“Dad, I’m back.”
Sha Zhu pushed open the door and walked in.
He Yushui heard the sound and happily shouted, “Brother, I missed you so much.”
He Daqing looked at Sha Zhu expressionlessly, “What do you have in your hand?”
“A lunchbox given by Master Craftsman.”
“Hmm, what did Wu Bangming say?” He Daqing asked with wide eyes.
Sha Zhu was a bit confused and said, “Master Craftsman didn’t say much, just that it was a lunchbox for his apprentice.”
He Daqing was stunned, then suddenly laughed, “You rascal, I didn’t expect you to get his approval so quickly. Since you’ve entered his door, you should follow him and learn well from now on. Do you understand?”
Sha Zhu blinked, a little bewildered. Was there more to this story? There was no mention of this in his memories.
“Dad, what exactly happened? Tell me about it.”
He Yushui shouted, “I’m hungry, can we eat first?”
He Daqing’s attitude towards He Yushui was much kinder, and he said with a smile, “Okay, let’s eat first.”
Sha Zhu also placed the lunchbox on the table, ready to eat. It was August, the weather was hot, and the cool food was just right.
He Yushui transformed into a little food connoisseur, continuously eating the dishes on the table, exclaiming how delicious they were as she ate.
He Daqing then slowly began to explain the reason.
Originally, Wu Bangming agreed to teach Sha Zhu cooking skills and accept him as an apprentice to repay He Daqing’s favor. However, whether Sha Zhu could gain Wu Bangming’s approval depended on Sha Zhu’s own performance.
As a Sichuan cuisine Master Craftsman in the capital, Wu Bangming would not easily take on apprentices.
These details weren’t in his memories, likely because Sha Zhu hadn't passed Wu Bangming’s test. Later, He Daqing ran off with the widow, and Wu Bangming had no choice but to acknowledge this apprentice.
Of course, acknowledging him was pointless. That fool was misled by others into breaking ties with Master Craftsman, and the master and apprentice never met again.
The aroma of the He family’s meal didn’t spread, but He Yushui’s laughter did, provoking a string of angry curses from Jia Zhangshi.
Jia Dongxu looked at his mother helplessly. After she had cursed enough, he said, “Mom, can you please calm down? Because of you, our family’s reputation in the neighborhood isn’t very good.”
Jia Zhangshi snorted, “You think I’m embarrassing. If I didn’t act this way, our family would have been picked clean to the bone. We’re orphans and a widow; if I wasn’t fierce, wouldn’t people just bully us to death? You’ve been an apprentice for a year now, how’s your work?”
Jia Dongxu was silent for a moment, then whispered, “Mom, I don’t want to be a Pliers worker anymore, it’s too tiring. I have to move those iron blocks all day, I…”
Jia Zhangshi asked with concern, “Were you bullied?”
Jia Dongxu shook his head, “No, it’s just too tiring. I’m not cut out for Pliers worker.”
Jia Zhangshi stared at Jia Dongxu, “If you don’t work as a Pliers worker, what else can you do?”
Jia Dongxu didn’t know, a confused look on his face.
Jia Zhangshi felt sorry for her son and thought for a while, then said, “Dongxu, go find Yi Zhonghai and become his apprentice. He’s the Master Craftsman at the Factory; as long as you follow him, you won’t have to work so hard.”
A light appeared in Jia Dongxu’s eyes, but it quickly extinguished, “It’s useless. How many people in the Factory want to be his apprentice, but he doesn’t take any. Asking him for guidance is fine. But Master Yi has never taken an apprentice.
Even though our family lives right next door to him, he probably won’t take me as an apprentice either.”
Jia Zhangshi said confidently, “As long as you listen to me, Yi Zhonghai will definitely take you as an apprentice.”
“Mom, don’t be silly. Master Yi is the Master Craftsman at the Factory. If we offend him, a single word from him could make me lose my job.”
Jia Zhangshi thought that Jia Dongxu was already twenty years old, considered an adult, and some things didn't need to be hidden from him, so she said, “Your father told me something about Yi Zhonghai before he died.”
Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu’s father had known each other for a long time. They both worked at the Lou family’s Steel Factory. Because they were kindred spirits, they became friends, and every time they got paid, they would go to the Eight Great Alleys to have some fun.
One time, Yi Zhonghai accidentally offended a hooligan and was beaten by him. That hooligan was vicious, kicking Yi Zhonghai in the lower abdomen several times.
After the hooligan left, Old Jia dared to step forward and took Yi Zhonghai to see a doctor. He took Yi Zhonghai to an old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner’s shop.
That old practitioner was skilled; not only did he cure Yi Zhonghai, but he also discovered that Yi Zhonghai’s fertility function had been damaged. In other words, he couldn’t have children.
Old Jia and Yi Zhonghai were friends, and he understood Yi Zhonghai’s temperament very well. He knew that if Yi Zhonghai learned the truth, he would definitely go mad. He wouldn’t dare to bother that hooligan, but he would definitely resent his companions.
To avoid being hated by Yi Zhonghai, Old Jia chose to hide it. That practitioner thought that since he told Yi Zhonghai’s companion, his companion would tell Yi Zhonghai, so he didn’t say anything more.
This news had been kept hidden by Old Jia until his dying moments, when he finally told Jia Zhangshi. He told her to keep this secret, saying it might be useful someday.
Old Jia never imagined that after the establishment of New China, Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai would live in the same Courtyard.
Although Jia Dongxu entered the Rolling Mill, being an apprentice forever wasn’t a solution. Jia Zhangshi also couldn’t bear to see her son suffer, so she decided to use this secret.
It took Jia Dongxu a long time to react, “Mom, you mean, if we help Master Yi cure his illness, he will take me as an apprentice?”
Jia Zhangshi spat, “What kind of beautiful dream are you having? If he had a son, he would be even less likely to take you as an apprentice. Even a divine doctor couldn’t cure him, where would I go to cure him?”
“Then what’s the point of you saying this?” Jia Dongxu said dejectedly.
Jia Zhangshi became anxious and scolded, “Why are you so stupid? Since he has no children, you tell him that you will support him in his old age, and he won’t take you as an apprentice?”
Jia Dongxu was dumbfounded, unable to imagine that things could be handled this way?
“Will this work? What should I say?”
This was her own son; even if he was a bit slow, she couldn’t dislike him.
Jia Zhangshi had no choice but to patiently instruct him, “Don’t tell him that he can’t have children; this matter cannot be told to anyone. Just tell him. ‘Once a teacher, always a father.’ That old man always leaves himself a backup plan for everything. He will definitely treat you as a spare son.
Anyway, he can’t have children, so you, this backup, will be the crown prince. His family’s things will be yours sooner or later.”
Jia Dongxu suddenly understood, “Then I will honor him from now on. You absolutely must not cause trouble. Otherwise, if he gets angry, it will be troublesome.”
Jia Zhangshi shook her head, “Don’t worry about me. The more I act out, the more your filial piety will stand out. What that old man worries about most is not having anyone to honor him. Last winter, that Old Qian in our Lane, who had no children, died at home and wasn’t discovered for seven days.
You didn’t see how black his face was, like Li Kui, when he heard the news. All of this was told to me by your father, and it’s absolutely true.
The more out of line I am as a mother, the better you will be as a son.”
Jia Dongxu was somewhat moved, tears slowly streaming down, “Mom, I will definitely honor you well from now on. When I earn money, I will definitely buy you delicious food.”
Jia Zhangshi said with satisfaction, “You are my son. If I’m not good to you, who will I be good to? If you want to honor me, give me thirty thousand every month as old-age support. In case you marry a wife who isn’t filial, I won’t have to worry about being bullied by her.”
Jia Dongxu solemnly promised, “If she’s not filial, I won’t want her. Don’t worry.”
Jia Zhangshi, however, didn’t believe her son’s promise and insisted on the thirty thousand for old-age support.
Jia Dongxu had no choice but to agree.