Chapter 20: Why should a man have a family?
Grind the soaked beans, drain the soy milk, move it into the kitchen and boil it in a pot over high heat.
Liu Huixiang was still the one who made the tofu, while Zhang Cuihua was responsible for all the other rough work.
Pour the coagulated tofu into a wooden mold, press it with a heavy object, and now wait for the tofu to take shape.
"Cuihua, you should go out for a run."
Liu Huixiang wiped her hands with a towel and said, "We need to hurry up with the wooden box made by Carpenter Zhang, and also the bracket made by Carpenter Li. We need them urgently. Don't forget the straw..."
Yesterday afternoon, after the stinky tofu stall closed, Su Xian and Liu Huixiang discussed expanding the scale of stinky tofu production.
That kind of wooden jewelry box is not very suitable and needs to be made by a carpenter.
Although the room on the second floor is large, the wooden box is only placed on the ground, which wastes some space, so Su Xian designed a wooden bracket to increase space utilization.
"Miss, but..." Zhang Cuihua hesitated and glanced at Su Xian.
Although she thought again that she could entrust the young lady to Su Xian, they had not yet gotten married, and they were alone...
"Go early and come back early. We urgently need wooden boxes and brackets. You can give the carpenter more money." Liu Huixiang urged.
"Oh well."
Zhang Cuihua finally opened the door and left.
In such a big house, there are only Su Xian and Liu Huixiang.
This time it was much more natural than last time.
But Liu Huixiang couldn't help but get involved in some strange plot...
After all, girls are thoughtful, have powerful imaginations, and are good at convincing themselves.
"Mrs. Liu, let's start now and finish it as soon as possible." Su Xian said seriously.
"Is it... starting already?" Liu Huixiang slowly took a step back. Her originally fair and delicate face was instantly flushed with rosy clouds, and she looked as shy as a young girl.
"Um."
"Then...then...should we go back to the room first?"
"Go back to the room? What for ?"
"Do... do..." Liu Huixiang was almost unable to stand. Did she need to talk about this? How embarrassing!
“…”
“It starts with the pressing time of the tofu.”
Su Xian walked to the tofu mold and prepared to start his lecture.
However, he saw Liu Huixiang standing there with her head down, looking extremely shy, and he was a little confused.
What Su Xian was talking about was actually about "teaching Liu Huixiang the tricks of making stinky tofu."
Although stinky tofu was produced in large quantities the first two times, Su Xian did not explain the principles in detail.
Now make up for it.
From now on, he can stop interfering and just wait to collect the money. Isn't that wonderful?
"Mrs. Liu?"
"oh."
Liu Huixiang came to her senses and was so ashamed that she wanted to dig a hole in the ground to crawl into.
But she also moved lightly over and stood beside Su Xian. They stood shoulder to shoulder and looked at the tofu molding mold that was being pressed by a heavy object.
Su Xian began to explain that the time required to press soft tofu is completely different from that required to press stinky tofu...
As Su Xian was talking, he suddenly felt the beauty beside him move closer. A charming warm fragrance of a woman came over him, lingering around his nose, making his heart uncontrollably flutter.
Su Xian didn't care. He just thought that Madam Liu was a wonderful person and she smelled so good!
After a while, Liu Huixiang moved closer.
Their shoulders were only half an inch apart.
There was obviously no contact, but somehow, it felt like there was a piece of steel in his heart attracted by a magnet. Su Xian felt restless and always wanted to turn his head to take a look at the beauty beside him.
Taking advantage of an opening, he took a step back, turned his head slightly, and saw Liu Huixiang's profile.
She had an oval face. When viewed from the side, the curve of her cheeks was very beautiful, but her face and ears were already red...
He also discovered that the skin behind Liu Huixiang's ears and the skin on her neck were as white and tender as thin tofu, without a single flaw.
This shows what?
This means that her whole body is the same color and looks snow-white and tender.
What a porcelain doll.
…
After talking about the time it takes to press tofu, the two went to the second floor, where the stinky tofu was stored.
This time we will talk about the fermentation principle of stinky tofu and some precautions.
At first, Su Xian spoke seriously and Liu Huixiang listened attentively.
Suddenly, at some point, Su Xian, who was speaking excitedly, felt that there was no movement beside him.
Turning his head, he saw a pair of eyes as bright as stars staring straight at him.
Their eyes met in an instant.
That look...
Su Xian is no longer a nerd, how could he not see that her eyes were filled with deep...admiration!
Their eyes were full of brilliance, their hearts collided, and the two souls seemed to shake hands and have a "soul fusion" .
Su Xian's heart was deeply touched.
Soon, Liu Huixiang turned away.
Su Xian's heart was beating fast. He vaguely caught her thoughts and replayed the scenes of his contact with Liu Huixiang in his mind...
The explanation of the fermentation principle of stinky tofu was still going on, but both of them were a little absent-minded, and often looked up at each other at the same time without any prior agreement.
In other words: flirting.
Something is heating up...
Liu Huixiang was grateful to Su Xian at first because, as a neighbor, Su Xian did not abuse or drive away her and her servant.
Then, gratitude turned into deep guilt, because Liu Huixiang believed that Su Xian's poverty was caused by her.
Guilt made Liu Huixiang want to make up for it.
This is also the fundamental reason why she strongly supports Su Xian in making stinky tofu.
In fact, at this time, she had already fallen into it.
She had been a widow for several years and had only come into contact with one man, Su Xian. Her feelings went from gratitude to guilt, and then to a desire to make amends.
This man is always in her heart, and this is the first step for a woman to fall.
With the increase in contacts, the success of stinky tofu, and Liu Huixiang's "enlightenment" when Su Xian told her about his origins yesterday, and driven by her tenderness that had been brewing for several years, she finally took this step involuntarily.
That look was a naked hint.
Everyone thinks that men are more proactive and bolder than women. In fact, it is women who are more proactive and bolder. They are just hinting.
…
As for Su Xian, he was also very moved by this admiration.
reason?
Is this reason enough to study with your own hands whether Liu Huixiang is really as white as snow?
but!
His mind suddenly changed and he slowly suppressed the excitement.
At present, he has just solved the problem of food and clothing.
If you want to live a comfortable life in the evil feudal era, you need power and influence!
Of course, a lot of money is also essential.
Without power, influence and money, Su Xian feels insecure. Without a sense of security, how can he have a home?
Of course, he could ignore all this and resolutely choose to get married, but in this evil feudal era, if he was not careful, his family would be broken up and the women in his family might even be fined and enslaved. It was too scary!
That's not what Su Xian is after!
If you want to have many concubines, you must be strong yourself, otherwise you won’t be able to hold on.
Not to mention standing at the pinnacle of power, at least one needs a certain amount of self-protection ability.
He really has no power at all now, just a nobody!
So how can we gain a certain amount of self-protection power?
Su Xian had seriously considered this issue these two days.
Study hard, pass the imperial examination, become a minor official, and then climb up step by step... This is indeed the right way, but it is too slow.
By the time you feel secure enough, you may be old.
You are old now, why do you still need a bunch of concubines!
Therefore, Su Xian thought that he had to find another way, and Tang Ju, the magistrate of Leshou County, was a good breakthrough.
Although Su Xian called him "Uncle", it was just a breakthrough.
This relationship can only add icing on the cake, not provide timely assistance.
For example, after Su Xian's father Su Zheng severed ties with his family and left the capital with his family, why didn't he go to live with his classmate and sworn brother Tang Ju?
Also, after settling in Leshou County, the family was once very tight on financial circumstances in order to support Su Xian's studies, but Su Zheng never asked Tang Ju for any support?
Su Zheng is not stupid, but he does not have equivalent benefits to exchange.
Exchanging interests is the only way to maintain a relationship!
But Su Xian could barely make ends meet and was extremely poor. What could he offer to exchange with the county magistrate Tang Ju?
