Zhao, fuming and speaking sharply, snapped: “So, Third Sister-in-law buys a chicken, but instead of eating it at her own place, she goes off to someone else’s house? What’s the meaning of that? Do you look down on us, afraid we might get a share?”
Zeng Xiaoyan snapped, “It’s my money — I’ll spend it however I want! If you’re so upset, go buy your own chicken and slaughter it at someone else’s house. I won’t say a word!”
Zhao sneered: “You know perfectly well I can’t afford it, yet you go out of your way to say such things in front of me. What’s that supposed to mean? Everyone knows you’ve got money—how could we ever measure up to you?”
“As long as you know, that’s enough!”
“You—”
“Enough, both of you be more proper, stop talking!” Auntie Liang was simply having a headache. One daughter-in-law was petty, the other unwilling to yield. “If you keep on quarreling noisily, then we’ll split the family—after that each will live their own life, and no one will get in anyone else’s way.”
Zhao, face dark, turned away in resentment and walked off.
Of course she was unwilling to split the family; once divided, she wouldn’t be able to get hold of any benefits.
Zeng Xiaoyan curled her lips and thought to herself: Sister Zhichun was right—this money-making method really mustn’t be told to anyone else. Otherwise, once the mouth is opened, the secret surely won’t be kept. Just think: if someone like Zhao found out, could she not fight and snatch? Could she not go and tell her own family? Hmph!
At dinner, a big bowl of chicken soup, watered down and with cabbage added, was still very tasty. Inside were pieces of chicken and quite a few konjac knots, and there was also that bowl of stir‑fried chicken with konjac tofu. Both children and adults liked eating it.
Auntie Liang said with a smile: “Zhichun’s skill is really not bad—the chicken soup is stewed so well, and this gray tofu, gray tofu strips, are also really quite good."
The two children of the second branch, Liang Xiaoshuang and Liang Xiaodong—one eleven years old, the other seven—were both at the age of loving to eat, and they too all said it was delicious.
Zeng Xiaoyan took the opportunity, smiling as she spoke of how she, Xu Zhichun, and Auntie Zhu’er were going to do a small business together selling this gray tofu and gray tofu strips.
Konjac is poisonous; if they said they were selling konjac tofu, it would probably scare off many people, and explaining it would be rather troublesome. After the three of them discussed it for a while, they changed the name.
The whole family was taken aback.
Before anyone else could say a word, Zhao cut in with a sneer: “Do business? You think it’s that easy? You’re being far too naive! I’d say that Xu woman’s probably gone half‑mad from poverty, grasping at anything. Third Sister‑in‑law, don’t take it the wrong way, but you ought to be more careful. You and Auntie Zhu’er both have a little money to spare—hmph, who knows what tricks that Xu woman is up to!”
Zeng Xiaoyan would not tolerate anyone maligning her closest friend. Her expression hardened as she said evenly: “Second Sister‑in‑law, you must be joking. I’m a grown woman, not deaf or blind—I know exactly who’s sincere with me and who isn’t. I trust Sister‑in‑law Zhichun, and that’s my choice. And besides, with Father-in-law being the village head, there’s no way Zhichun would ever try to trick me.”
"you--"
Auntie Liang quickly interjected: “Then go ahead and try it. Since it’s your own choice, you’ll have to shoulder the outcome, success or failure, without blaming others. And your second sister‑in‑law—her words may be blunt, but her meaning is sound; she only meant well. That’s enough, let’s eat, no more arguing.”
With Father‑in‑law Liang Lizheng present, the two sisters‑in‑law didn’t dare make a scene. Since their mother‑in‑law had spoken, they had no choice but to obey, and each quietly returned to eating, saying no more.
At Xu Zhichun’s home, when Liang Mingxuan came back from school, Xu Zhichun eagerly pointed at the konjac tofu and konjac knots, explaining them to him in detail.
Liang Mingxuan was shocked. Ever since his elder brother’s death, the child had grown more steady and sensible, yet when he saw these two foods made from konjac, he still showed a trace of childishness, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Th‑this… this is really made from konjac?”
Xu Zhichun, rarely seeing the child show a childish side, found it amusing. Unable to resist, she gently pinched his cheek and chuckled: “Of course! Isn’t your eldest sister‑in‑law amazing?”
The child’s face reddened a little; he turned his head, pulled free from Xu Zhichun’s hand, and nodded: "Eldest Sister‑in‑law, you’re amazing.”
Xu Zhichun laughed heartily: “Go take a bath, then we’ll eat. After dinner, your eldest sister‑in‑law still has to cook the gray tofu and let it soak. From now on, whether our family can make money will all depend on it!”
For dinner there was clay‑pot stewed chicken, with konjac knots added; the konjac‑stewed chicken was heated up; then two cloves of garlic were crushed and stir‑fried with lettuce, served alongside snowy white rice.
After dinner, Liang Mingxuan, as usual, reviewed his books for a while under the lamplight, while Xu Zhichun stoked the stove fire, boiling the konjac tofu until it set, then cutting it into neat, equal‑sized squares.
Because the iron pot at home wasn’t very big, she had to boil it one batch at a time. Xu Zhichun thought to herself that once she earned some money, the first thing would be to buy a large iron pot, to make things easier and more convenient.
Halfway through the cooking, Liang Mingxuan also came to help.
Remembering the brown sugar Zeng Xiaoyan had brought, Xu Zhichun brewed a bowl of brown‑sugar water and carried it over: “Drink it quickly.”
Liang Mingxuan didn’t move. Looking at her, he said, “This was given by Sister Zeng for you to build up your health. You drink it, I don’t need it.”
Xu Zhichun smiled and said, “Then let’s both drink—both of us need to nourish ourselves a bit.”
Seeing her quickly mix up another bowl, Liang Mingxuan had no choice but to pick it up: “Next time, it’s enough if Sister‑in‑law drinks it. I really don’t need it.”
“You have to drink too. If your body is well‑nourished and you get sick less often, it’s the same as saving money, you know?”
"."
In the end, he couldn’t out‑argue his sister‑in‑law—she always had a whole set of reasons ready.
“I’ll listen to Sister‑in‑law.”
“That's better.”
She put the brown sugar that Zeng Xiaoyan had brought into a rough clay jar. It was about half a pound, and she took out more than two pounds from her space to add in, enough to drink for a long time.
The cooked konjac tofu was soaked in two large buckets and a basin. Before going to bed at night, she changed the water once more, and after changing it again the next morning, it could be sold.
Early the next morning, Xu Zhichun had the child write out a contract in three copies. After the brother and sister‑in‑law finished breakfast, the child went off to school, and Xu Zhichun took the contract to call on Auntie Zhu’er. The two of them went together to the village head Liang’s house.
Since Zeng Xiaoyan had spoken of it the night before, the village head Liang knew what they had come for. After reading through the contract, he nodded. “This is well written—everything covered, and the characters are neat. That boy Mingxuan really is promising.”
Village Head Liang’s words quietly reassured Zeng Xiaoyan and Auntie Zhu’er. The three women, cheerful and solemn as if in a ritual, pressed their handprints and signed, then each tucked away a copy with care.
Zeng Xiaoyan: “Shall we go now, then?”
Xu Zhichun: “Mm!”
Auntie Zhu’er brushed at her hair, looking a bit uneasy. “Ah… so we’re really going to earn money now?”
Zeng Xiaoyan smiled: “Yes!”
Zhao had been eavesdropping at the side all along. On hearing this, she curled her lips and gave a cold snort, utterly disdainful.
Xu Zhichun said, “Uncle Liang, we’d like to borrow your ox cart. Of course, not for free—we’ll pay ten copper coins each time. Would that be acceptable?”
Village Head Liang said, “You haven’t even earned any money yet and you’re already spending it—what’s the point of renting? Just have Old Third drive the cart for you. With a man along, it’ll be more convenient too.”
Liang Mingliang said with a hearty smile, “Xiaoyan already told me last night to come along and help.”
Xu Zhichun was of the same mind. “Uncle Liang, we’ll likely need the cart often from now on, and it can’t be for nothing—we should pay. And Third brother Liang's help shouldn’t go unpaid either. How about fifteen copper coins a day for his work? Uncle, if we keep relying on favors without paying, I’m afraid this won’t last.”
🐇♡🐇♡🐇♡🐇
The women had just finished arranging their konjac tofu for sale when Auntie Zhu’er leaned in, eyes wide.
Auntie Zhu’er (whispering): “What if no one buys it? What if they say it tastes like… like boiled shoe leather?”
Zeng Xiaoyan (snorting): “Nonsense. Who’s ever boiled a shoe? And if they did, they wouldn’t admit it.”
Xu Zhichun (calm, practical): “We’ll let the customers taste it first. A free sample never fails.”
So they cut neat little cubes, set them out, and waited.
The first customer, Old Man Wang, shuffled up, squinting suspiciously.
Old Man Wang: “What’s this? Looks like tofu, smells like… nothing.”
Zeng Xiaoyan (brightly): “It’s konjac tofu! Healthy, filling, and keeps you slim.”
Old Man Wang popped a piece into his mouth, chewed, and chewed… and chewed.
Old Man Wang (finally): “Well, it’s… chewy.”
Auntie Zhu’er (panicking): “Chewy bad, or chewy good?”
Old Man Wang (deadpan): “Chewy like… if tofu married a radish and had a stubborn child.”
The women froze. Then Xu Zhichun burst out laughing.
Xu Zhichun: “Perfect! That means it’s memorable. People will talk about it!”
Zeng Xiaoyan (grinning): “Exactly. Who wants boring tofu when you can have stubborn tofu?”
Old Man Wang, still chewing, muttered, “Stubborn or not, I’ll take two bowls. My teeth need the exercise.”
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