The Game of Life TGOL

Chapter 609: Chapter 607: I’ll Help You (5000+2 Combined)

By the time Jiang Feng visited Jubao Building for the third time, he noticeably observed that the number of customers was significantly greater than during his first visit.

He couldn’t see what was happening in the private rooms on the second floor, but with an occupancy rate on the first floor already exceeding fifty percent on a non-holiday, non-rest day, such a dramatic change was evidently due to last night’s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon.

Jiang Feng even noticed a few familiar faces at the tables in the hall, whom he seemed to have seen at yesterday’s funeral.

Clearly, even though Sun Jikai had told the truth, there were still diners who were skeptical and insisted on coming to taste for themselves.

Sun Maochai had already arrived.

There were only four of them, so a six-person table by the window would have sufficed. Yet, Sun Maochai insisted on choosing the largest round table closest to the kitchen at the back, which they were fortunate to get given the current low rate of occupancy at Jubao Building.

As he approached the table, Jiang Feng immediately understood why the waiter agreed to give them this table—Sun Maochai had ordered a massive spread of dishes.

After sitting down, Jiang Feng carefully counted the dishes: including the cold dishes, there were a total of thirteen dishes—twelve dishes plus one soup. A smaller table truly wouldn’t have fit them all.

“It’s been many years since I last dined at the same table as Jiang, and seeing that he will return to Beiping in a couple of days, who knows when we will meet again. When I was still at Jubao Building, Jiang always took good care of me, so I will cover the bill for today’s meal,” Sun Maochai began by insisting on paying for the meal, then turned to the waiter and said, “You may serve the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall now.”

“All right,” the waiter nodded and left.

“I know that with your personality, you definitely wouldn’t bother asking about the signature dishes at Jubao Building and would likely order according to the old habits. These dishes have all been well-regarded at Jubao Building these past few years. Since it’s a rare visit, let’s try them all—wasteful perhaps, but worst case, we can always take leftovers home. Besides, I haven’t figured out what to have for dinner yet,” said Sun Maochai.

Hearing Sun speak this way, Jiang Feng began to take a closer look at the dishes on the table. Many of which he had already tasted last night, including the steamed perch that both he and Wu Minqi had praised. Lychee meat, chicken mince with golden mushroom, pan-fried eel marinated in fermented rice, and honey barbecued pork were also among them, plus new additions like Wenchang chicken, fresh crab meat braised with shark’s fin, individual pots of stewed bird’s nest, and a dish of abalone. The soup was a simple radish and pork rib soup, and the two cold dishes on the table had been tasted by Jiang Feng yesterday, with a so-so flavor.

“Why did you pick such a secluded table inside? Are there not bigger tables outside?” Sir asked.

The table chosen by Sun Maochai was indeed a bit out of the way, being the closest to the kitchen, and not as well-lit as the other tables.

“When I eat out, I have this habit of choosing a seat close to the kitchen. Consider it a professional habit of mine; I always feel more at ease being near the kitchen.”@@novelbin@@

“I had wanted to add a dish of braised lobster with broth since when the master was here that dish was Jubao Building’s signature. Unfortunately, the waiter mentioned they were out of lobster and the dish had sold out,” Sun Maochai expressed his disappointment.

“There’s nothing to regret. They probably aren’t capable of reproducing Master Sun’s flavor,” Sir replied, reaching for the fresh crab meat braised with shark’s fin with his chopsticks. He took a little nip, eating the shark’s fin like it was glass noodles.

“A lot of fuss for nothing.” The disdain was evident in his tone.

Jiang Feng had some recollection of this dish; it was expensive, and if he remembered correctly, it was the most costly dish of Jubao Building, priced even higher than Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall.

After all, there was at least a full plate of it, while Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was just a small pot.

Thinking this, Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was served.

Such a small pot it was; if Jiang Jiankang had been there, he could have consumed it in three bites. Even before the lid was lifted, Jiang Feng could already smell the scent of money.

Though Jiang Feng had never tasted Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, he had smelled it before. Before his family was acquainted with the Li Family, Professor Li had once asked Jiang Jiankang to make Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall. In the process, Jiankang had used his own stock of cherished Huadiao wine; although the final product didn’t turn out perfectly, the aroma was successful, and at least Jiang Feng had some memory of that scent.

One bite, delicious.

Therefore, Jiang Feng didn’t understand why such a small pot of Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall needed to rely on thickening agents to achieve a false sense of richness, combining various ingredients in the mouth. But overall, it tasted good, especially since the broth was well-seasoned, providing a good foundation. Although the ingredients didn’t harmonize, the excellent broth made it impossible to taste bad and cooking time was sufficient, resulting in an average Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall—it was just a bit pricey, with an extra digit.

“Cutting corners.” Sir put down his spoon.

“Indeed, it’s a bit perfunctory. When the master was here, we used only the best ingredients for Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall. The dried abalone needed to be soaked five days in advance, the best Liaoning sea cucumber was used for sashimi, and even the highest-grade shark fins. The jars were specially ordered from a kiln factory,” Sun Maochai added, “A pot of Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall would simmer for over a day, and someone always had to keep watch. Whichever disciple was assigned to watch over the pot had to eat extra bowls of rice during meals.”

Jiang Feng couldn’t help swallowing, looking down at the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall in his bowl, suddenly finding it tasteless.

Nothing more than this.

In the following minutes, Sir became like a stringent food critic, tasting every dish in turn and delivering scathing idiomatic criticisms.

“Half-hearted effort.”

“Messy and chaotic.”

“Completely muddled.”

“Hard to swallow.”

“Leading others astray.”

“…”

“No good at all,” Sir put down his chopsticks and began to summarize his evaluation, “Only that steamed bass was somewhat decent, the rest were all just some slapdash tricks to fool people.”

Essentially, for every dish Sir criticized, Sun Maochai would explain in detail why the dish warranted criticism.

“The steamed bass was made by Qiu Fu. I often hear people say he is Master Sun’s most honest disciple, and it seems it’s true,” Sun Maochai said.

In a situation where everyone else was taking shortcuts, he alone did not; this showed he was a man of integrity.

“Isn’t he the head chef? If the dishes come out like this, shouldn’t he take care of it?” Sir had tasted the normal level of Jubao Building’s chefs’ cooking the previous evening and naturally found today’s extremely perfunctory dishes even more infuriating.

“I heard others saying that although Qiu Fu is honest and his cooking skills are not bad, he’s not good at interpersonal relationships and lacks a sense of authority, as well as management experience, so he is not suitable for the head chef position. Back when Master Sun was still around, he didn’t cook often, but he would regularly go to the kitchen, so he was always the head chef, and Qiu Fu was appointed temporarily,” Sun Maochai explained.

“You seem to have a clear understanding of things going on at the Jubao Building,” Sir said.

Sun Maochai chuckled, “I was really bored last night at the hotel, so I asked a friend to help me inquire about some news from the Jubao Building. My friend is quite well-informed, and he figured it all out in just one night.”

Sun Maochai’s tall tale was naturally not something Sir believed. He said solemnly, “Do you really want to come back?”

Sun Maochai’s smile faded and he answered with a serious face, “Of course I do.”

Sir looked up and scanned the surroundings, closely examining the familiar yet unfamiliar restaurant, “This place is not the same as it used to be.”

“Was the Taifeng Building the same as what Jiang remembered when it reopened?” Sun Maochai countered.

“Taifeng Building is my family’s.”

“This place is also my family’s,” Sun Maochai said, turning his head to glance at the tightly closed kitchen door. “Jiang knows my story better than anyone; my parents died in a flood, and my relatives didn’t want to care for me, so I roamed outside, becoming a thief. The most nimble things I had were these hands, and the best thing I could do was read people’s expressions.”

“Back then, I stole from the guests of Jubao Building, got caught on the spot, and broke some things at the Jubao Building while running away. It wouldn’t have been too much if they had caught and beaten me to death on the spot. But the Master said I was young, and it’s enough to return the things and get a beating. Since I broke things in the Jubao Building and had no money to compensate, I went to the kitchen to work off my debt as a handyman.”

Sir ladled himself a full bowl of radish and rib soup, heartily gnawing on the ribs, and casually replied to Sun Maochai, “Of course I know, I was the person who caught you back then.”

Jiang Feng: Pfft.

“Indeed, in fact, the person I should be most grateful to is you, Jiang. If you hadn’t been so fast and strong at the time, pinning me to the ground with one hand, who knows, I might be in jail right now,” Sun Maochai said, “Unfortunately, there’s no wine now, or I would definitely toast to Jiang.”

“Don’t talk to me about these empty gestures; I’m not joking with you. Do you want to come back, and will they let you?” continued Sir, still focusing on eating his ribs.

“How would I know without trying?”

“What if they are willing? You’ve tasted these dishes before; even if you want to manage, do you think they would trust you to do so?”

“That’s why I have to try,” Sun Maochai said with a smile, “Who can predict the future? It’s just like how neither Master Sun nor I would have thought that one day you, Jiang, could really buy back Taifeng Building and that it would be so successful after reopening.”

“Just like how Master Sun and I would never have imagined that one day I would leave Jubao Building and not return for decades,” Sun Maochai said softly.

Suddenly, the atmosphere at the dining table stiffened.

Wu Minqi quietly raised her head and looked back and forth between Sun Maochai and Sir, then promptly lowered her head, pretending to hear nothing as she continued to pick up food and eat.

As someone who loved to be in the know, she needed some time to digest all the gossip she had quietly garnered over the past few days.

“Fengfeng,” Wu Minqi whispered in a voice only Jiang Feng could hear, “Actually, you could send a WeChat message to Sun Jikai about the comments made by Grandpa Jiang and Mr. Sun just now.”

“Ah?” Jiang Feng was puzzled.

Wu Minqi pointed to the dishes on the table, “Though Grandpa Jiang’s words were a bit harsh, both his and Mr. Sun’s critiques were extremely fair. If Sun Jikai wants to rectify the back of house at the Jubao Building, these fair critiques could be a good way to establish his authority.”

Wu Minqi, the former heiress of Wu Family Restaurant, had a different thought process. When Jiang Feng heard Sir scolding the food, he thought, ‘Ah, Grandpa is grumbling as usual.’ Meanwhile, Wu Minqi was considering how Sun Jikai could use these words to scold the chefs.

Jiang Feng found Wu Minqi’s suggestion very good and immediately took out his phone to start typing furiously.

He couldn’t remember the exact words, but he remembered the general idea.

Jiang Feng: Grandpa, Wu Minqi, Sun Maochai, and I are eating at your restaurant right now.

Jiang Feng: Grandpa says your family’s Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was skimping, and Mr. Sun Maochai says your family’s Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall was not meticulous with the ingredients and not as good as before; he said that before, your family’s Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall needed to simmer for over a day…

Jiang Feng: Honey-glazed barbecued pork…

Jiang Feng: And the crab meat with shark fin…

…

Jiang Feng had sent a series of over ten messages to Sun Jikai, but little did he know that Sun Jikai was currently in the kitchen.

Originally, Sun Jikai was checking whether there were any problems with the ingredients. He felt something was off with the vegetables on the chopping board when he entered the kitchen last night, suspecting that someone had tampered with the ingredient procurement, substituting inferior products for good ones.

The spot check results were unmistakable: the ingredients at Jubao Building had issues. While ordinary fruits and vegetables were okay, items like sea cucumbers, bird’s nests, and shark fins were mostly a mixed bag of good and bad.

Qiu Fu, who had been temporarily put in charge, wasn’t experienced in management, making it too easy for others to take advantage of the situation.

While Sun Jikai was in the midst of his tirade, he felt his phone in his pocket vibrating incessantly.

After finishing scolding, he walked into a cubicle to pull out his phone and saw that Jiang Feng had sent him over ten messages in a row. When he opened them, what caught his eye was—

A mishmash of dishes served to customers at such a high price is simply consumer fraud.

Sun Jikai: ?

Insulting me?

Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn’t Jiang Feng insulting him, it was Sun Maochai and Jiang Weiguo berating him.

Sun Jikai had been reading the messages from bottom to top, and it was only when he reached the very first message that he realized Jiang Feng and the others were dining at Jubao Building.

Sun Jikai hurriedly replied to the messages.

Sun Jikai: Which table are you at?

Feeling his phone vibrate, Jiang Feng opened it to check the message: ?

Coming to hit me in a fit of rage?

Could it be that my expressions were too clear just now, hurting Sun Jikai’s fragile heart a bit?

After thinking it over, Jiang Feng still sent the table number to Sun Jikai.

Within seconds, the door to the kitchen opened, and Sun Jikai came out from the kitchen, immediately spotting Jiang Feng and the others. He quickly walked towards them.

Upon nearing them, Sun Jikai apologized without a second word.

“Grandpa Jiang, Master Sun, I am so sorry. I haven’t had the time to look after the restaurant lately, leading to a lot of negligence, and the dishes we served are simply not worthy of our customers. I will cover the bill for your meal today.”

Sir said nothing, allowing Master Sun to take the opportunity to speak.

Master Sun showed a gentle smile unique to his seniority, “Actually, today’s meal was meant to be my treat for Jiang. I’ll settle the bill. It’s understandable that when family matters arise, one can neglect the restaurant management. As long as there’s improvement in the future, that’s enough. Forget about the bill; if it’s possible, could you send me a portion of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, the kind I had last night?”

Sun Jikai was taken aback for a moment before turning to Jiang Feng, somewhat embarrassed, “Actually, the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon from last night was…”

“I know that last night’s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon’s thickening was completed by Jiang Feng. But I heard from Jiang Feng that the thickening was not taught by your grandfather, but something you and he researched together. Since it was a joint effort, I believe you must have learned some of it,” Master Sun said gently.

Sun Jikai was genuinely embarrassed now, although the situation was as such…

He really didn’t know how.

“Actually, I can’t do it,” Sun Jikai admitted with a wry smile, “Even though the thickening technique was indeed worked out together with Jiang Feng, I still haven’t mastered the real essence of it. Grandfather also tried to teach me afterward, yet…”

Sun Jikai shook his head.

“I am not as good as Jiang Feng.”

Now it was Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi who were surprised. Although it was an acknowledged fact that Sun Jikai wasn’t as good as Jiang Feng, and one that couldn’t be changed, for Mr. Sun, who was known for his pride, to admit this was extremely rare and astonishing.

“You don’t know it at all?” asked Master Sun.

“I know a little, but I’ve never quite grasped the essence.”

The thickening of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon relied on one’s intuition. Sun Jikai hadn’t been able to focus on his culinary skills lately, hence he had neither the time to contemplate nor the opportunity to break through the final barrier.

“You can try,” Master Sun suggested, “Don’t stress yourself out. After all, I never got the chance to taste the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon made by your grandfather, and I don’t know the precise flavor. I just tried two servings yesterday evening and was quite amazed, so I’d like to have it again today.”

Sun Jikai still hesitated. He knew his thickening skills better than anyone else; when he said he knew a little, he really meant just a little.

If he was responsible for the thickening, the final dish might be slightly better than what the restaurant served, but it would still be far inferior to what Jiang Feng made. He didn’t want to disappoint Master Sun, especially since he had a favor to ask of him.

He felt like a product awaiting investment; he only wanted the investor to see the best aspects of the product, trying his hardest to hide the less desirable ones.

“All the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon for this afternoon has been sold out. If you’d like to try it, we would have to start from scratch, which would take about…” Sun Jikai tried to tactfully refuse.

“I can wait. My flight back isn’t until the day after tomorrow, so I have some time. This is a good opportunity to spend a bit more time in Jubao Building,” said Sun Maochai, effectively cutting off Sun Jikai’s escape.

Just as Sun Jikai was about to relent and agree, Jiang Feng spoke up.

“If Master Sun truly wishes to taste it, how about I help with thickening the sauce again?”

Doing unpaid work for Boss Sun once can become a habit.

“That would be best,” Sun Maochai said with a smile.

Sun Jikai breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Feng walked over to Sun Jikai and asked quietly, “Should I change into a uniform since it’s during business hours?”

Sun Jikai nodded, “I’ll have someone fetch you one.”

After speaking, he called for a waiter to fetch Jiang Feng a set of kitchen staff work attire in his size.

Searching the storehouse for clothing took some time, so Jiang Feng pulled Sun Jikai down to sit, asking a waiter to bring an extra set of bowls and chopsticks so he could see for himself just how perfunctory the kitchen’s cooking could be.

The difference when the boss is present versus when he is absent can be substantial.

“By the way, after all this time, haven’t you gotten the hang of thickening sauces yet?” Jiang Feng asked curiously.

Sun Jikai shook his head, “After returning, Grandpa taught me a lot, but some things came up later on, and I haven’t been practicing my cooking skills, so I’ve neglected them.”

“Even when I did practice before, it never went smoothly. Although you said that temperature is key, I could never quite get the feel of it. Grandpa was a bit better when he stood by to guide me, but now that Grandpa’s gone, who knows when I’ll be able to find that feel,” Sun Jikai sighed.

“Just keep practicing,” Wu Minqi said, “Fengfeng’s sauce thickening is all practiced, and he has improved a lot since the time you left. It’s all built up from repeated trials.”

Jiang Feng’s progress with the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon during this time was entirely due to Mrs. Wang Xiulian working her own son to the bone.

Sun Jikai nodded, “I know, that’s what Grandpa also said. It’s a pity that I lack the quick wits and always miss the right fire control.”

Jiang Feng glanced at Sir, who was eating his meal with his head down, apparently not paying attention to the conversation among the three younger people, and said, “My grandpa mentioned wanting to stay here for a few more days, probably to meet some friends. Since I’m going to be idle anyway, why don’t I teach you a bit?”

Sun Jikai was taken aback.

“This dish was taught to me by your grandpa. Logically, it should belong to your family, but now it has become a signature dish at Taifeng Building. I feel somewhat guilty. Since I have nothing better to do, maybe I can spot what’s wrong and give you some tips, better than trying to figure it out by yourself, which is much slower,” Jiang Feng said.

You’re not dead anyway.

Jiang Feng swallowed the last sentence.

Sun Jikai laughed, “Thanks, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”

“Take me to a place that serves Lobster with Superior Soup for the treat. I’ve been to your restaurant three times and haven’t had a chance to try the Lobster with Superior Soup. I rarely come by; you should at least let me taste this famous dish,” Jiang Feng said with a smile.

“Definitely.”

“Better make it a place where they serve an authentic Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall; I haven’t had the genuine article before,” Wu Minqi added, seizing the opportunity to make a demand.

“Don’t worry, I will definitely find you an authentic place,” Sun Jikai promised instantly, “one that does it better than my place right now.”

As he spoke, Sun Jikai suddenly looked up and made to stand, “It seems the clothes have arrived. I’ll take you to the changing room, and I need to change as well.”

Jiang Feng stood up.

“Ding, side quest [Beautiful Memories] completed. Reward received: [Sun Maochai’s Memory Fragment][A Piece of Sun Maochai’s Memory].”

The game notification suddenly rang out in Jiang Feng’s mind. He instinctively looked toward Sun Maochai.

Sun Maochai was also looking at them, at him and Sun Jikai.

Sun Maochai’s face wore a smile, and his eyes shone with mirth, yet they held a vacant look, as if he was seeing through them at someone else.

It might be he was looking at himself.

But who was the other person?