Chapter 23: Moving into the Small Courtyard

A few days passed in a flash, and my mentor’s wife had already finished organizing the bedding. He Yuzhu had also purchased everything the small courtyard was lacking. It was now ready for them to move in at any time.

Choosing an auspicious day, He Yuzhu brought his younger sister, He Yushui, to the new place.

"Yushui, this is our new home. From now on, you and your brother will live here," He Yuzhu said to her.

"Brother, what about our old home? Are we not going back?" Yushui asked. That house held all her memories of their father.

Yushui hadn't been back to the old courtyard house for quite some time. He Yuzhu only returned every two or three days to clean up, sometimes staying the night just to show that the house was still occupied, ensuring no one would try to seize it.

"When the weather gets warmer, we can go back and stay there too. But for now, we are living here. Don't tell anyone about this. If anyone asks, just say you are staying at my mentor's house, understand?" He Yuzhu instructed.

"I understand. I won't tell anyone," Yushui promised.

"Good. Let’s go inside and see where you’d like to sleep," He Yuzhu said.

"I want to sleep with my brother," Yushui declared.

"Yushui is a big girl now; you should sleep in your own room," He Yuzhu replied.

"No, I won't! I want to sleep with my brother! Is brother planning on getting rid of me?" Yushui hugged him, her voice trembling with the threat of tears.

"How could I ever get rid of you? Fine, I'll sleep with you. I won't leave you behind," He Yuzhu quickly comforted her.

With that settled, He Yuzhu took Yushui on a tour of their new home. Soon, his mentor’s wife arrived with their son, Xiaohu.

"Zhuzi, how is it? Are you missing anything?" she asked.

"Not at all, it’s quite complete," He Yuzhu replied.

"What are your plans for dinner? Have you prepared the ingredients?" she asked.

"It’s just us, plus your family, so no one else. I’ll go get the ingredients for tonight in a bit," He Yuzhu said.

Leaving Yushui with his mentor’s wife, He Yuzhu hopped on his bicycle and headed out. He arrived at the market and wandered around aimlessly; his personal storage space was already filled with everything he could possibly need, so he didn't actually need to buy anything—he was just killing time.

He Yuzhu began making several trips back and forth to "bring in" the supplies.

"Zhuzi, how much food are you planning to make?" the mentor’s wife asked, watching him return repeatedly.

"Not much. Just some fish, shrimp, vegetables, and meat," he replied.

"With just us here, you won't be able to finish all that," she warned.

"Alright, I won't overdo it," He Yuzhu agreed.

The four of them—He Yuzhu, Yushui, the mentor’s wife, and Xiaohu—had a simple lunch. After a rest, He Yuzhu began preparing the evening feast.

As evening fell, Fan Ting and Fan Yao were the first to arrive. Fan Ting had been ordered by her mother to pick Fan Yao up from school. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they grabbed Yushui and Xiaohu to give them a tour.

"The four of you, stop running around! Fan Ting, go to the kitchen and help Zhuzi. Fan Yao, take Xiaohu and Yushui and sit down properly," the mentor’s wife commanded, effectively restoring order.

"Zhuzi, I'm here to help," Fan Ting said as she entered the kitchen.

"Great, Senior Sister. Please help me wash and prep the vegetables," He Yuzhu replied.

"Zhuzi, where did you get these vegetables? They’re so fresh!" Fan Ting exclaimed, picking up a cucumber and taking a crisp bite.

"I know a guy. He built some kind of greenhouse—not much output, and quite expensive. I’m planning to build one in the backyard next year so we won't be short on greens in the winter," He Yuzhu lied smoothly.

"You could certainly build one in the backyard," Fan Ting mused, having glanced at it earlier, "but it’ll be pricey."

"If you want to eat well, you have to pay the price. Besides, once it's built, it'll last for years," He Yuzhu said.

"You really go to great lengths just for food," Fan Ting remarked, speechless.

"Life is all about eating and drinking. Since we’re chefs, if we don't study food, what are we studying?" He Yuzhu retorted.

They chatted while cooking. Before long, his mentor, Fan Dakang, and his second senior brother arrived. He Yuzhu stepped out of the kitchen to greet them.

"Zhuzi, how is the preparation coming along?" his mentor asked.

"Everything is ready. We can start serving as soon as everyone is here," He Yuzhu replied.

"By the way, Senior Sister, where is your husband? When will he arrive?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Don't wait for him. If there are no emergencies, he'll be here soon. If he's tied up, he won't make it," Fan Ting explained.

"Fair enough. Senior Sister, what would you and the mentor’s wife like to drink tonight?" He Yuzhu asked.

"What do you have? I didn't see any wine earlier," Fan Ting noted.

"It's stored in the basement of the east wing," He Yuzhu said.

"Take me to see it," Fan Ting requested.

"Let’s go. Mentor, Second Senior Brother, would you like to join?" He Yuzhu invited.

"Let's go take a look," his mentor agreed.

The group went to the basement of the east wing. He Yuzhu turned on the lights, revealing rows of wine jars.

"Zhuzi, what kind of wine is all this? Tell your senior sister," Fan Ting said.

"Well, there's 'Sorrow-Reliever' and 'Forget-Sorrow,' which you already know. There's also some medicinal wine I just finished a few days ago: 'Green Ant' for men to nourish the kidneys, and 'Red Sleeve' for women, which is great for the complexion and beauty."

"I'll take the 'Red Sleeve'," Fan Ting said immediately upon hearing about its beauty benefits.

"Senior Sister, this is medicinal wine; you can't drink too much of it," He Yuzhu advised.

"I’m drinking it anyway," Fan Ting insisted.

"Why don't you have some red wine? That’s also good for the complexion. I’ll give you a bottle of the medicinal wine to take home later," He Yuzhu suggested.

"Fine, then red wine it is," Fan Ting agreed.

"Oh, look, Zhuzi, you even have Tiger Penis wine here," the second senior brother said, pointing to a stack of medicinal jars.

"You don't need that right now. It's too potent; it's meant for middle-aged men with kidney deficiencies. Normal people should just stick to the 'Green Ant'," He Yuzhu explained.

In the end, they decided the men would drink the 'Forget-Sorrow' white spirit, and they prepared about 500 milliliters of red wine in a decanter for the women.

With the drinks settled, everyone returned to the living room. He Yuzhu began stir-frying while Fan Ting served. Soon, the table was overflowing with dishes: Kung Pao Chicken, oil-poached shrimp, sweet and sour carp, Dongpo pork knuckle, Moo Shu pork, double-cooked pork, Mapo tofu, and boiled meat slices.

Just as the food was served, Fan Ting's husband, Zhou Jianye, arrived.

"Apologies, I'm late," he said.

"Not at all, sit down, you're right on time," He Yuzhu welcomed him.

After a few toasts, everyone began to eat.

"Zhuzi, your Lu cuisine skills are quite impressive," his mentor said after tasting the sweet and sour carp.

"I learned it from the notes my father left behind and just tinkered with it myself," He Yuzhu replied.

"Zhuzi, there isn't much left for me to teach you regarding Sichuan cuisine. You have a natural talent for cooking. You should study other styles too; they all share common principles. My specialty is Sichuan, but I know others—just not as well. Let me look around and find you a teacher for Lu cuisine," his mentor promised.

"Thank you, Mentor," He Yuzhu said gratefully.

Everyone was thoroughly satisfied with the meal. As they were leaving, He Yuzhu gifted his mentor, senior sister, and second senior brother each a gift package of wine: a jar of 'Sorrow-Reliever,' one of 'Forget-Sorrow,' and from his own stash, jars of 'Green Ant' and 'Red Sleeve.'

After seeing them off, He Yuzhu and Yushui finally settled into their new home.