Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

Chapter 76 Reporter Interview

While preparing the ingredients, He Yuzhu was also thinking about the cooking competition.

Just then, a woman's voice came from outside the door: "Excuse me, is Master He Yuzhu here?"

He Yuzhu looked up and saw a girl in her early twenties standing at the kitchen door, peering inside.

The girl was wearing a Lenin suit and had two braids.

"That's me. May I ask who you are?" He Yuzhu walked over and asked.

The young woman sized him up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "Hello, Mr. He, my name is Zhou Xiaobai, and I'm a reporter for the Beijing Daily."

She pulled out her press pass: "Our newspaper is planning a feature story on young chefs. My uncle told me you did exceptionally well in today's training, so we'd like to interview you. Is this convenient?"

reporter?

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat. People are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat. But since the person was already standing in front of him, it wouldn't be right to refuse!

"Sure, but I'm preparing the ingredients right now, so it might take a while," He Yuzhu said.

"It's okay, I can wait." Zhou Xiaobai smiled. "Can I watch you work? That way I can better understand your daily work routine."

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, then you can sit over there. Just don't disturb other people's work."

Zhou Xiaobai sat down on a bench in the rest area, took out a notebook and a pen, and began to observe the work in the kitchen.

He Yuzhu returned to the stove and continued processing the ingredients.

As Zhou Xiaobai watched, an expression of appreciation appeared in his eyes.

This young chef is truly skilled.

After He Yuzhu finished his work, Zhou Xiaobai came over and said, "Master He, can we talk now?"

"Okay." He Yuzhu wiped his hands, and the two walked to a relatively quiet corner.

Zhou Xiaobai opened his notebook and began asking questions: "Master He, I heard you're only sixteen years old. How do you manage to have such excellent skills at such a young age?"

He Yuzhu repeated his previous statement: he learned to cook from his father from a young age, and later became an apprentice at the Emei Restaurant, where he received guidance from a renowned master chef...

"How's it going working at the Oriental Hotel now?" Zhou Xiaobai continued to ask.

"Very good. The leaders here value me highly, and my colleagues are all harmonious. It is an honor for me to work here," He Yuzhu replied in a very official manner.

"Your 'Iced Fish Fillets' dish during today's training was very creative. How did you come up with it?"

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and said, "Actually, inspiration comes from life. In winter, everyone eats greasy food, so I wanted to make a refreshing dish."

"Traditional Sichuan cuisine also includes cold dishes, but most of them are made by mixing with seasonings. I wondered if I could change the taste by changing the temperature, so I tried the method of chilling."

Zhou Xiaobai took notes, nodding occasionally.

"There's a cooking competition in the city next month, will you participate?"

"Yes, my supervisor has already informed me."

Are you confident?

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I'll do my best. A cooking competition is actually a great opportunity to learn and exchange ideas. Being able to learn from the master chefs is more important than the ranking."

Zhou Xiaobai asked a few more questions, and finally closed his notebook: "Master He, thank you for the interview. I will send you a copy of the newspaper after the report is published."

"Thank you, Reporter Zhou," He Yuzhu said politely.

After seeing Zhou Xiaobai off, He Yuzhu returned to the stove, feeling a sense of anticipation.

Making it into the newspaper would definitely help my reputation.

However, the most important thing right now is to do the job at hand well.

He composed himself and began preparing for the evening's banquet.

......

Around 7 p.m., the banquet ended. He Yuzhu cleaned up the stove, changed out of his chef's uniform, and prepared to leave work.

As soon as I stepped out of the Oriental Hotel, I saw Zhou Xiaobai standing at the entrance.

"Master He, are you off work?" Zhou Xiaobai greeted him with a smile.

"Reporter Zhou, why haven't you left yet?" He Yuzhu asked, somewhat surprised.

"I've been waiting for you!" Zhou Xiaobai took out a piece of paper from her bag. "This is my initial draft of the interview. I wanted you to take a look and see if there's anything that needs to be revised."

He Yuzhu took the manuscript and looked at it by the light of the street lamp.

The article is well-written, objective, and truthful. It highlights his youthful talent and diligent study, which is excellent!

"It's well written, there's nothing that needs to be changed." He Yuzhu handed the manuscript back to her.

"That's good." Zhou Xiaobai put away the manuscript, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Master He, where do you live? If it's on our way, can we go together?"

He Yuzhu glanced at her. Could this girl... be interested in him?

But then I thought, they're journalists, maybe it's just a professional habit of wanting to know more about the people they're interviewing.

Besides, the system hasn't given me any tasks, which means they're not interested in me.

"I live in Nanluoguxiang," He Yuzhu said.

"Perfect timing, I'll be passing by there on my way home too," Zhou Xiaobai said with a smile. "Let's go together."

The two walked side by side down the street at night.

Zhou Xiaobai was very talkative, chatting about everything from food culture to the current situation, and from work to life.

He Yuzhu found that this female reporter was knowledgeable, articulate, and very comfortable to chat with.

"Master He, besides cooking, what other hobbies do you have?" Zhou Xiaobai asked.

"Practice some boxing, read some books," He Yuzhu replied.

"Practicing boxing? What kind of boxing?"

Bajiquan.

Zhou Xiaobai's eyes lit up: "Bajiquan? My father also practiced it. He said Bajiquan is fierce and violent, very powerful."

"Oh? Your father also practices martial arts?" He Yuzhu became interested.

"Yes, he served in the army when he was young and learned from an old sergeant," Zhou Xiaobai said. "But now he's older and rarely practices anymore."

As they chatted, they unknowingly arrived at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang.

"I've arrived." He Yuzhu stopped in his tracks.

Zhou Xiaobai glanced into the depths of the alley: "Goodbye, Master He."

Goodbye, Reporter Zhou.

Watching Zhou Xiaobai turn and leave, He Yuzhu shook his head.

What's going on today? A female reporter even accompanied me home. Is this a sign of good luck with women coming my way...?

He walked into the courtyard; the front yard was quiet.

Back in his house, He Yuzhu lit a kerosene lamp and went to the kitchen to boil water in preparation for washing up and going to bed.

----------

At the Jia family next door, Jia Dongxu was so excited he couldn't sleep.

Today, he went to the Qin family with Yi Zhonghai and Matchmaker Liu, and the marriage was finally settled.

The date has been set; it will be held before the new year.