Siheyuan: Reborn Silly Pillar, Taking Control of the Entire Courtyard

"Go, go, go inside and stay with my mother!"

He Yuzhu waved his hand and urged Xu Damao toward the main room.

It wasn't that I was worried about the food—we prepared enough for tonight, one more wouldn't be enough—it was just that the kid was getting in the way.

Xu Damao's eyes were glued to the cutting board, and he wouldn't let go. In his eyes, the plate of freshly sliced ​​sparrow meat was more precious than anything else.

Every two or three minutes, he would swallow hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, or he would lean in to ask more questions.

"Brother Zhu, when will the stir-fry be ready? How's the soup coming along?" He was like a starving cat, circling around the stove, his steps sticky.

"If you keep loitering around here, you won't get any stir-fried meat later!" He Yuzhu glared at him, pretending to be serious.

Xu Damao immediately shrank his neck, muttering "I'll just take a look," but still dawdled to the doorway, his eyes still fixed on the meat on the cutting board.

Having chased away the "little tail," He Yuzhu was finally able to concentrate on his work.

He picked up a small knife from the stove. The blade was as thin as paper and gleamed coldly under the dim kerosene lamp, clearly sharpened to an unparalleled edge.

He picked up a half-cooked sparrow, his fingertips steady, and with a gentle stroke of the knife along the sternum, he controlled the force perfectly, neither breaking the skin nor breaking the flesh on either side.

Then, with a flick of the wrist, the blade moved along the bone, and a thin slice of sparrow meat was sliced ​​off, glistening with oil and revealing an enticing tender color.

Sparrows are small, and their meat is even more precious. Five sparrows were sliced ​​and spread out on a white porcelain plate, but it was only a thin layer, barely covering the bottom of the plate.

He didn't stop, and sliced ​​five more, finally making half a plate.

"We need to add some embellishments to make it more impressive."

He Yuzhu muttered to himself as he took out scallion segments from the vegetable basket, sliced ​​them diagonally into horseshoe-shaped pieces, sliced ​​ginger into paper-thin slices, grabbed a handful of dried chilies, cut them into small pieces, and arranged the red, white, and green ones on the side, which looked very appetizing.

After preparing the ingredients for stir-frying the meat, he picked up the clay pot, scrubbed it clean inside and out, and added water to cover the bottom of the pot.

The rest of the whole sparrow, bones and all, was thrown in. The sparrow carcass left over from slicing the meat wasn't wasted either; it was also thrown into the pot to add flavor.

Add scallion segments, ginger slices, and a few peppercorns, cover the pot, add a few pieces of slow-burning charcoal to the stove, and simmer it slowly over a low flame.

Before long, steam escaped from the gaps in the pot lid, carrying a faint, pure umami aroma that filled the entire kitchen.

He Yuzhu took a deep breath, thinking to himself: This soup will definitely taste amazing if it's simmered until tonight.

He turned around, picked up the wooden ladder from the cellar, and moved it to a corner of the yard.

Lifting the cellar lid, a cool, damp breeze wafts out, carrying the fresh scent of vegetables.

The cellar was filled with vegetables for the winter; the radishes were all thick and heavy, covered in mud.

The cabbage was tightly wrapped, and the outer leaves were a bit wilted. But when you peeled it open, the heart inside was a tender yellow color, crisp and fresh, looking very juicy.

He Yuzhu picked out the biggest radish and carried two cabbages. He climbed up and covered the cellar with the lid, then patted the mud off his hands.

Back in the kitchen, I washed the radish, cut it into even shreds, sprinkled it with salt, and let it sit to drain the water. I carefully removed the heart from the cabbage, leaving only the tenderest part. The knife made a clean "snap, snap, snap" sound, and the leaves instantly turned into even shreds, which I arranged neatly on a plate.

"Tonight's meal needs to be plentiful!"

He Yuzhu pondered to himself. Last night he pulled off a big heist, not only reaping substantial profits but also saving lives; today he also completely resolved the issue of the milk powder's source, putting his mind at ease. He truly deserved a celebration.

He finalized the menu for the evening: stir-fried sparrow meat and clear sparrow soup were the main dishes, accompanied by shredded radish with dried shrimp, stir-fried cabbage hearts with vinegar, and hot and sour cabbage. With one meat dish, one soup, and three vegetable dishes, it was a rather decent meal in these times of scarcity.

As dusk fell, the smoke from the chimneys in the courtyard slowly dissipated, and He Daqing returned in the twilight.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, the aroma of meat and soup filled his nostrils, and his eyes lit up, quickening his pace.

"This tastes like stewed pigeon?"

He Daqing muttered to himself.

He works as the head chef at Fengzeyuan Restaurant, and occasionally customers order pigeon soup, which is exactly the kind of delicious flavor he makes.

Upon entering the kitchen, he went straight to the clay pot and lifted the lid.

With a "whoosh," a cloud of white steam rushed towards him, carrying a scalding temperature that made his face burn.

He squinted and used his chopsticks to pok at the meat arranged on the plate next to him. It was thinly sliced ​​and neatly arranged, clearly showing that he had put a lot of effort into it.

"Kid, you've really gotten some guts!"

He Daqing laughed and patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder.

"With so many sparrows, there must be at least twenty, right?"

His gaze fell on the two roasted sparrows on the stove, glistening with oil and coated with cumin and chili powder, their aroma even more enticing. "These two, are they meant to be my snacks with drinks?"

"That's not good at all." He Yuzhu's hands didn't stop; he was seasoning the shredded cabbage.

"I knew you liked to drink, so I specially saved this for you. I'll heat it up for you later."

"Good lad, I wasn't raising you for nothing!"

He Daqing grinned from ear to ear, reached out and ruffled his hair, "You still remember your old man."

"Of course." He Yuzhu looked up and smiled. "You can rest. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No need, no need, you go about your business."

He Daqing waved his hand.

"Oh, right, your mother told me to go to the backyard and pick up the old lady. This sparrow soup is very nourishing, so let her try it too."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." He Yuzhu nodded. "Please hurry back, the dishes will be ready soon."

He Daqing turned and went into the inner room. Chen Lanxiang was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing shoe soles. She looked up and asked, "Daqing, what are you and Zhuzi whispering about in the kitchen? You're laughing so happily."

"It's nothing, your son has made something of himself. He prepared a table full of delicious dishes tonight, including stir-fried sparrow meat and clear sparrow soup. The taste was absolutely amazing." He Daqing's tone was full of pride.

"Of course, look who his son is." Chen Lanxiang's face lit up with a smile. "The two little ones have been busy all afternoon, and Da Mao has also helped out a lot."

"Oh? Da Mao helped too?"

He Daqing looked at Xu Damao sitting to the side. The boy was sitting obediently, playing with a small wooden stick in his hand.

Xu Damao blushed and scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

"Uncle He, I didn't do anything, I just helped pluck some sparrow feathers and handed them some things."

"You've done your work, that's commendable!" He Daqing patted his shoulder with a smile. "Eat more tonight, don't be shy."

"Hehe, thank you, Uncle He!" Xu Damao smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits, feeling very pleased with himself.

He Daqing walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and looked down at his sleeping daughter, He Yushui.

The little one had her brow furrowed and her lips slightly pouting; she was fast asleep. He reached out a finger and gently tapped her little nose, his touch incredibly tender.

He Yushui seemed to be disturbed. She twisted her little head, smacked her lips, but did not wake up.

He Daqing couldn't help but laugh, got up and walked outside, picked up his cane leaning against the wall, and went to the deaf old lady's house in the backyard.

Not long after, He Daqing helped the deaf old lady back.

The old lady was getting on in years and her legs weren't very nimble, so she walked slowly. But as soon as she entered the courtyard, she was drawn in by the rich aroma, paused in her steps, and sniffed hard.

As soon as he entered the house, he shouted loudly towards the kitchen, "My dear grandson! My good Zhuzi! What delicious food are you making? It smells so good!"

On the way here, He Daqing didn't tell her exactly what it was, only that his eldest grandson had gotten some rare stuff and wanted her to come and try it.

"Grandma, it's sparrow soup and stir-fried sparrow meat!"

He Yuzhu responded loudly from the kitchen, and with a "whoosh," he poured the sparrow meat into the hot oil, making a sizzling sound.

"Ouch!"

The deaf old lady's face instantly lit up with a smile, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes all came together.

"My grandson is really capable! Sparrow meat is a rare commodity, very difficult to catch. Did you catch it yourself?"

"Da Mao and I went to catch them, it took quite a bit of effort," He Yuzhu replied while stirring the meat in the pan.

"Please come inside and sit down, have some hot water to warm yourself up. My dish will be ready soon."

"Good, good, good!" The old lady turned to look at He Daqing, her tone slightly teasing, "Daqing, tell me, how much of Zhuzi's cooking skill have you inherited now?"

He Daqing's face turned slightly red and his lips twitched. He forced a smile and said, "Him? He's far from good enough. He's only at the beginner level."

He felt a little uneasy—he had never properly taught his son how to cook; the boy had learned entirely by watching him cook, yet now his skills were already three-tenths as good as his. If word got out, it would seem as if he, as the father, hadn't taught him properly, and he felt a little embarrassed.

"What?" The deaf old lady glared and tapped her cane lightly on the ground.

"Are you afraid my eldest grandson will surpass you? How old is he? It's already impressive that he has this ability! As his father, you should be happy."

"Okay, okay, you're right." He Daqing didn't want to argue with her, so he quickly smoothed things over.

"Grandma, let's go inside and sit down. Don't stand here; it'll tire you out."

"Let's go! Let's go!"

The old lady glared at him again, her eyes clearly showing that she had seen through his little scheme long ago.

After sitting down inside, the old lady first pulled Xu Damao over and praised him a few times.

"Da Mao is a good boy. He works hard alongside Zhu Zi and is a diligent and good child." He then turned to look at Chen Lanxiang, his tone full of praise.

"Lanxiang, you are so blessed to have given birth to such a fine son. I've heard these past few days that Zhuzi has been trying his best to nourish you, his mother, so filial!"

Upon hearing this, He Daqing's face fell even more, and he paused, holding his teacup. The old lady's words were ostensibly praising He Yuzhu for being filial, but in reality, she was implying that he, as the father, had never brought back anything good to nourish his wife.

He felt wronged: it wasn't that he didn't want to, but the restaurant was severely lacking in ingredients and strictly controlled, making it difficult to get anything rare.

As for bringing lunch boxes back—the kitchen doesn't have any good ingredients, so what's there to bring?

He himself found those leftovers disgusting, let alone taking them home for his wife and children to eat.

"The food's served!"

Just then, He Yuzhu shouted from the kitchen, his voice loud and clear.

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao immediately jumped up from his chair and ran faster than anyone else to the kitchen; He Daqing also got up, wanting to lend a hand.

Soon, dishes were served one after another.

The golden-brown, glistening stir-fried sparrow meat, sprinkled with vibrant green scallions, exudes an irresistible aroma; the clear sparrow soup steams hot, its broth bright and clear, with a few slices of ginger floating on top.

The shredded radish with dried shrimp is crystal clear, the stir-fried cabbage heart with vinegar is crisp and refreshing, and the spicy and sour cabbage is bright red and tempting.

Finally, He Yuzhu brought in the two roasted sparrows that had been heated up and placed them in front of He Daqing, and even set out two pairs of chopsticks.

Smelling the aroma of the roasted sparrow and looking at the table full of dishes, He Daqing's mood improved considerably. He turned to the deaf old lady and said, "Grandma, the dishes are so plentiful today, would you like to have a couple of drinks with me?"

"Okay!" The old lady nodded readily.

"Such delicious food, it would be a shame not to have some drinks. It's just a pity that my eldest grandson is still too young to drink, otherwise I would definitely have him have a couple of drinks with me."

"Then you'll have to wait and see," Chen Lanxiang interjected with a smile. "Zhu Zi is still quite young; he'll be able to drink alcohol in a few more years."

As the family was talking, a "waa waa" cry suddenly came from the inner room. He Yushui was hungry.

The little one probably smelled the aroma of food and woke up, his stomach growling loudly with hunger.

He Yuzhu quickly put down the plate in his hand, turned around and went to the stove to work. He ladled out a bowl of rice porridge that he had cooked in advance, and then scooped a spoonful of clear sparrow soup from the clay pot, carefully added it in, stirred it well, tested the temperature, and then carried the bowl into the inner room.

"Grandma, look, there's some sparrow soup mixed in this rice porridge. Can my sister drink it?" He handed the bowl to the deaf old lady, asking with a questioning look.

The old lady leaned over to smell it, then shook her head: "I'm afraid it won't work. Yushui is still young, and her intestines are very delicate. Sparrow soup is too nourishing; she can't handle it and will easily get an upset stomach. It's good that you have the intention; you should give her plain rice porridge instead."

"Okay, I'll go get another bowl." He Yuzhu nodded and turned to go back to the kitchen.

"You guys eat first, don't wait for me."

Chen Lanxiang took the rice porridge handed to her by He Yuzhu, walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), sat down, picked up a small spoon, and fed it to her daughter little by little.

At the dinner table, Xu Damao kept his eyes fixed on the deaf old lady's hands.

In the courtyard house, the deaf old lady was the most senior, and according to the rules, no one else could start eating until she did.

He was so hungry that he secretly picked at the table leg under the table with his fingers, swallowing hard, but he stubbornly resisted the urge to eat.

The deaf old lady wasn't pretentious. Seeing that everyone was seated, she said, "Then I'll start eating," picked up a soup spoon, scooped up a spoonful of sparrow soup, blew on it gently, and put it in her mouth.

"So fresh! Absolutely so fresh!"

The old lady's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "This soup is cooked to perfection! It's not fishy or greasy at all; the taste is absolutely amazing!"

She picked up another piece of stir-fried sparrow meat, put it in her mouth and chewed slowly. The meat was tender and savory, and she couldn't help but look at He Daqing again.

"Da Qing, you should try some too. Tell me, how much of your son's skill does he possess?"

He Daqing felt a little embarrassed. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, picked up a piece of sparrow meat, put it in his mouth, and savored it carefully.

The meat was tender and smooth, the seasoning was just right, and the cooking time was also very precise. It was indeed much better than he had expected, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was two or three parts better than him.

But he still stubbornly insisted, forcing a smile as he said, "It's only one point, I still need to practice more." He was afraid that if he told the truth, the kid would become arrogant and wouldn't focus on honing his skills anymore.

"Hmm, one point is not bad."

The deaf old lady nodded, her tone carrying a deeper meaning, "Then you should take advantage of your free time to teach my eldest grandson more, give him some pointers, and he'll be able to do two or three points, or even four or five points, right? As his father, you can't keep anything from him."

"I understand, ma'am, I know what I'm doing."

He Daqing nodded perfunctorily, quickly picked up the roasted sparrow, tore off a leg and stuffed it into his mouth, using the food as an excuse to change the subject.

Seeing He Daqing's embarrassed look, Chen Lanxiang couldn't help but secretly laugh.

She was secretly pleased: She always boasted about how amazing her skills were and how prestigious she was outside, but in the end, it was all thanks to her son's talent that he was able to get so many rare things and cook such a sumptuous meal.

The meal was a great success, with both host and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves. Xu Damao's eyes never left the dishes, especially the stir-fried sparrow meat, which he ate almost half of.

He secretly glanced at the roasted sparrow in He Daqing's hand several times, and when he saw that He Daqing was eating with relish, he knew that there was no more for him, so he gave up and instead buried his head in eating stewed sparrow meat and vegetables, his mouth full of oil and his little belly bulging.

The deaf old lady drank a small amount of wine, but refused to drink any more, saying that she was too old and would feel uncomfortable if she drank too much. She mainly drank soup and ate vegetables, praising He Yuzhu's cooking skills as she ate.

He Daqing downed half a jin of liquor with the roasted sparrow, his face flushed and his eyes brightened considerably.

After feeding He Yushui, Chen Lanxiang sat down and ate some herself, occasionally serving the old lady food, creating a lively atmosphere.

After finishing the meal, Xu Damao stood up to help He Yuzhu clear the dishes and chopsticks, carrying the plates to the kitchen, and not forgetting to turn back and say something.

"Brother Zhu, I'll do the washing, you rest!" He knew in his heart that since he had eaten such a nice meal, he had to do something, otherwise he would feel bad.

Just as he finished tidying up, Xu Damao's mother arrived, carrying a small cloth bag in her hand; she didn't come empty-handed.

As soon as she entered, she smiled and said, "Lanxiang, Grandma, I've come to see you and brought some melon seeds and peanuts for the children to keep them entertained."

She was a person who knew proper etiquette. Knowing that her son had eaten dinner here, she felt it wouldn't be appropriate to come empty-handed, so she specially brought some dried goods from home.

Seeing her son busy washing dishes, Xu Damao's mother nodded with satisfaction and said to Chen Lanxiang with a smile, "This child, he doesn't do anything at home, but he's become so diligent here with you."

"Kids should do more work to broaden their horizons," Chen Lanxiang replied with a smile, inviting her to sit down and have some tea.

After Xu Damao's mother sat down, she chatted with the deaf old lady and Chen Lanxiang, talking about everyday things in the courtyard, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

He Daqing sat on a chair in the main room, lit a cigarette, and slowly smoked it.

Amidst the swirling smoke, he watched his son busily working in the kitchen, feeling a mix of pride and complicated emotions. This kid has truly grown up; he's becoming more and more capable.

In the kitchen, He Yuzhu was efficiently washing the dishes, thinking to himself: Tonight's celebration banquet was a complete success. Next, he should think about how to turn what he had into cash and save more money for the family.

As for the Jia family mother and daughter, we'll have to find an opportunity to teach them a lesson sooner or later, and let them know that this courtyard is not a place where they can run wild as they please.