Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 269

As the first dish of Kung Pao Chicken was placed on a snow-white plate, the leader's wife, drawn by the aroma, entered the kitchen.

Secretary Wang handed over a pair of chopsticks. The leader's wife took the chopsticks, quickly picked up some shredded pork with garlic sauce, and put it in her mouth.

"Mmm, it's delicious..."

After swallowing the still-hot shredded pork with garlic sauce in one gulp, the leader's wife couldn't help but praise it, and then picked up a few more bites, unable to stop eating.

"Madam, there's more delicious food to come, please eat slowly."

He Yuzhu couldn't help but speak up to remind them that although they only needed to cook one table of dishes, there were still several people, including the driver, nanny, wife, and himself, who would all be eating soon, and there would be plenty of food to go.

The leader's wife then realized that she had lost her composure. She put down her chopsticks, swallowed the chicken pieces in her mouth, and gave He Yuzhu a thumbs-up.

"Master He, your cooking skills are simply amazing. I don't know how many times I've eaten this Kung Pao Chicken, but only yours is the best."

"You flatter me, Madam."

"No, no, absolutely not. What you made is delicious. Director Yang really made the right choice this time. He did a great job. I sincerely invite you to visit our home often in the future."

The leader's wife was very satisfied after tasting it and immediately extended an invitation.

Although He Yuzhu had been full of confidence before, the leader's wife's praise put him completely at ease.

My skills are worthy of Director Yang's red envelope.

Kung Pao Chicken is a very common home-style dish, and it can be made in any ordinary small restaurant.

However, the more ordinary the dish, the harder it is to make it well. With the system's support, He Yuzhu's Kung Pao Chicken is far superior to that of an ordinary chef.

"Madam, you're too kind. It's my honor to serve you and the big boss. As long as you don't mind, I'll come often to cook for the big boss in the future."

He Yuzhu's decades of experience across two lifetimes made him exceptionally composed, unlike the arrogance that often arises in ordinary young people when praised.

The leader's wife was very satisfied with He Yuzhu's performance. This Chef He was not only a superb cook, but also a very steady and reliable person. He was a talented individual.

If someone is a bad person, no matter how good their cooking skills are, the leader's wife will not allow them to come to her home.

"Master He, you're too kind. We can't possibly hire a cook with your culinary skills. We'll definitely come over often to keep the leaders company in the future."

The leader's wife was beaming with joy, and her tone and demeanor became even more enthusiastic. Gone was her initial haughty air; she became amiable and approachable.

Secretary Wang had been waiting for quite some time. Only after confirming with the leader's wife did he carry out another plate of Kung Pao Chicken, which hadn't been touched yet.

The corridor was deserted. Secretary Wang couldn't resist picking up a piece of chicken from the side and putting it in her mouth. It turned out that Chef He's cooking was so delicious.

As the saying goes, people cannot be judged by appearance, and sea water cannot be measured.

Now I can believe that He Yuzhu, despite his young age, is a very skilled cook.

Since the leader's wife knew that Chef He Yuzhu was a highly skilled cook, she didn't leave and waited nearby.

Only then did I realize that watching He Yuzhu cook was a delightful experience; his movements were fluid, clean, and efficient, possessing a unique charm.

As expected of a master, even a few simple movements are different from those of ordinary people.

Next, He Yuzhu cooked three more dishes: shredded pork with garlic sauce, spicy blood curd, and sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce.

Each item was made in exceptionally large quantities. After Secretary Wang brought one portion over, another portion was left for the leader's wife.

Seeing the delicious-looking dishes laid out before her, the leader's wife picked up her chopsticks and didn't stop eating. She ate with great enthusiasm, and although the food was very spicy, she just wanted to keep eating.

"Master He, your cooking skills are truly superb."

He Yuzhu had become almost immune to the praise from the leader's wife.

He praised her every few minutes after she started eating, which made He Yuzhu feel quite embarrassed.

Such continuous praise is almost affecting my movements.

"Master He, why don't you stay with us from now on and cook for us? I feel like I can't eat the food that other people cook."

After she finished speaking, the leader's wife realized that the request was extremely unreasonable and chuckled a few times.

Previously, Factory Director Yang had sent over a resume of Master He. Of course, she knew that He Yuzhu was neither an employee of the steel rolling mill nor a member of the machinery system.

After learning the trade, he opened a braised meat shop, which is now a joint public-private enterprise where he serves as the private manager. He also works in a cannery.

At this moment, the leader's wife was very annoyed. Why wasn't He Yuzhu an employee of the steel rolling mill?

If they were employees within the system, everything would be much easier; they could be temporarily transferred over to work as chefs.

But he turned out to be a member of the public. Even if you have a high position in your family, you can't force someone to come to your house as your chef.

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Madam, this is actually very simple. As long as you are willing to eat my cooking, I guarantee I will come whenever you call."

It's impossible for me to be their chef directly; I sometimes don't even feel like cooking at home.

How could he possibly become a high-ranking leader's personal chef? At most, he would come over every few days to cook a meal.

"Okay, from now on, if the boss wants to eat Sichuan food, I'll give you a call."

He Yuzhu continued to work. Several stews had already been put in the pot to stew when they first arrived, and now they just needed to be heated in the pot before they could be plated and served.

Secretary Wang sent out the three dishes that had been prepared in advance: Sichuan-style chicken, boiled beef, and Dongpo pork knuckle.

He Yuzhu thought to himself that his skills in the original history were not this high, yet he was able to make the big leader eat to his heart's content.

My culinary skills have now reached the top level. After preparing a few of my signature dishes, I'm sure the big boss will enjoy the meal even more.

Just as he had guessed, the top leader looked at the table full of Sichuan dishes in the restaurant and was in a very good mood.

"Today we invited a Sichuan cuisine chef to come over and cook. Everyone, please taste the food and see if it's authentic."

Then they invited the guests to eat. These people all came from Sichuan Province. Faced with a table full of delicious Sichuan dishes, they secretly swallowed their saliva.

Then they all started eating, and after tasting it, their eyes lit up. They didn't put down their chopsticks and didn't even have time to say a word.

Even high-ranking leaders feel the same way; when they savor authentic Sichuan cuisine, they can't help but reminisce about their youth—this is the taste of home.

One hot dish after another was served, making all the guests sweat profusely as they ate, before they remembered to praise the big boss for finding such a good chef.

The top leader looked at the bowls and plates in front of him, which were almost empty, and was both amused and exasperated.

Everyone in high positions has lost their composure due to their desire for gossip.

The top leader was well aware that the guests he had invited were very picky, and they would not approve of any dishes that were not authentic enough.

But today, faced with so many delicious dishes, they had no complaints and were all impressed by He Yuzhu's culinary skills.

The leader's wife also witnessed this scene and was very pleased with the guests' reaction; today would be a perfect banquet.

She quickly returned to the kitchen and said to He Yuzhu, "Chef He, the guests are very satisfied, and they have almost finished eating the dishes."

The leader's wife praised He Yuzhu's excellent cooking skills with great enthusiasm.

He Yuzhu said modestly, "Madam, you flatter me. I was just worried that the dishes I cooked wouldn't suit the leader's taste."

"No, no, you've done a great job today. You have no idea how popular your dishes are. How about we add two more dishes?"

Although there were quite a few arguments about each dish, there was no reason to repeat the same thing twice, so the leader's wife wanted He Yuzhu to make a couple more dishes.

He Yuzhu turned to look at the remaining ingredients and said, "Okay, no problem."

The leader's wife was extremely pleased, her face beaming with smiles. Now, she found He Yuzhu increasingly pleasing to the eye.

He Yuzhu was quick and efficient; he made ants climbing a tree and fish-flavored eggplant and had Secretary Wang deliver them.

The top leader was quite surprised to see that Secretary Wang had brought two more dishes, but he didn't say anything more.

He simply said, "Secretary Wang, please go and invite Chef He, who is in charge of cooking, over. I want to thank him for his hard work."

"Okay, I'll go and invite Master He over right away."

Secretary Wang put down the plate, turned around and went to the kitchen to invite He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu accepted the wine glass handed to him by the senior leader with a big smile: "It is only right for the senior leader to serve you, that is really too kind of you."

Looking at the ten bowls and plates on the table, there wasn't much food left. Just as I expected, the big boss and his friends all liked the dishes I made.

As a chef, the greatest joy is when guests recognize my culinary skills and finish the dishes I make.

"Master He, you are just too modest. Although you are very young, your skills are the best, and your Sichuan cuisine is the most authentic."

The leader praised the gesture and gave it a thumbs up, and the guests also cheered and praised it highly.

If it weren't for his excellent cooking skills, these leaders wouldn't have thought highly of him. Faced with the toasts from the top leaders, He Yuzhu had no choice but to accept.

He Yuzhu downed his drink in one gulp, and then the senior leader invited him to sit down and have dinner together.

He Yuzhu knew, of course, that this was just the big leader being polite. After all, everyone present was a high-ranking leader, and it wouldn't make sense for a cook like himself to come and dine with them.

"No need, boss. Thank you for your kindness, but there's still a lot to do in the kitchen. I'll make you some plum and radish soup to aid digestion."

Upon hearing He Yuzhu's words, the senior leader stopped insisting.

"Okay, okay, thank you very much, Master He."

He Yuzhu quickly exchanged a few polite words, then returned to the kitchen. The plum and radish soup was very easy to make, taking only three minutes to cook.

Now the task of cooking was officially completed. Thinking of the leader's satisfaction, He Yuzhu smiled, which also re-established a relationship with the leader.

He Yuzhu believed that after today's banquet, the senior leader would think of him if he wanted to eat Sichuan cuisine in the future.

This is 10 years earlier than in the TV series, and it will become one of his trump cards.

Although he had established a connection with a high-ranking leader, He Yuzhu generally wouldn't easily use that favor.

After all, the leader's rank is too high, so it's better to handle small matters yourself and not bother him unnecessarily.