Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

As time went by, Sha Zhu became more and more famous, and even had the idea of ​​opening his own restaurant. He knew that he could get to this point, all thanks to the help of He Daqing. So, he proposed to open a restaurant with He Daqing. He Daqing declined at first, saying that he was no longer young and did not want to work hard anymore, but seeing Sha Zhu's sincerity and vision for the future, he finally agreed.

They opened a courtyard-style restaurant in a prosperous area of ​​Beijing. He Daqing was responsible for developing new dishes, while Sha Zhu was responsible for management and production. After the restaurant opened, it quickly became a popular check-in spot in Beijing with their cooking skills and reputation, and many people came to taste it. Their restaurant not only attracted ordinary diners, but also some celebrities and foreign tourists.

The restaurant's business is getting better and better, and Sha Zhu and He Daqing are getting busier and busier. He Daqing is very pleased to see Sha Zhu's current achievements. He feels that his greatest achievement in his life is to have taught such an outstanding apprentice. Sha Zhu has never forgotten He Daqing's kindness. He respects He Daqing as his own father and takes care of him wholeheartedly every day.

Despite the booming business of the restaurant, Sha Zhu and He Daqing still maintain a simple lifestyle. He Daqing often says: "We cook with our heart and soul, and we can't be blinded by fame and fortune." Sha Zhu agrees with this. He always puts the reputation and satisfaction of customers first and never pursues luxurious decoration or vanity.

In such a simple and satisfying life, Sha Zhu and He Daqing run a restaurant together and face various challenges in life together. Their restaurant gradually becomes a name card of Beijing's food industry, and the friendship between the two of them has become a beautiful story that will be passed down forever in the courtyard.

As time went by, Sha Zhu's cooking skills became more and more sophisticated, and even attracted the attention of some media. Reporters rushed to interview him and asked him what the secret of his success was. Whenever this happened, Sha Zhu always said modestly: "I have to thank my master He Daqing. Without him, I would not be who I am today." And He Daqing always smiled and shook his head: "Sha Zhu is a child with talent and is willing to work hard. His achievements are all earned by himself."

Although Sha Zhu is well-known, he still hasn't forgotten his neighbors in the courtyard. During every festival, he would bring large and small bags of food back to the courtyard, cook and eat with everyone. He Daqing also often recalled with everyone the time he spent with Sha Zhu in the kitchen. The old people in the courtyard always said with emotion when they saw this scene: "It is a blessing for our courtyard to have such a master and apprentice."

Behind the restaurant's growing success, Sha Zhu and He Daqing have always maintained their original intentions. They have not been shaken by the busy business and fame and fortune of the outside world, and still stick to their principles and beliefs. They know that true success lies not only in the brilliance of their careers, but also in their love for life and trust in each other.

However, life is not always smooth. One day, a young chef from another place showed up at their restaurant and challenged Sha Zhu. The young man was very confident and had superb skills, which shocked everyone in the restaurant. Sha Zhu was not intimidated. He accepted the challenge and showed his profound skills and unique understanding of cooking accumulated over the years in the competition. In the end, Sha Zhu won the competition with a simple but heartfelt home-cooked dish, and the young chef was convinced and willing to stay in the restaurant to learn from Sha Zhu.

Sha Zhu's victory made the restaurant famous again, and many diners came to visit, and even many chefs from other restaurants came to learn from each other. Sha Zhu was very busy, but whenever he had some free time, he would always think of He Daqing's expression after the challenge.

That night after the competition, Sha Zhu was cleaning up the mess in the kitchen when he found He Daqing standing by the window with a complicated look on his face. He Daqing didn't say anything, but just looked at the dark night sky outside silently, frowning slightly, as if he was carrying a heavy burden in his heart. Sha Zhu walked over and tried to speak, but he didn't know what to say. He had never seen his master so taciturn, and his usual humorous look seemed to disappear in an instant.

"Master, are you... worried about something?" Sha Zhu asked cautiously.

He Daqing turned around slowly, his eyes dimmed. He forced a smile and said, "Nothing, I just feel that I'm getting old, and many things are not as easy as before."

Sha Zhu's heart sank. He had never thought that He Daqing would have such an idea. He Daqing had always been an omnipotent being in his mind, but now he felt inferior and depressed because of him. Sha Zhu didn't know how to comfort him, so he just said awkwardly: "Master, you are the best chef in my mind. Without you, I can't do anything."

He Daqing smiled, sighed, and said, "Shazhu, you have become a master now, even better than I was back then. I am happy, really happy, but..." He paused, as if organizing his words, "Sometimes, seeing you being able to handle things on your own, I do feel a little unwilling. Back then, I was also a famous chef in this city, but now I can only watch you move towards higher places step by step, while I can only stand behind you."

Sha Zhu's heart tightened, and he felt the heavy sense of loss that He Daqing felt. For He Daqing, the glory of the past became increasingly distant as time passed, and the success of his apprentice seemed to be a reflection of his own powerlessness. Sha Zhu didn't know how to respond. He could feel the depression in his master's heart, but he was powerless to change it.

"Master, I will never forget your teachings to me. You will always be my role model." Sha Zhu tried to make his voice firmer, trying to reassure He Daqing in this way.

He Daqing smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. We still have a lot of things to do tomorrow, so go to bed early."

Sha Zhu nodded, but he couldn't let it go. That night, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. He kept thinking about He Daqing's expression, feeling uneasy about his master's sadness and powerless because he couldn't help him. He never realized that the higher he flew, the farther his master felt.

A few days later, Sha Zhu was still busy as usual, but he found that He Daqing seemed to be avoiding him intentionally or unintentionally. He Daqing no longer gave him advice as frequently as before, but was more silent, and sometimes even sat alone on the old chair in the backyard, daydreaming. Sha Zhu wanted to talk to He Daqing several times, but every time he walked up to him, he didn't know where to start.