Chapter 137

Xu Huizhen was watching the two children doing their homework in the room and quietly hid one of the two bottles of wine.

Seeing Li Jiandong coming in, Hu Haodang quickly stood up from his stool:

"Deputy Director Li, how come you have time to come here today?"

He Daqing turned around when he heard this, and smiled when he saw Li Jiandong: "Old Li, you came at the right time. I'm going to make nine-turn large intestine tonight. Stay and have a drink with me later."

Li Jiandong smiled and said:
"It's okay to have a couple of drinks, but I came here today to talk to you about something. Is Huizhen home?"

"Yes, sir, do I have a share in your matter?"

Xu Huizhen heard Li Jiandong's voice and also walked out of the house.

"Yes, it's about the pillar. Yu Shui and Yu Meng should be at home. Let's go next door and talk. Lao Hu, I want to use your room first."

"No problem, feel free to use it. I'm just going to the bathroom."

Hu Haodang tactfully walked outside, while Li Jiandong took the two of them back to his house.

After entering the house, Xu Huizhen closed the door.

He Daqing was a little surprised and asked, "Old Li, what's the matter that requires you to come all the way here? What happened to Zhuzi?"

"Daqing, don't be nervous. In my opinion, this is a good thing."

Li Jiandong said calmly that he was not sure whether He Daqing and Xu Huizhen thought this was a good thing.

After the three of them sat down, Li Jiandong told them the purpose of his visit.

He Daqing was quite nervous at first when he heard that his blockheaded son had a girlfriend.

He couldn't help laughing out loud. Although Li Jiandong emphasized that this woman was divorced and had a child, He Daqing didn't care at all.

Li Jiandong then remembered that He Daqing also liked the widow. He himself didn't mind a widow raising his children, so why would he care if his son liked a widow?

So Li Jiandong told the whole story about Sha Zhu and Chen Xueru.

Now it was Xu Huizhen's turn to be stunned.

She could never have imagined that He Daqing's son would actually get together with her old rival.

I married an older man, and she found a younger one. It seemed that I lost a move, but since she married her own son, she had to call me stepmother.

Looking at it this way, it seems that I didn't lose, but instead won half a move.

Li Jiandong returned home and told Sha Zhu about He Daqing and Xu Huizhen's reactions.

When he learned that his parents agreed to let him marry a divorced woman, Sha Zhu jumped for joy.

"Well, since you two have fallen in love with each other and your families have agreed, you should find a date to get married as soon as possible. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and you can move to Chen Xueru's house after you get married, so that you can free up the room. How about bringing our parents to the city to celebrate the Chinese New Year this year?"

Li Jiandong said the last sentence to Qin Huairu.

I have been married for so long, but I haven’t invited my father-in-law and mother-in-law to come to the city to stay for a few days.

Now that they have a big house, Li Jiandong plans to let them come to the city to experience life during the Chinese New Year.

When the news of Sha Zhu's marriage spread back to the courtyard, it immediately caused discussion among everyone in the courtyard.

"What do you think of Zhuzi? With his good conditions, he can find any girl. Why did he choose a divorced girl?"

"Yes, and she's a babysitter. It's so annoying to raise a child for someone else."

"Otherwise why is he called Shazhu? I used to think he was not stupid, but judging from what happened this time, he is really stupid."

"Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense. It's not you who are getting married. What does it have to do with you if Zhuzi likes someone?"

The women in the yard all felt sorry for Sha Zhu.

But several of his fellow disciples were happy for him.

They had a lot of contact with Sha Zhu and knew that he had a dull personality. So many matchmakers had introduced him to girls before, but none of them worked out, mainly because he himself was not positive about the matter.

This time I finally found one I like. No matter if she is a divorced woman or not, it’s good enough that we are attracted to each other.

The wedding date is set for the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month.

However, on the third day after the heroic act of saving the beauty, Sha Zhu and Chen Xueru went to the street to get their marriage certificate.

Then, the two of them lived together shamelessly.

It is worth mentioning that although Sha Zhu lived in Chen Xueru's house, he still came to Li Jiandong to cook three meals a day.

In the past, he was often on duty or working overtime and couldn't come back.

However, after getting married, apart from being on call, he rarely works overtime, and even comes back specially to cook for everyone at noon.

With his diligent bootlicking, Li Jiandong's cooking skills have also improved by leaps and bounds.

Finally, on the day before Kuaifang’s holiday, Li Jiandong’s chef level reached the maximum.

[Your apprentice He Yuzhu successfully completed a dish, you gained 100 chef experience points, and your chef level has been upgraded. ]

[The current chef level has reached the maximum level, and the reward is unique skills: Global Food Encyclopedia (Chef)/Manchu-Han Banquet (Apprentice). ]

Li Jiandong opened the system and took a look. The Global Food Encyclopedia meant that he was now proficient in all the dishes in the world.

Every step from material selection to production can reach perfection.

To be honest, this unique skill is of little use to Li Jiandong as he usually has no time to cook.

However, for Sha Zhu, the sudden acquisition of the recipe for the Manchu Han Banquet greatly improved his cooking skills.

The chef skill is just a very common small skill, and it is so easy to upgrade.

Li Jiandong didn't have much expectation for the special skill, but it was different for Sha Zhu.

"Master, I want to discuss something with you."

After dinner that day, Sha Zhu ran over to Li Jiandong excitedly.

"what's up?"

"Master, I want to prepare my own wedding banquet this time. Do you think it's okay?"

Li Jiandong looked at Sha Zhu's expectant expression and knew why he made such a request.

He must have wanted to take advantage of the wedding day to show off his full banquet. Firstly, there were enough ingredients for him to show off, and secondly, he also wanted to leave Chen Xueru with a perfect wedding.

Li Jiandong guessed what he was thinking and of course he had to satisfy him.

"I have no objection, but you have to ask your parents and Chen Xueru's parents if they agree."

"I've already talked to Xueru, she has no objection, but as for my dad, Master, can you go with me to talk to him?"

Sha Zhu was beaten by He Daqing since he was a child, and he has a great psychological trauma from He Daqing.

Li Jiandong felt that the reason why he was so honest now was because He Daqing did not go with the White Widow, otherwise he might be a chatterbox like in the drama.

"Okay, the holiday is just a few days away. Let's go back and talk to him on the night of the Little New Year."

Li Jiandong has been very busy these days as things are piling up at the end of the year.

When Sha Zhu saw that he agreed, a huge stone was finally put down in his heart. If he told others that he could have a full banquet at his wedding, people would definitely be envious.

Of course, some people might say that it was a lavish affair, but marriage only happens once, so he would accept the criticism.

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month.

After the year-end summary meeting, the workers took their New Year’s goods home.

This year we have many world-leading inventions such as hydraulic excavators, automobile shock absorbers, hydraulic power steering, etc.

Therefore, although the grain and meat production this year is still sluggish, the authorities still sent a batch of New Year's goods to the steel mill.

In the entire northern city, only a few units distributed New Year's goods, which made the workers at the steel rolling mill proud and also particularly grateful for Li Jiandong's invention.

Everyone knows that only by following Li Jiandong can they get something to eat, which also makes Li Jiandong's prestige among the workers even higher.

When they returned to the courtyard, the people in the courtyard saw Li Jiandong and surrounded him.

"Old Li, you are now famous. Do you know what the workers are talking about you? They are praising you to the skies."

"Everyone in my unit is so envious that several people came to me today and asked me to come back and ask Uncle if they can work with him. I said if there is such an opportunity, I will go to the steel mill first. How can they get their turn?"

“But, to be honest, this time the steel mill has become the center of attention in our Nanluoguxiang.

There are only a few factories in the whole city that have distributed New Year's goods, and our steel mill is one of them."

"This is all because of Lao Li at the steel mill. Not only the steel mill, but also several other factories' inventions were all developed under Lao Li's guidance. They all benefited from Lao Li's influence."

Half of the people in Yard 40 are workers from the steel rolling mill, and they were very excited to bring back New Year’s goods this time.

Before, everyone thought that there would be nothing like last year, after all, other factories had already announced that they would not distribute New Year goods.

Who would have thought that on the last day of the holiday, the workers were suddenly asked to collect New Year's goods.

"Lao Li, come to my house for dinner later. I'll cook two more dishes and invite Hao Dang to have a couple of drinks."

He Daqing squeezed in from the crowd and pulled Li Jiandong towards the central courtyard.

His son Sha Zhu followed Li Jiandong, and He Daqing acted as if he didn't see his son.

Li Jiandong was dragged to the middle courtyard by him, and then he said, "Daqing, I came here to see you today, but forget about the meal. Zhuzi will get married in two days, you should save some meat for his wedding day and use it." "Alas, I wouldn't feel bad if you didn't say it. I have been entangled in this matter these days. You say that I am a cook who has been preparing wedding banquets for others for half my life, and now it's my son's turn, but I can't use it. Don't you think it's a pity?"

He Daqing suddenly became sentimental.

When other people are chefs, they would cook as little as possible.

But He Daqing really likes cooking, and he does it himself whenever he has the chance.

Of course, the big pot meals in the cafeteria don’t count. To He Daqing, that was just a mess. Can dishes cooked in a big pot still be called stir-fried dishes?
Li Jiandong laughed when he heard this.

This father and son are simply cut from the same cloth. They even thought of the same thing: wanting to prepare their own wedding banquet.

Originally, Li Jiandong thought this matter was not so easy to discuss.

Since He Daqing also wants to cook by himself, that shouldn’t be a big problem.

"Daqing, to tell you the truth, I came here today just to talk to you about this.

Like you, Zhuzi also wants to cook on his wedding day to give their wedding a special meaning. "

At this time, Sha Zhu also said:
"Dad, how about we cook together on my wedding day? I'll be the chef and you can help me."

"Nonsense, you were the groom that day, how could you have time to cook?"

He Daqing's face suddenly turned stern when he heard this.

"Besides, even if we cook together, I'll be the chef. How dare you ask me to help you?"

Li Jiandong smiled and said:
"Daqing, I have to say something fair for Zhuzi. Zhuzi's cooking skills may not be worse than yours."

"Really? I don't believe it."

He Daqing shook his head. Although Sha Zhu was his son, he did not follow in his father's footsteps. He could not cook at all. Even when he occasionally prepared for wedding banquets, he was always helping him. Where did he learn these skills? How could he dare to say that he was no worse than himself?
You know, when it comes to cooking, there are not many people in the whole of Beicheng who can make He Daqing admit defeat.

"Dad, this is my wedding, I just want to cook this time, don't argue with me. My master said I did as well as you did, how can you, as a father, not trust your son?"

Sha Zhu mustered up the courage to tell He Daqing that he was determined to be the chef for the wedding.

"Nonsense, your master is on your side, do you really think you are good enough? If you mess up such a big happy event because of your lack of skills, wouldn't people laugh at you?"

Anyway, no matter what, there is no way He Daqing can believe in Sha Zhu's level.

Xu Huizhen also said:
"Zhu Zi, don't argue with your dad. Marriage is a lifelong thing. Just this once, just be a good groom."

"No."

Shazhu was particularly stubborn this time.

That’s a full banquet.

Although, he himself didn't know why he suddenly inherited the Manchu-Han Banquet.

But, how proud would it be if you could bring this out at your own wedding banquet?

Sha Zhu himself may not want this face, but he wants Chen Xueru to have it.

"Okay, you two shouldn't quarrel over this. Let me tell you a way. Daqing, you don't want Zhuzi to do it yourself because you're afraid that he won't be good enough, right?"

Li Jiandong looked at He Daqing.

He Daqing nodded and said:
"That's right. If you really have my skills, it's not impossible for me to help you, but the prerequisite is that you can really cook as deliciously as I do."

Li Jiandong said:

"In this case, it's easy. Daqing, you name a dish, and then let Shazhu and you make one each. Then we can have a competition to see whose dish is the best, isn't that enough?"

Sha Zhu's specialty is the Manchu-Han Banquet, which includes all dishes from both the Manchu and Han ethnic groups.

It can be said that, except for some ethnic minority custom dishes, Shazhu can now cook almost all dishes in China, and he has mastered them all.

Of course, the Tan family cuisine that He Daqing is good at is also included.

"Okay, let's compete. Whoever wins will be the chef. I don't believe you can beat your father in cooking."

He Daqing is very confident in his craftsmanship.

Of course, his confidence also comes from his understanding of Shazhu.

It is impossible for my son to surpass me, so it would be a good thing to compare with him and make him give up.

As for whether Sha Zhu might perform too well and surpass himself, He Daqing was not worried about it at all.

When it comes to cooking, there are indeed times when you can do it well and times when you can do it badly.

However, this situation will only occur when using unfamiliar kitchen utensils or ingredients given by others. It is caused by unfamiliarity with the kitchen utensils and inaccurate judgment of the freshness of the ingredients.

And now he is at He Daqing's home. He uses these things to cook every day, so there is no possibility of them malfunctioning.

As long as he doesn't make any mistakes, even if Sha Zhu performs exceptionally well today, He Daqing can at least guarantee that he will remain invincible.

"In that case, I will ask someone to buy the ingredients, and then let everyone in the hospital be the judges. Daqing, don't cheat then."

Li Jiandong said with a smile.

He can be said to be the person who eats He Daqing's cooking the most, except Xu Huizhen.

Knowing the skills of both He Daqing and Sha Zhu, it is clear that Sha Zhu will be better in the end.

However, He Daqing didn't know that, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Lao Li, I, He Daqing, have never known what it feels like to default on a debt in my life."

"Besides, Zhuzi is my son. If he can cook better than me, I will be very happy."

Although He Daqing never said that he wanted Sha Zhu to take over his job.

But, in fact, he still hopes that someone will inherit his Tan family cuisine, after all, this is what he is most proud of.

However, Sha Zhu is now the chief of the police station, and his status and position are many times higher than that of a cook like him.

Even though he is the canteen director now, he can't compare with his son.

Therefore, for Sha Zhu's sake, He Daqing never asked for this.

But in his heart, he still had something on his mind.

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

Seeing that he agreed so painfully, Li Jiandong opened the door and walked out.

Outside, everyone gathered at the door, waiting to see what Li Jiandong said to He Daqing.

Seeing Li Jiandong coming out,

Yan Bugui was the first to speak up.

"Lao Li, what are you and Lao He talking about in there? Is there any change in Zhuzi's marriage?"

Yan Bugui has made a lot of preparations for Sha Zhu's wedding. After all, he will be the host.

Except for the time when Yan Jiecheng got married, Yan Bugui was the host of all the weddings for the children in the orphanage.

Firstly, he is a teacher after all and he is not afraid to stand in front of a crowd. Secondly, being a host has its advantages and Yan Bugui rushed to do it.

"Well, there are a few changes, but it's not a big deal."

Li Jiandong admitted that Sha Zhu wanted to prepare a full-course banquet at his wedding. This was indeed a change, but it was not a big change as the wedding would go on as scheduled.

"Dongxu, go home and use your gas stove."

"It means you go to the market to buy some ingredients and need two copies. Do you understand what I mean?"

Li Jiandong assigned work to his two apprentices.

Yan Jiecheng and Jia Dongxu are both big shots now.

Especially since Jia Dongxu is already the production director of the steel rolling mill, let alone in Yard 40.

Even in the entire street, he is a relatively famous official.

But in front of Li Jiandong, he is always just an apprentice, and when he assigns them to buy groceries and transport them, he has to do it quickly.

"Okay, Master, I'll go get it right away."

Jia Dongxu responded and walked out without asking anything.

Yan Jiecheng also replied:

"I see. I'm going to prepare two plates of the same dish, right? But what would you like to eat, Master?"

"Whatever you want to eat, just buy whatever you want."

"Okay, I'll go now."

After saying this, Yan Jiecheng also pushed his bicycle away.

People around were a little confused when they heard Li Jiandong's arrangement. He Daqing already had a gas stove at home, so why did he have to use Jia Dongxu's?

Could it be that the gas stove in his house is broken?

Why do we buy two copies of groceries? Do we prepare them to take away or do we use them for other purposes?
You know, during the famine years, not only rice, flour and meat were scarce, but vegetables were not easy to buy either. Many families ate cabbage, radish and pickles every day. Some families even didn't have cabbage or radish and could only make do with sweet noodle sauce.

So buying two dishes at a time definitely has its own rules.

(End of this chapter)