Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 149 Silly Pillar's Outrageous Moves, Big Gossip (6k)

Li Hongbing would never believe that Sha Zhu's entry into the steel mill canteen had nothing to do with Yi Zhonghai.

Judging from this situation, Yi Zhonghai is preparing to further "control" Sha Zhu.

From Yi Zhonghai's perspective, it's actually quite easy to understand.

The Emei Restaurant is far away, and Sha Zhu has to leave early and return late every day. His rest time is also different, so it's inconvenient for Yi Zhonghai to brainwash him.

Moreover, Sha Zhu has a master at the Emei Restaurant, which is another unstable factor, or even a hidden danger, for Yi Zhonghai.

They tricked Sha Zhu into joining the steel rolling mill, so that being close by would give them more opportunities to interact with and brainwash him.

As a senior fitter in the steel rolling mill, Yi Zhonghai held a higher position than most workers. When Sha Zhu joined the steel rolling mill and became a cook for the workers, this advantage was further amplified.

"This... was introduced to me by Uncle Yi. It just so happens that the steel mill has just set up a new canteen and is looking for a cook..."

Because of Li Hongbing's relationship with Yi Zhonghai, Sha Zhu never mentioned Li Hongbing to Yi Zhonghai, nor did he talk about Yi Zhonghai to Li Hongbing. However, since Li Hongbing had asked, Sha Zhu, though somewhat embarrassed, still chose to tell the truth.

"Didn't you graduate? You should be able to get a raise now. Why don't you stay at Emei Restaurant? That way, you can continue to learn from your master."

Li Hongbing didn't quite understand.

Even if Shazhu completes his apprenticeship, it doesn't mean he has mastered all the skills. Continuing to learn from his master will obviously be beneficial.

Upon hearing this, Sha Zhu said helplessly, "It's true that I can get a raise after I graduate, but not as much as I do now. And I can only continue to do the same work I did as an apprentice. There are so many master chefs in the kitchen, and I have no chance to be the one to take charge of cooking. Look at you, you're already a mid-level cook, but you're still just chopping vegetables in the kitchen."

Hearing Sha Zhu use himself as an example, Li Hongbing was speechless.

However, what he just said does make some sense.

Although Emei Restaurant is not as famous or prestigious as Fengzeyuan Restaurant, it is still a well-known restaurant in Beijing.

For a newly graduated apprentice to want to take charge of cooking right away is simply wishful thinking.

As the capital city, Beijing has no shortage of good chefs.

There are many more like Sha Zhu.

If you want to quickly get a raise or even take charge of cooking, you'll have to switch jobs to small restaurants or similar establishments.

In Sha Zhu's view, the steel mill's workers' canteen was clearly a good choice.

Moreover, the steel rolling mill is now state-owned, while Emei Restaurant is still a private enterprise, which is obviously another major attraction.

Inside the steel rolling mill, there are corresponding rating and assessment systems for workers, including the cooks in the factory canteen.

Seeing that Li Hongbing had achieved two promotions in less than two years at Fengzeyuan, jumping from apprentice to intermediate cook, Shazhu was also full of expectations.

Who wouldn't want a monthly salary of 560,000?
Sha Zhu was clearly overthinking things, or rather, being overconfident.

Even with the opportunity for evaluation and assessment, he still couldn't keep up with Li Hongbing's pace of progress.

After understanding Sha Zhu's thoughts, Li Hongbing still shook his head and reminded him, "Sha Zhu, if I remember correctly, this steel mill canteen serves communal meals, right?"

Sha Zhu was getting anxious.

It was the second half of 1954, and the public-private partnership was beginning to expand. Famous establishments like Emei Restaurant, with a large number of employees, were clearly on the priority list and would be built soon.

Li Hongbing could understand that Sha Zhu was unaware of these things.

But in the long run, it's definitely more beneficial to stay at Emei Restaurant.

Factory canteens mainly cook large batches of food, so there is clearly a lack of opportunities to practice and improve one's skills.

Having more opportunities to practice outside makes it easier to improve culinary skills, and also makes it easier to get higher ratings and raises.

Especially when the wind picks up, performance evaluations and ratings will come to a standstill, and salaries will remain unchanged for a long time to come.

Before that, the best option to maximize profits is to work hard to improve your skill level and salary.

"It's definitely communal cooking."

Sha Zhu nodded, then said with some pride, "But Hongbing, you don't know, there's a special kitchen in the canteen, specifically for the factory leaders to entertain and eat. This time when I came to the steel rolling mill, I not only cooked for the workers, but I was also in charge of the special kitchen for the factory's receptions."

Li Hongbing was stunned for a moment.

He quickly figured out the key to it.

Sha Zhu's chef position isn't exactly a "crooked" position, but it's still a specialized position with specific requirements.

It's highly likely that the factory cooks at the steel rolling mill weren't good at making special meals, so the factory leaders wanted to hire someone who could.

only.

Let alone a master chef, most people with this skill would not go to the factory canteen to cook communal meals.

Cooking in a large communal kitchen is not only tiring, but it also doesn't allow you to showcase your culinary skills, and the pay is also a problem.

After all, factories don't have high requirements for hiring cooks these days; all they need to do is know how to cook large batches of food, and the pay is generally not very high.

Hiring a chef who only cooks for small kitchens is clearly not a good idea for both official and external purposes.

If you make a mistake, it's easy for people to find fault with you and accuse you of seeking special treatment or being out of touch with the masses.

A novice chef like Sha Zhu, who has just graduated from a master chef's apprenticeship, is obviously a better choice.

Regardless of how skilled they are, they are at least better than most factory cooks.

Although they are both chefs, they belong to different tracks and fields, each specializing in their own area.

“Hongbing, you don’t know, there are so many benefits to working in the steel mill’s canteen.”

"From now on, I am just like you, a worker of the state. I will be able to see a doctor and take medicine for free. When I retire, I will receive a pension."

"Moreover, the canteen at the steel rolling mill only serves lunch. They don't provide meals in the morning or evening. As long as the factory doesn't host any guests, we leave work with the factory workers."

"The key is that the steel rolling mill is much closer than Emei Restaurant, so I don't have to get up so early to go to work. Even if the factory has a dinner party in the evening, I can get home earlier after get off work."

“That way, when I come back in the evenings, I can cook for Yushui instead of her having to eat at Aunt Yi’s every day.”

"Now I get the same days off as everyone else each week, but unlike before when they took turns, my days off aren't fixed anymore..."

"..."

Hearing Sha Zhu happily rattle off such a string of benefits, Li Hongbing didn't say much.

Everyone makes different choices.

In Li Hongbing's view, Sha Zhu's entry into the steel rolling mill now will obviously severely limit his future development.

Even if the factory provides daily meals and you can practice your skills every day, you still won't earn much in a week.

But right now, in Sha Zhu's view, it's all good.

There are some things that Li Hongbing can't say.

Moreover, now that the die is cast and Sha Zhu has already entered the kitchen of the steel rolling mill's canteen, Li Hongbing has no intention of meddling in other people's business.

……

the next day.

Li Hongbing started working at Fengzeyuan.

As always, the first thing Li Hongbing did upon arriving in the kitchen was to prepare tea for his master, Guo Youzhong, and Sun Maoju in advance.

According to the schedule, Li Hongbing was only a little earlier than them.

They arrived just as the tea was brewed, and everything was perfect.

Li Hongbing has been working as a food preparation assistant for Sun Maoju for almost two years now.

Because of Guo Youzhong, Sun Maoju would occasionally give him pointers on his knife skills.

At the beginning of this year, when Sun Maoju discovered that Li Hongbing had secretly learned his amazing knife skills that could "bring dead fish back to life," he was astonished. Without establishing a formal master-disciple relationship with Li Hongbing, he spared no effort in passing on his skills to Li Hongbing.

Although they were not formally master and disciple, they were in fact master and disciple.

In his heart, Li Hongbing had already regarded Sun Maoju as his second mentor, and he treated him as such in his actions.

When Guo Youzhong learned of this, he was not angry at all. Instead, he took the initiative to encourage Li Hongbing to learn more from Sun Maoju.

As the head of food preparation in the kitchen, Sun Maoju's knife skills were unparalleled; almost no one in the entire kitchen could surpass him.

Guo Youzhong was overjoyed to have such a skilled mentor who selflessly helped him train his apprentices.

No matter what, Li Hongbing was his last disciple, who had formally offered him tea and formally acknowledged him as his master—that's an undeniable fact.

Soon.

Guo Youzhong entered the kitchen first.

As Li Hongbing brought over the teacup, Guo Youzhong took it, blew on the tea leaves and steam, and took a sip.

The other kitchen staff were already used to the tacit understanding between the master and apprentice. After taking a sip of tea, Guo Youzhong suddenly said to Li Hongbing, "Hongbing, isn't there someone in your courtyard named Shazhu?"

"Yes, Master, why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Li Hongbing was taken aback, looked at Guo Youzhong with some surprise, and asked with great curiosity, "Did you know Sha Zhu before?"

Li Hongbing rarely talked to Guo Youzhong about what happened in the hospital, and he never mentioned Sha Zhu to him.

Although Guo Youzhong had previously visited Li Hongbing's courtyard house with all his apprentices to support him because of Jia Dongxu's rumors, Sha Zhu was not in the courtyard at the time.

Guo Youzhong never met him from beginning to end.

"you forgot?"

Seeing Li Hongbing's expression, Guo Youzhong couldn't help but smile and reminded him, "When your sister got married, wasn't Sha Zhu's master also in your courtyard? He happened to be the head chef for the Jia family in your courtyard. Damin even took you to say hello and mentioned it to me later."

After hearing what Guo Youzhong said, Li Hongbing finally understood.

Guo Youzhong may not know Sha Zhu, but he knows Sha Zhu's master, Dong Congyou, and also knows that Dong Congyou has a disciple who lives in the same courtyard as Li Hongbing.

Even so, Li Hongbing still didn't quite understand and asked again, "Master, what's wrong with Shazhu?"

"It seems there are some things you don't know."

Noticing Li Hongbing's reaction, Guo Youzhong was also taken aback.

"Is it about Sha Zhu completing his apprenticeship?"

Guo Youzhong's words made Li Hongbing even more puzzled and curious.

That was all Li Hongbing could think of.

"Tell me what you know first."

Guo Youzhong did not provide an answer, but instead kept everyone in suspense.

Li Hongbing had no choice but to tell the story he had learned from Sha Zhu the night before.

It's nothing more than Sha Zhu graduating and switching jobs to the kitchen of the steel rolling mill.

Could it be that there's something he doesn't know about?

Considering Guo Youzhong's actions, Li Hongbing could only guess in this direction, and suspicions began to creep into his mind. Things were indeed somewhat unusual.

From the moment Sha Zhu finished his apprenticeship to his job change at the steel rolling mill, it all seemed a bit too fast.

Before yesterday, Li Hongbing had not heard anything about Sha Zhu's graduation from his apprenticeship.

Given Sha Zhu's personality, he would never keep such a joyous occasion as completing his apprenticeship a secret.

"That silly Zhu from your courtyard is now quite famous in our chef circle."

Looking at Li Hongbing, Guo Youzhong shook his head helplessly and complained, "He's been learning the trade for three years and is about to graduate, but he went to work in a factory cooking for everyone. He made Master Dong sick with anger. Master Dong is really unlucky to have an apprentice like this..."

"Did his master not know beforehand that Sha Zhu was going to work as a cook in the steel mill's canteen?"

Li Hongbing was utterly shocked.

Every profession has its own hierarchy of contempt, and the cooking profession is no exception.

Just as a chef with a master chef looks down on an untrained "wild" chef, a skilled chef often looks down on a chef who cooks in a large, unregulated kitchen.

Because in the eyes of most professional chefs, cooking large-scale meals doesn't require much skill.

What truly shocked Li Hongbing was that Sha Zhu's entry into the steel rolling mill had not been communicated or negotiated with his master, Dong Congyou, beforehand.

According to Guo Youzhong, Sha Zhu hadn't even completed his apprenticeship when he got the chef's job at the steel rolling mill.

This is beyond outrageous.

Although we live in a new society, even a master cannot forcibly restrict a disciple's freedom and choices.

The practice of spending three years learning a trade and two years serving in the military, as in the past, is becoming increasingly rare.

Aside from some family-run workshops or artisans who take on jobs and mentor apprentices, this custom is still preserved.

With the completion of the subsequent public-private partnership, private enterprises were completely eliminated, not to mention...

Because this is exploitation and oppression.

However, some of the rules are still in effect.

Whether or not a student can graduate, and when they can graduate, is entirely up to the master.

While there used to be some masters who deliberately prevented their apprentices from graduating in order to continue exploiting and oppressing them, this practice, though not entirely absent now, is now extremely rare.

The relationship between master and apprentice is a very close one; they are not relatives, but they are closer than relatives.

A conscientious and compassionate master will often consider the well-being of his apprentice, making plans for his apprentice's development and future, and even using his own connections and resources to help his apprentice.

Just like Guo Youzhong, one of the reasons he left Dongxinglou was to "make room" for his eldest apprentice, Liang Damin.

While it's impossible to say that every master can be like Guo Youzhong, there are still quite a few good masters.

Even if Sha Zhu finishes his apprenticeship and doesn't plan to stay at Emei Restaurant anymore, and has a place he wants to go, he should at least discuss it with his master, Dong Congyou, beforehand.

Even if there are disagreements and opinions cannot be reached, that's a matter for later.

According to Guo Youzhong, Sha Zhu clearly acted first and informed others later.

I found a job at a steel rolling mill in advance, and then I told my mentor, Dong Congyou, that it wasn't a discussion, but a notification.

"Master, do you mean that Sha Zhu entered the steel rolling mill first, and then told Master Dong about this, and that he hadn't officially graduated before?"

Li Hongbing confirmed his suspicions with Guo Youzhong.

The matter of completing a training program is actually negotiable.

If the master doesn't say it, but the apprentice has had enough time to learn, or feels that their skill level has reached a certain point and they have learned all the skills, they can bring it up themselves, as long as the master approves or agrees.

If the master and disciple cannot reach an agreement, and the disciple feels that he has become independent and runs away, then that is no different from betraying the master and his sect.

Unless there are special circumstances, no one with a sound mind would do such a thing.

"That's how it is. However, Master Dong is a respectable man and didn't make things difficult for his apprentice, Sha Zhu. In the end, he agreed to let Sha Zhu graduate. It's just that he was so upset that he fell ill after returning home..."

At this point, Guo Youzhong couldn't help but sigh.

Li Hongbing was helpless.

Judging from Guo Youzhong's words, the master and apprentice Sha Zhu and Dong Congyou did not fall out, but a rift was inevitable.

Sha Zhu's shady actions can be said to have severely screwed over his master, Dong Congyou.

First of all.

This practice was already unorthodox, making Dong Congyou, as his mentor, a laughing stock among his peers in the industry.

Second.

Besides being Dong Congyou's apprentice, Sha Zhu was also an employee of Emei Restaurant. Without prior notice or discussion, he switched jobs to the steel rolling mill without a word, which clearly made his master, Dong Congyou, feel ashamed of the behind-the-scenes owner and manager of Emei Restaurant.

If it weren't for the fact that Master Chef Dong Congyou was the reason, the manager of Emei Restaurant would have demanded an explanation from Sha Zhu.

Is this how a person acts?

The key is.

He had been teaching his apprentice for three years, and the apprentice was ready to graduate. However, after learning a lot of skills, the apprentice abandoned the proper path and went to work as a factory cook, a job that didn't require much technical skill.

If this gets out, Dong Congyou, as the master, will lose face.

No wonder Dong Congyou was so angry that he fell ill.

To use a phrase that became popular on the internet in later years.

Sha Zhu's behavior posed no threat to Dong Congyou's strength and status in the culinary industry, but it directly caused him to lose face in the matter of teaching his disciples.

If Sha Zhu didn't want to stay at Emei Restaurant and continue doing odd jobs, Dong Congyou could have used his connections and resources to help him find a place where he could directly take charge of cooking and where there was a promising future. But Sha Zhu chose to go to the steel rolling mill.

Many people do the same.

After all, a newly graduated apprentice in a large restaurant is definitely not qualified to be in charge of cooking. In order to gain further and faster training, one can choose to go to a smaller, or even one or two-tier restaurants.

There are people like Li Hongbing, who are already intermediate-level cooks, but who still stay with Guo Youzhong to continue learning. They are not uncommon, but they are relatively few.

However, Li Hongbing's situation was completely different.

No matter what he does in the kitchen, he can continuously gain experience without affecting his salary increase at all.

only.

Based on Li Hongbing's understanding of Sha Zhu.

Although Sha Zhu is somewhat reckless, he wouldn't do something so unruly.

It's hard to say.

It was Yi Zhonghai who was behind the scenes, interfering and obstructing things.

Thinking back to last night, Sha Zhu happily ran over to show off, probably unaware of the seriousness of the situation, let alone knowing that his master had been angered to the point of illness by him.

In his view, it is a great honor to have successfully completed his apprenticeship, become a state worker, and been promoted to junior cook. He is probably still immersed in joy and pride.

Dong Congyou certainly didn't want people to know about such a shameful thing, but there are no secrets in the world, and there were probably quite a few people who knew about it at the time, so it was impossible to keep it a secret.

There are many famous chefs in Beijing.

Among the chefs of the Sichuan cuisine school, Dong Congyou is considered one of the best.

Dong Congyou was so angered by his unfilial disciple that he fell ill, attracting considerable attention and causing a great stir in the matter.

After this battle.

Sha Zhu's reputation is probably going to be ruined in the Beijing chef circle.

The only thing that piqued Li Hongbing's curiosity.

Even though Sha Zhu did all that, Dong Congyou, as his master, didn't turn against him and even preserved his last shred of dignity.

Or perhaps Dong Congyou is a person of impeccable character, kind-hearted, and dignified in his conduct.

Or perhaps there's some other reason.

Thinking of this, Li Hongbing couldn't help but look at Guo Youzhong and ask, "Master, did you know someone named He Daqing before? He learned Tan Family Cuisine!"

"He Daqing? There are only a handful of people who know Tan family cuisine. I know this guy; I've met him a few times before, but we weren't very close. I heard he ran off with a widow and went to Baocheng. He's long gone from Beijing..."

Guo Youzhong recalled.

soon.

He looked at Li Hongbing curiously and asked, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up out of the blue?"

Seeing this, Li Hongbing immediately pointed out, "Master, you don't know, the 'silly Zhu' you just mentioned is actually named He Yuzhu, and his surname is also He..."

"No wonder!"

Upon hearing Li Hongbing's account of the situation, Guo Youzhong clearly realized something.

"This He Daqing, did he know Master Dong before?"

As Li Hongbing tentatively asked the question, Guo Youzhong finally understood why he had suddenly brought up the seemingly unrelated He Daqing. So he said, "Not many people know about this. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that Master Dong's apprentice was related to He Daqing..."

He Daqing and Dong Congyou, one studied Tan Family Cuisine and the other studied Sichuan Cuisine, so they couldn't possibly be fellow apprentices.

As Guo Youzhong recounted the story, Li Hongbing gradually learned about the little-known connection between He Daqing and Dong Congyou.

That was before liberation.

Back when Beijing was still occupied by the enemy, He Daqing had saved Dong Congyou's life, helping him escape from his enemies and flee Beijing.

After the liberation of Beijing, with the establishment and opening of Emei Restaurant, Dong Congyou, a master chef of Sichuan cuisine, was naturally invited back, and the two reunited.

However, since the whereabouts of his old enemy were still unknown, and fearing that it would implicate He Daqing, Dong Congyou rarely interacted with him openly.

Soon.

He Daqing then ran away.

Therefore, only a small number of people within the industry know these inside stories.

Upon discovering this hidden story, Li Hongbing finally understood why Dong Congyou had chosen such a dignified approach and taken all the blame himself.

If it were anyone else, it would be perfectly reasonable to expel Sha Zhu from the sect and clean house.

But if we do that, Sha Zhu's reputation will be ruined even more completely.

Simultaneously.

Li Hongbing is basically certain that Sha Zhu's entry into the Emei Restaurant was part of He Daqing's arrangements before and after his escape.

If we continue digging deeper in this direction, we won't even need to go to Baocheng to verify with He Daqing; we can uncover Yi Zhonghai's true colors.

Previously, Li Hongbing suspected that Yi Zhonghai had tampered with things, but there was no evidence. Now, things are clearly different.

(End of this chapter)