Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

"You lazybones! The sun's already high in the sky and you're still in bed? You're like a salted fish when you're an apprentice. Believe me or not, I'll tell Senior Brother Li and he'll kick you out of Fengzeyuan! Then let's see who takes in a piece of trash like you!"

He Yuzhu was fast asleep when he was suddenly jolted awake by the thunderous roar. He opened his eyes abruptly, his head buzzed, and he sprang up off the kang (a heated brick bed).

The person standing in front of him was his father, He Daqing!

"Father? You...you're back? Didn't you already..."

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he abruptly stopped himself.

His pupils contracted sharply, and his heart almost stopped beating.

He clearly saw them leave with his own eyes!

The ashes from the crematorium have all been scattered. Did he rise from the dead, or... did he also die?

His thoughts then began to wander.

He was first kicked out of the house by the Jia family, a bunch of ungrateful wretches. He collapsed in the yard, freezing and starving, his consciousness floating in mid-air, watching his own corpse lying on the ground.

The one who finally came to collect the body was Xu Damao—his mortal enemy with whom he had fought his whole life and who would start a fight whenever they met.

Even more absurdly, Xu Damao cursed him, "You stupid Zhu, you deserve what you got in this life," while his hands trembled as he wrapped him in a tattered mat and buried him.

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu felt a pang of sadness.

Xu Damao's situation didn't improve much later. He was swindled out of all his money, Qin Jingru turned her back on him and left. At his advanced age, he could only make a living by sweeping the streets, leading a miserable life.

His sister, He Yushui, didn't even attend his funeral.

But looking back now, he finally understands.

Rainwater hates him because he used to help the Jia family in his early years and even took the blame for Banggeng being called a "chicken thief".

As a result, Yu Shui's blind dates repeatedly failed, and she married half a year late. After marrying, she was disliked by her husband's family for having a "thief brother" and suffered all kinds of humiliation until she gave birth to a child and was able to barely gain a foothold.

No wonder she preferred to hold onto the housing voucher rather than help him; no wonder she didn't say a word in his defense when dividing the family property.

In the end, I was too foolish back then. I treated affection like food and fed my sincerity to dogs.

"You idiot! What's wrong with you, standing there like that?" He Daqing frowned, raising his foot to kick him. "I spent so much breath begging Senior Brother Li to accept you as a disciple. If you dare to give me that attitude, I'll smash your forehead with a shoehorn tonight!"

A menacing voice pulled He Yuzhu back to reality.

Putting aside the question of whether or not I can be reborn, this slap in front of me is definitely painful!

If you keep standing there, you'll get beaten up again.

"I know, Dad! I'm going right now! I'm going right now!" He nimbly jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed), putting on his shoes as he rushed out.

"Come back and cook dinner tonight!" He Daqing called from behind.

"I know, I know!" He didn't even turn his head and slipped out of the house.

Just as I stepped out of the courtyard, I bumped into Yi Zhonghai, who was leisurely strolling out carrying a teacup.

"Silly Zhu, off to work?"

The voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, making He Yuzhu's stomach churn.

He stopped and gave the other person a cold look.

This was the face he once respected as a father.

Only after his death did he realize that the old fox was the mastermind behind it all—constantly nagging him to "have a conscience" and "help the orphans and widows of the Jia family," brainwashing him with every word and setting traps step by step, binding him to the Jia family's broken-down vehicle for the rest of his life.

For whom are you working so hard? Isn't it all so that once his father is gone, he can deliver food to the deaf old lady, support the Jia family, and serve the entire courtyard like a slave?

Three lunchboxes, three portions of food—He Yuzhu is a cook, not a magician! The meat must be given to the elderly, the steamed buns to the elderly, and even the cooking oil must be divided among two spoonfuls.

He could get some leftovers at the cafeteria, but what about his younger sister, He Yushui? She ate cornbread and drank cold water every day. How could she not hate him?

Now, he understood perfectly well what Yi Zhonghai was after—to raise a kind and honest "Silly Zhu" to take care of them, this group of "good old men," in their old age and see them off in death.

Unfortunately, in this life, he won't fall into the pit again.

"Okay, time to get to work." He responded casually, walked around Yi Zhonghai, and continued walking forward.

But his mind was already racing with plans.

In this life, the Jia family will never get a single grain of rice from him again, the Yi family will never hear a kind word from him again, and the deaf old lady will never expect him to bring her soup or food.

As for He Xiao... Hmph, that was a scheme set up by Lou Xiao'e and the deaf old lady to keep him in their old age.

He had a brilliant plan, but now he sees through it all.

Most importantly—his father is still alive.

Although it won't last much longer.

A few days ago, he mysteriously went out, saying he was hosting a banquet for someone, but he didn't bring back a single lunchbox.

It's obvious they're secretly transferring their savings, preparing to leave with nothing.

He Yuzhu's lips curled up slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Sixteen years old couldn't stop her father's decision, but while he was still alive, it was never wrong to try to get as much benefit as possible.

That way, if someone leaves, all the money won't be taken away, leaving him alone to struggle in the mud.

In this life, he will live for himself.

I will no longer be anyone's stepping stone, nor will I be anyone's honest person.

Those who wronged him, bullied him, and schemed against him—

None of them will escape.

In his past life, He Daqing was afraid that he would squander money, so he took away all the family's savings, leaving not even a penny of his wages from nearly three years of apprenticeship.

But he would still send ten yuan back every month—barely enough for him and Yushui to make ends meet.

But Yi Zhonghai intercepted the entire sum of money halfway through!

It wasn't until the day he and Qin Huairu registered their marriage that this old fox casually revealed the truth.

At that time, he had just graduated from his master's school and his mind was completely confused by Yi Zhonghai's teachings. In addition, Qin Huairu persuaded him gently from the side, so he endured it.

endured.

But in this life, he will not tolerate it again.

If Yi Zhonghai dares to touch his money again, then don't blame him for flipping the table and stabbing him in the back; he'll give him a real beating!

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu's eyes turned cold, and a fierce glint flashed in them.

Those old fogies lived a comfortable life in their past lives, enjoying good food and drink, and finally passed away peacefully.

And what about him? He was driven out of his home in the dead of winter and froze to death under a bridge, without even a thin coffin!

He remembered this debt perfectly.

I'll lay it all out on you when I get home today: You want to support a widow? Fine, go ahead.

But the money must be sent back monthly, and the house will be transferred to my name immediately. I can leave openly and honestly, without any underhanded dealings.

Having been given a second chance at life, He Yuzhu has the confidence to make the rainwater grow bigger.

This time, he finally saw through the true colors of these people—Yi Zhonghai was hypocritical, Qin Huairu was scheming, and the deaf old lady seemed harmless but was actually the most troublesome.

Her malice towards him was perhaps the least; she was only after a meal.

But her family is too closely tied to Yi Zhonghai, and they rely on him for their daily needs. If things really come to a head, she will not hesitate to side with Yi Zhonghai.

As He Yuzhu walked, he pondered, his steps steady, but his mind was in turmoil.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the entrance of Fengzeyuan.

This long-established restaurant is his only hope right now.

As an apprentice, you get a free lunch and a monthly salary of fifteen yuan. If the customers order a lot, you can even take some leftovers home in the evening.

Although it's called "leftovers," it's mostly just one or two extra dishes cooked on the stove. They're oily, flavorful, and more presentable than what ordinary families eat during the Lunar New Year.

What's more, his master, Li Yuanguo, was a renowned Sichuan cuisine master in Beijing! If it weren't for the fact that He Daqing and Li Yuanguo had some lineage and connections back then, he wouldn't have been able to get in at all.

"Master."

Upon entering the kitchen, He Yuzhu immediately greeted everyone respectfully, quickly put on a white hat and apron, and began to prepare the ingredients on the cutting board.

Li Yuanguo glanced at his two apprentices, put down his covered teacup, and said slowly, "Zhuzi, you've been with me for almost three years. Today, I'm handing over the position of second chef to you."

"Liangzi, you're taking over my cooking position. Today I'm going to see what you're really capable of."

"Yes, Master!"

He Yuzhu and his senior brother Zhang Deliang responded in unison, each standing in front of the table, their blades flashing, their fighting spirit rising quietly.

Just as his fingertips gripped the cleaver and his wrist dipped slightly—

The Proficiency System is now available!

A cold yet clear voice suddenly exploded in his mind.

"What the hell? Am I hallucinating?"

He Yuzhu suddenly looked up and around.

No one seemed to notice anything amiss. The handyman continued washing vegetables as usual, the senior apprentice was busy chopping meat, and the master was still leisurely blowing on the tea foam.

Business as usual.

But the voice never appeared again.

He frowned and brought his knife down again.

Swah——

[Cooking Proficiency +1]

Swish-

[Cooking Proficiency +1]

[Cooking Proficiency +1]

With each cut, the notification sounded like a ticking pendulum, constantly striking in my ears.

At first, he thought it was his imagination, but after it happened several times, he was suddenly struck by a realization: this was not an illusion!

He suppressed his shock and dared not utter a sound.

Rebirth is already astonishing, but if a "system" comes along, who would believe it? If word got out, people would probably think he's crazy and send him to the hospital on the spot.

But the noise was driving him crazy, and he finally snapped inwardly, "Shut up! It's so noisy!"

The thought had barely formed when a nearly transparent screen of light suddenly appeared before his eyes—

[Host: He Yuzhu]

Skill: Cooking (Level 4)

He Yuzhu's pupils contracted.

Is this... real?

Level 4 cooking skills? According to industry standards, the maximum is level 6. In his previous life, he struggled for more than 20 years to barely reach the level 8 threshold—that was because he offended too many people and got into trouble because of his foul mouth, which prevented him from advancing.

But what this system is showing now is clearly a different evaluation system!

In his past life, he was an exceptionally skilled Sichuan chef, so much so that even a high-ranking leader like Li Huaide couldn't forget him and would tell everyone, "Chef He's skills are absolutely amazing."

If it weren't for his arrogant personality and numerous enemies, he would have achieved great success long ago.

And now...

He looked down at the kitchen knife in his hand, his eyes gradually brightening.

With each strike, your skill level increases by a little.

At this rate, he'll reach level three in less than half a month!

This isn't a system, this is a cheat code! It's a ladder to defy fate!