Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

He Yuzhu arrived at the Lou family's house and knocked on the courtyard gate.

It was Butler Zhou who opened the door as always. When he saw He Yuzhu, he smiled and said, "Master He is here. Please come in."

"Butler Zhou, is Mr. Lou home? I'd like to ask about work," He Yuzhu asked politely.

Butler Zhou looked troubled: "It's really unfortunate, the master went to the East City on business early this morning and said he wouldn't be back until tonight."

He Yuzhu's heart sank, and a hint of disappointment appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Butler Zhou added, "But Madam is at home, why don't you go and see her? Maybe she knows something."

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, then I'll trouble Butler Zhou to inform them."

"Please wait a moment." Butler Zhou turned and went into the small building.

Not long after, he came out again with a smile on his face: "Master He, Madam requests your presence in the study."

He Yuzhu thanked him and followed Butler Zhou back into the Western-style building.

This time, he was taken directly to the study on the second floor.

In the study, Tan Yali was sitting in a wicker chair, holding a book in her hand.

Seeing He Yuzhu enter, she put down her book and smiled gently, "Zhuzi, you're here. Please sit down. Old Zhou said you came to ask about work?"

He Yuzhu sat down in the chair opposite the desk, nodded and said, "Aunt Tan, I'm really sorry to bother you again. I've been idle at home these past few days, so I thought I'd come and ask if there's any news from Uncle Lou."

Upon hearing this, Tan Yali sighed softly, "Zhu Zi, you've come at a bad time. Your Uncle Lou was talking about this this morning before he left! In the current climate, it's really not easy to find a place where you can showcase your skills."

She stood up from the wicker chair, walked behind the desk, opened a drawer, and took out a brown paper envelope.

"However, your Uncle Lou asked someone to get a letter of introduction yesterday. He originally planned to tell you when things were looking up, but since you're here today, I'll give it to you first."

Tan Yali handed the envelope to He Yuzhu and explained, "This place is a government-run hotel. One of the chefs there was recently dismissed for some reason."

"Your Uncle Lou's current status makes it unsuitable to make a direct recommendation, so I entrusted an old friend to write this letter of recommendation."

"That old comrade has already retired. He's a veteran revolutionary and won't cause you any trouble over there. On the contrary, he can help you avoid a lot of trouble."

He Yuzhu took the envelope, a warm feeling welling up inside him.

In this era, the fact that Lou Bancheng could still think of this and specifically ask a retired veteran to write a letter of recommendation shows how thoughtful he was.

"Aunt Tan, please thank Uncle Lou for me. I will remember this kindness," He Yuzhu said solemnly.

Tan Yali waved her hand and sat back down in the wicker chair: "We're family, so let's not be so formal. Do you know the Oriental Hotel?"

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat. The Oriental Hotel?

He had heard of it in his previous life. It was one of the earliest high-end hotels in Beijing invested and operated by Chinese people, and it had hosted many political figures and celebrities during the Republic of China era.

After liberation, the Oriental Hotel was taken over by the government and became one of the important reception units.

"I know, the Oriental Hotel is a long-established brand in Beijing," He Yuzhu replied.

Tan Yali nodded: "That's the place your Uncle Lou recommended. But Zhu Zi, I have to say this upfront: although you have a letter of recommendation, whether you can stay or not depends on your actual abilities."

"The requirements for chefs there are extremely high, especially at this critical juncture, where they need to excel in every aspect."

"And this time, you'll probably only be able to showcase your Sichuan cuisine skills."

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu immediately understood the key point.

Given the current situation, it's really not appropriate for Tan Family Cuisine to be served at the Oriental Hotel, which is a government-run hotel.

"Don't worry, Aunt Tan. Although I wouldn't dare say I've reached the pinnacle of Sichuan cuisine, it's definitely no less than my skills in Tan family cuisine," He Yuzhu said confidently.

This isn't bragging. Although the system provides the Tan Family Cuisine lineage, he has been studying Master Chen Baoguo's Sichuan cuisine insights these past few days, so passing an assessment shouldn't be a problem.

Seeing his confidence, Tan Yali felt much more at ease: "That's good. If you're free today, just go and take a look. You know the address, right?"

"I know, it's over on Qianmen Street," He Yuzhu nodded.

"Alright, you go ahead then. Come find us anytime if you need anything." Tan Yali stood up and escorted He Yuzhu to the study door. "Remember, when you get there, talk less and do more. Show us your true abilities."

"I've got it, thank you Aunt Tan." He Yuzhu thanked her again and tucked the letter of recommendation into her pocket.

Leaving the Lou family mansion, He Yuzhu stood at the street corner, feeling both anticipation and a touch of nervousness.

The Oriental Hotel—if he could establish himself there, he would not only be able to put his skills to good use, but also come into contact with many important figures, which would greatly benefit his future development.

Without hesitation, he immediately headed towards Qianmen Street.

Qianmen Street is one of the most bustling streets in Beijing, lined with shops and teeming with people.

The Oriental Hotel is located on the west side of the street. It is a five-story Western-style building with an extraordinary presence.

The four large golden characters "Dongfang Hotel" hang in front of the door, shining brightly in the winter sun.

He Yuzhu had just reached the restaurant entrance when he was stopped by the guards standing at the door.

"Comrade, what can I do for you?" The guard was a young man in his early twenties, and his attitude was fairly polite.

He Yuzhu took out a letter of recommendation from his pocket and handed it over with both hands: "Hello comrade, I'm here to apply for a chef position. This is a letter of introduction."

The guard took the letter, opened it, and began to read.

"Please wait a moment, I'll go in and inform them." With that, he turned and strode into the restaurant.

He Yuzhu stood at the door, looking around at the surroundings.

The Oriental Hotel lived up to its reputation; everyone who came in and out was impeccably dressed and exuded an air of distinction.

About five or six minutes later, the guard led out a middle-aged man who looked to be around forty years old.

The man was not tall, but he was stocky, with his hair neatly combed and his eyes sharp. He looked like a shrewd and capable person.

He walked up to He Yuzhu, looked him up and down, lingering his gaze on He Yuzhu's face for a moment before asking, "You're He Yuzhu?"

"It's me, hello," He Yuzhu replied politely.

The middle-aged man nodded and handed the letter of recommendation back to He Yuzhu: "Come with me!"

After saying that, he turned and walked into the restaurant without any intention of introducing himself.

He Yuzhu quickly followed, and the two walked into the lobby of the Oriental Hotel one after the other.

The middle-aged man did not linger in the lobby, but went straight through a side door and into the area behind.

This is a long corridor with various functional rooms on both sides. You can vaguely hear the clattering of pots and pans and shouts coming from the kitchen.