The Game of Life

Chapter 734: Chapter 733: Master of Drama (Two in One 5000+)

Just as Jiang Feng had expected, Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing began to study as soon as they returned under the motivational effects of the braised pork buffet. They didn’t even look at their phones but immediately pulled out their battered copy of “Math World” from the bottom of their suitcase, grabbed a pen and some scrap paper, and dived into the ocean of mathematics, only surfacing reluctantly for dinner after Aunt reminded them.

If these sisters could maintain this fervor for studying every day, there would be no doubt about getting into a top university.

Aunt was utterly astonished; she even suspected that these two “mischief demon kings” of hers had taken the wrong medicine, and couldn’t help but nag Jiang Feng about how abnormal the sisters were behaving on the way to Yonghe House.

“Feng, you might not believe this, but Junlian and Junqing have been exceptionally well-behaved since they got back this afternoon. They went straight to their room as soon as they got in. At first, I thought they went in to play on their phones, but then I saw both their phones were left on the sofa; they hadn’t taken them to the room, which I found strange, so I peeked in.”

“Guess what I saw? They were studying! Doing their homework, and even doing math exercises, the very math exercises that usually I have to coax and threaten them just to do a little bit, but this afternoon they did two sets! I’m beginning to wonder if they took the wrong medicine,” Aunt felt as though she was still in a dream.

Jiang Feng slightly smiled, knowing full well what his cousins had eaten, but kept his accomplishments and fame deeply hidden.

“You two, if you had worked as hard last semester as you did this afternoon, your final grades wouldn’t have landed you at those ranks,” Aunt said, even turning around excitedly from the front passenger seat to look at her two girls.

But what she didn’t know was that her two daughters, who had studied hard all afternoon, were also quite puzzled.

Jiang Junlian nudged Jiang Junqing, signaling her to lean in close so that even Jiang Feng sitting next to them wouldn’t hear, and whispered, “Did you feel that we were behaving really strangely this afternoon?”

Jiang Junqing nodded frantically. It was more than just strange—by the time she had finished her exercises and gone downstairs, she felt like she had gone crazy in the afternoon, willingly doing homework instead of playing on her phone, and even now, she was still fixated on the problem she hadn’t finished.

“I actually feel guilty for not doing homework,” Jiang Junqing said quietly.

“Me too, I even feel like going back and finishing it,” Jiang Junlian added.

Jiang Feng, seeing the sisters whispering next to him, not knowing what secrets they were discussing, deliberately raised his voice, “Junlian, Junqing, what would you like to eat tonight?”

Suddenly, Jiang Junlian didn’t feel like doing homework quite as much, “Roast duck!”

Jiang Feng: …

How long had it been since she was still thinking about roast duck?

But the roast duck at Yonghe House was indeed excellent, and it had been a while since Jiang Feng had it, so he found himself missing it. He took out his phone and messaged his insider at Yonghe House, the youngest guy who always got his seniority wrong, to tell the furnace chef responsible for slicing the duck to be attentive while doing it. The roast duck at Yonghe House was of good quality, but the slicing chef had a habit of chatting, resulting in inconsistent slices.

The young man, who was sneakily playing with his phone intending to chat with his girlfriend but instead received a message from Jiang Feng: ?

How did Feng know he would be on his phone at that time?

“Master Zhao, Feng will be coming to the restaurant for roast duck later. He asked you to focus on slicing the duck and not to chat!” the young man yelled out.

Master Zhao, who was happily chatting with someone nearby: ?

“Oh, Jiang Feng, right? It’s been a while since he’s been here. Why hasn’t he been coming to work recently? Did he switch jobs?” Master Zhao said cheerfully.

The unnamed kitchen staff member chatting with Master Zhao: ?

“Master Zhao, Jiang Feng is a chef at Taifeng Building!”

Master Zhao was startled: “Look at my memory, I forgot about that. Master Peng went to Taifeng Building for the Midsummer Banquet just the other day. Hey, where’s Master Peng?”

“Master Peng is upstairs dining. Lately, he’s been having dinner with a few old men who come for afternoon tea. Didn’t Mr. Lu post on his Moments just last night about going out for barbecue? I even liked the post,” another staff member replied.

.

Jiang Feng arrived at Yonghe House just before six o’clock, which was quite early, and he wasn’t very hungry. Lu Sheng had reserved a window seat for him on the second floor, which allowed him to dine and enjoy the view—even if the view was just of the barbecue restaurant across the street, it still counted as a view of sorts.

Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian knew how delicious the food at Yonghe House was, clamoring for roast duck and stewed silver fungus with vegetables. They rushed ahead up the stairs to dine.

Aunt was extremely gratified—the stewed silver fungus with vegetables was a vegetarian dish, and finally, her daughters seemed to have developed a taste for vegetables.

“Aunt, what would you like to eat tonight? The shark’s fin and sea cucumber dishes at Yonghe House are delicious now, a far cry from the past. How about I order scallion-sautéed sea cucumber, and have Master Zhang make it? He’s working today, and his scallion-sautéed sea cucumber is absolutely exquisite,” Jiang Feng began to recommend dishes. Having spent two months at Yonghe House, he was crystal clear about who had which days off and who excelled at what dish.

“You just keep an eye on it, don’t order too much,” Aunt chuckled, her demeanor noticeably softened after a year of raising a child on her own.

Jiang Feng made his way to the second floor and was surprised to find Peng Changping there as well, sitting at the table next to his, sipping tea like any ordinary elderly diner.

Peng’s table was a small one with only four people; three old men and a young man who, despite the sweltering summer heat, was fully dressed in long sleeves without any apparent discomfort, with his back turned to Jiang Feng, concealing his face.

Jiang Feng was about to go over and greet Peng Changping when a look from Peng stopped him in his tracks.

Jiang Feng: ?

Although he found it strange, he didn’t inquire further; he nodded towards Peng Changping and continued toward his own table.

“Brother, quickly, see what else we should order!” Jiang Junlian said excitedly.

Jiang Feng glanced at the dishes his sisters had ordered: roast duck, pan-fried lamb chops, white fungus with vegetables, pickled sweet potato noodle soup, beef with scrambled eggs, and deep-fried lion’s head meatballs. Indeed, they had improved; they now knew to order vegetarian dishes as well.

There were no issues with the food, so Jiang Feng added an order of almond pastries and braised sea cucumber with scallions before signaling the waiter to place the order.

Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian began discussing the recent idol dramas. Jiang Feng, having no interest in TV shows these days, tuned them out and pulled out his phone to casually browse the news. He inadvertently overheard the conversation at the next table.

It wasn’t that he intended to eavesdrop; it was the young man at the next table speaking so passionately that he inadvertently raised his voice; it was inevitable to overhear sitting so close.

The young man was talking about Peng Changping.

Jiang Feng: ?

What’s going on?

Jiang Feng couldn’t help but glance over at Peng Changping. Due to the angle, he still couldn’t see the young man’s face as the latter was seated with his back to him, but for some reason, the voice sounded oddly familiar, as if he had heard this person speak somewhere before.

“Let me tell you, this Master Peng, Peng Changping, is something else. He used to be the head chef here at Yonghe House, and even before he left the country, he was already a renowned master of Tan Family Cuisine. He was a legitimate disciple, not only fully versed in the traditional methods but also innovative. Back when he was still at Yonghe House, the Swallow-wing Feast was the talk of all Beiping City!”

“Exactly, I’ve heard of that Swallow-wing Feast. Back then it was so famous, whoever got to eat it would boast about it for a good while,” another elderly man chimed in, giving a thumbs-up.

Peng Changping listened with a smile and then spoke leisurely, “But according to you, this Master Peng left Beiping fifty years ago to go abroad. You weren’t even born then, were you? And judging by your accent, you’re not a local from Beiping, so where did you hear about him?”

Jiang Feng: ?

What is this hobby of yours?

“I heard it from a chef at my previous restaurant,” the young man said.

“You’re a chef?” Peng Changping asked.

The young man nodded. “I’ve been working as one for many years now. My first job was in Beiping, and I learned the basics from an old chef there. His father used to be a chef at Yonghe House; unfortunately, he lacked the talent to become a disciple of Master Peng, just a regular chef who could only learn the basics. His cooking skills are all from his father, and I didn’t even know about Master Peng until that chef told me.”

“How impressive Master Peng is, ranked first on the list of renowned chefs, and it’s a title everyone agrees he deserves. After going to America, it only took a few years for him to turn his own restaurant into the best Chinese restaurant in the entire United States, consistently awarded three Michelin stars, and he has taught so many disciples, such a kind person…”

“If you’ve never met him, how do you know he’s kind?” Peng Changping asked pointedly.

The young man: …

“Certainly kind. I’ve heard from others that Master Peng is very kind,” he replied somewhat defensively.

“But those you’re talking about might not have met him either,” Peng continued to argue.

Jiang Feng: …

I’m not one to judge, but what are you up to?

The young man, frustrated, decided to change the subject. “Master Peng returned a while ago and has been staying at Yonghe House recently; I figured if I ate here every day, I might have a chance to see him. I’ve always really wanted to meet him, to see for myself if Master Peng lives up to his legendary reputation.”

“I say, why do you spend every afternoon drinking tea with us old men? Turns out, ‘The old drunkard’s intent isn’t in the wine,'” chuckled an elderly gentleman. “What’s that thing called, oh right, celebrity stalking! My granddaughter is into that as well. Last year, she even went to the airport to welcome some star, holding a sign and shouting. She came back and told me she actually didn’t see anything.”

“Do you even know what this Master Peng you speak of looks like?” Peng Changping persisted tenaciously in his questioning.

“I don’t know.”

The elderly gentleman who mentioned his star-chasing granddaughter laughed. “You’re even worse than my granddaughter then. At least she knows what her idol looks like.”

“Master Peng has not given any interviews for many years. The photos that leaked back then were so blurry you couldn’t make out a face. He’s a very low-profile person. Over the years, he has only granted interviews to ‘Taste.’ I wasn’t even planning on coming; I had already left Beiping and gone back to my hometown. But then, I really didn’t want to miss this opportunity, so I came specially to Beiping two days ago. My previous…”

At this point, Jiang Feng already felt something was very amiss. The more he listened, the more this man sounded like Zhou Shi.

The character and background fit, but based on Zhou Shi’s reticent and headstrong personality, it didn’t seem like he would be the type to do something like this.

Uncertain, Jiang Feng called out, “Zhou Shi?”

Zhou Shi turned around.

It was indeed him.

A freak who had chased a celebrity from his hometown to Beiping, even squatting in a restaurant, waiting for an unwitting prey.

“Jiang Feng!” Zhou Shi was startled, not expecting to meet Jiang Feng here, especially under these circumstances. Thinking about the words he had just said that might have been heard by Jiang Feng, he felt like jumping from the second floor.

Jiang Feng: If you knew who that elderly gentleman sitting opposite you was, you might consider jumping from more than just the second floor.

“How come you came to Beiping and didn’t even tell me? If you wanted to meet Master Peng…” Jiang Feng glanced at Peng Changping unconsciously. Peng Changping gave him an understated smile, and Jiang Feng instantly got it. “I could have introduced you,” he said.

“You see, your friend here could help you out. Why go through such trouble, mixing every day with a bunch of old men like us?” Peng Changping smiled. “Are you his friend? Or a colleague?”

Jiang Feng: …

You really are addicted to acting.

Jiang Feng had no choice but to play along with Peng Changping, exercising his Jiang family members’ acting skills and master-level lies: “I’m a former colleague of his.”

“Oh, so you’re a chef too,” said Peng Changping.

“Having a friend to help you is great, you might even get to meet that Master Peng you’ve been longing to see today,” said the elderly gentleman sitting next to Peng Changping.

“I’m not, I just…” Zhou Shi felt a bit awkward.

“Just what?” Peng Changping pressed.

“I just thought it would be nice to meet Master Peng when neither of us is prepared, an impromptu encounter… You know, a chance meeting, like bumping into him. I would recognize him and then say hello—it wouldn’t be an introduction through a friend.” Zhou Shi struggled to justify his logic. “I just simply want to meet him face to face and say hi. Like the other day when I met you gentlemen here, if I could even talk a little, that would be enough.”

“Not to talk about anything else?”

“Not anything else.”

Jiang Feng hadn’t expected Zhou Shi, usually so decisive, to be so humble in his star chasing. Unsure what to say, he looked at Peng Changping, who just smiled back at him. Not understanding what Peng Changping meant by the smile, Jiang Feng pressed on: “It might be a bit unfortunate, but Master Peng is not in Beiping these days. He’s gone to another province to visit friends and probably won’t be back for a while.”

Dining at Yonghe House wasn’t cheap, and Jiang Feng worried that if Zhou Shi kept eating there for another week, he would consume an entire month’s rent.

Zhou Shi looked a bit disappointed.

“Then I’ll come back next week.”

Jiang Feng: ?

“Maybe I should mention it to Master Peng for you,” Jiang Feng said.

“No need, I just wanted to have a quick word, there’s no need to bother Master Peng specifically. If everyone who wanted to see him asked for a personal introduction, it would be too much of a disturbance and a waste of his time. We can’t have that.” Zhou Shi declined.

Jiang Feng was at a loss for words, and just as the food was served and he could return to his meal and bow out of the scene, he said, “Well then, let that be for now. If you have time, come by the restaurant and take a look. Everyone would definitely like to see you. Coming to Beiping and not telling us, that’s really not cool.”

“I didn’t want to make a fuss, coming to Beiping was not for anything important, I felt coming all the way to Beiping just for that… I was truly embarrassed,” Zhou Shi admitted, feeling genuinely ashamed.

Jiang Feng expressed understanding, returned to his meal, and planned to find an opportunity to ask Peng Changping what he was really thinking. To play with his little fan this way, wasn’t he afraid of losing the fan’s support?

Disturbed by these events, Jiang Feng ate his dinner absentmindedly, occasionally turning back to glance at the next table to see if Peng Changping had any reaction.

Peng Changping, however, seemed perfectly normal, eating and drinking as usual, chatting without interruption, as if he were not the focal point Peng Changping, but just an ordinary old man having tea and dinner at Yonghe House.

After dinner, Jiang Feng excused himself, saying he had more discussions with Lu Sheng, and suggested Jiang Junlian and the others head back first. He stayed behind at Yonghe House, waiting for Zhou Shi to leave and for Peng Changping to finish his conversation with several old gentlemen before preparing to go for a walk with them.

“Master Peng, why were you playing dumb today? Zhou Shi was one of our original furnace chefs at Taifeng Building, and he’s always admired you. Back when he was still at Taifeng, he told me about you. Now, I don’t know how to explain this to him,” Jiang Feng walked alongside Peng Changping.

“How is his cooking?” Peng Changping inquired.

Not knowing why Peng Changping would ask this, Jiang Feng answered honestly, “Fairly good, not bad. He mostly learned by doing odd jobs at other restaurants or watching other chefs, picked up a bit of everything—a real grass-roots education—but it’s genuinely good. Now he’s gone back to his hometown and opened a small private restaurant and business isn’t bad either.”

It’s common for chefs to learn by sneaking lessons, especially those without formal training. There’s no shame in not learning something, but there’s no disgrace in picking up the craft that way either.

“Then his talent is quite decent,” Peng Changping remarked.

Jiang Feng agreed with a nod. Given Zhou Shi’s circumstances and age, to have his level of cooking skill was indeed a sign of good talent.

“Why are you asking about this?” Jiang Feng inquired.

“I haven’t taken on a disciple in many years,” Peng Changping said, “My last disciple was taken on forty years ago, and now they manage my restaurants in America for me. Originally, I had no intention of taking on a final disciple at my age, but a few days ago, after tasting your Midsummer Banquet and being coaxed by Xu Cheng, I was moved. I’m not qualified to be your master, but I thought about whether I should look for a fitting prodigy while I’m still in the country.”

Jiang Feng stood there, stunned and immobilized.

“At my age, starting from scratch isn’t realistic, so I thought about taking on a grass-roots student with a solid foundation who’s willing to accept me as his master. Your friend here, he came three days ago, and I noticed him the first day. Do you know why?” Peng Changping asked.

“His hands are quite attractive, slender, with strength in his wrists, and he has oil scars on his arms—the calluses are also rather nice. They’re the hands of a good chef,” Peng Changping said.

“Just for that?” Jiang Feng couldn’t understand.

“Taking a disciple is about fate. I like his hands; it means we have that connection. Initially, I didn’t think this way. I was only pleasantly surprised when he mentioned me in the afternoon. I didn’t let you say anything during dinner out of a sense of fun.”

“I don’t really remember who the father of the master he mentioned is. Back in the day, Yonghe House had chefs from our lineage and other chefs as well. After being together for so long, you naturally learn a lot. If what he says is correct, and his foundation is that of the Tan Family Cuisine, it can’t be too far off. In that case, there really might be some fate between us. Especially after what you’ve just told me, the idea does appeal to me,” Peng Changping stated.

Jiang Feng couldn’t take a step forward, feeling as though his legs wouldn’t move. It took him a long while to recover from the shock of Zhou Shi possibly hitting the jackpot.

“So, you’re saying now that…”

Peng Changping waved his hand, “Not so hasty. Even if taking a disciple is about fate, one can’t be so impulsive. There are still proper procedures to follow.”

“You mean?”

“Didn’t you invite him to Taifeng Building in a few days? Find an opportunity for him to cook a specialty dish, then call me over. I’m just not sure if, when I want to take him on, he’ll be willing to accept me as his master at my age. I really can’t teach him much now,” Peng Changping said with a smile, “Shall we continue our walk?”

“Let’s go.”

“Ah no, he would definitely be willing, definitely,” Jiang Feng said, still somewhat dazed, accompanying Peng Changping on their walk.

By the end of it, Jiang Feng had just one thought in mind.

Zhou Shi must have stumbled upon braised beef with radish, so much luck.

Truly a chosen one.