Qiao Changshun and Qiao Dami went to fetch water with their ox cart. By the time they returned, Qiao Xiaomai had cooked the soy milk.
She scooped the cooked soy milk into a wooden barrel, then placed the barrel into a bigger container full of water to cool down the soy milk.
Drinking freshly boiled soy milk in hot weather, even delicious as it was, could be overwhelmingly hot.
She left Qiao Changshun and Qiao Dami in charge of delivering the soy milk while she continued cooking. By that time, Zhuang Lühe, Qiao Zhaodi, and Qiao Yindi had ground out two more barrels of soybeans.
After cooking three rounds of soy milk, she had delivered it to both the Engineering Team and all those busy at work. The family each have chugged down two bowls, and the leftover could be used to make tofu.
In the evening, Tong Sanlang returned.
He was holding a pottery jar, with Shopkeeper He trailing behind him.
"Ah? Shopkeeper He, what brings you here?" Qiao Xiaomai greeted him with a sunny smile.