After several families finalized their decisions...
Pan Jinhua explained to them how to make tofu, but of course, she still kept the brine recipe herself.
Once the process is clear, any missing items need to be prepared in advance.
One stone mill is not enough.
These families are planning to build a workshop in the future, so they really need this stuff.
Three! Let's buy three first!
The more molds for pressing tofu, the better, since tofu can be processed into other products. Li Xujiang quickly received many mold orders.
That's right. Before the tofu even went on sale, Li Xujiang was already planning to make some extra money. Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. Since he was going to do business, he naturally had to keep good records.
Pan Jinhua expressed her full approval of their idea.
We ordered fifty sets of molds, as well as a lot of wooden buckets and bamboo drying mats, which will be needed for storing soy milk and drying tofu.
Li Xujiang was the first to take the money home. He was overjoyed, his face beaming with happiness. To live a comfortable life, one must have money.
Next, they needed to arrange for people to collect the beans. Li Xuming, Li Xushen, and Li Xuhe—yes, not Li Xuhai. Li Xuhai preferred farming and was completely oblivious to the business world. Li Xujiang, wanting to be a carpenter, pushed his third brother forward. These three, along with Li Xuyue, discussed the matter enthusiastically.
Pan Jinhua didn't care what arrangements they made. She provided the connections and the direction for development. What happened next was none of her business. She just had to wait to collect the money!
After all, she wanted to enjoy life and didn't want to work herself to death. It's not the old lord who takes on everything, it's an old hag.
Inside the main room, everything was bustling with activity, while outside, Fang Da arrived again.
"grandmother!"
A letter has arrived!
"Grandmother, Nanze has sent a letter!"
Li Qingyi rushed in. The adults were having a meeting, and they were playing outside. When he saw Fang Da arrive, he was overjoyed to hear that Nan Ze had sent a letter. His third uncle had been waiting for him for a long time!
Li Qingyi was panting heavily as he ran. He bent over and gasped for breath as soon as he entered the door, his throat tasting of blood. He had run too fast.
"Third Uncle, phew, Third Aunt has written a letter."
Li Xuchang jumped up suddenly, almost straining his back.
Everyone around laughed, it was a good-natured laugh, even Pan Jinhua laughed.
"There's good news at home today, let's chat later and let Xu Chang be happy for a while."
Li Xuming laughed heartily, and the others teased Li Xuchang as they walked out.
"Chang-ge, quickly take a look! What did your sister-in-law say? Did she give birth to a son or a daughter?"
"Congratulations! Today is a great day. Our family is going to have income, and Changge is going to have another baby."
"That's right, it means our family is definitely going to make a fortune, this is a very good omen."
"That makes sense."
Li Qingyi handed the letter to his third uncle, and then handed another copy to Pan Jinhua.
“My aunts also wrote to my grandmother.”
"It seems they were sent together."
Pan Jinhua took it and opened it directly.
Li Xuchang was still holding the letter, somewhat at a loss.
"Is the third brother so happy he's gone mad?"
Li Xushi laughed out loud, seeing his younger brother's stunned expression; he really looked too silly.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Mo Qiaoniang, not one to tolerate him, rolled her eyes at Li Xushi.
Li Xushi immediately felt embarrassed. Since being exiled, his wife had become even more powerful, and he dared not easily anger her now.
Liu Yun brought Li Qingtong and Li Qingjun in; she had gone to find the two brothers as soon as she heard about Nan Ze's letter.
"Auntie, did Mother write a letter to my brother and Jun'er?"
Upon hearing that it was a letter from his mother, Li Qingjun burst into tears. He hadn't seen his mother in a long time and missed her terribly.
Li Qingtong had a serious face, her body was stiff, and her eyes were red, showing that she missed her mother.
Liu Yun sighed softly. He missed his mother after all. He used to pretend not to care, but his eyes still reddened when he heard this.
"Go to your father's place quickly and see what your mother wrote for you."
The two children instantly pounced on Li Xuchang, like swallows returning to their nest.
Li Xuchang held his two children in his arms, recalling his mother's precognitive dream.
Qingjun is still alive and well, well-behaved and greedy, and very lively.
Despite his young age, Qing Tong already acts like an elder brother, taking good care of his younger brother. And because of his martial arts training, he's grown tall and strong; his wife might not even recognize him.
Thinking of this, Li Xuchang couldn't help but smile and opened the letter.
Nan Zeqi's family.
A woman in green was playing with a baby in a cradle. She was plump and radiated maternal love.
"I wonder if my husband has received my letter. How are Tong'er and Jun'er doing...?"
This is Qi Wan, Li Xuchang's wife. Four months have passed since the Li family's property was confiscated.
When Qi Wan was seven months pregnant, she went into premature labor due to excessive worry during her pregnancy.
Fortunately, the Qi family was well-prepared, and she was not a first-time mother, so she gave birth to a daughter safely.
"...If it's a girl, she'll be called Qingpeng; if it's a boy, he'll be called Qingxi."
Li Xuchang had already named the child, but since she had now divorced and returned home, the child's surname was Qi, and his name was Qi Qingpeng.
"Mother! Wan'er said she gave birth to a daughter, and I have a daughter too! Qing Tong, Qing Jun! Your mother gave birth to a little sister for you!"
Li Xuchang was so excited he almost jumped up, but luckily he remembered he was still holding two children in his arms.
Li Xuchang read quickly. Nanze and Shaoxian were thousands of miles apart, and correspondence was not easy. Besides, Qi Wan was afraid that her husband and child would worry about her, so in the letter she only wrote that she had successfully given birth to a daughter, Qi Qingpeng. The rest of the letter was full of concern for the Li family and her anticipation of seeing them again soon.
Congratulations, Third Brother, on the birth of your daughter!
"Thank you, brother!"
"Haha, we have few daughters, but each one is a treasure!" Li Xushi looked at Li Qingruo with affection before congratulating Li Xuchang.
"Qingpeng, what a fine name, lush with vegetation. We should be like grass, unyielding to the wind and unburnt by fire, seizing every opportunity to grow luxuriantly and live brilliantly."
Pan Jinhua sighed. She had already read the letters from her two daughters and knew about Qi Wan's premature birth. Childbirth is a life-threatening experience for women. Judging from her third daughter's condition, she was afraid that her third daughter-in-law hadn't mentioned it in her letter.
Little did she know that her words would cause Li Qingzhang's pupils to dilate in shock.
Grandmother... Should people be like grass?
“Mother is right! The wind cannot blow it away, the fire cannot burn it out. Our Li family will surely be like this grass, seemingly inconspicuous, yet ubiquitous.”
"I see. This grass is weak and moves with the wind. Even if it is burned by fire, as long as its roots are still intact, it can grow stronger again in time. I have learned something."
Li Xushi felt as if he had been enlightened.
Li Xuchang looked embarrassed; he hadn't thought that way at the time.
Pan Jinhua was unaware that her words would later become the creed of the Li family in Shaoxian County. After the Li family regained its former glory, the clansmen even designed the Li family emblem in the shape of grass. All the descendants kept in mind one principle when they were away from home: to be humble like grass, bowing their heads when necessary, and to be strong like grass, taking root wherever they land and quickly flourishing when they seize an opportunity.
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