The warm sun of January finally dispelled the chill of December, baking the fields of the Hongqi Production Brigade with a moist, earthy aroma. Lin Wanqiu stood in the open space behind her new house, watching Shen Tingzhou lead several villagers in building the wooden frame, her heart filled with anticipation. This open space was specially reserved by her to build a soy sauce brewing shed—ever since she mentioned the idea of making soy sauce to the villagers at the housewarming banquet, everyone's enthusiasm had never waned. Every day, someone would come to ask how the preparations were going, and even Secretary Zhao from the commune had made a special trip to say that if any help was needed, the commune could coordinate tools and space.
"Wanqiu, the wooden frame is almost finished. Do you think the height is right?" Shen Tingzhou jumped down from the frame, patted the sawdust off his hands, and looked at Lin Wanqiu with a questioning gaze. He was wearing a dark blue work uniform, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he did not look tired at all. On the contrary, he was especially happy to be able to help Lin Wanqiu.
Lin Wanqiu stepped forward, gestured to indicate the height of the wooden frame, and said with a smile, "Half a foot higher would be just right. We can put up a sunshade cloth to block the sun and allow ventilation. By the way, have you made arrangements for the earthenware jars for fermentation? We need twenty large earthenware jars, each capable of holding at least two hundred catties of soybeans."
“It’s all arranged,” Shen Tingzhou nodded, took out a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. “Director Wang of the pottery factory in the county said that the pottery jars will be delivered next week. They are all handmade, thick and suitable for long-term fermentation. I also told him that if we expand our business in the future, we can get the jars at the wholesale price.”
Lin Wanqiu took the note, her heart warming as she looked at the neat handwriting. Ever since Shen Tingzhou returned, he had arranged everything for her in advance, from building a new house to hosting a housewarming party, and now preparing to make soy sauce. He was always her strongest support. She looked up at Shen Tingzhou, her eyes full of smiles: "Thank you for your hard work. Without you, I don't know when my soy sauce shop would have been able to open."
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Shen Tingzhou reached out to tidy her wind-blown hair, his voice gentle. "Your business is my business. Besides, this soy sauce shop is not only our family's side business, but also the hope of the entire brigade. I will definitely do my best to help."
Just then, Nian'an skipped and hopped out of the house, carrying a small cloth bag containing several plump soybeans: "Mom! Dad! I picked these soybeans from my space. Aren't they all good? Not a single one is bad!"
Lin Wanqiu squatted down, took the cloth bag, and placed a soybean in her palm. This soybean was plump and golden in color; it was a premium variety she had specially cultivated in her space, with a higher oil yield and a richer flavor than soybeans on the market. She squeezed the soybean and said with a smile, "Nian'an picked really well. These soybeans can all be used to make soy sauce. Later, Mother will teach you how to soak soybeans, and we'll work together for the soy sauce factory, okay?"
"Great!" Nian'an jumped up excitedly, his little face full of anticipation. Ever since he helped Lin Wanqiu entertain the villagers at the housewarming banquet, he had been looking forward to doing something for his family again. Now that he finally had the opportunity, he was naturally extremely happy.
Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou were extremely busy. Lin Wanqiu was responsible for developing the soy sauce brewing process, meticulously recording every step from selecting, soaking, and steaming the beans to making koji, fermentation, and sun-drying the sauce. She even retrieved soy sauce brewing knowledge from her previous life and optimized the process based on the actual conditions of the 1960s—for example, using a wood-fired stove instead of modern steam equipment to steam the beans, and using earthenware jars instead of stainless steel fermentation tanks, which ensured the flavor of the soy sauce while meeting the production conditions of the time.
Shen Tingzhou was in charge of organizing the villagers to prepare raw materials and tools. He led several young and strong villagers to the commune's grain station to bring back 1,000 jin of soybeans, and also bought enough salt and yeast from the county town. The women in the village volunteered to help. Some were responsible for sorting the soybeans, picking out the bad and shriveled ones, some were responsible for cleaning the earthenware jars, scrubbing them inside and out, and others were responsible for preparing firewood to prepare for steaming the soybeans.
The courtyard was bustling with activity, everyone working together seamlessly with clear division of labor. Aunt Li, while sorting soybeans, said to the women around her, "Wanqiu is such a capable girl! Not only can she grow off-season vegetables and run a tofu shop, but she can also make soy sauce. Once our soy sauce is ready, it'll definitely fetch a good price, and our lives will be even better!"
“Yes,” Aunt Wang chimed in, her hands still busy, “Before, we could only make a living by earning work points, and we couldn’t save much money at the end of the year. Now, following Wanqiu, we can not only earn money in the tofu shop, but also in the soy sauce shop in the future. Our lives are getting better and better!”
Hearing their conversation, Lin Wanqiu was deeply moved. She knew that her achievements today were inseparable from the support and help of her fellow villagers. If they hadn't lent a helping hand during her most difficult time, she might have been bullied to death by the Shen family long ago. Now, she finally had the opportunity to lead everyone to prosperity, and naturally, she would do her best in everything to live up to everyone's trust and expectations.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the soy sauce workshop officially began brewing soy sauce. Early in the morning, Lin Wanqiu led the villagers to soak soybeans. She poured the selected soybeans into a large wooden barrel, added enough water to cover the soybeans by about three inches, and then covered it with a wooden lid to allow the soybeans to fully absorb the water. The soaking process took six hours, during which the water had to be changed every two hours to ensure that the soybeans would not spoil.
Nian'an stayed by the wooden tub, occasionally lifting the lid to check on the soybeans, and reminded Lin Wanqiu, "Mom, it's time to change the water. Let's change the water for the soybeans quickly, so they don't go bad."
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