78: Chapter 78 Carving Tofu 78: Chapter 78 Carving Tofu Madam Zhou didn’t know about the argument that her arrival had sparked in her parents’ home; she took the tofu that Wufu wanted, and bought another fish before heading back to their modest house.
However, she couldn’t help wondering what the outcome of her brother’s meeting would be, and whether her presence might have introduced complications.
At this thought, Madam Zhou felt a sense of unease.
Finally emerging from the woodshed, Wufu took the tofu from Madam Zhou and said with a smile, “Mother, let me carve a statue for you.”
That was right, she had asked Madam Zhou to buy tofu as practice material.
It was well known that due to the softness of tofu, carving a beautiful flower or object out of it required excellent knife skills.
And once one perfected carving with tofu, their craftsmanship could indeed be considered divine.
Therefore, Wufu wanted to use it to train her hand; mastery of carving tofu, which demanded utmost concentration and precision, would later make carving jade an easy task in terms of handling the knife with the right pressure.
Distracted by her worries, Madam Zhou nodded indifferently to her daughter’s proposal.
Delighted with her idea, Wufu had Madam Zhou fetch the embroidery frame to work on her stitching, while she herself sliced a square piece of tofu, placed it on a board, and was eager to start.
Comparing with her knife, she examined Madam Zhou’s features and then looked at the block of tofu, and soon had an idea.
Madam Zhou, paying little attention, thought of Wufu’s carving as mere whimsy.
She embroidered while her mind wandered to her brother’s marriage prospects, unfocused.
Wufu soon noticed Madam Zhou’s unusual demeanor and cautiously continued carving as she asked, “Mother, did something happen in the village?”
Madam Zhou’s hand trembled, and the needle pricked her finger, quickly producing a bead of blood.
She hastily sucked on her finger and said, “Ah?
It’s nothing, what could it be?”
Her mother’s reply came too quickly, almost as if she were hiding something.
“Did grandmother and the others make things difficult for you again?”
Madam Zhou forced a laugh: “Nonsense, why would they hassle me for no reason?” Fearing further inquiry from Wufu, she added, “It’s just that today I happened to come across the Liang Family who were there for your uncle’s meeting.
I wonder if it was successful?”
Wufu responded with an “Oh,” and went silent, focusing on the task in her hands.
Madam Zhou breathed a slight sigh of relief and did not continue the topic, worried that Wufu might pick up on something.
She then took a curious glance at her daughter’s work.
Carving a statue from tofu?
Such a silly child, tofu is so soft; how could anything be carved from it?
Even a simple flower would likely collapse!
Madam Zhou shifted her attention back to her embroidery which she had to complete quickly as the deadline was close.
As the sun began to set, casting a reddish hue in the sky that grew more splendid as it dipped further west, a serene atmosphere enveloped the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.
Mother and daughter each dedicated themselves to their own tasks, enveloped in domestic tranquility.
“I’ve finished carving!” Wufu exclaimed with a clap, excitedly calling out, “Mother, come and have a look?”
Madam Zhou startled, looking over to see a small pile of tofu scraps on her daughter’s square board.
Wufu pulled her over, pointing to the central piece on the board, “How about that?
Guanyin Sitting on a Lotus.”
The base of the tofu was carved into a lotus pedestal, and in the middle, a small figure with crossed legs sat amidst it.
The simple gown, simple hairdo with two strands hanging down in front, the figure’s face wasn’t clear, but Madam Zhou found it somehow familiar, reminiscent of her younger self.
Remembering Wufu’s mention of carving a statue for her, was this meant to be her?
Madam Zhou looked at her smiling daughter standing before her, completely astonished.
Who, exactly, was she?