Lin Yi's mind raced, and then she praised, "A Zhi, you're very attentive. I almost overlooked that detail; it's good you reminded me. I'll keep that in mind and think about how to improve it. For now, let's focus on making a new way to eat beans."
"You flatter me, Madam. Just give your orders; I'll do the actual work. I'm used to it." A Zhi responded immediately.
This suited Lin Yi perfectly. Her modern cooking skills were mediocre at best, let alone operating an ancient stove. Even adding firewood would require learning.
"First, make soy milk. Take two jin of bean powder, add about ten times the water, and boil. After it's done, divide it into two portions: one with an appropriate amount of sugar, the other without. You decide on the amount of sugar," Lin Yi began issuing clear instructions. "Remember, soy milk has a false boiling phenomenon. Once it bubbles, start stirring, and keep stirring for at least fifteen minutes. The portion with sugar can be cooled and drunk directly."
"As for the unsweetened portion, split it in half again. Strain one half through fine gauze; the residue is okara and can be used as feed for livestock. To the strained soy milk, slowly add plant ash water while stirring constantly until it curdles. Then pour it into a mold, cover it, wait for an hour, then remove and air dry. That yields tofu."
"Take the other half of unsweetened soy milk and put it in a wide, shallow pot. Let it sit and cool; a skin will form on the surface. Gently lift it with a bamboo skewer and hang it to dry. Let it dry for at least two to three days; once completely dry and crispy, that's yuba."
Lin Yi finished explaining a few relatively simple methods and looked at A Zhi. "Did you remember all that? Anything unclear?"
"Yes, actually," A Zhi said with obvious confusion, hesitating. "Madam, what is 'plant ash water' you mentioned?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Yi's face. That couldn't be right! In her understanding, plant ash was one of the most basic and widely used materials in ancient society, used for cleaning, deodorizing, disinfecting, fertilizing, and even in traditional Chinese medicine. How could no one know it?
Lin Yi frowned and pressed, "None of you know what plant ash is? It's the gray residue left after burning firewood or straw."
Upon hearing this, A Zhi immediately called over all the kitchen staff and asked each one in front of Lin Yi. To her shock, not a single person knew what plant ash was, let alone its uses.
Lin Yi: "..." She fell into a brief silence.
Then a sudden realization struck her. No wonder designing the wheelchair had felt off! Adding wheels to a chair was such a simple concept; surely someone should have thought of it before. Only now did she remember that invention was attributed to Zhuge Liang, originally called the "wooden ox and flowing horse"! If not for the shock of the kitchen staff's ignorance about plant ash, that discordant feeling about the wheelchair might have remained buried in her memory. She couldn't help but mutter to herself: Could it be that the author of "Great Qian World" is historically illiterate? Some things were randomly thrown into this world, while other basic, fundamental things simply don't exist.
"Sorry, Madam. It's all because my knowledge is too limited..." A Zhi spoke anxiously when he saw Lin Yi silent for so long.
"No, it's not your fault," Lin Yi snapped back to reality and quickly reassured him. "My teacher taught me too much and never emphasized how special these things were, making me mistakenly believe they were common knowledge."
Lin Yi then elaborated on the uses of plant ash: "Plant ash is the residue left after burning straw or firewood. It can be used as fertilizer, but remember to apply in small amounts many times, otherwise it will damage crops. It can kill insects and prevent frost, and when spread at the bottom of a jar, it preserves freshness. The filtered water mixed with ash can be used for bathing and washing clothes, and it's also the key to coagulating tofu."
A Zhi nodded repeatedly. "So that's it! Thank you for the guidance, Madam!" He immediately dispatched someone to collect ash and prepare the water.
Seeing A Zhi's efficiency, Lin Yi added another detail: "Also, it's best to use ash from burned soybean stalks for making tofu. The ash should be blackish-gray in color." As for the chemical principle of incomplete combustion, she decided not to mention it, since she didn't want to see another dazed Xiao Zhu.
A Zhi's work efficiency was indeed outstanding. By the time the soy milk was boiled, the plant ash water was ready. The process of making tofu and yuba went smoothly, almost effortlessly. A Zhi lived up to his reputation as an experienced kitchen manager; with strong comprehension and precise hands, the tofu was successfully formed on the first try! Although the yuba needed a few days to dry, the promising start indicated good results.
Since the progress was faster than expected, the tofu was ready before lunchtime. Lin Yi immediately decided: today at noon, Gu Fang would be the first to taste this novelty!
Lin Yi then dictated to A Zhi a few home-style tofu dishes. A Zhi proved to be exceptionally talented; just from her description, he grasped the essence and successfully made scallion-fried tofu, egg and tofu patties, minced pork with tofu, and tofu and loofah egg drop soup.
Looking at this table of three dishes and one soup, made with simple, low-cost ingredients yet full of color and aroma, Lin Yi felt confident: how could commoners reject such affordable and delicious fare?
"Madam, it's nearly lunchtime. Shall I send these dishes to the main hall first?" A Zhi asked.
"Please do," Lin Yi said with a nod and a smile, then added, "There are many more ways to eat soybeans. If you spread the yuba flat to dry, it becomes bean skin. Fried tofu becomes fried tofu puffs. If you add less ash water when making tofu, you get tofu pudding. Press it further, and you get dried tofu or sheets..."
Lin Yi paused, a little embarrassed, smiling. "My teacher mentioned these in passing. I only remember the basics; I can only give you a rough idea. It's up to you to figure out the rest."
"Madam is too kind!" A Zhi waved his hands repeatedly, a genuine smile on his face. "Having these methods is already a great blessing. Once the way to eat soybeans spreads, people everywhere will figure out more varieties together."
At that moment, Xiao Zhu stepped into the kitchen, her tone light: "Miss, I've delivered the visiting card to the He residence. They replied that you may visit anytime tomorrow."
"Great, thank you for the trouble," Lin Yi nodded with a smile. She was about to leave with Xiao Zhu when she suddenly stopped at the door. She remembered something important she nearly forgot. Turning to A Zhi, she added, "Oh, by the way, A Zhi, do you know how to make koji?"
"This one knows!" A Zhi finally heard something familiar. His smile carried a touch of pride. "Not to brag, Madam, but the Green Lotus Wine I make is quite famous in the mansion."
"I'm not asking you to brew wine this time," Lin Yi laughed at his expression and explained gently, "I was thinking you might try making koji from beans. If you can produce pure white koji with a koji aroma and no impurities, please let me know immediately. Beans can also be used to make other seasonings, but the prerequisite is good koji. I'm not skilled in this step, so it's up to you."
Lin Yi knew she was not just unskilled; she knew almost nothing about koji making, which required experience and technique. If she had to do it, she'd probably never get to taste soy sauce or bean paste even in her next life.
"Rest assured, Madam. I'll do my best to make it work!" A Zhi promised.
"Good, then I leave this to you." She nodded to him and finally left for the dining hall with Xiao Zhu.
However, they hadn't taken many steps out of the kitchen when they met Butler A Fu in the corridor. Seeing A Fu, Lin Yi suddenly remembered she hadn't given him the design for the heated bed (kang)! She'd been so preoccupied with Gu Fang's health yesterday that she'd forgotten this important matter.
Lin Yi quickly called out to A Fu and explained: "A Fu, I have some drawings of heated beds in my study. Please find a few reliable craftsmen to build them all. We need to test them and see which one is most material-efficient, warmest, and easiest to maintain. Find the one with the best cost-effectiveness."
"Yes, Madam. I'll see to it immediately and report back with the results." A Fu took the order and walked steadily toward the study.
Lin Yi sighed in relief and walked with Xiao Zhu toward the dining hall.
When Lin Yi entered the dining hall, Gu Fang was already seated at the table, waiting. Before him were the three dishes and one soup made from tofu.
Impressive, Lin Yi thought. She hadn't taken long on the way, yet the dishes arrived faster than her. To become the kitchen manager of the General's Mansion, A Zhi was truly remarkable—not only meticulous but also incredibly efficient.
"Husband, husband," Lin Yi quickly walked over and sat beside Gu Fang, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, her voice full of expectation. "These are all new dishes made from beans. Try them quickly. Are they good?"
Gu Fang obliged and tasted each dish. Initially, he didn't have high expectations. After all, everyone knew beans were coarse and hard to swallow, and no one had ever managed to transform them into something extraordinary. He had already prepared comforting words, no matter how they tasted, so as not to disappoint Lin Yi.
But with the first bite of tofu, his movements paused slightly.
The imagined gritty texture was completely absent, replaced by a delicate, soft, and smooth texture with a clear bean aroma. The silky feel and savory, well-seasoned taste were worlds apart from the bean and grain rice he remembered.
Slightly incredulous, he tried the other dishes—the savory scallion-fried tofu, the tender egg patties, the rich minced pork, the refreshing soup... Each dish skillfully blended the bean flavor with other ingredients, devoid of the earthy, grainy taste typical of bean dishes. He unconsciously helped himself to more.
Lin Yi watched Gu Fang eat in silent concentration, a bright smile blooming on her face. No words were needed; his most genuine reaction was the highest affirmation of her efforts and ideas.
Perhaps it was his first time tasting such flavors, or maybe his expectations were too low; the unexpectedly delicious meal caught him off guard. He ate a few more bites before suddenly remembering Lin Yi was waiting for his evaluation.