Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

"This braised pork is good." He Daqing praised with a gentle smile in his eyes.

When He Yuzhu heard this comment, he immediately felt relieved and a smile appeared on his face, but he knew that this was just the beginning.

Then, He Daqing tasted several more dishes and found that each one tasted excellent, maintaining the essence of tradition while incorporating some new ideas and flavors. In particular, He Yuzhu's steamed fish, which he created himself, used a unique seasoning combination to make the fish meat more delicious, with rich taste layers and endless aftertaste.

He Daqing put down his chopsticks, slowly raised his head, and looked at He Yuzhu, his eyes full of satisfaction and pride. "Xiaozhu, your progress is beyond my expectation. Every dish is cooked very well, especially this steamed fish, which is very much in your style."

He Yuzhu was so happy when he heard this. He knew that his master was not the kind of person who praised others easily. This meant that his efforts were finally recognized. He Yuzhu said excitedly, "Master, thank you very much for your teaching over the years. Without your help, I would not be able to do all this today."

He Daqing smiled gently, his eyes full of kindness, "You have come this far because of your own efforts. The master only gave you some guidance, but the real path is for you to walk on your own."

He Yuzhu felt the deep meaning in his master's words, and his faith became stronger. He understood that his master was not only his teacher, but also the most important guide in his life. Now, he had to work harder to live up to his master's expectations.

He Daqing stood up, walked to He Yuzhu, and patted him on the shoulder. "Xiaozhuzi, I can rest assured now. You have grown into a real chef. It's not just your improvement in skills. More importantly, you have your own ideas and style."

He Yuzhu was so moved that he was speechless. He nodded, with a determined light in his eyes, "Master, I will continue to work hard to pass on this skill and make it flourish."

He Daqing smiled with satisfaction, "Okay, I believe you can do it. Remember, cooking is like life, there is always room for improvement. Don't be satisfied with the status quo, keep exploring, and keep learning."

He Yuzhu nodded heavily, his heart full of confidence and expectation for the future. He knew that the master's arrival today was not only to test his cooking skills, but also to cheer him up and let him go further and more steadily on the road ahead.

That day, He Daqing and He Yuzhu chatted for a long time in the kitchen, talking about the past and future plans. The two of them became closer, as close as a father and son.

As the sun sets, He Daqing finally stands up to say goodbye. He walks to the door, looks back at He Yuzhu standing at the kitchen door, and feels extremely satisfied and relieved. He knows that he has fulfilled his responsibilities as a master, and He Yuzhu will continue to move forward with this skill and spirit in the future.

There were many people living in the yard, among whom was a young man named He Yuzhu, whom everyone affectionately called "Shazhu". He had a cheerful personality, a little honest, but kind-hearted, and especially respected He Daqing. Shazhu went to He Daqing's house every day to ask for cooking lessons. Seeing that the boy was sincere and had a strong interest in cooking, He Daqing decided to teach him all his skills.

He Daqing started teaching him the basics of knife skills, and He Yuzhu was very serious about every step. At first, he was clumsy and even made a mess when chopping green onions. He Daqing often tapped his head with a spoon to remind him to concentrate. But as time went by, Shazhu's knife skills gradually became more skilled, and He Daqing recognized him more and more.

Soon after, He Daqing began to teach Sha Zhu how to control the heat, which is crucial for a chef. Sha Zhu would stand in front of the stove and practice every day, frying various dishes at different heats. He Daqing told him that different dishes require different heats, and the control of oil temperature and the rhythm of frying are all related to the final taste. Sha Zhu gradually mastered the secrets and began to make dishes with good color, aroma and taste.

While Sha Zhu was learning, He Daqing also taught him some exclusive secret recipes and traditional skills handed down in restaurants. He Daqing used to work in a time-honored restaurant in Beijing, and he secretly memorized those secret recipes. Each dish has unique ingredients and methods, which he learned through hard work when he was young, and now he taught them to Sha Zhu without reservation.

As Sha Zhu's cooking skills became more and more sophisticated, He Daqing began to take him to the market to buy vegetables and taught him how to choose fresh ingredients. He Daqing told him that cooking not only depends on skills, but also on good ingredients. Selecting ingredients is the basic skill of a chef. Sha Zhu followed He Daqing through the streets and alleys, learning how to judge the freshness of vegetables and how to choose the freshest meat and seafood. All of this greatly improved Sha Zhu's vision and cooking skills.

However, He Daqing was not satisfied with Sha Zhu only being able to cook home-cooked dishes. He encouraged Sha Zhu to apply for a job in a restaurant and truly embark on the path of a professional chef. Sha Zhu was a little hesitant at first. He felt that although he had learned a lot, he was still far from He Daqing's level. He Daqing patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "You are already better than I was back then. Go ahead and give it a try. Maybe you can make a career out of it."

With the encouragement of He Daqing, Sha Zhu finally decided to apply for a job at a famous restaurant in Beijing. He Daqing wrote a letter of recommendation for him and personally accompanied him to the restaurant. On the day of the interview, Sha Zhu was so nervous that his palms were sweating, but an encouraging look from He Daqing instantly calmed him down. The chef of the restaurant first asked him to show his knife skills. Sha Zhu skillfully cut the onions, ginger and garlic, and the knife flashed, winning the admiration of everyone present. Then, the chef asked him to make a specialty dish on the spot. Sha Zhu remembered the skills that He Daqing taught him, and made a braised pork dish with great care. The dish was bright red in color, fragrant, and the taste made the judges present praise it. In the end, Sha Zhu was hired.

He Yuzhu was doing very well in the restaurant, and gradually rose from an ordinary cook to the position of chef. He did not forget He Daqing's teachings. Every time he returned to the courtyard, he always brought back good ingredients from the restaurant and worked with He Daqing to study new dishes. The neighbors in the courtyard also respected He Daqing more because of Shazhu's success. Everyone said that He Daqing was not only a good cook himself, but also taught a good apprentice.