Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

On his day off, Sha Zhu went out to sell ingredients around 9 a.m.

I bought lamb spine and mutton to make lamb spine hot pot in winter, and also to cook mutton in the broth.

He also bought a lot of other ingredients; Sha Zhu would never be stingy when treating people.

The bicycle was pushed into the yard, its back seat and front basket fully loaded with goods.

A group of people sunbathing in the front yard saw it; the bag was still dripping with blood.

Yan Bugui rushed forward and exclaimed, "Zhuzi, what good thing happened at your house today? You've got so much going on, it's like New Year's, even more extravagant than New Year's!"

Sha Zhu grinned after hearing this; he loved hearing compliments.

"Nothing much at home, just invited my brothers Damao and Guangqi for a couple of drinks."

Madam Jia was also in the crowd. Thinking that Sha Zhu still wanted her son, she blurted out:

"Silly Zhu, that's great! We won't cook Dongxu's meal tonight."

Sha Zhu's lips twitched slightly as he said to Jia Zhangshi, "You should make my brother Jia's share; there's no share for him today."

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi retorted sharply:

"Why is this kid so stingy? How can so many dishes be finished by so many people?"

Sha Zhu waved his hand, too lazy to continue talking to Jia Zhangshi.

The ribs and dumplings that were stolen from his house have been returned.

The ribs were newly bought, and the dumplings were exchanged for cash.

Sha Zhu didn't say anything, and that was that.

That evening, Xu Damao and Liu Guangqi each brought a bottle of good wine into Sha Zhu's house.

Li Jiuzhou arrived empty-handed, carrying his son Tie Niu.

Besides the lamb spine hot pot, Sha Zhu also made a few other dishes.

There are several main dishes, such as braised fish and stir-fried sausage.

Once Sha Zhu set up the table with wine, Xu Damao and Liu Guangqi's complaints had long since vanished.

The group frequently raised their glasses to drink, and the atmosphere was fairly pleasant.

Just as they were enjoying their drinks, another group arrived – the brothers Da Hu and Er Hu, who brought their own alcohol.

There was no way around it; Sha Zhu's house was so lively, he couldn't stand the loneliness and wanted to go over and chat with his brothers.

Sha Zhu apologized repeatedly to the two brothers, "Tiger, it's not that I didn't invite you two, but there was another reason today. But it's all over now, sit down and have a drink. I'll have your sister-in-law order a couple more dishes!"

Before Da Hu could refuse, he was forced into a chair and then started drinking.

Jia Dongxu had been itching to join in the fun for a long time, seeing the lively atmosphere at Sha Zhu's house.

Seeing that there were many people, he took a bottle of good wine and a plate of peanuts from home and went to Sha Zhu's house.

Sha Zhu saw Jia Dongxu but didn't say anything. He told him to sit down and drink three cups as punishment.

Jia Dongxu was overjoyed and downed three cups in a row.

Zhang Shih-hao, the eldest son of the Zhang family in the front yard, also came with a bottle of wine. This was the Zhang family who came to learn how to make tofu from Li Jiuzhou. The eldest son is 21 years old this year.

He has a job as a junior fitter in a steel rolling mill; he's quick-witted and has a sweet tongue.

It's said that they've found a partner and will get married by the end of the year; both sets of parents are currently finalizing a date.

Yan Bugui, carrying a bottle of liquor, walked to Sha Zhu's door and glanced inside. "This doesn't smell right. Why are all the people here young?"

Yan Bugui decided it was best not to join in the fun, so he grabbed his eldest son and shoved the wine into his hand.

"Go, go to Sha Zhu's house and have a little fun."

Yan Jiecheng took the wine and flew like the wind to Sha Zhu's house.

He may be younger, but he never acts like a kid. I'm already in my final year of junior high.

Soon, the younger generation gathered at Sha Zhu's house, and Shan He was also called over by Li Jiuzhou.

The table was full of people, eating and drinking, having a great time.

It wasn't that they wanted to freeload; at this point, what Sha Zhu's family had to eat wasn't the main point anymore.

They didn't visit during mealtimes; instead, they went after they had eaten, bringing their drinks with them. That was already very polite of them.

At this point, Sha Zhu would never chase people away, but would treat them with courtesy. The only trouble would be to prepare one or two more snacks to go with the drinks.

There aren't many entertainment options in the courtyard, so the younger generation rarely has the chance to get together for drinks.

Like Jia Dongxu, who often drank alone or chatted with his mentor Yi Zhonghai, it got boring after a while.

When there are many people, it becomes more and more exciting, mainly because of the atmosphere. People drink happily, and even without snacks, they still enjoy themselves.

The drinking session continued until 9 p.m. before everyone stopped drinking and chatting.

Xu Damao asked Zhang Shih-hao, "Shih-hao, I heard you're getting married next week. How much dowry is the bride asking for?"

Xu Damao seemed a little unhappy when he mentioned this incident with Zhang Shih-hao:

"Da Mao, don't even mention it. They're asking for a dowry of 50 yuan, and that's a firm commitment."

"I won't marry her if she's missing even a penny. Not only do I want all of these, but I also want 36 legs, and I need to have all three turns and one sound."

Everyone sighed upon hearing this.

"Damn, it's so dark." Sha Zhu couldn't help but swear.

Zhang Shih-hao continued, "My brother has a twin brother who is also getting married. The bride's family asked for this price, so they're just making up for it with me."

"Oh dear, Shih-hao, you've really run into trouble. This is going to be difficult to handle," the crowd chimed in.

"Are you having trouble?" Li Jiuzhou interjected.

Zhang Shih-hao shook his head: "No, we have a bicycle and a radio at home, all we're missing is a watch and 36 legs."

My parents are making the arrangements.

Li Jiuzhou nodded and comforted him, saying, "No matter how expensive it is, getting a wife is a win."

"There's still a long road ahead."

Zhang Shih-hao's demand for a bride price from the Xiang family was indeed high, and exorbitantly so.

In Beijing, betrothal gifts are not common; gifts are the main form of payment.

At this time, the price of a bride price is generally between 5 and 10 yuan.

A dowry of 50 yuan is already exorbitant; I don't know how the woman could even ask for that.

And her mother also wants big items at home.

This is how the major items are prepared: a bicycle, a cash register, and a watch are prepared and sent to the bride's family before the wedding.

It was returned to the groom on the wedding day; it was just a facade.

The prerequisite is that the man must have these things.

By ten o'clock, everyone had staggered home. Xu Damao had already fallen asleep; he had drunk quite a bit.

Liu Guangqi was also carried home by Liu Haizhong.

A week later, the Zhang family held a very low-key wedding, with only three tables set up at home, without even hiring a chef.

Zhang Shih-hao led his new bride to greet each household, then distributed wedding candies, and that was it.

They didn't hold a wedding, advocating frugality. Since the beginning of this year, no weddings have been held in Nanluoguxiang. They just have one or two tables at home and give out some wedding candy to the neighbors.

The neighbors in the courtyard wouldn't say anything, because everyone does it this way, so they just follow the crowd.

On his wedding night, after enjoying marital bliss, Zhang Shih-hao hid under the covers and wept silently.

I spent 50 yuan to marry my wife, and my mother-in-law gave me eight cotton quilts in return. I have to say, the quality of these quilts is really good. If you cry inside them, no one outside can hear you at all.

Even Zhang Shih-hao's wife didn't hear him crying. Do you think the quality is good or not?