Chapter 16: Rice Vinegar and Tofu

The tofu made from Physalis has a stronger flavor and a longer-lasting taste than tofu made from brine. It also avoids the burden that brine may bring to the human body, so you will never get tired of eating it.

This is why the tofu made by Wen’s family was so delicious and the business was always good.

But at the moment, there is neither fermented Physalis nor brine available.

Zhuang Qingsui obviously realized this and frowned: "Sister, do we have no way to make tofu..."

As he spoke, his voice already started to cry.

The two of them had been busy grinding beans since last night until the moon had set. They were exhausted from the whole night. They saw that the soy milk was ready, and they had added some tofu pudding so that they could make tofu in the mold. However, they didn't have any tofu starter...

This means that everything they have done may be in vain, and they cannot rent the tofu shop. If they want to make money, they can only find other ways.

And all the plans and hard work have come to nothing...

All the hard work for such a long time was in vain, and even the high hopes were completely shattered in an instant. The sense of loss this caused people is indescribable and incomparable.

No wonder Zhuang Qingsui suddenly became like a frost-bitten eggplant.

"It's okay, I have a way." Zhuang Qingning rubbed Zhuang Qingsui's little head and said with a smile.

"Sister, do you have a solution?" Zhuang Qingsui sniffed and looked at her in disbelief, choking as he spoke: "As the old saying goes, even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice. Now that I don't have sour plums and brine, how am I going to make some tofu pudding..."

No matter how much Zhuang Qingsui trusted her sister Zhuang Qingning, she felt that there was nothing she could do at this moment.

"We don't have sour cherry and brine, but we have this."

Zhuang Qingning smiled and brought over a large bowl.

"This is……"

Zhuang Qingsui looked at the clear, water-like substance in the bowl for a long while, then leaned forward to take a sniff and was immediately surprised: "Is it rice vinegar?"

"Yes, it's rice vinegar." Zhuang Qingning nodded.

"Sister, are you planning to use rice vinegar to make some tofu?"

Zhuang Qingsui couldn't help but raise his voice in surprise: "But... I've never heard of using rice vinegar to make tofu. Will this work?"

"Let's try it first." Zhuang Qingning smiled and said, "Anyway, there is no better way at the moment."

"That's right..." Zhuang Qingsui nodded in a daze: "Then, let's give it a try."

If it succeeds, it succeeds. If it fails, it doesn’t succeed. There will always be a result, which is better than just standing here and watching.

Zhuang Qingning used clean water to dilute the rice vinegar in the basin of clean water next to him, and when Zhuang Qingsui was not paying attention, he dropped a drop of the secret recipe water for making elementary tofu into it. Then he divided the diluted rice vinegar into five times, stirred it slowly in circles, and added it to the cooled soy milk in the jar.

"Okay." After adding the rice vinegar, Zhuang Qingning went to clean up the bowl and wooden basin that had just contained the vinegar.

Zhuang Qingsui stared at the water tank intently, praying in his heart that this method would work.

The soy milk with rice vinegar was creating ripples because it had not completely calmed down due to the stirring just now. After the ripples gradually calmed down, the originally white soy milk gradually changed.

A clear slurry with a greenish-yellow color gradually appeared, and clumps of flocculent matter gradually solidified together and slowly settled down.

"Sister, this rice vinegar can really be used to make tofu!" Zhuang Qingsui exclaimed, and reached out to hug Zhuang Qingning beside her, and pointed at the water tank excitedly: "Look, tofu pudding, so much tofu pudding."

"Sister's method is okay, right?" Zhuang Qingning raised his eyebrows.

She only knew about the method of using rice vinegar to make tofu before, but because she had sufficient supplies when making tofu in her previous life, she never had to resort to such a bad method. So before making the tofu pudding, Zhuang Qingning's firm attitude was just to comfort Zhuang Qingsui, and she was not actually completely sure.

The first attempt produced good results, and Zhuang Qingning breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sister is awesome!"

It was absolutely wrong not to believe my sister and to doubt her just now.

My sister can definitely do what she says!

Zhuang Qingsui raised the corner of his mouth high.

"Help me light a fire quickly. We need to add more fire to the stove so that the tofu pudding will turn out better." Zhuang Qingning checked the quality of the tofu pudding in the pot and said with a smile.

"Okay." Zhuang Qingsui happily took the flint to make a fire.

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The fire in the stove was lit again, and steam gradually came out of the big pot. The tofu pudding inside was solidifying more and more, and the pieces were getting bigger and bigger.

When the tofu pudding was almost solidified, Zhuang Qingning moved the mold containing the tofu over, laid out a piece of fine cloth that could hold back the slurry but prevent the tofu pudding from flowing out, and scooped the tofu pudding in one scoop at a time.

Put all the tofu pudding into the mold, tie it with a piece of fine cloth, lay out the pressing board, and then put the pressing weight on it.

The sour milk flowed out like a stream. Zhuang Qingning took a few buckets of it and poured it into a cleaned vat at the side, leaving it to ferment into sour milk for next use. The rest was allowed to flow outside along the bluestone ditch of the tofu shop.

In winter, there are always people at the door of the tofu shop who dislike the cold well water and are willing to use the hot water to wash clothes and scrub the stove. Now that the weather is warmer, no one comes anymore, and the hot water flows along the ditch into the weeds at the entrance of the village.

Slowly, no more water seeped out of the mold, and the tofu was almost ready.

The two sisters removed the heavy object that was pressing the tofu, lifted the fine cloth covering it, and the soft, tender and white tofu appeared before their eyes.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for triggering the tofu making task. You have successfully made a piece of tofu for the first time. You will be rewarded with two bottles of primary tofu making secret water. Your tofu making proficiency will be +1. When the cumulative proficiency reaches 166, you can upgrade to the intermediate tofu making recipe and unlock the intermediate tofu making secret water.]

Yes, yes, it’s free to upgrade and there are rewards.

Xiaowu's system is pretty good. The tasks assigned are easy and can be completed without any hassle.

【Xiaowu is a high-quality system! 】 (smug face) Keep up the high-quality system, keep working on it.

Zhuang Qingning's face was all smiles.

Nice words can make a living, and the system is no exception.

"It smells so good." Zhuang Qingsui took two breaths of the hot steam coming out of the tofu and smacked his lips.

"You've been busy all night, you must be hungry." Zhuang Qingning smiled, took the slender, narrow and flat tofu knife next to him, deftly cut out a piece of tofu, took it out gently and held it in his hand, then cut the tofu into one-inch square cubes and put them into the bowl.

(End of this chapter)