The Game of Life

In the time that followed, Jiang Feng was passionately recommending dishes for Pan Ling to try.

Each bite of meat gave her three to four hundred experience points, a bite of carrot over two hundred, and even a bite of green pepper scored her more than a hundred!

Perhaps because the hot pot base wasn’t fried by Jiang Feng himself, even though he attended to everyone diligently, helping them cook in the hotpot, fetching ingredients, and mixing sauces with great enthusiasm, the game did not count the hotpot as his dish, so he gained no experience points from it.

By the end of the meal, Jiang Feng’s experience points surged to (49901/50000), just 99 points short of leveling up to 10.

If it weren’t for Pan Ling truly being too full to eat, and the fact that there weren’t any good dishes left on the plate, just a few slices of chili pepper, Jiang Feng really wanted to persuade Pan Lin to take one more bite of chili pepper to secure that last 99 experience points.

After they finished eating, the table was a mess.

Cleaning the pot and dishes after the meal is always the most painful task, but someone has to do it. Pan Ling was a guest, so obviously she wouldn’t be asked to wash the dishes, leaving only Jiang Feng and Chen Xiuxiu to decide who would tackle the chore.

Their gazes met, each clearly conveying the same message through their eyes. You do the dishes!

“Let’s arm wrestle for it!” Jiang Feng, looking at Chen Xiuxiu’s arms, which were slimmer than his own and thinking about how rigorously he had stirred the wok these past few days, felt that his biceps were almost sculpted and that he would surely win an arm wrestling match against the sub-ioo-pound Chen Xiuxiu.

“Okay!” Chen Xiuxiu agreed readily, took off her coat, and rolled up her sleeves. Revealing her muscular forearms.

Jiang Feng silently touched his own forearm.

“You… have been working out?” Jiang Feng hesitated.

“Mhm,” Chen Xiuxiu responded, “I thought what you said made sense. Relying on diet alone leads to easy weight rebounding; it’s more sustainable to work out. I got a membership at a gym next to our school and even took personal training sessions. The results are indeed very good.”

It wasn’t just good, Jiang Feng felt that he didn’t have as much muscle on his arms as Chen Xiuxiu did.

However, Jiang Feng, being a guy and someone who worked physically in the kitchen, thought that with Chen Xiuxiu being lighter than him and at a gender disadvantage, even if she was working out, he should be able to win an arm wrestle.

This time, he had to reclaim all the losses from the past decade of arm wrestling in Onego!

Come on!” Jiang Feng said with determination.

With Pan Ling acting as the referee, the two clasped their right hands together, and the silent battle commenced.

After ten seconds, Jiang Feng was holding his right arm, questioning his life choices.

Just like every arm wrestling match for the past decade or so, Jiang Feng was defeated in seconds.

Without even a struggle.

Jiang Feng felt that Chen Xiuxiu’s strength seemed even greater now.

Perhaps he should also go to the gym and train for half a year, then come back during summer vacation to settle the score.

Jiang Feng pondered this serious question as he washed the dishes.

Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling went back next door, and after Jiang Feng finished the dishes, he washed up early and lay on his bed like every other couch potato, sprawled out while playing on his phone.

Jiang Feng brushed through the news absentmindedly while pondering what dishes to prepare for the next day, hoping to entice Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling back for more experience points. And if he could trick a few cousins into coming as well, that would be great. Although they wouldn’t provide many points, even a little is still something.

While contemplating the menu for tomorrow, Jiang Feng suddenly remembered something serious and hastily opened his property panel.

After the last game update, a new note appeared stating that every 10 levels a new feature would be unlocked. Unlocking a new feature means a game update right?

This just won’t do!

If it’s going to be one of those updates that last for months, Jiang Feng wouldn’t be able to use his Appraisal Skill. If the update isn’t finished before the culinary competition starts, with his current skill level Jiang Feng would have a hard time judging whether his dishes were successful or not.

The intermediate Appraisal Skill is pretty useful in some situations. At least it could roughly tell Jiang Feng what problems were present in his cooking.

But he is only short by 99 experience points. Waiting until March clearly isn’t an option, as he still needs to return to his rural hometown to practice cooking. Although most of his creations end up being eaten by Erhua, Sanhua, Sihua, and Wuhua, Sir and Jiang Weiming would occasionally get a taste of what they considered passable dishes.

A bite for you and one for me, a bite today and another tomorrow, those 99 experience points will surely come by.

Jiang Feng always remembered that he still had two segments of memory in his inventory unviewed.

Both memories belonged to Li Mingyi, obtained by touching photographs. Now he couldn’t even distinguish which one came from which photo. He casually picked one and clicked yes.

As the blurred scenery gradually came into focus, Jiang Feng found himself in a bustling kitchen.

It was crowded, with men and women all busily engaged in their work.

Jiang Huiqin, who still looked to be only in her teens, stood at the kitchen doorway. Her maidservant was by her side, tugging at her sleeve, preventing her entry while incessantly pleading, “Missus, Missus, you really can’t go in there!”

“Why can’t I go in? I usually have free access to the kitchen, so why can’t I enter today?” Jiang Huiqin struggled to free herself from the maidservant’s grasp. “Qin, stop tugging. I’m just going to make granny some syrup glazed sweet potatoes, nothing else. It won’t take much time, and granny loves this dish the most.”

“Missus, today is different, today is New Year’s Eve. All the relatives from far and near, the young misses, young masters, and their wives, have gone to the rear hall to accompany Sir. It’s not proper for you to be in the kitchen,” Qin firmly held onto Jiang Huiqin’s sleeve, refusing to let go.

Jiang Huiqin became anxious, “It’s precisely because it’s New Year’s Eve that I must make the syrup glazed sweet potatoes. Granny was still talking about this dish a few days ago. Yesterday, I went to Taifeng Building especially to get some tips from my brother on frying sugar and pulling syrup. Ah, let go! If you weren t pulling at me, I would have already finished, and granny could be enjoying it by now.”

“No matter what, you can’t go in today! Those clothes you’re wearing are newly made. Madam had the tailor come specially to make them for you. If you dirty them while cooking, Madam will certainly be displeased! Missus, just one day later, even tomorrow it would still be fine!” Qin blocked the doorway with her entire body, standing firmly in front of Jiang Huiqin as if prepared to face the grave consequences.

It s not the same!” Jiang Huiqin tried to push her way into the kitchen, “Today is different from tomorrow. How can a New Year’s Eve reunion dinner be the same as leftovers from the first day of the New Year?”

The people inside the kitchen seemed deaf, with not one of them glancing towards the doorway. They continued with their own tasks as if Jiang Huiqin and Qin were not standing at the entrance.

“Young master, young master, you finally came. Please persuade the Missus.

She insists on cooking for Sir right now,” Qin exclaimed, seeing Li Mingyi walking towards them, as if she had seen a savior.

“Mingyi, you have to deal with Qin. She’s just not letting me in to make syrup glazed sweet potatoes for granny!” Jiang Huiqin also complained to Li Mingyi. “Today is Chinese New Year’s Eve; Granny would be thrilled to have your syrup glazed sweet potatoes. Qin, there’s no need to stop the young lady. Huiqin, I didn t see you in the rear hall just now, so I guessed you might have come to the kitchen,” Li Mingyi said with a smile.

“Young master, you don’t understand. This year, the silk shops in the capital are out of stock. The young lady only has this set of new clothes. If she gets her clothes dirty, especially with sticky sugar that is hard to wash off, she will have to wear old clothes for the New Year. Madam will surely be unhappy, and the young lady will certainly get scolded,” Qin lamented.

“After all, I’ve also learned from my brother for a few years. I’m not some kitchen apprentice who splashes food all over themselves. How could I possibly dirty myself!” Jiang Huiqin coaxed Li Mingyi while holding onto his sleeve, Mingyi, I can’t push Qin aside. You ‘re stronger, so quickly pull her away!”

Alright, Qin, move aside. I understand you’re worried the kitchen smoke will dirty the young lady’s clothes, but I’ll accompany her. If we get dirty, we’ll get dirty together, and if we get scolded, we’ll face it together. If Huiqin doesn’t make that syrup glazed sweet potatoes today, she won’t be able to sleep,” Li Mingyi assured with a grin.

Having no other choice, Qin relented and stepped aside.

Jiang Huiqin finally got her way, pulling Li Mingyi with her into the kitchen.