Siheyuan, a comfortable life under Zhengyang Gate

"Dad, I'm back."

"Woof woof woof..."

"Baby, I'm back from school."

"Where are Dad, Mom, and my brothers and sisters? Aren't they at home?"

"She went shopping with your Aunt Xiao Xing and hasn't come back yet. They will be back in a while."

"Dad, what delicious food are you making? It smells so good."

"hungry?"

"whee……."

"Eat it." Yang Yukun scooped a few pieces of goose meat from the pot into the bowl: "Eat slowly, be careful not to burn yourself."

"Okay, Black Panther, I'll give you a piece."

Little Zongzi blew on the hot goose meat and put it into Black Panther's rice bowl.

While eating goose meat, little Zongzi told his father about his experience in kindergarten today.

She was praised by the teacher again today, who praised her for being helpful and asked the other children to learn from her and take her as a role model.

"That's great. Mom and Dad are proud of you."

"whee……."

"Are you full?"

"We'll eat together after mom and my brothers and sisters come back."

"Woof woof woof..."

"Black Panther, it's me."

"Xiao Li."

"Uncle three, little cousin Zongzi." Hou Li ran in from outside.

He came to his third uncle's house today, intending to come over to play with Pingping and Xiaoyumi. His third uncle and aunt were not at home and the door was locked.

"Xiao Li, try the big goose stewed by your third uncle." Yang Yukun scooped out two pieces of goose meat and gave them to Hou Li to eat.

"It's delicious."

"Be careful, don't burn yourself."

"hey-hey……."

"Are mom and the others back?"

Little Zongzi vaguely heard his mother's voice and quickly ran towards the door.

Seeing the little Zongzi running towards the gate, the black panther who was gnawing on a bone hurriedly followed.

"Mom, Aunt Xiaoxing, Aunt Xiaozao, Pingping, Xiaoyumi."

"elder sister."

"Little Zongzi, are you done with school?"

"Aunt Xiao Xing, I've been out of school for a while."

"What delicious food is Brother Kun making? It smells so good."

"My father stewed the goose."

"Sister Xiao Xing, Xiao Zao, have dinner before going back."

"Then we won't be polite."

"Let's go into the house."

Xu Jingping didn't drive today, nor did she ask Liang Xiaolan to pick her up. Instead, she took Meng Xiaoxing's car.

She and Meng Xiaoxing stayed in Meng Xiaozao's company for the whole afternoon. Meng Xiaoxing and Meng Xiaozao sent her, Pingping and Xiaoyami back.

She called Yang Yukun in advance and asked him to cook more food as Meng Xiaoxing and Meng Xiaozao were coming home for dinner.

"Xiao Kun, what delicious food are you making? I can smell the delicious food at the door."

"Brother Kun."

"My wife is back, Sister Xiaoxing, Xiaozao, you are here too."

"dad."

"Hey, Pingping, Xiaoyumi, did you two listen to your mother today?"

"Have."

"Third Aunt, Aunt Xiao Xing, Aunt Xiao Zao."

"Xiao Li is here, where's your grandma?"

"Grandma is at home."

"Did you tell your grandmother that you came to your third aunt's house?"

"I told her."

Yang Yukun said: "Wife, I have prepared the food. My parents will be back soon, so I will go to the appointment first."

"Okay, go ahead." Meng Xiaoxing said, "Xiao Kun, what are you going to do?"

"Someone invited me to a restaurant, a grand dinner at the Imperial Hotel."

"Dinner is ready but you're not eating at home. It seems like you prepared this dinner especially for us."

"I was coming back from the airport a while ago, and I saw a friend's car sliding into a ditch. I helped him pull the car out, and he insisted on treating me to a meal."

Yang Yukun washed his face and drove the Peugeot to the Imperial Capital Hotel for the banquet.

"Little bell."

"Director Yang, you are here."

"How long have you been waiting?"

"I arrived a few minutes earlier than you, Mr. Yang, please go in."

"Don't be so polite, just be casual, don't be so restrained."

"it is good."

"There are only two of us, there's no need to sit in a box, let's just sit here."

"It's up to you, Mr. Yang. Please order the dishes."

"Braised crab meat with broth, Wensi tofu, three-piece duck, crystal braised pork, and squirrel mandarin fish. That's all. We've had enough for the two of us."

Today, Yang Yukun had Huaiyang cuisine and he didn't bother to be polite with Zhong Wenhua. He ordered five dishes according to his appetite.

"Director Yang, what kind of wine would you like to drink?"

"I won't drink. I came here by car. Don't drink and drive. Don't drive when you're drunk. Safety comes first."

"Boss Yang is right. Safety is the most important thing. So let's not drink."

"Xiao Zhong, where do you work?"

"In my cousin's store, two years ago my cousin opened a restaurant called Taiyue Restaurant, he brought me over from my hometown and asked me to help him with purchasing."

"No wonder your accent sounds a bit like someone from Zhongyuan Province. You are from Zhongyuan Province, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Yang, my hometown is in Shangdu City, Zhongyuan Province. My uncle served in the army and there has been no news for more than ten years. My father thought he was dead.

My cousin opened a restaurant two years ago and asked me to come and help him.

My parents were gone, and I was the only one left at home, so I quit my previous job and came to the capital."

Zhong Wenhua was not from the imperial capital, nor was he the son of a high-ranking official like his cousin.

His parents are genuine farmers. He did not get into college after graduating from high school and became a teacher in the village primary school.

Two years ago, his cousin Zhong Yuemin returned to his hometown and asked him if he would like to come to the capital.

Both his parents are gone, and he is the only one at home, with no worries.

After giving his family's land to the villagers to cultivate and quitting his job as a village primary school teacher, Zhong Wenhua followed his cousin to the capital and started working in his cousin's restaurant.

"How old are you."

"I was born in 1965 and I am 24 years old this year."

"Then you are a few years younger than me. Are you dating?"

"I haven't met the right one yet. My sister-in-law said she would introduce me to someone and ask him to meet her in a couple of days. I don't know if it will work out."

"Comrades, your dishes are ready. Please enjoy your meal."

"Thank you."

"Come on, pick up your chopsticks and try the cooking skills of the chefs here to see if they are as good as the ones in your restaurant."

"Our restaurant mainly serves Sichuan and Shandong cuisine. My cousin took me to Zhiweilou Restaurant Wangfujing to eat there. The chef's skills were better than ours."

The first time he came to the capital, his cousin invited Zhong Wenhua to dinner at the Shandong cuisine restaurant of Zhiweilou Restaurant in Wangfujing.

My cousin also wanted to poach the chef from Zhiweilou Restaurant, but unfortunately he failed.

"not bad."

After tasting each dish, Yang Yukun nodded, saying that the cooking skills of the chef at the Capital Hotel were very good.

In today's imperial capital's catering industry, the top three are Zhiweilou Restaurant, Diaoyu Pavilion and Imperial Capital Hotel, while other restaurants can only relegate to the back.

In the past two cooking competitions organized by the Imperial City Government, Chen Yuliang represented Zhiweilou Restaurant and won the first place in the first cooking competition. Together with the second and third places, he was awarded the title of Imperial Capital Famous Chef by the Imperial City Government.

In the Second Imperial Capital Cooking Competition held in 1986, Zhang Wenhai, executive chef of Wangfujing branch of Zhiweilou Restaurant, represented the restaurant and also won first place.

Zhiweilou Restaurant has a dedicated chef training and food innovation and research and development department, and its food development and innovation are far superior to other hotels.

Nowadays, each cuisine hall of Zhiweilou Restaurant has launched its own special banquets, which have been well received by diners as soon as they were launched.

To put it bluntly, in terms of catering, both Diaoyu Pavilion and Didu Hotel have fallen behind Zhiweilou Restaurant.

"Xiao Zhong, then we'll see each other later."

"Director Yang, please walk slowly."

"it is good."

After dinner at the Imperial Hotel, Yang Yukun and Zhong Wenhua separated and went back to their respective homes. (End of this chapter)