Several people pulled the cart and tried every means to get the millstone and the things they picked up back home, attracting the attention of many villagers along the way.
"Sanlang, where did you get the millstone?"
"In the empty house!"
"Ouch! Are there still things in those shabby houses?"
"Why don't we go take a look when we have time? We might find something good!"
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The stone mill was too heavy. After searching around, they couldn't find anything that could be used as a millstone frame. Seeing this, Jiang Fugui stopped what he was doing and wiped his sweat. "Xu girl, I have an unused stone mill frame at home. Go see if you can use it. If it's broken, I can help you fix it."
This solved Jiang Huaixu's current difficulties. She happily agreed and brought a few people to move the wooden shelf over. Although the wooden shelf did not look very good, it was stable.
After placing the millstone, Jiang Huaixu no longer cared about others and started tinkering with it.
She first found Qian Xiuzhu to get some beans to soak, and then the two of them cleaned the stone mill several times. The millstone was about one meter in size. Because it had been abandoned for a short time, it was put into the space by Jiang Huaixu, so it did not look very dirty. They stopped after cleaning it three or four times.
While waiting for the beans to soak, Jiang Huaixu was not idle. She came to the entrance of the cellar and went down into the cellar. The cellar was about three meters deep and the space was not very large, which could not accommodate so many of them. Almost every family here has a cellar, and as long as they can be fully utilized, a lot of vegetables can be grown.
I bought some nutrient soil at the Modern Mall and spread it in the cellar, then sprinkled some water on it. When I walked out of the cellar, the soybeans were already soaked.
Qian Xiuzhu took the soaked beans and Jiang Huaixu carried the empty wooden barrel, and they came to the stone mill together.
"Mom, I'll push the millstone, and you put the beans into the millstone hole. Don't put too much at a time."
Qian Xiuzhu was at a loss for words. "Mom knows you're strong, but you're so small, pushing a big millstone. What if the roots get damaged after a long time? No, I'll push the millstone myself."
Jiang Huaixu considered himself a top-notch mill pusher, and fought with Qian Xiuzhu for a while, but finally compromised because of his height.
One person pushed the mill while the other put beans in. Soon, white slurry flowed out from the gap between the two millstones and flowed into the stone trough at the bottom. Jiang Huaixu swept it with a straw brush, and the white slurry flowed into the wooden barrel.
This went on repeatedly, and soon Qian Xiuzhu ran out of strength. Zheng Li'niang happened to come over and took over the job of pushing the millstone.
After grinding in rotation for more than half an hour, three pounds of beans were finally ground, and half a bucket of soy milk and bean dregs were produced.
Afterwards, Jiang Huaixu asked his mother and sister-in-law to filter out the soy milk and bean dregs, and he found Uncle Fugui and asked him to help him make two or three wooden boxes.
Shi Tao was skilled in carpentry and all the big items were kept by him, so Jiang Huaixu did not bother him.
The wooden box was not difficult to make, so Jiang Fugui agreed immediately.
The kitchen at home has been cleaned and tidy, and the blocked chimney has been cleared.
Jiang Huaixu carried the wooden bucket and poured the filtered soy milk into the large pot. Zheng Li'niang asked as she stoked the fire, "Little sister, I've seen people grind beans before, but I don't know how such thin soy milk can be turned into such large chunks of tofu. What's added?"
"Yes, we add something. Brine or lime water will work. Wood ash water or vinegar water seems to work as well. If you're by the sea, you can boil seawater directly to make tofu. I bought some gypsum yesterday, we'll try it later."
Qian Xiuzhu covered the pot, a little surprised. "Except for the brine, everything else is common. I thought it was made from something rare."
Jiang Huaixu said as he mixed the lime water: "Mom, anything with tofu is not rare, but the quantity is hard to grasp. I am not sure at all now."
About quarter of an hour later, the soy milk in the pot was bubbling and bubbling. Jiang Huaixu stirred it while skimming off the foam on the top bit by bit. After it was completely skimmed off, the fire was turned off.
She scooped out two large bowls of cooked soy milk, poured in some sugar and handed them to A Niang, "Mom, try it when it cools down, and share some with Uncle Fugui and the others."
Qian Xiuzhu took it carefully and responded with a smile.
While waiting for the soy milk to cool down, Jiang Huaixu peeled off a few sheets of bean skin. Fu Tuan reminded her that only when the temperature dropped to 80 degrees did she pour lime water into the soy milk, stirring it constantly.
After a while, all the soy milk in the pot turned into tofu pudding, and she put down the wooden spoon.
Picking up the two small bowls of soy milk that Qian Xiuzhu had shared, she said, "It should be ready in a while. I'll go see how Uncle Fugui's wooden box is doing."
"Xu girl, the wooden box is ready, come and take a look!" Jiang Fugui waved as he saw Jiang Huaixu coming out of the kitchen.
He stretched his neck to look behind Jiang Huaixu and asked, "Xu girl, what are you cooking at home? It smells like beans, and it's quite fragrant."
It's a well-known fact among farmers that beans are not tasty. They can only be cooked and eaten. Even if ground into flour and made into cakes, they don't form into cakes. Even if you add some flour to them, you still end up with a mouthful of crumbs. Therefore, beans are cheap.
"Uncle Fugui, you and Brother Shi should try this freshly brewed soy milk."
Jiang Fugui did not give in either. He took the drink and drank it in one gulp. Only after he finished it did he realize that sugar was put in it. He smacked his lips, regretting that he finished it so quickly and had not yet tasted what it tasted like.
He turned his head to look at Shi Tao, who was drinking slowly and squinting his eyes in enjoyment.
I won't watch it anymore. The more I watch, the angrier I get.
Jiang Huaixu was checking three wooden boxes, two of which were relatively rough, and one was relatively delicate, all with mortise and tenon joints.
"Your brother Shi also made one. I learned it from him. Let's see how it goes."
Jiang Huaixu gave a thumbs-up and praised sincerely, "Brother Shi has superb craftsmanship, and Uncle Fugui learned quickly. It's exactly the size I wanted. It's simply great!"
Jiang Fugui smiled innocently and handed the bowl to Jiang Huaixu, "Then help me get another bowl of soy milk. I can't taste it."
"Okay, wait."
Two more bowls of soy milk were delivered, and Jiang Huaixu returned to the kitchen with the wooden box. The tofu pudding in the kitchen seemed to multiply and grew into large clumps.
Qian Xiuzhu and Zheng Li'niang were very curious about this.
Jiang Huaixu spread a layer of clean linen at the bottom of the wooden box, scooped all the tofu pudding into it, covered it with another layer of linen, and pressed wooden boards and large stones on top.
Next, you just need to wait for the tofu pudding to drain out the moisture and you’re done.
"Is this okay?" Zheng Li Niang asked.
Jiang Huaixu nodded and pointed at the bean dregs in the bucket and said, "Sister-in-law, don't touch this. Put some flour and five-spice powder in it, and fry it in oil to make bean dregs cakes."
"Okay, sister-in-law will make it for us tonight."
"Xu Jie'er, Mom remembers what to do. When do we start?" Qian Xiuzhu asked happily and eagerly.
Zheng Li'niang looked at her mother-in-law and then at her youngest sister, not sure what to start.
"Mom, don't worry. Talk to Dad and build a bigger thatched shed and put the millstone inside. Then use the donkey to pull the millstone. It's too tiring to push it manually."
"Okay, Mom got it."
As the mother and her two children were talking, they heard a sudden commotion in the yard. Looking through the window, they saw Jiang Zhengmao and his companions, who had taken three hooligans to the neighboring Dafeng Village.
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