The Game of Life

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

The rice porridge pot in the kitchen was already empty, and only some congee remained, with Nanny Li and her daughter gnawing on cornmeal steamed buns and eating the congee. The cornmeal was of inconsistent color, clearly ground coarse with the corn cobs, not only unpleasant to eat but also rough on the throat. However, compared to the congee and rice porridge, it was much better, as at least the steamed buns filled their stomachs.

In a basket beside them lay four slightly yellowed white flour buns, indicating that Housekeeper Wang’s people had arrived before Jiang Weiguo. Seeing Jiang Weiguo arrive, Nanny Li moved a stool for him and handed him a bowl: “Jiang is here, come and eat!”

Nanny Li’s daughter held a steamed bun in her hand, gazing longingly at the white flour buns in the basket.

Before heading south, Jiang Weiguo had lived good days; even after spending almost half a year exposed to the elements, and enduring meager meals on the ship for over ten days, the sight of so much food now made him incredibly hungry, his stomach even felt like it was on fire. He still took a bun from the basket and passed it to Nanny Li’s daughter, saying, “Here you go.’

Nanny Li’s daughter joyously received the bun.

Nanny Li fiercely slapped her daughter’s hand and scolded, “You glutton, you’re starving her. Now thank your brother at once.”

“Thank you, brother Jiang,” Nanny Li’s daughter whispered.

“Jiang, thank you so much. My daughter craves buns; she’s rarely eaten them. Here, take these two steamed buns. I’ll go get you some congee,” Nanny Li said as she picked up a bowl to serve Jiang Weiguo some congee.

Jiang Weiguo grabbed a bun from the basket and bit off a large chunk. The three modest-sized buns were quickly devoured by him in just a few bites.

Seeing how quickly Jiang Weiguo was eating, Nanny Li hurriedly handed him the congee to take a sip: “Slow down, don’t choke. I have some rice soup; I’ll get you a bowl.”

The rice soup Nanny Li brought was much thicker than the daily rations from the ship’s hold. Jiang Weiguo felt something in his stomach only after finishing three buns, a bowl of congee, and a bowl of rice soup. It had been a long time since he had experienced such a warm and safe feeling.

Nanny Li’s daughter carefully tore the bun apart and offered the larger half to her mother. Nanny Li took a small bite and handed the bun back to her.

Jiang Weiguo began chewing on a steamed bun in silence.

Watching him eat, Nanny Li cautiously asked, “Jiang, you used to live in the ship’s hold, right?”

Jiang Weiguo nodded.

“Where are you from? You must be from the north, right? I heard there’s a disaster in the North, and everyone is fleeing south. The previous cook was from the North. He was found to have the plague last night, incurable and was thrown overboard.” It was evident that, like most aunts her age, Nanny Li couldn’t keep things to herself.

“I’m from Beiping,” Jiang Weiguo said.

“Beiping City, what a nice place!” Nanny Li exclaimed, “I’ve never been to Beiping. I’ve been working as a cook on this ship for so many years and hardly get to disembark. By the way, Jiang, you look strong. Your family must be in the cooking business, right?”

Jiang Weiguo tactfully didn’t ask about Nanny Li’s husband. In those times, the ways for common folk to die were all too numerous. Nanny Li must have been left to work as a cook on the ship with her daughter because her husband had passed away early.

“My father is a cook,” Jiang Weiguo replied, as he went to scoop another bowl

of congee.

“Are you heading to Magic City?” asked Nanny Li. Most people on the ship were bound for Magic City.

Jiang Weiguo nodded again.

“Don’t go to Magic City. Since the previous cook died, Housekeeper Wang gave you an extra bun; he must see something in you. Go and ask him; maybe he’ll let you stay,” Nanny Li advised, explaining upon seeing Jiang Weiguo’s puzzled look, “Magic City is expensive; you need money. I’ve heard that even a tiny room there costs One Silver Dollar in rent, and it’s hard to find work. Plus, there are lots of concession areas we can’t afford to mess with. You’re young; even if you’re strong, the docks won’t hire you to carry loads. It’s better to stay on the ship, with food and lodging provided, and you can still earn sixty cents a month. Maybe Housekeeper Wang will even give you white flour buns to eat every meal.”

It was clear that in Nanny Li’s eyes, having white flour buns every meal was a very good life.

Jiang Weiguo shook his head: “Before putting me on this ship, my dad told me to make something of myself in Magic City, to go back to Beiping and buy back our ancestral properties.”

Nanny Li could tell that Jiang Weiguo’s family must have been wealthy once, and she looked at him with pity.

Beiping had fallen, and the land wasn’t even ours anymore; there was no talking of buying back ancestral properties.

Still, Nanny Li encouraged him, “It’s really good for you to stay. Although Housekeeper Wang is a family retainer and a bit greedy, he’s not bad to us outsiders. At least, he won’t shortchange our rations, and he doesn’t beat or scold us normally.”

Nanny Li felt that, given Jiang Weiguo’s age, with no family or money, he wouldn’t last long in Magic City.

Jiang Weiguo was silent, and he drank several more bowls of porridge. Nanny

Li stopped persuading him and gave him an extra steamed bun.

After finishing his meal, Jiang Weiguo stayed in Nanny Li’s kitchen because the cabin was too dirty, and he would have to clean himself again before cooking dinner that evening.

Nanny Li’s daughter, who had no name and was simply called Flower, grew fond of Jiang Weiguo after eating his steamed bread. She clung to him, asking him what Beiping was like.

The kitchen work was leisurely; there was no need to rinse rice or wash vegetables. Not to mention there were no vegetables at all, and having a little dirt in the rice porridge made no difference. Washing it would have only reduced the weight of the rice anyway. Of course, this was only the case for the third-class passengers. The rice for the second-class passengers still had to be rinsed, but there weren’t many in second class, so not much rice needed to be rinsed.

After preparing dinner and eating, Jiang Weiguo went back down to the bottom

of the ship.

Thus, five days passed, and the ship arrived at Magic City.

Jiang Feng was a bit dazed as he got off the ship amidst the pushy crowd. He had originally thought that one of the recipes from Sir’s memory would have been among the dishes he prepared over the past few days. He had even considered the rice porridge Nanny Li simmered, the porridge she boiled, and the steamed bread and steamed buns she made, but it turned out none of them were the one.

In those five days, Jiang Feng, who didn’t need to sleep, had almost memorized every person’s face in the bottom of the ship. Sometimes he would wander around, listening to their conversations, and he could guess their origins and hometowns.

There was a couple who, to gather enough money for their boat tickets, sold their five daughters and clung to their belongings every day, afraid of theft. There were solitary bachelors, widows who had lost their husbands, and young men like Jiang Weiguo, whose entire families had spent their savings to send them on the ship in hopes they would survive. Without exception, they all came from areas severely affected by disasters: people robbing each other, killing each other, even resorting to cannibalism. Natural and man-made disasters had ravaged their homes, sparing maybe one in ten.

Those five days gave Jiang Feng a brief understanding of this terrible era.

And so, Jiang Weiguo disembarked, taking with him the vegetable buns Nanny Li had stuffed for him and the 20 copper coins that Housekeeper Wang had skimmed who knows how much from before leaving him, along with his old clothes.

The vegetable buns were secretly prepared by Nanny Li while she cooked the previous night. Housekeeper Wang knew about them but said nothing. Made with a mix of pickled vegetables, rice paste, and cornmeal, there were six in total, each as big as a fist and very solid. If eaten sparingly, they could last several days, and all were given to Jiang Weiguo.

Jiang Weiguo had been eating his fill these past few days. Though the meals weren’t rich in nutrients, it was still quite good. If he couldn’t find a job in Magic City, with the sustenance from these days, the vegetable buns, and the twenty copper coins from Nanny Li, he should be able to survive for a week or two.

Before disembarking, Housekeeper Wang found Jiang Weiguo and told him the ship would leave Magic City in four days. If he wanted to come back as a cook, he could return then.

Jiang Weiguo was deeply moved and bowed deeply to thank Housekeeper Wang. However, by the look on his face, Jiang Feng knew he wouldn’t return. The dock was bustling with people, those meeting relatives, human traffickers, businesspersons, and even police officers, making the small dock impenetrable.

Jiang Feng could pass directly through the crowd, but Jiang Weiguo had it tough, having to protect his possessions from pickpockets while also navigating through the vast sea of people to leave the dock.

After finally squeezing out of the crowd, Jiang Weiguo didn’t know where to go. With no relatives to turn to, he stood somewhat lost at the side of the road. After a while, Jiang Weiguo took out the vegetable buns from his pocket and took a tiny bite.

The world around him slowly blurred.

Jiang Feng opened his eyes, looking blankly around the dorm room.

Was it over?

Seeing the modern decor of the dormitory and the railings beside his bed, Jiang Feng even felt a bit unfamiliar.

Having stayed on the ship for so long, he found himself missing the swaying and jolting.

It took him some time to recall all that he had experienced in the memories, and then Jiang Feng opened his character panel..