Chapter 1 Transmigrated as a Vicious Husband (Tofu Pao)

Yezaopo Village is located in the northwest of Beiyang County, only three miles from the county seat.

In the warm spring of March, the wild jujube trees in front of and behind the houses in the village are already lush and green.

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), most villagers are busy in the fields.

But wisps of smoke were rising from a farmhouse in the west of the village.

Ye Li stood in front of the stove and saw that the soy milk in the iron pot was about to boil, so she quickly poured the prepared cold water into the pot.

Add a small basin of cold water, and the soy milk stops boiling instantly.

Just then, Jiang Mai shouted from the kitchen doorway, "Grandpa Village Chief, he doesn't know how to make tofu at all! He's just stalling and doesn't want to go to the ancestral hall to be punished by kneeling!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fuzheng raised his hand and rubbed his little head: "Don't worry, little Mai, we'll find out soon enough whether you can do it or not."

“If he can’t make tofu, then add punishment: make him kneel in the ancestral hall for two days and two nights.”

Ye Li: "..."

But Jiang Mai clenched her little hands into fists with excitement, her eyes shining brightly.

It seems I can already picture Ye Li kneeling in the ancestral hall.

Hmph, he was certain that this vicious idiot couldn't make tofu!

Jiang Ya, standing next to Jiang Mai, seemed not to hear anything. She just sniffed and her small, thin face showed a hint of craving.

The soy milk in the kitchen smells so good!

Ye Li felt bitter inside.

He transmigrated in the morning. The original body he transmigrated into had married Jiang Ji, the elder brother of Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, twenty days ago.

Jiang Ji returned to the county town to study at a private school the day after his wedding.

In this family, the original owner became the boss.

The original owner of this body was not only lazy and gluttonous, but also stupid and vicious.

After spending all the betrothal gifts, he happened to have a fight with Jiang Ji and his own father. In his anger, he set his sights on his five-year-old brother-in-law, Jiang Ya, and wanted to secretly coax Jiang Ya to the county town to sell him for money.

As a result, they were caught red-handed by Jiang Fuzheng, the village chief, and Jiang Mai halfway there.

In a panic, the original owner tried to run away, but it had rained the night before and the road was slippery. The original owner accidentally fell into the roadside ditch, and that's how he ended up in this place.

At that time, Jiang Fu was very aggressive and demanded that he return to the village and kneel in the ancestral hall.

Left with no other choice, he could only say that he was taking Jiang Ya to the county town to buy some good food.

Jiang Fuzheng and Jiang Mai naturally didn't believe this.

To prove that what he said was true, he went to the county town with Jiang Fuzheng, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya.

However, the original owner only had six coins on him at the time. After careful consideration, he bought two catties of soybeans and planned to make tofu.

Instead of buying a few pieces of candy to eat, I'd rather make some bean products and show off my skills, hoping to use this craft to change everyone's bad impression of the original owner.

I also run a small business selling bean products.

Jiang Fuzheng believed him for the time being and told him to soak the soybeans after returning to the village.

He soaked the soybeans for more than three hours, then used Jiang Fuzheng's stone mill to grind them into soy milk, and then took it home to cook.

He poured cold water into the boiling soy milk because he wanted to make cold water soy milk.

Tofu made with cold water soy milk can be used to make fried tofu puffs.

There are already several tofu shops in Beiyang County.

If he only sells tofu, not only will it be tiring, but he won't earn much money either.

Therefore, he decided to make tofu puffs.

However, regular tofu without added leavening agents cannot be fried into tofu puffs.

Even if you fry it, the effect won't be good; it won't be fluffy or absorb juices like it has when you add leavening agents.

In this era without all sorts of unnecessary additives, if you want to make fried tofu puffs, you can only focus on the soy milk.

He took a deep breath, ladled the soy milk from the pot into an earthenware basin, and prepared to add the braising liquid.

He used brine, which is made from salt, water, and white vinegar.

The original owner of this body was a glutton, so the kitchen was well-stocked with seasonings, and there was no need to buy salt or white vinegar separately.

He poured the brine into the soy milk with one hand and slowly stirred it with a spoon in the other.

Add the brine to the soy milk in small amounts several times. Stop adding the brine when large, flocculent particles appear in the soy milk.

Next, let it sit and wait for the flocculent tofu to solidify into tofu pudding.

He turned around and said with a smile to the adult and two children standing at the kitchen door, "Uncle Jiang, Xiaomai, Ya'er, come and have a look."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fuzheng and Jiang Mai immediately went into the kitchen.

Jiang Ya swallowed again before taking short steps to catch up with Jiang Mai.

The three of them went to the stove and saw what was in the earthenware pot. Jiang Fu was quite surprised.

Jiang Mai was so shocked she looked like she'd seen a ghost.

What happened?

The once white soy milk is really different now?

Jiang Ya's eyes widened, and she continued to swallow.

"After 15 minutes, the tofu pudding will be ready. Put the tofu pudding in a basket and press out the water, and that will be tofu."

"Tofu pudding can be either savory or sweet. Savory brine is too much trouble, but I happen to have some cane sugar at home, so I can sprinkle some sugar into the tofu pudding later and make it sweet."

Ye Li said with a smile.

“Okay!” Jiang Ya immediately nodded her little head, agreeing quite readily.

Jiang Mai: "..."

He rubbed Jiang Ya's head with a look of exasperation.

His younger brother never learns from his mistakes!

Ever since that wicked fool came to the Jiang family, he's been beating the brothers every day. Today, he even tried to trick Ya Ge into going to the county town to sell him.

As a result, Ya Ge'er forgot everything as soon as he saw food.

But Ye Li was very happy.

He smiled and said, "You're such a good boy, Ya-ge. I'll put two spoonfuls of sugar in your bowl later."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ya's big eyes immediately lit up.

But Jiang Mai used a bit too much force when she rubbed his head, which reminded him of the scene when "Ye Li" slapped his face and slapped his head before.

He glanced at Ye Li fearfully, then grabbed Jiang Mai's sleeve with his small hand and hid behind Jiang Mai.

Ye Li cursed inwardly, thinking that the original owner of this body was a piece of trash who could lay a hand on such a young child; he deserved to die.

He bent down, smiling kindly: "Brother Ya, with the village chief here, you don't need to be afraid. I said I'd add two extra spoonfuls of sugar, so I'll add two spoonfuls, otherwise I'll make the village chief punish me by making me kneel in the ancestral hall."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ya turned her head toward Jiang Fuzheng.

His expression wavered somewhat.

Jiang Mai scoffed, "You should make the tofu pudding first!"

Ye Li smiled and looked at him: "I'll add two spoonfuls of cane sugar for you later."

"...I don't want to!"

Jiang Mai hummed again.

A weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—it's up to no good!

Upon hearing this, Ye Li turned around and walked to the cabinet, taking out a small ceramic jar about the size of a palm.

He held up the small earthenware jar and waved it at Jiang Mai: "Really don't want it? I was wrong before, but this jar of cane sugar has never hit you or scolded you. You should eat it."

Jiang Mai: "..."

His brother sold an acre of low-quality land to prepare the dowry money.

As a result, this wicked fool used all his time for eating and drinking.

Jiang Ya peeked her little head out from behind Jiang Mai and whispered, "I want it."

“…After the village chief leaves, he’ll beat you!” Jiang Mai said speechlessly.

“But it’s already in our mouths, he beats us every day anyway,” Jiang Ya retorted softly.

Jiang Mai: "..."

That's right.

This idiot hasn't even had a chance to beat up his brothers yet.

Either way, they couldn't escape a beating.

Thinking of this, he glared at Ye Li: "I want two spoonfuls too!"

"Okay, I'll scoop it out for you two right now."

Ye Li put down the pottery jar and reached for the rough pottery bowl.

The brothers' conversation weighed heavily on his mind, and he couldn't help but curse the original owner of this body a few more times in his heart.

He put a spoon and two spoons of sugar into each of the three earthenware bowls—Jiang Fuzheng was not only the village head but also the patriarch of the Jiang family.

We can't do without Jiang Fuzheng's sugar.

Jiang Fu was watching Ye Li's actions with some surprise.

The Ji family's house is really quite different from before.

Last time, he accidentally saw Ye Li chasing Jiang Mai with a stick, so he came over to stop her.

As soon as he entered the door, this kid from Ji's family didn't even let him have a sip of water!

Ye Li was unaware of Jiang Fuzheng's thoughts. He put the sugar jar back in its place and picked up the small willow basket he usually used to hold steamed buns, lining it with a layer of burlap.

He then placed the willow basket into a larger earthenware basin.

In the rush today, he didn't have a professional tofu mold, so he could only use a willow basket as a substitute.

After waiting a while longer, the tofu particles in the ceramic basin completely solidified together.

The tofu pudding is ready.

Tofu made with brine has a bumpy surface and doesn't look very appealing, but the inside is smooth and even, just like the ones sold in breakfast shops.

Ye Li took a soup spoon and ladled the tofu pudding into the ceramic bowl that had been placed there beforehand.

"Uncle Jiang, please have a taste first." Ye Li handed one of the bowls to Jiang Fuzheng.

"Respect for the elderly" comes before "love for the young," and since Jiang Fuzheng is the village chief, Ye Li handed it to Jiang Fuzheng first.

Jiang Fuzheng took the earthenware bowl, bent down and handed it to Jiang Ya, who was swallowing hard: "Ya-ge'er, you eat."

"Grandpa Village Chief, eat."

Jiang Ya struggled to look away from the ceramic bowl, her small hands behind her back.

Ye Li hurriedly picked up another bowl and handed it to Jiang Ya: "Here, Ya-ge'er, you eat."

Jiang Ya immediately reached out her little hands and held the bowl, which was bigger than her little face.

He glanced at Ye Li cautiously: "Thank you, Brother Li."

Seeing that Ye Li had turned around and was about to hand the last bowl to his second brother, he felt relieved and eagerly lowered his head to drink a sip of the water on the surface of the tofu pudding.

The sugar was at the bottom of the bowl and hadn't been stirred, so the water on the surface wasn't sweet.

But he still looked satisfied because he was about to eat sweet tofu pudding.

He carried the bowl to the cutting board, placed it on the board, and stirred the sugar at the bottom of the bowl with a spoon.

Then he scooped up a large spoonful of tofu pudding and put it in his mouth.

The sweet taste instantly filled my mouth.

His eyes lit up; it tasted so good!

Jiang Mai then got to eat the sweet tofu pudding. He licked his lips, marveling at how delicious it was, while looking at Ye Li with a puzzled expression.

This wicked fool actually managed to make tofu pudding...

Jiang Fu scooped up a large spoonful of tofu pudding and put it in his mouth. After tasting it carefully, he realized that it tasted exactly the same as the tofu pudding sold in the county town.

Soft and smooth.

It's also sweet.

He was also puzzled, and his sharp gaze swept over Ye Li from head to toe: "Young Master Ji, how do you know how to make tofu?"

"Uncle Jiang, this..."

"I'll tell him when the master returns from the private school."

Ye Li's delicate face showed a troubled expression.

He hasn't figured out how to make it up yet.

The original owner was just a country bumpkin who never had the chance to learn how to make tofu.

So he decided to push it to his cheap husband first.

Jiang Ji, the "cheap husband," was studying at a private school in the county town. Yezaopo Village was only three miles away from the county town, but he rarely went home.

Because my cheap husband is busy "working and studying".

In ancient times, studying was extremely expensive.

Although she received financial assistance from others, her husband still had to find ways to earn money on his own.

Beiyang County is located at the place where boats from the south and horses from the north change places. Twenty miles north of the county seat is the South Canal of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Anyone traveling north by waterway had to pass through Beiyang County, so there were many merchants and travelers from outside the county, which also provided many opportunities for odd jobs.

My cheap husband is either copying books for a bookstore or carrying heavy loads for others; he never has time to come back.

There are still several days before his cheap husband returns, giving him plenty of time to come up with a good excuse.