Siheyuan: Rebirth of Liu Ergou

On an ordinary Sunday morning, the sun lazily sprinkled on the bluestone slabs of the alley, and the second uncle Liu Haizhong was leisurely preparing to go out for a stroll, enjoying this rare quiet time. His steps were neither fast nor slow, and his face was full of leisurely expression, as if the whole world had nothing to do with him, and he just wanted to immerse himself in this tranquility.

However, the tranquility was soon broken by a sudden inquiry. A middle-aged man in a Mao suit, with a sincere face and anxious eyes, stopped the second uncle's way. "Hello, big brother, may I ask if Comrade He Yuzhu lives here?" His voice was not loud, but it was enough to make the second uncle stop and murmur in his heart.

The second uncle frowned slightly and began to think: What kind of trouble did He Yuzhu cause outside? Or did something good come to him? He looked at the middle-aged man in front of him and saw that he was well-dressed and had a righteous manner. He didn't look like a bad guy. So he decided to ask first, "What do you want from He Yuzhu?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man quickly explained, "Oh, it's like this. I heard that Comrade He Yuzhu is very skilled, especially in cooking, so I want to ask him to help me and be a chef for a day. I wonder if it's convenient?"

Hearing this, the second uncle's doubts were somewhat relieved. It turned out that they wanted to invite He Yuzhu to be the chef, which was a good thing. He couldn't help but think of the delicious dishes He Yuzhu made on weekdays, and thought to himself that He Yuzhu was indeed a good cook, and his cooking skills were also well-known among the neighbors. So he nodded and decided to take the middle-aged man to find He Yuzhu.

"Okay, I'll take you to his house. But you have to tell me what kind of work it is, so that our Zhuzi won't suffer any loss." The second uncle said as he led the middle-aged man towards He Yuzhu's house.

Along the way, the middle-aged man explained the situation in detail. It turned out that their family was going to hold a wedding and needed a skilled chef to cook. After hearing this, the second uncle felt more relieved and his steps became lighter.

Arriving at He Yuzhu's house, the second uncle knocked on the door, muttering: "Zhuzi, Zhuzi, your good craftsmanship will become famous now!" The moment the door opened, a new story quietly began...

The sun shines through the mottled shadows of the trees and falls on He Yuzhu's slightly weathered face. He stands in front of his house, holding the kitchen knife that has been with him for many years, with a complex look in his eyes. Just now, the second uncle Liu Haizhong and a middle-aged man found him and said that a family was going to hold a wedding and wanted to invite him to be the chef.

"Second uncle, I have never done this outside. I don't know if the owner is easy to get along with. Can we negotiate the price?" He Yuzhu asked.

The middle-aged man walked over and said, "It's 10 yuan to cook. Chef He can bring five people with him. You can eat whatever you want. You can take four lunch boxes with you when you leave."

Seeing that the host was so straightforward, He Yuzhu immediately agreed happily. …

A festive atmosphere permeated the air. Red silk cloth, red lanterns, red candles, everything was dyed with festive colors. He Yuzhu stood in the kitchen, looking at the ingredients and the stove in front of him, and a sense of pride surged in his heart. He knew that at this moment, he was the master of this kitchen.

He Yuzhu stood in the kitchen, skillfully selecting fresh ingredients. His eyes were focused and determined, as if he was talking to every piece of meat and every leaf of vegetable to understand the best way to cook them. The knife in his hand danced quickly, cutting the ingredients into even shapes, preparing to present a feast for the taste buds for the guests.

As the fire started to burn, He Yuzhu began to cook. He skillfully controlled the heat and put the ingredients into the pot one by one. The steam from the pot rose up, filling the entire kitchen with an alluring aroma. He Yuzhu's cooking technique was unique and exquisite, and each dish seemed like a work of art that he had carefully crafted.

The guests sat around the table, looking forward to He Yuzhu's delicious food. When the delicious dishes were served, their eyes were full of surprise and expectation. After taking the first bite, the guests smiled with satisfaction. He Yuzhu's cooking skills gave them an unprecedented taste enjoyment, and they praised every dish.

The atmosphere at the table became more and more heated, and the guests expressed their appreciation and gratitude to He Yuzhu. They talked about the unique flavor and cooking techniques of each dish, and praised He Yuzhu's cooking skills. This gourmet feast created by He Yuzhu himself made the guests spend an unforgettable night.

He Yuzhu held the fifteen yuan tightly in his hand, with a satisfied smile on his face. He looked back at his sister, who also looked excited.

"Brother, we are so lucky today!" said my sister happily.

He Yuzhu nodded and said, "Yes, the host is very satisfied with my cooking skills. This fifteen dollars is a considerable income."

The two happily returned home with six lunch boxes of food. On the way, He Yuzhu excitedly imagined the use of the money: it could be used to improve the family's life, buy some beautiful new clothes for his sister, and save it for emergencies.

As soon as he got home, He Yuzhu couldn't wait to give the money to his sister. His sister was stunned by the large sum of money in her hand, her mouth opened wide and couldn't close for a long time.

"Brother, did you just earn this? How can you have so much money? You actually gave it all to me?" He Yushui asked in disbelief.

He Yuzhu told his sister all his thoughts in one go. After listening to this, He Yushui was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

"Brother, you are really the best brother in the world! Your cooking skills have finally been recognized by everyone. I am so proud of you!" He Yushui said while choking.

He Yuzhu looked at his sister tenderly, his heart filled with warmth and happiness. He knew that all these achievements were due to his unremitting efforts and persistence over the years. He secretly made up his mind to work harder to study cooking in the future, win more people's praise with delicious food, and let his family live a better life.