Siheyuan: Starting with one acre and three fen of land

In the evening, the three members of the He family sat around the octagonal table in the living room and shared a home-cooked dinner.

He Daqing picked up a piece of fried cabbage with chopsticks and gently put it into his mouth. The deliciousness of the cabbage bloomed on the tip of his tongue, and he paused slightly while chewing.

After swallowing the cabbage, He Daqing put down his chopsticks and turned to He Yuzhu who was concentrating on eating. There was a hint of expectation in his tone: "Zhuzi, I plan to find you a job in the restaurant kitchen in the near future."

He Yuzhu was eating attentively when he suddenly heard He Daqing's words. He couldn't help but look up and looked at He Daqing opposite him with a confused look on his face, then nodded to indicate that he had heard it.

He Daqing saw He Yuzhu's confusion and explained with a smile: "I see that you have mastered the heat for stir-frying cabbage well today. It's time to learn some more advanced techniques."

When He Yuzhu heard this, he suddenly realized that his cooking skills during the Chinese New Year had been upgraded to level 2.

He Daqing has been the chef at home during this period, and today is his first time cooking after the promotion.

He Daqing tasted the difference, so he decided to find a place for him to practice a lot and improve his learning.

In fact, He Daqing did not expect that He Yuzhu's progress would be so rapid.

He didn't know that He Yuzhu was actually a "hooker" with special abilities. He just thought that He Yuzhu was a naturally gifted chef, which was why he was able to improve so quickly.

He Yuzhu was excited after listening to He Daqing's explanation. He had always hoped to have a chance to practice a lot, actively gain cooking experience, and save some experience points given every day.

Now that He Daqing has taken the initiative to offer to find such an opportunity for him, how can he not be excited?

He put down his chopsticks, looked at He Daqing seriously and replied: "Dad, I will definitely seize this opportunity."

He Daqing looked at his son's determined eyes and felt relieved.

He patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder and encouraged him, "But learning cooking is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires patience and perseverance. You must always maintain a studious attitude and continue to hone your skills."

He Yuzhu nodded and kept He Daqing's words in mind.

He thought that every bit of hard practice would be accumulated in his cooking skills, and his cooking skills would steadily increase his experience points. This way, he could add the saved experience points to his wrestling skills.

Wrestling skills can not only enhance physical fitness, but also make it easier for you to cook. Another benefit is that you can have some means of self-defense and improve your self-protection ability.

-----------------

Sunday, Qianmen Dashilan Fengze Garden

Fengze Garden is very lively today. After the labor dispute two years ago, it has slowly recovered after rectification and reopening, and is now even more prosperous.

It happened to be the first weekend after the liberation of the city. The city had now returned to stability and Fengze Garden was doing booming business.

As soon as you walk through the gate, the bustling flow of people comes into view, as if you are in a lively temple fair.

In the lobby on the first floor, diners came and went, some in groups of three or five, some alone, their faces filled with satisfaction and joy.

The head waiter Zhang Qing, dressed in a neat uniform, moved among the crowd with a smile on his face, greeting every guest warmly.

"How many of you are there? Please come this way. There are good seats by the window!" The waiter Zhang Qing guided the guests to their seats while promoting the restaurant's dishes.

"Our chef Zheng is here today, you must try this deep-fried double-crunchy dish."

The guest was moved by his enthusiastic recommendation, nodded in agreement, took a seat, took the menu handed over by the waiter, and ordered a few other side dishes.

In the private room on the second floor, the scene was quite different.

The waiters were carrying trays and walking quickly through the corridor. Although their steps were hurried, the trays in their hands were as steady as a rock and did not shake at all.

There were bursts of laughter and joy coming from the private room. The guests raised their glasses and drank, enjoying the double feast of food and friendship.

The kitchen is the busiest place in Fengze Garden. The chefs are wearing white aprons, their hands flying quickly between the chopping board and the spatula.

The dishes in the pot made a sizzling sound, steam rose, and the aroma filled the air.

He Daqing stood in front of the gate of Fengze Garden, looking at the bustling scene of people coming and going, and seemed to recall the time he had spent here.

He looked up at the sign on the gate and strode towards Fengze Garden.

As soon as he stepped over the threshold, the hall master Zhang Qing caught a glimpse of He Daqing.

He bowed to the guest in front of him and apologized, then walked forward with a somewhat amusing look on his face, saying with a smile: "Hey, isn't this Chef He! What brings you here today?"

When He Daqing saw that it was Zhang Qing, he hurriedly bowed in return, with a humble smile on his face: "Hey, you are too polite. Mr. Zhang, you are still as charming as ever!"

Zhang Qing smiled even more when he heard this. He also bowed and responded: "Master He, are you planning to return to your old job today? We have always been in need of a chef like you.

Your coming here really helps us out of our urgent need!"

He Daqing waved his hand gently and said with a smile: "You flatter me too much. Today I came to see Manager Luan with a thick face to handle some private matters."

Zhang Qing smiled and said to He Daqing, "Master He, you are too polite. Manager Luan is in his office today. You know where it is. Just go there by yourself. I won't let the servant lead the way for you."

He Daqing bowed gratefully and said, "Thank you, Zhang. I can go by myself. You are busy." After that, the two of them bowed and said goodbye.

He Daqing walked all the way to Manager Luan's office and knocked on the door gently.

The calm voice of Manager Luan came from inside the door: "Come in." He Daqing heard the voice, gently turned the door lock, and pushed the door open.

When Shopkeeper Luan looked up and saw that it was He Daqing, a happy smile immediately appeared on his face.

He stood up from his chair, walked around the table, walked towards He Daqing, and greeted him warmly: "Master He, long time no see! I have always missed your messy hands!"

When He Daqing heard the enthusiastic greeting from Shopkeeper Luan, he immediately bowed and said with a humble smile, "Shopkeeper Luan, you are too polite. If you want to eat, please let me know at any time to come and make it for you."

Shopkeeper Luan laughed, invited He Daqing to take a seat, then turned sideways, picked up the teapot from the table, and brewed a cup of fragrant tea for He Daqing.

After the two sat down, He Daqing took the tea, took a sip, and then said, "Manager Luan, I came here shamelessly today to ask you for a favor."

Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Luan put down his teacup and looked at He Daqing, motioning him to continue.

He Daqing showed an expectant look on his face, and said slowly: "As you know, I have a son who is already 14 years old this year. He has been practicing basic skills in the past few years, and now he has reached a certain level. I would like to ask you to let him come to the restaurant kitchen to do some work, so that he can gain some experience."

After listening to He Daqing's words, Shopkeeper Luan nodded slightly and said, "Master He, you and I have known each other for many years. You can just tell the kitchen staff about this little thing. Why are you so polite?"

He Daqing was grateful when he heard this, and was about to stand up and bow, but Manager Luan held him back.

After a polite exchange of words, the two sat down again to drink tea and began to talk about the interesting things that happened in the past.