Siheyuan: Buyers get rich from hunting

Xu Damao jumped out of bed early in the morning, feeling like a little rabbit jumping around in his heart, and was so excited that he couldn't express it in words. His mind was full of the colleague party that was going to be held today, imagining the warm scene of everyone gathering together and sharing delicious food. For this party, he decided to invite two of his best colleagues, Zhang Yong, Liu Ping'an's uncle, and Yan Jiecheng, who always made everyone laugh with his humorous words, to come to his home for a sumptuous dinner.

His parents happened to return home at this time, which undoubtedly gave Xu Damao a great opportunity to show off his cooking skills. The day before, he got up early and rushed to the vegetable market excitedly. There, he carefully selected each ingredient, spending time and money to ensure that the dinner would be perfect and make his friends happy and satisfied.

After returning home, Xu Damao began to get busy preparing to welcome the guests. The doorbell rang at the right time, and Zhang Yong and Yan Jiecheng walked in one after another with smiles on their faces. When the three met, they were like old friends who had met after a long separation, and immediately plunged into the busy and happy cooking preparations. In the kitchen, the symphony of pots and pans began to play, and it was very lively, as if playing a cheerful prelude to the party.

The first dish was steamed sea bass. Xu Damao picked up a sharp knife and scraped off the fish scales skillfully. He cut open the fish belly and chatted with Zhang Yong: "I picked this fish at the market early this morning. It's alive and kicking, very fresh! You are in for a treat today!"

Zhang Yong smiled and responded, "It seems that you have spent a lot of money today. This fish is really good, with tender meat. It will be delicious after steaming." He took the fish prepared by Xu Damao and began to prepare the sauce. The green onion, ginger and garlic were chopped into fine pieces, and light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine and a little sugar were added. After mixing well, it was poured on the fish. Finally, he put the fish into the steamer and steamed it over high heat. After a while, a delicious aroma filled the kitchen, making people salivate, as if they could already taste the tender fish meat and rich sauce.

For the second dish, Yan Jiecheng volunteered to cook his specialty, braised pork. He picked up a piece of pork belly and cut it into even pieces with his skillful knife skills. As he cut, he said, "For this braised pork, you have to choose pork belly with fat and lean parts. It will taste delicious! You are lucky today. My braised pork is a secret recipe passed down from my ancestors!"

After that, he put the meat into cold water to blanch it to remove the fishy smell, then added oil to the pot and stir-fried sugar until it melted and changed color. The sugar color was just right, golden and attractive. He added the meat and stir-fried until it was colored, then added star anise, cinnamon, and ginger slices and continued to stir-fry until fragrant. Finally, he poured in enough water and simmered it over low heat. While Yan Jiecheng was stewing the meat, he chatted with Xu Damao and Zhang Yong about interesting things in the department. The kitchen was filled with laughter, as if he could already feel the deliciousness of the braised pork and everyone's happiness.

For the third dish, Zhang Yong showed his hometown specialty - spicy chicken. He cut the chicken into pieces, marinated it with cooking wine and salt for a while, and then quickly fried it until it changed color. While frying, Zhang Yong said proudly: "I have eaten this spicy chicken since I was a child, and the taste is absolutely authentic! You must try it today and see how tempting the food from our hometown is!"

He then added a large amount of dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, and controlled the heat just right. The chicken rolled in the pot, gradually becoming crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, spicy and fresh. The kitchen was filled with a strong spicy aroma, which made people drool, as if they could already taste the spicy and delicious chicken and the unique spicy taste.

Next came the stir-fried seasonal vegetables. Xu Damao took out a handful of carefully selected fresh spinach from the depths of the cupboard. The green leaves looked even more vibrant under the light. He carefully plucked off each old leaf as if it were a precious work of art. While busying himself, he said to Zhang Yong and Yan Jiecheng beside him: "I specially selected this spinach. Look, the leaves are so tender and the roots are small. It will taste absolutely first-rate when stir-fried."

After that, he gently put the processed spinach into the boiling water, blanched it briefly, then quickly took it out and drained it. Then, he poured a proper amount of oil into the hot pan, and when the oil temperature rose, he added minced garlic. Instantly, the kitchen was filled with an enticing garlic aroma. He quickly poured the spinach into the pan, stir-fried it quickly for a few times, and immediately served it, preserving the spinach's crisp taste and tender green color. Yan Jiecheng couldn't help but get close to smell it, and praised: "Well, this spinach is fried really well, the color is emerald green, and it makes people's appetite increase just by looking at it."

For the fifth dish, Yan Jiecheng suggested making a garlic broccoli. He picked up a broccoli and skillfully divided it into small flowers, then put it into boiling water for blanching, and took it out for later use. Then, he carefully mixed garlic and oyster sauce into a sauce, poured it evenly on the broccoli, and steamed it in a steamer for a few minutes. After a while, the broccoli absorbed the aroma of the garlic and became delicious with a unique flavor. Zhang Yong took a bite and nodded in praise, "This broccoli is really well done. The taste of garlic and the fragrance of broccoli are perfectly blended, and the taste is also very crisp."

For the sixth dish, Zhang Yong showed off his seafood cooking skills by preparing steamed scallops with vermicelli and garlic paste. After cleaning the scallops one by one, he spread the vermicelli that had been soaked in advance, sprinkled them with minced garlic and chili, and drizzled a little soy sauce to enhance the flavor. After steaming them in a steamer for a few minutes, the scallops' freshness and the aroma of minced garlic blended perfectly, making people salivate. Xu Damao looked at the scallops in front of him and said to Zhang Yong with a smile: "Zhang Yong, you are really good at cooking seafood. You can always surprise people."

For the seventh dish, Xu Damao decided to try a new dish he had learned - sweet and sour pork tenderloin. He cut the tenderloin into even strips, marinated it with salt and cooking wine, coated it with starch and fried it until golden and crispy. Then, he quickly stir-fried it with sweet and sour sauce, so that the tenderloin was evenly coated with the sweet and sour sauce. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an excellent taste. Yan Jiecheng took a bite, gave a thumbs up and said, "Xu Damao, your sweet and sour pork tenderloin is really well made. It has a moderate sweet and sour taste and a great taste. It is really memorable."

For the last dish, the three worked together to make a soup - tomato and egg soup. They first cut the tomatoes into pieces, put them into the pot and stir-fried them until the juice came out, then added water and boiled them. Then, they beat the eggs and gently stirred them with chopsticks to make the eggs evenly distributed in the soup, forming pieces of golden egg flowers. Finally, add a little salt and chicken essence to season, and a simple but warm tomato and egg soup is ready. Zhang Yong picked up the soup bowl and said with emotion: "This meal is really a masterpiece of the three of us. Every dish is so delicious, with good color, fragrance and taste. It's so rare. At such a moment, we can not only enjoy the pleasure brought by food, but also feel the warmth of friendship and the sweetness of life."

Eight dishes filled the table, all delicious and mouth-watering. The three of them sat together, toasting their glasses to celebrate, enjoying the deliciousness and joy created by themselves. In this small space, not only was there the aroma of food, but also the warmth of friendship and the sweetness of life intertwined. They chatted, laughed, and ate, as if time had stopped at this moment, leaving only their laughter and full of happiness echoing in the air.

On the dining table, soft lights gently sprinkled, interweaving with the tempting aroma of various dishes, creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere. Xu Damao was the first to break the silence. With a smile on his face, he mentioned some interesting things that happened recently in the transportation department: "Do you know? Last week, the batch of emergency supplies that our department was responsible for was originally thought to be a tough battle, but our team cooperated so well that we completed the task one day ahead of schedule. Even the section chief praised our high efficiency and said that we are the pride of the department!"

Zhang Yong smiled and nodded when he heard this. He picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth, savoring the delicious taste that was fat but not greasy and melted in his mouth. Then he said, "Yes, that mission was really tense and exciting. But having said that, the tacit understanding of our team is the most important. Just like this braised pork, every seasoning must be just right to stew such delicious meat. The work of our department is the same. Everyone must play to their strengths to complete the task together."

Yan Jiecheng laughed at the side. He picked up his glass, clinked it with everyone else's, and then drank it all in one gulp. He said, "In the final analysis, it is because of our section chief's good coordination that we, the little soldiers, can perform our duties and play our best. Just like this spicy chicken, the ratio of chicken to chili must be just right, and the control of the heat is also crucial and indispensable. The work of our department is the same. Every link must be precise to ensure the overall efficient operation."

Xu Damao agreed with what he heard. He nodded and said, "That's right. The section chief always has a good grasp of the overall situation. As long as we follow his pace, there will be no obstacles that we can't overcome. Just like our meal today, although each person is only responsible for a few dishes, when combined together, it is a sumptuous dinner. This is the power of the team, and it is also the key to our transportation department's continuous achievements."

Zhang Yong continued the topic and talked about the future plans of the department: "I heard that the department plans to introduce some new logistics management systems, which will greatly improve our work efficiency. Although it may be a little uncomfortable in the early stage, I believe we will be able to get started quickly. After all, we are the 'Three Musketeers' of the Transportation Department. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we can work together and overcome them together."

Yan Jiecheng's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said excitedly, "That's great! New system, new atmosphere, we must keep learning and keep up with the times. Just like the new dishes we tried today, how can we know if they are delicious if we don't try them? Only by daring to try can we discover more possibilities."

Xu Damao concluded with a smile: "Well said, whether it is work or life, we must have the courage to try, and the spirit of teamwork. Only in this way can we go further and more steadily on the road ahead. Come, let's have another drink to cheer for the future of the Transportation Department and to toast to our rare friendship!"

The three of them clinked their glasses together, and the crisp clinking sound mixed with laughter and blessings, echoing in the house. This meal was not only a satisfaction for the taste buds, but also a deepening of the friendship between each other and a common expectation of hope for the future. At this moment, they seemed to see a brighter future for the Transportation Department and a deeper friendship between them.