Siheyuan: He Yuzhu’s Sunshine Farm

Chapter 82 The Barbeque of the Forty-Nine City People (please subscribe)
Luquan lives on the edge of Shichahai. Because the shop owner's surname is Ji, it is commonly known as "Barbecue Ji". In the old days, there were three major barbecue companies in Sijiucheng City, namely "Barbeque Wan", "Barbecue Ji" and "Barbeque King".Now, only BBQ Wan and BBQ Season still maintain the traditional advantages of the time-honored brand!

Their home used to be a "barbeque stall" by the Yinding Bridge in Shichahai. The stall owner's name was Ji Decai. Ji's barbecue grilling technique was unique and delicious, and customers all praised it.After the shop owner Ji Decai passed away, his son Ji Zongbin took over the business, and then his grandson Ji Zengyuan took over.

Ji Zengyuan died of illness in 1927, leaving his 21-year-old brother Ji Gechen in charge.

After taking over the stall, he used bricks to prop up a large copper pot, set up an aluminum shed, placed 8 tables and more than 20 stools, and thus changed from a stall vendor to a business owner. He continued to sell roast mutton and followed his habits. It is called "Barbecue Season".

In August 1945, Ji Gechen ran around here and there to raise funds in order to develop his shop, and finally bought a simple and compact building facing north and south by the Yinding Bridge, and continued to operate the barbecue restaurant.

Since the "barbeque season" is famous for its unique flavor of roasted lamb, some celebrities often come here to dine.

The great calligrapher Pu Xinshe inscribed the "BBQ Season" signboard and the "Lotus Pond Villa" banner as gifts, and the famous writer Lao She also wrote a plaque for the restaurant.Unfortunately, these plaques were lost in the strong wind.

Shichahai at night, the afterglow of the setting sun slowly dissipates, reflecting the horizon into a gradient color.The nearby lights are scattered on the water, which is full of happiness.

At this time, Shichahai is very quiet, unlike summer. Hey, in the summer in Sijiu City, Shichahai is a large swimming pool. When May Day is approaching every year, the weather is not too hot, so older children with impatient The water started to go into the water. The water depth on the Shicha coast was about 1.3 meters four, and it got deeper as we went in. The water on the small island in the middle was more than two meters deep.

At that time, apart from some trees, there were only weeds on the island and there were old crows' nests on the tree branches. You could swim from the shore to the small island and dive off the stone platforms or railings and pillars. When there were many people, everyone seemed to be competing. You do a water dive, he does a swallow pose, and then he does a sickle pose. Even if you are not good enough, you can also do a popsicle pose.

At that time, He Yuzhu liked to bring He Yuzhu and his neighbors who lived in the same courtyard here. They were all in their teens at that time. The three of them wandered around the White Tower for a long time and then came to Haopujian. Haopujian is on the east side of the park. There are The exquisite winding rockery rocks, pools, stone bridges, pavilions, and exquisite corridors lead directly to the hillside. The scenery here is beautiful and quiet. It was the place where Empress Dowager Cixi listened to storytelling.

The three people came along the hillside to the west of the stone bridge. At that time, there were no lotus flowers in the Haopujian pool and the water was relatively deep. Many children were swimming and playing in the pool. He Yuzhu and Yuyu were watching them attentively. Suddenly, The younger brother from the same hospital fell into the water for some reason. They saw the younger brother lying on his back and using two hands to pull the water. He Yuzhu and He Yuyu were both panicked. However, fortunately, before He Yuzhu could get into the water, the younger brother from the same hospital had already been beaten by the two older ones. The child was lifted up, and in the panic, the younger brother got soaked all over and lost one of his shoes. At that time, the younger brother's parents were at work, and He Yuzhu never dared to mention this matter to them.

Later, the parents of the younger brother who was in the same hospital went to the Northwest, and he followed them.

Whenever He Yuzhu came to Shichahai, he would think of his younger brother from the same hospital. Later, after the three of them returned, He Yuzhu began to teach his younger brother from the same hospital to practice swimming to avoid drowning in the water.

The first step in teaching He Yuzhu how to swim was to hold his breath in the water. When he had nothing to do at home, He Yuzhu filled the basin with water and carried it to the wooden bench in the yard. Then he asked He Yuzhu and his younger brother from the same hospital to face down and soak in the water silently. Counting, slowly practice from ten seconds to four to fifty seconds.

Later, Xu Damao followed suit, and He Yuzhu ignored him.

In that era, there was nothing for children to do during the summer vacation. Swimming was the first choice to cool off from the heat. It was common for boys and girls in the neighborhood to swim together.

Before the natural swimming pool was established in Shichahai, the water level was relatively deep and not suitable for children and beginners to swim. The water to the west of Yinding Bridge was relatively shallow, and the river gradually deepened from narrow to wide. Innocence is like dropping dumplings. It was here that He Yuzhu, He Yuzhu, and his younger brother from the same hospital learned to swim.The gentle breeze blows, the willows hug, the chirping of birds on the branches, the laughter of children in the lake, and the vigorous swimming figures in the water form a wonderful picture of summer in Laosijiu City.

He Yuzhu took He Yueyue and his younger brother from the same hospital to practice on the narrowest water surface to the west of Yinding Bridge. He put his head in the water from south to north, paddled with his hands and pedaled with his feet, and then returned to the south after practicing for several days. , both of them were finally able to float on the water, and then moved the launching position westward, and later moved to a distance of more than 100 meters between the two banks, from being able to swim more than ten meters to dozens of meters to more than a few hundred meters.

However, swimming is definitely a technical activity. Most people only know how to swim breaststroke or backstroke. Not many people can actually swim freestyle, and even fewer can swim butterfly. The two people He Yuzhu taught can only do dog paddle.

It is indeed impossible without formal training. This is the same as what Peking Opera actors and ordinary theatergoers mean. They play the same aria in the same play, but they are absolutely different when they start speaking.

But what’s the point? Dog scratching is also a different kind of joy.
He Yuzhu walked into Luquanju with his children with a smile. He Yuzhu and Yu Haitang had already found a seat inside and ordered five kilograms of mutton. The mutton in Luquanju specially uses sheep from the west of Zhangjiakou. This kind of mutton is tender and delicious. .

For mutton, choose the hind legs and upper brain parts.

The processing of mutton is also very important. First, clean the fascia, broken bones, meat dates, etc., then wrap it with a small grate and press the meat on ice for 24 hours. This way the meat will be more fresh and tender, so it is known as "Race Tofu" say.

After pressing, you can slice it.Cutting meat requires very high skills. The knife used to cut meat is a special one, about one foot and five inches long. The meat slices are smaller than the shabu-shabu slices, 2-3 cm wide and 7-10 cm long. They should be thin and translucent, at least translucent.

After the meat is cut, it is eaten.How to eat it?The way to eat barbecue is also very particular.The meat must be roasted on an iron grill.

Place a large iron pot with a flat edge on a large round table, place an iron ring on the edge of the pot, and place an iron grill on top; leave several burners on the iron ring to add firewood at any time.The firewood is generally made of pine cone, pine firewood or cypress wood. The pine smoke and meat smell are mixed together, giving it a unique taste.

The main condiments are soy sauce, with a little vinegar, minced ginger, cooking wine, braised shrimp oil, and shredded green onions and coriander. Before grilling, dip the meat in white water, then turn it over on the grill. When the color becomes darker, you can use long chopsticks to pick up the dipping sauce and eat it with candied garlic and cucumber strips.

You must eat sesame cakes when eating barbecue, just like you must eat pancakes when eating roast duck. It has been a long-standing convention; if you only eat rice, the taste will be far different.

When eating barbecue, the emphasis is on grilling and eating it yourself, and eating it while grilling; you can freely control the fat, leanness, oldness and tenderness of the meat, which will make it more delicious.Sip a few more sips of old wine, which not only aids digestion, but also sharpens the palate and has a unique taste.

In the past, when eating barbecue, people in Laosijiucheng liked to put one foot on the bench next to the table and eat while grilling. Several people sat at one table, which was unique.

(End of this chapter)