The Game of Life TGOL

Chapter 513: Chapter 511: The Essence of the Elbow

Jiang Feng took a half-hour nap, and when his phone alarm woke him, he was rather groggy. For a moment, he couldn’t tell if he was waking up from a nap or from a night’s sleep; everything that happened before he fell asleep felt like a dream.

It was as if he’d dreamt of being busy in the kitchen all morning.

When Jiang Feng, sleepy-eyed, came out of his room rubbing his eyes, and saw the Jiang Family members busily making dumplings in the living room, he confirmed everything had indeed happened and wasn’t just a dream.

Making dumplings was probably the most harmonious and popular activity for the entire Jiang Family, other than eating. It was a magical event that even Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian, the sisters who usually shirked chores, would participate in with great enthusiasm.

“Little brother, you’re awake! Come and help us make dumplings, we’ve got two big bowls of filling here!” Jiang Junlian’s eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Feng coming out, and she immediately started conscripting more hands.

In ordinary households, the bowls used for dumpling fillings are about the size of a washbasin; in the Jiang Family, they’re the size of a bathtub.

Jiang Feng had chopped fillings all morning not for nothing; his efforts ensured that every member of the Jiang Family could take part in this year’s New Year’s Eve dinner and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Before Jiang Feng could reply, Jiang Zaidi slapped Jiang Junlian on the back, a reproachful look on his face, “Junlian, what are you causing a fuss about? Your brother is going to cook New Year’s Eve dinner in a bit, he doesn’t have time to make dumplings.”

“Exactly, exactly, Junlian, what are you talking about? We have enough people making dumplings without needing your brother’s help.” Jiang Ran chimed in immediately.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Right, sister, that was thoughtless of you to say.” Jiang Junqing turned traitor on the spot.

Jiang Junlian, not yet adjusted to Jiang Feng’s sudden switch from competitor to judge: …

“Oh dear, little brother, look at my memory. I completely forgot that you’re helping grandpa with the New Year’s Eve dinner this year. I just remembered you don’t like green onions, and I forgot about the real business. I just made a lot of dumplings with lamb and radish filling; look, I made all these. They’re big, round, and pretty. You have to eat more of the ones I made later, I made them especially for you!” Jiang Junlian launched her ability to say the right thing to the right person.

Jiang Feng: ???

Was this the cousin with whom he could only maintain a distant relationship, dreaming of mustering the courage to pick a definitive fight with her at midnight?

It was as if a devil had suddenly torn off her disguise, revealing the true form of an angel.

In fact, judging by her figure, Jiang Junlian was closer to the angel stereotype.

“By the way, little brother, do you want a drink?” Jiang Junlian put down the dumpling she had just finished making, stuck her chopsticks into the filling, with the flour from making dumplings still between her fingers, in her palm, and under her fingernails.

“I still have a bottle of that peach-flavored drink Uncle sent me last month. It’s really tasty; I’ll go get it for you!” said Jiang Junlian, about to go back to her room for the drink.

“Weren’t you telling me yesterday that you had finished all your drinks?” Jiang Junqing exclaimed in surprise, her face full of disbelief.

Ignoring Jiang Junqing’s mocking tone, Jiang Junlian blinked away and returned with a bottle of pink, pretty, girl-styled beverage in hand.

Jiang Feng awkwardly accepted the beverage, “I’ll go to the kitchen.”

With greased heels, he slipped away.

Jiang Feng feared that if he lingered in the hall any longer, he might get lost in Jiang Junlian’s sugary bombardments and compliments. Plus, he had just noticed that both De and Cheng seemed a bit too eager.

He had never felt the allure of the Jiang Family’s throne so clearly and powerfully before.

Hot, tempting, under the spotlight, sparkling.

Even within his grasp.

Holding the drink bottle, Jiang Feng arrived at the kitchen door, took a deep breath, and glanced at the pink packaging of the beverage.

This drink was a privilege he could never have imagined having before.

It was also something no member of the Jiang Family could have had before because Sir didn’t drink beverages.

But today, Jiang Junlian had personally handed him this bottle of drink.

He, Jiang Feng, must become the man at the top of the Jiang Family’s culinary chain!

One day, he would successfully usurp the position and prepare the New Year’s Eve feast for all members of the Jiang Family, reaping all the praise and brown-nosing.

With this unprecedented ambition, Jiang Feng stepped into the kitchen.

“Arrived? Check how the pork knuckle has soaked, and if there’s no issue, deal with it. Think about what dishes you’ll make next,” Sir said without even lifting his head.

Even though Sir didn’t look up, Jiang Feng still offered his most sincere and brilliant smile, “Grandfather, what kind of pork knuckle do you think is good for this year? It’s my first year cooking it, so I don’t have any experience.”

“Make whatever you’re good at. If it’s done well, then go and gut the black fish. Keep it brisk and don’t waste time,” Sir instructed.

“Yes, Grandfather,” Jiang Feng went to fetch the pork knuckle from the water.

When it came to making pork knuckle, Jiang Feng’s first thought was definitely the Dongpo pork knuckle. Not the authentic Dongpo pork knuckle, but Jiang Jiankang’s bastardized version that was barely recognizable, yet still shamelessly rode on the coattails of the original’s fame.

Chen Xiuxiu’s grandmother’s pigs were well-raised, with a proper ratio of fat to lean. The front trotters were robust, indicating, just from the hooves, that the pig must have been a good one in life. Yet, the butcher squandered such a fine pig with his sub-par skills.

If the blood wasn’t drained thoroughly, the pork would have an off taste.

When Jiang Feng retrieved the pork knuckle from the basin, it had been soaking for nearly 24 hours, even having the water changed several times. Among all the pork knuckles that had ever graced the Jiang Family’s New Year’s Eve dinner table, this was undoubtedly VIP treatment.

The pork knuckle made by Jiang Jiankang featured rich sauce with a hint of sweetness, flavor complementing texture, demanding to melt in the mouth, and the meat easily separating from the skin with a gentle poke of the chopsticks.

The sensation of the fat melting instantly in one’s mouth was the essence of the pork knuckle made by Jiang Jiankang.

As the sole son of Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Feng had eaten his father’s special pork knuckle for many years. He knew its exquisite qualities and understood that such delicacy required a lengthy, slow cooking process.

Checking the time, Jiang Feng realized he could make it if he was deft with his hands. Without further thought, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

He first placed the cleaned pork knuckle into a pot of clear water, brought it to a boil on high heat to remove any remaining blood, then quickly changed the water. He poured oil into the pot and sautéed ginger, garlic, and green onions until aromatic before adding other spices to fry.

Until the pork knuckle was placed into the clay pot to simmer, Jiang Feng was racing against time, fearing any delay that would prevent achieving the desired melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Sir focused on cooking his own dishes the entire time yet seemed to have eyes on top of his head, fully aware of Jiang Feng’s progress. He spoke only when Jiang Feng covered the clay pot, “Don’t stop, go gut the fish.”

“When you truly become the head chef, you’ll realize time is never enough. Even if you grew an extra ten pairs of hands, you wouldn’t be able to keep up, so rushing is pointless,” Sir said.

Jiang Feng slowed down his motions.

“Slowing down is even worse.”

Jiang Feng silently sped up again.

“It’s a shame, all those extra years of education compared to our time, and I don’t even know what you’ve learned. I’ve told your dad multiple times, out of you and all your cousins, you’re the only one with some talent. Don’t waste your time on that ‘Optoelectronics’ and focus on cooking. Tell me, what use is what you’re studying?” Sir began his usual complaining, although he had actually been complaining less about Jiang Feng’s major lately, perhaps due to having other things on his mind.

Jiang Feng really wanted to cheekily engage Sir in a deep discussion on analyzing the status of a kitchen apprentice cook from the perspective of fiber optic transmission, but he immediately squashed that thought, remembering Sir still had a knife in hand.

“To be the head chef, cooking skills are only part of it. Knowing how to delegate is the real difficult lesson,” Sir said, “Go check the fire under the stove. If it’s not hot enough, add a couple more logs.”

Sir, holding the prepared sausages, walked to the stove and began pouring oil into the pot, “But when it comes to cooking skills, you’re indeed doing well now, you’ve improved a lot, far beyond my expectations. However, in terms of delegation, not only is Wu stronger than you, but even that Sun Family boy is better.”

“Delegation?” Jiang Feng paused while gutting the fish.

“When have you ever seen Wu doing prep work or acting as the kitchen assistant during business hours? Everyone has their role; being overwhelmed means they’re the ones with issues. If you’re the head chef, what you need to do is delegate and solve problems, not lend a hand. You must have a sense of balance in your heart, knowing what to do at what time. Slice the fish now; bring it here after you’re done,” Sir instructed.

“Okay,” Jiang Feng began slicing the fish.

“Talking about these things might be premature, but you need to start learning. Pay more attention to what I and your Granduncle Weiming do in the kitchen. Don’t just goof around like your dad, only knowing how to slack off. After the New Year, go dismantle that rack; it’s irritating just to look at it. Sneaking behind it to loaf around all day, as if others can’t see such a big guy,” Sir said with a look of disdain.

Jiang Feng: …

Mr. Jiang Jiankang, you are truly an expert at throwing your son under the bus!