Husband, Let Me Touch Your Abs

Chapter 20

The Zhao family planned to build four rooms, with the foundation twice as large as their previous house. The layout of these four rooms was identical to that of the Lu family's, consisting of two rooms on the east and west sides, a central passageway, and a kitchen.

Lu Guangsheng had personally built the Lu family's house, bringing extensive experience to the task. He knew exactly where to place doors and windows and where to install load-bearing walls.

After a busy morning, it was time for lunch. Lu Yao prepared a large pot of millet rice and a basin of cabbage and tofu stew.

The tofu had been made the night before and was now ready to eat.

The others had never tasted tofu before. Seeing the white blocks in the basin, they hesitated to pick up their chopsticks and pointed at the tofu, asking curiously, "What is this? Is it mushrooms from the mountain?"

Lu Guangsheng had eaten tofu once and said proudly, "This is called tofu, and it tastes great."

Hearing this, everyone quickly picked up a piece to try. The tofu, soft and flavorful, melted in their mouths, causing them to exclaim in delight, "Delicious! Where did you get this?"

"Only my third son knows how to make it. It's not easy to buy."

The carpenter couldn't resist asking, "Old brother, what is this made of? Don't keep us in suspense." He had bad teeth and loved eating tofu. If the recipe was simple, he could ask his wife to learn it.

Lu Yao added more rice while explaining, "Uncle, this is made from beans. The process is simple: soak the beans for four to five hours, grind them into a fine paste with a large stone mill, boil it seven or eight times, then press it into blocks to make tofu."

Everyone realized how labor-intensive the process was and sighed that while the tofu was delicious, it took too much time and effort to make. It was good for an occasional treat but impractical for daily consumption.

"If you like it, you can exchange beans for tofu in the future."

The carpenter's eyes lit up, "How do we exchange?"

"One pound of beans for one pound of tofu. If you don't have beans, you can also buy it for six coins per pound." One pound of beans could yield five to six pounds of tofu, ensuring no loss.

Beans were priced at sixty coins per dou, with one dou weighing about eleven pounds, making one pound roughly five coins.

Six coins wasn't cheap, but every household had beans, making the exchange seem more affordable.

"Good, good, good. When you make tofu, remember to let us know."

Lu Yao smiled, "I hope you'll come and enjoy it, Uncles."

The carpenter nudged Zhao Beichuan's arm and whispered, "You're lucky to have such a capable and virtuous husband."

Zhao Beichuan mumbled in response, continuing to eat silently.

With many hands working together, the construction progressed quickly. Everyone was honest and wouldn't drag out the work just to earn more money.

In three days, they finished laying the foundation. Next came the lengthy process of making adobe bricks.

Adobe bricks were made from yellow clay and used to construct the main structure of the house.

The yellow clay needed for building houses was available on a nearby hill, where most villagers sourced their materials for adobe bricks.

Making adobe bricks was an exhausting and tedious task. First, a flat stone slab measuring two and a half feet long and one and a half feet wide was prepared as the base. On top of this, a mold was placed.