Siheyuan: From Being Called Shazhu

After spending half a month, He Yuzhu finally selected the managers of the large and small courtyards in his area.

Even the training of these management personnel has been completed.

In fact, the so-called training is nothing more than emphasizing discipline and safety issues.

After all, these selected uncles and aunts are not comparable to young people like He Yuzhu in terms of vision.

You know what, after these uncles and aunts were selected, they really got the job done.

Information about various suspicious persons was reported one after another.

Although most of them were already known to He Yuzhu and his team when they visited.

However, quantitative change turns into qualitative change.

As the number increases, there will always be one or two fish that slip through the net and are discovered.

Gradually, there was no more information reported by the old men and women, and the work content of He Yuzhu and his colleagues was basically fixed.

I patrol the area every day and chat with these old men and women.

A day's work is done.

Time slowly passed and it was midsummer.

The beginning of autumn is just a few days away.

He Daqing, on his part, found a "supervision" for He Yuzhu.

"Zhu Zi, I see that you haven't been too busy at work recently, and you can get off work on time every day. So, a new Sichuan restaurant has opened in Xicheng. Chef Wu from the Sichuan restaurant asked someone to find me and asked me to help his son with his cooking skills. You should not be idle, go and learn some Sichuan dishes from Chef Wu."

He Yuzhu hesitated for only a few seconds and then nodded in agreement.

After all, no matter what time it is, skills are at least a minimum guarantee for life.

In this way, He Yuzhu began his culinary career again.

Every day after get off work, He Yuzhu had to walk for more than an hour to the Emei Restaurant next to the Telegraph Building on West Chang'an Street, where he would stand next to the big stove in the back kitchen and watch Chef Wu cook.

When the food is ready, it will be served on the table.

Master Wu asked, "Do you remember?"

If He Yuzhu said, "Okay, I'll remember that."

Come on then.

Following Master Wu's words "Then go and sharpen the wok", He Yuzhu had to go to the backyard to sharpen the wok under the envious eyes of the apprentices in the kitchen.

Don’t think that Master Wu is not teaching seriously. He just wants He Yuzhu to do some odd jobs to kill time.

In fact, in the north, there is another word for "戗锅", which is "蹭勺的".

To put it bluntly, he's a pot washer.

In the past, water was not as convenient as it is now.

So the chefs at that time would change the wok, or in the north, the spatula (also called a ladle), after finishing each dish.

But even if it is a big restaurant, it is impossible to have hundreds or thousands of pots.

As a result, someone would take the pans that the chefs had used to cook to the backyard and rub the pans with fine sand or wood ash several times.

Then use water to wash away the fine sand or wood ash.

Don't think this job is difficult.

However, not everyone can do this.

The one who can do this job is either the chef's biological son, or a formal apprentice who has passed the door sticker and worshipped the master under the guidance of the guide.

Because in the past.

Which master would teach his apprentice “how many grams of salt to add according to the oil temperature, how many grams of MSG to add according to how cooked the vegetables are, and how many milliliters of soy sauce to add according to the final color of the meat”?

Don’t the teachers know that teaching this way saves trouble?

No, there's nothing they can do.

It’s really because our cuisine is so profound and extensive.

It has been refined to the point that every difference in the variables will result in a different final taste.

For example, the heat.

There are many variables that affect the temperature.

In the past, when burning firewood or coal, the dryness and type of the firewood or coal, the speed of pulling the bellows, and even the material of the pot were all variables that affected the temperature of the fire.

As for modern times, the difference between coal gas and natural gas, even the gas pressure during the day's gas supply, or the remaining amount of gas in the gas tank used in a restaurant's kitchen, are all variables that affect the heat.

Not to mention the freshness of the ingredients and the subtle differences in seasonings.

All these variables combined mean that even if the same person cooks the same dish, there may be subtle differences.

What should I do now?

It can only be passed on by word of mouth.

It's really spread by word of mouth.

By remembering the taste and texture of each dish prepared by the master, and then remembering the cooking procedures of the master.

This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation.

This is why the older generation’s recipes often use “a little, appropriate amount”.

Or maybe "a short while, a moment".

As for the recipes or short videos in later generations, those that claim to teach you how to cook dishes step by step and are accurate to the gram.

How should I put it? This is suitable for beginners.

Or, to be more precise, this can provide a guarantee for the dishes that are prepared.

But if you want to make a dish that is truly “delicious”, how can it be so easy to make?

Apart from some people who have extraordinary talents and have figured it out on their own, weren't the rest just those who followed their masters and learned it bit by bit?

So what is the quickest way to remember the taste of the dishes cooked by the chef?

This is what He Yuzhu is going to do now: "swing the pot".

This is also the reason why when Master Wu asked He Yuzhu to "scald the pot", the apprentices in the kitchen all looked at He Yuzhu with envy.

Gradually, as He Yuzhu gained more experience, he had to take on more and more pots.

He Yuzhu was gradually able to cook.

From the original "Kung Pao Chicken" improved by Master Wu to the traditional dish "Dry-fried Shredded Beef".

Finally, He Yuzhu also learned how to cook Master Wu’s specialty soup dishes, such as “Roasted Beef Cubes” and “Roasted Shark’s Fin”.

He Yuzhu could even replicate 70% or 80% of Master Wu's secret dish, the "Boiled Cabbage".

Sometimes, even Master Wu feels emotional.

"Zhuzi is a boy with a lot of talent, why doesn't he want to do this?"

At this time, He Yuzhu just pretended to be stupid and smiled foolishly.

"Uncle Master, you have praised me. I still need to learn more from you and my fellow apprentices."

In fact, He Yuzhu still has self-awareness.

He is not gifted at all.

It is entirely supported by the complete inheritance in memory and the wisdom that is completely beyond the reach of this age group.

After a long time, the truth will be revealed.

In the end, Master Wu sighed and put He Yuzhu back.

Even so, he still reluctantly told He Yuzhu to "come often when you have time", and then turned around and scolded his son and apprentice.

But this is no longer something He Yuzhu can control.

Originally, He Yuzhu thought that after working for Master Wu for three hours every night, he could finally be considered a "master" and could take a break.

However, things at work started to get busy again.

In other words, the alternative census started in rural areas.

Although, the cities have not been censused yet.

But He Yuzhu and the others also have to learn it.

Moreover, the subdivisions here are much older.

Especially in the past year or so in the old city.

Many workers from all over the world came here.

He Yuzhu's mind is now a mess.

Sometimes, after a full year, you can change your status, and sometimes it’s three years again.

This made He Yuzhu very upset.

That’s not all.

Because the census has already started in rural areas.

Some of those who were originally hiding in the countryside have now begun to hide in the city.

This results in a large amount of information being reported by the compound manager every day.

He Yuzhu and his colleagues had no choice but to visit the area during the day every day.

By the time I finally reported the results of the investigation, it was almost time to get off work.

However, this is when the daily learning about "division" begins.

What's more, to make matters worse, the original assistant manager on the east side of Nanluoguxiang said that he couldn't take it anymore, but in fact he just quit because he found a better job.

Now, He Yuzhu got "promoted".

In addition to the area west of Nanluoguxiang which he already owned.

Now, even the area on the east side is under the management of He Yuzhu.

In other words, He Yuzhu now directly manages the entire 16 alleys in Nanluoguxiang.

Then tell me how tired He Yuzhu is these days.

Sometimes, after class at night, He Yuzhu didn’t even want to walk the 10-minute journey home and just stayed in the office.

Sometimes, He Yuzhu would go home to change clothes during the day and meet He Daqing at home. He would be criticized by him for "treating your home like a coach inn."

However, He Daqing was actually just complaining a few times recently because he couldn't see his children enough to vent his anger.

Ever since He Yuzhu came back from his studies at Emei Restaurant, He Daqing already knew that He Yuzhu was getting busier day by day.

After He Yuzhu said a few words like "the unit is busy" and "the area has become bigger", He Daqing just kept silent.

To be honest, if He Yuzhu couldn't bear to leave He Yushui, he really wanted to move his home to the workplace.

The main thing is that now not only my body is tired, but my mind is also tired.

Fortunately, He Yuzhu is still young. After a few days of adapting, he can go home after get off work every day.

Sometimes, after coming back, I can even play with He Yushui who hasn’t slept yet.

Then he was carried out by He Daqing.

"Pillar, pillar."

Originally, He Yuzhu thought that this had taken more than ten days of visits and investigations.

The information that should have been reported should have been reported long ago.

Unexpectedly, He Yuzhu, who had just arrived in the area, was pulled around the corner by Uncle Zhao, the manager of a compound in Houyuanensi Hutong.

"Zhu Zi, let me tell you, when I was buying coal just now, I ran into two people who were talking about cotton trouser waists. They were just waiting for work at the entrance of Juer Hutong in front of us."

"Waist of cotton pants?"

He Yuzhu was stunned.

Maybe it was because he had recently learned the word "division", He Yuzhu was confused and didn't react for a while.

"Hey, you little ones just don't act like that. You don't even know the waist of your cotton pants."

Seeing He Yuzhu confused, Uncle Zhao also became anxious.

"In the past, the slang used by the old bearded men in the Northeast was called cotton pants waist. Those two spoke so fluently, they must be the old bearded men. Do you understand now?"

(Has been significantly modified)