All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

However, He Yuzhu's feeding for half a month still moved the old man somewhat, but he did not immediately agree to teach He Yuzhu his skills. Instead, he often made things difficult for He Yuzhu, saying things like the food was no good or the wine was fake. He never said anything nice.

He Yuzhu wasn't angry at all. He really wanted to learn skills. He had been criticizing several of Ma Hua's apprentices for years, and they were still apprentices.

He Yuzhu felt that if he didn't learn the old man's craft, it would probably be lost, so it was only right for him to be the grandson!

Chapter 22 No Cooking When I'm Bored

After getting to know the old man, He Yuzhu was no longer as cautious as before, because the old man's mental state was unpredictable and he could not be treated like a normal person.

If you try to please him respectfully, he'll hit you with his shoe. But if you just call him Old Man Su, he'll be as happy as a child.

Old Su was all smiles every day, eating and drinking He Yuzhu's food without a trace of guilt. He ate every meal with great pleasure. Perhaps he really did have some mental issues. When he was in a good mood, he would pick up his chopsticks and start banging on the bowl with great excitement.

However, He Yuzhu saw a touch of carefree spirit in this cheerful old man.

This kind of carefree attitude is extremely precious in this era. Although He Yuzhu is living a pretty good life, he often falls silent because of what he has seen and heard these days.

He Yuzhu was very curious about Old Man Su's background and why he was so good at making vegetarian dishes, but never liked to eat vegetarian food, instead preferring meat and fish.

When asked about these questions, Old Man Su revealed a rare hint of pride and unruliness in his tone. He picked up a piece of fatty intestine that He Yuzhu had specially brought today, smacked his lips, and put it in his mouth with a satisfied smile, replying casually.

"It's better if you don't know my identity, it'll only cause you trouble. As for food, that was a long time ago."

"When I was young, I loved to play and eat. I especially loved to eat strange and unusual things. One year, I got tired of eating delicacies from land and sea. A servant told me that there was a particularly skilled chef in the Jiangnan area. The vegetarian chicken and duck he made were more realistic than those made by monks who often ate vegetarian food. Of course, I was curious!"

He Yuzhu was immediately drawn to the story and sat up straight, ready to listen carefully. From the story, it was clear that the old man was no ordinary person, but judging from his age, that was no ordinary person in the past. He was probably just some old remnant!

"What are you doing? Pour it for me!"

He Yuzhu snapped out of his daze after being yelled at by Old Man Su and quickly poured him a glass of Erguotou!

Old Su took a sip, smacked his lips, and showed a look of lingering relish. His face was flushed, and his full head of white hair made him look even more strange.

"Seeing is believing, so I dressed up specially and went to Jiangnan. I spent a lot of money to have that chef cook me a meal. It was that meal that made me realize that there are always people more skilled than you, and that there are always things beyond your understanding. The look of surprise in your eyes that day was exactly the same as mine before. I was also amazed by that chef's skills!"

"and then?"

He Yuzhu couldn't wait to ask what would happen next. Although he knew that the final result would definitely be that Old Man Su had learned that skill, he was still curious about how he learned it. After all, such a skill was a family secret passed down in the past.

Old Su picked up a large piece of fatty meat, ate it with his mouth full of oil, and then took a sip of wine. The taste was so delicious that he started to act strangely again. He put down his bowl and prepared to start banging it.

Fortunately, after a while, Old Man Su regained his senses. After the initial excitement, he showed a hint of melancholy and his tone softened.

"Everyone in this world has desires. I used to think that I had no pursuits in this life, but I realized today that so-called wealth and glory are nothing but fleeting clouds. The most precious thing in life is the present moment!"

He Yuzhu was speechless at Old Man Su's words. He couldn't reply, so he could only pour Old Man Su another glass of wine.

"Zhu Zi, you must remember this: never do anything that goes against your conscience in this life. Life, after all, is just a cycle..."

He Yuzhu didn't know if the old man was having another mental breakdown or if he was just expressing his feelings. In any case, he didn't have enough life experience to understand, so he could only lower his head and remain silent.

I felt too embarrassed to ask him how the story ended.

After the two became acquainted, He Yuzhu remembered that he had a vacant house. He Yushui had just gotten married, and the vacant house could be used for Old Man Su to live in. He would apply to the neighborhood committee later and wonder if there would be any problems.

However, Old Man Su shook his head and declined the invitation, only letting out a rare sigh.

"Zhu Zi, it's fate that we met. I know what you want, and I'm willing to teach you what I know. I appreciate your kindness, but I'd rather live a carefree life than harm anyone else. Here, take this!"

As he spoke, the old man pulled a tattered book from under a broken rock and tossed it to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu took the book; it looked quite old, but it appeared to be a handwritten copy.

The cover reads, "No need to cook when I'm bored."

This name is interesting. He Yuzhu was stunned when he turned to the first page.

After reading the first page, He Yuzhu turned to the second, and then the third. Gradually, he became completely immersed in the book.

Rather than a book, this is more like a diary, and one told in a casual and humorous way.

He Yuzhu quickly became engrossed in his book. Old Su glanced at him but then ignored him, continuing to drink his wine and eat his meat dishes.

He Yuzhu's expression changed along with the characters' joys and sorrows in the book. Before he knew it, he had been reading all afternoon. Only after finishing the whole book did he let out a long sigh, stand up, and bow deeply to the old man Su who was dozing off!

Old Man Su squinted and waved his hand, clearly shooing people away!

Old Su watched He Yuzhu's retreating figure disappear into the distance, sighed deeply, and looked up at the gray sky, which resembled his somewhat cloudy eyes.

He Yuzhu said goodbye to Old Man Su and started walking back. He rode the borrowed bicycle all the way home. Along the way, he had a sullen face and was lost in thought several times, almost riding into a ditch.

Once in the city, he simply pushed his bicycle back, savoring the vegetarian recipes in the book and lamenting the fate of Old Man Su.

The book I just read, told in the first person, tells the story of a young man of extremely high status who had no goals since childhood and indulged in all kinds of fun and entertainment. However, despite his noble status, he was not loved by his father and could only find solace in play and food.

This book describes his life experiences from his twenties to his forties. He writes down things that interest him, including the amazing vegetarian chef he once met.

He didn't even spend a penny on the vegetarian recipe; the cook gave it to him voluntarily. It turned out that the cook came from a humble background but greatly envied officials. He wanted to use the recipe to exchange for a minor official position.

In the book, he wrote down the secret recipe in detail, even including the proportions of the ingredients. The rest was nothing more than knife skills and more practice.

Besides this secret recipe, the book also contains many special delicacies from various parts of China. He doesn't care much for ordinary food, but he wrote down the recipes for four special dishes.

At the end of the book, he is already forty years old when his family suddenly falls into poverty. He can't even afford a Buddha Jumps Over the Wall meal anymore. While lamenting the impermanence of life, he also marvels at the dramatic nature of his own life. Finally, he ends the book with a desolate ending.

He Yuzhu was also deeply moved by Old Man Su's life experiences. Although the book did not explicitly state his identity, there was a sentence in the book that said he had not seen the person in the Forbidden City for more than ten years, and he recalled the happy times they had together in their childhood...

Unfortunately, no matter how noble one's status was, it is insignificant and trivial compared to the fate of an era and the life of an individual!

Old Su gave this book to He Yuzhu, which clearly meant he had already approved of He Yuzhu's character. He Yuzhu had already accepted this gesture of goodwill.

Although he didn't agree to live in the compound with her, she still had to take care of him. He Yuzhu wasn't like Xu Damao, the kind of person who could be discarded once he had achieved his goal.

But what happened next was far beyond He Yuzhu’s expectations. Faced with the overwhelming tide of the times, an individual’s fate is simply unstoppable!

Chapter 23: Lunar New Year's Eve

The Spring Festival of 66 arrived as scheduled.

He Yushui had just gotten married and no longer lived in this courtyard, but on the 29th of the lunar year, she still brought some New Year's goods to visit He Yuzhu.

Perhaps because the old man gave her a bicycle, He Yushui also brought him some New Year's goods. Afterwards, the two siblings had an early New Year's Eve dinner.

At the dinner table, He Yuzhu asked his brother-in-law about his situation. Upon learning that he was still working as a beat cop, he nodded in satisfaction. In this day and age, it's best to live a simple and honest life.

After He Yushui left, an old man approached He Yuzhu and said that tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so everyone should get together for a New Year's Eve dinner, since He Yuzhu is all alone now anyway.

An elderly man and his family, a deaf old lady, and Qin Huairu's family all got together to make dumplings and have a meal.

Although he felt a little uncomfortable meeting Qin Huairu again, He Yuzhu thought that having a meal together during the New Year shouldn't be a problem, so he generously offered to take care of it himself!

Perhaps it was during this period that He Yuzhu deliberately distanced himself, causing Qin Huairu's family's quality of life to decline so significantly. Qin Huairu also began to reflect on herself, realizing that she had indeed relied too much on He Yuzhu in the past.

However, after reflecting on her actions, Qin Huairu gradually realized that she did need He Yuzhu, and her family did need a long-term meal ticket.

However, He Yuzhu has been nowhere to be seen every day lately, so even if she wanted to rekindle their relationship, she had no chance.

Just then, an old man gave her this opportunity: tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve, and everyone will have a New Year's Eve dinner together, which made her feel a vague sense of anticipation.

But before she could even begin to live up to her expectations, she was disappointed.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, early in the morning, a car parked at the gate of the compound.

Qin Huairu was carrying a washbasin, just about to do the laundry.

Then a young man in a Zhongshan suit entered the courtyard and went straight to He Yuzhu's door.

After knocking on He Yuzhu's door, the two spoke for a while, and He Yuzhu nodded. He went back to his room to put on his clothes, then went to the inner courtyard to talk to an old man for a few words before getting into the car with the young man and leaving.

Qin Huairu watched He Yuzhu walk away quietly, until his figure completely disappeared into the courtyard. She felt a void in her heart, as if this time, there would never be another chance for her and He Yuzhu.

The person who came to see He Yuzhu on New Year's Eve was the secretary of the big shot's house that He Yuzhu had accompanied the factory director to before.

After visiting the factory manager once, He Yuzhu also visited the big boss's house twice, and had a pretty good relationship with the big boss and his wife.

Perhaps influenced by the original novel, He Yuzhu felt quite grateful to this powerful figure. In addition, the powerful figure was very amiable, and the two got along very well, giving off a feeling of friendship despite their age difference.

Recently, He Yuzhu has come into contact with two or three big shots, but those big shots mostly treat him as a chef who can cook dishes. He usually deals with his secretary, and they are just nodding acquaintances!

When He Yuzhu arrived at the big boss's house, the big boss was watering the flowers in the yard. When he saw He Yuzhu, his face immediately lit up with a happy expression.

"Zhu Zi, I've been waiting for you to come! These past few days, when I eat other people's cooking, I always feel like something's missing!"

"Haha, you're too kind, sir. I'll show you my newly learned cooking skills at noon today!"

"Yes, yes, I want to see for myself!"

The tycoon dismissed his secretary. It was still early, so He Yuzhu accompanied him to look at the flowers and chat. The two were completely unpretentious, and the tycoon's way of chatting was quite humorous.

"Zhu Zi, I'm asking you to come over and cook today, it's New Year's Eve. Don't have any objections. I'm mainly craving this food, and also, your factory manager told me that you're still single. So, I'm inviting you over for a reunion dinner during the New Year!"

He Yuzhu was slightly moved when he heard the big shot's words. For someone of his status and position to speak like that was already very approachable!

The two then went inside together. The tycoon's wife had already gone out to buy groceries, and his children were all living in other places, so the tycoon really wanted to talk to someone. He wanted to talk to his secretary, but the secretary's subservient attitude displeased him.

So when he finally met He Yuzhu, the big boss kept talking. Without any hesitation, he led He Yuzhu into the study. The big boss opened the study window, and a ray of sunlight shone in, making people feel comfortable.

The boss was in a good mood today, so he went to the phonograph, took out a piece of film, put it in, and soon music filled the room.

He Yuzhu was drawn to the music and saw the gramophone. He immediately recalled many scenes from the original novel, where the gramophone was He Yuzhu's spiritual pillar.

It was also a shared spiritual bond between him and Lou Xiao'e, and could be considered a token of their love.

Having experienced the era of entertainment explosion, he wasn't very interested in such old relics. However, the big boss still noticed He Yuzhu's gaze lingering on the gramophone and casually remarked.

Which one are you interested in?

"I'm not interested, I just think the music is nice!"

"This is the Fifth Symphony, a work by a foreign composer. This work also has another name, the Symphony of Fate. Fate, like this piece, is sometimes soaring and sometimes somber, unpredictable...!"

He Yuzhu could clearly hear the boss's somewhat downcast mood when he talked about fate. He Yuzhu sighed inwardly, "This year is 66."

Starting this year, many people's fates will be like this piece of music, going from high to low, and they may never see the day when the red flowers bloom again!

The big boss set up the chessboard and began a game of Go with He Yuzhu. Perhaps what he had just said had affected the big boss's mood.

The master's strategy today was aggressive and his moves were fierce and ruthless. However, He Yuzhu easily set up several traps, forcing the master into a dead end. The master was caught in a dilemma, holding the pieces and not knowing how to play.

Seeing the big boss's dilemma, He Yuzhu sighed.

"Boss, actually, the fate of an individual and the fate of a nation are quite similar. Sometimes, a fierce attack is not a good thing. Look at your game. Now, by taking a step back, you can actually turn defeat into victory!"

He Yuzhu pointed to a chess piece on the board and said casually.