Volume One, Chapter 34: Turning Great Matters into Small Ones, Small Matters into Nothing

With the property registration complete, their protests were in vain. Jia Zhang and Qin Huairu, who was pushing Jia Dongxu in his wheelchair, slunk away in disgrace. Before leaving, they made a point to take a detour, terrified of provoking Su Jianshe and suffering a beating as brutal as the blows from the locust tree standing before his door.

As for the onlookers? Those who had joined in the uproar earlier now felt humiliated and ashamed. Sighs rippled through the crowd, and those who had behaved like beasts were desperate to find a way to escape as quickly as possible. The others, sensing there was nothing left to see, dispersed. Only the young woman surnamed Liu attempted to apologize to Su Jianshe, but he ignored her entirely.

Liu Haizhong returned home and cursed for a long time before finally stopping. Thinking of his recent misfortunes, he felt a crushing sense of gloom. "Forget it? Su Jianshe is not only the cafeteria director but also a man who leaves no loose ends; trying to take him down is harder than climbing to heaven! Besides, he can fight like a demon! Let's just treat that money as if it were fed to a stray dog." His face was a mixture of resentment, anger, and helplessness.

Elsewhere, Yi Zhonghai had yet to grasp the reality of the situation. "Old Yi, just let it go. That boy Su Jianshe is meticulous; he even kept his property registration papers ready just to watch you make a fool of yourself!" But the words of his wife, the First Aunt, did not bring Yi Zhonghai to his senses; instead, they only fueled his rage. Recalling how passersby had accused him, the First Master of the courtyard, of being unfair, his anger flared. Did he not deserve to be the First Master?

When his wife’s voice chimed in again, he exploded, snapping back, "You’re just a woman, why do you meddle in so much? Go cook, and while you’re at it, wipe down the stool the old lady sits on. The whole room reeks—can’t you smell it?"

"I’m done listening to you!"

Ignoring his wife as she walked away, Yi Zhonghai stared at the front courtyard with a face ashen with fury. "Su Jianshe, you little bastard, just you wait. Once Shazhu is out, we’ll see how I deal with you!" Yi Zhonghai knew that he and the old lady were likely no match for Su Jianshe, but once Shazhu returned, the situation might change. "Let the little bastard enjoy his days for now; we’ll see what happens when Shazhu is out!"

Dawn broke, the wind biting and cold. Su Jianshe had already woken up. Wrapped in a thick, newly purchased quilt, he gazed at his sleeping wife. She was more beautiful than any famous star from his past life, filling his heart with joy. "What a wonderful life—a wife, a bed, it’s truly comfortable! As for children, I’ll wait until our living situation improves."

Just as Su Jianshe was planning their future, Chu Yan woke up. Seeing him smiling at her, her cheeks flushed red. "Brother Jianshe, what are you looking at? Time to get up!" Although they both wanted to linger in the warmth, they had to get ready for work. After washing up, Su Jianshe prepared breakfast himself. Chu Yan ate with sweet satisfaction before he left for the day. On his way out, he patted the dog, though it looked slightly disappointed since it had no breakfast again. Still, compared to being a stray, its current life was quite good.

Before he even reached the rolling mill, Su Jianshe heard the system’s prompt. "Ding! Would you like to check in?" Su Jianshe, hands in his pockets, waited in anticipation. "Yes!" Even though he wondered what treasure he might receive, he complied. "Congratulations to the host for receiving five photographs!"

Photographs? Su Jianshe felt the weight of several photos in his pocket. "Strange, why would the system give me photos? Is there a secret hidden in them?" He quickly pulled them out, but as he saw the contents, he froze. His face was filled with shock, his eyes locked onto the images.

In the photos, a young woman was chatting and laughing with a Japanese soldier who wore a lecherous grin. The woman was dressed provocatively, flirting and pulling at a group of Japanese soldiers, seemingly acting as their guide. He flipped to the next photo—the destination was the village’s underground shelter!

He flipped again. When the final photo came into view, Su Jianshe’s eyes bloodshot with rage; he wanted to tear that woman limb from limb!

Because in that final photo, the woman was leading the puppet troops and Japanese soldiers to humiliate the village women. The soldiers were acting with depravity, while the victims knelt on the ground, their faces etched with pain, despair, and numbness. More heartbreakingly, their children were crying nearby. And that woman stood to the side, wearing a fawning, sycophantic smile, even participating and enjoying the cruelty!

Su Jianshe recognized her immediately—it was the Deaf Old Lady from the courtyard in her youth!

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm, the veins in his forehead slowly subsiding. A traitor! She was a traitor who had guided the enemy to humiliate her own people! Watching the Japanese soldiers abuse his compatriots, including children!

A beast! She was worse than a beast!

At that moment, Su Jianshe finally understood why the old beast had the habit of locking her doors and why she was so skilled at her games. "This damnable old creature is no martyr's relative; she is clearly a traitorous thief! If she were to truly leave behind a bloodline, then heaven would be blind!" Her skill in drugging his sister showed she was no novice.

He suppressed his emotions, knowing that even with ironclad evidence, he might not be able to take down the old villain. The person in the photo looked like her, but if she insisted it was just a resemblance, he would be powerless. "Old villain, just you wait! When I find the chance, I will surely ruin you, making you wish you were dead!"

"People of Zhao Village, just watch. See how I send this old monster down to keep you company!"

In the rolling mill kitchen, Liu Dazhuang was busy chopping vegetables. Seeing Su Jianshe arrive, he hurried over, beaming. He had become Su Jianshe’s apprentice while he was teaching him to cook before his wedding. In that era, gaining a master’s tutelage was rare, and Su Jianshe’s willingness to share his skills so freely was akin to being a parent reborn.

However, halfway there, Liu Dazhuang felt an inexplicable dread, as if he were being watched by a terrifying predator, and he began to tremble. Seeing this, Su Jianshe immediately retracted his presence.

"What's wrong?" Su Jianshe asked.

Liu Dazhuang felt the pressure lift, as if waking from a dream. Though still fearful, he spoke of business: "Master, I haven't learned any of your skills. I can toss the wok, but I know nothing about seasoning or heat control. My food is barely edible compared to yours." He looked distressed. "The workers' moods haven't been great these past two days. Hearing you were married and weren't cooking, they nearly tore the cafeteria apart!"

Liu Lan and the others gathered around, smiling and greeting Su Jianshe. Only Ma Hua remained at the back, washing vegetables, seemingly dismissive. No one wanted to cross him.

"Chef Su, why don't you show us your skills today?"

"The workers say if you don't cook, they'll tear the kitchen down. Your food is just too delicious!"

"Yes, Chef Su, just do it once!"

Faced with their expectant gazes, he realized that as the cafeteria director, having cooked only once was indeed hard to justify. He nodded in agreement, and the kitchen erupted in joy.

But before he could begin, Director Yang’s voice drifted in from the doorway. "Director Su, back to work the day after your wedding—your ideological awareness is truly something everyone should learn from!"

Su Jianshe knew this was flattery. "Director, you’re too kind. I just wanted to cook something good for the workers; it’s my duty." The kitchen staff hurriedly greeted the director. They were confused, as the director rarely visited the kitchen—the last time was because Ma Hua hadn't cooked the food thoroughly. Why was he here now?

They busied themselves with ingredients, not daring to get close to the director and Su Jianshe, only muttering to themselves.

"Haha, Director Su, with such high ideological awareness, the whole factory should learn from you! I suggest we commend you, give you a raise, and set you as an example at the factory-wide meeting!"

Su Jianshe immediately realized the director wanted a favor. Sure enough, Director Yang changed the subject: "Director Su, what are your plans for this afternoon?"

Su Jianshe smiled. "Nothing much. I’ll go home after work to be with my wife. We’re newlyweds, after all!"

Director Yang smiled in understanding. "However, I have a small favor to ask. An old friend of mine loves Sichuan cuisine. It’s cold out, and I was hoping you could prepare a meal to help him warm up."

Su Jianshe nodded. "Of course, I’m free this afternoon. I’ll handle it."

"Director Su, thank you so much!"

Watching Director Yang walk away, Su Jianshe pondered. The director was the top figure at the rolling mill; very few people could be called his close friends. Who could it be? Could it be Director Lou? But Lou Xiao'e wasn't married to Xu Damao yet, was she?

Just as Su Jianshe was thinking, Liu Dazhuang ran over. "Master, the ingredients are ready!"

...

After work, Su Jianshe looked at the spacious kitchen and felt a wave of emotion. "No wonder 'Half-City Lou' couldn't escape the liquidation in the end; such luxury is unparalleled in the capital!"

Indeed, Su Jianshe was cooking for the mill's largest shareholder, Lou the Half-City. But he didn't care much. Lou's rise and fall had nothing to do with him; he was just there to cook a meal. He would do his best, not to curry favor, but out of respect for his own craft.

In the front dining hall, Lou sat at the head of the table, chatting with the factory leaders. He was a seasoned capitalist, his words and gestures flawless, leaving no one neglected. There was an uninvited guest at the table—Xu Damao, the film projectionist. However, no one paid him much attention, except for Lou, who mentioned him occasionally. Everyone understood the situation and remained silent.

The film ended, and everyone felt satisfied. Seeing the leaders chatting warmly, Xu Damao couldn't bear to just watch. Director Yang boasted, "Boss Lou, the chef tonight is our new cafeteria director. His Sichuan cuisine is superb!"

"Oh? How does he compare to the previous chef?"

Before Director Yang could answer, Xu Damao couldn't restrain himself. "When it comes to cooking, Su Jianshe might have some talent, but his character? I wouldn't dare praise it!"

Lou, curious, asked, "Damao, what do you mean?"

"Sigh! You wouldn't know. Recently, Su Jianshe got married. The whole courtyard wanted to chip in and throw him a lively wedding celebration. But in the end, he wouldn't reimburse the meat and vegetables we bought, and he wouldn't even acknowledge the liquor from the supply store. It was our Second Master who had to foot the bill; otherwise, it would have been even more embarrassing."

Xu Damao cleared his name in a few sentences while managing to stomp on Su Jianshe. Lou and the surrounding leaders frowned. A cafeteria director had a good salary; Su Jianshe’s actions seemed unethical. A man like this in a leadership position seemed problematic.

Director Yang quickly smoothed things over: "Let’s call Su Jianshe and ask him. If there’s a problem, we’ll criticize and educate him. Young people make mistakes!"

Xu Damao was about to add more, but Lou interrupted: "Fine, call him over. Cooking is important, but character is even more critical. If Su Jianshe’s character is poor, Old Yang, you’ll need to reconsider his position!"

...

Su Jianshe finished the last dish and was waiting for someone to take it to the front hall. Before he could catch his breath, the director’s driver called him to the front.

Upon seeing him, Director Yang spoke: "Director Su, I heard your courtyard chipped in for your wedding? Xu Damao has told us everything. What is your defense? Director Lou and I want to hear your side! If your personal conduct is flawed, your position as cafeteria director might need to be reconsidered."

What? The wedding banquet? Xu Damao told them everything? And he had the nerve to bring it up?

Su Jianshe looked confused, but then caught Xu Damao’s guilty expression. Everything became clear—the guy was trying to wash his hands of the whole mess. Ignoring Xu Damao, Su Jianshe said helplessly, "Leaders, my parents passed away early, and I’m not close with the neighbors, so I didn't hold a wedding banquet at all! I don't know what Xu Damao told you, but I only know that as soon as I arrived at my door, I was blocked by a group of people demanding reimbursement, without a single 'congratulations' to be heard!"