Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Sha Zhu was overjoyed after receiving his senior brother's instructions; his senior brother was going to take on a disciple, and their lineage was going to prosper.

After finishing his work in the kitchen at noon, Sha Zhu went to find You Fulai.

"Come on, Laifu, let's go out for a smoke to relax."

You Fulai was young and a little afraid of Sha Zhu. He didn't dare to argue when Sha Zhu deliberately called him by the wrong name. He just followed behind Sha Zhu with a sheepish smile.

When they arrived at the open space behind the gate, Sha Zhu stood there, smiling as he looked at You Fulai.

At first, You Fulai was a little confused, but after he calmed down, he quickly took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it for Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu took a nice drag of his cigarette and smiled:

"You're not stupid, are you? You know to carry cigarettes in your pocket."

But Sha Zhu coughed violently as soon as he finished speaking.

"Cough cough cough..."

Upon seeing this, You Fulai quickly stepped forward and patted his back.

After recovering, Sha Zhu looked at the cigarette in his hand and blurted out:

"Damn, when did you start smoking Peony cigarettes? They cost five cents a pack."

Upon hearing this, You Fulai scratched his head awkwardly: "This is the half pack of cigarettes you gave me a month ago. I don't smoke, and I couldn't bear to give it to anyone else."

"Holy crap!" Sha Zhu's eyes widened, and he quickly threw away the cigarette in his hand.

The cigarettes were opened a month ago; no wonder they have a strange smell.

Then he pointed at You Fulai and started cursing:

"You little rascal, you little rascal, you're really something else!"

You Fulai was scolded and remained silent with his head down, like a child who had made a mistake.

Sha Zhu couldn't bear to see him like this, so he waved his hand:

"Alright, alright, I didn't mean to blame you. From now on, once a pack of cigarettes has been opened, it can only be kept for a day or two at most. The flavor will change if it's kept too long."

"Giving these to others to draw can easily offend people, so remember that."

"I understand, Master He." You Fulai knew that Sha Zhu was doing this for his own good.

Sha Zhu took out his cigarette and lit it, but You Fulai didn't smoke, so he wouldn't give it to him.

"I like you, kid. I'll let you in on a little secret: my senior brother is planning to take on a disciple from among you apprentices."

"Don't tell anyone in the kitchen, kid. Your chance is right in front of you, so you'd better seize it!"

"Really!" You Fulai's eyes widened, feeling a huge surprise. He was honest and hardworking, and he was poor, but he wasn't stupid.

If I could become Master Li's apprentice, my future would be bright!

The saying "good skills can take you anywhere" is no joke.

Master Li had such skills; he had heard of Mr. Fish from Fengzeyuan before he even entered the steel rolling mill.

After I started working at the steel rolling mill, I had even closer contact with it.

He did have fantasies of becoming Master Li's apprentice.

It could be said that the apprentices in both canteens of the steel rolling mill were all dreaming of becoming Master Li's apprentice.

My mother has said more than once that if you could become Mr. Yu's apprentice, it would be incredibly lucky.

Because his father was a cook, but he only cooked ordinary banquet dishes. He was encountered by the Japanese soldiers on his way to cook a banquet.

Not only did they make his father cook several meals, but they also killed his father in the end. Those damn Japanese devils can't even be considered human.

"Thank you, Master He. I will definitely thank you in the future." You Fulai said to Sha Zhu excitedly after recovering.

"You know what to do next, right? Do you need me to teach you?" Silly Zhu said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, You Fulai shook his head like a rattle-drum: "No need, no need, I know what to do. Just you wait and see, I will definitely perform well and try to get Master Li to accept me as his apprentice."

Sha Zhu nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, then I'll see how you perform. Get lost..."

"Alright~" You Fulai happily went back to the kitchen, picked up a rag and started working, full of energy.

Li Jiuzhou naturally saw his actions, raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly.

He understood that Sha Zhu had given him some pointers; if he still didn't understand, he might as well smash his head against a block of tofu and die.

What Li Jiuzhou didn't know was that You Fulai really didn't understand.

He only wanted to make a good impression on Li Jiuzhou and didn't understand Shazhu's words at all.

When You Fulai got home that day, he shared the story with his mother.

His mother immediately knew there was something hidden in Sha Zhu's words, so she asked her son:

"So what are you planning to do?"

You Fulai naturally answered honestly:

"Mom, I'll definitely do my best in front of Master Li, otherwise what else can I do?"

His mother was furious, pointing at him and cursing, "How could I have given birth to such a stupid donkey like you?"

"Mother, why are you scolding me?" You Fulai was a little confused.

Mother You was extremely anxious:

"You're so stupid you don't even realize it. Who is Master He? He's Mr. Yu's junior brother."

"He's telling you all this to let you know that Mr. Fish has taken a liking to you and wants to take you on as his apprentice."

"Otherwise, why wouldn't he let you tell the other apprentices?"

"It's because Mr. Fish only has eyes for you, do you understand?"

You Fulai reached out and scratched his hair. What should he do if he felt like he was growing a brain?

Instead of being pleasantly surprised by her mother's words, she was quite puzzled.

He couldn't help but ask, "Mom, why did Mr. Fish choose me?"

Mother You shouted back, "How the hell would I know? Maybe it's because your father named you well, You Fulai, meaning 'good fortune comes'!"

"That was definitely the right choice! If Mr. Yu takes you as his apprentice, wouldn't that be a blessing!"

"Hehehe, it seems to really be true~" You Fulai laughed.

"Tomorrow is a day off, so let's take out all our savings, buy some gifts, and go to Mr. Yu's house together."

"Son, whether this good fortune will come to you or not depends on tomorrow."

You Fulai nodded solemnly, his fists clenched tightly.

He desperately wanted to improve, but he had neither the opportunity nor the means to do so before.

The opportunity is right in front of us; if we don't take a chance, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives.

The next morning, the mother and son left home after breakfast and arrived at Hongxing Courtyard at 9 a.m.

Yan Bugui received them again and took them directly to Li Jiuzhou's doorstep.

Just as Li Jiuzhou and his family finished breakfast, they saw a middle-aged woman and You Fulai.

Li Jiuzhou realized that the middle-aged woman was You Fulai's mother, and a smile appeared in his eyes as he nodded to the two of them.

"Master Li, my silly son told me before that you have taken good care of him. Please accept this small token of my appreciation." Mother You was very polite, and her words were reasonable and well-founded. Li Jiuzhou had no intention of refusing anyway, so after a few polite words, he welcomed the mother and son into the main room.

Sha Zhu arrived quickly and greeted the mother and son.

After a brief chat of a few minutes, Ms. You revealed her purpose:

"Master Li, to be honest, my eldest son is an honest and hardworking man. I've come here today hoping to find a future for him."

Upon hearing this, Li Jiuzhou and Shazhu exchanged a glance, both seeing the smile in each other's eyes.

Li Jiuzhou nodded and said:

"Auntie, just say what you want. I like Fulai quite a bit, and I'll lend a hand whenever I can."

Li Jiuzhou's words were practically a direct message to You Fu: "You better kneel down and kowtow to me, calling me master!"

Mother You was very clever, and a look of surprise appeared on her face. She immediately understood the meaning behind Li Jiuzhou's words and said to You Fulai:

"Son, kneel down quickly and kowtow to your master."

You Fulai knelt down in front of Li Jiuzhou with a thud and shouted in a loud voice:

"Master, please accept my bow!"

P.S.: Happy New Year, everyone!

Wishing all the big shots a smooth and prosperous new year, with good fortune all the way to the Southern Heavenly Gate!