The Game of Life

Chapter 433: Chapter 431: The First Taste (Extra for the Alliance Hierarch of Paper Cups in a Box!) (Two-in-one Mega Chapter!)

At lunch, Jiang Feng sharply noticed something was off with Wang Hao.

He was too silent, not even praising Jiankang’s pickled vegetable fried rice with his usual flattery.

How could anyone in the world possibly resist being conquered by Ji Yue’s mom’s pickled vegetables?!

“Hao, Hao.” Jiang Feng, holding his own serving of pickled vegetable fried rice, nudged Wang Hao with his elbow.

The restaurant was just too busy during the National Day holiday; the chef in charge of the staff meal was cooking without enthusiasm, and the diners were eating without much interest. The fact that Jiankang went out of his way to fry a pan of pickled vegetable fried rice just for Jiang Feng and the others was already a symbol of fatherly love.

“Ah?” Wang Hao snapped back to reality.

“What are you thinking about?” Jiang Feng asked, “You seem distracted.”

“I’m thinking about a plotline,” Wang Hao said gravely.

“A plotline?”

“Feng, let me tell you. Imagine a dish, when eaten, it sucks away all of the diner’s happiness, leaving only sadness and pain, so people who eat this dish can’t help but burst into tears while eating. However, this dish also has a special kind of magic, just like poppies, dangerously addictive even with the knowledge of its toxicity, leading those who eat it to slowly waste away, their faces gaunt, until they eventually die.”

“The villain intends to use this dish to rule the world, but our hero, a friend of the villain, discovers his scheme, and thus the battle between them unfolds, and a story about redemption and justice begins.”

Jiang Feng: …

“Is this dish named ‘Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge’? ”

“Exactly, eh, no, Feng, I didn’t mean that, don’t… Feng, we’re so close now it would be awkward to bring that up again, we’re buddies, put down the rolling pin, we can talk this over, I just meant such a dish doesn’t necessarily have to be called ‘Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge,’ it could be ‘Liu Hongzhang Hodgepodge,’ no no no, just ‘Hodgepodge.’ Feng, Feng, please don’t…”

“Feng, spare me!”

“Dog Thief, watch the stick!”

Jiankang, who observed the whole scene: …

Ah, sons really do become less of a concern as they grow up, still acting like a child at his age, leaving his meal unfinished to go play with his buddies.

Jiankang silently picked up the dish of pickled vegetable fried rice that Jiang Feng has just set down, deciding to finish his son’s meal for him.

He truly was a good father!

.

In the following days, Wang Hao stayed in private room 17 as a temporary waiter, spending his days standing at the entrance plotting his storylines, occasionally serving dishes, punctually eating meals, and leaving on time, leading a very leisurely life—a life so leisurely, in fact, that he began to consider the terrifying idea of staying on and working as a waiter in Feng’s restaurant. Wang Hao also took the opportunity to familiarize himself with Taifeng Building’s specialty dishes, laying a solid groundwork for future dining experiences.

Jiang Weisheng’s wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson all came to Beiping to see him. Jiang Weiming gave him a National Day break so he could take his family out for a good time, while picking up the wok himself, morphing from a random drop of ‘head chef’ to a fixed drop of ‘head chef’ during the holiday period.

With Big Brother now a fixed drop, Weiguo naturally couldn’t just randomly drop in and out, so he joined the fixed drop squad. The diners who were used to seeing the two head chefs’ names seldom appear in the Ordering System were astounded to find them online constantly, even to the point where they almost wanted to bring their bedding and sleep in Taifeng Building.

You say it’s expensive?

We’ve come all the way to eat at Taifeng, so we’re not worried about the cost!

You say the wait is long?

We’ve got nothing but time, especially during the National Day holiday, plenty of it. Just over an hour’s wait, no? We can wait, even if it means waiting from morning till night!

Even if Weiming could only make a few dishes a day, twenty at most, and most were relatively easy, only requiring skill, like the ‘Spicy Crispy Double Delight’ which doesn’t even take two minutes from start to finish. Most diners were willing to wait.

If they can’t get it on the first day, they can wait for the next.

Throughout the National Day holiday, business at Taifeng was as booming as the UAL University cafeteria at the start of school—where 9 cafeterias opened only 3, with 2 serving barely edible food, Taifeng Building was like that one remaining cafeteria.

Regarding this, Ling Guangzhao, who launched a series of white-case pastries on the first day of the National Day holiday with the aim of redeeming Eight-treasure House’s past humiliations and turning it into the most dazzling restaurant in Beiping City during the holiday, exclaimed:

Where are my customers? Where have all my customers gone? Which store has stolen my customers???

On October 7, the last day of the National Day holiday, the influx of customers to Taifeng Building didn’t decrease but increased, and Jiang Weisheng also ended his vacation early to return to work in the kitchen.

Jiang Weisheng’s wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson booked their flight for this afternoon, and the four decided to have lunch at Taifeng Building today, to be customers of Jiang Weisheng for once.

Upon the strong insistence of Jiang Weisheng’s grandson, Jiang Pan, Ji Yue arranged a four-person table closest to the delivery window for them. Although Jiang Pan couldn’t see Jiang Weisheng working in the kitchen, he could peek through this small window and catch a glimpse of the kitchen.

“Grandma, is Grandpa in there cooking for us?” Jiang Pan, who was in elementary school, was constantly fidgeting in his seat, always wanting to run to the window to see if he could see his grandfather through it.

“Grandpa is cooking for others today, we are eating the dishes made by your grandpa’s master,” Zhang Li pressed Jiang Pan back into his chair to prevent him from sneaking away.

“Mom, isn’t Master Jiang almost a hundred years old? Why is he still cooking?” Jiang Chao, Jiang Weisheng’s son, was somewhat puzzled.

“Your dad, already in his sixties, ran away from home,” Zhang Li replied with a sneer.

Jiang Chao: …

Suddenly, Zhang Li laughed: “Why do you think Master Jiang took your dad as an apprentice with such poor talent? Back then, Master Jiang was one of the province’s top chefs, and would be specifically requested by leaders and foreign guests. He took a liking to your dad because your dad genuinely loved cooking.”

“But Dad, he…” Jiang Chao actually came to Beiping this time to persuade Jiang Weisheng to come home. In his opinion, being a chef was a grueling job, and at sixty-three, why should Jiang Weisheng suffer so far from home?

Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a comfortable life at home? If he wanted to cook, he could do that at home, and with some effort from him, his wife, and Panpan, they could have a good meal too.

Regrettably, Jiang Chao hadn’t found the opportunity to speak to Jiang Weisheng about this during these happy past few days.

As they were leaving in the afternoon, Jiang Chao planned to talk to Jiang Weisheng about this after lunch.

“You’re trying to say that your dad is old and should stop bothering?” Zhang Li looked at Jiang Chao; she knew very well what her own son was thinking, despite not talking much, she was very clear about many things.

“It’s not exactly that, it’s just that Dad doesn’t have to, right? Why does he have to come to Beiping to cook? Working as a chef is exhausting; it’s hot in the summer, not easy in the winter, and the kitchen is full of fumes, with irregular meals. I’m just worried about his health, he can’t handle it like he used to when he was younger,” Jiang Chao explained with some logic.

However, Zhang Li shook her head: “Don’t you know what your dad has always wanted these years? When he followed Master Jiang at the state-run restaurant years ago, he started his career much higher than the average cook. After the restaurant closed, Master Jiang found a head chef position for your dad at an ordinary restaurant. Although he was a head chef, your dad always wanted to work at a big restaurant or a grand hotel, even if just as a minor worker.”

“Your dad doesn’t have much talent, and he wasn’t content with a life of mediocrity. He always wanted to make a name for himself to live up to the identity of a disciple of Master Jiang. I know he always had regrets, so I never said anything when he fooled around with this and that over the years. When he ran away from home to Beiping, I didn’t say anything either. I thought he would come back after facing setbacks, but to my surprise, your dad was lucky. This restaurant is owned by Master Jiang’s brother, he managed to stay on through connections,” Zhang Li continued.

Taking a sip of water, Zhang Li added, “Since your dad has this luck, it’s his fate. The opportunity came and he seized it, why are you so eager for him to go back? You’ve seen these past few days, is your dad exhausted? Is his health failing? I think he’s doing very well, better than the few years at home. He can’t sit still, and with Master Jiang here, your grandfather and grandmother couldn’t control him, only Master Jiang can. Your dad listens to Master Jiang the most.”

“My boy, just relax, I’m not worried and yet you are needlessly anxious every day,” she reassured him.

Jiang Weisheng’s daughter-in-law nodded in agreement.

Despite what Zhang Li said, Jiang Chao still hadn’t given up on the idea of persuading Jiang Weisheng to come home, and was determined to talk to Jiang Weisheng about it after lunch.

Listening to his grandma and dad talk about a bunch of things he barely understood, Jiang Pan, unable to wait any longer, piped up: “Grandma, grandma, why doesn’t Grandpa cook for me?”

“Your grandpa’s cooking isn’t as delicious as what his master makes,” Zhang Li said.

“Why isn’t Grandpa’s cooking as good as his master’s?” Jiang Pan was confused.

“Your grandpa learned his cooking skills from his master, so of course, your grandpa isn’t as skilled as his master,” Zhang Li explained.

“Then does that mean Grandpa’s cooking will never be as good as his master’s?” asked Jiang Pan further.

Jiang Chao laughed, about to agree, when Zhang Li cut him off.

“Not necessarily,” Zhang Li said, pouring Jiang Pan a glass of water and inviting him to drink, “You’re not as tall as your dad right now because your dad is older than you, but maybe in the future, you could grow taller than your dad. Your grandpa’s master is now 99 years old, and your grandpa is only 63. Your grandpa’s master is still cooking, having cooked more than thirty years more than your grandpa. Maybe by the time your grandpa reaches his nineties, his culinary skills will surpass his master’s.”

“Mom, what are you saying, that’s not the same, is it?” Jiang Chao laughed.

Giving him a sidelong glance, Zhang Li retorted, “How is it different? Wait until you’re in your sixties and still love your job like your dad before you say he can’t do it. The future is still long; how do you know your dad can’t make it?”

“I…”

“Grandma, Daddy, it’s Grandpa!” Jiang Pan interrupted Jiang Chao’s words.

Jiang Weisheng was carrying a bowl of Mystery Flavor Soup, placing it in the pass-through window. Seeing Jiang Pan excitedly waving at him, he also happily bent down to wave back at Jiang Pan.

Jiang Jiankang just happened to be at the pass-through window. Seeing Jiang Weisheng bend over to wave outside, he also bent over for a look and saw the excited Jiang Pan.

“Jiang Brother, that must be your grandson there, isn’t he adorable,” Jiang Jiankang praised, then glanced again at the Mystery Flavor Soup Jiang Weisheng made, feeling it was somewhat different from usual.

“The grandson’s arrival makes everything different, even your soup is looking a bit different from the usual.

“I felt the same way. Today, while making the soup, just thinking that it was for my wife and the others made me so happy. It’s funny how, when you cook for them every day, you don’t feel particularly joyful, but after not seeing them for a while and cooking for them again, I felt so delighted just seasoning the food,” Jiang Weisheng said cheerfully. “This soup turned out different from before, the old saying is indeed true, ‘Joy brings out the best in people.’

“I feel the same. My dad used to live in the countryside and didn’t stay with us, so when we met during the holidays, I was so happy that the food tasted better than usual!” Jiang Jiankang said with feeling.

Eating food made by Dad could make you eat three more large bowls than usual!

“Weisheng, bring over the marinated chicken,” Jiang Weiming began calling out.

“Alright, Master!” Jiang Weisheng went off to work cheerfully, but before leaving, he didn’t forget to bend down and wave again to Jiang Pan.

The waiter brought the Mystery Flavor Soup to Zhang Li’s table.

“Mystery Flavor Soup, please enjoy.”

Jiang Chao leaned in for a look and said, “Isn’t this Dad’s signature Hundred Flavors Soup? Why has it been renamed to Mystery Flavor Soup?”

“Hundred Flavors Soup is Master Jiang’s signature dish, how could your dad dare to show off his skills in front of him?” Zhang Li teased Jiang Weisheng unreservedly, beginning to help everyone with the soup.

One bowl for her son, one for her daughter-in-law, half for her grandson, and finally one for herself.

“This soup looks much better than the original, seems like Dad has really improved his cooking skills lately,” praised Jiang Weisheng’s daughter-in-law.

“What can you tell from just a bowl of soup? Maybe Master Jiang gave him some tips or he changed the ingredients so that it looks different,” Zhang Li said, scooping up a spoonful of soup.

The soup was rich with ingredients, with plenty of in-season vegetables, as well as shredded and ground meat, just looking at it made it seem substantial.

Taking a taste.

Zhang Li was stunned.

Having been married to Jiang Weisheng for so many years, she had been drinking the Mystery Flavor Soup ever since he learned to make it, all the way until the recent time he had left home. She knew too well the taste of Jiang Weisheng’s Mystery Flavor Soup.

It was not this taste.

Or rather, not this sensation.

This batch of Mystery Flavor Soup was so much better than before, even resembling Jiang Weiming’s Hundred Flavors Soup in some respects.

Zhang Li had tasted Jiang Weiming’s Hundred Flavors Soup and greatly admired it. A bowl containing the perfect balance of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty tastes, with no fixed ingredients, all depending on the chef’s choice and skill, encapsulating the many flavors of life in one bowl, which is why it’s called Hundred Flavors Soup.

What Jiang Weisheng made could only be called soup.

Zhang Li slowly finished her bowl of soup, making sure to eat every ingredient with her spoon, not even sparing the garnishing green onions. After finishing one bowl, she went for another.

Jiang Chao hadn’t tried the soup yet and, seeing that Zhang Li wasn’t satisfied with just one bowl and was going for another, he quickly said, “Mom, there’s plenty in this Mystery Flavor Soup… I mean, wait until after the meal if you want more. If you have two bowls now, you won’t be able to eat the dishes later, and by mid-afternoon, you’ll be hungry again.”

“You try some.” Zhang Li said.

“Try what?”

“Taste the soup your dad made, you’ll know once you’ve tasted it.”

Jiang Chao somewhat dazedly picked up the bowl, took a sip, and was taken aback.

Had his dad finally had an epiphany?

All these years in cooking, his dad never had an epiphany, but now, at the age of 63, when people retire, he actually had one!

Jiang Chao could hardly believe his own tongue and took another big gulp.

It was different, really different, the taste was still the same, but it felt changed.

Jiang Chao didn’t surf online much, and he hadn’t listened attentively during Chinese language class, so for a moment, he couldn’t even think of an adjective, he couldn’t even swear, but felt that this bowl of weird-tasting soup was just delicious.

Delicious!

It tasted so good.

After one bowl, he wanted another.

Unwittingly, he finished a bowl of the weird-tasting soup, scooping up the ingredients inside with a spoon and eating them carefully just as Zhang Li had, relishing the last bits.

“Mom, this soup…” Jiang Chao didn’t know what to say.

“I told you, your dad’s luck has turned, you as his son shouldn’t get in his way,” Zhang Li said with a smile.

Jiang Chao nodded and picked up Zhang Li’s bowl to help her ladle more soup.

Zhang Li looked at Jiang Pan, who was scooping soup for fun but not drinking it, and said, “Panpan, drink your soup quickly, the soup your grandpa made today is even better than before, you’ll definitely like it.”

Zhang Li and her family didn’t leave after finishing the meal, they simply stayed seated, waiting for Jiang Weisheng to finish work. Their seats were not only close to the food serving window but also near the kitchen door, so Jiang Weisheng could see them the moment he came out.

Jiang Pan felt sleepy after eating and by the time Jiang Weisheng was finished, Jiang Pan was already dozing off in Zhang Li’s arms, his little head nodding off bit by bit.

Jiang Weisheng had just finished his work and was covered in sweat. He wanted to speak with Zhang Li and the others but felt that with all his sweat, it might not be proper, and he prepared to go to the changing room to change his clothes.

“It’s okay; you’ve been cooking for so many years, when were you not sweating? You never cared about this before, and now you suddenly do. Panpan is about to fall asleep, and we need to catch our flight. Chao has something to tell you, and after that, we need to leave,” Zhang Li said, holding Jiang Pan.

Jiang Weisheng looked at Jiang Chao.

“Dad, uh, the soup today was really good,” Jiang Chao said.

Jiang Weisheng immediately beamed with joy, “Tasty, right! I also felt that the soup I made today was especially good. When I think about making it for you, I’m particularly happy, and my hands work smoothly.”

“We’ll come to see you again during the New Year’s Day, take care of yourself when you’re here alone, and don’t overwork,” Jiang Chao said.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine here, but for you guys, without me cooking for you at home, I don’t know how you…,” Jiang Weisheng began to ramble, speaking the words of an old father.

Jiang Weiming and Jiang Weiguo stood at the kitchen door, watching Jiang Weisheng talk excitedly and non-stop, and they couldn’t help but smile and shake their heads.

“This apprentice of mine, the older he gets, the more he’s like a child,” Jiang Weiming said with resignation.

“Isn’t my own kid the same? Especially Jiankang who’s always calling Feng ‘Erza, Erza,’ without pronouncing words properly,” Jiang Weiguo said, “But I think the weird-tasting soup Weisheng made today is somewhat different from the original.”

“It is different,” Jiang Weiming said with a beaming smile.

Life has a variety of flavors, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, and Jiang Weisheng had grasped the first one.

It was an extremely important one— Sweetness.

If he could grasp two flavors, then he would be able to make the Hundred-Flavor Soup.