Siheyuan: Mastery started in the 50s

The autumn wind gradually turned cooler, and life in the courtyard returned to peace. Wang Qiang had just gotten up in the morning and was about to go buy some daily necessities when he suddenly remembered that he hadn't chatted with He Yuzhu for a long time. So he decided to call He Yuzhu and go to the market to buy some eggs and meat together.

As Wang Qiang walked towards He Yuzhu's house, he thought: He Yuzhu is an interesting person. He looks careless, but he is actually very thoughtful and kind to people. Although He Yuzhu didn't participate much in Xu Damao's incident, he must have noticed it. Let's talk about it today.

"Yuzhui, are you home?" Wang Qiang knocked on the door.

"I'm here, come in!" He Yuzhu's voice came from the house.

Wang Qiang pushed open the door and saw He Yuzhu sitting at the table drinking tea with a relaxed smile on his face. "What's up? Is there something wrong?" He Yuzhu put down his teacup and asked Wang Qiang to sit down.

"It's nothing big. I just thought that we haven't been to the market together for a long time. Today I plan to buy some eggs and meat. I wanted to ask if you are free to go with me?" Wang Qiang said with a smile.

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Great, I haven't been to the market for a long time, and I just happen to be in need of something. Let's go now!"

The two walked out of the courtyard together and headed towards the market. Along the way, they chatted, and Wang Qiang felt that He Yuzhu was a good listener, always able to interject a word or two at the right time, making people feel very comfortable.

"Wang Qiang, the incident involving Xu Damao has caused quite a stir recently. What do you think about it?" He Yuzhu suddenly asked.

Wang Qiang's heart moved, knowing that He Yuzhu must have seen something, but he did not answer immediately. Instead, he thought for a while and said, "Yes, Xu Damao's chickens really caused everyone a lot of worry. But fortunately, it was finally solved."

"I see that you are very concerned about that matter. Xu Damao should be grateful to you." He Yuzhu said with a smile, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Wang Qiang smiled and said, "We are all neighbors, so we should help each other. Besides, I don't want the atmosphere in the courtyard to be too tense. It would be better if everyone is in harmony."

He Yuzhu nodded, seeming satisfied with Wang Qiang's answer: "You are right, neighbors should be more tolerant and understanding. In fact, I have always thought that you are a good person, and sometimes you are more thoughtful than me."

Wang Qiang felt warm at heart after hearing this. He felt that He Yuzhu was really praising him, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed: "No, no, I'm just doing my best. By the way, let's buy some good things this time and go back to cook a good meal for everyone, which can also be regarded as a celebration of our friendship."

He Yuzhu laughed: "Good idea! Let's buy some good ingredients this time and go back to make a good meal."

Arriving at the market, the two began to select eggs and meat. He Yuzhu was very experienced in selecting things, and while selecting, he explained to Wang Qiang how to choose the right meat. Wang Qiang listened with great interest and learned a lot.

"Look at this meat, it's bright red and elastic, which is a sign of freshness." He Yuzhu said, pointing to a piece of pork.

Wang Qiang nodded and said, "Yes, I always bought things randomly before. It seems I need to learn more about this."

After buying eggs and meat, the two strolled for a while, bought some vegetables and seasonings, and returned with a full load. Wang Qiang felt very satisfied, not only because he bought good things, but also because he felt very happy to spend time with He Yuzhu.

Back at the courtyard, Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu carried the food back to the house and started to prepare the meal. Wang Qiang was responsible for washing and cutting the vegetables, while He Yuzhu was in charge of cooking. The two worked in perfect harmony.

"Wang Qiang, you have great knife skills. The vegetables are cut so neatly." He Yuzhu praised.

Wang Qiang smiled and replied, "No, no, I learned it all from you. Your cooking skills are truly amazing. I must learn from you today."

The two chatted as they cooked, and the kitchen was filled with laughter. Soon, a table of sumptuous dishes was ready, and the aroma filled the air, attracting neighbors from the courtyard to gather around.

"Hey, what are you doing today? So many delicious dishes!" a neighbor asked with a smile.

He Yuzhu greeted everyone with a smile: "Come on, come on, Wang Qiang is treating us today, let's all come and eat together!"

The neighbors held their bowls and sat around the table in the middle of the yard, eating and chatting happily. Xu Damao was also invited over. He sat at a corner of the table, with a look of gratitude and shyness in his eyes.

Wang Qiang was very pleased to see this scene. He knew that although life in the Siheyuan may have some minor setbacks, as long as everyone works together and understands each other, life will always get better and better. Wang Qiang silently made up his mind to work harder to maintain this harmony in the future so that everyone in the Siheyuan can feel the warmth of home.

The meal was very enjoyable, and everyone spent a warm night with laughter. The friendship between Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu also deepened during this cooperation, and the two agreed to cook together more often in the future to make the life in the courtyard more colorful.

A few days later, on another sunny morning, Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu met again to go to the market to buy vegetables. The last successful cooperation made them both feel unsatisfied, so they decided to have another "food trip" this time.

"Wang Qiang, how about we try making some different dishes today?" He Yuzhu suggested as they walked.

"Okay, that's exactly what I had in mind. Everybody said the dishes were delicious last time, so we can be more creative this time," Wang Qiang answered enthusiastically.

Arriving at the market, the two began to select ingredients. He Yuzhu walked to a stall and pointed at a large fresh carp: "Wang Qiang, this fish is good, we can make braised carp."

Wang Qiang nodded: "Good idea! Braised carp is a great dish, everyone will definitely like it."

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Then let's buy it. Let's see if there are any other good ingredients and buy them back together."

After selecting the ingredients, the two returned to the courtyard and began to prepare lunch. Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu worked together, He Yuzhu was responsible for processing the carp, and Wang Qiang was responsible for preparing the ingredients for other dishes.

"Yuzhui, your knife skills are amazing. You processed the fish very cleanly." Wang Qiang praised.

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "This is all learned from daily practice. You can also practice more and you will be able to get the hang of it soon."

Wang Qiang nodded in agreement, but thought to himself: It seems that I need to learn more from He Yuzhu in the future. I really admire his cooking skills.

"The key to braised carp is the combination of heat and seasoning. Wang Qiang, try this seasoning and see if the flavor is suitable." He Yuzhu handed over a spoonful of seasoning.