Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

The three of them left the house and went straight to the door of Yi Zhonghai's house.

Jia Zhangshi led the way, Jia Dongxu walked in the middle, and Tong Jie was at the back.

As soon as Jia Zhangshi arrived at the door, she started knocking.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Old Yi, are you home?"

Jia Zhangshi knocked on the door once and then stopped.

Seeing that there was no movement inside, the three people standing at the door panicked!

It's over, it's really over!

"Dongxu, kick down the door!" Madam Jia ordered.

"Okay!" Jia Dongxu responded, took two steps back, and then kicked the door open.

"Cough cough cough~" Sha Zhu, who was smoking in front of his house, almost choked to death on the smoke after seeing the actions of the three Jia family members.

He then asked loudly:

"Hey, hey, what are you doing, Jia Dongxu? Why the hell are you kicking down your master's door? What, are you sneaking in while they're not here?"

Tong Jie quickly stepped in to explain:

"Silly Zhu, don't talk nonsense. My master and mistress haven't left the house since early this morning. It's almost 10 o'clock, and they didn't answer the door when we knocked. We're afraid something might have happened!"

Sha Zhu thought it made sense:

"Oh, is that so? I'll come and take a look."

Just then, Yi Zhonghai and his wife slowly walked out, wearing coats.

Jia Zhangshi was completely dumbfounded:

"No, Lao Yi, you two didn't die?"

Yi Zhonghai glanced at Jia Zhangshi:

"Shut up if you can't speak properly. You're disturbing my sleep so early in the morning."

Jia Dongxu hurriedly stepped forward to explain:

"Master, are you alright? I knocked on the door but there was no answer. I was worried about you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yi Zhonghai waved his hand to interrupt him. He had overheard what Sha Zhu and Tong Jie had just said.

He didn't blame his apprentice; it was true that the couple had gotten up late, which was not in line with their usual routine.

Jia Dongxu was anxious, but Yi Zhonghai was still very pleased, even though he had a foul-mouthed mother.

"Your teacher's wife and I went to bed too late last night, and we ended up making a fool of ourselves. It's alright, go back now."

"Zhu Zi, you should go back too. Your Aunt Yi and I aren't dressed yet."

"Okay, it's good that everything's alright. I'm going back." Sha Zhu didn't say much more; he was just doing his duty as a neighbor.

Jia Dongxu was about to go home when he suddenly remembered something:

"Master, I'll have Tong Jie get you and your wife something to eat and bring it over in a bit."

Yi Zhonghai thought for a moment, then smiled and shook his head in refusal.

"Dongxu, don't bother Tongjie. Your master's wife and I are going out to buy some things in a little while. We can just have something to eat outside."

Jia Dongxu didn't think much of it and nodded.

"Alright, Master, just call me if you need anything."

"Okay, let's go back."

Soon after, Yi Zhonghai and his wife finished getting ready and went out.

After having braised pork for breakfast, Yi Zhonghai went to buy ready-made clothes. He bought two decent Zhongshan suits.

Aunt Yi bought six sets directly. Since she was going to spend the money, she might as well do it quickly. She didn't want to wear her old, worn-out clothes anymore.

The two then went to pick up another bicycle, giving the one they had bought earlier to their apprentice.

She bought another women's watch, which Aunt Yi was extremely fond of.

After buying everything, I also bought a sewing machine and paid an extra dollar to have it delivered to my door later.

Yi Zhonghai certainly has votes. Don't forget he's an eighth-grade fitter and now the deputy director of the workshop. What kind of votes doesn't he have?

Furthermore, Yang Ligong also rewarded him with some money.

In the evening, they went directly to Fengzeyuan Restaurant, where Yi Zhonghai specifically requested dishes prepared by He Daqing.

We ordered three dishes and a soup, which cost a total of 68 yuan.

He Daqing brought over the last dish.

After seeing who it was, He Daqing was a little stunned, and even rubbed his eyes:

"Damn it, Lao Yi, what are you two doing here?"

Yi Zhonghai laughed heartily:

"Hahaha, Great Qing Dynasty, are you surprised? Unexpected?"

He Daqing also smiled:

"No surprise, but a bit unexpected. Why are you, you cheapskate, eating at Fengzeyuan? Aren't you always so greedy? And you even specifically asked me to cook for you?"

Yi Zhonghai feigned dissatisfaction:

"Hey, how can you talk like that? I'll complain about you if you're not careful. I'm rich, I'm going to spend a little more today if I'm happy."

He Daqing looked at the couple with a strange expression after hearing this, then suddenly a thought flashed through his mind, and he blurted out the question:

"Old Yi, you're pregnant?"

These words immediately put Yi Zhonghai and his wife in a very difficult position.

"No, not at all..." Yi Zhonghai replied awkwardly.

He Daqing guessed wrong, realized he had acted impulsively, and quickly apologized.

"Oh my, look at my mouth! Well, this meal's on me tonight, it's on me!"

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand:

"Alright, Daqing, I won't argue with you about this. Go about your business, my wife and I are going to eat."

"Okay, I'll add another dish for you guys in a bit, it's on me!" He Daqing said politely before heading back to the kitchen.

Soon after, the vegetables delivered by He Daqing arrived.

Yi Zhonghai was a little angry when he saw this, and asked the waiter who was serving the food:

"Did Chef He send over these dishes?"

The waitress who served the food was a middle-aged woman from Northeast China with a very strong accent.

"Hmm, is something wrong?"

"Smashed cucumber?"

"Sir, it's not spring yet, cucumbers are very expensive," the aunt patiently explained.

"Oh, oh, oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood." Yi Zhonghai immediately realized what was going on after hearing his aunt's explanation.

Auntie is right, but He Daqing is so damn stingy. Giving away smashed cucumbers, who the hell does he think he is!

After enjoying a hearty meal, the couple rode their new bicycle back to Nanluoguxiang.

Just as I arrived at the gate of the courtyard, I ran into the workers that Yi Zhonghai had arranged to repair the house before leaving home.

The group entered the courtyard together.

The neighbors were all very surprised to see Yi Zhonghai pushing his new car in, carrying large and small bags.

Because Yi Zhonghai and his wife are usually quite frugal, they made an unprecedented purchase today.

Aunt Yi said she also bought six sets of ready-made clothes and a women's watch.

As soon as these words were spoken, all the old women in the ward erupted in a cacophony of sour grapes!

After hearing this, Jia Zhangshi turned around and left with her hands behind her back. She didn't want to stay in this place that made her sad!

Back home, Jia Dongxu and his wife were completely bewildered when he lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed), pulled the covers over himself, and said, "Keep out!"

"Mom, what's wrong?" Jia Dongxu asked.

A sour tone came from under the covers:

"Your good mechanic spent a lot of money today, buying a new car, a sewing machine, and a ladies' watch."

"I even bought seven or eight new outfits."

"We also went to Fengzeyuan for dinner that night, and He Daqing cooked it himself!"

"Now they want to renovate the house all over again. I think that couple has gone mad. They don't want to live a decent life anymore. Even if they have money, they can't just squander it like this!"

"Hmph, what's so great about it? It's just a ladies' watch. What's there to show off? If my old Jia were still here, he would definitely buy me one."

Jia Dongxu's expression was somewhat complicated; he didn't even notice the sour undertone in his mother's voice.

"Exactly! The driver went too far. He didn't even invite us to go to Fengzeyuan. That's outrageous! Honey, don't you agree?"

Tong Jie was still wondering what was wrong with her master and mistress today; her mind was a complete mess, so she just gave a perfunctory reply:

"Ah...yes, yes, yes..."