By the time Ma Hua reached the entrance of the tenement, it was already getting dark. Ma Hua then carefully examined the entrance of the tenement. The doorway was level with the ground, the wooden door was pitted and uneven, and the walls were crumbling from the erosion of time. Everything exuded an air of decay.

"Hey, Ma Hua, you're back! What are you standing there like an idiot for?" A voice from in front of him instantly snapped Ma Hua out of his reverie. Ma Hua turned around and saw that it was his childhood friend Wang Dazhu from the front yard.

As his name suggests, Wang Dazhu is much stronger than Ma Hua. Standing at 1.85 meters tall with a broad back, he looks like a wall at first glance. In addition, Wang Dazhu himself has a hunched neck, making his physique incredibly robust.

"Brother Wang, what's going on?" Ma Hua asked in surprise.

"Hey, I've got to move, so I'll talk to you later," he said, then hurriedly walked past Ma Hua and headed towards the alley entrance.

"Be careful." Wang Dazhu, who was walking away, heard Ma Hua's voice, but just waved and didn't turn around.

Ma Hua's home was in the front yard of this large, dilapidated courtyard. Just inside the gate and around the corner, you'd find three large brick houses. In this run-down courtyard, the Ma family's wealth was among the best.

When Ma Hua entered the house carrying the lunchbox, he saw his mother, Chen Hongmei, sitting in a chair with a worried expression. Upon seeing Ma Hua enter, she immediately put on a smiling face.

"You're back. Were you tired at the factory today? Remember to be diligent, okay?"

Listening to his mother's nagging, Ma Hua felt a deep sense of warmth. In his previous life, he had grown up in an orphanage and had never experienced anything like this before.

Because of the popularity of the TV series, I, who shares the same name as Ma Hua, have often been ridiculed by my colleagues. Having grown up in an orphanage, I am inherently insecure and have a somewhat withdrawn personality. My greatest passion is exploring various culinary techniques, which is why I was able to master various technologies and demanding skills in such a short time.

Ma Hua isn't an orphan in this world; he has parents, two older brothers, and an older sister, all of whom are already married. The only one left is Ma Hua who isn't old enough.

Chen Hongmei immediately noticed the lunchbox in Ma Hua's hand and scolded him, "Ma Hua, what are you holding?" Before Ma Hua could speak, she called into the house, "Honey, something terrible has happened! Come quick!"

A moment later, a kind-looking middle-aged man came out of the inner room; it was Ma Hua's father, Ma Jianguo. Ma Jianguo walked up to his wife, looking somewhat puzzled. Had his youngest son come again? Then, seeing Ma Hua standing to the side, he said, "You're back, let's eat."

“You still told him to eat, but look at what the child is holding. What did we tell you? Why didn’t you listen? Tell me.”

As Chen Hongmei spoke, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Ma Hua, after searching his memory, realized that the lunchbox was the culprit.

At that time, Ma Hua had just become Sha Zhu's apprentice, and Fatty had not yet arrived. Ma Hua worked hard without complaint to learn the craft. Sha Zhu was so happy that he rewarded Ma Hua with a lunchbox. Unexpectedly, when Ma Hua excitedly brought it back, he was met with his mother's scolding and his father's beating.

Ma Hua still remembers his father's words: "You've only just started learning to cook and you're already stealing things. Have you forgotten how your grandfather died? I'll beat you to death, you unfilial son."

Before Ma Hua could explain, his father sternly rebuked him: "Kneel down." Ma Hua looked up and saw that his usually kind and honest father's face was now covered with frost.

Ma Hua said anxiously, "Mom and Dad, please let me explain. I didn't steal it; the director gave it to me." Seeing that his father's expression had calmed down a bit, Ma Hua then told his parents where the lunchbox came from.

After hearing Ma Hua's explanation, his parents seemed relieved, and his mother quickly wiped away her tears. She then went to Ma Hua's side and comforted him, saying, "My child, we wronged you this time, but you must remember..."

Do you know how your grandfather died, and that cooks were only allowed to eat and not take anything away? We didn't want you to learn to cook, but you know those years... sigh, we misunderstood you.”

"Why aren't you calling your older brother and sister-in-law for dinner? What are you standing there for? If I find out you stole something next time, I'll break your legs." Ma Jianguo's intended apology turned into this.

"Oh," Ma Hua said, handing the lunchbox to her mother and turning to go to the next room to call her older brother and sister-in-law for dinner. Although they didn't live together, the family usually ate together.

When the eldest brother and sister-in-law arrived, they saw five dishes laid out on the table. The outspoken sister-in-law immediately asked, "Mom, what's going on today? Why is it so lavish?"

Mother Chen Hongmei instinctively said, "There's no special situation. Your younger brother brought these back." Knowing her son and daughter-in-law's expressions, she immediately explained, "These weren't stolen. The director gave them to us. Let me tell you, this was made by our Xiaohua! Try some!"

Out of respect for their mother, the eldest brother and sister-in-law still picked up a few shredded potatoes with their chopsticks and put them in their mouths. They looked at each other and thought to themselves, "Don't we know what level Ma Hua is at? He's been learning from his master for four years and he's still a complete mess. It seems I'll have to pretend for a while."

Before his sister-in-law could even speak, the older brother excitedly exclaimed, "It's sour, spicy, and refreshing! Xiao Hua is amazing! It's even better than Mom's cooking!"

The sister-in-law looked at her husband in surprise, wondering if it was true. Still somewhat doubtful, she put some shredded potatoes in her mouth and said, "Mmm, delicious! Good lad, it's definitely better than Mom's."

"Go away, go away, go away. Can't you shut your mouths up with food? What's wrong? Is my cooking bad? Well, I haven't seen you eat less than usual," only the mother, Chen Hongmei, said with some shame and anger.

"Oh, Mom, we were wrong, that's not what we meant. Your cooking is delicious too, but Mom, you should try it! Xiaohua's cooking is really delicious, don't you think?" the sister-in-law hurriedly explained.

The older brother glanced at his somewhat anxious sister-in-law and immediately nodded in agreement. "My younger brother did a really good job today," he said.

Only the mother, Chen Hongmei, said with some skepticism, "Don't lie to me, I don't believe it. How could it taste as good as mine?" She immediately picked up a piece with her chopsticks and exclaimed, "Hmm, this hot and sour shredded potato is good! Hmm, it really is delicious!"

He then stopped eating and said to Ma Hua with a serious expression, "Xiao Hua, you're doing great! You're practically a master chef now!"

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. A glint of shrewdness flashed in Ma Jianguo's eyes, and he subconsciously said, "Alright, let's eat."