Then, those who had entered the house earlier came out and discussed the matter at hand.
Tim's family was a very typical extended family, which was evident from the long line of aunts and great-aunts he had; perhaps it was also because both sets of his grandparents were from blended families, each with several children, that things were especially lively.
But he didn't think there was anything good about it, and couldn't understand Peter's envy; just the thought of his army of aunts and great-aunts made his head buzz.
In fact, the main reason he now wanted to fall in love was so that he would have an excuse to move out; he really didn't want to live with the whole family anymore.
Jason also came from a large family, but it was one he chose himself, namely the Children's Gang of old, which was quite different from most people's situations and not particularly useful for comparison.
He couldn't say whether working at Wayne Enterprises was better now or if being on the streets was better before. Of course, better didn't refer to the standard of living but rather to the social environment. When he was a street urchin, though he often didn't know where his next meal would come from, everything felt worthwhile the moment he returned to their little base and saw his companions.
Harley's situation was similar to his; she had experienced both worlds. Before her parents' death, she lived in a typical nuclear family but later became a street urchin, where she met many friends.
Steve expressed understanding. Although he too came from a small urban family, he once had a group of ruffian friends, with Bucky being one of them. They played together from childhood to adulthood, always busy and effectively compensating for the loneliness of a small family.
Matt came from a single-parent family, his father a boxer. Having faced bullying since childhood, his sense of loneliness was the most severe. However, he met his girlfriend Erica earlier than most, and her situation was even worse than his. They supported each other and now even have a child, and the loneliness of their youth has dissipated with the wind.
Raven, on the other hand, had a situation somewhat similar to Shiller's, orphaned but living in a relatively harmonious community setting, where different individuals took on the roles of mother and father, and many ordinary people cared for and taught them.
Because of this unique upbringing, they didn't cling tightly to the concept of family; they didn't believe that one needed to form a family and continue the bloodline to have a stable social circle. They understood better than anyone that a family atmosphere primarily depended on what kind of people the family members were, rather than whether they shared blood relations.
This showed that Dick and Raven's pursuit of a family environment was not the same, but what's interesting is that Jason and Harley, whose experiences were somewhat similar, had even more pronounced contradictions in this regard.
Jason chose to create a family without blood relations because he needed a family, while Harley, although not responsible for her parents' death, didn't feel sad or regretful. The friends she made during her time on the streets were only temporary allies. All in all, Miss Quizzer didn't need a family.
Digging deeper, Jason wanted to be responsible for others, and he found joy in this process of responsibility; it was his way of realizing his self-worth.
Harley, however, was not like that. She avoided being responsible for others, wishing instead for others to be responsible for her. Being the object of someone's responsibility made her feel important.
In a sense, they matched each other well.
As they talked, everyone grew tired, and the main accomplishment of this conversation was that Peter finally decided to adopt a cat with Gwen. They had already set the location for the adoption, and they planned to check out the cats upon returning to New York.
Early the following morning, Shiller set off. Although the gathering at Love Farm didn't begin until the evening, he had to drive there early because of the distance.
Since Pamela had the cabbage slapping agenda, she went along with Shiller. Tim wanted to join them, but since he had no real business to attend to, and Shiller didn't take him along, he was without much choice.
Not long after Shiller left, Steve and Jason also departed. Steve had taken on a protection job for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as an assassination was rumored to occur; they had come to the West Coast specifically for this reason, so naturally, they needed to go and keep a close eye on things.
But the Federal Bureau of Investigation couldn't involve civilians in their operations, and Tim had no reason to follow them.
Harley, Tim, and Barry had arrived rather late and hadn't really enjoyed themselves in the area, so Tim took them for a tour around the city of Los Angeles.
Tim was constantly distracted by thoughts of the gathering at Love Farm, and though he could hide his preoccupation from others, he couldn't hide it from Harley. Sitting in the passenger seat, she turned to Tim and said, "What are you thinking about? You didn't even hear me talking to you just now."
"No, it's nothing, I'm just thinking about how this small gathering has attracted so many important people and could even influence the situation on the West Coast," he replied.
"That doesn't sound like the kind of reflection you'd typically make," Harley said. "You're actually wondering what unknown secrets lie behind this gathering, aren't you?"
"The current situation seems clear," Tim said. "I roughly understand the relationship between the various powers in this cosmos, and I can guess what they hope to gain from this gathering. But instinctively, I feel that something is off."
"Then trust your instincts," Harley replied. "We're very alike, always harboring a genius-like intuition. Often, that intuition is our lifesaver."
Tim shook his head without saying much more. Obviously, he trusted his rational judgment more, feeling he shouldn't be swayed by some inexplicable gut feeling.
Harley just smiled and didn't pursue the matter further.
Since it was the weekend, Los Angeles was particularly congested. By the time they had driven around the city and seen the streets, it was already noon.
The group discussed where to eat. Tim naturally wanted to brush it off quickly, thinking of just grabbing a sandwich at a cafe, but Barry didn't care one bit, whereas Harley and Peter were pickier eaters.
Harley had high standards for dining, always eating well, while Peter, influenced by Shiller, had completely lost his taste for Western food, even when swamped with lab work, he had to eat properly.
After circling around without deciding what to eat, Tim suddenly exclaimed, "Isn't that Chinatown over there?"
Peter took a look. It was actually not the case; one could say it was a Chinese community, lacking the flamboyant and over-the-top decorative style of Chinatown, but Chinese characters were everywhere. From his experience, the restaurants here should be very delicious.
The group really didn't want to wander around anymore, so they drove into the community. Peter was clearly the most experienced. After they got out of the car, they walked along the street, with Peter peeking into each establishment.
First off, any kitchen that was too busy was a no-go, it was best if there was only one person cooking and one helping, menus that were overly fancy were out, it was best if they were custom-made a decade ago and now so white they were barely readable, and overly enthusiastic waiters were a red flag, the best were those with an impatient look, not even bothering to count the number of customers properly.
Of course, there were many bonus points to be had, such as a child doing homework at the front counter, with glasses being the best, a boss lady talking on the phone and swearing in Cantonese, an apron with Chinese characters was a plus, and wooden tables definitely had to be topped with a layer of tablecloth and another layer of plastic mat, the best being those where the plastic had already turned yellow.
Peter expertly picked a restaurant that looked very authentic. After they walked in, the waiter shouted something they couldn't understand, and the group made their way over to the table they were pointed to.
The menu was full of dishes, and Peter selected some with confidence, rubbing his hands together and saying, "Trust me, you can't go wrong with this place."
After a while, food served in a clay pot was brought out, emitting an indescribably rich aroma, followed by dishes in steamer baskets and many small plates of dim sum.
None of them knew how to use chopsticks, not even Peter, so they had to resort to forks. Harley stabbed a piece of sizzling sausage from the clay pot into her mouth, huffing and puffing for a bit before giving a thumbs up.
They had delayed so long that they were a bit hungry, and they began to eat voraciously. The main reason was that Peter had not exaggerated; he really knew how to pick a Chinese restaurant. The dishes were hot and fresh, rich in color and flavor, with each bite offering an authentic taste.
Tim didn't actually recognize most of the ingredients, but it didn't stop him from thoroughly enjoying his meal, until he was so full it reached his throat, then he slouched in his chair and said.
"All I can say is, long live Chinese food."
"Your city, uh, what's it called? Gotham, should also have some decent Chinese food, right? Haven't you ever eaten there before?"
"I don't have your talent," Tim shook his head and added, "Nor do I have that much free time, and by looking at takeout menus, I can't understand at all what these things are."
"You can't have too high expectations for an American like him," Barry said. "It's already impressive that he learned to use the takeout app."
"You're the meanest Flash I've ever met," Tim said. "Didn't your counterparts mention this? You should really learn from them how to speak nicely."
"Don't mind him, it's just the aftermath of writing papers."
Tim took the menu to confirm which dish was which, clearly perhaps Chinese food would become a regular in his office in the future.
After comparing, he realized he had actually eaten one of the dishes yesterday, made by Shiller. After pondering for a moment, he said.
"Maybe Shiller has a good taste for food, but his cooking skills are terrible. The green vegetable dish he made yesterday was not tasty at all."
Peter was somewhat surprised as he asked, "Shiller made this stir-fried green vegetable yesterday?"
"Yes, you came late and didn't get to eat it, but you didn't miss much. It really wasn't very good, far inferior to the restaurant's."
"No, what I mean is, how would he cook stir-fried green vegetables?"
Tim also looked puzzled as he responded, "Isn't that what he likes to eat?"
"What? This restaurant? This is Cantonese cuisine."
"Yeah, because it's Cantonese cuisine..."
"But Shiller doesn't like Cantonese cuisine. His favorite is Sichuan cuisine," Peter explained. "Boiled fish, Kung Pao chicken, poached sliced pork in hot chili oil..."
From the way Peter pronounced these dishes, one could tell he must eat them often, and then he added, "Doctor really loves spicy food."
"Didn't he say he prefers a light flavor?"
"A light flavor?! The way he seasons his cooking makes me suspect he was a fiery dragon in a past life!"
Tim paused, bewildered.
Shiller actually doesn't like Cantonese cuisine? So, he didn't go there just for the well-known Cantonese chef?
What was the compelling reason for his must-attend banquet then?
And why did he tell Tim he preferred light flavors and especially made Cantonese dishes to deceive him?