Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu put down the Shenyuan he was wiping and said sincerely, "Director Zhao, you flatter me."

"The main reason is that you were willing to give me this opportunity. You didn't look down on me because I'm young and dared to let me go directly to the kitchen. Otherwise, no matter how capable I am, I would have nowhere to show my skills."

He spoke sincerely, not just as a polite remark.

If today's meal isn't prepared well, Zhao Dezhu will be the first to be criticized.

Although Deputy Director Zheng specifically requested to try the new chef's cooking, Zhao Dezhu, as the logistics director, could easily find an excuse to decline.

But he let He Yuzhu go straight in, and He Yuzhu remembered this trust.

Zhao Dezhu was very pleased to hear He Yuzhu say this.

He pointed to the chefs and kitchen helpers who had gathered around and said loudly, "Did you all hear that? Now that's what you call knowing how to talk!"

"You should also learn from Master He. He's only sixteen. Although he started learning to cook at a young age, earlier than you, his current skills are not only due to talent, but also to hard work!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire kitchen fell into an eerie silence.

Sixteen years old?!

"My God, he's only sixteen?!"

"This...how is this possible?"

"I thought he was at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight yesterday..."

After a brief silence, gasps of surprise rose and fell, and all eyes were fixed on He Yuzhu's aged face.

Master Chen was the first to react. His eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Zhu Zi, you...you're really sixteen?"

He Yuzhu touched his face and smiled helplessly: "Master Chen, I really am sixteen years old, I just look a little older than usual."

"It's more than just a little rushed..." a middle-aged master craftsman surnamed Li murmured.

Upon hearing this, everyone wanted to laugh but dared not, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Zhao Dezhu glared at Master Li, who immediately shut his mouth.

He looked around at everyone and said, "You all need to learn more from Master He. To have this skill at sixteen years old, what does that mean? It means he's worked incredibly hard!"

"Some of you have been kitchen helpers for four or five years, and you still haven't mastered the basics. Why? It's simply because you haven't put in the necessary effort!"

He pointed at the kitchen helper who had just spoken: "Look at him, he came over early this morning to help chop vegetables and prepare ingredients, and what about you? You slack off as soon as I'm not looking."

The kitchen helpers blushed and lowered their heads after being spoken to.

Wang Jianguo muttered under his breath, "Master He, this is too scary. I was still catching fish in the river when I was sixteen..."

His words caused several young kitchen helpers around him to burst into laughter, instantly easing the tension.

He Yuzhu laughed and said, "Jianguo, are you praising me or insulting me?"

"Of course I'm praising you!" Wang Jianguo quickly replied, "Master He, from now on you'll be my idol!"

"No, no, no, we're colleagues, we should learn from each other."

He Yuzhu quickly waved his hand, looked at Zhao Dezhu, and asked, "Director Zhao, is there any other work scheduled for today? If not, I'll clean up the stove first."

"Go ahead, go ahead!" Zhao Dezhu nodded in satisfaction. "There's nothing important to do this morning, so you can familiarize yourself with the environment first."

As if remembering something, he added, "Oh right, there's a regular banquet tonight. I've already given the menu to Lao Chen. You can help with the cooking and familiarize yourself with our restaurant's regular dishes."

"Okay, Director Zhao," He Yuzhu replied.

After Zhao Dezhu left, the kitchen became lively again.

Master Chen pulled He Yuzhu aside, insisting that he tell him the secrets of knife skills for making Lantern Shadow Beef.

Several experienced chefs gathered around, asking questions about the details of how those dishes were prepared.

He Yuzhu didn't hold back; while cleaning his own stove, he patiently answered everyone's questions.

His answers often capture the key points, explaining things clearly in just a few words.

Everyone suddenly realized, "So that's how it is!"

"Zhu Zi, how did you develop such knife skills?" another master craftsman surnamed Zhang asked.

"That sliced ​​beef was so thin it was translucent; such knife skills take years to develop."

He Yuzhu boasted, "Master Zhang, to be honest, I started cutting radish and potato shreds with my dad when I was five years old."

"At first, I cut them as thick as chopsticks, and my dad made me practice over and over again until I could cut them evenly and finely enough."

"Later, when I got a little older, I started practicing on tofu. I had to cut the tofu without breaking it, making sure it was thin and even. And then I started cutting meat..."

"And so it goes, day after day, year after year, until you become skilled through practice."

(System: Say thank you!)

Master Chen exclaimed, "No wonder! You've been practicing since childhood, so you have a solid foundation and can do everything with ease now."

Everyone nodded, their eyes filled with more respect as they looked at He Yuzhu.

After chatting for a while, everyone dispersed to continue with their work.

He Yuzhu carefully wiped Shen Yuan clean, put him back into the wooden box and put him away, and then began to clean the stove and cutting board.

After lunch, the kitchen becomes quiet again.

Master Chen approached, carrying a teacup and offering a cigarette: "Zhu Zi, want to take a break?"

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "Master Chen, I don't smoke."

"Not smoking is good for your health."

Master Chen lit it himself, took a deep breath, and exhaled a string of smoke rings.

"Zhu Zi, you really made our Sichuan cuisine team proud today. Director Zheng is a very picky eater, so it's not easy to get a compliment from him."

"I was just lucky," He Yuzhu said modestly.

Master Chen waved his hand: "Don't give me that crap. My skills are genuine, you can't fool me."

"However, Pillar, there's something I need to remind you of."

He lowered his voice and said, "In the kitchen, having good cooking skills is one thing, but having good interpersonal relationships is another."

"You showed off your skills today; some people might not say it to your face, but who knows what they're thinking inside!"

He Yuzhu understood the meaning behind Master Chen's words and nodded: "Thank you for reminding me, Master Chen. I understand."

"Good that you understand." Master Chen patted him on the shoulder. "You're still young and have a bright future ahead of you. Don't stumble over these little things."

"Oh, right, Director Zhao just sent someone to call you. You should go there right away."

He Yuzhu thanked him and walked towards Zhao Dezhu's office.

Knock on Zhao Dezhu's office door, and you'll find him sitting behind his desk reading documents.

Seeing He Yuzhu enter, he put down the documents and pointed to the chair opposite him: "Sit down."

He Yuzhu sat down as instructed.

Zhao Dezhu took a form out of the drawer and pushed it in front of He Yuzhu: "This is your employment form. Fill it out."

"As for the compensation... I said 800,000 yesterday, but with your performance today, 800,000 is a bit unreasonable."

He paused for a moment, then said, "One million two hundred thousand a month, what do you think?"

He Yuzhu was startled. Although tempted, he cautiously asked, "Director Zhao, isn't this... too much?"

Zhao Dezhu laughed: "A lot? Not much! Director Zheng wants us to train you properly today, this 1.2 million is recognition of your skills."

He leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "And to be honest with you, your salary is the lowest among the master chefs."

He Yuzhu was taken aback, thinking to himself: You're good at giving advice.

He said gratefully, "Then I won't stand on ceremony with Director Zhao. Thank you for your high regard."

"That's right!" Zhao Dezhu nodded in satisfaction. "Fill out the form, and we'll start calculating your salary today. Also, you'll need to cover more important banquets from now on, okay?"

"No problem, I guarantee I'll complete the mission," He Yuzhu replied.

After filling out the form and chatting for a few more minutes, He Yuzhu said goodbye and left.