Chapter 52

On August 25th, before dawn, oil lamps in the houses of Shili Village gradually lit up.

The climate in the Daqian Dynasty was slightly different from Sang Luo's original timeline, which was expected given the different time and space. Nonetheless, the villages in Qingpu Township of Qiyang County were about to start rice harvesting in the next couple of days.

The farmers, who usually ate only two meals a day, made sure not to start their day hungry. Women got up before dawn to cook, changing from two meals to three, and providing dry food to sustain the energy needed for several days of intense agricultural work.

The midday meal ideally included some meat. Even the poorest households, who normally skimped on food, made an effort to add some nutrients to the meals of men working in the fields to maintain their strength.

While the women of Shili Village were busy, Sang Luo was equally occupied. Qin Fang Nian was not selling divine tofu today, but Sang Luo still had to, along with two trays of regular tofu.

She would have made more if not for financial constraints, so she had to carefully plan her purchases, resulting in only two trays.

She reserved three pieces at home for cooking that evening, leaving only twenty-nine pieces to sell at the market.

Fortunately, she also had divine tofu to sell, ensuring a decent profit from this trip.

After more than ten days, Shen An was finally able to accompany his sister-in-law to do business again!

Shen An was ecstatic, eagerly preparing since early morning. He had gathered and cleaned lotus leaves the day before and now carried a basket full of them on his back, while Sang Luo, though somewhat reluctantly, shouldered the tofu and divine tofu.

Fortunately, walking 20 miles every day had significantly improved her physical condition. While families in Shili Village were just lighting their lamps and busy preparing breakfast, Sang Luo and Shen An set off from their home.

Shen Ning had to stay behind at home; Sang Luo hadn’t yet managed to save enough money to buy a lock, and even if Shen Ning wanted to come along, someone needed to stay behind to watch the house.

……

Sang Luo hadn’t visited the early market at Sanli Village for quite some time. Previously busy with her stall in the county town, she couldn’t attend to business at Sanli Village's major market. On previous market days, Sang Luo would check with Old Lady Chen about setting up a stall. If the latter was willing, Sang Luo would bring a portion of divine tofu for her.

However, today Old Lady Chen was too busy to worry about selling a few pieces of tofu. Sang Luo, needing money, naturally took it upon herself to make the trip.

Upon reaching the market, her first stop was the butcher's. She greeted the butcher with a smile, who, after scrutinizing her for a moment, recognized her.

"You're... the friend of my daughter who sells divine tofu?"

Sang Luo laughed, "Yes, that's me. Uncle, you have a good memory to still remember me."

The butcher grinned, "Of course, I remember. But you two look much healthier now, I almost didn’t recognize you at first. So, are you here to buy meat today?"

Sang Luo nodded, "Indeed, I need to buy meat. We're preparing three banquet tables at home today. However, I'm a bit short on cash at the moment. I plan to sell the tofu and divine tofu I brought and then buy the meat. I'm concerned that due to today's rice harvesting, there'll be a high demand for meat. By the time I sell my products, there might not be any good meat left. That's why I came specially to ask if you could let me choose some meat in advance and hold it for me until I can pay for it later today?"

The butcher chuckled upon hearing this, "Well, that makes sense. These days, every family from nearby villages is likely to buy some meat to boost their energy for the rice harvest. If you come too late, there won’t be any good meat left. Alright, tell me which cut you want, I'll set it aside for you. Make sure you come by midday; any later and I might not be able to keep it for you."

Meat doesn’t keep well in hot weather, and after midday, the number of buyers usually decreases, risking unsold stock.

"Understood, holding it until midday is definitely enough. Uncle, would you like to buy some tofu or divine tofu?"

As it was still early and there were no customers at the butcher's, he curiously asked, "I know about divine tofu, but what is this tofu?"

Shen An, quick-witted as ever, immediately unveiled the left side of the tofu load and lifted the covering cloth, saying with a smile, "Look, it’s like this. This tofu is delicious when cooked."

Sang Luo glanced at him, slightly amused.

"You've only tasted tofu dregs, oh, and soy milk and tofu pudding. When have you ever eaten cooked tofu?"

However, appreciating the boy's cleverness in helping to attract business, Sang Luo continued, "This tofu is similar to divine tofu, but when actually prepared as a dish, it's even tastier. If you cut some streaky pork to stew with the tofu, or add some lean meat to cook it, it’s delicious. Even without meat, simply frying it until golden on both sides, adding some garlic and sauce for seasoning, and topping it with green onions makes it an exquisite dish, no less delicious than meat."

"More delicious than meat?" The butcher was skeptical, "That's hard to believe."

Sang Luo smiled, "You’ll know once you try it, uncle. If it's cooked skillfully, the taste will make you long for more. Moreover, there are so many ways to prepare it, and you don't need me to teach you. If auntie is good at cooking, she can figure out many variations herself."

The butcher, swayed by Sang Luo's convincing pitch, stretched his neck to examine the tofu, "Alright, give me one piece of tofu and two pieces of divine tofu."

The butcher’s family, also engaged in farming, had a busy day ahead. The divine tofu, besides being a side dish, served as a refreshing snack with some sugar water, especially beneficial during the hot days of rice harvesting.

"Sure thing, uncle. How about bringing a bowl to hold them? It's better than using these lotus leaves."

Without hesitation, the butcher called to his wife inside their home, and soon his wife emerged carrying two large soup bowls.

Indeed, big bowls were needed since Sang Luo’s tofu and divine tofu were quite substantial. Regular household bowls could only accommodate one piece each.

As Sang Luo handed the tofu to the butcher's wife, she was impressed by its delicate, trembling texture, looking even more appealing than their homemade pork lard.

She exclaimed, "This looks beautifully made, how should we eat it?"

Sang Luo patiently explained the various ways to prepare and eat the tofu.

After hearing about a few cooking methods, the butcher’s wife decided, “Let’s take two pieces of tofu and one more divine tofu, making it three in total.”

She then spoke to her husband, “Let’s get some for our daughter too. She’s always craving this divine tofu. This tofu seems good as well, although I'm not sure how it's made. It’s quite a skillful craft.”

Sang Luo simply smiled and didn't dwell on the compliment, instead shifting the conversation to their daughter, “Your girl will definitely be happy. Uncle and auntie are so caring towards her. She's lucky to have such loving parents.”

The change of topic delighted the butcher couple, making them quite pleased.

While she initially came to buy meat, Sang Luo ended up selling five pieces of tofu first, marking a good start to her day.

The butcher, instead of adjusting her purchase against the meat cost, handed her the full payment of ten coins for the tofu.

Sang Luo accepted the money without fuss, comfortably tucking it into her purse, then carefully covered her tofu carrier before picking up the meat.

She chose a large, well-cut piece of pork belly, one and a half pounds of lean meat, a pig's ear, a tongue, a pork bone, and another pound of fatty meat for rendering oil.

The butcher and his yet-to-enter wife listened in surprise. A feast for three tables? That’s quite substantial.

Such lavish spending on meat was common last year, but rare this year, as most people struggled to achieve even half-full stomachs.

They looked at Sang Luo’s loaded carrier and understood – she had skills to earn her way.

The butcher briskly cut and weighed everything she requested. As he weighed and priced each item, the total came to eighty-seven coins.

Seeing no objection from Sang Luo, he put all her meat in a basin, set it behind on his counter, and added a piece of pork liver as a bonus. “You've bought a lot. I’ll chop the bone for you when you come to collect it.”

Sang Luo thanked him with a smile, knowing that most households would hesitate to use their kitchen knives for chopping bones, risking a blunted blade.

Having settled the meat order, she didn't leave immediately but rested her carrier and asked the butcher, “Uncle, would it be alright if I set up my stall next to yours for a while?”

On this busy farming day, few vendors would come to the market, making the usually lively village market quite sparse. Most people would buy meat, as vegetables were abundant at home. Therefore, today might be a market day, but the real hotspot was near the butcher's shop.

The butcher, understanding the day's dynamics, responded with a smile, “Sure, as long as you don’t block the front of my meat counter.”

“Sure, sure,” Sang Luo cheerfully set up her stall next to the butcher's. In all the surrounding villages, anyone coming to San Li Village to buy meat would first see her tofu stall.

The butcher glanced at her stall indifferently. Since they were selling different items, he didn't mind her presence or see her as a threat to his business.

So, as buyers for meat started arriving, they noticed a carrying pole stall right next to the butcher's, selling unfamiliar white and green items.

Unfamiliarity was no problem; Sang Luo was an expert talker. She remained quiet while people bought meat, not wanting to interfere with the butcher’s business, but once they paid, she immediately engaged them in conversation.

“Auntie, have you ever tried tofu? It’s known as ‘vegetarian meat,’ meaning it’s nourishing like meat but cheaper. Just two coins per piece, and it’s tasty. When braised with meat, it soaks up all the flavors, almost like eating meat itself.”

“Two coins. Slice it thick, fry it in lard until golden, add some thin slices of pork belly or a bit of minced lean pork, and stew it together. It’s so delicious, you won’t miss the meat.”

Nutritious, perfect for braising with meat, soaking up all the meaty flavors, and just as tasty as meat for only two coins!

The woman she addressed caught these critical points in the conversation and halted her intended departure, approaching Sang Luo's stall.

Once the woman stopped, making a sale wasn’t difficult. Sang Luo had a way with words, and she captivated the woman's attention with her talk about food.

A butcher nearby chimed in helpfully, "The fairy tofu made by this young lady is top-notch, especially the green one. Whether seasoned with salt or sweet, it's delicious and refreshing in this hot weather. Our family is particularly fond of it. They only come to sell once every market day. The white one is new, but it sounds just as good, and for two wen, it's worth a try. It's a nice addition to the meal after these tiring days."

The woman, already tempted, was quickly swayed into action by the butcher's endorsement.

She didn’t fully believe it could be as nourishing as meat, but since it was marketed that way, she thought there must be some truth to it. For two wen, why not give it a try?

And so, she actually pulled out her money to buy.

Sang Luo didn’t need to hawk her wares around; simply resting her shoulder pole next to the butcher's stall, six out of ten meat buyers were persuaded by her to purchase tofu or Immortal Tofu.

Before the hour of Si (9-11 am), just after Chen (7-9 am), most of the tofu she brought was already sold. Everyone was busy, especially the women who needed to assist in the fields early, hence they bought their meat early too.

Only a few pieces were left. By coincidence, among those coming for meat was a familiar face.

The wife of Zhou Cun Zheng (Village Chief Zhou).