George was too excited earlier and hadn't noticed, but when he got the secret recipe again, he saw it stated: The beef must be from a calf less than one year old, born in September, and slaughtered in May.
Of course, there were also some other outrageous demands on the menu.
Looking at the secret recipe, George's face grew uglier and uglier. Finally, he angrily crumpled the paper into a ball, threw it into the trash, and grumbled, "Shit, I knew she looked down on me. She never treated me like family."
As the saying goes: The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
This time, George was clearly heartbroken.
"George, don't be like that. Mom isn't that kind of person. She was just joking with you..." Mary consoled her husband, "I'll talk to her again and get her to give you the secret recipe."
"No need, I don't care for it." George was in a fit of pique and continued to grumble, "You are the family. Don't worry about the feelings of an outsider like me."
"Please, don't say that, George..." Mary tried to continue comforting her husband.
Just then, a red mini sports car pulled up outside Cooper's house.
"Hello, Mary, George." Pastor Jeff, sitting in the passenger seat, leaned out halfway and greeted them with a smile, "What are you eating? I can smell it from ten kilometers away."
Mary, being a Christian, became a little more reserved when she saw Pastor Jeff. She responded with a smile, "We're having a picnic. There's some brisket left here. Would you like to try some?"
The rules of Christianity are very relaxed; one can eat meat, drink a small amount of alcohol, and even smoke.
However, in some regions, Christianity, 'because smoking is harmful to health,' makes it mandatory for followers not to smoke.
Of course, the local church, due to Pastor Jeff's mild temperament, did not have such a rule.
"Thank you, no need. We just ate at the restaurant." Pastor Jeff declined the invitation.
"Oh, really?" Mary said, "That's a shame."
Although Cooper and Pastor Jeff were neighbors, out of respect for the pastor, Mary rarely disturbed Jeff privately, so the two families did not interact much.
At this moment, even if Mary wanted to chat more with Pastor Jeff, she couldn't find a topic.
The scene immediately fell silent.
Judging by the situation, Pastor Jeff should have tactfully left at this point.
However, he kept the smile on his face, watching Cooper eat.
Just as the atmosphere was about to reach the awkward critical point, Pastor Jeff made small talk, "George, today's football game was great. And Mike and Georgie, you all did great..."
"Thanks." George responded without much enthusiasm.
He was still thinking about the brisket secret recipe.
Mike also nodded in response. His attention was no longer on Pastor Jeff, but on the woman in the red dress beside him.
This was the first time Mike had seen Pastor Jeff's new wife.
The woman wore a red low-cut long dress, and her skin was so pale it seemed bloodless.
Moreover, this woman's enchanting and voluptuous figure was definitely no less than June's. However, compared to her figure, the aura she exuded gave people a very "cold" feeling.
Facing Mike's gaze, the woman revealed a perfect smile.
Under her exquisite makeup, those charming eyes were very captivating.
In all respects, this woman could be considered outstanding. However, her presence at this moment gave Mike a very bad feeling.
His sixth sense told Mike that this kind of "dangerous" feeling last appeared with Jennifer.
To avoid showing any abnormality, Mike continued to eat with his head down, but a faint, almost imperceptible stench wafting from his nose made him frown.
This stench was hard to describe, like the smell of a long-dead, rotting rat in a sewer.
On the other side, Pastor Jeff made a few more awkward remarks but still showed no intention of leaving.
Seeing this, Mary took the initiative to ask, "Pastor Jeff, is there anything you need help with?"
"Ahem..." Pastor Jeff, his thoughts seen through, awkwardly adjusted his tie and said, "Well, the church is planning a picnic for the faithful in the suburbs this weekend. It's just that Susan, who is in charge of logistics, hasn't been feeling well recently and might not be able to go. So..."
Aunt Susan's identity, to put it nicely, was Pastor Jeff's secretary. In reality, she was equivalent to the church's handyman.
For the picnic, she was needed to act as the chef.
Mary understood Pastor Jeff's meaning and said with interest, "If Susan really isn't convenient, I can go help."
"That would be great!" Pastor Jeff had been waiting for this very sentence. He said with a smile, "Don't worry, Mary. You only need to prepare some food that day; the work is very simple."
"No problem." Mary guaranteed, "I'll call my mother. Her secret brisket recipe is delicious; I guarantee everyone will be satisfied."
However, Mary didn't notice that when she mentioned Connie and the brisket, George's face grew even uglier.
There, Pastor Jeff's goal had been achieved, so he smiled and bid farewell to Cooper.
Then, he said to his wife, "Selena, let's go."
"Okay." Selena responded, then greedily glanced at Mike, who was still looking down, and drove away.
After the car drove off, Georgie excitedly said to Mike, "Did you see that? That woman is so beautiful. I feel she's much more charming than the girls at school. Pastor Jeff is truly blessed..."
Compared to Pastor Jeff's ordinary appearance, Selena could indeed be considered "gorgeous."
And an older woman with the 'wife' attribute had an astonishing destructive power on a half-grown boy like Georgie.
"Georgie, don't talk about people behind their backs; it's very impolite." Mary, a Christian, was immersed in the upcoming church work and immediately spoke to stop her eldest son when she heard his words.
Georgie saw his mother's stern look, pouted, and dared not say more.
Afterward, Mary, still at the family dinner, began to fantasize about the church work. After a while, she hurried back to her room and began to prepare for the weekend helper's procedures.
Clearly, she took this temporary church job very seriously.
With Mary's departure, the family dinner also came to an end.
As the children left, finally, only George remained in the small yard, drinking and staring blankly at the grill.
On his way back, Mike was still thinking about the woman in the red dress. Experience told him that this woman was not simple.
However, after thinking it over repeatedly, he decided to observe for a while longer. If the other party posed no threat to him, Mike wouldn't meddle.
He knew very well that he was still in his developmental stage, with a bright future ahead, and there was no need to get involved in dangerous matters so early.
Putting the thoughts in his mind aside, Mike pushed open the door to Connie's.
In the living room, Connie was lying sideways on the sofa. As soon as she saw Mike return, she greeted him, gossiping, "How was it? Was George very depressed after I left? Tell me quickly..."
It seemed that Connie had indeed deliberately teased George, her son-in-law, earlier.