Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

At this time, Liu Lan on the side interrupted with envy on her face: "Oh my, I didn't expect that Master Fang and Deputy Director He have such a deep master-disciple relationship! Then I believe that Master Fang must have tasted the meals made by Deputy Director He himself?" Her eyes full of curiosity and expectation stared at Fang Erwa, eager to hear the answer.

Unexpectedly, after Fang Erwa heard what Liu Lan said, he seemed to be burned by fire. He waved his hands and shook his head eagerly to deny it: "Oh, Sister Liu, please don't say that! How can I be considered as Deputy Director He's apprentice? You don't understand how superb Deputy Director He's cooking skills are!"

"Thinking back then, if anyone among us who learned cooking from him had the guts to claim that he was Deputy Director He's apprentice, once the news got out, it would have brought shame to Deputy Director He and damaged his reputation!"

At this point, Fang Erwa couldn't help but fall into memories, his eyes revealing deep nostalgia and admiration for the past years. He continued: "I remember that Deputy Director He personally taught us how to stir-fry shredded potatoes. We all used the same huge iron pan and added exactly the same seasonings."

"However, something magical happened - the shredded potatoes cooked by Deputy Director He himself far surpassed the works of us apprentices in both texture and taste. Even now, the chefs in our steel plant cafeteria still cannot cook shredded potatoes as delicious as Deputy Director He's!"

"I didn't expect that Deputy Director He's cooking skills are so high. Master Fang, after so many years of hard training, how does your cooking skills compare to Deputy Director He back then? You know, our steel plant cafeteria is famous in the city."

"Hehehe..." Fang Erwa couldn't help but chuckle, and nodded with some pride in his response: "Of course! Deputy Director He's cooking skills are unparalleled! When I was learning cooking from him, I tasted many delicious dishes he carefully prepared! It's a pity that although my own cooking skills have improved later, I still can't compare to him!" After saying that, he sighed softly, with a hint of regret in his eyes.

"Alas, I can't compare to you, Master Fang! I started working in our steel plant's canteen relatively late. When I came to work here, Deputy Director He had already been promoted to deputy director of our factory! So, I could only hear about the legends about his superb cooking skills from everyone's mouth." Liu Lan shook her head regretfully, her words full of a sense of loss for not being able to personally experience He Yuzhu's culinary skills.

"It has been many years since I have tasted the dishes cooked by Deputy Director He himself! I wonder to what amazing degree Deputy Director He's cooking skills have improved after these years!" Fang Erwa muttered to himself with emotion while recalling the past.

At this moment, Liu Lan, who was standing by, seemed to have suddenly remembered something important, and hurriedly asked, "Hey, Master Fang, do you remember a while ago? A new chef named Nan Yi came to our factory's third canteen. I heard that the dishes he made were better than those made by other chefs. So, if you compare his cooking skills with our respected Deputy Director He, who do you think is better?"

Hearing Liu Lan's question, Fang Erwa first laughed with a hint of contempt: "Hehe..." Then he shook his head and responded: "Speaking of Nan Yi's dishes, I have had the honor of tasting them several times. To be fair, his cooking skills are indeed much better than our ordinary chefs, but if we compare him with Deputy Director He, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg and overestimating one's own ability! To be frank, Nan Yi can only be regarded as a chef of level five or six at most."

Having said that, Fang Erwa paused for a moment, as if wanting to whet Liu Lan's appetite, and then continued slowly: "Thinking back then, in 1956 when the worker grade system was just being implemented, Deputy Director He went to take the chef grade examination together with the workers in our canteen! Can you guess what level of chef qualification certificate Deputy Director He obtained at that time?" After saying this, Fang Erwa deliberately kept the suspense, with a mysterious look in his eyes.

"Wasn't Deputy Director He already a cadre at that time? Why did he still take the chef grade exam? Which chef grade did he pass?" Liu Lan asked curiously.

Fang Erwa replied, "Hey, you don't know that Deputy Director He was very good back then! Not only did he pass the first-class chef exam for Sichuan cuisine, he also passed the first-class Shandong cuisine exam! Let's talk about Nan Yi from the third canteen in our factory. He also took the chef grade exam that year, but he only passed the eighth-class chef exam. Deputy Director He was already the deputy director of the logistics department at that time. The reason he took the chef grade exam was to give an explanation to the master who taught him cooking skills, so as to prove that his master was a good teacher and a good student."

At this point, Liu Lan was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth. She couldn't help but sighed: "Oh my God! This is too amazing! You know, Deputy Director He was born in 1935. In 1956, he was only 21 years old! He was so young and he could pass the first-class chef exams for Sichuan cuisine and Shandong cuisine. His talent for cooking is simply amazing! Who would have thought that he would have such superb culinary attainments at such a young age? It's really admirable!"

Fang Erwa glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the canteen's back kitchen through the glass and found that it was almost time to go to work, so he said, "Now you know how good Deputy Director He is at cooking! Well, Sister Liu, it's getting late, and I should go back to the second canteen. Let's stop chatting here today!" After that, Fang Erwa left the first canteen and walked towards the second canteen.