Yan Shaoxuan shot Yan Shaocheng a dismissive glance, clearly uninterested in arguing.

“Stinky tofu is a specialty snack that should fetch a good price. Why not sell it in the county seat? That way, we can give the town stall to Brother Yu.”

Stinky tofu is deep-fried with many seasonings, so the cost isn’t low. The price can’t be set too cheaply. While the townspeople can afford it, they’re still not as willing to spend as those in the county seat.

Yan Shaocheng had only been joking earlier. He knew his younger brother wasn’t the type to act recklessly out of spite, so he wasn’t particularly surprised by the suggestion. After a moment’s thought, he agreed.

“That’s a good idea. Stinky tofu doesn’t require much preparation. Though the county is a bit far, we have an oxcart, so traveling there won’t be too much trouble.”

“Exactly.” This was also why Yan Shaoxuan suggested his elder brother, rather than Yan Xiaoyu, handle the county business.

The Yan Xiaoyu family rose before dawn daily to make tofu. Adding a two-hour journey to the county would be too taxing.

Moreover, several tofu shops already operate in the county. Breaking into that market to claim a share wouldn’t be easy.

“Alright then, I’ll rent your stall.” After saying this, Yan Xiaoyu couldn’t help but sigh, “Having an ox cart is such a blessing!”

The county was so far away. Yan Shaocheng could go whenever he wanted, and he himself was about to set up a stall to do business. But how to get to the town market remained a problem.

The Yan brothers understood his concern. After exchanging a glance, Yan Shaocheng spoke up: “Since we pass through town on the way to the county anyway, how about I drop you off at the market daily on my route?”

Though the county road ran through town, it bypassed the market. Yan Xiaoyu initially refused to make Yan Shaocheng detour for him, but the brothers insisted. After hesitating, Yan Xiaoyu finally agreed.

Even so, he resolved that once he saved up more silver, he would discuss it with his parents and elder sister. He would buy a draft animal for pulling carts and farm work, so he could tend the fields and run his business.

Cows were a bit pricey, but buying a donkey shouldn’t be too difficult.

Later, Yan Shaoxuan suggested that since their stalls weren’t in the same place, Yan Xiaoyu and his family could also sell stinky tofu. Yan Xiaoyu didn’t agree.

He already had several types of tofu dishes he could make now; there was no need to overextend himself. Besides, since he’d promised to sell stinky tofu to Yan Shaocheng, he shouldn’t change his mind lightly.

After learning about his other tofu creations, the Yan brothers didn’t press the matter further.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

In the days that followed, business at Yan Xiaoyu’s tofu stall grew worse by the day. Only villagers too lazy to go to town bought a block or two.

Sometimes he wouldn’t sell a single piece all day.

Some of Yan Xingsheng and his wife’s acquaintances whispered snide remarks behind his back, but Yan Xiaoyu didn’t lose heart.

“Even though sales are down, we still have to open shop every day. Customers need to know we’re still in business—we can’t let them come looking for us and find us closed.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.” He Qiuhua nodded in agreement. “It doesn’t take much effort anyway. We’ll just keep the shop open. Once the other dishes are ready, we can continue selling them.”

Any unsold tofu Yan Xiaoyu would turn into fermented tofu, ensuring nothing went to waste.

He never avoided home when preparing these dishes. He Qiuhua and Yan Xiaoyue would actively learn to help him.

Later, the dried tofu, tofu skewers, and puffed tofu were all made together as a family.

He had considered making tofu skin, too, but with only one iron pot at home, waiting for the soy milk to coagulate layer by layer into sheets was quite time-consuming. It was fine for home consumption, but making it to sell outside wasn’t worth the effort.

Yan Xiaoyu planned to make the dried tofu into spicy dried tofu. This dish was also somewhat labor-intensive, but its rich, savory, and spicy flavor, with its thick, glossy sauce, looked incredibly appealing and was perfect for drawing in customers.

To save time, Yan Xiaoyu decided to make the remaining tofu skewers and tofu puffs into chicken broth tofu skewers all at once.

Unlike the spicy dried tofu or fermented tofu, the chicken broth tofu skewers had a milder flavor. However, they would still be served with chili condiments, allowing spice lovers to add more to their liking.

Apart from the fermented tofu, Yan Xiaoyu didn’t plan to make large quantities of the other finished dishes. They were oil-intensive and ingredient-heavy, making the costs high. Producing too much would likely make them difficult to sell, so it was better to just sell the ingredients directly.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

With the autumn harvest season upon them, Yan Xiaoyu juggled preparing the food stall while also working in the fields.

Fortunately, Yan Xingmao was now able to labor in the fields, and Yan Shaocheng brought his ox to help, significantly lightening the household’s load.

Yan Shaoxuan also tried to assist, but Yan Xiaoyu hastily declined.

He was his future pillar of support. His most crucial task now was preparing diligently for next year’s county-level exams. If farm work delayed his studies, he’d regret it for the rest of his life.

Besides, having Yan Shaoxuan—a scholar—helping with their rice harvest would draw too much attention. The villagers would surely gossip.

With Yan Shaocheng’s assistance alone, they were already profoundly grateful.

The autumn harvest, gathering ingredients and tools for their stall, took over ten days. By late August, everything was ready. Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng chose the first day of the ninth lunar month to open their food stall.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

At dawn’s first light, Yan Shaocheng’s oxcart was already waiting outside the Yan Xiaoyu household. Yan Xiaoyu and her family loaded their goods onto the cart,

With the Yan brothers lending a hand.

Accompanying Yan Xiaoyu to the market that day was her elder sister. Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua were busy with the farmwork and tending to the family’s tofu stall.

Only a small portion of the newly made chicken soup, tofu skewers,s and spicy dried tofu was kept at home for customers to sample. With limited ingredients, the bulk of the goods had been taken to town by the Yan siblings.

As the oxcart rolled toward town under the gentle autumn breeze, Yan Xiaoyu glanced at Yan Shaoxuan beside him while talking to Yan Shaocheng. He recalled their first ride together on the oxcart—

He sat far away, as if afraid to come near her. It seemed rather amusing now.

Unexpectedly, in just a few short months, their relationship had changed so dramatically.

Yan Shaoxuan still spoke little, but he sat quite close to Yan Xiaoyu. Whenever he and Yan Shaocheng talked, he seized the chance to interject a few words.

Yan Xiaoyue remained reserved, yet no longer hid behind her brother, silent throughout the journey.

When Yan Xiaoyu had been in trouble last time, Yan Shaoxuan’s panic and loss of composure had frightened Yan Xiaoyue.

That evening, Yan Shaocheng had unusually adopted an elder brother’s sternness to reprimand him. Afterward, Yan Shaoxuan became especially cautious around Yan Xiaoyue. Over time, she gradually grew less fearful of him.

When Yan Xiaoyu had been in trouble last time, Yan Shaoxuan’s panic and loss of composure had frightened Yan Xiaoyue.

That evening, Yan Shaocheng had taken the rare step of acting like an older brother and scolded him a few times. After that, Yan Shaocheng became especially careful around Yan Xiaoyue. Over time, Yan Xiaoyue grew less afraid of him.

In the car, everyone looked relaxed, smiles on their faces.

Getting up early was a bit of a struggle, but the thought of earning silver made Yan Xiaoyu forget his fatigue.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Prime spots at the town market were fiercely competitive—vacant stalls were snapped up the moment they became available. Those arriving later had few options left.

Still, the Yan brothers’ chosen stall was decent enough. Though not on the main thoroughfare, its proximity to the market entrance meant loud hawking could still draw customers.

The market was well-managed by the authorities. Stalls were kept clean, and constables patrolled the area, deterring any troublemakers. Though they had to pay a monthly stall fee of two hundred coins, it was far more peaceful than hawking goods door-to-door.

After the Yan brothers departed, Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Xiaoyue swiftly set up their small table and arranged the tofu and other food items.

It was still early, with only a few scattered customers in the market, but the stalls around them were all ready for business.

The market was divided into sections, with this area dedicated to food stalls. To Yan Xiaoyu’s left stood a burly man selling steamed buns and dumplings, while to his right was a vendor offering various drinks: red bean soup, mung bean soup, loquat juice, reed root water, citron water… The fragrant aromas of these beverages wafted through the air, quite enticing.

Yet compared to Yan Xiaoyu’s spicy dried tofu, they seemed rather mild.

The tofu had been pre-marinated, but to maximize its aroma and draw customers to the stall, Yan Xiaoyu completed the stir-frying step right there on the spot.

The finished spicy tofu had an alluring reddish-brown hue, packed with generous amounts of dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Its aroma was so potent that the moment it came off the stove, nearby stall owners all turned to look.

Yan Xiaoyu wrapped five portions in oil paper, each containing three slices of spicy tofu, and delivered one to each of the five nearby stall owners.

“We’re new here, and my sister and I don’t know the ropes yet. Please bear with us! These spicy tofu slices are what we’ll be selling at our stall—please give them a try!”

Some were flattered and immediately returned a portion of their own stall’s food. Others thanked him repeatedly, refusing for a long time before finally accepting. Still others lavishly praised his skill with their words, yet their eyes held a murky, ambiguous look.

After eating, they hinted at another portion…

Yan Xiaoyu observed it all, knowing instantly who to befriend and who to guard against.

Dressed smartly today, the siblings had been brought by two men of distinguished bearing. Despite their youthful looks, the stall owners dared not underestimate them.

The pickle vendor kept stealing glances at Yan Xiaoyu’s stall and hinted at more spicy dried tofu. Pretending not to understand, Yan Xiaoyu let the matter drop.

The drink vendor—a kind-faced, slightly plump middle-aged woman—took Yan Xiaoyu’s spicy dried tofu and gave the siblings half a bamboo tube of fragrant pomelo juice. Noticing the tofu on Yan Xiaoyu’s stall, she offered friendly advice.

“Right by the market exit is a tofu shop that’s been open for over a decade. Though they don’t have as wide a variety as you do, they’ve built up quite a loyal customer base. You need to hawk your wares loudly, or else tofu buyers will head straight for them.”

Yan Xiaoyu understood this well, but he was still deeply grateful. After thanking the woman, he gave her a serving of chicken soup with tofu.

After tasting it, the woman raved about it, buying a serving of spicy dried tofu and a chicken soup tofu skewer. She planned to take them home for her child after closing.

Yan Xiaoyu chatted with her briefly, gathering some general information about the market.

As more customers gradually arrived, the two stopped chatting and began shouting their wares at the top of their lungs.

“Come on over, take a look! Freshly made spicy dried tofu—spicy without the harshness, richly fragrant, made with our secret recipe. Don’t miss out if you’re passing by!”

“Delicious chicken soup tofu skewers—perfect for kids and adults alike! Try some, buy some. If you don’t like it, you don’t pay!”

“Freshly cooked tofu, five for a piece…”

In his modern life, Yan Xiaoyu had built his business from street vending, so his calls came naturally.

His voice was crisp and his demeanor warm. Dressed in a light green, narrow-sleeved long robe that looked both neat and sharp, his striking appearance quickly drew a crowd.

As they approached, the pungent aroma of spicy dried tofu hit their noses. Glancing over, they saw the stall laden with fermented tofu coated in chili powder and steaming hot chicken soup tofu skewers. Their mouths watered involuntarily.

“Hey, boss, what’s this dish? Never seen it before!”

“Looks like it’s fried in plenty of oil. Can I try a sample?”

“Is this fermented bean curd? I’ve had it back in the city. Can I taste some?”

“Oh, and tofu too…”