"One more time."

Wang Xiulan pushed the soaked beans in front of her.

"Remember, keep your mind calm and your hands steady."

Su Yufen took a deep breath and started again.

This time, she was completely focused and followed her mother's instructions step by step.

When she saw the soy milk perfectly coagulate into tofu pudding, her heart raced, but her hands remained steady.

"It's done!"

She couldn't help but cheer when she took the pressed tofu out of the mold.

The tofu was white and delicate, emitting an enticing aroma.

Wang Xiulan cut off a small piece, tasted it, and her eyes lit up.

"Excellent! The cooking time is perfect, the texture is delicate, it's a fine piece of tofu!"

Su Yufen rushed into her mother's arms, tears streaming down her face.

"Mom, I did it!"

Wang Xiulan hugged her daughter tightly, her voice choked with emotion.

"Good boy, I knew you could do it."

Outside the window, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Su Yufen glanced at the time and exclaimed in surprise.

"It's already 5:30! Where's Dad?"

"Your dad left before dawn."

Wang Xiulan said this as she loaded the tofu onto the truck.

Upon hearing this, Su Yufen immediately quickened her pace and, together with her mother, loaded nearly 100 jin of tofu, made from 20 jin of soybeans, onto the tricycle.

"Let's go."

Wang Xiulan wiped her sweat.

"Let's go to the market. Let your dad see what our cooking skills are like!"

...

On the other side.

Dongdan Market was still shrouded in darkness.

Su Jianguo wrapped his cotton-padded coat tighter and arrived at his shop.

He took out his keys and opened the door of "Su Ji Vegetable Shop".

"Oh dear, I left in such a hurry yesterday, I didn't even pack properly."

Su Jianguo muttered to himself, looking at the scattered vegetable leaves and straw on the ground.

He rolled up his sleeves, picked up a broom from the corner, and began to carefully sweep every corner of the shop.

He moved very quickly, first sweeping away the debris on the floor, then wiping the counter and shelves with a rag.

"We need to clean all of this up; we can't let it affect today's business."

Su Jianguo murmured, his hands moving with even greater care.

He recalled the booming sales scene yesterday, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

Although the price is several times higher than that of seasonal vegetables, fresh off-season vegetables are still in short supply.

Just after five o'clock, a familiar "putt-putt" sound came from afar.

Su Jianguo put down the broom and strode to the shop entrance.

Su Jianjun's tractor slowly drove up, its headlights piercing the darkness and illuminating the market's narrow path.

"elder brother!"

Su Jianjun jumped out of the driver's seat, his face beaming with undisguised excitement.

"Look at today's dishes, they're even better than yesterday's!"

Su Jianguo walked to the back of the car and lifted a corner of the tarpaulin.

The bright green cucumbers were neatly stacked in the basket, each one straight and plump, with its blossom and prickles still attached.

Bright red tomatoes were piled up like a small mountain.

The chives and bok choy were fresh and crisp, with morning dew still clinging to their leaves.

"Yes, it's definitely better than yesterday."

Su Jianguo nodded in satisfaction.

"How much was loaded?"

"Seven hundred jin!"

Su Jianjun said proudly.

"We packed 200 jin more than yesterday! I specifically asked Wu Er to tell them to pick more of the better-looking ones."

The two brothers began unloading the goods, working together seamlessly to carry baskets of vegetables into the store.

Su Jianguo arranged the items according to type and quality, placing the most beautiful ones in the most prominent positions.

"Jianjun, put these baskets of cucumbers on the counter."

Su Jianguo gave the order.

"Yesterday, many customers asked about cucumbers as soon as they walked in."

As they were talking, two elderly women stood at the shop entrance, carrying vegetable baskets and peering curiously into the shop.

"Oh, you're here to buy groceries so early?"

Su Jianguo greeted him with a smile.

"you do not say!"

An elderly woman with gray hair said.

"My neighbor bought some cucumbers from your farm yesterday and said they were especially fresh, so I got up early this morning to buy some more."

Su Jianguo glanced at his watch; it was only 5:30, and the market wouldn't officially open for another hour.

He didn't expect the word-of-mouth to spread so quickly, and he certainly didn't expect customers to line up so early.

"Please wait a moment, we'll be right there."

Su Jianguo quickened his pace and, together with Su Jianjun, swiftly moved the remaining vegetables into the store.

Just as the two brothers finished arranging the last basket of tomatoes, seven or eight customers had already gathered at the store entrance.

They craned their necks to look into the store, whispering amongst themselves.

"These cucumbers are so fresh and juicy, they look like they were just picked!"

"To grow vegetables like this in such cold weather, that's truly impressive!"

"I heard they sold out yesterday at noon, so I have to buy some today."

Su Jianguo wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked behind the counter.

"Everyone, today's fresh vegetables have arrived. The varieties are the same as yesterday: cucumbers, tomatoes, chives, and bok choy."

How much is it per pound?

A middle-aged man in blue overalls asked.

"One yuan per pound."

Su Jianguo answered in a loud voice.

A gasp and a murmur of discontent immediately erupted from the crowd.

"One yuan? That's way too expensive!"

"Cucumbers are only two cents a pound in the summer!"

"Isn't this robbery?"

"Wasn't it 80 cents yesterday?"

Su Jianguo was prepared and calmly picked up a cucumber.

"Comrades, you're right, cucumbers are indeed cheap in summer. But think about it, what season is it now? It's going to snow in a few days. How much effort does it take to grow such fresh vegetables?"

He broke open the cucumber, and the crisp "crack" sound was particularly clear in the store, with glistening juice seeping from the cut surface.

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