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

Sha Zhu pushed his bicycle to the entrance of the street office. The first thing Director Wang saw was the pork hanging on the handlebars, swaying brightly in the air.

"Zhu Zi, it's this late, and you still have such a fatty piece of pork left for you."

"That's right, what can I do? I'm a cook, every butcher knows me. I even made arrangements with them yesterday."

Sha Zhu was very arrogant. He clearly took it out of his own space and wasn't afraid of Director Wang pressing him for details.

"I'm not exaggerating, but I used to be a purchasing agent for Fengzeyuan. If I went to the Zhushikou area, there was no ingredient I couldn't buy."

"Look at my second uncle, he's been learning from me for just a few days, and he knows every ingredient store like the back of his hand!" Sha Zhu shook his head.

"It's a pity that many stores have started limiting purchases now, and business is not as good as before!"

Director Wang, too lazy to listen to Sha Zhu's nonsense, asked directly, "Zhu Zi, which direction did you come from just now? Did you hear the sound of a cow mooing? It's that little yellow cow from our New Year's celebration!"

Sha Zhu committed the crime in the northwest of Nanluoguxiang. On his way back, he took a huge detour, coming back from the south. He wasn't afraid that Director Wang would notice anything.

"Director Wang, I don't know either. I just came back from the vegetable market near Di'anmen. I heard some older women vaguely hear gunshots and cow mooing, and they were chatting and said it was the sound of firecrackers. I didn't hear anything at all."

At this point, Sha Zhu's eyes widened, revealing great interest. "Director Wang, you mean the little yellow ox has reappeared? In which direction? Let's go take a look!"

"What are you looking at? What's so interesting? You'll lose your life if you keep looking at it. Go home right now!"

Director Wang was about to go back to his office when he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, "Zhu Zi, how's the drawing I asked you to help with coming along?"

Pictures, pictures, more pictures! What's the use of giving you pictures so early when you haven't even decided on a factory location yet?

"I've drawn two or three more. I'm planning to go to the Ōmae area this weekend to find some inspiration. Can I finish them by next Tuesday?"

Upon hearing this, Director Wang beamed with joy, "I'll go to your house with you to get it."

Director Wang said earnestly, "Zhu Zi, the blueprints you drew are crucial to the factory's development plan. I need to make a sample first."

To put it simply, the more blueprints you draw, the more practical they are, and the larger the lumber mill might become.

"So they're trying to pin this on me," Sha Zhu thought to himself. "If the lumber mill gets smaller and we need fewer workers, then it'll become my problem!"

Sha Zhu was on the verge of tears, and was about to lead Director Wang home when suddenly a junior staff member ran out of the street office.

He rushed to Director Wang's side, "Director Wang, it's your phone, yes, yes!"

The junior officer glanced at Sha Zhu beside him and whispered to Director Wang, "I just got a call. A lot of people in Nanluoguxiang were arrested at the casino. They need you to go over there to cooperate..."

Director Wang grew anxious upon hearing this, "Cooperate what? Did you hang up the phone?!"

"No, no, I asked you to go answer the phone!" the junior officer stammered.

"You can't even speak clearly!" Director Wang didn't care about the blueprints anymore and turned to walk into the street office.

During the Chinese New Year, a gambling den in his own neighborhood was shut down, triggering a series of events that led to a thorough house-to-house crackdown.

We've arrested countless spies, but we never expected that people from our own neighborhood would be gambling elsewhere.

Judging from the sounds just now, something big must have happened on another street!

Where did Director Wang find that stuttering kid? It's been over six months, and he still can't speak clearly! Little did Sha Zhu know there were outsiders present, so he didn't dare to say anything out of turn.

After watching the two enter the neighborhood office, Sha Zhu turned his bicycle around and went home.

Seeing this, Aunt Dong from the alley entrance quickly got up, picked up the little boy, and followed closely behind. The little boy immediately stopped crying and wiped his tears with his little fist.

"What a tragedy! How could I have such a grandson like you? All you ever do is eat, eat, eat!"

Sha Zhu pushed open his front door, and cheerful laughter echoed from the yard!

A dozen or so children were playing in their own yard, some jumping rope, some riding rocking horses, some playing chess, some building blocks... If you add a few more entertainment options, your own house will become an entertainment palace.

Sha Zhu rarely chased people away. Usually, the first thing he did upon returning was to let out the two half-grown geese that were huddled in the corner.

I got back a little late today, and the yard had become an amusement park.

All the children seemed to be watching Shazhu intently, as if afraid that Yushui's brother would walk towards the little goose.

When Sha Zhu took the meat off the bicycle, the children playing in the yard turned their attention to Sha Zhu's hands.

Such a large piece of fatty meat! The sound of swallowing saliva could be heard from time to time!

The courtyard fell silent instantly. The children playing jump rope stopped, the rocking horse stopped swaying, and the clatter of chess pieces lingered for a long time.

The children stacking blocks seemed oblivious to their surroundings, while the little girl reading the comic book looked up in confusion.

It was as if the courtyard had been put on pause. If it weren't for the occasional swallowing sounds, Sha Zhu would have suspected that the courtyard had suddenly gained the ability to freeze time, just like his spatial warehouse.

Grandma Dong, carrying her child, walked past Sha Zhu, glancing at the children in the yard who seemed unaffected.

I walked to the grape trellis in the courtyard, sat on the stone bench, and watched the children play. Only the child in my arms stretched out his little hand, pointed towards the kitchen, and said, "Meat!"

Sha Zhu walked into the kitchen, and the sound of children's laughter rang out again outside.

Looking at the children playing in the yard, Sha Zhu felt a surge of sympathy. After all, he had just made another ill-gotten gain today.

Although they didn't take a single penny of the casino's money, they didn't hand over a single penny of the money in the secret agents' basement.

What good food should I get for these kids? It's driving me crazy!

This season, not only are vegetables and fruits scarce, but there's an unusually large supply of tomatoes and cucumbers, which is inexplicable.

Apples and pears, needless to say, are precious items.

If we don't attract attention, then let's continue making wild vegetable pancakes and boil some mung bean soup. Let these little guys have a good meal today.

The wild vegetable pancakes smelled especially good today, thanks to the lard rendered from pork fat. In no time, the aroma of the pancakes filled the kitchen.

A few little ones couldn't resist running to the kitchen doorway and peering inside.

Sha Zhu made five huge pancakes. They were enormous! Sha Zhu couldn't possibly eat even half a pancake by himself, and even if he could, he'd probably get a stomachache from overeating.

The chess pieces on the stone table were removed, and a plate of sliced ​​wild vegetable pancakes, a large plate of pickled vegetable shreds, a large pot of mung bean soup, and a large bowl of pork cracklings were placed on the table. All the children gathered around.

Two pieces of pork cracklings were given to each child, just the right amount. The children couldn't wait to stuff them into their mouths.

After the children finished eating the pork cracklings, Sha Zhu looked at the stone table and gestured, "What are you looking at me for? Help yourselves and start eating!"

In an instant, more than twenty tiny paws reached out towards the vegetable pancake.

Sha Zhu served Aunt Dong a bowl of mung bean soup and took two pieces of flatbread to eat.

Watching the children wolfing down their food around the stone table, Aunt Dong sighed and said, "Zhu Zi, how much food have you fed them!"

Sha Zhu thought to himself with disdain, "As if you didn't eat anything!"

Aunt Dong didn't eat anything; she was focused on taking care of her grandson in her arms.

No sooner had he finished speaking than he couldn't resist taking two bites of the vegetable pancake.

“Everyone donated their money, and the children didn’t have enough to eat, so all I could give them were cornbread and wild vegetable pancakes.”

As Sha Zhu and Aunt Dong were chatting, Manager Jin walked in with two apprentices from the small restaurant's kitchen.

Seeing the situation in the courtyard, I was a little confused. So many children were eating and drinking around the stone table.

Watching those children eat like they were starving, and smelling the aroma of vegetable pancakes wafting from the yard, I couldn't help but steal a few more glances.

Did Chef He invent some new dish? These kids are scrambling to grab it.

As Manager Jin approached, the aroma became even stronger. It turned out to be vegetable pancakes. I wonder how Chef He made them. Could he pass on the recipe to our small restaurant?

Manager Jin couldn't help but swallow hard before saying, "Master He, I've brought two of my comrade's children over. Look!" After saying that, Manager Jin glanced at Aunt Dong and the group of children.

Sha Zhu understood that he was afraid that if he didn't accept disciples, he would lose face and it wouldn't look good.

Since Director Wang said it was no problem, let's just accept it. Anyway, I don't need to teach it myself.

"Aunt Dong, could you please keep an eye on the children in the yard and make sure they don't get sick from eating bad food?"

After Sha Zhu finished speaking, he led Manager Jin and the other two people towards the living room.

Aunt Dong was a little dizzy. "I even want to leave my own grandson with his mother, but you silly Zhuzi, you want me to look after these kids for you."

Looking at the children wolfing down their food in the yard, Aunt Dong felt dizzy!

"Master He, how did you make that vegetable pancake? It smelled so good." Manager Jin couldn't help but ask as he walked behind.

"Even if I told you, it wouldn't make any difference. It's just a kind of wild vegetable pancake. Manager Jin can't possibly collect that many wild vegetables."

However, if you'd like to expand the menu at your small restaurant, I can send you some recipes for pancakes.

Manager Jin's eyes lit up. "Master He, please explain in detail."

"The kind you just mentioned was made from wild vegetables from the fields, which was too simple and also had a limited shelf life."

I have many recipes for making pancakes here, such as savory pancakes, spring pancakes, scallion pancakes, vegetable pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, corn pancakes, scallion pancakes, scallion and pork pancakes…”

Manager Jin found it unbearable to hear and unconsciously wiped the corner of his mouth.

If, as Master He says, these pancakes are as fragrant as those outside, wouldn't his little restaurant be even better?

Sha Zhu didn't care about spreading these recipes, since he wasn't going to get rich by making pancakes anyway.

If small restaurants offer a wide variety of dishes, it's so convenient to just buy food and eat at home in the morning – so easy!

Besides, the restaurant is so close to home, I don't need to build any connections. Who knows, maybe I won't even need to queue anymore to buy it.

“What Master He said is true, and he is really willing to pass on his knowledge,”

Sha Zhu waved his hand dismissively and said, "I'll write down the recipe for you when I have time, and then I'll go over and give you some guidance, and that should be about it."

Manager Jin was overjoyed. He Yuzhu was indeed a great person and someone she could get along with. From now on, if Xiaoyushui goes to the kitchen again, she'll just pretend she doesn't see it.

After Sha Zhu finished speaking, he looked at the two new apprentices.

"Manager Jin, would you like to introduce these two, or..."

Manager Jin kicked the two men on the buttocks, yelling, "Kneel down and kowtow to your master!"

Manager Jin kicked the two men to the ground, then pointed at one of them and said,

"This kid's name is Li Jianguo, the same name as the Li Jianguo in our neighborhood office."

His father and I were very close. He died in battle. His mother worked in a textile factory, and he has a younger sister in elementary school.

This kid couldn't do well in school, so he dropped out. He's always getting into fights in the streets; he's become a street thug.

Even my mother couldn't control him; he was always crying, so I put him right under my nose.

"Fighting, fighting is great! I especially love fighting. Kid, here's the deal: if you can beat me down, you don't need to kowtow and become my apprentice. I'll teach you all my skills."

Sha Zhu looked at the young man in front of him, who was about the same age as him, and said.

Manager Jin quickly stopped him, "Master He, there's no need for that. I just want these two lads to learn a trade."

Manager Jin was getting anxious. This comrade's child had also been trained since childhood. He himself had cleaned up this kid's messes several times.

Although I've heard that Master He has fought people, those were all fancy moves, nothing compared to the killing skills on the battlefield.

The young man didn't care about all that; he just wanted to become an apprentice, and he even had to kowtow to acknowledge the master. What era are we living in?

We have to teach this young master a lesson. He's about my age. If he wants to be my master, he'll have to see if his fists are up to par!

Ignoring the fact that Manager Jin was right next to him, the young man immediately stood up, took a few steps back, and looked at Sha Zhu provocatively.

Manager Jin wanted to go up and teach his comrade's child a lesson, but Sha Zhu immediately stopped him.

"Manager Jin, you don't understand. People our age won't obediently acknowledge someone as their master unless they've beaten them into submission. Even if they reluctantly become disciples, they won't truly be convinced!"

Sha Zhu, with his immense strength, easily pulled Manager Jin aside, took a stance, and provocatively beckoned to Li Jianguo.

Manager Jin was horrified. He had no chance to resist at all and was pulled aside by this young Master He.

Just because of Li Jianguo's name, I have to teach him a good lesson. Otherwise, what will I do when I see Brother Li from the neighborhood committee? How did Brother Li become my apprentice? Sha Zhu did this on purpose, didn't he?

Unable to bear the provocation, the young man Li Jianguo gritted his teeth and threw a straight punch at Sha Zhu's face.

"Hmm, this is starting to look pretty impressive," Sha Zhu thought with delight. "Let's have some fun then."

A few seconds later, Li Jianguo fell to the ground.

Li Jianguo gritted his teeth, careless, and got up to rush towards Sha Zhu again!

A few seconds later, Li Jianguo, with his buttocks turned backward, assumed the "Wild Geese Descending on the Sand" pose!

Li Jianguo got up again, realizing that he had been careless.

They adopted a stance, hesitant to take the initiative to step forward.

If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain!

Sha Zhu stepped forward, and a few seconds later, Li Jianguo was thrown over the shoulder and was in so much pain that he didn't want to get up.

"Huh, I thought it would be something amazing. I was just trying to stretch my muscles, but this is all!"

Li Jianguo was spurred on and got up again.

Sha Zhu was overjoyed at the sight; he loved it. He quickly got into a fighting stance, waiting for the kid to throw another punch.

With a "thump," Li Jianguo knelt down on both knees in front of Sha Zhu, saying, "Master, your disciple is willing to follow you and learn martial arts."

Sha Zhu was dumbfounded; he had been poised to unleash his power.

He turned around and sat back down in the chair.

Another young man, his previous indifference vanished, replaced by a beaming smile as he held up his teacup. "Master, please have some tea. My name is Jiang Yuanchao."

Sha Zhu sighed, "This name is truly, truly in line with the characteristics and trends of the times!" He took the teacup and took a small sip.

Jiang Yuanchao respectfully kowtowed, then looked up at his master and said, "Master, may I also learn martial arts from you?"

Manager Jin was furious. Although he was initially unwilling to let the two children of his comrades kneel down, he reluctantly agreed in order to learn a skill.

These two kids aren't learning cooking, they're learning martial arts. What are they trying to do? Rebel?

"Why learn martial arts?" Sha Zhu asked.

"I'm going to the battlefield to kill the enemy and avenge my father," Jiang Yuanchao said, tears streaming down his face.

"Alright, get up, all of you. If you want to learn martial arts, you need to eat first. Learning a skill is the foundation for settling down and making a living. Master cooking first, and then I'll consider teaching you martial arts!"

Go to the battlefield? What battlefield? Wait until you've mastered your culinary skills. The Korean War is over, who are we going to fight now? India? When will that happen?

Sha Zhu went back to his bedroom and brought out two books, then returned to the living room and handed one to each of his two apprentices.

I didn't originally intend to give them the gifts so soon, but now that both of my apprentices are completely obedient, I'll just give them to them.

Sha Zhu glanced at Manager Jin, "Take this book back and practice on your own. The cooking skills you learn in a small restaurant kitchen are just the basics; the essence is all in this book."

Remember, this book is for your own safekeeping only. You are not allowed to show it to anyone, not even your manager. Of course, fellow students can exchange and learn from each other!

"Manager Jin, when you get back, please tell Wang Chaoyang that I have taken on these two apprentices."

Although Manager Kim was curious about the contents of the book, she was still very happy to hear what Sha-zhu was saying.

This means that Master He has already allowed Xiao Wang to teach him cooking skills.

Learning how to make braised food in the kitchen is already quite an achievement, but I didn't expect to receive a book as a gift!

I don't know what kind of culinary knowledge is in the book, but Director Wang said that Chef He comes from a family with a long history of culinary skills and has a particularly skilled chef!

Could this book contain culinary knowledge passed down from Chef He's elders? Those two boys have really benefited today!

Master He is such a good person!