Courtyard House: Passing through the Silly Pillar, Activating the Blessed Cave Heaven

108

"Uncle, please don't be angry. I'll be more careful next time," Jia Zhangshi quickly said, then steered the conversation back on track. "Who would argue with an illiterate woman like me about such things? By the way, Dongxu, why didn't Zhuzi agree? Is it because he thinks we're not paying him and making him work for free? Neighbors help each other out, why should we ask for money? Really."

"Mom, it's not about money." Seeing that his master was unhappy, Jia Dongxu quickly changed his tune and said, "Master didn't even have a chance to mention the payment to Zhuzi before he said he already had other arrangements."

"He won't help even if it's free, so why?" Jia Zhangshi said, looking puzzled. "He helped other people organize wedding banquets at the neighborhood office, and he didn't take any money either. Why is he making excuses to refuse when it comes to our house?"

"Money, money, money, all you care about is money!" Yi Zhonghai interrupted Jia Zhangshi impatiently. "Zhuzi isn't the kind of person who's greedy for money. He helped others organize wedding banquets at the street office, and he donated all the money he earned to the soldiers on the front lines. He didn't keep a single penny for himself."

If someone were truly greedy for money, would they donate all the money they've worked so hard to earn? Don't you even think about that?

"Mom, we told Zhuzi too late. He had already agreed to help someone else with their wedding banquet. They've already paid the money to the neighborhood committee, and they've already accepted it. There's no way they can refund it. So Zhuzi couldn't turn down other people's jobs to help our family." Seeing this, Jia Dongxu quickly explained to his mother, trying to make her understand the reason.

"The neighborhood committee has already intervened, so there's really no way to back out." Jia Zhangshi frowned, thought for a while, and then suddenly her eyes lit up as if she had thought of a good idea. "Shazhu is busy, but doesn't he have a master? We can ask him to help us find his master to organize our wedding banquet. His master is the head chef of Fengzeyuan Restaurant, so his cooking skills must be excellent."

"Do you think I didn't mention it?" Yi Zhonghai said helplessly, "Do you know how much it costs for his master and senior brother to host a wedding banquet? A full 20 yuan! How could our family afford that?"

"What? It's so expensive?" After hearing Yi Zhonghai's words, Jia Zhangshi looked at Jia Dongxu in shock. "His master must be crazy for money! Why doesn't he just rob us? We only planned to spend 10 yuan on groceries for this wedding banquet, but Sha Zhu asked his master for 20 yuan! That's outrageous!"

"His master is the head chef of Fengzeyuan Restaurant. His culinary skills are among the best in Beijing. He earns money through his skills, so naturally his fees are not low. How could he help for free?" Yi Zhonghai said. "Do you think He Yuzhu charges cheap fees for organizing wedding banquets? Nowadays, an ordinary chef would charge at least 5 yuan for organizing a wedding banquet."

I specifically went to the neighborhood office to inquire beforehand. When Zhu Zi first started catering wedding banquets, he charged 5 yuan. But his skills are so good that more and more people are asking him to cater their wedding banquets. In order not to affect the business of other chefs, he now charges 10 yuan for a single wedding banquet.

Even so, people who want to invite him to their wedding banquet still have to wait in line, and there's no guarantee they'll get a turn.

"Master Dongxu, what do you think we should do about this?" Madam Jia looked at Yi Zhonghai anxiously. "Dongxu's wedding this weekend has already been arranged with the bride's family. If we can't find a chef, the wedding banquet can't be held, and that would be embarrassing."