Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

The deaf old lady smiled slightly, and turned her gaze to Sha Zhu. After looking at him for a few times, she nodded and said, "Sha Zhu, I have heard of you. It's not easy for you to be able to take the lead in a restaurant at such a young age. Come in, let's talk slowly."

Several people entered the house and sat at a small round table. Sha Zhu was a little nervous. He looked up at He Daqing and saw him nod. Then he slowly said, "Old lady, a few hooligans came to our store to make trouble yesterday. My master and I are worried that they will come again, so we came here to ask you if there is any way to solve this matter."

The deaf old lady nodded slightly, took a sip from the teacup, and said slowly: "Shazhu, your master is right. When encountering such a thing, fists alone cannot solve the problem. You have to understand that what can convince people is often not force, but reason and human feelings."

Sha Zhu listened carefully and felt that the old lady's words made a lot of sense. He secretly vowed in his heart that he must learn how to stabilize himself in a complicated situation and stop letting his master and others worry about him.

"Old lady, what should I do then?" Sha Zhu asked with a sincere tone of seeking advice.

The deaf old lady put down her teacup and said with a smile, "Don't worry too much. Those hooligans are actually nothing in this area. The reason they dare to trouble you is probably because they think you are still young and have no backing. So, what you have to do is to let them know that you are not someone who can be bullied casually."

She paused for a moment and continued, "But this doesn't mean you have to confront them head-on. Instead, you should use what you are good at to influence them. For example, your cooking skills."

Sha Zhu was stunned and asked in confusion: "Old lady, are you saying that I can use my cooking skills to convince them?"

The deaf old lady nodded, a sly look flashing in her eyes, "That's right. Since you are a chef, use your cooking skills to let them know that it is no good to go against you. Moreover, I will ask a few respected old neighbors to come to your restaurant to eat together and support you. By then, others will also know that you are not fighting alone, and naturally they will not dare to cause trouble easily."

When Sha Zhu heard this, his mind suddenly became clear. He understood the old lady's intention: to win people's respect with virtue and use his own strengths, rather than blindly fighting. This approach can not only solve the current problem, but also allow him to gain a firm foothold in this area.

"Thank you, old lady. Your words made me understand a lot." Sha Zhu said sincerely with a grateful look on his face.

He Daqing watched from the side and nodded secretly in his heart. He knew that Sha Zhu had begun to understand the truth of using wisdom to solve problems. The deaf old lady's advice undoubtedly gave him a direction, and whether Sha Zhu could really learn from it depended on his performance in the future.

The deaf old lady waved her hands and said gently: "Don't thank me, I'm glad you have this intention. The most important thing for a person is to be down-to-earth and attentive. As long as you don't forget your duty, everyone will respect you."

When He Daqing and Sha Zhu said goodbye and left, the deaf old lady reminded Sha Zhu: "Sha Zhu, remember, cooking is your weapon, but the principles of being a person and doing things are your foundation. Don't let temporary gains and losses cloud your mind."

Back at the restaurant, Sha Zhu felt much more relaxed than before. He knew that what he had to do next was not only to make every dish well, but also to learn how to find his own way to survive in this complex society.

A few days later, the deaf old lady brought a few old neighbors to the restaurant for dinner. Sha Zhu personally cooked for them and prepared several of his specialties. These dishes were not only delicious, but also full of Sha Zhu's respect and gratitude for them. The old neighbors were very satisfied with the meal and praised Sha Zhu's cooking skills. The deaf old lady was even more smiling from ear to ear.

On this day, He Daqing was busy in the yard as usual. He looked up at He Yuzhu in the main yard. He Yuzhu was a young man in his twenties, who grew up in a courtyard and now worked as a cook in a street canteen. He Daqing knew that He Yuzhu was talented and intelligent. Although he was only a handyman at present, he had a strong interest and talent in cooking. He Daqing often saw him in the kitchen seriously learning the skills of those chefs, and he couldn't help cherishing his talent.

One morning, He Daqing took advantage of everyone being still asleep and called He Yuzhu to the yard. He handed He Yuzhu a bowl of freshly ground soy milk with a smile on his face and said, "Xiao Zhuzi, drink it. I ground it myself."

He Yuzhu took the soy milk, his heart warmed, and he said with a smile: "Thank you, Master Daqing, your soy milk is really delicious."

He Daqing nodded, and after watching He Yuzhu finish drinking, he said softly: "Xiaozhuzi, I see that you are doing well in the kitchen. Are you interested in learning some real skills?"

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, then showed an excited look: "Master Daqing, you mean... teach me how to cook?"

He Daqing smiled, with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes: "Yes, I think you have this talent, are you willing to learn from me?"

He Yuzhu nodded excitedly: "Yes, yes! I have always wanted to learn this, I couldn't ask for more!"

From that day on, He Daqing began to teach He Yuzhu one-on-one. At first, they got up at dawn every morning, and He Daqing would take He Yuzhu to the market to buy vegetables. While he was choosing fresh ingredients, he explained in detail the characteristics of each ingredient and how to combine them to make delicious dishes. He Yuzhu listened carefully and nodded in response from time to time.

After returning to the courtyard, He Daqing would start the actual operation, starting with simple knife skills. He taught He Yuzhu how to hold a knife and how to cut vegetables, and every detail was meticulous. He Yuzhu was very talented and quickly mastered the basic knife skills, but He Daqing was not in a hurry to let him start making more complicated dishes, but repeatedly asked him to practice basic skills. He Daqing often said: "Cooking is like being a person, the foundation is the most important. Only when the foundation is laid can you make good dishes in the future."

He Yuzhu was convinced by this and practiced his knife skills every day. The sound of cutting vegetables echoed in the courtyard. Many neighbors even joked, "This little Zhuzi may become a cooking god!"

As time went by, He Yuzhu's progress was obvious to all. He Daqing began to teach him how to make some home-cooked dishes. He Daqing's cooking skills came from tradition, but he was not bound by tradition and often innovated according to the characteristics of the ingredients. He told He Yuzhu: "Cooking cannot be rigid. It should be adjusted according to the season, the freshness of the ingredients, and people's taste. Even if it is the same dish, it can have a different flavor each time it is made."