Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Congee

Compared to Chen Xiuxiu's bare-bones kitchen, the Jiang Family's kitchen had far more complete tools and seasonings. To avoid poisoning his friend, Jiang Feng decided to cook the congee at home first, see how it turned out, and then decide whether to bring it over.

He chopped up the preserved egg, marinated the lean pork, and after a flurry of work, Jiang Feng left the kitchen and quietly waited for the congee to finish cooking.

When he took out his phone, Jiang Feng discovered that Wang Hao had sent him a whole string of messages.

Haozi: Brother Feng, which button do I press to cook rice with the rice cooker??!!

Haozi: Brother Feng, how much water and rice am I supposed to use??!!

Haozi: Brother Feng, what setting should I put the transformer on??!!

Haozi: Brother Feng, save this child!!!

Jiang Feng: ...

You call yourself a child? Anyone in the Jiang Family over 150 pounds didn't count as a child.

After remotely guiding Wang Hao through cooking rice in the rice cooker, Jiang Feng checked his Moments and received Wang Hao's reply.

Haozi: Brother Feng, it's too late...

Haozi: Brother Feng, I'm begging you, come back soon! I miss your claypot pork rib rice!

Jiang Feng: ...

Get lost :)

To repay his roommate for missing him so much, Jiang Feng lifted the pot lid, took a picture of the steaming congee that was not quite done yet, and sent it over.

He put down his phone and began stirring the congee in the pot.

After stirring for around ten minutes, Jiang Feng glanced at the clock in the living room. It was 4:40, not yet dinner time. He turned off the heat, covered the pot, and left it inside to keep warm.

When he opened his phone, as expected, he found a string of Wang Hao's wails and howls.

Thinking about the main quest, Jiang Feng decided to call Wang Hao to ask about the situation and, while he was at it, have him help promote his family's new restaurant, which would be opening soon.

Though Wang Hao had suffered setbacks in love and gained a bodyful of fat he could not lose, he had found success in business. He ran a little convenience store in the dorms and was doing quite well for himself. The dorm leaders of over half the boys' dorm rooms had added him on WeChat.

"Hello." The call was answered quickly, and Wang Hao's resentful wailing came from the other end.

"Brother Feng, you're too heartless. You're secretly treating yourself at home and don't care whether your brother lives or dies." Wang Hao immediately slapped a huge accusation on Jiang Feng.

"...Don't you know how to eat at the cafeteria?"

"During summer break, the cafeteria just keeps serving the same few dishes over and over. It tastes worse than pig slop, there's no air conditioning, and nearly all the restaurants on the food street behind the school are closed. They're practically leaving us students staying on campus over the summer with no way to live," Wang Hao complained.

A City's temperature had not dropped below 37 degrees this summer. It would have been strange for vendors and restaurants to stay open just for a tiny handful of students.

"So you're cooking plain rice in the dorm?" Jiang Feng could not understand Wang Hao's train of thought.

"You don't get it. Plain rice with spicy strips is a great summer cooling food." Wang Hao sighed. "Why did you call me? Just to show off that you get to eat and drink well at home?"

"Let's talk business. Do you know there's a new shop being renovated on the food street behind the school?"

"I do! You got the news pretty quickly! It's such a huge place, two stories too, and they haven't even put up the sign yet. Every day when I pass by, I see several burly men acting as supervisors there. The owner must be loaded!" Wang Hao exclaimed. "What do you think they sell? A security company shouldn't be opening behind our school, right?"

"...That's my family's new restaurant..."

The other end of the call went silent for a moment. Jiang Feng silently moved the phone away from his ear. Sure enough, Wang Hao's scream quickly came through.

"Holy crap, Brother Feng, you really are my brother! A hidden rich second-generation heir!"

"Get lost! I'm poor second generation now. My dad borrowed a huge sum to open the restaurant there, and my family is drowning in debt." Jiang Feng laughed. "You'd better promote it properly on WeChat, or you might see me begging by the bridge someday."

"No problem, but Brother Feng, how good is Uncle's cooking? I never advertise on my WeChat Moments. I can't have my customers block me the first time I post an ad."

"Give it a rest. Customers, my ass, you just run a convenience store. How do you think my cooking is?" Jiang Feng asked.

"You can't find a second person in the entire boys' dorm who cooks as well as you!" Wang Hao praised him with great enthusiasm.

"In my dad's eyes, most of what I cook is pig slop."

Wang Hao immediately got worked up. Whenever Jiang Feng cooked claypot pork rib rice in the dorm, its fragrance would drift for miles and shake the entire dorm building. If that counted as pig slop, he was willing to eat pig slop for the rest of his life!

"No problem. I'll rent out my Moments to you for a whole year of advertising! Forget the ad fee—how about you cover three meals a day?" Wang Hao said slyly.

"You won't go hungry." Jiang Feng felt he had to remind Wang Hao. "You'd better exercise more. If you keep expanding sideways, you'll hit 200 pounds."

"How could it be that easy to reach 200 pounds?"

How was it not easy? Look at everyone in the Jiang Family except me—who didn't effortlessly pass 200 pounds?

After chatting with Wang Hao for a few more minutes, Jiang Feng hung up.

He checked his phone. It was 5:15. Perfect. It was not too early for dinner at this time.

Holding a bowl of warm preserved egg and lean pork congee, Jiang Feng knocked on the neighboring door.

A bowl of preserved egg and lean pork congee with the wrong ingredient proportions.

Though the proportions were off, Jiang Feng took a taste and found that it was decent.

Chen Duxiu opened the door. Was he actually home?

"Uncle Chen, I came to bring Xiuxiu some congee," Jiang Feng said.

Chen Duxiu was somewhat surprised. "Congee?"

"Her stomach problem flared up this morning. Doctor Chen told her to drink congee for a few days," Jiang Feng explained.

"This child, how did she end up with a stomach problem?" Chen Duxiu muttered as he walked inside. "You've really troubled yourself, Xiaofeng."

"It's nothing."

Chen Xiuxiu was sitting on the sofa watching television. A cup of plain water sat on the coffee table in front of her. When she saw Jiang Feng arrive with a bowl of congee in his hands, she stood up to pour him some water.

"Preserved egg and lean pork congee?" Chen Xiuxiu caught the scent.

Jiang Feng nodded.

"I don't eat meat."

Chen Duxiu became anxious and scolded her, "What kind of thing is that to say? Xiaofeng kindly cooked congee for you, and you're still being picky?"

"It's fine. I picked out the meat and preserved egg," Jiang Feng said readily. "Uncle Chen, would you like to come to my place for congee? I can stir-fry a few small dishes for you too."

"How could I impose like that?" Chen Duxiu was clearly tempted.

"It's fine. You can try my cooking while you're at it." Jiang Feng smiled.

"The Jiang Family's cooking has always been beyond reproach. Back when your grandfather was still the head chef at the State-run Restaurant, the smell of food drifting out from there made all us little brats drool. Every day, we tried to curry favor with your dad and uncles just to mooch a bite of food."

"When I was little, I gave all my New Year pictures and clay figurines to your dad and eldest uncle."

"But your grandfather's cooking really was delicious. Even your dad couldn't match that skill."

As Chen Duxiu followed Jiang Feng to his home, he reminisced about the old days.

Comrade Jiang Weiguo's cooking skills were indeed exceptional. Every New Year, whenever the whole family gathered and the old man cooked, the Jiang Family would be as happy as if it were a holiday—though it really was New Year...

Still, there was no denying that the old man's cooking remained the pinnacle among the Jiang Family's cooks.

Jiang Feng served out two bowls of congee. Just as he set them on the table, he heard the system notification.

"Ding, gained 9 experience points."

"Ding, gained 12 experience points."

"Ding, gained 12 experience points."

It seemed Chen Xiuxiu was very satisfied with this congee.

"Uncle Chen, have some congee first. I'll go stir-fry a couple of dishes." In high spirits, Jiang Feng walked into the kitchen.

"Ding, gained 2 experience points."

Jiang Feng turned his head and saw Chen Duxiu holding his bowl of congee.

Tsk.

Stingy.