The Game of Life

Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang were chased back into the kitchen by Mrs. Wang Xiulian, diligently chopping vegetables and mincing meat as they were supposed to.

“By the way, son, your mom and I plan to sell the restaurant in the first half of the year.” In fact, the decision to sell the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant had already been discussed at length by Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian, and today Jiang Jiankang was just informing Jiang Feng.

The Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant is currently the top bustling shop on the gourmet street, a hot property with a good location and spacious area. Wang Xiulian had only let out a hint of the news yesterday, and that very night she had received numerous phone calls.

It was estimated that once the restaurant was sold, the Jiang Family could make a neat profit.

“Uh-huh.” Jiang Feng wasn’t surprised and began to worry about other matters, “Dad, since Taifeng Building is preparing for renovation and will soon open for business, I visited it last year with Professor Li. The restaurant covers a vast area, and I guess that recruitment and management would need considerable attention…”

“You don’t need to worry about these things, your uncle and I have got it covered. If need be, we can seek advice from Minqi and her family. We’ve been in the business for so many years, whether it’s small or big, there’s nothing we can’t handle. You just focus on learning cooking from your grandfather and Granduncle Weiming. For us who run restaurants, excellent culinary skills are more important than anything else.”

“Your mom means that after finishing this semester, we can sell the restaurant and still earn money for a few more months. Once it’s sold, we’ll have enough for the renovation costs. Then, biting the bullet, we’ll gather more funds, ask your uncles for a loan, and once Taifeng Building opens, everything will be on the right track.”

“What worried your mom and me most was that you, a young man in your twenties, had never dated anyone. Now, that’s not a concern anymore. After you two graduate, you can get engaged and then marry in a couple of years. After marriage, you can have a son for me and your mom can retire and help take care of the child. In a few more years, I might even be able to teach your son cooking just like your grandfather did, ensuring the fundamentals are strong from a young age, so that he can carry on our legacy, and then…” Jiang Jiankang began to chatter endlessly.

Jiang Feng had never imagined that even though he had started relearning how to cook, his father still hadn’t given up on the idea of him getting married soon and training his grandson to become a culinary king.

Even though his major skills were not wasted, why was Jiang Jiankang so fixated on training up the minor ones?

Jiang Feng silently chopped vegetables while trying to figure it out.

Because there were many customers at noon, Jiang Feng was once again assigned to wait tables and clean them in the hall. Although the gauze on his left hand had not been removed, it didn’t affect everyday life; carrying dishes and cleaning were still manageable.

Wu Hanxue and Mrs. Wu had booked the flight for this morning and were probably already in Shu by now. With the unexpected departure of the skilled Sichuan chef, the students of UAL University were filled with regret, cursing themselves for not taking more advantage of the opportunity to eat a few more times.

With regret in their hearts, the students of UAL University turned their sadness into appetite, deciding to take full advantage of the people in front of them and today’s 50% discount on special dishes.

And Jiang Feng, the main character of this discount event, the runner-up of the Good Taste cooking contest, and a rising star in the culinary world, was getting an earful from Ji Yue for placing a plate in the wrong spot.

“How many times have I told you, do not put the cutlery there! With the restaurant so packed, people are squeezing through everywhere. What if it falls on the floor or hits a customer? I tell you to put it inside, inside, inside! How many times do I have to repeat it before you understand?” Ji Yue, the unchallenged ruler of the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant’s hall and a versatile waiter earning a monthly salary of 2000, was furious after Jiang Feng misplaced the cutlery again.

“You’re wearing gauze on your left hand, do not carry two plates at a time. If you’re not steady and they flip over, or your wound reopens, you—you have to be careful. You’re a chef, so of course you should take care of your hands. Being careless like this makes us all worried about you.” Ji Yue suddenly changed her tone, becoming soft, gentle, understanding, magnanimous, even slightly shy like a young maiden.

Jiang Feng: ???

Then he saw Zhang Guanghang walk in through the entrance.

Jiang Feng: …

Ah, women.

“Is there a table available in the restaurant?” Jiang Feng, who had suddenly been transferred to the hall, was overwhelmed for a moment and had even forgotten to reserve a spot for Zhang Guanghang.

“Yes, of course, there are available private rooms on the second floor.” Ji Yue smiled enchantingly.

“No need, I’m alone, so I won’t use a private room. I see the table next to me is about to be vacated, I’ll wait a moment,” said Zhang Guanghang with a smile.

A chorus of excited gasps rose from the female customers in the restaurant.

“Zhang Guanghang!”

“Oh my God, it’s Zhang Guanghang!”

“My heavens, he’s even more handsome in person than on TV!”

“Your restaurant seems pretty busy,” commented Zhang Guanghang.

“In a university town, lunchtime is always like this,” said Jiang Feng.

“Why aren’t you in the kitchen?” Zhang Guanghang felt it a waste to have a chef of Jiang Feng’s caliber doing odd jobs in the lobby.

“It’s too busy out front, so I came out to help,” he replied.

“Jiang Feng, two rose cranberry to-gos,” Ji Yue shouted from a corner.

Jiang Feng rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work.

“Let me help you, I know how to make those drinks,” offered Zhang Guanghang.

“Oh, sure, everything is in the yellow cabinet against the wall in the back kitchen; if you can’t find it, ask Wu Minqi, she’s back there,” Jiang Feng agreed gladly.

Overhearing the conversation between Jiang Feng and Zhang Guanghang, the six girls at the neighboring table lit up and chimed in unison, “We want one too!”

“I’ll have one!”

“Get me one too, no, make it two!”

“Aren’t you on a diet and not drinking milk tea?”

“Roll on, that’s cranberry juice, not milk tea, it won’t make me fat!”

Before his employment at Taifeng Building, Zhang Guanghang inexplicably became one of the random drop-in chefs at Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant.

That afternoon, Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant’s beverages sold extraordinarily well, so much so that the milk tea shop across the street didn’t manage to make even one sale.

Zhang Guanghang’s original plan was to just have a meal and chat with Jiang Feng; he had only impulsively decided to help mix a couple of juices. But once he started, he never stopped.

In the end, Zhang Guanghang had a staff meal with the employees of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant.

Afterward, the two of them chatted about other topics, naturally revolving around Taifeng Building; Jiang Feng also inquired about Xia Mushi’s health condition.

Zhang Guanghang’s father was a renowned French chef and their family-owned restaurant boasted three Michelin stars. He knew much more about the management and operation of high-end restaurants than the Jiang Family members did and gave suggestions about promotional considerations before opening, to Jiang Feng and Jiang Jiankang.

Finally, Zhang Guanghang suggested, “In recent years, in order to appeal to the public, my family’s restaurant has been posting related four-panel comics on Instagram. You could register a Weibo account for Taifeng Building and post some comics; it could play a certain role in promotion.”

“Of course, that’s just my advice; this method might not suit every restaurant, but you still need to do the necessary promotions before opening. Arrange for reporters to write news articles, and build good relationships with editors of various food magazines and journals, or even TV stations; positive publicity is very important,” Zhang Guanghang advised.

“If it’s about four-panel comics, I can draw them for you!” Ji Yue, who had been eavesdropping and eagerly looking to join in the conversation, finally found an opening.

“She’s my senior, Ji Yue,” Jiang Feng took the opportunity to introduce her to Zhang Guanghang, “specializing in fine arts.”

“Hello, my name is Ji Yue, and I’m a comic artist,” said Ji Yue, her smile curving into the sweetest angle.

Jiang Feng: ???

Comic artist???

You produce only a few pieces a month and still ‘hmm’ and ‘haw,’ yet you have the nerve to call yourself a comic artist???

Drawing comics is a dead end!

So is writing novels.