Courtyard House: New Life, New Silly Zhu

Actually, I heard Xiao Zhang's introduction yesterday, so today is just a formality.

"I heard from Xiao Zhang that Chef He is the head chef of the No. 3 canteen at the steel rolling mill. I'll have to trouble you to prepare for Xiao Zhang's child's one-month celebration today," Grandpa Liu said very politely.

He Yuzhu nodded: "No problem, leave it to me. Uncle Liu and all the neighbors, today's dishes will definitely satisfy you."

After He Yuzhu finished speaking, Grandpa Liu stopped asking questions and directly asked the woman and He Yuzhu to go to the cutting board to prepare the vegetables.

Nowadays, banquets are relatively simple, since many of the dishes are not available.

Even if He Yuzhu has written the menu in advance, the dishes still need to be prepared by the host in advance, otherwise it will be troublesome if there is not enough time to prepare them.

At this time, etiquette is very important, such as the seating arrangement, the order of dishes on the table, and their placement.

If a table is missing a dish compared to other tables, it's bound to cause dissatisfaction. If you're on good terms, a few words will suffice. The real worry is that sometimes you might encounter some stubborn people, and things could easily escalate into a fight.

However, He Yuzhu only needs to cook good dishes; the host will take care of everything else.

"Master He, how should this dish be prepared?"

Today, all the women in the courtyard came out, and He Yuzhu didn't need so many people at all. However, He Yuzhu also knew that these people came to lend a hand.

To avoid being nagged by others, and also so that when we need to do something in the future, others can lend a hand.

Therefore, He Yuzhu only needed to arrange for them to wash and pick vegetables.

As for cooking, He Yuzhu can do it himself.

After all, the reason for setting up two stoves was precisely for this moment.

One stove is used for stir-frying, and the other for stewing, so that neither is neglected.

Of course, once the dishes are cooked, they are not served immediately. Instead, they are set aside and then placed on one of the stoves to be reheated after one of the stoves is available.

Then the dishes are served in order, with cold dishes served first, followed by hot dishes, and soup served last.

After the meal began, He Yuzhu sat down to rest and fill his stomach.

Halfway through the meal, Zhang's wife came out with their child to show everyone and receive their blessings.

Suddenly, the scene became incredibly lively, and Mr. and Mrs. Zhang were beaming with joy.

By the time the last bowl of soup was served, everyone had almost finished eating.

He Yuzhu also began to pack his things, since many of the bowls and plates were borrowed from the neighbors in this courtyard, and he had to return them.

However, He Yuzhu didn't clean up. The women would come back to clean up later, since they also needed to take their own dishes back.

"Thank you for your help today, Master Zhou."

Brother Zhang walked up to He Yuzhu and said with a smile.

"No trouble at all, it's the least I can do. I wonder how Brother Zhang and the guests enjoyed their meal?"

In fact, He Yuzhu really wanted to get his wages as soon as possible, but on the surface he still pretended to be very polite.

To build a long-term business, you must leave a good impression on others.

"Very good, very good." Brother Zhang gave a thumbs up and praised with a smile, "Master He, your skills are really impeccable. The taste is so good that everyone has to praise it. Other chefs in the compound have been hired before, but none of them can compare to you."

It was obvious that He Yuzhu had prepared excellent dishes for the banquet today, earning Zhang Ge's full respect.

After chatting for a while, Brother Zhang handed the money to He Yuzhu, who accepted it without hesitation this time.

After all, getting paid for work is a matter of course, and there's no need to be polite about it.

Then, in front of Brother Zhang, He Yuzhu packed the leftover food into a box.

He Yuzhu did this on purpose; he wanted to take the leftover dishes back home in front of the host.

Although it's normal for cooks to bring dishes, they can only bring some dishes and not all the ingredients. Showing them to the host is a way of showing them that he's only taking some dishes.

He Yuzhu then said goodbye to Brother Zhang and returned to the courtyard house.

Upon returning to the courtyard house, He Yuzhu encountered Yi Zhonghai.

"Uncle," He Yuzhu greeted him and was about to return to his room when Yi Zhonghai stopped him.

He Yuzhu looked at Yi Zhonghai with some curiosity, wondering what he was up to.

"Zhu Zi, did you go out to prepare a feast today?" Yi Zhonghai asked He Yuzhu with a big smile.

He Yuzhu did what he did today to show everyone, so he didn't deny it.

"Sigh," Yi Zhonghai sighed, his face full of emotion, "Zhuzi, it hasn't been easy for you since your father passed away. Now you've not only found a job, but you can also earn extra money. You've really made something of yourself."

He Yuzhu didn't really like what Yi Zhonghai said, since they were just neighbors and there was no need to be so close.

"Thank you for your concern. But, sir, as you know, my sister is still at home today, so I won't chat with you any longer. Goodbye." He Yuzhu didn't want to waste any more time with Yi Zhonghai, and turned to leave after saying that.

"Hey, wait a minute, Zhu Zi," Yi Zhonghai called out.

He Yuzhu stopped and frowned, asking, "Is there anything else, sir?"

"Zhu Zi, you know you should take care of your sister, so you should also take care of the old lady in the backyard," Yi Zhonghai said earnestly, his eyes fixed on He Yuzhu's face.

Good heavens, He Yuzhu finally understood Yi Zhonghai's purpose.

"No, sir, I've only just started working. I can barely take care of my own family, how can I have time to take care of others?" He Yuzhu refused directly.

"Zhu Zi, you're wrong about that. Helping others is the source of happiness, don't you think? Besides, one shouldn't be too selfish and only think about oneself."

Looking at Yi Zhonghai's righteous expression, He Yuzhu couldn't help but laugh: "Uncle, you're right, I'll remember that. How about this, I'm not married yet, and my last blind date fell through because my family is poor. How about this, Uncle, could you lend me some money now so I can tidy up my house and make plans for the future?"

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai's face immediately darkened: "How could you say such a thing, child? You should know that your aunt often needs to buy medicine, and your family isn't well-off. Where would I get the money to lend you?"

He Yuzhu was equally blunt, saying directly, "Uncle, if you don't want to lend me the money, that's fine, I won't force you. But don't blame me for being inconsiderate of others; my family also needs money and relief."

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback when He Yuzhu refused outright, leaving him momentarily speechless.

He only wanted He Yuzhu to take care of the deaf old lady in the backyard, but He Yuzhu actually asked him to borrow money. What kind of logic is that?

"Alright, sir, I'm leaving now. Think it over carefully." He Yuzhu said and turned to leave.