Siheyuan: Cooking journey

It takes twenty minutes to walk to Dongzhi Primary School where I teach.

When I was in a good mood, the way to work felt like I was on a Hot Wheels ride and I arrived there before I knew it.

At the school gate, the new teacher Ran Qiuye was walking towards them with his head down.

The third uncle greeted him with a pleasant expression: "Good morning, Teacher Ran."

Ran Qiuye was distracted, and when he looked up, he saw an old teacher. He vaguely remembered that his last name was Yan, so he responded politely:

"Good morning, Teacher Yan."

"What are you thinking about, Mr. Ran? You are so focused. Don't lower your head when walking. It's dangerous."

The third uncle was in a good mood and said a few more words.

"I was thinking about the lesson plan and didn't pay attention. I'll pay attention next time. Thank you, Teacher Yan, for reminding me."

Ran Qiuye thanked him politely.

"You're welcome, it's a trivial matter."

The third uncle waved his hand nonchalantly and walked on. Ran Qiuye then realized that he walked to work, and with a move in her mind, she quickly followed him.

"Teacher Yan, you live nearby, right? Is there a Red Star Steel Mill here..."

"Yes, there is such a steel mill."

The third uncle nodded and asked with a smile: "Hey, Mr. Ran, does anyone in your family work in that steel mill?"

"Not a relative."

Ran Qiuye was a little confused, and murmured:

"I want to ask someone, do you know He Yuzhu from the canteen of the steel mill?"

When she heard the name, she felt like a stone was blocking her heart, making her feel suffocated.

She wanted to go to the library, hoping to meet him but also afraid that he might actually be there;

I wanted to walk to the bus stop, hoping that he would show up, but secretly not wanting him to show up.

I was extremely conflicted and didn't know what to do.

Over the past two months, she often couldn't remember how she had managed to get through it.

Since that night, she has been wondering whether this is the right thing to do.

I have been thinking about it for so long.

Now she no longer worries about whether it is true love or whether she really likes him.

She only knew that the feeling of being with He Yuzhu was sincere, and the longing for him every minute and every second was real.

But she knew better that what her mother said was right.

She cares about her identity as a worker and the profession of chef. She doesn't want or want her future friends and family to look down on or talk about the person who will accompany her throughout her life.

She cares a lot about these.

Because this is her life, her parents' life, and she is in the same circle as these people.

In comparison, she is even less willing to give up her life and dreams in order to get married and have children.

Just as my mother said, if you go to college and learn all kinds of knowledge, the ultimate goal is just to get married and have children.

So why waste all this time? Can't you just find a partner and get married?

It is because I understand these principles clearly,

No matter how much you miss someone in your heart, you cannot and should not choose the path of marriage.

Ran Qiuye wanted to forget him. She knew it was difficult, but she was willing to try.

After all, what good would it be if we didn’t forget?

The job was assigned to her and she was going to be the people's teacher she loved.

Ran Qiuye stopped thinking about anything and threw herself into her work, but when she occasionally heard that there was a Red Star Steel Mill nearby, her heart started to get confused again, completely confused.

I just want to find out, I just want to know exactly how that person is doing now.

"Teacher Ran, Teacher Ran, what did you say? I didn't hear you clearly..." The third uncle looked confused.

Ran Qiuye came back to his senses and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Teacher Yan, I was distracted just now. The person I want to inquire about is called He Yuzhu, the chef of the canteen of the steel mill."

"Silly pillar!"

The third uncle smiled and said with a bit of pride on his face:

"If you want to ask about others, I may not know, but if it's Shazhu, then I know him very well. I watched him grow up."

"Teacher Yan, you may be wrong."

Ran Qiuye didn't quite understand and corrected him, "I want to inquire about He Yuzhu, not Shazhu."

"That's him. It's a person. Oops, my memory is so bad that I didn't explain it clearly to you."

The third uncle patted his forehead and said with a smile:

"The Shazhu I'm talking about is He Yuzhu. Shazhu was the nickname his father gave him. Everyone in our courtyard calls him that. It's a long story..."

"Teacher Yan..."

Ran Qiuye interrupted anxiously. She didn't care whether he was stupid or not. She just wanted to confirm whether it was the person she knew. She confirmed again:

"Are you talking about the chef in the steel mill cafeteria, He Yuzhu?!"

"Yes, yes, that's right."

The third uncle nodded affirmatively, then smiled and corrected, "But that was in the past, Shazhu. Well, you may not be used to it, so I'll call him by his full name, Comrade He Yuzhu. He is no longer the canteen chef, but the canteen director, a member of the management team, and also a member of our courtyard."

“I watched him grow up…”

The third uncle seemed to be showing off, as if this honor also belonged to him.

And Ran Qiuye was stunned again.

The canteen director, a member of the management team, has been promoted and is no longer a chef, which means a change in status.

Ran Qiuye was a little excited.

She just realized that status can be changed, and He Yuzhu doesn't have to be a chef, he can have other ways out.

You don't have to have children right after marriage, it can be planned. Your parents only have one child, and isn't that proof of their existence over the years?

As long as you discuss it with He Yuzhu, it is completely feasible to postpone having children.

These problems are not obstacles and can be solved.

After understanding this, Ran Qiuye felt both regretful and filled with infinite hope.

I regret leaving without saying anything. I regret only thinking about escaping and never having the courage to face it.

But there is still hope, it is not too late, now she can go find him, think about him, miss him, and go to see him.

Ran Qiuye's heart was excited and full of anticipation.

Thinking of what Teacher Yan said about He Yuzhu being in the same courtyard with them and being very familiar with them, she couldn't help but interrupt him and asked:

"Teacher Yan, how is He Yuzhu now?"

"He's still the same."

The third uncle looked at Ran Qiuye with some doubts and asked curiously:

"Oh, Teacher Ran, I forgot to ask, you're asking, silly, uh, why are you asking about He Yuzhu?"

"Someone introduced a date to my friend, He Yuzhu. She knew I was a teacher here, so she asked me to help find out what kind of person he was."

……

Ran Qiuye blushed slightly and explained, but she was embarrassed to say that the person was actually herself.

"I see."

The third uncle suddenly realized and shook his head in a funny way.

"This matchmaker is too unreliable. He Yuzhu has already been married. What's the point of introducing her? The information is too outdated."

"Get married! Really get married!"

Ran Qiuye's face turned pale, and he subconsciously tightened the corner of his clothes, feeling a tightness in his chest.

"Of course, we've been married for more than two months!"

The third uncle saw that she looked strange and asked in surprise: "Teacher Ran, are you okay?"

"fine."