Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

He Yuzhu ignored the commotion from the other families in the courtyard, quickly finished his meal, locked the door, and with a thought, went straight into the Vitality Space.

I sowed all the seeds I bought today, turned the soil, planted them, and covered them with mulch—it all went smoothly.

After doing all this, he exited the space, went back to his room, and fell asleep immediately. As soon as he closed his eyes, he dreamed of lush green seedlings sprouting from the soil.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the first thing he did upon opening his eyes was to peer into the space—the ground was wet, the seeds were still lying in the soil, and there was no movement whatsoever.

That's normal. You expect to see sprouts right after planting? Even if this space is incredibly powerful, it's not an alchemy furnace that can turn stone into gold.

But he knew that the growing environment he had created for these crops was top-notch.

With Level 4 agronomic experience, not only can they grow vegetables, but they also know exactly when they take a nap or when they stretch. Their theoretical level far surpasses that of agricultural university professors.

After washing up, I quickly made breakfast. The sound of pots and pans clattering filled the house with a delicious aroma.

A bowl of cornmeal porridge and two steamed buns made from a mixture of cornmeal and water would be unremarkable in other people's hands, but in his hands, they were steamed to have a honey-like flavor.

The aroma lured He Yushui out of the house, rubbing her eyes, and she muttered as she ate, "Brother, why does your cooking always smell so good?"

On the way to take my younger sister to school, the morning breeze was slightly cool, and the bicycle wheels made a light clattering sound as they rolled over the bluestone pavement.

The Zhongyuan Courtyard was already bustling with activity; people were brushing their teeth, rinsing their dishes, and coming and going.

But as soon as they saw He Yuzhu pushing the cart out, those previously noisy faces instantly turned cold. They all lowered their heads to avoid looking at him, pretending to be busy with their work, as if even glancing at him was superfluous.

He Yuzhu's lips curled into a sneer, a cold smile swirling in his mind.

He couldn't be bothered with these idle people.

Go ahead and pretend to be mute if you want, but you'd better never speak for the rest of your life.

If changing houses weren't so difficult, he would have packed his bags and left long ago, just to have some peace and quiet.

After dropping He Yushui off at the school gate, he turned the car around and headed straight for the steel rolling mill.

I arrive at the factory at this exact time every day, timing it perfectly.

A step earlier than the kitchen staff, and two steps earlier than the workers' meals—just right, no more, no less.

Upon entering, I first went around to the food preparation room, glanced at the ingredients needed for lunch, nodded, and then turned around to go to the canteen kitchen.

As soon as they stepped inside, a group of people who were chopping vegetables and rinsing rice immediately stopped what they were doing and looked up:

"Director He, you're here!"

"Hmm," he responded, glancing around at everyone. "Is everyone here? Come here for a second, I need to talk to you about something."

As soon as he finished speaking, the handymen, apprentices, and masters all gathered around. Even Master Luo and Master Zhang, who usually didn't like to join in the fun, put down their knives, wiped their hands, and came over.

He Yuzhu pulled out three sheets of paper covered with writing from his pocket and slammed them on the cutting board: "Three big pot dishes for lunch today—braised eggplant, shredded pork with green peppers, and cold shredded potato salad."

I've written down the recipe; everyone can take a copy home and make it the same way.

Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard that.

Especially when you see the details in the recipe: what time to add salt, how many times to stir-fry before taking it out of the pan, what color the eggplant should turn to, even the oil temperature is marked... it's practically a step-by-step tutorial, even a fool could learn it.

Not to mention the hot and sour shredded potatoes, with clear steps and seasonings measured precisely to the gram; just looking at it makes your mouth water.

Who doesn't know that being able to cook is a real skill these days? This recipe is like giving away a cooking skill for free!

"Director He, thank you so much!"

"This is such a timely help, so thoughtful!"

Amidst expressions of gratitude, Chef Luo squinted as he finished reading the recipe and couldn't help but nod, "Old He, this isn't just writing a recipe, it's like writing a book!"

He Yuzhu smiled and waved his hand: "Don't thank me too soon, I'll test your skills at noon."

As usual, Chef Luo and Chef Zhang will be in charge of cooking, and I will be watching over things.

Everyone else can practice, so go home and practice too, and try to get promoted to cook level as soon as possible. A raise in salary is much better than doing manual labor, isn't it?

His words had everyone fired up, and just as they were about to disperse and get to work, he suddenly changed the subject:

"Finally, let me mention something personal." He paused, his gaze slightly narrowing. "Whose turn was it to serve food at lunchtime today?"

Four figures stepped forward—two handymen and two apprentices.

He Yuzhu stared at them and slowly said, "Do you know anyone from the workshop? Liu Haizhong from Forging Workshop 6; Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu from Fitter Workshop 3."

Have you heard of these three names?

The four looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.

An apprentice scratched his head: "When we usually get food, we just look at the portions based on the faces, we really don't remember names... There are so many people in the workshop, how can we tell them apart?"

He Yuzhu frowned and sighed inwardly: It seems I can only let it go for now and make my move tomorrow.

Just as he was about to give up, a deep voice came from the corner:

"I know him."

Everyone turned around, and it was Master Luo who spoke.

He slowly lit a cigarette and blew a ring: "Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong are veterans of the steel rolling mill. They've been working there for decades, and everyone knows them."

As for Jia Dongxu… that thin-faced, fair-skinned young man who always follows Yi Zhonghai around for meals, that must be him, right?

He Yuzhu's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Master Luo, are you familiar with them?"

"Not familiar with him," Master Luo shook his head. "I only know who he is."

After all, one is a production position and the other is a logistics department; they have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

Why is Director He asking this...? Is something the matter?

He Yuzhu didn't answer, but simply nodded slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

Nothing's wrong? Of course nothing's wrong.

He will not let any of those three go.

"To be honest, I have a grudge against these three people."

We live in the same courtyard house, and we usually keep to ourselves, but somehow the news of the expanded enrollment leaked out, and they immediately came knocking on our door..."

He Yuzhu spoke calmly, yet recounted the tense confrontation of the previous night in detail.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the kitchen erupted in chaos.

"Pah! This is shameless! A job is a secure job, and they just snatch it away like that. Who gave them the guts?"

"Absolutely! Even their own parents would think twice before asking for it back, let alone a neighbor! Their skin is thicker than a city wall corner!"

"Director He, I'm at your service at any time."

Master Luo rolled up his sleeves and sneered, while Master Zhang nodded in agreement.

These people usually seem low-key, but when they get really angry, their eyes are like knives.

Who doesn't know that He Yuzhu rose to his position through his own abilities? Now that someone dares to act arrogantly and do whatever they want to him, it's a disgrace to the entire kitchen!

He Yuzhu cupped his hands in a circle and said with a smile, "Thanks, brothers."

I may be young, but I'm not someone who can be easily manipulated.

I think we should all get revenge together—starting today and continuing until Saturday, if we run into those three at lunchtime, we should give them a piece of our mind.

"Hahaha!" The apprentice grinned. "Director He, this is a special skill I learned on my first day in the kitchen! Even in a famine, a cook won't starve. How so? With a flick of the wrist, half a spoonful of rice is hidden; with a toss of the wok, three-tenths of the oil remains."

In the factory canteen, shaking the ladle is a sign of power!

Master Luo squinted and asked, "Zhu Zi, are you going to shake it all, or just a little bit?"

"Just a half shake is enough, just for the three of them." He Yuzhu's lips curled up slightly. "If things get out of hand, I'll take the blame."

You just serve the food and dishes; if your hand slips—say it's because your arm is sore or you missed. Who can do anything about it?

He then took out a pack of cigarettes and handed them out one by one.

Everyone accepted the gift with a smile, but no one lit it on the spot—He Yuzhu's rules were very clear: smoking was strictly prohibited in the kitchen, a restricted area.

But this respect is warmer than a cigarette.

"Dare to mess with the backbone of our kitchen?" Chef Luo tucked a cigarette behind his ear and thumped his chest loudly. "They won't get a decent meal in the cafeteria this week!"

"Then I'll leave it to you all." He Yuzhu lowered his voice, "This is something only heaven and earth know, and we, the people in the family, should keep it to ourselves. Don't spread it outside."

It's not good to damage our reputation, but we're not afraid of anyone investigating our skills.

He smiled nonchalantly, but in reality, he was plotting every step of the way.

Shaking the spoon isn't revenge; it's art.

While others have bowls overflowing with soup, theirs is thin and watery—and you can't find anything wrong with it.

Complain? Who are you going to complain to? I, He Yuzhu, am the deputy director of the cafeteria. You don't even have the right to ask which way the door faces!

After seeing everyone off, he returned to his office, flipped through an agronomy book for a while, and then took out paper and pen to prepare to write the plan for "Rational Utilization of the Vacant Land Behind the Canteen Warehouse - Building a Greenhouse".

Just as I finished writing the title, the clerk knocked on the door and came in: "Deputy Director He, Director Li asked me to inform you that there is a reception duty at noon today."

"Okay, I'll go now."

The small canteen operates on a private budget, with ingredients being "specially supplied" by the purchasing department that are secretly sourced from outside. It doesn't follow the commune's procedures, but the use of ingredients still requires approval from the logistics department.

In the past, people would go to Director Zhang for these kinds of things, but ever since Director Zhang tried to curry favor with Factory Director Yang and offended Li Huaide badly, Old Li has been ignoring him and going straight to He Yuzhu instead.

He Yuzhu knocked on the door of Li Huaide's office. A voice inside said "Come in," and he pushed the door open and entered.

"director."

"Zhu Zi is here?" Li Huaide looked up and smiled. "I'll have to trouble you again."

"What's up? Have some distinguished guests arrived?"

"A leader from the Ministry of Industry came down for an inspection and had lunch here."

The dishes don't need to be fancy, just simple home-style cooking, but the taste must be perfect—it should leave people feeling satisfied and wanting to come back.

He Yuzhu understood immediately: skill lies in simplicity, and brilliance lies in ordinariness.

"Don't worry, I will never let you down."

Li Huaide nodded in satisfaction: "I knew I could have made the right choice by coming to you."

Recently, several factory managers from other factories have been asking around about you, trying to poach you.

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "Hey, no matter how good other places are, nothing beats the comfort of a steel rolling mill. Besides, my home is right at the factory gate, just a short walk away, so convenient."

"If you leave, Wang Shudu will have trouble sleeping for days." Li Huaide shook his head with a smile. "Your skills have long been the hallmark of our factory."

After several meals of hospitality, who wouldn't know that the steel rolling mill harbored a "reincarnated imperial chef"?

He paused, then asked, "You've been here for a week now. The factory is about to expand. Do you have any thoughts on that?"