Chapter 14: Want to take over her recipe
Planting beans can fertilize the soil. If the land for planting beans is thin, the spacing between the holes should be closer.
Chen Yao looked at the reclaimed wasteland under her feet, squatted down and grabbed a handful of soil.
If you pinch the soil hard and the surface is not moist but very dry, then the soybeans need to be planted deeper and must be sown with a plow.
In this way, the roots of the beans will grow deep and can absorb moisture from the wasteland.
First, use a small hoe to hoe the field, and then make a nest.
The size of the nest is the distance between the thumb and index finger, one finger deep, and her wasteland can probably plant a thousand plants.
After the nest is dug, mix the previously fermented grass fertilizer with soil and place it at the bottom of the nest. Put three plump soybeans in each nest and cover it with soil. The soil should not be too thick, and should be pressed firmly with your palm.
After doing all this, Chen Yao still had to go to the Yan River to fetch water to irrigate the fields. The first time she watered the fields, she still had to water them thoroughly.
Later, when the bean sprouts grow out, you just need to come and weed.
Chen Yao packed up her farm tools and headed home. Huang Dongsheng had already come out to look for her: "Cousin, I've been waiting for you to come back and order some tofu."
Chen Yao put the farm tools back in place, squatted in the yard, washed her hands, and went to the kitchen.
Today I want to bring some food to the eight elderly people in Wanhe Township, so I made an extra plate of tofu and brought the dried bean curd sheets together.
She also had to get back before dark, so the task of making the yuba had to be handed over to her mother.
"Don't worry, mother knows what to do. Go quickly and don't delay on the road." Huang Xing rarely drove them out.
Huang Dongsheng was walking in front carrying a load on his back, and his mood was as cheerful as the sunny day.
"Cousin, look what this is." Huang Dongsheng took out a pair of five-finger gloves made of linen from his arms and handed them to Chen Yao.
Chen Yao took it with a smile, and as soon as he saw the size and stitching, he knew that it must have been made for him by his aunt overnight.
He was still using the three feet of linen that Huang Dongsheng had given him the first time, so he was a little reluctant to wear it.
Yang Wenying also leaned over to take a look. Although the hand guard was not exquisite, it was definitely durable and she didn't need to take it off even when doing rough work.
"It's gradually getting colder in the morning and evening. Now that these gloves are made, you should wear them." Chen Yao returned the gloves to him.
Huang Dongsheng looked at his cousin and Yang Wenying a little embarrassedly: "But you don't have any yet, why don't you give this pair to your cousin first? I'm not afraid of the cold."
Hearing this, Chen Yao's heart suddenly warmed, but she still didn't take it. She just walked beside his burden and deliberately teased him: "If you really care about me and Wenying, just wear gloves and carry the burden for a while!"
"Okay." As they were about to enter Shanghe Village, Huang Dongsheng quickly put on his gloves. If his cousins came over later, he would have to show off.
This is a unique one.
The shouts of the tofu sellers resounded throughout the fields. The tenant farmers who did not wait for them to come yesterday, when they heard the shouts today, hurriedly called their children back to get bowls to scoop up the beans.
Yang Wenying was holding a cloth bag to fill it with beans, while Chen Yao was serving tofu and introducing bean curd sheets. Unfortunately, no one was interested in the dry bean curd sheets.
Huang Dongsheng stood by, stretching his neck, waiting for someone to come.
Hey, why is it my aunt who brought Sister Baozhu here, but where is Brother Baolai?
"Ayao, why didn't you come yesterday? Hurry up. Do you still have the bamboo? The butcher's wife wants them all and said she wants to buy them from you with money." Huang Mei shouted at Chen Yao in a hurried voice.
Before the man reached the load, the words had spread so far that everyone in the surrounding fields could hear them.
Why do I have to spend money to buy bamboo? There isn’t much of it in the mountains, right?
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards Chen Yao, wanting to find out what was going on, but unfortunately they were too far away to see clearly.
"Mom, it's bean curd sheets, not bamboo!" Tian Baozhu was very anxious and followed behind, explaining to everyone on behalf of her mother, for fear of missing out on her cousin's business.
Chen Yao pulled Huang Dongsheng to the front of the carrying pole and told him: "You come and serve tofu to everyone, while my aunt and I go to the butcher's house."
Before Huang Dongsheng could react, Yang Wenying had already agreed: "Go quickly and take all these bean curd sheets with you."
Chen Yao tied ten bean curd sheets together with a hemp rope, picked up a piece of tofu, and immediately followed her aunt and the others to the butcher's house.
I only found out from my aunt on the way that the butcher's wife, Mrs. He, came to question me yesterday.
It is said that she made the bean curd sheets into a cold dish according to her method and gave it to the butcher as a side dish for his wine, and the butcher loved it very much.
Just yesterday, I wanted to buy more, but I waited and waited but they didn't come. It was not until after dark when I came back from my aunt's house after hoeing the fields that I found her home and asked her to give her a message.
"Ayao, why didn't you come yesterday? Did something happen at home?" After turning a few stone houses and seeing no irrelevant people around, Huang Mei lowered her voice and asked her niece.
"Aunt, I took my cousin and Wenying to the East Suburb Quarry to visit my uncle and Yang Jizong yesterday, so I didn't come." Chen Yao's voice was full of joy.
I was so excited thinking that I would be able to sell all the bean curd sheets in a short while and have enough money to set up a stall in the city.
If these tenant farmers wanted to enter the city, they not only had to have a pass, but also had to pay one cent per person. If they went to the East Market in the city to sell things, they had to pay two cents per person to enter the market, but they could leave the city for free.
Although they had collected three cents in the past few days, enough for her to enter the city alone, Chen Yao wanted the three of them to enter together.
She sold bean sprouts and bean curd sheets in the winter market, while Yang Wenying and Huang Dongsheng sold tofu. This way, people would not be able to guess what her products were made of. Even if they could guess, it would take a long time to figure it out, and she would at least be able to make some money by then.
Huang Mei suddenly stopped under an old elm tree, looked around, and then chatted with Chen Yao, asking her daughter to keep watch.
"Ayao, how are you going to sell your yuba to the He family?"
"Two cents a piece, what do you think, aunt?" Chen Yao was thinking that the tofu sold in the town was two cents a piece, and she sold it at one cent a piece by carrying a load on her shoulder. However, making bean curd sheets was more labor-intensive than making tofu, so the price was one cent higher.
Huang Mei nodded in agreement and asked her, "If He asked you how you did it, what would you say?"
Chen Yao had thought of a countermeasure long ago: "Don't worry, auntie. If the village head's wife asks, I will say that there is nothing to eat at home and I just came up with it. Making bean curd sheets is very laborious. You have to get up before dawn and stay by the stove all day."
Huang Mei also reminded Chen Yao that when she saw He later, she must first complain and not show any joy.
"Aunt, do you think she wants to monopolize my recipe for making yuba?"
Huang Mei pulled Chen Yao over and whispered into her ear, "Last night, a carriage left the village, and that stingy He family member was willing to spend money to buy your dried bean curd sheets. I'm afraid the butcher wanted to show his filial piety to his superiors and curry favor."
"Thank you for telling me this, Aunt."
Huang Mei saw that her niece had a plan in mind, so she took her to the butcher's house and told her daughter to wait for them under the old elm tree.
Although the courtyard walls are surrounded by fences, the main house and the left and right wing rooms of Tu Lichang's house are all built with blue bricks, and even the roofs are covered with tiles.
Chen Yao doesn't believe that the owner of such a luxurious courtyard has no way to make a living.
"Is the village head's wife at home?" Huang Mei stood outside the yard and shouted inside.
Inside the main house.
He was feeding her husband sobering soup when she heard Huang Mei's call. She put the soup in her husband's hand, lifted the door curtain and went into the yard.
"Oh, I've finally seen you here. Come in."
Chen Yao followed her aunt with something in her hand and greeted her: "Madam, this is what you wanted to buy."
As soon as Chen Yao opened her mouth, He Shi almost couldn't hold back the smile on her face, and moved two low stools over for them to sit on.
Huang Mei glanced at the stool, brushed the dust off her sleeves, and didn't sit down. "Madam, there's still a lot of work to do at home. My niece has to carry her load to other villages to sell tofu. You said yesterday that you wanted to buy dried bean curd sheets. Are you still going to buy them?"
If you really want to entertain guests, you should lead them into the house and just give them two stools to sit on. That's ridiculous.
"Buy it? Why wouldn't you? Look at your aunt's anxiety." Two deep dimples appeared on He's plump face as she turned to Chen Yao and asked, "I just don't know how you're going to sell these dried tofu skins."
"Two cents a piece."
"What? How can this thing be worth only two cents? Tell me what this bean curd sheet is made of? How can this one be sold for more than tofu?" He folded her hands in front of her, quite dissatisfied.
How come neither Huang Mei nor her niece had any good sense? Not only did they not bring the bean curd sheets to her family as a gift, but they also asked her for money.
Chen Yao and her aunt looked at each other and realized that they really came for her prescription.
"Madam, my bean curd sheets have to go through dozens of processing steps. My family members have to get up in the middle of the night every day and stay by the stove until dark. Look at the dark circles under my eyes and my face, and you will know how difficult it is to make this. Two cents is really not expensive." Chen Yao deliberately moved closer to He to let her see.
He looked at her patched clothes and sallow face, and stepped back in disgust: "Do you know, if I hadn't made bean curd sheets for you..."
"Ahem, He, what are you talking about outside? Hurry up and give them the money and let them go." The loud voice of the butcher came from the main house.
When He was scolded by her husband, her face tightened. She glared at the two people in the yard, twisted her chubby body and went into the house to get her purse.
"Madam, there are ten in total, which costs twenty copper coins." Chen Yao pulled off the hemp rope and counted the number of bean curd sheets in front of her.
The money was exchanged for the tofu. Huang Mei watched Chen Yao receive the money and then handed over the tofu in the bowl.
"Madam, this is tofu for you. If you want to eat it next time, remember to come to me to buy it again. You can also ask my aunt to pass the message." Chen Yao happily wrapped the thin rope around her wrist and watched He take the food and go into the kitchen.
He came out and returned the rough bowl to Chen Yao. Without even saying a word of courtesy, she almost kicked them out.
Beneath the old elm tree, Tian Baozhu watched her cousin return empty-handed. She immediately approached her happily and asked in a low voice, "Did that stingy guy really spend money to buy it?"
"Yes, I bought it." Chen Yao took out a handful of copper coins and showed them to her cousin.
Tian Baozhu quickly held her hand and said, "Hide well. I think you should not go to other villages today. Just now, some villagers asked me if you really sold the money."
This reminded Huang Mei: "Ayao, your cousin is right. How about today..."
"Cousin, aunt, we're in business, so we can't be on guard against thieves for a thousand days." Chen Yao took out the tiger bone knife from her waist and waved it back and forth in the air. "It's better to protect yourself for a day than to be on guard against thieves for a thousand days."
Huang Mei watched Chen Yao holding the tiger bone knife and making two gestures in the air, then she patted her chest and signaled her niece to put it away quickly.
After not seeing this girl for a few days, she became very independent and even more courageous.
Chen Yao put the tiger bone knife back on her waist and showed her neat row of big teeth to her aunt and cousin, making them so amused that they couldn't do anything to her.
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