BXBX NOVEL Chapter 55 - 55: Her Secret
After dinner, Qiao Xiaomai soaked ten pounds of soybeans, then casually cleaned up before heading back to her room to sleep.
In front of Qiao Changshun and Qiao Dami, she didn’t show any unusual behavior. However, once she was alone in her room, her little face was instantly covered by a frosty mask.
Getting married?
She pulled out a piece of hemp cloth, and from her space, she took out a Swiss Army Knife. She pulled out the small scissors from the knife and cut the hemp cloth into pieces with resentment.
Gazing at the shredded hemp cloth, the frosty veil on her face started to slowly melt away.
When she finished cutting the cloth, she emotionlessly put the knife and the pieces back into her space.
Next moment, a bizarre smile suddenly spread across her face.
“I am the head of the household, my word is final, I don’t want to get married, no one can force me.”
After saying these words, the strange smile on her face disappeared instantly. She returned to her emotionless demeanor, blew out the oil lamp, and quickly crawled into her blanket.
She sank her consciousness into her space, checked the items inside one by one, and finally set her sights on the small puddle in the middle.
She filled a thermos cup halfway, drank it in one go, and then went to sleep.
She had a good night’s sleep, didn’t use the bathroom, and when she woke up, it was already bright outside. She habitually took out her watch to check the time, then suddenly opened her eyes wide and sat up abruptly.
Shopkeeper He was supposed to send someone today to collect tofu, and they would be here soon, but she was still in bed!
She quickly dressed up, put on her shoes and rushed out of her room.
Qiao Changshun was in the courtyard, sweeping with a big broom made of bamboo. Seeing her come out, he said, “You’re awake?”
“I am!” Qiao Xiaomai nodded, running to the kitchen, “Dad, stop sweeping, we need to grind the soy milk!”
“Don’t rush, I’ve already done it, and cooked a pot in the kitchen. Just make tofu from it,” said Qiao Changshun.
Qiao Xiaomai halted in her tracks, looking somewhat surprised, “You’ve finished grinding it all?”
“Yes,” replied Qiao Changshun nodding. Since they got a donkey and began their tofu business, he couldn’t sleep half the night in excitement and got up at the first crow of the rooster.
Both leading the donkey and grinding the soybeans took time, but he did it with joy.
“Why didn’t you wake me up, Dad?”
“I can handle it on my own. You need your sleep. If they come later, it’s not urgent,” said Qiao Changshun, laughing cheerfully. The wrinkles on his face, similar to old tree bark, seemed to smooth out.
Qiao Xiaomai was silent for a moment and, remembering Qiao Changshun’s words from last night, pursed her lips and said, “Wake me up next time anyway.”
Making tofu is tough. You have to get up very early to grind and cook the beans, and then make and press the tofu. It’s a tiring process.
Seeing that Qiao Changshun was about to argue, she cut in, “You should rest more so you don’t overwork your legs. If they start hurting, you’ll have to take medicine.”
Upon hearing the mention of medicine, Qiao Changshun backed down and just said, “Alright.”
Taking medicine costs money, and that’s an expense they can’t afford.
Satisfied, Qiao Xiaomai moved into the kitchen to make tofu with vinegar.
Once the tofu solidified, she went to call Qiao Dami for breakfast.
Everyone had a bowl of fresh tofu pudding, then pressed more tofu and continued to cook the soy milk.
When the servant from Shopkeeper He’s place arrived with a horse cart, they had just finished making thirty pounds of tofu.
The person who came was the same servant from yesterday, Yuan Ding. He wasn’t very tall, but he had a round face and was always smiling, which made him quite likable.
Qiao Xiaomai called him Brother Yuan. In order to promote their tofu pudding, she specifically saved two bowls, “Brother Yuan, try this. And take this bowl back to Shopkeeper He..”