Huang Shi smiled. “Yes. There isn’t much to do these days anyway, and there isn’t much work left in the fields. This afternoon, I’ll go to the butcher’s house at the east end of the village and see if he has any pork. If he does, I’ll buy some and come back to make you stuffed tofu.”
Liu Muli was so touched that she nearly cried. She quickly hugged Huang Shi and said tearfully, “Mother, you’re so good to me! I can’t bear to part with you!”
Huang Shi burst out laughing and patted her hand. “Listen to you. What do you mean, you can’t bear to part with me? Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind again and want to go to the capital with Linyě?”
“No.” Liu Muli felt a dull ache in her heart, and her eyes turned red. “I just mean that I can’t bear for you to go out, either.”
Huang Shi was amused. “What’s gotten into you today, child? Why are you so clingy?”
“I just want to stay by Mother’s side forever…”
Huang Shi’s eyes crinkled with happiness, and she indulged Liu Muli’s affectionate behavior for quite a while.
Only then did she go into the kitchen and bring out the soaked beans.
There was a stone mill in one corner of the courtyard. It had been brought back when Wei Linmu was still alive.
There were only four stone mills in the village, located in the eastern, southern, western, and northern parts of the village respectively. During festivals, everyone had to line up to use them. Wei Linmu thought it was terribly inconvenient, so he had a stone mill installed in his own courtyard.
Besides that, he had also had a well dug, which had cost quite a bit of money. Fortunately, Wei Linmu could earn money by hunting, while Wei Linyě could earn money by copying books and doing calligraphy-related work.
Ever since realizing that she had been reborn, Liu Muli often thought that if only Wei Linmu were still alive, things would be so much better. She could marry him and live peacefully in the Wei family.
Unfortunately, there were no “ifs” in life. In the end, she would still have to leave the Wei family.
Huang Shi washed the stone mill before saying, “I’ll turn the millstone. You put the beans in.”
“How could I let you do all of it? We can take turns. It won’t be tiring that way.” Liu Muli grinned.
Huang Shi found her considerate and felt both comforted and happy.
The two women worked together, chatting and laughing, and the task really didn’t feel that tiring.
Most importantly, Huang Shi often chatted with the women and old ladies in the village and heard all sorts of gossip, which she would come home and tell Liu Muli about.
For example, there was a widow who lived at the end of the village who supposedly had connections with several men. This time, people were saying she had gotten involved with all three brothers from one particular family in the village.
Liu Muli admitted that she really was just a country woman. She didn’t understand those refined and sophisticated things, and she also loved listening to this kind of gossip. She found it fascinating, much like how she had loved reading all kinds of storybooks in her previous life.
The two of them ground a total of ten pounds of soybeans, producing a large pot filled to the brim with soy milk.
Huang Shi took a small earthen basin, filled it more than halfway with soy milk, then dropped three sugar cubes into it.
The hot soy milk quickly melted all three sugar cubes.
“Go get some bowls. Soy milk tastes best when it’s hot,” Huang Shi said.
Liu Muli obediently fetched three bowls, three small wooden spoons, and a long-handled wooden ladle. Using the ladle, she filled three bowls with soy milk.
Huang Shi added, “Take this bowl to Linyě. He’s been reading for so long. He should take a break.”
Liu Muli answered, “Okay,” then carried a bowl of soy milk into Wei Linyě’s room once again. Without saying a word, she placed it on the desk and turned to leave.
Wei Linyě didn’t react quickly enough. Otherwise, he would definitely have pulled her back for a hug.
What’s gotten into this girl these past two days? Why is she so temperamental? He gritted his teeth and muttered darkly before pulling the bowl closer and taking a few sips.
The sweetness was just right, without being cloying.
Liu Muli also loved drinking soy milk, taking one sip after another.
Huang Shi ladled the rest of the soy milk from the pot into a wooden bucket and added gypsum.
After working for a while, they finally got to sit down and drink a bowl of hot soy milk. Once she finished, Huang Shi felt refreshed all over and stretched her slightly aching waist.
Seeing this, Liu Muli felt sorry for her. “Mother, go rest. I’ll take care of the rest.”
She knew how to make tofu too.
Back at the Liu family home, whenever tofu was made for festivals, she had always done it all by herself. Soaking the beans, grinding them—everything had been her responsibility.
She had felt terribly wronged. She remembered several times when she had cried while grinding the beans. Sometimes, the aunts and older women waiting in line behind her had felt sorry for her and helped out.
Huang Shi really was tired. Her lower back was a little sore, and the remaining work wasn’t difficult, so she left it to Liu Muli.
The soy milk was still setting into tofu curds, so they had to wait a little longer.
Liu Muli glanced at the sun outside and estimated that it was almost noon. She put the chicken feet and chicken necks into a pot to simmer, then took out a small winter melon, peeled it, and cut it into small pieces.
By then, the soy milk in the wooden bucket had turned into tofu curds. She scooped out three bowls of tofu curds and placed them on the stove. She transferred the rest onto tofu molds and made two large slabs.
After pressing them under wooden boards with large stones for some time, they would become tofu. If they were pressed for longer, they could be used to make dried tofu.
Once she finished with that, she added the winter melon to the pot. When the soup came to a boil, she poured in the chicken blood.
At last, most of the work was done.
The sun was directly overhead, and the kitchen was filled with heat and steam. Liu Muli stepped outside into the courtyard to get some fresh air.
Unlike the coolness of early morning and evening, noon was still quite hot, so Huang Shi moved the table and chairs back into the main room.
The main room was small because part of it was divided off as a bedroom, where Huang Shi slept.
The Wei family home was not small. On the eastern side was the kitchen, which connected to the bathing room. Beside it was another small shed used to house the chickens they raised. Next to that little shed, extending toward the back wall of the courtyard, was the chicken coop.
Because the chicken shed was connected to the house at the far end of the front row, the foul smell of chicken droppings did not waft into the house.
On the western side, near Wei Linyě’s room, there was another small room used as a woodshed. At the front were three rooms. The rooms on the left and right belonged to Liu Muli and Wei Linyě respectively, while the middle room served as both the main living area and Huang Shi’s bedroom.
The courtyard was spacious, and the walls were built high, making the home feel very secure. Liu Muli really liked this house. Living here gave her a sense of warmth and safety.
It was just a shame that Wei Linyě was here.
But that was fine. Once she made enough money in the future, she would build a house like this herself—or buy one in the city.
Huang Shi had no idea what she was thinking. She walked over, sniffed the air, and smiled. “Muli, did you make chicken soup?”
Liu Muli smiled too. “Yes. It’ll be ready after simmering for a little longer.”
“Good. I’ll go see if the tofu is ready.” Huang Shi nodded, then went into the kitchen to check on it.
The tofu had already set. Huang Shi used a kitchen knife to scoop out half a slab, leaving the rest under the stones to continue pressing.
“After we eat, I’ll go to the butcher’s and see if he has any pork,” Huang Shi said.
“Mother, I’ll go with you,” Liu Muli said.
She didn’t want to be alone at home with Wei Linyě.
That bastard Wei Linyě would definitely do nothing productive and spend all day thinking about touching her.
In the past, she had naively thought it was because Wei Linyě liked her too much, which was why he was always trying to do those things. She had allowed him to get close to her, and had even secretly felt sweet and happy about it.
Now she no longer had such naive thoughts.
Wei Linyě’s feelings could change. He would not necessarily love her forever. He might even come to look down on her for being nothing more than an uncultured village woman.
Liu Muli couldn’t help sighing.
Sigh. I’m simply not destined for a life of luxury. I’d better honestly remain an ordinary commoner.