The Game of Life TGOL

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 blanket 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 glanced 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 playing “Why Women Kill Season 1” projected from a phone. Jiang Weiming’s pursuit of dramas always kept up with the latest 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 occasionally vampire-themed idol dramas. Jiang Feng vaguely remembered that during last 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—whether 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 particular love for family ethics dramas and occasionally watched palace and period dramas. Jiang Feng often heard Mrs. Wang Xiulian and the aunts discussing how despicable the husbands were in the latest 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, particularly 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—hands in pockets, expressionless face, cool eyes, a breezy walk, wearing a white lab 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 successful.

Because Jiang Ran rarely participated in the main plot and did not come 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 palace dramas, and when he got a little older, he watched war dramas with Sir. In college, he played 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-in-law falling for daughters-in-law, wives falling for mistresses, brothers falling for…

Cough cough, I digress.

The living room was very warm with the heating on. The small blanket 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 similar 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 glance 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 explained.

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 fairly common medicinal dish that also tasted quite good.

Most medicinal dishes fall short in flavor compared to regular 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 and large 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 sleep last night, which worried me sick; had it not been too late, 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’ll come 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 blankly 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 plate 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 explained.

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, but later 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 marketplace.

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 plainly 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 place to stay yet, and Jiang Feng only bought sweet potatoes once a week at most, so the comment 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 explained.

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 inflammation, so no fried chicken tenders. A small roasted sweet potato will do.”

Ji Xia: ヾ(༎ຶД༎ຶ)ﾉ

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 contemplating 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 flavorless 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 black 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.