The kang (heated brick bed) for left-behind women

Chapter 100 Grinding Tofu

"Hmm." Li Ruoxue could only nod helplessly.

"Damn it." He Xiulan even swore.

"How can that be? Your relationship? Oh dear, that's so embarrassing." He Xiulan was too embarrassed to ask any further.

"There's nothing we can do when it's cold," Li Ruoxue said embarrassedly.

He Xiulan seemed very interested in this question, so she asked again, "Have you heard the rumors circulating in the village?"

"It's about Da Chun, right? I know, I've heard of it," Li Ruoxue replied.

"It's not just Da Chun's, it's yours too," He Xiulan said.

"Huh? What did you say about me?" Li Ruoxue asked, also out of curiosity.

"There are two stinky men in the village, one is Old Black Dog, and the other is Old Cao, you know? These two lecherous men are always up to no good. They've come to my house a few times, trying to take advantage of me, but I chased them away. I don't even want them," He Xiulan continued to mutter.

"Yes, I know. They've come to my house several times, but Da Chun chased them away, saying he'd break their legs if they came again," Li Ruoxue explained.

"Yes, but that old Cao, that widower, has been spreading all sorts of rumors in the village lately, saying..." He Xiulan paused deliberately.

"What did you say?"

"He said that one day it rained heavily, it was springtime, and he and the old black dog were passing by your house and spied on you in the cave dwelling," He Xiulan said with great interest.

"Yeah, this has happened twice already, and Da Chun kicked us out both times. It's really awful," Li Ruoxue replied.

"Yes, what they said is the key point."

"What did you say?"

"He said that the two of you were both sticking out of the cave," He Xiulan replied.

Li Ruoxue's face instantly turned bright red down to her neck.

"Oh, let's not talk about that anymore, let's get started on making tofu."

The fire in the stove was quickly lit, and water was added to the pot.

Once the soybeans are ground, they will be ready to boil.

Li Ruoxue straightened up and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

My arms were sore and trembling, but my heart was full.

The soy milk was poured into a large pot, and the fire in the stove was burning brightly.

Soon, steam rose from the pot, and the aroma of soybeans filled the entire courtyard.

He Xiulan brought over gauze, and the two of them worked together to filter the boiled soy milk.

This is the most laborious task: boiling hot soy milk, held in a gauze bag, squeezed to remove the soy pulp, leaving a silky liquid.

Adding brine is key.

Li Ruoxue carefully scooped out the brine.

I bought this in town a few days ago. It's in a rough porcelain bottle, and I treasure it like a precious gem, keeping it deep inside the cave dwelling.

As the brine dripped into the soy milk, a magical change occurred: the clear soy milk began to coagulate, turning into flocculent clumps, and slowly settled.

They watched, holding their breath, as if watching a baby being born.

They all breathed a sigh of relief once the tofu pudding had fully formed.

"It's done!" He Xiulan smiled, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.

The tofu was pressed using a borrowed wooden mold.

Lay out a piece of gauze, pour in the tofu, cover it with a wooden board, and weigh it down with a stone.

Clear slurry seeped out from the gaps in the mold, dripping into the basin below.

While waiting, the two women sat on a stone bench in the courtyard to rest.

Xiulan took two steamed buns out of the basket and gave one to Li Ruoxue.

As the morning breeze blew, they ate in small bites, watching the bluestone slab pressing down on the tofu mold.

Lin Dachun carried it back from the riverbank; it was flat and heavy.

"Do you think it can be sold?" Li Ruoxue asked softly.

"Why not?" He Xiulan took a bite of her cornbread and said confidently, "I've tried the tofu from that place in town, but it doesn't have the same bean flavor as ours. You've chosen good beans and soaked them carefully."

The tofu was ready when the sun was fully up.

Lifting the gauze, a large, square piece of fabric was revealed, pure white and delicate, trembling slightly and steaming.

Li Ruoxue carefully cut it into small pieces, her heart tightening with each cut.

This is hope, a new perspective in life.

Lin Dachun appeared out of nowhere, carrying two woven bamboo baskets with clean banana leaves lining the bottoms.

"Use this," he said, "it's breathable."

The tofu pieces were stacked into the basket, their white and tender appearance contrasting beautifully with the dark green leaves.

Li Ruoxue took out a small jar and filled it with some freshly filtered soy milk.

This is intended as a sample for the person who buys the tofu.

"I'll go with you," He Xiulan said.

Li Ruoxue was about to say something when He Xiulan waved her hand: "The two of you can look out for each other. Besides, I'm quicker with words than you."

As they finished getting ready to leave, Lin Dachun slipped a cloth bag into Li Ruoxue's hand.

Upon opening it, I found two boiled eggs, still warm.

"I'll eat on the way." He turned and went into the cave dwelling without saying another word.

"Remember, you must be back before dark. If you're not back, take the right path, and I'll come pick you up," Lin Dachun said worriedly.

Fortunately, the village is very close to the town.