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

Chapter 101 Coming for the Beauty

The town was much quieter in the afternoon.

Li Ruoxue and He Xiulan found a spot on the street corner, and as soon as they put down the tofu basket, people gathered around.

The first to approach was an old man wearing a blue hat, his hands behind his back, squinting at the tofu in the basket: "Li Meiren, you're here? What are you selling this time?"

He Xiulan quickly lifted the tarpaulin: "Selling tofu, freshly made, look how tender it is."

"I'm asking about Lady Li, not you," the old man said, clearly annoyed.

This left He Xiulan speechless and embarrassed.

"Uncle, you're selling tofu," Li Ruoxue replied.

An elderly woman selling vegetables nearby leaned over and exclaimed, "Wow, this tofu is as white as snow!"

Her eyes swept over Li Ruoxue's face, and she added, "She's whiter and cleaner than tofu."

This remark drew a few laughs.

Li Ruoxue blushed, lowered her eyes, and took the scale from He Xiulan.

She wore a light blue polyester shirt today.

Her hair was braided into a thick braid that hung down in front of her chest, and some stray hairs were wet and stuck to her smooth forehead.

If she had worn that semi-transparent shirt from last night, she probably would have been incredibly seductive to these men.

"Give me two jin." A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit squeezed to the front.

As he paid, his eyes kept glancing at Li Ruoxue's face. "Which village are you from, young lady? You're so pretty and delicate. Are you married yet? How about I play matchmaker for you?"

"From Linjiapo. She's married, elder brother."

Li Ruoxue responded softly, her fingers deftly cutting the tofu.

The knife was a brand new, gleaming blade; it made almost no sound when cutting, and the tofu had a smooth, clean cut.

The man in the Zhongshan suit took the tofu, glanced at her one last time, and reluctantly left, sighing as he did so.

He Xiulan collected the money on the side, a smile playing on her lips.

More and more people gradually arrived.

People buying tofu and those just watching the spectacle surrounded the small stall.

There were women carrying vegetable baskets, workers who had just finished their night shift, and a few young people wearing bell-bottoms, leaning against the opposite wall smoking, their eyes glancing this way from time to time.

"Give me one too." An elderly woman with gray hair tremblingly handed over the money. "Young lady, are you from Lin Dachun's family?"

Li Ruoxue nodded, cut off a small piece, and put it into the old lady's basket: "Um, Grandma, who are you?"

"Oh, thank you." The old lady leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Dachun is a very honest man, just not a talkative one..."

Before he could finish speaking, someone behind him urged him on.

Li Ruoxue smiled apologetically and continued working.

Her fingers were slender, stained with a little soy milk, and looked exceptionally white in the morning light.

Cutting tofu, weighing it, collecting money, and handing out tofu—every movement was light and efficient.

Occasionally, when he looked up to find change, his eyes were like two clear springs, and everyone who looked over was stunned.

"Tofu Beauty!" someone shouted first.

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

Li Ruoxue's face turned even redder, but her hands didn't stop moving.

He Xiulan readily chimed in, "Whether it's Xi Shi or not, the important thing is that the tofu is good. Try it, isn't it just right?"

A young man in overalls squeezed through, stammering, "I...I want three jin."

His eyes were fixed on the scales, but his peripheral vision kept glancing at Li Ruoxue's hand.

After weighing the coins, he was so flustered when he took them out that the coins fell to the ground and rolled far away.

Li Ruoxue bent down to pick it up, and her braid slipped down to her shoulder.

When she straightened up, she found that the young man's face was flushed red. He took the tofu and ran away, forgetting to give her change.

"Hey, money!" He Xiulan called out, but the person had already disappeared into the crowd.

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

He Xiulan shook her head and carefully put away the few cents: "I'll give it to you when I see you later."

As the sun rose higher and the fog dissipated, the bluestone pavement began to reflect light.

The tofu in the basket disappeared quickly; by the time the last few pieces were left, several people had already asked if they would come again tomorrow.

"I'm not sure if it will be tomorrow, but I'll come as soon as I make the tofu," He Xiulan said loudly.

Li Ruoxue nodded beside her, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, her cheeks flushed as if she had applied rouge.

On the way home, the basket was empty, but my steps were light.

When passing by the supply and marketing cooperative, Li Ruoxue used the money she earned from selling tofu to buy a small bag of white sugar.

Lin Dachun likes to add a little bit of corn to his corn porridge.

I also bought two red velvet flowers to tie up He Xiulan's daughter's hair.

"Your sister, you're such a spendthrift."

He Xiulan said, but carefully tucked the velvet flower into her bosom.

The sun shone brightly on the dirt road, and the two people's shadows followed shortly behind them.

The wind blows, carrying the scent of wheat that is almost ripe in the fields.

"They call you the Tofu Beauty," He Xiulan suddenly said.

"Those men are so smitten with you, it's really enviable. But I have to say, Ruoxue, you're really beautiful. Dachun really hit the jackpot." He Xiulan was extremely envious of Li Ruoxue.

That figure, that skin, fair and rosy—she's a natural beauty.

Li Ruoxue lowered her head, looking at her shoes stained with soy milk, and said nothing.

"It's alright," He Xiulan patted her shoulder, "Being pretty isn't a crime. We earn our living through our own abilities; making good tofu is what truly matters."

As we approached the village entrance, we could see Lin Dachun hoeing the ground on the slope in the distance.

He straightened up, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked this way.

Li Ruoxue quickened her pace and handed over the cloth bag containing the money when she reached it.

"Father, we sold them." Her voice was filled with barely suppressed joy. "We sold them all."

"What? It's all sold out so quickly?? How is that possible?" Lin Dachun couldn't believe it.

"You don't believe me? I don't believe it either. You have no idea, when Ruoxue just raised her hand, all the men surrounded her. I don't know what kind of magic it was, I've never seen anything like it before, it was terrifying." He Xiulan said from the side.

"It's not that exaggerated," Li Ruoxue said, blushing.

"They didn't come to buy tofu, they came to admire Li Ruoxue. They even nicknamed her 'Tofu Beauty,' and all those men swoon over her. I'm so envious and jealous. Nobody pays any attention to me," He Xiulan said with a hint of jealousy.

"Haha. Ruoxue is beautiful." Lin Dachun couldn't help but praise her.

"Right? You cuddled me in bed all night, and I smelled so sweet, didn't I? Maybe we even cuddled while sleeping naked. You're so lucky. No wonder Old Cao was so envious." He Xiulan got more and more excited as she spoke.

"Oh dear, Sister-in-law Xiulan, please stop talking, it's so embarrassing." Li Ruoxue blushed and lowered her head.