Jiang Feng prepared eighteen dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner, including six cold dishes and twelve hot dishes. Among the six cold dishes, besides cucumber salad and five-spice chicken, the other four, including a mixed platter of simmered meats, were all purchased by Jiang Jiankang from the town on the 30th.
Don't ask why there is cucumber salad among the cold dishes, if asked, it's all about staying true to the original intention.
Cold dishes have always been light appetizers on the Jiang family's dining table for chatting and entertaining while waiting for the meal. They are rarely eaten and usually left over for breakfast on the first and second day of the New Year, while the hot dishes are the main event.
