All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Actually, this was an open secret, but no one wanted to be the one to stick their neck out. Although He Yuzhu was usually nosy and stubborn, he knew Liu Lan's background, so he never spoke up on this matter.

Deputy Factory Director Li's original target was Widow Qin, but who is Qin Huairu?

She was a notorious scheming woman, and this scheming woman also had a lover, the famously stubborn and foolish Zhu.

Deputy Factory Director Li was a smart man. Since the widow couldn't have it, he figured eating other kinds of bok choy would do the same thing.

So Liu Lan, this "cabbage," was assigned to the kitchen. Fortunately, Liu Lan was good at interpersonal relationships and got along well with everyone in the kitchen. She was also quite capable in her work.

At 4:15 p.m., the large pot of stew was almost ready. The apprentices could handle the rest. He Yuzhu took the lunchbox from Ma Hua on time, nodded, put his hands behind his back, and prepared to leave work.

The others watched as He Yuzhu carried two lunchboxes, but they all pretended not to see him. Even when they left the factory gate, the gatekeeper was used to it.

He Yuzhu was also thinking about how to talk to Qin Jingru, the widow's cousin, when he got back. With his own qualities, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to win her over.

Thinking back to what he had told Uncle San about Ran Qiuye that morning, He Yuzhu felt a little excited. He had read the plot and knew that Ran Qiuye's temperament and figure were clearly a level above Qin Jingru.

Actually, both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. Qin Jingru's disadvantage is that she has a rural household registration. If they really get married, she will have to support two people with her own salary. The silly girl doesn't have a job quota. At most, she can be considered a city resident and do some temporary work.

This silly girl will probably take a lot from home, and since she's sisters with Qin Huairu, if I have an ambiguous relationship with Qin Huairu in the future, it will ruin my reputation.

Ran Qiuye appeared to be far superior to Qin Jingru in terms of qualifications, and was even prettier and more elegant than that silly girl. However, Ran Qiuye's parents were both middle school teachers from overseas Chinese families, and Ran Qiuye herself was a primary school teacher. But what year was this?

In the 60s, folks, think about it carefully. Her family's status was about to be in dire straits. They would have to keep a low profile for at least ten years. This matter wouldn't affect He Yuzhu much. As long as he married Ran Qiuye, he could at least protect her. Even if she lost her job as a teacher, she could still get through those ten years peacefully.

But He Yuzhu was afraid of trouble. However, when he thought of Teacher Ran's elegant face, He Yuzhu's heart, which had been single for thirty years, became hot again. Oh dear, I'm so hot!

Alright, let's take it one step at a time. Although this body has been replaced by a different soul, He Yuzhu, with the mindset of a modern man, really can't make up his mind. There's no way around it; you can't be a scumbag these days, or you'll get shot.

Before He Yuzhu even got home, his apprentice Ma Hua hurriedly chased after him from behind, calling out as he went.

"Master, Master, wait a minute!"

He Yuzhu stopped in his tracks.

Ma Hua then spoke breathlessly.

"Master...Master, the director is looking for you. He says the factory manager needs to see you. He says there's a task for you and you need to come over now!"

"Oh well, I guess I'll have to serve people again!"

Having no other choice, He Yuzhu went back with Ma Hua, too lazy to even take the lunchbox he was carrying, and tossed it to Ma Hua.

"Hua Zi, take this lunchbox back. I'm not going home tonight, so you can take it back!"

"Oh, that's great! Thank you so much, Master Xie!"

"Alright, stop joking around, I'm going to the factory manager's office!"

"Alright, take care!"

Ma Hua took the lunchbox from He Yuzhu and walked happily towards the canteen. It seemed that he would be in for a treat that night. He was still a chef's apprentice and was not allowed to take food home.

The factory manager usually calls the chef over after get off work. If a chef is called to stay temporarily, there is only one possibility: the factory manager has to go to a banquet that night, and the banquet is not held at the factory.

If the chef at the banquet is not up to par, and the host's status is definitely higher than the factory manager's, then you have to bring your own highly skilled chef. If the host is happy with the meal, then everything will be fine.

He Yuzhu's culinary skills are top-notch, not only in the steel mill but also in the entire city of Yanjing. So, bringing a chef to show off his skills at this time would naturally leave a good impression on the big boss.

There are countless ways to flatter someone, but this is considered a high-level one.

He Yuzhu had guessed that this was the case. In his previous memory, he had done this kind of thing quite often. But no matter what era it was, a chef with skills could always make a living.

He Yuzhu didn't take it seriously, but he was a little disappointed about meeting Qin Jingru tonight. This silly girl rarely came to the city, but she completely missed the opportunity to meet him.

He wondered if Xu Damao would benefit again. Just thinking about that cunning old man gave He Yuzhu a headache. It was impossible for him and Xu Damao to make peace; they had been fighting each other their whole lives.

That guy can't outmaneuver He Yuzhu on the surface, but he's full of dirty tricks behind the scenes. In this special era, you have to be on guard against that kind of person once they gain power.

When He Yuzhu arrived at the factory director's office, just as he had guessed, there was a mission that evening, and a special driver would come to pick him up. He Yuzhu was instructed to keep it strictly confidential.

Judging from this, the other party's identity is not simple, but He Yuzhu is just a chef, so he doesn't have any ideas.

The factory manager knew He Yuzhu's temperament, but still explained some rules. He Yuzhu nodded and then, with nothing to do, crossed his legs and waited to go over with the factory manager.

They waited until five o'clock, and all the workers at the steel plant had gone home. Seeing that there was still no movement, He Yuzhu became a little impatient. Judging from the situation, this meal would probably be very late.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Xu Damao appeared in the doorway.

Xu Damao thought it was the factory director, so he lowered his head like a grandson. He had just bowed and greeted the factory director when he looked up and saw He Yuzhu's amused look. He was so angry that he wanted to start cursing. His quick change of expression was astonishing!

Suddenly glancing sideways, he saw the factory manager was also there, and a smile immediately returned to his face. He quickly bypassed He Yuzhu and went to flatter the factory manager.

"Xu Damao, let me make things clear to you first. This time we're showing a movie at the leader's house. Remember the three 'don'ts': don't watch, don't talk about, and don't spread rumors. Understand?"

"Yes, yes, factory manager, whatever you say is fine, I'll do whatever you say!"

Seeing that Xu Damao knew how to handle things, the factory manager nodded in satisfaction, glanced at his watch, and seeing that it was almost time, then said...

"It's almost time. The driver will be here soon. Let's go wait outside!"

As He Yuzhu walked out of the office and saw Xu Damao bowing and scraping before the factory director, he immediately recalled this scene.

Is this a trip to a high-ranking leader's house?

Chapter 10: Xu Damao's Roast Session

The big boss that He Yuzhu mentioned is the real big shot in the original novel. Although he doesn't have many scenes, he is of great help to He Yuzhu. To be called the head of Yanjing City, how big do you think he is?

This high-ranking leader became He Yuzhu's benefactor in life. Although He Yuzhu did not care about politics and had no desire to become an official, in such a special era, even if he did not need such resources, his relatives and friends still needed a benefactor behind him during special times.

So, it was under these circumstances that He Yuzhu was taken to the home of a high-ranking leader by the factory director and cooked a meal for them, thus becoming acquainted with this important person.

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu felt a little hopeful. Getting to know such a big shot would be of great help to his future career path.

Throughout the journey, He Yuzhu gave Xu Damao no friendly look. Xu Damao couldn't beat him, so he could only swallow his anger and sit in the last row with the movie playback equipment. Looking at He Yuzhu in front of him, he made another big note in his mind.

As soon as He Yuzhu left, Qin Huairu arrived at the cafeteria with a small canvas shoulder bag. Outsiders rarely entered the cafeteria, but for Qin Huairu, she was already a regular customer, so everyone was used to it.

The kitchen staff had almost finished cleaning up and were getting ready to go home when they saw Qin Huairu come in and greeted her with a smile.

Ma Hua was carrying two lunchboxes, happily thinking about adding a couple of dishes to his family's meal when he saw Qin Huairu just as he was leaving. He quickly greeted her with a smile.

"Sister Qin, you've come to see my master? Well, that's not a good time. He's been sent out by the factory manager today. You'd better go back and wait for him!"

When Qin Huairu heard that He Yuzhu had something to do today, she felt a mix of emotions, unsure whether to be happy or sad. It seemed that her cousin's matter could only be dropped.

Since the person wasn't there, they had no choice but to go back. But who was Qin Huairu? She was the kind of person who would automatically reach out for food if she could smell it within a five-meter radius. Just as she was about to turn around, she caught a glimpse of the two aluminum lunch boxes that Ma Hua was carrying.

“Ma Hua, is this your master’s lunchbox? Here, give it to me, I’ll take it back for him. Look at this silly Zhu, he’s such a sloppy eater. My three kids look forward to his silly uncle’s leftovers every night!”

Ma Hua's smile froze instantly. He tried to explain with a mournful expression, but Qin Huairu had already pulled his hand away.

Qin Huairu took the heavy lunchbox, instantly forgetting her unhappiness. She smiled and said goodbye to the others, disappearing from everyone's sight like a gust of wind, leaving Ma Hua with nothing but tears in his eyes.

He Yuzhu was unaware of this matter. If he had known, he would have stood up for Ma Hua. That widow Qin never forgets to scheme.

In front of the people in the kitchen, he said that the children were looking forward to the food He Yuzhu would bring home that night. If he didn't explain the implications, people would start to speculate wildly, and it would be quite unsettling to think about it!

A bachelor who brings leftovers home to feed a widow every night in the dark—no one would believe it if nothing happened between them!

Well, He Yuzhu was tricked by that scheming woman again, completely unaware of it. But even if he knew, he wouldn't have taken it to heart. In recent years, such things have become child's play.

Upon arriving at the VIP's house, one is greeted by guards and secretaries at the entrance. A VIP is a VIP, and naturally, there are rules to follow.

He Yuzhu was led into the kitchen. His secretary came in and said that they should not cook for the time being, as the big shots were still in a meeting and would be watching a movie later. He Yuzhu was told to sit in the kitchen and wait, and not to wander around elsewhere.

Seeing that the kitchen had all kinds of meat, including chicken, duck, and fish, He Yuzhu immediately understood what was going on. However, he was also annoyed by just sitting there waiting. He glanced around and noticed several boxes of tea on the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet, which immediately made him happy.

In those days, there were few forms of entertainment, and drinking tea was one of He Yuzhu's few sources of joy. However, he usually drank the tea scraps and leftovers from the leaders at the factory and never had the chance to drink any good tea.

The big shot's tea leaves were just casually left in the kitchen. That's what a big shot is like. Since he had nothing else to do, He Yuzhu found a stool, stood on it, and started picking and choosing, preparing to find a good bag of tea to brew.

"Hey, hey, I'm talking to you! Don't you know any manners? How can you just rummage through other people's things like that?"

He Yuzhu was in a good mood when an old woman came in through the door. He Yuzhu recognized the old woman; she must be the boss's wife. He Yuzhu was about to call her "Auntie" when the old woman started to criticize him, pointing at him and grumbling.

"What do you think this place is? Don't you have any manners? Judging by your behavior, your cooking skills are probably just so-so!"

He Yuzhu was displeased when he heard this. He said that it was fine to say that he was bad at other things, but to say that his cooking skills were bad was an insult to his character.

However, he didn't want to argue with the old lady. He knew that was just her personality; she was straightforward, but definitely a good person.

"Alright, alright, Auntie, please forgive me. I was just bored and thought I'd make some tea. That's all!"

Upon hearing He Yuzhu's explanation, the old woman snorted and disappeared.

Seeing that the person had left, He Yuzhu felt embarrassed to continue drinking their tea. So he decided to drink boiled water himself.

The old woman was not satisfied with He Yuzhu's explanation. As the wife of a powerful figure, her guests were always respectful and well-behaved. She had never seen a cook who would rummage through someone's tea leaves upon entering the house.

She remembered there was also a film projectionist, and thought that there might be a lot of valuables in the room. If the projectionist was just as wicked as the cook, then she had to be careful.

No, I have to go and see for myself.

The old woman thought for a moment and then hurried toward the projection room.

As soon as she lifted the curtain, the old woman saw the projectionist meticulously adjusting the equipment, and she immediately felt much relieved.

When Xu Damao saw the old woman come in, he immediately nodded and bowed respectfully.

"Auntie, the equipment is all set up and ready to play. It's my honor to serve you, sir. If you have any other movies you'd like to see, just let me know. I'll be at your service 24/7!"

The old woman nodded in satisfaction; this was the proper way for the projectionist to make his entrance, and her goodwill towards him immediately increased.

The old woman was also a chatterbox. Seeing that the bigwigs were still in a meeting and that this young man was so good at handling things, she immediately asked him in a reproachful tone.

"Young man, who is that chef who came with you? He's so reckless and clumsy; he doesn't seem like a good person. What do you think of him?"

Xu Damao was stunned for less than a second, then suddenly realized, "Oh dear, that silly Zhu has offended this guy. In that case, I'd better take advantage of his misfortune."

"Oh, Auntie, my dear Auntie, what you said really hit the nail on the head. Let me tell you, that man's name is Sha Zhu. You can tell from the name that he's a fool. He's notorious. Let me tell you about his shamelessness and his scandalous affair with that widow from my factory..."

Xu Damao finally found such an opportunity to vent, and he couldn't wait to unleash all the 899 little schemes he had memorized. He was talking non-stop and had a really good time!

The old woman was a good listener, and she would occasionally chime in with a comment, making Xu Damao exclaim that he had found a kindred spirit!

The bigwig, who had just finished a meeting, was bringing a few people to the screening room to watch an internal film. As soon as he reached the door, he heard the passionate roasting session inside, and the smile on the bigwig's face gradually faded.

Finally, when Xu Damao mentioned that Sha Zhu was trying to win the favor of Widow Qin by undermining socialism every day, the boss could no longer hold back and angrily yanked open the curtain.

Xu Damao was quite a character; as soon as he saw the curtain being lifted, he immediately stopped complaining and began to speak respectfully.

"The meeting's over, sir? I've already set up the machine and it's ready to serve you anytime. Please, if you need anything in the future..."

Before he could finish speaking, the big boss pointed at Xu Damao and said seriously.