Siheyuan: Walking the Path of Qin Huairu

He Yuzhu prepared a lot of New Year's gifts for himself this year. First, his salary increased this year. His basic salary is now 43 yuan, plus a 10 yuan job subsidy, which makes him a high-income earner. In this era, five yuan is the living standard for a person per month, so you can imagine the purchasing power.

In the past few months, he rarely cooked big pot dishes, leaving them to his apprentice Ma Hua, and he cooked for receptions. Occasionally, he could go out to cook wedding banquets for others to earn some extra money. The most important thing was that he was in charge of the vegetable greenhouse. He didn't have to work there on weekdays, and there were temporary workers hired by the factory to do it. However, the power of sales was in the hands of He Yuzhu, so he could also get some benefits. He Yuzhu was very good at taking advantage of others. In the past, he often took ingredients from the canteen to his home.

Director Li also used winter vegetables to build relationships with people at all levels. At the same time, he was well versed in the art of controlling his subordinates, and gave He Yuzhu a lot of tickets, both openly and secretly.

In the courtyard, Jia Zhang was so envious and jealous watching He Yuzhu proudly preparing delicious food for his home every day. She asked Qin Huairu to ask for some. However, Qin Huairu had stopped trying since she was rejected last time. She was not thick-skinned enough to keep pestering him.

Old lady Long in the backyard couldn't sit still. This old lady was greedy. Her meals were delivered to her by the first lady every day. Yi Zhonghai and the first lady were both frugal people. Because they had no children, they knew how to save money for their old age. They ate simple meals. The New Year was coming soon, and the old lady remembered He Yuzhu's cooking skills.

She asked Yi Zhonghai to find He Yuzhu, but Yi Zhonghai said, "Old lady, Zhuzi has a prejudice against me now, so it will be useless for me to go." The old lady had no choice but to go in person.

He Yuzhu and Yushui were having dinner when they heard someone knocking on the door. He Yuzhu asked, "Who is it?"

The deaf old lady said: "Zhuzi, open the door, grandma is here to see you and your sister." He Yuzhu quickly picked up the plate, poured part of the food into the bowl, and scooped the rest into his own bowl. Then he held the bowl and ate while opening the door.

The deaf old lady came in with a cane, and she didn't treat herself as a stranger. She sat down at the table, her eyes swept to the dishes on the table, and she thought to herself: "Oh, I'm late, there's only soup left."

Yu Shui was not stupid either. She ate the meal in big mouthfuls. She put down her chopsticks and went to do her homework. The deaf old lady looked at He Yuzhu with a shrewd look in her eyes and said, "Grandson, grandma hasn't eaten the food you cooked for a long time."

He Yuzhu said, "I'm too busy this winter. Director Li has assigned me a lot of work. How about this, what do you want to eat? Ask the old man to prepare the ingredients, and I'll make it for you when I have time."

He Yuzhu has also learned to be slick. Ever since he knew that He Daqing's departure was related to the old lady, he has deliberately distanced himself from her. He neither wants to offend the old lady nor wants to interact with her too much, so he practices Tai Chi with her.

The old lady was a little disappointed. She had to say, "The New Year is coming soon. This yard is full of food. I am proud of your cooking skills. Let's celebrate the New Year together this year. I don't have many years left to live, so I want to taste your cooking skills."

He Yuzhu said awkwardly, "My second uncle got married this year, and my second aunt asked my brother and sister to go to her house for the New Year, so I agreed. This is my second aunt's first year to come into the family, so how can I refuse?"

The deaf old lady squinted her eyes at He Yuzhu and said, "My silly Zhu is not listening to grandma. Never mind. When you are old, you are annoying. I am leaving now."

She stood up and made a move to leave. She hoped that He Yuzhu would give in and call her back. However, He Yuzhu supported her and walked her to the door, saying, "Old lady, how could I despise you? We'll meet again later. You'll have plenty of opportunities to eat the food I cook."

After the old lady left, He Yuzhu smiled and said, "We'll talk about it later."

On New Year's Eve, Xu Huizhen's family had a lot of food this year. Cai Quanwu was no longer the big man he used to be. As the manager of the tavern, he was not short of money. Xu Jianmei was busy making tofu and sprouting bean sprouts all winter, and she also made a lot of money. It must be said that Xu Jianmei, who came from the countryside, was really capable. Of course, she couldn't handle it all by herself. Her younger brother Xu Jianmu, who was now an apprentice in a furniture factory, also helped her a lot after get off work. Even Grandpa Li could help her light the fire or sprinkle water on the sprouts. The family could be said to be doing their best.

Since he had earned money, he couldn't be too stingy when he went to someone else's house to celebrate the New Year, so Cai Quanwu sent a lot of food.

Xu Huizhen's space is fully stocked with supplies, and a lot of sea cucumbers and abalone were harvested in Xikou Village this summer.

He Yuzhu was busy in the kitchen. Xu Jianmei was pregnant and couldn't stand the fishy smell, so Xu Huizhen came in to help He Yuzhu. In the past, these chores were done by Hu Yingzi.

He Yuzhu pushed her out and said, "I can handle the meal for just a few people by myself. I don't need you. Just go out and take a breath!"

Xu Huizhen: "Can you do it yourself?"

He Yuzhu said confidently: "Why not? I have prepared banquets for more than ten tables."

Xu Huizhen chuckled and thought to herself, it's not bad to have a great chef at home. No, a hardworking chef.

When the dishes are served, there are chicken, duck, fish, meat, sea cucumbers, and abalone. Not to mention in this era, even in modern times, the New Year's Eve dinner is still rich. During the New Year, the best ingredients should be served on the table, with the main purpose of auspiciousness and prosperity.

Everyone had a smile on their face. As the host, Xu Huizhen had to say a few auspicious words. She picked up her wine glass and said, "The past year has been a year of great joy for every family here!"

He Yushui asked puzzledly: "Sister Huizhen, what year is Pu Daxiong's year?"

She was screwed. She accidentally let the cat out of the bag again. She had to explain: "It means that the whole world is celebrating, everyone is very happy, and everyone is overjoyed. It means that everyone is telling each other about it. It is abbreviated as "universal joy."

He Yushui: "Can it be abbreviated like this? The teachers in school didn't teach us that."

Xu Huizhen complained in her heart, this naughty child is picking on me. He Yuzhu scolded: "Yushui, you are a child, don't make trouble, just listen to what the adults say." He Yushui stuck out her tongue and said, "I'm sorry, Sister Huizhen, please continue."

Xu Huizhen had no choice but to continue, "Let's talk about Cai Quanwu first. He has become the public manager of the tavern! He is also married, and Jianmei is pregnant again. It can be said that it is a triple blessing! He Yuzhu's family has resolved the misunderstanding between him and his father, and He Yuzhu has been promoted and given a raise. It is also a very gratifying year, right? Let's talk about my family. The tavern business is booming, and the most important thing is that I am the director of the embroidery factory. Isn't it a pleasant surprise! Then there is Aunt Han's family. The hat of a capitalist has been taken off. In the future, they will be ordinary citizens like us. Aunt Han is also the backbone of our embroidery factory. We can't do without her. In a word, the spring breeze is all good news! Don't you think it's right?"

"Yes!" Everyone echoed in unison!