Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

People back then valued their craft as if it were their lifeblood.

There's a world of difference between being capable and being incapable.

What's even more commendable is that He Yuzhu is open-minded and willing to teach his skills.

In this way, everyone in the kitchen can be considered his apprentice or grand-apprentice.

On the other hand, Director Zhang, clinging to his old, unyielding rules, had long been exposed.

As soon as Li Huaide left, He Yuzhu turned around and grinned at Director Zhang, his politeness tinged with a hint of sharpness: "Director Zhang, see you later."

Before he finished speaking, he had already started walking towards the kitchen.

Since we've come to the steel rolling mill, let's not play games.

How can you hold your own without showing off your real skills?

"Everyone, what are you planning to eat for lunch today?"

As soon as He Yuzhu stepped into the canteen kitchen, his voice was filled with warmth.

As he asked the question, he glanced at the food and spice jars piled on the counter.

Master Zhang immediately chimed in, "Director, today's meal is the usual three dishes: potatoes, cabbage, and green beans."

"Okay, then give me a bowl of potatoes, I'll show off my skills too."

He Yuzhu grinned, grabbed a bowl of potatoes that the handyman had peeled, slammed it on the cutting board, and went to work with a knife.

Chef Luo was busy mixing the sauce when he caught a glimpse of this scene and couldn't help but say, "Master, the apprentices can do this chopping work. Why do you have to do it yourself?"

There were quite a few people in the kitchen at this time—two full-time cooks, Chef Zhang at level nine and Chef Luo at level ten; plus four general laborers and four apprentices.

But those apprentices have been here for two years and they're still just hanging around the sink, not even knowing how to use a knife properly, and haven't picked up any skills at all.

If it were He Yuzhu in his previous life, he would also agree with this rule: three years as an apprentice, three years as a helper, and then three more years of enduring the master's displeasure before daring to say that he can cook.

But now? Ha.

He knew perfectly well that with the system at his disposal, who could train faster than him? The basics of cooking in a large pot and knife skills were already muscle memory for him.

As long as they are of good character, I'll teach them. When I open my own restaurant in the future, I can recruit all of them as key personnel.

"I'll do it, quick."

With a flick of his wrist, a flash of light appeared from the blade.

Swish!Swish!Swish!

The potatoes on the cutting board seemed to be frozen in his hands, instantly transforming into thin, even slices that fell neatly into the bowl.

The next second, he grabbed another one, maintaining his rhythm and increasing his speed.

One of the apprentices was so engrossed in watching that he couldn't resist picking a few leaves out of the basin and examining them against the light. His eyes widened in disbelief: "Holy crap... they're all exactly the same thickness! Not even a hair's breadth apart!"

He Yuzhu didn't even look up: "If you start chopping on a cutting board when you're a teenager, you can't develop knife skills without practicing thousands of times."

These are the basics; the way you hold the knife and how you generate force are important. You need to watch and practice a lot.

Before we knew it, the entire bowl of potatoes had been chopped up.

Normally, it would take two handymen half an hour to finish this amount.

He Yuzhu finished in less than ten minutes, each piece measured as if by a ruler, so neat it could be used as a template.

Next, heat the oil in a wok.

With a sizzle, white smoke billowed from the scalding hot wok. He poured the potatoes in, flicked his wrist, and the spatula flew through the air with clean, efficient movements.

Adding ingredients, seasoning, and controlling the heat—every step is executed precisely at the most crucial moment, without any hesitation or delay.

The aroma exploded almost instantly—a caramelized fragrance mixed with the unique sweetness of potatoes, filling the entire kitchen and wafting straight into people's noses.

The apprentices and laborers, who had been eating cornbread for several mornings, were now staring at the smell of it, their stomachs rumbling and their eyes widening.

"Come and have a taste, don't be shy, and let me know if you think anything is wrong." He Yuzhu lifted the pot lid, and steam rushed out.

Chef Zhang smiled and picked up his chopsticks: "You're too modest. With that knife skill and the aroma, everyone in our factory is in for a treat at lunchtime."

Pick up a slice and put it in your mouth. The moment you bite down, a crisp sound explodes in your mouth—slightly charred on the outside, tender on the inside, with a perfect balance of saltiness and a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste!

His eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately reached out with his chopsticks again.

Before he could even finish swallowing his second bite, he had already picked up his third bite, nodding as he ate, his face showing an expression as if he had discovered a new continent.

"Master Zhang, tell me, how does it taste?" someone asked with a smile.

Chef Zhang reluctantly put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "To be honest, even if ten of me put together, I couldn't cook this level of quality."

This meal was worth it!

Chef Zhang was completely impressed by Chef Zhang's ability to bring out the meticulousness of cooking in a small kitchen, with perfect control over the heat and seasoning.

He originally thought He Yuzhu could only cook some delicate dishes, but he didn't expect that she could still dominate the whole room with her big ladle.

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "Stop flattering me, let's all improve together."

Anyone who wants to learn a skill can come and chat with me anytime.

As your rank increases, your compensation will naturally rise as well.

He paused for a moment, then rolled up his sleeves: "Don't just stand there, get to work! Don't delay the employees' meals."

"Let's have a short meeting this afternoon; I have something to announce."

Before he finished speaking, he went up to the stove himself.

One person can manage four pots and switch between them without any hindrance.

He uses every single seasoning perfectly; his control over the heat is instinctive—when it's time for a high-heat stir-fry, the flames soar; when it's time for a low-heat simmer, the sauce thickens and becomes as warm as spring.

Even with their combined efforts, Chef Luo and Chef Zhang couldn't keep up with his pace. Watching He Yuzhu's dishes, each one a perfect blend of color, aroma, and flavor, the two exchanged a wry smile.

A true example of dimensional reduction attack.

These aren't colleagues; they're here to redefine industry standards.

At noon, under the blazing sun, workers poured out of the workshop in twos and threes, sleeves rolled up and sweat wiping away, heading straight for the canteen.

As soon as you turn the corner, a rich aroma of food wafts over, making your stomach rumble.

"Hey? Something's not right today, it smells so good!"

"Absolutely! It's ten times better than that bland soup from the other day!"

The queue quickly grew into a long line, with everyone craning their necks to look at the food window, eagerly waiting for a spoonful of hot, hearty food.

The worker, who had just received his lunchbox, couldn't wait to lift the lid, pick up a piece of shiny potato with his chopsticks, and stuff it into his mouth—his eyes widened instantly!

"Holy crap! Who cooked this? It's so delicious with rice! The flavor... it smells like meat! Did you secretly stew some pork belly?"

"That's amazing! I'll make another one later and take it home for my wife to try. She'll be overjoyed."

"I'm going too! My kid loves potatoes the most, I'll let him have a treat today."

Everyone ate with grease on their lips and their faces flushed, as if the fatigue from a morning's work had been soothed away by this one bite of food.

But some people were unlucky and ended up in the line with Chef Zhang and Chef Luo. The dish served was the same old taste—bland and tasteless, a completely different world from the shiny and oily dishes served to others.

He took a bite and his brows furrowed; then he looked through other people's lunchboxes and his anger flared up.

"Damn it! We all get the same meal tickets, so why do they get to eat such succulent food while we're left with nothing but boiled water and radishes?"

Even more outrageous, many people finished their meal and immediately went back to get another serving, then put it in their pockets and left.

The pot was emptied faster than turning the pages of a book, and by the time the workers finally arrived, only empty bowls were left clattering.

"No more food?!"

"What's going on? The people in front of us got double portions, but we didn't get a single bite?"

His anger exploded instantly.

A dozen or so people gathered at the entrance of the cafeteria and started shouting, each one louder than the last:

"We demand an explanation today!"

"Either refund your meal tickets, or make up for the missed dishes!"

The commotion grew louder and louder. He Yuzhu, who was tossing a wok in the kitchen, heard the noise outside, frowned, put down his spatula, and went outside.

Someone with sharp eyes quickly ran to inform the factory leaders.

As soon as he came out, he glanced at the crowd, asked a few questions to find out the reason, immediately stood on the steps, and roared with all his might:

"Fellow workers! Listen to me!"

His shout was like a thunderclap, and the entire venue fell silent instantly.

"I'm He Yuzhu, the new deputy director! It's my responsibility that we don't have enough food today, I admit it! But please wait another twenty minutes, everyone. I'll stir-fry three more batches right now, making sure every one of you gets a hot meal!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over those carrying lunchboxes who were about to return the food, his tone sincere:

"I'm sorry, I really can't process the refund today."

But starting tomorrow, I promise—every dish will taste the same! I just ask that you give me three days to streamline the process!

Before he finished speaking, Director Yang and Deputy Director Zhou arrived in a hurry with Li Huaide and the canteen director.

After hearing the report, the group looked at each other and almost burst out laughing—who would have thought that the problem was that it was "too delicious"?

Fortunately, He Yuzhu stabilized the situation, and the leaders then stated, "We'll postpone the start of work by half an hour today, so everyone can eat in peace!"

He Yuzhu turned around and rushed back to the kitchen, leading his helpers to wash, chop, prepare, and stir-fry like a whirlwind.

The stove roared to life, the iron wok spun, and he was running three stoves simultaneously, the aroma of fried scallions and garlic so strong it made the roof shake.

Twenty minutes later, three large buckets of steaming hot, bubbling braised pork with potatoes were carried out, their aroma filling the entire factory area like an explosion.

As soon as the dishes were served, He Yuzhu stood at the door and called out, "Please let the brothers who haven't eaten yet get their food first! Those who have already eaten can come later!"

Factory Director Yang and Deputy Factory Director Zhou also personally went down to maintain order, and after several rounds of persuasion, the line was finally straightened up again.

Those who had eaten their fill gradually dispersed, and finally everyone who remained had some, and smiles returned to their faces.

Once everything had calmed down, He Yuzhu wiped his sweat, walked to the leader's desk, and bowed apologetically:

"Leaders, I'm so sorry that such a big commotion occurred on the first day. It was due to my lack of consideration and caused delays in production."

Li Huaide waved his hand, shaking his head with a smile: "You didn't cause any trouble, you did a great service! We just tasted the food—it's authentic! Even better than my wife's cooking!"

Deputy Factory Director Zhou picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and nodded repeatedly: "The problem is that a good thing has turned into a bad thing."

If it tastes this good every day, all the workers will take it home, and the warehouse won't be able to handle it.

Factory Director Yang also said in a deep voice: "We need to set a rule and post a notice tomorrow: each person is limited to one copy, and special circumstances must be reported in advance."

We can't let the skilled workers take the blame, nor can we let the logistics collapse.

Li Huaide patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder with a smile: "Your skills are both a blessing and a curse."

From now on, don't mistreat the spatula, and don't overwork yourself.