The Game of Life

On July 4, Jiang Feng finished his final exams, and the members of the Jiang family headed for Beiping.

Ji Yue and Wu Minqi didn’t go with them; they had to return home first and would go to Beiping after the Taifeng Building’s official opening.

Originally, everyone planned to splurge on a plane trip, but due to the average weight limit of the Jiang family, flying wasn’t quite practical, so they opted for the even pricier business seats on the high-speed train.

More expensive, slower, but more comfortable.

Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing, the two sisters, were excited like little fat pigs released from their pen, chattering incessantly and pulling Jiang Feng along the whole way.

Since the end of their middle school exams, these two sisters hadn’t had a single good day. They didn’t even need to go back to the countryside but were pressed by Sir to go to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant to chop cucumbers, radishes, tofu, and potatoes, swing sandbags, and stand in horse stance – everything their brothers had practiced back in the day, they caught up with.

There were results, too. Jiang Feng didn’t know if their cooking had improved, but the sisters did indeed slim down.

They slimmed down so much that their inner folded eyelids almost turned into double eyelids.

“Bro, bro, did you eat roast duck the last time you went to Beiping?” Jiang Junlian asked excitedly.

“I did.” Jiang Feng said Professor Li indeed took him to an old restaurant in Beiping for roast duck. The chef’s skill at slicing duck was so good it greatly impressed this southerner who hadn’t seen much of the world.

“Was it delicious?” Jiang Junlian pressed.

“Really delicious!” Jiang Feng confirmed assertively.

“Mom, let’s go eat roast duck tonight!” Jiang Junlian turned her head and shouted to the back, “I’ve never had authentic roast duck before!”

“What roast duck tonight? Once we get there, we still have to move and clean. There’s a lot to do today, I won’t have time to go eat roast duck with you. We can go tomorrow!” Aunt said.

“Son, has Zaide sent you any messages?” Jiang Jiankang stuck his head out from the back seat.

Jiang Zaidi had already gone ahead, having switched jobs to Beiping over a month ago, always keeping an eye on the renovation progress of the Taifeng Building as a representative of the Jiang family.

“Not yet, Dad, we still have four hours before we arrive. De probably is still at work.” Jiang Feng said.

Jiang Jiankang, heading to a new place, felt unsettled, needing to repeatedly confirm everything: “What about last night, the thing Zhang told you, did you tell him when we’ll be arriving?”

“I did, I sent him a WeChat message last night. Didn’t we discuss it already? Grandfather, Granduncle Weiming, and I will first visit Old Sir Xia’s home, and the rest of you will go to the place we’re staying. Zhang Guanghang has already booked our dinner place.” Jiang Feng said.

“That’s good, that’s good. When you go to Old Sir Xia’s home, make sure you’re proactive and buy some fruit. Your grandfather and Granduncle Weiming haven’t returned to Beiping in many years, and when the old folks meet, they’re likely to get nostalgic, so you need to be on the ball.” Jiang Jiankang began to prattle, “We have a lot of work ahead, finding new suppliers, hiring waitstaff, and getting kitchen utensils, among other things. You’re still young, so you don’t have to worry about these details, but you should also start learning a bit, and there’s also…”

Jiang Jiankang had repeated these statements at least ten times over the past few days, and Jiang Feng could almost recite them from memory.

Jiang Junlian, however, was focused on an entirely different concern. She glanced around and asked, “Bro, where are we going to eat dinner tonight?”

“Tongde House.” Jiang Feng said.

Tongde House was also one of Beiping’s famous eateries, with a reputation on par with that of the Eight-treasure House, but its chefs were considerably more skilled.

When it comes to debates, several of Beiping’s old restaurants were very strong, and not only Eight-treasure House, which had become increasingly commercialized over the years, but also Tongde House, Yonghe House, Ruyi House, and Shunhe Building had a group of veteran chefs in residence, with reputations well established. Yonghe House was even older than Taifeng Building, a bona fide restaurant passed down since the late Qing Dynasty, never breaking the line of succession.

In addition to these old restaurants, there were also new forces in recent years —Cantonese, Zhejiang, Benbang cuisine, and restaurants from various other countries that were gradually eating into Beiping’s vast catering market. New restaurants were opening every day, and old ones were closing down.

No wonder Jiang Jiankang was so nervous, he had done his homework these past few months. The more he understood, the more alarmed he grew, fearing that the reputation of Taifeng Building would be ruined on his watch, and he’d have no face to meet his ancestors underground.

He wouldn’t need to wait to meet his ancestors underground—if the reputation of Taifeng Building was ruined, Sir would be the first to chop him up.

“What are we eating tonight? Does Tongde House sell roast duck? If Tongde House sells roast duck, can we go eat roast duck tonight?” Jiang Junlian had an inexplicable obsession with roast duck.

Jiang Feng was about to answer when his cellphone started to vibrate like crazy, and when he checked it, he saw a bunch of messages from Jiang Shoucheng in their brothers’ group chat.

Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: Fengfeng, when will you guys arrive?

Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: Should I come to pick you up?

Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: How about we all have dinner together tonight!

Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: When is Taifeng Building opening?

Learning medicine is good except for the cold head: The hospital where I’m interning is really close to Taifeng Building, just half an hour by subway, so I can eat with you every day!

Jiang Feng:…

What got into Second Elder Brother, acting so crazy?

Learning physics is good except can’t understand it: I’ll arrive at 436 p.m., do you not have to work at the hospital, Second Brother?

A house within five years: Big Brother, I’ll pick them up. Didn’t you pull an all- nighter last night? Go to sleep.

Learning management is good except I failed the final: De, can you change your name back? You don’t match at all with the three of us!

Jiang Shoucheng touched his cool and breathable scalp and wanted to scream at the sky.

Over the years, outsiders had only seen his shiny appearance and sturdy figure, with no one knowing the suffering in his heart.

He seemed to be a top-scoring college entrance examinee, a distinguished student from Metro Medical School, the pride of his parents, the most beloved student of his mentor, and the most outstanding among his fellow interns. Except for the lack of a partner and hair, he was practically flawless.

But in reality­

in reality, it was indeed so.

But he hadn’t tasted Sir’s cooking with his own hands for over four months!

He thought that this would be his life, only able to eat Sir’s cooking when he went back home for Chinese New Year, reminiscing about his lost youth.

But who would have thought, things would take such a turn, and the Jiang Family was going to open a restaurant in Beiping!

A restaurant that was only a half hour subway ride from the hospital!

Jiang Shoucheng’s eyes were moist as he hugged his cellphone in the hospital’s rest room, overwhelmed with a flood of emotions.

“Dr. Jiang, Dr. Jiang, it’s bad, that patient’s family is causing trouble again, you better go quickly!” a young nurse shouted as she pushed the door open, her face etched with urgency.

“What?” Jiang Shoucheng slammed his hand on the desk and stood up, his face dark with anger, rare for a day when he didn’t have toperform surgery. If there really was a patient’s family making trouble, his afternoon rest would be gone. “The one in Bed 6?”

“Exactly, Bed 6. Dr. Cheng can’t even stop them,” said the young nurse.

“I’ll go take a look.” Jiang Shoucheng rolled up his sleeves, revealing his sturdy arms.

No one could stop him from having dinner with his family tonight, no one could stop him from bonding with the old man tonight.

No one!

Meanwhile, on the high-speed train, Jiang Feng saw that Jiang Shoucheng hadn’t responded to his messages for a while and thought he must be busy again, so he closed the group chat and asked Zhang Guanghang and Xia Mushi what Old Sir Xia liked, hoping to please him when they visited later.

Two minutes later, Zhang Guanghang replied to his message.

“Money.”

Jiang Feng:…

He had forgotten that Old Sir Xia was just that straightforward and unpretentious.

“By the way, little brother, did you get to see Tiananmen when you went to Beiping?”

“No.”

“The Forbidden Palace?”

“No.”

“The Great Wall?”

“Didn’t go.”

Jiang Junlian: “…Then what did you do in Beiping?”

Her voice was full of disdain.

Jiang Feng: ???

I had serious business when I went to Beiping, okay?

“I went to have Peking duck,” said Jiang Feng with a slight smile.

Jiang Junlian twisted with envy.

Instant kill.

Shut down!

Sitting next to Jiang Feng was Jiang Junlian, who chattered the whole way so it wasn’t boring at all. The high-speed train rushed along the tracks, and Jiang Feng chatted with Jiang Zaidi on his phone while intermittently answering Jiang Junlian’s various odd questions, making time fly by.

At 436 PM, the high-speed train arrived promptly at the station.

The Jiang family, a group of more than a dozen people, lugging large and small bags, made their resplendent exit from the station, the most dazzling stars among the crowd.

Zhang Guanghang and Jiang Zaidi were waiting for them at the exit, chatting. As soon as they saw the Jiang Family Members approach, they hurried to greet them.

“Dad, Mom, over here!” Jiang Zaidi called out as he waved his hands.

“Jiandang, long time no see, you’re looking well!” Jiang Weiguo laughed, leading the way.

“Uncle, Shoucheng called earlier to tell me there’s some trouble at the hospital, but he should be able to handle it quickly and join us for dinner,” said Jiang Zaidi.

“Shoucheng has really made something of himself, becoming a doctor!” In Jiang Jiankang’s view, anyone who worked in a hospital was a doctor.

“Uncle Jiang,” greeted Zhang Guanghang with a smile at Jiang Jiankang.

“Zhang’s here too, great, Feng, give me the luggage, I’ll carry it. You take both granduncles to see Old Sir Xia first,” Jiang Jiankang took the luggage from Jiang Feng’s hands.

“Little brother, you guys head straight to Tongde House later,” Jiang Zaidi said.

“Okay,” Jiang Feng responded.

Jiang Feng, Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Weiming, and Zhang Guanghang left first.

“Let’s take the subway. It’s almost rush hour, and it’ll be slower than the subway if we take a taxi,” Zhang Guanghang said, leading them toward the subway station.

“Is there a flower shop or a fruit shop near Old Sir Xia’s home? It’s our first visit, so we should bring something,” Jiang Feng asked.

“There’s one near the hospital. I’ll take you there later,” Zhang Guanghang replied.

“The hospital?”

“My master was hospitalized last week; his condition isn’t very good,” Jiang Feng noticed for the first time a hint of unperceivable fatigue and loss in Zhang Guanghang’s eyes, “I guess he doesn’t have much time left. Seeing you today will probably make him a bit happier, which is good for him.”

“We’re at that age now; we should be more philosophical about life and death,” Jiang Weiming said, offering comfort.

“Yes,” ZhangGuanghang sighed.

Jiang Feng knew this to be true, but although it’s easy to say, few truly understand it.

Even with a clear mind, it’s hard to comprehend.

Life and death are the most inscrutable, the hardest to understand, and the most difficult to explain things in this world.