Chapter 241: Becoming an Apprentice

Fortunately, although the crowd had separated them, the little ones were all with the adults.

After searching for a bit in the square, the whole family regrouped and headed home.

On the way, Grandpa Yun and Granny Yun kept asking Yun Chenbei if he had taken any photos and if he had captured the flag-raising ceremony.

Before they even got home, they eagerly rushed to the photo studio to get the pictures developed, picking up their previous photos while they were there.

"Get a few extra copies of these photos. We can take them back and show our relatives."

They said it was just for a look, but really, they wanted to show off.

Back home, no one could keep their eyes open, and they all went to sleep.

They all slept soundly, only waking up in the afternoon when it was time to eat.

"Sigh, weather like this is perfect for heading out to sea to fish."

Now that they had seen the flag-raising, everyone was content, but they were also starting to miss home.

It just goes to show, no matter where you go, you always end up missing the sights of home the most.

"I wonder if the chickens back home are laying eggs."

Yun Jiao missed her two dogs back home too. She wondered if they would have grown bigger by the time she got back.

"We’ll head home after we climb the Great Wall."

But before climbing the Great Wall, they had to see off Old Liu and his wife first.

The couple would first take a train, then leave on a cruise ship.

Before they saw them off at the train station, Granny Yun placed a photo album in Mrs. Liu’s hands.

"Take this. It’s something to remember us by."

When they opened it, they saw it was filled with photos of their house and group pictures of them all together.

Instantly, the two elders felt a sting in their noses, and their eyes reddened.

Granny Liu stroked the album in her hands.

"Thank you all."

As the train was about to depart, they took one last look at the Capital and waved goodbye to the Yun family.

They left, not knowing if they would ever be able to return.

But even if they died abroad, they would have their son, and his descendants after him, send their ashes back home.

Fallen leaves return to their roots; it was a deeply ingrained conviction for their people.

After seeing them off, everyone felt a bit lost and melancholic.

"Jiaojiao, I know where to get some delicious food. Want to go?"

The adults of the Yun family were busy packing, preparing to move into their new house the next day.

After all, this was someone else’s house. They felt a little awkward staying for so long, especially since their hosts wouldn’t accept any money.

The Liu family’s three-courtyard home was perfectly preserved. It had furniture and everything else they needed; you could say it was completely move-in ready.

They just needed to give it a good cleaning and buy some daily necessities, and they’d be all set.

The women of the Yun family, along with Mr. Yun and Yun Chenbei, all went over to the new house to clean.

Meanwhile, Yun Linhe and Yun Linhai went to find the veterans who were interested in renting their house.

That just left the younger children at Wu’s house.

Feeling a little bored, Yun Xiao Liu thought of a secret place he had discovered and immediately wanted to take his sister there.

Of everyone in the family, the two of them were the biggest foodies. When it came to eating, Yun Xiao Liu and his sister were two peas in a pod.

"Okay!"

’There’s nothing else to do, anyway. Might as well go for a walk.’

Yun Xiaowu and the other kids naturally tagged along.

Led by Yun Xiao Liu, the children eventually arrived at the entrance of an impressive-looking courtyard house.

It was nearly mealtime, and a tantalizing aroma wafted out from inside.

Yun Xiao Liu walked right up and knocked on the door.

"Sixth Brother, have you been here before?"

Yun Xiao Liu nodded. "Yep. You all know the family who lives here."

Just as he spoke, the door opened.

A chubby, friendly-looking man walked out. The moment he saw Yun Xiao Liu and the others, his eyes crinkled as he broke into a wide smile.

"Xiao Liu, you’re here! Oh, and you brought your brothers and sisters along?"

Yun Xiaowu stepped forward. "I’m an older brother, not a younger one."

"Alright, alright, come on in, all of you."

Yun Jiao tilted her head slightly. "You’re the uncle who cooks really delicious food."

"Hahaha... Not all of those dishes you ate were made by me."

"You’re just in time. How about you try my deboned braised chicken?"

By the end of the meal, Yun Xiaowu, Jiaojiao, and the others were speechless, able to say little more than "Delicious!"

Boss Hu, meanwhile, was asking Yun Xiao Liu a series of questions.

Boss Hu was the one asking, and Yun Xiao Liu was the one answering.

He mainly asked about the ingredients and seasonings used in the dish.

Yun Xiao Liu answered most of the questions correctly, even identifying the proportions of the various seasonings.

He only failed to identify a few seasonings he didn’t recognize.

But that alone was enough to make Boss Hu’s eyes light up.

"Excellent, excellent... I see great potential in you, kid."

"Kid, have you ever chopped vegetables before?"

Yun Xiao Liu blinked. "Yes! When I play house with my sister, I’m the one who makes all the food!" he said, puffing out his chest with pride.

Yun Jiao nodded in agreement. "Brother’s play-house food always looks the prettiest."

Boss Hu’s mouth twitched. "That doesn’t count. I mean chopping real vegetables."

Yun Xiao Liu replied, "I’ve helped Grandma chop vegetables at home."

"Alright then. Come and try shredding this potato."

Boss Hu immediately led him to the kitchen and handed him a small cleaver and a potato.

Yun Xiao Liu took the potato and began to work seriously at the cutting board.

He worked very slowly, focusing on getting the thickness of each slice of potato just right.

When it came to knife work, Yun Xiao Liu strove for perfection. No one had taught him, so he took his time, working slowly on his own, no matter how long it took.

Far from rushing him, Boss Hu watched with an appreciative gaze.

’Not many kids this young can settle down and have the patience for chopping. Slow and steady makes for fine work.’

By the time he had shredded the entire potato, quite a while had passed.

But as he looked at the pile of potato shreds, his eyes were filled with satisfaction.

"I’m finished!"

Boss Hu said nothing. He simply picked up a potato and a cleaver, and then proceeded to show the boy what true skill looked like.

Boss Hu was a large man, but his hands were incredibly nimble as he chopped.

He moved so fast that Yun Xiao Liu’s eyes went wide.

In no time at all, the potato was transformed into a pile of perfect shreds.

He brought out a bowl of water, placed the potato shreds inside, then took out a needle. Incredibly, a shred of potato could pass through the tiny eye of the needle.

Yun Xiao Liu’s eyes were filled with pure adoration as he watched.

Basking in the boy’s adoring gaze, Boss Hu said smugly, "So, what do you think? Want to become my apprentice?"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Yun Xiao Liu nodded vigorously.

"Yes!"

"You need to think this through. This line of work is exhausting, and you can’t give up halfway. Most importantly, once you become my apprentice, you’ll have to stay by my side to learn."

At this, Yun Xiao Liu hesitated. "I... I’m not afraid of hard work, but my dad, my mom, my sister... they’re all going home. Our home isn’t here."

Boss Hu rubbed his chin, then suddenly clapped Yun Xiao Liu on the head. "Come on, take me to your parents."

They’d managed to snag a free meal and ended up bringing the owner home with them.

The Yun family, who had just moved into their new home, were stunned to hear that Boss Hu wanted to take Yun Xiao Liu on as his apprentice.

"What? Teach Xiao Liu how to cook?!"

Being a chef was a trade passed down through generations in the old days.

Even now, it was a highly valuable skill.

A good chef could earn a very high salary.

What kind of crazy luck did their Xiao Liu stumble into?