Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

In the first workshop of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, Jia Dongxu glanced at the clock on the wall; there were only two minutes left before the end of the morning shift.

So he tapped on the metal parts on the worktable to attract his coworkers' attention.

"Ding ding ding!"

The workers, drawn by the noise, all turned their attention to the source of the sound.

Seeing this, Jia Dongxu was overjoyed and shouted:

"Fellow workers, two chefs have joined the First Canteen today. They are my neighbors from the Hongxing Courtyard."

"Both of them are head chefs at Fengzeyuan Restaurant and even participated in a state banquet recently."

"I got word that the food at the First Cafeteria today will absolutely dazzle you. Anyone who trusts me, Jia Dongxu, is coming with me!"

Unexpectedly, Jia Dongxu's words were immediately refuted by a fellow worker:

"Screw you, give me back my two cents!"

Jia Dongxu was dissatisfied and retorted:

"You son of a bitch, Old Li! You said you'd pay me back tomorrow, what's the rush?!"

"Hahahaha..." All the workers laughed, even Yi Zhonghai was laughing.

It's perfectly normal for coworkers to joke around and swear a little; sometimes they even tell dirty jokes to relieve the boredom of work.

Just then, a bell rang, signaling the end of the workday at the steel rolling mill.

"Master, let's go, let's eat." Jia Dongxu had already prepared lunchboxes for the two of them.

Yi Zhonghai nodded.

"Okay, let's go."

Outside the workshop, you can see large groups of workers heading to lunch, all walking very quickly.

If someone is not proactive in their work, there's something wrong with their thinking.

The two smelled a delicious aroma as soon as they arrived at the entrance of the first canteen.

Jia Dongxu took a deep sniff, his eyes immediately lighting up, and said to Yi Zhonghai:

"Master, it tastes like Fengzeyuan."

Yi Zhonghai raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "You've actually eaten at Fengzeyuan Restaurant?"

Jia Dongxu scratched his head and laughed:

"Hehe, no, but Jiuzhou and Shazhu are the head chefs at Fengzeyuan!"

"Whether they're good people or not is another matter, but their skills are undeniable!"

Jia Dongxu even gave a thumbs up!

Yi Zhonghai agreed with his apprentice's words: "Hurry up, it smells so good, it might be gone if we wait too long."

"Oh, right, right, right."

The master and apprentice quickened their pace.

The workers entering the canteen were overwhelmed by the aroma. The stimulation of the fragrance made them even hungrier, their mouths very moist and unusually sweet.

They all lined up, holding their own lunchboxes, to get their food.

A serving of fish, a serving of soup, and steamed buns as the staple food.

The coworker, who was eating, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:

"As expected of a master chef, the large-pot stew tastes just like the food from Fengzeyuan Restaurant. It's a bit of a shame to serve it with steamed buns."

"Damn, if it were served with white rice, I could eat a whole pot of it."

The workers nearby who heard this all agreed.

Li Jiuzhou and Shazhu watched this scene with smiles on their faces, arms crossed.

The praise from their fellow workers is the best reward for them.

"Jiuzhou, Zhuzi!" Jia Dongxu greeted them.

Seeing this, Sha Zhu quickly stepped forward:

"Haha, Dongxu, Uncle Yi, time to eat! Here, I'll serve you both!"

Sha Zhu would naturally be biased towards acquaintances, giving them a slightly larger amount than others could tell, but Li Jiuzhou noticed it immediately.

"Zhu Zi, thanks. You two are busy, Dongxu and I will eat first." Yi Zhonghai thanked him and then led Jia Dongxu to find a seat to eat.

A little while later, Xu Damao arrived with his father, and he and Shazhu started joking and playing around.

Sha Zhu joked with Xu Damao, and when they were fishing, he caught a bunch of vegetables instead, which infuriated Xu Damao.

Of course, this was just to tease him, and he was still given quite a bit of fish.

During the meal, a group of leaders also came to eat, and they were extremely satisfied with the arrival of Li Jiuzhou and Sha Zhu.

They ate the vegetables, and they were a world of difference compared to the boiled vegetables they had eaten before.

Li Huaide was the happiest, and the workers were most satisfied with his contributions.

You should know that Li Jiuzhou and Sha Zhu were brought into the steel mill's kitchen by him.

After the news spread unintentionally, many people spoke highly of Li Huaide.

They thought he did a great job as the logistics director, so they hired two chefs to cook for the workers.

It's important to understand that workers' morale is crucial; whether they are well-fed or poorly fed determines output and quality.

The work in the steel rolling mill kitchen is very easy; they only cook lunch and go home for dinner.

There will be a notice if you work overtime; otherwise, you can leave work in the afternoon with the other workers.

Simple, easy, and enjoyable.

Three days later, the entire steel rolling mill knew that two chefs had arrived at the No. 1 canteen, and every day there was no food left over.

If you arrive late, you'll only be able to eat the real communal dishes at the second canteen.

After finishing his meal, he kept grumbling and saying that even a dog wouldn't eat this dish.

This made the staff in the kitchen of the second canteen feel very wronged.

This is outrageous! It's infuriating!

So I went to my supervisor to report this problem.

The leaders will definitely have to deal with it; they'll definitely have to make the most of Chef Li Jiuzhou.

The first canteen couldn't accommodate him, so he had to be given more responsibilities. He was quickly promoted, but there was no raise; at most, he received extra subsidies later.

Li Jiuzhou worked at the steel rolling mill for three days and was directly promoted to head chef, becoming the head chef of the entire steel rolling mill canteen.

Responsible for kitchen management and skills training.

After discussion, we decided to only teach how to cook large batches of dishes.

Li Jiuzhou had no objection; whether it was one sheep or two, it was still the same.

He said he wouldn't touch the large pot of food; leaving it to the people below would give him more leisure time.

So the second canteen also began renovations, with the same rules as the first canteen.

Li Jiuzhou even created a week's worth of menus for working hours and posted them in various corners of the cafeteria.

He wrote down exactly what he would eat each day, including what he would eat the day after tomorrow.

The only troublesome thing is Li Jiu, who writes a menu every week and submits it to the logistics department to make it easier for them to make purchases.

His approach greatly reduced the hassle of purchasing, whereas previously he would just buy whatever he wanted.

Now we make purchases regularly, with clear goals, instead of wandering around aimlessly.

In other words, there is no shortage of supplies right now, and purchasing food is still very easy.

Now, six days a week, Li Jiuzhou has provided a very precise recipe for making the large pot dishes.

He taught Sha Zhu together, and once he mastered the skills, he could just let go and become the boss, living a life of unparalleled comfort.

I don't need to buy cigarettes for work every day; I just reach out and a cigarette is already in my hand, and it catches fire by the time I put it to my lips.

It wasn't that they wanted it this way, but rather that the people below them made the offerings spontaneously.

Cooking big pot dishes also requires skill; strength alone is not enough.

Even if Li Jiuzhou gave you the recipe, it wouldn't be enough; you have to practice and constantly experiment with the heat and flavor.

This all requires guidance from Li Jiuzhou and Shazhu.

If you want to improve, you must humbly ask for advice, but there are also rules to follow when asking for advice.

Are you just going to say, "Master Li, Master He, teach me"?

There is a reason why skills should not be taught lightly and methods should not be passed on to outsiders.

Li Jiuzhou and his team could gather their subordinates together and give them a general instruction.

But there is naturally more to learn from those who are humble, eager to learn, and have a proper attitude.

Serving cigarettes and tea was something the apprentices were always vying for; that's the status that came with high skill.