Yan Jiecheng's Leisurely Life in Siheyuan

Chapter 25 Reception
Looking at the things handed over by the two apprentices, Liu Haining felt very relieved. After taking the things, he said.

"When the master is no longer at the steel mill, you must work hard. If you encounter any problems, go to Director Wang. I've been friends with him for more than ten years, and he will definitely help you if he can."

"I understand, master."

Yan Jiecheng and Shao Weiming stayed with their master in the guard room until the truck from the transportation department arrived. They sent their master Liu Haining onto the truck, and then they went back to work.

Yan Jiecheng originally thought that he could have a quiet day, but on this day when he had a rest, Yan Jiecheng finally got a chance to sleep in at home, but then there was a knock on the door.

"Jiecheng, don't sleep anymore, get up quickly."

Yan Jiecheng, who was in a daze, heard Yan's mother's incessant knocking on the door and could only open his eyes helplessly.

"Got it, Mom. I'll get up right away."

Yan Jiecheng put on his clothes and prepared to go out to wash up. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Yan's mother waiting at the door.

"Mom, what are you doing? Is something wrong?"

Yan's mother said with a smile.

"Jie Cheng, I happened to run into Aunt Zhou from Yard 16 at the entrance of the alley yesterday and chatted with her for a while. When Aunt Zhou heard you were single, she introduced me to her niece and even went home to show me a photo of her niece."

"The girl is very gentle and pretty, and she has a good job as a propagandist in a textile factory. She's a perfect match for you."

"Hurry up and pack up. Aunt Zhou will be here with her niece in a while."

When Yan Jiecheng heard that it was a blind date, he couldn't help but feel a headache. It's not that he dislikes blind dates, but this is too sudden, and he has not prepared at all.

But there's no point in saying this now, I can only start cleaning up my image.

At the same time, he instructed Jiefang and Jiekuang to help buy some vegetables from the street.

Yan Jiecheng knew his parents too well. Given how stingy they were, it was a pipe dream to expect them to treat guests well.

By the time Yan Jiecheng had completed all the preparations, it was already ten o'clock.

At this time, a woman in her forties came to the gate of the courtyard with a little girl.

The girl was obviously unhappy.

"Second Aunt, let me make it clear first. Today we are just meeting, so don't make any promises rashly."

Aunt Zhou nodded repeatedly and said.

"Don't worry, your second aunt is not stupid. Ultimately, your parents will have the final say on this matter. Go in quickly."

As they talked, they walked into the courtyard.

"Hey, is Aunt Yan home?"

"Auntie Zhou, you're here. Come in and sit down. Jie Cheng, come over and say hello to Auntie Zhou."

Aunt Zhou also said to the girl behind her at this time.

"Wenwen, this is Uncle Yan and Aunt Yan, hurry up and say hello."

After a brief greeting, Yan's father and mother welcomed the two into the house.

Aunt Zhou was secretly satisfied when she saw candies, melon seeds and other snacks on the table.

Regardless of whether this matter succeeds in the end, the Yan family’s attitude is impeccable.

While Aunt Zhou and Yan's mother were chatting animatedly, Yan Jiecheng and the girl named Wenwen were secretly looking at each other.

Maybe she felt that she had neglected the two young people, Yan's mother said at this time.

"Aunt Zhou, look, the Yan family is busy chatting among themselves. Hurry up and introduce them to the child." "Yes, yes, yes, look at me. I forget about the business when I'm chatting. Jiecheng, this is my niece Zhou Wenwen. She's now a propagandist at the textile factory. Wenwen, this is Yan Jiecheng. I watched Jiecheng grow up. Now he's the team leader at the steel mill cafeteria. He's quite capable."

Just by listening to Aunt Zhou's introduction, you can tell that she is very satisfied with Yan Jiecheng.

Zhou Wenwen seemed very straightforward. After Aunt Zhou finished the introduction, she took the initiative to start chatting with Yan Jiecheng.

"Comrade Yan Jiecheng, since you're the squad leader in the cafeteria, your cooking must be delicious, right?"

"It's okay. I cook a big pot of food in the cafeteria, which is different from what we usually eat."

"Oh, how long have you been learning to cook?"

……

Seeing that the two of them were chatting very happily, Yan's mother was so happy that her eyes were about to narrow.

"Old man, go to the kitchen and clean up the dishes. I'll let Jie Cheng show off his cooking skills later."

Faced with Yan's mother's assignment, Yan's father readily agreed. After all, he couldn't play any role in such an occasion.

Yan Jiecheng talked a lot with the other party, from their respective work to family, and from family to plans and expectations for the future.

Through chatting, Yan Jiecheng realized that he was not suitable for the other party.

It’s not that the other party has any shortcomings, but from his conversation, Yan Jiecheng knew that he was a very motivated and strong person.

Yan Jiecheng, on the other hand, is more Buddhist. He lets everything take its course and does not pursue career advancement too much.

Even if these two people with completely different personalities really get together in the end, there will be conflicts due to their different attitudes towards life.

Although I have already rejected this blind date in my heart, I still have to put in some effort to appear positive.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Yan Jiecheng said hello to Aunt Zhou and went to the kitchen to get busy.

Don’t think that Yan Jiecheng only knows how to cook big pot dishes because he has only cooked big pot dishes in the cafeteria. In fact, that’s not the case.

Cooking requires basic skills, and big pot cooking is the best way to practice basic skills.

As long as you have solid basic skills, the dishes you cook, whether they are big pot dishes or other dishes, will not be bad.

Of course, we can only guarantee that what you cook is not unpalatable.

During the two years of apprenticeship, Yan Jiecheng would often read some books about cooking from the book section of the portable supermarket while learning the basic skills.

Many dishes that are kept secret today were commonplace in later generations.

Due to time constraints, Yan Jiecheng did not make overly complicated dishes, but only made some home-cooked meals.

As the dishes were served on the table, both Aunt Zhou and Zhou Wenwen couldn't help but reveal satisfied expressions.

Looking at the table, there were braised fish, stir-fried pork, sweet and sour pork, mapo tofu, and two plates of vegetables.

Aunt Zhou couldn't help but praise.

"Jie Cheng, I didn't expect your cooking skills to be so amazing. Just by smelling the aroma of this dish, I know it must be delicious."

Facing Aunt Zhou's praise, Yan Jiecheng said modestly.

"Auntie Zhou, what you're talking about are just some home-cooked dishes. Please bear with me if they don't suit your taste."

As the dishes arrived, everyone took their seats. (Jiefang, Jiekuang, and the other two siblings were not allowed to sit at the table; Yan Jiecheng had reserved some food for them in the kitchen, as Yan's mother had instructed.)
At this time, Yan's father also played the role of the head of the family and invited everyone to eat.

After tasting the dishes, Aunt Zhou and Zhou Wenwen were very satisfied and praised Yan Jiecheng many times during the meal.

(End of this chapter)