I am a Primitive Man

Making tofu isn't particularly difficult, at least not in modern times.

For the current Green Sparrow tribe, however, producing tofu isn't so easy.

Even with Han Cheng, who has experience making tofu from a previous life, creating it in this time requires a lot of effort.

It's not that his skills have deteriorated or that he's forgotten, but rather due to the lack of proper tools for making tofu.

Even a skilled cook would struggle to whip up a meal without ingredients, let alone someone like Han Cheng, who has only rudimentary skills.

In addition to soybeans, making tofu requires a stone mill, a cloth bag, brine or gypsum, and molds and containers for pressing the tofu.

The tribe has linen and high-quality linen woven by Bai Xue, so there's no shortage of material for making the cloth bag. However, they still lack the cloth to line the molds to hold the tofu curds.

While they have several pieces of granite brought back by Shang and Mao from their trade expedition and a carpenter with a hammer and chisel, it will take time to fashion a proper stone mill.

The most challenging part is obtaining the brine or gypsum.

Ground soybeans can only be made into soy milk without these two ingredients. No matter how hot the soy milk is boiled or how much is produced, it won't transform into tofu.

Han Cheng couldn't find any gypsum among the many stones brought back by the trade team, which means he could only focus on the brine for now.

Brine, also known as salt brine, shows its connection to salt just by its name.

Brine is a byproduct of salt and can be obtained from boiling salt.

This is all the knowledge Han Cheng has about the origin of brine.

Knowing this doesn't bridge the gap to making brine.

At the very least, the Green Sparrow tribe has been boiling salt for several years without producing brine.

Although a significant part of that is because they haven't tried hard to do so, it also indicates that obtaining brine is not a simple task.

They were initially disheartened when Han Cheng shared this with Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, and the others. Was making tofu going to be this complicated?

However, they quickly cheered up again because the tribe now has professional stonemasons and carpenters.

Many people also possess decent skills in weaving and sewing.

Although they haven't seen the brine the Divine Child mentions, they know where to obtain it. With the Divine Child's wisdom, they will eventually be able to produce it.

If making a food called tofu is already this troublesome, the taste must be even more delicious than the Divine Child described...

The group's disappointment lasted only a short while before they revived, now filled with even more enthusiasm and anticipation.

Watching this scene, Han Cheng couldn't help but sniffle—indeed, a group of avid food lovers.

Although many tools are required for making tofu, they must be prepared one step at a time.

After happily planning to make tofu, Han Cheng's first step was to find the stonemason, Mu Tou, from the Green Sparrow tribe.

Chiseling the hard stone into usable stone millstones is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Even with a hammer and chisel, creating them isn't easy, especially since Mu Tou has never made a stone mill.

Han Cheng found a branch and drew a few circles on the ground, explaining to Mu Tou what a stone mill is and its general structure.

Mu Tou's ability to understand is considerably poorer than the carpenter, who has a limp. Han Cheng had to explain the concept for quite a while before Mu Tou began to grasp it.

When the carpenter understood most of it, Mu Tou finally comprehended what was being discussed.

Essentially, they need to chisel two identical circular stones from the two stones brought back by the trade team.

Then, they will carve grooves on one side of each stone.

These grooves are designed to increase friction, allowing the ground soybeans and other grains to be better processed.

At the same time, the ground material can flow out more efficiently along these grooves.

A hole must also be made in the middle of both stones so they can connect more effectively.

The difference is that the hole in the middle of the lower stone is square, while the hole in the upper stone is a smooth circle.

When the time comes, a suitably sized wooden wedge made from hardwood will be firmly nailed to the lower stone, and the upper stone can be set on top to allow it to rotate continuously.

Of course, the holes for installing the wooden wedge in both stones do not need to be drilled through.

On one hand, it's unnecessary because not drilling through the stone mill is sufficient for its function.

On the other hand, drilling through would be more labor-intensive and expose the wooden wedge to the elements, increasing the risk of weathering and wear.

After completing these tasks, two more holes must be made in the upper stone.

One hole should be placed between the center and the edge, closer to the center.

This hole must be drilled through the stone mill because when the time comes, the soybeans and other materials will be poured through this hole.

The other hole will be on the side of the stone mill, directly opposite the pouring hole across the center.

This hole is best shaped as a rectangle or a square, as a wooden rod inserted will not loosen easily.

When the time comes, an 'L'-shaped piece of wood will be hammered into this hole, but it only needs to be held by its upper handle. With a firm twist, the upper stone will begin to rotate, making it functional for grinding.

Of course, this is for a small mill; a stick longer than half a meter will need to be wedged inside for a heavier stone mill.

This is because a large stone mill is too heavy to turn by standing still with just one arm.

You need to push it along, walking in circles as the mill turns.

Describing this with words is somewhat cumbersome, but it's not too complicated.

The only demanding aspect is the stone grooves on the surfaces of the two millstones.

The depth, width, and density of these grooves significantly affect the ground materials, while the rest don't need to be overly precise.

Mu Tou stood to the side with a pained expression—wasn't this complicated enough?

However, despite his thoughts, he didn’t back down. Upon realizing the great significance of this task, he immediately pounded his chest in assurance that he would get it done.

Han Cheng appreciated this determination among the tribe members; it was reassuring.

Yet sometimes, enthusiasm alone isn't enough to get things done; some matters are beyond human control.

For instance, Mu Tou's loud promises only lead to equally loud disappointments.

Having just made a guarantee, he quickly got to work but soon encountered a problem that left him frustrated and unable to resolve.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!