Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Li Jiuzhou's answer infuriated Yang Ligong. He felt that Li Jiuzhou, the cook, was so arrogant that he didn't even listen to him, the factory director, just because of his status. It was outrageous.

Pointing at Li Jiuzhou, he said "good" three times in a row:

"Alright, alright, you're very good. Just you wait!" Yang immediately shouted to the rest of the kitchen staff.

"I am Yang Ligong, the factory manager. Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, and I hope to make dumplings for all the workers in the factory, the kind that you can eat as much as you want."

"If your cafeteria manager says it can't be done, then you guys do it. If you do a good job, you'll get a promotion and a raise."

Tell me, can you do it?

Sha Zhu was the first to stand up and answer, shouting loudly:

"I'm your dad, I'll make you a fucking dumpling, you son of a bitch!" I'm done for, whatever!

Someone took the lead, and the rest of the kitchen staff, disregarding whether he was the factory manager or not, began to hurl insults at Yang Ligong:

"Yeah, we're your dad, you brainless bastard! Someone like you is a factory manager? I could do that myself!"

Yang was immediately scolded and took several steps back, completely stunned and at a loss for what to do.

He didn't know why, but he just asked the kitchen to make dumplings for the whole factory tomorrow. Was that a difficult request?

Li Jiuzhou thought this Factory Director Yang was a bit incompetent. It was one thing that he wasn't from the military, but he was supposedly a highly educated intellectual.

Did you learn this knowledge from a dog?

Does someone like that even deserve to be Uncle's opponent? Zhen Ji is pulling up vegetables...

So he took two steps forward and said to Yang Ligong:

"Director Yang, it's not that we're unwilling to make dumplings for our fellow workers, it's just that we're truly powerless to do so."

"Think about it, there are only about fifty people in the first and second canteens combined."

"Less than half of the staff in the two canteens know how to make dumplings."

"But the entire steel rolling mill has more than 3500 employees."

"You also want all-you-can-eat dumplings. Let's say each person eats 45 dumplings. Do you know how many dumplings that would be for 3500 people?"

"How much?" Yang Ligong couldn't help but ask.

Li Jiuzhou replied, "157500."

"There are only 52 people in my canteen, so each person has to make more than 3000 dumplings."

"You have to understand, even the top dumpling makers can only make 2000 a day. You're asking us ordinary people to make 3000 a day."

"Do you think it's possible to complete? I certainly can't..."

After Li Jiuzhou's explanation, Yang Ligong's face turned red with embarrassment. He realized he had miscalculated and hadn't considered the issue of heads.

No wonder the people in the kitchen were looking at him so strangely, as if they wanted to kill him.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Li Jiuzhou continued to ask:

"So, Director Yang, what are we eating for the Winter Solstice tomorrow?"

Yang Ligong took a deep breath, wiped his face, and smiled. Pointing to the weekly menu posted on the wall, he said:

"Isn't it posted on the wall? Eat whatever it says. Comrades, and Director Li, I apologize for my intrusion earlier. Today…" Yang hesitated for a moment, then added, "Just pretend I was never here…"

After Yang Ligong finished speaking, he turned around and left.

After a few seconds of silence, the kitchen erupted in loud laughter, accompanied by profanities:

"That fucking idiot, isn't he an idiot? Hahahaha..."

Yang Lima was listening intently in the corner by the kitchen door, his teeth practically grinding to powder.

That's right, he didn't leave. He was just curious whether anyone would criticize him after he left.

As a result, he was really scolded and his mood soured. These chefs called him an idiot... Damn it, I hate it so much. Why did they call me an idiot?

People like Li Jiuzhou and Sha Zhu Yang Ligong have held a grudge against them; they were so damn disrespectful.

When facing him, Li Jiuzhou showed none of the trepidation one would expect from a subordinate; his indifferent gaze made Yang Ligong extremely uncomfortable.

You're just a subordinate, why are you so arrogant? Is it because you have connections?

I'm not exactly alone; I might as well give them a run for their money!

As for Sha Zhu, Yang Ligong felt that he wanted to get rid of Sha Zhu more than Li Jiuzhou.

Good heavens, he always talks about his father and brings up his mother all the time. His cursing is really crude, which makes Yang Ligong grit his teeth in hatred.

I plan to give those two a good beating when I get the chance.

The matter in the cafeteria was kept secret. Li Jiuzhou told them not to tell anyone and that it was best to keep it to themselves.

After all, we should still give Director Yang some face; perhaps he genuinely didn't consider everything at the moment.

The next day, the Winter Solstice, we ate as usual, and no one complained because the food tasted good. Today we ate braised pork.

Why the hell are you eating dumplings when you've already eaten braised pork? Seriously!

After getting off work in the evening, the He and Li families gathered together to make dumplings.

Li Jiuzhou has tried dumplings of all kinds, but he thinks the best and most classic flavor is still cabbage and pork dumplings.

The cabbage is sweet, the pork is fragrant, it's not greasy or dry, and every bite is bursting with soup.

As for chives, they only became popular later.

Today they made two kinds of dumplings: one with cabbage and pork filling, and the other with lamb and celery filling.

Today, the two brothers will just lend a hand; making dumplings is something the older women are better at.

Bingbing and Qin Huairu worked together to make dumplings. Even the deaf old lady knew how to make dumplings, so she also got to try.

Every household in courtyard number 95 is making dumplings, and they all eat dumplings with cabbage and pork filling.

To put it simply, it's because there are no other vegetables available, and people are also used to eating dumplings with cabbage and pork filling.

Lamb dumplings are actually quite good; they're a warming and nourishing food in winter.

This time, Li Jiuzhou asked Sha Zhu to buy three catties of mutton to make dumplings.

If the two families make a larger batch together, they can still eat it in a few days, since it will keep well during the winter.

Sha Zhu also followed Li Jiuzhou's example and made a large ice tank at the door, putting the meat he bought and the dumplings he made inside.

The neighbors were very curious about the large ice tank that Sha Zhu made and came over to admire it quite often.

But then the people who did this together were gone, and where the hell were we going to put any extra meat and dumplings in the ice tank?

Even if you buy meat and make dumplings and eat it all on the same day, leave a few.

The next day it was all digested into poop...

Three days after the winter solstice, Sha Zhu came home from get off work and suddenly remembered that he had made dumplings for the winter solstice but hadn't finished them. So he opened the ice tank, checked the contents, and found that there was nothing left inside.

Sha Zhu didn't think much of it and went to the backyard to find his wife, Qin Huairu.

Upon entering the old lady's house, I found the two of them chatting, so I decided to join in.

It took Sha Zhu a while to remember the important matter, so he smiled and casually asked Qin Huai:

"Honey, did you eat the pork ribs and dumplings in the ice tank for lunch?"

Qin Huairu said, "No, it's still in the ice tank, isn't it?"

Sha Zhu was dumbfounded, and shrugged: "No, I just opened the lid and there was nothing there~"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu immediately stood up and shouted, "Which heartless bastard stole our meat?"

Sha Zhu finally realized that someone had stolen the meat and dumplings from his house!