Courtyard House: Ten-year-old Master Zhu reorganizes the entire courtyard

The deaf old woman's warning and the news brought by Xu Fugui gave He Yuzhu a new assessment of the situation in the courtyard. Yi Zhonghai's collusion with the Japanese technical director must be linked to deeper interests. This thorn in their side must be removed as soon as possible, or at least its purpose must be clarified.

However, plans don't always go as expected. Just as He Yuzhu was preparing to investigate the matter through organizational channels, an unexpected trouble came knocking.

That evening, before He Daqing had finished work, two burly men in plain clothes knocked on the gate of Rongxian Hutong. They claimed to be from the General Affairs Department of the Executive Yuan of the puppet government. The one in the lead smiled and offered him a cigarette, which He Yuzhu refused, saying, "Children don't smoke."

"Little friend, your father is He Daqing, Master He, right?" The leading man's smile remained unchanged, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

"Yes, my dad hasn't come back yet." He Yuzhu stood at the door, not indicating that they should come in.

The man didn't seem to mind and continued, "Our Director Zhang is hosting a distinguished guest from Japan soon. He's heard that Chef He's culinary skills are superb, and that he has inherited the true skills of the imperial kitchen, so he specially sent us here to invite Chef He to take charge of the cooking."

His tone was polite, and he used the word "please," but his unyielding attitude was no different from kidnapping.

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm: "My dad is just a cook at a small restaurant, he's not that famous. You must have the wrong person."

"That's right, it's Chef He from that restaurant in Xidan." The man smiled, his gaze sweeping around the courtyard before landing on Chen Lanxiang, who was playing with her younger sister. He said meaningfully, "Chef He is not only skilled but also blessed with good fortune, having both a son and a daughter, and a harmonious family. Director Zhang said that Chef He shouldn't be treated unfairly, hence this appearance fee."

He held up five fingers.

"Fifty silver dollars for one meal. If it's done well, there'll be an extra bonus."

Fifty silver dollars is enough for an ordinary family to live on for a year. This is a temptation, but also a blatant threat. Using the safety of his family as leverage, they are forcing He Daqing to comply.

He Yuzhu instantly understood that his father's reputation as a "descendant of the imperial chef," which Xu Fugui had boasted about, had ultimately brought trouble. In the eyes of these pseudo-government officials, a cook was nothing more than a tool for them to climb the social ladder.

"I will definitely tell my dad when he comes back," He Yuzhu replied coldly.

"Okay, we'll come back tomorrow morning." After saying that, the man turned and left with his men.

When He Daqing returned home and heard about this, his face turned pale instantly, the cloth bag in his hand fell to the ground, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

"It's over...it's over...Zhu Zi, it's all over!" He plopped down on the doorstep, clutching his head, his voice trembling. "I knew it, I knew something bad would happen! These people are ruthless wolves who eat people alive! If we cooked for them and anything didn't go our way, our whole family would be dead!"

His first thought was to run.

"No, we have to run! We have to leave tonight! To Tianjin, to Baoding! We'll never come back!" He Daqing stood up in a panic and was about to go inside to pack his things.

"Father!" He Yuzhu called out in a low voice, stopping his movements.

"Run? Where to run?" He Yuzhu's voice was unusually calm, like a block of ice. "There are checkpoints at all four gates of Beiping. Do you think we can escape? Even if we do, they are government people. With an arrest warrant, we'll be dead no matter where we go."

He Daqing froze, despair instantly engulfing him. He looked at his ten-year-old son, the true pillar of the family, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

Chen Lanxiang, holding Yushui, looked at He Yuzhu with a pale face, waiting for his decision.

He Yuzhu remained silent for a moment, his mind racing. To fight back was certain death. To run away was also certain death. The only way out was to turn this crisis into an opportunity.

"Dad, you have to go to this meal," He Yuzhu said slowly.

"What?!" He Daqing thought he had misheard. "Zhu Zi, are you crazy? This is suicide!"

"It's not about going to your death, it's about listening to something." He Yuzhu's eyes deepened. "They hired you because of your cooking skills. As long as you cook well, you won't be in danger. But they didn't expect that a chef's ears could also come in handy."

He walked up to He Daqing and instructed him word by word: "Remember this, starting tomorrow, you will be a timid, money-grubbing cook. When you get there, cook normally, talk less, and listen more. Especially those officials and that Japanese man, whatever they say after drinking, even if it's drunken ramblings, you must remember every single word."

He Daqing was stunned. He looked into his son's eyes, which were completely unlike those of a child, and the fear in his heart was replaced by a more complex emotion.

He Yuzhu took a small white porcelain bottle out of his pocket and handed it to He Daqing. "These contain a few hangover pills, given to me by Doctor Lin. They have a very mild taste; mix them with your tea and drink them to keep you sober. If they try to get you drunk, take them when you have the chance. Remember, your task isn't to cook a meal; it's to bring back their conversation verbatim."

He was giving orders, not making suggestions.

He Daqing took the cold porcelain bottle, his hands still trembling, but his gaze slowly settled. He knew he had no choice. This family was no longer being held together by him alone.

The next morning, the two men arrived as agreed and "invited" He Daqing to a luxurious mansion located in Dongjiaomin Lane in a car.

He Daqing cautiously entered the kitchen, where he saw mountains of ingredients, ranging from sea grouper to mountain lobster. He dared not look too closely, keeping his head down, and began to process the ingredients according to the steward's instructions.

As evening fell, the banquet began. He Daqing served the meticulously prepared dishes one by one. He only dared to glance at the dining room out of the corner of his eye. He saw a middle-aged man in the uniform of a Japanese army major sitting at the head of the table, his eyes sinister—this was the "distinguished guest." And Director Zhang was sitting beside him like a lapdog, constantly urging him to drink.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the private room gradually became more lively. The Japanese and puppet government officials were all flushed with alcohol, and their voices grew louder.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to serve the soup, He Daqing lingered at the door for a moment. He forced himself to calm down, pricked up his ears, and tried to catch the fragments of conversation mixed in with the clinking of wine glasses.

One drunken official complained, "Major, you have no idea how unsafe the supply lines in the south are. Those damned guerrillas are like flies, impossible to guard against!"

The Japanese major snorted and said in broken Chinese, "A bunch of field rats, they're no match for us. But... the shortage of supplies is a problem. Especially fuel, which has been going down very fast lately."

Director Zhang immediately replied obsequiously, "Don't worry, we are doing our best to raise funds! We guarantee it won't delay the Imperial Army's important affairs!"

"Hmph, I hope so." The major took a big gulp of sake, seemingly a little irritated. "Especially that batch of special ore that's supposed to be shipped from Tianjin Port at the end of the month... it absolutely cannot have any more problems. That's something the higher-ups specifically requested."

Special minerals... Tianjin Port... End of month...

These keywords were like nails, firmly driven into He Daqing's mind. He dared not listen any longer, and carrying the tray, he practically fled back to the kitchen. His back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

The banquet lasted until late at night. When it ended, Director Zhang was probably in a good mood and rewarded He Daqing with an extra twenty silver dollars.

Back in Rongxian Hutong, He Daqing's legs were still weak. He pushed open the courtyard gate and saw He Yuzhu sitting quietly by the stone table, waiting for him as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Under the moonlight, the child's figure appeared exceptionally thin, yet it resembled a mountain.

He Daqing took a deep breath, walked over, and said in a hoarse voice, "Zhu Zi, I...I heard you."

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