Siheyuan: The eldest brother of the He family, abuses Shazhu at the beginning

Chapter 166 You'll Know When You Taste It

He Yuliang grew up in this courtyard. His father, He Daqing, was a famous chef, from whom He Yuliang inherited his love and talent for cooking. When he was young, he left Beijing to learn different cooking techniques in other cities, but eventually returned to Hejiacai and inherited his father's business.

Hejiacai is a restaurant based on traditional cooking and incorporating modern elements. He Yuliang is good at combining fresh ingredients with traditional cooking methods, making each dish delicious and memorable. His specialty is braised pork, each piece of meat melts in your mouth and exudes an alluring aroma.

In addition to cooking, He Yuliang is also the soul of this hutong. He often chats with guests at the door of Hejiacai and tells stories and legends about the hutong. He treats people sincerely and is deeply loved and respected by the surrounding residents and diners.

However, Hejiacai also faced some difficulties. As Beijing developed, the surrounding hutongs and streets changed dramatically. New business districts continued to expand, and the traditional way of life was gradually marginalized. He Yuliang began to feel the pressure of business, but he still held on to his love for dishes and traditions.

Many touching stories happened in this courtyard. Once, a lost child was brought to his mother by He Yuliang; another time, a young couple made a marriage contract here. The courtyard has become a miniature version of the city, carrying people's dreams and memories.

He Yuliang knows that his responsibility is not only to run a restaurant, but also to protect a culture and tradition. He hopes to pass on this passion and persistence, so that Hejiacai will become a shining pearl in the hutong and will never fade away.

One winter, Beijing snowed heavily, falling all night and all day, covering the cobblestone roads in the alleys and the eaves of the courtyards. In the morning, He Yuliang opened the kitchen door and looked at the snow-covered scenery in the yard, feeling an indescribable sense of tranquility and beauty.

He was just about to go into the house to prepare breakfast when he heard a slight knock at the gate. He walked to the door and saw his neighbor Ran's mother standing outside the door, holding a small basket covered with a red towel.

"Aunt Ran, good morning!" He Yuliang opened the door and greeted her with a smile, "It's snowing so heavily, you are not afraid of the cold."

Ran's mother smiled and said, "Daqing, my son is not around, I am alone, so I am afraid of the cold! But I am here to give you a gift today."

"Oh, you're so polite." He Yuliang took the basket with a smile, "What is this?"

Ran's mother raised her hand and took off the red towel, revealing the contents of the basket: "This is the sausage sent from my hometown. I just received it. I heard that the sausage here is not as delicious as ours, so I sent some to you to try."

He Yuliang smelled the aroma of Chinese sausage and said with a smile: "Thank you so much! That's great. I was just worried about not having any special ingredients these days. Now that I have Chinese sausage, I can make some new dishes."

"Haha, that's good." Ran's mother said with a smile, "If you make something delicious, remember to let me taste it."

"Sure, sure!" He Yuliang agreed happily.

Ran's mother looked at the snow in the yard and said with a smile: "Today's snow, I really have to clean up the yard, otherwise it will be difficult to walk in the yard."

"Let me help you." He Yuliang said, taking the basket from Ran's mother. "You came just in time. Let's clean the yard while we chat."

So He Yuliang and Ran's mother got busy in the yard. They used wooden shovels to clear the snow piles and used rags to wipe the walls and gates. Soon, the yard looked brand new.

"Hey, Daqing, how is your business lately?" Ran's mother asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

He Yuliang stopped the shovel in his hand and said with a smile: "It's okay, thank you Aunt Ran for your concern. There are fewer customers recently, maybe because of the cold weather. However, I have always insisted on making every dish well, and I believe that more people will come to taste it slowly."

"It's your tenacity that keeps this restaurant going," Ran's mother said with emotion. "I think the Hutong would be in a bad shape without old brands like you."

He Yuliang smiled but said nothing. He knew that this was a kind of encouragement and affirmation from Ran's mother, and he also felt the deep friendship between the neighbors in the hutong.

After finishing her work, Ran's mother said goodbye and went home. He Yuliang saw her off to the gate of the courtyard, and as he watched her back gradually go away, a feeling of warmth and gratitude welled up in his heart.

Back in the kitchen, He Yuliang took out the fragrant sausage and looked at it carefully. The sausage had clear lines, was oily but not greasy, and exuded a unique aroma. He decided to use this sausage to make a special dish tonight and give it to Ran's mother to try.

He took out a piece of selected pork, cut it into thin slices, and marinated it with appropriate seasoning. Then, he cut the sausage into thin slices and put it into the hot pan to stir-fry, and the aroma was overflowing. Then, he added the marinated pork slices and stir-fried them evenly, so that the aroma of the sausage was completely integrated into the meat.

During the cooking process, the whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of sausages, and He Yuliang was in a particularly good mood. He imagined the expression of Ran's mother when she tasted this dish, and looked forward to her approval and smile.

Just then, the doorbell rang. He Yuliang wiped his hands and walked to the door to open it. Standing outside the door was another neighbor in the alley, Sister Zhang.

"Brother Daqing, what are you busy with?" Sister Zhang asked with a smile.

Dinner." He Yuliang replied with a smile.

"Oh, dinner." Sister Zhang said with a smile, "What delicious food did you make?"

"Yes, today is a little special." He Yuliang said mysteriously, "Aunt Ran sent a piece of delicious sausage, and I was preparing to make a new dish."

"Wow, that sounds so tempting!" Sister Zhang's eyes lit up, "Can I know what dish it is?"

He Yuliang smiled and shook his head, "Sorry, this is a surprise, you will know when you taste it."

Sister Zhang smiled, her smile revealing anticipation and excitement. She looked at the sausage in He Yuliang's hand and said, "This sausage looks good. Where did it come from?"

"It was sent from Aunt Ran's hometown." He Yuliang handed the sausage to Sister Zhang to see. "I heard it's a local specialty. It should taste good."

Sister Zhang took the sausage, examined it carefully, and nodded, "It's really good, it looks appetizing."

"Then come and taste it at dinner time tonight." He Yuliang said with a smile.

Sister Zhang readily agreed and said goodbye to go home. He Yuliang watched her disappear into the depths of the alley, his heart filled with warmth and affection for the neighbors in this alley.