Tofu
Bai Wu encountered the priest and uttered a sentence powerful enough to kill the Bird Tribe.
After being rejected, Bai Wu’s face burned with embarrassment, and he practically fled.
That afternoon, when he returned to his nest, his family had already returned.
Ta was there with his eagle mate and his two fathers.
Everyone was eager to see what this thing called tofu actually was.
Bai Wu greeted them and went to examine the beans.
An followed behind him, chattering, “I checked the beans as soon as I got back. They’ve been soaking for so long, now they’re bigger than sparrow eggs! They crumble at the slightest touch. Are they still edible?”
“Of course. I’ll grind them into a paste like grinding green root powder first, then I’ll do the next step.”
“I know how to do that! Do I have to wash them like I would green root powder?”
“Guess…”
Before Bai Wu could finish the word “guess,” An slapped him on the shoulder. “Speak!”
The slap was crisp.
Bai Wu turned around and saw a complete handprint on his shoulder, the palm lines clearly visible.
He glared angrily at An.
An shrank back, muttering, “How come your skin is so soft? Um, I’m going to pound the beans.”
Chuan tapped An on the head, “Don’t always bully your brother. I’ll go with you.”
The two carried the beans down the mountain to find a stone mortar to grind them.
Ta asked, “Wu, what are we doing?”
“I’d like you to help me pound the beans. I’ll go wash the winnowing basket.”
The stone mortar was large and heavy. The soaked beans were poured in and pounded into a pulp in a few strokes. The warm pulp, white like dough, had an indescribable bean aroma.
The pounded beans were scooped out and put into a bucket. Bai Wu added clear river water and stirred it well before pouring it into a large earthenware pot to cook.
The slightly yellow soy milk simmered in the pot with steam rising gently.
The rich aroma of soybeans filled the entire tribe. Countless tribesmen peeked out, sniffing and asking each other, “What smells so good?” “Has Wu made something delicious again?” “Did he discover a new food?”
The beastmen and sub-beastmen who had returned came to watch the excitement and lend a hand.
There was plenty of soy milk in the pot.
Bai Wu invited the tribesmen who had helped to drink the soy milk. The first batch was ready; he ladled some out and added honey, giving everyone a bowl.
The freshly boiled, rich soy milk was fragrant and sweet, and behind the rising steam were simple, smiling faces.
“So these are the beans that grow on the snowy mountains.”
“This soy milk is so delicious!”
“No wonder Wu insisted on bringing some back.” Bai Wu listened to everyone’s casual conversation with a smile, his hands never stopping.
His family helped scoop out the second pot of boiled soy milk and filter it with a winnowing basket.
Normally, they should use cheesecloth to filter the soy milk for making tofu, but unfortunately, such a fine tool didn’t exist in this world, so a winnowing basket would suffice.
The filtered soy pulp also had its uses. Bai Wu directly added bird eggs, chopped scallions, animal fat, and coarse salt. He kneaded it into cakes, and put them in a bucket to bake later as a staple food.
The people didn’t want to eat their food for nothing.
After drinking the soy milk, everyone went back to their own homes and brought out all sorts of things to give to Bai Wu.
The tribespeople were truly too simple and hospitable.
Bai Wu simply invited everyone to eat the soy pulp cakes.
These cakes were baked on a hot stone slab until golden brown. The aroma of scallions and animal fat intertwined, enhanced by the soy flavor, creating a deeper, more harmonious fragrance.
This was the first time anyone had seen it done this way. Food was also a novelty; it was the first time Bai Wu had learned that scallions, besides being used to treat wounds, could be eaten, and it tasted exceptionally good.
Someone immediately declared that they would dig up some scallions the next day to plant near their nest, so they could pick some whenever they wanted, prompting everyone to agree.
The area around Bai Wu’s nest had never been so lively.
The laughter of the tribespeople echoed one after another.
Bai Wu had initially thought making tofu would be difficult, but amidst the laughter and playfulness, he unknowingly filtered out all the soybean pulp.
The filtered soy milk was boiled again and poured into several buckets. A little brine was added, and while stirring, it was slowly poured in.
The soy milk quickly coagulated into flocculent clumps, and a yellow liquid separated out.
Once the soy milk had mostly become flocculent and yellow liquid, Bai Wu scooped the flocculent material into a winnowing basket, placing a bucket underneath to allow the white flocculent material to remain in the basket while the water drained away.
Once most of the water had drained away, the tofu was ready.
The onlookers stared wide-eyed as Bai Wu miraculously produced soy milk, and now tofu.
Bai Wu asked An to bring bowls so everyone could try some of the not-quite-finished tofu.
This type of tofu with its higher water content, is called tofu pudding.
Tofu pudding made with gypsum is more tender and smooth. Bai Wu, lacking experience, wasn’t sure of the difference, and his tofu pudding was a bit firm. But since he had already promised, he could only offer a little tofu pudding for everyone to try.
A spoonful of warm tofu pudding with a spoonful of honey was served in a black ceramic bowl, looking incredibly appealing.
For a moment, no one dared to touch it.
Bai Wu called out, “Everyone, try some. If you’re still hungry, get more.”
Only then did people come to their senses.
A soft, clinking sound of spoons and bowls filled the air, followed by gasps of amazement.
Bai Wu also lowered his head and tasted a spoonful of tofu pudding.
The tofu pudding was a little overcooked with a slight graininess, but the soybean flavor was very strong, and the honey was also very sweet; the two complemented each other perfectly.
It tasted good.
He can make some more next time.
“Wu, how do you know how to make so many delicious things?”
Bai Wu looked up and smiled when someone called him. “I dreamt that someone told me that beans could be eaten this way, so I tried it.”
“This must be a revelation from the Beast God! Wu, you’re such a lucky sub-beastman.”
The beastmen and sub-beastmen in the tribe, having eaten and drunk their fill, gathered around Bai Wu’s hut to chat.
Bai Wu rarely chatted with the beastmen and sub-beastmen in the tribe. He took the opportunity to ask many questions he wanted to know.
He knew a lot about food, but he knew far less about the various things in this world than the beastmen and sub-beastmen.
Everyone was very enthusiastic; whether beastmen or sub-beastmen, elders or juniors, everyone in the crowd was open and honest.
The tofu in the winnowing basket gradually drained of water under the influence of gravity. Water leaked into the wooden bucket below, filling more than half of it with murky yellow water.
Bai Wu carried the water to the trough to feed the sheep.
The ewes, accustomed to penned life, weren’t afraid of him. They came over, sniffed the water, and drank.
Bai Wu stepped back slightly. Watching his sheep grow increasingly plump, his expression one of great satisfaction.
This was good stuff; it was full of protein, and much better than plain water. He hoped the ewes would produce more milk and the lambs would grow bigger.
Night gradually fell. The beastmen and sub-beastmen bid farewell and returned to their nests.
The tofu in the winnowing basket had solidified into a single block under gravity.
This tofu wasn’t as perfectly formed as the tofu he’d seen in his previous life, but it had taken shape.
Bai Wu touched it with his clean hands, felt it was edible, and used a stone knife to cut it into pieces.
An leaned closer. “Is the tofu ready? Can we eat it now?”
“Not yet, it needs to simmer for a while.” Bai Wu ladled the tofu into a ceramic bowl. “Take a piece of lean and fatty meat and simmer it; the tofu will be fragrant and tender.”
The people around swallowed hard in unison.
Bai Wu smiled, revealing his neat, white teeth and curved eyebrows.
Ta’s partner, Yu, stared intently at him. When their eyes met, his cheeks suddenly flushed, and he turned away, rubbing his stomach. “I don’t know why? I was clearly full, but after hearing what Wu said, I feel hungry again.”
An chimed in, “I’m starving too! It feels like there’s a bottomless pit in my stomach!”
Bai Wu said, “Then I’ll start simmering the tofu now. We’ll have stewed tofu for tonight.”
The whole family was there, washing and chopping vegetables, preparing the meat—everyone worked together, and it was ready quickly.
The crocodile meat, marinated beforehand, was cut into large chunks and grilled on a stone slab brushed with animal fat until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
A large earthenware pot was filled with animal fat and meat. They slowly pan-fried over low heat, then pickled scallions were added. After frying until fragrant, the heat was removed, and once slightly cooled, boiling water was added and simmered, followed by tofu.
The river fish brushed with oil and grilled was placed in an earthenware pot filled with boiling water and slowly simmered, then small pieces of tofu were added.
Dinner consisted of four dishes:
Soybean curd cakes, crocodile meat, stewed tofu, and river fish and tofu soup.
The variety was limited, but the portions were plentiful.
Night fell, and the stars filled the sky.
The dark red flames in the hearth flickered, licking the earthenware pots.
The food simmering in the two earthenware pots emitted a rich aroma.
Everyone sat around the hearth, chatting idly.
Finally, the tofu stew was ready. Everyone, without even bothering to plate it, immediately reached for it with their chopsticks.
The tofu was so tender that, except for Bai Wu, no one could pick it up in one go.
Everyone brought their bowls closer to the pot, using them to support the tofu.
Bai Wu warned, “Be careful, it’s hot.”
He picked up a piece of tofu, blew on it a few times, and slowly put it in his mouth.
The stewed tofu, having absorbed the flavors of the meat and the tangy aroma of the pickled shallots, was piping hot, fresh, tender, and fragrant. With a gentle bite, all the flavors melted in his mouth, leaving a subtle sweetness—the true taste of tofu itself.
Bai Wu ate a bite of tofu, nibbled on a piece of bean curd cake, and drank a sip of soup. Sweat beaded on his nose, and he relaxed completely in the evening breeze.
He ate slowly and deliberately, quietly enjoying the simple pleasures of home cooking.
The others around him also remained silent, focused solely on enjoying their food.
Bai Wu ate two flatbreads and a large bowl of stewed tofu. After finishing the soup, he stood up and said, “Everyone, please enjoy your meal.”
Instantly, all eyes fell on him.
An asked, “Where are you going?”
Bai Wu picked up a small pot of soup and stewed tofu that he had set aside beforehand and placed it in a clean basket. He then took a stack of bean curd cakes from the stone slab and put them in as well. “I’m going to deliver a tofu feast to the High Priest.”
Mo put down his bowl. “I’ll go with you.”
“No need, I can go alone. I have something I’d like to ask the High Priest.”