Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 180 The Birth of Changsha Stinky Tofu

Upon hearing this, Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan immediately stood up and ran towards the tofu shop.

As soon as I entered the door, I smelled a strange odor. Some of the tofu was even covered with white hair, and some was black, obviously it had gone bad.

Ren Youlan quickly walked over to the tofu, reached out and gently touched the sticky tofu, tears gradually welling up in her eyes: "How could this happen?"

Aunt Ren sighed, her voice filled with helplessness: "I just went to check the vents and found that someone had deliberately blocked them..."

Ren Youlan understood immediately after hearing this. She bit her lip and whispered, "Brother Niu and I have always been very careful. Someone must have deliberately sabotaged it."

Old Master Ren also came over and looked at the pile of moldy tofu, shaking his head and sighing, "Alas, it's all ruined... With this loss, we were originally planning on having a grand wedding."

"Hey"

Aunt Ren wiped her eyes and whispered, "Old man, let's go out and prepare something first. Let's find something and throw away this rotten tofu! It's so uncomfortable to look at."

Mr. Ren nodded and took Aunt Ren out to prepare.

inside the house.

Ren Youlan finally couldn't help herself and threw herself into Ye Aniu's arms, tears streaming down her face: "Brother Aniu, what about our wedding?"

Ye Aniu hugged her tightly, patted her back gently, and comforted her softly: "Don't worry, at most, the wedding will be simple."

Ren Youlan raised her head and looked at him with tears in her eyes: "But..."

A trace of pity flashed in Ye Aniu's eyes, and he comforted her softly, "Don't worry, maybe there is a way."

After he finished speaking, he gently wiped away the tears on Ren Youlan's face and continued, "Wait for me for a moment, I'll go check the vent."

Ren Youlan nodded, still obviously nervous, and said softly, "Brother Niu, be careful when you climb high."

Ye Aniu smiled slightly and touched her head: "Hmm"

After saying that, he jumped onto the roof and carefully checked the condition of the vent.

Sure enough, the vent was blocked with rocks and debris, which was obviously intentional. There was only one person who could do this, the Zhou family.

A hint of coldness flashed in Ye Aniu's eyes, you are so good, Zhou Xiancai.

After cleaning the vent, he gazed at the starry sky from the pipe opening, silently pondering a solution. Could it be that my vision is as narrow as this vent? Perhaps, I could find a breakthrough somewhere else.

Suddenly, a light flashed through his mind. Yes! How could I have forgotten? I am a genius.

At midnight, the afterglow of the silver moon sprinkled on the Ren family's courtyard, giving the tofu shop in the courtyard a silver halo.

Ye Aniu called Ren Youlan and sat side by side on the stone bench in the yard.

Ren Youlan frowned slightly, obviously still worried about the tofu going bad.

Ye Aniu glanced at her, gently held her in his arms, and said softly: "Youlan, don't worry too much, I suddenly thought of a solution."

Ren Youlan raised his head and looked at him doubtfully: "Brother Niu, some of the tofu is moldy. Is there any other solution?"

Ye Aniu smiled slightly, a hint of mystery flashed in his eyes, and said: "Let me tell you a story!"

Ren Youlan blinked, clearly intrigued. "What's the story?"

Ye Aniu cleared his throat and began to tell the story: "Once upon a time, there was a scholar named Wang Zhihe who went to Beijing to take the imperial examination. However, he failed and had to stay in the capital, relying on selling tofu to make a living. Until one day." (From the story of Wang Zhihe, a scholar from Anhui, who invented stinky tofu)
It turned out that Wang Zhihe forgot to eat tofu one time and didn't remember it until a long time later.

Ren Youlan couldn't help but interrupt when he heard this: "Is this still edible?"

Ye Aniu nodded and continued, "Yes, Wang Zhihe thought so too. But he was unwilling to just throw the tofu away, so he cut the moldy tofu into small pieces, put them in a jar, added some salt and seasonings, and sealed it up."

"He thought, since the tofu is already spoiled, why not try to make something else out of it?"

Ren Youlan's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief: "Can you eat moldy tofu? This... How is this possible?"

Ye Aniu smiled and continued, "A few days later, Wang Zhihe opened the jar and found that the tofu not only did not rot, but instead exuded a unique fragrance."

"He took a bite and found it surprisingly delicious! So he took the tofu to the market and sold it, and it became a huge hit. Later, this tofu became known as 'stinky tofu.'"

Ren Youlan was completely stunned after hearing this. She opened her mouth and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Brother Niu, are you saying... moldy tofu can be made into delicious food?"

Ye Aniu nodded, with encouragement in his eyes: "Yes, my lady, it can be fried and made into fermented tofu."

Ren Youlan lowered her head and looked at the moldy tofu on the plate, feeling shocked and confused. How could you eat moldy tofu?
She hesitated for a moment and asked quietly, "But... can stinky tofu really be eaten? Is it poisonous?"

Ye Aniu shook his head and explained patiently: "Don't worry, the tofu is spoiled anyway, why don't we give it a try? It won't hurt to wait a few days."

After hearing this, Ren Youlan's eyes gradually lit up with hope: "Brother Niu, let's give it a try?"

Ye Aniu smiled and nodded: "Of course we have to try, but we have to select them. First, keep the white tofu and remove the black ones."

stare.
[Storytelling Level: LV6 (100000/300000)]

[Today's storytelling chapter adds one day to your life]

[Complete Wangzhihe Stinky Tofu Reward: Changsha Stinky Tofu Recipe]

Is there a reward for telling a story? Looking at the colorful book that suddenly appeared in front of me and seeing Ren Youlan's reaction, it was obvious that only I could see it.

There was no time for research, so the first thing to do was to solve the tofu problem. Ye Aniu became more confident and started to work immediately. With the formula, everything would be easy.

The rising sun gradually appeared in the east and the night quietly retreated.

In the yard, Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan were busy all night. They picked out the white-haired tofu to make fermented milk, carefully cut the other tofu into pieces, put them into jars, added salt and seasonings, and sealed them.

With the recipe, Ye Aniu's confidence increased. Perhaps, these moldy tofu could really become a delicacy popular in the Great Zhou Dynasty, just like the story of Wang Zhihe.

Ren Youlan and Ye Aniu didn't sleep all night, but there was still a glimmer of hope in their eyes. They were a little worried and said, "Brother Aniu, this won't make anyone sick, will it? If it does, we can't afford to pay for it."

Ye Aniu gently patted the back of her hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, my lady. I'll eat it first! It's okay if I eat it. I'll let you try it too. As long as everyone is okay after eating it, everything will be fine."

Seeing Ye Aniu so determined, Ren Youlan nodded, turned around to prepare chili, salt and other seasonings, and prepared to put the remaining tofu in.

Ye Aniu carefully checked the tofu with white hair, picked them out one by one, and handled them with caution.

Although Ye Aniu looks thin, he is in very good spirits and it seems that not sleeping for a night has no effect on him.

Seeing Ren Youlan yawning all the time, he called out distressedly, "My wife, go to sleep first. I'll grind the remaining beans and make tofu. Grab them from both sides, but don't be idle at all."

"it is good"

Zhou family.

The Zhou family mansion is located in the most prosperous area in the town center, with high walls and a large courtyard, and the vermilion lacquered gate is inlaid with copper nails.

A gold-painted plaque with the words "Zhou Mansion" inscribed on it hangs above the door lintel.

The hall was luxuriously furnished with finely carved mahogany furniture, and sitting on the fine chairs were two shifty-looking men, who were none other than the Zhou family's father and son.

Zhou Paopi was wearing a brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist. His fingers gently stroked his mustache, and his eyes were full of cunning.

Zhou Xiancai next to him was 80% similar to him, with a frivolous smile on his face.

Although the two men were dressed in fancy clothes, there was a sense of vulgarity between their eyebrows and eyes, especially Zhou Xiancai, whose small eyes were rolling around, making him look particularly shifty.

Zhou Paopi narrowed his eyes, his tone filled with doubt: "Xiancai, did you really secretly block their ventilation holes? Are you sure their tofu has turned sour?"

Zhou Xiancai smiled complacently and patted his chest: "Dad, don't worry, although I am a bit messy on weekdays, this bad idea is really inherited from you!"

Zhou Paopi nodded. Although his son was a jerk, his bad ideas really pleased him. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. "Go, go, let's get down to business."

Zhou Xiancai chuckled, his tone a bit flattering: "Hehehe! My child wants their tofu but they have no tofu to sell."

Zhou Paopi waved his hand and said in a serious tone, "Since the Ren family can't sell their tofu for the time being, this is our chance. We should seize the opportunity to seize the market and launch new products. We must not skimp on the taste this time."

Zhou Xiancai's eyes flashed with a sinister look, and he whispered, "Don't worry, Dad. Not only will I make sure they can't sell their tofu, I'll also make them all beggars."

"So ambitious! That's what my good son is like." Zhou Paopi smiled with satisfaction, but then frowned, his tone carrying a hint of warning: "Xiancai, you should restrain yourself recently. I heard from the county magistrate that Her Royal Highness the Princess will be coming here for an inspection soon. If our tofu can win her favor, our Zhou family will rise to prominence overnight. If you can win her favor."

Zhou Xiancai was stunned and began to fantasize. The eldest princess? She must be as beautiful as a fairy! She must be prettier than that little girl from the Ren family.

So he nodded and said, "Dad, don't worry, I know the importance of this."

Zhou Paopi nodded in satisfaction, looking out the window with a smug smile on his face: "I wonder how long the Ren family can hold out this time."

Zhou Xiancai also laughed, with a sinister glint in his eyes: "Dad, just wait and see. Unless they give their daughter to me this time, otherwise..."

The father and son smiled at each other, as if they had already seen the tragic situation of the Ren family's bankruptcy. The greed in their eyes could not be concealed.

Five days later.

On the streets of Qingshi Town, a woman with a veil and eyes shining with a unique light walked on the street. Although she was wearing a veil, her unique temperament made her look like a fairy descending to the earth.

She had a graceful figure, and even though her face was obscured, it was still difficult to conceal her unrivaled beauty. All eyes on the street were focused on her.

But she seemed accustomed to it and had long been accustomed to such looks, while the maid next to her was alert to her surroundings from time to time.

Suddenly a foul smell made her frown.

"Hanmei, this Qingshi Town is clean and decent, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, but why is this..." She paused and continued, "Why does it smell so bad? Is someone...cooking shit?"

The maid named Hanmei looked around, looking for the source of the smell, only to see a man and a woman shouting loudly, and someone next to them was suspected of eating shit?
"Princess, the source of the smell seems to be there." Hanmei pointed at Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan who were frying stinky tofu.

The eldest princess looked in the direction Hanmei pointed, and saw a man and a woman frying tofu intimately. The woman looked at the man with eyes full of love, and the man looked at the woman with eyes full of doting. They even took the opportunity to lightly touch each other's lips.

"How outrageous!" The eldest princess looked at the intimate Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan, and was suddenly furious, with a surge of jealousy in her heart for no reason.

"Princess, please calm down." Hanmei was so frightened that she was silent. She quickly whispered, "I will go and ask the county magistrate to shut down their stall immediately."

"When did I ever say I'd shut down their business?" the princess said indignantly, then realized something was wrong with her! Me? What was wrong?
Hanmei also seemed to notice that something was wrong with the eldest princess. Usually, the princess would remain calm even in the face of adversity, but why was she so angry today just because she asked about the smell?

"Hmm!" Noticing her own anomaly, the princess quickly regained her composure and said, "Let's go. Look, quite a few people have gathered there. Come with me and see what's going on there."

"Yes, princess."

the other side.

"Come, come, come." Ye Aniu suddenly beat the gongs and drums and said, "Take a look, take a look, the famous Changsha stinky tofu, a new product invented by my Ren Family Tofu Shop."

Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan have been shouting hard these days, and their business has gradually started to pick up. They even have repeat customers, and their fame is growing.

"Stinky tofu, it's definitely notorious, but its fragrance spreads far and wide."

"Give me one! Boss Ye." A young woman said to Ye Aniu.

"Okay!" Ye Aniu returned the look and began frying skillfully. Ren Youlan, who was standing beside him, quickly wrapped it in oil paper and took a pointed bamboo skewer. "Sister Li, here's your stinky tofu."

After the young woman left, Ye Beixuan was exchanging glances with Ren Youlan, when suddenly, they both felt a strong murderous aura coming from them.

I looked up.

Ye Aniu was stunned. This woman looked so familiar.

Ren Youlan was also stunned. What a beautiful woman. Looking at Ye Aniu staring at the other person in shock, Ren Youlan suddenly felt a little inferior. Maybe Brother Aniu was a very extraordinary man in the past. Maybe only a woman as beautiful as a fairy in heaven could be worthy of him!
"Miss, would you like to buy stinky tofu?" After coming to his senses, Ye Aniu said a little stiffly. For some reason, he always felt like he had done something wrong.

"Stinky tofu?" the princess asked in confusion, "What is this? Can you explain it?"

"Well, it's something that smells bad but tastes good." Ye Aniu explained simply.

"Give me one portion." The princess placed a large ingot of silver on the table and said, "If you can satisfy me, I'll buy all the tofu."

I’m rich, I’m rich, I’m rich! I unexpectedly met a rich girl. Ye Aniu was immediately as happy as if money was falling from his eyes. Now his wedding with Youlan is settled.

"Okay! Sir, please wait a moment."

The eldest princess hummed softly and said no more.

The maidservant beside her was shocked. Why was the princess so interested in a married man? Did she have a special fetish? Although this man was handsome and a good match for the princess, he was just a peasant and already had a wife!

Zizizi!
There was a sound of frying.

The princess glanced at the black stinky tofu in the oil pan and saw that it quickly turned golden in color, with a crispy and fragrant skin. The strange stinky smell and rich aroma intertwined with each other, making her salivate and whet her appetite. Could it really be so magical?
"Okay!" Ye Aniu sprinkled the seasoning on it, and the hot oil emitted by the tofu immediately made the aroma of the seasoning burst into the air.

The princess picked up a piece of tofu and said to Hanmei, "Hanmei, you try it."

"Ah?" Hanmei pouted with a bitter look on her face. "I don't want to eat shit."
"Hmm?" The princess frowned and said, "I personally feed you, and you actually refuse?"

Hanmei had no choice but to hold her breath, open her mouth slightly, and take small bites.

Entrance.

Hanmei's face changed drastically, as if she had eaten shit. The princess was a little disappointed and was about to put the tofu down when Hanmei suddenly grabbed the whole piece of tofu in one bite.

"Xiaojia...hao...qi..." (Miss is delicious) Her mouth was full of stinky tofu, she hesitated, secretly happy in her heart, it seems that this guy was not lying, it really smelled stinky but tasted delicious.

"Delicious?" The eldest princess was stunned when she heard this. Driven by curiosity, she also picked up a piece of tofu, slightly lifted her veil, and took a small bite.

Entrance.

The skin is crispy and the inside is soft. The rich seasoning mixed with the pungent smell explodes in your mouth, and the pungent smell instantly turns into fresh fragrance, with rich layers that leave you with an endless aftertaste.

She couldn't help but mumbled in admiration: "It smells so good!"

This guy really didn't lie. No wonder people who have eaten it once start to miss it.

After a while, a few more people started queuing up. Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan started to get busy. They didn't pay attention to what the princess had just said and bought all the tofu. They just treated it as a joke.

The line grew longer and longer, and the two of them were busy sweating profusely. From time to time, they would help each other wipe the sweat off their face, which made the eldest princess next to them feel inexplicably angry and jealous. What's wrong with me?
Hanmei was even more puzzled. The eldest princess usually had few mood swings, so why did she seem a little unstable today? Could it be that relatives came? That was impossible! She took care of her personally and knew her life.

Just when everyone was busy and having fun.

Suddenly, a fierce voice pushed the crowd aside and shouted loudly.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way"

A group of police officers suddenly arrived in front of Ye Aniu and Ren Youlan's stall and shouted, "Someone reported you for boiling shit in the street. Come with us to investigate."

"Sir, we bought tofu. Who reported me? We are legitimate businessmen." Ren Youlan explained anxiously. He saw that the tofu in his home could be sold, but now it was sealed by the government. What should he do?

"Stop talking nonsense. Her Royal Highness the Princess is coming soon. You are cooking shit in the street, which is a disgrace to the image of Qingshi Town. Take them away." The officer gave an order and immediately stepped forward to arrest the people.

"Hey," Ye Aniu said calmly, "Everyone, I am solely responsible for my own actions. My wife is just helping me. This fried stinky tofu is all my fault. If you want to arrest someone, arrest me alone."

"How can they arrest legitimate businessmen?" some people began to discuss.

The officer looked at the crowd of unruly people with a dignified expression and said, "This is the order of the county magistrate. If such a stinking thing is discovered by Her Royal Highness the Princess, what will happen? Take him away and come back with us to investigate."

"Brother Niu" Ren Youlan shouted anxiously.

"It's okay. I'll be out soon." Ye Aniu turned back every three steps, smiled calmly and comforted her.

Some people who didn't buy stinky tofu cursed the government, while others shook their heads, sighed and left, saying that the people could not win if they did not fight against the government.

Looking at Ye Aniu who was arrested, Ren Youlan squatted in front of the stall and cried. Why, why was God so unfair? She was just an ordinary woman who just wanted to live an ordinary life with her husband.

At this moment, a silk handkerchief embroidered with an exquisite golden phoenix was handed to her.

"Wipe it off!" the eldest princess comforted.

Ren Youlan raised her head, looking at the extraordinary woman in front of her with tearful eyes. She took the handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her face. She said with a slightly choked voice, "Thank you."

The eldest princess turned and left, and Hanmei followed closely behind her.

The two of them walked quickly towards the county government office. The eldest princess's expression gradually turned cold, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes.

"These corrupt officials actually dared to arrest people in my name. How audacious!"

Hanmei reminded in a low voice: "Princess, you are of noble status, it is not appropriate for you to come forward directly. Why not let me pass on the message and ask the county magistrate to release the person immediately."

The princess snorted coldly, "No need for that. I want to see how the county magistrate of Qingshi Town governs the place!"

At the same time, in the county government office.

Ye Aniu was taken to the front of the hall. The county magistrate sat on the high seat, thinking in his mind how to fabricate charges. After all, he had received a lot of benefits from the Zhou family.

When Zhou Paopi saw the county magistrate begin to try the case, he secretly rejoiced in his heart, thinking, this time, your Ren family has no tricks up their sleeve!

Snapped!
The county magistrate slammed the gavel with a show of authority and shouted, "How dare you, you unruly commoner, cook excrement in the street, disturbing the cityscape and tarnishing the reputation of Qingshi Town! Do you acknowledge your crime?"

Ye Aniu straightened his back and replied fearlessly, "Sir, I'm selling genuine tofu. What's wrong with that?"

The county magistrate sneered, bowed to the sky, and said, "Her Royal Highness the Princess is about to arrive, and you're cooking and selling shit on the street."

"If you offend the princess, can you bear the consequences?"

Ye Aniu was about to retort when suddenly a yamen runner came running over and whispered something into the county magistrate's ear.

Upon hearing this, the county magistrate was shocked and immediately stood up with a panicked look.

"Quick, invite her in. This officer..." He slammed the gavel and ordered, "Come here! Take the prisoner into custody temporarily! We will try her another day."

After the bailiff took Ye Aniu away, the county magistrate hurriedly got up and went to the backyard.

(End of this chapter)