The Game of Life

Ji Yue took out a key and slid it across the box, performing the task in one fluid motion—clearly the mark of an experienced hand at unpacking.

“I’ll go peel the peaches for you,” Ji Xue said, taking the peaches to the kitchen.

When Sun Jikai arrived, he saw everyone each holding a peach, munching away happily, crunching, the peaches crisp and tasty.

“Weren’t we going to make starch juice?” Sun Jikai asked in confusion.

He had abandoned his ex-girlfriend Lisa, who was hoping to rekindle their past relationship, and come here to discuss making starch juice, only to find this group sitting on the couch eating peaches.

“These are peaches my mom sent over, Sun Jikai, doyou want one?” Ji Yue asked.

“Yes.”

Ji Yue picked a perfectly ripe peach from the box and tossed it to Sun Jikai, “Peel it yourself, fruit knife’s in the kitchen.”

“The pigeon soup isn’t ready yet, let’s eat peaches in the meantime,” Jiang Feng said, biting into the peach in his hand.

The peaches that Ji Yue’s mom bought from the market were quite delicious indeed.

After Sun Jikai finished peeling his peach, he joined the peach-eating brigade.

“Does your family grow peaches?” Sun Jikai asked.

“No, these were bought by my mom from the market,” Ji Yue replied.

Sun Jikai: ???

It suddenly occurred to Sun Jikai that ever since his grandfather froze his credit cards, kicked him out of the house, and forbade others from giving him any help, his mom hadn’t contacted him at all. His dad would still send him some clothes and shoes on the sly, slipping in some money to help him out.

Even his cousin, whom he wasn’t particularly close to and even had some issues with, had sent him zongzi with money inside for the Dragon Boat Festival.

But his own mother, she truly lived up to Sun Guanyun’s words. Not only did she not provide any help, but she also forbade Sun Jikai’s father from helping him. Sun Jikai’s father had to send clothes covertly.

Ji Yue’s mom would send peaches all the way from their hometown to Ji Yue, yet his own mother wouldn’t even bother to send a message.

His Dragon Boat Festival message to his mother via WeChat still hadn’t received a reply.

Sun Jikai sighed. Even though he was used to his mother’s cold attitude towards him, it still made him a bit sad.

Jiang Feng & Wu Minqi & Ji Yue & Ji Xue: ???

“Is he getting sentimental over peaches?” Ji Yue whispered.

“Maybe, or maybe it’s because his ex-girlfriend likes peaches,” Jiang Feng guessed in a whisper.

“His ex-girlfriend Lisa is British; she probably doesn’t eat peaches,” Wu Minqi said.

Sun Jikai: “…I can hear you.”

By the time Sun Jikai had finished his peach, the pigeon soup in the kitchen was almost ready.

The five of them crowded in the kitchen, ten eyes fixed intently on the pigeon soup and chicken fat on the stove. Even Ji Yue, who knew nothing about cooking, stared with feigned understanding.

“Are you sure adding chicken fat will work?” Sun Jikai expressed his doubt.

“Not sure, that’s why we’re testing it now, right?” Jiang Feng responded, then proceeded with the task.

He mixed the starch with water and began to thicken the soup with the resulting slurry.

“When do we add the chicken fat?” Sun Jikai inquired, watching the small flame on the stove.

“No idea,” Jiang Feng replied honestly, “that’s exactly why I asked you to come over and help test.”

Sun Jikai:…

He felt like he had boarded a pirate ship.

“It’s bubbling, pour it now,” Wu Minqi instructed.

Jiang Feng heated and melted the chicken fat, then poured it in.

He turned up the heat slightly, stirred the thickening mixture slowly, and once it appeared to be the right consistency, he turned off the stove.

Now was the moment of truth.

Jiang Feng took a spoonful of the starch juice.

He poured it out slowly.

The starch juice flowed gently from the spoon.

Although it didn’t cascade down like water, it was indeed flowing.

It was much better than their previous attempts, which had dripped down like large droplets.

All three were instantly exhilarated.

“It works, it really works!” Jiang Feng almost burst into tears with excitement.

After so many days and nights, so many failures, so much dejection, they finally witnessed a small success using Cao Guixiang’s method.

Even though the method wasn’t his, nor was the idea, the fact that it worked was all that mattered!

“It does seem to work a bit,” Sun Jikai, scrutinizing the chicken fat on the cooking station, fell into contemplation, “How did you think of adding chicken fat?”

“It just came to me all of a sudden—just now,” Jiang Feng said.

After saying that, he took a pair of chopsticks, dipped them into the starch juice, and tasted it.

“How does it taste?” Sun Jikai was a bit anxious; if the addition of chicken oil ruined the overall flavor, the recent breakthrough would have been for nothing.

“It’s okay, I don’t think there’s anything jarring. You guys should try it,” Jiang Feng stepped aside, knowing that his sense of taste wasn’t as acute as Wu Minqi’s and Sun Jikai’s.

Wu Minqi and Sun Jikai each picked up a pair of chopsticks to sample the sauce.

“I think there’s no problem,” Wu Minqi said.

“No problem, it can be used.” Sun Jikai, having eaten Sun Guanyun’s Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon the most, had the most authority to speak on the matter.

“Then let’s use this method to try it out tomorrow,” Jiang Feng decided conclusively.

Ji Yue, seeing that the three of them looked ready to disperse, asked, “Are we done?”

“We’re done,” Jiang Feng replied, preparing to wash the pots and clear the cooking bench.

“That’s it? What about that pigeon? You take it home and stew it; the Chinese caterpillar fungus is in the fridge, I’ll get it for you in a bit.” Ji Yue said, moving toward the fridge to fetch the Chinese caterpillar fungus.

She dared not leave such prepared ingredients at home. Otherwise, she might get up in the middle of the night to paint, walk past the kitchen, see the pigeon, and just so happen to put it in a pot, add water, caterpillar fungus, and seasonings, and just so happen to stew a pot of Soup with Chinese Caterpillar Fungus and Pigeon, and just so happen to eat it all up; all her dieting these past few days would be in vain.

“I heard Mrs. Wang say she wanted stewed pigeon this noon, take it back tonight and make it for Mrs. Wang, I’ll deliver it to her,” Wu Minqi said.

“Right, right, take it to Mrs. Wang. She’s been losing weight recently; she needs to eat more to regain some strength,” Ji Yue added.

Mrs. Wang Xiulian had indeed grown much thinner lately, making her great- aunt green with envy.

The sauce for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon achieved a breakthrough for the first time, and everyone was extremely excited.

Each person carried a bag of peaches home, with Jiang Feng taking a few extra bags, considering all the residents in the building were members of the Jiang Family.

When Sun Jikai got home, he set down his bag of peaches, sat on the sofa to think, and felt that the breakthrough in the sauce for the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon might be an opportunity for him to return to Jubao Building.

After some thought and consideration, Sun Jikai sent a WeChat message to his dad.

Sun Jikai: Dad, are you there, is it convenient to talk on the phone?

Sun Changping, Sun Jikai’s dad, replied instantly: It’s convenient.

Sun Jikai made a call.

“Hello, son, what’s up? You need money? Your mom went to your uncle’s these past two days, it’s a good chance for me to send you some summer clothes,” Sun Changping said.

Sun Jikai:…

“Dad, I have enough money; I found a job. Is grandpa at home?”

“At home?”

“How has he been feeling recently?”

“Not too good.”

Sun Jikai thought for a moment before saying, “Could you find a moment to tell grandpa that I’ve been working with Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi on the sauce of the Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, and we’ve found a better method. I’d like to invite him to try it at Taifeng Building in Beiping if he has the chance.”

“The sauce for Eight Treasures Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon?” Sun Changping had little understanding of cooking.

“Yes, just tell grandpa that,” Sun Jikai said.

“Alright, I’ll find a time to tell your grandpa in the next few days,” Sun Changping said. “Also, Jikai, don’t be mad at your mom for not contacting you. Lately, your second uncle has been causing trouble non-stop, and your grandpa has been letting it happen. Your mom is worried that contacting you would anger your grandpa.”

“I know, you should rest early,” Sun Jikai said before hanging up the phone.

He always knew his mother didn’t love him.

His cousin Sun Zhengqing was sickly and unremarkable, yet his aunt and uncle doted on him.

Sun Jikai grew up healthy and intelligent, yet his mother didn’t love him at all.

Now, he understood that not all mothers loved their children. His mother had too many loves: her brother, her nephew, money, status, vanity. She simply didn’t have the time or the energy to love him.

He once loved his mother, but she didn’t love him back, just as his father deeply loved her, yet she didn’t love his father.

Sun Jikai had gotten used to it a long time ago.

He just couldn’t help but hope.

Elsewhere, Jiang Feng distributed the peaches and then, using the excuse of needing to pee, slipped into the bathroom. He opened his attribute panel, eager to review the method for the Braised Big Black Sea Cucumber sauce in preparation for tomorrow’s practice.

He found Cao Guixiang, whose display had changed to (2/9), and clicked.

[Two-Toned Prawns A-grade]

Creator: Cao Guixiang

Dish Details: This is a remarkable Tan Family Cuisine dish that excels in every aspect, crafted to perfection with outstanding culinary skill, making it a high- class delicacy with excellent color, aroma, and taste. Its significance lies not only in its flavor but also in the love for family infused by Cao Guixiang. It became Xue Shaoheng’s first unforgettable memory of delicious food, inspiring a yearning for loved ones after consumption, lasting for 10 minutes.

Number of times it can be made per day (0/5)

Jiang Feng: ???

Two-Toned Prawns???

What about my Braised Big Black Sea Cucumber?

PS:

The first public group is full, the second group number: 1001738429