Upon hearing Ye Li’s words, Jiang Dahe readily agreed.

He followed Ye Li into the mill, exchanging a few casual words about crops with Jiang Fuzheng. Once the wooden barrel was filled with soy milk, he picked it up and left.

After carrying the soy milk back to the Jiang household, he headed to Jiang Fuzheng’s home.

His nephew had found a livelihood to pass down through the generations, and as his uncle, he was determined to lend a helping hand.

With Jiang Dahe’s assistance, Ye Li found the task remarkably easy.

Ten catties of beans yielded two large buckets of soy milk. After carrying the second bucket home with Jiang Dahe, he fetched a burlap cloth to strain out the bean pulp.

This task was simple, and to speed up tofu-making, Ye Li told Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, “Xiao Mai, Ya-ger, go wash your hands and help strain the pulp.”

Jiang Mai was about to pull Jiang Ya away from the kitchen when Jiang Dahe interjected, “Hey, Ye Li, Ya-ger will marry someday. What if he learns this and teaches it to his future in-laws?”

Jiang Mai lowered his raised foot, his dark eyes fixed on Ye Li.

“Second Uncle, we just want to make the tofu faster. Besides, it’s just straining bean curd residue. Even if Ya-ger learns, it won’t change anything.”

Ye Li explained while glancing at Jiang Ya, worried that the words might hurt his feelings.

But Jiang Ya seemed oblivious, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the white soy milk in the bucket.

“I see. Well, that’s good then.”

Jiang Dahe relaxed, then sighed, “Having sons really is better. Look how capable the husband he brought home is. Unlike daughters and gers—you raise them for over a decade, only for them to become someone else’s family in the end.”

“…Second Uncle, as the saying goes, a man forgets his parents once he has a wife. Some particularly ruthless sons won’t just neglect their father’s care—once he can no longer work, they’ll kick him out of the house without even a meal.”

Ye Li maintained his smile.

“Bah, you’re talking about a few. Xiao Ji would never do such a thing.”

“…”

Forget it.

No point arguing now.

Besides, Jiang Dahe’s mindset actually benefited Jiang Ji and Jiang Mai.

Otherwise, Jiang Ji would’ve dropped out long ago—how could he still be studying?

Jiang Mai hadn’t suffered much mistreatment at Jiang Dahe’s house either.

It was only Ya-ger who had to endure those nasty remarks daily.

Fortunately, Ya-ger was still young. For now, it seemed he hadn’t taken Jiang Dahe’s words to heart.

But Ye Li needed to address this situation. After selling the tofu, he’d have a talk with Jiang Ya.

He told Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya to wash their hands.

Jiang Mai tugged Jiang Ya toward the door, puzzled. This good-for-nothing always called Xiao Ya a bringer of misfortune—why was he suddenly defending him?

As the two youngsters exited the kitchen, Ye Li smiled at Jiang Dahe. “Of course. My husband is a good man.”

The words instantly lifted Jiang Dahe’s spirits.

Indeed, he poured his heart into caring for Jiang Ji and Jiang Mai precisely because he hoped his nephews would support him in his old age.

But both boys were still young, so he kept these wishes to himself, too embarrassed to voice them aloud.

Yet hearing Ye Li’s tone now, it seemed this hope might just come true.

His heart filled with joy, and he couldn’t help but follow Ye Li’s lead in praising Jiang Ji.

“Your mother-in-law fled here from the south. She came from a decent family and was quite literate. She taught Xiao Ji to read and write. By three, he could recite poems; by five, he helped calculate the taxes on the fields.”

“Later, when he entered the private school, he was always praised by the master.”

“When he took the county exams, all the men in town who worked alongside your father-in-law wanted to marry their daughters and sons to him.”

“If it weren’t for you…”

He abruptly cut himself off, lifting his gaze to meet Ye Li’s eyes with a hint of guilt.

His nephew-in-law’s original temperament had never been worthy of his eldest nephew.

But now that the young man had changed his ways and demonstrated genuine talent, saying such things would only invite trouble.

Seeing Ye Li’s expression unchanged, he gave a nervous chuckle. “Xiao Ji is a good lad. You’ll see that for yourself in time.”

Just then, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya entered the kitchen. He quickly changed the subject, instructing them on how to strain the bean pulp.

Ye Li pretended not to catch Jiang Dahe’s hidden meaning. With the original owner gone, he couldn’t be bothered to judge anything.

The four worked together and soon finished filtering the bean curd residue.

Next came the boiling stage.

This involved the core of tofu-making. Jiang Dahe sent Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya to the riverbank to cut pigweed, then prepared to head home himself.

However, he had overheard Jiang Mai mention that today’s ten catties of beans had been borrowed from Jiang Fuzheng, and Ye Li was out of money.

Therefore, he went home, hauled a sack of soybeans over, and delivered it.

Soybeans were a valuable commodity. The stalks could feed sheep, the beans could be exchanged for tofu or pressed for oil, and the oil-pressed residue could be made into soybean cake to feed sheep.

His family grew soybeans every year.

Besides, they couldn’t keep grinding soy milk at Lizheng’s house forever. He planned to buy a stone mill from the stone workshop in the county town and have a carpenter make some tofu molds while he was at it.

The steamed bun basket was only for emsecond brotherncies. To run a proper business, they definitely needed professional tools.

He also gave Ye Li fifty wen. His nephew’s husband was about to do something big—how could he manage without money?

“Use it for now. Come ask me for more if you run short,” he said cheerfully, placing the coins on the stove.

“It’s more than enough, thank you, Second Uncle. As for the millstone and molds, I’m sorry to trouble you. Once I earn money, I’ll repay you immediately.”

Ye Li said sincerely.

A timely gift!

“What repayment? No need to pay me back. Use it freely—we’re family,” Jiang Dahe insisted immediately.

“I must repay you,” Ye Li insisted firmly, smiling as he added, “You and Second Aunt still need to save for Xiao Liu and Yu-ger’s dowries.”

“A token gesture will suffice when the time comes. They’re already money-losing ventures—how could we afford lavish dowries?”

“Alright, alright. Get back to work. I’m heading into town now.”

Jiang Dahe started to leave, but not before reminding Ye Li: under no circumstances was he to teach Jiang Ya the method for making tofu.

Ye Li: “…”

Fine. Once he built his bean products business into something substantial, he’d have a proper talk with Jiang Dahe.

Today he made cold-water soy milk again. If the tofu didn’t sell out, he’d fry it into puffed tofu.

Before boiling the soy milk, he scooped out a small basin.

That little rascal Jiang Ya had been craving soy milk for two days straight. Today, he absolutely had to get some into his little belly.

After setting the tofu, he pressed the water-filled clay jar onto the steamed bun basket. Glancing at the sky, he decided to prepare lunch first.

Yesterday, Jiang Fuzheng had announced that the tofu would be ready by noon, so villagers would surely come to buy it later. That meant lunch had to be made ahead of time.

The corn cakes were gone, so he steamed more.

Yesterday he’d mixed bean curd residue into the corn cakes, and today he did the same.

Today’s residue was plentiful, so when kneading the dough, he added half a bowl of white flour to strengthen the gluten and balance the texture.

As for the vegetable dish, it was naturally tofu.

Scallions tossed with soft tofu—light and delicious.

Just as he finished lunch, the two little ones, Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, returned carrying pig feed.

The family of three sat down to eat.

Mid-meal, the first customer arrived: Jiang Fuzheng himself.

As clan chief, he set an example by actively supporting Ye Li.

Ye Li was touched, but the tofu hadn’t been pressed yet. For now, he could only offer soft tofu.

Jiang Fuzheng didn’t mind. Soft tofu was soft tofu—tender, just right for his seventy-year-old mother who had almost no teeth left.

Jiang Fuzheng bought three catties of soft tofu.

Ye Li weighed out ten catties of beans for him to take home.

Learning that Jiang Dahe had sent the beans, Jiang Fuzheng accepted the ten catties.

Not long after Jiang Fuzheng left, another visitor arrived.

It was Aunt Qiumei, who lived east of the Jiang household.

Aunt Qiumei had been close friends with Mother Jiang back in the day. Now that Ye Li had started his small business, he came to support him enthusiastically.

Before Aunt Qiumei had left, another visitor arrived:

Liang Erxiang, Jiang Dahe’s wife and Ye Li’s second aunt.

Liang Erxiang came to help, but Ye Li cut a piece of tofu and sent her back.

Such a small business venture hardly warranted Liang Erxiang making the trip.

After Liang Erxiang left, Jiang Dahe’s cousin, Jiang Dachuan, arrived…

Yezaopo had only twenty-two households. The village was small, and any commotion quickly became village-wide knowledge.

The villagers had known what kind of man he was since he had arrived twenty days prior.

Yesterday, Jiang Fuzheng had been parading Ye Li around town, advertising his wares. The idea that this malicious good-for-nothing had suddenly mastered the secret recipe for tofu had piqued the villagers’ curiosity.

Driven by both curiosity and a desire to save face for Jiang Fu, the villagers arrived early today, eager to see if he could truly make tofu.

Over the course of this single meal, more than ten households showed up.

When they actually saw the tofu in the willow baskets, everyone gasped in amazement. Could he really make it?

Ye Li greeted everyone with a cheerful smile. He had planned a grand opening promotion anyway. Plus, since today’s batch wasn’t pressed quite firm enough and had more moisture, he generously gave each person an extra two cuts. The villagers couldn’t stop praising him for his generosity and skill.

He accepted their praise with ease, greeting each villager with practiced familiarity—uncles, aunts, grandpas, grandmas—their constant calls leaving Jiang Mai beside him utterly astonished.

By the time this wave was attended to, only a small block of tofu remained, less than half a catty.

There was no need to fry tofu puffs now.

He picked up the small winnowing basket holding copper coins and gave it a shake. Inside were twenty-nine coins.

Beneath the cutting board, the sack contained over seven catty of soybeans.

Some villagers who grew soybeans at home were reluctant to spend coins on tofu, so they brought beans to trade instead.

One catty of soybeans is exchanged for one and a half catty of tofu.

Today’s costs were only ten catties of soybeans and brine: three wen per catty for soybeans, five wen for brine—thirty-five wen total.

Now he’d collected fifty wen.

A profit of fifteen wen.

Not bad. At least it wasn’t all for nothing.

Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya, the two little ones, had finished feeding the pigs and chickens and were about to head out to gather firewood.

Ye Li stepped out of the kitchen and called to them, “Come here. I’ve got wages for you two.”

“?”

Jiang Mai halted, unsure if he’d heard correctly.

This person was going to pay him and Ya-ger wages?