Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

Time flew by as we chatted.

The girls chatted about everything from work to family, from hobbies to future plans, and they found themselves getting along very well.

He Lanlan watched He Yuzhu chatting enthusiastically with his girlfriends and chuckled to herself: This guy is quite the chatterbox.

Little did she know, He Yuzhu was closely watching the countdown in his mind.

【00:05:03...00:05:02...00:05:01...】

Time passed second by second. Although He Yuzhu appeared to be chatting and laughing, he was silently counting down in his heart.

Finally, when the countdown reached [00:00:00], the system notification sounded again:

[Ding! Dating task completed, reward being distributed...]

[Congratulations, host, you have received: 3 million yuan in cash.]

Become!

Although it's two million less than last time, it's still money!

He Yuzhu was overjoyed, and his smile grew even wider.

"Zhu Zi, what are you laughing at?" He Lanlan noticed the change in his expression and asked curiously.

"It's nothing, I just really enjoyed chatting with you guys," He Yuzhu casually brushed it off.

He glanced at the leftover food on the table, stood up, and said, "I'll tidy up. You guys sit down and rest for a while."

"Let's clean up together!" Several girls stood up as well.

"No need, no need, guests can't work." He Yuzhu quickly waved his hand, "You sit down, I'll be done cleaning up soon."

But the girls insisted on helping, and He Yuzhu couldn't refuse them, so he had to let them have their way.

With everyone working together, the dishes and chopsticks were quickly cleaned up, and the table was wiped clean as well.

Looking at the tidy main room, He Yuzhu felt it was quite nice, as it was the first time he had ever hosted friends at home.

"Zhu Zi, thank you so much for today," He Lanlan said sincerely. "This was the best meal I've ever had."

"Sister Lanlan, you're too kind. I'm so happy you could come," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Then we won't bother you any longer," Wang Xiuying said. "I still need to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things this afternoon."

"I'll see you off," He Yuzhu said, leading the group to the door.

As I walked into the courtyard, I ran into Aunt Qian coming back from outside.

When Aunt Qian saw He Yuzhu coming out with four girls, her eyes lit up: "Zhuzi, seeing off guests?"

"Yes, Aunt Qian." He Yuzhu nodded.

Aunt Qian sized up the four girls, a meaningful smile appearing on her face: "They're all good girls... Zhu Zi, get to know them well!"

He Yuzhu knew she had misunderstood, but he didn't explain; he just smiled.

After seeing He Lanlan and the other three off at the gate of the compound, He Yuzhu stopped and said, "I'll stop here. Be careful on your way."

"Zhu Zi, thank you for today," Zhang Caixia said softly.

"You're welcome, come again next time," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Definitely!" Wang Xiuying readily agreed.

Watching the four girls disappear around the corner of the alley, He Yuzhu turned and walked back.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Jia Zhangshi standing at her door, looking at him with a sinister gaze.

He Yuzhu ignored her and went straight home.

He closed the door, leaned against it, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Today's meal was very rewarding.

Not only did I make several new friends, but I also completed a system task and received a reward of three million yuan.

More importantly, he figured out the new triggering conditions for system tasks.

"Looks like I'll have to invite more people over for dinner from now on..." He Yuzhu said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.

But right now, he has to prepare for tomorrow's training.

Chef Chen said that the city organized a chef training session on Monday, and key personnel from various restaurants would attend.

This is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons and meet people in the same industry.

---------------

On Monday morning, He Yuzhu got up early as usual to practice boxing.

After finishing a round of Bajiquan, he went back to his room to wash up and change his clothes, putting on a brand new cotton-padded coat.

After all, it was a training session organized by the city, representing the reputation of the Oriental Hotel, so it couldn't be taken too lightly.

When I arrived at the entrance of the Oriental Hotel, there were already several people waiting there.

Besides Chef Chen, there were two other experienced chefs in the kitchen, as well as several chefs from other restaurants.

"Zhu Zi is here!" Master Chen waved to him when he saw him, "Come over here, let me introduce you."

He Yuzhu walked over, and Master Chen pointed to an old master chef in his fifties with gray hair and said, "This is Master Liu from Fengzeyuan, a master of Shandong cuisine."

He then pointed to another chef in his early forties, slightly overweight: "This is Chef Zhang from Tongheju, also a master of Shandong cuisine."

He Yuzhu quickly stepped forward and greeted them respectfully: "Hello, Master Liu, hello, Master Zhang, my name is He Yuzhu, please give me your guidance."

The two experienced chefs looked him over, and Chef Liu nodded: "Young man, you look very energetic. I heard you're very good at Sichuan cuisine?"

"I wouldn't dare say I'm good at it, I just know a little bit," He Yuzhu said modestly.

Master Zhang laughed and said, "It's good for young people to be humble, but they also need to show their abilities when the time is right. Today's training is very interesting, so you'd better give it your all."

Just then, a Jiefang brand truck pulled up in front of the restaurant.

The driver leaned out and called out, "Those attending the training, get on the bus!"

One by one, people climbed onto the back of the truck, where quite a few people were already seated.

He Yuzhu found a seat on the side, the truck restarted, and headed towards the training location.

The training was held in the auditorium of the Municipal Catering Association. When He Yuzhu and his group arrived, the auditorium was already quite full.

At a glance, there were probably fifty or sixty people, all of whom were key chefs from various restaurants, and their ages were generally over thirty.

There are almost no people as young as He Yuzhu.

"Wow, quite a show of force!" Chef Chen found a seat and whispered to He Yuzhu, "See that guy over there in the gray Zhongshan suit? That's Chef Wang from Hongbinlou, his halal cuisine is top-notch."

"The man next to me wearing glasses is Chef Li from Quanjude. Not only is his roast duck skill excellent, but his knife skills are also superb..."

He Yuzhu looked in the direction he pointed and saw several master craftsmen gathered together talking.

The training began quickly. First, a leader from the food association went on stage to talk about the current situation and policy requirements.

After the leader finished speaking, we began the practical exercise.

Today's training topic is "Improvement and Innovation of Traditional Dishes".

Each chef participating in the training is required to prepare a dish on-site, which must retain traditional characteristics while also incorporating innovation.

"This is no easy feat," Master Chen said in a low voice.

He Yuzhu nodded, but he already had an idea in mind.

He has recently been studying the Sichuan cuisine notes given to him by his master, and combined with his knowledge from his previous life, he has gained a new understanding of many traditional dishes.

Soon it was the turn of the Oriental Hotel, and Chef Chen went first.

He made a modified version of Kung Pao Chicken. Several judges tasted it, nodded in approval, but didn't say much.

Next, two other experienced chefs also presented their improved dishes.