Siheyuan: Incredible understanding and superb cooking skills

Early spring of nineteen fifty.

Courtyard No. 90, th Street.

A boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, examined the unfamiliar face in the mirror, a look of confusion flashing in his eyes.

"Could this be - time travel?"

Looking around the quaint courtyard, he noticed the old square table, the halo on the yellowed wood, and the familiar iron teapot. These details made him confused for a moment.

As memories emerged in his mind, He Yuzhu finally confirmed his fate - he really traveled through time and landed in this place called "Love in Siheyuan".

The dramatic world, he became the protagonist He Yuzhu.

In his previous life, he was an ordinary college student who was fond of a casual game in his spare time. Because he didn't want to invest time to improve his skills, he made his own auxiliary tools.

However, he never expected that before he could enjoy the game to the fullest, he would be ruthlessly drawn into the portal of time travel and fall into the hands of this resentful character - He Yuzhu.

When he watched this drama in his previous life, characters like Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haiyang, and Yan Bugui made him very angry, and it seemed that there was no place for good people to hide in the entire courtyard.

As for He Yuzhu, he was even more pitiful. He had a low IQ and was being schemed against. He was being pressed step by step by Yi Zhonghai, Qin Huairu and others.

If the original plot continues, not only will his family fall into poverty, but even his sister Lou Xiao'e and brother He Xiao will be shrouded in the darkness of this family.

Even when He Yuzhu was old and frail, those ungrateful so-called friends would still drive him out of the house in the cold winter, leaving him with a fate of freezing to death.

Faced with such a future, He Yuzhu's face showed determination.

"Now that I have become He Yuzhu, my familiarity with TV dramas will become my weapon to change all unacceptable fates."

He sorted out his thoughts and realized that he was now in the timeline of the TV series, which was advanced by many years. It was the newly liberated city of 1949. The fifteen-year-old him and his five-year-old sister were at a new starting point, and his father, He Daqing, had abandoned everything on the verge of this time travel.

This didn't seem to be a friendly start for him.

In this era, it was undoubtedly an extremely difficult situation for him, a teenager with a five-year-old brother.

In an era of material shortages, two small children probably wouldn't be able to survive for long, and living in hardship was probably their inevitable situation.

However, although He Daqing was not a good person, at least he was wise enough to leave money for the brother and sister to live on.

Based on his memory, He Yuzhu found an old drawer in the house. When he opened it, he found some cash hidden inside.

After counting carefully, it was found that there was a total of one million yuan. However, this was the currency at the beginning of the liberation. When converted into the second set of RMB, ten thousand yuan could only be exchanged for one yuan.

This means that the million in cash is equivalent to the value of one hundred new coins, which is not a huge amount.

Considering that this money will be shared by the two siblings in the future, each will be about 500,000 yuan.

Even if they tighten their belts, this amount of wealth can only support them through a year and a half of hardship.

Therefore, He Daqing still has a conscience, but not much.

However, what caught his attention was another thing next to the letter paper: a letter.

When he opened it, he saw He Daqing’s words written on it: “Silly Zhu, I’m leaving.

Don't look for me. Money should be used economically. The introduction note at the end of the letter is the key. Take it to find the head chef of Hongbinlou. He is my junior fellow apprentice.

Give him the introduction note, and you will have the opportunity to learn cooking skills."

In this historical context, military control was still in place throughout the country, especially in the old city.

The uncle system in the TV series has not yet been established, and strangers here are prone to strict supervision.

Without recommendations and background, it is almost impossible to get accepted.

"Hongbinlou?" He Yuzhu muttered silently in his heart. He recalled from his mind that this was a restaurant with a good reputation.

At that time, public-private partnership had not yet been implemented, private business transactions were legal, and food coupons had not yet been popularized.

Since He Daqing is a chef, it is not surprising that he introduced himself there to find a job.

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu felt slightly relieved.

Even though he might have to start out as a handyman and earn a meager income for a few years, this at least solved the food problem for his brothers and sisters and gave them a place to live.

Therefore, accepting the job is a must.

Otherwise, with He Yuzhu's identity as a little boy, after the one million is used up, what awaits the two of them will be the tragic end of starving to death together with He Yushui! Just as He Yuzhu was thinking, he suddenly heard a hungry gurgling sound from his stomach.

He Yuzhu glanced outside the door. It was about four or five in the afternoon, obviously time for dinner.

He had been busy for many days and the food in the house was already very little.

An idea suddenly occurred to him, and he took out 100,000 yuan and prepared to go out and buy some ingredients to cook at home.

He Yuzhu opened the door and walked out. His family lived in a courtyard of a quadrangle.

The entire courtyard is divided into three large courtyards: front, middle and back. The front courtyard is home to Yan Bugui's family and other neighbors. The middle courtyard is home to members including himself, Uncle Yi Zhonghai, Jia Zhang, Jia Dongxu, etc. The back courtyard is home to second uncle Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, and the deaf old lady.

Walking into the courtyard, He Yuzhu saw a little girl in red sitting next to a stone table and stone bench, swinging her tiny feet boredly.

The girl had two cute little braids, her skin was as white as jade, and her eyes were clear and bright.

When she saw He Yuzhu leaving, her eyes lit up, she pushed the chair open with her feet, jumped up, and ran towards him briskly.

"Brother! Did you have a good rest?"

...

...

The little girl was He Yushui, who had just turned five years old.

Because his father He Daqing ran away, He Yuzhu was in a bad mood and locked himself in the room, so He Yushui had to play alone in the yard.

Seeing He Yuzhu at this moment, He Yushui came forward happily.

She understood early on that her father had abandoned her and her siblings, and that they would have to rely on her brother for the future.

These days, she noticed that her brother's attitude towards her seemed not as affectionate as before. Could it be that her brother also... She couldn't help but nervously hold He Yuzhu's arm tightly.

"Brother, please don't abandon me and Yu Yu Shui. I will be very obedient and won't run around making trouble anymore."

Hearing He Yushui's timid words, He Yuzhu sighed softly.

This He Da is a scoundrel who abandoned his own child for a widow.

Touching He Yushui's shoulder, he said soothing words: "Don't worry, brother won't abandon you.

I'm going to buy some food now, you stay home, lock the door, and don't run out casually, okay? "

He Yuzhu had a very generous personality, which was why he left He Yushui alone in the yard.

In this era, human traffickers were everywhere, and the legal system was not as sound as in later generations.

Hearing that her brother would not abandon her, He Yushui's worries were instantly eliminated, and she nodded vigorously to promise.

"Okay, I won't run around. I will stay at home and wait for my brother to come home!"

Soon, He Yushui realized a fact—his brother was going out to buy food and cook.

"Brother, do we have anything to eat?"

As she whispered, her stomach began to growl.

Being so young, she naturally doesn’t know how to cook.

In fact, He Yuzhu had been depressed because his father left home. During this period, both he and He Yushui were very hungry.

In response to his sister's question, He Yuzhu nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, darling, we will have enough to eat, just rest assured."

As he thought about it, He Yuzhu's desire to become an apprentice at Hongbinlou became stronger.

After buying groceries and cooking, you can take a night’s rest and head straight to Hongbinlou tomorrow morning.

He Yuzhu motioned to He Yushui to go back to the house, then closed the door and prepared to go to the Qianmen vegetable market alone to buy things.

However, this time when he went out, as soon as he walked out of the courtyard gate, he ran into a figure head-on.

"Silly!" the figure shouted.

He Yuzhu raised his head with a slightly subtle look in his eyes. In front of him was Yi Zhonghai, who had just finished working at the steel plant.

At present, there is no steel rolling mill yet. Yi Zhonghai can earn 600,000 to 700,000 yuan a month working there, which makes him a highly skilled talent.

Although everyone still calls him "Uncle" at this moment, this is different from the uncle status established by the street office later.

People call him that out of recognition and respect for his status and ability. He is the big brother of the courtyard house, and he is a technician himself with a good income.

But the "big boss" with management power is different.

To understand it from another perspective, people call him this now more because he is older and has skills, and it is a natural attitude.

However, in reality, he had no authority to manage anyone because the entire city of Beijing was under military control, the local government was not yet sound, and all affairs had to be managed by the Military Commission.

"Hey, idiot, didn't I call you, why didn't you respond?

"Beside him, seeing that He Yuzhu was still silent, Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but remind him.

After seeing Sha Zhu, he had an idea in his mind.

Not long ago, He Daqing ran away with Widow Bai, and the news had spread throughout the courtyard.

Because of this, Sha Zhu locked himself up for several days.

Everyone expressed their understanding after hearing the news, saying that everyone can feel the pain of losing their father suddenly.

Especially this pair of siblings, one fifteen and the other five years old, who were orphans as children.

Indeed, He Daqing is a very annoying person, but he left behind two children who needed care, but no one took the initiative to care for him.

In this special period, if the first person to visit is involved in trouble, should they help or refuse? Everyone is worried that they will be dragged into it and suffer.

Therefore, although everyone sympathized with He Yushui of the Intermediate Court, they only watched from afar, fearing that they would be dragged into trouble.

However, in Yi Zhonghai's view, this is also an opportunity.

At present, he has not officially accepted Jia Dongxu as his apprentice, and is considering suitable candidates for his elderly partner.

Fifteen-year-old boys like Sha Zhu are always within his sight.

He Daqing's departure may be seen as a disaster that others want to avoid, but in Yi Zhonghai's eyes it may be an opportunity.

He Daqing is gone, but the houses he left behind cannot be left behind. The big house in the middle courtyard and the small side house next to it will all belong to Sha Zhu in the future.

Not to mention that the name "Shazhu" itself shows that he is a little stupid and not very smart.

Faced with this situation, He Yuzhu shrugged and said, "Weren't you the one who offended me first?"

Hearing this, Yi Zhonghai was stunned for a moment.

"I called you out of politeness, how could it be an insult?"

He asked back in confusion.

He Yuzhu looked thoughtful at this time: "Oh, then, 'Silly Uncle', what do you want to talk to me about?"

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai still called him that, Yi Zhonghai, who was about to lose his temper, suddenly stopped.

He understood He Yuzhu's thoughts - he might feel that he should not be called Shazhu.

He didn't expect He Yuzhu's transformation, but he didn't dwell on it.

"Oh, maybe I'm just used to it.

If you don't like the name 'Shazhu', then please call me great grandfather."

Seeing the serious look in the boy's eyes, He Yuzhu stopped calling him "silly uncle" and looked him in the eyes and said, "Grandpa, I know now that after my father passed away, I have already...

If anyone calls me that nickname again, I will respond in the way I deserve, and I hope you understand."

These words, though calm but firm, made Yi Zhonghai feel strangely moved in his heart.

Obviously, He Yuzhu in front of him has grown up.

When Lao He was still here, Sha Zhu acted rashly, was honest and rough in his relationships with others, and even the children in the courtyard had been bullied by him.

He speaks without thinking and has no dignity as an adult.

However, every word he said now seemed to be carried with the understanding and upbringing of an adult, appropriate without being rude. This boy seemed to have really grown up.

Seeing this, Yi Zhonghai couldn't help but nod, with a look of understanding and encouragement from an elder on his face.

"You're right. I will discuss this matter with other people in the hospital. After all, you've grown up, and calling you a fool is really inappropriate.

"He acted like an elder, caring and considerate, but in fact he was somewhat unwilling.

He was the patriarch of the family, yet he was defeated by this little boy because he was still a little wary of He Yuzhu.

If he wasn't still calculating the benefits, he wouldn't have tolerated himself making a perfunctory promise to such a child.

"From what you said, you are going out to buy food? Do you have enough money?" he asked again.

After hearing this, He Yuzhu nodded slightly.

"It's enough. My father left a few belongings when he passed away. Besides, I will start working at Hongbinlou tomorrow, and I will be able to support myself by then.

"

When Yi Zhonghai heard this, a subtle light flashed in his eyes, but he still smiled.

"Very good, Zhuzi, although your father is gone, we are still neighbors.

If you have any difficulties, you can tell your uncle. Working in Hongbinlou is also a good job. Come on! "

These words seem encouraging on the surface, and those who are not aware of the true situation may believe them to be true and regard the author as a kind-hearted senior.

But He Yuzhu, who knew Yi Zhonghai's character well, just sneered in his heart, although it did not show on his face.

"Well, I have to go home, Yu is waiting for me at home to cook.

"As he spoke, He Yuzhu walked towards the vegetable and fruit stand in the front yard.

Looking at He Yuzhu's leaving back, Yi Zhonghai's eyes flickered, and his thoughts were unknown.

When he arrived at Qianmen Market, He Yuzhu did not think too deeply about the embarrassing incident that had just occurred.

After all, direct confrontation is not the best strategy, after all, this guy's plot is still hidden in his heart and has not been revealed.

He is still young, and it would not be a wise move to break up with him rashly.

He Yuzhu never let down his guard for a moment in his fight against the old fox like Uncle Yi.

He bought some pork belly, potatoes, and various condiments that were in short supply at home at the market, spending a total of 2 yuan.

The rain and his hunger over the past few days made him need some high-protein food to nourish his body.

On his way back with the food, as soon as he entered the gate, he saw Yan Bugui, the eldest uncle of Yan, tending to his gardening in the front yard.

Seeing He Yuzhu coming back with something, a cunning look flashed across Yan Bugui's eyes.

"Zhu Zi, are you back?" After saying that, Yan Bugui naturally came over and looked at the goods in He Yuzhu's hands.

"Oh, we need to improve our food today. How about coming to uncle's house and having dinner together?" Yan Bugui said jokingly.

Extraordinary insight, upgrading cooking skills into strength

When it comes to houses, Yi Zhonghai did not pay too much attention.

The Jia family coveted the two houses left by He Daqing, just for the sake of helping Jia Dongxu find a husband.

Rumor has it that Jia Zhang has asked someone to arrange a marriage for Jia Dongxu, and the other party seems to be from the countryside.

Normally, given Jia Zhang's hot-tempered personality, she would never allow her son to marry a rural woman with an urban household registration.

Yi Zhonghai knew clearly that this was not just a matter of housing, but also about the family and social strategies behind it.

The two houses were like a potential symbol of social status, attracting the attention of the Jia family and the Jia family in the Central Courtyard.

After all, in this era, urban household registration is extremely valuable. There are many lively and pretty rural girls who are willing to marry ugly men just to obtain a household registration.

But I don’t know what kind of charm that woman had that made Jia Zhang change her original intention.

As the newlyweds were about to enter the marriage hall, the Jia family's original house was obviously not enough.

Just as He Daqing was leaving, Jia Zhang set his sights on the two houses he left behind.

If they could get a house for He Yuzhu and his sister to live in, the Jia family's future would be much smoother.

As for Yi Zhonghai, he had no descendants, so there was no need to consider leaving any property.

But he had to make plans for his later life. Although he had not yet formally become Jia's disciple, he had already established close ties with the Jia family.

Just one step away from becoming a formal relationship client.

Jia Dongxu certainly understood Yi Zhonghai's thoughts, but as a senior technician, Yi Zhonghai had a good salary and extensive network of contacts, so Jia Dongxu was also happy to establish this relationship.