"Tofu, delicious tofu!"
"Don't miss out, Li family's traditional dishes!"
"Tofu for sale! Delicious tofu!"
"Free samples! Li's Tofu is having its first day of business today, so we're offering free samples!"
After several days of preparation, the Li family finally started selling tofu.
Today was market day for several nearby villages, and around four in the morning, the men of the Li family were already busy in the yard. They divided the work among themselves: grinding soybeans, adding brine, tending the fire, and stirring—everyone had their share. It took them nearly two hours to turn one hundred jin (50 kg) of soybeans into tofu.
The three grown men hawking their wares attracted a lot of attention, especially the words "free samples," which caught the eye of passersby.
"Hey bro, what's this tofu?"
"Is this really free, boss?"
What does "free tasting" mean?
The tofu stall was instantly surrounded by people. I've seen vegetable stalls before, but I've never seen one that offers free samples!
Besides, I've never heard of this tofu before. But the owner said it's a family heirloom of the Li family. Since it's free, I might as well try it.
"Dear uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters, please don't push, please don't push, the tasting is over here."
Li Xuchang shouted loudly with a smile.
He led those who wanted to try the food to his side, and took out several pairs of chopsticks made from thin twigs he had broken off along the way. The round-faced old lady at the head of the group didn't mind and grabbed them directly. Luckily, she was quick, and she ended up standing first.
The old woman was very pleased with herself; when it came to getting a good deal, she was the one to rely on, based on her experience.
On the small wooden table in front of Li Xuchang were two large bowls of dishes: Mapo tofu and tofu with scallions.
"Auntie, these two dishes are my family's ancestral recipes—tofu. These are dishes made with tofu: Mapo Tofu and Tofu with Scallions."
Li Xuming pointed to the two dishes and introduced them.
"Try it, Mapo Tofu is a bit spicy. If you like it, you can take two pieces of tofu home and we'll teach you how to make it. This dish is very easy to make."
"Wow, he even teaches recipes!"
The round-faced woman was quite surprised. Buying vegetables and getting a recipe included? She had to take advantage of this! You see, these days, a recipe is a family heirloom.
She quickly picked up a piece of Mapo Tofu with her chopsticks. The Mapo Tofu was red and white, and it smelled delicious, making it look very appetizing.
The rich flavors exploded in my mouth: spicy, tolerable, numbing, and tender! She had already noticed this when she picked it up earlier; it was smooth and fragrant.
The round-faced woman couldn't think of many adjectives to describe it.
"That's fucking awesome!"
Praise came out of his mouth without hesitation.
She then picked up the scallion-mixed tofu, which was also very tender. Unlike Mapo Tofu, this dish didn't have a particularly rich flavor, but the tofu's flavor was clearly distinct. It was equally tender and smooth, with a hint of bean fragrance, accompanied by the unique taste of scallions. This tofu is truly a wonderful thing; the dishes made with it practically melt in your mouth before you even have a chance to chew them properly. It's perfect for children and the elderly in the family, with a great flavor, and each dish has its own unique taste.
"Hey sir, how much is this tofu?"
The round-faced old lady reluctantly put down her chopsticks, turned her head and eagerly asked Li Xuchang.
"Auntie, our tofu is only three coins a pound, that's cheap!"
Li Xuchang smiled even more warmly, announcing, "We're opening for business!"
"Give me a pound first."
"Auntie, my tofu comes in two portions, one compartment weighs half a jin. You're the first customer of the day, so I'll give you an extra half jin."
Li Xuhe smiled憨厚ly; he was in charge of cutting the tofu.
Li Xuhe held a lotus leaf in his hand the whole time, making sure his hand never touched the tofu. He wrapped the two and a half pieces of tofu he had cut in the lotus leaf and handed them to the old lady in her basket.
"Auntie, you can put some water in a basin when you get home and let it soak for many days. It will definitely not spoil."
"Oh, good, good. Your family really knows how to do business. Don't worry, I like what I eat, I'll definitely come back to buy more next time!"
When the round-faced old lady heard that she would be given half a pound of the medicine, her face immediately lit up with a big smile.
"Alright, ma'am, you can't go wrong with our tofu. Come this way, my son is telling you the recipe over there, just come over and listen."
Sure enough, there were several children nearby discussing the recipe.
"Mapo tofu requires tofu, Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers..."
The round-faced auntie hurried over. She had to listen carefully; the taste of the dishes she had just tasted was still lingering in her mouth. She was ready to show off her skills today and let everyone in the family try some new dishes.
"I'll try it!"
"My turn, buddy, give me two pairs."
"You guys eat less, I want to try some too!"
Seeing the round-faced old lady's demeanor, the people who were already gathered around Li Xuchang were even more eager to try it, and they all asked to leave some for them to taste.
Some who had never tried it before saw that there were so many people in front of Li Xuchang, so they went directly to Li Xuhe's side and placed their orders.
"Hey bro, cut me a pound too."
"I want two jin."
"I'll have two pounds too, there are a lot of people in my family."
"One jin (500 grams)."
Li Xushen was originally standing by Li Xuhe collecting money, but seeing that Li Xuhe was getting busy, he quickly grabbed a wooden knife to help cut the food. The two large bowls of free samples were quickly emptied, and Li Xuchang then took over the cashier's job.
Passersby saw the large crowd gathered and the long queue, so they joined in, creating quite a spectacle.
Li Xuhe quickly called to Li Xuchang, "The tofu we brought is almost sold out, and there are still many people queuing up!"
"Don't worry, I'll send a boy back to have his family send it over."
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