The Game of Life

Wu Minqi had worked at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant for quite some time without taking a single penny in wages; she was just provided with meals Mainly because she hadn’t even realized that she needed to be paid, since in her view, whether it was at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant or at Wu Family Restaurant, it was all about honing her culinary skills. She was there to practice, not for a part-time job.

Wu Minqi, while showing her dad around the kitchen, introduced him to its layout – where the vegetables were, where the seasonings were, where the plates were, how the stoves were assigned and so on. Finally, she took him to the storeroom and told him where the various seasonings were kept and that he could come over to get more whenever they ran out.

Dad, how much money do you make a month from working here?” Wu Hanxue—Wu Minqi’s dad-asked.

“Working?” Wu Minqi took out a bag of sugar from the cabinet. The kitchen’s sugar had all been used up by Jiang Feng in the morning, and she had actually come looking for sugar, “I’m just borrowing their kitchen for practice, not working.”

Wu Hanxue:…

His daughter must have become a bit foolish from studying cooking all these years.

“Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Wang are very nice. If I want to experiment with a dish in the kitchen, I can use it at any time, and I don’t even need to buy my own ingredients. When Jiang Feng and I practice cooking, the dishes are sold as specials, just listed on the signboard at the entrance,” Wu Minqi said, “This cabinet is full of sugar, the dried goods are over there, then there’s the oil, flour is in the yellow cabinet, and the white cabinet has…”

Seeing how familiar Wu Minqi was with everything in the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant and putting it together with his wife’s speculation, Wu Hanxue couldn’t help but sigh.

Indeed, his daughter was quite the extrovert.

After Wu Minqi finished introducing everything to Wu Hanxue and took the sugar back to the kitchen, Jiang Feng was still working on the Sweet and Sour Yam, cooking it in the method where sugar is settled at the bottom of the oil.

Wu Minqi glanced at the sugar container-it couldn’t be emptier.

^1’11 pour in the sugar, and you can come and get it later,” Wu Minqi told Jiang

‘Okay,” Jiang Feng nodded, continuing to watch the pot.

Wu Minqi started working on the orders, leaving Wu Hanxue with nothing to do but stand next to Jiang Feng and watch him make the Sweet and Sour Yam.

Two ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’, three Sichuan-style cold noodles. Aunt Wang went to the shop in the back to buy more, and she’ll bring it over soon,” Ji Yue came in with a sticky note.

Wu Hanxue rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work. It was time to show off his professional expertise as a five-star hotel head chef, just like his daughter’s classmate and the classmate’s father did.

Mrs. Wang Xiulian was highly efficient. She bought out all the cold noodles from the shop in the back, a whole big basin of it. With a Duang, she placed it on the cooking table and then left to busy herself elsewhere.

No sooner than ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’ left the stove, Ji Yue came in with a sticky note, “Two ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’ for here, one for takeout, six Sichuan- style cold noodles, two Kung Pao chicken, one shredded potato over rice, two shredded pork with garlic sauce over rice, one scrambled eggs with tomato.” After a little while, Ji Yue came in again.

Three ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’, one Chestnut Chicken, one Sweet and Sour Yam, four Sichuan-style cold noodles, three Kung Pao chicken for delivery.” In less than two minutes, Ji Yue was back again.

“One ’Ants Climbing a Tree’, three Chestnut Chicken, three Sichuan-style cold noodles for here, five for takeout.”

Around 12 o’clock, just when the small restaurants around the school were filled to the brim, the UAL students, with a bit of money in their pockets and no afternoon classes, who wouldn’t want to reward themselves with a good meal at the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant after a morning of classes?

After all, they had no afternoon classes, so they didn’t mind waiting. The regular customers of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had even gotten the hangof Jiang Weiguo’s routine appearances in the kitchen. And after Sun Guanyun’s Cantonese cuisine bombardment last time, the alert customers had sensed that the kitchen might have randomly gained a new chef the moment they saw Mrs. Wang putting up the menu on the wall.

The first guy to sample the ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’ was so excited he was almost licking his plate clean.

A Sichuan cuisine master had randomly appeared in the kitchen of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant!

Students from Shu who caught wind of this nearly burst the doors of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant-Wu Minqi’s Sichuan dishes were also good, but far from as good as her father’s.

The ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’ made by Wu Hanxue: the minced meat hugged the vermicelli; the vermicelli shone with oil, was soft and smooth; the gluten was deliciously crispy; the taste was unique, light, and delicate-it was easily a delicacy among vegetarian dishes.

This was a signature dish at Wu Family Restaurant, selling at three times the price there compared to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant.

The more knowledgeable UAL students knew exactly what this ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’ entailed after just one taste.

Miss this today, and you might wait another year!

No, it might not even happen again in a year.

Having learned from the previous Cantonese cuisine explosion, Shaxian Snacks and the noodle shop across the street naturally surrendered their tables and chairs. Jiang Feng was also naturally stripped of his qualification to cook in the kitchen and banished to cleaning tables in the hall. The customers were naturally frenzied about ordering ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’, Chestnut Chicken, and Sichuan-style cold noodles.

Everything was natural.

Only Wu Hanxue felt it was unnatural.

From the moment he made the first ‘Ants Climbing a Tree’, he hadn’t stopped

-Ji Yue kept bringing in orders, mainly those few dishes.

‘Three ‘Ants Climbing a Tree¹, four Sichuan-style cold noodles for takeout two Chestnut Chicken, one Kung Pao chicken, two fish-fragrant shredded pork rice dishes for delivery.”

“One stir-fried pork with peppers for delivery, two scrambled eggs with tomato over rice for takeout, two ‘Di San Xian’ for delivery, five Sichuan-style cold noodles for takeout.”

“One onion scrambled eggs over rice, three Sichuan-style cold noodles one

‘Ants Climbing a Tree’.”

“Sichuan-style cold noodles…”

Wu Minqi even had time to help with packaging.

Wu Hanxue began to doubt his life choices.

He understood the theory, but why did this seemingly ordinary little diner do such good business?

The Wu Family Restaurant was no better.

Wu Hanxue, questioning his life, continued to cook.

On the other side, Jiang Feng once again saw Zhang Zhiyuan in the lobby.

He had an exceptionally deep impression of Zhang Zhiyuan, all thanks to Cao Guixiang, who had nine dishes in the game’s cookbook. He was eager to befriend Zhang Zhiyuan. Maybe one day, issuing a side quest would be a memory, shaking hands with Zhang Zhiyuan would be a memory, and making a dish for Zhang Zhiyuan would be a memory.

This might be a walking human-shaped memory bank!

Zhang Zhiyuan was there to accompany his roommate to dine. Since the day he had tasted Sun Guanyun’s dry-fried beef ho fun, all other food tasted bland to him, and he had lost several kilograms in just over ten days. His roommate was the same person who had come with him to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant last time, a Shu person who was so thrilled by a plate of “Ants Climbing a Tree” that he couldn’t contain himself.

‘Si, you must try this, I tell you, there are not many restaurants in Shu that can make this flavor, I’ve only tasted it at Wu Family Restaurant, which is our most famous five-star restaurant in Shu, the dish prices are three times this one”‘ Zhang Zhiyuan’s roommate believed that finding good food was a win and excitedly said to Jiang Feng, “Please pack another portion of Ants Climbing a

Zhang Zhiyuan took a bite.

It s okay, not as good as the dishes my grandma used to make.”

“Yeah, right,” his roommate said, not believing him.

Zhang Zhiyuan couldn’t explain; his grandmother had been gone for many years, but in his memory, Cao Guixiang’s culinary skills were the best, unmatched even by chefs at outside hotels.

Unnoticed, Cao Guixiang had disappeared from his life for many years, and even the taste of those dishes he was beginning to slowly forget.

Jiang Feng told Ji Yue to add another portion of Ants Climbing a Tree for takeaway and then walked up to Zhang Zhiyuan, smiling, “This guest, I see you only ordered this one dish of cold noodles. We have a new dish in our restaurant, would you like to help us try it out?”

“Try out a dish?” Zhang Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “Sure.”

Jiang Feng entered the kitchen.

“What’s up, son, is it not busy out front?” Jiang Jiankang asked.

A customer ordered sweet and sour chicken,” Jiang Feng said.

“Sweet and sour chicken?” Jiang Jiankang frowned, “I remember you’ve made something similar before. I really can’t understand these students these days. Last time someone even asked if we could do something like deep-fried air-I couldn’t even understand it.”

What Cao Guixiang made was an A-grade Yun Chicken, while Jiang Feng’s C- grade failed attempt could barely pass for sweet and sour chicken.

But Jiang Feng’s failed attempt looked very similar to Cao Guixiang’s successful dish; without tasting it, you couldn’t tell the difference. Yun Chicken looked a bit like lychee meat, except the sauce color was different and the texture was worlds apart.

The chicken in the kitchen was already marinated; just by making cross cuts and frying, the dish was ready in a few minutes.

[Yun Chicken (Failed) C-grade]

A hundred percent failure rate really wasn’t for nothing.

Jiang Feng brought the failed dish to Zhang Zhiyuan, who was stunned when he saw the plate of Yun Chicken.

“Hey, why does this dish look so strange?” his roommate asked curiously.

The chicken looks like this after it’s fried with cross cuts,” Zhang Zhiyuan explained, turning to Jiang Feng, “This new dish at your restaurant, it reminds me of a dish my grandma used to make for me.”

He picked up a piece and tasted it.

It wasn’t the flavor he remembered, but it made Zhang Zhiyuan think of it.

“How is it?” Jiang Feng asked.

“It’s…it’s okay, but I think the one my grandma made was tastier. The sauce she made, ah, I don’t know how to make it and can’t describe it. My mom tried learning it too, but it wasn’t the same flavor. I’m not saying this dish isn’t good, just that it seems to be missing something.” zhang Zhiyuan said apologetically with a smile, “What’s the name of this dish?”

I haven’t thought of a name yet; I’m still working on the dish. Let’s add each other on WeChat; we can talk about it, and you can give me some suggestions,” Jiang Feng said with a smile.

Ah? Okay, sure. I’ll ask my mom later; my grandma taught her.” Zhang

Zhiyuan nodded and added Jiang Feng on WeChat.

Even though it wasn’t the flavor of his memory, Zhang Zhiyuan couldn’t help but taste it a few more times. Curious, his roommate also took a bite with his chopsticks.

“It’s sweet and sour, ah, I don’t really like this kind of dish,” his roommate stated, disappointed, “By the way, you just said your grandma made something very similar; what did your grandma call it?”

Zhang Zhiyuan fell silent.

It was called Yun Chicken. Actually, 1 wanted to eat General Tso’s Chicken at the time, but my grandma didn’t know how to make it, so she just made up a dish to deceive me, saying it was specially made for me, so it was called Yun Chicken.”

Zhang Zhiyuan remembered the time when he was very young and clamored to eat General Tso’s Chicken.

“Ah Ma, you’re lying!”

“Ah Ma, will you make me General Tso’s Chicken tomorrow, please?”

“Ah Ma, Ah Ma, I just want to eat General Tso’s Chicken!”

“Yun Yun, do you know what this dish is called?”

“What is it called?”

“This is specifically made for you by Ah Ma; it’s called Zhang Zhiyuan Chicken. This is a dish cooked just for Yun Yun; you can call it whatever you want. Ah Ma doesn’t know how to make General Tso’s Chicken, so from now on, is it okay to make this for you instead?”

“Okay!”

“Si, Si, what’s wrong with you? What are you thinking about, eat your meal!” his roommate pulled the daydreaming Zhang Zhiyuan back to reality.

It s nothing.” Zhang Zhiyuan picked up his chopsticks again, “I was just thinking about my Ah Ma.”

Something he had always missed a lot.