Chapter 32: Bought a Car (Second Update)

  The kitchen of a five-star hotel, with large shelves and nearly a hundred stoves, each chef, sous chef, and kitchen worker has their own duties, everything is in order, just like a well-trained army. When the head chef gives an order, it's like an arm command, strict and severe.

  When guests come to the kitchen, it's not just about praising the dishes, but real foodies who have found problems and want to discuss them. Such foodies are considered to be on the right path, knowing how to give face to the chef. If they encounter someone who directly loses face, they will call the chef to the main hall and humiliate him. If the chef cannot convince the guest, he will have to consider packing up and leaving to find another place to cook.

  That's an unwritten rule in the culinary world.

  Although Zhou Yi was a guest in the hall, he had spent tens of thousands, so he took the initiative to come to the back kitchen. The waiter could only lead the way. When they arrived at the back kitchen, they immediately notified Kong Jie.

  "Is there something wrong with the dish, sir?"

  Kong Jie is a tall and thin middle-aged man with a refined temperament, who doesn't look like a chef at all. He looks more like a county-level cadre. The Kong family has been known for producing scholars and Confucians since ancient times, and this is indeed the case.

  "Hehe, Mr. Kong is a true heir of Lu cuisine, so the dishes are naturally perfect."

  "Ah, I'm Zhou, the resident doctor of Yunshui Village's Yunshui Elderly Care Home. I've come to pick up Mr. Kong. Please don't misunderstand, originally it was the village head and secretary who were supposed to come personally to receive you, but they had a sudden meeting in town to report on their work, and coincidentally I also needed to come to Chudu..."

  "Is it for the long table banquet? I'm really sorry, Dr. Zhou, I'm afraid I won't be able to go to Yunshui Village..."

  Kong Jie handed a thick envelope to Zhou Yi in his office: "I'm really sorry, Li Secretary from Yunshui Village had helped me find many fresh and natural ingredients before, we're all good friends, so I agreed to represent Yunshui Village in the cooking competition at the Long Table Banquet this time. But now the situation has changed, and I can only apologize to my old friend. Dr. Zhou, here's 600,000 yuan, it's double the deposit I'm returning, please help me deliver it to Secretary Li and tell him that Kong Jie will visit again another day to apologize."

  "Boss Kong, there are only two days left until the grand banquet, and you're saying you won't go now? That's not very righteous, is it?"

  Zhou Yi frowned, having lived in Yunshui Village for some time now, he had already subconsciously considered himself a member of the village. At this moment, hearing that Kong Jie was releasing pigeons in Yunshui Village, his heart naturally wasn't too pleased.

  "I'm really sorry... I just found out a moment ago that Liulou Village actually invited my senior brother to come out."

  Kong Jie smiled bitterly: "The sect strictly forbids disciples from fighting among themselves, and as the elder brother, I not only can't help Cloud Water Village in the competition, but also have to go and assist my senior brother. Doctor Zhou, you're an outsider, you won't understand..."

  "Since you insist on it, fine."

  Zhou Yi smiled slightly: "I can understand that Kong Dacheng is in a difficult situation, but don't blame us for winning big against your senior brother at the Long Table Feast. Hehe, is Lu cuisine really the best? Not necessarily the number one in the world!"

  He hung up and turned around to walk out of the back kitchen, immediately calling Li Yuanfang to explain the change in Kong Jie's situation.

  As expected, Li Yuanfang was furious. When a peasant scolds someone, that's really scary. I reckon Kong Jie won't be able to get ecological pork, wild fish and wild king prawns from Yunshui Village for the rest of his life.

  "Yuanfang big brother, don't worry first, if Kong Jie doesn't go, there's still Master Hong..."

  Zhou Yi smiled and said: "I think Master Hong's craftsmanship is not bad either. Besides, at this point, it's impossible to find a new chef now."

  "It can't be helped... Ah, this time Six Li Louzi Village will be pleased again. I'm not resigned to it, big brother."

  Li Yuanfang obviously didn't have much confidence in Hong Shifu, and after a long sigh, he said: "Still, thank you, Zhou Laoxiong. When are you coming back? I've already asked some of the village kids to help clean up that three mu of land for you, and we've added some chicken manure and bird droppings. In ten days or half a month, it'll definitely be usable."

  "I'll go back tomorrow, and this time I'll bring two friends to experience the grandeur of the long table banquet." Zhou Yi smiled: "One of them has been there before, Brother Yuanfang should know him."

  "Is it Zhu Ke Zhang? Welcome, welcome! Our long table feast is most welcoming to guests from afar. The more people the better! Only this time, I'm afraid we'll lose, and I'm afraid we'll lose face in front of your friend..."

  "It's hard to say who wins or loses, Brother Yuanfang, don't be discouraged, the game isn't over yet, is it?"

  Zhou Yi smiled and said: "I have a premonition that this time Cloud Water Village will definitely be the champion!"

  ***

  When Zhou Yi walked into the business lounge, Zhu Xiaohua and Guan Wei were playing Big Two with great enthusiasm. Seeing him walk in, Zhu Xiaohua, who had a small piece of paper stuck to his face, finally found an excuse to escape, threw down his cards, and came over to say: "Old Three, what are you looking for Kong Dachefor? Don't tell me you know him?"

  "It was for a long table banquet, but something unexpected happened..."

  "What a lively scene! A long table feast, and several villages are still competing in cooking?"

  After listening to Zhou Yi's story, Comrade Xiaohua's eyes lit up and he became excited immediately. This time, even if it means using his public holiday, he must go and join in the fun! As for him, who wins or loses doesn't matter, what matters is that there's food to eat and it's free too! Moreover, 'Flower' has been thinking about going back to Yunshui Village again since the last time he went, isn't this an opportunity?

  "Old Three, is this your arrangement?"

  Guan Wei also burst out laughing, apparently quite amused.

  "Yes, didn't I rent three mu of land in Yunshui Village? Now I'm also considered half a villager. Such a big thing in our village, how can we not invite brothers to join in the fun?" Zhou Yi smiled and said.

  "You little rascal... are you really going to settle down in the countryside? Old Three, let me tell you, playing around in the countryside for a few days is fine, but you're different from us brothers, after all, you're a master's graduate from Kyoto, wherever you go, it's better than being in the countryside."

  Among the five brothers, Zhu Xiaohua was the oldest but no one really treated him as the eldest brother. Guan Wei was the one who was considered the big brother in everyone's heart. Even Guan Wei himself acted like an elder brother, taking care of his younger brothers. At this moment, seeing Zhou Yi's lackadaisical attitude and lack of ambition, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and frustration, and couldn't resist speaking up to him.

  "Alright, alright, sophomore. For this kind of lazy person who should have been eliminated from the revolutionary team long ago, it's no use advising him. If it were useful, others would not give up being a good university lecturer and instead go to the mountains to be a doctor in a nursing home?"

  Zhu Xiaohua was bitter and resentful: "Old Three, when are you planning to leave?"

  "We won't leave today, Second Brother will sleep at Xiaodian Community with me. We'll set off early tomorrow." Zhou Yi thought for a moment and said: "Xiao Hua, you drove here, right? Take me to the Range Rover 4S store."

  "Going to Land Rover 4S store?"

  Zhu Xiaohua was stunned: "Buy a car?"

  "Nonsense, I should go to the vegetable market to buy vegetables. Today I bought a car, tomorrow morning we three brothers can drive back together, that broken car you got last time is really not good, it almost shook me apart."

  "Lao San, did I hear that right? When people buy a car, they usually compare and test drive for several months in advance, and even negotiate the price with acquaintances. How can you be so casual about it? Are you treating this like buying cabbage or something? I said you're not lazy to this extent, are you?"

  Zhu Xiaohua was heartbroken and furious, how could this lazy guy not know the value of money?

  "It's too much trouble, it's better to buy and enjoy quickly..."

  Zhou Yi smiled and glanced at Little Flower comrade: "Let's go, after buying the car I'll treat you to a bath with Big Brother Er, tonight's dinner is on you."

  "May I?"

  Zhu Xiaohua shuddered all over and broke out in a cold sweat.

  Under the puzzled gaze of the salesgirl, Zhou Yi paid for the car at a speed that could apply for the Guinness World Record and drove away in a cloud of dust. After buying the car, the three brothers first went to the bathroom to indulge in some corruption, then called out "flower" and had a skewer on the street stall. No choice, Comrade Little Flower treated them, having skewers to eat was already not bad.

  After breaking up with Zhu Xiaohua, Zhou Yi and Guan Wei, the two old men, stayed overnight in Xiadian Community, talking freely about their ideals, looking forward to the future, and reminiscing about the sisters they had chased together back then.

  Of course, Guan Wei didn't let up on Zhou Yi's brainwashing education, repeatedly sending him off with a long and tedious lecture, making Zhou Yi want to cry but unable to shed tears, wanting to refuse but having to accept... In the end, he could only protest with snores, before Guan Wei's ideological education class finally rang its closing bell.

  Buddy just wants to live a life of his own liking, is it easy?

  The I Ching in my dream felt quite wronged, like a little girl who had just been scolded.

  PS: Transitional chapter, a bit of a rush job, bear with it. Another update tonight, between 11:30-12:00.

  Thank you '〆瀧戦の兲漟' brother for the update, thank you 'jhzhk' brother for the reward: Everyone, handsome guys and beautiful girls, I need to continue asking for recommendations and collections, hehe ..................