roccoschili Chapter 201 Konjac Tofu
Chapter 201 Konjac Tofu
After finally getting rid of the three people, Xu Chaoyan pulled Zhang Yueniang along to the kitchen. The pile of bamboo skewers that had just been shaved had been sterilized with boiling water and only needed to be placed in a winnowing basket to air dry naturally.
Xu Chaoyan pulled out all the konjac she had collected earlier. She had to peel off the skin first, but if she didn't wear gloves, her hands would itch and hurt, and even become red and swollen. Xu Chaoyan looked worried.
After a moment of deep thought, she found a chopstick and stuck it directly into the konjac, then carefully peeled off the skin with a knife.
This is her first time making konjac tofu, and whether it will be successful or not is another matter.
Zhang Yueniang, who was standing idly to the side, looked at her anxiously and said, "Sister, why don't I lend a hand? I heard this stuff is highly poisonous. Be careful not to get it on your skin, it's incredibly itchy."
Xu Chaoyan shook her head and pointed to the straw outside: "Sister, why don't you burn some wood ash for me, or take some out of the stove and sift it? I need to soak some lye water for later use."
Zhang Yueniang then left with a happy expression.
Because they had only recently moved in, there wasn't much wood ash under the stove. They had used up quite a bit of it last time to make menstrual pads for Meng Jiuxia, so they could only find some dry straw, burn it to get some wood ash, and then soak it in water.
Xu Chaoyan went to the yard and found a stone slab, put it in a wooden basin, scooped in some cool water, and began to grind the konjac little by little.
Zhang Yueniang was quick, preparing the wood ash and lye water. Now she was letting it sit for a while. Seeing that she was working on it alone, she was a little worried and asked, "Do you need me to help you?"
"Sister, I don't plan to do too much today. Just grind these two off. Later, you can collect the remaining little bit for me. It can grow back when we plant it in the ground next year."
While using a small bamboo stick to pick it up and put it away, Zhang Yueniang asked in confusion, "Sister, how come you have so many? You must have been very good at housework when you were at your parents' house. What good fortune did Brother Meng accumulate in his past life to marry you? I wonder where my sister-in-law is, and whether you have any sisters."
Xu Chaoyan gave a teasing smile: "I also have a stingy and cunning stepmother. She does have a daughter. If you don't mind that your sister-in-law is too young, you can wait another five or six years. I'll act as a matchmaker for your family."
Zhang Yueniang was taken aback for a moment, then laughed out loud: "You know how to tease me now."
Xu Chaoyan smiled somewhat guiltily. She hadn't learned this skill in the Xu family; it was all thanks to the wisdom of her ancestors. Even though konjac was poisonous, her ancestors still practiced and honed it little by little, which led to the konjac tofu they ate in later generations.
These two weigh about five pounds today. After removing the skin, there are still four pounds left. She ground them into a basin, then took a stick and stirred all the liquid in the basin evenly, breaking up any granules. In modern times, disposable gloves or rubber gloves would be very convenient, but here it all has to be done by hand.
She picked up the spatula from the side, stirred it carefully again, smoothed out all the freshly ground slurry in the bowl, let it sit for a while, and then cooked it in the pot.
Meng Jiu and the three of them left the courtyard. Shen Siheng continued to chatter on and on. Meng Jiu remained as quiet as ever, but he would listen to Shen Siheng and occasionally answer a few of his questions.
Shen Siheng was quite satisfied with this. His eldest brother had studied for several years and could understand the accounts. His father felt that his eldest brother was not cut out for studying, so he sent him home early to inherit the family business, spending a lot of money and time, saying that he wanted him to bring glory to the Shen family.
He knows his own limitations; he hasn't even passed the preliminary examination for the first degree.
Several times he wanted to tell his parents that he shouldn't have to study this old thing anymore. He said that even if he studied for another ten years, he would still end up like this.
His mother was a very competitive person. Every time, his aunt would boast to his mother about how good his cousin was at studying, that he had already become a student at a young age. This made his mother say to him several times that he must pass the imperial examination and become a scholar or even the top scholar.
That's why he doesn't like staying at home. Although he's not particularly bright, he enjoys being with intelligent people and listening to them discuss articles and write poetry.
Zhang Xuyang suddenly spoke up and asked, "Young Master Shen, you studied at the county school before. What was it like there? How easy is it to get into the county school? Are there any other requirements? Brother Meng and I plan to try after the spring."
Shen Siheng rolled her eyes at him and looked at him impatiently: "How many times have I told you, stop calling me Young Master Shen all the time, making me sound like a spoiled brat. My family is only a little bit richer than yours. I'm just an ordinary merchant family. Just call me by my name from now on."
Meng Jiuhe rarely spoke up at this moment, asking, "By the way, how easy is it to get into the county school? Will there be a big gap between us from small rural places and them?"
Shen Siheng eagerly moved closer, praising Meng Jiuhe from head to toe: "With Brother Meng's learning and talent, there's definitely no problem. I just don't know what some people think. To be honest, I've been here for so long and I've never seen your calligraphy or writing. Zhang Xuyang, do you even have any confidence in yourself? Let me tell you, this county school is full of talented people. You're from the countryside. You might as well go back and study hard instead of following us around."
Zhang Xuyang felt a lump in his throat, unable to exhale. He pointed at Shen Siheng and then at himself, finally saying helplessly, "How do you know my writing is bad or my learning is lacking? You haven't even tried. Don't talk big here. Besides, even if my grades aren't good, I'm still a little better than yours."
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Meng Jiuhe quickly stepped between them: "Alright, you two stop arguing. My wife asked me to buy some things. Don't argue too much, or I'll forget what I was supposed to buy."
Shen Siheng quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes, my sister-in-law said she wanted to buy some dogwood, and also told you to buy some pea shoots to cook later. She also said she'd go to my restaurant later to get a fish. See if there's anything else you two want to eat, and I'll bring it all over."
He was unusually happy today, as he was able to have another meal at Meng Jiuhe's house. In fact, he quite liked the atmosphere at Meng Jiuhe's and Zhang's house.
There has never been this kind of atmosphere in their family. The eldest brother has been married for four or five years, but the mother still insists on keeping the family together and refuses to separate. The sister-in-law and the mother have to argue every now and then.
My mother is also a person who doesn't admit defeat. This time she suffered a loss at the hands of my sister-in-law. I guess my father will be in for a lot of trouble. Every time my mother and sister-in-law have a disagreement, the first thing she does is complain to my eldest brother and father, hoping that my eldest brother and sister-in-law will help her deal with my sister-in-law.
He had advised them several times that harmony in the family is the most important thing, and that it's better to argue privately than to let their son and husband know. He said that this was just making things difficult for them and causing discord in the family.
His mother even said matter-of-factly, "If she's been wronged, why can't she confide in her son?"
Fortunately, he was a reasonable person. Every time he saw his mother and sister-in-law arguing, he would quickly find various excuses to slip away.
When the three of them went to the general store, they happened to pass by the bookstore from last time. Meng Jiuhe thought for a moment and discussed it with Zhang Xuyang. They decided to take a few books back and copy them first. He felt bad that his wife and younger sister had been working so hard to earn money. Although he had to prepare for the county school entrance exam these days, he still had some free time to copy books.
As the three walked toward the bookstore, a shy yet delighted female voice suddenly called out, "Shen Siheng, what are you doing here? Here to buy books again, right? By the way, who are these two?"
Meng Jiuhe then looked up toward the source of the sound and saw a beautiful young woman smiling at them.
I could hear a hint of shyness in her voice just now, but judging from her feigned bashfulness, she seemed quite composed, lacking any of the reserve a woman should have.
Shen Siheng glanced at her impatiently, his tone becoming indifferent: "Qin Zhenzhen, what are you doing here? And why are you blocking our way?"
After saying that, he looked very protective of his own and immediately shielded Meng Jiuhe behind him.
Zhang Xuyang was still looking at his actions with a blank expression when Shen Siheng waved his hand and winked at him, saying, "Brother Meng, Brother Meng, hurry up and leave. Don't get involved with this annoying guy, or you'll get entangled with him."