Chapter 412: Shazhu, I'm fine

Guo Xiaosi casually agreed with Shazhu.

He lifted his gaze to survey the site where Shazhu was working.

His eyes held a feeling of loss.

His mood also deteriorated.

In Guo Xiaosi's mind, Shazhu was a famous chef at Yagangchang, countless people had eaten his food; as a renowned super-chef celebrated at Yagangchang, he should not bury himself in this godforsaken Sihuocangku—this is disrespect to Shazhu and a desecration of culinary art.

The place where Shazhu fights is the canteen, the stove, where he lets dozens enjoy delicious meals; his hands should be gripping a cleaver and a fried-rice spatula, not constantly doing this hauling-trash livelihood, spending all day with these foul-smelling junk whose accumulation time is unknown.

"Master He!"

"You!"

Guo Xiaosi uttered the word "you", using his twelve-part sincere gaze to earnestly scrutinize Shazhu's cheek; his following words.

He was speechless.

Or perhaps he suddenly lost the courage to ask.

He really wanted to ask Shazhu.

"Are you happy here?"

If it were him, going from overseeing a canteen that serves tens of thousands to becoming a keeper dealing with scrap, he definitely would not accept it.

There is this psychological gap.

This kind of loss.

Perhaps you conceal it well, but your eyes and tone of voice will, when unnatural, reveal your innermost true thoughts.

Guo Xiaosi did not see on Shazhu's face that kind of loss of becoming a keeper, nor in his eyes that kind of sorrow of being demoted, nor in his tone that kind of resentful blame; the whole person, inside and out, exuded a kind of tranquility, so tranquil that even Guo Xiaosi himself felt a hint of doubt, doubting that the energetic super-chef he had met earlier at the Ershitang was actually just a phantom beautiful dream.

The dream ended.

Everything returned to the right course.

He raised his hand.

He rubbed his eyes hard, probably thinking he was seeing things, misreading Shazhu's expression; how could a person not be angry?

Otherwise, how could one explain the incident at Yagangchang where coworkers violently beat Liu Haizhong?

In Guo Xiaosi's mind, Shazhu, as a victim of Team Captain Liu Haizhong, should, like Zhao Zilong and Zhang Shenghao, take the opportunity when Liu Haizhong is down and no longer team captain, to fiercely vent their resentment, rather than being as tranquil as now.

"Ah!"

A sigh escaped Guo Xiaosi's lips.

After rubbing his eyes, he again sized up Shazhu, convinced he wasn't seeing things; Shazhu did not find the work at Sihuocangku enjoyable.

On the contrary.

He was actively carrying out the work.

The cleared open space before him, and the neatly stacked production waste beside the pile, are proof of Shazhu's diligent work.

Even faintly, Guo Xiaosi experienced a sense of pleasure from Shazhu; he enjoyed this rare leisure time!

Regarding this.

Guo Xiaosi then said nothing more; he decided to follow Shazhu's advice, study hard at the Ershitang, and strive to become a super-chef like Shazhu as soon as possible.

"Master He."

"Xiaosi, do you have anything to do?"

"Nothing!"

"If you're free, help me move these things over there." Shazhu pointed at a pile of wood beside him and said to Guo Xiaosi: "I'm finding it a bit hard to manage alone, and the ground is soft; dragging things would easily damage the ground."

That's essentially conscripting Guo Xiaosi as a laborer.

Guo Xiaosi, feeling a bit down, upon hearing Shazhu had work for him to help with, immediately replaced his lost expression with excitement.

In Guo Xiaosi's mind.

What kind of work doesn't matter; face and such are all irrelevant.

As long as he can help Shazhu and work together with Shazhu, he feels very happy inside.

He eagerly agreed.

"Master He, no problem!"

"Wait a moment, I'll pad this spot a bit; otherwise, rainwater will pool and easily rot these woods."

Shazhu walked over to a pile of broken bricks, moving them piece by piece to an open space nearby; looking like building a wall, he stacked two rows of brick ends twenty centimeters high and two meters long.

During this process.

Guo Xiaosi also pitched in.

He finished preparing the brick ends.

Shazhu fetched two pairs of canvas gloves, and tossed one pair to Guo Xiaosi.

"Xiaosi, wear the gloves."

People coming out of the canteen.

No one is used to wearing gloves.

It's not a workshop.

He came up with a reason that Shazhu couldn't refuse.

"Master He, I won't wear the gloves, to save some supplies for Yagangchang."

"There are thorns!"

"When the time comes, pick it with a needle; if the skin breaks, it'll be fine in a few days."

"Working in the canteen, your hands are what you rely on to feed your coworkers well; without a good pair of hands, how can you make a tasty meal?"

Seeing Shazhu's reasoning.

Guo Xiaosi honestly put on his gloves.

Together with Shazhu, they came to the lumber, each carrying one end, walking toward an open space not far away.

I don't know if it's because the two worked together, or due to other factors, but Guo Xiaosi's mood inexplicably brightened a lot.

Taking the opportunity of going back and forth after putting down the lumber, he asked a question that hadn't been raised before.

"Master He, I discovered you're working happily here; I always thought you,"

"the rest of the words."

Guo Xiaosi still didn't say it.

"Thinking I'm unhappy, thinking I've been reassigned." Shazhu took over the conversation, answering, "One person staying here, blaming heaven and earth? Complaining all day?"

Guo Xiaosi nodded.

He really did think that way.

The people in Ershitang also thought that way.

Shazhu smiled.

If it weren't for the support of those experiences from his previous life, he might truly be as the Ershitang folks worried, spending all day sulky, hating certain people to death.

Living two lives as a person.

He has let go of many things.

It's just being demoted from cafeteria director to warehouse keeper, right?

A rat's waist ache, what a small matter.

If he really blames heaven and earth, the body harmed by anger can only be his own.

This bit of grievance, compared to the fact that in his previous life he was schemed by Qin Huairu and Yi Zhonghai into having no offspring, is incomparable; thinking again of the tragedy of being driven out by Bangeng, freezing and starving to death under the overpass, this grievance is nothing.

There's a saying that's very true.

Living in the present is most important.

Compared to some people, Shazhu's situation is pretty good: he has a decent job, a wife who loves him, and a pair of children.

Definitely a life winner.

So he can't be bothered to worry about all those messy things.

Worried that Guo Xiaosi will cause trouble.

After finishing work, he still felt uneasy and gave a few more instructions.

"Xiao Si, still that saying: try not to speak if you can, trouble comes from the mouth; also I hope you stay happy, don't dwell all day on things that make you angry."

"I understand, Master He."

"Nothing much, hurry back; mealtime's approaching, don't delay work."

"Got it!"

Guo Xiaosi slipped away and ran toward Ershitang.

Watching his hurried figure.

Shazhu laughed and scolded.

"Virtue!"

Immediately he got busy.

The huge Sihuocangku, Shazhu has only organized a small part these days, namely the old wood he and Guo Xiaosi just handled.

Next.

He plans to clean up the scrap iron nearby.

First he walked around the pile of scrap iron, having a rough idea in his mind; wearing gloves, he rummaged, then moved a few pieces of scrap iron aside, and the silhouette of a four-legged bronze cauldron about the size of a human head appeared before Shazhu's eyes!

He has lived another life.

Even if his brain is stupid.

He also knows what this thing is.

Treasure.

Otherwise he wouldn't have, during his time working at the scrap yard, gathered as many ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, plus wooden items as possible; all the furniture in Shazhu's home are fine things from that period, like huanghuali, top-grade redwood, etc.; even the base of the over-a-meter-tall elderly porcelain figurine that Shazhu deliberately placed indoors was completely stuffed with things by Shazhu; when Liu Haizhong was Team Captain, he brought people intending to cause trouble at Shazhu's home, but was frightened on the spot by the half-human porcelain figurine in Shazhu's home into becoming a second grandson.

Before coming to Sihuocangku, Shazhu guessed there should be something inside.

It had been piled full of things over a decade ago.

It was also a time of war and chaos.

Maybe there were those desperate people who hid dong XZ inside.

Who would have thought.

Shazhu's guess became reality; he really found this thing here.

He tapped the gloves a few times; some twisted characters appeared before Shazhu's eyes; he didn't recognize them, couldn't name the thing, but that didn't mean he didn't know it was a treasure; looking left and right, he stuffed it into a woven bag.

It's not stealing.

Nor is it taking advantage.

This is indirect protection.

……

Ershitang.

A group of people each pouting.

They were given feedback.

The workers just said one sentence.

They are all the same people, all the same dishes; why is the current food so bad-tasting, why was the previous food good.

Why still?

It's naturally because of Shazhu, right? The good rice is made by Shazhu, the bad dishes are made by the newcomer, so the taste is naturally different.

Names: Shazhu. Also "newcomer master" - generic, not a specific name. So only Shazhu.

The chief cook master.

Names: Chief Cook Master. (We'll treat as title.)

Lately, his face has been green.

He got angry.

Being a cook is all about making a living through skill; if you're capable, the authentic chitterlings you make will be snatched up, but if you lack skill, even the rare delicacies you make will just be a fleeting visual treat, and no one will actually eat them.

I thought Shazhu wouldn't... my long-suffering daughter-in-law finally became a mother-in-law, enjoying a period of influence in the second cafeteria where her word is law.

Names: Shazhu, Ershitang.

Only by holding that position do you realize.

This is a trap.

When coworkers say the food isn't good, Liu Lan, Thus: Thus: Mahua, and Pangzi all say so; anyway, they're just odd-job workers.

Names: Liu Lan, Thus: Thus: Mahua, Pangzi. Also coworkers generic.

Is the dish fragrant?

Find the cook.

Is the food tasty?

Find the chief cook master.

Names: Chief Cook Master.

Thus.

This master then became the target of everyone's blame, becoming a lightning rod for criticism.

I'm not sure if it was because he got scolded and his head swelled, but this chief cook master actually added extra salt once, and with the dish's fixed quantity, there was nothing else to do but rinse it with clean water.

The person who added the salt is angry.

The workers are also angry.

Can't afford to provoke a grasshopper.

Bullying a leech.

Upon seeing Guo Xiaosi, his anger immediately burst out toward him.

"Guo Xiaosi, do you still want to work? What time is it? No one's in sight, delaying the workers' meals—can you bear this responsibility?"

Names: Guo Xiaosi.

The hat on his head.

He flung it onto the board with one hand.

He looked like he was about to question Guo Xiaosi.

Pangzi on the side, unable to watch, muttered something about Guo Xiaosi's identity to the newcomer master; the master, who had been furious and wanted to make Guo Xiaosi a typical example to catch, in the next second changed his expression, letting helplessness replace his angry face.

Even Liu Haizhong can't handle Guo Xiaosi, let alone a small chief cook master.

"Comrades, now is not the time to throw a tantrum; I know Master He was transferred to become a warehouse keeper, you're angry, but the coworkers are innocent—we need to let the coworkers eat well and drink well!"

Liu Lan and the others muttered to themselves.

Eating well and drinking well is your responsibility; if you can't make this meal well, what does it have to do with us?

One by one, they showed their attitude.

Can it be done?

It's not important.

First, shout out your own slogan!

It's an attitude problem.

Amid the earth-shaking slogan chants.

A small figure jumped in from outside.

It turned out to be Guo Xiaosi.

Wary of Guo Xiaosi's spotless reputation, the chief cook master patiently asked him a question.

"Little Guo Master, isn't your bathroom break a bit too long?"

Guo Xiaosi used the excuse of urinating to go to Warehouse No. 4 to find Shazhu, spending over an hour going back and forth.

Knowing that what he did was wrong.

Shazhu again urged him to learn as much as possible.

He changed his previous disdain for the newcomer master and admitted a mistake.

"Master Liu, when I went to the bathroom, I saw Liu Haizhong being violently beaten by Zhao Zilong and Zhang Shenghao in the bathroom—how can I still use the bathroom? I stayed there and watched for a while, waiting for Zhang Shenghao and them to finish beating Liu Haizhong, I felt this matter must be reported to Master He, so I took some time to go to Warehouse No. 4, and told Master He about Liu Haizhong being beaten by Zhang Shenghao."

Several Liu Lans.

In an instant, they surrounded Guo Xiaosi on all sides.

Good fellow.

Really a sight to behold.

They actually got to see Liu Haizhong being beaten; when they heard the news, Zhang Shenghao and company had already finished beating Liu Haizhong, so everyone missed this exciting scene.

Gossip.

The greatest source of human civilization.

It's rare for everyone to be this enthusiastic.

Even the chief cook master didn't come over to surround.

"Little Four, tell us what happened then."

"Tell us, tell us how Liu Haizhong got beaten."

Liu Haizhong is really dense; he doesn't even know his own status, and in front of Zhang Shenghao and company, he still puts on the airs of an elderly assault team captain, making Zhang Shenghao and company go crazy; several people surrounded and beat Liu Haizhong, who had no choice but to cover himself in feces to scare them off.

"Little Guo, you're just talking nonsense; when we went to look, Liu Haizhong already had feces on his face and hair, his body was fine—did you actually see that?"

What a sight to behold!

It's surprising to see Liu Haizhong getting beaten; by the time they heard the news, Zhang Shenghao and the others had already finished beating him, so nobody got to witness such an exciting scene.

Names: Liu Haizhong, Zhang Shenghao

Gossip

The greatest source of human spiritual civilization

It's rare to see everyone so enthusiastic

Not even the chief cook master came over

Names: Chief Cook Master

"Little Four, tell us what happened then."

"Tell us how Liu Haizhong got beaten."

"Liu Haizhong is really clueless; he doesn't even know his own status. In front of Zhang Shenghao and the others, he still acts like the captain of the elderly assault team, which made them furious. Several people surrounded and beat him. Having no other option, Liu Haizhong covered himself in feces, which finally drove them off."

Names: Liu Haizhong, Zhang Shenghao, Elderly Assault Team Captain

"Little Guo, you're just spouting nonsense. When we went to check, Liu Haizhong already had feces on his face and hair, though his body was fine. Did you really see that or not?"

Names: Little Guo, Liu Haizhong

Didn't see it.

"How could you be talking nonsense?"

"I heard people say it!" Guo Xiaosi shifted his tone, spoke solemnly: "But I told Master He that Liu Haizhong got beaten; that part is true."