Chapter 100: "Big Brother, Are You Afraid of Your Wife?"

When Shen Lian returned home, he had delivered the household registry. The five coins for the pass were provided by Sang Luo.

On his first day back, Shen Lian experienced spending his ‘wife’s’ money, a rather complex feeling. Fortunately, Sang Luo handed him the registry and money together, sparing him the awkwardness of asking his ‘wife’ for money.

Red-faced, Shen Lian quickly thanked her and hurried away with the money and registry.

"I need to start earning money quickly!"

……

With Shen Lian’s labor, Sang Luo found she could fully relax. Truly, the most strenuous tasks of tofu and dried tofu making were now shouldered by Shen Lian, who managed the grinding without needing any relief.

Sang Luo prepared yam tofu in the kitchen, noticing that Shen Lian's pace of grinding beans didn’t slow at all. She offered several times to take over, but he refused each time, insisting he wasn’t tired.

She glanced at his arms and his expression several times, trying to discern whether he was genuinely untired or just too proud to admit fatigue.

Shen Lian’s face warmed under her scrutiny, fearing she’d notice if she kept staring. He protested, “Really, I’m not tired. I’ve even carried wild boars from deep in the mountains.”

Shen An vigorously nodded, "Big Brother has hunted wild boars before. Our cotton jackets and quilts were bought by selling wild boar meat."

Sang Luo was taken aback, wondering how old he was when he did that. Before his military service, at sixteen?

"Hunting and carrying wild boars at sixteen? They must have been small boars, right?"

But with both brothers confirming, Sang Luo finally stopped questioning: "Alright, I'll go make the reed curtains. Call me if you get tired."

Scooping the soaked soybeans and water into the stone mill requires skill. The proportion of soybeans to water is crucial. Shen Lian, grinding beans for the first time, obviously couldn't be expected to master this technique, so Shen An stayed to assist him.

Shen Lian nodded in agreement and let out a soft sigh of relief after everyone left the kitchen.

Looking up, he caught Shen An curiously staring at him.

"What are you looking at? Put the beans in."

Instead of adding beans, Shen An leaned in closer and whispered, "Big Brother, are you scared of Sister-in-law?"

Shen Lian: ...

He tapped Shen An on the forehead, "Nonsense, get to work."

Shen An chuckled and resumed adding beans to the mill, murmuring softly, "Sister-in-law is really great, really, really great."

Shen Lian glanced at him, wondering 'How so?', but remembering he could be overheard from the main house, he ruffled his brother’s hair and chose to stay silent and work.

Sang Luo returned to the house to find Shen Ning selecting reed stalks as she had taught, picking straight ones of uniform thickness. The table was already piled with reeds suitable for making curtains.

Sang Luo had never made reed curtains before, but had seen them and had an idea of the process. She thought she could manage to create them.

Making reed curtains for personal use seemed not too difficult for her. She planned to secure the chosen reeds with three or four strings, knotting them to form a rollable curtain without needing to bend the reeds, just arranging them tightly and neatly.

Trying her hand at it, Sang Luo found it indeed manageable. After securing a few reeds, Shen Ning quickly learned by observing and started working on another curtain on the other side of the table.

While working, Shen Ning asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, what are we making these for?"

Sang Luo nodded towards the beds, "To hang between the two beds."

Shen Ning puzzled, "Why hang a curtain between the beds? Doesn't that make it inconvenient to talk?"

Normally, the two younger siblings slept on the new bed, while Sang Luo slept on the old one. Before sleeping, they'd sit cross-legged on their respective beds, chatting, learning "Thousand Character Classic" from Sang Luo, or solving math problems she set for them.

With a curtain in the middle, wouldn't it block their view of each other?

Sang Luo couldn't exactly explain the need for separation due to gender differences, or that she'd feel awkward being watched by her brother-in-law. So, she smiled and said, "It won't be inconvenient. Voices can still be heard through the curtain. It'll look nice. Wait until it's hung, then you'll see."

Shen Ning glanced at her half-finished curtain, trying to imagine it hanging, then looked at the two beds. She wondered if it wouldn't look better hanging against the wall than in the middle.

However, as a young girl, her doubts were fleeting. If her sister-in-law preferred it in the middle, then that’s where it would be, following her lead.

……

Shen Lian’s efficiency in grinding beans far surpassed that of Sang Luo with the two children, who often had to stop to rub their arms or take turns.

Sang Luo had only finished half of the reed curtain when Shen An announced that the soymilk was ready.

The next steps required Sang Luo’s expertise, so she left Shen Ning to continue with the curtain. With nothing left to do in the kitchen, Shen An decided to stay in the main room, learning from his sister and continuing where Sang Luo left off on the curtain.

Meanwhile, Shen Lian waited in the kitchen until Sang Luo arrived alone.

Shen Lian was quite curious, as it was his first time learning that soybeans could be processed this way. Hearing from Shen An that Sang Luo had taught him and Ah Ning these skills, he didn’t hesitate to observe her making what they called "fermented tofu."

Sang Luo, noticing him nearby, didn’t mind his presence and directed him as necessary. She took the opportunity to teach Shen Lian some key points and tips about tofu making.

Before adding the coagulant to the soy milk, Sang Luo scooped a shallow bowl of it for Shen Lian and the two kids. She advised Shen Lian, "There’s a small jar with maltose on the shelf over the vat. Add a bit to the soy milk. It tastes better. One bowl each for you, Shen An, and Ah Ning."

Shen Lian was surprised to be included in this treat, feeling a bit bewildered.

"I don’t need to drink this. You guys have it."

While he wasn't sure about the taste of soy milk, he understood it was a commodity for sale. Plus, anything with added sugar seemed more suitable for children. Why should he partake in it?

Sang Luo chuckled, "Go ahead and try it. It's good to taste what we make. I usually don't eat much late in the evening, so I often keep a bowl of fresh soft tofu for myself in the morning. It's very nutritious, but shouldn't be consumed in excess every day."

That was how she and the children had gradually improved their health. Though soy milk was beneficial, it wasn't advisable to have it in large quantities daily.

Shen Lian’s focus, however, shifted to her comment about making tofu in the morning.

"You make this again in the morning?"

Sang Luo nodded, "In the mornings, we make soft tofu. It contains more water and is freshest when made later in the day."

Only then did Shen Lian realize how exhausting it had been for Sang Luo to amass their current livelihood along with Shen An and Shen Ning. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

Seeing this, Sang Luo smiled and asked, "Will you be the one grinding the soybeans tomorrow morning?"

Shen Lian nodded without hesitation: "Sure, as long as I'm home, I'll handle this task."

Sang Luo couldn't help but smile wider; cohabiting might bring some inconveniences, but it seemed the benefits were greater.

She nodded in agreement, "Okay."

……

Shen Lian found the sugar, sweetened the soy milk for Shen An and Shen Ning, and carried his own portion inside, too bashful to admit he felt awkward eating something sweet in front of Sang Luo.

Busy in the kitchen, Sang Luo left the siblings in the main room each savoring their bowl of soy milk. Trying his first sip, Shen Lian’s eyes lit up.

"This tastes incredible!"

Grinning, Shen An and Shen Ning blowing on their hot soy milk chimed in, "Big brother, next time you should also try douhua, both sweet and savory types are delicious."

"What’s douhua?"

Shen Ning explained, "It's tofu that has just been set with coagulant but hasn’t been pressed to remove excess water. It’s really tasty."

Shen Lian was truly amazed; it seemed Sang Luo knew a lot.

As he thought this, Shen Ning quietly praised her, "Big Sister is super talented. She knows so much, like fishing, shrimp catching, building chicken coops, making 'Fairy Tofu,' crystal fruit, sugar, and vegetarian tripe. She knows a lot."

Shen An added, "And she recognizes many, many characters and has read a lot of books!"

Shen Lian: "???"

Completely baffled.

"Your big sister can read and write?"

"Yes!" Shen An and Shen Ning nodded in unison.

Shen An put down his bowl, eagerly fetching his cherished bamboo slips to show his brother: "Bro, look, Big Sister made these for me. Uncle Tian helped with the slips, but she wrote all these characters on them."

Shen Lian marveled at the elegant script, a roll of bamboo slips unfolding, dozens of them filled with various characters, all beautifully written.

"How many characters are there?"

He scrutinized them closely, recognizing only a few, those he had reluctantly learned from Zhou Village Chief, like his name and some basic common characters.

"All written by your big sister?"

Shen An nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with admiration, "This is the 'Thousand Character Classic.' There are one thousand characters here, and only one is repeated. Big Sister said that if you know these nine hundred and ninety-nine characters, you'll know most of the common ones. I can already recognize and write forty-two characters."

Shen Lian felt envious.

Curious, he asked, “How does your big sister know so many characters?”

In those times, literate people were rare. In the nearby villages, only Zhou Lizheng and Zhou Cunzheng, along with some of Zhou's children, knew a bit. Many village heads couldn’t even read, so for any written matters, they had to seek Lizheng's help.

Shen An tilted his head, “Hasn't Big Sister told you? Her family used to be quite wealthy, probably even more affluent than the Wang family.”

“From a prominent family?”

Shen An and Shen Ning nodded together.

Shen An added, reflectively, “When Big Sister first arrived, she didn’t know much about many things, like gardening. We three planted some vegetable seedlings that Chen's grandmother gave us, and they all died or didn’t grow well.”

“Big Sister rarely went out. In those few months in the mountains, she only moved around nearby. It was only after she was starving to death and saved by the sugar water and grains brought by Chen's grandmother that she changed. She began going further out, wading in the river without shoes to catch fish with us, and started using her family's recipes to make food to sell at the market. That's how our home gradually had enough food to eat.”

Shen Lian listened and lowered his gaze. A young lady from a wealthy family indeed had many teachings and rules to follow. As for the recipes, unless given as a dowry, they usually wouldn’t be taken to another family.

Their family indeed benefited greatly from Sang Luo.

Not only the food recipes, but he also touched the characters on the bamboo slips, appreciating that she was willing to teach Shen An and Shen Ning to read and write – an opportunity many yearned for.

Having been out and about, Shen Lian understood the importance of literacy even more. In the military, literate officers often climbed ranks faster and higher than their illiterate counterparts, and most literate ones came from influential families. Ordinary folks rarely had the chance to learn.

He rolled the bamboo slips back up and handed them to Shen An.

Shen An carefully stored them in a special cloth bag, which Sang Luo had made specifically for keeping the bamboo slips.

Shen Lian, filled with envy, contemplated, once the pressing matters at hand were settled and life became more stable, should he brazenly ask Sang Luo to teach him this 'Thousand Character Classic'?

Thinking this, he quickly dismissed the idea, looking at Shen An.

Right, it's better to have Little An teach him. That way, if he learns slowly or makes mistakes, it won't be too embarrassing.

Still, should he secretly learn after getting her permission?

Privately, Shen Lian thought it might be better to learn secretly.

But since the material belonged to Sang Luo, and she had already taught Shen An and Shen Ning, he felt he should still ask her permission.

Tonight, Shen An wasn't entirely wrong; Shen Lian was, in fact, a bit afraid of Sang Luo.

Well, maybe not afraid?

A different kind of fear? A nervousness he didn't quite understand.

Fortunately, this wasn’t urgent. He probably wouldn't have time to learn to read for a while, and with that thought, the inexplicable nervousness faded.

He quickly finished his soy milk, “Take your time drinking, I’ll go help your big sister.”