Siheyuan: A journey of mountains and rivers

Xu Damao scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed: "Actually, I have always been a little envious of you two. You two being together is really enviable. I have said a lot of things that I shouldn't have said before, I hope you don't mind."

He Yuzhu smiled slightly and patted Xu Damao on the shoulder: "Da Mao, let the past be the past. We are all neighbors. If there is any problem, we will face it together and solve it together."

Lou Xiao'e also smiled and said, "Yes, Damao, we are all friends, so don't worry about the past anymore."

Xu Damao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded gratefully: "Thank you for your understanding. If you need any help in the future, just come to me."

The night in the courtyard was quiet and peaceful. He Yuzhu and Lou Xiaoe sat in the yard, looking at the stars in the sky, their hearts filled with beautiful visions of the future. They knew that although life sometimes had twists and turns, as long as they were with each other, they could meet all challenges.

He Yuzhu held Lou Xiao'e's hand and whispered, "Xiao'e, thank you for always being by my side. Let's work together to create a better future."

He Yuzhu's life in the courtyard gradually stabilized, and his love life became more stable. However, he always had an unfulfilled wish in his heart, which was to make a breakthrough in cooking. He always liked cooking, but always felt that he lacked some innovation and breakthrough.

One weekend morning, He Yuzhu was busy in the kitchen when he suddenly thought of trying to make some new dishes. He hoped to bring new delicious experiences to the neighbors in the courtyard through innovation, while also adding color to his cooking skills.

"Xiao'e, I plan to try making a few new dishes today." He Yuzhu said to Lou Xiao'e while cutting vegetables.

Lou Xiao'e asked curiously, "New dishes? What are you going to make?"

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I want to try a few dishes that combine different flavors, such as adding some modern elements to traditional dishes to make the taste richer."

Lou Xiao'e nodded, her eyes gleaming with anticipation: "That sounds great. Do you have any specific ideas?"

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and said, "For example, I plan to make a spicy chicken wing, but add some lemon and honey to make the taste more layered. In addition, I also want to try a seafood tofu stew, adding some herbs and cheese to make the taste richer."

Lou Xiao'e listened with great interest and encouraged with a smile: "Yuzhu, I believe in your cooking skills. You will definitely be able to make delicious dishes. Do you want me to help you prepare them?"

He Yuzhu looked at Lou Xiaoe gratefully: "Of course, I am more confident with your help."

They worked together, He Yuzhu was responsible for the preparation of the main dish, and Lou Xiaoe helped wash the vegetables and prepare the ingredients. The kitchen was busy and orderly, full of laughter. He Yuzhu communicated with Lou Xiaoe while cooking, and the tacit understanding between the two became better and better.

"Yuzhui, do you think this way of cutting chicken wings is okay?" Lou Xiao'e asked while cutting chicken wings.

He Yuzhu took a look and nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, Xiao'e, your knife skills are getting better and better."

Lou Xiao'e showed a happy smile on her face: "Thank you for your compliment, Yuzhu."

He Yuzhu continued to prepare the sauce. He added chili peppers, peppercorns and some special seasonings, squeezed in a few drops of fresh lemon juice, poured in a spoonful of honey, and stirred gently. The aroma of the sauce gradually spread, filling the entire kitchen with an alluring scent.

"Xiao'e, smell this sauce, isn't it special?" He Yuzhu asked while stirring it.

Lou Xiao'e sniffed it closely, her eyes sparkling with surprise: "It's really special, with the fragrance of lemon, the sweetness of honey, and the spicy taste of chili mixed together, it's really mouth-watering."

He Yuzhu nodded with satisfaction: "I think it's good too. Let's put the chicken wings in and marinate them for a while so that they can fully absorb the flavors."

Next, they began to prepare the seafood tofu casserole. He Yuzhu selected fresh seafood, including shrimp, shellfish and squid, then cut the tofu into small pieces and prepared the herbs and cheese. Lou Xiaoe was responsible for cleaning the seafood, ensuring that every ingredient was clean and fresh.

"Yuzhui, is it okay to prepare seafood like this?" Lou Xiao'e asked after washing.

He Yuzhu checked it and smiled with satisfaction: "Very good, Xiao'e, you really helped a lot. Next we can start cooking."

They put the processed seafood and tofu into the pot, added broth, and slowly boiled it. He Yuzhu added herbs and cheese, stirring gently to let the aromas fully blend. The soup in the pot gradually became rich and exuded an alluring aroma.

"Xiao'e, how do you think this dish tastes?" He Yuzhu filled a bowl of soup and handed it to Lou Xiao'e for her to taste.

Lou Xiao'e took a bite and showed a satisfied smile on her face: "It's delicious, Yuzhu. The freshness of seafood and the aroma of cheese are perfectly blended, and the tofu has a very tender texture. This dish will definitely be very popular."

He Yuzhu felt a sense of accomplishment when he heard Lou Xiaoe's praise: "Then let's serve these dishes and let everyone taste them together."

They brought the prepared dishes to the yard, and the neighbors in the courtyard gathered around, everyone full of curiosity and anticipation for these new dishes.

"Wow, Yuzhu, these dishes look really good and smell delicious." Xu Damao came over and praised them highly.

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "Da Mao, try it. This is a new dish I'm trying."

Xu Damao picked up a piece of spicy chicken wing, took a bite, and his eyes lit up: "This taste is really amazing, with spicy taste, lemon fragrance, and honey sweetness, very rich layering."

Other neighbors also tasted the new dishes and praised them highly. He Yuzhu was filled with joy and satisfaction when he saw everyone's satisfied expressions.

"Yuzhui, these dishes are really great. Your cooking skills are getting better and better." Lou Xiao'e said to He Yuzhui with a smile.

He Yuzhu looked at Lou Xiao'e gratefully: "Thank you for your support, Xiao'e. With you by my side, I feel I can do better."

He Yuzhu's life in the courtyard gradually stabilized, and his relationship with Lou Xiao'e became closer. One sunny morning, He Yuzhu was wiping his old bicycle in the yard when he suddenly heard Jia Dongxu's voice coming from the side.

"Yuzhu, I heard that you have cooked a lot of new dishes recently, and everyone says they are delicious." Jia Dongxu walked over with a smile, with a hint of envy in his tone.

He Yuzhu stopped what he was doing, looked up and said with a smile: "Dongxu, you're just in time, is there anything I can help you with?"