Chapter 83

In the evening, after the younger ones had fallen asleep, Wang Yuan’er sat by the table, sketching and writing in the dim light of the lamp. The quiet of the night was the perfect time for her to clear her mind and think.

Now that she had launched the fermented tofu, she believed that everyone who tried it would realize it was a good product. It could be eaten with rice or used as a seasoning, making it highly versatile. People would surely come back to buy more.

As more people discovered its taste, the demand would naturally exceed supply. Next, she would have to produce the fermented bean curd in large quantities. With the weather gradually warming up, fermentation would happen quickly. The only issue was that if it rained, she wouldn’t be able to dry the tofu.

Setting that aside, she began to plan the process.

When running a business, controlling costs is crucial. The main ingredient for her fermented tofu was tofu; other seasonings were manageable.

For the first batch of fermented bean curd, she bought tofu from the Bai family, which cost four or five coins per piece. This increased the cost a bit, but what if she made it herself?

Wang Yuan’er bit the end of her pen, carefully considering this possibility.

Making tofu wasn’t overly complicated. Many households in Changle Town made tofu, but none made it as silky as the Bai family. It tasted just like jade and was delicious. She had seen people make tofu before and roughly knew the process. Once tofu was made, there would be bean dregs left. These could be used to feed chickens or piglets, reducing waste.

The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She quickly added this to her plan and decided to make tofu herself the next day.

Having decided on this, she turned her attention to the containers for the fermented tofu.

Today, while selling tofu, she noticed a significant problem—using oil paper bags to pack the fermented tofu was impractical. It wasn’t feasible to ask people to bring bowls each time. Wouldn’t it be more convenient and proper to sell them in jars?

Selling small jars would be clean and convenient. The jars could be sold and then returned for a small fee if they weren’t damaged, allowing for reuse. This would also reduce costs.

“I’ll need a lot of jars, so I can’t just buy them from the general store. I’ll have to order them from a pottery shop specializing in jars to keep costs low,” Wang Yuan’er murmured to herself.

With the large-scale production process and necessary items determined, the next step was buying and selling.

In her previous life, the tofu business grew significantly by selling to other markets. So she couldn’t have a narrow vision.

She lived in a small town, but there were many vendors. She could sell the fermented tofu wholesale to these vendors and peddlers at a slightly lower price than retail. They would sell it through streets and alleys, spreading the product’s name and increasing her business. As the business grew, it wouldn’t be just her family making it. They would need to expand, open a shop, and set up a workshop to make it proper.

Aside from selling to villagers, restaurants and inns would also want the fermented tofu, as it made an excellent seasoning. In the summer, using it to make lamb hotpot would make it taste superb.

Looking at the remaining jar of fermented tofu beside her, Wang Yuan’er pursed her lips. She needed to visit some restaurants.

Holding the brush, she quickly filled the paper with her thoughts. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound behind her.

“Eldest sister, still not sleeping?” Wang Chun’er’s sleepy voice asked.

“Soon,” Wang Yuan’er replied. After a busy day, she was tired too. She yawned, carefully put away her papers, and blew out the lamp before resting.

Making tofu is actually a simple process, but doing it well requires skill. Wang Yuan’er never expected that the tofu she made would turn out to be so…

Ugly!

“This tofu looks really unappetizing,” Wang Qing’er cautiously glanced at her eldest sister and said timidly.

Wang Chun’er, worried about Wang Yuaner’s feelings, tried to comfort her, saying, “Maybe it’s because it’s your first time. Practice makes perfect. If you do it a few more times, you’ll get the hang of it!”

Wang Yuan’er shook her head, tossed the lumpy and holey tofu aside, and laughed at herself, “I overestimated myself!”

It’s said that there are 365 trades, and every trade has its master. The Bai family is renowned for their tofu, and there must be a reason for it—they must have some secret technique, just like their marinated eggs and dried tofu, which is not something everyone can make well.

They say changing trades is like climbing a mountain, and perhaps this is true. Every family has its own recipes and secrets.

“Actually, fermented tofu needs to be fermented anyway, so can’t we use this tofu to make it?” Wang Qing’er asked, looking at the row of tofu.

“It’s not impossible, but the texture won’t be as good as before. If we want to build a good business, we need to start with good quality from the beginning to lay a solid foundation quickly,” Wang Yuan’er shook her head.

It was indeed possible to use the tofu, but since it didn’t taste good to begin with, the fermented tofu made from it would naturally have a subpar texture.

“So, what should we do?” Wang Qing’er scooped a bit of tofu and held it in her mouth, saying, “We should buy from the Bai family.”

Wang Yuan’er bit her lip. For now, that seemed like the only option. However, the Bai family’s tofu cost five coins per piece, which would significantly raise the cost. If it could be a bit cheaper, it would be acceptable.

Hmm, since she could think of selling in bulk to vendors at a cheaper price in the future, why couldn’t she negotiate a deal with the Bai family to supply her with tofu?

A long-term cooperation would surely lower the price and reduce the cost. And surely the Bai family wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to make money, right? Selling to her in bulk would definitely be better than selling piece by piece on the streets.

The more Wang Yuan’er thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Having made up her mind, she instructed her sisters to look after the house and went to the Bai family’s place.

The Bai family lived at the east end of the town. They had built their own house, with a small stand in front selling tofu. Usually, the Bai family’s sister-in-law also carried tofu on a pole to sell in the streets.

When she arrived at the Bai family’s place, it was Bai Mei, the second daughter of the Bai family, who was watching the stand. She was about the same age as Qing’er. Wang Yuan’er greeted her and asked, “Where’s your grandfather?”

“My grandpa is making tofu. Wang Family’s eldest daughter, do you need something?” Bai Mei asked cheerfully.

“I want to talk to your grandpa about buying tofu. Is he available?” Wang Yuan’er explained with a smile.

“Wait here, I’ll go get him,” Bai Mei ran inside and quickly returned, inviting Wang Yuan’er to sit inside and serving her a bowl of sweet tofu pudding.

Indeed, they were skilled business people, even handling hospitality well, Wang Yuan’er thought with a smile.

Entering the Bai family’s courtyard, she smelled the strong aroma of tofu. Grandpa Bai came out of the kitchen and was surprised to see Wang Yuan’er, “Mei’er said you wanted to buy tofu. She could have just wrapped it up for you outside. Why ask for me?”

Wang Yuan’er laughed, “Uncle Bai, I want to buy tofu from your family, not just a few pieces, but in large quantities and for a long time. I was wondering if you could give me a discount?”