Chapter 68: He Yuzhu's Blind Date (Part 2)

He Yuzhu rode his bicycle, carrying Yushui along with plenty of fruits and vegetables, and arrived at his senior fellow apprentice Fan Ting's home.

Fan Ting opened the door, and upon seeing He Yuzhu and Yushui, she promptly invited them in. As soon as she stepped inside, Yushui made a bee-line for little Yuanchao.

Fan Ting, meanwhile, helped He Yuzhu with the things he was carrying. "Zhuzi, didn't I tell you I've already prepared everything? Why did you still bring so much stuff?"

He Yuzhu replied, "It's not that much. Besides, the fruits and things are for little Yuanchao—they're good for his health."

With that, He Yuzhu went to the kitchen to wash some peaches and plums, placed them on the living room table, picked up a plump, juicy peach, and said to little Yuanchao, "Little Yuanchao, call me uncle. Call me uncle, and I'll give you a peach to eat."

"Uncle," little Yuanchao said, and then reached out to take the big peach He Yuzhu handed him.

Taking the opportunity, He Yuzhu scooped little Yuanchao up into his arms and gently pinched his chubby little cheek. "Such a good boy."

Little Yuanchao wriggled out of He Yuzhu's embrace, clutched the large peach, and ran over to Yushui, holding it out to her. "Auntie, you eat."

Delighted, Yushui hugged little Yuanchao affectionately. "Auntie won't eat. Little Yuanchao, you go ahead."

Only then did little Yuanchao take a bite of the big peach, juice spilling everywhere.

Seeing this, Yushui hurriedly grabbed a clean towel and wiped his face and hands to keep him from getting sticky all over.

"Zhuzi, I'll leave the midday meal entirely to you. Make sure you put on a good show," Fan Ting instructed He Yuzhu.

"Don't you worry, Senior Sister. My culinary skills certainly won't disgrace you." Cooking was naturally second nature to He Yuzhu.

"Senior Sister, how much do you know about today's blind date? What kind of flavors does she prefer?"

"As for her preferred flavors, Senior Sister really doesn't know. Aren't you well-versed in several culinary schools? Just cook up a variety of dishes for lunch." Fan Ting thought for a moment and continued, "That young woman has a great personality and is very efficient in her work. She's also very pretty. You'll see for yourself in a moment. It's almost time, so you should go start cooking."

"Will do." He Yuzhu stood up and headed into the kitchen.

To make a wonderful first impression with today's lunch, He Yuzhu had prepared quite a spread.

There were boiled fish in chili oil, Dongpo pork, braised prawns in oil, scallion-braised sea cucumbers, mushrooms stewed with chicken, pine nut corn, stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, mushu pork, and shiitake mushrooms with baby bok choy.

By noon, He Yuzhu had nearly finished preparing the dishes and was serving them onto the living room table when a knock sounded at the door.

He Yuzhu hurriedly took off his apron, washed his hands, and went with his senior sister to open the door and welcome the guests.

Upon opening the door, two people stood outside—an older woman and a younger one.

Looking at the young woman standing before him with shoulder-length hair and a spirited, capable demeanor, He Yuzhu figured this must be Song Jinfeng, the one he was meeting for the blind date.

His senior sister greeted the older woman, "Director Zhou, you've arrived. This must be Jinfeng—she looks so lovely. Please, come right in."

Everyone returned to the living room, and the senior sister invited everyone to be seated.

"Please don't stand on ceremony, everyone have a seat."

Director Zhou noticed Yushui and little Yuanchao off to the side. "Little Fan, I've met little Yuanchao before, but who is this young girl?"

"This is Zhuzi's younger sister, He Yushui."

He Yuzhu brought out the fruit and tea. "Have some fruit first. I just have one last dish left in the kitchen."

Senior Sister said, "Zhuzi, go finish your cooking. Director Zhou, let's have some tea."

Senior Sister picked up a peach, handed one to Director Zhou first, and then passed another to Song Jinfeng. "Director Zhou, try a peach first. These are exceptionally sweet. Jinfeng, you should have one too."

Before long, He Yuzhu finished the final dish and neatly arranged them all on the table.

Director Zhou glanced at the lavish spread of food on the table. "Little Fan, why did you prepare so much? This is far too extravagant."

"Zhuzi prepared all of this. Since we didn't know what you and Jinfeng prefer, he made a little bit of everything. Let me tell you, Zhuzi is not only skilled in Sichuan cuisine, but he's also well-versed in Tan family cuisine, Lu cuisine, and Huaiyang cuisine."

Senior Sister Fan Ting began listing He Yuzhu's virtues—how studious and hardworking he was, how he had completed his apprenticeship at the tender age of sixteen, and the praises he had received from various master chefs.

"Everyone pick up your chopsticks and have a taste. No matter how much I praise him, it can't compare to tasting it for yourself."

Director Zhou took a bite of a dish and found it exceptionally delicious. "Truly wonderful! It's no less delicious than the food made in those large upscale restaurants."

Song Jinfeng also nodded in agreement.

"If it's good, eat your fill. Zhuzi made this specially. Try this boiled fish; it's an innovation Zhuzi came up with when he was just sixteen years old, and it's what made the dish popular all over Sijincheng." Fan Ting continued to sing his praises.

Throughout the meal, both Director Zhou and Song Jinfeng dined with great satisfaction.

Seeing that Song Jinfeng showed no aversion to He Yuzhu, Director Zhou suggested, "Jinfeng, why don't you and Zhuzi go out to the courtyard for a chat and get to know each other a little better?"

Fan Ting chimed in, "Yes, take some time to get acquainted."

Song Jinfeng and He Yuzhu walked out into the courtyard. The living room door remained wide open, allowing anyone inside to see what was happening outside.

He Yuzhu initiated, "Let's introduce ourselves properly."

Song Jinfeng said generously, "Alright."

He Yuzhu began, "My name is He Yuzhu, and I work in the cafeteria of the Municipal Public Security Bureau. My father went away to another city when I was sixteen, leaving just me and my younger sister to rely on each other."

Song Jinfeng said, "My name is Song Jinfeng, and I'm currently on my own. My parents passed away when I was very young, and I grew up relying on the relief from my parents' comrades-in-arms, eating from a hundred kitchens."

"What do you usually do in your spare time?" Song Jinfeng asked.

He Yuzhu replied, "Aside from work, I look for books on culinary arts to study and try out new recipes. I also practice wood carving. My carving skills aren't half bad."

The two shared their respective life experiences and had a thoroughly pleasant conversation.

It wasn't until Director Zhou came out to call Song Jinfeng that it was time to leave.

He Yuzhu extended an invitation to Song Jinfeng: "Do you have time tomorrow? Would you like to go for a stroll in the park together?"

Song Jinfeng readily agreed, "I'd love to."

The two agreed upon the time and place to meet the following day.

After seeing Director Zhou and Song Jinfeng off, Fan Ting pulled He Yuzhu aside. "That girl is quite nice, isn't she? How did your conversation go?"

He Yuzhu answered, "I think she's great."

Fan Ting advised, "If you think she's great, then move fast. Don't let her slip away."

He Yuzhu assured her, "Don't worry, Senior Sister."

Bidding farewell to his senior sister, He Yuzhu took Yushui home with him.

Along the way, Yushui asked, "Older brother, was that young lady today going to be Yushui's future sister-in-law?"

He Yuzhu asked back, "What did Yushui think of her? Do you like her?"

Yushui replied, "I don't know, but as long as older brother likes her, I'll accept her as my sister-in-law."

He Yuzhu said, "It's not just about me liking her; Yushui has to like her too."

Hearing that her older brother cared about her feelings, Yushui hugged He Yuzhu tightly. "Older brother, you're the best. As long as she treats older brother well, Yushui will like her."

He Yuzhu comforted her, "Alright now, we've only met once today, so we don't know each other well yet. It's a bit too early to be talking about all this."

After eating dinner that evening, He Yuzhu went to his workshop in the east wing, pondering what kind of small gift he should prepare as a first-time token for their meeting tomorrow.

Since Song Jinfeng had short hair, traditional hairpins wouldn't be of any use.

After much thought, he decided to carve a Q-version stylized figurine instead.

Having settled on the gift, He Yuzhu picked up his carving knife and poured his heart and soul into the craft.