Chapter 48.2

Although it wasn’t fully dark yet, the sky had grown dim, and the chimneys in every household of the village were emitting thick white smoke, indicating that everyone was likely cooking dinner. Only when preparing dinner would people burn large amounts of firewood, producing so much smoke.

“Sis, it’s colder this year than last year.”

Chuchu struggled to keep up with Qin Qingman, his short legs working hard as he trudged through the snow. Since Wei Ling wasn’t with them, there was no one to carry him, so he had to walk on his own.

“Chuchu, why don’t you go back? I can go by myself.” Seeing how hard it was for Chuchu to walk through the snow, Qin Qingman gently suggested.

“Sis, I can walk.” Chuchu, trying to act tough, purposely let go of Qin Qingman’s hand and started running to prove he was fine.

“Chuchu, be careful!”

Qin Qingman was startled, feeling a bead of sweat form.

Though falling in the soft snow wouldn’t be a big deal, it would still hurt.

“Sis, I’m fine, look how well I’m walking.” To prove he was truly okay, Chuchu turned around with a bright smile for Qin Qingman, but in his excitement, he stepped on a patch of ice and slipped.

“Ah—!” Chuchu’s scream echoed through the air.

Qin Qingman could only watch helplessly as Chuchu fell into the snow.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help, but there was nothing she could do.

At this moment, Chuchu was at least ten meters away, and no matter how fast she moved, she wouldn’t make it in time. On top of that, she was carrying the soybeans, and if they spilled, she would have to pick them up before it got dark. Lastly, Qin Qingman could see that Chuchu had fallen in a safe spot, so she didn’t rush to his aid.

“Puh—”

Chuchu, lying in the snow, struggled to lift his head and spit out the snow in his mouth.

By the time he did, his entire face was flushed red.

From the cold.

“You asked to walk, but you insisted on running. Now you’ve learned your lesson.” Qin Qingman said, her expression calm as she passed by Chuchu without offering a hand or any words of comfort.

Chuchu, knowing the fall was his own fault, quickly got up, brushed the snow off his clothes, and caught up with Qin Qingman.

“Sis, I’m sorry.”

The child sincerely apologized and obediently placed his hand in Qin Qingman’s, allowing her to hold it as they walked.

“Are you going to act tough again next time?” Qin Qingman tightened her grip on Chuchu’s hand.

“I won’t dare again.” Chuchu shook his head vigorously, still feeling regretful from the fall.

Seeing the true remorse on Chuchu’s face, Qin Qingman finally asked, “Does it hurt?”

Since marrying Wei Ling, they had no shortage of supplies, so Chuchu was bundled up warmly. When he heard Qin Qingman’s question, he shook his head and replied, “Sis, it’s not really painful, just cold.” He had face-planted into the snow, and that cold was bone-chilling.

Qin Qingman almost laughed, but she maintained the role of the older sister. “I’ll make you a fried egg when we get home.”

“Great, fried eggs!” Chuchu’s face immediately lit up with a smile. He even thought of the others. “Make a couple more, one for you and one for Brother-in-law, and we’ll all eat together.”

Qin Qingman couldn’t help but laugh and sigh. It was so easy to please a child these days.

If it had been in a later time, just one egg would hardly be enough to console a child who had fallen and was crying.

Back at the Qin household, Wei Ling watched as the siblings walked hand in hand, before turning his attention back to cleaning the fish by the well. The moment Chuchu’s scream had pierced the air, his gaze had immediately snapped over to make sure the child wasn’t hurt, which was why he hadn’t moved.

However, his sharp hearing caught the conversation between the siblings.

When he heard that there would be fried eggs for him too, Wei Ling picked up the pace with his work.

He was already looking forward to eating those eggs with honey.

The Qin family wasn’t far from Aunt Zhang’s house—only seven or eight households apart. When Qin Qingman and Chuchu arrived at Aunt Zhang’s door, they ran into Ah Yun, who had just finished trading tofu.

“Qingman, you’re here to trade for tofu?” Ah Yun greeted them with a smile.

“Aunt Ah Yun.”

Qin Qingman smiled as she responded, “I heard Aunt Zhang’s family made tofu, and since Chuchu and I haven’t had tofu in a long time, we came to get some.”

“Tofu is delicious. Qingman, hurry inside. There isn’t much tofu left at Aunt Zhang’s place.” Ah Yun kindly reminded them, before cheerfully leaving with the tofu she had swapped for.

Though many families in the village made tofu, no one’s skill was as good as Zhang Hongmei’s. Whenever Zhang Hongmei made tofu, families that could afford it would bring over a few pounds of beans to exchange for tofu to take home.

Making tofu in the middle of winter was not only cold work, but it also used a lot of firewood and strength. Most people didn’t want to make it themselves.

After hearing Aunt Yun’s reminder, Qin Qingman and her brother quickly entered Zhang Hongmei’s house.

“Qingman, are you here to swap for tofu? How much do you want?” Zhang Hongmei had just turned around from the kitchen when she saw the siblings. Noticing how much better they looked, she warmly asked.

“Aunt, how much is left?” Qin Qingman looked around the kitchen.

Everything was neatly arranged; the baskets used to hold the tofu and the cloths used to cover it were all very clean. Qin Qingman immediately knew that Zhang Hongmei was a person who valued cleanliness, and food made by such a person would surely be hygienic.

“Do you want a lot, Qingman?” Zhang Hongmei asked, catching the meaning behind Qin Qingman’s words.

“Yes, Aunt, I can’t make tofu, and since the weather is nice, if there’s enough, I’ll take it all. Frozen tofu is great for stews.” Qin Qingman didn’t hide her plans from Zhang Hongmei.

Frozen tofu is perfect for hotpot in winter. If paired with iron pot stewed fish, it’s an exquisite delicacy. The holes in the tofu soak up all the soup, and when you take a bite, it’s both piping hot and satisfying.

“You want frozen tofu?” Zhang Hongmei paused in lifting the cloth.

“Does Aunt have some?” Qin Qingman caught the implication in Zhang Hongmei’s tone.

“My family makes tofu several times every winter, and I’ve frozen quite a bit. If you want some, I’ll share it with you.” Zhang Hongmei said, smiling warmly at Qin Qingman.

From Zhang Hongmei’s smile, Qin Qingman sensed that she might need something in return. She said, “Aunt, if it’s convenient, you can give me some.” Her family wasn’t lacking in resources, so she wasn’t worried about Zhang Hongmei asking for something in return.

“My second daughter-in-law gave birth to a grandson last month. Everything is good, except she doesn’t have much milk. I heard you caught some fish today. Could you spare me one?” Zhang Hongmei spoke a bit shyly.

“Sure, Aunt, I’ll give you one.” Qin Qingman replied.

She believed in helping when people were in urgent need, not necessarily when they were financially struggling, so she was happy to help out.

“You’re a lifesaver! I don’t even know how to thank you. Wait here, I’ll go get you some frozen tofu.” Zhang Hongmei said, her tone full of gratitude. She was a diligent person, speaking and acting swiftly. Upon hearing that Qin Qingman had agreed to give her a fish, she immediately grabbed a large basket and went outside to pick tofu from the snow.

The tofu had already been cut into one-inch cubes, so it could simply be added to the pot when cooking.

Zhang Hongmei filled the basket with tofu, at least ten or more pounds of it.

She weighed it in her hands and thought that giving Qin Qingman a large fish weighing over ten pounds in exchange for this tofu wasn’t quite enough. After thinking for a moment, she said to Qin Qingman, “Qingman, I still have more than twenty pounds of fresh tofu left. You can take it all.”

“Alright, Aunt, I won’t be polite then.”

Qin Qingman put down the willow basket she had been carrying and decided not to take the soybeans back home with her.

“Qingman, I’ll walk you home.” Zhang Hongmei offered. With over ten pounds of frozen tofu and twenty pounds of fresh tofu, it would be too much for Qin Qingman and Chuchu to carry by themselves. Since Zhang Hongmei was already planning to exchange fish from Qin’s family, she decided to personally deliver the tofu.

“Aunt, I appreciate it.” Qin Qingman accepted Zhang Hongmei’s kind offer.

“Qingman, come to think of it, I should be thanking you. The fish in the river are hard to catch at this time of year. My husband and two sons have been taking turns chiseling through the ice by the river, but they haven’t even been able to break the ice all the way through. It’s just too difficult to get fish around here in the winter.” Zhang Hongmei said as she walked beside Qin Qingman, sharing the struggles of winter fishing.

Qin Qingman empathized, agreeing, “Aunt, you’re right. It’s so cold here that even if there are fish in the river, you can see them but can’t catch them.”

“Your husband is a good man.” Zhang Hongmei praised Wei Ling.

“Brother-in-law is really amazing.” Chuchu chimed in proudly. He admired Wei Ling greatly and was genuinely happy to hear others praise him.

“Right, Chuchu’s brother-in-law is very impressive.” Zhang Hongmei said, smiling at Chuchu’s proud expression. She also couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for how Qin Qingman had finally found happiness after so much hardship.

Before Wei Ling appeared, the little girl was often bullied by several of the other women in the village and was as timid as a quail. She would never even raise her head, always looking down, being overly obedient and meek. No one ever thought that Qin Qingman was particularly striking. But now, with Wei Ling by her side, with a strong protector, she seemed much more confident.

When a person becomes more confident, even their demeanor can change dramatically.

She was truly lucky!

Qin Qingman had no idea that Zhang Hongmei saw her in such a light. With Zhang Hongmei’s help, a few minutes later, they had returned to the Qin household.

“Ah Ling, go get a bigger fish for Aunt. I’m giving it to my daughter-in-law to help her recover.” Qin Qingman said as she entered, seeing Wei Ling standing in the yard. She gave him instructions from a distance.

“Alright.” Wei Ling replied. Though he didn’t know the full context, he obediently went to do as she asked.

A minute later, a fish that felt hefty in his hands was handed to Zhang Hongmei.

“Qingman, thank you so much. In the future, whenever my family makes tofu, I’ll send you some to taste.” Zhang Hongmei said warmly, knowing how to express her gratitude.

One pound of beans could yield several pounds of tofu, but Zhang Hongmei understood that the tofu she was giving didn’t compare to the fish Qin Qingman had provided.

“Aunt, your tofu-making skills are great. We’ll be lucky to have some in the future.” Qin Qingman said with a smile as she sent Zhang Hongmei off.

Sometimes, in relationships between neighbors, favors weren’t calculated so straightforwardly. This was just fine—she had done a good deed and received kindness in return.

By now, Wei Ling had already learned the full situation from Chuchu. He had buried the frozen tofu near the well, alongside wild boar meat, fish, and even a pair of bear paws that they had brought down from the mountain. It was a well-stocked cache.

“Let’s go, we’ll cook some eggs and eat, then we’ll stew the fish.” Qin Qingman said as she locked the gate and invited Wei Ling and Chuchu into the house.

It was getting late, and it was time for their dinner.

“Wife, how should I handle these fresh tofu?” Wei Ling asked, holding the twenty-odd pounds of tofu.

Since it was all fresh tofu, the best way to store it was by turning it into frozen tofu.

But Qin Qingman had her own plans. The moment Zhang Hongmei gave her the fresh tofu, she had already thought about how to deal with it. She directed Wei Ling, “Ah Ling, take it to the parlor, but keep it far from the stove. Then, take Chuchu to get some wheat straw and wash it clean. I’ll need it later.”

“Alright.” Wei Ling never questioned Qin Qingman’s decisions and always supported her unconditionally.

Qin Qingman immediately showed a smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

“Sis, what do we need the straw for?” Chuchu asked, looking at Qin Qingman in confusion.

“To make hairy tofu.” Qin Qingman answered as she turned and headed into the kitchen to get busy.

Within a few minutes, she had boiled a few eggs, and the family shared them to warm up. After eating, they each went back to their tasks.

Qin Qingman glanced at the fish that Wei Ling had prepared. It was very large and heavy. Such a big fish would take a while to stew, so she had to get moving. Otherwise, other families would have already finished their meals while hers would still be getting started.

Meanwhile, Chuchu, who had never eaten or even heard of hairy tofu, had no idea what it was. He didn’t ask either, simply scratching his head and leading Wei Ling to the backyard.

The backyard was a vegetable garden, and there were many things piled nearby.

Various kinds of straw were there.

Wei Ling and Chuchu picked out some fresh straw and carried it back to the parlor to sort through.

They trimmed off the ends, leaving only the middle sections. This method had been confirmed with Qin Qingman beforehand.

Once it was ready, Wei Ling took the straw to the well and washed it thoroughly before bringing it back to the parlor to dry in the willow basket.

“Brother-in-law, it smells so good.” Chuchu said, following Wei Ling around like a little shadow. He could smell the food from the kitchen wafting through the air.

“Let’s pick some garlic sprouts and go help in the kitchen.” Wei Ling suggested cleverly, finding a way to get into the kitchen.

“I’ll go!” Chuchu said quickly, rushing off to pick garlic sprouts.

In the kitchen, Qin Qingman was kneading dough. For iron pot stewed fish, there would definitely be flatbreads made to go with it. The recipe was seven parts cornmeal and three parts white flour, and the result was even more fragrant than buns.

Seeing the pair come into the kitchen, Qin Qingman knew they were offering to help and instructed, “You two go watch the fire. Don’t let it get too big or too small. Just keep the soup in the pot at a gentle simmer.”

“I’ll do it!” Chuchu volunteered eagerly.

Although he was only five years old, he had been tending the fire for two years. His ability to control the heat was far from perfect, but he could at least meet Qin Qingman’s expectations.

“Be careful, don’t burn your hands.” Qin Qingman reminded him.

“Got it, sis, I’ll use the fire tongs.” Chuchu replied. He grabbed a small stool and sat down in front of the stove, managing the firewood while eagerly inhaling the rich aroma coming from the iron pot. He had already seen that his sister had started stewing the fish, and it was being prepared in a braised style.

“Wife, let me help.” Wei Ling said, his hands freshly washed, standing beside Qin Qingman and rolling up his sleeves.

“No need, you can’t make the flatbreads for the iron pot. I’ve almost finished kneading, and it’s ready to be placed on the pot.” Qin Qingman replied, not wanting to trouble Wei Ling.

“Wife, I can learn.” Wei Ling said eagerly. Although he didn’t know how to make the flatbreads yet, once he learned, he could help Qin Qingman. He didn’t want her to always have to make them herself whenever she wanted them; he also wanted her to taste his cooking.

“Alright, then watch me closely.” Qin Qingman agreed, seeing Wei Ling’s enthusiasm, which made her heart warm.

The fish in the pot was already stewing, and the iron walls of the pot were heating up. Qin Qingman took a handful of the kneaded dough and forcefully slapped it onto the edge of the pot.

As soon as the dough stuck to the side, it started to slide down, but after a short distance, it stopped moving.

“Ah Ling, just follow my lead and cover the entire edge of the pot like this.” Qin Qingman had prepared plenty of dough, ensuring she could cover the entire pot wall.

Making the flatbreads was quite simple, and Wei Ling learned it after just one demonstration.

He was trained in martial arts, so his control of force was precise. With his help, the entire edge of the pot was lined with flatbreads, all nearly identical in size.

“Excellent.” Before covering the pot, Qin Qingman added the soaked yellow mushrooms and dried daylily flowers into the pot. These ingredients not only enhanced the flavor but also brought out the deliciousness of the fish.

“Sis, when can we eat?” Chuchu, having long abandoned his warm spot by the stove, was now trailing closely behind Qin Qingman, unable to wait any longer as the rich smell from the pot grew stronger.

“The fish is big, it will take about half an hour to stew.” Qin Qingman answered Chuchu while adding the frozen tofu into the pot.

With enough seasoning in the pot, there was no need to stir or add anything during the next half hour of stewing. Now was the perfect time to add the frozen tofu. After being cooked, it would soak up the broth, absorbing all the flavors.

“Half an hour more?” Chuchu’s eyes stayed glued to the pot.

“Yes, half an hour. If we don’t wait, the fish won’t taste as good.” Qin Qingman said with a smile, lightly flicking Chuchu on the forehead with her freshly washed hand.

“Okay, I’ll go watch the fire.” Chuchu said, covering his forehead where Qin Qingman had flicked him. He obediently returned to the stove.

Seeing Qin Qingman teasing Chuchu, Wei Ling didn’t intervene because he knew that Qin Qingman had a sense of balance, and such playful teasing was part of building their bond.

“Chuchu, help me start another pot.” Qin Qingman called as she decided not to just wait idly for the fish to cook. She directed Chuchu, then asked Wei Ling to go into the parlor and bring the fresh tofu to the kitchen.

She quickly cleaned the new pot and filled it with water, preparing it for the next step.

When the water started to boil, she grabbed a clean willow basket and entered the kitchen.

“Sis, the water’s boiling.” Chuchu said, curious about how Qin Qingman was going to make the hairy tofu. He immediately reminded her once the water reached a boil.

“Got it.” Qin Qingman replied. She saw the water boiling and didn’t immediately start preparing the tofu. Instead, she threw the cleaned straw into the boiling water and let it cook for five minutes before pulling it out to drain and placing it in front of the fire in the parlor to dry.

The straw was hollow, making it an excellent firestarter. Qin Qingman was worried it might burn if overcooked, so she specifically reminded Wei Ling to keep an eye on it and turn it over carefully.

After finishing the straw processing, Qin Qingman poured out the used water, washed the pot again, and began to boil new water.

Five or six minutes later, Wei Ling returned with the dried straw.

Qin Qingman touched the straw and confirmed it was indeed dry. She then laid a thick layer of it in the willow basket. Just as she finished, the water in the pot began to boil.

Without Chuchu needing to remind her, Qin Qingman spread a piece of tofu on her left hand, took a knife in her right hand, and neatly cut the tofu into one-inch square pieces before placing them into the boiling water. She continued dropping pieces of tofu into the pot until she had placed several.

Then, she took the chopsticks Wei Ling handed her and carefully scooped the tofu out, placing each piece into the willow basket lined with straw.

She made sure there was a little space between each piece of tofu, which was necessary for the tofu to ferment and grow fungal threads.

Once the threads began to grow, they would become soft and fluffy, very cute to look at.

This was Qin Qingman’s first time making hairy tofu. She had learned how it was done when she was a child, watching her grandmother make it. However, just knowing how it was done didn’t mean she was entirely confident in her ability to do it herself, so she didn’t plan to make all the fresh tofu into hairy tofu.

She made half, and the other half would be frozen, to be enjoyed next year when the snow melted.

“Ah Ling, help me cover it with a layer of straw.”

Qin Qingman saw that the tofu in the willow basket was almost covered, so she instructed Wei Ling to help her lay a layer of straw over the hot tofu. Once the new straw was laid, she returned to the pot to add more tofu, letting it boil for a while before taking it out and placing it on top of the straw.

She repeated the process of layering, eventually placing five layers in total.

After covering five layers, three large pieces of tofu remained, each weighing at least two pounds.

“Ah Ling, help me move the willow basket to the hall and place it against the wall. It doesn’t need to be too close to the stove, but it should still be warm enough for the tofu.” Qin Qingman said as she cut the remaining tofu into thick slices and placed them in a basin.

She planned to freeze this remaining tofu in the snow.

Wei Ling quickly returned from the hall, and without needing further instructions, she took the cut tofu outside to freeze it.

By now, the entire kitchen was filled with a rich, appetizing aroma.

The fish was already fresh and delicious, and combined with the small yellow mushrooms, dried daylilies, and a hint of pork belly fat, it made everyone in the house salivate uncontrollably.

“Sister, can we eat now?”

Chuchu, unable to sit still any longer, followed Qin Qingman around like a little tail.

“Wait for me to lift the lid and check.” Qin Qingman said, glancing at the boiling water in the pot. She covered it with a lid, and with the warmth from the stove still lingering, the water would remain hot enough to be used for washing dishes after their meal.

“Sister, hurry and lift the lid.”

Chuchu, quick-witted as always, brought over the rice basket. The lid of the pot had stuck to the pancake, so it had to be lifted first.

Qin Qingman was very pleased with Chuchu’s cleverness. Just as she saw Wei Ling entering, she said, “Ah Ling, close the door. We’re getting ready to eat.”

“Okay.” Wei Ling quickly shut the door behind her. Once the door was closed, the cold from outside was sealed away.

At that moment, Qin Qingman lifted the pot lid.

As soon as the lid was lifted, white steam instantly rose. The fragrance that had been locked in the pot quickly filled the entire kitchen, spreading through every tiny crack and seam, eventually drifting throughout the Qin family home and continuing to dissipate outside.

—o—o—o—