The Courtyard House: He Yuzhu Returns with Boundless Hatred for Revenge

He Yuzhu returned to the kitchen happily, pondering the effects of Secretary Tan drinking the chicken soup. The first step had been taken; once the medicinal soup showed its effects, the subsequent plans could unfold step by step. He was sipping his tea when a commotion suddenly erupted at the kitchen door.

"Where's Sha Zhu? Let Sha Zhu come out!" Jia Dongxu shouted angrily.

He Yuzhu's face darkened. He put down his teacup and turned around to see Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu barging in with stern faces. The other kitchen helpers who were cleaning up stopped what they were doing, and Liu Lan stood up straight, glaring at them defiantly.

"He Yuzhu!" Yi Zhonghai said in a deep voice, his tone filled with suppressed anger, "Look at the men under your command, they're utterly lawless!"

Jia Dongxu pointed at Liu Lan: "Shazhu! This shrew is deliberately cutting back on the portions for me and my master! It was like this yesterday, and today it's even worse, just a tiny spoonful at the bottom! Is she targeting us?"

Liu Lan immediately retorted, "Bullshit! Who's targeting you? Everyone gets the same food, why are you the only ones getting special treatment? Before, Chef He took care of you, but now he says everyone will be treated equally! What, you can't survive without special treatment?"

"You!" Jia Dongxu was speechless, his face turning red. "Shazhu, is this how you manage your subordinates? What kind of attitude is this?"

He Yuzhu's face darkened, and before he could speak, Yi Zhonghai said sternly, "Zhuzi, the people in your kitchen are really outrageous. Dongxu is your senior brother, after all. Liu Lan and the others deliberately targeted others when serving food, giving them smaller portions than others. What kind of nonsense is that?"

Hearing this, Liu Lan immediately put her hands on her hips and retorted, "Chef Yi, you're wrong! We served the dishes according to the standard amount; we didn't skimp on anything!"

"Bullshit!" Jia Dongxu pointed at Liu Lan's nose and cursed, "When Sha Zhu was around, he always gave me a full lunchbox! Now look at this, it's barely half full! Isn't this targeting me?"

He Yuzhu looked at them coldly. In the past, he would personally or instruct the kitchen helper to serve Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu more food, but now he wished the two of them would starve to death.

"Jia Dongxu," He Yuzhu's voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire kitchen, "what did you just call me?"

Jia Dongxu was taken aback, only then realizing that he had called him "Silly Zhu" again, but he was still angry and wouldn't back down: "What's wrong with calling you Silly Zhu? Haven't we been calling you that for years?"

*Clap clap clap...*

Before Jia Dongxu could react, he was hit squarely on the face with eight big slaps.

"You fucking ignored me, didn't you? I told you if you called me 'Idiot Zhu' again, I'd slap you. How can you forget that, you dog brain?" He Yuzhu shook his hand, his eyes as cold as ice.

Jia Dongxu covered his face, unable to believe that He Yuzhu would actually hit him in front of so many people. Yi Zhonghai was also stunned; he hadn't expected He Yuzhu to attack so suddenly.

"You, you dare hit me?" Jia Dongxu trembled all over, partly from anger and partly from the pain in his mouth that was getting worse.

"So what if I hit you? I don't need a reason to slap you!" He Yuzhu stepped forward. "I made it clear yesterday that anyone who calls me 'Silly Zhu' again will get a beating. Are you deaf or out of your mind?"

Yi Zhonghai quickly stopped Jia Dongxu, who was feigning an outburst, and said to He Yuzhu with a stern face, "Zhuzi, this is wrong of you. Even if Dongxu is wrong, you can't hit him!"

"Yi Zhonghai, these are my rules." "Once rules are established, they must be followed. Otherwise, who will take me, He Yuzhu, seriously?"

Liu Lan and the other kitchen helpers were also extremely shocked, but secretly cheered. This Jia Dongxu usually relied on his good relationship with He Yuzhu to show off in front of them. In the past, if the food he served them was not satisfactory, he would complain to He Yuzhu, and in the end, he would be scolded by He Yuzhu. They didn't know what had happened now, that the two groups had fallen out. But this was for the best, at least it gave them a chance to vent their anger.

He Yuzhu watched them coldly, his mind perfectly clear. He used to be naive, always piling the food high for Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu, giving them extra pieces of meat. The kitchen helpers saw this but, though they didn't say anything, were already resentful. Now that he was serving food normally, the two of them immediately couldn't stand it.

Human nature is fickle, fluctuating constantly. These people in the cafeteria are my core supporters, so naturally I need to win them over and recruit them for my own use. As for those two beasts on the side, I'll make them wish they were dead one by one sooner or later.

"Liu Lan is right." "Starting yesterday, everyone in the canteen will be served the same food; no one will be given special treatment. If you have any objections, you can report them to the factory office."

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback by He Yuzhu's blatant disrespect, and his expression darkened further: "Zhuzi! What are you saying? What are Dongxu and I like in the factory? We do heavy physical labor. What's wrong with eating a few more bites of food? You can't even make a decision on such a small matter?"

He Yuzhu almost laughed in anger: "Old man, what are you saying? This canteen belongs to the steel mill, not my family. The rationing standards are set by the factory. Why should I, a mere cook, give you special treatment? Besides, if you two are really hungry, can't you just pay for your own extra dishes? Staring at the meager scraps your fellow workers are saving, do you have any shame?"

These words hit a nerve. Yi Zhonghai earns a high salary, and Jia Dongxu's family has also saved some money thanks to He Yuzhu's old lunchboxes, but they are used to taking advantage of others, so why would they be willing to pay for extra food themselves?

"You, you, you," Yi Zhonghai pointed at He Yuzhu, unable to speak for a long time.

"Get out of here!" He Yuzhu waved his hand impatiently. "Don't waste our time cleaning the kitchen. If you cause any more trouble, I'll put up a sign at the entrance tomorrow that says, 'Yi Zhonghai, Jia Dongxu, and dogs will not receive special treatment,' and see if you'll still have the face to come eat here!"

"Pfft!" Liu Lan couldn't help but burst out laughing, and the other kitchen helpers were also trying their best to hold it in, their shoulders shaking as they could barely contain themselves.

Yi Zhonghai almost fainted. This was a blatant humiliation and threat. He never imagined that He Yuzhu would treat him like this one day. Where did the docile and obedient "foolish Zhu" go?

"Are you threatening us?" Yi Zhonghai asked in a low voice.

"I'm not threatening you," He Yuzhu said, spreading his hands. "I'm just telling the truth. If you think the food in the cafeteria isn't enough, go to the market and buy more groceries to cook at home. Don't make things difficult for my people."

"He Yuzhu, don't push your luck!" Jia Dongxu finally snapped. "Who do you think you are? You're just a cook! Do you believe I'll get my master to deal with you?"

"Oh? How are you going to deal with me?" He Yuzhu tilted his head and looked at him. "Hold a hospital-wide meeting to criticize me? Or make me work for your family for free? Jia Dongxu, let me tell you, that kind of approach won't work on me. Do whatever you want, I'll play along to the end."

"Good, very good!" Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath. "Zhu Zi, you've made your point very clear today. Let's wait and see."