The Game of Life

“Wenwen, where’s your mom?” Tan Weizhou asked casually, not seeing his daughter-in-law.

“My dad took her and my brother out shopping,” Tan Wenwen said.

She knew that her grandfather’s arrival meant it was time to start working, so she hurriedly cleaned up the sunflower seed shells on the table and put the plate back in its place.

As if by doing so, she could pretend that the seeds on the plate had disappeared into thin air.

“Then you stay outside, Ji, come in with me,” Tan Weizhou said.

“Thank you, Grandpa,” Tan Wenwen said, her face beaming with delight.

Ji Xue followed Tan Weizhou into the back kitchen to start preparing the appetizers, and Tan Weizhou, as usual, began with the pot-cooked Huadiao chicken.

“Ji, how much have you seen these past few days?” Tan Weizhou suddenly asked.

Ji Xue got nervous instantly. She remembered what Tan Wenwen had told her that afternoon: Tan Family Small Restaurant had previously hired a few helpers, all of whom were fired for wanting to become disciples of Tan Weizhou.

She now suspected that Tan Weizhou was setting a trap for her.

“I saw… a little bit,” Ji Xue said nervously.

To say she hadn’t seen anything would be impossible; the back kitchen was only so big, and whether Ji Xue was chopping vegetables, retrieving items, or helping Tan Wenwen with something, she could always catch glimpses, intentional or otherwise, of Tan Weizhou making pot-cooked Huadiao chicken.

The same was true for Tan Wenwen. Although she couldn’t make the dish, she was pretty clear on the general steps involved. If she really wanted to learn, Tan Weizhou would undoubtedly teach his own granddaughter, but the truth was that Tan Wenwen didn’t have much passion for cooking and even resented the kitchen a bit because her mother always made her help there.

Her feeling of regret was purely because her father didn’t allow her to learn; after all, we always desire what we can’t have.

Those who are favored always have a sense of security.

“Then today, you should look closer and see clearly,” Tan Weizhou said with a smile.

Ji Xue was stunned and carefully walked closer to Tan Weizhou.

Even though Tan Weizhou had told her to look closer, Ji Xue didn’t dare to get too close, keeping a distance of about one meter, which belonged to the kind that allowed her to see but not see the details.

Tan Weizhou didn’t say anything more and continued cooking his dish.

Jiang Feng had watched Tan Weizhou make pot-cooked Huadiao chicken dozens of times these past few days. Ji Xue’s technique was exactly like Tan Weizhou’s, down to the smallest detail. Whether the taste was the same, Jiang Feng didn’t know, but the technique was definitely learned perfectly.

Jiang Feng was well aware that the hardest part of making pot-cooked Huadiao chicken was judging the right moment to take it off the heat.

When the pot-cooked Huadiao chicken was on the stove, the entire casserole was in a sealed state, so none of the chicken’s aroma could escape. That’s the nature of Huadiao wine; if the fragrance leaked during cooking, by the time it was served and the lid was lifted, the rich, inviting aroma wouldn’t be there.

Without the fragrance of Huadiao wine, pot-cooked Huadiao chicken would lose half its charm.

During cooking, the lid couldn’t be lifted; lifting it would dissipate the aroma, and the sealed space inside the casserole was the best environment for cooking the dish. But without seeing the food or smelling the aroma, the chef couldn’t judge the fire control. Under such conditions, how to find the right fire control to take the pot-cooked Huadiao chicken off the heat is a secret known only to Ji Xue and Tan Weizhou.

Ji Xue watched Tan Weizhou make the pot-cooked Huadiao chicken in silence.

Tan Weizhou’s movements were very slow, especially slow this time, as if he wanted Ji Xue to see everything clearly, to understand it thoroughly.

The pot-cooked Huadiao chicken was simmering on the stove, and Ji Xue watched by its side. The back kitchen was very quiet until Tan Weizhou broke the silence.

“Ji, come here, closer,” he said.

Ji Xue, not understanding why, took a couple of steps forward.

Tan Weizhou lifted the lid of the casserole and quickly added green onions, ginger, Huadiao wine, and sauce.

“Did you see that?” Tan Weizhou asked.

“I saw it,” Ji Xue replied.

Jiang Feng: ???

What did she see?

Am I the only one who’s blind here?

From the point Huadiao wine was added until serving, the lid of the casserole couldn’t be lifted again.

Jiang Feng knew that Tan Weizhou was deliberately trying to teach, or rather provide some guidance to Ji Xue. He also knew that the key part of the dish was deciding when to turn off the heat next. So, Jiang Feng focused intently and moved even closer to the stove than Ji Xue was.

After some time, which seemed to be just before the dish was ready to come off the stove, Tan Weizhou spoke again: “Ji, come closer.”

Ji Xue moved a step forward.

“Closer,” he said.

Finally, Ji Xue moved up to the very front of the casserole.

“Do you see it now?”

“I see it.”

Jiang Feng: ???

What exactly did you all see?

Jiang Feng stated he really didn’t see anything, so is there something unusual about this clay pot now?

Turn off the heat.

Lift the lid.

The aroma overflows.

Even though it wasn’t the first time Jiang Feng had smelled it, he couldn’t help but sigh, Huadiao wine chicken in a clay jar is truly a rare dish where the aroma is even more captivating than the flavor.

The charm of the moment when the lid is lifted is irreplaceable.

“Today is the Lantern Festival, you don’t have to stay here tonight, go back early and celebrate the holiday with your family,” Tan Weizhou said as he handed Ji Xue what looked like a large paper bag for storing flatbreads, “This chicken is not up to standard, take it with you.”

Ji Xue glanced at the steaming clay pot with the chicken that looked like amber due to the thick glaze of honey on its skin, then at Tan Weizhou, and said thank you.

“Go on, get back early,” Tan Weizhou waved his hand, starting to send her off.

He thought of teaching Ji Xue today on a whim, feeling sad that during the festival celebration, his own son was only thinking of having fun and never considered his father, yet he also pitied Ji Xue, a teenage girl who still had to do dirty and tiring work during the festive season.

Even if he taught her, he did not expect Ji Xue to learn much, let alone master it.

Watching Ji Xue carefully putting the clay jar Huadiao wine chicken into the paper bag, Tan Weizhou smiled helplessly.

Such a great talent, what a pity she wasn’t his granddaughter.

And luckily she wasn’t, having such a fine girl to be a daughter for his son would have been a real waste.

When Ji Xue left with the bag, Tan Wenwen smelled the aroma and saw the bag in Ji Xue’s hands, her eyes lit up, and she asked, “Did Grandpa make you Huadiao wine chicken in a clay jar?”

Ji Xue nodded shyly.

“I knew it, it’s the Lantern Festival, Grandpa was sure to make something delicious!” Tan Wenwen immediately became excited, even a bit regretful that she had eaten so many sunflower seeds that afternoon, “Grandpa must have told you to go back first, right? You should hurry, Huadiao wine chicken doesn’t taste as good when it gets cold. See you tomorrow!”

“See you tomorrow.” Ji Xue waved at Tan Wenwen.

On the way back, Ji Xue didn’t forget to stop by a small supermarket to weigh out 12 pieces of Dove chocolate and bought a bag of noodles to take home. Because Ji Xue brought food home every night, the 50 yuan her mother left them for living expenses hadn’t been spent much at all, and there was enough leftover money to buy the 12 pieces of chocolate.

Tan Wenwen always packed the food containers full when she prepared meals for her, pushing down the rice again and again, enough for Ji Xue and Ji Xia, the two sisters, to eat, and even enough for Ji Xia to reheat it herself for lunch the next day.

When Ji Xue arrived home, Ji Xia was watching TV, still tuned to CCTV-1. As today was the Lantern Festival, CCTV-1 had a special evening show, much more interesting than the usual news, and Ji Xia appeared quite spirited.

“Sister, you came back from playing so early today?” Ji Xia’s first sight was the bag in Ji Xue’s hand with the Dove chocolates, and she cheered as she ran toward Ji Xue.

“Yes, sister also bought Xiaxia chicken, is it good for us to eat noodles and chicken tonight?” Ji Xue said with a smile.

“Yes!” Ji Xia cheered.

Ji Xue handed the chocolate to Ji Xia and went to the kitchen to cook the noodles.

Unable to wait, Ji Xia opened the bag, dividing the chocolate in half; six pieces for her, six for Ji Xue, neatly arranged on the dining table. Then she sat obediently in her chair, waiting for Ji Xue to announce that it was time to eat.

After a dozen minutes, Ji Xue brought out two bowls of plain noodles without any eggs, already slightly cool, and placed the Huadiao wine chicken in a dish.

Two steaming bowls of plain noodles, six pieces of chocolate, and a plate of Huadiao wine chicken—the sisters simultaneously chose the six pieces of chocolate.

Unwrapping the package, they let the chocolate melt in their mouths, one piece after another.

As if by finishing these six pieces of chocolate, they could make up for the New Year they missed, and their celebration would be complete.

After the six pieces of chocolate were eaten, the sisters’ lips, teeth, and mouths were filled with chocolate. Ji Xia flashed a smile at Ji Xue, revealing a mouthful of black teeth.

Even their smiles tasted of chocolate.

Then, without any agreement, the sisters both reached for the Huadiao wine chicken with their chopsticks.

With the taste of chocolate still in their mouths, they began to eat the honey-glazed Huadiao wine chicken, which was still a bit cool, creating a mix of flavors that was imaginable.

“Is it delicious, Xiaxia?” asked Ji Xue, watching Ji Xia bite into a large chunk of chicken wing.

“Delicious, sweet,” muttered Ji Xia, unclear whether the sweetness she referred to was from the honey or the chocolate.

Ji Xue picked up another wing and took a bite.

Yes, sweet.

The sisters both showed sweet smiles.

Jiang Feng couldn’t help but smile as well.

Until he could no longer see the smiles on the sisters’ faces.

Again enveloped in a thick fog.