”Auntie, I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. Would you like to have some with me?” Meng Wan said, calling Chang Jinhua after preparing the braised dishes.
Chang Jinhua retorted, “I’ve already had some porridge this morning. What family eats two meals a day?”
Meng Wan pulled her to sit down, “Oh dear, does someone really come all the way to our house just to see what we’re eating? Tofu has to be eaten hot, come and try some.”
Since Meng Wan came to live with her family, Chang Jinhua has experienced the joy of raising a Ge’er. However, her Ge’er is very opinionated and seems to be getting more and more in charge of the household.
Unable to resist Meng Wan’s nagging, Chang Jinhua sat down, and the two of them shared the bowl of old tofu that Meng Wan had left behind, along with the braised sauce.
It smells really good, and it’s even smoother than tofu. However, it’s not as easy to preserve as tofu. In the days before refrigerators, it couldn’t be kept overnight. It’s also not as convenient as tofu, which can be added to other dishes. If I ever have the money to open a restaurant, it could be a dish that serves as a substitute.
They ate every last drop of the tofu, and the tofu blocks pressed under the stone had already taken shape.
Meng Wan removed the stone and uncovered the burlap. Except for some uneven edges, it looked exactly like the tofu blocks sold at the market.
”It is ready!”
Chang Jinhua was also all smiles. They had drunk two bowls of soy milk and eaten a large bowl of tofu from the three jin of soybeans. They had already eaten quite a bit. Now, according to the size of the tofu sold at the market stalls, they could still cut eight palm-sized pieces of tofu.
Meng Wan calculated in his mind that three catties of soybeans could make about sixteen pieces of tofu, and one pot could make six catties of soybeans, which would be thirty-two pieces.
At the market, tofu costs two coins a piece, so thirty-two pieces would cost sixty-four coins. After deducting the cost of six catties of soybeans (eighteen coins), there would be forty-six coins left.
They don’t even need to count the firewood, and the cost of the brine is negligible. If they can sell one block of tofu a day, it’s comparable to a grown man working at the docks. They don’t even need to show their faces; nearby villages will naturally come to buy it if they need it. It couldn’t be more suitable for Chang Jinhua and her Ge’er’s current situation.
To do business, you have to go out and make a name for yourself first, otherwise who will know that Sanquan Village also sells tofu? “Auntie, next time at the market, let’s make two plates of tofu to sell, and then tell the villagers that Sanquan Village also sells tofu.”
Two tofu stalls appeared at the market in Hongmiao Village, attracting quite a few onlookers. The tofu stalls that were open today were run by the woman from last time and her mother-in-law, but the man was nowhere to be seen for some reason.
The food stalls were not far apart. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law glared at them fiercely, only to be greeted by Meng Wan’s smiling face.
”Auntie, you’re here early! Why didn’t my uncle come today?”
The elderly woman was still confused about what was going on. She only noticed that her daughter-in-law’s expression had changed. She hid to the side and watched her daughter-in-law’s expression. She didn’t dare to utter a word until her daughter-in-law spoke.
There were quite a few young men and women with their faces covered at the market, but few, like Meng Wan, could tell from just a glance, that they were beautiful. Forcing a smile, the woman at the tofu stall said, “Oh, it’s you, young man. Your uncle hasn’t been feeling well lately and is resting at home. Are you… also going to work at the tofu stall?”
In fact, the last time the couple had a fight at home, her husband was so embarrassed by her scratching that he hid at home. She had a recipe for making tofu in her hand, and no one in the family dared to ask her to do any of the farm work. From her parents-in-law, her brother and sister-in-law, to her brothers and sisters-in-law, no one in the family dared to make her unhappy.
Meng Wan countered, “Yes, my brother is a scholar, and he spends money on writing materials every day. My aunt and I want to earn more money to supplement our household expenses.”
His words stunned the woman at the tofu stall. In this day and age, having enough to eat was considered a good life. Who had spare money to send their children to school? Could it be that she had misjudged him?
She chuckled dryly, “Young man, you’re so virtuous. I didn’t know you could make tofu last time.” Her eyes were fixed on Chang Jinhua’s movements.
Chang Jinhua took two trays of tofu from the wooden cart and laid them out. Meng Wan helped her carry them. Each tray contained thirty-two pieces. They made two trays in total. In order to catch the market, they got up early to make the tofu and then rushed over early in the morning. The burlap was partially uncovered, and the pieces of tofu were neatly arranged on it. The color was similar to ivory white, a slightly yellowish white.
Meng Wan raised an eyebrow at the woman at the tofu stall who was leaning forward. “I learned it from my family when I was young, so don’t worry, Auntie. There are a lot of people at the market, and vegetables are scarce in winter, so there will be more people buying tofu than not. My aunt and I will only make two plates to sell at most. Besides, you live west of Hongmiao Village, right? My family is from the east side of Hongmiao Village. We don’t bother each other on weekdays, so it won’t affect your business.”
Everything he said made sense. He had helped the woman find her lost money last time, and the woman at the tofu stall looked relieved. This time, her smile was much more genuine.
“Look at what you’re saying, young man. Last time you helped me, all the villagers saw it with their own eyes. If I’m envious of you selling tofu, what kind of person would I be!”
Meng Wan smiled but remained silent. What do I take you for? Don’t you even remember the look you gave me just now?
It was too early, and there weren’t many people at the market. The woman at the tofu stall started chatting with Chang Jinhua again, “Sister, you’re a few years older than me, right? My husband’s surname is Zhou, and this is my mother-in-law.”
Chang Jinhua was a woman of few words, and she spoke to her in a disjointed manner.
As more people arrived, just as Meng Wan had predicted, there was hardly any food left in the house. Moreover, the tofu was easier to store after it cooled down, and many people bought tofu for three to five yuan at a time, either to entertain guests or because they lived in remote areas where it was difficult to buy tofu on ordinary days, so they bought an extra piece to store for two days.
Every time Meng Wan sold a piece of tofu, he would tell the customer that he was a tofu seller from Sanquan Village, living in the third house at the village entrance, and that his family made and sold tofu every day. In this way, the surrounding villages quickly learned that Sanquan Village now also sold tofu, and if they wanted to eat it, they didn’t have to wait for the market or go to town.
The day after returning from the market was the day Song Tingzhou came back. As soon as he set off on the country road, he saw two or three people from other villages. Further into the village, he saw more than ten people gathered around his own yard, and under the willow tree not far away, some villagers were chatting and watching the commotion.
”Widow Song is quite shrewd. No wonder she brought her nephew from 800 miles away. It turns out his family has some skills.”
”What did you say before? You said she was stupid, feeding someone for nothing, and that a nephew is an outsider after all. What do you think now?”
”Is it just me who said it? Didn’t any of you say it? That Widow Song invited her nephew to be her daughter-in-law, was it just me who spread the word?”
The shouting man had barely finished speaking when he saw Song Tingzhou not far behind him and fell silent in fright.
Not to mention that Song Tingzhou is currently the only scholar in Sanquan Village with a degree in the imperial examinations, even the village chief respects him to some extent. Just his imposing height, coupled with his cold face that is exactly like Chang Jinhua’s, is enough to make people feel intimidated.
”Tingzhou is back.” The group’s laughter was as hypocritical as could be.
Song Tingzhou said with a stupefied face, “Second grandfather, third uncle, and sixth aunt.”
A burly man emerged from the crowd, about the same height as Song Tingzhou, his sleeves stained. He strode over and put his arm around Song Tingzhou’s shoulder. “My nephew’s back? I heard your mother and cousin are selling tofu at home. Your second uncle will come in with you to take a look.”
This is Song Tingzhou’s father’s cousin, Song Youcai. His face is not red, but his mouth reeks of alcohol.
Song Tingzhou took a step forward and casually shook off the arm on his shoulder. “Then come in, Second Uncle.”
At the entrance of the Song family courtyard, someone had moved a stone about waist-high. The stone was fairly flat. Chang Jinhua placed a wooden tray containing tofu on it, with a clean burlap smeared over the tofu, partially covering it. She skillfully scooped the tofu with a wooden spatula in one hand.
”Third Aunt, here’s one for you.”
”Brother Tian, this is for you.”
”Cui’er, didn’t you bring a bowl? I’ll ask Wan-ge’er to get you one.”
After Chang Jinhua finished speaking, she called into the house, “Wan-ge’er, bring out a bowl.”
A clear voice responded from inside the house: “Yes, I’m coming.”
A moment later, Meng Wan took out a bowl and handed it to Chang Jinhua. Just as he was about to go back into the house, he looked up and saw Song Tingzhou walking in this direction.
”Auntie, my cousin is back.”
Chang Jinhua was too busy to even look up. “Dalang, go in and wash up first. Wan-ge’er left some tofu for you. Eat it if you’re hungry.”
Song Tingzhou’s eyes were filled with complex emotions. Since his father’s death, his mother had never been so enthusiastic about doing things. She had always been cautious and meticulous, and did not like to have much contact with others. Over time, she became less and less talkative. He was also a man of few words. Sometimes, the mother and son could count the number of words they spoke in a day on two hands.
If he had described Chang Jinhua’s previous condition to Meng Wan, Meng Wan would definitely have said: Isn’t this just depression!
Song Tingzhou entered the house and put down his book basket. “Did you make this tofu? Are you thinking of selling it again?”
Meng Wan was soaking soybeans for tomorrow morning. Some of the dried-out bean skins were inside, which he had to pick out before grinding the beans.
He sat on a small wooden stool and replied to Song Tingzhou, “I saw someone do it before, so I gave it a try, and I didn’t expect it to actually work. Anyway, Aunt Song and I don’t have any other chores at home, so we might as well do some small business and help you out a bit.”
Song Tingzhou took his dirty clothes out of the book basket, paused upon hearing this, and said in a deep voice, “Thank you.”
”Aunt Song is so good to me, it’s all what I should do, there’s no need to thank me.” Meng Wan lowered his head to pick out the bad beans, secretly curling up the corners of his mouth.
That’s exactly what I wanted – a thank you. Good lad, don’t forget to repay me when you become successful.
After noon, fewer and fewer people came in. Chang Jinhua came in with an empty tray. She put the tray down and immediately scooped a ladle of water from the water vat and drank it.
”Why haven’t you two eaten yet? Dalang, aren’t you tired from walking all the way back?” Chang Jinhua asked, putting down the water ladle and looking at the food on the table.
”I’m not tired. Wan-ge’er heated up a bowl of soy milk for me. It’s delicious.” The milk has a strong, creamy aroma from the beans. It’s smooth and rich, and even meat doesn’t taste as good.
Chang Jinhua’s eyebrows relaxed. “It’s very delicious. Now Wan Ge’er and I can drink a cup of soy milk every morning. He says it’s good for your health. Oh, and I left you a few pieces of soy skin. Wan Ge’er said you should soak them in water to drink. It’s good for your health and easy to store. I’ll go find it.”
Song Tingzhou had barely returned when Chang Jinhua began telling him what to bring him the next morning, revealing her deep love for her son.
Meng Wan persuaded her, “Auntie, aren’t you tired? Sit down and rest for a bit before we eat. We can talk about it after dinner.”
The food was freshly taken out of the pot by Meng Wan as soon as she came in; it was still steaming hot.
As usual, there was meat and vegetables, but it was pork ribs, stewed in a small pot, and a pot of old tofu, served with pickled vegetable sauce.
Chang Jinhua turned the ribs over with her chopsticks a couple of times. “Wan-ge’er said he likes to eat this, so I didn’t buy any pork belly yesterday. Today he stewed the meat, so let’s all try his cooking.”
Song Tingzhou scooped up two spoonfuls of tofu and ate. He was a man of few words, and this time he ate without even looking up.
Chang Jinhua chatted with Meng Wan for a bit, saying, “Uncle Dalang just came by and bought a piece of tofu on credit. There’s no way we can get the money back.”
Meng Wan asked, “Is it my second aunt’s husband?”
Chang Jinhua picked up a piece of pork rib and gnawed on it carefully, and she did find some flavor in it. She put down the rib and nodded, saying, “The tallest one is him. Tingzhou’s father is also tall. It’s because the two brothers ate too much when they were young that your great-grandparents were able to divide the family property.”
Song Tingzhou’s father was named Song Youmin, and his cousin[1]here cousin is called on behalf of children jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2815223_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2815223_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); was named Song Youcai. The two were brothers from the same parents. At that time, everyone lived in the same courtyard. With so many people, there were many conflicts. There were also two big-eater boys, and the elders had many conflicts, which eventually led to them separating.
After that, Song Youcai started working as a laborer in town. However, the two brothers always had a good relationship. Even after Song Youmin passed away, Song Youcai took good care of his widowed sister-in-law. Of course, this was only when someone maliciously made things difficult for the widow and her child. Song Youcai would stand up for them, but he couldn’t offer any money, since he himself was still penniless.
After eating, Song Tingzhou fetched water to soak his dirty clothes, then picked up the bucket and prepared to go out. Every time he came home, he would fill the water tank at home. He didn’t know how to cook or do laundry, but unlike most students, he didn’t do any housework.
Chang Jinhua sat on the steps washing his clothes, while Meng Wan cleared the dishes.
In the village of a hundred households, children were playing, women were washing clothes, the river was clear, and the mountains and rivers were green. Song Tingzhou returned carrying a shoulder pole and poured the water from the buckets into the vat.
Suddenly, he asked, “Are we grinding beans tomorrow morning?”
”I don’t need you. Go read your books.” Every morning, the first thing Song Tingzhou does after getting up is to read; it has become a habit.
Song Tingzhou remained silent. When Chang Jinhua got up early the next morning, there was already freshly ground soy milk on the kitchen floor.
She felt both sorry for him and angry. “You’re showing off how capable you are! Why don’t you just finish making all the tofu for us before you leave!”
Song Tingzhou quoted a line from a book to his mother: “A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen.”
Meng Wan woke up early today. He put on his clothes and came out. Hearing this sentence, he laughed. Song Tingzhou is really interesting. This sentence clearly means that a gentleman should stay away from killing[2]the phrase means that a morally cultivated person, “a gentleman”, has a deeply compassionate heart and cannot bear to witness the slaughter of animals for food. Originally, it was used to … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2815223_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2815223_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, but he used it to fool his mother.
Meng Wan used raw soy milk to make tofu, while Chang Jinhua used a small pan to make pancakes.
Song Tingzhou drank the soy milk, took the cake, and set off.
Meng Wan and Chang Jinhua were left alone at home again, and everyone in the surrounding villages who knew about their family’s tofu business already knew.
Meng Wan doesn’t make much each day, just 36 yuan per board, which is usually enough to sell. Sometimes, even later buyers can’t buy it. Making more would be greedy and wasteful. Giving it away to the villagers for free would eventually make them wait for her to deliver it every day.
Meng Wan explained these principles to Chang Jinhua, and Chang Jinhua supported them. As a result, their lives became much more comfortable than before, and they dared not ask for anything more.
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