Chapter 17 Tofu Recipe
Gu Mingda understood very well that although it was not about money, it was actually about money.
When Mrs. Gu heard this, she hesitated and said, "Second brother, maybe you just lack some luck in the exam. I dreamed last night that you fell into a pit. It was dark and you couldn't get up for a long time. Otherwise, you might as well not take the exam. You can open a private school in the village, or find a job as an accountant in the county."
Gu Laosan also echoed: "Yes, second brother, you have a quick mind and know many people in the county, so it won't be difficult for you to find a job."
Seeing that almost everyone in the family was against it, Gu Mingda insisted: "Mom, even if we don't take the exam, we have to wait until we pass the exam to become a scholar, and then we can exempt our family from taxes on a few acres of land.
"But...that dream..." Old Mrs. Gu was still hesitant. She was also afraid that something really happened to her second son.
But Father Gu suddenly said, "Take the exam...take the exam for the top scholar! Our family is going to have a top scholar!"
Gu Mingda smiled and said, "Changing one's family background has been the obsession of several generations of our Gu family. Mother, since I have chosen this path, I will not be willing to accept it if I study hard for many years and still gain nothing."
Zhang Yunniang stood behind her husband at this time, silently expressing her support.
Old Mrs. Gu looked at her husband, then at her other two sons, and said, "Then try this last time. If something unexpected happens before the exam, I won't let you take it again."
Gu Mingda smiled and nodded. He took out the book he bought at the Zheng family's stall and said, "I got an unexpected gain in the county today."
The whole family looked at the book, confused.
Gu Mingda explained: "This is a travel note written by a disciple named Zheng. It records in detail how to make tofu."
Making tofu seems simple, but in fact there are only a few people selling tofu in a county because each family keeps the secret recipe tightly to themselves.
When Mrs. Gu heard this, her eyes lit up and she asked, "Really? If our family can learn how to make tofu, we can have a stable income in the future."
The people in the other two rooms were also very happy at this time. After all, no one would complain about having too much money.
"Mom, I will try my best to teach you everything in the book before I take the exam." Gu Mingda promised.
After Zhang Yunniang coaxed her three children to sleep, she climbed onto the bed and fell into a warm embrace.
"If our family can sell tofu in the future, we can give you some money to go to the provincial capital to take the exam." Zhang Yunniang said softly. She was still very worried that her husband would lack money for the exam.
The tofu recipe was suggested by her husband, and Zhang Yunniang felt that her family would at least get a share of the profits.
Gu Mingda stroked his wife's hair gently and said, "I don't want the money from selling tofu. I want to find a way to make a living for my family so that my brother and sister-in-law won't keep an eye on our money every day."
Although Zhang Yunniang was surprised to hear this, she did not argue with her husband. Instead, she asked, "What are you going to do about the exam?"
Once they arrived in the city, not to mention the expenses for food and accommodation, just the guarantee silver for finding a student from the imperial academy would cost more than ten taels. No matter how you calculate it, the second house's money is not enough to spend now.
Gu Mingda lowered his voice and said, "I checked it. The black turtle bought from the Zheng family stall was painted with black paint on the outside, but it was gold inside."
"Ah!" Zhang Yuniang screamed and immediately covered her mouth.
Gu Mingda didn't keep the secret and said directly: "At least ten taels of gold."
Ten taels of gold could probably be exchanged for one hundred taels of silver, which was definitely enough for Gu Mingda to take the exam.
Zhang Yunniang felt relieved and said, "This is all thanks to Niuniu. With this money, we don't have to worry about the money for tofu at home."
Gu Mingda also said: "Yes, who would have thought that a five-year-old child could have such a dream? I will embezzle the gold this time, and I will give it to her when she gets married in the future."
Zhang Yunniang wanted to say that there was no need for the family to be so clear about the details, but she knew her husband too well and knew that with his pride, he would not do anything to take advantage of the child.
The next morning, Zhang Yunniang avoided the rest of the family and told the three children, "Don't tell anyone about Niuniu's dream. Remember that?"
Gu Yan nodded vigorously, and Gu Zhao seemed to understand but not quite.
After sending the two brothers away, Niuniu asked, "Mom, is it a bad thing that I have dreams?"
Zhang Yuniang quickly shook her head and said, "How could that be? Niuniu is the lucky star of our family, and I'm afraid someone else will snatch Niuniu away from me, so I can't tell anyone about my dream, understand?"
Niu Niu nodded happily, and her stomach suddenly growled.
Niu Niu was not full for breakfast and wanted to get a second bowl, but she saw the murderous look in Third Aunt’s eyes and she did not dare to continue eating.
"Hungry?"
Niu Niu nodded shyly.
Zhang Yunniang opened the locked cabinet and took out a piece of cake wrapped in oil paper: "Eat it."
Niu Niu hesitated and didn't dare to answer it.
Zhang Yunniang frowned and said, "Why are you being so polite to me? Since I gave it to you, just eat it. I won't make the family poor just because you eat one more bite."
Niu Niu took it with a smile and ate it in small bites. The pastry was white, soft and sweet. It was something she could never dream of eating at the Zhang family.
To make tofu, you need a stone mill. There is an unused millstone in a household at the entrance of the village. You can just borrow it for the first time.
Old Mrs. Gu was a very decisive person. The next day, she brought a bag of soybeans and ground them into pulp.
The Gu family made tofu correctly the first time, and except for the sour taste, it had almost no flaws.
"Let's do it again tomorrow. As long as it's not so sour, we can sell it for money." Old Mrs. Gu said happily.
"Mom, we don't know how many people in the village will want to buy it. Let's make a small amount first. If we can't sell all the products in the village, we can send them to the town to sell."
Gu Mingda said this because he was afraid that he would have too much stock, which would leave a backlog and go unsold, or even go bad, thus wasting his own beans.
Old Mrs. Gu nodded and said, "Don't worry, I know everything."
The pricing of Gu’s tofu is set with the help of Gu Mingda. If it is sold out normally, there will be about 30% gross profit.
"Mom, today's tofu has turned sour and it's hard to sell. We can't finish it all, and it will go bad if left for too long. Can I send a piece back to your house tomorrow?" Chen Chunhua asked proactively.
Mrs. Gu hesitated for a moment, but still nodded and said, "Give him three pieces. Gu Jin wants to learn carpentry from your brother later, so we can't save money."
Chen Chunhua's younger brother is a carpenter, and people from all over the village come to him for furniture making.
Gu Jin, the youngest son of the eldest wife and her husband, is very much liked by his uncle. It has been agreed before that when Gu Jin turns twelve years old, he will become an apprentice in carpentry, and Gu Jin will most likely become his uncle's son-in-law in the future.
Seeing that her sister-in-law could give gifts to her parents' home, Liu Erni immediately said, "Mom, I'll give three pieces back to my parents' home too!"
Old Lady Gu's face darkened instantly and she said, "Haven't you been to your mother's house enough in these years? You are not allowed to send her off!"
Previously, the two sisters-in-law were very affectionate when they were bad-mouthing the second wife. Now that she saw Liu Erni being humiliated, Chen Chunhua was happier than anyone else and said proudly, "Third sister-in-law, if your brother could teach your son some craft, mother would definitely not stop you from bringing tofu back."
Zhang Yunniang did not participate in this matter from beginning to end. After all, her brother from her mother's side was Zhang Guangzong, and she was not willing to give tofu to her stepmother.
The next morning, Liu Erni got up early at daybreak. It was her turn to make breakfast.
Liu Erni took a look at the amount of tofu left in the kitchen, took out two pieces, placed one on the stove, and quietly put the other into the basket at her feet. She also grabbed a handful of vegetables and covered the tofu with them.
The Gu family members are all very busy. After breakfast, those who need to go to the fields go to the fields, and those who need to grind tofu run to the village entrance to grind soy milk.
Seeing that no one was at home, Liu Erni quietly went out with her basket and went to her mother's home on the east side of the village.
"Er Ni is back!" Liu's mother was so happy to see her daughter come back.
Liu Erni also enjoys the feeling of being valued by her mother.
"Second sister, what good things did you bring back this time?" The sister-in-law came over and rummaged through Liu Erni's vegetable basket.
There was a handful of vegetables, a piece of tofu, and three eggs in the basket.
Liu Erni took out these three eggs from the chicken coop when the Gu family was not paying attention.
Mother Liu praised: "Our Erni is really capable. Among the three daughters, you are the best to your brother!"
But my sister-in-law beside me sighed and said, "When I was washing clothes by the river this morning, I saw Chen Chunhua. She told everyone that her mother-in-law gave her three pieces of tofu to send back to her parents' home. Second sister, why did you only bring back one piece?"
When Liu's mother heard this, she immediately looked at her second daughter with suspicion and asked, "They are all daughters-in-law returning to their parents' home. Is it your mother-in-law who treats them differently, or are you being unreasonable?"
Liu Erni's mouth was suddenly filled with bitterness. She had stolen this piece of tofu from the kitchen, so how could she find two more pieces?
"I...I got it from the kitchen myself. My mother-in-law didn't give me any tofu..." Liu Erni said with her neck shrunk.
Liu's mother immediately started cursing, "What a great old woman Gu! She is looking down on our Liu family! Pah!"
Liu's mother only dared to scold at home. After all, Grandma Gu was very combative. If she really went out and made a scene, maybe her piece of tofu would be taken back by others.
Liu Erni said: "Chen Chunhua's brothers will teach Gu Jin how to do carpentry in the future, so my mother-in-law is thinking about that side when there is anything good."
Mother Liu didn't even need her daughter-in-law to instigate her. She immediately jumped up in anxiety and said, "What do you mean? Are you blaming us for holding you back? For not giving your in-laws any benefits?"
Liu Erni said hurriedly: "Mom, that's not what I meant..."
Liu's mother casually accused her daughter, just like she had done countless times in the past: "Does your mother-in-law dislike us? She doesn't like you. It's because you are useless and can't please your mother-in-law like Chen Chunhua. You've made us embarrassed too!"
Liu Erni also apologized frantically to her mother, just like she had done countless times in the past: "I'm useless... I'm useless..."
My sister-in-law whispered, "Mom, I heard from the villagers that the Gu family got a recipe for making tofu from somewhere."
Mother Liu's eyes lit up instantly. She grabbed her daughter's hand and said, "You have seen the current situation of our family. We don't have much land, unlike your Gu family, which is rich and powerful. Your nephews and nieces are so thin, and you have a younger brother who still hasn't found a wife! As a sister, you have to think of a way to help him."
Liu's mother has seven children in total, three daughters and four sons, and now one son has not yet married.
"What can I do? I secretly sent back all the private money my husband and I had saved. Isn't that enough?" Liu Erni was also helpless.
Liu's mother said, "The money you have saved is not enough for anything! The Gu family is not short of money, but our Liu family is short of a good skill to make money!"
Liu Erni understood that her mother was asking her for the tofu recipe.
(End of this chapter)
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