Chapter 64

Back home, the scent of sizzling fireworks still hit him full force.

Upon closer inspection, it was truly the smell of fireworks.

His father, Jiang Fuzhen, was grilling with several others on the balcony. The door between the living room and balcony stood open, letting the smells of charcoal, grilled meat, and seafood flood his nose.

“So lively. Uncle Four, Aunt Five… Aunt Hua, Aunt Liu…” Jiang Yuan greeted each one in turn, changed his shoes, and joined them on the balcony.

“You just said you were coming back, but never told me when—so I made barbecue for dinner; no matter when you walk in, it’ll be fresh. First, have a bowl of mutton soup.” Jiang Fuzhen called it dinner barbecue, yet beside the grill, a pot still simmered with mutton soup—only the stripped bones, cracked in half, boiled without any seasoning, the scum meticulously skimmed away until the broth was crystal clear, making the uninitiated think it was too thin.

Inside the soup, Jiang Fuzhen had added two small rib pieces; unlike other cuts, the clean ribs with bone still held a slight chewiness even after long boiling, tender to bite but resilient to chew.

Jiang Yuan sat beside the grill, holding his steaming bowl of soup, sipping slowly and eating meat while listening to everyone’s chatter.

His mother had left long ago; he and his father had relied on each other. The perfect afternoons of his youth had been boiling a pot of mutton soup, sitting around the fire with villagers talking.

Back then, the mutton soup was pure bone broth; the rare one or two bits of meat would always go into Jiang Yuan’s bowl.

No matter how poor their circumstances, as long as someone didn’t mind their mutton soup and came to drink it, Jiang Yuan and Jiang Fuzhen were delighted. The chatter of others was the best cure for loneliness and emptiness.

After finishing the bowl of soup, the anger, bitterness, confusion, and doubt that had built up inside Jiang Yuan seemed to vanish with the wind.

“Here, have a skewer.” Uncle Three enthusiastically shoved three skewers of meat into Jiang Yuan’s hands.

“Thanks, Uncle Three.” Jiang Yuan smiled.

A dog, following Uncle Three’s hand, sidled up to Jiang Yuan and sniffed curiously at his hands and clothes.

The dogs in Jiang Village were sometimes purebred, but most were mixed. It wasn’t that they disliked purebreds’ looks—mainly because they couldn’t control their nocturnal or daily antics, so even fine purebreds, after a while, produced only mixed offspring.

Over time, Jiang Village residents gave up chasing purebred pedigrees and developed their own aesthetic.

This dog before him had the body of a Pomeranian, hints of a Beagle, possibly some Shih Tzu genes, and its head shape seemed to carry traces of local mongrel blood.

Jiang Yuan absentmindedly patted the dog’s head; its fur was finer and softer than a Rottweiler’s, but its head wasn’t bald like a Rottweiler’s.

The dog stretched its neck, sniffing desperately at the smell on Jiang Yuan’s arm.

“Sharp nose. I’ll make you some food later.” Jiang Yuan patted the dog’s head, preparing to review his LV5 Dog Food Skill again.

Jiang Fuzhen heard Jiang Yuan’s words, swallowed his bite, and said, “If you’re cooking, make some for everyone—there are so many people here; eat together.”

“I was just thinking of making something for the dog,” Jiang Yuan said with a wry smile.

Jiang Fuzhen replied calmly, “People eat what the dog eats. Your Uncle Three’s dog doesn’t picky.”

Jiang Yuan explained, “I mean dog food—prepared specifically for a dog’s needs.”

“Dogs eat what people eat. We don’t pick either.” Jiang Fuzhen tossed a bone under the table; the Hui Bo Xue Tu dog whimpered, snatched it up, sniffed Jiang Yuan’s sleeve as it chewed, its expression thrilled.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

What could Jiang Yuan say? Say more, and he’d sound lazy.

Still, LV5 Cooking [Dog] contained vast information, and dog food varieties were numerous.

Jiang Yuan picked harmless ingredients from the fridge and began cooking in the family’s large pot.

Not bad—his father’s massive iron pot could boil a whole sheep in the city, or enough pig feed for ten pigs in the countryside; perfect for large-scale cooking.

A small amount of beef diced, a small amount of mutton cubed, plenty of vegetables washed and prepped—each ingredient handled and stir-fried separately.

Because it was dog food, seasoning was minimal. But just before serving, using the technique left by Uncle Seventeen, he added salt, pepper, and other seasonings to the portion meant for people…

Aside from the Hui Bo Xue Tu’s meal, Jiang Yuan mixed the rest into plates in a blended style. When everything was ready, he turned with the food—and saw several people already standing at the kitchen door.

“Smells amazing,” Uncle Three, holding the dog, licked his lips, staring at the plates.

Aunt Hua nodded: “Jiang Yuan’s food smells good, looks good, and has so many varieties. Today’s youth really know their stuff.”

Jiang Yuan smiled and stepped aside half a space. “Taste will tell. One portion each—help yourselves. The one on the far end is for the dog.”

“This guy’s getting lucky today,” Uncle Three kicked the Hui Bo Xue Tu lightly, yet his tone was delighted. He was older than Jiang Fuzhen, spent his days collecting rent, walking from building to building, neighborhood to neighborhood, always accompanied by the Hui Bo Xue Tu—even grilling outside, he brought the dog. Clearly, his affection was genuine.

He placed the dog’s meal on the floor; the Hui Bo Xue Tu, sniffing the scent, grew ecstatic. Unlike Da Zhuang, who had years of training and a handler’s discipline, it now leapt up eagerly, barking joyfully.

Uncle Three, fearing disturbance, shouted, “Stop barking, or no food!”

The Hui Bo Xue Tu barked twice in protest, its big, watery eyes wide as clock faces.

Jiang Fuzhen laughed. “Let it bark. Downstairs is just storage—sound won’t carry far.”

Uncle Three moved his foot, allowing the Hui Bo Xue Tu to eat.

The dog, half an arm’s length long, tried to crawl into the bowl. Inside, only the sounds of slurping and chewing remained, no barking.

Watching the dog, they all laughed, each taking a plate and eating in the dining area.

Soon, the room held only the sounds of eating, no talking.

The group ate with total immersion, as if racing the Hui Bo Xue Tu for speed.

Jiang Yuan himself found the food delicious.

The dish contained many ingredients, each prepared separately and retaining its own flavor—something even high-end restaurants rarely did. Moreover, the pairing and preparation of ingredients themselves required skill, and the cooking process enhanced the flavors further…

“Jiang Yuan’s food today? I could open a restaurant with this,” Aunt Hua, the first to finish, slammed her bowl down, wiped her mouth, and declared, “Tastes better than the Michelin stuff I ate abroad.”

“Honestly, those carrots—I bought the exact same kind at home—and he made them taste completely different.”

“The meat was cooked perfectly—not too soft, not too hard.”

“Probably just right for a dog’s teeth…”

When everyone was full, half the pot remained.

“So much left—what do we do?” Aunt Hua frowned at the leftovers.

“I remember there are stray dogs by the back door. I’ll take the rest to them.” Jiang Yuan had intentionally cooked extra, planning to give it to strays.

Chen Manli’s legacy clearly stated her cooking was meant for stray dogs. Jiang Yuan didn’t have to follow it, but if he had the chance, he felt he should offer some care.

Aunt Hua, however, hesitated. “Why give it to strays? They scavenge garbage anyway. Just divide it among villagers—it’ll be gone.”

“We can’t just send leftovers to everyone because we have extra,” Jiang Yuan smiled. “How about you take some home, and I’ll give the rest to the strays?”

Though he said that, Jiang Yuan first set aside a large portion of dog food for the strays.

The rest, Aunt Hua and the others promptly divided among themselves.

Then everyone helped clean the kitchen and balcony, stacking dishes and pots into the giant dishwasher, before gradually leaving.

Only the Hui Bo Xue Tu lingered, circling the takeout boxes at first, but when its owner prepared to leave, it suddenly barked twice and bolted away.

Uncle Three froze. “Tiechui, come home! Where are you going?”

The Hui Bo Xue Tu only ran faster.

Uncle Three chuckled apologetically, his old back creaking as he chased after the dog.

Fortunately, Jiang Fuzhen’s house, though large, was neatly rectangular; soon, Uncle Three cornered the dog.

“Woof! Woof woof!” Tiechui bared its teeth.

*Slap!*

Seeing the teeth, Uncle Three swung a palm. Rural families didn’t indulge in fancy dog manners—any dog that bared teeth got a good beating.

The Hui Bo Xue Tu was cute and usually pampered, but since its name was Tiechui, it knew its master’s iron fist. Memories flooded back; it instantly curled into a ball.

“See? Time to go home,” Uncle Three picked up the dog, waved goodbye to Jiang Fuzhen and Jiang Yuan.

Tiechui clung to Uncle Three’s shoulder, its big, sparkling eyes seeming to well with tears.

“Woof woof woof!” Tiechui barked frantically at Jiang Yuan—its voice still audible even after the elevator doors closed.

Jiang Yuan tidied up, picked up the leftover dog food, and went to the back door.

Three stray dogs were eating leftover scraps someone had left by the back door.

Jiang Yuan placed his own food a little farther away and quickly left.

Watching the three strays hesitate, Jiang Yuan strangely felt a flicker of Chen Manli’s emotion.

Back home, Jiang Yuan returned to his desk, took out his notebook, and silently flipped to the latest page.

He had a habit of recording important accounts. In earlier years, when the family still owed debts and sometimes had to buy on credit, Jiang Yuan feared his father might forget someone’s debt, so he kept his own records.

The habit continued. Now, in spare moments or when emotionally unsettled, he preferred to review the ledger.

He uncapped his fountain pen, thought for a moment, and wrote one line on the new page:

First time receiving a business trip allowance: 180 yuan per day, 13 days, total 2340 yuan. Also received father’s allowance: yuan. Total: yuan.