The Game of Life

Chapter 603: Chapter 601: The Choice of an Adult

Sun Jikai’s choice of a food stall location was quite good; although it was in an alley, it was easy to find, and the business was booming, much better than the Jewel Building. Jiang Feng and his group had to wait in line at the entrance for several dozen minutes before getting in.

After entering the restaurant, Jiang Feng first glanced at the menu. Although it’s called a food stall, the prices of the dishes were not cheap at all, and in fact, were quite a bit more expensive than those at ordinary restaurants. After Jiang Feng ordered two dishes, he passed the menu to Wu Minqi, who then ordered another dish before handing the menu over to Sun Jikai. Sun Jikai added two more dishes, and only then did the complex and solemn ritual of ordering come to an end.

Originally, Jiang Feng wanted to order two more bottles of beer. After all, how could one not drink at a food stall? It was the perfect time for Sun Jikai to drown his sorrows in alcohol. It would have been just right for each person to drink two glasses. Sadly, Sun Jikai’s alcohol tolerance was poor, and he’d probably sleep until the afternoon tomorrow after downing two glasses.

Before the dishes were served, there was a complimentary plate of sunflower seeds on the table, and Wu Minqi started cracking them open, the cracking sounds of the seeds filled the air, and a small mountain of seed shells quickly piled up in front of her.

“How did you find Jubao Building today?” Sun Jikai asked.

For some reason, Jiang Feng couldn’t explain why but, although Sun Jikai spoke with a normal tone and expression, he sensed an inexplicable air of melancholy—perhaps it was the stubble on Sun Jikai’s face.

Continuing to crack seeds, Wu Minqi indicated with her eyes that it was Jiang Feng’s turn to answer this difficult question.

Hesitantly, Jiang Feng asked, “Do you want the truth?”

Sun Jikai nodded.

“It was really bad,” Jiang Feng said.

“The cooks’ attitude was terrible. They didn’t even properly chop the vegetables; the cubes were not done right nor the strips. It felt like they just haphazardly chopped a couple of times and then threw it into the pan. The stir-frying was also careless, lacking any merit in culinary technique, which gave off a rather perfunctory impression. Apart from the seasoning of the sweet and sour pork being acceptable, there was basically nothing else praiseworthy,” said Jiang Feng. “Based on the few dishes we ordered today, if it were at Taifeng Building, my mom would probably withhold all the quarterly bonuses of the cooks responsible for those dishes.”

“The service was not good either. There was only one waiter working in the main hall. The others were basically gathered together chatting; they pretended not to hear when customers called,” Wu Minqi added.

Sun Jikai shook his head and gave a bitter smile, “The business must be bad too.”

“Not so good,” Wu Minqi said warily.

“That’s normal. Ever since Grandpa was hospitalized, I haven’t paid much attention to Jubao Building’s business. Without anyone overseeing them, the chefs naturally don’t put in as much heart as before, plus lately there’s been some instability in my family, and everyone is waiting to take sides. Things should get better after some reorganization in a while,” said Sun Jikai.

“The chefs in the kitchen at Jubao Building, are they all…”

“Almost all of them are my grandpa’s apprentices,” Sun Jikai preempted Jiang Feng’s question with an answer.

“Then why are they taking sides?” Wu Minqi, the would-be successor to the Wu Family Restaurant with a business model not much different from the Jewel Building’s, raised the question.

“Who knows,” Sun Jikai said with a wry smile.

Sons may not always be of one mind, let alone disciples.

Seeing Sun Jikai like this, Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi knew that his family must be going through an unsettled time, so they didn’t ask further about matters that weren’t solvable by asking, and which would only add to the troubles.

Fortunately, the dishes arrived just then, so everyone could focus on eating and put an end to the conversation.

To be fair, the dishes at this food stall tasted better than those at Jubao Building.

“Oh, by the way, when I went to Jubao Building today, I noticed from the looks of it that your family’s restaurant seems to have recently remodeled. Did you update the interior in the last two years? I think it has quite a unique character,” Jiang Feng said, trying to change the subject while eating.

“Hmm,” Sun Jikai nodded, “We did some refurbishment a couple of years ago and changed the position of the kitchen door.”

“The door?”

“The original location of Jubao Building’s kitchen door was directly opposite a dining table. Although it was at a distance, it would disrupt the customers’ dining when passing in and out, so during the refurbishment, we removed that door and installed a new one somewhere else,” explained Sun Jikai.

After finishing, Sun Jikai began to check his phone as if he was looking for something. After a while, he looked up and said to Jiang Feng, “I just checked, and there doesn’t seem to be any place nearby selling northern-style pancakes. And there aren’t many places that sell northern-style pancakes around here, especially at night. It’s quite rare. Why don’t you take a bean sprout pancake for Grandpa Jiang? It’s a local specialty, and there’s a shop selling them just ahead.”

Jiang Feng nodded, any kind of pancake would do. At worst, he’d just deliver the pancake to the old man and run.

As long as he ran fast enough, Sir’s cursing wouldn’t be able to catch up with him.

The three of them continued to eat and chatted about other matters.

Although they hadn’t seen each other for several months, there were still many topics to talk about, since Sun Jikai almost peered into the Taifeng Building work group chat every day, knowing every tiny detail about the place.

An elaborate meal took over an hour, but even the longest meals had to end. When Jiang Feng finished his last sip of soup, he signaled the end of tonight’s dinner gathering.

“Let’s go buy some pancakes up front, then I’ll drive you back afterwards, so you don’t get lost and can’t find the hotel,” Sun Jikai said, standing up to pay the bill.

Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi followed Sun Jikai to the small pancake shop and waited at the entrance for their pancakes.

“By the way, Sun Jikai,” Jiang Feng suddenly called him.

“Hmm?” Sun Jikai looked puzzled.

“Condolences.” Jiang Feng had mulled over these words for a long time, yet for the past hour, he couldn’t bring himself to say them.

He could only take advantage of such an awkward opportunity, which at least allowed him to voice the words.

“I’m fine,” Sun Jikai said, looking at the bean sprout pancakes about to come off the pan.

“Really, I’m fine. Grandpa told me last year that he didn’t have much time left.”

Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi watched him silently. Jiang Feng felt that Sun Jikai’s current state was similar to Zhang Guanghang’s at lunch that day—they both just needed a chance to speak their minds.

“I was prepared when Grandpa was hospitalized before the New Year. Dragging on in the ICU for so long, I think everyone had time to prepare themselves. Actually, if you’re talking about breaking down, it probably was only when Grandpa refused treatment that night, insisting on being taken off the machines in the ICU, and then I watched him sit in the wheelchair, close his eyes and stop breathing—that was devastating.”

“Moreover, there have been too many chaotic things these past two days. Even if I wanted to grieve, there’s no time for it. When everyone around you isn’t grieving, you feel foolish being the only one. It’s like being an idiot. And if no one else is sad, you tend not to feel very sad yourself; at most, you feel a bit upset, but really, it’s okay.”

“And didn’t you just send me a WeChat message saying you ran into Sun Maochai at the Jewel Building? Actually, before Grandpa passed away, he asked me to invite him back to the Jewel Building, to ask for his help. You’ve seen the state the Jewel Building is in, you’ve tasted the dishes; it’s in terrible shape.”

“Your pancakes are ready.” The owner handed the bean sprout pancakes to Jiang Feng, who took them as Sun Jikai led them toward the direction of the hotel, talking as they walked.

“I asked Assistant Wang to call Sun Maochai today to inform him about Grandpa’s passing, but I didn’t ask for his help with Jewel Building. At that time, I thought I could revive Jewel Building with my own effort, maybe I was a bit hot-headed and resentful. I was a bit angry, feeling that Grandpa would rather entrust the future of Jewel Building to a stranger I had never met than to me,” Sun Jikai said.

Jiang Feng: …

You’re just as you ever were, a ‘chuunibyou’ of thirty years east, thirty years west.

“Now that I’ve cooled down, I kind of regret it. Actually, Grandpa’s decision was the best one. Given the current state of Jewel Building, the only one who can quickly save it is Sun Maochai, and likely the only one willing to save it as well,” Sun Jikai said, looking somewhat like a drunken man even though he hadn’t been drinking.

“Have you ever met Sun Maochai?” Jiang Feng asked.

Sun Jikai shook his head: “Grandpa hardly had any contact with him, and I haven’t met him either. I searched for his photo on the internet a couple of days ago; I doubt I’d recognize him at a glance tomorrow.”

“I think he’s a good person,” Jiang Feng said, “quite amiable, even somewhat benevolent with his glasses on, and surprisingly young-looking for someone in his fifties.”

Sun Jikai looked at Jiang Feng.

“He received the phone call this afternoon, arrived by evening, and even went for dinner at the Jewel Building. I think he’ll agree if you’re willing to ask,” Jiang Feng said with a smile.

“Perhaps,” Sun Jikai said with a smile.

The three of them walked up to the hotel entrance where Sun Jikai didn’t go in this time but waved goodbye and left at the door.

“Fengfeng, do you think he’ll ask Mr. Sun Maochai for help tomorrow?” Wu Minqi asked.

“He probably will,” Jiang Feng replied, pressing the elevator button and standing at the elevator doors with Wu Minqi, waiting for it.

Sun Jikai might have his ‘chuunibyou’ tendencies, but he was no longer a youth.

An adult will make the right choice.