Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Tofu skin.
On this day of the Spring Equinox, Ji Xu spread a reed mat in the main room, set up a table on it, and placed a plate of boiled chicken and a plate of stir-fried beans on it.
The house was visited by women one after another, all of whom were familiar faces that I had seen when I was building the house that day.
"Ms. Xu, why did your sister call us here?"
The Lin family's daughter-in-law sat at the table, grabbed a handful of fragrant beans and chewed them.
The wives of the Deng and Liu families, Cao, Zhuang Huiniang, and Bao Yu also came over and sat down.
Ji Xu poured hot water into a pottery cup for them. The Lin family's wife took a look at it and said:
"Your family even bought cups? They're not so particular. They just drink from a water jar with a ladle, and at most drink from a bowl."
Ji Xu said, "It's not worth much. Aunts, eat and I'll talk slowly."
Listen, the sound of people chewing beans at the table slowed down.
"Are you going to tell us the recipe for making tofu?" Lin's wife's eyes lit up.
The wife of the Deng family had already quarreled with her over mushrooms, and she was even more dissatisfied with her interruption, saying:
"They're selling tofu skin, not tofu. You misheard."
Ji Xu also said, "Tofu skin is different from tofu. After grinding the beans and boiling them over a fire, a thin film will form on the surface. Use a bamboo stick to gently pick it off and let it dry naturally, and then you have tofu skin."
These steps do not involve the recipe of tofu made with gypsum water. The tofu recipe is Ji Xu's main source of income, so she will naturally not reveal it for now.
Her tofu shop was registered with the county government to sell beans, and adding the item of tofu skin was both within the scope and could provide an additional source of income.
The only thing is that she doesn't have enough energy now. She has to get up in the middle of the night to make tofu pudding and tofu. The time is just right. If she adds other things, she may not be able to sleep in the first half of the night.
"I want to ask the aunties to make tofu skin. I will make it first. It's not difficult. The aunties will watch and then go home to make it. I will ask the aunties to buy the goods every day. It costs one and a half cents per sheet. Is it okay?"
The Lin family's wife asked, "You bought one and a half coins from us. How much do you sell it for in the county?"
Ji Xu said, "To be honest, Aunt, I plan to sell it for three coins each."
The Lin family's wife curled her lips and said, "If it doubles, it will make money."
Zhuang Hui Niang said, "Don't you see that the county town is thirty miles away? The rent for her tofu shop is very high, and she has to pay a 20% tax on every item she sells. How can it be worth it if she doesn't sell at a high price?"
The Lin family's wife said: "You made money by selling tofu with her, and your dog Sui'er is wearing cotton shoes, but you don't speak for her.
I don't have a stone mill at home. It would cost at least a hundred dollars to buy one.
Hey, Miss Xu, how about this: you take your aunt along to sell tofu, and she will be like Hui Niang, buying goods from you and selling them in the market."
In her opinion, the tofu was obviously easy to sell, but who knows whether the tofu skin could be sold.
"Tell me, what if I buy a stone mill and you stop buying tofu skin from me? Wouldn't I be at a huge loss? I'd rather sell tofu to you. I'm guaranteed a good profit."
Ji Xu said, "I can't make more tofu by myself, so I discussed tofu skin with my aunt."
The Lin family's wife said, "Tell us the tofu recipe and we'll help you make it."
Ji Xu shook his head, "Auntie, the tofu recipe is the source of food for our family, how can I tell you? Tofu skin is also profitable,
The current price of beans is thirty coins per dou, and one dou of beans can produce a hundred sheets of tofu skin. I buy a total of eighty sheets from you every day..."
"There are only eighty in total! How many will each person get? If you can't sell well, won't the amount you earn decrease as you take in more?"
The Lin family's daughter-in-law interrupted her with a wave of her hand and said:
"I won't do it. Tofu skin is a waste of money and effort, but few people will eat it. If you really want to, take me with you to sell tofu."
What's more, he was feeling unhappy and had an argument with Deng's daughter-in-law. They both looked cold to each other and were unwilling to get along with her.
As he spoke, he went out, then came back and grabbed two eggs and took them away.
Bao Yu looked embarrassed and said:
"Sister Xu, my family does have a stone mill that we bought last year, but I still need to discuss this with Aunt Jun. I'll get back to you later."
After saying this, he left. When Aunt Xu heard about it, she immediately rejected it and said:
"My Feng family doesn't need her daughter to give us this broth. You are on good terms with her, so why did she take you to sell tofu? What tofu skin? You come to our house to find it."
Bao Yu said, "Mother, I think there's money to be made. I'm just sitting around doing nothing, so I can pick up a few dozen coins a day to help support the family."
Aunt Xu said, "My Feng family is short of food, and you are short of clothes? You and a girl like her are making tofu skin. My Feng family can't afford to lose this person!"
Bao Yu felt uneasy and muttered, "Don't you see how bad the food is at home? We've sold all the ox carts and only have one left. My mother has ambition, but she also has the ability to make money."
Aunt Xu said, "What did you say? Second brother, come and take care of your wife. She even dares to talk back to Aunt Jun!"
Feng Er came to persuade him quickly, but Bao Yu turned away, looking uncomfortable, and walked into the house.
In the main hall of the second room of the Ji family,
The remaining wives of the Deng and Liu families, Zhuang Huiniang, and Cao, listened to Ji Xu's words. The wife of the Deng family nodded and said:
"That's right, we can buy the millstone together, that would save us some money. Sister-in-law Liu, what do you think? Why don't we buy it together? We live next door, so it's just a short walk."
The two families reached a consensus, and Zhuang Hui Niang said:
"My family can pay for the stone mill first. Sister Cao is short on money, so why don't you just pay for the beans, and we can work together for a while?"
Cao was grateful to Ji Xu for hiring her to do such a lucrative job, but she was in a dilemma. Her family was so poor that they had no rice to cook, so how could they afford to buy a stone mill?
Beans are daily food, and they are available if you are a little tight on food, so she quickly agreed.
Ji Xu clapped his hands and said, "Then let's go cut the bamboo first and then do it when we come back."
"Okay, let's go. Let's hurry up and take a closer look. This is a money-making business." said the Deng family's daughter-in-law.
You know, I used to envy the Chen family for being able to sell tofu with them, and I saw that the Chen family's life was getting better and better.
Now I have more tofu skins, which I can use to make some money. I am very excited. Once I make some money, I will make the Lin family regret it!
The group cut bamboo and trimmed branches, and made some clothes drying racks, which they moved to each kitchen to dry the tofu skin.
Ji Xu ground the beans, which had been soaked for two hours, into a pulp, filtered out the residue, scooped the pulp into a pot and boiled it. After it boiled, he poured it out and filled the pot with clean water, still keeping a fire burning underneath.
"What is this, iron?"
It is round like a plate, but much bigger than a plate.
Ji Xu brought a large iron plate, which was two feet wide, placed it on the water, scooped boiled soy milk into the plate, and heated it in water. The water temperature was very important, so a continuous low heat was enough.
"We have all the other things, including the stone mill, but none of us have this big iron plate. Do we have to go to the county to buy one?"
The Liu family's daughter-in-law said, she was worried about the price of the iron tools.
Ji Xu said, "Don't worry, auntie. I made three of them at the iron market. Now you have two workshops, so just take one from each of them."
She originally planned to have six households work together in pairs, so she spent two hundred yuan to make three iron plates, thinking that distributing them to the three places would be a sign of sincerity in cooperation.
As for the stone mill, each family pooled their money to buy it. She was confident in her craftsmanship and would never let anyone lose money.
But the Lin family was impatient, and after the well-digging incident, the Feng family's excuses were also expected. She had invited them based on the old friendship between her and Bao Yu.
Now there are only two places left, and the remaining iron plate is used at home, either for kneading dough or as a tray. It is very useful and will not be left idle.
"This is made of iron. Look how smooth it is. It must have cost a lot of money, right?"
Deng's wife took it in her hand and looked through it curiously.
"Consider it a loan from you. I'll pay you back later."
Zhuang Hui Niang also said, "You can't pay for this."
Cao couldn't afford the money for the iron tools, and although she didn't say anything, she thought that Ji Xu had good craftsmanship, and the tofu skin could definitely be sold for money in the future, and she would return the money to her.
"It's not worth anything. I can earn it back in the future. Aunt, please don't be so polite." Ji Xu said.
I saw that the soy milk on the iron plate that was heated in water had formed a thin layer of oil film.
Ji Xu touched it lightly with his fingertips, feeling its elasticity and toughness, and said:
"Auntie, look, the tofu skin is now solidified. You need to be gentle and skillful with your hands. This first piece is the essence."
Everyone watched intently, afraid of missing something. They saw her use the tip of the knife to gently cut along the edge of the plate to free the tofu skin from sticking.
Then he reached into the slender bamboo branch and with a deft move, a thin film of pulpy white color and dripping with juice was hung on the branch and placed on the bamboo beam.
The two bamboo poles are strung together on two ropes on the beams, side by side, with just enough distance on each side to place a branch.
"Come and try it, aunties." Ji Xu invited.
"Look at your delicate hands. Mine are rough and clumsy. I'm only good at hoeing the ground. I'm really afraid of ruining such delicate work."
The daughter-in-law of the Deng family was pushed forward from both sides and couldn't help laughing.
Ji Xu said, "It's okay. I'm still practicing. I'll be fine after a few tries. Aunts can all hold an embroidery needle. Why are you afraid of these things?"
Deng's wife took the bamboo sticks. She held her breath, concentrated her mind, and imitated what Ji Xu had done just now, picking up and hanging them one by one. She said embarrassedly:
"It's a little wrinkled. Not as good as you did."
Ji Xu said comfortably, "It's already very good."
Then, Liu's wife, Zhuang Huiniang, and Cao all tried one by one. Deng's wife said:
"After all, Hui Niang and Cao Meizi are good at needlework, and the tofu skins they pick out are more presentable!"
Everyone laughed. The tofu skin that was picked first became light after drying, and its color also showed a glossy golden hairpin color, which was very marketable.
Zhuang Huiniang and her group had a standard in mind, and they took the iron plates back with them.
They discussed among themselves which family should go to make tofu skin at rooster crow, how to divide the work, how early to deliver it to Ji Xu, and how to send forty sheets to each place, and other details.
"You want to use our beans to make tofu skin?"
That night, at the Wang family, Wang Mazi heard the news and sat up straight from the bed.
"What if we lose money? If her daughter can't sell her beans, our beans are food, and they will be wasted."
Cao said: "Eat bean porridge for breakfast and bean porridge for dinner. You won't get tired of it. Mianmian and Ali also need to eat meat to grow.
I see that Miss Xu has never failed in any business. She doesn't hold grudges against the past. She's generous enough to take me on a business. Don't interrupt me."
The family was so poor that they could not even have meat on New Year's Eve. They covered themselves with old bedding and stuffed it with reeds, which were hard and cold. Thanks to the farmer, they got more than ten pounds of pork that day. They did not eat it themselves, but sold it in the market and saved it for planting crops in the spring. Cao felt that no matter how much trouble they went through, their situation could not be worse than it was now.
Then he asked, "Are you looking for work in the county? Is there anyone who wants you?"
Wang Li choked for a long time, "If you waste these beans, you will starve."
He lay down muttering.
Ji Xu used the dried tofu skins as his evening snack, a plate of fried tofu skins with meat and a bowl of tofu skin and chicken soup.
This stir-fried meat with tofu skin is fresh, fragrant and slightly spicy, and it also contains fresh garlic sprouts. It is refreshing and bright, and goes very well with rice.
Feng and Zhu both like to pour the soup into the rice, mix the tofu skin and meat slices together, and eat it in one bite. They have both vegetables and meat, which is extremely satisfying.
"Sister, I'm used to eating tofu, but I think tofu skin tastes better than tofu!" Ji Feng said with puffed cheeks.
"The soup made with tofu skin is also delicious! Tofu skin will definitely sell well tomorrow!" said Ji Zhu.
This soup is made by tearing up tofu skin and putting it into the chicken cake soup and boiling it together. It tastes fresh and fragrant and is very satisfying.
The next afternoon, in front of the second house of the Ji family, Zhuang Hui Niang and her group were waiting eagerly, feeling both excited and worried.
The Liu family's daughter-in-law walked back and forth and said:
"I wonder if the tofu skin will sell well. Will Miss Xu still need eighty sheets tomorrow?"
Ji Feng was very confident and said:
"Don't worry, Auntie. My sister's craftsmanship must be sold well."
"I don't think so. This tofu skin isn't made by your sister. Tofu is delicious, but this tofu skin is dry and withered, like chewing grass. How can it taste good?"
The daughter-in-law of the Lin family passed by and joined in the fun, pouring cold water on him.
She had just returned from selling a bushel of beans to an acquaintance of the Liao family next door. She had sold them directly to him for thirty coins without going through the grain store. Now she took out the string of coins from her bosom and said proudly:
"Look at what I've made from selling beans. This money is safe and sound. I think you should stop messing around and just sell the beans. I guarantee you won't lose money!"
She had a quarrel with the Deng family over mushrooms, and she hoped that they would suffer a big setback in this matter.
No one paid any attention to him, and Baba looked back the way he came.
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