Courtyard House: The Chef's Intelligence System

The mother and son didn't have time to think much at that moment and followed the doctor into the emergency room.

"Old Jia, Old Jia, how could you be so heartless...you damned devil..."

When Zhang Xiaohua saw Old Jia on the hospital bed, his face as white as paper, she immediately burst into tears.

Tears streaming down his face, Jia Dongxu choked back sobs, holding his father's hand, unable to speak.

Old Jia managed a strained smile when his wife and children arrived.

"Wife, Dongxu, you're here!"

"Old Jia, you have to hold on! If you're gone, how will Dongxu and I, a widow and orphan, survive? Waaah..."

"Cough cough cough... Honey, listen to me, I know my own body is in bad shape, I can't hold on much longer."

"The factory will definitely provide compensation. When the time comes, have Lao Yi take you and your son to collect it. It would be best to get a workstation for Dongxu."

"And then there's Dongxu, son. Now that your father's gone, listen to your mother. Once you have a job, find a wife quickly so you can continue the Jia family line. Cough cough cough..."

"Promise me...cough cough cough..."

"Old Jia, I promise you everything, I promise you everything!"

"Father, I promise you."

Upon hearing this, the mother and son burst into tears.

Seeing the mother and son agree, Old Jia smiled, then looked at the ceiling with a hint of reluctance:

"I regret it, I'm not reconciled, I'm not even 40 years old, fuck you..."

Before he could finish speaking, his body stiffened, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his neck snapped, and he died...

"Old Jia, Old Jia, Old Jia..."

"Father, Father, wake up..."

The neighbors outside the emergency room heard the mother and son crying out. After exchanging glances, they all sighed.

"It's all fate..." He Daqing murmured.

After the mother and son came out, Yi Zhonghai went to the hospital entrance and hailed a handcart to take Lao Jia's body back to the courtyard house.

There are professional body carriers who charge one dollar for short distances and extra for longer distances.

Yi Zhonghai paid a silver dollar, his heart aching so much he could hardly breathe.

The neighbors in the courtyard house do have handcarts, but who the hell would lend one to you to haul a corpse? Don't you think it's disgusting?

Many pedestrians stopped to watch along the way; it was quite a rare sight.

Zhang Xiaohua sat directly on the cart, hugging Lao Jia and crying incessantly.

Who the hell wouldn't be surprised to see that!

The old man was almost in tears, thinking to himself, "Sister, I used this cart to haul corpses!"

This is the first time I've ever done this...

Since the person in charge didn't mind the mess, the shopkeeper couldn't say anything. He just let them pull it, since a group of people were helping to push the cart anyway.

Besides, she's pitiful because her husband just died, so we'll just consider it a good deed.

After Lao Jia's body was brought back to the hospital, Yi Zhonghai paid the bill, which made Zhang Xiaohua feel a pang of heartache.

She felt bad about the money; what she wanted to say was, "You heartless bastard, charging a dollar to transport a corpse?"

"I might as well carry Lao Jia back myself."

In the end, Zhang Xiaohua still didn't say those words.

As Lao Jia's good friend, Yi Zhongtian spontaneously invited the neighbors to help with the work.

Since death is a serious matter, the neighbors had no objections. Now that Yi Zhonghai had taken charge, they would simply follow his orders.

They also arranged for someone to go to the countryside to inform Lao Jia's relatives.

We found an old gentleman to help us choose an auspicious date. The body will be kept for two nights, the funeral will be held tomorrow, and the burial will take place early the day after tomorrow.

They were all poor families and didn't have the means to hold a grand celebration.

When Li Jiuzhou and He Yuzhu returned in the evening, there was no one in the front yard, and it felt rather eerie.

Before they even entered the house, the second brother, Shanhe, came out and whispered to the two of them:

"Brother, Brother Zhu, Uncle Jia from the Central Courtyard has passed away. The neighbors are all there."

"What? Uncle Jia is gone? He was perfectly fine this morning?" He Yuzhu asked in confusion.

"I heard there was an accident at the factory where someone was hit by a steel pipe, and their body was only brought back from the hospital in the evening."

Li Jiuzhou nodded slightly. Old Jia still left. He wasn't surprised, just a little disappointed.

I didn't spend much time with Lao Jia, but he was a good person and an honest man.

I'm afraid that with Lao Jia gone, there's no one left in the courtyard who can control Zhang Xiaohua.

"Zhu Zi, go and see what's going on. Go and light some incense for Uncle Jia," Li Jiuzhou said.

"Yes, we're neighbors, it's only right..." He Yuzhu nodded in agreement.

The two went to the central court, where He Daqing offered them incense, paid their respects to Old Jia's body, and offered a few words of comfort to the orphan and widow.

As for giving money as a gift, we'll all be there tomorrow for the event.

It's quite a coincidence, I don't have to work tomorrow.

Yi Zhonghai pulled He Daqing aside, saying that he would definitely be the head chef tomorrow, with Li Jiuzhou and He Yuzhu assisting him.

Without a doubt, they all agreed; it was just a side job.

The next day, before dawn, Li Jiuzhou went to the Intermediate People's Court to make an appointment to purchase items.

No matter how stingy Zhang Xiaohua is, she wouldn't cause trouble at Lao Jia's funeral.

We came into this world struggling, so we can't leave it in poverty. We should do whatever we can afford.

Zhang Xiaohua (now she can be called Jia Zhangshi)

She took out a stack of bills, money issued by the Nationalist government, and gave them to Yi Zhonghai.

It adds up to about 30 silver dollars.

The banquet has been booked, a total of 12 tables, 10 dishes, 7 meat and 3 vegetable.

In Beiping, a banquet at this price would be considered average by ordinary people.

It was truly a middle-class area. Before the country was even founded, weddings and funerals still had to be held, and one couldn't be too low-key, or people would gossip.

The cost of the banquet and the funeral can almost cover the expenses, and it's normal for those with many friends and relatives to even make a profit.

Li Jiuzhou went shopping with the He family father and son, and he kept a record of every penny spent.

It wasn't that they were afraid Jia Zhangshi would suspect anything; there was always purchasing involved in funerals, and every penny had to be accounted for. Afterwards, the host would review the accounts and make adjustments as needed.

These are the rules for funerals.

After buying groceries, He Daqing had no money left. He hadn't even thought about saving money; he spent it all and even paid a little out of his own pocket, but not much, so Li Jiuzhou didn't need to keep track.

After the shopping was completed, a neighbor had already prepared breakfast, with plenty of white steamed buns.

In the afternoon, Yi Zhonghai arranged for Li Jiuzhou to set off firecrackers at the gate. Upon seeing Lao Jia's relatives, he immediately lit the firecrackers.

Jia Dongxu was also there; without him, how would Li Jiuzhou know who was who?

Dressed in mourning clothes, Jia Dongxu looked around at the gate of the courtyard house. He saw a large group of people coming from the alleyway, chatting and laughing as they walked towards them.

Jia Dongxu's eyes lit up, and he said:

"Jiuzhou, my uncles and aunts are here. Get ready."

"No problem, Dongxu-ge, leave it to me." After saying that, Li Jiuzhou lit a cigarette and took two puffs.

Soon the group of people arrived, and as if acting, they put away their smiles and revealed sad expressions.

The middle-aged man who was leading the group cried out:

"Second sister-in-law, how could you have passed away so young? Heaven is blind! Second sister-in-law..."

Li Jiuzhou was completely bewildered. Who was his second sister-in-law?

Jia Dongxu was also dumbfounded. It was his father who died, not his mother. He was worried about what to do.

The Jia family members who came to attend the funeral were also dumbfounded. Was the third son overwhelmed with grief?

The middle-aged man's son quickly stepped forward and pulled him aside, saying:

"Father, it's not my second sister-in-law who died, it's my second uncle, your second brother, who died..."

The middle-aged man wiped away imaginary tears, realizing something was wrong, and then cried out loudly:

"Second brother, you died so tragically! Your little brother has come to see you."

Upon seeing this, the filial son Jia Dongxu quickly stepped forward to complain, and a group of relatives burst into tears.

That sense of sorrow could pierce the heavens.

Many people around me have been infected, and the pain of separation and loss is often the most touching.

If Li Jiuzhou hadn't witnessed that scene earlier, he would definitely have been moved as well. But now he really wanted to laugh, yet he couldn't.

Li Jiuzhou lit the cannons, and another group of people came out of the courtyard to help Lao Jia's relatives into the mourning hall.

Good heavens, when we arrived at the funeral hall, the wailing and crying were deafening, and it took a long time for it to stop.

Next came the joyous feast, with the host offering toasts to the relatives and friends who had come to pay their respects to Old Jia.

Yi Zhonghai, along with Jia's mother and son, went from table to table toasting and smiling.

This is also a matter of etiquette. Even if you are sad, things still need to be done. You can't be impolite, otherwise people will gossip.

The Jia family didn't leave; they stayed up all night to see Old Jia off on his final journey.

At 5:50 a.m. the next day, the coffin was sealed and tied with red ribbons, and the filial sons and grandsons bid their final farewell.

The coffin was completely sealed after the large nails were driven in.

Jia Dongxu knelt on the ground and cried uncontrollably.

The coffin was lifted and the funeral procession began promptly at 6:10 AM.

Many people came to see Lao Jia off, including many neighbors, factory employees who were familiar with Lao Jia, and several factory leaders.

The sound of the suona indicates either ascension to heaven or the wedding ceremony.

The master craftsman contributed a unique skill to Lao Jia: "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix"!

The procession was quite long and impressive; this was also Lao Jia's final performance!