Riding the wind of rebirth

“The difference is huge,” Zhou Zhi said. “It seems that only our small area in the whole country makes red tofu with this special fermented aroma. Once you leave that area, you lose this flavor.”

"Yes, red tofu from other places just doesn't sell in our area. There's a saying that people from Jiachuan are very independent; they even eat the tofu ash they make themselves."

"Hahahaha... There's actually such a saying? I've never heard of it before!" Zhou Zhi laughed uncontrollably: "Actually, it's not that people from Jiachuan are unique to this place, it's just that the taste is really different. People who are used to eating Jiachuan red tofu really don't like eating other places."

"What's the reasoning behind this?" Second Aunt was also happy to see that Zhou Zhi liked her red tofu: "You're a learned person, why don't you explain it to me?"

“If this mystery could be solved so easily, Zhou Zhi wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths to isolate the bacterial strains,” Zhou Zhi said. “In short, the different soil and water environment has nurtured a unique fermentation flora along the Hongshui River. This beneficial flora exists in the air and soil, giving our fermented foods a special flavor, including wines, soy sauce, bran vinegar, broad bean paste, pickles, sauerkraut, red tofu, and fermented glutinous rice.”

"Moreover, when we make this kind of food, many of them do not require adding yeast. They are simply mixed with specially cultivated strains of bacteria and placed in a clean room to 'rest quietly.' The fermentation bacteria in the air will attach to the food and take effect. Although the fermentation time is a bit slower, the fermented food tastes particularly fragrant."

"The Zhou Liu Niang Group already knows that some bacteria are at work. This bacteria has been named the 'Hongshuihe Fermentation Bacteria Group' and several varieties have been isolated. Strangely, when these isolated strains work independently, the fermented food does not have the flavor of naturally fermented food."

"There are two theories. One is that the microbial community that plays a special role in flavor has not yet been isolated. The other is that the flavor itself is the result of the combined effect of multiple strains, and one strain alone is not enough."

"The group's scientists are still exploring which one is correct."

"Is the group too rich to spend so much money researching these things?" My second cousin was also a little confused: "Actually, as long as production doesn't leave Jiachuan, these flavors will remain, right?"

“This is actually the method the group is currently using.” Zhou Zhi didn’t say anything wrong with his second cousin’s idea, but instead went along with her and said, “Tianxian bran vinegar and Shengxinglong soy sauce still can’t leave their place of origin. The county is even preparing to apply for ‘products with geographical indication’ for them.”

“But this would limit production. Currently, Baoning vinegar and Xichang buckwheat soy sauce under the group’s brands each have their own flavors, but if we could combine them, we should be able to create even better products.” Zhou Zhi said with a smile, “The country is constantly promoting the idea that the main contradiction is between the people’s growing material and cultural needs and the backward social production. Only by making more and more good things can we make the contradiction smaller and smaller.”

After lunch, Mai Xiaomiao sat on the rocking chair made of steel bars invented by her cousin Anran, holding Tiedan and "swinging". Zhou Zhi continued to carve seals for his third aunt, who was copying the poems Zhou Zhi had given her. Her uncle took out the fishing rod that Zhou Zhi had given him to maintain, while Li Laosan and her cousin Anxin fed the goldfish by the garden pond.

"Wow, there are so many little goldfish here!"

"Yes, they grew this spring," my uncle said. "They're just not as good-looking as the ones I got from the pork knuckle!" The goldfish my uncle raised were bought for him by Zhou Zhi from the Chengdu Zoo. Traditional goldfish breeding is still quite popular across the country. The Chengdu Zoo has the highest goldfish breeding technology and the most comprehensive range of varieties in Southwest China, producing many top-quality traditional ornamental goldfish.

However, my uncle's fish pond is actually more than a meter deep, which is a bit too deep for a goldfish pond. Moreover, before the breeding season, the different varieties were not taken out to breed separately, which naturally led to a mix of strains. Although a lot of small fish were born in the pond, Zhou Zhi thought they were basically unacceptable and were just wasteful of feed.

However, my aunt and uncle didn't care about that. They happily accepted these naturally bred little fish and regarded them, along with the birds that had made their home in the purple bamboo grove, as two happy events in the family. There was no room for reasoning or explanation in that regard.

"So this bamboo pole is so valuable." The uncle used the method Zhou Zhi taught him: soak saffron in oil, then use the oil to coat the pole. Over time, an amber sheen will appear on the bamboo pole, and the entire pole will turn a beautiful orange-red.

However, my aunt and uncle would just listen to these methods and rarely follow them to maintain their condition. They actually quite liked taking this fishing rod to the park to fish, saying that it felt great.

It wasn't until Anran's cousin called from Japan wanting to bring him a fishing rod, but then hesitated because it was too expensive, that he called back and was scolded by his father, which made him reluctantly give up the idea. This also made his aunt and uncle aware of the price of this traditional fishing rod abroad.

“That’s overseas. Both labor and materials are very expensive overseas.” Zhou Zhi said while steadily walking the knife. “Take Qing Dynasty porcelain, for example. Although the domestic market is showing an upward trend now, compared with similar collectibles in Hong Kong, Europe and the United States, the price is sometimes less than one-fifth or one-tenth.”

"This fishing rod is even more so. It was very cheap when I bought it, but Old Man Song from my hometown makes practical fishing gear. I was a bit too demanding, which annoyed him. After he finished making this rod and Grandma's walking stick, he declared that he would never accept me, this rude guest, again." Zhou Zhi laughed and said, "Actually, I didn't treat him badly at all. He set the price himself. The problem is that it took him too long to make this rod, which delayed him from making other rods, so he was unhappy."

"That's often how people are," my uncle said with a smile. "I thought I was a very open-minded person with little material desire, but when I heard the price, I couldn't hold back anymore and couldn't bear to take it to the park to waste it."

"After a year of maintenance, it looks like this now, wow, I'm even more reluctant to use it!"

"It's really well-maintained. I bet if Old Man Song sees this pole again, he might change his mind," Zhou Zhi said with a smile.

"When I have the chance to go back, I really want to pay a visit to this Master Song you mentioned." After finishing the maintenance of the pole and assembling it, my uncle shook the handle a few times, watching the tip make two soft whistling sounds in the air: "What did you call this again? Intangible cultural heritage? It's definitely got some substance!"

"Yes, there are many intricacies to bamboo craftsmanship in my hometown, such as bamboo weaving and bamboo carving. These things can be found in other places as well, but there's a kind of art called 'acid fire painting.' It would be such a pity if it were lost." (End of Chapter)