Aunt He and Liu Pingshan had a loving marriage, and Liu Xu had watched them closely since childhood, longing for the life she would have after her own wedding.

Little did she know that three years of married life would wear her down until she had no energy left.

During the first few days back at her parents’ home, she shut herself in her room every day, refusing to speak or see anyone, and had little appetite for food.

Aunt He was both heartbroken and worried; she had nearly cried herself dry.

Later, Yan Xiaoyu handed the tofu business over to them and suggested that Liu Xu help out at the stall to take her mind off things. Aunt He kept this in mind, but knowing her daughter didn’t want to see anyone, she changed her approach.

After the tofu stall opened, Aunt He, using the excuse that things were too busy at home, asked Liu Xu to help with the cooking. In the evenings, when settling accounts, she also had Liu Xu help count the coins.

For the first few days, Liu Xu still seemed somewhat listless. Aunt He, along with Liu Pingshan and Liu Tiao, never gave up. Every day they engaged her in conversation, praised her for her work, and coaxed her to eat a few more bites… Gradually, Liu Xu emerged from her dazed and confused state.

Later, He Qiuhua brought some fabric over and asked Liu Xu to help make clothes, even paying her the going rate for embroiderers in town. Liu Xu, remembering the kindness shown by Yan Xiaoyu’s family, initially refused to accept the payment, but He Qiuhua insisted, saying her son had specifically instructed her to do so, and finally persuaded her to take it.

The girl truly had a knack for dressmaking; whenever she saw a nice style out and about, she could figure it out and make it herself after just a few days of practice.

The four sets of clothes she made for Yan Xiaoyu and his sister were exquisite. After the siblings wore them out, Nian-ger came knocking on the door with a bundle of fabric in hand… Later, more and more villagers asked her to make clothes for them. Though many couldn’t afford to pay her in silver, they’d give her a few eggs or a basket of vegetables—they never let her work for nothing.

Seeing that her daughter was willing to do this, Aunt He stopped making her cook and let her focus solely on sewing. She also had Liu Pingshan take the clothes her daughter had made to the tailor shops and embroidery workshops in town to ask if they would buy them.

Unfortunately, they refused to take them.

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiaoyu asked Yan Shaocheng to take the clothes Liu Xu had made to several shops in the county seat to inquire. Eventually, he successfully helped Liu Xu secure a livelihood as a seamstress.

Now Liu Xu earns as much as the men in the village; she has no trouble supporting herself and can even help her family. Once her self-pitying mindset was shattered, she became a completely different person.

Seeing how capable she was, no one in the village dared to say she had a hard life or couldn’t control her husband anymore; instead, everyone wanted to send their children to her to learn the craft.

Aunt He was full of gratitude toward Yan Xiaoyu’s family: “If it weren’t for Brother Yu helping her figure things out, Sister Xu wouldn’t have pulled herself together for who knows how long!”

Uncle Li chimed in with praise: “Brother Yu really has a knack for this. He said my fermented black beans would taste even better with two extra seasonings. I tried it his way, and he was right! For a while now, my husband has been taking some out to sell every day, and they’re actually selling quite well!”

He Qiuhua loved hearing people praise her children; having others praise Yan Xiaoyu and his sister made her happier than being praised herself.

Right now, her face was beaming with joy, though she forced a polite response: “W-well, it’s really Sister Xu and you, Brother Li—you’re the ones with the skills. O-otherwise, even if Brother Yu wanted to help, he wouldn’t have been able to.”

The three exchanged compliments for a while, then He Qiuhua and Uncle Li asked with concern about Liu Xu’s health.

Aunt He chuckled and, looking mysterious, closed the kitchen door: “Xu’er is fine.”

He Qiuhua and Uncle Li looked puzzled. She covered her mouth, laughing as she explained: “The doctor in town said there’s nothing wrong with her, but we didn’t dare believe it. A few days ago, we took her to the county to see another doctor, and surprisingly, he said the same thing. She’s just been worn out these past few years—her body’s a bit depleted—and on top of that, she’s been worrying too much, which is why she’s gotten so thin. It won’t stop her from having a baby.”

He Qiuhua and Uncle Li were even more puzzled: “Th-then why hasn’t she been able to get pregnant all this time?”

Aunt He slapped her thigh, her smile widening: “The doctor said that if a couple can’t have a baby, it’s not necessarily the woman’s or the ger’s fault—most likely, it’s the man who has the problem!”

“Oh my!” He Qiuhua and Uncle Li gasped in unison, then quickly covered their mouths, as if they’d just realized something.

…

In the main hall.

Liu Xu mentioned that Yan Xiaoyu’s birthday was approaching, and she wanted to make him a new spring outfit as a birthday gift, so she needed to take his measurements again.

Yan Xiaoyu led her into the bedroom, with Liu Tiao close behind. Nian-ger had intended to join the fun, but turned back halfway.

The young lad sat down beside Liu Pingshan and looked at him with a fawning expression: “Uncle Liu!”

“What’s up?” Liu Pingshan grew wary. “I haven’t been arguing with Aunt He lately—I don’t need you to act as my matchmaker.”

“Of course not!” Nian-ger chuckled. “If anything, I’d be helping Aunt He—she’s easier to find a match for than you.”

“……” Liu Pingshan gritted his teeth. “Uncle Yu was absolutely right!” This kid really is biased!

Everyone present struggled to stifle their laughter.

Yu Sanlang tugged at his younger brother’s sleeve, only to be ruthlessly shaken off.

“Uncle Liu, I’ve noticed Sister Xu’s been willing to go out these past few days. Why don’t I go look around for her again? Now that I’m selling tofu, I’ve met quite a few fine young men!”

“Enough of that.” Liu Pingshan shot him a sidelong glance. “Your Sister Xu said she’s not looking anymore, and both Aunt He and I agree.”

“Really not looking anymore?” Nian-ger looked disappointed, but he wasn’t ready to give up. He pleaded earnestly with Liu Pingshan, “There are plenty of fine young men out there. Don’t let one good-for-nothing make her give up on the thousands of fine young men in our Great Chu!”

Liu Pingshan waved his hand impatiently: “We’re not looking anymore, we’re not looking anymore! Stop talking about it; there’s no point in saying more. Sister Xu finally managed to get rid of that man named Ding; we’re certainly not going to find another man who’ll make her suffer.”

“Alright,” Nian-ger sighed gloomily.

Just as everyone in the family thought he was giving up, he shifted his focus to a new target: “What about Tiao-ger? Should I put in a word for him?”

Yu Sanlang couldn’t bear to look and covered his face.

Liu Pingshan snapped, “My Tiao’er isn’t getting married either—he’s looking to take a wife into his family.”

After speaking, he caught sight of Yu Sanlang beside him. Liu Pingshan’s gaze hardened, and he suddenly flashed a mischievous smile: “If you’re so set on arranging a match for my Tiao’er, why not have your Third Brother come live with us as a son-in-law?”

Yan Shaoxuan: “……”

Everyone present was stunned. Yu Sanlang’s face flushed crimson, and he didn’t know where to put his hands or feet, but Nian-ger didn’t see anything wrong with it at all.

“Third Brother, what do you think?”

He turned toward Yu Sanlang, nudged his arm with his elbow, and advised him with great seriousness:

“I think Tiao-ger is a fine match—more than good enough for you! Father said it himself: ‘A son who won’t settle down will only breed resentment.’ You’re no spring chicken anymore; stop being so picky! In the village, the only other bachelors your age are the two Yan brothers, and none of them is as handsome as you. If you don’t get married soon, you won’t have many options left!”

Yu Sanlang’s face burned with embarrassment; he wished he could strike his younger brother speechless.

“Eh?! Uncle Liu is just joking with you! ”Liu Pingshan’s face turned pale with fear, and he laughed nervously, “Don’t take that seriously! If your father finds out, it’ll be a disaster!” Niu Fugui was certainly not a man of broad-mindedness!

Yan Xingmao and Zhao Yong remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

Niu Fugui resented others bringing up his past as a son-in-law, and there was no way he would agree to his son following in his footsteps.

This match was definitely off, and Nian-ger’s efforts would be in vain once again.

Nian-ger wasn’t ready to give up and tried to persuade them further, but fortunately, Yan Xiaoyu and the others came out of the house, diverting his attention.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After half a year of training under He Qiuhua, Yan Xiaoyu’s cooking skills, though not quite on par with He Qiuhua’s, were now among the best in the village.

Today’s meal was exceptionally lavish, and everyone at the table couldn’t stop praising it.

After the meal, Aunt He and the others helped clean up the kitchen.

Yan Xiaoyu and his sister brought out tea and snacks. Just as Aunt He and the others were getting ready to stay a little longer before heading home, Yan Xingmao’s words struck like a bolt of lightning, leaving them frozen in their tracks.

“Since everyone’s here today, I’d like to make an announcement: we plan to give you the dried tofu, tofu skewers, tofu puffs, and fermented tofu. From now on, just come to my place to buy the tofu, make it yourselves, and sell it.” 

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Except for the Yan brothers, everyone else wore expressions of disbelief. It took them a long while before they finally asked, one after another:

“How can that be?! If you do that, won’t you make almost no money at all?”

“That’s right. Those recipes are like golden geese—everyone guards them like the apple of their eye. How can your family just give them away like that?”

“Yu-ger, hasn’t your father lost his mind? You’d better talk some sense into him—he can’t just go around giving away the recipes!”

“We really need to talk him out of it; he can’t act on impulse!”

Everyone chimed in, their voices filled with disapproval and concern.

Giving the recipes to them wasn’t just Yan Xingmao’s idea; it was a decision made after the entire Yan Xiaoyu family had discussed it, and the Yan brothers were also in the know.

There were already people in the market imitating their dishes. Although the quality still needed improvement, as these dishes made their way into restaurants and eateries, more and more food connoisseurs were coming into contact with them—it was only a matter of time before they were replicated.

Since the main ingredient was tofu, anyone could figure out the recipe. Although the preparation method was slightly complicated, with enough trial and error, one could eventually get it right.

Furthermore, after the Lunar New Year, the family would begin building a new house, and Yan Xingmao would have to go there to oversee the work. Left behind, Yan Xiaoyu and his mother and sister would have to make tofu, prepare these tofu-based dishes, and sell food in town—they would certainly be overwhelmed.

Even if they worked themselves to the bone to get through this period, once they’d found a suitable shop in the county seat, Yan Xiaoyu would have to take his mother and older sister there to open a restaurant. By then, supplies from this side would be insufficient.

If they hired extra help, the recipe might be leaked; it would be better to simply hand the recipe over to these few households. That way, they could capitalize on the period after the imitations hit the market to earn some extra silver, and Yan Xiaoyu could also do them a favor in the process.

So Yan Xiaoyu discussed it with his family, sought the opinion of the Yan brothers, and made this decision.

If he hadn’t been afraid of driving the Qian family into a corner, he would have even considered handing over the tofu recipe to them as well.

Yan Xiaoyu observed everyone’s reactions.

With such a coveted item right before their eyes, these people didn’t covet the recipe but instead put themselves in his family’s shoes, urging them not to act impulsively. This warmed Yan Xiaoyu’s heart.

He carefully explained the reasons behind his decision to give away the recipe, then smiled and said, “You needn’t worry about us. If you come to our shop to buy tofu, we’ll still make a profit.”

Tofu was highly profitable; selling it would bring them a decent income.

After hearing Yan Xiaoyu’s explanation, the families finally put their minds at ease, but they still refused to take the recipe for free, insisting on paying for it with silver.

These foods would likely be copied before long. Selling the recipe now—charging too much would be inappropriate, while charging too little would be pointless—so Yan Xiaoyu naturally refused to accept payment.

It took Yan Xiaoyu, his father, and Yan Shaocheng a long time to persuade the three families to agree to this arrangement.

The recipes could be handed over, but how to distribute them was another problem.

Yan Xiaoyu told the Liu, Yu, and Zhao families to discuss it among themselves, with each family choosing one recipe. Once they received the recipes, they were not allowed to arbitrarily lower prices just because their production costs were lower; they still had to sell at the original price.

This was to prevent each household from producing their own batches without proper coordination on quantities, which could result in no profit and strained relationships. 

As for Yan Shaocheng, since he sold his goods in the county seat and wouldn’t compete with the other households, Yan Xiaoyu gave him all the recipes at once.

Aside from these recipes, he had other plans in mind. Whether to carry them out or not depended on how Yan Shaoxuan fared in this round of the county examinations.