She didn¡¯t want to touch fried sauce noodles, a high-carbohydrate staple, at all. ¡°Fengfeng, why don¡¯t we go out to eat instead?¡± Wu Minqi suggested. ¡°Go out to eat?¡± Jiang Feng was taken aback. With two chefs at home, one Sichuan and one Shandong, and now they were considering going out for breakfast, the suggestion sounded¡­ Actually, like quite a good idea. Jiang Feng thought back to the rich variety of breakfasts when he was a regr college student at UAL University: fried dough pancakes, eggs, dough sticks, siu mai, sesame balls, buns, soup noodles, stir-fried noodles, wontons, huafas, all kinds of sauce pancakes and meat-filled pancakes, and porridges that were sometimes hard to swallow and sometimes delicious¡ªenough variety to go half a month without repeating and still be budget-friendly. The most famous thing about Food Court 1 at UAL was its breakfast, and the highlight of breakfast was the white sugar huafa, soft but chewy, smooth to the touch, and even smoother to eat, with a gentle osmanthus fragrance if you savored it carefully. Most students who ate the white sugar huafa, however, wolfed it down in a hurry and rushed to sses, failing to notice the subtlety the cafeteria chef put into making the huafas. Thinking about the white sugar huafas from UAL¡¯s Food Court 1, Jiang Feng felt that going out for breakfast was indeed a great suggestion. The new breakfast shop downstairs, although its Fa Gao doesn¡¯t match up to the ones at UAL University¡¯s cafeteria, still sells pretty decent Fa Gao. He could go with Wu Minqi to the breakfast shop downstairs to buy two pieces of Fa Gao, then next door to Mrs. Jiang¡¯s favorite breakfast shop to buy two Pancake fruits, and enjoy them while walking. They could also take a detour to the nearby newsstand to pick up a copy of ¡°Taste¡± magazine. Perfect!
    Jiang Feng was very pleased with his ns for the morning. ¡°Qiqi, what if we go downstairs to buy Fa Gao this morning and then turn next door to that shop my grandma always goes to, to get some Pancake fruit?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°Pancake fruit?¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s face showed reluctance. ¡°I¡¯ll just have the Fa Gao.¡± Wu Minqi had finished applying her face cream and was about to apply her primer. Seeing that Jiang Feng had almostpleted his twenty-second tooth-brushing technique, she suddenly remembered something: ¡°Right, is the breakfast shop that Mrs. Jiang often visits the one that sells Douzhi?¡±
    Jiang Feng was rinsing his mouth and couldn¡¯t speak, so he nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go for some Douzhi. I haven¡¯t tried it since I came to Beiping!¡± Wu Minqi proposed. Jiang Feng swallowed his mouthwash. As everyone knows, Douzhi is a miraculous food made from mung beans by filtering out the starch and fermenting the remaining residue. Those who love it find its vor unique, and those who don¡¯t think it¡¯s just slop water. Jiang Feng thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go next door for the Pancake fruit.¡± His determination not to drink Douzhi was resolute. Wu Minqi nodded in agreement. Though she had expressed a desire to try Douzhi and Jiao Quan, Wu Minqi was quite sincere about buying a piece of Fa Gao at the shop downstairs as a backup n, leaving it as herst-ditch escape route. Since Wu Minqi had never been to that breakfast shop, it was Jiang Feng who led the way, while he kept thinking about today¡¯s issue of ¡°Taste¡± on the way. Every time Jiang Feng thought about the issue of ¡°Taste¡± he had been looking forward to for days, now waiting at the newsstand for him to purchase, and how he was going to eat Pancake fruit before gracing ¡°Taste¡± with his attention, he felt like an inconstant jerk. After some thought, he decided to take a detour to the newsstand to buy ¡°Taste¡± before going to get the Pancake fruit. Thanks to the opulent spending of Xu Cheng, the owner of ¡°Taste,¡± despite its not-so-impressive sales, it is still avable nationwide. Especially in a major city like Beiping, you can find ¡°Taste¡± at any newsstand, even issues from a few years back that didn¡¯t sell out.
    Jiang Feng heard that the magazine ¡°Taste¡± is running such a loss that bookstore and newsstand owners get subsidies just for stocking it, limited to 5 copies. The first 5 copies are not only free of charge, but the magazine also pays you for taking them. This bizarre practice is said to stem from Xu Cheng¡¯s desire to have ¡°Taste¡± magazine spread throughout the cities of the country. The clout of a big shot like that is beyond poor people like Jiang Feng. So, under normal circumstances, newsstand owners don¡¯t mind letting 5 copies of an unsold magazine collect dust in their stands. Previously, when Jiang Feng wanted to buy a copy of ¡°Taste¡± to catch up, he casually asked a newsstand owner if they carried it. To hisfort, the owner brought out all the unsold issues from the previous years, making Jiang Feng doubt whether he was actually in a second-hand bookstore. The whimsical generosity of Xu Cheng, the owner, greatly facilitated Jiang Feng¡¯s magazine shopping. ¡°Qiqi, I remember there¡¯s a newsstand just up the street. How about we take a little detour to buy ¡®Taste¡¯ first, then go for Pancake fruit and Douzhi?¡± relying on Wu Minqi¡¯s unfamiliarity with the area, Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°Sure,¡± Wu Minqi had no objection. Jiang Feng, with Wu Minqi in tow, took a detour thatsted almost 10 minutes before finally arriving at the magazine kiosk. The kiosk owner was listlessly ying with a cellphone, a steamed bun dangling from his mouth, a sight far removed from the stereotypical image of a magazine seller always buried in newspapers. ¡°Do you want corn or grilled sausages?¡± Seeing two young customers, the kiosk owner took a bite of the bun and ced it in a bowl, then asked. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Business is really tough these days, to think that life has pushed a magazine kiosk owner to such straits.
    ¡°Boss, do you have thetest issue of ¡®Taste¡¯?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yes, just wait a bit.¡± The owner bent down to fetch the magazine for Jiang Feng, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s really strange. Usually, I can¡¯t even sell this magazine, but just this morning, right after stocking it, I¡¯ve already sold three copies.¡± ¡°28 yuan, scan it yourself on the right side there.¡± The owner tossed the ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine in front of Jiang Feng. The deluxe edition of ¡®Taste,¡¯ twice as thick as a regr travel magazine and full-color, was only 28 yuan. It must be nice to have money. Jiang Feng felt that if he were wealthy, he couldn¡¯t even conceive of such a y. The brand-new magazine was still in its packaging. The cover, identical to the images posted by the magazine¡¯s publisher, seemed nicer to Jiang Feng when held in his hands, more tangible and realistic than the HD images seen on a phone. This was indeed the real ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine. The cover too was real, genuinely depicting Taifeng Building. The photographers at ¡®Taste¡¯ were skilled, capturing the old-world charm of the newly renovated Taifeng Building, which looked historic and full of a sense of the past. Traditional crafts often emphasize lineage and blessings; the grander the ancestor, the more des for the heritage and craftsmanship. Take Wu Family Restaurant, for instance. To an uninformed diner, it might not seem special, but the moment someone tells them it dates back to the Song period, they¡¯re impressed. ¡°Wow, from the Song period? That¡¯s amazing, so historical.¡± And with that, even the food they taste carries a hint of the Song era.
    As for Taifeng Building, being a new establishment among Beiping¡¯s multitude of old restaurants, it seemed to pale inparison regarding heritage and prestige. But if Jiang Feng started boasting that this restaurant had been passed down from his ancestors, originating in the Qing period, with an Imperial Chef in the family and a signboard to prove it, then suddenly Taifeng¡¯s status would soar, matching the old-line Beiping eateries in terms of lineage. Jiang Feng believed that Xu Cheng, who loved to pad his stories, would certainly spice up the history of Taifeng Building he had shared, embellishing his article with a wealth of adjectives. Unable to wait, Jiang Feng tore off the outer wrapping, preparing to flip through the magazine. Then Wu Minqi took the magazine from his hands. ¡°Alright, stop looking at it, we¡¯re not in a hurry. You seem so anxious. Let¡¯s go have breakfast first,e on.¡± Wu Minqi signaled for Jiang Feng to lead the way. Watching Wu Minqi hold the magazine without being able to flip through it left Jiang Feng with the same longing Ji Xia felt as he watched carbonated drinks in the fridge, unable to drink them. The journey to the breakfast joint,sting a mere fifteen minutes, felt unusually long and arduous. It was still early, and even though Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had been dyed by their detour, it was only a little past seven when they arrived. The customers sipping soy milk and eating fried dough sticks were primarily elderly men and women, with just one or two young people up early. With no open tables, Wu Minqi went to share a table with an old man, and before she left, she returned the magazine to Jiang Feng. The street food vendor selling Jianbing Guozi was bustling with around ten elders queuing up. While waiting in line, Jiang Feng could skim through the article about Taifeng Building in ¡°Taste¡± magazine, especially the one he wrote, which needed to be reviewed carefully, highlighted, and taken back for Ji Xia to read over and over again. Holding the magazine, Jiang Feng stood at the end of the queue and just as he opened the first page, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of an elderlydy ahead who also seemed to be reading a magazine, her silhouette strikingly resembling his own grandma¡¯s. That couldn¡¯t be right, could it? Mrs. Zhao LanHua couldn¡¯t read, could she? If Jiang Feng remembered correctly, his grandma could only write the numbers one, two, three and her own name, something she was forced to learn when people from the literacy ss had dragged her in to eradicate her illiteracy back when she was young. As a child, Mrs. Jiang had often told him the story of her being ¡°captured¡± by the literacy ss to learn to write, which led him to equate literacy sses with prison for quite a long time. ¡°Grandma?¡± Jiang Feng called out uncertainly. Mrs. Jiang turned around. ¡°Oh my, if it isn¡¯t Feng! That¡¯s wonderful. I can¡¯t read, soe over here and help me understand what¡¯s written in this magazine,¡± Mrs. Jiang said tedly, not even bothering to stay in line anymore and instead stood right behind Jiang Feng, at the end of the line. Jiang Feng: ??? So what exactly are you looking at? Pictures? Jiang Feng took the ¡°Taste¡± magazine from Mrs. Jiang¡¯s hands and found that she had indeed proven her illiteracy. She had flipped to the article about Jubao Building, which seemed to be about Sun Guanyun¡¯s new dish. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t look at the specifics; he just nced before quickly flipping to the contents page to find the article about Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng began to read the article at a nce. ¡°Grandma, which article do you want me to read to you?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Just read the one about our ce,¡± Mrs. Jiang said cheerfully. She had been looking at the pictures for a while before Jiang Feng arrived, and thankfully, ¡°Taste¡± magazine had plenty of them, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have had much to look at. ¡°Alright. As everyone knows, I am not one to fancy sweet foods. I was brave enough to try them when I was younger, but now that I am older, I tend to stay away from overly sugary sweets. The Sweet and Sour Yam is¡­¡± Jiang Feng had just started reading the beginning when Mrs. Jiang interrupted him. ¡°Not that one, wasn¡¯t there a photo of Wu earlier? Read the piece about Wu. I¡¯ve already seen¡ªand eaten¡ªthe photos of your Sweet and Sour Yam and the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, so there¡¯s no point in reading those. I even cried when I ate that Li Hongzhang hodgepodge; it was quite frightening. Read about Wu,¡± Mrs. Jiang directed. Jiang Feng: ¡­ What was frightening about it? The Li Hongzhang hodgepodge also included the deeply touching story of Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin, imbued with national and familial hatred. Grandma, you love those kinds of dramas, don¡¯t you? The writing of Xu Cheng was excellent, and he even spiced up the article with many details that Jiang Feng himself was unaware of, enriching the whole story and transforming a mere food article into a short story. ¡°Oh, wait a moment, Grandma. Let me flip to it,¡± Jiang Feng said as he turned the pages and saw the full-body picture of his cousin Qiqi, wearing the Taifeng Building kitchen uniform, posing with a nk expression, exuding an air of aloofness. A powerful CEO vibe hit him square in the face. Just rece the kitchen uniform with a suit, and it was the kind that could grace the cover of a finance magazine. ¡°Spicy, which is an ability to¡­¡± Jiang Feng started reading Wu Minqi¡¯s feature article to Mrs. Jiang. Chapter 459: 457: The Wu Minqi Chapter Chapter 459: Chapter 457: The Wu Minqi Chapter ¡°¡­I¡¯ve rarely seen a Sichuan chef who uses ingredients as boldly as Miss Wu Minqi. Although she appears aloof and is reticent during interviews, her use of ingredients is surprisingly daring and impassioned,¡± ¡°The Mao Blood Curd I had at the dinner table the day before had already shocked me, withrge chunks of duck blood, tripe, ham sausage, and bean sprouts almost entirely enveloped in chili oil, dried chilies, and Szechuan peppercorns. Each ingredient was soaked in a deep red, each bite tingling my taste buds, causing my mouth to continuously salivate as if taking a deep breath could draw the spicy vor down my throat and into my stomach.¡± ¡°At first, I thought this young female chef might have been heavy-handed with the ingredients due to nerves, but a visit to the kitchen a few dayster dispelled that notion¡ªfar from getting heavy-handed because she was nervous, she actually went lighter on ingredients due to her nervousness.¡± Reading aloud is different from reading to oneself; one can skim when reading silently, but reading aloud makes even a short article seem very long because you have to articte every word. Jiang Feng felt his mouth was about to dry out; he had barely managed to get through half of the article. With only one person ahead of him, Jiang Feng caught his breath and told Mrs. Jiang that he wanted two eggs in his pancake and fruit, then prepared to continue reading. Reading this kind of article on an empty stomach was strangely hunger-inducing. It seemed he¡¯d have to speed up for the second half; reading this kind of article while smelling the pancake and fruit was simply torture. Torture! ¡°Grandma, remember to ask for more spicy sauce on my pancake and fruit,¡± Jiang Feng added. ¡°Got it. Boss, three pancake and fruit, one with everything, one with two eggs, and one in with nothing added, but put some spice on the two-egg one,¡± Mrs. Jiang said energetically to the owner while taking out her coin purse to pay.
    Seeing Jiang Feng stop and watch her pay without continuing to read the magazine, Mrs. Jiang felt quite displeased. He was just getting to the exciting part with a twisting up; why had he stopped reading? ¡°Feng, keep reading. When you¡¯re done, Grandma will buy you a mung bean drink,¡± Mrs. Jiang said. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Grandma, I want a soy milk.¡± ¡°Alright, soy milk it is, but finish reading the article first,¡± Mrs. Jiang said, her expression and tone as if she were indulging a three-year-old grandson, filled with perfunctory patience, even drawing out the word ¡®good¡¯.¡± ¡°The Mapo Tofu is the ultimate feast of spiciness and numbness in perfect harmony. Red broth, white tofu; just one touch of the tongue to that spicy and numbing sensation sends it from the tip of the tongue to the root. The dominant spicy and numbing vor lingers in the mouth for a long time. The advantages of this way of cooking are clear: bold with ingredients, strong in vor, and the dishes quickly captivate the diner¡¯s pte, leaving them with an unforgettable and profound impression. Whether they are diners who prefer strong vors or those who favor lighter tastes, this unique, bold, and even capricious cooking style is a brand new experience and challenge for every diner.¡± ¡°The corresponding ws are quite obvious. Nowadays, many novelty-seeking restaurants intentionally make extremely spicy dishes to catch people¡¯s attention, even going so far as to ignore the original vor of the dish for the sake of spiciness alone. I personally find this inversion of priorities reprehensible; I don¡¯t even consider those dishes to be food, they¡¯re merely a heap of chili peppers tossed together. Such extreme practices turn what should be an embellishment or a supporting element that propels the enjoyment of a dish¡¯s spiciness into pure agony.¡± ¡°This Mapo Tofu falls into the same trap¡ªthe line between pain and pleasure in the pursuit of ultimate taste is often very thin. Speaking for myself, I deem it a failure. The pain from the spiciness overwhelmed any unique pleasure from the dish¡¯s vor upon first taste. Though a hint of the underlying aftertaste, hidden behind the chili and Sichuan peppercorn, begins to emerge as the initial fiery sensation fades, these subtle notes alone are not enough to pass this dish.¡± ¡°While the dish fails to meet standards, I greatly admire Miss Wu Minqi¡¯s unique cooking style. Bold and distinctive, marked with a vivid personal touch, it¡¯s rare nowadays to see young chefs capable of branding their dishes with such a distinct signature.¡± ¡°The bnce and adjustment between the spiciness and the dish¡¯s inherent vors, and that fine line between distinctiveness and pain, I believe that will be Miss Wu Minqi¡¯s greatest challenge in the days toe. And she will undoubtedly be a very talented and unique Sichuan cuisine chef, perhaps even forging her own novel path. I hope this old man lives to see that day.¡± Jiang Feng finished reading. He felt his pancake was getting a bit cold. The interview with Wu Minqi was actually quite short, upying very few pages. Perhaps because Wu Minqi didn¡¯t tell Xu Cheng anything that would allow him to pad out his article, Xu Cheng focused mainly on describing Wu Minqi¡¯s cooking style and what he perceived as the ws in her dishes. The article began with several hundred words of senseless filler, which Jiang Feng believed was probably the limit of Xu Cheng¡¯s ability to pad words. As the article wasn¡¯t long, Wu Minqi¡¯s photos were veryrge, especially the full-body shot. Jiang Feng¡¯s photo only took up about a quarter of a page, while Wu Minqi¡¯s upied half the page with plenty of white space to spare, and to fill out theyout, Xu Cheng even included two photos of Wu Minqi. One could say he was quite unscrupulous. No wonder Mrs. Jiang wanted to hear Wu Minqi¡¯s interview; with two portraits and two dish photos, she had more pictures than others. For Mrs. Jiang, who only looked at the pictures, this interview was certainly more appealing than others. Setting these things aside, Xu Cheng¡¯s article was actually full of substance, going straight to the point in identifying Wu Minqi¡¯s current biggest issue.
    Her dishes were too one-dimensional. This was both good and bad. A chef might specialize in one cuisine, but learning a bit of others wouldn¡¯t hurt. All chefs dream of embodying the strengths of various styles, but only Jiang Chengde has truly aplished this. Wu Minqi¡¯s focus on one cuisine is even more extreme than that of other chefs. Sichuan cuisine is not limited to spicy dishes, but Wu Minqi excels only in spicy ones. When she cooks other types of dishes, she seems somewhat hesitant; only when making spicy dishes does she truly let loose, even to the point of being recklessly unbridled.
    As Xu Cheng concluded in his article, there is only a fine line between distinctiveness and pain. At present, the spicy dishes that Wu Minqi freely crafts are clearly more about pain than distinctiveness. That¡¯s why she left her own restaurant and didn¡¯t stick around to learn from her grandpa, but instead traveled all the way to Taifeng Building. Part of the reason was for love, but it wasn¡¯t just for love; she needed to learn some skills beyond just spicy Sichuan cuisine, needing skilled and experienced senior chefs to show her the way. Although it didn¡¯t seem to be fruitful so far, she indeed had been trying hard. Jiang Feng could only hope that his Minqi would gain some insights after reading Xu Cheng¡¯s article. Theyout of ¡°Taste¡± was quite interesting this issue; it was organized by the length of the articles, with the shorter ones in the front. Jiang Feng flipped through it briefly while eating his pancake roll, and the first half could nearly be called a Taifeng Building special, only interrupted by a piece written by Gu Li. The sequence was Wu Minqi, Zhang Guanghang, Gu Li, Jiang Feng, and an interview with Taifeng Building that seemed to havee out of nowhere. Yes, Xu Cheng had written an article about Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng scanned it briefly; it seemed to be about the signature dishes of the two Sirs, Jiang Weiming and Jiang Weiguo, and it probably threw in a bit of history and origin of Taifeng Building. It was just unknown when Xu Cheng had interviewed the two Sirs. It was quite a long piece, almost rivaling Jiang Feng¡¯s own interview. Mind you, Xu Cheng had turned Jiang Feng¡¯s interview into a short story, with most of it dedicated to the deeply touching story between Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin. Jiang Feng squatted by the roadside, flipping through ¡°Taste¡± while munching on his pancake roll, and Wu Minqi was sitting at the stall, nibbling on a sugar-sprinkled sponge cake. Her bowl of soybean juice was hardly touched, her demeanor indicating she was contemting whether to take another couple of sips. When Jiang Feng had eaten half of his pancake roll, Wu Minqi finally stood up, took a few dozen seconds to locate him squatting by the roadside engrossed in the magazine while eating his pancake roll. And Mrs. Jiang sitting beside Jiang Feng, nibbling on her pancake roll and looking at the pictures in the magazine. Wu Minqi had been so focused on her battle with the soybean juice that she hadn¡¯t noticed Jiang Feng had been reading the magazine to Mrs. Jiang for over ten minutes already.
    ¡°Mrs. Jiang,¡± Wu Minqi approached and greeted Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Oh Qiqi, I was wondering why Feng came over to buy a pancake roll by himself and only bought one. If you wanted one, you could have asked Feng to get it for you, instead ofingter by yourself; look, the new line has gotten so long already.¡± Mrs. Jiang had been intently listening to Jiang Feng read from the magazine and hadn¡¯t noticed that Wu Minqi was right next door drinking soybean juice. ¡°Mrs. Jiang, I was just at the stall next door; I¡¯ve already finished eating,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve finished? Well, that¡¯s good then,¡± Mrs. Jiang replied with a smile, then turned to Jiang Feng, ¡°Feng, eat up quickly. You¡¯re making Qiqi wait for you. How can a boy eat so slowly? You¡¯re nothing like your cousins. But then, you¡¯ve been like this since you were little, while your cousins would wolf down their food in no time, you would be trailing behind eating slowly. Sometimes, when the noodles were made by Sir Chengde in the morning, Dede would even steal some of yours, and you, bless your heart, couldn¡¯t even protect a bowl of noodles.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Grandma, do you remember that the reason I didn¡¯t get the pancake roll right away was that I was reading a magazine for someone? And, isn¡¯t it pretty normal I couldn¡¯t protect my noodles when De was trying to snatch them? Jiang Feng sped up his pancake roll eating. Since Jiang Feng was not talking, Mrs. Jiang started to praise Wu Minqi: ¡°Qiqi, I saw in this magazine where they praised your article, right in this issue here. I just specially went to the newsstand to buy it, and Feng read it to me.¡± ¡°It said your cooking is really tasty, your spicy dishes have a unique ir, unlike ordinary chefs.¡± Mrs. Jiang, while listening, had conveniently glossed over the parts where Xu Cheng criticized Wu Minqi¡¯s cooking. ¡°All right, I won¡¯t keep you two, I have to go deliver a pancake roll to Grandma Chen. It¡¯s farther from their ce, and it¡¯s more convenient for me to buy it here and take it over. Plus, I can have her read the rest of the articles to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, those literacy sses when I was young were no good, they just messed around, let us learn to count to three and write out our names, then let us all loose. If they¡¯d taught us to read properly back then, how could I possibly be unable to understand magazines now?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­
    If he recalled correctly, Comrade Zhao Lanhua¡¯s version was that the literacy sses grabbed all the kids, no matter their age, and locked them in a room to learn to write. The minimum requirement was to learn to count to three and write their names before they were released, and all the kids cried and screamed, not wanting to go. Back then, Comrade Zhao Lanhua painted the literacy sses as a harsh prison, almost telling Jiang Feng that if you couldn¡¯t learn to write, you¡¯d get saltwater, whips, and the tiger bench treatment. And now she was ming the literacy sses for releasing her too early. Oh, Grandma. ¡°You see, don¡¯t you, Feng? Your grandma was really bright back then; I learned to count to three and write my name so quickly, I was the first to master it,¡± Mrs. Jiang turned back to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng¡¯s mouth was stuffed with pancake roll, making it impossible to speak, so he just nodded furiously to affirm his grandmother¡¯s fictitious lies. ¡°Sigh, your grandma here, if it weren¡¯t for our family being so poor and having too many girls when I was young, and if I could have gone to school, maybe I would have gone to college. But I¡¯m off to see Grandma Chen now.¡± Mrs. Jiang had finished her bluff and was ready to bolt. Jiang Feng swallowed thest bite of his pancake roll. And choked on it. Chapter 460: 458: Jiang Fengs Story (4000 words) Chapter 460: Chapter 458: Jiang Feng¡¯s Story (4000 words) When Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi arrived at the Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen, they discovered that everyone there was reading. In that moment, Jiang Feng felt as if he had returned to his high school days, not stepping into the kitchen of Taifeng Building but an early morning study ssroom instead. Although there were only Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Ji Xue in the kitchen. Mr. Jiang Jiankang, worth two people, had ced a small stool at the door, hunched over with a curved back and squinted eyes, engrossed in reading the ¡°Taste¡± magazine up close. This focused state of reading was unmistakably akin to that of students cramming in the library as exams approached. Jiang Feng was greatly shocked. As the son of Mrs. Jiang, Mr. Jiang Jiankang had inherited his mother¡¯sck of interest in studying, treating school like a prison and always looking for ways to escape once inside. In an effort to avoid studying, he devoted himself to learning to cook, and managed to surpass Jiang Jianguo, who had more talent, to be the sole appointed sessor of his grandfather¡¯s culinary skills. He even brieflynded a position as a chef in a state-owned hotel. Although a significant reason was that Comrade Jiang Jianguo had voluntarily given up at that time. In Jiang Feng¡¯s memory, Mr. Jiang Jiankang had never touched a book. As a child, Jiang Feng even suspected his father was allergic to books. Now, the possibly book-allergic Mr. Jiang Jiankang was actually holding the ¡°Taste¡± magazine, reading it with dedication. Jiang Feng thought that if Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s primary school teacher saw this, they would probably be moved to tears. ¡°Dad,¡± said Jiang Feng, deeply moved as he approached with the magazine in hand, ¡°make way, I can¡¯t get past.¡±
    Mr. Jiang Jiankang, sitting at the door, was blocking the path. ¡°Feng is here, huh.¡± Jiang Jiankang said, shifting to the side to let Jiang Feng pass quickly, his eyes seemingly glued to the magazine, unable to look away. ¡°This story is written so well, I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Xu Cheng to not only be good at eating but also so adept at crafting novels. Look at this tale he wrote about your great-aunt and great-uncle, it¡¯s as if it¡¯s the real thing,¡± eximed Jiang Jiankang. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Dad, that is the real thing. I told it to Mr. Xu Cheng,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s eyes finally shifted away from the magazine, he looked up at Jiang Feng, full of disbelief. ¡°You told it to Mr. Xu Cheng? How do you know about your great-aunt and great-uncle¡¯s youth?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked. ¡°Great-uncle told me about it. Remember a few months before great-uncle passed away, when he was often confused? He kept mistaking me for his grandfather, and told me all about his and great-aunt¡¯s past,¡± Jiang Feng replied. Jiang Jiankang, finally understanding, buried his head back in the magazine. Mr. Jiang Jiankang at the door was reading ¡°Taste,¡± while Ji Xue nestled inside was also reading ¡°Taste,¡± the two of them stretched across the entire kitchen, one inside, one out. Jiang Feng thought about it and decided to nestle himself in the middle of the kitchen to read ¡°Taste.¡± Witnessing all this, Wu Minqi: ¡­ Without a copy of ¡°Taste¡± to read, Wu Minqi neither was excited nor anxious. Besides, she was not the first one from the Wu family to be featured in ¡°Taste,¡± as her grandfather had made it onto the pages of ¡°Taste¡± several years ago, not just once either. Back then, ¡°Taste¡± was a monthly publication, and Xu Cheng¡¯s articles were very honest, discussing only dishes and nothing else, seldom even about chefs. To extend the length of his articles, Xu Cheng had toboriouslye up with a long list of descriptive words and sentences about the dishes¡¯ appearance, aroma, and taste, resulting in paragraphs full of parallel structures. Sometimes, a single long sentence could contain more than ten different idioms, leading one to suspect that Xu Cheng actually began his writing career with intricate romance novels. Without a magazine to read, Wu Minqi got on with her own work, waiting for one of the other three to finish so she could borrow their copy for a look. Jiang Feng, previously coerced by Mrs. Jiang into reading Wu Minqi¡¯s article, was now holding the right to choose in his own hands, and naturally wanted to read his own article first. Because Xu Cheng had turned Jiang Feng¡¯s piece into a short story, it contained a lot of narrative, filled with lengthy passages, and consequently, it took up the most number of pages and space in the issue. Jiang Feng¡¯s article was four times the length of Wu Minqi¡¯s, and it¡¯s worth noting that Jiang Feng had the fewest photos out of the four featured chefs. There was only one full-body shot taken in the kitchen, a close-up of the Sweet and Sour Yam, and a photo of the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, with the one of the Sweet and Sour Yam looking particrly tempting. Perhaps to highlight the threads pulled from the yam, the close-up of the Sweet and Sour Yam focused on the piece held by the chopsticks and the strands that were pulled out, relegating a whole teful of yams to the background.
    The white yam, tinged with a hint of yellow, was coated with a thinyer of sugar that was captured with crystalline rity. The thin strands of sugar looked as fragile as spider silk that could drift away with a breath, yet they remained connected without break. Jiang Feng expressed high praise for the photographer from ¡°Taste¡± magazine, while alsomenting that these few photos were quite small, especially his own full-body shot, which was much smallerpared to Wu Minqi¡¯s. After appreciating the photos, Jiang Feng started to read the article in earnest. ¡®In most cases, if I personally take up the task of writing an article, I begin by mentioning the glorious resume of the chef or the praises of the diners. Even for an insignificant food stall hidden in the alleys of a small country in the south, the chefs I admire always have an impressive history and rich past. But this chef posed a challenge for me, as he is very young, with no rich past to speak of, and even a monotonous resumepared to his peers. He evenpletely gave up on cooking for a substantial period.
    As I mentioned in the previous articles, the chefs I wrote about are friends of my good friend, Mr. Han Guishan, who had recently hosted a rather informal culinarypetition that was even somewhat whimsical. Though thepetition was not official, the participants surprised me with their excellence, uncovering many young talents and dust-covered gems. Mr. Jiang Feng is the biggest surprise among the four to me, as I had never heard of such a young chef before. Though he, like the other three chefs,es from a family with deep culinary roots, but¡­¡¯ Jiang Feng had just read the beginning when he was surprised to find that Xu Cheng had started going off on a tangent right from the start. This article is not a mere food review from the get-go. Instead, it¡¯s an opener loaded with personal musings and doesn¡¯t forget to plug Mr. Han Guishan¡¯s establishment. Registration has already begun for the 3rd Good Taste Cooking Competition, with the event dates mirroringst year¡¯s. Jiang Feng continued reading, finding hundreds of words of digression in which Li Mingyi casually recounts the Jiang Family¡¯s culinary history and lightly touches on the reasons for Jiang Feng rediscovering his passion for cooking. Only then did he get to the main point, which was Jiang Feng¡¯s two dishes¡ªSweet and Sour Yam and Li Hongzhang hodgepodge. ¡°The first time I had the pleasure of tasting Mr. Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam during the semifinals of the cookingpetition, I found it stunning. This dish possesses a unique magic, not simply in its excellent control of fire and vor, but it¡¯s a dish that allows diners to taste the joy of the chef. Initially, I thought it a fluke, a lucky chance to experience such a special dish. An opportunity so rare, a single tasting would be unforgettable for life. I¡¯ve had simr dishes before, and behind these special dishes, there are often heartbreaking stories that enable the chef to infuse the dish with emotion. But this Sweet and Sour Yam is unique because it¡¯s rare joy, the chef¡¯s beautiful sentiment towards love. (Jiang Feng was confessed to by his current girlfriend just before making this dish.) Half a yearter, thanks to an interview arrangement, I was fortunate to taste the freshly made Sweet and Sour Yam in the kitchen once again. Compared to the dish half a year ago, the Sweet and Sour Yam I tasted this time had improved significantly in all aspects. Sweet and crunchy, refreshing and tender, terms like crispy outside and glutinous inside that I had overused were inadequate to describe this te of Sweet and Sour Yam. What had changed was the overall quality of the dish; what remained constant was the emotion it contained. I had naively thought that the initial dazzle of love would soon fade, and the amazement I felt at the first tasting would not persist. The truth proved that I might not understand love due to my age, with a heart willing but powerless, I could no longer grasp the world of today¡¯s youth. I am d that this feeling is still preserved in this dish, and as a diner, I hope it remains forever. If I were to score this dish, within the hundred-point system, I would be willing to give it a 90 or even higher score, not only because of the beautiful emotion contained within the dish but also because of its impable taste and quality. So far, I have not tasted a Sweet and Sour Yam more exquisite than the one made by Mr. Jiang Feng. Having discussed Sweet and Sour Yam, I want to focus particrly on Mr. Jiang Feng¡¯s other signature dish¡ªLi Hongzhang hodgepodge. Before I discuss this dish, I must borate on a not so pleasant story that is intimately connected to it, as it¡¯s this very story that helped me understand the dish¡¯s special power.
    Li Hongzhang hodgepodge is¡­¡± Jiang Feng nced further down, only to see the next two pages fully dedicated to an ount of Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin¡¯s story. The narrative was told to him by Jiang Feng, with some minor changes in detail, and it was filled with numerous parallelisms and strange descriptions that were unnecessary. It was exactly these parallelisms and strange descriptions that expanded what could have been condensed into a page into two. Despite being loaded with a superfluous monologue and parallelisms, objectively speaking, Li Mingyi¡¯s writing is quite decent, and the descriptions are on point. If Li Mingyiframe felt that food critique was not fully showcasing his talent and decided to pivot to writing romance novels, he could likely expect decent sales. Jiang Feng skimmed through the story in no time, realizing there was only a little bit left regarding the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, and himself. ¡°For these reasons, just like Sweet and Sour Yam, Li Hongzhang hodgepodge has be a dish so special that just one taste can induce unstoppable tears. Hence, even though in terms of vor, knifework, fire control, and seasoning, it falls far short of Sweet and Sour Yam, I still highly rmend it. If you prefer not to cry in front of a crowd, I suggest savoring this dish in a private room, as none of us wish to look too unsightly while crying in public. If I were to rate it, setting aside the emotional element and the unique experience it provides to the diner, I am willing to give it a passing score. Theplexity of the dish is evident and it¡¯s hard to find any considerable w in any aspect¡ªif you don¡¯t mind crying while eating, it¡¯s still worth a try. Mr. Jiang Feng can definitely be considered a dark horse in the culinary world this year, with a deep family heritage and solid fundamental skills. His creativity and understanding of the culinary arts are impressive, and I believe he will soon make a name for himself among famous chefs. The only thing that might not be considered a weakness is that I don¡¯t see any strong personal style, making it hard to determine his true specialty. I had a brief chat with his father and grandfather; he seems very willing to try new things, his learning is eclectic, and though he learns quickly, he doesn¡¯t focus on any one area, yet he doesn¡¯t seem to do things superficially.¡± Several years ago, I had a brief conversation with Master Peng Changping across the ocean. Master Peng Changping said that Chinese culinary arts are profound and extensive. In recent years, there have been many talented chefs in Chinese cuisine, yet none have matched Master Jiang Chengde of Taifeng Building, which is indeed regrettable. Coincidentally, Mr. Jiang Feng is the great-grandson of Master Jiang Chengde. As time turns, everything seems to start anew; I only hope he can continue the glory of the past.¡± Jiang Feng, having finished the entire article: ¡­ Although Mr. Xu Cheng¡¯s evaluation of him was very high, and he even ranked Jiang Feng along with Peng Changping and Jiang Chengde at the end of the article, what Jiang Feng remembered after reading it were only Li Mingyi, Jiang Huiqin, and Mrs. Chen. Especially the part where Jiang Huiqin asked Mrs. Chen in Chinatown, Jiang Feng began to wonder if Xu Cheng had experienced the same memories as him. The character portrayal was so vivid, using various techniques to highlight the helplessness, cruelty, and ruthlessness of that era, it was like a passage that could be used for Chinese readingprehension. Jiang Feng had figured out the problem and thought of a question regarding the underlined paragraph that used ¡®indifference¡¯ three times, asking what each ¡®indifference¡¯ represented.
    Jiang Feng read the article from beginning to end again, but still, what he remembered were only Li Mingyi, Jiang Huiqin, and Mrs. Chen. Jiang Feng felt that Xu Cheng¡¯s description of Mrs. Chen was more than that of him, as if his interview was just incidental. The real protagonists of the article seemed to be Li Mingyi, Jiang Huiqin, and Mrs. Chen. What exactly went wrong? Jiang Feng sank into deep thought. Jiang Jiankang had already finished reading ¡°Taste¡± and, holding the magazine, walked over to Wu Minqi to ask if she would like to read it. ¡°Dad, did you read my article?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Of course, I did.¡± Jiang Jiankang¡¯s expression was like Mrs. Jiang who had just finished watching a TV series and couldn¡¯t wait to share the plot with someone, ¡°It¡¯s written so well. That Mrs. Chen is just so hateful; it made my skin crawl.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Anything else?¡± Jiang Feng pressed on. ¡°Your great-aunt and great-uncle had it really tough back then, two people venturing into a foreignnd,pletely out of their element, with neither country nor home to call their own, and then such a big incident happened in the family. It¡¯s no wonder the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge you made is so tear-inducing. If I were cooking and thought of such a story, I¡¯d definitely feel so sad I¡¯d want to cry. Son, think of something else next time you cook,¡± Jiang Jiankang sighed. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Dad, do you still remember that the article was actually my interview?
    Chapter 461: 459: The Zhang Guanghang and Gu Li Chapters (4,000 words) Chapter 461: Chapter 459: The Zhang Guanghang and Gu Li Chapters (4,000 words) Reading ¡°Taste¡± is a tiring thing. Even though Xu Cheng had a romance novelist living in his heart, the articles he actually wrote were fairly normal, except for the one about Jiang Feng, whichpletely deviated from the norm, the rest were standard food critiques. For example, the article about Zhang Guanghang was very normal, and it even somewhat returned to Xu Cheng¡¯s earlier style of critiquing food, just the food without discussing the people. Jiang Feng thought it might be because Zhang Guanghang became famous too early, and everything that could be written had already been covered by other magazines. As for the part about Xia Mushi that couldn¡¯t be written, even Xu Cheng didn¡¯t dare to specte wantonly. While Xia Mushi was still alive, he consistently ranked at the top among famous chefs, was of high seniority, and had a notorious temper, known for respecting nobody¡¯s face. Now that he had passed away, he was still regarded as a respected elder, even if he wasn¡¯t particrly virtuous or esteemed in his lifetime, and nobody dared to criticize him openly. In the culinary world where inheritance is valued and mentor-apprentice rtionships can be as close as father and son, to recklessly discuss elders is a grave sin that even Tong Deyan, known for his explosive temper, wouldn¡¯t dare to touch. Perhaps it was for this reason that the article on Zhang Guanghang seemed a bit nd. Aside from the memorable photographs, there wasn¡¯t much about the article that was memorable, not even the final summary and critique that should have been spectacr. ¡®Mr. Zhang Guanghang is a bit different from the traditional image of a genius chef we all have. In my conversation with him, I found that he has a wide variety of hobbies that are unrted to his culinary skills¡ªinstead, he is more like an artist. He doesn¡¯t spend all day in the kitchen meticulously studying dishes like other chefs; on the contrary, he prefers to enrich his life in his free time. He has two masters: one is thete Master of Lu Cuisine, Mr. Xia Mushi, who taught him cooking for 10 years, and the other is his father, a famous French chef who is also the head chef at a Michelin three-star restaurant. Both masters are incredibly stubborn and conservative, giving the impression that they could shut themselves away and work on a single dish for months on end like a culinary maniac. Mr. Zhang Guanghang, on the other hand, does the exact opposite and lives in a very modern and unrestrained way, which truly surprised me. Perhaps it is for this reason that his dishes are also very modern and unrestrained. As I wrote above, I was fortunate enough to have tasted his rosemary-grilledmb chop, which had a Sino-French fusion feel to it. This young genius chef is trying to change the culinary world with his bold ideas and experiments, attempting to incorporate various techniques from Lu cuisine into traditional French dishes. This is undoubtedly a bold innovation, and I believe that this genius chef, meticulously taught by two masters, will surprise us expectant diners and bring a surprise to the long-calm culinary scene.¡¯ Although Xu Cheng¡¯s praise for Zhang Guanghang was high, Jiang Feng believed that most people, especially ordinary diners, wouldn¡¯t feel too impressed after reading it.
    French magazines praised Zhang Guanghang way more intensely than Xu Cheng did, using unrealistic terms. Phrases like ¡®the most talented young chef in a century¡¯ and ¡®a genius chef thates once in a millennium¡¯ were used generously. If you¡¯re bold enough, you can write anything. Jiang Feng remembered that when he was searching for information about Zhang Guanghang online, he even saw reports calling him the new hope of the French culinary world, a genius who could lead French cuisine to a new pinnacle of glory¡ªpractically killing him with praise. Jiang Feng also wanted to be killed with such praise just once. After finishing the article on Zhang Guanghang, Jiang Feng silently flipped to the one about Gu Li. Compared to Zhang Guanghang¡¯s article, Jiang Feng noticed Xu Cheng didn¡¯t seem to think highly of Gu Li. Even though Gu Li had won the championship, Xu Cheng still didn¡¯t think he could surpass his master, Tan Wenyan. At the end of the day, it¡¯s talent that culinary artspete for. Everyone works hard, but the hard work of those with talent often proves more effective than that of ordinary people. Jiang Feng even felt a bit indignant on behalf of Gu Li for Xu Cheng¡¯sck of optimism. He had a unique andplex feeling for every chef that appeared in the recipes or his memory, probably because he had personally witnessed their past, witnessed a part of their lives, witnessed the dishes they made with so much emotion. Jiang Feng knew about their past and present, even though he wasn¡¯t sure what had happened in between, he always found himself instinctively wanting to protect them. If he had to exin thisplex emotion, it might be¡ªprotectiveness from an old father? Ever since Ji Xia became his apprentice, Jiang Feng had increasingly felt like a father, he always had the feeling that Xiaxia was sneaking carbonated drinks behind his back recently. Jiang Feng read through the piece that Xu Cheng wrote about Gu Li again, and still felt it was somewhatcking. ¡®Gu Li was the biggest dark horse in this culinary artspetition, from being underrated to oveing numerous obstacles and advancing to the ultimate victory, everything seemed idental yet logical, giving me the sensation of reading a martial arts novel when I was younger. Mr. Gu also fits the image of some martial arts novel protagonists, inheriting skills from masters, with deep family roots in cooking, his own father was also a notable chef of Su cuisine, but due to his average natural talent, he never became famous, even after working in the renowned Taste House for decades, he was just an ordinary White Chef. Among the four interviewees, Mr. Gu was the most reserved and taciturn. Even though his story was the most fascinating and his experiences were the richest, I still needed to keep prompting with questions to extract bits and pieces of information from him, which truly made me experience the agonies of being an interviewer. Since the age of six, Mr. Gu had been apprenticed to Master Tan Wenyan, and continued learning from him until the master passed away from illness, for more than ten years. Because Mr. Gu is so reserved, I had to ask many of his colleagues who had worked with him for years, who viewed Mr. Gu as an awkward, solitary, silent but very kind and amicable person. He arrived in the kitchen first every day and leftst, through wind and frost, exerting a level of effort hard for ordinary people to imagine. Those who have seen him make pastries must be clear that he is a slow yet steady chef, calm andposed, doing his utmost to perfect each step. Due to personal interest, I¡¯ve seen many excellent White Chefs working on pastries over the years, and Mr. Gu is the one that makes it mostfortable to watch. He doesn¡¯t seem to be preparing a fine dish for you, but rather presenting amonce little thing from everyday life, naturally, fluidly, unconsciously capturing your gaze. This doesn¡¯t feel like watching someone cook, but more like listening to a soft, gentle piece of music. Mr. Gu was the first chef I interviewed, and also the most willful. This willfulness is not a pejorative; on the contrary, I admire his willfulness. The other three chefs cooked the dishes I ordered first, then made their specialties. Only Mr. Gu refused my order, agreeing to make only two small snacks for me, which are the Ruyi Rolls and Golden Thread Shumai I am about to write about. Ruyi Rolls and Golden Thread Shumai would be familiar to readers who have seen my previous food critiques, as they were Master Tan Wenyan¡¯s signature pastries. When Master Tan was alive, these snacks were not rare and were quite affordable, though in small quantities, one could always taste them for a little money. For this reason, I might seem somewhat harsh in my critique of these two pastries. On a hundred-point scale, I could just barely give the Ruyi Rolls an 80. To be fair, the difficulty of making Ruyi Rolls isn¡¯t very high. Only the horizontal cloud-like patterns and the fire control during frying require skill. The rarity of Mr. Gu¡¯s Ruyi Rolls lies in the fact that they remind me of Master Tan Wenyan¡¯s from the days of yore, something the other White Chefs haven¡¯t been able to achieve. Especially the crispy feeling the moment you bite into it really captures Master Tan¡¯s true essence. If customers wish to relive the taste from those years, they should make a special trip to try this dish. I believe it will not disappoint.
    If Ruyi Rolls are medium-difficulty ordinary snacks, then the Golden Thread Shumai is a dish that can be called¡­¡¯ Xu Cheng¡¯s writing on the Ruyi Rolls was rtively simple, possibly because he hadn¡¯t yet broken free from the previous detached narrative tone, as if writing someone else¡¯s biography. By the time he wrote about the Golden Thread Shumai, Xu Cheng had begun to let loose, with a strong personal re¡ªlong passages that seemed opulent but were essentially useless. Jiang Feng even thought it was not as good as Jiang Junlian¡¯sposition, which at least seemed quite appetizing to read. Jiang Feng, while observing, even had the peculiar notion that the gold-threaded shumai must be selling at a steep price.
    After ncing at the photo of the gold-threaded shumai on the side, Jiang Feng read Xu Cheng¡¯s critique of Gu Li once more. ¡®My evaluation of the two desserts made by Mr. Gu Li is simr to that of his colleagues¡ªsteadfast, solid, unexceptional. As a White Chef, he possesses a very solid foundation and extraordinary patience. This ensures that his desserts will not disappoint any guests, but at the same time, they fail to astonish. I have a fondness and appreciation for chefs who bring a personal touch to their work, as I believe dishes are alive and each person¡¯s creations are distinct. However, I did not see much personal style in Mr. Gu Li¡¯s dishes, but rather an imitation of his mentor, Tan Wenyan. I believe if it were an ardent fan of Master Tan Wenyan tasting Mr. Gu Li¡¯s desserts, they would be ecstatic. These desserts could certainly evoke some beautiful memories for the guests, but if we look at the desserts themselves, minus the sentimental bonus, they seem rather unremarkable,cking the potential of a master¡¯s work. Regarding this issue, I earnestly asked Mr. Gu Li himself, and he does not seem to have any intention to forge his own path in culinary arts. Mr. Gu Li said he aspires to be like his master, attempting to revive ancient but lost desserts recorded in old texts¡ªa path destined to be lonely and challenging. I can only wish him well in his endeavors. I also hope that in the future, he can produce dishes that break free from the shadow of Master Tan Wenyan¡¯s teachings.¡¯ After reading for a second time, Jiang Feng seemed to realize something: ¡­ Although Xu Cheng¡¯s appraisal of Gu Li wasn¡¯t very positive, he sure wrote a lot! If we set aside the description of the dishes and some irrelevant ramblings, the beginning and end of Xu Cheng¡¯s piece are mostly focused on Gu Li himself. One could say that he doesn¡¯t deviate from ¡®Mr. Gu Li,¡± leaving readers with asting impression of these four words. Jiang Feng¡¯s article, though seemingly lengthy, might leave careless readers unable to remember whom Xu Cheng interviewed¡ªwas it Li Mingyi, Jiang Huiqin, or Mrs. Chen? Suddenly, Jiang Feng felt he had no right to feel indignant on Gu Li¡¯s behalf. Merely being featured in ¡®Taste¡¯ is a recognition of a chef¡¯s skill, and most chefs wouldn¡¯t mind even if the feedback wasn¡¯t highly favorable. Being included was enough, regardless of what Xu Cheng thought of them.
    Whether one¡¯s skills were strong would soon be evident in the list of renowned chefs. The other three had genuine full-length interviews, while only Jiang Feng ended up with a brilliant short story. Upon realizing the truth, Jiang Feng nearly shed tears. Jiang Feng silently closed ¡®Taste.¡¯ At the back, there seemed to be a concluding article about Taifeng Building written by Xu Cheng, but he no longer felt like reading it. After all, it certainly wouldn¡¯t contain the four words ¡®Mr. Jiang Feng.¡¯ Jiang Jiankang, who had already begun working, saw that Jiang Feng had closed the magazine and thought his son had finished reading, so he called him over to join in the loafing. Although they hade to the back kitchen early and it wasn¡¯t yet working hours, they still had to seize the opportunity to ck off. Jiang Jiankang sat on a small stool, happily sipping an ice-cold c facing the cab. ¡°Son, finished reading?¡± Jiang Jiankang asked. ¡°Finished,¡± Jiang Feng replied, a touch mncholic. It was supposed to be a story about four people, yet he didn¡¯t warrant a name. ¡°When your grandpa and Granduncle Weiming arrive, you must read thatst piece to them. Both are getting on in years and can hardly see the text in this book without their reading sses. Your grandpa refuses to wear them, and I inherited his dislike for reading. He doesn¡¯t read books either! I¡¯m not sure if Granduncle Weiming wears sses; I haven¡¯t seen them with any, uh, Feng, have you ever seen Granduncle Weiming reading a newspaper?¡± Jiang Jiankang started veering off into another subject as he talked. ¡°Thest article? Dad, my piece is rather long; wouldn¡¯t it take more than half an hour to read it all?¡± Jiang Feng felt it wasn¡¯t feasible.
    ¡°Not yours, the veryst one, about your grandpa and Granduncle Weiming. If you want to recite your own article, you can read it to your grandma back home¡ªshe enjoys these stories.¡± Jiang Jiankang tilted his head back, draining thest few drops of c from the can. ¡°About grandpa and Granduncle Weiming?¡± Jiang Feng was taken aback but quickly realized which article Jiang Jiankang meant, and flipped the magazine open again, leaning against the cab. He quickly located thest article he had thought was a supplementary overall summary of Taifeng Building courtesy of Xu Cheng. ¡®In fact, this article isn¡¯t closely rted to the previous four interviews, but interestingly enough, the individuals who prepared several of the dishes I want to introduce in this article happen to be the two head chefs of the same building where Mr. Jiang Feng, Mr. Zhang Guanghang, and Miss Wu Minqi work. This building is this issue¡¯s cover feature, and it is none other than the Taifeng Building, which reopenedst July in Beiping. ¡­¡¯ Chapter 462: 460: Taifeng (Part 1) Chapter 462: Chapter 460: Taifeng (Part 1) ¡®If one were to trace the history of Taifeng Building, it could go as far back as the middle Qianlong Period. The founder was a Jiang surnamed Imperial Chef, who initially started Outside the Pass and then moved to Beiping during the Republican era. Due to the havoc wrought by the years and warfare, this restaurant¡¯s fame had never been prominent, perhaps only remembered by a few of the elderly. Taifeng Building had ceased opearation for over 70 years, and s, I myself never had the chance to witness its former glory. I learned of this establishment a few years ago, during an idle chat with Master Peng Changping across the ocean.¡¯ Master Peng greatly admired and even revered the former head chef of Taifeng Building, Jiang Chengde, calling him the only Chinese culinary master who embodied the strengths of a hundred schools of thought. Master Peng¡¯s father had also received guidance from Master Jiang Chengde in earlier years. And Taifeng Building¡¯s two head chefs happened to be Master Jiang Chengde¡¯s third and seventh sons, Mr. Jiang Weiming and Mr. Jiang Weiguo. At first, I had not seen the true faces of these two head chefs, having only sampled a few of their dishes. Thanks to my good friend Han Guishan, I was honored to be invited to Taifeng Building¡¯s opening. Several dishes at the banquet amazed me, all crafted by Mr. Jiang Weiming and Mr. Jiang Weiguo. Before discussing the dishes, I must digress a bit. Mr. Jiang Weiming is 99 years old this year, and Mr. Jiang Weiguo is also 84. Due to their ages, these two head chefs generally do not cook themselves, spending most of their time in the back kitchen guiding other young chefs and overseeing everything. For this reason, even when I was interviewing the other three young chefs, I had a small personal hope to ask the two elders to cook a few dishes for me, but I ultimately held back. From my brief conversation with the two elders, I learned that although their father, Master Jiang Chengde, was a rare master chef who almost established a school of his own by synthesizing the strengths of various culinary traditions, they did not learn all the dishes and techniques of Jiang Family Dishes because of the turbulent times, and their cooking was primarily based on Shandong cuisine. After Beiping fell, Mr. Jiang Weiming went through various vicissitudes before eventually settling in Shu. Having worked as a chef until his retirement, he is actually a master of both Sichuan and Shandong cuisines. It is said that Mr. Jiang Weiming¡¯s best Sichuan dish is actually chicken gravy bean curd, but since I had no opportunity to taste it, I could only briefly discuss a few dishes I did try. The first dish was a cold dish called Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring. I seldom rmend cold dishes because, in my opinion, they often do not fully reflect the true skill of a chef. This was a colorful tter, its ingredients both rich in variety and bnced between meat and vegetables, consisting of radish strips, shrimp, cucumber strips, and sashimi, arranged to form a semi-three-dimensional splendid chicken with an upright head and slightly curved tail feathers. When it was first served, I almost mistook it for an art piece meant for admiration. The Splendid Chicken, which was the most prominent and required the most intricate knifework, took up 80% of the te and gave the entireposition a sense ofpleteness. The tail feathers made of strands of cucumber and radish as fine as hair strands were such a testament to the chef¡¯s skill that, in my book, only a handful of chefs could possess such dexterity. I rarely feel a dish is decadent as I eat it, even if it is made with the most expensive ingredients. Yet, when consuming such an ornamental tter I usually wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to, I felt every reach of my chopsticks was an act of extravagance and waste, because the dish was not only about outstanding knifework, but also impable in taste. Each ingredient in Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring was carefully prepared before being shaped and arranged on the te, with the mix of different ingredients thoughtfully considered. This was not just a dish that provided a strong visual impact, but also one that offered a true gourmet experience. ¡°` If I were to score this dish, it would undoubtedly be over 95 points, and I feel that a perfect score would also be entirely justified for such a stunning tter. As a diner, I highly rmend this dish, even though the price may very well send many whoe on the strength of its reputation scurrying away, because this extravagant tter not only has a four-digit price tag but also cannot be ordered a carte and is avable only as part of a banquet menu. Considering Mr. Jiang Weiming¡¯s advanced age, I believe that even as a banquet dish, the quantity avable would not berge. If you happen to be celebrating a joyous asion at home and are willing to spend a substantial amount of money to hold avish feast, do consider Taifeng Building; this tter will undoubtedly not disappoint.
    Another dish crafted by Mr. Jiang Weiming himself is the Roasted Pig. This is certainly a show-stopping main dish, and before I describe it, I need to remind you all, dear diners, that this dish is also quite pricey and requires at least a three-day advance reservation. The price may be several times higher than the most expensive suckling pig you¡¯ve ever eaten, but, as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. Nowadays, most roasted suckling pigs, or rather Roasted Pigs, have abandoned the traditional method of stuffing the pork belly with dates, opting instead for a more dazzling array of precious ingredients. There¡¯s nothing wrong with this practice, as the old method of using dates was due to a scarcity of ingredients, and with the abundance of options avable today, chefs naturally won¡¯t stick to the old ways. For this reason, the Roasted Pig made by Mr. Jiang Weiming gave me an even greater surprise. Although I have never witnessed the creation of this dish, Mr. Jiang Weiming didn¡¯t keep it a secret and generously exined the general cooking method to me and answered some questions I had at the time. The Roasted Pig made by Mr. Jiang Weiming is fascinating once cut open; the pork belly contains various ingredients such as fresh bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, duck meat, pigeon meat, glutinous rice, and pigeon eggs, thetter of which are stuffed inside the duck. Aside from the pigeon, the duck¡¯s belly also contained fresh bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, while the pigeon meat¡¯s belly was stuffed with glutinous rice and pigeon eggs¡ªa method somewhat simr to the Huaiyang cuisine¡¯s famous dish, Three-Set Duck. The experience of tasting this dish isyered; the suckling pig is crispy and tender, and the ingredients inside seem like they¡¯ve been meticulously cooked in a rich broth rather than roasted. The glutinous rice stuffed into every corner of the three types of meat is aromatic and meaty, with hints of the sweet vor of dates. This creates a wonderful sensation of tasting various foods cleverly prepared by different methods all in one dish, unquestionably a fantastic dining experience. If I were to score this dish, without a doubt, it would also deserve over 95 points. The only drawback is that the portion is toorge for one person to enjoy alone. Wanting to feast on it alone might seem selfish, but please believe me, dear diners, when such a dish,parable to the most exquisite delicacies, is ced in front of you, if you can manage, you will definitely want to have this Roasted Pig all to yourself. Those familiar with my writing probably know that I like to offer personal, albeit perhaps not professional, reviews of the chefs in the middle or at the end of my articles. Mr. Jiang Weiming is undoubtedly an exceptional chef, and I would even venture to guess that he might rank in the top 5 in this year¡¯s list of master chefs. After tasting these dishes, I have more than once regretted not meeting him decades earlier. After all, even an enthusiastic food devotee like myself finds it difficult to cheekily ask a 99-year-old man to cook specifically for me, just to satisfy my craving for gourmet food. Of course, what pleases me is that although Mr. Jiang Weiming seldom cooks these days, he is still diligently passing on his culinary skills to the younger generation, which indeed is the most significant matter. ¡­ ¡°` Chapter 463: 461: Taifeng Building Part II (4000 words) Chapter 463: Chapter 461: Taifeng Building Part II (4000 words) ¡°` ¡®Having dedicated so much ink to describing the exquisite culinary skills of Mr. Jiang Weiming, I cannot be biased and must now turn to Mr. Jiang Weiguo. The life of Mr. Jiang Weiguo itself is nothing short of legendary. Though he was the seventh son of the great master Jiang Chengde, he was merely a 10-year-old child when his family had to leave Beiping due to the turmoil of war. Consequently, he didn¡¯t learn many of the Jiang Family Dishes techniques. After that, Mr. Jiang Weiguo traveled widely across the south and the north, dabbling in dishes from various regional cuisines, not just the Red Chef, but also excelling at white-case dim sum. He was a rare all-round talent with exquisite chef skills. Here, I must add in passing that Mr. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s third son also works in the kitchen of Taifeng Building. That father and son join forces in battle is already a beautiful story, but having three generations of the same family working in the kitchen of the same restaurant is truly extraordinary, even bordering on the miraculous. Mr. Jiang Weiguo is particrly adept at pork dishes. ording to his son, not only is he skillful at cooking pork, but he¡¯s also proficient at pig farming. Unfortunately, due to the restaurant¡¯s busy re-opening, Mr. Jiang Weiguo hasn¡¯t farmed pigs in a long time, depriving me of the chance to see for myself the pigs that have received high praise from numerous professional chefs. Readers must be at the edge of their seats at this point, since pork dishes epass a broad concept. If you ask any passerby on the street, they could easily list a dozen different pork dishes off the top of their head. Mr. Jiang Weiguo is proficient in a wide range of pork dishes. In fact, when I requested to taste a few of his signature dishes, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind and ended up cooking six or seven different types of pork dishes for me, varying in kind, vor, and even style. This made me secretly admire his stamina; I feel at 84 years old, I might not even be able to lift a frying pan. Due to the sheer number of dishes, I will only discuss two particr dishes that left a deep impression on me. The first dish is Nine Turns Intestine, a ssic Lu (Shandong) cuisine dish, notable for its all-epassing vors. I¡¯ve tasted it in many famous eateries before. The Nine Turns Intestine prepared by Mr. Jiang Weiguo made a particr impression because it had a notable heavy sauce vor. The dish was bright red and glistening, with a tender texture that still provided a solid chew after biting into it. The seasoning was hearty but not excessively salty, primarily salty with sweet and sour as secondary tastes, and even a hint of bitterness and spice that didn¡¯t feel out of ce. With careful chewing, one really could discern theyered vors, as if concocting an elixir in one¡¯s mouth. Eating this dish felt like consuming a Nine Turns Elixir, representing an extremely authentic yet distinctive Nine Turns Intestine. If I were to score the dish, I feel it should receive more than 90 points. It¡¯s a good Nine Turns Intestine, but certainly not the best; after all, such a significant dish in Lu cuisine has always been a highly contested area among the masters of Lu cuisine. While there¡¯s no need to make a special trip just to try it, if you happen to be interested in dropping by Taifeng Building for a casual meal, I can assure you trying this dish won¡¯t lead to disappointment. The second dish is a verymon home-style dish¡ªGuo Bao Rou (Sweet and Sour Pork). Since this is the first time I introduce Guo Bao Rou in ¡°Taste¡±, I¡¯d like to take a moment to borate on its origin. Guo Bao Rou was originally a savory and lightly salted dish,ter changed to a sweet and sour vor to cater to foreign tastes. It sounds like a significant alteration, but I personally prefer the sweet and sour version, at least I did when I was younger. Although Guo Bao Rou is a home-style dish, it also tests a chef¡¯s control of heat. Perhaps due to itsmonce nature, I rarely see the dish in high-end restaurants, but it¡¯s more often found in little roadside diners. Compared to the Guo Bao Rou we usually eat, Mr. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s version is quite distinctive. It seems he uses a special marinating method that renders the meat incredibly tender and vorful.
    After being fried at a high temperature, the outside of the Guo Bao Rou is golden and crispy. Coated with sweet and sour sauce, it looks even more appetizing. I¡¯ve tried many versions where the taste solely relies on the sauce; while the sauce is good, without it, the meat itself could be considered nd. This is not the case with Mr. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s dish. The exterior is crispy, the sauce is perfectly sweet and sour, and the interior carries a savory taste reminiscent of the original vor, yet not quite the same. For those who don¡¯t like sweet and sour dishes and want to try the original Guo Bao Rou, I rmend asking for it without sauce. Because even without the sweet and sour sauce, this Guo Bao Rou is a highly aplished and delicious dish. In essence, this is a version of Guo Bao Rou that has been improved with the personal touch of the chef. If I were to grade it, this Guo Bao Rou would undoubtedly receive more than 90 points, even nearing 95¡ªa high score and worth trying. Of course, it is priced much higher than your typical home-style dish, so if you¡¯re just looking to try an ordinary home-style dish, the price might be beyond your expectations. ¡°` Apart from these two dishes, Mr. Jiang Weiguo also had some dishes that caught my eye. Dishes like braised lion¡¯s head meatballs, Fengjing steamed pig¡¯s trotters, and lychee pork are all worth rmending. If the diners are interested, you might want to give them a try. Compared to Mr. Jiang Weiming, Mr. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s culinary skills might be slightly inferior, and although he has many decent dishes, he doesn¡¯t have any particrly standout signature dishes. This might also be rted to his earlier experiences; Mr. Jiang Weiguo spent his early years traveling and learning from many masters, including renowned chefs as well as ordinary cooks in street corner eateries, absorbing a diverse array of styles, which resulted in him not having a particr specialty. However, what surprised me was the strong personal style that Mr. Jiang Weiguo exhibited in his dishes, which is umon for chefs who have learned a variety and mix of styles, yet Mr. Jiang Weiguo was decidedly different. Even if the dishes he made were frompletely different cuisines and cooking techniques, you just knew that ¡°Ah, this is the chef,¡± from the first taste. Mr. Jiang Weiguo excels at making borate main courses, especially meat dishes; it seems that hearty feasts are his true love. (Although for health reasons, I think one should eat more light dishes, it¡¯s often the meat dishes that truly showcase the beauty of meat.) ording to his third son, Mr. Jiang Jiankang (who is also a chef at Taifeng Building), their family tradition dictates that Mr. Jiang Weiguo is the only one permitted to cook from New Year¡¯s Eve to the Lantern Festival, a span of over ten days, signifying his status within the family. Perhaps it¡¯s this domineering and even mboyant nature that allows us to enjoy such bold and mboyant dishes. Besides the two aforementioned elder chefs with superb skills and the three chefs mentioned earlier, Taifeng Building also has a very talented young chef¡ªMiss Ji Xue. It¡¯s worth noting that Miss Ji Xue also participated in the culinarypetition hosted by my good friend, Mr. Han Guishan. Although she unfortunately stopped at the quarterfinals, she is still a highly skilled young chef. Here, I must express my admiration for the magical nature of the culinarypetition organized by my good friend Mr. Han Guishan, who ispletely clueless when ites to appreciating fine food. (I don¡¯t mean this in a derogatory sense, but his taste is indeed quite unique.) Thepetition wasn¡¯t well-known, yet it attracted so many talented young chefs. I hope that he will organize more suchpetitions in the future; if every event he hosts can discover as many talented young chefs, I believe the culinary world will be wonderfully diverse and exciting. I may have digressed too much, so now let¡¯s return to talking about Miss Ji Xue. She is not very talkative, quite shy, and low-key, but her dishes don¡¯t allow her to stay in the shadows. Her signature dish is y pot flower carving chicken. I believe everyone is familiar with this dish, which I devoted all my literary skills to describe in the first issue of ¡°Taste.¡± It once was the glory of Chinese cuisine, created by thete Master of Cantonese Cuisine, Mr. Tan Weizhou. Due to differences in culinary skills and age, Miss Ji Xue¡¯s y pot flower carving chicken is naturally not as good as Master Tan Weizhou¡¯s, but it has all the essential elements; what itcks is just a bit more culinary refinement. Miss Ji Xue is just a young woman under 20 years old. In addition to the y pot flower carving chicken, I also tried some of her other dishes. I won¡¯t rmend them here because they didn¡¯t have much uniqueness, but her culinary skills are stillmendable, at least excellent among chefs of her age. If any of the readers here are devoted fans of Master Tan Weizhou, then I suggest you make a special trip to Taifeng Building to taste Miss Ji Xue¡¯s y pot flower carving chicken. This familiar vor will certainly move you to tears. After all, there is nothing more exhrating in this world than regaining what was lost. At the end of the article, let me talk about Taifeng Building itself. It is a restaurant thatbines both age-old and youthful features, with the weight of history yet exuding the vitality of youth. It has weathered many storms and experienced changes through the ages, yet it is growing anew like a child. The chefs within this building are the same, with two who are like reclusive experts, and a group of very young chefs with boundless futures. It¡¯s a restaurant that keeps surprising people. Having been involved in food criticism for so many years, I have seen many once-glorious restaurants fall from grace with the departure of the head chefs and witnessed many obscure restaurants rise to prominence. I have a strong affinity for the word ¡°heritage,¡± and I loathe it when many old establishments I once admired and loved abandon their heritage, and it¡¯s distressing to see no evidence of heritage in many newly opened, trendy, and popr eateries. I hope the heritage of this restaurant continues to flow, constantly evolving with new blood rejuvenating the old, unceasingly. Jiang Feng, having finished reading the entire article: ¡­ As the true owner of Taifeng Building, Xu Cheng was naturally very happy to endorse Taifeng so enthusiastically. Jiang Feng believed that if Ling Guangzhao were the owner of Taifeng, he would probably have been so ecstatic by now that he might even have the urge to run naked in the streets. But he understood all that, so why did it seem like Ji Xue¡¯s section was even longer than his? He had just calcted that, if the part where Xu Cheng advertised for Han Guishan and the punctuation were included, the description of Ji Xue totaled 600 characters.
    That was 600 characters without even describing the dishes. Xu Cheng summed up only 313 characters for him. Jiang Feng, who had even started to quibble over the number of characters, was caught in a dilemma. ¡°Son, son,¡± Jiang Jiankang shook Jiang Feng, who was buried in his numbers again, ¡°are you done reading? Once you¡¯re done, remember to give it to Zhang, he looks quite strained over there.¡±
    ¡°Ah? Yeah, done,¡± Jiang Feng looked up and noticed that many people had joined the kitchen staff while he was busy counting. Ji Xue had finished reading ¡°Taste¡± and had started to work, and her copy was now in the hands of Zhang Weiyu and Han Yigu, who were looking at it together. Sang Ming tried to join in, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t get his head in there. Zhang Guanghang was attempting to read with Wu Minqi, but Tangtang was already by Wu Minqi¡¯s side, and Zhang Guanghang, unable to squeeze in, had to use his height to stand behind them and look down at the magazine from an angle¡ªwhich Jiang Feng guessed he could hardly see anything from. It was really hard to imagine that with a face like Zhang Guanghang¡¯s, there was a ce he couldn¡¯t fit into. This just showed how the Taifeng kitchen was a ce that didn¡¯t judge by appearances, or perhaps it meant that handsome men with girlfriends were not at all attractive. ¡°Zhang, want to take a look?¡± Jiang Feng waved the magazine in his hand. Zhang Guanghang quickly walked over to Jiang Feng, twisting his neck as he moved¡ªclearly, his previous posture had been quite ufortable. ¡°Thanks,¡± Zhang Guanghang took the magazine, and Sang Ming, sensing an opportunity, hurried over, only to be beaten to it by another dishwashing station staff member who didn¡¯t even have a name. In such a big kitchen, there were only three magazines to read. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys stop by the newsstand on the way and buy one? I remember ¡®Taste¡¯ should be stocked in every newsstand,¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. ¡°We did, but they were out,¡± Zhang Guanghang said helplessly, as he buried his head into the magazine. Without a magazine to read, Sang Ming could only chat with Jiang Feng: ¡°There is a newsstand near the house I rent, but it¡¯s not on the way, so I thought I¡¯d buy it from a newsstand here. But when I got there, the owner told me that they were already sold out and he said that this magazine usually doesn¡¯t sell, yet this issue was selling like hotcakes, and that he would only restock it at noon.¡± Jiang Feng quickly did the math; he bought one, Ji Xue bought one, Jiang Jiankang bought one, Mrs. Jiang bought one¡ªthat made four out of five copies spoken for, no wonder Sang Ming and the rest couldn¡¯t get theirs.
    It was all because the rent in this district was too expensive, leaving only one newsstand. Jiang Feng had intended to chat with Sang Ming a bit more and ck off before getting to work, but he was called out by Wang Xiulian. ¡°Feng, have you been in touch with Sun Jikai recently? I saw in the back of this ¡®Taste¡¯ there is an article that seems to be about their Jubao Building, hey, you go ask how they usually set their dish prices. I need to look at that so I can figure out how much to increase ours,¡± Wang Xiulian said, holding a brand new copy of ¡°Taste.¡± All five copies ounted for. Chapter 464: 462 Recruitment Chapter 464: Chapter 462 Recruitment ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one more thing. Your Granduncle Weiming caught a bit of coldst night while sleeping, and this morning he was coughing a lot, so your Aunt asked Dede to take him to the hospital,¡± Wang Xiulian pulled out her phone, scrolled to her chat history with Jiang Zaidi, and showed Jiang Feng, ¡°Your grandpa also went along with them, and then Chengcheng suggested that since both your grandpa and Granduncle Weiming are getting on in years, they should go for a checkup at the medical examination center tomorrow, so they probably won¡¯te to the restaurant these next two days.¡± Jiang Feng was momentarily stunned, ¡°Granduncle Weiming is okay, right?¡± ¡°He should be fine, just a sore throat from coughing all morning. Your grandma and your maternal grandma have also been like this these past couple of years,¡± Wang Xiulian said, old folks tend to easily catch these minor ailments like headaches and colds, especially during winter. Today andpared to yesterday, the temperature dropped several degrees overnight, so Jiang Weiming catching a cold seemed quite normal to her. It¡¯s actually more umon for an elder like Sir, who hasn¡¯t been sick in over a decade. Jiang Feng flipped through the chat history, which was nominally between Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Jiang Zaidi, but in reality, it was a conversation between Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Sir. Jiang Zaidi had only provided a WeChat ount, and all the voice messages were from Sir. The two elders would probably spend all day in the hospital today¡ªthey hadn¡¯t even registered yet, and on New Year¡¯s Day, not only are all the big restaurants full, but so are the major hospitals. That¡¯s also why there were only Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang left as the interviewers for this afternoon¡¯s recruitment session. Sir had suggested that Jiang Feng should also bring along Zhang Guanghang, because even though Jiang Feng¡¯s culinary skills had improved quite a bit recently, he still wasn¡¯t all that confident in Jiang Feng¡¯s judgment in selecting people. After reviewing all the voice messages converted to text, Jiang Feng handed the phone back to Mrs. Wang Xiulian, grateful that Sir¡¯s Mandarin was so standard that he had no trouble understanding it. Mrs. Wang Xiulian was thoroughly enjoying the article about Jubao Building, nodding frequently, clearly very pleased. Jiang Feng, unable to hold back his curiosity, moved closer to take a look and discovered the entire article was about a single dish, Sun Guanyun¡¯s new dish, crab cooked with shark¡¯s fin. The name seemed unremarkable, but the dish itself was very expensive because it involved shark¡¯s fin.
    Taifeng Building didn¡¯t even have a shark¡¯s fin dish on their menu. Thinking about it made them feel somewhat embarrassed for a high-end restaurant. ¡°Mom, do you want toe and help with the recruitment this noon?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Wang Xiulian waved her hand dismissively, ¡°That¡¯s a matter for your kitchen staff, what would I be doing there?¡± Jiang Feng had only asked out of politeness, and upon hearing his mother¡¯s response, he was just about to leave when suddenly Mrs. Wang Xiulian who had thought of something stopped him, ¡°Wait a minute, Feng, I need to remind you of something. Don¡¯t casually promise any pay raises during recruitment.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Zhang Weiyu¡¯s sry is now a bit too high.¡± So high that Mrs. Wang Xiulian had several times entertained the idea of firing him. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Remember to ask Sun Jikai about the prices of the dishes at Jubao Building when you have time,¡± Mrs. Wang Xiulian reiterated. Jiang Feng nodded to show he remembered, and went back to work in the kitchen. The customer flow on New Year¡¯s Day was undeniably huge, and with Taifeng Building being so popr recently, just after 12 o¡¯clock there was already a long line forming at its entrance. People always have a herd mentality, and when they saw a long queue in front of a restaurant they normally wouldn¡¯t give a second nce, they couldn¡¯t help but want to try it out and see for themselves how delicious the food was. Plus, on holidays, everyone has more free time and doesn¡¯t mind spending extra time standing in line and chatting with friends, resulting in a surprisingly long queue at the entrance of Taifeng Building, making the staff wonder if Mrs. Wang Xiulian had hired some extras just for the New Year¡¯s Day rush. It felt like they were a hair¡¯s breadth away from needing the police to maintain order. With two steadying figures like Sir missing in the kitchen, it was often chaotic enough to lead to mistakes that normally wouldn¡¯t happen. If Fan Mei hadn¡¯t considered that Jiang Feng and the others needed to go to Fen Garden for employee recruitment at 3 PM and deliberately controlled the number of customers by sending Mrs. Wang Xiulian and two tall male waiters to turn away those who arrived after 12:30 to queue, the kitchen staff might have had to work straight until past 3 o¡¯clock. After finishing the lunch service, Jiang Feng felt deeply that he should hire a couple more chefs in the afternoon recruitment. It had been a long time since he took a break to watch a movie with Wu Minqi, and he had missed quite a few movies that he really wanted to see due to being too busy at work. Jiang Feng felt it was time to hire a few cheap and obedient employees to drain, so he could take a good rest as the boss for a while. With impure intentions, Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang took Zhang Guanghang¡¯s car to Fen Garden after the lunch service ended. They had previously arranged to meet with 17 job candidates at 3 p.m., but when they arrived at Fen Garden just before 2:30 p.m., there were already four people waiting at the entrance, two of whom looked quite simr and were probably brothers. Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang got out of the car first to open the door for the candidates, while Zhang Guanghang went to park the car. While opening the door, Jiang Feng exined to them, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. The restaurant was open for regr business today, and we just finished up, so we might have arrived a bitte.¡± Since Xia Mushi¡¯s death, Zhang Guanghang hadn¡¯t changed a single decoration in Fen Garden; everything remained as it was, which made Jiang Feng feel as if he was opening the door to a private restaurant after a long time.
    Everything was just as before; the floor was very clean, and even the flowers and grass in the garden had been meticulously trimmed. Although Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t live there, he had hired someone to maintain Fen Garden. The vast Fen Garden felt empty andcked liveliness. The four early arrivals seemed to be very close in age, probably all around 30. Although Jiang Feng had reviewed their resumes beforehand, he still couldn¡¯t match their faces with their names, except for the two brothers who somewhat stood out. It seemed they were also chefs at a famous restaurant before and had worked in the south, but for some unknown reasons, they had traveled all the way to Taifeng Building in Beiping to apply for the job. Although Fen Garden was a private restaurant opened by Xia Mushi, it was also his residence, so the entire garden was divided into a business area and a residential area. Leading the four who arrived early to the kitchen, Jiang Jiankang, on the other hand, moved a small stool to wait by the door for the others.
    Along the way, perhaps due to nervousness or something else, everyone was very quiet. Jiang Feng could only hear the younger brother whispering in astonishment to his elder brother, ¡°Bro, it¡¯s a courtyard house!¡± ¡°What a big courtyard, wow!¡± ¡°This is a restaurant, right? Why aren¡¯t they operating here?¡± Jiang Feng felt that the younger brother seemed to want to continue speaking, but after a fierce re from his elder brother, he dared not to speak anymore and stayed quiet along with everyone else. For those visiting Fen Garden for the first time, the journey from the entrance to the kitchen was somewhat winding. As they walked, Jiang Feng reminded them, ¡°If any of you have a poor sense of direction and might want to use the restroomter, it¡¯s best to let me take you there. During thest recruitment, someone went to look for the restroom and couldn¡¯t find their way back.¡± Everyone was silent, and the younger brother appeared to want to say something but was stopped with a re from his elder brother again. To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for the somewhat mature appearance of the brothers, Jiang Feng felt that they, especially the younger one, possessed a sense of youth and liveliness that did not quite fit their age. The kitchen equipment and ingredients had been prepared in advance by Zhang Guanghang. Having prior experience in recruitment, Jiang Feng felt there was no need to make it more grandiose. Recruiting chefs was actually quite simple: they just had to cook a dish, taste it, and the level of skill would be evident. Moreover, due to the heavy workload at noon today, Jiang Feng was quite tired and already wanted to sleep. Therefore, he decided not to waste any more time and got straight to the point. ¡°All of you who havee to participate in today¡¯s recruitment must be chefs with certain culinary achievements. I believe you are all clear about the welfare and treatment at Taifeng Building before recruitment, so there¡¯s no need for me to say more. Since the four of you are here early, there¡¯s no point in waiting idly. Please register your names here, and as there are four stoves in the kitchen, let¡¯s start now,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°The ingredients are on the cab over there, the seasonings are all on the cooking station, the pots are in the cab over there, and fresh produce is next door. I believe we have already prepared the ingredients you¡¯ll need, so please each of you make a dish that you¡¯re good at, and try not to take too long,¡± Jiang Feng instructed. The four were all taken aback¡ªthey hadn¡¯t expected Jiang Feng to start early without any preamble. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I have a question,¡± the younger brother spoke up, and everyone immediately turned to look at him. ¡°May I know where the restroom is?¡±
    Jiang Feng: ??? Chapter 465: 463 Sizzling Eel Shreds Chapter 465: Chapter 463 Sizzling Eel Shreds At 3 p.m. on January 1st, the back kitchen of Fen Garden was filled with the aroma of dishes. All 17 candidates had arrived, and in the interest of saving time, as soon as a new person arrived, Jiang Feng would have them start preparing the dish they intended to cook. Although there were only four stoves in Fen Garden¡¯s back kitchen, there was plenty of space for the culinary stations and an ample amount of utensils, allowing over a dozen chefs to prepare their dishes simultaneously without any issues. Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang, and Zhang Guanghang each had defined roles. Jiang Feng observed the chefs at the culinary stations to evaluate their handling of ingredients and knifework skills, while Jiang Jiankang stood by the stoves watching how the chefs controlled the heat. Zhang Guanghang was the most interview-like of the three, standing to the side with a stern face, flipping through everyone¡¯s resumes, asionally ncing up to match the resume with the candidate. Anyone who caught Zhang Guanghang¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous, as if they were back in their student days being inspected by the head teacher for ssroom discipline. Jiang Feng was focused on the dozen chefs who were earnestly processing their ingredients at the culinary stations. He remembered that during thest recruitment, most chefs had cooked dishes like Kung Pao chicken and Ants Climbing a Tree¡ªquick, simple dishes that also showcased a chef¡¯s foundational skills. This time was no exception, as he could tell from the ingredients being prepared that at least ten chefs were nning to make Ants Climbing a Tree and Kung Pao chicken. This made the two brothers stand out even more drastically, having chosen eel as their main ingredient. Although both brothers were deft in their movements, processing the eel was inevitably slowerpared to other more manageable ingredients. Jiang Feng had already tasted the dishes of two other candidates who had started cooking at the same time, yet the brothers were still battling it out at the stoves. Choosing a dish to cook for the interview that was distinct from others was a very courageous move, since most people preferred to y it safe, and many chefs would use their specialty dishes as a bonus point after the first round. Xiulian had sent the candidate information to Jiang Feng half a month ago, during the period when Taifeng Building¡¯s customer traffic surged following the public release of the Taste magazine cover. Jiang Feng, knowing that the final decision during the interview would be made by the two Sirs, had beenzy and did not seriously examine the file Mrs. Wang Xiulian had sent him.
    Because of this, he found every candidate unfamiliar. With this in mind, Jiang Feng stopped observing the chefs around the culinary stations and joined Zhang Guanghang to look at the resumes. ¡°Zhang, let me see the resumes of those two who just finished,¡± Jiang Feng said. Zhang Guanghang pulled out two resumes and handed them to him. Jiang Feng quickly scanned the resumes, noting that not only were the dishes of the two chefs mediocre, their resumes were also unremarkable¡ªwith no unusual experiences and specialty dishes that weren¡¯t so special. They were basically out of the running. Jiang Feng returned the resumes to Zhang Guanghang, ¡°Show me the resumes of those two brothers.¡± Zhang Guanghang skillfully extracted two resumes and didn¡¯t forget toment, ¡°The restaurant they used to work at is¡­¡± Before Zhang Guanghang finished speaking, he was interrupted by a striking sizzle, a sound that was clearly the noise of scorching hot oil poured over food. Jiang Feng made a simr sound when pouring oil into a fish¡¯s mouth as the final step in making chopped chili fish head, but it wasn¡¯t as loud as this. If the volume of the sizzle was any indication, its intensity was practically no different from a p of thunder. Before Jiang Feng had a chance to lift his head to look towards the stoves, a second distinct sizzle sounded, apanied by an enticing fragrance. It was the scent of eel¡ªrich with soy sauce and apanied by streaks of garlic aroma, a savory fragrance that announced loudly to everyone that a dish with a distinct personality was ready. Jiang Feng took several deep breaths, trying to identify the dish by its aroma. After a fruitless search in his memory, it was clear this dish was not a part of his repertoire. ¡°It¡¯s crispy eel strips with hot oil, most likely made by those two brothers. This dish was one of the signature dishes of their former restaurant,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, still holding the resumes. Jiang Feng quickly took the resumes to nce over them. The older brother was Dong Li, 32 years old, and the younger brother was Dong Shi, 29 years old. Both had previously worked at a restaurant that Jiang Feng vaguely remembered had once been featured in the ¡°Taste¡± magazine, named Huang Ji Restaurant. Just as Jiang Feng was about to look for their signature dishes, the food was already being served. Not in a rush, Jiang Feng put away the resumes and began to evaluate the two servings of crispy eel strips with hot oil in front of him. The brothers must have been taught by the same master because the two dishes were nearly indistinguishable in appearance. The shiny, slightly curled eel strips were irregrly arranged on the te, and they were boneless. Jiang Feng could tell that the brothers had used only the belly meat of the eel. There was a small cluster of snowy white minced garlic in the middle of the eel strips, exuding a rich garlic fragrance. Vibrant green chopped green onions were sprinkled like stars over the eel, and Jiang Feng could faintly see evenlyid white pepper powder on the strips. Eel was not plump in January, and the brothers were not good at ting, but the dish still looked tempting.
    Both in appearance and aroma, it was a dish that made one instinctively pick up their chopsticks and grab a strip of eel. Jiang Feng was the first to reach for chopsticks and pick up a strip of eel, the deep soy sauce ze giving it an even more apparent sheen up close, but without a greasy feeling. Due to the recent drizzle of hot oil, Jiang Feng could also see tiny bubbles of heat on the eel. Jiang Feng blew on his food a few times, not rushing to take a bite. The unique sauce vor of the stir-fried eel threads, mixed with the fresh scent of the eel, lingered around the tip of his nose. Dong Li and his brother Dong Shi stood quietly in their ces, with Dong Shi seeming eager to say something, but with Dong Li at his side, he didn¡¯t dare to be rash and could only stand silently with a look of eagerness.
    Jiang Jiankang had rich experience in snatching up hot food and wasn¡¯t afraid of the heat, only blowing on the eel threads a few times before the surface stopped bubbling and then tasting it, nodding his head in approval. It was a recognition of the brothers¡¯ culinary skills. Jiang Feng followed suit, though not as boldly as Jiankang. He cautiously tested the temperature with the tip of his tongue before confidently cing the whole eel thread in his mouth. The vor was strong, but the rich sauce did not overshadow the eel¡¯s own freshness. The flesh of the fish was delicate, but the skin of the eel had a resilient texture, and when chewed finely, a mild spiciness could be tasted, which under the stimtion of the spice made the eel threads even more delicious. The white pepper powder on the surface was the icing on the cake. The ingredients and seasoningplemented each other, and the cooking was done just right; without a doubt, it was an excellent dish. This was Jiang Feng¡¯s first time tasting this dish. After trying the stir-fried eel threads made by the two brothers, it was clear that Dong Li¡¯s was slightly better. Although Dong Shi¡¯s was not bad, it fell short of Dong Li¡¯s in every aspect. After tasting, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but reach for a few more bites, already feeling in his heart that the two brothers were strong candidates for his list. Although Dong Shi was slightly inferior, he was also worth considering. Zhang Guanghang was thest to reach out with his chopsticks because of his fear of hot food, waiting until several minutes after Jiang Feng and Jiankang had started eating. After just one taste, Zhang Guanghang began to inquire, ¡°I saw on your resumes that you both previously worked at Huang Ji Restaurant, which is also a famous establishment and should be much more well-known than Taifeng Building. I¡¯ve just tried your cooking, and it must have been Master Huang who taught you personally. Although it¡¯s not stated in the resumes, I guess you both were his apprentices. So why would youe here for an interview?¡± Hearing Zhang Guanghang ask this made Jiang Feng also curious. Logically speaking, mentors and apprentices would work in the same restaurant. Jiang Feng had heard of Master Huang from Huang Ji Restaurant; though not a grandmaster, he was certainly a well-known chef with skillful hands and several signature dishes. Huang Ji Restaurant, which was founded by Master Huang himself, should now be run by his son. Even if Master Huang, due to his age, no longer worked in the kitchen, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for his disciples to leave the family restaurant to seek employment elsewhere. ¡°It was the master who sent us here,¡± blurted out Dong Shi, speaking before Dong Li.
    Dong Li nced at Dong Shi, who dare not speak again, and then Dong Li exined slowly, ¡°Huang Ji Restaurant has been transferred.¡± ¡°Transferred?¡± Zhang Guanghang expressed some surprise, as they were all part of the Shandong cuisine circle. They generally did not keep up with news from the south, and what they did know was mostly through Pei Shenghua, the melon king. Although Huang Ji Restaurant could not be considered an old establishment whenpared to the nearly century-old restaurants in Beiping, it was still a well-known establishment, and its sudden transfer was certainly big news. ¡°After the master stopped cooking, the business started doing much worse, and the owner isn¡¯t very good at managing things either. Actually, the restaurant has been losing money for a while, so the owner decided to just sell the entire ce. Our senior brothers were introduced by our master to other restaurants, and our master said that our cooking still needs work, so he sent us to Beiping to gain more experience and exposure to other things,¡± exined Dong Li. Hearing this, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of regret. Thepetition in the culinary market has be increasingly fierce in recent years, and many once-renowned restaurants now seem incapable of keeping up. Once a head chef is poached or retires due to age, it doesn¡¯t take long for the establishment to be eliminated by the market. Survival of the fittest, though cruel, has always been the way. However, Zhang Guanghang was not entirely satisfied with Dong Li¡¯s response, ¡°Since Master Huang sent you to Beiping, he must have introduced you to some restaurants, and it shouldn¡¯t have been our establishment, right?¡± They had not received any news from Master Huang. ¡°Our master originally sent us to Yonghe House, but half a month ago we saw the cover of ¡®Taste¡¯ magazine, so we¡­¡± Dong Shi interjected again. Jiang Feng instantly understood; that¡¯s why they ditched Yonghe House. In a sh, the way Jiang Feng looked at Dong Shi became much more amiable. Such a talkative and lively character was just the right ingredient to make friends with Sang Ming.
    Taifeng Building needed talents like him. It also needed new dishes to be introduced. Stir-fried eel threads clearly had more appeal than Kung Pao Chicken and Ants Climbing a Tree. Chapter 466: 464 Almond Tofu Chapter 466: Chapter 464 Almond Tofu Apart from the Dong Li and Dong Shi brothers, among the remaining dozen or so people, Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang took interest in a middle-aged chef in his forties with a square face, who at first nce was quiet and honest. Although this square-faced middle-aged chef didn¡¯t have any signature dishes that were particrly eye-catching, he stood out with a rich resume and seasoned experience, disying a well-bnced skill level without any significant strengths or weaknesses. Such a chef might be ordinary, but he was also an indispensable presence in the kitchen of any restaurant. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s Bentley couldn¡¯t carry six people at one time, so after a brief discussion, Jiang Feng decided to have Zhang Guanghang take Jiang Jiankang while he would take a taxi with the other three to Taifeng Building. Jiang Feng arrived at Taifeng Building earlier than Zhang Guanghang and the others, and it was still rest time, with more than half an hour left before work started. Therefore, Jiang Feng found a table in the lobby for the three of them to sit, where he introduced them to the basic work requirements and asked some simple questions. ¡°Do you currently have a fixed ce to live?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about an hour¡¯s drive from Taifeng Building.¡± The middle-aged chef was from Beiping, married, and had a stable residence, fitting within the range of dependable employees that would set an employer¡¯s mind at ease. ¡°My brother and I just came over the day before yesterday and are currently staying at a hotel, but we¡¯ve already contacted a housing agency and should settle down soon,¡± Dong Shi said. ¡°You¡¯d better settle down quickly, as I mentioned just now, the trial period for furnace chefs is one week. Taifeng doesn¡¯t do business over the New Year, so we¡¯ll be taking a holiday in thetter half of January. Of course, you can rest assured, you won¡¯t miss out on the holiday bonus and gifts. I only say this because I hope you can devote yourselves wholeheartedly to work without being distracted by outside matters, and quickly establish good rtionships with your colleagues, to avoid having to re-adapt after the holiday,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Upon hearing this, the three were somewhat surprised. None of them were neers to the job market, but it was their first time hearing about a restaurant that would take a holiday during the New Year instead of doing business. The initial surprise caused the atmosphere to be somewhat silent and awkward.
    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s actually quite nice. My daughter alwaysins that I¡¯ve never spent New Year¡¯s Eve dinner with her over the years. It seems that starting this year, I can have it with her,¡± the square-faced chef was the first to speak up and lighten the mood. ¡°Not just New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, maybe you can have the Lantern Festival meal together too,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, continuing the topic the square-faced chef brought up, and looked at the Dong brothers, ¡°So when you rent a ce, you may need to consider that carefully, especially since the New Year is approaching. Our restaurant¡¯s work starts early, generally requiring arrival by 9:30 am. There is a break at noon. The evening off-duty time might be earlier than your previous jobs; under normal circumstances, you can leave by 10:00 pm at thetest. However, I still rmend that you rent somewhere a bit closer to avoid wasting too much time on the road.¡± Dong Li nodded, taking note of Jiang Feng¡¯s advice. ¡°I assume everyone has already seen the sry and benefits we offer. Our restaurant¡¯s ordering system is quite special and I¡¯ll take you to the kitchen to see it in a moment. My suggestion is that you stay this afternoon and participate in the evening business to get ustomed to everything. The two head chefs in our restaurant may not being to work for the next couple of days due to health reasons, so if you want to meet them, it will probably have to wait until after New Year¡¯s Day,¡± he added. ¡°I¡¯ve already tasted the crispy eel shreds that Dong Shi and Dong Li made, and there¡¯s no problem adding it to the menu. If you have other specialty dishes that you consider your forte, you¡¯re wee to stay tonight and prepare them on your own. Our restaurant offers a highmission for signature dishes,¡± Jiang Feng said. Speaking of which, Jiang Feng got up and was ready to take them to the kitchen for a look. ¡°If you have any other questions, feel free to ask at any time. Now I¡¯ll take you to see the kitchen. Since it¡¯s not time for work yet, not everyone may have arrived, butter on, when it¡¯s time, I¡¯ll further introduce you to the other kitchen staff. The restroom is on the second floor; if you need to go during work, just give a shout and you can head there,¡± he advised. Jiang Feng led the three through the kitchen, pointing out where the various ingredients were stored and highlighting some things to pay attention to in daily work. He focused on exining the procedure for clocking in for shifts and how to use the ordering system. All three of them were experienced chefs who had worked in big hotels before, so they intuitively understood many things without needing too much exnation from Jiang Feng. By the time Jiang Feng had taken them on a tour from the kitchen to the storeroom and found three fitting uniforms, then to the changing room to find three empty lockers, he had effectivelypleted the orientation for the new employees. The square-faced chef was calm throughout, following Jiang Feng without saying much. In contrast, Dong Shi was chatty and asked many questions, ranging from trivial ones like why there was no restroom on the first floor to useful inquiries about sourcing specific ingredients for their specialty dishes. After walking the three through their tour it was nearly time to start work, and the kitchen staff began to head to the changing room to get into their uniforms as they prepared for their shift. This presented an opportunity for Jiang Feng to introduce the three neers to everyone. The square-faced chef adapted well as a traditional Shandong chef, but the Dong brothers specialized in Jiangsu cuisine and had only a little experience with other styles. Most of the dishes on Taifeng¡¯s menu were not their strong suit. Jiang Feng had only tasted their crispy eel shreds, but Taifeng did not stock eels, creating a bit of a mismatch for the brothers. Without the two Sirs being present to take charge, Jiang Feng assigned Zhou Shi and Zhang Guanghang to guide the two brothers, but asked them to assist with basic tasks for the time being. Dong Shi and Dong Li adapted well to this arrangement; they often did the same when working at Huang Ji Restaurant, carrying out tasks like chopping and other prep work. Dong Li was paired with Zhang Guanghang, and Dong Shi with Zhou Shi. Zhang Guanghang and Dong Li were not very talkative, so they got along harmoniously. Zhou Shi was not much of a talker either but was very good at watching dramas unfold; therefore, even with someone chattering away next to him, he was well-adapted. Dong Shi¡¯s chattiness became evident while working. His chattiness was entirely different from Sang Ming¡¯s. Sang Ming spoke a lot simply because he liked to talk, whereas Dong Shi seemed to have integrated chatting into his work. Although Taifeng Building was not yet open for business at 4:30 p.m., due to advance orders for dishes and private room bookings, the kitchen had already entered a tense and busy atmosphere. ¡°Wow, Brother Zhou, is the customer volume at our restaurant always this high?¡± ¡°The holidays are busier. Fry that eggnt in hot oil.¡± Zhou Shi pointed to a te of eggnt that Zhang Weiyu had just prepared on the cooking station.
    ¡°What about normally? Is it much less than during the holidays? Brother Zhou, does this meat need to be nched first?¡± While dropping the eggnt into the pan, Dong Shi still found the capacity to continue the previous conversation. ¡°Leave the meat for now. It¡¯s a bit better on normal days, and we work overtime on weekends. The overtime pay is issued as usual so it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Zhou Shi said, while casually observing Dong Shi¡¯s movements, he noted that although he talked as much as Sang Ming, it was clear that he had been trained by a well-known teacher. ¡°Which restaurant did you work at before?¡± ¡°Huang Ji Restaurant.¡± Dong Shi scooped out the eggnt to drain the oil.
    ¡°Huang Ji Restaurant is also a well-known restaurant, so the usual customer volume should be simr, right?¡± Zhou Shi asked. ¡°That was before. Since master stopped working in the kitchen, we¡¯ve had a lot fewer customers. Otherwise, the boss wouldn¡¯t have sold the restaurant. I heard it has lost quite a bit of money over the past two years. Master said¡­¡± Dong Shi, oblivious that he was dishing out a sensational piece of gossip for the northern chefs, continued talking while shaking off the oil from the eggnt in the sieve, ¡°Where should these eggnts go now?¡± ¡°Just put them on the te for now.¡± Zhou Shi snagged some marinated meat from a small bowl, ¡°Was your master from Huang Ji Restaurant, Master Huang?¡± Jiang Feng, who was busy stuffing oranges with crab, sniffed the scent of gossip and silently inched closer towards Dong Shi. ¡°Yes, master said once my brother and I get settled here in Beiping, he would¡­¡± Before Dong Shi could finish, Dong Li abruptly cut off his fate-changing narrative. Dong Li, with hands still covered in starch, grabbed Dong Shi¡¯s wrist: ¡°I see you¡¯re quite free here, go help over there.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Dong Shi could only reluctantly leave the recently familiar Zhou Shi. ¡°Excuse me, where¡¯s the sink?¡± Dong Li asked Zhou Shi with a smile. ¡°The sink over there is more convenient,¡± Zhou Shi pointed to the sink on the right, ¡°If you need to wipe, there¡¯s paper towel beside it.¡± ¡°My younger brother tends to talk a lot while working, please don¡¯t mind him,¡± Dong Li said. Zhou Shi pulled his right hand out of the small bowl of marinated meat and, with his clean left hand, picked up the te containing the recently fried eggnt by Dong Shi, returning Dong Li¡¯s smile with a friendly one: ¡°Here we have a guy who talks even more than him, we¡¯re all used to it, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± Dong Li went back to work beside Zhang Guanghang. Jiang Feng moved back to his original position, exchanging a nce with Zhou Shi, both showing a regretful look for having missed out on the gossip.
    Without Jiang Feng¡¯s oversight, Ji Xia had already started daydreaming with an orange in hand, just like zoning out with a pen in hand during a ss. ¡°Xiaxia, focus! You still have 27 oranges to peel, and if you don¡¯t finish, you¡¯re not allowed to drink soda tomorrow, nor can you eat almond tofu. Your sister told me you sneak out every morning to buy almond tofu; the ones they sell at stores are all loaded with too much sugar, you need to eat less, your face has gotten a bit rounder recently.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ji Xia: (?????§Õ??????£© Chapter 467: 465: Recent Developments of Sun Guanyun Chapter 467: Chapter 465: Recent Developments of Sun Guanyun Not being able to taste the melon that Dong Shi never mentioned, Jiang Feng felt extremely regretful during the entire evening¡¯s business hours, but he believed there would be more opportunities in the future. As the Dong brothers, Dong Shi and Dong Li, gradually integrated into the melon-eating culture of Taifeng Building and let down their guard to be harmonious colleagues, Jiang Feng believed that there would no longer be any gossip in Taifeng Building that they couldn¡¯t get hold of. Everyone in the North had grown tired of the usual melons, and the hottest topic ofte was still the outstanding White Chef from Gusu, poached by Ling Guangzhao, a topic that had yet to be fully understood. Jiang Feng had met the man several times; he was just an unremarkable ordinary man without any distinguishing features, and he spoke with a gentle and delicate voice, carrying a bit of a Southern ent. Extraordinary culinary skills must have a source, even if one hasn¡¯t been lucky enough to be mentored by a famous chef. It might be like Zhou Shi, who had rotated among well-known restaurants to pick up skills. But this Master White Chef was different, as if he¡¯d popped out from the cracks in a stone. Even Pei Shenghua had only found out that his family used to run a pastry shop in Gusu, not a famous one, just a simple shop like the baozi stands you find at the entrance of a neighborhood. Jiang Feng almost wondered if Ling Guangzhao¡¯s ancestors had appeared in his dreams, instructing him to find such a master in Gusu to help Eight-treasure House regain its glory. Thanks to this Master White Chef, the reputation of Eight-treasure House had greatly improved recently, and its business was booming day by day, seemingly on the verge of a rebirth. It seems Taifeng Building might not be able to wait for Eight-treasure House to close down before poaching their head staffer after all. At this thought, Jiang Feng let out a very regretful sigh. The evening¡¯s business had already ended, and everyone was briskly and energetically cleaning up the kitchen, preparing to gather their belongings and head home. It was rare for the entire kitchen staff to be so excited, so Jiang Feng¡¯s sigh stood out strikingly. ¡°Fengfeng, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wu Minqi asked with concern. Jiang Feng was someone who sighed often, and for a variety of reasons. Previously, when Wang Hao was writing a novel based on him, he would frequently sigh with pity over Wang Hao¡¯s limited days before his impending ¡°destruction¡± by others. Nowadays, most of his sighs were due to television plotlines that didn¡¯t meet his expectations, and asionally, he sighed with regret for not having managed to get his favorite dish for dinner.
    Wu Minqi carefully reviewed the events of the day. ¡°Taste¡± was published, making Taifeng Building the biggest winner. The recruitment had gone very well, having hired three skilled chefs who seemed easy to get along with. The staff meal that evening was made by Jiang Weisheng, so there was no need to fight over dishes. ¡°Fengfeng, did you forget to do something?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°I¡¯ve just realized we might not be able to poach the head staffer from Eight-treasure House,¡± Jiang Feng said with a look of regret. Wu Minqi: ¡­ ? So¡­ did Ji Yue offend you today? Jiang Feng sighed deeply again, only then btedly realizing that Wu Minqi seemed to have spoken to him a moment ago. ¡°Qiqi, what were you just saying to me?¡± It was Wu Minqi¡¯s turn to sigh deeply. Although she had gotten used to Jiang Feng¡¯s dyed reactions when he was lost in thought or daydreaming, she felt that after getting married, especially after having children, she might find her husband¡¯s premature aging behavior quite bothersome. Wu Minqi had already started looking at bridal magazines recently. ¡°I thought you might have forgotten something, that¡¯s why I asked if you forgot something again,¡± Wu Minqi exined. With Wu Minqi¡¯s reminder, Jiang Feng suddenly realized he had indeed forgotten something. He had forgotten to call Sun Jikai and inquire about the price of dishes at Jubao Building. ¡°Qiqi, I just remembered my mom asked me to call Sun Jikai to find out their Jubao Building¡¯s dish prices, and I forgot to call. Dong Li and the others are staying behind for a tasting soon, so I¡¯m going to make a call outside. Can you keep an eye on things for me?¡± Jiang Feng nced at his watch, thinking it was just past 10 p.m., and Sun Jikai shouldn¡¯t be too busy to answer a call. Wu Minqi nodded, ¡°Should I ask Old Zhang to stay too?¡± ¡°Ask him if he wants to; if he¡¯s willing, he can also help with the tasting. Remember to have Xiaxia stay too, let her try more dishes and get some exposure,¡± said Jiang Feng before darting off towards the changing room for his phone. The changing room and bathroom have always been sacred ces where gossip spreads. With customers still dining in the restaurant, Jiang Feng felt it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to make a call in the main hall. So, wrapped in his down jacket and holding his phone, he headed straight outside to the roadside to make the call. The nights in Beiping City in January were colder than other ces. Jiang Feng, bundled up in his down jacket and holding his phone, hadn¡¯t even opened the WeChat interface before the cold wind made him shiver. Observing that there were no customers in the neighboring 24-hour convenience store, Jiang Feng decided to make the call from the warmth of the convenience store. The convenience store owner, as usual, was absorbed in watching dramas on his tablet, living the kind of carefree life many people could only dream of, without the slightest intention of contemting his future. Seeing Jiang Feng entering, the store owner casually waved his hand in greeting, as it was amon urrence.
    ¡°Oh, off work already?¡± ¡°Not yet, just borrowing your ce to make a call,¡± Jiang Feng said, confidently walking over to a high stool and sitting down. The store owner nodded and went back to his drama. Jiang Feng dialed Sun Jikai¡¯s WeChat call.
    The WiFi connection was still from the convenience store. The phone rang for a while, about 20 seconds before it was answered. ¡°Hello?¡± Sun Jikai¡¯s voice sounded somewhat weary. He had juste out of Sun Guanyun¡¯s hospital room, and had answered far too many calls today¡ªcalls from ssmates, friends, colleagues, his father, his mother¡ªso numerous that he had thought about turning off his cell phone and pretending he didn¡¯t exist. If the call wasn¡¯t from Jiang Feng, Sun Jikai felt he might have impulsively hung up in irritation. He had just seen Sun Guanyun¡¯s test results. The outlook was not promising. ¡°Well, although it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve been in touch, I saw Grandpa Sun¡¯s new dish featured in ¡®Taste¡¯ today, so I wanted to call and congratte you,¡± Jiang Feng said, uttering words he found incredibly awkward himself. Upon hearing Jiang Feng¡¯s words, Sun Jikai couldn¡¯t help but reveal a somewhat chuuni coldugh. He had been receiving insincere phone calls all day, mostly starting with that same line. He hadn¡¯t expected that even Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t escape the cliche. Ever since ¡®Taste¡¯ became an annual publication, the articles written by Xu Cheng himself had be extremely precious. Since winter began, Sun Guanyun¡¯s health had been deteriorating. Winter was tough for the seriously ill elderly, and Sun Guanyun had been hospitalized sincest week, unable to hold on any longer. Since then, probing inquiries, both overt and covert, had been ceaseless. While Sun Jikai was worried about Guanyun¡¯s illness and busy managing Jubao Building, he also had to guard against his second uncle¡¯s recent aggressive moves and watch out for his own mother, who had been consistently pulling him back like a hindering teammate. Now, even his treasured friendship seemed to be starting to deteriorate. Overtaken by various annoyances, which triggered his chuuni demeanor, Sun Jikai said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s okay, can¡¯tpare to the publicity Taifeng Building gets.¡± Jiang Feng was taken aback on the other end of the phone; Sun Jikai¡¯s tone seemed to indicate he was not in a good mood. But since he had already made the call, no matter how foolish, the question had to be asked.
    ¡°Not bad, not bad. The publicity Taifeng Building gets is all thanks to the cookingpetition. It¡¯s no match for Grandpa Sun¡¯s new dishes,¡± Jiang Feng said with augh, making polite conversation. On the other end of the phone, Sun Jikai let out a coldugh. Sure enough, after not seeing each other for a few months, Jiang Feng had be like those otherpetitors, starting to probe. Tainted with the smell of money and the foul stench of cunning and deceit. ¡°Well¡­ you know, our restaurant is new and we¡¯re inexperienced, especially in setting menu prices. We¡¯re not as savvy as Jubao Building. My mom wanted me to call and ask you, how does Jubao Building set its prices? Could you send something over for me to reference? We n to raise our prices after the New Year, and we want to see how an established business like yours that has been featured in ¡®Taste¡¯ sets its prices.¡± Sun Jikai: ??? For some reason, this abrupt change in the conversation and the nonsensical dialogue felt oddly endearing to him, causing even his voice to be friendly and gentle. ¡°That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll send it to you in a bit,¡± Sun Jikai said, feeling incredibly rxed and happy. ¡°Thank you so much. You¡¯ve really helped us out a great deal; you know we¡¯ve always struggled with setting the right prices for our menu,¡± Jiang Feng said, genuinely from the bottom of his heart. Sun Jikai thought, since the moment you priced Ji Xue¡¯s stir-fried beef noodles 8 yuan higher than mine, I could tell you really weren¡¯t good at pricing. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. If you have any questions in this regard, don¡¯t hesitate to call,¡± Sun Jikai said obligingly. Jiang Feng felt that since Sun Jikai had been so polite, he should reciprocate. But not knowing what to say, he decided to express concern for the other party¡¯s elder. ¡°Thank you for that. Oh, and with the cold weather, the elderly are prone to catching a chill. My Granduncle Weiming went to the hospital today because he caught a coldst night. I hope Grandpa Sun is doing alright?¡± Jiang Feng said and then immediately regretted it, realizing that the South was not like Beiping¡ªSun Jikai¡¯s ce was much warmer than Beiping. Sun Jikai could tell Jiang Feng was only asking out of politeness. He just needed to respond formally that everything was fine, no major issues, and they could end the call.
    But the words stopped at his lips. All these days, he had been telling people rted or unrted that Sun Guanyun was fine and only hospitalized as a precaution against the changing weather since he was advanced in age. After telling the lie a hundred times, he nearly believed it himself. If not for just having seen the medical results, he might truly think that Grandpa Sun would be out of the hospital in a couple of days after catching a cold. But in reality, considering Sun Guanyun¡¯s current health, it might be difficult for him to be discharged again. He kept the truth from everyone, not daring to be honest with anyone, not even his own parents. Yet, he desperately wanted to tell someone trustworthy the truth, to also remind himself that Sun Guanyun didn¡¯t have much time left. ¡°Not very good,¡± Sun Jikai said. ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Feng was stunned. ¡°My grandpa¡¯s condition is quite bad. I just saw the hospital¡¯s test results. It doesn¡¯t look promising,¡± Sun Jikai said. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment, and after some thought, he replied, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not as serious as you think. My second cousin studies medicine, and many conditions that seem severe to us are not a big deal to doctors. With Grandpa Sun¡¯s strong spirit, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t have any major problems.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± Sun Jikai said with a bitter smile. Both fell silent for a while before Sun Jikai spoke up first, ¡°I¡¯ve got some things to take care of, so I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Jiang Feng replied.
    Looking at the disconnected WeChat call, Jiang Feng remembered how Sun Guanyun had been coughing frequently thest time he saw him, and he suddenly felt uneasy. Grandpa Sun might really not be in good shape. Thinking this, Jiang Feng felt a tightness in his chest, recalling the period right after Li Mingyi¡¯s death, and he felt a heavy sense of constriction. Birth, aging, sickness, and death, the impermanence of life. Inescapable, unavoidable. Chapter 468: 466 Honey Glazed Fire Square Chapter 468: Chapter 466 Honey zed Fire Square Jiang Feng sat in the convenience store, calmed down for a dozen minutes, quietly ate a small cup of oden, and watched an episode of an anime series with the store owner that he couldn¡¯t quite understand. He listened as the owner recounted a whole bunch of plot points that werepletely over his head, and then he slowly made his way back to the kitchen of Taifeng Building. By then, all the customers who had dined in the lobby had left, the lights were mostly out, and the waitstaff had gone home, leaving only the kitchen lights shining brightly. As Jiang Feng walked through the dimly lit lobby, he suddenly felt a sense of destion. The kitchen¡¯s tasting session was drawing to a close. The three newly recruited chefs were veterans who had weathered many storms and were skilled in their craft. Even without assistance, they worked swiftly. When Jiang Feng entered the kitchen, he saw Ji Yue already starting to belch in front of the steamed pork with rice flour wrapped in lotus leaves. Only Wu Minqi, Zhang Guanghang, Ji Yue, and the three chefs there for the taste testing were in the kitchen. Jiang Jiankang, who was supposed to be one of the judges, was nowhere to be seen. ¡°How is it? Where¡¯s my dad?¡± Jiang Feng quickened his pace towards Ji Yue, but his question was directed at Zhang Guanghang in front of her. ¡°Mr. Jiang received a call and left about ten minutes ago. It seemed like Mrs. Wang needed him to go back first. Dong Li¡¯s crab meat tofu, sweet and sour ribs, and steamed pork with rice flour are not bad. Dong Shi¡¯s squirrel fish is okay. Master Wang¡¯s firm tofu and braised prawns are very good. The mullet roe soup, I think, wascking a bit in fire control. You try it,¡± Zhang Guanghang pointed to the dishes on the table. Because of the time, all the dishes on the table had cooled down, making their presentation unappealing. The greasy dishes like sweet and sour ribs and braised prawns were especially affected, with the fat congealing as if they were refrigerated leftovers. Of the dishes on the table, only Dong Shi¡¯s squirrel fish looked presentable. Although only half of it was left, Jiang Feng could vaguely imagine what it looked like fresh out of the pan. ¡°The squirrel fish is a bitcking in fire control. The sauce tastes good, but the fish wasn¡¯t marinated well, and it¡¯s slightly over-fried. It seems fine at the beginning, but halfway through, it bes tedious to eat, especially after it cools, there¡¯s a faint fishy smell, and both the taste and texture turn strange,¡± Ji Yue, who usually only ate withoutmenting, suddenly took on the role of a food critic. Hearing her say this, Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Zhang Guanghang all turned to look at her simultaneously, making her feel uneasy.
    ¡°Why are you guys suddenly looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Because Orchid, you rarely give opinions on the dishes,¡± Zhang Guanghang said, smiling. ¡°The dishes you guys made before, I hardly ever ate, so how could Iment? The squirrel fish, on the other hand, I¡¯ve been eating since I was a child, so of course, it¡¯s different,¡± Ji Yue said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you from Huaiyang?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t squirrel fish a Suzhou-style dish?¡± Jiang Feng was a bit puzzled. Ji Yue used to be clueless about Huaiyang cuisine but seemed to be an expert on Suzhou dishes. ¡°Dongpo¡¯s braised pork knuckle is also a Sichuan dish, but you don¡¯t see it being sold exclusively in Sichuan or Shu. Anyway, the kind of dish I often ate with friends when we went out was like squirrel fish, I haven¡¯t had Wen Si tofu or three sets of duck,¡± Ji Yue said helplessly. ¡°What? Dongpo¡¯s braised pork knuckle is a Sichuan dish??!¡± Jiang Feng eximed, surprised. Ji Yue: ¡­ Just as the two were about to engage in a heated discussion on whether Dongpo¡¯s braised pork knuckle was indeed a Sichuan dish or not, Dong Shi¡¯s final dish, honey-zed ham, was served. The freshly cooked honey-zed ham was piping hot, and therge slices of ham looked tantalizing. Even for the tasting, Dong Shi had done some simple ting. On both sides of the ham were diamond-cut carrots arranged nicely in clusters, with a circle of lotus seeds on the outer edge. It looked like the central ham was being celebrated by a ring of stars. Jiang Feng leaned in to sniff it and caught a strong scent of honey sweetness, suggesting that the clear sauce drizzled over the ham, carrots, and lotus seeds was made with a mix of honey and braised sauce. Before anyone else spoke, Ji Yue¡¯s eyes lit up as she took the lead, ¡°Honey-zed ham!¡± ¡°Zhang, this dish is done well, it¡¯s very delicious. It¡¯s made by frying it in cookedrd and then pouring honey and candied osmanthus over it. There are also pine nuts buried under the ham, and even the lotus seeds were soaked in sugar water, amazing! I¡¯ve exceeded my calorie intake for the day; you eat a piece for me.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? So there¡¯s this approach. Wu Minqi, who initially reached for her chopsticks, quietly retracted her hand upon hearing Ji Yue¡¯s words and leaned closer to whisper, ¡°Is this dish high in calories?¡± ¡°Off the charts,¡± Ji Yue whispered back. ¡°Fengfeng, I really can¡¯t eat anymore, you try it,¡± Wu Minqi gave Jiang Feng a smile.
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ It¡¯s just a piece of ham, how much weight could it possibly add? Women truly are an unfathomable species. Shaking his head, Jiang Feng picked up a piece of honey-zed ham. Most of the hams used in Taifeng Building were southern hams, also known as Jinhua Ham, which varied in quality. Since there were very few dishes that used ham regrly, it was rarely utilized.
    The cut that Dong Shi had chosen was very fatty, with about half of the slice consisting of fat. The ham was incredibly tender, likely steamed to reach this texture, which must have taken at least two or three hours. ¡°How long did you steam it for?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°I took advantage of some downtime when the shop wasn¡¯t too busy to start steaming the ham. All in all, it was steamed in two stages, totaling over three hours,¡± Dong Shi replied. Though he was talkative, he became quite serious when discussing culinary matters, like an apprentice being tested by his master. ¡°This dish can be prepared and steamed in advance, and the final preparation is very quick. From the moment the customer orders it to when it¡¯s served, it takes no more than ten minutes,¡± Dong Shi added. Jiang Feng nodded with satisfaction, then tasted the honey-zed ham. Sweet. His first impression of the dish was its sweetness. While the main ingredient was ham, it wasn¡¯t an overstatement to consider it a sweet dish. The sweetness of the candied osmanthus and that of the honey created aplex vor profile, which,bined with the natural taste of the ham, blended surprisingly well in his mouth. The sweet-saltybination was not at all jarring, but pleasantly unique, and the ham¡¯s umami was well represented. Although it wasn¡¯t something to be eaten inrge portions, for a group of diners to each have a few bites, it would undoubtedly be a dish that would leave asting impression and be endlessly savored. Jiang Feng looked towards Zhang Guanghang, who had also tried the honey-zed ham, and noted his appreciative expression. Setting down his chopsticks, Jiang Feng addressed the three chefs who were preparing to clean up: ¡°Although I was dyed and only got to try thest dish, I believe the other dishes are also of a high standard. Since the others have already tasted them, I¡¯ll go ahead and tentatively approve some dishes for inclusion on the menu.¡± ¡°Master Wang¡¯s ¡®casserole tofu¡¯ and ¡®oil-braised prawns¡¯ are good, Dong Li¡¯s ¡®crab meat tofu¡¯, ¡®sweet and sour ribs¡¯, and ¡®lotus leaf steamed meat¡¯ are also well done. Dong Shi¡¯s honey-zed ham is definitely up to snuff. As for the other dishes, since the head chef isn¡¯t here, it¡¯s difficult for us to make decisions without him. We¡¯ll have to trouble you all to make them again once the head chef returns. Considering that we need to think about pricing and you all need to adjust and harmonize with the existing kitchen staff, you probably won¡¯t be able to truly take charge of the cooking before the seven-day trial period is over. I hope you all understand.¡± ¡°Of course, if any of you have any other issues, feel free to contact me. If it¡¯s something I can help with, I will do my best to assist,¡± Jiang Feng concluded with a perfunctory courtesymon among capitalists. Since it was toote, the remaining dishes that hadn¡¯t been finished had to be dumped into the slop bucket. Jiang Feng and the others helped clean up the kitchen, then headed to the changing room to get dressed and go home.
    ¡°Young boss.¡± Jiang Feng was just leaving Taifeng Building when he was stopped by Dong Shi. With his talkative nature and a vivacity that defied his age, Dong Shi had managed to strike up conversations with every kitchen staff member, including those at the cold dishes counter, during the short evening service. He learned everyone¡¯s name and nickname as if he were a seasoned veteran of Taifeng Building. ¡°Hmm?¡± Jiang Feng turned around and saw Dong Shi walking towards him alone while Dong Li stood still, looking at his phone. ¡°I wanted to ask you something,¡± Dong Shi said, approaching Jiang Feng with an apologetic smile. ¡°My brother and I wanted to ask if you know any reliable real estate agents? We¡¯d like to secure a ce to live before the New Year.¡± ¡°Short-term or long-term?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°Long-term.¡± ¡°I have contact information for some real estate agents on hand. Let¡¯s add each other on WeChat, and I¡¯ll send you their detailster. If you need to take time off to go house-hunting, that¡¯s fine. We can extend the internship period if necessary,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°It won¡¯t take a lot of time for my brother and me to find a ce. My brother said that since neither of us has a girlfriend and we don¡¯t need to consider settling down or save much money, we¡¯ll settle for something appropriate,¡± Dong Shi exined. Jiang Feng: ¡­ You can talk about something so sad with such a cheerful tone. That¡¯s quite a skill. Chapter 469: 467: Almond Pig Lung Soup Chapter 469: Chapter 467: Almond Pig Lung Soup After parting from Dong Shi, Jiang Feng found his words quite amusing and shared Dong Shi¡¯s speech about not having a girlfriend meaning no expenses and therefore being able to rent any kind of house with Wu Minqi as they walked. To his surprise, Wu Minqi nodded in agreement after hearing it and didn¡¯t see any issue. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s quite normal. If Dong Shi and his peers really grew up learning the craft by Master Huang¡¯s side, having such a mindset is normal,¡± Wu Minqi said, suddenly leaning in to sniff Jiang Feng¡¯s cor. ¡°Fengfeng, did you eat Oden?¡± ¡°Oden? What Oden? Oh, it was too cold outside, and I made a call from the convenience store next door. I might have caught the scent of Oden while on the phone.¡± Jiang Feng denied having secretly eaten Oden, as he and Wu Minqi had just recently set a winter weight loss n together. Jiang Feng thought he needed to find a chance to reveal to Qiqi the fate of thest person who made a weight loss n with him; Wang Hao¡¯s physique was a bloody lesson. ¡°Why is that normal?¡± Wu Minqi, actually just tempted by the smell of Oden and not giving it much thought, replied, ¡°The culinary profession has a significant gender disparity, and apprentices don¡¯t generally have much ie before they finish their training. It might have been okay in the past, but nowadays people tend to prioritize financial stability, making it difficult for those without a steady ie post-apprenticeship to find partners. My dad had two apprentices who were pushed by their families to go on arranged dates and marry only in their thirties. At the age of Dong Shi and Dong Li, they aren¡¯t considered old bachelors in the apprentice circles.¡± After hearing this, Jiang Feng was somewhat disheartened, realizing that the culinary industry carried such risks. Luckily, with his keen eye for talent, he had found a boss girlfriend before he began his career. Rounding up, he was practically a winner in life. ¡°How¡¯s Granduncle Weiming doing?¡± Wu Minqi asked.
    ¡°Just amon cold, but the doctor said considering Granduncle Weiming¡¯s age, even a minor illness requires great care. They prescribed medicine and told him to rest at home and return to the hospital for observation if there¡¯s no improvement,¡± Jiang Feng exined, rying the medical advice, which Jiang Zaidi had promptly shared with the family group. ¡°However, he can¡¯t have his physical exam tomorrow. Tomorrow, De will apany Granduncle for his physical exam, and my uncle will stay home to take care of Granduncle Weiming.¡± Wu Minqi nodded, then paused before saying, ¡°My mom called me at noon, my third male cousin¡¯s engagement banquet has been set for January 23rd. They need to start preparing and arranging seating. So¡­¡± ¡°Fengfeng, I remember you saying you would go with mest time. January 23rd is almost Chinese New Year, and I don¡¯t know if you¡­¡± Wu Minqi looked at Jiang Feng. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll go. It¡¯s not yet Chinese New Year on January 23rd. I can apany you to our cousin¡¯s engagement banquet then head back to Z city,¡± Jiang Feng agreed promptly, his eyes resolute. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go back and give my mom the update,¡± Wu Minqi said, her face breaking into a brilliant smile. Jiang Feng returned a genuine smile, but inside, he felt a bit shaky, wishing he had a universal search engine in his brain that knew about weddings, banquets, raising children, falling in love, engagements, and meeting parents¡ªready to answer any query, an essential for men. How should one behave on their first visit to a girl¡¯s family home? Looking for advice online, quite urgent! . On January 2nd, in the Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen, the two head chefs were still not back at work. Compared to the previous day¡¯s operations, the Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen staff was clearly coping well without the head chefs on the second day, no longer making small mistakes like they did on the first day. Even if there were significant errors, Jiang Feng could handle them in time or shift the me to his real dad to deal with. The three new employees had adapted well too. Master Wang was like the ordinary chef found in the kitchen of every restaurant, unremarkable and without any significant role but still indispensable. Like a standard but fullypetent screw that could do its job well anywhere, ensuring the smooth functioning of its machine. Dong Li, on the other hand, was a pensive, flexible yet reticent worker who silently did his job without chatting with others but could adapt when necessary¡ªa type of outstanding employee every capitalist boss would appreciate. Taifeng Building had many such employees; among the old staff, the furnace chefs other than Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang were just like that, very capable and not talkative, but never missed a piece of gossip. Jiang Feng doubted that with Dong Li¡¯s seemingly stable, non-contentious demeanor, and apparent disinterest in everything, he must be able to sneakily find out quite a bit of gossip behind the scenes. Dong Shi, on the other hand, was apletely different story, he was talkative, sociable and had almost the same temperament as Sang Ming; it was just a pity that he didn¡¯t y mahjong, otherwise Jiang Feng would have to wonder whether they were long-lost half-brothers separated at birth. After the lunch service ended, Jiang Feng contemted whether he should sneak to the convenience store next door and have a couple of pieces of the radish from their Oden selection. The Oden at the convenience store next door didn¡¯t sell well because the owner was too engrossed in watching series and neglected it, leaving the ingredients to stew in the pot from morning until they were sold or thrown out at night. Most ingredients would lose their texture being stewed for that long, but radishes, which be more vorful and absorb the soup the longer they¡¯re cooked, were simply perfect for such cooking. Although you could tell from one taste that the base of the Oden was made with a seasoning pack and water, it was still irresistibly delicious! The radish Jiang Feng had eaten the night before had fallen apart as soon as it was picked up because it had been cooked for too long, but it had practically melted in his mouth. The entire radish had turned the color of the soup sauce and was drenched in vor. The quality of the radish itself was good too, very juicy, without any astringency, and it was the best he had ever had in Oden. This kind of feeling was like Mr. Jiang Jiankang knowing that c was unhealthy but still wanting to drink it; it might be unhealthy, but it¡¯s a pleasure. Having had another meal prepared by Jiang Weisheng, Jiang Feng was feeling a bit restless.
    ¡°Jiang Feng, I¡¯ve asked your Minqi to go shopping at the mall with me,¡± Ji Yue called out to Jiang Feng before whisking Wu Minqi away. Jiang Feng felt his opportunity had arrived. Watching the departing figures of Wu Minqi and Ji Yue, Jiang Feng was already surreptitiously getting ready to throw on a jacket and rush to the convenience store next door. Jiang Feng quietly put away his phone, preparing to casually walk over to the changing room.
    ¡°Young Boss!¡± Dong Shi suddenly called out to Jiang Feng. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jiang Feng slowly turned around. ¡°I was chatting with Brother Zhou yesterday when I heard from him that the head chef has a sore throat and is resting at home. My brother and I went to the market this morning and bought some pig lungs and north almonds to make a north almond pig lung soup for the head chef. The soup is ready now, and my brother asked me toe and get the head chef¡¯s address from you so we can deliver it,¡± Dong Shi exined. Jiang Feng was taken aback, not expecting such thoughtfulness from the two brothers: ¡°My Granduncle Weiming just caught a cold, it¡¯s really not necessary.¡± Upon reflection, Jiang Feng realized that Dong Shi and Dong Li had indeed been carrying something when they arrived that morning, but he had been busy snatching a red packet Ling Guangzhao posted in the WeChat group and hadn¡¯t paid much attention. The back kitchen staff often brought in things in the morning, mostly breakfast they hadn¡¯t had time to eat; asionally, it was snacks they nned to save for lunch. Speaking of which, Jiang Feng had snatched more than 60 yuan from the 100-yuan red packet, containing 10 shares, that Ling Guangzhao had sent out that morning; he intended to brag about it until the New Year¡¯s. When it came to the dish, Dong Shi was quite serious: ¡°My master often caught a cold and coughed in winter. As long as my brother made him this north almond pig lung soup a few times, and he drank it, he would get better; it¡¯s really effective.¡± Jiang Feng showed a smile: ¡°Thank you very much for that, and for being so considerate. I recall the store has the lunchbox I used to deliver meals to my cousin before. How about this: I¡¯ll retrieve it and put the soup into the lunchbox first, then you two get changed, and I¡¯ll take you there. It¡¯s not far; a brisk walk would get us there in twenty minutes.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot, Young Boss.¡± ¡°It is I who should thank you.¡± Chapter 470 - 468: Model Master Chapter 470: Chapter 468: Model Master The lunchbox used to pack Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s meal was naturally of an extrarge size, but Dong Li had only made a small pot, which fit into the lunchbox with plenty of room to spare. The three-tiered white stainless steel lunchbox contained only a small pot of almond and pork lung soup. When Jiang Feng picked up the lunchbox, he always felt like he should add something more to it. As he left the kitchen, Jiang Feng immediately noticed Ji Xia sitting by the table near the kitchen door, pretending to daydream while actually eyeing the soda in the fridge, poised to strike the moment Jiang Feng left. When Jiang Feng¡¯s gaze fell on Ji Xia, Ji Xia guiltily looked away. ¡°Xiaxia,¡± Since Jiang Feng had called out, Ji Xia couldn¡¯t pretend she hadn¡¯t heard and walked over while massaging her finger, ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Go change your clothes ande with me to see Granduncle Weiming. On the way back, I¡¯ll take you to buy some roasted sweet potatoes,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Okay, thank you, Master!¡± Ji Xia¡¯s spirits lifted instantly, and she dashed into the dressing room to change clothes. Ji Xia, who had lived in Guangdong Province all her life and had never worn a down jacket before this, had virtually no awareness of the cold. She caught a cold and had a fever on the way to Li Mansion early in winter, ending up on an IV drip at themunity hospital for several days. Later, seeing snow for the first time, she ran outte at night to build a small snowman under the building and ended up freezing her hands like pig¡¯s trotters. Since then, her hands hadn¡¯t fully recovered, especially her little finger, which remained in a state akin to pig¡¯s trotters regardless of medication or alcohol rubs. Because Ji Xia¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t healing well, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t let her go to Li Mansion to cook pig food for Da Hua anymore. Instead, he asked her to stay at Taifeng Building at noon to take care of her hands. Dong Li and Dong Shi, who had just finished changing their clothes, happened to see the happy Ji Xia running into the dressing room, and Dong Shi, being straightforward, took over the lunchbox from Jiang Feng and asked, ¡°Little boss, is Xiaxia really your disciple?¡± Dong Shi picked up the names as he heard others use them; having heard everyone calling Ji Xia ¡®Xiaxia,¡¯ he naturally did the same, fitting in quite easily. ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°Xiaxia is Ji Xue¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°Little boss, you sure took on a disciple early. My master didn¡¯t take on my senior brother until he was forty,¡± Dong Shi remarked. ¡°How old is Master Huang this year?¡± Jiang Feng asked casually. ¡°My master is 72 this year,¡± Dong Shi answered, ¡°He has taken on 9 disciples in total, and I am hisst disciple.¡± Having 9 disciples is considered a remarkable number in the chef profession. ¡°Is Master Huang in good health?¡± Jiang Feng inquired politely. ¡°Not bad, he sometimes suffers minor ailments, often coughing and feeling unwell in winter, but it usually clears up in a couple of days. In the past few years, my master was always worried about the restaurant, which affected his spirits, but since the owner sold the restaurant, he is much better. Justst night, my brother and I called to reassure him that we had been epted by Taifeng Building, and he was delighted.¡± Jiang Feng was taken aback and scrutinized Dong Shi¡¯s expression. He realized that Dong Shi wasn¡¯t being sarcastic or insincere, but genuinely thought that it was good for Master Huang¡¯s son to have sold Huang Ji Restaurant. For a moment, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t know how to respond. Selling a restaurant founded and personally expanded by one¡¯s father didn¡¯t look good from any angle, resembling an unfilial act. If the elder had a more fiery temper, he might have chased after his son with a walking stick throughout the city. Dong Li, who had remained silent by the side while Dong Shi chatted with Jiang Feng, noticed Jiang Feng¡¯s concern and took the initiative to exin, ¡°Master said selling the restaurant was a good thing. The bosscked the ability to run it, and in recent years, Huang Ji Restaurant was really just being supported by Master. In fact, things started to decline while Master was still in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Master said that as long as we disciples have learned his skills, whether Huang Ji Restaurant exists or not isn¡¯t important. Rather than keep us tied to a poorly managed restaurant unable to advance our culinary skills, it¡¯s better to sell it and let us find more suitable ces. The owner has been so frazzled by the restaurant¡¯s issues for the past few years, literally losing his hair. Master said since Huang Ji Restaurant was his creation without much heritage, instead of dragging everyone down, it¡¯s better to sell it and give everyone a better future while he can peacefully enjoy his old age.¡± Jiang Feng was silent for a long time, only speaking slowly after Ji Xia hade out dressed, ¡°Master Huang¡¯s way of thinking is truly admirable.¡± In the chef circles these years, the mostmon drama has been apprentices seeking better opportunities and leaving the failing restaurants of their masters, leading to ugly public spats. Jiang Feng had never encountered someone like Master Huang before, who proactively sold his restaurant to provide his disciples with better opportunities. Master Huang was truly a teacher worthy of being in textbooks. ¡°Master, should we go now?¡± Ji Xia asked. Looking at Ji Xia and thinking of the unseen Master Huang, Jiang Feng felt somewhat ashamed, ¡°Xiaxia, do you want some fried chicken tenders?¡± Ji Xia¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Afterwards, I¡¯ll buy some for you on our way back. I recently ate¡­ heard that a fried chicken shop makes very tasty chicken tenders,¡± he said. Because Ji Xia couldn¡¯t control her cravings, she¡¯d been gaining weight over the past few months. Jiang Feng and the others had now strictly forbidden her from eating sinful, fattening, and unhealthy food like fried chicken. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Ji Xia didn¡¯t know why Jiang Feng was being so generous today, not only letting her eat roasted sweet potatoes but also chicken tenders. But at times like this, it was enough to just thank the master. Jiang Feng disyed a slightly dyed smile. I really am a good master, barely behind Master Huang at all. Dong Shi, having listened to the recent conversation between the master and disciple, felt it sounded familiar and turned to his elder brother. ¡°Bro, don¡¯t you think the little boss and Xiaxia said something familiar just now?¡± Dong Li nced at Dong Shi and said, ¡°Wasn¡¯t our master the same with you before?¡± A realization dawned on Dong Shi. More than ten years ago, when he and his brother first came to the city from the countryside to find work, they got lucky and were taken in as disciples by Master Huang. Back then, Master Huang would also often cajole them like children by buying them snacks. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Dong Li, quickening his pace to catch up with Jiang Feng and Ji Xia up ahead. Dong Shi hurriedly followed, while Jiang Feng and Ji Xia walked in front, and the two brothers trailed behind. ¡°Master, may I not eat the chicken tenders and have a chicken steak instead?¡± Ji Xia asked tentatively, hoping to push her luck. ¡°No,¡± Jiang Feng tly denied Ji Xia¡¯s request. ¡°Then, Master, may I have two smaller sweet potatoes instead of a big one? The ones at the entrance of the neighborhood aren¡¯t sweet in the middle.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Master, ¡­¡± As Dong Shi walked, he looked around distractedly and seeing a residential area not too far away, he had a sudden idea, ¡°Bro, why don¡¯t we rent a ce here? It¡¯s close to Taifeng Building so it would be convenient for work, and there¡¯s a supermarket on the corner for shopping!¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Dong Li replied nomittally. ¡°Oh right, bro, how about we rent a three-bedroom ce?¡± Dong Shi suggested. ¡°Three-bedroom?¡± Dong Li didn¡¯t quite catch what Dong Shi was getting at. ¡°Last night when I spoke with master on the phone, he was in Hang City, having been invited over by our eldest senior brother from Gusu. It¡¯s too cold in Beiping right now, so it¡¯s not convenient to have mastere over. This morning I asked Wang, and he said that the temperature in Beiping would be very pleasant around April or May; we could invite master over then.¡± ¡°I asked the little boss this morning, and even though we work six days and have one off, we can umte our days off to take them together. By then, we can take turns being off to have master enjoy a few more days in Beiping.¡± ¡°Master visited Beiping when he was younger,¡± Dong Li said helplessly. ¡°Huh?¡± Dong Shi was confused. ¡°Hasn¡¯t our eldest senior brother mentioned before? Master specifically came to Beiping when he was young. It¡¯s not your ce to show him around,¡± Dong Li reminded him. Dong Shi appeared somewhat disappointed. ¡°But we definitely need to rent a three-bedroom ce; master specially told me yesterday that he woulde to see us when spring arrives,¡± Dong Li said with a smile. ¡°Why didn¡¯t master tell me?¡± ¡°What good would telling you do, with your forgetful brain?¡± Dong Li mercilessly jabbed his younger brother before ncing at Jiang Feng and Ji Xia up ahead and hastening his steps. While he¡¯d been absorbed in conversation with Dong Shi, he¡¯d fallen quite a bit behind without realizing it.¡¯ ¡°Hey, wait for me, bro! You know I walk slowly,¡± Dong Shi quickly said, carrying his lunch box to catch up. Chapter 471 - 469: Baked Sweet Potatoes (4000 words) Chapter 471: Chapter 469: Baked Sweet Potatoes (4000 words) When Jiang Feng and the others arrived at Jiang Weiming¡¯s house, Jiang Weiming was wrapped in a small nket sitting in the living room watching TV, while Fifth Uncle was in the kitchen making pear soup for Jiang Weiming. The pear soup in the kitchen had reached the point of being ready, and Jiang Jianshe only nced at the visitors to see Jiang Feng and Ji Xia, not even noticing the Dong brothers Dong Shi and Dong Li as he hurried back to the kitchen. Jiang Feng first looked at the TV, which was ying ¡°Why Women Kill Season 1¡± projected from a phone. Jiang Weiming¡¯s pursuit of dramas always kept up with thetest trends, never like Sir who would take out decade-old dramas to watch over and over again. The Jiang family members¡¯ tastes in TV dramas varied greatly. Although Jiang Weiming was older, his heart was young. He watched almost every kind of drama, especially mysteries, and even asionally vampire-themed idol dramas. Jiang Feng vaguely remembered that duringst year¡¯s New Year, Jiang Junlian nagged Jiang Weiming for a long time about a famous vampire-themed idol drama. Most of the time, Sir did not watch TV dramas, but if he did, he had a special fondness for war dramas, no matter how old they were¡ªwhether they were from ten years ago or even twenty or thirty years ago. He would recall and watch them. But sometimes, Sir was forced by Mrs. Jiang to watch dramas with her, and that included Jiang Jianshe and Jiang Feng¡¯s uncles too. Since watching dramas alone was too boring, they had to pull their husbands to discuss the plots together to make it interesting. Represented by Mrs. Jiang, the female members of the Jiang family had a particr love for family ethics dramas and asionally watched pce and period dramas. Jiang Feng often heard Mrs. Wang Xiulian and the aunts discussing how despicable the husbands were in thetest hit family ethics drama, and how shameless the mistresses were. As for the younger generation of the Jiang family, their tastes were more diverse. Jiang Zaidi had no time to watch dramas; his limited life was already devoted to the endless work of earning money and revising drafts. It would be like a murder plot to ask him to spare time to watch TV dramas. Because of his medical studies, Jiang Shoucheng had a special interest in medical dramas, particrly Japanese ones. The kinds where you pour a bottle of iodine on the highway before performing open-chest surgery, where it¡¯s often the world¡¯s first case or the world¡¯s most difficult, or where tumor removal is as easy as hemorrhoid surgery, and each episode features a new cancer patient, were Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s favorites. Jiang Feng once suspected that Jiang Shoucheng secretly practiced the way handsome male doctors in Japanese dramas walked¡ªhands in pockets, expressionless face, cool eyes, a breezy walk, wearing a whiteb coat as if it were a trench coat, and turning the hospital corridors into a catwalk. But from what Jiang Feng saw, Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s practice was not very sessful. Because Jiang Ran rarely participated in the main plot and did note home during the summer holidays after starting university, only returning during the New Year, everyone was unclear about his taste in TV dramas. Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, were still at the stage where they only cared about faces, not plots. As long as it starred their favorite male celebrities, they could get into any bizarre storyline. As for Jiang Feng, he should be considered the person with the most diverse tastes in TV watching in the entire Jiang family. He watched all types of dramas. As a child, he followed Mrs. Jiang to watch family ethics dramas and pce dramas, and when he got a little older, he watched war dramas with Sir. In college, he yed mahjong with several boys in the next dormitory while watching idol dramas they didn¡¯t want to admit to watching. Jiang Feng once thought idol dramas were his limit, but since he got hold of Ji Yue¡¯s TV list, he had been introduced to a whole new world. He realized that TV dramas should not be confined to the narrow frame of idol dramas, ethics dramas, inspirational dramas, business dramas, and so on. TV dramas could be quite varied, featuring single-gender changes, double-gender changes, nephews falling for uncles, mothers-inw falling for daughters-inw, wives falling for mistresses, brothers falling for¡­ Cough cough, I digress. The living room was very warm with the heating on. The small nket on Jiang Weiming only covered his upper body, while his lower body was dressed in thick cotton pants. His cotton shoes, handmade by Mrs. Jiang, were extra thick. Jiang Feng also had a simr pair, stuffed with so much cotton that it was somewhat difficult to fit his feet in. It seemed that Jiang Weiming had learned his lesson from catching a cold a few days ago and had taken very good warming measures. Seeing Jiang Feng arriving, Jiang Weiming put down his hot tea, squinted his eyes, looked at Jiang Jianshe¡¯s phone on the tea table, pressed pause, and the image on the TV stopped as well. ¡°Feng and Xiaxia are here,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile, his voice a bit hoarse but much better than yesterday. As Dong Shi and Dong Li walked in, Jiang Feng quickly introduced them to Jiang Weiming. ¡°Granduncle Weiming, they are the new employees hired yesterday. Hearing that you were feeling under the weather, they specially made an almond and pig lung soup to visit you,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Weiming smiled and nodded at Dong Shi and Dong Li, coughed lightly a couple of times, and said, ¡°Such good kids, I appreciate it.¡± ¡°` Jiang Feng took the lunch box from Dong Shi and headed to the kitchen to ready the Apricot Kernel Pork Lung Soup inside for Jiang Weiming¡¯s consumption, while Jiang Jianshe was focusing intently on the Snow Pear Soup simmering in the pot. Among these uncles of Jiang Feng, it was Jiang Jianshe whose culinary skills were the worst; a single nce at the Snow Pear Soup was enough for Jiang Feng to tell that the concoction was mediocre at best. Jiang Jianshe, seeing Jiang Feng enter the kitchen with the lunch box, which upon opening revealed the still-warm pork lung soup, breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Feng, thank goodness you thought to simmer this pork lung soup. Otherwise, once your granduncle returns and sees the Snow Pear Soup I¡¯ve stewed, he would definitely scold me.¡± Jiang Feng felt ashamed upon hearing Jiang Jianshe¡¯s words; the thoughtful ones were not him, but the Dong brothers, Dong Li and Dong Shi. He just assumed that with the presence of his eldest uncle, second uncle, fourth, and fifth uncles, there was certainly someone to look after Granduncle Weiming and his help wasn¡¯t needed, but he forgot that the elders had their own affairs to attend to. ¡°The soup was made by the two new chefs we hired yesterday,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Apricot Kernel Pork Lung Soup is a type of medicinal dish, which is not a specialty of the Jiang family members. The only medicinal dish Jiang Feng knew how to make was Eight-Treasure Tofu. The lunch box was great at retaining heat; when Jiang Feng scooped the soup into a bowl, he could still feel its warmth. The pork lung soup was highly nutritious and known for its cough relief, phlegm reduction, and lung nourishment; it was a fairlymon medicinal dish that also tasted quite good. Most medicinal dishes fall short in vorpared to regr culinary offerings, with only a few delectable ones that have been lovingly refined by master chefs. Dong Shi¡¯s cooking skills were impressive, and he cooked the Apricot Kernel Pork Lung Soup until it was very light; one could easily see the ingredients in the clear broth, with the sliced pork lung andrge kernels of apricot. As he stirred, a hint of ginger could also be detected, making it a very nourishing dish. ¡°Uncle Five, what about this soup?¡± Jiang Feng inquired about the Snow Pear Soup that was still on the stove, for after drinking the pork lung soup, Granduncle Weiming would surely have no room for Snow Pear Soup. ¡°I will drink it myself,¡± replied Jiang Jianshe. ¡°Today, your granduncle¡¯s appetite is slightly better than yesterday, and he¡¯s coughing less frequently. He kept coughing before he went to sleepst night, which worried me sick; had it not been toote, and had I not called Chengcheng who told me it was normal and that the medicine wouldn¡¯t work that fast, I would have taken your granduncle to the hospital again.¡± ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll bring out the soup first.¡± ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯lle out as soon as the Snow Pear Soup is ready,¡± Jiang Jianshe nodded. When Jiang Feng carried the soup into the living room, the Dong brothers were sitting very stiffly on the sofa, engaged in a conversation with Jiang Weiming but appearing extremely nervous and awkward, while Ji Xia stared nkly at the still television screen. Jiang Feng brought the pork lung soup to Jiang Weiming, who took a small spoonful of the soup. Even though the mild pork lung soup seemed tasteless to him, he could still determine, with his extensive experience, that it was a very thoughtful and outstanding pork lung soup. ¡°The fire control was very precise; truly the work of a disciple taught by Master Huang,¡± Jiang Weiming praised. ¡°Granduncle, you know Master Huang?¡± Jiang Feng was quite surprised. ¡°Not personally, but I have heard of him. When I was still at the state-owned restaurant, I heard travelers mention a pair of impressive chef brothers from Gusu; the elder brother, surnamed Huang, excelled in Suzhou-style dishes, and the younger brother, surnamed Zheng, was good with white te desserts. Just now, when I heard the two young Dongs talking about it, I remembered. The Master Huang I know of must be their teacher,¡± Jiang Weiming exined. Due to being in Shu for many years and earlier transportation difficulties, Jiang Weiming rarely encountered non-local chefs. Most of what he knew came from hearsay. To other chefs, Jiang Weiming was something of a legend. Most older chefs knew of a master chef from Shu in the earlier years who was no less skilled than Grandfather Wu Minqi, but few had actually met him. In terms of age, Jiang Weiming was definitely considered a senior in the culinary world. ¡°Master Jiang, you¡¯re incredible to even know about our teacher¡¯s mentor,¡± Dong Shi praised. ¡°Hm? What about Master Zheng?¡± asked Jiang Weiming. ¡°` ¡°Our master-uncle was never very famous,¡± Dong Li initiated the conversation, ¡°Years ago, he worked in a state-owned restaurant just like my master, butter when master opened his own restaurant, master-uncle stopped working in culinary arts and went into other businesses.¡± Jiang Weiming furrowed his brows, ¡°What about your master-uncle¡¯s cooking skills?¡± ¡°He passed them on to his son; his son seems to have opened his own little pastry shop. Over the years, master and master-uncle haven¡¯t been in touch much, usually only seeing each other during the New Year,¡± said Dong Li. When Jiang Feng heard Dong Li say this, he suddenly remembered someone. ¡°What¡¯s your master-uncle¡¯s son¡¯s name?¡± asked Jiang Feng. Dong Li paused, thought for a moment, and then said with some uncertainty, ¡°I think it¡¯s¡­ Zheng¡­ Zheng Si¡­ Si¡­¡± ¡°Is it Zheng Siyuan?¡± ¡°That seems to be the name,¡± Dong Li nodded. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but hold his forehead, wondering how Ling Guangzhao always got his information so quickly, even finding mentors and disciples hidden in the marketce. The white case master from Eight-treasure House was Zheng Siyuan. A pearl cast into the dark! ¡°Does your master have any other brothers?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Dong Shi and Dong Li both shook their heads in unison, not quite understanding why Jiang Feng would ask this. ¡°If you¡¯re free, you might reach out to Master Zheng and share some sentiments. He¡¯s also working in Beiping now, right at Eight-treasure House. Right, I¡¯ll add you guys to the group so you can chat there,¡± Jiang Feng said. Having listened for a while, Jiang Weiming finally caught on, ¡°Is it the white case master who made the mooncakes before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Jiang Feng nodded. Jiang Weiming didn¡¯t have any other thoughts, he was just happy that Dong Shi and Dong Li could meet a member from their same sect in Beiping, ¡°Then that¡¯s quite a fortunate coincidence.¡± Dong Shi and Dong Li were still a bit dazed. After spending some more time with Jiang Weiming, Ji Xia was called away by Jiang Jianshe for a bowl of rather average-tasting pear soup and left when it was about time. After they left, Ji Xia still couldn¡¯t forget the roasted sweet potatoes and fried chicken tenders Jiang Feng had promised her. The uncle selling sweet potatoes was reliably guarding his post in front of the residential area in the cold wind, as the north wind carried the scent of roasted sweet potatoes throughout the street, making every passerby take a deep breath and involuntarily head towards him. Like every sweet potato seller, this uncle had a naive, hearty smile, an ordinary appearance, and was dressed inly and warmly, which upon a closer look was also kind of dirty. As soon as he saw a customer, the sweet potato seller said with a beaming smile, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here quite early today.¡± Ji Xia¡¯s smile froze on her face. Of the four people present, the Dong brothers had just arrived in Beiping and hadn¡¯t even settled down a ce to stay yet, and Jiang Feng only bought sweet potatoes once a week at most, so thement clearly wasn¡¯t meant for him. Jiang Feng looked towards Ji Xia. Ji Xia took a step back guiltily. ¡°Quite early?¡± ¡°Master, I only¡­ I only had them these few days, really, just these days!¡± Ji Xia hurriedly exined. Even though Ji Xia didn¡¯t have to make pig food for Da Hua at Li Mansion every day after her hand got frostbite, Jiang Feng always gave her some round-off money to buy snacks Mrs. Wang Xiulian craved or milk tea that Wu Minqi wanted. This was Ji Xia¡¯s fixed pocket money source, and any money left over was her spending money. But what Jiang Feng didn¡¯t expect was that the same Ji Xia, who once brought home oranges costing 99.67 yuan for a hundred yuan bill, was now eating roasted sweet potatoes behind their backs. No wonder Ji Xia had been getting plumper, not slimmer, even though she was banned from snacks recently. Jiang Feng always thought it was because you tend to gain weight easier in winter due to eating more. ¡°Boss, just a small one,¡± Jiang Feng started to scan for payment, then turned to Ji Xia, ¡°The weather is changing, and fried chicken is too heaty right now, can cause throat inmmation, so no fried chicken tenders. A small roasted sweet potato will do.¡± Ji Xia: ©d(??§¥??)? Dong Li, watching Ji Xia¡¯s expression on the side, couldn¡¯t help wanting one too but ultimately managed to restrain himself to maintain his cool persona. Dong Li turned his head to his younger brother and saw that Dong Shi was intently contemting which sweet potato to choose on the stand, clearly pondering which one to buy. ¡°If you¡¯re going to buy, then hurry up,¡± Dong Li whispered. Dong Shi pointed at the biggest one, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll take that one.¡± ¡°The big ones aren¡¯t tasty; They¡¯re vorless and not sweet in the middle,¡± Ji Xia whispered in advice. Dong Shi quickly changed his mind, ¡°Boss, not that one, I¡¯ll take this one and this one, give me two small ones.¡± The wind blew, and the scent of the roasted sweet potatoes grew richer. It was as if just by smelling, one could imagine the deliciousness of the soft, orange flesh of the sweet potatoes after peeling away the ck skin. Warm in the palm, fragrant at the tip of the nose, and sweet in the heart. Ji Xia: QAQ She wanted two as well. Chapter 472: 470: Annual Meeting (5000+ Votes for Monthly Tickets!) Chapter 472: Chapter 470: Annual Meeting (5000+ Votes for Monthly Tickets!) Although Ji Xia lost a portion of fried chicken tenders and a small-sized baked sweet potato, she gained half a pot of pear soup that evening upon returning¡ªJiang Jianshe had specifically left it for her because he simply couldn¡¯t drink any more, and he had even gone out of his way to serve it to her. When Ji Xia finally went back, she was burping. Whether they were burps of happiness or resentful pear soup burps was something only Ji Xia knew. Whether it was the effectiveness of the medicine, the benefits of the pork lung soup, or Jiang Jianshe¡¯s attentive care, Jiang Weiming stopped coughing after the third, and his overall energy had greatly improved¡ªhis condition was much better. Initially, he wanted to return to work with Sir, who had been dragged by his sons to undergo a full-body health check-up, but everyone insisted he rest a few more days because they were worried about him. As a result, Jiang Weiming didn¡¯t just finish watching ¡°Why Women Kill Season 1¡±, he also caught up on ¡°White Cor Season 6¡± that he had missed. Seven dayster, on January 9th, Sir¡¯s medical report was freshly issued. All the Jiang Family members in Beiping carefully studied Sir¡¯s report, not that they could understand it, but carefully studying was the right thing to do. Others who were not in Beiping, such as Jiang Ran, Aunt, and others, needed to examine it meticulously over WeChat and express their professional concern and care in family group messages through sentences of no less than twenty characters¡ªthis symbolized the reader¡¯s concern for Sir. Jiang Feng was fortunate as he had Jiang Jiandang to study Sir¡¯s medical report with him. Jiang Jiandang, who hadn¡¯t be a life-saving ¡®Angel¡¯ and had only opened a small pharmacy in Z city collecting a substantialpensation for demolition, was often overlooked by the Jiang Family members for the fact that he too had studied medicine for many years. Ever since Jiang Shoucheng began studying medicine¡ªwhether he had a medical qualification certificate at the time or not¡ªeveryone would first consult him with any headaches or fevers before consulting Baidu, and as thest resort, they would go to a hospital to ask a doctor. No one ever thought of Jiang Jiandang first, even though he had a medical qualification certificate. As far as Jiang Feng knew, Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s expression pack titled [Don¡¯t Know Medical Students Asking Doctors].jbgd still existed on his phone,ing in handy every now and then. Because he was studying the medical report with Jiang Jiandang, even though three out of the three and a half pages were unintelligible to him, he didn¡¯t fall behind when praising Sir¡¯s health with his uncles and aunts. As an 84-year-old, Jiang Weiguo¡¯s health was quite impressive. Basic screenings such asplete blood count and electrolyte panel were all normal; the slight elevation in cardiac enzyme spectra and reduced heart and lung function were normal urrences due to his advanced age.
    Taking advantage of the lull after the lunch rush, Jiang Feng, after praising Sir¡¯s health, did not forget to check on Jiang Weiming¡¯s health. ¡°Granduncle Weiming, with the New Year approaching and your cough improved, should we schedule a time for you to get a full-body check-up at the health center?¡± Jiang Weiguo did notment on Jiang Feng¡¯s suggestion, but looked towards Jiang Weiming. From his gaze, Jiang Feng could tell that Sir agreed with his idea. Originally, everyone had wanted both Sirs to undergo a full-body check-up together, but it had been postponed due to Jiang Weiming feeling unwell and unable to go out. Now that Sir¡¯s medical report hade out, Jiang Feng thought it was time to bring it up again. Jiang Weiming did not immediately respond, taking a long while before he demurred, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling any difort, and your grandfather didn¡¯t find any problems, so let¡¯s not waste the money.¡± Sir instantly objected, ¡°Weiming, it¡¯s a good thing that nothing was found. Anyway, Xiao De is freetely, so let him take you to the hospital for a check-up in a few days; he has the experience from when he apanied mest time.¡± Jiang Weiming was still somewhat reluctant, ¡°Let¡¯s forget it for now, since it is almost the New Year, and I have to go to Magic City. We can talk about it after the New Year.¡± Since Jiang Weiming was reluctant, Jiang Feng did not press the issue. In fact, what Jiang Weiming said was not wrong; with the New Year fast approaching, they would have to wait for the medical reports when nobody would be in Beiping anyhow, so it made sense to wait until after the New Year for the check-up. ¡°Granduncle, have you booked your ticket yet? Do you need me to apany you to Magic City? I also need to apany Qiqi to Shu for her third cousin¡¯s engagement party before the New Year. Since it¡¯s running around, leaving a day early won¡¯t make much difference,¡± Jiang Feng offered. ¡°Yong said he would handle the ticket; I¡¯m not sure about the details. He will pick me up at the station, so Feng, you don¡¯t need to go out of your way to apany me,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile. ¡°Since Feng is free, and as we are all going out, let him apany you. Weiming, don¡¯t worry about this¡ªFeng and the others will handle the bookings,¡± concluded Jiang Weiguo decisively. Seeing that Jiang Feng had nothing else to add, Sir dismissed him to tend to his own affairs and pulled Jiang Weiming to the teahouse to boast about his medical report with the regr tea drinking buddies. The elderly do enjoy showing off, especially at their age. Mrs. Jiang could show off her grandchildren even just from getting an IV at the town hospital, so naturally, Sir wouldn¡¯t miss an opportunity to proudly unt his impressive health report to his friends at the teahouse. As soon as the two Sirs left Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng also headed out. He nned to sit and eat some Oden at the convenience store next door. Since New Year¡¯s Day, he had been patronizing the next-door convenience store, insisting on doing a ten-dor business with the owner every day. On January 9th, at 3:19 pm, Jiang Feng entered the storeter than usual. Stepping inside, he immediately smelled the familiar scent of Oden cooked with a mix of seasonings, as the convenience store owner, as always, sat in his usual spot watching anime. The aroma of the store seemed richer than usual, emanating from more than one location. Jiang Feng sniffed and realized the source of the other aroma was from the normally unupied booth seating area. The three-seat booth was upied by two people Jiang Feng recognized¡ªDong Shi and Ji Xia. Dong Shi and Ji Xia were sitting on high stools facing the wall, both hunched over, eating their Oden in unison. Since when had the two of them be so close that they could secretlye together to the convenience store for Oden behind his back?
    Jiang Feng thought about it and realized that since the day he had taken Dong Shi and Dong Li to visit Jiang Weiming, themunication between Ji Xia and Dong Shi had increased significantly. It was just that Dong Shi was always talkative with everyone, so Jiang Feng had not found it unusual. Dong Shi and Ji Xia, with their backs to Jiang Feng, had not noticed him; each holding a small paper cup filled with oden and eating with great pleasure. Jiang Feng quickly covered the distance behind Ji Xia in a few strides and silently patted her shoulder without making a sound. Ji Xia turned around, with a piece of radish still in her mouth, frozen in her seat. She looked exactly like a high school student caught by the homeroom teacher while sneaking into an inte cafe during summer vacation: her surprise mixed with delight, her delight mixed with guilt, her guilt revealing fear.
    Unfortunately, Ji Xia the high schooler did not know that Jiang Feng the homeroom teacher was also there to use the inte. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t oppose Ji Xia eating oden; it was fine for the young girl to asionally enjoy oden in winter. Although it was made from a voring packet, it wasn¡¯t considered junk food, and the most important thing was that he ate it every day. Ji Xia was free to do whatever she wanted during lunch break. Jiang Feng just felt a little disappointed that Xiaxia had started having her own little stash of money and would go out to buy snacks on her own instead of asking him for money. ¡°You two found a pretty good spot here, this ce¡¯s oden has a special taste,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, as he headed toward the oden booth, originally nning to eat a couple of his favorite radish pieces. Ji Xia, seeing that Jiang Feng was not angry, immediately rxed, ¡°Exactly, Master. I didn¡¯t even know about it but Dong Shi brought me here today, and this radish is especially tasty.¡± Jiang Feng nodded with a smile and approached the oden stand. The overcooked eggs, potatoes, kelp, konjac, fish balls, and bamboo wheel were all lying peacefully in their respectivepartments; the only empty spot was where the radish should have been. Jiang Feng: ??? Where¡¯s my radish??? Jiang Feng, refusing to believe it, used his chopsticks to search, but not even a piece of radish was left. The convenience store owner, who had been absorbed in watching anime, noticed Jiang Feng¡¯s actions and lifted his head to nce at the iron box cooking the oden. ¡°Ah, the radishes are sold out, eh? No worries, Jiang Feng just wait a moment, I¡¯ll add some now,¡± said the store owner as he went to fetch some sliced radish for Jiang Feng. ¡°Plop¡± ¡°Plop¡±
    The snow-white radish pieces were thrown roughly into theirpartments by the store owner. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Oh well, I might as well go and have a heart-to-heart with the employees. Jiang Feng walked over to the booth and took a close look at Ji Xia¡¯s and Dong Shi¡¯s paper cups. Sure enough, they were mostly filled with radish. ¡°Master, why didn¡¯t you get any oden? This radish is really tasty!¡± Ji Xia rmended enthusiastically. ¡°Really?¡± Jiang Feng put on an Oscar-worthy performance, courtesy of the Jiang family. ¡°Really,¡± Ji Xia assured him seriously, skewering a piece with a bamboo stick, ¡°You won¡¯t believe it until you try it, Master.¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t just ignore the heartfelt offering from his disciple; he had to ept it with open arms, showing a satisfied expression. After chewing and finishing, he said, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s delicious.¡± After sessfully getting a piece of radish, Jiang Feng turned his attention to Dong Shi, wearing an expression of a good boss who cares about his employees. ¡°The probation period ends tomorrow, how do you feel?¡± Master Wang¡¯s probation period ended today, and since he was originally a Shandong chef, he had adapted well to everything at Taifeng Building, and the Taifeng staff had also adapted well to him. If nothing went wrong, his name would be on the menu tomorrow, and Mrs. Wang Xiulian had already set the prices. The Dong brothers¡¯ probation period was extended by a day because they took a day off to look at apartments. They had also settled on a rental in the neighborhood next to Jiang Feng¡¯s, with a hefty rent. Since the Dong brothers were Suzhou-style chefs, their adjustment period was much longer than Master Wang¡¯s. Mrs. Wang Xiulian and the two elderly gentlemen had all spoken with the brothers, and after discussions, everyone unanimously felt that it would be better to wait until after the New Year¡¯s holiday to put their dishes on the menu, bringing in a fresh atmosphere for the new year. So, for the time being, these two brothers with their fine culinary skills would have to put up with working under Zhou Shi and Zhang Guanghang¡ªassisting, cooperating, and making progress together.
    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Dong Shi put down the small paper cup in his hand and turned to look at Jiang Feng. ¡°You¡¯ll have to bear with helping Zhou Shi out before the New Year, but after youe back, you should be able to work normally like the others. Have you booked your ticket home for the holiday? It¡¯s best to book early since tickets during the Spring Festival travel rush are hard to snatch up,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. ¡°Boss, the specific holiday dates haven¡¯t been announced yet,¡± Dong Shi said weakly. Jiang Feng was startled, ¡°Not announced yet? Didn¡¯t I say it would be before the Little New Year?¡± He had always assumed he had mentioned it much earlier, before New Year¡¯s Day. ¡°Boss, could you give us a hint about the exact date for the holiday? Although you said it would be before the Little New Year, that¡¯s only a week away now. Having a specific date would help us book tickets,¡± Dong Shi asked with a smile, full of anticipation. It was the first time since finishing junior high that he was looking forward to a holiday so much. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely have time off before the Little New Year. Because we haven¡¯t set a date for the year-end party, the exact time is still uncertain. Just book your tickets around the Little New Year; we won¡¯t dy your holiday,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Year-end party?¡± Dong Shi and Ji Xia eximed at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s the year-end benefits. It probably won¡¯t be as grand as otherpanies, with no performance programs. It¡¯s just that on thest day, we won¡¯t work, and everyone will gather to eat and draw lots, ensuring you all go home for the New Year happy.¡± The idea of having a year-end party came from Fan Mei, as before this, the Jiang Family Members had no concept of a year-end party, nor had anyone attended one. With the number of employees at Taifeng Building, not having a party seemed unimpressive, but they also didn¡¯t know how to organize one. Fan Mei suggested that it wasn¡¯t necessary to rent a special venue and have a grand year-end party like otherpanies. As a year-end benefit for thepany, the purpose of the year-end party was to make employees happy at the end of the year, to enjoy thepany¡¯s benefits so they can serve thepany better in the new year. In some sense, Taifeng Building¡¯s extra-long holiday was already the best benefit, so Fan Mei proposed that the Taifeng Building year-end party could be like Jiang Weiming¡¯sst birthday feast, held within Taifeng Building itself, with food and drinks, mahjong, and then a lucky draw which would make everyone happy.
    Mrs. Wang Xiulian is now pondering what prizes to set for the lucky draw during the party. Huang Family Restaurant had never held a year-end party before; it was always a matter of either Master Huang or Mr. Huang giving out red envelopes with auspicious words before everyone went their separate ways to celebrate the New Year. Dong Shi, out of curiosity, asked Jiang Feng many questions about the year-end party. Jiang Feng had never attended or organized a year-end party and was clueless himself, so his answers to Dong Shi¡¯s questions were all haphazard, while Ji Xia listened in, nibbling on a carrot, pretending to understand. One daring to speak, two daring to believe. After finishing the oden, Dong Shi couldn¡¯t wait to say goodbye to Jiang Feng and went to brag to his elder brother about the misconceived knowledge of the year-end party he had just acquired, leaving only Ji Xia holding the soup-only small paper cup, sitting on the chair, pondering over what she had just heard. ¡°Master, is the Little New Year on the 17th?¡± Ji Xia suddenly asked. ¡°Right,¡± Jiang Feng nodded. Ji Xia seemed to have an idea. After Ji Xia drank thest bit of soup from the small paper cup, Jiang Feng took her to leave the convenience store. Jiang Feng had just walked out of the store and had not yet reached the entrance of Taifeng Building when Ji Xia suddenly said, ¡°Master, can I take a day off and not go to the year-end party?¡± Jiang Feng thought he had heard wrong. How could Ji Xia miss out on the year-end party, a time with food, drinks, and a lucky draw: ¡°Xiaxia, what did you just say?¡± ¡°Can I not go to the year-end party? I want to go shopping,¡± Ji Xia said. The outdoor temperature was much lower than indoors, and as the wind blew, not only did it sweep away the aroma of the oden from around Jiang Feng, but it also sobered him up. First, Jiang Feng quickly walked into Taifeng Building with Ji Xia, before saying, ¡°Xiaxia, if you want to go shopping for something, your master can take you tomorrow at noon.¡± Ji Xia shook her head, refusing, ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have any money tomorrow.¡± Actually, Ji Xia did have money. The money she had earned during the few months she ran away from home was always hidden in her luggage. But, she had another use for that money, so she couldn¡¯t spend it rashly. Although Ji Xia didn¡¯t have a sry, she received amission for the zhajiang noodles she sold alongside Jiang Feng¡¯s crab-stuffed oranges every day. It wasn¡¯t much, but saved over a few months, it amounted to nearly a thousand yuan. Since Ji Xia was underage and didn¡¯t have a bank card, it was inconvenient to pay her sry, so Jiang Feng had told her long ago that her sry would be given to her at the end of the year along with a red envelope. Jiang Feng had already decided on the amount, 8,888 yuan, extra from his own private savings. ¡°What does Xiaxia want to buy?¡± Jiang Feng asked with a smile. ¡°Roast duck, fruit preserves, fuling cakes, donkey-hide gtin rolls, autumn pear cream, crispy sugar, donkey-hide gtin rolls, chewy sugar treats, kidney bean rolls, pea cakes, chocte pies, sesame seed tbreads, mooncakes, flour figurines, cloth shoes, hairpins¡­¡± Ji Xia began counting on her fingers, at first it was all about food, but as she went on, the list included ythings and other items as well. Jiang Feng: ??? Was Xiaxia going to buy New Year goods? ¡°Xiaxia, you can¡¯t finish all these things on the train,¡± Jiang Fengughed, thinking Ji Xia wanted to take her favorite foods to eat on the train. Ji Xia shook her head: ¡°I want to take them back for my grandmother.¡± ¡°I told my grandmother over the phone before, when I return, I will bring her my favorite foods.¡± ¡°I also told my grandmother that once I¡¯ve earned a lot of money, I¡¯ll buy a house with heating in Beiping and move grandmother over, then I can buy her a new washing machine. Grandmother¡¯s washing machine has been broken for a long time, always spinning then stopping. If grandmother had a new washing machine, she wouldn¡¯t have to wash everything by hand after the machine wash,¡± said the Ji Xia, unaware of the real estate prices in Beiping. Jiang Feng thought that Ji Xia¡¯s determination to buy a house in Beiping just for a washing machine wasmendable, and he nodded in praise: ¡°Xiaxia¡¯s grandmother would be very happy to know this.¡± ¡°However, Xiaxia, you don¡¯t need to take time off, the year-end celebration should be half a day. Your sister Wu and I can apany you in the morning to buy the things you want to, and attend the celebration in the evening,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Ji Xia now said these four words with practiced ease, not only fluently but also filled with genuine emotion and affection. ¡°Go have fun,¡± he said. Ji Xia left happily. Jiang Feng had nned to go upstairs and find a private room to y with his phone, when just then Wu Minqi came down and saw Ji Xia¡¯s happy figure bouncing along, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°What¡¯s got Xiaxia so happy? Did you just take her out for fried chicken?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°No, she has gained ten pounds this winter and she definitely needs to eat less fried stuff,¡± Jiang Feng immediately denied. ¡°She wants to buy some things for her grandmother on the day of the year-end celebration. I just promised her that we will apany her in the morning to shop, and then go to the celebration in the evening.¡± ¡°Has the date for the year-end celebration been set?¡± Wu Minqi hadn¡¯t been paying attention to these details recently as she had been discussing with her mother about bringing Jiang Feng back for her third cousin¡¯s engagement banquet. If all goes well, the next time Jiang Feng meets with the Wu Family will be at their engagement banquet. ¡°Not yet, it should be either on the 15th or 16th. Isn¡¯t your third cousin¡¯s engagement banquet set for the 19th? I n to send Granduncle Weiming to Magic City first and then head to Shu. You can go ahead, and I¡¯ll arrive at most a dayter than you,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to my mother about it tonight,¡± Wu Minqi smiled and nodded, deciding to finalize the new n with her mother that evening. Being one dayte would require quite a few changes. Jiang Feng turned his head, looking for where Ji Xia might have run off to. Many of the items she had mentioned wouldn¡¯t keep well, and it would probably be difficult to sessfully bring them back to Guangdong Province. He needed to remind Ji Xia to revise her list. Then he found Ji Xia by the freezer. In her hand, Ji Xia held a bottle of c, tiptoeing as she prepared to close the freezer door stealthily. ¡°Xiaxia, put the c back, please!¡± ¡°How many times have I told you, you can¡¯t drink c!¡± Chapter 473: 471 Fathers Love is as Great as a Mountain Chapter 473: Chapter 471 Father¡¯s Love is as Great as a Mountain It only took half an afternoon for everyone in the Taifeng Building kitchen to find out the wonderful news that they would definitely have a holiday before the Little New Year, and the New Year¡¯s holiday wouldst until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, with thest day off without having to work for the annual meeting. All employees of Taifeng Building were swimming in a sea of happiness, just like university students about to have a winter break with no final exams, no homework, and even bonuses handed out by the school. While the staff rejoiced, the customers naturally became sad. Whether they were new or returning patrons, these people had actually been looking forward to Taifeng Building¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner menu. As long as they weren¡¯t short on cash, everyone didn¡¯t mind spending a bit more money to enjoy a sumptuous and delicious New Year¡¯s Eve meal at their favorite restaurant without losing face in their social circles. But what awaited the eagerly hopeful customers was the news that Taifeng Building would not be open for business from the Little New Year to the Lantern Festival. For some who treated Taifeng Building as their dining hall, like Han Guishan who didn¡¯tck money, this news struck like a bolt from the blue, and even during meal times, they couldn¡¯t help but sigh. They wished they could pull out the owner of Taifeng and crack open his skull to see what was inside, and perhaps teach him a thing or two about how to run a business. How could a high-end restaurant not do business during New Year¡¯s! How could they not want to earn money, how could they refuse to earn money that¡¯s being forced upon them! Han Guishan sat in the private room on the second floor, looking at the pickled vegetable buns in his hands and letting out a deep sigh. Wang Jing looked up at Han Guishan, scooped a spoonful of Mapo tofu, and took a couple of sips of soy milk. The Mapo tofu on the table wasden with plenty of Sichuan peppercorns and chili pepper in the red soup covering the white tofu, and it was unmistakably Wu Minqi¡¯s unrestrained masterpiece.
    Ever since ¡°Taste¡± was published, Taifeng Building had seen an influx of visitors from other cesing solely to try the dishes written about by Xu Cheng in ¡°Taste.¡± Every day, many customers were spiced to tears and went temporarily tongue-tied by Wu Minqi¡¯s spicy dishes, so much so that Taifeng¡¯s juice sales skyrocketed, bringing Mrs. Wang Xiulian such joy she considered holding a special meeting just tomend Wu Minqi¡¯s outstanding contribution to the restaurant. For this reason, Mrs. Wang Xiulian went as far as to add two options next to Wu Minqi¡¯s dishes on the menu¡ª(moderately spicy/lightly spicy). Ever since she read ¡°Taste,¡± Wu Minqi seemed to have broken free from her shackles. Normally when cooking, she would still give some thought to the tolerance for spiciness of Beiping¡¯s customers, but now she cooked entirely for herself, so much so that Jiang Feng sometimes felt the scent of spiciness invading his own wok when they cooked side by side. Han Guishan took a bite of the pickled vegetable bun; it was the familiar taste, the familiar throat-cutting spice, the familiar stomach-filling sensation. Han Guishan sighed again. Wang Jing could no longer tolerate it and put down her chopsticks. The wooden sticks made a crisp sound when they touched the porcin te. ¡°Han, just eat your meal nicely and stop sighing all the time. You¡¯ve been like this since the day before yesterday, always sighing at meal times¡ªwho are you putting on a show for?¡± Wang Jing said angrily. Just as Wang Jing lost her temper, Han Youxin quietly tossed the half-eaten pickled vegetable bun under the table and quickly stood up to grab a big piece of red-braisedmb meat from the table, munching away with glee. Han Youxin thought his actions were wless, unaware that Wang Hao, who had been pondering the copy at the door, had seen through everything. In stark contrast to the Taifeng Building staff who looked forward to the annual meeting and vacation every day, and who worked happily every day after Mrs. Wang Xiulian announced the holiday on the 16th, was Wang Hao. Wang Hao had only 3 days and 6 hours of paid annual leave this year. Although he was just an intern and had not yet graduated, and therefore should not have been treated like a full-time employee, Wang Hao¡¯s advertisement copywriting, inspired by his frequent work as a waiter at Taifeng, was exceptionally good. In just a few short months of the internship, he¡¯d alreadypleted three exceptional projects, earning the trust of his leaders. Now, Wang Hao was just waiting to finish his graduation thesis and graduate from college to sign an official employment contract and be a true 996 worker, no stranger to working overtime,ck of sleep, and hair loss. Now, Wang Hao¡¯s biggest challenge was his graduation thesis. As a ster student who teetered on the brink of dyed graduation, who could only write copy and ramble in novels but not thesis papers¡ªa new-century underachiever¡ªthe graduation thesis was undoubtedly a tiger blocking the road to a bright future for Wang Hao. So, today, Wang Hao did not simplye to Taifeng to find inspiration as a waiter; he had a purposeful agenda to use the restaurant as a stepping stone to inspiration while serving tables. He needed to find Jiang Feng¡ªno, his most beloved and revered ¡°Emperor Father¡±¡ªto help him seek Professor Li¡¯s guidance for his thesis. Wang Hao was at this moment rehearsing in his mind how, when facing Jiang Feng during the lunch break, he would broach their longstanding friendship and asionally present father-son rtionship. Then he could transition to the following topic and sessfully secure Professor Li¡¯s help. Wang Hao¡¯s thoughts drifted away, no longer paying attention to how many pickled vegetable buns Han Youxin had thrown under the table. ¡°Ah, wife, today is already the 14th!¡± Han Guishan said with a face full of sorrow, as if thepany¡¯s stock price had evaporated a small target overnight. ¡°What about it being the 14th?¡± Wang Jing replied nonchntly as she picked up a piece of eel from the spicy blood curd.
    Han Youxin tried to follow suit and pick up an eel, but Wang Jing stopped him with her chopsticks: ¡°Youxin, this dish is too spicy; you can¡¯t eat it.¡± Han Youxin: QAQ Han Guishan looked at Wang Jing, not noticing that the pickled vegetable bun in Han Youxin¡¯s hand had disappeared: ¡°Ah, wife, you don¡¯t understand.¡± Wang Jing smiled helplessly, ¡°What¡¯s there to understand? Isn¡¯t it just that Taifeng Building will be having itsst day of business before the New Year tomorrow? It¡¯s not closing down for good. Anyway, how could you not find a ce to eat during the New Year? Are the many restaurants in Beiping too few to keep you from starving? If it reallyes to it, I can cook for you. But let¡¯s be honest, you say hiring a chef at home is expensive, yet youe to eat at Taifeng Building every day¡ªis that really cheaper than hiring a chef?¡±
    Wang Jing downed thest of her soy milk, wanting to pour another ss only to find the bottle empty. She turned to Wang Hao and said, ¡°Sorry to bother you, but could you get me another bottle of soy milk?¡± ¡°Sure, please wait a moment,¡± Wang Hao said as he went to get more soy milk for Wang Jing. Just thinking that from the day after tomorrow until Lantern Festival he wouldn¡¯t be able to eat pickled vegetable dumplings made Han Guishan feel all out of sorts. Back when his family was poor, he could only eat pickled vegetable dumplings during the New Year. Now that he was wealthy, it had ironically reversed¡ªhe couldn¡¯t eat them precisely when it was the New Year. How could Han Guishan not be saddened by this? The sorrowful Han Guishan decided that tomorrow he would reserve all the pickled vegetable dumplings, take them home, and freeze them in his refrigerator¡¯s freezer to eat slowly, hoping they wouldst until the end of the Lantern Festival. With his spirits lifted, Han Guishan decided to eat well. ¡°Right, should we go back to Shenzhen for the New Year¡¯s today?¡± Without soy milk to drink, and thus not in the mood for spicy food, Wang Jing¡¯s idle mouth decided to disturb Han Guishan and have him join her in conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Didn¡¯t we already make ns with Ninth Sister and Tenth Sister to return on the first day of the New Year? Last year, when we went to offer incense, I already promised our parents at their grave that we would go back this year to do the same. Of course, we¡¯re going back,¡± Han Guishan said. Wang Jing nodded, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. We¡¯ll go to my ce on the second day. For the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, I think we shouldn¡¯t eat out. It¡¯s our first year after moving from n City to Beiping, so I should personally cook the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you, my dear wife,¡± Han Guishan agreed quite readily. As long as he could fry the green beans without ending up in the hospital, he was up for anything. Poor Han Youxin, Han Guishan suddenly remembered that it had been years since his son had tasted his mother¡¯s cooking. It was time for his son to reminisce about tough times, to understand how delicious pickled vegetable dumplings were.
    Thinking this, Han Guishan affectionately ced arge piece of sweet-and-sour pork ribs onto Han Youxin¡¯s te, ¡°Youxin, eat up.¡± Han Youxin was pleasantly surprised and cooperatively stuffed the ribs into his mouth, his small mouth packed tightly. At that moment, Han Youxin tasted not only the sweet-and-sour vor of the pork ribs, the taste of the meat, the vor of the sauce, but also the rich taste of paternal love. After a year, Dad had finally given him meat instead of just dumplings! Han Youxin spat out the bone, swallowed the meat, and yelled excitedly, ¡°Dad, I love you!¡± And incidentally, he alsopleted the winter vacation homework assigned by his teacher. Han Guishan¡¯s face turned red. He hadn¡¯t expected that simply giving his son a piece of rib would excite the boy so much. He couldn¡¯t help but reflect on whether it was because he had been too busy with worktely and hadn¡¯t had enough time to spend with his son that his son felt so starved for fatherly love. ¡°Youxin, are you full yet?¡± Han Guishan asked affectionately. Han Youxin shook his head resolutely. Han Guishan looked toward the dining table. There was still half a dish of mapo tofu left, the Mao blood wang was almost finished, the sweet-and-sour pork ribs were nearly untouched, there was more than half a dish of braisedmb left, and three pickled vegetable dumplings remained. He had nned to take these three pickled vegetable dumplings home to freeze and savor themter. Han Guishan hesitated.
    Han Guishan made up his mind. Everything was for his son. Han Guishan picked up a pickled vegetable dumpling and ced it in Han Youxin¡¯s bowl, then patted his little head. ¡°If you¡¯re not full, eat another dumpling. The restaurant will be closed after tomorrow, and it won¡¯t open again until after the Lantern Festival. You won¡¯t be able to eat these again until then,¡± he said. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 474: 472: Visiting Professor Li Chapter 474: Chapter 472: Visiting Professor Li ¡°` Due to Han Youxin¡¯s gloomy face and sluggish pace of gnawing at vegetable buns, lunchtime for the Han Guishan family was exceptionally long today. When eating red-braisedmb, Han Youxin could consume three pieces in a minute, devouring them like a starving wolf. However, when it came to pickled vegetable buns, he could only manage one bite every three minutes, as slow as an old man eating biscuits. The pickled vegetable buns made by Jiang Feng were not selling well, and the portion for the Han Guishan family came with a full stomach buff. Han Youxin genuinely ate half before he was too stuffed to continue. ring resentfully at the table¡¯s red-braisedmb and sweet and sour spare ribs, heined to Han Guishan and Wang Jing that he was full. By the time Wang Hao helped them pack up the leftovers and the server responsible for clearing the table came in, it was nearly 2 p.m. The private rooms and main dining area were nearly empty, with only a few tables of guests still dining. Most of the servers had started their lunch, gathering in small groups in corners to eat and chat. With the New Year just around the corner, Mrs. Wang Xiulian had recently spared no expense on staff meals. The variety was abundant¡ªchicken, duck, fish, meat; anything that flew in the sky, ran on the ground, or swam in the sea was fair game, as long as it wasn¡¯t luxurious items like sea cucumber, abalone, bird¡¯s nest, or shark fins. Mrs. Wang Xiulian didn¡¯t mind. Wang Hao woulde to work at Taifeng Building as a server on weekends. Although he was a private room server, he still got to know many colleagues because of joining them for staff meals at noon and in the evening. He got along well with some of them, to the point where they could sit together and chat during meals. Some servers who were good friends with Wang Hao greeted him enthusiastically when they saw himing, holding their tes, ¡°Hao, we¡¯ve got garlic prawns andmb ribs today, unlimited. The garlic vermicelli scallops are limited to two per person¡ªbetter hurry, or they¡¯ll be gone.¡± Having spent over an hour in a private room which left him somewhat listless, Wang Hao suddenly perked up and quickly headed to the food service area.
    Today¡¯s staff meal was cooked by Zhang Guanghang and Dong Li and featured a mix of Shandong cuisine, French cuisine, and Jiangsu cuisine. Since Dong Li¡¯s Jiangsu dishes hadn¡¯t made it onto the menu, he could only indulge himself by cooking staff meals, delighting all the Taifeng Building employees. After some deliberation, Wang Hao chose the garlic prawns,mb ribs, and sweet and sour spare ribs. He didn¡¯t forget to casually take a bottle of Coke from the fridge before leaving. Jiang Feng was sitting alone at a small table in a corner, silently eating his lunch. He had a lot of dishes to prepare this noon, and by the time he finished and came out of the kitchen, Ji Xia, Wu Minqi, Ji Yue, and Zhang Guanghang had already taken their usual seats at a small table. Disced by his apprentices, Jiang Feng had to find another spot. Wang Hao walked quietly to Jiang Feng with his te of food and sat down without a sound. Jiang Feng nced at Wang Hao and continued to lower his head to eat shrimps. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Wang Hao cried out affectionately with the familiar address, swiftly transferring two of the garlic vermicelli scallops from his own te into Jiang Feng¡¯s bowl. Jiang Feng¡­ Unwarranted ttery means mischief is afoot! Jiang Feng cast a wary nce at Wang Hao, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any exams at the end of this term, right?¡± ¡°None.¡± Wang Hao said earnestly. Jiang Feng immediately rxed, picked up one of the garlic vermicelli scallops that Wang Hao had just given him, and, with his chopsticks, scooped all of its contents into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed quickly as if he feared Wang Hao might change his mind the next second. ¡°I¡¯m broke.¡± Jiang Feng spoke, quickly eating the second garlic vermicelli scallop. Wang Hao¡­ What kind of person is Wang Hao? He¡¯s a pro at buttering up potential new ¡°dads¡±! Wang Hao, who had just recently repaid his debts to his newly acknowledged ¡°third dad,¡± swiftly adjusted his facial expression, unbothered by Jiang Feng¡¯s cold words, ¡°Feng, can the father-son rtionship between you and me really be measured only by money and exams?¡± Jiang Feng was genuinely touched, pondered carefully, and realized that he couldn¡¯t think of a third party that could sustain their father-son rtionship aside from money and exams. ¡°Your Majesty, please save your subject¡¯s graduation thesis!¡± ¡°` Jiang Feng felt much lighter after finishing two garlic vermicelli scallops and said indifferently, ¡°I haven¡¯t even started on mine, how can I save you?¡±
    Although Jiang Feng had already decided on the topic and general direction of his graduation thesis, he hadn¡¯t actually written a single word. His initial n was to start writing the thesis during the leisurely period of the New Year celebrations and then spend a week or two the following year to fully perfect it before submitting it to Professor Li for review and revision. As long as he finished before the deadline for the defense. ¡°Father Emperor, although you haven¡¯t started writing, you have someone to teach you!¡± Wang Hao said. ¡°Don¡¯t you also have a thesis advisor? If you really aren¡¯t good at it, go ask your teacher for help,¡± Jiang Feng replied.
    Wang Hao sighed deeply, ¡°My advisor is supervising over 20 graduates, how can they have time to guide me. Besides, I¡¯m in Beiping now, not at UAL University. Father Emperor, didn¡¯t Professor Li retire and move to Beiping as well? You have a good rtionship with Professor Li, could you please talk to him and see if he has time to tutor me?¡± Wang Hao¡¯s request wasn¡¯t difficult for Jiang Feng, as Professor Li had been leading a very leisurely life since his retirement, engaging in activities such as helping Chen Suhua take care of Da Hua, reading newspapers, perusing academic journals, and asionally checking emails from his doctoral and master¡¯s students on theputer. Wang Hao was also one of Professor Li¡¯s students, and to top it off, Professor Li remembered him¡ªProfessor Li remembered every student who had failed his course. Guiding students in writing their graduation theses wasn¡¯t hard for Professor Li. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, I¡¯m going to take my Granduncle Weiming to Magic City in a couple of days, and I probably won¡¯t have time the day after tomorrow. Let¡¯s go today. After we finish eating, I¡¯ll take you to Li Mansion. You go buy something first and say that you want to visit Professor Li before the New Year, then ask for his guidance. He should agree,¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°Thank you, Father Emperor!¡± Wang Hao was so touched that he was nearly in tears. Jiang Feng and Wang Hao continued eating. In the middle of their meal, Wang Hao suddenly asked, ¡°Feng, what should I bring when I go to see Professor Liter? There aren¡¯t any special local products at this time, and crabs are out of season too.¡± Jiang Feng thought for a moment, ¡°Bring some fruit, the kind that¡¯s easy to eat, like bananas that you can eat just by peeling, no need to wash. Professor Li doesn¡¯t like food that¡¯s fussy to eat.¡± Wang Hao nodded and immediately took out his phone to note down what Jiang Feng had just said. After finishing their meal, Jiang Feng changed his clothes and apanied Wang Hao to a nearby fruit shop where they bought some fresh,mon fruits and picked out 5 pounds of the most expensive cherries. They took a DiDi cab with two bags of fruits, which cost half a month¡¯s internship sry for Wang Hao, to Li Mansion. When they arrived at Li Mansion, Chen Suhua was sitting in the living room eating grapes and watching television. Chen Suhua was sensitive to the cold, so even though there was heating in the house, she sat beside a heater turned up to the highest setting. Da Hua rested her face in a serene demeanor behind the heater, escaping the tragic fate of bing roast whole pig, and kept Chen Suhuapany while watching a family ethics drama set in a bygone era. ¡°Little Feng is here!¡± Chen Suhua eximed happily upon seeing Jiang Feng. With the New Year approaching, her regr mahjong partners were either busy shopping for New Year¡¯s goods or taking care of grandchildren, and even Mrs. Jiang hardly had time toe over, so Chen Suhua hadn¡¯t been able to gather enough yers for a table of mahjong in days. Chen Suhua had been bored at home for several days, tired of the monotonous period dramas, and without anyone to converse with, as Professor Li wasn¡¯t particrly talkative, she was overjoyed to see Jiang Feng.
    ¡°And this young man is?¡± Chen Suhua turned to Wang Hao, who was holding the fruit next to Jiang Feng, feeling that he looked familiar but couldn¡¯t quite remember who he was. ¡°Aunt, this is my roommate, Wang Hao, he¡¯s also one of Professor Li¡¯s students. He¡¯s doing an internship at a mediapany here in Beiping. Since New Year¡¯s ising up and theirpany is about to go on holiday, he thought he¡¯d bring some fruit to visit Professor Li before he goes back,¡± Jiang Feng exined with a smile. Wang Hao nodded earnestly. Chen Suhua warmly epted the fruit from Wang Hao¡¯s hands, ¡°Wang, you¡¯re really thoughtful, just like Feng, both good kids. Come on, don¡¯t just stand there, sit down. I¡¯ll pour you a ss of water. I just bought some grapes this morning, they¡¯re very sweet. I¡¯ll go wash some for you.¡± Seeing Chen Suhua¡¯s enthusiasm, Wang Hao, who had a favor to ask, suddenly felt a bit awkward. ¡°Aunt, please don¡¯t trouble yourself, we can get the water ourselves. Is Professor Li avable¡­¡± Jiang Feng chuckled. ¡°Oh, Li has visitors as well, some students who came to see him since it¡¯s close to the New Year. They¡¯re chatting inside right now. You two sit here and keep mepany watching TV for a while; they should be out when they¡¯re done,¡± Chen Suhua said. ¡°Thank you so much, Madam Teacher,¡± Wang Hao said timidly, taking a seat. Chapter 475: 473: 37 Letters Chapter 475: Chapter 473: 37 Letters Jiang Feng and Wang Hao sat in the living room with Chen Suhua and watched an entire episode of a period family ethics drama. Since they hadn¡¯t seen the previous 37 episodes, they werepletely confused. After more than 40 minutes, all they could surmise was that the woman who was always looking pathetic and acting like she was enduring, kind, strong, and great seemed to be the female lead, but other than that, they didn¡¯t understand anything. Wang Hao was so bored and didn¡¯t want to look rude ying with his phone in front of Chen Suhua, so he sneakily amused himself by ying with Da Hua a couple of times. When the episode finally ended, Chen Suhua was still savoring the previous episode¡¯s plot and didn¡¯t use the remote to fast-forward, letting the ending song y loudly on the TV. Jiang Feng could tell Wang Hao was getting a bit anxious and even a bit panicky. That¡¯s how it is when you¡¯re asking for a favor; everything seems fine until you¡¯re sitting on the sofa in someone else¡¯s living room and the person you came to see hasn¡¯t appeared yet, and the longer you wait, the more your inner unease grows exponentially. ¡°Mrs. Chen, which senior is the professor seeing? Maybe Wang Hao and I know him,¡± Jiang Feng asked. Chen Suhuaughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s one of his former doctoral students. He graduated several years ago andes to visit him every year as the New Year approaches.¡± Then, noticing on the wall clock that Jiang Feng and the others had indeed been waiting for quite some time, Chen Suhua stood up and said, ¡°Let me go remind him. By the way, Feng, when are you heading back?¡± ¡°We have ourst day of business tomorrow, our annual meeting the day after tomorrow, and then we head back the day after that,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°You¡¯re leaving so soon?¡± Chen Suhua seemed a bit disappointed, ¡°I heard from your grandmother that you won¡¯t be back until after the Lantern Festival. Without Mrs. Jiang, our mahjong table feels iplete even if we manage to gather.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­
    Unexpectedly, Mrs. Jiang had be such an important figure in the mahjong room without him realizing it. Chen Suhua hurried to the inner room while Wang Hao, at this critical moment, started to show signs of cold feet: ¡°Feng, it seems Professor Li usually doesn¡¯t mentor graduates, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true I¡¯ve never heard of Professor Li mentoring graduates before. What about it?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. ¡°About that¡­¡± ¡°The cherries Mrs. Chen has are already taken; you can¡¯t take them back,¡± Jiang Feng cut off Wang Hao¡¯s escape route with a single sentence. Just as Wang Hao was about to voice his dread of the respected professor who had failed him before, Professor Li and his party came out. Professor Li¡¯s student was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties, wearing metal-framed sses and looking quite schrly. His hair was somewhat thinnerpared to Jiang Feng¡¯s, graying at the temples, yet he had a youthful face; one could tell at a nce that he was an academic authority. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ll bring her over to see you during the New Year,¡± the academic authority said to Professor Li. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t tell her about those things. So many years have passed, even if you were to tell her now, you wouldn¡¯t be able to change anything,¡± Professor Li advised. ¡°I understand,¡± the authority nodded, then turned to see Jiang Feng and Wang Hao and gave them a nod and a smile before leaving. Chen Suhua helped Professor Li see off his visitor. Professor Li walked over to Jiang Feng and Wang Hao. Since it was winter and the house was warmed by a heating system, Professor Li was just wearing a very thin cashmere sweater and warmly said, ¡°Feng has been waiting for quite some time, huh? And Wang Hao too, if I recall correctly. Have you passed the Signals and Systems makeup exam? I wasn¡¯t the one grading the papers.¡± ¡°Passed, passed. Professor Li, ever since I failed Signals and Systems, I¡¯ve been studying like there¡¯s no tomorrow. I hung out in your lectures, and at home, I burned the midnight oil every day, never taking a break from problem sets. I kept reminding myself never to repeat the same mistakes, to study hard, and be a better person. The sea of learning is boundless, but I turned back¡­ And I even put up these words in front of my desk!¡± Wang Hao proimed as if he were swearing an oath under the national g, only missing raising his right fist to his ear. ¡°Really? But why have I heard that you also failed Optical Information Processing?¡± said Professor Li with a smile as he exposed Wang Hao¡¯s lies. Wang Hao: ¡­ Jiang Feng: Pfft. ¡°It was an ident, just an ident,¡± Wang Hao could only force augh. ¡°All right, Feng has already told me about your thesis issue through WeChat; it¡¯s really not a big deal and easy to fix. I¡¯m roughly aware of your level. The checks have been strict these past two years; indeed, it would be difficult to finish your thesis on your own. I¡¯ve heard from Feng that you¡¯re now working as a copywriter at an advertising agency. Everyone has their path; not every student I¡¯ve taught has followed a path in physics,¡± Professor Li stopped teasing Wang Hao and got straight to the point. ¡°So this is what we¡¯ll do; start writing, at least I believe you should have settled on a topic. For anything you don¡¯t understand, ask Feng if it¡¯s simple. If he can¡¯t solve it, thene find me. For experimental data, I suggest you try to do it yourself first. If you can¡¯t manage, it¡¯s fine; I still have some backup data here. Having ability or not isn¡¯t so significant, but having the right attitude is essential. Otherwise, no one will be able to help you when it¡¯s time for the defense,¡± Professor Li said.
    ¡°Thank you so much, Professor!¡± Wang Hao almost burst into tears of gratitude. ¡°Now that you¡¯re working outside, it¡¯s different from being at the university. In school, if you fail a final exam, there are makeups, and if you don¡¯t pass the makeup, you can retake the course. But at work, mistakes are much harder to rectify. You and Feng are good kids. Do well, and remember, if you have time,e visit me during the New Year,¡± Professor Li cheerfully said. ¡°Feng, I have some things I want to discuss with you alone.¡± Wang Hao, ever perceptive, immediately made himself scarce, ¡°Then Professor Li, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now. I¡¯lle over to see you again after the New Year.¡±
    As Wang Hao was leaving, he just so happened to run into Chen Suhua who had sent off the guests and was chatting with them. Chen Suhua found it odd that Wang Hao was leaving now. ¡°Wang, you¡¯re leaving so soon? Where¡¯s Feng?¡± Chen Suhua asked. ¡°The teacher and Feng¡­ Jiang Feng went to the study to talk. I don¡¯t have anything else here, so I¡¯m leaving early,¡± Wang Hao exined. ¡°Alright then, take care on your way home, Wang. Drop by when you have time,¡± Chen Suhua said before sitting back down, basking in the warmth of a space heater while watching a TV drama. On the other side, Jiang Feng followed Professor Li into the study. Jiang Feng, who often visited the Li Mansion, usually only frequented the living room, kitchen, and pigsty, so this was his first time in the study, prompting him to take a longer look around. The study was spacious but sparsely decorated, which made it appear rather empty. There were two bookshelves in the room, each only five tiers high andpletely filled with books, which were neatly and satisfyingly arranged. Jiang Feng nced over and immediately saw a row of academic journals mixed with a few novels. On the window sill sat a pot of spider nts and a few pots of ordinary flowers, all lush and green, no doubt attended to daily. The desk appeared old, with a design reminiscent of one Jiang Feng had seen a couple of years ago when visiting the Presidential Pce. The desk was cluttered with few items: a fountain pen, several sheets of scratch paper with writing on them, and two foreignnguage books. Curiously, the tea cup wasn¡¯t on the desk but instead was on the chair. Professor Li approached the desk, first picking up the tea cup from the chair and cing it back on the desk, then opened a drawer and retrieved a thick stack of letters, handing them to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng, somewhat bemused, epted the letters. Each was enclosed in an envelope, which seemed quite old-fashioned with a thick red line in the center, exuding a sense of antiquity. The envelopes were yellowed with age and speckled with numerous spots, undoubtedly from years gone by. They were unstamped, unsigned, andcked any sender¡¯s address, appearing as if they were new. ¡°What are these?¡± Jiang Feng, treating these envelopes that could be older than himself with great care, cautiously opened one to reveal simrly aged letter paper inside.
    ¡°These are letters that my mother wrote to your great-grandfather while she was in America but never sent,¡± Professor Li said. ¡°I read thetest issue of ¡®Taste.¡¯ It was only after reading it that I learned my father had spoken so much with you before he passed. And it was also after reading that issue that I discovered that these letters my mother left behind all contained recipes.¡± Seeing Jiang Feng looking astonished, Professor Li quickly exined, ¡°These letters were treasured by my father in his lifetime, so much so that even I, as his son, wasn¡¯t allowed to touch them. As time passed, I forgot about them and never opened them to see what was written inside.¡± ¡°After reading ¡®Taste,¡¯ I sorted through my father¡¯s possessions that I brought from n City and arranged these letters. There are 37 in total, and I¡¯ve read them all. They were all written by my mother for your great-grandfather, and they are all recipes.¡± ¡°These letters are of no use to me. The Li Hongzhang hodgepodge was a recipe dictated by my father to you, wasn¡¯t it? I know it might be difficult if you just read the letters, but they should still be somewhat useful. There are only 37 now. Take these with you and study them carefully, and I¡¯ll look for the rest during the New Year.¡± With the 37 letters in hand, Jiang Feng felt their weight was worth its weight in gold and didn¡¯t know what to say. Thirty-seven letters, thirty-seven yellowed envelopes without signatures or addresses, thirty-seven expressions of longing that never crossed the ocean. The so-called Li Hongzhang hodgepodge that Mister Li Mingyi had supposedly dictated to him was nothing more than a ruse to exin the origin of the dish, bluntly put, a lie. It was just that this lie had been turned into a story by Xu Cheng and published in the magazine. No one had ever inquired about the origin of the dish¡ªnot even Sir or Jiang Jiankang. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected that Professor Li, simply because of an article in ¡®Taste,¡¯ would sort through all the possessions of Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin to find these 37 letters. ¡°Sir, these are your aunt¡¯s belongings; you should keep them,¡± Jiang Feng felt if he didn¡¯t address him as ¡°Sir¡± now when he was still calling him ¡°Professor,¡± it would be too formal, ¡°These letters contain not only recipes but also some events that your aunt wrote about happening in America. They are too precious and very important to you. Even if you gave me the recipes, I might not be able to cook the dishes correctly. I¡¯m clumsy and could damage them¡­¡± ¡°Even if they are damaged, it doesn¡¯t matter; they are so old they are prone to damage anyway,¡± Professor Li ced his hand heavily on the letters, ¡°These letters were written by my mother with the intent of telling your great-grandfather the recipes. Though they never reached your great-grandfather, now that they havee into your possession, it can be seen as a return to their rightful owner.¡± ¡°You are a good kid, filial, diligent, focused, and hardworking. Your Grandma Chen is clumsy and likes to clean, and who knows, she might damage these letters someday. Even if you don¡¯t need them now, you might in the future. Consider it a precaution on my part to entrust them to you now lest I forgetter.¡± ¡°Ding.¡± The system suddenly sprung to life, startling Jiang Feng.
    Jiang Feng could guess that the system had probably issued a side task or a hidden mission rted to the 37 letters. ¡°Thank you, Sir. I will try my best to recreate the recipes from these letters,¡± Jiang Feng said resolutely. Professor Li smiled, a smile of pure contentment, ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured. Take your time, and when you recreate them, remember to call your Sir over to try them.¡± Chapter 476: 474: Idle Chat Chapter 476: Chapter 474: Idle Chat Aside from 37 letters, Professor Li also entrusted Jiang Feng with several academic journals, advising him to take a good look during the New Year. As Professor Li put it, although Jiang Feng would definitely not pursue an academic path in the future, he was still a student who needed to write his thesis, so he must read the necessary journals. Professor Li hoped Jiang Feng could produce an excellent thesis, even if it was a bit of a bluff, to put a perfect end to his college career. Using these journals as a starting point, Professor Li and Jiang Feng sat opposite each other, each with a chair, and discussed the general direction of the thesis. Professor Li hoped Jiang Feng would start writing during the New Year so that if Jiang Feng became too busy with business to care for his thesis after the holiday, Professor Li could still help polish, fill in, and revise it. The topic naturally shifted to the senior who had just visited Professor Li. ¡°Grandfather, was the senior who just visited you a local from Beiping? He still found time to see you so close to the New Year.¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°He¡¯s from Chang¡¯an, teaching here in Beiping. He¡¯s heading back to his hometown to celebrate the New Year tomorrow, so he took the time to see me today,¡± Professor Li said, then suddenly remembered something, ¡°By the way, Feng, is Taifeng Building resuming business for the Lantern Festival?¡± Jiang Feng shook his head: ¡°They probably won¡¯t be open. My grandma¡¯s idea is to start business after the Lantern Festival, so it¡¯s best to get back to Beiping that day. It¡¯s unlikely to be operational then.¡± ¡°Well then, Grandfather, how about our two families get together for a reunion meal on the Lantern Festival?¡± Jiang Feng suggested. Professor Li let out augh: ¡°That would be nice, your Mr. Chen¡­ Grandma Chen has beenining these past few years that I didn¡¯t make enough friends. Every holiday our house feels so empty. It would certainly be great if we could spend this Lantern Festival together.¡± As he was speaking, Professor Li abruptly paused, hesitant: ¡°The only issue is, your senior Xie, who visited me earlier, has a project to attend to and needs to rush back here on the sixth day of the New Year. It would be bleak for him to be alone in Beiping over the holidays, so I just told him to bring his students and spend the Lantern Festival with me. So I was wondering if Taifeng Building would be open on Lantern Festival, because if it is, I could take them there for a reunion meal.¡±
    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Jiang Feng looked troubled, thinking that the Lantern Festival would be a joyous family feast if it were just with Professor Li¡¯s family. But if it included Professor Li¡¯s students and the students of his students, it would turn into a rather awkward gathering for both parties. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Feng, I appreciate your thought. It¡¯s just not convenient this year, but next year, let¡¯s spend the Lantern Festival together,¡± Professor Li said with a smile. ¡°Okay, Grandfather, next year we¡¯ll celebrate the Lantern Festival together.¡± Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°Tomorrow is thest day the shop is open before the New Year meeting the day after. My mom said to keep the meeting simple, just a get-together for a meal and a raffle. If you and Grandma Chen are free, you coulde over after 4 p.m.¡± ¡°Sure, Grandma Chen loves a lively atmosphere, we¡¯ll definitely be there,¡± Professor Li said as he walked Jiang Feng out. Chen Suhua was still sitting on the couch watching TV, just as she was when Jiang Feng arrived, except Da Hua had changed positions and run over to the sunspot, seemingly eager to experience what it¡¯s like to be a roasted pig. Seeing Jiang Feng emerge, Chen Suhua quickly stood up: ¡°Feng, you¡¯re out. Come sit and have a chat with your auntie.¡± ¡°Grandma Chen, it¡¯s almost time for business, so I have to go. I¡¯lle over and chat when I have more time,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, holding the books and letters, and swiftly made his escape. Chen Suhua was momentarily stunned, then turned to look at Professor Li: ¡°Li, why has Feng stopped calling me ¡®auntie¡¯ and started calling me ¡®grandma¡¯?¡± Professor Li couldn¡¯t help but chuckle: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? In terms of seniority, you are of his grandmother¡¯s generation. Isn¡¯t calling you ¡®grandma¡¯ more intimate than ¡®auntie¡¯?¡± Chen Suhua touched her face, clearly ufortable: ¡°It¡¯s more intimate, sure, but Feng has always called me ¡®auntie,¡¯ and your students only ever call me ¡®mentor¡¯s wife.¡¯ To suddenly be called ¡®grandma¡¯ by someone makes me feel like I¡¯ve aged a lot all at once.¡± Grandma Chen¡¯s instances of being called ¡°grandma¡± by others were extremely limited in her life. Professor Li just smiled and said nothing. Jiang Feng, with so many books and letters in hand, naturally couldn¡¯t return to Taifeng Building first, so he took a taxi home and used a thick kraft paper bag to pack the 37 letters. He then packed the kraft paper bag and the academic journals into the suitcase that he had prepared for his father to bring back to n City, as he wouldn¡¯t be returning to n City in the near future. Therefore, he had two suitcases ready, one for Jiang Jiankang to take back and the other for himself to carry around when he needed to travel. After packing his things, Jiang Feng walked leisurely to the Taifeng Building. When he arrived, it was just the start of business hours, and he saw Wang Hao still lurking in a corner ying with his phone. That familiar figure, the sneaky expression, seeking joy amidst tension and excitement, was just like every student ying with their phone during ss. Jiang Feng quietly approached Wang Hao and ced his right hand on his shoulder, lowering his voice, ¡°ying on your phone?¡± Wang Hao jumped in fright, almost throwing his phone away. When he turned and saw that it was Jiang Feng, he let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Feng, you scared me to death.¡± ¡°I just spoke to you, how did that scare you? You¡¯re the one with a guilty conscience, ying on your phone secretly. Why act so sneakily about it?¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a lingering habit from ying with the phone in high school? Now, even when I¡¯m lying on my bed at home ying with my phone, the moment my dad pushes the door open, my first reaction is to hide the phone,¡± Wang Hao said, appearing quite unabashed about his bad habits from high school.
    ¡°So did you also sneak around ying on your phone when you were working at the advertisingpany?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. ¡°Who has the time to y with their phone at thepany? We¡¯re so busy we wish there were 48 hours in a day. Writing thousands of words of copy is even more difficult than the 800-word essays in high school,¡± said Wang Hao. ¡°My private room booking is for 6 p.m. tonight; it¡¯s still more than half an hour away. I¡¯ll y for another 20 minutes before going up.¡± Jiang Feng had no objections to Wang Hao¡¯s tant cking off, since he wasn¡¯t being paid for his time. ¡°By the way, Hao, there¡¯s a lottery draw at the annual meeting the day after tomorrow. Do you want to join in too?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    ¡°Is it cash?¡± Wang Hao¡¯s round face clearly spelled out a need for money. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A lot?¡± Jiang Feng thought for a moment, ¡°Not much.¡± ¡°Then forget it. If I only win some special prize like a box of tissues, it won¡¯t even cover the wages deducted for taking leave. I¡¯ll see when I can get off work the day after tomorrow. If I finish early, I¡¯ll send you a message, Feng. If the annual meeting isn¡¯t over by then, I¡¯lle over,¡± Wang Hao said. ¡°Alright,¡± Jiang Feng nodded and went to the changing room to change his clothes, leaving Wang Hao alone to continue ying with his phone secretly in the corner. Chapter 477: 475: Red Envelope Chapter 477: Chapter 475: Red Envelope January 15th marked thest day of Taifeng Building¡¯s operations before the New Year. The entire staff of Taifeng Building was like students who didn¡¯t have to take finals and went straight to holiday break, with everyone¡¯s face brimming with happy and joyous smiles, and the whole building radiated an air of festive cheer. That happiness also infected Han Guishan, who, despite initially feeling gloomy about Taifeng Building¡¯sst day, left in the afternoon with a joyful smile, carrying several dozens of pickled vegetable buns. This was in stark contrast to the crestfallen look on Han Youxin trailing behind him. Believe me, once Little Youxin finds out he doesn¡¯t get any of those pickled vegetable buns, his happy smile will return to his face. During the rest break in thete afternoon, Jiang Feng took a moment to go to the bank and withdrew 8,888 yuan in cash, all in bills, which he stuffed into a red envelope. He nned to hand this bulging red envelope to Ji Xia first thing the next morning. After the evening¡¯s business ended, no one left on their own; instead, they stayed in the restaurant waiting for Wang Xiulian to distribute the red envelopes. Although the restaurant wasn¡¯t operating during the New Year period, Wang Xiulian felt that the New Year¡¯s bonuses still had to be given out, as a way to usher in good luck a little earlier. The amount of money in each person¡¯s red envelope varied from a few hundred to a few thousand, with the amounts decided by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, Fan Mei, and the two Sirs, based on everyone¡¯s performance and length of service. Neers would naturally get less, such as Master Wang, Dong Shi, and Dong Li, who only received 200 yuan each in their red envelopes. However, the envelope paper was the same for everyone, purchased by Mrs. Wang Xiulian from the wholesale market. Among the kitchen staff, the thickest red envelope didn¡¯t go to Jiang Feng or Wu Minqi, but to Zhou Shi, who, after finishing thest day, was set to resign and go back home to start his own business. These past few months, Zhou Shi had been anything but distracted, working diligently and earnestly every day. If not performing at 100% of his capabilities, he was at least giving eighty or ny percent, and his reputation had improved drastically, receiving very few bad reviews. In thisst half-month, he earnestly mentored Dong Shi, giving his all without holding back and was equally generous with his colleagues, ready to answer any question they had, like a bonanza of knowledge in his final month. After discussing it for a few days, Mrs. Xiulian and the Sirs decided that even though Zhou Shi was leaving, they should still give him a hefty red envelope to leave him with a good impression of Taifeng Building, especially since Mrs. Xiulian had indeed deducted quite a bit from his sry in the previous months.
    After receiving their red envelopes, everyone was overjoyed. Even though the New Year hadn¡¯t arrived yet, they couldn¡¯t help but wish each other a Happy New Year, as if they were paying respects to their elders back home. Once Mrs. Xiulian finished handing out thest red envelope, which was the 666 yuan one meant for Ji Xia, everyone was ready to disperse. They all prepared to go home to rest well and gather some luck in hopes of winning the top prize at tomorrow¡¯s annual gathering. Since ancient times, it¡¯s been said that it¡¯s hard for the diligent to match the luck of the blessed; just one lucky draw at the annual meeting can make up for any deducted sry from the year. Jiang Feng was about to head home with Wu Minqi when he turned around and saw Zhou Shi crouched at the entrance of Taifeng Building, smoking a cigarette and staring at the ground. Jiang Feng told Wu Minqi that he wanted to say a few words to Zhou Shi and asked her to wait for him. Wu Minqi nodded her acknowledgment and waited for Jiang Feng at the intersection, as he approached Zhou Shi. Zhou Shi smoked but didn¡¯t have a big addiction ¨C only indulging asionally when happy or troubled. Despite not smoking much on regr days, his demeanor while holding a cigarette was that of an old smoker, particrly the way he crouched by the roadside like a little ruffian at a school gate. ¡°It¡¯ste, why haven¡¯t you gone back?¡± Jiang Feng squatted down, facing Zhou Shi. ¡°I¡¯ll head back after finishing this cigarette,¡± Zhou Shi said. ¡°Little boss, want one too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t smoke,¡± Jiang Feng waved his hand, ¡°My grandma has a chronic sore throat and can¡¯t stand the smell of smoke; no one at home smokes.¡± ¡°Not smoking is good,¡± Zhou Shiughed, ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to quit for a long time but never managed to, luckily my craving isn¡¯t strong so it¡¯s not too bothersome for others.¡± Zhou Shi then took a couple of hard drags and stubbed out the cigarette. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the little boss gone back himself? It¡¯s quitete.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re about to resign and return to your hometown. I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be many more chances to talk, so I¡¯m taking the opportunity to have a proper chat,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Zhou Shi was silent. A chill wind blew by, and Zhou Shi, who hadn¡¯t zipped up his down jacket, involuntarily shivered and stood up; Jiang Feng stood up alongside him. ¡°Are you really going home to open a store, and not considering staying here?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Even if I wanted to stay, I can¡¯t now. When I called home and told my mom I was preparing to go back and open a store, she was overjoyed. She has already rented the location and paid the deposit and rent in full. If I back out now, wouldn¡¯t I be at a huge loss?¡± Zhou Shi said, ¡°I¡¯ve been in Beiping for so many years without making a name for myself. Although I¡¯ve saved some money, it¡¯s barely enough for a down payment on a house. Without a wife or a girlfriend, it¡¯s time for me to settle down at home.¡± Zhou Shi had made up his mind, so Jiang Feng didn¡¯t insist on him staying, but after spending months together sharing watermelons and developing aradery, the thought of him leaving to resign and return home was somewhat hard to let go of. ¡°It¡¯s really a pity. If you stayed and continued with this momentum for a couple more years, maybe by the time you went back, you could have bought a house outright,¡± Jiang Feng pretended toment. ¡°Buying a house outright without a wife, my mom would go crazy chasing me around the city with a knife,¡± Zhou Shi shook his head, ¡°Going back is also good. There aren¡¯t any famous shops where I¡¯m from, so maybe after a few decades I could make a name for myself as a master.¡±
    ¡°By the way, the red envelope you gave me today felt quite thick, I reckon it was a substantial amount, thanks a lot.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, I had no say in how much money to put in the red envelope. There¡¯s actually less money in mine than yours. The amount was decided by my mom and my two grandpas; if you think it¡¯s too much, just consider the extra money as our family¡¯s gift for your new shop. Anyway, when your new shop opens, we won¡¯t be able toe,¡± Jiang Feng said with augh. Zhou Shi smiled, took out a box of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and said, ¡°Young boss, thank you.¡± ¡°Thanks for looking after me these past few months.¡±
    ¡°Why call me young boss when you¡¯re already resigning?¡± ¡°Even though I am resigning and have submitted my resignation letter, I still have to go to tomorrow¡¯s annual meeting. Since there will be a lucky draw, of course, I have to call you young boss again. After all, it¡¯s the boss who gives out the money,¡± Zhou Shi took a deep drag of his cigarette, turned his face, and exhaled the smoke. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, I should head back too. By the way, young boss, would you mind letting me know what the grand prize is at tomorrow¡¯s annual meeting?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out tomorrow. If I tell you now and you spend all day expecting it, but don¡¯t win it tomorrow, wouldn¡¯t that just add to your worries?¡± Jiang Feng turned around, waved at Zhou Shi, ¡°I¡¯m off. Unlike you, I can¡¯t sleep in tomorrow. I still have to take Xiaxia shopping,¡± he said. Zhou Shi just smiled without saying anything, nced up at the sign of the Taifeng Building, put out the cigarette he had just lit and only taken two puffs of, and left. His figure radiated a sense of resignation. Jiang Feng met up with Wu Minqi at the street corner. ¡°How did it go?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Couldn¡¯t persuade him, he¡¯s still going home. Zhou Shi has already rented the shop space. If I had talked to him two months earlier, maybe I could have convinced him,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Even two months earlier you couldn¡¯t have convinced him. It¡¯s good for Brother Zhou to go home. He¡¯s not fit for staying in Beiping,¡± Wu Minqi took Jiang Feng¡¯s hand, and they walked forward together, ¡°Are you apanying Xiaxia to go shopping tomorrow? Did you withdraw the money?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. It¡¯s on the hall table. Now I¡¯m actually a bit worried that giving her so much money at once will make the girl spend it recklessly,¡± Jiang Feng said in the tone of an old father. ¡°Let Xiaxia spend her own money however she wants. Even if she buys over a hundred chocte pies, she¡¯ll have to finish them herself or take them home, right?¡± Wu Minqiughed. ¡°That¡¯s true. Anyway, New Year¡¯s is almost here, so she should buy whatever she wants. Besides, Xiaxia doesn¡¯t have a mobile phone to spend on game top-ups, so she can¡¯t really waste it,¡± Jiang Feng agreed.
    The two of them walked side by side. Even though the streets were as deserted as usual, it felt as if the air carried a hint of the New Year¡¯s spirit. New Year¡¯s was fast approaching. Chapter 478: 476 Breakfast is Important Chapter 478: 476 Chapter Breakfast is Important On the second day bright and early, Jiang Feng had just gotten out of bed and begun brushing his teeth, when Ji Xia arrived, carrying soy milk, fried dough sticks, and stuffed buns she had just bought at the front gate of the neighborhood, and began pounding on Jiang Feng¡¯s door. It was a rare holiday, yet Jiang Feng, who had to get up as early as on workdays, even developed a rebellious notion upon hearing the knock: forget it, I don¡¯t want this apprentice anymore, I¡¯d rather go back to sleep and snug under the covers. Of course, this rebellious heart was instantly crushed the moment he saw the soy milk, fried dough sticks, and buns in Ji Xia¡¯s hands. The soy milk was bought from a noodle shop located down the alley to the right after exiting the neighborhood and crossing the intersection. This shop¡¯s cuttlefish noodles were particrly delicious, and the soy milk tasted very rich. If Jiang Feng got up early, he would join Wu Minqi at this shop, each ordering a bowl of cuttlefish noodles and pairing it with a hot cup of soy milk with half a spoonful of sugar, thus kicking off a delightful day. However, as Jiang Feng rarely got up early, such delightful beginnings were few and far between. Compared to the particrly borate soy milk, the fried dough sticks and buns were quite inferior, all bought from the only baozi shop still open at the neighborhood¡¯s entrance. The vor was average with nothing remarkable about it. It was the first time ever Ji Xia had bought breakfast for Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, and it wasn¡¯t because Ji Xia got upte, but rather because she had no money. Usually, if Ji Xia wanted to eat something, she would ask Jiang Feng for money to buy it. Even the little private stash she asionally saved, she was reluctant to spend, preferring to keep it for the right opportunity to sneak out and buy roasted sweet potatoes or fried chicken strips¡ªthe sort of food Jiang Feng wouldn¡¯t let her eat. Ji Xia had just received a red envelope with 666 yuan yesterday, and this morning she splurged (16 yuan and 6 cents) on breakfast for Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, which touched Jiang Feng greatly. ¡°Master, hurry up and finish brushing your teeth and go change your clothes, Wu has already gotten ready, how are you still brushing your teeth?¡± Ji Xia said after cing breakfast on the dining table, urging Jiang Feng to hurry up. Urged by Ji Xia, Jiang Feng sped up his pace and emerged from the bedroom five minutester, radiant and glowing. He had changed into a turtleneck sweater that best entuated his figure and handsomeness, and also carried a coat he had just boughtst month, which offered little in terms of warmth, but was great for striking a pose.
    The coat¡¯s pocket contained the red envelope prepared for Ji Xia. For thest shopping trip before the New Year with his apprentice, Jiang Feng naturally wanted to make a stylish entrance. Jiang Feng felt that if it weren¡¯t for Ji Xia¡¯s rush, he could have gone to the bathroom to tidy up his hair in front of the mirror. Ji Xia hadn¡¯t noticed Jiang Feng¡¯s different look, her mind was entirely focused on donkey burgers: ¡°Master,st night Master Wang told me that there¡¯s a shop that makes really delicious donkey burgers in the alley where I usually buy ¡®donkey rolls¡¯.¡± ¡°Master Wang said that today is thest day before New Year that shop is open; the owner is going back to his hometown tomorrow. There¡¯s definitely going to be a big crowd. We should go early, or otherwise, there won¡¯t be any left,¡± she added. Jiang Feng looked at the breakfast on the table and silently questioned it in his mind. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± said Jiang Feng as he headed towards the door. ¡°Master, the breakfast is on the table; I just bought it at the gate, it¡¯s still hot,¡± Ji Xia reminded him. With donkey burgers as an option, how could Jiang Feng possibly stick with buns and fried dough sticks? He picked up the two cups of soy milk from the table and handed one to Wu Minqi: ¡°Just drink the soy milk to warm up. Buns and fried sticks are too troublesome to eat on the go. Aren¡¯t you in a hurry to buy donkey burgers, Xiaxia? Your master won¡¯t hold you back. We can have the breakfast as a midnight snack; it¡¯s all the same.¡± Wu Minqi took the soy milk without exposing Jiang Feng¡¯s little ploy, because she too preferred donkey burgers over buns and fried dough sticks. ¡°Fengfeng, aren¡¯t you going to wear a down jacket? That coat probably isn¡¯t very warm, and I checked the weather forecast yesterday; it¡¯s quite cold today. It¡¯s probably already below zero outside,¡± Wu Minqi reminded him. Wu Minqi was afraid of the cold, and in the face of low temperatures, any attempt at posing was like a paper tiger to her. Even indoors, she was already fully armored with a hat, mask, scarf, military coat-styled down jacket, not one less than the necessary, wrapping herself up even more tightly than Ji Xia, who had juste in from outside. ¡°It¡¯s just below zero, that¡¯s not cold. In junior high, the boys in our ss wore short sleeves even in winter,¡± Jiang Feng boasted nonchntly and then coolly pushed open the door. Howling northerly winds and bone-chilling gusts seized the opportunity to rush in the moment the door opened, making Jiang Feng shiver as soon as half his foot stepped outside the threshold. ¡°I¡¯ll get a down jacket,¡± Jiang Feng said, making a hasty retreat. A minuteter, Jiang Feng appeared wearing a down jacket, same as Wu Minqi¡¯s, and held the red envelope he had previously tucked into the coat pocket. ¡°Xiaxia, take this,¡± Jiang Feng said as he handed the red envelope to Ji Xia, ¡°This is your New Year¡¯s red envelope from your master. Since we won¡¯t see each other during the New Year, I¡¯m giving it to you now. Part of it is your regr sry, and the rest is your New Year¡¯s money from your master.¡± Ji Xia happily epted the red envelope, pondering for a moment before stuffing it in her pocket, suddenly she knelt down towards Jiang Feng as if she was about to kowtow to him. Jiang Feng, who had never kowtowed to anyone nor had been kowtowed to, was startled and knelt down opposite Ji Xia, then he pulled her up from the ground.
    Ji Xia was slightly upset at being pulled up: ¡°Master, my grandma said that when a master gives a red envelope to an apprentice during the New Year, the apprentice should kowtow.¡± Although Jiang Feng had always longed to be a capitalist who deprives the working people, it did not mean he wanted the working people to kowtow to him. He quickly educated Ji Xia that times had changed, ¡°The customs your mother-inw knows are decades old, long out of date. Nowadays, you just need to make a New Year¡¯s greeting call.¡± Ji Xia, having gained this new knowledge, nodded thoughtfully. After a bit ofmotion, the three of them finally went downstairs and headed towards the donkey meat sandwich shop that Ji Xia knew.
    Once out of the residentialpound¡¯s main gate, the trio walked toward the subway station. It suddenly urred to Jiang Feng that the day he was going to Wu Minqi¡¯s house for her third cousin¡¯s engagement banquet was after the Minor New Year, which, in a way, could also be considered part of the New Year period. ¡°Qiqi, are there any particr customs at your ce during the New Year, like, the younger generation having to kowtow when they receive their New Year¡¯s money?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Particr customs?¡± Wu Minqi thought for a moment and pulled down her scarf to expose her mouth, ¡°Does a cookingpetition among the younger family members count?¡± Jiang Feng was shocked. The Wu Family turned a festive and joyous asion like the New Year into something akin to an end-of-year assessment meeting. ¡°Is it us, the younger generation, who arepeting?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Wu Minqi shook her head, ¡°All the younger ones, including my dad and the uncles, are judged by my grandfather. The winner gets to eat the boiled cabbage and shredded radish cakes made by grandfather.¡± ¡°Shredded radish cakes?¡± Jiang Feng was taken aback. Although the name of the dish sounded very ordinary, as radishes and cabbage belong to the same family, there was quite a gap between boiled cabbage and shredded radish cakes. Describing one as in the sky and the other on the ground would not be an overstatement. The former was a state banquet delicacy, and thetter, street food. While it¡¯s true that delicacies are not distinguished by status but by culinary skills, putting these two dishes together always seemed to imply that boiled cabbage was much nobler than shredded radish cakes. At least boiled cabbage wasn¡¯t just cabbage and water, whereas shredded radish cakes were really just radish and cakes. ¡°My grandfather makes particrly delicious shredded radish cakes. The regrs at Wu Family Restaurant all know that; it¡¯s one of the best white-flour snacks he makes,¡± Wu Minqi exined, ¡°Back when his strength was still good, he cultivated an acre ofnd in our yard specifically for growing radishes, alwaysining that the ones bought from outside were not as juicy and could notpare to those he nted himself.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ He hadn¡¯t realized Old Sir Wu had such a hobby behind the scenes. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi chatted as they walked, reaching the subway station before they knew it.
    Ji Xia gave Jiang Feng the address of the shop, and he opened the navigation app on his phone, which he had uninstalled several times but always redownloaded because he could find no other that was more user-friendly, and started looking up directions. ¡°Wow, this shop is great. No need to switch lines; Line 4 goes straight there.¡± Jiang Feng always highly praised any route that didn¡¯t require changing lines. ¡°Master, what time is it now?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°8:03.¡± ¡°Then we need to hurry. The shop opens at 8:30, and if we¡¯rete, we¡¯ll definitely have to wait in a long line,¡± Ji Xia said, pulling Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi towards Line 4. It wasn¡¯t until he was squeezed onto the subway that Jiang Feng btedly realized something was off. The plot from the very start was all wrong. The original storyline was supposed to be about Xiaxia finally saving up a bit of money after much hard study and work, deciding to show gratitude to her mother-inw before the New Year by buying something she thought her mother-inw would like so she could take it back when she returned home. It was a heartwarming and educational grand y on showing family appreciation and returning to one¡¯s roots. At the very least, it should have been about the rebellious Ji Xia who ran away from home, eventually finding her way back after working hard and saving some money. Taking advantage of the New Year return, she woulde home with big and small packages, showing everyone that she was no longer the ignorant girl who was overlooked by her parents, unlearned, unaplished, with a bleak future; it was going to be an inspirational drama full of dramatic turns and a showy face-pping moment. But now, the original plot had be unrecognizable, turning into a story about three people heading to an old donkey meat sandwich shop, which might not even be open tomorrow, in search of delicious food. ¡°Xiaxia, weren¡¯t we supposed to go shopping with you today to buy the gift for your mother-inw that you¡¯re bringing back tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng demanded. ¡°Yes, Master. Haven¡¯t you and Sis eaten breakfast yet? I haven¡¯t had breakfast either. Let¡¯s have donkey meat sandwiches at that shop first, and then go buy the rolling donkey snack for Grandma,¡± Ji Xia reasoned convincingly. Jiang Feng was immediately persuaded.
    ¡°Right, breakfast is important. Let¡¯s eat breakfast first.¡± Chapter 479: 477 Donkey Meat in Flaky Buns Chapter 479: Chapter 477 Donkey Meat in ky Buns Donkey meat buns are a famous traditional snack,monly found in the North region. Historical records state that they originated in Baofu during the early Ming dynasty. Despite Baofu being located near Beiping City, Jiang Feng had never seen donkey meat buns before his visit to Beiping. There¡¯s a saying, ¡°Dragon meat in the heavens, donkey meat on Earth.¡± Donkey meat is not only delicious but also nourishing for the blood, qi, and for invigorating weakness. If all the meats that made it to the chopping board and into the cooking pot were to be ranked, donkey meat would undoubtedly be at the forefront. Yet, Jiang Feng never tried donkey meat dishes during the many years he spent in Z City and n City; he hadn¡¯t even seen a donkey, let alone tried the meat. Today, he could thank Ji Xia for bringing him here to open his eyes. Following the directions provided by the navigation, after Jiang Feng and his twopanions exited the subway station, they took numerous turns and even passed through an alleyway before finally finding the donkey meat bun shop rmended by Master Wang. The shop had no name, not even a sign; its door was wide open, allowing the scent of donkey meat slowly stewing over a low fire to waft out. The entrance was narrow, and the shop was also narrow, but stepping inside, Jiang Feng discovered that the shop, while small, had much to offer. The shop was narrow and long, not very spacious, yet it managed to squeeze in quite a few tables¡ªnine to be precise. Each was a wooden table apanied by long bench-style chairs, looking very much like the furnishings from a tavern in a martial arts film. There weren¡¯t many customers, around ten or so, which was a considerable amount for 9 o¡¯clock on a weekday. The donkey meat bun counter was set up right at the entrance, upied by a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties wearing an apron and sleeves, busily chopping donkey meat and stuffing it into the buns. She looked like she might be the proprietor of the shop. It seemed there was a small kitchen behind the counter, with a small window and a small door; that little window served as the serving hatch. On the counter, there was also a te of freshly baked buns. When the owner saw Jiang Feng and his friends enter, she nced up and asked, ¡°How many do you want?¡±
    Jiang Feng looked around and, noticing no menu, hesitated before answering, ¡°Three.¡± The owner, seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s silence, asked, ¡°First time here? Do you eat green pepper and donkey tripe?¡± Probably because the shop wasn¡¯t too busy yet, the owner had the leisure to inquire about Jiang Feng and hispanions¡¯ preferences. Jiang Feng looked at Wu Minqi and Ji Xia; both had no objections, so he responded, ¡°We¡¯ll have them.¡± ¡°24 yuan. Scan the code over there to pay yourself, and there should be ces to sit inside,¡± the owner pointed inside the shop, ¡°Just wait a moment, and I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s ready.¡± Jiang went to scan the code and pay while Wu Minqi and Ji Xia found a table further inside to sit down. As soon as they sat down, Ji Xia couldn¡¯t wait to ask Wu, ¡°Sister Wu, have you ever eaten donkey meat buns? The smell was so good when I was near there!¡± Wu Minqi smiled and said, ¡°That donkey meat is freshly lifted from the braising pot, of course, it smells good.¡± ¡°Sister Wu, if the donkey meat is so aromatic, why haven¡¯t I seen it in the kitchen before?¡± Ji Xia asked. ¡°We do have it. During New Year¡¯s, the recently hired Master Wang and Chef Zhou Shi included donkey meat in their dishes. It¡¯s just that the meat wasn¡¯t braised, so it didn¡¯t smell as fragrant as what you caught just now, Xiaxia. You simply didn¡¯t notice,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. ¡°Once Xiaxia gets good at chopping vegetables and can start on the meat, you¡¯ll be able to handle donkey meat yourself.¡± While they were chatting, Jiang Feng came over with two bowls of donkey offal soup. ¡°I just asked the owner what special dishes they have; she mentioned the donkey offal soup is not bad, only 5 yuan a bowl, so I bought one for each of you,¡± Jiang Feng said, cing the steaming bowls on the table and pushing one towards Ji Xia, ¡°Xiaxia, you haven¡¯t had breakfast, right? Have some soup to warm up.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Ji Xia took a big sip of the soup and praised, ¡°Delicious.¡± Jiang Feng nodded without sitting down, ¡°I¡¯m going to get my own bowl, Qiqi, Xiaxia, you two start first.¡± The owner had already prepared the donkey meat soup and ced it on the counter, telling Jiang Feng to serve himself. She was overwhelming busy cutting donkey meat and attending to other matters, and as Jiang Feng approached to grab his soup, the owner was shouting through the kitchen window. ¡°Old He, hurry up and call Yue over; it¡¯s already 9 o¡¯clock, and Jiang will arrive soon. If Yue doesn¡¯te, who¡¯s going to talk to him?¡± ¡°I know, I know, don¡¯t rush me. I¡¯m calling Yue right now, no need to shout your lungs out,¡± the voice of a middle-aged man echoed from the kitchen. ¡°Young man, your three buns are ready. I¡¯ve put them on a te for you; you can carry them over together,¡± the owner said, back to her usual tone. Jiang Feng, with a donkey meat sandwich in his left hand and a bowl of donkey offal soup in his right, returned to his seat, ced the sandwich in the center of the table, and sat down to drink the soup first. The donkey offal soup wasn¡¯t abundant, just a shallowyer at the bottom of the bowl, but it was rich with heart, liver, stomach, and lung¡ªnone missing, and it was delicious. Jiang Feng had just walked nearly half an hour in the chilly wind, his face numb from the cold. Entering the restaurant, he found that despite the heating being on, with the doors wide open, it was hardly warm inside.
    It wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d drunk half of the bowl of donkey offal soup that Jiang Feng finally felt reinvigorated. By the time Jiang Feng started eating his donkey meat sandwich, Ji Xia had already nibbled through almost half of hers, having finished all the donkey meat inside and was now meticulously chewing on the bread. Just from looking at the sandwich Ji Xia was munching on, Jiang Feng could tell the proprietress probably doused the bread with donkey meat broth. As Jiang Feng took a bite of his donkey meat sandwich, he relished the crispy exterior and the many softyers within, each thin and soaked with the juices of the donkey meat. Describing it as fresh, vorful, crispy, and tender would not be an exaggeration. The donkey meat, finely chopped and moderately salty, was mixed with green peppers and donkey tripe, offering a chewy texture that wasn¡¯t too tough.
    Though it was his first time eating a donkey meat sandwich, Jiang Feng could tell that the skill of the person who made the sandwich and stewed the donkey meat was exceptional and seasoned. Midway through his meal, he even entertained the Ling Guangzhao-like thought of poaching him for Taifeng Building, a thought that was promptly dismissed after he devoured an entire sandwich. Donkey meat sandwiches were street food, and street food had its own niche. A restaurant of Taifeng Building¡¯s caliber was not the ce for donkey meat sandwiches to thrive. After finishing the sandwich, Jiang Feng drank the rest of the donkey offal soup, not leaving a single piece behind. The bowl was as clean as if it had just been washed. It wasn¡¯t only Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Ji Xia had done the same; three spotless bowls and an empty tey on the table, a silent but highest praise for the chef¡¯s skills at this establishment. ¡°Master, I want another bowl of soup,¡± Ji Xia said to Jiang Feng with eager eyes. Jiang Feng had the same idea, ¡°Okay, Xiaxia, wait here, I¡¯m going to see what other kinds of soup this ce has. Minqi, do you want another bowl?¡± Wu Minqi modestly shook her head. As Jiang Feng and hispanions were eating their donkey meat sandwiches, three more groups of customers hade in, filling the remaining tables. Jiang Feng stood up to ask the proprietress if there was any other soup avable, but before he could speak, a young man bundled up even more tightly than Wu Minqi, who appeared to be even chubbier than Jiang Zaidi, the heaviest in the Jiang family, hurried into the shop. ¡°Proprietress, I¡¯ll have six sandwiches and a bowl of donkey meat soup, half a pound of donkey meat and half a pound of donkey offal mixed te,¡± he said with a strong voice. Yet, that strong voice sounded eerily familiar. Jiang Feng turned to look at this formidable man, who was dressed in a thick, army green down jacket that resembled a military coat, with a hat, mask, earmuffs, and gloves that wrapped him up tightly, revealing only a pair of eyes. If this sight had been seen in Beiping City decades earlier, such a person would certainly have been reported by the ever-vignt public. ¡°De?¡± Jiang Feng called out, uncertain. Jiang Zaidi had managed to wrap himself into such a massive bundle of clothing, by the looks of it, he seemed to have stuffed himself with every possible winter garment from his wardrobe.
    ¡°Little brother!¡± Jiang Zaidi was pleasantly surprised, removing his mask and lowering his scarf to reveal his familiar chubby face, ¡°You¡¯re also here to eat donkey meat sandwiches!¡± ¡°Jiang?¡± The proprietress also eximed, ¡°Why are you dressed like this today? I almost didn¡¯t recognize you. Go sit over there and wait, I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s ready. Yue hasn¡¯te yet, wait for her and then I¡¯ll get her to talk to you about important matters.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Jiang Zaidi went to scan the code to pay without needing the proprietress to announce the price. ¡°Proprietress, I¡¯ll also take two bowls of donkey meat soup,¡± Jiang Feng said, then turned to Jiang Zaidi, ¡°De, Xiaxia and Minqi are sitting inside, there¡¯s still one seat left, we can sit at the same table.¡± Minutester, Jiang Feng and Jiang Zaidi returned to their seats with the donkey meat soup and donkey meat and offal mixed te, with tworge tters of donkey meat and offal taking the ce of the previously empty te in the middle of the table. The sandwiches were still in the pot and hadn¡¯te out yet, so they had to wait a little longer. ¡°Come on, Xiaxia, this ce stews its donkey meat and offal really well, eat up,¡± Jiang Zaidi said warmly as he invited her to help herself. ¡°Thank you, Uncle De!¡± Ji Xia reached for the food happily. Chapter 480: 478: De invites guests Chapter 480: Chapter 478: De invites guests A few chunks of donkey meat and two gulps of hot soup went down, and the conversation naturally opened up. Jiang Zaidi took off his hat, scarf, gloves, and earmuffs, and slurped down a bowl of donkey meat soup. Ji Xia happily chewed on the donkey meat, while Jiang Feng ate absentmindedly, and even Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t help but pick up a small piece of donkey meat with her chopsticks and chew it carefully. ¡°Little brother, how did you guys know about this ce?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked. ¡°Master Wang told Xiaxia about it. Xiaxia originally wanted toe to this alley to buy donkey rolls. Didn¡¯t I tell you before? Today, Minqi and I are apanying Xiaxia to shop for her grandmother,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°But De, you have work today, right? Howe you¡¯re here eating donkey meat during work hours?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Uncle, why did you dress like that? I almost didn¡¯t recognize you when you walked over,¡± Ji Xia inquired immediately following. ¡°The heating at ourpany broke down. I wouldn¡¯t survive not dressed like this,¡± Jiang Zaidi sighed deeply and began to answer Jiang Feng¡¯s question, ¡°Of course I came here for work, and just incidentally to eat donkey meat. This restaurant is nning renovations after the new year, and I¡¯m in charge of the design.¡± ¡°Originally, I didn¡¯t want to take on such a small project, but then I heard that their donkey meat is particrly delicious, so I epted it. Anyway, I didn¡¯t have any other projects at hand, and with the new year approaching, I had free time. While discussing the specific n, I could also enjoy the food,¡± Jiang Zaidi grabbed another piece of donkey meat, ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ll tag along with you guyster. I know a shop that makes excellent candied fruit. They are considered a century-old brand in Beiping.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you still have to discuss the design n?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°No rush. They won¡¯t start until after the new year. I haven¡¯t settled on anything yet. I just wanted an excuse to slip out of the office to grab something to eat,¡± Jiang Zaidi confidently justified his act of cking off at work, putting Jiang Feng in genuine awe.
    If he hadn¡¯t been the boss himself, he would have liked to do the same. ¡°Hey, Minqi, why aren¡¯t you eating? Their donkey meat is really authentic, made from old Taihang donkeys, so the soup is especially fragrant. The meat is not tender, but it¡¯s chewy. They only sell one donkey a day;st time I came in the afternoon, and it was almost sold out,¡± Jiang Zaidi wasn¡¯t skilled in cooking, but he was very knowledgeable in theory. He could certainly impress others at the dinner table with his tall tales. ¡°Their donkey meat is stewed in a big pot with an old broth and secret spices, without adding saltpeter. If they did, it wouldn¡¯t taste the same. Their bread is Baofu bread, where they smear oil on the dough, shape it into small round balls like buns, then press it t with a wooden roller and bake it.¡± ¡°Since their donkey meat is part of Baofu¡¯s range of baked goods, the donkey meat is marinated, and when stuffed into the bread, it¡¯s piping hot and juicy¡­¡± Jiang Zaidi was still speaking when he was interrupted by a round-faced girl carrying the bread. ¡°Jiang, you¡¯re really knowledgeable¡ªno wonder you said you studied cooking before. Your skills must be impressive,¡± the round-faced girl praised. This girl was not only round-faced but her figure was also rounded, not the kind puffed up by a down jacket but genuinely chubby and plump. ¡°It¡¯s alright, just at the level of a regr restaurant chef, very mediocre,¡± Jiang Zaidi started to brag with his eyes wide open. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi shared a smile, not exposing her lies. Everyone was an adult, and in the ways of the world, who hadn¡¯t exaggerated a tale or two to someone unaware of their background? It was normal; the unspoken agreement was simply not to call it out. ¡°Oh, this is my younger cousin, Jiang Feng, this is his girlfriend, Wu Minqi, and this is his apprentice, Ji Xia. My little brother is a chef by trade; they just happened to be at your family¡¯s shop eating donkey burgers when they came in,¡± Jiang Zaidi began introducing each side to the other, ¡°And this is He Yueru, the daughter of the shop¡¯s owner.¡± He Yueru smiled at Jiang Feng and the other two, revealing a single tiger tooth, ¡°You guys go ahead and eat, and once you¡¯re done, Jiang, we can talk about the design proposal.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, He Yueru ran back to the entrance of the shop and called out to her mother, ¡°Mom, make me three burgers!¡± ¡°One is enough to fill me up, and you want three? You¡¯re not afraid of bursting! Eat less, you¡¯re only allowed two. If you want to eat, make them yourself. Such a grown girl and still so plump, aren¡¯t you worried about not being able to marry off? Don¡¯t you think about dieting? We gave you such a refined name, yet you don¡¯t act refined at all. Which girl is like you, eating and drinking her way through university, not even managing to date, not during university, and even less so after graduating, always cooped up at home or in the shop without going out, waiting for the state to assign you a husband? Do you think boyfriends fall from the sky, or will theye knocking on your door on their own?¡± The proprietress became talkative all at once, her voice quite loud, so much so that Jiang Feng could hear every word clearly from inside. ¡°Mom, keep your voice down, there are still customers in the shop. Do you want the whole world to know your daughter hasn¡¯t dated in over 20 years?¡± He Yueru was suddenly anxious. ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll talk about this at home. Come help me slice the donkey meat; my hand is getting sore from cutting.¡± By the time Jiang Zaidi had finished his burger, it was almost 10 o¡¯clock. Jiang Feng initially thought that taking Wu Minqi and Ji Xia shopping would be sufficient. After all, He Yueru had already arrived, and it wouldn¡¯t be nice to stand her up for shopping with them. Who knew that upon hearing Ji Xia wanted to buy some Beiping specialties to take back to Guangdong Province, He Yueru volunteered herself to join them. He Yueru, a Beiping native, knew all the ins and outs of the city from childhood to her university years; which shop has tasty food, which one offers authentic dishes, and which one is good value for money, she knew it all. As soon as Ji Xia mentioned she wanted to buy rolling donkeys from a shop nearby, He Yueru told her that the treats from that shop weren¡¯t authentic, while a less famous old shop made truly authentic rolling donkeys.
    Jiang Feng and the others immediately changed course, preparing to take the subway to that less famous old shop He Yueru had mentioned. He Yueru led them down a main road for about 10 minutes until they reached the subway station. Compared with He Yueru¡¯s directions, the route suggested by the map navigation app was a major detour, which frustrated Jiang Feng so much that he uninstalled the app on the spot, deciding to reinstall itter that night. ¡°Yue, do you know which shop sells the best fried cakes? I haven¡¯t had a chance to try them since I came to Beiping. I asked Master Wang in the shop yesterday, and he told me the good old fried cake shops are closed at this time,¡± Ji Xia asked on the subway. ¡°Fried cakes? If it were over a decade ago, Eight-treasure House¡¯s fried cakes were definitely the best, but they don¡¯t sell them anymore. Most of the old shops have closed down. There are still a few decent ones, but they might have closed for the day by now. I know a shop where the fried cakes are average, but if you want to try something new, it¡¯s at least better than what those tourists¡¯ spots offer,¡± He Yueru said.
    ¡°Eight-treasure House?¡± Jiang Feng was quite surprised. ¡°Yeah, you wouldn¡¯t expect that, right? Back in the day, Eight-treasure House was famed for these snacks. When I was little, Eight-treasure House even had a separate little window to sell them. Fried cakes, ¡®toad spit honey¡¯, ¡®pea yellow¡¯, ¡®lupin roll¡¯, ¡®minced meat pancake¡¯ and the like; back then, Eight-treasure House used to sell snacks on the first floor and the restaurant was on the second,¡± He Yueru exined, ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been many years since Eight-treasure House stopped selling these items. I heard recently they started selling pastries again, but they¡¯re too expensive, and I¡¯ve never felt like splurging.¡± ¡°How about we go there for lunch today? Consider it my thanks for showing us around to these old shops. De will treat us,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Jiang Zaidi: ??? ¡°Yesterday, Ling Guangzhao said in the chefs¡¯ group that their shop introduced two new pastries, avable only for dine-in and not for delivery,¡± Jiang Feng whispered in Jiang Zaidi¡¯s ear, ¡°They seem to be a limited offer for the New Year, and after the holidays, they won¡¯t be avable.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat,¡± Jiang Zaidi said decisively. Chapter 481: 479: A Real-life Version of Quenching Thirst by Thinking of Plums Chapter 481: Chapter 479: A Real-life Version of Quenching Thirst by Thinking of Plums Apanying people on a shopping spree is an art, and apanying women on a shopping spree is even more so. Jiang Feng had previously summed up a few maxims about this art, but as for what exactly those maxims were, he himself couldn¡¯t quite remember. In the past, when Jiang Feng apanied Wu Minqi and Ji Xia shopping, most of the stores they visited were clothing and boutique shops or an assortment of misceneous stores that sold who-knows-what, which he found uninteresting. But today was different¡ªit was all about food stalls. Jiang Feng and Jiang Zaidi, along with the three youngdies, walked and grazed, eating wherever they went. Donkey rolls, sugar twists, all sorts of biscuits, candied hawthorns, assorted candied fruits¡ªthey missed nothing. They went in empty-handed and came out with their hands full, so much so that by mealtime, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t feel hungry at all. When the group of five arrived at Eight-treasure House after 12 p.m., they were carrying so many bags that the waitstaff thought they were out shopping for Lunar New Year goods and had stopped by the restaurant to eat. Since Jiang Feng¡¯s party consisted of only five people, the waiter led them to a table for six. Jiang Zaidi noticed immediately that the table was too small to fit their dishes. He turned to the waiter and said, ¡°This table is too small, get us a round table.¡± When the waiter saw Jiang Zaidi remove his hat, scarf, face mask, and earmuffs and reveal the round face that all the major restaurant owners weed, he immediately turned and led them to a smaller round table. ¡°Here¡¯s the menu,¡± said the waiter as he handed over two menus to Jiang Feng¡¯s group, standing by with the order device. ¡°Do you have any dishes to rmend?¡± asked Jiang Feng. Hearing Jiang Feng speak with a distinct southern ent, and thinking that he was a tourist visiting Beijing, the waiter replied, ¡°You¡¯re from out of town, right? If you want to try some of Beiping¡¯s special dishes, I would rmend the saut¨¦ed sea cucumber with scallions, braised pork ¡®family happiness,¡¯ our signature roasted fruitwood duck, jar-cooked meat, Beijing shredded pork in soybean sauce, roastedmb leg, and mustard duck feet. If you¡¯d like some vegetables, our refreshing crispy bamboo shoots, oyster sauce lettuce, iron te-fresh mushroom sauce, and stir-fried cabbage hearts with meatballs are all excellent. Recently, we also had a dim sum chef from the south join our restaurant, and the dim sum has been very popr. If you¡¯re interested, you might want to order a few more of those.¡±
    The waiter rattled off a long list of dishes, leaving Jiang Feng momentarily stunned. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have a roastedmb leg, mustard duck feet, jar-cooked meat. Do you have roastedmb ribs too? If so, we¡¯ll have that as well,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, ordering four meat dishes and then turning to look at Ji Xia, ¡°Xiaxia, do you want to eat roasted duck?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ji Xia was extremely excited. ¡°Then add a signature roast duck as well. Little brother, would you like to order anything else?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked, turning to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng thought for a moment, quickly filtering through the messages and Moments posts that Ling Guangzhao had shared in the chefs¡¯ WeChat group yesterday, and asked, ¡°Do you have wine lees steamed buns today?¡± ¡°Yes, the wine lees steamed buns are a new item we just introduced today,¡± confirmed the waiter. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have a serving of the wine lees steamed buns,¡± said Jiang Feng. ¡°Also, bring us arge bottle of c, chilled,¡± Jiang Zaidi added. After the waiter left, Jiang Zaidi couldn¡¯t help but ask Jiang Feng, ¡°Little brother, why did you order wine lees steamed buns? Grandpa knows how to make them. If you wanted some, couldn¡¯t you just ask Grandpa to make them for you when you go home for the New Year? His are surely tastier than the ones here.¡± ¡°Yesterday, Ling Guangzhao was raving about their restaurant¡¯s wine lees steamed buns in the WeChat group and on his Moments. I just wanted to taste them and see how they are,¡± exined Jiang Feng as he began to take in Eight-treasure House¡¯s d¨¦cor. Speaking honestly, the decoration of Eight-treasure House was quite exquisite. From the potted nts and porcin vases on the cabs and sills to the chairs, benches, chandeliers, stair railings, and the front door¡ªall were harmonious, making one feel immediately that this was a time-honored establishment upon entering. This was Jiang Feng¡¯s first time at Eight-treasure House, and after looking around, he couldn¡¯t pinpoint any area on the first floor that resembled the former small snack-selling area, prompting him to ask, ¡°Miss He, has Eight-treasure House been renovated in the past few years?¡± He Yueru, who had been fully upied cracking open the seeds served by the waiter, looked up after hearing Jiang Feng¡¯s question and assuredly said, ¡°It hasn¡¯t changed. It was pretty much like this before.¡± ¡°The tables have changed. I remember when I was little, the first floor of Eight-treasure House had those small square tables from our family¡¯s restaurant, and it was only the second floor that had therge round tables,¡± He Yueru said as she pointed in a certain direction for Jiang Feng. ¡°All those snacks used to be disyed over there, with a long ss window where everything was kept inside, and behind it, the masters would make them fresh for everyone to see. If you wanted to eat, you¡¯d go to the entrance to buy the corresponding tickets and get your food with them. They didn¡¯t just have snacks, but also soups, porridge, noodles, and the like. The Eight-treasure House¡¯s zhajiang noodles were so delicious before, but now they¡¯re far worse. I camest month to eat them, and although they weren¡¯t bad, they were just too expensive.¡± ¡°And that ce over there, by the window. Originally, that window was open, a small ss one, selling some cheap pastries, like ky biscuits and such, with different items for different seasons.¡± From He Yueru¡¯s tone, one could tell she held a deep nostalgia for the Eight-treasure House of her childhood. ¡°Did youe here often as a child to eat?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Yes. When I was little, my mom thought I was too fat and didn¡¯t let me eat ¡®huo shao¡¯ at home every morning. She gave me some money to go out and buy buns or ¡®shaomai¡¯ instead. I would eat breakfast every other day, save up money for two days, and then head to Eight-treasure House¡¯s first floor for breakfast. Many ssmates did the same thing. If there was money left, I¡¯d run to that little window after school to buy ky biscuits,¡± said He Yueru. Jiang Feng nodded as if he understood something. It was no wonder that even though Eight-treasure House had been declining year after year and the old masters had almost all left, it still managed to maintain its status as one of the four heroes of Beiping¡¯s catering industry, steadfast and unmoved, unlike Huang Ji Restaurant, which almost closed rapidly after Master Huang retired due to his old age.
    As long as there are people like He Yueru who grew up in Beiping City and had their entire childhood filled with Eight-treasure House, its position would remain unchanged. If Ling Guangzhao were a bit luckier and could dig out a few more hidden gems like Zheng Siyuan from the popce, revitalizing Eight-treasure House would just be a matter of time. In an instant, the viin¡¯s script could turn into the hero¡¯s script, and the one holding the viin¡¯s script would only be Eight-treasure House¡¯s greatest enemy ¡ª Jiang¡­ cough, cough. The roast duck was ready, just waiting for customers to order and then it would be sliced and served. Just as He Yueru started discussing the specifics of their family shop¡¯s renovations with Jiang Zaidi, the waiter brought over the roast duck.
    Pure duck skin, pure duck meat, skin with meat, along with all the apaniments for the roast duck: lotus leaf buns, green onions, cucumber slices, and other sauces, all served on threerge tes. Now that the dish had been served, it was time to eat first; the conversation could be set aside forter. Everyone present had tasted many famous roast ducks before, and although it was their first time eating Eight-treasure House¡¯s roast duck, it wasn¡¯t as fresh and astonishing as the first time they had roast duck in Beiping. ¡°De, do you feel that Eight-treasure House¡¯s roast duck isn¡¯t as good as Yonghe House¡¯s?¡± Jiang Feng had just taken a bite of the duck and already felt somewhat full, so he stopped eating. Wu Minqi didn¡¯t eat much either¡ªshe only picked up a piece of duck skin, dipped it in a bit of sugar, and then put down her chopsticks. ¡°It¡¯s not as good as Yonghe House¡¯s,¡± Jiang Zaidi nodded and took another piece of duck meat into his mouth, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the skin that¡¯s not up to par, but I think the meat is about the same.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the duck-slicing master is different,¡± Jiang Feng guessed haphazardly, admitting that he didn¡¯t understand the intricacies of roasting duck. ¡°It¡¯s the lotus leaf buns that aren¡¯t up to par,¡± said He Yueru. ¡°I can¡¯t really say which restaurant in Beiping City has the best roast duck since some ces have better duck-slicing masters and others have better duck-preparing masters, and I can¡¯t really tell the difference in those aspects, so I don¡¯t have much to say. But if you ask me which ce has the best lotus leaf buns, then it¡¯s definitely Yonghe House!¡± ¡°Lotus leaf buns?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Yeah, the lotus leaf buns. Actually, the lotus leaf buns at Eight-treasure House used to be delicious too, but I don¡¯t know what happened in recent years¡ªthey¡¯ve be worse and worse, not much different than the ones sold at the small stands on the street,¡± said He Yueru. ¡°But to pinpoint exactly what¡¯s better, I can¡¯t really say, as I don¡¯t know how to make them. I just remember in middle school, my mom still thought I was too fat and refused to give me allowance for fear I would buy snacks outside. At that time, you could buy just the lotus leaf buns at Yonghe House, 5 yuan for a serving, and you¡¯d get a lot. Whenever I craved roast duck, I would go to Yonghe House to buy lotus leaf buns and then go home to make my own wraps with green onions, cucumber slices, and sweet bean sauce.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, Yonghe House doesn¡¯t sell just lotus leaf buns anymore. Some ces specialized in roast duck still sell them separately, but they are expensive and not as good as Yonghe House¡¯s.¡± He Yueru¡¯s tone suggested she missed the days of wrapping cucumber and green onions in lotus leaf buns. Jiang Feng & Jiang Zaidi & Wu Minqi & Ji Xia: ??? This strategy is simply superb¡ªquenching thirst by looking at plums, aying hunger with pictures of cakes, the real-life version. No wonder He Yueru is plump, it¡¯s well earned.
    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 482: 450 The Same World, The Same Mom Chapter 482: Chapter 450 The Same World, The Same Mom Although the dishes at the Eight-treasure House tasted average, the speed of service was very fast. It was only a few minutes after the Peking duck was served that all the other dishes, except the wine-lees steamed buns, were on the table. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t notice anything when ordering, but suddenly realized after the dishes were served that they hadn¡¯t ordered a single vegetarian one. Preserved meat, mustard duck feet, roastmb chops, roastmb leg, roast duck¡ªeach was a substantial dish in its own right. On an ordinary dining table, any one of these five dishes would outshine the others, but on Jiang Feng¡¯s table, theypeted for attention, each as spectacr as the next. Jiang Zaidi, who was in charge of paying the bill, certainly lived up to his role as a fair ruler, tasting each dish, bite after bite, without worrying about mixing vors. While eating, everyone casually talked about everyday family matters. He Yueru felt obligated to y her part ofpanion shopping after such avish lunch, thinking she should give Jiang Feng and the others a good introduction to which restaurants in Beiping City did these dishes best. ¡°Actually, for mustard duck feet, it¡¯s best to go to a Peking duck specialty restaurant. Although those old Peking duck establishments in Beiping have been declining over the years, with masters leaving before the new ones fully grasp the skills, their vors are still there. There are plenty of big restaurants where the Peking duck is delicious, but if we¡¯re talking about mustard duck feet, only those specialty duck restaurants do them right,¡± He Yueru said, holding a piece of mustard duck foot with her chopsticks, as she introduced it to Jiang Feng and the others. ¡°I remember a ssmate of mine had a rtive working in one of those old Peking duck ces, and he told me that making mustard duck feet is quite aplex process. The duck feet need to be boiled, deboned, and cleaned, and the mustard has to be mixed by the chefs themselves. It needs to be applied a night ahead to ferment on the duck feet, and only the next day can they adjust the taste and serve it to the customers. Although it smells strong, it tastes absolutely delicious!¡± Jiang Feng suspected that He Yueru, contributing to her family¡¯s donkey burger shop, must have listened to many storytelling and crosstalk performances, otherwise her speech wouldn¡¯t be so fluent and well-structured. ¡°As for the preserved meat, I think Tongde House makes it best. Tongde House doesn¡¯t have many signature dishes left, and even though the taste is not bad, it feels like there¡¯s something missing. Mainly because Tongde House is too far from my home, it takes over two hours by subway. In my opinion, the best restaurant in Beiping is Yonghe House. In fact, Tongde House also does a decent job with roastmb chops, but they¡¯re not as delicious as those from Yonghe House. Yonghe House preparesmb in a particrly delicious way, whether it¡¯s grilled, steamed, fried, or roasted, they all taste great. Unfortunately, my mother still thinks I¡¯m too fat, so I haven¡¯t eatenmb at Yonghe House for a long time,¡± He Yueru said, then sighed. ¡°Jiang, do you have a girlfriend?¡± He Yueru asked.
    ¡°Ah? A girlfriend? I had one before, not now,¡± Jiang Zaidi replied, raising his head before burying it again in his roastmb leg. He Yueru sighed again, ¡°It¡¯s better for you guys, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a bit heavy. I think I¡¯m not that much fatter than you, Jiang, just a little heavier than the average person, just a few tens of pounds, right? My mother nags me about it all day long, since I was little. It¡¯s as if she could make me thin by nagging. Really, doesn¡¯t she realize she¡¯s the one who made me this way? Since I was young, all the leftovers ended up in my bowl¡ªif I didn¡¯t eat them, she¡¯d scold me for wasting food. If I ate, she¡¯d scold me for eating too much.¡± The same world, the same fat kid¡¯s mom. ¡°My mom used to do that too, but since I started working and not living at home, she couldn¡¯t control me anymore,¡± Jiang Zaidi chimed in. Jiang Feng: ¡­ As a skinny person, he really struggled to engage in the conversation He Yueru and De were having. ¡°But Sister Yue, my mother-inw said that it¡¯s good for girls to be a bit chubby. She always told me to eat more, to put on some weight,¡± Ji Xia said, nibbling on hermb chop, offering a dissenting view. He Yueru looked at Ji Xia with a smile, her eyes squinted into slits, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still thin now. Wait until one day you be as chubby as your Sister Yue, and your mother-inw won¡¯t want you to eat more either.¡± Wu Minqi, who was sitting next to He Yueru, nearly choked to death on a piece of roast duck. Wu Minqi, still shaken, touched her own chin and pinched it, feeling that there indeed was a lot more flesh than before. ¡°You could move out and live on your own after you start working like I did. When you live alone, you can eat whatever you want, since your parents won¡¯t see it,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, speaking from experience. He Yueru shook her head, ¡°Impossible. My parents are counting on me to learn the craft of making our family¡¯s donkey burgers and to take over the business, to keep selling donkey burgers.¡± Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi could both join in on this topic. Wu Minqi, who had been silent, took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Have you started learning then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m currently learning to make the burgers from my dad. He told me he¡¯d give me a couple of days off for the New Year so I haven¡¯t learned any during this period,¡± He Yueru replied. ¡°Making snacks is a tough job, and your ce is always so busy. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to handle it?¡± Wu Minqi asked with concern¡ªHe Yueru¡¯s family¡¯s donkey burgers were cheap, and they didn¡¯t hire any staff. The location of the shop wasn¡¯t great either, so they definitely ran on thin margins. Thin margins meant hard work. Nowadays, many young people are not willing to endure the hard slog of long hours selling snacks, which is why so many established snack shops in Beiping City were closing one after another. And it¡¯s even harder to imagine for He Yueru, who seemed to only enjoy eating and drinking. ¡°It might be tough for others, but look at me, just look at this meat on my arms.¡± He Yueru lifted her right hand to show Wu Minqi, ¡°It¡¯s winter now so it¡¯s not visible because of theyers, but all this flesh on me, it¡¯s not for nothing. My mom says I have enough strength to move bricks and carry steel rods on a construction site with ease.¡± ¡°Besides, I think it¡¯s quite good to have our own shop at home, saves the trouble of going out and finding a job, facing other people¡¯s disdain. There used to be so many donkey meat bun shops in our alley, but now only my parents¡¯ shop is still open. If I don¡¯t learn, our shop will eventually have to close too. Where would I go to buy donkey meat buns then?¡± He Yueru was quite open-minded, ¡°Now I¡¯m learning to make buns from my dad. He says that the most important part of a donkey meat bun is the bun itself. If the bun isn¡¯t made well, no matter how delicious the stewed donkey meat is, it all goes to waste. Better to eat the donkey meat directly rather than ruin it by stuffing it into a subpar bun.¡± After saying this, He Yueru noticed that there were only a fewmb chops left on the te, and she hurriedly nibbled on another one.
    He Yueru, like Jiang Zaidi, was someone who ate a lot and quickly. Jiang Feng felt that if He Yueru ever had a chance to join Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing for a meal, she wouldn¡¯t necessarily lose to the two sisters in terms of the amount and speed of eating. It was time to let Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing realize that there is always someone better out there, always a higher mountain, strong though there be stronger still amongst the strong. Once two people at the table start eating enthusiastically, everyone gets carried away by the atmosphere, inevitably putting aside their thoughts and diving into eating with gusto. Under the influence of Jiang Zaidi and He Yueru, even Jiang Feng, who felt full, and Wu Minqi, who kept reminding herself not to overeat, couldn¡¯t help but pick up their chopsticks and indulge. As the dishes on the table were about to be wiped clean, the long-awaited fermented rice buns finally arrived.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
    The fermented rice buns that Ling Guangzhao had so enthusiastically boasted about looked unremarkable, no different from ordinary buns, and upon closer inspection, no unusual scent was noted, just the familiar smell of fermented rice buns. They seemed no different from the steamed buns sold outside, priced anywhere from a few cents to a dor. The server, who took the order previously, introduced each dish as it arrived, and the fermented rice buns were no exception. ¡°Dear customers, these fermented rice buns are a new item in our store, even our Mr. Ling can¡¯t stop praising them. You absolutely won¡¯t find this taste anywhere else, this is the exclusive secret recipe and craftsmanship of our Master White Chef, one of a kind!¡± The fermented rice buns steamed on the table, clearly just out of the steamer. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t buy the server¡¯s tall tales ¨C her praises were different for every dish that came to the table, but once he tasted them, he didn¡¯t find them any different, and some were even inferior to those from Taifeng Building or other stores. Steamed buns, being high in carbohydrates, were something Wu Minqi, despite having eaten her fill of meat, was hesitant to touch. Jiang Zaidi didn¡¯t take an interest in such non-meat items, Ji Xia felt the same, and Jiang Feng stood by without taking action, leaving only He Yueru eyeing the fermented rice buns on the table. ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys eating the buns?¡± asked He Yueru. ¡°We¡¯ll eat themter,ter,¡± the four replied in unison. ¡°Then I¡¯ll eat one first. There are six in the portion; you guys can have more if you¡¯re interestedter on. Buns should be eaten while they¡¯re hot, so I¡¯ll go ahead,¡± said He Yueru, confidently grabbing the bun closest to her. It was possibly too hot, so she switched hands before taking a bite, even blowing on it first. She took a bite. Closest to He Yueru, Jiang Feng caught a whiff of a fragrance that seemed like fermented rice but was different, somewhat familiar. ¡°Delicious!¡± He Yueru¡¯s eyes lit up, seemingly more excited than after she had consumed roast duck, pot-roasted meat, roastedmb chops, roastedmb leg, and mustard duck feet.
    ¡°Really delicious, this bun is exceptionally tasty, different from any other bun. You guys have to try it, it won¡¯t be as good once it cools!¡± He Yueru was as thrilled as if she had found a treasure. Hearing her rave like that, everyone couldn¡¯t help but turn their gaze to the still-steaming buns on the table. They looked at each other, incredulous. . Note 1: Excerpt from Chapter 479 by Uncle Mo Yu. Chapter 483: 481 : Distillers Grains Steamed Buns Chapter 483: 481 Chapter: Distiller¡¯s Grains Steamed Buns (The title of the previous chapter was wrong; it should have been Chapter Four Hundred Eighty.) When it came to fermented grain steamed buns, Jiang Feng and Jiang Zaidi were no strangers, since Sir used to make them often during the New Year and winter and summer vacations. It wasn¡¯t for any particr reason, other than that Mrs. Jiang liked to eat steamed buns and, every morning, she wouldn¡¯t eat pancakes, drink porridge, or have noodles, but would eat the fermented grain steamed buns made by Sir. As a result, those who mingled with Mrs. Jiang in the countryside also got to share in this treat, enjoying the steamed buns made by Sir every now and then. The fermented grain steamed buns made by Sir were different from those made by others. While they also didn¡¯t use yeast but a starter made from fermented grains, the proportions of the recipe and some additional secret ingredients were unique and closely guarded, amounting to a secret family technique. It was just that since Jiang Feng and his cousins didn¡¯t learn the art of the white chef, Sir had not taught them. Jiang Zaidi, among the younger Jiang Family members with the most money and the most freedom in his diet, would asionally travel on business, having tasted a lot and thus felt entitled to his opinions. ¡°Yue, let me tell you, the reason you haven¡¯t eaten really good fermented grain steamed buns is because those sold in stores are basically all the same. The ones my grandfather makes, now those are the best in the world,¡± Jiang Zaidi boasted after singing the praises of the steamed buns made by Sir, then honestly put down thest piece ofmb chop he hadn¡¯t finished and grabbed a bun. But with just a light squeeze, Jiang Zaidi realized that Eight-treasure House had some skill to dare charge dozens of times the price of ordinary steamed buns. Decent fermented grain steamed buns should be plump and stic. They should dete when squeezed and bounce back when released, and should have a fragrance of alcohol when eaten. To achieve these qualities means the steamed buns are decent, but only just decent¡ªthis is the lower limit. How high the upper limit goes depends on the skills of the steamed bun master. Jiang Zaidi took a bite of the steamed bun. He nearly pped the table and stood up.
    ¡°Holy shit, this is really good. Dude, you try it. Is something wrong with my taste buds? I think these taste just like Grandpa¡¯s!¡± Jiang Zaidi eximed. Jiang Feng: ??? It¡¯s a wonder, with your thick brows and big eyes, over 200 pounds and Grandpa¡¯s own grandson, that just a second ago you were praising Grandpa and putting down Eight-treasure House¡¯s steamed buns, and now you¡¯ve turned traitor. Jiang Feng grabbed a fermented grain steamed bun and took a small bite. When the bun reached his nose, the scent was clearer¡ªa light fragrance of alcohol and another scent that was very familiar, not just the fragrance, but even the taste. ¡°Holy shit.¡± Jiang Feng defected on the spot, looking at Jiang Zaidi as the brothers found themselves speechless for a moment. ¡°De, wait a moment, I¡¯ll ask,¡± Jiang Feng raised his hand to signal a waiter over, and the server approached them. ¡°Is this steamed bun made by Zheng Siyuan of your restaurant, Master Zheng?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°That¡¯s right, it seems you know our Master Zheng! Would you please fill out a feedback form for uster? If there is anything unsatisfactory about the dishes or anything particrly pleasing, you can write it down, and after that, we can give you a small water cup,¡± the server said enthusiastically. ¡°Is it really made by Master Zheng?¡± Jiang Feng questioned uncertainly. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s made by Master Zheng. If you¡¯re here specifically for Master Zheng, don¡¯t worry that we¡¯ll fool you with steamed buns made by some other chef. Our restaurant¡¯s other white chefs don¡¯t make these kinds of fermented grain steamed buns, only Master Zheng does,¡± the server began to reassure Jiang Feng, ¡°Your portion was just taken out of the steamer; when it was served to you, wasn¡¯t it piping hot?¡± ¡°Okay, thanks, I was just asking,¡± Jiang Feng nodded and let out a sigh of relief. The moment the bun hit his mouth, he even had the terrifying thought that perhaps Sir, taking advantage of Taifeng Building¡¯s closure, had slipped into Eight-treasure House to work under the table. The taste of the fermented grain steamed buns made by Zheng Siyuan was just too simr to those made by Sir. If someone said the recipe was the same, Jiang Feng would believe it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wu Minqi was confused by the reactions of Jiang Feng and Jiang Zaidi. ¡°Nothing much, the taste of this bun is a bit like Grandpa¡¯s,¡± Jiang Feng exined. He Yueru¡¯s eyes grew wide, ¡°Your grandpa makes such delicious steamed buns?¡± ¡°Even better than these!¡± Jiang Feng said firmly. Taking advantage of Jiang Feng¡¯s question, Jiang Zaidi had already finished the distiller¡¯s grains steamed bun in his hand and reached out his guilty, fat hand towards the next one.
    ¡°But didn¡¯t little brother¡¯s grandpa tell us when we were young that this distiller¡¯s grains steamed bun is our family¡¯s secret recipe? Howe the chef from Eight-treasure House knows how to make it, too? Could it be Grandpa was bluffing us?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked. Jiang Feng pondered seriously for a moment and, in the process of thinking, finished the steamed bun in his hand. ¡°Zheng Siyuan¡¯s dad and Dong Li¡¯s master are sworn brothers,ing from the same school and they could both pass down the skills of the Red Chef and White Chef. So, their great master must have had serious culinary skills. Didn¡¯t Grandpa always travel around the south in his early years, visiting various masters to learn cooking? It¡¯s likely Grandpa also took their great master as his teacher and learned how to make the distiller¡¯s grains steamed buns from him.¡± Jiang Feng analyzed coolly, feeling his analysis deserved full marks. ¡°If you¡¯re not sure, why don¡¯t you ask Grandpa during New Year¡¯s? After all, everyone will be staying in the countryside, and you can see Grandpa every day,¡± Jiang Feng added.
    ¡°No, no, I won¡¯t ask. If I ask the wrong question, I might get a beating. Getting beaten is a small matter, but not getting fed is a big one. If you want to ask, you go ahead,¡± Jiang Zaidi shook his head like a rattle, determined not to fall for it. Of the six distiller¡¯s grains steamed buns on the te, Jiang Feng and He Yueru each had one, Ji Xia and Wu Minqi shared one, and Jiang Zaidi alone finished the remaining three. After finishing the steamed buns, lunch also came to an end. Jiang Zaidi, as the main force of the meal, felt not only full but also a bit bloated after settling the bill and standing up, as if the food had stuck right in his throat. ying hooky while having a feast indeed led to indulgence because of too much happiness. After profoundly chastising himself in his heart, he turned to ask Ji Xia, ¡°Xiaxia, what should we ¡­ no, what should we buy this afternoon?¡± They had already bought quite a few things in the morning, and many items on Ji Xia¡¯s original list were vetoed by He Yueru. He Yueru had also proven her vetoes were valid with her knowledge and taste for these Beiping old shops. After thinking for a while and feeling a bit torn, Ji Xia looked to He Yueru, ¡°Sister Yue, can I buy a roast duck to take back for my mother-inw?¡± ¡°Roast duck?¡± He Yueru immediately ruled out Ji Xia¡¯s suggestion, ¡°Roast duck isn¡¯t good when ordered as takeaway, you have to eat it in the store. It¡¯s delicious when it¡¯s freshly sliced and still hot and crispy. If you buy it and take it all the way to Guangdong Province for your mother-inw, it will lose much of its taste over such a long journey. Even though it¡¯s winter and it won¡¯t spoil easily, the vor would havepletely changed, and it wouldn¡¯t be the taste that you wanted your mother-inw to experience.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°I see,¡± Ji Xia frowned, thinking for a moment, ¡°Then forget it. I¡¯ll bring my mother-inw to Beiping and we¡¯ll eat in the store. What I wanted to buy in the morning has mostly been bought; only cloth shoes, hair ties, and pastries are left.¡± ¡°Pastries are easy, I know a pastry shop that sells unique Beiping City treats, many of which are thought to be lost recipes only known by their shop¡¯s chefs. I¡¯ll take you there; you can try them in the store first, and whatever you find delicious, you can buy more to take back for your mother-inw. Their sakima is particrly good, nothing like what you can find outside,¡± said He Yueru, intending to take everyone to the pastry shop. She had barely walked a few steps when she suddenly stopped as though she remembered something. ¡°Xiaxia, if you can¡¯t take roast duck back, you can take roast chicken instead. Our Beiping five-spiced roast chicken is also very famous!¡± He Yueru said. Instantly excited, Ji Xia replied, ¡°Really?¡±
    ¡°Of course! Just up the street, there¡¯s a ce that does fantastic roast chicken and prepares it especially for takeout. It¡¯s not only roast chicken, they also have delicious soy sauce beef, roast chicken legs, fried beef cubes, sheep¡¯s head meat, duck wings, and beef tendon. Come on, I¡¯ll take you there,¡± He Yueru grabbed Ji Xia¡¯s hand and moved towards the next shop. ¡°Burp.¡± Jiang Zaidi couldn¡¯t help but let out a burp before chuckling, ¡°Let¡¯s go, little brother, let¡¯s buy some too. We can bring it back for dinner or as a midnight snack.¡± After all, he was so full now that he couldn¡¯t even eat a chicken foot. ¡°De, remember we have the family reunion dinner tonight, and Grandpa and Granduncle Weiming are cooking,¡± Jiang Feng reminded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll bring it with us and eat it tomorrow on the bullet train. Let¡¯s go!¡± Chapter 484: 482: Oil-Sealed Duck Chapter 484: Chapter 482: Oil-Sealed Duck Since they still had to rush back to Taifeng Building to prepare for the New Year¡¯s party, Jiang Feng and the others deliberately controlled their time. Seeing that all the shopping was done and that Ji Xia had nothing extra she wanted, Jiang Feng decided to first take the newly purchased big and small packages home, and then head to Taifeng Building together. Women always disy formidable strength when shopping, and Ji Xia was no exception. Jiang Feng, Wu Minqi, and Ji Xia all carried the things Ji Xia had bought along the way, while Jiang Zaidi carried the food he wanted for himself. Only He Yueru was empty-handed, mainly because she had no money. Jiang Feng thought that she had really wanted to buy something when they were at the pastry shop earlier. ¡°Brother De, why don¡¯t youe back with us? It¡¯s already past 3 PM. If youe with us, you can help wash and chop the vegetables and stuff,¡± Jiang Feng said, trying to recruit an extra pair of hands. Jiang Zaidi repeatedly waved his hands, ¡°No, no, I have to report to the office to show face and update the leader on my work progress today. Yue, I¡¯m going the same way as you, let¡¯s go back together and you can tell me more about how you want to change the heating pipes for your family¡¯s shop. I¡¯ll try to get the first n out for you by New Year.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± He Yueru nodded. ¡°By the way, little brother, you must be going home, right? Take these roast chickens and sauce beef with you; otherwise, it¡¯ll be hard to exin to the leader if I carry them to the office.¡± Jiang Zaidi handed over a roast chicken and three pounds of sauce beef to Jiang Feng, who barely managed to grab Jiang Zaidi¡¯s items with two fingers he freed up. Jiang Zaidi and He Yueru took the subway back, while Jiang Feng, after some thought, decided to splurge and take a taxi home. The three of them were carrying too many things, including pastries which were fragile and shouldn¡¯t be crushed, so taking a taxi seemed more convenient. By the time the three of them had put everything away at home and walked to Taifeng Building, most of the employees had already arrived. The skilled waitresses had already decorated Taifeng Building nicely. Couplets were posted at the entrance and festive and exquisite rednterns were hung inside. Delicate silk flowers were also ced in appropriate spots, presenting an overwhelming festive atmosphere. Mrs. Wang Xiulian had specially ordered a tacky and rustic banner that looked cheap and hung it in the center of the hall. Emzoned on the banner were the bold characters for ¡°A New Journey, A New Leap,¡± and a line of smaller text below read ¡°Warmly celebrating the 1st Annual Taifeng Building New Year¡¯s Party.¡±
    A treasure that appealed to both refined and popr tastes. Since it was a New Year¡¯s party, even though Mrs. Wang Xiulian and Fan Mei said there was no need to be too formal, it was still necessary to create the right atmosphere. Snacks like pastries, melon seeds, sour plums, and peanuts used to fuel conversation were in no short supply, along with plenty of cold and hot drinks. Although there was no alcohol, the variety of fresh juices and the hot milk tea personally brewed by Mr. Jiang Jiankang were enough to satisfy everyone.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Sang Ming stayed true to his roots, bringing mahjong to every gathering without fail. This time he improved uponst time, which was Jiang Weiming¡¯s birthday, by bringing not two sets of mahjong but three, fully meeting everyone¡¯s needs. Mrs. Jiang and Chen Suhua, who hadn¡¯t yed a satisfying game of mahjong in a long time, were dominating the tables, with a clear distinction between the younger and older yers. Just as Jiang Feng reached the juice stand and was wondering whether to drink soy milk, milk tea, or orange juice, he was immediately cornered by Mrs. Wang Xiulian who gave him 10 yuan to go next door to the convenience store and buy a deck of cards. Although Sang Ming had learned his lesson this time and brought three sets of mahjong, he had forgotten to bring ying cards. ¡°Xiaxia, go next-door and buy a deck of ying cards,¡± Jiang Feng skillfully shoved the 10 yuan into Ji Xia¡¯s hands and picked orange juice. ¡°Fengfeng, going to the kitchen?¡± Wu Minqi, already changed into her clothes, asked. ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll follow after I finish my orange juice and change,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°Zhang and the others should be in the kitchen, right? I didn¡¯t see them outside.¡± ¡°Yes, Yueyue is also in the kitchen, I just saw her,¡± Wu Minqi said, taking the orange juice from Jiang Feng¡¯s hand, ¡°This orange juice is icy, drink less of it, leave the other half for me and go change.¡± Jiang Feng, deprived of his right to drink orange juice, obediently went to the changing room to change into his work clothes. Jiang Weisheng, Zhang Guanghang, Dong Shi, Dong Li, and Ji Yue were all in the kitchen. Dinner was going to be buffet-style, naturally self-service and self-sufficient. Each of the two patriarchs would prepare a specialty dish, with Jiang Weiming making Roasted Pig and Jiang Weiguo making his signature pork dish¡ªsauerkraut stew with pork and blood sausages. With these two dishes as the main events, everything else was justplementary. If anyone was afraid of not getting full, there was also Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s fried rice with pickled vegetables as a solid backup. Thus, for this New Year¡¯s party, it wasn¡¯t required for every chef to cook something specific. If they wanted to cook, they could; if not, they could just y mahjong, chat, and wait for the meal and the raffle. Wu Minqi nned to cook boiled pork slices for the day, and because it was a New Year¡¯s party and they wanted everyone to enjoy the food rather than just drink water, she would be very restrained and cautious with her cooking. Jiang Feng was mainly there to assist Wu Minqi. He was going to make Sweet and Sour Yam, which was very simple, and even with the time spent handling the yams, half an hour was more than enough. Seven people in the kitchen, two couples, one married, making Dong Shi and Dong Li appear as the odd ones out in such a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere¡ªjust like the stray 996 dog they often ran into on the way home at night. Ji Yue was assisting Zhang Guanghang. Jiang Feng saw Ji Yue handling bay leaves and rosemary, then garlic, then pepper, and felt unfamiliar, as he had never seen Zhang Guanghang make such a dish before. Unable to contain his desire to ck off, he quietly left his work and sneaked over to Zhang Guanghang to get to the bottom of it. ¡°Zhang, what are you making today? I haven¡¯t seen you make this dish before,¡± said Jiang Feng, his hands still covered in the fine bits of chili and Sichuan pepper he had just chopped. ¡°Duck Confit,¡± said Zhang Guanghang, focused on tearing the thyme. ¡°Duck Confit?¡± Jiang Feng felt the name of the dish sounded vaguely familiar, as though it appeared in some American TV show he had watched before. If he remembered correctly, it was thest meal eaten by a victim before their death.
    ¡°It¡¯s a rather traditional French dish. It needs to be roasted in an oven for over four hours and should be ready by around eight o¡¯clock in the evening for everyone to have as a snack. Ideally, it¡¯s best after being refrigerated for over seven days, but it¡¯s also fine to eat it right away,¡± Zhang Guanghang exined. ¡°This is a traditional recipe from the south; before we had refrigerators, we used this method to preserve meat, simr to sausages and cured meat.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Trust Zhang to make even a snack thisplicated. ¡°Speaking of which, Zhang, what are your ns for the New Year? Why don¡¯t youe to my ce and celebrate with us?¡± Jiang Feng suggested.
    Zhang Guanghang didn¡¯t go back during Christmas, so he probably wouldn¡¯t return for the New Year either. Upon hearing Jiang Feng¡¯s words, Ji Yue, who was previously struggling with the rosemary and bay leaves, suddenly looked up, ring daggers: ¡°Why does ¡®your¡¯ Zhang have to go to ¡®your¡¯ house for New Year¡¯s?¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Yeah, why does ¡®your¡¯ Zhang have toe to my house for New Year¡¯s? Zhang Guanghang couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I do need to go back; it¡¯s been almost a year since Ist visited, and it¡¯s about time I did. I¡¯ve heard some rumors recently, and it¡¯s a good opportunity for me to ask my father about them to be sure.¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± Zhang Guanghang chuckled. ¡°Just some baseless gossip and hearsay, nothing serious. Once I confirm if there¡¯s any truth to them, I¡¯ll call you. Otherwise, I¡¯d end up being a rumormonger if it turns out to be false.¡± ¡°Plus, I¡¯ve had some new ideas these past days. It will be good to go back and discuss them with my father for possible improvements.¡± Jiang Feng thought that was a good idea. Although Zhang Guanghang spent most of his time in Beiping and was considered half a native there, his parents were still in France. It was only right he should visit them a few times a year, no matter how indifferent their rtionship might be. Just as Jiang Feng was about to get back to helping his dear Minqi after cking off, Mrs. Jiang, who burst into the kitchen to draft helpers, immediately set her sights on him. ¡°Feng, your Granduncle Weiming is going to roast the pig in the back kitchen, and we¡¯re one short for our mahjong game. Come and fill in for your granduncle for a bit,¡± Mrs. Jiang would not allow her mahjong game to be dyed for even a moment. Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng panicked at once. Although he fancied himself a mahjong maestro, after a woeful previous experience, Jiang Feng realized that not everything online could be taken at face value. You might be an unmatched yer in mobile mahjong games, but in reality, most of your opponents are likely bots, or low-skill yers in real life who have lost too much at the game. If it were the youths¡¯ mahjong table, Jiang Feng might have the courage to battle, but the senior yers had spent decades on the mahjong circuit, toughened up by years of y, rising and falling, adept enough to call out their tiles with their eyes closed.
    Against them, Jiang Feng had no choice but to wave the white g of surrender. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m busy here; I need to help Minqi. She can¡¯t handle the cooking on her own!¡± Jiang Feng said hastily, trying to excuse himself. Mrs. Jiang looked at Wu Minqi. ¡°Grandma, I can manage on my own. Let Jiang Feng fill in the gap for a while. Fengfeng, hurry over; don¡¯t keep them waiting,¡± Wu Minqi said with augh, urging him on. Jiang Feng¡¯s smile froze on his face. Mrs. Jiang, however, smiled with contentment: ¡°Feng,e quick, we¡¯re all waiting for you!¡± Watching Jiang Feng¡¯s slightly forlorn figure leaving, Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t help but heave a deep sigh. Her Fengfeng was so bad at mahjong. When they went back to her home in a few days and if her aunts invited Fengfeng to y, what would he do? Chapter 485: 483: Hmm, a Radish? Chapter 485: Chapter 483: Hmm, a Radish? When Jiang Feng left the mahjong table, he was bleary-eyed, his gaze vacant, his mind hollow, questioning the very essence of life. Each member of the senior group was a hidden expert, their skills lying deep beneath the surface. Mrs. Jiang and Chen Suhua had dedicated years to studying mahjong, encountering masters from all walks of life, and witnessing a variety of styles and tactics. They could be described as battle-hardened, invincible, always victorious, and rarely met a worthy opponent. If the director was willing to allocate more close-up shots of their eyes, hands, and expressions, along with some internal monologues, each and every game they yed would provide excellent material for a film about mahjong prodigies and gambling sages. Professor Li, though not fond of ying mahjong nor a frequent yer, would asionally join the other senior professors from the staff dormitory for a game during holidays. But after years of influence from Chen Suhua and equipped with his excellent knowledge in math and physics, powerful calcting capabilities, keen observational skills refined through years of teaching, and his exceptional talent for surmising the thoughts of others, he had already be an ascetic mahjong master. Although he seldom won, he rarely made mistakes that benefited other yers. If he did err, it usually favored Chen Suhua. Capable of both attacking and defending, he remained calm and collected throughout several hours of y, ensuring his wallet remained intact while also keeping his wife happy¡ªa perfect example for Jiang Feng to follow in the future. Three masters versus one novice¡ªthe oue was predictable. When Jiang Weiming returned from the kitchen to re-join the mahjong table, Jiang Feng looked at him and saw a holy aura emanating from Granduncle Weiming, as if an angel had descended to the earthly realm. Jiang Feng, having escaped the mahjong table, felt an urgent need to eat something to soothe both his injured soul and his wallet. The dishes from the kitchen were out of the question. Wu Minqi¡¯s boiled pork slices might be ready, but Jiang Feng didn¡¯t dare to have any. Zhang Guanghang¡¯s soy-sauce-cured duck was probably still roasting slowly in the oven, and Dong Shi and Dong Li were aiming to prepare sweet and sour mandarin fish and crispy eel strips, which given their experience, were likely timed perfectly. Jiang Feng had initially nned to just grab some sunflower seeds and peanuts, but just as he slipped them into his pocket, he saw Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng sitting by the window, each holding a chicken leg and eating with gusto.
    He hadn¡¯t noticed when De and Cheng arrived, as at that time he had been battling it out at the mahjong table, his world dark and unfocused, oblivious to the world outside. However, he recognized the chicken legs they were holding¡ªit was the roast chicken De had bought that afternoon.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om They wererge and sulent, clearly the legs of a chicken that had lived a life ofziness and gluttony, dedicated to fattening up without a care for exercise. ¡°De, can you give me a piece?¡± Jiang Feng dashed forward eagerly to share the chicken. Jiang Zaidi generously slid the roast chicken, only left with the rump, breast meat, and feet, in front of Jiang Feng, gesturing for him to help himself. Jiang Feng, who was not wearing gloves, tore off a small piece of chicken breast. The Jiang family members never wore gloves while eating; by the time one bothered with gloves, all the good parts would have been snatched away by others. ¡°De, Cheng, when did you guys get here?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°While you were ying cards,¡± Jiang Zaidi offered a rather vague timeframe. As Jiang Feng slowly gnawed on the chicken breast, he scanned the other people in the hall. Not having given it much thought before, he now realized that quite a few were missing. Aside from those ying mahjong and poker, there were many fewer spectators and chatters. ¡°Where is everybody? The other people?¡± asked Jiang Feng, looking perplexed as if from another world. ¡°Some went shopping; others went to move things,¡± said Jiang Zaidi, taking a big bite of chicken. ¡°Your Minqi led a group of girls out to buy fruits and snacks. My parents, your parents, and his parents went to set up the sound system and microphones, saying they wanted to sing,¡± Jiang Shoucheng added further details. Jiang Feng suddenly understood. While he had been focused on mahjong, the Taifeng Building¡¯s annual gathering had be so much more diverse and colorful. Although the warehouse did contain equipment such as speakers and microphones, it needed setting up. Wang Xiulian and the others were only responsible for locating and moving the machines; the technical task of setting up, which exceeded charging mobile phones in difficulty, was left to Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng, who, truth be told, weren¡¯t much better but were believed by the elders to be capable of the task. The reason why Jiang Feng, a physics student, escaped this ordeal was that the senior family members felt he had had a hard enough time apanying Mrs. Jiang at the mahjong table, exhausting his mind and depleting his funds. So they considerately let him munch on roast chicken while watching his two cousins sweat over the setup. Wu Minqi returned, leading a group of girls heavilyden with all kinds of fruits, cakes, and cookies. They hadn¡¯t managed to set up the equipment yet. The group seemed to have raided a fruit store and a cake shop, purchasing almost every fruit avable at the market this season and bringing back a rich assortment of cakes in various vors, along with seven or eight kinds of cookies. Ji Yue, the strongest among them, carried two heavy bags of fruits in each hand. After cing the fruits on the cold dish counter in the kitchen, Ji Yue didn¡¯t forget toe over and give Jiang Feng a heads-up. ¡°Mr. Jiang, your Mr. Wu really splurged today; she paid for everything. It¡¯s her treat,¡± Ji Yue pointed out.
    Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng halted in mid-chew. ¡°So¡­ do you think it¡¯d still be okay for me to order some roast chicken for delivery?¡± asked Jiang Feng. Ji Yue: ??? ¡°Minqi specially bought your favorite chocte cake, cranberry cookies, honey tangerines, and red-fleshed kiwifruits for you,¡± Ji Yue hinted frantically.
    Jiang Feng seemed to catch on a little. ¡°Initially, Zhang wasn¡¯t nning to make the soy-sauce-cured duck. It was just me watching a TV drama and mentioning it in passing a couple of days ago that I wanted to eat it, which made him change his mind,¡± Ji Yue continued to hint. ¡°I just went to the coffee shop where old Zhang from my home frequently buys coffee and got the sugar-freette he always drinks,¡± Ji Yue hinted wildly. ¡°Your Qiqi is currently making a honey mandarin and kiwi fruit tter!¡± Ji Yue hinted not so subtly anymore. Jiang Feng got it. He had an epiphany. He fell into deep thought. Ji Yue smiled faintly, staying humble and unknown, and quietly left. Jiang Feng continued to ponder. There were only a few things his Qiqi loved to eat; she wasn¡¯t particr about fruit, showing no favoritism, she treated them all equally. The snacks Jiang Feng had at the plum and sunflower seed shop were all Qiqi¡¯s favorites. However, Jiang Feng had noticed thattely Qiqi wasn¡¯t much into milk tea and cakes, and believed that if he bought a cup of lemon ck tea without ice and presented it to Wu Minqi, she would probably smile rather reluctantly. Fried chicken and grilled skewers were also ruled out.
    Jiang Feng sighed deeply, trying to remember if Qiqi had mentioned any dishes to himtely. After thinking for a long time, Jiang Feng remembered that this morning Wu Minqi had mentioned shredded radish pancakes and boiled cabbage. Shredded radish, pancakes, boiled water, cabbage. He knew how to prepare each of them separately, but he was clueless when it came tobining them. Jiang Feng looked at the roasted chicken on the table with a touch of sadness. Shredded radish, pancakes, boiled water, cabbage. While Jiang Feng was still struggling, he suddenly smelled a familiar aroma. Ji Xia was walking in with some oden from the next-door convenience store, eating as she walked; the bamboo skewer clearly had the radish Jiang Feng was familiar with. Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes lit up, and he waved at Ji Xia. As Ji Xia walked toward Jiang Feng, still nibbling on the radish, she said, ¡°Master, do you want some? I bought radishes, cabbage, eggs, meatballs, and this thing called¡­ what¡¯s it¡­ wheels?¡± Ji Xia showed Jiang Feng the little paper cup holding the oden, which indeed had a variety of options. ¡°Xiaxia, were there still radishes for sale when you bought yours?¡± asked Jiang Feng. Ji Xia nodded, ¡°Yes, the store owner made a lot of stuff today, everypartment was full. I saw him eating his own when I went to buy.¡±
    ¡°Then you keep eating, Xiaxia. Later you can still have cake, biscuits, and fruit, but eat less cake,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile as he advised her. Ji Xia automatically ignored thest sentence. Jiang Feng slipped into the cold dish room, where Wu Minqi was dealing with kiwis, and half a te of beautifully cut kiwis was already on the te. Tang Tang was helping her make the fruit tter. ¡°Qiqi,¡± Jiang Feng called out. Wu Minqi looked up, ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Stop doing that for now, I¡¯ll help you with itter. I brought you something to eat,¡± said Jiang Feng. Wu Minqi put down the fruit knife in her hand, visibly happy but also a bit concerned, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Radishes!¡± ¡°Oh, radishes.¡± ¡°Yes, radishes?¡± Chapter 486: 484: Getting Drunk Chapter 486: Chapter 484: Getting Drunk Jiang Feng led Wu Minqi to the convenience store next door, where they ate nearly half a cup of odeng¡¯s radish. Because the process was somewhat confusing, Wu Minqi finished the radish without fully understanding what Jiang Feng really wanted to do. ¡°Qiqi, how does it taste?¡± Jiang Feng asked with an expectant look on his face. Wu Minqi, somewhat puzzled, honestly replied, ¡°The seasoning is a bit strong, but it tastes quite good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Jiang Feng sighed in relief. ¡°Originally, I wanted to buy you a milk tea like before, but I remembered you haven¡¯t had milk tea for a long time, and these past days you haven¡¯t really gone out with Ji Yue to eat cake either.¡± ¡°The radish in this odeng is well-vored; it¡¯s perfect for snacking on when you¡¯re bored and craving something on a cold day. After wee back from the new year, if you don¡¯t want to go eat cake with Ji Yue, you can arrange to meet her here for some odeng,¡± suggested Jiang Feng. Wu Minqi felt like she was starting to understand what Jiang Feng meant and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Fengfeng, did Yueyue tell you earlier that I specifically bought tangerines and kiwifruit for you, so that¡¯s why you thought to bring me here to eat something you think I¡¯d also like?¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s old face turned red: ¡°I thought you might like this.¡± ¡°Of course I like it, I like anything you specifically bring me here to eat,¡± said Wu Minqi with a shy smile, biting her upper lip, a crescent of white teeth showing through her grinning lips.
    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t specifically go out to buy the tangerines and kiwifruit for you; I just thought of you liking them when I saw them at the fruit shop, so I bought them,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°In fact, the fact that you noticed I haven¡¯t been drinking milk tea or eating cake recently, so you didn¡¯t buy me milk tea, already made me very happy.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s eyes moistened¡ªhis Qiqi was such a sympathetic, gentle, considerate boss. ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Jiang Feng stood up, taking Wu Minqi¡¯s hand. ¡°Guessing that De and Cheng have already set up the equipment, Qiqi, I tell you, De will definitely sing ¡®Love Even After Death.¡¯ If you find it too noisyter, just go into the kitchen and close the door; the kitchen is pretty soundproof.¡± Voices preceded their arrival, as Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi pushed open the door to the Taifeng Building, they heard Jiang Zaide belting out ¡®Love Even After Death¡¯ at the top of his lungs. ¡°Without giving it your all, it¡¯s not exhrating¡­¡± Out of 8 words, 6 were out of tune¡ªtheir Jiang family¡¯s inability to carry a tune was definitely hereditary. The members of the youth mahjong group had already been driven to distraction, tidying up the table to hide in a corner. The members of the seniors group, confident in their old age and hard of hearing, were not afraid of Jiang Zaide¡¯s hoarse voice and focused on ying mahjong, unperturbed. They were hardly familiar with ¡®Love Even After Death,¡¯ so even if Jiang Zaide¡¯s pitch soared off to the skies, they would not notice. After one song, Jiang Zaide was not yet satisfied and wanted to continue, only to be stripped of the right to sing a second song by the crowd rushing to seize the microphone for the sake of their own ears and lives. Everyone took turns singing, one out of tune, the next even more so, and time flew by rapidly. Jiang Feng, thinking it was about time, slipped into the kitchen to make a dish of Sweet and Sour Yam. By the time he came out, he found several more boxes of alcohol had appeared¡ªred, white, and beer¡ªno telling which drunkard had started the trend. Seeing things were turning sour, Jiang Feng was about to slip away when he was caught red-handed by Sang Ming. ¡°Little boss, you finally showed up, we¡¯ve been waiting for you to drink. Here, let me toast to you first,¡± announced Drunkard No. 1, raising their ss. Jiang Feng repeatedly declined, all too familiar with this scenario. If he hadn¡¯t slipped away at the high school farewell dinner, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to crawl home. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m allergic to alcohol, can¡¯t drink, can¡¯t drink,¡± Jiang Feng pulled out his ultimate weapon, the alcohol allergy. Sang Ming was taken aback, not expecting Jiang Feng toe out with such a strong excuse and finding himself in a dilemma. Just as he was about tough it off and find the next victim with his drink in hand, someone nearby exposed Jiang Feng¡¯s lies. ¡°No way, little boss, I remember you had a few beers at thest get-together.¡± Jiang Feng turned his head, curious to see which brave soul not afraid of having their bonus or next year¡¯s year-end bonus docked dared to expose his lies, only to see Zhou Shi holding a ss of wine and smiling at him. ¡°Little boss, Happy New Year, here¡¯s a toast to you,¡± Zhou Shi said with a smile. Jiang Feng, begrudgingly, found a cup, poured half a ss of beer, and clinked sses with Zhou Shi.
    ¡°Happy New Year, I wish you the luck of drawing a pack of tissues tonight,¡± Jiang Feng cursed maliciously. ¡°Tissues are good too, can use them to wipe my hands, just spilled some juice on them,¡± Zhou Shiughed, downing his ss in one go. Sang Ming, who always loved stirring up trouble, saw an opportunity he couldn¡¯t pass up when he noticed Jiang Feng could drink. He immediately mored, ¡°Come on, little boss, you actually lied to me, I almost believed you for a second. Drink up, you have to finish a full ss!¡± Jiang Feng had no choice but to pour another ss.
    Taifeng Building should impose a ban on alcohol for next year¡¯s party!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Jiang Feng downed the beer in his ss all at once. He wasn¡¯t someone with a high tolerance for alcohol. Even during college when joining ssmates for meals or having barbecue with Wang Hao in the evening, he¡¯d only asionally have a couple of beers and rarely got drunk. One of the few times Jiang Feng had been drunk in his life was after their high school farewell dinner and his grandmother¡¯s 70th birthday. Mrs. Wang Xiulian had so many cousins, which meant Jiang Feng had a plethora of distant uncles, cousins he couldn¡¯t recognize. At his grandmother¡¯s 70th birthday meal, Jiang Feng only remembered how he got there, not how he got home. Hisst memory was being bombarded by round after round of drinks from these rtives, faces he recognized but names he couldn¡¯t recall, each one insisting, ¡°Feng has grown up, have a drink,¡± and ¡°You¡¯re big enough now,e, have one with your uncle.¡± Today, on the faces of these Taifeng Building employees, who were not well-intentioned and holding their sses at the ready, Jiang Feng saw the expressions of his uncles from the past. Knowing that a drunken fate was unavoidable, Jiang Feng resigned himself to it and lifted his ss, ¡°Alright, alright, I got it, Happy New Year. I¡¯ll wish you all a Happy New Year now because I¡¯m afraid after a while with everyone giving me a toast, I won¡¯t be able to utter the words Happy New Year anymore.¡± Jiang Feng once again emptied the beer from his ss in one gulp. The crowd hade with the intention of getting Jiang Feng drunk, and seeing him so cooperative, they swarmed him. One after the other, the toasts and beers quickly drowned him with endless ¡°Happy New Year¡± cheers. Ji Yue, standing to the side eating a banana, watched Jiang Feng being surrounded with a look of sympathy, then walked over to Wu Minqi, who was peeling an orange. ¡°What¡¯s this, not going up to help your man?¡± Ji Yue asked with augh. ¡°It¡¯s fine, they¡¯re just deliberately making him drink a bit more. They¡¯ll stop when he¡¯s drunk,¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°Fengfeng does need to work on his drinking. Otherwise, when we get to my family¡¯s ce¡­¡± Wu Minqi didn¡¯t finish her sentence. ¡°Can they drink a lot?¡± Ji Yue asked.
    ¡°They¡¯re only using beer here. At my ce, they go straight for liquor in sses this big,¡± Wu Minqi said helplessly. Ji Yue shivered dramatically and turned to look again at Jiang Feng, who was clearly bing tipsy, offering him an eye roll that suggested he should fend for himself. Too bad Jiang Feng didn¡¯t catch it. Chapter 487: 485: Hangover Soup Chapter 487: Chapter 485: Hangover Soup Jiang Feng¡¯s memory of the annual meeting froze at the moment when Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Jiankang brought the roasted pig out from the kitchen. All he could remember was that the roasted pig that day was bigger than usual, more fragrant too. Things seemed blurry, as if there were double images, with one roasted pig having three heads. When Granduncle Weiming took the knife, both the knife and his hand were shaking. Granduncle Weiming was shaking, too. He vaguely remembered someone asking him if he wanted something to eat, but at that time his tongue felt tied and he was speaking unclearly, not remembering what he actually wanted to say. What had happened after the roasted pig? What the roasted pig tasted like, Jiang Feng hadpletely no idea. By the time he gained memory again, it was already 8 o¡¯clock in the morning of the next day, and when he opened his eyes, what he saw was the snowy white ceiling of the room. After the hangover came a headache. Since he hadn¡¯t drunk that much, Jiang Feng only felt a bit dizzy and had a slight headache, which improved after sitting quietly on the bed for half a minute when he first got up. Rubbing his eyes, Jiang Feng got up from the bed to stretch his body a bit and felt somewhat better before he went out of the bedroom to wash up. After washing up, d in his thick winter pajamas, Jiang Feng prepared to go to the living room to pour himself a ss of water, as since he got up, he had been feeling terribly thirsty. Wu Minqi was sitting in the living room, ying with her phone while wearing a turtleneck sweater. Next to her was a medium-sized suitcase, and on the couch, there were neatly folded down jacket, scarf, face mask, ear muffs, and gloves, thoroughly prepared. ¡°Fengfeng, you¡¯re up. Feeling dizzy? There is hangover soup in the kitchen, I can go get you a bowl if you still feel unwell,¡± Wu Minqi offered. ¡°Lucky you woke up early. Mrs. Wang told mest night you¡¯re on today¡¯s noon high-speed train, just now I was thinking if you hadn¡¯t woken up I¡¯d have to wake you soon.¡±
    ¡°No worries, I¡¯m fine now, no need for hangover soup. I didn¡¯t drink too muchst night, they stopped when they saw I was drunk,¡± Jiang Feng yawned. Although he only had a slight headache and wasn¡¯t troubled by it, he genuinely felt tired. Jiang Feng slumped onto the couch and, seeing Wu Minqi¡¯s suitcase already in the living room, he asked, ¡°Qiqi, when is your flight?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°It¡¯s an afternoon flight, leaving after lunch should be plenty of time,¡± Wu Minqi answered. Seeing Jiang Feng looking weary, she suggested, ¡°You should really have some hangover soup. You look so out of it, andter you still have to travel with Granduncle Weiming on the high-speed train to Magic City. You¡¯ll feel worse after getting off the train. I¡¯ll get you a small bowl. After drinking it, you¡¯ll feel more spirited. Every New Year¡¯s, I make my dad hangover soup, it¡¯s really effective.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s mind was still a bit hazy, reacting slower than usual. Only when Wu Minqi had gone to the kitchen did he finally ask, ¡°Your dad needs hangover soup during New Year¡¯s?¡± Your Wu family¡¯s New Year sounds pretty hardcore. ¡°My granduncle loves to drink, and so do several of my uncles on the paternal side. During New Year¡¯s, one has to visit rtives and offer New Year¡¯s greetings. If one were to get drunk, it would only be for those couple of days. My dad is like you, doesn¡¯t usually drink much, so he feels particrly terrible if he suddenly drinks a lot during New Year¡¯s,¡± Wu Minqi exined as she brought out the hangover soup. Wu Minqi¡¯s hangover soup was mainly made with bean sprouts, and in addition to the pale yellow liquor of the soup, it also had finely chopped bean sprouts. It was warm and didn¡¯t smell bad, with a faint scent of Chinese herbs. Jiang Feng drank the hangover soup in big gulps. He hadn¡¯t tried any other hangover soup topare with, but he felt it tasted just like an ordinary bean sprout soup, a bit in and seemingly with some Chinese medicinal ingredients, making the taste a bit odd. Whether it was because of the effect of the hangover soup or a cebo effect, after drinking the soup, Jiang Feng drank two more cups of warm water and felt much more awake. Once lucid, Jiang Feng still wanted to try recalling what he had done after getting drunkst night, but he couldn¡¯t remember, so he asked Wu Minqi, ¡°Qiqi, what happened after they got me drunkst night? I just remember Granduncle Weiming serving the roasted pig. It looked like Granduncle Weiming was cutting the roasted pig; I don¡¯t remember what happened after that.¡± Wu Minqi poured herself a ss of water and took slow sips, saying, ¡°Of course you don¡¯t remember, then you justid your head down on the table and went to sleep, and no amount of shaking could wake you up. Sang Ming and the others were there saying you¡¯re the best drinker they¡¯ve ever seen, you just sleep without uttering a word once you¡¯re drunk. In the end, it was De who carried you back.¡± ¡°I knew it, Sang Ming and those guys had no good intentions, they definitely just wanted to get me drunk to see what I¡¯m like when I¡¯m drunk,¡± Jiang Feng silently added this grudge to his mental notepad. Wu Minqi smiled, ¡°They only have this one chance a year, let them have their fun once in a while.¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but yawn again, ¡°How about the drawing? Who won the grand prize?¡± ¡°The grand prize is the one where the year-end bonus is tripled for three months, right?¡± Wu Minqi was somewhat uncertain what the grand prize referred to, but continued after Jiang Feng¡¯s confirming nod, ¡°That prize was won by a server from a VIP private room. Yueyue knows her, I don¡¯t.¡± As Wu Minqi suddenlyughed, she said, ¡°Fengfeng, you should remember there was a prize for paid leave of 15 days, right? Guess who drew it?¡± ¡°Zhou Shi?¡± Jiang Feng guessed. ¡°Right, it was him. Mrs. Wang was a bit at a loss whether tough or cry when she was presenting the award.¡± Jiang Feng silently gave a thumbs-up in his heart to the unsung hero who set up that prize.
    Wu Minqi then went on to tell Jiang Feng about some things that happened after he fell asleep, like Ji Xia sneaking a few sips of beer when no one was watching and then being cornered and lectured for over half an hour. Because Jiang Feng was fast asleep and drunk, he didn¡¯t answer Wang Hao¡¯s call. By the time Wang Hao arrived, the annual party was basically over. He¡¯d missed the lottery but had just caught the cleaning session. Wang Hao had taken the subway for over half an hour from thepany to help clean up the Taifeng Building thoroughly. After hearing this, Jiang Feng was so moved he wanted to make a special ¡°Outstanding Employee¡± certificate for Wang Hao. By the time Wu Minqi had finished telling Jiang Feng aboutst night¡¯s events, it was almost time to go. Jiang Feng had already packed his luggage. After receiving a call from his Uncle Five, notifying him toe downstairs, he hugged Wu Minqi and then dragged his suitcase out the door. ¡°See you tomorrow, Fengfeng. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the airport tomorrow afternoon,¡± Wu Minqi waved at Jiang Feng from the doorway.
    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Jiang Feng said as he entered the elevator. Jiang Jianshe was waiting downstairs in Jiang Zaidi¡¯s car for Jiang Feng, and Jiang Weiming was in the car fully equipped, not a single part of his body except his face was exposed to the air. When Jiang Feng opened the trunk, he found two suitcases in there. After getting in the car, he noticed arge bag on the back seat as well. ¡°Uncle Five, why does Granduncle Weiming bring so many suitcases? He¡¯s not moving to Magic City, just spending the New Year there,¡± Jiang Feng closed the car door, feeling the car¡¯s ample heating. It seemed that Jiang Jianshe had learned his lesson well from the time Jiang Weiming caught a cold because of a chill. Jiang Weiming turned and smiled helplessly at Jiang Feng, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I told your Uncle Five, to no avail. We don¡¯t change winter clothes often, one or two sets would have been enough, but your uncle insisted on packing two huge suitcases full of clothes.¡± Even as he said this, his expression showed that he was quite pleased. While reversing the car, Jiang Jianshe said, ¡°Third Uncle, it¡¯s always good to bring more when going out. Although you¡¯re visiting your cousin¡¯s home this time, you haven¡¯t been there before and you don¡¯t have any extra clothes. If it¡¯s cold in Magic City and you¡¯ve brought too few clothes, it¡¯ll be troublesome. Better to bring more now. Since Feng is seeing you off, taking more doesn¡¯t matter. When youe back, we¡¯ll decide if Feng should fetch you, or have Dee get you.¡± ¡°Uncle Five, Magic City definitely isn¡¯t as cold as Beiping,¡± Jiang Fengined. ¡°Beiping has central heating. And remember, Granduncle Weiming still caught a chill at night, despite the heating, not long ago. You can never tell with these things; the damp cold in the South and the dry cold in the North are different. The damp cold is worse for the elderly, it chills you to the bone, so it¡¯s never wrong to take more.¡± ¡°Feng, you¡¯re also staying overnight in Magic City tonight, right? After you get there, check again to see if Granduncle Weiming has forgotten anything. If he has, you can buy it for him. Considering you¡¯re going to be there for quite some time over the New Year, it would be inconvenient if anything¡¯s missing.¡± ¡°And, remember to remind your second cousin to take Granduncle Weiming for a full health checkup. That¡¯s not something that can be dyed. Last time I asked Granduncle Weiming, I was shocked to find out he hasn¡¯t had a checkup in twenty or thirty years. That¡¯s uneptable; a health checkup is of utmost importance and must be done. Third Uncle, I¡¯ll call you about this; my dad has reminded me several times as well. You better not skip it just because you don¡¯t like going to the hospital. If you don¡¯t get checked in Magic City, I still have to take you when you¡¯re back in Beiping.¡± Jiang Weiming could only nod in perfunctory agreement.
    Because Jiang Weiming had been staying with Jiang Jianshe recently, Jiang Jianshe knew all his well-hidden little ailments that others were not aware of, clear as day. Correspondingly, Jiang Weiming had also developed a good resistance to Jiang Jianshe¡¯s chattiness. Surrounded by Jiang Jianshe¡¯s constant chatter, the three of them arrived at the train station. Chapter 488: 486 Absent-minded Chapter 488: Chapter 486 Absent-minded The heating on the high-speed train was very sufficient. Jiang Feng had just stowed his luggage when he felt hot and took off his coat. When he returned to his seat, he noticed that Jiang Weiming had only removed his scarf, mask, and ear muffs, but his down jacket was still tightly wrapped around him. ¡°Feng, take a look at my phone. Is it broken? Why is it taking so long to load this video, and it still won¡¯t load,¡± Jiang Weiming squinted at his phone and handed it to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng took the phone and nced at it. The video had turned into a ck screen, and the little loading circle kept spinning wildly. ¡°Granduncle, the signal on high-speed trains is not good. It¡¯s normal,¡± Jiang Feng handed the phone back to Jiang Weiming. Jiang Weiming could only look disappointedly at his phone, like an inte-addicted teenager whose game is cut off in the middle of ying due to a lost connection. ¡°Feng, when will we get there?¡± asked Jiang Weiming. ¡°At 5 pm, Second Uncle has said he will wait for us at the station exit,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Weiming sighed and continued to show that inte-addicted teenager look. Seeing Jiang Weiming like this, Jiang Feng thought for a moment, took out his own phone, and suggested, ¡°Granduncle, I¡¯ve downloaded a few episodes of a domestic TV series that I haven¡¯t watched yet. Shall we watch it together?¡± Jiang Feng secretly prayed that Ji Yue¡¯s rmended series would have a normal storyline and values, hoping there would be no painful plotlines like those involving brothers, uncles and nephews, or mistresses and wives.
    Otherwise, he didn¡¯t know how to exin it to Jiang Weiming. ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Weiming agreed. Thus, the two of them, sharing a small phone and one earphone each, watched the sweet TV series rmended by Ji Yue on the high-speed train. Thankfully, the TV series rmended by Ji Yue this time was very normal. After three episodes, Jiang Feng was relieved to find that not only was it domestic production with high attractiveness of the male and female lead, but there was also no dodgy plot, nor any seemingly possible appearances of socialism-style ¡®brotherly love¡¯ that would be hard to exin to Jiang Weiming. Everything was normal, except the TV series was not interesting. After the third episode finished, Jiang Feng felt like checking the news. Jiang Feng sneakily nced at Jiang Weiming and, seeing him staring at the phone screen with the expression and focus one reserves for watching the evening news broadcast, he knew that he was not interested in the series either. Noticing Jiang Feng¡¯s action, Jiang Weiming took the initiative to speak, ¡°Feng, are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?¡± Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t felt hungry, apart from when he got on the train and the smell of passengers eating instant noodles triggered his appetite; he hadn¡¯t yet felt the desire to eat. But Jiang Feng had only had a small bowl of hangover soup and several cups of warm tap water since he got up, and when Jiang Weiming mentioned it, he really did feel hungry. ¡°A bit. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d brought food, Granduncle. Biscuits?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°I steamed some buns this morning, and there are two left. I originally didn¡¯t want to bring them because I ate lunch with your Fifth Uncle before leaving, but he insisted on packing it, scared we might get hungry on the way. Looks like your Fifth Uncle was right,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile, gesturing to the small bag on the luggage rack, ¡°It¡¯s in that bag.¡± Jiang Feng stood up, took the small bag from the luggage rack, and upon opening the zipper, indeed saw two t, white buns wrapped in a stic bag. Jiang Feng took the buns out of the bag. The originally ttened buns slowly expanded back to their original shape. ¡°Granduncle, did you steam these this morning?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Yes, your Fifth Uncle mentioned a couple of days ago that he wanted to eat steamed buns. I meant to make them yesterday but forgot, so I made them this morning. When you get to my age, you tend to wake up early; I¡¯m up by five o¡¯clock most days, which is perfect for steaming buns,¡± Jiang Weiming said, looking at the bun in Jiang Feng¡¯s hand, ¡°Feng, if you like them, I¡¯ll make some especially for you after the new year. These buns have gone cold; I suppose they¡¯re not as tasty now.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Jiang Feng replied with a smile, tearing open the stic bag holding the bun and taking a bite, his mouth still full of bun. ¡°My grandfather used to always make buns too¡­ steamed wine lees buns, we all liked¡ª¡± before he could finish saying ¡°happy,¡± Jiang Feng paused, silently chewing the bun in his mouth. The buns Jiang Weiming had made were also wine lees buns. However, he hadn¡¯t noticed when taking them out since they had already gone cold.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Compared to fresh steamed wine lees buns, the taste and texture of the ones that Jiang Feng was eating, which had gone cold and been pressed down in the bag for hours, were obviouslycking.
    But this was a familiar taste. It was almost identical to the taste of the pickled vegetable steamed bun Jiang Weiguo made after it had cooled. Jiang Feng believed that the pickled vegetable steamed buns made by Zheng Siyuan would also taste like this once they had cooled. After quickly chewing and swallowing the steamed bun in his mouth, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Granduncle Weiming, who did you learn to make these steamed buns from?¡±
    Jiang Weiming was momentarily startled, then smiled and said, ¡°Oh, Feng, you must think it tastes like your grandfather¡¯s, right? Your grandfather can make them too. We learned to make these buns from your great-grandma.¡± ¡°Great-grandma?¡± Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected this answer. After a moment¡¯s thought, he swiftly recalled the image of Qin Wan from his memory. His great-grandma, despite being impoverished and in debt, heavy with child, still smiled gently. She wouldfort her husband with a soft and gentle voice while sporting arge belly, and at the dinner table, she would patiently spoon-feed her second son, smiling more tenderly than any demure woman from the South. ¡°Yes, your great-grandma made the best pickled vegetable steamed buns,¡± said Jiang Weiming with a nostalgic look. ¡°Has your grandfather ever told you about your great-grandma and the rest of us?¡± Jiang Feng shook his head. ¡°Well, I guess I have no right to criticise him; I¡¯m the same. I originally didn¡¯t like bringing them up because I always felt that their passing left a regret in the heart, and mentioning it only added to the sorrow. But now that I¡¯m older, I think it¡¯s good to be able to talk about these things with others. We can¡¯t wait until we¡¯re gone and leave you younger ones knowing nothing about the family¡¯s history.¡± ¡°Your great-grandma was named Qin Wan, a very gentle person. Before she got married, her family owned a small pastry shop. Being a girl, she didn¡¯t learn much craftsmanship and could only make simple things like steamed buns and dumplings. Back then, girls got married early, and boys took wives early too. Your great-grandma was married off to your great-grandfather at 14, had your granduncle at 16, and gave birth to your grandpa at 35, but she passed away due to illness at 37.¡± As he spoke, Jiang Weiming sighed. Jiang Feng could only listen silently, taking small bites of the steamed bun while Jiang Weiming recounted the past. ¡°In those days, having many children was considered a blessing, with some families having as many as a dozen or more. However, what might have been a blessing for the family was not necessarily so for the mother. Your great-grandma gave birth to seven children. Originally, she had been healthy, but her body was worn down by childbearing. Because Taifeng Building was so busy, your great-grandfather had to rush to the restaurant early each morning, and it was usually your great-grandma who prepared breakfast. We all loved pickled vegetable steamed buns, so that¡¯s what your great-grandma made the most. Interestingly, the first dish your grandfather learned to make was pickled vegetable steamed buns.¡± ¡°The first dish?¡± Jiang Feng said, surprised. ¡°By the time your great-grandma had passed away, your grandfather was born muchter; by the time of his birth, your granduncle was already betrothed. All of us were taught our first dish by your great-grandfather, except for your grandfather, whose first dish was taught by your second granduncle.¡± ¡°Second granduncle?¡±
    Jiang Weiming chuckled, ¡°It seems he¡¯s as tight-lipped as me, not willing to mention those years. Your second granduncle, Jiang Weijin, was the most talented in cooking among us brothers. Your great-grandfather favored him the most and always said he was the most qualified to take over as the head chef of Taifeng Building. We would alwayspete with him as if beating him meant winning the position of head chef.¡± ¡°Second granduncle was that impressive!¡± Jiang Feng eximed. ¡°He was truly impressive, both the Red Chef and the White Chef were talented, learning anything effortlessly. While your granduncle and I were still apprentices at the restaurant, helping your great-grandfather, he was already capable of preparing pastries for guests on his own. For his sake, your great-grandfather made special trips to other restaurants to ask visiting chefs from Gusu to teach him pastry-making; a treatment that we other brothers never received.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a pity, ah,¡± Jiang Weiming sighed again. The more Jiang Feng listened to Jiang Weiming, the more he believed his own incredible suspicion might be true. He couldn¡¯t help but probe indirectly, ¡°Granduncle, are you certain that all your brothers, apart from you and grandfather, perished during your escape?¡± Jiang Weiming could tell what Jiang Feng really wanted to ask and couldn¡¯t help but smile as he patted his head, ¡°What are the chances of that? Even if they didn¡¯t die back then, by now¡­ that your grandfather and I are still alive and have found each other is already incredibly fortunate. To have wishful thoughts about the others would be presumptuous.¡± ¡°How did you get separated from grandfather and the others back then?¡± inquired Jiang Feng. ¡°Back then, when we left Beiping City, there wasn¡¯t a war there yet. The area Outside the Pass had already fallen, and many people had heard rumors and were fleeing south. We had arranged to meet with your grandaunt¡¯s family in Jinling. With the trains stopped and unable to buy boat tickets due to ourrge group, the journey was chaotic, full of disced people and bandits, and many cities had their own uprisings. As we walked, we lost track of where we were.¡± ¡°First, we lost your eldest aunt-inw¡¯s child, and your granduncle with his wife went out to search and never returned. Then, while passing through a county, your fifth granduncle and sixth granduncle caught dysentery, the local doctors had fled, and I had to go to the neighboring county overnight to find a doctor. Unfortunately, I was captured by bandits on the way. When I eventually escaped and went back to look for your grandfather and the others, they were no longer in the county. I just continued south with other refugees, somehow ended up joining the army, fought in the war, and somehow became a deserter.¡± ¡°Back then, being caught as a deserter meant execution by firing squad. I escaped with people from Shu because they said the mountains were many there, and if we escaped to Shu, we would surely not be caught. So, I fled to Shu with them. I managed to survive while he died on the way,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a wry smile. ¡°That¡¯s how it was back then, everyone was living in confusion, some lived and then died just as confused. Others, like me, somehow survived until the victory came.¡± Jiang Feng knew that Jiang Weiming deliberately used the term ¡°somehow¡± repeatedly to make these events sound lighter, to mask the mountains of blood and tears umted behind that confusion. It is rare to be confused in life.
    Chapter 489: 487: Going Home Chapter 489: Chapter 487: Going Home ¡°But Feng, do you know what I regret the most over these years?¡± Jiang Weiming asked. ¡°What?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t understand. ¡°I regret that when I was young, I was always running away.¡± ¡°The mountains in Shu make travel difficult, hard to get in and hard to get out. For a long time after the war ended, I was hesitant; I kept wondering whether I should leave Shu and whether I should give up the stable life to go back to Beiping and have a look. I was even ready to set off, packing my luggage every night and then putting it all back in ce the next morning.¡± ¡°I was afraid that when I returned to Beiping, I would find myself still alone. I was even more afraid that when I got back to Beiping, I would find that Taifeng Building had changed owners or be a pile of ruins. I didn¡¯t dare go by myself, I could only keep asking others to inquire for news. Thinking back, if back then I had gone out to look for people myself instead of asking others to inquire, things might not have turned out this way.¡± ¡°Granduncle Weiming.¡± Jiang Feng looked at Jiang Weiming, not knowing how tofort him. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. When you¡¯re old, you like to talk about the past, and doing so just makes me feel sentimental again. Even if I speak out, I can¡¯t change anything, it just adds to the sorrow.¡± Jiang Weiming returned to his usual smiling demeanor, ¡°Feng, you specifically asked about the wine lees buns earlier, have you discovered something?¡± Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°Do you rememberst time when Dong Shi and Dong Li came to visit you, they mentioned they had an elder apprentice brother working at Eight-treasure House?¡± ¡°I remember, he had the surname Zheng, right? The one who made mooncakes before at Eight-treasure House.¡± After being reminded by Jiang Feng, Jiang Weiming immediately recalled. ¡°I had lunch at Eight-treasure House yesterday, they rolled out a few new pastries, among them were wine lees buns. I ordered them and the taste was almost identical to what you and grandpa used to make, they must be taught by a master from the same lineage,¡± Jiang Feng said.
    Jiang Weiming straightened his back nervously, ¡°So Feng, you mean to say¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure of it, just now you said it yourself, granduncle¡¯s Red Chef and White Chef are both excellent. We¡¯ve tasted Zheng Siyuan¡¯s White Chef pastries, and they¡¯re definitely taught by a master; the culinary skills of Dong Shi and Dong Li in Red Chef are also very clear to us. Theye from the same master, I believe there¡¯s absolutely no coincidence; their great master¡­ must be granduncle!¡± Jiang Feng stated decisively. ¡°But,¡± Jiang Feng changed his tone, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t tell grandpa this good news for the time being.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Jiang Weiming didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Dong Li told me that their great master had passed away many years ago, and he and Dong Shi even hadn¡¯t seen him. I think Zheng Siyuan must have not seen him either. I believe so, but after all, it¡¯s just my spection. If their great master really was granduncle, then the only people who have seen granduncle would be Zheng Siyuan¡¯s father and Master Huang.¡± ¡°Grandpa is impatient by nature, and if he knew about granduncle¡¯s news he would definitely want to confirm it right away. With the New Year approaching, transportation is inconvenient. Granduncle hasn¡¯t had any news for so many years, he might have changed his name just like you did back then. With such a long time passed, even if we believe it in our hearts it¡¯s not necessarily true; for all we know, this person might not be granduncle but might be great-granduncle or someone else. So, I want you to keep this good news in your heart first and have a happy New Year. Dong Shi and Dong Li are not from Gusu, but they will definitely visit Master Huang for New Year¡¯s greetings. I¡¯m thinking of getting in touch with them first to have them make a preliminary confirmation for me. After the New Year, I¡¯ll find some time to go to Gusu or bring Master Huang to Beiping to confirm this matter before telling grandpa,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Weiming thought about it and agreed, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do as you say, Feng. Your granduncle Weiming will keep this good news in my heart. After this New Year¡¯s, I¡¯ll go with your grandpa to Gusu to visit your granduncle¡¯s grave. We¡¯re already so many yearste, a day or two more won¡¯t make a difference.¡± ¡°Thank you, Granduncle,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, ¡°We still have more than an hour to go; please tell me about your old days. After you went to Shu, who did you learn Sichuan cuisine from, and how did you be a chef at the state-owned restaurant?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about such a muddled past? I¡¯ve spent my whole life holed up in Shu. Unlike your grandpa who traveled far and wide across the entire South, my story is certainly not as exciting as his. If you really want to hear stories, just let your grandpa tell you once we get back; my story is quite boring and not worth mentioning.¡± Jiang Weiming said, as he looked out the window. The scenery outside the window was very monotonous, nothing to admire, even more deste because it was winter, hardly any green nts to be seen. He rarely took the train these years; whenever he did, it was always for an ill-fated reason, usually because of Jiang Yanlu. Jiang Yanlu made hime over for the New Year, Jiang Yanlu made hime over to cook, andter on, Jiang Yanlu made him, his father, be relegated to the basement for the sake of his son. Every time he took a train, his mood was foul¡ªwhether the train was fast or slow, his feelings were the same. Because every time it came to traveling by train, it was never for anything good. But this curse of train travel always bringing bad luck was broken by Jiang Feng. He took a train to the provincial capital and acknowledged kinship with Jiang Feng.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He took a train to Z city and was reunited with his younger brother. He took a train to n City and had a reunion with his aunt¡¯s family. He took a train to Beiping, and Taifeng Building reopened. Now, with a bumpy and uneasy heart, he was taking a train to Magic City for the first time, to visit his youngest son¡¯s home, which he had never set foot in, and he received news about his second brother on the train.
    What was crucial is that before, he was always alone when taking the train, but now, no matter the situation, there was always someone by his side. Jiang Weiming looked at the scenery outside the window and felt that even the utility poles had be pleasant to look at. It seems I will have to take more train rides in the future, Jiang Weiming thought to himself. ¡°Granduncle Weiming, Granduncle Weiming, what are you looking at?¡± Jiang Feng asked, unable to hold back when he saw Jiang Weiming staring out the window, lost in thought and smiling.
    ¡°Nothing much, just suddenly felt like I haven¡¯t taken enough train rides, I should do it more often in the future,¡± Jiang Weiming said with augh. Jiang Feng: ??? Take more train rides? What kind of n is that? . The flow of people at Magic City train station was on par with that of Beiping. When exiting the station, Jiang Feng, pushing tworge suitcases and a big bag, relied on Jiang Weiming who clearly looked like an elderly man to avoid getting squeezed to the edges by the crowd and separated from his luggage. Pushing two suitcases and looking around, Jiang Feng finally found Jiang Yong in the crowd, who was holding up an A4 paper to pick someone up. ¡°Second Uncle, Second Uncle, over here!¡± Jiang Feng jumped up and down waving his hands, worried that in the process of hopping about, he might kick his suitcase aside. Jiang Yong noticed Jiang Feng and hurried over, shocked by the array of luggage they had brought¡ªthree suitcases plus two bags. Jiang Yong took a suitcase from Jiang Feng¡¯s hands and a backpack from Jiang Weiming. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go home. Ran and Juanzi are waiting at home for you toe back for dinner. Juanzi has prepared a big table of dishes especially for you to taste and give yourments,¡± Jiang Yong said with a smile. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home.¡±
    Chapter 490: 488: Home Chapter 490: Chapter 488: Home What is home? For most people, home is about daily necessities like firewood, rice, oil, soy sauce, vinegar and tea, but it¡¯s also about cultural pursuits like music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, flowers, and wine. Home is a modest house, a warm little abode where one can smell the aroma of cooking upon returning. And such was the home of Jiang Yong. Jiang Yong had worked for the ¡°Taste¡± magazine for many years. Xu Cheng treated his subordinates generously, which was why Jiang Yong, not being a local, could afford a decently located small house of about a hundred square meters with three bedrooms and two living rooms in Magic City. Jiang Yong¡¯s house was bought decades ago; the neighborhood was rather old, the kind waiting for demolition. Due to the old nature of themunity, there was no heating, but as soon as Jiang Feng and the others arrived, they could feel the warmth and dryness of the air conditioning upon opening the door. With the air conditioning on and no venttion, the stale air inside was very suffocating. Jiang Weiming had just stepped in when he coughed ufortably and rubbed his nose. Lin Juan, Jiang Yong¡¯s wife, was a local from Magic City. Since marrying Jiang Yong, she had rarely met Jiang Weiming. Upon hearing the door open, Lin Juan hurried out from the kitchen with a spat in her hand, an apron tied around her, looking every bit the housewife. ¡°Dad, it must have been a tough journey. This must be Feng, right? Your second uncle always talks about you at home, saying that you¡¯re a chef with exceptional skills. Today, auntie will embarrass herself in front of you,¡± Lin Juan said with a smile, then turned to the inside of the house and called out, ¡°Jiang Xiaoran, your grandpa and your cousin are here, why are you still in your room? Come out quickly!¡± ¡°Jiang Yong, take good care of Dad, and Dad, Feng, don¡¯t just stand in the hallway, it¡¯s cold near the door. Come in and sit on the sofa. I still have to finish cooking, it will be about ten more minutes until dinner is ready.¡± After speaking, Lin Juan went back to the kitchen. ¡°Put less seasoning,¡± Jiang Yong reminded, ¡°make it light.¡±
    ¡°Got it.¡± Jiang Yong dragged his suitcase into a room, while Jiang Feng and Jiang Weiming changed into slippers. The house was not big but it was full of stuff. Just within the visible range of the living and dining rooms, Jiang Feng could see at least three or four cabs, each stuffed to the brim. On top of the coffee table, the TV cab, and the entryway cab ¨C any ce that could hold items ¨C there seemed to be no space spared. Jiang Feng even found a professionalputer-rted book tucked in a corner of the sofa. After putting away his luggage, Jiang Yong came out of the room and waved at Jiang Feng, ¡°Feng,e here for a second.¡± After speaking, Jiang Yong pushed open the door of another room, ¡°Ran, didn¡¯t your mom just call you toe out? What are you still doing in your room? Your grandpa and your cousin are here, and you still won¡¯te out and greet them.¡± The person in the room was a young man with a crew cut who had been tapping on a keyboard facing theputer. He stopped, somewhat reluctantly, and stood up, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fixing a bug, it will be done soon. Just wait a bit more, I¡¯lle out soon.¡± ¡°Fixing a bug, fixing a bug, all you ever talk about is fixing bugs, but I never see you actually finish. Your grandpa and cousin havee all the way from Beiping, and it¡¯s been such a tough journey. I have to ask you four times before youe out to meet someone. When did I ever notice you were so precious?¡± Jiang Yong said irritatedly, ¡°This is your cousin Jiang Feng, your third uncle¡¯s son.¡± Jiang Xiaoran looked at Jiang Feng with an awkward expression. It¡¯s awkward for anyone meeting their cousin whom they haven¡¯t seen for over twenty years for the first time. ¡°Hello, my name is Jiang Xiaoran, I am¡­ your cousin.¡± Jiang Yong gave Jiang Xiaoran a helpless p, ¡°That¡¯s not how you talk to people. Go make your grandpa a cup of tea. The tea leaves are on the cab.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Xiaoran walked out. Jiang Feng began to examine Jiang Xiaoran¡¯s room, which was simply furnished with aputer desk, a bookcase, and beds. It was just unclear why there were two beds. The one against the wall was a normal single bed, while the other one looked like a temporary folding bed. There were also quite a few boxes in the corner, one of which was open and filled with apples, probably part of the New Year¡¯s shopping for Jiang Yong¡¯s family. ¡°Your cousin works at a gamingpany, he either stays in the office all the time or just holes up at home and doesn¡¯t go out or socialize much, so he¡¯s not very good at talking,¡± Jiang Yong pointed to the small folding bed, ¡°Feng, I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have enough rooms in our house, so you¡¯ll have to make do with this small folding bed for tonight. Because there¡¯s no room for other stuff in here, I¡¯ve put your luggage in the next room.¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle, just staying one night, this is fine,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, turning his gaze to a row of figures on theputer desk. Female Empress, various ship girls, Makise Kurisu, Hatsune Miku, Madoka Kaname. Even if you get cucked, you¡¯re still a master, notcking wives. Jiang Yong then introduced Jiang Feng to the other facilities, emphasizing the old and often malfunctioning toilet and the simrly old and asionally faulty water heater. As the two of them exited the bathroom, they saw Jiang Xiaoran sitting stiffly next to Jiang Weiming, nervously wringing his hands and looking around everywhere but at Jiang Weiming. To anyone who knew, he was keeping Grandpapany; to those who didn¡¯t, it seemed as though he was on a blind date.
    Although Jiang Xiaoran was Jiang Weiming¡¯s grandson, they hadn¡¯t seen each other in many years. Even when Jiang Weiming¡¯s wife was still alive and Jiang Yong would take his family back to Shu for the New Year, it was just to have the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner and stay for one night before departing. Jiang Xiaoran and Jiang Weiming were grandfather and grandson, yet no different than strangers; Jiang Xiaoran wouldn¡¯t even recognize Jiang Weiming as his grandpa if they brushed past each other on the street. Jiang Feng and Jiang Yong joined the awkward silence on the couch. Jiang Yong may seem very weing when receiving guests, calling out ¡°Dad¡± warmly and naturally, but when it came down to sitting face-to-face and talking with Jiang Weiming, he couldn¡¯t say a word.
    As for Jiang Feng, he definitely wouldn¡¯t speak unless someone cued him. The four men with the surname Jiang sat on the sofa in silence. Dinner broke up this silence. Though there were only five people eating, Lin Juan cooked up a whole table of good dishes because of the significance of this meal. Stir-fried beef, steamed broli, dry-fried potato shreds, braised spare ribs, sweet and sour pork loin, braised shrimp, steamed pork with rice flour, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and chicken stewed with chestnuts. All of them home-cooked dishes, rich and extravagant. The only issue was that they looked pretty average. Everyone had just sat down, and before they¡¯d even reached for their chopsticks, Jiang Yong noticed something amiss at the dinner table, ¡°Juanzi, where¡¯s the soup?¡± Having just removed her apron and barely warmed her seat, Lin Juan pped her forehead and stood up, ¡°Ah, I forgot! I knew something was missing while I was cooking. Wait for me, I¡¯ll whip up some seaweed egg soup for you all.¡± Jiang Weiming waved his hand with a smile, ¡°No need, Lin Juan. You¡¯ve already made so many dishes; it¡¯s not easy. It¡¯s alright if we don¡¯t have soup.¡± ¡°Dad, how can we have a meal without soup? Making some seaweed egg soup will take less than two minutes,¡± Jiang Yong said. Jiang Weiming stood up, ¡°Lin Juan has been busy all afternoon. Let me make the soup instead.¡± ¡°How can that be right, Dad? You should rest; I¡¯ll go do it,¡± Lin Juan quickly objected. ¡°You all rest. It¡¯s just making some soup. Back in Beiping, I even made Roasted Pig, right, Feng?¡± Jiang Weiming suddenly cued Jiang Feng.
    ¡°Yes, yes, Granduncle Weiming made Roasted Pig yesterday, and his skills haven¡¯t fallen behind at all; they¡¯re even better now,¡± Jiang Feng began telling a white lie, having not tasted a bite of Roasted Pig. Neither Jiang Yong nor Lin Juan could persuade Jiang Weiming otherwise, so they had to let him go into the kitchen to make the soup. With Jiang Weiming not at the table and not picking up his chopsticks, no one dared to pick up theirs either, quietly sitting at the dining table waiting for Jiang Weiming to finish making the soup. ¡°Feng, how are things goingtely over in Beiping? Is the business at the store still good?¡± Jiang Yong was the first to break the silence. ¡°Pretty good. It¡¯s just colder over there in Beiping, so you have to pay attention to keeping warm and wear more when going out. With heating indoors, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Thanks to ¡®Taste,¡¯ the business at the store has been booming since January, bustling every single day. We even hired three new chefs back in January,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, taking a sip of water because he felt a bit thirsty.N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°It¡¯s good that you have heating. Your aunt and I are nning to get a new house next year and have heating installed there as well,¡± Jiang Yong said. As heating was mentioned, Jiang Feng noticed a concern with the air conditioning, ¡°By the way, Uncle, Granduncle Weiming hasn¡¯t been feeling so greattely. He was sick in January and had to rest at home for several days. When I came in just now, I saw him coughing; I guess the air from the air conditioning isn¡¯t veryfortable for him. He definitely shouldn¡¯t have the air conditioning blowing on him while he sleeps tonight; you¡¯ll have to prepare a few thick quilts.¡± Jiang Yong nodded continuously, making mental notes, almost wishing he could immediately take out a notebook for Jiang Feng to list everything down for him. Jiang Weiming became the breakthrough topic for the conversation, and Jiang Feng chatted with Jiang Yong about other things rted to Jiang Weiming. Lin Juan managed to insert a sentence or two asionally, while Jiang Xiaoran couldn¡¯t get a word in and just sat there listening to their conversation. Before they knew it, Jiang Weiming¡¯s soup was ready. Jiang Weiming brought the soup out from the kitchen, and Lin Juan quickly stood up to take it and carefully ced it in the center of the table. It wasn¡¯t seaweed egg soup. The soup was thick and seemed to be thickened, more like a stew than a soup, with a chaotic mix of ingredients. The color wasn¡¯t clear but somewhat murky, reminiscent of Jiang Weisheng¡¯s bizarre-tasting soup yet not quite the same. Jiang Feng was the first to realize that this was probably Baiwei Soup, a soup Jiang Weiming had never made in front of him. Although Jiang Feng realized this, he didn¡¯t say anything. After staring at the soup for a while, Jiang Yong also btedly caught on and asked, ¡°Dad, is this Baiwei Soup?¡±
    ¡°Yes, when I went into the kitchen, I saw quite a few ingredients, some of which were chopped on the cutting board and hadn¡¯t been used, so I just put together a Baiwei Soup,¡± Jiang Weiming said with a smile. Feeling somewhat apologetic after his exnation, Lin Juan hurried to rify, ¡°Dad, I was thinking of cooking more since there were many of us, but then I thought, with so many dishes made, we didn¡¯t need that much, so that¡¯s why many ingredients were left over. I was nning to put them in the fridge for stir-frying tomorrow, but in my hurry, I left them there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good you can gauge the amount of food when cooking. I¡¯ve already sorted those ingredients into small bowls because I wasn¡¯t sure what they were for, so I just put them on the counter,¡± Jiang Weiming said, picking up a piece of broli with his chopsticks. ¡°Dad, what is Baiwei Soup? I don¡¯t recall ever hearing about it before,¡± Jiang Xiaoran asked. ¡°Howe you never heard of it? When I took you back to our hometown before, didn¡¯t your grandfather¡­¡± Jiang Yong stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing he had taken Jiang Xiaoran back to their hometown very few times, and it was possible that she had genuinely never tasted Baiwei Soup. ¡°This is your grandfather¡¯s signature soup. When your grandfather was still at the state-owned restaurant, this soup was the most popr, and the leaders from above would specifically ask for it when they visited,¡± Jiang Yong said, moving on from his unfinished sentence as if it were never spoken. ¡°Oh,¡± Jiang Xiaoran, knowing well the golden rule of silence is golden when dining with elders. Curious about the Baiwei Soup, Jiang Xiaoran didn¡¯t reach for the dishes straight away and instead served herself a small half-bowl of soup. She was sitting next to Jiang Feng, and seeing him looking at the soup, she thought he might want some too, so she asked, ¡°Jiang Feng¡­ Cousin, would you like me to get you a bowl too?¡± Thedle was still in Jiang Xiaoran¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks, Xiaoran, but you can just call me Feng,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, passing his bowl to Jiang Xiaoran. As they exchanged the bowl, Jiang Feng¡¯s hand brushed against Jiang Xiaoran¡¯s. ¡°Ding.¡± A system prompt suddenly sounded.
    Huh? Jiang Feng reached out again, brushing against Jiang Xiaoran¡¯s hand. No system prompt sounded this time. Jiang Xiaoran: ? ¡°Sorry for bumping into you by ident,¡± Jiang Feng quickly apologized. Jiang Xiaoran nodded and prepared todle some soup. Chapter 491: 489 Night Talk Chapter 491: Chapter 489 Night Talk Jiang Weiming¡¯s Baiwei Soup and Jiang Weisheng¡¯s Guiwei Soup arepletely different, and if one were to pinpoint the difference, the simple answer would be that it tastes good, but theplex answer is that it has a unique feeling. Without any exaggeration, Jiang Feng actually tasted the feeling of home from the soup in his bowl. It was just like those old TV dramas where parents and children are separated for years due to various reasons, with countless entanglements and resentments, which are all finally resolved in the grand finale. At the end of the story, the family gathers happily for a meal, and with thest bowl of soup served amidst the steam andughter, the TV show concludes. The Baiwei Soup that Jiang Weiming made today was exactly thatst bowl of soup. Jiang Feng drank the soup from his bowl with relish, feeling warm both in body and heart, and then put down the bowl and picked up his chopsticks to start eating the dishes. After dinner, Jiang Xiaoran went back to his room to fix bugs, Lin Juan washed dishes and tidied up the house, and Jiang Yong took Jiang Feng and Jiang Weiming for a walk outside, also taking the opportunity to familiarize Jiang Weiming with the surroundings in case he wanted to go out alone. After wandering for over an hour, Jiang Feng returned to Jiang Yong¡¯s home, performed a simple wash-up, experienced the frequently malfunctioning toilet of Jiang Yong¡¯s home, and sat on the living room sofa for a half-hour video call with Wu Minqi before entering Jiang Xiaoran¡¯s room. At 10:17 PM, Jiang Feng was ready for bed, as his flight was booked for the next morning and he needed to wake up early, so he nned to sleep early. Jiang Xiaoran was still ttering away at the keyboard, fixing bugs on hisputer screen. Seeing that Jiang Feng had gone to bed, Jiang Xiaoran sensed that his newly-met cousin wanted to sleep. He nced at hisputer, hesitated for a moment, and decisively shut it down, going out to wash up.
    10 minutester, Jiang Xiaoran returned to the room, turned off the lights, and went to bed. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t fall asleep, turning over. As a qualified cultivation youth, going to bed at 10 PM really wasn¡¯t his style. 5 minutester, Jiang Xiaoran turned over in bed as well. 10 minutester, Jiang Feng turned over once more. 15 minutester, Jiang Xiaoran turned over with arge movement, and Jiang Feng followed suit, both of them sighing in unison. Both Jiang Feng and Jiang Xiaoran knew clearly that neither was asleep but, with an outsider present, they were too embarrassed to take out their phones and cultivate as usual, instead trying hard to force themselves to sleep.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Cousin, are you asleep?¡± Jiang Xiaoran was the first to speak. ¡°No,¡± Jiang Feng answered, his eyes open, staring at the pitch-ck ceiling. ¡°My dad told me you and my grandfather as well as a few cousins all live together in Beiping, is that right?¡± Jiang Xiaoran asked. ¡°Yeah, we only moved to Beiping this July. Our family has a restaurant there, where several of my uncles and aunts, as well as my parents, work. I¡¯m there too, along with my grandfather and Granduncle Weiming, who is your grandfather. All three of us are chefs,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°That¡¯s really nice,¡± Jiang Xiaoran couldn¡¯t help but remark. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. I just think it¡¯s nice to have such a big family all together,¡± Jiang Xiaoran rified, ¡°I¡¯m different. I¡¯m an only child, and my mom is an only daughter. I¡¯ve always been alone without any cousins of my age to grow up with. You probably won¡¯t believe this, but I¡¯ve never even seen my two aunts from the time I was a child.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen them?¡± Jiang Feng asked incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s right, never. In fact, I haven¡¯t seen my grandfather many times either. Today when I saw my grandfather, I didn¡¯t even recognize him. My family doesn¡¯t have pictures of my grandfather, just one of my grandmother. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re familiar with my eldest uncle. I¡¯ve heard he works somewhere in Shu, and I haven¡¯t seen him much either, nor have I had much contact with my cousins,¡± Jiang Xiaoran continued, ¡°Previously, when my dad told me that my grandfather wasing to our house for the New Year, I thought he was joking. We haven¡¯t gone back for the New Year at grandfather¡¯s for nearly ten years, and when I was little, we used to leave right after the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on, but I always feel like there¡¯s some tension between my dad and my grandfather.¡± Jiang Feng could tell that Jiang Xiaoran waspletely unaware of the affection and disputes between his father and grandfather and was a standard fringe character. But why would a fringe character get a ¡°beep¡± when touching a game? Previously, a ¡°beep¡± would only ur with key characters, like with Zhang Zhiyuan and the window frame of Yonghe House, which both had stories. Jiang Xiaoran didn¡¯t seem like a person with a story.
    ¡°So, Xiaoran, how do you find Granduncle Weiming¡¯s cooking?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. Jiang Xiaoran was silent for a while before speaking, his tone seemingly a bit embarrassed. ¡°To be honest, I remember as a kid, I got beaten by my dad for wanting to stay at my grandfather¡¯s house on New Year¡¯s Eve so I could eat the meal on the first day of the lunar year,¡± he said. Jiang Feng perked up and began sharing his and his cousins¡¯ experiences of being beaten by their grandfather when they were younger: ¡°That¡¯s quite normal. When I was a kid, my cousins and I got beaten by our grandfather just for trying to eat a few more bites of food. To say something a bit disrespectful, my grandfather¡¯s cooking skills weren¡¯t even as good as Granduncle Weiming¡¯s.¡±
    Jiang Xiaoran chuckled, ¡°I thought I was the only one like that. I always found it embarrassing and never dared to tell others. My dad doesn¡¯t mention it either. I had no idea that you, my cousin Feng, had been through the same.¡± Having a shared experience of being beaten brought Jiang Xiaoran and Jiang Feng closer together, and Xiaoran¡¯s way of addressing Feng shifted from ¡°cousin¡± to ¡°cousin Feng.¡± ¡°Did you end up staying in the end, Xiaoran?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. ¡°No, after my dad gave me a beating, he dragged me away. I remember that day my dad was driving, and I was crying in the back seat while my mom handed me tissues,¡± Jiang Xiaoran recounted, ¡°But why I especially wanted to stay at my grandfather¡¯s that day, I don¡¯t remember now. Perhaps it was because I tasted a dish that I found particrly delicious. So many years have passed that I¡¯ve forgotten the specific reason.¡± ¡°As long as you got to eat, it¡¯s not a loss. It¡¯s worse not to eat and get beaten,¡± Jiang Fengforted. Regarding being beaten over food, Jiang Feng felt their Jiang Family¡¯s children were especially qualified to speak about it. Starting with his father¡¯s generation, half of the reasons for being beaten had to do with food, and the other half had to do with cooking¡ªit was always linked to food one way or another. ¡°True.¡± ¡°By the way, Xiaoran, how old were you when you were beaten that time? I remember when I was around twelve or thirteen, I got beaten by my grandfather over food, and my eldest cousin was beaten over such issues even after he started middle school,¡± Jiang Feng said. Jiang Xiaoran: ¡°¡­16.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­¡± A bit strong. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but respect him. A moment of silence filled the room.
    ¡°Ahem, it¡¯ste, let¡¯s go to sleep. I remember you have to catch a flight tomorrow morning, and I have to go to work early as well,¡± Jiang Xiaoran rolled over, facing the wall. ¡°Yeah, yeah, time to sleep, time to sleep, we all need to get up early,¡± Jiang Feng also rolled over, facing the apples. As soon as Jiang Feng closed his eyes, the fragrance of apples lingered on the tip of his nose, impossible to shake off. The tighter he closed his eyes, the stronger the scent of apples became, the more he wanted to sleep, the more he craved to eat. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Damn, I really want an apple. Especially crispy apples, cut into pieces and wrapped in batter made by Sir himself, then fried in hot oil. They were fragrant and crunchy, especially when snatched from many cousins¡¯ chopsticks at the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner table, they tasted even more delectable. Jiang Feng could almost hear the crunching sound of biting into a crispy apple. Jiang Feng silently swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and turned over once more, facing Jiang Xiaoran. ¡°Xiaoran, do you feel like having an apple?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Shall I go and peel two apples for us, I heard that eating fruit before bed helps with sleep,¡± Jiang Feng started to spout his serious nonsense, even sitting up from the bed.
    Jiang Xiaoran was a bit puzzled, not understanding why the topic had shifted to whether to eat an apple. But after a second thought, he felt what Jiang Feng said made sense; since he couldn¡¯t sleep anyway, why not have an apple to calm down? ¡°Sure.¡± Jiang Xiaoran also sat up and turned on the light. The light illuminated the room, and was even somewhat dazzling. Jiang Feng groped for two apples from the suitcase, found a fruit knife in the kitchen to peel the apples. Then he and Jiang Xiaoran sat face to face on the bed, crunchily munching on the apples. After finishing the apples, they turned off the light, got into bed, and went to sleep. With a turn, Jiang Feng fell peacefully asleep. Half an hourter, still awake, Jiang Xiaoran uncertainly asked in a soft voice, ¡°Cousin Feng, are you asleep?¡± The response was Jiang Feng¡¯s steady breathing. Jiang Xiaoran was startled, could it be that eating apples really helped with sleep? But why had Jiang Feng fallen asleep so quickly while he was still suffering from insomnia? Could it be that he hadn¡¯t eaten enough, and that was why the effect wasn¡¯t noticeable? Jiang Xiaoran carefully got up, quietly took an apple from the suitcase, peeled it in the kitchen, and sat alone at the dining table in the living room to eat the apple. After finishing the apple, Jiang Xiaoran went back to bed to sleep.
    An hourter, Jiang Xiaoran got up again and once more carefully took an apple from the suitcase, like before he peeled it and sat alone in the living room to eat the apple. In the silent night, with no one around, the only things apanying Jiang Xiaoran were the apple in his hand and a dim light. What a warm, lonely, eerie, frightening, and even slightly chilling scene! Lin Juan, getting up for a midnight bathroom visit and pushing the door, was startled to see her son sitting alone at the dining table, lost in thought while munching on an apple. ¡°Xiaoran, what are you doing? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping in the middle of the night?¡± Lin Juan asked. That brought Jiang Xiaoran back to his senses: ¡°Mom, I just can¡¯t sleep. I heard that eating more fruit at night helps with sleep.¡± ¡°Burp.¡± Lin Juan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Stop eating, get back and go to sleep. Just lie down on the bed and close your eyes, you¡¯ll fall asleep soon.¡± Lin Juan shook her head helplessly and went into the bathroom. Jiang Xiaoran quickly finished the apple and went back to bed to sleep. In the silent night, Jiang Xiaorany in bed, closing his eyes and trying hard to fall asleep. Three minutester. ¡°Burp.¡± Whether eating apples helps with sleep or not, Jiang Xiaoran didn¡¯t know, but it surely filled his stomach. Chapter 492: 490 Chapter 492: 490 On the second day bright and early, Jiang Feng declined Jiang Yong¡¯s kind offer to take him to the airport and instead hailed a DiDi with his luggage to go alone. Because it was the Spring Festival travel rush, train stations and airports were always packed with people, everyone lugging suitcases and bulky backpacks. As Jiang Feng queued to check in, many people in the line were on their phones while waiting, mostly speaking with family members, and their conversations were often about how they were going to board soon and they¡¯d talk again afternding. Inspired by what he witnessed, Jiang Feng took out his phone and sent Wu Minqi a WeChat message saying he had already arrived at the airport and was about to board. Right after sending the message, it was Jiang Feng¡¯s turn to have his ticket checked. Within the few seconds it took for the machine to validate, he received a reply from Wu Minqi. Qiqi: Okay, I¡¯ll be at the airport on time to pick you up. ^_^ Upon seeing Wu Minqi¡¯s reply, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but smile, then he turned off his phone and boarded the ne. Last night, although he had fallen asleep after eating an apple, his sleep was restless. Half-asleep and half-awake, he felt as though someone was flitting around him, seemingly touching something. He even dreamed that someone was eating an apple beside him, continuously munching on hundreds and thousands of them before starting to burp while sitting next to him. It was quite a bizarre dream, indeed. After boarding, Jiang Feng closed his eyes to rest, nning to sleep and recharge so that he could greet Mr. Wu, Mrs. Wu, and the whole Wu Family with the best of spirits uponnding.
    So, although this trip to Shu was nominally for attending the engagement banquet of Wu Minqi¡¯s third cousin, in reality, it was a visit to meet the parents. In a few hours, he would face a tough battle. . Meanwhile, Wu Minqi was having breakfast with Mrs. Wu and Wu Hanxue when she received the WeChat message. The breakfast, prepared by Mrs. Wu, was a blend of Chinese and Western style, featuring toast and fried eggs along with Xiaomi porridge. The choice of toast over traditional Chinese breakfast such as steamed buns and fried dough sticks was simply because it was cold and Mrs. Wu didn¡¯t want to go downstairs to buy breakfast. ¡°Who is messaging you so early in the morning?¡± Wu Hanxue asked somewhat sternly, squinting as he ate breakfast without his sses on. ¡°It¡¯s from Jiang Feng; he said he¡¯s just boarded,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Jiang Feng has boarded already,¡± Mrs. Wu nced at the clock on the wall, ¡°He should arrive before lunch. In a bit, I¡¯ll speak to Master Chen and tell him that you¡¯ll take Jiang to his ce for lunch today.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. Wu Hanxue¡¯s expression grew even more serious as he gulped down thest of his Xiaomi porridge. ¡°The new year is nearly upon us and it¡¯s troubling Master Chen, Qiqi could just take Jiang to a restaurant in the city for a meal, there¡¯s no need to specifically bother Master Chen. His cooking is heavy on the seasonings, and Jiang, being from the south, might not be used to it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not to get used to? It¡¯s just that Master Chen is a bit heavy-handed with the seasonings, Qiqi likes it, and as long as it¡¯s tasty, what¡¯s there to dislike? Following your logic, we might as well not eat anything but Sichuan cuisine since nothing else matches our local vors,¡± retorted Mrs. Wu angrily. Seeing Wu Hanxue only finish the porridge and egg while the toast remained untouched, she assumed his discontent was due to not having buns for breakfast and took it out on the toast. ¡°Wu Hanxue, if you¡¯re dissatisfied with this morning¡¯s breakfast, just say it straight and stop beating around the bush with all this nonsense,¡± she snapped. Wu Hanxue immediately became dejected, wondering how the discussion about Jiang Feng¡¯s lunch had turned into an issue about today¡¯s breakfast. ¡°What does this have to do with today¡¯s breakfast? I already said I would make it if you didn¡¯t want to. But you insisted on doing it, and now you¡¯re not happy about it.¡± ¡°Oh, Wu Hanxue, now I see you¡¯re dissatisfied with this morning¡¯s breakfast, you haven¡¯t touched that piece of toast from the beginning. What, is it not delicious just because it¡¯s bought from a bakery? I deliberately chose that bakery, and I even spread butter on it and toasted it again in the toaster. What more do you want?¡± Mrs. Wu confronted Wu Hanxue with furrowed brows, ¡°What¡¯s this about you making it? Do you think you¡¯re an indestructible chef? Coming home sote at night and then getting up early to make breakfast, do you think you are invincible? Even if you don¡¯t care about your life, I still care about it for you.¡± Wu Minqi: ¡­ How did this argument start? ¡°Mom, Dad definitely didn¡¯t mean that, he¡¯s just concerned about how Xiaomi and Jiang Feng will eat lunch today and even considered Jiang Feng¡¯s preferences. Jiang Feng can eat spicy food now, and thest time he was here, I already took him to Master Chen¡¯s ce, Master Chen knows him.¡± Wu Minqi jumped in to mediate. ¡°Last time he was here?¡± Wu Hanxue¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, realizing that things were not that straightforward.
    ¡°What aboutst time, didn¡¯t Jiange overst year looking for Master Jiang? Qiqi even asked you if you knew where Master Jiang lived, have you forgotten? Really, you don¡¯t show any concern for your daughter¡¯s matters. Look at the time, if you don¡¯t get to the shop soon, you¡¯ll bete.¡± Mrs. Wu hurried Wu Hanxue as if she were rushing a child to school. ¡°No, I remember, I just meant how did Qiqi just¡­¡± Wu Hanxue turned to look at the wall clock and, seeing it was indeedte, hurriedly got up, ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Toast.¡± Mrs. Wu tapped the edge of the te with her chopsticks. Wu Hanxue grabbed the toast from the te and was about to leave. After putting on his shoes and just about to step out the door, he suddenly turned back.
    ¡°Right, did you change the bed sheets?¡± ¡°Yes, I changed them to blue as you requested, the fruit has been washed, and I¡¯ve sprayed the air freshener. I¡¯ll turn the air conditioning on ahead of time as well.¡± Mrs. Wu said helplessly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the snacks. I went to buy those small treats you mentionedst night this morning, and I¡¯ve mopped the floor under the sofa as well, cleaning all the dust. I had Master Chenest week to fix the water tap, so there won¡¯t be any issues. Go to work with peace of mind, and remember that showing a nice face when you get back is better than anything else.¡± Mrs. Wu got up from the table, took a clean apple, and put it in Wu Hanxue¡¯s hand, ¡°If you don¡¯t want the toast, just throw it away on the way.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m off. Oh, and the towels in the bathroom¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already tidied them up.¡± Mrs. Wu pushed Wu Hanxue out the door, ¡°Be careful on your way, and remember toe back on time.¡± After closing the door, Mrs. Wu shook her head and said to Wu Minqi, ¡°Your dad is just a tough talker with a soft heart, he looks disdainful but actually cares more than anyone else. Do you know what he said to mest night? He said the gray bed sheets I had prepared for Jiang were too dull and not lively enough; they should be blue.¡± ¡°And the water tap¡ªour faucet was problematic; it had too strong of a flow and could ssh everywhere. He never made a peep before but started nagging me to get it fixedst month. Plus, all these fruits were not bought by me; your dad brought them back the day before yesterday after work, along with a fruit bowl. He still imed some nonsense about the shop buying the wrong bowls. Him, I tell you,¡± Mrs. Wu shook her head, ¡°Such a stubborn old duck, he¡¯ll never change in this life.¡± ¡°Just watch, in an hour or two he¡¯ll definitely call to tell me he¡¯s already spoken to Master Chen and arranged for you and Jiang to have lunch at Master Chen¡¯s today.¡± Mrs. Wu began to clean up the bowls and dishes; Wu Minqi wanted to help but was stopped. ¡°It¡¯s only a few bowls; you go online and double-check the flight schedule to make sure you don¡¯t arrivete; it¡¯s Jiang¡¯s first visit to our home, and we need to make a good impression.¡± Mrs. Wu put the dishes in the sink, ¡°Oh right, Minqi, have you asked Jiang when he¡¯s going back?¡± ¡°He¡¯s leaving the afternoon of the 19th; it¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s, he can¡¯t stay here too long.¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Going back the afternoon of the day after tomorrow? That¡¯s a rather short visit. Well, you take him to Master Chen¡¯s ce for lunch today, and tonight we can all go out to eat at the shop. Your grandfather said he wants to cook a few special dishes for Jiang himself.¡± Mrs. Wu said. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell him then,¡± Wu Minqi nodded.
    ¡°Go change your clothes; didn¡¯t I buy you a red down jacket? That one looks nice and suits yourplexion. Wear a scarf with it, and don¡¯t wear earmuffs or a face mask. Stand at the airport, and Jiang will be impressed as soon as he sees you, trust your mom¡¯s taste, it¡¯s never wrong.¡± Mrs. Wu imagined while washing dishes, ¡°After dinner, take Jiang for a stroll into the city. That panda base should still be open now, right? Jiang is from out of town and probably hasn¡¯t seen pandas much, take him to see the pandas.¡± Wu Minqi nodded repeatedly, assuring she had taken note. ¡°Mom, which scarf should I wear then?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°The one on the sofa, I¡¯ve already picked it out for you; tie it loosely, don¡¯t wind it tightly around your neck. Tie it like the heroines in TV shows, that way it looks nice. If it feels cold when you¡¯re out, you can tighten it and then retie it once you get to the airport.¡± Mrs. Wu, the Wu family¡¯s chief stylist, advised as she washed the dishes, ¡°I¡¯ve also picked out your shoes, now quickly go change your clothes and thene back so mom can check if they look good on you.¡± Chapter 493: 491: Dog Food Chapter 493: Chapter 491: Dog Food January 17, 11:17 AM, Wu Minqi anxiously waited for Jiang Feng at the airport exit. Wu Minqi¡¯s hands were in her pockets because standing at the exit was quite cold, causing her face to turn somewhat pale. She wore the clothes Mrs. Wu meticulously matched for her, a fluffy scarf, ck snow boots with twoyers of insoles, and a red down jacket that was stylish but not very warm. Worried that Jiang might be unfamiliar with the airport and couldn¡¯t find her, Minqi intentionally stood at such a conspicuous spot at the exit, yet Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t shown up. Wu Minqi took out her phone, checking the time for the 6th time. 11:19 AM. Even allowing for baggage im, he should have been out by now. More than 10 minutes ago, she had texted Jiang Feng, who had yet to reply. She had also made a call earlier, but although the phone was turned on, the call went unanswered, making Wu Minqi worry that something might have happened to Jiang at luggage retrieval. Thinking thus, Wu Minqi decided not to just stand there, and instead walked inside to look for Jiang. As she walked, Wu Minqi didn¡¯t forget to take out her phone and make another call to Jiang Feng. The exit was only so big, so Wu Minqi decided that if she couldn¡¯t find Jiang after looking around, she would ask for help from the airport staff.
    The airport bustled with people, nearly everyone in a rush dragging their luggage¡ªeither on the phone or looking for someone. Moving against the crowd, Wu Minqi didn¡¯t attract much attention. She looked around, suddenly noticing that one corner was crowded with many people slowing down as if watching something. Wu Minqi hurried to that corner and immediately saw a familiar ck suitcase leaning against the wall, adorned with a Peppa Pig sticker. That was Jiang Feng¡¯s suitcase. ¡°Fengfeng, Jiang Feng!¡± Wu Minqi began to push through the crowd. ¡°What is that person doing? Hopefully not some pervert.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be, looks like he¡¯s searching for something in the trash bin.¡± Wu Minqi saw Jiang Feng. Even though only half of Jiang Feng was visible with the other half in the trash bin. The waste bin, about half a person tall¡ªif Jiang tried, he probably could squeezepletely into it. ¡°Jiang Feng,¡± Wu Minqi called out. Jiang Feng, absorbed in rummaging through the trash bin, didn¡¯t hear her. Wu Minqi silently took out her phone and dialed Jiang Feng¡¯s number. A familiar ringtone came from the trash bin, and the person foraging grew more anxious, his movements bing more frantic. Wu Minqi: ¡­ Alright, she knew what Jiang Feng was looking for now. Five minutester, Jiang Feng sat in another corner of the airport and sheepishly exined to Wu Minqi what had happened. Simply put, as he got off the ne, he found the in-flight milk quite good, so he brought it along, sipping as he walked. When tossing out trash, he identally threw his phone into the trash bin while the milk carton remained in his hand, which led to the scene Wu Minqi had witnessed. Jiang Feng should be grateful that this happened at the exit rather than in the terminal, for the trash would have been much more colorful than what he had just dug through. Wu Minqi looked at herself, carefully dressed up, her hair curled, her outfit brand-new from head to toe, clean and neat, to the extent she had even applied a facial mask before leaving to prevent her skin from peeling due to the wind.
    Then she looked at Jiang Feng, with messy hair, disheveled clothes, and a down jacket with a piece of paper sticker from the trash bin still on it. Just five minutes earlier, half of him was in a trash bin. Wu Minqi: ¡­ Her feelings were so mixed that she couldn¡¯t find the words to speak. Well, she was the one who chose him, so she had to ept him.
    ¡°Qiqi, shall we now¡­¡± Jiang Feng looked embarrassed. This situation where a woman happens by, discovers a crowd, looks closer, and finds a man buried in a trash bin digging through it, then, on closer inspection, realizes the man is her own boyfriend¡ªif the protagonist weren¡¯t her, she reckons he couldugh about it for half a year. Resigned, Wu Minqi let out a sigh, ¡°First let¡¯s go to my ce to drop off your things. You can take a shower and wash your hair, and change your clothes.¡± ¡°Your parents¡­¡± ¡°My dad is at the shop, my mom should be home. My dad even asked Master Chen to reserve lunch for us today. If we head back now and you shower, we should be able to get to Master Chen¡¯s ce by 12:30 PM; that¡¯s not toote,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°But with my current state, won¡¯t your mom¡­¡± Wu Minqi: ¡­ ¡°My mom won¡¯t ask too many questions, and if she does, I¡¯ll just tell her you identally fell into the trash bin. Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s already half past eleven, we need to hurry back.¡± Saying this, Wu Minqi started leading Jiang Feng towards the subway station. Jiang Feng: ??? ¡°Fell into the trash bin? Do you think your mom will believe that?¡± Jiang Feng, dragging his suitcase, followed closely behind. Turning her head, Wu Minqi gave Jiang Feng a very fake and forced smile: ¡°She probably won¡¯t believe it if I told her I saw you rummaging through the trash, so it¡¯s all the same. Let¡¯s go, I think falling in sounds better.¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s home was very conveniently located near the subway station; a 10-minute walk from the exit. For his first visit, Jiang Feng felt that even if he had just scrambled through trash bins, he had to maintain his basic image. Therefore, he tried his best to tidy up his hair and clothes before going upstairs. Despite the smell of milk, coffee, and some unidentifiable odors clinging to him, Jiang Feng pretended as if he had no scent at all.
    Just as Wu Minqi opened the door, and Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t yet stepped in, Mrs. Wu came to the doorway. ¡°Qiqi and Jiang are back, eh? Put down the luggage and go to Chen¡­¡± My mother¡¯s voice seemed to hit the mute button the second she saw Jiang Feng. ¡°Little Jiang, it seems you had quite a rough trip. The airport must have been crowded, right?¡± Mrs. Wu struggled for a moment to keep the smile on her face; Jiang Feng, even after an attempt to look presentable, still appeared quite disheveled, like someone who had just been chased for a debt. ¡°Your room is that one, and the bathroom is there. There is water in the water heater, so you can go straight and take a shower,¡± Wu Minqi whispered. ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m going to sort out my luggage first!¡± After saying this, Jiang Feng ran into the room with his suitcase as if he was fleeing for his life. A minuteter, he dashed into the bathroom with clothes in his arms. Mrs. Wu: ¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°What happened to Jiang? Why is he in such a mess?¡± Mrs. Wu asked, ¡°What caused this? ¡± ¡°There were so many people at the airport, he identally fell into a trash bin,¡± Wu Minqi said expressionlessly. Mrs. Wu: ¡­ ¡°Tell me the truth.¡± ¡°When he was throwing away trash, he identally threw his phone into the bin. When I saw him, he was digging through the trash,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°Pfft.¡± Mrs. Wu couldn¡¯t hold back her expression andughed.
    Wu Minqi hadn¡¯t found the situation funny at all. As Jiang Feng¡¯s girlfriend, she was helpless and speechless when she saw Jiang rummaging through the trash, and even a bit embarrassed. But now, back at home thinking about it, she found it quite funny after all. She couldn¡¯t help butugh along with Mrs. Wu. ¡°Qiqi, what were you thinking when you saw Jiang digging through the trash?¡± Mrs. Wu inquired. Thinking it over, Wu Minqi said, ¡°At first, I felt pretty embarrassed, but now looking back, I find him quite cute.¡± Especially when she called Jiang Feng, and he heard his phone ringing inside the trash bin, he was so anxious that he seemed ready to dive into the bin just to find his phone¡ªit was particrly endearing. ¡°Don¡¯t tell your dad about this; let¡¯s justugh it off between us. We don¡¯t want him to start disliking Jiang, and we don¡¯t want Jiang to feel embarrassed,¡± Mrs. Wu said, barely able to suppress her smile. ¡°I never noticed before, but the kid Jiang is actually quite interesting. Digging through the trash bin, only he coulde up with something like that. No wonder I thought there was a strange smell on him.¡± ¡°Jiang probably wasn¡¯t thinking much when he was digging. I¡¯m going to pour him a ss of water,¡± said Wu Minqi, rushing over to get the thermos from the dining table. ¡°I¡¯ll call Master Chen to tell him you¡¯ll bete. Sigh, where is my phone? Where did I put it? What was I just doing?¡± Mrs. Wu began searching around the living room for her phone. ¡°Oh right, Qiqi, do you want Mom to wash some cherries for you? Grab a handful each on your way to eat, okay?¡± ¡°No need, Mom. Let¡¯s eat them when wee back tonight. Jiang and I are going to have dinner at Master Chen¡¯s ce soon,¡± Wu Minqi replied. Picking up the kettle, Wu Minqi could see the steam gently rising from the water, freshly boiled by Mrs. Wu. The cork had just been removed. Staring at the kettle and clear ss, Wu Minqi thought for a moment and took out some lemon slices that Mrs. Wu had bought earlier in the year, cing two slices into the ss. Hot water poured into the ss, and mist quickly formed on the sides. Rising with the steam was the fresh scent of lemon.
    Looking at the lemon in the ss, Wu Minqi suddenly recalled a long-ago conversation with Ji Yue, who had exined the differences between Japanese and Korean dramas. Korean dramas are about shining in everyone¡¯s eyes, except when you look at me. Japanese dramas portray us as ordinary and insignificant in everyone¡¯s eyes, yet we sparkle in each other¡¯s eyes. I like you because you dazzle me with your liking. I like everything about you, even if you¡¯re half-buried in a trash bin. Chapter 494: 492 Spicy Rabbit Head Chapter 494: Chapter 492 Spicy Rabbit Head More than ten minutester, a refreshed Jiang Feng emerged from the bathroom. At this moment, Jiang Feng was immensely grateful that not only had he brought aplete set of clean clothes, but he had also brought a rtively thin down jacket just in case. The clothes he had worn before diving into the trash bin had been tainted with an inexplicable odor and naturally couldn¡¯t be worn any longer. Jiang Feng had changed into a ck, short and rtively thin down jacket, with a baseyer and a high-neck cashmere sweater underneath. Compared to his previous outfit, the thermal protection was certainly less effective. Jiang Feng believed that as long as he felt warm enough, he could withstand the chilly winds outside with the righteousness he harbored within him and the clothes he wore. ¡°Thirsty? Would you like a drink of water?¡± Wu Minqi offered Jiang Feng a cup of water with lemon slices, the water having cooled from scalding hot to warm. Jiang Feng took the cup and gulped down the water in one go. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s gettingte. Jiang Feng and I are going to have lunch now. What are you having for lunch today?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me; I¡¯ll grab something to eat downstairs. After lunch, take Jiang out for a walk. I¡¯ve checked; the tickets for the Giant Panda Base can be booked online. If Jiang wants to go, have Qiqi take you in the afternoon. Just remember toe back to the restaurant for dinner,¡± Mrs. Wu started her routine of ushering people out. ¡°I got it, Mom. We¡¯re leaving now,¡± Wu Minqi said, after tying her scarf in front of the mirror in the living room, she took Jiang Feng by the hand and headed out. ¡°Be careful on the road,¡± Mrs. Wu said as usual, sending them off at the door with a wave and a smile.
    As they descended the stairs, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t feel too cold; after all, the temperature in Beiping was much lower than in Shu. But once they stepped outside the building, a st of cold air hit him, and immediately, Jiang Feng was reminded of the times in Magic City when the only defense against the cold was shivering. Jiang Feng shivered. Wu Minqi, keenly aware of Jiang Feng¡¯s shiver, frowned and began to unravel the scarf from around her neck, intending to wrap it around him without discussion. Jiang Feng knew Wu Minqi was sensitive to the cold. In Beiping, she would leave the house fully bundled up like a spy, so it was out of the question for him to take her scarf. ¡°Qiqi, you should keep it on. I could tell your throat wasn¡¯t feeling great when you spoke. Don¡¯t catch a cold the moment you take off the scarf and let the wind hit you,¡± Jiang Feng spoke and acted in refusal. ¡°I¡¯m not cold; I¡¯ve dressed warmly. It will take us over 20 minutes to get to Master Chen¡¯s ce. You¡¯re wearing so little, and the wind is strong today; don¡¯t end up catching a cold yourself,¡± Wu Minqi insisted. Jiang Feng could only stand still and let Wu Minqi wrap the scarf around him. Since Wu Minqi was shorter than Jiang Feng, and he hadn¡¯t thought to lower his head, she struggled to tie the scarf, even standing on her tiptoes.N?v(el)B\\jnn The result wasn¡¯t pretty; it was the kind of tying that could strangle oneself. ¡°There,¡± Wu Minqi said after a careful examination of her first attempt at tying a scarf for someone. Although it wasn¡¯t aesthetically pleasing, she believed it was certainly warm. Overall, she was satisfied since the scarf wasn¡¯t around her own neck. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Wu Minqi took Jiang Feng¡¯s hand. Wu Minqi¡¯s hand was very cold, Jiang Feng¡¯s hand was very warm. Onerge, one small. One cold, one warm. The instant Wu Minqi¡¯s icy hand sped his own, Jiang Feng felt something inside him explode. It might have been in his chest or possibly in his brain, erupting like fireworks, creating a splendor only he could see. This was the second time Jiang Feng experienced this kind of heart-racing sensation. The previous time was when Wu Minqi confessed to him during apetition. ¡°Qiqi,¡± Jiang Feng looked at Wu Minqi and lowered his head, ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Their lips met.
    Even without a scarf, my girlfriend is really beautiful. Jiang Feng thought silently. Even though the scarf is ugly, my boyfriend is really cute. Wu Minqi thought to herself.
    Mrs. Wu stood by the window, sipping on lemon water while watching the pair downstairs who looked like a couple of high schoolers sneaking around in early romance. Since her daughter got a boyfriend and forgot to make her lemon water, Mrs. Wu had to be self-sufficient. ¡°These kids, they¡¯ve been dating for so long, just kiss already. No need to sneak around under the building like it¡¯s some teenage fling, tsk,¡± Mrs. Wu shook her head helplessly, moving away from the window to quietly sip her lemon water. Or rather, the lemon water. . When Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi arrived at Master Chen¡¯s house, it was already past half past twelve. Chen¡¯s house hadn¡¯t changed at all since Jiang Feng¡¯s visitst year. Only Master Chen was at home, and the living room and bedroom still housed numerous tables and chairs. Master Chen still remembered Jiang Feng and was aware that Jiang Feng was now Wu Minqi¡¯s boyfriend, so he was exceptionally enthusiastic upon seeing Jiang Feng. ¡°Qiqi¡¯s boyfriend¡¯s surnamed Jiang, right? Seems like he¡¯s Master Jiang¡¯s great-nephew. I thought you two were quite suitable for each other when you brought himst year, and now it¡¯s actually happened,¡± Master Chen said with a beaming smile, acting as an eager matchmaker. ¡°Hello, Master Chen,¡± Jiang Feng greeted somewhat reservedly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Qiqi¡¯s mom that you¡¯ve found Master Jiang. Is he still in Shu? If he¡¯s there, I¡¯ll pay him a visit during New Year. I haven¡¯t seen him for many years; it¡¯s time for a visit,¡± Master Chen greeted Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi warmly, inviting them to sit. ¡°Granduncle Weiming is spending New Year in Magic City this year, so he probably won¡¯t be returning to Shu,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Master Chen, have you had your lunch yet?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Yes, of course, I have. The food¡¯s all ready. If you two had been anyter, it might have gone cold,¡± Master Chen said with augh. ¡°Thanks, Master Chen. Jiang Feng and I will serve the dishes.¡± Wu Minqi led Jiang Feng to the kitchen, where several steaming tes of freshly cooked food sat on the counter, contrary to Master Chen¡¯s im that they were almost cool.
    Since it was only Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi dining, Master Chen hadn¡¯t prepared too many dishes: three hot dishes and one appetizer. The hot dishes were fish-vored eggnt, salt-crusted baiji (steamed chicken), and spicy diced chicken, with the appetizer being spicy rabbit head. The fish-vored eggnt and salt-crusted baiji were clearly made to cater to Jiang Feng¡¯s pte, while the spicy diced chicken definitely satisfied Wu Minqi¡¯s preference for strong vors. Buried under a mountain of red and dried chili peppers, the dish looked quite intimidating. Jiang Feng from a year ago would have probably trembled at the sight of it. Now, he still felt a bit intimidated by it, looking like even the nearby salt-crusted baiji might catch the spiciness from the spicy diced chicken. Last year when Jiang Feng dined at Master Chen¡¯s, he thought the chef¡¯s seasoning for boiled fish was too heavy. Now, it seemed that Master Chen had actually toned down the seasoning a bit for Jiang Feng¡¯s sake. Jiang Feng even had reason to suspect that when Wu Minqi went all out with the seasoning while cooking, the influence came from Master Chen. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi brought the dishes to the table and each scooped a bowl of rice. Without much chatter, they started eating. Both being chefs, they knew the best way to tter a fellow chef was to just eat without talking. As long as they showed visible satisfaction and enjoyment, leaving clean tes was far more effective than a hundred hollowpliments. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t dare to reach for the spicy diced chicken, knowing his tolerance had only improved slightly over the past half year. He could handle a bit of spice, but not to the extent of Wu Minqi, whose spicy diced chicken was on a whole different level. Although he steered clear of the spicy diced chicken, Jiang Feng felt he could take on the challenge of the spicy rabbit head. The spicy rabbit head might look horrific, but it tasted absolutely amazing! Despite its strong spicy aroma, it was still incredibly fragrant. Jiang Feng was torn; on one hand, he wanted to eat the spicy rabbit head on the te, but on the other, he feared experiencing an unbearable pain like when he tried the boiled fishst year. Nowadays, he was no longer the same person who only ever dipped his food into a clear broth hot pot; he had started eating spicy hot pots, red oil spicy hot pots at that! But the spicy rabbit head in front of him looked seriously hot.
    The visible chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns on its surface, along with its inherent color, clearly broadcasted that it was very spicy to Jiang Feng. Not just spicy, but probably numb-inducingly so. Jiang Feng reached out with his chopsticks, nearly touching the spicy rabbit head, then hesitated and diverted his chopsticks to pick up some minced pork with eggnt instead. Jiang Feng reached out again with his chopsticks, and once more as they neared the rabbit head, he hesitated and, after a feigned attempt in midair, retracted them empty-handed. Jiang Feng extended his chopsticks for the third time. Wu Minqi put down her chopsticks in resignation and looked at Jiang Feng, ¡°Fengfeng, do you want to try the spicy rabbit head? It¡¯s really tasty and not as spicy as you think.¡± ¡°Ah? Sure!¡± Jiang Feng eagerly took the bait and picked up a rabbit head. Master Chen had gone upstairs to tend to his own affairs, so it was just Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi in the room. Wu Minqi had been debating whether to gnaw at the spicy rabbit head in front of Jiang Feng, as the act of eating rabbit heads is neither graceful nor particrly appealing ¨C one could look almost cannibalistic if their mouth opened too wide. But Wu Minqi figured that, on a day when her boyfriend was salvaged from the trash can, a bit of cannibalistic imagery couldn¡¯t really make matters worse, so she grabbed a rabbit head too. ¡°When eating a rabbit head, it¡¯s best to break it at the teeth to split it into two halves, which makes it easier to handle. There¡¯s more meat on the cheeks, Fengfeng, you can start by gnawing on the cheek meat,¡± Wu Minqi instructed as she started her own rabbit head tutorial, demonstrating by digging in first. Jiang Feng followed suit, splitting the head and biting into a piece of cheek meat. It was an entirely new meat-eating experience. Jiang Feng had eaten rabbit meat plenty of times, mostly wild rabbit. Sir used to live in the countryside for years where game like wild rabbits was easy toe by, and even a simple stir-fry with chili could turn them into a delicious feast.
    Although rabbit meat oftenes with small and numerous bones, making it a hassle to eat, its inherent vor was enough to make one endure the inconvenience and savor it slowly. The saying that rabbits are too adorable to be turned into unptable dishes is undoubtedly true. To cook rabbit meat poorly is unforgivable! This was Jiang Feng¡¯s first time eating a rabbit head, and after one bite, he regretted not having encountered this delicacy sooner. Enhanced by the rabbit¡¯s natural vors and Master Chen¡¯s culinary skills, Jiang Feng relished the rabbit head so much that he couldn¡¯t stop eating it. ¡°Hiss.¡± Jiang Feng hissed as he gnawed, the heat of the spice making him inhale sharply. ¡°Fengfeng, do you need some water?¡± Wu Minqi had finished her rabbit head, wiped her mouth, and once again looked like an elegant and beautifuldy. Jiang Feng was the only one left who looked like he was in a horror movie. ¡°No need, no need. The more you drink, the spicier it gets,¡± Jiang Feng assured her, speaking from experience in handling spiciness. After finishing the rabbit head, Jiang Feng felt as if he had opened the door to a new world, reborn. The numbing sensation on his lips hadn¡¯t faded, and the tingling on his taste buds signified the spiciness of the rabbit head he had just consumed. Despite this, if someone offered him another rabbit head at that moment, he would have attacked it just as voraciously as the first. ¡°Fengfeng, should we go to the Giant Panda Base this afternoon? I¡¯ll book the tickets now if we¡¯re going,¡± Wu Minqi suggested. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. I didn¡¯t see the pandasst time I visited, so this will be a good opportunity,¡± Jiang Feng agreed. Wu Minqi took out her phone and started booking the tickets. ¡°By the way, Fengfeng, are you sure you don¡¯t want some water?¡± Wu Minqi asked again. Jiang Feng waved his hand dismissively, ¡°No need. Actually, the rabbit head wasn¡¯t that spicy, it was just a bit numbing. It¡¯ll pass soon.¡± ¡°But your lips seem to be swelling up.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡­(¡äo¦Øo£à) Chapter 495: 493: De Watches the Play Chapter 495: Chapter 493: De Watches the y The giant panda, scientific name: Ailuropoda mnoleuca, is a species of bear and a national first-ss protected animal in China. Legend has it that the giant panda was originally a carnivore. Through evolution, it has adapted to primarily consume bamboo, yet it still belongs to the carnivore order. It¡¯s a creature that appears to be honest and docile but is in fact quite different behind its benign facade¡ªa being whose exterior deceives. The ck and white coat of the giant panda serves as camouge in the dense forests and snowyndscapes, preventing detection by natural predators. Their sharp ws and strong limbs allow them to climb trees swiftly, and their thick skin provides protection against attacks. Overall, this creature seems to have an aggression level of merely 5, with a special skill of looking cute, but in reality, its biting force is second only to that of the pr bear. With a single swipe, it could send Jiang Feng flying into the ICU¡ªa mystical animal once the mount of the ancient demon Chi You. When Jiang Feng finally had the opportunity to see the legendary mount of the ancient demon Chi You, he understood why Chi You had lost the battle against Emperor Huang. He observed many giant pandas, and not a single one wasn¡¯t presenting its behind to him while lying on the ground, asleep. Additionally, due to the influx of visitors wishing to see the giant pandas near the Spring Festival, there were queues just to catch a glimpse of a panda¡¯s rear, and each person was only allowed about ten seconds before being urged by others to move on. An hour after entering the zoo, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had collectively seen less than five minutes of panda butts, with their phone galleries filled with photos of the same. Leaving the view of thest panda¡¯s backside, Jiang Feng began to search for signs to head towards the next enclosure and the rear of another panda. ¡°Panda Mansion No. 1, 1.9 kilometers away. Qiqi, should we head there? It¡¯s a bit far; do you want to wait for the tour cart?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    ¡°It¡¯s only 2 kilometers, not really that far. By the time we¡¯d wait for the cart, we could have walked it. Let¡¯s go,¡± Wu Minqi declined Jiang Feng¡¯s suggestion, taking his hand and moving forward in the direction indicated by the sign. As they walked, Jiang Feng saw the next signpost. Panda Mansion No. 1, still 1.6 kilometers to go. Jiang Feng: ? He and Minqi had only walked 300 meters in 10 minutes? Could it be because they were wearing too much in winter, causing them to walk slowly? Perplexed, Jiang Feng continued to walk forward with Wu Minqi. After a while, they came across a new signpost. Panda Mansion No. 1, now only 0.9 kilometers away. That¡¯s more like it, Jiang Feng nodded to himself, leading a now visibly tired Wu Minqi onward. After more than 10 minutes, just when Jiang Feng thought they might have gone the wrong way, they finally found another signpost. Panda Mansion No. 1, still 0.8 kilometers away. Jiang Feng: ??? Wu Minqi: ??? Wu Minqi felt more than just a tingling pain in the balls of her feet¡ªher entire soles and even her arches were aching. When they were only 0.3 kilometers from the Panda Mansion, Jiang Feng finally noticed something was wrong with Wu Minqi. ¡°Qiqi, did you sprain your ankle?¡± Jiang Feng noticed Wu Minqi was not only walking slower but also limping. Unable to resist, Jiang Feng nced at Wu Minqi¡¯s shoes, which were just ordinary boots and not some high-top kind that would likely cause a sprain. Wu Minqi, aware of Jiang Feng¡¯s gaze, forced a smile: ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired from the long walk. We¡¯re almost there; let¡¯s hurry along.¡± A painful lesson had taught her not to exin to a boyfriend why she needed to insert insoles in her boots¡ªjust to enhance the shape of her legs and not appear too short.
    Because most of the time, boyfriends would only fixate on why she¡¯d resort to insoles instead of just wearing high heels, rather than the fact that insoles can improve the contour of the legs. Heartwarmingly, thest sign seemed to be urate. 0.3 kilometers really meant just that, and after walking a few more steps, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were delighted to finally see Panda Mansion No. 1, which they had been searching for. Compared to the other modest, rectangr, transparent enclosures with nothing but dry straw, bamboo leaves, water troughs, and burrows leading to who knows where, Panda Mansion No. 1 was certainly a luxurious abode. It was not just spacious but also beautifully designed. The floor was covered in fresh bamboo leaves, and the backdrop included a blue sky and artificial hills. In the middle of the venue, there were wooden bridges and climbing frames.
    Because the venue was so vast, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi didn¡¯t see the pandas at first sight. Three pandas concealed by the wooden bridges and climbing frames came into view only after they walked deeper inside. The prime spots for viewing the pandas were already taken by a dozen visitors, and Jiang Feng estimated that even if he and Wu Minqi managed to squeeze in, they would likely have to adopt very awkward postures to see them. From a distance, he could see the three pandas sitting on the ground, merrily munching on bamboo. The one Jiang Feng could clearly see somehow reminded him more and more of De, looking not just spiritually but even physically simr. It reminded him of De, happily munching on snacks in the yard during a visit to their grandfather¡¯s house over the New Year. ¡°Fengfeng, what are you looking at?¡± Wu Minqi, because of the pain in her feet, had found a ce to sit down. ¡°Qiqi,e over here and look, don¡¯t you think that panda sitting on the right, nibbling on bamboo, looks like De!¡± Jiang Feng eximed as if he had discovered a new continent. Wu Minqi: ??? Wu Minqi stood up and leaned over to Jiang Feng to have a look. ¡°¡­ It does seem quite simr,¡± Wu Minqi was shocked. After the initial excitement of seeing pandas eat bamboo had passed, Jiang Feng returned to Wu Minqi¡¯s side and they sat together and started ying with their phones. No matter how long Jiang Feng stood there, he could only ever see pandas eating bamboo, although sometimes they might eat cornbread and drink from bowls of milk, he guessed he wouldn¡¯t see that today. But as soon as he got home, he could see De, with his panda-like demeanor, sitting in the yard eating jerky,mb skewers, grilledmb ribs,mb legs, beef noodles, fried chicken legs, drinking juice, and soda. The menu was far richer than that of pandas, and De¡¯s recent period of working hard overtime had even his dark circles not belonging to a panda. ¡°Qiqi, when are we leaving?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    Wu Minqi nced at the time: ¡°It¡¯s only 4:30 now. My mom sent me a message earlier, telling us to go to the restaurant at 7. It will be fine if we get there around 6:40.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave in another half an hour, it¡¯s quite warm here. Let¡¯s sit for a while before leaving.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°By the way, Qiqi, dinner tonight is¡­¡± ¡°Just our family and you, my dad, my mom, and my grandpa. It¡¯s the first time youe to our house, so my dad and grandpa said they have to treat you well,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. For some unknown reason, despite it not being cold, Jiang Feng¡¯s legs were shaking a little. While Jiang Feng¡¯s legs were trembling, a panda that had been happily eating on the ground somehow made its way past the wooden bridge and came in front of Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. Just as Jiang Feng, in great excitement, was about to take out his phone and snap 10 consecutive photos, the panda turned its head to face away from them, starting to urinate and defecate right there. Jiang Feng: ¡­ As Jiang Feng hesitated with his phone in hand, pondering whether or not to take such a photo that invaded the panda¡¯s privacy, another panda quietly approached. Its chubby body advanced in a distinctive stroll, its ck and white fur being the perfect camouge. At that moment, it was not just amon panda; it was a lurker, an assassin, a cold-hearted killer. The cold-hearted killer drew close to the unsuspecting panda and stretched out its sinful chubby paw to fiercely poke the unsuspecting panda¡¯s buttocks. Jiang Feng: ¡°Pfft.¡± Wu Minqi: ¡°Pfft.¡± As expected, the next second the two pandas started fighting, one pulling the other¡¯s ears, one biting the other¡¯s scalp, both seemingly determined not to stop until they reduced each other to baldness. The two chubby bodies twisted and fought together, making it difficult for Jiang Feng to tell friend from foe. He could only judge who was the real aggressor by who was pulling ears and who was biting scalps.
    Tourists on the other side who had been watching the pandas chew bamboo swiftly realized that there was a dramatic fight going on and quickly gathered around Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. They pulled out their phones to take photos and videos. The only one who persisted in eating his meal happily, De, realized he had lost his stardom, as his spotlight was stolen by the two fighting pandas. Angry, De dropped the bamboo he was eating, slowly stood up, and made his way toward the battling pandas in a stance that seemed to be breaking up the fight. De intermittently pulled the scalp of one panda and gnawed the ears of the other, looking determined to nibble them bald without letting go, which reminded Jiang Feng of many things. The fight was intense, and by the end, Jiang Feng could no longer tell which panda was gaining the upper hand. All he could make out was De wavering between the two sides, one moment embrace-hugging one panda, the next providing backup, the most crucial part being that the two fighting pandas were so involved in their enjoyment that they hadn¡¯t noticed De at all, potentially making him the biggest winner of the battle. Although the fighting techniques of pandas were limited to rolling, weight suppression, biting scalps, and pulling ears, which seemed tock finesse and didn¡¯t include the punches and kicks that Jiang Feng had imagined, they excelled in endurance. Jiang Feng had never before seen anyone fight for over half an hour without stopping. Just as the battle reached its climax, De suddenly let go. He might have been tired, or he might have realized that no matter who he helped, neither side looked like it would win. Dragging his weary body, De slowly climbed up the wooden bridge, found an ideal spot to watch, stood upright, embraced the bridge, and rested his head on the railing. De began to eat his snacks quietly, just like the silent bystanders outside the ss windows. Jiang Feng: ? ¡°Mommy, mommy, look at the panda lying on the railing watching the show!¡± eximed the little girl next to Jiang Feng. The crowd, who had been absorbed in watching the two pandas fight, were alerted by the child¡¯s exmation and turned their attention to De, who had quit the battle to be an onlooker, and began to shift their cameras to capture various close-up shots of De. ¡°That panda is so naughty,¡± in dialect. ¡°Mommy, is that panda tired?¡± in Mandarin.
    ¡°Panda No. 3 begins watching the show, while pandas No. 1 and No. 2 are still fiercely grappling,¡± came thementary from a mysterious ringside announcer. ¡°Fengfeng, Fengfeng!¡± his girlfriend called. Huh? Girlfriend?!N?v(el)B\\jnn Jiang Feng turned his head abruptly, to see Wu Minqi anxiously stuffing her phone into her bag with one hand and already pulling his arm with the other. ¡°It¡¯s past 5 already, we need to hurry or we¡¯ll bete!¡± Wu Minqi said, pulling Jiang Feng to run, showing no sign of the pain in her foot from earlier. The onlooking crowd quickly filled the space left by Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s departure. Chapter 496: 494: Rainbow Fart Attack Chapter 496: Chapter 494: Rainbow Fart Attack ¡°` Wu Minqi had Jiang Feng wait in a long queue for the tour bus until they finally got on. After leaving the breeding base, they ditched the cheaper, but slower, public transport and hailed a taxi with the air of someone set to inherit Wu Family Restaurant. She requested with the urgency of someone rushing to catch a flight: ¡°Master, please drive quickly to Wu Family Restaurant, we¡¯re pressed for time!¡± The taxi driver: ? After a wild ride from the taxi driver, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi managed to reach Wu Family Restaurant just before 6:50 pm. Jiang Feng even felt a bit dizzy when he got out of the car. It turned out that every taxi driver has a dream of being a race car driver; just give them the chance and you can experience the feeling of flight. This was Jiang Feng¡¯s first visit to Wu Family Restaurant, so it was inevitable that he stood outside and took a few extra nces at it. Wu Family Restaurant was also constructed in an ancient style, but the historical period it mimicked differed from Taifeng Building. Because Taifeng Building had relocated to Beiping during the Republican era, it adopted the typical architectural style of thete Qing dynasty, whereas Wu Family Restaurant looked more like the taverns and teahouses depicted in the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival. The building seemed to have undergone minor modifications on the basis of Song Period architecture, fitting the restaurant¡¯s purported Song Period heritage perfectly. Jiang Feng wanted to take a longer look but was hurriedly pulled inside by Wu Minqi, who was eager to get to the private room. The two hurried upstairs, with Jiang Feng being led by Wu Minqi and unable to even distinguish the route, until they arrived at the private room¡¯s door.
    At 6:52 pm, Wu Minqi took a deep breath preparing to open the door. Turning to look at Jiang Feng, she suddenly realized that her scarf was still tightly wrapped around his neck, and, after such a long time, it had not loosened but be even tighter instead. The two quickly set to work with eight hands to untangle the scarf, and after a series of nearly suffocating maneuvers, they finally stepped into the private room at 6:55 pm. Three people were sitting in the private room with a table full of dishes,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Mrs. Wu was happily sipping tea with a friendly smile as Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi arrived. Wu Hanxue was drinking tea expressionlessly and gave them an equally expressionless nce as they entered. Old Sir Wu was sipping his tea seriously, not even sparing a nce at Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, engrossed in his cup of tea. ¡°Qiqi and Jiang are here. I told Qiqiing at 7 o¡¯clock would be fine, but these kids, fearing that we¡¯d wait, havee so early. We too had just sat down and started sipping our tea when you arrived,¡± Mrs. Wu began telling tall tales with open eyes. ¡°We¡¯re the ones who arete. I¡¯m terribly sorry to have kept you waiting, Auntie,¡± Jiang Feng quickly said, turning his head to see what Wu Hanxue and the never-before-met Old Sir Wu¡¯s expressions were like, only to be captivated by a cold dish on the table. It was a ¡°Fish Leaping Through the Dragon Gate¡± patterned tter, simr to Jiang Weiming¡¯s ¡°Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring,¡± both semi-three-dimensional and beautifullyposed. The golden, semi-dimensional carp was particrly eye-catching. The patterned tter was impable, from the base to the border to the surface, with details as small as the waves at the bottomyer to the leaping fish above, all meticulously arranged¡ªrevealing the creator¡¯s attentiveness. Jiang Feng had an idea, knowing what he would sayter on. Jiang Feng brought his gaze back from the tter and nodded at Wu Hanxue, saying, ¡°Mr. Wu, hello. It¡¯s been a while since west met, and you seem to have gotten much younger.¡± Wu Hanxue smiled and nodded. Under the deathly stares of Mrs. Wu and Wu Minqi, even his hand holding the teacup began to tremble slightly as he barely managed to say, ¡°Sit down, don¡¯t just stand there.¡± Of course, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t sit right away but instead took a couple of steps toward Old Sir Wu, saying, ¡°Hello, Sir Wu, my name is Jiang Feng.¡± ¡°Dad, this is Qiqi¡¯s boyfriend, Jiang. Hanxue and I met him at the beginning of the year; he¡¯s a very polite and diligent good young man,¡± Mrs. Wu said with a smile, gesturing with her eyes for Jiang Feng to sit down. Jiang Feng quietly took a seat next to Wu Minqi. ¡°Hmm,¡± Old Sir Wu¡¯s expression was unreadable, still serious. Perhaps it was just his regr demeanor and he couldn¡¯t switch out of it momentarily. Jiang Feng scrutinized the patterned tter on the table and nced over the other dishes, feeling reassured. Counting the cold dishes and soup, there were ten dishes on the table in total. Every dish was exquisitely arranged, clearly showing that Wu Hanxue and Old Sir Wu wanted to take this opportunity to unt their Wu Family culinary skills in front of Jiang Feng. Given his limited familiarity with Sichuan cuisine, there were a few dishes on the table Jiang Feng had never seen before. Apart from the ¡°Fish Leaping Through the Dragon Gate¡± tter, it was hard to distinguish by appearance alone which dishes were made by Wu Hanxue and which by Old Sir Wu. Therefore, to sing Old Sir Wu¡¯s praises, he should start with the ¡°Fish Leaping Through the Dragon Gate¡± tter.
    When ites to singing the praises of elders known for their outstanding culinary skills, the Jiang Family juniors are professionals. It took Jiang Feng only a matter of seconds toe up with a sentence, and a few more to organize it in his head. Jiang Feng adjusted his expression, disying one of awe, and slightly raised his voice: ¡°Sir Wu, surely it was you who made this ¡®Fish Leaping Through the Dragon Gate¡¯ tter? May I ask what this dish is called?¡± ¡°` Old Sir Wu silently set down his teacup, sat up straight, and his facial expression unconsciously eased a lot as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s call it ¡®Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.''¡±
    ¡°What an excellent name! One look and you can tell that it fits both the concept and theme perfectly, and it even has a story behind it. This is simply the most outstanding floral food tter I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Jiang Feng said with a face full of admiration. Old Sir Wu sat up even straighter, his words very modest, ¡°It¡¯s not as good as your granduncle Weiming¡¯s ¡®Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring.¡¯ I saw thetest issue of ¡®Taste¡¯ where the floral food tter featured by your granduncle Jiang Weiming is indeed unparalleled.¡± Jiang Feng shook his head repeatedly, ¡°No, no, no, Sir Wu, you are too modest. Your ¡®Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate¡¯ and my granduncle¡¯s ¡®Splendid Chickens Singing to Spring¡¯ are certainly neck and neck. Whether it is theposition, knifework, selection of ingredients, or the floral food tter itself, it¡¯s hard to distinguish which is superior. This carp that you have made, with varying types of fish meat using different cuts to create a gradient effect that brings out a sense ofyering, is something I have never seen before. It is truly a work of art!¡± ¡°Not to mention, just the slices of fish that are thin as cicada wings are worthy of being called works of art!¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s barrage of not-so-clever ttery made Old Sir Wu feel particrly pleased, giving Jiang Feng the first smile he had showed since they met. From Wu Hanxue¡¯s look of surprise, Jiang Feng could tell that Old Sir Wu rarelyughed. ¡°What works of art? The dishes are made for eating. Come on, Jiang, have some dishes,¡± Sir Wu said with augh, noticing that the cups in front of Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were empty. He raised his hand, preparing to call the waiter, ¡°What would Jiang and Minqi like to drink? I heard you young people like to drink that¡­ what¡¯s it called? ¡®Otaku water¡¯? I¡¯ll have the waiter bring over two bottles of it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need, Sir Wu. Minqi and I will just have tea,¡± Jiang Feng quickly refused. ¡°Right, grandfather, Jiang Feng and I will just have tea,¡± Wu Minqi quickly agreed, reaching for the teapot to pour the tea. Jiang Feng picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of the eel dish in front of him whose name he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Minqi, what is this dish?¡± Jiang Feng whispered. ¡°This is steamed green eel, it¡¯s one of my father¡¯s specialties,¡± Wu Minqi whispered back, ¡°Here¡¯s the dipping sauce dish. You can have a bit of it with the sauce.¡± ¡°Green eel?¡± Taking Wu Minqi¡¯s advice, Jiang Feng dipped a little sauce, and upon tasting, he found that the dish was neither too light nor too heavy. Overall, it was very delicate, yet the vors of pepper and Sichuan pepper were distinctly present,plementing the ginger vinegar dipping sauce beautifully.
    ¡°It¡¯s eel, just that it¡¯s not the season for eels now so they¡¯re not as plump and sulent. Though this dish is called steamed green eel, the actual cooking process is quiteplicated. The eel slices must be ced on pig¡¯s caul fat sprinkled with seasoning, then covered with thin slices of pork cut to the same length and width, wrapped in paper and steamed. After they¡¯re out of the steamer, boiling clear broth is poured over them. Buried underneath the eel is egg foo young which stays warm after the eel is eaten. It absorbs the broth and the eel¡¯s vor, which I always thought is the most delicious part of this dish,¡± exined Wu Minqi quickly to Jiang Feng. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve heard that chefs with great skills can cover the steamed green eel after pouring the clear broth, and upon uncovering at the table, the aroma can drift for fifty meters.¡± Jiang Feng was impressed though skeptical; the culinary world had many such legends, but very few could truly be achieved. ¡°Jiang, what do you think of this steamed green eel?¡± Wu Hanxue, who had been silent for a while, asked. He had been watching Jiang Feng since he had picked up his chopsticks, waiting for him toment. Jiang Feng knew the moment hade to showcase his years of practiced ttery and said earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s exquisitely delicious. With its whitish color and clear broth, had I not tasted it today, I wouldn¡¯t have believed that eel could be so tender, plump and sulent! I used to think steamed bass was the epitome of deliciousness, butpared to this steamed green eel, it doesn¡¯t hold a candle to the beauty of this eel.¡± Jiang Feng¡¯s ttery was of such caliber that Old Sir Wu would have simply listened and let it pass without much notice. But Wu Hanxue had never seen Jiang Family¡¯s ir for ttery and was quite embarrassed by Jiang Feng¡¯s words, merely nodding his head and burying himself in the dish. ¡°You used the wrong poem,¡± Wu Minqi whispered. ¡°No worries,¡± Jiang Feng gave Wu Minqi a confident look that said ¡®your boyfriend has this in the bag.¡¯ The next half hour turned into Jiang Feng¡¯s ttery showcase; with each bite of the dishes came apliment. Though not as exaggerated as before and without mistaken quotes, hisments were abundant in earnest volume and never repetitive. Throughout the meal, Wu Hanxue and Old Sir Wu¡¯s fondness for Jiang Feng grew exponentially, and by the end of it, they had gone from calling him ¡®Jiang¡¯ to ¡®Feng.¡¯ As the meal concluded, and the ttery had yielded its rewards, with those being ttered wearing broad smiles and the observers well-fed, the moment for parting neared. Old Sir Wu finally posed the question he had wanted to ask from the beginning, now with a full smile on his face: ¡°Feng, I wonder how Granduncle Weiming¡¯s health is. Is he in Shu? If so, I should pay him a visit.¡± Jiang Feng responded with a warm smile, ¡°Sir Wu, my granduncle spent this year in Magic City with my second uncle for the New Year¡¯s celebration. I doubt he¡¯ll return to Shu.¡±
    ¡°Your second uncle, Jiang Yong?¡± Old Sir Wu frowned, clearly aware of the strained father-son rtionship between Jiang Weiming and Jiang Yong. ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯ll meet next time if fate allows,¡± said Old Sir Wu. Chapter 497: 495: In-depth Conversation Chapter 497: Chapter 495: In-depth Conversationn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After dinner, Wu Hanxue and Old Sir Wu stayed at the Wu Family Restaurant to continue working, while Mrs. Wu drove Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi back home. Although Mrs. Wu was always gentle and kind to Jiang Feng, and her eyes were always filled with a warm smile when she looked at him, not even his own mother was more loving, Jiang Feng still felt very restrained sitting in the back seat. Mrs. Wang Xiulian, his real mother, rarely gave him such warm smiles; when he was a child, she would asionally give him a warm p on the face instead. ¡°Jiang, did Qiqi take you to the giant panda base this afternoon?¡± Mrs. Wu asked with a smile, her eyes on the road ahead, ¡°Did you have fun?¡± ¡°It was fun, very interesting,¡± Jiang Feng replied. ¡°That¡¯s good. There are quite a few scenic spots around here, too. It¡¯s just a pity you¡¯re not staying longer, or I¡¯d have Qiqi take you around,¡± Mrs. Wu said, ¡°I heard from Qiqi that you booked a ticket to go back the day after tomorrow morning, is it a ne or a high-speed train ticket? It must be quite a long trip if it¡¯s by train.¡± ¡°High-speed train ticket, for ten o¡¯clock the day after tomorrow morning. It¡¯s not particrly long, just about ten hours. I¡¯ll arrive by eight in the evening,¡± Jiang Feng exined. ¡°Ten hours is still quite a long time. Poor Jiang, you¡¯ve had such a long journey right before the New Year just to apany Qiqi to her cousin¡¯s engagement party. Originally, Qiqi¡¯s father and I thought you didn¡¯t need to make this trip just for an engagement party, but since Qiqi is closest to this cousin, she wanted you toe along, get to know, and recognize faces in advance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind. You and Mr. Wu trusting Qiqi to work at Taifeng Building is the greatest trust in me, and because of the distance, I haven¡¯t been able to visit you all in Shu this past half year. It¡¯s only right for me toe and pay my respects before the New Year, even if Qiqi¡¯s cousin isn¡¯t getting engaged, I shoulde to see you both at this time,¡± Jiang Feng said sincerely, even though Mrs. Wu couldn¡¯t see his expression. ¡°What a good kid,¡± Mrs. Wuughed, her smile so wide she couldn¡¯t close her mouth.
    When they got back to Wu Minqi¡¯s house, Mrs. Wu cut two tes of fruit and washed a bunch of cherries for Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi and brought them into Wu Minqi¡¯s room, saying she knew that young people couldn¡¯t rx in front of elders, so she wouldn¡¯t disturb them. After delivering the fruit, Mrs. Wu went back to her room to watch television, giving the younger generation plenty of space and freedom. Wu Minqi¡¯s room was simply decorated with a desk, bookshelves, a wardrobe, and a bed without too much additional adornment, except for a few obviously inexpensive dolls on the bookshelves, which very much suited Wu Minqi¡¯s domineering CEO persona¡ªexcept for the pink bedsheets and covers. ¡°Fengfeng, take a seat,¡± Wu Minqi said casually, very rxed as she sat on the bed, while Jiang Feng sat facing her on the chair in front of the desk. Jiang Feng nced at the books on the desk, which were not the novels and magazines he had imagined, but study guides like ¡°Five-year College Entrance Exam Three-year Simtion,¡± ¡°Experimental ss,¡± and ¡°Golden Test Papers,¡± reminding him of his own towering final year in high school. ¡°Qiqi, why haven¡¯t you thrown away your high school study guides?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously; he had sold all his high school study guides as soon as he was sure he wouldn¡¯t need to retake the exams after receiving the results, selling them to a scrap collector downstairs. He still remembered the price, 89.6 yuan, which Mrs. Wang Xiulian had casually pocketed without giving him any. ¡°I threw away the rest, but my mom said I probably won¡¯t use the desk much in the future, and it doesn¡¯t look good empty, so we kept them mostly as decoration on the desk,¡± Wu Minqi exined, ¡°Initially, when I applied for UAL University, my dad wasn¡¯t happy; he wanted me to attend a local university, so it would be convenient to practice cooking ande home.¡± Jiang Feng understood Wu Hanxue¡¯s thinking; if there were no good universities in his own small city in Z city, Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian would probably want him to attend university locally, too. Parents always want their children to stay close to them. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi actually rarely talked about their lives before university after they started dating, not because they were avoiding anything, but simply because their everyday conversations never veered in that direction. Even though they lived together and were inseparable, they spent most of their time working. They hardly had time to discuss the present, let alone the past. ¡°Qiqi, I¡¯ve always been curious, why did you go to university?¡± Jiang Feng suddenly asked, turning the conversation into something resembling a deep interview. ¡°Hmm?¡± Wu Minqi was a bit slow to react. ¡°Like Zhang Guanghang, you¡¯ve aspired to be an outstanding chef since you were little, and you didn¡¯t suddenly switch paths midway through like Sun Jikai and I did. Logically speaking, shouldn¡¯t you have stayed in Shu to take over the family business?¡± Jiang Feng had been curious about this for a long time. ¡°Because my mom wanted me to live a normal person¡¯s life,¡± Wu Minqi looked up slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve been quiet since I was little, my only hobby other than cooking was ying chess, and I didn¡¯t have many friends. I mostly hung out with my cousins. My mom said if I didn¡¯t go to university and give up thest legitimate chance to interact with others and make friends, she was afraid I¡¯d be an introvert like my dad.¡± ¡°But it turns out I¡¯m really bad at making friends. I couldn¡¯t get along with my roommates in university and didn¡¯t make friends right away, which caused a lot of trouble. I didn¡¯t make a single friend during my entire first year and even wasted a lot of time that I could have spent on cooking. After going back home for the summer break of my first year, I told my mom I didn¡¯t want to study anymore, that it was a waste of time and I¡¯d rather work in the restaurant like my older cousins. She persuaded me to stick it out for one more semester and to try joining more activities to meet new people, and then¡­¡± Wu Minqi looked at Jiang Feng and smiled. ¡°Then, I saw the club recruitment on the street, and there was a long line in front of the Chess Club¡¯s tent. I thought the mung bean cakes were made by you and wanted to challenge your cooking, so I filled out the application. I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t ept second-year students while waiting for the result.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you got it wrong, Qiqi, or you would have missed out on an excellent boyfriend like me,¡± Jiang Feng pretended to be relieved. ¡°Pfft.¡± Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t help but let out a big smile.
    ¡°But the truth is, I¡¯m still not good at making friends,¡± Wu Minqi sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t make any friends at school, but I got to know quite a few people at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Jiang Fengughed, ¡°Nobody says you have to make friends in a particr ce, your mother was just worried you¡¯d be isted without friends. No matter the process, as long as the result is correct, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Jiang Feng ended the in-depth interview withforting words and switched the topic to Old Sir Wu. ¡°By the way, Qiqi, were your grandpa and my Granduncle Weiming very close before?¡± Jiang Feng asked.
    ¡°Close?¡± Wu Minqi furrowed her brows and thought for a moment, ¡°Not particrly close, I guess, but then again, it¡¯s not like they weren¡¯t. It¡¯s hard to say. Last year, when you came looking for Grandpa Jiang, I asked my grandpa about it. Aftering to Shu, didn¡¯t Grandpa Jiang change his name to Jiang Yuanchao? My grandpa said that the person you were looking for must be Jiang Yuanchao, but he didn¡¯t know where Grandpa Jiang lived at that time. I rememberter my grandpa also asked me if you had found him, so I think my grandpa and Grandpa Jiang must have had a pretty good rtionship. He rarely takes the initiative to care about people.¡± ¡°And I think my grandpa likes you too,¡± Wu Minqi continued. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°My grandpa is very strict with his family and apprentices, he almost neverughs. He¡¯s a bit nicer to outsiders, but he still rarely smiles. Heughed so many times during dinner tonight that my parents and I were a bit startled.¡± Jiang Feng roughly understood; Old Sir Wu¡¯s personality was very much like Sir¡¯s, except that the younger generation of the Wu Family hadn¡¯t mastered the skill of ttering as the Jiang Family¡¯s younger generation had. ¡°Qiqi, believe me, justpliment your grandpa more, just like De, Cheng, and I usually do with my grandpa. Don¡¯t be afraid to overdo it, the more extravagant, the better. Even if it¡¯s ostentatious, it doesn¡¯t matter, the most important thing is to be sincere. As long as it¡¯s words of praise, justy it on thick!¡± Chapter 498: 496: Wu Familys Big Cousin Chapter 498: Chapter 496: Wu Family¡¯s Big Cousin The Wu Family was certainly arge n. They were thriving with offspring and teeming with descendants, numerous apprentices included. Jiang Feng originally thought the engagement banquet wouldn¡¯t have many guests, at most gathering the rtives from both the groom¡¯s and bride¡¯s sides around three or four tables. What he hadn¡¯t expected was that he had missed the mark by ten. Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin¡¯s engagement banquet took ce at the Wu Family Restaurant, which had set up a whopping thirteen tables, and among these guests, Jiang Feng was the least rted. A few more tables and people might have been convinced it was a wedding feast. In order to present himself in the most handsome way possible to the many uncles and cousins of Wu Minqi, Jiang Feng got up early and primped himself with the same vigor he had shown in the Good Taste culinarypetition. Since his hairstyle was the kind you¡¯d see on any corporate worker on the street, Jiang Feng focused his grooming efforts on his face, which was handsomely inconspicuous and sometimes even covert. He even borrowed one of Wu Minqi¡¯s hydrating face masks and secretly used it in his room beforeing out. Then, before he knew it, Jiang Feng was reduced to nothing by Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin. Because there were so many people, the elders were all busy greeting each other, while the younger generations, regardless of age or marital status, were left to fend for themselves in various corners, either on their phones or lost in thought. Wu Minqi spent a few minutes exining why her cousin¡¯s engagement banquet was attended by so many rtives, then she dragged Jiang Feng around to greet various cousins.
    Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin was among the few in the younger generation of the Wu Family who had decent culinary talent; like Wu Minqi, he had been cooking since a young age and never gave it up, currently working as a sous-chef at the Wu Family Restaurant. Had the original plot proceeded, Wu Minqi was definitely the heir to the Wu Family Restaurant. Now, however, Jiang Feng had unexpectedly appeared, whisking Wu Minqi away to Taifeng Building in Beiping. In terms of heritage, Taifeng Building couldn¡¯tpare with Wu Family Restaurant, but in terms of value, thend alone put Taifeng Building streets ahead of Wu Family Restaurant, leading to inevitable spection from everyone, even though Old Sir Wu and Wu Hanxue hadn¡¯t said anything. If Wu Minqi wasn¡¯t going to be the future head chef of the Wu Family Restaurant, then the best candidate was Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin. This, too, was why many rtives had turned up for the event, which was ostensibly just an engagement banquet; even the apprentices of Old Sir Wu and Wu Hanxue brought their disciples along. After listening to Wu Minqi¡¯s exnation, Jiang Feng suddenly felt as if he were on the set of ¡°Golden Branch Desire¡± or ¡°Story of Zhenhuan¡±, with the script fluctuating between the leadingdy and an extra. Wait a minute, why the leadingdy? As Jiang Feng pondered whether he was the disruptive leadingdy or a minor pce maid destined to disrupt the chess game, Wu Minqi had already brought him before Cousin Wu. Unprepared, Jiang Feng¡¯s ordinary face paled inparison to Cousin Wu¡¯s attractive features. Unlike Zhang Guanghang¡¯s conventional good looks, Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin¡¯s appeal was more niche, embodying a roguish charm. On his own, he didn¡¯t stand out much, but paired with a slightly extreme hairstyle and a fearless punk aesthetic that suited his bad-boy image, his charm went from an eight to a full ten. Jiang Feng even worried that in the next second he might start flirting with respectable youngdies. An absolute persona non grata to any parent with a daughter. ¡°Fengfeng, this is my Cousin Wu Jialiang, Jialiang bro, this is my boyfriend Jiang Feng.¡± It was clear that Wu Minqi had a good rtionship with her cousin. ¡°Nice to meet you, Cousin!¡± Standing in front of Wu Jialiang, Jiang Feng was the epitome of honesty. ¡°Nice to meet you, future brother-inw,¡± Wu Jialiang said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you. Yesterday, when Minqi refused to bring you to my restaurant, I wasn¡¯t happy. Tonight, you two muste and try the specialties at my ce.¡± Jiang Feng was a bit stunned. ¡°Jialiang bro, Jiang Feng takes the high-speed rail tomorrow at ten in the morning,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Then drink less tonight,¡± Wu Jialiang said with a wounded expression. ¡°Qiqi, when you and Hanxue were kids, I took a lot of beatings for you. Today Hanxue gets engaged, and you don¡¯te to my restaurant; you¡¯re free and don¡¯t help in the kitchen, nor do youe to visit. You really break your cousin¡¯s heart!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Wu Minqi, who rarely showed such expressions, disyed one of disdain. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t miss out tonight at eight, I¡¯ve reserved two seats for you there,e on, I¡¯ll take you guys!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t the seats arranged in advance?¡±
    ¡°I changed them for you, your sister-inw doesn¡¯t want to sit with Lady Leopard.¡± On the side, an utterly confused Jiang Feng: ??? After greeting Wu Jialiang, Wu Minqi took Jiang Feng to meet a few other cousins and elders she was close with, acknowledged them properly, and then returned to the seats that Wu Jialiang had switched around. Wu Jialiang wasn¡¯t at his seat, giving Jiang Feng the chance to ask, ¡°Minqi, what kind of store does your cousin run?¡±
    ¡°He runs a bar,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Normally, his half-shaved hairstyle would be considered pretty normal, but I have no idea why it turned out this way when he came back this time. I heard from my mom a couple of days ago that his hair was originally dyed gray, but this current color was enforced by his mom.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ A grown man with a teenage heart. ¡°Even though my cousin can be a bit odd in what he says and does, he¡¯s really a good person. He has always taken extra care of me and my third cousin and has taken many punishments for us. His bar seems to be doing pretty well too. Fengfeng, if you don¡¯t want to goter, I can find an excuse to decline for us,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°What time do bars typically open?¡± Jiang Feng was somewhat eager to try; he had never been to a bar in his life, not even knowing which way the entrance faced. Wu Minqi: ¡­ She suddenly became worried that Wu Jialiang might lead Jiang Feng astray. ¡°Eight¡­ around eight I guess,¡± Wu Minqi wasn¡¯t too sure herself. Jiang Feng was just about to ask for more detailed questions about the bar when they were interrupted by Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin¡¯s wife. ¡°Minqi, you look even more beautiful than before,¡± she said. Hearing the voice, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi turned their heads together, looking at Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin¡¯s wife. Wu Minqi¡¯s cousin¡¯s wife had short hair, light makeup, was wearing a cashmere coat, and stood quite tall in her heels¡ªalmost as tall as Jiang Feng. She had a smile on her face that made her appear very capable. ¡°Sister-inw,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile, ¡°this is my boyfriend, Jiang Feng.¡±
    ¡°This is my cousin¡¯s wife; she¡¯s awyer.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, sister-inw,¡± Jiang Feng temporarily reverted to his polite greeter mode. ¡°Hello, when I came in just now, Jialiang told me that Minqi found an especially handsome boyfriend, and it seems Minqi has good taste,¡± the cousin¡¯s wife said with augh. She sat down next to Wu Minqi, took off her coat, and began to chat with her. ¡°Sister-inw, how¡¯s Jialiang¡¯s business doingtely?¡± Wu Minqi took the initiative to ask. ¡°Not bad. He made a bit of money and even renovated the ce again during the second half of the year. It¡¯s strange; no one thought highly of him wanting to open a bar. We figured we¡¯d let him mess around and give up once he hit a wall, but surprisingly, he really got it up and running,¡± the cousin¡¯s wife said helplessly. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, but it doesn¡¯t suit him. I would have preferred him to stick with his music. These days, I alreadye homete enough from working overtime at thew firm. Hees home eventer than I do, and it¡¯s not the best time to talk to him when he¡¯s so excited about it. Once his enthusiasm fades, I will have to sit down with him and have a proper talk. For now, if he¡¯s happy, let him be happy,¡± she said. ¡°Happy? Speaking of the devil, and he shall appear.¡± Wu Jialiang, who had been out of sight, suddenly popped up from somewhere. ¡°Talking about how you¡¯re never home before two or three in the morning,¡± the cousin¡¯s wife said with a pointed look. With one hand on the back of a chair, Wu Jialiang looked even more like a rogue about to tease a respectable woman. ¡°Minqi, listen to this. Your cousin¡¯s wife used toe home at one or two in the morning, and I never said a word. Now it¡¯s my turn, and sheins to you. Oh, life¡¯s tough for a married man,¡± he said. Wu Minqi ignored the yful bickering between her cousin and his wife. ¡°Jialiang, Jiang Feng and I really can¡¯t stay at your bar for too long tonight. Tickets are hard toe by these days, and if we miss the timing, he won¡¯t be able to get back,¡± Wu Minqi said.
    ¡°Can¡¯t get back? That¡¯s perfect. He can stay with us for the New Year and¡­¡± Wu Jialiang¡¯s words were cut short under the deadly smile of his wife. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Minqi. I will join you guys tonight and make sure you get back on time,¡± the cousin¡¯s wife said with a smile. Chapter 499: 497: At 30, I Let Myself Go Chapter 499: Chapter 497: At 30, I Let Myself Go The conversation hadmenced with the beginning of the feast. The dishes were plentiful, featuring flying fowl, walking beasts, seasonal vegetables, and specialty cakes¡ªeverything one could wish for. Although the cooking was not done by Wu Hanxue and Old Sir Wu, it was still excellent. The other chefs in the kitchen had also put forth their full effort to prepare the dishes for the engagement banquet. At Jiang Feng¡¯s table, besides Wu Minqi and her husband Wu Jialiang, he didn¡¯t recognize anyone else. A few faces looked somewhat familiar, but he had no clear memory of them. He couldn¡¯t recall if they were Wu Minqi¡¯s cousins or perhaps elder ssmates or juniors from her school. Being led around to greet others is something one easily forgets in a crowd. To date, Jiang could only properly match the identities of Wu Minqi¡¯s eldest cousin Wu Jialiang and the third cousin Wu Jiaxue, one of the stars of this engagement party, and even then, he had to identify Wu Jiaxue¡¯s fiancee by her clothing rather than her face. Dining with a bunch of strangers or people he barely knew, Jiang was drawn into conversations about who got married, who broke up, or who seemed likely to tie the knot soon after visiting their girlfriend¡¯s parents during the New Year¡ªtopics that inevitably came up around the dinner table during the holiday season. Jiang managed fairly well, as everyone had to endure this kind of awkwardness during the New Year, and it was much the same when he visited his grandmother¡¯s house every year. Though he had adapted, the awkwardness persisted, and Jiang found the meal particrly draining. So much so that without looking at the dishes on the table, Jiang wouldn¡¯t even know what he had just eaten, wasting the painstaking efforts and sincere hospitality of the chefs at the Wu Family Restaurant. The length of time spent eating at a banquet is often much longer than a regr meal, not because eating is the focus, but because the true essence of a banquet lies in subtly probing and gathering information through conversation and facial expressions. As Jiang¡¯s table was mostlyposed of the younger members of the Wu family, their discussions revolved around day-to-day matters and gossip, asionally expressing their one-sided and narrow opinions about Wu Jiaxue¡¯s fiancee. Compared to the calm and soft-drinkden atmosphere at the younger generation¡¯s table, the elders¡¯ table, with its red and white wines and cheerful banter, resembled a spy thriller. While Jiang¡¯s table had finished eating andid down their chopsticks, the neighboring elders¡¯ table continued toasting and chatting, eager to uncover as much as they could about each other¡¯s family affairs.
    In the mingling of cups andughter, danger lurked beneath the surface. Wu Minqi and her sister-inw were chatting happily, leaving Jiang and Wu Jialiang, the two men who could neither join the conversation nor enjoy the food, to sit silently on the side and y with their phones. ¡°By the way, Qiqi, have you decided where to take your boyfriend this afternoon?¡± the sister-inw suddenly asked. This question perked up the previously distracted Jiang and Wu Jialiang, who began to conspicuously eavesdrop on the conversation. ¡°This afternoon? I haven¡¯t thought about it yet,¡± Wu Minqi replied. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take him for a tour around your school? Thest time I went to see Teacher Xiao, I still saw your record for winning the provincial chess championship in the school¡¯s honor disy.¡± ¡°What? Qiqi winning the provincial championship was years ago. Doesn¡¯t the honor disy update every three years? Why is it still there?¡± Wu Jialiang said, visibly shocked. ¡°That was an officialpetition¡¯s provincial championship, not like your third ce in some privately organized violin contest,¡± the sister-inw said with disdain. ¡°I got third ce in the national leagueter on, okay!¡± Wu Jialiang insisted on rifying. ¡°That was during your university years. I won first ce in a national debatepetition in college, and you¡¯re bragging about a mere third¡­¡± ¡°Violin?¡± Jiang zoned out from Wu Jialiang and the sister-inw¡¯s argument, looking curious. He had assumed that Wu Jialiang was into music like rock, which would fit his persona, but it turned out to be the violin. ¡°Yeah, my eldest cousin has been ying the violin for twenty years,¡± Wu Minqi confirmed, ¡°He used to run a music ssroom teaching kids to y the violin, and his style was quite normal back then. It¡¯s only in the past two years after he changed his look and image that he gradually began losing students, and eventually closed down the music ssroom. He just opened the barst year.¡± Jiang: ¡­ Future Uncle-in-Law seems a bit legendary, huh? Is this a man nearing thirty suddenly deciding to have an awakening and let himself be free? Let¡¯s not discuss why Wu Jialiang changed his style from a respectable and handsome violin teacher to a rock youth with a hint of unconventional transformation. Minqi¡¯s inspiration came from Big Sister-in-Law¡¯s suggestion.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Wu Minqi had originally nned to take Jiang Feng around the city after the engagement party, to visit inte-famous spots and take photos, as she had searched online the night before. Although she felt deep down that it wasn¡¯t that interesting, she had to admit. The photos online did look pretty nice.
    ¡°Fengfeng, do you want to go see my high school this afternoon?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°Of course.¡± And so, the afternoon¡¯s itinerary was pleasantly decided. By the time Wu Jiaxue¡¯s engagement party ended, it was already three o¡¯clock. Even though Jiang Feng had nominallye to Shu to attend Wu Jiaxue¡¯s engagement party, in reality, he hardly had a chance to exchange a few words with him. The groom¡¯s rtives and friends were numerous, and so were the bride¡¯s; Wu Jiaxue was kept busy being toasted by various elders, and by the end, he was barely able to stand.
    Jiang Feng intended to say goodbye and exchange some pleasantries, but seeing that Wu Jiaxue was slurring his words, he swallowed what he had to say and went out to meet up with Wu Minqi and Mrs. Wu. Wu Hanxue and Old Sir Wu were typical workaholics, who stayed in the restaurant even after drinking some wine at noon. They seemed content just to watch over things without getting hands-on; one could say they were quite dedicated. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had just left Wu Family Restaurant when they bumped into Wu Jialiang again. ¡°Qiqi, future brother-inw, remember, don¡¯t bete for eight o¡¯clock tonight!¡± Wu Jialiang said with a smile, waving at them as he saw a car approaching, ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, if you talk less you¡¯ll forget Qiqi is yours in a blink of an eye,¡± Big Sister-in-Law, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, rolled down the window and said with a smile to Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, ¡°Qiqi, Jiang, we¡¯re heading off.¡± Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi also smiled and waved back at them. After waiting a few more minutes, Mrs. Wu hurried out of the restaurant and upon seeing Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi already waiting outside, she said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I forgot my bag and got held up a bit. Have you two been waiting long? It¡¯s so cold outside, you should have waited inside.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the car,¡± Mrs. Wu said as she headed for the parking lot. ¡°Mom, just drop Jiang and me off at the bus station. I¡¯ll take Jiang to see my school this afternoon,¡± Wu Minqi said. Mrs. Wu usually did not oppose Wu Minqi¡¯s wishes and didn¡¯t ask why. She just nodded her agreement and went on to the parking lot. Wu Family Restaurant was only a short kilometer away from the nearest bus stop that could take them to Wu Minqi¡¯s high school. When they got off, Mrs. Wu didn¡¯t forget to ask Wu Minqi if they woulde back for dinner that evening. ¡°Mom, Jiang and I won¡¯te back for dinner tonight. Jialiang Brother invited us to his ce for the evening,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°Jialiang, hmm, I heard from your aunt that his bar is doing well, made quite a profitst year. Just remember toe back early since Jiang has to catch a train tomorrow morning,¡± Mrs. Wu was unperturbed about Wu Minqi¡¯s ns to go to a bar.
    ¡°I got it, Mom. You should head back and rest early,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile, leading Jiang Feng to the bus stop to wait for the bus. Chapter 500: 498: High School (Added for Alliance Hierarch Joooooe!) Chapter 500: Chapter 498: High School (Added for Alliance Hierarch Joooooe!) Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi were lucky, they only had to wait for about five or six minutes before a rtively empty bus arrived. There weren¡¯t many passengers on the bus, and there were plenty of empty seats everywhere, so the two of them effortlessly found two adjacent seats to sit down. ¡°Qiqi, are we going to your high school now? Will your high school be open?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously. ¡°It depends. If the seniors haven¡¯t been let out for vacation, it will be open. If they¡¯re on vacation, then the school gates will probably be closed and we won¡¯t be able to get in,¡± Wu Minqi replied. Jiang Feng: ¡­. Indeed, he had actually forgotten that high schools had seniors, a group of creatures even more pitiful than office workers. ¡°But it¡¯s almost Chinese New Year now, so I reckon the snack shops near the school gate are likely closed. I¡¯m not sure about the noodle shop near the back gate though. Fengfeng, didn¡¯t you say before that our local spicy intestine noodles are really delicious? I think the ones from that shop are the best,¡± Wu Minqi enthusiastically rmended. ¡°When we get there, let¡¯s take a look,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah!¡± When talking about topics rted to high school, Jiang Feng suddenly remembered Zhang Xi, whom he had met during the Good Tastepetition; she had yed a part in thepletion of the ¡°Turn Enemies into Friends¡± side quest. Now, considering the time of year, she must be a senior and facing the college entrance examinations in June. ¡°By the way, Minqi, do you still remember Zhang Xi?¡± Jiang Feng suddenly asked.
    This name seemed somewhat unfamiliar to Wu Minqi; her interactions with Zhang Xi had been minimal during thepetition, and it took her a moment to recall who that was. ¡°Is it that high school student from the Good Taste cookingpetition? I remember she came to eat at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant afterward,¡± Wu Minqi said, somewhat uncertain. ¡°That¡¯s right, her. She¡¯s a senior this year and will soon be sitting for her college exams,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°What about her?¡± Wu Minqi didn¡¯t understand why Jiang Feng suddenly brought up Zhang Xi.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°I rememberst year when she came to our restaurant, she said she wanted to be a chef at Taifeng Building in the future,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. Wu Minqi also smiled, ¡°That must have been just a casual remark.¡± A casual remark? Jiang Feng thought back to the ¡°Turn Enemies into Friends¡± side quest and felt it probably wasn¡¯t just a casual remark. If all went well, by this June Taifeng Building¡¯s kitchen could gain a new female employee. After spending more than half an hour on the bus, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi finally arrived at Wu Minqi¡¯s high school alma mater. The area around the school had many apartment buildings, both new and old, and there was a real estate development in progress not far away. The streets were almost empty, and many of the stores were closed, leaving only a few stationery shops and noodle restaurants open, looking quite deste. There were people in the school¡¯s security office; it was clear that the seniors had not yet been let out on vacation and were buried in their studies in the ssroom. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi initially wanted to look around inside the school, but the gatekeeper uncle diligently refused to let outsiders in during ss time, suggesting they should wait to visit until school was out. Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but ask one more question and learned that today was thest day of sses for the seniors; after school, they would be able to embrace a brief but blissful winter vacation. Since they couldn¡¯t enter the school, Wu Minqi led Jiang Feng on a walk around the vicinity of the school. ¡°Most of the houses here are designated for the school¡¯s district, so there aren¡¯t many people around when school is out. My sister-inw is nning to buy an apartment in this area, saying it will be convenient for when her child goes to school, but the prices are quite high and she¡¯s still hesitating,¡± Wu Minqi took on the role of a tour guide. ¡°Both my parents graduated from this high school, my mom said these stationery stores were here when she was in high school, and the owners haven¡¯t changed since then.¡± ¡°This area is mostly filled with noodle shops, fried chicken and skewer joints, and bubble tea shops. Actually, our high school cafeteria serves pretty decent food, so small stir-fry restaurants don¡¯tst long.¡± ¡°Here¡­¡± Wu Minqi led Jiang Feng and showed him every ce she remembered, even taking a detour to the back door to check if her favorite noodle shop had closed. Seeing that it was closed, Wu Minqi felt a bit disappointed. ¡°This ce used to stay open until New Year¡¯s Eve,¡± Wu Minqi couldn¡¯t help turning back as she left, hoping that in the next moment the owner woulde out and open for business, ¡°The year I was in my senior year of high school, I had sses until New Year¡¯s Eve morning, and I ate lunch here.¡±
    Jiang Feng originally wanted toment, to condemn the school¡¯s terrible practice of having sses until New Year¡¯s Eve, not giving students or teachers a holiday. But then he thought back to his own senior year of high school when, even though they hadn¡¯t had sses until New Year¡¯s Eve, they had started the semester on the fourth day of the new year, and he suddenly decided to keep silent and refrain frommenting. After wandering around, Wu Minqi checked her phone and found that there was still over an hour until school let out, so she took Jiang Feng to a bubble tea shop that they had discovered while wandering, a little distance away from the school, and they sat down. As soon as the two cups of hot bubble tea were served, Jiang Feng felt like he was back in high school, skipping sses with his girlfriend and running to the bubble tea shop by the school gate. Although he never had the chance to have a high school romance, by the time he was ready to date, it was already toote.
    So it¡¯s true what they say, time waits for no one, you should have your early romance as early as possible. Wu Minqi had been talking all the way and was quite thirsty by now; she took several big sips of her bubble tea as soon as it arrived at the table. Seeing that Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t made a move, she asked, ¡°Fengfeng, are you bored?¡± ¡°Ah? No, I was just thinking of my high school,¡± smiled Jiang Feng. ¡°What was your high school like?¡± Wu Minqi asked. ¡°From the outside, it looked quite simr to yours, but seemed a bit smaller,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°My high school was built in the old town, surrounded by schools. There are three high schools, three middle schools, and two elementary schools all packed together, and at dismissal time the roadside would be filled with various vendors. Every time after evening self-study, the area around the school would be jam-packed with cars. The three high schools eventually coordinated to end self-study at staggered times to alleviate the traffic congestion a little.¡± ¡°There was a private hospital next to our school that was always busy. In high school, because my stomach was often upset and I had diarrhea, the doctors in the emergency department got to know me.¡± ¡°Since there were many out-of-town boarding students at the several high schools, right across from my high school was a street filled with eateries, mostly featuring the cuisine from surrounding counties. On weekends, many boarding students¡¯ parents woulde to visit their children, and then those restaurants would be booming, and if you arrivedte, there would be no seats left. Actually, the chefs in those restaurants were quite skilled, and even if it wasn¡¯t the weekend, they did good business. When my dad had a shop in Z city, I always wanted him to move it in front of the school.¡± ¡°It was quite lively usually, but it would get very quiet during holidays, and even quieter during the New Year. During the New Year celebrations, there were hardly any shops open in our streets, not even breakfast ces, and you couldn¡¯t buy breakfast when New Year¡¯s approached.¡± Jiang Feng suddenly realized that he actually missed his old high school life a bit. When he was in high school, he used to dream about graduating quickly and going to college to ck off. ¡°Sounds like so much fun, I want to go see it too,¡± Wu Minqi said with longing. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll take you to Z city to let you taste our local specialties,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°By the way, Fengfeng, how about I take you to the school cafeteria tonight? We can pay in cash, and I happen to have some with me. Today is thest day of supplementary sses, so the school cafeteria should still be open,¡± Wu Minqi suggested.
    ¡°Sure.¡± Chapter 501: 499 BAR Chapter 501: Chapter 499 BARN?v(el)B\\jnn Jiang Feng actually had little memory of the high school canteen as he rarely ate there during his high school days, only opting for the cafeteria when his teacher¡¯s lessons ran over and left him with little time to eat. This time, being taken to the canteen by Wu Minqi was a rather different experience. Before heading to the canteen, Wu Minqi took Jiang Feng for a walk around the school. To be fair, as a high school, her alma mater covered arge area. It not only had an athletic field but also a small tennis court, and the gymnasium was quite well-equipped. By the time the two arrived at the canteen, there weren¡¯t many people left, just a few students eating quietly. Since only the seniors were in school and it was theirst day of sses, only the first floor of the canteen was open to patrons, with just one auntie in charge of the food service window. For meat dishes, there was only stir-fried pork with chili left, and there were five or six types of vegetarian and ¡°flower dishes,¡± none of which looked particrly appetizing. Jiang Feng chose the stir-fried greens and scrambled eggs with tomatoes, which seemed the least spicy of the limited options. The cafeteria auntie, mistaking Jiang for a teacher, gave him an extra helping, and seeing he didn¡¯t take any meat dishes, she added a small spoonful of the stir-fried pork with chili. Wu Minqi didn¡¯t eat but instead bought thest pumpkin pastry from the pastry window. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi found a spot under brighter lighting to sit down. Because they were sitting behind a senior student who was quietly studying vocabry while eating, they kept silent the whole meal, afraid of disturbing his study. Until Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi had finished eating, the student who was memorizing words still sat there, unmoved. After leaving the canteen, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi did not go straight to Wu Jialiang¡¯s bar but instead walked hand in hand to the dark athletic field devoid of lights. The field looked like it had seen better days, with the green turf no longer appearing so green. The field was deste, with not a soul in sight, although it was possible that there were people Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t make out in the dimness, which limited his vision to no more than five meters ahead.
    ¡°Qiqi, has your school¡¯s athletic field always been without lights?¡± asked Jiang Feng as they walked along the track. ¡°There are no lights inside the field, but there are some along the road outside. I guess they didn¡¯t turn them on today since there¡¯s no evening self-study and not many people around,¡± Wu Minqi exined. The two strolled around the athletic field leisurely, digesting their meal, and by the end of their secondp, Wu Minqi looked down at the rubber track and chuckled, ¡°Fengfeng, do you know what it felt like when I saw other couples holding hands and walking in the UAL University athletic field at night?¡± ¡°Envious?¡± Jiang Feng said he felt envious not only during his time at UAL University but even back in high school when he saw couples holding hands. ¡°No, I thought they were pretty silly, just walking around the track holding hands and doing nothing,¡± said Wu Minqi. ¡°And now?¡± ¡°I think we are pretty silly too.¡± Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng exchanged smiles and, holding hands like two fools, they left the athletic field. After leaving Wu Minqi¡¯s high school, they took a taxi straight to Wu Jialiang¡¯s bar. ording to Wu Minqi, Wu Jialiang¡¯s bar was in a good location, on a locally famous bar street packed with bars, which made for fiercepetition. This was why Wu Jialiang¡¯s family had reservations when he first opened the bar; they doubted the sess of someone who used to y the violin suddenly switching to bar-owning, especially since he didn¡¯t fit the profile, despite having the face for it. Wu Minqi had only been to Wu Jialiang¡¯s bar once, so she wasn¡¯t very familiar with it. Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng used their phones and the pictures sent by Wu Jialiang to look for the ce, scouring from one end of the street to the other like two amateur paparazzi, double-checking several times before daring to step inside. The name of Wu Jialiang¡¯s bar was: BAR. It was simple and easy to understand as if it was fated to close down. The moment he stepped inside, Jiang Feng was excited. As an adult male who had never been to a bar, not even knowing which way the door opened, Jiang Feng felt that this small step he took today was a giant leap in his life. Jiang Feng had many imaginations about bars, mostly derived from TV dramas. Deafening music, blinding lights, and a crowd of young men and women in the dance floor who seemed to be just waving their hands but doing it with much enthusiasm while they were high on drinks. Neon lights, indulgence, not for children, illegal and disorderly¡­
    Later, Jiang Feng realized that was called a discotheque¡­ And one from a parallel world TV drama at that. When Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi entered, Wu Jialiang¡¯s bar had not yet opened for business. The lights were fully on, giving a clear view of the entire venue. There was no music, no noise, and several bartenders were idling behind the bar while the band was still tuning equipment on stage. Wu Jialiang himself was sitting in a booth near the entrance, engrossed in messaging on his phone, oblivious to Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s arrival.
    ¡°Hello, please feel free to find a seat. Our establishment hasn¡¯t opened yet,¡± a smiling waiter said to Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. ¡°We¡¯re here to see someone.¡± Wu Minqi smiled at the server and waved to Wu Jialiang, ¡°Jialiang brother.¡± Wu Jialiang, hearing the call, looked up, saw Wu Minqi and Jiang Feng had arrived, and quickly put down his phone to walk towards them. ¡°Yo, Qiqi and the future brother-inw are here early. Go sit at the bar, and I¡¯ll show you a trick or two.¡± Wu Jialiang rolled up his sleeves, looking like he was about to make some cocktails. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi sat down at the bar while Wu Jialiang walked behind it, took out his tools, and started mixing drinks. Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t clear about the specific steps of cocktail-making but thought that the way Wu Jialiang shook various sses in his hands looked quite cool. He was considering whether he should sign up for a cocktail-making ss to learn how to make drinks in front of his girlfriend in a cool and impressive way when suddenly the lights dimmed. It was opening time. Onstage, the band started ying a slow guitar tune, the resident singer still hadn¡¯t arrived, and other than Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi, there were no other patrons in the bar. Everything slowed down with the music, even time itself. ¡°This bar your cousin runs really doesn¡¯t feel like a bar,¡± Jiang Feng remarked. ¡°Jialiang brother says there are fast bars and slow ones, and he likes running this kind of more sophisticated slow bar,¡± Wu Minqi exined. ¡°Uncle Bohe and Auntie have advised him to transform this ce into a music restaurant, but he insists on running a bar.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Jiang Feng felt that if Wu Jialiang wanted to change the bar into a music restaurant, all he would need was to rece the furniture and brighten the lights, without changing anything else. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Wu Minqi shook her head. ¡°I do,¡± said thedy cousin, appearing out of nowhere in a changed outfit. It was still the same coat, but now she was wearing awyer¡¯s suit underneath, which looked somewhat out of ce.
    Thedy cousin came over to Wu Minqi¡¯s side, removed her coat, draped it over her legs, and sat down, resembling a womanwyer who had just finished work and hade to the bar to unwind. ¡°Honey, what would you like to drink?¡± Wu Jialiang ced two identical, freshly mixed cocktails in front of Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. Under the illumination of the bar lights, the blue cocktails shone like the deep sea, mesmerizing and unable to be ignored. ¡°A new recipe?¡± thedy cousin asked, smiling at Wu Jialiang. ¡°Care for one?¡± After receiving a nod of affirmation, Wu Jialiang continued his role as a master mixologist, focusing on making drinks. ¡°Sister, why does Jialiang brother insist on running a bar? Just because he wants to make drinks?¡± Wu Minqi asked. Running a bar was not considered a respectable job in the eyes of older rtives. ¡°He wants to prove himself,¡± thedy cousin said with a smile, nced at the deeply-engrossed Wu Jialiang and turned away to lower her voice as if watching the stage. ¡°These past few years, I¡¯ve taken on manymercial cases, my reputation has been growing, and I¡¯m earning more year after year. His music studio, however, has never really taken off; the number of students has always been the same. Even if he worked himself to death, he wouldn¡¯t make a quarter of what I earn. I¡¯m busy with work every day, leaving early and returningte, so he ends up handling most of the household. You know how many rtives we have and you¡¯re aware of those who have loose tongues; the things they say behind our backs are unpleasant. You know the kind of person Wu Jialiang has been since we were kids, handsome and skilled with the violin. In high school, the number of girls who liked him could have formed a ser team, so imagine how he feels being gossiped about as a freeloader.¡± ¡°Jialiang brother isn¡¯t like that,¡± Wu Minqi said softly. ¡°Of course, he isn¡¯t, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s willing to let people talk about him that way,¡± thedy cousin looked at Wu Minqi and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re still young and not married, you wouldn¡¯t understand. Marriage isn¡¯t just about two people, marriage and dating are not the same. When I was dating your cousin, my parents didn¡¯t object, but when it came to marriage, they became like cats with their ws out, unwilling to agree, almost pushing me to a corner demanding to know who I would save first if they and Wu Jialiang were both drowning.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Wu Minqi looked puzzled.
    ¡°Don¡¯t you think your brother has the kind of handsome face that screams troublemaker?¡± thedy cousin askedpellingly, ¡°Sometimes that¡¯s how parents are. They think it¡¯s fine for you to date whomever, but marriage is different. You can date someone who looks like a troublemaker, but you can never marry someone who looks like one.¡± Wu Minqi: ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why your vision is good. Jiang is exactly the kind of guy that uncles and aunties love. Auntie must really like Jiang, right? Today I saw Auntie¡¯s eyes brimming with joy every time she looked at him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s okay,¡± Wu Minqi¡¯s face reddened a bit. ¡°Clink, clink.¡± Wu Jialiang tapped on an empty ss, interrupting their conversation. ¡°Dear wife, your special Margarita is ready,¡± Wu Jialiang said with a smile, pushing the drink toward thedy cousin. It was a drink that, at first nce, seemed clearer and more carefully crafted than the ones he had made for Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi. At that moment, three words followed by two punctuation marks crossed both Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi¡¯s minds unbidden. Heh, men. Chapter 502: 500: Alright, Eldest Maternal Uncle Chapter 502: Chapter 500: Alright, Eldest Maternal Uncle Unlike Jiang Feng, who had only tried Riesling on his first bar visit and didn¡¯t know much about other cocktails, Sister-in-Law had an astonishing capacity for alcohol. Amidst the slow and melodious guitar music, she downed several of Wu Jialiang¡¯s specially mixed cocktails,menting on each one after she finished. More than half of the Margarita remained in front of Jiang Feng, while Sister-in-Law had already had three cups. During the time they had been drinking, a steady stream of customers entered the bar. Contrary to Jiang Feng¡¯s expectation of patrons in their early twenties, most of these customers were around thirty, and some were even older. The stage was still upied only by the guitarist, who yed one song after another without any sign of a singer. ¡°Wu Jialiang, have you opened a bar without even hiring a singer?¡± Sister-in-Law, already slightly drunk, called him by his name. ¡°My dear wife, the resident singer won¡¯t arrive until 9 o¡¯clock,¡± Wu Jialiang said with a smile. He seemed to have fallen in love with bartending, not leaving the bar at all. When customers ordered drinks, he mixed them; when not busy, he polished sses, squeezing the original bartender out to do nothing during his shift butzily listen to the guitarist y.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Sister-in-Law fell silent, resting her chin on the bar and staring at her drink, her face screaming boredom. ¡°Qiqi, were you scared when you saw Jialiang¡¯s engagement today?¡± Sister-in-Law suddenly asked in a soft voice. Because her voice was so low, Wu Minqi had to lean close to hear her.
    ¡°Scared?¡± Wu Minqi didn¡¯t understand at first what Sister-in-Law was afraid of and took a moment to realize it. The Wu Family Restaurant wasn¡¯t corporately owned; it had always been a family inheritance, passed from father to son, and had operated this way for generations. Whoever was the head chef owned the restaurant, and although others might inherit different assets after Sir¡¯s hundred years, they would definitely not get their hands on the restaurant. If it wasn¡¯t for Wu Minqi dating Jiang Feng and the possibility of her voluntarily giving up the head chef position, she might be the first female head chef in the history of the Wu Family Restaurant. ¡°What about you, Sister-in-Law? Have you ever regretted marrying my brother? He used to be so entric, and now¡­¡± Wu Minqi looked up, intending to nce at Wu Jialiang, only to realize he had left the bar and was nowhere to be seen. ¡°He¡¯s still pretty entric, right?¡± Sister-in-Lawughed, ¡°Why should I regret it? I snatched your brother from so many other girls, I¡¯m thrilled.¡± ¡°So am I,¡± Wu Minqiughed, ¡°Sister-in-Law, you don¡¯t need to overthink it. Since we started learning to cook, Grandpa told us that bing a chef is a hard and lengthy process. Some people stop at talent, some atziness. There¡¯s only one head chef position, and if you want it, you have to fight for it with your abilities.¡± ¡°Shu is nice, but it isn¡¯t quite Beiping. Beiping City gathers so many excellent chefs. Why should I regret choosing a broader and more challenging ce? There¡¯s nothing to feel sorry about. I should be happy. What I¡¯ve learned is the Wu Family¡¯s culinary skills, and wherever I go, they are still Wu Family¡¯s skills.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful,¡± Sister-in-Law murmured, ¡°If only I were half as good as you, I wouldn¡¯t be troubled by so many worries¡­¡± Her words were cut short as the sound of a violin filled the air. At some point, the person on the stage had changed. The original guitarist was gone, and in his ce stood Wu Jialiang, at the center of the stage, ying the violin. The deep and melodious sound of the violin wrapped around every corner of the bar. Wu Jialiang, still dressed in his somewhat punk style with a spiky hairdo, squinted his eyes and yed the violin with great focus. He was strikingly eye-catching. Unconsciously, Sister-in-Law turned around to lean against the bar, her gaze fixed on the stage, her eyes filled with Wu Jialiang, as if stars were twinkling in them. ¡°Qiqi, do you remember how I met your brother?¡± Sister-in-Law suddenly asked. ¡°I remember Jialiang telling me it was because of awsuit.¡± ¡°Back then, I had just been promoted from assistantwyer, and the first case I took on was your brother¡¯s. He had just started teaching violin andcked experience. His student didn¡¯t even make it through the preliminary round of apetition, and the student¡¯s parents made a fuss about refunds andpensation. It was a minor issue that didn¡¯t even go to court; after negotiating for two days, both sides settled.¡± While talking, Sister-in-Law continued to gaze unblinkingly at Wu Jialiang. ¡°During the negotiations, your brother yed a piece to prove his skill. At that time, I was thinking, such a handsome guy should be an artist, ying the violin every day, not concerned with worldly troubles.¡± Sister-in-Law proved with her actions that she was indeed charmed by appearances. ¡°Of course, reality proves that the trifles of daily life are quite nice after all, or else we wouldn¡¯t even have someone to cook at home.¡±
    Wu Minqiughed without saying anything. The piece ended. Soft apuse arose in the bar, along with patrons gesturing for the waiter to ask if Wu Jialiang could y another piece. Of course, ying another piece was out of the question. The singer who performed regrly had arrived, and singers were paid by the hour. Wu Jialiang¡¯s wallet had been very tighttely; he needed to save every penny that he could.
    After stepping down from the stage, Wu Jialiang disappeared for a few minutes, probably to put away his violin. He appeared again before Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi a few minutester. Jiang Feng hade to the bar tonight purely for a life experience, barely sipping his drink and hardly uttering a word. It wouldn¡¯t have been proper to eavesdrop on Wu Minqi whispering with thedy in charge of the hall, so he simply sat at the bar, listening to guitar tunes and one violin piece personally yed by the boss, all evening. Still, Jiang Feng was quite excited, just as he used to be when sneaking off to the inte caf¨¦ with his deskmates in high school for an hour¡¯s temporary session costing five yuan, wishing he could return and write a journal entry titled ¡°A Day Trip to the Inte Caf¨¦¡±. The focus wasn¡¯t the inte; it was the ss teacher who might appear at any moment by the entrance of the caf¨¦, where the thrill was, the excitement they sought. ¡°How about it, Qiqi, did your brother Jialiang look cool on stage just now?¡± Wu Jialiang popped up from somewhere unexpectedly. ¡°The serenade was nicely done,¡± Wu Minqi tactfully sidestepped Wu Jialiang¡¯s question. ¡°Cool,¡± thedy in charge of the hallplimented generously. ¡°You were so cool it was hard to look away. It would be even cooler if you clean up that pigsty you made on the couch this afternoon when you get home tonight.¡± Wu Jialiang turned slightly to avoid the embarrassment and slipped behind the bar. Seeing Jiang Feng¡¯s margaritargely untouched, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, not to your taste? Want me to mix you another one?¡± Jiang Feng shook his head quickly, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s delicious. I just have low tolerance for alcohol and am afraid of getting drunk, which might prevent me from waking up tomorrow.¡± Wu Jialiang let it go, though he seemed quite willing to mix another drink for Jiang Feng. Listening to their conversation seemed to remind Wu Minqi of something. She nced at her phone and immediately stood up, ¡°Brother Jialiang, we need to go¡ªit¡¯s already nine o¡¯clock, and Jiang Feng has to catch a bus back tomorrow.¡± Hearing Wu Minqi say this, Wu Jialiang didn¡¯t insist on them staying any longer. ¡°Next time you have a chance,e again. Do you need me to call a cab for you?¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already called one,¡± said Wu Minqi.
    ¡°Sister-inw, we¡¯re taking off,¡± Wu Minqi looked down at thedy in charge of the hall, who had copsed back onto the bar after just a few words. ¡°Mhm,¡± she struggled to lift her head to nod and grabbed Wu Minqi¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Qiqi, once you¡¯ve made your choice, don¡¯t have any regrets.¡± ¡°I know, I won¡¯t regret it,¡± Wu Minqi said with a smile. She was about to leave but turned back to ask, ¡°Oh right, sister-inw, what was the first piece my brother yed for you? You didn¡¯t say before.¡± ¡°The first time? Oh, you mean during that coordination, ¡®Moon Reflected in the Second Spring¡¯,¡± thedy in charge said before slumping back down, instantly drunk. Wu Minqi: ¡­ Beauty lies in the lover¡¯s eyes indeed. ¡°Future brother-inw, I hope next time I see you, we can leave out the superfluous words. Take care on your way home.¡± Wu Jialiang made sure his wife had safely passed out by the bar before waving goodbye to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng was taken aback for a moment, then, adhering to the principle of never passing up a good deal, smiled and said, ¡°Sure, big uncle.¡± Chapter 503: 501: Pork Crisis Chapter 503: Chapter 501: Pork Crisis On the morning of January 19 at 10 a.m., Jiang Feng, dragging his suitcase, boarded the train home. Only Mrs. Wu and Wu Minqi were there to see him off, with Mrs. Wu still driving. Wu Hanxue maintained his image of a cool, distant father and workaholic very well, choosing to go to work at the Wu Family Restaurant rather than send his future son-inw to the train station. Although Wu Hanxue did not see him off, he handed over two jars of pickles to Jiang Feng before he left, one short and plump, the other tall and skinny. The short and plump one contained pickles personally made by Old Sir Wu, while the tall and skinny one came from the hands of Wu Hanxue himself. The former and current head chefs of the Wu Family Restaurant hadbined their talents to produce pickles that absolutely qualified as the highest form of honor. It was also an acknowledgment of Jiang Feng. A high-speed train ride apanied by pickles is destined not to be too lonely¡­ Pfft, whatpany on a high-speed train isn¡¯t lonely? No matter if it¡¯s pickles, roast duck, roast pig, roast camel¡ªif there¡¯s no inte, it¡¯s lonely. Jiang Feng, bored out of his mind, leaned back in his seat and aimlessly scrolled through his phone, which, except for WeChat and QQ messages, had nothing else to offer. He was considering whether to bother someone and get his silly online friends to keep himpany during the long ten hours when Wang Hao, the prime example of those friends, reached out to him proactively. Wang Hao: Feng, you¡¯d never guess what an amazing topic I¡¯vee up with for my thesis! Jiang Feng sent a question markced with skepticism. Wang Hao: Don¡¯t be so cold, Feng. My thesis topic is truly a historic breakthrough for our physics department. Unprecedented, unmatched, it will go down in history, and countless juniors will cheer for me in the future.
    Wang Hao: This is a small step for me, but indeed a giant leap for our physics department! Jiang Feng: ¡­ This kid must have fried his brain trying to decide on a thesis topic. Jiang Feng: What topic have you settled on? Wang Hao: The history of photonic crystal development! Jiang Feng: ¡­ Holding his phone, Jiang Feng was speechless for a long time. He thought of many things, even the fact that photonic crystals were first independently introduced in 1987. If Wang Hao really nned to write about them, it would definitely be modern history, as the economic reforms and opening-up had started earlier than that. Of course, Jiang Feng¡¯s most recurrent thought was how Wang Hao would meet his end when he submitted his proposal at the start of the term. Would he be chopped to death by his furious supervisor or hammered to death? On the other end of the phone, Wang Hao, happily staying home as a ¡®happy fatty,¡¯ had no clue that Jiang Feng was once again anticipating his demise. Self-convinced that he had thought of a brilliant thesis topic while indulging at home, he eagerly messaged Jiang Feng. Wang Hao: Feng, don¡¯t you think my topic is incredibly cool? Wang Hao: I¡¯ve got it all nned out. Not only can I write about the history of photonic crystal development, but also the history of optics,ser development, quantum mechanics, quantum optics, electromaic theory¡ªit¡¯s like everything has a history. We could write a series on historical developments! Jiang Feng silently exited the chat with Wang Hao, deciding to let his old roommate cool down by himself for a while. Once the excitement wore off and his IQ returned to the average, he would realize how he was going to meet his end. Wang Hao, with his actions, proved that silly online friends could not help Jiang Feng relieve the boredom of a long high-speed rail journey. After some thought, Jiang Feng figured that on this day of weing the new spring and family reunion, only family could help him ovee his loneliness. So he decided to announce his imminent return in the family group chat. It was strange to say, but the Jiang Family¡¯s group chat was always the liveliest around the New Year, because that was the only time of year when everyone could feast on dishes personally made by Sir. In the years past, especially the days leading up to the New Year, when some members couldn¡¯t return home early due to various reasons, the Jiang Family¡¯s chat would be extraordinarily lively with incessant messages making it impossible to keep up. Pictures were sent before meals, reviews were shared after eating, interspersed with ttery for Sir and, when necessary, pings towards those who weren¡¯t able to return¡ªjoyous and tearful, both satisfaction and fat coexisting. Yet this year, with the thrilling Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve approaching, the family chat was quiet as a mouse, as still as a pond of water, even more silent than the ss chat which Jiang Feng had muted¡ªsimply a fantasy. During Jiang Feng¡¯s days in the Magic City and Shu, surprisingly, not a single message was sent in the Jiang Family¡¯s chat.
    Incredible! In the past few days, Jiang Feng had been either on the go or apanying his girlfriend. When not unting or enduring disys of affection, he hadn¡¯t noticed this issue. Now that he had a moment to himself, he realized something was amiss. Not just normally amiss, but very, very amiss. Given the personalities of De and Cheng, even if they were the nicest guys around, at most they¡¯d refrain from tagging him when posting pictures, but they¡¯d definitely post pictures.
    Such tranquility in the group meant something was up. Jiang Feng initially wanted to simply post ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± in the main group, but after thinking it over, he didn¡¯t think it was appropriate. He switched to the small group chat shared with his cousins. Being a chef is nice except for the early hours: I¡¯m back! Being a chef is good, but you have to get up early: I¡¯ll be at Grandpa¡¯s house tomorrow morning! Five minutes went by, and no one responded to Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t believe that in those five minutes, not a single person was on their phone. After some thought, Jiang Feng pulled out the big guns. Being a chef is good, but you have to get up early: Uncle Wu and Sir Wu gave me two jars of pickles to bring back with me tomorrow. Besides pickles, is there anything else you guys want me to bring back? Although the vige has Sir¡¯s homemade delicacies and the assorted no-brand snacks and spicy strips from the convenience store, there were always some snacks that couldn¡¯t be bought in the vige or town. The younger members of the Jiang Family who have a sweet tooth always filled half their suitcases with snacks when returning to the vige. After two minutes, someone finally replied. It¡¯s good to study design, but it makes your hair thin: Little Bro, bring back a pig with you. Jiang Feng: ???
    Bring back a pig??? Is this some new trendy New Year¡¯s greeting? Has bringing home New Year¡¯s goods be so hardcore these days, that people are directly bringing pigs instead of anything else? Being a chef is good, but you have to get up early: A pig????? It¡¯s good to work in emergency medicine, just with lesser pay: Yeah, Little Bro, don¡¯t bother bringing anything else. Right now, nothing else is useful since Grandpa specifically wants a pig. If you can find a way, bring back a pig simr to Da Hua, Erhua, and Sanhua. Jiang Feng waspletely baffled by the responses from Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng. He felt that this situation, which was beyond theprehension of ordinary people, couldn¡¯t be exined with just a few words over WeChat and decided to call Jiang Zaidi directly. The call was answered instantly. ¡°De, what¡¯s this about Grandpa wanting a pig that you and Cheng just mentioned?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you have any other pigs here? Do you know if there¡¯s another household whose pig hasn¡¯t been ughtered yet? Oh, I¡¯m sorry for the disturbance,¡± Jiang Zaidi¡¯s clearly outside, and the background noise on the phone was noisy, he even didn¡¯t have the time to answer Jiang Feng¡¯s question. ¡°De, are you at a farm?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even start.¡± Jiang Zaidi¡¯s voice was full of exhaustion, ¡°We¡¯re not at home right now, Little Bro, you might as well note back since there¡¯s no one home, we¡¯ve all gone out looking for pigs.¡± ¡°Looking for pigs?¡± Jiang Feng was utterly confused; he couldn¡¯t understand what Jiang Zaidi was talking about at all. ¡°Why are you looking for pigs? With New Year¡¯s almost upon us, the yearly pigs raised by each vige should have been ughtered by now, why look for pigs now?¡± Jiang Feng had a fairly good understanding of the pre-New-Year pig-ughtering situation. ¡°Little Bro, did you forget our family was supposed to all be in Beiping this year so Grandpa didn¡¯t raise any pigs?¡± Jiang Zaidi exined, ¡°On New Year¡¯s Eve, Grandpa wants to cook the traditional pork dish, but we returnedte this year. Not only did we miss the pig-ughtering, but there wasn¡¯t even any good meat left. Nobody thought about it until it was toote, and by then our uncle¡¯s family had only a little more than 20 pounds of pork left. You know how scarce pork is during the New Year¡¯s period. Nowadays, hardly any household raises pigs, and the good ones are long taken. My dad¡¯s even gone to the neighboring county to look around.¡± ¡°Little Bro, if we can¡¯t find suitable pork before the 29th, our family won¡¯t be able to have our New Year¡¯s Eve dinner!¡±
    ¡°It¡¯s a minor issue if we don¡¯t have the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, but if we can¡¯t find pork, we won¡¯t have any meat for the entire New Year¡¯s!¡± Jiang Feng swallowed nervously, ¡°How¡­ how much do we need?¡± ¡°If we ration it, we¡¯ll need at least half a pig,¡± Jiang Zaidi said gravely. Finding half a pig of the same quality as Da Hua, Erhua, and Sanhua during such a critical time was undoubtedly a big challenge. Failing this challenge meant the New Year¡¯s Eve feast would be greatly diminished, and pork would be in critical supply on the Jiang Family¡¯s table throughout the holiday. This was an oue no one wanted to see. The task was urgent and important. No wonder no one talked in the chat group during this time, it wasn¡¯t just about having no meat now, but potentially in the future as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Little Bro, think of something. Our family has the best chance of finding a pig. Your uncle and aunt are already contacting ughterhouses in the next city.¡± Jiang Feng felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders and said solemnly, ¡°I understand, De. I¡¯ll do my best to make contact.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯m heading to the next vige.¡± The call ended. Chapter 504: 502: Do You Raise Pigs at Home? Chapter 504: Chapter 502: Do You Raise Pigs at Home? The 10-hour high-speed train ride was long, yet also fleeting. In the hours following the end of their phone conversation, Jiang Feng thought of many solutions, but he rejected each one in turn.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Having run a small restaurant in City Z for many years, Jiang Jiankang had umted a vastwork of connections. It could be said that there wasn¡¯t a significant vegetable or meat supplier in the area around City Z that Jiang Jiankang didn¡¯t know. And the ughterhouse was even more needless to say; Mrs. Wang Xiulian had once boasted of her glorious achievement of rushing to the ughterhouse in the next city in the early hours to vie for pork, a story she would asionally bring up to this day. Now even Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian couldn¡¯t find the pork Sir wanted, Jiang Feng realized that this problem likely wouldn¡¯t be solved with conventional thinking and normal ideas. In times like these, one should take an unexpected approach, which could lead to different results. Jiang Feng even considered whether they, his cousins, should form a team to steal a pig. With De¡¯s strength, Cheng¡¯s cunning, Ran¡¯s strategic nning, and the unpredictable tactics of his sisters Junlian and Junqing, plus his own ability to fish in troubled waters, their pig-stealing crew could surely grow continuously. Not to mention one pig, even tens or hundreds wouldn¡¯t be impossible. Given enough time, they could definitely secure a spot in the police records, and appearing on the social news wouldn¡¯t be a mere dream anymore. Forget it, life is precious, and one should not ruin all the future New Year¡¯s Eves for just one dinner. In the end, Jiang Feng got the idea to target Da Hua, thinking he might as well just bring Da Hua over from Beiping and butcher it. Good steel should be used on the de¡¯s edge, and good pork should be used for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. For the Jiang family¡¯s pig to meet its end on the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner table would be an affirmation and respect for its life. But this idea was quickly dismissed by Jiang Feng himself, not because he was afraid that butchering Da Hua would make it impossible toplete the hidden task [Da Hua¡¯s Wish], nor because he would lose a machine for grinding experience. The primary reason was that the documents needed to transport a live pig couldn¡¯t be obtained in a snap, and even if he managed to transport Da Hua from Beiping to City Z, it wouldn¡¯t arrive before New Year¡¯s Eve.
    In the Jiang family, there was nothing more important than the New Year, even game tasks had to step aside. Jiang Feng, who hadn¡¯te up with an answer on the high-speed train, still hadn¡¯t figured it out after getting home. This was his first time home sincest New Year¡¯s. Although his time spent at home had decreased a lot since starting university, it felt like checking into a hotel this time, as if it were his first visit to a house he had lived in for 20 years, he couldn¡¯t even find the electric kettle. Jiang Feng had never experienced this situation before. Mr. Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Wang Xiulian had already cleaned the house from top to bottom two days before they arrived home. They might not be living there, but they couldn¡¯t let the house be dirty during the big holiday, so when Jiang Feng arrived, the house was quiet but at least clean. It¡¯s just that it was a bit dirty inside the cabs. Just now, when Jiang Feng was looking for the electric kettle, he got his hand dusty, which must mean Mr. Jiang Jiankang had cut corners while cleaning. So now the question arises, where did the electric kettle go? Where could their old kettle, which they¡¯ve used for years and whose buttons are always malfunctioning, requiring someone to keep watch over it to boil water, have been taken? Jiang Feng, staring at the living room, kitchen, and dining room that he had turned upside down, fell into contemtion. It¡¯s almost 11 PM now, and the supermarket and the small shops downstairs must have already closed. Jiang Feng¡¯s neighborhood is rather old, and there are no 24-hour convenience stores nearby. If he wants to buy water, he either has to walk a few kilometers to look for a shop that¡¯s still open or wait until the next morning when the supermarket opens. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t want to choose either of these options. Thirst is a curious sensation; you can go a whole day without water and not feel it¡¯s a problem. But once you be aware of it, even if you¡¯ve just chugged a bottle of water five minutes ago, the difort bes unbearable. Whether you¡¯re busy or idle, the feeling of thirst lingers on your mind and tongue and burns like a bone-corroding poison. With thirst preupying his mind, Jiang Feng momentarily set aside the issue of the pig and began to search the entire house for a kettle. This time, his search was meticulous, not only covering the living room, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom, where there was a high probability of finding the electric kettle, but also the bathroom and balcony where the kettle might appear, as well as the wardrobe, bookshelf, TV stand, and bedside table where it was very unlikely to be. Ultimately, Jiang Feng did not find the kettle, but he dide across some cash that Mr. Jiang Jiankang had hidden in the TV stand and most likely forgotten about. Not to criticize his own father, but for so many years, Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s hiding ces for his private stash had never changed: the drawer¡¯s hiddenpartment, the inneryer of the wardrobe, the belly of a vase, underneath the TV stand¡ªjust these few spots back and forth. No wonder Mrs. Wang Xiulian always hit the mark whenever she was short on cash. Although he didn¡¯t get what he wanted, finding 1000 RMB was, on the whole, quite a steal. Jiang Feng, with a disheartened expression, slumped onto the sofa after pocketing the 1000 yuan. His spirit and wallet were greatly satisfied, but his body and taste buds told him that what he truly desired wasn¡¯t this windfall. As he looked around the living room, which appeared as if it had been burgled, Jiang Feng hesitated between enduring thirst or drinking tap water with a hint of bleach vor. In the end, he chose to go next door to borrow water. Earlier, when he returned, the lights at Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s ce seemed to be on, so Chen Xiuxiu probably hadn¡¯t gone back to her hometown yet.
    It was a little past 11 a.m., and any normal 20-year-old Cultivation youth on vacation would be wide awake during this prime time. Jiang Feng, holding his phone and wearing slippers, pushed open his room door and stepped into the corridor, knocking on Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s door. As he knocked, Jiang Feng opened the Taobao app, ready to order an electric kettle online. A country cannot go a day without its ruler, just as a home cannot go a day without an electric kettle.
    ¡°Who is it?¡± Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s voice came from inside the door. ¡°It¡¯s me, Jiang Feng. I can¡¯t find our kettle¡ªcan I borrow some water?¡± Jiang Feng shouted at the door, worried Chen Xiuxiu wouldn¡¯t hear him clearly. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m washing my hair!¡± Chen Xiuxiu shouted back from inside. While waiting for Chen Xiuxiu to open the door, Jiang Feng sessfully ced an order for an electric kettle. And just as he was about to open his browser and scroll through the news to kill time waiting for her to open the door, a brilliant idea popped into his head. Jiang Feng opened his browser and started searching for where he could buy a whole live pig. The first result was for wholesale pig heads, the second was about how much profit could be made from selling a pig at the market, the third was more pig head wholesalers, the fourth result showed where to find live pig transport trucks, the fifth was still about wholesale pig heads, the sixth was where to buy live pig heads, the seventh on how to process pig heads, and the eighth on how to breed pig heads. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Damn, this *****¡± ¡°*****¡± Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but let out some words that would definitely be censored if spoken while ying King of Glory. The door opened. Chen Xiuxiu: ??? ¡°Did I offend you?¡± Chen Xiuxiu, with a towel wrapped around her hair and dressed in andlord-style winter pajama set, looked at Jiang Feng disapprovingly.
    ¡°No, no, not at all,¡± Jiang Feng hurriedly denied. ¡°Come in. Didn¡¯t Mrs. Wang tell you? Your family¡¯s kettle is at our ce,¡± Chen Xiuxiu said, stepping aside to let Jiang Feng in. ¡°A couple of days ago, our kettle broke, and I met Mrs. Wang when I was going downstairs to buy a new one. She said since you don¡¯t stay home much anyway, she gave the kettle to me.¡± Chen Xiuxiu pointed to the kitchen: ¡°It¡¯s in there. You can go get it yourself. I¡¯ll buy a new one tomorrow.¡± Jiang Feng went to the kitchen to get the electric kettle: ¡°Mr. Chen hasn¡¯te back yet? When are you nning to go back to the countryside?¡± ¡°My dad¡¯s back. He drank some alcohol and is sleeping in the room. As for when we¡¯ll go back to the countryside, I¡¯m not sure; probably prettyte this year. My dad seems to have some unfinished work; since he came back from the business trip, he¡¯s been working overtime at thepany. At thetest, I think we¡¯ll go back before New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± Chen Xiuxiu exined, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone back yet? I remember your family is always the most eager to head back for the New Year.¡± Jiang Feng sighed: ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. This year, without finding a pig, none of us can go back.¡± Chen Xiuxiu: ??? ¡°Pig?¡± ¡°Xiuxiu, does your family raise pigs?¡± Jiang Feng was desperately clutching at straws. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen Xiuxiu was baffled, ¡°Raise¡­ raise, yes.¡± ¡°Ah, I knew your family wouldn¡¯t have one either¡­¡± ¡°What, your family raises pigs?!¡±
    Chapter 505: 503 The Only Honest Person Chapter 505: Chapter 503 The Only Honest Person Jiang Feng¡¯s feet seemed rooted to the floor of Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s home, unable to take a step. ¡°Xiuxiu, are you sure your family has a pig?¡± Jiang Feng asked, his face a mix of surprise and disbelief. Chen Xiuxiu: ¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but feel that Jiang Feng¡¯s question sounded like an insult. ¡°Yes, we do. Isn¡¯t it normal to have pigs? Doesn¡¯t your grandfather raise pigs too?¡± Chen Xiuxiu asked, looking utterly perplexed. Jiang Feng quickly calmed down; it was normal for the Chen family, with many mouths to feed, to raise a pig or two to butcher for the New Year. ¡°No, I mean, does your family have any spare pigs?¡± Jiang Feng asked. Chen Xiuxiu: ¡­ Chen Xiuxiu gave Jiang Feng a deep, meaningful look, hesitated as if she had much to say, and then finally spoke, ¡°Has Taifeng Building not been doing so well recently?¡± Stress had evidently driven him to talk nonsense.
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ Jiang Feng put down the electric kettle and spent a few minutes exining the situation to Chen Xiuxiu, emphasizing just how disastrous it would be for the Jiang Family to face the New Year without pork. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call it a major crisis. After understanding the situation, Chen Xiuxiu also felt troubled, ¡°My grandma usually raises just two pigs a year, one for our consumption and the other to sell to other vigers. People usually make arrangements to buy pork well before the New Year, so it might be quite difficult to buy an entire or half a home-raised pig at this time.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Mr. Jiang well-acquainted with the people at the ughterhouse and the pig farms? Why not have him buy it from the ughterhouse?¡± Chen Xiuxiu suggested. ¡°The good pigs are usually sold out before the New Year, and my parents have even gone to a ughterhouse in the neighboring city to inquire,¡± Jiang Feng sighed. ¡°No worries, there are still a few days left, I¡¯ll think of another way.¡± ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll call my grandfather tomorrow to see if there¡¯s any remaining pork at home. If there is, I¡¯ll share some with you,¡± Chen Xiuxiu offered. ¡°Xiuxiu, I knew I could count on you at a critical moment!¡± Jiang Feng was deeply moved. He had never imagined that his rtionship with Chen Xiuxiu was so strong that she¡¯d be willing to share some pork with him on the eve of New Year, and he was nearly moved to tears. With tears in his eyes, Jiang Feng took the electric kettle and went home to boil water. The next morning, Chen Xiuxiu gave Jiang Feng some good news: her family was willing to sell him 20 pounds of meat and a pig¡¯s front trotter at market price. Jiang Feng immediately shared this great news with De, and then Jiang Zaidi pulled him into a mysterious group chat called the Pork Purchasing Squad. The group members were all of the Jiang Family, except for Sir, Granduncle, and Mrs. Jiang. Jiang Feng felt that in his absence, he had been unwittingly isted by the Jiang family members. It wasn¡¯t until Jiang Zaidi exined that Jiang Feng understood: because whole pigs were hard toe by, everybody was actually making an effort to buy individual cuts of pork, wherever they could find it. This group chat was created to facilitate the exchange of information and coordinate the purchasing of pork. Jiang Feng¡¯s initiative to buy pork from Chen Xiuxiu had opened a new door for the Jiang family members who were struggling to purchase pork. Prior to that, they had only considered markets, ughterhouses, and known pig farmers; Jiang Feng¡¯s fresh approach led them to realize a new method of procuring pork. Rtives, friends, customers, ssmates, bosses, neighbors ¨C they contacted everyone they had a phone number for. As soon as anyone made a purchase, they reported back to the group, and the tally of how much closer they were to a whole pig was updated daily by Aunt. Drops of water can prate stone, small streams can be mighty rivers, and a single spark can start a prairie fire. With the joint efforts of all the Jiang family salespersons, they finally made a significant breakthrough of achieving 1/4 of a pig by the 28th of the New Year. Jiang Feng¡¯s record of acquiring the pig¡¯s front trotter from Chen Xiuxiu remained unbeaten; none of the Jiang family members managed to procure a trotter apart from him. The best anyone else did was Jiankang, who forcibly purchased half a rack of ribs from an old friend. Now, the Jiang Family¡¯s pork purchasing had reached a deadlock.
    Over these few days, they had contacted every friend and family member they could think of; even those they wouldn¡¯t bother during Singles¡¯ Day had been called upon for the sake of pork. Junqing and Junlian received numerous calls every day, asking if their ounts had been hacked. However, ording to the current purchasing situation, they were still hopelessly far from their modest target of half a pig. But at least they would have meat for the New Year. Although it looked as if there would be novish spread of pork dishes, they could still look forward to enjoying pig trotters and braised pork.
    The 29th of the New Year was the day to inspect the results. Whether it was Jiang Feng who had secured an entire pig¡¯s front trotter or Junlian who hadn¡¯t even managed to buy a pig¡¯s tail, everyone had to head back to the countryside, meat in tow. Jiang Feng was still thest to arrive. Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s hometown was about a three-hour journey from the old man¡¯s vige, and to save Jiang Feng the hassle, Chen Duxiu had specially asked someone heading in that direction to take the meat to the county closest to the old man¡¯s home. So Jiang Feng first took a minibus to the county, picked up the pork, and then switched vehicles to return to the countryside. To keep it fresh, the pork had been frozen in a cold storage room, so by the time Jiang Feng dragged the bup sack back to the countryside after such a longmute, the meat in the bag had already thawed and started to leak blood. Dragged all the way, Jiang Feng inevitably got some blood on him, looking quite disheveled. Although disheveled, Jiang Feng was joyful inside. He even felt a bit of pride and smugness. Today, on this important delivery day, he, Jiang Feng, would surely top everyone else, overshadow all his cousins and uncles and aunts, bing the Jiang Family¡¯s top talent in buying pork. The number one pork buyer of the Jiang Family! Just thinking about it got him a little excited. With excitement in his heart, Jiang Feng shouldered the bup sack and headed for the old man¡¯s house. Dragging it would be toocking in presence, he had to carry it for the right effect.
    Inside his sack, there was a whole pig trotter! A big pig trotter! Whole!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Today was bound to be Jiang Feng¡¯s shining day. The door was wide open, and Jiang Feng marched in with the bup sack on his shoulder, full of vigor. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m back¡­¡± Before Jiang Feng could finish his greeting, he heard an odd sound. ¡°Meh.¡± It sounded like a sheep bleating. ¡°Quack quack.¡± It sounded somewhat like a duck but not quite, a bit deeper than a duck¡¯s quack. Itcked the cautious tone of a duck¡¯s quack and sounded more like scolding, full of authority. ¡°Feng is back, eh? We¡¯ve been waiting for you. Come to the yard.¡± Aunt smiled and peeked out from inside, an apron still on her, apparently busy with some task. Jiang Feng was a bit puzzled; he felt like today¡¯s script might not be the one he¡¯d envisioned. The confident swagger he had before entering the door was all gone, and he followed Aunt into the house with the sack on his shoulder. As soon as he entered the yard, Jiang Feng was stunned. Within his sight, there were two geese, three sheep, and a turtle crawling on the ground¡ªnothing like what he had imagined. Where in the world did these geese, sheep, and turtlese from?
    Jiang Feng stood there dumbfounded. ¡°Don¡¯t keep carrying that bup sack, Feng. How tiring that must be! Oh my, it¡¯s still leaking blood. Be careful not to get your clothes dirty. Here, let Aunt help you carry it to the kitchen.¡± Aunt said. Jiang Feng and Aunt carried the bup sack to the kitchen together, and upon entering, Jiang Feng heard Jiang Zaidi¡¯s voice. ¡°Grandpa, my little brother said he managed to buy a pig foreleg; he should be arriving soon. We definitely can¡¯t prepare ¡®pork dishes¡¯ this year, as what we bought was all separate cuts, not a whole pig, and we didn¡¯t get any blood sausages. But on my way back, I happened to see someone selling sheep, all northern breeds. Since we might not have enough pork, what do you think about us making mutton dishes, Grandpa?¡± ¡°Yeah, Grandpa, Junqing and I went to uncle¡¯s ce to bring two big geese. Can we have roast goose for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner?¡± This was Jiang Junlian¡¯s voice. ¡°Right, Dad, look at this ckfish I bought¡ªover 8 pounds, heavier than the one we caught from the pondst year. Wild, the quality of the meat is definitely tender!¡± This was Jiang Jianguo. ¡°Dad, take a look at this deer meat!¡± This was Jiang Jiankang. ¡°Grandpa, the soft-shelled turtle in the yard, I got it from a client of mine before, purely wild!¡± This was Jiang Shoucheng. ¡°And this venison¡­¡± Still holding the bup sack, Jiang Feng, the honest man: ¡­ Damn, I lost. Chapter 506: 504: Meat Arrives from All Directions Chapter 506: Chapter 504: Meat Arrives from All Directions ¡°Aunt, I can carry it in, you go on with your work,¡± Jiang Feng said to Aunt with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Aunt nodded her head, looked at Jiang Feng hesitatingly as if wanting to say something, then after thinking for a bit, she still spoke, ¡°Feng, even though you only managed to buy pork, don¡¯t be discouraged. Next time, remember to think more flexibly ande up with other solutions. Don¡¯t just follow one path until the end, blindly; learn from your older cousins.¡± After saying this, Aunt left with a sigh. Jiang Feng, holding therge pig¡¯s trotter, was on the verge of tears. Taking a deep breath, settling his chi in his lower abdomen, Jiang Feng tried hard to suppress his emotions, pretending as if he had just arrived and hadn¡¯t heard the earlier conversation, and put on a falsely jubnt smile. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m back!¡± Jiang Feng took a step forward and came into everyone¡¯s field of vision. Dressed in a down jacket, huffing and puffing, with fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead showing a tendency to trickle down, his face was adorned with a bright smile. The sack in his arms was dragging on the ground a bit, with the blood from the bottom of the sack clearly visible, staining his shoes and the hem of his pants, making it look as if he had juste back from a crime scene of dismembering a body. Old Sir, surrounded by people, nced at Jiang Feng and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. What¡¯s that you¡¯re holding?¡± ¡°Grandpa, this is me¡­¡± Jiang Feng was about to use an array of rhetorical devices such as exaggerated metaphors and personification to vividly describe to Old Sir how incredibly hard-won these several dozen pounds of pork and pig¡¯s fore-trotters in the sack were ¨C how he had to outthink and outwit, have a stroke of genius, and bravely go it alone to get this precious pork ¨C when he was interrupted by an even louder and more resonant voiceing from outside the yard.
    ¡°Lanhua, Lanhua, Lanhua, are you there?¡± Not only was the voice full of strength, but it also sounded very familiar. ¡°Nanny Li, what brings you here? Mom went to town to buy some things this morning,¡± Aunt reappeared in the yard. ¡°I¡¯vee to bring you some blood sausages and streaky pork,¡± Li Cuihua said. Blood sausages! Jiang Feng, shocked, said nothing more and put down the sack and ran outside. The other people more or less had the same reaction; a group of chubby folks and a skinny one rushed out the kitchen door nearly at the same instant. Li Cuihua: ¡­ ¡°Oh, you¡¯re all here, I thought you wouldn¡¯t be back until tomorrow,¡± Li Cuihuaughed. ¡°I figured you hadn¡¯t managed to buy much pork these few days; it¡¯s sote now, if there were pigs to be ughtered it would have been done already.¡± Li Cuihua looked at several sheep in the yard somewhat perplexed and walked toward Old Sir with a basin, ¡°Jiang, I know your family always eats ¡®pig-ughter meal¡¯ on the 28th or 29th. I only raised one pig this year and even shared some with my sister¡¯s family, so I can¡¯t spare the prime cuts like trotters and hocks or ribs. But don¡¯t disdain what I have brought you.¡± ¡°We might not have all the dishes, but we must prepare the sauerkraut with white meat and blood sausages. I will leave this basin here with you; when you¡¯re done with it, Lanhua can bring it back to me,¡± Li Cuihua continued. All eyes turned to the big iron basin in Li Cuihua¡¯s hands, filled to the brim with blood sausages and streaky pork, whaty beneath those was not visible to everyone. The quantity was definitely enough for the Jiang family to have a big feast.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Old Sir was a man not adept in speaking pleasantries, and faced with Li Cuihua¡¯s big basin of blood sausages and pork, he was at a loss for words. Although his face was expressionless, his eyes betrayed his shock and emotion. ¡°How can we ept this, it¡¯s the festive season, you should keep it for your grandson,¡± Old Sir said, trying to decline. ¡°This isn¡¯t just from me, my pig couldn¡¯t possibly produce this many blood sausages, and nobody at my house even knows how to make them.¡± The iron basin was so heavy, Li Cuihua had been holding it for so long while speaking that she had gotten tired, so she put it down and carried on, ¡°These blood sausages are from Old Qian¡¯s, Little Ma¡¯s, and Zhuzi¡¯s families, and the streaky pork is from my house. Plus, San Fuzi¡¯s family also gave a bit. Oh yes, there are ribs from Little Pang¡¯s family and Old Gao¡¯s at the bottom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not much individually, but added up, there is quite a bit. I still have some offal, pig¡¯s ears, pig¡¯s tails ¨C the odds and ends that I didn¡¯t bring because I was afraid they¡¯d mix the vors here. If you want them, I can bring them overter.¡± Sir found himself a bit lost for words. ¡°Jiang, it¡¯s not that I want to criticize you, but my husband is already quite reticent. I never imagined that sometimes you could be even more so than him,¡± Li Cuihua said earnestly. ¡°Why decline at a time like this? With so many strapping young men in your family, how can you not eat pork during the New Year¡¯s celebration? When it¡¯s time to ept, just ept. It¡¯s not anything valuable¡ªjust some pork, what¡¯s the big deal? And it¡¯s not even high-quality meat at that.¡± ¡°Tha¡­ thank you,¡± Sir said, looking at the te of pork on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you dumplings on the first day of the lunar year.¡± ¡°Let it be for this year, don¡¯t bother sending any. Just pay us back double next year when you¡¯ve bought some meat,¡± Li Cuihua said with a smile, ¡°Today it¡¯s because Lanhua isn¡¯t here. If she were, I¡¯d have a good talking-to with her. She wasn¡¯t raised in the city like some delicatedy¡ªshe grew up in our vige just like I did, in the same vige. Not to know to ask someone to set aside some pork when you don¡¯t raise pigs during the New Year¡¯s, forgetting something like this, honestly! I thought I was the one getting senile, but it turns out she¡¯s the one who¡¯s really lost her marbles.¡±
    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t hold you up. I see everyone¡¯s juste home today and your ce looks pretty chaotic. I¡¯m sure you need to tidy up, so I¡¯ll be heading back first,¡± said Li Cuihua as she turned to leave. Seeing Li Cuihua about to depart, the Jiang family¡¯s ¡°rainbow fart¡± junior squad, already prepared, hurriedly followed. ¡°Nanny Li, thank you so much. It¡¯s been a year, and I feel like you¡¯ve gotten quite a bit younger!¡± Jiang Jianguo struck preemptively. ¡°Yes, yes, I also think Nanny Li looks younger. Not just younger, but you seem to have more energy, radiant and glowing. Nanny Li, is there perhaps some happy event at home recently?¡± Jiang Jiankang chimed in right after.
    ¡°What happy event could there be? Just a grandson that¡¯s nothing to boast about. He loses weight as soon as he¡¯s out, talks about having a girlfriend but I haven¡¯t seen her, don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s true,¡± Aunt shook her head. ¡°Look at you, Aunt, talking like that. Liangliang is sturdy. He¡¯s bound to be popr with the girls outside,¡± Jiang Jianshe wasn¡¯t about to be outdone. ¡°Yes, yes, and if you look at yourself, Old Madam Li, you¡¯re very attractive¡ªsuch big, bright eyes. My grandmother always used to tell me that back in the vige, you were considered the most beautiful. With your genes as the foundation, how could Liangliang¡¯s elder brother possibly fail to find a girlfriend?¡± Jiang Junlian shed a sycophantic sweet smile that was much favored by elders. ¡°Old Madam Li, let me escort you home, and I¡¯ll also bring back the offal. You came all the way over here personally; we can¡¯t let you deliver it again,¡± Jiang Zaide squeezed into the circle. ¡°Yes, yes, we¡­¡± Due to ack of technique, physique, and strength, unable to squeeze into the circle or produce ¡°rainbow farts,¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ Jiang Feng silently looked to the sky, not expecting to lose twice in such a short time. The New Year was proving to be much more difficult than he anticipated. Already suffering two consecutive defeats before it had even begun. ¡°Feng, bring the basin inside and help me with the pork,¡± Sir, already used to the scene, nonchntly turned and went into the kitchen. Leaving Li Cuihua alone, lost in a sea of ttery. ¡°Alright, Grandpa!¡± Feng¡¯s face broke into a brilliant smile as he eagerly picked up the basin and followed Sir into the kitchen. ¡°By the way, Grandpa, have you decided what to make for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner? We can¡¯t make a lot of dishes with the shortage of pork this year,¡± Feng asked with a sneaky undertone.
    ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy a front trotter? Make that into a pork knuckle dish as nned. We¡¯ll still make dumplings. If we don¡¯t have enough pork belly, we¡¯ll skip the braised pork. No spare ribs since we¡¯re making them today, and as for the rest¡­¡± Sir looked back at the sheep wandering aimlessly in the courtyard. ¡°This year is a big year for our Jiang family. Since we don¡¯t have enough pork, I will make something different for you all,¡± a hint of a smile appeared on Sir¡¯s face. ¡°Something different?¡± ¡°This year, we¡¯ll have a wholemb feast.¡± Chapter 507: 505 Whole Lamb Banquet Chapter 507: Chapter 505 Whole Lamb Banquet The Whole Lamb Feast, as the name suggests, is to make various dishes using different cooking methods ording to the distribution of muscle groups on the wholemb carcass. Unlike roasting a wholemb, the Whole Lamb Feast nearly uses every edible part of themb, with the number of dishes ranging from over 30 to more than 80. Although it¡¯s called a Whole Lamb Feast, far more than onemb is required. If only one chef were to do it, he would work himself to exhaustion without finishing it. ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t you think preparing a Whole Lamb Feast is a bit too much? Besides, the few sheep we have at home won¡¯t be enough, right?¡± Jiang Feng said, looking worried. There was only one Sir, and he must be treated with great care. ¡°We¡¯re not making some particrly formal Whole Lamb Feast. ughter a sheep, cook the various parts, and make a few dishes¡ªthat¡¯ll do,¡± Sir said. ¡°Go and deal with this Wuhua meat, slice it up, and call your dad toe in and make sauerkraut. Let the others go about their business instead of crowding around the yard; get the ces that need cleaning done. It¡¯s already the 29th, and home is still a mess, everyone acting like they can¡¯t see a thing.¡± ¡°Furthermore, Feng, once you¡¯re done with the Wuhua meat, go to town to fetch your grandma and help her with her things. If your grandma hasn¡¯t bought the marinated goose, go ahead and buy it. The shop will probably be closed tomorrow,¡± Sir instructed. ¡°Didn¡¯t Junlian and Junqing bring back a couple of geese? Why buy marinated goose?¡± Jiang Feng asked, puzzled. Though the marinated goose from that time-honored shop in town is not bad, it pales inparison to Sir¡¯s cooking. Basically, no one asks for it every year, and in the end, Mrs. Jiang is the one who finishes it off by herself. ¡°Your grandma likes it,¡± Sir said, tying on an apron to start processing pork. ¡°Also, buy a couple more bags of flour when you¡¯re out. We¡¯ll make more dumplings on New Year¡¯s Day, and we don¡¯t have enough flour at home.¡±
    ¡°Okay, Grandpa,¡± Jiang Feng nodded, showing he remembered, and then went outside to pass on the orders.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After receiving the orders, the members of the Jiang Family scattered to their respective tasks¡ªthose who needed to be in the kitchen went to the kitchen, and those who had to go back to the hall went back to the hall. Ten minutester, Jiang Zaidi, who had gone next door to Li Cuihua¡¯s house to collect the pig offal, returned sessfully. Though Li Cuihua mentioned she would give just a little offal, the amount was definitely substantial¡ªa conservative estimate would reveal at least five or six sets. Jiang Feng even suspected that other families knew that Sir would make marinated meats with the pig offal every year, so they brought all of their own pig offal over. Since Jiang Zaidi brought back the pig offal, the glorious yet arduous task of processing it naturally fell to him. The man in question, Jiang Zaidi, expressed his feelings: regret, he was brimming with regret in that very moment. By the time Jiang Feng had finished dealing with the Wuhua meat, washed his hands, put on his down jacket, and walked out of the kitchen ready to go to town to find Mrs. Jiang, the inexperienced Jiang Zaidi was still sitting in the yard with a face full of gloom and regret, cleaning the pig intestines. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t seen this familiar scene for a long time. Back in the day when he and his three brothers were still learning to cook, they would sit in a row in the yard, washing intestines together. ¡°De, put more effort into kneading. Otherwise, the smell won¡¯te out clean. And remember to flush it with water at least twice after scrubbing,¡± Jiang Feng reminded after observing Jiang Zaidi¡¯s half-hearted pig intestine washing technique. Jiang Zaidi heaved a deep sigh, not understanding how the plot had turned out this way. ¡°Little brother, where are you off to?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked. ¡°Grandpa asked me to go to town to bring Grandma back and buy some more stuff on the way,¡± Jiang Feng replied. Seeing Jiang Feng actually got to go on an outside errand, Jiang Zaidi sighed with envy, ¡°Little brother, do you know what dishes Grandpa is nning for the reunion dinner tomorrow night?¡± ¡°Grandpa said he¡¯s mainly preparingmb dishes this year,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. As soon as he heard the reunion dinner would mainly featuremb dishes, Jiang Zaidi¡¯s spirits were lifted, ¡°What kind ofmb dishes? Roast wholemb? Roastmb ribs? Roastmb leg? Braisedmb?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t specify the dishes. Grandpa said he ns to ughter a sheep and use all parts suitable for dishes,¡± Jiang Feng reported truthfully, with no omissions. Jiang Zaidi fiercely rubbed the pig intestines in his hands, ¡°So, are we making Nine Turns Intestine this year?¡± Jiang Feng counted the intestines on Jiang Zaidi¡¯s side, ¡°Grandpa didn¡¯t tell me to buy intestines. With this little, it surely won¡¯t be enough for Nine Turns Intestine; I guess we¡¯re not making it.¡± Hearing what Jiang Feng said, Jiang Zaidi felt like he had lost all motivation to continue washing the intestines. ¡°Little brother, you better hurry to town,¡± Jiang Zaidi continued cleaning the intestines with a deted expression.
    It was only about a half-hour walk from the vige to the town, considering he¡¯d have to help Mrs. Jiang carry things, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t ride his bicycle but chose to walk instead. After arriving in town, Jiang Feng called Mrs. Jiang a few times but no one picked up; he was already used to this behavior of hers. After thinking it through, Jiang Feng headed straight for the town¡¯s only senior activity center. Which was the mahjong parlor. Sir had said that Mrs. Jiang had gone to town early in the morning. The town wasn¡¯t big and could be walked across in half a day. By the time Jiang Feng got home with the sack containing pig¡¯s trotters, it was already past mealtime. If Mrs. Jiang had indeed gone shopping, she would have definitely returned before lunch.
    So there was only one truth: Mrs. Jiang¡¯s main purpose for going to town today was to y mahjong and buy some things by the way. Sure enough, as soon as Jiang Feng entered the card room, he saw Mrs. Jiang. The usually bustling card room, now close to Chinese New Year and everyone being very busy, had only two tables open. Mrs. Jiang was sitting at the mahjong table, fully engaged in the game, with several bags of vegetables and some groceries on the chair behind her, proving that she did indeede to buy things today. Jiang Feng noticed that the green leaves were somewhat wilted from being squashed. ¡°One character tile? Perfect, I win!¡± Mrs. Jiang pushed her tiles forward. ¡°Aiya, Lanhua, how did you win again? Your skill has really improved after your trip to Beiping!¡± thedy who had set off Mrs. Jiang¡¯s winning handmented. ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s improved, I think it¡¯s because you haven¡¯t yed much mahjong recently and have gotten rusty,¡± Mrs. Jiang said joyfully. ¡°But, not to boast, those mahjong parlors in Beiping are definitely different from ours here, not just better facilities, but the old men and women there have such good spirits. They y from morning till night without getting tired at all!¡± ¡°Grandma,¡± Jiang Feng, seeing that Mrs. Jiang was about to start bragging about the Beiping mahjong parlors, hastily stepped forward. ¡°Oh, Feng is back, eh? Did you get the pork?¡± Mrs. Jiang asked. ¡°Got it, got a pig¡¯s trotter. Old Madam Li also brought over a basin of pork this afternoon, said it was collected for us by several other families in the vige. Grandpa said that we will have our usual pork dish tonight,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°In crucial times, neighbors are more reliable than distant rtives, how does the saying go, ¡®A close neighbor is better than a distant rtive¡¯!¡± Mrs. Jiang stood up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading off first; my grandson hase to fetch me.¡± No one tried to keep Mrs. Jiang any longer since if she kept ying like this, their wallets probably wouldn¡¯t survive the night. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll help you carry these things,¡± Jiang Feng knew this was his time, as a filial grandson, to show his worth.
    ¡°Oh Lanhua, your grandson really is filial. Those kids of mine, when they see me carrying things, it¡¯s like they see nothing, all they do is stare at their phones, not afraid of damaging their eyes,¡± one of the yers eximed. ¡°Yeah, Lanhua¡¯s grandson is the most filial,¡± another yer echoed. ¡°Lanhua, how do you teach youngsters at your ce? Teach us, so we can learn a thing or two,¡± the final yer inquired. ¡°Yes, yes,¡± the other two yers agreed in unison. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to teach, look at me ying cards with you all day, I don¡¯t have time to teach the kids, they¡¯re sensible on their own. Our Jiang Feng has been filial since he was young, far better in this regard than his cousins,¡± Mrs. Jiang said with a mouth so wide smile that it nearly split her face. Jiang Feng and Mrs. Jiang left the mahjong parlor. ¡°Grandma, did grandpa ever make a wholemb banquet?¡± Jiang Feng asked, attempting to probe for information to guess what Sir would make for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, so he could cheat more effectively. ¡°Wholemb banquet?¡± Mrs. Jiang looked puzzled. Mrs. Jiang, when she was younger, believed firmly in the principle of ¡®men managing the outside and women the inside¡¯ and normally did not interfere with or inquire about Sir¡¯s work, so she wasn¡¯t very familiar with the dishes he had made when he worked at the state-owned restaurant. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was a wholemb banquet? I remember, just after I married your grandpa, there was one time the city held some sort of celebration or event, and the leaders specifically requested your grandpa and Master Huang to cater it. I think they made allmb dishes that time; it was sensational and even made the newspapers,¡± Mrs. Jiang squinted, trying to recall. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to eat any of the dishes,mb was such a luxury at the time, and we didn¡¯t really raise sheep around here. I remember all themb was bought from up north, spent a lot of money on it. Your grandpa made a particrly special dish back then, called, called¡­¡± Mrs. Jiang struggled for a long time before eking out a few words, ¡°called something mos or some such, sounded like a foreign name.¡± ¡°Moscow?¡± Jiang Feng could only think of that. ¡°No, it was four characters, uh, something mos what was it?¡± Mrs. Jiang fell into thought.
    Chapter 508: 506 Heros Banquet Chapter 508: Chapter 506 Hero¡¯s Banquet ¡°` Mrs. Jiang¡¯s memory was like water in a sponge, gently squeezed, it vanished; left unattended, it naturally evaporated. Jiang Feng and Mrs. Jiang had been walking and chatting the entire way, and even after Jiang Feng had bought the flour, Mrs. Jiang was still muttering about her ¡°mo-something science¡± like chanting a spell, not stopping until they reached the old and reputable shop selling marinated goose. ¡°Boss, give me a marinated goose, no need to chop it, wrap it up tight.¡± The owner of the marinated goose shop was quite old, and the shop only epted cash, no mobile payments. Jiang Feng put down his things and started to fish cash out of his pocket, and given the pockets of his down jacket were so deep, he had to search several times before he could gather enough money. Mrs. Jiang stared thoughtfully at the marinated goose through the ss window. It was unclear whether she had fallen into deep thought while staring at the goose or if she happened to be staring at the goose while lost in thought. ¡°Hey, Feng, I remember now,¡± Mrs. Jiang eximed excitedly, pping Jiang Feng so forcefully that she nearly knocked over the Jiang Feng who was carefully retrieving his money. In her earlier years, Mrs. Jiang developed quite a hand strength from smacking her five big, chubby sons, and this p was no less powerful than those delivered by other Jiang Family Members. Jiang Feng stumbled but quickly regained his footing. His expression swiftly changed to delight, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ve remembered? What was it that Grandpa called the dish?¡± ¡°What¡¯s it called? I remember now why your grandpa and Master Huang had a whole sheep feast that year!¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s concerns werepletely different from what Jiang Feng had in mind,¡± How could I forget such a thing, look at my memory. Really, the older you get, the weaker your memory bes, ah, old age is truly old age.¡±
    ¡°Oh, Feng, what are you buying? If you¡¯re getting marinated food, get a marinated goose too. I almost forgot about this as well, how could we not have a marinated goose for the new year?¡± Mrs. Jiang said as if suddenly awakened from a dream.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Grandma, we¡¯ve already bought the marinated goose,¡± Jiang Feng said helplessly, his expression quickly shifting to curiosity, ¡°Why did Grandpa and Master Huang have a whole sheep feast back in the day?¡± ¡°That was all decades ago, back when your dad and the others hadn¡¯t even been born and I had just gotten pregnant with your eldest uncle. I can¡¯t remember exactly why, but it had something to do with a huge forest fire. Many firefighters were injured trying to put out the fire, and it seems a few even lost their lives. Back then, the radio, newspapers, and the local district office were all discussing it, and it was a big topic. At first, many people thought it was arson, others said it was the work of spies, butter investigations rified it as an ident,¡± Mrs. Jiang exined. The shop owner had already packaged the marinated goose and was handing the change to Jiang Feng when he heard Mrs. Jiang talking about the incident that happened decades ago and casually interjected, ¡°Are you referring to that forest fire 50 years ago?¡± ¡°50 years? Has it been that long?¡± Mrs. Jiang paused, realizing it was indeed the case, and couldn¡¯t help but reflect, ¡°It¡¯s already been so long, it¡¯s no wonder I didn¡¯t recall it right away.¡± ¡°You know about it too?¡± Jiang Feng inquired. Interested, the shop owner of the marinated goose put the package on the counter and started to chat with Jiang Feng about the past, ¡°How could I not know? I was in primary school at the time, and it was quite sensational.¡± ¡°Sensational?¡± Jiang Feng was puzzled, ¡°Was the forest fire that serious?¡± Although the area around city Z is mountainous, the woods are not very dense. In Jiang Feng¡¯s memory, there was no ce that could actually be called a forest. The shop owner gave Jiang Feng a smile and said, ¡°You kids wouldn¡¯t imagine it. Now, living conditions have improved, but it wasn¡¯t like this back in the day.¡± ¡°Back then, mountains connected to mountains, and the forests were full of everything, wolves were everywhere, sometimes even tigers could be seen. Those who lived remotely in the mountains might not be able to leave the area more than twice a year,¡± the shop owner recounted. ¡°Right,¡± Mrs. Jiang nodded in agreement, ¡°Feng, don¡¯t be fooled by theck of trees on the mountain in front of your maternal great-uncle¡¯s vige. In the past, that mountain was covered with trees, and wolves lived in those woods.¡± ¡°What happened with that forest fire?¡± Jiang Feng persisted. ¡°Seems it was caused by dry conditions or some other natural reason, not by humans, that¡¯s what the newspapers said.¡± The shop owner was uncertain due to the long passage of time, ¡°I remember our school teachers organized us to write letters to the firefighters, andter there was even a Heroes¡¯ Feast. I remember that feast clearly, the newspapers said the city invited two chefs from state-owned restaurants to manage the event, and they used over a dozen sheep. Back then, mutton was so precious, not to mention wool, even wool sweaters were treasured in the cooperative stores, for disy only, not to touch.¡± ¡°A Heroes¡¯ Feast?¡± ¡°` ¡°Right, the Heroes¡¯ Banquet. Back then, our Chinese teacher even asked us to write an essay on the Heroes¡¯ Banquet. What did I write about? I remember my essay was pretty good and was even posted on the wall at home by my mom. What was it about?¡± The owner of the braised food shop fell into deep thought. Jiang Feng and Mrs. Jiang said goodbye to the owner of the braised food shop and left with their things.
    Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected that Sir had been the chief chef for such an important feast when he was young, and most importantly, Sir had never mentioned a word about it. If it had been Jiang Jiankang with such an experience, Jiang Feng guessed he would boast about it to his grandchildren, his own children. ¡°Grandma, why have you and Grandpa never mentioned this to us before?¡± On the way home, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help but ask. Mrs. Jiang, carrying only two bags of vegetables, answered with a rxed, smiling face, ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about something like that?¡± ¡°But it was an important banquet. That braised food shop owner from just now still remembers it after fifty years, of course, it¡¯s worth talking about.¡± Jiang Feng said with earnest.
    If he could take on such a banquet now, he¡¯d probably hang a banner in front of Taifeng Building. ¡°What¡¯s important are the guests who attended the banquet, not the chefs who cooked. There¡¯s nothing to talk about,¡± Mrs. Jiang said nonchntly. ¡°If you talk about such things over and over, wouldn¡¯t your grandfather end up talking himself to death every day? Jiang Feng was utterly confused. ¡°Things weren¡¯t as remarkable as you think back then; they were all very ordinary. The most skilled chefs around these few cities were your grandfather and Master Huang. They were in charge when hosting leaders or sometimes foreign guests. Every time chefs were needed, it was your grandfather and Master Huang, and I remember that the neighboring cities would evene here to borrow people to cook,¡± Mrs. Jiang exined. ¡°Usually, Master Huang would take those out-of-town jobs unless there weren¡¯t enough hands, then your grandfather would go.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Jiang Feng asked, puzzled. ¡°Those out-of-town jobs, though tough on the road, had extra bonuses. Master Huang¡¯s mother was in poor health and needed imported medicine. The medication expenses for their family were tremendous each month.¡± As she spoke, Mrs. Jiang sighed, ¡°These things might sound impressive, but that¡¯s really all there is to it. Your grandfather and Master Huang may have appeared distinguished back then, but every family has its issues, life is not easy for anyone.¡± Jiang Feng nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Everyday life is just like that too, there aren¡¯t that many remarkable things, it¡¯s all ordinary little stuff,¡± Mrs. Jiang said earnestly. ¡°Don¡¯t be like your dad and your uncle, always boasting about the smallest things, making a mountain out of a molehill. I don¡¯t know who they¡¯ve picked up that habit from, blowing things up to the skies every single time.¡± Jiang Feng silently nced at Mrs. Jiang: ¡­ ¡°We¡¯re just an ordinary family. Qiqi¡¯s family over in Shu also runs a shop like us, they¡¯re an ordinary family too. We ordinary families should just live our lives well, you¡¯ll understand when you get married.¡± Jiang Feng was nodding in agreement, when suddenly he felt something was off. Ordinary families?
    Wu Family Restaurant. Taifeng Building. Ordinary families? Mrs. Jiang continued saying, ¡°Actually, working hard when you¡¯re young is all worth it when you get old. We ordinary folks don¡¯t yearn for great wealth or high status, being free from illness and cmity is the greatest happiness. Look at Grandma Chen, knitting sweaters, raising pigs, ying mahjong with me every day, that¡¯s all thefort you need.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Grandma, aren¡¯t you mistaken about the meaning of ¡®ordinary family¡¯?¡± Chapter 509: 507: The Biggest Winner Chapter 509: Chapter 507: The Biggest Winner That evening, Jiang Feng, as one of the representatives of an average family, had sessfully enjoyed amon dish avable before the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner¡ªthe stewed vermicelli with sauerkraut, white meat, and blood sausage. Because he was busy preparing the ingredients for tomorrow¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, Sir had no time to cook other dishes. Besides the stewed vermicelli with sauerkraut, white meat, and blood sausage, he just stir-fried a couple of vegetarian dishes with the vegetables Mrs. Jiang had bought, the kind without even a bit of ground meat. Arge pot steaming hot and symbolizing the hard-toe-by neighborhood care and love, the sauerkraut, white meat, and blood sausage stewed with vermicelli. And a few ordinary tes of vegetables that could be found anywhere, the kind no one would reach for first on the dinner table. The choice was just too easy to make. Because it wasn¡¯t the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, Sir didn¡¯t seriously set up two tables or make two batches of dishes arranged on the table. At such times, everyone wouldn¡¯t sit around the table to eat, but would instead take a bowl each and sit at the doorstep or in the yard on small stools, chatting and eating. In such fairpetition, how much blood sausage, sauerkraut, or white meat you could get depended on your speed in snatching food and eating. Jiang Feng knew he was a noob, so he sneakily ate some in the kitchen before the dishes were even served. Sir saw him but didn¡¯t utter a word to stop him, considering it a reward for Jiang Feng¡¯s hard work. Because of this, while everyone else was hesitating and pondering whether to eat more sauerkraut and blood sausage tonight or save room for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner tomorrow, Jiang Feng was carefree, unhurried, and happily enjoying his meal. After eating, Jiang Feng had intended to happily retreat to his room to be a contented homebody and to video call Wu Minqi, but just as he was about to get up, he was called back by Sir. ¡°Feng,ter tonight, could youe into the kitchen and help me with the mutton?¡± Sir¡¯s words shattered all of Jiang Feng¡¯s homebody dreams.
    ¡°The rest of you shouldn¡¯t be idle either. This year we¡¯re short on time. Later, the eldest and San are responsible for marinating meat, Si and Aunt Five will handle the fish and goose, and everyone else should clean up any uncleaned parts of the house. Tomorrow we need to prepare for making dumplings, there¡¯ll be no time to clean.¡± ¡°Okay, dad, don¡¯t worry!¡± replied Jiankang, who was earnestly fishing sauerkraut out of a basin with his bowl. ¡°Yeah, dad, don¡¯t worry. Although we¡¯re pressed for time this year, we¡¯ll definitely manage. Feng is so capable!¡± The others also echoed in agreement. As everyone piled on thepliments, Mrs. Jiang had already stood up to collect the dishes and prepared to wash them in the kitchen. The Jiang family¡¯s hallmark of eating meals was empty tes, an absolute avoidance of food waste. Not even a grain of rice went to waste, and even the vegetables were eaten spotlessly clean. If necessary, dish broth could be used to mix with rice. In the end, aside from a sheen of oil, nothing would be left in the tes and bowls. ¡°By the way, old man, I heard from Feng this afternoon that you¡¯re nning a whole sheep banquet,¡± said Mrs. Jiang with a basin full of chopsticks and bowls in hand. ¡°Have you ughtered the sheep?¡± ¡°Yes, I had Master Wang take care of it this afternoon,¡± replied Sir as he sat in a chair, picking his teeth. ¡°Do you think you can handle preparing a whole sheep banquet in one day? Let me tell you, old man, don¡¯t act tough like the young folks. At your age, your old bones can¡¯t take such reckless strain. If you can¡¯t manage it, then don¡¯t. It¡¯s okay to make fewer dishes for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, just do what you can manage, you understand?¡± Mrs. Jiang warned. ¡°I understand, I understand. Don¡¯t I know my own body? Have you not seen my recent medical report? I¡¯m very healthy! Healthier than you are. You should take good care of your own old bones. Why bother washing dishes? You¡¯re not afraid that touching cold water might make you ache and keep you up at night,¡± retorted Sir, refusing to lose face in front of his son and daughter-inw, stubborn to the end. When Aunt saw the situation might take a wrong turn, possibly affecting everyone, she quickly took the basin from Mrs. Jiang with a smile and said, ¡°Yes, mom, dad has a point. You have arthritis and it¡¯s really cold. Better not touch the cold water. We¡¯ll wash the dishes.¡± Aunt wasn¡¯t just one step ahead with her words; she was also quicker in action and headed to the kitchen with the basin. Aunt Two followed closely behind with a look of annoyance. ¡°Old man, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t try to be a hero at times like this,¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s tone suddenly softened. ¡°After Feng told me this afternoon, I thought about it. If I remember correctly, after you and Master Huang finished the whole sheep feast that year, the state-run restaurant gave you three days off. You spent two days just lying at home asleep. When you were young, you liked to show off and couldn¡¯t take the workload. Don¡¯t have the same behavior now and end up in the hospital during the New Year.¡± ¡°I know, I am aware,¡± said Sir, and, seeing that Mrs. Jiang still looked doubtful, he was forced to exin. ¡°I didn¡¯t n to do tomorrow¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner alone, didn¡¯t I have Feng to help me?¡± Mrs. Jiang finally nodded, satisfied. Jiang Feng also had an epiphany. He thought, preparing a whole sheep banquet is such a tiring job, how could Sir possibly finish it alone in one day? It turned out he had decided long ago to enlist his help¡­ Wait, Sir wants me to help with tomorrow¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner?! Jiang Feng, who had been absorbed in his phone, suddenly looked up, his face filled with disbelief as he stared at Sir, then he realized everyone in the yard, except for Mrs. Jiang, was looking at him with the same expression. ¡°Grandpa, did you just say I should help with tomorrow¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner? To assist?¡± Jiang Feng asked, lowering his voice involuntarily.
    Of course, to others it was perfectly clear. ¡°Helping out? With your dad, your eldest uncle, and your second uncle around, why would they especially need you to help out?¡± the old man said grumpily. Closest to Jiang Feng, Jiang Jiankang gasped sharply, nearly choking on the pickled vegetables he had previously eaten. ¡°Dad, isn¡¯t it a bit early to let Feng handle the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner?¡± Jiang Jiankang even suspected for a moment that the old man wanted to set Jiang Feng up to fail, but then he thought if the old man really wanted to harm Jiang Feng, there was no need for any setup; he could just kill him outright.
    Preparing the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner was the ultimate honor in the Jiang family, its status almost on par with the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch in a wuxia novel, which only the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch could prepare. Jiang Jiankang, a chef focused on cooking for decades, was only qualified to prepare the meat for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. ¡°Yes, Grandpa!¡± Jiang Feng was immediately excited, even feeling the illusion of a sessful coup d¡¯etat. This feeling wasn¡¯t like the old man was letting him touch the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner; it was more like he had sessfully revolted at the Xuanwu Gate. Just as Jiang Feng was about to concoct some ttering nonsense as an eptance speech for being the biggest winner in the Jiang family this New Year, a system notification suddenly rang in his mind. ¡°Ding, game updateplete.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°A hidden optional quest has appeared; please yer¡­¡± ¡°Obtain [A Memory Fragment of Jiang Xiaoran].¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ding, a new optional side quest has been discovered; please yer choose.¡± ¡°Congrattions yer on reaching level 30, a new feature is unlocked: Mentorship.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ That¡¯s not right, thest time I checked the game progress was just over 30%, how could it possibly bepleted in less than a month? What exactly determines the speed of this game¡¯s inte connection?
    Did it suddenly switch from data to WiFi? Or is it the kind that has a gigabit fiber-optic connection? For a moment, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t control his expression, lookingpletely bewildered. ¡°Grandpa, I need to use the restroom; I¡¯ll be back to help you with the ingredients in a bit,¡± Jiang Feng said, choosing to flee to the bathroom. Jiang Shoucheng, feeling this scene seemed familiar: ¡­ ¡°De, have you noticed our little brother has been running to the toilet a lot over the past six months?¡± Jiang Shoucheng sensed something was off with Jiang Feng and frowned, feeling that the situation wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. ¡°Our little brother often runs to the toilet?¡± Jiang Zaidi waspletely oblivious due to his daily preupation with making money. Jiang Shoucheng nodded, ¡°Frequently, and always without any warning, it¡¯s sudden and urgent. He just zooms off to the bathroom and stays there for quite some time. When he was in the hospital, there were twice when he did this. That¡¯s when I felt something was amiss. I was thinking of advising him to get a check-up, but then I forgot about it.¡± Jiang Zaidi also realized the seriousness of the situation, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something sooner? Our little brother is our family¡¯s hope, we can¡¯t take such things lightly.¡± The more Jiang Zaidi thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. It¡¯s not normal for a man in his twenties to frequently jump up and rush to the bathroom because he¡¯s urgently in need to urinate. He became deeply concerned. ¡°Shoucheng, after the Lantern Festival when we return to Beiping, we need to find an excuse to take our little brother to the hospital for a check-up,¡± Jiang Zaidi said. Why do we need an excuse? Just take our little brother for a check-up directly. I¡¯ll help with the appointment in advance,¡± said Jiang Shoucheng, puzzled. ¡°No, if our little brother really has a health issue, he¡¯s probably aware of it himself. If we just drag him there, it will most likely provoke a rebellious response. If he acts out, it won¡¯t be easy to handle. We need a foolproof n. Let me think of an excuse to take our little brother to the hospital, and it can¡¯t just be him¡ªwe all need to go for a check-up,¡± Jiang Zaidi said, lost in thought.
    Chapter 510: 507: Master and Apprentice Features Chapter 510: Chapter 507: Master and Apprentice Features Jiang Feng waspletely unaware of his two cousins¡¯ scheming, and if he knew what De and Cheng were thinking, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be rushing into the bathroom so urgently next time. Jiang Feng quickly slipped into the bathroom and opened his attribute panel. The moment he opened the attribute panel, Jiang Feng heard the bted final voice message. ¡°Ding, you havepleted the main quest ¡®A Garden Full of Disciples 1¡ä and received the quest reward: an unremarkable rolling pin.¡± yer Name: Jiang Feng Level: 30 (111663/300k) Skills: Appraisal (High Level): You can obtain all the information you want. Cooking Porridge (High Level): Your porridge skills have surpassed the majority of chefs. (69317/100k) Noodle Pulling (Intermediate Level): The noodles you pull are adequate to eat. (1294/10000)
    Knife Skills (Master Level): Your knifework has reached the level of top chefs. (872271/1 million) Fire Control (Master Level): Your fire control has reached the level of top chefs. (421117/1 million) Seasoning (Master Level): Your seasoning has reached the level of top chefs. (403697/1 million) Lies (Master Level): Your lies are convincing to everyone. (2973/1 million) Mathematics (High Level): You havepletely mastered all undergraduate-level knowledge. [Non-upgradable] Physics (High Level): You havepletely mastered all undergraduate-level knowledge. [Non-upgradable] English (High Level): You havepletely mastered all undergraduate-level knowledge. [Non-upgradable] Food Testing (Intermediate Level): Distinctive understanding of ingredients, that¡¯s all. [Non-upgradable] Main Quests: (Optional) 1. ¡°Improve Yourself¡± (Difficulty Adjusted) As the shadow owner and future chef of Taifeng Building, how can youmand respect and recognition without solid skills? Strength is the most powerful weapon to earn respect and acknowledgement. Pleaseplete 10 different dishes rated A or higher, or near perfection. Quest Progress: (6/10) Quest Tip: The current yer¡¯s culinary skills are insufficient for A-level dishes, please strive to improve your cooking skills. Quest Reward: Unknown. 2. ¡°A Garden Full of Disciples ¢Ú¡±: Acquiring a disciple you desire is undoubtedly a good start in Transmit and Instruct, but to be a grandmaster, one disciple is far from enough. Please have at least two disciples to unlock the series of Transmit and Instruct quests. [Choice: Yes/No] Side Quests: (Optional) 1. ¡°Substitute¡±: In Ouyang Yang¡¯s heart, Jubao Building is irreceable as the number one restaurant, even though it has suffered misfortune and is on the verge of decline. For Ouyang Yang, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by Chef Jiang Feng is eptable but not the best. Please make a dish that will astonish Ouyang Yang and rece the current impression. Quest Tip: Please strive to improve your own levels of fire control and seasoning. Quest Reward: A segment of Ouyang Yang¡¯s memory. 2. ¡°New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner¡±: The New Year¡¯s Eve dinner is the most important feast of the year for the Jiang Family, with no room for errors. Jiang Weiguo wishes to recreate the Hero¡¯s Feast from 50 years ago, but due to his advanced age, he is no longer as capable. Please help Jiang Weiguoplete the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner (with at least 40% participation), and share at least one dish from the feast with families in the vige who have given pork, receiving at least fivepliments. [Choice: Yes/No] Hidden Quests: (Optional)
    1. ¡°37 Letters¡±: The 37 letters Jiang Huiqin wrote to her brother Jiang Chengde are not just family correspondences, but also 37 extremely valuable recipes. Please study hard and at least recreate 10 dishes recorded in the letters. (Once sessfully recreated, you will gain rted memories of the dish¡ªdon¡¯t miss this rare opportunity!) [Choice: Yes/No] ¡­ Evaluation: A chef with some achievements. The newly acquired game item ¡°An Ordinary Rolling Pin¡± is also quite interesting. Its function is that when your White Case Level or Noodle Pulling Level reaches High Level or above, using this rolling pin to make pastries will slightly enhance their vor.
    Jiang Feng: ¡­ Every time the game updates, he feels like he¡¯s ying an entirely new game. Normally, he could wait half a day without encountering a side quest, but as soon as an update rolled out, hidden tasks would pelt him in the face as if they were free. Jiang Feng quickly epted all the tasks with adept movements. The main quest ¡°A Garden Full of Disciples ¢Ú¡± didn¡¯t have any task prompts, and the side quest ¡°New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner¡± didn¡¯t either, but it directly showed that the reward was a memory fragment of Jiang Weiguo. The task prompt for the hidden quest ¡°37 Letters¡± was very interesting: This task is extremely difficult toplete solo. yers are advised to actively seek others¡¯ help toplete it together. In addition to these three tasks, because Jiang Feng had reached level 30, the game unlocked the Master-Disciple feature. The Master-Disciple feature was just below the recipe list, with the words ¡°Master-Disciple¡± being very conspicuous, with a different font from the rest, and it was just short of adding some sparkle effects to highlight its special status unlocked at level 30. Jiang Feng silently opened the Master-Disciple feature and was surprised to find that he could see each of his disciple Ji Xia¡¯s skill experience values inside, just like his own attribute panel. Big Disciple: Ji Xian/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Age: 16 Skill: Noodle pulling (High Level) (4127/10k) Knife Skills (Intermediate Level) (6999/10000) Seasoning (Beginner Level) (7/1000) Fire Control (Beginner Level) (364/1000) Food Testing (Beginner Level) (3/1000)
    Disciple Rating: B Disciple Evaluation: Young and extremely impressionable. Thoughcking experience and foundation, possesses good prospects and room for growth. Has certain talents in both Red Chef and White Case styles; regardless of the direction of cultivation, can achieve certain sess. Friendly Tips: 1. Taking a disciple is a very serious matter, the game can only digitize abilities and does not interfere with yer decisions; please cultivate your disciples diligently. 2. The growth rate of a disciple is rted to their talent, as well as the level of teaching from the yer; please educate them carefully. 3. A master and disciple are considered one entity; dishespleted with the aid of a disciple will count as if the yer themselves made them and will receive the same buff and experience gains. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Every time the game updates, he feels like he¡¯s ying an entirely new game, and indeed it¡¯s not just his imagination. Teaching a disciple is a long and daunting task. Jiang Feng decided to put this matter on hold for now and discuss itter. The urgent task is to figure out how toplete the ¡°New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner¡± side quest. Tomorrow is New Year¡¯s Eve, and the ¡°New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner¡± side quest could be said to be imminent. Right now, Jiang Feng doesn¡¯t have a clue. This task not only requires him to have a participation rate of at least 40% in the preparation of the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner but also requires him to share at least one dish with the family that brought pork to his house today. Both conditions are not easy to meet. If only he could ask Grandpa what dishes are being prepared tomorrow, but right now he doesn¡¯t even know what exactly will be made.
    Jiang Feng let out a deep sigh. Wait a minute, he could just go ask Grandpa directly. Jiang Feng was suddenly invigorated, sprang to his feet, and stepped out the door. Chapter 511: 509 Morshock Chapter 511: Chapter 509 Morshock Jiang Feng realized that due to habitual thinking, he had been trapped in a misconception. Every year at the Jiang Family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, members would engage in a battle of wits over the taste of dishes. Therefore, the old man¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve menu had always been a top-secret document. Jiang Feng, having been a contestant for so many years, momentarily forgot that this year he had been promoted to the judge¡¯s panel. Being a judge, he certainly needed to ask the head judge first for any rules he didn¡¯t understand. Jiang Feng went straight to the kitchen. The game update had added new features and issued him three new tasks all at once, which meant he spent a long time in the restroom. By the time he got to the kitchen, his aunts had finished washing up and Jiang Jiankang and the others hadpleted their tasks for the day. Only Sir was left in the kitchen. Sir was busy with the mutton. There were many mutton dishes on the Taifeng Building¡¯s menu, but due to regional reasons, Jiang Feng seldom ate mutton while in n City and Z City, mostly encountering it only in hotpot as sliced mutton. It was only after arriving in Beiping that he started to see more mutton dishes on the dining table. In the half-year he spent in Beiping, Jiang Feng practiced a lot of mutton dishes. Being the unknown real owner of Taifeng, before Jiang Feng became a popr chef with his Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon and Stuffed Crab Orange, he was a utility person in the kitchen, always moving wherever he was needed. He could flexibly switch between being a Furnace Chef, a chopping cook, and a Kitchen Apprentice Cook, without showing an ounce of Crown Prince arrogance. It was also for this reason that Jiang Feng practiced many mutton dishes.
    ¡°Grandfather, how many dishes do we need to prepare for tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It depends on how it goes, we¡¯ll prepare as many as we can,¡± Sir said. Weiguo was handling the sheep¡¯srge intestines. Jiang Feng noticed that Sir was currently dealing with sheep offal. Besides therge intestines in his hands, the basin next to him also contained sheep¡¯s heart, liver, lungs,rge and small intestines, kidneys, tongue, eyes, and ears. Almost all the misceneous parts of a whole sheep were in the basin. ¡°Grandfather, are you nning to make a sheep offal soup tonight?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°No.¡± Sir, usually a man of few words while working, was concise. He pointed to the basin and said, ¡°Clean the intestines.¡± Obediently, Jiang Feng washed his hands and began cleaning the small intestines in the basin. Cleaning sheep offal was a meticulous and dirty job, with intestines being the trickiest part to handle, almost as challenging as cleaning pig¡¯srge intestines¡ªone reeking of fishy smell and the other of mutton smell. At first, Jiang Feng thought Sir was preparing these sheep offal to make marinated meat, as these strongly vored ingredients were perfect for marination. While Jiang Feng was cleaning the sheep intestines and contemting which dishes he could distribute to the families in the vige without causing strong opposition from his uncles and older male cousins, he noticed Sir, who had finished with the sheep¡¯srge intestines, start chopping onions. This did not seem like the preparation to marinate the offal. ¡°Grandfather, what are we going to make with these sheep offal tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng, knowing well the importance of asking when unsure, inquired. ¡°Morshock,¡± Sir replied. Jiang Feng: ??? Mor-whatever-ck? Wait a minute, Mor-whatever-ck! ¡°Mor¡­ what-ck?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Morshock, it means the dish served in a bowl,¡± Sir repeated, cing the chopped onions into a small bowl, then started chopping the minced meat. ¡°Didn¡¯t your grandmother tell you this afternoon?¡± Sir asked back.
    Jiang Feng shifted his gaze away from the onions, ¡°Grandma told me this afternoon that you and Master Huang made a whole sheep feast for the firefighters who fought the ze 50 years ago, but she didn¡¯t provide any details.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we did back then, using these sheep offals to make 16 soup-based dishes,plemented with pickles, mutton soup, mutton with baked pancakes¡ª that¡¯s the whole sheep feast. The 16 dishes made from sheep offal are called Morshock,¡± Sir exined. Jiang Feng: ¡­ He had thought the whole sheep feast would include roastedmb legs, roastedmb ribs, slicedmb meat,mb heads, braised mutton, and stewed mutton in soy sauce. But Sir told him the whole sheep feast was actually made of sheep hearts, sheep livers, sheep lungs, sheeprge intestines, sheep small intestines, sheep kidneys, sheep tongues, sheep eyes, sheep ears¡­
    As beautiful as the fantasy was, reality was just as cruel. Without giving Jiang Feng much time to ponder, Sir, seeing that he had already washed the sheep intestines, ordered him to do the next task, ¡°Go wash the rice and soak it, and then clean and chop the sheep liver.¡± ¡°Okay, Grandpa.¡± Although this year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve feast deviated greatly from what Jiang Feng had imagined, after assisting Sir for an hour or two, he realized that Morshock was actually quiteplex. Although all the ingredients were sheep offal, their preparation was just asplex as that of roastedmb legs andmb ribs, if not more so. Just handling the sheep¡¯srge and small intestines took nearly an hour. ording to Sir¡¯s instructions, Jiang Feng filled the washed sheep intestines with a mixture of sheep¡¯s blood, sma, liver, fat, onions, minced meat, and rice seasoned to taste, and set aside the stuffed intestines for cooking the next day. The rest of the sheep offal underwent simr processes¡ªcleaning, seasoning, some even soaking in water overnight. Each had its own method of preparation, and the preparatory steps were far moreplicated than ordinary mutton dishes. Jiang Feng had never seen suchplex preparatory steps before. It took Jiang Feng and Sir an entire evening to finish preparing all the sheep offal. They hadn¡¯t even started on the sheep meat, which aligned with what Sir said: watch and learn, cook as many dishes as you can handle. Jiang Feng suspected that if the preparation for the sixteen dishes of Morshock was tooplicated, he and Sir might only manage to cook Morshock the next day. The rest of the mutton could wait until after the first day of the Lunar New Year. By the time they finished cleaning up the kitchen, it was nearly 11 p.m. After handling sheep offal all evening, Jiang Feng felt like he reeked of mutton, thinking that even sheep would mistake him for one of their own. ¡°Grandpa, what other dishes are we preparing tomorrow besides Morshock?¡± Jiang Feng decided to confirm tomorrow¡¯s menu with Sir before going to take a bath. Confirming the menu is an important step for a chef before starting work.
    ¡°I will take care of the Morshock. Tomorrow you get up early, process the mutton, cook a pot of mutton soup with sheep bones and meat, and if there¡¯s time, we¡¯ll make the other mutton dishes; if not, we won¡¯t,¡± Sir calcted, ¡°For the ckfish, use garlic for braising, continue with the crispy apple recipe, and you handle the pork knuckles and Sweet and Sour Yam.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn Jiang Feng nodded, ¡°Alright, Grandpa, I¡¯ll take care of the pork knuckles and Sweet and Sour Yam¡­ the pork knuckles too?¡± Jiang Feng was startled. Sir, busy counting the dishes for the next day, didn¡¯t have time to look up and see the expression on Jiang Feng¡¯s face, ¡°Otherwise what? Are there too few dishes? Without some substantial dishes, it won¡¯t be satisfying.¡± It took Jiang Feng a few minutes to recover from the shock of realizing he was capable of preparing a major dish like pork knuckles for the New Year¡¯s Eve meal. Seeing Sir muttering about what dishes would fill their stomachs, he timidly suggested. ¡°Grandpa, why don¡¯t we make mutton dumplings with the mutton?¡± Sir¡¯s head shot up. ¡°We¡¯re already short on pork this year, and since Morshock is soplicated, we probably won¡¯t have time to make major dishes like roastedmb ribs and legs tomorrow. Why not just use mutton dumplings as the main course? If anyone is still hungry, they can eat dumplings, which are also part of the whole sheep feast,¡± Jiang Feng came up with a n that would kill two birds with one stone. ¡°We can make extra and take some to Old Madam Li¡¯s family tomorrow night. Not too much, a bowl per family. Douse the dry dumplings with hot mutton soup before taking it to them, as a token of our thanks. We¡¯ll stick to the regr delivery of dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year.¡± ¡°That will do, let¡¯s do it that way,¡± Sir agreed to Jiang Feng¡¯s suggestion, ¡°Go to sleep early. Don¡¯t be like your cousins, staying up until one or two in the morning.¡± ¡°Stay focused, rest well, tomorrow is the New Year¡¯s Eve feast, do your best. From now on, you¡¯ll be in charge of our family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve feast.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa,¡± Jiang Feng replied with exhration, like a kindergarten child awarded a hundred little red flowers by his teacher. An indescribable honor.
    Chapter 512: 510: Mutton Soup Chapter 512: Chapter 510: Mutton Soup The New Year¡¯s Eve dinner refers to the dinner on the Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve. Its significance lies in family reunion and celebrating the New Year together, usually apanied by staying upte and giving out red packets, among various other celebratory activities. Before Jiang Feng was obliged to help Sir in the kitchen, spending time before the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner mostly meant idling away the hours in his room. This was how most of the Jiang family members spent New Year¡¯s Eve. It could be said that, for the Jiang family members, New Year¡¯s Eve only came alive at the moment the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner began. The time before dinner was like a tasteless ck-and-white print, with everyone idly waiting to eat, neither allowed in the kitchen nor willing to snack on anything else¡ªjust enduring hunger and biding time, waiting for thest and most splendid moment of the year to arrive. But that was the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner of past years. As the saying goes, your experience shapes your perspective. When Jiang Feng was merely someone with a ticket to the feast, he thought all of this was reasonable. But when he became the referee holding the whistle, his feelings were totally different. While busy working in the kitchen, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t help thinking, ¡°Grandpa and I work so hard in the kitchen, while you all do nothing, just eagerly waiting outside, hungry, for the meal to be ready¡­¡± It was indeed¡­ too awesome. The feeling of holding the entire family¡¯s dining fate in his hands was just too awesome! Jiang Feng was chopping the mutton, which had been cleaned of blood vessels and lymph from the skin, and he was secretly thrilled. At that moment, he deeply understood why Sir had never allowed anyone in the kitchen on New Year¡¯s Eve, and even sticking one¡¯s head around the corner could earn a scolding.
    Having total control over the family¡¯s meal menu, what I make is what you eat, what I create is what you praise. Everyone strategically maneuvering, meticulously nning, feinting and strategizing¡ªall to fathom the chef¡¯s intentions. It was this sense of absolute authority and monarchic power that felt just too awesome! Jiang Feng might still be just a great-grandson cutting mutton, but he was already feeling the scorching thrill of the throne. ¡°Feng, check if the meat in the pot is ready. If it is, take it out,¡± Sirmanded. ¡°Yes, Grandpa,¡± Jiang Great Grandson put down the cleaver and went to check the pot. Morshock¡¯s final product was 16 soup-based dishes, all usingmb offal as the main ingredient, but each dish used a different cooking technique. Just fromst night alone, Sir led Jiang Feng in making the stuffed tripe, which resulted in 5 or 6 different dishes, exploring frying, saut¨¦ing, boiling, and steaming¡ªthough they all ended up as soupy dishes. Jiang Feng¡¯s task for the morning, besides watching over themb soup in the pot, was to assist Sir in making Morshock. He helped in everything from slicing to marinating to coating. The first thing Jiang Feng did when he arrived in the kitchen that morning was to stewmb soup. Lamb soup doesn¡¯t need too many seasonings, just mincedmb bones and meat with a little salt and simple spices. For the first hour in the kitchen, Jiang Feng primarily skimmed scum from themb soup. Only after confirming there was no problem with the soup did he go to help Sir handle themb offal for the Morshock. Hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, kidneys¡ªthese offal ingredients usually overlooked by people, became exquisite under Sir¡¯s hands. Sliced, shredded, chunked, diced,plemented with vegetables, andmb broth, the original ingredients transformed in the original soup. Thesemb offal dishes were neatly ted, skillfully arranged, shedding the preconceived notions of unpleasant and strong offal odor and moving closer to the word ¡°delicious.¡± Sir, having served as a state-owned chef for many years, had undertaken quite a few banquets, especially after Mrs. Jiang bore him five strapping boys. Under the substantial burden of raising sons, Sir had no choice but to start taking on extra work. Therefore, he had an extraordinary ability to control the timing of serving dishes. Even though there were many dishes and tools, Sir organized everything in an orderly manner. He was not only able to precisely n his own time but also Jiang Feng¡¯s, showing a clear mastery of the situation. For the entire morning, Jiang Feng and Sir were dealing withmb. Closer to noon, after a whole morning of bustle, Sir finally took a break. Showing a trace of fatigue, he rubbed his back but did not forget to instruct Jiang Feng, ¡°Feng, check on themb soup in the pot, will you?¡± Jiang Feng obediently went to check on themb soup. Stewingmb soup isn¡¯t like making ordinary pork rib soup; it¡¯s a technical task. A skilled cook can make an inexpensive but delicious dish just by usingmb meat, bones, and offal. For the unskilled, like Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s friend Pan Ling, whether the soup turns out to be poison or a biological weapon depends on her mood. Jiang Feng lifted the pot lid¡ª themb soup had started to turn white and there was a faint mutton smell. Jiang Feng wasn¡¯t skilled enough to makemb soup without any mutton smell, but there were ways to enjoy the soup with or without the mutton vor. Some people detest it, while others believe that without it, it¡¯s not goodmb. As they say, different strokes for different folks. But in the Jiang Family, what the chef makes is what you eat, whether you prefer radishes or cabbage. To make the soup turn white, apart from adding milk, is to use bones.
    Jiang Feng stirred themb soup with a spoon, skimming off the tiny bit of scum on the surface. ¡°Grandpa, themb soup has started to turn white,¡± Jiang Feng reported. Sir nodded, ¡°It should be ready by evening. Did you finish chopping themb filling?¡± ¡°I finished it. We didn¡¯t have enough scallions, so I made two kinds of dumpling fillings, one with scallions andmb, and the other with radish andmb.¡±
    Sir was the first to leave the kitchen, ¡°Let¡¯s go, take a break outside. Call your dad and your eldest uncle to knead the dough. Let your grandma lead them in the living room to make dumplings this afternoon.¡± ¡°Right away, Grandpa!¡± Jiang Feng went out to deliver the decree. Since this year Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing were under no pressure to study for exams, they naturally didn¡¯t study much, which also meant that the several cousins, including Jiang Feng, didn¡¯t have to be dragged by the two heavyweight younger cousins to tutor them with their homework. Therefore, this year, everyone didn¡¯t scatter and hole up in their rooms but gathered in the living room. Some yed on their phones, some watched TV, and some bragged and boasted. This group behavior greatly facilitated the decree-delivering Jiang Feng, who didn¡¯t have to notify everyone individually but just had to speak once. Originally, Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jianguo, who were sitting in the living room facing each other and bragging, didn¡¯t show much reaction after stopping and cheerily went to knead the dough after receiving the orders. On the other hand, Jiang Shoucheng, who was always known for his cunning and shrewdness, sensed something unusual after hearing Sir¡¯smand. In the past, the Jiang family would gather to make dumplings on the first and second day of the new year. Starting to make dumplings on New Year¡¯s Eve was indeed unprecedented. Jiang Shoucheng quietly put down his phone and asked tentatively, ¡°Little brother, why are we making dumplings so early this year?¡± ¡°Grandpa said there aren¡¯t many fancy dishes for this year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, and he worries that everyone won¡¯t be full, so he suggested making mutton dumplings. If anyone isn¡¯t full, they can boil the dumplings and pour some mutton soup over them,¡± Jiang Feng exined, ¡°And yesterday, Old Madam Li and her family especially brought pork for us. Grandpa means to send a bowl over to their home after cooking the dumplings tonight, as dumplings taste better eaten fresh and hot.¡± No! Fancy! Dishes! All Jiang family members, except for Mrs. Jiang, couldn¡¯t help but shiver, and Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jianguo unconsciously stopped in their tracks. At this moment, the princes and grandsons of the Jiang family disyed all of their acting skills, even Jiang Ran, who had been criticized for his bad actingst year, managed to control his facial expression remarkably well. ¡°Mutton dumplings are good, mutton dumplings are delicious. Little brother, what dishes is Grandpa preparing for tonight?¡± Although Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s heart was racing, he didn¡¯t show it at all and probed without betraying his emotions.
    Trying to trick me? Trying to cheat in tonight¡¯s literary battle? Jiang Feng keenly sensed Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s true intention, gave him a look, yet didn¡¯t think it was about cheating. If he wanted to cheat, there would be no need to ask such an outright question in front of everyone. Jiang Feng hesitated, not sure of Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s real intention, and could only vaguely say, ¡°Just the full mutton feast Grandpa mentioned, with mutton dishes as the main, right?¡± ¡°Are there any fancy dishes?¡± Jiang Shoucheng probed even more tantly. ¡°Fancy dishes are just the same old few, like the pig¡¯s knuckles and such. Grandpa said there¡¯s not enough pork this year, so we won¡¯t make steamed pork with preserved vegetables,¡± Jiang Feng said. Seeing Jiang Shoucheng still staring at him, he could only throw out two incorrect options, ¡°And since mutton dishes are troublesome to make, and I¡¯m not good at them, Grandpa will have to make them alone. We definitely won¡¯t have dishes like roastedmb ribs ormb legs.¡± Fearing that if he stayed in the living room any longer, he¡¯d be tricked into saying more by Jiang Shoucheng, Jiang Feng left them with, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a half-hour nap,¡± before slipping back to his room. He left behind a living room full of Jiang family members in utter chaos. ¡°What do we do, what do we do, Little Brother said this year we won¡¯t even have roastedmb ribs ormb legs for New Year¡¯s!¡± Jiang Junlian, who was younger in age, couldn¡¯t contain her impatience and blurted out, her math final failure hadn¡¯t even made her this anxious. But then again, failing a math exam was not something worth getting anxious about for Jiang Junlian. After all, she was still at the high school level where failing didn¡¯t require make-up exams or retaking the course. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, De, why did you have to buy a sheep of all things? Mutton is so difficult to prepare, and you know very well that grandpa is getting on in years, yet you still let him strain so much. Grandpa is alone, how could he possibly make so many dishes, and Little Brother doesn¡¯t know how to cook mutton dishes,¡± Jiang Shoucheng was quick to pass the me. ¡°Yeah, De, it¡¯s really due to yourck of consideration. Before buying the sheep, you should have considered whether Grandpa¡¯s old age would allow him to cook it, you didn¡¯t think about Grandpa¡¯s health at all,¡± Jiang Jianguo chimed in, his words showed no trace of familial affection.
    ¡°De, as someone who¡¯s getting on in years and almost at the age to get married, your dad was already two when he was your age. You should think carefully about the consequences before you do something in the future,¡± Jiang Jianshe spoke seriously and with concern. Jiang Zaide: ???n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Was it just because he was a bit slow in passing the me that everything got dumped on him? ¡°Enough, is it that big a deal not having roastedmb ribs ormb legs? Jianguo, Jiankang, aren¡¯t you two going to knead the dough yet? We¡¯ve got so many people waiting to wrap dumplings,¡± Mrs. Jiang spoke up, smiling as she handed a bunch of sunflower seeds to Jiang Junlian, ¡°Junlian, don¡¯t fret, when has your grandpa ever let you go hungry?¡± ¡°Feng already said we¡¯re having a full mutton feast this year. Who decreed that a full mutton feast must include roastedmb ribs or legs? There are plenty of good things¡ªit¡¯s nonsensical for you lot to fixate on these two pieces of meat. So what if we miss out on a bit of pork? Just look at how spineless you all are.¡± Mrs. Jiang looked at her sons and grandsons with disdain, and finally sent an approving nce towards the always unfazed eldest daughter-inw, ¡°Learn a bit from the eldest daughter-inw.¡± ¡°Feng, that boy, can¡¯t keep his mouth shut, blurting out everything. Junlian, didn¡¯t you just say you wanted to show grandma your final exam essay? Come on, bring your test paper to let me see how well our Junlian has written,¡± Mrs. Jiang defused a pointlessmotion with just a few words. Chapter 513: 511: The Essence of the Elbow Chapter 513: Chapter 511: The Essence of the Elbow Jiang Feng took a half-hour nap, and when his phone rm woke him, he was rather groggy. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t tell if he was waking up from a nap or from a night¡¯s sleep; everything that happened before he fell asleep felt like a dream. It was as if he¡¯d dreamt of being busy in the kitchen all morning. When Jiang Feng, sleepy-eyed, came out of his room rubbing his eyes, and saw the Jiang Family members busily making dumplings in the living room, he confirmed everything had indeed happened and wasn¡¯t just a dream. Making dumplings was probably the most harmonious and popr activity for the entire Jiang Family, other than eating. It was a magical event that even Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the sisters who usually shirked chores, would participate in with great enthusiasm. ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re awake! Come and help us make dumplings, we¡¯ve got two big bowls of filling here!¡± Jiang Junlian¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Fenging out, and she immediately started conscripting more hands. In ordinary households, the bowls used for dumpling fillings are about the size of a washbasin; in the Jiang Family, they¡¯re the size of a bathtub. Jiang Feng had chopped fillings all morning not for nothing; his efforts ensured that every member of the Jiang Family could take part in this year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner and enjoy the fruits of theirbor. Before Jiang Feng could reply, Jiang Zaidi pped Jiang Junlian on the back, a reproachful look on his face, ¡°Junlian, what are you causing a fuss about? Your brother is going to cook New Year¡¯s Eve dinner in a bit, he doesn¡¯t have time to make dumplings.¡± ¡°Exactly, exactly, Junlian, what are you talking about? We have enough people making dumplings without needing your brother¡¯s help.¡± Jiang Ran chimed in immediately. ¡°Right, sister, that was thoughtless of you to say.¡± Jiang Junqing turned traitor on the spot.
    Jiang Junlian, not yet adjusted to Jiang Feng¡¯s sudden switch frompetitor to judge: ¡­ ¡°Oh dear, little brother, look at my memory. Ipletely forgot that you¡¯re helping grandpa with the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner this year. I just remembered you don¡¯t like green onions, and I forgot about the real business. I just made a lot of dumplings withmb and radish filling; look, I made all these. They¡¯re big, round, and pretty. You have to eat more of the ones I madeter, I made them especially for you!¡± Jiang Junlianunched her ability to say the right thing to the right person. Jiang Feng: ???n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Was this the cousin with whom he could only maintain a distant rtionship, dreaming of mustering the courage to pick a definitive fight with her at midnight? It was as if a devil had suddenly torn off her disguise, revealing the true form of an angel. In fact, judging by her figure, Jiang Junlian was closer to the angel stereotype. ¡°By the way, little brother, do you want a drink?¡± Jiang Junlian put down the dumpling she had just finished making, stuck her chopsticks into the filling, with the flour from making dumplings still between her fingers, in her palm, and under her fingernails. ¡°I still have a bottle of that peach-vored drink Uncle sent mest month. It¡¯s really tasty; I¡¯ll go get it for you!¡± said Jiang Junlian, about to go back to her room for the drink. ¡°Weren¡¯t you telling me yesterday that you had finished all your drinks?¡± Jiang Junqing eximed in surprise, her face full of disbelief. Ignoring Jiang Junqing¡¯s mocking tone, Jiang Junlian blinked away and returned with a bottle of pink, pretty, girl-styled beverage in hand. Jiang Feng awkwardly epted the beverage, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchen.¡± With greased heels, he slipped away. Jiang Feng feared that if he lingered in the hall any longer, he might get lost in Jiang Junlian¡¯s sugary bombardments andpliments. Plus, he had just noticed that both De and Cheng seemed a bit too eager. He had never felt the allure of the Jiang Family¡¯s throne so clearly and powerfully before. Hot, tempting, under the spotlight, sparkling. Even within his grasp. Holding the drink bottle, Jiang Feng arrived at the kitchen door, took a deep breath, and nced at the pink packaging of the beverage. This drink was a privilege he could never have imagined having before. It was also something no member of the Jiang Family could have had before because Sir didn¡¯t drink beverages.
    But today, Jiang Junlian had personally handed him this bottle of drink. He, Jiang Feng, must be the man at the top of the Jiang Family¡¯s culinary chain! One day, he would sessfully usurp the position and prepare the New Year¡¯s Eve feast for all members of the Jiang Family, reaping all the praise and brown-nosing. With this unprecedented ambition, Jiang Feng stepped into the kitchen.
    ¡°Arrived? Check how the pork knuckle has soaked, and if there¡¯s no issue, deal with it. Think about what dishes you¡¯ll make next,¡± Sir said without even lifting his head. Even though Sir didn¡¯t look up, Jiang Feng still offered his most sincere and brilliant smile, ¡°Grandfather, what kind of pork knuckle do you think is good for this year? It¡¯s my first year cooking it, so I don¡¯t have any experience.¡± ¡°Make whatever you¡¯re good at. If it¡¯s done well, then go and gut the ck fish. Keep it brisk and don¡¯t waste time,¡± Sir instructed. ¡°Yes, Grandfather,¡± Jiang Feng went to fetch the pork knuckle from the water. When it came to making pork knuckle, Jiang Feng¡¯s first thought was definitely the Dongpo pork knuckle. Not the authentic Dongpo pork knuckle, but Jiang Jiankang¡¯s bastardized version that was barely recognizable, yet still shamelessly rode on the coattails of the original¡¯s fame. Chen Xiuxiu¡¯s grandmother¡¯s pigs were well-raised, with a proper ratio of fat to lean. The front trotters were robust, indicating, just from the hooves, that the pig must have been a good one in life. Yet, the butcher squandered such a fine pig with his sub-par skills. If the blood wasn¡¯t drained thoroughly, the pork would have an off taste. When Jiang Feng retrieved the pork knuckle from the basin, it had been soaking for nearly 24 hours, even having the water changed several times. Among all the pork knuckles that had ever graced the Jiang Family¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner table, this was undoubtedly VIP treatment. The pork knuckle made by Jiang Jiankang featured rich sauce with a hint of sweetness, vorplementing texture, demanding to melt in the mouth, and the meat easily separating from the skin with a gentle poke of the chopsticks. The sensation of the fat melting instantly in one¡¯s mouth was the essence of the pork knuckle made by Jiang Jiankang. As the sole son of Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Feng had eaten his father¡¯s special pork knuckle for many years. He knew its exquisite qualities and understood that such delicacy required a lengthy, slow cooking process. Checking the time, Jiang Feng realized he could make it if he was deft with his hands. Without further thought, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He first ced the cleaned pork knuckle into a pot of clear water, brought it to a boil on high heat to remove any remaining blood, then quickly changed the water. He poured oil into the pot and saut¨¦ed ginger, garlic, and green onions until aromatic before adding other spices to fry.
    Until the pork knuckle was ced into the y pot to simmer, Jiang Feng was racing against time, fearing any dy that would prevent achieving the desired melt-in-your-mouth texture. Sir focused on cooking his own dishes the entire time yet seemed to have eyes on top of his head, fully aware of Jiang Feng¡¯s progress. He spoke only when Jiang Feng covered the y pot, ¡°Don¡¯t stop, go gut the fish.¡± ¡°When you truly be the head chef, you¡¯ll realize time is never enough. Even if you grew an extra ten pairs of hands, you wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up, so rushing is pointless,¡± Sir said. Jiang Feng slowed down his motions. ¡°Slowing down is even worse.¡± Jiang Feng silently sped up again. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, all those extra years of educationpared to our time, and I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯ve learned. I¡¯ve told your dad multiple times, out of you and all your cousins, you¡¯re the only one with some talent. Don¡¯t waste your time on that ¡®Optoelectronics¡¯ and focus on cooking. Tell me, what use is what you¡¯re studying?¡± Sir began his usualining, although he had actually beenining less about Jiang Feng¡¯s majortely, perhaps due to having other things on his mind. Jiang Feng really wanted to cheekily engage Sir in a deep discussion on analyzing the status of a kitchen apprentice cook from the perspective of fiber optic transmission, but he immediately squashed that thought, remembering Sir still had a knife in hand. ¡°To be the head chef, cooking skills are only part of it. Knowing how to delegate is the real difficult lesson,¡± Sir said, ¡°Go check the fire under the stove. If it¡¯s not hot enough, add a couple more logs.¡± Sir, holding the prepared sausages, walked to the stove and began pouring oil into the pot, ¡°But when ites to cooking skills, you¡¯re indeed doing well now, you¡¯ve improved a lot, far beyond my expectations. However, in terms of delegation, not only is Wu stronger than you, but even that Sun Family boy is better.¡± ¡°Delegation?¡± Jiang Feng paused while gutting the fish. ¡°When have you ever seen Wu doing prep work or acting as the kitchen assistant during business hours? Everyone has their role; being overwhelmed means they¡¯re the ones with issues. If you¡¯re the head chef, what you need to do is delegate and solve problems, not lend a hand. You must have a sense of bnce in your heart, knowing what to do at what time. Slice the fish now; bring it here after you¡¯re done,¡± Sir instructed. ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Feng began slicing the fish.
    ¡°Talking about these things might be premature, but you need to start learning. Pay more attention to what I and your Granduncle Weiming do in the kitchen. Don¡¯t just goof around like your dad, only knowing how to ck off. After the New Year, go dismantle that rack; it¡¯s irritating just to look at it. Sneaking behind it to loaf around all day, as if others can¡¯t see such a big guy,¡± Sir said with a look of disdain. Jiang Feng: ¡­ Mr. Jiang Jiankang, you are truly an expert at throwing your son under the bus! Chapter 514: 512 Honey Glazed Grilled Lamb Chops Chapter 514: Chapter 512 Honey zed Grilled Lamb Chops Time: Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve, 4:57 p.m. Location: Sir¡¯s living room. Characters: All the Jiang Family members, except for Jiang Feng and Sir. Event: Discussing what to eat tonight. The Jiang Family members were all adept at making dumplings, not only eating them quickly but also wrapping them swiftly, maintaining a self-sufficient small farm economy over the years. What seemed likerge basins of dumpling filling would only take a few hours to wrap with everyone working together. Just recently, they smelled a wonderfully strange aroma. The scent wafted from the kitchen, through the courtyard, diluted somewhat by the howling cold wind, before reaching the living room and being detected by the Jiang Family members¡ªdiminished but no less enchanting. It was the fresh scent of mutton, carrying a hint of gaminess that didn¡¯t mar the overall pleasure but rather enhanced it. The aroma was mutton yet more than mutton, intertwined with misceneous fragrances that weren¡¯t like spices or vegetables, leaving even Jiang Jianguo, the family¡¯s most skilled at identifying dishes by smell, unable to discern what it was exactly. In short, it was an unprecedented and wonderful aroma. ¡°Dad, have you figured out what dish it is?¡± Unable to identify it himself, Jiang Zaidi sought help within the room.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
    Jiang Jianguo furrowed his brow and turned to look at Jiang Jiankang, who shook his head toward Jiang Jianguo. Without a word exchanged between the brothers, everything was understood. Jiang Jianye, a frequent loafer in the field of culinary sniffing, pretended to ponder and dered, ¡°Seems like this year¡¯s culinary contest won¡¯t be easy.¡± Jiang Zaidi: ¡­ Jiang Zaidi realized that his father wasn¡¯t reliable at the crucial moment and that he had to rely on himself. Taking a deep breath and preparing to analyze the aromaticponents himself, he was surprised to find that the smell had vanished. In the kitchen, Jiang Feng followed Sir¡¯s instructions to ce sixteen pots of Morshock on the stove, stacking them like steaming buns to keep them warm. Whatever preparation methods were used during the course of making this mutton offal dish, they all converged in the end: Pour the mutton soup and slowly simmer on low heat. If Jiang Zaidi stepped into the courtyard and moved closer to the kitchen, he would understand that the wonderful scent everyone had smelled was actually abination of various dishes¡ªthe stewed knuckle in the y pot, the broth in the big pot, the Morshock in the steamer, and themb chops Sir was smoking. With so many fragrances mixed together, even deities would be challenged to distinguish them. The honey-zedmb chops were an impromptu addition by Sir. After all, what was abundant in a rural stove was the always-burning firewood, easily rigged into a makeshift barbecue grill. Sir meticulously managed the fire control and turned the pre-chopped, marinatedmb chops brushed with honey water as they slowly roasted over low heat. Jiang Feng watchedyer uponyer of honey water being brushed on themb chops; part of it bubbled with the sizzling fat, while the rest seeped into the meat under the influence of the heat. The high temperature gradually cooked the meat, changing its color from the inside out, from raw to cooked, with the sizzling sound filling the entire kitchen. At 6 PM, themb chops were ready. As is well known, barbecue-style food should be eaten hot. Jiang Feng decided to lead by example and taste test the seasoning for everyone. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll try it first,¡± Jiang Feng picked up amb chop. Sir didn¡¯t object, which was akin to approval. Themb chops that were roasted first had been sitting for a while but had not cooled down due to the high temperature near the heat source; they were just at the right temperature. Since themb had been pre-marinated, Sir had not brushed anything on it except honey water during roasting. Up close, it was the aroma of roasted meat. The exterior was crispy, the inside tender. It only took two bites for amb chop to be devoured. After eating one, Jiang Feng was still not quite satisfied and went on to eat three more until his mouth was filled with the taste ofmb. Even as his tongue swept over the surface of his teeth, he could taste the remnants of the honey-zedmb chops. ¡°Once you¡¯re done eating, take the rest out to them;mb chops should be eaten while they¡¯re hot,¡± said Sir. Jiang Feng picked up the basin holding themb chops, and incidentally, the Jiangs didn¡¯tck anything except pots and pans; as long as you wished, you could find any desired bowls and basins from various ces.
    ¡°Grandpa, aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Jiang Feng asked out of filial concern. ¡°No,¡± Sir replied, ¡°bring back some dumplingster and cook them. After the dumplings go into the pot, start preparing the crispy apples. We¡¯ll have dinner early this year.¡± ¡°Alright, Grandpa!¡± Jiang Feng went out with the basin. As soon as Jiang Feng stepped out of the kitchen with a basin of freshly roasted honey-zedmb chops, the Jiang Family members in the living room, who were looking at the dumplings to stave off hunger, caught the scent.
    One by one, they instantly sat up from their near-death stupor, like fat zombies catching a whiff of humans. ¡°What¡¯s that smell? It¡¯s so good!¡± Jiang Zaidi¡¯s food-sniffing radar started beeping. ¡°Lamb chops, definitelymb chops, and they¡¯re honey-zed! Themb chops I had during my final exam smelled just like this!¡± eximed Jiang Junlian. ¡°Junlian, you must be mistaken. Your brother said your grandpa isn¡¯t makingmb chops and roast legs this year,¡± Jiang Jianshe started to pour cold water on his daughter¡¯s excitement. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a mistake,¡± Jiang Ran, the first to flip-flop in the family, agreed. Jiang Junlian red at Jiang Ran, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely honey-zedmb chops! I purposely went to eat them during my finals; it¡¯s the exact same aroma!¡± Just as the sibling rivalry was about to erupt, Jiang Feng entered the living room with the basin, and all eyes fell on the basin in Jiang Feng¡¯s arms. Although Sir roasted quite a fewmb ribs, given the number of Jiang Family Members, the most each person could get was only two if they were divided equally. ¡°Honey-zedmb ribs. Grandpa just made them, said they¡¯re best eaten hot, so he asked me to bring them out first. And Grandma, Grandpa said we might have dinner a bit early today,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Yay, I guessed right! Dad, Grandma, Big Uncle, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, does this count as me guessing one of the dishes right?¡± Jiang Junlian said excitedly as she jumped up from her chair, quickly grabbing arge rib from the bowl as she did. ¡°Of course it counts, Junlian is really impressive,¡± Mrs. Jiang said with a smile. ¡°Impressive indeed,¡± Jiang Zaidi said while gnawing on a rib, eyeing the bowl intently, embodying the phrase ¡®to eat what¡¯s in hand while eyeing what¡¯s in the pot,¡¯ ¡°Grandpa¡¯s roasted ribs are really delicious.¡± After a day of hunger, the first bite of food was steaming hotmb ribs gleaming with oil, rich in fat and protein. The feeling of happiness and satisfaction was self-evident.
    ¡°Feng, you¡¯ve been busy all day too, you must be exhausted,¡± Mrs. Jiang said, not joining the major event of eating ribs due to her poor teeth. ¡°Grandma, Grandpa asked me to bring over some dumplings,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°Sure thing, Feng, wait a moment. Gran will pick them out, this side has leek fillings and the other side has radish fillings, don¡¯t mix them up,¡± Mrs. Jiang said, getting up to fetch dumplings for Jiang Feng, ¡°I¡¯ll help you carry them over.¡± ¡°When you deliver the dumplingster, give Old Madam Li more dumplings with leek filling, she loves that,¡± Mrs. Jiang instructed, ¡°How¡¯s Grandpa doing? He¡¯s been busy all day, hope he hasn¡¯t tired himself out?¡± ¡°Grandpa¡¯s fine. I did most of the heavy lifting; he isn¡¯t tired,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°That¡¯s good, oh my it¡¯s cold now, and my old bones cannot stand this weather. I need to drink two bowls ofmb soup to warm up. Is themb soup ready?¡± Mrs. Jiang said, walking quickly while holding the dumplings. ¡°It¡¯s ready, the Morshock is cooked too; they¡¯re keeping warm in the pots,¡± Jiang Feng quickly said, keeping pace with Mrs. Jiang. ¡°What else is ready?¡± Mrs. Jiang asked. Jiang Feng found it a bit strange but still truthfully answered, ¡°That¡¯s all, the pork knuckle is still stewing in the casserole, the Sweet and Sour Yam and Crispy Apple have not been started yet, Grandpa should be getting ready to make Garlic Braised ck Fish right now.¡± ¡°No vegetarian dishes?¡± Mrs. Jiang frowned, ¡°How can we have a meal with only fish and meat, no veggies?¡± ¡°There are vegetarian dishes. The Smashed Cucumbers and Mixed Radish Strips are vegetarian,¡± Jiang Feng exined. Mrs. Jiang nodded in satisfaction, ¡°That¡¯s more like it, we need some veggies. Isn¡¯t there also some leafy greens? Feng, you fry up some greenster. Eating too muchmb can be too rich.¡± After saying this, Mrs. Jiang carried the bowl into the kitchen.
    To Jiang Feng¡¯s surprise, Sir was not preparing ingredients for the Garlic Braised ck Fish; he was cutting apples. ¡°I¡¯ll make the Crispy Apples; you start on the Sweet and Sour Yam after you finish boiling the dumplings,¡± Sir said. Mrs. Jiang, familiar with the process, put down the dumplings and quickly scooped up a bowl ofmb soup before standing by the steamer without moving, sipping the soup and watching the steamer. ¡°Old man, which bowl is tastier?¡± Mrs. Jiang asked. ¡°The one with the blue rim. It¡¯s stuffed sausage that¡¯s been pan-fried, with added onions and cabbage, should be about ready now,¡± Sir replied. Mrs. Jiang began skillfully scooping the dish. Jiang Feng, who was boiling dumplings, was puzzled: ??? ¡°Feng, make sure to cut the yam into smaller pieces, your Grandmother¡¯s teeth aren¡¯t so great, too big and I can¡¯t chew them,¡± Mrs. Jiang said, eating the sausage. Jiang Feng: ??? Was it really an issue of size? After all, the honorable yet arduous task of serving Crispy Apples these years had fallen to Mrs. Jiang because her poor teeth supposedly prevented her from snacking on them and made everyone ept this arrangement. However, looking at things now, it seemed Mrs. Jiang was much more adept at sneaking snacks than anyone else. Jiang Feng tried hard to recall and realized that when he was cooking Sweet and Sour Yam in the past, Mrs. Jiang did eat some, although sparingly and with apparent effort, which always seemed consistent with her story of having bad teeth, so no one had ever doubted her for a long time.
    ¡°So¡­ Grandma, you¡­ you can chew Crispy Apples?¡± Jiang Feng asked soulfully. Mrs. Jiang¡¯s practiced movements led him to believe she was an old hand at this, and he absolutely couldn¡¯t believe it wasn¡¯t so. Who could have guessed that the most skilled at sneak eating in the Jiang family would be Mrs. Jiang! ¡°I can chew them just fine; it¡¯s only an apple, what¡¯s there to chew? Although I have bad teeth, they¡¯re not that bad,¡± Mrs. Jiang said smilingly, once again looking at the steamer, ¡°Old man, which other bowl is tasty?¡± ¡°Your Grandma doesn¡¯t eat apples,¡± Sir said, ¡°Try the one in the middle.¡± ¡°Feng, remember to cut them into smaller pieces,¡± Mrs. Jiang said with a smile, looking as if she were ordering a dish. Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­Yes, Grandma.¡± Chapter 515: 513: Delivering Dumplings (Request for Monthly Pass!) Chapter 515: Chapter 513: Delivering Dumplings (Request for Monthly Pass!) The Sweet and Sour Yam must be considered the A-grade dish that Jiang Feng was most skilled at making. Since receiving the recipest New Year, in the span of this year, Jiang Feng had made it at least a thousand times. He even used the Sweet and Sour Yam to stage a dramaticeback and defeat Wu Minqi in the Good Taste Culinary Competition, andter, he used it to Stand Firm in Taifeng Building. It could be said that the Sweet and Sour Yam held a special significance for Jiang Feng, marking the beginning of his meteoric rise. But for Mrs. Jiang, this dish, made cloyingly sweet by the addition of romance, was a bit nd. ¡°Smaller pieces, even smaller, yes, just this size. If the pieces are too big, it¡¯s inconvenient for your grandma to bite,¡± Mrs. Jiang directed while nibbling on cold shredded radish sd. Jiang Feng swore that this was probably the smallest he had ever cut the yam. ¡°Right, Feng, add more sugar when you make it. Grandma¡¯s health is all good so don¡¯t worry about eating too much sugar being bad for me. Add more, it¡¯s tasteless otherwise,¡± Mrs. Jiang said. Jiang Feng immediately thought of the double sweetness Sweet and Sour Yam that Jiang Huiqin had specially made for Old Madam Li Mingyi on New Year¡¯s Eve. ¡°Grandma, would you like me to make a small portion just for you?¡± Jiang Feng offered. ¡°Oh, that would be too much trouble, just half a te will do. You really are a filial and good child, Feng,¡± Mrs. Jiang responded with a wide smile. ¡°Grandma will make you pancakes tomorrow morning.¡±
    ¡°Thank you, Grandma.¡± A few minutester, Mrs. Jiang, with a small te of Sweet and Sour Yam, sat contentedly by the steamer, gently blowing on it and eating the yam in small bites, while half a bowl of hot, whitish mutton soup sat steaming on the table. ¡°Feng,¡± Sir called Jiang Feng over, ¡°tell your grandma to eat less, dinner is starting soon and we don¡¯t want her to fill up now. At her age, if she¡¯s caught snacking in the kitchen, it would be embarrassing if it got out.¡± Upon receiving the order, Feng ran over to Mrs. Jiang, but before he could speak, she said, ¡°Feng, smash half a cucumber for Grandma, less vinegar, please.¡± ¡°Of course, Grandma!¡± Another ten minutes passed, and as Sir¡¯s crispy apple dish came out of the pot, Mrs. Jiang had finished the food on her te and bowl, and got up satisfied and ready to work. ¡°Eat less sweets, it¡¯s bad for the teeth,¡± Sir muttered to Mrs. Jiang. ¡°It¡¯s just this once. Anyway, my teeth aren¡¯t in good shape, so a little worse won¡¯t make much difference,¡± Mrs. Jiang replied as she picked up a te with cold dishes in one hand and strode out leisurely. She¡¯d have toe backter for the crispy apples, waiting for them to cool down a bit before serving. Fresh from the pot, they were not only too hot to eat but also too hot to carry. ¡°Feng, go see if the pork knuckle is ready. If it is, take it out of the pot and divide it into two tes. Once you¡¯ve divided it, portion out the Morshock too, then stir-fry two tes of green vegetables as your Grandma said, and finally, prepare the Sweet and Sour Yam,¡± Sir instructed. ¡°Okay, Grandpa.¡± Since there was only one pork knuckle to be divided into two portions, Jiang Feng had sliced it into two pieces beforehand, resulting in a somewhat irregr appearance. After several hours of simmering, the pork knuckle had fully absorbed the vors of the broth. Just as the knuckle was taken out of the pot and ted, Jiang Feng heard the game notification sound. ¡°Ding, participation in the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner has reached 40%.¡± While Sir was busy cooking garlic ckfish, Jiang Feng opened the attribute panel to check the progress of the quest. Perhaps because the Dongpo-style pork knuckle was a main dish, the participation rate jumped to 42%, leaving only the recognition of Jiang Family¡¯s dumplings by the various families toplete the [New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner] side quest. Jiang Feng finished dividing the dishes and checked the pot, the dumplings were ready. He spoke up, ¡°Grandpa, should I take the dumplings out and deliver them first to Old Madam Li and the other neighbors?¡± Sir nodded, ¡°Yes, you and Dede go ahead and deliver the dumplings. I¡¯ll stir fry the greens.¡± Meanwhile, the guessing game in the living room hade to an end. After Mrs. Jiang entered the kitchen, the oldest aunt led some sisters-inw in setting up the tables and dishes. Everyone returned to their seats and sat quietly, waiting for the most exciting moment of the year to arrive.
    As Jiang Feng lifted the lid of the casserole containing the pork knuckle, Jiang Jiankang in the living room shouted out in surprise, confirming it was his version of Dongpo pork knuckle before anyone else. After that, everyone tried their best, using trickery akin to picking the shortest of three long options and the longest of three short ones during exams, but no one guessed any dish correctly. There was no helping it; Morshock was simply off the sybus. Jiang Feng, carrying a basin of dumplings topped withmb broth, walked towards the living room, and everyone held their breath in anticipation upon hearing his footsteps.
    ¡°There¡¯s the smell ofmb broth, I told you there had to bemb broth!¡± Jiang Jianguo said, pping his thigh excitedly. ¡°Big brother, we already saidmb broth doesn¡¯t count. How can something so obvious be part of thepetition?¡± Jiang Jiandang raised an objection. ¡°That¡¯s right,mb broth doesn¡¯t count!¡± both Jiang Jianshe and Jiang Jianye said in unison. Jiang Feng appeared in front of everyone, and all eyes turned to the basin in his hand, only to find it was a basin of¡­ Eh, why was it a basin of dumplings? ¡°Grandpa said to serve the dumplings first, once they were ready, and to give a bowl to each family we gave pork to,¡± Jiang Feng said clearly, the mouthpiece conveying Sir¡¯s will. ¡°Older sister-inw, go get the bowls,¡± Mrs. Jiangmanded. ¡°Feng, are the dishes ready?¡± ¡°Almost, another ten minutes or so and we can start the meal,¡± said Jiang Feng. The oldest aunt took a stack of clean bowls from the cupboard, and Jiang Feng and the others began filling them with dumplings. They were all generous with the servings, stuffing the bowls until both soup and dumplings threatened to spill over. Piping hotmb broth with freshly boiledmb dumplings ¨C an unbeatablebination! After some discussion, since Jiang Feng still had to return to cook, he took responsibility for delivering to the nearest neighbors, Li Cuihua and Zhuzi. Because the bowls were filled to the brim and they feared spills, the bowls were covered with another bowl on top. Jiang Feng decided to make multiple trips, carrying only one bowl at a time since he did not have far to go. Holding the bowl, Jiang Feng trotted next door. Li Cuihua¡¯s household didn¡¯t have as many people as the Jiang family. It was unlikely that the daughters with their husbands and children would return for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, so it was rtively quiet there on New Year¡¯s Eve. When Jiang Feng entered with the dumplings, only Zhao Liang (Li Cuihua¡¯s grandson) was in the living room, and a few steamy dishes were on the dining table.
    ¡°Jiang Feng? Why are you here; hasn¡¯t your family started the meal yet?¡± Zhao Liang curiously asked, shifting his gaze from his mobile phone. ¡°It¡¯s almost ready. Today we mademb broth and dumplings at home. My grandpa sent me to bring a bowl for your family. Eat it while it¡¯s hot,¡± Jiang Feng ced the bowl on the table and uncovered it, revealing plump, round dumplings inside. The few dumplings on top must have been wrapped by either Jiang Junlian or Jiang Zaidi. They were so plump they were almost bursting, and anyone might believe them if you said they were buns. ¡°Wow,¡± Zhao Liang stared at the dumplings, his expression visibly stunned. ¡°Right, where is everyone from your family? This¡­¡± Before Jiang Feng could finish, he was interrupted by Li Cuihua. Li Cuihua, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen holding a spat¡ªthe kitchen in Li Cuihua¡¯s home was almost adjacent to the living room, just a few steps away. ¡°Liangliang, have your parentse back from pulling up radishes? If they¡¯re back, quickly wash the radishes and bring them over. I¡¯m still waiting on the radish¡­ Oh, it turns out to be Feng!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Pulling up radishes on New Year¡¯s Eve? What kind of peculiar New Year¡¯s Eve activity does the Zhao family have? ¡°My grandma just found out we don¡¯t have enough radishes, so my parents went to the field to pull some,¡± Zhao Liang exined. Jiang Feng immediately understood; he thought that it was odd when he had just stepped out the door and had seen two people in the vegetable field across the way¡ªhe had thought it was too dark and he was seeing things. Turns out it was Zhao Liang¡¯s parents out there, pulling up radishes in the dark.
    ¡°Old Madam Li, I¡¯m here to deliver some dumplings, just out of the pot and perfect to eat while they¡¯re hot,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. ¡°Oh my, Feng, you¡¯re so thoughtful, making a special trip to deliver dumplings on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± Li Cuihua was extremely enthusiastic, her hands fumbling all over as if trying to dig something out to give to Jiang Feng. ¡°That¡¯s right, Liangliang, grab a couple of handfuls of sugar-fried chestnuts for Feng. These chestnuts were specially picked by your Grandpa Zhao from the mountain a few days ago, very sweet. Liangliang, grab a few extra handfuls for Feng. When your parents are back, tell them to hurry and bring the radishes over to me.¡± Li Cuihua said to Jiang Feng somewhat apologetically while smiling, ¡°Feng, I still have dishes to cook, so I won¡¯t keep you chatting. Come over tomorrow for some snacks.¡± ¡°Thank you, Old Madam Li,¡± Jiang Feng sweetly said, mimicking Jiang Junlian¡¯s tone. He had discovered that most of the olderdies were quite taken by Jiang Junlian¡¯s way. Jiang Feng had delivered a bowl of dumplings and gained a pocket full of chestnuts. The moment he stepped out of Li Cuihua¡¯s house, he heard the familiar game prompt sound. ¡°Ding, received recognition from one family.¡± It seems Zhao Liang couldn¡¯t resist sneaking a taste. After returning, Jiang Feng shared half a pocket of chestnuts with his uncles and then went to deliver dumplings to the Zhuzi family. When he came back, he carried a bag of egg yolk pastries in his hand.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Jiang Feng, not particrly interested in egg yolk pastries, generously offered them up and snuck into the back kitchen to make Sweet and Sour Yam. The old man had finished his ¡°battle¡± and was holding a bowl of mutton soup, blowing on it gently as he sipped it slowly. The other bowl beside the old man betrayed that he had already had a meal. Jiang Feng: ¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you, Grandpa, to also steal¡­ No, that¡¯s not right, ¡°stealing¡± isn¡¯t the word you use among chefs.
    Tasting the food, yes, that¡¯s it. The old man was simply helping everyone out by taste-testing the saltiness. Taking advantage of the time the old man spent testing the saltiness of an entire bowl of mutton soup, Jiang Feng¡¯s Sweet and Sour Yam came out of the pot. While he was cooking the yam, the game prompted him a few more times. If he hadn¡¯t counted wrong, he only needed the recognition of one more family toplete the [New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner] side quest. Jiang Feng and the old man took turns bringing out the dishes. Jiang Zaidi and the others hadn¡¯t returned from delivering dumplings yet. With each dish presented, everyone was stunned once more. By the time the table was set, it was silent as a tomb, with all faces showing baffled expressions, an air of helplessness mixed with their puzzlement. Jiang Jianguo stared at the dishes arrayed on the table, deep in thought, beginning to doubt if he really was Jiang Weiguo¡¯s biological son. Howe I don¡¯t recognize a single dish that my own father made? The old man didn¡¯t sit down but asked while standing, ¡°Who guessed right?¡± ¡°Me, me, me, Dad, I guessed the pork knuckle by its smell!¡± Jiang Jiankang raised his hand to speak. ¡°And also Junlian, she identified the honey-roastedmb ribs by its smell earlier,¡± Jiang Jiandang added. The old man nodded his head and then turned back into the kitchen to bring out two small tes of stir-fried sheep¡¯s stomach. A modest pile, which could be devoured in three bites with Jiang Jiankang¡¯s mouth; the sheep¡¯s stomach was finely sliced and tantalizing, mixed with coriander and distinct strands of red chili pepper. It was probably made while Jiang Feng was out delivering dumplings, still steaming. ¡°We didn¡¯t make Nine Turns Intestine this year, consider this a reward,¡± the old man said with a hint of a smile, ¡°Junlian is good.¡± It was just too bad that the person being praised wasn¡¯t there, or else Jiang Junlian would probably throw herself at the old man¡¯s feet in agony, crying and shouting, ¡°Grandpa, really I was just guessing, I don¡¯t have the talent and am not suitable for cooking!¡± ¡°Dad, what dishes did you make today?¡± asked Jiang Jiankang, bolstered by his special reward. ¡°Morshock, it¡¯s part of a whole sheep feast, made from assorted sheep offal,¡± the old man took his seat. ¡°Thest time your dad made this dish was fifty years ago, specially for the fire-fighting heroes. Eat while it¡¯s warm, have a little more,¡± Mrs. Jiang said cheerily, ¡°Have Dede and the rest finished delivering?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just thest batch now,¡± the aunt replied. ¡°Then let¡¯s wait for them toe back to start the meal. We really worked them hard, sending them out in the cold to deliver dumplings,¡± Mrs. Jiang said with a smile, ¡°You worked hard today, Feng. If you¡¯re hungry, eat first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Grandma, I¡¯ll wait for De and the others,¡± Jiang Feng said. He had tasted plenty in the kitchen earlier and wasn¡¯t hungry at all. ¡°Ding, side quest [New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner]pleted, received quest reward [A Memory of Jiang Weiguo].¡± Just as the game prompt sound finished ying, Jiang Zaidi¡¯s booming voice came from outside. ¡°Grandma, we¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Good, you¡¯re back. Sit down and eat, your grandpa and Feng have prepared a whole table of dishes just waiting for you guys!¡± Jiang Zaidi and the others whirled in, quickly finding their seats. Dinner was starting. . PS: It¡¯s the end of the month, I¡¯m asking for monthly tickets! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 516: 514: Memories Attached to the Chocolate Wrapper Chapter 516: Chapter 514: Memories Attached to the Chocte Wrapper The Jiang Family¡¯s Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve dinner table was filled withughter and cheerful voices. Because dinner started early this year, there were many bowls and dishes, but just one Morshock took up 16 of them; honestly, the variety of dishes did notpare to previous years. Jiang Feng, having already tasted the vors in advance while in the kitchen, was not as enthusiastic as in previous years. For each dish, he just took a few light bites thenid down his chopsticks, scooping up a small half-bowl of dumplings to wrap things up. When Jiang Junlian, who was fiercely contending with her three older cousins over the pork knuckle, noticed Jiang Feng starting on the dumplings, she was so startled that the piece of knuckle she had just won fell onto her te, swiftly captured by Jiang Junqing¡¯s fast hands into his own bowl. ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re not eating anymore?¡± Jiang Junlian asked in surprise, her tone filled with concern. If Jiang Feng didn¡¯t remember how his pocket money had been squandered over the past few years, he would truly believe that this cousin in front of him was a rare gem of goodness. Jiang Junlian¡¯s survival amidst family elders and not being killed off all these years relied on her sweet-talking skills and ability to gauge the situation. If Jiang Ran needed to see which way the wind was blowing before adjusting his sails, Jiang Junlian did not even need to look ¡ª she was practically a meteorologist who could predict the wind¡¯s direction. ¡°After smellingmb all day, I just can¡¯t seem to eat much right now,¡± Jiang Feng said modestly. He obviously couldn¡¯t say that he had already eaten in the kitchen. ¡°Indeed, smelling too much mutton can make it hard to eat; shredded radish is refreshing. Little brother, you should eat more shredded radish,¡± Jiang Zaidi nodded and concurred.
    ¡°Yeah, little brother, eat more greens,¡± Jiang Shoucheng chimed in as he helped Jiang Feng to a big mouthful of vegetables. Jiang Feng: ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Little brother, eat these,¡± Jiang Junlian brought out a big handful of preserved plums from her pocket and ced them in front of Jiang Feng, each one plump and enticing. ¡°These were given to me by the vige chief. I only ate one on my way here. They¡¯re particrly delicious, sour and sweet. Little brother, you have these!¡± Jiang Feng looked at the greens in his bowl, then at the preserved plums on the table, and his eyes suddenly moistened. Where could he find such an amazing cousin? A cousin like this can¡¯t be found even with antern! Jiang Feng instantly forgot about all the pocket money that had vanished over the years. ¡°Junlian, what do you want to eat? Your big brother will make it for you tomorrow!¡± Jiang Feng said, moved and brimming with zeal, wishing he could rush into the kitchen and prepare a dish for Jiang Junlian right then. ¡°Big brother, I want to eat Sweet and Sour Yam while watching TV tomorrow afternoon!¡± ¡°Are six tes enough? Big brother will make six tes for you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, thank you, big brother! Oh, and I have some green tea-vored sunflower seeds in my room. I¡¯ll bring them out for us to share tomorrow afternoon!¡± Such a heartwarming scene of sibling affection.N?v(el)B\\jnn Totally outmaneuvered by Jiang Junlian¡¯s antics, Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng exchanged looks, realizing their earlier missteps, and hurriedly tried to make amends. ¡°Ah, little brother, it¡¯s my fault. What nonsense I was spouting. There¡¯s nothing enjoyable about shredded radish. Here, eat this beef jerky that Mr. Ma just gave me!¡± ¡°Yes, little brother, I wasn¡¯t thinking straight just now. Who eats greens during the New Year? Eat some pork jerky. This is the pork jerky Mr. Gao made himself!¡± ¡°Oh dear, little brother, I just remembered. When I went to Uncle Sanfuzi¡¯s ce, he gave me¡­¡± Brotherly love and respect. By the end of the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t eaten much of the dishes, but he had filled his stomach with plenty of snacks. Because dinner started early this year, the evening entertainment program had just begun by the time they were nearing the end of their meal. The Jiang family found it rare to watch the program with clear mouths, but everyone was ustomed to the unease of not nibbling on something during the show.
    Therefore, they casually snacked on this and that, and before they knew it, the coffee table was covered with sunflower seeds, peanuts, small cookies, various candies, and an assortment of meat snacks. Mrs. Jiang, due to her poor dentition which kept her from joining the challenging activity of eating sunflower seeds, grabbed a handful of candy and watched the show on TV with a contented, squinty smile. This year¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve dinner revealed Jiang Feng¡¯s most significant finding: Mr. Jiang Jiankang¡¯s penchant for sweets was likely inherited from Mrs. Jiang. Mrs. Jiang is generally silent when she eats, and if one doesn¡¯t pay close attention, it¡¯s hard to discern what and how much she has eaten. But, with careful observation like Jiang Feng¡¯s, one would discover that over 70% of what Mrs. Jiang consumes in a day is sweet.
    Before the meal, Mrs. Jiang had a small dish of double-sweetened Sweet and Sour Yam made especially for her by Jiang Feng. After the meal, despite her poor teeth, Mrs. Jiang bravely nibbled on threerge pieces of Sweet and Sour Yam. After dinner, she sat on the sofa with candy in her mouth, staring intently at the TV. Jiang Feng even suspected Mrs. Jiang¡¯s smile was not because of the enjoyable Spring Festival G but because of the delicious candy in her mouth. If he hadn¡¯t miscalcted earlier, Mrs. Jiang alone had consumed seven choctes in this short period of time. They say women are made of water; the Jiang Family women might be made of greasy water, but Mrs. Jiang is most likely made of sugar water. When Mrs. Jiang began eating her ninth chocte, Jiang Feng started to doubt whether her past weight gain was due to eating meat or instead from consuming sugar. Her poor dental health wasn¡¯t due to old age but rather cavities. How had he not noticed before that his grandmother loved sugar so much? Could it be because her acting skills were too good? Jiang Feng fell into deep contemtion, his gaze growing vacant. ¡°Feng, are you feeling sleepy?¡± Mrs. Jiang asked with a smile while stealthily popping the eleventh piece of chocte into her mouth. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sleepy, go have a shower and head to bed. You¡¯ve worked hard all day and deserve to rest now. Leave your uncle and the others to stay up for the midnight fireworks,¡± Mrs. Jiang said. ¡°No need, Grandma, I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Eh? Who ate all the chocte? Who ate all the chocte I just left here?¡± Jiang Junlian looked utterly baffled.
    Jiang Feng looked toward Mrs. Jiang, only to see her casually sweeping the candy wrappers from in front of her onto the floor, then she spoke, ¡°All the things were together. Maybe someone wasn¡¯t paying attention when they took them. If you want some chocte, Junlian, there¡¯s more in my room. Do you want me to get it for you?¡± ¡°No need, Grandma, I was just asking. I have more chocte in my room; I¡¯ll go get it,¡± Jiang Junlian replied with a sweet smile to Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Strange, who ate all the chocte? There were over a dozen pieces,¡± Jiang Junlian murmured to herself. Jiang Feng: ¡­ He knew why he had never noticed all these years that Mrs. Jiang loved sweets. He also knew why, despite the fact that Sir was such a stern, upright, and serious person, all the Jiang descendants loved to act. The real actors always blend seamlessly into the crowd. It¡¯s just that asionally there might be slight oversights, such as sweeping candy wrappers to the feet of the person next to you. Jiang Feng quietly bent down and picked up two chocte wrappers that Mrs. Jiang had just swept to his feet. He crushed them in his hand to destroy the evidence. ¡°Ding, you have obtained [A Segment of Zhao LanHua¡¯s Memory].¡± Zhao LanHua? Who is Zhao LanHua? The name sounds somewhat familiar, as though he had heard it somewhere¡­ The next second, Jiang Feng looked at Mrs. Jiang with a face full of terror. Those who truly loved sweets left their memories attached to chocte wrappers.
    ¡°Feng, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Mrs. Jiang. ¡°Nothing, Grandma, I just suddenly felt very tired. I¡¯m going to take a shower and go to sleep,¡± said Jiang Feng as he stood up, ready to slip away. ¡°Rest well. I¡¯ll make pancakes for you in the morning,¡± Mrs. Jiang said, popping another candy into her mouth. Chapter 517: 515: Blind Date (Part 1) (Vote for monthly tickets!) Chapter 517: Chapter 515: Blind Date (Part 1) (Vote for monthly tickets!) Jiang Feng, harboring an unspoken secret, quickly washed up and returned to his room. He turned off the lights, got into bed, and lit up his phone¡¯s screen. Thanks to the screen¡¯s glow-in-the-dark feature, he could see clearly even in the pitch-dark room. Now, in his item bary three segments of memory, each from a different person¡ªJiang Xiaoran, Sir, and Mrs. Jiang. What excited Jiang Feng the most was, of course, Mrs. Jiang¡¯s memory. After all, which grandson wouldn¡¯t want to see what their own grandmother looked like when she was young? Or even during her middle age, for that matter. Neither Sir nor Mrs. Jiang had any awareness of taking photos when they were young, so not a single picture of them remained. With a heart full of excitement, Jiang Feng gently touched [A Segment of Zhao LanHua¡¯s Memory] and clicked Yes. In an instant, Jiang Feng was enveloped in dense fog. ¡°Lanhua, listen to what your auntie is saying. Jiang may be a bit older, but he¡¯s definitely no trouble at all. An outsider, I heard he¡¯s a Beiping person, and only came to settle down here after all his family died, which is why he hasn¡¯t taken a wife at his age. Just like your Master Huang, he works in the state-run restaurant. Jiang¡¯s skills are really something else; in no more than two years, he¡¯s sure to be a head chef.¡± As the fog cleared, Jiang Feng found himself in a spartan room with none other than the younger Mrs. Jiang and a slightly plump auntie, both sitting on the only two chairs in the room and chatting.
    The room was cramped, apparently partitioned off from another room, and contained just a cupboard, a table, and two chairs. The chairs were very old, while the table looked rather new and of decent wood quality. If it weren¡¯t for the plump auntie calling Mrs. Jiang ¡°Lanhua,¡± Jiang Feng would never dare to recognize the young girl with her head bowed as his grandmother. She was too thin, the kind that was skin and bones. Because of her thinness, she appeared small and frail. Where her skin showed, there was hardly any flesh to be seen, just bones with ayer of skin stretched over them. Her hair was an unhealthy yellow, obviously the result of chronic malnutrition. In Jiang Feng¡¯s memory, Mrs. Jiang had always been the round, full-bodied olddy, not this poor, emaciated young girl. The plump auntie was quite the talker, and Zhao LanHua (to avoid breaking character, she will be referred to as Zhao LanHua in the narrative) didn¡¯t say a single word before the auntieunched into a long speech. ¡°Jiang doesn¡¯t talk much, but he has a good heart, cold on the outside but warm on the inside. When you meet him, if he¡¯s stern and quiet, don¡¯t be sad; that¡¯s just how he is. If he doesn¡¯t talk, you start: ¡®Lanhua, listen to your auntie, you¡¯re not getting any younger. If you keep waiting, you¡¯ll end up an old maid.¡¯ Jiang is really a good kid. If auntie were 20 years younger, I¡¯d marry him myself¡ªmuch better than your Master Huang! You must seize this opportunity and not let it slip by,¡± the plump auntie advised fervently. Jiang Feng listened for a while and managed to understand that Mrs. Jiang was on a blind date, and it seemed that her suitor might actually be Sir. The plump auntie sitting opposite Mrs. Jiang was most likely Master Huang¡¯s wife. ¡°Auntie, do you think he will mind that I¡¯m older?¡± Zhao LanHua raised her head, her face filled with worry. Jiang Feng finally got a clear view of her face. There were traces of the plumpness she would haveter, a very ordinary face, but it looked peculiarly delicate because of its smallness. She had been underfed. ¡°How could that be? I told Jiang all about your situation beforehand, and since he agreed, that means he doesn¡¯t mind,¡± the plump auntie reassured her. ¡°Besides, even if you are older, Jiang is even older; he¡¯s nearly 30. But don¡¯t worry, Lanhua. Even though Jiang is almost 30, he looks young, just like a man in his twenties.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t she despise our family¡­¡± Zhao LanHua still looked worried. ¡°Not at all, not at all.¡± The plump aunt waved her hand, ¡°Jiang has a much higher level of ideological awareness than the average person. Master Huang is a straightforward guy and when he introduced the situation, he told Jiang everything about your family situation without holding anything back. Jiang didn¡¯t think about it that way at all. Besides, even if your mother gave birth to 5 girls, the eldest is still a boy, isn¡¯t he? Your family does have a boy, and both your eldest and second sisters are young and can still have children. Having two daughters doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t have a son. Don¡¯t listen to the vige gossip saying that your family can¡¯t have sons, it¡¯s all feudal superstition!¡± ¡°Having boys or girls is the same, women can hold up half the sky!¡± The plump aunt had a face full of righteous indignation. The glory of socialism suddenly illuminated the whole room. ¡°Mhm!¡± Zhao LanHua gained a bit more confidence, ¡°Auntie, please tell me more about him! I¡¯m still a little¡­¡± ¡°Nervous, is that it? Let me tell you, when ites to match-making, girls are generally nervous. Not to mention girls, some young men are even more nervous than girls. Let me tell you, the first impression is very important, hitting it off is better than anything. Jiang is now a permanent worker. In the entire state-owned restaurant, other than Master Huang, it¡¯s him. Sometimes when the leaderse, they specifically ask for him to cook. He also takes two days a month to do some extra work, earning more than Master Huang.¡± ¡°Moreover, Jiang is on his own, his wages aren¡¯t spent on supporting an entire family but just himself. His financial condition is much better than those twenty-something-year-old guys. When ites to getting married, buying a radio I think won¡¯t be a problem at all. So long as you two hit it off and get married, you can apply for a marriage house, don¡¯t worry about not having a ce to live. And working at a state-owned restaurant means having stable hours without night shifts, plenty of perks, and no shortage of food ¨C especially meat. Look at my figure, you have no idea how many people in the city envy me!¡± The plump aunt bragged with pride.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
    Zhao LanHua looked at the aunt with admiration, her face full of envy. ¡°LanHua, let me tell you, if you and Jiang make it, you can be like your auntie too!¡± The plump aunt encouraged. Zhao LanHua, somewhat nervous, tugged at the jacket she was wearing. The only new item she had on was this jacket.
    The plump aunt noticed Zhao LanHua¡¯s gesture andughed heartily, ¡°Is the jacket newly made?¡± ¡°Yes, it was madest year. My mom told me to save it for match-making meetings, and today is the first time I¡¯m wearing it.¡± Zhao LanHua nodded. ¡°It looks very nice. I¡¯ve always said that our LanHua is the prettiest girl in the vige. When Jiang sees you, he will definitely not be able to take his eyes off you. It¡¯s about time. Jiang got off work early today. I will take you there, andter let Jiang show you around. You two can get to know each other.¡± After saying this, the plump aunt got up and led Zhao LanHua out of the room. Upon leaving, Jiang realized they had been on the second floor of the tube-shaped apartment. On the first floor there was a public toilet and kitchen, where several women were washing vegetables and greeted Zhao LanHua and the aunt with smiles as they came out. ¡°Yo, Zaohua, taking your niece out?¡± Jiang suspected that the people of Zhaojia Vige all included ¡®flower¡¯ in their girls¡¯ names. ¡°She rarelyes to the city, just taking her out for a stroll.¡± Zhao Zaohua said with a smile, not revealing that Zhao LanHua hade to the city for a match-making meeting. Zhao Zaohua led Zhao LanHua out of the residential area, turned several streets, and after about more than 10 minutes, they arrived at the state-owned restaurant¡¯s entrance. ¡°Jiang is new to match-making,cking experience and not knowing how to choose a ce ¨C who would pick their workce for a first match-making meeting. Fortunately, he works at the state-owned restaurant. If it were a factory, LanHua, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to get in.¡± Seeing Zhao LanHua was still a bit nervous, Zhao Zaohua joked with a smile, ¡°LanHua, don¡¯t be shy about what you want to eatter, let Jiang cook for you, he¡¯s really skilled at it.¡± Chapter 518: 516 Blind Date (Part 2) Chapter 518: Chapter 516 Blind Date (Part 2) It was referred to as a state-run restaurant, but in reality, it was just a small eatery. The decor was very basic, with only a few tables and chairs. Theyout reminded Jiang Feng of a state-run restaurant where Jiang Weiming had once worked, seen in his memory from Han Guishan, only this one was a bit smaller. There were no customers in the restaurant, just a plump waitress sitting by a table reading a newspaper. When she heard someonee in, she didn¡¯t look up, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not time for meals yet;e back in two hours.¡± ¡°Xiao, it¡¯s me,¡± Zhao Zaohua called out loudly, with Zhao LanHua following behind with her head lowered. ¡°Auntie Zhao, it¡¯s you. So this is the person you¡¯re introducing to Master Jiang. She is really beautiful. I¡¯ll go call Master Jiang for you,¡± said the plump waitress enthusiastically. ¡°No need to trouble yourself, I can go call Jiang myself. Are Old Huang and the others here?¡± asked Zhao Zaohua. ¡°Right now, it¡¯s just Master Jiang inside. This month¡¯s supply of flour and various grains has arrived. Master Huang took the others to take inventory; they probably won¡¯t be back for an hour,¡± exined the plump waitress. Zhao Zaohua pondered for a moment, ¡°Girl, when I wasing here, I saw it was really lively over at South Street. Seems like something happened. Why don¡¯t you go take a look?¡± The plump waitress caught the hint, ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m also tired of reading this newspaper. I¡¯ll go out for a walk.¡± ¡°My niece is shy and thin-skinned,¡± said Zhao Zaohua. ¡°I understand. My sister was the same way when someone introduced a match for her,¡± said the plump waitress as she took her newspaper and left. ¡°Auntie Zhao, I¡¯ll be back in an hour.¡±
    ¡°If it works out, I¡¯ll give you two shares of wedding candy,¡± Zhao Zaohua said with a smile, ¡°the best kind.¡± As soon as the plump waitress left, Zhao Zaohua said to Zhao LanHua, ¡°Lanhua, Jiang is probably inside working; have a seat here and I¡¯ll go call him. Jiang is a down-to-earth guy, always willing to work even when it¡¯s not his shift.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but praise Jiang Weiguo. ¡°Mm,¡± Zhao LanHua obediently sat down, bowing her head to wait. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t apany Zhao Zaohua inside; instead, he stood beside Zhao LanHua, observing her expression. Zhao LanHua had been extremely nervous since leaving home. Every movement she made, every expression on her face, and even every pore and patch of skin seemed to reveal her tension. Now sitting on a chair, Zhao LanHua¡¯s right foot was shaking unconsciously. It was as if she wasn¡¯t here for a matchmaking session, but rather to undergo the most important exam of her life. Soon, Jiang Feng heard footsteps; not only did he hear them, Zhao LanHua did as well. The footsteps of two people mixed together sounded very messy, getting louder and clearer, as if in the next second they would push the door and step out. Zhao LanHua, even more nervous, raised her head and stared at the door. The door opened, and a young Jiang Weiguo emerged from inside, dressed in dark gray work clothes. The clothes were clean and new, but the fact that they were work clothes couldn¡¯t be changed. Jiang Feng was certain that Jiang Weiguo was wearing the uniform of the state-run restaurant because Mr. Jiang Jiankang also had a set that looked very simr to the one on Jiang Weiguo, kept in the closet and too cherished to throw away, sometimes even taken out to bepared on the body. At over forty, Mr. Jiang Jiankang no longer fit into the clothes from his teen years. Their eyes met, with Jiang Weiguo looking at Zhao LanHua, and Zhao LanHua looking at Jiang Weiguo. Jiang Feng held his breath, his gaze swiftly shifting back and forth between the face of Zhao LanHua and that of Jiang Weiguo, trying to discern their inner thoughts from their expressions. Zhao LanHua¡¯s gaze was very evasive, ncing at Jiang Weiguo¡¯s face and then away, unable to resist looking at his face again. In just a few seconds, she nced around at least three or four times, finally fixing her gaze on Jiang Weiguo¡¯s shoes. Jiang Weiguo¡¯s gaze, however, was steadier; he did not look much at Zhao LanHua¡¯s face from the start, instead focusing on her slender hands thaty on the table, as thin as bamboo sticks.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Jiang Feng: ? After a mere three seconds, Jiang Feng sensed something unusual about this matchmaking session.
    One looking at shoes, the other at hands, it indeed was a novel and creative meeting for an arranged marriage! ¡°Jiang, have you seen Lanhua?¡± asked Zhao Zaohua as she came out of the doorway. Noticing there was at least a three-meter distance between Jiang Weiguo and Zhao LanHua, she hurriedly said, ¡°Jiang, this is Zhao LanHua, the distant niece from my vige. Isn¡¯t she especially pretty? Didn¡¯t I tell you the truth? LanHua, this is the Jiang I just told you about. Don¡¯t be nervous, just say whatever you need to say.¡± Jiang Weiguo quickly walked up to Zhao LanHua, extended his hand, and introduced himself solemnly, ¡°Comrade, hello, my name is Jiang Weiguo, I¡¯m 28 years old this year.¡± Zhao LanHua quickly extended her frightfully slim hand, ¡°Comrade, hello, my name is Zhao LanHua, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m 17 years old this year.¡±
    An exchange of handshakes, glowing with the radiance of socialism. The two sat down. ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal. Today is just about getting to know each other. Just chat about anything thates to mind. Jiang, Lanhua has been up since early this morning. She took a bullock cart and then a bus, traveling all the way to the city, and all she¡¯s had is a cob of corn. If you¡¯re free, why don¡¯t you make her something to eat? I¡¯ll pay you backter; I can¡¯t stay as I need to go buy some fabric.¡± After saying this, Zhao Zaohua patted Zhao Lanhua¡¯s shoulder, gave her an encouraging smile, and left. The state-owned restaurant was silent. For two minutes, they just stared at each other without uttering a word. Finally, Jiang Weiguo was the first to break the silence. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. Zhao Lanhua shook her head repeatedly, her head bobbing like a rattle-drum, her eyes appearing especiallyrge due to her thinness: ¡°Not hungry, not hungry at all. I had a cob of corn this morning. It was really big and filling!¡± Jiang Weiguo frowned, and Zhao Lanhua¡¯s heart tightened, thinking she had said something wrong. ¡°Really not hungry?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°Really not hungry! Not at all!¡± Zhao Lanhua asserted with conviction. Jiang Weiguo had no choice but to drop the subject, and they fell into silence again. ¡°I¡­¡± Seeing that the blind date was heading toward her worst fear, Zhao Lanhua finally couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and blurted out the speech she had prepared all night.
    ¡°I¡¯m from Zhaojia Vige. Everyone in our vige has the surname Zhao, and we¡¯re all rted. ording to the family tree, Auntie Zhao is my aunt,¡± Zhao Lanhua exined. ¡°I know. Master Huang told me about you before. You¡¯re the fourth child in your family, with one older brother and two older sisters above you, and two younger sisters below. Both of your older sisters are married. You postponed marriage for two years because your sister-inw was ill and your younger sister was too young, leaving a shortage of hands at home, so you haven¡¯t been matched for marriage,¡± said Jiang Weiguo. Zhao Lanhua was at a loss for words as Jiang Weiguo had said everything she intended to say. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s how it is,¡± Zhao Lanhua said. ¡°I¡¯m from Beiping, came here as a refugee,¡± Jiang Weiguo began his self-introduction. ¡°I¡¯m the youngest of seven brothers. Either my family members are missing or have passed away; now, I¡¯m on my own. I¡¯ve been drifting from ce to ce over the past few years and have only settled down here recently. Because I¡¯ve been unsettled, I haven¡¯t been in a rtionship. I¡¯m older now and hope you won¡¯t mind that.¡± ¡°Of course not, of course not,¡± Zhao Lanhua alternated between shaking and lowering her head, ¡°There were also refugees who came to the vige next door a few years ago. I mean, we have quite a few people who have settled here from other ces.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, staring at Zhao Lanhua¡¯s face and involuntarily frowning again. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯m really full now. I don¡¯t need to eat anything,¡± Zhao Lanhua said, this time not just shaking her head but also gesturing with her hands. ¡°Braised pork? Mei cai kou rou? Sweet and sour ribs? White meat with garlic sauce? Soy-sauced meat?¡± With every dish Jiang Weiguo mentioned, Zhao Lanhua couldn¡¯t help but swallow. ¡°If you don¡¯t fancy pork, it seems there¡¯s fish in the kitchen too. Braised fish? Sweet and sour fish? Dry fried fish? I remember, there¡¯s also half a bag of flour left, do you want me to make you dumplings?¡± Jiang Weiguo began listing dishes. Having only gnawed on a cob of corn all day, Zhao Lanhua couldn¡¯t resist such temptation; just hearing Jiang Weiguo name the dishes was like smelling the scent of meat. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate? I heard that dishes at your state-owned restaurant are very expensive,¡± Zhao Lanhua attempted onest struggle.
    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Every month, we regr workers get a certain quota of ingredients. I haven¡¯t used my flour and meat quota this month; making you two dishes will be enough,¡± Jiang Weiguo exined. ¡°How can that be okay? You only get so much for a month; it¡¯s not even enough for yourself, let alone to give to me. Just make two vegetarian dishes for me, like cabbage and tofu. Just add more oil and it¡¯ll be great. If you have steamed buns, that would be even better,¡± Zhao Lanhua¡¯s eyes lit up when she mentioned the steamed buns. ¡°Vegetarian?¡± Jiang Weiguo looked somewhat bemused. Zhao Lanhua nodded vigorously: ¡°Yes, vegetarian! Vegetarian dishes with more oil are also really delicious. If there aren¡¯t any steamed buns, then cornbread is fine too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see what vegetables we have in the kitchen,¡± Jiang Weiguo stood up but stopped after just a couple of steps. ¡°Do you want toe in with me?¡± Jiang Weiguo thought it wouldn¡¯t be good to leave Zhao Lanhua by herself outside. ¡°Could I? Isn¡¯t the kitchen where you work? Would it be alright for me to go in?¡± Zhao Lanhua was worried. ¡°It¡¯s not work hours now; it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Zhao Lanhua obediently followed behind Jiang Weiguo, entering the kitchen. Chapter 519: 517: Blind Date (Part 3) (End of month, vote for monthly tickets!) Chapter 519: Chapter 517: Blind Date (Part 3) (End of month, vote for monthly tickets!) The kitchen wasrge, and although there were only two stoves, there were many shelves lined with quite a few boxes. Jiang Feng moved closer and inspected them one by one. Some boxes were empty, some contained bowls and chopsticks, and only a very few held seasonings and ingredients that could be preserved for a long time. Fresh vegetables and meat were disyed openly, and on the floor sat a basin with several live fish in it¡ªall the ingredients were clearly visible at a nce.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Zhao LanHua was like a little girl visiting the market with her mother for the first time, looking around curiously and not even passing by the cabbage and tofu without a nce. ¡°That, Mr. Jiang Weiguo, may I ask if the hanging meat is cured pork? Why is there paper stuck to it?¡± Zhao LanHua asked curiously. ¡°That is ham; the cut section is covered with paper to preserve it,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied. ¡°What is ham?¡± ¡°¡­ It is a type of cured meat made from a whole pig¡¯s leg.¡± Zhao LanHua immediately looked at the hanging ham with newfound respect. Jiang Weiguo began to search his mind for recipes, his gaze asionally shifting to the fresh pork on the chopping board, clearly not giving up on the idea of cooking meat dishes and wanting to slice some diced meat, minced meat, or shredded meat to stir-fry with vegetables. Zhao LanHua continued her market browsing, not only marveling at the meat and vegetables but also at the seasonings. She opened nearly every jar to look and smell inside. If she hadn¡¯t seen it before, she would ask Jiang Weiguo what was contained within, and then she would exim in admiration: ¡°Wow, it¡¯s no wonder a state-run restaurant would have such things that I¡¯ve never even heard of.¡±
    Finally, Zhao LanHua saw the sugar jars, one with brown sugar and one with white sugar, both in extrarge containers. The sugar filled to the brim made her gaze enviously at the jars. ¡°Mr. Jiang Weiguo, does the sugar in state-run restaurants alwayse in such full jars?¡± she inquired. Jiang Weiguo nced at the sugar jars, ¡°We use a lot of sugar in the morning for making brown sugar and white sugar buns, so we refill it whenever it¡¯s depleted.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Zhao LanHua expressed her envy. She had thought in buns were already the most marvelous thing in the world, but she had never imagined there could be something doubly wonderful like brown sugar and white sugar buns. ¡°Does your subsidy include sugar?¡± Zhao LanHua thought there could be no job more enviable than a chef in a state-run restaurant. ¡°Our subsidy usually includes sugar, I think we get a bit more, several jin a month I don¡¯t quite remember, I don¡¯t really cook much personally,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, ncing at Zhao LanHua, ¡°Do you like sugar?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Zhao LanHua blurted out, then quickly tried to make amends, conscious that these two words might detract from her image, ¡°I mean¡­ it¡¯s just that when my brother got married, we had wedding candy at home and I sneaked two pieces. No, I just ate two pieces, I quite liked them, they were sweet.¡± Jiang Weiguo seemed pensive, and after a moment, asked, ¡°Do you eat lotus roots?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Are you hungry now?¡± Jiang Weiguo inquired. ¡°Ah, no, actually¡­ actually, I am a bit hungry,¡± Zhao LanHua admitted, having just given some serious thought to all the ways she had behaved since meeting Jiang Weiguo, concluding that her behavior could be described as extremely poor. She found it difficult to make a good impression on Jiang Weiguo, so she gave in to honesty. ¡°Do you have any buns? Are there any leftover brown sugar or white sugar buns from this morning?¡± Zhao LanHua thought that even if today¡¯s blind date was a failure, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss if she could enjoy a couple of brown sugar buns. Zhao LanHua suddenly stopped hiding her hunger and even proactively expressed her desire to eat the brown sugar and white sugar buns. This huge shift in demeanor took Jiang Weiguo by surprise. ¡°There are no more buns left, they were sold out this morning,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Zhao LanHua sighed in disappointment, realizing that she would neither have a sessful blind date nor get to eat any buns. ¡°But we do have a few meat buns; I¡¯ll warm them up for you,¡± Jiang Weiguo offered and went to heat up the buns for Zhao LanHua. Big meat buns the size of an adult man¡¯s fist, five of them, and Jiang Weiguo steamed them all at once. Soon, the aroma of the meat buns filled the kitchen, and Zhao LanHua struggled to control her expression, trying not to make it too obvious that she was breathing in the scent while staring intently at Jiang Weiguo peeling the lotus roots, imagining biting into a juicy, oily meat bun.
    It was the season when lotus roots came to market, and they were both fresh and tender. Jiang Weiguo took two sections of tender roots, peeled them, and instead of slicing, he chopped them in the middle. He then took out a basin of glutinous rice that seemed to have been soaking since the morning, drained the water, and started carefully stuffing the rice into the holes of the lotus roots. Ensure every nook was filled, Jiang Weiguo stuffed while poking inside with chopsticks from time to time. He was going to make glutinous rice-stuffed lotus roots. Just because Jiang Feng could tell didn¡¯t mean that 17-year-old Zhao LanHua could; the dish of glutinous rice-stuffed lotus roots waspletely foreign to her, having seldom even tasted lotus roots.
    For 17-year-old Zhao LanHua, ¡°dish¡± was a strange concept. Rarely would dishes appear on her family¡¯s table. Her family, numerous in members butcking inbor, considered it their greatest fortune just to be well-fed. Their food primarily consisted of wild vegetables, sweet potatoes, and other ingredients boiled together into a thick gruel. Thend was too precious. Not sufficient even for growing grains, how could they afford to cultivate vegetables? ¡°Mr. Jiang Weiguo, what are you making?¡± Zhao LanHua asked. ¡°Glutinous rice-stuffed lotus roots,¡± Jiang Weiguo answered. Zhao LanHua nodded as if she understood, though today she had already heard Jiang Weiguo talk about too many things she didn¡¯tprehend. Before he finished stuffing a section of lotus root, Jiang Weiguo set it aside and walked over to the steamer, lifting the lid. Seeing the buns were ready, he called Zhao LanHua over to eat. Zhao LanHua walked up to the steamer, her eyes fixed on the buns, filled with nothing but visions of steamed buns, so beautiful they seemed like a dream¡ªshe couldn¡¯t even dream up such a wonderful scene; at most, she dreamed of eating in wheat buns, let alone dreaming of eating in wheat pork buns. ¡°Really, can I have some?¡± Zhao LanHua asked for confirmation again and again. ¡°Yes, they were leftovers anyway, originally intended for dinner tonight, so you can have as much as you like,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°What if I eat them and there isn¡¯t enough for you tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just eat something else tonight,¡± Jiang Weiguo said before returning to deal with the lotus roots. Only then did Zhao LanHua rx, rubbed her hands on her new gown, and reached out to pick the biggest bun, one sorge she couldn¡¯t grasp it with one hand. Her delicate, tiny hands holding therge pork bun looked like a child handling an adult¡¯s belongings. Zhao LanHua took a big bite and closed her eyes in bliss, chewing vigorously, the joy written all over her face.
    The bun¡¯s skin was made of white flour, and the filling was pure meat, thin skin with generous filling, particrly juicy, bursting with oil with every bite. Zhao LanHua held the bun with both hands, small and slim as she was, she ate with such gusto, wolfing it down without fear of choking, and in less than a minute, an entirerge bun had disappeared into her stomach. After finishing the bun, Zhao LanHua let out a satisfied sigh and looked at the oil that had stained her hands. She couldn¡¯t resist licking her fingers and finally nced at the remaining four buns in the pot before covering it with the lid. Zhao LanHua returned to Jiang Weiguo¡¯s side, and this time, her gaze towards him waspletely different. Although she felt that her performance hadn¡¯t been very impressive and that Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t seem particrly pleased with her, she thought he was still a good person. Even if he didn¡¯t like her, he cooked for her and offered her pork buns. Even if the matchmaking didn¡¯t lead to marriage, being friends would still be nice. If they were to be friends, she needed to show her strengths¡ªshe couldn¡¯t be a friend with nothing to offer. ¡°Not eating anymore?¡± In fact, while Zhao LanHua was eating the bun earlier, Jiang Weiguo had nced at her a few times and knew she had only had one. ¡°One is enough; two would be too many,¡± Zhao LanHua said. ¡°Mr. Jiang Weiguo, thank you for inviting me to have buns. They were really delicious.¡± ¡°This is my first time having such tasty buns. The skin is made of white flour, and it¡¯s very thin, then inside there¡¯s a lot of meat, all shiny with oil. I felt like there was juice oozing out of the bun as I bit into it. It¡¯s really incredibly delicious, super extraordinarily delicious,¡± Zhao LanHua tried hard to use her limited vocabry to describe the exquisite taste of the pork bun she had just eaten. Jiang Feng noticed, the corners of Jiang Weiguo¡¯s lips unconsciously curved up a little. ¡°If you like them, that¡¯s good,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°I made the buns today.¡± After praising the buns, Zhao LanHua decided to praise herself: ¡°Mr. Jiang Weiguo, although I¡¯m not very good at cooking, mainly because my mother is in charge of cooking in our house and no one else is qualified, I¡¯m good at other things.¡± ¡°I do household chores extremely well; after my second sister got married, I took care of all the chores at home. Sweeping the floors, wiping tables, tidying up the nkets, washing clothes, and feeding the pigs¡ªI¡¯m particrly good at feeding pigs! Oh, and I can chop firewood and farm. Every afternoon I go to the fields with my sister-inw, and I earn half a day¡¯s work points.¡± ¡°I can also make clothes; this gown I¡¯m wearing is one I made myself; it¡¯s new, and today is the first time I¡¯ve worn it.¡±
    ¡°I can also take care of people. I was the one who looked after my sister-inw when she was in her confinement. I did such a good job that she didn¡¯t suffer any lingering ailments afterward.¡± ¡°I also can¡­¡± Once started on praising herself, Zhao LanHua found it hard to stop. The more she spoke, the more she felt that even though she couldn¡¯t cook, couldn¡¯t read, was still unmarried at her age, asionally stole food including malt sugar from her own home, and might not be able to bear a son in the future, aside from all that, she was full of good qualities¡ªnothing but good qualities. The kind that would take days and nights to list out. While Zhao LanHua was busy extolling her own virtues, Jiang Weiguo had finished processing two sections of lotus root and connected them with bamboo skewers. Jiang Weiguo left the lotus roots in the basin, poured water into the pot, and then began sprinkling sugar. He took up the brown sugar jar and sprawled it out liberally, about half the jar in one go, not even blinking an eye while doing it. Zhao LanHua inhaled sharply at the sight. ¡°Mr. Jiang Weiguo, why are you pouring so much sugar?¡± Zhao LanHua had never seen such a generous way of using sugar; it was something truly enviable. If she were to sneak some, half a jar of sugar couldst her a whole year. ¡°To boil,¡± Jiang Weiguo said, then picked up the white sugar jar and continued to sprinkle it. Zhao LanHua was already stunned. ¡°To boil?¡±
    ¡°Yes, glutinous rice-filled lotus root needs to be cooked in sugared water; it takes a long time. If you don¡¯t mind waiting a bit longer, you can stay,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Roughly four hours or so.¡± Zhao LanHua was at a loss for words. Just as Jiang Weiguo was about to ce the lotus root in the pot, Zhao LanHua, thinking that since she had already enjoyed pork buns today, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss even if they didn¡¯t end up friends, mustered her courage and said, ¡°Mr. Jiang Weiguo.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Would you allow me to have a few sips of the sugar water first?¡± Chapter 520: 518 Blind Date (Part 4) (4000 words) Chapter 520: Chapter 518 Blind Date (Part 4) (4000 words) ? Jiang Weiguo¡¯s face was painted with a big question mark as his hand, grasping the lotus root, paused mid-air, unsure whether to proceed or withdraw. ¡°Drink?¡± Jiang Weiguo couldn¡¯t quite believe his own ears. Once the arrow is shot there¡¯s no getting it back, even if Zhao Lanhua¡¯s face was already embarrassingly red, she had to press on: ¡°Just a sip, a tiny bit.¡± While speaking, she even stretched out her hand to indicate a small amount. The question mark on Jiang Weiguo¡¯s face hadn¡¯t faded: ¡°Then drink, there are bowls there.¡± Zhao Lanhua moved quickly to grab a bowl and didn¡¯t forget to take adle, scooping up less than half a bowl of sugar water made from brown sugar and white sugar, and happily squatted on the ground, drinking from the bowl in small sips like a kittenpping water. Just a tiny bit at a time¡ªby the time Jiang Weiguo had covered the pot to build up the fire, the sugar water in Zhao Lanhua¡¯s bowl seemed untouched. Watching Zhao Lanhua crouching on the ground sipping sugar water, Jiang Weiguo found it both funny and interesting and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is it that delicious?¡± ¡°Delicious,¡± Zhao Lanhua replied, ¡°This is my first time drinking brown sugar water, delicious.¡±
    ¡°You¡¯ve never had sugar water before?¡± Jiang Weiguo was somewhat surprised; he knew that Zhao Lanhua¡¯s family was poor, as one could tell from her appearance and physique that her family circumstances were destitute. But a household that could raise five daughters shouldn¡¯t be so poor as to not afford some sugar water during the New Year. At least judging from the new jacket she wore, they shouldn¡¯t be too poor to afford sugar water. ¡°I¡¯ve had sugar water. Every New Year, my mother would chip off a small piece of sugar, make a bowl of sugar water, and divide it among us to drink. But I¡¯ve never had brown sugar water,¡± Zhao Lanhua exined, taking another sip. ¡°Our vige is different from your city; we usually can¡¯t buy brown sugar at the supply and marketing cooperative. If we want brown sugar, we have to go to the county town. It¡¯s only avable when a woman is in confinement or a child is sick. You only get it for serious illness, not a minor one. I remember when I was little, once my eldest sister fell into a pond and got sick for several days. She drank a bowl of brown sugar water and got better.¡± Zhao Lanhua spoke of the brown sugar water as if it were a panacea, ¡°Previously, when my sister-inw was in confinement, my mother also made a bowl for her. She wanted to share a sip with me, but she only had that one bowl, so I didn¡¯t drink any.¡± Jiang Weiguo watched as Zhao Lanhua slowly finished the small bowl of sugar water and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the taste?¡± ¡°Sweet, not the same as malt sugar, better than what we have at home, sweeter,¡± Zhao Lanhua replied. ¡°Would you like something else to eat?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°No need, this is enough, I¡¯m almost full now,¡± Zhao Lanhua said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t eat much; two corn cobs a day are enough for me to work in the fields.¡± Hearing her say this, Jiang Weiguo couldn¡¯t control his facial expression for a moment and frowned, then nced at the clock on the wall and said, ¡°The glutinous rice with lotus root will take four hours to cook, Zhao Sh¨¦n said I should take you out for a walk in the street. Let¡¯s go while it¡¯s still daylight.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it dy your time? You¡¯ll have to go to workter, won¡¯t you?¡± Zhao Lanhua asked. ¡°Today I¡¯m only working a half-day shift. Wait a moment; I¡¯ll leave a note for them, telling them not to touch the things in the pot,¡± Jiang Weiguo said and then went out to look for paper and pen. He wrote a note and ced it under the chopping board. A ce absolutely visible to any chef. Zhao Lanhua, amazed at the writing on the note, eximed, ¡°Wow, you know how to write, and your handwriting is so nice!¡± Jiang Feng came over to take a nce, and saw a few characters as scribbly as his own dog-crawl, all in traditional characters: Do not touch the steamer on the table or the soup pot on the stove. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Comrade Lanhua, you have a really heavy fan filter on.¡± In the end, it¡¯s still a matter of cultural disadvantage. Jiang Weiguo, leading Zhao Lanhua, left the state-run restaurant. Jiang Weiguo had no idea which street he should take a girl down, and Zhao Lanhua also didn¡¯t know which street she wanted to stroll. So, the two of them aimlessly walked down the main road.
    Zhao Lanhua, because she couldn¡¯t read, couldn¡¯t understand the signs of the stores, and basically, every time she saw a shop she hadn¡¯t seen before, she would ask Jiang Weiguo what the shop was for. As they continued talking all the way, they surprisingly had quite a lot to say, and even their tone of voice and gestures became much more natural than before, like friends chatting about everyday things. Jiang Weiguo had faced all kinds of big storms during his years on the road, and he was very tight-lipped. Walking along, Zhao Lanhua would spill everything with just a little probing from him, while on the contrary, Jiang Weiguo didn¡¯t reveal a thing about himself. As time passed, the sky grew dark, and many shops closed their doors for the night, making the corner bars that were brightly lit and bustling with noise stand out even more. ¡°Mr. Jiang Weiguo, what is that shop for, why are there so many people inside?¡± Zhao Lanhua asked curiously.
    ¡°It¡¯s a pub, lots of people go there to drink at night so it¡¯s very lively,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Just drinking?¡± Zhao Lanhua asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never been there.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like drinking? I thought all men loved to drink. My dad loves to drink, so does my brother. At our ce, we neither have money to buy alcohol nor spare grains to brew it, so my dad and my brother can only drink at my uncle¡¯s house during the New Year,¡± Zhao Lanhua unwittingly betrayed her own father and brother. ¡°I usually drink at home or at Master Huang¡¯s house, and we brew the alcohol ourselves,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Oh right, you¡¯re a chef; you must also know how to brew alcohol.¡± Zhao Lanhua had already equated the profession of a chef with having boundless magical skills. The two continued walking forward. Magic City wasn¡¯t big, and there were only a few busy streets. If one simply walked, it would take less than an hour to cover them all. On their way, Zhao Lanhua, pulling Jiang Weiguo along with endless questions, and upon seeing shops selling fabric or items she didn¡¯t recognize, couldn¡¯t resist the urge to enter and take a look, which took up quite a bit of time. Jiang Feng roughly estimated that at most it would take three hours. If they returned now and walked a bit slower, they should be able to make it just in time for the glutinous rice lotus roots toe out of the pot. Jiang Weiguo also seemed to have calcted the time in his mind, and like having a stopwatch in his heart, he precisely timed their return, walking and stopping along the way. When they got back to the state-run restaurant, it was still devoid of customers. It seemed that the business hours were over; the real operating hours of a state-run restaurant are usually very brief. The plump waiter was wiping the tables, and upon seeing Jiang Weiguo and Zhao Lanhua return, he greeted them enthusiastically: ¡°Master Jiang and Miss Zhao are back, huh? Did you go to see a movie? I heard today¡¯s movie at the cinema is really good, a new release!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t watch a movie, I just took her out for a walk,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied indifferently. The plump waiter, clearly ustomed to Jiang Weiguo¡¯s rather cold demeanor, said with a smile, ¡°Well, next time Master Jiang, you really should take Miss Zhao to watch a movie. Our city¡¯s cinema doesn¡¯t get a new movie even once a year, it¡¯s the same few movies over and over again; I could act them out for you by now.¡±
    Jiang Weiguo nodded and led Zhao Lanhua into the kitchen. Master Huang was cooking something special in the kitchen when he saw someoneing in, he flinched in shock, but rxed when he turned and saw it was Jiang Weiguo and Zhao Lanhua. ¡°Do you like watching movies?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°Huh?¡± Zhao Lanhua was puzzled as to why Jiang Weiguo would suddenly ask this, ¡°Yes, I like it. A few years ago, someone came to our vige to show one. Everyone brought their stools from home and gathered to watch it. I was in thest row and couldn¡¯t squeeze in front; the picture was too blurry to see clearly, but the seeds the vige chief gave me were really tasty.¡± Master Huang saw that Jiang Weiguo and Zhao LanHua were chatting among themselves, yet the expression on his face didn¡¯t seem very warm. He couldn¡¯t guess whether they actually hit it off or not. ¡°Jiang, what¡¯s this in your soup pot? What soup are you cooking? I didn¡¯t dare to open it while you were gone,¡± Master Huang asked. ¡°I added some wood to the stove a few times in the meantime. The fire must be about to go out by now; do you think it needs more?¡± ¡°Glutinous rice with lotus root,¡± Jiang Weiguo replied. ¡°Just let it extinguish naturally. You guys didn¡¯t touch the steamed buns in the steamer, did you?¡± ¡°How could we dare touch your dinner?¡± Master Huang said with augh. Jiang Weiguo took the soup pot off the stove and lifted the lid. A sweet fragrance wafted through the air, filling it with a sugary scent. The two sections of tender lotus root in the pot hadpletely absorbed the color of the syrup, which had darkened and thickened from the long stewing time. Master Huang leaned in for a look and eximed, ¡°Good gracious, how much sugar did you put in there?¡± ¡°Over four pounds.¡±
    Master Huang couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Jiang Weiguo¡¯svishness. Using four pounds of sugar for two sections of lotus root; if he were to cook this dish at home, his wife would probably break his leg. ¡°Are we eating it now?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. Zhao LanHua really wanted to nod, but she felt somewhat reluctant to consume lotus root prepared with four pounds of sugar, as if she weren¡¯t worthy to eat it and should instead take it home to cherish. ¡°We¡­ might not be able to finish it,¡± Zhao LanHua said. Jiang Weiguo thought Zhao LanHua was too shy to eat in front of Master Huang, so he took out a piece of greaseproof paper from the cupboard and wrapped up the two sections of lotus root. ¡°Then take it home and eat it. Steam it again before you eat, separate the sections of lotus root, remove the bamboo stick in the middle, and then slice the lotus root,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Zhao LanHua suddenly felt incredibly fortunate that her long trip to the city for a blind date turned out to be so fruitful,ing away with both food to eat and to take home. After wrapping up the glutinous rice and lotus root, Jiang Weiguo took his enamel cup and tin lunch box from the cupboard, stuffed the now-cold meat buns into the lunch box, and poured all of the syrup left in the soup pot into the enamel cup. ¡°Master Huang, when are you leaving?¡± Jiang Weiguo asked. ¡°Ah? I¡¯ll pack up and leave once the noodles are done,¡± Master Huang replied, suddenly feeling a bit out of ce in the kitchen. ¡°Jiang, I just remembered I might have left my lunch box outside. I¡¯ll go look for it; can you keep an eye on the noodles for me?¡± With that, Master Huang made his escape. ¡°What about you, Comrade Zhao LanHua? When are you heading back?¡± Jiang Weiguo inquired.
    ¡°I¡¯ll go back tomorrow morning. I¡¯m staying with my aunt tonight; she¡¯ll set up a temporary little bed for me in the living room,¡± Zhao LanHua exined, her voice deting a bit. Even though the experience was pleasant, the oue was still a failure. She hade for a blind date today, and instead of finding a match, she ended up with food to eat and take away. Jiang Weiguo pushed the tin lunch box and the sugar-coated cup towards Zhao LanHua: ¡°Take it home to eat.¡± Zhao LanHua repeatedly refused, ¡°No, no, Mr. Jiang Weiguo, that¡¯s too precious. Four pounds of sugar, and I can¡¯t possibly finish four meat buns; I¡¯m leaving tomorrow morning and I don¡¯t eat much.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten properly today,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Zhao LanHua was startled and defended herself in a soft voice, ¡°I really did eat enough, I don¡¯t eat much.¡± ¡°I have seen people starve to death. Over ten years ago, in Magic City, the war had not yet been won. It was a young mother who lived next door to me; her husband had died, and she supported three children by washing clothes for others,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Zhao LanHua looked at Jiang Weiguo, unsure why he was telling her this. ¡°She always ate very little, she was all skin and bones, even thinner than you, looking like nothing but a skeleton. The words I heard her say most were about her small appetite; every day when I came back from my work, I could hear her telling her children this,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Then what happened?¡± Zhao LanHua asked. ¡°Then she just starved herself to death.¡± Zhao LanHua gasped in horror, her eyes widening. Although she had rarely been full since childhood, she had never heard of anyone in the vige starving to death. Although some families would abandon newborn daughters in the mountains, Zhao LanHua had only heard of such things and never witnessed them herself. ¡°What about her three children then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, after the young mother died the room next to mine was rented to another family, and her three children probably died too. At that time, the one thing Magic City had no shortage of was orphans dead on the streets, frozen, starved, or sick; even human traffickers would not bother with them,¡± Jiang Weiguo said.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Zhao LanHua couldn¡¯t help but shudder. ¡°So don¡¯t say you don¡¯t eat much. If there is food, you should eat it; eat your fill when you can, eat heartily if you like it. Being able to eat isn¡¯t something to be ashamed of, you need to be full to have the strength to work, drink the sweet soup in big gulps if you like it,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°But¡­ but Mr. Jiang Weiguo, I really can¡¯t eat four buns tonight or tomorrow morning,¡± Zhao LanHua said with a troubled face. Jiang Weiguo was left speechless by Zhao LanHua¡¯s retort. ¡°Actually, you could also take them home to eat,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. ¡°Your lunchbox¡­¡± ¡°I have a day off next Saturday. I was going to ask someone to buy movie tickets today, but they didn¡¯t get any. If you¡¯re free, I¡¯ll ask someone to get them early. If I get them, I¡¯ll invite you to the movies. Remember to wash the lunchbox and bring it to me,¡± Jiang Weiguo said. Zhao LanHua, who took several dozen seconds to realize what Jiang Weiguo meant, suddenly flushed red, overwhelmed with disbelief and excitement, her words tumbling out incoherently. ¡°I¡­ I wash the lunchbox very clean.¡± ¡°Not that; I mean, if you have time, I¡¯m free, next Saturday I¡­ I¡¯ll definitely be there¡­ on time,¡± Zhao LanHua said, not knowing where to look and lowering her head, just in time to see the enamel cup, which she picked up and took arge gulp of the thick syrup. Jiang Weiguo revealed a hint of a smile. As Jiang Feng marveled at Sir¡¯s impressive turnaround from his younger days, he found the mist lifted. Jiang Feng left the memory. Chapter 521: 519 Battle for the Pot Chapter 521: Chapter 519 Battle for the Pot After leaving the realm of memory, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t wait to open his attribute panel. As expected, a new name lit up in the recipe column. Jiang Weiguo (1/4) It seemed that his primary task for the New Year was to master sticky rice lotus root, and preferably to get it to an A-grade level. The difficulty of making sticky rice lotus root wasn¡¯t high; it was just time-consuming andbor-intensive. However,pared to stuffing oranges with crab meat, it was definitely easier, so to Jiang Feng, practicing sticky rice lotus root was virtually no challenge at all. After all, he was an excellent yer who had managed to achieve an A-grade with the stuffed oranges. As long as one followed the tutorial and did it honestly, any newbie who couldn¡¯t cook would be able to seed. Just add a ton of sugar; in the end, the only difference would be whether it was 4 pounds sweet, 6 pounds, or 10 pounds sweet. Harboring the great ambition to master sweets, Jiang Feng clicked on Jiang Weiguo¡¯s name. Jiang Feng: ??? The recipe he obtained this time was unexpectedly: [Mixed Sugar Water D-grade]
    Creator: Jiang Weiguo Recipe details: A precious sugar water that can only be obtained through making sticky rice lotus root. Due to its excessive sweetness, it¡¯s uneptable to most people, yet it became Zhao Lanhua¡¯s most cherished sweet memory from her days of scant clothing and food. Consuming it within 24 hours can slightly increase the happiness index during a date and significantly increase the sess rate of blind dates. (Friendly reminder: If the Mixed Sugar Water is sessfully made, the sticky rice lotus root cooked in the same pot will also receive a system rating, but without any buff added.)n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Daily production limit (0/2) Jiang Feng, after reading the recipe details: ¡­ Indeed, the sweetness of the sticky rice lotus root simply wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy Mrs. Jiang. It looked like in the future, to tter her, he didn¡¯t need to talk through his hat¡ªjust serving up 4 pounds of sweetness in sugar water would do the trick. From then on, he could eat his pancakes any way he liked; with sesame seeds if he fancied, with green onions if he desired. Jiang Feng checked the time, it was just a little past 10 p.m., far from his usual bedtime. In such a nationwide festive day, a day of family reunion, togetherness, and weing the New Year, how could he go to sleep early, not staying up to greet the arrival of the new year at the first moment? Jiang Feng wriggled inside the nket, rolling it all around himself into a super cocoon, leaving only his head exposed, with even his neck tucked inside the nket. Then, Jiang Feng carefully extended his phone and two fingers, braving the risk of his fingers freezing from ying with his phone in the cold winter, and began to watch TV, feeling both tense and joyful. It wasn¡¯t until the firecracker noises outside the window started that Jiang Feng realized it had hit midnight. Amidst the sounds of fireworks, the old year passed, and the new year arrived. After waiting more than 10 minutes for the fireworks outside to gradually cease, Jiang Fengboriously stretched his arm out to pull the data cable beside the bed to charge his phone, then quickly retracted his hand into the cocoon of nkets, turned over, and closed his eyes. The first day of the lunar new year wasn¡¯t a day to sleep in; let alone the round of visits to wish people a good new year, the continuous firecracker sounds from early morning ensured that no one could sleep in a cozy,zy slumber. A night of sweet dreams. True to Jiang Feng¡¯s expectations, he was awakened by the sound of firecrackers the next day. It happened every year, so he had nothing toin about. If others¡¯ fireworks woke him, his family¡¯s would surely wake somebody else too. With mutual disturbances, no one was at a loss. After wriggling out from under the nkets, Jiang Feng wrapped himself up tightly and left the room, only to find that aside from Jiang Zaidi and Jiang Shoucheng, who were still in their rooms engaging in a death struggle with the warm nkets, everyone else had finished their morning routines, and some had even started eating dumplings. The mutton soup was gone, but the steaming hot mutton dumplings were delicious no matter how you ate them. Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jianguo, the two brothers, sat like door gods on either side of the entrance, eating dumplings. Jiang Jiankang had soup dumplings, Jiang Jianguo had dry ones with chili oil¡ªa spicy one and a in broth, looking as if they were enjoying a yin-yang hot pot.
    ¡°Son, wake up!¡± Jiang Jiankang saw Jiang Feng get up, and his smile was as broad as a Fortune Doll in a New Year¡¯s painting, except this Fortune Doll was a bit older, with a budding beard unshaved. ¡°There are still some dumplings in the pot, go and eat some. I¡¯ve already had three bowls,¡± Jiang Jiankang said, ¡°Junqing and Junlian just went into the kitchen, and your grandma is also there.¡± Hearing Jiang Jiankang say this, Jiang Feng hurriedly walked toward the kitchen, and as soon as he reached the doorway, he smelled the aroma of pan-fried cakes. Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, each holding a bowl of dumplings, looked eagerly at Mrs. Jiang frying the cakes. ¡°Grandma, Feng hasn¡¯t gotten up yet. The cakes will not taste good once they cool down. How about my sister and I eat this one for him?¡± Jiang Feng walked in just to hear Jiang Junqing making this enthusiastic suggestion.
    ¡°Ahem.¡± Jiang Feng intentionally coughed very loudly. ¡°Look, your little brother is up, isn¡¯t he? Feng, do you want the ones with ck sesame or white sesame?¡± Mrs. Jiang asked with a grin. ¡°I want both, Grandma, add more ck sesame,¡± Jiang Feng stared at the pot. He arrived just in time, the cake was nearly ready, justcking the final sprinkle of sesame. ¡°The pancake is almost done; go get a bowl of dumplings for now. Remember to add plenty of soup. Dumplings with soup go especially well with pan-fried cakes, Grandma has the experience,¡± Mrs. Jiang said. Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, standing behind Mrs. Jiang, looked as if their faces might twist with jealousy. Because the pan was big enough, Mrs. Jiang fried three cakes at once, coating the surface of each with sesame seeds. The cakes Mrs. Jiang made were neither too thick nor too thin, sometimes crisp on the surface yet still very soft when bitten into, ordinarily vored but winningly fragrant, the kind of cake that makes you want more as soon as you start eating and can¡¯t stop. Jiang Feng filled his bowl with almost too many soupden dumplings and added a dash of vinegar to the dumpling soup. Since the pancake was toorge toy t on the te without falling off, Mrs. Jiang folded it neatly into the te while she leisurely walked to the cab, took out the brown sugar jar, and made herself some brown sugar water to drink. Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, mouthful of dumplings, had their eyes glued to the pancakes on the te. Jiang Feng found it amusing and picked up a piece of pancake with his chopsticks, putting it on top of Jiang Junlian¡¯s dumplings. Jiang Junlian first looked surprised, then let out a cheer, impatiently picked up the pancake with her hands, tore it in half and stuffed one part to Jiang Junqing. Together the sisters said, ¡°Thank you, big brother, Happy New Year.¡± The surprise was so sudden they hadn¡¯t even prepared any tteringpliments, so they just wished Jiang Feng a Happy New Year!
    Mrs. Jiang stood in the corner, sipping her brown sugar water with a smile, ¡°Feng, remember to wash the potter.¡± The pancake was made for Jiang Feng, so naturally, he would have to wash the pan. After finishing, Mrs. Jiang put down the empty bowl and left. ¡°Big brother, I¡¯ll wash the pan!¡± dered Jiang Junlian instantly, deciding to take on the chore. ¡°No, big brother, let me wash. My sister can¡¯t clean it properly; let me do it!¡± Jiang Junqing, unwilling to be left behind, also sought to gain the honor of washing the pot. ¡°Who says I can¡¯t clean properly? I clean the pot very well, it¡¯s just that I usually don¡¯t do it, big brother, let me wash!¡± ¡°Sister, don¡¯t pretend, you really can¡¯t clean it well! Big brother, let me wash it!¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Why did this scene feel so familiar to him? It was rather like when his mother, Mrs. Wang Xiulian, and several aunts and uncles fought over who got to wash the dishes. ¡°As you wish, as you wish,¡± Jiang Feng said as he grabbed his bowl and te and slipped away. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 522: 520 New Years Call (Please vote for monthly tickets!) Chapter 522: Chapter 520 New Year¡¯s Call (Please vote for monthly tickets!) Jiang Feng squatted in the corner of the courtyard, finished his pancakes, and put the te back in the kitchen before carrying the dumplings into the living room. When he returned the te to the kitchen, Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the two sisters, were no longer there. The spotless, shiny iron pot on the stove testified to their ability to scrub pots. There was nobody in the living room, but from the various rooms, he could faintly hear the sound of phone greetings. Generally speaking, the hour after breakfast on the first day of the lunar new year was when the Jiang family members made phone calls to wish others a happy new year. This activity, symbolizing the world of adults with good wishes, was currently participated in by only Jiang Zaidi among the younger generation, while the others typically sent a quick New Year¡¯s greeting on QQ or WeChat. Jiang Feng sat in the living room, silently eating the dumplings that still retained some warmth. When he reached thest one, he saw Jiang Zaidi, in his pajamas and a face full of stubbornness, walking out of his room while on the phone. ¡°Yueru, did you see the new n I sent you yesterday? Have a look and see if there¡¯s anything that needs to be changed. Let me know if there¡¯s any issue; we¡¯re going to start work after the new year, so it¡¯s best to settle the n in these few days.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so hard about that? It¡¯s good to be idle during the big holiday. Taking a few hours to revise a n for you doesn¡¯t take much time.¡± ¡°You want to make some more changes to the pipes, right? No problem, I¡¯lle up with something new for you in the next two days¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I need to go have breakfast now, so I won¡¯t keep you. Oh, and happy new year. Don¡¯t forget to take me to that Peking duck restaurant you mentioned when I get back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have time and be ready whenever you call, talking about work,¡± Jiang Zaidi said as he hung up the phone.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Jiang Feng, who¡¯d just swallowed hisst dumpling: ¡­ De, do you remember how you cursed that clientst year for making you revise ns non-stop?
    ¡°Little bro, any dumplings left in the pot?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked. ¡°About three or four bowls¡¯ worth,¡± Jiang Feng replied, passing the bowl to Jiang Zaidi. ¡°De, would you take the bowl to the kitchen for me? I think I dressed too lightly today; I need to go back to my room and put on an extrayer.¡± This year¡¯s winter seemed colder than usual. ¡°Who else hasn¡¯t gotten up?¡± ¡°I think Cheng hasn¡¯t gotten up yet.¡± Armed with information on the ¡®enemy¡¯, Jiang Zaidi swiftly set off towards the kitchen with Jiang Feng¡¯s empty bowl. Jiang Feng returned to his room, rummaging in his suitcase for a light sweater. Just as he was hesitating between a ck one and a grey one, his phone suddenly rang. It was a strange number from Guangdong Province. Jiang Feng answered the call. ¡°Master, happy new year!¡± Ji Xia¡¯s cheerful voice, loud enough to deafen Jiang Feng¡¯s ears, came through the phone. ¡°Xiaxia, lower your voice,¡± Jiang Feng said with augh. ¡°Master, guess with whose phone I¡¯m calling you?¡± Ji Xia lowered her voice. ¡°Your mother-inw¡¯s?¡± Jiang Feng guessed. ¡°It¡¯s mine. My mother-inw just gave it to me, and she got me a SIM card too!¡± ¡°Master, I have to tell you, my mother-inw was so happy with those things I brought home. She said the pastries from Beiping are especially delicious. Last night, during the Spring Festival G, she ate a lot of sachima. Next new year, when I go home, I will buy even more things for my mother-inw! Sister Huihui told me there are now vacuum-packed Peking ducks. Master, do you know where to buy vacuum-packed Peking ducks? Next new year, when I go back home, I want to buy a vacuum-packed Peking duck for my mother-inw.¡± ¡°Oh right, also,st night I made ribs and noodles for my mother-inw. I pulled the noodles and my sister cooked the rib soup, and my mother-inw said it was delicious. When I¡¯m back, I will also make it for you, Master.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s more¡­¡± Ji Xia prattled on with a long string of stories, like a little bird chirping non-stop on an early morning branch, her voice brimming with a lively spirit, clearly very happy. ¡°Xiaxia, have you had breakfast?¡± Jiang Feng waited for Ji Xia to finish everything she wanted to say before he spoke.
    ¡°I did, just had it, ate fuyuan that my mother-inw made.¡± ¡°Fuyuan?¡± It was the first time Jiang Feng had heard of this dish. ¡°It¡¯s like a pancake made by frying rice flour and shredded radish together. We always eat this at our house on the morning of the first day of the new year,¡± Ji Xia exined. ¡°Master, what did you have for breakfast?¡± ¡°I just hadmb dumplings and pan-fried bread.¡±
    ¡°Wow, I want to eatmb dumplings too. I haven¡¯t hadmb dumplings yet.¡± Ji Xia eximed enviously, ¡°Okay, Master, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore, I still have to call Wu to send New Year¡¯s greetings! Bye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Jiang Feng ended the call, thinking the ck sweater was nice, and prepared to wear the ck sweater. Just after he dressed, Jiang Feng¡¯s phone rang again, this time the call was from Wu Minqi. Jiang Feng decisively pressed the answer button and spoke first, ¡°Hello, Qiqi, I was just about to call you, happy New Year.¡± ¡°Happy New Year,¡± Wu Minqi said, ¡°Did Xiaxia just call to wish you a happy New Year?¡± ¡°She called a few minutes ago. If Xiaxia hadn¡¯t called me, I wouldn¡¯t have thought to call anyone else to wish them a happy New Year,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°Qiqi, how have you been these past couple of days, busy?¡± ¡°Not bad, it¡¯s always like this during the New Year, I¡¯m used to it. I¡¯mbing my hair right now, getting ready to head to the restaurant,¡± Wu Minqi said. ¡°Does Wu Family Restaurant stay open for the entire New Year period?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°We don¡¯t close, but we do have shifts, and starting from the first day, there will be fewer people working in the kitchen. Actually, it¡¯s only on New Year¡¯s Eve that the customer flow increases a bit, the rest of the time it¡¯s manageable,¡± Wu Minqi exined, ¡°But enough about that, I should also get ready to head out. Fengfeng, if I remember correctly, you¡¯re visiting to wish happy New Year today, right?¡± ¡°Today and tomorrow I¡¯m going to visit each household in the vige to say some auspicious phrases. Around here, we start visiting rtives from the third day of the New Year,¡± Jiang Feng said, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡± The conversation ended. Ji Xia¡¯s New Year¡¯s call seemed to set things in motion. After finishing the call with Wu Minqi, Jiang Feng received several more New Year¡¯s calls, all from kitchen staff. Eventually, even Ji Yue, who had already sent New Year¡¯s greetings on WeChat at midnight, made a special call to wish him a Happy New Year, clearly inspired by Ji Xia. One call after another, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t forget to make a New Year¡¯s call to Professor Li while sitting on his bed, losing track of time.
    Thest call was from Zhou Shi. After the year-end party, Jiang Feng had lost contact with Zhou Shi. Zhou Shi also didn¡¯t post much on social media, which meant Jiang Feng never had the chance to like his moments. ¡°Young boss, happy New Year,¡± Zhou Shi said. ¡°You¡¯re still calling me ¡®young boss¡¯ after I¡¯ve resigned; I can¡¯t handle that title. Happy New Year,¡± Jiang Feng said with augh. ¡°It¡¯s habit to call you ¡®young boss.¡¯ If I called you something else, that would feel odd,¡± said Zhou Shi with augh, his voice sounding much lighter than before, apparently a reflection of a recent good mood which lightened his tone. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve been doing well recently, everything going smoothly? How¡¯s the private kitchening along?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Thanks to your blessing, everything¡¯s going well. The renovation is almost done, and we expect to open shortly after the New Year. These days my mom has been busily consulting people to pick an auspicious day,¡± Zhou Shi said. ¡°Just picking a day? She hasn¡¯t arranged a matchmaking session for you?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°She did, but the person wasn¡¯t interested in me,¡± Zhou Shi said with some resignation, ¡°My mom cares about face, and she was so upset that the first match didn¡¯t take a liking to me. She said that since the restaurant isn¡¯t open and I don¡¯t have confidence, I shouldn¡¯t be matchmaking. She wants to wait until the business is booming before arranging another session.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too bad. If you really can¡¯t find a match, you shoulde to Beiping; I¡¯ll treat you to a sweet soup, and I guarantee your match will be sessful,¡± Jiang Feng said. Zhou Shi: ? Zhou Shiughed twice and took Jiang Feng¡¯s words as a joke, ¡°Okay, if the matchmaking still doesn¡¯t go well, I¡¯ll count on your sweet soup.¡± Just as Jiang Feng was about to say something else, he heard Jiang Junlian calling him from outside, ¡°Hey, bro, hurry up, grandma¡¯s getting impatient.¡± ¡°I have to go, I¡¯ve got things to do here and everyone¡¯s rushing me, gotta hang up,¡± Jiang Feng ended the call and walked out of the room.
    Mrs. Jiang, seeing that Jiang Feng had finallye out, anxiously grabbed the dumplings, ready to leave, and didn¡¯t forget toin, ¡°What were you dawdling for in your room? I had agreed with Li Cuihua to visit her house at 9 a.m. today, and now it¡¯s almost 9:10. She¡¯s definitely going to make fun of me for forgetting the time because I¡¯m old.¡± ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t rush. Don¡¯t you have dumplings in your hand? Old Madam Li definitely won¡¯t make fun of you. When wee back, I¡¯ll make you glutinous rice lotus root. I just looked up a recipe online and pondered it for a while. You¡¯ll get the first one I make!¡± Jiang Fengforted her. ¡°Glutinous rice lotus root?¡± Mrs. Jiang¡¯s expression eased, ¡°Put in more sugar, I know this dish, it tastes best with plenty of brown sugar. Remember not to waste the syrup after it¡¯s cooked, it¡¯d be a shame to pour it away.¡± ¡°And when you¡¯re cooking it, use fewer sticks of kindling; the glutinous rice lotus root takes a long time to cook, too many and it¡¯s just a waste of firewood.¡± Chapter 523: 521 Spring Rolls Chapter 523: Chapter 521 Spring Rolls The New Year visits went smoothly. On the first day of the New Year, no one wore a frown, even if their hearts were unhappy for some reason, it would not show on their faces. In such a joyous and peaceful day, when everyone wore smiles and blessings were never far from their lips, the most adept at dishing out extravagant praises among the Jiang family¡¯s younger generation were naturally the most weed. There were no set times for lunch or dinner on New Year¡¯s Day; it was a day of eating wherever you stopped by, going from house to house. If you couldn¡¯t finish, you could simply take it with you. The only slight disappointment was at the vige chief¡¯s home, where the sunflower seeds and ky pastries were too delicious; everyone got so caught up in cracking seeds and munching pastries that by the time they returned home with stuffed bellies, it was already dark outside. If we were to make glutinous rice lotus root at this time, Mrs. Jiang wouldn¡¯t be able to have her dessert soup until before bedtime. Jiang Feng certainly did not dare to do that¡ªdrinking a bowl of sweet syrup, with the sweetness turned up four jin, right before superbly falling asleep. In case Mrs. Jiang grew fond of this bedtime ritual and ended up harming her health from it. Jiang Feng would be branded the Jiang family¡¯s sinner, forever nailed to the Jiang family¡¯s pir of shame, unable to rid himself of thebel or turn over a new leaf for the rest of his life. Jiang Feng delicately brought up with Mrs. Jiang the matter of postponing the glutinous rice lotus root. Mrs. Jiang, though a bit disappointed, still expressed her understanding and repeatedly urged, ¡°Then Feng, you make it tomorrow, get up early to make it, it¡¯d be best if we could have it by noon. Tomorrow your grandpa is cooking goose in the iron pot, and glutinous rice lotus root goes especially well with it.¡± Jiang Feng: ??? Glutinous rice lotus root paired with goose stewed in an iron pot? What kind of fresh pairing was this?
    Even if he didn¡¯t understand, Jiang Feng still had to outwardly agree, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma, I¡¯ll definitely get up early tomorrow morning to make it for you!¡± Although Jiang Feng loved to sleep in, he was also Mrs. Jiang¡¯s dutiful grandson. Compared to being dutiful to Grandma, what¡¯s a little sleep-in?N?v(el)B\\jnn Moreover, getting up early not only fulfilled his filial duties to Grandma but also meant getting to eat the tbreads she made¡ªa win-win situation. As the number one filial figure among the younger Jiang family members, how could Jiang Feng miss this excellent opportunity to show his devotion to Grandma? The morning of the second day of the New Year, as soon as the rm rang, Jiang Feng sprang out of bed like a rabbit shooting from an eagle¡¯s grasp, the winter chill quickly sobering him up as he hurriedly dressed and washed up, rushing into the kitchen. Mrs. Jiang had already finished making the tbreads, not only that but Sir had already started eating them. Seeing Jiang Feng dash frantically into the kitchen, Sir continued munching on his tbread at a leisurely pace, pointing to a goose on the chopping board that had been washed clean and had lost its life. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, take care of the goose,¡± Sir said. Jiang Feng: ? Jiang Feng nced at the tbread in Sir¡¯s hand; the extravagant Sir ate three at a time, stacking them together. And it was the kind of tbread sprinkled with both ck and white sesame seeds, with more ck ones, clearly specially made by Mrs. Jiang for him. ¡°Grandpa, what are we eating this morning?¡± Jiang Feng subtly reminded. Sir was unmoved, continuing to stack and bite into his three tbreads, showing no fear of them being too chewy for his teeth, as if to prove just how good his teeth were. ¡°There are spring rolls in your uncle¡¯s room, I put them there because they were in the way in the kitchen and I was afraid they¡¯d get cold in the living room. There are noodles in the pot, braised intestines are also in your uncle¡¯s room. If you want breakfast, just help yourself to some noodles and go to your uncle¡¯s room to eat,¡± Sir said. Spring rolls! Braised intestines! Jiang Feng instantly forgot about tbreads; what tbreads, what sesame seed topped tbreads, are they as important as spring rolls? It was a rare asion for Sir to make spring rolls! ¡°Okay Grandpa, I¡¯m going now!¡± Jiang Feng grabbed about half a bowl of noodles and ran off with the bowl. Luckily he got up early today; had he overslept like usual, he might not have even gotten the leftover bits of the spring rolls. Indeed, the grandson who showed filial piety to his grandma was always fortunate.
    When Jiang Feng burst into the Jiang Jianguo¡¯s room with his bowl, there were only three people in the room, all d inndlord-style cotton pajamas, huddled together. Jiang Jianguo, Aunt, and Jiang Jianshe. The rest were likely still soundly asleep. Aunt was holding a soup basin, which contained half a basin of steaming noodles with soup, covered with ayer of braised intestines, turning the broth a murky and thick color from the mixture.
    Jiang Feng took a deep breath; the entire room was filled with the enchanting aroma of braised intestines and the fragrant scent of freshly fried spring rolls¡ªit was clear they were just out of the fryer. ¡°Feng¡¯s up pretty early today, huh? Why didn¡¯t you sleep longer?¡± Jiang Jianguo, seeing that it was Jiang Feng, let out a sigh of relief, silently bringing out the basin full of spring rolls from behind him and cing it back on the table. ¡°I woke up and just got up, never expected to be so lucky to catch Grandpa frying spring rolls,¡± Jiang Feng said cheerfully, as he joined them next to Aunt. ¡°Well begun is half done, getting up early is good. Come on, Feng, eat while it¡¯s hot. Spring rolls have to be eaten straight out of the fryer to be delicious; once they cool, they lose that special something,¡± Jiang Jianshe enthusiastically said. ¡°Yes, Fifth Brother is right; the spring rolls Dad made must be eaten fresh out of the fryer,¡± Aunt wholeheartedly agreed, demonstrating her agreement by picking up a spring roll with her chopsticks and stuffing the entire thing into her mouth. ¡°Crunch, crunch.¡± The crisp and clear crunching sound came from the mouth of the eldest aunt, who had just swallowed a spring roll and lowered her head to slurp arge mouthful of noodles. The noodles, coated in braising sauce, slid into her mouth, making Jiang Feng swallow his saliva in silence. Despite having the braised meats and spring rolls right in front of him, and even as he was holding a bowl of noodles, Jiang Feng felt that the food tasted better when the eldest aunt ate it. It seemed that whatever entered her mouth became even more delicious. ¡°Eldest aunt, aren¡¯t you on a diet?¡± Jiang Feng blurted out all of a sudden. ¡°It¡¯s Chinese New Year, we don¡¯t talk about that now.¡± The eldest aunt picked up the bowl again and took a sip of the soup, ¡°Feng, you too, eat while it¡¯s hot.¡± Jiang Feng reached out with his chopsticks towards the spring rolls. Jiang Feng had known since he was a child that the spring rolls made by the old man were different from those made outside. There wasn¡¯t a tradition in Z city to eat spring rolls for the New Year, but if you were willing to walk the streets during this time, you¡¯d encounter many vendors selling fried spring rolls. These vendors, rarely seen on other days, would suddenly appear everywhere during the New Year, disappearing gradually a week after the Lantern Festival.
    The quality of spring rolls sold on the streets was inconsistent, ranging from perfectly fried to overly crisp and tough. There were mainly two types of fillings: shredded pork with cabbage, and tofu with wild vegetables. Generally, the pork and cabbage filling was slightly more expensive, sold by weight. The variability of the old man¡¯s spring roll fillings was much greater, usually made with whatever was avable in the kitchen. Spring rolls were a hassle to make, from the wrapper to the filling everything had to be prepared by hand by the old man himself, and he insisted on personally frying them. The old man¡¯s spring rolls were only finger-thin, small and delicate, with a thin wrapper through which you could clearly see the filling after they were fried, especially if they were filled with shepherd¡¯s purse. With many mouths to feed andrge appetites in the Jiang family, two big basins of spring rolls were simply not enough. Although the old man never minded his children and grandchildren eating a lot, as a chef, it bothered him if they ate too much, so he seldom made spring rolls. It was a rare treat that mighte every few years. A single small spring roll with leek and pork filling, even Jiang Feng could devour it in one bite. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t tasted the old man¡¯s spring rolls in years and ended up eating four or five in a row before he paused to take a mouthful of noodles. Delicious! Braised sauce mixed with noodles, apanied by freshly fried crisp and fragrant leek and pork stuffed spring rolls, were so good that he wouldn¡¯t trade them for 10 of Grandma Jiang¡¯s pan-fried pancakes. As he ate, Jiang Feng noticed that there was something off about the people present in the room. Chinese New Year was the Jiang family members¡¯ fixed time for sleeping in. After all, who would want to get up early in a southern winter without central heating to wee the chilly morning and the cold wind? It was only the elderly, who were used to waking up early, such as the old man and Mrs. Jiang, as well as the eldest aunt who loved health and wellness, and therefore woke up early, and Jiang Jianguo who had to wake up because his wife did, that would be around. So why was Jiang Jianshe up as well? The doors and windows of the room were tightly shut, and not a whiff of spring roll aroma could be detected outside. Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t smelled anything before he pushed open the door, so how did Jianshe appear here, and even earlier than Jiang Feng at that?
    You should know, Jiang Feng had set a 6:10 A.M. rm just so he could eat the freshly made pancakes. ¡°Uncle Five, why did you get up so early today?¡± Jiang Feng said, holding an empty bowl, continuing to leisurely stuff spring rolls into his mouth. He was almost full, estimating that eating three more spring rolls at most would end the feast. Jiang Jianshe, holding a soup bowl slightly smaller than the eldest aunt¡¯s, said with a happy expression, ¡°It¡¯s a funny story, I didn¡¯t n on waking up. I just came out to use the bathroom and was going back to sleep, but then I saw your eldest uncle carrying spring rolls, so I followed him in.¡± ¡°So you see, it¡¯s not just about waking up early but also about waking up at the right moment. If I hadn¡¯t woken up at that time to go to the bathroom, I would have missed out on today¡¯s spring rolls. It¡¯s quite rare, your grandfather made such a big basin of spring rolls this early in the morning. If I remember correctly, it¡¯s been several years since hest fried spring rolls,¡± Jianshe reflected. ¡°What about Aunt Five¡­¡± Jianshe gestured dismissively, ¡°Your Aunt Five has been having trouble sleeping recently, hardly getting any rest. When she finally sleeps soundly, how could I bear to disturb her? It¡¯s just some spring rolls, nothing is as important as sleep.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Wife, do you want to eat some more?¡± Jianguo asked. The eldest aunt shook her head and lifted the soup basin to drink the rest of the noodle soup in one go, ¡°Even during the New Year, I have to control what I eat and not overindulge. Jianguo, you should eat less too, and not overeat just because it¡¯s the New Year.¡± Jianguo pretended not to hear thetter part of her statement, turning to Jianshe to say, ¡°Old Five, there are some spring rolls left, why don¡¯t we split them, Feng, do you still want some?¡± Jiang Feng picked up thest spring roll, ¡°I¡¯m good, you uncles go ahead and share.¡± Jianguo and Jianshe each took one, and the basin that held the spring rolls was quickly emptied.
    After eating his fill, Jianguo, with a satisfied face, eximed, ¡°Jianshe, what day is this? Dad got up early to fry spring rolls and didn¡¯t scold me when he saw mee into the kitchen. Instead, he asked me to take the spring rolls back to the room to eat. His attitude toward me was so good all of a sudden; it made me feel a bit ufortable.¡± Jianshe said, ¡°Brother, you overthink things. What do you mean by ¡®Dad¡¯s attitude toward you is suddenly so good¡¯? Maybe Dad was just in a good mood this morning. Maybe if I had been the one to go in there, he would have let me take the spring rolls back to the room as well.¡± ¡°True, Dad¡¯s temper has been getting harder to predicttely,¡± Jianguo agreed, ¡°But it¡¯s good anyway, as long as there¡¯s food to eat.¡± Chapter 524: 522: Boy or Girl? Chapter 524: Chapter 522: Boy or Girl? When Jiang Feng returned to the kitchen with a bowl in hand, he discovered that Sir was draining the glutinous rice in a basin. He had soaked this glutinous ricest night before going to bed, preparing to soak it overnight and make lotus roots stuffed with glutinous rice for Mrs. Jiang this morning. ¡°You¡¯re back? Deal with the goose.¡± Sir pointed at therge white goose on the cutting board that hadn¡¯t even been plucked and had died very peacefully. ¡°Grandpa, let me finish making the glutinous rice lotus for Grandma first, and then I¡¯ll deal with the goose,¡± Jiang Feng said. ¡°I¡¯ll make the glutinous rice lotus.¡± Sir took out the already washed lotus roots from the sink and began to peel them, ¡°Sincest night, your grandma has been fussing about glutinous rice lotus, fussing the whole night. If what you make doesn¡¯t suit her taste, she¡¯ll probably fuss all night again. I¡¯d better make it, you go deal with the goose.¡± Jiang Feng had no choice but to heat the water to get ready to pluck the goose. Jiang Feng had done plucking quite a few times before, although it had always been for chickens and ducks, with fewer opportunities to pluck geese, but the principle was the same. Pour hot water, pluck by hand. If he plucked the feathers in the kitchen it would be difficult to clean upter, so Jiang Feng, holding the goose and carrying the hot water, went out into the courtyard to pluck. While plucking, he happened to encounter Jiang Ran who had just gotten up and was fumbling in the kitchen for something to eat. ¡°Little bro, what do we have for breakfast?¡± Jiang Ran asked, his hair looking like a bird¡¯s nest. ¡°There are noodles in the pot, and braised offal is in your uncle¡¯s room,¡± Jiang Feng replied.
    ¡°Why is the braised offal in Uncle¡¯s room?¡± Jiang Ran expressed his confusion. ¡°Uncle¡¯s wife thought it was too cold outside and brought it inside,¡± Jiang Feng decisively chose to let his uncle¡¯s wife take the me, ¡°Remember to pour some braising sauce on the noodles when you eat them, it¡¯s especially delicious.¡± Jiang Ran nodded, memorizing the advice, entered the kitchen, and two minutester, he came out with a big bowl of noodles and hurried to Jiang Jiankang¡¯s room. Cold weather is the best booster for work efficiency; against the chilly wind, Jiang Feng rapidly plucked the goose feathers, and soon two clean, plucked, and tenderrge white geese sat in the basin. As he returned to the kitchen, he saw Sir holding a sugar jar and sprinkling sugar into the soup pot. Just by observing Sir¡¯s sugar-sprinkling posture, Jiang Feng knew this batch of glutinous rice lotus would be way beyond 4 jin sweet¡ªit must be at least 10 jin sweet. And he wondered whether Mrs. Jiang¡¯s teeth could withstand this 10 jin sweet glutinous rice lotus. Moving closer, Jiang Feng noticed that the soup pot didn¡¯t just contain a couple of lotus roots, but was filled with a good half-pot. This was the soup pot the Jiang Family normally used for making rich stock, and he estimated there were at least 10 segments of lotus root in there. ¡°Grandpa, why are you making so much glutinous rice lotus?¡± Jiang Feng eximed in shock. Normally, not many could endure that level of sweetness. The ones in the Jiang Family who were known for enjoying sweets were only Jiang Jiankang and Mrs. Jiang. This pot of glutinous rice lotus would be enough for both of them to eat until the Lantern Festival. ¡°Eat,¡± Sir said concisely, picking up another jar of sugar to sprinkle into the pot. Jiang Feng: ¡­ ¡°Grandpa, aren¡¯t we going to have too much to eat?¡± Jiang Feng tried to persuade Sir to abandon this daunting idea. ¡°It¡¯s not for you guys to eat, it¡¯s for your Meimei,¡± Mrs. Jiang exined with a smile, having emerged from behind Jiang Feng, quiet as a mouse into the kitchen. ¡°Meimei?¡± Jiang Feng looked puzzled, wondering who this Meimei was. ¡°You child, it¡¯s only been two years and you¡¯ve forgotten about your Meimei? Despite her stuffing you with snacks when you were small. It¡¯s Zhao Mei, your cousin on your mother¡¯s side; surely you haven¡¯t even forgotten your cousin, right?¡± Mrs. Jiang hurriedly said. ¡°Oh, oh.¡± Jiang Feng suddenly remembered, Zhao Mei of course he remembered her. His only maternal cousin, Zhao Zhuangshi¡¯s only daughter, who spent quite a lot of time with him when they were young but with whom he¡¯d gradually lost contact after high school. Zhao Mei was significantly older than Jiang Feng, being two months older than Jiang Zaidi, and because she was always unable to grab tickets due to her slow reflexes, Jiang Feng hardly ever saw Zhao Mei when he went to visit his grandmother¡¯s house for New Year¡¯s, and over time, he¡¯d forgotten about his cousin. ¡°Did Meimei get a train ticket for the New Year this year?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°What are you talking about? Your Meimei is almost due and is nesting at home. She came back quite early,¡± Mrs. Jiang chuckled, ¡°A while back, your maternal grandfather called to tell me that after your Meimei got pregnant her taste changed significantly. She doesn¡¯t like sour or spicy anymore and only craves sweetness. Just so happens, this lotus root with glutinous rice is sweet; I asked your grandpa to make extra so we can bring some to your Meimei tomorrow.¡± Jiang Feng was truly shocked this time, ¡°Meimei is pregnant?! When did she get married?¡±
    Mrs. Jiang: ¡­ How had she not seen before that this grandson had the potential for a bit of senile dementia. ¡°Your sister Meimei got married right after she graduated from college, and you¡¯re telling me you didn¡¯t know? It¡¯s been so many years.¡± Mrs. Jiang shook her head, feeling her youngest grandson was beyond hope, and left. Jiang Feng stood there for a long time and finally remembered that it seemed like in high school, Mr. Jiang Jiankang once mentioned to him that his cousin was getting married on the weekend, and asked him if he wanted to attend the wedding. At that time, Jiang Feng had arranged to go to a newly opened fried chicken shop with Chen Xiuxiu, so he had casually made up an excuse not to go.
    Thinking back now, he really shouldn¡¯t have. Zhao Mei was so good to him back in the day, the only sister who would proactively stuff snacks into his pockets. Completely unlike his three brothers who only knew how to pin their mishaps on him, and the other two sisters who were always trying to swindle something out from him, she was an angelic sister. Feeling ashamed, Jiang Feng voluntarily went to look for the sugar bag in the cupboard, and holding a stack of sugar, he went up to Sir and sincerely said, ¡°Grandpa, will this little bit of sugar be enough for so many lotus roots, or should I add some more?¡± Sir: ? ¡°Go chop the goose.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Grandpa! Are you really sure you don¡¯t want to add more sugar?¡± ¡°Chop the goose.¡± The big white goose Jiang Feng chopped ended up as an iron-pot stewed goose on the Jiang Family¡¯s lunch table. Here, Jiang Feng had topliment, Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, these two sisters, didn¡¯t have many talents, but their ability to grab things was top-notch. These two geese that they had gotten from their uncle were truly of good quality ¨Crge, plump, tender, fat in the right ces, strong in the right ces ¨C perfect for being stewed in an iron pot. It¡¯s just unfortunate that the sisters were born in the wrong era. If they had been born in times of chaos, with their size and skills, it would have only been a matter of time before they became overlords of their own hillock by engaging in some robbery and plundering. But s, they were born into a peaceful andw-abiding society and could only rob their cousin or uncle ¨C wasting their talents. Only a small dish of glutinous rice-stuffed lotus roots appeared on the lunch table, and everyone just treated it as amon dessert to satisfy their curiosity, without giving it too much thought. With goose, meat, and fish on the table, aside from the sweet-toothed Jiang Jiankang who reached for the glutinous rice-stuffed lotus roots a couple of times more, the others only tried a bit, especially since Sir didn¡¯t usually make this dish.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om After finishing the meal, Jiang Feng put his bowl into the kitchen. As he entered the kitchen, he just happened to bump into Mrs. Jiang stealthily sipping syrup from the pot, looking somewhat unsatisfied. Mrs. Jiang was a bit surprised to see Jiang Fenge in, probably not expecting him to finish his meal so soon. But as the pinnacle of acting in the Jiang Family, Mrs. Jiang was unruffled and leisurely sipped the syrup as if she was tasting it, not sneaking tastes.
    ¡°It¡¯s a bit too sweet,¡± Mrs. Jiangmented as she tested the food. ¡°Hm?¡± Mrs. Jiang put down the soup spoon, ¡°It seems your grandfather indeed hasn¡¯t made glutinous rice-stuffed lotus roots in a long time. His hands have gotten clumsy ¨C he put too much sugar in, now the syrup is a bit sweet.¡± Mrs. Jiang was also somewhat disappointed. Since Mrs. Jiang said it was sweet, then it meant that the glutinous rice-stuffed lotus roots Sir made today were indeed sweet. ¡°By the way, Feng, don¡¯t bother making dumplings this afternoon. Help your sister Meimei make some sesame glutinous rice balls, but don¡¯t make too many, about 10 pounds should be enough,¡± Mrs. Jiang instructed. ¡°Okay, Grandma,¡± Jiang Feng epted the task. ¡°Go to bed early tonight and get up early tomorrow, so you can go over early. Your sister Meimei is still waiting for the glutinous rice balls and glutinous rice-stuffed lotus roots to whet her appetite,¡± Mrs. Jiang said, ¡°Women suffer during pregnancy. But your sister Meimei doesn¡¯t eat sour or spicy, only sweet. I wonder whether she¡¯s carrying a boy or a girl.¡± ¡°It should be a boy, I craved sweets too when I was pregnant with your dad and his brothers. I drank brown sugar water every day,¡± Mrs. Jiang mused with a contemtive face. ¡°Definitely a boy!¡± Chapter 525: 523: Sweet Rice Balls Chapter 525: Chapter 523: Sweet Rice Balls ¡°` Jiang Feng had no clear concept of how obvious the taste changes of a woman during pregnancy could be; after all, his wife wasn¡¯t pregnant yet¡ªno, more urately, he didn¡¯t have a wife yet. But since Zhao Mei craved sweets during her pregnancy and wanted the sweetness of glutinous rice lotus, Jiang Feng could only make the tangyuan (sweet glutinous rice balls) sweeter. Making traditional ck sesame tangyuan is not difficult, the challenge lies in adjusting the filling¡¯s sweetness. Too little sugar and it wouldn¡¯t taste like tangyuan, too much and eating a few would be cloying. Fortunately, these tangyuan were for Zhao Mei, and when it came to adding sugar, he could do so without worrying¡ªjust sprinkle it on liberally. The Jiang family routinely addedrd to the tangyuan filling, though it¡¯s unclear why tangyuan withrd seem less sickening than those without. The neededrd for over ten pounds of tangyuan was not a small quantity. This year, the Jiang family was short on pork, and subsequently out ofrd as well, leading to stir-fried cabbage cooked in vegetable oil instead ofrd, which resulted in less vibrant colors and a fainter aroma than usual. To gather enoughrd, Jiang Feng specially borrowed a bowl of it from next-door neighbor Li Cuihua. Zhao Liang (Li Cuihua¡¯s grandson) almost wished he could bring over his entire basin ofrd to Jiang Feng. Everything was ready, except for starting the work. When ites to tangyuan, many people immediately think of the Lantern Festival. In the South they eat tangyuan, in the North ¡®yuanxiao,¡¯ and while they seem to be the same thing, their methods of preparation are, in fact, different. Chen Zhisui once gave tangyuan a detailed description in ¡°Zai Jing Tang Collection: Jiangnan Jingshi Poetry Manuscript ¨C Festival Poetry¡±: As round as dragon¡¯s eyes, each one, the elderly love but need skills to make one. Blended clouds scooped from a silver vat, they¡¯re shaped with light touch like jade in one¡¯s palm. Pushed into the pot to chase away the white ducks, scooped into the sugar bowl, they roll like golden pearls. Every Winter Solstice all families cook, unknowingly adding years¡ªdo you know or not? This poem is highly essible and aims to convey the chewy and rounded enjoyment of eating tangyuan.
    Making tangyuan is simr to making dumplings, but does not require a rolling pin, relying instead on pinching and rolling into shape. Yuanxiao, however, are made by tossing and rolling: Coat the filling with water and repeatedly roll it in sticky rice flour until it¡¯s smooth and does not crack to the touch. Well-made yuanxiao have no visible seams, and they¡¯re a marvel of craftsmanship. Jiang Feng, the emotionless tangyuan-making machine, sat alone in the kitchen silently making tangyuan. For him, making tangyuan was much easier than making dumplings. When making dumplings, he was often criticized by De and Cheng for not stuffing enough filling and for not making them round enough, but he didn¡¯t have to worry about that while making tangyuan¡ªsince neither De nor Cheng liked tangyuan. The two had little interest in non-meat food that simply filled the belly. As soon as Jiang Feng finished making the tangyuan, he brought over a kilogram to the neighbors. The surface of the tangyuan was moist and sticky, making them hard to preserve; the best way was to eat them as soon as they were made. After delivering the tangyuan, Jiang Feng packed the remaining ones into ziplock bags, sealed them well, and stored them in the freezer for quick freezing. Having dealt with everything, Jiang Feng walked into the living room, took a little stool and joined everyone by the fire to make dumplings, and meanwhile eavesdropped on some gossip and enjoyed some melon seeds. The gossip this time centered around the person they were going to visit the next day¡ªZhao Mei. Since Mrs. Jiang was the source of the gossip, everyone was seated around her with the braziers marking the boundaries. Sir, although making dumplings and sporting an expression that said he was forced to sit there and listen to these trivial family matters, was actually hanging on every word. At exciting moments, he would even forget about making dumplings, holding the dumpling wrapper without stuffing it, and not realizing until the wrapper almost dried out near the brazier. ¡°You don¡¯t know, Auntie,¡± Mrs. Jiang let go of the dumplings and grasped Aunt¡¯s hand fervently, ¡°Recently, when I talked to Tian Lin on the phone, she was so worried. I think a daughter should not be married too far away. Being so distant, she can¡¯t be tended to; making a trip home is also troublesome, and to not see her more than twice a year¡ªcan you imagine the pain of being a mother?¡± she eximed. Aunt, the only one among those present who had a daughter, was deeply moved and nearly in tears, chiming in, ¡°Yes, when a daughter is married off far away, it¡¯s the mother who suffers the most.¡± ¡°Moreover, Zhuangshi had always been frail since he was young, just like his mother. The name ¡®Zhuangshi¡¯ didn¡¯t make him any stronger. He¡¯s even less capable of work than Tian Lin. With no brothers to look after Meimei, she, who has always been so kind and caring for others and gentle, might get bullied outside but won¡¯t tell when she gets home. The phone call I had with Tian Lin recently really hit me hard. You can¡¯t raise a girl to be too soft; she needs to be independent and assertive, being too gentle is actually not good,¡± Mrs. Jiangmented. Aunt nodded in agreement vigorously, echoing, ¡°Yes, a girl should be raised to¡­ ¡± Then, she nced silently at Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing and realized she probably didn¡¯t have much authority to speak and closed her mouth. After eating melon seeds for quite a while and not quite following, Jiang Feng leaned over and whispered to Jiang Junlian, ¡°What¡¯s happened to Sister Meimei? Was she mistreated?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t mistreated; it¡¯s just that Sister Meimei is about to give birth. Lately, she¡¯s had no appetite and has lost a lot of weight. Our aunt is always worried about this and that, fearing that Sister Meimei can¡¯t eat because she¡¯s been mistreated by her inws,¡± Jiang Junlian whispered back. ¡°` ¡°When did Meimei start losing her appetite?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°Seems likest month, not long ago.¡± ¡°So, when did Meimeie back?¡±
    ¡°She came back during National Day.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ His aunt¡¯s ability to make connections was truly remarkable. ¡°Did Meimei¡¯s husbande back with her?¡± Jiang Feng asked curiously.
    ¡°He did, he came back with Meimei during National Day and left after it ended. He came again before the New Year and is still at the uncle¡¯s ce now,¡± Jiang Junlian shared the juicy details with Jiang Feng without reservation, ¡°Actually, during National Day, Meimei¡¯s inws came too, just that they didn¡¯te over the New Year.¡± ¡°What is the aunt worried about then?¡± Jiang Feng looked puzzled. Because Jiang Feng and Jiang Junlian were whispering not so quietly, Jiang Zaidi, Jiang Shoucheng, and Jiang Ran, who were sitting nearby, also heard their conversation and joined the discussion group.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? She¡¯s worried about Meimei! Meimei married off to Jin Province, which is so far away, and since our uncle gets seasick, carsick, and airsick, leaving home nearly costs him half his life. The aunt can¡¯t visit her often, so of course, she¡¯s worried,¡± Jiang Shoucheng spoke first. ¡°That¡¯s not right. If she were just worried, she wouldn¡¯t specifically call Mrs. Jiang to talk about it. It must be that Meimei was mistreated by her inws, and she told the aunt while she was back home to nurture her pregnancy. That¡¯s why the auntined to Mrs. Jiang,¡± Jiang Zaidi reasoned with tight logic. ¡°Ohe on, would Meimei ever be bullied? De, have you forgotten how Meimei used a bamboo stick to whack us three at once when we were kids? And with Mrs. Jiang cheering on the side, I think the only one she never hit was Feng,¡± Jiang Ran instantly refuted Jiang Zaidi¡¯s point, ¡°Who could bully Meimei?¡± Reminded by Jiang Ran, Jiang Feng seemed to recall an incident from his childhood when he had indeed seen Zhao Mei, wielding a bamboo stick, chasing Jiang Zaidi, Jiang Shoucheng, and Jiang Ran all over the yard and the beating that ensued. He couldn¡¯t remember the reason, but it definitely had something to do with the Jiang trio asking for it. Zhao Mei, who since childhood could utilize her age advantage and sisterly authority to fearlessly thrash the three stout Jiang boys, was probably not someone many people could bully in this world. ¡°So what is the aunt really worried about?¡± Jiang Feng was still puzzled. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Everyone said in unison. ¡°Ran, you mentioned going to see Meimei at our granduncle¡¯s tomorrow. Do you think Meimei will be as chubby as me?¡± Jiang Junqing asked. ¡°Not necessarily. It¡¯s hard to say if she¡¯ll be as chubby as you,¡± Jiang Ran wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that women¡¯s temperaments change greatly during pregnancy. If I see Meimei tomorrow and she remembers that I ate all her cake when we were kids, will she get angry and want to hit me again?¡± Jiang Zaidi asked worriedly, ¡°Should I run then, or just stay put and let her hit me?¡±
    ¡°Better run. Meimei¡¯s almost due, and her emotions shouldn¡¯t fluctuate too much. If she gets too worked up beating you¡­ De, maybe you shouldn¡¯t go tomorrow,¡± Jiang Shoucheng advised earnestly, ¡°Or maybe just stay out of Meimei¡¯s way when you see her.¡± Jiang Feng: ¡­ De and Cheng¡¯s way of showing sisterly concern sounded so odd, didn¡¯t it? ¡°Do you guys think, now that Meimei¡¯s pregnant, will the aunt still make braised meat tomorrow?¡± Jiang Feng asked a soul-searching question. Chapter 526: 524 Zhao Mei Chapter 526: Chapter 524 Zhao Mei On the third day of Lunar New Year, bright and early, every member of the Jiang Family was roused from their beds by Mrs. Jiang rapping at their doors. After getting washed up and neatly dressed, carrying big and small packages of treats like sweet rice balls, dumplings, and glutinous rice with lotus roots intended as gifts for Zhao Mei, the whole family set off towards Zhaojia Vige in a grand procession. Perhaps it was because of the cold weather, and nobody wanted to dawdle on the road for too long, that the usually over half-hour journey to Zhaojia Vige for Jiang Feng only took a bit more than 20 minutes this time. Winter mornings arete to dawn, and it was still dark when the Jiangs left their home. By the time they reached Zhaojia Vige, it was just beginning to get light. A herd of well-padded figures, bulky and thoroughly wrapped against the cold, crept silently into the vige, startling the rooster that was just about to crow into swallowing its call. Jiang Feng, having fallen behind the main group to tie his shoces before entering the vige, trailed at the end like a little tail. Jiang Zaidi, waking up too early, couldn¡¯t help but yawn continuously, the very image of a sleep-deprived, unenthusiastic actor who took the money but couldn¡¯t be bothered to get into his role as an invader entering the vige. ¡°Grandma, are we sure Meimei is even awake this early? Don¡¯t they say that pregnant women are prone to sleep a lot?¡±ined Jiang Zaidi. ¡°What do you know? Your Meimei wakes up very early every day; she usually only starts to feel sleepy when it¡¯s time for meals,¡± Mrs. Jiang whispered, her eyes ncing at a plump hen pecking away diligently at the grass, which had gotten up early and looked especially plump and delicious. ¡°Jiankang, find out whose chicken that is and see if we can buy it for Meimei to make a nourishing soup,¡± Mrs. Jiang pointed to the hen. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sure uncle¡¯s family has enough hens,¡± Jiang Jianguo reminded in a low voice. ¡°Right, right, right, I got into the habit, confused it for the old times. It¡¯s been many years since we had a pregnant woman at home, I thought it was like back in the day,¡± Mrs. Jiang pped her forehead, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m getting old.¡±
    Because it was so early, their uncle didn¡¯t wait for Mrs. Jiang andpany with his walking stick at the vige entrance as usual, but instead stubbornly waited at his doorstep with his cane. Even though there werefortable benches and a warm stove inside, the uncle insisted on standing at the door with his cane, braving the cold wind. It was both stubbornness and love. Paying a New Year visit to Uncle, naturally Mrs. Jiang led the way. Left hand carryingmb dumplings, right hand carrying vegetarian dumplings, her husband on her left, her elder son on her right, followed by a host of sons, daughters-inw, grandchildren and granddaughters, it was such an impressive crowd that if you said they were there to forcibly collect debts or seek revenge during the New Year celebrations, one might believe it. ¡°Brother, with it being so cold, why are you standing at the door? Hurry up and get inside. This bag hasmb dumplings for Meimei to eat, and this bag has vegetarian dumplings for you all. Feng has sweet rice balls that were just made yesterday afternoon. Meimei hasn¡¯t had much appetite and wanted something sweet, right? My second son said pregnant women shouldn¡¯t eat too much sugar, said it can cause that, what¡¯s it¡­ diabetes, but a little should be okay. Is Meimei awake? If she¡¯s awake, let Feng cook half a bowl of sweet rice balls for her first,¡± Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯t give her brother a chance to speak, going on and on as she efficiently arranged everything. ¡°Feng, where¡¯s Feng? Where did that kid go, ending up at the back? Hurry up and bring the sweet rice balls to your uncle,¡± Mrs. Jiang called out loudly. Jiang Feng quickly squeezed his way to the front and jovially presented the sweet rice balls to his uncle. The uncle beamed, ¡°Jiang Feng is here too, huh? I didn¡¯t see you just now and thought you couldn¡¯t make it. Why do you look thinner? And Chengcheng, Chengcheng looks thin too, and so does Ranran. Zaide looks good though, got a bit sturdier. Junqing and Junlian are here too, eh? You¡¯ve grown into big girls, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you,¡± he chuckled. Uncle squinted his eyes, examining every young member of the Jiang family in turn with his presbyopic eyes before turning to lead everyone inside. ¡°Brother, is Meimei awake? If she is, let Feng cook her some sweet rice balls,¡± Mrs. Jiang, knowing her own brother¡¯s poor hearing and memory in his old age, repeated the question. ¡°She¡¯s awake, having breakfast, no need to cook the sweet rice balls. These days Meimei wakes up the same time as me, we¡¯re both early birds. By lunch and dinner, she gets sleepy. Don¡¯t know what¡¯s the matter,¡± the uncleined. ¡°Oh right, you¡¯vee at a good time, there is braised meat in the kitchen, still steaming hot. I think Feng and the others have lost some weight, they must be having a hard time outside and not eating well, just like Meimei. Once you¡¯re at your uncle¡¯s house, eat to your heart¡¯s content. After you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll ask your aunt Tian Lin to cook some braised meat for you,¡± he continued. Jiang Feng, who could hear everything clearly at the front of the line, almost stumbled as he bowed deeply to his uncle. ¡°Oh dear, Feng, what happened? Did you trip or lose your bnce? You couldn¡¯t be hungry from not eating breakfast this morning, could you? Don¡¯t worry, in a moment your uncle will have aunt serve you a couple bowls of braised meat, eat plenty!¡± the uncle said, full of concern. Jiang Feng: !!!¡Æ(¡ã§¥¡ã¥Î)¥Î Jiang Feng hadn¡¯t expected to face such a severe challenge upon just entering the house and, in a panic to dy his enthusiastic uncle, blurted out, ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s have the braised meatter. Since Meimei is awake, why don¡¯t we go see her first?¡± His voice was so loud that it echoed through the entire front hall. The other young members of the Jiang family, following behind and nodding off: (¡ã§¥¡ã¡Ô¡ã§¥¡ã) Braised Meat?!
    What braised meat?! Where is there braised meat?! The sleepiness was instantly chased away by the terrifying braised meat at his uncle¡¯s house. ¡°Feng, you must be missing your Meimei, right? Indeed, it¡¯s been several years since Feng saw Meimei, hasn¡¯t it? I recall that Meimei always favored you the most, always specially giving you the fatty pieces during meals,¡± his uncle said with a chuckle, pointing, ¡°Meimei is in that room over there.¡±
    Jiang Feng didn¡¯t even take the time to put down his sweet dumplings, and with the bag in hand, he headed straight for the room ahead. Jiang Zaidi and the others, confused about the situation and trying to avoid the braised meat, quickly followed. As soon as the door opened and Jiang Feng saw the scene before him, tears were almost falling. After not seeing her for a few years and looking somewhat unfamiliar, Zhao Mei was sitting on the bed with her hair down, wearing a thick sweater, with the nket pulled up to her chest. Her hair looked greasy as if it hadn¡¯t been washed for days. Due to her pregnancy, Zhao Mei¡¯s face appeared rounder and plumper, with a bit of redness on her cheeks. Tian Lin was sitting by the bed holding a bowl, talking to Zhao Mei. The room was warm with the air conditioning on, and an unrelenting humidifier was quietly working in the corner with the window slightly open for venttion. A very cozy scene, many children who hadn¡¯t been home for years and worked away from home would probably look at this and cannot help but smile genuinely from their hearts, but those who knew the inside story, like Jiang Feng and others, could only helplessly shed genuine tears when they saw this. In Tian Lin¡¯s hands was a bowl of braised meat. A bowl of white braised meat, without any green onion, without soy sauce, purely natural,pletely unadulterated, and extremely greasy; even from several meters away, Jiang Feng could clearly see the big chunks of fat meat on top of the braised meat. ¡°Meimei, you¡¯re approaching your due date next month, you should eat a little bit. You didn¡¯t feel like eating this early in the morning, look at you, how much weight you¡¯ve lost these past few days, how can this go on? Didn¡¯t you use to love the braised meat Mom made for you when you were little? Look, Mom got up early in the morning just to make braised meat for you, starting at 3 a.m., so eat at least a bite,¡± Tian Lin said worriedly. Jiang Feng and the others: ¡­ ¡°Mom, just leave it here for now, I¡¯ll eat it myselfter. I really don¡¯t have an appetite right after waking up, and it¡¯s not good to eat something so greasy this early. Could you cook a bowl of noodles for me? Maybe I¡¯ll feel like eating noodles,¡± Zhao Mei gently persuaded, ¡°It seems like Feng and the others are at the door, and the three Mrs. Jiangs have alle, hurry and go greet them.¡± Tian Lin was persuaded by Zhao Mei, put down the bowl, turned around, and said to Jiang Feng and the others, ¡°You¡¯vee to see Meimei, right? Just sit with her and chat, urge her to finish this bowl of braised meat. I¡¯ll be going out, there¡¯s more braised meat in the pot, and when youe out, I¡¯ll dish out a bowl for each of you, okay?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn
    With that said by Tian Lin, everyone just wanted to stay rooted to the spot and never leave. ¡°Meimei,¡± Jiang Feng walked in, put down the bag with sweet dumplings, and found a chair to sit on. There weren¡¯t enough chairs in the room, so those with chairs sat on them, and those without sat on the edge of the bed, clogging up the little roompletely. Because it really had been too long since theyst saw each other, at first the group found themselves at a loss for words. Besides Jiang Feng, everyone present had been beaten up by Zhao Mei before and naturally held a deep awe of her. While everyone was trying to think of what to say, the door suddenly opened, and a strange man stuck his head in. Upon seeing this unfamiliar man, Zhao Mei¡¯s eyes lit up, and she immediately became energetic, ¡°Husband, where are the buns? My mom is probably in the kitchen boiling water.¡± ¡°Right here.¡± Zhao Mei¡¯s husband hurriedly pulled out five steamed buns from his coat pocket. Without even taking a good look at Jiang Feng and the others, he quickly walked to Zhao Mei and handed her the steamed buns. Zhao Mei took the buns and began gobbling them down voraciously, as if racing against time. Jiang Feng and the others: ¡­ She didn¡¯t look like someone with no appetite at all. Chapter 527: 525 Benevolent Lies Chapter 527: Chapter 525 Benevolent Lies After gobbling down five buns, Zhao Mei felt rejuvenated, perking up to introduce her husband to Jiang Feng andpany, and likewise, to introduce her unremarkable husband to them. Zhao Mei¡¯s husband hailed from Jin Province, a bona fide northern man with a towering stature and a burly frame, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiang Zaidi without appearing the least bit inferior¡ªa strong man who met her uncle¡¯s standards of beauty. The sturdy man was now stuffing the stic bag that had contained the buns into his pocket, aiding his wife in the destruction of the evidence of her stealthy snacking. Seeing her younger cousins eyeing her with curiosity, Zhao Mei heaved a sigh and began to recount her experiences over the past few days. The issue wasn¡¯t anything major, it was just that¡­ the meat prepared by Tian Lin was incredibly unptable. The Zhao family, due to a perennial shortage of malebor, had never been wealthy. Because of theirck of resources, oil and fat were raremodities on their dining table, and in Zhao Mei¡¯s childhood, it was a rare treat to see meat dishes featured at their meals. This was precisely why braised meat had be an indispensable heavyweight dish at the Zhao family¡¯s New Year¡¯s feast. Not only was the braised meat fatty, but even the red-braised pork was made withrge chunks of fat. Stir-fried pork with chili was cooked with fatty Wuhua pork, and even in the winter melon soup, sliced pure fat was added. In the Zhao family¡¯s cookbook, fat was synonymous with vor¡ªa mediocre culinary skill could bepensated with fat, and the opulence of a dish was demonstrated through its fat content. In days of scant clothing and food, what could bring more happiness and satisfaction than a pure piece of fat and copious amounts of grease? As a child, Zhao Mei loved eating fatty meat.
    Mainly because she couldn¡¯t afford anything else, and also because meat was only avable during the holidays, Tian Lin¡¯s braised meat used to be Zhao Mei¡¯s favorite. The previously fat-loving Zhao Mei, in front of the Jiang family¡¯s three plump members, would wolf down nearly half a bowl of pork with an equal fat-to-lean ratio, so heavily sauced that the vor hadn¡¯t prated the meat. One bite and the greasy fat would explode in her mouth, clinging to her tongue and teeth for what seemed like an eternity, after eating one piece, you definitely wouldn¡¯t want a second. After finishing the red-braised pork, she would happily consume a full bowl of braised meat; sometimes, even one full bowl wasn¡¯t enough, and she¡¯d go for half a bowl more. Late on, Zhao Mei went to study in the county¡¯s high school, and her family¡¯s finances improved slightly, beginning to fade from the confines of poverty. With some pocket money, she could eat in the school cafeteria and even enjoy snacks from the stalls outside the school. Since then, Zhao Mei had be unable to face the Zhao family¡¯s specialty¡ªthe in water braised meat. Years flew by, and the dazzling outside world had blinded her, the ever-changing array of fine foods had clogged her mouth; her tolerance for the family specialty dimmed, causing her to react to the mere sight of meat with the same dismay as the general popce¡ªthe Jiang family members. The one glimmer of hope was that the Zhao family¡¯s in water braised meat was a holiday exclusive, limited to the period from the day before the Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve to the Lantern Festival. Zhao Mei just had to hold out for 10 more days to sail through unscathed. As Zhao Mei was vividly describing to Jiang Feng and the others how she managed, in the past few days, to have her husband create diversions, openly repair the pathway while secretly moving goods, and smuggle in food from outside, as well as cook noodles in the middle of the night, the door suddenly opened. Everyone jumped in fright. ¡°Meimei, if you can¡¯t manage the braised meat, you must drink this bowl of bird¡¯s nest soup. I¡¯ve added two chunks of rock sugar since you¡¯ve been craving something sweettely. Drink it while it¡¯s hot,¡± Tian Lin entered with a bowl of rock sugar bird¡¯s nest soup in hand. Zhao Mei obediently finished the entire bowl of bird¡¯s nest soup, which finally brought a smile to Tian Lin¡¯s face. Picking up an untouched piece of braised meat, Tian Lin said to Jiang Zaidi, ¡°De, I heard from your grandma that you guys left early this morning and didn¡¯t have breakfast, let me get you some braised meat.¡± ¡°Mom, it¡¯s too early for such a hefty serving of meat, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be able to stomach it. Feng brought some sweet dumplings, why don¡¯t you cook those instead. Do you guys want sweet dumplings or braised meat?¡± Zhao Mei asked. ¡°Sweet dumplings!¡± All present chimed in unanimously, their eyes resolute. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and cook the sweet dumplings for you. The dumplings are in¡­¡± ¡°Here, I just made them fresh yesterday. Aunt, you should eat these fresh dumplings quickly before they go bad, eat less of the braised meat over the next few days, and have more dumplings,¡± Jiang Feng hastily handed the dumplings to Tian Lin. ¡°Okay.¡± Tian Lin epted the dumplings and happily went to the kitchen to cook them. The people who narrowly escaped the ordeal couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Meimei, just tell Aunt the truth,¡± Jiang Shoucheng, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. ¡°Aunt called Grandma the day before yesterday and mentioned that you¡¯ve lost quite a bit of weight recently. You¡¯re about to give birth next month, and sudden weight loss during pregnancy is a big taboo. It¡¯s not for any other reason; you can¡¯t be skipping meals just to avoid eating braised meat.¡±
    After Jiang Shoucheng said this, everyone found it very reasonable and nodded in agreement. Standing in the crowd like a backdrop, Zhao Mei¡¯s husband eximed in shock: ¡°What?! Meimei, you¡¯ve lost weight recently? Why didn¡¯t you tell me!¡± With an expression of speechlessness, Zhao Mei nced at her husband: ¡°Didn¡¯t you see I gained three pounds when I weighed myselfst night?¡± Her words were filled with anger, clearly disying her frustration with her constantly increasing weight.
    Jiang Shoucheng: ???N?v(el)B\\jnn Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Zhao Mei put on a serene smile and said to Jiang Shoucheng, ¡°Shoucheng, don¡¯t worry. I haven¡¯t lost weight recently, and while I might not eat at regr meal times, it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not eating. My parents have been ustomed to having meat for so many years, even if I tell them, they will still make it. It¡¯s just been like this for a few days. Telling them the truth would just upset my mom, and it¡¯s not necessary since I won¡¯t starve myself.¡± It¡¯s always hard to predict a pregnant woman¡¯s mood, which can change in an instant. One moment Zhao Mei was calmly exining her recent eating habits to Jiang Shoucheng, and the next, her face twisted with anger as she said to her husband: ¡°I told youst night to just boil a bowl of noodles with a couple of eggs, and you made me such a huge bowl. Is that a bowl? That¡¯s a basin! I¡¯ve already been feeling ufortable because of the pregnancy, feeling like my stomach is being pushed. Andst night, that huge basin of noodles made me feel like they¡¯re stuck in my throat. I was so ufortable all night, I hardly slept at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my wife.¡± Zhao Mei¡¯s husband knew that during such a special time, it didn¡¯t matter who was right or wrong; apologizing was the correct thing to do. ¡°Meimei, can you really get enough nutrition just from noodles?¡± asked Jiang Feng. ¡°Yes, I get enough. I only eat noodles at night. Although I don¡¯t eat meals at mealtimes during the day, I¡¯m actually eating all the time. Ever since I got pregnant, I can¡¯t keep my mouth still. Plus, my mom thinks I haven¡¯t been eating muchtely and is afraid I¡¯m not getting enough nutrition, so she makes me drink a bowl of bird¡¯s nest every morning just like she did earlier. I think those three pounds came from drinking bird¡¯s nest,¡± Zhao Mei exined, her tone once again even. ¡°Feng, I heard that your family opened a store in Beiping,¡± Zhao Mei said with a smile. Jiang Feng nodded: ¡°Yes, Grandpa and Grandma moved to Beiping too, and De has gone to work in Beiping.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. You and your brothers have always liked sticking together since you were kids. I¡¯m carrying twins, and I hope they can work in the same city when they grow up,¡± Zhao Mei said, her face glowing with maternal warmth. Jiang Feng was about to continue with the family chat when a game notification sounded in his mind. ¡°Ding, an optional side quest has been discovered. Please choose at your discretion.¡± The words Jiang Feng was about to say turned into: ¡°Meimei, I need to use the bathroom. Where was it again?¡±
    Zhao Mei straightened up with some difficulty and shuffled a bit, then pointed to the right: ¡°Just two steps to the right.¡± ¡°Thanks, Meimei,¡± said Jiang Feng as he got up and quickly walked outside. Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi exchanged a knowing look, more resolved than ever to take Jiang Feng for a full physical check-up after the new year. Unaware of Jiang Shoucheng and Jiang Zaidi¡¯s ns, Jiang Feng found the bathroom without issue, went inside, closed the door, and opened his attribute panel. As Jiang Feng had suspected, the side quest was rted to Zhao Mei. Jiang Feng decisively clicked yes to ept the side quest. [The Well-Intentioned Lie] Zhao Mei, after being exposed to various cuisines for many years, could no longer stomach the braised meat her mother cooked. To avoid disappointing her mother¡¯s good intentions, she has maintained the well-intentioned lie that she still likes eating braised meat. Now that Zhao Mei is 36 weeks pregnant, to ensure both her health and that of the twins in her womb, the yer must maintain this well-intentioned lie while ensuring her daily diet brings joy to body and mind. Quest Tip: It¡¯s better to teach someone to fish than to give them fish. Quest Reward: [A Memory Fragment of Tian Lin] Chapter 528: 526: A Mothers Heart Chapter 528: Chapter 526: A Mother¡¯s Heart Jiang Feng looked at the task and fell into deep thought. He could probably understand the meaning behind the game issuing this task. Although Zhao Mei hadn¡¯t starved recently, she had been avoiding meals to escape the Braised Meat, leading to an extremely irregr eating pattern, which was clearly very unhealthy behavior for a soon-to-be mother. Originally, she hade back to her mother¡¯s house to nurture her pregnancy better, but after returning home, she couldn¡¯t even guarantee stable meals, eating as if she was engaging in guerri warfare. Advance when the enemy advances, retreat when the enemy retreats, she was short of employing all 36 stratagems. The thought was a little heart-wrenching. But how should heplete this task? Jiang Feng was well aware of Tian Lin¡¯s culinary skills; when it came to meat dishes, she either neglected to season them or over-seasoned them, hovering between serving food that could kill and couldn¡¯t. Her cooking skills were at a basic level where she could only boil noodles well, and while she could manage simple vegetables, anything slightly moreplicated was beyond her. To put it bluntly, teaching Tian Lin to cook was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. It wasn¡¯t because Tian Lin was a beginner; on the contrary, she had been in charge of the Zhao Family¡¯s kitchen for decades and had developed her own set of cooking theories. Even if those theories were wrong, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t easily correct them. With these worries in mind, Jiang Feng left the bathroom and returned to Zhao Mei¡¯s room. Everyone had already started eating glutinous rice balls, each holding a bowl and spoon, with the plump rice balls floating adorably in the bowls. Among them all, Zhao Mei¡¯s husband was eating the most cheerfully, and indeed, he was the one who suffered the most these days. Zhao Mei could use feeling sleepy to avoid meal times, but he couldn¡¯t. Not only that, but he also had to forcibly grin and bear his mother-inw¡¯s ¡®lovingly¡¯ prepared Braised Meat, assist his wife in guerri warfare, provide her with food, and apologize to his wife when necessary¡ªand even when not necessary.
    Zhao Mei, having eaten 5 buns and two or three glutinous rice balls, felt full and scooped the remaining balls into her husband¡¯s bowl, not forgetting to praise Jiang Feng, ¡°How about it, my cousin¡¯s skills are not bad, right?¡± ¡°Excellent, amazing!¡± Zhao Mei¡¯s husband eximed, devouring the rice balls. ¡°Eat slower, chew more. Glutinous rice balls are made from sticky rice; if you eat too fast, they won¡¯t be easy to digest,¡± Zhao Mei advised. Seeing everyone eating glutinous rice balls, Zhao Mei leaned on the bed and slowly got up. Because she was about to give birth and was carrying twins, Zhao Mei¡¯s belly was incrediblyrge, making her originally round face, neck, hands, and somewhat swollen feet look very delicate byparison. Seeing Zhao Mei getting up to move, her husband quickly helped her into her coat and followed behind her. ¡°It¡¯s warm inside with the air conditioning, so you all stay here. I¡¯ll go out and talk with Third Grandma and the others, and also get some exercise,¡± Zhao Mei said with a smile, supporting her belly and walking out. Zhao Mei¡¯s room was indeed much warmer than outside. Going out not only meant facing the cold but also the risk of being forced to consume a bowl of Braised Meat by the uncle. Therefore, everyone obediently stayed inside, continuing to eat their glutinous rice balls while chatting. ¡°Meimei¡¯s belly is so big, isn¡¯t it exhausting for her to walk like this?¡± Jiang Junqing eximed. ¡°The more so, the more she needs to move around,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. ¡°But I feel that Meimei has changed a lot.¡± ¡°She has be gentler,¡± Jiang Zaidi agreed, nodding. Jiang Feng was busy eating his glutinous rice balls and couldn¡¯t join the conversation, only intermittently nodding his head and listening to everyone discuss how pregnant women endure hardship and difficulties. It was only after Jiang Feng finished his bowl that he joined the discussion group. ¡°Cheng, isn¡¯t it a bit bad for Meimei to have such irregr meals?¡± Jiang Feng asked. ¡°It isn¡¯t great, but if it¡¯s just for a few days, it should be okay. I see that Meimei is quite rosy and often gets down to walk around; her state is not bad,¡± Jiang Shoucheng said. ¡°Plus, Sir¡¯s family won¡¯t be able to stew meat for many days; they can¡¯t have that much Wuhua pork to keep up with Aunt¡¯s cooking.¡± Although Jiang Shoucheng¡¯s words made sense, since the game had issued a task, Jiang Feng couldn¡¯t just sit on his hands. He decided to take a turn in the kitchen first to see if there was any space for intervention. ¡°I¡¯ll check out the kitchen,¡± Jiang Feng said, getting up. No sooner had Jiang Feng stepped out when he overheard the voice of Aunt talking with Zhao Mei in the living room. As he passed by, he nced in and saw Zhao Mei sitting central like a star, the center of attention, surrounded by a group of elders, while her uncle sat on the sideughing and drinking tea, all in high spirits.
    Jiang Feng briskly walked toward the kitchen and before even entering, he heard voicesing from inside, Mrs. Jiang and Tian Lin conversing. Since the Zhao Family¡¯s kitchen was small, he could see everything inside from the doorway. Realizing they were discussing Zhao Mei¡¯s issue, Jiang Feng did not enter directly but instead eavesdropped from the doorway. Tian Lin was washing vegetables while Mrs. Jiang was helping her pick vegetable leaves. ¡°Aunt, this isn¡¯t me overthinking things, I¡¯m sure Meimei is being bullied at her inws¡¯ ce,¡± Tian Lin said with a worried look, ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve sensed that something was off with her; I feel like she¡¯s been hiding something from me. Ever since she was little, Meimei has shared everything with me. If she isn¡¯t being mistreated by her inws, why else would she keep secrets from me?¡±
    Mrs. Jiang picked through the vegetables indifferently, offeringfort, ¡°Zhuangshi, you¡¯re just prone to worrying. I just saw Meimei, and she seemed to be in a good mood. Her husband seems like a decent man, very earnest. Whenever she walked ahead, he¡¯d follow right behind her, obviously very attentive to Meimei. Besides, didn¡¯t you tell me that Meimei doesn¡¯t live with her inws? Meimei is a smart girl, not someone who would get easily bullied.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sure she is being bullied. Aunt, I went to the city especially to ask a doctor, and the doctor said pregnant women experience significant emotional fluctuations; they can make a mountain out of a molehill over trifles. Meimei was fine before, but ever since Zhu (Zhao Mei¡¯s husband) arrived, she suddenly lost her appetite. There must be something Zhu did that reminded her of something upsetting. What could be so disturbing that it made her unable to eat?¡± As Tian Lin spoke, she abruptly put down the potato she was holding. ¡°Could it be that Zhu abuses her?¡± ¡°Tut-tut-tut, what are you talking about? How could you even speak of such things, careful not to ruin the harmony between Meimei and Zhu. Zhuangshi, don¡¯t you trust your aunt? When have I ever misjudged a person in all these years? There used to be so many wife beaters in our vige; don¡¯t you think I¡¯d be aware of their type? Zhu is definitely not one of them; he¡¯s clearly an honestd. It looks to me like you¡¯re the one with wild thoughts instead of Meimei.¡± Mrs. Jiang was stern, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense like that again. You¡¯re grown up now; don¡¯t you understand such basic principles?¡± Tian Lin knew she had spoken recklessly, ¡°But Aunt, why did Meimei suddenly lose her appetite?¡± ¡°Meimei looked quite rosy to me, not like someone who hasn¡¯t been eating. How could she not have an appetite?¡± Mrs. Jiang questioned. ¡°Ever since Meimei was a child, I don¡¯t know what happened, but every time mealtimees around, she just gets sleepy. She doesn¡¯t want to eat anything, only willing to drink some soup and have something light. Meimei used to love Braised Meat when she was young; she¡¯d light up at the sight of it during the New Year¡¯s, able to eat two big bowls at a go. Seeing herck of appetite, I¡¯ve been getting up before dawn to make Braised Meat for her, even picking out the fattiest cuts for her, but Meimei always says she isn¡¯t hungry and doesn¡¯t want it, she would rather have something sweet instead.¡± Mrs. Jiang: ¡­ A brief silence fell in the kitchen. ¡°Listen, Zhuangshi,¡± Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯t quite know what to say, ¡°Braised Meat can indeed be too greasy for pregnant women; perhaps it doesn¡¯t suit her. From now on, you should cook less Braised Meat for Meimei; just make her some meatball soup in the morning.¡± ¡°How could she be averse to it? When I was pregnant with Meimei, I remember it was also during the Spring Festival, and I relished eating two bowls of Braised Meat every day,¡± Tian Lin disagreed. Mrs. Jiang was at a loss for words. ¡°Just thinking about it makes me worry; I feel like Meimei has lost quite a bit of weight these past few days,¡± said Tian Lin with a face full of concern.
    ¡°Zhuangshi, take my advice; cook less Braised Meat. Maybe if you do, Meimei¡¯s appetite will improve,¡± Mrs. Jiang suggested meekly. ¡°Actually, Aunt, I came today to ask Uncle for a favor,¡± Tian Lin began. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Meimei has been having cravings for sweetstely because of herck of appetite, but she can¡¯t have too much because she¡¯s pregnant. It¡¯s not nutritious only eating sweets without meat. When I got married to Zhuangshi, the city was repairing the dam, and you found Zhuangshi a job carrying bags, but he wasn¡¯t well, so I took over. During that time, I would eat and stay at your ce, do you remember?¡± Tian Lin asked. ¡°Of course, I remember,¡± Mrs. Jiang replied. ¡°There was this one time Uncle made Braised Meat, I think with bamboo shoots, and it was sweet and incredibly tasty. Meimei hasn¡¯t been having much of an appetite and wants something sweet, so I was thinking, what if Meimei would like to eat sweet Braised Meat? That¡¯s why I wanted to ask if Uncle still remembers how he made that dish. If he does, could he teach me?¡± Tian Lin requested. Mrs. Jiang remembered when Tian Lin came to the city to carry bags but didn¡¯t recall that particr Braised Meat dish. Having eaten Sir¡¯s cooking for decades, there wasn¡¯t a single Braised Meat dish that would linger in her memory, even if it was sweet. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him for you, and even if Weiguo doesn¡¯t remember, I¡¯ll have him show you something else. A different recipe might just be to Meimei¡¯s taste,¡± Mrs. Jiang began to speak truthfully. ¡°Thank you for the trouble.¡± Jiang Feng stood at the doorway, stunned. He realized that he and Zhao Mei had both fallen into a misunderstanding. Zhao Mei couldn¡¯t stomach the Braised Meat and didn¡¯t want to disappoint Tian Lin by directly telling her it was too unpleasant for her to eat, so she chose to use ¡°Lies¡± to deceive Tian Lin. That deception stemmed from Zhao Mei¡¯s concern as a daughter and her desire not to disappoint her mother.
    They only thought about how to deceive Tian Lin, making her believe that Zhao Mei just wasn¡¯t hungry and not that she disliked the Braised Meat. However, they overlooked the fact that Tian Lin was making Braised Meat out of a mother¡¯s concern and love for her daughter. Tian Lin always remembered how Zhao Mei loved eating Braised Meat as a child, so she believed making Braised Meat for Zhao Mei during the New Year was showing her the greatest care because Braised Meat was the best food she could offer Zhao Mei. Completing this task was actually quite simple, just as indicated in the mission tips: teaching someone to fish is better than giving them a fish. Tian Lin needed to learn how to make truly delicious Braised Meat so she could pass on that eptable form of care to Zhao Mei. The heart of a loving mother.N?v(el)B\\jnn Jiang Feng entered the kitchen. Chapter 529: 527: Teaching Relies Entirely on a Loud Voice Chapter 529: Chapter 527: Teaching Relies Entirely on a Loud Voice Jiang Feng entered the kitchen, and immediately Tian Lin and Mrs. Jiang fell silent. Not only did they stop talking, but there was also an awkward expression on Tian Lin¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t know how much of her conversation with Mrs. Jiang he had overheard, and she was afraid that Jiang Feng might have heard something inappropriate. ¡°Auntie, you want to learn how to make braised meat with bamboo shoots, right?¡± Jiang Feng didn¡¯t have as many thoughts as Tian Lin, and he asked directly. Relieved by Jiang Feng¡¯s question, Tian Lin immediately exhaled a sigh of relief, ¡°Yes, you see, Meimei has been having a poor appetite these days? I wanted to learn some new dishes to see if she could stomach them, she hasn¡¯t eaten meat for several days now. How can she keep up with nutrition like this?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just braised meat with bamboo shoots, I can teach you. That dish isn¡¯t difficult, and I believe you¡¯ll be able to handle it quite soon,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, ¡°Besides, our families live close by. If you don¡¯t get the hang of it today, I can alsoe over in a couple of days and teach you.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn Before Tian Lin could reply, Mrs. Jiang eagerly interjected, ¡°That¡¯s right, your strong daughter-inw can let Feng teach you. Weiguo has a bad temper, Feng is more suited. Besides, Feng also has experience in teaching others how to cook. This year he even took on an apprentice, and he taught him so well that now he can even make fried sauce noodles after only half a year. Isn¡¯t that right, Feng?¡± Mrs. Jiang didn¡¯t forget to cue Jiang Feng. With the microphone practically in his mouth, Jiang Feng nodded his head repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Tian Lin was still a bit stunned, already convinced in her heart that Jiang Feng and Mrs. Jiang¡¯s idea was good, but she still felt obliged to be modest, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right. Feng, you are already working, and now during the rare holiday break, you still have to teach me how to cook. It¡¯s too much for you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Auntie? How can teaching you to cook be called a hardship?¡± eximed Jiang Feng enthusiastically.
    Could doing a mission possibly be called hardship? ¡°Back when Meimei was a child, she was always so good to me, giving me anything tasty to eat, and during braised meat meals always putting the fatty pieces into my bowl,¡± Jiang Feng began to shamelessly embellish, ¡°When Meimei can¡¯t eat well, we¡¯re anxious too. Teaching you to cook is just helping Meimei. There¡¯s nothing hard about that, it¡¯s only right!¡± Tears almost fell from Tian Lin¡¯s eyes as she inwardly cursed herself for her blindness to seeing what a warm-hearted kid Jiang Feng was before. ¡°Feng, I won¡¯t say anything else, but let me thank you on behalf of your Meimei first. Oh, and there¡¯s still some braised meat in the pot, I¡¯ll serve you a bowl of that,¡± said Tian Lin, moving to grab a bowl. Jiang Feng quickly stopped her, ¡°No need, Auntie, I¡¯ve just had some glutinous rice balls and really can¡¯t eat any more.¡± Seeing that she was no longer needed in the kitchen, Mrs. Jiang put down the vegetables she had just picked out into a basin and said to Jiang Feng, ¡°Feng, you stay here and help your aunt, I¡¯m going out for a walk.¡± ¡°Okay, grandma,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile. After Mrs. Jiang left the kitchen, only Jiang Feng and Tian Lin remained. Since Mrs. Jiang had asked Jiang Feng to stay and help, it naturally fell upon him to do so for today¡¯s lunch. Jiang Feng surveyed the kitchen and found no shortage of ingredients; they seemed to have nearly all the vegetables avable at the winter market, plenty of meat, and even live poultry in the yard if needed. ¡°Auntie, what are you nning to make for lunch today?¡± inquired Jiang Feng. Tian Lin chuckled, ¡°You know I¡¯m not the best cook, I was just going to make some scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried shredded potatoes, stir-fried pork with hot peppers, and braised pork. There¡¯s already some braised meat in the pot that¡¯s ready.¡± Every year when Mrs. Jiang led the Jiang family members over to the Zhao family to celebrate the new year, these were the dishes that Tian Lin typically prepared. Jiang Feng nodded, as if reiming the feeling he had when he was first teaching patient¡¯s rtives how to cook in the small canteen at the Benevolent Doctor. Teaching one dish was teaching, and teaching several was the same effort. Jiang Feng felt that teaching only braised meat with bamboo shoots wouldn¡¯t ensure Zhao Mei¡¯s nutrition before childbirth, so he decided to teach Tian Lin more of the home-cooked dishes she was good at making all at once,prehensively improving the Zhao family¡¯s meals. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do, Auntie. You¡¯ll make today¡¯s lunch dishes except for the braised pork. I¡¯ll watch over and let you know if there¡¯s an issue, and also teach you some tricks in the process. We¡¯ll hold off on the braised pork for now. I¡¯ll cook it this afternoon along with the braised meat with bamboo shoots. When I¡¯m cooking, pay close attention by my side. If there are important steps, I¡¯ll emphasize them, so don¡¯t worry about not being able to learn,¡± Jiang Feng suggested. ¡°Then I¡¯m troubling you,¡± Tian Lin, aware of her own average cooking skills and also knowing the renowned culinary standard of the Jiang family, had previously heard from Mrs. Jiang that Jiang Feng was now working daily in the restaurant just like Jiang Jiankang. Tian Lin had no clear concept of the culinary profession and felt that since Jiang Feng was already employed, it implied he was a chef. With a chef teaching her cooking, she naturally had no objections. Tian Lin began cutting vegetables in front of Jiang Feng. Regarding knife skills, Tian Lin wasn¡¯t bad ¨C her proficiency was typical of a regr homemaker. When Jiang Feng first started doing missions in the small canteen at the Benevolent Doctor, he¡¯d seen many whose knife skills were far worse than Tian Lin¡¯s. While Tian Lin was chopping the vegetables, Jiang Feng didn¡¯t say much, asionally just reminding her that she could cut the pieces a bit smaller ¨C merely insignificant details.
    Tian Lin¡¯s biggest issue was seasoning. Because the Zhao family had been poor for too many years, Tian Lin¡¯s cooking had always been one of two extremes: either heavy on oil, salt, and sauce orpletelycking in them ¨C the dishes were either extremely salty or entirely nd. She had be ustomed to using just a little oil and seasoning for everyday cooking while going all out during the New Year, especially with oil and salt, pushing their notion of ¡°more oil doesn¡¯t ruin a dish¡± to the limit. Jiang Feng remembered more than 10 years ago, before he started elementary school, Tian Lin would spread oil on the pan instead of pouring it in directly. Back then, Jiang Feng was always curious why Tian Lin never seemed to use oil when cooking; he thought the rag she used was for wiping the pan before frying. It was precisely for this reason that Jiang Feng, usually quiet while chopping vegetables, became especially talkative when he started cooking officially.
    ¡°` ¡°Auntie, you¡¯ve added too much oil. That amount of oil could fry four eggs, and you¡¯re only frying two. Why not crack two more eggs in?¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Auntie, there¡¯s no need to put so much salt in scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Don¡¯t add this spoonful of salt, the vor changes when there¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Eating more salt gives you the energy to work hard,¡± Tian Lin couldn¡¯t help but retort. ¡°Besides, both your great uncle and your uncle love dishes with a lot of salt.¡± ¡°` ¡°` A family ustomed to strong vors. ¡°` ¡°`
    Jiang Feng, ¡°¡­ Auntie, Great Uncle is getting on in years, it¡¯s better for him to eat less salt. Listen to me and add just a little, at most a half spoon more, really no more than that.¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°You can¡¯t add so much soy sauce! Auntie, why would you add soy sauce when frying tomatoes and eggs? There¡¯s no need to add soy sauce to this dish!¡± ¡°` ¡°` A steaming dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, looking quite presentable and seemingly normal in vor, wasboriously served. ¡°` ¡°` Tian Lin then started stir-frying pork with hot peppers. ¡°` ¡°` To help Tian Lin cook better and to facilitate Jiang Feng¡¯s teaching, he had helped her prepare all the ingredients on separate tes, including re-cutting the fat she had cut improperly.
    ¡°` ¡°` Stir-frying pork with Wuhua meat isn¡¯t a problem, but if the pork is 80% fat to 20% lean, there¡¯s a big problem. A fifty-fifty ratio is more appropriate for stir-frying pork with hot peppers, and sixty-forty is eptable if the meat is sliced thin enough. ¡°` ¡°` Jiang Feng specially re-cut a te of thin slices of Wuhua meat for stir-frying with hot peppers. ¡°` ¡°` Then Jiang Feng watched Tian Lin heat the oil in the wok, and she turned to pick up the te of 80-20 Wuhua meat that Jiang Feng had ced far away. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Auntie, wrong, wrong, not that te, this one, the one right next to your hand!¡± Jiang Feng grabbed Tian Lin. ¡°`
    ¡°` Tian Lin was still somewhat confused, obviously not understanding the difference between the two tes of meat. Weren¡¯t they both Wuhua meat? ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Auntie, when stir-frying pork with hot peppers, you can¡¯t use Wuhua meat that¡¯s too fatty. If you want to use the fatty meat, you have to slice it thinner, otherwise it¡¯s soft and oily, too greasy with every bite.¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Isn¡¯t it good to have every bite full of oil? That way it¡¯s juicy and delicious,¡± Tian Lin had her own system of cooking theory. ¡°` ¡°` Jiang Feng, ¡°¡­ Auntie, Great Uncle is also old, eating something so fatty isn¡¯t good for his health. That goes for you and Uncle too, don¡¯t always eat such fatty food, it¡¯s not good for your health.¡± ¡°` ¡°` Tian Lin was somewhat convinced, but still a bit reluctant to give up the meat she had sliced, ¡°But it tastes better with more fat.¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°It will taste just as good if you cook it the way I taught you!¡± ¡°` ¡°` The Wuhua meat was finally in the wok. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Auntie. You need to stir-fry the Wuhua meat a bit longer to render out the fat. When the meat changes color and curls a bit, then you can add the peppers.¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°That¡¯s enough, enough, no more soy sauce. Cooking wine, you need to add cooking wine, you need to add cooking wine when braising meat!¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Ai, that¡¯s good now,stly you can add a bit of sugar for color and vor. Just a little, don¡¯t add too much, your spoon is way too big!¡± ¡°` ¡°` The pork stir-fried with hot peppers was sessfully served. ¡°` ¡°` By the time stir-fried shredded potato was ready, Jiang Feng felt his throat getting a bit hoarse. ¡°` ¡°` You can¡¯t me him for being too excited; Tian Lin¡¯s movements were just too fast. He had to shout louder to stop her, otherwise the ingredients would probably have ended up straight in the pot. ¡°` ¡°` After three dishes, Jiang Feng felt his teaching skills had greatly improved. ¡°` ¡°` Not only had his teaching skills greatly improved, but his speaking speed had increased significantly as well; speaking slower wouldn¡¯t have stopped Tian Lin¡¯s actions. ¡°` ¡°` She sprinkled salt so quickly you wouldn¡¯t think she was about to be a grandmother. ¡°` ¡°` Tian Lin also felt a significant improvement in her cooking skills. Even though she felt unnatural not being allowed to add more seasonings by Jiang Feng, the dishes definitely looked better than the ones she made before. Especially the scrambled eggs with tomatoes, which looked much brighter and more vibrant without the soy sauce. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°Feng, don¡¯t you think these three dishes are a bit sparse? Even with braised meat in the pot, it won¡¯t look good on the table. With so many people eating, and seeing as we still have time, why don¡¯t we make some red-braised pork?¡± Tian Lin said. ¡°` ¡°` ¡°No need,¡± Jiang Feng began tying his apron, ¡°You first put these few dishes in the pot on the side, and cover them to keep warm.¡± ¡°` ¡°` ¡°The rest of the cooking, you can leave to me.¡± ¡°` Chapter 530: 528 Chapter 530: 528 Jiang Feng had already decided on the dish he wanted to make. He nned to cook with pork belly, specifically with fatty pork belly. Since it was a dish for the Zhao family¡¯s dining table, it naturally needed to match the style of the Zhao family. He would make lion¡¯s head meatballs without crab meat. When ites to lion¡¯s head meatballs, one cannot help but mention the Four Joyful Meatballs. These two dishes not only look simr but their cooking methods are nearly identical as well; the biggest difference in appearance is their color, but many people still think that Four Joyful Meatballs are just red-braised lion¡¯s head meatballs. Last year, during the taste test, Jiang Jiandang lost because he mistook Four Joyful Meatballs for lion¡¯s head meatballs. Distinguishing between lion¡¯s head meatballs and Four Joyful Meatballs is quite simple: Four Joyful Meatballs are mostly made with minced meat, while lion¡¯s head meatballs are made with diced pork. Four Joyful Meatballs need to be deep-fried, while lion¡¯s head meatballs generally are not. (Note ¢Ù) Of course, there is another direct way to tell the difference: Four Joyful Meatballs are definitely fourrge meatballs. Xu Ke in the ¡°ssified Collection of Qing Miscenea¡± recorded: ¡°Lion¡¯s head meatballs are named for their shape, which resembles a pig¡¯s round form. Pork is used with equal parts fat and lean, finely chopped and coarsely minced, then mixed with egg whites to help it set. Some also add shrimp or crab meat. Take a yellow sand pot, ce yellow chrysanthemum vegetables or bamboo shoots at the bottom, slightly mix with water and salt, then form the pork into extremelyrge balls and ce them on top. Cover with vegetable leaves and the pot lid, and put it into an iron pot. Sprinkle a little salt to prevent the pot from cracking. After that, cook over a gentle fire. Burn a handful of wood then pause, continue burning more every five minutes, until it is cooked.¡± The ordinary lion¡¯s head meatballs are best made with pork belly that is half fat, half lean or with a 60-40 ratio, but crab meat lion¡¯s head meatballs can utilize pork belly that is 70 percent fat to 30 percent lean. Tian Lin saw Jiang Feng not touching any of the ingredients and went to cut arge piece of pork belly. She found it strange and asked, ¡°Feng, didn¡¯t you say that we don¡¯t have enough time for red-braised pork?¡± ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m not making red-braised pork; I¡¯m making lion¡¯s head meatballs,¡± Jiang Feng exined, quickly removing the skin from the pork belly on the cutting board. Tian Lin knew about lion¡¯s head meatball. When vigers had celebrations and hired a chef, sometimes they would make lion¡¯s head meatballs. In earlier years, they would use fattier pork belly, but it¡¯s rarely seen nowadays. Tian Lin didn¡¯t like lean lion¡¯s head meatballs because she found them too dry andcking in vor, so she didn¡¯t fancy them much. However, now that she saw Jiang Feng using pork belly with a fat to lean ratio of 70 to 30, she thought that the lion¡¯s head meatballs made with this would definitely be delicious, and an urge to learn sparked within her. She was already learning to make red-braised pork and bamboo shoot braised meat, so adding lion¡¯s head meatballs to the mix wouldn¡¯t be too much, and after all, if quality doesn¡¯t work out, quantity might make up for it. ¡°Feng, do you think your aunt can learn to make lion¡¯s head meatballs?¡± Tian Lin asked. Jiang Feng thought Tian Lin definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to learn, but on second thought, if Tian Lin was willing to learn, even if the result was a saucy meatball, it would definitely be tastier than the braised meat, so he said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t learn; I¡¯ll start teaching you, and you can learn as much as you can. Even if you can¡¯t make lion¡¯s head meatballs, making meatballs is still fine.¡± Tian Lin immediately became joyful, feeling that Jiang Feng was simply the best kindest kid under heaven. Jiang Feng had learned to make crab meat lion¡¯s head meatballs from Dong Shi. The meat should be mid-belly pork belly with a fat to lean ratio of 70 to 30; if it¡¯s summer and too greasy, 60 to 40 is also eptable. Use the freshest water chestnuts and steam the crab meat from a live crab. Even though Jiang Feng didn¡¯t have water chestnuts or crab meat with him right now, as long as he followed the method Dong Shi taught him for making crab meat lion¡¯s head meatballs, the result would still be a delicious bootleg version of crab meat lion¡¯s head meatballs. While cooking, Jiang Feng also did not forget to exin the process to Tian Lin.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Auntie, when chopping the meat, make sure it¡¯s fine, cut to the size of mine, the size of pomegranate seeds. Don¡¯t worry about taking time; it doesn¡¯t matter what it looks like, it must be finely chopped. After chopping, just like me, keep shing back and forth on the meat with the knife.¡± Jiang Feng said while lifting therge cleaver and repeatedly chopping at the meat on the cutting board as if he had a deep grudge against the tiny pieces of pork. ¡°` When the diced meat reached a tighter consistency with a sticky feel between the lean and fatty parts, the cutting was considered done. After the meat was cut, it was time for seasoning and pounding. Jiang Feng added various seasonings in session, letting Tian Lin take a careful look at each one as if she were a primary school student in a ssroom, intently staring at Jiang Feng¡¯s every move. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she couldn¡¯t write, she would have wished to pull out a notebook and jot down every single step he made. Without water chestnuts and crab meat, making pure meat filling would be a bit dull, so Jiang Feng diced some winter bamboo shoots and mixed them into the meat to make a winter bamboo shoot filling. The bamboo shoots, fresh and crisp, gave a unique vor to the Four Joyful Meatballs when drizzled with broth. Speaking of broth, Zhao Family¡¯s kitchen had some ready-made. In the past years, Tian Lin would work in factories in the town or county, but after Zhao Mei¡¯s family and life became stable, Tian Lin stopped working. She lived in the countryside, farming two acres, raising pigs, chickens, and ducks, bing self-sufficient, and enjoying a life of leisure as in the poetry of Tao Yuanming. Tian Lin raised chickens every year, only hens, buying chicks at the beginning of the year and raising them until they were plump. Apart from the eggs used at home, the rest were saved up and sent to Zhao Mei in the town via SF Express from time to time. The hens would be ughtered for Zhao Mei when she came back for the New Year, either braised in soy sauce or in clear soup, one each day. The leftovers would be packed for Zhao Mei to take away. Those she couldn¡¯t take would be raised for another year, bing old hens for Zhao Mei to eat the next year. There was chicken broth left over from the previous day in the refrigerator, made from stewed old hens raised by Tian Lin. The chicken was fat, and because Tian Lin did not skim off the chicken fat during cooking, the yellow broth rich in chicken fat was used to cook noodles with two eggs, bing Zhao Mei¡¯ste-night snack these days. Chicken noodle soup with two eggs, so it seems that Zhao Mei was eating quite well, even her midnight snacking was grand. Braising chicken didn¡¯t require much skill; as long as the chicken was good, the broth would naturally be good given Tian Lin¡¯s expertise in raising chickens. When Tian Lin saw Jiang Feng taking out the chicken broth from the fridge, she thought he was going to warm up the leftover broth to make do as a dish and said, ¡°Feng, let¡¯s not serve leftovers at the table, it doesn¡¯t look nice.¡± ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m just warming up some chicken broth to pour over the Four Joyful Meatballster,¡± Jiang Feng exined. The pounding of the crab meatballs was also very particr, but Jiang Feng felt Tian Lin would likely not learn it. First, it was thrown up and down, then stirred in the same direction before throwing again. This method of manipting the meat was too difficult for Tian Lin, not to mention tiring; being able to cut the dice properly and season the meat was enough. Once they were shaped into big meatballs, it was time to stew them, which could be done slowly or quickly; pressed for time, Jiang Feng could only opt for a quick stew. Once the meatballs were on the stove, they didn¡¯t need any attention. Jiang Feng then tirelessly prepared a pot of braised spare ribs and a pot of egg custard with chicken and crab. After those two dishes were finished, the dishes Tian Lin had previously cooked, even with heat-retention techniques, had cooled down. Jiang Feng reheated them, adjusting the vors in the process. Although the fire control had aged a bit, the vor had certainly improved a great deal. In the blink of an eye, it was time to eat, and the Four Joyful Meatballs, missing water chestnuts and crab meat, were also ready toe out of the pot. Tian Lin stood by the pot, waiting to see what Jiang Feng¡¯s meatballs would look like. . PS: Note ¢Ù: Excerpt from the chapter published by Zhu Toutou Miaomiao on April 20th in chapter one hundred and four. ¡°` Chapter 531 - 529: So Delicious Itll Make You Cry Chapter 531: Chapter 529: So Delicious It¡¯ll Make You Cry ¡°` The lion¡¯s head meatballs were ready. Tian Lin looked at the meatballs in the pot with a tinge of disappointment. She had high expectations for this dish. She watched every step Jiang Feng took while making it, noting that even chopping the meat wasplicated. He used such high-quality, fatty pork belly that she had imagined the result would be a dish so stunningly delicious. Just like the meals Jiang Weiguo used to make many years ago. It had been many years since Tian Lin had tasted Jiang Weiguo¡¯s cooking, to be exact, she had only eaten it a few times and couldn¡¯t even remember the taste anymore. She only remembered that Jiang Weiguo¡¯s meat dishes were unlike anyone else¡¯s. They were different even before reaching the mouth, just the smell alone was captivating, as if the dish was sprinkled with luminous powder and was glowing. She had thought Jiang Feng¡¯s lion¡¯s head meatballs would surely be the same, but they looked no different from ordinary meatballs, pale in color. They did smell quite nice, but it was a faint fragrance. In any case, the allure was not enough to make it impossible to look away. Then Tian Lin saw Jiang Feng pour adle of piping hot chicken soup over the lion¡¯s head meatballs. The chicken soup had naturally gone through a post-process treatment, with the oil removed from the surface and some other ingredients added. The color of the soup was lighter than before, but it still had a slight yellow tint. At the moment the chicken soup was poured, Tian Lin caught the aroma. It was not just the scent of the chicken soup, nor just the smell of the fat, but also bamboo shoots and something else ¨C it was simply delicious. So fragrantly tempting that one couldn¡¯t look away. Just like the first time she had tried Jiang Weiguo¡¯s cooking decades ago. ¡°Aunt, if you want to make it yourself, there¡¯s no need to re-season the chicken soup like I did earlier. Just skim off the fat, it doesn¡¯t taste good if it¡¯s too oily,¡± Jiang Feng said. Tian Lin took mental note of that ¨C the chicken soup for pouring should be light, not too oily. Pouring the chicken soup! Once the dishes were ready, Jiang Feng and Tian Lin began serving them at the table. The Zhao family only had one dining table. It wasrge, but not enough to seat everyone. So usually, the elders would sit at the table to eat, while the younger ones would fill their bowls with the dishes and sit on the side. Once finished, they would go back for more food. Zhao Mei, with her big belly, also took a seat at the table. She was about to give birth soon, carrying twins meant her belly was frighteninglyrge, which made many tasks inconvenient. Her husband and Tian Lin helped her with picking food, so she just needed to point her finger regally to indicate what she wanted to eat. As soon as Zhao Mei entered the dining room, she smelled the lion¡¯s head meatballs. Even though she almost snuck chicken soup noodles every night, the mix of the soup¡¯s and the meat¡¯s aroma made her mouth water now. These lion¡¯s head meatballs were definitely not made by her mother! She even doubted if any dish on the table except for the shredded potatoes was prepared by her mother. Her mom wouldn¡¯t use five-spice pork belly with a mix of fat and lean meat for spicy pepper pork; instead, she would use purely fatty meat. When her mom fried tomatoes and eggs, she would definitely add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and light soy sauce, not missing any. And her mom¡¯s steamed eggs wouldn¡¯t be so delicately smooth on the surface¡ªthey were made with extra eggs to have a custard-like feel. She couldn¡¯t think about it any longer, or she felt tears would uncontrobly start flowing. Ever since getting pregnant, she had be even more sentimental. ¡°Meimei, do you want some lion¡¯s head meatballs? I can serve you some,¡± Tian Lin offered warmly. Jiang Feng made six lion¡¯s head meatballs, each the size of 1.5 adult male fists, so big that if a whole one were put in a bowl, there would be no room for soup. ¡°Zhuangshi, serve Meimei one in a bowl. These youngsters eat quickly; if you don¡¯t serve more for Meimei, it will be gone in the blink of an eye,¡± Mrs. Jiang interjected. ¡°Grandma, no need to serve a whole one, I can¡¯t finish it,¡± Zhao Mei said. ¡°It¡¯s just one lion¡¯s head meatball, what¡¯s there to not finish? Back when I was pregnant with the kids, I would eat five or six meals a day, each consisting of three bowls of rice. Back then I only had one in the belly. You are carrying two, so you should eat more. You¡¯re almost due; eating well will give you strength for the delivery. Otherwise, you¡¯ll suffer during birth,¡± Mrs. Jiang remarked.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Tian Lin served Zhao Mei an entire lion¡¯s head meatball. The huge meatball filled the entire bowl, so much so that Zhao Mei didn¡¯t know where to start eating. Eating it with a spoon made her worry that the meat might fall apart and drop out of the bowl, while biting it off with chopsticks seemed inelegant and she was afraid it would affect her looks. After much consideration, Zhao Mei chose to bite into it with chopsticks. Anyway, she was already in such a state, with legs swollen like well-packaged sausages and a face as round as a freshly baked pancake, not to mention a belly as big as the lion¡¯s head meatball in the bowl¡ªwhat image was there to worry about? Zhao Mei picked up the lion¡¯s head meatball with her chopsticks, took a big bite, and the juice smeared over her cheeks. ¡°` Fatty but not greasy, smooth and tender with a strong fragrance and sticity, the meaty morsels bursting with meat juice and the fresh vors of chicken broth and bamboo shoots exploded in Zhao Mei¡¯s mouth. It was fatty meat. But it was delicious, delectable, the kind of fatty meat that could move you to tears. There was no heavy sauce vor, no excessive sweetness or saltiness, and despite the predominance of fatty meat cubes, it tasted very light. The juice seeped out of the meat cubes as if it could melt one¡¯s tongue in the mouth. ¡°Mom,¡± Zhao Mei said with a sobbing tone to Tian Lin, ¡°the fatty meat is so delicious.¡± Pregnant women are always sentimental, with even the smallest thing warranting their tears, not to mention something as significant as lion¡¯s head meatballs. Zhao Mei wolfed down the lion¡¯s head with big bites, her face smeared with meat juice, her mouth full of the fragrance of meat, just like when she was little, sitting at the dining table devouring a meaty meal. She wept as she gnawed on the lion¡¯s head, tears dripping onto it. Tian Lin was on the verge of wiping her own tears away. In a matter of minutes, a full bowl of lion¡¯s head was gulped down by Zhao Mei. ¡°Mom, I want to eat ribs!¡± ¡°Tomatoes!¡± ¡°Give me two more pieces of ribs!¡± ¡°Add more chili peppers!¡± Jiang Feng and the others were dumbfounded. By all ounts, this should have been a heartwarming scene, a daughter who had been struggling with a poor appetite suddenly eating heartily at the dining table while her mother, overjoyed and moved to tears, continued to serve her food. It was the epitome of a warm family drama from any perspective. If only Zhao Mei wasn¡¯t crying while eating, it would have been even more heartwarming. Zhao Mei¡¯s husband wasn¡¯t idle either, responsible for wiping her tears. The whole scene seemed really odd. Jiang Junlian was so frightened that she didn¡¯t dare to reach out with her chopsticks, and it took her a long time to quietly pick up a small piece of lion¡¯s head. After tasting it, she whispered to Jiang Junqing, ¡°It just tastes like lion¡¯s head, it shouldn¡¯t be delicious enough to make Meimei cry.¡± High schooler Jiang Junlian couldn¡¯t understand the sentimentality of pregnant women or Zhao Mei¡¯s feeling of parched thirst quenched by sweet dew. The other women at the table who had given birth understood quite well, and the eldest aunt was the first to break the silence, exining for Zhao Mei, ¡°Meimei is just like I was, easily brought to tears when pregnant.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I remember when I was pregnant with Feng, I once started crying after just a few bites of a green vegetable I had picked up during a meal. It scared Jiankang so much, he thought the salt wasn¡¯t dissolved properly,¡± Wang Xiulian chimed in. ¡°I¡¯m the same; when I was pregnant with Ran, I ate a pancake that was just a bit too hard, and inexplicably, I ended up crying while eating it,¡± the fourth aunt agreed with a nod. Everyone started sharing their own experiences of eating and crying during pregnancy, which made Zhao Mei¡¯s tears seem quite normal. Meanwhile, the male members of the Jiang family were all confused, with not a single one of them remembering their wives crying over such strange and bizarre reasons during pregnancy. ¡°De, do you think Meimei is crying because it¡¯s too delicious or because it¡¯s awful?¡± Jiang Junlian asked Jiang Zaidi in a whisper. ¡°Is that even a question? Of course, it¡¯s because it¡¯s delicious!¡± Jiang Zaidi replied with conviction, looking enviously at Zhao Mei who had started on her second lion¡¯s head. When would he ever get such treatment? He could eat two out of six lion¡¯s heads presented on the table. Jiang Zaidi sighed deeply. It seemed urgent now to start saving money, and he was also due to start looking for a girlfriend. He needed to find an opportunity to subtly ask his younger brother where he was nning to buy a house. Even if he couldn¡¯t indulge in two out of six lion¡¯s heads, he resolved to strive for a life where he could eat lion¡¯s head meatballs with every meal. Jiang Zaidi clenched his fists tightly. To eat lion¡¯s head meatballs the size of his fist! Chapter 532 - 530: Teaching Completed Chapter 532: Chapter 530: Teaching Completed Zhao Mei was stuffed. It wasn¡¯t strange for her to overeat, as she had been doing it more often since she got pregnant. For instance, she stuffed herself with the chicken noodle soup her husband cooked for herst night. But this time was different. This time it was a blissful kind of stuffed, a satisfied sort of stuffed, the kind of stuffed where you can¡¯t eat another bite and you only wish you had another stomach. Since bing pregnant, Zhao Mei¡¯s tastes had changed a lot. The snacks she used to love no longer appealed to her, sometimes she craved sour things so badly that even plum pickled in vinegar wasn¡¯t sour enough, at other times she longed for sweets so much that rice mixed with sugar and drizzled with honey didn¡¯t seem sweet enough. Even her once-favorite dish made by Tian Lin, the braised chicken, had lost its charm after having it once a week for the past few months. It had been a long time since she had eaten meat so heartily. Ordinary people tend to feel sleepy after a full meal, let alone a pregnant woman like Zhao Mei, who felt drowsy within minutes of finishing her meal. This sleepiness was genuine, not feigned, as she sat there struggling to keep her eyelids open. So her husband helped her into the house to sleep. Zhao Mei¡¯s joyful eating delighted Tian Lin the most, her eyebrows raised in happiness as she cleared the table, ncing at Jiang Feng now and then as if she had something to say to him. Jiang Feng casually picked up a dish and followed Tian Lin into the kitchen. ¡°Feng, did you hear what Meimei said to me during lunch?¡± Tian Lin asked, unable to contain her eagerness as soon as they entered the kitchen. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t dare to respond. Zhao Mei had said so much, with things like ¡°Mom, I want ribs,¡± ¡°Mom, give me two more pieces of meat,¡± ¡°Mom, I want an egg.¡± It was endless. He was at a loss as to whichment had touched Tian Lin¡¯s heart¡ªwas it about the ribs, the meat, or the eggs? ¡°When Meimei was eating the lion¡¯s head meatballs, she told me how delicious the fatty part was. She hasn¡¯t said that to me in so many years!¡± ¡°Now I understand why she has barely touched the braised meat this year, or the braised pork with bamboo shoots. It turns out she has changed her tastes and only wants to eat stewed lion¡¯s head meatballs!¡± Tian Lin was thrilled to have discovered the dish her daughter wanted to eat.N?v(el)B\\jnn Jiang Feng: ¡­ Aunt, it¡¯s not really a matter of taste. It¡¯s about you. ¡°Yeah, who would have thought Meimei would now like lion¡¯s head meatballs,¡± Jiang Feng said, nodding earnestly in agreement. ¡°Feng, you don¡¯t have to teach me braised pork or pork stewed with bamboo shoots. Just teach me how to make lion¡¯s head meatballs. Meimei loves those,¡± Tian Lin decided she had found the definite answer. ¡°Sure!¡± Jiang Feng nodded, agreeing to teach just the lion¡¯s head meatballs, which was fine with him. As long as Tian Lin was willing to follow his instructions and season correctly without haphazardly adding salt and soy sauce, even if her meat chopping and mixing techniques weren¡¯t perfect and the lion¡¯s head meatballs came out a bit loose and couldn¡¯t retain their juices, they definitely wouldn¡¯t taste bad. When teaching Tian Lin to cook, he couldn¡¯t set too high a standard. The food just needed to be edible. Seeing Jiang Feng agree, Tian Lin asked tentatively, ¡°Feng, your grandma and the others will probably go back soon, and we finished eating the lion¡¯s head meatballs at lunch today. Could you stay and teach me this afternoon, so Meimei can have some to eat tonight?¡± Jiang Fengughed and said, ¡°Aunt, you make it sound so difficult. Didn¡¯t we agree to do it this afternoon? As long as I get back in time for dinner, it¡¯s fine.¡± Mission is precious, but the price of a meal is higher. Tian Lin was beaming with joy and after washing the dishes, she kept thinking about giving Jiang Feng something to show her gratitude. After much consideration, she realized that only by offering Jiang Feng a bowl of braised meat could she properly express her thanks. ¡°There¡¯s still some braised meat left in the pot, Aunt will serve you a bowl!¡± Tian Lin was all about action. While Jiang Feng was lost in thoughts, she had already served the braised meat. Caught up with thinking about the task at hand and how to teach Tian Lin to make lion¡¯s head meatballs that afternoon, Jiang Feng forgot he was actually on the most dangerous battlefield. It wasn¡¯t until the braised meat was ced in front of him that he realized the seriousness of the situation. ¡°Aunt, I ate too much at lunch and I really can¡¯t eat any more,¡± Jiang Feng said, covering his stomach and pretending he was really full. All Tian Lin could do was look disappointed as she took the braised meat back and started eating it herself. At lunch, she had been so focused on serving Zhao Mei that she hardly ate a thing. Tian Lin devoured two bowls of the braised meat before she put down her chopsticks and started learning how to make lion¡¯s head meatballs from Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng started with teaching her how to pick pork belly. For someone like Tian Lin, who only had eyes for fatty meat and had believed for years that fat represents justice, Jiang Feng had reason to believe she would select the fattiest piece she could see for the lion¡¯s head meatballs. To ensure the safety of Zhao Mei¡¯s meals for the next few days, Jiang Feng emphasized repeatedly that when choosing pork belly, if she wasn¡¯t confident, she should err on the side of lean rather than fatty. If the meat was a bit lean, the worst they could expect was slightly tough lion¡¯s head meatballs. If it was too fatty, they might end up with meat simr to her previous attempts at braised meat¡ªonly this time formed into meatballs instead of stewed in chunks. After picking out the meat, it was time to chop it. Jiang Feng let Tian Lin do the chopping herself while he supervised. Tian Lin, strong and detail-oriented, exhibited extraordinary patience when it came to her daughter¡¯s dietary matters. She sliced and chopped the meat with precision and force, yielding a very sticky minced meat that was definitely up to standard. Jiang Feng didn¡¯t personally handle the seasoning step. He said that Tian Lin did everything smoothly. It wasn¡¯t until it was time to beat the meat that Jiang Feng began to work. He didn¡¯t expect Tian Lin to learn this step¡ªas it was one most people couldn¡¯t do well. It might look easy, just tossing and stirring, but the strength, rhythm, and technique involved required years of culinary experience and could not be learned by simply watching or listening to someone else exin. Strength alone might make the meat firm when tossed, but how to toss it, where to toss it, and what it should look like afterward was not something that could be solved by brute force. Prolonged beating would break down the meat. Not only would your hands be covered in minced meat, but the surface of the ¡°Lion¡¯s Head¡± meatballs would also have a lot of snowy flotsam when braised. Therefore, Jiang Feng could only tell Tian Lin to toss and stir as she liked, without taking too long¡ªit was enough to just go through the motions. It didn¡¯t matter if the ¡°Lion¡¯s Head¡± meatballs fell apart during stewing, as they would be broken up in the mouth anyway. It also didn¡¯t matter if the juice from the meat couldn¡¯t be retained, as it would still be juicy with chicken broth poured over it. Jiang Feng believed that Zhao Mei would definitely not mind these little issues when it came to eating. After the meat beating was done, it was time to roll the meatballs. Once the meatballs were shaped, they could be put in the pot to stew. There was plenty of time to simmer them slowly. To prevent Tian Lin from not controlling the heat properly, Jiang Feng specifically used a gas stove this time and instructed her to stew them for three hours before they could be removed from the pot. Remember to add some salt to the broth before stewing. Over such a long cooking time, the salt within the ¡°Lion¡¯s Head¡± meatballs would seep out. Without adding salt, the meatballs would taste somewhat nd and insipid once served. After going over all of this, Jiang Feng realized he seemed to have nothing left to do. The chicken broth leftover from lunch could be used once the ¡°Lion¡¯s Head¡± meatballs were almost ready. Tian Lin could simply heat the broth and pour it over the meatballs when they were done. Jiang Feng looked at the meatballs in the stewing pot, now covered with a lid, feeling that his teaching for the day was over. His teaching duties had ended a bit early¡ªMrs. Jiang and the others had left less than half an hour ago. Jiang Feng struggled to think if there was anything else he needed to remind Tian Lin of. After a moment, his eyes brightened, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing, auntie. Remember that the chicken broth you pour over after taking it out of the pot should be¡­¡± ¡°Skim off the oil!¡± Tian Lin had even learned to answer ahead. Jiang Feng nodded in satisfaction, feeling that there was really nothing left to advise Tian Lin on this time. ¡°Auntie, that¡¯s pretty much it for the ¡®Lion¡¯s Head¡¯ meatballs. You just need to wait for them to finish stewing in three hours and then they can be taken out of the pot. I have nothing else here, so I will just¡­¡± Jiang Feng was ready to make his exit. Staying at the Zhao Family¡¯s home always made him feel uneasy, as if a bowl of Braised Meat might suddenly appear from somewhere to invite him for a meal. ¡°Feng, you¡¯ve worked hard today. Go back and rest. Your aunt has learned almost everything. Tomorrow, I will make ¡®Lion¡¯s Head¡¯ meatballs myself for your Meimei to enjoy,¡± Tian Lin said with a smile. Hearing Tian Lin say this, Jiang Feng became somewhat worried, ¡°Auntie, how about Ie over again tomorrow morning? You can make the ¡®Lion¡¯s Head¡¯ meatballs, and I¡¯ll just watch to see how you do.¡± ¡°How could that be okay, troubling you toe by again?¡± Tian Lin¡¯s smile was radiant. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, no trouble at all. It¡¯s not far, just a few steps away,¡± Jiang Feng said with a smile, well aware of the pretense in the adult world. And so, the matter was pleasantly settled. Jiang Feng would return to his Happy Fatty abode ande back the next morning to check on the instructional work to see how Tian Lin¡¯s ¡®Lion¡¯s Head¡¯ meatballs turned out. But then Jiang Feng overslept the next day. This wasn¡¯t really his fault; he had been getting up early far too many days in a row. Since New Year¡¯s Eve, he had been rising early, four days straight without a break, tantly disrespecting the fundamental privilege of a holiday by not sleeping in even once. So, on the morning of the fourth day of the New Year, without an rm clock, Mrs. Jiang not making pancakes, and Sir not frying spring rolls on a sunny day, Jiang Feng unsurprisingly overslept. When he woke up, his phone showed it was 10:43 am. If he woke up half an hourter, the Zhao Family would probably already have started their meal. Realizing he had overslept, Jiang Feng hurriedly dressed, only brushed his teeth, and didn¡¯t even have time to wash his face before throwing on his down jacket and sprinting towards the Zhao Family¡¯s home. When he arrived, Tian Lin¡¯s dishes were nearly ready, and the kitchen was filled with the aroma of food and a rich scent of chicken broth¡ªTian Lin, exceptionally, did not cook Braised Meat. It all smelled normal. Then Jiang Feng witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life. ¡°Auntie! Tomato and scrambled eggs don¡¯t need chicken broth poured on top!! Really, they don¡¯t!!!¡± (Note ¢Ù) . PS: Note ¢ÙFrom a chapter published by Yueye Bingyan on December 8th in the 529th chapter.