The Phone Call

After Jiang Jiankang's enthusiastic insistence, everyone from the Chess Club stayed at the shop for dinner.

After the meal, Liu Qian stared longingly at the empty plate that had held the braised pork knuckle, which she had used to soak up the sauce until it was as smooth and clean as if it had been licked. With teary eyes, she said, "When I have money, I'm going to eat braised pork knuckles every day!"

What a noble aspiration.

Tonight, Liu Qian had truly let loose, performing at her full potential and eating six bowls of rice without holding back.

"Qianqian, do you always eat like this at school?" He Jiahui asked, rubbing her own stomach. She had lost control and eaten half a bowl more than she should have and was now feeling incredibly full.

"No, I usually only eat 4 bowls of rice," Liu Qian replied.

Everyone else: ...

"You can eat well, you can eat well!" Jiang Jiankang praised cheerfully.

Upon hearing Liu Qian's words, Comrade Wang Xiulian's eyes lit up. "This girl is wonderful! She speaks so gently, eats so much, and has such a good figure!"

Jiang Feng: ???

Why did Comrade Wang Xiulian's description sound so familiar?

Wait, Mother's Wish!

Comrade Wang Xiulian, get a grip!

Everyone confirmed their respective tasks again. The club recruitment was the day after tomorrow, and everyone had a challenging job to do. It was getting late, so they all headed home.

"Dad, is my uncle busy lately?" Jiang Feng went to the pantry to get flour.

"Your uncle hasn't gotten any business for two months, what could he possibly be busy with?" As expected of brothers, Jiang Jiankang immediately threw him under the bus.

Jiang Feng nodded and took out his phone to call Comrade Jiang Jianguo.

"Hello, Xiao Feng! What a surprise to get a call from you!" The other end of the phone was filled with the noisy sound of a television. A woman was crying, and a wicked mother-in-law was yelling. It sounded like his uncle's wife's favorite annual family drama.

"Uncle, how's business lately?" Jiang Feng asked politely.

"Business is great! Don't you know my skills? Top-notch! I'm so busy I can barely keep up!" Jiang Jianguo boasted loudly.

Jiang Feng: ...

"It's like this, Grandpa is coming to A City next week. Since you're busy, I'll just find Fourth Uncle."

"Not busy, not busy at all! I, your uncle, am the eldest son, and it's my duty to take care of Grandpa. Otherwise, people would say I'm unfilial. Xiao Feng, don't bother your Fourth Uncle and them. They run a pet store and are busy cleaning up after cats and dogs all day, it's not hygienic. My home is bigger, and Grandpa will feel more at ease staying with us. Just tell Grandpa that you and Grandpa can stay at my place!" Jiang Jianguo spoke in a torrent, roaring it all out in one breath.

"Uncle, aren't you busy with your business?"

"Busy with what? Running a shop is nothing compared to taking care of Grandpa. I'll close my shop tomorrow! You tell your Grandpa that my home is always welcoming to him! He can stay as long as he wants, preferably forever!"

The reason Jiang Feng was asked to contact him was that, among the five brothers of the Jiang family, Jiang Jianguo actually had the best culinary talent. However, his heart wasn't in cooking at all, and Grandpa could only let him be a tailor.

As a result, Jiang Jianguo rekindled his culinary skills to pursue his wife. His pastry-making became incredibly skillful. Grandpa was overjoyed, thinking he wanted to be a chef again and taught him everything he knew. However, after successfully wooing his wife, Jiang Jianguo stopped learning to cook and went back to being a third-rate tailor. This angered Grandpa so much that he vowed never to contact Jiang Jianguo again unless he came to him voluntarily to be scolded.

"Um, Uncle, I wanted to ask for a favor," Jiang Feng finally got to the point.

"What favor? As long as your uncle can help, I'll definitely help." Hearing that Grandpa was coming to A City, Jiang Jianguo was overjoyed and readily agreed.

Being scolded every day didn't matter! Grandpa's arrival meant the food would go from pig slop to a full banquet.

Even if Grandpa didn't like him, he couldn't let his third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother, and Xiao Feng go hungry!

The more Jiang Jianguo thought about it, the happier he became. Even the melodramatic family drama playing on TV seemed incredibly exciting.

Look at that woman, crying so heartbrokenly when she was kicked out of the house. Her tears had run dry, and she could only wail.

"It's not a difficult task. Next Monday, our school is having a club recruitment drive. I'd like to ask Uncle to make some pastries and snacks to attract new members," Jiang Feng said.

"That's easy! I'll come to your shop tomorrow and help you make them. Tell me, what kind do you want?" Jiang Jianguo said generously.

"About twenty kinds, with over a hundred pieces of each."

"Huh?"

Jiang Jianguo: ???

Say that again???

Jiang Feng quickly hung up the phone and started kneading dough.

What he had just said was, of course, a joke.

Making over two thousand pastries wouldn't be possible even if he squeezed every ounce of fat from Jiang Jianguo's 270 pounds.

Jiang Feng decided to knead twenty catties of dough first and then put it in the preservation box.

Jiang Feng now cherished this preservation box as much as he had disliked it initially.

It could keep ingredients in perfect condition, a true artifact for any chef.

Jiang Feng hummed a tune as he kneaded the dough.

For Monday's recruitment, his Chess Club would leave the Home Economics Club with no one to recruit and no place to go!

Serves them right for not recruiting male members, discriminating based on gender.

As he thought about it, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Jiang Jianguo stood at the kitchen doorway, watching Jiang Feng knead the dough with a mix of seriousness and foolish smiles. He couldn't help but touch his shiny bald head.

What had gotten into his son? Kneading dough and smiling foolishly in the middle of the night.

Could he be hinting that he should make simple noodle soup tomorrow?