Yu Weidong pushed his bicycle into the courtyard. The sunlight glinted off the lenses of his glasses as he glanced at the baskets on the ox cart and said in surprise, “I even came early on purpose today. I still have to attend a meeting in the county this afternoon.”
Jiang Qingli’s heart immediately leapt into her throat.
Instinctively, she stepped in front of the basket of tofu in the corner and forced a smile onto her face.
“Hello, Director Yu!”
Only then did Yu Weidong notice Jiang Qingli in the courtyard. He turned to Wang Dagou with a puzzled look.
“And this is…?”
“This is the Shen Family’s new daughter-in-law, Jiang Qingli.”
Wang Dagou’s voice trembled slightly as he stammered, “Sh-she was passing by and came in to have a look…”
“Oh?”
Yu Weidong adjusted his glasses and swept his gaze around the yard.
“Then today’s delivery…?”
Jiang Qingli noticed that Wang Dagou’s fingers were gripping the hem of his shirt so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. This honest tofu maker probably did not even know how to lie properly.
The tofu in the corner was obviously different from the tofu on the cart. If he accidentally let something slip, they would be in serious trouble.
At that thought, Jiang Qingli suddenly cried out, “Ah!”
Her entire body staggered a few steps to the side, and by pure coincidence, she lurched straight toward the ox cart.
“My tofu!”
Wang Dagou shouted instinctively, his eyes widening in shock.
Jiang Qingli somehow managed to trip over her own feet, tangling one leg with the other and performing an impromptu yangge dance right there on level ground.
Then, after a dramatic spin, she crashed directly into the cart.
Bang!
Moo!
The old yellow ox swished its tail in irritation.
With Jiang Qingli’s build, that collision was no light bump. The baskets of tofu on the cart immediately rocked violently, looking as though they might topple over at any moment.
“Careful!”
Yu Weidong and Wang Dagou shouted at the same time as they rushed forward to steady the cart.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Jiang Qingli nudged the basket of tofu in the corner farther into the shadows with her foot. Then she put on an embarrassed expression and apologized.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. My foot slipped…”
Sure enough, Yu Weidong’s attention had been completely diverted.
Frowning, he counted the baskets on the cart.
“Old Wang, why are there only eight baskets of tofu today? Weren’t you supposed to deliver twelve?”
The supply and marketing cooperative’s tofu was entirely supplied by Wang Dagou. While the women buying tofu would not start a revolution over a few missing blocks, things would be very different if county inspectors came by and found the shelves completely empty.
That was not something a few casual excuses could smooth over.
At the thought, Yu Weidong narrowed his eyes.
Hearing the stern questioning, Wang Dagou had already forgotten every excuse Jiang Qingli had taught him moments earlier.
His face turned deathly pale. After struggling for a long moment, he finally answered in a small voice.
“Well… there was a problem while grinding the soybeans last night…”
Seeing that Wang Dagou was about to say the wrong thing, Jiang Qingli quickly interrupted.
“Director Yu, actually, Brother Wang is experimenting with a new product!”
Farmers really were too honest. Even telling a lie was difficult for them.
If she did not help, Wang Dagou was probably already drafting his confession in his head.
Her clear, bright voice immediately drew both men’s attention.
“A new product?”
As expected, Yu Weidong became interested.
“That’s right!”
Jiang Qingli strode over to the corner, lifted the cloth covering one of the baskets, and revealed the mold-covered tofu inside.
“Look, this is a new variety Brother Wang has been developing. It’s called Hairy Tofu. Once it’s fermented, it becomes incredibly fragrant and can be stored for a long time.”
Director Yu leaned closer to inspect it, his brows knitting together.
“Th-this isn’t moldy?”
“Of course not!”
Jiang Qingli answered with complete confidence.
“This is intentionally cultivated beneficial mold. Brother Wang heard that this kind of tofu is becoming very popular in the big cities these days, so he wanted to try making it himself.”
Wang Dagou stared at Jiang Qingli in stunned disbelief, but he quickly recovered and hurriedly nodded along.
“R-right, exactly what Little Jiang said… I’m still in the experimental stage…”
Tofu that was popular in big cities?
Why had he never heard of such a thing?
Yu Weidong suspiciously picked up a piece of tofu with his fingertips.
The mottled surface was covered with a thin layer of fuzzy mycelium that shimmered faintly in the morning sunlight.
“Can this really be eaten?”
He leaned in for a sniff. Alongside the mild scent of soybeans was a strange odor he could not quite place.
A puzzled frown formed on his face, but before he could speak, Jiang Qingli answered decisively.
“Absolutely!”
As she spoke, her eyes suddenly landed on the slogan pasted on the wall: “Innovate and Accelerate Production.”
Inspiration struck instantly.
“Director Yu, didn’t the province just issue a document encouraging communes to develop specialty agricultural products?”
She stepped forward half a pace, lowering her voice while maintaining an eager tone.
“Think about it. Ordinary tofu sells for three fen a piece. If this Hairy Tofu becomes a specialty product, it could easily sell for five fen. Then the additional sideline income for our commune…”
The eyes behind Yu Weidong’s glasses immediately lit up.
He remembered the meeting in the city the previous week. Secretary Xie had specifically criticized their commune for lagging behind in innovation efforts.
The neighboring Limin Commune had developed a product called “Five-Spice Dried Tofu,” and it had already been promoted throughout the entire county.
Sensing an opening, Jiang Qingli pressed on.
“How about this? You take these eight baskets of good tofu for now. This afternoon, we’ll finish processing the Hairy Tofu and bring it directly to the supply and marketing cooperative for you to taste.”
Her eyes curved into crescents.
“If it passes inspection, wouldn’t it become an innovative product that answers the province’s call? It could even bring honor to our commune.”
Yu Weidong considered it for a moment, and his expression softened.
“All right. But you must bring it this afternoon. I’ll personally taste it.”
Although the tofu looked rather questionable, the higher-ups talked about innovation and reform every single day. He could not afford to be too rigid and old-fashioned.
Even so, he still turned toward Wang Dagou with some concern.
“Old Wang, innovation is a good thing, but you need to pay attention to food safety and standardized production.”
“Yes, yes, of course. Don’t worry…”
Wang Dagou nodded repeatedly.
After Director Yu left, Wang Dagou finally let out a long breath. His legs nearly gave out beneath him.
Once the sound of the bicycle bell had completely disappeared down the alley, he seemed to lose all the strength in his body and collapsed onto the stone mill.
Sweat dripped from his thick beard, leaving dark stains on the bluestone paving.
“Shen Family’s daughter-in-law…”
His voice trembled.
“That lie was enormous… If we can’t make it by this afternoon…”
“Brother Wang, I wasn’t lying.”
Jiang Qingli’s eyes sparkled.
“If we start right now, we’ll definitely be able to make Hairy Tofu that satisfies Director Yu!”
She briskly rolled up her sleeves and began issuing instructions.
“You go prepare some baijiu and seasonings. I’ll handle the tofu. Oh, and see if you can find some clean straw as well…”
Watching Jiang Qingli dive straight into action, Wang Dagou could only treat a dead horse as if it were alive and give it a try.
There was no way out now.
If this thing actually succeeded, then all the spoiled tofu he had been forced to throw away would no longer go to waste.
The midday sunlight poured into the courtyard as Jiang Qingli skillfully cut the mold-covered tofu into small cubes.