Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Bullying (1)_1 Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Bullying (1)_1 At night, the Lin family was making tofu for the second time. Lin Changshu and Guo Huiniang woke up early and began grinding soybeans in the kitchen. The old man was curious, so he also got up early to supervise the whole process.
This time, Ziyin didn’t use salt water to curdle the tofu, she directly used sour soy milk instead, adding a bit of flour. The tofu made this way was smoother and had a better texture.
In the morning, Lin Changshu had a bowl of tofu pudding and a couple of meat buns before heading to Ding’an Temple with a pole across his shoulder to deliver the tofu.
“Brother, tell them if it’s raining, we might not deliver.” Ziyin instructed, asking him to make it clear to the Guest Keeper at the temple.
“Sure.” Lin Changshu replied. His sister had many ideas, and now he was willing to listen to her.
“Sister, do we have plenty of scallions at home?” Ziyin asked.
“Not much.” Zige responded, “Just enough for our own consumption, the ones we just planted are still seedlings.”
“Can we buy some from households in the village who’ve got some?” Ziyin asked.
“White Sister’s family has some, we can ask at their house.” Guo Huiniang said.
“Alright,” said Ziyin. “We’ll need a larger quantity of scallions in about five days, about three to five pounds.”
“Alright.” Zige replied.
By the time their conversation ended, dawn broke.
Changting and Yanzhi were also called to join the adults for breakfast, which was tofu pudding or soy milk, served with tofu buns and meat buns.
“Grandfather, if it’s possible, could you accompany me to the mountain this morning?” Ziyin asked.
“Sure.” The old man replied, “Only a bit of piecemeal work is left in the field. I’ll accompany you to the mountain.”
The morning dew was still around. Once it dried, Ziyin and the old man each took a basket and headed for the mountain, while Changting was freed up as their pig was feeding on the soybean dregs. He took Yanzhi along to play with other kids in the village.
The two young boys had left home early to find their friends.
“Ziyin, is your health getting better?” A villager who saw Ziyin and the old man greeted them proactively.
“Yes, much better.” Ziyin replied graciously. Being friendly to the villagers was an art, and she was always pleased to maintain good relationships.
“Old man, are you going to the mountain?” Someone else noticed the baskets they were carrying.
“Mm-hmm.” The old man was even more taciturn.
Going to the mountain wasn’t strange. The Lin family had been impoverished due to consecutive illnesses, even the vegetation in their field was sold to cover Ziyin’s medical expenses. Everyone understood this situation, so they guessed the grandfather and granddaughter were foraging on the mountain.
Noboby suspected anything.
Looking at the mountain made her feel weary, Ziyin became short of breath not far from the base of the mountain. “Grandfather, slow down, I can’t make it.”
Watching the old man’s hearty stride ahead, Ziyin was filled with envy and resentment.
An old man was outperforming her, a youth in her prime. What an embarrassment!
“Take a rest.” The old man pointed to a flat rock. Being careful, he checked for snakes in the rock’s crevices with a stick.
“Thank you, grandfather.” Ziyin sat down on the rock. “Next time we come, we should bring some soy milk along.”
“Your body is weak.” The old man looked at her with an apologetic expression.
“I’ll get better once I start exercising more in the morning.” Ziyin replied bashfully.