Lu Yang: ?
“What are you doing?”
Lu Liu stared intently into the pot, careful not to overcook the fried tofu puffs.
He slowly stirred and flipped them with long chopsticks, replying earnestly, “Frying tofu puffs to eat.”
Lu Yang leaned closer to the stove to look.
Indeed, just those few pieces. It looked so stingy no matter how you looked at it.
“Just this much?”
Not even enough to fill a tooth gap.
Lu Liu hummed in response, his smile unwavering, his eyes sparkling brightly. He clearly looked very satisfied and full of anticipation.
If he didn’t know Li Zhai treated him well, Lu Yang would suspect he was being abused.
What’s there to be happy about with such trifles?
He found himself inexplicably amused and said, “No wonder that Li fellow likes you so much.”
He was so easily pleased.
Seeing his younger brother lifted his spirits somewhat.
The fried tofu puffs cooked quickly, and there wasn’t much of it. Lu Liu offered the long strips to Lu Yang.
Lu Yang apologized to him: “I shouldn’t have called you stingy.”
Lu Liu smiled. Seeing him eat, he picked up a piece of tofu puff and ate it too.
The oil-coated morsel tasted wonderfully fragrant.
No other flavors emerged; before he could savor it, it melted away in his mouth.
Lu Liu smacked his empty lips twice and said, “I didn’t taste anything.”
Lu Yang offered him another piece.
Lu Liu replied, “I’ve already counted them out. These are for Auntie, Brother Lin, and Brother Fu.”
Lu Yang’s smile deepened. “No need to share.”
He glanced at the fish soup and submerged all three puffs in it.
With oil in the wok and fire in the stove, Lu Liu had no time for chatter. He hurried off to stir-fry the vegetables. Lunch would be wild mushrooms with sliced pork.
They planned to try making sauce that afternoon, and Lu Liu needed to return to the mountain village before dusk.
The mountain paths were muddy. They intended to buy some fermented bean paste to take home, but the journey there and back would be arduous. They had to head back while it was still early.
Lu Yang decided not to steam rice. Steamed buns would serve as the main staple for lunch.
Only three pieces of fried tofu puffs remained. He kept a little selfishness, placing one in Zhao Peilan’s bowl, one for his younger brother, and one for himself.
He kept it hidden from Lu Lin and Zhang Tie, planning to tell them next time when they fried tofu to eat.
The tofu puffs, soaked in fish broth, tasted better than dry ones. Lu Liu ate with his eyes squinted shut.
“When I earn money, I’ll buy two pounds of oil and fry tons of tofu puffs. I’ll stew them in fish broth and vegetables until we’re stuffed.”
Seeing his enthusiasm, Lu Yang asked, “How many pies did you draw in the air?”
Lu Liu blushed slightly. “Not many. I was just thinking about how to spend money when I have it.”
With money, he could do so many things. He thought back, and almost all of them involved food.
He laughed so hard his body shook, telling Lu Yang, “When I left early this morning, I even told Mother that once I saved up silver, I’d buy her pig stomach to eat.”
Lu Yang laughed along with him, then ladled fish soup for Zhao Peilan: “Mother, try this. The fish soup is fresh and not fishy at all.”
Zhao Peilan watched the two brothers. They were so alike.
As she looked at them, Lu Liu appeared so weak and frail, and worry settled in her heart.
After all, one couldn’t gamble with people’s hearts. She knew that having another weakling in the family wouldn’t make things any easier. But for the sake of giving the household some breathing room, to avoid being bullied from all sides, she had made up her mind back then.
The exchange of marriages had actually worked out.
Zhao Peilan urged Lu Yang to eat more: “I bought this to nourish your body.”
Lu Yang ate.
Among the foods the old doctor had warned against, fish was one. It wasn’t advisable to eat too much.
But it was already bought, and his brother had prepared it. Not wanting to spoil the mood, he had half a bowl of fish soup with just one steamed bun, eating more mushrooms instead. He claimed he loved mushrooms, and that meal passed without incident.
Zhao Peilan assisted, washing and chopping mushrooms and diced meat.
Lu Yang first gathered empty bowls, scooping out each sauce mixture one by one, then pairing them together.
He even fetched paper from the house to make labels. The markings were simple: beneath each bowl, two numbers indicated the two price tiers of sauce.
Lu Liu handled the pairing.
His hand was steadier when handling seasonings.
First, he stir-fried the blended sauces to bring out their aroma, tasting each for saltiness and noting the ratios. He set aside the flavorful ones to pair with mushrooms and diced meat for further testing.
Once paired, Lu Yang would stir-fry them together.
After over an hour of bustling activity, Li Feng had finished his rounds and returned just as they wrapped up.
After tasting it themselves, they went next door to ask Boss Ding to sample it.
One plate held four distinct sauces in separate piles.
Two had been perfected today: one brought by Lu Liu, and another they deemed subpar but lower in cost.
Boss Ding had a discerning palate and instantly identified the most expensive one with a single bite.
Among today’s sauces was one costing fifteen cash per pound.
This sauce released its savory aroma the moment the lid was lifted. Even when mixed with a small amount of cheaper sauce, its rich flavor remained distinct.
The stir-fried mushroom and pork sauce made with it was the most delicious, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.
Using this sauce, they’d need to sell the dish for at least eighteen cash per pound to make a modest profit.
Next was the twelve-cash-per-jin sauce Lu Yang had used before. The ratio was similar—four taels of premium sauce mixed with two taels of cheaper sauce, then seasoned with soy sauce and salt during stir-frying. The aroma was slightly milder, but the taste was still good. Costs were manageable, allowing it to be sold at the current price.
But when Boss Ding ate, he demanded the most expensive sauce.
Lu Yang understood perfectly. Using only the twelve-cash-per-jin sauce, without diluting it, could still achieve that rich aroma. That was precisely what he had initially served Boss Ding.
After expressing his gratitude and promising to bring him a bowl of sauce later as a token of thanks, they returned to the shop. Following a brief discussion, Lu Yang set two price points: twelve cash per jin and twenty cash per jin.
The premium sauce could be made in smaller batches. With a point of comparison, customers would be more inclined to buy the cheaper sauce. Just like the goods in the sauce shop, the expensive items sold less frequently but had a loyal following. The sauces meant for bulk sales needed to be more affordable.
With this settled, Li Feng went to buy the sauce with a clear plan in mind.
He also inquired about Lu Yang’s piglet.
“Father asked me to check,” Lu Yang replied.
“It’s only for a few more days. I’ll have Brother Lin take it back.”
The day passed in a flash, and Lu Yang felt deeply reluctant.
He told Lu Liu, “Take good care of yourself in the mountains. Money is never-ending. Save little by little, and things will get better. Don’t risk your health for short-term gain. Making sauces is exhausting—let others help when needed. Don’t worry too much about me or home. Father is fine, and so am I.”
Lu Liu, unusually defiant, retorted, “You should really listen to this advice. Just look at your complexion—it scares me.”
Lu Yang quoted the old doctor: “He said I’m purging illness. You can only tell I’m sick when you see it. By the time we meet next, I’ll be fine.”
Lu Liu didn’t understand this and muttered, “I wonder if that doctor is reliable. Maybe we should find another one to take your pulse?”
Lu Yang laughed at this and urged him to hurry: “Go buy the sauce early. If you delay, you’ll have to walk home after dark. If it’s on your way, grab some tofu for dinner.”
Lu Liu really wanted some, but today he truly had no time.
If the road was clear, they could leave later. They’d walked at night before.
Days of rain had left the ground too wet, the main road muddy and impassable. No choice—next time they went to the county seat, they’d get tofu from Old Man Chen again.
After seeing them off, Lu Lin and Zhang Tie would be finishing work soon.
Lu Yang held Lu Lin back to talk: “I can’t travel far lately. I keep saying I’ll help you guys out, but I haven’t had any good ideas. Remember what I mentioned last time? I recall my uncle’s place has a stone mill and keeps livestock that could pull it. I also mentioned roasting flour for profit, right? Have your uncle roast two hundred pounds of flour. Then bring Big Brother Song and Uncle Qing along to sell it. With everyone here lending a hand, you can bring those last six piglets home too.”
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