Siheyuan: Struggle Begins in the 1950s

Quanjude has always been one of the landmarks of Beijing in any era.

If tourists from other places have not been to Quanjude, you would be embarrassed to say that you have been to Beijing.

Of course, having been there doesn’t mean you’ve eaten it.

A roast duck costs seven or eight yuan, and ordering just one will cost you nearly half a month's salary.

Such a price will directly discourage most ordinary people.

Quanjude was not prepared to do business with ordinary people from the beginning.

Fortunately, you don’t need meat tickets to eat here, as long as your wallet is thick enough.

Wang Jianjun was originally planning to order a few to take away, but was told that each person could only order one at most.

He was lucky. If he hadn't made a reservation during the peak period, he might not have been able to eat roast duck.

Just one, Wang Jianjun didn’t mind asking the waiter to roast the duck. He took the menu and ordered a few dishes.

When he ordered, he actually saw stewed duck wings with bear paws on the menu.

I was surprised and then I remembered that there was no animal protection law in that era.

Ingredients such as bear paws and shark fins can be openly placed on the dining table.

I wanted to order a plate of bear paws to try, but was told that this dish needed to be reserved and might not be available at all times.

Bears aren't so easy to hunt these days.

Wang Jianjun felt a little regretful and secretly took note of the dish, thinking that he would try it when he had the chance in the future.

This dish will probably be included in the criminal law in a few decades, so you must try it once while it’s still not illegal.

There is also a dish called Flying Swallow Piercing Stars on the menu, which is said to be made with the cores of eighty duck tongues.

The raw materials are not illegal, but they are a waste of money and your wallet.

Reservations are also required to eat there.

Wang Jianjun casually ordered a dish of swimming goldfish and a dish of braised double breast with roast duck and side dishes, which cost fifteen yuan, which was half a month's salary.

He didn't feel bad about it. He had enough money now and would have less in the future.

While waiting for the dishes to be served, Wang Jianjun had nothing to do, so after obtaining the waiter's consent, he went to the kitchen to watch the roast duck making process.

His request is quite common. Many guests who come to Quanjude for the first time like to visit the kitchen.

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, Quanjude even had a tradition of letting guests write inscriptions on the roast duck.

On the one hand, it allows diners to confirm that the duck will not be replaced, and on the other hand, they can leave blessings on the roast duck.

It was an alternative marketing method at that time.

So his visit to the kitchen was nothing in the eyes of the people in the store.

Wang Jianjun also wanted to steal some skills.

Although the media has developed in later generations, the production process of roast duck is no longer a secret.

But this is the first time I've seen it up close.

It is no big deal for someone who does not seek to study. As long as he can roughly replicate 50% or 60% of his imagination, he will be satisfied.

After observing for a while, Wang Jianjun, who thought he had mastered the core technology, returned to the dining table satisfied.

After a while, the sliced ​​roast duck was brought up by the waiter.

In his previous life, he heard that a qualified duck slicing chef could slice a duck into 108 pieces, with skin and meat still included.

He didn't know if it would taste better, but it could certainly be sold at a higher price.

When the roast duck was served, Wang Jianjun, who was already starving, directly picked up a lotus leaf pancake, put some shredded green onions and cucumbers in it, and then put a few pieces of roast duck dipped in sauce.

Roll it with a lotus leaf cake and put it into your mouth to chew.

The first thing you taste is the sweet aroma of roast duck sauce, followed by the mellow aroma of the oily roast duck. Paired with cucumber and shredded green onions, it can both relieve greasiness and enhance the flavor.

As expected of a duck that had undergone socialist transformation, Wang Jianjun felt that this roast duck was much more delicious than the ones he bought in later generations.

After finishing one roll, I resisted the urge to pack a second one. I took the prepared iced soda, opened it, and took a big gulp.

After taking a bite, Wang Jianjun felt relaxed all over.

Damn, this is life!

All that steamed corn bread, all that radish, cabbage and potato, go to hell!

Wang Jianjun ate to his heart's content during this meal. With the amount of food for four people, he was only about 70% full.

After dinner, I took the salt and pepper duck rack wrapped in oil paper and left Quanjude, found an empty place and transported it directly to the vicinity of the courtyard.

When Wang Jianjun just arrived at the Intermediate Court.

Then Yan Bugui walked out of the house with a fishing rod in his hand.

"Jianjun is back. Hey! Did he go out to eat?"

"Yes, Uncle San, how did you know that?"

"You smell like food, how can I not know that?"

As he spoke, he sniffed and then noticed the oil paper bag in Wang Jianjun's hand.

"Is this leftover and you packed it up?"

Wang Jianjun thought that Yan Bugui's nose was really useful. To put it bluntly, it was as sensitive as a dog's nose.

"Yes, Uncle San, I'm going to Quanjude to have a meal to celebrate my first day at work. I'm going to bring back the leftover duck bones for a midnight snack."

Wang Jianjun didn't want to show off, it's just that he always came back late after eating out.

If the beasts in the yard knew about this, they would definitely report my abnormal behavior.

Bringing a duck frame can also be considered as a proof.

When Yan Bugui heard that they were going to Quanjude, he immediately looked heartbroken.

"Jianjun, you really don't know how to live! A duck from Quanjude costs seven or eight yuan, which is enough to feed your uncle's family for several days."

The expression on his face was as if Yan Jiecheng had stolen his salary to eat.

"Hey, who can afford to eat like this every day? By the way, why aren't you sleeping yet, Uncle?"

Yan Bugui handed over the fishing rod and said:

"Isn't this the fishing rod you wanted? I bought it for you after get off work. Do you want to check it out?"

No matter how good a fishing rod is, it is made of bamboo. How can it compare with the lure rod that you buy for thousands of dollars in the future?

Wang Jianjun took the fishing rod and said casually:

"I still don't trust you, Third Uncle. I have to go to work tomorrow so I'll go back first."

Having said that, without waiting for Yan Bugui to reply, he took the fishing rod and went back to the backyard.

If he doesn't leave now, Old Yan will have to think about the bag of duck bones he has left.

Sure enough, Wang Jianjun had just walked to the gate of the central courtyard when Yan Bugui behind him reacted.

I kept regretting why I forgot to say a few more words just now, because there was meat on the remaining duck bones.

In the end, he could only sigh helplessly, sniffed the lingering aroma of roast duck in the air, and then went back into the house.

I didn't encounter any problems all the way back to the backyard.

In addition, the sound of beating children came from the second uncle's house in the backyard.

In addition, the lights in the old deaf man’s house were still on, and he probably still felt sorry for his cane.

After Wang Jianjun returned home, locked the door and went straight into the farm space.

The earliest batch of crops in the space today have matured.

He kept some corn and sweet potatoes and planted the rest.

When he came into the space, a group of chickens and ducklings were calling non-stop in the cages, obviously they were hungry.

Wang Jianjun asked the space to process the remaining corn and sweet potatoes into feed for them.

Then they used the bamboo cut during the day to make fences to enclose the chickens and ducklings.