Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

Since it was getting late, Li Jiuzhou drove directly to Fengzeyuan.

At this time, all that's left in the vegetable market are rotten vegetable leaves on the roadside. No... there aren't even any rotten vegetable leaves left; they've all been picked clean long ago.

Who says you can't eat rotten vegetable leaves?

Step forward and tell me!

In this day and age, vegetables that have been bitten by insects are considered high-quality.

Unless it turns into pus and smells bad, you still have to eat it.

Li Jiuzhou had seen Yan Bugui's family eat apples they couldn't bear to eat, even when half of them rotted over time.

Just cut off the rotten parts; you can't just waste things like that.

Li Jiuzhou's visit to Fengzeyuan was truly an honor!

Just kidding, who is Li Jiuzhou? He's the representative figure of their Fengzeyuan.

Mr. Qinxingyu from Beiping is a top-tier chef and now also the deputy secretary of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, holding a very high position and great power!

What's the difference between Li Jiuzhou going to Fengzeyuan and going back to his own home?

With more than an hour to go before lunchtime, Fengzeyuan was not busy.

Li Jiuzhou went straight to the kitchen, where his master Li Tielong and his uncle He Daqing were sitting leisurely drinking tea and smoking, occasionally chuckling to themselves.

They must have been living too carefree a life.

Li Jiuzhou stepped forward to greet him:

"Hey, you two chefs are free?"

Li Tielong turned his head and saw his apprentice arrive. He immediately grinned and couldn't help but start making sarcastic remarks:

"Isn't this Secretary Li from Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill? What brought you here today?"

"Did you come to Fengzeyuan for a meal or is there something else...?"

He Daqing watched with amusement as his senior brother teased his junior brother.

Li Jiuzhou quickly went over to massage his master's shoulders:

"Master, I just came to see you. What could I possibly need?"

Li Tielong replied irritably after hearing this:

"You came to see me? Then why the hell did you come empty-handed?"

"I don't have a disciple like you, damn it... hahahaha..."

As he spoke, Li Tielong himself laughed.

His apprentice was incredibly talented; he couldn't control him, nor did he want to.

"Tell me, what brings you here?" Li Tielong couldn't help but ask the reason.

Li Jiuzhou didn't rush to explain. Instead, he took out cigarettes and lit them for the two of them before explaining:

"Master, Uncle-Master, we just moved, and our Party Secretary is having dinner at my house tonight."

"This market is completely sold out. I was thinking of coming here to buy some ingredients to take home and treat people."

Li Tielong perked up when he heard his apprentice's words:

"Oh my, your Party Secretary is visiting our home! We'll have to prepare some really impressive dishes."

Li Tielong took it very seriously; he knew the rank of the Party Secretary of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

He knew a thing or two about politics, as both his sons and apprentices were involved in it.

He Daqing, who was standing next to him, nodded in agreement. When a leader comes to your home, a simple meal is definitely not something you can serve in a formal setting.

After pondering for a moment, Li Tielong instructed He Daqing:

"Daqing, go make a cuttlefish egg soup. Their factory secretary is getting old and needs some nourishment."

"No problem, senior brother, I'll go right away." He Daqing agreed with a smile.

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle-Master," Li Jiuzhou said gratefully.

He Daqing waved his hand dismissively and went to do it.

Li Tielong then led his apprentices to gather some ingredients.

When Li Jiuzhou left Fengzeyuan, he also left some money behind. One thing at a time, money still had to be paid, it wasn't like he didn't have any.

Getting something for free is unacceptable, and making the master pay for it is also unacceptable.

Back at the residential compound, Li Jiuzhou parked his car in the building where Sha Zhu lived and honked the horn a few times.

Sha Zhu heard the horn and looked down from the balcony.

"Zhu Zi, tell your sister-in-law that you're bringing the kids home for dinner tonight. You're coming with me now."

"Okay, senior brother." Sha Zhu readily agreed.

Sha Zhu returned to the living room and saw Qin Huairu still washing vegetables. He instructed her:

"Honey, don't bother with all that. We're having dinner at my senior brother's house tonight; it's sure to be delicious. I'll head over there to help out now."

Qin Huairu stopped what she was doing:

"I've already washed these bok choy. They'll definitely wilt by tomorrow. Zhu Zi, take them over and add some vegetables to your meal."

Sha Zhu smiled:

"Okay, I'll go first."

She then turned around and prepared to leave, giving her son a light kick as she passed by.

Sha Zhu didn't know why he kicked his son; his feet were just a little itchy.

Stone stared blankly at his father, wondering why he had kicked him.

"What are you looking at? Call me Dad!" Sha Zhu deliberately glared at his son to scare him.

But are stones easily frightened?

He wasn't afraid at all. After dropping the wooden pistol, he stood up, put his hands on his hips, and tilted his head to the sky, showing a soaring spirit even at such a young age.

"What are you looking at? Call me Dad!" Stone's voice was crisp and loud.

Qin Huairu was stunned, but she quickly burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.

"Ouch, ouch, I can't take it anymore, this is too funny... hahahaha..."

Sha Zhu was completely stunned when he heard his son's anti-Chinese words, his face turning pale and then red.

He was starting to regret it. Why the hell did he have to go looking for trouble with his son?

Now he's in a bit of an awkward position. His son didn't obediently call him "Dad" as he expected; instead, he started arguing with him.

Should I get so angry and beat him up?

The answer is yes, a son won't amount to anything without being disciplined, and that's how you raised him, He Daqing!

As expected, the fight didn't happen; Qin Huairu stopped them.

"You're just spoiling him. A doting mother spoils her son." Sha Zhu said this and fled.

Qin Huairu didn't take it seriously. It was clearly your fault. Your son was playing happily by himself. Why did you go and provoke him?

Doesn't your son usually call you "Dad"? That's fucking bullshit.

When they arrived at their senior's house, the two brothers whispered among themselves about what to cook, looking at the ingredients they had brought from Fengzeyuan.

The division of labor was very even; Li Jiuzhou assisted, and Sha Zhu was in charge of cooking. They were both used to it.

Li Jiuzhou prepares the ingredients quickly and accurately, while Sha Zhu is efficient and skillful in cooking.

The two brothers are in different positions now and rarely work together anymore.

Of course, either of them can prepare the dishes or cook; this is a tacit understanding that has developed over many years.

Taking a break, Li Jiuzhou went to his second uncle's house next door. Seeing that the door was closed, he guessed that he was probably having dinner at his grandfather's house that night.

So they turned back and invited Xu Damao and Da Hu's families over for dinner that night.

These are all his subordinates. It's no big deal for them to have a meal at his house and drink a few more cups with Secretary Nie.

Xu Damao and Da Hu arrived early with their wives and went into the kitchen to help without saying a word.

Their wives were pregnant, and Bingbing chatted with them in the yard.

Qin Huairu arrived shortly after and joined the chat, setting up tables and chairs as she did so.

Iron Ox and Stone were playing in the yard.

Amidst the hustle and bustle in the kitchen, Da Hu laughed:

"Brother, you've just moved, why are you treating us to a meal? Shouldn't Da Mao and I treat you and Brother Zhu?"

Xu Damao readily agreed:

"Yeah, bro, we should do it."

Sha Zhu said irritably:

"Stop spouting all that useless nonsense, why don't you just invite me?"

Li Jiuzhou smiled and waved his hand:

"Hahaha, we're all brothers, it's just a casual meal, no big deal..."

Xu Damao and Da Hu exchanged a glance, then their eyes fell on the ingredients that had been prepared by the stove. They couldn't help but feel their hearts clench and swallow hard.

Plates of prepared ingredients were laid out next to the stove.

Lobster, abalone, sea cucumber, grouper, king crab, shrimp, soft-shelled turtle, pheasant...

They couldn't help but scream wildly in their hearts:

"Is this what you call a casual meal?"

"Whose casual meal is this extravagant? If I could, I'd eat this every day..."