The Game of Life

Compared to the large and small bags of the other passengers on the train, Master Huang and Jiang Weiguo had very few belongings between them, just one small fabric bag containing a change of clothes, various documents, and money.

The bag was with Jiang Weiguo, who had never lived in peace since the fall of Beiping. Throughout the war, he had been displaced until settling in Zet City in the previous years. To him, pickpockets and robbers on the train were hardly worth a glance.

Master Huang, having always lived in a small city like Zet City and never experiencing war, was a simple and ordinary person who had gone through poverty, hunger, and hardship. Compared to Jiang Weiguo, he was practically a naive sweetheart.

The environment in the train compartment wasn’t great either, with a mix of various smells, a crowded throng of people, the chatter of adults, and the wails of children, all mixing together to create a headache-inducing cacophony But for Jiang Feng, compared to the ship cabins and tractors he remembered from other memories, this train compartment was practically VIP first-class. Master Huang chatted with purchasing agent Wang for a few hours, not running out of things to say nor showing signs of fatigue, only stopping when Mr. Wang had an urgent need to use the restroom.

“Jiang, you aren’t young anymore; you’re almost 30 and settled down. How about, once we return, I have your sister-in-law set you up with someone?” Master Huang began to play matchmaker.

30???

Jiang Feng could hardly believe his eyes; Jiang Weiguo’s face looked like that of a man in his early twenties, but in Master Huang’s words, he was almost 30 years old!

It turned out the old man was so deep and unfathomable in his youth. Considering this, his parents’ meeting, dining together, and rushed marriage must have happened around this time.

Matchmaking?” Jiang Weiguo opened his eyes wide.

“Yes, your sister-in-law’s neighbor in the next village has a girl, very pretty, 17 years old, just has too many elder sisters, which is why she hasn’t found a match yet despite her age. Their family has five daughters but is reasonably well-off-no one is starving to death,” Master Huang said, excited to see Jiang Weiguo responding to him. “I’ve seen the girl; she’s hardworking and good at managing household tasks. Bringing her home as a bride would definitely be a good deal!”

“How about after we finish buying the stuff, I speak to your sister-in-law to arrange a time for the two of you to meet?” Master Huang was practically rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

“Sure.” Jiang Weiguo agreed, realizing he was indeed not getting any younger and it was time to consider marriage and starting a family.

Once we get off the train, let’s first go to the guesthouse with Mr. Wang and get familiar with the surrounding area before we set out to find the place to buy goods.” Master Huang made purchasing plans, “It’s just a pity that we’re not going to Magic City this time; the time before when Chef Liu from the next- door restaurant went to Magic City on a business trip, the goods he brought back made us all envious!”

In Master Huang’s view, the two biggest cities in the country were Beiping and Magic City, and one had only truly been to the city if they had visited them.

“I know where to buy the sea goods; we need to get dry goods, and for that, we have to go to the county town below,” Jiang Weiguo said.

“To the county town below?” Master Huang was a little confused.

“Yes,” Jiang Weiguo replied. “I know a place; once we’ve bought everything we can head back.”

“Then… do we still go to that Jewel Building to look for apprentices or whatever?” Master Huang couldn’t bear the thought; it was his first business trip, and he didn’t want to return after just two days.

“We’ll go,” Jiang Weiguo said.

Master Huang cheered up again.

The train kept moving slowly, stopping at one station where some passengers disembarked. It wasn’t until the evening was upon them that they finally reached the terminal station.

Purchasing agent Wang led them to the guesthouse, where the server, with a disdainful and indifferent demeanor, asked for the introduction letter and collected the fees before finally leading them upstairs after processing their paperwork.

“If you need boiling water, it’s two cents per pot. If you break the pot, you have to pay for it. Make sure to request it before 8 p.m., otherwise there won’t be any,” the server said as he led them to their room and then left.

“Huang, comrade Jiang, if there’s anything you need, come find me tomorrow night. I’ll be out and about during the day, busy running around. I reckon I’ll be staying here for three or four days, so feel free to come find me anytime,” purchasing agent Wang said enthusiastically.

“Sure thing, thank you, Comrade Xiao Wang,” Master Huang replied with a smile.

The two entered the room. After several days of train travel, their clothes were unbearably sweaty and stinky. Master Huang, needing to save money for his family, didn’t want to spend the two cents for the hot water and intended to make do with a wipe-down using cold water. Jiang Weiguo, without saying a word, went down and spent four cents to buy two pots of hot water, handing one to Master Huang.

“Ay, Xiao Jiang, why did you buy this? It’s too expensive at two cents a pot. Tomorrow morning I’ll treat you to buns. Let’s also try the taste of the buns from this coastal region,” Master Huang said cheerfully. After freshening up he fell asleep, dreaming about the flavor of the coastal region’s buns.

Snores soon filled the room, loud enough to rattle the heavens, but somehow Jiang Weiguo managed to fall asleep too.

Both of them were asleep, and since Jiang Feng didn’t need to sleep, he wandered within the limits he could move around.

The guesthouse seemed newly built, with fairly new facilities, and everything including the sheets and bedding, was very clean-purchasing agent Wang truly knew how to pick a place.

The next morning, the two woke up early, packed up, took their money devoured a big meat bun each, and after asking for directions, they took a minibus to Lin County.

The ride on the minibus was bumpy, almost on par with a tractor, shaking Master Huang almost beyond endurance. He asked loudly, “Xiao Jiang, how much longer until we get there? ”

“Not far. I just asked; it’s about an hour’s ride,” Jiang Weiguo replied. Indeed, a little over an hour later, the two arrived at their destination Jiang Weiguo asked about the last bus back, then led Master Huang, continuing to ask for directions as they went in search of their target location.

After following the guidance of several people, through twists and turns, they ended up in a shabby little shop.

It sold seafood, all dried, but the quality was genuinely good. Master Huang was a typical inland resident, who had never seen the sea, nor knew what the seafood looked like or how to choose it. His reason for being on this business trip with Jiang Weiguo was solely because they got along well.

Jiang Weiguo took charge of selecting the goods since he was also the one who would be cooking them. From his childhood spent in Taifeng Building, he had seen his fair share of delicacies-abalone, shark fin, sea cucumber-he had handled them all, and always the top-quality ones at that.

“Hey, Xiao Jiang, since we’re here in the coastal region, we’ve got to eat something nice. How about we go to that place tomorrow and have a big meal?” Master Huang, who was hesitant to buy even two cents’ worth of hot water the night before, now aspired to dine at the most famous restaurant in all of Guangdong Province.

“That’s fine,” Jiang Weiguo answered, focusing intently on selecting dried scallops.

He was someone who didn’t lack money, living in the dorm, earning and spending for himself, not burdened with supporting a family, and occasionally taking on private side jobs. Compared to Master Huang, he was practically rolling in wealth.

“I just wonder what this seafood tastes like. I mean, since they call it seafood and the name includes the word ‘fresh,’ it must be especially delicious!” Master Huang began to muse to himself.

“Are you two young comrades going to Jubao Building tomorrow?” The shop owner, an old man, asked with a smile.

“Yes, that’s right, Jubao Building!” Master Huang finally remembered the name of Jubao Building.

“That’s a famous store around here. If you go there tomorrow, you’re in for a treat. Tomorrow is the last day for Chef Sun to take on apprentices, and he’ll definitely be in the restaurant. You might even get to eat a dish he’s made!” said the shop owner. “Hearingyou talk, you both must be chefs, right? If you’re interested, you might want to sign up tomorrow. Even if Chef Sun doesn’t take you as apprentices, getting a few pointers from him would be beneficial. ” We re just visitors from out of town, here to see the sights,” Master Huang said, having no interest in kowtowing to others as a disciple. “Excuse me senior, do you know what signature dishes Jubao Building has to recommend?” “Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall.” Jiang Weiguo and the shopkeeper said in unison.

“Oh, this young comrade is also aware of Jubao Building’s famous dish?” the shopkeeper asked with interest.

“I’ve heard of it. After all, Jubao Building has a big reputation, and Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall is their signature dish,” Jiang Weiguo said.

“What’s Buddhas Jumping Over the Wail?” Master Huang asked, his face a picture of ignorance of the ways of the world.

“When the aroma from the meaty stew spreads, even the Buddha would abandon contemplation and jump over the wall to come. The original name of this dish was ‘Fortune and Longevity All,’ but it got renamed to Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall because of this poem. Comrade, do you still have those dried shrimp here?” Jiang Weiguo said.

“Yes, yes, they’re in the back. I’ll take you to take a look,” the shopkeeper led Jiang Weiguo to the rear, “but I’m afraid you won’t be able to taste Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall; this dish is always in high demand and also really expensive. It’s not something us common folks can afford. If you have some extra money, you might want to try the lobster steamed in superior soup, it’s another one of Chef Sun’s specialties.”

“Isn’t that a Cantonese dish?” Jiang Weiguo asked.

“What Cantonese dish?” The shopkeeper couldn’t differentiate between Cantonese, Minnan, and other odd categories of cuisine, “Are you talking about the dishes from Guangdong Province? Chef Sun studied there in his early years.”

Jiang Weiguo picked and chose through the small shop, directly completing the procurement task listed above, each of them carrying thirty to forty pounds of dried goods, ready to head back.

Taking the minibus back to the provincial city, the two carried the scent of the sea back to the guest house.

After setting down their things, Master Huang gulped down several mouthfuls of cold water and said, “Now that we’ve finished shopping, I’ll buy our return tickets after we eat tomorrow.”

Jiang Weiguo nodded.

It was already late in the day, and their round trip to Lin County had taken quite a while. They had only eaten a single bun that day, and now that they were at rest, their stomachs were growling with hunger.

“Master Huang, let’s check the items and if all is correct, let’s go eat. I overheard from the people sitting in front of us on the bus that there’s a restaurant nearby with good skills,” Jiang Weiguo said.

Master Huang: ???

Did I just ride on a fake bus?

Or do I have a pair of fake ears?

The two of them checked over their items, verified them against the list nothing was missing; they stored their goods properly and took their money, ready to go out and enjoy a meal.

Usually, as the head chef of a state-run hotel, others came to dine in his place Now the roles were reversed, and it was truly a different experience.

Jiang Weiguo had a good memory and never forgot a route once he’d walked it

Leading Master Huang as if he were a local, they easily found a small restaurant.

The real feast was reserved for tomorrow. Although they were dining out now,

the dishes they ordered were quite ordinary.

A bowl of marinated noodles, a plate of spring rolls, and a dish of oyster omelette for each.

The restaurant owner was from Minnan, and the spring rolls were made in the Minnan style.

Bamboo shoots, peas, bean sprouts, dried tofu, egg shreds, fish, shrimp, diced pork, oysters, and carrots-all these rich ingredients wrapped in a thin skin were beyond imagination, golden and crispy, showcasing coastal characteristics.

The marinated noodles were not ordinary either. The toppings were very rich, including lean meat, mushrooms, dried shrimp, scallops, oysters, razor clams leeks, and red mushrooms. The noodle broth was slow-cooked pork bone stock and the noodles were chewy. The soup was thick and fragrant.

Even Jiang Feng was surprised at the owner’s generous servings. When they ordered, Master Huang had felt a pinch in his wallet, thinking that nearly three yuan for just two bowls of noodles, one plate of spring rolls, and an unidentified item was steep. But as soon as they started eating, Master Huang immediately felt it was worth every penny.

Forget three yuan, he couldn’t make this taste even for thirteen yuan.

The chef at this restaurant had real skill.

“This place really is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons, to think that a small restaurant’s chef could be so formidable!” Master Huang exclaimed, “In our area, this level of skill would definitely qualify one as a head chef.”

“Live off the mountains, live off the sea. The chefs here naturally excel at cooking seafood compared to us,” Jiang Weiguo said, continuing to eat his noodles.

The two slurped their noodles, emptying their large bowls in no time.

The oyster omelette was served last. This dish was a special snack from the Minnan region, which Jiang Weiguo had only heard of but never seen.

The freshly cooked oyster omelette was still steaming. The eggs surrounded the oysters, preserving their original flavor while masking their fishiness.

Neither of them had tasted anything like this before and were just trying it out for novelty.

Jiang Feng, too, was seeing this dish for the first time. He found it intriguing and thought about taking a trip to the Minnan region during the summer holiday to try more and broaden his horizons.

If only this restaurant were still around.

Amused by his own thoughts, Jiang Feng laughed to himself.

After eating their fill, Jiang Weiguo and Master Huang returned to the guest house. Before leaving, they asked the owner about the location of Jubao Building, to avoid aimlessly searching for it like headless flies the next day. Jiang Feng knew that Chef Sun of Jubao Building had once taught Sir Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall, making Chef Sun one of Sir’s culinary mentors. It must be this time, and perhaps the recipe in his memory was for Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall.  ⁶

Sun Guanyun was more than a decade younger than Sir, and at this time, he should still be a teenager. Perhaps they would meet him the next day.

Just thinking about it made Jiang Feng look forward to tomorrow’s events at Jubao Building all the more.

It was late, and Jiang Weiguo and Master Huang had had a busy and tiring day just like the day before. After a simple wash, they went to bed early.

Jiang Feng didn’t stay in the room, since Master Huang’s thunderous snoring was not exactly music to the ears. Jiang Feng sat outside the guest house, gazing quietly at the moon and stars in the sky-stars that would be hard to see 50 years later. Listening to the sound of the insects was quite comfortable.

What will happen tomorrow?