Chapter 54 Haste makes waste
Jinxia is a deer-type sub-beastman, with a lively and cute appearance and big, round eyes.
He tilted his head and observed for a while, then asked Yu Yan, "How about I help you grind it?"
Yu Yan: "Okay."
Jin Xia happily took over Feng Gui's position. Yu Yan added beans and water to the stone mill, and he pushed the stone mill in circles.
The other orcs found it interesting and eagerly volunteered to grind beans.
White kidney beans are ground into granular soybean pulp and pure white soy milk.
The soy milk ground by the large stone mill was not smooth enough, so Yu Yan ground it three times before it met her requirements.
"Father, where's the gauze?"
"Here."
Feng Gui handed over the washed and dried gauze, and Yu Yan carefully filtered the soy milk twice more.
I didn't plan to throw away the soybean pulp either; the sheep and ducks at home can eat it.
If we could find wheat, grind it into flour, and make some soybean pulp pancakes, it would definitely taste quite unique.
While the filtering was underway, other sub-orcs who had been gathering resources and hunting also gradually returned.
When they asked about what Yu Yan had made, Jin Xia and the others helped answer.
The altar square became lively again, and when everyone was distributing the items, almost all their attention was on Yu Yan.
Yu Yan was looking at the soy milk he had filtered.
Because it is made from all-natural soybeans, it has a rich color and a strong beany smell.
Yin Qing asked, "Can we drink it now?"
Yu Yan: "Of course not, it's not cooked yet."
Yin Qing volunteered, "Then I'll go gather firewood!"
Xin Yu asked, "Did you bring a pot? If not, I'll have to go back and move it."
Feng Gui replied, "I brought it."
With many people working together, the fire was lit in no time.
Cang Feng asked, "Yu Yan, have you started using that cement stove at your house yet?"
Yu Yan: Not yet, we need to keep it in water for a while first, otherwise it might explode when burned.
“It’s been so long…” Cangfeng suggested, “Then I’ll take some people to collect some stones and build a few cement stoves here in the square, shall we?”
Yu Yan: "Sure, that will make it easier to have get-togethers in the future."
Mo Ye and the others volunteered, "Cang Feng, we'll go with you."
Cangfeng waved: "Let's go."
The beastmen transformed into their beast forms and left. Yu Yan placed several earthenware pots on the fire pit, poured in the filtered white soy milk, brought it to a boil over medium heat, and then used a wooden spoon to skim off the foam on top.
Afterwards, he had Xuefei remove some wood, and the fire naturally subsided.
Yu Yan held the spoon, stood by the pot, and patiently cooked for another five minutes.
He told the people around him, "If you're going to make soy milk, you have to make sure it's thoroughly cooked. Otherwise, it will not only have a strong beany smell, but it may also contain things that are harmful to your health."
"Yes, yes, we've got it."
"Who would like to try some soy milk?"
Many people enthusiastically said, "I want to!"
"Bring me a bowl."
Everyone turned around and ran home, quickly bringing back a lot of ceramic bowls.
Feng Gui stood beside Yu Yan, holding a stack of bowls.
Yu Yan ladled a spoonful of soy milk into each bowl, and then Feng Gui distributed it to the others.
"We only ground a small amount this time, so we can only give you a little to try first."
Holding their bowls, everyone said contentedly, "This is perfect."
Lan Xiu asked, "Do you have enough left? Otherwise, I won't drink it."
Yu Yan smiled and nodded: "That's enough."
He then served himself and Feng Gui a bowl each.
He gently blew on the steaming hot soy milk in the bowl, then drank it down in one gulp, a look of gratitude on his face.
As expected of freshly ground and cooked soy milk, the beany smell is removed by boiling, leaving only the aroma!
It tastes great even without sugar!
In modern times, soy milk is a very common breakfast and not particularly noteworthy.
As a result, Yu Yan couldn't drink it for a while, and she missed it terribly.
He drank the bowl of pure, natural soy milk with almost reverence.
The rich, fragrant soy milk flowed down my throat and into my stomach, warming my entire body.
He relaxed, exhaled, and savored the taste of the soy milk.
Others who tasted the soy milk were also amazed by its flavor.
Yin Qing poured the last bit into her mouth and said, "It really isn't fishy anymore! The aroma of the beans is also very different from when they were boiled!"
Xin Yu nodded: "It really tastes good. If you add some honey, it would probably taste even better."
Xuefei: "The key is that it's not as rare as animal milk. At this time of year, there are so many wild white kidney beans that we can't even pick them all."
Jinxia: "How about we go pick white kidney beans tomorrow? I'd like to make some soy milk too."
This proposal not only received support from the sub-beastmen, but also from many beastmen who expressed their desire to join them.
Yu Yan broke into a big smile, ready to make some tofu.
Just then, Lan Xiu reached out his hand to him, and he naturally placed the bowl in his palm.
"Who can help me move all these pots down here?" Yu Yan asked.
“I’ll do it!” an orc volunteered.
After placing several pots on the flat ground, Yu Yan quickly stirred the brine.
Once the soy milk had cooled down a bit, he slowly stirred it with clean chopsticks while adding drops of brine.
The brine and soy milk reacted, and immediately, fibrous tofu curds appeared in the earthenware pot.
Yu Yan said to everyone, "This is tofu pudding, and you can eat it. I'll teach you how to eat it next time."
"Okay, okay!"
When Yu Yan saw that the liquid in the earthenware pot had become clear, she immediately stopped.
He let the tofu sit, quickly scalded the gauze, then poured the settled tofu into the gauze, squeezed and wrapped it tightly, and then put it into the clean wooden bucket he had brought.
The wooden bucket has gaps, allowing the water from the tofu to seep out.
Making tofu was a last-minute decision; without a suitable mold, I had to make do with what I had.
The sound of flapping wings came from the sky; Cangfeng and the others had returned.
After they landed, Yu Yan went forward, picked out a symmetrical stone, washed it clean, and placed it on top of the gauze.
Lan Xiu asked, "Do we need to squeeze all the water out?"
Yu Yan nodded: "Pretty much. Once it's set, it'll be tofu. Tofu is delicious whether eaten directly or used in cooking."
Lan Xiu's eyes were filled with anticipation as he murmured, "Tofu..."
Jin Xia asked, "So this is the food you're going to make?"
Yu Yan: "That's right. I made quite a lot this time, more than we can finish in one meal. I'll get you some different kinds later and teach you how to make them."
"Yes, yes, I want it!"
"I want one too! It smells so good!"
"I'll return it to you after I make tofu."
Yu Yan smiled and said, "No rush."
Tofu needs to be pressed for at least half an hour, so Yu Yan didn't just wait. She flew over to the field to check on the situation, then carried water and watered the newly planted seedlings.
When I came back, it was almost time.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he washed his hands, moved the stones, and then unfolded the gauze layer by layer.
The true nature of the tofu was revealed.
It was a large white patch with streaks imprinted on its surface by gauze.
Yu Yan smelled the aroma of tofu, her eyes lit up, she took out a clean knife, cut off a small piece from the corner, and held it in her other hand.
The tofu was so tender that it trembled in his palm, making his mouth water.
"Let me try it first." Yu Yan used a small knife to cut the tofu into three pieces, then bent down and took a bite.
"Mmm! It's delicious!" It tastes like pure, unadulterated tofu, quite different from tofu made from soybeans; it's fresher, and he really likes it.
He gave the remaining two pieces to Feng Gui and Lan Xiu, then asked the others with a smile, "Who wanted them?"
"Whoosh!" He was surrounded by people, and all sorts of ceramic bowls were offered to him.
Yu Yan distributed a batch of tofu, keeping five pieces for herself.
Those who didn't get any were disappointed, but not too upset, because they had all learned how to make tofu.
Yu Yan noticed that Xin Yu had taken out a small notebook and was drawing something in it with a charcoal pencil.
Xin Yu met his eyes and smiled, "I'm just copying what you're doing. But I don't know your symbols, so I'll just draw some that I can understand."
Yu Yan was slightly surprised. After obtaining his permission, she looked at his notebook.
The handwriting above even has a pictographic feel to it!
It's only been a short time, and the Beast World is already developing its own writing system? They're so clever; no wonder they're the darlings of this world.
Seeing that Yu Yan was flipping through the pages so intently, Xin Yu somewhat embarrassedly explained to him what the symbols on each page meant.
One page shows his inventory of the supplies in his home.
He drew circles, one circle representing one, but after drawing too many, it became a bit messy and difficult to count.
Yu Yan thought for a moment, then took a charcoal pencil and wrote the character "正" (zhèng, meaning upright) on the notebook.
He held up his notebook for everyone to see, saying, "You can use this symbol to count; it's straight and easy to remember."
He introduced the pronunciation and writing of the character "正" (zhèng), and everyone spontaneously broke off wooden sticks and wrote it on the ground.
"Have you noticed that this symbol has five strokes? Each time you count, you can draw one stroke. Once you draw a complete symbol, it represents five. As for how many more there are, just add them up one by one."
Everyone nodded in understanding, but for the time being, they had no idea how useful the "正" (zhèng) character for recording was.
Only a few exceptionally intelligent people had vague thoughts that flashed through their minds.
Yu Yan taught them the skills, and then left the rest to time.
"Alright, the tofu is ready, let's head back now!" Yu Yan and the other two packed their things, waved goodbye to the others, and headed towards the ginkgo tree.
That evening, Yu Yan and the others had a "tofu feast".
Yu Yan was in charge of cooking and made pan-fried tofu with meat, stir-fried tofu with quail eggs, and spicy minced meat and tofu.
Even the fodder for sheep and ducks was mixed with soybean residue.
When Feng Gui returned after feeding them, he happily exclaimed, "They love eating the bean curd residue! They finished all the hay in no time!"
Yu Yan understood him perfectly. Watching the livestock he raised feed and grow day by day gave him an unparalleled sense of accomplishment.
This is also the charm of farming and animal husbandry.
"I'm glad you like it. I've finished cooking here, let's eat now. You set the table, I'll go call Lanxiu."
"good."
After the three of them sat down, they reached for the tofu with their chopsticks.
Yu Yan reminded him, "The freshly made tofu is very hot, so be careful."
Lan Xiu smiled faintly: "I understand."
The first thing he ate was pan-fried tofu. Yu Yan had a perfect grasp of the heat; the tofu was pan-fried until golden brown and crispy, while the inside was very tender.
Two completely different feelings, mixed and intertwined, it was wonderful.
Not to mention that after being stewed with meat, the tofu absorbs the meat's aroma, making the flavor even richer!
A small piece of tofu can undergo such a big transformation.
Lan Xiu asked in surprise, "Is this really made from ordinary beans? How can it taste even better than meat?"
Yu Yan laughed heartily: "Of course! I picked them myself! Tofu is such a magical thing!"
When you don't know what to eat, a piece of tofu is always a good choice!
Feng Gui now loves spicy food, and the first dish he tried was spicy minced meat and tofu.
Yu Yan marinated the stewed minced meat with seasonings, then stir-fried it with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, added tofu cubes and seasoning sauce, simmered it briefly, and it was ready to serve.
These tofu dishes are all quick and easy, convenient, delicious, and fast.
The first thing Feng Gui noticed when he put the tofu coated in minced meat into his mouth was that it was too hot.
He breathed out a little air; it wasn't so hot anymore. He tried chewing it.
"It's delicious!" He slowly widened his eyes.
The tofu was so tender that it crumbled at the slightest touch of the tongue. The minced meat was savory and flavorful, but not as overpowering as large chunks of meat, allowing you to savor its delicate taste.
Yu Yan doesn't particularly like spicy food, so Sichuan peppercorns were just a garnish, but a lot of chili peppers were added.
Spicy tofu is very appetizing, but it makes the tofu even hotter.
It was so delicious that my lips were numb from the spiciness, but I still couldn't stop eating it.
Feng Gui swallowed what was in his mouth and sincerely said to Yu Yan, "Tofu is really good, and it's easy to make. Let's save up more soybeans in the summer so we can make tofu in the winter too."
"Yes, I saved the seeds. I'll plant them in a couple of days and harvest another crop of late-season beans."
"I'll plant it with you!" This winter, we'll have another food to get through the winter.
Yu Yan chewed on the fragrant stir-fried tofu with bird eggs, nodding with a smile.
He was generous with the oil in this dish, frying the quail eggs until they were golden and fragrant, coating the tofu. One bite gave you both egg and tofu, it was incredibly satisfying.
It's a pity there's no staple food. If there were a bowl of rice with tofu and minced meat, it would be so delicious!
He will absolutely not give up on finding staple food seeds!
The three of them were so full after dinner that they burped.
After the meal, Lanxiu volunteered to wash the dishes, while Fenggui washed and mended the clothes.
Yu Yanfei went to the new house to take a look and sprinkled water on the cement walls as a form of maintenance.
Back at the thatched hut under the ginkgo tree, he heard Feng Gui say, "Didn't you say you were going to make some preserved eggs? Didn't you decide not to? The mallard eggs are about to spoil."
Yu Yan slapped her forehead: "I was wondering what I'd forgotten lately! Go ahead, I'll go get some lime right now!"
Lan Xiu: "I'll do it. I know where it is."
Yu Yan: "Okay, then I'll boil water to wash the bird eggs."
Feng Gui: "I'll go get some firewood."
There was still embers in the fire pit, and the water was quickly boiled.
After the water cooled down, Yu Yan brought over the remaining half basket of duck eggs and used a brush made by Feng Gui to clean the surface of the eggs.
The cleaned duck eggs were handed over to Feng Gui to dry, and then left to air dry.
On the other side, Yu Yan had Lan Xiu filter the alkaline soil to obtain pure alkaline water;
Then have him mix the lime, soda ash, salt, and chopped hay together.
He cautioned, "The mixture will generate heat when it's being mixed, so be careful not to get burned."
Lan Xiu: "Okay, I understand."
After the marinade was prepared and cooled, Yu Yan put the washed duck eggs into it and gently rotated them to coat them evenly with the marinade.
Next, place the duck eggs in a jar, cover the mouth of the jar with animal hide, and tie it tightly with a rope to seal it.
They were moving soon, and the small thatched hut couldn't hold too much stuff. Yu Yan thought for a moment and said, "I want to put this jar of bird eggs in the new house."
The house was built of stone, and the rooms on the shady side were perfect for pickling preserved eggs.
Lan Xiu: "I'll go with you. You won't be able to carry the jar after you turn into wings."
Yu Yan readily agreed: "Okay."
Then Feng Gui saw Lan Xiu transform into his beast form, and Yu Yan, holding the jar, comfortably sat down on his back.
The large white tiger let out a soft roar and ran away with light steps.
Feng Gui: "..." Why not just let Lan Xiu go alone? I don't understand these two kids.
Yu Yan placed the jar in a cool, well-ventilated spot in the house, with Lan Xiu silently following behind her.
Yu Yan didn't rush back. Instead, she strolled around the house with her hands behind her back.
Due to limitations in materials and technology, this stone house is much rougher and more rustic than the buildings he has seen in modern times.
But he was particularly fond of it when he thought about how everyone had worked hard to build it from scratch.
Even though he couldn't move in yet, and there wasn't even any necessary furnishing, he still came to check on it every day.
While admiring the view, he enthusiastically planned with Lanxiu: "I want to have a set of tables and chairs made here to use for meals."
“I plan to build a heated kang here, connected to the stove for cooking. Once the fire is lit, the kang will be warm.”
“I want to build a whole row of cabinets over there to put all my clothes and bedding in.”
...
Lan Xiu listened attentively, even though he didn't understand some of the words, but he could feel the beauty of life in Yu Yan's expression.
Since the passing of his father and his adoptive father, he found everything boring.
It doesn't matter if the food tastes good or not, as long as it fills my stomach;
It doesn't matter whether the place he lives is comfortable or not, since he's an adult orc and won't get sick from wind and rain.
When the weather is nice, he finds a sunny spot and can sleep all day long.
The people in the tribe call him a "lazy beast," and they're absolutely right.
When did the changes begin?
Lan Xiu looked at Yu Yan and thought silently that it was probably when Yu Yan first called him over to have dinner.
From then on, everything around Yu Yan and him became so colorful and vibrant.
It was like my heart, which had been dormant for a long time, began to beat again. I felt the gentle breeze, smelled the fragrance of flower petals, and heard the melodious chirping of insects...
In Yu Yan, he saw beauty and hope.
"...That's about right, what do you think?" Yu Yan turned her head to meet his icy blue eyes, and instantly felt like she was about to drown.
How long has he been looking at me like that? How embarrassing.
Yu Yan looked away, her ears turning slightly red, but her heart was filled with sweetness.
Lan Xiu said gently, "Everything is fine. Everything you've done is good."
Yu Yan was a little overwhelmed, coughed twice, and quickly walked outside.
"It's getting late, let's go back."
Lan Xiu looked at him, who was moving his arms and legs in unison, and couldn't help but laugh again.
The next morning, Yu Yan's place was very lively.
First, the person who received the tofu yesterday came over and excitedly told him that it was especially delicious and that they were going out to pick green beans today.
Xin Yu asked, "Do you want to come with us?"
Yu Yan shook her head: "I still have plenty of food at home, so I won't go now. I have other things to do."
Xin Yu: "It's okay, we'll pick more and bring them to you later."
Xuefei: "Do you need our help?"
Yu Yan: "Not for now, I'll call you if needed."
The second wave came from the Mingyuan tribe.
The beastmen, led by Jiang Kuo, all had bloodshot eyes and glowing faces.
"Yu Yan! Come and see the ironware we've forged!"
ah?
If I remember correctly, the charcoal and ore were just delivered, right? When did these people build it?
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