She Only Cares About Cultivation

"Your hands are so chapped, so young, you need to take good care of them, they’re swollen from the cold, and if it gets colder later, you might get frostbite. If there was enough food, you wouldn’t have to go out to sell every day!"

The two sisters looked at An Yi gratefully, and after thanking her, looked at her somewhat helplessly.

"Sis, you don’t know, it’s not too cold yet. We’re making use of this time to do more. Isn’t everyone preparing food for winter? This frozen tofu is also a local specialty here, and recently we’re making about a hundred jin every day. Every household is ordering a lot, and when it really gets cold and the snow covers the road, we won’t go out to sell."

"Look, these are sticky bean buns we exchanged for, made with yellow rice and stuffed with red beans. They’re especially fragrant when grilled on the stove. People say dipping them in sugar tastes good, but who among us has seen what sugar looks like? We just grill and eat them dry like this, and it’s still pretty good. You should try them later."

Speaking of which, her efforts haven’t been in vain. Whatever good food the sisters exchange for, they think of her: fish, shrimp, crab—whatever they have, they’ll bring some to her. Even if it’s just one piece of fish or crab, it’s still a rare treat. So, between them, it’s no longer simply a neighborly relationship; they’ve become true sisters.

Her soy sauce and vegetables, the sisters can take whenever they need. Things like tofu, tofu skin, and tofu are delivered every now and then, not leftovers, but freshly made.

Of course, to supplement the sisters’ nutrition, she also made a lot of cheese for them. The fermented taste was unbearable for them, but hearing it’s nutritious, they eat it even if they don’t like it. Salted duck eggs and salted goose eggs are available as long as she has them; she provides them without limitation. Though they’re not blood-related, the bonds they share bring her great happiness.

They have two big lakes here, so in the depths of winter, lots of frozen fish, frozen shrimp, and frozen crabs hit the town, all enriched with abundant natural resources.

With a small population and limited fishing methods, they understand avoiding breeding seasons. Naturally, kind-hearted people receive generous gifts from nature.

These fish and shrimp are painstakingly carved out by individuals from ice holes made on river surfaces, whether for personal use or to sell to the government.

In the northeast, to tell the truth, in such cold days, who’s out handling these things? It’s not easy for anyone, and it’s all for survival. It wouldn’t be right to impose restrictions that prevent people from making it through winter and let them starve, would it?

So compared to the mainland, some regulations are managed much more humanely here.

When it comes to food and drink, An Yi lacks none. As long as the sisters give to her, she absolutely won’t let them leave empty-handed.

Anything that’s visibly in her home, she lets them take when they leave, like dumplings, buns, steamed corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.

"You two still have to work in the late afternoon, and working will make you hungry. Take them home, put them on the kang, and they’ll be warm when you eat them. Don’t be polite with me, you can see I’m not short of food and drink. If you want to repay me, first get through this winter."

The two sisters aren’t afraid of hardship. No matter how much work there is, they’re not afraid. Supporting a tofu shop as two women isn’t simple at all!

Especially for folks living in the same village, the tofu they exchange for rarely makes a profit. It’s fine with easygoing people, but with those who aren’t, who play tricks—these young ladies, with their thin skins, don’t want to confront them. In the end, they might end up working for nothing.

So when it’s said they make a living doing tofu, it’s really just enough to get by. After winter begins, any bean dregs they bring, she exchanges for coarse grain for them to take home. Eating bean dregs every day is unbearable; swapping for some diverse grains isn’t a bad choice.

"Are you two doing okay? Have your parents come to cause trouble again?"

Upon mentioning this, the sisters’ expressions changed at the same time, "Ever since the last time we went to our respective homes and smashed things up, they haven’t dared to."

When they first started doing tofu, their parents were constantly coming to sponge off them, not giving money or food, taking as much as they could every time, without bringing even a thread. The sisters were so angry it hurt their livers and came crying to An Yi.

"You two take turns to go to each other’s houses to settle accounts. Qiuxia goes to Caihua’s house to ask for money; Caihua goes to Qiuxia’s. If they don’t give money, smash things—smash whatever you see, and while you’re at it, shout out your years of experiences so everyone hears. If you don’t stand up for yourselves, who do you expect to fight for you? Only when you’re fierce will no one dare to bully you!"