Chef Mo and his family had been waiting for a long time.
As a chef specializing in state banquets, he should have passed on his skills to his son.
But his son had other ambitions and became a policeman. It was only at this time that he took on his first apprentice, so he naturally had to be serious about it.
Chef Mo and Zhou Mingli had already discussed it yesterday. Knowing that the whole family would be coming today, they had already spoken to the old woman at home and asked her to prepare more things, especially things for the children.
Chef Mo's son is also off today, eating sunflower seeds while waiting for someone.
"Go away, you unreliable person! I just swept the floor clean, and you've made it dirty again. I'll teach you a lesson!" Chef Mo's wife, Aunt Chen, shooed him away.
Mo Gong'an argued forcefully, "I still have the sunflower seed shells in my hand, Mom. How can you slander me without even knowing the facts?"
"Go quickly and see if Comrade Xiao Zhou and his family have arrived yet," Aunt Chen instructed him.
Mo Gong'an got up and walked out of the courtyard.
Other families also lived in the courtyard. The neighbors would peer into Aunt Chen's house and, seeing the melon seeds, peanuts, and candy that Aunt Chen had prepared, would feel extremely jealous.
She said, "Aunt Chen, your husband Lao Mo has taken on an apprentice. Is it really necessary to treat them to such fine things? I heard that Lao Mo's apprentice is from the countryside and has never seen anything good before. He probably didn't even have a formal apprenticeship gift!"
"Yes, country folk are dishonest. Even if you prepare everything so well, they'll surely steal everything you've prepared once they arrive!"
Aunt Chen scolded, "You bunch of ignorant fools, if you don't know, don't talk nonsense!"
"Would my master Lao Mo choose a disciple who's blinded by greed? Keep spouting nonsense, or I'll tear your mouths apart!"
"Tch, you're only being stubborn now. Once the others arrive, you won't have brought anything. Let's see where you put your face then."
There were quite a few elderly people watching the commotion in the courtyard. Everyone in the family worked at the same company, so there was no privacy to speak of. Zhou Mingli was a country bumpkin; what good could he possibly be?
If they embarrass Aunt Chen now, they'll have more opportunities to bully her in the future.
A group of people waited for Zhou Mingli's arrival, looking on with anticipation of a good show.
Aunt Chen cursed a couple of times, but she was also feeling uneasy.
She went inside and pulled Chef Mo aside, saying, "Do you really think this apprentice you took on can do it? Don't let him make a fool of himself in front of us."
Chef Mo remained calm and collected, saying, "If not, I'll take him on as my apprentice?"
Aunt Chen was not comforted by Chef Mo and still looked worried.
She was not only worried about Chef Mo's soon-to-be apprentice, but also about his apprentice's family.
The two kids grew up in the countryside; what could they possibly understand?
What if I make a mess of her clean home?
Looking at the nut platter and oranges that Chef Mo had specially prepared, Aunt Chen had an urge to take them away.
In the midst of this tension, we heard a commotion outside.
“Here I come!”
Someone shouted excitedly, and the courtyard suddenly became lively, with pairs of bright eyes looking towards the entrance.
Aunt Chen also walked to the door.
She currently lives in the west wing of the front courtyard of this courtyard house, which consists of two rooms and is a bit far from the main gate.
"Hey, Xiao Mo, where are the people you brought?"
Those who are curious should hurry up and ask.
"What kind of gifts did you bring for the apprenticeship ceremony? Did you come empty-handed?"
"We can't just do that, can we? How can someone come to become an apprentice empty-handed!"
Mo Gongan pointed behind him, "Isn't the person right here? What do you mean by coming empty-handed or not? My dad made him become an apprentice, not because of the apprenticeship gift."
Mo Gong'an spoke bluntly, leaving the onlookers embarrassed, but that didn't stop them from seeing what kind of people worshipped Chef Mo.
His gaze followed the direction Mo Gongan pointed.
Then I saw a tall young man pushing a bicycle walk in with a woman and a child.
The woman was slender and tall, wearing a beautiful woolen coat, and her slender skirt slid down her calves. She was holding a little girl's hand.
The little girl was standing next to two children, one older and one younger; they seemed to be a family.
Regardless of their personalities, this family is quite pleasing to the eye.
Some people were looking at the Zhou family and focusing on the people, while others were focusing on the gifts in the front basket of the bicycle.
The prominent Xifeng liquor and Hongtamen signs left them speechless.
Although it can't compare to Moutai and Zhonghua, it's still a top-notch brand!
Besides the cigarettes and alcohol, there was also a box of tea and a piece of cured meat next to it!
The neighbors, who guessed that Chef Mo's apprentice must be a slovenly, impoverished country bumpkin, were so envious of the good stuff that they stared wide-eyed at it.
After Aunt Chen came out, she naturally saw the good things on the bicycle. Looking at the couple, they were elegant and the children were clean and well-behaved, following their parents. They didn't look like naughty kids at all.
Aunt Chen's heart settled down, and she greeted them with a smile.
"You must be Comrade Zhou, right? Come on in, come on in, we live over here!"
With a loud and clear voice, and with undisguised joy, Aunt Chen, without even glancing at the neighbors, cheerfully approached Zhou Mingli's family and led them to her home.
Everyone watching felt a pang of envy.
"No wonder Chef Mo didn't accept my money, but instead took this kitchen helper as his apprentice. Look at all these things he gave me. I bet they were bought on the black market. Otherwise, how could a kitchen helper like Comrade Zhou have these kinds of tickets? It's clear that his family is wealthy."
"Sigh, they really look down on people."
The person who made the sarcastic remark immediately changed the subject, saying that Chef Mo only took on this apprentice because he was after the money.
These words reached Huang Zheyue's ears. He turned his head and looked back, his expression gloomy.
Huang Zheyue looked up and asked in a clear voice, "Aunt Jiang, are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' housing units also located here?"
The murmurs in the courtyard immediately fell silent.
Jiang Ci glanced at him, and seeing Huang Zheyue's serious expression, she smiled and said, "He shouldn't be here."
Aunt Chen looked at Jiang Ci with sparkling eyes and said to Zhou Mingli, "Your wife works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
Zhou Mingli nodded subtly.
"No wonder your wife looks so beautiful! She dresses so stylishly and is very pretty!"
Aunt Chen quickly welcomed the people into the house, and Officer Mo also went inside. He closed the door, blocking the view of those watching the commotion outside.
The people in the courtyard were speechless.
Comrade Zhou's family is dual-income households...
I've never heard of that...
These kinds of government agencies usually have acquaintances in each unit, so logically someone should know that Jiangci is affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
But they didn't know that Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli were husband and wife.
After all, Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli had only been in Beijing for a short time, and not many people knew them. That's why the people in this courtyard didn't know that Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli were husband and wife.
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