Chapter 40 Tofu
Su Tao and Yan Zhi worked together to carry the basin of tofu home. The 20 kilograms of tofu plus water weighed at least 30 kilograms. The two girls used all their strength and finally moved it to the door. If they had known earlier, they would have asked He Chuan to help carry it.
Su Tao noticed He Yanzhi was pale, breathing heavily, and not looking well, so he quickly asked her to stop and rest. He had heard that He Chuan's sister was in poor health, but he hadn't expected her to be this bad. He would definitely ask He Chuan and Yanzhi what the illness was and see if it could be cured. He still had to use the spiritual spring to treat their health as soon as possible.
"He Chuan~ come out and help me carry the tofu." Su Tao called out to He Chuan loudly. His voice was like a yellow oriole singing in a valley, and He Chuan could hear it from far away.
"Why did you buy so much tofu?" He Chuan came out and found two girls sitting on the stone steps to rest. After He Yanzhi rested for a while, her face regained some redness. He Chuan motioned her to go and rest, then grabbed one end of the basin with both hands, lifted it up easily and walked into the house.
"Please put it in the kitchen for me." Su Tao directed the man to move.
"Won't this much tofu go bad if we can't finish it?" He Chuan asked with a frown after putting the tofu away, looking at the large bowl of tofu.
"No, I just want to make it 'bad'. Don't worry, I have my own use for it." Su Tao couldn't help but start making it.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" He Chuan asked Su Tao as he approached him.
The man's breath tickled Su Tao's neck. Su Tao gently nudged the man's head and whispered, "Do you have a dustpan at home? Help me find two large ones, and some clean straw to spread on them."
He Chuan's lips curved slightly and he said, "Okay."
"Then thank you for your help~" As soon as Su Tao finished speaking, he leaned close to the man's face and kissed him hard, then shyly pushed the man away, smiling like a flower.
He Chuan caressed the wet spot on his face. The soft touch hadn't faded yet. The man stood there in a daze for a long time before coming to his senses. He chuckled softly, and as if encouraged, he went to find a dustpan and straw as Su Tao had requested.
Su Tao pretended to be calm when he saw the man leave, but his heart was still pounding and couldn't stop.
After calming down, Su Tao began to prepare for work.
First, cut the tofu into mahjong-sized cubes. Since there was a lot of tofu, boil it in three batches, then remove it and drain it. Su Tao had just finished cooking the last batch of tofu when he saw He Chuan approaching with two winnowing baskets and a bundle of clean straw.
"Is this okay with you?"
Su Tao looked at the winnowing baskets and found two were large enough. He lined the winnowing baskets with straw and then placed the cooked tofu cubes inside the straw. This allowed the moisture on the tofu to soak down, which also helped the tofu mold faster. The dried tofu was then coated with the fragrant aroma of straw.
The tofu should be left like this for about a week, until a thin layer of white hair grows on it before proceeding to the next step.
After laying out all the tofu and setting it aside, Su Tao began to prepare dinner.
Su Tao mixed polished and brown rice to make dry rice, similar to how white rice is mixed with millet or black rice to make multi-grain rice today. This method not only saves on polished rice but also tastes better than rice made entirely from brown rice. Dry rice is also more filling than porridge. He Chuan, a grown man, couldn't possibly be full after working so hard eating brown rice and sweet potato porridge every day.
The water used to cook rice is Su Tao, which is partially diluted with spiritual water. I don’t know if it’s because of the spiritual water, but the rice cooked with it seems to be more fragrant and softer than the original refined rice.
During this era, each family was essentially self-sufficient. The land was publicly owned, and everyone earned work points in exchange for food and dividends. Each family was also limited to raising three or four poultry. Vegetables and melons were mostly grown in their own yards, just enough to eat.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
