Dishes Completed (Seeking Recommendations)

Jiang Weiguo also noticed that Jiang Feng's dishes were ready.

"Once they're done, come help. Oh, and call your grand-uncle's family and have them come over for dinner tonight. How has your grand-uncle been feeling lately?" Jiang Weiguo asked.

Jiang Feng hadn't been to Professor Li's house in a long time, so he naturally knew nothing about it. Recently, Wang Xiulian had been bringing him lunch.

"My uncle's health is about the same as before, it's just that he's been quite forgetful lately. I saw him getting confused both times I visited," Wang Xiulian said.

"Dad, should I invite Big Brother and Fourth and Fifth Brothers' families to join us for dinner?" Jiang Jiankang asked.

Jiang Weiguo was picking out the veins from the pork. He paused his actions when he heard his son and nodded reluctantly, "Invite them. And go get another ten to fifteen pounds of meat from the freezer. Is one helper enough for your shop?"

"Jiang Feng's classmates are also helping, but they went out to deliver food and haven't returned yet," Wang Xiulian added.

Earlier this afternoon, the APP had suddenly received an order from downtown for over twenty dishes, most of them large portions, totaling several thousand yuan. The most crucial part was that the city center was at least 30 kilometers away from the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, and it required getting on the highway midway. It was completely impossible to deliver it on a scooter. In his helplessness, Jiang Jianguo had to ask the four helpers, Liu Zixuan, Wang Hao, Qiu Chen, and Zhao Yang, to take the subway to deliver the order. None of them had returned yet.

"Oh, right, Jiang Feng, you need to fix that WeChat program or whatever it is. Delivering to such a far-off place, do we even want to do business anymore?" Wang Xiulian complained. "Luckily, this order was big. If it were just a ten-yuan bento box, we'd take the subway all the way there to deliver it. How is that possible!"

This was something Jiang Feng hadn't considered before. Because the ordering was done through an APP that required adding a WeChat Official Account, he subconsciously assumed all customers were students from A University. It looked like he would have to contact Zhang Wei tonight and ask him to add a delivery range restriction.

Jiang Feng nodded in agreement and cut the green onions into sections.

By the time Jiang Weiguo's Four Happiness Meatballs were all out of the pot, the four had returned, dusty and weary.

As soon as they entered, Wang Hao eagerly shared with Ji Yue, "Ji Yue, you won't believe who ordered today! They actually live in Tianfu Garden! They told us to leave the food with the security guard and didn't even let us in."

"I'm so exhausted. You know, people living in Tianfu Garden traveled all the way to A University's vicinity to eat, and after eating, they added us on WeChat, and then insisted on ordering delivery. What's wrong with them!" Liu Zixuan also complained.

Qiu Chen and Zhao Yang wore expressions of utter despair and stated they had no comment on the matter.

Tianfu Garden could be considered the most upscale villa residential area in A City. It had carved out a piece of land in the bustling city center. The advertisement back then boasted it as a peaceful and quiet retreat within the prosperous downtown. Initially, when the delivery location was set to the Tianfu Garden security post, Wang Hao and the others thought someone from a shop in the city center had mistakenly set it there. They didn't expect the person ordering the delivery to actually be a resident of Tianfu Garden.

"Huh? Where's Auntie Wang? Why is she in the kitchen too? Oh, and Junior Sister Qian is also staying to help today." Liu Zixuan sat down to rest for a bit and noticed Wang Xiulian wasn't in the lobby.

"If you guys weren't here, how could I possibly manage alone? Jiang Feng's grandfather is here, and they're all in the kitchen helping cook. Don't go in and cause trouble," Ji Yue said.

"Brother Feng's grandfather!" Wang Hao's body trembled. "Brother Feng said his grandfather's cooking skills are unparalleled!"

Unfortunately, Wang Hao usually told too many tall tales, so no one believed him.

In the kitchen, Jiang Feng placed the Clear Soup with Bird's Nest Slices he had made earlier into a steamer to keep them warm. He went to the sink to wash his hands and then went out to call the various families to come for dinner. Jiang Weiguo, finding his knife skills lacking, didn't let him touch anything other than onions, ginger, and garlic.

It was a rare sight for Jiang Feng to come out of the kitchen during non-meal times.

During this period, he lived a life of two points and one line: the kitchen and his dorm. He rarely went anywhere else. Sometimes, when he returned to his dorm at night, Wang Hao would try to chat with him, but Jiang Feng would simply ask, "What do you think is best to add to mushroom soup?"

This one sentence would effectively shut down anything Wang Hao wanted to say.

"Brother Feng, is your soup ready?" Wang Hao asked tentatively.

"Yes, it's ready. The dishes are also done."

At this announcement, everyone became excited.

Who had suffered the most from Jiang Feng's obsessive soup-making in recent times? It wasn't Jiang Jiankang or Wang Xiulian, but those who came to help and eat! Every day, they had to endure a bowl of incredibly bad-tasting free mushroom soup. Even a single taste was enough to make them forget the flavor of any other dish they had eaten.

Let alone Liu Qian, even Liu Zixuan and Qiu Chen felt like mushrooms were about to grow on their heads.

"My grandfather is cooking tonight. Everyone, please stay for dinner and also try the new dishes I've made. Um, Liu Qian, you..." Although Jiang Feng didn't know what Liu Qian had eaten before, he assumed she had already eaten at the restaurant.

"I can still eat! I can still eat!" Liu Qian immediately declared.

Then Jiang Feng started making calls.

Professor Li had been out of A City recently, attending a conference. Chen Suhua said that Li Mingyi was currently lucid and that she would bring him over soon.

When he called Jiang Jianguo, Jiang Jianshe, and Jiang Jianye, the answers were all the same: "Okay, okay, okay, I'll be right there. Jiang Feng, what a coincidence, we haven't eaten dinner at home yet!"

Then, one could hear three loud voices on the other end of the phone shouting, "Wife, Dad's here, telling us to go eat at Third Brother's place! Where did that brat disappear to, whoring around/working overtime again?"

For dinner, two tables were set, one large and one small. The frail Li Mingyi sat amidst the tall and stout members of the Jiang family, appearing isolated and helpless, even seeming weak, pitiful, and vulnerable. In contrast, Wang Hao, with his unique Jiang family physique, sat among the normal-sized people, appearing so tall and striking.

The elder gentleman cooked in the style of a rural banquet: generous portions, rich ingredients, and primarily a pure pork feast.

Guo Bao Rou, Preserved Vegetable Pork Belly, Braised Pork Belly, Four Happiness Meatballs, Lion's Head Meatballs, Scallion Stir-fried Pork, Nine-Turn Large Intestine, and Radish Stewed Pork Ribs. Li Mingyi's table also had vegetables stir-fried and porridge cooked by Jiang Weiguo specifically for him.

Jiang Feng's Clear Soup with Bird's Nest Slices was placed on Li Mingyi's table.

Liu Qian looked at the table full of dishes, her eyes shining with excitement. "It's this taste! The Minced Eggplant I ate today smelled just as fragrant!"

"Little girl, you can tell the difference?" Jiang Weiguo asked from across the table.

"Dad, don't underestimate her. Qianqian usually doesn't even need to taste; she can tell if a dish was made by Jiankang or Jiang Feng just by smelling it," Wang Xiulian said.

"That's amazing!" Jiang Jianye couldn't help but praise.

Jiang Weiguo was taken aback and couldn't help but look at Liu Qian a few more times, a smile appearing in his eyes.

"This dish..." Li Mingyi was slow to react. Jiang Feng's Clear Soup with Bird's Nest Slices was placed inconspicuously among the large bowls.

"This was made by Jiang Feng. He's been obsessed with making this lately," Jiang Jiankang said, complaining with a proud expression. "Come, come, everyone try Jiang Feng's handiwork."

As he spoke, he helped Li Mingyi serve dishes, including quail eggs, tremella, and luncheon meat, without missing anything.

Li Mingyi slowly reached for the tremella in his bowl.

"Jiang Feng's skills have improved quite a bit!" Jiang Jianguo was the first to take a bite of a quail egg, his eyes lighting up.

This dish didn't seem to have any outstanding qualities, but surprisingly, it was hard to find any faults either. Although the proportion of ingredients was poor, it maximized the original flavor of each ingredient to the greatest extent possible.

Jiang Weiguo also picked up a pair of chopsticks and put some tremella into his mouth.

"Ding, hidden quest [Preaching and Teaching] completed. Reward: [A Memory from Jiang Weiguo]."

Li Mingyi trembled as he brought the tremella to his lips.

"Ding, side quest [Li Junming's Wish] completed. Reward: [Deed]."

Two quests completed at the same time?

"Huiqin, Huiqin," Li Mingyi suddenly became confused.

"Huiqin, today isn't my birthday, where did you go?"

"Huiqin, Huiqin." Li Mingyi grabbed Jiang Weiguo, gripping his hand tightly. "Have you seen Huiqin? She must have snuck out again so late. She hasn't recovered from the cold she caught falling into the river last time. Have you seen Huiqin? Tell me where Huiqin is."

"Oh dear, Dad's confused again," Chen Suhua quickly stepped forward. She was strong but moved gently, soon making Li Mingyi release his grip. She coaxed him softly, "Dad, Mom is at home. Your birthday is in two days, isn't it? Mom is preparing a meal for you. Shall we go home to find Mom?"

"But... but... but Huiqin's dishes are already prepared," Li Mingyi reached out, trying to point at the Clear Soup with Bird's Nest Slices on the table. "Where is Huiqin? She must be confused and got the date wrong."

Chen Suhua, unaware of the reason behind the dishes on the table, went along with Li Mingyi's words. "That's right, Mom is waiting for us at home. Let's go home."

"Home, home," Li Mingyi murmured.

"Excuse me, my father and I are leaving," Chen Suhua said to everyone.

"I'll go with you," Jiang Feng quickly followed, supporting Li Mingyi along with Chen Suhua.