Siheyuan: Mastery started in the 50s

As time went by, Wang's Kitchen gradually became a scenic spot on the old street. Locals and tourists alike came here to taste the special dishes. Wang Qiang's name became widely known and he became a respected chef in the city.

Wang Qiang stood in front of the stove, holding a small bowl in his hand, carefully adding seasonings little by little. His face was full of concentration and joy, as if every drop of seasoning was a ritual. At this moment, a knock on the door broke his silence.

"Brother, it's me, He Yuzhu!" A young and slightly rough voice came from outside the door.

Wang Qiang smiled, put down the bowl in his hand, and walked to open the door. He Yuzhu stood at the door, dressed in simple clothes, his face full of confidence and curiosity. He and Wang Qiang knew each other from the neighbors. He heard that Wang's kitchen was famous, so he took the initiative to look for Wang Qiang.

"Welcome to the Wang family kitchen, Brother He." Wang Qiang greeted him warmly, "I heard that you are also interested in cooking?"

He Yuzhu nodded, with a bit of envy and expectation in his eyes, "Yes, I liked to help my family cook when I was a child, and now I also help out in a small restaurant. I heard that Master Wang's cooking skills are amazing, so I came here to ask for his advice."

Wang Qiang smiled and patted He Yuzhu's shoulder, "You are too polite, we are all the same. Come in, let's make a delicious meal together today."

The two walked into the kitchen, and He Yuzhu quickly scanned the various seasonings and kitchen utensils, and approached with curiosity. Wang Qiang motioned him to sit down, and then began to introduce today's recipes and preparations.

During the cooking process, Wang Qiang patiently explained every step and shared his insights and experience. Although He Yuzhu did not have the same superb skills as Wang Qiang, his learning ability and keen observation allowed him to quickly catch up with the pace. The two cooperated with each other in the kitchen, sometimes joking and sometimes seriously discussing the combination of ingredients and the control of the heat.

"Brother He, the sauce here is made with my family's secret seasoning. You can try it." Wang Qiang handed He Yuzhu a spoonful of sauce with anticipation in his eyes.

He Yuzhu took the spoon and tasted it carefully. A satisfied expression immediately appeared on his face. "This tastes really good, rich but not heavy, and has a strong aroma."

Wang Qiang smiled and secretly praised He Yuzhu's keen sense of smell. "If you have time in the future, come here often. We can exchange cooking skills and learn from each other."

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he nodded in agreement. He felt that he had learned much more in Wang's kitchen than in a small restaurant. This opportunity was of great significance to his growth, and he was full of expectations and longings.

The two young people worked in the kitchen for most of the day and finally finished a table of delicious dishes. They sat down and tasted their work together, exchanging their feelings about the dishes and ideas for improvement. Wang Qiang looked at He Yuzhu's focused and satisfied expression and couldn't help feeling satisfied and happy.

As time went by, He Yuzhu became a frequent visitor to Wang's kitchen. Whenever he had free time, he would come here to discuss cooking skills with Wang Qiang. He made rapid progress and was soon able to independently prepare some simple dishes, and even came up with some new ideas and suggestions for improvement.

Wang Qiang also learned a lot from He Yuzhu. The young man's creativity and sensitivity to ingredients made his cooking more flexible and rich. The two of them got along better and better in the kitchen, and they could communicate through their eyes and actions without words.

However, recently Wang Qiang began to notice a problem: the raw materials in Wang's kitchen, especially meat, seemed to be increasing in quantity and it was difficult to meet the demand. His father, Mr. Wang, also noticed this and began to make some adjustments in the daily menu, reducing the provision of some meat dishes.

One evening, after a busy day in the kitchen, Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu sat down to rest. Old Master Wang looked at the two young men, pondered for a moment, and then said: "Qiang'er, Yuzhu, I feel that we seem to use less meat recently. Have you noticed this problem?"

Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu looked at each other and fell silent. Wang Qiang frowned and was thinking about this question in his heart. Although they paid great attention to controlling costs and using ingredients, they did feel that the amount of meat used had increased, especially the recent increase in customer demand.

He Yuzhu scratched his head and said cautiously: "Master, I do feel that the amount of meat used has increased recently, although we try our best to control it."

Mr. Wang nodded with a worried look on his face. "It's not good to keep going like this. The price of meat has been rising. If our costs continue to increase, it may affect our business."

Wang Qiang pondered for a moment, and suddenly his eyes lit up, "Perhaps we can review the menu, add some vegetarian options, and try to reduce the supply of meat dishes. At the same time, we can make better use of ingredients, such as chicken bones, fish scales, etc., to make soup bases and seasonings."

He Yuzhu nodded and said, "Yes, we can try to reduce the amount of meat in each dish and pay more attention to the combination of ingredients and the taste of the dishes."

After listening to their suggestions, Mr. Wang smiled with satisfaction, "Okay, let's try it starting tomorrow. You two can discuss and adjust the menu. I will support you." Wang Qiang was getting more and more distressed as he watched the changes in Wang's kitchen. Although they successfully adjusted the menu and effectively controlled the amount of meat used, the business did not improve as they expected. Although the guests responded positively to the new dishes, the overall sales did not increase much, but instead decreased.

On a busy evening, Wang Qiang stood in the kitchen sorting out ingredients with a frown on his face. Seeing this, He Yuzhu quietly walked over to him and asked with concern: "Brother Qiang, what's wrong? Are you worried about business again?"

Wang Qiang sighed and nodded, "Yes, I think the changes we made are correct, but the effect is not as good as expected. The recent business situation makes me a little worried."

He Yuzhu was silent for a while, then said seriously: "Maybe we need more time for customers to adapt to the new menu and concept. Cooking is an art, and running a restaurant requires patience and persistence."

Wang Qiang nodded and felt relieved. "You are right. I may be too eager for quick success. We must believe in our choice and stick to it."

Just as they were thinking, Mr. Wang came over and helped to sort out the ingredients, saying, "Kids, you did a great job. Change doesn't happen overnight.