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

Chapter 46 Gaining Experience

"Isn't this not good?"

As expected of Lou Bancheng, he can easily make five million from a single mundane item, which is equivalent to his salary for two and a half years.

Of course.

The gifts and supplements that Lou Zhenhua gave were also quite valuable in total.

However, Li Hongbing had seen a lot in his life, and he was not short of money. He still had a lot of money lying around in his system space, so he naturally wouldn't lose his composure because of these five million.

"Young Master Li, please don't refuse."

"You saved our Xiao'e, which is a great favor to our Lou family. We just want to express our gratitude."

"These are nothing, please accept them, otherwise I will feel uneasy."

"Actually, I know that heroes like you who act bravely and righteously probably don't value these things much..."

"Alright then, Director Lou, I'll take your leave!"

"..."

I thought I would have to put in a lot of effort to persuade him, but Li Hongbing only said a few polite words at first, and then agreed in the blink of an eye.

Lou Zhenhua was very surprised.

The words I had just prepared were all stuck in my throat.

This made Lou Zhenhua breathe a sigh of relief, but also subconsciously made him look down on Li Hongbing.

only.

Lou Zhenhua concealed it very well and did not show it.

Luan Xuetang, who was present, took in all of this and frowned, but said nothing.

It's not Li Hongbing's fault.

After all, the thank-you gift prepared by Lou Zhenhua was extremely substantial and tempting for ordinary people, especially for a junior apprentice like Li Hongbing.

Not to mention Li Hongbing, who is only sixteen years old.

As Li Hongbing agreed, the atmosphere in the room subtly changed, which Li Hongbing naturally noticed.

Li Hongbing knew that his quick acceptance might have negatively impacted his image in the eyes of Lou Zhenhua and Luan Xuetang, but he didn't care.

on the one hand.

Lou Zhenhua's generous gift today was earned by Li Hongbing with his life; no amount more is too much.

Li Hongbing didn't want to feign aloofness and shut these people out.

Of course.

Li Hongbing did not intend to keep the money and things for himself, but would use them on Li Hongmei at the same price or even double the price.

on the other hand.

Li Hongbing is not short of money now, but with his current job and income, he can't openly spend the money he receives as a reward from the system.

It's like Li Hongbing buying a watch now, but he can't very well wear it in public.

With the money sent by Lou Zhenhua, Li Hongbing now had a legitimate reason to spend some of the money openly, without worrying about arousing suspicion and causing trouble.

Li Hongbing's "straightforwardness" pleased Lou Zhenhua, who quickly added, "Brother Li, besides these, our family would like to invite you to a meal to express our gratitude."

"Director Lou, let's skip the meal. I have work to do in the kitchen, so it might be inconvenient for me."

Li Hongbing did not immediately accept Lou Zhenhua's invitation, after all, Luan Academy was still there!

"Xiao Li, since Director Lou has extended such a warm invitation, please stay and give Director Lou a chance to express his gratitude. You don't need to worry about the work in the kitchen; I will take care of it."

As soon as Li Hongbing finished speaking, Luan Xuetang immediately said, "You're the main character today, so I'll give you a break. Just relax here, eat and drink well, and try the signature dishes of Fengzeyuan. Don't have any mental burdens."

As a master of interpersonal relationships, Luan Xuetang wouldn't be so lacking in insight.

Since Luan Xuetang spoke up, Li Hongbing naturally stayed.

"Director Lou, please order the dishes!"

The menu was in his hands, but since he wasn't the one treating, Li Hongbing didn't want to overstep his bounds and handed it back. Lou Zhenhua smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Young Li, your manager just said you're the star of the day, so it's appropriate for you to order this. You wouldn't be ignoring your own manager, would you?"

"Then I will overstep my bounds."

Even so, after ordering two of Fengzeyuan's classic signature dishes, braised sea cucumber with scallions and braised cuttlefish roe soup, Li Hongbing handed over the remaining choices to Lou Zhenhua and his group.

While in the kitchen.

Li Hongbing had secretly sampled many of these dishes, including these two, but he had never actually eaten them properly.

Today, he should take this opportunity to enjoy himself.

Li Hongbing probably didn't expect that his subconscious action would make Lou Zhenhua look at him with new respect.

"Young Master Li, what do your parents do for a living?"

"The workers, but they're all gone now."

"Feel sorry!"

"It's ok."

"Young Master Li, have you been to school?"

"I went to school for a few years, including high school, but I didn't continue."

"Oh? Then why did you end up here as an apprentice..."

"..."

While waiting for the food to be served, Lou Zhenhua couldn't help but chat with Li Hongbing for a while, wanting to learn more about the situation, and the result surprised him.

Someone like Li Hongbing, who has a junior high school diploma and even attended high school, could easily find a decent job outside even if he didn't choose to continue his studies. Instead, he chose to come here and start as an apprentice.

Looking across the entire kitchen of Fengzeyuan, Li Hongbing is probably one of a kind!

It's hard not to be curious.

After all, during this period, people who had gone to school and studied were not rare, but at least they were highly valued and had an advantage in employment.

When this topic suddenly came up, Li Hongbing didn't know how to explain it.

to be frank.

With his current level of education and skills, finding a job better than a kitchen apprentice shouldn't be too difficult for him.

Perhaps Li Hongbing was in a hurry to find a job at the time, and he did so secretly without Li Hongmei's knowledge. It just so happened that Fengzeyuan was recruiting apprentices, so they found a match.

Seeing that Li Hongbing seemed reluctant to answer, as if he had something difficult to say, Lou Zhenhua, who was not lacking in emotional intelligence, tactfully changed the subject and started talking about other things.

The atmosphere in the room gradually became more harmonious.

Not long after.

The dishes they ordered were served one after another, and at Lou Zhenhua's invitation, Li Hongbing started eating.

[Cooking Skill +5]

As Li Hongbing savored the famous dish of braised sea cucumber with scallions, he discovered an even greater surprise.

Previously, when I ate some food in the kitchen and secretly tasted it myself, I would also gain cooking experience points, but not as much.

To cook a dish, you not only need to know how to make it, but also how it tastes.

That way, when you learn to do it yourself, you'll have a clear understanding of what you're doing.

However, in the kitchen, Li Hongbing could only secretly taste the remaining sauce in the pot, and did not have the opportunity to taste the whole dish directly like he did now.

High-end dishes like braised sea cucumber with scallions are expensive just to make the ingredients. It's not that Li Hongbing himself can't afford it, but he can't afford to eat this dish even a few times a month with his monthly salary.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Hongbing naturally wouldn't miss the chance to gain experience points, not just to fill his stomach, but more to savor and ponder the taste and texture of these dishes.

[Cooking Skill +5]

[Cooking Skill +5]

【…】

(End of this chapter)