Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs - Chapter 15

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Shangjing is the capital

Making tofu is a task that requires a lot of patience. Lu Yao slowly poured the prepared gypsum water into the wooden bucket while stirring. As more gypsum water was added, the originally milky-white soy milk gradually floated with cotton-like tofu curds.

The tofu curds increased, gradually forming chunks; this was the water tofu.

The taste of water tofu was also excellent, especially when paired with sugar or meat sauce, giving it a chewy and smooth texture, making it a signature dish in breakfast shops.

Lu Yao remembered that in his previous life, there was a fierce debate online about sweet versus savory tofu pudding. He was from Jinbei, and he had always eaten savory tofu pudding, never having tried sweet tofu pudding. He thought he could give it a try when he had the chance.

There was just one last step before the tofu was complete. Lu Yao took out the steaming basket used for buns, laid down two layers of cloth, and ladled the tofu curds on top.

With all the tofu curds scooped out, the steaming basket was nearly full. As the water gradually seeped out, it began to take on the shape of tofu.

Lu Yao quickly covered it with cheesecloth, placed two wooden boards on top to compress it, rubbed his sore shoulders, and blew out the oil lamp. He would be able to eat tofu first thing in the morning!

The next morning, before dawn, Lu Yao was awakened by the two children shaking him.

“Oh no, oh no! The soy milk is gone!”

“Sister-in-law, there’s no soy milk!” The two children’s urgent voices had a hint of tears.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Sister-in-law turned the soy milk into tofu.”

“Tofu?”

Lu Yao quickly got dressed and rose, taking the steaming basket off the stove. He lifted the wooden board and cheesecloth on top, revealing a block of off-white tofu…

“Yes!” Lu Yao excitedly clenched his fist. He had succeeded! He never expected his first attempt would be successful!

He picked up a piece with chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The familiar texture almost made him cry; this was the taste!

“Come and taste if the tofu is good!”

The two children were not very interested in the tofu; they were still thinking about yesterday’s soy milk, which was sweet and fragrant.

Zhao Xiaonian picked up a small piece with chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

“Is it good?” Zhao Xiaodou asked, swallowing hard.

“It’s okay…” Compared to the soy milk, the taste was really far off.

Zhao Xiaodou also tried a piece. His eyebrows furrowed, and he pouted, “I still want to drink soy milk.”

“Come on, don’t rush. Just wait for sister-in-law to make it into a dish, and it will be delicious.”

Lu Yao went to the vegetable garden to pull up a few green onions and picked a handful of cabbage. He planned to make a cabbage tofu soup and a green onion mixed tofu dish.

After washing the vegetables, he noticed an old man standing outside the main door. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than the original owner’s father!

“Dad, you’re here!”

Lu Guangsheng responded and pushed open the door to enter the courtyard.

This was his second visit to the Zhao family; the first was when the matchmaker came to propose. He saw that Zhao Beichuan was strong, stable in character, and had bright eyes, so he had taken a liking to him immediately.

The old man inquired with the matchmaker and learned that Lu Yao’s parents had died early, and at a young age, he had begun to manage the household. He realized that the boy was responsible and that his son wouldn’t suffer.

To facilitate this match, Lu Guangsheng secretly gave the matchmaker one hundred wen, asking her to speak highly of Lu Yao.

Of course, the matchmaker, having received the money, had plenty of good things to say, which was why there were discrepancies later on.

“Dad, have you eaten? Let’s eat together.”

“I’ve eaten.” Lu Father set down his backpack and followed him inside.

Inside, Zhao Xiaonian and Zhao Xiaodou were making a fire, and the water in the pot was already boiling. Lu Yao quickly added the cleaned vegetables and cut a piece of tofu to stew together.

Lu Guangsheng walked around the room with his hands behind his back. “Why did you call me here?”

“Dad, I want to ask you to help me make a stone mill.”

“What?”

“I’ll explain later. Let me have you taste something first.” Lu Yao cut another piece of tofu, topped it with fresh chopped green onions, sprinkled a spoonful of salt, and gently mixed it. The green onion mixed tofu was ready.

“Xiaonian, bring the table over.”

“Okay.” Zhao Xiaonian went to get the table, while Zhao Xiaodou brought in a few wooden stumps from the yard.

“Dad, sit down and try this. See how it tastes?” Lu Yao placed a bowl of mixed tofu on the table.

Lu Guangsheng had never seen tofu before and curiously looked down. “What is this?”

“Tofu,” Zhao Xiaodou helped explain.

“What’s tofu?”

“I don’t know either; sister-in-law said this is tofu.”

Lu Guangsheng picked up his chopsticks, took a small piece, and tasted it. His eyes instantly lit up. “What is this made from? Why is it so delicious?”

The tofu soup in the pot was ready, and Lu Yao handed him a bowl. “You should try this.”

Lu Guangsheng eagerly took a sip of the tofu soup and then picked up another piece of tofu. The cooked tofu was even more tender and smooth, breaking apart with just a gentle touch of his tongue.

“Delicious, really delicious!” The old man, having lived for so many years, had never eaten anything like this. He had several bad teeth and couldn’t eat anything too hard. The taste of tofu was fresh, soft, and easy to chew; it was just to his liking!

Hearing this, Lu Yao couldn’t help but smile widely. Indeed, tofu is something that will be popular no matter the era.

He served some tofu soup to the two children, and they finally started to appreciate its flavor, especially the cold tossed scallion tofu, which they nearly finished entirely.

Lu Yao also filled a bowl with tofu soup and said while eating, “This tofu is made from soybeans. The beans need to be ground into a paste before we can make tofu blocks. I was thinking of having you help me carve a stone mill so I can sell tofu in the future. Do you think it will work?”

“Where did you learn this method?” Lu Guangsheng looked at his son in surprise, having never realized he had such skills.

“Uh, the method for making tofu was taught to me by a person in town. He learned it from ancient texts…” Lu Yao had thought about this excuse for a long time; anyway, he figured his father wouldn’t go verify it.

Understanding this, Lu Guangsheng quickly interrupted, “Don’t say any more. Tofu will definitely sell. But carving the stone mill is a labor-intensive task. It will take ten days to half a month to finish. If you’re not in a hurry, I’ll go to the mountain tomorrow to find two good stones and carve two millstones for you.”

“Thank you, Dad! By the way, they don’t need to be too big.” Lu Yao gestured with his hands, “About two feet square would be enough; I can’t move anything larger.”

Lu Guangsheng nodded in agreement. After finishing a bowl of tofu soup, he wiped the vegetable leaves from his beard and got up to go outside.

Since he was already there, he figured he might as well make the trip worthwhile, so he casually dismantled the shabby chicken coop in the yard and built a new chicken house.

The new chicken house even had a roof, so in the future, there would be no need to move the chicks inside during windy or rainy weather.

After finishing the chicken house, Lu Guangsheng asked the two children watching the commotion nearby, “Is the house leaking?”

Zhao Xiaonian nodded, “It’s leaking. It’s raining heavily outside, and there’s light rain inside.”

Without another word, the old man climbed up a ladder to the roof and replaced the rotten thatch with new material, staying busy until noon before leaving.

Lu Yao invited him to stay for lunch, but the old man declined, only asking for a piece of tofu to take home.

Watching his stooped figure leave, Lu Yao couldn’t help but sigh. “Lu Yao” truly doesn’t appreciate the blessings he has, with such loving parents, yet he was upset over a toad spirit. It was hard to understand.

Not long after Lu Guangsheng left, the sky darkened. Dark clouds slowly gathered overhead, and flashes of lightning streaked across the sky, accompanied by booming thunder.

Lu Yao quickly collected the burlap cloth drying outside, and the two children helped bring the dry firewood inside; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to cook dinner if it got wet from the rain.

Just as they were finishing bringing in the firewood, the raindrops came crashing down.

“Quick, get inside! No need to carry more; this is enough.”

The two children ran into the house, and in just a short time, their clothes were soaked.

Worried they might catch a chill, Lu Yao quickly found some dry clothes for them to change into.

This rain came at just the right time; Lu Guangsheng had just fixed the roof. Although there were still some leaking spots, it was much better than before.

The heavy rain continued from the afternoon until evening, stopping briefly before starting again with a light drizzle, and judging by the sky, it might continue for half the night.

After dinner, the three of them lay on the heated bed, listening to the noisy sound of the rain, feeling wide awake.

Zhao Xiaonian said, “Sister-in-law, tell us a story again.”

“What kind of story do you want to hear?”

“Anything is fine, as long as it’s you telling it; we love to listen!”

Lu Yao chuckled, “Then I’ll tell you the story of the monkey seeking scriptures.”

The story of “Journey to the West” was familiar to almost everyone from his previous life, although Lu Yao couldn’t remember all the 81 challenges in detail, he still remembered the main plot clearly.

He began to narrate softly, his gentle voice accompanied by the pattering of rain, quickly lulling the two children to sleep.

Lu Yao also felt a bit drowsy, but for some reason, he felt a strange sense of unease, tossing and turning without being able to sleep.

The rain didn’t stop throughout the night, and by the middle of the night, it actually intensified, as if the sky had been torn open, with heavy rain pouring down.

Lu Yao put on his clothes and sat up, intending to get up to relieve himself, but discovered that water had actually entered the room, with his straw sandals floating.

“Xiaonian, Xiaodou, wake up!”

Zhao Xiaonian rubbed his eyes and sat up. “What’s wrong, Sister-in-law?”

“Quick, wake Xiaodou; water has come into the room.”

The Zhao family’s house was made of mud, and due to years of neglect, the structure had long been problematic. Now that it was raining so heavily, Lu Yao feared the house might collapse.

Soon, Zhao Xiaodou and Zhao Xiaonian were both dressed and got up. Lu Yao took out old clothes and coins from the box and handed them to Zhao Xiaonian, then gave the two children raincoats to wear. “You hold this jar and take your brother outside first to see if Sister-in-law Tian next door is awake.”

“Aren’t you coming, Sister-in-law?”

“I’m going to gather some grain first.”

“What about the chicks in the yard?”

“Don’t worry about them; just listen and hurry outside.” When life was at stake, who could care about a few chicks?

Lu Yao pushed the two children outside, then bundled the burlap cloth, filling it with a scoop of millet from the rice jar.

Suddenly, a creaking sound came from above as the wood groaned under the strain. Lu Yao’s hand trembled; he didn’t dare continue filling it. He tied up the bundle and turned to run outside.

Just as he reached the door, he heard a loud crash; the ceiling of the bedroom collapsed!