Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

The neighbors in the courtyard were quite surprised to learn that Li Jiuzhou had bought the courtyard, but then they were quite relieved.

Everyone in the courtyard knows how good Li Jiuzhou is at making money. Although they don't know how much savings he has, it's certainly a lot.

Buying a piece of land is a piece of cake; you can easily spend a thousand dollars.

It's not an exaggeration; several households in the courtyard can afford this amount of money.

People are unwilling to spend money; they save it for future emergencies.

Both families have children; they need to think about the future.

Moreover, the neighbors didn't even care about that dilapidated place across the courtyard; it was just a place to poop.

They're all used for pooping, who the hell cares about them!

Even Jia Zhangshi didn't utter a single complaint. The entrance to the side courtyard was closest to the Jia family's residence, so she pulled the most "Oli Gei" (a type of snack).

She didn't care at all. Her two rooms were kept very comfortable, and she even had a heated brick bed to sleep on in winter. She was living a wonderful life.

After buying the land, Li Jiuzhou did not start building the house immediately. He felt there was no rush and he would deal with it later. He felt that the house was quite spacious for now.

The next day at work, Li Jiuzhou wandered around the two canteens. After finding nothing seriously wrong, he returned to the first canteen to take charge.

After all, there's a special tutor here.

There's a special meal planned for us today, and it's scheduled for the evening. A leader is coming over. My second uncle said the leader is from Guangdong province in the south, a gourmand, and a real connoisseur of food. He's asked for some really impressive dishes.

The food purchasing department had everything ready early in the morning.

Sha Zhu exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the food scattered all over the ground:

"Wow, the ingredients are pretty good today, senior brother."

Li Jiuzhou smiled and shook his head: "Why bother with all that? Today, a high-ranking leader from Guangdong Province is here. Why are you in charge of cooking?"

Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment, scratched his head, and said, "When Second Uncle came in just now, he looked very serious. I think that in addition to inspecting the place, this leader is probably here for your cooking skills, Senior Brother."

"Also, although I can cook Cantonese food, I'm not very good at it; it always feels like something's missing."

"Let me help you with the side dishes."

Li Jiuzhou didn't refuse and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll decide on the menu later, and you can take Fulai to prepare the dishes."

"Alright!" Sha Zhu replied and went to call his junior apprentice You Fu.

Since the reception was in the evening and there was plenty of time, Li Jiuzhou first put the soup in the pot.

One of the most classic Cantonese dishes is undoubtedly slow-cooked soup!

Many people have heard of this dish, so I'll give a brief explanation here.

Lao Huo Liang Tang, also known as Guangfu Tang, is a highly representative traditional soup in Cantonese cuisine and an important symbol of Guangdong's food culture.

It refers to a rich soup made by simmering meat, seafood, vegetables, dried goods, or Chinese medicinal herbs in an earthenware pot over low heat for several hours. The aim is to fully extract the essence of the ingredients, making the soup flavorful and nutritious.

Its core characteristics lie in "slow cooking" and "delicious soup": "slow cooking" emphasizes long-term simmering, usually requiring 2-4 hours, and there is a saying of "three pots and four stews"; "delicious soup" refers to soup that is clear and delicious.

The preparation emphasizes the concept of "medicine and food sharing the same origin," and ingredients are matched according to the season and individual constitution to achieve the effect of health preservation and nourishment. For example, winter melon and mung beans are used in summer to clear heat and relieve summer heat, while mutton and ginseng are used in winter to nourish and warm the body. At the same time, Cantonese people have extremely high requirements for the freshness of ingredients, adhere to the principle of "eating what is in season," and believe that soup is the main dish on the table, not a side dish.

Old-fashioned soup is not only a dish, but also embodies the Cantonese people's pursuit of health and the maintenance of family affection. It is a reflection of the wisdom of life in the Lingnan region in dealing with the hot and humid climate.

Li Jiuzhou's use of mutton to make a delicious soup this time is also in line with the season, as eating mutton in winter is very nourishing!

Before his rebirth, Li Jiuzhou was a master of Cantonese cuisine.

Cantonese cuisine is exquisite, but the portions are small and the prices are high, though it is very popular with big bosses.

Around 5 p.m., Li Jiuzhou started cooking.

The leaders were already seated in the private room, waiting for the dishes to be served so they could begin their meal.

The steel mill prepared a lot of ingredients this time, and Li Jiuzhou cooked a full sixteen dishes.

Crispy Roast Goose

White cut chicken

Braised Pigeon

Steamed Yellow Croaker

Sweet and Sour Pork

干炒牛河

Hakka stuffed tofu

白灼虾

slow-cooked soup

Guangzhou Rice Noodle Rolls

盐焗鸡

Honey Glazed Char Siu

30 steamed hairy crabs!

葱烧海参

Spicy stir-fried pork kidneys

九转大肠

In addition to Cantonese cuisine, Li Jiuzhou also added several Shandong dishes.

You Fulai was stunned when he saw his master prepare such a lavish meal for the first time.

The aroma wafting from the kitchen constantly stimulated his taste buds, making him dizzy with its fragrance.

He was also captivated by his master's fluid and graceful cooking techniques, constantly dreaming that one day he could become a chef like his master.

Li Jiuzhou and Sha Zhu were busy in the kitchen, while You Fulai was in charge of serving the dishes.

When the dishes were served, You Fulai resisted the urge to sneak a bite and steadily placed the dishes on the table.

The leaders started their meal, and Li Jiuzhou and his two companions also started theirs.

Sha Zhu rubbed his hands excitedly, and the three of them ate very well.

The kitchen door was locked from the inside, so outsiders couldn't get in.

Nine large hairy crabs, three for each person, plus various leftover dishes.

You Fulai ate with gusto, his mouth greasy with oil; he had never eaten such delicious food in his life.

The three of them each packed some food to take home for their families.

There were so many hairy crabs that Li Jiuzhou steamed a huge number, a full fifty.

The leaders ate 30, and the rest of the group ate 20.

"Senior brother, didn't you say you wouldn't steal?" Sha Zhu couldn't help but ask after he had eaten and drunk his fill.

Li Jiuzhou was speechless: "Where the hell did I steal it?"

"How much effort does it take for you and me to put into hosting a meal?"

"Who do you think you are, looking down on someone who only gets a hundred or so yuan from the steel mill?"

"Open the door and let the leaders see if they have any objections to me taking these things."

"It's not as good as the food we ate at Fengzeyuan."

"Believe it or not, after we finish eating, the factory leaders will give me a kickback."

"If we cook so much food, won't they eat themselves to death?!"

Li Jiuzhou was right. When Li Huaide knocked on the door and saw the food the three of them were eating, he had no objections at all. Instead, he smiled and led the three of them to a private room to meet the leader.

The high-ranking leader praised Li Jiuzhou repeatedly after meeting him.

Because there was one dish on the table that he really liked, which was rice noodle rolls, and it was also the most ordinary dish on the whole table.

Because the leader's mother used to sell rice noodle rolls, he actually tasted her flavor today.

As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes; he was missing his mother.

Then he made a little joke, saying that he was in for a treat these few days because the leader would be staying at the steel rolling mill for three days. He had brought a lot of technicians with him this time, so he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

The three of them came in, talked for a while, and then left; they weren't comfortable in this kind of setting.

Li Jiuzhou was just a minor canteen manager; he wasn't qualified to sit at the same table with them, nor did he want to.

They ate more happily and comfortably in the kitchen, but felt constrained here.

There were sixteen dishes for twelve people, and even the leaders couldn't finish them all, so they packed the leftovers to go because wasting food is shameful.

Li Huaide carried several large hairy crabs home, feeling extremely happy.

My nephew really made him proud; he cooked Cantonese food so deliciously, which brought him great benefits and was very helpful to his career.