Chapter 53

Wang Chenchen left Qian Jianing’s place at ten o’clock—she had to stop by her grandfather’s home first, then return around noon with her family. Among those attending the birthday banquet, only close family and dear friends could come to the house early with birthday wishes; everyone else would go directly to Qian Xiaomi’s Home-style Cuisine Restaurant.

Name cards were already placed on the tables in the main hall and private rooms, arranged according to the order provided by the Li family. Since the main hall had limited table space, guests with slightly more distant ties or lower status were seated in the private rooms.

Li Xiaoyu and Wang Yahan had arrived early. After placing eight cold dishes and two pitchers of homemade drinks on each table, they stood by the door with the guest list, ready to direct guests to their assigned seats.

By now, quite a few people had arrived at the Li family’s three-story house. Wang Chenchen happened to bump into her parents in the courtyard, and the three of them entered together.

“Grandpa, I wish you happiness as vast as the East Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountain!” Wang Chenchen sweetly offered her birthday greeting and, together with Li Shuling, presented her gift.

Li Zhenhai beamed and beckoned his granddaughter over. “You knew it was my birthday, but still came late. I was hoping you’d have breakfast with me.”

Wang Chenchen immediately clung to his arm. “I went to the Home-style Cuisine Restaurant this morning to make a cake for you!”

“You?” Li Zhenhai gave her a once-over and bluntly teased, “With hands as clumsy as your feet, could you make a cake worth looking at?”

Wang Chenchen pouted and tugged on his arm with a drawn-out “Grandpa…” Only when Li Zhenhai burst into laughter did she sheepishly confess, “Of course I didn’t do the frosting. I just stuffed the sponge with canned peaches and sweet red beans, and helped spread the cream inside.”

“Did you have fun?” Li Zhenhai asked, amused.

“Of course! I was happy to do something for you!”

“Your mouth is so sweet, it’s dripping honey,” Li Zhenhai laughed. “Alright, go upstairs and have some watermelon with your cousins. Today’s batch is really sweet!”

Wang Chenchen responded cheerfully and went up to the second floor, where a group of her older male cousins and other kids from the extended family were gathered.

Li Zhenhai had three sons and one daughter. His youngest, Li Shuling, was especially spoiled. All three sons had sons—two or three each. As Li Zhenhai often put it, the house was full of smelly boys, and only his granddaughter was sweet and lovable. Among the third generation, Wang Chenchen was definitely special.

When she reached the second floor and saw all seven cousins there, she called out “Brothers!” and plopped down right between the eldest, Li Yujun, and the second, Li Yujing.

Li Yujun and Li Yujing had been quietly discussing something, and were caught off guard when she squeezed in. Li Yujun gave her a helpless look.

“Where’ve you been running around? Grandpa’s been asking about you all morning,” he said, his face as stern as ever—even with her.

Wang Chenchen scooted backward until she was leaning against Li Yujing. Grinning sheepishly, she said, “I went to Qian Xiaomi’s Home-style Cuisine Restaurant. The owner and chef is a good friend of mine—my college classmate.”

“You really are turning your elbows outward,” a sarcastic voice cut in nearby. “Helping outsiders make money off the family. I heard from my great-aunt this banquet cost a fortune.”

Wang Chenchen didn’t need to look to know who it was. She rolled her eyes, but when she turned, she was all polite smiles. “Chen Lin, this is Grandpa’s birthday. It should be done right. No matter how much it costs, my uncles and mom will cover it. You’re a guest—just enjoy the food and have fun. Don’t worry about the rest.” She paused, then added, “If you’re really interested in party planning, you can organize Great-Uncle’s birthday next time—we’d love to see how you handle it.”

Chen Lin’s face darkened. She had never gotten along with Wang Chenchen. Aside from adults always comparing their grades, Chen Lin deeply envied Wang Chenchen’s luck in life. They were the same age, their grandmothers were twin sisters, but Wang Chenchen’s grandfather was a general while hers had been a farmer. Though their mothers looked somewhat alike, Wang Chenchen’s father was a high-ranking official with exclusive privileges, while hers was an ordinary worker.

She didn’t even think Wang Chenchen was prettier than her, yet Wang Chenchen’s cousins doted on her. When it came to Chen Lin, they were distant and polite. They shared blood too, albeit a bit diluted—wasn’t she a cousin as well?

Even from several feet away, Wang Chenchen could smell Chen Lin’s jealousy. She rolled her eyes again. Seeing this, Li Yujun and Li Yujing both reached over and gave her a light bop on the head in unison.

“Looks like you’re real close with your cousins,” Chen Lin said sourly.

Wang Chenchen glanced at her. “If you’re jealous, go act sweet with your own cousins. Don’t you have several?”

Chen Lin’s nails dug into her palm. How could her cousins compare to Li Yujun or Li Yujing? They could barely take care of themselves, always borrowing money from Grandma. Meanwhile, the Li boys were soldiers, officials, businessmen—outstanding in every way. She dreamed of them being her cousins who could look after her—or better yet, being distant enough that she could marry into the family. But reality was harsh. Not only were they within the five degrees of kinship, their ties weren’t close enough for her to gain anything.

Wang Chenchen didn’t care at all about this distant cousin she saw once or twice a year. She was already chattering with her cousins about how delicious Qian Xiaomi’s restaurant was, how amazing the knife work was, and showering praises on Qian Jianing. In her telling, Qian Jianing was a perfect girl—brilliant, beautiful, talented. There was nothing she couldn’t do.

Listening to this nonstop gushing about a stranger made Li Yujun’s head hurt. He finally stood and checked his watch. “It’s almost time. Let’s head over to the restaurant.” Glancing at Wang Chenchen on the sofa, he added with a smirk, “The food better be as good as you say, or I’m docking your New Year’s money.”

Wang Chenchen jumped up. “What if it is? Do I get double?”

“If Grandpa’s happy,” he said, “you’ll get triple.”

She bounced excitedly. “You’ll regret this!”

Chen Lin trailed behind, sulking, as her cousins walked downstairs laughing. On big days like New Year’s or grandparents’ birthdays, only their direct family was invited. Every time, she had to beg her grandmother to bring her along, hoping those cousins would one day treat her like they did Wang Chenchen.

Downstairs, they saw the famed traditional medicine expert, Zhang Renze, had arrived too. Li Zhenhai’s health had been poor in recent years, and thanks to his close ties with Zhang, they were able to get him to help. Naturally, he had to be invited to this important occasion.

They split into several cars and headed to Qian Xiaomi’s restaurant. Knowing the place belonged to Wang Chenchen’s friend, Chen Lin scrutinized the courtyard the moment they arrived. But with its lush greenery and elegant, antique charm, she felt defeated. She lived in a crowded compound; the only big house she’d seen was Li Zhenhai’s. Even if she wanted to nitpick, she didn’t know where to start.

Li Yujun helped his grandfather into the main room. The first thing they saw was a giant calligraphy scroll on the wall bearing the character for “Longevity,” bold and powerful. Li Zhenhai exclaimed in approval, stepped closer, and noticed the inscription. It was signed simply as “Master Wen Dao,” with a date from five or six hundred years ago.

“I wonder which master calligrapher this was—so skilled, yet his name isn’t in the history books. What a shame.”

In the kitchen, Qian Jianing heard the praise but remained unfazed. She had no idea if the scroll was really that old. All she knew was that the last time Master Wen Dao lost at mahjong, he casually pulled it from his sleeve and gave it to Treasure Bowl. From what Treasure Bowl said, Wen Dao carried at least a thousand such scrolls in his sleeve when he went out to play—he wasn’t afraid of losing at all!

Li Zhenhai sat at the main table beneath the character for “longevity.” The main table was slightly larger than the others, with a nine-tiered tower of longevity peaches placed at the center, looking exceptionally enticing. On one side of the hall, a cake stand held a five-tiered cake topped with a smiling longevity deity, creating a festive atmosphere.

Once everyone was seated, Li Xiaoyu and Wang Yaha began serving the dishes. Each table had eight cold appetizers, twelve hot dishes, one soup, along with noodles, porridge, and fruit. The menu had been set at a budget of 150 yuan per person, and every table included a pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

Back when Li Zhenhai was at war, he had no expectations when it came to food—being half-full was already a blessing. He never dreamed of a day when he could be picky. After the Liberation, life slowly improved, and only then did he learn what it meant to eat one’s fill. As he aged, the ailments caused by hardship in his youth began to surface, and now he relied on medicinal soups to stay healthy. Eating too much cold or rich food upset his stomach, yet he couldn’t go without meat, leading to frequent quarrels with his wife over meals.

Looking at the thinly sliced beef on the table, Li Zhenhai ignored his wife’s warning glances and picked up a piece to put in his mouth. With over a hundred people in the hall, the old lady had no choice but to glare at him fiercely when he looked up, so as not to embarrass him in front of others.

Chewing the beef, Li Zhenhai nodded with satisfaction. “You all should try this. The marinated beef is tender and flavorful—delicious.”

Upon hearing her grandfather speak, Wang Chenchen shot a proud glance at Li Yujun across the table, making a money-counting gesture with her hand. Li Yujun raised an eyebrow and also picked up a slice of the marinated beef. It was half meat, half tendon, tender and flavorful, without any toughness.

After eating two slices, Li Yujun turned his gaze to the spicy quail beside the beef. The quail had been deep-fried, then coated with honey. He picked up half a quail, took a bite, and found the meat fresh, tender, with a spicy-sweet flavor—quite unique.

Only two of the eight cold dishes had been touched when the hot dishes began arriving. The first was sautéed blood cockles with garlic. The cockles were plump and fresh, and even the garlic slices were as delicious as delicacies. After just a few cockles, another dish—osmanthus duck—was brought to the table. The duck was specially sourced from Xiantao.com, and the resulting dish had glossy white skin, rich but not greasy, combining freshness, fragrance, and tenderness.

Li Zhenhai’s eyes lit up when he saw the duck. He quickly grabbed a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. After a few chews, the savory and rich flavor captivated him, and he eagerly picked up another tender piece for his bowl.

“Don’t eat too much—you’ll upset your stomach tonight,” his wife said anxiously, lowering her voice. “Control your mouth.”

Li Zhenhai acted as if he hadn’t heard her, savoring each bite of the tender, flavorful duck. Feeling its silky texture, his face lit up with joy. “Delicious!”

After five dishes, the highlight of the meal arrived: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Qian Jianing personally carried the clay pot from the kitchen and carefully placed it on the main table. “The sixth dish, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”

Zhang Renze stared at Qian Jianing in her crisp white chef’s uniform, not recognizing her at first. After a closer look, he hesitated. “Are you Qian Jianing?”

“Yes, Mr. Zhang. This is my home-style cuisine restaurant.” Qian Jianing gave him a warm smile. “You’re welcome to dine there next time.”

Li Zhenhai looked at Qian Jianing, then turned to ask Zhang Renze, “You know this young lady?”

“Yes,” Zhang Renze replied with a complicated expression. “She’s a freshman at Imperial Capital Medical University and this year’s top scorer in the college entrance exam from Shandong Province. But I didn’t come to know her for either of those reasons. It’s her medical skills—they’re truly remarkable. I’ve been consulting with her about medical issues lately.”

The guests exchanged incredulous glances. Zhang Renze consulting this young girl on medical matters? That couldn’t be! Zhang Renze was a renowned national physician, known across China for his expertise. As for this girl—most had never even heard of her.

While people whispered among themselves, Qian Jianing, wearing heat-resistant gloves, lifted the lid of the clay pot. A rich aroma wafted out immediately. She gently stirred the contents with a ladle, and the meaty fragrance grew stronger with each movement. At that moment, nobody cared anymore about who had better medical skills. Some even forgot the conversation altogether. All eyes were locked on the clay pot, everyone now solely focused on one thing: when could they finally taste this Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?

Qian Jianing took out a small bowl and carefully ladled a portion for Li Zhenhai. At the same time, Li Xiaoyu and Wang Yahan began distributing the other clay pots to each table.

Li Zhenhai picked up his spoon and took a sip of the soup. The moment the rich broth touched his tongue, his taste buds came alive, clinging to the delicious flavor, unwilling to let it slip away.

“So fragrant! So wonderful!” Li Zhenhai praised, his excitement plain as day. “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall has always been my favorite dish, but I never imagined that after eating it so many times, the best version would come from this young lady. What a rare treat.”

At that moment, Wang Chenchen wished she could bury her entire face in the bowl. No wonder her grandfather loved this dish so much—it was incredibly delicious. She had never tasted anything so fragrant before.

In less than three minutes, Wang Chenchen finished her full bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and quickly ladled another spoonful. Just as she was about to pour it into her bowl, she noticed Li Yujun’s bowl was also empty, so she served him first.

“Brother, you finally got leave from the military. You’ve got to eat more.”

Li Yujun nodded in response, but his eyes involuntarily drifted toward the girl standing beside the old man. He took a light sip of the soup, then turned his gaze away and picked up a piece of abalone. As he put it in his mouth, his expression visibly softened—what an incredible taste.