Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow, the progress bar had jumped 25%!
The strong support from Grandma Sun's maternal family seemed to have given her immense confidence and comfort.
Everyone in the courtyard wore a smile, as if they had just won a battle.
And indeed, that was the case.
"Third Sister, look how brave I was when I stopped him with the bamboo!" Zhang Zhengping said with a hint of pride.
"You really do look a bit like you did when you were young." Zhang Shufen nodded with a smile.
"I'm not kidding, I was a military doctor back in the day, so I definitely won't let Lihua down at crucial moments." Zhang Zhengping became even more smug after hearing this, and looked at Sun Lihua and said, "Lihua, you're really something, you know how to hide the money and not give it to that bastard."
"This money is for winter." Sun Lihua said with emotion. "If it weren't for Sister Fenfen and Cousin Zhengping coming today, I don't know what I would have done."
The three elders were already chatting enthusiastically, their faces beaming with smiles.
"Your family is truly formidable. Faced with such scoundrels, I felt somewhat powerless today." He Zhiyuan couldn't help but praise.
Xiao Li nodded in deep agreement.
"Editor-in-Chief He, you're like a scholar encountering a soldier, you can't reason with them. Only someone like us, rural people can handle this kind of person." Zhou Yan laughed, looking at the two of them. "Didn't you say you were going up at noon? Why are you still in Shangshui Village?"
"We came back with Laifu for the interview, and Grandma Sun insisted that we stay for lunch. But as soon as we put down our bowls, those two bastards showed up. We were worried about Grandma Sun and Laifu, and we were trying to persuade them. Luckily, you guys came." He Zhiyuan said with a hint of helplessness, "We just didn't have the right to do anything. Otherwise, given my temper, I would have already started hitting people."
"It makes me want to hit them." Xiao Li said, clenching his fists.
Zhou Yan looked at the refined-looking Xiao Li, and even he was so angry he wanted to hit someone, which showed just how despicable Gu Zhanggui and his wife were.
"I still want to thank you for speaking up for them." Zhou Yan said with a smile, glancing at his watch. "Are you going back to Rongcheng today? At this hour, there might not be any buses left in Jiazhou, right?"
"We can't go back to Rongcheng today. We'll head back to Jiazhou first, then I'll go find your Grandmaster Uncle to get some more information and may be even grab a meal." He Zhiyuan glanced at his watch and said with a smile, "Then I'll leave things here to you. We'll just go outside and wait for the bus."
"I'll see you out." Zhou Yan nodded.
He Zhiyuan greeted Grandma Sun, Laifu, and Grandma Zhang, then left with Xiao Li.
Zhou Yan walked them to the main road, and after waiting for more than ten minutes, they saw a bus swaying and wobbling as it drove by, kicking up clouds of dust.
He Zhiyuan waved for the bus to stop, looked at Zhou Yan and said, "Goodbye, Zhou Yan. If you ever come to Rongcheng, come visit me at the magazine office."
"Okay, see you later." Zhou Yan smiled and waved, watching the two board the bus and leave.
When Zhou Yan returned to the courtyard, Old Lady Sun was sitting in a chair, five silver needles already inserted into her right knee.
Zhang Zhengping was standing, a cloth bag unfolded on a stool beside him, containing rows of silver needles.
"Lihua, you have knee arthritis. It's probably caused by a previous injury and frequent exposure to cold." Zhang Zhengping looked at her and said, "I have this problem too. Everyone gets like this as they get older. The knee joints degenerate, and the mobility gradually decreases. Acupuncture can relieve some symptoms, but it can't cure it."
"Brother Zhengping, it's nothing serious. Liwei took me to see a doctor last year, and that's what he said too. It's good enough that I can still move one leg now." Grandma Sun said with a carefree smile.
"That's not quite true. It can't be cured, but we can slow down how much it gets worse." Zhang Zhengping said earnestly. "For example, you shouldn't do heavy lifting like squatting, standing up, climbing stairs, or going uphill. You can direct the younger people to do those things. Keep your knees warm, such as by sewing an extra piece of cloth to cover the inside of both knees, and apply a hot towel before bed to relieve the pain."
Zhou Yan quickly took notes, then tore off a piece and handed it to Laifu, who stood beside him with worried eyes.
Laifu read it carefully, then smiled and nodded at Zhou Yan.
This child is sensible. Zhou Yan gave him the medical instructions, and he'll definitely take good care of his great-aunt.
"Granduncle, can you see my Great-aunt's eyes?" Zhou Yan asked.
"Give me the paper and pen." Zhang Zhengping said, holding out his hand.
Zhou Yan quickly handed them over.
Zhang Zhengping swiftly wrote out a prescription, signed his name at the bottom, and handed it to Zhou Yan: "Zhou Yan, go to the clinic or factory hospital and buy me two kinds of medicine—a box of eye drops and a box of anti-inflammatory drugs. I'll teach your great-aunt how to use them."
Zhou Yan took the notebook, his expression slightly strange, and said, "Granduncle, aren't you a traditional Chinese medicine doctor? Why are you prescribing Western medicine?"
"This is called combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine." Zhang Zhengping laughed heartily. "Prescribing Chinese medicine can help, but it will take at least half a month. Eyes can't be delayed. Lihua's eye inflammation is quite serious, if it drags on too long, she might go blind."
"Okay, I'll go right away!" Zhou Yan tucked his notebook away, quickly went out, hopped on his bicycle, and rode off.
"This kid is talkative and capable, and he can get things done. He's much better than my grandsons." Zhang Zhengping said with a sigh. "Most importantly, he's as handsome as I was when I was young. I wonder which formidable woman he'll end up with."
"If it wasn't for Zhou Yan, Laifu and I don't know how we would have survived." Sun Lihua said gratefully.
"As long as Laifu learns your skills, even though making tofu is hard work, he will definitely live a good life." Zhang Shufen gently patted her hand and said softly, "Get your eyes treated and take good care of your legs. Look ahead, there are many good days ahead of you."
"That's right, don't look back. At our age, we should live one more day at a time." Zhang Zhengping also said with a smile, "You still need to watch Laifu find a wife, so you have to have good eyesight to help him choose a kind-hearted but capable woman, preferably like Tieying, then the family will have a leader."
Zhang Shufen laughed when she heard this: "You have a good eye for people. Back then, I saw that Tieying was a girl with her own opinions. She was capable when she needed to be, but she also knew her limits and was kind-hearted. So I rushed my Sanshui to her door to arrange the engagement."
"Otherwise, this quiet fellow, when faced with trouble, only knows how to brandish his boning knife, and who knows how much trouble he'll cause."
"When choosing a wife, choose a virtuous one. The old saying is quite true. My Tieying can resolve so many issues with just a word, without Sanshui ever having to get involved."
The old lady spoke of her daughter in law with immense pride.
Zhou Miao, listening nearby, chuckled foolishly and quietly slipped his clothes over the knife handle.
"You're right, we need to look forward." Sun Lihua nodded, a smile spreading across her face. Looking at Laifu, who stood obediently to the side, she said, "Liwei and Qiaoqian entrusted Laifu to me, so I must watch him settle down and start a family. Only then can I give them a proper ending."
Zhang Zhengping and Zhang Shufen exchanged a glance, smiles appearing on their faces.
Over there, Zhou Yan had just come out of the factory hospital with the medicine when a glint of gold flashed in the corner of his eye:
[Ding! Side Quest: The Battle to Protect the Heritage of Xiba Tofu! Progress: 100%! Sun Lihua has made up her mind to pass on the Xiba Tofu recipe to her grandson, Laifu!]
[Quest Completed!]
[Reward Received: Mapo Tofu!]
Zhou Yan squeezed the brakes, his eyes immediately lighting up.
The recipe for [Mapo Tofu] was glowing brightly, now available to claim.
"My God! What happened? Are the older generation really that powerful?!"
Zhou Yan found it all somewhat unbelievable.
What happened during the twenty odd minutes he was gone?
It's always the older generation that has to comfort the older generation. There's always a generation gap between young people and the older generation.
After finally getting the Mapo Tofu he had been longing for, Zhou Yan's spirits soared.
Since it wasn't convenient to open it on the road, Zhou Yan rode his bicycle towards Shangshui Village first.
Back in the courtyard, Zhang Zhengping was teaching Sun Lihua some health-preserving exercises.
Old Mrs. Sun's face showed less bitterness, and her expression looked much brighter.
Zhou Yan guessed it was a change in her state of mind.
Zhang Zhengping took the medicine and began to explain the method of use to Sun Lihua: "Lihua, look, take three pills of this medicine a day. Tilt your head back and put in two or three drops of the eye drops at a time. I asked Zhou Yan to buy you three bottles of eye drops. Keep the medicine box. If your eyes are still uncomfortable after you finish using them, have Laifu take the box to the clinic to buy more. They cost 50 cents each."
On the other side of the courtyard, Laifu was pressing tofu.
The old lady stood beside him watching, a smile playing on her lips.
Zhou Yan walked over and said with a smile, "Is this tofu for making dried tofu?"
The old lady nodded, "That's right, he's not quite skilled at the process of adding a coagulant to soy milk to coagulate it into tofu yet, his grandma has to watch over him. But everything else is going quite well."
Zhou Yan glanced at the time and said, "Then let's buy a piece of this tofu when it's ready and make Mapo Tofu."
"You've even learned how to make Mapo Tofu?" The old lady looked at him with some surprise. She had eaten it once in a Sichuan restaurant in Jiazhou when she was young, and it was alright. The one made at the Suji State-owned Restaurant wasn't very authentic, and she didn't think it could be called Mapo Tofu.
Zhou Yan said without batting an eye, "I went to Jiazhou two days ago to attend a chef exchange meeting. I learned some skills from my Grandmaster Uncle, senior master uncles and master uncles. My Granduncle is here today, so I'll show him what I can do."
The old lady smiled and nodded, "Alright, let's see if you've learned your skills properly."
"Zhou Yan." Grandma Sun called out to him.
"Great-aunt, what's wrong?" Zhou Yan responded and quickly walked over.
Grandma Sun handed him a piece of paper.
"What's this?" Zhou Yan took the paper and saw the words "IOU" written on it, followed by the amount: 184.5 yuan.
Grandma Sun smiled and said, "I asked your Granduncle to write this IOU for me. The medicine money is included. Please keep it safe. Laifu and I will make dried tofu and dried bean curd sticks to pay off the debt."
"Okay." Zhou Yan carefully put away the IOU and said with a smile, "Great-aunt, starting tomorrow, besides dried tofu and dried bean curd sticks, I also need twenty jin of tofu everyday. I'm planning to start selling Mapo tofu."
"Twenty jin?" Grandma Sun looked hesitant, glancing at Laifu who was pressing tofu. "I don't know if he can carry it."
"Auntie, starting tomorrow, I'll ride my bicycle to pick up the goods, so Laifu won't have to carry them around. It only takes about ten minutes by bicycle." Zhou Miao offered.
Grandma Sun thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, then Sanshui, I'll trouble you to get the dried tofu and dried bean curd sticks. Laifu can carry the tofu, you've never transported tofu before, and we don't want it to get ruined on the way."
"It's no trouble at all. What trouble could we possibly have with family?" Zhou Miao said.
"Great-aunt, the tofu I want has to be of high quality. I might need you to guide Laifu in making it." Zhou Yan stated his requirements. Mapo tofu is meant to be sold to customers, so he had to ensure its quality.
Grandma Sun nodded and said, "I know. Your restaurant sells to customers, so we certainly wouldn't send them to your restaurant if it weren't good."
"Zhou Yan, do you perhaps dislike the tofu that Laifu made himself?" Zhang Zhengping asked with a smile.
"Granduncle, you're a professional when it comes to treating patients, but I'm a professional when it comes to cooking. Laifu's tofu is quite good, better than the other tofu vendors in Suji Town. But for me, the tofu made under Great-aunt's guidance is definitely of the best quality." Zhou Yan explained with a smile, "When Laifu's tofu is as good as Great-aunt's, then I won't ask for anything more."
"That makes sense. I'm not good at cooking, but I'm good at eating." Zhang Zhengping looked at him with a smile and said, "Our Niu Hua is famous for its tofu pudding, and the tofu is also quite good. I grew up eating tofu. I want to see if your tofu dishes are worthy of your Great-aunt's tofu."
"When I worked in Rongcheng, there was a restaurant near the back gate of the hospital. The chef there came from Chen Mapo Tofu, and his Mapo Tofu was absolutely delicious."
"Since my Granduncle has said so, then we'll just have to see how it goes." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
After chatting for a while, when the first batch of tofu had been pressed for the right amount of time, the gauze was removed, revealing a piece of white jade-like tofu.
[A perfect slab of tofu.]
Zhou Yan had already seen the quality.
As expected of a master in the tofu world, with just a little guidance, the apprentice was able to produce tofu of such perfect quality.
Zhou Yan asked Laifu to cut two jin (approximately 1 kg) of tofu for him. The cuts were smooth and fine, without any hollows. It trembled slightly when he picked it up, steaming hot, and smelled a rich aroma of soybeans.
Zhang Zhengping had already gotten two bowls. He cut a small piece for Zhang Shufen and himself, took a bite with his chopsticks, and nodded repeatedly: "Mmm! Authentic Xiba tofu! So tender, so fragrant, and even a little sweet. It would be even better with a spoonful of chili sauce."
"I haven't had freshly made soft tofu in many years. It's still so fragrant. It's sweet and delicious without any added ingredients. We can't find another tofu stall in Suji that can match this level."
Zhou Yan's mouth watered at their conversation. Just as he was about to grab a bowl, Laifu came out with two bowls, cut two pieces of tofu, and handed them to Zhou Yan and Zhou Miao with a smile.
His Granduncle was right. Laifu couldn't hear or speak, but he understood everything.
Zhou Yan raised his right hand, made a fist, and bent his thumb twice towards Laifu.
Laifu's eyes lit up immediately, and a happy smile spread across his face.
Zhou Yan smiled too, picked up his chopsticks, and took a bite of the tofu.
The freshly made tofu was indeed exceptionally tender, with a smooth, silky texture and a rich bean flavor. It slid down his throat in a flash, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth.
Compared to tofu pudding, it had a slight chewiness. It didn't crumble at the slightest touch.
Half a bowl of tofu was gone in a few slurps.
Good tofu is like that, it's already a delicious treat in itself.
Zhou Yan took out forty cents (0.4 yuan) and placed it on the stool. The group prepared to go back.
"Lihua, I'll come over every other day to give you acupuncture. After three sessions, your condition should improve. I won't say you'll be able to walk like the wind, but at least you won't be in so much pain." Zhang Zhengping patiently instructed Grandma Sun, "Remember not to do heavy work and keep warm."
"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you, Cousin Zhengping." Grandma Sun said with an embarrassed expression.
"What trouble could there be among family? I'm here to stay with my third sister for a whole week. I've already told my wife." Zhang Zhengping waved his hand dismissively and went out.
"Dad, go to the Armed Forces Department and tell little uncle to come to the restaurant for dinner after work, so he won't come home to find there's nothing to eat." Zhou Yan said to Zhou Miao on the way back.
"Okay." Zhou Miao agreed.
Zhou Yan, with Zhang Zhengping and the tofu in hand, went back to the restaurant first.
As soon as Zhou Yan stopped his bicycle, Zhou Momo ran over, pouting and saying in a childish voice, "Guo Guo~ where did you go? I couldn't find you when I got back..."
The little one became increasingly aggrieved as she spoke, her big eyes already brimming with tears.
"I went to see Great-aunt." Zhou Yan said hastily, feeling like a heinous criminal.
"Then...then why didn't you take me?" The little one looked even more aggrieved, pulled two fruit hard candies from her pocket, sniffled, and said, "I wanted to see Great-aunt too. Mommy said Great-aunt is sick, and I even prepared candies for her."
"It's my fault, I'll take you next time." Looking at the candy in the little one's hand, Zhou Yan felt even more guilty. How could she be so considerate at such a young age, even knowing to visit her sick great-aunt?
"This must be Zhou Momo, right?" Zhang Zhengping got out of the back seat, looking at the adorable little girl in front of him with eyes full of admiration: "Aiyo, she's so cute! Your Zhou family is full of tall, strong sons, how come you have such a lovely little girl?"'
Zhou Momo stared at Zhang Zhengping for a moment, then subconsciously moved closer to Zhou Yan's legs, asking with a hint of curiosity, "Grandpa, who are you?"
Zhang Zhengping smiled and said, "I'm your grandma's younger brother. You should call me Granduncle."
"Granduncle!" Zhou Momo called out in a clear voice.
"Oh! So good!" Zhang Zhengping grinned from ear to ear, rummaging through all six pockets on his body, but couldn't find anything suitable to give to Zhou Momo. Finally, he simply took out one yuan and handed it to Zhou Momo, saying with a smile, "This is a red envelope from last year's Chinese New Year, take it."
"One yuan." Zhou Momo glanced at it, didn't reach out, and shook her head, saying, "That's too much, I don't want it!"
"Hmm, you're so young, yet so sensible." Zhang Zhengping's smile grew even brighter as he pushed the money forward further. "But I always give my youngest grandson one yuan red envelope. You can take it and use it to buy some candy."
Zhou Momo turned to look at Aunt Zhao standing at the door.
"Just accept the red envelope when your Granduncle tells you to." Aunt Zhao said with a smile.
Zhou Momo then reached out and took it, bowed to Zhang Zhengping, and said in a childish voice, "Thank you, Granduncle. Happy New Year and may you prosper (Gong Xi Fa Cai)."
Well, once the red envelope is received, the keyword is triggered.
The adults couldn't help but laugh.
"Good girl, you're welcome." Zhang Zhengping waved his hand repeatedly. This one yuan red envelope was well worth it. The little one had given enough emotional value, unlike his own unruly grandsons who would take the red envelope and run off to buy firecrackers faster than anyone else.
"Mom, let's have Mapo Tofu tonight." Zhou Yan said to Aunt Zhao as he pushed his bicycle into the restaurant.
"Don't you not know how to make Mapo Tofu?" Aunt Zhao asked, puzzled.
"I just learned this two days ago. I'll show you how I make it tonight. If it tastes good, I'll put it on the menu tomorrow." Zhou Yan said with a smile, carrying the tofu towards the kitchen.
He placed the tofu on the cutting board, and on a whim, clicked on the recipe for [Mapo Tofu].
...