Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

You Fulai was taken by Sha Zhu to learn a trade, and this time he was truly being taught step by step.

It was very systematic; Sha Zhu explained everything in great detail, from how to stand to how to hold the knife, and he spoke very loudly.

This caused the people working in the kitchen to fall silent, listening intently and learning as much as they could.

Several apprentices who were picking vegetables took their baskets and went over to work quietly on the side.

Sha Zhu was secretly pleased and proud. He had a formal culinary tradition, and even the most basic knife skills were very particular.

Sha Zhu has a bottom line when it comes to these things; he doesn't share them with outsiders. At most, he lets them see them, but he keeps the details very well hidden.

Li Jiuzhou trusts Shazhu completely and isn't worried that he'll pass on his culinary skills.

In the original series, Fatty and Ma Hua had followed him for many years, but the most crucial ingredients were still in Sha Zhu's own hands.

When Yan Jiecheng and his wife opened a restaurant, they fired Sha Zhu and put their apprentice Fatty in charge of cooking. But Fatty turned out to be a half-baked culinary artist.

This is an old tradition; as the saying goes, "Teaching an apprentice can starve the master," and there's some truth to that.

If Sha Zhu hadn't left anything behind and taught Fatty everything, then Yan Jiecheng and his wife wouldn't have had such a pleasant experience kicking him out back then.

Old chefs in Beiping (Beijing) often like to keep some of their skills from their apprentices; of course, this is an exception, not the rule.

Li Tielong doesn't hide his talents and isn't afraid of his apprentices taking his job.

They're already famous, so they're not afraid of these petty schemes.

Normally, an apprentice wouldn't try to steal their master's job; if word got out, they'd be scorned and gossiped about by their peers.

Many large restaurants dare not hire chefs with bad character, and it is not uncommon for an unstable kitchen to ruin a large restaurant.

The examples are right in front of us; who the hell would dare to step into such a blatant trap, even if you're a really good cook?

A cook whose reputation is ruined has no choice but to leave the area and find another way to make a living.

Such situations were all too common in Beiping (Beijing), and the culinary world was full of interesting anecdotes; they were nothing new...

No matter what industry you're in, there are always people with bad intentions. It has nothing to do with what industry they work in; it's just that they are that kind of person.

Moreover, human nature is the most complex thing. For example, when a person is young, he is energetic, diligent and honest. If he follows the same path, his personality will not change in his life.

If a family experiences a major upheaval, their personality is very likely to change; they may become more ambitious or more ruthless.

No one can see through someone completely; you can't see them entirely...

The neighbors in the courtyard were somewhat disappointed that Li Jiuzhou accepted a disciple without holding a banquet, as they would miss out on a good meal.

After the policy changed, it became quite difficult for ordinary people to host a banquet.

First of all, grain coupons are the hardest to obtain; you have to find other ways to exchange them.

Wang Dahu's business in the backyard has been booming lately.

Anyway, there are plenty of people who want to buy wild delicacies, but the transactions can't be done openly anymore; they have to be conducted secretly.

If you get caught, they'll charge you with speculation and profiteering, which will not only result in a fine but also jail time.

Over the past few years, Wang Dahu has already established a trading channel, and he is very familiar with it.

The neighbors in the courtyard would often gossip about Wang Dahu, who was always leaving early and returning late.

Because everyone knew what Wang Dahu was doing, they wanted to advise him but were afraid of meddling too much.

Those with malicious intentions who want to report it will find no evidence.

If you lead a group to catch him, Wang Dahu can't do anything about it if he casually mentions that he brought wild game for a relative.

Unless the buyer is an idiot and says, "I'm just buying wild game from Wang Dahu," which is practically impossible.

At this point, both the buyer and seller should be convicted. Who the hell would be so idle as to report this?

Wang Dahu's family was very nervous, fearing that he would be arrested one day, and they would often try to persuade him to quit.

But Wang Dahu was unwilling to do that. That was money, and if he let go, he would lose a lot of money.

You think you can just give up a monthly income of a hundred or so yuan? It's not that easy.

Wang Dahu has never revealed his monthly income to his family. When asked, he would say it's around 30 yuan. He's very low-key.

In fact, Wang Dahu was also a bit upset because one of his colleagues had been arrested and was said to have been sentenced to 7 years and sent to the Northwest to eat sand.

But it's really hard to get him to stop; fortune favors the bold!

In the back kitchen of the steel rolling mill, Li Huaide found Li Jiuzhou for a casual chat.

"Jiuzhou, you've been staying at Fengzeyuan for so long, do you know any ways to get some wild game or something?"

"I'm tired of eating chicken, duck, fish, and meat every day."

Upon hearing this, Li Jiuzhou gave him an annoyed look:

"Uncle, you shouldn't say things like that..."

Li Huaide waved his hand: "I'm just saying this to you. Your uncle isn't stupid."

Li Jiuzhou nodded and continued his previous statement:

"There are ways, of course. I know someone in my department named Wang Dahu who specializes in this. I was the one who gave him the idea a few years ago."

Li Huaide's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he quickly pressed for an answer:

"How's business? How much are you earning in a month?"

Li Jiuzhou recalled what Da Hu had said to him:

"Over the past few years, Da Hu has paved the way in the countryside and is doing very well. He earns at least a hundred yuan a month."

"Then what is he still doing now? Isn't he afraid of getting caught?" Li Huaide asked in surprise.

Li Jiuzhou smiled and said, "Fortune favors the bold."

Li Huaide chimed in:

"It was lost in a close call!"

"Hahaha, you're right!" Li Jiuzhou naturally understood; it was a matter of seeking within danger and losing within danger.

Li Jiuzhou thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we put Da Hu in the factory's purchasing department? That way, it'll be easier to get whatever you need, and he won't have to take risks for riches."

After hearing this, Li Huaide replied, "It's possible, but the factory can't afford to pay him over a hundred yuan a month; at most, it'll be 36 yuan."

"It would be best if he were willing to come; if not, we can still make friends, which will make things easier."

"Then I'll ask him when I get back tonight," Li Jiuzhou agreed.

After getting off work that day, Li Jiuzhou went to the Wang family's house. Da Hu had not returned yet, so he told his younger brother Er Hu to come to the house when Da Hu returned, saying that he had something to ask him.

After dinner, Da Hu still hadn't come over by 8 o'clock. His wife and children had gone to sleep first, and Li Jiuzhou was making tea in the main room.

It wasn't until nine o'clock that Da Hu quietly walked in carrying a cloth bag.

Seeing Li Jiuzhou, Da Hu laughed and waved the soaking wet cloth bag in front of Li Jiuzhou:

"Brother, do you want some flying dragon?"

Li Jiuzhou exclaimed in surprise, "Damn, where did this flying dragon come from in Beiping?"

Big Tiger laughed:

"Hehehe, it was brought from Northeast China by a fellow traveler. The blood and hair were all cleaned off, and it was brought here frozen all the way."

"Holy crap, that must be incredibly expensive!" Li Jiuzhou exclaimed.

It's only November now, and winter is just around the corner, but keeping it fresh all the way to Beiping (Beijing) wasn't easy.

"It's alright, it's alright. My colleague has connections and managed to get over twenty of them this time, so I only took five," Da Hu said with a smile, scratching his head.

Li Jiuzhou laughed too, "There are 360 ​​professions, and every profession can produce an expert."