Chapter Seventy-Six: A Joyous Gathering

After the burly man lifted the jar, Chu Yun fetched a stool, climbed onto the table, and placed it beneath his feet. He then leaned his head into the jar and said loudly, "Everyone, please be quiet. Don't make any noise."

His voice, amplified by the echo within the jar, boomed throughout the space, startling everyone present.

They quickly looked at Chu Yun and, realizing he had used the jar to project his voice, couldn't help but marvel.

"Amazing! When Chu Yun puts his head in the jar, his voice gets so loud."

"Yes, it's so loud—it gave me a fright!"

"It seems Chu Yun really did dream of an immortal and learned many things from them. Otherwise, how could he possibly be this skilled?"

"It's truly incredible..."

Chu Yun vaguely heard the crowd discussing him. The scene was still noisy, so he raised his voice again, "Quiet, everyone, quiet! How can I teach you if you don't settle down?"

Only then did they fall silent.

Chu Yun continued, "Actually, making soft, leavened flatbreads is simple. Before kneading the dough, add a certain amount of salt and sugar. Then knead the dough and let it rest for one or two hours. As for how much salt and sugar to add, just do it as you would when cooking. If you want the flatbreads sweeter and tastier, you can add a bit more sugar. Now, I will repeat this five times. Please listen carefully. If you don't understand, ask the person next to you."

He then repeated the method for making soft, leavened flatbreads five times.

Everyone was astonished—it never occurred to them that making soft flatbreads could be so easy. As long as you added salt and sugar to the flour, the dough would soften even before it turned sour.

After the crowd discussed it for a while, Chu Yun estimated that most people had grasped the method, and many had already started asking about how to make soy milk, tofu pudding, and tofu.

He quieted the crowd again and said, "Actually, soft flour dough isn't just for steaming flatbreads—you can also fry it in oil to make deep-fried dough sticks. This is a delicacy even the Joyous Restaurant hasn't produced yet. However, it requires a lot of oil, so if your household can't afford it, don't force yourselves."

He repeated this two or three more times to make sure everyone heard.

Then, after quieting the crowd again, he put his head back into the jar and said, "As for making soy milk, tofu pudding, and tofu: first, soak the soybeans for several hours until they're soft enough, then grind them with a stone mill. If they aren't soaked enough, the ground pulp will be coarse and wasteful. Next, filter the ground soy milk through muslin..."

He explained, step by step, the methods for making soy milk, tofu pudding, and tofu, repeating the details many times and elaborating on the finer points.

After the crowd discussed it for a while, he said, "Alright, those who have mastered making soft flatbreads and tofu can help with the preparation. If you haven't understood yet, or if you can't help, just watch from the side."

Everyone responded enthusiastically.

Chu Yun then selected ten people at random and questioned them about making the flatbreads. Once he was sure they understood, he sent them to knead dough. He then picked several dozen more to help grind the soybeans.

Thus, everyone busied themselves again. Some kneaded dough, some ground soybeans, some filtered the pulp, some boiled the soy milk, some curdled the tofu pudding, and some pressed the tofu. Others chopped wood, stoked the fire, fetched water, or boiled it.

When Chen Jun and the others brought the sheep and chickens, they also helped slaughter them.

After nearly two hours of bustling work, they had made several large buckets of soy milk, several more of tofu pudding, and over a dozen basins of tofu.

By this time, the dough had nearly finished fermenting, so everyone started shaping the flatbreads and placing them in the steamers.

The clan chief approached Chu Yun, pleading with him to buy some oil to make dough sticks for everyone.

Chu Yun cheerfully took out two taels of silver and sent someone to buy a barrel of oil, which was brought back, heated, and used to fry the dough sticks.

When the dough sticks were ready, Chu Yun filled a bowl with soy milk, took a dough stick, and climbed onto the table.

The same burly man who had held the jar earlier dutifully walked over and raised the jar again.

Chu Yun took a bite of dough stick, sipped the soy milk, and said to everyone, "Soy milk is best paired with dough sticks. The flatbreads are still steaming and will take a while. For now, everyone should have some dough sticks and soy milk to fill their stomachs. Remember to queue up and maintain order—no pushing or you'll miss out. Second Uncle, get some men from the yamen and a few strong fellows to keep things orderly. Anyone who causes trouble won't get to eat."

"Alright," replied Chen Ping, who promptly called some yamen officers and a few sturdy men to maintain order.

Many people had wanted to rush forward, but seeing order enforced, they lined up obediently.

There were so many people, though, that even when the dough sticks were cut into tiny pieces, many still didn't get a taste.

Hearing those who did get some praise the flavor, those who missed out could only watch, mouths watering and spirits low.

Chu Yun smiled and said, "If you didn't get any dough sticks, don't be upset—you'll have priority for tofu pudding."

At this, they brightened instantly and hurried to queue for tofu pudding.

And so, everyone enjoyed soy milk, dough sticks, and tofu pudding together, each singing praises of how delicious and wonderful it all was.

When the flatbreads finished steaming, they were set aside, and everyone turned to preparing the chicken and mutton.

Once the meat was cooked, Chu Yun climbed onto the table again, the burly man holding the jar, and used its echo to teach everyone several ways to prepare tofu.

After understanding, the crowd immediately set to making the dishes themselves.

Soon, mapo tofu, homestyle tofu, cold tofu salad, green-leaf tofu soup, and other dishes, along with the mutton and chicken, were served up.

Over a thousand people gathered at the tables, each with a soft flatbread in hand, eating happily.

Usually, these people rarely had their fill, and only ate meat once or twice a year. Normally, they would have scrambled to devour the mutton and chicken first.

But now, they were all eager for the tofu, exclaiming with every bite how delicious and wonderful it was.

Of course, they didn't forget to thank Chu Yun.

The owner of the Joyous Restaurant, who happened to be Wang Shuangxi's father, was also present. Seeing Chu Yun teaching everyone to make dough sticks and various tofu dishes, he was furious.

He had actually thought of making dough sticks himself and had planned to introduce each new tofu dish gradually, to maintain his restaurant's competitive edge.

Now that Chu Yun had taught everything to the people, his plans were ruined.

He could already foresee that his restaurant, compared to the Fragrant Inn, would lose its edge and its business would only get worse.

He deeply regretted everything he had done to Chen Jun.

You have just read the latest update of "Dominating the World from Poverty" by Jin Xixi. Please remember to bookmark this page for the latest chapters! Chapter Seventy-Six: Joyous Harmony.