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

Chapter 38 Military Control Commission Banquet

Chen Xiangqian's house is in Dongsi. It has four single-story rooms and a small yard with a jujube tree planted in the corner.

He Yuzhu had prepared the ingredients the day before: pork belly, carp, pork foreleg, chicken, crab, and several kinds of seasonal vegetables.

Aunt Chen stood at the kitchen doorway, rubbing her hands together. "Zhu Zi, what can I do?"

He Yuzhu tied on an apron. "Aunt Chen, you can just watch the fire for me."

The kitchen wasn't big, and the stove took up a considerable amount of space. He Yuzhu cut the pork belly into cubes, put them in a pot of cold water, skimmed off the foam after the water boiled, and then drained them.

To caramelize the sugar, add rock sugar to hot oil and stir constantly with a spatula until the sugar turns a deep reddish-brown and small bubbles appear. Add the pork belly; with a sizzling sound, the pieces of meat roll in the caramelized sugar, coating them with a glossy red. Add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and boiling water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the meat simmer gently, the aroma wafting out from under the lid.

Aunt Chen sniffed. "Zhu Zi, my husband has been talking about your cooking skills for ages."

He Yuzhu smiled and continued working. The carp was gutted, scored on both sides, and then salted. The pork foreleg meat was minced into a paste, with three parts fat and seven parts lean, and mixed with minced ginger, minced scallions, and egg white. It was stirred in one direction until a chopstick inserted into the meat stood upright. Six large meatballs were formed and deep-fried in oil until golden brown and sizzling.

In a separate pot, add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar, and boiling water. Add the lion's head meatballs and simmer over low heat. Blanch the whole chicken, add ginger slices, scallion segments, and Shaoxing wine, and steam it in a steamer on a coal stove. Cut the crab into pieces and add them to the steamer as well.

There's another piece of pork belly. Slice it thinly, add rice flour, five-spice powder, and soy sauce, mix well, arrange it in a bowl, and steam it.

Five of Chen Xiangqian's comrades-in-arms arrived, all in their early forties and wearing military uniforms. As soon as they entered, they called out "Old Chen," and Chen Xiangqian went out to greet them, patting them on the shoulder and offering them cigarettes.

Some carried wine, others brought canned goods. A table was set up under the jujube tree, with stools arranged in a circle. Aunt Chen served peanuts and smashed cucumbers, and several old comrades sat down, their teacups clinking together.

The braised pork belly was served, glistening and trembling with oil, a deep reddish-brown color. Each person received a lion's head meatball, each the size of a fist.

The steamed chicken was torn apart and plated; the skin was golden and shiny, and the meat was snow-white.

Crab with scallion oil, with its red and green colors, and the aroma of scallions mixed with the flavor of seafood, is both visually appealing and tempting.

The whole sweet and sour carp is served, with cuts made on its body to reveal the flesh, which is then covered with a bright red sweet and sour sauce. As soon as you pick one up with your chopsticks, the sweet and sour aroma fills your nose.

Comrade Zhang picked up a piece of braised pork and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it a couple of times before his eyes widened. "Old Chen! Where did you find this cook?"

Chen Xiangqian chuckled and gestured towards He Yuzhu. Several comrades turned around and saw a young man standing at the kitchen door, still wearing his apron and holding a plate of vegetarian dishes.

"he?"

Chen Xiangqian pulled He Yuzhu over and put his hand on his shoulder. "Zhuzi, you've graduated from Fengzeyuan and know many different cuisines. I know at least five or six. You're only 17 years old this year, you're sure to become a master chef."

Old Zhang gave a thumbs up. "Young man, you're amazing!"

He Yuzhu raised his wine glass to toast everyone, then went back to the kitchen; the steamed pork with rice flour hadn't been served yet.

Old Zhang, his face flushed from drinking, slammed his hand on the table as he recounted the Korean War. His right hand rested on the table; half his palm was missing, the scar a purplish-red, wrinkled mess. He had been seriously wounded and sent back to China last year, and hadn't fully recovered.

"Changjin Lake. It was minus thirty degrees Celsius. We were lying in the snow wearing only thin clothes. When the bugle sounded, the soldiers jumped up from the snow and rushed forward, many of them frozen there..." Old Zhang couldn't continue, covering his face with his left hand, his shoulders shaking.

Old Li chimed in, his left sleeve empty, rolled up and secured with a safety pin. "The American planes are like flies, a dark mass. We try to shoot them with machine guns, but it's not very effective. We can only charge forward with the bombs on our backs." Old Li picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp, his empty sleeve swaying slightly.

Some people slammed their fists on the table and cursed the Americans, while others held their wine glasses for a long time without moving them.

Chen Xiangqian stood up and raised his glass. "Come, a toast to those who didn't come back."

Everyone stood up, and their glasses clinked together. Old Zhang held his glass in his left hand, his severed hand hovering in mid-air, wine spilling from the rim and dripping onto the table.

The military control commission held its wedding banquet in the large canteen in the backyard. The groom was a young soldier from the military control commission, in his early twenties, surnamed Liu, with a dark complexion and a bright white smile. The bride was from a rural area in Changping, with a sweet smile and her braids tied with red ribbons.

Six tables, cold dishes, hot dishes, and soup—He Yuzhu ordered them all by himself. Several kitchen helpers assisted him, washing, chopping, and serving the dishes.

Cold dishes were served first: crispy ribbonfish, garlic-flavored pork belly, sweet and sour radish shreds, and peanuts. Hot dishes followed one by one. Braised pork hock, the whole hock stewed until tender, the meat falling off the bone with a touch of chopsticks. Four-happiness meatballs, steamed yellow croaker, stir-fried mutton with scallions, Kung Pao chicken, and stir-fried snails with chives.

The soup is hot and sour, with egg drop, wood ear fungus, and shredded tofu. The peppery aroma is strong, and you break out in a sweat after taking a sip.

The bride and groom went from table to table toasting. The bride blushed and took a small sip from her glass. The groom tilted his head back and downed his drink, and his comrades cheered, "One more! One more!"

After finishing his work, He Yuzhu sat on the steps at the entrance of the canteen, took off his apron and draped it over his knees, and lit a cigarette.

The sounds of drinking games could be heard coming from inside. Chen Xiangqian came out of the cafeteria, carrying a bottle of Beibingyang soda, and handed it to him.

He Yuzhu took it; the bottle cap was already open, and the soda was bubbling. He tilted his head back and took a gulp, the cool air rushing down his throat.

Chen Xiangqian sat down next to him and lit a cigarette. "Zhu Zi, what are your plans for the future?"

He Yuzhu placed the soda bottle on his lap. "I'll be joining the company next year."

"Have you found a place you like?"

"I've decided to keep it a secret for now; you'll find out later."

Chen Xiangqian took a drag of his cigarette, chuckled, and patted him on the shoulder. "You little rascal, still keeping it a secret. As long as you have a plan, that's enough. With skills like yours, you'll be in high demand anywhere."

He Yuzhu chuckled but didn't reply. Water droplets condensed on the Arctic Ocean bottle; he wiped them away with his thumb.

Chen Xiangqian stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "Let me know when you've made a decision."

He Yuzhu nodded in agreement. Chen Xiangqian turned and went into the cafeteria. Inside, the sounds of finger-guessing games rang out again: "Five is the best, six is ​​six."

At night, He Yuzhu pushed open the main gate of the outer courtyard. The outer courtyard was dark. He walked through the outer courtyard and pushed open the gate in the wall to enter the inner courtyard. The lights in the main room were on, and the yellow light shone through the glass windows, illuminating the pomegranate tree.

He pushed open the door and went in. Yu Shui was hunched over the octagonal table doing her summer homework, her head almost buried in the notebook. One of her two braids had come undone, and stray hairs were plastered to her face. A row of new words was crookedly written on the notebook, with dark eraser marks all over it.

He Yuzhu walked over, a bottle of Arctic Ocean soda appearing in his hand. He placed it beside her, water droplets still clinging to the bottle.

Rain looked up, saw the soda, and smiled. Its front teeth had all grown in, clean and white.

"Brother, this is delicious."

He Yuzhu sat down opposite her. "Go to sleep early, you can do your summer homework slowly."

Rainwater lowered his head and continued writing, saying, "I need to finish quickly, Sister Xiao'e is waiting for me to go play with her."

He Yuzhu stood up and walked to the window. The pomegranate tree's shadow swayed in the moonlight. Next year, when he joins the company, Yushui will be in third grade.

He remembered the day Yu Shui got married in his past life; he stood at the gate of the courtyard watching her get on her bicycle. She glanced back at him and then left.

"Brother, I've finished writing today. If I write for another three days, can you send me to Sister Xiao'e's house to stay for a few days?"

The rain closed the notebook, and she put the pencil back in the tin box. She picked up the Arctic Ocean soda bottle, which was still half full, tilted her head back, drank it all, and let out a burp. She chuckled to herself.

"Alright, alright, now that you have Sister Xiao'e, you don't need your brother anymore. Go to sleep."

The rainwater rushed back to the west wing, the door closed, and the light went out.

He Yuzhu sat down in the armchair and lit a cigarette. The smoke slowly dissipated in the lamplight.