Siheyuan: Reborn Silly Pillar, Taking Control of the Entire Courtyard

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, the more I say, the more mistakes I make!

The original owner was a typical alleyway dweller, tough as nails.

But he was timid and honest, otherwise how could he have been so easily fooled by the people in the courtyard and earned the nickname "Silly Pillar"?

What you just said was indeed a bit too mature for your age.

He quickly composed himself, his face instantly transforming into a fawning,憨笑 (a simple, honest smile). He snuggled into He Chen's arms and said in a spoiled tone, "Hehe, Mother, wasn't I amazing? Even Doctor Lin praised me!"

"Amazing, amazing!"

He Chenshi gently stroked his wet little head with affection, her eyes full of love.

"My Zhu'er has grown up, he's a real man now, and he can support his mother."

She couldn't help but think a lot about her son's sudden cleverness and understanding.

But no matter how I thought about it, I couldn't imagine something as bizarre as "reincarnation."

I just feel that today's life-or-death event has completely awakened the child, making him grow up overnight.

With a new pillar of support in the family, she felt much more at ease, even though she was still a teenager.

She glanced again at He Yushui, who was still crying loudly in her swaddling clothes, and secretly made up her mind.

From now on, this girl must listen to her brother; he's the one who saved her life!

He Daqing prepared the rice porridge and carefully fed his daughter a few mouthfuls.

Seeing that she had stopped crying, he remembered the important matter and turned to ask He Yuzhu, "Zhuzi, how much did you pay Dr. Lin for the consultation? Was it enough? If not, Dad will make up the difference."

He Yuzhu and He Chenshi exchanged a glance, the mother and son understanding each other without saying a word.

"Yes, yes, I gave it to you."

He Chenshi spoke first.

"He gave me two silver dollars. Dr. Lin said that Zhu Zi was filial, so he even accepted less."

"Two pieces..."

He Daqing nodded, agreeing that it was about right.

"Okay, I'll go there in a couple of days and bring some of Fengzeyuan's signature dishes to thank them properly."

Having fooled He Daqing, they hastily ate lunch.

Because of the physical exertion during childbirth, He Chenshi felt sleepy as soon as she relaxed.

He Daqing left home under her repeated instructions—she had to bring back some nourishing food, otherwise the mother wouldn't have enough breast milk and the child would go hungry, which would be a matter of life and death.

After He Chenshi fell into a deep sleep, He Yuzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief, leaned against the headboard, closed his eyes, and let his consciousness sink into his mind.

The semi-transparent system panel slowly unfolded before my eyes, emitting a faint blue light.

[Host: He Yuzhu]

Age: 10

[Physical Fitness: 10 (Enhancement potion in effect, equivalent to a healthy adult male. Maximum value: 30)]

[Skills: Bajiquan (Max Level), Liuhe Spear (Max Level), Cooking (Beginner)]

System space: 1000 cubic meters (constant)

[Items: 9 steamed buns, some miscellaneous items]

[Check-in progress: Checked in once, next check-in time: tomorrow at midnight]

[Mission: Save Mother! — Status: Completed]

【任务奖励：玻璃奶瓶x5、进口奶粉x5罐、土鸡蛋10斤、红糖1斤、技能点x1（已自动分配至厨艺，当前等级：中级）】

He Yuzhu looked at the panel, somewhat bewildered.

This reward...

It looks more like a "gift package" prepared for the little baby in the bed.

Baby bottles, formula, eggs, brown sugar...

It's all baby and maternity products.

He glanced resentfully at He Yushui, who was sleeping soundly in her swaddling clothes, and muttered to himself.

Little brat, you're really lucky, having imported formula to drink right after you were born.

If you ever dare to be distant from me or side with outsiders, see how I deal with you!

However, these things cannot be taken out now.

Glass baby bottles and imported milk powder were extremely rare items in Beiping in 1945. They could only be found in a very small number of foreign firms or Japanese businesses, and the prices were outrageously high.

Even though He Daqing is a master chef, he might not be able to get his hands on it easily, let alone a teenager like him.

Taking it out will only cause unnecessary trouble.

The only thing that was useful to him was the "Cooking Skills (Intermediate)".

What level of cooking skills is intermediate?

How does he compare to his father, He Daqing?

He was very curious and silently thought to himself, "Claim the reward."

Instantly, a massive flow of information, like a flood bursting its banks, surged into my mind.

"Buzz—"

My head felt like it had been hit hard with a sledgehammer, or like it was filled with lead.

Suddenly everything went black, his body slumped, and he fell beside He Chenshi, instantly losing consciousness and falling into a deep sleep.

In my dream.

He felt as if he were in a giant kitchen.

He Daqing, dressed in a pristine white chef's uniform, stood in front of the stove, holding a spatula, pointing his finger at him and cursing loudly.

"Slice it! I told you to slice it into strips! Look at what you've cut! Is this supposed to be strips? This is a stick as thick as a finger! Are you trying to choke your customers?"

"Flip the wok! Use your wrist strength! Coordinate your waist and stance! Are your arms just for show? They're like clubs!"

"And the plating! I asked you to arrange it like a 'peacock spreading its tail,' and you turned it into a 'mass grave'? Go away, take this dish out and feed it to the dogs!"

If you make even the slightest mistake, you'll get a kick in the butt.

"Ouch!"

He Yuzhu grimaced in pain.

"He Daqing! What are you doing!"

He Chenshi's voice came from the kitchen doorway, filled with anger.

"You can say whatever you want, but you're not allowed to lay a hand on me! If you hurt my son, you can forget about ever sleeping in my bed again!"

"Hehe, wife, you don't know, this kid is so stupid!" He Daqing said, feigning weakness but with a smug smile on his face. "If I don't hit him, he won't learn his lesson! This is what they call 'spare the rod and spoil the child, strict teachers produce outstanding students'!"

"That won't do either!" Madam He Chen insisted.

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to my wife, I won't do it." He Daqing turned her head, her expression instantly changing as she glared at He Yuzhu. "What are you standing there for! The braised pork in the pot is going to burn! Flip it over quickly!"

Dreams are both long and short.

Knife skills, cooking time, seasoning, plating...

Countless images, sensations, and tips flooded my mind like a tidal wave.

It was as if he had honed his culinary skills for decades, and every movement, from chopping vegetables to cooking, had become incredibly proficient, forming muscle memory.

When he woke up again, it was already dark.

A dim kerosene lamp was lit in the room, its light flickering.

"Zhu'er, are you awake?"

He Chenshi's voice rang in my ears, tinged with concern.

"You must be exhausted from lunchtime, right? You slept really soundly that night. Are you hungry?"

He Yuzhu rubbed his sleepy eyes, feeling dizzy and disoriented—in fact, he hadn't slept well at all, and had been dreaming the whole time, which was more tiring than working.

"Mother, what time is it?"

"It's almost five o'clock, the steel rolling mill should be closing soon."

"Hasn't Dad come back yet?"

"No, I don't know where they went. They said they went to get some tonics, but it's been almost half a day."

He Chenshi was somewhat worried.

Just then, He Daqing's loud voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Wife! I'm back! Look what good things I brought!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door was pushed open with a creak.

A gust of biting cold wind rushed in instantly, and everyone in the room shivered.

"He Daqing!"

He Chenshi couldn't help but shout.

"Close the door right now! My daughter's freezing! Wait till I can get out of bed, I'll teach you a lesson!"

"Wow—wow—"

He Yushui seemed to understand and burst into tears in response.

"Hey! Hey! My little darling, don't cry, don't cry!"

He Daqing quickly turned around and closed the door, while coaxing the child and placing a bulging sack on the octagonal table as if presenting a treasure.

"Look, look, what delicious treats Dad brought you!"

As he spoke, he began to take things out.

Two plump old hens were still flapping their wings.

A small bag of snow-white flour.

A small bag of golden millet.

There's also brown sugar and eggs.

Finally, they pulled out a piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat!

In this era of scarcity, this is practically a luxury package!

Chen Lanxiang looked at the things on the table, but her brows furrowed.

"Da Qing, where did you get all this stuff? There's so much of it, you didn't...you stole it from Fengzeyuan, did you? That won't do, we can't do such a despicable thing, what if we lose our jobs?"

"Oh dear, what are you thinking!"

He Daqing grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth.

"I couldn't buy it outside, so I went back to Fengzeyuan and spent ages arguing with the manager, even promising to cook him a few dishes, before he finally sold it to me at the internal price. Otherwise, I would have come back much earlier."

"That's good."

Chen Lanxiang finally breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on her face.

"I'll stew an old hen for you tonight, make millet porridge for my daughter, and stir-fry some meat for Zhuzi to nourish him."

He Daqing turned to look at He Yuzhu.

"Zhu Zi! Go boil some water!"

"All you do is boss my son around!"

Chen Lanxiang glared at him.

"Didn't you know he just saved our lives today? What if he's exhausted?"

"It's alright, Mother."

He Yuzhu quickly climbed off the kang (a heated brick bed) and put on his shoes.

"Dad, hurry up and kill the chicken, I'll go boil some water."

He ran into the kitchen and quickly started a fire to boil water.

He Daqing chuckled, went into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and went out with the chicken.

This time he didn't dare to open the door wide, but only closed it a crack, squeezed out to the side, and closed the door behind him, afraid that the smell of blood would attract the "greedy cats" in the yard.

Sure enough, Jia Zhangshi's shrill voice soon came from outside the door.

"Hey, Qing Dynasty, killing a chicken?"

Jia Zhangshi's voice had a sour tone.

"This chicken is so plump, it looks so juicy."

"If you want to eat it, have your husband buy it."

He Daqing's voice was cold; he didn't want to waste words with her.

"This is for Zhu Zi's mother to help her breastfeed; I don't have time to entertain you."

"The way you're talking makes it sound like anyone can't afford it!" Madam Jia Zhang said, displeased.

"I was just asking, is it really necessary to be so petty?"

"Then go ahead and buy it. Why are you trying to get involved with me?" He Daqing said impatiently.

"Pooh!"

Jia Zhangshi muttered a curse under her breath.

"He's just a cook, isn't he? Eating so well, isn't he afraid of overeating?"

She carried the vegetable washing basin, swaying her hips as she returned to the house, inwardly cursing the He family to the core.

He Daqing carried in the slaughtered chicken, and Chen Lanxiang asked, "Is that old woman from the Jia family gossiping again?"

"fine."

He Daqing waved his hand dismissively.

"That's just how she is, she can't stand seeing others do well. Ignore her, let her be envious."

"Just keep it in mind."

"Zhu Zi, is the water boiling yet?"

"Dad, it's almost open!"

"Bring out a big basin; we're going to pluck the chicken feathers later!"

"Okay!"

About ten minutes later, the father and son squatted on the kitchen floor, having plucked most of the chicken feathers.

He Daqing carried a basin out to empty the dirty water, and He Yuzhu followed with a basin, taking the opportunity to enter the cellar.

When I came out, I had a large cabbage and a few potatoes in my hands.

He squatted down under the tap in the yard to wash vegetables.

When He Daqing returned, he was stunned to see his son's skillful and efficient movements.

She then laughed and scolded, "Kid, why are you so quick to understand today? You're actually offering to do chores now? Are you afraid your mother won't love you anymore after your little sister arrives, so you want to show off?"

Without looking up, He Yuzhu casually said while rubbing the potato skins, "Dad, I'm hungry."

This answer startled He Daqing, who then burst into laughter: "Good lad! You've got guts! You know how to eat! Alright, your old man will show you and your family what he can cook!"

He took the basin of vegetables and said, "Hurry up and come inside after you're done washing. It's cold outside, don't catch a cold."

"Why."

He Yuzhu's hands moved even faster—the water was so cold, it was bone-chilling.

When He Yuzhu entered the house, He Daqing had already chopped the chicken into pieces and was preparing to blanch it in boiling water.

Seeing him come in, He Daqing casually instructed, "Zhuzi, shred those potatoes and slice the cabbage. Hurry up, the chicken stew will be ready soon, and we'll need to stir-fry some shredded potatoes."

"Okay."

He Yuzhu responded, walked to the cutting board, and picked up a kitchen knife.

With a slight dip of his wrist, the knife nimbly spun half a circle in his palm before coming to a steady stop.

The feel of it...

It felt so familiar, as if I had practiced it a thousand times in my dreams.

He held the potato down with his left hand and chopped it with his right.

"Knock knock knock knock..."

The knife fell like rain, the fine, rapid chopping sounds echoing in the kitchen.

The potato shreds were evenly distributed from under the knife, as thin as hair, as neat as white lines, and of uniform length, almost as if they were cut by a machine.

He Daqing was pouring oil into the pan when he heard the familiar sound of chopping vegetables and felt something was wrong—the sound was too fast and too frequent.

He couldn't help but look back.

Upon seeing this, He Daqing's eyes widened instantly, and he almost dropped the oil can in his hand.

"When...when did you learn this skill?"

He pointed at the shredded potatoes on the cutting board, his face filled with disbelief, "This knife skill... is better than mine!"

He Yuzhu kept working with his hands while continuing to feign ignorance, saying, "You'll get the hang of it after seeing how many times you cut it. Practice makes perfect."

He Daqing stared at him for several seconds, shook his head, and laughed, scolding, "You brat, still keeping secrets from your father! Alright, you've got potential! With that knife skill, the head chef position at Fengzeyuan is definitely yours!"

He didn't ask any more questions, turned around and continued working, but he was overjoyed—his son had inherited his mantle!

Chen Lanxiang listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen from the inner room—the sound of chopping meat, stir-frying vegetables, and the occasional conversation between the father and son, all intertwined to form a warm family symphony.

She glanced at her sleeping daughter beside her, and then listened to her son's hearty laughter from the kitchen. A happy and content smile spread across her face.

Life may be tough and tiring, but as long as the family is safe and sound together, there is hope for the future.