Siheyuan: Mastery started in the 50s

"It really is!" Wang Qiang was delighted and quickly took the can down. He carefully opened the lid, and a faint bean fragrance hit his nose, instantly bringing him back to his childhood memories. At that time, he was used to drinking a cup of hot soy milk every night. The warm liquid flowed down his throat into his stomach, which always made him fall asleep peacefully.

He found a clean cup, poured some soy milk powder into it, added a little sugar, and then poured in hot water, stirring slowly with a spoon. As the water poured in, the soy milk powder gradually dissolved, a wisp of white mist rose from the cup, and the sweet fragrance spread, as if instantly dispelling the fatigue in his heart.

Wang Qiang picked up the cup, blew away the hot steam, and took a sip. The taste of the soy milk was mellow and long, with a hint of sweetness, which made him feel extremely warm and satisfied. He couldn't help but close his eyes and savor the long-lost taste, as if all his troubles disappeared at this moment.

"I really miss it." Wang Qiang sighed silently in his heart, and a smile rose unconsciously. This cup of soy milk is not only a comfort to the body, but also a comfort to the soul, making him feel the warmth and peace of mind at home. His mother's voice came from behind him: "Xiao Qiang, why are you still not asleep? Why did you suddenly want to drink soy milk?"

Wang Qiang looked back and saw his mother standing at the kitchen door, her eyes full of concern. He smiled and raised the cup in his hand: "Nothing, I just suddenly wanted to drink it. This tastes the same as when I was a child."

The mother smiled, walked over and patted his shoulder: "You, my child, you are so busy with work but still miss the taste of your childhood. Soy milk was your favorite drink when you were a child. At that time, you had to drink a cup every night before going to bed. A trace of tenderness appeared in her eyes: "Yes, at that time I always felt that this soy milk was the most delicious thing in the world. After drinking it, all my worries were gone."

The mother looked at her son's expression and felt warm in her heart. She knew that Wang Qiang had grown up and had more responsibilities and pressures in life, but in her eyes, Wang Qiang was still the child who needed care. She whispered, "Drink soy milk and go to bed early. You have to get up early tomorrow. Don't tire yourself out." She felt touched in her heart. He understood that his mother's care was silent, but it had always existed silently in his life. No matter where he went, the taste of home and his mother's love would accompany him and give him strength.

After drinking the soy milk, Wang Qiang felt warm all over and relaxed. He washed the cup, put it back, and then went back to his room to rest. Lying on the bed, Wang Qiang recalled every detail of today, feeling satisfied and determined. He knew that there were many challenges and pressures in life, but as long as he had the support and love of his family, all difficulties could be overcome.

"Tomorrow is another new day. He felt a sense of peace. The lingering aroma of soy milk still lingered in his mouth. The memory and warmth of his childhood filled him with confidence in the future. His mind was clear, and the fatigue of last night seemed to have disappeared overnight. He opened the curtains, and the sunlight outside poured into the room. The warm light made him feel that the beginning of the day was particularly beautiful. Wang Qiang felt that he should do something special today.

He walked into the yard and saw his mother busy tending to the flowers and plants in the yard. The sunlight shone through the leaves and sprinkled on the ground. His mother's back looked particularly warm in the light and shadow. Wang Qiang walked over, thought about it, and decided to ask, "Mom, I want to go out for a walk today. Is there anything you need me to buy?"

The mother looked up, wiped the dirt off her hands, smiled and said, "There's nothing missing at home. Go and do your own thing, don't always worry about home." But she was thinking about one thing in her heart. A few days ago, Ran Qiuye, a colleague at the factory, inadvertently mentioned that she had been feeling unwell recently, especially with a poor appetite, and always couldn't eat. After Wang Qiang heard it, he kept it in mind, but he was busy with work recently and hadn't had time to care about her situation. Today he planned to use this free time to buy something for Ran Qiuye, hoping to improve her appetite. Wang Qiang decided to go to an old drugstore on the street to buy some stomach-strengthening and digestion-promoting things, and then go to the nearby market to see if there were any ingredients that suited her appetite. With his plan made in mind, Wang Qiang changed into casual clothes and walked towards the street with a brisk pace.

The air on the street was filled with the lively atmosphere of the morning market. Various small vendors had already started shouting, selling vegetables, fruits, and breakfast. It was very lively. Wang Qiang walked through the crowd and walked into a familiar old medicine store. The owner of this medicine store was an amiable old Chinese medicine doctor. Wang Qiang had bought medicine here since he was a child, and he was very familiar with the environment here.

As soon as I entered the door, the old Chinese doctor came up to me with a smile: "Xiao Wang, how come you have time to come to my place today? Are you feeling unwell?" He waved his hand: "It's not me, it's a friend of mine. She has a poor appetite recently. I want to buy her some medicine to strengthen her stomach and help digestion. Can you recommend some to her?"

The old Chinese doctor nodded, listened carefully to Wang Qiang's description, thought for a while, then took out a few packets of Chinese medicine from behind the counter and handed them to Wang Qiang: "These packets of medicine are for regulating the spleen and stomach. Go back and boil them as tea, it should be helpful."

Wang Qiang took the medicine, thanked him repeatedly, and then asked as if he had thought of something, "By the way, do you have any herbs that can be used to make porridge? My friend has a poor appetite recently, and I was thinking of making some porridge for her."

The old Chinese doctor smiled and took out a small bag of tangerine peel and a bag of yam slices from the cabinet and handed them to Wang Qiang: "Adding these two things to the porridge will nourish the stomach and stimulate the appetite. The effect is quite good."

Wang Qiang took the herbs, feeling grateful, and asked carefully about the steps and precautions for cooking porridge, and then left the medicine shop with satisfaction. He thought of the scene when Ran Qiuye drank the porridge he cooked himself, and couldn't help but smile.

After leaving the medicine shop, Wang Qiang went to the nearby market and bought some fresh lean meat, rice and vegetables. Everything he selected was carefully considered, hoping to make a nutritious and delicious porridge to improve Ran Qiuye's appetite. Although he usually didn't do much research on cooking, this time, he planned to give it a try. Wang Qiang immediately started to get busy. He first washed the rice and put it in the pot to cook, then cut the lean meat into small pieces, added tangerine peel and yam slices bought from the medicine shop, and slowly boiled it according to the instructions of the old Chinese doctor. The whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of porridge, and the fragrance of tangerine peel and the sweetness of yam blended together, making Wang Qiang feel satisfied.

He stirred the porridge carefully, thinking about how Ran Qiuye had been recently. She didn't talk much, but she was always gentle and polite to others, especially at work.