Xu Damao's Thirty-Six Stratagems in Siheyuan

On Sunday, although the weather was a bit hot, it was not stuffy.

He Yuzhu was just sending He Yushui to the entrance of the alley to check on Yu Li and her sister when he happened to see Xu Damao pushing a bicycle, followed by Lou Xiaoe.

"Xu Damao, are you going out? How about having lunch together? Yu Li is coming home today. I have braised intestines."

"Brother Zhuzi, I know you're treating us today. I smelled it last night. You're really a bad person. The smell really kept me awake all night. I almost broke into your house and ate something in the middle of the night. But that won't work today. Today is your big day, and you have to treat it well. And I have something to do today. It's my sister's birthday, and Xiao'e said that as her sister-in-law, she has to buy a birthday present for Xiaoling, and then go back to my mom's house for dinner. In the afternoon, I have to help my dad cover for work at the cinema. Today is my day off, and there are two movies to be shown in the afternoon. Another day, I'll buy some soup, and you can help with the stew, and we'll have a good meal, okay?"

"Okay, then you go ahead and do your work. I'll ask Yu Shui to go to the alley entrance and take a look. It's full of twists and turns here, and I'm afraid Yu Li won't know the way."

"Then sister Yushui, let's go out together."

Xu Damao took two women, one big and one small, out of the courtyard. When they reached the alley, they actually ran into Yu Li. Yu Haitang was asking about Courtyard No. 95.

"Haitang, here, here." He Yushui shouted from a distance. Yu Li and Yu Haitang ran over together.

Xu Damao greeted Yu Li and Yu Haitang, who he did not know but were very familiar with.

"Hello, Yu Li. I'm Xu Damao, and this is my wife, Lou Xiao'e. Welcome to our hospital."

Yu Li was still a little surprised: I don’t even know this person, why did he greet me so enthusiastically?

He Yushui immediately said, "Sister Yu Li, this is Da Mao from our courtyard. He and my brother are childhood friends and grew up together."

Yu Li nodded timidly to Xu Damao and his wife.

"Yu Li, Brother Zhuzi has prepared delicious food for you. I hope you can live in our courtyard in the future, so that my wife will have a companion. Let Brother Zhuzi prepare delicious food for us when there is a chance, and we can eat together. I have something to do today, so I'll leave first. See you later."

Xu Damao took Lou Xiao'e away on his bike. He Yushui chattered excitedly, "Sister Yu Li, my brother made everyone in the yard ravenous yesterday. He stewed the braised intestines all night and made them fragrant. Today, I am taking advantage of Sister Yu Li. Oh, and there is also braised pork. My brother is an absolute expert at making braised pork. Come on, my brother asked me to pick you up."

Yu Li didn't expect that He Yuzhu looked rough, but he was actually very considerate. Her favorability towards him increased a bit.

As soon as he entered the gate of this elegant courtyard, Yan Fugui asked,

"Girl, who are you looking for? Ah, Yu Shui, your relative?"

"Uncle, yes, this is my future sister-in-law, and this is my classmate. She is visiting my home today."

Yan Jiecheng came out of the south room where he lived and was stunned when he saw Yu Li. His eyes widened. "Hello, lady, I am a resident of this courtyard. My name is Yan Jiecheng, and that's my father, a primary school teacher."

"Brother Jie Cheng, what do you mean? You even introduced yourself. This is my sister-in-law. Please get out of the way. If my brother finds out, I'll make you suffer."

"Come on, sister-in-law, Haitang, ignore him. Go home." He Yushui turned into a girl protecting her brother, took Yu Li and Yu Haitang's hands, entered the moon gate, quickly crossed the cross courtyard, entered the middle courtyard, and led them directly into the main house.

"Brother, I've picked up Sister Yu Li for you. Haitang and I will go to my room to play for a while. Call us when dinner is ready."

He Yushui pulled Yu Haitang and said, "Sister Yu Li, you and my brother can cook together. I'm going to the next room." Then he pulled Yu Haitang away.

"Yu Li, did you have a smooth journey?"

"Fortunately, it's not far away, only about five or six miles. Haitang and I walked here."

"Then drink some water first, it's hot today." He Yuzhu was really good at handling things. He poured Yu Li some boiled water.

"Yu Li, sit down. Lunch is basically ready. We'll stir-fry some vegetables and then we can eat. You can take a break first, or you can take a look around. I don't clean the house very often, so it's a bit messy."

He Yuzhu had asked He Yushui to help clean up in the morning, but He Yushui was young after all and didn't know how to clean up, so the place still looked fairly tidy.

"Brother Zhuzi, are these three main rooms yours? They are really spacious."

"Yes, all three rooms, and there is an annex room. Yu Shui lives there now. She has grown big, so I didn't let her live in the main room. Even though she is young, she has started to have little secrets. She has been living in a room by herself for several years."

Under the guidance of He Yuzhu, Yu Li looked around the whole house and went to the right ear room. She heard their sisters playing and making noises in the room, which was very harmonious. Yu Li was really moved: he was the right one. Although he was average looking, he was tall and strong, had a good job, and a spacious house, which was actually a private house. Her own house was not so spacious. She and her sister Haitang had one room, and her parents had another room. This was under the premise that they built a shed next to the house, so they didn't feel cramped.

After sitting and chatting for a while, He Yuzhu said:

"Yu Li, please sit for a while. I'll go to the back and cook two dishes, and then we can have dinner."

"Brother Zhuzi, let me help you pick the vegetables. Let's cook together. I have nothing to do anyway."

"Okay then. I'm just sorry that I have to ask you to do some work for me on my first visit."

"It's nothing, it's not tiring," Yu Li said generously. She followed He Yuzhu to the kitchen and started to get busy.

In half an hour, a table full of delicious dishes is ready:

A big pot of braised sausage, a big bowl of braised pork, grilled eggplant with sauce, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, mapo tofu, shredded pork with fish flavor, plus winter melon and salty pork soup. Six dishes and one soup.

"Wow, Brother Zhuzi, you made all this?" Yu Haitang was really surprised to see such a delicious dish. Yu Li was also embarrassed, "Brother Zhuzi, you're wasting money."

"It's not expensive actually. I was lucky yesterday and bought some small intestines, more than four pounds, for only 90 cents, and I didn't even need a meat ticket. This whole table of dishes only cost two dollars in total. Of course, I can't eat like this every meal, otherwise it really wouldn't be enough to cover my expenses."

As he was talking, a voice came from the door: "Grandson, there are guests at home today. Madam came to see you."

He Yuzhu felt a little annoyed, but he still stood up and said, "Yu Li, Haitang, Yu Shui, eat more. I'll go check at the door."

He Yuzhu arrived at the door and opened it. The deaf old lady was standing at the door and was about to step into the house through the open door. He Yuzhu blocked her.

"Old lady, I have guests at home today, and I have prepared a specific amount of food for you at noon. You can't eat here today. You should go to the uncle's house for dinner. After all, your food allowance is at the uncle's house. I won't chat with you at the door, otherwise it would be a bit rude of me." After saying that, He Yuzhu decisively closed the door and bolted it. The sound was quite loud so that the deaf old lady outside could hear him bolting the door.

Back at the table, He Yushui asked directly,

"Brother, it's the old lady in the backyard again. She is so old, but she has become so shameless like the old lady from the Jia family. She comes here to eat meat again."

"Yushui, don't say that outside. You are a girl and you are young. You can't just give her acupuncture randomly. It will have a bad influence on you. Just reply to others. There is no harm in being polite."

Yu Li was really surprised: He Yuzhu was really good at educating his sister. She didn't think there was anything wrong with He Yushui just now, but after hearing what He Yuzhu said, she felt that he was right.

He Yuzhu took out the Fenjiu that Xu Damao left behind last time, "Yu Li, would you like some? This wine is very mellow. Yu Shui and Hai Tang are drinking soda, how about some white wine?"

Good food goes well with good wine, and Yu Li did not refuse. After drinking three cups of Fenjiu, Yu Li's face turned red and she felt a little dizzy. It was not because she drank too much wine, but because she felt dizzy in her heart. Wine does not make people drunk, but people make themselves drunk.

He Yuzhu packed a lunch box full of braised sausages and sent the two sisters home. When they were almost home, Yu Li shyly said to He Yuzhu,

"Brother Zhuzi, please come to my house next week and let my parents meet you."