Lin Wanqiu was amused by her son's words and kissed him on the cheek: "Our An'an is such a good boy, he will be Mom's little helper from now on."

That afternoon, Lin Wanqiu entered the space again, preparing to make another batch of tofu. Following her previous experience, she soaked the soybeans, ground them into a paste, boiled the paste, added coagulant, and pressed it. Her movements became increasingly skilled, and in less than two hours, she had made more than twenty catties of tofu. She divided the tofu into small pieces, wrapped them in oil paper, and planned to send a few pieces to the commune canteen the next day to try it out. If Chef Li thought it was good, she could supply it regularly in the future.

While I was busy, the electronic screen in the space suddenly flashed and a new task popped up: "Advanced task: Sell the first batch of homemade tofu, earn 5 yuan, reward the upgraded version of the 'Tofu Derivatives Production Manual', unlock the production process of dried bean curd sticks and dried tofu, and 50 energy points."

Lin Wanqiu's eyes lit up. Five yuan wasn't a small amount, but if she could sell it to the canteen and her neighbors, it shouldn't be difficult. Moreover, having unlocked the production process of dried bean curd sticks and tofu skin, she would have even more ways to make money in the future—dried bean curd sticks were a rare commodity in those days, selling for several yuan per pound. If she could make them, she was sure to make a fortune.

She tidied up the tofu with great enthusiasm, and by the time she left the space, it was already dark. She cooked some millet porridge for Shen Nian'an and stir-fried some vegetables, and the mother and son happily ate dinner.

That night, after Shen Nian'an fell asleep, Lin Wanqiu sat under the lamp and began to plan for tomorrow: first, deliver some tofu to Master Li and see his reaction; then ask Aunt Wang if she could help spread the word among the neighbors, and if anyone wanted to buy, sell it at the market price, a little cheaper than the supply and marketing cooperative, with small profits but quick turnover; and also be careful of Granny Shen and Zhang Lan, and not let them do anything behind her back.

Just then, a slight noise came from outside the courtyard wall. Lin Wanqiu's heart tightened. She quietly walked to the door and peeked through the crack. She saw a dark figure standing in the corner, tall and straight, like a man. A thought struck her: she remembered Shen Tingzhou, whom she had seen at the commune gate a few days ago. Could it be him?

The shadowy figure seemed to sense something and quickly disappeared into the night. Lin Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief, but a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her. She didn't know why Shen Tingzhou had "come back to life," nor why he hadn't shown himself, but she could sense that this shadowy figure had been protecting her and Nian'an from the shadows all along.

She returned to the kang (a heated brick bed), looked at Shen Nian'an's sleeping face, and secretly vowed in her heart: no matter what difficulties Shen Tingzhou had, no matter how the Shen family made things difficult for her, she would work hard to earn money, protect Nian'an, and let the mother and daughter live well in this era and live a wonderful life of their own.

The next morning, Lin Wanqiu woke up early. After a quick wash, she packed the tofu into a bamboo basket, boiled an egg for Nian'an, told him to stay home and behave, and then carried the basket to the commune canteen. Along the way, she met many neighbors, who all looked at her basket curiously. Some even asked her what was in it, but she just smiled and said it was homemade food, without saying anything more.

When they arrived at the commune canteen, Chef Li was busy preparing breakfast. Seeing Lin Wanqiu arrive, he quickly came to greet her: "Wanqiu, what brings you here today? Did you bring vegetables again?"

"Master Li, I didn't come to deliver vegetables today. I came to bring you some tofu that I made myself. Please try it." Lin Wanqiu said, taking a piece of tofu from the bamboo basket and handing it to Master Li.

Master Li took the tofu, touched it, and smelled it. He exclaimed in surprise, "Your tofu is really good. It's so tender and fragrant! Wanqiu, you're really capable. You not only know how to grow vegetables, but you also know how to make tofu."

"You flatter me, it was just something I was thinking about," Lin Wanqiu said with a smile. "If you think it's a good idea, I can supply tofu to the canteen in the future, at a price a little cheaper than the supply and marketing cooperative. What do you think?"

Master Li's eyes lit up: "That's great! The canteen is short of tofu, and your tofu is much better than the one from the supply and marketing cooperative. I'll buy it for one cent per pound, how about that?"

Lin Wanqiu was overjoyed: "Thank you, Master Li! I'll bring you twenty jin tomorrow."

The tofu-selling deal was settled, and Lin Wanqiu was overjoyed. She knew this was just the beginning, and many more opportunities awaited her. She carried her bamboo basket home, her steps light and her heart full of hope—she could almost see the good days ahead: she would run her own tofu shop, earn a lot of money, move into a spacious and bright new house with Nian'an, and never have to be beholden to anyone again, never have to suffer bullying.