“You’re right, I do want to sell tofu puffs. Though they might not sell well.”

“Because I plan to sell them for fifteen wen per catty.”

Ye Li explained.

“How much?” Jiang Fuzheng’s voice shot up.

Jiang Mai looked equally stunned, doubting his own ears.

Jiang Ya’s little mouth gaped in shock before he patted his tummy.

How many wen did he and his brother eat last night?

Ye Li spread his hands helplessly and explained, “Uncle Jiang, the cost is very high. Just the cost per catty is eight wen.”

“Eight wen?”

Jiang Fuzheng looked at the tofu puffs in Jiang Mai’s hands in disbelief. “For this stuff, the cost per catty is eight wen?”

“That’s right! I was shocked when I calculated it yesterday. I double-checked three times before daring to confirm.”

“But at least there are sixty pieces per catty!”

“Sixty pieces?”

Jiang Fuzheng gasped again.

“Yes, these things are hollow and soft inside. Sixty pieces make up one catty.”

Tofu puffs don’t hold much weight—even large ones can pack thirty or forty per catty.

His were slightly bigger than those at the hot pot shop, yielding sixty per catty.

“Give me the detailed breakdown.”

Jiang Fuzheng frowned.

He was skeptical of Ye Li’s claims.

These three figures had stunned him too deeply.

“Alright.”

Ye Li held up his fingers and began calculating the costs for Jiang Fuzheng.

He worked with meticulous precision, ensuring Lizheng understood he wasn’t making empty promises.

The Jiang family didn’t grow soybeans. He had to buy them from the grain shop at three wen per catty.

One catty of soybeans could make three catty of firm tofu.

During frying, the tofu would lose moisture.

One catty of firm tofu would yield only half a catty of puffed tofu.

Three catty of firm tofu would yield one and a half catty.

In other words, one catty of soybeans could make one and a half catties of puffed tofu.

But transforming soybeans into puffed tofu required more than just the beans—there was also the cost of brine and lard.

Firm tofu doesn’t absorb much oil. To fry three catty of tofu and obtain one and a half catty of puffed tofu requires two liang of lard.

Pork lard is expensive, but if you buy pork backfat and render it yourself, it costs about thirty-five wen per catty.

Converted, two liang of lard equals seven wen.

Additionally, the brine cost for processing one catty of soybeans into tofu was about five wen.

Firewood expenses also needed consideration. For small quantities, his own firewood sufficed.

But with higher output, he’d definitely need to source dry firewood.

Thus, he estimated firewood costs at one fen.

Labor costs were also inevitable.

He certainly wouldn’t grind the soybeans himself using the large stone mill at Jiang Fuzheng’s house.

He planned to hire someone to grind the soybeans.

He roughly estimated this labor cost at one wen per catty.

Adding up the costs of soybeans, lard, salt brine, dry firewood, and labor, the total cost for one and a half catty of tofu puffs came to twelve wen and five li.

Averaged out, the cost per catty of tofu puffs was eight wen and three li.

When he said eight wen, he was deliberately underestimating.

After listening to his explanation, Jiang Fuzheng fell silent for a moment before saying, “The cost is high, but selling it for fifteen wen is truly expensive.”

“The villagers would never be willing to pay that.”

That’s the same price as pork!

If they can afford pork, why would ordinary families splurge on tofu?

“Uncle Jiang, I have no choice. Regular tofu won’t fry into puffs. I have to make firm tofu first, then fry it. By the time I finish all that, it’s already dark.”

“After working all day, I’ll barely make seven wen per catty.”

Ye Li explained further.

His earnings were hard-earned.

Pure, hard-earned money!

Seeing Jiang Fuzheng’s expression unchanged, he added, “Besides, there are sixty puffs in a catty. If you can’t afford a whole catty, you can buy them by the piece—four for one wen. That’s not expensive.”

But Jiang Fuzheng still shook his head. “One wen can buy half a catty of tofu now.”

“The taste is different, you know. Come, come, let me show you the proper way to eat it.”

Ye Li took the bowl from Jiang Mai’s hands, intending to prepare the tofu puffs himself.

“Xiao Mai, go pick two garlic shoots.”

Jiang Mai said nothing, turning toward the small vegetable patch to the left of the gate.

Jiang Fuzheng, meanwhile, led Jiang Ya into the kitchen.

Ye Li washed his hands, then cut the tofu puffs in half. This would allow the honeycomb-like structure to fully absorb the sauce.

Just as he finished transferring the cut tofu puffs into a clay bowl, Jiang Mai returned with two garlic shoots in hand.

At the base of the shoots, young garlic bulbs had formed, though tiny. This tender garlic was so fresh it could release water, with a mild spiciness.

But with no last year’s aged garlic available, Ye Li had to make do with these two new bulbs.

He minced the young garlic and added it to the clay bowl, followed by chili powder, cane sugar, salt, sesame paste, and aromatic vinegar.

Finally, he drizzled in a bit of sesame oil.

The moment the sesame oil touched the minced garlic, the mingled aroma of garlic and sesame immediately made Jiang Ya swallow quietly.

Ye Li picked up chopsticks and thoroughly stirred the seasonings into the tofu puffs.

Given the limited resources, the presentation wasn’t ideal—only chili powder, no bright red chili oil.

But the flavor was excellent, its fragrance wafting straight to the nose.

Ye Li placed the clay bowl on the small dining table, retrieved three pairs of chopsticks from the holder, and handed them one by one to Jiang Fuzheng, Jiang Mai, and Jiang Ya, beaming as he invited them to try.

“This is how tofu puffs should be enjoyed, Uncle Jiang. Give it a taste.”

Jiang Fuzheng accepted the chopsticks, picked up half a puff coated in garlic and sesame paste, and placed it in his mouth.

The moment his teeth bit through, the rich sauce inside burst forth—fragrant, spicy, savory—yet still retaining the tofu puff’s chewy texture and bean aroma. The flavor far exceeded his expectations, and he couldn’t help but look at Ye Li.

Ye Li’s face showed nervousness: “Uncle Jiang, what do you think?”

Jiang Fuzheng said nothing.

He simply reached out and picked up another piece.

Ye Li’s unease vanished, a small smile curving his lips.

After their initial surprise, the two little ones, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, couldn’t stop eating either.

But they weren’t completely lost in the food.

As they ate, they kept stealing glances at Ye Li. If he showed any sign of displeasure, they’d immediately put down their chopsticks.

Jiang Fuzheng picked up three more pieces before finally stopping.

The moment he paused, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya also immediately set down their chopsticks.

He cleared his throat lightly and said to Ye Li, “Ji’er—how much of that fried tofu puff is left from yesterday? I’ll take it all.”

“What’s this about buying? You’re my elder—it’s my duty to show respect. There’s just over a catty left. Take it home.”

Ye Li hurriedly replied.

Jiang Fuzheng was somewhat surprised. This Ji’er really understood social etiquette.

He felt a touch of satisfaction.

Then he shook his head. “Enough of this nonsense in front of me.”

“I know you’re short on money. I can’t just take these for free and then have you ask me for a loan later. If I, Jiang Fuzheng, did something like that, your father-in-law would rise from the grave to beat me.”

Thinking of the late Jiang Dahai, he couldn’t help but sigh. “When your family’s fortunes truly improve and you have fresh delicacies again, just don’t forget this old man.”

His words were both heartfelt and reasonable.

Ye Li’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Uncle Jiang, then thirteen wen will do. Making these tofu puffs—the firewood is ours, and I ground it myself. Those two things cost nothing. I’ll sell them for thirteen wen per catty.”

“Alright, fair enough.”

Jiang Fuzheng smiled at this: “When you go to grind the tofu later, use my mule to turn the mill. It’ll save you some effort.”

Hearing this, Ye Li was overjoyed.

He’d been fretting about this very thing last night!

He hurriedly thanked him: “Thank you, Uncle Jiang!”

“Now, you two eat breakfast. I’ll head home. When you come to grind the soybeans, I’ll give you the money for the tofu puffs.” Jiang Fuzheng added.

Ye Li agreed.

After seeing Jiang Fuzheng off, he had Jiang Mai set the table while he fetched water to wash up.

Jiang Mai’s breakfast was simple: cornmeal porridge, corn cakes, and shredded pickled vegetables.

However, after the earlier cold tofu puff salad, the otherwise plain breakfast suddenly became quite tempting.

After breakfast, Ye Li grabbed the soaked soybeans and two empty buckets, preparing to go to Jiang Fuzheng’s house to grind soy milk.

Before leaving, he instructed Jiang Mai to deliver tofu to Jiang Dahe’s family.

Most of yesterday’s tofu had been fried into puffs, leaving only a small block—less than a catty—but enough for a stir-fry.

When Jiang Fuzheng had taken him to promote the business at other households yesterday, Jiang Dahe’s family of four had all gone out to work in the fields, leaving the house empty.

Still, he felt he had to make a gesture.

Jiang Dahe had raised Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya. Now that he was starting his tofu business, he couldn’t let Jiang Dahe go without his tofu.

Jiang Mai said nothing, showed no surprise, merely nodded.

After he left carrying the bucket, he placed the block of tofu on a bowl and stepped out with Jiang Ya.

When Ye Li arrived at Jiang Fuzheng’s house, Jiang Fuzheng immediately handed him a string of copper coins—exactly thirteen wen, not a single coin more or less.

With these thirteen wen, he suppressed his request for borrowed lard.

Ten catties of soybeans could yield thirty catties of tofu. Jiang Fuzheng had advertised for him yesterday, so many customers should come to buy tofu today.

If he sold it all, he could earn twenty-five wen—though that was an ideal scenario. He planned to offer a grand opening promotion.

That meant even a complete sell-out wouldn’t net him twenty-five wen.

But regardless of profit, combined with the six wen left by his predecessor, he had enough to buy tomorrow’s soybeans and lard. Jiang Fuzheng’s family had seen him grind soy milk yesterday, so they went about their business, leaving only Jiang Fuzheng to lead the mule to help grind the beans.

The mule turned the millstone faster than he could by hand, and the large stone mill ground a substantial amount at once. Thus, when Jiang Dahe arrived, the first vat of soy milk was nearly full.

“Second Uncle, what brings you here?” Ye Li stepped out of the mill and greeted Jiang Dahe.

“Xiao Mai said you’ve learned to make tofu, so I came to see if there’s anything I can help with,” Jiang Dahe said cheerfully.

“Thank you, Second Uncle. With Uncle Jiang’s mule turning the mill, the work here isn’t too heavy. Just send Xiao Liu over to take a look. You coming all this way yourself has delayed quite a bit of work.”

Ye Li felt a touch of embarrassment.

Jiang Liu was Jiang Dahe’s eldest daughter.

Jiang Dahe heard this and was somewhat surprised. Just as Xiao Mai had said, his nephew-in-law was different now.

Before, “Ye Li” had never given him a friendly look.

But this was a good thing.

He continued smiling and said, “This is our family business. Xiao Liu should be getting married in the next couple of years. How could I let her get involved?”

“…Then Second Uncle, could you help carry this bucket of soy milk back? It’s too heavy for me alone.”

Ye Li smiled.

Jiang Dahe was a good man in every way, but since his wife had only borne them a daughter and a ger, he did not treat his daughter and ger with any favoritism.

He treated his nephews, Jiang Ji and the others, even better than his own daughter and ger.

Since Jiang Dahe was genuinely offering to help, he didn’t hesitate to accept.

Now that he was living as a ger, his strength was less than that of a man. Carrying the ten catties of water-soaked soybeans over earlier had actually made him sweat.