Chapter 8: Brine Setting Tofu¹

These past few days, Zhao Mengcheng had not been sitting around doing nothing. Combining his own knowledge with the memories of the original owner, he realized that there was no Tofu in this town.

The cost of making Tofu was low, the process was simple, and it was a low-risk way to make money quickly. It could solve the Zhao family’s pressing emergency.

Originally, he had wanted to wait a bit longer, but Zhao Chun was already too restless to stay home and had gone out to find work. Thus, Zhao Mengcheng moved the Tofu making up his schedule.

Upon returning home, Zhao Mengcheng brought out his son’s “wages.”

Zhao Chun had worked for five days straight, earning two liters of soybeans each day. They had accumulated a full dou², which was quite a significant amount.

Liu Fengshou was an honest man. The beans he gave were plump and round, showing he hadn’t taken advantage of the child.

Zhao Mengcheng rinsed the soybeans clean and put them in a large bucket to soak.

“Alright, let’s eat first.”

Zhao Chun was fidgeting restlessly, wanting to ask something but not daring to speak.

Zhao Xin had no such reservations. She tugged on her father’s sleeve and asked, “Dad, are we having bean rice³ for dinner?”

“We’re not having bean rice. Tomorrow, Dad is going to make something delicious for you all,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile.

Soybeans could be eaten directly, but they were difficult to digest and easily causes bloating.

Dinner was still white rice with green vegetables. Zhao Chun’s face turned bitter at the sight. Thinking about how the granary was already half empty, his small face wrinkled up in worry.

Zhao Mengcheng found it amusing and asked with a laugh, “What’s wrong? Do you still not trust your dad?”

Zhao Chun shook his head, yet his face remained full of concern. “Dad, can beans really turn into gold?”

Zhao Mao looked at his older brother strangely. “Big Brother, how could beans turn into gold? If they were going to turn into anything, they’d turn into soldiers, because of the story about casting beans to create an army⁴.”

Zhao Xin chimed in, not wanting to be left out. “I know, I know! Dad told us the story about casting beans to create an army.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Zhao Chun said, his nose practically sweating from anxiety. “The gold I’m talking about isn’t real gold. It’s the gold Dad mentioned.”

“Then is it gold or not? How can gold not be gold?” Zhao Mao pressed.

The childish words amused Zhao Mengcheng to no end. He smiled and patted their three little heads. “I plan to make a food called Tofu. We don’t have it around here, so it’s a rarity that can be sold for money. Tofu isn’t gold, but it can be exchanged for gold. However, I’ve only read about it in books, so I can’t explain it clearly yet. You’ll understand once I make it.”

Zhao Xin immediately asked, “Is Tofu tasty?”

“It’s delicious.” Zhao Mengcheng thought about how Tofu could provide protein, and his own heart filled with anticipation.

Zhao Xin asked again, “Is it even tastier than egg porridge?”

In the little girl’s heart, egg porridge with sugar was already the most delicious thing in the world.

“You’ll know once you eat it tomorrow,” Zhao Mengcheng said, then hurried the three children off to bed.

The three children were still wondering what Tofu would taste like before they slept, but as soon as they hit the bed, they fell fast asleep. Their quality of sleep was enviably good.

By the time Zhao Mengcheng brought over the herbs, the three children were already sound asleep.

He smiled and sat by the bed, gently taking Zhao Chun’s hand.

Since he considered himself the big brother, Zhao Chun took on the task of looking after his younger siblings, so he always slept on the very edge to prevent them from falling off the bed.

The weather had turned warm, and Zhao Chun was a restless sleeper with his arms and legs sticking out, which made things easier for Zhao Mengcheng.

After applying the medicine, Zhao Mengcheng looked at the three little faces flushed with sleep. He tucked them in properly before leaving.

At night, his Mental Power was exceptionally active. Zhao Mengcheng sensed that this body was recovering rapidly; it wouldn’t be long before he became healthy and strong.

A dreamless night passed. The next morning, Zhao Mengcheng was woken up by the three children’s whispering, which they thought was quiet.

Coming out to look, he saw the three siblings gathered around the bucket of soaking soybeans.

“The beans have grown fat.” Zhao Xin carefully tried to scoop one out to look, but Zhao Mao stopped her.

“Don’t touch them, you’ll ruin them.” Zhao Mao acted like a little adult, though he was also wondering in his heart, “What exactly is Tofu? I’ve never even heard of it.”

Zhao Chun said seriously, “Dad said he’s going to turn stone to gold. Do you think he’ll just point his finger and the beans will turn into Tofu?”

Zhao Mao scoffed at him. “Turning stone to gold is just a story. Dad was using a metaphor. Big Brother, you actually believed it.”

“You think you’re so smart. Then you tell me, how is it made?” Zhao Chun snapped back, unconvinced.

Zhao Mengcheng walked out. “Stop whispering. Eat breakfast first. After we eat, we’ll go make the Tofu.”

The three siblings cheered. This time, they were more eager to eat than ever, wishing they could finish their food in a single gulp.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t dawdle either. He picked up the bucket full of soybeans and prepared to head out. “Making Tofu requires a Stone Mill⁵. We don’t have one at home, so we have to go next door to borrow one.”

A Stone Mill was a large item that their household didn’t possess. Zhao Wencheng’s family had one, but Zhao Mengcheng would rather borrow from a neighbor than have anything more to do with that eldest brother.

“Dad, let me do it.” Zhao Chun said, quickly taking over the task.

Zhao Mengcheng had intended to object, but to his surprise, Zhao Chun carried the bucket of beans and water, weighing nearly twenty pounds, with a steady gait. In contrast, Zhao Mengcheng had nearly failed to lift it just moments before.

By the time the father and his three children arrived, the Wang family had just finished their meal and were preparing to head out to the fields.

Not only were Uncle Wang and Auntie Wang there today, but their youngest son, Wang Ming, was also home. When he saw Zhao Mengcheng enter, he greeted him as “Brother.”

“Ah Ming is here too,” Zhao Mengcheng noted. He remembered that both of the Wang family’s children worked in the city.

Wang Ming looked a bit uncomfortable and lowered his head without saying a word.

Uncle Wang changed the subject. “Did you come over so early this morning for something?”

Upon hearing that he wanted to borrow the Stone Mill, Uncle Wang agreed without hesitation. “Don’t talk about borrowing. Just use it whenever you need.”

Auntie Wang walked out curiously. “Beans? Mengcheng, are you planning to grind bean flour?”

Zhao Mengcheng explained with a smile, “Auntie, I’m planning to make a new kind of food. You know my situation; now that the children’s mother is gone, I can’t go back to work in the city. If I’m away for ten days or half a month at a time, I wouldn’t feel right leaving the three children home alone.”

“I found a recipe in a book. Since no one around here makes it, I thought I’d give it a try. If I can make it and sell it, it’ll be a way to earn a living.”

“There are recipes like that in books?” After her initial surprise, Auntie Wang pressed further. “So you’re not going to look for work in the city anymore? Doing business means being out in the wind and rain; how could that be better than being an accountant?”

In their eyes, since Zhao Mengcheng was literate, he should find a respectable job. If he was done with one employer, he should just find another.

Wang Ming couldn’t help but chime in, “Working in town means having to watch everyone’s expressions and cater to them. It’s not nearly as free as running your own business.”

Auntie Wang glared at him. “What kind of livelihood doesn’t involve dealing with people’s moods? You really are…”

Seeing that mother and son were about to start an argument, Zhao Mengcheng quickly interrupted. “I want to try this first. If it doesn’t work, I’ll go look for work then.”

“True, you have a fallback plan.” Since he was just a neighbor and not her own son, Auntie Wang didn’t try to stop him further.

She walked over and pulled back the reed mat covering the Stone Mill. “Just come over whenever you need to use it in the future. It’s just sitting idle anyway, and you can’t really break a Stone Mill.”

Having said that, she stood to the side to watch with curiosity.

Zhao Mengcheng rolled up his sleeves and got to work, ladling soybeans into the mill while pushing the stone. A clean wooden bucket was placed underneath to catch the result.

Only once he started did he realize that grinding for Tofu was heavy labor. Zhao Mengcheng hadn’t fully recovered his strength yet, and after a short while, he lacked the energy to keep the mill turning.

“Dad, let me do it,” Zhao Chun immediately volunteered.

The boy gritted his teeth, making the Stone Mill creak and groan as he pushed. His speed wasn’t bad, but he was young and lacked stamina; before long, he was drenched in sweat.

“Chun, take a break and let me take over,” Zhao Mengcheng said quickly.

He didn’t want to overwork his eldest son.

Zhao Mao also stood up. “I’ll help push too.”

To his surprise, his strength couldn’t compare to his older brother’s at all. Even straining with all his might, the Stone Mill wouldn’t budge. Only when Zhao Xin followed his lead and added her own effort did the mill finally deign to move an inch.

Zhao Mengcheng felt helpless. He hadn’t expected that the first hurdle in making Tofu would be physical strength.

“Brother Mengcheng, let me do it.”

Wang Ming, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. He reached out and moved the three children aside, then rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

His arms were corded with lean muscle. Though he wasn’t particularly tall, his strength was immense; the four members of the Zhao family combined couldn’t match him.

“Brother, you ladle the beans and I’ll turn the mill,” Wang Ming urged.

Auntie Wang added with a smile, “Just let Ah Ming do it. He doesn’t have anything else to do today anyway.”

Zhao Mengcheng stood there ladling the beans. “Ah Ming, you really are strong.”

As he pushed the Stone Mill, Wang Ming still had enough breath to talk. “What’s the use of being strong? People only like those who know how to suck up to them.”

Zhao Mengcheng could tell that he had an unpleasant experience working in town. The Wang family had little land and many mouths to feed, making their lives difficult.

Of the two Wang sons, the eldest, Zhao De, was smooth-talking and well-liked; he had gone to the city early on to work as a waiter and was reportedly doing quite well.

The second son, Wang Ming, was honest and straightforward. He had always relied on manual labor to earn money, which made him an easy target for bullying.

Seeing that Wang Ming wasn’t even winded while pushing the Stone Mill, a thought flashed through Zhao Mengcheng’s mind.

“Dad, look!” Zhao Xin’s delighted voice interrupted Zhao Mengcheng’s thoughts.

Zhao Mengcheng looked down and saw white soy milk⁶ slowly overflowing from the Stone Mill, trickling down into the wooden bucket.

With Wang Ming’s help, the process of grinding the soy milk went much faster. Within an hour, the bucket of soybeans Zhao Mengcheng had brought over had all been transformed into soy milk.

Zhao Mengcheng scraped all the soy milk into the wooden bucket, making sure not to leave even a drop behind in the mill.

Auntie Wang watched from the side and asked curiously, “Is this all you’re making? They have this in town too. I’m afraid it won’t sell well.”

“Auntie, this is only the first step,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile. “There are several more steps to go. Once it’s finished, you must have a taste.”

Wang Ming decided to see the favor through to the end and simply picked up the wooden bucket. “I’ll carry it back for you.”

Zhao Mengcheng walked behind him, looking at the young man’s sturdy build and then at his own disappointing, thin frame, feeling a wave of envy in his heart.

“Brother, where should I put this?” Wang Ming asked from ahead.

Zhao Mengcheng called out, “Put it in the kitchen.”

Wang Ming carried it straight into the kitchen without even breaking a sweat.

Once he set the bucket down, he intended to leave, but Zhao Mengcheng caught him. “Wait a moment. Once it’s ready, take some back with you to eat.”

Wang Ming felt a bit embarrassed. “Isn’t that a secret recipe⁷ of yours? It wouldn’t be right for me to stay and watch, would it?”

Only then did Zhao Mengcheng realize why Auntie Wang, despite her curiosity, hadn’t followed them in. It turned out she was afraid of seeing his secret recipe.

His estimation of the Wang family rose even higher. Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile, “It’s no trouble. I guarantee you won’t be able to make it even if you watch.”

Wang Ming paused and scratched the back of his head. “Then I really will watch.”

“You brat, as if I wouldn’t trust you,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a laugh.

In the span of a few sentences, the relationship between the two had grown much closer. This was especially true for Wang Ming. Previously, he had felt that while Zhao Mengcheng was a decent person, he always carried the somewhat off-putting air of a scholar. Now, it seemed he had simply been overthinking things.

“Dad, what do we do now?” Zhao Chun asked.

Zhao Mengcheng gave a grand wave of his hand. “Put the pot on the stove and boil some water.”

In fact, he had started the fire before leaving, but it hadn’t been very strong. Right now, the pot of water was only lukewarm.

Zhao Chun added a few more pieces of firewood, and the pot of water soon began to boil.

Zhao Mengcheng opened the lid, used a ladle to scoop the boiling water, and poured it directly into the bucket of soy milk. This was his first time making it, so he was estimating all the measurements.

When he felt it was enough, Zhao Mengcheng used a small lid to cover the wooden bucket and began the process of scalding the soy milk.

There was a technique to scalding soy milk. It had to be stirred at regular intervals, otherwise the milk wouldn’t be heated evenly.

He didn’t dare let Wang Ming or Zhao Chun handle this task and had to do it himself. Before long, he was drenched in sweat.

Once the soy milk was sufficiently scalded, Zhao Mengcheng took out a piece of cloth. It was meant for filtering the tofu dregs⁸. Since the Zhao family didn’t have any suitable fabric, Zhao Mengcheng had found a piece of coarse hemp cloth that had originally been used as a bundle wrap.

Wang Ming watched for a while and felt that while the work looked simple, it required quite a bit of strength.

“Brother, why don’t I do it? I’ve already learned how by watching.” He saw that Zhao Mengcheng was covered in sweat and feared he might fall ill from exhaustion again.

Zhao Mengcheng had his own thoughts on the matter, so he handed over the task. Sure enough, he saw Wang Ming begin the filtering with practiced movements. Compared to him, the young man worked both faster and better.

“I still have to rely on the youth. These old bones of mine can’t take it after just a short while,” Zhao Mengcheng joked, thumping his lower back.

Wang Ming gave a sheepish laugh. “You’re only a few years older than me. Why are you calling yourself an old man?”

While they chatted, Wang Ming finished the work, filtering out the dregs until the milk was perfectly clean.

Zhao Mengcheng then poured the soy milk back into the pot to bring it to a boil. This time, he had to keep a close eye on it. As soon as it boiled, he had to lift the lid, otherwise the soy milk would foam up and overflow, leading to waste.

He clearly lacked experience. He watched the steam rising from the pot but didn’t react in time. Fortunately, only a little bit spilled out.

Zhao Mao craned his neck to look inside. Seeing that it was still white soy milk, he was instantly disappointed. “Why is it still soy milk? Are we just going to eat it like this?”

“This is just like the soy milk they sell in town, isn’t it?” Wang Ming also found it strange.

Soy milk was sold in town, but it was cheap and couldn’t fetch a high price. If Zhao Mengcheng wanted to rely on this to make money, it would likely be very difficult.

Zhao Mengcheng raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Keep your eyes wide open, everyone. I’m about to perform a magic trick.”

First, he ladled the soy milk into wooden buckets. This time, he split it between two buckets, leaving plenty of room in each.

He turned and opened the cupboard to take out a bowl of brine. Traditional brine was the liquid left after seawater sedimented, or one could use gypsum⁹ to set the tofu¹⁰. He couldn’t get the former, and the latter was too expensive, so Zhao Mengcheng had to find another way.

the bowl in his hand was a brine mixed from salt and vinegar. It could achieve the same effect as traditional brine and actually tasted better than gypsum.

The three children and one adult in the room all stared with wide eyes, watching Zhao Mengcheng’s every move.

In the next moment, a miracle occurred.

Translator’s Notes