The Game of Life-Chapter 809 - 808 The First Generation Braised Meat

Chapter 809: Chapter 808: The First Generation Braised Meat

Chapter 809: Chapter 808: The First Generation Braised Meat

Half a century ago, Zhaojia Village hadn’t changed much compared to the present; the layout was the same, and Jiang Feng recognized the village’s iconic building from afar—the small shop.

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It should be a supply and marketing cooperative now; it became a small shop only after the cooperative closed down and was bought by a private owner. The building has remained unchanged, now considered the most imposing in the village.

Jiang Weiguo had come by bicycle. In this era of shortage, a bicycle not too old with a changed front part created as much sensation in the countryside as someone arriving by helicopter did during Jiang Feng’s school days.

A big sensation.

Everyone wanted to see it and, if possible, touch it, but Jiang Weiguo was visiting for the first time, not yet officially the betrothed son-in-law of the Zhao Family, so even though the villagers were curious, they dared not show their thoughts.

Zhao Lanhua was already eighteen and had finally started dating this man; if the villagers ruined this, the Zhao’s parents would surely come knocking on their doors.

So, all they could do was look.

And they couldn’t look up close; they had to look from afar so as not to frighten Jiang Weiguo. This led to a strange scene at the restaurant where it seemed all the villagers were peculiar, each person sitting at the entrance eating their meal, bowl in hand, staring at him.

Jiang Weiguo: “What?”

Zhao Lanhua: …

Zhao Lanhua knew why everyone was not eating at home today but had instead chosen to eat at the entrance. If it weren’t for the fact that the man on the bicycle was her partner, she would surely have also sat at the doorway to watch what the bicycle looked like while eating.

It’s fun to watch the excitement until it’s about oneself, then it becomes awkward.

Zhao Lanhua was feeling a bit awkward now.

“That building up ahead is my house, there’s my mom standing at the door,” Zhao Lanhua pointed to a bungalow ahead.

Jiang Feng followed Zhao Lanhua, constantly looking around at the village houses. He could approximately tell which house belonged to whom based on the position of these buildings. These houses were different from the ones in the back; they were still the old houses from half a century ago, mostly having been leveled and rebuilt from bungalows into small buildings.

The Zhao Family’s old house had also been demolished and rebuilt before Jiang Feng was born. This was the first time he saw the Zhao Family’s old house.

Small.

Actually, by area, it wasn’t small, but the Zhao Family was large, ranging from old to young. Zhao Lanhua’s grandmother, also Jiang Feng’s great-grandmother, was still alive. Including Zhao Lanhua’s parents, her elder brother’s family, and Zhao Lanhua’s three unmarried sisters counting her as well, there were a total of nine people crammed into a house with only four rooms, making it seem very small.

Including Zhao Lanhua’s grandmother, eight people were standing at the door, dressed in their most presentable and newest clothes. Zhao Lanhua’s sister-in-law, holding onto Zhao Zhuangshi who was not very articulate, craned their necks to get a distant look at Jiang Weiguo’s bicycle.

As soon as Jiang Weiguo and Zhao Lanhua entered the village, they’d received word.

The village, also called Zhaojia Village, now known as Lower River Production Brigade, was closely interconnected with everyone being related, sharing the same ancestry. Everyone knew that today, Zhao Sanhe’s eighteen-year-old youngest daughter was bringing her suitor home.

By the way, Zhao Lanhua’s father is Zhao Sanhe.

This was a big deal, and Miss Zhao Lanhua’s marriage was something that kept the whole village’s heart involved. Mainly because there weren’t many exciting activities in the village, they had nothing else to worry about. Worrying about someone else’s marriage was the least stressful and least taxing activity.

Just talking was enough; there was nothing else needed.

Zhao Lanhua was also not very sought after in the current marriage market. During those times, everyone preferred to marry healthy, sturdy women capable of hard labor. Zhao Lanhua, being slightly older and rather skinny, once even unhealthily thin, was least favored. Her matchmaking with Jiang Weiguo in the city was purely accidental, initiated because Master Huang was keen on arranging a match for Jiang Weiguo, and Mrs. Hehua, adhering to the strategy of ‘keeping the advantages within the family,’ had always been searching within her own family circle.

Although Zhao Lanhua wasn’t a hot prospect in the rural marriage market, she was quite pleasant-looking. Mrs. Hehua considered that Jiang Weiguo might not like someone too sturdy nor too petite, and it was with this trial attitude that she introduced Zhao Lanhua to Jiang Weiguo, and surprisingly, it worked out.

The people of Zhao Family were very tense.

Jiang Weiguo was also very tense.

Step by step, Jiang Weiguo and Zhao Lanhua walked towards the Zhao Family’s home.

Nearer and nearer.

They arrived.

“Dad, mom, grandma, this is Mr. Jiang Weiguo,” whispered Zhao Lanhua.

No need for much introduction, as both parties were well aware of each other’s circumstances, having just never met face to face. Jiang Weiguo was warmly welcomed into the house and seated next to Zhao Sanhe.

All the tables, chairs, bowls, and dishes were ready; the dishes were mostly served except for the Braised Meat. Everyone took their seats, with Zhao Lanhua sitting next to her mom, Madam Zhao and her two granddaughters on one side, and Lanhua’s sister-in-law sitting with Zhao Zhuangshi and the uncle who looked very ordinary even when young.

The small square table somehow accommodated ten people, though one of them was being held.

Jiang Weiguo took out the wine he had brought and placed it on the table. The elegant bottle immediately caught everyone’s attention, even the Zhao family’s young girls, who had been staring at the scrambled eggs, now turned their focus to the wine bottle.

“Mr. Zhao, this is the wine I bought when I went to FJ before. It’s my first visit and I didn’t know what else to bring, so I just brought a bottle of wine, hope you don’t mind,” Jiang Weiguo said. Though he didn’t talk much, he knew how to handle formal and courteous conversations.

“Wine from FJ, huh? Then I must taste it to see if it’s flavorful enough!”

In fact, Zhao Sanhe didn’t even know where FJ was.

Jiang Feng had no interest in the chitchat around the dinner table. If he really wanted to, he could hear a whole basketful of these during New Year visits without any repeats.

What he was truly interested in was the Braised Meat.

This time, Jiang Feng’s range of movement wasn’t too restricted, and fortunately, the Zhao’s house wasn’t too big, allowing him to just squeeze into the kitchen. Although he couldn’t get close to the Braised Meat, he could at least see and smell it.

The Braised Meat was still in the pot, with large chunks of white fatty meat bubbling. As Zhao Lanhua said, the neighboring village indeed saved the best cuts for their family; and at this time, the best was the fatty meat. In times when pigs generally couldn’t be fed too full, finding such a piece of Wuhua – visibly at least 80% fat – was indeed not easy.

The current Braised Meat was the most traditional and authentic dish of the Zhao family.

The Braised Meat Jiang Feng had eaten before was made by Tian Mei. After experiencing the generation’s Braised Meat, Jiang Feng realized Tian Mei’s version was pretty good as she used generous amounts of ingredients.

Although Tian Mei’s Braised Meat was greasy and not delicious, it was flavored at least, with added spring onions, ginger slices, and soy sauce, resulting in a dish that at least had the color of soy. The Braised Meat Jiang Feng now saw was simply boiled in plain water; it seemed nothing but salt was added – pale meat in unfiltered broth, bubbling and emitting a deathly aroma.

The Braised Meat of this generation was terrifying indeed.

Having closely appreciated the Braised Meat, Jiang Feng returned to the main hall, where drinks had already begun. The uncle looked slightly drunk already, holding his glass with just a little wine left in it, sipping it slowly as if it were some exotic nectar.

“Brother-in-law, how much did you pay for this wine? I feel it’s quite strong; I’m a bit dizzy now.” Indeed, he was dizzy. Jiang Weiguo and Zhao Lanhua weren’t even married yet and the uncle was already addressing him as brother-in-law.

“It was around 13 yuan,” said Jiang Weiguo, very sober.

The uncle sobered up too, startled awake.

Zhao Sanhe was also startled; the loose white liquor sold by the village co-op for two or three yuan was already considered very expensive in their eyes, and now Jiang Weiguo told him this little bottle, less than a kilogram, was thirteen yuan.

This wasn’t drinking liquor, it was like drinking money! Their family scrimped and saved all year only to accumulate a mere ten-plus yuan, and even that wasn’t guaranteed.

Suddenly, Zhao Sanhe felt the dishes on the table seemed insufficient.

To welcome Jiang Weiguo’s arrival, the Zhao family had gone all out for today’s lunch. Stir-fried cabbage, potato slices, wild greens, river shrimp, scrambled eggs, a bowl of tomato and egg soup, and sufficient white rice, they didn’t even boil sweet potatoes or corn. With the braised meat in the kitchen, the meal was more lavish than any feast during the New Year.

But all of this couldn’t hold a candle to a thirteen-yuan bottle of white liquor.

“Is the braised meat ready?” Zhao Sanhe suddenly raised his voice.

Mrs. Zhao, who was quietly speaking to Miss Zhao Lanhua, alarmed by Zhao Sanhe’s shout, swiftly rose, “It should be almost ready, I’ll check.”

“If it’s ready, serve a bowl to Jiang first,” Zhao Sanhe said loudly, turning his head and smiling to Jiang Weiguo, “Lanhua’s mom makes the tastiest braised meat, it’s famous in our village. The meat was freshly slaughtered yesterday, and she started braising it early this morning; don’t be shy, help yourself to more.”

“Okay, thank you Mr. Zhao,” Jiang Weiguo nodded.

Jiang Feng had just been to the kitchen earlier and saw that the braised meat was nearly done, and not long after Mrs. Zhao came out of the kitchen carrying a big pot of braised meat. Three kilograms of meat, piled up in the pot like a small mountain.

The meat was high quality, fresh, naturally-raised pork. After a morning’s long slow-cook, it had turned into this breath-taking dish.

Bright and greasy, the despairingly white, water-braised big meat.

Jiang Weiguo was startled.

The young Jiang Weiguo’s face showed his surprise, not just surprise, but also a hint of fear hidden within the astonishment.

Unlike Jiang Weiguo’s reaction typical of most people, the other Zhao family members at the table brightened up at the sight of the braised meat, and Zhao Zhuangshi, who could barely speak clearly, became excited as soon as he saw the meat. Perhaps cautioned by the older family members before, he didn’t dare get too rowdy and could only repeatedly whisper to his mom about wanting to eat the meat.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to the braised meat, especially to the biggest, fattest piece on top, except for Zhao Lanhua.

Jiang Feng noticed that Miss Zhao Lanhua’s demeanor was a bit odd.

Miss Zhao Lanhua looked somewhat surprised and a bit disappointed, even somewhat confused.

After Mrs. Zhao brought out the braised meat and went back to the kitchen, she brought a dish of soy sauce; obviously, due to a severe lack of seasonings, this generation’s braised meat was not to be braised with soy sauce but to be dipped in soy sauce after.

Zhao Sanhe eagerly served Jiang Weiguo meat, filling his bowl full. Just like Jiang Feng’s previous visits to his maternal uncle’s house, where his uncle enthusiastically served meat to every child of the Jiang family, the Zhao family’s hospitality could sometimes be overwhelming.

Primarily for the stomach to cope with.

“Jiang, eat up, let me tell you, there’s nothing more satisfying than enjoying a bowl of meat after drinking. Look how well Lanhua’s mom made this meat today, so big and fat, just incredible… Oh, I forgot you’re a chef at the state-owned restaurant, your cooking skills must be better than Lanhua’s mom,” Mr. Zhao said as he moved the soy sauce closer to Jiang Weiguo.

Faced with the meat in front of him, he couldn’t refuse.

Jiang Weiguo hesitated.

He paused.

While he hesitated, Mrs. Zhao had already divided the meat among everyone else. The braised meat being the most precious dish of this meal, Mrs. Zhao, the only one in charge of distributing the food, personally did the serving. Each child got two pieces, Madam Zhao, being elderly, couldn’t eat much and also received two pieces, Zhao Sanhe and the uncle got a generous half-bowl each because they were the male heads, Zhao Lanhua, being one of the day’s protagonists, also received a generous half-bowl, and everyone else got a smaller half-bowl.

Everyone had already started eating.

Zhao Zhuangshi wasn’t very skilled with chopsticks and went straight to using his hands. His mother, feeling sorry for him, picked the fattest piece of meat from her bowl and gave it to her son. Zhao Zhuangshi swallowed the whole chunk of white fat without even blinking, leaving only some grease on his lips.

“Jiang, why aren’t you eating? Don’t be shy, treat this like your own home,” Zhao Sanhe thought Jiang Weiguo was being too polite and urged him.

Jiang Weiguo could only reluctantly pick up his chopsticks and chose the least fatty piece in his bowl, dipped it in some soy sauce, and took a bite.

Then he quickly chewed twice and resolutely swallowed it.

Jiang Feng knew this behavior all too well, as they had eaten meat like this back in the day.

Since the braised meat was really unpalatable and greasy, the longer it stayed in the mouth, the more nauseating it became. Chewing it slowly only made the pork’s gamey and stinky taste more apparent. Better a short pain than a long one; after all, dying quickly made the experience somewhat more bearable.

The braised meat passed through the gut, leaving greasiness lingering in the mouth.

It’s just unknown whether dipping it in soy sauce made it even harder to eat.

Jiang Weiguo quickly finished an entire bowl of braised meat.

If at the beginning Jiang Weiguo’s expression had some flaws, and anyone paying close attention could see his pain, his resistance, his despair, by the middle and end of the meal his performance had become impeccable, without a fault to be found. His expressions were natural, his actions swift, his wolfing down the food might even give the illusion that he found the braised meat delicious and that’s why he ate so quickly.

Being a person with rich life experiences, his acting skills were naturally unlike ordinary people’s.

“How was it, Jiang? LanHua’s mom’s braised meat cooking skills are good, aren’t they!” Zhao Sanhe seemed very proud.

After taking a couple of bites of stir-fried wild vegetables to calm himself, Jiang Weiguo composedly said, “It’s very good, auntie’s braised meat skills are really great, LanHua had told me about it before, and indeed it lives up to its reputation.”

“Do you want some more? There’s still some left in the pot,” Zhao Sanhe said cheerfully. The last bit of braised meat in the pot was specifically saved for Jiang Weiguo by Mrs. Zhao, fearing he hadn’t had enough.

Jiang Weiguo decisively changed the topic: “Mr. Zhao, thank you for your hospitality today, going to the effort of preparing such a lavish meal for me. Here, I’d like to toast to you.”

The fog set in.

As the fog formed, Jiang Feng noticed that Miss Zhao Lanhua’s bowl still had a lot of braised meat left, hardly eaten.

Mrs. Zhao noticed it too.

“LanHua, why aren’t you eating? Don’t be shy; it’s okay, look at Jiang and your dad having a good chat. You don’t have to worry about anything later, I’ll talk to Jiang,” Mrs. Zhao thought Zhao Lanhua was too shy to eat because of Jiang Weiguo’s presence.

She didn’t know that whenever Zhao Lanhua went out for dates in the city, it always involved eating: Peking duck, braised spare ribs, roast chicken, red braised prawns, steamed pork… and Zhao Lanhua felt too embarrassed to tell her parents she had gone out to meet a potential match over such feasts.

“No, it’s not that, Mom. Did you perhaps not cook the braised meat correctly today?” Zhao Lanhua asked softly.

“Huh?” Mrs. Zhao was baffled. Jiang Feng would have liked to see what expression Mrs. Zhao had then, but sadly the fog prevented it, and he could only listen.

“I think today’s braised meat isn’t as delicious as before,” Zhao Lanhua said very tactfully.

“It’s quite delicious. I started stewing it early this morning and watched over it all morning; there shouldn’t be any issues, stop overthinking it,” she replied.

Jiang Feng left those memories behind.