All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

The reason why Qin Huairu's heart was stirred again was nothing more than the matter of Bang Geng. After thinking it over, she realized that there were only two people in this compound who could truly solve Bang Geng's employment problem.

One is He Yuzhu, and the other is Xu Damao!

With his excellent cooking skills, He Yuzhu lived a very comfortable life, and his living conditions were among the best in the compound.

Moreover, He Yuzhu has gotten to know many big shots through his culinary skills over the years. He even used his connections to help his wife Ran Qiuye and her family get jobs.

He Yuzhu's position at the steel mill was exceptional. Although he was just an ordinary kitchen foreman, no one else in the mill dared to utter a single dissent, except for Director Li, who could order him to cook a few dishes.

If Banggeng follows him to learn cooking, he can travel the world with this skill and never have to worry about food or drink.

Besides He Yuzhu, there is another person who is capable of handling the work of Banggeng, and that is Xu Damao.

Although Xu Damao was stripped of his deputy director position and reassigned to work as an ordinary projectionist at a movie theater, he was still a very popular figure there thanks to his shameless nature.

With his projection skills and connections over the years, if Banggeng were to learn film projection from Xu Damao and become a projectionist, he would have a secure job. Just look at Xu Damao's daughter, Xu Xiaonuan, with her chubby figure; you can tell what kind of family he comes from.

Apart from these two, the rest of the people in the compound were basically useless, with no real skills, and Qin Huairu hardly ever took notice of them.

Take the second uncle for example. He used to be quite powerful at the steel plant, and later he even got his two sons imprisoned there. Although he retired later, his second son, Liu Tianguang, caught the eye of Director Li because of his shrewish and aggressive behavior. Director Li said he was a level 24 cadre and even allocated him a house.

But this year, fortunes have turned. Many of the cadres promoted by Director Li at the steel plant over the years have been inexplicably taken away recently. Other lower-ranking employees have been demoted, and even the houses they were allocated are reportedly being taken back. Now Liu Tianguang is still wondering if he can keep his worker status.

Since we're going to find a job for our son, we need to focus on the right ones. Whether it's a chef or a projectionist, as long as he can get one, it will solve a big problem for the family!

Although Qin Huairu hasn't used her cunning for a long time, as a former notorious mastermind among scheming women, accomplishing this task wouldn't be too difficult for her.

Chapter 80: Finding a Job

The next day, Qin Huairu "coincidentally" bumped into He Yuzhu on the street when he got off work.

Although there had always been some lingering tension between them, their relationship had improved somewhat over the years, and they would occasionally exchange greetings when they met. However, when he suddenly ran into Qin Huairu, He Yuzhu still greeted her somewhat awkwardly.

Qin Huairu smiled nonchalantly, and the two walked one after the other. When they reached a deserted street corner, Qin Huairu suddenly turned around and stopped, and casually said to He Yuzhu.

"Zhu Zi, may I have a word with you?"

Upon hearing Qin Huairu's calm voice, He Yuzhu immediately became extremely vigilant; this woman had left a very deep impression on him.

Before I got married, flirting was somewhat understandable, but now that I have a family and children, if I were to have any more scandals with her, I'd probably never be able to clear my name.

Perhaps sensing He Yuzhu's nervousness, Qin Huairu quickly spoke up.

"Don't be nervous, I don't have anything else to say, it's just about the child!"

Hearing this, He Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still on guard and replied with an awkward laugh.

"It's alright, it's alright, Sister Qin, please speak!"

Qin Jingru glanced at He Yuzhu, then sighed softly, looking somewhat weary.

“Zhu Zi, Bang Geng has been back for a few months now, as you probably know, but he still stays at home every day and wanders around the streets all the time. I'm worried that he'll go astray like those kids from Nanmen sooner or later, so I wanted to find him a job. That's why I thought of you. We've been neighbors for decades, and Bang Geng has called you 'Uncle' since he was little. Could you please help him out?”

Hearing that Qin Huairu was talking about this, He Yuzhu felt relieved. He knew about Bang Geng's situation since they lived across the street from each other every day. He had wondered if Qin Huairu would ask him to help Bang Geng find a job, and he didn't expect that it would actually happen.

He Yuzhu did not immediately refuse Qin Huairu's request. Although he really did not want to help, it would be rather heartless to refuse. However, He Yuzhu knew Bang Geng's personality very well and naturally had a way to deal with him, so he replied immediately.

"Sister Qin, how about this? You can have Banggeng become my apprentice, but let's make it clear first, he has to learn the same way everyone else does. I won't give him any special treatment. If he's willing, it can be done tomorrow. You know I've been running around doing weddings and funerals all the time lately, so he can come with me for a while first. Is that alright?"

Qin Huairu was overjoyed that He Yuzhu agreed so easily and nodded her thanks repeatedly.

He Yuzhu waved his hand and continued.

"Sister Qin, let me explain first. You know Ma Hua, who was my apprentice in the canteen. He's a master chef now. He followed me for almost ten years. He did the dirty and hard work for the first three years, and only in the last three years was he qualified to hold a spoon and learn to cook. You need to make this clear to Bang Geng. This job is tough, and most teenagers can't handle it!"

Qin Huairu listened to He Yuzhu's words, and her joy just now faded a little. But thinking about it, He Yuzhu's apprentices had all gone through the same thing. However, if you really mastered this skill, it would be a secure job for life. So Qin Huairu nodded repeatedly, indicating that she would talk to Bang Geng about it.

Seeing Qin Huairu nod, He Yuzhu smiled and said.

"Let's talk as we walk!"

"Row".

The two walked side by side on their way home. Along the way, He Yuzhu introduced Qin Huairu to the chef profession, saying the unpleasant things upfront. However, He Yuzhu was also worried that saying too many unpleasant things might scare her and make her think that he was deliberately trying to frighten her.

So he continued speaking.

"Sister Qin, although I don't get much pay as an apprentice, my food and drink will definitely be guaranteed. Once Bang Geng has mastered three-tenths of my skills, even if we encounter any more difficult times, your family won't go hungry, right?"

He Yuzhu's words struck a chord with Qin Huairu. Only she knew what kind of life her family had been like all these years, and what life was like back when she and He Yuzhu were still having an affair.

Xiao Dang and Xiao Kuihua still often reminisce about how good He Yuzhu was to their family in the past, when they would have big meals of fish and meat every few days. They feel like their lives are getting worse and worse.

If Banggeng develops excellent cooking skills, how much more difficult can things get for the family, no matter how tough things get?

Thinking about it, Qin Huairu felt a surge of joy. She had originally planned to use some cunning to get the stick-grooming done, but she hadn't expected He Yuzhu to agree so readily. Perhaps this man still harbored a sliver of feelings for her…

Qin Huairu was still daydreaming when the two of them reached the gate. He Yuzhu, seeing that they had arrived at the compound, didn't dare to get too close to Qin Huairu and made an excuse to buy soy sauce before slipping away.

Seeing this, Qin Huairu didn't think much of it. All she could think about was going back as soon as possible to tell Banggeng the news and get Banggeng's job sorted out so that there would be hope for the future.

When she got home, she didn't see Bang Geng. Qin Huairu wasn't surprised. Bang Geng had been practically a vagrant lately, wandering around aimlessly. The only thing he was better than a vagrant was that he knew where to sleep at night.

This made Qin Huairu even more eager to find Banggeng a job as soon as possible, settle things, and find him a wife in a year or two. By then, she would be a grandmother. Thinking about it, life really flies! More than half of it has passed in the blink of an eye.

These days, it's incredibly easy for someone with an urban household registration to find a wife. Even if an entire family is crammed into a dilapidated house, there are still plenty of rural girls who want to marry into the city.

Of course, given Qin Huairu's cunning, she wouldn't want a rural girl as her daughter-in-law. She would at least choose a girl with an urban household registration, and her family's financial situation couldn't be too bad.

While lost in thought, Qin Huairu began preparing dinner. She was busy until seven o'clock in the evening when the whole family returned. Only then did Qin Huairu ask the two maids to get up and bring the food to the table.

Banggeng returned after everyone had eaten, looking nonchalant. He sat down, picked up a cornbread, and started eating. Qin Huairu had a stern face, and seeing Banggeng's appearance, her joy vanished almost entirely.

In the end, Qin Huairu still brought it up. She cleared her throat and said to Banggeng.

"Tomorrow you'll go with your Uncle Zhu to become a chef's apprentice. You'll learn to cook from him, so remember to treat him with respect and call him 'Master' when you see him..."

Before Qin Huairu could speak, Banggeng took a bite of his steamed bun and replied coldly.

"I'm not going!"

Qin Huairu's temper flared up instantly. She slammed her chopsticks down on the table, startling Xiao Dang and Xiao Kuihua, who both looked up at her. Even the old woman with the slanted eyes scolded Qin Huairu.

"Can't we talk this out properly? Banggeng doesn't want to go, there must be a reason, you have to consider the child's feelings too!"

At this moment, Qin Huairu felt only disappointment, sadness, depression, and anger. All sorts of emotions surged into her heart. She had worked so hard and diligently for this family, so why didn't this child understand?

Does he really think it's that easy to find a job these days?

Chapter 81: He's still a child

As the saying goes, a daughter understands her mother best. Xiao Dang clearly saw that her mother was angry, so she immediately chimed in and said to Bang Geng.

"Brother, what are you doing? Are you being treated badly by learning to cook from Uncle Zhu? If you learn Uncle Zhu's cooking skills, then our family won't have to eat cornbread every day anymore."

Little Kuihua chimed in.

"Yes, yes, when we were little, Uncle Zhu brought us food every day, and I think you ate the most. Now we're asking you to learn cooking from Uncle Zhu, and you won't go. I think you're an ingrate!"

This "ungrateful wretch" seemed to awaken the shame of Banggeng from many years ago. He slammed the cornbread in his hand into the noodle soup bowl and roared at Xiaokuihua with red eyes.

"If you mention that ungrateful wretch again, I'll beat you to death!"

The sound seemed to shock all the women in the house. Qin Huairu was so shocked that she couldn't put it into words. She raised her hand and slapped Banggeng hard across the face.

Banggeng stumbled from the blow, raised his hand to retaliate, and Xiaodang and Xiaokuihua both gasped in surprise. In the end, Banggeng did not bring his hand down, but stood up and slammed the door shut as he left!

Qin Huairu watched with red eyes as Banggeng slammed the door and left. Xiaodang and Xiaokuihua were stunned. Only the old lady with slanted eyes saw that her grandson was going out so late and hurriedly called out to him.

"Banggeng, where are you going? It's so late, don't go out, it's dangerous outside!"

Kebanggeng's figure had long since disappeared through the doorway, leaving behind a room full of four women, young and old.

That night at Qin Huairu's house, everyone spent their time with complicated feelings. The old woman with the slanted eyes kept nagging at the door about why her precious grandson hadn't come back yet.

Finally, Qin Huairu got annoyed by her nagging and replied impatiently.

"He's a grown man, he won't get lost. He doesn't have a penny on him, he'll be back by tomorrow morning!"

Seeing Qin Huairu's attitude, the squinty-eyed old woman immediately cursed viciously.

"You can say whatever you want, but why did you have to hit the child? Don't you know that children have self-respect and are still children!"

Qin Huairu didn't want to pay any attention to this old man, so she started clearing the table and remained silent.

He Yuzhu also heard the sound of the door slamming shut across the street, but he pretended not to hear it and told Ran Qiuye to put the two children to bed early. For some reason, he was in a good mood today and wanted to release some of his energy.

Ran Qiuye rolled her eyes at He Yuzhu and quickly washed the children's faces and feet. He Yuzhu's family had enough rooms. There was one room for He Yushui and one room for the deaf old lady. Now, the three of them could each have their own room.

However, He Yuzhu usually sleeps in this big house. Ran Qiuye usually takes the children to sleep in the room in the rain, and occasionally lets the two children sleep at Uncle's house to sleep with their grandparents.

Ran Qiuye rarely saw He Yuzhu in a good mood today, so she naturally had to hurry up and get things done. Women, you know, are like wolves at thirty, it's no joke.

The next morning, He Yuzhu pretended not to know anything and went to work as usual. However, it was clear that Bang Geng did not want to learn from him. Those few words of ingrate from back then had completely destroyed his self-esteem.

Qin Huairu didn't bother He Yuzhu anymore, as if everything had returned to normal. Just as Qin Huairu had guessed, Bang Geng went home early the next morning, collapsed into bed and fell asleep, continuing to be a lazy bum.

He Yuzhu originally thought that if Bang Geng really was willing to lose face and learn from him, then the real hard times were about to begin. Given Bang Geng's personality, he could only last a week at most.

If Bang Geng can really last three years, what's wrong with teaching him a skill?

However, it was clear that He Yuzhu hadn't misjudged him. Bang Geng was even more stubborn than he had imagined. In that case, it was better, to avoid getting involved with Qin Huairu again.

Banggeng is back. The squinty-eyed old woman finally breathed a sigh of relief and talked to Banggeng for a long time, but Banggeng didn't say a word. This stubborn temper of his is getting more and more stubborn.

Helplessly, when evening came, at the dinner table, the squinty-eyed old woman watched as everyone lowered their heads to eat, not saying a word, and her eyes kept glancing at Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu kept a straight face, as if she hadn't seen anything. Halfway through the meal, the old woman, who had been glancing sideways at Qin Huairu, finally couldn't help but speak up and said something to Qin Huairu.

"Honey, could you help me see if there are any other jobs? Even if my son doesn't like being a cook, we have to respect his choice!"

Qin Huairu just kept drinking the noodle soup and eating the cornbread without saying a word. After finishing the cornbread in her hand, she clapped her hands, picked up the cornbread crumbs on the table, and stuffed them into her mouth without saying a word.

Banggeng lowered his head, finished eating the cornbread in his hand, stood up, expressionless, and tried to walk out again. Qin Huairu looked up at him and said coldly.

"Now that you've walked out that door, don't bother me with your problems anymore. I don't consider you my son anymore!"

Upon hearing this, Banggeng paused, turned around without a word, walked to the wall, picked up the folding bed, placed it horizontally in the middle of the room, took off his shoes, and buried himself in the quilt to sleep.

Seeing this, none of the women in the room dared to say anything, and Qin Huairu didn't make a fuss either. After finishing dinner, she started clearing the table.

Qin Huairu could only keep her bitterness to herself. As her child grew older, various problems began to surface, making life incredibly difficult!

What good does complaining about life's unfairness do? Life goes on.