I Became the Eldest Daughter of a Fallen Family - Chapter 48

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 48. Tofu and Duahwa (2)
Tofu and Duahwa are both dishes made by solidifying soybean milk.
Yet depending on the cooking method, their tastes differ as dramatically as heaven and earth—a curious thing indeed.
After soaking the beans and boiling them to prepare the soybean milk, So Yeon-hee rinsed clean the millstone she’d just used to grind the raw soaked beans, then began grinding the freshly boiled beans with it.
In the meantime, the finely ground raw soybean milk was strained through cloth to separate out the Soybean Dregs, and she poured the boiled bean liquid into a pot and began heating it slowly.
“So both are made by solidifying soybean milk, yet the preparation is quite different?”
“The ingredients differ too. For Tofu, you add saltwater with vinegar to set it, but for Duahwa, you grind dried Agar into powder and dissolve it in water. We add sweetener as well, to give it that sweet taste.”
“Agar?”
At her grandmother’s question, So Yeon-hee caught herself and quickly added an explanation.
“Ah, it’s a type of seaweed also called sea-tangle. People near the coast already eat it regularly, so you’d probably know it well.”
“And when has this girl ever been near the coast? How does she even know such things?”
Hong raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
At that, So Jin gave a light cough and quickly stepped in to defend his daughter.
“She must have read it in books, surely? Yeon-hee has studied more than anyone else in our household.”
“Jin, if you say such things, what becomes of the head of household’s dignity? No matter how cherished the daughter is, there are limits.”
Hong narrowed her eyes and pouted her lip, but So Jin paid no mind and instead continued speaking with evident pride.
“It’s hardly false, is it? As a Military General, I’ve read little beyond military treatises. Meanwhile, Yeon-hee studied under Master Tae-baek, so naturally her learning is exceptional.”
At this, Jang sighed quietly, a look of regret washing over her face.
“If only our Yeon-woo were a bit older, I could have asked Master Tae-baek to teach him too. Such a pity.”
But So Jin’s reply was firm.
“Master Tae-baek does not accept just anyone as a disciple. Even if Yeon-woo were old enough, there’s no guarantee he would have accepted him. Yeon-hee’s case was quite exceptional.”
“I don’t mind. I want to become a strong Military General like Father!”
So Yeon-woo interjected brightly. Then So Yeon-su let out a snort of laughter.
“When you’re even shorter than me?”
“I’ll grow soon! Later you’ll cry, ‘Brother, why have you grown so tall? I can’t even look up to you anymore.'”
“So Yeon-woo, say one more word and I’ll absolutely wreck you!”
At the twins’ high-stakes bickering, Jang gasped and raised her voice.
“So Yeon-su! What kind of rough language is that? Playing around with boys and picking up such bad habits, have you? Hmm?”
But So Jin instead burst out in hearty laughter and took the children’s side.
“Ha! Why scold them so? Both Yeon-su and Yeon-woo have thick Martial Clan blood running through them. Last time, Yeon-hee completely took down the County Magistrate’s son.”
“Yeon-hee did?”
Hong’s eyes went wide.
How could that frail girl possibly have such strength?
She gave So Yeon-hee a doubtful look, but So Jin’s testimony continued in considerable detail.
“She grabbed his wrist and pulled, throwing him to the ground in one motion. Phew, such skill! I was quite taken aback myself.”
As a result, So Yeon-hee, who was adding coagulant to the soybean milk, shuddered with embarrassment.
She cooled her burning face with the back of her hand and spoke in a disgruntled tone.
“Why bring that up again? You’re just teasing me, aren’t you, when you possess the finest martial skill in the Empire?”
“No, I’m sincere. Had you been a boy, I would have wanted to teach you properly.”
“Why? Were you planning to raise me as a Grand General to succeed you later?”
At that, So Jin’s expression stiffened momentarily, then melted into an awkward smile.
Seeming reluctant to speak, he paused before setting a Tofu Mold on the platform and laying wet cloth with Jang as he answered.
“…Well, that I don’t wish for. I don’t want any of my children to ever take up a weapon and go to war.”
“But Father! I want to carry on your legacy!”
So Yeon-woo protested, pouting. So Jin smiled gently and met his son’s eyes.
“I enjoy making and selling Tofu and Fermented Sauce with you all far more than I ever did serving as a general. When we earn enough and open a Fermented Sauce shop, I’ll pass that down to you.”
Why did her heart plummet at those simple words? So Yeon-hee stopped stirring the soybean milk and gazed quietly at her father.
‘How much has he suffered, after pledging his whole life to protecting the realm…’
Unable even to imagine how painful it must be for her father to soothe a son lamenting that there’s nothing good about being a Military General, So Yeon-hee felt her breath catch.
But regardless, So Yeon-su seized the opportunity and stepped forward, eyes sparkling.
“Then I’ll inherit the Soft Tofu shop. The last time we made it, it was truly delicious.”
“My goodness, children! Your sister developed the entire product, yet you divide it among yourselves without her?”
Even at her mother’s words, So Yeon-su smiled brazenly in return.
“But Sister will probably marry the Prince soon anyway. We already received the Donkey as payment.”
Where did that come from all of a sudden?
Startled, So Yeon-hee hurried to interject.
“That was compensation for damages! That sort of thing! He doesn’t like me. Don’t get your hopes up for nothing.”
Though she firmly warned against such talk in the future, her opponent was not Yeon-su alone. Jang, who was stirring the soybean milk beginning to harden with a spatula, suddenly had her eyes light up.
“Why are you so quick to dismiss it? If you were to marry the Prince, there could hardly be anything better.”
Unlike the So Clan’s elders, already branded as criminals and unlikely to escape exile, So Yeon-hee and her three younger siblings were not legally criminals and could do as they pleased—so their mother Jang tried to instill confidence in the children.
Yet So Yeon-hee merely pouted slightly and responded curtly, despite her mother’s efforts.
“I heard it directly from him.”
“Heard what?”
“He said the only reason he’s been kind to me is because he covets my Water Techniques. He mentioned that soon he’ll be appointed County Magistrate, and he hopes I’ll help him with such technical matters.”
The moment the words left her lips, her mood sank.
It’s not even a confession—why am I like this?
‘Ugh. It’s just embarrassment, that’s all.’
Attributing this unpleasant feeling to shame, So Yeon-hee prepared to pour the Soft Tofu that had formed into the Tofu Mold.
Just then, So Jin gently took the pot handle from his daughter’s grasp.
“You’ll burn yourself. Let me do this.”
His face was so bright as he said it.
‘Why has Father suddenly become so cheerful?’
So Yeon-hee was puzzled for a moment, but So Jin, unconcerned with those around him, smiled gently and slowly poured the fluffy Soft Tofu into the Tofu Mold. Then, as his daughter had instructed, he pressed down firmly with the pressing board, and the Tofu was done.
“Now we just need to make the Duahwa. What should we do first for that?”
At her father’s question, which carried an oddly good mood, So Yeon-hee answered somewhat dazedly.
“We need to grind the boiled beans in the millstone.”
“Again?!”
The twins gasped in unison. So Jin burst out laughing and looked at the children.
“So if Yeon-su is to inherit the Tofu shop, he’d better train his wrists very well.”
Only then did So Yeon-hee join in with a full laugh.
It seemed like the first time she had laughed so much since arriving at the Place of Exile.
* * *
The Duahwa was finished around the time the sun began to climb over the ridgeline of the mountains.
She had worried whether the So Clan might have difficulty hardening it without ice, but fortunately, simply placing the cup containing the soybean milk in cold water proved sufficient.
‘Thank goodness we don’t have to buy ice from Jijang-mol.’
Since she had made a bit more than what was needed for the Wei House delivery, So Yeon-hee set aside portions for the family.
She transferred them to dishes and drizzled the remaining Brown Sugar Syrup over them once more, and immediately the children’s mouths fell open, eyes beginning to sparkle.
“Come now, this is our share—take just one spoonful each.”
The Duahwa portioned into the bowls were white and smooth.
So soft and jiggly that each time the plate trembled, the Duahwa, mounded just as if an inverted teacup had been lifted away, quivered delicately.
“My, this looks every bit as refined as a dessert from the Imperial Palace.”
“And the taste lives up to it too, I’d say?”
At her grandmother’s praise, So Yeon-hee shrugged her shoulders and handed Hong a bamboo tea spoon.
Hong cleared her throat once, then, as befitted the household’s eldest, took the first spoonful of Duahwa. The moment she touched it with the spoon, it split with a delicate grain, seeming as though it would melt the instant it reached her tongue.
And finally, as she placed that soft quivering mass in her mouth.
“…!!!”
Hong’s eyes grew immensely wide.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————