Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

He Yuzhu woke up as soon as the morning light shone through the paper window of the west wing.

He lay stiffly on the hard kang (a heated brick bed), his eyes fixed on the old cobwebs on the roof beams, but all his attention was focused on the dark blue screen in his mind. The fatigue from returning from the black market last night had been replaced by a deeper anxiety—like a red-hot iron burning inside him, demanding that he do something immediately.

He spent the entire night flipping through the list on the screen. There were so many items, from needles and thread to those unusual gray items whose names alone suggested something unusual. But he only had 9890 points; it seemed like a lot, but it wouldn't last long in practice.

His gaze lingered on two places for a long time:

[Basic Sniper Skills Training Pack], 200 points. Includes basic ballistics calculations, rangefinding, and camouflage techniques. Note: This is a knowledge-based training pack; extensive practice is required to develop muscle memory.

He wanted this. In his previous life, working in the mess hall, he had very few opportunities to handle a gun, but what man doesn't harbor a dream of being an expert marksman? Besides, he knew where he would end up. In the icy wilderness of North Korea, every extra skill meant a greater chance of survival.

Another item that made his heart race even faster: [Basic Physique Enhancement Potion (Beginner)], 1500 points. The effect description was simple and straightforward: After taking it, one's physical fitness would be roughly equivalent to the average level of a top-tier special forces soldier who has undergone five years of rigorous training, representing the theoretical excellent threshold of human physical function in the current world.

The physical foundation of a top soldier. He Yuzhu licked his chapped lips. With this, what are those thugs in the black market? On the battlefield, seizing the front line means having an extra life. But 1500 points are too expensive. If he exchanges them for this and then for the sniping skill, he'll instantly lose 1700 points, leaving him with only a little over 8000.

Money needs to be spent wisely. He suppressed the urge to redeem immediately and was about to close the list when the screen suddenly vibrated, and a new notification with a light gold border popped up:

[Ding—Host initial adaptation detected; newbie tutorial quest chain activated.]

[Task Chain Phase 1: Startup Funding]

[Content: Within 72 hours, earn and actually possess currency or high-value resources worth 3000 points through legal or gray-area means. (Note: Direct exchange of resources for cash by the system does not count towards the progress.)]

[Reward: Unlocks the "Reconnaissance Map" (Basic) auxiliary function. Effect: Real-time terrain and life form outline markings within a 100-meter radius centered on the host. No obstacle penetration ability. Upgradeable.]

[Failure penalty: None. (New player benefit period)]

He Yuzhu stared at the light screen, his brows furrowed.

Three thousand points are equivalent, but cannot be directly converted into cash using the system. Legal or gray... the black market is a quick way to make money, but I just had a falling out last night, and going there again so soon would be asking for trouble. Besides, black market transactions are mostly barter, making it difficult to obtain large sums of cash.

What about a legal way? What can a sixteen-year-old apprentice do? Carry heavy loads or pull a rickshaw? Even if he found a way, he couldn't earn that much in three days—roughly converted to current purchasing power, this is almost half a year's wages for an average worker.

His gaze swept over the pile of dusty cotton in the corner, but his thoughts drifted to the alleyway beyond.

Fengzeyuan.

Yes, he also had a legitimate identity—an apprentice at Fengzeyuan Restaurant. The kitchen was a small world of its own, but it was also a place where skill spoke for itself. Having spent most of his previous life wielding a wok, even if he hadn't become a master, he was more than capable of handling the intricacies of restaurants in this era. Many old methods and traditions were still intact.

Is there anything in the system that can help?

He reopened the list, filtered for "Knowledge and Skills," and sorted by price from lowest to highest. One item quickly appeared:

[Basic Food Identification and Preservation Knowledge Package], 10 points. Covers the freshness identification, quality grading, and basic preservation methods for common ingredients.

That's it. The thought crossed my mind, and 10 points were deducted, leaving me with 9880. A cool, refreshing current instantly flooded my mind. It didn't hurt; it was like countless images and words flashing by, then firmly imprinted into my memory: how to distinguish between year-old scallions, how to determine the slaughter time of pork, how to prepare sea cucumbers, how to prevent insects in dried goods... trivial, yet extremely practical, these were the most basic and skill-testing aspects of the kitchen.

With the knowledge in his mind, He Yuzhu felt somewhat at ease. But knowledge alone was not enough; he needed an opportunity, an opportunity to demonstrate his value at Fengzeyuan and to be associated with "making money."

The opportunity came sooner than expected.

The next day, before dawn, He Yuzhu had already reached the back gate of Fengzeyuan, almost two hours earlier than usual. Only the night watchman was dozing in the kitchen, the stove was cold and the smoke was still lingering. He didn't disturb anyone, and silently found a rag to wipe the corners of the stove and the walls of the vats that he could never normally reach.

Around six o'clock, a hushed, urgent shout came from the front hall. A moment later, Fatty Sun, in charge of purchasing, was helped in, his face deathly pale, covered in cold sweat, and groaning incessantly, "It hurts...it hurts terribly..."

Immediately afterward, Manager Zhou from the kitchen entered, his face ashen. He glanced at the early-arriving apprentices and kitchen helpers: "Purchaser Sun has acute gastroenteritis and has been taken to the hospital. This morning was the old master Lu's birthday banquet, and the 'Braised Venison with Scallions' dish was missing fifty catties of Zhangqiu scallions as an ingredient; the presentation can't be subpar. Purchasing Sun was originally supposed to get it, but who's going to make the trip now?"

The apprentices exchanged glances, none of them responding. Purchasing was a lucrative but fraught job; money had to be transferred, goods had to match specifications, and prices had to be right. If anything went wrong, they'd be held responsible. Normally, this was Fatty Sun's exclusive domain, but now he was entrusted with this critical task. A successful purchase didn't guarantee credit, while a disastrous one would certainly make him the scapegoat.

Manager Zhou frowned, about to firmly point out someone, when a clear voice rang out from the corner:

"Manager, how about... I give it a try?"

Everyone looked over and saw He Yuzhu. He put down the rag and stood up straight.

Manager Zhou looked him over, somewhat surprised: "Zhu Zi? You've been to the market? You know how to make good scallions?"

"I went there twice with my father in the early years," He Yuzhu said vaguely. "I could roughly tell the difference between good and bad. The banquet at Commander Lu's house is important, so I didn't dare to be presumptuous. But seeing that we are short-handed right now, I wanted to get the things back as soon as possible so as not to delay things."

To be honest, there was no guarantee. Manager Zhou glanced at his pocket watch; time was indeed tight. He nodded, took out his money pouch from his pocket, counted out the money, and handed it over along with the tattered canvas bag that Fatty Sun often used: "Fifty catties at market price. Go quickly and come back quickly, pick the real stuff. Pay the rest when you return."

"Okay." He Yuzhu took it and turned to leave.

The morning market was already bustling. He Yuzhu wasn't in a hurry, slowly browsing the stalls. His basic knowledge of ingredient identification automatically came to mind. He squatted down in front of a stall, pinching the white part of a scallion, breaking off the green part, and smelling the broken end. The scallion had a strong spiciness, indicating it was fresh, but the white part was a bit short; it might not be flavorful enough for cooking venison.

He wasn't satisfied with the first two stalls he visited. The third stall belonged to an old farmer wearing a felt hat. The scallions were neatly bundled, with long, firm white parts, covered in fresh mud. He Yuzhu knew in his heart: these scallions were top-quality in the market, and their price would definitely be high.

"Sir, how much are these scallions?"

The old farmer quoted a price, which was 1.5 cents higher per pound than the market average.

He Yuzhu didn't haggle, but pointed to the bundle of scallions: "These scallions are from Zhangqiu, right? The soil looks like it's from the sandy soil on the north slope. This spring was cold, so you planted them about ten days later than usual? The scallions are good, but the innermost part might not be fully grown, and that spicy-sweet flavor might be a little lacking."

The old farmer was taken aback, looked at him closely, and exclaimed in surprise, "Young man, are you an expert? You can even tell that it's sandy on the north slope and that you went to work late?"

"I just guessed," He Yuzhu chuckled. "My family used to grow this too. Here's what I'll do: I'll buy fifty jin, a large quantity. The price will be the market price plus one cent, so you can let me go back and explain. Okay, I'll pack it right away."

He didn't try to drive down the price; instead, he proactively raised it a little, but it was still lower than what the old farmer had asked for. He pointed out the minor flaws in the scallions, showing his expertise, and gave a reasonable price and a reason for buying in bulk.

The old farmer hesitated for a moment, looking at him and then at the seemingly bulging canvas bag (actually made up of white flour from the system space), and finally nodded: "Alright! Young man, you understand. I'll pick out the best bundle for you, just like you said!"

The transaction went smoothly. When He Yuzhu returned to Fengzeyuan carrying two large bundles of heavy, high-quality scallions, Manager Zhou was pacing back and forth at the kitchen door, checking his watch.

Seeing the scallions on He Yuzhu's shoulder, Manager Zhou quickly stepped forward, untied the rope to examine them closely, then picked one, broke it off, and smelled it. His face instantly lit up with joy: "Good! These scallions are beautifully picked! Zhuzi, you've really got it!"

He Yuzhu smiled憨厚ly and returned the remaining money in full. After counting it, Manager Zhou looked at him in surprise: "This price... is even better than what Purchasing Manager Sun usually buys, and you even saved some money?"

"I met an honest old farmer," He Yuzhu said.

Manager Zhou didn't ask any more questions, patted him on the shoulder: "Good lad, you came to the rescue today. I'll talk to the accounts and put a separate entry for you—a fifty-yuan reward!"

Fifty yuan! That's almost two months' worth of his total apprenticeship income. The other apprentices and kitchen helpers all cast envious glances his way.

He Yuzhu quickly thanked him, his face showing just the right amount of surprise.

Almost simultaneously, the light screen in the mind automatically popped up:

[The system detected that the host has legally earned 50 yuan through personal abilities (knowledge application and negotiation).]

[Based on the current economic level, the equivalent integral is 500 points.]

[New player quest "Startup Capital" progress update: 500/3000.]

It became.

He Yuzhu felt relieved but didn't change his expression, continuing to help prepare the scallions. Manager Zhou, meanwhile, instructed the head chef, "At Commander Lu's banquet, braised venison with scallions is the first hot dish. Make sure you use enough scallions and the flavor is right. Zhuzi bought good scallions, so make sure you cook it well."

The head chef agreed, and his gaze towards He Yuzhu softened considerably. That's how honest the kitchen staff are: if you can get good ingredients, you've done a huge favor.

After a busy morning, the birthday banquet at Commander Lu's house went smoothly. During the afternoon break, Manager Zhou indeed called He Yuzhu over and, in front of several experienced chefs, handed him five crisp ten-yuan bills: "Yuzhu, take this. It's yours. Be smarter in the future, study hard, and you'll have a bright future ahead of you."

"Thank you, manager, thank you, fellow chefs." He Yuzhu accepted the money and bowed respectfully.

He tucked the money into his pocket, it was slightly warm. Not just because of the amount, but because it was the first real step he had taken, relying on the reborn prophet and the system's assistance.

We are still far from the goal of 3,000 points, but the road is already under our feet.