Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

The two elderly people in the Wu family fluffed up all the cotton quilts of their neighbors in the courtyard within a week.

The results were obvious; the skill was undeniable. The neighbors paid happily without the slightest complaint. They got a half-price discount, a real bargain.

The Wu family elders' skill in cotton carding naturally spread throughout Nanluoguxiang, and neighbors from nearby courtyards would come over every day with their quilts to have their cotton carded.

Of course, it's not the normal price for neighbors of this building. Since it's just opened, the price will be slightly discounted, as a way of showing goodwill.

Even with the best prices, it's still more profitable than making cotton in the countryside. The Wu family is really smart.

Everyone passing by the gate of No. 95 courtyard could hear the sound of cotton being fluffed.

Yan Bugui loved to calculate his neighbors' income and assets.

You don't know until you calculate it, and when you do, you're shocked, even a little envious.

The residents in the courtyard earned nearly 40,000 yuan, and that was even with a 50% discount.

If this were allowed to proceed freely, wouldn't it take off?

I'm so envious, I'm absolutely envious.

The adults in the Wu family always have smiling faces; their income is quite substantial.

He earned nearly 30 yuan in just half a month. Isn't that amazing?

The neighbors in the courtyard knew that the Wu family was making money; after all, having a skill was a big deal these days. They weren't afraid of starving, and they could support their families.

Although they were somewhat envious of the Wu family's profits, they didn't say anything gossipy.

The residents in the courtyard are all doing well; the Jia family's life had improved significantly.

And then there's Wang Jia Da Hu, the one who went to the countryside to sell mountain products; several families' living conditions have improved.

It's fair to say that no one in Building 95 is struggling financially right now.

Everything is thriving now, and there's no room for scheming.

Every household has plenty of money, enough to eat and wear, so what's there to worry about? Do you think I have nothing better to do?

If you were to ask who lives the most carefree life in the courtyard, it would be the deaf old lady in the backyard.

Everyone in the compound knew that Sha Zhu had to bring her a good meal from Fengzeyuan every two days.

Moreover, Sha Zhu took some time out of his lunch break to bring it back.

These aren't leftovers; they're proper main dishes, ordered separately!

Everyone in the compound knows that the old lady is rich.

There are definitely people who are envious. They know how much it costs to order food at Fengzeyuan. Li Jiuzhou and Shazhu both work there.

Despite their envy, they wouldn't go to the old lady's house to ask for food; that would be too embarrassing. So, a group of children would often wander around the backyard, hoping the old lady would give them a bite.

The deaf old lady still liked the children very much. As long as they were willing to call her "Madam," she would gladly give them some peanuts and melons.

After the children in the courtyard tasted the sweetness, their mouths were as sweet as if they had been coated with honey.

When you encounter a deaf old lady in the courtyard, she always addresses her with great politeness.

One morning, Li Jiuzhou was preparing vegetables when Sha Zhu came over and whispered:

"Senior brother, the old lady wants something nice to eat today, she wants a Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup."

Li Jiuzhou's lips twitched upon hearing this:

"How much did she owe this month? Does she have any money left?"

Sha Zhu chuckled and uttered a few words:

"86."

Li Jiuzhou was startled:

"Damn, Old Deng hasn't spent all his money yet? Isn't he afraid of getting robbed? Damn it."

The shopkeeper and manager both knew that the deaf old lady had her account booked at Fengzeyuan Restaurant, and they were willing to let her.

Anyway, she always has Sha Zhu come to settle the bill at the end of the month. This has been going on for several years now, so it's nothing new to her.

Sha Zhu suddenly said:

"Senior brother, let's not worry about that. The old lady is getting old and doesn't have many years left to live. It doesn't matter if she eats something good."

Li Jiuzhou was even more speechless, thinking to himself, "Silly Zhu, you don't know, the deaf old lady can live for at least another ten years. What do you mean she only has a few years left to live? That's bullshit."

"You don't know how healthy Old Deng is. He never even gets a headache or fever, and his teeth are still in great shape."

"She's rich now, but when she runs out of money, she'll probably come after you. After all, you're her grandson."

Sha Zhu scratched his head after hearing this. He couldn't do anything about it, at least the old lady hadn't spent any of his money yet.

"Senior brother, let's leave it at that for now. I need to prepare the dishes for lunch, so please deliver them to the old lady at noon."

"Okay, get it done as soon as possible so I can deliver it." Li Jiuzhou nodded in agreement.

At 11:30 a.m., Sha Zhu had prepared the three dishes, and Li Jiuzhou rode his bicycle back to the yard.

There weren't many people around at noon; everyone was cooking in their own kitchens. Li Jiuzhou went straight to the backyard.

The deaf old woman sat at the door, seemingly waiting for someone. When she saw Li Jiuzhou enter the backyard, a smile appeared on her face.

"Oh my, Mr. Fish is personally delivering the vegetables today! I'm so lucky!"

"You really know how to eat, I admire you." Li Jiuzhou replied with a smile, then went inside to take the dishes out of the box and arrange them for her.

The deaf old woman wasn't in a hurry to eat; she poured Li Jiuzhou a glass of water.

"The rain will be back soon, I'll wait for her to eat together."

"Haha, Zhuzi and Yushui didn't call you grandma for nothing, they really got their money's worth." Li Jiuzhou laughed too.

"That's right, ma'am, I'm not short of money..." The deaf old lady rarely boasted.

"With today's meal, your bill for this month is over a hundred," Li Jiuzhou reminded her.

The deaf old woman waved her hand and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing..."

Li Jiuzhou's teeth chattered upon hearing this, perhaps unable to bear watching her eat like that, and he said again:

"Can't you be a little more frugal?"

"If they become so picky about food, what will they do when they run out of money?"

"Zhu Zi's meager salary can't afford you a life like this."

"And also, aren't you planning to leave something for the pillar?"

The deaf old woman could naturally understand Li Jiuzhou's words, and said irritably:

"What, you're eyeing my retirement savings?"

"I don't have many years left to live, so what's wrong with eating something good? It's not like I'm asking you to pay for it."

"Besides, these two rooms will just go to Zhu Zi after I die, so why are you worrying about it?"

"Isn't anyone in the courtyard eyeing your money and house? Don't the Jia and Yi families covet it?" Li Jiuzhou asked.

"Hmph, it's no use worrying about it. I'll give it all to Zhuzi from now on. I have the money, don't worry. I won't be a burden to Zhuzi. I know what I'm doing," the deaf old woman said confidently.

Li Jiuzhou nodded:

"As long as you know what's going on, that's fine."

"Hey, if you have any antiques or coins, could you spare some for me?"

After Li Jiuzhou finished speaking, the deaf old woman stared at him with a half-smile.

"So you're after my stuff too, you little bastard, huh? Heh heh..."

"Look at what you're saying. I'm not robbing anyone. What's wrong with exchanging money? Besides, you've eaten quite a bit of food from my family. Forget exchanging money, what's wrong with giving me something?"

"Look at how stingy you are."

The old lady grinned when she heard this; she liked that Li Jiuzhou could say it so openly and honestly.

Sometimes it has to be like this: it's fine if you want my things, but you can't do it secretly. If you tell me directly, I'm happy to give you some.

"Just tell me what you want, and I'll think about it."

Li Jiuzhou was overjoyed to hear this. He had seen the old lady's box of coins before, and she had even let him play with it, but she hadn't kept it as a treasure.

The old lady preferred large and small yellow croakers and some antiques.

There are quite a few rare silver coins; in later generations, each one would be worth at least tens of thousands of dollars.

There were also many dragon coins from the Qing Dynasty and silver coins from warlords.

Li Jiuzhou didn't look closely at the time, but there were definitely many rare items among them.

So he said, "I only want your box of silver coins; they have collectible value. I don't want anything else."

The old lady said with a hint of disappointment:

"Those silver coins aren't worth much. If you really want them, take them. Take the whole box."

"Is this really true?" Li Jiuzhou asked excitedly.

The old lady waved her hand:

"Oh, take it, take it. It's under the bed, so you won't keep eyeing my things all the time, you little brat."

Li Jiuzhou immediately jumped up, took a wooden box from under her bed, placed it on the table, and opened it.

It was packed full; I'd heard from the old lady that there were probably over 400 silver coins inside.

There are silver dollars and Qing Dynasty dragon coins inside; Li Jiuzhou will have to wait until he returns to examine them carefully to find out how many treasures they hold.

Li Jiuzhou, clutching a box of silver coins, wore a lecherous grin.

Honey, this is a treasure, oh my god!

Li Jiuzhou no longer cares about antiques or calligraphy and paintings. Those few Jiangnan Wuxu Pearl Dragons are enough for him, not to mention more. How could Li Jiuzhou not be excited? Wouldn't you readers be excited too?

Of course, Dragon Coins are not a one-off transaction; the price depends on the evaluation level.

Even with Li Jiuzhou looking like this, the old lady looked disgusted.

"Look at you, so self-important. Take it, take it, it's yours."

"But you're responsible for settling the bill at Fengzeyuan this month."

"Not to mention this month, I'll settle the bills for the next two months as well," Li Jiuzhou immediately declared.

The old lady smiled upon hearing this:

"You said it, so you have to do it."

Li Jiuzhou patted his chest forcefully:

"Just you wait and see!"

Now Li Jiuzhou no longer has the filter of movies, TV dramas, and fan fiction to see the deaf old woman.

She looks like a kind and gentle old lady now. She's my own grandma, and I really want to kiss her!