Cultivation through Skin Making
Chapter 811 - 281: Yu Shou’s Truth, the Final Lie
The old man was momentarily stunned, then after some inquiries, he discovered that this young man had lost his memory. So, he took him to the government, where they were questioned and waited for a long time, but no one could identify the young man’s name or family.
The government instructed them to go home and await further information, urging the two to leave promptly.
The old man brought Song Yan back to his house, looked him up and down, and after a long sigh, said, "Perhaps it’s fate. I’ve been childless my whole life, and now, as I’m nearing the end, you’ve been sent to me... Young man, let me teach you the craft I’ve honed throughout my life. It’s not much, but if you learn it, you can make a living."
Song Yan nodded. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
He pondered inwardly: Could this old man be one of the Profound Yellow Seven Realms? But it couldn’t be, for now, he had completely restrained his power. In the eyes of a mortal, he was just a mortal.
...
...
"Watch carefully. These soybeans need to be soaked first. Shorter time in hot weather, longer in the cold. I’ve already soaked them here. Next is grinding the beans, come on... give me a hand."
"Yes..."
"Yes..."
"You’re quite strong."
"Afterwards, filter out the residue, and pour the milk into the tub."
"Add firewood, boil it."
"Keep an eye on it; skim off the foam on top."
"Then, add a bit of brine. In less than half an hour, it will solidify."
"Once it solidifies, wrap it in cloth, put it in this box, use a wooden board to press it down. If you want it tender, a stick of incense’s time will do, for firmer, more than half an hour."
The old man patiently instructed.
Song Yan learned diligently.
And finally, he understood what he had learned.
He learned how to make tofu.
This old man was just an ordinary person selling tofu from door to door, though he sometimes stayed home to wait for customers.
...
...
The old man’s name was Wang Jinming. Due to Song Yan’s "amnesia," the old man called him Wang Qingya, a name derived from the "Green Cliff" he jumped off.
Wang Jinming had never married nor had children, and having taken in Song Yan, he treated him as his son, teaching him with dedication.
In the blink of an eye, several years passed. One day, the old man fainted and collapsed. Song Yan hurriedly called for a doctor, only to be told that it was a chronic illness with no cure.
Song Yan served him with devotion and also took on the responsibility of making and selling tofu. He worked from dawn to dusk every day, and whatever copper plates he earned, besides buying soybeans, he would buy some meat to make soup for the old man to drink.
The neighbors saw this and said, "Old Wang is blessed to have taken in such a son in his twilight years," and Song Yan gained the reputation of being a "filial son" in the local community.
Because of Song Yan’s diligence, good looks, and filial nature, matchmakers nearby noticed him. But no one approached with a proposal yet, for a simple reason—they were all waiting for old Wang to pass. Otherwise, if their daughters married him, they might still have to help pay for old Wang’s medical expenses.
Song Yan crafted a plaque himself, simply writing "Wang’s Tofu" on it, and posted it on his front door.
His script, vigorous and energetic, was evidently from a master hand. People associated it with his amnesia and concluded that he must have been from a wealthy family before he lost his memory.
After the plaque was posted, families that were originally just watching soon began sending matchmakers his way.
Song Yan merely used the excuse of needing to care for old Wang to refuse them.
He had a feeling of drifting in the void.
He was waiting.
He was contemplating where fortune might lie.
He didn’t even use any divine sense to explore this world, just patiently maintaining the guise of an ordinary person while waiting.
Gradually, Song Yan stopped selling tofu, turning instead to make tofu pudding and soft tofu.
Being summer, the cool and smooth sweet tofu pudding was quite popular.
Plus, with his clean looks and gentle demeanor, Wang’s Tofu attracted quite a few customers.
...
...
One day...
Early morning.
In the bustling market.
A number of people gathered around Wang’s Tofu, some shouting for "a bowl of sweet tofu pudding," others for "a bowl of salty soft tofu." After attending to the bedridden old Wang, Song Yan busied himself tending to the customers.
In this hustle and bustle, he felt a sense of tranquility, as if the cause and effect between him and the world were slowly fading away.
Mortals are like ants, so how could ants possibly attract the attention of the heavens?
His cause and effect were impeccably clean, so clean that only Song Yan in the Human Realm knew who he was. Without yet making contact with others, he was thoroughly mingled with mortals, truly one of them.
As he was busy, suddenly a voice came from the side.
"My lady wants a serving of sweet tofu pudding."
A familiar voice.
Instinctively, Song Yan turned his head and saw a maid in white standing before him.
This maid... it was Wang Susu.
He was momentarily stunned, glancing twice. Wang Susu took no heed, for she was long accustomed to such looks from men.
That day, she hadn’t had time to leave and was caught by members of the Blood River Sect. Through a series of twists, and due to a cause and effect with someone, she ended up being sent to that person’s side.
Wang Susu never imagined that person would be Qiu Lianyue from many, many years ago.
Besides Wang Susu, Yu Xuanwei was also sent along.
Consequently, both women became Qiu Lianyue’s maids.
"Young man, am I beautiful?" Wang Susu teased the little fellow in the Mortal World. She had heard of his reputation as a filial son and was quite fond of his appearance. For some reason, she figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a fling and roll in the hay with this little fellow.
Song Yan quickly lowered his head, saying, "Miss, the sweet tofu pudding is ready..."
Swiftly, he prepared the sweet tofu pudding and personally brought it over to the distance. Then he saw the one whom Wang Susu referred to as "my lady."
His pupils subtly contracted.
’Qiu Lianyue!’
How is this possible?!
At almost the exact moment he saw Qiu Lianyue, countless thoughts rushed through his mind.