Xiaoyaoshanjun

Chapter 7 Making Friends

Grind and grind tofu.

Today, Tian Buli spent three or four hours wandering around the millstone like the donkey. Exhausted, he returned to his hut and lay down to look at the moon.

Attributes: Slightly

Lifespan: 18/38
Tian Buli, who was lying on the bed, had lifeless eyes at this moment, just like the moon outside the window.

"Oh my god... I'm going to die another year early..."

"If I do this job for another month, I'll crash my head into the tofu skin and die!"

Tian Buli was about to cry. How could he live like this?

"There's something wrong with that millstone! I should get a smaller one!"

"I soaked the soybeans in hot water for a little longer yesterday. After I sell the tofu tomorrow, I'll ask about the tofu-making techniques to see if the taste can be improved."

"The cloth used to filter the soy water must also be cleaned in time, otherwise dirt will always fall into it."

Tian Buli went to bed early, and got up three or four hours later, feeling tired and aching all over.

I felt like my body couldn't take it any longer, but I gritted my teeth and persevered.

The damselfly is still very energetic.

"Brother Tian~ I made a little less tofu today. I can't sell it all anyway, so I saved some to make soy milk for you."

Bean Lady knew very well why her tofu sold so well in the past, but now she doesn’t want to do that anymore. She would rather earn less and stick to it.

Tian Buli nodded and said, "Okay, I'll take care of it today. If I can sell out, I'll set up the stall myself tomorrow. You just take a good rest at home."

Dou Niangzi originally thought that her lover was too young to understand what she said, but she didn't expect that he not only understood her previous difficulties, but also took on the burden with concern.

"Brother Tian, ​​you are such a good person." Lady Dou said with a smile, "When I save some money, I will marry you a young girl. You are a promising man, so you will definitely have no shortage of wives in the future!"

Tian Buli smiled and said, "Just find one like a damselfly."

"Stop praising me, or I'll drag you into the house and teach you a lesson~" Dou Niang rolled her eyes at him and urged, "Eat first, then go to the stall."

"it is good!"

Tian Buli quickly ate in the yard. It was just dawn and the yard was still very cold.

The old woman was packing tofu at the door of the tofu shop, and with her were the ten-year-old Tiger and Leopard.

The two sons often do physical work, while the little dog does the light work and is responsible for taking care of the sick man.

After eating, Tian Buli and Dou Niangzi went back to the house and lay down for half an hour to rest.

It’s not that I don’t want to help the children, but I just had dinner and had to bend down repeatedly to pack tofu. I can’t expect the old woman and the kid to carry the wooden barrel weighing over 100 kilograms away.

When selling tofu in the past, the whole family, young and old, would help out together. One person would watch the wooden barrel, while the bean curd lady and the old woman would lift a barrel together using a shoulder pole.

The old woman has a bad back, so she often has to shamelessly ask nearby men for help.

Now that there was a capable man in the family, Dou Niang was afraid that he would run away, so she let the children and the old woman do the odd and dirty jobs, and stayed with Tian Buli.

Although it is a bit calculated, it is indeed human nature.

The two of them quickly set out to sell tofu. It was still very difficult for Tian Buli to carry the load up the hill today, but fortunately he arrived at the stall safely.

The weather is cold in autumn and there is a lot of white mist on the streets in the morning.

There were pancake stalls, noodle stalls, firewood sellers, dog sellers, meat sellers, incense sellers, and pots and pans sellers.

Many breakfast stalls are outside shops, and they close when there are many people at noon.

They are usually relatives or acquaintances, and most of the stall owners are locals.

"Tofu for sale~Fresh tofu~"

Tian Buli stood behind the stall and shouted, as if he was practicing his voice.

Bean Lady was wearing a little too much today and sat quietly in the back watching.

Tian Buli quickly turned around and said, "You go back and rest. I'm fine here by myself. It's not easy for those girls to come to me to buy tofu if you're here."

Lady Bean stood up with a smile, "Then I'll go back and come back in half an hour."

Tian Buli smiled and said, "Okay, go back and have a good sleep. I can't run away."

The bean lady soon returned empty-handed, staying away from the male-dominated market for the first time.

Tian Buli's business soon picked up. Indeed, several curious women came to buy tofu and asked various questions.

Tian Buli satisfied their gossip and also accepted the money for the tofu.

Tofu is a very common household food, and this is not a rural area, so it’s not that poor.

The living standard of most ordinary people in this city can support a family of seven or eight people.

At around ten o'clock, a woman came over with her maid.

"Selling tofu!"

Tian Buli called out casually and soon saw the woman walking towards him.

"You dirty bastard, you're still in the city!"

It turned out to be his former mistress Zhang Xia, the escort agency’s concubine.

Tian Buli smiled and said, "I have no one to rely on, so I can only make a living."

Zhang Xia looked around and quickly whispered, "I only found out about you yesterday. I heard from the kitchen maid that you were selling tofu here."

"I didn't want to come out, but you took good care of me..."

Tian Buli said nothing and smiled awkwardly. Zhang Xia continued, "I don't have the ability to plead for you. Take this money and do some good business in the future and marry a good wife."

Tian Buli clasped his hands together and said, "I will never thank you for your kindness. I will remember this kindness in my heart. Now I live in the Hu family, not far down the hill. If you need anything in the future, just call me."

Zhang Xia nodded in satisfaction. "It's inconvenient for me to go out. The escort team will be back soon. Please pack me two kilograms of tofu for me to try. I will introduce you to a few more customers later."

Tian Buli explained, "Tofu nowadays doesn't taste good. I'm working on improving it and am thinking about improving my tofu-making skills. Starting tomorrow, I'll send you a pack of tofu every morning for you to try. If you think it tastes good, tell others."

Zhang Xia nodded and said, "Okay, I'll work hard in the future."

Tian Buli accepted the private money given by Zhang Xia, which was not enough to earn from selling tofu for two months.

Zhang Xia was a beautiful concubine kept by the Fuyuan Escort Agency for entertaining guests. She earned a lot of money every month, especially when she entertained some big bosses and young masters in the underworld, she could also get rewards.

However, these are hard-earned money and retirement money. There are also many beautiful women who support their own maids and men, so they cannot save much money.

All the reward money that Tian Buli received from Zhang Xia was given to his family in his old hometown to save for building a house, getting married and buying land. It is estimated that it is gone now.

There is no point in thinking too much. Tian Buli touched the change in his arms, which was probably worth more than 10,000 yuan.

It’s not too little, but not too much either, and it’s not enough to accomplish anything big.

Tian Buli saw that there were not many people around, and when he was about to leave, he saw a silly young man looking around curiously.

"Hey! What are you looking at, little brother?"

Liu Menjing looked around curiously, then looked at Tian Buli.

"You called me?"

"Yes, sir, do you want to buy some tofu? My tofu is not delicious, you will know after you have tasted it."

Liu Menjing, wearing a square scarf and hat, scholar's clothes and holding a paper fan, walked over curiously.

"If it doesn't taste good, what are you selling?"

"We have to sell it even if it doesn't taste good. As long as it's edible, it's fine." Tian Buli explained, "Isn't that the case for most people? Life is hard, but we have to live on. I've been improving my skills these past few days. Maybe the tofu I make will taste good someday."

"Why don't you try it? It's free anyway."

Tian Buli cut a piece of tofu with a wooden knife and handed it to Liu Menjing on a wooden plate.

Seeing that the man was honest, Liu Menjing took it and took a bite. He soon said honestly, "It's not delicious. It's far worse than what I usually eat."

Tian Buli nodded, realizing the difference.

"Thank you! I'll go home and think of a solution. I won't sell it today."

Tian Buli was about to pack up and go home when the young master in front of him quickly said, "Hey? Have you sold both buckets of tofu? Why don't you sell them anymore?"

"If it doesn't taste good, why sell it?" Tian Buli asked back.

Liu Menjing defended himself by saying, "Even if it doesn't taste good, you have to sell it. If you don't sell it, how can you make money to support your family?"

Tian Buli and Liu Menjing now thought about the situation from a different perspective.

"I can't sell it, and it's a waste of time to stay here. I might as well go home and have a good sleep."

Liu Menjing said anxiously: "Then think of a way! Didn't you just say that you should improve your cooking skills? Maybe it will be delicious tomorrow!"

"Hahaha~" Tian Buli laughed, "Thank you for your kind words. I will go back and improve it and think of a solution."

Liu Menjing found that everything had returned to the starting point, and asked anxiously: "What if you can't improve and can't get things done?"

"Then keep improving. Keep selling tofu while thinking of ways to improve."

Liu Menjing continued to ask: "What if it still doesn't work?"

"Don't be cowardly before the battle." Tian Buli said, "You are so young, if you become lazy and slack when you encounter setbacks, how can you become a great man in the future?"

After Tian Buli finished speaking, he picked up his load and walked outside.

Liu Menjing quickly followed up, "I don't think you've sold much of these two barrels of tofu. This stuff is inedible after one day. You don't have any capital, so how can you do business? Why don't I buy these two barrels of tofu?"

"That's great!" Tian Buli put down his burden with a laugh, and looked around, "I see you don't have the tools to eat tofu, and you won't eat the tofu you bought."

Liu Menjing said directly: "I'll take it back and give it to others to eat. You don't have to worry about it. Just put it here. I'll call someone to get it later."

Tian Buli shook his head. "The tofu is not tasty. How can I let people eat it knowing this? I'd rather take the money and keep the tofu."

"I will use these two barrels of tofu to improve my technique. If you are bored, I will set up a stall here every morning, or go to your house every day to report on the improvement of the tofu. What do you think?"

Liu Menjing found it interesting and took out a piece of silver the size of his little finger. "Okay! That's it! Is this enough?"

Tian Buli took the silver, looked at Liu Menjing and said confidently: "It's enough. I can buy more than a hundred big white steamed buns, a pot of meat wine, two ancient books, three or four stacks of white paper, and a new dress."

Liu Menjing looked at Tian Buli from head to toe, "How old are you?"

"Eighteen, the people around here are all from the nearby countryside. I have been doing odd jobs in the Fuyuan Escort Agency since I was young. I just came out these two days to help with some business on my own."

Liu Menjing was immediately in awe, "I am nineteen years old and still not as sensible as you are. I will give you another piece of silver so you can buy some food and drink."

Tian Buli put down his burden and clasped his hands together, "I am Tian Buli, and I will remember your kindness in my heart! I will definitely repay you in the future!"

Liu Menjing quickly handed over a larger piece of silver and placed it in his hand, saying happily, "It's okay. My name is Liu Menjing, and I'm the third child of the Liu family in the north of the city. I still have to go back to study. When the tofu is ready, just send it to your house and let me know."

"I will definitely live up to your expectations!" Tian Buli quickly thanked.

He stood there and watched Liu Menjing leave. After Liu Menjing walked a few dozen meters, he looked back. Seeing that Tian Buli was still standing there looking at him, he suddenly felt warm in his heart and waved at him.

"Go back." Liu Menjing waved his hand and walked out.

After Liu Menjing left, Tian Buli went to the bookstore with his load on his shoulder. He first bought books and paper, then bought ingredients and spices for making tofu, and then bought steamed buns to take home.

(End of this chapter)