Chapter 40

The first person to make tofu is often said to be Liu An, the King of Huainan during the Han Dynasty. However, the reliability of this origin story is considered low due to the lack of mention in actual historical documents and the fact that tofu first appeared in historical records during the 10th century in the Northern Song Dynasty.

But the fact that Liu An is even mentioned as the inventor shows that the conditions for making tofu were already in place.

“All you need to make tofu is beans, water, and a coagulant.”

The method of making tofu seems simple at first glance. Wash the beans thoroughly, soak them in water, and then grind them with a millstone. This is what becomes the soybean pulp.

The soybean pulp is then separated into soy milk and pulp by boiling it once and filtering it through a cloth bag.

Once the separated soy milk has cooled slightly, add the coagulant to solidify it, and it’s done.

If you take out the soy milk when it’s slightly solidified, you get soft tofu. If you leave a bit of water and let it solidify, you get silken tofu. If you press it in a mold to remove the moisture and shape it, you get the regular tofu we all know.

“I never thought I’d use what I learned during that school field trip like this.”

Moreover, I remember being quite dissatisfied because I wasn’t particularly fond of tofu. They said it wouldn’t hurt to know, and they were right.

Unlike soybeans and water, the coagulant seems a bit tricky. But in Yi Province, there was no need to worry about that.

Yi Province was so rich in rock salt that it even had an official in charge of salt production.

The coagulant is water that naturally seeps out of salt, containing various components, which takes some time. But impatient humans found a way to skip that step.

Just mix vinegar and salt into water. That’s all.

When I left Zhang Po’s house, I asked the servants to run some errands, and by the time I arrived home, they had brought all the ingredients.

After that, I followed the process I mentioned earlier and started making tofu.

At first, the servants watched me grind the beans with the millstone and offered to take over, but I kindly refused. I even told them to keep their distance while I worked.

“Sanitation isn’t great.”

Since I was making this for Zhang Po, who wasn’t in good health, if something strange got into it, it would defeat the purpose. While soaking the beans, I bathed and even boiled the pot and millstone to sterilize them.

When Yeon-yi returned home and showed curiosity, wanting to join in, I had to shake my head.

“I’ll do it with you next time.”

The soy milk, made through an overly meticulous process, was solidifying and turning into tofu.

Now, at this point, you pour the soy milk into a mold and press it with something heavy like a stone to remove the moisture and shape it.

But before that, I set aside some soft tofu for Zhang Po. After removing the portion for Zhang Po, I poured the remaining soy milk into a wooden mold to make regular tofu, and I felt a bit tired.

“Maybe it’s because I’m doing it alone, but I’m a bit worn out.”

Still, thinking that Zhang Po would regain his strength by eating this, the soreness felt quite satisfying. I’ll take it to him as soon as it cools.

§

“It’s delicious…”

Zhang Po’s eyes widened as he took a spoonful of the soft tofu I brought.

“So soft. Just like a cloud.”

And then another bite.

Everyone watched in silence as Zhang Po ate the soft tofu.

Just like how soft tofu goes down more easily than porridge, Zhang Po finished the bowl without any trouble. His lips, moistened by the soft tofu with water, looked hydrated for the first time in a while.

Perhaps because something had finally entered his stomach, Zhang Po looked much more comfortable. I should have him eat the soft tofu for now and later give him porridge with vegetables. Gradually increasing the complexity, regular food shouldn’t be a problem.

“Ran-a, does this food have a name?”

“Well, for now, we’re calling it tofu.”

“Tofu (豆腐)… So it means ‘fermented beans’ (腐熟).”

Fermented is a Chinese character not used in Korean, meaning ‘food in the stomach becoming easy to digest.’

I just called it tofu because that’s what it was originally called, but Zhang Po interpreted the meaning on his own.

Then, Zhang Zhao, who had been listening to our conversation, spoke up.

“But the character for ‘rot’ (腐) doesn’t sound very pleasant.”

It was still an era where superstitions mattered. Seeing my case, it might actually have some effect. Worried that it might not be good for Zhang Po, who was in poor health, Zhang Zhao said that.

I didn’t care what it was called, so I went along with Zhang Zhao’s suggestion.

“Then let’s change it. I’m fine with that.”

“Can I name it?”

“Since it was made for my older brother, it would be meaningful for you to name it.”

As I nodded, Zhang Po stared at the empty bowl. As if recalling the shape of the soft tofu that had just been in it, he smiled faintly, having thought of a good name.

“How about ‘Douyun’ (豆雲), since it’s as white and soft as a cloud.”

A cloud made of beans. While it might not suit regular tofu, it could work for soft tofu and silken tofu.

Here, soft tofu might become the original, and regular tofu might get a separate name. Like ‘firm Douyun’ since it’s pressed.

If I had really researched and made tofu, it might be different, but since I used future knowledge, the naming didn’t matter much.

“Yes, it’s a good name.”

“Ahem, hmm. It’s heartwarming to see such beautiful sibling affection. But Ran-a, about this Douyun… Is there any more?”

As I watched Zhang Po eat, my father, who had been worried, spoke up, and I chuckled softly.

“Of course. I made some more to share with the rest of the family. But you should eat it when you’re feeling better, big brother.”

And so, a tofu tasting session began, receiving the family’s attention.

The Ming Dynasty people were said to be crazy about Joseon tofu. Our ancestors were no different, as the family kept exclaiming in admiration while eating the tofu. Even my parents, who usually didn’t like the sweet foods of the west, found the tofu to their taste and eagerly used their chopsticks.

Tofu stew and tofu pancakes. Since it was an era without chili peppers, it was bland to me, but for the family, it was a new culinary experience. Plus, with the worry for Zhang Po alleviated, our family thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

“Guakno, I set aside some for the servants too, so share it with them.”

“Oh, Young Lady… Taking care of us lowly servants like this… How could we ever…”

Having watched over me since I was young, Guakno still called me ‘Young Lady’ even after I became a general. It felt awkward every time, but it was hard to say anything about it.

The servants, who had watched me sweat while making the tofu, looked at me with even more grateful faces than Guakno.

Though they were servants, I still had my 21st-century Korean identity. There’s a hierarchy, after all. Plus, it’s always the saddest when only a few get to enjoy the good stuff.

Since my strict father wouldn’t give them any, I had to take care of them.

“Don’t say that, just try it. I’ll teach you how to make it before I leave, so you can make it for mother often.”

“Young Lady…”

Unable to refuse any longer, Guakno accepted the tofu and shared it with the servants, and exclamations of admiration came from all around. Even though the idea wasn’t mine, the effort I put into making it made me feel proud.

“Ran-a, with such a kind heart, whoever takes you will be truly blessed.”

Zhang Zhao laughed and spoke lightly, but it was a topic that shouldn’t have been brought up.

Realizing it too late, Zhang Zhao quickly closed his mouth, but the words had already been spoken.

“Ahem!”

My father put down his chopsticks with a loud clink. Seeing my father’s discomfort, Zhang Zhao shrunk his shoulders.

Back when I was staying in Tanggeohyun, I had mentioned three potential marriage candidates.

For virtue, Liu Bei; for martial prowess, Guan Yu; for wisdom, Zhuge Liang. I said I would marry someone who could match these three.

Upon hearing this, my father sent me a heartfelt letter expressing his disappointment, while Guan Yu sent a letter filled with satisfaction, evident even from his handwriting.

“If any scoundrel comes to take our Ran-a, I’ll definitely tell my older brother.”

That ‘older brother’ was undoubtedly Guan Yu, not Liu Bei. But since it was Guan Yu, Zhang Fei was only disappointed and regretful, not displeased.

“What about virtue or wisdom?”

“Then I’ll just tell my older brother. The military will follow his words, won’t they?”

My father clicked his tongue and continued.

“Tsk. Actually, before I even step in, my older brother will have already seen to it. Just look at Yu Pa. My older brother never forgets those he takes a liking to. He lets go of those like Yuan Zhi or Guo Yang only when he has to, but he rarely lets anyone slip away.”

Except for Xu Shu and Zhen Ye, who left to serve their mothers, Liu Bei never let go of anyone he valued. People like Chen Jun left under circumstances Liu Bei couldn’t control.

Since I never had any intention of marrying anyway, it didn’t matter to me. If Liu Bei had marked me as a key figure, it might even be a good thing.

“He’ll probably want to marry you to Xian-er, so handle it well.”

…Never mind.