Reminder (Second Update)

Old Master Jiang was in a good mood, humming a little tune even while feeding the pigs.

Among the three pigs in the pen, Big Flower was the most enthusiastic about rooting and gobbling up food. Its robust body, flowing lines, and powerful hind legs constantly showcased to everyone that it was an excellent pig.

Old Master Jiang surveyed Big Flower with satisfaction, mentally calculating how much meat would be left after skinning and deboning.

Big Flower, completely focused on its feed, was oblivious to the butcher's knife that was about to descend upon it.

The next morning, accompanied by Big Flower's desperate struggles and ear-splitting squeals, it became meat on the chopping block. Old Master Jiang personally butchered the pig, neatly dividing the leg meat, tenderloin, pork belly, ham, ribs, head, and offal. He packed them separately and kept them on ice. He left tens of pounds of pork belly and ham, Old Madam Jiang's favorites, and sent the rest directly to Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant via SF Express.

Then, Old Master Jiang, carrying game and mountain delicacies, boarded a small bus to the city.

The old man suffered from motion sickness, had never taken a high-speed train, and couldn't even buy tickets on his phone. He took a bus to A City with his bags, and by the time he arrived, the pork had already been delivered for three days.

Jiang Jiankang was a bit bewildered when he first received the delivery.

There were several large boxes, all emitting cold air, with fresh produce labels printed on them. He had no recollection of ordering any fresh produce himself.

However, when he opened the boxes and laid out all the pork, and saw the pig's head, he recognized that the boxes contained Big Flower.

It wasn't just him; Comrade Wang Xiulian recognized it too.

The couple discussed it for a long time: whose meal was Old Master Jiang sending Big Flower over for after slaughtering it? Jiang Jiankang didn't dare to call Old Master Jiang to bother him with such trivial matters, fearing he'd be severely scolded.

So, Big Flower remained in the cold storage until Old Master Jiang arrived in A City three days later.

Although Old Master Jiang couldn't buy tickets on his phone, he could use Gaode Maps. With navigation, he took a bus, and around dinner time, Old Master Jiang appeared at the entrance of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, dragging a large sack.

"Dad!" Wang Xiulian, who was collecting money inside the restaurant, couldn't believe her eyes. With a loud shout, all the customers in the restaurant turned to look at the entrance.

"Dad, why didn't you say you were coming? Jiankang and I would have come to pick you up!" Wang Xiulian eagerly ran to the entrance, taking the sack from the old man. She didn't dare to open it. "Why did you bring so many things? Aren't you tired? We received the Big Flower you sent a few days ago."

"You touched it?" the old man asked.

"No, how could we dare to touch it without your say-so? It's all in the freezer, not a single piece of meat is missing!" Wang Xiulian quickly invited Jiang Weiguo into the restaurant and yelled towards the kitchen, "Jiankang! Jiang Jiankang! Dad's here, why aren't you coming out quickly!"

"What, Dad's here?" Jiang Jiankang, still mid-cooking, ran out from the kitchen holding a spatula.

"What's with all the rushing?" Seeing a strand of carrot still stuck to the spatula in Jiang Jiankang's hand, Jiang Weiguo couldn't help but scold him. He took the spatula from him and walked into the kitchen.

The couple quickly followed suit.

"Jiang Feng's family is really struggling!" exclaimed a girl wearing a yellow jacket.

"Yeah, I thought they were just rumors, but I didn't expect Jiang Feng's family to be in such dire straits," the girl with the red hat next to her chimed in.

Even Ji Yue, who knew the daily revenue of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, couldn't help but start to doubt if Jiang Feng's family was really drowning in debt.

It was unavoidable. Jiang Weiguo's appearance at the entrance of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant perfectly matched everyone's image of a rural father coming to the city to find his relatives, as seen in movies and on television. He wore a dusty cotton-padded jacket, had a weathered face, a dark complexion, and hands that showed the marks of time, along with a worn-out snakeskin bag.

The image described above was all in the imagination of the customers of Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant.

Except for the fatigue from the long bus ride, Old Master Jiang, compared to others his age, was neither dark nor old, nor weathered. He was even a bit plump and sturdy. Most importantly, the seemingly dusty, unremarkable, and even somewhat ugly cotton-padded jacket he wore was from Valentino.

When Jiang Weiguo entered the kitchen, Jiang Feng was still simmering soup.

Over the past few days, even he felt a bit obsessed.

While simmering soup and cooking, external matters rarely affected Jiang Feng. It was as if he couldn't hear or see, entering a mystical state similar to a protagonist cultivating in a fantasy novel, with his entire focus on the dishes and soup before him.

He began to seriously review the evaluations of the dishes given by the game, meticulously analyze the correct heat control, and seek the best methods for preparing ingredients. He started to truly contemplate the compatibility of ingredients and many things he would normally never consider.

These were things Jiang Jiankang couldn't teach him.

In just a few days, Jiang Feng's progress in simmering soup could be described as a complete transformation.

Jiang Feng was completely unaware of Jiang Weiguo's arrival.

Today, he was simmering Oyster Mushroom, Corn, and Tea Tree Mushroom Soup.

To remove the peculiar smell of the tea tree mushrooms, he had even stir-fried them with scallions, ginger, and garlic first.

It was nearing the final stage.

Jiang Feng slowly stirred the soup clockwise with a ladle. Steam rose gently, then dispersed, filling the air with the rich aroma of mushrooms.

Jiang Weiguo followed the scent, walked over, and glanced into the soup pot. Besides the mushrooms and corn, there were other ingredients; he could see and smell at least three types.

"This soup of yours isn't good," Old Master Jiang said, without touching it. "You have too many ingredients, and your skill isn't up to par. You can't handle so many materials."

Jiang Feng's hand holding the ladle stopped, and he turned his head as if waking from a dream.

"Grandpa?" Jiang Feng was startled.

"How long have you been simmering soup?" Jiang Weiguo asked.

"Half... over half a month," Jiang Feng was still a bit dazed. Jiang Weiguo had suddenly come from the countryside to A City, and he couldn't quite process it.

"Your dad told me you've become obsessed with simmering mushroom soup lately," Jiang Weiguo picked up the ladle and stirred the pot. "It's generally okay, just a bit greedy."

"Do you feel like adding this and that because every mushroom's flavor is too prominent, turning your mushroom soup into a medley?" Jiang Weiguo, as a seasoned chef, cut straight to the point.

Jiang Feng nodded repeatedly.

"You're making mushroom soup, and you're complaining about the mushroom flavor being too strong? Isn't that like trying to pass water by lifting your pants?" Jiang Weiguo scolded, tapping the rim of the pot with the ladle. "Simmer it again!"

Jiang Feng felt as if he'd been struck a heavy blow.

That's right, he was making mushroom soup, so why was he complaining about the mushroom flavor being too strong?

So, all these days...

Had he been working in vain?