Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

Ever since he learned that He Yuzhu was a second-level cook, Xu Damao had been eyeing this hot meal.

At the last community meeting, He Yuzhu publicly promised to deliver meals to Old Lady Li and Old Wang's family, and that he would cook two dishes and bring them over without fail, even on his days off.

On the surface, Old He's meals have been downgraded, with only a vegetarian dish on the table at each meal; secretly, all the meat has been replaced with tasteless cold meat salad, which is quietly stuffed into the bottom of the bowl so that the neighbors can't even smell it.

He Yuzhu stared at the shameless face in front of him and clicked his tongue: "Fine, fine, Yushui has been saying she wants to eat fish lately, you're just lucky."

"Leave the fish here, I'll prepare it later."

"Alright!" Xu Damao's eyes lit up, and he turned to leave, but then suddenly turned back. "By the way, Brother Zhu... could you... give me another sip of that tiger bone wine?"

Before he could finish speaking, He Yuzhu raised his hand and made a feinting slap at him.

"You really dare to dream! You think you can drink that kind of wine every day? I was being nice by letting you have a sip last time, and you've gotten addicted?"

"Just a small cup! Really just one cup! I'll trade you some peanuts!"

"Get out!" He Yuzhu snatched the fish from him and shoved him out the door. "If you utter another word, I'll throw the fish in the slop bucket!"

The door slammed shut, and he shook his head and sighed—he should never have let that wolf cub have a taste; now look what's happened, he can't sleep at night thinking about it.

That bottle of tiger bone wine cost him a fortune; just getting a single genuine tiger bone was enough to exhaust him. The medicinal herbs alone cost him forty or fifty yuan, not even counting the cost of the ten-year-old aged wine.

……

The sweet and sour carp gleams with an amber light, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an irresistible sweet and sour flavor; the Sichuan-style chicken is fragrant with red oil, spicy but not overpowering, and numbing to the point of making your tongue dance.

The braised potato slices, coated in sauce, are soft, tender, and flavorful; the stir-fried cabbage with vinegar is crisp and glistening, making a satisfying crunch with every bite.

As soon as the food was served, Xu Damao practically followed the aroma to the door.

Not to mention him, everyone in the alley was so enticed by the aroma that they couldn't sit still. They only regretted that they had seen him carrying fish into the house instead of themselves.

"My goodness! Brother Zhu's cooking skills are so amazing, even a god would kneel down in admiration!"

As soon as Xu Damao entered, he sniffed and praised the food enthusiastically. He quickly pulled out a lunchbox and said, "Brother Zhu, take some to my dad first, otherwise I'll get beaten up again tonight."

"Oh, you're quite filial?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I've never seen you this sensible in my past life."

Xu Damao chuckled, but his actions were measured: he only pinched a small piece of the fish's tail, ate two pieces of the Sichuan-style chicken, and focused on the potatoes and cabbage.

They set it up and immediately left, afraid of offending anyone.

He Yuzhu called Yushui over.

On ordinary days, the brother and sister eat at most one meat dish and one vegetable dish, and sometimes they eat all vegetables—after all, the younger sister is getting rounder and rounder, so she has to control her weight.

If guests come, we'll serve at least three dishes. Today we had four in total, and if we can't finish them, we can save them for breakfast tomorrow.

"Delicious! This fish is amazing!"

As soon as Xu Damao sat down, he started fighting with He Yushui, their chopsticks twirling like swords.

Indeed, who could remain calm? He Yuzhu's culinary skills can strip away all decorum, sever family ties, and turn a meal into a life-or-death battlefield.

Halfway through the meal, he wiped his mouth and suddenly blurted out, "Brother Zhu, I'd like to invite a few tables of guests. Could you help me arrange one?"

"You want to book the whole banquet?" He Yuzhu sneered. "It's one thing to freeload a meal, but you want me to serve you the whole meal? I'll start at eight yuan a month. You bring your own ingredients. If you can afford it, then go for it."

"Eight yuan?!" Xu Damao almost jumped up. "Are you robbing me?!"

Xu Damao almost choked on a fish bone and his eyes rolled back. His mind went blank—at this rate, just asking He Yuzhu to cook a meal would cost two months' salary, not even counting the cost of the ingredients!

His boastful claims were instantly proven wrong.

Ever since he had that heavenly meal at He Yuzhu's house, he's been bragging to his buddies, "I have a brother whose cooking skills are unparalleled. One bite of his food and you'll be chewing your tongue to pieces and swallowing it!" He even patted his chest and said he'd treat them to a big meal someday.

But now it seems that He Yuzhu refused without even blinking, and this "tongue-swallowing banquet" is probably going to fall through.

Just as I was feeling bitter, there was a sudden knocking sound at the door.

He Yuzhu, still chewing his food, raised his voice and asked, "Who is it?"

Immediately, Yan Bugui's familiar voice rang out from outside: "It's me! Zhuzi, Third Uncle, someone's looking for you. I've brought you to the door!"

Before he could finish speaking, the door opened, and a cold wind carrying the night air rushed in, revealing Yan Bugui's smiling face. Standing next to him was a middle-aged man in a woolen overcoat carrying a briefcase—Li Huaide.

"Director Li? Oh my, what brings you here in person!" He Yuzhu's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped aside to let her in. "Please come in, please come in!"

Seeing this, Yan Bugui wisely refrained from pushing his way in.

The moment he caught a whiff of the aroma of braised pork mixed with the fragrance of scallions wafting from the house, his mouth watered so much it almost dripped onto his cotton shoes. But he managed to hold back – after all, he was a teacher and an old man, so he had to maintain some dignity, didn't he?

"Zhu Zi, you two chat, I won't disturb you," he said with a smile as he backed away. "Later, when we go fishing, you'd better prepare some good food!"

"Sure, Uncle, I'll call you this weekend!" He Yuzhu readily agreed.

This sentence made Yan Bugui grin from ear to ear – the thought of having a meal cooked by He Yuzhu after fishing made him feel like he was walking on air.

The door closed, locking in the aroma. Xu Damao couldn't sit still any longer. He put down his chopsticks, stood up abruptly, and said respectfully, "Hello, Director Li. I am Xu Damao, an apprentice projectionist from the Publicity Department."

Li Huaide glanced at him indifferently and said in a calm tone, "Oh, hello young comrade."

I didn't know you were friends with Zhu Zi.

Although he was an unknown nobody, he nodded and said a few words out of respect for He Yuzhu.

But these words were like a thunderbolt to Xu Damao's ears—who was Li Huaide? The dignified logistics director of the steel rolling mill! A level 14 cadre, a big shot who was in charge of the food, drink, and daily life of hundreds of people in the entire factory! He was two levels higher than their section chief, Lao Wang!

How could He Yuzhu have someone of his stature personally come to him seeking a favor? His network of connections is ridiculously strong!

While he was still in a daze, Li Huaide had already turned to He Yuzhu, his tone becoming more urgent: "Zhuzi, we really need you to save the day this time."

Tomorrow we have a reception to attend to; distinguished guests from Shanghai and Guangdong are coming... but we can't even count on one hand three chefs in Beijing who can cook authentic Cantonese cuisine.

He Yuzhu understood immediately, picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks and chewed it slowly, saying leisurely, "Okay, no problem."

However, I need to ask for leave and prepare the materials.

"I've already approved your leave," Li Huaide replied immediately. "I've spoken to the general manager of Fengzeyuan; it's a government-sponsored secondment."

The ingredients are all arranged and will be in place by 8 a.m. tomorrow.

"Then I have nothing to say." He Yuzhu put down his bowl, nodded, and said, "See you at the steel rolling mill at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

Li Huaide breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile finally appeared on his face: "I'm at ease leaving it to you."

With your cooking skills, just serve it up, and I guarantee they'll be all smiles. No need to even discuss the order, they'll sign it right away!

He paused, then lowered his voice, with a hint of probing: "Zhu Zi, how about... you come work at the steel rolling mill? The position of deputy director of the canteen is vacant. Although it's not a high-ranking position right now and you're not officially a cadre, I can pull some strings to get you a real job."

As the factory expands, job opportunities will increase, and the compensation will be no worse than at Fengzeyuan.

-

Deputy Director of the Canteen.

It may sound unremarkable, but He Yuzhu knew it perfectly well: one step up would be deputy section chief, starting at level 18, with a monthly salary of 87.5 yuan, which was a few yuan more than his current level 2 cook. He was only one level away from becoming a level 1 chef.

The current steel rolling mill has not yet developed into the behemoth it will be ten years later, and the canteen is just a clerical unit.

But it is precisely because it is "small" that it is easy to operate; once it expands, the entire logistics system will be upgraded, and the value of the position will naturally soar.

Most importantly—Li Huaide can protect him.

Sixty-six years from now, the situation will change, and established brands like Fengzeyuan, which have high expenses and a great reputation, will be the first to be impacted.

The steel rolling mill was different; it controlled the lifeline of state-owned enterprises, especially since Li Huaide was in charge of the State Council. The more chaotic the times, the more stable his position became.

While others are filled with fear and anxiety, he can calmly toss the wok at the stove.

He Yuzhu tapped the table lightly with his fingers, his eyes flashing slightly.

This is quite a temptation.

"Zhu Zi, don't worry about this transfer. Just give me your approval, and I'll take care of it right away. The salary won't be as high as what you're making now, but..."

Li Huaide lowered his voice, his eyes flashing slightly.

Although they were talking in the inner room, he still habitually glanced at the door, afraid that someone might be overheard.

He Yuzhu squinted and pondered for a moment—this job was indeed appealing.

The deputy director of the canteen, to put it bluntly, no longer has to shovel cabbage and potatoes into stew every day. He just needs to manage the meals and cater to the leaders' special needs. He's so leisurely that he can bask in the sun and take a nap.

"Director, should I go ask my master first? I've only been a disciple for three years, and my father passed away early, so he's my elder now."

Don't worry, he has no reason to stop such a good thing.

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Huaide's lips curled up and his eyes lit up.

What he fears most is being rejected outright, and judging from his tone now, he's clearly tempted.

"Okay, go ask. Once you find out, come find me at the steel rolling mill." He smiled and patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder. "We've known each other for two years now. When have I, Li Huaide, ever treated my own people unfairly?"

"Look at what you're saying," He Yuzhu grinned, "Working under you is so much fun! Just you wait, as soon as Master nods, I'll be there to report for duty."