Chapter 2: Taking the Initiative

He Yuzhu walked lightly to the foot of the bed, picked up the two floor tiles and gently placed them aside, fearing to wake He Yushui. He removed the lower layer of wooden boards, and a wooden box was revealed underneath. He Yuzhu picked up the wooden box and gently walked out of the door back to the side room.

He Yuzhu placed the wooden box on the bed, opened it, took out the contents: there were some money and some documents.

(For ease of reading, from now on uniformly changed to the second set of currency)

In total there were three 10-yuan black notes, two 5-yuan notes, and the rest were various 1-yuan, several jiao, several fen small change.

The documents were He Yuzhu's family hukou book and property deed; opening the letter, its content was the same as in his previous life.

"Zhuzi, I went to Baocheng with Aunt Bai; I left you seventy yuan, I've already arranged your job—go to the steel mill's canteen and find Director Liu; he'll arrange it for you. Don't come look for me, take good care of Yushui..."

After reading the letter, He Yuzhu slipped it back into the envelope and put it away. He took out all the money from the wooden box and put it in his pocket, thinking: "I can't go to Baocheng first; I must settle the job matter before I can act. Tomorrow I still need to visit my master; I must keep everything firmly in my own hands."

He Yuzhu's master Wang Youde and He Daqing were sworn brothers, so He Yuzhu could become his disciple. But after He Daqing passed away, because Yi Zhonghai interfered, He Yuzhu directly cut off contact with his master and his fellow disciples.

But this lifetime, He Yuzhu doesn't want that; he intends to maintain these relationships. Moreover, since He Daqing is gone, he needs someone to back him up; otherwise many things simply cannot be resolved by a 16-year-old boy like him.

After thinking a while, seeing that the sky was still early, He Yuzhu lay back on the bed and fell asleep again.

Early morning: "Hey, Auntie, what are you making to eat?" Jia Zhangshi's voice came from the courtyard into He Yuzhu's ears.

"Hey, what can we eat? Millet porridge, right? Aunt Jia, you're up really early today."

"Oh, today Dong Xu didn't follow Grandfather into the factory? I made breakfast for Dong Xu early, so Grandfather won't be bothered. Auntie, our two families are now one family from today onward—my Dong Xu is Grandfather's apprentice, which makes him like your son. So Grandfather, you must treat Dong Xu as your own son."

"What you say, Aunt Jia, even if you're not Grandfather's disciple, we all live in the same courtyard—shouldn't we help each other?"

"Alright, Auntie, with your words I'm relieved. I need to hurry and make breakfast for Dong Xu." Saying that, Jia Zhangshi took the washed cabbage and headed toward the west wing room.

At this moment He Yuzhu had already gotten up, holding his toothpaste and toothbrush as he walked into the courtyard. By the water tank, he said, "Auntie, good morning." Even though he hated this bunch of people, lacking sufficient self-protection ability, He Yuzhu also didn't want to turn against them.

"So early, Zhuzi—this isn't your style."

"Hey, it's nothing, just today I got up early."

After washing up, He Yuzhu put his things in the side room and went to the main house. He Yushui was still asleep. He Yuzhu stepped forward and gently patted He Yushui, saying, "Yushui, wake up—brother's taking you to eat fried dough stick." Hearing fried dough stick, He Yushui snapped her eyes open. "Really, brother? Do you have money? Sigh, where's Dad?"

"Dad's away on a business trip; he left me money—hurry up and get up, brother's taking you to eat fried dough stick."

"Okay, brother, I'm getting up right now. Brother, Dad's away on a business trip—who's going to comb my hair? Look at my hair."

He Yuzhu looked at He Yushui, the corners of his mouth twitching involuntarily. Finally He Yuzhu took the comb, casually combed her hair a few times, tied it into a semblance of a ponytail, and urged He Yushui to go wash up.

"Hey, Silly Zhu, why are you and Yushui up this early to go out?" Third Grandfather Yan Bugui, playing with flowers in the front courtyard, said to He Yuzhu.

"Third Grandfather, Dad's away on a business trip; I'm taking Yushui out to eat." He Yuzhu currently still didn't want others to know that He Daqing had already run away; otherwise he'd be put on the spot. He wanted to wait until everything was settled before directly telling the people in the courtyard house.

"Hey, you kid really know how to enjoy yourself—going out to eat, eating out a stew beats eating several meals at home." Third Grandfather now already had four children; the youngest, Yan Jiedi, was born this year, and Third Grandfather was gradually following in the footsteps of Yan Lao Xi.

He Yuzhu laughed without responding, took He Yushui out, arrived at the breakfast stall, ordered four fried dough stick and two bowls of soy milk, then said to He Yushui.

"Yushui, after I drop you off at school, tonight I'll send you to my master's place; you'll sleep there tonight. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll go out for a bit. Tomorrow after school, I'll come pick you up, okay?"

"Brother, what are you going out to do? Dad just left on a business trip and you already want to go play? Wait, wait until Dad comes back and I'll tell on you to him."

"No, Yushui, brother has legitimate business. Wait until brother comes back tomorrow to tell you, okay? How about this: tomorrow brother will bring you a donkey roll—be good and listen, alright?"

"Mmm, then I also want a pastry."

"Okay, brother promises you."

After sending He Yushui to school, He Yuzhu rode the No. 11 bus toward the steel mill.

Arriving at the gate of Lou's Yagangchang, he walked toward the guard post.

"Sir, I am He Daqing's son He Yuzhu; my father has something come up and can't make it, so I'm here to ask for leave on his behalf."

"He Daqing's son? Then go in, you know the way to the canteen? Do you want me to show you?" In this era, cooks were highly regarded, so the gatekeeper was very polite to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu thought, "Heh, I've worked here for over ten years; I still can't find the kitchen, and besides, I'm not going to the kitchen—I'm going to the office building." Of course he couldn't say that out loud, so he replied, "I know, sir; my father used to bring me here before, so I know where it is."

"Alright, then go on."

"Okay, sir, you take a rest!"

He Yuzhu entered the factory grounds, headed toward the office building, and upon reaching it saw that the open space in front had no cars, so he knew Lou Dong hadn't arrived yet.

He Yuzhu found a step beside the office building, sat down, and waited for Lou Dong to arrive. Soon people trickled in to start work; with the flow of people, an old-fashioned car drove up. He Yuzhu immediately stood up and walked toward the parking lot.

As Lou Dong got out of the car, He Yuzhu approached him: "Lou Dong, hello, I am He Daqing's son He Yuzhu; I have something I'd like to discuss with you first—are you available now?" Looking at the "father-in-law" from his previous life, He Yuzhu felt a bitter smile in his heart, not knowing how this lifetime would turn out with Lou Xiao'e.

"He Daqing's son? What do you want?"

"It's like this, Lou Dong: my father went to Baocheng last night with Aunt Bai; are you free now? I'd like to talk with you." He Yuzhu said to Lou Dong.

"Then come with me!" Saying that, he led He Yuzhu into the office building.

Upon reaching the office, Lou Dong sat in his chair; He Yuzhu picked up Lou Dong's water cup, took some tea leaves from the tea canister, put them into the cup, filled it with water, capped it, and placed it before Lou Dong. Throughout this, Lou Dong kept watching He Yuzhu without speaking. After He Yuzhu finished, he said.

"Lou Dong, it's like this: my father went to Baocheng last night with the Bai-surnamed person, leaving me and my sister over seventy yuan and a letter; I had no choice but to come find you." Saying that, he handed the letter to Lou Dong. Lou Dong took the letter and opened it to read.

"Alright, I'll call you Zhuzi." Lou Dong, after reading the letter, said to He Yuzhu.

"Okay, Lou Dong, you calling me Zhuzi is an honor; in our courtyard everyone calls me Silly Zhuzi."

"Huh? Why do they call you Silly Zhuzi? You look pretty sharp to me. And didn't He Daqing already arrange your job? So why are you coming to see me again?"

"Hey, Lou Dong, that's just kid stuff—no mother, long story. It's like this..."

He Yuzhu first recounted how, before liberation, He Daqing took him to sell buns; they ran into a deserter; seeing the bun sellers He Yuzhu and He Daqing, the deserter tried to snatch the buns; then He Daqing took He Yuzhu and split up, each carrying buns as they fled; He Yuzhu's buns weren't snatched; after turning a few alleys while carrying the buns, he shook off the deserter.

At that moment someone saw He Yuzhu selling buns and bought all of them. Since He Yuzhu was young and couldn't tell which money was usable and which wasn't, he sold all the buns to that person. The result? The buyer gave He Yuzhu a pile of counterfeit coins.

When He Yuzhu returned home and gave the money to He Daqing, He Daqing was initially pleased—the buns weren't robbed and were all sold; he was about to praise He Yuzhu, but upon taking the money and seeing it was all counterfeit, he exclaimed, "What a silly Zhuzi! Can't tell real from fake money!" And thus the nickname Silly Zhuzi stuck.

Then he said to Lou Dong,

"It's like this, Lou Dong: you also know our family's heirloom dish—it's Tan Family Cuisine, which belongs to the same lineage as your wife's family. I can tell you this about Tan Family Cuisine: it's not necessarily better than what my father makes, but it's definitely not worse. Moreover, I've been studying Sichuan cuisine at the Emei Restaurant; my master said my Sichuan technique is definitely good enough to take on an apprentice. You can try my cooking; if you think it's up to standard, I'd like to stay on and take over my father's head chef position—what do you think?"

Moreover I have been learning Sichuan cuisine at the Emei Restaurant all along; my master said my skill in Sichuan cuisine is definitely good enough to graduate; you can try my skill and see how it is; if you think it's okay, I want to stay and take over my father's head chef position—what do you think?