Silly Zhu's Moving: The Old Neighbor's Nightmare

"Okay, thank you. Please keep an eye on things for me. I'll get back to work now," Wang Yijun quickly thanked him.

On the other side, Sha Zhu skillfully picked up the large wok and quickly stir-fried the vegetables, which rapidly released an enticing aroma under the high temperature.

The original flavor of a vegetable is amplified and released.

Sha Zhu didn't seem flustered at all, even though it was his first time cooking. He was as composed as a seasoned master chef, occasionally tasting the dishes he had made.

The waiters shuttled between the kitchen and the front of the house, quickly and accurately delivering freshly cooked dishes to the customers' tables.

As lunchtime approached, the atmosphere in the kitchen began to become somewhat tense.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Sha Zhu's forehead. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued working.

It wasn't until after 2 p.m., after lunch and most of the guests had left, that Sha Zhu finally had a chance to catch his breath.

My arm doesn't even feel like my own anymore. No wonder my father, He Daqing, would rather have an easier job in the steel mill's kitchen than come here to earn more money.

I wonder if He Daqing has gotten involved with that widow Bai.

What was the reason for their affair? Was it just that He Daqing was lusting after Bai Widow's body? Was there anyone in the courtyard interfering?

Just as he was thinking about all this, he suddenly heard his master calling him. "Zhu Zi, hurry up, grab your backpack and come with me." "Okay, coming right away." His master's way of calling Zhu Zi was so unpredictable.

Sha Zhu quickly went to the dormitory to grab his backpack and followed behind his master.

This helped him find a martial arts master.

Master Wang Yijun said as they walked, "The training master I found for you is my neighbor, not far from where I live."

I just moved here not long ago, and now I'm a coach at the Beijing Wushu Academy, I think it's something like Liuhequan (Six Harmonies Boxing).

During his rest time, he also takes on students and teaches martial arts. He teaches any neighborhood child who wants to learn.

That's right. In this day and age, most people can't even afford to eat, so who has the time to learn martial arts?

Practicing martial arts is quite physically demanding, so there aren't many people around when he's resting.

"Many martial arts practitioners often seek him out for instruction, and everyone likes to join in the fun," Master Wang Yijun said, pushing his bicycle. "Come on, Zhuzi, get on quickly, we'll be there soon."

"Okay!" Sha Zhu said, and with a swift movement, he sat steadily in the back seat of the car.

After riding the bicycle for about ten minutes, we arrived near the driver's house, which was located on the edge of Zhengyangmen East Street. The bicycle turned into an alley...

The bicycle stopped at the entrance to a courtyard. The gate was wide open. The driver pushed the bicycle through the gate, parked it, and walked inside.

"Is Master Li here?" Just as the master finished speaking, a middle-aged man of about 30 years old and about 1.75 meters tall came out from the main room. He was wearing shorts and looked quite energetic.

"Oh, Master Wang, you've arrived. This young man is the one you mentioned last night who you wanted to bring here to learn martial arts," Master Li said, looking at me.

"Yes, his cooking skills aren't even finished yet, but this kid insisted I find him a martial arts master. I had no choice, and it just so happens our two houses are close by. Since you're taking on apprentices, I brought him along. I hope it won't be a burden on you," Master Wang Yijun said, looking at the boy with a hint of disappointment.

"What's the trouble? If you want to learn, I'll teach you right away." Then he looked at Sha Zhu and asked, "Young man, what's your name? Do you just want to learn for fun, or do you want to practice seriously? What are you going to do with martial arts?"

"Of course I'd beat up Da Mao! No, Master, I mainly don't want to be bullied, and it's good for my health too. My name is He Yuzhu, but my master often calls me Zhuzi or Silly Zhu," Silly Zhu blurted out.

It seems that Sha Zhu feels he hasn't beaten Da Mao hard enough in the past, so he'll continue to beat Da Mao after he finishes his martial arts training.

"Oh, you silly Zhu, you don't seem so silly after all." "Alright, I'll accept you as my disciple. Your master's name is Li Xinggong, and I will mainly teach you Xinyi Liuhe Quan. Once you've learned it, you're not allowed to fight, understand?"

As soon as Master Li finished speaking, Wang Yijun kicked him in front of him, yelling, "Hurry up and kneel down, kowtow, and become his apprentice! What are you standing there for?"

Sha Zhu quickly took off the backpack he was carrying, put it aside, and respectfully kowtowed three times to Li Xinggong.

He handed the tea to the master and said, "Master, please have some tea." "Hmm, get up quickly. You have to work every day and only have time on weekends, right?" Master Li asked.

Sha Zhu said busily, "Master, I start work at nine every morning and would like to learn from you in the morning so I can have all day on weekends. I just don't know if it will take up your time."

"Okay, no problem. Then you'll have to come at six o'clock every morning. I also need to practice every morning. Will I be able to get out of bed?" Master Li thought for a moment and said.

Master Wang Yijun, who was standing nearby, said, "Zhuzi, why don't you stop staying in the dormitory and move to my house? There are empty rooms available."

Master Li Xinggong said, “Then why don’t you just stay here? I practice my kung fu every day and I’m afraid of disturbing the neighbors, so I rented this small courtyard. There are four or five empty rooms that no one lives in. Perfect timing, after I finish practicing with Zhuzi in the morning, Master Wang, you can go to work with Zhuzi.”

Wang Yijun thought for a moment and said, "That works too. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Master Li." "Trouble what? He's your apprentice, and he's also my apprentice," Li Xinggong said with a smile.

And just like that, without giving Sha Zhu a chance to speak, the two masters made arrangements for him.

Sha Zhu thought dejectedly. He was hoping to rent a place of his own, but it seemed he wouldn't have the time for the time being.

Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Wang Yijun said, "Master Li, you're busy. This bag contains the apprenticeship gift that Zhuzi brought for you. Just leave the bag here for now. Zhuzi and I are going back to work. I'll bring Zhuzi's package over after get off work tonight, and we can have a drink this weekend."

"Okay, no problem. You guys go to work now, don't be late for work," Mr. Li said, quickly standing up.

"Okay, see you tonight then." Wang Yijun said politely as he walked out. Seeing this, Sha Zhu quickly went to push his bicycle.

Once they reached the main road, Sha Zhu said, "Master, I'll give you a ride," and immediately hopped on his bicycle. "Sha Zhu, are you sure you can handle this?" Wang Yijun asked, still worried.

"Don't worry, Master, just come up. I've been trained." Sha Zhu said confidently.

After the master carefully got on the bicycle, Sha Zhu rode the bicycle with the master towards Fengzeyuan.

Back at Fengzeyuan, Shazhu checked the time; he still had almost an hour before work. Following his supervisor's instructions, he went back to the dormitory to pack his luggage.

I probably won't be coming back to the dorm, so I'll pack up my bedding and put other things I don't need for the time being in my storage space.

Seeing that there was still time, Sha Zhu entered the space, rushed into the lake, and took a bath.

After leaving the space, they headed towards the kitchen. Chef Wang Yijun saw Sha Zhu and said, "Zhu Zi, you've washed your hair and packed your luggage."

Sha Zhu thought to himself, "If I weren't afraid of revealing my secret, I would have to change all my clothes."

Busy with work, he said, "Um, Master, it's too hot, I rinsed my hair with cold water." His second senior brother chimed in, "Zhu Zi, you don't live in the dormitory anymore."

"Well, Second Senior Brother, I didn't plan to move out so soon. Master helped me find a martial arts master. That master has many empty rooms in his house, which is convenient for me to practice martial arts, so I'm staying there. Second Senior Brother, do you think you want to practice with me?"

Sha Zhu looked at his second senior brother, probably worried that the drinking plan would fall through.

The second senior brother hurriedly said, "Hmm--drinking is fine, but there's no need to practice martial arts. It wasn't easy for your second senior brother to gain up this weight."

Sha Zhu looked regretful and said, "You don't practice martial arts, so I'm embarrassed to bring you to my place. Master Li is eager to find a disciple right now. If you agree to train with me, I'll treat you to a drink."

"Zhu Zi, you're just making empty promises. You promised me a drink, but there's still no follow-up. Now you're just making empty promises again."