What are the plans for Chapter 109?

However, Huifang Restaurant serves halal cuisine, with beef and mutton as the main ingredients, and the methods for cutting vegetables and meat are quite different.

He then had He Yuzhu try cutting meat into cubes, strips, slices, and even fine shreds to test his knife skills.

He Yuzhu still cut neatly and efficiently, without the slightest sign of panic or unfamiliarity.

Such a level of skill could never have been achieved by his junior brother simply teaching him a little bit of the basics.

Yuan Tianhong's curiosity grew even stronger, and he casually asked, "Have you ever worked at the stove or held a wok before?"

He Yuzhu respectfully replied, "Uncle-Master, I can cook some Shandong cuisine dishes, but I have never studied halal cuisine before, so I don't know how to cook it yet."

"Then let's make a dish of premium tofu first, and then stir-fry a plate of shredded potatoes with vinegar."

Yuan Tianhong glanced at the ingredients at hand and, without choosing anything too complicated, casually gave his instructions.

After He Yuzhu had prepared all the ingredients, he steadily lifted the large wok, which weighed about ten kilograms.

The heavy wok flew up and down in his hands, moving it with effortless ease, showing no sign of strain.

This effortless and skillful demeanor not only surprised Yuan Tianhong, who was watching from the sidelines, but also attracted the attention of the apprentices, handymen, and other cooks around him.

A thought involuntarily surfaced in Yuan Tianhong's mind: "He Daqing, you wouldn't have come here specifically to trick me, would you?"

He muttered to himself, "This isn't some promising culinary student sent here; it's clearly a seasoned expert who's come specifically to cause trouble!"

"Uncle-Master, please try it." Yuan Tianhong's turbulent thoughts were gently interrupted by He Yuzhu, who brought over the finished dishes.

"Okay!" Yuan Tianhong quickly responded, first picking up a mouthful of hot and sour shredded potatoes with his chopsticks and putting it into his mouth.

The shredded potatoes are tangy, crisp, and refreshing, cooked to perfection—neither undercooked nor overly soft.

He then tasted the dish of premium tofu and found the tofu to be delicate and smooth, the broth to be rich and flavorful, and the flavor to be incredibly complex.

"Come over and have a taste, learn from their skills." He called out to those around him, then pulled He Yuzhu to a quiet corner.

He lowered his voice and asked, "You kid, are you really here to learn cooking from a master chef?"

He then followed up with, "With your current skills, you should be able to rank among the top in the Shandong cuisine circle, right?"

"Absolutely true, I'm here to learn from my senior master," He Yuzhu replied frankly.

"I just never had a formal master. Learning from my father was just a family tradition, not a formal apprenticeship."

"Then tell your master the truth, how much of your father's skills have you actually learned?" Yuan Tianhong's expression became serious.

"Speaking of Shandong cuisine alone, I've probably mastered about 70-80% of it," He Yuzhu replied truthfully after a moment's thought.

"As for Tan family cuisine... I've never had the chance to try it, and my family doesn't have all those expensive ingredients."

"Your father specially sent you to Tianjin, perhaps hoping you could take advantage of the convenience here to practice your Tan family cuisine skills?" Yuan Tianhong asked tentatively.

"Yes, the seafood here is plentiful, and there are more opportunities to practice." He Yuzhu did not deny it.

"So, are you truly sincere about wanting to become my disciple?" Yuan Tianhong asked seriously, his expression turning solemn.

"Let me make this clear first. My only skill is in cooking halal food, but when it comes to Shandong cuisine, I'm afraid I'm not as good as your father."

"I genuinely want to become your apprentice," He Yuzhu said with absolute certainty. "Otherwise, why would I have traveled all the way from Beijing to Tianjin alone?"

He immediately countered with a question: "Or... is it that you, Martial Uncle, are unwilling to accept me as your disciple?"

"Take it! Of course we have to take it!" Yuan Tianhong replied immediately without any hesitation.

"But if you want to stay and work at Fanglou, I'll have to discuss this with the manager again."

He then explained, "It's definitely not appropriate for you to do odd jobs like chopping and cutting. I'll ask the manager if we can arrange for you to help out at the stove."

"No need to ask, I'm already here."

Just then, a steady voice slowly came from behind the two of them.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tianhong recognized it as Manager Bai's voice and quickly turned around, saying, "Manager Bai, do you think this... is appropriate? Zhu Zi only arrived today after all."

"I have personally tasted those two dishes, and I have also clearly seen his skill in chopping and tossing the food," Manager Bai said unhurriedly.

"With his skill level, he could easily be put in charge of the second kitchen."

He changed the subject slightly, looking at He Yuzhu: "But this young man—"

"Manager Bai, my name is He Yuzhu." He Yuzhu took the initiative to introduce himself.

"Then I'll follow your senior apprentice and call you Zhuzi." Manager Bai nodded slightly. "I overheard a few words of your conversation just now."

"It's obvious that you can't cook halal food."

He hesitated for a moment, then made a decision on the spot: "So, for now, we can only start with Sanzao. What do you think?"

"Hurry up and thank Manager Bai properly!" Yuan Tianhong gently nudged He Yuzhu and quickly reminded him.

"Thank you for your kindness, Manager Bai!" He Yuzhu clasped his hands and bowed respectfully to Manager Bai.

"Chef Yuan, when are you planning to hold this child's apprenticeship ceremony?" Manager Bai asked with a smile.

"Zhu Zi has only just arrived in Tianjin, so he needs to settle into his accommodations and get familiar with the surroundings first," Yuan Tianhong replied calmly.

"There's no need to rush the important matter of becoming an apprentice."

Actually, he had just impulsively decided to take on a disciple because he appreciated talent.

After calming down and thinking it over carefully, I feel it would be more prudent to observe secretly for a while longer.

After all, the two had only known each other for a short time, and he had no idea what kind of person He Yuzhu was.

Furthermore, there's an old rule in the industry that he shouldn't be given odd jobs or errands.

Given his skills, it's probably unrealistic to expect him to endure two years of hardship like an ordinary apprentice.

He wanted to ask He Yuzhu privately what his true intentions were before making any further arrangements.

"Alright, you two can discuss and decide for yourselves. I'll go to the main hall to take care of the business."

Manager Bai could tell that Yuan Tianhong seemed to have some concerns, so he stopped asking questions.

"Please take care," the two said simultaneously, bowing.

After Manager Bai turned and left, Yuan Tianhong said to He Yuzhu, "Come with me, I have some questions for you privately."

"Okay," He Yuzhu replied softly.

The two arrived at the small room where Yuan Tianhong usually rested, and Yuan Tianhong slowly asked:

"Zhu Zi, how long did you learn Shandong cuisine from your father, from beginning to end?"

"It will only take a few months," He Yuzhu replied truthfully.

"Only a few months?" Yuan Tianhong exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this, his face filled with disbelief.

"Yes," He Yuzhu explained patiently. "I was studying at a school before, and after graduating from school last July, I started to focus on learning cooking from my father."

"I studied until around the Lunar New Year, which took a total of about five months."

"Then your solid and steady basic skills..." Yuan Tianhong looked at the young man in front of him, his heart filled with doubt and shock.

"When my father went out to work, I always took care of all three meals a day at home myself," He Yuzhu smiled. "Over time, I gradually developed some skills."

"So what exactly are your plans for coming to Tianjin this time?" Yuan Tianhong steered the conversation to the main topic.

"If you are willing to teach me, I will definitely study hard and never tarnish your reputation in the future," He Yuzhu said earnestly. "But I will not do any odd jobs or errands. As for the length of my service... we need to discuss that further."

He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "As you know, the world is not peaceful these days."

"Sigh, I knew it would turn out like this." Yuan Tianhong sighed softly. "But the way you've done it breaks the rules passed down from our elders."

"Senior Uncle, you may consider carefully whether you want to accept me," He Yuzhu said calmly. "If you feel it's inappropriate, I won't stay here and get in your way."

"You silly child, that's not what I meant at all!" Yuan Tianhong quickly interjected. "I was afraid people would talk about you behind your back later; gossip is a terrible thing!"

"Uncle-Master, I don't plan to stay at Qinhang in Tianjin for long," He Yuzhu replied calmly.

What He Yuzhu really wanted to say was, "I may not be in the manual labor industry for the rest of my life."

However, if he were to actually say those words, probably no one would be willing to sincerely teach him any skills.

"The capital city isn't too far from here," Yuan Tianhong said, bowing his head in thought.

"How about this," He Yuzhu suggested, "I'll work for you here first, and you can watch over me. If you think my skills are good, you can take me on as an apprentice; if you don't think they're good, you can let me go anytime."

"That...that might work." Yuan Tianhong finally nodded slowly, saying with a wry smile, "You kid...you're even more capable than your father was back then!"

He then asked, "By the way, have you decided where you want to stay? Will you stay at my place, or...?"

If it were a properly accepted apprentice, Yuan Tianhong would never ask such a question—according to the old rules, an apprentice should eat and live at the master's house.

Besides, apprentices don't get paid, so it's only right for the master to keep them in line.

But the shopkeeper just made it clear that He Yuzhu could go directly to the third stove, which meant he had the means to make a living, so the situation was naturally different.

Moreover, a twelve-year-old boy who dares to travel alone to Tianjin, and who is so tall and strong, and judging from his speech and behavior, this child is definitely not simple.

He knew very well that his junior brother He Daqing was skilled in martial arts, and they had fought with many people when they were young.

There was also a practical reason: his house was indeed too small to accommodate everyone.