Leon woke before dawn, slipping out of the cottage while Flower and Dahlia still slept. "Close the door—it's freezing!" Flower mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head.
"I'm making breakfast!" Leon called, hurrying to the kitchen. He lit a fire, heated water for washing, and stared at a large wooden basin filled with soaked beans—his secret ingredient. They weren't soybeans from Earth, but a similar legume with a creamy texture and high oil content, perfect for making tofu.
After washing up, he fetched Im. "Master, could you grind these beans? As fine as possible—with water, please!"
"This is what you needed me for?" Im asked, raising an eyebrow. Leon nodded sheepishly. Grinding beans by hand would be tedious in the cold; magic was faster and cleaner.
Im waved a hand, and the beans swirled in the basin, mixing with water. In minutes, they turned into a milky liquid—soy milk, Leon thought. Magic beat electric blenders any day.
Leon strained the mixture through cheesecloth, catching the smooth milk in a clay pot and setting the soybean pulp aside. "I'll feed the pulp to the cow—she needs the protein." he said. The cow had already settled into the grassy slope, nibbling at the snow-covered Green Net Grass.
Flower wandered in as Leon lit the fire under the pot. "Bean soup? That's the new food?"
"Call it soy milk," Leon corrected. "It's richer than regular milk. Wait until it boils."
Dahlia joined them, still holding an orange peel. "Did you really make something with those beans? Smells good."
The soy milk bubbled, filling the kitchen with a nutty aroma. Leon stirred it gently to prevent burning, then poured bowls for everyone, setting out a jar of syrup. "Add sugar if you like."
Dahlia took a sip, her eyes widening. "It's creamy! Not as good as cow's milk, but still nice." She added more syrup, humming happily.
Flower nodded, drinking his plain. "Better than radishes. But why so much?"
"Patience," Leon said. He set aside a small bowl of soy milk, letting it cool, then mixed in a pinch of ground gypsum—his secret coagulant. Back on Earth, his family had used gypsum to make tofu; it was safe, calcium-rich, and easy to find.
When the pot of soy milk cooled slightly, Leon poured the gypsum mixture in, stirring slowly. He covered the pot, grinning. "Now we wait."
"What are you making?" Dahlia asked, leaning over the pot. "It looks like a magic experiment."
Leon laughed. "In a way, it is. Tofu—soft soybean curd. My family made it back… where I grew up." He avoided mentioning Earth, but Im's eyes narrowed—Leon rarely spoke of his past.
Quarter of an hour later, Leon lifted the lid. The soy milk had set into a silky, wobbly mass—tofu pudding, or douhua. "It worked!" he exclaimed.
Flower leaned in, shocked. "That's not soup! What is it?"
"Silky tofu," Leon said, scooping a bowlful. He tasted it, savoring the rich, creamy flavor with subtle nutty undertones. The legumes' high oil content gave it a smooth texture, with faint marbling from the natural fats. "It's even better than I remembered."
Im took a bite, nodding approvingly. "Clever. Simple, but clever. You could sell this in town—people would pay for a new winter treat."
Leon smiled, already planning. Next, he'd wrap the tofu in cloth, press it with heavy stones to remove excess water, and make firm tofu for stir-fries or soups. Winter meals wouldn't be boring anymore.
As Dahlia and Flower dug into their bowls, Leon glanced at the cow grazing outside. Between fresh milk, oranges, and tofu, winter was looking brighter. And with Valoka's answer coming in spring, his future as an inventor and mage was taking shape—one delicious, innovative step at a time.