Siheyuan: Shazhu's Leisurely Life

Chapter 75 The Way Out is in the South

"Ma Hua? Let him try the big pot dishes? Is that okay? I remember he hasn't been with you for long, right? The food in this cafeteria can't go wrong." After hearing this, Director Cai did not refuse outright, but asked instead.

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu knew what was going on and nodded repeatedly: "Director, don't worry about this. I didn't use the back door just because Ma Hua is my apprentice. Now Ma Hua is in the kitchen and can basically do a set of processes by himself. At most, I will give a few instructions on the side. That's it. Have you heard any worker comrade complain about the food in our cafeteria?"

Hearing this, Cai Youle nodded. The food in the canteen is well-known throughout the steel mill. After all, there is Zhuzi's golden signboard. So, Cai Youle pondered for a moment and nodded: "Okay, Zhuzi, since you said so, then I will help report it. As long as he does a good job, it is very likely that he will be promoted to a regular employee in advance."

Speaking of the latter, Cai Youle also patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder. Obviously, Cai Youle attaches great importance to Zhuzi. After all, as the canteen director, he understands the importance of Zhuzi the most. Now among the factory leaders, he, the canteen director, can be so popular, all because they have He Yuzhu in the back kitchen, a good cook who makes reception meals and is praised by all the leaders. Therefore, in this small convenience, Cai Youle is also happy to give He Yuzhu this face.

Seeing this, He Yuzhu smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll thank you on behalf of Ma Hua, Director."

Cai Youle suddenly seemed to think of something: "Zhu Zi, if Ma Hua is to run the kitchen from now on, then you..."

"From now on, I will be responsible for our factory's banquet reception, which will be a special meal." He Yuzhu added.

"You are just daydreaming, kid. You are just trying to be lazy, right? Given the current situation, our factory only has a pitifully small number of banquets per month, and there is not much work to do at the end of the month."

He Yuzhu chuckled: "Director, look at what you said, I'm not being lazy, you can see Ma Hua's level, I'm training young talents for our factory, if there are a few more chefs in the canteen, you will have more authority in the factory, right?"

After saying this, Cai Youle pointed at He Yuzhu and said, "You, you." He certainly understood this, otherwise he would not have made an exception and agreed to let Zhuzi, an apprentice who had not completed the term of service, take charge of the kitchen. Moreover, Zhuzi was not lazy. Although there were only a few banquets, to a certain extent, being able to serve those few meals well would be more effective than cooking big pots day after day. There is a lot of knowledge involved!
"Okay, you take care of the kitchen. I'm leaving the canteen to you. Just don't cause any problems. By the way, remember the dinner that Director Lou hosted tonight." After giving a few more casual instructions, Cai Youle went to get busy.

After Cai Youle left, He Yuzhu walked slowly to the side of MCA.

"Ma Hua, I have something good to tell you."

"Good news? Master, what good news?" Ma Hua became excited upon hearing this.

"I've just mentioned your promotion to a regular employee to the director. He has agreed to let you cook in the kitchen. Work hard, and you'll be included in the nominations for the next promotion."

"Really?!" Ma Hua's eyes suddenly widened.

"Can your master's words be false?"

Immediately, Ma Hua's face turned red and he was visibly excited!

"Master, I...I..."

Looking at He Yuzhu, Ma Hua's mouth trembled for a long time, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence at the first time!

Really, this news is too big!

Being a chef is not something that just anyone can do. Regardless of whether they have the necessary skills, apprentices who normally come to the kitchen of a steel mill have to work as assistants for the first three years, and they can only become regular employees after they have the opportunity and quota.

How long has he been in the kitchen? The master's words can directly give him the opportunity to become a regular employee. If this were to be told to others, I wonder how many apprentices would be drooling with envy!

At the same time, He Yuzhu greeted the guys who were still busy in the kitchen.

"Everyone, come here, I have something to announce."

When everyone gathered around and looked at He Yuzhu, He Yuzhu cleared his throat and said, "I just discussed with Director Cai that the task of preparing the big pot dishes in the kitchen of our canteen will be handed over to Ma Hua in the future. I hope that everyone will cooperate with Ma Hua and work hard to do a good job in our kitchen. If anyone plays tricks behind the scenes or has bad intentions, don't blame me for not cherishing our friendship. I think you know the importance of workers' meals better than I should."

"Ma Hua is in charge?"

"Master He, don't worry, we will definitely cooperate with Ma Hua!"

Hearing He Yuzhu's words, many people were slightly stunned. However, the smart ones nodded in agreement immediately. After all, who in the kitchen of the canteen didn't know He Yuzhu's status? As the team leader, everyone had to listen to him, not to mention that Master He was the only one who could host the banquet in the entire steel mill. The factory director and the leaders all valued him very much. Director Cai's attitude towards Master He was also well known. With his words, who would be so unhappy as to make things difficult for Ma Hua?

Immediately afterwards, everyone who reacted expressed their support for Chef He's work and for Ma Hua to be in charge of the kitchen.

Of course, in addition to He Yuzhu's relationship, this is also related to Ma Hua's own level. After all, the kitchen is a place that relies on skills to make a living. Even if He Yuzhu helps, if Ma Hua does not have the ability to manage the kitchen, there is no need for the people in the kitchen to complain. The complaints from the workers about the taste of the food alone are unbearable.

Just after He Yuzhu finished speaking, Ma Hua seemed to have calmed down from his excitement. He took a deep breath and took the initiative to stand in front.

"My master has just finished speaking, so I'd like to say a few words. First of all, I want to thank my master for training me and giving me the opportunity to be the chef. I will also be humble and cook well in the canteen and not bring shame to our kitchen. Although I am young and inexperienced, since my master trusts me, I will definitely do my job well in the kitchen. I hope everyone will cooperate well in the coming days and strive to make more contributions to our factory!"

"Hey, Ma Hua, I haven't seen you for a few days, and you can still come up with such a literary fart." He Yuzhu, who was standing nearby, saw the idioms uttered by Ma Hua and couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder.

Immediately, there was a burst of laughter from the kitchen.

Ma Hua also rubbed the back of his head and said, "Master, didn't you say before that we should read more books and learn some culture? I read these few sentences in a book after get off work."

"Well, that's good. This is called applying what you have learned. You have really grasped my essence. Now, work hard in the kitchen. Now let's go."

He Yuzhu waved his hand and the crowd dispersed, while Ma Hua moved closer to the master.

"Master, I really thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"We don't talk about this between master and apprentice." He Yuzhu waved his hand. He was really devoted to his apprentice Ma Hua. After all, Ma Hua was not an ungrateful person. He Yuzhu taught him all his skills without hiding anything. Otherwise, Ma Hua would not have been able to be the chef in charge of the big pot after such a short time.

No matter how low-tech it is, it is not something that an ordinary apprentice can accomplish.

"From now on, the big pot dishes in the kitchen will be left to you. There is nothing else, so I won't have to do anything else." He Yuzhu gave instructions and stood up. From now on, he no longer had to be in charge of cooking the big pot dishes.

Seeing this, Ma Hua nodded repeatedly: "Then Master Cheng, you go ahead and do your work. I will work hard in the kitchen."

……

After making arrangements in the kitchen, He Yuzhu pushed his bicycle out of the steel rolling mill and rode towards the Lou family's house according to his memory.

When the familiar three-story villa appeared in front of He Yuzhu from a distance, He Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief. It was okay, he didn't remember the wrong way.

He Yuzhu rode his bicycle to the gate of the villa. As soon as he got off the bicycle, he saw Lou Zhenhua walking out of the villa yard.

"Master He, you're here."

From a distance, He Yuzhu glanced at Director Lou, and he could see with his own eyes that there was a little more unspeakable hostility in him than the last time they met.

After another look around the villa, He Yuzhu discovered that some of the servants who had been working there before had disappeared. Thinking about the current social situation, He Yuzhu probably understood what was going on.

He Yuzhu thought in his heart and responded: "Well, Director Lou, I came here early, so I shouldn't disturb you."

Lou Zhenhua opened the gate of the yard and He Yuzhu followed in pushing his bicycle.

"What's the big deal? I was worried that you didn't have time, Master He. Why is the factory kitchen not busy? Don't let this meal delay your work."

He Yuzhu glanced at it and shook his head, saying, "It won't delay you. Director Lou, you may not know that my apprentice will take over my job as the big pot cook in the back kitchen from now on. I will be responsible for the reception meals in the future."

"So that's how it is, Master He. This is a good thing. After all, your skills are here. Making big pot dishes is really a waste of your talent. Reception dinners are where you can show your skills!"

"Hey, Director Lou, you can't say that. Whether it's the big pot dishes or the reception meals, they are all for serving our comrades. There is no such thing as wasting talent. But, my apprentice is also very hardworking and has learned some skills from me. As a master, I am also happy."

Lou Zhenhua smiled but didn't say much. The two of them chatted while walking into the house.

"Oh, it's been a few months. The last time you, Master He, came to my place and cooked some Tan family dishes, I will never forget it." The two of them first came to the living room. Lou Zhenhua went over with the teapot and poured two cups of tea.

At this time, He Yuzhu was also sure that all the servants in Lou Zhenhua's house should have been dismissed, otherwise he would not have to come here to pour tea in person. He Yuzhu also understood what Lou Zhenhua said.

Although the past few months are not long, the situation has changed. Didn't you see that when Lou Zhenhua invited me to come over to cook today, there was no fanfare, and even the driver was gone. At this time, everything should be done with caution. "Director Lou, are we still cooking Tan's dishes this time?" He Yuzhu asked after taking the tea.

Lou Zhenhua smiled and said, "That's not necessary. Last time, my wife was not feeling well, so I asked you to help me make a meal of Tan's dishes. Master He, I trust your cooking skills. You can cook anything. Anyway, you can choose any ingredients in the kitchen."

"But since we're here, Master He, do you know how to play chess? It's still early, why don't we play some?"

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu's eyes flashed slightly.

Playing chess. Why does this scene look so much like the scene when Sha Zhu went to the boss's house to cook? But the person in front of him has changed to Lou Zhenhua.

In response, He Yuzhu said: "I know a little bit about chess, but I don't know anything about other games."

"Then let's play chess. Come on, Master He, let's play a game."

Seeing this, Lou Zhenhua pulled He Yuzhu to the study.

Soon, the two sat opposite each other with the chessboard set up in front of them.

……

About ten minutes later, He Yuzhu couldn't help but smile bitterly as he watched his red chess piece on the chessboard being defeated and put in check.

"Director Lou, your chess skills are really good. I have to admit that you are better than me!" He Yuzhu was not playing chess to please others. The main reason was that he was just an amateur chess player in his previous life, not even a half-baked one.

Seeing this, Lou Zhenhua laughed heartily: "Haha, Master He, you are an expert in cooking. As for chess, it took me some time to learn it. It's normal that you can't win."

As he spoke, Lou Zhenhua seemed to have thought of something, and his face looked visibly dejected: "After all, I don't have much to do now. I just study chess manuals and play chess with friends at home every day."

He Yuzhu heard the loneliness in Lou Zhenhua's words. Seeing the change in Lou Zhenhua's expression, He Yuzhu was moved and asked, "Director Lou, what are your plans for the future?"

Seeing He Yuzhu asking this, Lou Zhenhua sighed and said, "What's the point of talking about plans? Just live one day at a time. Life is like this, and it can be considered free. Now I have more time to spend with my family. I usually watch a play, play with birds, and finally find a good husband for my daughter. It can be considered to have fulfilled one of my wishes."

As he spoke, Lou Zhenhua looked at He Yuzhu and said, "Master He, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. If you didn't already have a wife, I would really like to talk to you about marriage."

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu's mouth twitched.

He knew that Lou Zhenhua's words were not just for show. After all, the fate of capitalists was beginning to be bad. If he really wanted to choose a son-in-law, He Yuzhu, who was a poor peasant for three generations, was definitely a good choice. In addition, He Yuzhu's cooking skills made it understandable that Lou Zhenhua wanted to discuss marriage.

"Director Lou, have you ever thought about moving to another place?"

"Move? Where to?" Lou Zhenhua asked subconsciously.

"Southside."

Hearing this, Lou Zhenhua looked at He Yuzhu meaningfully. The fact that the two of them could talk to each other to this extent, especially during this special period, was enough to show that Lou Zhenhua still had a lot of trust in He Yuzhu.

However, after listening to Nanfang, Lou Zhenhua said, "I don't have any foundation in Nanfang, Master He, do you have any basis for what you said?"

Although the tone was inquiring, it could be seen from Lou Zhenhua's reaction that this big capitalist who dominated the city might not have considered this point, but after all, the knife had not fallen on his neck, and even a person like him would find it difficult to cut off his arm in advance to survive. After all, all his foundations were on the side of the city.

In this regard, He Yuzhu did not hide it: "Director Lou, you should be aware of the situation outside now. I am not sure how it will develop specifically, but from some problems, I can still see something."

"Zhu Zi, you say." Lou Zhenhua's eyes flickered slightly, and he unconsciously changed his address to Zhu Zi.

"The country has been in trouble in recent years, and the food problem has been very serious. Our city is relatively well off, but in other places, in the countryside, many people have starved to death, and even more have fled famine. Although some wealthy families have consciously restrained themselves and kept a low profile at times like this, there are still some who continue to enjoy a life of luxury. These people have a bad end."

The ending that He Yuzhu described was not just a bad ending. Many capitalists lost their families and even their loved ones.

In response, Lou Zhenhua nodded slightly: "I know what you said. In such a difficult period, you are still so ostentatious. In the end, you deserve it."

Obviously, Lou Zhenhua was the one who knew how to be restrained and low-key. This was also one of the fantasies he had in his heart.

"They really deserve it, but what happens after we deal with these people? Who do you think will be the next to be punished? Even if the remaining group is more low-key and restrained, can they really do it without anyone noticing? When everyone is starving, these people are not affected and have no worries about food and drink..."

"I have also considered this. In the past few years, I have made a lot of contributions to the country, including materials and money. I have some connections there. When necessary, they will not ignore me." As the former Lou Bancheng, he still has some connections. However, it is clear that Lou Zhenhua is still a little hesitant when he says this now.

Seeing this, He Yuzhu continued, "Perhaps during this difficult period, the connections you mentioned can help you a little, but what about after this period is over? When the time comes, when everyone looks back at this period, shouldn't we analyze the reasons? Why can't everyone eat enough? Why can't everyone starve to death? More importantly, why is it that when everyone is starving, there are still a group of people who are not affected and even have more to eat?"

"This...this should also start from the top, right?"

"Then why do you think that the higher-ups will let you soft persimmons go and go find hard bones to pick on?"

By now, He Yuzhu's words were very clear.

Lou Zhenhua even broke out in a cold sweat on his back after hearing this.

It is impossible to say that he had no mental preparation beforehand, but it is impossible to say that he had thought a lot and thought very comprehensively, and he really did not expect to think to the point that Zhuzi said. Or, he had this awareness, but subconsciously, he was unwilling to believe it, or he was unwilling to think too much about it.

At this time He Yuzhu directly pointed it out to him. With his intelligence, how could he not see that what Zhuzi said was not nonsense.

However, he still had some hope in his heart: "Zhu Zi, isn't this too sensitive? What if..."

"Director Lou, I'm saying this because of your care for me. If it were someone else, I would definitely not say this. However, the situation I'm talking about is very likely to happen. Once it happens, I believe you know the consequences better than me. So, if it were me, I would definitely handle it as soon as possible and go to the south."

Lou Zhenhua was silent.

After waiting for a long time, Lou Zhenhua finally spoke: "Zhu Zi, I will seriously consider what you said, but you also know that I have a big family in Sijiu City. Even if I want to leave, I have to deal with it and settle it first. Do you think this time is enough?"

He Yuzhu knew that Lou Zhenhua had taken it to heart when he heard what he said, and nodded immediately: "That should be enough. After all, not many people can realize this at this time. Even if we want to settle the accounts afterwards, it will take some time. But for things like this, it's better to do it as quickly as possible."

"Well, Zhuzi, I have benefited a lot from talking to you today. You may even save the lives of my family in the future. Thank you so much!"

Before Zhuzi came, Lou Zhenhua had this plan in mind. But after all, he didn't have as much information as Yuzhu, the omniscient time traveler, and it was difficult for him to make a decision. If he hesitated, he would miss the best opportunity. If Zhuzi hadn't given him such an analysis, he really couldn't make up his mind so quickly.

Seeing this, He Yuzhu shook his head and said, "Director Lou, this is too much. But please don't disclose our conversation to anyone in the future. I am only saying this to you because of your care for me."

"That's natural, that's natural, Zhuzi, don't worry, I'm not senile yet. This conversation today will be kept between us once we leave the door, and only God and the earth will know about it."

In response, He Yuzhu nodded slightly. This favor was indeed returned.

In fact, He Yuzhu was not just doing this to repay a favor. If Lou Zhenhua was really an unforgivable capitalist, He Yuzhu would not have reminded him of this. The main reason was that Lou Zhenhua had indeed made a lot of contributions to the country's development. Just as he said, he donated money and materials to the government, and even turned his steel mill into a public-private partnership. This kind of capitalist with a different nature should have a good ending.

After another conversation, Lou Zhenhua also sighed.

"Zhu Zi, the more I talk to you, the more I admire you as a young man. Although you are a chef, your understanding and views on some things are very thoughtful and profound. As I said before, if you were not married, Xiao'e and you..."

"Director Lou, let's not talk about this. My wife is about to give birth." Looking at Lou Zhenhua's expression, He Yuzhu was really afraid that this guy's mind was still stuck on having three wives and four concubines, and he would cause trouble for him again, so he said quickly.

Lou Zhenhua's face showed visible regret.

"It's almost time, Director Lou, I'll go cook first." He Yuzhu looked at the clock in the study and stood up.

(End of this chapter)