Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

He Daqing smiled modestly: "Brother Zhuzi, I learned all this from you. You always say that cooking requires heart, and I always keep it in mind. Let's try and see if we can make a new dish that everyone will be satisfied with."

In the following days, He Daqing and He Yuzhu began their new round of experiments. They bought all kinds of seasonings they could find in the market and tried different combinations in the kitchen every day. Sometimes, the two of them even worked until late at night to organize the day's experimental records.

He Daqing's mood often fluctuates between excitement and anxiety. Sometimes, he feels extremely satisfied after a successful attempt, as if his efforts have finally paid off; but sometimes, he feels frustrated because of a failed experiment and wonders if he is wasting his time. However, every time at this time, he would think of He Yuzhu's encouragement and his persistent pursuit of delicious food, which rekindled his fighting spirit.

Life in the courtyard remains the same as usual, but in He Daqing's kitchen, it is always full of novelties and changes. Neighbors have long been accustomed to smelling different aromas every day, and are always looking forward to tasting He Daqing's new creations. He Daqing knows that these day-to-day attempts are slowly changing his cooking skills and pushing him towards higher goals bit by bit.

As time went by, He Daqing and He Yuzhu's experiments and explorations in cooking became more frequent. Every day, they were busy in the kitchen from morning to late at night, studying the combination of seasonings and trying different cooking techniques. However, He Daqing gradually discovered that He Yuzhu did not seem to be as dedicated as before, and even showed some signs of laziness.

One morning, He Daqing got up early as usual and prepared to go to the kitchen to continue the unfinished experiment from yesterday. He knocked on He Yuzhu's door as usual, wanting to go to the market with him to buy fresh ingredients. But to his surprise, there was no response after knocking on the door several times.

"Brother Zhuzi? Are you there?" He Daqing raised his voice again and shouted.

There was still no movement in the room. He Daqing frowned and began to worry. He thought, He Yuzhu usually gets up earlier than him, how could he oversleep today? Puzzled, he pushed open the door.

He Yuzhu was lying on the bed, curled up in the quilt, facing the wall, and seemed to be still asleep. He Daqing walked to the bed and patted his shoulder gently: "Brother Zhuzi, the sun is shining on your buttocks, we should get busy."

He Yuzhu turned over, opened his sleepy eyes, and muttered, "Daqing, you go first. I'm a little tired today and want to sleep more."

He Daqing was stunned for a moment, feeling uneasy. He had never seen He Yuzhu so lazy before. Usually, he was always full of energy, especially when it came to kitchen matters. Today's performance made He Daqing feel a little doubtful.

"Brother Zhuzi, are you feeling unwell somewhere? How about I get you some medicine?" He Daqing asked with concern.

He Yuzhu waved his hand, looking a little impatient: "No, I'm just a little tired, it's no big deal. You go ahead and do your thing, I'll help you when I get up."

He Daqing nodded. Although he was a little confused, he didn't ask any more questions. He turned and walked out of the house and went to the market alone to buy vegetables. Along the way, he felt a little heavy. He Yuzhu's condition was obviously not right. He didn't know why Brother Zhuzi suddenly became so lazy, but he felt that it was not just fatigue.

After returning to the kitchen, He Daqing started to work alone. He tried to focus on the work at hand, but he couldn't let go of He Yuzhu's strangeness. He thought, maybe it was because of the recent frequent experiments that Brother Zhuzi was tired? Or was he not interested in these new attempts? Whatever the reason, He Daqing felt that he had a responsibility to find out.

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu finally came out of the house. He looked quite energetic and even seemed to be quite relaxed. He walked into the kitchen and saw He Daqing busying himself. He smiled and said, "Daqing, you did it all by yourself today? You are quite capable!"

He Daqing looked up at He Yuzhu and smiled, but his smile was somewhat inquiring: "Brother Zhuzi, are you really okay today? I always feel that something is wrong with you."

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, then he laughed and acted as if he didn't care: "What can happen to me? Daqing, don't think too much. I just think we have been too busy these days. People always need some time to relax."

He Daqing nodded, but the doubts in his heart were not completely eliminated. He knew that He Yuzhu was not a lazy person, let alone a person who would relax easily. Perhaps Brother Zhuzi really was hiding something from him.

In the following days, He Daqing was still confused by He Yuzhu's behavior. Although he still came to the kitchen to help, he was obviously not as focused and engaged as before. He Daqing wanted to ask for clarification several times, but he swallowed the words back every time. He didn't want to appear too aggressive, and he was also worried that if there was really a problem, asking rashly would make the situation worse.

Finally one day, He Daqing couldn't help it. After a busy day, he and He Yuzhu sat on a stone bench in the yard. Under the cover of night, he tentatively asked, "Brother Zhuzi, I know you've been a little absent-minded recently. Have you encountered any difficulties? We are brothers. You can tell me if you have anything."

He Yuzhu was silent for a moment, looking down at his hands, as if considering how to answer. His silence made He Daqing even more nervous, and he began to anticipate various possible situations in his mind.

After a long while, He Yuzhu finally spoke, but his tone was filled with helplessness and confusion: "Daqing, to be honest, I have been a little upset recently. Although these new attempts we have made are good things, I always feel a little exhausted. Maybe I am old and can't keep up with your pace."

He Daqing was surprised and sad after hearing this. He didn't expect He Yuzhu to have such an idea. After all, in his heart, Zhuzi has always been a man full of energy and passion, and he would never back down easily. But now, he heard He Yuzhu say the word "old".

"Brother Zhuzi, why do you think so? You are the most experienced chef in our area, and your cooking skills are recognized by everyone. I just want to learn from you, how can you say that I can't keep up with the pace?" He Daqing said hurriedly, fearing that He Yuzhu would really back down because of this reason.