Siheyuan: Mastery started in the 50s

He Yuzhu nodded and smiled approvingly, "It seems that you are really interested in this. However, we can't handle this matter by ourselves, so we need to find some reliable people to help. Especially those promotions you mentioned, we don't know much about them."

Wang Qiang smiled and said, "I've thought of this a long time ago. We can find a few knowledgeable young people to help us, especially students or young creative people who are passionate about food culture. They understand modern technology and are interested in traditional culture. They can help us get this thing off the ground."

He Yuzhu nodded in agreement. "Indeed, this is a good idea. Let's make it like this. Next we have to plan carefully how to make this happen beautifully."

The two hit it off and began to prepare. They first made a simple renovation of the courtyard, retaining the original ancient style and adding some more modern facilities. Then, they began to test the recipes, and every day in the kitchen they thought about how to make traditional Beijing dishes new.

Through friends, they contacted some bloggers and photographers who were well-known in the food industry. Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu invited them to the Siheyuan, cooked for them, and showed them several carefully prepared dishes. The bloggers did not disappoint them. They not only promoted it on social media, but also helped to take some beautiful photos and short videos. Soon, Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu's Siheyuan private dishes attracted a lot of attention on the Internet.

As the publicity effect gradually emerged, more and more customers began to make reservations, wanting to experience this unique private restaurant. Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu were very busy, but they were full of energy. Whenever they saw the satisfied smiles of the guests and their praise for the dishes, they felt that all their efforts were worth it.

As time went by, the reputation of Siheyuan Private Restaurant became more and more popular, and even diners from other places came to visit. The cooperation between Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu became more and more tacit. In the process of continuous exploration and innovation, they not only carried forward the traditional taste of old Beijing, but also cleverly integrated modern creative elements into it. Although this is just the beginning, they all know that there is still a long way to go in the future, and their dreams are also being realized step by step.

As the reputation of the Siheyuan Private Restaurant gradually spread, Wang Qiang and He Yuzhu were very busy every day. The Siheyuan was bustling with people coming and going, and they had to receive many guests every day. Although busy, Wang Qiang was satisfied. He saw more and more people tasting the authentic taste of old Beijing, and felt that his years of hard work had finally paid off. However, recently Wang Qiang began to feel a vague uneasiness, which came from a problem that he himself was unwilling to admit - there seemed to be something wrong with his taste buds.

At first, Wang Qiang didn't care. When he was busy in the kitchen, he would often taste the dishes he made to check if the taste was right. But since when, he found that he began to put the wrong salt frequently, sometimes too light, sometimes too salty. This situation was not obvious at first, but as time went on, the problem became more and more serious. The dishes he made often needed to be adjusted repeatedly, and he even asked He Yuzhu to help taste test. Whenever this happened, Wang Qiang felt an indescribable embarrassment and anxiety in his heart.

"Wang Qiang, did you put too much salt in today's braised pork?" One day, He Yuzhu walked into the kitchen with a bowl of braised pork, with a hint of doubt on his face.

Wang Qiang took the bowl, frowned, took a bite, and felt that there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. "No, I think it's okay."

He Yuzhu shook his head and said, "Try it again. This tastes much saltier than usual."

Wang Qiang took another bite and this time he felt something strange. It seemed to be a little saltier than usual, but he was not sure how salty it was. He tried to hide his uneasiness and said with a smile: "Maybe my hand slipped today and I didn't pay attention. But I can adjust it later."

But after this incident, Wang Qiang's heart began to waver. He realized that his sense of taste was changing, but he was unwilling to admit it. As a chef, taste is crucial, and losing a precise sense of taste almost means losing the soul of cooking. Wang Qiang began to feel an invisible pressure, and he didn't want to let anyone know about the dilemma he was facing, especially He Yuzhu. So he tried the dishes more carefully, trying not to reveal any flaws.

However, the problem did not disappear because of his cover-up. Wang Qiang found it increasingly difficult to get the right saltiness when trying to season the food. He even began to doubt his own judgment and tried to make up for his taste lapses by adjusting the ingredients, but it always backfired. Once, he even had to throw away the entire pot of soup and redo it because he put too much salt. This made Wang Qiang even more anxious.

"Wang Qiang, what's wrong with you recently? It seems that you are always absent-minded when you cook." One day, He Yuzhu suddenly asked while he was busy in the kitchen.

Wang Qiang was stunned and felt nervous, but he quickly smiled and said, "Nothing, I'm just a little tired recently. Maybe I've been too busy and didn't get enough rest."

He Yuzhu did not ask any more questions, but he had obviously noticed Wang Qiang's abnormality. Wang Qiang knew that He Yuzhu was a shrewd man and it was impossible for him not to see his problem. But he was unwilling to confess, fearing that once he said it, the problem would be irreversible.

In order to cover up his problem, Wang Qiang began to reduce the number of dishes he led and put more focus on the management of the kitchen and the innovation of dishes. He discussed with He Yuzhu to try some new cuisines, combining traditional and modern cooking methods to launch a series of new dishes. In this way, he could leave more tasting work to He Yuzhu, while he focused on improvement and innovation. But even so, every time he saw He Yuzhu taste and adjust the taste skillfully, Wang Qiang always felt a deep sense of loss in his heart. He was afraid that his taste problem would drag down their business, but at the same time he could do nothing about it.

One night, after the guests in the courtyard had left, Wang Qiang stayed alone in the kitchen to clean up. He looked at the chopping board, knives, and those familiar seasoning bottles in front of him, and felt mixed emotions. In the past, this was the place where he felt most at ease and the stage where he could show his skills, but now, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness. He knew that he could not continue like this, but he did not dare to face this reality.

At this moment, He Yuzhu walked into the kitchen and saw Wang Qiang's thoughtful look. He couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you rest? It's so late."