Lin Wanqiu put the last piece of multigrain steamed bun into the bamboo basket, her fingertips still covered in dough crumbs, when she heard a soft "ding" from her spatial dimension—a notification that her energy level was full. She quickly coaxed Chen Nian to sit on the kang (heated brick bed) and play with building blocks, while she leaned against the door frame, pretending to sunbathe, her consciousness instantly sinking into the jade pendant space.
As soon as she entered the space, the electronic screen was dazzlingly bright: "Current energy value: 100 points, meeting the conditions for starting a small processing plant, start now?" Lin Wanqiu clicked "yes" without hesitation. The processing plant door next to the warehouse creaked open, and the machines inside lit up with green lights at the same time. The grinder, oil press, and noodle machine ran around in turn, as if greeting her.
She walked to the electronic screen, swiped her finger across it, and suddenly a new option popped up: "Side hustle skill library unlocked. You can learn 'Traditional Tofu Making Techniques', 'Handmade Vermicelli Making', and 'Ancient Soy Sauce Brewing.' Do you want to learn them?"
"Tofu making!" Lin Wanqiu's eyes lit up immediately. In those days, tofu was a rare commodity. Tofu from the supply and marketing cooperative was rationed, and you had to queue up at dawn to get some. If she could make tofu and sell it herself, she could not only make a lot of money, but also provide Nian'an with nutrition—the protein in tofu was much better than that in sweet potatoes and corn.
The moment she clicked "Learn," a warm feeling flooded her mind. From selecting beans, soaking beans, grinding them into soy milk, to boiling the soy milk, adding coagulant, and pressing it into shape, every step was so clear it was as if she had done it a thousand times herself. She could even remember the most crucial details: the beans should be soaked in warm water for eight hours in winter; the soy milk should be ground twice, the first time coarsely and the second time finely; the coagulant should be added with gypsum, the ratio being three ounces of gypsum powder for every ten pounds of soy milk—too much would make it bitter, too little would prevent it from setting.
Lin Wanqiu became increasingly excited as she learned, and turned to run towards the warehouse. Sure enough, several bags of soybeans were piled up in the corner of the warehouse, the beans plump and still smelling fresh. Next to them were several sealed earthenware jars containing gypsum powder, brine, and even glucono-delta-lactone for making tofu pudding. She picked up a bag of soybeans, weighed it in her hand, and estimated it to be at least fifty pounds, enough for her to make several batches.
Just as I was about to move the soybeans to the processing plant, the electronic screen popped up a notification: "To make tofu for the first time, you need to complete the beginner task: successfully make 10 kilograms of qualified tofu, and you will be rewarded with a 'Tofu Derivatives Making Manual' (which includes methods for making tofu skin, dried tofu, and bean curd sticks) and 20 energy points."
"This task came at just the right time!" Lin Wanqiu was full of energy. First, she picked three catties of soybeans and poured them into a ceramic basin. Then she scooped warm water from the well in her space—the water in the space had a sweet taste and was much better than the well water in the village. While soaking the soybeans, she studied the grinder. This machine was more useful than she had imagined. It could not only grind the soybeans but also filter the soybean pulp, saving her the trouble of filtering with gauze.
Just as she finished preparing everything, Shen Nian'an's voice suddenly came from outside the space: "Mother! Grandma is here!"
Lin Wanqiu's heart tightened, and she quickly exited the spatial dimension. She saw Old Lady Shen standing at the courtyard gate, carrying an empty basket, her eyes fixed on the bamboo basket inside the house, clearly having smelled the aroma of steamed buns. Zhang Lan followed behind, holding a broken bowl, looking as if she hadn't woken up yet.
"Oh, isn't this Wanqiu?" Old Mrs. Shen said with a forced smile. "I just heard Nian'an crying when I passed by. I thought you were bullying him. Turns out you were just making something to eat."
Lin Wanqiu hid the bamboo basket behind her back and said coldly, "Mother, you're joking. How could I bully Nian'an? But what are you doing here again?"
"Can't I just come to see my grandson?" Grandma Shen said, rushing into the house. "Nian'an, Grandma brought you something delicious!"
Shen Nian'an hid behind Lin Wanqiu and whispered, "Grandma is lying, you don't have anything in your hands."
Grandma Shen blushed instantly and quickly changed the subject: "I heard you've been making money selling vegetables lately? How much have you earned? Show it to me quickly. I'm your mother-in-law, your money is my money, and I have to manage it for you to prevent you from spending it recklessly."
“I will manage my own money, so please don’t trouble yourself, Mother.” Lin Wanqiu blocked Old Madam Shen’s way. “If you have nothing else to do, please go back. I still need to make lunch for Nian’an.”
"You little whore! You dare to kick me out?" Old Mrs. Shen was so angry that she jumped up and down. "Let me tell you, if you don't hand over the money today, I'm not leaving! I'm going to go to the village committee and shout it out, so everyone can see how unfilial you are!"
Zhang Lan chimed in, "That's right, Wanqiu. Mom is doing this for your own good. It's not safe for a woman like you to be carrying so much money."
Lin Wanqiu sneered, "Not safe? I think you're just after my money! I told you last time, if you dare to rob me again, I'll call the police. If you're not afraid of being arrested, then go ahead and cause trouble!"
Old Mrs. Shen remembered the "Public Security Administration Regulations" that Lin Wanqiu had in her hand last time, and suddenly felt a little scared. But she was unwilling to leave like this, so she threw a tantrum and rolled on the ground: "I don't want to live anymore! Why is my life so miserable! My son is gone, my daughter-in-law is unfilial, and she even wants to kick me out!"
Just then, Aunt Wang returned from outside and saw the scene. She quickly stepped forward to persuade her, "Grandma Shen, please stop making a scene! It's not easy for Wanqiu to raise a child alone. Please don't make things difficult for her. Besides, Wanqiu earns her money by selling vegetables through her own abilities. If you make such a scene, it will sound terrible to others."
Other neighbors gathered around, offering their opinions. Seeing that no one was on her side, Old Mrs. Shen had no choice but to get up, dust herself off, and say fiercely, "Lin Wanqiu, you just wait! This isn't over!" With that, she pulled Zhang Lan away in a sorry state.
After seeing the neighbor off, Lin Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief, her back already soaked with cold sweat. She hugged Chen Nian'an and said softly, "An'an, don't be afraid. Grandma is gone. Mom will make you tofu, which is even tastier than steamed buns."
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