"Mother, devil's tongue is also called konjac. It's a good thing. If you don't cook it properly, it can be poisonous. But I have a secret method to remove the toxins. The konjac tofu I make will not only be non-toxic, but also very delicious."

Shen Danru patiently explained to Zhou.

Having spent these past few days together, Zhou Shi knew that Shen Danru was not a reckless child. She trusted her daughter completely and said, "Come inside and eat. You must be starving. After you finish eating, I'll cook with you."

Shen Yu'an works at the dock and can't come back for lunch, so the four of them sat at the table eating and chatting.

For farmers, there is no rule about not speaking while eating or sleeping.

Physical ailments are easy to treat, but mental ailments are difficult to cure.

Everyone knows that Shen Cheng needs to figure this out himself, so they didn't mention the Shen family's affairs at all.

Shen Yuyan took a bite of rice and said, "Father, I have a tutor now."

Shen Cheng looked at him with a puzzled expression and a hint of guilt in his eyes.

"My second sister is my teacher."

Shen Cheng had also heard of this second daughter; she was a renowned talented woman in Shengjing. If she could really teach Yan Ge'er his first lessons, that would be wonderful.

Although eleven years old is a bit late, fortunately, Shen Yuyan often went to the village school to listen to the teachers' lectures, so she at least had some basic knowledge.

Shen Cheng looked at Shen Danru with gentle eyes: "Child, you've worked hard."

Shen Danru smiled faintly: "Father, Yuyan is also my younger brother, and I like him very much. This is what I, as his older sister, should do."

Shen Cheng nodded, looking pleased. He should be content with having such sensible children.

Yes, he still has a wife and children; he can't continue to be so despondent.

He should protect his wife and children. Yu'an is getting married, and Yu Tang has not sent any news home for more than two years since joining the army. He doesn't know if he is still alive. Although Yu Lan is married, he still needs to support his daughter when she gets married in the future. Yu Yan is still young, and he doesn't know if Yu Qing is doing well in the Marquis's mansion.

What right does he have to be so dejected?

After the meal, Shen Danru got to work, and Zhou Shi and Shen Yuyan also came to help.

She had it all figured out: making modern konjac desserts with konjac would definitely be a hit.

Since it was her first time making it, she chose the smallest one to try first.

After washing and soaking the konjac, grate it into a paste, and then use a prepared wood ash solution to solidify it.

She could have used baking soda, but with her mother helping her, she could only make wood ash instead, which had the same effect.

Pour the filtered wood ash water little by little onto the konjac paste with a spoon. After it solidifies and changes color, unmold it and cut it into large pieces. Then boil it in boiling water for an hour, take it out and cool it before cutting.

Cut it into strips and take it outside to dry in the sun.

Shen Danru only remembered the method she saw in a short video before, so she decided to try it out first to see if it was correct.

Anyway, this konjac is free.

After more than two days of sun exposure, the konjac is dried. Wash off the surface dust, soak for two hours, squeeze out the water, put it in a steamer and steam. After steaming, let it cool.

Combine Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, and other secret seasonings, then pour hot oil over them and stir to make a spicy oil.

Add a suitable amount of spicy oil to the steamed konjac strips, along with spicy and savory seasonings and roasted sesame seeds, and the aroma will fill the whole yard.

Shen Danru and Shen Yuyan couldn't resist starting to eat.

Is it spicy?

"Second Sister, it's not spicy, it's so delicious."

Shen Yuyan ate while his mouth was burning from the spiciness.

Shen Danru made two servings, one slightly spicy and one medium spicy, but Shen Yuyan insisted on eating the medium spicy one.

It was so delicious that he would accept it even if the devil's taro was poisonous.

Shen Danru suppressed a laugh, then boiled more water and let it cool. Judging from how spicy it was, she would definitely want to drink water soon.

She tasted the konjac dessert she made herself, and it was different from the konjac dessert she bought in modern times.

The color is also quite dark, and it doesn't have any elasticity; it's more like a spicy snack.

Shen Danru was unsure where the problem lay. Was the approach she had learned from watching short videos wrong?

The konjac chips have already been dried, so it's not realistic to make them again. This is the only way for now. I'll try selling them in town.

The market days in Sifang Town are on the 2nd, 5th, and 8th of each month. Today happens to be the 2nd of the month, and Shen Danru got up before dawn, afraid that she would miss the oxcart to the market if she got up too late.

The night before, Shen Danru soaked twenty catties of dried konjac, planning to try it out in town.

Shen Cheng and Zhou Shi were worried and initially disagreed with her going, but finally agreed after Shen Danru compromised and brought Shen Yuyan along.

Urged on by Zhou, the two hastily ate a few bites of food and set off.

Several villagers, mostly women, were already waiting at the village entrance.

Shen Danru and Shen Yuyan, each carrying a basket on their backs, stepped forward to greet everyone, "Good morning, uncles, aunts, and grandmas."

The recent events involving the Shen family have become the talk of the village. Shen Danru doesn't know them, but almost everyone knows about Shen Danru, the second daughter of the second branch of the Shen family.

"Are you Ru-jie and Yan-ge? Are you going to the market too?"

Shen Danru: "Yes, Auntie, I made some food and want to go to town to exchange it for some money."

"Look how well-behaved this child is. Alas, it's a pity that old hag Chen doesn't know how to recognize talent."

Old Liu had already arrived at the village entrance with his oxcart. The villagers all got on the oxcart, and Shen Danru handed Old Liu four coins.

"Child, two coins will suffice for the trip to town. You've given too much."

Old Liu used his own oxcart to make things easier for the villagers. He also wanted to earn a few coins, so he set a limit of one coin per person. Shen Danru and Shen Yuyan were two people, so two coins were enough for them.

“Grandpa Liu, we’re both carrying baskets on our backs, and they take up space. We should pay more, so please take it. It’s what you deserve.”

Seeing Shen Danru addressing him as "Grandpa Liu" repeatedly, Old Man Liu smiled, his face crinkling with wrinkles: "Look how well-behaved this child is, then Grandpa will thank you."

The villagers helped Shen Danru and Shen Yuyan unload their baskets, and the two then boarded the oxcart.

After listening to everyday stories along the way, we finally arrived in town.

The market was bustling with activity, and by the time Chen Danru arrived, there were no good spots left, so they found a secluded place to put down their baskets.

The basket contained a wooden bucket, and the dried konjac was placed inside the bucket.

Seeing that there was a place selling oil paper nearby, Shen Danru bought five hundred oil paper bags, a steelyard balance and a wooden basin.

I filled a half-basin with dried konjac, added the secret seasoning, and the konjac dessert was ready in no time.

Just then, a woman passing by smelled the aroma and came up to ask the price: "Young lady, what is this food? May I try some?"

"Auntie, this is called konjac juice. You can try it before you buy. We have mild and medium spicy versions, so you can try them both."

Shen Danru placed two slices on a plate and handed them to the aunt.

The moment it enters your mouth, it's sour, numbing, and spicy—it's incredibly satisfying.

But I really can't tell what it's made of. But as long as it tastes good, that's fine. If I buy it, my picky son will definitely love it. There are a lot of peppers on it, so it must be expensive.

After hesitating for a moment, the woman couldn't help but ask, "It's quite delicious, how much is it?"

"Auntie, this is six coins a serving. I'll weigh out two ounces for you."