Republican Era Old Shadows (I)

"Brother~" Jiang Huiqin tugged at the man by the door, acting spoiled. "You promised you'd teach me yesterday!"

Jiang Feng guessed that the middle-aged man standing before him, who bore a slight resemblance to himself, was his great-great-grandfather, Jiang Chengde.

The significant age difference between the two made them look more like father and daughter than siblings.

"You're all grown up and about to be married, yet you still have no sense of propriety," Jiang Chengde said, affectionately patting her head. "Are you still in your room embroidering your wedding dress?"

"It's all that brat Wei Jin's fault. I had already finished embroidering it, but he went and tore a corner. I'm going to take wedding photos with Mingyi tomorrow, and when I catch him later, I'm going to give him a good beating!" Jiang Huiqin raised her small fists, indicating her resolve to beat her nephew, then trotted a couple of steps ahead. Seeing Jiang Chengde still walking slowly behind, she urged him on, "Hurry up, hurry up!"

Jiang Huiqin ran fast, and Jiang Feng could only jog to keep up. The invisible wall behind him kept bumping into his back and backside, as if someone were whipping him with a whip.

Tai Feng Lou was close to the Jiang Family's small courtyard. Jiang Huiqin skillfully slipped in through the back door, finally stopping her steps in the back kitchen, giving Jiang Feng a chance to catch his breath and rub his sore backside.

It was a waste that his great-great-aunt didn't pursue long-distance running.

"Miss Jiang, the head chef just stepped out," a kitchen helper reminded her when Jiang Huiqin slipped in.

"Shush, I'm just borrowing the kitchen. Don't tell the owner." Jiang Huiqin searched for the ingredients she wanted but couldn't find them. Jiang Chengde was also taking too long to arrive, making her anxious.

After a while, Jiang Chengde finally arrived, albeit late.

"Brother, hurry up! I have a movie date with Mingyi tonight. Hurry up!" Jiang Huiqin urged him.

Jiang Chengde chuckled, "When will you ever change your impatient nature? We agreed, I'll only teach you this dish once. Watch carefully, don't move around. This is a dish Mr. Zhang ordered."

"I won't move, I definitely won't move!"

Jiang Chengde walked to a stove, lifted the lid of the large iron pot, took out a small bowl, and placed it in front of Jiang Huiqin.

"Mr. Zhang's mother likes house swiftlets, and your brother-in-law ordered yellow swiftlets. The method is the same. Go, pick out the downy feathers," Jiang Chengde pushed the bowl towards her. "After you've picked them clean, rinse them again, and then soak them in alkaline water."

Jiang Huiqin obediently picked up a pair of slender chopsticks, leaned close to the small bowl in front of her, and meticulously picked out the small black downy feathers and other impurities.

Jiang Feng also curiously leaned over to watch. The chopsticks were very fine, but compared to the small downy feathers in the bowl, they were too thick. Jiang Huiqin's hands were skillful, but picking them out was still quite laborious.

"The bird's nest needs to be rinsed with warm water first, and then stewed in the pot for an hour and a half. I don't need to teach you how to make willow-leaf pigeon eggs, do I?"

"No, no." Jiang Huiqin lowered her head, picking out another small downy feather.

Seeing Jiang Huiqin meticulously picking, Jiang Chengde stopped giving instructions. He went to the table nearby and picked up eight small wooden spoons, coated them with oil using an oilcloth, and set them aside. Immediately after, he picked up a piece of ham from the right side.

"The ham needs to be cured first. Oh, right, I still need to add two more hams to your dowry. Be careful when slicing it, don't cut yourself by being careless. After it has soaked and puffed up in the alkaline water, rinse it with warm water, and then tear it into strips. Never mind, you pick them first, you won't remember if I say too much." Jiang Chengde spoke while his hands continued to move.

The large cleaver gently sliced along the grain of the ham, and a few slices as thin as cicada wings appeared on the cutting board.

From the moment Jiang Huiqin heard the word "dowry," she buried her head lower and lower, not listening to anything he said afterward.

By the time Jiang Huiqin finished picking the downy feathers and impurities from the bird's nest and soaking it in alkaline water, Jiang Chengde had already finished making the willow-leaf pigeon eggs. The steamed pigeon eggs were laid on top of ham slices and preserved vegetables, looking quite beautiful.

"Brother, what should the bird's nest soak into?" Jiang Huiqin looked at the already rehydrated bird's nest in the bowl, seeing that the pigeon eggs were already steamed.

Jiang Chengde went over, saw it, and panicked. He quickly poured out the alkaline water and rinsed it with warm water. "I told you you're forgetful, and you really are forgetful! I told you to take it out after it rehydrated, how long has this been soaking? Hurry and scoop a bowl of cold water!"

Jiang Huiqin hurriedly went to scoop water.

By the time Jiang Huiqin brought the cold water, Jiang Chengde had already torn the bird's nest into shreds. Jiang Chengde rinsed it with cold water and then put it into the pot.

The Jiang family's love for soup was indeed passed down through generations. As soon as the bird's nest was put into the pot, scalding clear soup was poured over it. Jiang Feng finally noticed that the two large pots on the stove behind them were filled with soup.

When Jiang Feng turned his head back, the bird's nest had already been scooped out. Only the clear soup, which was steaming and about to boil, remained in the pot. Just as the clear soup was about to boil, Jiang Chengde poured in another ladle of cold soup, sprinkled a small pinch of salt, and finally added a spoonful of Shaoxing wine before handing the pot over to Jiang Huiqin.

"When it boils, skim off the foam," he said, and then began to plate the dishes.

Having been given a task and wanting to redeem herself, Jiang Huiqin stared intently at the large pot in front of her.

"Auntie, Auntie, Mingyi Gege is looking for you," a little sprout ran into the back kitchen.

"Weiguo, you should call him Uncle from now on. Don't mess up the generational order!" Jiang Chengde put on a stern face.

"Oh." The smile on the little sprout's face gradually disappeared.

This is!

Grandpa?!

Jiang Feng stared at the little sprout with a string of snot still hanging from its nose, hardly daring to believe his eyes.

Before Jiang Feng could fully observe the young version of Jiang Weiguo, Jiang Huiqin ran out with a blush on her face. Jiang Feng could only chase after her, otherwise, his waist and backside would suffer.

Then Jiang Feng experienced a large-scale display of public affection.

Who said people in the old society were all very conservative? What about "love starts with feelings and ends with propriety"? It was all nonsense!

Not a bit of the public affection they should have shown was held back!

Jiang Feng personally witnessed his teenage great-great-aunt and great-great-uncle acting lovey-dovey while watching a movie. He'd feed her a preserved plum, she'd help him shell a sunflower seed, they'd hold hands. At the end of the movie, the female protagonist died tragically, and Li Mingyi stole a kiss on Jiang Huiqin's left cheek.

Despite it being a tragic and silent movie, the two acted as if they had just watched a sweet romantic film.

After the movie, Li Mingyi escorted Jiang Huiqin home, with Jiang Feng following behind them.

The "dog food" (public affection) from the couple in front had inflicted too much damage, so Jiang Feng felt it was safer behind them.

"Tomorrow, we'll go to Jinli to open a photo studio and take our wedding pictures," Li Mingyi stopped walking when they were still one alley away from the Jiang Family's small courtyard.

"Mm," Jiang Huiqin replied softly.

"In five more days, you'll be my wife."

"Mmm," Jiang Huiqin's voice grew even smaller, her head lowered, even the tips of her ears flushing red with embarrassment.

"If it weren't for Mother insisting on picking an auspicious day, I'd have loved to marry you today. I'll definitely publish it in the papers, not just in Beiping, but in Shanghai, in Nanjing. Ta Kung Pao, Min Bao, I'll publish in them all. I want the whole country to know you're my wife!" Li Mingyi hugged Jiang Huiqin, lowered his head, and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Good night, my darling!"

Jiang Huiqin's already slightly flushed face instantly turned completely red. She wriggled out of his embrace and ran home without looking back.

Her sudden dash caused trouble for Jiang Feng. Caught completely off guard, he was hit hard by an invisible wall behind him, sending him sprawling to the ground.

It really hurt!

Jiang Feng got up from the ground and found himself in a room, and it was daytime.

He knew that it had been nighttime when Jiang Huiqin had run home just moments ago.

"I'm not wearing it, I'm not wearing it, I'm not wearing it!"

Before Jiang Feng could figure out what was going on, he heard Jiang Huiqin's furious scream.