Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 113 MCA at Work

In early November, almost a month after the black market crackdown, trucks entering and leaving Beijing were being checked even more strictly than before. Vehicle tarpaulins were lifted, registration forms were checked item by item, and goods were impounded on the spot if the paperwork was incomplete.

The steel mill's truck fleet has made several trips but failed to bring the meat back on time, and the suburban transfer point has also been targeted.

Li Huaide, carrying his briefcase, entered the courtyard. He Yuzhu was sitting in the main room drinking tea. He Xiao was lying on his lap, waving a wooden spoon in her hand, happily playing around. Xiao'e came out from the inner room and took He Xiao away.

He Yuzhu stood up. "Brother Li, what brings you here today?"

"Brother He, don't mention it." Li Huaide put his briefcase aside, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a couple of sips. "The convoy got stuck. Trucks entering and leaving Beijing are being checked strictly; if the registration forms don't match, the goods are impounded on the spot. My transfer point in the suburbs is also being watched. I asked my father-in-law to use his connections, but I'm afraid he'll take some of the supplies."

He put his teacup on the table. "Brother, do you have any ideas about the transportation route?"

"Brother Li, there's nothing I can do about this. There are only a few roads in and out of the capital, but—" He Yuzhu lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and exhaled a puff of smoke, "I can't help you with the transportation routes, but I can spare some supplies. I still have some grain on hand, and quite a bit of seafood in stock. There aren't many chefs who can cook seafood these days, so it just so happens that Ma Hua can cook seafood."

"You kid, no need to call on me." Li Huaide put down his teacup. "As long as there are supplies, that's fine. I haven't forgotten about the MCA matter."

He Yuzhu called out to the kitchen, "Ma Hua, come out for a moment."

Ma Hua poked his head out of the kitchen, still holding a cleaver, his apron smeared with scallions. He put the cleaver back on the cutting board, wiped his hands with his apron, walked into the main room, respectfully greeted "Master," and bowed to Li Huaide: "Director Li."

Li Huaide looked Ma Hua up and down. The young man had grown taller, his shoulders were broader, and he had many scars on the back of his hands from being burned in a hot oil pan. He stood there with his back ramrod straight.

Li Huaide asked him, "What kinds of dishes do you make with seafood?"

"I can cook abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, shrimp, crab, shellfish, and even seafood. I can steam, braise, sweet and sour, or pan-fry. I also know how to make Cantonese roast meats; my master taught me all of that."

Li Huaide turned and glanced at He Yuzhu: "Your apprentice has quite the nerve."

He Yuzhu flicked his cigarette ash: "Brother Li, Ma Hua has put in a lot of effort when it comes to seafood. He's quite proficient with the common kinds, and he can even cook the high-end kinds independently. I've even started teaching him Tan family cuisine. You can get some dried seafood and let Ma Hua give it a try."

Li Huaide picked up his teacup and took a sip. "Good! Sixteen years old, from Sichuan, Shandong, and Guangdong cuisines, and he even knows Tan family cuisine." He looked up at He Yuzhu. "About that batch of supplies—"

"I'll give you a batch of grain and seafood before the end of the month, at the transfer price," He Yuzhu added. "And before the New Year, prepare a batch of special-supply tobacco and alcohol for me."

"No problem!" Li Huaide slammed his hand on the table, then turned to look at Ma Hua. "Little Ma, your master has been praising you to the skies. You'd better work hard after you get to the factory. Start as a regular employee, and after a few months become a full-time foreman. Leave the age change to me."

He stood up and patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder. "Brother, I always manage to solve problems when I come to you. When will the supply controls be eased?"

"It should be around the end of December. The higher-ups need to ensure supplies for the holidays at the end of the year, so they'll loosen the checkpoints. Find a different transfer point in the suburbs, don't use the old one anymore." He Yuzhu stubbed out his cigarette.

Li Huaide, carrying his briefcase, walked to the door, then turned back to Ma Hua and said, "Xiao Ma, report to the factory tomorrow." Ma Hua bowed and said, "Thank you, Director Li." Li Huaide waved his hand, turned around, and left the courtyard.

He Yuzhu closed the courtyard gate and returned to the main room. Ma Hua could no longer suppress the smile on his face: "Master, I have a job and can earn money now. I will definitely take good care of you."

"Silly boy, take care of your parents first. Your master doesn't need you to be filial. Report for duty tomorrow. Practice your knife skills and refine your cooking techniques for seafood. Don't embarrass me when you get to the factory."

Ma Hua nodded vigorously, then turned and went back to the kitchen, afraid that tears would displease his master. The sound of the cleaver clattering echoed, the rhythm more forceful than usual.

Early the next morning, Ma Hua changed into the new Zhongshan suit given to him by his teacher's wife, walked out of the main gate of the courtyard, and strode towards the steel rolling mill. After reporting for duty, receiving his work clothes, and identifying his work station, Old Sun, the canteen manager, led him around and pointed to two small stoves, saying, "These are yours. From now on, the dishes served to guests will come from here."

MCA tied on an apron, picked up a spatula and weighed it in her hand; this was her future job.

A few days later, everyone in the compound knew that Ma Hua had started working.

The first to know was Liu Haizhong. He overheard people in the workshop saying that a new cook named Ma Hua had joined the canteen and was proficient in Sichuan, Shandong, and Cantonese cuisines.

Liu Haizhong wrote this to his wife when he got home from get off work. Wang Caifeng was chopping vegetables at the stove. "Ma Hua isn't that old, is she? She's already working in a factory? A permanent employee?"

Liu Haizhong wrote in his notebook, "A permanent employee. I heard it was arranged personally by Deputy Factory Director Li."

Wang Caifeng scooped the chopped vegetables into the bowl and shook her head: "The He family's apprentices are all eating government-subsidized grain."

The next day, Yang Ruihua was washing clothes by the sink when she heard Wang Caifeng say, and she stopped washing her clothes with the washing mallet: "How old is Ma Hua? Only sixteen or seventeen, and he's already a full-time employee?"

"They have the skills," Wang Caifeng replied.

Yang Ruihua lowered her head and rubbed her clothes, remaining silent.

Madam Jia peeked out from the west wing, holding half a steamed bun in her hand: "Ma Hua? He Yuzhu's apprentice? He got into the factory before he was an adult? This backdoor is too obvious." Qin Huairu sat on the threshold, holding Xiao Dang, and gently patted the child's back.

Madam Jia pursed her lips, then changed the subject: "But being a cook is nothing special. After Huai Ru gives birth, she'll go to the workshop, where she'll be a fitter. Fitting is the real skill. When Bang Geng grows up, he'll also be a fitter, taking over his parents' job."

Banggeng was squatting on the doorstep, munching on a cornbread bun. He looked up and shouted, "Yes! I want to be a level eight worker!" Qin Huairu lowered her head, looked at Xiaodang in her arms, and said nothing.

In the courtyard, He Yuzhu sat under the pomegranate tree, brewing tea, while Ma Qiang squatted beside him peeling garlic, muttering, "Master, my brother's already in the factory, when will it be my turn?"

He Yuzhu picked up his enamel mug and took a sip: "What's the rush? In 1963, I sent you to the post office to learn Sichuan, Hunan, and Huaiyang cuisine from your Master Luo. You should first master the Fujian and Cantonese dishes you have. If your basic skills aren't solid, you'll only embarrass me if you send them there."

Ma Qiang lowered his head and continued peeling garlic, not daring to utter another sound, but he was secretly overjoyed, knowing that his master hadn't forgotten him.

Ma Hua was cooking in the kitchen; he came straight in after getting off work at the steel rolling mill. Sea cucumbers and abalone were laid out on the stove; he was preparing to cook Tan family cuisine.

He Yuzhu leaned against the kitchen door frame for a while and said, "The sea cucumbers are still a bit undercooked. Soaking them for another two hours will make them more chewy."

Ma Hua nodded and noted it down, without stopping her work.

The bare branches of the pomegranate tree in the yard swayed gently in the wind, and the fire in the stove reflected on the kitchen window, flickering on and off.

He Yuzhu placed the enamel mug on the windowsill, turned around and walked towards the main room, thinking to himself that it was time to go to Qin Family Village.