The Game of Life TGOL

Chapter 512: Chapter 510: Mutton Soup

The New Year’s Eve dinner refers to the dinner on the Lunar New Year’s Eve. Its significance lies in family reunion and celebrating the New Year together, usually accompanied by staying up late and giving out red packets, among various other celebratory activities.

Before Jiang Feng was obliged to help Sir in the kitchen, spending time before the New Year’s Eve dinner mostly meant idling away the hours in his room. This was how most of the Jiang family members spent New Year’s Eve.

It could be said that, for the Jiang family members, New Year’s Eve only came alive at the moment the New Year’s Eve dinner began. The time before dinner was like a tasteless black-and-white print, with everyone idly waiting to eat, neither allowed in the kitchen nor willing to snack on anything else—just enduring hunger and biding time, waiting for the last and most splendid moment of the year to arrive.

But that was the New Year’s Eve dinner of past years.

As the saying goes, your experience shapes your perspective. When Jiang Feng was merely someone with a ticket to the feast, he thought all of this was reasonable. But when he became the referee holding the whistle, his feelings were totally different.

While busy working in the kitchen, Jiang Feng couldn’t help thinking, “Grandpa and I work so hard in the kitchen, while you all do nothing, just eagerly waiting outside, hungry, for the meal to be ready…”

It was indeed… too awesome.

The feeling of holding the entire family’s dining fate in his hands was just too awesome!

Jiang Feng was chopping the mutton, which had been cleaned of blood vessels and lymph from the skin, and he was secretly thrilled.

At that moment, he deeply understood why Sir had never allowed anyone in the kitchen on New Year’s Eve, and even sticking one’s head around the corner could earn a scolding.

Having total control over the family’s meal menu, what I make is what you eat, what I create is what you praise. Everyone strategically maneuvering, meticulously planning, feinting and strategizing—all to fathom the chef’s intentions. It was this sense of absolute authority and monarchic power that felt just too awesome!

Jiang Feng might still be just a great-grandson cutting mutton, but he was already feeling the scorching thrill of the throne.

“Feng, check if the meat in the pot is ready. If it is, take it out,” Sir commanded.

“Yes, Grandpa,” Jiang Great Grandson put down the cleaver and went to check the pot.

Morshock’s final product was 16 soup-based dishes, all using lamb offal as the main ingredient, but each dish used a different cooking technique. Just from last night alone, Sir led Jiang Feng in making the stuffed tripe, which resulted in 5 or 6 different dishes, exploring frying, sautéing, boiling, and steaming—though they all ended up as soupy dishes.

Jiang Feng’s task for the morning, besides watching over the lamb soup in the pot, was to assist Sir in making Morshock. He helped in everything from slicing to marinating to coating.

The first thing Jiang Feng did when he arrived in the kitchen that morning was to stew lamb soup. Lamb soup doesn’t need too many seasonings, just minced lamb bones and meat with a little salt and simple spices. For the first hour in the kitchen, Jiang Feng primarily skimmed scum from the lamb soup. Only after confirming there was no problem with the soup did he go to help Sir handle the lamb offal for the Morshock.

Hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, kidneys—these offal ingredients usually overlooked by people, became exquisite under Sir’s hands. Sliced, shredded, chunked, diced, complemented with vegetables, and lamb broth, the original ingredients transformed in the original soup. These lamb offal dishes were neatly plated, skillfully arranged, shedding the preconceived notions of unpleasant and strong offal odor and moving closer to the word “delicious.”

Sir, having served as a state-owned chef for many years, had undertaken quite a few banquets, especially after Mrs. Jiang bore him five strapping boys. Under the substantial burden of raising sons, Sir had no choice but to start taking on extra work. Therefore, he had an extraordinary ability to control the timing of serving dishes.

Even though there were many dishes and tools, Sir organized everything in an orderly manner. He was not only able to precisely plan his own time but also Jiang Feng’s, showing a clear mastery of the situation.

For the entire morning, Jiang Feng and Sir were dealing with lamb.

Closer to noon, after a whole morning of bustle, Sir finally took a break. Showing a trace of fatigue, he rubbed his back but did not forget to instruct Jiang Feng, “Feng, check on the lamb soup in the pot, will you?”

Jiang Feng obediently went to check on the lamb soup.

Stewing lamb soup isn’t like making ordinary pork rib soup; it’s a technical task.

A skilled cook can make an inexpensive but delicious dish just by using lamb meat, bones, and offal. For the unskilled, like Chen Xiuxiu’s friend Pan Ling, whether the soup turns out to be poison or a biological weapon depends on her mood.

Jiang Feng lifted the pot lid— the lamb soup had started to turn white and there was a faint mutton smell.

Jiang Feng wasn’t skilled enough to make lamb soup without any mutton smell, but there were ways to enjoy the soup with or without the mutton flavor. Some people detest it, while others believe that without it, it’s not good lamb.

As they say, different strokes for different folks. But in the Jiang Family, what the chef makes is what you eat, whether you prefer radishes or cabbage.

To make the soup turn white, apart from adding milk, is to use bones.

Jiang Feng stirred the lamb soup with a spoon, skimming off the tiny bit of scum on the surface.

“Grandpa, the lamb soup has started to turn white,” Jiang Feng reported.

Sir nodded, “It should be ready by evening. Did you finish chopping the lamb filling?”

“I finished it. We didn’t have enough scallions, so I made two kinds of dumpling fillings, one with scallions and lamb, and the other with radish and lamb.”

Sir was the first to leave the kitchen, “Let’s go, take a break outside. Call your dad and your eldest uncle to knead the dough. Let your grandma lead them in the living room to make dumplings this afternoon.”

“Right away, Grandpa!” Jiang Feng went out to deliver the decree.

Since this year Jiang Junlian and Jiang Junqing were under no pressure to study for exams, they naturally didn’t study much, which also meant that the several cousins, including Jiang Feng, didn’t have to be dragged by the two heavyweight younger cousins to tutor them with their homework. Therefore, this year, everyone didn’t scatter and hole up in their rooms but gathered in the living room. Some played on their phones, some watched TV, and some bragged and boasted.

This group behavior greatly facilitated the decree-delivering Jiang Feng, who didn’t have to notify everyone individually but just had to speak once.

Originally, Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jianguo, who were sitting in the living room facing each other and bragging, didn’t show much reaction after stopping and cheerily went to knead the dough after receiving the orders.

On the other hand, Jiang Shoucheng, who was always known for his cunning and shrewdness, sensed something unusual after hearing Sir’s command.

In the past, the Jiang family would gather to make dumplings on the first and second day of the new year. Starting to make dumplings on New Year’s Eve was indeed unprecedented.

Jiang Shoucheng quietly put down his phone and asked tentatively, “Little brother, why are we making dumplings so early this year?”

“Grandpa said there aren’t many fancy dishes for this year’s New Year’s Eve dinner, and he worries that everyone won’t be full, so he suggested making mutton dumplings. If anyone isn’t full, they can boil the dumplings and pour some mutton soup over them,” Jiang Feng explained, “And yesterday, Old Madam Li and her family especially brought pork for us. Grandpa means to send a bowl over to their home after cooking the dumplings tonight, as dumplings taste better eaten fresh and hot.”

No! Fancy! Dishes!

All Jiang family members, except for Mrs. Jiang, couldn’t help but shiver, and Jiang Jiankang and Jiang Jianguo unconsciously stopped in their tracks.

At this moment, the princes and grandsons of the Jiang family displayed all of their acting skills, even Jiang Ran, who had been criticized for his bad acting last year, managed to control his facial expression remarkably well.

“Mutton dumplings are good, mutton dumplings are delicious. Little brother, what dishes is Grandpa preparing for tonight?” Although Jiang Shoucheng’s heart was racing, he didn’t show it at all and probed without betraying his emotions.

Trying to trick me?Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Trying to cheat in tonight’s literary battle?

Jiang Feng keenly sensed Jiang Shoucheng’s true intention, gave him a look, yet didn’t think it was about cheating. If he wanted to cheat, there would be no need to ask such an outright question in front of everyone.

Jiang Feng hesitated, not sure of Jiang Shoucheng’s real intention, and could only vaguely say, “Just the full mutton feast Grandpa mentioned, with mutton dishes as the main, right?”

“Are there any fancy dishes?” Jiang Shoucheng probed even more blatantly.

“Fancy dishes are just the same old few, like the pig’s knuckles and such. Grandpa said there’s not enough pork this year, so we won’t make steamed pork with preserved vegetables,” Jiang Feng said. Seeing Jiang Shoucheng still staring at him, he could only throw out two incorrect options, “And since mutton dishes are troublesome to make, and I’m not good at them, Grandpa will have to make them alone. We definitely won’t have dishes like roasted lamb ribs or lamb legs.”

Fearing that if he stayed in the living room any longer, he’d be tricked into saying more by Jiang Shoucheng, Jiang Feng left them with, “I’m going to take a half-hour nap,” before slipping back to his room.

He left behind a living room full of Jiang family members in utter chaos.

“What do we do, what do we do, Little Brother said this year we won’t even have roasted lamb ribs or lamb legs for New Year’s!” Jiang Junlian, who was younger in age, couldn’t contain her impatience and blurted out, her math final failure hadn’t even made her this anxious.

But then again, failing a math exam was not something worth getting anxious about for Jiang Junlian.

After all, she was still at the high school level where failing didn’t require make-up exams or retaking the course.

“It’s all your fault, De, why did you have to buy a sheep of all things? Mutton is so difficult to prepare, and you know very well that grandpa is getting on in years, yet you still let him strain so much. Grandpa is alone, how could he possibly make so many dishes, and Little Brother doesn’t know how to cook mutton dishes,” Jiang Shoucheng was quick to pass the blame.

“Yeah, De, it’s really due to your lack of consideration. Before buying the sheep, you should have considered whether Grandpa’s old age would allow him to cook it, you didn’t think about Grandpa’s health at all,” Jiang Jianguo chimed in, his words showed no trace of familial affection.

“De, as someone who’s getting on in years and almost at the age to get married, your dad was already two when he was your age. You should think carefully about the consequences before you do something in the future,” Jiang Jianshe spoke seriously and with concern.

Jiang Zaide: ???

Was it just because he was a bit slow in passing the blame that everything got dumped on him?

“Enough, is it that big a deal not having roasted lamb ribs or lamb legs? Jianguo, Jiankang, aren’t you two going to knead the dough yet? We’ve got so many people waiting to wrap dumplings,” Mrs. Jiang spoke up, smiling as she handed a bunch of sunflower seeds to Jiang Junlian, “Junlian, don’t fret, when has your grandpa ever let you go hungry?”

“Feng already said we’re having a full mutton feast this year. Who decreed that a full mutton feast must include roasted lamb ribs or legs? There are plenty of good things—it’s nonsensical for you lot to fixate on these two pieces of meat. So what if we miss out on a bit of pork? Just look at how spineless you all are.” Mrs. Jiang looked at her sons and grandsons with disdain, and finally sent an approving glance towards the always unfazed eldest daughter-in-law, “Learn a bit from the eldest daughter-in-law.”

“Feng, that boy, can’t keep his mouth shut, blurting out everything. Junlian, didn’t you just say you wanted to show grandma your final exam essay? Come on, bring your test paper to let me see how well our Junlian has written,” Mrs. Jiang defused a pointless commotion with just a few words.