1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 150 Mapo Tofu! (6.2k words combined)

Zhou Yan never expected to see the deaf-mute boy who sold tofu here again.

The boy was clearly surprised. He paused for a moment after seeing Zhou Yan, but quickly smiled and started gesturing with his fingers, trying to say something to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan could sense his mood from his smile, but he couldn't understand sign language, so he could only look helplessly at the old lady beside him.

The old lady smiled and waved, gesturing for the boy to go inside.

Clearly, she didn't understand it either.

The boy scratched his head awkwardly, waved for the two to come in, and offered to help the old lady carry her basket.

The old lady smiled and handed him the basket, introducing him to Zhou Yan: "This is Laifu, Lihua's grandson."

“I bought my tofu from him this morning,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"No wonder! I was wondering when Su Ji had another person who could make Xiba tofu, and with such good skills." The old lady suddenly realized, and walked into the courtyard, looking at Lai Fu's back with some surprise: "He went alone? He can even sell tofu?"

“He’s alone, but he’s really not very good at it.” Zhou Yan thought of the boy huddled in the corner that morning, his eyes filled with fear.

If he hadn't lent a hand, he probably wouldn't have been able to sell those two blocks of tofu in a day.

However, he is the grandson of his grandmother's cousin, so wouldn't that make him his cousin?

Commonly known as, Lao Biao?

Zhou Yan followed him into the courtyard.

From the outside, the house appears to be half-collapsed, but there is a well-maintained large courtyard. Near the eaves, there is a small stone mill, and next to the courtyard wall, there is an unused large stone mill covered with a straw raincoat.

There are several rows of bamboo poles in the yard, two of which are covered with dried bamboo.

[An extremely good piece of dried bean curd stick]

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow.

Hey! Besides making great tofu, my aunt's dried bean curd sticks are also fantastic!

There was a thatched hut nearby, with a wisp of smoke rising from it. The aroma of dried tofu wafted out of the hut, suggesting that they were drying tofu.

Under the eaves were two stacks of tofu molds, each as tall as a person, and various tools for making tofu, all neatly arranged, though they looked like they had been idle for a long time.

"When business was good, we even raised a donkey to pull the millstone. When Lihua set up a stall in Suji Town, her son would drive the donkey cart to sell his wares in various villages. Business was booming. Lihua was pretty, and everyone called her the Tofu Beauty back then," the old lady said, looking at the idle stone mill in the corner, her smile filled with nostalgia.

Zhou Yan was puzzled. Making tofu was hard work, but if the business was good, they shouldn't be living like this. They didn't even repair the collapsed house.

His grandmother used to make braised food, but she raised five sons all by herself. The children all got married and lived a decent life.

"Sister Fenfen, come here." An old woman with a wooden cane appeared at the door of the main room. She was thin and hunched over. Her cotton and linen clothes looked like they were hanging on tree branches, and her sparse silver hair was tied into a small bunch like weeds.

His small face was wrinkled, like an old bitter gourd.

She came out leaning on her cane, her left leg clearly unable to bear weight, her eyes red and swollen, squinting at the two people standing in the yard.

"Lihua, what are you doing out here? Come inside quickly." The old lady hurried forward, her eyes full of concern as she helped Grandma Sun up, and asked with concern, "Is your leg still hurting terribly? Is your eye any better?"

Zhou Yan's heart tightened. This aunt was younger than the old lady, but her complexion was much worse.

The phrase "in his twilight years" flashed through Zhou Yan's mind.

"It's nothing, I'm used to it." Grandma Sun grinned, tilted her head back, and squinted at Zhou Yan. "Who is this grandson? He's so big, I don't even recognize him."

"Auntie, I'm Zhou Yan." Zhou Yan quickly stepped forward and said with a smile.

"This is the fourth son of the family. He's twenty years old this year. You probably haven't seen him much," the old lady introduced her.

“I remember, I went when Tie Ying gave birth to him. He was just a little kitten back then, and he’s grown so tall all of a sudden,” Grandma Sun said with a smile, her tone tinged with emotion. “Come on in, have a seat.”

The old lady helped her into the room, moving slowly step by step. It took her two minutes to move just a few meters before she finally sat down on the chair.

"You've come all this way, why bring eggs and other things? I'm just happy that you came to see me," said Grandma Sun, shaking her head.

"I brought you some braised pig's head, would you like to try a piece?" The old lady said with a smile as she took out the package of braised food wrapped in oil paper.

"I said I smelled the aroma of braised meat and wanted to eat it. It's been so long since I've had Sister Fenfen's braised pig's head." Grandma Sun nodded, a hint of joy appearing on her withered face.

"Come on, come on." The old lady opened the oil paper package, went into the kitchen to get a pair of chopsticks, and handed them to Grandma Sun with a smile. "Try it. This isn't my braised dish, it's Zhou Yan's. He runs a restaurant now and has passed on my braised dish skills."

"Really? That's amazing?" Grandma Sun was a little surprised. She picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of pig's head meat. She chewed it slowly with her few remaining teeth. Her wrinkled face seemed to relax as she nodded repeatedly: "Mmm, delicious! It tastes exactly the same as what you made, Sister Fenfen. Zhou Yan has learned it so well."

It's clear that she was genuinely happy to eat the pig's head.

A boy named Laifu brought out two cups of tea, each containing crushed rock sugar—the kind of sweet soup popular in this era.

"Laifu, come and try your cousin's braised pig's head." Grandma Sun beckoned to the boy and put a piece of pig's head on his plate as well.

The boy reached out and took it, then fed it to his mouth, a pure smile appearing on his face.

Zhou Yan couldn't help but smile slightly. Life was tough, but it didn't seem so bad.

"Is Laifu selling tofu by himself now?" The old lady sat down next to Grandma Sun.

"Yes, he's been gone for three days. He only sold two jin of tofu the first two days, and the rest could only be made into fermented tofu. But today, the two blocks of tofu he carried were completely sold out. He came back and gestured to me, saying that he met a kind person who helped him sell them." Grandma Sun looked at Laifu with a hint of worry in her expression. "There's nothing I can do. I don't know how many more days I can make tofu, so I can only ask him to make it and sell it. No matter how hard or tiring it is, there's always a way to make a living."

"Laifu is doing quite well. He's only been learning from you for a year, and he's already making tofu quite well. You should take good care of your legs and eyes, and teach him slowly. He'll be a great tofu maker in the future," the old lady comforted him.

“Sister Fangfang, I know my own body. Last year, Liwei and Qiaoqian were swept away by the flood, and the house collapsed. I was bedridden for three months, cried until my tears ran dry, and my health deteriorated. I even used up all the money we had for medicine.” Grandma Sun held the old lady’s hand and looked at Laifu with some melancholy. “I’m not afraid of death. It would be more lively down there. I’m just worried about Laifu. I can only close my eyes in peace if I can see that he has a way to survive. If he can’t make good tofu and can’t sell it, I might as well send him out to work.”

The old lady gently patted her hand: "Don't worry, times have changed. There's always a way to survive."

Zhou Yan took a sip of tea; there was too much sugar in it, making it cloyingly sweet. He then silently put the cup back.

Laifu stood beside Grandma Sun, his clean and bright eyes fixed on Zhou Yan. When Zhou Yan looked over, he smiled at him.

Zhou Yan roughly understood. Grandma Sun was probably worried that Laifu wouldn't be able to make a living after she left, so she made him sell tofu by himself.

Of the two pieces of tofu, the one that looks "good" was probably made by Laifu.

It's not that bad. Even though it's not perfect, it's already at a market-ready standard. Of the three tofu stalls next door, only one makes it slightly better.

His skill in selling tofu definitely needs improvement.

Despite having a perfect batch of tofu, they only managed to sell one pound a day.

If it weren't for his kind heart, these two blocks of tofu probably wouldn't have sold today.

However, in this day and age, it is probably not a good way for a deaf-mute teenager to go out and work.

Zhou Yan sighed softly; this aunt was also a person with a tragic fate.

She lost her husband in her youth and her son in her later years, leaving behind a deaf and mute grandson to depend on for survival.

A rope always breaks at its thinnest point, and misfortune only finds those with unfortunate fates…

[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: The Battle to Protect the Heritage of Xiba Tofu! Sun Lihua, the inheritor of Xiba Tofu, is now quite old and is trying to pass on the tofu-making technique to Gu Laifu. However, because Gu Laifu is deaf and mute, the tofu is difficult to sell, and the business is not profitable. As a result, Sun Lihua has lost faith in passing on the tofu-making technique and has begun to ask her relatives for help, preparing to send Laifu to the south to find work and a way to make a living.]

The only remaining tradition of Xiba tofu in Suji Town is about to end. Players are requested to intervene to increase and stabilize Laifu's tofu sales, change Sun Lihua's mind, and persuade her to continue the tradition of Xiba tofu, thus ensuring the player's restaurant will have a future supply of [Perfect] tofu and tofu-derived products.

[Task Reward: Mapo Tofu! Accept: Yes/No]

Before Zhou Yan could finish his reflection, a system task popped up in his eyes.

After reading the task, Zhou Yan accepted it without hesitation.

Mapo tofu!
Where can I learn to make perfect Mapo Tofu?

Of course, learning from the system is the fastest.

Once you've learned it, you can ask Teacher Xiao if you want to learn more, hehe.

Of course, more importantly, Zhou Yan believes that the system's judgment is correct.

Within the current area of ​​Suji Town, his aunt's method of making Xiba tofu is absolutely second to none.

Once this tradition is broken, if he wants to make tofu dishes again, he will only be able to choose from a bunch of tofu dishes that are "good" or "quite good".

As for making tofu yourself?
The old lady said that blacksmithing, boat rowing, and tofu grinding are the three great hardships in life.

He came here to enjoy life, not to suffer.

His gaze shifted to Laifu, and his smile gradually turned sinister.

There's no other way but to make things difficult for the child.

Zhou Yan took out paper and pen, quickly wrote a line of words, and handed it to Lai Fu: Lai Fu, do you like making tofu?

After reading it, Laifu nodded vigorously, his eyes shining.

Zhou Yan wrote again: "Then do you want to go to the south to work?" Lai Fu shook his head, his gaze unconsciously turning to Grandma Sun, with a hint of worry in his eyes.

Zhou Yan understood everything.

"Auntie, I ran into Laifu this morning, but I didn't recognize him. I bought two pieces of tofu from him and made some at home. My grandma tasted it and said that my tofu-making skills were almost the same as yours. I didn't expect it to be true." Zhou Yan said with a smile to Grandma Sun.

"Don't worry, we cousins ​​will take care of Laifu. If Laifu likes making tofu, let him do it. Sending him to work in the south might not be enough, and he won't feel at ease if there's no one to take care of you at home."

"Really?" Grandma Sun was stunned for a moment, then realized something and looked at Laifu.

Laifu nodded and gestured with his fingers a few times.

"Oh my, so the kind person this morning was Zhou Yan! I didn't even know." Grandma Sun looked at Zhou Yan, her expression somewhat excited. "No wonder the old saying goes, 'Birds of a feather flock together.' You've never even met, yet Laifu is able to rely on you, his cousin, to help him sell his tofu. You're such a good person."

The old lady looked at Zhou Yan with some surprise. She knew that Zhou Yan bought his tofu from Lai Fu, but she didn't expect him to help sell it all.

"Auntie, how much tofu does Laifu have to sell every day just to make ends meet?" Zhou Yan asked bluntly.

Grandma Sun thought for a moment and said, "A pound of tofu costs 20 cents, and a pound of soybeans costs 20 cents. A pound of soybeans can produce three pounds of tofu. After adding all sorts of losses, if he can sell ten pounds of tofu a day, he can keep a dollar in his pocket and make a living."

Selling ten kilograms a day, isn't that easy?
Zhou Yan estimated that the two slabs of tofu he helped Laifu sell this morning should weigh about 20 jin (10 kg), with each slab weighing 10 jin (5 kg).

If he sells two boards, Laifu can earn two yuan a day, and sixty yuan a month.

This income is higher than that of frontline workers in textile factories.

Ascetic professions naturally offer good profit margins; otherwise, who would risk their life for them?

"Auntie, you just need to teach him how to make tofu. Don't worry about sales. I'll help him find a way, and I guarantee that at least ten catties of tofu can be sold every day." Zhou Yan patted his chest and assured Grandma Sun that he had a plan.

Grandma Sun waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "You're already so busy running your own restaurant, how could I possibly trouble you? No, no."

"You're being too polite," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "I haven't made any tofu dishes yet, but once I learn how to make Mapo Tofu, I might have my cousin deliver ten catties of tofu to my shop every day." He first reassured Grandma Sun, then asked curiously, "Grandma, you're not very mobile right now, can you still make tofu by hand?"

Grandma Sun shook her head: "I can't do it anymore. I just sit on a stool and ask Laifu to do it. I teach him how to make one batch, and he makes one batch himself. So one batch is better and the other is worse. You can definitely tell the difference by the taste."

“There is a difference. You taught me very well, and the tofu is delicate yet chewy. I used it to cook crucian carp soup for eight minutes and it didn’t fall apart. Laifu’s tofu is almost the same as what you sell outside, but it’s still a bit different from yours.” Zhou Yan nodded and said, “If my restaurant needs to make tofu in the future, I will still use the method you taught me. Once Laifu reaches your level, I will ask him to make it separately.”

"As expected of a master chef, he really knows his stuff." Grandma Sun looked at Zhou Yan with a different gaze and nodded repeatedly: "Then I'll definitely send you the best. It's different when you run a restaurant and sell to your customers."

Zhou Yan added, "Tell him to make two slabs of tofu tomorrow and sell them at the bridgehead. I'll go buy vegetables tomorrow morning and help him promote the tofu a bit on the way. If customers like it, they'll naturally come back next time. Once you build a good reputation, business won't be difficult."

"Okay! I'm sorry to have troubled you." Grandma Sun nodded.

"We're family, no need for formalities." Zhou Yan waved his hand, looked at Old Lady Zhou's red and swollen eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Auntie, have you seen a doctor for your eyes? They look like an infection. Should I take you to the hospital to get them checked out sometime?"

Passing on a craft is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two.

Although Laifu has already mastered the basics, he needs his master's guidance to further refine his skills and reach the level of Grandma Sun.

Zhou Yan was a little worried about Old Lady Zhou's eye condition.

It doesn't look like glaucoma. It's probably related to the frequent crying after losing his child, or it's more like an infection.

Grandma Sun shook her head: "No need to see him anymore. I saw Liu Laowu before, and he said my eyes are incurable. I'll just have to see for as long as I can."

"That barefoot doctor Liu Laowu knows nothing! He used to be a veterinarian, and after reading the 'Barefoot Doctor's Manual' for two days, he dared to come out and treat people!" The old lady was a little annoyed and pulled Grandma Sun, saying, "Lihua, we still need to go to the hospital and let a proper doctor take a look."

"Okay..."

The two old ladies chatted for a while, while Zhou Yan took a stroll around the courtyard.

The rammed earth house was riddled with cracks, a truly shocking sight.

Having experienced house collapses before, Zhou Yan knew very well that this dilapidated house would definitely not survive the rainy season next summer.

Last time their house collapsed, it was thanks to Old Zhou's alertness that he pulled his mother and Zhou Momo out in time, preventing them from getting hurt.

But Lai Fu and Grandma Sun, one is deaf and mute and the other has difficulty walking, if this house collapses, they may not be able to escape.

Rebuilding the house was too expensive, Zhou Yan thought. If they could make money selling tofu, they could rent a house with a yard in town, which would be more convenient for doing business.

Of course, this is someone else's business, and he can't make the decision. He can only offer suggestions.

Zhou Yan was quite interested in the dried bean curd sticks drying in the yard. He went over and picked one. It was pale yellow and translucent, dried until charred. It broke easily with a gentle snap, and there were many hollow holes on the end. He brought it to his nose and smelled it. It had a rich and pure bean aroma.

As expected of a product rated as "extremely good," the quality of this dried bean curd is indeed high.

Zhou Yan was delighted to see this, as it was a high-quality braised vegetable dish that was not affected by the season and could be sold all year round.

Zhou Yan then crawled into the thatched hut next to him for another look.

There are six smoking racks inside, but only one stove is currently burning. Hundreds of thin, evenly sliced ​​dried tofu pieces are neatly arranged on the sieve, with a very beautiful color.

A very good batch of dried tofu.

The system then provides the identification results.

Zhou Yan turned around and looked at Lai Fu standing at the door of the thatched hut. He took out a pen and paper and wrote a line: May I try a piece?
Laifu nodded with a smile.

Zhou Yan took a piece of dried tofu from the sieve. It was still a little hot to the touch. He moved it back and forth between his left and right hands several times before he managed to keep it from falling out. He then crawled out of the thatched hut.

The dried tofu is about one centimeter thick, cut into squares, and has been baked until slightly dry on the surface. It is reddish-brown in color and quite bright.

Zhou Yan took a sniff and noticed a faint aroma of braising. He broke off a corner and saw that the outer shell was slightly charred, while the inside was still white with a slight yellow tinge. The tofu still looked delicate.

He took a bite; it was a bit chewy, with a rich braised flavor and a prominent bean aroma. After swallowing, the aftertaste was slightly sweet.

This dried tofu is really good.

This must be the brine...

It's still not quite as good as his grandma's old braising sauce.

However, judging solely from the taste of the dried tofu, it is already of a very high standard.

The assessment result was "quite good," but it's one level worse than dried bean curd sticks, probably due to a deficiency in the brine.

However, dried tofu doesn't necessarily have to be finished. Zhou Yan looked at the six empty bamboo sieves in the thatched hut, pondered for a moment, and then, holding a piece of dried tofu in one hand and biting into the dried tofu, turned around and went into the main room.

The two cousins ​​reminisced about the past and enjoyed their conversation quite a bit.

Zhou Yan didn't know where the old lady had conjured up a bottle of wine, and he and Grandma Sun had already started drinking together, taking a bite of pig's head meat and a sip of wine, they were really hearty.

The old lady who had been standing at the door with a hunched back and a bitter expression was nowhere to be seen.

After the two finished their two ounces of wine, Zhou Yan took the dried bean curd sticks and tofu and went up to Grandma Sun, saying, "Auntie, how much are your dried bean curd sticks and tofu? I'm preparing to make some braised vegetables, and I see that your dried bean curd sticks are very good. I'd like to order some from you."

"I usually sell dried bean curd sticks for 80 cents a pound." Grandma Sun looked at the dried bean curd sticks in Zhou Yan's hand and said with a smile, "If you want them, I'll just sell them for 60 cents a pound."

"Eight cents, I won't take a penny less," Zhou Yan shook his head, his attitude resolute.

The yield of dried bean curd sticks is too low, and the process is particularly troublesome. Zhou Yan cannot afford to take advantage of this.

"It takes two pounds of soybeans to make one pound of dried bean curd sticks. It's very troublesome to make. You can't make many even if you sit by the pot all day. Your back will ache from bending over. Eight mao (0.8 yuan) isn't expensive." The old lady also spoke up, smiling and saying, "Your auntie makes very good dried bean curd sticks and tofu. I used to get my supplies from her."

Zhou Yan had a pretty good idea of ​​why the old lady had come to the restaurant and gone through all this trouble. Besides visiting her cousin, she had also brought him to buy supplies. He smiled and nodded, "I want semi-finished dried tofu. Cut the tofu like this, and then bake it for me until the surface is golden brown and slightly dry. I'll take it back and braise and color it myself."

“Yes, that’s what Sister Fenfen asked for back then too.” Grandma Sun nodded.

In this way, Zhou Yan bought out all the dried bean curd sticks from Grandma Sun's house. It wasn't a large quantity, only five jin, but it filled a big bag.

The semi-finished soybeans are ordered to weigh three catties per day. Starting the day after tomorrow morning, Laifu will carry them to the tofu stall, and Zhou Yan will pick them up himself. The price calculated for him is four cents per catty.

The tofu shrinks by more than half after baking, so the price isn't expensive.

However, Zhou Yan also had requirements: the items sent to his shop had to be personally inspected by Grandma Sun to ensure their quality.

"Take your time, come again next time." Grandma Sun stood at the door of the main room, waving to the two of them, clutching the money in her hand, her eyes glistening with tears, her eyes brighter than when she arrived.

"Okay, take good care of yourself. Your sister will come to see you again in a few days." The old lady reached out and patted her head, then turned and left with Zhou Yan.

Laifu saw the two off at the gate and followed the bicycle all the way to the intersection before stopping.

"My aunt's dried bean curd sticks and tofu are really good. I've been going to the market every day lately, and I've never seen such good dried bean curd sticks before," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Grandma, I plan to start selling braised vegetarian dishes tomorrow."

The old lady smiled and said, "I sell it. I add dried bean curd sticks and tofu, along with some kelp, lotus root slices and potatoes. Many people like to eat it. Back then, my braised vegetarian dishes sold even faster than my braised meat. Children and women all liked to eat it."

"Your child has the heart of a bodhisattva, just like your old mother," the old lady remarked as they approached the restaurant.

Zhou Yan smiled slightly and said, "Such good tofu should be passed down! Passed down from generation to generation!"

　Asking for a monthly ticket~~
　　There will be an extra chapter today, but it might be a little late.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)