Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

He Daqing sighed softly, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "It's not your fault, Xiao Zhuzi. In fact, during this period of time, I also feel that my health is not as good as before. This fall today made me realize that time is not forgiving."

He Yuzhu felt a pang of sadness when he heard this. He had never heard his master talk about his aging so frankly. Usually, He Daqing always showed himself as a strong man, as if he would never be defeated by time, but today's accident seemed to force him to face this reality.

He Yuzhu felt a deep sense of responsibility surge in his heart. He looked at He Daqing and said firmly, "Master, don't worry. I will pay more attention to it in the future. You can also let me take care of the restaurant. You need to have a good rest."

He Daqing felt warm in his heart when he heard what He Yuzhu said. He knew that his apprentice really cared about him. Although he was reluctant to admit that he was old, he also understood that he could no longer work as hard as he did when he was young.

He nodded and said with a smile: "Okay, Xiao Zhuzi, I will leave more things to you. You must also remember not to let what happened today affect your state. As a chef, the most important thing is your mentality, you must keep a steady mind."

He Yuzhu felt the master's trust in him, and he was grateful and full of motivation. He clenched his fist and said solemnly: "Master, don't worry, I will do everything with my heart and will not let you down."

He Daqing felt a little comforted when he saw the determination in He Yuzhu's eyes. He knew that although his fall was an accident, it might have made He Yuzhu more aware of the responsibility on his shoulders. He patted He Yuzhu on the shoulder and slowly stood up. "Let's go, let's go back, change clothes, put today's events behind us, and continue to work hard tomorrow."

He Yuzhu nodded, and hurriedly helped He Daqing walk back slowly. He had secretly vowed in his heart that he would not only continue to work hard on his cooking skills, but also take on more responsibilities for the restaurant and reduce the burden on the chef.

The night in the courtyard was still quiet, and the wind from the riverside blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness. He Yuzhu supported He Daqing on the way home, feeling both grateful and an indescribable sense of heaviness. He knew that from today on, he had to work harder, truly take over the burden from his master, and continue to run the restaurant.

After He Daqing and He Yuzhu returned to the courtyard, they simply changed into clean clothes. He Daqing sat on a rattan chair in the yard without saying a word, looking at the gradually dimming sunset in the sky, his heart was in turmoil. This accident not only made him feel the aging of his body, but also awakened a long-hidden memory in his heart.

Seeing that the master was silent, He Yuzhu quietly went to the kitchen and prepared to make a bowl of ginger soup for the master to drive away the cold. He was full of concern for the master, but he didn't want to disturb the master's thoughts at the moment.

He Daqing sat on a rattan chair, his eyes gradually lost focus, and his thoughts drifted back to decades ago. At that time, he was still young and the restaurant had just opened. The neighbors in the courtyard were very curious about him, the newly moved chef, and he tried hard to integrate into this new environment and gradually became familiar with the people around him.

Among these neighbors, one person particularly caught his attention - the White Widow. The White Widow was a young and beautiful woman whose husband had died a few years ago and she lived alone. She had a gentle personality and was always kind and polite to others, but there was a hint of sadness between her brows.

He Daqing first met the White Widow at a neighborhood gathering. That day, he brought a few of his specialties, and as a new resident, he wanted to take this opportunity to mingle with everyone. The White Widow happened to be there, wearing a simple and elegant cheongsam, dignified and beautiful, exuding an indescribable attraction in her every move.

He Daqing didn't think much of it at the time, but just thought that this woman was unusual. Later, he often met her in various corners of the courtyard, sometimes fetching water from the well, sometimes drying clothes, and sometimes planting flowers in the yard. Every time she saw him, she would smile slightly, nod, and then quietly busy herself with her own things.

As time went by, He Daqing paid more and more attention to the widow, but he also knew that she was a widow after all, and as a newly moved bachelor, he really shouldn't have too much contact and disturb her. So he buried this emotion in his heart and just paid attention to her life silently.

One day, when He Daqing was about to buy some food, he passed by the White Widow's yard and suddenly heard a violent cough coming from the yard. He couldn't help but stop and look over, only to see that the White Widow was pale, leaning weakly against the door frame, coughing so hard that she could hardly breathe.

He Daqing's heart tightened. Without thinking too much, he hurried over and knocked on the door gently. "Bai... Sister Bai, are you okay?"

The White Widow suppressed a cough, looked up at him, and a forced smile appeared in her eyes, "It's okay, it's just an old problem, I have a cough."

He Daqing felt a little reluctant, and after thinking for a while, he said, "I just happened to be going to buy some food. Why don't I get you some medicine? You can't delay your illness."

The White Widow hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded, "Thank you for your help, Master He."

After He Daqing bought the ingredients and medicine, he specially boiled the medicine and cooked a bowl of light porridge, and personally delivered it to Bai Guafu's home. Bai Guafu took the medicine and thanked him softly. The two did not say much, but at that moment, He Daqing felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Since then, He Daqing has always paid attention to Bai Guafu's health. Every time he goes to buy food, he will help her get some Chinese medicine or send her some light meals he made. Although Bai Guafu doesn't talk much, she is grateful for He Daqing's help. The relationship between the two gradually changes from strange neighbors to more familiar and tacit understanding.

Once, Widow Bai invited He Daqing to her home for tea. It was a gloomy afternoon, the sky was slightly cool, but there was a warm atmosphere in the house. He Daqing sat in the small living room carefully decorated by Widow Bai, holding a cup of hot tea, feeling a little nervous and expectant.

"Master He, I'm really sorry to have troubled you during this period. I live alone and many things are inconvenient for me. Thanks to you, I can take good care of my body." The White Widow took a sip of tea, her voice soft and with a hint of gratitude.

"Sister Bai, don't say that. We are all neighbors. Of course I will help if I can." He Daqing waved his hands, trying to make himself look more relaxed, but he felt in his heart that this kind of relationship was a little unusual.