Liu Erzhuang and Liu Sanzhuang hurried over to where their father, Liu Dahai, and their elder brother Liu Dazhuang were selling spicy mixed vegetables. When they arrived, they saw that the two men were extremely busy, sweating heavily. Laborers from the nearby construction site had gathered around Liu Dahai, surrounding him as they waited for their food.
“Father, take a break. Sanzhuang and I will handle it,” Liu Erzhuang said quickly. Seeing how busy his father was made his heart ache, so he immediately took the bowl from Liu Dahai and began serving the food.
“That’s right, Father. With the three of us here, you can just sit back and collect the money,” Liu Sanzhuang added as he went to help Liu Dazhuang cook.
Seeing his two sons arrive, the old man finally relaxed and stepped aside to handle the payments while the brothers worked.
With everyone cooperating, they managed to sell all the spicy dishes in less than half an hour. After this rush of customers left, business gradually slowed down. They could finally catch their breath. Occasionally someone would come by to buy food, but it was nothing like the earlier lunchtime crowd.
Once most of the spicy dishes were sold and all the vegetables they had brought were gone, Old Master Liu waved his hand and said,
“Everything sold quickly today. Let’s go pick up An’er.”
However, Liu Sanzhuang noticed it was still early and remembered that An’er had asked them to buy soybeans.
“Father, An’er won’t finish school for a while. Let’s buy two hundred jin of soybeans first.”
“Two hundred jin? Isn’t that a bit too much?” Old Master Liu asked in surprise. He knew the beans were for making tofu, but he hadn’t expected such a large amount.
Liu Erzhuang smiled. “Father, it’s not that much. That’s only enough for two or three days. We might even need to buy more beans again in the next couple of days.”
Seeing the smug expressions on his brothers’ faces, Liu Dazhuang immediately understood that the negotiation with the restaurant must have gone well.
“Alright, stop acting so proud and tell Father the news already,” he said.
Liu Erzhuang laughed and explained,
“Father, Elder Brother, Shopkeeper Qiu agreed to buy one hundred pieces of tofu every day, at the price An’er suggested yesterday. And An’er also said we can sell tofu elsewhere ourselves—we don’t have to supply only the restaurant.”
“What? Really?” Old Master Liu exclaimed. “That’s wonderful news!”
Then he quickly became serious.
“An’er is an ambitious child. From now on he should focus entirely on studying. This tofu business will become the foundation of our family. The three of you must guard this recipe carefully—do not let it spread outside the family. When you go home, make sure your wives understand this as well. If anyone leaks the recipe, don’t blame me for being ruthless and driving them out of the Liu family!”
Hearing this, the three brothers immediately put away their playful expressions and solemnly promised to protect the recipe.
Old Master Liu felt quite satisfied with his sons. They weren’t particularly clever, but they were obedient and filial—and that was enough. Besides, the family had a very smart grandson. He firmly believed that one day An’er would pass the imperial examinations. The rest of the family must not hold him back.
After a moment, Liu Dazhuang asked,
“Father, do people in our village sell soybeans? Wouldn’t it be cheaper if we bought them there?”
Old Master Liu nodded.
“That makes sense. We can collect beans from the villagers later—it will definitely be cheaper. But tomorrow we must deliver tofu to Heyun Restaurant, and there’s no time to gather beans now. Let’s buy two hundred jin first. Later we’ll arrange to purchase more from the village.”
Liu Sanzhuang suddenly realized they would need to start preparing the beans immediately.
“That’s right! We need to soak the beans tonight so we can make tofu tomorrow morning,” he urged. “Let’s hurry.”
The group wasted no time and headed straight to the grain shop to buy the soybeans.
Since it was still early, Old Master Liu said,
“Dazhuang and Erzhuang, take the mule cart and bring the beans home first. Then come back to pick up An’er.”
“Alright, Father,” Liu Dazhuang replied. He quickly drove the mule cart home with the beans.
When they arrived home, Old Madam Liu noticed only the two brothers had returned.
“Why are you back so early? Where’s An’er? And why didn’t your father and Sanzhuang come back with you?” she asked anxiously.
“Don’t worry, Mother. We just brought the beans home first. I’ll go pick them up now,” Liu Dazhuang explained briefly before rushing off again with the mule cart.
Meanwhile, Liu Erzhuang began preparing to soak the beans.
Old Madam Liu hurried over again and asked,
“What’s going on? Why didn’t you all come back together? Making two trips wastes time.”
Liu Erzhuang lowered his voice and said with a smile,
“The deal with Heyun Restaurant is settled. They’ll buy one hundred pieces of tofu every day, so we brought beans back early to soak them. Otherwise we won’t have time to make tofu tomorrow.”
As soon as she heard this, Old Madam Liu beamed with joy.
“Oh! That’s wonderful news! You soak the beans—I’ll go cook something delicious for everyone.”
Just then, Liu Erzhuang’s wife, Xiao Sun, came over to help him soak the beans.
“Seeing how happy you and Mother are… does this mean the tofu business was successful?” she asked.
Liu Erzhuang nodded with a smile and said quietly,
“Our family won’t have to worry about money anymore. But remember—this must remain secret. No one outside the family can know.”
Xiao Sun immediately promised to keep it confidential. Then she went inside to share the good news with Xiao Chen and Xiao Cuihua.
Both women were overjoyed when they heard the news and quickly came out to help with the work.
By the time Liu Dazhuang returned with the mule cart, the beans had already been soaked.
That evening, the Liu family’s dinner was especially rich. Old Madam Liu even took out a large piece of pork belly and cooked it together with the tofu they had made the previous day, making a hearty pork belly stewed with tofu.
The tofu was already delicious on its own, but paired with pork belly it was even more flavorful. The entire family enjoyed a wonderful meal together.
After dinner, they began discussing the next day’s tofu production.
Liu Dazhuang volunteered first.
“I’m strong. I’ll get up early tomorrow morning and grind the beans.”
“How can we let you do it alone?” Liu Erzhuang immediately protested. “With so many beans, the three of us brothers should take turns grinding them.”
“That’s right, we’ll all do it together,” Liu Sanzhuang added eagerly. His son had worked so hard for the family—he couldn’t be lazy as the father.
Seeing his sons so united, Old Master Liu felt extremely pleased. In the past he had envied his brothers’ large and prosperous families, but now their own family life was also improving—especially with such a clever grandson.
Liu An watched his father and uncles competing to take on the hardest work. He felt both happy and touched.
Then he suddenly said,
“Father, Uncles—don’t we have a mule at home? If we harness the mule to the millstone, you won’t have to work so hard.”
When Old Master Liu heard his grandson’s suggestion, his eyes lit up immediately.
“That’s right! Our An’er is truly clever,” he said with a laugh. “Since we already bought a mule, you three won’t need to grind the millstone yourselves anymore. Looks like buying that mule was the right decision—it can pull carts and also turn the millstone.”
“But the mule has to haul goods and turn the millstone. What if it gets exhausted?” Liu Dazhuang said worriedly.
“It’s fine, Uncle,” Liu An replied calmly. “If necessary, we can buy an ox cart later to pull the goods.”
Liu Dazhuang frowned slightly. The family had only just bought the mule cart—how could they possibly afford an ox so soon?
“An ox cart?” he said with concern. “An’er, oxen are very expensive. One costs at least twelve taels of silver.”
“Don’t worry, Uncle,” Liu An said confidently. “Our tofu business will definitely keep growing. One mule may not even be enough. When the time comes, we might not only buy an ox, but possibly another mule as well.”
Everyone inhaled sharply when they heard this. Just imagining how much money that would cost was astonishing.
“Well,” Old Master Liu said after thinking for a moment, “let’s wait and see how the business goes. If it really becomes that profitable, then buying an ox wouldn’t be impossible.”
Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed such an idea immediately—after all, buying both an ox and another mule would cost at least twenty or thirty taels of silver. But after seeing his grandson’s abilities over the past few days, he began to believe that the family business might indeed flourish just as Liu An predicted.
Liu Dazhuang didn’t doubt Liu An’s judgment, but he was worried about spending all the family’s savings. After all, the money also needed to be reserved for Liu An’s education.
“Alright,” he said with a smile. “We’ll follow Father’s idea and take it step by step. If business really goes well, then we can buy one. But we must set aside money for An’er’s studies first—we can’t let anything interfere with his education.”
Liu An felt deeply moved when he heard his uncle say this. He knew his family cared for him dearly and always put his future first. Silently, he made up his mind to work even harder so that his family could live better lives.
“We can supply tofu to Heyun Restaurant,” Liu An continued, “but we can also sell it in the village and at the marketplace. Later, we might even supply other restaurants. However, we should wait three months before selling to other restaurants. That way Heyun Restaurant’s business can grow first, and they won’t feel upset when we start selling elsewhere.”
Old Master Liu nodded approvingly.
“Good thinking. An’er has considered everything carefully. We must repay kindness with loyalty. Without the young master and Shopkeeper Qiu from Heyun Restaurant, our family would still be struggling.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Just then Old Madam Liu spoke up.
“Since you’ve all finished discussing things, I’ll say a few words too. I need to make one thing clear from the start. The tofu recipe is not like the spicy mix or the braised meat. This tofu method will become the foundation of our Liu family’s livelihood. I have no intention of letting it spread outside the family.”
She looked sternly at everyone.
“All of us must keep our mouths shut. Under no circumstances can this recipe be leaked. Otherwise, don’t blame this old woman for being heartless.”
Old Master Liu felt pleased hearing his wife speak the same thoughts he had been holding.
The daughters-in-law all understood that Old Madam Liu’s warning was mainly directed at them. They immediately promised that they would never reveal the recipe to their natal families or anyone else.
Only then did Old Madam Liu nod in satisfaction.
“You daughters-in-law are good women. Don’t worry—if our family becomes more prosperous, your lives will improve too, and when the girls marry, their dowries will certainly not be lacking.”
After scolding them, she softened her tone with a reassuring promise.
The women felt relieved and repeatedly assured her they would guard the secret carefully.
Old Madam Liu then raised another concern.
“Our family already runs the spicy mix business, and now we’re starting the tofu business too. If we go out to sell more things, what if we don’t have enough people?”
“Mother,” Xiao Cuihua, the eldest daughter-in-law, said responsibly, “the season for gathering longevity vegetables is already over. My sisters-in-law and I can help sell tofu.”
“That’s a good idea,” Old Master Liu said, making the final decision. “You can sell the tofu right next to our stall. That way we can keep an eye on things and help you.”
Everyone was delighted by the arrangement. The daughters-in-law were especially excited—they rarely came to town, let alone did business themselves.
The next morning, the Liu family woke up even earlier than usual.
Besides preparing the tofu for Heyun Restaurant, they made another one hundred pieces to sell at the market.
The tofu, the pot of spicy broth, bowls, chopsticks, and all their equipment were loaded onto the mule cart. Liu An was squeezed into a small corner of the cart—there was barely room for anyone else.
Feeling sorry for his aging father, Liu Dazhuang said,
“Father, why don’t you stay home today? The rest of us can walk there.”
But Old Master Liu waved him off.
“I’m not that old yet,” he said firmly. “Hurry up and get moving. If we delay the delivery time, it will cause trouble.”
Seeing that his father insisted, Liu Dazhuang stopped arguing and drove the cart toward town.
When they arrived, Liu Dazhuang and Liu Erzhuang delivered the tofu to Shopkeeper Qiu at Heyun Restaurant. After that, they drove the mule cart to their usual stall location.
Meanwhile, Liu Sanzhuang took fifty braised eggs and escorted Liu An to the private school before heading back to meet the rest of the family.
The Liu family’s daughters-in-law were nervous at first—it was their first time selling things in the market. But after watching their father-in-law and husbands skillfully greet customers, they gradually relaxed and joined in.
To their surprise, the tofu sold extremely quickly.
They had planned to explain what tofu was and how to eat it, but the curious crowd had already gathered the moment they saw it.
Liu Erzhuang briefly explained a few simple ways to cook it. Out of curiosity, many people bought a piece to try. When others saw how many people were buying it, they followed suit.
Soon the tofu sold out entirely.
Some customers who arrived late were disappointed and asked them to make more the next day.
Seeing how quickly everything sold, the Liu family was overjoyed. One of the daughters-in-law was so excited she could hardly contain herself—it was their first time doing business, and they never expected such success.
“Father, should we head back home to start preparing for tomorrow?” Liu Dazhuang asked, thinking about soaking more soybeans.
Old Master Liu was in an exceptionally good mood after such a booming day.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a broad smile. “Before we left this morning, I already had your brother Erzhuang and Sanzhuang soak the beans. I also asked your mother to collect more beans from the village.”
“Then should we wait here until An’er finishes school and go back together?” Liu Dazhuang asked.
Old Master Liu glanced at the sky.
“An’er still has a while before school ends. Eldest daughter-in-law, you and your sisters-in-law watch the stall. The rest of us will go take a look at the cattle—I’m planning to buy an ox.”
“What? Buy an ox?” Liu Sanzhuang exclaimed, shocked.
“Yes, an ox,” Old Master Liu said decisively. “We must buy one. Hurry up now—otherwise we won’t make it back in time to pick up An’er.”
With that, he led his sons straight toward the livestock market.