Chapter 3 Stinky Tofu
After Zhang Cuihua poured out the rotten tofu, she returned carrying the empty wooden barrel.
After a quick tidying up, he went upstairs to Liu Huixiang's boudoir.
"Cuihua is back. Have you given the quilt and food to Mr. Su?"
Liu Huixiang is soaking her feet.
She sat upright on a small wooden stool, lifted her skirt, and placed her feet in the steaming wooden basin.
Her two calves were of perfect shape, comparable to the works of art by the greatest sculptors.
Her skin was as white as snow, and even the dim light of the oil lamp could not conceal its crystal-clear texture, which was dazzling to the eyes.
"Mr. Su accepted it and said, 'Thank you, Madam Liu.'" Zhang Cuihua said with a smile.
Liu Huixiang pursed her lips, her face darkened, and she said slowly: "Why thank you? If we hadn't moved here, Mr. Su wouldn't have..."
"Miss."
Zhang Cuihua's eyes were moist. She shook Liu Huixiang's shoulders and said loudly, "I still don't believe that the young lady is unlucky. If that's the case, then why am I fine?"
"Miss, this is all nonsense. Mr. Su is a reasonable person..."
Wow!
Liu Huixiang's feet moved, and the wooden foot basin made a sound of water.
She remained silent, unwilling to argue further on the matter.
"Cuihua, you said today that Mingyue Tower returned the tofu we sent? Have you found out the reason?" Liu Huixiang calmly changed the subject.
Their tofu stall is too remote, so even if the tofu is very good, it will be useless if there are few customers.
Therefore, there is also the business of delivering tofu to major restaurants. The demand from restaurants is huge, and it is the main source of income for the tofu stall.
Liu Huixiang seldom went out and spent almost nothing. Apart from food, the most she spent was some cheap rouge and powder, and a few feet of cloth to make clothes.
Over the years, she has accumulated a lot of wealth and is now a wealthy woman.
"We found out that it was Chen Canjun from the County Office who instructed his men to do it. Under pressure, the owner of Mingyue Tower had to return the tofu we sent."
"Why did General Chen from the Household Department ..."
"I heard that Army General Chen's nephew has just opened a tofu shop."
"I see." Liu Huixiang frowned slightly, then relaxed.
"Miss, the tofu that was returned has all gone bad. It's a pity to throw it away." Zhang Cuihua felt distressed. After all, it was the hard work of their master and servant, and grinding tofu has always been a hard job.
"Forget it. I've earned a lot of money these years. I'll just work less in the future. What's the point of saving so much money? Is it for a dowry?" Liu Huixiang laughed at herself and didn't want to argue.
"But Miss, I feel depressed."
Zhang Cuihua's expression suddenly turned fierce, and she clenched her fists, "Miss, how about I take a kitchen knife and go to the household officer Chen Canjun to reason with him?"
Zhang Cuihua is not a weak woman. She is incredibly strong and has practiced martial arts before.
When she first moved here, someone coveted Liu Huixiang's beauty, so Zhang Cuihua chased that person from the south to the north of the city, and then from the north to the south of the city ...
Thanks to this, no one dared to mess with their small tofu stall.
Later, Liu Huixiang's bad reputation of "bringing bad luck to husbands, matchmakers, and people close to her" spread, and no one wanted to mess with them anymore, for fear of being brought bad luck upon themselves.
"Don't be reckless. This is not a big deal. Just keep it safe and don't create any trouble." Liu Huixiang hurriedly advised.
"Yes." Zhang Cuihua was disappointed.
Crash!
Liu Huixiang lifted her feet from the wooden basin, and water droplets rolled down like white jade emerging from water, resting on a small wooden stool.
She stared at her bare feet with an expressionless face, lost in thought.
Zhang Cuihua took the wooden basin away and said before leaving: "Miss, go to bed early."
After a long time, Liu Huixiang took a towel to dry herself, got up, turned off the lights, and lay down on the wide embroidered couch.
Falling asleep every night is a huge test and torture for her.
Endless emptiness enveloped her.
It seemed as if there was an invisible chain locking her neck, tightening it tighter and tighter...
Heartless parents, a bumpy road, rootless and adrift.
She often woke up in the middle of the night, with her pillow mostly wet with tears.
…
…
When Su Xian returned home, he put the soft quilt back into the bedroom.
Then open the food box and take out a bowl of rice, a bowl of vegetables, and a small can of soup.
The dish was sliced cooked lamb, and came with a small plate filled with an unfamiliar dipping sauce.
The soup is fish head and tofu soup, and the tofu must be made by them themselves.
Mutton is not cheap these days, and you can't afford it without a little money. This shows how prosperous Liu Huixiang's tofu business is.
Su Xian's appetite increased and he ate them all in one swoop.
After burping, I washed the dishes and went upstairs to my bedroom.
“It feels so good to have my stomach filled!”
"Mrs. Liu's food is really good!"
Su Xian hummed a little tune, walked to the bed, grabbed a corner of the quilt and shook it gently.
The quilt is very light, it should be made of silk inside, and the quilt cover is smooth silk...
Wait, the quilt cover is bright red, but what does it mean to have a big "囍" character embroidered on it? Zhang Cuihua must have made a mistake.
"Oh, never mind. It's good enough to have it useful. Why are you so picky..." Su Xian lay on the bed and twisted comfortably. Her back and waist were finally treated gently.
"Stinky tofu, dried tofu, hairy tofu, fermented tofu, what else? Hmm, tender tofu pudding is also good..."
The quilt must have been fumigated with scent, and the faint fragrance lingered around his nose, accompanying him to sleep.
I don't know if Liu Huixiang has ever used this quilt...
night!
Finally, it became quiet, and a waning moon hung high outside the window.
This is Su Xian's first night after traveling through time. He has a series of strange dreams, with his past life and present life appearing alternately.
At the end of the dream, a beautiful woman in ancient costume walked towards him, with a warm and fragrant scent, and looked at him and laughed.
Then he gently lifted the thin collar and slowly opened it...
the next day.
Su Xian woke up slowly.
The sky was turning pale, and the faint morning light came in through the window, revealing the dilapidated bedroom.
He sat up in a daze, and it took him a long time to realize that this place was no longer...
“Stinky tofu!”
He turned over and got up, put on his Confucian robe, opened the door and went downstairs.
There was not a grain of rice or a penny left in the house, so he had to start his "stinky tofu" plan as soon as possible.
As soon as I went downstairs, I heard the sound of a stone mill coming from next door. It was Liu Huixiang and Zhang Cuihua grinding soy milk.
Making tofu is a hard job, especially in ancient times when there was no machinery or electricity.
Zhang Cuihua was strong and a good hand, but Liu Huixiang still had to get up early because grinding beans with a stone mill required the cooperation of two people, one pushing the mill and the other adding materials.
After a quick wash, Su Xian went out.
The streets were deserted early in the morning, and except for the steamed bun stalls, porridge shops, cake shops, and noodle stalls operating at the morning market, almost no shops were open.
Liu Huixiang's tofu stall was close to the southeast wall, just below the corner. The right and back were all walls, and the left was next to Su Xian's house.
The family across the street thought it was unlucky and had already moved away.
For a businessman, living in a corner is a bad location, but Liu Huixiang had no choice because of her bad reputation and could only settle down in the worst location.
When Su Xian came to the street, he could smell the fragrance of wheat flour for steamed buns from afar.
Glancing sideways, I saw layers of steamers stacked three or four feet high, with steam rising, and some people were buying freshly-made steamed cakes.
He touched his belly and shook his head. His stomach was protesting again. He had just had a big meal last night. He hadn't had breakfast yet.
