“Yes, I’ve never eaten anything this delicious before. My precious grandson is truly clever,” Old Madam Liu said, praising Liu An again and again.
“This tofu is the best thing I’ve ever eaten! I want to eat it every day!” Qi Ya exclaimed after finishing her portion.
Xiao Chen looked at her daughter helplessly and said, “If you’re done eating, go help your sister clear the dishes. The adults still have things to discuss.”
“Mother, I have a name! My name is Liu Xin,” Qi Ya said with a pout.
“Alright, Xin girl. Go play with your sisters,” Xiao Chen replied with a smile.
Her youngest daughter was actually older than Liu An, yet she still acted like a little child. What Xiao Chen didn’t know was that inside Liu An was the mind of an adult.
“Okay, Mother!” Liu Xin ran off happily the moment she heard her mother call her by name.
Once the children had all left, only the adults—and Liu An, the inventor of the tofu—remained in the room.
Liu Erzhuang spoke first. “I think this tofu could sell for a good price. The only question is, how much does it cost to make?”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at Liu An.
Understanding that they were all wondering how much money they could earn, Liu An thought for a moment before answering.
“Uncle Erzhuang, soybeans cost three yuan per jin. One jin of beans can make about four jin of tofu. Those four jin can be cut into eight blocks, and each block is enough for four or five people for a meal. If we sell each block for three yuan, then one jin of beans can bring in twenty-four yuan. After subtracting the cost, we could earn about twenty-one yuan from each jin of beans.”
Everyone sucked in a breath of astonishment.
His eldest aunt, Liu Cuihua, couldn’t help exclaiming, “My heavens! Those beans can make that much money? Wouldn’t that mean we’re going to get rich?”
Liu Dazhuang quickly interrupted his wife. “You’re a grown woman—why are you shouting like that? Lower your voice. We don’t even know if it’ll really sell for that much. That’s only An’er’s estimate. Even if it does make that kind of money, we shouldn’t go telling others.”
Being scolded in front of everyone made Liu Cuihua a little embarrassed. Realizing she had overreacted, she apologized awkwardly.
“You’re right, husband. I was too excited. When I heard An’er say we could earn that much, I thought about how we wouldn’t have to worry about money for his studies anymore.”
Although Old Madam Liu favored boys somewhat, she treated all her daughters-in-law well. Seeing her eldest daughter-in-law feeling embarrassed, she quickly smoothed things over.
“It’s not strange for the eldest daughter-in-law to be surprised,” she said. “Even I’m shocked. This isn’t tofu—it’s practically a lump of gold!”
The others felt the same. They had simply been too stunned to react earlier.
Hearing this, Liu Erzhuang’s wife, Xiao Sun, suddenly said, “Good heavens… does that mean the meal we just ate cost more than twenty yuan?”
At those words, everyone suddenly felt a pang of heartache.
Liu An found their reactions amusing and laughed. “Aunt Sun, it’s not that expensive. One jin of tofu only costs about three yuan.”
Only then did everyone calm down.
Old Master Liu, however, had lived long enough to think more cautiously. If tofu was really this valuable, villagers might not be able to afford it.
“An’er,” he asked worriedly, “is three yuan per block a bit expensive? People in the village might not be able to buy it.”
Liu An shook his head with a smile.
“Grandfather, soybeans themselves aren’t expensive, but making tofu takes a lot of work. Father, uncle Erzhuang, and Mother all worked together to make it. If we produce more in the future, it’ll be even more labor-intensive. We’re earning money through hard work.”
“An’er, your grandfather is right,” Liu Sanzhuang added. “Ordinary people can’t afford to eat tofu every day. Who would we sell it to?”
“Father, it’s true they won’t eat it every day, but having it occasionally is fine. After all, tofu tastes almost as good as meat. At three yuan a block, people can still afford it once in a while. Besides, we can sell it in town or at the market. Most importantly, I plan to sell tofu to Heyun Restaurant.”
“That’s right!” Liu Sanzhuang slapped his thigh excitedly. “If we sign a deal with a restaurant, we won’t have to worry about selling it.”
Old Master Liu’s furrowed brows finally relaxed.
“An’er is right. Tomorrow, Erzhuang and Sanzhuang will take An’er to the restaurant to speak with Manager Qiu. Dazhuang and I will go sell the spicy mix.”
“Alright, Father. We’ll set out early tomorrow,” Liu Erzhuang said excitedly. He was thrilled at the thought of going with his brother and nephew to negotiate business with Heyun Restaurant.
The next morning, when Liu An woke up, Liu Erzhuang greeted him cheerfully.
“Morning, An’er.”
“Good morning, uncle Erzhuang,” Liu An replied with a smile.
Noticing the dark circles under his uncle’s eyes, Liu An guessed he hadn’t slept well. After all, he had heard his grandparents talking late into the night. The entire family had clearly been too excited to sleep.
Sure enough, Liu Sanzhuang also appeared with dark circles under his eyes. He rubbed Liu An’s head and said, “Up already, you rascal?”
Liu An’s face darkened immediately. Even though he was now in a boy’s body, he still cared about his appearance.
“Father, you messed up my hair again!”
Liu Sanzhuang burst out laughing at his annoyed expression.
Liu Erzhuang rolled his eyes at his foolish younger brother. Just then, Old Madam Liu walked over and smacked Sanzhuang lightly on the head.
“How many times have I told you not to mess with my precious grandson’s hair? My grandson is going to become a top scholar someday. If you damage that head, I’ll break your legs!”
“But Mother, I’m your own son,” Liu Sanzhuang protested, pretending to be wronged.
“Oh, stop it. You’re a grown man competing with my grandson for attention—aren’t you ashamed?” she snapped. “Hurry up and eat. Aren’t you going to the restaurant? Don’t delay my grandson’s studies.”
Hearing this, Liu Sanzhuang quickly stopped joking around. The family hurried through breakfast.
Because Liu An had already missed several days of lessons due to Da Ya’s wedding, they couldn’t delay any longer.
Soon after, Liu Dazhuang drove the mule cart, and the family members headed straight toward town.
“Brother Qiu.”
Over this period of time, the relationship between the Liu family and Shopkeeper Qiu had grown closer. Thanks to the Liu family’s braised meat, the business of Heyun Restaurant had become increasingly prosperous. Even the other branches of the restaurant were doing better, and the restaurant’s income had multiplied several times. Because of this, Shopkeeper Qiu sincerely valued his relationship with the Liu family. When he spoke with them, his tone was warm, friendly, and relaxed.
“Hello, Uncle Qiu,” Liu An greeted politely from the side.
Liu Erzhuang also smiled and said, “Shopkeeper Qiu, sorry to trouble you.”
“Erzhuang, Sanzhuang—you’re here! And isn’t this An’er? Long time no see. You’ve grown even more handsome,” Shopkeeper Qiu said with a laugh.
Although Liu An wasn’t particularly shy, he still felt a little embarrassed by the compliment. Liu Erzhuang smiled and said, “Shopkeeper, do you have a moment? Could we speak inside? We brought you some fresh food to try.” As he spoke, he lifted the wooden bucket in his hand.
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Qiu’s interest was immediately piqued. “Look at me, I was so busy greeting you that I forgot my manners. Please, come to the private room,” he said quickly, leading them inside.
Once they were seated in the private room, Shopkeeper Qiu asked eagerly, “So, what good thing have you brought this time?”
Because of the success of their braised dishes, the Liu family mentioning a new food naturally made him excited.
Liu Sanzhuang opened the wooden bucket, revealing smooth, white tofu inside.
Shopkeeper Qiu looked at it curiously. “What is this? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
Liu Erzhuang smiled and explained, “Shopkeeper Qiu, this is a new food our family made. It’s called tofu.”
“Tofu? I’ve never heard of it before. How do you eat it?” Shopkeeper Qiu asked with interest.
Liu Sanzhuang grinned. “Brother Qiu, why don’t we go to the kitchen and talk with the chefs? They can try cooking it, and you can taste it yourself and give us your opinion.”
Shopkeeper Qiu agreed immediately and brought them to the kitchen, calling over the head chefs. Liu Sanzhuang and Liu Erzhuang explained the different ways to cook tofu.
Before long, the chefs prepared several dishes: steamed tofu, stewed tofu, fried tofu, pan-fried tofu, and even cold dressed tofu. There were all kinds of variations.
Shopkeeper Qiu tasted each dish, then gestured for the chefs to try them as well. After tasting, they exchanged smiles, clearly surprised.
One of the chefs praised it.
“Shopkeeper, this food is truly delicious! With tofu on the menu, our restaurant’s business will definitely reach a new level!”
Shopkeeper Qiu nodded repeatedly, clearly pleased. Then he turned to the Liu family and said, “Erzhuang, Sanzhuang, let’s return to the private room and discuss things in detail.”
The chefs stayed behind in the kitchen, continuing to discuss new ways to cook tofu.
Back in the private room, Shopkeeper Qiu asked eagerly, “So, how do you plan to sell this tofu?”
Liu Erzhuang answered with a bright smile, “We’ve priced it at three copper coins per piece. How many pieces would your restaurant want each day? This is our newest product, and you’re the first place we’ve brought it to.”
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Qiu felt very pleased that he had built such a good relationship with the Liu family. Clearly, his efforts hadn’t been wasted—whenever they had something new, they thought of his restaurant first.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’ve tasted the dishes just now, and the flavor is excellent. Let’s start with one hundred pieces per day. If business goes well, our other branches will also order more, and we can increase the quantity later.”
Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang both looked at Liu An. Liu An nodded but added,
“Uncle Qiu, we won’t be supplying tofu only to your restaurant. Our family will also sell it ourselves. The price will remain the same—three coins per piece. However, the recipes for the tofu dishes we just demonstrated will be given to your restaurant for free.”
At first, Shopkeeper Qiu had been slightly worried when he heard that the Liu family planned to sell tofu elsewhere. But when Liu An said the cooking methods would be given freely to the restaurant, his mood brightened again.
No matter what, he appreciated the Liu family’s goodwill.
Smiling, he said, “Then I’ll thank you on behalf of our young master, Young Master Liu.”
“Uncle Qiu, please don’t call me ‘young master.’ Just call me An’er,” Liu An replied.
Shopkeeper Qiu liked Liu An very much and chuckled. “Alright, An’er. Then shall we sign the contract now?”
Liu An nodded. Shopkeeper Qiu quickly drafted a contract. Since the two sides had worked together before, the agreement was finalized quickly: one hundred pieces of tofu delivered daily, with the quantity to increase if sales were good.
Although Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang had expected success, they hadn’t imagined the negotiation would go so smoothly. Their legs felt light as they left the restaurant.
They escorted Liu An to his private school. Before entering, Liu An reminded them,
“Father, please deliver the braised eggs to the school kitchen, then go with uncle Erzhuang to buy two hundred jin of soybeans. We’ve run out at home.”
Only then did the two men come back to their senses.
“Don’t worry, An’er,” Liu Erzhuang assured him. “Just focus on studying. Your father and I will take care of buying the beans.”
Seeing how happy they were, Liu An couldn’t help but smile. Now that the tofu business was established, the family would finally have stable income, and he could concentrate on his studies with peace of mind.
With light steps, he walked into the school.
After delivering the braised eggs, Liu Sanzhuang came out and met Liu Erzhuang. They looked at each other and laughed.
“Brother Erzhuang… did we really seal the deal?” Liu Sanzhuang asked excitedly.
“We did!” Liu Erzhuang said happily, nodding repeatedly. “Our family now has another stable source of income. And An’er said we can sell tofu elsewhere too. Our earnings will only keep growing!”
“We must tell Father and Elder Brother this good news!” Liu Sanzhuang exclaimed.
“Right. Let’s find Father first, then we’ll buy the soybeans,” Liu Erzhuang said. At first he had thought they would have to carry the beans home themselves, but then he remembered they had the mule cart.
Thinking about their family’s improving life—all thanks to An’er—he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
This nephew of mine is truly remarkable. Maybe he really will pass the imperial examinations someday.
Liu Sanzhuang was too busy being happy to notice his brother’s thoughtful expression.
After a moment, Liu Erzhuang said earnestly, “Sanzhuang, An’er is a child with his own ideas. Whatever he wants to do in the future, we elders should support him.”
Remembering everything his son had done for the family, Liu Sanzhuang felt full of pride. He grinned foolishly and said,
“Don’t worry, Second Brother. I’ll always support An’er.”
Only then did Liu Erzhuang nod in satisfaction.
The two brothers then hurried off to where Old Master Liu and Liu Dazhuang were selling their spicy mixed dishes, ready to help out—and share the good news.