Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

"Brother Zhu, don't worry, I will manage it well for you. There will be absolutely no mistakes with the money."

The two discussed some details and became increasingly happy as they chatted. After finally finishing their work at noon, He Yuzhu called his master, senior apprentice, and Xu Huizhen, and the four of them left the kitchen together.

There happened to be two bicycles, and He Yuzhu sped along with Xu Huizhen. Xu Huizhen shyly hugged He Yuzhu's chest and waist from behind, pressing her pretty face against his back.

Her cheeks flushed with shyness, making her pretty face even more beautiful. Xu Huizhen secretly regretted that it would have been even better if it weren't for the smell of scallions and cooking oil.

The four of them stood in front of the building and looked around for a while. Then He Yuzhu opened the door and the four of them came in to check.

After carefully inspecting the house, Hong Henian was quite satisfied with it: "Not bad, it's good enough to open a restaurant or tavern."

Chapter 79 Making Raw Rice into Cooked Rice

He Yuzhu said, "We set aside one room in front to mainly sell cigarettes and alcohol, and these two rooms sell breakfast. Around noon, we specialize in selling braised dishes."

"That's good. You can focus on learning at Taifenglou. You'll eventually master my skills before you start your own business."

Chefs all dream of opening a restaurant, but most people can't manage both.

After all, many chefs simply don't have the knack for running a restaurant, and the restaurant goes out of business after a while.

I had no choice but to find a chef's job and settle down to be a full-time chef.

He Yuzhu started selling braised meat for breakfast, mainly because this business didn't allow credit. After all, breakfast only cost a few cents, and even buying braised meat was only a few cents, so credit was rarely offered.

This way, the funds can be recovered relatively quickly.

Hong Henian nodded to confirm that there was no problem. The four of them talked for a while about the storefront layout. He Yuzhu rejected the old-fashioned layout and decided to use glass to separate the front and back.

The side against the wall was enclosed with glass, just like many breakfast stalls in later times, so customers could see directly how the buns were made inside, which made them feel very reassured.

All employees must wear white coats and white hats, and must be neat and tidy so that people can tell at a glance that it is clean and hygienic. We will not use sow meat or high-temperature meat, and we emphasize safety so that customers can eat with peace of mind.

This layout became commonplace in later generations, but nowadays hygiene standards are not as high.

Many breakfast stalls are set up on the roadside, and when the wind blows, dust falls on the buns and filling bowls.

Even so, customers rarely complain; they've gotten used to it, since the hygiene conditions at roadside stalls are generally like this.

When everyone's eating at roadside stalls, who cares how clean they are?

Hong Henian's eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "Your idea is excellent. Whether you're opening a hotel or a breakfast shop, the most important thing is hygiene."

"If guests can see it, and the whole thing is enclosed with large glass windows, that will give them the most peace of mind."

Having gained his master's approval, He Yuzhu's biggest obstacle to opening his shop was gone. After all, he had only been apprenticed to his master for a few days, yet he had already managed to open a restaurant on his own.

Back at the restaurant, He Yuzhu replenished some seasonings, took the evening off, and then went to find Chef Song.

Upon seeing He Yuzhu, he asked, "What happened? Did something go wrong?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with the house."

He Yuzhu said, "I need to talk to you about something else. It's like this, I rented a storefront..."

There was nothing wrong with the house, but the layout inside was designed for selling clothes, and there were some wooden counters.

He Yuzhu needed to readjust the layout, so he wanted to repaint the walls inside the house.

A kitchen needs to be added at the back of the house, and the floor tiles also need to be replaced.

"Okay, let's go take a look."

He Yuzhu led Master Song to the storefront, and the two discussed every part of it to determine how to make the repairs. Finally, Master Song asked curiously, "Aren't you going to build a counter here?"

He Yuzhu talked about many things, but he didn't arrange for the counter to be built. You know, in the past, counters were built with bricks and covered with a layer of cement to make them sturdy and durable.

He Yuzhu said, "I didn't use bricks to build the counters. I used wood for the entire counter, and then covered it with a marble slab."

Stainless steel is better for catering, but it's not available right now.

I don't know if they've even produced it.

He Yuzhu planned to use a wooden counter with a marble slab as the countertop.

The sides should be made of glass so that people can see the braised meat inside the counter.

Master Song said, "Okay, it's settled then. I'll calculate the bill later, and then we'll discuss the price."

"Okay, but we need to start work as soon as possible."

"I'll contact the supplier right away and have them deliver the materials as soon as possible."

Master Song went back to make contact first, while He Yuzhu went into the backyard to tidy up the house.

After the shop opened, He Yuzhu planned to move here.

It's clean and tidy here. Once the central moon gate is locked, it's a secluded and incredibly quiet place.

It's still better than the crowded, cramped courtyard houses.

Moreover, it's closer to the master's house, making life more convenient.

Taking advantage of the absence of others, He Yuzhu took out his woodworking tools and dismantled the existing wooden counter and clothes rack.

Just then, the camels that were delivering the feed arrived.

What many people don't know is that before liberation, there were many camel farms in the western and southwestern suburbs of Beijing that specialized in transporting goods.

Everyone knows the story of Camel Xiangzi; before liberation, camels were not uncommon in Beijing.

Camels are gentle and easy to tame, so people in the countryside raise them specifically to carry goods.

Coal, timber, sand, cement bricks, and all sorts of heavy goods could be transported by camel and sold from street to street.

This time, the camel caravan brought building materials such as bricks, cement, and sand, and they were also responsible for unloading the cargo.

Soon, Master Song arrived with his men.

He Yuzhu paid a 50 yuan deposit, and the group started working.

He Yuzhu went to Wang's Woodworking Shop on Shizipo Street. After entering, he said, "Boss Wang, I'd like to order a batch of timber."

"Okay, what kind of goods do you want this time?"

He Yuzhu told him the specifications of the display cases, wooden tables, and benches he needed to make. Then Manager Wang calculated the requirements, and He Yuzhu added some more wood. Anyway, buying more at once meant he could negotiate the price, and he would also practice making furniture for the house later.

Making any kind of wood furniture requires experience, so He Yuzhu plans to make all the counters, benches, tables and chairs he needs for his shop by hand.

The tables and chairs used in breakfast shops only need to be sturdy; there's no need to consider their design.

He Yuzhu plans to first upgrade his level to level two so he can start making his own.

After purchasing ordinary wood, He Yuzhu also bought some old furniture, carefully selecting pieces made of high-quality materials such as mahogany, rosewood, and sandalwood.

These pieces of furniture were all dilapidated and could only be dismantled for use as spare materials.

I selected 300 yuan worth of materials before paying and having the owner deliver them to Yandaixie Street.

By the time the goods were delivered, it was almost dark. He Yuzhu put all the timber from the yard into his spatial storage.

Just last night, He Yuzhu discovered a new function in the system space.

He Yuzhu can use his willpower to control knives to cut and polish wood within the space.

It is countless times faster to make it by hand when controlled by mental power.

Moreover, this control can be precise to a very fine level. To make a wooden board smooth, it needs to be planed many times to achieve a smooth and even surface.

However, He Yuzhu used his mental power to make it, and he could complete the smooth wooden board in just one go.

The only drawback is that operating in space does not increase professional experience, but this can save a lot of time.

What goes in is raw wood, and what comes out are various boards, square timbers, and all kinds of structures needed for making furniture, such as mortise and tenon joints, can be made in the space.

After packing his things, He Yuzhu returned to the courtyard house.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Yan Bugui stopped them and said excitedly, "Zhuzi, you don't know yet, do you? Jia Dongxu went on a blind date today. It's with a very beautiful girl."

"You've taken a liking to it?" He Yuzhu asked.

Yan Bugui nodded: "How could I not like her? Jia Dongxu took a liking to the girl at first sight."

Then he sighed and said, "It's a pity she's from the countryside. Jia Dongxu took a liking to her but his mother didn't. Can you hear them arguing in the yard?"

When He Yuzhu first entered the courtyard, he felt it was a bit noisy, but he was too far away to hear clearly who was making the noise.

Now that Yan Bugui had reminded him, he understood immediately and could clearly tell that it was Jia Zhangshi scolding her son.

He Yuzhu said, "Granny Zhang is so formidable, yet Jia Dongxu didn't listen to her this time?"

Knowing Zhang Pozi's personality, one can understand how stifled Jia Dongxu felt every day at home.

They couldn't make decisions on anything, big or small, and had to hand over all their earnings. Plus, Yi Zhonghai started brainwashing them every day after taking on disciples.

There are no bad parents in the world, only inadequate children.

They raised Jia Dongxu to be like a mama's boy; he would never object to whatever Granny Zhang said.

"Isn't it because he's taken a liking to her?" Yan Bugui said, "Jia Dongxu wants that girl to be his wife, but his mother dislikes her because she's from the countryside, and that's why they're arguing."

He Yuzhu said happily, "Then I have to go and see, it's really amazing."

Yan Bugui pointed with his finger and said with a smile, "Only you would dare to watch the jokes about the Jia family."

Not only did Granny Zhang scold her son, but she also drove away all the neighbors who were watching the commotion. So when He Yuzhu entered the courtyard, there were no onlookers.