Chapter 113: Chapter 112 White Meat
Translator: 549690339 i
*Look, what have you discovered—a random drop update!
For the entire afternoon, Jiang Feng was regretting his impulsive behavior. Sir didn’t explode in anger or hit him. He spent the afternoon chatting with Mrs. Jiang and Granduncle Weiming, but the occasional glances he threw at Jiang Feng made his scalp tingle.
Having apprenticed under Sir for so many years, Jiang Feng was all too aware that if Sir truly wanted to punish you, he didn’t need to lift a finger himself. Hanging sandbags, standing in horse stance, filling a cauldron with sand to practice flipping the ladle, chopping onions, cutting chili peppers, cleaning pig offal-just one of these tasks, if given for a full day, could send you to heavenly oblivion, leaving you clueless about your own name and surname.
Jiang Feng seemed outwardly calm but was, in reality, panicking inside.
By evening, Mrs. Jiang and Granduncle Weiming said their goodbyes. Dinner at the Jiang family usually wasn’t served until seven or eight o’clock, so there was just enough time to go home and cook some dumplings.
Granduncle Weiming, holding onto Jiang Feng, somehow remembered the Braised Meat: “Feng, I remember you guys didn’t have any Braised Meat at noon. Come on, have a bowl before you leave. Your aunt specially made it for you all, especially you, Feng. You’re too skinny; girls don’t like that. You should eat at least two bowls.”
Everyone immediately panicked, thinking they had already moved past the Braised Meat issue, only for Granduncle Weiming to bring it up again just as they were about to leave.
“I’m too full, Granduncle Weiming, really. I ate half a basin of braised pork at noon; I really can’t eat anymore. If I eat Braised Meat now, I won’t have room for dinner, and I’ll get hungry in the middle of the night!” Jiang Zaidi started to babble.
‘■Yeah, yeah, Granduncle Weiming, I also ate half a basin of braised pork-1 can’t eat anymore either,” Jiang Shoucheng chimed in, following Jiang Zaidi’s lead. “Granduncle Weiming, eating so much meat in the evening can make you gain weight,” Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian said in unison.
“The two girls are growing up and starting to care about looking good ” Granduncle Weiming said with a smile, “Then, Tian Lin, you just serve Feng and Ran, that’ll do.”
“Granduncle Weiming, I’ll just eat some dumplings when I go home tonight. I still need to practice, and eating too much will scatter my focus. Don’t forget I’ve still got a competition to participate in,” Jiang Feng made an excuse, waving his metaphorical flag.
“Right, right, Jiang Feng still has a competition. Then let Ran eat. Feng, you focus on practicing. When you get a good ranking, give Granduncle Weiming a call,” Granduncle Weiming nodded in agreement.
“Granduncle Weiming, I…” Jiang Ran realized all the excuses had been used up, and he couldn’t come up with any on the spot, “I… I’m on a diet, I’ve been skipping dinner recently.”
“With a good physique like yours, why the need to diet?” Granduncle Weiming’s face turned stem, “I was wondering why you looked slimmer. Young people nowadays really do the silliest things. You’re not a young girl; why are you dieting? A young man like you looks good healthy and strong; no dieting is allowed. You have to eat two bowls today.”
No sooner had he spoken, Tian Lin came out with two large bowls brimming with Braised Meat, hardly any soup to speak of.
The white color of the meat, the feel of the white meat, and a taste even more horrifying than the appearance of white meat.
“Come, come, Feng, Ran, have some Braised Meat,” Tian Lin said cheerfully.
“All for Ran, Feng needs to practice tonight; the competition is more important,” Granduncle Weiming said.
Jiang Ran was caught between a rock and a hard place. He steeled himself, bit the bullet, took the Braised Meat, and bit down.
Jiang Feng, along with the others, couldn’t bear to look. This year’s pig at Granduncle Weiming’s place was especially fat. The bowl was full of large chunks of fat, and Tian Lin didn’t know how to drain the blood from the pork properly; she probably just boiled it with some ginger slices and cooking wine, without marinating it beforehand.
The two bowls of Braised Meat were steaming hot. Being close, Jiang Feng could even smell the faint porky odor on the meat.
Such meat, purely fatty, one bite…
Let’s not talk about it; time to light incense for Jiang Ran.
Jiang Ran managed to swallow the first piece, his face almost contorting. “What’s wrong, Ranran? Is the Braised Meat your aunt cooked not delicious this year?” Tian Lin took a bit from the other bowl, her expression natural, “It doesn’t taste any different from before.”
Jiang Ran: “…No, it’s just, the meat is a bit fatty, it’s too greasy.”
This year’s pig was indeed fat, over four hundred pounds, full of lard which makes the Braised Meat especially fragrant. Probably you’re not used to it, Ranran. It’s okay, eat the lean parts and leave the fat if you don’t like it,” Tian Lin said.
Tears nearly came to Jiang Ran’s eyes.
“Okay, daughter-in-law, it’s getting late, we should head back. Otherwise it’ll be hard to navigate once it’s dark. Ran, are you still eating?” Mrs. Jiang intervened.
“No more, no more. It’s getting dark, and the road won’t be easy to travel Granduncle Weiming, we’ll be taking our leave now!” Jiang Ran quickly put down his chopsticks.
“Is it getting dark already?” Granduncle Weiming went outside to look and indeed, it was about to get dark. Reluctantly, he said, “Then you all should go ahead, and I’ll walk you to the village entrance. Next time, come over again for some Braised Meat.”
“Of course, of course, Granduncle Weiming, we’ll definitely come next time!” they hurriedly said, Jiang Ran’s voice the loudest amongst them.
“Alright, brother, it’s getting cold at night, no need to send us off. We can walk ourselves,” Mrs. Jiang said.
As they left the house and were nearing the village entrance, Mrs. Jiang casually remarked, “Ran, the meat that your granduncle cooked today was indeed a bit worse than before, but you changed your expression too quickly. Luckily, your granduncle’s vision is blurry, or else he would have been very upset.”
Jiang Ran humbly accepted his mistake, reflected seriously, and decided to act less unconvincingly next time and think of a better excuse to avoid the Braised Meat ahead of time.
“That won’t do, Ran, back when your uncle’s eyes were better, we could eat a bowl of Braised Meat without a change in expression, praising it as delicious,” Jiang Jianguo said.
‘TH teach him when we get back,” Jiang Jianye sighed.
When the group got home, it was already seven o’clock. Mrs. Jiang went to the kitchen to cook dumplings, and the rest entered the house, where Jiang Weiming was watching a TV series in the living room.
“Forever”
An American TV series from a few years ago.
“Wow, Granduncle Weiming, you still watch American TV shows? Can you even see the subtitles clearly?” Jiang Junqing asked.
“No worries, if I can’t see, I can understand by listening,” Jiang Weiming responded.
Jiang Junqing was dumbfounded.
“Feng, come with me to the kitchen,” Sir said gravely.
“He’s just come back, and you’re already sending him to the kitchen. Little brother, let Feng rest a while,” Jiang Weiming said with a smile, trying to mediate.
“This little rascal signed up for a culinary competition under Taifeng Building’s name without permission,” Jiang Weiguo said irritably.
Oh? Jiang Weiming looked at Jiang Feng with a smile, “Then I’ll join you.”
“Feng has indeed been slacking a bit during the New Year.”
Jiang Feng shivered. He felt that the smile on Jiang Weiming’s face just now had other emotions mixed in.
I am doomed.