Courtyard House: The Thief System of All Realms

Chapter 11: Praising a Master Chef to Death: The Whole Courtyard Gets Envious and Makes a Scene at H

Sha Zhu was provoked by Sun Jingyuan's few words and became angry. He stubbornly followed the man into the west wing. As soon as he entered the room, he stopped and his eyes fell on the cutting board next to the stove.

On the cutting board were two pounds of fresh pork with evenly distributed fat and lean meat, a few round eggs, a small bag of fine white flour, and an unopened bottle of Erguotou liquor on the corner of the table. These were all truly sought-after and precious items in those days. Only the stove was clean and tidy, showing no sign of being used for cooking.

"No, Sun Jingyuan, you call this inviting someone for drinks? There's a pile of ingredients, and the stoves are all cold. Are you telling me to come here empty-handed and starve?" Sha Zhu frowned, turned to look at Sun Jingyuan with a puzzled expression, still holding back his anger from the cafeteria earlier that day, and his tone wasn't exactly friendly.

Sun Jingyuan didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked up and carefully examined Sha Zhu for a moment before speaking solemnly, his tone full of approval: "I'm asking you, in the entire steel mill canteen, whose cooking skills are the best? In this Nanluoguxiang area, whose home-style dishes are the most authentic?"

The question startled Sha Zhu, who then instinctively puffed out his chest, his face beaming with pride: "Needless to say? Of course it's me, He Yuzhu! I learned real skills from my father; whether it's a staff meal or a banquet for the leaders, the factory can't do without me!"

"That settles it then." Sun Jingyuan shrugged, his tone sincere yet tinged with helplessness. Pointing to the ingredients on the cutting board, he sighed, "I was just transferred here from out of town, and I know absolutely nothing about starting a coal stove in this yard or how to cook and season. Even the best ingredients would be wasted in my hands. You have the skills of a true master chef; it would be a waste to let someone else cook these ingredients. Only when you personally take charge can you bring out their true flavor. I'm not asking you to work for free; I'm asking you, the master chef, to taste these ingredients so we can have a good drink and chat."

These words struck a chord with Sha Zhu, conveying not a word of order but rather elevating him to the position of "professional chef." Sha Zhu was the type who responded better to gentle persuasion than force, and was usually called "Sha Zhu" in the yard. It was rare for someone to acknowledge his culinary skills so highly, especially since it was Sun Jingyuan, with whom he had previously clashed. Instantly, any anger he felt dissipated.

"Alright! That's more like it! Just for saying that, I'll cook this dish today!" Sha Zhu waved his hand generously, his face full of pride. He didn't think much about the details, only that Sun Jingyuan truly knew his stuff and thought highly of him. "You wait inside, I'll go home and get the tools. I have some secret seasonings there, I guarantee it will smell amazing throughout the entire courtyard!"

After saying that, Sha Zhu turned and ran out, his steps hurried, afraid that he would be too slow to show off his skills. Just as he reached the middle courtyard, he ran into Yan Bugui, who was carrying half a bundle of vegetables home. The third uncle had sharp eyes and immediately spotted the spatula and spice jars in Sha Zhu's arms, and stopped him.

"Shazhu, where are you going with those kitchen utensils? Who are you going to cook for?" Yan Bugui pushed up his old glasses on the bridge of his nose, his face full of curiosity, already calculating in his mind whether there was any benefit he could take advantage of.

"Sun Jingyuan invited me for drinks. He knows his stuff; he knows I'm a good cook, so he specifically asked me to cook!" Sha Zhu said, chin held high, his tone full of pride, making no attempt to hide it. "You didn't see it, he prepared fresh pork and Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), just waiting for me to start cooking!"

Yan Bugui froze on the spot after hearing this, unable to recover for a long time. He frowned and muttered, "They invited you for drinks, but then expect you to bring your own cooking utensils and cook for yourself? What kind of logic is that? I think you've been tricked."

"Third Uncle, you just don't understand!" Sha Zhu waved his hand dismissively, saying nonchalantly, "Good ingredients need a good cook, that's called making the most of them! Sun Jingyuan is a cultured man, different from those vulgar people in the courtyard, he only recognizes my skills! I'm not going to argue with you anymore, the food won't taste good if it's late!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sha Zhu bypassed Yan Bugui and hurried towards the west wing of the backyard, leaving Yan Bugui standing there, shaking his head in bewilderment. In his shrewd and calculating mind, he had always believed that others should serve him, not that he should be eager to work for others. He secretly thought that Sha Zhu had been flattered and had gone astray, wasting his time and effort.

Before long, the coal stove in the west wing of the backyard was lit, flames licking the bottom of the pot. Sha Zhu skillfully scrubbed the pot and poured in oil, his movements swift and efficient. With a sizzling sound, the chopped meat chunks were dropped into the pot, and the rich aroma of meat instantly filled the air. Then, the fragrance of scallions and soy sauce mingled together, drifting out the window on the wind and quickly filling the entire courtyard.

In those days, every household lacked oil and fat. It was considered good if they could eat a coarse grain bun on ordinary days. They could only taste meat during festivals. Such a rich and mellow meaty aroma instantly made everyone in the courtyard unable to sit still.

The one with bangs in the front yard was the first to get restless. He put his hands behind his back, pretending to inspect the yard, and slowly moved towards the back yard. His nose kept twitching as he greedily inhaled the aroma of meat in the air, but he pretended to be serious and scolded, "Nonsense! It's not a festival, and you're cooking so much meat. It's too extravagant and wasteful. You don't know anything about being thrifty!"

Auntie Er followed behind, her eyes fixed on the window of the west wing, echoing repeatedly, "That's right, that's right, even if you're rich, you can't waste money like this, it's such a waste of money."

The two sons, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, even leaned against the corner of the wall, craning their necks to look into the west wing, swallowing their saliva incessantly, their stomachs growling with hunger, their eyes full of envy, wishing they could rush in and snatch a piece of meat to eat.

Sitting in the room of the Intermediate Court, Yi Zhonghai smelled the aroma of meat, and the coarse grain pancake in his hand suddenly lost its appeal. He put down his chopsticks with a sullen face, feeling both sour and envious. As an old man in the courtyard and an eighth-grade worker in the steel rolling mill, he usually couldn't bear to eat meat easily. Sun Jingyuan, a factory doctor who had just been transferred, was so extravagant, even hiring Sha Zhu to cook for him. It was clearly a deliberate show-off.

The most boisterous family was the Jia family. Jia Zhangshi was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing shoe soles when she smelled the aroma of meat. She immediately dropped her needlework, jumped off the kang, and rushed outside, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Where's that smell of meat coming from? Who's eating something good at home? Are they deliberately trying to tempt us?!"

"Mom, it's in Sun Jingyuan's room. Shazhu is cooking for him." Qin Huairu stood to the side and said softly, her eyes full of envy as she looked at the thin porridge and pickled vegetables in the pot.

"That little bastard again!" Jia Zhangshi cursed through gritted teeth, drool dripping from her mouth. "That traitorous fool Zhu, he ignores us neighbors and instead fawns over outsiders, he's a real scoundrel!"

The smell of meat made Banggeng throw a tantrum, rolling around on the ground and tugging at Jia Zhangshi's clothes, crying and shouting, "Grandma, I want to eat meat! I want to eat fragrant meat too! I don't want to eat porridge!"

"Don't cry, my dear grandson, we'll have meat to eat too!" Madam Jia quickly coaxed Bang Geng, then turned to Qin Huairu and vented her anger, "What are you all standing there for? Go! Go to the backyard and ask Sha Zhu for a bowl of meat. Tell him Bang Geng is craving it! He's a great chef, he can't finish all that food, so what's wrong with sharing a bowl!"

Qin Huairu looked troubled, head bowed, not daring to move: "Mom, that's Sun Jingyuan inviting Shazhu to dinner. It wouldn't be appropriate for us to ask for it so readily..."

"Inappropriate? What's inappropriate about it! We're all from the same courtyard, what's wrong with him eating some meat?" Madam Jia immediately exploded, shoving Qin Huairu and yelling, "I think you're just lazy! You won't even let my grandson have a piece of meat, what's the use of marrying you! If you delay my grandson from eating meat, see how I deal with you!"

Jia Dongxu was already feeling aggrieved. He had been humiliated by Sun Jingyuan during the day, and now the smell of meat made him even more miserable. Annoyed by Bang Geng's crying, he slammed his fist on the table and roared, "What are you crying about! All you ever think about is eating! Why should you get to eat other people's meat! All of you, shut up!"

This shout made Banggeng cry even harder. Jia Zhangshi immediately protected her grandson and cursed at Jia Dongxu, "Why are you yelling at the child! If you're so capable, go ask Sun Jingyuan for meat! You good-for-nothing, you can't even feed your own son. How could I have given birth to such a useless son!"

In an instant, chaos erupted inside the Jia family's house, with shouts and cries mingling together, a stark contrast to the tranquility of the west wing in the backyard.

Inside the west wing, Sha Zhu was busy at work, while Sun Jingyuan leaned against the door frame, occasionally offering a few words of praise, each one hitting the nail on the head.

"Master He, your knife skills are truly impressive. The meat pieces are cut into uniform sizes. Most people can't learn that."

"The heat control is perfect. Just by smelling the aroma, you can tell this dish is absolutely delicious."

"It's a blessing for all the factory workers to have you in charge of the factory canteen. The leaders all have to rely on you."

Sha Zhu felt incredibly pleased with the praise, and his enthusiasm for cooking grew even stronger. He not only made the most of the ingredients Sun Jingyuan had brought, but also took out his own treasured soy sauce and Sichuan peppercorns, and even brought a cabbage from his own home to cook with it, without the slightest hesitation. He was single-mindedly focused on making his signature dish to prove his skills, completely immersed in the satisfaction of being recognized.

In just over half an hour, three dishes and a soup were served smoothly on the makeshift wooden table: the braised pork was bright red, fatty but not greasy, and the sauce was rich; the stir-fried pork with scallions was fresh and delicious, the aroma of scallions wrapped around the aroma of meat, which hit the nose directly; the stir-fried cabbage was refreshing and not greasy; and there was also a bowl of egg drop soup, with fluffy egg flowers that looked very tempting.

On the table, a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) had already been opened, its spicy and mellow aroma mingling with the scent of meat, making one's mouth water. Sha Zhu wiped the sweat from his hands, looking at his accomplishment with a smug expression, waiting for Sun Jingyuan's praise.

"As expected of a professional chef, his skills are no worse than those of the big restaurants in the city." Sun Jingyuan sincerely praised him, then took out two rough porcelain bowls and filled them with white wine.

Just then, soft footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate, and a little girl carrying an old cloth schoolbag walked in. It was He Yushui, Shazhu's younger sister. She had just come home from school and followed the aroma to this place. Looking at the table full of food, she glanced at Shazhu and whispered, "Brother."

He Yushui was wearing faded old clothes, thin and frail, with timid eyes. Usually, Shazhu was busy with work and rarely had time for her. She often had to make do with coarse grains on her own. Looking at the good food on the table, a hint of longing flashed in her eyes, but she was too sensible to speak up.

Sha Zhu was busy drinking with Sun Jingyuan, and casually replied, "Yu Shui is back, find a place to sit."

Seeing this, Sun Jingyuan turned around and took out a soft white steamed bun from a bag in the corner. This was a food ration he had prepared beforehand, not something grown in his space. He handed it to He Yushui and said gently, "This is a freshly steamed bun. Have some to tide you over."

He Yushui was taken aback for a moment, then quickly accepted the gift with both hands and whispered her thanks, "Thank you, Brother Sun."

Sha Zhu glanced at him and said nonchalantly, "Why be polite with him? Just eat!" He then picked up his wine bowl and said to Sun Jingyuan, "Brother, enough talk, let's have a drink!"

Sun Jingyuan picked up his wine bowl and lightly tapped it against Sha Zhu's, the rim of the bowl making a crisp sound. His gaze swept indifferently over the figures secretly peeking outside the window, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Outside the window, the noise from the Jia family continued. Liu Haizhong's family was still secretly watching from the corner. Yi Zhonghai sat in the house with a sullen face, fuming. Everyone in the courtyard was staring intently at the steaming food on the table in the west wing. Jealousy, envy, and resentment were intertwined, but no one dared to actually go forward to disturb them.

Inside the house, Sun Jingyuan leisurely sipped his liquor and ate his delicious meal. Sha Zhu ate and drank heartily, completely unaware that he was being pampered and had become the subject of ridicule in the eyes of others, and even less aware of the overflowing jealousy of everyone in the courtyard.