Chapter 37: The Lou Family Banquet

A few days after settling matters regarding the old house, Lou Banchang sent someone to invite He Yuzhu to the Lou residence to prepare a banquet in three days' time.

This was He Yuzhu's first time cooking at a private home, and he was unsure of the protocols. It was often said that wealthy households had many strict rules, and he didn't want to accidentally offend his hosts. With no other choice, he decided to seek advice from his master, Fan Dakang.

He rode his bicycle to Fengzeyuan and found his master.

"Zhuzi, why are you here in the morning?" Fan Dakang asked upon seeing him.

"Master, I need to ask you for some advice," He Yuzhu replied.

"Go ahead, what is it?"

"The Lou family just sent someone to ask me to cook a banquet for them in three days. It’s my first time doing this kind of job, and I don't know the rules."

"Nowadays, there aren't really any specific rules. You are a chef; your only job is to cook. Everything else is none of your business. Just remember these six words: Don't ask, don't look, don't speak," his master instructed.

"Understood, Master. I will remember that," He Yuzhu said.

After taking his leave, He Yuzhu departed from Fengzeyuan. Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the morning of the banquet, He Yuzhu dropped his younger sister, Yushui, off at his master's house. Just as he returned home, a car arrived from the Lou residence to pick him up. He gathered his tools, got into the car, and closed his eyes to rest.

Before long, the car came to a stop at the Lou residence. Upon stepping out, He Yuzhu was greeted by a small Western-style mansion with a large courtyard. As he followed the maid inside, he was met with opulent decor: furniture crafted from precious woods and exquisite ornaments, all reflecting great wealth.

After He Yuzhu entered, Madam Lou descended the stairs with a young girl of about eleven or twelve.

"Madam Lou," He Yuzhu greeted.

"Zhuzi, don't call me Madam Lou. Didn't I tell you to call me Auntie Tan?" she said, clearly dissatisfied with his formal address.

"Auntie Tan," He Yuzhu corrected himself.

"Yes, that’s better. Sit down, please," she said, satisfied.

"This is my daughter, Lou Xiaoe. Xiaoe, this is He Yuzhu, your mother's apprentice-nephew. Just call him Brother," Madam Lou introduced them.

"Hello, Brother," Lou Xiaoe greeted.

"Hello, little sister Xiaoe," He Yuzhu replied.

Looking at the young girl, he couldn't help but think of her tragic fate as depicted in the show, where she would eventually bear a son for him. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

"Zhuzi, why didn't you bring Yushui along?" Madam Lou asked.

"Yushui is at my master's place. Besides, I'm here to work, and it wouldn't be convenient to bring her," He Yuzhu explained.

"How could it be inconvenient? She could just play with Xiaoe. Xiaoe doesn't have many friends; you must bring her next time," Madam Lou insisted.

"Alright, I'll bring Yushui next time," He Yuzhu promised.

After some polite small talk, Madam Lou said, "The reason I had you brought here so early is that I’ve been craving Tan-style cuisine. Can you handle bird's nest and shark fin?"

No wonder he had been summoned so early; those were labor-intensive dishes that required a long preparation time.

"No problem, I can do it," He Yuzhu replied. He planned to prepare braised shark fin, clear-broth bird's nest, and a wood-fired duck.

He followed the maid to the kitchen, which was spacious and fully equipped. There were plenty of chickens and ducks ready. He began soaking the dried shark fin and bird's nest and preparing the poultry.

Perhaps because she had no one to play with, Lou Xiaoe came to the kitchen to watch him work. Seeing this, He Yuzhu set up a small stool for her by the kitchen door.

"Sit here. It's dangerous inside the kitchen," he warned.

Seeing her sitting obediently, he took advantage of the cover provided by his bag to produce a large, fresh peach, washed it, and handed it to her.

"Here, take this," he said.

"Thank you, Brother," Lou Xiaoe said as she accepted the succulent fruit. She took a bite, and the juice spilled over. The sweet, fragrant taste made her eyes squint in delight.

At noon, He Yuzhu had a quick bite in the kitchen. He prepared sweet and sour pork, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, Wensi tofu, and two vegetable dishes for Madam Lou and her daughter. He didn't need to worry about the others.

The afternoon passed in a flurry of activity, and before he knew it, evening had arrived. Once notified that the guests had arrived and it was time to serve, He Yuzhu went to work. He had been informed that the guests did not eat spicy food, so he focused on Shandong and Huaiyang dishes: braised tofu, nine-fold intestines, scallion-braised sea cucumber, white-clad shrimp, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, clear-stewed crab meat lion's head meatballs, stir-fried eel, and Dongpo pork, along with the Tan-style delicacies.

Dish after dish was carried out by the maids to the dining table. When the final course was served, He Yuzhu finished his day's work. He sat in the kitchen, sipping tea from a set provided by the maid.

A short while later, Madam Lou entered.

"Zhuzi, thank you for today. Your craft is excellent; the guests were very satisfied," she said.

"As long as you are satisfied, Auntie Tan," he replied.

"Very satisfied. It's getting late, don't you need to pick up Yushui? Pack up, and I'll have someone drive you home," she said.

"If I leave, what about the additional dishes for the banquet?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Don't worry, the family chef can handle it," she replied.

"Alright, I'll pack up and go," he said.

"Take the leftover shark fin and bird's nest home for Yushui to try," Madam Lou suggested. He packed a portion of the leftovers.

Madam Lou and Lou Xiaoe saw him to the car. Madam Lou handed him a package and said, "Take these dried sea cucumbers and bird's nest. Consider it your compensation for tonight."

"This is too valuable," He Yuzhu demurred.

"We have plenty at home. Take them back; listen to Auntie Tan," she insisted.

"Very well, thank you, Auntie Tan," He Yuzhu said.

"Brother, please give this doll to little sister Yushui," Lou Xiaoe said, handing him a doll.

"I will. I'll thank you on behalf of Yushui," He Yuzhu said.

"It's late, go on now. Bring Yushui to play next time," Madam Lou said.

"I will," He Yuzhu replied.

The driver first took He Yuzhu to his master's house to pick up Yushui. It was her first time in a car, and she was very excited, touching everything in sight. He Yuzhu let her be.

After dropping the siblings off at home, the driver left. He Yuzhu brought out the clear-broth bird's nest and served a small bowl to Yushui.

"Try this. See how your brother's Tan-style cooking tastes," he said.

Yushui took a spoonful and said, "It's delicious."

"If it's delicious, just finish that bowl. We'll save the rest for tomorrow," he said.

"Brother, you eat too," she said.

"I've already eaten. You go ahead," he replied.

As Yushui happily ate, He Yuzhu took the remaining packed food into the kitchen and stowed it away in his storage space. Having spent a busy day, he was tired. After Yushui finished eating and washed up, he headed to bed early for some well-deserved rest.