"Done so quickly? Come, tell us, how is this tofu made? Xie Qingshan was also very relieved to see his son-in-law's daughter so positive, so he asked Zhou An to introduce him, on the one hand, to see how well he studied in the county.

"Okay, I'll tell my father and mother." Zhou An was not stage frightened, pointed to the grinding plate in the room, opened his mouth and said with a smile: "To make tofu, you must first grind tofu, everyone knows that this is the first step in making tofu, grinding the soaked soybeans." ”

Then he pointed to the stove against the left wall, which was burning on fire, because no one had added firewood just now, only sparks were left in the stove eye, "This is the second step in making tofu, and the ground soy milk and okara are boiled!" ”

Qiu Niang also smiled: "I was burning the fire just now!" Qin'er is also older, can help me take Hong'er, and the three of us just divide the labor to make tofu. ”

Xie Qingshan and Xie Wang nodded as they looked at the wooden frame next to the stove, on which hung a wooden frame nailed into a cross shape, and a square piece of cotton cloth was connected to the four corners of the top, and under the cotton cloth was a jar.

"This is the third step, which separates the tofu residue from the soy milk. When using, scoop the boiled soy milk into the hanging cotton cloth pocket, shake the cotton cloth pocket like this, separate the soybean milk from the okara and flow it into the large vat below. Zhou An shook the cross wooden frame before he got on the wooden frame, and the cotton pocket below was also shaking.

Xie Qingshan also stepped forward and tried to shake it, and said with a smile: "Isn't it time to order tofu with brine?" I have heard that this is the most critical craft of making tofu, and not everyone can know it, and I heard that each tofu maker has his own know-how and is not easy to pass on to others. ”

Zhou An slapped his face and sighed: "It's still my father who is well-informed, if I hadn't paid attention, then the tofu man would still want to fool me at this step!" Fortunately, I kept an eye on it, and I only paid half of the price before, saying that I would pay the other half after I learned it, or I would let him fool him! ”

It turns out that the southern tofu is salted and brine, and the northern tofu is gypsum water, and the ratio and consistency of soybean milk and brine gypsum water determine whether the tofu is formed and whether it is delicious.

Xie Xuan tiptoed and looked into the jar, only to see that it was freshly sifted soybean milk, and there was no brine.

"Uncle, it just so happens that we are all here, you can show us a little bit, so that we can all see and understand." Xie Xuan said with a smile.

Xie Qingshan and Xie Wangshi also smiled and said that let him do it, so that everyone could open their eyes, mainly because tofu is generally hidden from people, and the trick of ordering tofu is really unknown to ordinary people.

Zhou An walked to the front of the jar with a smile, holding a bowl of salt brine in his left hand, pouring a little gently, holding a long-handled wooden spoon in his right hand while stirring, pouring a little more, stirring again, until he felt that it was almost over, and then closed the lid.

"Wait a little longer, wait for the soy milk to form a tofu brain, and you can press the tofu!" Zhou An took the apron next to him and wiped his hands, and said to everyone.

"Ah, I haven't eaten tofu brain for a long time, so my uncle will make it for us to eat in a while, okay?" When Xie Xuan heard this, her eyes lit up, and she said with a smile, "I just took osmanthus candy when I came, or fried some sauce marinade, a few drops of sesame oil, sweet and salty can be eaten!" ”

"Okay! I'll make tofu brains and eat them in a while! Zhou An agreed.

Zhou Qin was holding Zhou Hong's hand and eating candy next to Xie Wang's side, hearing her father's words, Zhou Qin looked at the vat expectantly.

"Qin'er, do you want to eat sweet tofu brain or salty tofu brain?" Xie Xuan asked Zhou Qin with a smile.

Zhou Qin and the heavens fought for a while, and Ai Ai asked, "I want to eat both sweet and salty......"

Xie Qingshan and Xie Wang laughed, touched Zhou Qin's head and said, "Okay, let's eat both sweet and salty, in the future, let your father and mother make tofu brains every day, and let you eat annoying ......"

"Tofu brain is delicious, where will I be annoyed?" Zhou Qin looked puzzled, "It's still autumn, I went to the county seat with my father and mother to sell mountain goods and eat once......

Everyone laughed and gossiped for a while, and saw that the soy milk in the jar had condensed into gelatinous tofu brain.

Qiu Niang took a stack of bowls, scooped seven or eight bowls with an iron spoon obliquely, and asked Zhou An to bring them to the table of the eight immortals in the hall.

Xie Wang's lit the fire in the stove and quickly fried a bowl of sauce marinade with a small pot, and Qiu Niang pounded garlic again and made a bowl of garlic juice for everyone to eat.

Before Zhou Quan came back from buying meat, Xie Wang's family set aside a point of sauce marinade and garlic juice for him to come back and eat.

"Uncle, you can't sell tofu in Linzhang County, but that tofu workshop doesn't restrict you from going elsewhere, there are often markets in Huluzhuang nearby, and there will be temple fairs in Laba Festival in a few days, there must be a lot of people, why don't you go to Huluzhuang to sell tofu?" Xie Xuan sat on the table of the Eight Immortals, took a bite of the sweet tofu brain with osmanthus sugar, blinked his eyes and said to Zhou An:

"There are many people who love to eat tofu brain, that is, they carry the burden to sell tofu brain, prepare condiments such as sugar and salty marinade, and make it sweet for him if they want to eat it, and if they want to eat salty food, they can make it salty for him, and he can earn a few pocket money in a day!"

Zhou An's eyes lit up, and his lean and dark face showed a little joy, "I think the same way, just selling tofu has few tricks, plus tofu brains, what you want to eat and buy, isn't there an extra way to make money?" ”

Xie Qingshan scooped two spoonfuls of sauce marinade into the bowl and said with a smile: "I saw that in addition to marinade and garlic juice, there are also cooked salted soybeans, plus a few drops of sesame oil and a few corianders, and the taste is very good!" Come back and get some too, soybeans are not ready-made? It's just that coriander doesn't grow in winter, and when you look back, our garlic is yellow, you just have to come and get ......."

"Where can I take this casually, our family sells it into the restaurant for 35 wen miles a catty! Where can I take advantage of my mother's family?! Qiu Niang refused and said categorically.

While feeding Zhou Hong tofu brain, Xie Wang glanced at his daughter and said, "Just make a side dish on tofu, how many catties do you need?" Two catties a day will be up to the sky! Is there still a shortage of two catties of garlic at home? ”

Zhou An also smiled and refused: "It's not a matter of two catties of garlic, we can't develop the habit of counting on others for everything, and after a long time, counting on others to get used to it, our own ambition will slowly wear off......"

When Xie Qingshan heard this, he shouted loudly: "Okay! If you have this ambition, are you afraid that you won't be able to get rich? I said that this son-in-law was the right one! ”

Xie Wang's family also praised Zhou An for his ambition, Qiu Niang couldn't help but smile when she heard her father and mother praise her husband, Zhou An listened to the praise of her father-in-law and mother-in-law, and her dark face turned purple with shame.

After a while, Zhou Quan came back from buying meat, Qiu Niang and Xie Wangshi went to the kitchen to cook, fried a few dishes, fried cabbage with fragrant oil residue, fried tofu on the outside and tender on the inside, square tofu box, red braised pork, braised tofu, smooth and tender slices of meat.

Xie Qingshan took out the wine he brought, and showed off to Zhou Anzhou: "This is the Muxi lotus wine sent by Fu Xiaoguan in order to thank us Xuannier, let's also taste the good wine brewed by the political envoy today!" ”

Zhou Anquan couldn't help but admire.

Xie Wang deliberately whispered to Qiu Niang and Xie Xuan: "The old man has started again, I can't wait for everyone in the world to know that the son of the political envoy has given him a gift!" ”

Xie Xuan listened, and couldn't help the corners of her mouth.

After eating a dish, drinking another round of wine, and rolling noodles with his hands, he ate a full meal with noodle soup, and waited until the sun was in the west, Xie Qingshan drove the mule cart home with Xie Wang and Xie Xuan.