Zhou Yan never expected to see the deaf-mute boy who sold tofu here again.
The boy was clearly surprised as well. He paused for a moment upon seeing Zhou Yan, then quickly smiled and gestured with his fingers, trying to communicate.
Zhou Yan could sense his emotions from his smile, but he couldn't understand sign language, so he could only helplessly look at the old woman beside him.
The old woman smiled and waved, gesturing for the boy to go inside.
Clearly, she couldn't understand it either.
The boy scratched his head awkwardly, beckoned them both inside, and offered to help the old woman carry her basket.
The old woman smiled and handed him the basket, introducing him to Zhou Yan: "This is Laifu, Lihua's grandson."
"I bought my tofu from him this morning." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"No wonder! I was wondering when Suji had another person who could make Xiba tofu, and with such good skills." The old lady suddenly realized, and walked into the courtyard, looking at Laifu's back with some surprise: "He went alone? He can even sell tofu?"
"He's alone, but he's really not very good at it." Zhou Yan thought of the boy huddled in the corner that morning, his eyes filled with fear.
If he hadn't helped, he probably wouldn't have been able to sell those two squares of tofu in a day.
However, he is the grandson of his grandmother's cousin, so wouldn't that make him his cousin?
Commonly known as, "old cousin"?
Zhou Yan followed him into the courtyard.
From the outside, the house appears to be half-collapsed, but there is a well-maintained large courtyard. Near the eaves, there is a small stone mill, and next to the courtyard wall, there is an unused large stone mill covered with a straw raincoat.
Several rows of bamboo poles were in the courtyard, two of which were covered with dried bean curd sticks.
[An extremely good dried bean curd stick]
Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow.
Hey! Besides her excellent tofu, her aunt's dried bean curd sticks are also superb.
There was a thatched hut nearby, with a wisp of smoke rising from it. The aroma of dried tofu wafted out of the hut, suggesting that they were drying tofu.
Under the eaves were two stacks of tofu molds, each as tall as a person, and various tools for making tofu, all neatly arranged, though they looked like they had been idle for a long time.
"When business was good, they even had a donkey to pull the millstone. Lihua would set up a stall in Suji Town, and her son would drive the donkey cart to various villages to sell her tofu. Business was booming. Lihua was pretty; everyone called her the 'Tofu Beauty' back then." the old woman said, looking at the large, idle stone mill in the corner, a hint of nostalgia in her smile.
Zhou Yan was puzzled. Making tofu was hard work, but if business was good, surely they wouldn't be living like this? They didn't even repair the collapsed house.
His grandmother used to make braised food, and she single-handedly raised five sons. The children all grew up and started their own families, living a relatively respectable life.
"Sister Fenfen, you're here!" An elderly woman appeared at the doorway of the main room, leaning on a wooden cane. She was thin and hunched over, her cotton-linen clothes hanging loosely on her like branches. Her sparse, silver hair was haphazardly tied into a small bunch like weeds.
Her small face was wrinkled, like an old bitter melon.
She came out with her cane, her left leg clearly unable to bear weight. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she squinted at the two people standing in the yard.
"Lihua, what are you doing out here? Come in quickly!" The old woman hurried forward, her eyes full of concern as she helped Grandma Sun, asking with concern, "Is your leg still hurting terribly? Are your eyes any better?"
Zhou Yan's heart tightened. This aunt was younger than the old lady, but her complexion was far worse.
The phrase "twilight years" flashed through Zhou Yan's mind.
"It's nothing, I'm used to it." Grandma Sun grinned, tilted her head back, and squinted at Zhou Yan. "Who is this grandson? He's so big, I don't even recognize him."
"Auntie, I'm Zhou Yan." Zhou Yan quickly stepped forward and said with a smile.
"He's my fourth son's son, he's twenty years old this year, you probably haven't seen him much." the old lady introduced her.
"I remember, I went when Tieying gave birth to him. He was just a little kitten then, and he's grown so tall now." Grandma Sun said with a smile, her tone tinged with emotion. "Come on, come in and sit down."
The old lady helped her through the door, moving slowly step by step. The few meters took her two minutes to finally sit down on a chair.
"You're here, why bring eggs and other things? I'm just happy that you came to see me." said Grandma Sun, shaking her head.
"I brought you some braised pig's head meat, would you like to try a piece?" The old lady smiled as she took out the package of braised meat wrapped in oil paper.
"I said I smelled the aroma of braised meat and wanted to eat it. It's been so long since I've had Sister Fenfen's braised pig's head meat." Grandma Sun nodded, a hint of joy appearing on her withered face.
"Come on, come on." The old lady opened the oil paper package, went into the kitchen, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and handed them to Grandma Sun, smiling broadly. "Try it. This isn't my braised dish; it's Zhou Yan's. He runs a restaurant now and has passed on my braised food skills."
"Really? That's amazing!" Grandma Sun was somewhat surprised. She picked up the chopsticks, took a piece of pig's head meat, and slowly chewed it with her few remaining teeth. Her wrinkled face seemed to relax as she nodded repeatedly. "Mmm, delicious! It tastes exactly like what you make, Sister Fenfen. Zhou Yan has learned so well."
It was clear that she was genuinely happy to eat the pig's head meat.
A boy named Laifu brought out two cups of tea, each containing crushed rock sugar—the kind of sweet water popular in this era.
"Laifu, come and try your cousin's braised pig's head meat." Grandma Sun beckoned to the young man and take a piece of pig's head meat.
The boy reached out and took it, then fed it to his mouth, a pure smile appearing on his face.
Zhou Yan's lips couldn't help but curl into a slight smile. Life was tough, but it didn't seem so bad.
"Is Laifu selling tofu by himself now?" The old lady sat down beside Grandma Sun.
"Yes, he's been going for three days. The first two days he only sold two jin of tofu; the rest could only be made into fermented tofu. But today, the two squares of tofu he carried were completely sold out. He came back and gestured to me, saying he met a kind person who helped him sell them." Grandma Sun looked at Laifu, a hint of worry in her expression. "There's nothing I can do. I don't know how many more days I can make tofu, so I can only ask him to make it and sell it. No matter how hard or tiring it is, at least there's a way to make a living."
"Laifu is doing well. He's only been learning from you for a year, and he's already making tofu quite well. You should take good care of your legs and eyes, and teach him slowly. He'll be a good tofu maker in the future." the old lady comforted her.
"Sister Fenfen, I know my own body. Last year, Liwei and Qiaoqian were swept away by the flood, and our house collapsed. I was bedridden for three months, cried until my tears ran dry, and my health deteriorated. I even used up all the money we had for medicine." Grandma Sun held the old woman's hand, looking at Laifu with some melancholy. "I'm not afraid of death; it'll be more lively down there. It's just that I'm worried about Laifu. I can only close my eyes in peace if I see him have a way to survive. If he can't make good tofu and can't sell it, I'd rather send him out to work."
The old woman gently patted her hand: "Don't worry, times have changed. There will always be a way to survive."
Zhou Yan took a sip of tea; there was too much sugar in it, making it cloyingly sweet. He then silently put the cup back.
Laifu stood beside Grandma Sun, his clean, bright eyes fixed on Zhou Yan. Seeing Zhou Yan look over, he smiled at him.
Zhou Yan roughly understood. Grandma Sun was probably worried that Laifu wouldn't be able to make a living after she left, so she had him sell tofu alone.
Of the two pieces of tofu, the one that looked "decent" was probably made by Laifu.
Actually, it wasn't that bad. Even though it wasn't perfect, it was already at a marketable level. Of the three tofu stalls next door, only one made slightly better tofu.
It was just that his tofu-selling skills definitely needed improvement.
He was guarding a piece of "perfect tofu" yet he had only sold one jin a day.
If it wasn't for his kind heart, these two squares of tofu probably wouldn't have sold today.
However, in this day and age, it is probably not a good way for a deaf-mute teenager to go out and work.
Zhou Yan sighed softly; this aunt was also a person with a tragic fate.
She lost her husband in her youth and her son in her later years, leaving behind a deaf and mute grandson to depend on for survival.
Like a rope that breaks at its weakest point, misfortune only finds those with unfortunate fates…
[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: The Battle to Protect the Heritage of Xiba Tofu! Sun Lihua, the inheritor of Xiba Tofu, is now quite old and is trying to pass on the tofu-making technique to Gu Laifu. However, because Gu Laifu is deaf and mute, the tofu is difficult to sell, and the business is not profitable. As a result, Sun Lihua has lost faith in passing on the tofu-making technique and has begun to ask her relatives for help, preparing to send Laifu to the south to find work and a way to make a living.
The only remaining Xiba Tofu heritage in Suji Town is about to end. Players are requested to intervene to increase and stabilize Laifu's tofu sales, change Sun Lihua's mind, and persuade her to continue the tradition of Xiba Tofu, thus ensuring the player's restaurant will have a future supply of [Perfect] tofu and tofu-derived products.]
[Quest Reward: Mapo Tofu! Accept: Yes/No]
Before Zhou Yan could finish his reflection, a system quest popped up in his eyes.
After reading the quest, Zhou Yan didn't hesitate for a second and immediately accepted it.
Mapo tofu!
Where could he possibly learn to make perfect Mapo tofu?
The fastest way, of course, was through the system.
After learning it, he could even ask Master Xiao if he wanted to learn, hehe.
Of course, more importantly, Zhou Yan believed the system's judgment was correct.
Within the current area of Suji Town, his aunt's Xiba tofu recipe was absolutely unparalleled.
Once this tradition was lost, if he wanted to make tofu dishes again, he would only be able to choose from a bunch of "decent" or "pretty good" tofu.
As for making tofu himself?
The old lady had said that blacksmithing, boat rowing, and tofu grinding were the three great hardships of life.
He was here to enjoy life, not to suffer.
His gaze shifted to Laifu, his smile gradually turning sinister.
There was no other way but to make things difficult for the child.
Zhou Yan took out paper and pen, quickly wrote a line, and handed it to Laifu: "Laifu, do you like making tofu?"
After reading it, Laifu nodded vigorously, his eyes shining.
Zhou Yan then wrote: "Then do you want to go to the south to work?"
Laifu shook his head, his gaze unconsciously drifting to Grandma Sun, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Zhou Yan understood everything.
"Auntie, I ran into Laifu this morning, but I didn't recognize him. I bought two pieces of tofu from him and made some at home. My grandma tasted it and said that the tofu-making skills were almost the same as yours. I didn't expect it to be true." Zhou Yan said with a smile to Grandma Sun.
"Don't worry, we cousins are here to support Laifu. If he likes making tofu, let him focus on it. Sending him to work in the south might not guarantee he'll find a job. He'll be worried about you being alone at home."
"Really?" Grandma Sun paused, then realized something and looked at Laifu.
Laifu nodded, gesturing with his fingers a few times.
"Aiya, so the kind person this morning was Zhou Yan! I had no idea!" Grandma Sun looked at Zhou Yan, her expression somewhat excited. "No wonder there's an old saying: 'People who aren't family don't go to the same house.' You've never even met, yet Laifu still managed to sell his tofu thanks to you, his cousin. You're such a good person!"
The old lady also looked at Zhou Yan with some surprise. She knew Zhou Yan bought his tofu from Laifu, but she hadn't expected him to have helped sell it all.
"Auntie, how much tofu does Laifu have to sell everyday just to make ends meet?" Zhou Yan asked bluntly.
Grandma Sun thought for a moment and said, "A jin of tofu sells for twenty cents (0.2 yuan), and a jin of soybeans costs twenty cents. One jin of soybeans yields three jin of tofu. Adding in miscellaneous losses, if he sells ten jin of tofu a day, he can keep one yuan in his pocket, and that'll be enough to get by."
Selling ten jin a day? Anyone with hands can do that!
Zhou Yan estimated that the two slabs of tofu he helped Laifu sell this morning should weigh about twenty jin, small slabs, ten jin each.
Selling two slabs means Laifu can earn two yuan a day, sixty a month.
That's more than a frontline worker in a textile factory.
Hard work naturally has a good profit margin; otherwise, who would risk their life doing it?
"Auntie, you just need to teach him how to make tofu well. Don't worry about sales; I'll help him find a way. I guarantee he can sell at least ten jin of tofu a day." Zhou Yan assured Grandma Sun, patting his chest.
Grandma Sun waved her hands repeatedly, "You're already very busy running your restaurant; how could I trouble you? No, no."
"You're being too polite by saying that." Zhou Yan said with a smile. "I haven't made tofu dishes yet, but once I learn how to make Mapo Tofu, I might have my cousin deliver ten jin of tofu to my restaurant everyday." He first reassured Grandma Sun, then asked curiously, "Auntie, you're not very mobile now, can you still make tofu yourself?"
Grandma Sun shook her head: "I can't do it anymore. I just sit on a stool and ask Laifu to do it. I teach him how to make one batch, and he makes one batch himself. So one batch is better and the other is worse. You can definitely tell the difference by the taste."
"There is a difference. The one you taught him is exceptionally good. The tofu is delicate yet chewy. I used it to cook crucian carp soup for eight minutes and it didn't fall apart. Laifu's tofu is almost as good as the ones sold outside, but it's still a bit different from yours." Zhou Yan nodded and said, "If my restaurant needs tofu in the future, I'll still use the one you taught him. Once Laifu reaches your level, I'll use the tofu he makes himself."
"As expected of a master chef, you really know your stuff." Grandma Sun's gaze towards Zhou Yan changed, and she nodded repeatedly, "Then I'll definitely send you the best. It's different when you run a restaurant and sell to your customers."
Zhou Yan added, "Have him make two slabs of tofu tomorrow and sell them at the bridgehead. I'll go buy groceries tomorrow morning and help him promote it. If customers like it, they'll naturally come back next time. Building a good reputation will make business much easier."
"Okay! Thank you for your trouble." Grandma Sun nodded.
"We're family, no need for formalities." Zhou Yan waved his hand, looking at Grandma Sun's red and swollen eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Auntie, have you seen a doctor for your eyes? It looks like an infection. Should I take you to the hospital to have it checked out sometime?"
The inheritance of a skill is not something that can be achieved in a day or two.
Although Laifu has already mastered the basics, to reach the level of Grandma Sun, he still needs his master's guidance.
Zhou Yan was a little worried about Grandma Sun's eye condition.
It doesn't look like glaucoma. It's probably related to the frequent crying after losing her child, or it's more like an infection.
Grandma Sun shook her head: "No need to see a doctor. I saw Liu Laowu before, and he said my eyes are incurable. I'll just have to see as long as I can."
"That barefoot doctor Liu Laowu knows nothing! He used to be a veterinarian, and after reading the 'Barefoot Doctor's Manual' for two days, he dared to come out and treat people!" The old lady was a little annoyed and pulled Grandma Sun, saying, "Lihua, we still need to go to the hospital and let a proper doctor take a look."
"Okay..."
The two old ladies chatted idly, while Zhou Yan took a stroll around the yard.
The rammed earth house was riddled with cracks, a truly shocking sight.
Having experienced house collapses before, Zhou Yan knew very well that this dilapidated house wouldn't survive the rainy season next summer.
Last time their house collapsed, it was only because Comrade Old Zhou was alert enough to pull his mother and Zhou Momo out in time, preventing them from being injured.
But Laifu and Grandma Sun, one deaf and mute, the other with mobility issues, might not be able to escape if the house collapsed.
Rebuilding the house was far too expensive. Zhou Yan considered that if they could earn money selling tofu, they could rent a house with a yard in town, making their business more convenient.
Of course, this was their family's business, and he couldn't make the decision; he could only offer suggestions.
Zhou Yan was quite interested in the dried bean curd sticks drying in the yard. He picked one, it was pale yellow and translucent, dried to a crisp, and broke easily with a gentle snap. The end had many small hollow holes. He brought it to his nose and smelled a rich, pure bean aroma.
No wonder it was assessed as "extremely good" dried bean curd sticks; the quality was indeed high.
Zhou Yan was delighted to see this, as it was a high quality braised vegetable dish that was not affected by the season and could be sold all year round.
Zhou Yan peeked into a nearby thatched hut.
Inside were six smoking racks, only one of which was currently burning. Hundreds of thin, evenly sliced dried tofu pieces were neatly arranged on a sieve, their color quite appealing.
[A batch of pretty good dried tofu]
The system then provided its assessment.
Zhou Yan turned around and looked at Laifu standing at the door of the thatched hut. He took out a pen and paper and wrote a line: May I try a piece?
Laifu smiled and nodded.
Zhou Yan took a piece of dried tofu from the sieve. It was still a little hot to the touch. He transferred it back and forth between his left and right hands several times to avoid dropping it before emerging from the hut.
The dried tofu was about one centimeter thick, cut into neat squares, and has been baked until slightly dry on the surface. It is reddish-brown in color and quite bright.
Zhou Yan took a sniff and noticed a faint aroma of braising. He broke off a corner and saw that the outer shell was slightly charred, while the inside was still white with a slight yellow tinge. The tofu still looked delicate.
He took a bite; the texture was slightly chewy, the braising aroma quite rich, and the bean flavor prominent. After swallowing, a slightly sweet aftertaste lingered.
This dried tofu is indeed quite good.
It's just the braising liquid…
Compared to his grandmother's old braising liquid, it's still a bit lacking.
But judging solely from the texture of the dried tofu, it's already quite well-made.
The assessment of "pretty good" is one level below that of dried bean curd sticks, probably due to the shortcomings of the braising liquid.
However, dried tofu does not necessarily have to be a finished product. Zhou Yan looked at the six empty bamboo sieves in the thatched hut, pondered for a moment, and then, holding a dried bean curd stick in one hand and biting into the dried tofu, turned around and went into the main room.
The two cousins reminisced about the past and enjoyed their conversation quite a bit.
Zhou Yan didn't know where the old lady had conjured up a bottle of liquor, and she and Grandma Sun had already started drinking together, taking a bite of pig's head meat and a sip of liquor, they were really hearty.
Completely oblivious to the old lady's earlier hunched back and bitter expression as she stood at the door.
After they finished their two liang of liquor, Zhou Yan approached Grandma Sun with the dried bean curd stick and dried tofu, saying, "Auntie, how much are your dried bean curd sticks and dried tofu? I'm preparing to make some braised vegetables, and your dried bean curd stick looks very good; I'd like to order some from you."
"I usually sell dried bean curd stick for eighty cents a jin (500g)." Grandma Sun said with a smile, looking at the dried bean curd stick in Zhou Yan's hand. "If you want it, I'll make it sixty cents a jin."
"Eighty cents it is, not a penny less." Zhou Yan shook his head firmly.
The production of dried bean curd sticks was too low, and the preparation was particularly troublesome. Zhou Yan couldn't afford to take advantage of such a low price.
"Two jin of beans only yield one jin of dried bean curd sticks. It's quite a hassle to make, you can't make many even after sitting by the pot all day. It'll leave your back aching. Eighty cents (0.8 yuan) isn't expensive." the old lady said with a smile. "Your auntie makes excellent dried bean curd sticks and dried tofu. I used to get my supplies from her."
Zhou Yan had a pretty good idea why the old lady had come to the restaurant. Besides visiting her cousin, she had also brought him to buy supplies. He smiled and nodded, "I want semi-finished dried tofu. Cut the tofu like this, then bake it until the surface is golden brown and slightly dry. I'll take it back and braise and color it myself."
"Okay, that's what Sister Fenfen asked for back then." Grandma Sun nodded.
And so, Zhou Yan bought out all the dried bean curd sticks from Grandma Sun's house. It wasn't a large quantity, five jin, but it filled a big bag.
He ordered three jin of semi-finished dried tofu everyday. Starting the day after tomorrow morning, Laifu would carry it to the tofu stall, and Zhou Yan would pick it up himself. The price he paid was forty cents per jin.
The tofu shrank by more than half after baking, so the price wasn't expensive.
However, Zhou Yan had a condition: anything delivered to his restaurant had to be personally inspected by Grandma Sun to ensure quality.
"Take your time, come again next time." Grandma Sun stood at the door of the main room, waving to the two of them, clutching the money in her hand, her eyes glistening with tears, her eyes brighter than when they arrived.
"Okay, take care. I'll come see you again in a few days." The old lady reached out and patted her head before turning and leaving with Zhou Yan.
Laifu saw the two off at the gate, following the bicycle all the way to the alleyway before stopping.
"Auntie's dried bean curd sticks and dried tofu are really good. I've been to the market everyday lately, and I've never seen such good dried bean curd sticks." Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Grandma, I plan to start selling braised vegetarian dishes tomorrow."
The old lady smiled and said, "Sell it! Dried bean curd sticks and dried tofu, plus some kelp, lotus root slices, and potatoes. A lot of people love it. Back in the day, my braised vegetarian dishes sold even faster than my braised meat. Kids and women all loved it."
"You're such a kind-hearted child, just like your mother." the old lady remarked as they approached the restaurant.
Zhou Yan smiled slightly and said, "Such good tofu should be passed down! Passed down forever!"