78: Chapter 78 Carving Tofu
78 -78 Carving Tofu
Madam Zhou didnât know about the argument that her arrival had sparked in her parentsâ home; she took the tofu that Wufu wanted, and bought another fish before heading back to their modest house.
However, she couldnât help wondering what the outcome of her brotherâs meeting would be, and whether her presence might have introduced complications.
At this thought, Madam Zhou felt a sense of unease.
Finally emerging from the woodshed, Wufu took the tofu from Madam Zhou and said with a smile, âMother, let me carve a statue for you.â
That was right, she had asked Madam Zhou to buy tofu as practice material.
It was well known that due to the softness of tofu, carving a beautiful flower or object out of it required excellent knife skills.
And once one perfected carving with tofu, their craftsmanship could indeed be considered divine.
Therefore, Wufu wanted to use it to train her hand; mastery of carving tofu, which demanded utmost concentration and precision, would later make carving jade an easy task in terms of handling the knife with the right pressure.
A statue?
Distracted by her worries, Madam Zhou nodded indifferently to her daughterâs proposal.
Delighted with her idea, Wufu had Madam Zhou fetch the embroidery frame to work on her stitching, while she herself sliced a square piece of tofu, placed it on a board, and was eager to start.
Comparing with her knife, she examined Madam Zhouâs features and then looked at the block of tofu, and soon had an idea.
Madam Zhou, paying little attention, thought of Wufuâs carving as mere whimsy.
She embroidered while her mind wandered to her brotherâs marriage prospects, unfocused.
Wufu soon noticed Madam Zhouâs unusual demeanor and cautiously continued carving as she asked, âMother, did something happen in the village?â
Madam Zhouâs hand trembled, and the needle pricked her finger, quickly producing a bead of blood.
She hastily sucked on her finger and said, âAh?
Itâs nothing, what could it be?â
Wufu looked up.
Her motherâs reply came too quickly, almost as if she were hiding something.
âDid grandmother and the others make things difficult for you again?â
Madam Zhou forced a laugh: âNonsense, why would they hassle me for no reason?â Fearing further inquiry from Wufu, she added, âItâs just that today I happened to come across the Liang Family who were there for your uncleâs meeting.
I wonder if it was successful?â
Wufu responded with an âOh,â and went silent, focusing on the task in her hands.
Madam Zhou breathed a slight sigh of relief and did not continue the topic, worried that Wufu might pick up on something.
She then took a curious glance at her daughterâs work.
Carving a statue from tofu?
Such a silly child, tofu is so soft; how could anything be carved from it?
Even a simple flower would likely collapse!
Madam Zhou shifted her attention back to her embroidery which she had to complete quickly as the deadline was close.
As the sun began to set, casting a reddish hue in the sky that grew more splendid as it dipped further west, a serene atmosphere enveloped the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.
Mother and daughter each dedicated themselves to their own tasks, enveloped in domestic tranquility.
âIâve finished carving!â Wufu exclaimed with a clap, excitedly calling out, âMother, come and have a look?â
Madam Zhou startled, looking over to see a small pile of tofu scraps on her daughterâs square board.
Wufu pulled her over, pointing to the central piece on the board, âHow about that?
Guanyin Sitting on a Lotus.â
The base of the tofu was carved into a lotus pedestal, and in the middle, a small figure with crossed legs sat amidst it.
The simple gown, simple hairdo with two strands hanging down in front, the figureâs face wasnât clear, but Madam Zhou found it somehow familiar, reminiscent of her younger self.
Remembering Wufuâs mention of carving a statue for her, was this meant to be her?
Madam Zhou looked at her smiling daughter standing before her, completely astonished.
Who, exactly, was she?