Siheyuan: Xu Damao's New Life

Time flew by and it was Sunday. Xu Damao had just finished washing up in the front yard when he heard a series of knocks on the door.

"Who is it, so early in the morning?" Xu's mother muttered softly in the kitchen and was about to go to open the door.

"Mom, let me go. It must be Guangfu coming to deliver the food." Xu Damao said as he walked towards the gate.

"Guangfu, is that you? Why are you here so early?" Xu Damao said as he opened the door.

"Hey, Brother Damao, my master told me to come early because I have to practice martial arts when I go back." There was a cart full of things parked outside the door, and Liu Guangfu was standing behind it waiting.

"Okay, let's unload the goods first and then eat here before leaving." Xu Damao said.

"I came here after eating, so I'll unload the goods first. Brother Damao, where do you put the things?" Liu Guangfu said as he picked up the things and walked towards the yard.

"Let's put it in the empty room on the west wing." Xu Damao said as he picked up the things and carried them in.

Xu Fugui also heard the noise and came out of the house. Seeing this situation, he also started to help move things. The three of them went back and forth several times before they finished moving everything, but Xu Damao secretly put some of the things he exchanged in.

"Guangfu has grown into a big boy. Why don't you eat at home before going back?" said Xu's father.

"No, no, I came here after I had eaten. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first." After saying this, Liu Guangfu ran out, pushed the cart and disappeared.

"Kid! Go eat quickly. Don't you have to pick someone up later?"

"As for our neighbor couple, their craftsmanship is even better than Sha Zhu's."

"Oh? Then I'll have to try it at noon!"

As they talked, the father and son walked towards the main house in the backyard. They were eating there to accommodate Lou Xiao'e, who was unable to leave the house as she was in confinement after giving birth.

Xu Damao finished his meal quickly and rode his bicycle towards the Lou family's small western-style building. He returned the bicycle after his wife used it when she was discharged from the hospital last time. After all, it was too eye-catching to park it outside.

When Xu Damao parked the car and came to Nan Yi's house, the couple had already packed up and were waiting, and Nan Yi brought a lot of tools. When a chef goes out to cook, he usually brings his own tools, and he is not used to using other people's tools.

"Oh, is it so formal today?" Xu Damao teased.

"Didn't you brag that you opened my eyes? How can I not be more formal?" Nan Yi said.

"Okay, let's go. I'll help you hold the stuff, and you just hold on to your sister-in-law."

The three of them walked slowly outside together. A neighbor asked them what they were doing, and Xu Damao said that they were going to ask Master Nan to go out and prepare a banquet.

Xu Damao didn't drive fast along the way. After all, he was driving with a pregnant woman who was almost due. Although there were not many cars on the roads in the city, the road conditions were very average.

After Xu Damao parked the car, he got out with his stuff. "Brother Nan, go slow, there's a threshold."

"Come on, I've lived here longer than you, how could I not know?" Nan Yi helped Ding Qiunan get out of the car and walked slowly inside.

Xu Damao slapped his forehead. He had lived here longer than he had. "Come on, I'll take you to see Mo Zi and the child first, and give her a surprise. I didn't tell Mo Zi, and she thought it was Brother Nan who came here by himself."

Ding Qiunan glanced at Nan Yi, as if to ask why don't you give me some surprises from time to time. Nan Yi felt a little embarrassed by being looked at, "Ahem, well, let's go quickly, I have something else to do later."

"Moth, moth, look who's coming." Xu Damao shouted impatiently as soon as he entered the room.

"Who is it? Could it be the in-laws?" Lou Xiao'e poked her head out from the inner room to check the situation.

"Hey, Qiunan! Why are you here?" Lou Xiao'e shouted in surprise.

"Xiao'e!" Ding Qiunan also took two quick steps, and Nan Yi was so scared that he quickly supported her.

Soon the two women started chattering. Ding Qiunan asked various questions about children like a student, while Lou Xiaoe taught her experience as a mother like a teacher.

The two men had long been forgotten by them, so Xu Damao had no choice but to personally carry the two children out for Nan Yi to see.

Nan Yi said with some envy: "Your two children don't look like you at all, they look more like their mother. If I could also have a pair of twins, I would be satisfied in this life."

"Hey, if we don't have it this time, we can continue next time. You are still young anyway, so why rush?" Xu Damao handed the child to his mother-in-law and took Nan Yi straight to the kitchen.

"Come on, I'll take you to the kitchen to broaden your horizons." Xu Damao took out cigarettes as soon as he came out of the house and lit one for each of them.

"Then I have to see if you are bragging!"

"Today I'll show you my strength. I have connections outside. If you need anything, just come to me directly."

"Well, I also heard something at the factory. When Qiunan gives birth, please get me some milk powder. I'm afraid I won't have enough milk at the beginning." Nan Yi said anxiously.

"I was thinking about this even if you didn't tell me. My two kids barely have enough to eat, and they need some milk powder at night. I have some ready-made here, take two buckets when you go back."

The two of them came to the kitchen while talking. Nan Yi's nose twitched, "Hmm, who made this chicken soup? It smells so good. This must be made by a chef with a traditional craft. I think I've tasted this before."

"Hey, I'm not a professional chef. My mother-in-law is a concubine of the Tan family. She can cook some simple Tan family dishes. This is the chicken soup for the moth."

"I was wondering why this taste is so familiar. My grandfather took me to visit the Tan family when I was a child. I have eaten authentic Tan family cuisine, not the half-baked food of Zhongyuan Zhuzi."

"Ingredients are hard to come by, but I can definitely satisfy you today. Look!" Xu Damao pushed open the door and pointed at a pile of ingredients for Nan Yi to see.

"Let me see what's making you so proud!

Well, there were all kinds of chicken, duck, fish, and a lot of beef and mutton, and even two pairs of live pigeons!

This is a sea cucumber, this is a crab, this is an oyster, this is a bird's nest and shark fin, I don't recognize this fish but it looks like a marine fish.

Okay, the stuff is quite complete. It’s not easy to get these things nowadays. I haven’t seen these good things for a long time.”

"How's it going? Brother, am I capable enough?"

"Yes, absolutely. They say that sea fish has delicious meat. Today I will use this fish to make the boiled fish you taught me."

"The main ingredients are all here, and the side dishes are in the kitchen over there. There are eight of us here, and there are probably only five or six of us over there. It's up to you to make as many dishes as you want."

"Okay, then you go ahead and do your work. I'll prepare the ingredients first. I'm a professional cook, so don't worry."

"Okay, I'll go buy some wine and drinks first, and we'll start the meal on time at noon." Xu Damao went out, pushed his bicycle and went straight to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative. There were so many people here, he couldn't just take them out directly from the space, he had to pretend to do it.

When Xu Damao came back from shopping, he saw another car parked in front of the courtyard gate from a distance. He guessed that Chen Yuanzheng had arrived with his family.

Xu Damao quickly pushed the cart into the yard, put the wine in the east wing, and then walked towards the main house.

Before he entered the house, he heard talking and laughing coming from the inner room. It seemed that the two old men were having a pleasant conversation, and Xu Damao felt relieved.

Xu Damao lifted the door curtain made of plastic beads and walked in. "Dad, I'm back. Uncle Chen, when did you come here? This must be my aunt."

"Da Mao, come here, let me introduce you. This is my wife and this is my daughter. My eldest son and daughter-in-law are working in other places and haven't come back yet."

Xu Damao met them one by one. His future brother-in-law also changed into a new uniform today and stood aside with his hands hanging down somewhat stiffly. He looked particularly energetic.