Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

People in the courtyard praised He Daqing's cooking skills. Whenever he cooked a new dish, neighbors would come to ask for advice. He Daqing was always willing to help others and never kept secrets. He would patiently explain to anyone who asked, and even teach them step by step. However, the only thing that made him regretful was that his son He Yuzhu seemed to have no interest in cooking. He Daqing knew that this skill was passed down from his ancestors, and he hoped that his son could inherit it, but he didn't want to force He Yuzhu.

On this day, He Daqing was preparing lunch in the kitchen, and He Yuzhu was wandering around the yard. He Daqing glanced at his son, sighed helplessly, and thought about how to guide him into the kitchen. Suddenly, he came up with an idea and decided to attract He Yuzhu in a more interesting way.

"Yuzhu," He Daqing put down the knife in his hand, turned to his son and said, "Come here, Dad has something to tell you."

He Yuzhu heard his father calling and walked over lazily, "Dad, what's the matter? I was just thinking about going out to play with my brothers."

He Daqing smiled and patted his son's shoulder. "Don't rush out. I want you to try cooking a dish. Look at our courtyard. People usually say that the dishes I cook are delicious. But you are so old, and you haven't even learned how to cook a dish. This is not appropriate."

When He Yuzhu heard about cooking, he immediately lost interest and waved his hands, "Dad, my hands are not good for cooking. I'd better go out and play."

He Daqing looked at his son's expression and knew that forcing him would not work, so he deliberately said, "Well, since you don't want to learn, then Dad won't force you. But if you can make a dish that tastes better than mine, Dad won't urge you to learn to cook anymore. How about that?"

He Yuzhu was a little moved when he heard this. He had never given up since he was a child, so he was not willing to admit defeat. "Dad, do you keep your word?"

"Of course." He Daqing nodded.

He Yuzhu's eyes rolled and he thought to himself, although he was not good at cooking, after defeating his father, he would not have to listen to his father's nagging anymore. This was a good opportunity.

"Okay, I'll try it." He Yuzhu said, rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen.

He Daqing was delighted when he saw his son enter the kitchen, but his face remained calm. He walked to the stove, picked up a kitchen knife, and handed it to He Yuzhu, "Pick a dish first and see what you want to cook."

He Yuzhu took the kitchen knife and looked at the rows of ingredients, feeling a little confused. It was easy to eat vegetables, but he really didn't know the tricks of cooking. After thinking for a while, he decided to start with a simple stir-fry of vegetables.

"Then I'll just stir-fry some vegetables." He Yuzhu thought, this won't go wrong.

He Daqing nodded. "Okay, stir-frying vegetables is the most basic of the basics, but it is also the key to testing the heat and seasoning. Come, I'll teach you some knife skills first."

He Yuzhu picked up the kitchen knife and started to cut the vegetables according to his father's instruction. However, this seemingly simple action was a bit clumsy in his hands, and the vegetables were cut unevenly, and some were even cut into pieces. He Daqing watched from the side, without saying anything, but just smiled and gave him some small suggestions from time to time.

"Yuzhu, when you cut vegetables, your wrist should be relaxed, the knife should be steady, and the movements should be smooth and without hesitation."

He Yuzhu listened to his father's instructions, adjusted his posture, and indeed, he cut more smoothly than before.

After cutting the vegetables, He Yuzhu started cooking. This was his first time cooking, so he was a little nervous. He Daqing stood by and patiently instructed him, "After the pan is hot, pour in the oil first, then add the garlic slices, and when the aroma comes out, add the vegetables."

He Yuzhu did as he was told, and although his movements were a little unfamiliar, it went smoothly. When the vegetables were almost stir-fried in the wok, He Daqing signaled him that he could add seasoning.

"Use less salt, it's better to be light rather than salty. Add some sugar to make it more delicious."

He Yuzhu followed his instructions and finally plated the vegetables and placed them on the table. He looked at the dish he made, feeling somewhat proud but also somewhat nervous, not knowing what his father would think of it.

He Daqing took a bite and nodded, "Well, not bad, the cooking time is good and the taste is acceptable. But, you can add a little soy sauce next time, so that the color will be better."

He Yuzhu heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, and felt a little proud, "Dad, does this count as passing the test?"

He Daqing smiled, "It's still early. Cooking is not something you can learn by just cooking one or two dishes. You need to practice more and try more. Although your green vegetable is good, it's not perfect. Since you've made a start, why not continue learning? When you can cook better dishes than Dad, Dad will be convinced and won't care about you anymore."

He Yuzhu originally wanted to just cook this one dish, but seeing his father's patient instruction and the recognition of his own dish, he felt a sense of accomplishment. He suddenly felt that cooking was not such a boring thing.

From that day on, He Yuzhu followed his father to learn how to cook every day. He Daqing was not impatient and taught him step by step, including knife skills, heat control, seasoning, and everything else. He Yuzhu also gradually changed from being reluctant at first to actively learning. The neighbors in the courtyard also found that He Yuzhu began to become more down-to-earth and occasionally served his own dishes for everyone to taste. Although the taste was not perfect sometimes, everyone praised him for his rapid progress.

As time goes by, He Yuzhu's cooking skills have improved significantly without him noticing. He began to try more complex dishes, no longer limited to simple stir-fry. He Daqing saw this and felt both relieved and a little emotional. He knew that his son had finally embarked on this path, and although he was forced to do so at first, now he truly loves this craft.

In the courtyard, smoke rises and aroma fills the air. Whenever a meal is ready, He Yuzhu will carry the dishes out of the kitchen with his father and invite the neighbors to taste it together. Everyone sits around the stone table in the yard, chatting and laughing, enjoying this ordinary but warm happiness. In the process of cooking, He Daqing and He Yuzhu, this father and son, not only inherited the skills, but also deepened their feelings for each other.

Day by day, He Yuzhu's cooking skills became more and more sophisticated. He began to come up with some new dishes, some of which He Daqing had never tried. Whenever he made a new dish, his father was always the first to taste it and give pertinent advice. He Yuzhu gradually realized that cooking is not just a skill, but also a love for life and care for family.

The days in the courtyard were more enjoyable with the joint efforts of the father and son. Neighbors said that the craft of the He family was not lost, but became more colorful with the participation of He Yuzhu. And He Daqing finally saw his son's growth, and his heart was full of satisfaction and pride.