The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 185 - 174: Hey, Calling it Close?

Chapter 185: Chapter 174: Hey, Calling it Close?

Manbao had been thinking about various soy products so much that she had nearly forgotten about this matter, but Zhou Silang’s reminder made her consider it seriously.

If tofu was like meat, then wouldn’t she be able to save a lot of money that would otherwise be spent on meat in the future?

As for what to do with the money saved, Manbao thought, "Who cares, there will always be a use for it."

With that thought, wouldn’t her money jar be filled up quickly?

Just thinking about it made Manbao laugh out loud with joy, shaking Zhou Silang by the arm, "Silang, you’re not wrong, from now on we should buy less meat and make more tofu."

Zhou Silang, "... When did I say that... clearly, I don’t think tofu is the same as meat."

But Manbao didn’t pay him any attention and went to discuss with Junior Ms. Qian, "Sister-in-law, let’s try making tofu tomorrow."

Ms.Qian also laughed, "Let’s do it, let’s first see if we can make it. If we can, another day we’ll make it nicely and send some over to the Bai Family."

Junior Ms.Qian agreed.

It just so happened that the day after next was the Winter Solstice, and since it was the middle of winter, everyone had nothing much to do and plenty of time.

The next day, Manbao still went to school while Junior Ms. Qian soaked beans as Manbao had instructed and took them to the mill to grind into soy milk.

There was only one mill in the village, which had two stone mills housed not far from the Zhou Family ancestral hall in a thatched pavilion. Although it was called a pavilion, it was originally a house that had become decrepit with time. The family clan, having no money to repair it, had dismantled the walls and set up a simple shelter made of wood and thatch instead.

The villagers usually used it to grind flour and bean powder.

Of course, Junior Ms. Qian couldn’t possibly do such work on her own, so she called Zhou Dalang for help, and Zhou SiLang led a group of the younger ones to join in the excitement.

As they stirred up the fun, they also tossed out flippant remarks, "Sister-in-law, how can you believe everything Manbao says? These are just beans, eight wén for a dǒu. Think about how much meat costs per jin? How can these beans compare to meat?"

Zhou Dalang, annoyed by his chatter, briskly enlisted his help, "If you’re so idle, come help me turn the millstone."

Zhou SiLang tried to escape, but Zhou Wulang and Zhou Liulang jumped on him and grabbed his neck, hollering and insisting that he not leave.

In the end, Zhou SiLang was still conscripted into labor.

With the Winter Solstice approaching, the mill was crowded. The New Year was just after the solstice, and many had brought their wheat to grind into flour or were grinding rice flour, intending to eat better and make some snacks for their children.

Seeing Zhou Dalang and his brother grinding the soaked beans, the onlookers asked curiously, "What are you making?"

"We’re making tofu."

"What’s tofu?"

Before Zhou Dalang could answer, the village chief, smoking his dry pipe, said, "Tofu, it’s white and soft, and very tasty."

Everyone turned to the village chief, "Chief, you’ve eaten it before? What’s so special about it?"

The village chief laughed, "It’s not that special. We don’t eat it much here, but it’s available elsewhere. Not to mention faraway places, even the state city has it. It’s not expensive either, two pieces for one wén, cheaper than eggs, but it tastes good. The key is, there isn’t much variety in vegetables during winter, and many people in the state city eat it."

"Chief, do you know how to make it?"

"That’s someone else’s craft; how would I know? I just had it in the state city when I was young," he said. At the time they visited, it was winter when food was expensive, and it took them a long time to discover tofu.

For just one wén a day, one could buy two pieces, cut it into blocks and boil it, and have a meal with coarse grain rice, which was very cheap!

The village chief savored the memory and then turned to Zhou Dalang, asking, "Can your family make this?"

Zhou Dalang honestly smiled, "How could my family know this? It’s Manbao who tried it at Young Master Bai’s house and liked it. When she came back, we thought we’d give it a try. If we can make it, it adds a dish to our meals and satisfies the children’s cravings,"

Some laughed, "That’s a great idea. You try making it first. If you succeed, you have to teach us."

Zhou Dalang and Junior Ms. Qian both said it was no problem.

While Zhou SiLang worked hard at turning the millstone, he joked, "My little sister also said tofu is as nutritious as meat. Chief, when you ate tofu did you feel like you gained weight?"

The village chief gave him a sideways glance and shooed him, "Are you teasing me now, Four? Have you settled your marriage yet?"

The surrounding villagers’ spirits immediately lifted, and they eagerly asked, "Yeah, Zhou Si, I’ve seen the matchmaker visit your house three times these past few days. Have you made a decision? Which girl is it from?"

"Have you met her, is she pretty?"

"What’s the use in just being pretty? You have to see if she can work. Zhou Si, you can’t keep hanging around with the kids anymore. When the girls see that, who would be willing to marry you?"

"Exactly, exactly, let’s put aside everything else, start by picking up a hoe and going to the field tomorrow. Let the girl have a look, and I guarantee it’ll be settled."

"Give me a break, carrying a hoe to the field in the middle of winter, are you taking her for a fool? Zhou Si, don’t listen to his lousy advice. Sister-in-law tells you, you should go into the county city and buy a piece of fabric, get yourself a new outfit. With that face and figure, you could attract even the prettiest girl."

The villagers burst into laughter, and Zhou SiLang’s face turned red as he silently kept pushing the millstone.

Zhou Dalang couldn’t help but laugh as well, then told everyone, "Come on, stop teasing him; he’s young and shy."

"He’s shy..."

Junior Ms. Qian, who had been smiling, cut off their words at this point, raising her voice, "Why wouldn’t he be shy? Our Four is only eighteen, he hasn’t even held a girl’s hand, how could he not be shy talking about getting married? It seems like you all just spout sweet nothings without spending a dime."

"That’s true; the other day I saw Four with a bunch of kids catching loaches in the field. He’s grown so much yet still playing the king of kids, how can you get married like that?"

Unconcerned, Junior Ms. Qian replied, "Getting married and starting a family, well, because he’s a bit childish, my mother-in-law thought of finding someone strong-willed to manage him. With his wife leading him, he’ll soon stand up."

Junior Ms. Qian was taking the opportunity to hint at the Zhou Family’s requirements for a bride. She laughed and said, "My mother-in-law has already said that Four’s wife should be from a matching household if possible. If not, it’s not like our family asks too much from a girl’s family. As long as she’s capable and can manage our Four, that’ll do."

Zhou Dalang eagerly took the chance to promote his brother, "Four may be a bit wild, but he’s good at fieldwork, not any worse than the rest of us brothers. With a wife who can manage him, our household will be set."

Believe it or not, these words made several people interested.

Some of the older women even started sizing up Zhou SiLang more closely. Although they were from the same village, they rarely had the opportunity to examine someone so thoroughly from head to toe.

And truth be told, Zhou SiLang was indeed quite handsome.