1995: From a small restaurant to a culinary genius

Chapter 29 Ancient Techniques

After sleeping for a night, Xu Liang's mind cleared up instantly.

When he got home for dinner last night, Zhao Hongzhi had already told him where in town he could buy freshly ground tofu.

After finishing his business at the shop early this morning, and feeding the puppy named Xiao Chuntian that Xu Tian had picked up, Xu Liang closed the door of the small restaurant after pouring water into the bowl.

Actually, Xu Liang seemed to have some recollection of what Zhao Hongzhi said last night, but after a while, he couldn't remember it at all.

But at least Xu Liang knew that old street, and that Dongguan was not far from the town park.

Moreover, there are some old houses left over from the Qing Dynasty, such as courtyard houses, whose architecture has been preserved for hundreds of years.

Some families haven't moved and still live in their old houses, but others, with young people working hard outside Sichuan, will renovate their old houses as soon as they earn a little money.

They renovated the old house into a brick and tile building like Xu Liang's, although it didn't have as many floors as those in the city, but the whole family had always lived comfortably there.

The old street's bluestone pavement also has its charm, exuding the style of ancient Shu.

After being washed by rain, it will also give off a faint fragrance.

As he walked along the road, he encountered many factory employees, but among them were some regular customers of Xu Liang's small restaurant.

The cinder and gravel road was still as bumpy as before, but back in 1995, the town was really poor, and the infrastructure in the township was not developed.

Fortunately, as he moved forward a bit along the way, the neighbors who retreated were very comforting to Xu Liang.

Even so, this is Xu Liang's birthplace and hometown.

Children who grow up here must have a heart that wants to make their hometown better.

Xu Liang walked on this road, which was in bad condition, but it was still better than those dirt roads that were slippery after rain and prone to sinking and potholes.

Uneven roads can increase friction between people and the ground, or between vehicles and the ground, reducing vehicle speed and making it less likely for the object to fall off the road.

Xu Liang spent a long time searching for the location Zhao Hongzhi had mentioned.

He first circled the park, then crossed the grove of trees, and finally found the old street at a corner intersection.

A memorial archway stood beside the street corner, covered with densely packed characters, but unfortunately the script wasn't modern; it must have been from an earlier dynasty.

However, it has the words "Peace and Prosperity" on it.

Xu Liang had also learned some knowledge, and the word "peace" was relevant to his understanding.

There are two answers: one is that it is the reign title of an ancient emperor or king, hence the name; the other is that the street was built during a time of peace and prosperity.

There was no major disaster or calamity.

The harvest is plentiful, and the weather is favorable.

There is also a statue under the archway, which is a bronze figure.

The bronze figure was dressed in official robes and wore a hat that looked like it came from the Qing Dynasty.

He held a stalk of rice in his right hand and a long whip made of hemp in his left.

Judging from his appearance, Xu Liang thought this man was an upright official who would help the world, but he couldn't make a judgment based on appearance alone.

Because honest officials and corrupt officials, like thieves, don't openly admit their true colors.

Xu Liang entered the old street and saw many different shops.

There are daily necessities, street vendors, and inns, which can be described as a microcosm of human life.

He walked along the old street stalls and found that the further he went in, the more the stalls turned into shops.

Right at the third-to-last spot, he discovered the shop of Granny Wang that his mother, Zhao Hongzhi, had mentioned.

Xu Liang saw that the wooden table in front of the shop had long been piled up into large white squares.

There was a long queue of people waiting quietly and orderly in front of the store.

Xu Liang also went up and saw the shop.

The shop is small, but it's quite popular.

Just as Zhao Hongzhi said last night.

Just as he arrived, Granny Wang took out a batch of tofu.

She may be older, but her hands move nimbly and steadily, even better than some younger people.

Not only that, he also chatted and laughed with her customers, enjoying life to the fullest.

Xu Liang also went up to join in the fun, and he first greeted Granny Wang.

"Good morning, Grandma! Business is booming today!"

Granny Wang saw Xu Liang and smiled at him.

Good morning to you too.

"Are you a new customer? I've never seen you before."

Upon hearing this, Xu Liang quickly waved his hand to indicate that it was not true, and replied, "I am Zhao Hongzhi's son, but I have never been to this place before, so it is normal that my mother-in-law has never seen it."

Granny Wang said, "It seems to be the child of Zhao's old acquaintance. I knew you were someone I knew. I recognize most of the people in this town. Your face looks a bit like Zhao's."

"I am her son. My mother just told me yesterday that the tofu here is white and fresh, and it is freshly ground. The taste is heavenly."

Granny Wang was amused by Xu Liang's words.

"That's what Ms. Zhao said to you? It seems your whole family enjoys my tofu."

Among the customers lined up next to Xu Liang, one of them spoke up.

"Isn't this Liangwazi? He's here to buy tofu too?"

The person who said this was a sturdy, fat man.

The fat man's name was You Sheng, and he was dressed simply in a white vest.

He had a chubby face with a round jawline and a bulging belly.

That's even more exaggerated than the saying "a prime minister's belly can hold a boat."

Xu Liang replied, "That's right, I've come to buy Grandma Wang's freshly ground tofu."

"By the way, I heard you had a falling out with the factory last time, and then you resigned from your job. Is that true?"

Xu Liang heard You Sheng's words.

He gave the same response: "That's how it is. I've opened a small restaurant now, not far from my factory."

They were talking loudly, which was overheard by some people in the queue. Then a stranger in the middle turned his head and popped out to Xu Liang, saying, "So this is a really popular little restaurant lately. Their congee with preserved egg and lean pork and their spicy beef noodles are pretty good. It's you, kid. I'll have to try it sometime."

"I heard your little restaurant has launched a new dish. I just heard it from my colleague. It's called Tomato and Sichuan Pepper Beef Fried Noodles. He tried it and kept telling me how delicious it was when he came to work the next day."

Xu Liang noticed that his small restaurant was well-known everywhere, so he felt that Xiao Liangzi Restaurant had a pretty good reputation; at least some people knew the name of his restaurant.

"Brother, just for that, you're welcome to come to my shop next time, it'll be free for you."

The stranger in the middle of the line looked completely bewildered. Could there really be such a good thing in the sky? Could it be a windfall?

He still had some concerns.

However, he eventually agreed.

"Uh-huh."

Then You Sheng continued to ask Xu Liang questions.

"What are you planning to do, coming all the way to this old street to buy Grandma Wang's tofu today? Is the little restaurant going to come up with a new dish again?"

To be honest, that fat guy You Sheng actually guessed it. Xu Liang's purpose in buying freshly ground tofu from Granny Wang was to take it back and research new dishes.

Xu Liang answered honestly.

"You guessed it! I bought Grandma Wang's tofu to go back and research new things."

"Then I'll try making it, to give everyone a change of pace."

However, after saying these two sentences, Granny Wang looked at Xu Liang and said to him, "So you little rascal want to buy this tofu to try making a new dish. That's easy, that's easy."

"Little one, you sit inside first. After I sell everyone else's share, I'll take yours out separately and process it, okay?"

When Xu Liang heard that Granny Wang was so kind to him, she made a separate order for him after taking care of everyone's needs.

In this way, Xu Liang can not only buy the freshest tofu, but also watch Wang Po make tofu throughout the entire process.

This is truly a win-win situation.

"Yes, yes, Grandma Wang, I really appreciate it. You go ahead with your work, I'll do it inside for a bit."

Xu Liang spoke a few words to You Sheng, who had already bought all the tofu from Granny Wang and was preparing to take the bag of tofu home.

Before leaving, Xu Liang added, "Brother You, remember to come to my restaurant next time. I'll cover your portion too."

"Okay, okay. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"Okay, then take your time on your way back and be careful on the road."

Then, You Sheng walked in the direction of his house, turning back as he went, never forgetting to say goodbye to him.

After You Sheng left, only half the people remained in the long queue. He immediately thought that it would be soon, and in less than half an hour, Granny Wang would be able to finish her business and pack up her stall.

He immediately went into Wang Po's shop, and when he came in, he did not forget to give Wang Po a junior's greeting. After all, even his own mother, Zhao Hongzhi, had to call her "Auntie," so she was no ordinary person of high moral standing.

Sure enough, it took less than half an hour.

The long queue in front of Wang Po's tofu shop is almost over.

After the last customer handed her the money, picked up the tofu, and left, she began to clean the molds used to hold the tofu with a rag and brush.

Before long, Granny Wang began to take care of Xu Liang's portion: "Little boy, I'm going to start making your portion now."

Xu Liang then tried to curry favor with Granny Wang, and when Granny Wang was making tofu, he also came over to watch, hoping to learn some skills.

But in his heart, he was still thinking that once he learned this skill, he could graduate.

But this is all wishful thinking. It's like trying to fly before you've even learned to run. Isn't that just pure nonsense?

Earlier, when Xu Liang entered Wang Po's tofu shop, he saw the traditional wooden tools and some large molds.

He had seen some of the wooden tools before, and some he hadn't.

The most familiar thing is that dull and heavy stone mill, placed outside the shop, always in the same spot regardless of wind or rain.

There is a millstone on the stone mill.

Of course, the millstone was made of stone, with a millstone fan on top, a millstone on the bottom, and a place to put beans in the middle.

This kind of tofu-grinding tool is considered old-fashioned. Before Xu Liang's rebirth, there were low-powered electric stone mills for sale online.

That kind is not only fully automatic, but most importantly, it occupies a small area, is lightweight, and is easy to transport.

After seeing the stone mill, Xu Liang also saw a large earthenware jar inside, along with two wooden buckets for carrying water.

However, Xu Liang wasn't completely ignorant of the tofu-making process; at least he had studied the methods of making these ingredients in his previous life.

Soaking beans, grinding them, filtering, boiling the soy milk, and curdling the soy milk are all part of the process.

Moreover, he had a secret from his past life that no one knew about.

That means he took advantage of girls and ate what he called "super soft tofu".

However, this is before rebirth; a hero doesn't dwell on past glories.

He's a master at having affairs!

In that instant, I thought of the so-called ancient techniques that the older generation talked about; their history is truly ancient.

It also gives people a strong sense of the changes that have taken place from ancient times to the present.

Granny Wang began using the remaining soybeans to make freshly ground tofu.

Wang Po's technique was skillful.

Take out the beans that have been soaked in water overnight in the large earthenware jar, and put them in a small mesh sieve.

The moment the beans emerged, Xu Liang saw that they were swollen, plump, and without a hard core.

Once it reaches this level, you can start polishing it.

Next, pour the beans into the inlet of the stone mill, and push the stone mill by hand, slowly adding beans and water as it turns.

During this process, Xu Liang, who was not ignorant of the situation, also stepped forward to help.

Even at her advanced age, it was quite strenuous for Granny Wang to push the stone mill.

However, what comes out is raw soy milk, naturally carrying a pure, raw soy flavor.

Afterwards, Granny Wang prepared a coarse gauze bag and placed it on a four-legged wooden frame.

Pour the soy milk into a coarse gauze bag hanging on a wooden frame, then shake, squeeze, and knead it by hand to filter the soy milk into a large pot, leaving the soy pulp in the bag.

However, this structure is somewhat like a mosquito net at home being weighed down by something!

Wang Po boiled the filtered soy milk on the wood-fired stove, skimming off the foam as she cooked it.

Cooking the beans thoroughly removes their raw, bean-like smell and prevents poisoning from eating raw beans.

During this step, the whole house is filled with the rich aroma of soybeans.

Burn until it reaches the appropriate state.

Granny Wang turned off the fire in the wood-fired stove used for boiling soy milk and let it cool down a bit.

Then, slowly pour in the brine or gypsum water and stir gently.

This is what I learned in the chemistry book, on the page about electrolytes, where inorganic salts are used to help soybean milk settle.

The principle is very simple; it's just a process of turning into an emulsion.

Soy milk transforms from a liquid state into individual tofu puddings.

This is brain.

Next is squatting.

Cover and let it sit for a while to allow the tofu to solidify.

After this step is completed, the next step is to form the upper box.

Place it in a wooden mold, line it with clean gauze, and scoop the tofu pudding into it.

Then, wrap it in gauze, cover it with a wooden board, and weigh it down with bricks and stones.

Press it down for ten to several tens of minutes, and the water will slowly seep out.

The longer the tofu is pressed, the firmer it becomes, and the harder it feels to the touch.

The water pressure molding process is complete.

The final step, and the most crucial one in determining the shape of the tofu, is unmolding and cutting it into pieces.

Once the box was opened, the contents were turned inside out, the gauze was removed, and Wang Po used a long tofu knife to cut them into cubes.

It's freshly ground tofu.

This is still a traditional, ancient technique.

Xu Liang watched in awe, seemingly understanding as well.

Looking at the pure white, jade-like blocks of freshly ground tofu, he couldn't help but admire the wisdom of the ancients.

As Wang Po finished making the freshly ground tofu, Xu Liang slowly took out some money from his pocket.

But he didn't ask.

Granny Wang packed the cut tofu into a box, turned to the side, and handed it to Xu Liang.

She delivered the goods, and Xu Liang paid her in return.

When Granny Wang saw that she had taken out crumpled coins to give to him, she stopped him.

"Little one, this is your first time buying here. Grandma will treat you to this tofu!"

"No need to pay!"

Xu Liang kept stuffing the food into his mother-in-law's hands because he understood Wang Po; she really couldn't keep getting things for free.

Last time it was the meat price reduction and Aunt Zhang's free tea eggs.

This time, Xu Liang was clearly a little embarrassed.

"No, Mother-in-law, I can't do that!"

In the end, Wang Po kept pushing her back.

Later, Granny Wang talked to him a lot more, saying that his mother, Zhao Hongzhi, had been a customer here for many years, and it wouldn't hurt to give her preferential treatment.

And the little ones can take it to eat, just as a completely new experience.

Xu Liang still couldn't persuade Wang Po.

He had no choice but to agree.

However, we must not forget to show respect to our elders.

Xu Liang gave Wang Po a final bow of thanks.

She added, "Thank you so much, Grandma!"

"You're welcome. Just come and buy from me often in the future and support my tofu shop."

"Little one, you need to eat more tofu to get more nutrition!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Liang was filled with gratitude. Carrying the heavy load of tofu, he felt extremely content.