"Look, the beans are soaked just right."

Looking at her daughter's focused profile, Wang Xiulan couldn't help but recall the first time she learned to cook when she was a child.

Yu Fen was like that back then, her eyes brimming with eager anticipation.

Making tofu is much harder than cooking.

Wang Xiulan said softly.

"Especially when using brine to make tofu, the key is to 'add brine according to the consistency of the soy milk'; adding or subtracting even a little bit won't work."

Su Yufen immediately asked curiously from the side.

"Mom, I heard that many tofu shops now use gypsum to coagulate tofu, saying it's easier and cheaper. Why do you insist on using brine?"

Wang Xiulan explained with a smile.

"Silly girl, how can tofu made with gypsum compare to tofu made with brine?"

"Mom, could you please explain it to me in detail?"

Su Yufen leaned closer, her eyes full of curiosity.

Wang Xiulan then began to explain to Su Yufen.

"First of all, the color of the soy milk is different. Tofu made with brine has a tender, light yellow color that looks very appealing. Tofu made with gypsum is whitish or bluish, like it's sick."

"Is it really that much different?"

Su Yufen stared in surprise.

"Of course!"

Wang Xiulan continued.

"Tofu made with brine has a very strong soybean flavor. Tofu made with gypsum has about half the soybean flavor and also tastes slightly astringent."

Su Yufen nodded in realization.

Wang Xiulan continued.

"The most important thing is the texture. Tofu made with brine is tender and smooth; it melts in your mouth with just a touch. Tofu made with gypsum is hard and dry, like eating a cotton ball."

Su Yufen asked with some concern.

"Mom, is it particularly difficult to use brine to curdle tofu?"

Wang Xiulan thought about it and decided not to discourage her daughter's confidence.

"It's not that difficult, the key is to master the timing."

Su Yufen looked up, the light shining on her face.

"Mom, how did you learn that?"

"Me?"

Wang Xiulan's gaze drifted into the distance.

"Your grandma taught you. Back then, we were poor, and making and selling tofu was our only livelihood. I got scolded a lot when I was learning, and I ruined several batches."

"How did you feel when you succeeded for the first time?"

Wang Xiulan smiled.

"It's like...like holding you when you were just born, both nervous and joyful."

The mother and daughter smiled at each other, and a warm atmosphere filled the small tofu shop.

Three o'clock in the morning.

While the rest of Beijing was still asleep, the lights were already on in the Su family courtyard.

Su Yufen rubbed her hands, which were red from the cold, and exhaled a puff of white breath.

"Mom, shall we begin?"

Wang Xiulan nodded and tightened her apron.

"Grind the beans first. Remember, add the water little by little, don't rush."

Su Yufen poured the soaked soybeans into the feed inlet of the stone mill, and Wang Xiulan slowly turned the millstone.

The milky white soy milk flowed down the edge of the stone mill and into the wooden bucket below, emitting a rich aroma of soybeans.

"Mom, you have such skillful hands."

Su Yufen watched her mother's skillful movements and sincerely admired her.

Wang Xiulan smiled.

"Practice makes perfect. When I was your age, I had to get up before dawn every day to grind beans, and my hands were covered in calluses."

After grinding the soybeans, Wang Xiulan poured the soy milk into a large iron pot and lit the stove fire.

"Controlling the heat is key."

She explained as she stirred.

"It can't be too big, or it will stick to the bottom; it can't be too small, or it won't cook through."

Su Yufen carefully noted down every detail, her eyes fixed on the gradually boiling soy milk in the pot.

"Now it's time to add the braising liquid."

Wang Xiulan took out a small earthenware jar containing dark brown brine.

Su Yufen held her breath as she watched her mother slowly pour the brine into the soy milk, stirring it gently with a long-handled spoon.

A miraculous scene unfolded.

The soy milk gradually coagulates, separating into flocculent tofu curds and clear yellow liquid.

"Did you see that?"

Wang Xiulan said softly.

"This is the prototype of tofu."

Su Yufen opened her eyes wide, as if she had witnessed a miracle.

"That's amazing!"

Wang Xiulan scooped the tofu pudding into a wooden mold lined with gauze, wrapped it in gauze, and weighed it down with a heavy stone.

"Just press for an hour. Now, try it yourself?"

Su Yufen took a deep breath and accepted the wooden spoon from her mother.

Her hands trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

On her first attempt, she added too little brine, and the soy milk only coagulated in a small portion, while the rest remained thin as water.

"how so..."

She bit her lower lip, her voice trembling with tears.

"It doesn't matter."

Wang Xiulan patted her daughter on the shoulder.

"It's always like this the first time. Remember, add the brine in three batches, observing the changes in the soy milk each time."

The second time, Su Yufen didn't stir it evenly enough, and the tofu she made contained hard lumps.

"Failed again..."

She lowered her head in frustration.

Wang Xiulan did not blame her, but spoke softly.

"Don't rush, take your time. Making tofu is like raising a child; you have to be patient."

The third time, Su Yufen was in a hurry and added too much brine too quickly, making the tofu tough and hard.

"It still doesn't work..."

She slumped onto the small stool, her eyes red-rimmed.

Wang Xiulan knelt down and gently wiped away the sweat and tears from her daughter's face.

"Yufen, do you know how many times I failed at making tofu? Seven whole pots of soybeans! Your grandma said that a tofu maker who hasn't experienced failure can't make good tofu."

Su Yufen looked up and saw the determined light in her mother's eyes.

"mom..."

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