Siheyuan: I am the Smart Pillar

He Yuzhu arrived at the canteen of the steel mill early in the morning. He found that Ma Hua and Liu Lan had already arrived. He Yuzhu nodded with satisfaction and said, "Hey, I didn't expect you two to come so early." Ma Hua smiled and said, "Master, look at what you said. Sister Lan and I are apprentices, so it's our duty to come early."

Liu Lan also nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, Master, we two came early. Isn't there an old saying? The early bird catches the worm." He Yuzhu nodded and said, "Okay, I was right. Since you two have already accepted me as your master, then I have to say a few words as your master."

Liu Lan and Ma Hua quickly became serious. He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, you two. There are some things that you must be prepared for in advance. For example, before the lockdown is lifted, the apprentice will worship the master. There must be a three-year apprenticeship period, and then the master will pass on things according to the apprentice's qualifications. After the apprentice has completed his studies and graduated, he must work for the master for three years for free."

Liu Lan and Ma Hua had no expression, and it was obvious that they knew the rule. He Yuzhu smiled and waved his hand. As for his position, he didn't want to be a chef for his whole life. He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Of course I won't do that. We should break this unreasonable rule. I plan to observe you for three months, and within three months I will teach you knife skills."

He Yuzhu smiled at the two and said, "As a cook, no matter how delicious your dishes are, if you are not good at knife skills, you are just a wild cook. Knife skills can be said to be the foundation of our cooking. If you two can't even meet the basic standards, it will be difficult for you to make much progress in cooking."

He Yuzhu smiled and picked up a piece of moldy tofu. He said with a smile, "I will show you two my knife skills now." He Yuzhu held the kitchen knife in his hand with ease. With a few slashes, the moldy tofu was chopped into pieces. This made Ma Hua and Liu Lan a little confused. Master He's knife skills were just like this.

He Yuzhu picked up a large bowl on the table and put the chopped tofu in it. He then added a full bowl of water and scooped up the tofu. Ma Hua and Liu Lan were stunned to see that the tofu, which was originally chopped into small pieces, was scooped out like human hair. Liu Lan opened her mouth in surprise and said, "How is this possible? The tofu is actually cut like hair."

Ma Hua also nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, Master, you are amazing. Your knife skills are simply amazing. I believe there is no one better than you in this city." He Yuzhu smiled and waved his hand and said, "What's that? This is just child's play. My master Mo Xiangtian Mo, he puts a chopping board on the tofu and cuts the carrots into shreds on it. The tofu underneath is intact. I can't master such a skill."

He Yuzhu said with some sighs, his master's knife skills can be said to be superb. He Yuzhu glanced at the two and said, "Knife skills are something that can be made up for by hard work. As long as you two work hard and practice, one day you will be able to cut tofu into hair-like pieces."

Ma Hua and Liu Lan nodded quickly. He Yuzhu said, "Starting from noon today, you two can watch me while I cut vegetables and cook the big pot rice. But I am the canteen director now, and I can't cook the big pot rice every day. So you two must seize every opportunity, understand?"

Liu Lan and Ma Hua nodded quickly, patting their chests to express that they would definitely study hard. He Yuzhu was satisfied and said to the two of them, "It is also important to learn the moral character of a chef. You two must remember this in the future. No matter who you cook for, don't ask about the other person's identity. We chefs only need to make our own dishes. We don't care about their identities. You two must remember this. This is what your master told me on my first day as an apprentice. I will naturally tell you this as well."

Ma Hua nodded, and Liu Lan patted her chest and assured, "Master, don't worry, we two know what to do." He Yuzhu said, "Well, I will teach you how to make side dishes now. Side dishes are also one of the basics. After our chef gives you the menu, you have to have an idea in your mind about what dishes to use, and you must prepare them in advance..."

He Yuzhu slowly taught his two apprentices the most basic cooking knowledge, and Ma Hua and Liu Lan naturally listened very carefully. It was not until the workers in the kitchen came that He Yuzhu finally listened to the story. The two were a little unhappy, and He Yuzhu laughed and scolded, "Hey, you two guys, don't you understand the principle of biting off more than you can chew? You must remember the key points I just told you today. Okay, get ready for work."

He Yuzhu explained to Master Yang, after all, Master Yang is the canteen monitor in the canteen. As a canteen manager, He Yuzhu does not need to stay in the canteen all the time. Master Yang looked at Liu Lan and Ma Hua with a smile, which made them look a little creepy.

Liu Lan was a little bolder. She smiled bitterly and said, "Master Yang, why are you looking at us like that?" Master Yang also felt that he had lost his composure a little. He smiled and said, "What else can I do? I envy you two young people. Do you know how much I suffered when I was an apprentice when I was young?"

Not only Liu Lan and the others, but also the workers around them looked over curiously. Master Yang sighed and said, "My master was originally a self-taught person. At that time, you know that there was a three-year probation period. But there are very few good people who will pass on their memory after the three-year probation period. Do you know why? Because they are good and let us do more work. I remember that my master directly observed me for four and a half years. Seeing that I was very down-to-earth, he reluctantly taught me cooking skills. Because my master only knew a little bit, I learned from him for about ten years, and I only learned a little bit."

"Master He is so generous. I remember you two have only been his disciples for a few days, but he has already started teaching you two. Don't forget that Master He's master is Master Mo Xiangtian. As long as you two become apprentices in the future, your future will be bright."