The Game of Life

Chapter 73 - 72 The Small Restaurant

After a seven-hour long high-speed train journey, Jiang Feng finally arrived in the provincial city of Shu at eight in the evening.

The boxed meals on the high-speed train were too expensive, and they didn’t taste good. Wu Minqi found them unpalatable, while Jiang Feng was purely short on cash. What’s more, both of them had missed lunch in their hurry to catch the train, and by now, it was way past mealtime, leaving both of them ravenous.

As soon as they got off the train, Wu Minqi led Jiang Feng to a small restaurant she recommended. After a few subway stops and several streets, they eventually entered an old-fashioned tube building. The small restaurant was located inside a residential building on the third floor, a place Jiang Feng would have never found without Wu Minqi leading the way.

“This restaurant was opened by another chef from the state-run restaurant where my grandfather used to work. You can call him Master Chen. His son works in our family’s restaurant, and Grandpa Chen simply couldn’t stay idle and opened this little place, serving only regulars until ten at night.” Wu Minqi led Jiang Feng upstairs as she introduced the spot to him.

The tube building was very old, with the walls plastered with small ads, layer upon layer, thicker than wallpaper, and the units were dilapidated, with mottled walls exposed.

Wu Minqi walked up to the third floor and knocked on the door to the left.

The door was opened by an elderly man, who looked to be over seventy, with gray hair but still sprightly, and wearing an apron.

“Qiqi, you’ve come to eat at Grandpa’s now that the university is on break, huh? Come in, come in, it’s cold outside. And this is…” Master Chen looked towards Jiang Feng.

“He’s my friend, his name is Jiang Feng, president of my university’s club, and we traveled here together. He’s from Zet City and came here to find someone,” Wu Minqi introduced Jiang Feng.

“Hello, Master Chen,” Jiang Feng said, glancing inside, where there were no customers.

“Qiqi’s made friends at university, good for her. Come in, come in, quick, there’s no one here now. Qiqi, you’re in luck today. This morning, I came across a wild grass carp over 13 pounds at the market. The meat is just impeccable. I couldn’t bear to cook it for the several tables of customers I had today. I was planning to wait for your Mr. Chen to finish work and then make it for him, so the fish stew is still in the pot.” Master Chen said cheerfully, as he walked back to the kitchen.

The family restaurant was very ordinary, with three tables set up in the living room and two bedrooms converted into private dining rooms. There was no decoration, and the decor was simple. Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi casually found a table by the window and sat down. Jiang Feng sneakily glanced at the kitchen, which was better furnished than the rest of the place.

“You can’t order dishes here; you have to see what Grandpa Chen bought this morning. Whatever he has, he’ll cook, and we’ll eat whatever he makes. A cleaning lady comes in every morning and evening, so it’s very clean.” Wu Minqi explained the rules to Jiang Feng, “Later on, we’ll ask Grandpa Chen. He might even know your grandfather’s brother.”

After about half an hour, Master Chen came out with a large bowl of boiling fish.

The fish broth was a brilliant red, floating with heaps of dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and bean sprouts. Underneath, the white flesh of the fish could be glimpsed, and the overwhelming spiciness rushed straight to Jiang Feng’s nose, making him, who rarely ate spicy food, cough uncontrollably.

How could the two young people watch an elderly man carry out such a big bowl of food without lifting a finger? While rubbing his nose, Jiang Feng got up and, along with Wu Minqi, they took the boiling fish and placed it on the table. Jiang Feng wondered where Master Chen had found such a large and heavy bowl; he estimated the whole bowl, including the broth and the container itself, must weigh over ten pounds. The two tried to help Master Chen, who complained, “I’m not so old that I can’t carry a thing. You are guests; since when do guests serve the food?”

“But I am your junior first and foremost. Seniors shouldn’t be serving food to the younger ones,” Wu Minqi chuckled. “Grandpa Chen, what else did you hide away? I can smell it.”

Jiang Feng looked bewildered. Smell what?

All he could smell was the Sichuan peppercorn and black pepper in the boiling fish. Hmm, and liquor—Master Chen is quite interesting, using erguotou to cook boiling fish.

Before he knew it, Jiang Feng blurted it out.

Master Chen was taken aback for a moment, then he laughed, “Qiqi, your friend has quite the nose! Among all my regulars, only you and he could tell I added a bit of erguotou to my boiling fish.”

“His family also runs a restaurant, just on a smaller scale, just like my family’s,” Wu Minqi said. “Alright, Grandpa Chen, don’t hide it anymore. I can smell it—the spicy rabbit head. It’s in the kitchen!”

“Honestly, I’m done with this girl’s nose. Tonight’s late-night snack for your Uncle Chen is gone!” Master Chen helplessly went to the kitchen to retrieve the spicy rabbit head for Wu Minqi.

A white porcelain plate held two rabbit heads lavished in cumin, Sichuan peppercorn, and dried chilies, the sight somewhat detestable.

“Jiang Feng, you are in for a treat today! You won’t find a second spicy rabbit head like the one Grandpa Chen makes in the entire province. Even my grandpa can’t compare. Come on, come on, have a taste!” Wu Minqi breezed into the kitchen to get chopsticks and served two bowls of rice, then handed Jiang Feng his pair.

Looking at the overwhelming redness, Jiang Feng hesitated.

This dish looked like it was seriously spicy.

Far spicier than what Wu Minqi had cooked back at Morning Wind Primary School.

“No worries, Grandpa Chen’s dishes look spicier than they actually are,” Wu Minqi assured him.

Jiang Feng tentatively trusted her and gingerly picked up a bean sprout with his chopsticks.

Instantly, tears sprang to Jiang Feng’s eyes.

A young man of twenty bested by two bean sprouts.

He wept profusely on the spot.

Wu Minqi was taken aback.

As a born and bred Shu person, Wu Minqi had never seen anyone unable to handle spice like Jiang Feng. Before, at the Morning Wind Primary School cafeteria, he had only reached the beginner’s stage of frantic water drinking when spiced, but now just two bean sprouts had left him in tears.

Through tear-blurred eyes, Jiang Feng looked at Wu Minqi and wanted to say, I don’t believe you at all!

“That exaggerated?” Wu Minqi picked up two bean sprouts hesitantly and chewed them, showing no reaction.

“It’s fine, not that spicy. Did you accidentally eat a dried chili?”

Jiang Feng:…

He didn’t want to discuss the spiciness or lack thereof with the Shu people right now, thank you!