When Mike returned home, he saw Georgie setting up tables, chairs, and benches in his yard.
Seeing Mike pass by, Georgie put down his work and ran to the door: "Mike, did you break up with Regina?"
"What makes you say that?" Mike stopped and asked.
Georgie thought for a moment and said, "Not long after you left the hall, Regina stormed out and announced the party was over. I think someone must have upset her."
Logically, it was still early, and a class reunion shouldn't have ended so quickly.
"Well, I guess Regina and I did break up," Mike said, shaking his head.
"I knew it…" Georgie had an 'I guessed it' expression and continued to gossip, "What about you and Karen?"
Georgie, who was in the corner, had also seen Mike and Karen leave one after the other earlier.
"Don't ask about things you shouldn't," Mike said, not wanting to talk about his private life. Then he turned the tables: "How are things going with you and that cheerleader?"
"Don't even mention it," Georgie said, looking dejected.
It turned out that the cheerleader was only willing to chat with Georgie because she wanted to get information about Mike from him.
As for Georgie, he was completely used as a tool.
Hearing this, Mike didn't know how to comfort him and could only mourn for Georgie for three seconds.
"You go on with your work, I'm going back to rest." Mike was covered in sweat and desperately needed to go back and wash up again.
"Go ahead, just don't forget to come over for the family gathering later," Georgie said.
To celebrate the football team's victory, Mary was planning a family picnic in their yard.
Mike gave an OK gesture and went straight back to Grandma Connie's.
In the living room, Connie was preparing to marinate beef. Seeing Mike return, her eyes lit up, and she came over to greet him.
"You smell like a woman; it seems you're already an 'adult'," Connie said, sniffing Mike and then smiling.
It was the kind of relieved expression one would have after seeing their little pig successfully root for a cabbage.
Mike was still unaccustomed to discussing such matters with Connie. He helplessly pleaded, "I'm going to wash up."
"Go ahead, Connie will take you to eat brisket later," Connie didn't press the issue further.
Soon, Mike finished washing up and changed into a loose, casual short-sleeved shirt.
Then, he was bored in the living room, watching Connie continue to marinate the beef.
Her brisket has a unique secret recipe, and the preparation process is very complex.
Connie seemed to be in a good mood today, and she thoroughly enjoyed the process of making this delicious dish.
"Alright, come help me get the ingredients, we can set off now," Connie clapped her hands with a sense of accomplishment after marinating a large portion of beef.
[Brisket Recipe, Cooking Experience +100]
"Coming~" Mike picked up the light orb, carried the beef, and headed out.
In the Coopers yard, the brisket grill was already set up.
On a makeshift table nearby, Mary had also laid out various snacks and treats she had made.
Because today was a special day, Mary even gave her husband special permission to have a little beer.
George, who was sipping beer by the table, immediately came over when he saw the marinated beef Mike was carrying.
"Let me do it—" George took the beef and happily began arranging it on the grill for brisket.
True Texans have three great loves: Christ, football, and brisket.
In necessary situations, the order of these three can be adjusted independently.
Ever since George tasted Grandma Connie's secret brisket fifteen years ago, he had fallen in love with the flavor.
After an hour of busy work, George cut a small piece of beef from the grill, tasted it, and said ecstatically, "This is the taste, it's amazing—"
"Alright, George, don't tire yourself out," Mary knew her husband wasn't well, so she reminded him and then told Georgie to go help.
Soon, the secret brisket was brought to the outdoor dining table.
The freshly brisket emitted a unique aroma.
"Thank God for our food! Amen—"
After the prayer, everyone raised their beer or juice, clinked glasses, and celebrated the football team's victory.
Then, everyone began to enjoy the delicious brisket.
George quickly finished his brisket. Seizing the moment of happiness, he said to Connie, "Connie, can you tell me the brisket recipe? Next time, I'll make it for you all."
"Uh-huh, I'm not so old that I can't move. This job is still best done by me personally," Connie refused her son-in-law's suggestion. She really enjoyed the feeling of preparing brisket for her family.
"Please, tell me. I'm your son-in-law…" George played the emotional card, recounting all his hard work and contributions to the family over the years.
Seeing George's eager look, Connie seemed to relent: "Alright, get me a pen and paper, and I'll write down the secret recipe."
"That's great—" George jumped up excitedly, ran back into the house with a "thump-thump," and soon returned with paper and a pen.
Connie smiled and wrote a few strokes on the paper, then handed it to the anxious George.
"Keep dreaming— Fatty!!!"
Looking at the content on the paper, George's smile slowly froze.
"Why? I'm your son-in-law, you'll have to give it to me sooner or later…" George was both angry and wronged at this moment.
Although he wanted the secret recipe, he wanted more to get Connie's attitude of approval towards him from this matter.
It's just that Connie didn't think that way; she still held some resentment about George getting Mary pregnant before they were married back then.
Clearly, Connie had double standards when it came to family.
So, she deliberately provoked George, saying, "That's not necessarily true. Maybe I'll give the secret recipe to Mike in the end."
"This…" George was truly angered and sat down on the stool, drinking in silence, feeling dejected.
Mary saw her husband's appearance and felt a little sorry for him, so she interjected, "Mom, don't tease George anymore, just give him the recipe. Please?"
"Alright, alright," Connie said with an expression of 'I can't do anything with you guys,' and picked up the paper and pen again.
Under George's renewed hopeful gaze, Connie wrote a long list of ingredients on the paper.
"You're not going to trick me again this time, are you?" George asked, holding the paper densely covered with writing, uncertainly.
"Silly child, how could I trick you?" Connie said with a smile.
"Then thank you very much." George carefully looked at the recipe and saw that many of the ingredients were not available locally and had to be bought from out of town.
However, this didn't dampen his enthusiasm. He just mumbled, "This weekend I can go buy the ingredients and make you all a good brisket."
At this moment, George felt valued by his mother-in-law and was full of enthusiasm.
"You do your best," Connie encouraged George, then stood up and said, "I'm done eating, you all take your time."
After speaking, she quickly left the Coopers yard.
In fact, the recipe Connie gave George was still a fake one. She was afraid that if she stayed there any longer and saw George's goofy look, she wouldn't be able to help but laugh.
Mike noticed something amiss. After Connie left, he said to Coach George, "Can I see the secret recipe?"
George thought for a moment and finally handed over the treasured recipe.
"Hmm, tea powder… famous coffee powder… Witch's Holy Spirit Root…" Mike looked at the ridiculous recipe and asked, "Didn't you find anything wrong with this?"
"No way!" George snapped out of his smug mood and felt a deep malice.