Chapter 294 - 172: [Mapo Tofu] Acquired

Chapter 294: Chapter 172: [Mapo Tofu] Acquired

"Exactly. Don’t look back. At our age, every extra day we live is a blessing," Zhang Zhengping said with a smile. "You still have to watch Lai Fu find a wife. Your eyes have to be sharp so you can help him pick a kind-hearted and capable woman. It would be best if she’s like Tie Ying. Then this family will finally have a proper matriarch."

Zhang Shufen laughed as well. "You’re a good judge of character. Back then, I saw that Tie Ying was a girl with a mind of her own. She could be tough when she needed to be, but she also knew her limits and had a kind heart. That’s why I rushed Zhou Miao over to her family’s home to arrange the engagement."

"Otherwise, that quiet brooder of a son would only know how to pull out his knife when he runs into trouble. I can’t imagine how much of a mess he’d have made."

"Marry for virtue, not for beauty. The ancestors really knew what they were talking about. My Tie Ying can solve so many problems with just her words; Zhou Miao doesn’t even need to get involved."

The old woman was bursting with pride when she spoke of her daughter-in-law.

Zhou Miao listened from the side with a dopey grin, quietly tugging his shirt down to cover the hilt of his knife.

"You’re right. I need to look forward." Sun Lihua nodded, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. She looked at Lai Fu, who was standing obediently by her side. "Liwei and Qiaoqian entrusted Lai Fu to me, so I have to see him get married and establish himself. Only then will I be able to face them without shame."

Zhang Zhengping and Zhang Shufen exchanged a look, and smiles bloomed on both of their faces.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yan had just left the factory clinic with some medicine when a golden light flashed in the corner of his eye.

[Ding! Side Quest: Battle to Preserve the Legacy of West Bank Tofu! Progress: 100%! Sun Lihua has firmly resolved to pass down the method for making West Bank Tofu to her grandson, Lai Fu!]

[Quest Complete!]

[Reward: Mapo Tofu!]

Zhou Yan squeezed his brakes, his eyes instantly lighting up.

The recipe for [Mapo Tofu] was glowing, ready to be claimed.

’My god! What happened? Are the old-timers really that amazing?!’

Zhou Yan found it a little hard to believe.

’What happened in the twenty-odd minutes I was gone?’

’It really takes an old-timer to comfort another old-timer. There’s just too much of a generation gap with us young people, after all.’

With the long-awaited Mapo Tofu recipe finally in his possession, Zhou Yan’s spirits soared.

It wasn’t a good idea to check it on the road, so Zhou Yan pedaled quickly back toward Shangshui Village.

When he got back to the courtyard, Zhang Zhengping was teaching Sun Lihua some gentle health exercises.

The bitterness on Mrs. Sun’s face had faded, and her whole expression looked much brighter.

’It must be a change in her state of mind,’ Zhou Yan figured.

Zhang Zhengping took the medicine and began explaining the instructions to Sun Lihua. "Li Hua, look here. You take three of these pills a day. For the eye drops, tilt your head back and put in two or three drops at a time. I bought you three vials. Keep the box, and if your eyes still bother you after they’re gone, just have Lai Fu take the box to the clinic to buy more. They’re fifty cents a vial."

On the other side of the courtyard, Lai Fu was pressing tofu.

The old woman stood nearby watching him, a smile playing on her lips.

Zhou Yan walked over and asked with a smile, "Is this the tofu you’re prepping for dried tofu?"

The old woman nodded. "That’s right. His curdling technique isn’t quite there yet, so his grandma has to keep an eye on him. But he does a decent job with the rest of it."

Zhou Yan glanced at the time. "Well then, once this slab of tofu is ready, let’s cut off a piece and take it back to make some Mapo Tofu."

"You’ve learned to make Mapo Tofu already?" The old woman looked at him, surprised. She’d had a decent version once at a Sichuan Cuisine restaurant in Jiazhou when she was young. The one served at the Suji State-Owned Restaurant wasn’t very authentic; she felt it didn’t even deserve to be called Mapo Tofu.

Zhou Yan said with a straight face, "Didn’t I just go to Jiazhou for that Chef exchange event a couple of days ago? I learned a few things from the senior masters. Since my great-uncle is here today, it’s the perfect chance to show him what I’ve learned."

The old woman smiled and nodded. "Alright, then. Let’s see if you’ve really mastered the craft."

"Zhou Yan," Mrs. Sun called out to him.

"Yes, Great-aunt? What’s up?" Zhou Yan answered, hurrying over.

Mrs. Sun handed him a piece of paper.

"What’s this?" Zhou Yan took the paper and saw the word "IOU" written on it. He then saw the amount: 184.5 yuan.

Mrs. Sun said with a smile, "I asked your great-uncle to write that IOU for me. The cost of the medicine is included. You hold onto it. Lai Fu and I will pay you back by making dried tofu and tofu skin."

"Alright." Zhou Yan carefully folded the IOU and put it away. He then said with a smile, "Great-aunt, starting tomorrow, in addition to the dried tofu and tofu skin, I’ll also need twenty jin of regular tofu every day. I’m getting ready to start selling Mapo Tofu."

"Twenty jin?" Mrs. Sun looked hesitant. She glanced over at Lai Fu, who was still pressing tofu. "I don’t know if he’ll be able to carry all that."

"Great-aunt, starting tomorrow, I can come pick it up on my bike," Zhou Miao offered. "It’ll save Lai Fu the trouble of carrying it all the way. It’s only a ten-minute ride for me."

Mrs. Sun thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright. Then I’ll trouble you to pick up the dried tofu and tofu skin, Zhou Miao. But I’d still rather have Lai Fu carry the fresh tofu. You’ve never transported fresh tofu before; I’m worried it might get jostled and break apart on the road."

"It’s no trouble. What’s a little trouble between family?" Zhou Miao said.

"Great-aunt, the tofu I need has to be top-quality, which might mean I’ll need you to supervise the process," Zhou Yan stated his requirement. "The Mapo Tofu is for paying customers, so I have to guarantee its quality."

Mrs. Sun nodded. "I understand. It’s for your restaurant’s customers. If it’s not made well, I would never send it to your shop."

"Zhou Yan, don’t tell me you think the tofu Lai Fu makes isn’t good enough?" Zhang Zhengping asked with a laugh.

"Great-uncle, you’re the professional when it comes to medicine, but I’m the professional when it comes to cooking. Lai Fu’s tofu is good, better than any of the other sellers in Suji Town. But for my purposes, tofu made under my great-aunt’s guidance will be of a more suitable quality," Zhou Yan explained with a smile. "The day Lai Fu can make tofu that’s just as good as when she’s supervising, I won’t have any more special requests."