Several of Zhao Daqing's little cousins also really liked their little cousin Zhao Zhitong. They thought the little cousin looked cheerful with her chubby cheeks, and most importantly, she was particularly kind and would share her treats with them.
Today, they followed their little cousin and had a lot of delicious candies.
Suddenly, Zhao Daqing suggested, "Dad, Mom, since you're going to Auntie's place in the afternoon, why don't we go ahead with Aunt and visit her house to play."
This suggestion was immediately and ruthlessly rejected by their second aunt: "That won't do, your aunt and cousin need to go to school after they return home, and you'll have no one to play with, causing trouble for your uncle."
Sun Kang, who was standing under the eaves and pondering, was stunned upon hearing this: "Is the little girl going to school?"
Sun Mei and Zhao Dong were just about to reply, but their second aunt Mrs. Liu, who had already found out on her way picking lotus leaves, hurriedly answered.
"Yes, Dad, you don't know, Tongtong is really smart. Mr. Meng at the school personally suggested that Tongtong attends the school, and in a few days she will formally apprentice at school."
Upon hearing this news, both Sun Kang and Zhao Guifen were delighted: "Really? That's great!"
Second uncle Zhao Youli was full of pride, grinning widely: "Hahaha, isn't it true, as the saying goes, a niece takes after her uncle. Just see whose niece she is!"
Everyone had a puzzled face: "..." Are you sure?
Sun Youcai from the side joked: "Then Little Tongtong is in real danger. Luckily she takes after me, her little uncle, otherwise if she took after you, Second Brother, that would be a disaster."
Sun Youli: "Sun Youcai! You're asking for a beating!"
Everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter.
At this point, Zhao Guifen urged: "Alright, alright, stop chatting while standing, it's getting late, don't delay the students' lunch. If you need to leave, then hurry up."
She said, placing a package on the cart.
Sun Mei hastily tried to stop her: "Mom, you don't have to give us anything, we didn't bring anything when we came, yet you're giving us something to take back."
Zhao Guifen placed the package properly and urged Zhao Dong to push the cart to leave. Then she patted her daughter's hand and said, "It's nothing valuable, just a dress and shoes we made for Tongtong with your two sisters-in-law."
Saying this, she sent the family of three out the door.
Zhao Zhitong sat on the cart, waving her little hands and bidding farewell to her grandparents.
After bidding farewell to the grandparents' family, the three of them pushed the cart slowly away.
——
Not long after lunch, the two aunts and second uncle, third uncle, along with a bunch of children all arrived.
The eldest uncle couldn't come as he was still collecting medicinal materials.
When they arrived, Zhao Dong and Sun Mei had just finished eating.
Entering the courtyard, they looked at the tools for making tofu with great curiosity.
Sun Youcai examined the tofu baskets and asked, "Sis, is tofu made from here?"
Sun Mei nodded and then happily introduced them: "This is for shaping, this is for filtering the soy milk…"
The eldest aunt, Little Miss Zhao, was stunned by the complexity of the steps described by Sun Mei as she looked at the molds: "You have to first grind the beans into juice, making this food is really laborious. I'm clumsy, I wonder if I can do it right."
Sun Mei laughed and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, it's not actually troublesome, it's quite simple. When we start, I'll teach you all, you'll definitely pick it up once you see it."
The second aunt Mrs. Liu, who had a decisive personality, immediately slapped her thigh: "Then what are we waiting for, let's get started quickly!"
She said, already rolling up her sleeves and pointing at the tofu baskets and wooden barrels: "Sis, do all these molds and buckets need to be washed?"
Seeing Sun Mei nod, she began to wash briskly.
Seeing Mrs. Liu already working, Little Miss Zhao hurriedly rolled up her sleeves, not willing to be left behind.
Even a few children started helping out.
Second uncle took on the task of fetching water directly.
Seeing them arrive and start working without even drinking a sip of water, Zhao Dong and Sun Mei felt a bit apologetic.
But Sun Youli didn't mind at all, directly shouldering a carrying pole and saying casually: "Don't worry about us, we're here to work after all."
With that, he was already out of the courtyard.
With more people, Zhao Dong thought it would be efficient to set up another stove in the yard, so that they could cook with two pots simultaneously.
The suggestion was quickly agreed upon by everyone.
So Zhao Dong and Sun Youcai first worked together to send the soybeans to the water mill and then immediately returned to carry stones and mix mud to build the stove.
Even the little kids were running back and forth, helping carry stones and bring mud.
Everyone was busy without a moment of rest.
Soon, the first pot of soy milk was cooked, but Sun Mei didn't immediately add plaster water. Instead, she called the little kids in and gave each of them a bowl of soy milk, with added sugar as a reward for their hard work today.
"Thank you, Auntie!"
The little kids were overjoyed, holding their soy milk and happily running out of the kitchen, leaning on the table in the yard to drink.
The sweet soy milk warmed their stomachs, as if it was warming their hearts. They felt that today was the sweetest day.
When Zhao Dong and the others finished setting up the stove, Sun Mei had already the last batch of tofu shaping.
At this point, the door of the house was knocked, accompanied by the chatting and laughter of villagers outside.
It was villagers coming to wholesale tofu to sell.
Upon hearing the commotion outside, the second aunt Mrs. Liu promptly stepped forward, closing the kitchen door and bolting it, saying with a vigilant expression: "Don't let anyone discover, we'll go out after we finish."
Meanwhile, Zhao Dong was in the courtyard, opening the main door, getting ready for business.
"Dong! Is the tofu ready? We've come to collect tofu!"
As soon as they entered the door, they cheerfully announced.
Zhao Dong, also laughing cheerfully, replied: "Almost, almost, just a little longer."
Their visitors didn't mind the wait, waving their hands and saying, "No rush, no rush, take a look at the soybeans we've collected."
They brought soybeans this time, which they managed to acquire while selling tofu in the morning.
Zhang Qiang smiled sheepishly: "Dong, have a look at mine. These are what I collected while selling tofu this morning, good soybeans."
Zhao Dong opened the burlap sack, examined it, and smiled: "Not bad, how much did you pay for them?"
Honest Zhang Qiang, laughing, answered candidly: "I was worried some villagers might not trust freelance buyers like us, so I offered one wen higher than market price, received them at ninety-nine wen per stone. When they heard the offer, they happily sold to me."
Zhao Dong nodded, having an idea in mind, and weighed them with Sun Youli before buying them at the original price of one hundred wen per stone.
Sun Youcai, knowing a few words, took on the responsibility of bookkeeping, though lacking paper and pen, he used the most primitive method, writing with charcoal on stone slabs.
Seeing the business expand, Zhao Dong decided that when he went to the market the next day, he would also buy some paper and pens.