Chapter 108 Let me see your skills
Of course, He Yuzhu had already secretly taken and hidden the pistols and identification documents from the three men.
Taking advantage of the chaos, He Yuzhu slipped into an empty bathroom.
He quickly changed into clothes of a similar color and style, carefully washed his face, and made sure there was no trace of chili powder or pepper powder left on his body before squeezing back into his carriage.
He looked up at the overhead luggage rack.
He was lucky; his old leather suitcase was still safely in its original place.
It seems there really wasn't anything valuable in the box, so much so that even a thief wouldn't bother to steal it.
As the train slowly arrived at Jinmen Station, before the doors even opened, a team of uniformed police officers could be seen stationed on the platform.
In addition, there were many sharp-eyed and capable plainclothes officers patrolling back and forth on the platform.
As soon as the train came to a stop, the doors opened, and the people rushed forward, heading straight for the last carriage.
Passengers in other carriages also need to undergo strict checks one by one when disembarking.
He Yuzhu took out his ID and a few silver dollars from his personal space—if you don't carry a single penny when you go out, it will only arouse more suspicion.
Fortunately, the pass and travel permit that He Daqing issued to him stated that he was sixteen years old; otherwise, it would have been difficult to explain to others.
He was questioned by the police for nearly half an hour.
The police carefully registered his destination before waving him away, indicating that he could leave.
To say that the entire process was flawless would be an overstatement.
Those passengers near his seat who hadn't gotten off early must have seen him talking to Lao Zhao, but they didn't know the reason behind it.
Moreover, Lao Zhao and the flight attendant must have already gotten off the train and left.
The men who had been subdued were nowhere to be seen, and He Yuzhu did not see the police take the thugs out of the car.
As a result, this matter became an unsolved mystery with no clear solution.
As He Yuzhu exited the station, he unexpectedly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.
A car was parked by the roadside, with the window curtains half-drawn.
But who could blame He Yuzhu for having such exceptional eyesight?
That face, those glasses—who else could it be but Lao Yu?
It seems that his Aunt Wang really did come to have a "fake marriage" with this man.
He Yuzhu noticed a slightly strange smile creeping onto his lips, then turned and quickly left.
He had to get to Huifanglou as soon as possible.
The relevant information has already been registered. If they can't find him, the other party will probably come directly to his home.
He hailed a rickshaw and said he wanted to go to Huifanglou.
The driver was delighted to hear this – it was quite a journey, and he had landed a good job.
The rickshaw slowly stopped outside Huifanglou, and He Yuzhu paid the fare.
He got off the car carrying his suitcase, and as soon as he stepped into the threshold of Huifanglou, he was stopped by a waiter.
"Young master, I'm sorry, but our brothel has been completely booked out by distinguished guests today."
"If you'd like to eat, walk two blocks further ahead, there's a restaurant called Qingfenglou, you can go there..."
Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu looked up into the hall and his brows furrowed tightly.
There were clearly quite a few scattered diners inside; this was obviously an excuse to avoid serving me.
"I'm not here for a meal, I'm here to find someone," He Yuzhu said calmly.
"Looking for someone?" Upon hearing that they were looking for someone, the waiter carefully looked He Yuzhu up and down again.
"Please let me know that I'm looking for Chef Yuan."
"We have at least eight or ten cooks with the surname Yuan around here. Which one are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for Yuan Tianhong, Chef Yuan."
As soon as he finished speaking, the rag in the waiter's hand trembled violently. His gaze immediately shifted from He Yuzhu's coarse clothes to the old wooden box in his hand, its edges worn and frayed. His Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.
"You mean Yuan Touzhao? You should have said so earlier! I'm so sorry for rudeness earlier! Please come in, please come in quickly!"
As he spoke, he led He Yuzhu to an empty table with a fawning expression and quickly poured him a cup of hot tea, perfectly embodying the phrase "arrogant at first, then obsequious."
"May I ask your surname? I'll go to the kitchen right away and inform you!"
"His surname is He. Just tell Chef Yuan that He Daqing from Beijing is looking for him, and he will understand."
"Okay, please have a seat for a moment, I'll be right there!"
The waiter turned around and was about to run towards the kitchen when the manager, who was walking towards him, stopped him.
The shopkeeper had seen everything that had just happened. He had seen this kind of thing many times before, so he hadn't paid it any mind.
But seeing that the waiter not only let the person in but also served him tea, he guessed that this guest must be someone important.
Seeing the waiter rushing to the kitchen again, I assumed the customer had ordered something important.
"Feng Xiaodong, who is that guest? Why are you rushing to the kitchen in such a hurry?" the manager asked in a deep voice.
"Reporting to the manager, this guest is not here for a meal, but to look for someone," Feng Xiaodong quickly replied.
"Who are you looking for? If it's just someone looking for someone, you can tell them to wait at the back door. Why bring them into the main hall?" The shopkeeper looked puzzled.
"We're here to see Chef Yuan."
"Which Chef Yuan? Is it Master Yuan Tianhong?"
"Yes, yes, it is indeed him."
"Where did the guest come from? Did they give their name?"
"They said he came from Beijing, and his name was something like He Daqing."
"He Daqing... I've heard of that name before. Isn't he Chef Yuan's junior apprentice? But that young man just now looked to be only around twenty years old?" The shopkeeper looked puzzled.
"Well... Boss, should I go and call them or not?" Feng Xiaodong was a little undecided.
"Go, go, tell him to come over. What if he's a relative or an old friend? Don't let this little thing offend the head chef in the kitchen," the manager said, waving his hand.
"Alright, I'll go report to the kitchen right away!"
Although He Yuzhu couldn't hear the specific content of their hushed conversation, he took in their expressions and actions.
He didn't pay attention to these details, but simply lowered his head and sipped a few mouthfuls of tea. Then he sat down calmly and began to observe the Huifang Tower without making a sound.
The restaurant's decor exudes a rustic and elegant charm. The lobby is spacious and bright, and both the tables, chairs, and floors are spotless, showcasing the grandeur expected of a large establishment.
Most of the diners coming and going were dressed smartly and elegantly, making his coarse clothes seem out of place in comparison. No wonder the waiter had stopped him from entering.
Not long after, the same waiter led a middle-aged man wearing a white apron and a chef's hat out from the kitchen.
This person had a round face and a slightly plump figure, looking quite prosperous.
As they approached, He Yuzhu stood up, and the middle-aged man spoke first:
"Young man, are you looking for me? What's your relationship with He Daqing?"
"You must be Master Yuan Tianhong? He Daqing is my father."
"Your father is He Daqing? That doesn't make sense. I remember my junior brother's child should only be twelve or thirteen years old."
"Uncle-Master, my name is He Yuzhu. I just turned twelve this year, but I'm a bit taller than usual. This is a letter my father specially asked me to bring to you."
He Yuzhu answered with a smile, while carefully taking out a letter from his pocket and respectfully handing it over with both hands.
Yuan Tianhong took the envelope with a hint of doubt, opened it and read it carefully, then looked He Yuzhu up and down again.
"Are you really only twelve years old?"
"It's absolutely true that she's twelve years old, but she looks a bit older than her age."
"You came here to learn how to cook?"
"That's right, I came here specifically to learn cooking from my master."
"Your father didn't elaborate in his letter about what skills he taught you."
He Daqing did not mention in his letter that he was no longer able to teach his son. If he had written that, probably no restaurant would have dared to take him on as an apprentice.
One should always maintain a degree of humility when speaking and avoid making overly definitive statements.
"Well... I'm fairly familiar with basic knife skills and side dish preparation."
"Please wait here for a moment. I'll go and say hello to the manager, and then I'll take you to the kitchen."
After saying this, Yuan Tianhong took the letter to the shopkeeper, briefly explained the situation, and then returned to He Yuzhu and said:
"Come on, follow me into the kitchen, let's see how good your cooking is."
"Okay." He Yuzhu picked up the wooden box at his feet.
"Give the box to Feng Xiaodong and have him keep it safe for you. You can come back to pick it up later."
"Yes, I will follow your instructions, Master."
The two entered the kitchen one after the other. Yuan Tianhong first asked He Yuzhu to wash his hands, and then pointed to a cutting board used for chopping vegetables.
"In the past, you'd chop a bunch of vegetables to show me your skills."
He Yuzhu nodded and walked to the cutting board, quickly glancing at it.
Potatoes, carrots, white radishes, Chinese cabbage, green peppers—all kinds of seasonal vegetables are available.
He first tried out several kitchen knives on the knife rack, then picked out the one that suited him best, and carefully peeled off the skin of a potato.
Cut a clean, flat surface on the cutting board, place the potato steadily, and then you'll hear a series of light and crisp "snap snap snap" sounds.
In just a short while, the whole potato was sliced into evenly thin slices.
He neatly arranged the sliced thin pieces, and with another series of powerful "thump thump thump" sounds, the thin slices were cut into fine and even shreds in the blink of an eye.
He gently scooped up the potato shreds with the flat of his knife and placed them into a basin of clean water prepared beside him. Each shred was the same thickness, like a basin of neatly arranged matchsticks.
Throughout He Yuzhu's entire vegetable-cutting process, Yuan Tianhong stood by and silently observed.
When he saw the neatly arranged shredded potatoes in the basin, he already made a judgment in his mind—this child's chopping skills didn't need to be learned from scratch.