The Game of Life - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Remnants of the Republic of China (II)

Translator: Larbre Studio

Editor: Larbre Studio

Jiang Feng struggled as he stood up.

It seemed like he was in a storeroom, possibly in the backstage of the theater. There were dresses, suits, stage lamps, phones, and all sorts of other old or broken things stacked together.

Jiang Huiqin held a package that was covered tightly with a piece of cloth in her hands.

“What’s wrong with the dress? It was supposed to be a surprise…” Li Mingyi said.

“Everything is wrong with the dress!” Jiang Huiqin scolded. “Shouldn’t I get to choose what I wear?”

“But… Don’t you think it would be funny if you wear that bright red traditional dress?” Li Mingyi raised his voice. “Don’t you think people will laugh at us if I wore a suit and you wore that with a phoenix coronet? We are people who went through Western-style education, aren’t we supposed to have a Western wedding too?”

“Funny? You think it’s funny?” Jiang Huiqin scolded as tears rolled down her eyes.

Jiang Huiqin opened the package she was holding. In it was the Chinese wedding dress that she prepared. She took the jacket part of the dress out and pointed at it with her trembling finger.

“Li Mingyi, is this funny? I spent the last four years embroidering it! My mom died when she gave birth to me, my sister-in-law is dead too, no one was there to teach me how to do it. Do you know how many dresses I’ve ruined just to get this one good one?”

Jiang Huiqin paused and continued.

“You think it’s funny and ugly because it’s not from the tailor you found in Paris, right? But I made this myself! It’s the Chinese tradition that women have to make their own wedding dress! And don’t you dare talk to me about our education. You know that I went to a female school. I didn’t get to learn all that physics and chemistry as you did! All they’d taught me was how to tend to our husband and child!”

Jiang Huiqin then put the jacket back and left.

“Go find some woman who is open as you are! I’m not being a part of your photo!”

Jiang Feng quickly chased after Jiang Huiqin.

As Jiang Huiqin ran down the stairs, she passed by the photographer.

“Miss Jiang, have you considered what kind of photo you and your fiance are going to take?” the photographer asked with a smile.

“I’m not taking the photo anymore!” Jiang Huiqin scolded and ran out of the photo studio.

Lucky for Jiang Feng, Jiang Huiqin wasn’t running as fast as she did last time. At least Jiang Feng could save his ass from hurting again.

Even though Jiang Feng could tell that his great-aunt had a big temper, he also thought that Li Mingyi got what he deserved.

Seriously… Who the hell calls his own fiance old-fashion anyway…

Jiang Huiqin ran until she stopped in front of a dumpling stall.

“A small bowl of dumplings without scallions, thanks,” Jiang Huiqin ordered as she sat down. She put the package down and counted a few coins for the vendor.

The stall was just by the crossroad. The vendor was a man in his 40’s with a slight hump on his back. There were only three tables by the stall, and it’s surroundings weren’t the cleanest either. Oil stains could be seen on the wooden table with splinters shot up here and there.

The vendor took the coins from Jiang Huiqin and wiped the table with a dirty cloth. He then threw the cloth to an empty table before grabbing a handful of dumplings with his grimy hand and threw them into the pot with boiling water.

In just a few minutes, a bowl of dumplings was done.

The vendor added a few drops of aromatic oil into the slightly broken bowl and served it to Jiang Huiqin.

It was an unappetizing bowl of dumplings. Half of the dumplings weren’t even correctly made as they opened up in the broth. Jiang Huiqin didn’t pay much attention to the dumplings either as she kept turning her head back, looking for the person she was waiting for.

A lot of people were walking on the street made from bluestones. A teacher who wore a long-sleeve shirt, a slave wearing a sleeveless shirt, a man with clothing like he was still in high school, and a pretty lady in Cheongsam.

But there was no Li Mingyi.

Jiang Huiqin kept on staring at the street as tears slowly dropped. After staring for a few minutes, she turned her head back and tried one of the dumplings that were already cold.

The moment she took a bite, she cried even harder.

It was so sad to see that Jiang Feng even wanted to hand her a tissue.

In the end, Li Mingyi finally caught up with Jiang Huiqin.

“Why are you here eating dumplings?” Li Mingyi asked.

The moment Li Mingyi opened his mouth, Jiang Feng wished he could help him close it.

Jiang Feng couldn’t help but wonder how a man nearing his 20s had no idea how love worked.

Jiang Huiqin looked at Li Mingyi and said. “I thought you went to find a girl that is more open-minded than me?”

“Since when did I say I wanted a girl like that? What the hell are you even saying?”

Oh my god! Can you shut your mouth for a second?

Jiang Feng so wanted to grab a piece of the dumpling and shoved it into Li Mingyi’s mouth. He started to wonder how Li Mingyi managed to think up all the sweet talk he said yesterday at the theater.

“Don’t talk to me!” Jiang Huiqin turned her head away as tears fell into the bowl.

They remained quiet for a few seconds.

“Come on, stop crying,” Li Mingyi said as he took out a handkerchief and wiped Jiang Huiqin’s face. “We still have a wedding photo to take, don’t we? You don’t want to ruin your pretty make-up now.”

“I thought you said my dress was ugly?” Jiang Huiqin asked in a low voice.

“You are beautiful in anything you wear,” Li Mingyi smiled. “You’re the prettiest girl in the world.”

“Prettier than Ruan Yuling(1)?”

“At least 100 times prettier than her.”

“You liar,” Jiang Huiqing finally laughed.

After that, Li Mingyi took Jiang Huiqin by her hand and went back to the photo studio.

The lady grabbed the man’s hand tightly as if she was worried he would run away.

The scene ended, and Jiang Feng was back in the present.

“Ding! Congratulations on unlocking a new feature. Commencing update.”

“Update in progress. 0% completed.”

“…”

Here it is again. The freaking slow update.

Now that Jiang Feng recalled the memory he just saw, other than Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin’s eye-piercing love story, there was also a dish made by Jiang Chengde.

The Salix Leaf-shaped Bird’s Nest Soup.

Jiang Feng got to see how the dish was made down to every detail from every angle.

The only regret he had was that Jiang Huiqin ran out of the restaurant too early. Jiang Feng did not get to see how the dish was plated.

Jiang Feng sat on the bed as he tried his best to recall the recipe of the dish.

But it was too hard for Jiang Feng to replicate.

Even though Jiang Feng managed to learn how the dish was handled, he did not get to see the way to control the fire nor the correct seasoning. There was also another aspect of the dish that Jiang Feng didn’t catch, the stock that Jiang Chengde had made.

Jiang Feng wished that he could tell the details of a dish just by sniffing it, but alas, he couldn’t.

Jiang Feng was sure that he didn’t have the skill to make the Bird’s Nest Soup yet. After coming out from the memory, Jiang Feng felt energized and decided to take a stroll outside.

It was his first time having some free time after the semester began. He didn’t want to waste it on sleep.

Ji Yue was still drawing on the first floor. Even though Jiang Feng had spent half a day in the memory, only a few minutes had passed in reality. When Ji Yue saw Jiang Feng coming down, she didn’t hide her surprised expression.

“Weren’t you going to sleep?”

“No. I’m going out for a stroll.”

It was just the perfect time for a walk since the food street was at its quietest.

Jiang Feng was thinking of something.

Something that if Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian found out, they would’ve cut him into pieces and boil him in a high-pressure cooker.

(1) Ruan Yuling (26 April 1910 – 8 March 1935) was a renowned actress during the times of the Republic of China.