Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 114 The Military Control Commission's Canteen Shows Off Its Skills

The boys knew that Xu Damao was a big shot at school, so they would wait for him every day before going to school and come back with him after school.

He Yuzhu, seeing that this kid had come to show off, teased, "What, are these all your underlings?"

"No matter what, you're still the eldest brother!" Xu Damao said with a smile, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

"I don't have time to play house with you kids."

"You're only two years older than me, you're just taller," Xu Damao muttered.

"What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly!"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Brother Zhu, are you really not going to school anymore? Liu Guangqi keeps telling me he's going to go to university."

"Going to school? You've reminded me. I'll ask about it another day."

"Brother Zhu, are you also going to take the college entrance exam?"

"I don't know, let's ask around."

As a result, once Xu Damao found out, it meant everyone in the courtyard knew, and then He Yuzhu was summoned for a talk by He Daqing and his wife.

"Zhu Zi, I heard from Da Mao that you're going to continue your studies? Is that true?" Chen Lanxiang asked first.

"Oh, yes, that's because I haven't decided what to study yet."

"What do you mean? It's not about taking the high school entrance exam?"

"Let me go to the school and ask."

“You should go tomorrow. It’s not good for you to stay at home.” This was the first time Chen Lanxiang had expressed her opinion that it was wrong for her son to stay at home.

“That’s right. If you can’t go to school, you can come to the factory with me. Even junior high school is a high level of education.” He Daqing finally found an opportunity. Before, his words didn’t carry any weight.

"Okay, I'll go ask about it tomorrow."

"Don't forget, I'll be keeping an eye on you," Chen Lanxiang said.

"understood."

The next day, He Yuzhu went to the middle school he graduated from. The school's dean of students thought that he was going to take the high school entrance exam again, so he took him to see the principal. After all, He Yuzhu graduated in the shortest time, which left a deep impression on him.

When He Yuzhu arrived at the principal's office, he explained his purpose. The principal frowned and thought for a long time before he understood what school He Yuzhu wanted to attend. He asked in surprise, "You mean a vocational school? Why don't you take the high school entrance exam and go to university with your grades? You've already wasted two years. With your grades, you might have already graduated from high school."

Can we say that He Yuzhu went to Tianjin for a while, learned two different cuisines, dealt with the Japanese puppet regime in Tianjin, found a wife, and hired a powerful patron?

Seeing that He Yuzhu remained silent, the principal assumed he was ashamed.

However, she still said, "The school you mentioned, our school doesn't have any enrollment quotas!"

"Where can I apply?"

"Why don't you go ask the military control commission?"

He Yuzhu thought to himself, "Well, in the end, I still have to ask the Military Control Commission. The Military Control Commission really has a lot of functions now."

"Alright, then I won't bother the principal and the director any longer." He Yuzhu got up to leave.

"Wait a minute, you're only 14 this year, right? Don't you really want to go to high school and go to university?"

"I just wanted to learn a skill as soon as possible to support my family. I was too young before, and there was nowhere for me to deliver my things."

"Oh, what a pity, what a pity. If you want to continue taking the exam, you can come anytime."

"Thank you, Principal. I'm leaving now!"

After leaving the middle school, He Yuzhu rode his bicycle to the Military Control Commission. On the way, he thought that it was definitely not going to work with Wang Cuiping; they were not compatible.

It should be feasible to find Wang Hongxia, this newly recognized Aunt Wang. After arriving at the place and registering at the gatehouse, he went to Wang Cuiping's department.

"Zhu Zi, what brings you here today? Did the old lady send you? Is there a house you're selling?"

"Aunt Wang, all you can think about right now is the house. Can't I come here for something else?"

“Hey, you have no idea how stressful it is to have a house. More and more people are coming, and look at how much hair I’m losing,” Wang Hongxia said, pointing to her thick hair.

He Yuzhu was speechless and could only nod in agreement.

"Alright, I'm busy right now. So, what do you want from me?"

"Does Aunt Wang know anyone in the education department?"

"Education department? What's up? Which child in your family needs to start school?"

“My child,” He Yuzhu said, pointing to himself.

"You? Going to primary school? You're really a bit too old, but the school should accept you!" Wang Hongxia asked, puzzled.

He Yuzhu was completely speechless. What the hell was "elementary school"?

He pulled out his junior high school graduation certificate and waved it in front of Wang Hongxia: "Aunt Wang, who do you think you are? I graduated from junior high school."

"Ah!" Wang Hongxia exclaimed, snatching He Yuzhu's graduation certificate. She opened it and saw that it was indeed true; he graduated in July 1947.

She remembered that the boy in front of her was only 14 years old. Wasn't he only 12 years old in 47?
"Wow, I didn't realize you were such a little genius. What's wrong? You want to keep taking the high school entrance exam but can't find a place to take it?"

"Sister Wang, whose child is this? We're short-handed, why don't we hire him?" He Yuzhu and Wang Hongxia's conversation was overheard by someone who came in to ask Wang Hongxia for help.

“This child is only 14, who would dare to take him?” Wang Hongxia said irritably.

"Such a big guy, 14?"

"It can't be wrong," Wang Hongxia said.

"Never mind then, Sister Wang, could you sign this for me?"

"Okay, Zhu Zi, wait a moment."

"Okay, Aunt Wang."

Wang Hongxia glanced at the delivered documents, confirmed they were in order, signed her name, and returned them to the person.

As the man left the office, he couldn't help but glance at He Yuzhu a few more times, and they had something to talk about during dinner today.

"Tell me, what exactly do you want from the education department?" Wang Hongxia had just thought about it and realized it shouldn't be that she couldn't find a place to take the high school entrance exam. Her previous schools would have been eager for her to go back and take the exam.

"I'd like to ask, how do you take the entrance exams for those vocational schools that used to be in Beijing?"

"Vocational school? Which one do you want to go to? Do you know anything about these schools? What major do you plan to study?" Wang Hongxia asked a series of questions.

"I don't know anything about it. I've only heard that you can learn something like mechanics."

"You didn't hear it from your Uncle Zhao, did you?"

"Huh? No!"

"Oh, I thought Old Zhao had told you that your Uncle Zhao used to be a teacher at the National Beiping Senior Industrial Vocational School."

"Well, my Uncle Zhao is a teacher, but isn't he an engineer?"

"If he can teach it, how could he not know how to do it himself?"

"Then what does he teach?" He Yuzhu pretended not to know at all.

"A machine!"

"So, does that mean I don't need to take the exam?"

"You wish! But you've come to the right person. The principal of the school where he used to teach is someone I know. Are you free today? If not, come with me after I get off work."

"An acquaintance? How close? Can they enroll directly?"

"You'll find out when the time comes," Wang Hongxia said, keeping everyone in suspense.

"I can't just keep waiting here with you, can I? It would be so boring."

“Since you’re free anyway, why don’t you help me organize some documents?” Wang Hongxia pointed to a corner of her office.

He Yuzhu looked up and saw that the pile of documents was almost as tall as a person, and it wasn't just one stack. He shook his head like a rattle drum.

"No, no, I don't want to make things worse for you. I'll go home first and come back when you're about to get off work."

"No way, you're here and you want to leave? Aren't you a professional cook? Why don't you go to the canteen and show off your skills? Let the people from the Military Control Commission have a treat today."

"Is this appropriate? I'm from out of town, can they trust me to cook?" He Yuzhu asked with a double meaning.

“That’s true. Why don’t you go and find your Aunt Ping? I’ll go with her and take you there. Old Ren, the canteen director, used to be with the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China. He’s an acquaintance. Talking to him shouldn’t be a problem.”

"Another acquaintance?"

“Yes, he’s an acquaintance. I was his supplier before liberation.” Wang Hongxia smiled slightly.

He Yuzhu thought to himself, "Well, this is someone I'd entrust my life to; he's definitely an 'acquaintance'."

"Go find your Aunt Ping first. I don't know if she's even there. Don't even think about running away, or I'll come to your house to settle the score with you another day."

"Okay, I won't run away, I won't run away," He Yuzhu said repeatedly. He really didn't know that Wang Hongxia was so good at manipulating people. She was like a frog that she was going to squeeze out the pee from.

As He Yuzhu thought about it, he felt something was wrong.

"Pah, pah, pah! I'm not a toad!"

"Go ahead, you know the place, right?"

"Know, know."

"Hurry back! The cafeteria will be cooking dinner when you get back."

"Okay." He Yuzhu ran off.

When he arrived at Wang Cuiping's place, Wang Cuiping saw him running there and thought something had happened at home, so she immediately slung the gun over her shoulder.

"Zhu Zi, what happened at home?"

"No, no, everything's fine at home. Aunt Wang, please hang the gun up first."

"Why are you running around in such a hurry if there's nothing wrong?" Wang Cuiping said irritably.

"Someone's urging us, we have to hurry."

"Who is it? Isn't everything alright at home?" "That's my other Aunt Wang."

"Sister Hongxia?"

"Yep."

"what's up."

He Yuzhu quickly recounted the incident, hoping that Wang Cuiping would stand up for him. However, Wang Cuiping slapped him on the shoulder with tremendous force, causing He Yuzhu to wince in pain.

"Yeah, why didn't I think of having you cook? You have nothing to do at home anyway. The Military Control Commission is great, but the canteen is just... well, let's just say it's not great."

He Yuzhu thought to himself, "What a huge resentment this is."

"It can't be that bad, finding a cook isn't difficult," He Yuzhu said.

"Hmph, you'll see when you get there. Let's go." Wang Cuiping grabbed He Yuzhu's arm and headed towards the housing manager.

"Gun, gun," He Yuzhu whispered a reminder.

"Oh, I forgot." Wang Cuiping took the gun, hung it up, and locked the door after leaving her office.

When the two arrived at Wang Hongxia's place, Wang Hongxia didn't say much and led them to the cafeteria.

In fact, she could go by herself, but it would be safer to have someone act as a guarantor. After all, everyone in the Military Control Commission knew Wang Cuiping, and everyone knew that the Investigation Section had a female deputy section chief who hated evil.

Upon arriving at the cafeteria, He Yuzhu explained the situation. The cafeteria director, Mr. Ren, looked He Yuzhu up and down and asked only one question.

“This is communal cooking, unlike what you eat in restaurants where you have to use a shovel.”

Wang Hongxia felt a little embarrassed after hearing this. She was so focused on He Yuzhu's excellent cooking skills that she forgot he was making small portions, which was typical of their small kitchen.

"Why don't you give it a try?" He Yuzhu said with a smile. His advanced cooking skills did indeed include large-pot rice, but he had never made it before.

Director Ren didn't answer, but instead turned his gaze to Wang Hongxia, as if to say, "Are you sure he can do it?"

"Don't look at me. All I know is that this kid has mastered three different cuisines and graduated from all of them."

"Oh, those three cuisines?" Director Ren became interested.

“Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, and halal cuisine,” He Yuzhu replied.

"Young man, you're quite something! I can't let you try cooking at the main stove, but today is special. We've bought a few sheep. I wonder if you dare to cook them?"

What procedures are required?

"The food needs to be distributed in large quantities; this is a canteen for a thousand people."

"No special requirements are needed, but how many are there exactly?"

"Five."

He Yuzhu calculated that five sheep would weigh less than 200 jin (100 kg), and the deboned mutton would weigh at most 100 jin (50 kg).

"What should we make? Hand-pulled mutton or strips of meat won't do. There are too many people and too little meat. What can we do with just a small piece per person?"

Just as He Yuzhu was thinking, Wang Cuiping spoke up.

"Zhu Zi, could you make mutton noodles with toppings?"

As soon as Wang Cuiping heard there was mutton, her eyes lit up. Seeing that He Yuzhu didn't know what to cook, she offered her suggestions.

"Mutton noodles?" Wang Hongxia asked, puzzled.

“I know this. It’s a specialty of Shaanxi. I was fortunate enough to have it once when I went to Shaanxi in 43,” Director Ren said.

"Is it delicious?"

"Well, how should I put it? It depends on the person doing it," Director Ren said.

"Is the pillar cooking delicious?" This question was directed at Wang Cuiping.

"You'll know once you've tried it, and you might want to eat it again next time."

"Is it too late to make dried noodles now?" He Yuzhu asked.

"We were originally going to have steamed buns made from a mixture of flour and water for lunch, but we can have them for dinner or tomorrow. We have enough manpower. Is there anything special about the dough?"

"Watch me make something basic, and you'll be fine. Then I'll make you a pot of soup, which might take a while to cook, so we might not be able to drink it until tomorrow."

"No problem, Zhu Zi, right? Hurry up, hurry up. If we're late, those guys will ruin all my sheep. Let them learn a lesson. They're all mediocre, and they think they're doing a great job."

"Yes, Director Ren."

"Why do you call them 'Director'? You call them all 'Auntie,' but you can't call me 'Uncle'?"

"Okay, Uncle Ren."

"Shall we head back now?" Wang Hongxia asked.

"Well, come back."

"I'm entrusting Zhuzi to you. Don't bully the child, or I won't let you off the hook," Wang Hongxia said.

"No, with two aunts like you, who would dare to bully him?"

“Okay, let’s go then.” Wang Hongxia tugged at Wang Cuiping’s sleeve.

"Okay, Aunt Xia, Aunt Ping."

“Aunt Xia, okay, that’s what you’ll call her from now on. There are two Aunt Wangs here, and you don’t even know who you’re calling Aunt Wang.”

"Zhu Zi, you can't lose your skills."

"Okay, you're welcome!" He Yuzhu joked.

After Director Ren led He Yuzhu into the kitchen, He Yuzhu glanced around and nodded. As expected of someone with a military background, the kitchen was indeed very clean.

"How is it?" Director Ren asked when He Yuzhu nodded.

"Clean and tidy!"

"That's a tradition that came from the military."

"Sir, is this young man new? Which unit is he from? Why isn't he wearing a uniform?"

“Squad Leader Huang, this young man isn’t from the team. He’s here to see Section Chief Wang Hongxia. I heard he has family culinary skills, so I called him over to show you what he can do and let you know there are always people better than you.”

"Him? How many years has he been learning to cook?" Before joining the team, Squad Leader Huang had worked as a cook in a restaurant somewhere. Before he even finished his apprenticeship, the war broke out, and he lost his job and joined the team. Because he knew a little about cooking, he became a cook. However, he was not cut out to be an officer, and he also had a bad mouth. So now he was just a cook squad leader.

His skills are passable, at least within the military, since he has formally studied them. Although he hasn't graduated, he has some talent, and if he were to return to his original teacher, he could probably graduate.

Director Ren hadn't asked for details, so he didn't know. He looked at He Yuzhu, wanting to see what He Yuzhu would say.

"Squad Leader Huang, right? I've been learning to cook for eight years."

"Eight years, that's quite a long time. Have you finished your apprenticeship yet? What kind of dishes did you learn?"

"I've managed to graduate by sheer luck."

"Your father is your master?"

"No, it's not really. It's a family tradition, I didn't have a formal apprenticeship. I have another master."

"Oh, what's the family recipe? And what dish did you learn to cook?"

"I learned Shandong cuisine from my family, as well as halal and Sichuan cuisine."

"Your master knows quite a lot, huh? Have you learned all the dishes?"

"No, I have two masters."

"They've all graduated?" Squad Leader Huang was a little surprised.

"Yes, they've all graduated."

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. Three years of doing odd jobs, two years of serving, and you would have to learn from two masters for ten years. How could you have graduated from both? How old are you this year?"

When Squad Leader Huang started asking questions, everyone in the kitchen paid attention to him. When He Yuzhu said that he had mastered both cuisines, many people were so surprised that they stopped what they were doing.

He Yuzhu glanced at Director Ren, and seeing Director Ren nod, He Yuzhu said earnestly.

“Squad Leader Huang, people learn things differently. You’re a diligent student, so you should know this very well.”

Although he was unwilling to admit it, it was the truth. Squad Leader Huang nodded with difficulty. This was also his pain. He hadn't finished learning and had to figure it out on his own. In fact, he didn't even have a teacher.

"Since you're here to show off your skills, please!" Squad Leader Huang didn't continue asking about his teacher or anything like that, afraid of being embarrassed again.

"The sheep that were delivered this morning, bring one over. Zhu Zi, you know how to butcher a sheep, right?" Director Ren interjected.

"Yes, but this knife?"

"Even if the kitchen is short of knives, you can choose whichever one you want to use. We also have axes and saws."

"okay!"

"Who will go and get an apron, sleeves, and a hat from the junior apprentice?"

"Go, Director!" A young man ran off quickly.

Soon, the sheep was brought over, and the knife was chosen, but he didn't choose the axe or the saw.

A number of people who weren't busy gathered around to watch the spectacle. In the past, butchering sheep involved chopping and sawing, which was incredibly bloody. This was the first time they had seen it done with a knife.

The sheep must have been freshly slaughtered and delivered; the wool had been removed, but it hadn't been gutted yet.

He Yuzhu put on an apron, sleeves, and a chef's hat, and had someone bring him a large basin to hold water. Then He Yuzhu started to use his knife.

The entire process of gutting the lamb, removing the hind legs, forelegs, and cutting the belly, along with the spine (including the ribs), is done smoothly and seamlessly, following the joints and bones.

A chorus of exclamations arose from the crowd. "This is a real expert! Unlike them, who used to just sell off their products for exorbitant profits."

Squad Leader Huang was speechless. He couldn't do that himself. It was obvious that this person had been taught by a famous master and had put in real effort.

　I'm not a professional chef or imam, so I can't write in such detail. Some readers might say that eating mutton is too hot in June or July, but people in the north eat it all the time, so don't worry about it. I originally wanted to change the fish, but after reading the second half of the chapter, I realized I had to revise everything, so I'll leave it at that.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)