Beautiful Peasant Girl: The Young Marquis's Beloved

Chapter 88

The next day, Liu Xu went next door again and took Liu Changshun's family to make fermented bean curd with all the leftover tofu from yesterday.

I watched Liu Xu cut yesterday's tofu into small pieces, stacked them in a winnowing basket with a layer of straw and tofu, and then covered them with another layer of straw and gauze. These things were what Liu Xu told Liu Changshun's family to scald with boiling water and dry yesterday.

Seeing this, Chen Lan couldn't help but ask, "Xu girl, won't the tofu go bad like this?"

"No, don't worry, Aunt San. To make fermented bean curd, the tofu needs to be fermented first. Put the packed tofu into the house later. After a few days, when the tofu becomes hairy, I will teach you the next steps." Liu Xu said with a smile.

"What, you want to fluff it up? Xu, Xu girl, are you sure this kind of thing is edible?" Chen Lan looked horrified, and Liu Changshun was also a little hesitant.

"That's right! But I don't know how to tell you now. You'll know when it's done. Don't worry, Third Aunt. I promise that it will be so delicious that you'll want to swallow it." Liu Xu said confidently.

She is not bragging, fermented bean curd is really delicious after it is made. It is extremely delicious whether used as a seasoning or eaten directly with rice.

Chen Lan looked at Liu Changshun hesitantly, as if asking. Liu Changshun thought for a moment and nodded gently, "Mother, just do as Xu said. We should trust this girl. Even if, even if it breaks down in the end, it's just a matter of soybeans, it's okay!"

Chen Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, it was just some soybeans. This girl always had good ideas. She would do whatever she said.

Together with the servants at home, more than ten people worked together and soon everything was installed. Liu Changshun's family had fewer servants, so there were many empty rooms, so he vacated one room.

After doing all this, Liu Xu saw that they had ground some more soy milk, probably to be sent to Zuiyunxuan later, so she said a few words to Liu Changshun.

Soybeans are cheap in Dongsheng Country, just like sorghum, three cents for two pounds. There are also red beans and mung beans, but because the yield is low and few people grow them, they are a little more expensive.

Because one pound of soybeans can produce three or four pounds of tofu, they set the price low, two cents per pound, three cents for two pounds. In addition, Liu Xu also hoped that after Zuiyunxuan opened up the market, this tofu could also enter the homes of ordinary people. After all, although the people are not starving now, meat is still a luxury for ordinary people. Tofu is cheap and nutritious, and it can also improve the food of poor people.

Liu Changshun and the others had no objection. Even if they sold it this way, their profits would not be low. And yesterday Liu Xu had taught them how to make bean dregs cakes, which tasted good, much better than grain cakes. Liu Changshun thought that perhaps the bean dregs could also be sold for money.

Having said everything that needed to be said, Liu Xu stopped caring and took Qiao Yun home.

She planned to ask Uncle He to order a small stone mill so that the family could make some on weekdays. And it's not just tofu and bean curd, soy milk is also a good thing, not only nutritious, but also said to beautify the skin and slow down aging, so it must be arranged for everyone in the family!

Oh, right, there are also bean curd sheets and dried tofu... As Liu Xu walked, he kept thinking about what could be made with beans.

"Hey, why did I forget about the bean sprouts!" Liu Xu suddenly stopped talking, and Qiao Yun almost bumped into him without paying attention.

"Miss, why did you stop suddenly?" Qiao Yun asked puzzledly.

"Hurry, Qiao Yun, let's go home. I've thought of another good thing!" After saying that, without waiting for Qiao Yun's reaction, he pulled her and ran home.

Liu Xu asked Grandma Fang to help her find a basin, and took out some soybeans, washed them and soaked them, then brought the basin back to her room.

After finishing, I went to the main room.

Since they moved into the new house, Xu Ruolan had to do some needlework to pass the time, except for taking care of the baby. Thinking of how she had to work in the fields with a bulging belly a few months ago, she felt as if she was in another world.

Since her daughter had that adventure, the family's conditions have been getting better and better. Although her life is not as good as when she was at home, it is still quite good in Yuyang Town. The only thing she is worried about is the whereabouts of her husband, parents and brothers. She doesn't know where they are now.

Just as Xu Ruolan was daydreaming, Liu Xu's voice came: "Mom, why are you sewing again? The light in the room is not good. You will hurt your eyes if you turn around."

Xu Ruolan came back to her senses, looked at her worried daughter, and said gently, "Don't worry, I don't do this all the time. I'm just idle, right? Your brother is taken care of by your Aunt Yue and Aunt Mo, and you've arranged the house very well. I don't have anything important to do every day, so I can only make some clothes for you and your grandfather."

After hearing this, Liu Xu bit her lip, walked forward and hugged Xu Ruolan's arm tightly, and said with a guilty heart: "I'm sorry, mother, it's all Xu'er's fault. I ignored you!"

She was busy all day long, and really didn't consider Xu Ruolan's situation. There were many maids and servants in the family now, and her mother really didn't have much to worry about. If she didn't find something to do, she would be so bored.

"Silly child, what are you talking about!" Xu Ruolan gently tapped her daughter's forehead, "Mother only blames herself for being incompetent and unable to help you with anything, so you have to run around for the family at such a young age."

"My mother is not incompetent! Xu'er knows it very well. My mother can write and count, and she is even better at needlework. She is no worse than the embroiderers in the county town's clothing shops."

Liu Xu leaned her head on Xu Ruolan's shoulder and continued in a coquettish tone, "Besides, if it weren't for my mother silently supporting and encouraging me behind my back, how could I do things without any worries?"

Xu Ruolan patted Liu Xu's back gently, her eyes full of love: "My Xu'er is so sensible, mother is happy from the bottom of my heart. Don't worry about me, I will only make simple ones occasionally. Those laborious tricks have been taken away by your aunt Ling now."

Liu Xu then remembered that, yes, there was a professional embroiderer at home now. She rolled her eyes and suddenly thought of an idea. She looked at Xu Ruolan with sparkling eyes and said, "Mom, how about we open a small workshop?"

"Huh? Workshop? What workshop? You're dealing with mushrooms and tofu, and you also have to worry about the affairs of the Treasure Pavilion. Can you handle it? Xu'er, our family has enough money now. You're only seven years old. If you tire yourself out, it will be a waste of time and effort. Do you understand?" Xu Ruolan said worriedly.

"Mom, it's not me who's driving, it's you!" Liu Xu looked at Xu Ruolan with a smile.

"Mom, since you are bored at home now, why not organize the women in the village to open a small clothing workshop? We don't sell those new styles, just ordinary cloth clothes, cotton clothes, quilt covers and the like. We don't need advanced embroidery skills, as long as the stitches are fine and neat. This way you will have something to do, and it can also give the aunts and uncles in the village an extra income. What do you think?"

"But Xu'er, any woman in the family can make these things. Who are you going to sell them to? Don't let them be a burden on you later?" Xu Ruolan frowned and shook her head when she heard this.

"Don't worry, Mom. I will find a market for you! I promise you that you can sell as much as you make! Besides, there are only a few people in our village. If you are worried that you can't sell them, I am even more worried that there won't be enough to sell!" Liu Xu said, patting his chest.

Although many families make their own clothes, the price is relatively high because ready-made clothes are usually made to order. She plans to talk to her mother about the assembly line production model, which can be divided into large, medium and small batches, so that most of the costs can be reduced.

Besides, she thought the quilt cover was a good selling point. Nowadays, except for her family and Xing'er's family, everyone used quilts that were washed and sewed every time, which was very troublesome. It was much more convenient to use a quilt cover. When the time comes, let her mother draw some patterns and find a few people with good embroidery skills to embroider them. I believe there will be many people who will buy them.

Liu Xu analyzed all of this in detail to Xu Ruolan. After thinking about it, Xu Ruolan was a little tempted, but she did not agree to open a workshop. She only said that she would first find a few people with whom she had good relationships to try it out. If it worked, she would talk about the workshop then.

Liu Xu certainly had no objection. Her main purpose was to find something for her mother to do, so that she wouldn't be idle and have wild thoughts. When she came in just now, she saw that her mother was holding needle and thread in her hands, but she was staring out the window with a sad face.

Willow Catkins: Phew, it seems that we have to make arrangements to visit Grandpa's family. There are so many things to do!

After collecting her thoughts, Liu Xu told Xu Ruolan about her bean sprouts, but she didn't expect her mother to say that she had eaten them.

Well, she underestimated the wisdom of the ancients.

"But there doesn't seem to be any in Qinghe County, Xuer, are you planning to sell it?" Xu Ruolan asked.

"Mom, I find that the poor transportation is really bad. Look, Yongkang Prefecture is not far from our Yongshun, but such delicious food has not been delivered here!" Liu Xu shrugged and sighed.

"But I don't plan to sell this myself. Mom, what do you think about us teaching this to Dazhu's family? When we were there before, Zhuang's wife helped us a lot, but later we moved away and the contact was less frequent!"

Xu Ruolan felt guilty after hearing this. Since they separated, they lived farther away from each other and had less contact with Zhuang's wife. Especially after moving to the new house, the family was always busy and she neglected it.

"I think it's okay. Bean sprouts are a simple thing to make anyway. Your uncle Dazhu's family has few people, so it's not difficult to make them. However, let your mother take care of this matter. You are still young, so keep a low profile. Although we have the Chang family in front, we are just an ordinary farm family after all. Once the things over at Zhenxiu Pavilion are sorted out, you can stay at home and practice your calligraphy well. You also have to learn needlework. Do you understand?" Xu Ruolan said earnestly.

Liu Xu was stunned for a moment, then she understood what her mother meant. She understood the principle of being guilty of possessing a treasure, and she thought of the previous kidnapping. She was still young, and if she stood out too much, who knew who would be attracted, and then it would be more trouble than it was worth.

Liu Xu nodded solemnly to her mother, and then told her mother all the details of growing bean sprouts. After Xu Ruolan remembered everything, she went to play with her two younger brothers.

At this time, they didn't know that a group of people came to the capital today, holding a portrait and asking around. When the wind blew, the person in the painting looked very similar to Xu Ruolan, but he looked younger.

The group of people looked hurried, asking everyone they met, their eyes filled with anxiety and anticipation.

One of them sighed and said, "I don't know if the young lady has already... After all, it has been so many years..."

The other person wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, "Let's do our best and leave the rest to fate. The old lady is getting sicker and sicker. I hope God will be merciful and let us find the young lady as soon as possible, otherwise..."