Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

You are my most valued disciple.

He's a hundred times better than that fat guy.

"……All right."

Ma Hua opened his mouth,

The words remained unspoken.

He only gave a muffled reply.

"That's more like it."

He Yuzhu smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

He turned and left.

Looking at that back view,

Ma Hua's throat bobbed, but he ultimately remained silent.

He sighed deeply.

He shuffled back to the kitchen.

My mind is in a tangled mess:

"Should we administer this medicine or not?"

If things really get out of hand...

"Wouldn't I also be facing a lawsuit?"

……

at the same time,

On the main road of the factory area,

A car slowly drove in.

Li Jianye is here today to give a report.

The meal prepared by the factory was also for him.

"It's been a while since I've been here."

Looking at the familiar factory buildings and workshops, he couldn't help but feel emotional.

A casual glance,

But then he caught sight of someone by the roadside.

His brows were furrowed, his face full of struggle.

Who else could it be but MCA?

"Isn't that He Yuzhu's apprentice?"

Why do you look like that?

A hint of doubt flashed through Li Jianye's mind.

The car didn't stop, but drove straight past him.

"Could it be that you were ostracized in the cafeteria?"

Or... is it related to his master?

He pondered to himself, but did not delve into it further.

He was unaware of the brief encounter between MCA and Ho Yu Chu, and even less aware of the tiny particles deep inside MCA's pocket.

How could a mere glance from the roadside possibly reveal the turbulent undercurrents in the hearts of the MCA members?

Li Jianye didn't stop walking and went straight to the front of the steel rolling mill office building.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, a group of factory leaders greeted me with broad smiles.

"Comrade Jianye is truly extraordinary!"

Factory Director Yang stepped forward and grasped his hand tightly. "Back when you were in the factory, I could tell you had a bright future, and now I see it's true."

Li Jianye was surrounded by a crowd as he entered the office building.

The speech that followed was already a piece of cake for him—he had just rehearsed it yesterday afternoon, and now he was even more composed and fluent, his words ringing out.

Just as Li Jianye's words echoed in the meeting room, Director Yang's secretary hurriedly entered the canteen kitchen.

He came to find Master Nan Yi, who specializes in private kitchens.

"Master Nan, it's time, get ready..."

The words came to an abrupt halt.

There was no one around the stove.

The secretary looked around: "Where did Nan Yi go?"

"Secretary Zhou, Master Nan has an upset stomach and has gone to the outhouse."

"Is it diarrhea now?"

The secretary frowned. "How serious is it? Can she still cook?"

"We...we don't know either."

"You guys prepare the ingredients first, I'll go find him."

Secretary Zhou walked quickly toward the restroom closest to the cafeteria.

Pushing open the wooden door, I saw Nan Yi squatting there, his face pale.

"Master Nan, what's going on?"

"He probably caught a chill and has severe diarrhea."

Nan Yi's voice came from behind the partition, sounding somewhat weak, "I heard that Chef He Yuzhu used to be in charge of cooking at the factory. Should we invite him to this table today?"

"Please hold off for now, I'll consult with my supervisor."

Secretary Zhou sighed and turned to leave.

Silence returned to the restroom.

Nan Yi leaned against the partition, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He knew perfectly well that this was no ordinary case of diarrhea.

He is a meticulous person and a chef, so he is exceptionally sensitive to the smell of ingredients.

More importantly, he is a germaphobe and has always been careful about his diet.

Catching a cold? Impossible.

Diarrhea caused by cold would not wait until near noon to occur, much less be so severe and intense.

He remembered the cup of tea he had that morning.

The taste was unusual upon tasting it, but I assumed it was due to the poor quality of the tea and didn't think much of it.

But when I returned from the toilet for the first time, the tea had been replaced with freshly brewed tea—it had been poured out cleanly, without leaving a trace.

Now he understands.

Someone tampered with the tea; they added croton seeds.

As for who did it, he could guess with a high degree of accuracy.

Who else could it be but that MCA member who's always at odds with him—He Yuzhu's apprentice? The purpose couldn't be clearer: to prevent him from hosting today's banquet so that He Yuzhu could take over the reins again.

Having figured all this out, Nan Yi remained silent.

He is an honest person at heart; he may be sharp-tongued, but his heart is pure.

Even though he despised intrigue and trickery, he was unwilling to retaliate in kind.

Besides, the evidence had already vanished without a trace along with that cup of tea; making a fuss now would only make it seem like he couldn't accept defeat.

He no longer had any evidence.

So they decided to give He Yuzhu a chance.

Let him demonstrate his culinary skills himself.

The final decision is made by the leadership.

Let's see whose skills are better.

Who will truly sit in the head chef's seat!

He wanted to win against He Yuzhu fair and square.

To leave the other party speechless.

"I never expected that this Chef He would be so despicable, actually drugging me for a chance to cook! Since that's the case, I'll take this opportunity to completely crush him, make him lose clearly, and prevent him from causing trouble again."

……

On the other side, Director Yang frowned immediately after hearing his secretary's report.

"Is Nan Yi having an upset stomach right now?"

"Factory manager, what do you think... should we let Sha Zhu take over?"

Factory Director Yang remained silent for a moment.

He knew that Li Jianye and He Yuzhu had a long-standing feud and he was unwilling to do Li Jianye a favor.

But if He Yuzhu doesn't take over, the taste of lunch today will definitely be greatly diminished.

Seeing the factory manager hesitate, the secretary quickly added, "Nan Yi himself also suggested that Sha Zhu do it."

"Wait a moment, I'll consult with Academician Li first before making a decision."

"it is good."

The secretary nodded quickly.

Soon after, Factory Director Yang approached Li Jianye during a break between classes and explained the situation.

"Oh?"

Li Jianye was taken aback. "Nan Yi has an upset stomach?"

Suddenly, he recalled Ma Hua's strange expression that morning, and then thought of He Yuzhu's usual behavior. A possible guess came to mind.

"Could it be that Sha Zhu drugged Nan Yi?"

He shared this conjecture with Director Yang.

"What?!"

Factory Director Yang's face changed drastically. "That idiot Zhu! He's utterly shameless! He used the old deaf lady's favor on this scoundrel—the old lady must have been fooled by him!"

"That's enough."

Li Jianye waved his hand, dismissing Director Yang's statement.

How could the deaf old lady not understand He Yuzhu's temperament?

"Old Yang, this is just my speculation, there is no evidence yet."

Go ask Nan Yi first; he's the one who's suffering the most.

If he wants to pursue it, then pursue it; if he doesn't want to, then so be it.

As for who will cook today... let Shazhu give it a try.

Li Jianye didn't mind giving He Yuzhu this opportunity.

After all, He Yuzhu's cooking skills are not as good as Nan Yi's. Once the leaders who are used to Nan Yi's cooking taste today's meal, they will naturally realize this.

If you lack skill and have poor character, you'll never be able to turn things around, no matter how many opportunities you're given.

Li Jianye wanted to let him experience what it's like to fall from grace.

"it is good."

Factory Director Yang nodded in agreement and turned to make the arrangements.

Soon after, Secretary Zhou was ordered to go to the boiler room to find He Yuzhu and tell him to take over the cooking.

"Okay!"

He Yuzhu beamed with joy.

His plan worked.

Despite his nickname "Silly Pillar," he is usually quite shrewd.

Normally, he would have put on airs and made things difficult for his superiors, but now was not the time to put on airs.

He quickly washed his hands and face and followed Secretary Zhou to the cafeteria.

"Silly Pillar?"

"Is the cripple stupid?"

Everyone was taken aback.

No one expected He Yuzhu to suddenly turn back.

"Oh--"

He let out a cold snort, his gaze slowly sweeping across every face in the cafeteria like a blade.

"start."

As soon as those two words were spoken, Ma Hua jogged over and said, "Master, let me help you."

He Yuzhu slowly tied on his coarse cloth apron, put on his sleeves, and stood back in front of the stove, in that familiar spot.

The commands were issued one after another, carrying an unquestionable tone.

Although there were disgruntled glances all around, no one dared to voice their doubts.

Seeing the whispering crowd fall silent again, He Yuzhu finally let out the pent-up frustration that had been building up in his chest for so long.

"This time,"

He weighed the iron pot in his hand, gritting his teeth inwardly, "I have to show you all my skills."

Once the leaders have tasted the bitterness of their own actions, they'll naturally realize how blind they were to send me to the boiler room.

Once he made up his mind, he focused all his attention on the stove fire and ingredients in front of him.

……

The cafeteria quickly became noisy at lunchtime.

Li Jianye entered the private room accompanied by a group of cadres.

As soon as everyone sat down, Liu Lan began serving the dishes with practiced ease.

As soon as the dishes were placed on the table, several sharp-eyed leaders noticed something unusual—today's dishes could be easily distinguished into two styles: one side was oily and rich, exuding a familiar heaviness; the other side was light and refreshing, with a delicate color.

The difference was so stark that the people at the table exchanged glances but remained silent.

The cups were first raised to Li Jianye, and after a series of polite toasts, the chopsticks were put down.

After only two bites, Deputy Factory Director Li frowned.

"This dish...was it Sha Zhu's doing?"

He put down his chopsticks and turned to ask Liu Lan, who was standing to the side.

Liu Lan nodded meekly.

"snort."

Deputy Factory Director Li snorted, but ultimately said nothing more.

To be fair, the dish wasn't bad, but compared to Nan Yi's perfectly refreshing taste, it was ultimately inferior. It was too oily and flavorful, and after eating too much, it felt greasy and unpleasant.

After the dinner party ended and Li Jianye left, Director Yang immediately summoned Nan Yi to his office.

Several key leaders were present; once the door was closed, they held a small meeting.

Director Yang first relayed Li Jianye's concerns from the dinner table, and then sought confirmation from Nan Yi.

After receiving confirmation that they had been drugged, everyone present turned pale.

To reclaim the canteen stove, he resorted to such despicable means against his colleagues; it's utterly appalling.

"Comrade Nan Yi,"

Factory Director Yang looked at him, his tone grave, "Tell me, how should this be handled?"

"What punishment should He Yuzhu receive? It should be handled according to the rules."

Nan Yi's voice was calm, yet it revealed a tenacity. "But I have a request—I want to have a fair and square cooking competition with him."

He needs to be made to accept defeat wholeheartedly.

"good!"

Factory Director Yang praised him highly, and his gaze toward Nan Yi held a newfound respect.

This young man is far superior to that reckless He Yuzhu.

He then turned to the head of the security department: "I'll leave the rest to you."

The head of security's lips curled into an almost ferocious smile.

He Yuzhu smeared his "old friendship" with dirt back then.

He never forgot it for a moment.

"Don't worry, factory manager."

As expected, MCA was taken away separately, and after a short time, he confessed everything.

With the confession in hand, the security personnel went straight to the canteen and brought He Yuzhu, who was still cleaning the stove, over.

"Silly Zhu,"

Factory Director Yang's face was frosty. "I'll give you a chance."

You and Nan Yi, each make a dish of shredded pork with garlic sauce.

If you defeat him, let's leave today's matter aside for now; if you lose—"

He paused, and the chill in his words sent a shiver down He Yuzhu's spine.

"—You'd better be prepared to bear the consequences."

He Yuzhu was taken aback at first, then a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

I thought that once the truth came out, he would be severely punished, but I never expected such a turn of events!

He glared fiercely at the MCA members huddled in the corner, then turned and plunged into the makeshift competition area.

The two stoves were set up opposite each other, under the watchful eyes of onlookers.

Cutting, frying, thickening, tossing... the two of them moved so fast it was dazzling.

Shortly after, almost simultaneously, two plates of bright red and steaming hot shredded pork with garlic sauce were served on the long table in the center.

"Come,"

Factory Director Yang gestured to everyone, "Everyone, please try it."

After Director Yang spoke, the other leaders also started eating.

"How does it taste?"

He Yuzhu stood to the side with his arms crossed, a smug smile on his face.

But the reply he received made his smiling face freeze instantly.

"Sha Zhu's cooking... really can't compare to Chef Nan's skills."

"The difference wasn't huge, but we still lost."