Chapter 128: Tofu, Wolf Dreams, and Skinchangers

Grinding tofu requires constantly turning the millstone by hand, and what follows becomes manual labor.

Domeric, the Heir of Dreadfort, said, "Master-at-arms Roderick often tells me that one must frequently train their arm strength; pushing the mill is a good opportunity for exercise. Lord Eddard, leave it to me!"

Domeric began to turn the millstone, while Theon, Robb, and Jon cheered from the sidelines.

Before long, Domeric grew tired, and Eddard's ward, bastard, and trueborn son took turns going up to turn the mill.

The direwolves Sunshine and Night-walker played to the side.

Under the watchful eyes of Catelyn and the children, all the beans were ground into soybean milk. Arya fetched a bucket, and Robb and Domeric worked together to fill the bucket with the soybean milk.

Eddard ordered a servant to take it to the kitchen, pour it into a pot, and boil it with water. After it boiled, Eddard waited for the milk to cool slightly, then brought over a cloth bag for filtering tofu. Under Eddard's direction, the Wildling woman Osha used her hands to squeeze the bag, forcing the milk out, leaving only the bean dregs inside.

Next, Eddard directed the children to put the soybean milk into a large pot. Arya and Sansa tended the fire to bring it to a boil again, while Robb and Jon used wooden spoons to stir constantly. Seeing a layer of bean skin form on the milk, Eddard ordered Osha to scoop it out.

At this point, Eddard took out the brine and added it in several stages. The milk turned into curds, and Eddard personally used a slotted spoon to place the curds into a mold covered with a damp piece of tofu cloth. Eddard carefully covered it with the cloth, put the lid on, and ordered a servant to press some wood on top.

That evening, in the Great Hall, Eddard's children, Catelyn, and Lady Barbrey drank soybean milk and ate tofu together. Everyone praised the deliciousness of the milk and tofu; even the usually critical Lady Barbrey could not stop praising it.

"Lord Eddard, where on earth did you learn all of this? I've eaten beans for decades, but I never imagined there were so many ways to eat them. How many more delicacies do you have?"

Eddard laughed, "Lady Barbrey, as long as you continue to stay in Winterfell, you can eat delicacies every day."

Bran, Arya, and Sansa loved the soybean milk, while Theon and Domeric preferred the tofu. Jon fed Arya some tofu. Everyone chatted and laughed.

Lady Barbrey sipped the soybean milk, "It must have been a woman who taught you how to grind tofu. It wouldn't be Jon Snow's mother, would it?"

The laughter stopped instantly, and time seemed to freeze. The smile on Catelyn's face stiffened, and Jon lowered his head in silence. Fellan, sitting next to Lady Barbrey, hurriedly said to her, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Lady Barbrey forced a smile, "I must be drunk, that's why I'm talking nonsense. Fellan, let's go for a walk!"

Fellan followed Lady Barbrey out, and Catelyn seemed to be harboring a belly full of anger.

That night, when Catelyn and Eddard returned to their bedroom and closed the door, Catelyn said, "Eddard, was it really Jon Snow's mother who taught you to grind tofu? It must be Lady Ashara Dayne, isn't it?"

Eddard took Catelyn's hand, "Don't let your imagination run wild."

Catelyn looked indignant, "Bean sprouts, tofu, soybean milk—are these all delicacies from Dorne? I've never eaten them in Riverrun or Winterfell, so it must have been Ashara Dayne who taught you."

Eddard comforted her, "How could these be Dornish delicacies? Dornish food is defined by its spiciness; fire peppers and snake venom are the hallmarks of Dornish cuisine. Bean dishes have nothing to do with Dorne, and even less to do with Lady Ashara. Ashara has been dead for many years, and she has no connection to Jon."

"Then who exactly is Jon Snow's mother?" Catelyn's anger flared even higher, "Eddard, it is common for nobles to have bastards abroad. When you were away at war, you had an affair and fathered a bastard; I can understand that, but you shouldn't have kept the bastard in the halls of Winterfell."

"Jon Snow practices swordsmanship with Robb and receives instruction from Ser Roderick; this bastard even studies with my sons and daughter under Maester Luwin. Whose bastard receives such treatment? Do you intend for your bastard to inherit Winterfell?"

This was the root of Catelyn's anxiety; she targeted Jon at every turn precisely because she feared her own children's inheritance would be snatched away by him.

If Catelyn knew that Jon was the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, she wouldn't have such worries. Eddard could not tell Catelyn the truth, but he could help her resolve her inner conflict.

"Catelyn, Jon is my bastard. I swear to you by the New and Old Gods, the bastard has no right of inheritance. The future of Winterfell belongs to Robb; whether it is Robb, Bran, Rickon Stark, Sansa, or Arya, they all rank ahead of him."

Catelyn's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and a smile crept onto the corners of her mouth, "Really?"

"Of course it is true." Eddard hugged Catelyn's waist and said gently, "Jon and Robb are brothers by the same father but different mothers. Jon is not a Stark, but he is a child of Winterfell. He will do his best to assist Robb in the future; you should be happy."

Catelyn said smugly, "I knew that bastard posed no threat to Robb."

"I don't expect you to be good to Jon, but please, don't target him." Eddard stroked Catelyn's red hair, "Promise me."

In the warm bedroom, Eddard soon drifted into a dream.

Eddard found himself in a dream, transformed into a direwolf, walking in the courtyard of Winterfell.

As a direwolf, his sense of smell was incredibly keen. He smelled the scents drifting from the kitchen window—the aromas of lemon cake, cheese, beef, and blueberry wine. He smelled the wafts of horse manure from the stables, the stench of sweat on the stable boy Hodor, and the smells of sulfur, saltpeter, and Cinnabar Stone drifting from the Alchemist's laboratory.

With the beautiful she-wolf not by his side, the direwolf began to sprint, charging toward the Godswood.

In the Godswood, there was the scent of soil, rotting leaves, algae, and humus. He saw the Weirwood Heart Tree carved with a terrifying human face, and a man and woman meeting in secret beneath the heart tree.

A noblewoman was embracing a red-haired man and kissing him. The direwolf saw that the red-haired man's face was covered in freckles, and his leather armor bore the crest of an archer.

The noblewoman wore a pale red gown, and her wool cloak bore the crossed battle-axes and rusted crown crest of the Dustin House.

The red-haired man kissed the noblewoman, and both of their faces and necks turned red.

"Come back to Barrowton with me!"

The red-haired man looked very afraid, "Return to Barrowton? What would the people of the Dustin House think of me?"

"Of course they would curse you." The noblewoman smiled, "Delong Dustin and Paul Dustin both think I will never marry again. They have been plotting the inheritance of Barrowton for many years. If you appear in Barrowton, they will curse you, or even plot to kill you!"

"If you are afraid, you will never have me."

The red-haired man saw the direwolf, "Why did Night-walker run here?"

"Never mind the direwolf, come and cherish me!"

The direwolf licked the tree sap and the world spun. Eddard woke up in his bedroom, his mouth filled with the salty, astringent taste of tree sap.

The Wolf Dream was so vivid that Eddard smiled.

At this moment, he began to take his first step toward becoming a skinchanger.

Thanks to "Simarillion" for the monthly ticket, thank you for your support!

(End of chapter)