Fatty's master was an old man in his sixties from Xuyi who specialized in Huaiyang cuisine. The restaurant had spent a lot of money to poach him.
Under normal circumstances, in order to prevent the apprentice from starving to death, the master would always hold back. However, this old master did not. On one hand, it was because Fatty was indeed a good seedling.
Fatty was completely focused and learned seriously. He would listen to everything the master said, such as how much salt to put in and how many times to weigh the pot. He would never skimp on the work or play tricks.
On the other hand, it was because Fatty was innocent and had no tricks. If he was asked to crack an egg, he would never crack two eggs. If he was asked to put in oil, he would never use more than a drop. The master trusted him.
Moreover, the old master was about to retire. If he taught such a disciple, it would be good for his reputation in the future.
Therefore, the foolish had their own blessings.
Fatty was very satisfied with everything.
However, He Zhou was not satisfied. In a small county like theirs, a chef's salary was only three to four thousand yuan. Such a small salary was enough for an ordinary family, but for Fatty's family, it was far from enough.
His plan was to help Fatty once he made a name for himself. However, he was powerless at the moment.
As he thought about it, he pressed the cigarette butt against the tree and threw it into the trash can. He looked at Fatty and waited for his answer.
Fatty's reaction was always slower than normal people. After hearing He Zhou's words, he scratched his head and said, "No problem."
Chu Dongpo said, "Let's go together."
He led the way into the internet cafe. Fatty followed behind him casually. When he entered, he bent over and tilted his head to avoid being hit by the door frame.
The four kids sat side by side, wearing headphones, one hand tapping on the keyboard, the other moving constantly on the mouse, their mouths shouting and yelling.
Chu Dongpo patted their shoulders and beckoned them over. When they turned around, they saw the moving mountain of flesh that was Fatty.
They wanted to scold him but Fatty was over 1.9 meters tall and weighed more than 300 kilograms. They were so scared that they did not dare to speak.
A child with earrings mustered up his courage and asked, "Brother, is anything the matter?"
Chu Dongpo said, "Come out and cut the crap."
The four children ignored him and looked straight at the expressionless fat man. Every time the fat man's ferocious face twitched, they kept quiet out of fear.
"Come out." Fatty pointed at them.
The four kids looked at each other, then slowly moved their chairs out of the room. Their shoulders shrunk, their heads drooped, and they followed Fatty out of the Internet cafe. They walked into a remote intersection, and the more they walked, the more frightened they became, and the slower their steps became.
When they turned into an intersection, Chu Dongpo impatiently pushed a child from behind. The child was about to turn back and scold him, but was pulled over by a child in front of him. When he turned his head, he saw five or six people standing by a doorway in front of them, glaring at them.
Fatty proudly ran up to He Zhou, as if he wanted to take credit. He Zhou wanted to pat him on the shoulder, but unfortunately, he could not reach him. He could only pat his armpit and praise him, "Not bad."
Fatty grinned from ear to ear. He was exceptionally happy.
Wang Dong, Chu Dongpo, and the others had already cornered the four children. He Zhou walked over and said to the boy with the ear stud, "You're the eldest, right?"
Chu Dongpo said, "This is the brat who spat this morning."
"Bro, bro … We didn't know …" The boy with the ear stud had no choice but to admit defeat. He smiled apologetically and said, "My dad is a black kid. Please don't be calculative with me for his sake."
He Zhou had never heard of this person. He looked at Chu Dongpo. He was not afraid of offending someone he could not afford to offend, but he was afraid that it might be some relatives of the other aunts, and he would be embarrassed.
Chu Dongpo said, "I thought you were some big shot. You're just a coal hauler by the river. Where did you get your confidence from? You're acting all high and mighty every day."
Seeing the other party's disdainful attitude, the boy with the ear stud immediately put down his stiff neck and put on a fawning smile.
Chu Dongpo turned his head and whispered to He Zhou, "But, he's really related to your family."
He Zhou looked puzzled.
Chu Dongpo said, "The black kid is from your second uncle's uncle's family. He's your second uncle's cousin."
He Zhou sighed and said, "Sigh, there's always a few relatives popping out of nowhere."
The county was very small. It was so small that if you randomly pulled a few people on the main road, they would always have some connections. For example, the nephew of the fifth aunt's nephew's neighbor's brother-in-law, or the brother-in-law of the seventh aunt's classmate.
He was no longer surprised.
Chu Dongpo said, "What do we do?"
He Zhou said to the children, "How about this. I won't hit you."
The children were overjoyed.
Before they could thank him, He Zhou continued, "You'll slap each other. You've learned this before, right? It means that each of you will receive three slaps on the face. Do you understand? "
The four children looked at each other. A sly look flashed across their faces as they gave each other a knowing look.
Chu Dongpo said, "Don't just stand there. The sooner you do it, the sooner it'll end."
The boy with the earring turned around and said to the boy with waxed hair next to him, "Hang in there. I'm going to hit you."
In order to show that he was not fooling them, he got into a stance and was ready to strike. However, when his last slap landed on the other party's face, it was very clear and there was no sound at all.
Just as he was about to hit the second child, he was pulled over by Chu Dongpo. Chu Dongpo said unhappily, "This one won't hit. Who are you trying to fool? Let me tell you, if you don't take it seriously, it won't count even if you hit until tomorrow morning. It'll all be for nothing. If you want to waste time, I'll accompany you."
The boy with the earring felt guilty and did not dare to refute. Hence, he slapped the waxed man again. The sound was quite loud, but the waxed man did not even move his neck.
"He didn't use any strength. What's the point of saving strength?" He Zhou pointed to the fatty beside him and said, "Do you want him to give you a demonstration? You can feel the strength and control of the fire."
Looking at the fatty whose arm was thicker than his leg, the boy with the earring was shocked. That slap was bigger than his face. How could he take it?
Therefore, he understood in his heart that it was impossible for him not to take it seriously this time. He had to make them satisfied.
He gritted his teeth, stomped his feet, and silently slapped the waxed man's face, catching him off guard.
The waxed man lost his balance and almost fell to the ground. He covered his painful cheek with a look of disbelief. What happened to the brotherly relationship?
It turned out that the so-called brotherly relationship was made of paper!
His face was full of indignation!
After the boy with the earring finished slapping him, he did not have time to care about his emotions. He just kept looking at He Zhou, Chu Dongpo, and the others, hoping to get a look of affirmation.
He Zhou said, "That's it. Continue."
Receiving affirmation and encouragement, the boy with the earring was extremely happy. Using the strength from before, he slapped the other two people one after another.
However, he did not know that his three little brothers were already very angry.
Chu Dongpo said to the waxed man, "Alright, you can do it. I'm warning you, don't be biased. You have to be fair."
The waxed man could not wait any longer. He slapped the boy with the earring. The boy with the earring staggered and fell to the ground. He wanted to scold him, but looking at He Zhou and the others, he could only endure it.
The waxed man slapped the other two boys one after another, but the strength was much lighter than what he had used on the earring and the other two boys.
He Zhou and the others pretended not to see it.
This gave the waxed man and the others the illusion that the boy with the earring was doing it on purpose. Usually, this kid was very sharp and mean!
Everyone took turns to slap the man with the earring's thin and weak face.
The boy with the earring was crying and snot was coming out. In the end, He Zhou could not bear it anymore. He waved his hand and said, "I got it. Bye bye."
He waved at Fatty and the others, turned around, and left.
Fatty said excitedly, "They've started fighting."
He Zhou turned his head. The four kids were arguing loudly. It was obvious that they were still arguing about who had used the most strength just now.
He teased, "This is human nature."
Coming out of the alley, Chu Dongpo called everyone into the snack shop. Those who wanted cigarettes and those who wanted drinks took cigarettes.
He Zhou poked Fatty with his foot. "Don't just stand there. Go in and get me a packet of soft drinks. Buy yourself a bottle of Coke."
Fatty patted his shriveled pocket and said embarrassedly, "I didn't put any money in it. Not a single cent."
Afraid that He Zhou could not do it, he even flipped the bottom of his pocket out for He Zhou to see.
He Zhou was amused by his foolishness. He pointed at Chu Dongpo and said, "See that? There's someone paying. Whatever you want to eat or drink, just go in and get it. Got it?"
Chu Dongpo also waved at him from inside the snack shop. "Fatty, are you coming? If you don't, you won't get anything."
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Fatty happily swayed his fat body and ran into the snack shop, almost hitting the door frame.
After a while, he came out with a pack of cigarettes in one hand and an empty Coke bottle in the other.
He Zhou took the cigarettes and said unhappily, "Drink less Coke. Are you trying to lose weight? You should eat less in the future. "
Fatty said, "I'm trying to lose weight."
He gestured with two fingers and said, "I only eat two bowls of rice a day now."
He Zhou rubbed his forehead helplessly. Fatty's two bowls of rice were not the two bowls of an ordinary person. They were two big bowls. Most families did not use those bowls anymore.
"Are you going to work later?"
Fatty was still immersed in the delicious taste of the Coke. Before he could say anything, Wang Dong spoke up.
Wang Dong said, "He hasn't rested for half a month. What an idiot. That so-called master of his is also a scammer. He's in cahoots with the restaurant owner. I met up with a few friends at their restaurant. You know how he is. As soon as he saw me, he stopped working and surrounded me to talk. I had only said a few words when Chu Dongpo called me. He insisted on coming with me, and I couldn't stop him.
Even the restaurant owner couldn't stop him. He was afraid that he would do something stupid, so he didn't stop him and let him come with me. "
He Zhou said, "I said, Fatty, you should rest for two more days. If the restaurant owner dares to cause trouble for you, tell me and I'll beat him up."
The restaurant was owned by one of Li Pei's uncles. If it wasn't for Li Pei, he would definitely not have bothered with him.
Their family had many businesses, and they were considered to be operating in multiple fields. However, they did not have many restaurants and hotels. The few that they had were mostly invested in, and most of them were concentrated in places like the provincial capital and Pujiang. Otherwise, he would not have let Fatty suffer in such a small restaurant.
Back then, his mother probably did not take it seriously and mentioned it to Li Pei's mother. Then, Duan Mei did not take it seriously and found such an unreliable restaurant.
Fatty only grinned and did not say much.
The group did not go far. The nearby barbecue stalls were set up one after another. They chose a stall that they frequented, ordered some wine and food, and sat around two tables.
Everyone went back and forth and drank until nine o 'clock in the evening.
After drinking, He Zhou said to Chu Dongpo, "You can leave the car here. Don't drive anymore after drinking so much."
Chu Dongpo burped and said, "I know what I'm doing. We'll be leaving first then."
Big Fangs had already stopped two taxis, and the people who were passing by got into one.
Only Fatty was left there, hugging a lamb bone and gnawing on it. If it wasn't for He Zhou, very few people would have treated him as a friend. Hence, when everyone left just now, no one was willing to greet him.
He Zhou handed him a bottle of wine and said with a smile, "You're in the kitchen every day. What can't you eat? Why do you still cherish it so much?"
Fatty said, "The boss said that I'll go bankrupt if I feed him. The chef is watching me and won't let me eat."
As he spoke, he did not forget to take a bite.
He Zhou said, "Raise the wine. Let's have a drink. I'm free these days. Tell me, what do you want to eat tomorrow? I'll treat you."
He had already raised his glass, but Fatty was not sophisticated at all. When he heard He Zhou say that he wanted to drink, he quickly picked up the glass but did not touch it. Instead, he poured it down his throat.
He Zhou could only helplessly drink by himself. He did not care at all. After all, he had known him for more than a year or two. He already knew this guy's character.
Fatty finished the bottle of beer and patted his belly. "Alright, I'm not eating anymore. Let's go. "
Fatty left without giving He Zhou any time to react. He Zhou hurriedly said, "Where are you going?"
Fatty pointed in the direction of the traffic light and said, "I'm going to school."
He Zhou said, "Why are you going to school in the middle of the night? Is there a hole in your brain? "
Fatty said in all seriousness, "There's no hole in my brain."
He Zhou did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Then why are you going to school? Don't you know what time it is? Let's go. Come with me and sleep at my place tonight. "
Fatty shook his head and said, "I'm going to pick up my sister from school. It's time for self-study."
He Zhou asked, "What year is Qufu now? It's summer break. Why are they still attending classes? "
He had to admire Fatty's father's naming skills. To save trouble, he just used the names of the places. His son's name was Quyang and his daughter's name was Qufu. The names sounded pretty good.
Fatty scratched his head with his greasy hand and said, "I don't know. I'm going home on Saturday night. I'll pick her up."
He Zhou thought for a moment and said, "Let's go together then. I'll accompany you."
After walking for a while, he remembered to ask, "Which middle school are you in?"
Fatty said, "No.1 Middle School."
He Zhou said angrily, "Sigh, I really don't know what to say about you."
He hurriedly stopped a taxi at the intersection and pulled Fatty, who was in a daze, into the taxi. "It's three or four miles away. It'll take at least half an hour to walk. By the time we arrive, your sister will probably be impatient."
Fatty asked anxiously, "Then what should we do?"
He Zhou shook his hand off. "So we'll take a taxi."
Fatty said, "I didn't bring any money."
The driver looked at the two of them and was about to speak when he heard He Zhou say that he had money, so he did not say anything.
The car stopped at the entrance of the school, just in time for the students to leave school. They were walking out in twos and threes.
He Zhou paid the fare, got out of the car, and looked into the school.
There was only one building in the school that was lit up. The street lights were scattered everywhere, and the rest was all dark. He could not even see the shadows of people. He said to Qu Yang, "Go inside and look for your sister. I'll wait here."
Qu Yang did not move at all. He raised his arm and stood like a javelin. In less than a minute, a girl ran out from the crowd of students and shouted as she ran, "Here, here."
He Zhou had known Fatty's sister, Qu Fu, for many years. However, he had always treated her as a brat and did not pay much attention to her. Later on, when he went to university, he did not see her again. Now that he suddenly saw her, he finally felt that the saying, "A girl changes eighteen times between childhood and womanhood" made sense.
She had a slender figure and dark eyes. He definitely did not want to use the tacky word "beautiful" to describe her.
He teased, "So there's an advantage to being tall."
Qu Fu said, "You're just short. If you were taller, you would probably have noticed it a long time ago."
He Zhou said, "You're quite brave. You even dare to joke with your brother."
Qu Fu sniffed and laughed. "Did you two drink?"
She knew that her brother basically had no friends and the only person who cared about her brother was He Zhou. Hence, she was willing to call him Brother Zhou to maintain her brother's friendship.
"Yes, I drank three bottles. I drank them alone." Fatty had not interjected and was very anxious. Now that he finally had a chance to answer, he continued, "Chu Dongpo forced everyone to drink. He Zhou drank eight bottles, Big Tooth drank eleven, Old Kui drank nine, Chu Dongpo drank six, and Zhang Long drank twelve …"
"Chu Dongpo is playing tricks." Qu Fu interrupted her brother at the right time. He was very familiar with this kind of operation.
Fatty nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes. Chu Dongpo is very sly."
He paused for a moment before taking out a plastic bag from his pocket and handed it to Qu Fu. "This is for you."
Qu Fu opened the plastic bag and sniffed it. He smiled and said, "The truth about the lamb leg."
He Zhou finally understood why the plate of lamb bones was eaten so quickly. It turned out that this kid had secretly hidden a part of it, but he did not know when he did it.
He smiled and said, "Your brother really dotes on you."
Qu Fu said proudly as he ate, "Of course. Do you really think he's stupid?"
Fatty pouted and said, "You're the stupid ones."
"Of course he's not stupid." He Zhou said sincerely. He had grown up with Fatty since he was young, so he knew him very well.
A few years ago, Fatty's father had brought Fatty to do a disability assessment in order to get a disability allowance. To his father's disappointment, he did not even get a level 4 mental disability. He did not know whether he was happy or sad.
PS: Just a few words. There's an end-of-year ceremony. If you have an account on Qidian, please help me cast two support cards. Thank you …
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