Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

After Liu Pingan came out of the steel mill, he set off briskly to the market, having already prepared a sumptuous dinner menu in his mind. The market was bustling with people, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining intertwined to form a vivid symphony of life. He shuttled between the colorful stalls, his eyes quickly scanning each ingredient like a scanner, selecting the freshest and best quality ones.

"Boss, these tomatoes look really good. How much are they?" Liu Ping'an asked with a smile, pointing to a basket of bright red tomatoes.

"Oh, it's Ping An, an old customer! These tomatoes are picked from our own fields and are very sweet. I'll give you a special price of 2.5 yuan per pound. How about it?" The stall owner responded enthusiastically while weighing the tomatoes skillfully.

Liu Ping'an nodded with satisfaction, and turned to the butcher's stall next to him: "Lao Zhang, give me two pounds of ribs. I want the lean ones with a little fat, so they will be delicious when stewed."

"Don't worry, Ping'an, I picked out only the best for you!" Lao Zhang agreed while skillfully picking out a few pieces of ribs, weighing them, and packing them in one go.

Carrying a heavy bag of food, Liu Pingan walked out of the vegetable market. The afterglow of the setting sun stretched his figure out long and golden light shone all over his body, as if even the air was filled with a warm atmosphere. He took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling particularly relaxed and full of anticipation for the upcoming dinner.

When Liu Pingan returned to the courtyard, he found that everyone in his family had gone to bed, so he quietly walked into the kitchen and began his cooking journey. In the kitchen, he seemed like a conductor, and every move he made seemed so calm and unhurried.

He first cleaned the ribs, chopped them into small, uniform pieces, and then put them into a casserole, adding enough water, a few slices of ginger, a few pieces of green onion, and a little cooking wine, and simmered them slowly over low heat, allowing the aroma of the ribs to seep out little by little. Then, he began to process the various vegetables he had taken out of the Lingquan space. The tomatoes were cut into even-sized pieces, the green peppers were cut into long, thin strips, and the potatoes were cut into thin slices, each of which was translucent and glittering.

Liu Ping'an's cooking skills are indeed extraordinary. He skillfully manipulated the spatula and poured a proper amount of oil into the pot. When the oil temperature was just right, he added the onion, ginger and garlic to stir-fry until fragrant. The fragrance instantly filled the entire kitchen. Then, he added the ribs, potato slices, tomato cubes and green pepper shreds in turn, and quickly stir-fried them evenly so that each ingredient could fully absorb the flavor of the seasoning. During the stir-frying process, he also took out some special seasonings from the Lingquan space from time to time and sprinkled them into the pot. Suddenly, the fragrance overflowed, making people unable to help but swallow their saliva.

At the same time, Liu Pingan also set up another pot to fry beef, mutton and rabbit meat. He cut the meat into thin slices, marinated it with a special marinade for a while, and then quickly stir-fried it in the pot. During the frying process, he constantly added various spices and seasonings, such as star anise, cinnamon, and grass fruit, making the taste of the meat slices more distinct and delicious.

The kitchen was filled with tempting aromas, as if even the air had become sweet. While cooking, Liu Pingan imagined the satisfaction and happiness of his family members when they ate these delicacies, and his heart was filled with warmth and a sense of accomplishment. He knew that this dinner was not just a simple meal, but also an expression of his love for his family.

Finally, a sumptuous dinner was ready. Liu Pingan served the dishes one by one on the table, and then gently woke up his family. Everyone sat together, savoring this loving dinner, with happy smiles on their faces. While eating, the aunt praised: "Pingan, your cooking is getting better and better!" Xiao Tao also echoed: "Yes, yes, brother, your cooking skills are great!"

Liu Ping'an smiled and shook his head: "No, no, as long as you enjoy your meal, I'll be satisfied." His heart was filled with satisfaction and happiness. He knew that this was the life he wanted - simple, happy and full of love.

And this happiness is exactly what he earned through hard work and attentive life. After dinner, the family sat in the yard chatting and watching the moon, enjoying this rare quiet and warm time. Liu Pingan looked at the stars in the sky with gratitude and satisfaction in his heart. He knew that this was the life he had always dreamed of.

At this time, grandma suddenly suggested: "Let's stop chatting and do some radio gymnastics to help digestion. You young people, sitting still all the time is not good for your health." As she said that, she pulled grandpa to stand up. Grandpa smiled and shook his head, but obediently followed grandma to the radio. Grandma pressed a button lightly, and the familiar radio gymnastics music came from the radio. The melodious melody instantly evoked everyone's memories.

Uncle, aunt, Zhang Guifang and Liu Jianjun couldn't help laughing when they heard the music, as if they were back in their youth. They stood in a row and followed the rhythm of the music, doing radio gymnastics seriously. Uncle smiled and said while doing it: "Oh, I haven't done this radio gymnastics for a long time, I really miss it!" Aunt also echoed: "Yes, we did it every day back then. Now thinking about it, our bodies were really great back then!"

Grandma was leading the exercise, and although her movements were a little slow, she still did it very well, and each movement was full of strength. Grandpa followed closely behind, trying his best to keep pace with grandma, with a happy smile on his face, as if he was reliving the good times of his youth with grandma.

Xiaoxia and Xiaoyan were bored watching the adults doing gymnastics, so they quietly took the feed bucket to the backyard. They knew that the chickens and ducks were the hungriest at this time, so they hurried to feed them. As soon as the chickens and ducks saw Xiaoxia and Xiaoyan, they all gathered around them, scrambling to eat the feed.

Xiaoxia smiled and said to Xiaoyan: "Look at these chickens and ducks, they are so cute! Every time we come to feed them, they are so excited." Xiaoyan also smiled and responded: "Yes, they are like our friends, accompanying us every day."

At the same time, Xiaoqiang and Xiaotao took out their shuttlecocks and started kicking them in the yard. They kicked the shuttlecocks one after another, and the shuttlecocks drew beautiful arcs in the air. Xiaoqiang kicked and shouted, "Xiaotao, keep going! See if you can kick it to that corner!" Xiaotao was not to be outdone, and he jumped hard and kicked the shuttlecock back steadily. Their laughter and cheers came one after another, adding some vitality and energy to this quiet night.

Liu Pingan sat aside, watching his family members laughing and talking, his heart filled with happiness and satisfaction. He said to his father sitting next to him with emotion: "Dad, look at our family, how harmonious it is! This is the life I want."

The father smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes, Ping An, I'm relieved that you have this heart. Sitting together as a family, enjoying a simple and warm time, this is the greatest happiness."

As the night deepened, the music on the radio gradually stopped. Family members returned to their rooms to rest, while Liu Pingan sat alone in the yard, looking up at the stars in the sky. His heart was filled with gratitude and satisfaction, because he knew that all this happiness was earned through hard work and attentive life. He secretly made up his mind to continue working hard, not only for his own dream, but also for the happiness and good life of his family. He believed that as long as everyone worked together, the future would be better.

The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight gently penetrated the mist and sprinkled the entire quaint courtyard, a new day quietly began in this warm and bright light. My aunt's family, with full of joy and expectation, drove slowly into this familiar and affectionate courtyard. Their arrival was like a spring breeze, adding a bit of long-lost excitement and joy to this family.

Grandma, as the soul of the family, started planning this meaningful welcoming banquet early in the morning. She knew that food was not only to satisfy the appetite, but also a medium to convey emotions and warmth. Therefore, she decided to use a table of extremely sumptuous delicacies to express her warm welcome and deep love to my aunt and her family who came from afar.

As the sun rises higher, the kitchen gradually becomes bustling. Grandma, Auntie, and Third Aunt, the three cooking masters in the family, all take to the stage, each displaying their own specialties. In the kitchen, the sounds of knives, spatulas, and stews interweave together to form a wonderful cooking symphony. In the air, the aroma of various ingredients interweaves and blends, from fresh vegetables to delicious meat, to the clever combination of various spices and seasonings. Every aroma makes people salivate, looking forward to the upcoming feast of delicious food.

Grandma, as the general director of this culinary feast, was busy and orderly in the kitchen. She skillfully chopped onions, ginger and garlic, and her skillful knife skills seemed to be performing an art performance. At the same time, she also did not forget to guide the work of the aunt and the third aunt, ensuring that each dish could achieve the best taste and presentation effect.

Auntie, as a stewing expert at home, is using a clay pot to slowly stew a pot of fragrant chicken soup. In addition to the carefully selected chicken, the chicken soup also contains nourishing ingredients such as wolfberry and red dates. After a long period of stewing, the chicken soup is golden in color and fragrant, as if it can instantly warm people's hearts.

Aunt San is famous for her exquisite cooking skills. The spatula in her hand is like a magician's wand, quickly stir-frying various vegetables. Under her skillful hands, the green spinach, fresh beans, and golden pumpkin are turned into delicious dishes that make people want to taste them.

Grandma was not to be outdone, she cooked several of her own specialties herself. The marinated braised pork, under her careful cooking, was tender and tender, bright red in color, and fragrant, making it unforgettable. The spicy and delicious Kung Pao chicken was her masterpiece. The chicken was tender and juicy, the peanuts were crispy and delicious, spicy and sweet, and the aftertaste was endless, making people unable to help but eat one bite after another.

In the kitchen, the three of them cooperated well and were busy but not chaotic. While cooking, they chatted about family matters and shared each other's joys and sorrows. The warm and harmonious atmosphere seemed to soften time. As the dishes came out one by one, the menu of the welcoming banquet gradually became richer: steamed sea bass, braised spareribs, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, garlic broccoli, cold cucumber salad, spicy fried clams... Each dish embodies their hard work and sweat, and also carries their love and care for their family.

Finally, with everyone's joint efforts, a sumptuous welcoming banquet was ready. Twelve dishes filled the table, with bright colors and fragrant aromas, like a beautiful painting, which made people's appetite increase. Seeing such a sumptuous dish, my aunt's family couldn't help but praise: "Mom, you are so amazing! This table of dishes is really great!" Their faces were filled with happy smiles, as if they had already felt the warmth and love from their family.

Grandma smiled and waved her hands, saying modestly: "No, no, it's all done by everyone. Come sit down and eat, don't be polite!" Then she pulled my aunt's family around the dining table to enjoy this welcoming dinner full of love. At the table, everyone was laughing and talking, and it was very lively. They tasted every dish, talked about each other's life and dreams, and spent a warm and unforgettable afternoon together. This family love and warmth will be forever engraved in their hearts and become one of the most precious memories in their lives.