Siheyuan: The Chef God's Comeback

One morning, modern state-banquet chef Sun Yuzhu wakes up as Silly Zhu from Love in the Courtyard, a man who's been exploited for thirty years. Looking at the “Moral Saint” Yi Zhonghai, the “human abacus” Yan Bugui, and the “official-obsessed” Liu Haizhong, all scheming in the courtyard, he can only sigh. But when he touches the activated Shennong Culinary Realm System, hope quietly begins to stir in his heart. This secret space contains tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, where rare ingredients grow freely. In its spirit-spring pasture, livestock once reserved for the imperial court roam at ease. The cost of expanding the space, however, is an immediate problem.

In the steel mill kitchen, Sun Yuzhu grips his wok ladle and turns out dishes from all eight great culinary traditions with ease. Thanks to him, Beijing's food scene takes on a whole new brilliance. His “State Banquet Counter” is packed with people, drawing everyone's attention. When Qin Huairu once again shows up with an enamel lunchbox to ask for food, he decisively turns away and offers a carefully prepared nourishing medicinal meal to Su Mingyu, a newly arrived doctor who has returned from abroad. Moved by his special care, Su Mingyu finds their connection quietly beginning to take root.

When the three masters use moral pressure at a full-courtyard meeting, Sun Yuzhu deftly handles the situation and brings along the police station chief to resolve the crisis. The “beasts” of the Courtyard are left with no way to make a move. As time goes on, Sun Yuzhu uses his superb cooking to build his own culinary empire, starting with Sun's Private Cuisine, a three-story carved restaurant on Qianmen Street.

As they spend their days together, Su Mingyu is deeply drawn to Sun Yuzhu's warmth and thoughtfulness, and their feelings grow stronger. The arrival of their twins makes their little family warmer than ever. Su Mingyu often holds the chubby children in her arms as she waits for him to come home by the vermilion gates.