Chapter 202: Wang Zhou’s Choice

When Lin Heng woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky. Xiulan had been up for a while. Seeing Lin Heng awake, she smiled and asked, “Did you have a nightmare last night?”

Lin Heng waved his hand dismissively. “Nothing much, just dreamt of a bunch of snakes.”

“Really?” Xiulan blinked, a bit surprised that Lin Heng was frightened by snakes.

She hugged him, laughing, “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Lin Heng cupped Xiulan’s face in his hands, gazing at her for a moment before leaning down to kiss her.

Noticing Lin Heng’s gesture, Xiulan obediently closed her eyes.

After an intimate exchange between the two, they lingered in bed for a long while.

With nothing much to do on a cold winter day, Lin Heng eased his discomfort with a large meat bun and enjoyed some fun activities with Xiulan.

After getting up, Lin Heng felt a bit tired while practicing archery in the courtyard. Shaking his head, he thought to himself that such morning activities were indeed exhausting.

After practicing archery for a while, Lin Heng and Xiulan did their morning exercises together.

In the kitchen, Xiulan and Lin Heng moved the large wooden basin used for making tofu skin.

Uncovering the cloth, Xiulan inspected the tofu skin and nodded. “Not bad, looks like a success.”

Tofu skin is different from regular tofu. Tofu shouldn’t be pressed too hard to retain some moisture, while tofu skin needs to be pressed thoroughly to expel all the water, forming a nice sheet.

“It smells great!”

Lin Heng sniffed, feeling a craving for hot pot. Tofu skin in hot pot would be delicious.

After checking the tofu skin, Lin Heng also looked at the oil skin, which had already formed nicely, thin and perfect.

The two then took out the rest of the tofu. The regular tofu was white and delicate, the mugwort tofu had a green hue from the mugwort leaves, and the cabbage tofu had a yellow-green tint from the cabbage leaves.

All were perfectly square, thanks to the excellent tofu molds.

“Let’s head to the fields to get some straw,” Xiulan suggested to Lin Heng.

“I can go alone. You stay here and watch Xiao Xia,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

“Alright then,” Xiulan nodded.

Lin Heng grabbed a rope and left the courtyard to fetch straw.

The wind was strong today and the sky overcast. Looking towards Shanghe Shimen Village, he could see the snow-capped mountain peaks.

The snow on the mountains never melted, and at night, the tree branches were covered with frost, creating a stunning morning view.

Not far along the way, Yang Zhaotao approached, greeting with a smile, “Lin Heng, where are you off to so early?”

“Just fetching some straw. How about you?”

“I’m going to the vegetable patch to pick some greens…”

After a brief chat, Lin Heng continued on his way.

The winter fields weren’t empty but planted with rapeseed, which was lush and green, very frost-resistant.

Lin Heng selected some good straw from the stack by the field and brought it home.

When he returned, Xiao Xia was already up, playing in the courtyard with Xiong Ba.

Seeing Lin Heng carrying straw, she and Xiong Ba both looked over.

“Just put it on the ground,” Xiulan said with a smile.

The straw was for making fermented tofu. The natural microbes on it help the tofu ferment quickly, growing a white mold.

Without commercially made fermentation starters, rural families use straw for making fermented tofu.

Xiulan laid the clean straw on a bamboo basket.

Then she cut the white tofu into three-centimeter cubes, placed them on the straw, covered them, and left them in their warm bedroom to ferment.

It usually takes three to four days to complete the fermentation.

Xiulan used thirty jin of tofu to make fermented tofu, a favorite in their household, with dozens of jin made each year for the New Year.

After finishing with the fermented tofu, Xiulan cut the remaining white tofu into small pieces, placed them on bamboo racks to smoke.

A fire was lit below the racks, and wet wood was used to smoke them. In a few days, they’d all become dried tofu.

Compared to regular tofu, dried tofu has a much longer shelf life.

“I’ll make breakfast. You take some tofu to your parents and sister-in-law,” Xiulan said, handing the prepared tofu to Lin Heng.

Lin Heng took his daughter to deliver the tofu, chatting for a while and strolling around the village.

A group of children in the village were playing hopscotch and house, with Xiao Xia curiously observing them.

Under the big ginkgo tree, it was lively, but Xiao Xia was too young to join in, only giggling foolishly.

Watching the children play, Lin Heng’s distant childhood memories became vivid.

“Let’s go home.”

Shaking his head, Lin Heng took Xiao Xia back home.

By the time they returned, Xiulan had already prepared breakfast.

For breakfast, they had rice, with dishes including the usual stir-fried pickled radish and braised dishes, as well as steamed mugwort tofu topped with fresh red garlic chili, exuding a rich aroma.

In the center of the table was a soup of vegetable tofu and matsutake mushrooms, its fragrance enticing and appetizing.

The mugwort tofu with a hint of garlic chili was spicy yet irresistibly delicious, while the stir-fried pickled radish with meat was even more appetizing.

After the meal, the soup was served in bowls. The matsutake mushrooms and black truffle elevated the flavor of the soup, blending the bean aroma with the rich mushroom scent.

After finishing his meal, Lin Heng diluted the bean dregs with water and brought it over to the mother musk deer and Hongzao.

Hongzao looked as beautiful as ever, closing her eyes contentedly over the bean dregs.

The mother musk deer’s belly was noticeably larger than before, indicating she was pregnant. However, it was unclear how many fawns she would have.

Typically, a musk deer gives birth to one fawn during her first pregnancy, and from the second pregnancy onwards, usually two.

Lin Heng couldn’t be certain yet and would have to wait until she gave birth to know for sure.

The mother musk deer had become completely tame, remaining still even when touched.

The male musk deer was still a bit timid, instinctively retreating when touched.

Lin Heng wasn’t too concerned about this, as long as the deer was healthy.

With these tasks completed, the household was mostly at leisure, with nothing else pressing to do.

The three of them lounged lazily in the bedroom. Lin Heng was sipping tea and reading a book, Xiulan was knitting a sweater, and Xiao Xia was playing with her toys.

Time passed leisurely, and in the blink of an eye, three days had gone by. It was now January 7th, 1984, according to the solar calendar, and the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month of 1983.

In the morning, Lin Heng and Xiulan went to check on the fermented tofu. Upon opening the lid, they saw the tofu was covered in a dense layer of white fuzz.

Xiulan exclaimed with delight, “This time it’s a great success, even better than before.”

“That’s wonderful,” Lin Heng replied with a smile, turning to fetch a basin to transfer the fermented tofu.

They had made quite a lot, filling two basins to the brim.

After placing them in the kitchen, Lin Heng and Xiulan went to wash up and exercise.

Once they finished exercising, they returned to continue making the fermented tofu.

The jars for storing the fermented tofu had been prepared in advance. Xiulan had also prepped a variety of ingredients the day before, including chili, garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper powder, and fennel powder.

The mixture was primarily chili-based, with other spices as complements. They poured it into the basin and mixed it by hand, mashing the fermented tofu to blend it thoroughly with the spices.

Once the mixture was well combined, it was ready to be packed into the earthenware jar. Lin Heng used a large, reddish-brown jar that was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, perfectly fitting the thirty jin of fermented tofu.

After packing the fermented tofu, the final step was to pour in high-quality grain liquor, submerging the tofu completely in the alcohol.

They then sealed the jar and placed it in a cool, ventilated area to ferment. By the following summer, the alcohol would mostly evaporate, leaving only a hint of its flavor, at which point the tofu would be ready to eat.

As time passed, the alcohol taste would completely disappear, leaving only the flavors of the fermented tofu and spices. Whether used as a side dish or in cooking, it would be a delicious treat.

The couple carried the jars to a bedroom behind the kitchen, which was currently unoccupied and used for storage.

After finishing, Lin Heng wrote the date on a label and stuck it on the jar. “All set, now we just wait until next year to enjoy the fermented tofu.”

Xiulan blinked and smiled, “Let’s make some stir-fried pork with fermented tofu for breakfast.”

“Sure.”

Lin Heng had no objections, as he loved this dish.

Stir-fried pork with fermented tofu involves diluting the fermented tofu slightly with water and stir-frying it with pork belly. The pork becomes completely enveloped in the sauce, delivering a burst of happiness with each bite.

This sauce can also be mixed with rice or eaten with tofu, offering a unique flavor, making it a rare rural delicacy.

After breakfast, Lin Heng headed to Liu Cihua’s home. As he reached Red Maple Mountain, he found her there tending to her cattle.

Upon seeing Lin Heng, she appeared pleased but quickly tried to maintain a reserved demeanor.

Lin Heng, noticing her reaction, smiled and said, “I’m here to give you a message. If you have time tomorrow, you can meet Wang Zhou in town.”

Liu Cihua blushed and nodded gently, “I understand.”

Lin Heng nodded, having delivered the message, and turned to leave.

In the afternoon, he mentioned to Xiulan his plan to go into town the next day. He intended to sell the musk and also see if anyone was interested in buying his century-old ginseng.

“Go ahead, just be careful,” Xiulan nodded, having no objections.

With his wife’s approval, Lin Heng took good care of Hongzao in the evening, and the next morning, he set off riding her at a gallop.

Grass, being resilient, could root even in the most compacted soil of the road, which was covered in a layer of frost in the morning.

The horse’s hooves left prints in the frost as he rode through the cold morning air, finding a unique pleasure in the winter ride.

He arrived in Huangtan Town by eight in the morning, where Wang Zhou had just finished washing his face and was taking stock of his goods.

Seeing Lin Heng, Wang Zhou was surprised, “Brother Lin, you’re here early today. Is there something you need?”

Lin Heng nodded with a smile, “Yes, I have a couple of things. First, I told Liu Cihua that she’ll be in town today, so you can find some time to talk with her.

Secondly, I need to go into the city, so could you feed Hongzao some grass for me?”

Upon hearing Liu Cihua’s name, Wang Zhou didn’t show his usual excitement. Instead, he hesitated as he spoke to Lin Heng, “Brother Lin, a few days ago, my parents came down and told me they’ve found a girl for me. They want me to meet her during the New Year and settle the marriage.”

“Your parents introduced her?” Lin Heng was taken aback, a bit surprised.

Wang Zhou nodded. “They say the girl is very nice, and they like her a lot. Now that I’m working with you, Brother Lin, and my salary is stable, many people are introducing potential matches to me.”

Ever since his parents mentioned his monthly salary of twenty yuan, people who once looked down on him suddenly started proposing marriage, making him deeply realize the power of money.

“What’s her name?” Lin Heng asked, looking at him.

He planned to groom Wang Zhou as a trusted aide. Wang Zhou was honest and obedient, making him very useful. However, if he had a wife unfamiliar to Lin Heng, things might not go as planned. Honest men like him could easily be swayed by their wives.

He recalled that in his past life, he managed to get a wife because he saved some money from driving a tractor. But when he lost that job and could only farm, his wife constantly berated him, and none of their three children were biologically his.

Wang Zhou looked at Lin Heng and said, “My mom said the girl’s name is Wang Cuilian, from the neighboring village.”

Upon hearing the name, Lin Heng immediately remembered that Wang Zhou’s wife in his past life had the same name. It was likely the same person. Although he wasn’t familiar with her back then, the incident was so explosive that everyone in the surrounding villages knew about it. He remembered the woman’s name well.

Lin Heng smiled slightly at Wang Zhou. “So, what do you think?”

Wang Zhou hesitated for a moment before saying, “I… actually still like Liu Cihua, but my parents won’t let me marry her. They say Wang Cuilian is better.”

Hearing Wang Zhou’s words, Lin Heng felt a bit relieved. If Wang Zhou didn’t even have this level of awareness, he wouldn’t be worth helping.

“This is easy to handle. If you’ve truly made up your mind and decided to stick with me, I have a method for you,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

He remembered that Wang Zhou’s parents didn’t care much about him until recently when he started earning money, which changed their attitude.

“Of course, I’m sticking with you, Brother Lin. Whatever you say goes.”

Wang Zhou had no hesitation about this. During his time with Lin Heng, he had already been won over by Lin Heng’s extraordinary vision and ambition. He had long decided to follow Lin Heng, believing that he was his greatest benefactor and support in life.

Wang Zhou’s attitude pleased Lin Heng. He smiled and said, “Go back and tell your parents that Liu Cihua is someone I introduced to you. If they disagree, you won’t be able to continue working with me. But if you can marry Liu Cihua, by next New Year, your salary will increase to thirty yuan a month.”

No tactics were needed; money was the best tactic. Lin Heng believed this statement alone would be powerful enough to make Wang Zhou’s parents abandon their previous plans.

“Thirty yuan!!” Wang Zhou’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. This salary was on par with a bank employee’s.

Lin Heng smiled slightly. “This is just the beginning. There will be more raises in the future. I won’t shortchange my people.”

Wang Zhou immediately nodded. “Thank you, Brother Lin. I will work hard. I’ll express my feelings to Liu Cihua today and tell my parents when I get back.”

He believed his parents wouldn’t be able to resist the allure of thirty yuan. As for Wang Cuilian, she could go to hell. He was determined to hold onto Lin Heng’s support.

(End of Chapter)