Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside
Chapter 84 - 084: Farce

Chapter 84: Chapter 084: Farce

Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up with delight.

Gu Dafu, filled with excitement, asked, "Third Uncle, are you serious?" Soybeans are cheap, and if we can get the bean curd business going, our families will surely make a good profit, and we won’t have to worry about making a living.

Mrs. Chen eagerly said, "Big brother, you’re too much, Third Uncle already said it, could it still be false?"

Then, with sparkling eyes, she looked at Third Grandpa and asked, "Third Uncle, when will you teach us to make bean curd? Bean curd is such a novelty, just the thought of it tells you it’ll make money. We need to learn quickly and get this business going as soon as possible. Each day we delay is a day’s profit lost. Oh my, even just thinking about it feels like a huge loss."

Mrs. Chen wished she could go to the town to sell bean curd right now.

Upon hearing her words, Third Grandpa’s face darkened, and Mrs. Chen got startled and quickly shut her mouth.

Third Grandpa, looking at the few families present, said, "We can collaborate on the bean curd business, but Xiao Yu won’t teach you the method. It’s his own thing, not yours. Xiao Yu allowing us to engage in this business is already a form of support; we must not be too greedy."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Chen grew anxious, "Making bean curd is hard work, can Xiao Yu manage alone? It would be better to share the recipe with everyone so we can make and sell it ourselves."

"Shut your mouth!" Gu Dagui wanted to smack Mrs. Chen; that annoying woman always wanted to take all the advantages for herself. Couldn’t she be even a bit more shamefaced?

Third Grandpa said, "If it’s too much to handle, you can help with grinding the beans, removing the bean dregs. If that’s not enough, Xiao Yu can teach Dashan and Good Brother An to make bean curd. There are plenty of ways. Let me be clear first, whoever dares to secretly learn the bean curd recipe will have to fend for themselves in the future. If something happens, don’t come asking us for help!"

His gaze fell on Mrs. Chen as he asked, "Did you understand?"

Mrs. Chen replied timidly, "Understood, I understood."

After Third Grandpa reprimanded her, he softened his tone and said to the families, "Bean curd is a new delicacy, and its recipe can’t be known by too many people. If too many know, the bean curd won’t fetch a good price, and it will be us who suffer the losses."

The men of the several families nodded in agreement and said, "Third Uncle/Third Uncle, we understand your concerns. Rest assured, we won’t secretly learn the recipe, nor will we blame Xiao Yu. We’re grateful to her. It’s Xiao Yu who gave us this business opportunity, this way to make a living. We won’t cut off our own means."

Third Grandpa nodded in satisfaction and looked at Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, tell everyone how you plan to do this bean curd business."

Gu Jinli addressed the families, "Now it’s the New Year, and the shops in town are closed. But on the fifteenth, there will be a Lantern Festival. We’ll set up a stall in town on that day to sell Fried Five-Spice Tofu, and the business will undoubtedly be good."

Ms. Yan asked, "How will we sell it?"

Bean curd isn’t like buns or steamed bread, which could be sold one by one.

Gu Jinli said, "We will sell it in portions. We’ll cut the bean curd into one-inch pieces, six pieces per portion, and sell it for five copper coins each."

"Five copper coins per portion?" said Ms. Yan. "Isn’t that too expensive? Soybeans only cost three copper coins per pound, and one pound of soybeans can make three and a half pounds of bean curd."

Mrs. Chen retorted, "What’s expensive about it? It’s not expensive at all. We’re selling a novelty, it wouldn’t be expensive even for ten copper coins per portion."

Sister-in-law Damu really must be foolish, thinking the money too much.

Third Grandpa also agreed with the price: "This tofu is sold by weight, one pound of tofu cut into one-inch pieces, a pound at most can make six portions. Now, with the chaos outside, prices have gone up, the plain steamed buns have already sold for two cents each, meat buns are even more expensive, costing four cents. Our tofu, one portion larger than those buns, and better-tasting, being a novel food, selling for five cents each, is just right."

After some thought, the families also felt that the price was reasonable.

Gu Jinli continued: "Apart from selling Fried Five-Spice Tofu, we can also directly sell plain tofu, cut into half-pound pieces, sold for five cents each. If everyone starts treating tofu as a regular dish in the future, our business has the potential to grow big."

Hearing this, everyone was overjoyed: "This idea is great."

Once Gu Jinli had finished speaking, Third Grandpa added: "This tofu business was Xiao Yu’s idea. Her family could have done it on their own, made money by themselves, but Dashan’s family thought of us and gave us this opportunity. So, after the cost is deducted, Dashan’s family will take forty percent of the profits. The remaining sixty percent will be divided among the six families, each family getting ten percent. Do you have any objections?"

The families shook their heads: "No objections." The tofu was not originally their business, so getting ten percent was already quite good.

Third Grandpa also discussed the allocation of manpower with everyone: "To get this tofu business going, we need two groups, one stays home to make tofu, the other goes to town to sell. Therefore, each family must provide two people, one to stay and help with the production, and the other to sell in town. Those sent out must be over fourteen years of age, someone too young won’t be able to handle the work."

The families all agreed and happily discussed it for two hours, finally settling the details of the tofu business. They then divided up the remaining meat dishes, dumplings, bean dregs cakes, and everyone went home.

After the families left, Gu Jinli’s family didn’t go to sleep. Instead, they sat on the grass mats in the main room with Third Grandpa and Third Grandma, surrounding the fire pit, staying up for the New Year’s vigil.

Third Grandma was holding Brother Cheng, telling everyone stories about immortals.

Gu Jinli was intrigued. After Third Grandma finished, she told a few stories from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, mesmerizing everyone. She only stopped when it was midnight and time to eat dumplings.

Brother Cheng was still clamoring: "Second Sister, Second Sister, what happened to the village where the villagers all had wings in the end?"

Gu Jinli, yawning, said: "In the end, they left Great Wilderness Mountain, flew up to the sky to settle down, and became immortals."

"Wow, that’s amazing, they all became immortals," Brother Cheng’s eyes sparkled, imagining a group of people with large wings flying up to the sky to become immortals.

Mrs. Cui handed a half-bowl of dumplings to Brother Cheng, smiling, "Alright, eat the dumplings, then it’s time to sleep after you finish. Tomorrow we have to get up early."

Brother Cheng took the wooden bowl, ate the dumplings inside, but was already so sleepy he was about to fall asleep before finishing. Mrs. Cui didn’t dare let him eat more for fear he might choke, she took away the bowl of dumplings and carried him back to bed to sleep.

After finishing the dumplings, the members of the Gu Jinli family also went to rest.

The next day, the families got up early, dressed in their freshly-made new cotton clothes and new cloth shoes, and went to pay New Year’s visits to each other.

Being new to the village, the families were still unfamiliar with the village, so the children from these families did not go around the village to wish the villagers a happy new year, but the adults could not neglect this duty.

Elder Qin and Third Grandpa prepared two New Year’s gifts, taking the men from the families to deliver them to Village Chief He’s house and Old Master Lu’s house.

But as soon as they arrived at the gate of Village Chief He’s courtyard, they were met with wails, and the yard was surrounded by many villagers who had come to watch the commotion.

Elder Qin and Third Grandpa were startled, realizing something had happened.

"Judging by the sound, it seems like the Mo Family People," Father Luo said: "Definitely something has happened to the Mo Family."

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