Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 328 Father Yan's Treat
At noon, Yan Jiekuang made cold noodles, rinsed them with well water, mixed them with sesame paste, cut several kinds of vegetables, and packed four kinds of small pickles.

Just as the food was on the table and Yang Ruiping went out to call people to eat, the door rang. Yan Jiekuang asked, "Who is this? Why is he so late for dinner?"

When Yang Ruiping opened the door, he saw that the eldest brother's family had all arrived, followed by Yan Jiedi.

Yan Jiekuang took a look and thought, okay, let’s get some more, there must not be enough on the table.

Yan Jiedi said, "I knew that when Third Brother came, he would prepare delicious food, Big Brother, I was right, wasn't I?"

Yang Ruiping said unhappily, "Don't eat yet, send the noodles to the old man first."

Yan Jiedi was not angry. She took the lunch box and went out. She came back after a while.

Yan Jiekuang did a little more this time, who knows if his second brother will come back.

The whole family was eating in the main hall. Some were eating at the table, while others were squatting at the door to eat after mixing the noodles. Yan Jiekuang was the one squatting at the door to eat. Shi Lei and Dapang and Xiaopang followed suit and ate noodles just like their father, blocking the door.

Just when they were halfway through their meal, the door was pushed open and Yan Jiefang came in with his wife and children. As soon as they saw the central hall, they washed their hands and started eating without saying a word. Yan Yongchang also ran to squat next to Shi Lei with noodles in his hand. The two youngest ones were eager to try, but found that they had to hold the noodles with both hands, so they couldn't eat them, so they gave up.

After a while, Yan Jiefang also squatted next to Yan Jiekuang with noodles. There were several cloves of garlic on the noodles. Yan Jiekuang directly picked up two with chopsticks and put them in his bowl.

Yan Jiefang said unhappily: "Can't you peel it off yourself?"

Yan Jiekuang didn't say anything either. He just lowered his head and ate noodles. After he finished his noodles, he went to the well to fetch a watermelon. When everyone finished their noodles, Yan Jiekuang came back with the watermelon.

Yan Jiefang lit a cigarette and said, "This is delicious."

Yan Jiekuang lit a cigarette and said, "There are watermelons in the house. By the way, why are you back today?"

"I just went to the village below to do a survey, and then took my wife and children home for dinner. After dinner, I went back to the unit to catch up." Yan Jiefang said.

Yan Jiekuang said, "You are really good at catching up. You can always catch up with me for dinner. Oh, and get me some beer tonight, can you?"

Yan Jiefang said, "Okay, calm down a little, let's go back to the courtyard to drink, and call Zhuzi, Xiaolong and the others."

Yan Jiekuang shouted into the room, "Brother, come back early in the evening, let's get together and drink some beer."

Yan Jiecheng said, “I understand.”

After eating the watermelon, everyone left one after another as they had things to do in the afternoon. Only Yan Jiekuang and the children were left. Yang Ruiping took the children back to the backyard house to take a nap, while Yan Jiekuang sat in the front yard reading the newspaper with nothing to do.

Chunfenglou, Zhao Yuan is now the manager of this store. She has two foremen under her, one is Chen Zhaodi who was transferred from Chaofengzhai, and the other is Wang Yuqin who was promoted later.

This afternoon, Zhao Yuan was sorting out the account books at the bar when Chen Zhaodi came running over and said to Zhao Yuan, "Manager Zhao, the boss's father is here with a few people for dinner. Do you want to go over?"

Zhao Yuan asked, "Are there any private rooms on the second floor?"

Chen Zhaodi said: "The one the boss reserved for Keda Group is empty, and the rest are full."

Zhao Yuan looked at the time. She thought that no one from Keda would come to eat here today, so she said, "Open that room. I will go to receive them."

Zhao Yuan walked to the hall and saw Yan Bugui at a glance. She greeted him with a smile: "Uncle Yan, why are you here? Come upstairs, please."

Yan Bugui had eaten here several times before, and he knew Zhao Yuan, so he smiled and said, "Xiao Zhao, aren't we just a few old friends getting together? It's okay. If there are no rooms, we can eat in the lobby."

Zhao Yuan said, "Look at what you said. No matter who comes, you have to have a room. Let's go upstairs."

When the three old men at the back heard this, they looked at each other in bewilderment. This Old Yan was really amazing, as this was the first time for the three of them to come here.

Zhao Yuan let the three of them into the private room. After they were seated, she asked Yan Bugui what he wanted to eat. Yan Bugui said, "There are only four of us. Let's have some wine. You decide."

"Uncle Yan, you are here today. The yellow croaker and shrimp just arrived this morning. I will prepare a few more dishes for you. Is that okay with you?" Zhao Yuan said.

Yan Bugui smiled and said, "Okay, okay, you decide."

Zhao Yuan left, and a waiter came in to prepare tableware for them and poured tea, then left.

Liu Haizhong looked at Yan Bugui and said, "As expected of the boss's father, you are so honored."

Yan Bugui waved his hand and said, "It's all the kids' fault. I still have some face in these four stores."

Chang Cun said: "Fourth family, your third daughter-in-law is really amazing."

Yi Zhonghai sat aside, smoking a cigarette, not saying a word, and no one knew what he was thinking.

After a while, the dishes came up one after another. The waiter specially poured Moutai for several people on the table, put the wine on the table, and said, "Enjoy your meal, everyone. I'm at the door. Call me if you need anything." Then he left the private room.

Liu Haizhong shook his head and said, "This restaurant is really well run, and the service is also good."

Yan Bugui's smile never faded. He felt very proud today. He raised his glass and said, "Today we celebrate Lao Yi's safe return. Let's have a drink first."

The four of them started drinking and tasting a few dishes. They all praised the food. Yan Bugui said, "The chef here is called Wei Xiaobao, and he is the apprentice of our third son."

Just at this moment, several people from Koda came to the hall, led by Jia Dang. Zhao Yuan was a little surprised and she didn't know what to do, but she still went to greet them.

Zhao Yuan greeted him first, and then explained the situation to Jia Dang. When Jia Dang heard that it was the old man who came, he didn't care and said, "It's not a dinner party today. It's just a meal for the department. It's fine downstairs. You can make the arrangements."

Zhao Yuan called Chen Zhaodi and asked her to take a few people to a semi-private room in the hall, while she went to the kitchen to arrange the dishes.

Seeing that everything had been arranged for his subordinates, Jia Dang called Chen Zhaodi and asked her to take him to Yan Bugui's box, and also brought a bottle of red wine.

After knocking on the door, Chen Zhaodi pushed it open with Jia Dang. Everyone turned around and saw Jia Dang coming in with a bottle of red wine and a smile. When she saw several people in the room, she was surprised. She didn't expect it to be the old people in the yard.

Jia Dang responded quickly and said with a smile: "I heard that Master Yan was here, so I was thinking of sending a bottle of wine up, but I didn't expect it to be you, Master Yi, Master Chang, Master Liu, hello."

Yi Zhonghai was also surprised. When he saw Jia Dang, he immediately greeted him with a smile and said, "Come on, Jia Dang, sit down and chat with some gentlemen for a while."

Yan Bugui reacted immediately and realized that Yi Zhonghai was trying to test Jia Dang, but he didn't take it seriously. After all, it was Yi and the Jia family's own business.

Jia Dang sat down near the door with confidence.

Jia Dang said, "My dear gentlemen, I have to go to work this afternoon and cannot drink alcohol. I will use tea instead of wine to toast you gentlemen."

Yan Bugui said, "That's right, work is more important." Several people drank a sip, and Yi Zhonghai said, "Xiao Dang, eat some food first. You haven't eaten lunch yet."

Jia Dang didn't hesitate to eat a few bites. Yi Zhonghai then asked, "Does everyone in your company eat here at noon?"

Jia Dang said, "Occasionally, this private room of yours is reserved by our company all year round and is generally not open to the public, except, of course, Mr. Yan."

Yan Bugui was also stunned after hearing this. He really didn't know and said, "I'm so sorry for occupying your room today."

Jia Dang waved his hand and said, "You're welcome. This one is open to you, as are the other shops."

Yi Zhonghai thought for a moment and asked, "Xiaodang, did your family move?"

Jia Dang knew what Yi Zhonghai wanted to ask and replied, "No, you mean my parents and my grandma, right?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded, and Jia Dang said with a smile: "They are going to help me clean up the house, and they will be back when they are done."

Yi Zhonghai was half-believing and half-doubting. Liu Haizhong looked at Jia Dang in surprise and asked, "You bought a house. How big is it?"

Jia Dang said, "Beyond the front gate, there is a courtyard with two entrances, which is about the same size as Master Yan's west wing."

Chang Cun immediately smiled and said, "That's really big. Jia Dang, you need to find a boyfriend. And your Huaihua, go back and ask Huaihua for me, what do my Chang Li and Chang Chuang think?"

Jia Dang laughed and said, "Master Chang, if they were attracted to each other, they would have been together a long time ago. Why would they wait until today?"

Yan Bugui saw that Jia Dang couldn't leave the room after such a chat, so he said, "Xiao Dang, where is your colleague?"

Jia Dang reacted quickly, knowing that Yan Bugui was trying to help him out, so he quickly said, "Oh, I see that you guys are so happy that you forgot about your colleagues. Gentlemen, take your time eating. I have to go find my colleagues. You guys take a seat. I'll be leaving first."

Jia Dang stood up, turned around and left the private room. After leaving the room, he let out a long sigh. Chatting with a few old foxes was really tiring, so he turned around and went downstairs.

In the private room, Liu Haizhong asked Yi Zhonghai, "After you entered the hospital, Qin Jingru had someone pry open the lock and moved directly in. Did you still care?"

Yi Zhonghai sighed and said, "I would like to take care of it, but the property certificate is not with me, and I am not related to Xu Delin, so how can I take care of it?"

Chang Cun said, "That's right, wait for Xu Delin to come back and clean up the mess himself."

Yi Zhonghai said: "After Xu Delin left, there was no letter at all. Even if he wrote a letter, with the address, wouldn't the matter be easy to solve?"

Yan Bugui said: "Xu Delin really can't make it here anymore, especially after Xu Damao got rich and came back, I think he has been worried."

Liu Haizhong said, "Old Yan is OK, he has a west wing, even though he has many children, he doesn't have to worry about housing. As for Old Chang, I heard He Yuzhu has prepared houses for his two sons, so he doesn't have to worry about that either. I'm in trouble, the eldest son is coming back soon, and he brought back two boys, but the third son's family won't leave no matter what, I'm so worried."

Yi Zhonghai looked at Liu Haizhong and sneered, thinking to himself, why do you care about me so much? So this is the reason, so he said, "You, what are you worried about? The boss is transferred, so can't he solve the problem of where to live? Your boss is a high-ranking official."

Liu Haizhong was stunned. He knew that Old Yi had noticed his little thoughts, so he pretended to be pitiful and said, "This eldest brother has been filial since he was young. Can he leave us old couple?"

Yan Bugui didn't say anything. He just watched the two of them battle wits and courage, and drank his wine just to watch the show.

The four of them chatted until two or three in the afternoon, but nothing came to mind, so they prepared to go home. When Yan Bugui arrived downstairs, Zhao Yuan saw him off enthusiastically. Yan Bugui asked, "Do you need my signature?"

Zhao Yuan smiled and said, "No, no, just go on your way. If you have nothing else, come over. Our store is close to home."

Yan Bugui was very satisfied with Zhao Yuan and left humming a little tune.

Chang Cunxu whispered to Yi Zhonghai from behind: "Look, Old Yan's life is getting more and more interesting. No, I have to go home and urge my two stupid sons to get married soon."

Yi Zhonghai stared at Yan Bugui's back from behind, feeling a lump in his throat.

In the courtyard in the evening, there was a breeze and the temperature dropped. Yan Bugui and his wife had already moved to the west wing. As they were the only family in the west wing, the old couple often came back to this yard to chat with neighbors and play chess in the cool air.

Sun Xiaolong came back early. Knowing that there would be a party in the evening, he followed Yan Jiecheng. The two of them set up a large round table under a big tree in the front yard. They prepared all the stools, bowls, chopsticks and cups.

Yan Jiekuang cooked by himself, but didn't make too many hot dishes. He braised beef and some offal in the afternoon, and made most of the cold dishes. He only made two hot dishes, beef fillet with hot peppers and chicken stewed with mushrooms, after all, many people didn't eat, but the steamed buns were bought from the supply and marketing cooperative.

They were all neighbors in the yard and they didn't care about anything. As soon as three or five people arrived, they sat down at the table and started drinking.

The three brothers of the Yan family, plus Yan Yongqing, Sun Xiaolong, the two brothers of the Chang family, Liu Guangfu and Jia Xiaobao, none of the Jia family came back, but Jia Xiaobao refused to go there, saying that he lived by himself, so he also joined in.

After they had finished two bottles, He Yuzhu finally arrived, bringing He Xiaojia in. He Yuzhu was really particular, and brought a few dishes made from his own restaurant and placed them directly on the table. Everyone was delighted when they saw the big crabs and yellow croakers.

Everyone was chatting and drinking beer, mostly talking about things at their own units and some gossip.

After eating for a while, Yan Bugui, who was still chatting with Grandpa Sun, finally couldn't help it anymore, so he took a stool, a cup and chopsticks and joined in.

Yan Jiefang asked He Yuzhu, "I heard that you prepared a house for your apprentice?"

He Yuzhu said nonchalantly, "My apprentices have worked with me for so many years, and none of them have asked to leave. They also support the restaurant's kitchen, which is not easy. Now the textile factory has built a residential building, and some of the food is sold for takeout. I will prepare a set for each of my apprentices, except for that damn fat guy."

Yan Jiekuang was not interested in the house, but in the fat man, so he asked, "What's wrong with the fat man?"

He Yuzhu said angrily: "He is a traitor. He sold my seasoning to the store opposite our restaurant. If it wasn't for Chang Li, I wouldn't have known about this. I have raised him for so many years, and he still cheated me."

Chang Li said, "Yes, my master's seasonings are all in packets, and I always felt that there were a few packets missing. That day, by chance, he was blocked in an alley, so I went up to him and gave him a good beating."

Yan Jiecheng said: "You know what, these two brothers from the Chang family are your most loyal disciples."

He Yuzhu said happily: "That's right, come on, disciples, let's go with your master."

Yan Bugui reminded He Yuzhu thoughtfully, saying, "Zhuzi, you have to pay attention to this fat guy. Be careful that he might do something bad behind your back."

He Yuzhu frowned and said, "If he dares, I will break his legs if he comes to provoke me again."

Yan Bugui said: "You should not have the intention to harm others, but you must be on guard against others. It is better to be safe than sorry."

He Yuzhu thought about it and said, "I know. I'll find someone to keep an eye on him for a while. Come on, don't say anything unhappy. Let's drink."

Everyone was chatting and drinking wine, and the breeze was so comfortable.

(End of this chapter)