Silly Zhu Wants to Steal a Teacher and Learn a Skill

Third Mistress swallowed hard.

"If I'd known Lin Zhen could make such authentic vinegar and lees fish, I'd have asked him to help last time."

Yan Bugui said, "Give me a break. If such fragrant vinegar and lees fish were served at a banquet, wouldn't all the neighbors eat it all? There wouldn't be any left."

"Yeah, that's true. Let's go to sleep quickly. If we don't sleep now, we'll be even hungrier."

In another household in the front yard, Yan Jiecheng and Yu Li were also awake.

Yu Li said, "Sigh, Jiecheng, why is Lin Zhen so amazing? The crucian carp he made is ten, no, a hundred times better than our mom's!"

Yan Jiecheng said, "It's good enough that Mom lets us eat her fish. Don't be picky."

Yu Li was displeased. "Look at your ambition. You should have split the family after getting married. Do you think your parents care about you not getting enough to eat? They're just after your salary!"

Yan Jiecheng sighed. "Sigh! If I don't hand over my salary, I'm not sure it'll be enough for the two of us to eat. Now you keep your salary, and only hand over mine. Both of us eat, it's a good deal!"

"Hmph! You're really good at calculating, just like your dad. He's been doing the math every day after dinner!"

Yu Li, annoyed, buried her head in the blanket facing inward, but after a while, she still couldn't sleep.

"Jiecheng, go close the window tightly. The aroma of this vinegar and lees fish is keeping us awake. We didn't even eat enough tonight!"

Yan Jiecheng got up and felt the window. "It's already closed tightly. Just bear with it. You'll be fine once you fall asleep."

Yu Li sighed helplessly.

She thought to herself: If only I had known Lin Zhen would live so well, I wouldn't have married into the stingy Yan family.

Sigh, why is Lou Xiao'e so lucky!

In the middle courtyard, First Aunt sniffed. "Old Yi, I heard Lin Zhen won a disciple from Silly Zhu in a stir-fry competition. It seems to be true. Smell this aroma, it's so fragrant!"

Yi Zhonghai felt quite resentful.

He thought, Lin Zhen, you brat, cooking something so fragrant late at night, that's not right!

If you kept the fire going all night, how can anyone sleep?

Silly Zhu, smelling the aroma, was calculating in his mind.

There's white cardamom, hmm, and authentic sand ginger.

The angelica has been soaked in wine.

Eh~ Why is there also a scent of locust flowers?

That's right! He spread locust flower honey on himself!

No, tomorrow I'll have to swallow my pride and go learn his skills.

He Yushui looked forward to the future. "It's so good to marry a husband who can cook and is caring. I'll only find someone caring in the future!"

The Jia family, however, had a different atmosphere.

Jia Zhangshi swallowed hard and muttered curses. "He's really showing off, with bad intentions, making us crave this in the middle of the night!"

Bang Geng said, "Grandma, I want to eat!"

Jia Zhangshi said, "If you want to eat, have your silly uncle take you to Lin's house and see if he'll give you any!"

As a result, Jia Dongxu roared from the inner room, "I'd rather starve than eat anything from Lin's family!"

Scared, Bang Geng didn't dare to make a sound.

Qin Huairu said, "The child is just acting up, coax him. Don't yell at him."

"Hmph! Shut up!" Jia Dongxu yelled at her, but his heart was filled with bitterness.

He had heard that a few days ago, Lin Zhen took his family of six to the lake, along with Third Master.

He himself had also gone fishing when he had time, but now, it seemed he would never have the chance again.

He imagined how good it would be to run freely by the lake, but now he was bedridden for everything, like a useless person.

The more he thought about freedom, the more he resented his paralyzed fate.

Not only did his temper worsen, but his health also deteriorated day by day.

In the backyard, the Deaf Old Lady pouted, unable to understand why the kind Lou Xiao'e no longer came to the backyard.

She used to bring her children to bring food, but now only her four sons occasionally came to the backyard to play.

Sigh, it must be Lin Zhen's doing, that kid is not honest.

Qin Jingru envied, "Lin Zhen's cooking is really good. Lou Xiao'e certainly doesn't lack food."

Xu Damao disdained, "We can eat well too if we have money. We haven't been lacking in food lately. When you get pregnant, I'll take you to eat good food every day."

"Mmm! You really care about me!"

"Don't talk about that, is there any news yet?"

Qin Jingru pouted, "It's only been a few days! How could there be any news? It's you, don't mess up."

Xu Damao disdained, "Me? Hmph! How could I mess up? Let's go again!"

In another household, Second Aunt kicked Liu Haizhong. "Old Liu, are you asleep yet?"

Liu Haizhong mumbled, "Who could possibly sleep with that aroma wafting into their nose in the middle of the night."

"Then you're saying Lin Zhen is a genius, that he can do anything."

"Cut it out! Don't mention him, wasn't I miserable enough from my last fall?"

The next morning, as soon as Lin Zhen lifted the lid off the pot, Silly Zhu arrived with a smile.

"Chef Lin, hey, you're a divine chef, I tell you. I was so hungry I couldn't sleep all night."

"Want to try one?"

"Sure, I'm here to appraise it."

Lin Zhen used the spatula to take out the fish one by one and arrange them.

After filling one basin, he filled another large bowl.

"I know everyone in the courtyard suffered last night. Silly Zhu, take this bowl of fish and distribute it, so no one says I'm stingy."

Silly Zhu chuckled, "Hey! I never knew you were so generous."

"What are you talking about? It's not like everyone in the front courtyard is stingy. When there's a celebration or a funeral in the courtyard, don't I always contribute the most?"

"Haha, that's true. After all, you earn the most. But I have to taste it first."

Silly Zhu picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

Instantly, he felt as if he were strolling by a lake in spring.

The combination of vinegar and fish aroma had reached a perfect state. The crucian carp, dried for three days, was incredibly fresh, as if it had just been pulled from the lake.

The whole fish held its shape without falling apart, yet the meat was firm and the bones were soft. One bite left a lingering fragrance, rich and mellow.

This skill was far beyond what Silly Zhu could comprehend.

"This is too delicious, how did you make it?"

"Want to learn?"

"Yes!"

"Kowtow!"

"Master, your disciple He Yuzhu bows!"

Silly Zhu said, bowing. Lin Zhen laughed and cursed, "You think you can learn without kowtowing? That's stealing my craft. You'd only be a registered disciple at best."

"Ah, registered is fine too. Teach me the trick to this vinegar and lees fish. If I really learn it, it's not too late to kowtow to you then."

"Hahaha, alright. When Ma Hua comes to pay his new year's respects, I'll teach you both together."

"No, won't that be too chaotic? Isn't Ma Hua going to learn from me later? Will I be his senior disciple or acting master?"

"Whatever you want. Hurry up and go distribute the fish!"

Lin Zhen knew that the vinegar and lees fish he had stewed all night must have permeated the entire courtyard.

Tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and he didn't want to attract any ill will, so he gave Silly Zhu a large bowl of the fish to help distribute.

Silly Zhu went out and first gave one to Third Master Yan Bugui.

Yan Bugui said, "Hey Silly Zhu? What about our two families? Yan Jiecheng is also married, right?"

Silly Zhu impatiently replied, "Shut up, Third Master. Yan Jiecheng hasn't split from the family, he's still eating from your pot."

Arriving at the middle courtyard, Silly Zhu first delivered to the Jia family. "Sister Qin, Lin Zhen stewed vinegar and lees fish all night and specifically asked me to bring this to you. I'll take one to the Deaf Old Lady, and this whole large bowl is for you."

He thought Qin Huairu would be happy, but Jia Dongxu yelled from inside the room, "Silly Zhu! You explain this to me clearly, did that guy named Lin specifically tell you to?"

"Ah?!!! This, this... Hey! What a mess, how could I forget about the deity inside the room!"

Thank you to all friends for your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Thank you for your silent support. The new book is in its growth phase, and both thunder and rain are blessings. I will do my best to write a work that satisfies my friends. Please forgive any shortcomings in my writing. Thank you all for your support!