Chapter 877: Extra Story 3: The Rise of Jiang Feng (Part 2) Chapter 877: Extra Story 3: The Rise of Jiang Feng (Part 2) When Chen Xiuxiu arrived at Jiang Feng’s door, holding a bottle of vinegar and a box of century eggs, the dumplings had already been taken out of the pot.

Since they were staying in the city for only two days, Jiang Jiankang and Wang Xiulian did not buy many groceries, and the variety of dumplings was quite monotonous, only cabbage and pork filling and chives and egg filling. Both types were Jiankang’s specialty. Even before starting to eat, just sitting at the table and looking at the steaming big white dumplings was enough to make one’s mouth water.

Yes, the person drooling was Pan Ling.

For Pan Ling, who was stranded in a gourmet desert, anything that came out of Jiang Feng’s family kitchen was a delicacy, no matter who made it.

“Xiuxiu, you’re here! Come, sit down. Mr. Jiang will serve you some dumplings,” Jiang Jiankang warmly greeted her, pulling out the smallest bowl in the house to fill it with dumplings for Chen Xiuxiu.

Chen Xiuxiu walked to the table, handed the vinegar to Jiang Jiankang and the century eggs to Wang Xiulian. Jiang Jiankang, ever so accommodating, took the vinegar and poured a round into the basin before moving it in front of him and starting to eat the dumplings.

Pan Ling: S(deg^deg|||)_
Jiang Jiankang was too busy eating dumplings to talk, but Wang Xiulian was very concerned about Chen Xiuxiu’s recent situation. Seeing that Xiuxiu looked not very energetic and had severe dark circles, she asked with concern, “Xiuxiu, have you been staying up late on your phone recently? Look at these dark circles under your eyes. I must tell you, you young girls shouldn’t stay up just because you have good, young skin. Once you reach my age, it’s too late for remedies.”

“Mrs. Wang, I haven’t been staying up late on the phone,” Chen Xiuxiu explained.

“Xiuxiu has been working overtime writing articles these past few days. The dark circles are probably from that,” Pan Ling interjected.

“Working overtime writing articles? That’s too much! I remember your father telling me you work at some magazine in Magic City. Isn’t it the Little New Year already? Shouldn’t you be on holiday? Why are you still working overtime writing articles? Today’s magazines are just too much. Let me tell you, Feng has an uncle who also works in a magazine in Magic City. This year, he had to work so much overtime that he couldn’t even celebrate the New Year. These magazines are just too much!” As a representative of capitalists, Wang Xiulian started loudly reproaching another capitalist as if she herself weren’t one.

“Xiuxiu, what articles are you having to write that they’re pushing you so during the New Year?” Jiang Jiankang also asked curiously.

“It’s because our boss was provoked by someone. Not only do the magazine staff have to work overtime during the New Year, but even those of us who can go home to write have to work overtime,” Chen Xiuxiu said, glaring at the very person who had caused her to work overtime during the New Year.

The culprit, Jiang Feng, silently lowered his head and continued eating.

“That’s too much, how can they not let people enjoy the New Year? What’s so urgent about the articles that they have to be written during the New Year? Isn’t that just tormenting people?” Wang Xiulian said indignantly, forgetting to even eat her dumplings.

“Mom, don’t get worked up, eat the dumplings, or they’ll get cold,” Jiang Feng said softly.

“What does it matter if the dumplings get cold when the ones your dad made aren’t tasty anyway?” Wang Xiulian retorted.

“Xiuxiu works at ‘Taste’,” Jiang Feng reminded quietly.

“What taste?” Wang Xiulian didn’t hear clearly.

“Xu Cheng’s ‘Taste’!”

Wang Xiulian: …

The air instantly became tense, and the silence that followed was somewhat terrifying.

“Hehehe, it’s a minor thing, just writing articles, right? I remember Xiuxiu always had the best essays. Writing articles must be simple for her, not a big deal. Let’s eat dumplings, let’s eat dumplings,” Wang Xiulian, taken aback that Jiang Feng was the one causing Chen Xiuxiu to work overtime during the New Year, resorted to forced laughter to defuse the awkwardness, burying her head to eat dumplings just like Jiang Jiankang.

Left clueless, Pan Ling had no idea why suddenly everyone stopped talking.

The next day, Jiang Feng continued with class reunions, and Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling continued to mooch meals at Jiang Feng’s house, where the already shriveled radishes and wilted bok choy in the fridge became even more shriveled and wilted.

The third day, Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling continued mooching meals, and Chen Xiuxiu finally finished writing the second article and revised the first one that had been sent back for corrections.

The fourth day, all the Jiang family members went to the countryside to prepare for the New Year.

Chen Xiuxiu and Pan Ling threw away the radishes and bok choy in the fridge, which were now inedible.

As everyone knows, the New Year is the most important holiday for the Jiang family, and the New Year’s Eve dinner is the most anticipated meal of the year for all the Jiang family members.

Where brotherly love and loyalty, maternal affection, and filial piety abound, brotherly disputes are also likely to occur at the New Year’s Eve dinner table. It’s not only a stage for the Jiang family members to show off their appetites but also a platform to showcase their strength and strategies.

Even Jiang Feng, who had achieved quite a bit in the past year, began to look forward to the New Year’s Eve dinner as he headed home.

Since everyone flew back this year and had no cars, they naturally had to take a minibus. The Jiang family, a crowd of over a dozen, directly chartered a minibus.

With nothing else to do on the road, Jiang Feng discussed with Jiang Zaidi, Jiang Shoucheng, and Jiang Ran whether the old man would make Nine Turns Intestine this year, since last year they couldn’t even make it for lacking pork.

Jiang Junqing and Jiang Junlian had it rough; the sisters both performed poorly on their English finals. Aunt Wu took account before the new year, meaning they even had to stand their ground memorizing vocabulary on the minibus.

Not just the younger generation was discussing; Jiang Jiankang and his generation were also deep in discussion, albeit on more profound and technically challenging subjects.

“Not regressing is useless anyway. Now that dad is living with us in Beiping, our house is hardly suited for pig farming. Even if we raised them in a room, the neighbors wouldn’t allow it,” Jiang Jianye sighed.

“If only our family had a courtyard house like Uncle Li’s, where we could raise pigs,” Jianshe expressed his longing to live in a courtyard house.

“Keep dreaming,” Jiang Jiandang rolled his eyes at Jianshe, “San, of all our brothers, you’re the biggest daydreamer. A courtyard house like Uncle Li’s–in the capital, do you have any idea how expensive housing is? Even if we sold all of us brothers, bones and flesh included, we probably couldn’t even afford to buy their bathroom.”

“I was just saying it, can’t I even talk about it? Didn’t you guys like to boast at the dinner table before?” Jianshe suddenly felt annoyed at being dissed.

“Alright, enough of this nonsense. By the way, San, how are things going with the Taifeng Building this year? How much debt can we pay off?” Jianguo quickly changed the subject.

All four of them instantly looked at Jiankang.

Clearly, even though the debt had been long-standing, Jiankang suddenly felt like he had just accrued it, as sweat the size of beans formed on his smooth forehead.

“I… I’m not very clear on it. The business was actually good this year, but in the middle of the year, we faced competition from the top-floor restaurant, and we not only made little profit, it seems we also incurred some losses. Plus, Master Sun’s wages are quite high–it probably earned more than last year, but paying off all debts, that might still take a few years,” Jiankang scratched his head.

“Sigh,” the group let out a debtor’s sigh.

With a mix of meaninglessness, a bit of significance, and endless longing for the Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner, the Jiang Family Members hopped their way to the village entrance.

As everyone entered the house, Sir was accompanying Mrs. Jiang watching a large-scale melodramatic family ethics drama on TV, looking completely disconsolate.

On TV, the female lead, about the same age as Mrs. Wang Xiulian, was enduring false accusations by an unknown supporting character but chose to remain silent with a sorrowful face.

“Dad, we’re back!”

Sir glanced at his five bulky sons, unimpressed.

“Dad, I bought the ham you wanted!” Jianguo held up the ham like a treasure.

“Dad, this is the seafood I had someone buy before the New Year!” Jiandang held up the fresh seafood high.

“Dad, take a look. I just got this goose yesterday!” Jiankang held onto the goose’s neck.

“Dad, I carefully selected these eels!” Jianye carried a bag of eels.

“Dad, I managed to get both the old duck and hen you wanted!” Jianshe held a chicken in one hand and a duck in the other.

The five strapping men lined up, each holding or clutching something, with ingratiating smiles on their faces. Sir sat in the living room watching TV, casting a disdainful sideways glance at them, looking like foreign tributary envoys offering local specialties to the emperor of the Central Plains.

Sir got up.

“To the kitchen, Feng, you come too.”

“Sure thing.” Feng, who had just put away his luggage in his room, came out just in time to hear Sir calling him to the kitchen, thinking he was to help out, “Grandpa, are we processing the chicken, duck, goose, and the eels today?”

“You figure it out, you’re cooking this year’s Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner; I’ll assist you,” Sir said.

Feng was stunned.

The five tributary envoys were stunned.

The Jiang Family Members coming out of their rooms with their luggage were stunned.

Jiankang was so shocked that he forgot to keep his grip on the goose’s neck and let go, causing the goose to run around quacking loudly.

“Quack!”

This was the goose.

“Quack?”

This was Jiankang.

“What?”

This was Feng.

A bolt from the blue.

Great Grandson’s usurpation.

No, rather, succession.

For the Jiang Family, times had changed.