The Game of Life

(1)

"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 resemblance 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 him later, 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 were lashing 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 plans with Mingyi to see a movie tonight, come 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 a large 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-in-law 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 black fuzz and other impurities.

Jiang Feng also leaned in curiously. The chopsticks were very fine, but they seemed too thick compared 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.

The large 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—steamed eggs placed 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 glance 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 two large 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 a ladle 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 plates.

With a task at hand, and a chance to make up for past mistakes, Jiang Huiqin stared unwaveringly at the large 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—!

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—it’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—I 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..