Cao Yong is not a native of Xiangjiang. His grandfather Cao Tianbao, whose family was poor when he was a child, was sold by his family to work as a servant in a well-to-do family. The owner is a Manchu resident of Zhengbai Banner and belongs to the Shangsan Banner, a true descendant of the Eight Banners. Cao Tianbao gave his employer the gift of gold since he was a child.
The young master worked as a book boy and continued to work as a follower when he grew up.
On February 12, 1912, the last emperor of the Braid Kingdom announced his abdication. A few days before that, the boss had already received the news. They hurriedly sold their property and the whole family ran away. The boss still had a conscience and returned Cao Tianbao's property before leaving.
I sold myself to him, gave him some money, and begged the new owner of the house to give him a place to live.
The house was built by the ancestors of the original owner. Although he has been a bannerman for generations, he has no real power and duties. He pays a monthly salary and a little money from the merchants affiliated to his name. It can be considered a wealthy life with plenty of food and clothing, but it is nothing.
We are a wealthy family, and our population has been small for several generations, so we bought half of a homestead, about half an acre (1 acre = 666 square meters). It is a little long and narrow, and there is no wing room, just an ordinary second floor.
Entering the yard, there are three main houses in the front and back yards. The other half has been bought by someone else.
The new landlord called himself Lao Jintou, and he was a Northeastern man who was almost 50 years old. He looked stern, but he was actually very kind, generous, and spoke like a scoundrel. After Lao Jintou bought the house, he moved into the backyard.
There are two rooms, one living room, one study and one bedroom. The backyard is small, but he has no family, so he lives alone very comfortably.
Of the three main rooms in the front yard, Lao Jintou left one to Cao Tianbao and rented out the remaining two.
Cao Tianbao was kind-hearted and consciously lived in the West House (Note 2). The middle house was rented by a family surnamed Sun, and the tenants in the east house were not stable.
Rent.
Lao Jintou did not rent out the dilapidated house in the front yard (Note 3), but turned it into a public living room, kitchen and woodshed for everyone to share. He often said that he was old, had no children, and had no children.
He didn't care about food and clothing. He didn't care about the rent or not. What he pictured was a lively home. Lao Jintou kept his word and only collected one year's rent from each tenant.
That's it, Cao Tianbao lived in the west house for free, and in the east house, either the tenant had something to do and did not renew the lease, or Lao Jintou looked down upon him and stopped renting to that tenant, so he waited until 1924.
Here comes the long-term tenants Mr. Liu and his wife.
Cao Tianbao, who regained his freedom, stayed in the capital to make a living. Because he could write and do calculations, he worked as a clerk and accountant in several shops until he got married and had children. Although he was not rich, he lived a leisurely life.
Cao Tianbao has been obsessed with "eating" all his life. The bizarre pig-raising policy of the Pigtail Country has caused most of the Eight Banners' children to do nothing in production and specialize in various eating, drinking and having fun. Cao Tianbao's boss is no exception. He has been influenced by it since he was a child.
Cao Tianbao didn't care about having fun, but he was very interested in eating. When he wasn't working, he wandered around the city looking for new foods. Not to mention, he actually became famous for his food later on.
He is somewhat famous in the circle. Many new restaurants open or old restaurants change chefs, and he is often asked to try and comment on the food.
It's a pity that Cao Tianbao has no cooking talent. Even after the master's demonstration, the dishes he made were all weird, not to mention the taste. In today's terms, he was born with dark cooking skills. He was frustrated.
The cold-hearted Cao Tianbao hugged his newborn son and named him "Chef Cao". He didn't expect it, but he made a mistake. Chef Cao's little boy actually lived up to his expectations. Although he is not a real chef, he has been cooking since he was a child.
When he gets up to eat, he is serious and presentable. Cao Tianbao is cheerful every day, hoping that his child will grow up quickly so that he can become a real chef.
Things went against expectations. When Japanese pirates entered the country in 1937, an anti-Japanese upsurge started across the country. Chef Cao, a 16-year-old passionate young man, followed his neighbor brother Sun Cheng, who was five years older than him, and set out on the journey under the guidance of Mr. Liu and his wife.
Go to northern Shaanxi to find a certain party organization and find a way to resist Japan and save the country.
Time is like water and years are like songs. In the blink of an eye, 12 years have passed.
In the winter of 1949, on the outskirts of Guangzhou, by the Pearl River, there was a temporary camp of a certain army.
Several fishing boats were moored on the shore, and fishermen carrying large fishing baskets gathered around the entrance of the military camp.
"No, this absolutely won't work!" A fat black man wearing a brand-new military uniform yelled, scratching his neck.
"Why not? I think the price is already very good. Didn't you just accept it yesterday and the day before yesterday?" A thin black woman was also shouting, her voice louder than the fat black man.
"How can it be the same? The first two days were free. If I accept your goods today at the price you quoted, then I will make a mistake. I won't accept it." The fat black man jumped anxiously.
"If you don't accept it, what will I do? You must accept it. If you don't accept it, I won't leave!" The thin black man showed no sign of weakness.
"This is a military camp, you can't block here." The fat man looked at the guards at the military camp behind him and felt confident.
"So what? If you can, arrest me or shoot me." The thin black man ignored the threat and insisted on his own opinion.
The two sides exchanged words, became angry, and the situation was heated to the point where it was about to explode.
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Note 1: This book will try not to mix English and Chinese, except for necessary abbreviations. In addition, all foreign languages or dialects will be expressed in Mandarin unless the content requires it.
Note 2: There are three rooms in a row. The middle room is the best and has the largest area. The east and west rooms are the same size, but people generally respect the east.
Note 3: An inverted house: a house next to the gate, facing south and facing north, opposite the main house. It is usually used as an external living room, accounting room, concierge, guest room, servants' residence, etc. Cao Tianbao originally lived in it.