Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

On an ordinary yet pleasant day, the sun shone through the leaves on the street, casting spots of light. The four brothers Liu Guangqi and Liu Guangfu and the brothers Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang came together to the famous Bian Yi Fang in the area.

As soon as they entered the bustling store, the noisy voices and the aroma of roast duck came all at once. After looking around in the lobby, they finally found a seat by the window. This position was quite good, as they could see the hustle and bustle of the street outside, feel the fireworks of the city life, and enjoy the soft light coming in from the window, which made them feel comfortable.

After the four of them sat down, an enthusiastic waiter came over with a menu. They had a brief discussion and quickly ordered the roast duck. Then they chatted casually while waiting for the mouth-watering food to be served.

While waiting, the four of them talked about topics ranging from trivial matters at work to some interesting things that happened in the hospital recently. Laughter could be heard from their table from time to time, and time passed quickly in this relaxed atmosphere.

Not long after, a chef in neat work clothes came steadily towards their table, pushing a dining cart. On the cart, a steaming roast duck exuded an enticing aroma, as if showing its delicious taste to everyone.

The chef came to the table with a very skillful technique. He picked up the knife swiftly and first carefully cut the skin of the roast duck. Then, the sharp blade moved through the duck meat like a nimble dancer. In the blink of an eye, the duck was sliced ​​into paper-thin slices. Each slice of duck meat was even in size and just the right thickness. Then the chef methodically arranged the slices of duck meat neatly on the plate.

The duck skin is shiny and has an attractive amber luster, as if telling of its crispy taste, while the duck meat is tender and juicy, making people want to feast on it. Beside the plate, there are also side dishes such as pancakes, finely chopped green onions, green cucumber strips, and sweet noodle sauce with a unique aroma. They are placed in an orderly manner, complementing the roast duck. Just looking at it, you can imagine the wonderful taste of the rich taste colliding on the tip of your tongue.

Yan Jiecheng stared at the roast duck in front of him. The expectant smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a bitter smile. He frowned slightly, sighed and said, "Alas, every time I come to eat roast duck, I have to struggle for a long time. It's like there are two villains fighting in my heart. On the one hand, I think this roast duck is so tempting. I haven't eaten it for a long time. I really have to try it; but on the other hand, I keep calculating how much money it will cost. After all, I don't have much money on hand. If my dad knew that I came to eat this, he would nag me to death. I guess he would nag me endlessly."

Yan Jiefang listened to his brother's words and nodded vigorously in agreement. He said helplessly, "That's right. We work hard every month to earn that little salary, but the old man makes us pay most of it, leaving us with such a pitiful amount of money. We have to calculate a lot when we want to buy food and daily necessities. It's like stealing to eat something good. I feel so uncomfortable."

Liu Guangqi looked at their sad faces, smiled, stretched out his chopsticks to pick up a piece of duck meat, lightly dipped it in some sweet noodle sauce, and carefully wrapped it with a few scallion shreds and an appropriate amount of cucumber. Then he slowly put it into his mouth and chewed it slowly. After tasting the wonderful taste, he said, "Don't complain too much. The old man did this for your own good. People of his older generation have all survived hard times and are used to being thrifty. They always feel that they have to save money to feel at ease, so they feel uneasy when they see you spending money." Liu Guangfu also hurriedly echoed, "Yes, brother is right, but you can't just follow the old man's wishes all the time. You still have to find a suitable opportunity to discuss it with the old man and save some pocket money for yourself. Otherwise, life will be so depressing. You will even have to be nervous to eat roast duck. How boring."

After hearing this, Yan Jiecheng shook his head helplessly again, his face full of frustration, and said, "We have discussed it, but it's useless. No matter what we say, he believes that we are spending money recklessly, and that we should save all the money and not spend a single cent recklessly. Take my last blind date for example. It was such an important thing. I wanted to take the girl to a movie to improve our relationship, but when I felt my pocket, I found that I almost didn't have any money to treat the girl to a movie. It was so embarrassing. In the end, I had to shamelessly borrow some money from my neighbor to make it through the date. It's so embarrassing when I think about it now."

Yan Jiefang also complained, saying with a worried look, "Me too. My girlfriend likes little things, so I wanted to buy her a small gift to make her happy. But even for this, I have to save up money for a long time. Every time I see a suitable gift, I can only look at it eagerly. By the time I save enough money, the gift may have been sold out. Oh, life is really annoying."

Liu Guangfu couldn't help laughing after hearing what they said, and said jokingly: "Can't you guys hide some money secretly? Keep a small treasury or something, so that it will be convenient when you need money, and you don't have to be controlled by the old man for everything."

After hearing this, Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang looked at each other with helplessness in their eyes, and then they smiled bitterly and said, "How can we hide from my dad's shrewdness? He has sharp eyes and usually keeps an eye on our spending. Even if we spend a little more money, he can immediately notice it and then start asking where the money went. Even if we want to hide it, we don't have the ability to do so. We can't hide it from his eyes at all."

As they were talking, the tempting aroma of the roast duck kept drilling into everyone's noses, arousing everyone's appetite. So even though they had many worries in their hearts, they did not forget to eat the roast duck.

Yan Jiefang looked at the neatly arranged pancakes in front of him, swallowed his saliva, and reached out to pick up a pancake. His movements were so careful, as if he was holding an invaluable treasure. Then, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes wandered over the paper-thin duck meat, and then he gently picked up a few slices of duck meat with chopsticks. The duck meat was tender and juicy, and when it was picked up, it was still trembling slightly, as if showing its tenderness. After putting the duck meat in place, he used chopsticks to pick up some finely chopped green onions. The green onions were emerald green and looked fresh, and then he picked up a few cucumber strips and put them on. The refreshing aroma of the cucumber strips instantly mixed with the mellow aroma of the duck meat, creating a unique flavor.

After Yan Jiefang placed the ingredients on the pancake, he slowly began to roll it up. He rolled it up very carefully, trying to wrap the corners tightly, for fear that the filling inside would fall out. After rolling it up, he looked at the plump roast duck roll in his hand, with a satisfied look on his face, and then he couldn't wait to open his mouth and take a big bite. With this bite, the juice in the roast duck roll instantly burst in his mouth. The tenderness of the duck meat, the spicy scallion, the freshness of the cucumber and the softness of the pancake, several flavors intertwined together, blooming a wonderful feast on the taste buds.

Yan Jiefang's mouth was stuffed full, and his cheeks bulged as he chewed. His speech was unclear, but he couldn't help but sigh, "But to be honest, this roast duck is really delicious. Normally, I can't bear to eat it, but today I gritted my teeth and indulged myself in this one time."

After listening to his brother's words, Yan Jiecheng also picked up a pancake, followed suit, and sandwiched duck meat, green onion shreds and cucumber in it. After rolling it up, he took a bite, nodded while chewing, and said, "Well, it's delicious, but I feel a little uncomfortable eating it. You see, we are so old now, but our spending is still controlled by the old man. If we get married and have our own small family in the future, we will still be controlled like this. How can we live? It makes me worried just thinking about it." As he spoke, his brows frowned even more tightly, and the joy on his face that was originally brought by the food faded a lot, replaced by deep worry.

Liu Guangqi looked at Yan Jiecheng's worried expression, reached out his hand and gently patted Yan Jiecheng's shoulder, with a comforting smile on his face, he said: "Don't think too much, as the saying goes, there is always a way out, let's take it one step at a time. Anyway, we all have jobs now and can earn our own money. Although the old man is a little strict now, there is still a long time to live, and there will always be a way in the future. Come on, don't think about these troubles for now, just enjoy this rare roast duck feast."

Liu Guangfu also nodded and said, "That's right, it's not easy to eat a roast duck, we have to eat happily, and we can talk about those bad things after we finish eating."

After being persuaded by Liu Guangqi and Liu Guangfu, Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiefang also felt that it made sense. So, the four of them seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding. They temporarily put aside all the worries in their hearts and concentrated on enjoying the delicious roast duck in front of them.

For a moment, the room was filled with the rich aroma of roast duck, intertwined with their cheerful laughter as they recalled some funny things, and sometimes they sighed with sorrow as they thought of the helpless things in life. But whether it was laughter or sighs, in the aroma of roast duck, it formed a unique picture full of the flavor of life.

However, as he ate, Liu Guangqi thought of the troubles he had experienced during blind dates. The smile on his face gradually faded, and he frowned slightly. He put down the roast duck roll in his hand, sighed softly and said, "Alas, you all have a partner now, but my blind date has been bumpy all the way. It's not smooth sailing."

After hearing what his brother said, Liu Guangfu also stopped eating and asked curiously, "Brother, what's going on? Tell us in detail, is it that you haven't met the right girl, or what?"

Liu Guangqi smiled bitterly and slowly said, "Every time I go on a blind date, it's fine when we meet and chat for a few minutes at the beginning, but as the girl hears about my job, her attitude changes. Although my job is stable, I don't earn much. When she hears about it, she feels like her future life is not guaranteed, and the enthusiasm in her eyes fades a lot."

Yan Jiecheng swallowed the food in his mouth and continued, "Ah, nowadays girls do pay attention to the man's financial conditions, but it can't just be about money, character and ambition are also very important."

Liu Guangqi shook his head helplessly and said, "That's true, but when we first meet, how can people want to get to know us in depth? The girl I went on a blind date with last time was pretty, and I was quite satisfied with her, so I thought I had to show her my ability. I told her about interesting things in our hospital and the results of my hard work at work, but when I talked about salary and benefits, her expression immediately changed. After chatting for a few more words, she left on the pretext of having something to do. I guess she didn't like me."

Yan Jiefang also echoed, "This is too realistic. It's not enough to just focus on money. Feelings need to be developed slowly. Brother, don't take it too seriously. Maybe you just haven't met the right person."

Liu Guangqi continued, "There was another time. The girl didn't care much about money, but after chatting for a while, she found that we had completely different interests. I said I liked reading history books and studying old things, and she thought it was boring. She liked shopping for clothes, so we couldn't talk about anything. The whole blind date was so awkward that it ended in nothing."

Liu Guangfu patted Liu Guangqi on the shoulder and consoled him: "Brother, it is indeed difficult to get along with people with different interests and hobbies, but there are so many people in this world, you will always meet someone who is compatible with you, just go on a few more blind dates, don't be discouraged."

Liu Guangqi sighed and said, "I've been on so many dates and every time it didn't go as I wanted, I've lost some confidence. Seeing other people dating in pairs makes me feel bad. Besides, my family conditions are just so-so, and I don't have anything special. I really don't know when I can meet a suitable girl who can live with me sincerely."

Yan Jiecheng thought for a while and said, "Brother, your idea is wrong. You have many good qualities. You are hardworking, loyal and honest. These are rare good qualities. Maybe it's just that fate hasn't arrived yet. When fate comes, it will be unstoppable and it will definitely work out."

Liu Guangfu also nodded and said with a smile: "That's right, brother, just relax. Let's not think about these troublesome things today, just eat roast duck well, and only when you are full will you have the energy to continue looking for a partner."

After hearing what they said, Liu Guangqi felt a little better. He forced a smile and said, "Well, you are right. I don't want to think about it anymore. Let's eat the roast duck first." As he said that, he picked up another pancake and started to roll the roast duck again, but there was still a hint of loneliness in his action.

The four of them continued to eat roast duck, but the taste of the roast duck in Liu Guangqi's mouth didn't seem to be as wonderful as it was at the beginning. However, with everyone comforting and joking with each other, the sad atmosphere gradually faded. The room was still filled with the aroma of roast duck and their occasional laughter. The troubles of life seemed to be temporarily diluted by the lively atmosphere, but seemed to still linger in everyone's heart, but everyone tacitly stopped mentioning it too much. They just wanted to enjoy a moment of relaxation and comfort in this rare moment of gathering.