Chapter 49

Wang Min’er’s thoughts remained a mystery to everyone. Wang Yuan’er only harbored a vague seed of suspicion in her heart. However, as the two sisters were not particularly close, Wang Yuan’er did not spend much effort guessing. Instead, she focused on making her pickled tofu.

Since Wang Qing’er had run off, Wang Yuan’er had no choice but to ask Wang Chun’er for help.

The sisters cleaned the small jars they had purchased, dried them, and then poured boiling water inside. They added salt, stirred it, and left them outside.

“Eldest Sister, this salted water is so salty. Can it even be eaten?” Wang Chun’er asked, dipping her finger in the water to taste it. The saltiness made her stick out her tongue.

“You just don’t understand. Making pickled tofu requires it to be salty—that’s what makes it so flavorful and great as a condiment,” Wang Yuan’er replied with a smile.

While waiting for the water to cool down, they prepared other ingredients for the marinade. The chili peppers had already been chopped finely and dried into a semi-powdered form a few days earlier, while the fermented black beans and other ingredients were freshly added.

The New Year was just two days away, and the extreme cold weather cooled the jars outside in less than half an hour.

Wang Yuan’er checked the temperature, cleaned her hands again, and poured a bowl of white wine. She then placed the dried, hardened tofu into a large bowl to soak for a while. This not only cleaned the tofu but also infused it with a faint wine fragrance, enhancing the flavor. After soaking in the wine, the tofu pieces were coated in a thick sauce made of chili, minced garlic, and other ingredients and then carefully layered into jars.

Wang Chun’er watched her with wide, unblinking eyes full of curiosity. “Eldest Sister, how did you learn to make this?”

Without stopping her work, Wang Yuan’er replied, “A while back, I read a book of old stories at the bookstore. I vaguely remember one chapter explaining how to make this dish, so I decided to try it. If it works out, we can sell it for money.”

Wang Yuan’er’s mother, Madam Liang, being the daughter of a scholar, knew how to read and write. She had also taught her children to recognize characters from a young age. It wasn’t surprising that Wang Yuan’er would occasionally browse through books at the local bookstore.

Wang Chun’er, ever trusting and admiring of her eldest sister, didn’t doubt her words. She simply looked at her with admiration and praised her efforts.

Wang Yuan’er smiled. While chatting, she had packed all the tofu pieces into the jars. Setting down her chopsticks, she picked up the thick sauce and poured half into each jar. Then, she added oil to submerge the tofu completely before tightly securing the lids.

“Eldest Sister, you’ve used so much oil. Won’t Grandma scold us?” Wang Chun’er asked nervously, seeing that the oil jar was now more than half empty.

Wang Yuan’er noticed it too and frowned briefly before quickly responding, “Don’t worry, I still have some money. I’ll buy more later.”

Since their household had not yet separated, the kitchen supplies were communal property. Truthfully, Wang Yuan’er was acting with a bit of selfish intent while making this. Now, she could only use her own money to replenish the oil supply.

Wang Chun’er had no objections to this.

Once everything was tidied up, Wang Yuan’er took clean cotton cloths to cover the lids of the jars, tied them tightly with string, and carefully placed the jars of pickled tofu into a basket lined with dry straw. She carried them to the east room and stored them there. After a few days, when the tofu had fully fermented, the jars could finally be opened.

With everything set, she hurried off to the oil shop and bought a good amount of oil to avoid being criticized by her second aunt and others in the household.

Sure enough, Madam Zhang was in the kitchen, grumbling about how much oil had been used. Wang Yuan’er stayed silent as she poured the oil back into the communal jar, which finally put an end to the complaints—although Madam Zhang continued to mutter about wastefulness and poor management.

Chapter 50

On New Year’s Eve, heavy snow began to fall again. It was said that a timely snow foretold a bountiful year, and the residents of Changle Town were overjoyed. For ordinary people, it didn’t matter who the emperor was—as long as they had enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, they were content.

At dawn, the younger children, like Fuduo and Lan’er, rushed outside to build snowmen. Meanwhile, Grandma Wang busied herself with preparing offerings for the gods. Madam Liang wanted to help, but Wang Yuan’er stopped her—after all, she was already nine months pregnant and not fit for hard work.

Grandma Wang also relented, considering Madam Liang’s condition. However, Madam Zhang muttered complaints under her breath. After all, they were both daughters-in-law, so why should things be different? But one stern glance from Grandma Wang silenced her, and she obediently carried on with her chores.

“Mother, I’m going to visit Aunt,” Wang Min’er announced, all dressed up and ready to head out.

“Again? Why have you been running to your aunt’s place so often these past two days? Today is New Year’s Eve. The Tang family must be bustling with so many people back. Don’t go causing trouble for your aunt,” Madam Zhang said, puzzled by her daughter’s newfound enthusiasm for these visits.

Thinking of her elder brother’s second son, who was sixteen and still unmarried, and recalling how fond Madam Zhou was of her daughter, Madam Zhang grew uneasy. She promptly grabbed hold of Min’er, saying, “Stay home and help me like a good girl.”

She had worked so hard to raise her daughter; there was no way she’d let her end up in a family like Zhou’s. Even though Zhou’s family was her blood brother, his household’s circumstances were far from ideal.

“Mother, don’t ruin my new clothes!” Wang Min’er complained, shaking off her mother’s grip and carefully smoothing out her sleeve. She added indignantly, “There are plenty of people at home to help—why do I need to do anything?”

Wang Qing’er was carrying a large basin of laundry out and happened to hear this. With a bang, she plopped the wooden basin onto the ground: “Wow, someone is playing the lady here, acting all high and mighty without knowing their place. This laundry isn’t exclusively yours, you know! Hurry up and come wash it by the river with me!”

Since the family wasn’t split, all clothes except the more personal garments were washed together.

Wang Min’er, seeing the large basin of laundry, shouted, “I won’t do it!”

“Do you still want to eat?” Grandma Wang came out of the kitchen holding a large bundle of incense, glared coldly at Wang Min’er, and then gave Madam Zhang a warning look.

Madam Zhang quickly patted Wang Min’er’s arm and said, “Hurry up and go; change out of this outfit first so it doesn’t get dirty. I’ll take you to your uncle’s house on the second day of the new year; you’ll have plenty of time to chat.”

Wang Min’er was very reluctant, but under Grandma Wang’s glare, she could only grumble and return to her room. She thought: I must marry into a wealthy family, just like the Tang family, where there are maids to serve, so I don’t have to do such rough chores.

Watching her apply makeup and powder, Wang Yuan’er couldn’t help shaking her head. This girl had high aspirations and unrealistic dreams; she might face challenges in the future.

The day passed uneventfully. By dusk, the family was putting up spring couplets, worshipping gods, and setting off firecrackers. They all gathered together for New Year’s Eve dinner. Afterward, they made dumplings and stayed up late. Naturally, everyone in the family got a dumpling stuffed with a copper coin, symbolizing good fortune for the coming year.

By midnight, every household lit large firecrackers that crackled and popped, welcoming the arrival of the new year.

Wang Yuan’er lay in bed, listening to the sound of the firecrackers, feeling deeply unsettled.

Another year had passed. When the Lantern Festival came and the crown prince’s scandal was exposed and punished, it was likely that the current peaceful situation would be disrupted.

But what did this have to do with her?

She only wished for her family to remain safe and sound, for herself to earn good money in the coming year, and for life to hold promise and prospects.