The Courtyard House: Xu Damao's Aunt is the Queen of Women

bang~

Just as Yang Xingguo was about to speak, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and Yang Weimin, his face covered in blood and sobbing uncontrollably, rushed in.

"Big Bo, you're going to be a pig for me!"

Seeing his nephew's miserable state, Yang Xingguo hurriedly asked, "Weimin, didn't you report to the finance department? What happened?"

Yang Weimin wiped the blood from his sleeve and cried out, "Da Bo! Caiwu Department..."

Yang Weimin, who had a lisp, cried and stammered as he recounted the grievances he had suffered in the finance department.

Yang Xingguo was furious. Even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner. The two shrewish women, Yu Lanfen and Zhang Qin, were cursing Yang Weimin, which was tantamount to slapping him in the face.

That Liu Hao is incredibly audacious; he actually dared to trip up Weimin!

"Big Wave... Waaah, you have to stand up for me! They're bullying me so much!"

Standing at 1.75 meters tall and 22 years old, Yang Weimin looked as aggrieved as a 140-pound baby, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Yang Xingguo felt both disgusted and sorry for him when he saw his pathetic state, but more than anything, he was disappointed in him.

If only this nephew had half of Liu Hao's abilities, it would be great. Unfortunately, he's just a good-looking but useless scoundrel.

"Go to the infirmary to treat your wound first, I'll take care of this."

Yang Weimin, his face full of reluctance, choked out, "Da Bo..."

Yang Xingguo's face darkened, and he roared, "Shut up and get out!"

Seeing his uncle lose his temper, Yang Weimin was so frightened that he turned and ran away like a hen.

Yang Xingguo took a few deep breaths to calm his agitated emotions and said with a smile, "Grandma, this is my good-for-nothing nephew. Please excuse his poor performance."

"It's nothing. I heard from the young man that Liu Hao injured him?"

Before Yang Xingguo could speak, the deaf old woman said with great distress, "Young Yang, this Liu Hao is a real scoundrel. The steel mill allocated him a house right next to mine. As soon as this kid entered our yard, he beat up a pillar because of a little argument. He also beat up the two old men in charge of the yard and three young men, making their noses and mouths bleed. He's a complete thug and bully."

"As the factory manager, how can you tolerate such a scoundrel in the factory? In my opinion, you should just fire him."

Yang Xingguo suddenly realized that the injuries on Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's faces were inflicted by Liu Hao.

He didn't believe a single word the deaf old woman said.

If Liu Hao hit someone for no reason, why didn't you call the police?

It's highly likely that you all conspired to bully Liu Hao, an orphan with no parents, and angered him, which is why you got beaten up.

"Grandma, you can go back now. I'll find a way to get Sha Zhu transferred back to the cafeteria, but remember this: from now on, we're even."

"This... sigh, thank you so much, Xiao Yang!"

The deaf old woman thanked him, got up shakily, and walked away with her cane, supported by Li Meihua.

Yang Xingguo stubbed out his cigarette, rubbed his temples, and pondered how to bring Sha Zhu back.

No one is going to cook lunch this afternoon?

This is the only way.

If you bring Sha Zhu back to serve as the host, and tell that scoundrel to keep a low profile, Li Huaide shouldn't hold a grudge, since the canteen can't do without Sha Zhu.

Having made up his mind, Yang Xingguo went to the small office next door to find his secretary, Zhou Sheng.

"Zhou Sheng, go to the foundry workshop and call Sha Zhu to the canteen for a complimentary meal..."

Zhou Sheng, who was busy working, put down his pen, stood up, looked at Yang Xingguo with a strange expression, and said, "Uh, Director, didn't you know that Deputy Director Li transferred a chef from the Fifth Machinery Plant?"

"The head chef?"

Yang Xingguo paused, then asked in surprise, "Your cooking is really good? How does it compare to Sha Zhu's?"

"I just tried the food at the third canteen. The big pot dishes are better than Sha Zhu's. Moreover, Nan Yi is a genuine descendant of the imperial chefs. He apprenticed under Jiang Zhenqiao, the former imperial chef of the palace, and is also the son of the head manager of Yaheju Restaurant."

"..."

Yang Xingguo's heart tightened. Li Huaide was really fast; it was obvious that he wanted to kick Sha Zhu out of the cafeteria completely.

What should I do?

Yang Xingguo was completely bewildered; his head felt like it was about to explode.

Zhou Sheng had just seen the deaf old woman enter Yang Xingguo's office and roughly guessed what was going on. He whispered, "Factory Director, there is actually a way to transfer Sha Zhu out of the foundry workshop."

"What method?"

"If Nan Yi makes a mistake with the catering, such as causing diarrhea, Deputy Factory Director Li will be held responsible and must punish Nan Yi and transfer him back to the Fifth Machinery Factory. At that time, I think Deputy Factory Director Li will also agree to let Sha Zhu go back to the canteen."

Yang Xingguo smiled. Although the method was a bit insidious, he didn't care as long as it achieved its purpose.

"Okay, you can handle this!"

……

Third canteen.

Wearing a light blue Zhongshan suit and an apron, Nan Yi stood in front of the cutting board, slicing pork belly while patiently explaining the secret recipe for braised pork to Fatty Liu Lan and the others.

This morning, when Nan Yi arrived, the MCA, blindly loyal to the foolish Zhu, was still thinking of giving Nan Yi a hard time, but Liu Lan, who was instructed by Li Huaide, led a group of people to give him a severe scolding.

With her fiery personality, Liu Lan could argue to a standstill with Sha Zhu, so dealing with Ma Hua would be a piece of cake for her.

Moreover, Nan Yi has a gentle personality and is a descendant of the imperial chefs. He is also open-minded and doesn't hold back his knowledge, which immediately earned him the recognition of everyone in the kitchen, who willingly and respectfully call him Master Nan.

"When cutting braised pork, the key is to cut it into even cubes, about an inch square, with three layers of fat and three layers of lean meat. This way, it won't fall apart after stewing, and you'll have a layered texture of chewy skin, juicy fat, and tender meat."

"Keep your knife steady and your elbow down. When you cut, follow the grain of the meat, don't cut horizontally, otherwise the meat will become tough after stewing."

Nan Yi's voice was clear and bright, but his knife skills were impeccable. With a single, precise cut, he arranged perfectly square pieces of meat on the enamel plate, demonstrating his exceptional knife skills.

After cutting the meat, Nan Yi picked up a wok from beside the stove and pointed to the seasonings prepared next to it.

"Watch carefully and remember it well... Never mind, I'll write the ingredients down on a piece of paper later, and you can follow the recipe from now on."

Everyone nodded hurriedly, their eyes wide and their ears perked up, and those who could read even found notebooks to write it down.

Sha Zhu wouldn't teach them how to cook, let alone show them the secret recipe for seasonings. He wouldn't even allow them to stand next to him and learn how to cook.

Nan Yi not only taught with dedication, but also gave me the secret recipe for seasonings. That's what a truly respectable master chef should be like.

"To blanch the vegetables, start with cold water, add ginger slices and aged Shaoxing wine. Hmm... it seems we don't have Shaoxing wine."

Nan Yi smiled and continued, "Low-alcohol rice wine will do. Bring it to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam, take out the meat pieces, and rinse them thoroughly with boiling water. Avoid using cold water, as this will cause the meat to shrink and become tough."

After blanching the sugar, Nan Yi washed the pot clean and threw a few pieces of rock sugar into the wok.

"Caramelizing sugar is the soul of braised pork. In the past, when the imperial chefs made this dish, they used rock sugar from Jiangnan. The heat control had to be divided into three levels: low heat to melt the sugar, medium heat to coat the color, and high heat to reduce the sauce. If it was even slightly off, it would either be bitter or bland."

Nan Yi adjusted the fire of the honeycomb briquette stove to just the right degree. The rock sugar slowly melted in the pot, turning from clear ice crystals into amber-colored syrup, and finally boiling into a rich jujube red color, with fine bubbles rising and a sweet aroma wafting through the air.

With a flick of his wrist, he poured the braised pork from the enamel plate into the dish.

With a sizzling sound, Nan Yi stir-fried the meat in a rhythmic motion with a spatula, his movements fluid and graceful, coating each piece of meat with a glossy caramel color.

"Simmering is the most important step. Add enough boiling water to cover the meat pieces. Remember, it must be boiling water. Smash some ginger slices and throw them in, then add the other ingredients. Avoid adding scallions and garlic, as they will overpower the meat's flavor."

"After bringing it to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for one and a half hours. During this time, you must not lift the lid. This is called locking in the aroma and ensuring that the meat's fragrance doesn't dissipate..."

Listening to Nan Yi's detailed explanation, everyone was convinced and filled with excitement and gratitude.

Liu Lan gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Chef Nan, your skills are beyond what a cafeteria cook can do; it's an absolute masterpiece! You're miles better than that half-baked Sha Zhu!"