Chapter 12: Sold for Ten Taels of SilverIn the following days, Lin Qinghe delivered firewood to the county town every day. Upon returning home, she would go to the back mountain to chop more. Although Lin Qingsong helped, he was still young, and she couldn’t fully rely on him to handle the heavy work. She often reminded him to take breaks after working for a while, cautioning him not to overexert himself.On the tenth day, when she went to the county town again, aside from carrying a load of firewood, she also brought along several pieces of prepared fermented tofu."Aunt Yu, I’ve brought the firewood for you.""Oh, it’s Qinghe. Just leave it in the backyard. Look at you, sweating all over. Sit down and rest for a while, have a bowl of water before you go." Seeing such a young girl doing heavy work like a grown man, Aunt Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity."Alright, thank you, Auntie."Lin Qinghe responded and carried the load of firewood into the backyard, neatly stacking it as she went.Aunt Yu had already brought over a bowl of water, smiling as she approached. "I’ve bought firewood from so many people before, and they all just dumped it in the backyard and left. Only you, child, are so sincere, even stacking it so neatly for me.""It’s just a small effort, not much trouble at all.""How could it not be trouble? Look at you, child, you’ve even lost weight from all this hard work." Aunt Yu handed her the bowl of water. "Drink some water and rest. You’re still so young; it would be terrible if you wore yourself out."Lin Qinghe didn’t stand on ceremony. As she took the bowl, she caught a sweet fragrance. Looking down, she noticed brown sugar had been added to the water. She immediately felt embarrassed. "Auntie, you even added brown sugar. How can I accept this?"After all, brown sugar wasn’t cheap, especially since it wasn’t produced locally. It had to be transported from elsewhere, which naturally drove up the price."I didn’t add much, just a little for flavor. Drink up quickly," Aunt Yu urged.Since the sugar had already dissolved in the water, it would be awkward to refuse. So, she held the bowl with both hands and drank it all in a few big gulps. The sweet taste spread in her mouth, making her feel refreshed all over."I was feeling a bit tired, but after drinking this bowl of sweet water, I feel completely relaxed."Aunt Yu laughed heartily. "You really know how to talk, child. Your words are so sweet.""Well, it’s all thanks to you, Auntie, for giving me this bowl of sweet water. How could my words not be sweet?" Lin Qinghe replied with a smile.Hearing this, Aunt Yu laughed even more joyfully."By the way, Auntie, I have something to show you today." As she spoke, she took off the small bamboo basket she was carrying on her back."What good thing is it?" Aunt Yu peered into the basket.Inside was a small wooden box. When opened, it revealed several green leaves wrapped around something. Aunt Yu couldn’t help but smile. "What is this, hidden so carefully?""It’s nothing particularly rare. I call it fermented tofu. Last time, you mentioned that when business is slow, the tofu in your shop can’t be sold and ends up spoiling. So, I came up with a way to process the tofu. What do you think?"She unwrapped the green leaves, revealing several pieces of tofu. However, this tofu looked different from fresh tofu. Aunt Yu stared at it for a moment. "Is this tofu edible?""It's edible. I tasted it at home and found it quite good, which is why I brought it for you to see, Aunt Yu. Speaking of which, this tofu was actually bought from your shop last time. After all these days, the fermented tofu is finally ready."Upon hearing that she had already tried it, Aunt Yu no longer doubted whether the tofu was edible. After a moment's thought, she reached out, broke off a small piece, and put it in her mouth. It tasted salty with a slight stench, but once in her mouth, it somehow made her mouth water. After finishing the small piece, she couldn't help but break off another.As she ate, she found that the slight stench could almost be ignored—it could even be considered a good dish to go with rice."It tastes quite good, though there is a bit of a stench, but it's within tolerable limits," Aunt Yu smacked her lips, savoring the flavor, then smiled and said, "I didn't know you had such skill. Well done!""This isn't really much of a skill. It's just something ordinary folks like us don't mind eating—anything can end up on the table. Wealthy families probably wouldn't even glance at it," she replied with a smile.Such things have a limited market. While some might enjoy them, many others would not.Hearing this, Aunt Yu also laughed. "Exactly! Take the tofu in our shop, for example—it's all made from beans. Just because beans are cheap, wealthy families look down on it, saying it's not a dish fit for the table. They think serving tofu to guests is disrespectful.""But your fermented tofu is really good. You know, when tofu doesn't sell in our shop, our family ends up eating it almost every day. Even the tastiest food can't stand being eaten day after day. My youngest son complains about it, and I always scold him, saying that during famine years, people fight over grass roots and tree bark, yet he still complains about the taste," Aunt Yu said with a pout, clearly somewhat annoyed with her son.Lin Qinghe just smiled as she listened. A mother could criticize her own son, but as an outsider, she couldn't join in.Seeing that Lin Qinghe only smiled without speaking, Aunt Yu quickly composed herself and said seriously, "I suppose you didn't bring this for nothing. This fermented tofu is quite suitable for my shop, but since it's your skill, I can't just take it for free. How about this—I'll give you ten taels of silver to buy the recipe for making fermented tofu. What do you think?"After saying this, she looked at Lin Qinghe, waiting for her reply.Ten taels of silver was roughly the price Lin Qinghe had in mind. She had originally planned to ask for ten taels and then wait for the other party to bargain, as she would have been willing to settle for nine or eight taels. Aunt Yu's straightforward offer of ten taels showed genuine sincerity."Alright. Aunt Yu, you've always helped me a lot and are an honest person. Ten taels it is," she said. Now was a time when she needed money, so she couldn't afford to offer a discount.Upon hearing this, Aunt Yu happily clapped her hands. "I can see you're an honest girl, so let's skip the formalities. Besides, your method has really helped me a lot. Tofu is already cheap, and I always thought making more would earn me a little extra money. But with business, who can say for sure? Some days are good, others are bad. When I make too much, the tofu ends up going to waste, and it breaks my heart.""Exactly," Lin Qinghe replied with a beaming smile. "It was precisely because I thought of your difficulties that I came up with the idea of making fermented tofu. It helps you, and I can earn some money too—a win-win situation."Aunt Yu was a straightforward person and quickly fetched ten taels of silver from her room. Lin Qinghe was equally direct, explaining the method for making fermented tofu in detail. The process wasn't complicated at all and could be easily understood once explained.

Eldest Sister of a Farming Family: Managing the Household, Farming and Opening Shops