Ji Wei let out a small “huh,” surprised that someone had shown up so soon. It was a fair-skinned, rather pretty woman. Her hair was neatly pinned up, and when she smiled, a small dimple appeared on her right cheek. Ji Wei recognized her as a regular customer.
She was quite outgoing, and they struck up a casual conversation.
“Why haven’t you been setting up your stall? I love your flatbreads—crispy and fragrant, with that perfect layer of sauce.”
She gave Ji Wei a slightly wistful glance and sighed, “You’re going to disappear again in a few days, aren’t you?”
“There are plenty of flatbread stalls now. Isn’t that enough for you?”
“What’s the point? The taste isn’t the same,” she pouted. She was quite particular, and if the flatbread didn’t taste exactly right, she wouldn’t eat it at all.
She eyed the covered bucket and eagerly asked, “Can I take a look?”
Ji Wei lifted the lid and prepared a bowl of stinky tofu soup. Before handing it to her, he added another piece of tofu with a friendly smile, “One bowl is five wen, but since you’re my first customer today, I’ll give you an extra piece. Try it.”
After handing her the bowl, Ji Wei placed a flatbread on a hot iron plate, where it began to sizzle.
“Take a seat while you eat,” Aunt Zhou suggested, offering her stool.
Though the woman initially declined, Aunt Zhou’s insistence convinced her, and she sat down.
She held the bowl up to her nose, sniffing it cautiously. Her brows furrowed as she examined the crispy, golden tofu. Curious, she blinked and asked, “So, this tofu is fried?”
Ji Wei nodded. She smiled, clearly pleased, feeling like she got her money’s worth. She took a bite of the stinky tofu and, despite the strong smell, found it quite delicious.
She ate faster and faster, eventually finishing even the soup. Handing the bowl back, she regretfully looked at the stinky tofu bucket and sighed, “I should’ve come earlier. If I had known it was this good, I wouldn’t have hesitated.”
“Stinky tofu just smells bad, that’s all,” Ji Wei said, handing her the freshly made flatbread. She paid, left with a smile, and headed off.
With that first sale, others who had been lingering nearby, drawn by curiosity about the pungent smell, started to approach. People couldn’t help but be intrigued by the strange, overwhelming scent of the stinky tofu, but many hesitated, fearing they might waste their money.
As the woman walked off, a few onlookers finally decided to take a chance and ordered a bowl, squatting nearby to eat.
Soon, a line started to form at Ji Wei’s stall, and the bucket of stinky tofu began to empty. In less than half an hour, only half the bucket remained.
As the last customers left, Aunt Zhou marveled, “What’s going on in that head of yours? I used to think it was full of fluff, but now I see it’s pure gold!”
Her compliment was so simple and direct that Ji Wei couldn’t help but laugh, telling her she was giving him too much credit.
After selling a few more bowls of tofu and flatbreads, Aunt Zhou sat while Ji Wei stood, chatting leisurely. Mid-conversation, Ji Wei suddenly stopped speaking, his gaze fixed on something in the distance. Following his line of sight, Aunt Zhou noticed Lin Sange.
“What’s she doing here on West Street? If she’s delivering tofu, she should be on South or North Street.”
Ji Wei nodded toward the basket in Lin Sange’s hand. She was out grocery shopping.
“She told me a few days ago not to send her any more food, but I got so busy, that I forgot,” Aunt Zhou said, smacking her forehead. Ji Wei nudged her arm playfully.
“Auntie, go call her over to try some stinky tofu.”
Aunt Zhou glared at him, “Don’t you have a mouth of your own?”
“It’s just not convenient for me. Please, I’m begging you.” Ji Wei pressed his hands together in a pleading gesture, flashing her a smile.
“You’re impossible.” Aunt Zhou sighed and got up to intercept Lin Sange.
Since Aunt Zhou had taken care of her recently, Lin Sange didn’t want to refuse her request. She followed her over to the stall but froze when she saw Ji Wei. For a moment, she wasn’t sure whether to turn and leave or stay.
“Come try this stinky tofu,” Ji Wei said, scooping out a bowl and placing it in front of her before stepping back against the wall, putting some distance between them.
His gesture put her a bit more at ease, and the urge to leave faded. Still, the fact that he had made it dimmed her appetite.
“No thanks, Aunt Zhou. I need to get back.”
“You’re already here. You’re not leaving without trying a bowl!” Aunt Zhou insisted, thrusting the bowl into her hands.
Afraid of dropping it, Lin Sange had no choice but to hold it tightly.
However, the strong smell made her wrinkle her nose. “What is this? The smell is… unique.”
“Stinky tofu. Ji Wei made it. Don’t be fooled by the smell—it’s delicious. If there were more, I’d have eaten another bowl already,” Aunt Zhou said with a grin, piquing Lin Sange’s curiosity.
Ji Wei quickly dished out another bowl and handed it to Aunt Zhou, saying, “If you want to eat, go ahead. Don’t save it for me.”
“You cheeky brat! Do you think it’s easy to make money? One bowl costs me two flatbreads!” Aunt Zhou tried to return the bowl, but Ji Wei refused and leaned back against the cart, eating stinky tofu with Lin Sange.
Though Lin Sange made tofu herself, she couldn’t figure out how Ji Wei had made this version. Even if it was fried, it shouldn’t taste like this. She wondered what secret ingredients he used because, despite the smell, it was really good.
This thought made her a little envious.
She finished the bowl, set it on the cart, and quietly thanked them before leaving, ignoring Aunt Zhou’s attempts to make her stay.
By noon, Ji Wei’s bucket of stinky tofu was down to just broth.
As the sun reached its peak and the streets emptied, Ji Wei decided to stop for the day. On the way home, he wandered around East Street and spotted Lin Ersao’s stall. Business was decent, with four or five people waiting in line. Lin Ersao was busy making flatbreads while Zhang Wang took care of the customers.
Without disturbing them, Ji Wei turned back and bought five cups of sugar water from an old woman along the way. He gave three to Aunt Zhou and took the remaining two home to share with Liu Yimian.
Ji Wei hadn’t planned to make stinky tofu for profit, but after preparing a few blocks and selling them in the morning, he ended up earning over a hundred wen.
Calculating the profit, he returned home after lunch and carefully wrote down the stinky tofu recipe on a piece of paper. He even added some simple illustrations to make the instructions clearer.
Liu Yimian, who was sitting nearby with a book, couldn’t resist sneaking glances at the paper. The detailed instructions and thoughtful sketches made him extremely curious, but he didn’t dare ask who it was for. Instead, he kept shifting in his seat, unable to sit still.
After finishing, Ji Wei blew on the ink and glanced at him. “Is there a nail in the chair?”
“Huh?” Liu Yimian was confused at first. He was about to return to his book when he realized Ji Wei was teasing him.
His ears turned a little red, and he raised the book higher to hide his face.
Ji Wei folded the paper and tucked it into his sleeve. Just as he was about to leave, he instinctively glanced back at Liu Yimian.
Liu Yimian wasn’t reading anymore. He stood by the table, wringing his fingers together, lips tightly pressed, looking pitiful—like a small animal abandoned by its owner.
The thought made Ji Wei pause, a little startled, then amused.
“Yimian is a bit too sensitive,” he thought. He hadn’t even said anything, and yet Yimian had already sensed something. It wasn’t fair to leave him guessing all the time, so Ji Wei decided to take him along.
With that thought, he raised his hand and gestured.
Liu Yimian stood there, waiting for Ji Wei to turn around and wave him to follow. He initially thought Ji Wei wouldn’t do that, but when he saw it, an overwhelming joy surged in his heart, almost clouding his mind.
“I’m going to Sister Lin San’s house to give her what I just wrote,” Ji Wei suddenly said as they walked.
Liu Yimian simply replied with an “Oh” and didn’t say anything more. He walked quite a distance before suddenly realizing it.
Is Ji Wei trying to explain himself to him?
Is that what this is?
Liu Yimian quickly stole a glance at Ji Wei, feeling sweet inside.
Even though they were headed to Sister Lin San’s house, he couldn’t help but smile, as if stepping out for a pleasant outing.
The two arrived at West Second Alley, standing outside Sister Lin San’s door. Ji Wei knocked on the brass ring, and Sister Lin San’s voice came from inside, asking who it was.
Upon seeing Ji Wei, she instinctively tried to shut the door.
But Ji Wei stretched out his arm to block it, preventing her from closing it.
“What do you want this time?” Sister Lin San glared at Ji Wei coldly.
“I’m here to make amends,” Ji Wei said sincerely.
“Not interested,” Sister Lin San replied, using all her strength to try to shut the door. But Ji Wei was simply too strong; the door didn’t budge.
Ji Wei remained calm as if his hand didn’t belong to him.
Meanwhile, Liu Yimian was getting anxious. Seeing Ji Wei’s indifference, he stepped in to push the door himself. Even though he was a man, he still had more strength than Sister Lin San, who was just recovering from illness.
After several pushes, Sister Lin San stumbled back, and the two managed to squeeze into the courtyard.
“If you don’t leave, I’ll call someone!” Sister Lin San gritted her teeth, clearly determined to sever ties with Ji Wei.
“Listen to me, I’m not here to disturb you,” Ji Wei said, pulling out a piece of paper from his sleeve and unfolding it towards Sister Lin San. “I just want to offer you some compensation.”
“What is this?” Sister Lin San had thought Ji Wei was going to give her money, which she found insulting and had decided she wouldn’t accept.
But seeing Ji Wei pull out a note with some writing on it, she was momentarily taken aback, and then her expression darkened.
Claiming to make amends but being so perfunctory—it was clear he wasn’t sincere. She felt foolish for having ever been interested in him.
“I know you don’t want money, so I just want to give you a way to earn it.”
“Uh?” Sister Lin San’s thoughts were interrupted, and she couldn’t help but perk up, listening intently.
“When we were on the road, I let you try my stinky tofu. I wanted to see if anyone would buy it. I sold it all morning, and business was good. If you set up a stall, you wouldn’t have to worry about customers, and you’d earn more than grinding tofu.”
That was Ji Wei’s true intention.
Rather than just giving someone a fish, it’s better to teach them how to fish.
By offering this stinky tofu recipe, he wanted to cut ties with Sister Lin San. Although it wasn’t his fault that he had let her down before, it felt wrong to keep rubbing it in her face.
It was better to settle things clearly and make amends.
Sister Lin San’s eyes lit up, and she became so excited she stumbled over her words: “Really? Are you serious? You want to give me the recipe?”
Having a secret recipe was a rare treasure; a good recipe could sustain a family for generations.
With this recipe, she would have a way to earn money and wouldn’t have to worry about being poor anymore. Finding a good marriage match wouldn’t be difficult either.
Biting her lip, Sister Lin San instinctively stepped closer to Ji Wei. Just before reaching him, she stopped, still in disbelief.
“Ji Wei, you’re not lying to me?”
“Why would I lie to you? I want to live a good life, and I hope you can too.”
Ji Wei stepped forward a couple of steps, speaking sincerely: “This recipe means nothing to me, but to you, it’s like a golden goose. I’m giving it to you in hopes of clearing my debt to you.”
“If you just nod, I’ll give it to you.”
Sister Lin San quickly nodded, snatching the paper from Ji Wei’s hand, and glancing at it before tucking it away.
“You’re not going to compete with me for business, are you?”
Ji Wei raised two fingers and solemnly swore, “I, Ji Wei, will never compete with Lin San for business. If I do, may lightning strike me—” Before he could finish, Liu Yimian jumped up and covered Ji Wei’s mouth, frowning tightly to prevent him from saying more.
“What else do you want, since Ji Wei has already gone this far?” Liu Yimian called out to Sister Lin San, showing some hostility.
“Hmm, in that case, I forgive you. You can go now.”
Once the two left, Sister Lin San hurriedly locked the door, clutching the paper to her chest, her heart racing as if it were about to ignite.
She… she was going to be rich!
Sister Lin San would no longer have to rely on others!
“Ji Wei, I don’t hate you anymore,” Sister Lin San murmured, wiping the corners of her eyes as her voice faded into the air.
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1