The Story of a Destitute Noblewoman Farming

"Hiss, could it be that the owner of this place is so powerful that he could actually get so many cow stomachs to give to everyone as a new dish? He's really generous."

"Beef stomach, it sounds just as unpalatable as pig stomach, and they can still sell it. Pig stomach is the ugliest thing. I think we should stop guessing and try something else."

"No, no, this is not a cow's stomach. Please continue guessing." Lu Manyin explained with a smile.

"What exactly is it? Can anyone guess? Could it be that it's not produced locally, or is it uncommon? How can we guess it then? In this vast world, with all things created by nature, it's really hard to guess."

"Yeah, I still haven't figured it out, but it's pretty delicious. We've all finished our meal. Waiter, how much do you usually charge for a dish like this? Is it expensive?"

"Sir, a plate like this with meat on it costs twenty cents. If it's meatless, it's ten cents. And it's a large plate, so the portion is plenty."

"What? Something so delicious only costs ten cents?" Someone looked at the dish that had been eaten up in surprise.

"The shop owner's strategy is to sell at a low profit but quick turnover. If you haven't guessed it yet, I'll announce the name of this thing. I'm sure some people have seen it and are used to it, but they just don't know how to make such a delicious dish."

"Hurry up and tell me, we've all been guessing here and there, but we can't figure it out. I want to see what it is that you're so used to it."

He joined in the cheering, and the people around him also asked him to tell the answer.

"This thing is called Konjac Tofu. It's made from Konjac. I guess someone knows about it and recognizes it?"

"What, konjac? That thing is poisonous. Normally, we stay away from it when we see it. I just ate konjac. Look, I'm not poisoned. How dare you sell poisonous things here?"

One person immediately stood up and touched his neck with both hands, as if he had been poisoned.

"It turned out to be konjac. I've heard that konjac is poisonous, but I never thought it would be so delicious. How did you make it? Brother, you didn't get poisoned. We've all been sitting here for a long time, and no one has been poisoned."

The man finally reacted, touched his neck awkwardly and sat down, then thought again, this thing can actually be sold for money, there are a lot of konjacs on the mountain in their hometown, and being able to eat it means making money.

"Don't panic, everyone. We've already tasted these things and removed the toxins before we dare to serve them to you. This will be a new dish in our restaurant from now on. However, we still want to remind everyone that konjac is indeed poisonous and cannot be prepared and eaten casually. It needs to be processed professionally before it can be eaten. Please do not prepare it without authorization.

If you like to eat konjac, you can go to the Lu’s Fresh Food Store at the back door of the county government office to buy professionally processed konjac tofu. After returning home, you can fry it and eat it like the one in the store, and it has a good filling effect.

Our boss said that konjac is a treasure in Chongshui County. Chongshui County has been guarding this treasure but has no place to use it, causing it to remain neglected. In the future, our boss will contribute to the county magistrate a method to make konjac tofu non-toxic, so that the people of Chongshui can have another dish on their tables."

"Boss Lu is such a kind person. She actually knew this method that no one else knew. If she had kept this recipe secret, the shop's business would have been prosperous. But she selflessly offered this method to us. It's for the good of us Chongshui people. Thank you, Boss Lu."

"Thank you, Mr. Lu. There are also many people in our hometown who can't eat enough after the New Year. This thing can really help them overcome hunger. Mr. Lu is so righteous. I can't wait."

"Thank you, Mr. Lu. We'll go buy some konjac tofu and try it at home later."

A voice of thanks came from the front yard, and even the county magistrate and the chief clerk heard it. After asking, they found out that it was the dish they were discussing just now.

"Mr. County Magistrate, Mr. Li, I will write down the recipe for this konjac tofu tomorrow and hand it over to the county magistrate personally." Lu Linlang expressed her opinion to the two of them on the spot.

"Master Lu is truly a straightforward man. To be honest, even we, the lord, have no choice but to comply with the tax demands of the imperial court. We know that people's lives are difficult, but we are caught in a dilemma. Today, this konjac has actually helped the lord a lot."

The county magistrate thought that this could be regarded as a political achievement for the adults, and it could also ease the conflicts with the people. It was like finding a pillow when you were sleepy. Isn't this a good thing?

The two of them used some of it casually and returned to the county government office with concerns, determined to tell the adults about this matter.

After the two left, the clan leader looked at Lu Linlang in confusion.

"Linlang girl, you can be said to be the first person to research the recipe for konjac tofu. If you keep this secret, you might be able to make more money in the future. If you tell others like this, won't you lose money?"

"Chief, if someone hears that konjac is edible, will they just dig it up and eat it without caring about anything? If that happens, will the family that gets poisoned be angry and blame me for misleading everyone, causing the loss of life?"

"It seems that this is indeed possible. Many people are not from wealthy families. Konjac grows on the mountain and even in the fields. If they knew about it and were very hungry, they would definitely try it again." After hearing this, the patriarch figured it out immediately.

“Although I can choose not to tell others what this is, truth will come out eventually. Someone with ulterior motives will find out the raw materials of this thing. If something goes wrong, someone will still put the blame on me. Besides, people’s lives are hard, and having one more dish means having one more chance to save their lives.

So instead of taking risks to earn this money, it is better to publish the recipe openly. It will not only sell well in front of the county magistrate, but also benefit the people. Our Lu family's reputation will also be better. With this, no one will dare to bully the people of Lujia Village.

There are other ways to do business, but as a person, you should benefit yourself without harming others. I don't want to be vilified, and I want our Xishan Village Lu family to become famous in Chongshui."

"Linlang girl, I don't have your foresight. You are doing this for the sake of our people. You gave up giving away this profitable golden chicken for the sake of reputation."

"Chief, do you think many people in this world know how to make tofu?" Lu Linlang looked at her with a smile.

"Tofu, many people do know how to make it, but it's very tiring. You have to soak the beans, grind them, filter them, cook the tofu pudding, and so on. After all this, you only make a hard-earned living, which is not cost-effective. Plus, it takes a whole day to pick them out and sell them. There are already a few shops selling them in town, so I can only sell them in the village."

The patriarch didn't realize what she meant and spoke subconsciously.

"So this konjac tofu is just like tofu. It sounds simple, but it's actually very troublesome to make. If every household has to spend a whole morning making it just to eat it, how many people have the patience?

So we should open a konjac tofu processing workshop in the village before everyone reacts, and try to distribute the product in various towns and counties, making it high-quality and low-priced, so that everyone will feel that instead of spending a whole morning making it, it is better to just buy it home and eat it ready-made like tofu. Wouldn't that mean we can make money?

By then, with supply channels, tofu or other complex foods can also be sold through these channels, wouldn't it be possible to make a profit?"