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Nian-ger arrived carrying a small basket, his face etched with worry.

“Qian’s tofu sells for four wen a block in Beiling Village, but still five wen in town. Both places accept beans in exchange. They’re clearly targeting you, trying to drive you out of business! What should we do? Will you lower your prices?”

Yan Xiaoyu nodded, unsurprised.

Qian Hong was arrogant and petty. Yan Xiaoyu had snatched away most of his family’s business in the surrounding villages, and he was undoubtedly displeased.

Add to that Yan Xiaobao being beaten and imprisoned, and the feud between Yan Xiaoyu and the Yan family was now set in stone. Now Yan Xingsheng and his wife hated him to the bone. Even if the Qian family didn’t want to fight this battle, Yan Xingsheng and Tao Cuiqing would likely egg them on.

Tofu had low production costs, so selling it for four wen per block still turned a profit—it was just a matter of thin margins.

But while lowering prices was easy, raising them again would be difficult. Yan Xiaoyu had no intention of cutting prices to compete with them.

“Thanks for telling me about this,” Yan Xiaoyu smiled at Nian-ger. “Let him lower his price if he wants. We won’t.”

“Alright then.” Nian-ger pulled out his small coin purse, counted out ten wen, and handed them to Yan Xiaoyu. “Brother Xiaoyu, cut me two pieces of tofu.”

Yan Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow. “Why not buy from Beiling Village? You could save two wen on two blocks of tofu!”

“Beiling Village is too far. I can’t be bothered to walk that far,” Nian-ger chuckled. “Besides, I’m from Xiling Village. Naturally, I should support our Xiling tofu business. Otherwise, if your tofu shop gets squeezed out, then we’d have to buy tofu in town—a whole hour’s trip! The Qian family’s been in the tofu business for years, but their craft still can’t match yours. You’ve got firm tofu, soft tofu—we get to pick! The Qians just churn out the same old stuff…”

After rattling on for a while, Nian-ger leaned closer and whispered mysteriously to Yan Xiaoyu, “Brother Xiaoyu, you’re from Xiling Village too. How about supporting my matchmaking business? Otherwise, my trade will get squeezed out by outsiders, too!”

“…” Yan Xiaoyu glanced at him. “Your business hasn’t even opened yet, has it?”

“True, it hasn’t opened yet,” Nian-ger chuckled sheepishly. “But if you hire me, wouldn’t that mean I’d open? Then our village would finally have its own matchmaker!”

“I’ve been scouting for you these past few days. There’s a pretty boy in Dongling Village—gentle as can be. He’d be perfect for a strapping lad like you. Once married, you point east, he won’t dare go west. You’ll run the household! Best of all, he’s exceptionally handsome. You’ll love him, I promise!”

He winked and exaggerated his expressions. No sooner had he finished than a voice drifted over: “How handsome could he be?”

Turning to see Yan Shaoxuan standing sullenly at the doorway, Nian-geri jumped in fright. He patted his chest hastily. “Second Brother Yan, how could you eavesdrop on a ger’s conversation?!”

Yan Shaoxuan’s resentment boiled over as he gritted his teeth. “Wang Ergou’s Fulang isn’t enough to keep you busy? You still have time to solicit business here?”

“Ah!” Nian-ger sighed. “Uncle Zheng said that since Uncle Ergou went to jail, his days are much happier. Now Uncle Ergou’s family dares not bother him, and he doesn’t have to wash clothes or cook for Uncle Ergou anymore. His complexion has even improved lately. I begged him to reconsider, but he insists he’ll wait until Uncle Ergou is released. He told me and Sun Lai to wait a few years.“

Yan Xiaoyu: ”…“

Yan Shaoxuan: ”…“

”I don’t mind waiting, but I’m not sure if Sun Lai is willing. I’ll have to visit his place tomorrow to ask.”

After finishing, Nian-ger tried to persuade Yan Xiaoyu further, but Yan Shaoxuan stood awkwardly nearby, obstructing their conversation. He leaned close to Yan Xiaoyu’s ear and whispered urgently, “Brother Xiaoyu, think it over carefully. I’ll ask you again in a couple of days.”

With that, he picked up the basket to leave. But the moment Yan Xiaoyu took it from him, he sensed something was off.

He peeled back the bamboo leaves and asked, “Brother Xiaoyu, why did you pack me four pieces of tofu?”

“Anyway, this tofu won’t sell today. Consider these extra two pieces as thanks for helping me gather intel.” Yan Xiaoyu added another bowl of bean curd pudding. “Here, have a bowl of bean curd pudding too. But forget about that little face—tell others about it. I’m not in the mood for matchmaking right now.”

Nian-ger was delighted to get two extra blocks of tofu, but his mood soured at the latter part of the remark.

“Alright then.”

After Nian-ger left, Yan Xiaoyu turned his gaze to Yan Shaoxuan beside him.

“Is Second Brother Yan also buying tofu?”

Yan Shaoxuan gave a slight nod, handing over the copper coins and bowl. “Nian-ger said the Qian family started discounting their tofu?”

“Yes.” Seeing his frown, Yan Xiaoyu smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan!”

“How do you plan to counter?”

“Simple. If he dares steal business from my village, I’ll steal his business from the town!”

The town had more people who could afford tofu than all four villages combined. Yan Xiaoyu had long coveted the town’s trade, but his roots were still shallow, so he hadn’t dared expand his stall too much.

Now that the relationship was openly strained, he had fewer reservations.

Moreover, Yan Shaoxuan and Ji Wenyan conversed without restraint, suggesting a solid rapport. With Yan Shaoxuan as his backing and Ji Wenyan as his ally, the Qian family would likely hesitate to confront him directly.

Reaching this conclusion, Yan Xiaoyu hastily shoved the five copper coins back into Yan Shaoxuan’s hand.

“Just now, I gave that kid two blocks of tofu. What kind of friendship is that? You’re eating my tofu and still expect to pay?”

“Ahem.” Yan Shaoxuan pressed his fist to his mouth, clearing his throat with a slight cough, his expression slightly uncomfortable.

He inwardly sighed. Brother Yu’s advances were growing bolder by the day.

That Nian-ger really had no sense of tact whatsoever—no wonder he couldn’t be a matchmaker.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

That evening, Yan Xiaoyu shared his proposed solution with his anxious family.

“We should rent a stall at the town market to sell tofu too. Not just tofu—these days I’ve been experimenting with making other tofu-based dishes. We’ll sell them together, and I guarantee they’ll sell better than the Qian family’s.”

Price wars weren’t the best strategy, especially since the Qian family was trying to steal their business while refusing to cut prices. Both shops operated in the same town, yet awkwardly offered two different price points.

If their regular customers found out, it could cause trouble.

The Qian family father and son were rigid and inflexible, having made tofu for over a decade without introducing any new varieties.

They guarded their tofu business jealously, even keeping their daughter-in-law Yan Yongfang at arm’s length. Others might have ideas, but they couldn’t offer advice.

Yan Xiaoyu was different. He could make tofu skin, dried tofu, tofu skewers, tofu puffs, tofu rolls, tofu cakes… and more. For the few he hadn’t mastered, having tasted them in the modern world gave him a clear idea of how to figure them out.

A single tofu product couldn’t compete with all these derivatives. Yan Xiaoyu could turn tofu into a feast. As long as the competition was fair, he wasn’t worried about losing to the Qian family.

“I’ll start by selling the spicy dried tofu I made earlier. Then there’s fermented tofu, tofu skewers, and tofu skin. The Qian family doesn’t have these. They’re our unique offerings, perfect for drawing in customers…”

His family had tasted Yan Xiaoyu’s tofu jerky—spicy, flavorful, and pleasantly chewy, perfect for porridge.

Hearing this, He Qiuhua and the others immediately felt less anxious.

Yan Xingmao nodded. “It’s good you have ideas. If you need help with anything, just tell us. Your mother, sister, and I may not be able to assist in other ways, but we can certainly lend a hand.”

“I know. I’ll definitely need Mom, Dad, and my sister’s help.”

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The next day, Yan Xiaoyu began considering which tofu products to make.

Just then, Yan Shaocheng’s fermented tofu marinade was ready, and the tofu blocks had finished soaking. Yan Xiaoyu started by teaching him how to make stinky tofu.

Yan Shaoxuan followed along, while Yan Xingmao and the others, intrigued by this new dish, gathered nearby to watch.

Yan Xiaoyu lifted the stinky tofu blanks from the marinade and set them aside to drain. Simultaneously, he began preparing the sauce.

He heated oil in a wok. Once hot, he added dried chili peppers, minced garlic, sesame oil, salt, and other seasonings, stir-frying until fragrant. He then poured in a bowl of water and his own homemade broth, bringing it to a boil.

Once the sauce was ready, he set it aside to cool. After washing the wok, he heated oil again to fry the tofu.

He fried the stinky tofu until the surface was crispy and the pieces puffed up, then removed them from the wok.

After taking them out, he used chopsticks to poke a hole in the center of each piece of stinky tofu and poured the sauce over them. A bowl of stinky tofu was now ready.

Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng prepared two brines. One included black fermented beans and shiitake mushrooms, resulting in black stinky tofu blanks. The other used standard ingredients, yielding white stinky tofu blanks.

Both marinades emitted a pungent odor. When Yan Xiaoyu first lifted the raw stinky tofu out of the liquid, everyone in the room stared wide-eyed.

They’d assumed the name “stinky tofu” was just a gimmick—never expecting it to actually smell that bad!

Yan Shaocheng, who planned to sell stinky tofu at a street stall, felt his heart sink.

He trusted Yan Xiaoyu’s skills—this stinky tofu would surely taste delicious. But that smell might scare off plenty of potential customers!

Yan Shaocheng waited anxiously, pacing with a heavy heart. Unexpectedly, once the stinky tofu was fried and drizzled with sauce, the pungent odor transformed into an indescribable, exotic aroma.

In short, it wasn’t unpleasant at all—it was actually quite enticing, more like a special kind of fragrance.

Yan Xiaoyu fried a large bowl of stinky tofu, divided it into smaller bowls, and offered everyone a taste.

He also prepared chili oil, chopped chili peppers, scallions, cilantro, and other condiments so everyone could add to their liking.

Yan Shaocheng added nothing. He picked up a piece of black stinky tofu and popped it into his mouth. The heat made him flinch, but he couldn’t bring himself to spit it out.

The stinky tofu was crispy on the outside and tender inside. With one bite, the aroma filled his nostrils. The crispy tofu shell and soft tofu flesh were saturated with a rich, spicy, and savory sauce. The flavor was intense and unique. truly leaving an unforgettable aftertaste.

Once you try it, you’ll find it hard to resist.

Yan Shaocheng devoured several pieces before reluctantly looking up to observe the others’ reactions.

The sight made him chuckle again.

Unlike him, who deliberately slowed down to savor each bite, the six pieces of stinky tofu in Yan Xingmao and his wife’s bowls, as well as Yan Xiaoyue’s, were all gone. Each had added seasonings to their liking and was now happily slurping up the remaining broth!

Yan Shaoxuan had only one piece left in his bowl. Sweat beaded on his nose as he ate, trying to maintain composure, yet his movements betrayed lingering satisfaction.

Yan Xiaoyu, the cook, remained the most composed of all.

“Hurry up and eat. Finish it, and you can cook next time. I’ll watch over you.”

Yan Shaocheng nodded, adding a splash of vinegar and some cilantro before finishing the last piece of stinky tofu.

Honestly, the cilantro seemed to make the stinky tofu taste even more fragrant.

After finishing, Yan Shaocheng recalled Yan Xiaoyu’s steps and began preparing the stinky tofu himself.

Both he and Yan Shaoxuan knew how to cook. The sauce was already mixed, so he only needed to fry the tofu—not a difficult task. Yet achieving that perfect crispy exterior and tender interior required some skill.

Yan Shaocheng fried batch after batch, finally reaching a standard Yan Xiaoyu would accept. 

While Yan Xiaoyu was particular, Yan Xingmao and the others weren’t so picky. As Yan Shaocheng fried the stinky tofu, the whole family waited nearby, bowls in hand.

Yan Shaocheng fried over a hundred pieces of stinky tofu in one batch. Not a single piece went to waste—they all ended up in the bellies of Yan Xiaoyue, Yan Xingmao, and Yan Shaoxuan.

Yan Xiaoyue’s eyes sparkled as she ate. After finishing, she whispered to Yan Shaocheng, “I think yours is absolutely perfect. If Xiaoyu won’t make it for me, I’d gladly pay to buy yours.”

Yan Shaocheng couldn’t help but chuckle.

Yan Xingmao chuckled, “It is good, though there’s a difference. Ordinary folks wouldn’t notice, but your stall is sure to make money.”

Yan Shaoxuan frowned. “The taste is fine, but shouldn’t we change the name ‘stinky tofu’?”

“We should definitely change the name,” Yan Shaocheng agreed wholeheartedly. “Otherwise, someone as picky as Shaoxuan won’t buy it.”

Yan Shaoxuan stared expressionlessly at his older brother while Yan Xiaoyu laughed until he doubled over.

After the laughter subsided, he, too, grew troubled. “What could we possibly rename this stinky tofu?”

As the words fell, all eyes turned to Yan Shaoxuan, the only scholar in the room.

Yan Shaoxuan paused thoughtfully. “Perhaps we shouldn’t change it after all.”

He could easily come up with elegant names, but for a snack like stinky tofu, the name needed to be simple, easy to understand, and catchy. He couldn’t think of one off the top of his head.

With no better suggestions, the stinky tofu renaming was put on hold. Yan Xiaoyu then inquired with the Yan brothers about stall availability at the town market.

“Now that tofu sales have stalled, I’d like to set up a stall in town. Are there any vacant spots left? How much is the monthly rent?”

Yan Shaoxuan had a solution: “No need to hunt for a stall. My brother’s spot is yours.”

Yan Shaocheng snorted in exasperation: “Your brother just teased you a bit, and you’re giving away his stall?”