Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

The next day, Li Jiuzhou got up very early. He was off work today and planned to take his family to visit his second uncle.

Of course, he also bought the last old turtle that Da Hu had left, to nourish his second uncle, and also brought several bottles of his treasured tiger bone wine.

His relationship with his second uncle was naturally good, but there was no need for him to deliberately try to get close to his father-in-law.

Having his second uncle meant he had the old man's connections. Li Jiuzhou wasn't stupid; he could just drop by and have a casual meal with him whenever he wanted.

Sha Zhu, that clueless idiot, insisted on coming along, saying he hadn't seen his second uncle in a long time and missed him terribly.

He's not stupid, so who the hell named him "Silly Pillar"?

However, over the years, the two families have almost become one. Sha Zhu is sweet-talking and Li Huaide also likes this kid quite a bit, so it doesn't hurt to bring him along.

Five people on two bicycles. Li Jiuzhou was carrying his wife Fan Bingbing, Shanhe was sitting on the back of Shazhu, and Jiaojiao was being held by Shanhe.

My butt hurts terribly when I sit on the front bumper of a car.

Upon arriving at his second uncle's house, he received another warm welcome, and Sha Zhu volunteered to go to the kitchen to cook.

Li Jiuzhou was playing chess with the old man in the courtyard, while his second uncle watched from the side.

Li Jiuzhou might not be able to beat him in Go, but he has a lot of experience in chess.

The two sides went back and forth. Li Jiuzhou's chess style was all about showing his sharpness and killing. His moves were wide and unrestrained, leaving no room for error.

"General...draw the chariot!" Li Jiuzhou called out with a smile.

"Hey, hey, hey, no, no, let me back down." The old man was getting a little anxious. He had already set seven or eight traps for Li Jiuzhou, and it seemed like he was about to be finished, but then he pulled his own car.

If the car is stolen, then his trap will be useless, so he's in a hurry.

"Okay, you can only back out once, and this won't happen again!" Li Jiu readily agreed.

Two minutes later, the old man, looking smug, launched a scathing attack, first putting Li Jiuzhou's sharp edge to the test.

"Clatter, General!"

Li Jiuzhou: "I am a sergeant."

The old man: "Say it again!"

Li Jiuzhou: "I'll fly like an elephant!"

The old man: "You're just being a hindsight expert, let's see how you handle that, hahaha..."

Li Jiuzhou: "I don't want the horse."

The situation then changed, and Li Jiuzhou charged forward without regard for his rear.

"General, old man, after I've defeated you, do you still have a way out?" Li Jiuzhou laughed, a very pleased laugh.

The old man frowned as he looked at the chessboard. He had lost the game, and he was not convinced of his defeat.

Young people don't have any martial ethics, so what's wrong with letting an old man like me have a turn?

Seeing Li Jiuzhou's smug look made him even more annoyed, and he immediately had a wicked idea.

So he twisted his mouth, hooked his hand, and shook his leg, accidentally shattering the chessboard in the process. He thought to himself:

"You little bastard, can you hold out until I freeze?"

Li Jiuzhou stared in disbelief, his heart pounding in his chest. What the hell?

If the old man gets stuck here, won't he be doomed?

Li Huaide was terrified and rushed over to support him, anxiously calling out:

"Dad, what's wrong?"

The old man burst out laughing when he saw how anxious the two of them were.

"Ha ha ha ha..."

The uncle and nephew exchanged a glance and immediately realized they had been tricked.

Li Jiuzhou said indignantly:

"Grandpa, your freeze is awesome! I, a mere novice, am completely outmatched!"

The old man's smile remained unchanged:

"Young people shouldn't be so aggressive. Experience is the best teacher, and practice makes perfect."

Li Jiuzhou was speechless; he couldn't do anything about dealing with such an unreasonable old bastard.

They've been through countless battles, rolled around in piles of corpses. What's the point of reasoning? Might makes right.

Li Huaide was no longer nervous. He knew his father-in-law's temperament well. He used to be a troublemaker when he was young, but he had become much more restrained as he got older.

It's only because his own nephew is close to the old man that he wouldn't act so capriciously.

Although the old man holds a high position and is very busy every day, he only has one day off a week, so he rarely has any free time.

When people have free time, the last thing they want to face is work, and chatting with someone like Li Jiuzhou to distract themselves is the best thing to do.

Don't say the old man has bad energy; he's incredibly energetic. Many young people don't even have his energy.

The lunch was pleasant, harmonious, and casual, with no rules to follow; it was just a simple meal.

My second uncle is also very busy. It's said that he hasn't had a break for more than a month. He was only kept at home today because the old man spoke up, otherwise he would have had to go to work again.

Li Huaide now travels between various large factories in the capital every day, not only to guard against petty thieves but also to maintain good relationships with the people in the factories.

The workload is quite heavy, with daily social engagements, endless meals and drinks, but the future looks bright.

The old man has his own plans for when to promote Li Huaide. Li Huaide just needs to focus on his work and doesn't need to worry about it. When the time comes, everything will come.

The family returned to the courtyard house in the afternoon, carrying large and small bags.

I never come back empty-handed from my grandfather's house.

The things brought back were either meat or fresh vegetables, nothing expensive, but it was a friendly way for relatives to exchange gifts.

Only through mutual exchange can feelings deepen.

The neighbors in the courtyard were envious when they saw Li Jiuzhou's family returning with large bags and small packages.

They all knew that Li Jiuzhou had gone to Li Huaide's house today, but they didn't know that he was also Li Huaide's father-in-law.

There's no need to know about this relationship; it'll save them from constantly worrying about it.

The Li family members generally don't reveal this information, and when asked, they will only say that they went to their second uncle Li Huaide's house.

Sha Zhu had already been given a gag order and wouldn't say anything.

As for Jiaojiao, she wouldn't say anything out of the ordinary; she had already been taken to Master Li Tielong's house on the way back.

Li Huaide's current status is enough to deter troublemakers. If the old man is dragged into this, Li Jiuzhou is afraid that the neighbors in the courtyard will not be able to sleep.

Sometimes when Li Jiuzhou was chatting with his neighbors, they would boast a little, saying that everyone has a wealthy relative.

Jia Dongxu even boasted that he had an uncle who was a county magistrate!

That's utter nonsense. Even Jia Zhangshi blushed when she heard it. Do you think I don't know whether it's true or not?

If I had a brother who was a county magistrate, would I still be living in this shabby house?

Sometimes, you don't need to be verified to brag.

The more surprised the people around you are when you're bragging, the more satisfied you feel. Don't worry about the consequences, just keep bragging.

If you were to ask who in this courtyard is the best at bragging, it would have to be Yan Bugui, because his bragging is so logical and well-founded that it sounds like the truth to everyone.

He said that the house he lived in when he was a child was bigger than the current house, with an outer courtyard, and four or five servants would serve him a meal.

If it weren't for the war, who the hell would live with you peasants?

Yan Bugui always spoke of his family affairs with a mixture of pride and indignation, because he wasn't just bragging; his family was truly living that kind of life.

Because their home had been ransacked by the Japanese invaders and then by other rebel forces, leaving only their hidden possessions, they ultimately lost everything...