TATSD Chapter 50

When Zhao Hu had some free time, he would help Lin Sanjie grind soybeans. Once the tofu was ready, Lin Sanjie would set aside a block for him to pick up later when Aunt Zhou or Zhao Hu came by.

Today was no different.

Ji Wei had asked Zhao Hu to let Aunt Zhou know he wanted to buy some tofu for her to bring back with her.

It was almost noon when Aunt Zhou finally arrived.

“Someone come help me carry the tofu!” Aunt Zhou pushed a cart stacked high with tofu, making it a bit cumbersome to maneuver.

Zhao Hu was waiting inside, and as soon as he heard Aunt Zhou’s voice, he rushed out to help unload the tofu, even wiping the sweat off her chin that was about to drip.

“Ma, it’s so hot this morning. You must be exhausted. Come in and have some cool water.”

“Got it, I’ll be right there!” Aunt Zhou placed the cart and hurried into the kitchen, downing a bowl of water on the table.

“Did you ask?” This was Ji Wei’s main concern.

Not just him; even Liu Yimian was looking eagerly at Aunt Zhou, her eyes full of hope.

Aunt Zhou sighed, clearly having no success.

“She won’t budge; she insists on staying.”

This wasn’t hard to understand. After all, she was from here, surrounded by familiar faces, and had a roof over her head. Why would she want to move to a strange place, alone and vulnerable? It seemed pitiful.

“I think she’s given up. Maybe it’s best to let it go.”

Ji Wei wasn’t afraid of Lin Sanjie becoming clingy again. Given her cold demeanor during their last encounter, he sensed she had indeed lost interest.

But being a man, he felt responsible, especially after seeing Lin Sanjie hurt and struggling. It was hard to ignore her plight.

Besides, at Xinglin Hall, several eyes had witnessed Ji Wei escorting Lin Sanjie home. Who knew how exaggerated the story might become on the way back?

Ultimately, Ji Wei felt a bit of compassion and wanted to make amends.

In Changliu Town, both of their reputations were tarnished.

Ji Wei, being a man, was thick-skinned and didn’t care as much.

But Lin Sanjie, being a woman, couldn’t simply shrug it off.

Ji Wei casually brushed aside Aunt Zhou’s comments, deciding not to dwell on the matter. Zhao Hu, however, found it odd that on such a hot day, Ji Wei was buying so much tofu, fearing it might spoil.

“It doesn’t matter. If it goes bad, it just saves me time,” Ji Wei replied, leaving everyone confused about his intentions.

Was he going to eat spoiled tofu?

Both Aunt Zhou and Lin Sanjie were skeptical, unaware that Ji Wei was planning to make stinky tofu.

He left Liu Yimian at home and went out to find straw.

Aunt Zhou’s family only grew fruits and vegetables, without any rice or straw. Ji Wei had to bother Sister Lin Er, who raised cows.

Fortunately, both she and her husband were home. As Ji Wei entered the yard, he spotted a shiny new cart in the middle of the courtyard, clearly just completed.

When Zhang Wang heard some commotion, he ran out to see Ji Wei, immediately breaking into a warm smile and rushing over to greet him.

“Hey! You arrived just in time; we’re about to eat. Come in and join us!” Sister Lin Er peeked her head out from the house, also inviting him in.

The couple’s attitude had completely changed compared to when Ji Wei had borrowed the ox cart; now they were as welcoming as family.

“Looks like you’ve got your cart ready,” Ji Wei remarked, glancing at the new cart. Zhang Wang scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

It was still awkward, even though it was Ji Wei’s suggestion. The couple had hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to have a carpenter make the cart, planning to hit the market soon to sell stuffed pancakes.

“Yeah, we just got it back today,” Sister Lin Er said, bringing over a stool for Ji Wei to sit on.

“When are you planning to set up your stall?”

Sister Lin Er hesitated a moment, “Maybe in a day or two; we haven’t finalized it yet.”

“You should hurry! Delaying just means losing more opportunities,” Ji Wei advised.

Zhang Wang smacked his thigh, agreeing, “Ji Wei’s right!”

Ji Wei didn’t plan to continue with the stuffed pancake business. He brought it up again because he had heard from Aunt Zhou that the bun vendor had reopened her stall.

She had been closed for several days, and her return likely meant she was doing well again. It was said that even a dying centipede doesn’t curl up easily, and a hustler like Liu Qing always finds a way to make money.

One stall wasn’t enough, so they decided to set up more, determined to outcompete the bun vendor until she went under.

Ji Wei chuckled, “You know, the bun vendor isn’t selling buns anymore; she’s selling pancakes instead, and just for one coin each—”

“What?” Sister Lin Er and Zhang Wang exclaimed.

“Exactly. She’s practically giving them away, which is messing up the market. If you want to sell pancakes, Sister, you’ll need to team up with Aunt Zhou to take down the bun vendor first. Otherwise, at one coin each, who would buy from you?”

Hearing Ji Wei’s words, Sister Lin Er grew increasingly angry. “Not only is she harming others, but she’s harming herself too!”

“I thought she wasn’t selling for a few days because she ran out of money, but now she’s back, which means she hasn’t given up yet. It’s time for you to step up.”

Ji Wei didn’t need to explain this further.

Sister Lin Er was determined to make money selling pancakes, and anyone who got in her way would just have to be dealt with.

After discussing the pancake stall for a while, Sister Lin Er asked Ji Wei if he had come to borrow the ox cart.

“No, I’m here to get some straw.”

“We have plenty of straw at home; take as much as you need. If it’s not enough, come back,” Sister Lin Er said dismissively, directing Zhang Wang to help Ji Wei.

The two of them busied themselves in the narrow firewood room for a while, bundling a large stack of straw for Ji Wei to carry out.

“Is this enough?” Zhang Wang asked, a bit clueless.

“Yes, yes, it’s plenty,” Ji Wei quickly nodded. He had only wanted a little, but Zhang Wang, fearing it wouldn’t be enough, had added a lot more. If Ji Wei hadn’t stopped him, he might have taken even more.

Ji Wei declined the couple’s invitation to stay for lunch and headed home with the straw, unloading it directly in the kitchen. Liu Yimian noticed the bits of straw scattered on his clothes and came over to brush them off his shoulders, gently asking what he needed the straw for.

“For tofu,” Ji Wei said, gesturing toward the table.

Liu Yimian didn’t understand but didn’t pry further, instead urging Ji Wei to eat his lunch first.

In the afternoon, Ji Wei sliced the tofu into square pieces, found a clean wooden box, and lined the bottom with straw.

He placed a layer of tofu on the straw, then added another layer of straw on top.

After all the tofu was packed into the box, he closed it up and moved it to a dim corner of the kitchen.

In the hot summer, if left for two days, the tofu would sprout white mold. Then it could be fried until golden, creating the most basic form of stinky tofu.

Liu Yimian watched curiously, occasionally lending a hand. Once the wooden box was in place, she asked Ji Wei what he was making.

“Tofu goes sour if left too long, right?” she frowned, recalling the stinky tofu she had tasted before.

“Stinky tofu is supposed to be stinky; that’s what gives it flavor. If it’s not stinky, how can it be called stinky tofu?” Ji Wei replied, not thinking there was anything wrong with it.

But for Liu Yimian, who had never seen or tasted stinky tofu, his words were puzzling and shocking.

Stinky tofu? Can that even be eaten?

She also recalled how she had sworn never to touch it, yet now there was always some in their meals. She couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

Who knows? Maybe Ji Wei’s tofu would smell bad but taste great.

“However, this batch of tofu won’t yield much stinky tofu. Tomorrow, I’ll need Zhao Hu’s help to grind more beans,” Ji Wei noted. Zhao Hu often helped Lin Sanjie grind soybeans, so it wouldn’t be too late to remind him tomorrow.

“Ji Wei, if you’re making so much, are you going to eat it or sell it?” Liu Yimian wondered.

“First, you’ll get to taste it, then I’ll sell the rest.” Ji Wei pinched Liu Yimian’s nose playfully, smiling. “Just wait; this tofu will be so stinky.”

When Liu Yimian wrinkled her nose in distaste, Ji Wei teased, “But it will taste so good!”

Though her face showed disbelief, she quietly stood beside Ji Wei, curious about what the finished product would look like.

“Will you be the one to sell it?”

“No.”

“Then who will sell it?” Liu Yimian turned to him, confused.

Ji Wei didn’t think too much about it and simply replied, “Lin Sanjie will sell it; isn’t she the one who makes tofu?”

Liu Yimian was taken aback and fell silent.